You could be forgiven for thinking that David Guetta is famous simply for being famous: that's the message, however ironic, of "F*** Me I'm Famous," the name of both his long-running Ibiza residency and his first mix CD. But the French DJ and producer has earned his acclaim, repurposing soulful deep house with a shiny French touch and adding radio-ready vocals for a package that's pure pop panache.
Guetta's career as a producer began in 1992, when he released "Up and Away" with the Chicago vocalist Robert Owens, but it wasn't until seven years later that he returned with "Just a Little More Love," a catchy tribal-house cut. The following year, his debut album proved that its title cut was no fluke: full of hooks and vocals, the record augmented charging house beats with touches of gospel and electro and even a jubilant remix of David Bowie's "Heroes." In 2004 Guetta returned with Guetta Blaster, featuring club hits like Depeche Mode-flavored "The World Is Mine" and "Love Don't Let Me Go Walking Away," his smash collaboration with U.K. festival favorites the Egg; it also includes a rare downtempo remix from Paul Oakenfold. In 2009 he set his eyes firmly on the pop charts with One Love, featuring guest vocals from Ne-Yo, Kid Cudi and Will.I.Am.
- Philip Sherburne
House heavyweight Paul Oakenfold leads the growing community of globe-trotting DJs with his constantly evolving, trendsetting dance style. A genre pioneer, a shrewd businessman, and an undefeated club king, Oakenfold's influence over the dance music industry can be felt worldwide.
- Melissa Piazza
Chicago native Ryan Raddon started out as a fan of British New Wave, listening to Tears For Fears, the Smiths and the Cult. However, after hanging around clubs with the great Frankie Knuckles behind the decks he began to develop a taste for house. By the time he attended school in Salt Lake City he was making a name for himself as a DJ and started releasing his own productions. One of them impressed OM Records so much, that they picked it up for distribution. Lured by the energetic house scene, he moved to San Francisco and joined OM in their Artist Relations department, and released his debut It's You, It's Me in 2003. The title track proved popular with the Lazy Dog club founders (Ben Watt and Jay Hannan), and repeated spins at their Sunday Socials led to Ryan making a name for himself as a deep house DJ. More credibility followed, with Roger Sanchez picking up two tracks for his Release Yourself 2003 mix, and Jay Hannan launching his Society Heights label with Raddon's "In This Life" (2003) release. His latest effort In The Moment (2004) offers more soulful laid-back deep house for the mellow faithful.
- Nicholas Baker
Minnesota's Adam Young is a study in contradictions. Citing musical inspiration from the likes of Boards of Canada, Prefuse 73 and Sigur Ros, the vegetarian insomniac also claims God, G-rated movies and optimism as real-world influences. Left unsaid in either list are both Postal Services -- the government agency that delivers mail, and the group featuring Ben Gibbard and Dntel. But the latter's lush, electronic emo is a definitive influence on Owl City's own brightly hued, shiver-inducing electro-pop ditties, while the former symbolizes Young's epistolary approach, with every song sounding like a page ripped from his journal and zipped cross-country to a lovelorn crush. On Owl City's debut EP, Of June, Young sang of floating in space in a set that referenced cruise ships, airplanes and nonstop modern motion, sounding at once thrilled with distance and nostalgic for a simpler, stay-at-home lifestyle. He came into his own style with Maybe I'm Dreaming, which found him fleshing out his delicate, catchy sound with acoustic guitars and more intricate songwriting. This is the sound of being young, in love and 110% alive.
- Philip Sherburne
Daft Punk assumed their reign over the French electronic scene shortly after the appearance of their second single "Da Funk" in 1995, making mere subjects of such high-profile names as Motorbass, Air and Dimitri from Paris. Transforming a heritage of early Acid House, Detroit Techno, Indie Rock and hip-hop into a flawless progressive electronica sound that made loyal followers of both staunch rock crowds and Techno fiends alike, the collaboration of Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo and Thomas Bangalter triggered a deluge of critical praise. Heavy funk-fortified House beats lumber confidently at a mid-tempo hip-hop pace, weighed down with metallic murmurs, shrill electronic squeals, and catchy vocodered vocal hooks. With a style that shifts without warning from the hard end of dance music to the easier side of the spectrum and takes care to steer clear of cliches and overwrought themes, Daft Punk is the model for crossover electronic music.
