GROUPIE
Written by Alexandra Tillotson
Our cold brother to the North is known for a lot of things: winter, hockey, poutine. What Canada is NOT known for is music festivals, but Osheaga Festival may change that. Located in the Paris-meets-New York culture clash city of Montreal, the festival celebrates all that is the good in electronic, rock, and hip-hop music.
The three-day concert begins on Aug. 3 and will be held at Parc Jean Drapeau, the location of Montreal’s weekly Summer Sunday outdoor electronic music series, “Piknic Électronik.”
Ready to get Sirius Hardwell fans? This Thursday 7/19, the young Dutch DJ/producer gave a select group of fans an exclusive live set in the SiriusXM studio in New York City. Before his set, the award-winning spaceman himself (aka Robbert van de Corput) was interviewed by Sirius XM Radio DJ and Producer Liquid Todd.
Hardwell revealed on air all about his tracks “Spaceman” and “Cobra," what it’s been like to work with EDM luminary Tiesto, his new compilation mix, and what his hectic touring schedule is like.
After the recent sellout success of musical cruises like Holy Ship! and Jam Cruise, Coachella has jumped on the waterfront bandwagon with the announcement of its new four-day cruises aboard the SS Coachella (a.k.a. the Celebrity Silhouette.)
The lineup offers mostly indie acts, with performers like Pulp, Hot Chip, Girl Talk and Sleigh Bells headlining the cruise. The SS Coachella will host two trips from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean, the first sailing to the Bahamas on December 16-19 and the second to Jamaica on December 19-23.
Review by: Ian Micallef
Governor’s Island, a short ferry ride off the tip of New York City, has only recently turned into one of the biggest EDM hotspots of the Northeast. This summer’s lineup has dramatically increased and improved upon last year's. There were bigger names, a stronger setup, and even more shows. Governor's Island has already seen such stars as Benny Benassi, Laidback Luke, Dash Berlin, and Alesso this summer. Additionally, Thomas Gold and Gareth Emrey will be also be headed to the once abandoned island in the coming months.
Orlando band Leaving Haven is bursting onto the the music scene, gathering fans and building their already large following. Formed in the summer of 2011 (officially), the band has taken off in a big way. Members Trevor Hastings (vocals) and Luke Melsenti (rhythm guitar) met in college in 2008, and the rest is history. Luke's brother Ben Melsenti (drums) moved to Orlando and they picked up old friends Michael Strippoli (lead guitar) and Madison Macko (bass) to form the five-member band.
Hastings and the Melsenti brothers decided on the band name Leaving Haven because all members are not from the Orlando area where they reside. "[They all] left their own safe 'haven' in order to pursue their dreams," states their Facebook page. Hastings hails from Edgewater, Maryland, the Melsentis from Shelton, Connecticut, and both Strippoli and Macko from Naples, FL.
Their debut album Bad Luck Glory, dropped on June 22nd, 2012. While the tracks are hard hitting, fans of other genres will appreciate and enjoy their sound. Hastings' voice is strong and smooth while the instrumentals are complex, combining perfectly. They write with passion and a certain depth to their lyrics that is hard to come by.
"Medicated," "Always Something," and "Underrated" have the most edge, both instrumentally, and with their message. "Medicated" has a haunting quality and sounds as if a vice is talking directly to its owner, leaving the listener with a chilly feeling. "Always Something" hits the low points of life when something is always wrong; "here we go again, I'm not surprised something could go wrong, it will that's implied." "Underrated" is a wake up call to doubters, as Hastings sings "the people who said I don't have what it takes, look at me now." A very, in your face, "I can do anything I want" song.
"Viper" has a great message of rising above. "I'll blow them all away and leave them eating out of my hand, I don't care what they say I'm swinging until I hit the ground." Stand up, it says. Show people what you're made of. Don't give up. Fight.
Possibly the best track is "Never Miss Me." The lyrics are great and the song gives off such an intrinsic human characteristic. No one wants to be not missed. It's about the desire to leave an impression on people, so that you will be remembered. It's also a call to live life to the fullest and don't hold anything back.
If you're looking for a great addition to your music library, check out Leaving Haven. They are rockers for sure, but don't let that stop you if rock isn't your thing. A band with a great sound and brilliant writing, they won't disappoint.
The inaugural Catalpa Festival, a truly unique musical experience, hits Randall's Island July 28th and 29th. There will be plenty of emphasis on site artistry, interactive experiences, and experimentation --not to mention over 40 performers! Musical genres are diverse, including blues, rock, hip hop, electronic, reggae, and indie. There will be art installations, bespoke event structures, and more.
Artists include, The Black Keys, Snoop Dogg, Asap Rocky, AraabMuzik, Zola Jesus, Girl Talk, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Felix da Housecat, City and Colour, The Sheepdogs, Hook 'n' Sling, My Pet Dragon, just to name a handful.
It's going to be another lovely/raucous weekend in Miami, and we here at Joonbug have got you covered. Whether you want a crazy night with Afrojack, or one more subdued with the vintage vibes of Mike Simonetti, there's something for you. If I missed something big, comment below!
Friday, June 15
Nervo @ Mansion Night Club
Afrojack @ Mansion Night Club
Original Sin @ Nervo
DJ Scratchy @ WALL
Saturday, June 16
Digitalism @ Karu
The Bouncing Souls @ Revolution
Afrojack @ Mansion Night Club
Klassik, Louis Puig, Radamas, Spinn Zinn + More @ Space
Mike Simonetti @ Bardot
Crespo @ Vice Lounge
Choo Choo Romero @ Vice Lounge + WALL
Sunday, June 17
Streetkind @ Mansion Night Club
M83 has the tendency to sell out their shows. Quickly. Earlier this month they sold out Terminal 5 and they already sold out their Summerstage performance in August.
For some reason, however, their show on October 2 at the Hammerstein Ballroom has yet to sell out. While this is good news for those who still want tickets for that date, they must be running out quickly, as M83 just announced they would be playing another date, 10/3, at the ballroom.
Rejoice! But if things go like they usually do, snatch up those tickets soon. Check this out for more information!
We’ve heard quite a few announcements of genre-crossing festival’s lately, with Jay-Z’s Made in America and the ever-evolving Lollapalooza. And while I’m definitely a fan of shaking up a festival lineup with a hip-hop artist or two, never in my wildest dreams would I pair EDM with classic rock - a move BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong has boldly made with his “Rocktronic Ibiza123” festival.
Held July 1-3 (as per the name) in the EDM capital of the world, the festival will blend together a band of unlikely couples; picture Elton John with Axwell, Lenny Kravitz with David Guetta, and Sting with Tiesto. Other acts include Basement Jaxx, Tinie Tempah, Pnau, Luciano and Labrinth. Ticket and price information have yet to be released.
If there was a competition for a festival with the best word play, we'd imagine that the Summer Set festival, in Somerset, Wisconsin, would take the cake. Unfortunately, that's not how things like this are judged, so we must differ to the standard measure: the lineup.
Luckily for us, Summer Set delivers on both fronts, boasting a pretty impressive lineup over its three days of music, camping and more. Headliners Pretty Lights, Umphrey's McGee and Big Gigantic are supported by rap legends NaS and Black Starr (Talib Kweli + Mos Def) and tons of others.
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