While the world still awaits dancehall guru Diplo‘s upcoming EP Express Yourself, details regarding his first-ever photo book have been announced, as Prefix points out. Entitled 128 Beats per Minute: Diplo’s Visual Guide for Music, Culture, and Everything In Between, the book packs photos by Shane McCauley of Diplo’s DJ work across seven years and 32 countries. Each chapter focuses on a different country and includes a playlist created by Diplo. In addition, the book includes a forward by fashion designer Alexander Wang.

128 Beats per Minute is expected to hit book shelves in April via Universe Publishing. In the meantime, take a listen to the Express Yourself sampler below.

Express Yourself sampler:

Friday, December 30th

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Saturday, December 31st

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It’s been a long year. Scratch that, it’s been a veeerrrry long year. From social revolutions to the end of our occupation of Iraq, from the death of celebrities and dictators to a man who sneezes bullets and the mystery of planking, the world experienced a slew of emotions and all sorts of cultural and political upheaval in 2011. And that’s not even counting the plethora of music news that had the blogosphere abuzz this year.

So, as the question begs, what comes next? Well, 2012. If you were to believe certain factions, it’ll be the end of days. A more likely scenario, though, is that it will be another busy year, with people to meet, triumphs to celebrate, disasters to mourn, and a whole other set of memories to file away as we march perpetually onward toward the Great Unknown. A dreary prospect for sure, one that almost makes the impending Apocalypse sound warm and fuzzy. However, there is temporary respite in the form of New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve is that magic night where one year is all but over. It’s the chance to stop worrying for a moment. It’s an opportunity to celebrate surviving the last 364. It’s the start of a whole new scheme or design for the upcoming 365. Rather than chugging cheap champagne and letting off fireworks, NYE should be commemorated with the one thing that makes any year bearable: music.

As we have for every other major celebratory occasion, CoS has your back with our handy-dandy New Year’s Eve 2011 Concert Guide. From the beaches of Miami to life in the City of Angels, and everywhere between, our guide has everything you’ll need to know to see your favorite bands live. Whether you’re planning to rock out with Patti Smith at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, get freaky with The Flaming Lips and Yoko Ono in Oklahoma City, or hit up BOTH of Kaskade’s NYE shows (in two different state mind you), our guide is the only New Year’s Eve accessory you need (save for maybe a noisemaker). Plus, if you’re not one to brave the weather and the sea of drunks, we’ll tell you what you should be watching on the old boob tube. The point is, if it’s happening on NYE, it’s in this guide. Your only concern will be how to get home and/or where to pass out at the end of the night.

If we’ve missed any gathering or shindig, please let us know in the comments below. Call this a cliché bit of writing, but we’d like to leave you with some parting words from the immortal Benjamin Franklin to guide you into what lies ahead: “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.”

See ya in 2012.

-Chris Coplan
News Editor

New York City

– AarabMUZIK, Balam Acab: 285 Kent

– Assembly of Dust: Mercury Lounge

– Avicii: Pier 34

– The Bad Plus: The Village Vanguard

– Charles Bradley, The Budos Band: Music Hall of Williamsburg

– Chuck Berry: B.B. King Blues Club

– Dark Star Orchestra: Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ)

– Deadmau5: Pier 36

– Deer Tick, J. Roddy Watson and the Business, Dead Confederate: Brooklyn Bowl

– Fitz and the Tantrums: The Gramercy Theatre

– Gogol Bordello: Terminal 5

– Gov’t Mule: Beacon Theatre

– Infected Mushroom: Best Buy Theater

– The Knocks: Gansevoort Park Avenue

– Laidback Luke: Pacha

– Lee Fields & The Expressions: The Bell House

– Los Lobos: City Winery

– Matt and Kim, Super Mash Bros., Body Language: Hammerstein Ballroom

– Neru: Webster Hall

– The New Deal: B.B. King Blues Club

– New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men: Roseland Ballroom

– Nick Catchdubs: Loreley

– Nosaj Thing: Glasslands

– O’Death: Spike Hill

– Patti Smith: Bowery Ballroom

– Phish: Madison Square Garden

– Steve Lawler: District 36

– Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Maxwells (Hoboken, NJ)

Chicago

– Alkaline Trio: Metro

– Big Gigantic: Riviera Theatre

– Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears: Double Door

– Cage the Elephant, Sleeper Agent: Aragon Ballroom

– Cave: The Hideout

– Disco Biscuits, Future Rock: Auditorium Theatre

– The Hood Internet: Lincoln Hall

– Keys N Krates: Chicago Urban Art Society

– Local H: Bottom Lounge

– Murder By Death: Subterranean

– Old 97s: Intercontinental Hotel Grand Ballroom

– Rusko, Sinden, Switch: Congress Theater

– The Spits: Cobra Lounge

Los Angeles

– The Aggrolites: Alex’s Bar

– Benny Benassi, Paul Van Dyk, Kaskade, Dada Life: Anaheim Convention Center (White Wonderland)

– DJ Quik: Key Club

– Duck Sauce, Diplo, Chromeo, Felix da Housecat, The Bloody Beetroots, LA Riots: Oak Canyon Park (Together As One)

– The Henry Clay People, Races: The Satellite

– Give Up the Ghost: Ukrainian Culture Center

– Jenny and Johnny, Cults: The Standard Hollywood

– John Digweed: The Avalon

– Junkie XL: Detroit Bar

– L.A. Guns: Whisky A Go Go

– Lupe Fiasco: Hollywood & Highland Center

– Musiq Soulchild: House of Blues

– Wanda Jackson, Best Coast, Dan Sartain: Club Nokia

San Francisco

– The Fresh & Onlys, Thee Oh Sees: Brick and Mortar Music Hall

– Furthur: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

– Kreayshawn: The Regency Ballroom

– The Limousines: Rickshaw Stop

– Maceo Parker: Yoshi’s

– Santigold, Amon Tobin Islam Live, Beats Antique, Claude Von Stroke,: Concourse Exhibition Center (Sea of Dreams)

– Primus: Great American Music Hall

– The Slip: Cafe du Nord

– Sonny & The Sunsets: Amnesia

– Talib Kweli: Sloane Squared

– Tedeschi Trucks Band, The New Mastersounds: The Warfield

– Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue: The Fillmore

– X: Slim’s

– Yeasayer (DJ Set): W Hotel

– DJ Z-Trip: Fort Mason Center

London

– The 2 Bears: XOYO

– Adam Beyer: Fabric

– Ferry Corsten: Brixton Academy

– Gabby Young and Other Animals: Royal Festival Hall

– Gary Numan: All Star Lanes

– Gross Magic: The Victoria

– Joker, Brekage, Roska, Plastician, Sigma: Electric Brixon

– Kasabian, Chase & Status, Zane Lowe: The O2

– Toddla T: The Nest

– The Wedding Present: Dingwalls

Elsewhere

Aspen

– Jane’s Addiction: Belly Up

Athens (Georgia)

– MartyParty, Dubconscious: New Earth Music Hall

– of Montreal: Go Bar

– Reptar: Georgia Theatre

Atlanta

– Against Me!, Fake Problems, Franz Nicolay: The Masquerade

– Cake: Fox Theatre

– JJ Grey & Mofro: Variety Playhouse

– Kylesa: The Earl

– Naughty By Nature, Ed Kowalczyk: Hyatt Regency

– Perpetual Groove: Center Stage

– STS9: The Tabernacle

– Zac Brown Band: Philips Arena

Atlantic City

– Brand New: House of Blues

Austin

– Big Freedia: The Mohawk

– The Black Angels, Wooden Shjips, Ume: Emo’s East

– Bob Schneider, Quiet Company: Paramount Theatre

– Designer Drugs: Austin Music Hall

– Gary Clark Jr.: Antone’s

– Groupo Fantasma: Beauty Bar

– Hayes Carll: La Zona Rosa

– Penguin Prison: American Legion Hall

– Russian Circles: Red 7

– White Denim, Royal Bangs: The Empire Space

– Willie Nelson: Moody Theater

Australia

– Arctic Monkeys, Crystal Castles, Dan Deacon, The Naked and Famous: The Falls Festival (Lorne)

– Fleet Foxes, Beirut, CSS, CANT, Unknown Mortal Orchestra: The Falls Festival (Marion Bay)

Baltimore

– Carbon Leaf: Hyatt Regency

– SOJA: Baltimore Soundstage

Boston

– David Wax Museum: Lizard Lounge (Cambridge, MA)

– Lucero: Paradise

– New York Dolls: New England Conservatory

Charlotte (North Carolina)

