Shabazz Palaces channel Elijah Muhammad, Black Dice

Gorilla Vs Bear & PopGun Booking present:

Shabazz Palaces, Thee Satisfaction and more

Thursday, May 12, 2011

7:30 PM 18+

TICKETS HERE

SHABAZZ PALACES

For all those who feared that psychedelia in hip-hop would result in a whitewash, Shabazz Palaces is the answer, a meshing of laptop trickery, live instrumentation, and rap that has been vetted by the underground over decades. Ishmael "Palaceer Lazaro" Butler, formerly "Butterfly" of Digable Planets, leads the collective, with cohorts Baba Maraire from Zimbabwe and Silk (aka Dougie). Their name is derived from Nation of Islam scriptures, and accordingly their agile and intricate rap lyrics have a pro-black bent, mixed in with abstract poetry that nods to Busdriver and Aesop Rock. Their production is bizarre, heavily effected, and eclectic by way of incorporating things like Indonesian gamelan and American soul. In 2009 they did a dual release of their Of Light/Shabazz Palaces, which won blanket praise. Three Imaginary Girls summed it up, "Both are essential purchases for those who remember exactly when hip-hop took over rock's legacy in universal pop art; and for those longing for a new chronicle based on the faithful elements of that genre." Their third album Black Up is slated for release June 28.

THEESATISFACTION

With so much needless machismo infesting the ranks of hip-hop, many feel like a lot of talent has gone to waste, its transcendental potential stifled. The ladies in THEESatisfaction are the answer to this disappointment. Rather than tacking on superfluous gimmicks onto hip-hop's elements, they turn these techniques inward, manifesting the bizarre, psychedelic and polyrhythmic structures hinted at by RZA and J Dilla. Vocally, Lauryn Hill is recalled, with layered rhyme schemes and a smooth vocal tone that deliberately weaves in and out of the frenetic samples. Keep an eye on these two stoner chicks and an ear on their refreshingly strange sounds.

The Underground Rebel Bingo Club is nigh

The Underground Rebel Bingo Club
Saturday, April 30, 2011
8:00 PM 21+
TICKETS HERE

We feel a little ripped off. We were told that the British consulate wanted to throw a party celebrating the royal wedding, ascots required, secret handshakes, pillaged remains, the whole nine. Instead, it becomes this insane, perverted take on bingo, which really doesn't need much more excitement, thank you very much. We were a little worried that this whole thing would be too frenetic for our club atmosphere, but a contract is a contract, even if we didn't understand it. In hindsight it was a pretty straightforward document, but we thought it was in the Queen's English. The rules of Underground Rebel Bingo are listed on their website:

No old people.

No boring people.

No office parties.

No hen parties.

No stag parties.

No work suits.

No customer service.

Dress Code: Undercover on your way there, dangerous once you're inside.

Mucca Pazza will kick your azza - with Grooms and more

The freewheeling Chicago troupe of 30 mobile musicians, Mucca Pazza, will be bringing a sensory onslaught to the Santos stage on April 28 (TICKETS HERE). The mismatched "marching band that thinks it's a rock 'n roll band" will be joined by francophile popsters April March & Julien Gasc, post-noise vanguard Grooms (formerly Muggabears), and anti-dance folksters Soft Landing. The New York Times recommended the concert in the Weekend Miser column. Squares need not apply.

THIS IS HIP HOP

Live N' Direct presents:
THIS IS HIP HOP
International Hip Hop Festival Party Event

with D-Stroy, Crazy Legs, Evil Dee, DJ Eclipse, Keith Murray, DJ Kheops, Group Home, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Nine, Lords of the Underground
Thursday, April 14, 2011
8:30PM 18+

Tickets available here

Before hip-hop became one of the biggest grossing genres of music in the US, it was already an international sensation. To this day, certain underground hip-hoppers are A-list celebrities abroad. THIS IS HIP HOP is a celebration of the international coalition that support this music and culture. Legends and visionaries likeKeith Murray (Def Squad), DJ Evil Dee, DJ Eclipse, Crazy Legs,Shabaam Sahdeeq and Lords Of The Underground will be here in force.

