Autre Ne Veut headlines tonight’s Making Time event at Voyeur Nightclub. Based in Brooklyn, Autre Ne Veut is the electronic R&B / pop project of former jingle composer Arthur Ashin. Anxiety, released in February, is Ashin’s second effort under the moniker, which means “I think of none other” in French. Also performing at tonight’s party are Delorean, Jacques Greene and Doldrums. Tickets and information can be found here. Below, watch Autre Ne Veut’s video for “Counting.”
Janelle Monae
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Made In America video recap: Janelle Monae, Dirty Projectors, Passion Pit
Here’s some more videos from Made In America from Janelle Monae, Dirty Projectors and Passion Pit. Check out our previous coverage of the festival here. Go here to watch more videos from the festival.
Made In America – Day One Review and pictures
Photo via http://www.facebook.com/MadeInAmericaFest
Yesterday was the first day of Jay-Z’s Made In America festival. Overall, the festival delivered on the promise of a fantastic, eclectic lineup, and a fun experience on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. The seemingly mostly under-30, racially mixed crown (upwards to 50,000) filled the Parkway for nine hours of music that alternated between two stages and a DJ tent. Gary Clark, Jr started the day on the Rocky Stage (the main stage at the feet of the Art Museum steps), and ended with an incredible set from Jay-Z (wearing a Brooklyn Nets cap) with special guests Kanye West, and his G.O.O.D record label pals Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, and Common. Earlier in the set, Jay-Z brought out Memphis Bleek, Swiss Beatz, Young Chris and Freeway. From the start of Jay’s set (with a snippet of “Made In America”) to the set closer “N—– In Paris,” it was an historic moment in rap music.
The festival atmosphere was energetic, hot and slightly breezy, and even with the large attendance, it didn’t seem too overcrowded. There was plenty of police presence but the police reported no major and a just a few minor problems during the day. There were food trucks alongside local favorites Tony Lukes and Chickie & Pete’s, a local market featuring local artists and crafts, and plenty of water stations offering refills.
Aside from the star studded headliners for the day, musical standouts included an absolutely fantastic set from Janelle Monae (including a terrific cover of The Jackson 5′s “I Want You Back), Gary Clark, Jr., rapper Jay Electronica, Passion Pit, D’Angelo and Skrillex, who DJ’d in a spaceship in front of a breathtaking light and screen show. Skrillex performed on the side stage (the Liberty Stage) yet should have performed on the main stage. As one of dub step’s poster DJ’s right now, Skrillex’s show was a pleasant shock of high energy beats and drops and reggae that was massively fun.
Skrillex in his space ship. Photo by Getty Images
Gary Clark Jr. photo by Getty Images
The musical highlight of the day though was the hour and 1/2 set by Jay-Z and his special guests. Jay delivered a hit filled set (“99 Problems.” “Empire State of Mind,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” “What We Do” (with Freeway), “Encore,” “Izzo (H.O.V.A),” “Excuse Me Miss,” “Run This Town,” and more. Jay is an impeccable showman and was backed by a funky, flawless live band. He introduced Kanye West and along with Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, and Common they performed new songs including “Mercy,” and “New God Flow.” The crowd sang along with almost every song (Common’s “The Light” was a standout) and the evening came to a close with a fireworks display behind the set over the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Jay-Z photo by Charles Sykes, via AP
Today’s lineup at MIA includes headliners Pearl Jam, Drake, Odd Future, DJ Shadow, The Hives, Santigold, Run DMC and more. Go here for more information about today’s show.
Snooze Alarm: Your late-arriving link roundup, 9/17/10
Photo courtesy of DHDesign
The Return Of Baby Flamehead “Old-school Philly music fans, be sure to set aside the evening of Saturday, September 25th, because that’s when Baby Flamehead will come to Sugar Town at Tritone, with opening sets from Philly’s own Party Photographers and Britain’s Anita Maj (WPRB’s Maria T. will DJ between sets). Who is Baby Flamehead, you might be asking?” (Make Major Moves)
CONCERT REVIEW: Of Montreal/Janelle Monae “Where Of Montreal recreated the songs of its extant albums with note-perfect clarity, opening act Janelle Monae’s set was a hot mess and I don’t mean that in a good way. Hard to say if it was the soundman’s ham-fisted jiggering of the mixing board faders or the Electric Factory’s notoriously unforgiving acoustics, or some combination of the two, but Monae’s much-anticipated set was an inchoate blur of sound, rendering standout tracks from her deservedly-acclaimed debut The ArchAndroid all but indecipherable.” (Phawker.com)
Music Video Premier: Gilbere Forte “1st Floor” “Fresh faced and uber talented Gilbere Forte has recently released 87 Dreams and is about to hit the road on an east coast tour. We recently had the chance to sit down with the artist to talk about his influences, inspiration, and more. Shot and directed by Drexel grad Jerome White and Gilbere Forte in Los Angeles, the concept behind ’1st Floor’ was to create a ‘visual representation of clear, uplifting, positive, and honest emotion,’ says Forte.” (Phrequency)
Tonight’s Concert: Of Montreal and Janelle Monae at Electric Factory
Touring behind a brand-new album and with a notoriously elaborate stage show in tow, everything is perfectly set for Of Montreal‘s ascent to the throne of flamboyant psych-pop. After all, the band’s new album, False Priest (released yesterday by Polyvinyl Records), is the final entry in unofficial trilogy Kevin Barnes began with 2007′s depression-fueled, breakup-oriented concept album, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, and 2008′s fractured follow-up, Skeletal Lamping. (The former was a rousing, if surprising, critical success for the band; the latter, thought not quite as well received, certainly didn’t lack the same creative ambition.) So here comes Of Montreal with False Priest —which features the chugging-guitar- and throbbing-bass-heavy single, “Coquet Coquette”—and what happens on the very first night of the band’s tour (two days ago in D.C.)? Well, to put it charitably, it was a complete spectacle-over-substance disaster, according to The Washington Post‘s David Malitz, who wrote:
Of Montreal played a worthless show Monday night at the 9:30 Club. It was a trudging parade of pointless, kitschy costumes set to a soundtrack of tepid funk rock that was as painful to watch as it was to hear. There was no spark, there was no flow, there was no joy — even the stage dancers, whose faces were obscured by full-body Lycra suits, seemed slightly embarrassed to be a part of the debacle.
Yikes. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. And it probably doesn’t help that—by some accounts—rising R&B sensation Janelle Monae (who is currently downstairs with David Dye recording a World Cafe segment) opened the night with a show-stealing performance no amount of over-the-top theatrics could match. Of course, Of Montreal and Monae are good pals: she appears on False Priest, and Of Montreal landed a hand on her debut full-length, The ArchAndroid. So we really hope Monday night’s debacle was just first-night jitters (or that Malitz simply isn’t a fan). Otherwise, Of Montreal could be in for a long tour—Monae opens for the band 22 more times in the next month and a half. That could be awkward. Of Montreal opens headlines tonight’s show with Janelle Monae at 9 p.m. at Electric Factory; tickets are $28.