John Andrews - Late Nights and Fashion

     I've been anticipating the release of John Andrews' mixtape Late Nights and Fashion for a while now, ever since I got a taste of his single On For The Night.  The wait was worth it!  If you haven't heard his style, it's something like G.O.O.D. Music (Common, Mos Def, and Big Sean signed to the label) meets Y.M.C.M.B (Drake), meets M.M.G. (Meek Mills and Wale).  If I were to sum it up in a few words or a slogan it would be "Feel Good Music" simply because it puts you in a good mood.  In other words, it's uplifting.  
     I think the voice of the artist plays a huge part in the success, differentiation, and appeal to their audience.  Sort of how Lil Wayne, Drake, Tyga, and Big Sean have extremely distinctive and unique voices.  Having that said, John Andrew's has one that is different, smooth, and comes with some attitude, though he sounds young.  My favorite hip-hop/rap songs have lyrics over a classic piano, such as Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind or Kanye's Heard Em Say.  The beats off of Late Nights and Fashion are awesome.  I actually like each one but then again, most mixtapes have awesome beats.  But even if there is a good beat, a song can still be bad.  Lil Wayne released his mixtape Dedication 4 recently which features Kanye West's Mercy.  The sample has Nicki Minaj, who absolutely destroys the beat.  I didn't think a beat could be so amazing and then single handedly ruined by someone.  To continue, the lyrics off of Late Nights and Fashion are meaningful and hold real.  I know John Andrews personally and the story that he tells through his music is legit.  He doesn't over extend himself, nor does he exaggerate about where he comes from or what he has and dreams of.  The realness and emotion expressed in it all is a nice change of pace from what I usually hear which is great and I love it.  
     Overall, Late Nights and Fashion is a great listen; especially for a debute mixtape.  He could definitely improve but when someone has "it" you could tell right off the bat and I truly believe he does.  I can't wait for him to come out with another track but till then I'll enjoy Late Nights and Fashion to the fullest.  Check out, download, or stream Late Nights and Fashion below.  Congrats John Andrews and best of luck to you in your future endeavors.

Follow on Twitter: @_JohnAndrews

Like on Facebook: John Andrews (Y.E) 

Griz - Better Than I've Ever Been MV

    Gotta love this music video.  I'm one of those people that love the combination and co existence between the city and nature, especially when it comes to art.  The Better Than I've Ever Been music video takes us on a journey with a girl that has flashes of nature while she wanders around the city.  It's almost like nature is calling her name and she needs to get back,  she sees remnants of what used to be there before the city was there and her natural instincts are calling her back, to be liberated.  I'm going to go to the beach and listen to this album again and get in touch with my hippy self. 

Big Sean - #Detroit

     Get it while it's still hot! By the way, we shut down Datpiff for a quick second! Click here to download Big Sean's new mix tape Detroit for free!  You don't have to log in and this download doesn't count towards your download limit. Yeah boii I do ittt.

Griz - Mad Liberation

     Soulful, funky, and brilliant.  Griz released his new album, Mad Liberation on Soundcloud yesterday.  This album consists of 12 new electro/dubstep tracks that'll for sure get you giggin'.  Mad Liberation is full of soul and emotion, demonstrating Griz's amazing talent.    He is truly one of a kind!  I can't help but mention the amazing saxophone hooks and solos, Bill Clinton couldn't play one better.  Twist one up and bump Mad Liberation below, it's awesome and it's free!

Music Festival Review: The Mad Decent Block Party, Los Angeles 2012

            It was the perfect day for a block party.  The weather was hot, there was a small breeze, chronic in the air, and it was Saturday.  The best part about Mad Decent was that it was free, all you needed was a confirmation e-mail to enter; they didn’t really check that well for the authenticity of the ticket so we used 4 of the same ticket to get in. 

            We just missed Paper Diamond, which means we arrived at 2:30p during Casey Veggies set.  We B lined it to the alcohol section and got some booze while we waited for some friends.  The stage was going off!  We met up with our friends and pounded our drinks.  While we were exiting the alcohol section, Clockwork was wrapping up his last song and people were starting to leave the stage.  We found a pretty good spot by the tree and posted up till Bonde Do Role went on at 3:40p. 

            There was one stage, which I liked because it kept the “Block Party” theme in check.  The stage was at the top of the hill, so the crowd was on an upward slop.  It was kind of weird, I’m used to either standing on a flat or downward surface.  Anyways, that whole area was between 2 buildings, which gave us A LOT of shade, so we didn’t over heat in the sun.  The venue was pretty awesome, they definitely put some time in selecting the location and it showed.

