More Than Just Beats and Blinking Lights

New Pretty Lights album dropped yesterday in no other fashion but FREE from his website. No better way to describe the album but from the artists own words:

Making Up A Changing Mind is a collection of six tracks, produced in January and February of 2010. Stylistica…lly I fuse hip-hop production with elements of electro & dubstep, and combine that with the organic timbres and raw feeling of old school soul & funk, to, hopefully channel a number of feelings that pertain to the concept of the EP… In more than one way, this EP is a reflection of the massive changes I’m going through in my life and recent decisions I’ve had to make regarding my relationships, my career, and my music. From the lyrics of the vocal samples, to the fusion of production styles, even to the model and timeframe in which this EP is being released… this album speaks to the importance of adapting in a changing and surprising world. All will change with time… the future none can see. In the reconciliation of seemingly opposing options (making up a changing mind) we can hope to find new perspectives and better ways to move forward. ~Derek Vincent Smith

Digging deeper into an artists psyche and gaining insight on what they were feeling when producing their art usually gives me more of an appreciation for the music and the person. This just proves that point again that this guy is not just making hits for the masses to make the all mighty dollar. As if it wasn’t obvious already, he only distributes his music online free of charge. After a quick listen before heading off to work box, I can only say this album continues with the infectious grooves and  head bobbing space beats. All the emotion promised is delivered with samples spanning the decades, even a little 1920’s horn breakdown something a flapper would groove to. The song that took my breath away was “Understand Me Now,” it just really hits it you in a place that if you haven’t felt the feeling before, it’s hard to explain. The entire album has its differences, some to make to make you dance, some to make you dream, all will make you feel. Download this album and experience something you never knew was possible.

PRETTY LIGHTS @ COACHELLA IS A BIGGER DEAL THAN TIESTO

Midnight Rider Gonna Let It All Hang Out

If ya don’t know, now you know! Pretty Lights debuted 2 new tracks at his spectacular NYE show in Chicago which are available for download off his site (like all of his material!). First Track I listened to was titled After Midnight which immediately hooks you with the main jam from the Allman Brothers Midnight Rider layered cleverly over a head bobbin beat. Next is the fun part when Erik Clapton/JJ Cale lets you know how a Pretty Lights crowd gets down by letting it All hang out! All your favorite Pretty Lights chops,edits,zip zwomp synth attacks and whole lotta body moving created by this music. The next track (which is actually the first track on the download) titled Final Countdown is a powerful track that uses a very familiar horn synth sample from a song I know I’ve heard but never knew who it was. Partially because it sounds like a butt-rockish Rocky song.

Come to find out its the band Europe’s Final Countdown song, so I guess it was butt-rockish after all. Never the less this was done ever so tastefully with plenty of buildups and climaxes to really feel the music and grab some emotion brought to you by Dj Shadow’s Midnight In a Perfect World mashed with Europe! Since this is a live show, you get to hear the countdown to 2010 New Year then the real party starts…Its A Celebration! =) DOWNLOAD THIS SHIT!

LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN, COACHELLA 2010

The lineup is finally here and it is as big as I promised! Most if not all the names I have been throwing at you from the sources from the internet (especially Consequence of Sound) have indeed become a reality and am personally very happy with the results of the initial lineup. Some might not be too thrilled, even with some of the amazing bands that are billed. Don’t worry kids as I’ve told you all many times, these Coachella promoters love to give us something to chew on, and then over the course of the months leading up to the actual event they add bands. A lot of smaller bands and midlevel acts to fill in the bill, but sometimes you will get a name that will change it all causing the world to go into a frenzy! That’s the beauty of Coachella. Enough talk here it is:

FRIDAY APRIL 16: Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Public Image Limited, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Benny Benassi, Fever Ray, Grace Jones, She & Him, Erol Alkan, The Avett Brothers, Calle 13, The Whitest Boy Alive, The Cribs, La Roux, Yeasayer, Lucero, DJ Lance Rock, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Proxy, Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, Wolfgang Gartner, Aeroplane, Iglu & Hartly, Sleigh Bells, P.O.S., Baroness, Hockey, Little Dragon, White Rabbits, Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall as Lions, Jets Overhead, Alana Grace, Pablo Hassan.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Muse, Faith No More, Tiësto, MGMT, David Guetta, The Dead Weather, Hot Chip, Devo, Coheed and Cambria, Kaskade, 2Many DJ’s, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Gossip, Z-Trip, The xx, John Waters, Les Claypool, The Raveonettes, Mew, Sia, Camera Obscura, Tokyo Police Club, Porcupine Tree, Old Crow Medicine Show, Aterciopalados, Bassnectar, Frightened Rabbit, Dirty South, Flying Lotus, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pretty Lights, Shooter Jennings, RX Bandits, The Almighty Defenders, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Craze & Klever, Zoe, The Temper Trap, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Girls, Beach House, Steel Train, Frank Turner.

