Robotic Pirate Monkey with Buku and Freddy Todd @ Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom (5-25-14) [Review]

Review by: Justin D'Amico


Sunday was a huge night for glitch-hop and trap lovers at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. The show was essentially a triple headlined event with Freddy Todd leading into Buku and then Robotic Pirate Monkey capped it off. All three were ready to throw down and they showed Denver a great time.


Freddy Todd was up first and he layed down a smooth funky set to get everyone on the dance floor. Freddy Todd has a unique booth setup, he leans his keyboard/drum machine way back to where it faces the crowd. This way you can see everything he is adding and adjusting within his live set.

Buku would take the stage next, and he switched it up a bit, going into more trap style drops. Buku came through with a intense set, almost everyone in the room was dancing or at the very least head bobbing along to his beats. I was rather impressed with how Buku put his set together, he kept it fresh the whole time. Often watching an hour long trap set can become boring and redundant, with similar sounds used in many of the individual songs. A good live performer, like Buku, is able to constantly switch something up in the mix and keep the crowd guessing as to what comes next. His skill-set for creating an interesting live remix is what sets Buku apart from the amateur DJs. Buku thoroughly rocked out Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom and he set the stage for Robotic Pirate Monkey.





Robotic Pirate Monkey is made up of two incredibly creative guys: Matt Berryhill and Andrew Hathaway. Before their performance, Robotic Pirate Monkey runs their own merchandise booth and they take some time to meet and chat with their fans. They are hilarious to watch on stage, never are they satisfied with a normal track, everything must be tweaked constantly. To open their set Robotic Pirate Monkey started with a glitch hop remix of "Peaches" by The Presidents of the United States of America. So many adjustments are being made that sometimes Matt and Andrew become tangled up from reaching over each other. The music sounded great so it's pretty clear they know exactly what they are doing. You have to see Robotic Pirate Monkey for yourself when they come to town.

The end of the night came quickly because it was so much fun. I can't wait until the next Robotic Pirate Monkey show gets scheduled. Superb music and excellent vibes are synonymous with Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. Everything from bluegrass to rap can be seen at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom an intimate setting amongst friends. Check out their calendar: HERE.

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Ratatat - "Loud Pipes" Song of the Day [05/31/2014]

Today's Song of the Day comes from an electronic rock duo that needs no introduction. They have been producing music since 2001 and have been credited with developing a sound that merges the raw energy of rock with the chilled back vibes of hip-hop. Loud Pipes is a tune that truly expresses the nature of this sound. The main beat of the song seems like a very generic hip-hop beat; however, it has been distorted and fattened. A slow rock guitar riff is layered over the beat and provides a very crunchy sound. As the track progresses, the beat changes pace while more crisp instrumentation is added while the pleasant, fulfilling mood remains throughout.

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Savoy feat: Big Gigantic - "AfterShock" - Song of the Day - 5/30/14 [FREE DOWNLOAD]

"AfterShock" from Savoy's EP Personal Legend featuring Big Gigantic is today's track of the day. This shit is hot fire, so if you haven't heard it yet, there's no reason to sleep on it further.

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Mumukshu - "Contact Code" - Song of the Day - 5/29/14

This 21 year old producer is sure to turn some heads if he keeps popping off hot tracks like this one.

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CAZZETTE - "Sleepless" Song of the Day [5/28/14]

The Swedish DJ duo has been rocking the clubs for years. There newest release brings a little different sound then what we're used to but turn it up and enjoy.

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Empire of the Sun - "Celebrate" - Song of the Day [5-27-14]

Empire of the Sun is so epic. They make amazing albums that are easy to listen straight through. "Celebrate" is from their last album Ice on the Dune. Empire of the Sun has built a reputation for putting on an awesome live performance and a dazzling visual experience.

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5'NIZZA - "Jamayka" - Song of the Day - 5/26/14

Today's track of the day is "Jamayka" by the Russian/Ukrainian duo, 5'NIZZA. These guys have got some skill to say the least, however, they unfortunately disbanded in 2007.

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Hulk Hogan's Theme Song - "Real American" Song of the Day [5/25/14]

Hulk Hogan wrestling's greatest american had the best theme song. On this gorgeous day lets jam to some good ol fashioned theme songs...

 

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Air - "La Femme d'Argent" - Song of the Day [5/24/2014]

Today's Song of the Day comes from a very well-respected electronic duo from France. Air have been producing music since 1995. They have a great talent for composing lush melodies and layering them over crisp hip-hop beats. La Femme d'Argent is the first song off their most famous LP Moon Safari. It starts off by fading in a tribal drum beat along with some watery ambient sounds. Then suddenly, the bass comes in with a very mysterious but welcoming melody. The song keeps the same melody throughout, yet Air keeps adding more instruments, modifying the beat, and therefore changing the whole mood of the song.
Definitely a must listen for any fan of electronica.

