Announcement: 'Andre Saint Albin' to Open for Zeds Dead in Tallahasseee!

On September 1st one of Tallahassee's favorite DJs is coming back to town, and for one hell of a fucking show! On a day when Zeds Dead will be playing two shows, an early show in Gainesville and a late show in Tallahassee, Andre Saint Albin will be the opener for what will be an absolutely INSANE night at Coliseum in Tallahassee. As an ex-Tallahassee resident, this dude knows how to throw it down for the kids in this town, and boy does he do it in style.

Andre Saint Albin, formerly under the alias DJ Cross, was one of Tallahassee's favorite resident DJs. Performing multiple times a week, this guys was everywhere in town; from the biggest clubs, to the dopest house parties, you were always sure to see this guy throwing it down behind the DJ booth. If you missed his last appearance in Tally since moving back to Miami, Andre absolutely slaughtered a massive crowd at Coliseum before Cedric Gervais (who was a disappointment in comparison lol). 

Andre Saint Albin murdering a massive crowd at the Coliseum in Tallahassee, Florida.

Facebook comments after Cedric Gervais.
Andre Saint Albin > Cedric 

There are few parties I look forward to more than when this guy comes into town, not only because of how hard he throws down, but because of his unmatched interaction with the city of Tallahassee. If you have yet to experience a set of his, I implore you to show up early to the Zeds Dead show, you WILL NOT regret it.

Below I linked his most recent mix for FG Radio and his newest Single 'Clap Clap Bounce' BOTH of which are available for FREE DOWNLOAD. Check out this mix if you want to find out what you are in for on September 1st!!!!!

YOUR GUIDE TO PASS THE GOOD! AUG 22-24

What, I ask, is better than a music festival? I mean, nothing is more fun than drinking, dancing, and kicking it with friends while making new ones, am I right?  Wrong.  Pass the Good is better than your average festival, and here's why: they support charities, and if you don't like charities, you're a grade-a douche bag. In fact, you might even be Voldemort.

S.M.T. Event Promotions is one of those awesome promotion companies that cares about more than just the music and overcharging for water bottles. S.M.T. is working with two charities: The Manna Food Bank of Pensacola, and The Wounded Warrior Project.   If you bring ten canned food items, you are entitled to one free limited edition poster, and all the cans stay local, feeding the hungry people of Florida.  And if you're feeling even a little more giving, you can purchase a 'Pass the Good' wristband, the proceeds of which go directly to The Wounded Warrior Project, which raises awareness and raises money to help wounded soldiers; that wristband is hella PLUR, way more than the candi you traded with the kid in the Pikachu Spirithood at EDC.  True to its' name, Pass the Good is a festival you can feel good about going to, and good about supporting. And it's only 50 dollars for a hardcopy weekend pass (55 at the door) and 20 for a day pass (unless you feel like balling out and going on Saturday, then it's 25 dollars.)

On TOP of that, if you're like me, and can't drive to save your life, ATMOSPHERE TALLY is offering a ROUND TRIP party bus, for only 20 dollars, and this bus ticket reduces your weekend ticket to only 40 dollars.  So let's recap.  If you're in Tallahassee, you can get a party bus AND your weekend pass for only 60 dollars. And it gets even better: camping on the beach IS allowed (or if you are a diva who would rather die than sleep in a tent like me, there are plenty of local hotels and condos you can stay at) and the festival will be offering discount bands for food and drink specials. S.M.T. might as well stand for Saving Me Tons. Doing God's work guys!

As for the festival itself, the devil is in the details, and S.M.T. definitely dotted their i's and crossed their t's for this one! Not only is the festival on the beach (if you don't like the beach that's another indication you might be Voldemort), but there will be three stages (one of which is in a CIRCUS TENT),  fire performers, LED performers, a FOAM PARTY, and a freaking firework show to keep you entertained in case you get bored with the music (yeah right.) Speaking of....

This is a music blog, so let's talk music.  Pass the Good is featuring a plethora of talented local DJs and bands, as well as a few from our neighboring party cities, like New Orleans and Atlanta.

ill.Gates is the headliner, and if you've never heard his stuff, then get on it, because it's all free so you no longer have an excuse not to check him out. Coming to us all the way from Toronto, Canada, ill  blends bouncy bass music with rap, acid hip hop, and bright melodies, resulting in a sound reminiscent of Bassnectar and Pretty Lights.