SUNDAY, APRIL 18: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke????, Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, De La Soul, Julian Casablancas, Plastikman, Gary Numan, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, MUTEMATH, Deerhunter, Infected Mushroom, Club 75, Matt & Kim, The Big Pink, Gil Scott-Heron, King Khan and the Shrines, Florence and the Machine, Yann Tiersen, Little Boots, Miike Snow, Talvin Singh, Ceu, B.o.B., Babasonicos, Owen Pallett, The Glitch Mob, Mayer Hawthorne, Local Natives, Rusko, The Middle East, Hadouken!, The Soft Pack, Kevin Devine, Paparazzi, Delphic, One EskimO.

As mentioned previously, I am very happy with this lineup and cannot wait to go! So many good names, so many potential new favorites, I look forward to investigating and researching these bands. I will be posting rumors, band additions, my finds and my recommendations for this years festival as move we forward to the festival. Some exciting months ahead of us with more band adds, more rumors and whole lot of new music to discover! Check back for updates and let the countdown begin!

The Lineup Is Coming, The End Is Near!

So here we are coming ever closer to the big announcement that will be our fate as Coachella’s lineup shall be announced! Most of us are sitting around trying not to look at the time and are clicking and refreshing various sites hoping for the first sign of a leak or big announcement. The rumors have been flying high as we come near reality. Consequence of Sound mentions Muse to be a lock for Friday, Jay-Z apparently is Saturday, and The Gorillaz to be closing out Sunday. Jay-Z might not be everyones favorite brew, but Coachella will definitly be hooking it up with someone amazing in the other tents, especially the Sahara or “Dance Tent” as it’s often referred to by, with names like LCD Soundsystem, Pretty Lights, and now rumors surfacing of Underworld finally making a long awaited reappearance since 2003. There will be plenty to do this year friends as tons of additional rumors regarding bands like Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Orbital, Porcupine Tree, Avett Brothers, Devo, Spoon, Passion Pit, Deerhunter, Yeasayer , The XX, Miike Snow, The Dirty Projectors, The Beastie Boys, The Dead Weather, Cornelius, Tiesto, and even some more! Wow I’m not sure which of all those will materialize to become a reality, but damn this year looks like it’s gonna be fun as hell! I can’t wait to see the lineup and I know my eyes wont be able to read it fast enough! I’ll try my best not to shit myself but its cool I got a change of pants. As always, KROQ promises to announce the lineup sometime tomorrow morning but we all hope once the clock strikes midnight our prize will be delivered. I sure hope so because I hate finding out the lineup while I’m working, which is where I’ll be tomorrow morning. This is it friends, the lineup is coming! Good Luck!

This Year’s Destiny Served Tuesday, Coachella Lineup 2010!

I might be late in conveying my late night/early mornings findings, but either way here it is via our friends at Consequence of Sound:

By CoS Staff on January 15th, 2010

When you log onto your computer Tuesday morning, following a weekend of rest and relaxation, the 2010 lineup for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be available for your viewing pleasure –barring any last minute problems! Of course, having just read that, you’ll probably now dedicate your entire weekend to hitting the refresh button. That’s ok, because we will be too.

Anyhow, we have spent the last few days emailing and calling anyone who may know anything, and thought we’d share the results with you ahead of the big announcement. Here’s what we know:

As mentioned, the lineup will be officially announced Tuesday morning on KROQ radio in Los Angeles. Based on past experience, we can assume the lineup will be unveiled, via Coachella.com or the Los Angeles Times, sometime around 12:00am PST. So, expect no sleep.

As best we can tell, the lineup should look something like this: Muse will headline Friday, while the Gorillaz will debut its latest album, Plastic Beach, by closing out the festival on Sunday. Saturday remains a bit unclear and, according to several folks with knowledge of the festival, could play out in one of two ways: A “surprise” headliner or Jay-Z, who would apparently be accompanied by Kanye West and Alicia Keys. At this moment, it is unknown who that “surprise” headliner may be or what factor will determine the two options.

Others names we expect to appear on the lineup include the Beastie Boys, Faith No More, Wilco, LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, Spoon, Yeasayer, Hot Chip, Devo, The Dead Weather, Passion Pit, She & Him, The Big Pink, and The xx.

