The days are getting colder and shorter and shorter and colder. But really, it’s just the universe giving us more time to stay in, kick back, relax and play through an Indie Dojo or two or three of four. We are here for as long as you want us to be.
Neon Indian at Social Hall, SF 9/22
Looking around the crowd at the newly minted Social Hall SF, it was apparent that the diehard group of fans had little idea what they were hearing. Attending a show by a favored artist is an unforgettable experience; the anxiety and foreboding feeling that they may bomb the performance, the hope against all hope that the one favorite song played on repeat 300 times that one summer is on their set list, the lofty and unrealistic expectations of them noticing your pinpoint gaze from the stage.
All of those unstable feelings – coupled with the awkward notion of repeatedly bumping shoulders with complete strangers – are made more bearable by the overarching fact that the mass of people is musically in sync. Artists take huge risks when touring a new album pre-release; when a fan base comes together to experience their latest works before hearing a single song, the performance can either fall flat or amaze. Alan Palomo’s performance, thankfully, accomplished the latter. Despite vague familiarity with the new material, the cluster rocked and swayed to the arrangements that have made Neon Indian into a renowned electronic producer.
Between his own eccentric swinging hips and a charmingly flat-footed signature shuffle (falling somewhere between Motown and Disco), Palomo also managed to keep an often-times lost crowd energized and in the moment. Continue reading
Without a doubt, Halloween has become one of the single biggest days of the year in the U.S. music industry as far as simultaneous mega-events occurring from coast to coast. And as you may have noticed, we’re offering a number of amazing giveaways across a plethora of amazing cities. Of course, it just wouldn’t be right unless we included our friends in the greatest city in the world: New York. Known for their excellent music curation and overall visual and audio experiences (check out the amazing recap video from their last event ‘Elements’), we’ve teamed up with our friends at BangOn!NYC to offer up a pair of tickets to this year’s ‘Warehouse of Horrors’ in East Williamsburg. This year’s Halloween event is absolutely loaded from top-to-bottom across a number of tasteful dance genres with TMN favorites including last month’s ‘Resident Artist’ Hayden James, as well as Salva, Louis The Child, The Juan Maclean, Pumpkin, Action 52, FDVM, BOGL, and The Golden Pony. To get our blood pumping a little more, we’ve put together quite the eclectic dance playlist below featuring tunes from this year’s headliners which should have you jacking away the foreseeable week.
But, the fun doesn’t stop there either. We’re offering one lucky reader a pair of tix for the ‘Warehouse of Horrors’ and we’d love for it to be you!Entering our contest is as always, beyond easy. Just “like” The Music Ninja & BangOn!NYC on FB, click on this post header if you’re still on the TMN front page, and comment below with the artist you’re most excited to see. That’s it! And of course for our friends looking to secure their spot, tickets can easily be purchased at the link here as well. We’ll all be using the Twitter hashtag #WarehouseOfHorrors all weekend so give us all a shout as well!
There are a few rules, of course:
– The event is 21+ Be sure to tell all of your friends to increase chance of winning!
– You are responsible for your own transportation.
– You must bring a valid form of ID to pick up your tickets at the Warehouse of Horrors Ticket Booth.
Good luck ninjas, start commenting below!
Hello Ninjas! I just wanted to take a break from our usual posts to say something that means a lot to me. The Music Ninja turned 6 years old this year and while we may already be potty trained (with a few accidents here and there), we know there is so much more room to grow and mature as a music loving publication.
However, early on in Music Ninja history, Clayton Warwick came along. It was immediately apparent the kind of impact Clayton would have, not just on the site, but on my life as well. Through pure love for music and making fun of the state of the music industry on a daily basis, a friendship was born and partnership came next. His enthusiasm for the music scene, our own ninja team and all the things that come with it seems to grow even more on a regular basis. I am incredibly proud and honored, both personally and professionally, to also have him in my life on a regular basis and I know everyone in our team feels the same way. Today we celebrate Clayton’s five-year anniversary at The Music Ninja. Five years of writing genuine and thorough posts, thoughtful no BS interviews and mentoring every new writer. Five years of fighting when things have been tough and five years of celebrating every single accomplishment. Thank you Clay, for all that you do. I love you.