- Melissa Piazza
New concert dates in Seattle, Salt Lake City, St. Paul, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas, Uncasville, Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Montreal were just added to the forthcoming "An Evening With Sting featuring The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Conducted By Steven Mercurio" North American tour.
STING Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Conducted by Steve Mercurio Presented by Xerox
On Sale Dates
(All 10am)
Date
City
Venue
Public
Fan Club
Jun 2
Vancouver, BC
Centre For the Performing Arts
Mar 8
Mar 5
Jun 4
Portland, OR
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jun 5
Portland, OR
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jun 6
Seattle, WA
White River Amphitheatre
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jun 9
Morrison, CO
Red Rocks Park &
Amphitheatre
Mar 8
Mar 5
Jun 10
Salt Lake City, UT
USANA Amphitheatre
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jun 12
Concord, CA
Sleep Train Pavilion
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jun 13
San Diego, CA
Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jun 15
Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Bowl
Mar 8
Mar 5
Jun 16
Irvine, CA
Verizon Amphitheatre
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jun 18
Las Vegas, NV
MGM Grand
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jun 21
St. Paul, MN
Xcel Centre
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jun 23
St. Louis, MO
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jun 25
Houston, TX
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jun 26
Dallas, TX
Superpages.com Centre
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jun 28
Atlanta, GA
Chastain Park
Mar 27
Mar 24
Jul 6
Uncasville, CT
Mohegan Sun Arena
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jul 9
Atlantic City, NJ
Borgata
Mar 20
Mar 17
Jul 10
Camden, NJ
Susquehanna Bank Centre
Mar 22
Mar 17
Jul 17
Chicago, IL
Ravinia Festival
Apr 22
Apr 19
Jul 18
Chicago, IL
Ravinia Festival
Apr 22
Apr 19
Jul 24
Montreal, QB
Bell Centre
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jul 29
Mansfield, MA
Comcast Center
Mar 15
Mar 10
Jul 30
Bethel, NY
Bethel Woods
Mar 15
Mar 10
Additional dates and venues to soon be announced.
The presale for Montreal, in addition to the nine other shows announced March 2nd (see above grid), will be available to fan club members tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10. Tickets for the nine newly announced US shows will be available for presale on Wednesday, March 17. These concerts join the previously announced and currently on-sale dates in Los Angeles, Denver and Vancouver.
Backed by the 45-piece Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a quartet consisting of longtime Sting guitarist Dominic Miller, David Cossin (multi-percussionist), Jo Lawry (vocalist) and Ira Coleman (bassist), Sting's new tour will see him performing his most celebrated songs re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. Among the reinterpreted selections with brand new orchestrations are fan-favorites such as "Roxanne," "Next To You," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Every Breath You Take," along with notable songs from Sting's enduring solo career, including "Englishman in New York," "Fragile," "Russians," "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," "Fields of Gold," and "Desert Rose."
Members of the Sting Fan Club will have an exclusive presale window for An Evening With Sting shows with tickets coming from a separate, members-only allotment. Legacy members will have a one hour advance window when presales open at 10am local with the presale then being opened up to all members at 11am local.
Not a member of the Fan Club? Join today for presale ticket access, complete coverage of Sting's latest world tour, admission into Sting's worldwide fan community and more!
American Express® cardmembers will also have the exclusive opportunity to purchase advance tickets from a separate allotment with details mailed to cardmembers weekly directly from American Express®.
Sting Premium Ticket Packages will be available during both presales and, where packages remain, during the public sale. To learn more about Sting Ticket packages, click here.
Depeche Mode will forever be '80s icons thanks to their role in helping invent synth-pop as we know it. But unlike so many of their peers, they've remained both active and relevant. From their earliest days with Vince Clarke (before he left for Yaz, then Erasure), Depeche Mode took a spindly, synth-pop sound and filled it out with touches of techno, industrial, Americana and modern rock. Principal songwriter Martin Gore and his bandmates fuse classic pop songcraft with productions that keep pace with advances in music technology; lead singer Dave Gahan's dramatic delivery, meanwhile, has helped their songs of loss and redemption become pop-culture touchstones, covered by everyone from Tori Amos to Marilyn Manson. It's easy to chart the overall arc of the band's career, from its minimalist, electro-pop beginnings to the swelling pop yearning of Music for the Masses and on to the dark extravagance of albums like Violator and Exciter. But an abundance of alternate versions and remixes has produced a messy canon. For many fans, that's half the fun: Depeche Mode's B-sides make for a fascinating alternative history of these alt-rock heroes.