– Widespread Panic: Time Warner Cable Arena

Dallas

– Girl Talk, Ghostland Observatory, MSTRKRFT, Neon Indian, Pendulum (DJ Set): Lights All Night

– The Polyphonic Spree, Centro-matic: House of Blues

– Quinton and Miss Pussycat: Zubar

Denver

– Flux Pavilion, Doctor P: Colorado Convention Center

– Gauntlet Hair, Pictureplane: The Larmier Lounge

– Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad: Cervantes’ Other Side

– Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Orgone: Cervatnes Ballroom

– Ladytron (DJ Set): City Hall

– Pretty Lights: 1stBANK Center (Broomfield, CO)

– Railroad Earth: Ogden Theatre

– Truckasauras: The Summit

– Ween: The Fillmore

Detroit

– The Detroit Cobras: Magic Stick

– Greensky Bluegrass, The Macpodz: Majestic Theatre

– Maze featuring Frankie Beverly: Masonic Temple

Greenville (South Carolina)

– The Avett Brothers: Bi-Lo Center

Houston

– Blue October: House of Blues

– Christopher Lawrence: Stereo Live

– Young Jeezy: Reliant Arena

Lake Tahoe

– Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Thievery Corporation, The Glitch Mob, Childish Cambino, A-Trak, Theophilus London, YACHT: Snowglobe Music Festival

Las Vegas

– Chris Brown: Pure Nightclub

– Guns N’ Roses, Sebastian Bach: The Joint

– John Legend: Pearl Concert Theater

– Kaskade: Marquee

– NOFX, Lagwagon: House of Blues

– Paul Oakenfold: Rain

– Steve Angello: XS Nightclub

– Stevie Wonder: Cosmopolitan

Louisville (Kentucky)

– The Pass: Butchertown Pub Studios

Miami

– The Heavy Pets: Tobacco Road

– Spam All-Stars: The Catalina Hotel

Minneapolis

– Dawes: Varsity Theater

– EOTO: Skyway Theater

Milwaukee

– Skrillex, Dillon Francis: The Rave

Nashville

– Bassnectar: Bridgestone Arena

– Moon Taxi, Apache Relay: Exit/In

New Orleans

– Big Sam’s Funky Nation: The Joy Theater

– Black Lips: One Eyed Jacks

– Dr. John: House of Blues

– Funky Meters: Tipitina’s French Quarter

– Galactic, Anders Osborne: Tipitina’s Uptown

— Rebirth Brass Band: Howlin’ Wolf

Northampton (Massachusetts)

– Josh Ritter: Calvin Theater

– Rubblebucket: Pearl Street Nightclub

Oklahoma City

– The Flaming Lips, Yoko Ono: Brickstown Events Center

Orlando

– Trivium, Sevendust, Black Tide: House of Blues

– Slightly Stoopid, The Expendables: Hard Rock Live

Ottawa

– Electric Six: Mavericks

Philadelphia

– Clutch: Trocadero

– Eternal Summers, Bleeding Rainbow: Level Room

– Good Old War, River City Extension: Theatre of Living Arts

– Lotus: Festival Pier

– Man Man (DJ Set), Dr. Dog (DJ Set), Sun Airway (DJ Set): Johnny Brenda’s

– Smoking Popes: North Star Bar

Phoenix

– Meat Puppets: Clubhouse Music Venue

Portland (Maine)

– moe.: State Theatre

Portland (Oregon)

– Leftover Salmon: Roseland Theater

– Nurses, Radiation City: Mississippi Studios

– Pierced Arrows: Ash Street Saloon

– Red Fang: Star Theater

– Reverend Horton Heat, Supersuckers: The Crystal Ballroom

– Talkdemonic: Misson Theater

San Diego

– Fedde Le Grand, Porter Robinson, Hardwell, Bart B More: Valley View Casino Center (OMFG! NYE)

– Kinky: 4th & B

Seattle

– Mustard Pimp: King Cat Theatre

– Starfucker, Champagne Champagne: The Crocodile

St. Louis (Missouri):

– Cowboy Mouth: Old Rock House

– Devon Allman’s Honeytribe: Blueberry Hill

– Excision: Koken Art Factory

– Umphrey’s McGee: The Pageant

Toronto

– Elliot Brood: Lee’s Palace

– Kyuss! Lives: Cherry Cola’s Rock N’ Rolla Cabaret & Lounge

– The Sadies: Horseshoe Tavern

– Steve Aoki, Thomas Gold: Kool Haus

Vancouver

– Tiësto: Pacific Coliseum

Washington, DC

– Animal Collective (DJ Set), Le Tigre (DJ Set), ANR (DJ Set): 1800 L Street NW (BYT NYE)

– Drive-By Truckers, Booker T, Alabama Shakes: 9:30 Club

– Gucci Mane: Love Night Club

– Morgan Page: Fur Nightclub

– Painted Face: Rock and Roll Hotel

On TV

– Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (ABC): Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine, Blink-182, Nicki Minaj

– New Year’s Eve with Carson Daily (NBC): Drake, The Roots, Cee-Lo Green

– NYE in NYC (MTV): J. Cole

– Coldplay New Year’s Eve: An Austin City Limits Special (PBS)

Photo by Patrick O’Dell

Hard-hitting noise pop outfit Sleigh Bells will soon return with a brand new treat. The duo’s sophomore LP, Reign of Terror, will hit stores on February 14th 2012 (aka Valentine’s Day) via Mom+Pop Music. Spanning 12 tracks, the album was produced by Sleigh Bells guitarist Derek Miller and engineered by Shane Stoneback, who also helped to record Treats. Below, you can find the album’s teaser trailer, followed by tracklist.

Two weeks before their album’s release, Sleigh Bells will team up with DJ and fellow Floridian Diplo for a nine-date tour of their home state. Florida kids, I never want to hear you complain again. The trek’s itinerary underneath the aforementioned items.

Reign of Terror Tracklist:
01. True Shred Guitar
02. Born to Lose
03. Crush
04. End of the Line
05. Leader of the Pack
06. Comeback Kid
07. Demons
08. Road to Hell
09. You Lost Me
10. Never Say Die
11. D.O.A.

Sleigh Bells 2012 Tour Dates:
02/03 – Gainesville, FL @ Florida Theater *^
02/04 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz *^
02/06 – Penscaola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall *^
02/07 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Moon *^
02/09 – Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird *^
02/10 – Orlando, FL @ Firestone *^
02/11 – Ft. Launderdale, FL @ Revolution *^
02/14 – Miami, FL @ Grand Central  *^

* = w/ Diplo
^ = w/ Liturgy

At first, the thought of an outdoor dance festival located in Washington D.C. at the end of November seems like a crazy, illogical idea. But bring in over a half-dozen temperature-controlled tents to cover revelers roaming through four stages, secure an earthshaking sound system, and book artists like Moby, Infected Mushroom, Armand Van Helden, Diplo, Excision, and Zed’s Dead, and you have something massive. Fall Massive, to be exact.

Thanks to Steez Promo and Ultraworld Presents, the same team that delivers year after year at Starscape in Baltimore, bassheads and electro-aficionados worldwide have something to be quite thankful for this holiday season, when Fall Massive takes over our nation’s capitol this Saturday, November 26^th. At the head of this ground-breaking festival experience is Evan Weinstein, co-owner and head of marketing for Steez Promo. Amidst continued planning for Fall Massive and still in the booking phases for Starscape, Weinstein was able to chat with Consequence of Sound about planning D.C.’s largest dance party ever, how new blood has been able to keep Starscape on the cutting-edge, and the current state of electronic music.

Just to get a sense of the work you do, what’s your position with Starscape and Ultraworld?

I’ve been involved with Ultraworld from about 2001. My partner and I came in– I started as a street promoter, pretty sure he came in as a street promoter as well; now we own 50% of the festival. We do all the buying, promotions, and marketing, and play a major role with all of the planning from top to bottom.

A man of many hats. What projects are currently on the table for Steez Promotions and Ultraworld?

Right now, our main concern is with Fall Massive. The event is the largest production either Steez or Ultraworld have ever done. I’m also working on our calendar of club shows for 2012. We are working on breaking into eight to 12 new markets, while maintaining the 12 or so markets we’re already working in.

And that is going to be in Washington D.C.?

Yeah, we are going into RFK stadium and taking over Lot 8, the largest parking of the stadium, and we’ll be using the space for the largest dance event ever to come to D.C., somewhere around 16,000 to 20,000 people. This is realistically the largest indoor dance event ever to come to the East Coast.