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Alice Cooper - "School's Out" - Song of the Day - 5/23/14

With my college graduation going down this weekend I cannot begin to even express the joy running through me right now. I fucking made it. Didn't see this one coming when I moved to South Dakota 5 years ago. But, come tomorrow I will be done with school having successfully completed two bachelors, one in Business Administration and another in Government/International Affairs, and this calls for celebration. Time to get the kegs out people, summer has officially begun!

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Feed Me - "Time For Myself"

Just out today is something brand new from Feed Me, an all out banger entitled "Time For Myself". Nice melodic builds lead to sick drops with some superb sounds. Feed Me is about to start touring and appearing at certain festivals this summer and fall. One amazing show he will be performing a DJ set is Spring Awakening Music Festival in Chicago at Soldier Field. Along with the upcoming tour will be a 4 track EP, "Time For Myself" is the first taste of the future release. Lots of exciting new stuff is sure to emerge from Feed Me and his new record label Sotto Voce. Feed Me is one of the best producers so don't space on a chance to see him perform live.

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The Orb - " Little Fluffy Clouds" - Song of the Day - 5/22/14

Today's song of the day is "little Fluffy Clouds" by The Orb.

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Phantogram - "Black Out Days" (Live on 89.3 The Current) Song of the Day [5-21-14]

Phantogram tears the roof off of The Current's downtown studio. Enjoy

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Duece & Charger Release Official Video for "Always Broke" feat: Benn Moore

"Deuce & Charger are a core collective of musicians, performers and DJs enhanced by an ever-expanding family of collaborators including former Nightmares On Wax vocalist Phoenix Pearle, Leeds duo The Witch Hunt and hotly-tipped new solo artist Yo Preston.

Their debut release is 'Always Broke', which features the stunning, soulful vocals of up-and-coming solo artist Benn Moore. The track perfectly captures the Deuce & Charger sound: soaring strings and punchy breakbeats blended with uplifting vocal hooks and poignant lyrics." 

Finally having a proper video, this track is better than ever. 

Here's a remix that is pretty fuckin' awesome.

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Crystal Castles - "Celestica" - Song of the Day [5-20-14]

For today's song of the day we have a kick ass Crystal Castles song "Celestica". They are one of the rare two person bands, consisting of a producer Ethan Kath and vocalist Alice Glass. They have a unique style using old school lo-fi sounds in the beats and amazing vocals. Alice can be sweet and smooth or she can also get into scream mode and go all out. Crystal Castles have a built a reputation for putting on an intense live performance. They have three self titled albums, Crystal Castles, II, and III all of which range from sweet and nice to hardcore and naughty. Go check out more Crystal Castles music and see them live if you get the chance.

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Massive Attack - "Teardrop" - Song of the Day - 5/19/14

"Teardrop" was released as a single in 1998 from Massive Attack's third album, Mezzanine. This hit track has been frequently used on television and in movies, and is most notably the theme song of the TV series, House. The track features vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins.

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Lukas Nelson - "Hoochie Coochie Man"(Live at Farm Aid 25) Song of the Day [5-18-19]

Willie's son can make that guitar scream, turn it up and enjoy.

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Desert Dwellers - "Seeing Things" Song of the Day [5/17/2014]

Today's Song of the Day comes from an electronic duo that is rising quickly within the psychedelic electronica scene. Desert Dwellers just finished touring with Shpongle (Simon Posford) on the Museum Of Consciousness Tour. The track Seeing Things is one of their more famous tracks. The base of it is straight Dubstep. It is 145 BPM and has low frequency bass wobbles layered under slowed down hip-hop beats. However, Seeing Things is much more than a normal Dubstep track. Desert Dwellers adds many glitchy atmospheric sounds in order to create a very ominous psychedelic vibe. Their production is on point; every sound is crisp and layered well, especially the fat bass-line. This is definitely a track you want to check out if you are into the weirder, darker side of electronic music.

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Trifonic - "Parks on Fire" - Song of the Day - (5/16/14)

San Francisco based electronic act, Trifonic,seamlessly fuses experimental production wizardry with beautiful melodies and traditional song structures to craft music that is simultaneously unexpected and accessible. Yup, that about says it all.

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Project Aspect w/ Love and Light, Mikey Thunder & Psymbionic @ Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom - 5/8/14 - (Review)

Review by: Justin D'Amico


Last Thursday a bunch of talented young glitch-hop bands put on a hell of a show at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. The line-up was stacked with local talent and some groups from out of town. The Colorado bands include: Tnertle, Mikey Thunder, with Project Aspect headlining the show. As for imported talent Psymbionic is from Austin, Texas; while Love and Light are out of Reno, Nevada. Everyone performing meshed well backstage, it was a lot of fun to talk to everyone and make new friends.

