Frequency New York

Bring in Summer '13 With A Bang

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:27:00 -0400

This weekend coming up is Memorial Day Weekend and you know what that means, the official start of summer 2013! Now if you’re looking for places to kick off the season of beautiful weather and packed beaches, then the NYC will have you covered from Friday to Sunday with special deals and free admissions to some of the hottest clubs and venues the city has to offer.

The party starts off on Friday at the Empire Hotel Rooftop. This hot spot is located on the 12th floor of the Empire Hotel and offers a stunning view of the Manhattan Skyline, the perfect way to kick off your Memorial Day Weekend. DJ Nomad will be spinning a perfect electric mix of hip-hop, house, and other genres to keep the party going. Admission is free at the door if you RSVP to Damon’s Guest List prior to the event. This is also the only way to gain access to the party so if you want to start off the hHoliday the right way then you should definitely get your name on that list before Friday, May 24th! Doors will open to those that are on the guest list at 10 PM and dress to impress.

If you’re not too worn out after the party at the Empire Hotel, then head over to Taj II, the new remodeled and updated version of the Saturday night favorite Taj, on Saturday, May 25th. This Indian-themed lounge has you covered for your mid-Memorial Day Weekend celebration. Taj II is allowing everyone free admission, only with an RSVP, from the time the doors opens at 10 PM till Midnight with resident DJ GetLive mixing up today’s best in hip-hop, pop, house, rock, and '90s dance music. The ladies will be given two complimentary free drinks from 10 PM to 11 PM, for those who RSVP'd, and from 11 PM to Midnight everyone will enjoy an amazing discount of 2-for-1 drinks. But wait, the deals keep coming, groups of five or more ladies will receive a free bottle of champagne and if you buy two bottles of liquor than the third one is on the house. Taj II also offers a great variety of bottle packages with the chance to add a bottle of Nuvo for only $75 that you can see here.

After two straight nights of living the NYC party scene to the fullest, why stop on a Sunday? Especially since the next day is a holiday where most people have a well-deserved day off from their stressful lives of being a worker and/or a student. Skyroom in Times Square, will be hosting a party that will lead you straight into the early hours of Memorial Day Monday. This place is located on the 33rd and 34th floor of the Fairfield Inn and Suites, making it the highest rooftop lounge the Big Apple has to offer. While you’re partying through the night high above 40th Street, you will be complimented with the gorgeous sight of Manhattan and the Hudson River. DJ Kastone, DJ Nyse, DJ G-Kidd, and DJ Alpha Mix will all be mixing with many more DJs that are yet to be disclosed. The dress attire for men is collared shirts and shoes, while ladies are urged to wear heels since flats are not permitted at the door. Admission is free at the door until midnight if you RSVP through Velvet List. This is a 21+ party, so make sure you bring a proper form of identification with you.

If you’re not into the whole rooftop scene, then FunkBox NYC has you covered. Located at the Sullivan Room in the West Village, this party is hosted by Soni, Evelyn Santor, Father Chris and many others with legendary DJ Tony Touch behind the turntables. Special Guest includes DJ Anane Vega and Antonello Coghe of Nulu Music. Doors will open at 9 PM. So get out there and enjoy yourself on your three-day weekend and bring in the summer with a bang.

Foxygen

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:12:00 -0400

A young man with shaggy hair, dressed in a collared paisley button-down and multiple beaded necklaces with a peaceful and “no destruction” attitude walks by you with a cool grin…no, this is not a scene from a Woodstock or Haight-Ashbury documentary, but rather a description of the lead-singer of the psychedelic indie-rock band, Foxygen. The band formed in California in 2005 when Sam France and guitarist/keyboardist Jonathan Rado were just 15 years old playing some local gigs and mainly making appearances at their high school. At that time, The Beatles, other 1960s artists, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre were their main influences.

Their first album, “Jurassic Explosion Philippic,” released in 2007, was recorded when the guys were just 15 years old. In previous interviews, Rado has called this album a “30-track space opera,” and anyone who has listened to their style knows the accuracy of that statement. A few years later in 2012, their second full-length album, “Take The Kids Off Broadway” was released followed by “We are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic” this past January. The singles “Shuggie,” “No Destruction,” and “San Francisco” and the religious-infused “On Blue Mountain” are the more well known and aired from the band.

