Artists
 

 DJ Shepard Fairey                  

Frank Shepard Fairey is a contemporary graphic designer. He is most noted for being the artist who in 1990, created the "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, which has evolved into the "Obey Giant" campaign, and can now be seen all over the world. In 2004, Fairey joined artists Robbie Conal and Mear One to create a series of "anti-war, anti- Bush" posters for a street art campaign called "Be the Revolution" for the art collective Post Gen. 2005 saw Fairey and DJ Shadow collaborating on a box set. It included t-shirts, stickers, prints, and a mix CD by Shadow. Fairey created a series of posters supporting Barack Obama's candidacy for President in 2008, including the "HOPE" portrait. has produced work for Interpol and the Black Eyed Peas. http://www.obeygiant.com/

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The Entrance Band                  

The Entrance Band have arrived and here to stay. Residing in Los Angeles, singer and upside-down-guitarist-extrordinare Guy Blakeslee has formed Entrance into a shockingly explosive power trio that merges the freakouts of the rock-underground with a universal melody and groove designed to reverse-brainwash the catatonic music industry into a new revolution. The addition of Paz Lenchantin on bass (A Perfect Circle, Zwan) and Derek W. James on drums leads Blakeslee's old and new material into terrain that knows no limits to scenes, styles, or sonics. While breaking into new musical frontiers, The Entrance Band turn on to the kind of psychedelic-blues-rituals, tribal-funk-hypnosis, and space-punk-telepathy that Kurt, Jimi, Fela, and Janis would be jamming to up in the cosmos; looking down to see where all the real music has gone..."

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The (International) Noise Conspiracy

 
Spearheaded by Rick Rubin and created in the same Sunset Sound studio where The Doors recorded most of their acclaimed catalog, The(International) Noise Conspiracy's fourth full-length is a bunker-buster of compassion and activism aimed straight for your heart and brain.
Rubin's ear managed to bring out the best in The (I)NC's latest batch of songs, which broadly cover challenging territory. The urgent noise of opener"Assassination of Myself" is "ultimately about the deconstruction of the male identity, about being told what it is to be a man," Lyxzén says. That self-actuation forms a thematic center for The Cross of My Calling.

The Nortec Collective Presents Bostich & Fussible       

Nortec Collective emerged from the burgeoning Tijuana electronic scene, performing a style of music that they invented called Nortec - a fusion of Norteño ("from the North") and Techno, documenting the collision between the style and culture of electronica music, characterized by hard dance beats, and samples from traditional forms of Mexican music. With two albums (Tijuana Sessions Vol. 1 and Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3) under their belts, the Nortec sound has been embraced by an international audience and has become an entire movement encompassing music, film and graphic design.   Ever-evolving, the Nortec Collective presents Bostich + Fussible “Tijuana Sound Machine”, featuring brand new tracks from Fussible (Pepe Mogt) and Bostich (Ramon Amezcua). Fans are already familiar with the stylings of Bostich and Fussible as the masterminds behind tracks like “Tengo La Voz”, “Tijuana Bass”, and “Tijuana Makes Me Happy” off the double Grammy-nominated 2005 album, ‘Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3’ (Nacional Records) and can expect more of this unique blend of accordions, tubas, trumpets, norteño percussion, vocoders, drum machines and synthesizers

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Mexican Institute of Sound

Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS; or Instituto Mexicano Del Sonido in Spanish) is an electronic music project created by Mexico City-based DJ and producer Camilo Lara. By day, Lara is the president of EMI Mexico and at night he is mastermind of M.I.S. Along with groups like Nortec Collective and Kinky, M.I.S. is part of a growing Mexican electronica movement, encouraging fusions of folk and more traditional music with modern sounds. Songs from M.I.S. releases have been featured in ABC’s “Ugly Betty”, Showtime’s “Californication”, New Line Cinema’s “Pride & Glory”, a Dos Equis national advertising campaign and the EA Games “FIFA 2008” video game.