Along with the superb glitch-hop music were a number of visually appealing art displays. Live art was created right on stage and also in the normal vending areas on both sides of the dance floor. Cervantes' is starting to have a reputation for involving incredible artists in the concert experience. Some of the artists will tell you that they feed off of having an inspirational setting to create in.

Psymbionic hit the stage with an impressive head of long blonde dreadlocks. This was one of the stops for the Spring Tour with Psymbionic and Love and Light. Mikey Thunder and Psymbionic would switch on and off for a sort of tag team set which was cool. The duel set went for about an hour before Love and Light's set. Love and Light are very energetic on stage and the two guys Matt and Ryan really feed off the energy of the crowd. They killed it and made a point to sign anything their fans wanted signed right after their set.

The headliner for the night was the one and only Project Aspect. He is from Denver, Colorado and represents the area well with an incredible talent for creating glitch hop and other genres. For this performance Project Aspect not only showcased some of his amazing music, but he created guitar riffs live making new unique samples on stage and incorporating them into his set. Jay has more energy on stage than anyone, he is constantly gyrating to the music and creating an atmosphere for everyone to go all out and dance. You have to go check out Project Aspect whenever you get a chance to, he is one of the most entertaining producers to watch live.

What a great night in Denver on a random Thursday. You really can't beat Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom and all the great music they bring to town each and every week. Big ups to everyone who made last Thursday a night to remember.

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Rage Against The Machine - "Bulls On Parade" Song of the Day [5-14-14]

Rage Against The Machine is, in my opinion, one of the best bands of all time. Here is their timeless classic "Bulls on Parade" off of "Evil Empire"

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Jim Grim - "This Way" - Song of the Day [5-13-14]

Jim Grim is back on SectionZ Records with an all new album The Fabric that is full of bangers. The first song that really captivated me from his new album The Fabric was "This Way". Now I am pretty much completely infatuated with the entire album. You can download The Fabric for free simply by liking Jim Grim's facebook page. Definitely go get it and spread the word of amazing new electronic music like Jim Grim and SectionZ Records

 

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Sonic Bloom Festival 2014 "Stoker" - Original Soundtrack by Dave Tipper - Song of the Day - (5/12/14)

Sonic Bloom dropped the final wave of their lineup today so what better way to rejoice than with this awesome stoker featuring an original soundtrack by Dave Tipper, a headliner for the festival.

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Lana Del Rey - "West Coast" (Camo & Krooked Remix)

The Drum N Bass duo, Camo & Krooked, released a washed out lush remix they did of pop star Lana Del Rey's recently released West Coast. They start the remix with Lana's vocals slowed down floating over a growing wobbly synth. As the synth fades in, we can feel the buried energy slowly coming alive into a minimal DnB drop. The way Camo & Krooked synthesize the chill vibes of trip-hop and classical Drum N Bass with Lana's soothing, ominous vocals is completely flawless. Every sound complements every other and while this remix is in essence a chill one, it has more energy than a classical EDM tune.

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2Pac - "Dear Momma" Song of the Day [5-11-14]

The late great 2Pac wrote this ode of gratitude to his mom. Take some time and let your mom know how special they are...

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String Cheese Incident w/Bassnectar (Live NYE 2006) - Song of the Day - (5/9/14)

Back in 2006 String Cheese Incident played a pair of shows for New Years Eve in San Francisco that was known as the "Sea of Dreams." This track is from the NYE show where they invited DJ Lorin (Bassnectar) out to the stage for a special little jam session. 

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Road to Sonic Bloom Night 2 @ Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom - 5/3/14 (Review)

Review By: Justin D'Amico


There is still a little more than a month until Sonic Bloom takes over South Park, Colorado. Last weekend you could see some of the bands a bit early in Denver at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. On Saturday night the line up included Zoogma, Paul Basic, The Young Blood Brass Band, Dynohunter, Tiger Party, Yu Yu, Defunk, and Easy Company. The Road To Sonic Bloom brought a good cross section of the artists performing at the upcoming festival. 


Saturday night was the second of two nights of great music at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom and The Other Side. On The Other Side there is now a new outdoor patio stage with a beautiful wooden design. The opposite corner of the area has custom bleacher style seating also made of the same wood. The outdoor patio stage is an awesome addition to the duel venue, making it now a triple venue.

