Latest Event Posts

Noise Pop 2016: 7 Acts We Loved–SF, 2/19-2/28 [Festival Review + Playlist]

Posted by Ash El Gamal - March 4, 2016

All photos by Dom Powell except for photos of DIIV, which are by Ash.

Over the last few years, San Francisco’s Noise Pop Festival has grown into our favorite week for music in the Bay Area. Taking place at venues across the city, the logistics can get tricky, but the venue hopping and set-time speculation is completely worth the broad variety of music the lineup offers. As is true for any festival. there’s no way to catch everything and there was plenty of FOMO to go around between the surprise guest filled late night Cafe Du Nord shows to the various events at Noise Pop’s home base, Swedish American Music Hall. With a couple years of experience under our belt, we definitely feel like this was both our best go-around thus far as well as the festival’s. The one great thing about the staggering number of events is that every publications experience is slightly different, each choosing different favorite takeaways based on their schedule. Take a trip back with some of our favorite sets, songs and moments from the week below. Continue reading →

[Event Preview] Red Bull Sound Select Denver Presents: SANGO w/ SPZRKT & CRL CRRLL @ Cervantes Ballroom – 3/31

Posted by Matthew Bloss - March 2, 2016

It’s no secret that we’ve grown very close with and fond of our friends at Red Bull Sound Select. Truly one of the few major corporations involved in music putting their influence to good use, the amazing curators, thinkers, and artists involved with RBSS have always had their ears to the streets towards burgeoning artists across a plethora of genres; inciting within us Ninjas a need to see each and every one of their eclectic showcases near our respective hometowns. In the past few years alone in this writer’s fair (and Superbowl defending champion) city of Denver, we’ve been privy to some of our favorite acts including The Internet, (the artists formerly known as) Viet Cong, Shigeto & Cloud Nothings; and with that, we’ve already come up on another tastefully crafted night of music provided by the RBSS crew. We’ve been excited as ever since first hearing rumblings about this one a while back, and finally on 3/31, Seattle based producer SANGO will make his way to the Mile High City to headline a night of top-to-bottom heat, which will also see performances from SPZRKT (Spazzy Rocket), and CRL CRRLL (Carl Carrell).

In anticipation of the next Denver stop for Red Bull Sound Select, we’ve put together a mini-playlist featuring selections from each artist on the night’s bill. As with every RBSS show, an early RSVP will get you in for the measly price of $3, so hop to it here and get there early to guarantee your spot. We’ll see you on the floor.

’SANGO – Life Without God Is Nothing’

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’SANGO – F.L.O.R’

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’SANGO – Infinidade’

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’SPZRKT – Hesitate ft. MaSAXgo (prod. by Tyshane)’

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’CRL CRRLL – Get It Together’

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[Festival Preview] Noise Pop Festival 2016–SF, 2/19-2/28

Posted by Dominic Powell - February 18, 2016

Noise Pop 2016 is quickly approaching, beginning this week, February 19^th, and ending nine days later on February 28^th. Following San Francisco’s anointment as Super Bowl City on January 30^th, the city was the center of the American sports world for nearly 2 weeks. Now, as those ceremonies are winding down, excitement regarding a more local-grown type of entertainment will be ratcheting up. Noise Pop has outdone itself in 2016, bringing one of the boldest and most impressive lineups in its prestigious history.

We were lucky enough to chat with Chad Heimann, the sole talent buyer for Noise Pop, so you’ll find some of what he had to say sprinkled through out this preview. Badges are still available for purchase here.

Continue reading →

[Event + EP Review] SHIP2SHIP San Diego & The Silence is Deafening EP

Posted by Ivan Chung - February 2, 2016

(PC: Fixation Photography & LED Presents)

If you know Gary Richards, otherwise known as Destructo, then you probably know about his Holy Ship! events and SHIP2SHIP tour. The HARD Events entrepreneur has recently brought on good friend Justin Martin and Isabelle Rezazadeh a.k.a REZZ to join him for this year’s SHIP2SHIP shows. The up and coming producer from Niagara Falls never ceases to amaze with her new brand of dark techno, as she completely wowed everyone during her set at the Quartyard in downtown San Diego last Sunday. Destructo’s techno-friendly sets are also great complements to what REZZ has to offer for these SHIP2SHIP sailors. We could tell that he really showed REZZ the ropes of touring as shown in her maturity as a DJ. The crowd quadrupled as soon as she started spinning, and she quickly heightened the atmosphere with her hard-thumping basslines. The pivotal part of her performance was when she dropped tracks from her new EP, which was released on mau5trap only two days before the SD show.

The Silence Is Deafening EP perfectly showcases the Niagara Falls native’s musical style and it digs deep into what she represents. Of the four tracks in the EP, three of them are what she claimed to be having a lack of melody. You might be thinking how is that ever a good thing? Well the hardhitting kicks and recognizable sounds on her tracks are so uniquely dominant that you might just be fascinated. Her hit single, “Lost” featuring singer Delaney Jane, stuck to us like no other. Among the eerie strings and knocks in the background, REZZ is mastering the art of incorporating her distinctive sounds into her tracks. If you’re not convinced yet, try listening to “Edge” – it’s one of those tracks that you will fall in love with in an instant. The cricket-like sounds at the drop really had the crowd going nuts at the show. At only 20 years of age, we think it’s safe to say she is slowly revolutionizing the game with her innovative sounds. Check out the full playlist of The Silence Is Deafening below and let us know what you think!