Greenhouse Lounge is also headlining, and like Big Gigantic, utilizes the exciting combination of live instruments with recorded electronic music. Also free to download, Greenhouse Lounge's music has a certain flow to their sound, making it easy to get lost in the cascading rhythms and pulsing synth. The Jacksonville trio consisting of Zach Weinert (check out his side project,  Zak the Blak, also performing), Dave McSweeny, and Scotty Zwang use light bass beats to keep the groove flowing, but layer melodic synths with live guitar riffs and drums. You definitely do not want to miss these guys and the effortless dance party they throw down. 

Aside from the two obvious picks mentioned above, there are a few other must-see artists performing. The first is Sir Charles, a Jacksonville native that plays some of the most interesting trap sets I have ever heard. SC chooses his samples wisely, using clips from the youtube series "Unforgivable," and classic throwbacks like "Play," breathing new life into our high school homecoming classics. Musically, the sounds and breakdowns Charles chooses are quality; sexy beats, thumping bass, and complex trap riffs that are sure to delight. This remix of "Ice Cream Paint Job" is a great example of what you can expect from Sir Charles, and his Soundcloud is full of energetic sets and freebies, so get on it!

After listening to the heavy bass and trap Charles throws at you, I recommend checking out Gainesville artist Michael Maleki, or Kodak to Graph. As a Seminole, I hate giving credit to anything that comes out of Gainesville, but Kodak's music is something special.  Ambient, intriguing, and beautiful, his music is reminiscent of the song "Yellow Bird" off of the the new Pretty Lights album, A Color Map of the Sound.  His music may be extremely downtempo, but like Cashmere Cat, he throws unique sound effects and pops of energy into the mix to create something unique, interesting, and melodic.  You will be lost in Narnia when you listen to Kodak to Graph. Enjoy. 

It would be a shame if any of you missed Trillucination, a duo from Jacksonville, with a heavy industrial bass sound. The two are known for their Mesmerizing synths and basslines, sure to lull you into a heavy trance, and I'm not talking about ASOT. Gentle dubstep and laid back trap beats with experimental tones are sure to have you on your feet, just before their firework display will bring you to your knees.

Finally, another artist that must be seen is Eddie Gold.  Now I'm not really one for house music these days.  I'll go to an electro-house show if it's free, or there's really nothing better to do, but Eddie's house music is just weird enough to be interesting. With hyper buildups and heavy breakdowns, Eddie Gold audibly assaults your ears with schizo bass that leaves you wondering what the hell just happened to your head.  He throws in some loaded trap with excessive lazer noises for good measure, and has a very big sound that seems to be very much inspired by old school trap music that you would hear on a Gucci Album. Check out his tracks and prepare to lose it. 

Also be sure to check out Delicate Chaos's Pass The Good mix:

The European Festival Experience

For many of us, it has always been a dream to attend a music festival in Europe. Tomorrowland, Ultra Croatia, Mysteryland…they call our names and peak our curiosity. Luckily, I finally had this opportunity this summer. Thanks to a summer job, I was able to stay in The Netherlands for two months, which for me, meant the chance of a lifetime: Dutch festivals.  I carefully chose to attend Extrema Outdoor Live, boasting a lineup with A-Trak, Major Lazer, Porter Robinson, Nicky Romero, Knife Party, Justice, Modestep, and many others.   Although the lineup was nothing short of perfection, I was more excited to see what a festival in The Netherlands was like, and how it differs from the ones we go to in The States based on three categories: atmosphere, people, and most importantly, the music.

Atmosphere

Extrema Outdoor, also known as XO Live, was held at a water park called “Aqua Best.”  A quick Google search showed me that in The Netherlands, a water park just means a giant lake, so I opted to leave the bikini at home.  The walk to the park took what felt like a lifetime.  Trekking through the surrounding forest, I followed the other people chatting away excitedly in Dutch until we reached the gate where I ran over to the VIP line. After I received my band, I checked my bag into a locker, the first thing that I noticed was different, and in a great way.  For only five euro, you could store all your belongings in a locker by the entrance, and upon returning the key, you would be given your money back! Brilliant! After stashing my bag in a locker, I ventured inside the actual park to get my first look at the festival.              