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Busdriver  

Out of the legendary Project Blowed crew, Busdriver has carved a niche in underground hip-hop with unique performance and freestyle skills that combine elements of vocal jazz, theatrics, spoken-word, and machine precision with witty and incisive free association lyrics. A frequent collaborator with many of Los Angeles' hip-hop elite, Busdriver has worked with Danger Mouse, Boom Bip, DJ Nobody, Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, Mikah-9, 2Mex, Xololanxinxo, Fat Jack, Daddy Kev, and Omid. His releases for Celestial and Big Dada, including his debut full-length, Temporary Forever, have received glowing praise in The Wire, Rolling Stone, Spin, Village Voice, and XLR8R among many others, and have landed him a spot in Urb's lauded "Next 100."

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The Growlers

The Living Suns 



 The Living Suns combine a mixture of progressive and psychedelic rock, a throwback to specific bands from the 60s/70s, although their sound is composed with a bit of modern flair as mirrored by some groups on their varied influences list (at their website). You could make comparisons using the many familiar sounds spread throughout their arsenal, but ultimately their unique style stands strong, cemented via a wide range of sound palettes, forged into a unique vibe TLS can proudly call their own.

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Free The Robots 

"Santa Ana DJ/producer Chris Alfaro probably knows more about music than you do. He has applied his advanced knowledge of jazz, funk, rock, hip-hop and electronic music to his Free the Robots solo project, and the diligent studying and crate-digging have paid serious dividends. Call him an old-school avant-gardist. Free the Robots (Free The Robots is actually one man band Chris Alfaro, although the live show involves heavy collaboration with keyboard/guitar man Phil Nisco) creates instrumental hip-hop based on obscure samples that are ingeniously spliced and juxtaposed for maximum friction and frisson. Check out the self-titled EP on Elsewhere Studios for proof. The first track is called “Listen to the Future,” and it’s not an idle boast. These tracks swing and funk and bliss out and aren’t afraid to wave their prog or Bollywood or pre-bop-jazz freak flags."

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Blank Blue 

DJ Nobody has always flirted with psychedelic sounds, but with vocalist Niki Randa under their Blank Blue guise, he released “Western Water Music Vol 2” and took the dive headfirst into a space where headsy-folktronics and beat-forward tunes meet in gloriously lush soundscapes.

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DJ Nobody 

Twice as important as most OC musicians. From soul-jazz-inflected hip-hop to aquatic psych-pop to producing backpacker-rap classics for Busdriver to his new bliss-hop unit Blank Blue, this cat has the Midas touch.

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Protect Me 

New project by members of Ima Gymnist.
http://www.myspace.com/protectmeprotect

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BOOGALOO ASSASSINS
Welcome to the party, y'all..
Formed in Los Angeles from the ashes of the rock-steady machine Ocean 11, latin-funk pioneers Five Degrees of Soul, ska stalwarts See Spot, Chris Murray Combo and even LA's favorite Vallenato Cumbia superstars Very Be Careful, the Boogaloo Assassins are here to get down Spanish-Harlem style. Heavily indebted to the classic sounds of New York's late 60's/early 70's latin music explosion, Los Asesinos serve up traditional latin son/son-montuno/guaguanco/cha-cha-cha/latin boogaloo/latin soul, blues and descargas for your feets and ears. Keepin' it hot & greasy on any dancefloor vaya!
www.myspace.com/theboogalooassassins
Bobby Soul 

DJ Bobby Soul is the voice behind OC based-sweet soul band, Soul Hustlers and LA Based latin soul/salsa group The Boogaloo Assassins. A Talent Buyer, Bobby Soul is responsible for bringing some of the region's best groups/DJ's to Fullerton's Continental Room. DJing / Record Collecting & performing in LA/OC for over 12 years; rare salsa, boogie, cumbia, and variations of funk/soul make up his signature sound. Get Ready to get down at the Bistro 400, baila! 
 

http://www.myspace.com/djbobbysoul

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The HatTrix Project 

The Hat Trix Project showcases poets, artists, and musicians uniting to share their passions, creating a unique theatrical experience. The soundDowntown line-up will feature: Gill S.O.T.U. (Host/Poet) – Member of the 2008 San Diego Slam Team, 2007 Los Angeles Gang Green Grand Slam Champion, 2006 Ventura County Grand Slam Poetry Champion, and three time winner of the Annual Poetry Slam at Borders Bookstore. Paul Mabon (Actor/Poet) – Paul’s television credits include NBC’s It’s Showtime at the Apollo, HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, NBC’s Starting Over, and MTV’s 2006 TRL Awards Show.

