Jun 23 2015

FESTY NEWS: Our 8 Favorite ‘Non Main Stage’ Acts Of Electric Forest 2015

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DON’T MISS OUR 8 FAVORITE ‘NON MAIN STAGE’ ACTS OF E.FOREST:

With Electric Forest just days away, we decided to clue you in to the acts that we know will knock your socks off. Remember to venture away from main stage and explore the depths of what E. Forest has to offer. Below we selected our 8 favorite ‘non main stage’ acts of the festival:

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8. ALISON WONDERLAND
Sunday – 5pm-6pm – Tripolee

This will be our first time seeing the Australian born music producer. Known for her futuristic sounds and forward thinking productions, Alison Wonderland is quickly making a big name for herself teaming up with artists like Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips on her single “U Don’t Know” while playing a packed schedule of festivals and shows. Alison Wonderland is sure to be here to stay. Don’t miss her set on Sunday!

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7. BRANX
Saturday – 11:30pm-1am – Forest Stage

Branx is bringing his funky tunes to the Forest as part of the LowTemp Curated event alongside Freddy Todd, Gibbz, & Russ Liquid. Taking his crunchy sounds and vibrant bass licks, Branx is going to lay down the boogie on Saturday, so don’t miss it!

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6. JACKLNDN
Thursday – 11pm-12am – Forest Stage
Friday – 1am-2:30am – Silent Disco
Saturday – 3pm-4:15pm – Tripolee
Sunday – 3:45pm-4:45pm – Tripolee

This year is the year of jackLNDN. Dominating a full Summer itinerary of giant music festivals, the young producer has 4 colossal sets scheduled at Electric Forest. You can also catch Jack at the Electric Glen talking about ‘The Perfect Remix’ at 6pm on Friday with Vaski and illenium.

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5. MR. CARMACK
Thursday – 6:30pm-7:45pm – Sherwood Court

If you don’t already have Mr. Carmack penciled in on your schedule, than you’re doing it wrong. Part of the Future Classic curated event alongside Lido, Waveracer, Goldlink, Flume and others, Mr. Carmack is ready to give the speakers in Sherwood Court a workout. Hype follows Mr. Carmack and you better believe that his E Forest set will be one of the wildest of the weekend.

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4. RUSS LIQUID
Saturday – 2am-3:30am – Forest Stage

Leading the LowTemp curated event with Freddy Todd, Gibbz, & Branx, Russ Liquid is prepping to unload some horn fueled funk on the Forest crowd. The chill vibes will be at an ultimate high when this West-Coast music maker takes the stage.

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3. BRODINSKI
Thursday – 9:15pm-10:15pm – Jubilee

If you caught Brodinski at Movement last May, you know what’s in store for the E Forest crowd. Easily the ‘coolest cat’ on the lineup, Brodinski is going to unleash some madness upon the new Jubilee tent. Part techno, part hip hop, and all badass, Brodinski is going to put the Electric in Electric Forest. Get ready for some intense shit.

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2. EXMAG
Sunday – 7:45pm-9pm – Jubilee

Come find some love in the Jubilee tent for Exmag on Sunday. Guaranteed to be the sexiest set of the weekend, Exmag is ready to make you fall in festy-love. Bringing the hot guitar sounds together with the smooth synths, Exmag is going to set the groove bar high.

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1. FREDDY TODD
Saturday – 10pm-11:30pm – Forest Stage

The Detroit born and Cali based glitch hop wizard is returning to Michigan for a very special set in the Forest as part of the LowTemp Curated event alongside Branx, Gibbz, & Russ Liquid. Freddy is going to instantly transport you from Rothbury into interstellar space bringing you on a wild ride through the cosmos and back down just in time for the next act. Tune in to Freddy Todd on Saturday and vibe the F out!

In conclusion, at Electric Forest, no matter where you are, you’re going to have a blast. Hang loose, and keep an open mind/ear to new experiences and artists. The lineup is incredible this year as always, so be sure to wander and find sounds that are unchartered to you. Have fun, be safe, and lookout for your fellow foresters. See you in the forest!

Jun 16 2015

FESTY NEWS: The 5 A’s Of Sonic Bloom 2015: Art, Artists, Activities, Ambience, & Awareness

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THE FIVE A’S OF SONIC BLOOM:

Sonic Bloom kicks off in just a couple days and we could not be more excited to get out to Colorado’s Hummingbird Ranch and onto the Unified Field for the 10 Year Family Reunion of the beautiful festival. We would like to share our excitement with our readers by presenting The Five A’s Of Sonic Bloom below:

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1. Art

Art is a huge aspect of Sonic Bloom Festival. With live painting scheduled from notable artists like Android Jones, Ember, and Kaylah Zuli just to name a few, there is definitely no shortage of creation at the festival. Keep your eyes peeled to watch these beautiful pieces of art in the making.

