Adele Holds Number One, Foster The People Finally Make It

Adele stays at number one for yet another week, and Foster the People finally top the singles chart.

It’s 2011 déjà vu all over again, with Adele hopping back atop the album chart last week and staying there this week too.

Added to that, there were exactly zero new entries on the chart today, but it makes sense since new releases were very thin on the ground last week.

There was a bit of movement though. 360’s Falling & Flying is up to 11 from 22,  Skrillex’s ‘Bangarang’ EP shot up from 44 to 14, the Alvin & The Chipmunks Chipwrecked soundtrack comes up to 23 from 42, and Grouplove’s visit put their Never Trust A Happy Song back in the chart at 30.

The big story, and relief, is that Foster The People have finally hit number one on the singles chart with ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, over a year since the song was officially released. Their Torches album also got a bump to number five, through ad placement and a BDO visit.

Also on the singles chart, Flo Rida’s ‘Wild Ones’ with Sia is in at number two from 24, and Timomatic’s ‘Set It Off’ climbs to four from 12.

Nothing particularly high-profile was released on Friday so we can assume that Adele will hold number one next week as well, unless the ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ juggernaut can get Torches up there after almost nine months in the chart.

Check out our chat with Grouplove below.

DJ Premier, Erykah Badu, Crystal Method, and Skrillex

Better late than never. With the holidays its been really hectic. I finally got around to going through my CF cards and worked on these pics. Hyundai and Antenna magazine invited me out to check out their Remix Lab event in DTLA. It was another intimate setting at a great venue that used to be an old bank. As part of their week long event series, I was able to check out the “Re:Generation” event that started with a roundtable discussion with a few key guests. A couple Hyundai project cars were also on display one featuring a full 3D TV in the trunk and another with a complete DJ set-up. Also on display was a gallery displaying “collaborations” between brands, artists, designers, and more. Pretty interesting stuff and great to see brands supporting our culture and recognizing this generation of consumers.

The highlight of the evening was the DJ performances from the legendary DJ Premier, Crystal Method, Skrillex and even singer Erykah Badu got behind the tables for a set.

Play me Out: Skrillex

Awesome song, cool video. Discussion question: Do you find it odd when non Rock songs talk about “Rock N’ Roll”?
Oh and Silver watch this video! It has a friend of yours!

Skrillex RE:GENERATION Interview

The RE:GENERATION project has become one of the most interesting collection of collaborations of the year. With all of the videos and music finally being released Hyuandai sat the performers together for a little chat. Here is a clip from the interview with one of the hottest names in electronic music for 2011, Skrillex. Sonny gives some insight of what it was like to work with musicians he has been listening to as long as he can remember as well as what a surreal experience it was to find he was nominated for more than just one Grammy.

Skrillex With 12th Planet Fillmore Miami Beach December 17, 2011

Better Than: All other dubstep productions. Yeah, that's a pretty big statement to make. But, well, we just made it.

"Holy shit. WTF?"

The first words that came to mind when I saw it. Daft Punk had its pyramid. Deadmau5 has his cube. And Skrillex has The Mothership -- a gigantic Transformers-like structure with 3D image projections. So trippy. So rad.

There were dancing Chihuahuas, infinite colors, swirls and shapes, and even a motion-sensing robot man that mimicked Skrillex's every move. It was some acid trip kind of shit.

On Saturday night, Skrillex brought overloaded womps and wobbles to a sold-out show at the Fillmore Miami Beach. It was the last stop on his 48-gig Mothership Tour and the crowd was absolutely insane, an ocean of arms and heads bobbing in unison.

Basically, the audience was an out-of-control cult of dubstep fanatics in neon, metallic, fishnets, and finger lights. And Skrillex was the cult leader, controlling the mob's every move with each turn of a knob or push of a button.

Opener 12th Planet warmed up the candy ravers with a mess of dubstep, hip-hop, and house. The bass literally shook the place. Head-banging babes near the stage threw up peace and love signs on cue. A kid who could not have been older than 10 years old was solid jamming when 12th Planet ripped Kanye and Jay-Z's "Niggas in Paris," all while his mom recorded this jam sesh on her iPhone.