What's on the internet? A buncha pictures!

Some cool people played shows here, some cool people took pictures of it. Two of the three sets are punk rock shows shot by photographers from BrooklynVegan, note their incredible flair for aerial shots. Find yourself! No, seriously. Find yourself. On some deep shit.

3/24/11 - Absinthe party with Bag Raiders live and resident DJ Matt Cash
Pictures by Bill Kennedy

3/26/2011

OFF!, Trash Talk and Cerebral Ballzy
Pictures by Keith Marlowe (more here)

4/1/11

Subhumans, MDC, Death First, Cojoba
Pictures by Jason House and Keith Marlowe (more here)

TRASH TALK: CAULIFLOWER EAR AND BRUISES FOR DAYZ OBTAINED

Everyone employed at Santos gets pumped on different shows or parties every day. This asshole Marketing Director tends to stoke out on hardcore and metal shows. Naturally, I've been excited to see Trash Talk and Off! for months. Even with a bum leg last time Trash Talk was here, singer Lee Spielman still ended up standing on our north bar setting it off.

And as seen on the video below, dudes didn't exactly hold back this time around. Spielman sung and ignited pits in pretty much every corner of our beloved North Pole. And it ruled. While I got a little too twisted to stick around for Off! (I saw them 86 times at SXSW anyway), Trash Talk still blew my mind. Highlights included watching RCRDLBL head-honco and Santos' bro Elliot Aronow circle pit and fuck up his arm (prior to saying the phrase 'hardcore rules'), watching Nick Zinner get into Cerebral Ballzy, and feeling the effects of my bro Nick from Alpha & Omega stage dive on top of me at least 10 times. Oh, and of course me stage diving directly onto the floor at about the 3:10 mark. All in all, a solid night.

For all the dudes in the world is freaking out because Odd Future stage dives a bunch during their shows, they should probably go to a Trash Talk show to see the real deal (not hating, just saying). Big shouts to our light wizard Jeff Burton for catching this shitty-to-crappy footage on his Flip Cam.

JEFF The Brotherhood and Screaming Females will riff you apart

JEFF The Brotherhood, Screaming Females, Juiceboxxx, Teen Witch, DJ Thanksgiving Brown
Thursday, March 31, 2011
7:00 PM 18+
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE and at Other Music (15 East 4th St)

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD
Real-life brothers and dynamic garage duo Jeff The Brotherhood might be considered a breakout artist these days, but the youngsters have been power-riffing away since the early 2000’s when Jamin and Jake Orrall were in their mid-teens. Their sound is huge compared to their modest setup – a lightly outfitted trap kit and a guitar minus three strings, but the grooves they lay down are weighty and dense, perfectly complimenting their mature songwriting. Strictly DIY in practice, the group run their own label Infinity Cat, and through it produced and released their 2010 album Heavy Days, recorded by Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Sleater Kinney, Velvet Underground ).

SCREAMING FEMALES
Heavily touted by the likes of Ted Leo and BrooklynVegan, the pop-inspired punk rock of Screaming Females is an undeniably jarring mixture of coarseness and brilliant songwriting. Somehow, they pour on layers of memorable melody despite being a humble trio. Marissa Paternoster earns the most attention as the guitar-savvy frontwoman with the versatile yell as befits the band’s name. Pitchfork approves, saying, “Punk has traditionally prized attitude over abilities, but Screaming Females have both: Rather than muzzle their ferocity, the band's tight, tense dynamic amplifies the fuck-off stridency of their fourth LP, Castle Talk.”

JUICEBOXXX
The otherworldly sounds of Juiceboxxx, producer and sometimes rapper, are rooted in hip-hop, but share a kinship with glitch, house, electro, punk and various underground club musics. The world of music journalism is just warming up to this young talent, thanks in no small part to his slot supporting Public Enemy on tour.

TEEN WITCH
Occupying a comfy niche between retro pop and punk, Teen Witch are an unsigned hype not to be underestimated.