Foxygen has been compared to the sounds and feelings from The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and in general, a throwback to the political and peaceful lyrics and trippy psychedelic vibes from an bygone era. There are moments when watching live performances by France where his wide, spaced-out eyes and gyrating nature can almost appear spooky but there is, at the same time, a complete wash of kind-heartedness, reminiscent of someone protesting for peace and handing out flowers decades ago in a time of turmoil. These guys are certainly part of the flower-child music of our generation. If you haven’t downloaded their album yet, get on it, because warmer days are here and these are all around cool, chill dudes who you’re going to totally want to hang with all summer long.

DJ REVOLVR Premiers Florence + The Machine Remix

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

DJ REVOLVR is a Las Vegas-based DJ and music producer that has been spinning since 2004. This California native has been able to take different unique tricks in DJing and producing, and combine them into his own innovative way to create highly memorizing music. He has been able to make a name for himself in both Sacramento and Las Vegas with his specific technique, and continues to impress audiences with his style.

On Monday, May 22nd, DJ REVOLVR released an interesting spin to an already great song. Taking the track “Spectrum,” by Florence + The Machine, he provides his unique sense of production and his innovative style to have listeners breaking their replay buttons on their iPods. The original song was already stunning prior to the DJ REVOLVR house remix. Its combination of electrified production and spine-tingling vocals from the highly talented Florence Welch made the original incredible.

The remix contains the signature “Say My Name” vocals, combined with his jumpy beat and catchy drops. If the original didn’t have you dancing and singing along to the lyrics, then this one will most definitely have listeners jumping out of their seats and chanting the lyrics along with the powerful voice of Florence Welch. The beautiful arrangements of electronic sound, clever drops, and a heavy bass mix with the ear shattering vocals makes this a must-have on your playlist and even in the hottest clubs and dance floors. Lucky enough, this track is also up for free download, so you can enjoy this song everywhere you go.

DeadMau5 and Kill the Noise Preview Collaboration

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:59:40 -0400

Trying something new can create two different scenarios. It can end up as a failed attempt that can ultimately ruin someone’s reputation and reputability to the point that their name is tainted by that single instance. Or it can actually end up on the opposite end of the spectrum, making it so critically and commercial acclaimed that it could boost a person’s notability overnight. Although finding fame is already a mission that has been far accomplished by world famous DJ and producer Joel Zimmerman aka DeadMau5, his hunger for something new still seems unfulfilled as he heads into the studio with an interesting choice for a collaborator.

Grammy-nominated artist DeadMau5 has seen a wide stream of success in the past few years. His albums have seen both commercial and critical success, he has won countless awards, he has been featured in video games, and his signature mouse helmet is a recognizable figure from all corners of the world. With this track record, some artist would just take a break and enjoy their hard-earned success, but DeadMau5 looks to put another achievement in his long list of accomplishments with his new collaboration with Kill the Noise.

Although they are housed in the same genre, both producers contain various styles that allow their music to have a distinct difference between each other. DeadMua5 is famous for blending beautiful electronic arrangements with mind-numbing melodies, while Kill the Noise uses hard-hitting and glitch induced basses. Still, these two are true masters of their art, and they bring it all to the table with their new upcoming release cleverly titled “KilltheMau5.” The track has not been fully releases as of yet, but DeadMau5 has released a preview on his Soundcloud page for his fans to listen to and enjoy. It contains both styles that were able to give both producers their fame. DeadMau5’s skilled electronic sensibility combines almost flawlessly with Kill the Noise’s signature basses. Although there is no clear release date for the full song, the sample contains amazing production value that has not yet been heard within the genre. This shows potential to be a revolutionary track, and it is sure to have fans of both producers highly satisfied.