An appearance by Pavement, which at one point appeared to be a given before rumors surfaced the band would not be playing, still remains a possibility. According to a person familiar with the band’s plans, “don’t count them out.”

A separate source has told us that Radiohead’s Thom Yorke is set to appear at Indio for a solo performance, however, we have been unable to confirm this.

We’ll of course continue working throughout the weekend and will let you know as soon as we hear more. Be sure to check out our Coachella Outlook page for all the latest lineup news and rumors….

Shit your pants a little? I did! Can we believe this breaking news or will this lead us to follow a dead trail like last year? Last year seemed to have hit a bump when Paul had to assure us everything was fine but the lineup would be delayed. I feel confident though and believe we shall have our initial lineup this Tuesday! Might I also add with all the mentioned names on the “expected” list I am very happy and excited to see them! Stay tuned folks for my reaction and responses as soon as it is humanly possible following the unvealing!

Sell Yourself On Front Street

This is simple. This post is to whore me out it a little and put myself on blast. Normally I would feel reserved and timid, concealing what there is, BE it a song or story, in hopes of making it better or  more official. Nothing is wrong with a little critique or modification for improvement, its just I am a person who will never commit and finalize a piece so I end up with nothing. Instead of being over critical and “safe,” I’ve decided to say fuck it and let it all hang out.  Have this for what it is and see what happens next. Nobody knows whats gonna happen, but I do know If I don’t do anything NOTHING will happen for sure. So instead of sitting around NOT doing something, take this for what it is. With perfection and a “standard” I’ve created and built up inside myself, its led to a block from myself to create and express clearly as I’ve made myself extremely too self conscious. I’ve sat on ideas or songs solely because I wanted to wait until the ultimate song or story was created in all its glory before exposing myself to the world or well to anyone. I’ve realized to only way to even try achieve anything worth while or even “great” you MUST DO IT! “Shoot from the hip!”

So here we are, I’ve blogged about whatever I’ve wanted to say, still trying to maintain some kind of entertaining idea or enlightening thought. I have been posting videos from concerts and festivals over the past couple years on YouTube. Recently I’ve made my music page on Myspace a little more known but still not totally on blast. I have mixed feelings about it for different reasons, one being how good I feel the song are. I know I”ll never be totally satisfied with anything I do. Writing, song creating or deciding on what to wear. Until I actually do it I’m a wreck trying to decide what will be the greatest outcome. Whatever I decide, it usually is an amazing choice and I’m happy to have done it. Posting the music out there, I felt I should just throw it out there and take criticism and critique as it comes. Talk me some shit or tell me its dope, I just want the truth. Please don’t ever label me, because I don’t and won’t only make one kind of music….

Newest venture hobby that I’ve recently taken a little more seriously is photography. I’ve always like taking pictures, having pictures, capturing moments and having them to reminisce with. I enjoy taking pictures of all the wonderful festivals and concerts I attend also. Talk about moments to remember and amazing scenery! Don’t forget the bands and the “HOW THE FUCK IS GOING ON” moments from all their intense light shows and stage presence. Yes I love to capture these times while letting my senses run wild. Often becomes distracting, but its all worth it back at camp having those images and videos to remind yourself what the fuck you just did and can you believe that really just happened!? Ah I can’t not think about Coachella…Tickets purchased and ready for takeoff. I don’t even know who’s playing, but we all have some pretty good ideas =)

On to the whoring…..

So here’s my sites…love em, like em, hate em.
To be updated at any given time.

Improvements are inevitable, as I wont regress…

CuzinMankDeviantART

CuzinMankMusic

CuzinMankYouTube

COACHELLA 2010 CONFIRMED DATES

With all the stir in the air about our favorite fest, first confirmation of the year is the dates! Also some new interesting news about Car Camping and In and Out privledges! Here’s the official scoop from Email newsletter:

Hi Guys, Are you ready to talk Coachella 2010? We are officially confirming next years dates – April 16, 17 & 18, 2010. That’s not all, we’ve also decided to put some advance tickets up for sale through our layaway program. If you head over to Coachella.com you’ll notice you now have the choice to find out about the 2010 layaway program or head back to the current 2009 website. The layaway page is where it’s at! There you will learn about the brand new camping options including RV camping and Car camping. Also new for 2010, all festival goers will be allowed “in & out” privileges. More details will be available when the 2010 website launches so stay tuned.

Yep well its officially the season of Coachella! Let the rumors continue to fly and artist confirmations begin!