Cuttin' A Rug With Fitz and the Tantrums

Speaking impeccable French, Fitz and his Tantrums got a modest crowd going early and often Wednesday night, creating a fun atmosphere.  He urged the audience to dance, clap their hands, sing along and go wild, and everyone on the dancefloor happily obliged.  The Los Angeles soul group proclaimed that they were having an excellent time during their first gig in Paris many times and it certainly showed in their performance.
                   Photo By Todd Dominey

John Wicks played the drums with reckless abandon, arms flailing across his kit like a blur, James King wailed on bari and tenor sax solos and bass player and keyboardist, Joseph Karnes and Jeremy Ruzumna, jammed like they'd been playing together for decades.  And when all of these pieces came together, the result was one of the tightest sets I've ever seen.

The crowd was certainly waiting for their hit single, "MoneyGrabber" but danced enthusiastically throughout the show, especially for the unexpected covers of "Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs and a slammin' version of "Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics.  The latter included a fantastic sing-a-long break down that won major crowd participation points.  All in all, I would say Fitz and The Tantrums won a little foothold in Europe with their thrashing show that kept everyone on their feet.

~Alex

Foster the People!!

I've been obsessively listening to Foster the People since I first heard about them a few months ago. They're a local band from Los Angeles that formed in 2009. Although they only have a 3 song EP out at the moment, i'm sure there will be plenty more to come from them considering how i've failed at trying to attend one of their sold out shows in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego (i'm determined to get a chance to see them live at some point!). They've also managed to get a spot performing at Coachella this year even though they only have 12 minutes of music to their name... Do your ears a favor and listen to the following songs that i'm sure you'll be hearing a lot more of in the future.

Here's their first single, a very catchy song called, "Pumped Up Kicks."

This one's my favorite from the EP, "Helena Beat"!

This is the last of what they have out so far, "Houdini." 

I can't wait to see what Foster the People comes up with next when they release their debut album this coming May! 

--Rahim!

Pretty Parisian Poetry

Last week I attended one of my favorite spectacles so far in Paris.  I saw the recital of some of the best sung-poetry artists in France as part of the 3rd Andrée Chedid Prize.

Poets sang their works alone, with a guitar or piano or even accompanied by large bands including drum kits and cellos.  It was definitely not your grandfather's poetry recital.

You may be asking yourself, "Alex, what made you decide to go see some French poetry that you will struggle to understand?"  Good question.  I sat through all of this poetry, because the main judge for the Andrée Chedid Prize is her grandson, Matthieu Chedid, better known by his alias -M-.

And to the delight of everyone in the audience, Matthieu- playing as himself, not his alias- played a tiny, five-song set at the end of the recital.

Chedid played alone without any bandmates behind him to the tiny crowd of about 100 people making the show quite intimate.  Despite the intimate setting, Chedid shredded.  His solos were exciting and tasteful and lived up to my expectations, affirming my opinion that he is one of the best contemporary rock guitarists.

He was only joined by his sister's backup singing/yowling.  Even so, Chedid showed off his prowess at controlling a crowd by playing older hits and fan favorites before ending with the sorrowful "Delivre."  This was especially poignant since "Delivre" was written for his deceased grandmother to whom the night was devoted.

Luckily, the entire event is available for streaming !!!

Highlights include a young poet named L's interpretation of a Jack Kerouac text; the prize winner, Fredda; and of course Chedid.

If you only wanna see Chedid, he recites one of his grandmother's poems near the beginning and then plays his own music around the 1:44:00 marker.

~Alex

Je. M'a. pelle. Skrillex. Je. M'a. pelle. Skrillex

As winter ends everything is starting to bloom in Paris.  The Tuileries are delightful, trees are budding in the Luxembourg Gardens, and of course the music scene is coming alive as well.  Last Thursday things got downright dirty at Social Club.  Skrillex played a live show, which obviously led to hysteria.  The line to get in was absurd and the crazy bouncers didn't help.  Unfortunately some people behind me got pepper sprayed-- some of which made my eyes itch like crazy-- but finally we made it inside.  It was a perfect setting for some dubstep.  Dark, dank and hotter than hell.  To add to the scene, when Skrillex took the stage, starting off aptly with "My Name Is Skrillex", a violent riot ensued.  I have NEVER seen a mosh like the one a bunch of drunk Frenchies started for Skrillex.