This event, everything from promotions to lineup to sound to marketing, is the biggest thing we have ever done. We have one of the biggest media companies in the nation partnered with us on the event; they are called the Collective and are based out of LA and work with T.V., film, management, everything under the sun. We brought Ultraworld on and have Lonnie [Fisher] doing on all the logistics, and plugged the Starscape network into that, then we just went balls to the walls with the lineup. Simply, it is the biggest line-up that we could get put together.

Will the re-vamped Fall Massive also be an all-night event similar to Starscape?

This ends at 2 a.m. [the site's curfew] and starts at 4 p.m.. Again, we are not trying to be Starscape with it. Last year, it ended at 2 a.m.; before that it was at the Paradox and ended at 6 a.m.. When we outgrew that venue two years ago, we moved the event to a 2 a.m. curfew.

What we are trying to create is a club atmosphere in an outdoor environment, and doing it in a season when you normally cannot do an outdoor event. The entire thing, except for the smoking area and port-o-potties, is totally enclosed. If we can pull this off, we can do a show like this anywhere at anytime.

I have been in talks with two companies that own outdoors venues all over the country, and we could realistically just go in at anytime and set up an event. I personally think it’s ground-breaking, and I hope others do too, as I don’t know of anyone else that’s done anything like this before.

On the booking end, how early do you begin speaking with management and agencies?

For this specific event, it’s a unique situation because we used to produce this event in a 3,000 person club up the street in Baltimore, and we would still probably be doing the event there, but it closed and left the event homeless. We were then in talks with a 6,000 capacity club, and that ended up falling through, which is good because I just heard an event was canceled last week because they didn’t pay their electric bill. So then we just decided to throw the event in a parking lot somewhere in the city.

We then started conceptualizing it, got a parking lot locked down, then called Lonnie from Ultraworld, and oddly enough he had been envisioning this event for 10 to 15 years. He wanted to do an outdoor event, but create an indoor event using tents. He told us, “This is an event I have been planning for years.” So naturally we passed over the site planning and logistics to him.

We didn’t start booking until July or August. We probably started sending out offers in June or July, compared to a nine-month lead-time for Starscape, and that is late for us. We were super late in the game, but the lineup definitely worked out.

Do you know off-hand who is doing the audio and visual projects at Fall Massive?

We are working with Turbo Sound out of Canada along with Maryland Sound locally. We have a bunch of different sound items we are putting it. From what I understand, the bass cabinets for the Dub Nation Stage are the same cabinets they use to calibrate earthquake-measuring equipment.

There are several companies we are talking to for visuals and lights. We are going out of our way to find things that we don’t normally have at Starscape, like choreographed dancers and more decor. With an expanded capacity, we are looking to put more back into the event; we have crazy stadium grade lasers, next level stage displays, confetti cannons, and much, much more.

This is going to be the biggest production that we have ever done.

What do you think it is about Starscape that’s different from other dance festivals that has kept it thriving?

First, it is the only all-night music event on a city-owned property. I’ve been to DEMF, I’ve been to Ultra, and it’s just different. Our lineups have been more eclectic in the past; we went in electronic-jam music much earlier than other fests. We were a dance-music festival; we broke out into some jam music and live electronic stuff. Now we are going back more towards the DJs.

We actually had the Disco Biscuits way back in 2006. Back in 2005 was really one of the lowest points in dance music nationally, and we decided that we needed something new or this festival was going to die. At the time we had been running Sonar, a live-music venue in Baltimore, and the Disco Biscuits were doing well there, so we decided to bring them over to Starscape. Also around that time, me and my partner were getting back into DJ shows, but shortly after that time we were going more heavily into live music for Steez Promo.

Now in its 14^th year, Starscape is also one of the largest running music festivals in the country, and it’s one night. It’s 18 hours, boom, done, won’t be back until next year. People wait for this music festival all year, and after the one-night it is just done, and then they are sitting there waiting for next year. Unlike going somewhere for three days, getting all worn out, and then waiting a few months before you’re really getting ready for the following year. At Starscape, the day after people are already contacting me about who is going to be playing.

Starscape has been able to showcase a range of artists well before they reach a national stage; how have you gone about buying?

We are just really in touch with dance music. For instance, we booked Skrillex for seven shows back in September of 2010, and they all sold out. We knew it was going to be big, but we didn’t know the scale.

When we think something is going to break, we are really on top of it. Like SBTRKT and the guys from Hospital Records, we think that is going to come in big, but we have been on top of that for awhile.

Now in its 14th year and after selling out in advance in 2011, are there any expansion plans for future Starscape festivals?

We have talked about expansion plans, but a Starscape on the first Saturday in June in Baltimore is not going to change. It’s at Fort Armistead Park; it will be there until the day [the park] is gone. We have talked about alternate locations, but it has to be the right conditions. Starscape has always been an all-night event, and we would never move it somewhere that is would have to end at 2 a.m. or a place where we couldn’t create the same environment that we do at the current Starscape.

Starscape sold out three-and-a-half weeks before the event last year, and we are expecting it to sell out even sooner for 2012. But there is new competition on the East Coast with EDC: New York coming, so we are looking to be doing more festivals. We are going to be doing something in Philadelphia in May and looking to do something else in Maryland.

Will these events be produced by Ultraworld or Steez promo?

Steez promo did over 160 events this year. The guy who started Ultraworld, started Starscape, is our logistics guy. He has taken a step back and is into a lot of other things right now. He was actually one of the head people at the Baltimore Grand Prix this year. He has really just turned Starscape over to us when it comes to talent, promotions, and marketing, then he helps out with Steez’ other events like Fall Massive.

Other dance-music festivals have had issues in the last few years planning events due to regulations by local government. What type of relationship has been developed between Ultraworld/Steez and the city of Baltimore to ensure longevity of the event?

We work closely with the city and state to ensure that the event is good for everyone involved. We definitely stay on top of any and all safety concerns that the city has for the event. We work closely with police and Fire Marshall to make sure the event is positive and the safest event possible. When we sell out, the hotels and other city attractions sell out, so it is positive for everyone.

With that said, do you feel Starscape has turned into a destination festival?

Definitely. It is crazy how it has transformed into that. Luckily for us, we do sell tickets in local outlets, because due to the way information travels on the internet and Facebook, a lot of the local, longtime supporters would be shut out if we only sold tickets online.

Last year I spoke with people that came in from New Zealand and came in from Europe. People keep traveling further and further for these events. Right now, it is really turning into a global scene. And really, when a person comes one year, they will come the next with friends. It just keeps building and building.

This past year, Starscape was broken into dub, dance, bass, and main stages. Will this change for upcoming festivals? And what type of genres do you see being represented more heavily in the upcoming editions?

We are going to keep it more balanced. One of the biggest genres that we fell in love with over the last 12-months has been the Dirty Dutch movement and Moombahton. Me and my partner are always listening to music and looking for what we can incorporate more.

It is kind of hard to format by genre now, because a lot of DJs are playing a lot of different genres. One of the biggest complaints this year was that dubstep was playing on every stage. Even my partners and myself were surprised at the fact that dubstep made it into a number of sets where we didn’t expect to hear it. Not saying that’s a negative thing but definitely a surprise.

The dubstep movement is taking over everything right now, which is great for the scene. It’s finding its way into performances by artists you would never expect to play it; we can no longer make one stage the dubstep stage, another the dance stage. Right now, house artists are playing dubstep, the drum n bass artists are playing dubstep, and even the live artists are playing dubstep. But you know, you cannot tell artists what to spin.

For instance, Dieselboy’s Subhuman label is bringing together all forms of bass music.

Dieselboy’s whole thing is that he can play anything; he is one of the most technical DJs out there. It’s almost like DJs who are into DJing will play anything. But producers find what they are good at and kind of focus on that. For instance, Dieselboy’s new Unleashed is all over the place: DnB, dubstep, drumstep, he can play it all and he does. Every set is different and every set is exciting.

When Tiesto and deadmau5 start dropping dubstep into their sets, you know it’s everywhere. It was weird when, two or three Ultras ago, when deadmau5 dropped some bass music the middle of his set, and I felt the whole crowd just stopped because bass music hadn’t taken over. There were like 50,000 people there and you could have heard a pin drop.

It’s good to see everyone supporting bass music, but as a fan, I know where kids are coming from there, saying, “Oh god, I don’t really like dubstep and I cannot get away from it!”

We have discussed it a bit already, but what are the plans for Steez promo in 2012?

