Hey guys, I know I’ve been absent for a little bit - things have been nuts (pray you never have to rehab a condo), especially with the impending details of my label coming up…man I want to spill the beans. In any case, I promise I will be posting some music later today. In the meantime, let’s hear some of your woeful DJ tales. TimeOut Chicago, one of the publications I write for, is doing a feature on your worst gigs ever:

“Remember the time when the promoter ran off with the money, the opening DJ broke both turntables and some crazy person kept stalking you all night?

Doing a little story on worst DJ gigs ever—either on tour or in our fair Chicago—but local stories are probably better. I’d love to quote you on your worst night behind the decks—when either the promoter, the club, the crowd, the mixer, another DJ, or just all around bad mojo caught up with you. The more colorful and freaky, the better.”

Submit them in the comments below and I will forward the best ones on to TimeOut! Here is my story that will be included:

“My first gig in Mexico was at an amazing club in Cancun right on the strip - very high profile with clientele to match. Needless to say, I was thrilled and flew in a couple days early with friends to relax and take in the sights. The day of the gig I requested that we get a ride to see the Tulum ruins and the promoter provided us with two friends who would be at our disposal for the afternoon. We headed out, loving the scenery and the weather when all of a sudden, we heard sirens behind us. The Federalis pulled us over, made us all get out of the car and had the promoter unlock the trunk. It was a thinly veiled shakedown since they didn’t ask for ID from anyone and the promoter’s friend buckled under the pressure, asking for us to be let go while showing the officers the flyer with my event on it! They took one look, then asked to search through our belongings, going through our backpacks and then the car itself, emerging with a bag of drugs that obviously didn’t belong to us. I thought the promoter’s friend was about to faint. What was the price of letting us go now? One thousand dollars cash per person. Of course we didn’t have that kind of money on us, so we were driven back to the police station and guarded while the promoter negotiated with the Feds. We were eventually let go, but at a price. The officers were given $500 cash and promised half the money at the door of the club that night.”

Top that bitches!

www.crobar.com

Yes yes, I know you all are probably SXSW fans over WMC, but WMC is still my domain and I will be there all freaking six days, from Tuesday to Sunday…good lord. One nice thing about going and working for several publications though is that you get an automatic in to most events. URB this year will be using Twitter to update the URB.com blog live throughout the entire week, so I will direct you guys there as my reviews start to go up.

On another *gulp* note…I have to interview Tommy Lee while I’m down in Miami. For those of you who don’t know, he has started a new group with DJ Aero and Deadmau5 called WTF which will officially debut at WMC. I want to hate it, really, but the tracks are great. However, I’m assuming those of you in the industry will want to read something with Tommy addressing his place within electronic music rather than just speaking on how great it is he’s doing something different. If you have any questions you’d like for me to ask Tommy Lee, leave them in the comments below. In the meantime, here are three debut tracks from WTF:

LISTEN TO WTF HERE

Also, following up from the other night at the JUSTICE AFTERPARTY….oh my…what an event. It was slammed at Debonair Social Club and myself and Joe Vortech got to play to a packed dancefloor that was already primed from witnessing the beast that is Justice. Here were some of the highlight tunes that got everyone in a tizzy:

Luke & Angello: Be (Toru S. 2008 Rebootleg)
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Kid Cudi: Day N Nite (Crookers Remix)
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Ghostface Killah: Charlie Brown (Yuksek Remix)
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The Kills: Cheap And Cheerful (Nite Cells Bored Robot Remix)
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After we closed the place down I headed over to Smartbar to see the Bloody Beetroots and The Glamour. Caught the tail end of the BB’s set and then went backstage with them and James Amato (music director of Smartbar and head of Potty Mouth Records) to hang and ask them a few questions. Unfortunately, the plans were thwarted, due to two groupies who were drunkenly hanging over their every word. This was the highlight of the evening:

Bobby (from BB - said in amazing thick Italian accent): Ok, now you girls have to teach us English.

Drunken girl (said while leaning over and trying to look seductive): In America, the only word you need to know…is sex.

Really? You said that? If any of you live in Chicago, that gem will be in the “Heard On The Street” section of this coming week’s TimeOut. Also, there is word that they will be coming back to Chicago again (to Smartbar) in the near future, so if you missed them this time around, have no fear.

