It took me about 3 days to recover from Creators Project —  just in time for CMJ.  My week kicked off with Light Asylum and Class Actress at Public Assembly.

Light Asylum

FADER describes them best…

Shannon Funchess has a powerful voice. She’s got extreme range, from brutally low and operatic to punchy post-punk. For “Dark Allies,” a track with Light Asylum other half Bruno Coviello’s Knight Rider-esque synth voyage as a base plain, she swoops deep and delivers an aggressive performance, just a touch sweet and just a touch scary…..Lit slightly purple by the horizontal growing lights set at the base of the stage, they were intense to watch, but that didn’t stop tons of folks from dancing wildly. Never has music this heavy inspired such serious grinding.

Class Actress:

Class Actress, the moniker for singer/ songwriter Elizabeth Harper, is probably one of my favorite bands of the moment.  The 80′s sounding synth-pop sensation just released her new LP Rapprocher, boasting hit singles such as “Weekend” and “Keep You” – and I am a fan.  Harper, who is commonly compared to Madonna in the 80′s, is effortlessly sexy with her breathy vocals and nonchalant attitude.  I’ve been listening to her songs on repeat literally all day every day.

You can read more about her on Phrequency and Mishka.

Also, you can check out my whole CMJ playlist on SPOTIFY HERE.

Holy effing shit.  I have been going non-stop for the past month year week.  I barely recovered from the Creators Project (brought to you by Vice and Intel) and jumped right in to CMJ.  So…. with out further ado… heres the run down…

Creators Project

When: October 15th
Where: DUMBO
Who: Florence & the Machine + JUSTICE  + Art + Film + more music

Creators Project – a gathering of film, music, art, and overall creativity,  was probably one of the best events I went to last year (held at MILK Studios.)  This year Intel and VICE, decided to take over a whole neighborhood and moved the festival to DUMBO.  While there were definitely pros and cons to having it span across multiple venues - PROS: able to see more things, not as crazy crowded, shorter bathroom lines.  CONS: No bars outside where all the music was happening.  Lack of chaos (which can be a pro depending on how you look at it)  - I think everyone can agree that seeing Florence & the Machine perform underneath The Archway of the Manhattan Bridge was pretty effing rad as well as rocking out to JUSTICE while lying inside a giant neon cube in the middle of an abandoned Tobacco Warehouse.  I am not going to lie, I always liked Florence & the Machine, but this performance was… special.  Thousands of people singing along to every word, dancing to the best of their ability, and just exuding happiness - it was a touching moment.  I have a newfound respect for Flo – she KILLED it.

When Justice was announced as a headliner for this year’s CP, I just knew I had to go. I love them, from their unapologetically badass proclivities for leather and cigarettes to their reclusive natures. The show was a tiny teaser for their upcoming Audio, Video, Disco disc, the first one they will release since their † blew my mind five years ago. Although their set wasn’t the full fledged Justice sweatfest I’ve heard tales of, I still got to enjoy it while alternatively flailing in the crowd and encompassing myself in a giant, electrified cube. Yeah, it was pretty great…

Sidenote: The best way to get to DUMBO is the East River Ferry.  Its amazing.

– Michelle & Kristina

Remember my buddy ole pal, Broke Ass Stuart. Well yeah… since you last saw him, hes got his own show on IFC AND a new book coming out.  He’s coming back to NYC to celebrate with a half book reading half dance party that’ll be good for your brain and your booty! You can check out my cameo appearance on Stu’s site as a ‘Broke Ass of the Week‘ and you can come hang with us both tomorrow Fat Baby with eMusic’s J. Edward Keyes, aka “DJ Sportcoat” and Bluestockings Books  7pm.

On a side note – I would like to thank Stu for (A) giving me the chance to ‘make it’ as an event producer and (B) giving me inspiration to start my own blog.  Cheers Stu! You deserve all the success!!!

Fat Baby | 112 Rivington btwn Essex and Ludlow

This time next week I will be getting the fuck out of the city and off to the House of Creatives – an amazing project that comes to us from Marial Mahar of Seasick Mama.

The House of Creatives is an artist retreat that is taking place over the course of six weeks  - developing rich and original bodies of work spanning the worlds of fashion look-books, editorials, records, music videos, digital media, and much more. The HOC allows a select group of professionals to explore their wild sides in unfettered collaborations. No boundaries. No restrictions.

I will be there documenting my excursion here TDD – as well as collaborating on projects.  I am most looking forward to getting styled and shot by the amazing talent in the house – and just having some time off to focus on all the ideas brewing in my head.

Overall EZ 2011 Impressions – A sea of neon clothing, sunglasses, animal print, spandex, tutus and costumes filled up the four tents and the entirety of Randall’s Island. Disco balls and lights hung in trees that were turned into a light show after the sun went down.

Changes: Now being three days and in its 3^rd year, Made Event truly did everything in their power to make Electric Zoo go as smoothly and be as enjoyable as ever. Nothing slipped through the cracks, and if it did, I didn’t even notice and I’m sure any residual issues will be fixed for next year. New wristbands had microchips & scanners which made for virtually no entry lines and 21 & over wrist bands were available immediately on the other side. There was every kind of food and drinks imaginable and all choices were delicious. I never saw a line at the bathroom; there were tons of porta-pottys and portable sinks. The tents boasted larger screens, flooring which eliminated dust buildup and sound quality that never hurt your ears. The whole festival was environmentally friendly; I’m not sure what else they will change for next year, but they seem to have most things covered.

Matt Zo – For being only 21, Matt Zo rocked it on Saturday. He is bound to have an amazing career and acted like he has been doing this as long as the veterans. He showed that trance is still around with his super fast beats and didn’t fall victim to the dubstep & house vocals that have been taking over the radio stations.

Sean Tyas // Simon Patterson - Sean is a Trance Dj from Long Island, NYC. He has a huge NY following and even though his set was early in the day the tent was pretty crowded. They mostly played trance and looked like they were having a blast.

James Holden – The Sunday School tent had such a great vibe. It was nice to take a little break and get away from the heart pounding trance for some slower paced music. Plus, the Sunday School tent usually has an older crowd who have been in the scene forever.

Sander Van Doorn – ROCKED the main stage. Just pure dancing from the crowd and everyone was having a blast. Personally, my favorite track was the XX Intro mix.

John Digweed – Digweed has been around for so long that you just know he is going to bring it. He played a pretty even tempo and flawless set. I don’t think the timing and placement of the main stage was right for him, however. He would have benefitted from the Sunday School tent and a later set time.

Skrillex – By far the most energetic, crowded, loud and sweaty tent appearance that I saw all day. I actually walked in but was scared a neon girl would fall off of a guy’s shoulders onto me, or a dubstepper would trample me. A newer name in the scene, I think he definitely made his mark on the NY crowd. I heard his name in the crowd the entire rest of the day.

Dirty South – His was the most surprising set for me. After having a Grammy nomination and global recognition, I was a little skeptical about the “Housy-ness” and quality of his set. But, he surprised me and I really enjoyed his set. He played some great tracks, and great remixes of Coldplay, Temper Trap, & Florence and the Machine and a new track called “Walking Alone.”

Photos courtesy of The Culture of Me