Right now we work in 12-14 markets, and produce 160 events per year. We are looking to produce over 200 [events] during 2012, and are already in the process of expanding into eight to 12 more markets next year. Right now, the only company on this scale is Insomniac events, and while I don’t see us competing with them because there is a mutual respect there, I definitely want to get Steez Promo up to their scale, or at least try to get Steez Promo to that scale.

The whole movement in the U.S. is crazy right now. There is a lot going on behind the scenes that is pushing the dance movement forward, everything from Jay-Z and Kanye using a tune from Flux Pavilion [on “Who Gonna Stop Me”] to Skillex music in ads to Heineken supporting dance music, is helping the scene appeal to a larger audience.

 For more information on Steez Promo and Fall Massive, please visit Steezpromo.com and Fallmassive.com.

The sophomore installment of Ultra Music Festival Brazil hits São Paulo’s Sambódromo Anhembi on December 3rd, 2011. This year’s bill packs electro heavyweights like Swedish House Mafia, Duck Sauce, and 2manydjs alongside recently reunited post-punk outfit New Order and Canadian rock warriors Death From Above 1979.

Rounding out the bill are Laidback Luke, MSTRKRFT, Major Lazer, Soulwax, Diplo, Shit Robot, The Twelves, Nero, Alesso, DJ Marky, Life is a Loop, Renato Cohen, MIXHEII, Renato Ratier, and Rodrigo Viera. For any additional lineup news and updates, stay tuned to our Festival Outlook.

For ticket information and additional festival info, check out the festival’s website.

Given my current location, I’m not even sure I’ll survive to see next week. But if us Americans do manage to escape the wrath of Hurricane Irene and are around come New Year’s Eve 2011, here’s one one potential entertainment option. The first-ever Lights All Night music festival will round together such electro heavyweights as Tiësto, Girl Talk, MSTRKRFT, Benny Benassi, Ghostland Observatory, Diplo, and Pendulum (DJ Set) for a two-night party at the Dallas Convention Center.

Other confirmed notables include Wolfgang Gartner, Laidback Luke, Flux Pavilion, Neon Indian, RJD2, Felix Cartal, Zeds Dead, Excision, Dada Life, Porter Robinson, Archnemesis, Sandro Silva, and The M Machine. Additional acts will be announced in the coming weeks, and you can stay up to date by bookmarking our Festival Outlook page.

Early bird single day and two-day passes, priced at $79 and $150, respectively, will go on sale Tuesday, August 30th via the festival’s website.

If you recall, the festival sports a bevy of talent, which includes Cake, Stars, Matt & Kim, Big Boi, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, Manchester Orchestra, New Pornographers, The Airborne Toxic Event, and plenty more. Check out our Festival Outlook for the full shebang.

Weekend festival passes are currently on sale for $149.00, though VIP passes are also available. Visit DeLuna’s website for complete ticketing information.

Set for November 4-6 at Auditorium Shores, this year’s edition also promises Rakim, Major Lazer, Okkervil River, Kid Dynamite, Henry Rollins, Reggie Watts, Flying Lotus, the recently reunited Hum, The Murder City Devils, Lykke Li, Four Tet, Neon Indian, Blonde Redhead, The Damned, Diplo, Ra Ra Riot, Cave In, and and Del The Funky Homosapien.

If that weren’t enough, the bill also features Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Spank Rock, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Ra Ra Riot, tUnE-yArDs, The Radio Dept., Boris, D-Generation, Zero Boys, Childish Gambino, Big Feedia, YACHT, Cecil Otter & Swiss Andy present: WUGAZI, The Joy Formidable, Mates of State, Cold Cave, Austra, G-Side, and Le Butcherettes. You can check out the entire bill at our Festival Outlook; we also have the lineup poster below.

Three-day and VIP passes are priced at $135 and $270, respectively and go on sale via the festival’s website. Single day passes ($55) will be available beginning September 1st.

Piggybacking off the success of the irritatingly catchy “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell”, Brooklyn’s Das Racist dropped two mixtapes in 2010, Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man, that caught the attention of a hungry fanbase. Now, the trio try to serve up another hit with their proper debut album, Relax, this September 13th. The 14 track effort features cameos from Despot, Danny Brown, and El-P, while Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij, Anand Wilder from Yeasayer, Diplo, and the aforementioned El-P all had a hand in the production.

Along with the impressive guest list, the band are releasing the LP on their own via member Himanshu Suri’s Greedhead Music label. Dig into the tracklist below.

Relax Tracklist:
01. Relax
02. Michael Jackson
03. Brand New Dance
04. Middle of The Cake
05. Girl
06. Shut Up, Man [ft. El-P]
07. Happy Rappy
08. Bootyin the Air
09. Power [ft. Danny Brown & Despot]
10. Punjabi Song [ft. Bikram Singh]
11. Selena
12. Rainbow in the Dark
13. The Trick
14. Celebration

Update: The streams have been removed, but Diplo promises an official preview next Monday.

It may not be perfect, but Turntable.fm is already starting to yield some magical musical goodies. Case in point: Diplo dropped by the social DJing site’s VIPFest room on Monday evening and shared three new tracks created for the Major Lazer moniker. The cuts, “Ml Bugle No 3rd T2″, “ML II Mystic Bubble T2 3rd”, and an untitled number, are streaming right now over at the blog of 107.7 The End. No word yet on if these will end up on Major Lazer’s sophomore LP, so stay tuned for more as it’s announced.

The jam band and indie genres already have their own multi-day musical voyages, and now the world of electronica does too. The inaugural and awesomely titled Holy Ship! cruise sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on January 6th and will feature electro heavy hitters like Fatboy Slim, Diplo, Rusko, Skrillex, and A-Trak, along with the one and only Tommy Lee, who will be playing with DJ Aero.

The four-day cruise, which is being put on by HARD, will make stops in the Bahamas and an undisclosed private island, the latter of which will host a special Beach Boutique party featuring performances by Fatboy Slim and more. Other accommodations include access to a spa, pool, fitness center, and yoga, as well as Steve Aoki’s poker palace and a ping pong area which promises a match between Tommy Lee and Rusko.

Among the other acts set to perform are Buraka Som Sistema, Steve Aoki, Brodinski, Dillon Francis, Doorly, Jason Bentley, Destructo, Gina Turner, Contra, and Mike Deuce, with even more still to be confirmed.

The price of the cruise is dependent on the type of cabin, but a $250 initial deposit is required for all cruise-goers. Reservations begin June 15th; click here for complete booking information.

Despite the simplistic title, it does actually have meaning beyond this being her fourth solo LP. “We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me,” she told Billboard. “It’s the day I was born. My mother’s birthday, and a lot of my friends’ birthdays, are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date.”

While there’s no word yet on a definitive release date (though it could be as early as June), the album’s rumored list of collaborators and producers is already reason enough to be excited. Along with production from Switch on the album’s lead single, the rumor mill was recently abuzz with talk of Sleigh Bells’ Derek E. Miller making a guest spot. Other rumored songwriters/producers include Jim Jonsin, Ne-Yo, The-Dream, and Frank Ocean (the OFWGKTA member, who wrote on his blog, “[Beyoncé's] singing my songs. If time were to stop right now, the past couple weeks would be near the top of the highlight reel for my short time on earth.”)

Beyoncé has also been getting in touch with the work of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, who inspired the singer-actress to open up creatively. “I recorded more than 60 songs: everything I ever wanted to try, I just did it. I started off being inspired by Fela Kuti,” Beyonce told Billboard. “I actually worked with the band from “Fela!” [the hit Broadway musical based on his life] for a couple of days…what I learned most from Fela was artistic freedom: he just felt the spirit.” Other sources of inspiration include Adele, Earth, Wind & Fire, Teena Marie, Florence and the Machine, and DeBarge

Meanwhile, Beyoncé will release the video for “Run the World (Girls)” on Friday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

Moral of the story? There’s no time to give her hubby a haircut.

New York City’s festival scene is all but dominated by hip-hop and indie music (and now Dave Matthews). Over the past two Labor Day weekends, however, Electric Zoo has done it’s part to bring the electronic scene to the forefront, and it just keeps getting bigger. This year’s edition continues the expansion by adding a day and featuring a lineup of over 100 acts. 30 more of those have just been added, and according to the press-release, they’re all headliners.

Joining the already announced Tiësto on Friday, September 2nd will be Moby (DJ set), Benny Benassi, Rusko, and Tiga. MSTRKRFT, Richie Hawtin’s Plastikman, Carl Cox, Loco Dice, Crookers and Martin Solveig will play the three other stages on day one.