 Rudy Francisco (Poet) – Member of 2008 Hollywood slam team and 2007 San Diego Grand Slam champion, Rudy combines activism and poetry. Deacon Blair (Poet) – 2008 San Diego Grand Slam champion. Nikki Black (Poet) - Recipient of the 2005 World Stage UCLA Literary Scholarship. Jerrica Escoto (Poet)– accomplishments include poetry performance for juvenile youth at the San Diego County Office of Education. Andre Roman (Emcee) - Eighteen-year-old actor and rapper who relocated to Hollywood via Colorado to share his art with a new audience. Ellin Sielicki – Russian Burlesque Dancer. TheMajicBulletTheory – Featured jazz/funk musicians with a hip-hop edge.
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Scotty Coats 

Bearded Baby
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My Hollow Drum

My Hollow Drum is a collective of aspiring deejay's/ musicians/ artists devoted to their fixation of art & sounds alike. " All ego aside," from individual and collaborative efforts, our artists collide sound collage chemistry with death drum anthems, dimlit psychedelia , sugar coated dirt, moments of melodic bliss along with the squishiest of textures, lounge boom-bap and art of all mediums.

Zutra

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Free Moral Agents

Free Moral Agents is the brainchild of Isaiah Ikey Owens (Keyboardist for The Mars Volta). Starting as a solo project and expanding with Isaiah in his decade-long career of collaborations with Mastadon, Sublime, Z-trip, El-P, Saul Williams, and De Facto. FMA has become a collective musical force from Long Beach, CA. Free Moral Agents released their debut Everybody’s Favorite Weapon on GSL Records in late 2004. With freestyle moments layered over vibrant melodies, heavy beats and jazzy interludes Favorite Weapon was just the beginning for this side-project.

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Look Daggers 

Timing has everything to do with the collaboration between 2Mex (Visionaries, Of Mexican Descent) and keyboardist Ikey Owens (The Mars Volta, Free Moral Agents). The initial idea came from “The Brand New Heavies” album “Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1.” The concept was simple: a Hip-Hop album performed by human beings.

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From Elsewhere

A team of musicians, producers, dj’s, songwriters, film and photo artists with different backgrounds, open minds, and a balance of ideas. (Urth, Roam, No MSG, Japson, Fluent)

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DJ Pubes 

Dance Right LA
http://www.myspace.com/puberty

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Nosaj Thing 

L.A.-based producer Nosaj Thing (Jason Chung) is a sound innovator. He’s a sweet kid with a sinister musical agenda. His electronic soundscapes and wild beat tectonics play like vignettes that affect the listener’s mind as deeply as he hits their soul. Without a doubt, Nosaj Thing is among L.A.’s finest musical modulators.

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Mika Miko 

Mika Miko is an underground youth punk/noise band formed in Los Angeles in 2003, which quickly gained local popularity for frenetic live performances. The five-piece, all female “punk” band  reflects the label both in spirit and attitude, pounding their way through interesting, fast pop songs that leave you wondering how they pull the steam all the way through. Imagine a high school dance where Red Cross, Black Flag, X-Ray Spex, The Slits and The Germs are all playing at with an updated flare of excitement and anxiousness. Featuring Jennifer Clavin, Jenna Thornhill, Michelle Suarez, Jessie Clavin, and Jon Erik Edrosa, the band recorded their first CD and 7”, touring the West Coast extensively before replacing their original drummer with Katelyn Hall and embarking on their first national tour in summer of 2005. The band’s first full length album, C.Y.S.LA.B.F., was co-released by Post Present Medium and Kill Rock Stars in the summer of 2006. Mika Miko often performs with bands such as No Age, Xiu Xiu, Abe Vigoda, Crystal Castles, Health, Panther and Deerhoof. Learn more at mikamiko.tk and myspace.com/mikamiko.