’REZZ (feat. Delaney Jane) – Lost’

’REZZ – Edge’

’REZZ – Delusion’

’REZZ – Methodology’

[Denver Giveaway] TMN Presents: Inner Oceans w/ Plume Varia, Lizzy Rose @ Lost Lake – 1/29

Posted by Matthew Bloss - January 20, 2016

While much of our writing staff here at TMN is spread across the entire world, we’ve maintained an active presence in the great city of Denver for good reason. For years now some of our favorite producers, DJ’s and bands throughout countless genres have emanated from the Mile High City, and every chance we have to get behind talent which may not have quite crossed over yet to a national audience, is a special one. Inner Oceans have long been a warm staple inside of the talent-rich Denver indie scene with their brand of haunting, synth-fueled minimal indie-pop; and over the course of a few years and several live shows, we’ve seen their project blossom into one of the most exciting bands heading into 2016. In the past few weeks, the Denver based quartet have dropped a pair of singles, “These Dreams” & “Sunbathe” (both of which are included in our mini-playlist below), which both wield more of an upbeat, drum-machine assisted structure which we can tell will add another engaging layer to their already impressive live show. Needless to say, we’re excited about this one.

On Friday, 1/29, The Music Ninja is proud to present Inner Oceans’ uniquely entrancing sound at the Lost Lake lounge in Denver, CO along with the downtempo dream-pop of Plume Varia and the eclectic stylings of Lizzy Rose. If you haven’t caught on yet, there’s nothing we love more than giving our readers a chance to come groove with us at every ‘TMN Presents’ showcase, so we’re giving away not one, but THREE pairs of tickets to see Inner Oceans. Entering our contest is as always, beyond easy. Just “like” The Music Ninja on FB, click on this post header if you’re still on the TMN front page, then comment below with your favorite Inner Oceans song, and boom, that’s it! And of course we want as many people as possible to come dance with us, so for our friends looking to secure their spot, tickets are only $8.00 and can be purchased using the ticket link here.

There are a few rules, of course:
– The event is 16+ 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 Lost Lake door.

Check out our preview mini-playlist, start commenting below and best of luck ninjas!

’Inner Oceans – 8 Cousins’

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’Inner Oceans – These Dreams’

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’Inner Oceans – Sunbathe’

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’Inner Oceans – Ready Your Ghost (Demo)’

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’Plume Varia – Clear’

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’Lizzy Rose – A New Song’

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[Chicago Giveaway] Just Blaze @ The MID – 12/18

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - December 16, 2015

With the holidays right around the corner, we’ve decided to put our Ninja Claus hats on and give some lucky Chicagoans an early Christmas present! In the spirit of the season we’ve teamed up with React Presents to award TWO PAIRS of tickets to see legendary producer Just Blaze this Friday at The MID, where he’ll be supported by Jahlil Beats and local acts like Stefan Ponce, Zebo and Barragon. The rules are simple. All you need to do is fill out your email address below along with your first and last name and hit submit. Entrants must be 21 and over to enter. Winners will be notified by email with instructions on how to obtain their tickets. Please remember to bring a valid photo ID with you to the event in order to redeem your prize.

If you would like to find out more info about the show or purchase tickets yourself, make sure to head over to the official event page and follow React Presents on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud to keep up with all the latest news and announcements!

’Just Blaze – Inhuman Nature’

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’Beast Program X Just Blaze X Mysto & Pizzi – Are You High?’

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’Just Blaze x Baauer
HIGHER’

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ENTER GIVEAWAY TO WIN JUST BLAZE TICKETS

First & Last Name
First Last
Your e-mail*

[Event Review] ODESZA’s Dazzling Victory Lap at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium–SF, 12/10

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 15, 2015

ODESZA
Memories That You Call (feat. Monsoonsiren)

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Since the release of their 2014 album, ODESZA have grown into an omnipresent force in dance music appearing at nearly every major music festival and making their way across the globe on an extensive headlining tour. This year has been particularly pivotal for the Seattle duo—they’ve dropped several massive remixes, continued to expand their live set (including a full marching band at Lollapalooza) and launched the Foreign Family Collective. Through Foreign Fam, they’ve helped introduce like-minded artists such as Big Wild and Jai Wolf to larger audiences. As huge fans, the Ninja staff have had the pleasure of covering the Seattle duo’s upward trajectory and interviewing them a couple times along the way.

In the last two years alone, the TMN writers have probably seen ODESZA a combined 20 times—my best guess for myself is 6. So, going into their show last week, I frankly wasn’t sure there was much more to see and, even if their performance hadn’t evolved, I would’ve admittedly left happy. Once again, though, ODESZA put together an awe-inspiring set fit for Bill Graham Auditorium’s grand stature. As the set began, members Harrison and Clayton emerged with their parallel MIDI and drum setup offering some words about their admiration for the SF crowd, who have shown out every time they’ve come to town. Musically, “Koto,” a gorgeous and low-key track, set the tone before the first high point hit with their remix of Sia’s “Big Girls Cry.” Granted a nearly 2-hour set, ODESZA was able to dig deep in their catalogue playing standouts from their oft-overlooked debut, Summer’s Gone, such as ”Above the Middle” all the way through the fan-favorite remixes of opener Hayden James’ “Something About You” and Zhu’s “Faded.” Continue reading →

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