up from the U.K. underground and into your club with "Fire, Fire"

Many up-and-coming rock bands—garage bands, let’s call them—play it safe. They book  shows in the city or surrounding area where they live, trying to build a home-grown fan base as they chase that elusive dream of a “record deal.” Sure, they might drive a couple of hours to the next big city, but they’re still sleeping in their own beds every night.  They may be working hard, but they’re not taking risks.

Heaven’s Basement

“Jump Back“

If you’re looking for your hard rock selection to be more right of center, then you could do worse than London’s Heaven’s Basement.  The British quartet is known for their fondness of touring and relentlessly energetic live performances over in the U.K.  That spunk and aggression is on display with their latest track “Jump Back” from their full-length debut record, Filthy Empire. Your girls dig on some Def Leppard, AC/DC, or Motorhead? As a DJ, are you tired of you just hitting the repeat button?  Heaven’s Basement breaks the classic rock monotony but doesn’t stray too far to scare your entertainers off stage. 

Awolnation

“Sail” (Remix)

The problem most adults have with dubstep—take away the fact that it sounds like a pair of drunken Transformers copulating—is that it’s too computerized to be considered music. It needed a voice; it also needed actual instruments, but that’s a different argument. Well, this is close enough for now.  Aaron Bruno, lead singer of the L.A. electronic rock outfit Awolnation, can be that voice. Since Awol scored a decent-sized hit last year with their single “Sail,” lather on some entertainer-approved dubstep, call it a “remix” and viola! Familiar and fresh. 

The Burning of Rome

“Cowboys and Cigars”

Here’s a term you don’t hear too often:  post-modern psychedelics.  And, we hope, that is the best way to describe The Burning of Rome and our intro to them, ”Cowboys and Cigars.” Around since 2008, the San Diego band incorporates elements of garage and surf music with homages to show tunes and shock-rock.  The Burning of Rome is part Captain Beefheart, part ABBA, all mass confusion.  But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Like its creators, “Cowboys and Cigars” is a take-it-or-leave -it track.  We took it, hopefully so will the DJs.

French Montana

“Freaks”

Like so many new rappers who’ve been led down the primrose path of hype, French Montana wants to be known as the next big thing.  The man, himself, is different—name another Moroccan rapper—but his style and story is habitual hip hop. Mix tape hustler makes good, signs to Bad Boy, readies major label album. Check, check and check. But with “Freaks,” the second track off his debut Excuse My French, Montana once again gets overshadowed by the guest vocal (this time by Nicki Minaj), the sample (Chaka Demus and Plier’s reggae classic “Murder She Wrote”) and the commonplace ass worship theme. Like Montana’s previous released single “Pop That,” it’s all booty and bass filler.  But hey, the girls will like it.

 A Tootsie’s Cabaret waitress proves to be much more when she gives DJ Platypus her song, “The Drug”

When you work at a club the size of Tootsie’s Cabaret (90,000 total square feet), you meet a lot of people, especially staff. I was approached by one of our waitresses earlier this month and had this exchange: Waitress: “Hey, I really like the music you play. I am an aspiring artist and I think my song fits into your style.”