- Philip Sherburne
<p> </p><p><img hspace="5" height="730" border="0" align="left" width="250" src="http://gickr.com/results4/anim_958ab7a6-0357-b3d4-ed20-68ecf93f9dcb.gif" alt="EveryOne" title="EveryOne" /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Friday 26th of March </strong><br /></p><p><strong><font size="4">EveryOne feat Royalston, Boot & Typhonic @ 202 Broadway</font></strong><br /></p><p>Friday March 26th sees "Everyone" return to 202 Broadway with a line up of Sydney's finest underground talent. First and foremost, skirting the boundary of Dubstep and Drum&Bass, Royalston (recently signed to Hospital Records) will be treating us to his special brand of forward thinking rhythms and twisted basslines. </p><p>If that wasn't already enough, live stylings of uptempo electronica from Zodiac Project and a set from from arguably one of Sydney's finest Kate Doherty and Andrew Wowk. All of this supported by Everyone's own Dane Austin, Andosound & Oliver Gurney (of 3D World Social Club fame) and musical misfit Ryzer. </p><p><strong><font size="4">Friday 26th of March - 202 Broadway</font></strong> </p><p><font size="3"><strong>Royalston [Hospital]<br />Typhonic [Databass]<br />Boot [Terminal Dusk]<br />Kate Doherty<br />The Zodiac Project<br />Andrew Wowk<br />Ryzer<br />Dane Austin<br />Andosound<br />Oliver Gurney</strong></font></p><p> </p>
<p><img height="707" border="0" align="left" width="250" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs463.ash1/25451_10150123586880438_49872245437_11350627_3983518_n.jpg" alt="TECHnique returns flyer" title="TECHnique " /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And I want nothing to do with the arch nemesis of everyone's favorite imaginary friend so I've decided that its time to bring back a little free techno love to Sydney... 4 months off and I'm recharged and ready to rumble... </p><p> </p><p>TECHnique returns Friday 23rd of April @ Sly Fox Hotel Newtown.... check </p><p>the evenings selectas will include....</p><p> </p><p><strong>Andosound</strong> - MITC, EveryOne</p><p><strong>Ryzer</strong> - (Talking about myself in the third person again)</p><p><strong>Defined by Rhythm</strong> - the BOX </p><p><strong>Kate Doherty</strong> - TECHnique Resident<br /></p><p><strong>Typhonic (Databass Records) - </strong>Shake the Monkey & TECHnique Resident</p><p>& last but definately not least...</p><p><strong>MARK CRAVEN</strong> - Big Day Out Boiler Room 2010 & TECHnique Resident </p><p> </p><p>Proceedings kick off at 9, free entry before 3am. :) <br /></p><p> </p><p> </p>
Though he'd made guest appearances with West Coast indie stalwarts Tha Alkoholics, most people first noticed Madlib when his group Lootpack released Soundpieces: Da Antidote in 1999. Madlib's rickety lo-fi productions were looser and funkier variations on the jazzy hip-hop pioneered by his NYC producers, but it wasn't until The Unseen dropped in 2000 that Madlib's M.O. became apparent. Released under the Quasimoto moniker, The Unseen was a concept album based on a helium-voiced hedonist who enjoyed "astro traveling." It was equal parts Prince Paul, Sun Ra and Cheech Marin, and remains among the most inventive hip-hop albums ever made. Madlib would continue to follow his weird muse unbridled by either commercial interest or fan expectations. In the past eight years, he recorded numerous jazz albums under different aliases, collaborated with J Dilla on Champion Sound, recorded a broken-beat album under the moniker DJ Rels, reworked both the Blue Note and Trojan catalogs, linked up with MF Doom for Madvillainy and recorded two widely acclaimed instrumental hip-hop albums. Madlib continues to push boundaries.