If you have a minute today, let’s blow him up on twitter (or facebook) and congratulate him on five fantastic years and many more to come.
The Chill Dojo is all about showcasing talent, and KHAI delivers that in spades with a whimsical feature from his recently released IF YOU EP. Following our recent interview with the emerging Austin artist, ‘Take’ was unveiled as the only collaborative piece on the EP, and it immediately captured our hearts with its magical air. The interwoven vocals of CYN are a glorious addition to this hypnotically beautiful song, with a few cheeky samples from another mystical character thrown in for good measure. This next combination needs no introduction, because Brasstracks taking on GoldLink is every bit as brilliant as the names suggest. ‘Dance On Me’ really was the perfect canvas for the duo to unleash their uplifting sound, providing a unique flow to the track that’s on another level.
While the bass has definitely not been held back from Illenium’s latest melodic masterpiece, there’s no denying that the intense emotion-filled experience of ‘Only One’ has that chill feel to qualify for a place in the Dojo ranks. It’s only the first single from his upcoming album, and our breath has already been taken away by its ambient builds and incredible percussion hits. In a similar fashion, Joshua Cherney has teamed up with PRXZM to deliver a dose of future bliss that may have you as crazily obsessed as its name suggests. While the bursts of synth are nothing short of slick, we’re all about the vibe from those soulful vocals that make this ideal easy-listening material. Norway’s Autolaser was one of the first in the future game, and his wealth of experience leaves him more than capable of re-imagining a classic with his signature creativity. We close this write-up with ‘Return Of The Mack’ like you’ve never heard it before, original funkiness intact, but amplified with explosions of colorful bass.
Of course we haven’t forgotten about the laid-back feel as well, so make sure to soak it all up. Peace out.
We couldn’t picture a better way to spend part of our Saturday than drinking in this four-track EP from Deltasonic’s newest signing, Liverpool-based The Vryll Society. The collection boasts a myriad of influences, ranging from psychedelic, to funk, to folk, to classic rock. Each song has a defined persona, yet work in perfect ensconcing harmony when listened to top-to-bottom.
Kicking things off is our personal favorite, “Coshh,” which delightfully welcomes listeners in with a calculated layering of elements that slowly build off one another. We’ve always been a huge fan of gorgeous, anticipatory, post-rock builds, and “Coshh” succeeds in delivering a quite otherworldly one. This will more than likely be your first introduction to frontman Mike Ellis’ vocals, which are an ethereal experience alone. When coupled with upbeat percussion, and interchanging howling and clean guitar riffs, you can’t help but leave the song feeling ultimately satisfied.
One of our other favorites comes in the slow and mesmerising “Metropolis,” which pulls its name from the 1920’s silent classic film. The verses carry a medieval Gregorian cadence and delivery, beckoning on memorable elements from centuries ago. The choruses then bring the song back into current day, exploding with soaring vocal harmonies, glowing guitar work, and a surging vocal range.
Joining up with acts like The Coral, The Zutons, and the Dead 60’s, The Vryll Society looks to make a splash with visionary Deltasonic label, founded by the late Alan Wills.
With an already developed live performance being loved and adored by those lucky enough to catch one, we’d highly suggest heading out and experiencing this debut EP live.
We’ve been ready for the weekend ever since Monday morning came around, and now it’s here. Night owls congregate, and have yourselves a fun night tonight. With another weekend here, we have more party poppin’ tunes for you, this week coming from Illenium, Reid Speed, Mayhem x Antiserum, JOYRYDE, Astronomar and Hasse De Moor, as well as more. All twelve tracks are free downloads as usual, and we made sure not to stick with one genre. There’s a little of this, and a little of that; we hope it all tickles your fancy. Go out tonight equipped with these quality records and make sure to get crunk and #danceirresponsibly.