Day two sees Above & Beyond, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, John Digweed, and Sander van Doorn leading into David Guetta on the Main Stage. Ferry Corsten, ATB, Luciano, Danny Tenaglia, Skrillex, and Super Mash Bros are also set for Saturday.

Sunday the 4th features the previously revealed Armin van Buuren topping the bill, with Afrojack, Chromeo, DJ Snoopadelic, and Calvin Harris filling out the Main Stage roster. Other acts for the day include Boys Noize, Diplo, Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Infected Mushroom, and Gabriel & Dresden.

Tickets are currently on-sale, with 3-day GA passes going for $249 and VIP (21+) for $499, though prices increase if you add parking passes or ferry tickets. The event takes place on Randall’s Island Park, so paying a bit extra might just be necessary. Platinum Experience tickets (also 21+) include one or the other, but will put a $999 dent in your bank account. Click over to the festival’s website to purchase passes and for further information.

Unlike the other festivals outside of the three-day Vegas main-event, EDC: Orlando is two-days as opposed to just the one – not surprising with the Sunshine State’s pension for pulsating parties. Saturday May 27th sees Tiësto, Afrojack, Skrillex, 12th Planet, Porter Robinson, Gabriel & Dresden and Goldie take to Tinker Field. Sunday includes elector-heavyweights Paul Van Dyk, Benny Benassi, and Diplo, plus Ferry Corsten, Calvin Harris, Datsik, and Markus Shulz.

EDC: Colorado, held in Denver on June 11th, features the likes of Kaskade, LA Riots, Bart B More, Datsik, DJ Z-Trip, Eliot Lipp, Feed Me, Axwell, and Treasure Fingers. Full lineups for both festivals can be seen at their respective Festival Outlook pages here and here.

More artists are to come for the Las Vegas Carnival, plus the day-fest in Puerto Rico. Policy changes involving glow-toys have been introduced in addition to age restrictions: GA tickets for all the events are 18+, with VIP passes being 21+. Entrance to EDC: Orlando will set you back $60 per-day, or save 10 bucks on a $109 2-day pass ($130 or $249 for VIP), plus fees. EDC: Colorado costs $45 for GA and $150 for VIP, again with extra fees. Tickets are on-sale now through the EDC website.

For 2011, EDC: Dallas has tapped artists across the dance music spectrum to fill fives stages over 8 hours of insanity. Co-presented by Full Access, the party kicks off at Dallas’ Fair Park at 3pm June 18th and features Paul van Dyk, Axwell, Avicii, Diplo, Skrillex, Excision, Wolfgang Gartner, 12th Planet, and High Contrast.

Other confirmed acts include Gabriel & Dresden, Markus Schulz, Dirtyphonics Live, Feed Me, Green Velvet, Mark Farina, Morgan Page, Mt. Eden, Felguk, Super 8 & Tab, Filo & Peri, Fred Everything, DJ Dan, DOORLY, Justin Martin, BART B MORE, Manufactured Superstars, Demarkus Lewis, and Brett Johnson.

More acts are still rolling out, so keep an eye on EDC’s website for all the upcoming details. Due to some past troubles, EDC: Dallas is strictly 18+, and apparently all glow toys except for glow sticks have been banned. Tickets can be purchased for only $50 plus fees here.

Earlier this year, producers extraordinaire Diplo and Switch (the brains behind Major Lazer) teased fans by revealing that they had been trying to get the pop goddess of Planet Earth, Mrs. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, to work with lo-fi wunderkinds Sleigh Bells. While the fruits of that union have yet to be determined, Mrs. Carter did get some sonic love from Diplo and Switch with the track “Girls (Who Run the World)”, off her as-yet-untitled new album. The song, which samples Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor”, is a dropkick to the males of the world with a beat we can all get down to. Check out the track (tag-free) right now below (courtesy of The Uptown Lounge).

Beyonce’s next LP is set to drop in June; as always, stay tuned for more info as it’s announced.

Set to take place from July 8-10, the festival will also feature Bright Eyes, Weezer, Pendulum, My Chemcial Romance, Tom Jones, The Streets, Brandon Flowers, Manic Street Preachers, Crystal Castles, Diplo, Deadmau5, Jimmy Eat World. The Bloody Beatroots, House of Pain, All Time Low, Blondie, Cast, Eels, and Eliza Doolittle, among others. For a complete look at T in the Park’s confirmed lineup, head to Festival Outlook.

The festival grounds can handle about 85,000 people, and early bird tickets have already sold out. The final batch of tickets will go on sale Saturday, February 26th at 9 a.m. GMT (approximately 4 a.m. EST) via the festival’s website.

There’s a lot of bands to be seen at this year’s South by Southwest, but the Austin-TX based extravaganza is also a film festivalm and its 2011 offering provides a few reasons to arrive early. Several music-related films have been added to this year’s lineup, including Arcade Fire and Spike Jonze’s 30-minute short film, Scenes from the Suburbs, and Joe Cornish‘s Attack the Block, which features original music from Basement Jaxx.

The festival will also feature a trio of must-see documentaries. There’s Diplo, the aptly titled documentary about DJ Diplo; Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale, a film that documents the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and My Morning Jacket’s recent collaboration; and the Foo Fighters’ James Moll-directed documentary, which complements their forthcoming studio album.

There will also be screenings of music videos by Radiohead’s Phil Selway, Cee-Lo, The New Pornographers, and Zola Jesus, among others.

For a complete rundown of this year’s film lineup, click here. SXSW film runs March 11-19, with the music portion to take place from 16-20. For ticket information and all other necessary details, visit sxsw.com.

During the first week of March, Colorado’s Vail Valley – which boasts over 5,000 acres of freeride terrain for skiing, snowbarding, etc. – will play host what some are calling “Snow-chella,” and while it might be hard to produce a lineup like the one in Indio, Calif., the folks in charge of the Snowball Festival are still going to have a crack at it. Just check out the lineup for their inaugural snowdown.

While scheduling details are still unavailable, headliners for the three-day, multiple stage soiree include The Flaming Lips, Pretty Lights, and Bassnectar. Other big names include Portugal. The Man, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Local Natives, Lotus, and Diplo. Rounding out the roster are Baths, Brother Ali, and none other than Afroman. (Insert marijuana joke here).

Three-day lift ticket/music passes are already sold out, so you non-sporting types have nothing to worry about. Music fans can still finagle their way into the shindig by purchasing a three-day music only pass for just $165. If you can’t swing that, then the fest is offering you a layaway plan to ensure you get tickets before they sell out. All ticketing, lodging, and lift information is included at Snowball Festival’s official site, which can be found on our Festival Outlook page. Freeze on!

2k10 was not a year to remember for M.I.A., so you can understand why she’s wasting no time in kicking 2k11 off on the right foot. As promised, Miss Maya has delivered a New Year’s Eve mixtape, titled Vicki Leekx, and you can grab the 19-track effort as a free download right here. Production credits include Switch, Rusko, Blaqstarr, and ex-BF Diplo. R.I.P. truffle-gate.

Vicki Leekx Tracklist:
01. The World
02. Bamboo Go
03. Illy Girl
04. Super Tight
05. Let Me Hump You
06. WWW/Meds/Feds
07. Steppin’/Up
08. Go At It
09. Vicki Intermission
10. Gen-N-E-Y
11. Bad Girls
12. Dutch Dutch
13. Marsha/Britney
14. Tamil Beat Munchi
15. Listen Up
16. Mudersounds Munchi
17. Overdrive
18. You My Love (feat. Rosaly)
19. Get Around

It’s only December 1st, but a lot of the UK/Europe’s big weekend extravaganzas are starting to look the same. Take Coldplay, System of a Down, Kings of Leon, and Chemical Brothers and chances are you have at least two of the major acts topping a respective festival’s bill. So props to Bestival for mixing things up a bit. Set to take place 10 months from now (September 8-11 to be exact) in Isle of Wight, UK, the festival will feature not only The Cure’s only European festival performance of 2011, but also a solo set from former Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson. Plus, Primal Scream will perform their 1991 classic, Screamadelica, in its entirety, and Robyn, Crystal Castles, Magnetic Man, Diplo, A-Trak, DJ Shadow, and Grandmaster Flash will appear, too.

More acts — including two more headliners — will be announced in the weeks to come. Four-day passes, priced at £160, are now available via ticketline.co.uk.