- Sam Chennault
Ben Watt's versatile production techniques coupled with Tracey Thorn's dry yet emotionally resonant vocals continue to win critical acclaim for Everything But the Girl. They also enjoyed mainstream loyalty throughout dance music's evolution in the '90s. Collaborating with such heavy-hitters as Massive Attack and J Majik, they've brought sophisticated jazz leanings to alternative pop, Trip-Hop, Drum 'n' Bass, and House. Timelessly talented, EBTG prove their ability to both follow and rise above the trends of dance music.
- Melissa Piazza
Thievery Corporation hearken back to the suave musical era of the 1950s and '60s, when swizzle sticks and long cigarette holders were in vogue, and relaxing meant having a strong cocktail in very plush surroundings. While inherently down-tempo, Thievery Corporation (Rob Garza and Eric Hilton) toss in elements of nearly every musical genre, including Dub, Reggae, hip-hop, Cocktail/Lounge, jazz, and Funk, creating a highly relaxing world in which your ears will thank you. Predominantly instrumental, the pair occasionally draft the talents of evocative, breathy-vocaled women -- some of whom sing in French! They are also the founders of the Eighteenth Street Lounge nightclub in D.C. (as well as the label of the same name), concentrating on generating a calm and peaceful world in which languid beats, exotic instrumentation, and international influences are omnipresent. While definitely designed for the headnodders, Thievery Corporation continue to gain popularity among a wide variety of people for their sophisticated, stylish, and delicate musical charm.
- Tim Pratt
When she was little, Maya Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., probably had no idea she'd grow up to become an underground dancehall sensation. Her father was a resistance figure in the Sri Lankan independence struggle, and Arulpragasam's family was forced to leave Sri Lanka -- for their safety -- when she was nine years old. But after growing up in a London housing estate and studying film, Arulpragasam's life changed when she picked up a Roland MC-505 for the first time and started composing songs. Skillfully weaving street slang with geo-politics, nonsense rhymes with low-tech dancehall riddims, Arulpragasam's angular, low-tech sound has struck a chord. Her debut, Arular, was released in 2005.
- Sarah Bardeen
As crazy as it sounds, the two creative minds behind the Postal Service (Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard) never met before working together. It seems Tamborello, a Death Cab For Cutie fan, asked its lead singer to come to L.A. and record vocals for his Dntel project, and Gibbard did! Of course, it probably helped that Tamborello's roomie is Pedro Benito from the Jealous Sound; either way, this initial meeting of musical minds was the genesis of the Postal Service. The two continued to collaborate for the better part of ten months, each mailing the other songs to add parts to, until all ten tracks for their debut album were completed. Inspired by their creative process, the duo dubbed themselves the Postal Service. Sub Pop released the 1980s-influenced fruits of their labor under the title Give Up in early 2003.
- Linda Ryan
Glitzy and sassy with a DIY spin, the Ting Tings are for hipsters who aren't ashamed to unfold their arms, clap along and bust a move. Based at Islington Mill, a former cotton spinning mill near Manchester turned art and recording space, the Brit twosome of Katie White and Jules De Martino started playing off-the-cuff performances for their friends. Word spread, and their impromptu sessions became the hottest ticket in Manchester. Major labels quickly took notice, and they were signed to Columbia Records. Even before releasing their debut album, We Started Nothing, in May 2008, the Ting Tings got a boost of exposure from an iTunes ad featuring the song "Shut Up and Let Me Go." With White providing a feisty bite of snotty shouts and sharp guitar and De Martino offering an inventive mix of chopped beats and quirky effects, the two unite a sound that draws from indie party bands such as Bloc Party and CSS while taking cues from garage rock groups like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Kills.