            I’m going to be completely honest with you, Bonde Do Role and 3Ball MTY sounded like Mariachi House music.  I wouldn’t know what other category I would call it but I didn’t like it that much and the crowded didn’t seem to be feeling the performance.  I was definitely not impressed.  Then Paul Devro came on, playing dub step, hip-hip, and some trap music.  The crowd was definitely feeling this DJ and I was too.  He played really good music that had the crowd going at all times.  If Devro isn’t from Los Angeles I’d be surprised because his style encompasses that of the LA urban culture.  After Paul Devro, Munchi came on and he started off killing it.  He opened by playing some dub step, there was a lot of energy in the air at this point, mostly because Devro got the crowd hyped up.  Then Munchi started playing that Mariachi House music, killing the mood.  We go over Munchi about ¾ through his set and left to get food and more booze before Zeds Dead came on.  We ate and rallied back to the stage at 6:50p and got pretty good spots.

            Honestly, all I can say is that Zeds Dead killed it.  See them every opportunity that you can because they ALWAYS put on a solid performance, based on my previous experience.  The crowd loved it, we loved it, they loved it, the whole block was stoked.  Stoked I went. I'll score this festivals based on 4 categories: venue, average performance, crowd energy, and overall experience.  
Venue: 7
Average performance: 6.5
Crowd energy: 6
Overall experience: 7
Note: If Zeds Dead didn't headline, the average performance would drop down to a 4 but because they put such a great set together, that category gets skewed.  The overall experience is higher because the event was free.

IDentity Festival 2012: San Diego

     I can't believe it's already been year since the last IDentity Festival.  Last year packed an awesome line-up including Pretty Lights, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Nero, Datsik, Nervo, and Kaskade.  Although it is still a pretty awesome line-up, this year has taken a step down.  The headliners this year are Porter Robinson, Eric Prydz, and Paul van Dyk amongst others.  I feel like last year is going to be the same as this year in that it wasn't really about the music but who you were with, like a hang out spot.  We adventured out with a HUGE group of people, at least 50 of us were holding down the center stage in the fields.  IDentity wasn't like a normal music festival, it was more of a "thing to do" than it was "for the music enthusiast" so the atmosphere was a little different.  Although the music wasn't that loud, we still had a good time.  To sum up my impression of IDentity Festival 2011, it was a college party.

If you aren't able to attend IDentity Festival, iTunes will be broadcasting it at iHome.
Here are the set times for tomorrow: 

iHOME Main Stage
Eric Prydz 9:45PM-11:00PM
Porter Robinson 8:30PM-9:30PM
Paul van Dyk7:25PM-8:25PM
Bingo Players 6:20PM-7:20PM
Arty 5:20PM-6:20PM
Le Castle Vania 4:20PM-5:20PM
Eva Simons 4:00PM-4:20PM
Adrian Lux 3:00PM-4:00PM
Kerli 2:00PM-3:00PM

Rockstar Energy Drink Festival Stage
Excision 9:45PM-11:00PM
Showtek 8:15PM-9:30PM
Noisia 7:15PM-8:15PM
Doctor P 6:15PM-7:15PM
The Eye 5:15PM-6:15PM
Audrey Napoleon 4:15PM-5:15PM
Stephan Jacobs 3:00PM-4:15PM
Cole Plante 2:00PM-3:00PM

LED Stage
RL Grime 7:15PM-8:00PM
Samo Soundboy 6:30PM-7:15PM
Lightyear 5:45PM-6:30PM
TJR 5:00PM-5:45PM
DJ Dodger Stadium 4:15PM-5:00PM
John Roman 3:30PM-4:15PM
Fyor 2:45PM-3:30PM
Louisahhh! 2:00PM-2:45PM

Tickets for the event are currently sold out but if you'd like more information, you can visit their website here: IDentity Festival SD

Music Festival Review: The Wavehouse, August 12, 2012: Zedd

     It was a hot afternoon, one of those "Sunday Funday" type of deals.  Sunshine beaming, music blasting, happy drunk in the afternoon goers awaiting the headliner Zedd.  Dallas K was half way through his set when we arrived and after talking to a couple of regulars, we knew we were in for a good time; although we ALWAYS have a great time at the Wave House.  This venue offers a unique experience for music lovers because of its location next to beach.  In essence, we were pretty much partying on the beach with an awesome DJ and of course, good company.  Around the club there are a couple of bars, a wave machine, and sand everywhere!  No shoes or shirts necessary, we're shuffling on the sand.  As the sun went down, the Wave House became more alive.  Zedd began performing and yes, he brought it.  He played a solid hour and a half set that kept us in party mode till we left at 9pm.  EDM truly united everyone at the day club as there was no drama, no fights, and no arguments the whole day!  It was definitely a Sunday Funday to remember.  Check out the video of Zedd at the Wave House below to see what the hype is all about!

Photograph by Taylor Folwell

   Here is their schedule for the next couple of weeks:

          

     The video below is taken from the VIP/Bottle Service section of the Wave House.  From this perspective you can meet the host DJ of the day and you get to experience the crowd like the DJ does!  Zedd plays "One More Time" by Daft Punked mixed with another track during this video.  

If you haven't been to the Wave House before and are interested in going, you can check it out here: 

Website: The Wave House, Mission Beach

Facebook: Wave House

Tickets: Wave House Tickets