While the electro-rockers started work on the followup to 2008′s Worldwide over 13 months ago, the process came to a halt when guitarist/songwriter Beau Velasco was found dead of an overdose in September of 2009. But the remaining members have made the most out of the sessions and stayed close to Velasco’s mission to “take this tape and blow up ya fuckin’ stereo.” To assist in the destruction, the trio relocated full-time to Brooklyn and brought in producer XXXchange (Kele, The Kills) and the talents of Diplo and Spank Rock. And if you’re feeling a little droopy from multiple turkey leftovers, rejuvenate with “Yo David Chase! You P.O.V. Shot Me In The Head” featuring Dipo below.   

Michel Poiccard is set for release March 1st here in North America, but will drop February 28 in Europe. Since the name Michel Poiccard may be a bit hard to remember, just describe the album cover to your local music store clerk: “Ya know, that yellow one…with the naked chick and the arm comin’ out of the old time camera lenses.” While you’re listening to the new track, take a sec to explore the odd collection of track titles.

Check Out:
“Yo David Chase! You P.O.V. Shot Me In The Head”

Michel Poiccard Tracklist:
01. I Wanna Take This Tape And Blow Up Ya Fuckin Stereo
02. Slap Slap Slap Pound Up Down Snap
03. We Are Going Anywhere Man
04. Can You Seen Straight
05. Chew It Like A Gun Gum
06. Is That A French Dog? (ft. Beau Velasco)
07. I Miss You Beau Velasco
08. Michel Poiccard Prefers The Old (She Yearns For The Devil)
09. I Like The Wrong Way
10. A Problem Is A Problem It Don’t Matter Where You From
11. Too Much Fun For Regrets”
12. Kittens Inspired By Kittens
13. 7PM Woke Up An Hour Ago” (ft. Spank Rock)
14. It’s Another Day
15. Yo David Chase! You P.O.V. Shot Me In The Head (ft. Diplo)
16. I Been Searching For This Song Called Fashion
17. Is It The End Again?

Kanye West played Abu Dhabi Friday night, which cast doubt on Saturday’s rumors that the Chicago MC would appear as the surprise guest at the Heineken Inspire Encore secret show in New York City. But given Kanye’s history with surprise performances, I figured I’d hit the concert — held in the decked out Pier 36 just under the Manhattan Bridge — just in case. It also helped that Nas, Cee-Lo, Diplo, and Pete Rock were already on the bill, and there were promises of free Heineken, Jamaican beef patties, tacos, and hot dogs until, well, all the free Heineken, Jamaican beef patties, tacos, and hot dogs ran out. So while Kanye might have proved a no show (J. Cole, fresh off the release of his new mixtape, was actually the special treat), I did get to eat and drink for free — something which doesn’t happen often in NYC — while greeted to the pleasant sounds of Cee-Lo’s “Fuck You” and Nas’ raw rhymes. So, yeah, not a bad alternative.

Below, you can watch highlights of the event (via You Heard That Knew). Above image via don.al.rey.

Nas – “NY State of Mind”

Nas – “If I Ruled the World”

Cee-Lo – “Fuck You”

J. Cole – “Higher”

This essentially means that I have to find creative ways to articulate the same message come Friday. It’s an enjoyable albeit challenging task.

Well, at the risk of sounding utterly illiterate, here’s my latest attempt: this week didn’t suck, but it also kind of did.

Read the following round-up of major events and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

– Guess what? Hip Hop beefs are still going strong.

– Will Jay-Z release an album next year? We’re not sure, but we can definitely tell you that he’s writing a book. He’s also got some big NYE plans involving Coldplay.

– Will Muse play Lollapalooza next year (again)? Decide for yourself.

– We got a heaping dose of 90s nostalgia this week, what with the return of Olivia Tremor Control and the emergence of a new supergroup called Wild Flag (featuring members of Sleater Kinney).

– Lil Wayne detailed I Am Not A Human Being. Weezy also found time to collaborate with Drake. (And did I mention the Diddy- Timberlake single?)

– Lupe Fiasco‘s new album Lasers still isn’t out yet, so his fans are now retaliating.

– Ben Kweller dished on his new LP.

– Dr. Dre can now add “created personal brand of cognac” to his list of accomplishments.

– The “lost” M.I.A. single surfaced courtesy of Diplo.

– Stone Temple Pilots postponed the remainder of their U.S. tour.

–  Charlatans UK cancelled their stateside performances so their drummer can undergo treatment for a brain tumor.

– Atoms For Peace killed at this year’s Fuji Rock Fest.

– There are also two new LCD Soundsystem clips to watch. Check out an awesome performance of “Dance Yrself Clean” and the unofficial video for “Home.”

– Pavement jammed with a fan on Fallon.

– Jonny Greenwood and the BBC Concert Orchestra will come together for a one-off live performance. (And Jarvis Cocker’s presenting. What more could you possibly want?)

– CMJ Music Marathon announced another round of adds to its already impressive lineup.

– Suffering from the post-festival season blues? Consult our Fall Concert Preview.

– We’re also pleased to announce our partnership with SeatGeek.

– Want to go to MoogFest for free? Find out more here.

– Michael Roffman reviewed a rowdy, indie-heavy show at Chicago’s Metro featuring Titus Andronicus, among others. He also found time to catch Roger Waters perform The Wall in its entirety.

– Jeremy Larson had an “incredible night” at a recent Tallest Man On Earth show. You can also read our review of the Swedish singer-songwriter’s new EP if you’re interested.

– Philip Cosores shared his thoughts No Age‘s latest offering.

– Chris Coplan did likewise for Wake Up, featuring The Roots and John Legend.

– And as if we don’t post lots of reviews already, read what Ryan Burleson had to say about Deerhunter‘s Halcyon Digest.

– E.N. May interviewed the Ice Cream Man. If you have no clue what I’m talking about, click here.

– Oh yeah, and Kanye West is “So Appalled”.

We’re guessing that it came from the Kala sessions, but it doesn’t seem like Diplo wants us to think too hard on this one. His Twitter message also said that he “might leak” the real version of the song if fans requested it and that the song has “sick lyrics.” He summed it all up by posting that “its classic mia vibe all u apathetic shitheadz.”

Check the song out below (via 4thepeopleontheboat.com), and catch M.I.A. at one of her remaining tour dates.  Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.com.

M.I.A. 2010 Tour Dates:
09/25 – Washington, DC @ Virgin Mobile FreeFest
09/27 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *
09/29 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *
09/30 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *
10/03 – Ithaca, NY @ Cornell University *
10/04 – Boston, MA @ Royale Nightclub *
10/05 – Boston, MA @ Royale Nightclub *
10/09 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/12 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *

* = w/ Rye Rye

Major Lazer is the bass-heavy brainchild of DJs Diplo and Switch. In June of 2009, they released their debut album, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, to generally favorable reviews and huge community fanfare. With breakout performances at Coachella and HARD LA, they’ve become the dance act to see in 2010.

For those who listened to Guns, there won’t be very many surprises on this EP. The EP itself only contains two new songs, and three remixes that are hit and miss. On paper, this EP looks extremely solid, with collaborations from massive names M.I.A. and Thom Yorke, among others. But when it comes to this one, I would advise you to use your ears more than you use yoru eyes.

Of the two new tracks, the one that features M.I.A. is much the inferior (she really just can’t win these days). Her track is a snare-happy dub track that focuses a little too much on her chorus, which is a highly monotonous. Surprisingly, the best new track is the one without M.I.A. on it. The second of the new tracks, “Good Enuff” is a catchy little ditty that is more authentic reggae than it is dub. It’s without question the best track on the EP, new or remix. Its infectious hooks and danceable beats will have you tapping your toes in no time.

The remix situation is uncannily similar to the new track situation. Just because Thom Yorke remixed it doesn’t mean that it’s the best remix. And this is coming from a man who worships the very ground Mr. Yorke walks on.

The first remix is of Guns sleeper track “Bruk Out”. The original is a solid song, but unfortunately is easily overlooked by bigger, more fascinating songs. This remix is the final push to the summit that makes this track a standout. With a sped up tempo and synth insanity, this one is truly better than the original, which is not a thing that happens often when it comes to remixes. The next remix done by K.L.A.M. is exactly what you’d expect from a remix. Very little variation, and where it does deviate, it does so in the wrong places. The reason “Can’t Stop Now” was a great track was because of the jaunting downbeat of the reggae and the impossible to dislike vocal melody. Essentially this song took one of the standouts from Major Lazer’s debut and turned it into drivel.