The DJ rocked a supersweet Overthrow tee, reppin' the Miami-based record label and party collective. The peak of his set was a massive stage dive. He swam through bodies and then back to the stage.



Skrillex took his position on The Mothership to a roar of cheers from the audience. Straight madness. His hair whipped in all directions as he raged to his own music, hyping up the hoards of people below him. And the smile on his face let everyone know how much he fucking loves his job.

He added womps and wobbles to a number of classics, including Biggie's "Hypnotize" and Damian Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock." He even got a bit romantic, pulling out a lighter for the intro to "Cinema."



But Skrillex's masive finale made the rest of the show seem like a rehearsal. He closed out with the big daddy mash-up of mash-ups, switching back and forth between his three most epic tracks: "All I Ask of You," "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," and his remix of Nero's "Promises."

The night was dubstep brain pulverization. Mad respect.

Critic's Notebook

The Crowd: The new generation of ravers.

Overheard in the Crowd: "Who gives a shit. Fuck bitches, right?"

Random Detail: Dubstep cures cancer, according to a chick in pink spankies.

Not a Helicopter

I got old at some point. Cue the actual old people saying, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE OLD” out of their earhorns or whatever the fuck, but hearing the sound of a floor full of college freshman playing dubstep wasn’t dissimilar to Elizabeth Perkins walking into Tom Hanks’ room and going ‘wtf’. I didn’t bang a falsely matured teenage boy like she did, though, so I still have that going for me.

I heard this name, Skrillex, mentioned a lot recently, and, curious as to what new type of candy this was, I googled it. It’s a dude with some hair like you’d imagine a guy named Skrillex would have and he’s the hottest thing in music right now. When I say “hottest thing in music” I refer you to other people who keep saying he’s the hottest thing in music right now. I trust them because Google told me to. Here’s a Skrillex video. Personally, the hottest thing in music right now is the 1996 music video for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s (I had to look up how to spell it) Tha Crossroads.

So that should tell you something.

Grandpa Hates Skrillex, Dances To Foster The People (VIDEO)

A lot of eyebrows were raised when Skrillex was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist last week. After all, not every mainstream music fan listens to dubstep -- let alone knows what it is -- and so the inclusion of a word that sounds like a nifty device for brunch making was quite curious to some indeed.

Before the nomination was even announced, YouTube user TheRedGibson22 decided that his 90-year old grandfather Al should get acquainted with the beats of a new generation. He did a good job trying to understand the sound coming from his grandson's computer, but he wasn't much of a fan.

"Not to be nasty, but is that considered to be music that's popular with teenagers?" Al asked. "We don't understand one word they're saying."

To be fair, the guy's seemingly far cooler than most 90-year olds: he wasn't rejecting Skrillex for Sinatra, but because he couldn't dance to it. Thankfully, Foster the People came on next, and all was right with the world.

BoomBox Announces Winter Tour, Releases Video for "Me and My Baby"

As the electronic music scene moves more into the mainstream (five Grammy nominations for Skrillex . . . WHAT?), it's not uncommon to see up-and-coming acts trading live instrumentation and improvisation - two things that in earlier days defined the scene - for pre-recorded tracks and laptop deejaying. 

Such has not been the case for the producer-guitar player duo BoomBox. In fact, quite the contrary. With each new release, this group from Muscle Shoals, AL continues to push the envelope and add to their constantly evolving sound.

Yesterday, the group comprised of Zion Rock Godchaux (yes that Godchaux) and Russ Randolph announced a string of winter tour dates along the East and West Coasts, with stops in North and South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California with a strong supporting cast including Eliot Lipp, Govinda, ill-esha, Bitch Please and Chris B.

Along with their announcement, the boys released the previously unrecorded single "Me and My Baby" as well as a music video for the tune, filmed at their sold out Aggie Theatre show in Fort Collins, CO this past October. 



This track is a great representation of how far the band has come in defining their sound, which at its core is truly rock and roll. Godchaux's vocals cascade over the melodic and uplifting soundscapes - created with live synthesizers and electronic drums by both Godchaux and Randolph - as the pulsating bass and ever-present backbeat set the mood for the groove. 

By utilizing live guitar in addition to synths, drums and produced tracks, BoomBox combines psychedelic funk and untz-y house vibes to create the ultimate dance party. Download the track for free by clicking here.
Check out their tour dates below and visit their new website for updates on their new EP, "Lost Ya," and do yourself a favor and catch them in a city near you.

