Calling All Pill Poppers And Glockenspiel Lovers
by Malaka Gharib 2:24 pm January 29, 2009

- Thursday, Jan. 29: There’s a difference between electro and techno, and the music at The Electric Cabaret will most definitely be techno, so if you’re not into pill popping and Eurotrash, then this dance night is not for you. German house DJ Sacha Muse is featured; download a sample mix here. 9PM at Muse. [Brightest Young Things]
- Friday, Jan. 30: Dance to soul and funk music with the Fatback DJs at Saint-Ex. The flier promises the music will be “mashed up,” so hopefully you hear James Brown paired with Megadeth at some point in the night. [Fatback]
- Saturday, Jan. 31: Superhot, super-Swedish songstress Lykke Li graces the Sixth & I Synagogue with her indie rock stardom. It’s actually sold out, but hang around the entrance and see if you can buy your way in like a proper DCite. [Sixth & I Synagogue]
- Saturday, Jan. 31: Nouveau Riche spins at DC9, playing the latest in indie electro (including music from The Presets, Deadmau5 and Diplo). Should be a good time, but keep in mind that DC9 attracts the fratty college crowd on Saturdays. [MySpace]
- Monday, Feb. 2: British ska has been dead for a long, long time, but make the exception with ’80s New Wave favorites, The English Beat. If you don’t remember them, click here. [What do you mean "if you don't remember them," are you 21 or something, Malaka? -- Ed.] 6PM at the Birchmere Music Hall. [The Washington Post]
- Tuesday, Feb. 3: Folk rock singer and Prince of Whimsy Andrew Bird comes to the 9:30 Club to play his violin and glockenspiel for the masses. Seriously. [9:30 Club]
{ 74 comments }
I Like Lykke Li Licking
And here I was thinking electro and techno were one and the same crap.
Goes to show I don’t know shit.
Hey, that sample was about 1.5 seconds long!
[re=231868]WhatTheHeck[/re]: HEY no bashing on electronic. I WILL DEFEND IT WITH MY LIFE….
I have seen Andrew Bird play the glockenspiel in Ann Arbor! He sounded birdlike, appropriately enough.
The English Beat at the Birchmere — wow — a new generation comes to Peter Paul and Mary’s retirement home.
Thank you for the Raffi reference.
British ska on my birthday…sweet! Oh wait, I have to go to Virginia? Damn it!
Hey [re=231873]shortsshortsshorts[/re]: Methinks you’ve spent too much time in those über hip clubs on the Sunset Strip in L.A. and the Castro in SFO.
[re=231876]PerhapsSo[/re]: You are so in the tank for Zingerman’s.
[re=231891]WhatTheHeck[/re]: I too love electro far too fondly (the electroWarz are real, people). I think it’s cuz I’m geigh tho.
It’s amazing how many genres super-lame music comes in.
do kidz still listen to Kraftwerk? do kidz evn kno wut tehy r? Tour de France was awesum on stereo- especially sitting right between the speakers w/some malt liquor and a bong…
Can I just have the pills and not go to any of those things? That would be zooper.
[re=231891]WhatTheHeck[/re]: Naw its just all the ecstasy overdoses.
Wow, except fer The English Beat, this whole list is a little Indier Than Thou, as it were. Also.
Electronic music is great. It’s that hippie jam band tripe that I can’t stand.
Q. What’s worse than a drum circle?
A. Nothing.
I thought the Prince of Whimsy was David Berman on Father’s Day.
Megadeth? Feh. I will remain unimpressed until I hear a mash-up of James Brown and Twisted Sister.
[re=231879]SayItWithWookies[/re]: yeah, but it is next to the best grocery store ever–MOM’s. Between MOMs and Whole Foods, I contribute a lot to our economy.
And what about The Electric Possible?
http://www.panicresearch.com/electric_poss.html
Wow. One president later, and suddenly it’s a sloooow news day for liberal blogs. Any chance you might be able to stir up dirt on something better than Weimar Electronica? Why don’t you go back and finish your LiveBlago and– oh, that’s right. It’s way over now. Conquered by quesadilla.
Well, shit. Might as well count the rosettes in the manhole covers.
[re=231901]space stout[/re]: This kid listens to Kraftwerk. The Man Machine is a great album.
I dig this feature, Malaka. I like how Wonkette is adding in Gridskipper-ish posts.
oh my wonks. now i know how adorable my comments on politics must look to you guys.
[re=231894]Tommy Says Soooo[/re]: Mmm… magic brownie.
i prefer music you can’t dance too like a u t e c h r e. …i think i’ll put together a nice playlist now.
I really wish I could be Malaka’s best friend now.
in case you’re not into electro, techno or the english beat (hard to believe i know), there’s the annual buddy holly tribute show on Saturday in Hyattsville at the Surf Club featuring various DC garage/punkers doing buddy covers… just sayin’
[re=231934]El Pinche[/re]: autechre gives me bittersweet cat-medicine memories for sure. this was the shit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyJfHU4GoOQ
wait a minute, what’s the average age in here? are any of you in your twenties?