Now, let’s talk turkey. And by turkey I mean Thom Yorke. The Radiohead mastermind is known for his thin, floating treble when it comes to his solo work. Conversely, Major Lazer’s “Jump Up” is known for its substantial use of bass beats. I wish I could tell you that Thom’s style of remix is the jelly to “Jump Up”’s peanut butter, but it’s not. It’s more like the tomato sauce to “Jump Up”’s peanut butter; which is to say, the two do not mix well. I love Thom Yorke, and I really enjoy Major Lazer, but I don’t think they were a match made in heaven.

Nonetheless, this is an EP worth listening to simply for the new track “Good Enuff” and the much improved “Bruk Out”. On the whole, however? This EP isn’t worth your dollar, so I’d suggest you just playlist.com this one, or purchase the single tracks. It’s an interesting take on an awesome dance act’s debut album, but one that falls flat on its face literally three out of five times.

Besides, there were plenty of police officers to rain the kids’ parade. As you may or may not know, at a recent LA rave called Electric Daisy Carnival, a 15-year-old girl died of a drug overdose, thus causing a push (or at least making more public the already existing push) from various groups to put an end to raves. Pretty much all my thoughts on this issue could be seen as insensitive to the deceased girl and her family, so I’ll keep them to myself, but yeah, pushing raves away from major venues and back to the fringes will probably not be better for the rave survival rate. And regardless of whether the raves’ opponents are right or wrong, there are absolutely no news stories about the fest on the morning after, so the police-state atmosphere seemed to work. But at what cost, as the resources spent to have 30 or 60 or so police officers just standing outside the event must draw from other areas that deserve protection, as well. They had ATVs. They had K-9 drug dogs. You had to remove your shoes and stand in the dirt. You couldn’t bring in cigarettes if they were opened. Luckily, even all the added security didn’t make it difficult to get in, as there was no line when I arrived before 6 p.m. (And a note to anyone who hid their drugs in their shoes, pockets or along their belt lines: you deserved to have your drug privileges revoked.)

Now, I rarely drink these days and pretty much never while I’m covering a show (“working”), yet I found myself heading straight for the ATM so I could leave there and go without a stop to the bar area. I felt like I was copping out of experiencing the event, but I would discover that at these large dance festivals, there is no wrong place to be. Sure some people might have favorite DJs, some people want to hear trance or dance hall or dubstep or whatever, but as long as you are having fun, it seems like you are raving correctly.

From the bar (Coors Light in one hand, pretty damn strong Margarita in the other) I took in Erol Alkin, who I would consider the measuring bar for the day. From all the DJ’s and artists I heard over the day, he would be the one artist I would pick out of an auditory lineup if someone were to ask my about my assumptions of what the majority of the music would sound like and what the attendees actually wanted to hear. It reminded me of the kind of music they would play at Babylon in Queer As Folk. While providing the required ambiance for the early evening but not really ever reaching out to me to become more than background music, I’m pretty sure the consensus was general approval for his set. I have the distinct thought, though, that the people would like most music that sounded slick and was danceable. What was disappointing was that Alkin does actually work in a wide range of genres and has even produced whole albums for The Long Blondes, Late of the Pier, and Mystery Jets. Not exactly the best indie out there, but it was enough to hope for something more than hearing La Roux’s “In For The Kill” as my first song of the day. (Not that it’s a bad song, but at Coachella ’09, I honestly heard it a minimum of five times a day, and actually only heard it twice at this event.)

I used this time to really focus on my people watching, and was troubled by the fact that, during the week, these are normal people. They have jobs, they go to school, and they walk amongst us undetected for the dance music enthusiasts that they are. But, when it is time to go dancing, they don’t fuck around. They represented a variety of races, styles, and sexual preferences, but bond over their need to let go in a complete manner, with the mental release and physical release working in harmony and both getting the attention they deserve. Around this time, I got a sudden and real fear that I was going to run into someone from the office decked out in hot pants and chewing gum, with the ambition and drive of someone with something to prove. I felt like this community must be like Fight Club, a weird recreation that people outside can’t comprehend and, as a result, assume it is automatically a detriment to our society.

Thus you get fishy incidents like last year’s HARD Summer Festival at the Forum, where police, in full on riot gear, descended upon the event and shut down the venue before it really got started. And what happens if you get these events kicked out of every big venue in the city? The kids aren’t going to stop taking drugs, they aren’t going to stop disobeying their parents and they sure as hell aren’t going to stop dressing ridiculously and dancing in groups. They will just do it in fields in the Inland Empire, far away from medical response teams on-site and trained security guards. I’m pretty sure forcing a mass exodus on a giant group of people before they have had a chance to come down from their drugs was not safer than letting the event go on as planned.

But none of these issues seemed to linger over the park. I was gradually becoming more comfortable, but was relying on my notebook to keep me occupied. I finally even made contact with a few of the attendees, chatting it up with a middle-age gay couple about how they needed more table space to place your drink down, then getting approached by a lady who wanted to trade me a sip of her beer for a cigarette. I gave her the smoke for free because I am a nice guy (read as I don’t care if it’s free booze, I’m not drinking out of a stranger’s beer.)

When photographer Jesse Bloch met up with me, I was already feeling better because of the booze and his enthusiasm got me in the mood to have a good time. Jesse’s first comment to me was about how intense the scene was and his smile said it all. It was a photographer’s dream to take pictures of this weirdness. Music continually played courtesy of Destructo, who served his role well between sets for the evening, with a nice mix of recognizable club music steadily coming from the PA and quiet, dramatic build ups to the evening’s bigger acts.

Next up was Diplo‘s first performance of the evening. As half of Major Lazer, he’s probably enthusiastic about the success they’re attaining, even though he’s been in the public eye for quite some time, what with his production work and remixes (most notably his collaborations with M.I.A.). Now he enjoys one of those rare positions in music where fans of virtually any genre can claim him as their own and even the people that don’t listen to him usually respect the work that he does, at least. Luckily for us, this ease at which he can now work has not brought about complacency in his live sets. Though he also brought the La Roux song, Diplo generally displayed a wide range of tastes with songs like “Bombs Over Baghdad” (given the full Diplo aesthetic) appearing side by side with his best known tracks, even with little Major Lazer taster portions. Then, in the latter half of his set, the artist announced he was “going to play something really different,” leading the way into an African-sounding number that very well might be The Very Best, somehow through in DJ Shadow and actually saw the set climax with a cool take on The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?”.

Diplo was energetic throughout the set, sticking mostly to his go-to’s of mentioning and emphasizing the word “Los Angeles” in every statement he made, as well as his comfort instruction of “let me see your hands” or the variation”get your hands up?” when it was more urgent. The most troubling thing about Diplo’s set was that I actually enjoyed it and tend to think that the people who are really into the kind of dance tunes HARD is known for would not enjoy Diplo’s more unique dance-hall flavoured tunes, but his success was evident all around me. Both the entire crowded bar area and the equally competitive drinking fountain still managed to seem like dance parties and all of them raised their hands when he said so.

The 20 or so minutes that were allowed for Crystal Castles to get set up was enough time to catch a glimpse of the Harder stage, which you wouldn’t even have known existed if you just used your ears, speaking to the excellent planning that HARD did. Virtually no bleed is something to commend, and is apparently really hard to accomplish for some other LA area festivals, despite the fact that they are often quite bigger. So when I reached the Harder stage, I was shocked to see a giant crowd over there, as well. But that might have to do with the fact that a local artist and much-hyped DJ Flying Lotus was playing. More so than at his record release party, the crowd didn’t really know what to do. There was some dancing on the outskirts, but it was more of the interpretive variety. Otherwise, it seemed like more of a relaxing diversion, which for the people that had been there for eight hours and were really appreciating the cool night air, it might have been the perfect set to take in. Also, I bet those unpredictable space-ship sounds are pretty great when you’re high out of your mind.

And this is where things got interesting…

In the front of the HARD Stage, the festival’s focal point, was a barrier with seats on the stage side of the metal fence and a sizable gap with had a healthy number of security guards manning. But even showing our photo pass wouldn’t allow us access, as there was no photo area provided to the media, unless you were one of the HARD photographers, who were allowed on stage and in the forbidden photo pit. I’m sure they would love to sell you a photo if you’re interested. And though this would never affect how I view  a festival, which I feel was superbly run, it just seemed like a pretty bogus rule to try to monopolize the high quality photo market for their event.