EDC Looks to Bring Down the House

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:23:00 -0400

Memorial Day Weekend is the official start to summer, so why not bring in summer with one of the biggest festivals that EDM has to offer? Making its way to its highly anticipated Vegas show case, Electronic Daisy Carnival will be stopping at the famous Windy City to help kick off the season starting Friday, May 24th until Sunday, May 26th. After rocking New York in front of a crowd of 50,000 people this past weekend, EDC plans to keep the party going with the biggest names in EDM that the Second City Chicago has ever witnessed.

The set list for EDC Chicago is composed of some of the most highly profiled artist that have ever graced the presence behind the turntables. David Guetta and Sebastian Ingrosso are just among some of the most highly talented DJs that compose the line-up with 30 more performers added to the roster since its set list was released. The three day festival, presented by Insonmiac, kicks off each day at 5pm and continues nonstop till the early hours of 4am with the most electrified, heart pumping hits that makes EDM such a reputable and top music choice from fans across the world.

Tickets are still available on the website to attend this ground breaking concert series. There are single day regular admissions that start from $89 and a three day regular pass for only $175. There are also VIP packages, for those that want the full exciting experience that is EDC as well as camping packages. The event will take place at the famous Chicago Speedway with booking information for hotels around the arena on the EDC website. So if you don’t have any plans this Memorial Day Weekend, then definitely make your way to Chicago to bring in the summer the right way with some of the best DJs in the industry today.

Taking it Back to Prehistoric Times

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:54:24 -0400

The greatly anticipated tickets to Ultra Music Festival 2014 were supposedly released today at 1pm, EST, but fans sarcastically propose the idea that “there were never Early Bird tickets to begin with.” About 3 hours ago, Ultra posted a video on Vine of their “upgraded servers,” bragging that this year, there would be absolutely no crashes. Well, they spoke too soon. Similar to consumers’ experiences last year, not only was the website slow and unresponsive, but it took so long to get from one page to another that the website timed out and released people’s tickets so that others could buy them. Uh, really? To say that there were many peeved fans is an understatement.

At around 3:45 pm, UMF tweeted, “We apologize to those that were not able to complete their purchases due to overwhelming demand placed on the ticketing company’s servers.” A minute later, they announced on both Facebook and Twitter that they would release a second set of Early Bird tickets for Ultra 2014 at 4:30pm to show their gratitude for our “continued patience.” According to some fans, it wasn’t UMF’s servers that crashed, but rather that of the ticket brokers that they hired to sell tickets.

The second time around, Ultra had changed its servers and even introduced a waiting room where people would be placed while those purchasing tickets could do so successully. Although this made transactions much more efficient, there were still many that were locked out of buying the cheap Early Bird tickets, and even more that did not get a chance to grab the $274 Advance tickets. Within minutes, both sets of tickets sold out and as of now, the only tickets available are the General Admission tickets priced at $399.95. As of yet they have not sold out, which isn’t quite surprising because who would actually pay $500 for a music festival? Already sites such as Craigslist and Ebay are offering tickets for at least $600, which is absurd considering that this is really only the beginning. UMF will surely surprise fans between now and next March by releasing limited amounts of more reasonably priced tickets to their festival, as they are fully aware of the amount of upset customers that failed to purchase tickets. No worries, not all hope is lost quite yet.

‘Like’ them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to get the latest updates concerning tickets so that you don't miss out!

MOONRISE FESTIVAL: AN EPIC WEEKEND

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:25:13 -0400

International? Local? EDM? Vendor Village? Ferris Wheel? Who doesn’t want these things?! Moonrise Festival comes to Baltimore, Saturday and Sunday June 8th and 9th at Port Covington. Port Covington is actually a new venue very close to downtown Baltimore allowing enough space for this stellar event to become an annual ritual. Along with new parking options in and outside of the venue there is also multiple public transportation within the area, making it a lot easier for ravers without wheels.

This massive event will include three stages with worldwide EDM talent and the largest most insane lighting production and audio system yet. Moonrise’s previous events have been known to start in the late afternoon and finish around sunrise (Sunrise Festival?) But this year they’re taking the name into literal matters; the festival will be held on both days from 11AM to 11PM to terminate with the rising of the real moon!