  The first thing I observed was the sheer size of the lake itself.  With only thirty minutes left of Julian Jordan’s set, I was faced with the decision to go left around the lake or go right.  I chose to go right, praying he would be there, as the walk back around would take too long, and I would miss his set.  This was a serious annoyance for the day: it could take up to thirty minutes to get from one stage to another, and with a stacked set, that presents problems. As I walked around the lake, I saw girls dressed as fairies painting faces, people lying in hammocks, and mountains of colorful, oversized pillows under tie-dyed cloth pavilions. There were endless food offerings: doner kebabs, tapas, pizza, and even something called a "dutch weed burger," a burger made out of 100% weed (seaweed that is!) All around me I saw piles of mattresses on hills overlooking the "beach," which was a manmade sand bank next to the freshwater lake.  I though this was an amazing touch.  There have been times at music festivals, especially the three day extravaganzas, where I would have killed to lay on a pillow or mattress near a stage where I could just enjoy the music effortlessly.  It gave the festival a much more laid back vibe, and an understated energy.  I continued my search for the boy genius, Julian Jordan. To my disappointment, I realized he was on the other side of the lake, and there was absolutely no way I could make it to his set in time, so I decided to check out the VIP area.


Here's the thing about VIP in Europe: it's actually worth buying. For only twenty euros extra, I was granted access to a private beach nightclub, with lounge chairs, a cocktail bar, private bathrooms, and hor d'ouevres catered by the country's top chefs! There were even MAC makeup artists giving free makeovers in booths to the side of the club, saving the ladies from a bad case of what I like to call "festival face."

  Aside from the painfully far walk from stage to stage, there was one other serious issue I encountered with XO Live, and that was the payment system. 

        Rather than paying cash for food, drinks, and souvenirs, guests were required to purchase chips that served as a substitute for currency.  The only fathomable reason to use this kind of payment is to make a bit more money off of the guests.  Chips were sold in set amounts: one, three, five, ten, twenty, and fifty. Chips could not be refunded, so whatever was left over at the end of the night was essentially garbage.  Another huge issue for me at least, was the complete absence of ATM machines at the festival. I came to the festival with only ten euro, and had to find out the hard way that my American debit cards do not work in the chip machines, leaving me with no money for food, no money for drinks, and a long day of dancing ahead of me. What a disaster.  Luckily, it wasn’t long before I met a group that took pity on me, and purchased me a water bottle, which brings me to the next category:

The People

            For me, the crowd and the people at XO Live created the biggest difference at the festival.  When I arrived, I instantly noticed that I was actually the most (or least) dressed up for the festival, donning a pair of high-waisted cheeky shorts and a bandeau studded with mirrors and decorative threading. The other attendees were dressed in jeans, tank tops, floor length dresses, and understated t-shirts.  There were no neon tanks, no RAGE hats, no fuzzy boots, or rave attire.   It was a breath of fresh air to see people dressed up as actual people, rather than wearing ridiculous tutus, and candi wristbands.  I quickly found myself in a group of Dutch bodybuilders and their girlfriends, ironically the closest in attire to what you would find in Miami: shirtless bros with gelled hair.  They were incredibly friendly and welcomed me, curious as to why I was completely alone at a festival.  

We joined the crowd for Nicky Romero, and I was shocked to see how sparse it was.  In Europe people are less aggressive and more mature.  I could walk right up to the front of the gate, and have room to dance up there without being pushed and stepped on!  When Nicky began playing I was surprised to see that I appeared to be the only person that knew any of the songs he dropped.  Even “Smells Like Teen Spirit” baffled the audience.  It was the biggest wake-up call of the experience for me.  In America, we all believe that Europeans live and breathe electronic music.  While it’s true they are raised on it, the truth is that they do not idolize it in the way that we do.  They do not criticize artists like we do.  They are there for the experience, and the joy of the festival.  I saw no girls begging to be noticed by DJs or making out with trees, and no guys pushing to get to the front for Skrillex, brah. They don’t care about what song is dropped, as long as the song is dropped. On that note, it’s time to discuss the meat of the festival:

The Music

            This is where I expected to find the greatest difference between the US scene and the European scene.  For years now, myself and others have written off boring, repetitive sets as “dumbed down for Americans,” and I expected to hear things I had never heard before: obscure songs, experimental drops, and different DJ styles.  What I found, however, was the equal commercialization of the music.  Each set was almost identical to the ones we hear at Ultra or in the nightclubs, which meant the bittersweet realization that while America is being taken seriously by the world and the music industry, the artists appear to be settling to make their music in predictable, albeit popular ways.  What the industry needs is a fresh reinvention of music, and artists willing to risk a few fans by stepping outside their comfort zones.  What we need are innovators.  Granted, A-Trak and Justice threw down exciting tracks, blended seamlessly and creatively, but that’s just their standard. 

 I was expecting so much more from others, like Nicky Romero, Porter Robinson, and Dada Life, but most of what they chose to play just sounded contrived and common. I was genuinely taken aback by the similarities between the sets they play in America compared to the ones they play in Europe, especially given the stark difference in audience.  I would like to mention that the people I was with tended to prefer the less original sets, and I found the same to be true during my recent visit to Ibiza, where I had trouble convincing my Swiss friends to choose Carl Cox and Nicole Moudaber at Space over Afrojack and David Guetta at Amnesia.  It seems as though the fans are almost a bit more generic than we are, however there is an understated beauty to their preferences, because unlike the trend in America, Europeans do not pretend to know anything and everything about house music or look down upon those who cannot wait to hear “Clarity” played at the club.  They are just happy to be there, and that’s the lesson I took from my experience with the European music scene.

Artist Spotlight: Cashmere Cat

Artist Spotlight: Cashmere Cat

 If you follow Dillon Francis, A-Trak, or Diplo on Twitter, chances are you have probably come across the name ' Cashmere Cat,' and if you aren't following them you seriously need to reevaluate your life because their tweets are top-notch and you are missing out. Although he is fairly new to the scene, Magnus August Høidberg, AKA Cashmere Cat, has created a huge buzz surrounding his music, attracting many popular artists such as the above mentioned, as well as high demand vocalists such as Lana Del Rey.  Everyone wants a piece of CC and one listen to his music makes it obvious why.

   The 25 year old producer was born in Halden, a student city in Norway known for its cool concerts and relaxed nightlife scene.  Here, CC began producing in 2007 under a few different names and a few different projects.  He performed live under the the name Cashmere Cat for the first time on March 10^th, 2012 in Norway, and has quickly exploded onto the scene with a unique sound that simply cannot be ignored. 

            Citing artists such as T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West as his inspiration, Cashmere Cat blends smooth hip hop and R&B with beautiful, complex, and even chilling melodies and soundscapes. He seamlessly combines dubstep, classical, jazz, and hip hop to create lush, rich tracks unlike anything you’ve ever heard, and he deserves some credit for originality. Although most of his songs are paced at a rather slow tempo, he utilizes interesting sounds and rare samples to add elements to keep his audience excited and on the dance floor. Keep an eye on this young Norwegian, because he simply will not be ignored. 

Songs to check out:

     2 Chainz feat. Drake-No Lie (Cashmere Cat Remix)

                                                  Miguel- Do You (Cashmere Cat Remix)

                                                               Kiss Kiss- Cashmere Cat

10 Main-Stage Bangers You Probably Haven't Heard Yet...

There is PLENTY of music out there, especially when it comes to Big Room House Music... Here are my 10 favorite "Bangers" that I think every big DJ should have in their set lists!



LoBounce & Stratus - Surprise Attack


DallasK - Heaven


Ajapai - Make A Move


Jealous Much & The Airplane Boys - What's Your Name Girl (Reece Low Remix)


Dilemn - One More


Jacob Plant - Fire


Culprate - Reboot (feat. Addergebroed)


Stafford Brothers - HANDS UP (Future Music Festival 2013 Anthem) [Charity Strike Remix]


Tisoki & Ray Volpe -  Higher (Tisoki & Ray Volpe VIP)


Starkillers, Dmitry KO & SmashBOX - Odessa (Rework 2012)