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Jul 1st, 2008 - 09:54:25 |
The Electorate
by Adray Ielus
Brian Gillespie knows how to rock a beat. The long-time Detroit DJ took the dance community by storm in the early-‘90s rave scene. Gillespie was a staple of the Poor Boy parties and the Family Function weekly event at Alvin’s. He also served as a resident of the Family series of events.
BG may best be known for his eclectic music collection. Inspired by Detroit dance shows The Scene and The New Dance Show, Gillespie’s passion for funk, soul, house and “booty” is apparent when he’s behind the decks. The varied musical flow of radio DJ, Mojo (the original), introduced Brian to a wide range of music, from classic Prince to The B-52’s. “Imagine going to a party when you could hear every form of music under the sun,” says Gillespie. “The type of jams where memories are made, legends are born and inhibitions are kicked to the curb. Music made to move you.”
Collaborations with Todd Osborn and Godfather have yielded some of the best booty-shaking beats to drop from the Motor City. His production side projects have led to the creation of various labels and the new online site, electrobounce.com.
Check Brian Gillespie out this Friday at his new residency, Hot Fierce Mess, at Oslo. | RDW
The Zone
by Origix
Fresh from opening for Dilated Peoples at St. Andrews, Inkster’s Street Justice is back with another banger for you to rock this summer! Ketchphraze, Redd, Jypsy Eye and DJ 4mulaOne drop their closest effort to an official album. On the Out 4 Just Us mixtape, they bring raw, clever, thought-provoking rhymes over beats any hip-hop head would love. With half original and half industry production, SJ are just waiting on the right place and right time to put out an LP. “We have enough original material to come out with two albums right now, but we’ve been sitting on it,” Redd says. “There are a lot of gems chilling at the studio. We just wanna make sure our buzz is right before we put ourselves out there.”
Out 4 Just Us is mixed by DJ Gruv and hosted by DDT with strong guest appearances by Buff 1, Marv Won and Supa Emcee. Best of all, it’s up for free download at DirtyMitten.com. “We got over 1,000 downloads in the first week,” adds Redd. For more info, visit myspace.com/streetjustice2. | RDW
The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. on 89.3 FM, stream audio at whfr.fm; visit myspace.com/thezoneradio & 2raw4fm.com.
Deep Cutz
by Jeff Milo
There’s always a light surrealism to the live performances of Detroit’s Comerica Cityfest: firstly, you become used to seeing all these characters in the near-dark, under a slight haze of alcohol, standing under minimalist lighting. It’s not Pat Sajak-HD-TV-scary, but still weird. You’re also used to hearing many of these bands through modest sound systems, yet in this setting there are booming guitars and soaring vocals now reverberating off the stories of the Fisher Building. Nestled in the Pure Detroit Stage on Wednesday: The Dead Bodies, whom I’ve never seen have an off-night, and The Silent Years, one of the most inventive and staggering live bands in town, who have finished up on their second album and look forward to a release later this year. Saturday, it’s the exuberant party-pushers The Beggars and The Muggs, Zoos of Berlin on Saturday or SSM on Sunday. On the Park Stage, catch Steve Nawara’s new rock project, Magic Shop, and tomorrow, the spook-blues-space-rock of the diligent Duende (pictured) or the newly assembled classic rock vigor of The Readies play, leading up to a performance from prestigious country-romantics, the Volebeats. These are modest suggestions, wherever you wind up — enjoy the weekend. | RDW
Motor City’s Burning
by Eric Allen | photo by Mark Murrman
Sometimes I think Timmy Vulgar really is from another planet. He’s just an alien sent down to earth to destroy normal rock ‘n’ roll conventions and save us from a life full of boring, dismal bullshit. Where would we be without Human Eye, Reptile Forcefield, T.V. Lamp and, most importantly, The Clone Defects? Nowhere, if you ask me.
This week, Vulgar’s preeminent band, The Clone Defects, make their almost annual reappearance when they perform at The Magic Stick. Although they broke up originally in 2003 or so, the group continues to play out every so often. This July 3 show should not be missed!
In more fun news, Detroit’s best political/drinking punk band, The Red Shift, will be opening for legendary punk rockers, Rancid. Set for August 1 at that ever-so-famous old church in Pontiac, Clutch Cargo’s, the red tied punk rock reverends of Romeo will be putting on a blazing set before the boys in H20 and Rancid take the stage. If you haven’t got tickets yet, don’t be stupid any longer and hit up a local box office or head over to Rock-a-billy’s in Utica to avoid those damned service charges. | RDW
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