Not only is the venue going to be out of this world, but the lineup is insane. Artists including Porter Robinson, Avicii, Flux Pavillion, Crookers, Eric Prydz and even Snoop Dogg will be attending along with more than 60 other DJs! Madness. But the party doesn’t stop there, producers of Moonrise are currently working with venues and clubs throughout Baltimore to host official after-parties on both Saturday and Sunday nights. There’s even talk about a possible pre-party on Friday to make every second of this weekend EDMazing! Stay updated, this festival will be one for the books.

Get your tickets on Moonrise’s official website so you can be every bit apart of this weekend!

Rage Forward.

Does the Music Never Change?

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:00 -0400

EDC NY Day 2. Eye crystals? Check. Ridiculous outfits? Check. After filling our camelbaks with water, we were ready to make a second drive back to Citi Field. The sky was cloudy and despite the fact that it was breezy, we prepared ourselves for yet another epic day. The only difference was that I'd be going for fun, rather than working with Ground Control.

When Insomniac released its 2013 lineup in late April, reviews from Facebook fans began rolling in immediately. Headliners on Saturday ranged from Afrojack to Calvin Harris to Porter Robinson. “WHY people still consider Afrojack headliner material is BEYOND me,” complains one female fan. Another fan commented, “Chicago lineup smokes this.” On the other end of the spectrum, a fan praises the lineup for this year’s event: “Love this. Mad Filth. Enough house and techno get that heavy electro and heavy dubstep in there for once, love it.”

We started off at Circuitgrounds where Bassjackers was playing, and his set was absolutely amazing. You could tell that Marlon was having a great time, enjoying massive amounts of attention from avid fans. His show, which is always a good time, was interactive and got the crowd moving to tracks such as Tiesto’s “Pair of Dice” and Chuckie’s “Make Some Noise.” Although he played mostly electro-house tracks, he did manage to throw in some trance with W&W’s remix of “Clarity.” Overall, what made his set so memorable was that it was well rounded and appealed to several different genres of music, while still sticking to his sound.

Wanting the full-blown EDC experience, we then headed towards the Ferris Wheel and braved a line that appeared to be an hour-long wait. Was the line worth it? Absolutely. If you haven’t been to EDC before, or have attended in the past but never bothered going on the rides, it’s a necessity (particularly at night). The Ferris Wheel was strategically situated in between the two most popular stages—Kineticfield and Circuitgrounds, and I was lucky enough to get on the ride as Gareth Emery performed right in front of me. I can’t even begin to explain how cool it was to be so high in the air, getting a view of the entire grounds and, more importantly, the stages. I remember being at the highest point of the ferris wheel, seeing Gareth play his remix of Hardwell’s “Apollo” and the thousands of colorful, moving dots that crowded around him. It may not seem too thrilling in words, but as newbies to EDC, we couldn’t help but to be fascinated by the merging of carnival rides and EDM. Fans (unwisely) stood up, cheered, fist-pumped, and documented through cell-phone pictures the privilege of being able to see nearly the entire festival all at once. It was pretty breathtaking if you ask me.

Some other names I managed to see later in the evening include Seven Lions, Cosmic Gate, The Bloody Beetroots and of course, Porter Robinson. While I enjoyed each of their sets equally, one aspect that people are beginning to realize is that “music stays the same.” Many chose not to attend EDC NY this year for two reasons—a two-day festival is no competition for the three days Vegas has to offer, and the belief that they would be seeing the same set all over again. Other fans believe that “although it is true that a lot of the same artists perform at the same festivals the energy and the experience they bring to everyone there is different every time.” Although EDC NY gave me a taste of something new, EDC Vegas clearly has much more to offer, such as an additional day to party, and a stellar lineup featuring bigger and better artists. I’m glad that I attended, but at the same time I would have been okay with not going at all. My advice? Wait until you’re 21 and fly out to Vegas for the ultimate experience. You won’t regret it.

To check out some of the live sets released thus far, click here.