There was a variety of visually appealing live art being displayed and created at The Road To Sonic Bloom. Everything ranging from live painting, to expressive dancing with an LED cape was represented. Aerialists floated on fabric strips above the crowd for certain portions of the night. LED hula hoops twirled creating mesmerizing tracers in the darkness. Also a number of popular local vendors set up booths with custom tee shirts, gems, and pins including my friends Outer Realm Apparel


The two rooms always had someone jamming on stage so there was never an intermission. Every band came in a little different form, some solo artists and some large ensembles. Paul Basic is one of the solo artists, but his performance is not simply a DJ Set because he creates his music live using a few different devices and drum machines. While The Young Blood Brass Band fills the stage with a huge group of players belting out classic brass jams.





To close out the night in the Masterpiece Ballroom was Zoogma. They are a band of four dudes but not just a typical foursome of drums and guitar and bass and keyboard, the two guitarists are also DJs and singers. They put on a great psychedelic rock set and they even did a cover of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in their own style. The aerialists accompanied part of the Zoogma set and also a vivid lighting display back lit the band brilliantly. Zoogma created and excellent vibe during their performace and the crowd fed off of it.

The Road To Sonic Bloom was a great way to introduce some people to bands they might not yet be familiar with from the upcoming festival. For myself this was the exact scenario, and I found out just how cool the Sonic Bloom Festival is going to be. And at the perfect venue for a duel, or now triple concert; Cervantes' in downtown Denver.

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Five Finger Death Punch- "The Bleeding" Song of the Day [5/7/14]

Five Finger Death Punch, in your face metal has made them a bright spot in today's so called world of "music".
This is an oldie but a goodie :)

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Bassnectar feat: Rye Rye - "Now" [FREE DOWNLOAD]

Bassnectar dropped the first of 15 tracks from his highly anticipated upcoming album NVSB. According to Lorin himself: "'NOW ft. Rye Rye' is the first of 15 songs, each representing a distinct point of a very unique spectrum." Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think!

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Nitro Fun - "New Game" - Song of the Day [5-6-14]

One of my most recent obsessions is this very young producer Gustavo Rangel aka Nitro Fun. Gustavo is just 16 years old hailing from Mexico and he has already released music with the label Monstercat, a huge name in EDM. He describes his music as Funplextro, which is fitting with his complex layers of melodies and fun Nintendo sounds. If you like chiptune or 8-bit music you have to check out more of Nitro Fun, he is quickly becoming one of my favorite producers.

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The Doors - "The Mosquito" - Song of the Day - Cinco de Mayo 2014

The Doors Without Morrison

It's Cinco de Mayo and it's time to party! Whip out the tequila and limes and prepare all systems for blackout status. Get your night started with The Doors. "The Mosquito" was The Doors last single ever to chart, reaching #85 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1972. Is eating a burrito in peace too much to as for?

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Mobb Deep @ Cervantes' Other Side - Denver, CO - 4/25/14 (Review)

Review By: Justin D'Amico


Last Saturday was An Intimate Evening with Mobb Deep at Cervantes' Other Side in downtown Denver. The line-up for the night included a bunch of good hip-hop groups like Proximity, Livedlife Movement, and Prime Element. The infamous Mobb Deep, one of the most prolific and original hip-hop groups ever, showed Colorado a great time. 


A lot was going on with a separate show next door at the Masterpiece Ballroom. On that side DJ Abilities, Phife Dawg of Tribe Called Quest, and Z-Trip were all performing. Those who wanted to have access to both venues could upgrade to a duel concert pass for just $20. The duel venue pass made the night like a mini festival with a stage always bumping.


Mobb Deep jumped on stage around 11:45 and got the place poppin. They layed down a classic set with some tracks from the new album peppered in. Their new album, The Infamous, is available for purchase at all the major music outlets. You can get more Mobb Deep swag and music on their official website themostinfamous.com

Another weekend and another kick ass time had by all at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom and The Other Side. If you love good hip-hop you probably already know to keep an eyes on Cervantes' for upcoming shows.

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Seven Lions- "Strangers" Song of the Day [5/4/14]

Seven Lions is currently on tour to promote his newest release, "Worlds Apart". Give the whole EP a listen, but this is my favorite track.

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Lil Wayne - "Believe Me" (Feat. Drake) - Song of the Day [5/3/2014]

The crazy collab is back! Believe Me, the first single off Lil Wayne's much anticipated fifth LP Tha Carter V has taken fans completely by surprise. Weezy had admittedly fallen off after his well-respected Tha Carter V...hard. His albums and singles since have lacked the lyrical audacity and stressed tones that were prevalent throughout his older works. Believe Me, however, is solid proof that Weezy is back at it. Produced by Boi-1da and Vinylz, the tune features punchy toned kicks, fat snares, and accented claves as a backbone while an ominous melody floats above. Drake spits the hook while they both go back and forth, each rapping two solid verses. This is a tune that every hip-hop fan should listen to.

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