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2. Artists

From STS9 and Shpongle, to Talib Kweli and Caspa, there is a bit of everything for everyone at Sonic Bloom. Of course it wouldn’t quite be Sonic Bloom without veteran artists like Emancipator, Zilla, and the homies Unlimited Aspect leading the bill. The whole lineup is stacked with great artists and with true festival style, we are sure to see some crazy surprise ‘sit-ins’ many of the instrumentalists at the fest.

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3. Activities

As if the music isn’t enough to get you out to Sonic Bloom, there’s more to do at Sonic Bloom than most festivals. Specifically the yoga schedule is one of the most impressive and inclusive out of all the festivals this Summer. Whether you’re an expert or just beginning, get involved, kick off your shoes, and enjoy some of the extra flow activities that Sonic Bloom has planned.

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4. Ambience

You can’t really beat the ambience of Sonic Bloom Festival. With dozens of impressive art installations and gallery zones, the festival submerges you into a beautiful escape from the everyday surroundings and offers up a much more stimulating experience. Make sure you set a good chunk of time to wander around the festival and see all the nooks and crannies.

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5. Awareness

Sonic Bloom Festival is not just here to party, as it would be neglectful of what is really important in this world, and to spread this positive awareness, Sonic Bloom has scheduled amazing speakers and workshops throughout the weekend. Featuring artists, activists, and creators, the sessions will cover many topics and are a great way to spend your day.

Sonic Bloom is going to be a great festival, and we hope to see you there! Get your tickets here.

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Jun 6 2015

FESTY NEWS: 10 Reasons Why Summer Camp Music Festival Was The Best Way To Launch Festival Season This Year

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THE BEST OF SUMMER CAMP:

My first Summer Camp was definitely one for the books! This past Memorial Day weekend at Three Sister’s Park in Chillicothe, IL became home to a festival that quickly became one of my favorites. This 15th year anniversary had a lineup that included headliners Umphrey’s McGee, moe., STS9, Widespread Panic, Steve Miller Band, Big Gigantic, and GRiZ, it was hard to pass up the opportunity to see such great music all in one magical place.

I decided to enhance my Summer Camp experience by upgrading to VIP, which only made attending that much more worth it. I shared some amazing experiences with a ton of my friends, both old and new. I want to share with you some of my favorite things about Summer Camp 2015!

10. Love Was In The Air

During Umphrey’s McGee’s on Saturday, I felt blessed to witness an awesome marriage proposal. While Umphrey’s was jamming, four people held up white flags that said, “Will you marry me?” and of course she said, yes! Who wouldn’t want to get engaged while their favorite band is rocking out

9. The Vendors

The variety of all of the vendors at Summer Camp was amazing! From official merchandise, to the delicious food, and the craft all vendors, every single one had their one special touch to add to the festival. The official merchandise was so enticing that it mad it hard not to buy everything! With the variety of food vendors from pulled bbq pull pork nachos, to fried chicken fingers, and huge slices of pizza, I wanted to sample all of it!

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Photo by Melanie Hass

8. Sound Tribe Red Barn

With an hour and a half setlist that included just 8 songs, this was a whole new Sound Tribe. The intimacy of the Red Barn and comfort of the VIP standing area made this late night set a spectacular one to witness. Saxton still killed it with the lights, even with such a small room to work with.

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Photo by Melanie Hass

7. Upmhrey’s Soundcheck

Venturing off to explore is one of my favorite things to do! While going to check out the official merchandise after setting up camp, I heard live Umphrey’s McGee coming from somewhere. My boyfriend and I ran to the Sunshine stage and got to hear the songs “2nd Self” and “Spires.” It was an awesome moment only few got to be a part of.

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Photo by Jason Kaczorowski

6. Thursday Arrival

Arriving Early definitely has its perks. Not only giving you access to over 30 per-party artists, you get pick out the good camping spots! We were lucky to get a spot in the shade section of VIP. Thursday arrival also gave me access to the Red Barn Late Night that night, with 5 more hours of remarkable music from Dopapod, Turbo Suit & Friends, as well as Manic Science.

