Village Voice Sound of the City Awards

Photo by Kenny Rodriguez

Best Party To Take Anyone To: The Rub

Once you’ve been to the Rub as many times as I have, you start to pick up on the little things that make the party flow just so. You’ll notice that of the three resident DJs, Cosmo Baker is the showman, often dancing over his mixer and chatting with the crowd over his signature funk-heavy sets. Or that DJ Eleven, the strongest technically (and most unassuming despite the fact that he looms over his fellow partners), has the keenest ear for r&b and dancehall. DJ Ayres is the friendliest (and funniest) of the bunch, and regardless of his ventures into dance music, his selection constantly reminds us that he’s a hip-hop nerd at heart. In fact, hip-hop is the constant of the party, and the one of the many reasons that half of Brooklyn can’t seem to stay away from the monthly throw down at Southpaw.
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Moombahton (pronounced moom-buh-tone) may be from D.C., but it’s not exactly of D.C: The essential summery vibe of his music, after all, comes from the Netherlands and a variety of Latin sounds. Dave Nada’s Moombahton peers, likewise, owe little to the Potomac basin. Within a month of his first Internet posting of Moombahton tracks, DJs elsewhere created their own versions. Even the Moombahton Massive gig featured artists from Alberta and New York, not to mention a 21-year-old Dutch wunderkind named Munchi.

Moombahton could never belong to D.C., because it almost immediately belonged to the Web.

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See the whole set at Hi-Fi Cartel

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This Saturday afternoon I will be DJing a toy drive at the Etsy space in Dumbo. There will be craft projects, food and beverages, and you get to see the inside of Etsy, which is awesome. Parents should bring their kids to make ornaments, and bring a wrapped toy to donate to Housing Works. I love this type of stuff and haven’t had a chance to play for kids since Baby Loves Disco folded, so I’ll definitely be playing fun tunes.

RSVP here. Please add a plus one for each child you plan to bring!

Details after the jump, or visit the Etsy website for more information.
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This Friday we have Natalie Storm live at Flashing Lights, along with T&A artists Starks & Nacey. If you’re in New York City, we would love to see you at Public Assembly (front room). For a little preview, here is Natalie Storm’s new mix CD with Federation Sound, Songs 2 Fuck & Fight 2. In addition to dancehall and soca murderation she also voices a bunch of Flashing Lights favorites, including Afrojack “Pacha on Acid,” A-Trak x YYY “Heads Will Roll,” Armand Van Helden “Witch Doktor,” Boris Dlugosch “Bangkok” and more. And of course “Running” off the new TNT EP. Highly highly recommended.

LA throwback jungle duo Camo UFOs’ take on Munchi & Mr Lexx “Shottas” is free at RCRD LBL! Catch Munchi with Flashing Lights next Thursday in DC and buy his debut EP on T&A Records.

Munchi – Shottas f. Mr. Lexx (Camo UFOs Remix) by T&ARecords

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Do you like rappin? Every Thursday, Fool’s Gold blog hand picks a bunch of jams for rap listeners. This week I made a guest mix for said column, with tons of new (and newish) raps. Kanye, Big K.R.I.T., Nicki Minaj, Fat Joe, Yelawolf, M.E.D., Vado, Cam’ron and many others get in on the action. Best listened to in your car with the woofers pumped up.

Rappin Ass Thursdays Mix by DJ Ayres
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