- Stephanie Benson
981 Beaufort Street Inglewood WA 6052<br />
<br />
CD LAUNCH -Like No Other!<br />
<br />
DJs: Endeva, Defyre Jamu Hunter& Dazastah<br />
<br />
Performances by: </b> Freekstyles + And featuring in Porsah laine's set - Layla, Hunter, Chekid, Dazastah, Optamus, Grevis,Bitter Belief,Paulie P & Jamu<br />
<br />
Visuals: Yes<br />
<br />
Lighting: lighting by TLS Productions<br />
<br />
Sound: Sound by TLS productions & Luke Grey<br />
<br />
+ A pole dance by Jaz - who's moves will amaze! breakdancers & live dancing by Talent Co + Musyerty feature guests.<br />
<br />
Infoline: www.heatseeker.com.au<br />
<br />
Tickets/Entry: 15+bf<br />
<br />
SOUND CENTRE , DB TECHNOLOGIES & DAZASTAH<br />
presents
MGMT (pronounced Management) are a restless electronic-rock duo. The two members -- Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser -- came together in 2002 while attending Wesleyan University in Connecticut as art students. In 2005, they released the catchy synth scrum "Time to Pretend," which became an underground hit and led to their being signed by Columbia Records. Their debut, Oracular Spectacular, a collection of sweeping, electronic Flaming Lips-style noise-pop songs, was released in 2007. Critical and popular accolades for the band reached a high at the CMJ Music Marathon a few weeks after the album's release. A tour alongside Of Montreal and a remix from Justice helped the band continue to merge its twin tendencies towards psychedelic pop and electro.
- Philip Sherburne
Together with Massive Attack, Portishead broke new ground for the vocal style of Trip-Hop that grew out Bristol in the early 1990s. Their melancholy, rainy-day approach to electronica came as a refreshing alternative the overzealous club music that was being made around that time. Beth Gibbons' passionate vocals offer a surreal complement to producer Geoff Barrow's head-bobbing beats. It could be argued that Portishead make modern blues, given the way both lyrics and mood relate to troubling times.
- Peter Gavin
The roots of Massive Attack start in 1983 as the Wild Bunch, a DJ sound system and collective based in England's Bristol. They were known for their broad taste in music, blending reggae with classic R&B and even some punk grooves. Two of the Wild Bunch, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall and Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles split off to form Massive Attack with local graffiti artist Robert "3D" del Naja in 1987. A series of well-received singles followed, but the first Massive Attack album, Blue Lines, was a revelation. At the time of its release in 1992, downtempo electronica and house were the province of Soul To Soul (Keep On Movin') and their dangerously overused but catchy slack-hop beat. Massive Attack, true to their name, came out of nowhere and razed all before them. There was nothing else like it. Credit must be given to producer Nellee Hooper, in some respects the fourth man of the group, since he used his experience producing the first Soul To Soul album to take this new rhythmic style to a different level with the Massive Attack boys, effectively inventing trip-hop in the process. Dubby, soulful and funky, trip-hop became an essential sound for the downtempo cognoscenti. A mini musical revolution had begun, with the likes of Portishead, Beth Orton, the Sneaker Pimps and former Massive Attack member Tricky all starting successful creative careers in the trip-hop world. Sensitive to the cultural zeitgeist of the time in England, the boys briefly changed their name after their debut release to 'Massive' during the first Iraq war. This did not play well in America however, and their first tour here proved a failure. Three years later they came back with Protection, another essential purchase, featuring Everything But The Girl's Tracey Thorn on the stunning opening track. The entire album was then re-mixed by the Mad Professor and released as No Protection. Tracey Thorn's voice was hard to beat, but they managed it with their third release Mezzanine, recruiting the Cocteau Twins' inimitable Elizabeth Fraser, and turning "Teardrop" into the best single the Twins' never released. By the time Massive Attack released their fourth album 100th Window in 2003, it was effectively a solo debut for 3D, since Mushroom and Daddy G had left due to creative differences and family duties respectively. Their most recent work, Danny The Dog, takes them into soundtrack territory, leaving time for frequent remixing requests from anyone with an ear for an elegant and sexy beat.
- Nicholas Baker
Originally gaining recognition for their down-tempo cocktail funk of "Modular Mix" and "Casanova 70" on the French SourceLab compilations of 1997, Air released their full-length debut the following year. An incredibly ambitious and successful melange of Serge Gainsbourg by way of Vangelis, Moon Safari is awash in strings, vocoders, analog synths, fluttering electro pulses and soulful backbeats. Everything from the rare groove of "La Femme D'Argent" to the Euro-pop of "Kelly, Watch the Stars!" is vaguely familiar, but never so successfully arranged until this point. Live, they are prone to wearing white jumpsuits while strategically placed fans blow wind through their hair, and there is no shortage of body-popping electro-funk. In the end, you are left with perfect road trip music -- assuming you're driving to the moon.
- Jon Pruett