But we are Consequence of Sound, we overcome. And luckily, these are the nicest people on earth, right? Right! But through a combination of my margarita charm, Jesse’s rugged good looks, people’s drug induced desire to please, and susceptibility to suggestion, not to mention the fact that a lot of people at these events don’t even look at the stage, we were able to get a spot with at least a fighting chance. Did this take away from the Crystal Castles set in the least? Nope, they completely kicked ass. Everything that I had heard about their live experience would be classified as mixed and that’s being nice. They are known for their audience interaction, which we got in spades, and their high energy, but criticism usually revolves around them sounding bad or having major attitude issues. But I can only review the show that we saw, and it’s a bummer if they can’t bring that in a daily basis, because they killed it at HARD Fest.

In fact, Alice Glass seemed eager to hang out in the crowd more than she wanted to be on stage. The tiny, ferocious singer crowd surfed while spitting out unintelligible lyrics and striking one epic pose after another, all just usually visible as a shadow in the fog clouds due to what seems to be an unhealthy relationship with their fog machine. Most entertaining was watching the two security guards who were in charge of keeping her safe. She would act like she was going to return to the stage and then bolt back into the crowd. How much was for the audience and how much was just fun for them is certainly a valid question to raise about the band, but when she lays down on top of the vocal monitors, you know she brought it for the night.

As far as the music goes, they sounded pretty great. Glass screams like a mental patient better than anyone and though our position did not allow us to verify this, there’s a guy in the group, as well. Who knew!? And though I feel a little lame calling out two of their most well-known songs, that kind of seems like what this kind of event is about. No one wants to hear that one jam that only they appreciate. Dancing is a group activity and what is best for the team is what we should commend. And while “Alice Practice” is their best song, where Glass’ asylum intensity seems to get in a wrestling match with a classic Atari video game system, and it did indeed get everyone freaking out, their single from their more recent self-titled album was probably more impressive. While Glass can certainly scream, lean on a monitor, plead while laying on the floor, and a number of other front-woman attributes, “Celestica” proved that she can drag herself off the stage and actually sing a difficult number quite well. So while a lot of people seem pretty ready to burn them as witches the next time they screw-up, it’s important to remember that they are young, they are getting better, and that they don’t seem to be going anywhere.

Right before Crystal Castle concluded, I indicated to Jesse that is was time to be assholes. My logic was that in a place where everyone was so nice, an asshole would rule. All we had to do was cut straight across the thickest section of audience so we can be front and center for Major Lazer. And why we might not have gotten all the way there, we got pretty close with relative ease. And since Crystal Castles had left me pretty pumped, I was curious to see what all this Major Lazer fuss was about. Sure, I knew the songs everyone knew, listened to the album a few times, and loved their videos, but I remained ignorant of what their show was actually about.

I still don’t know what Major Lazer’s show is about, but I know I had a near embarrassing amount of fun. The act begins simply enough, with two DJs, the more intense and friendly Diplo and Switch, who apparently can do his job with a cigarette in the other hand, which is rad. But I didn’t want to see them. I wanted to see obese women with crazy faces, a guy spin a necklace like a hula hoop, dancing that resembles sex by really coordinated people. Here’s what we did get:

- They tossed out tons of green foam lazers, similar to what the Clipper girls do to pump up the crowd. And while I totally wanted one and thought it was a fun idea, the fact is the Lakers don’t have to shoot t-shirts into the audience to get people excited. They are just so good that people get excited. The Clippers need the shirts.

- There was a clear reaction when one of the songs kicked in a dubstep beat. In fact, I heard the word “dubstep” audibly said from all directions.

- Skerrit Bwoy loves Hennessey. Like scary style.

-They busted out Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants”, joining The Mountain Goats as a brave soul to take on the perfection that is AoB.

- There was an attempt to get a shirt wave going that worked better than I ever would have imagined. Sure the girls on other people’s shoulders were just waiting for the chance to take off their shirt, but the participation from the rest of the crowd was remarkable and fun to watch.

- Besides Bwoy, the other stage regular was a female dancer who was talented and beautiful. But watching Major Lazer means you are watching Bwoy pretty much the whole time. There were also sporadic tutu wearing dancers and, of course, the Chinese New Year dragon people.

And I am only touching on the antics and chaos that happened, while Diplo and Switch seemed to have a jolly time watching the chaos ensue. But, as talented as these two DJ’s are, Skerrit Bwoy is the secret weapon. They may not need him to make a hit song, but their live show is him. And the band’s Wikipedia page does not even mention him. Seriously, whatever they are paying him is not enough. Who else could make an “everyone jump” request during “Jump” and see it not take off, then demand that they start again and get a thousand people to jump as high as they can. The show drew to its conclusion with Bwoy making like Eddie Vedder and giving the stage scaffolding a climb, then inviting a bunch of girls on to the stage. And while none of my wishlist items were really fulfilled, there was a ladder jump that was kind of like the sexy dances they make look so unappealing.

And that should have been the end of the story, but Major Lazer unfortunately offered one more song and then cut it off after a few seconds. I thought maybe they were too far overtime, but the sounds of megaphone sirens saw a couple of concerned HARD employees rushing in. Everything from there on out would just be speculation, though Bwoy seemed agitated, as a massive group of cops did a slow walk through the inaccessible photo-pit. Ultimately, no one appeared to be kicked out or rescued and Major Lazer was unfortunately stuck with a sudden ending rather than the finish they deserved. But I almost have already forgotten about that part of the show.

And while Soulwax may have seemed like a rather abrupt comedown, my friend pointed out that it is a more responsible way to end a show. Have the last band be a little more relaxed and let the atmosphere dictate how they leave. Jesse and I stayed to get an idea of what they were about and they left me pretty disinterested. Sure, it was nice to see some real instruments, but we had also just been living in chaos for an hour and didn’t want to go out of that zone with the older gentlemen in the ugly matching suits. But like I mentioned earlier, Soulwax is the kind of music that these people like. But as a guy who was just trying to see what the rave culture is up to and maybe check out a couple of event bands, I was regretting any of the minutes I took away from Soulwax to meander around the yard with Jesse and look for cool camera angles.

And as far as I know, I still haven’t heard any news of injuries or deaths. In all honesty, despite the annoyances, the event felt safe, well organized, and easy to navigate. The speakers were loud and when some lighting went out at the very top of the stage before Soulwax, they actually took the time to send a guy up to repair it. Likewise, the kids did their part, acting kind and courteous, looking out for each other and having a blast. And though I in no way encourage drug use or the lifestyle that this kind of show may promote, if it keeps you from being an asshole, then I would be willing to negotiate that stance.

Photography by Jesse Bloch
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Gallery by Jesse Bloch

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The high-profile players reportedly go together this past weekend, while Tortoise was touring the west coast. No word on which album the group chose to cover, but Tortoise bassist/guitarist Douglas McCombs told Time Out Chicago that the the group played “broad spectrum of music that was sort of appropriate.” I’m going to guess it was something loud then.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for more details on that reported collaboration between Beck and Stephen Malkmus. Plus, Diplo tweeted that he also recently hit the studio with Beck. The dude is all over the place these days.

The duo have now hooked up with La Roux to provide a much needed mid-week boost. To protect the vocal abilities of La Roux’s Elly Jackson, Major Lazer ordered she be upgraded from “Bulletproof” to Lazerproof. Diplo and Switch eagerly agreed, recently traveling to Jamaica to put the tape together. La Roux’s singles vary greatly from the releases of M.I.A and Santigold, but the humid evenings of Jamaica may be the only suitable environment to fuse synth-pop beats with caribbean dance-hall. Head over to Mad Decent to download the tape free, and judge for yourself.

The mix features dub-extraordinaire Rusko, Amanda Blank, and previously released verses by Drake and Gucci Mane. A complete detailed tracklisting follows. May your humpday now be filled with desk shaking beats.

Update: Mad Decent’s server crashed, so you can download the mixtape here in the meantime.

Lazerproof Tracklist:
01. Bulletproof (Nacey Remix) (feat. Matt Hemerlein)
02. Colourless Artibella
03. I’m Not Your Lemonade + Heroes ‘N’ Villains Remix (feat. Gucci Mane)
04. Independent Kill (feat. Candi Redd)
05. Keep It Fascinating
06. Magic (Falling Soldiers Dub)
07. In 4 the Kill Pon De Skream (feat. Drake)
08. Houstatlantavegas Pains
09. Tigerlily (DYWHAP Blend) (feat. Rusko)
10. Can’t Stop Now (Armor Love Remix)
11. Quicksand (Mad Decent 2010 Rerub) (feat. Amanda Blank)
12. Cover My Eyes (Costra Nostra Edit)
13. I Said It (Major Lazer Dubplate) (feat. Opal)
14. Hold Yuh (Double Dubplate) (feat. Gyptian)