[re=231861]Mr Blifil[/re]: Malaka likey Lykke Li licking lots, too.
when is Heaven 17 coming?
Is the Lykke Li tour sponsored by Prozac? Whass wid de Scan acts? Except for bubble-brained Abba, they’re a traveling suicide festival. Winter is too long, life too short — get some Shakira in your system, young lady! (I’m speaking to Li, not Malaka.)
[re=231947]exploresweaters[/re]: if by 20′s you mean, just over 30, then, yes.
[re=231954]magic titty[/re]: oh shit, so you guys aren’t all out listening to rockabilly and piercing your faces?
[re=231920]chascates[/re]: only once a month.. big gold belt from wonkette ball playing velvet tuesday. feel the miami vice..
[re=231947]exploresweaters[/re]: No. Fuck off and die for asking. Sickadis shit. The cute barista played ESG at the coffee bar I sometimes work from. I remarked innocently that I hadn’t heard that single in over 25 years. She said immediately “I didn’t know it was that old.” So I killed her with my cock.
[re=231951]Capitol Hillbilly[/re]: Or Ebn-Ozn?
[re=231984]Mr Blifil[/re]: man that sounds aggressive. here in los angeles kids practice white magic, live off the rich, and listen to todd rundgren. esg is for kickball players
[re=231901]space stout[/re]: Yes, kids still listen to Kraftwerk! Yes, they do. And some of them even know what they’re listening to. The rest have just been exposed to 1000 samples, but probably do not recognize the source.
Kraftwerk regularly packs the freakin’ place the times they’ve appeared at Coachella Festival. And most of the crowd listening are under 25.
[re=231912]mullingitover[/re]: “Backed”, as they say. I’m old enough to know better. And I still love electronic music. Hell, I’m old enough to recognize the source of a lot of the samples.
[re=231944]goodluck/badluck[/re]: Oooooo …. autechre …. ooooo …. just had “Amber” and “Incunabula” on the ol’ home playlist yesterday … ooooo ….
[re=231944]goodluck/badluck[/re]: I just caught your “bittersweet cat-medicine” reference. Yup. Yup. Yes indeedy. Irresistible Force was good for that, too. Ah, what a magical time those years were. I shall always miss them.
[re=231947]exploresweaters[/re]: 28 here.
Personally, I think Peaches would cannibalize Lykke Li and fuck her husk afterwards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOlFN_mN6Jo
Oh, i could go on about my Peaches.
ESG: check
K’werk: check
But what is this “Lykke Li” of which you speak?
I am olde.
How is this column not called “The Straits of Malaka”?
[re=231873]shortsshortsshorts[/re]:
Damn skippy. I hate dance music bashers. Get your back up off the wall, Mopey Mc. Indie Rocker!
anyway. my stab at electro vs. techno. (it is a fine line, I admit):
Electro definitely came before techno. but they’re kissing cousins. Electro was more about creating electronic pop music… almost always with an 808. It went REALLY out of style for a long time until recently. If you put on a Mantronix record in a club 10 years ago you would be laughed at. The synth sounds in electro are very “1981″ sounding.
Techno = more loops, more samples, way more soul music influence and less poppy than electro. Definitely more broad use of different drum machines/samplers/synths, though the Roland 303 “acid” sound is to techno what the 808 is to electro.
[What do you mean "if you don't remember them," are you 21 or something, Malaka? -- Ed.]
Don’t you mean Mukaka?????
[re=232013]iolanthe[/re]:
I have those albums on vinyl. There’s something appealing about futuristic music and warmth of vinyl and dusty needles.
[re=231954]magic titty[/re]: Isn’t 30 the new 20?
Not to be a music snob or nothin’, but there’s a big difference between techno and deep house, which the promo mix linky says this DJ Sascha plays. Also, points lost for stealing other well-known DJ’s name and slightly varying the spelling.
@ Botswana – The “electro” term is abused by the MySpace retard set of today.
Electro was the first form of electronic dance music, starting with Kraftwerk, Afrika Baambatta and Model500 (who were releasing in the late 70′s and early 80′s)
What these fuckholes of today call “electro” is anything with a shitty synthesizer in it.
Electro was never about “creating electronic pop music” but about creating futuristic funk music. “Planet Rock” was the archetype of the genre.
Now, while you think Electro went out of style for a long time, you’re actually wrong. Electro has been in the underground club and rave scene in an ongoing fashion and really heated up from 2001 until 2005 when Dubstep and Glitchstep really took over. Electro was pushed out of the mainstream by d&b and shitty retard “Trance” music for retards (who are retarded) but was heavy in the underground scenes from LA to London to Miami to Berlin.
I have an Electro record label in Los Angeles, and have played all over the world as “Volsoc”. Google me if you will.
xox
ps: If anyone is confused about genres and timelines, Ishkur has the best online resource for it, that he’s had online since the mid 90s
http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/
[re=232165]Volumptuous[/re]: J? Justin? Volsoc? Which one of you is this?
[re=232195]iolanthe[/re]: jpb
how’d you know?
