Gold Weight in Words

It's not what goes in men's mouths that is evil, it's what comes out.

Life Down Here jump started the Lady Killer tour’s West Hollywood show at the Roxy last Saturday.  The crowd couldn’t get enough of the bands cover of ‘Shimmer’ (System of a Down).It takes a seriously ballsy female to take on a song which comes across vocally like a combination of lyrical outbursts as does this one. But ditching the antagonistic attitude which is so characteristically System, Life Down Here exudes more of the fun punk vibe. On the same note the group kept their rendition rhythmically instep with System’s. From the sporadic tempo to the high-energy vocals, nobody missed a beat— in fact Blanchard’s female voice transformed the original into something the entire crowd could groove with a little better.

The turn out was large for such an early show, and it became clear as the catchy chorus-lines seemed to flow freely from the crowd’s lips in sync with the band, that the group was at least in part responsible. Their set was short and fun and it definitely got the crowd pumped. Bringing the kind of energy most audiences can only hope for from an opening act, Life Down Here plays a live show with the same feel-good vibes one could come to expect from the Bouncing Souls.   

Raushi

—Don't Call Me

Raushi (Ra-shy) front woman, Dani Raushi, is living, breathing, singing proof that when fueled by the formidable flame of focused passion and an unforfeiting work ethic, a dream seed spark can and will erupt into a tangible reality. 

Finishing their 11 song album with the help of Producer/ mixer, Jay Baumgardner, at NRG in North Hollywood, Dani’s killer vocals are supported by the instrumental stylings of guitarist Robert King Geiser, drummer Matt Conley and bassist(s) Doug Ardito and Jay Gordon who recorded on the album.

For Raushi, music is a poetic tool with the capacity to take the negative energies that often surround life’s mentally and emotionally challenging situations, which in the case of the new album involve inescapable desire and overwhelming betrayal, and transform them into positive release. With a lyrical flow comparable to a stream of clever puns, the album unapologetically exposes the raw emotions one experiences when placed in the volatile frameworks of consuming love as a result of human nature. In songs like Over the Edge, Don’t Call Me and High Tides Collide, the use of drum-delays and short, speedy guitar strums build a reservoir of anticipatory energy which lead up to their subsequent breakdowns in a way that intensifies the effect of Raushi’s emotionally driven vocals.

Formerly of April Sixth & Die Trying, Geiser and Conely’s hard rock influences mix effortlessly with the sexy and soulful female rocker vibe that Dani brings to the table. The combination of Matt’s hard hitting and rhythmic beats, along with Robert’s speedy guitar strums, symphonic layers and innovative ideas help to create the perfect package.

The average listener will have no problem grasping the surface messages of each song on an individual level. Using choruses that are snappy and to the point like a quick punch in the face, the group interlaces their form of therapeutic poetry in a way that is catchy, fun and easily relatable.However, with respect to the composition as a whole, it will take a more fine tuned listener to decipher the true complexity of the reality that is building slowly under the radar as the album progresses. But then again, isn’t the process of extracting hidden meaning, and experiencing the succession of new information as it’s layering, partially responsible for the fulfillment one derives from enveloping themselves in an album over and over again? 

With their ‘Take no shit’ attitude and songs that say ‘F*ck You’ to being mistreated, fooled, taken for granted or all of the above just because you love someone, Raushi is a testament to the power of one’s will.

“Madeon the Masher”

August 2011

Portia Leigh McGroarty

                    Giving mash-up artists a run for their money with his break-out appearance in 2010, then 16 year-old French Producer Madeon has developed a healthy portfolio of remixes worthy of musical Forbes, if there ever was one.
Remixing tracks like The Killers Smile Like You Mean It and his most recent claim to fame, Deadmau5’s Raise Your Weapon, Madeon has a blatant love for pop; but don’t take my word for it, check out “Pop-culture” a 39 song mash-up which seamlessly puzzles together tracks which range from Brittany Spears’ Hit Me Baby One More Time to Daft Punk’s Around the World.
        At age 17 he has already established a distinguishable continuity many artists take years to discover, not to mention cultivate and develop.
The stylistically Madeon-esque track is one which literally forces the listener to pick up his or her feet. The underlying influence of French house is undeniable; and his use of mainstream pop in combination with electronic disco and funk yields an unpredictable blend of audio intercourse.
         “The main goal of my style was to implement the detailed glitchy aspect of electro in a more melodic pop context. I like the idea of having a continuous melody that is played subsequently by various, sometimes unrelated, instruments,” said Madeon in a May 29th 2011 interview on http://www.theworstguy.com/.
          A rather common downfall found in the average DJs dub-step remix is a major loss in danceability as a result of their effort to construct a continuous flow. While more and more tracks are emmerging with this element of dub-saturation in fatal form,(which in turn defeats the whole value and purpose of a “break-down”,) Madeon’s inclusion of the dub comes across sparingly, like a vibrant garnish that’ll leave you wanting more.
              His remix of Pendulum’s ‘The Island’, which won him Pendulum’s “Remix the Island” contest (whoa creative title) last year, is a prime example. The first three and a half minutes of the four minute six second remix caters a rhythmic consistency ideal for an upbeat bounce-driven style dance only to be followed by a refreshing 31 second breakdown giving listeners a little sliver for the love of dub.
             Although Madeon has self-admittedly performed only one live show to date, his skill for rhythmic combinations and effective use of the recently developed Novation launch pad, has catapulted him to the forefront as the electronic artist of the future, clearly someone we should keep our eyes on.