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Sparrow Love Crew 

The Southern California Based Hip-Hop dynamo Sparrow Love Crew is renowned for their fresh beats and fiendishly fun lyrics. Oh, and for getting parties started, crowds riled and masses of lasses shakin' it on stage. Sparrow Love Crew radiate positive energy, lyrical choreography and witty verbiage. They also own a stage like Donald Trump owns the Trump Tower.  
Backed by the not inaccurately dubbed “magic hands” of DJ Opi Styles, the four MCs (Devoux, Diggory, Kid Wizard and Mikey Brixx) diplomatically trade off verses. They're not afraid of melody and hooks big enough to carry four overlapping rhymers who sound like everything that made you love late-'80s hip-hop when you first heard it.  
Drawing upon an eclectic array of influences SLC blends elements of dance, ghettotech, electronica, even freestyle with their own style of high energy, soulful hip hop. SLC seeks to blend the best of the past with the hope of a future. While they push forward conventional formulas, their songs are made for end-of-the-night sing-alongs, hip-hop as it was first imagined—party-rockin' first, ask questions later.

Venus Infers
"OC quartet Venus Infers may be the best band ever to pun on a Velvet Underground song title. The music’s uniformly smart and tart, dreamy and creamy, sparky and not at all snarky. Fetter delivers intense passion, requisite brashness and adequate range, if not any quality that distinguishes him from hundreds of other young, white rock singers currently spraying saliva on mics. Musically, Venus Infers predominantly tailor their songs to reach the folks in the nosebleed seats at hockey arenas—where they will one day open for the Strokes and/or Kings of Leon. Don't bet against Venus Infers succeeding."  -David Segal, OC Weekly

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Two Guns

TWO GUNS is a band based out of Long Beach, California and consists of Kevin Poush, Chris Fudurich, Aaron Bradford and Adam Ferry (Alan deBoer plays guitar and sings harmonies for their live show). Kevin, Aaron and Adam managed to release a 2005 full-length for The Militia Group record label while members of the band Fielding. Fielding did some touring, twice played SXSW and had the pleasure of sharing the stage with bands such as Sleater-Kinney, Cold War Kids, Matt Costa, Josh Rouse, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Richard Swift, The 88, Retribution Gospel Choir, Rocky Votolato, The Fall, etc. It was during this time when they befriended Los Angeles based producer/engineer/mixer/multi-instrumentalist Christopher Fudurich. In addition to producing a number of songs for Fielding, Chris produced Nada Surf’s 2003 release, Let Go, amongst a laundry list of other engineer/production/mixer credits with artists such as Matthew Sweet, Susanna Hoffs, Sophie B. Hawkins, Jimmy Eat World and Simple Minds. When Fielding disbanded in 2006, Aaron, Adam and Kevin continued to get together twice a week to work on songs that Kevin had tucked away for a rainy day. Sometime in mid 2007 Kevin ran into Chris at a bar in LA. When the two stepped out for a breath of air Chris said something like, “Hey, I heard you started a new band. I want in!” To which Kevin replied something like, “Yes! Let’s do it.” That was the moment Two Guns shifted from an idea to a band. Since Two Guns is quite new there aren't a ton of shows to speak of (though their first appearance had them opening a sold out show with The Bird and The Bee) since they chose to divert their time and efforts toward recording. November 2008 should be happy to see the arrival of Two Guns debut, self-titled and self-released 11 song album. The end result is a compilation of well crafted songs, heavy on melody and instrumentation far beyond their year and a half as a band would suggest. A number of friends joined them on the album including Kay Hanley of Letter's To Cleo fame and Sarah and Dan of Los Angeles' Robotanists.

