NewCityMovement

Chicago's "Promoters' Ordinance" To Cripple Local Music

Tomorrow the Chicago City Council will vote on Chapter 4-157, the "Promoters' Ordinance" which will force independent promoters to become licensed, regulate the kinds of events that are allowed and change the face of independent Chicago music, arts, and culture. Many believe it's aimed at stomping out underground dance music. The Sun Times has more today.

The website "In opposition to Chapter 4-157" states the following:

What is Chapter 4-157? (from the Chicago Independent Radio Project)

The Chicago City Council has fast-tracked its new version of a measure first introduced last year to greatly impede independent promoters attempting to hold events in the city. Under the proposed law, independent promoters would have to acquire a promoter's license at a cost of up to $2000 every two years, obtain liability insurance for every event thrown, even if the presenting venue already has liability insurance, be fingerprinted and background checked, and maintain extensive records of each event. The ordinance allegedly is intended to prevent disasters like the one that occurred in the E2 nightclub several years ago, but really would just put many small indies (not to mention non-profits that rely on events for fundraising, like CHIRP) out of business.

Jim DeRogatis is on top of the story, so we'll link to him rather than paraphrase further.

FYI, the ordinance exempts non-profits from certain portions of the rules (although not the extensive record keeping), but requires a group to have been in existence for at least three years, or to have 501(c)3 status.

Two Must See Shows Approacheth

Do not miss these two shows if you know what's good for you! Cut/Copy opens for Black Kids at Urban Lounge on May 2nd and M.I.A. will be blowin' up at the Depot on the 18th. Click images above for tickets to each... and check out M.I.A.'s webzite, it's nutters.

Download Jesse Walker Live at NCM 10 Year Anniversary

Thanks to handy digital recording devices, you can re-hear my disque jockey set from last Saturday's bangin' anniversary party. Click the above image or download the full raw set HERE (right click and 'save as'). The audio was graciously mastered by my friend Dan Morris and encoded at 160 kbps .mp3 - highest variable bit rate for good sound quality at a reasonable size. There were some really great moments and I can't thank everyone enough for supporting NiteLite and NewCityMovement.

Support National Record Store Day

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, is RECORD STORE DAY. mark your calendars. we are proud and thrilled to celebrate with hundreds of other independent record stores nationwide - and we hope you come down and celebrate with us! in addition to a storewied sale of 15% off everything and free gifts from great local businesses like Ken Sanders Rare Books, SLUG Magazine, 24tix.com, and Leia Bell we'll have live music starting at 1pm, BBQ sandwiches from KRCL's Circus Brown, exclusive releases from bands like Vampire Weekend, Destroyer, and Stephen Malkmus, and goodie bags with gifts from Sub Pop Records, Matador Records, Paste Magazine, Bjork, Paul McCartney, The Clash and many more!! it is going to be absolutely incredible. so bring your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, teachers, students, WHOEVER down to slowtrain on Saturday, April 19...and let's all celebrate the unique place that record stores have in their communities. – SlowtrainMusic.com / RecordStoreDay.com

Download the Permanent Vacation record labels Summer 2008 mixtape here.

Parisians Learn How To Dance

A dance known as the Tecktonik, a mix of rave and break dancing has taken Paris by a storm. The Wall Street Journal reports, "...the dance craze spread over video-sharing Web sites such as YouTube. Today, party-goers line up for hours to get into Tecktonik-themed parties across France. Kids are moving to the Tecktonik beat on street corners and in school yards." Unfortunately, Alexandre Barouzdin the promoter behind the original party is trying to turn it into a corporate brand.

The article goes on to say that "French music producer Marc Cerrone helped pioneer the "disco" movement with his 17-minute dance epic, "Love in C Minor," which hit the New York club scene in the mid 1970s. He dubbed the hit song "disco." ...At the time, however, no one in France thought of trademarking disco -- the dance or the name. Owning the dance floor wasn't a question of intellectual property, says Mr. Cerrone, but of physical prowess. "Disco belonged to the people. That's why it was so successful," he says."