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Photo by Collin Taylor of Live Edits Lab – www.facebook.com/LiveEditsLab

5. GRiZ

Can we talk about the lazers in the rain? I could not believe how amazing the lighting looked with all the rain pouring down. Although I felt like the rain held off until right before GRiZ went on stage, the rain gave his performance a special touch. After already playing 3 show before Summer Camp and 7 shows in 4 days total, I can’t believe how hard he threw down. Being from Colorado, I love the hometown homies SunSquabi. Andrew Clymer and Kevin Donohue from SunSquabi, got up on stage along side Grant and shredded.

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Photo by Phierce Photo of FX Media

4. VIP everything

I don’t normally buy VIP, but I figured why not make my first Summer Camp experience even better! VIP gives you; 1 Thursday Pre-Party Pass, VIP Camping, VIP Parking, VIP Bar Access, Special VIP Poster, VIP Main Stage Seating Access, Access to 1 Red Barn Late Night Show. As well as amenities like free showers, and air-conditioned bathrooms. I think VIP was the way to go and I will probably it for future endeavors.

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Photo by Phierce Photo of FX Media

3. Weather

The forecast called for rain, but I had faith it would hold out! For the most part it actually did! Until Sunday night, the weather was beautiful, but the dark clouds eventually rolled in, and a quite a bit of rain came down. I would overall say it was a wonderful weekend!

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2. The Festival Grounds

I thought the grounds were very well organized. I loved each stages difference setting. I felt like each band played on the appropriate stage, and after getting over stage name confusion, it was easy to figure out where I was supposed to go to catch the next act. There were so many vendors located throughout the festival it was never hard to find whatever you were looking for. The paths though the general admission camping made it easier to get from stage to stage in a moments time.

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Photo by Phierce Photo of FX Media

1. The people

Talk about making a girl feel like she is home. Pulling in to Three Sister’s Park, it just felt like it was going to be a great weekend. From the green trees to the large open fields filled with beautiful people, I knew as soon as I stepped out of the car that I was going to enjoy myself. Whether it was connecting with old friends, or meeting new ones, I was in love. Summer Camp isn’t like other festivals where you feel like you have to fend for yourself, it brings to you a family. I met so many awesome people, including a cute dancing baby who brought joy to heart, a funny hammocking neighbor who made laugh, and so many people who made me smile while listing to some of the best music.

Overall Summer Camp made me want to return again next year. With music so great, I can’t wait to see what the future of Summer Camp holds in store. See you next Scampers!

Written by Melanie Hass
Special thanks to Live Edits Lab, Phierce Photo of FX Media, and Jason Kaczorowski for the photos.

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Jun 2 2015

NEW RELASE: Major Lazer – ‘Peace Is The Mission’ (9-Track Album) [OUT NOW]

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CHECK OUT THE NEW MAJOR LAZER ALBUM:

The new Major Lazer album is here and it’s full of wild sounds and superstars. The 9-track album offers a blend of Major Lazer’s signature island party sound coupled together with a very pop-music vibe that could easily land half of these tunes on the radio. From a tune featuring Wild Belle, to “Powerful” featuring Ellie Goulding; it’s safe to say that Peace Is The Mission will turn new fans onto Major Lazer, while tunes like “Roll The Bass” will insure that their long devoted fans will have the classic ML sounds to hold onto. Theres also a track with Travi$ Scott, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, and Mad Cobra so there’s no doubt that Major Lazer earned some street cred on this one. Get ready to bust the walls down in the genre house and listen to the new album from Major Lazer; Peace Is The Mission.

PURCHASE HERE

Listen to Major Lazer – ‘Peace Is The Mission’ on Soundcloud:

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Jun 2 2015

NEW RELEASE: Ryan Hemsworth – ‘RyanPack Vol. 2’ (FREE Download)

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RYAN HEMSWORTH UNLEASHES A BLAST FROM THE PAST WITH NEW COMP:

Ryan Hemsworth wants to jumpstart your summer with a playlist to end all playlists. His second edition of ‘RyanPack’ features 9 tracks ranging all over the board from a Blink 182 flip, to a rendition of Drake’s “Know Yourself”. If the compilation is a testament to Ryan’s taste in music and to the notion of breaking genre boundaries, then Hemsworth has done a great job. Either way, the beats are hot and well composed. Have a listen, grab your free download, and bring back some nostalgic feelings with Ryan Hemsworth’s ‘RyanPack Vol. 2’

DOWNLOAD HERE

Listen and Download Ryan Hemsworth – ‘RyanPack Vol. 2’ on Soundcloud:

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