August 2009

One of our newest contributors, Bryan Rodgers, hit a recent Gov’t Mule show and filed this report from the streets of Raleigh…

Fifteen years into its existence, Gov’t Mule is firmly established as a juggernaut of the music world, and their 2009 tour has set a new high-water mark for the band and their performances. The unstoppable force of Warren Haynes and company landed in Raleigh, NC on a Sunday night and proceeded to fill the city streets with perfectly executed, hard-hitting Mule music.

The Gov’t Mule tour is a perfect example of one that might otherwise have to skip Raleigh altogether if it wasn’t for the accommodating Lincoln Theatre street stage. The proprietors of downtown’s Lincoln Theatre have created a series of outdoor concerts that are exactly what the region needs. Since eastern North Carolina is sorely lacking in medium-sized venues, they’ve taken the party into the street and helped assure that Raleigh won’t get left out when it comes to shows that draw crowds in the range of 1000 – 2000 people.

A sultry southern evening welcomed the opening act, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. This show was the last stop of their brief tour with Gov’t Mule, and the Muscle Shoals-based outfit offered an appropriately rip-roaring set that featured diverse covers (Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer and Tom Petty’s I Don’t Want to Fight) nestled among a cavalcade of Isbell originals. The band had the crowd in the palm of their hand from the start – sometimes all it takes is the mention of Muscle Shoals to win favor with certain types of audiences. READ ON for more from the Mule show in Raleigh…

Jellyfish – Hollywood CA – 10/??/1990 [zip file] Jellyfish is one of my all time favorite bands and they are responsible for putting out two of what I consider to

We here at Wyllys & The World Party thank you for your patience. As most of you know I’m a transient DJ and Lighting Designer currently roaming the world in the name of Prog Rock and Beats – a nice segue into this episode.

I was scanning DJ-Mixes.com and realized we needed a Hip Hop installment with a quickness. I stumbled upon a domestic purveyor of urban sounds. DJ Digital Green started as a lighting tech at a club and decided that turntables were more of a creative outlet and started playing old school Hip-Hop, Techno, Trance and a little House. His lighting background earned him the nod this week, despite some shortcomings.

He is still a little….green around the edges but the intent is all there. This two part mix is a tight jaunt through mid to late ’90s Hip Hop interwoven with today’s Top 40 Rap fare. The tempo holds steady and the track selection is PERF for the Summer, which is why I chose the mixes. HOWEVER…our boy asks for some advice in his bio (shown below) so we here at HT are going to give it to him straight: Without tempo variation it sounds like one big Jock Jams jerk off session. Vary the tempo a bit and you are on your way to more natural sounding Hip Hop. Till then, check out these two entertaining and head-bob inducing mixes. Guaranteed to have the ladies shaking the goods.

Featured Artists: Arrested Development, 50 Cent, Tribe Called Quest, Nate Dogg, Kanye West, 2 Pac, and many other legends

• Dj Digital Green Top 40 & Hip-hop Mixes: Vol 1, Vol 2

READ ON for Dj Digital Green’s biography…

From its humble beginnings as a monthly online newsletter in 1995 through its current reign as internet hub for indie culture, Pitchfork Media has always championed the under-heard, eclectic and sometimes downright weird. Whether you agree with their (most-likely unfavorable) review of your favorite record or not, it’s hard to deny their reach and influence on independent music and how it intertwines with the modern social web.

As their presence continued to grow it came as no surprise when Pitchfork decided to bring their niche to life, curating the 2005 Intonation Music Festival. It was even less surprising when the fest re-branded itself under the Pitchfork name the following year.

For one reason or another, I had never been able to attend any of Pitchfork’s festivals. The bills always had bands that didn’t come through Chicago often that I wanted to see, but the timing didn’t work out for me until this year. This year, I found myself with a rare weekend both at home and sans work for most of the July 17 – 19 weekend and could finally attend the Pitchfork Music Festival (well…2/3 of it at least).

READ ON for more from Joel on the Pitchfork Music Festival…