The WSJ is following this story because of the intellectual rights/patent issues but it's funny watching their reporter try to bring it's readers up to date with the best new dance craze since the Can Can. This web has better information and dance moves. [Thanks Greta @ Catalyst]

Programming Logos Of The 80's

Another bomb video by So Me, the designer behind Justice and Ed Banger records.

Rjd2nite

Rjd2 Tour hits the Urban Lounge tonight. Tickets at 24tix. This is a SMOKE FREE EVENT ...party why I'm going.

NCM Recommended New Music - Spring 2008

Booka Shade: The Sun & The Neon Light (Get Physical)
Hercules & Love Affair: Hercules & Love Affair (DFA)
Glass Candy: Beat Box (Italians Do It Better)
Melchior Productions Ltd.: No Disco Future (Perlon)
White Williams: Smoke (Tigerbeat)
James Pants: Welcome (Stones Throw)
Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles (Last Gang Records)
Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours (Modular)
Jamie Lidell: Jim (Warp)
M83: Saturdays=Youth (Mute)
Duffy: Rockferry (Polydor UK)
The Kills: Midnight Boom (Domino)
Justus Köhncke: Safe and Sound (Kompakt)
The Glimmers: The Glimmers Are Gee Gee Fazzi (Limited)
Autechre: Quaristice (Warp)
Goldfrapp: Seventh tree (Mute)

VA: Pop Ambient 2008 (Kompakt)
VA: A Warp Records Mix (Warp)
VA: Creation Rebel: Trojan Remixed (Trojan)
VA: Bippp - French Synth Wave 1979-85 (Everloving)

Learn From The Best

Wow. There's a truly impressive amount of information at the longstanding Red Bull Music Academy website. Usually marketing tie-in schemes are transparent and ultimately pathetic but Red Bull have really created something unique in the world of music education. They have hundreds of archived "lectures" from almost every great DJ/producer you could think of, like the two sessions with nutcase DJ Harvey pictured here. These are very talented people, most of whom write, produce, promote and DJ. Very inspiring stuff for anyone who's ever wanted to learn more about DJ technique, history and culture which runs deeper than most people realize.

You're New Reac Table

As heard on PRI's The World here is a new musical instrument called the Reactable. Unsurprisingly, Bjork is one of the few people who owns one. [Thanks Doug]

Piotruś I Wilk

"Sergei Prokofiev's fanciful musical tale "Peter and the Wolf" is given new life in this innovative new animated interpretation, which won the 2008 Oscar® for Best Animated Short Film. "Oldies will remember the work from school music lessons," wrote London's OBSERVER, "while those coming to the story for the first time will be delighted with this darkly comic modernization." Originally composed in 1936, the piece famously uses personified instruments in the orchestra to tell the story -- also penned by the composer -- of young Peter and his animal friends the Duck, the Bird, and even a mischievous Cat (represented by an oboe, flute, and clarinet respectively). Peter, himself represented by the string section, becomes an unsuspecting hero and outwits the Wolf (French horns), who's intent on menacing his small Russian village -- not to mention Peter's beloved animal friends. Conceived and directed by award-winning animator Suzie Templeton, this modern-day "Peter & the Wolf" uses stop-frame model animation, puppets, and digital photography to retell the enduring classic story, and features the Philharmonia Orchestra under the direction of Mark Stephenson performing Prokofiev's beloved score.

Mark Stephenson also helmed the Philharmonia Orchestra for the film's live world premiere at London's Royal Albert Hall in September 2006. The Philharmonia was founded in 1945, primarily as a recording orchestra. It is the world's most recorded orchestra with more than 1,000 releases and is comprised of more than 80 musicians giving concerts in London and at its residencies and other venues around the U.K., in addition to touring all over the world."

Free down low dable mix from Pepe Deluxe live at The End here.

See Music

Michal Levy is one to watch. See the animated short film (2:15 minutes) he created to accompany John Coltrane's "Giant Steps". His other design and artwork is great too... very NewCityMovement don't you think?