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Faded Tequila Wormz

Members of From Elsewhere (Japson and Fluent)
http://www.myspace.com/japson

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Dan Sena

Former lead singer of Bullet Train to Vegas (Nitro Records) turned Party Rockin’ Electro DJ extraordinaire.
http://www.djdansena.com

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Dan Oh

“i dj with Them Jeans and Steve Aoki every tuesday at Cinespace in Hollywood. i also make the visuals/DVD for the night.
Urthworm of FreeTheRobots/fromElsewhere led me the way when we were little kids.
my girlfriend's a dj and she's better than me. she'll school you too.
i love Manchester United, and i love you too.”  - Dan Oh

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Tea Long

DJ Set
http://www.myspace.com/ihatetealong

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MODE

MODE is comprised of four members; Isaac Alo (bass), Hovsep Babayan (Drums), Takeshi Yamada (keys) and Ruben Villalobos (guitar/vocals.) The band members' roles go beyond that of a traditional rock band due to the bands' approach of the music; the music is the star, not the members. Mode's live efforts are energetic and dynamic. Villalobos' explosions of loud, fuzzy, and driven guitars are supported Alo's raw and groovy bass lines which both can come down to a spontaneous whisper. Babayan's fat, powerful drums bind the sound and holds it in its place only to be sweetened and topped off by Yamada's keyboard work who's timbre ranges from soft ethereal cries to crunchy organs.
Freeform/improvisational jams are a huge pillar within the live set of MODE, which caught the ears and eyes of Isaiah "Ikey" Owens, a self made keyboard hustler guru whose works can be heard primarily in THE MARS VOLTA, FREE MORAL AGENTS, and many more. Soon after MODE planned recording dates with Owens on deck as producer, along with Anthony Arvizu who recorded/mixed and co-produced the project with the help of Jeff Lewis as engineer. Sessions were held at Long Beach's Compound Studio. Owens and Arvizu worked closely with the band and evoked the debut release from its members which would soon be called "A FUTURE TO KILL THE HABITS ON THE WITCHS' TONGUE." The album's 10 tracks, some of which ooze into each other on the latter end illustrate all of the four members strong points, as well as some guest work by percussionist Steven Hodges. Owens and Arvizu joined the band for some moments on the album which only fueled the sound of ..."THE WITCH'S TONGUE " even more.

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Zechs Marquise

Zechs Marquise is an American rock act from El Paso, Texas. They are generally considered a progressive rock band. It consists of Michael Farraro, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez, Marcos Smith, and Matthew Wilkson. The band's name comes from the character Zechs Marquise of the anime Gundam Wing.
 Zechs Marquise formed in the fall of 2003 going by the name of Monolith. Since then, the band has created a stir in their hometown of El Paso, Texas, and has built a solid fan base within the southwest cities that they have visited on the road. The band combines a wide variety of sounds and instruments and their sound has been likened to Can, Pink Floyd and King Crimson.[1] Their live performances are revered by fans as energetic and always evolving. The band utilizes live elements of jazz improv, and applies them to facets of traditional rock: common time, electric instruments, loudness.

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Peanut is as much a philosophy as it is a band. The members have been around the block enough times to know that life is short, and you have to grab every opportunity that comes your way with gusto. Playing Festival Hall as part of Sound Downtown? Hell yes.
 
Carrying on the late Gram Parson’s vision of Cosmic American Music played straight from the heart, Peanut’s repertoire encompasses country, gospel, soul, folk, rock and roll, hillbilly and beyond. Although Peanut as a band is less than two years old, the friendships among the band members go back several decades. Blessed with a wealth of musical experience and former members of the Undisputed Truth as well as Ruby and The Rockets, Peanut proudly plays music that is so out of step with contemporary tastes that it is hip by default.  
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Nalepa

LA-based electronic music
ian, multimedia artist and mad scientist collector Steve Nalepa has produced tracks with such legends as Bill Laswell and Pharoah Sanders, worked with the LA Philharmonic, and performed at prestigious venues around the world including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, MOCA, the Getty Museum and festivals such as Glade, Decibel and Coachella. Nalepa is one of the artists featured Visionaire 53 SOUND which includes 100 original sound pieces by David Byrne, U2, Danger Mouse, Dan The Automator, Vashti Bunyan and ore. When he's not in the lab or rocking dancefloors together with

 influenced by David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Harry Nilsen and the American folk music revival of the early 60s. I have headlined the Knitting Factory, done a small California tour with Daniel Brummel and have been playing the Los Angeles/Orange County music and coffee house scene since Spring of 2008. My songs have been featured in television shows... The Hills, Flipping Out, Celebrity Rehab, etc. I also have myspace.com/michaelrosasmusic