[re=232195]iolanthe[/re]: Justin made a few more electro tunes for his label, but has been releasing some ungodlyly awesome techno with tejada’s label for the last few years. They toured the EU together in 07, and he’s still kicking some serious ass. Way more stellar output from him than I could ever do for myself.
[re=232198]Volumptuous[/re]: I was a HYOOJ Volsoc fan! In fact, I think you played the first whatever-the-fuck-*I*-call-Electro I ever heard, probably in ’98 or ’99.
I may have been to nearly all of your LA-area gigs.
And I was listening to you guys’ CD just the other day. You’ve been in my living room, both physically (years ago) and virtually.
Amusing as hell to run into a former friend here on Wonkette. Of course it’d be a music discussion that caused us to uncloak.
[re=232212]iolanthe[/re]: say hi to me @ volum(at)spacebarsentiments.com
[re=232212]iolanthe[/re]: *hint* he’s on facebook if you desire.
[re=232211]Volumptuous[/re]: where the hell is your new cd I cant freakin’ find it. NOT AT MY LOCAL BEST BUY MEGASTORE at least…. they have such a SPRAWLING selection of produced music.
[re=232224]shortsshortsshorts[/re]: Hahahaha
Our last release was a 4 track vinyl EP on my label Spacebar Sentiments, and we also released a Digital LP on Pretension Records. I think both can be purchased through Juno.co.uk, and Amazon may still have some copies floating about.
EVERYONE ON WONKETE SHOULD BUY MY MUSIC SO I CAN HAS MORE DRUGZ!!!
[re=232232]Volumptuous[/re]: Holy fuck! How long has your label been around, because I think you might be more famous than you think. I have friends from when I was at college in Michigan who were obsessed with that label. Wow AND ALL THIS TIME I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST A PRETTY ASIAN GIRL WITH WHITE GLASSES.
Everyone buy his music, because it is awesome. That is all.
[re=232224]shortsshortsshorts[/re]: This is side-splitting. Ten years ago, this dude was one of my best friends … until he went all Hollywood and broke up with his old pals who Knew Him When. ;->
I should have known I’d run into him here, him being a World Class Snarkmonster, and all.
[re=232165]Volumptuous[/re]:
@ Botswana – The “electro” term is abused by the MySpace retard set of today.
Now, while you think Electro went out of style for a long time, you’re actually wrong. Electro has been in the underground club and rave scene in an ongoing fashion and really heated up from 2001 until 2005 when Dubstep and Glitchstep really took over. Electro was pushed out of the mainstream by d&b and shitty retard “Trance” music for retards (who are retarded) but was heavy in the underground scenes from LA to London to Miami to Berlin.
I think you and I pretty much completely agree. The “prototypical electro sound” went out of style from around the mid-80s until, like you said, this decade. I think for a while people felt like the whole Kraftwerk/Planet Rock/Man Parrish sound just didn’t age well, whereas Detroit Techno did. It’s all great music, though.
Also, I hadn’t seen that “Guide to Electronic Music” site in years. Some of his/her editorializing on the various sub-genres is just HIGH-larious.
I will look your shit up!
Nice wan Botswana
Yeah, I re-read my reponse and I was a total dickface of ass. Sorry, we’re on the same side here. No need to sick our robots on eachother.
[re=231861]Mr Blifil[/re]: I thought that said “likke U” as in the banana was a euphemism for what she was to be likke-ing.
As for German electronica: Ich liebe “Schiller!”
[re=232277]Volumptuous[/re]: you guys are dorking it!!! style? electro? what’s in style? is electro in style? someone said underground? and on wonkette no less. you guys are liek the best sparks song never written.
[re=232328]CARCUNTZ!(tm)-R-Us[/re]: …speaking of Das Glockenspiel lovers…
70′s and 80′s. Good times. Except for Ladytron, there hasn’t been any decent music since.
A friend of mine told me a couple of years ago an anecdote about music from the past.
He was in a bus going somewhere minding his own business when some kids started to listen to the Pussycat Dolls’ cover of Tainted Love, loudly, with their cellphones/mp3 players/whatever. After a while my friend asked them did they know it wasn’t the original version of the song. He was about to play the Gloria Jones card when one of the kids replied to him, with an unbeatable arrogance of a teenager: “Yeah, I know: Marilyn Manson. But he’s, like, kinda old.”
… And I betcha you don’t know even who the fuck are these Pussycat Dolls or Marilyn Manson. So screw it. Let’s just admire the Soft Cell version and its heterosexuality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYVXMCCp8FM
[re=232004]exploresweaters[/re]: You bet it was aggressive. Because if I give in even just a tiny bit, I’ll be bawling like a baby for the rest of the day.
[re=232332]exploresweaters[/re]: This economy deserves swift electro action, for the kids. We’re talking about the future of an entire civilization here.
[re=232172]Volumptuous[/re]: Holy fuck Ishkur, I used to read that site all the time, I even sent in an essay to be the new kandy kid korrispondent when I was like 16.
I havent thought about it in years.
The ’80s. Most of the music sucked ass but you had first-rate drugs as a life preserver…until Nancy Raygun took them away.
HAHA mals you love banana phone.
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