--
BoomBox Winter Tour Dates:

11/30 Blue Note Columbia, MO

12/1 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK

12/2 Granada Lawrence, KS

12/3 Georges Majestic  Lounge Fayetteville, AR

1/19 Zydeco Birmingham, AL*

1/20 The Orange Peel Asheville, NC*

1/21 The Music Farm Charleston, SC*

1/22 The Soapbox Wilmington, NC*^

1/25 Greene Street Club Greensboro, NC*^

1/26 Rhythm & Brews Chattanooga, TN*

1/27 Valarium Knoxville, TN*^

1/28 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, NC*^

2/15 The Parish Austin, TX'

2/16 Trees Dallas, TX~

2/18 The Compound Phoenix, AZ"

2/19 Orpheum Theater Flagstaff, AZ"

2/21 Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, NV">

2/22 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA">

2/23 Key Club Los Angeles, CA">

2/24 Temple SF San Francisco, CA">

2/25 Cargo @ CommRow Reno, NV">

2/26 Red Fox Eureka, CA>

* w/ Eliot Lipp

" ill-esha

> ChrisB

^ w/ Bitch Please

' Govinda

~ ishi

Zomboy stole Skrillex's sound

Anyone here of "Zomboy"? If you look up any of his songs on Youtube you will immediately hear that Zomboy not only stole Skrillex's style... but stole direct sounds from his songs. He didn't even have the intelligence to change the sound a little... it's just blatant theft. And the best part is... he is saying that he didn't steal anything and has made the sounds himself. Even if that is true (which we all know it isn't) why would he want to sound EXACTLY like Skrillex? It pisses me off and it should piss you off too. Let everyone know that Zomboy is a fake and a pale imitation of Skrillex. If I was Skrillex, I would seriously look into copyright infringement.

What do you guys think?

Sir Mix-a-Lot: iPhone App Is 'Value-Based,' Skrillex Is 'Cool'

Sir Mix-a-Lot was king of the callipygian lyrical references well before Lil Wayne and Drake were telling women to pop their rotund derrieres. In 1992, he created 'Baby Got Back,' a double platinum-selling single off his third album, 'Mack Daddy,' and put mainstream America onto a slang term for backsides that deserved some special attention. Almost 12 years after the song's release, the Grammy Award-winning Seattle native is still reaping the benefits off rhyming about female anatomy with the debut of his 'Baby Got Back' iPhone app.

From a Mix Makeover photo lab -- users can manipulate aspects of a picture by blowing up and stretching assets -- to the Ba Dunka Dunk club game -- the object is to maneuver well-endowed women around obstacles and into the right pair of hot pants -- Sir Mix-a-Lot's app boosts his original song into a technological experience. There's a slew of other features and the 48-year-old hip-hop veteran had a hand in creating them all.

Read on as the wide brim hat-wearing MC spits knowledge about his app, reveals why he has a fondness for dubstep and 2012 Grammy-nominated Best New Artist Skrillex and explains the true story of how 'Baby Got Back' was born.




What was the inspiration for 'Baby Got Back'?

We were watching the Super Bowl, I think it was Buffalo Bills -- one of those super bowls where they got slaughtered. We were watching the super bowl -- we being me and a girl I was dating back then named Amy. She was Puerto Rican and black, nice big ol' juicy booty with a little, tiny waist. I mean she had a body. We were watching a Budweiser commercial with the Spuds MacKenzie girls that was real hot back then. And they had all these real little skinny chicks. And there's nothing wrong with skinny chicks, but I'm like, "How come they're not really showing what men really like?" If you think I'm lying, you take a bunch of skinny chicks, put 'em in a room, take Dolly Parton's titties and put them on the other side of the room and watch where all the men's eyes go. So I said, "You know what? Let's do something kinda poking fun, tongue-in-cheek, at this stereotype that all women should look like heroin addicts."

It started with [Amy] doing the "Oh my god Becky' thing on a DAT recorder -- a little portable DAT machine I had just bought in New York, which was like new s--- back then. I started writing the lyrics and initially the song was slow. It was supposed to be somewhat offensive. I was trying to be as political as I could then it turned into a bunch of funny s---. And the rest is history.