After moving back a few feet for our own safety we were able to enjoy Skrillex's filthy beats and he did not disappoint.  In a word, he was relentless. Every song was a face-melter, including some great sounding new material.  I was also delightfully surprised when Skrillex busted out hip-hop jams like, "Swing" by Savage.  Highlights were a crazy, elongated remix of "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" that changed directions many times keeping everyone on their toes, a personal fave in a remix of Benny Benassi's "Cinema" and the fantastic closer, his remix of La Roux's "In For The Kill."

Basically, this was exactly what I was hoping for from a Skrillex show.  Madness.  If you get the chance, do not miss him, he throws a great party.  It was definitely one night in Paris I will never forget, and I can't wait to see him again.

~Alex

  

Greetings from Asia

After a music copyright related fiasco with Blogspot, the Jams are finally back in action and ready to rock your puny little worlds once again.  As you may or may not know, the grand majority of Jam contributors are currently out exploring the world for six months, studying abroad in different parts of the pale blue dot we so affectionately call home.  As for myself, I have been living in Hong Kong for over 2 months, and it's been quite the experience.  Over the 10 weeks I've been here, I've already amassed a collection of over 250 new songs which have been rocking my world.  The music scene in China is rather bland, over 3 months the only noticeable acts to come through have been The Eagles, Slash, Eric Clapton, Zombie Nation, 2manydj's, and the beautiful Taylor Swift.  Nothing too exciting, but if all goes well this time tomorrow I will be partying with none other than German disc-jockey extrordinaire Zombie Nation.  So, in honor of my endless search for a great concert, I'll start of my post with a little Zombie Nation.  Party on Waynes.

Zombie Nation - Supercake 53

Big K.R.I.T (feat. Curren$y & Killa Kyleon) - Moon & Stars

• A good friend introduced me to this track, and it's got absolutely incredible flows by three up and coming stars in the rap game.  I'm becoming a huge K.R.I.T. fan, his production skills are top-notch and his rhymes flow smoother than a babies bottom.  Curren$y and Killa also kill it, great chill out track.

Chris Brown - Bomb (feat. Wiz Khalifa)

• Honestly I don't even know what to think about this track, except the beat is slappin' and Wiz throws down.  Opinions are welcome and encouraged.

Mord Fustang - The Electric Dream

• A stellar electro-wobble-house track by an up and coming producer by the name of Mord Fustang.  He's only released two tracks, and both have a very glitchy Porter Robinson/Skrillex vibe to them.  Keep your eye on this guy, he's definitely going places.

The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness

• New Strokes.  Great track, and incredibly catchy.  What more could you expect from this stellar band?  Julian's voice is great, and the guitar licks work so well together.  For all of you out there who think music is becoming a mishmash of computerized beeps and boops, don't lose hope just yet.  People are still playing real instruments out there.

Phetsta - Run You Down (feat. Reija Lee)

• To fulfill that insatiable dubstep craving, I present to you Phetsta.  I don't even know how to pronounce his name, but seriously, who cares?  This song absolutely slays, and features incredible vocals by Reija Lee.  Flawless production and some really great wobbles.

More dubstep you say?  Well, since you asked so nicely...

Benny Benassi (feat. T-Pain) - Electroman (Dirtyphonics Remix)

Gemini - Blue

-Mario

Why Do We Love Music?

Music is special.  It's so special that it's one of the few things, like language, that exists everywhere, developing naturally and constantly.  Why?  It's universally loved.  Sure there will always be differences in taste, but I've yet to find someone who says, "Ehhhh, music.... not for me."

Music's ability to evoke a wide range of emotion effectively makes it the perfect backdrop for our lives.  Personally, music enhances just about everything: walking down the street, enjoying art in a museum, having a drink with some friends or sharing a romantic moment.  Music can always set the mood.

At ΔΓΑΠΚ Jams we love music a lot.  We love it so much, we want to share it with you so that you will hopefully love it as much as we do.  Our tastes are broad-- from electro to rap, alternative rock to world, even a little metal-- so I'm sure you'll find something that you like.  Feel free to let us know what you like by commenting on our posts and videos.  If we rave about a concert that you think is lame, say so.  If we recommend a new album that makes you move, please validate our opinions.  


So, I hope you check back often, enjoy what you find here and go out and find new music, because there's nothing quite like it.


~Alex

Photo by Alex Shapiro