Beat (Scene) Beat: Aquacrunkgate 2010, Mars Volta Meets Low End Theory, Tokimonsta vs. TAKE, Asura vs. Ana Caravelle, Glitch Mob’s in ‘America’s Got Talent’ Semi-Finals

Teebs does not make aquacrunk music, but you should still buy his 'Ardour' LP.

I make no attempts to hide my reverence for the L.A. beat scene. Just when I think I’ve got it pinned down, someone like Teebs will come along and flip the script by making something as rich and subtle as Ardour, or Flying Lotus will go ahead and release a new EP, like Pattern+Grid World, that sounds nothing like the incredible album he released a couple months previously. That’s why most of the links below are to MP3 debuts — shit happens so fast, the best you can do is channel it. Oh, and then there’s …

  1. FEATURED: Aquacrunkgate: L.A. Artists (Flying Lotus and Others) Take to Twitter to Protest Latest Blog-Made Microgenre*
  2. Omar Rodriguez Lopez Records a Electronic Album w. Nobody
  3. Beat Scene Babe Tokimonsta Remixes TAKE
  4. Asura Remixes Ana Caravelle (Think Lotus Meets Newsom)
  5. Glitch Mob Makes Semi-Finals on ‘America’s Got Talent’
  6. Sumsun Channels Four Tet and Neon Indian on ‘Call It Home’

* “Early in Drowned in Sound’s screed, the author identifies the late J Dilla, an extremely hallowed name in L.A. and in hip-hop production overall, as the father of aquacrunk.

(all stories via West Coast Sound, via L.A. Weekly)

News: Tearist! Vice Cooler Helps Orphans, Heart Music Finds the Beat, Mestizo Digs Elliott Smith

Machina Muerte founder Mestizo name-checks Elliott Smith

Quick bloggy bits from around the L.A. underground (and up). Share ’em.

  1. FEATURED: L.A. Rapper Mestizo Name-Checks Elliott Smith*
  2. Heart Music’s Free EP w. Baths, Teen Daze, Light Pollution, more
  3. Vice Cooler’s Rwanda Benefit LP, ft. No Age, Dan Deacon, Gossip
  4. Finally! Listen to Synth-Punks Tearist’s Brand New Track “Headless”

(all stories via West Coast Sound, via L.A. Weekly)

* “Elliott Smith’s death gets a mention — a display of Mestizo’s ability to intertwine classic rap braggadocio with harrowing reality and emotive introspection.

Mayer Hawthorne Hooks Up with Virginia Beat-Maker Nottz, Drops Etched 12-Inch for ‘I Need You’

News: Music’s Worst Hats, Space Thump from Yuk, Origami On Vinyl, Baths Rmxes Brad Laner

Jay Kay wasn't just kidding with his headgear.

Quick bloggy bits from around the L.A. underground (and up). Share ’em.

  1. FEATURED: The Ten Worst Hats in Modern Music History*
  2. MP3: Space Thump from Producer Yuk from My Hollow Drum
  3. Echo Park’s Origami Vinyl Hosts Album Making Seminar
  4. MP3: Beat Star Baths Remixes L.A. Legend Brad Laner

(all stories via West Coast Sound, via L.A. Weekly)

* “We’re pretty sure Empire of the Sun derives its power from the insane headdresses of frontman Luke Steele. Out of, erm, respect to that epiphany, we present to you the ten most hideous, god awful, what-in-the-funk-where-they-thinking hats in modern music history.

Mayer Hawthorne Hooks Up with Virginia Beat-Maker Nottz, Drops Etched 12-Inch for ‘I Need You’

News: DJ Kutmah Returns, Meet ASKA, a Beat Scene Megamix, ScarJo Covers Steel Train

Kutmah's much needed passport?

Quick blog bits from around the L.A. underground (and up). Share ’em.

  1. FEATURED: New Kutmah Podcast Ft. Fugees, Flying Lotus*
  2. Check Out ASKA’s Stunning ‘Love Trance,’ on Manimal Vinyl
  3. Proximal Drops L.A. Megamix Ft. Dâm-Funk, Daedelus, Baths
  4. Scarlett Johansson Covers ‘Bullet’ By Folk-Rockers Steel Train

(all stories via West Coast Sound, via L.A. Weekly)

* After being expelled from the U.S., DJ Kutmah delivers a fifty-minute mix featuring a ton of unreleased gems — including a Flying Lotus track and a Fugees remix by Jonwayne.

Feature: Valley Boredom Inspires Baths to Great Heights on His Anticon Debut, ‘Cerulean’

Baths contemplates a cerulean sky.

So we’ve really made no attempts to hide our enthusiasm for Chatsworth producer/musician/singer Baths, a.k.a. fresh Anticon signing Will Wiesenfeld. We’ve previewed his gigs, big-upped his ambient works as Geotic, talked about the young star on the radio, and basically become dude’s personal documentarian via news updates (a couple of those below).

Finally, things may cool down a bit.

This isn’t so much because anything’s cooling down for Wiesenfeld, a rising star in indie music, but because we were able to do a lengthy feature on Baths for L.A. Weekly, dubbed, “The Great Escape.” Wiesenfeld was kind enough to donate a few hours to the cause, which meant lunch at the estimable Islands, and hang-time with him and his mom at the family home in Chatsworth.

So if you haven’t already, go to L.A. Weekly to read that.

Further listening/reading:

(both stories via West Coast Sound, via L.A. Weekly)

News: R Kelly Meets Baths, Hawthorne Covers Johnston, VOICEsVOICEs Video, and more

Baths and R Kelly get their wrassle on.

Quick bloggy bits from around the L.A. underground (and up). Share ’em.

  1. FEATURED: R Kelly Croons Over Baths’ ‘Maximalist’*
  2. MP3: Mayer Hawthorne Covers Daniel Johnston
  3. VOICEsVOICEs Share Creepy New Video for ‘Flulyk Visions’
  4. MP3: Beat Music Meets Chillwave on Veux’s ‘Late Key’
  5. MP3 Exclusive: Night Horse Resurrects Thin Lizzy with ‘Rollin’ On’
  6. L.A.’s Answer to Cannibal Ox? Meet K-The-I and Michael Nhat
  7. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

* “Hot doesn’t begin to describe what happens here.”