Date: Sept 15, 2004
Subject: 99 Goes to Washington
Hi all, 99 here delivering all the news that's fit to print about Beleza Music. This month's theme is "99 Goes to Washington," with an Indy Media benefit a couple weeks ago, voter registration park party, and the construction of a community radio station. Also, lurvely new music from North Carolina's Research Triangle area and a jam at La Tazza!
DJ Silvaback on los unos and doses, news from the Carolinas
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We'll get the non-Philly stuff out of the way for you worldwide readers. Hit up http://www.beleza-music.org/trackssets for Silvaback's Broke On the Floor vol 2 mix. The Chapel Hill vinyl junkie's mission with this series is to prove to naysayers that broken beat IS NOT DOWNTEMPO! That bears repeating, but I'll let his dancefloor-friendly, high quality blending speak for itself.
While we're on the subject of the Research Triangle, you gotta check out 2 cds...
The Apple Juice Kid - Plus+
I can't stop listening to it. Obsessively. On this cd of all original songs, this jazz drummer has put together a mix of ultra-slow dub, chipper live drum and bass drumming, compelling hip hop and trip hop, and even a touch of senstive indie rock vocals. The mix is fresh, unexpected, and fluid. And the thing is, these aren't tracks...they are fully devloped, sophisticated songs. I miss that. It's SO good. http://www.theapplejuicekid.com
Urban Renewal Records: Transatlantic Bass
Another cd of all original ish from some the tightest Stateside producers of UK garage, named after the legendary yearly Winter Music Conference party, and brought to you by the good folks at Durham's Urban Renewal Records. Relentless pummelling of big, big beats. Undeniable! You can buy the cd and read the review blurbs (including my goofy wordage) at Groovedis (http://www.groovedis.com), CDBaby (http://cdbaby.com/cd/transatlantic), and other fine purveyors. Full info at http://www.urbanrenewalrecords.com
Sat Sept 25 - REPRESENT: Beats You Can Vote To
Malcolm X Park, 52st & Pine, West Philadelphia
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For those in the US, I don't have to tell you how close and important this election is, but man, you can only go to so many protests and express so much outrage before you just wanna kick back and enjoy life. How about both?
REPRESENT: A Real Political Party
September 15, 2004. The Represent team, a diverse group of young, concerned citizens, joins forces with Beleza Music, Driving Votes, Swing the State, Urban Voters Campaign, Young Voter Alliance and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell to celebrate Philadelphia's commitment to democracy. On Saturday September 25, 2004 from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. citizens of Philadelphia will dance for democracy. People of all colors and ages are invited to Malcolm X Park to celebrate the right to vote, redeem political power and ensure all votes are cast in November.
An incredible line up of DJs including New York's DJ Ras and DJ Tabu, Phillee Blunt of Philadelphia's Illvibe Collective, Joni Love, and 99 will electrify the park. As party-goers dance in the sun, the Represent team and partners will distribute registration forms and be on-hand to answer voting-related questions.
Philadelphia Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell will say a few words at 4pm, and other speakers will be getting the masses pumped for the elections throughout the day. If you would like to get involved in any way, please get in touch. Some of the participating organizations will be training volunteers that morning in the park to get people registered, so if you're interested in helping out, come by around 10ish. If that's not your bag but you still want to help, write back and we'll see if we can put you to work one way or another.
If you are not already, GET YOUR BUTT REGISTERED! And VOTE, dammit!
See http://www.represent04.org
Full press release at http://www.beleza-music.org/events
Community Radio Barnraising in Portsmouth, NH - ON THE AIR!
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2 weekends ago I had the distinct pleasure of slinging a screwdriver for 106.1 WSCA-LPFM, Portsmouth, NH, supported by the Prometheus Radio Project, based right here in West Philadelphia. Prometheus is an amazing organization, fighting, well actually, winning the battle to keep airwaves in the hands of, like, people, instead of profit-crazy robots. Novel concept! Prometheus is a mosquito buzzing around the FCC's head, tailing their every move, collecting up to 3 million public comments on evil proposals and bills, and even winning a lawsuit against the government which stays some massive media deregulation rules that the FCC had planned.
In addition to their legal activism, they also do these "barnraisings"... weekend-long events where people from all over gather to get a low-power radio station on the air. About 175 people with talents as diverse as transmitter building, news writing, djing, cooking, carpentry, computer geekery, and volunteer organizing, gathered in Portsmouth for a weekend of hammering, soldering, server-building, antenna-lifting, floor-sleeping, vegan feasting, dancing, and a LOT of teaching and learning. And you know what? 7pm on Sunday night, WSCA flipped the switch and went on the air! Now, that is amazing. And now 100 fully legal watts of airwaves in Portsmouth, NH have something good to listen to instead of the sterile, mass-produced, cotton-candy crap on the rest of the dial. Ha! Take THAT! And peep this: http://www.prometheusradio.org - http://www.wscafm.org.
99 & Sezy @ La Tazza Fri Oct 1
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This just in: Myself and the super amazing DJ Sezy will be taking over La Tazza on Fri Oct 1. More info on the way. Come down and wish Sezy good luck as she prepares to join 59 other musical geniuses (including Philly's own Lil Dave!!!) in Rome for the super-prestigious Red Bull Music Academy!!!
That should keep you busy for a little while. Until next time...
Axé!
99
Axé!