Bloody Beetroots: Public Enemy Remix
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Goose: Everybody (Bloody Beetroots Remix)
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The Buffetlibre DJs are at it again with the return of the “Verbena Selected” series which asks DJs like Cut Copy and Simian Mobile Disco to choose one of their favorite tunes of the moment which will then get mixed into the compilation. This year the lineup is fierce and also harbors a couple of surprises…Busy P loves Deee-Lite? You can now download Verbena Selected 2 for free at:

VERBENA SELECTED 2: http://www.zshare.net/audio/9045951eb5a121/

TRACKLIST:
- SINTONIA BUFFETLIBRE
- THE AVALANCHES ’Electricity’ [Selected by CUT COPY]
- JANE CHILD ’Don’t Want To Fall In Love’ [Selected by GIRL TALK]
- LE TIGRE ’Deceptacon (DFA Remix)’ [Selected by MAKE MODEL]
- MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS ’Nine Lives’ [Selected by DAMAGE]
- SIDECHAINS ’Real’ [Selected by BUFFETLIBRE DJ’S]
- THE PRESETS ’My People (D.I.M. Remix)’ [Selected by RIOT IN BELGIUM]
- YELLE ’A Cause de Garcons (TEPR Remix)’ [Selected by AUTOKRATZ]
- JACKNIFE LEE ’Making Me Money (Switch Remix)’ [Selected by THE GLIMMERS]
- PACIFIC ’Runaway to Elsewhere’ [Selected by DATA]
- YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA ’Rydeen’ [Selected by CAZALS]
- BLOODY BEETROOTS ’I Love The Bloody Beetroots’ [Selected by CROOKERS]
- ALTER EGO ’Why Not’ [Selected by SHY CHILD]
- DAVID RUBATO ’Circuit’ [Selected by THE REQUESTERS]
- UNDERWORLD ’Bruce Lee (Micronauts Remix)’ [Selected by BIG FACE]
- FUNK D’VOID ’Ginebra (Funk d’Voids Cocktail Mix)’ [Selected by ALAN BRAXE]
- CHROMATICS ’Mask’ [Selected by THE GOSSIP]
- SEBASTIAN ’Kinder Kut’ [Selected by DJ MEHDI]
- DEEE-LITE ’What Is Love’ [Selected by BUSY P]

PART 1: http://www.zshare.net/audio/90430674c023a7/

PART 2: http://www.zshare.net/audio/9044581c838340/

TRACKLIST PART 1:
- SINTONIA BUFFETLIBRE
- SHANNON ’Let The Music Play (12’’ version) ’ [Selected by BIG STEREO]
- MR. FLAGIO ’Take A Chance (Extended 12″ Version)’ [Selected by THE LEMUR BLOG]
- STRAFE ’Set It Off’ [Selected by DISCOBELLE]
- ADONIS ’No Way Back (Vocal mix)’ [Selected by ELECTRIC ZOO]
- FLASH & THE PAN ’Midnight Man’ [Selected by MONDOSONORO]
- LIME ’Guilty Of Love (extended mix)’ [Selected by THE BEEB BLOG]
- HUMAN LEAGUE ’Don’t You Want Me’ [Selected by LEKTROLOGIK]
- SALT N PEPA ’Push It’ [Selected by VERSUS]
- DEBBIE DEB ’Lookout Weekend’ [Selected by D SQUARED]
- KLAPTO ’Queen Of The Night’ [Selected by DISCO DUST]
- DEPECHE MODE ’My Secret Garden’ [Selected by GO MAGAZINE]
- INXS ’New Sensation’ [Selected by ELECTRORASH]
- APB ’Shoot You Down’ [Selected by PARDON MY FREEDOM]
- SNAKE CORPS ’This is Seagull’ [Selected by KLUBBERS]
- NICK KAMEN ’Promise Myself’ [Selected by PROYECTO BATIDORA]
- THE CURE ’Six Different Ways’ [Selected by RED THREAT]
- DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS ’Come On Eileen’ [Selected by TRASH MENAGERIE]

TRACKLIST PART 2:
- SINTONIA BUFFETLIBRE
- BILLY OCEAN ’Loverboy’ [Selected by BUFFETLIBRE]
- DEAD OR ALIVE ’You Spin Me Round’ [Selected by SUPERLASER]
- PETE SHELLEY ’Homosapien’ [Selected by ROCK SELLOUT]
- PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED ’This Is Not A Love Song’ [Selected by GET WEIRD TURN PRO]
- GRAUZONE ’Eisbär’ [Selected by NEONIZED]
- PHIL COLLINS ’Easy Lover’ [Selected by MADRID ACID BOYS]
- CYNDI LAUPER ..She Bop (Special Dance Remix)’ [Selected by UNA PIEL DE ASTRACAN]
- MIRAGE ’Get Down’ [Selected by STREETKISS]
- DEEE-LITE ’Groove Is In The Heart’ [Selected by IHEARTCOMIX]
- HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS ’The Power Of Love’ [Selected by DISCO DELICIOUS]
- YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA ’Behinf The Mask’ [Selected by BADABIDI]
- FAST EDDIE ’I Can Dance’ [Selected by KIDZ BY COLETTE]
- SURVIVOR ’Eye Of The Tiger’ [Selected by PANDA TOES]
- BEASTIE BOYS ’Fight For Your Rights’ [Selected by SUPERNOVA POP]
- MICHAEL JACKSON ’Beat It’ [Selected by PRETTY MUCH AMAZING]
- NEW ORDER ’Ceremony’ [Selected by CAUSE=TIME]