What was the thought process behind the 'Baby Got Back' iPhone app?

We were working on this app two years ago. Dealing with the powers that be at Apple, we had to kinda water some things down to make 'em work. Initially it was something where you could get your instant gratification -- you can come in and play a quick game -- but it was also gonna be something you would constantly come back to 'cause we'd have various models that would rotate in and out every month. That was kinda the initial idea, like the instant gratification of doing something as silly as slapping clothes onto a girl and slap clothes off a girl. But that didn't work out too well.

Two years ago you started creating it. Was that when the idea first came to mind?

I thought of the idea before it was even doable, when apps were real simple. Then I started talking to Sony, and Sony got involved. Then I made sure I put up half of the money 'cause I wanted to maintain some control. That's how we did it.

Do you feel like this app will make more people aware of the song, for instance, kids who never heard it?

I have yet to meet a kid who never heard the song. You know why? Because kids love talking about booty, butt, farting. They don't listen to it the way we [adults] listen to it. They think it's funny, but when they turn 14, 15 they go, "Oh, yeah you mean butt like ass." I got lucky with that song that it really panned out into something a lot bigger than I ever imagined.

Overall, what do you want the user experience to be?

I want them to know you didn't just buy an app that was just something basic to do for 15 minutes and I took your dollar. I want you to really look at it and go, "God damn, look at all the s--- I get for 99 cents." There's a lot of stuff in this app. I want people to really enjoy it. I want people to understand that anything you get from Mix-a-Lot is gonna be value-based. You're gonna get a lot of bang for your buck. From this point forward, there will be more apps. This is just the first in a list of many.

Besides this app, what other music projects do you have in the works?

I'm gonna do one record next year. I say it's the last album, but it may not be. Basically it's to celebrate 'Baby Got Back,' but that does not mean I'm gonna have 100 remixes of 'Baby Got Back.' That would really suck.

I have a couple new acts I'm working with. I have a young lady named Tomeka Williams. Instead of doing a music video, we're gonna do a mini movie, like a 15-minute movie, in which three of her videos will be within the movie and interwoven as a story. Her music is a cross between R&B, soul and alternative. The album's called 'The Black Hood.'

So is she an artist signed to you?

Yes. Rhyme Cartel Records is my label. I've been working with her for like three years. We've been trying to hone in on a good sound and I think she has it. When I met her, she was 18 years old, singing in the Baptist church. She had power for days and she only weighed 110 pounds soaking wet. She sounded like a 300-pound fat chick with all that power. Now she's 29 and fine as hell.

You're a veteran in the game and have watched artists come and go. Are there any hip-hop artists' careers that you respect?

Definitely. Obviously my ability to stay around has something to do with the music but it has more to do with the things I do outside of music. So I'm able to take my brand and leverage it against something else, which usually parlays into more money. And it eliminates me having to scramble to try to monetize bulls--- content and allows me to do other things to make money. And when it comes to that kind of stuff, that's what I respect. And obviously I have to look at Jay-Z; he gets it. He's like Russell Simmons with a microphone. Diddy gets it. You can see other guys making moves -- 50 Cent, Eminem. Cats that are doing things outside of music.

What about on the music tip? Who do you listen to these days?

I really like Killer Mike. I love everything he does. He kinda has a weird style. I listen to a little bit of Slim Thug. You know who I'm really into now and not even hip-hop? Skrillex. Dubstep to me is the future of music, period. Every time I listen to him I want to kick someone's ass. The first time I heard ['Kill Everybody'] I was like, "This is cool." But the first time I head 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' I was like , "Oh s---!" The sounds are so aggressive. When I saw people do mosh pits to dubstep, now, I'm like, "That's the music I wanna produce," 'cause I love challenges. What I like about it is it's the first type of music that truly uses synthesizers the way they were intended to be used.

Who is still on your dream collaboration list?

Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, James Brown, rest in peace. Prince, who I'd be totally intimidated by. Gary Numan. Devo. And oddly enough John Mayer. That song he has called 'Gravity,' that sounds like some blues my mama used to listen to. And he brings back that swanky kind of a southern crusaders jazz feel that I really miss in music today.