Chase and Status

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:04:00 -0400

Known as the most exciting producers in the UK and the backbone of Rihanna’s ‘Rated R’ record, Chase and Status are one of the worlds most sought out, platinum record selling duo. Will Kennard and Saul Milton (Chase and Status) met in London in the '90s through their mutual obsession with drum and bass and became immediate friends. They had their first production in 2004 which was a remix done for Future Cut, opening doors to a number of drum and bass pieces for some of the largest underground labels like Bingo Label and Breakbeat Kaos. By 2008, Chase and Status pulled off their first album ‘More Than A Lot’ which featured a few of Dubstep’s biggest names like Plan B and Kano, later catching the attention of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg who are now huge fans of the dynamic duo.

In 2009, Chase and Status were recognized at the BBC Radio 1 Weekend that same year with one of the meanest light and video shows ever. This later brought them to sell out 5 UK tours, 3 Euro tours, 2 USA tours and not to mention the constant music fest. appearances like Summersonic, Coachella, Ibiza Rocks, and even Big Day Out. By this time they were signed with Universal Publishing and had a massive record deal with Vertigo/Mercury Records and immediately hit the Official UK Top 10 with their song ‘End Credits’ which won best video at the Q Awards in 2010.

Working with popular’s like Dizzee Rascal, Cee Lo Green, White Lies, and Tempa T helped create their most amazing album yet, ’No More Idols’. This album contains everything from drum and bass, major electro, and even punk-like riffs to heighten the already magic ideas of C&S. This album remained on the Top 40 for 35 weeks, now achieving double platinum! To keep things interesting, these guys released ‘Live at Brixton Academy,’ a DVD of their mind-blowing performances along their UK tour in 2012 and are now said to be in the studio working on their third album while headlining festivals globally.

What does 2013 look like for Chase and Status? Between May and July 2013 our boys will tour, hop and bounce from Londonderry to Iceland, Italy to Spain and Ibiza, and even Germany; we can do so much as to cross our fingers and pray that they come to the US this year!

Check out their absolute latest and greatest, ‘Lost & Not Found’ ft. Louis M^tters, released April 29th!

Britney Is Her Madonna

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:25:00 -0400

Ashley Allen, a New York native, is an up and coming pop star with a thriving young personality and a heart full of lyrics and love to share with the world. With a tough upbringing through battling anxiety and depression, music has become her escape and hero. Ashley performed at NYC's BB King’s Blues Club this past Friday the 17th and sat down with Joonbug to talk about her past, present, and future.

When did you realize that this is what you want to do?

Forever. My mom was a singer and she was actually pregnant with me at the same time, so it’s in my blood!

Who has been your biggest influence musically? You’ve mentioned before about hearing a lot of Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand.

Believe it or not Britney Spears is actually my biggest inspiration. I’m obsessed with her, I went to a concert of hers a while back and all I could do was cry! I got very emotional because I would hear this fun, amazing music and all I could think was, ‘why aren’t I up there?’ Britney is literally my Madonna!

Why pop music?

As a kid and even a teen/young adult I’ve notice that I really gravitate towards female vocalists that are strong and want to have fun. I wanted to be just like them, I want my music to be happy. Pop is f*cking awesome, who doesn’t love pop?!

You’ve talked about your struggles with anxiety and depression, do you feel as if those issues get in the way of your career at all?

Right now my anxiety’s at an all time low, which is amazing. I do get stressed sometimes, as does everyone, but I do find that when I try and handle planning or management I get super nervous. I have to realize that there is a team of people who do want to help me and that’s why they’re here, they have it under control.

Is there anything else about your career that makes you nervous?

Honestly, I feel more excited than anything! Although the adrenaline I get before going on stage can give me a little bit of dry mouth which makes me nervous because I don’t want my voice to crack or anything! But I’ve learned little tricks along the way that help me.

Are you excited for tonight’s performance? What song are you looking forward to performing?

SUPER excited! I’ve never performed here so that’s awesome I’m excited to see the crowd and just get up there and do my thing! I’m really looking forward to performing "Always (You Ruined Love)" because it’s one of my newer songs and it’s just one of my favorites!

So there you have it, Ashley Allen is more than ready to knock the socks off this industry! Don’t forget to check out her latest single "Let’s Go" and follow her on her tour through Australia this spring.

Peace and Pop!

Check out this remix of her hit "Let's Go" by Reid Stefan! Sick.