Many of us have been waiting with baited breath for my BPM feature article, “Behind The Blog,” to be published. I just got my copy of the magazine in the mail today - it’s issue #90, and it’s…The Hipster Issue. Ta da! I’m very happy with the piece and I even got a profile in the front of the mag :). The piece gives you all a little inside look at who is running the blogs we all know and love - Bigstereo, Missingtoof, IHEARTCOMIX!, Panda Toes, Kiss Atlanta and Palms Out Sounds. Thumbnails below, click on the images to bring up the full size page.

The master of fidget is at it again with “Let’s Go To Work,” the newest release on his label Crux Records. I usually have a problem with some aspect of Crux’s releases, but this entire lineup is pretty solid. Bonus, aside from the great remixes featured here, there’s also an acapella for you - with a reason. Along with this release, Crux is hosting a remix competition - the top four remixes will be released as CRUX10. To submit entries, email contest@weaponmedia.com. Enjoy and get inspired.

Bryan Cox: Let’s Go To Work
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Bryan Cox: Let’s Go To Work (Radio Edit)
Download

Bryan Cox: Let’s Go To Work (Acapella)
Download

Bryan Cox: LGTW (The Bulgarian Remix)
Download

Bryan Cox: LGTW (Andy George And Jakz Remix)
Download

Bryan Cox: LGTW (Pette Vaydex Remix)
Download

Alice has broken 2 ribs in a car accident .

Crystal Castles cannot perform at the next 10 dates. HEALTH will continue on the tour without Crystal Castles.

So here’s a personal track from me! I just finished this project for California based artist/record label owner Ellee Ven. The original song, “Roll The Dice,” was a hip hop tune, and actually pretty darn cool. Ellee contracted me to make it more clubby and electro and I was very satisfied with the result. Since this is coming out on iTunes, Hot Sauce Records, CDBaby.com, etc. I have to respect Ellee’s wishes and not allow people to download it directly. However, if you are an industry professional, i.e. journalist, DJ, etc. and like the tune, contact me at dani@danideahl.com and I can e-mail it directly to you. Thanks! 

Sorry for the random difficulties over the past couple of days. Firefox was acting buggy, due to some faulty coding courtesy of third party publishing program Ecto…grrr. Everything is fixed now (minus some minor formatting) so dsquared should be up on Hypem.com within a couple days!!

Speaking of frustrations though, there have been some odd happenings at gigs over the past couple of days, including:

-Random guy being escorted out of club and then pulling the fire alarm because he was upset over being kicked out.

-Guy being kicked out and crashing through club’s front door (made of glass). The glass shattered everywhere…the guy got pulled back into the club via a back entrance by three security guards. Uh oh.

-Someone accusing me of being discriminatory because I wouldn’t play hip hop.

I’m curious to hear some of your tall club tales if you have any…leave in the comments below!

Here is an article I wrote about Chicago-run Front Forty Press. Out right now in the Jan/Feb issue of URB Magazine.

“Chicago’s Front Forty Press is undoubtedly the dark horse of the art book world. Started just a few years ago as a virtual publishing house, Front Forty has gained steam in the past two years, jumpstarted by a feature at P.S.1 MoMA, and now boasts six acclaimed titles in circulation with several more planned for 2008.

Doug Fogelson, the man behind Front Forty, is just as much of a curiosity as the press itself. The straight-laced man in a pinstripe suit hardly seems like the person who would publish the racially charged graphic novel The Hole. Other books range from the ponderings over built environments in Sonneteer to Matt Volla’s Unruly Drawings, a sketchbook chronicling the misadventures of tiny drawn creatures. However, the biggest success for Front Forty thus far has been Graffitecture, a visual thesis where Fogelson provided photographs of high end spaces to well known graffiti artists to do with as they pleased. Accompanied by four essays on graffiti, the book is as much about musing as it is markers and wound up winning best design 2007 at the Hollywood Book Festival.

A recent distribution deal with the University of Chicago Press mans that big box retailers will soon carry Front Forty releases, as well as the small independent shops and museum stores that Fogelson contacts directly. Despite the hard work, he admits the sudden success is a bit puzzling. “People have really responded to the books, which is suprising,” he says. “Everyone’s been trying to figure our who we are and what we’re about. Our philosophy is [that] if we think something is interesting enough, we make a book out of it.”