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[VIDEO] ASTR – Activate Me

Chelsea — Thu, 21 May 2015 20:45:40 +0000

If you’re immersed within the world of electro-pop music, it’s likely that ASTR is a household name. As long time fans of the NYC-based duo, which is comprised of female vocalist Zoe Silverman and producer Adam Pallin, we are thrilled to share the video for their latest single “Activate Me.”

With a knack for mixing genres, ASTR’s sound falls on a unique spectrum of pop-inspired R&B with a taste of electronic, indie alternative. “Activate Me” is a dark dance track inspired by 90s house music. ASTR explains:

“‘Activate Me’ is definitely a different sound for us, something heavily inspired by New York’s legacy when it was the center of house music in the 90s. It’s moody and dark like some of our older songs but with a more upbeat and dance twist.”

Steering away from shimmery pop, “Activate Me” is filled with ASTR’s signature bright synths and bouncy beats, creating an immediate dance club anthem.

So turn up the volume, dance away with Zoe and her killer dance moves, and be on the lookout for their sophomore EP, Homecoming.

Escape Music Festival Announces Full Lineup / Oct 11-12 / Brooklyn

Max — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:27:52 +0000

Now with summertime festival season out of the way, we are pumped to announce the full lineup for Brooklyn’s own Escape Music Festival. We’re honored to have been a part of curating the live main stage. The lineup, if we do say so ourselves, speaks for itself and has just been announced featuring Girl Talk, a Moby DJ set, Anoraak, and The Joy Formidable, in addition to previously announced artists Placebo, Yeasayer, Ra Ra Riot, The Crystal Method and more. The venue is completely insane. Right on the water in Red Hook with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. It will be a mind blowing place to catch a live show.

It’s been a long road from when we set out to do this thing right. And here we are. I cannot wait for October 11th & 12th. Columbus Day, it’s on!

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

2014 Escape Festival lineup
Girl Talk
Moby (DJ set)
Placebo
Yeasayer
Mayer Hawthorne
The Joy Formidable
The Crystal Method
Ra Ra Riot
STRFKR (DJ set)
Moon Boots
Bakermat
Neon Indian (DJ set)
Plastic Plates and Sam Sparro (DJ set)
Wolf + Lamb
ASTR
Tesla Boy
Anoraak
Basecamp
JDH and Dave P
Follow Me
The Most Definitely

—The Elrow Stage—
Alan Fitzpatrick
DJ Boris
Miss Kittin
Sebastien Leger
Technasia
Alex English
Sleepy and Boo
Marc Maya
Toni Varga

Broods – Bridges (ASTR Remix)

Max — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 16:17:53 +0000

From one powerful indie pop duo to another, ASTR‘s take on Bridges makes me want to play sports. No seriously, this pair would make great tour buddies. Speaking of which, I had the great fortune to see Broods at School Night East a few weeks ago and I highly recommend. Lucky for us, they are on a North American tour again right now. Here’s the schedule.

5th Annual Sweetlife Festival Lineup Announced

Max — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 20:46:15 +0000

If you haven’t eaten at a Sweetgreen salad shop you’re making a huge mistake. Seriously, I almost missed my train back from DC last month because I made the cabbie stop at Sweetgreen. My loyalty can be attributed equally to their delicious District Cobb as to the impeccable indie rock playlists that bump throughout each store. Sometimes I think they’ve just got TMD | All Day on loop. And just when I thought my lunch couldn’t get any cooler, it goes and throws a carbon neutral/environmentally sustainable music festival featuring all my favorite acts.

Congrats to Sweetgreen on announcing their Fifth Annual Sweetlife Music Festival. It’s going down May 10 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in DC featuring four of my personal faves: Spirit Animal, ASTR, St. Lucia and Bastille. Tickets are available here using presale password romainecalm. Plus check out the full lineup announcement video and our playlist below.

And we made a playlist!

The Hood Internet – R U Nosetalgic (Pusha T & Kendrick Lamar x ASTR)

Jason — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 03:11:22 +0000

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, The Hood Internet makes some great tracks. We post about these guys all the time because they really bring the heat. R U Nosetalgic is no different. I love the synth sample over rap verses. The ASTR melody over this track is really perfect and is my favorite since Polish City. Check it out for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

ASTR – Blue Hawaii + Drum Remix

Jay — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 21:24:55 +0000

ASTR have been all over the radar for about a year now with songs such as “Operate” and now, the NYC-based duo have released their debut EP, Varsity. The release also doubled as the introduction for new track, “Blue Hawaii”. A bit more on the dance side, “Blue Hawaii” features some skittering effects over heavy beats, with a somewhat build-drop pattern, that is just as dynamic as any of their previous releases. It will be intriguing to see which side of their sound ASTR eventually gravitate toward for a full-length, but for now, songs like “Blue Hawaii” deserve to be appreciated.

And then there’s this:

This remix takes an already amazing effort from ASTR and slows it down even more. Which I would not have even thought possible. The end result is basically: the future.

Jason’s Year in Review – 2013

Jason — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 08:27:23 +0000

Like the eighth night of Hanukkah or bedtime on Christmas eve, the end of our 2013 year in review lists has come too soon. Each one of us has enjoyed sharing some of our favorite songs with you this year. There were so many great tracks that were released that it was very difficult to pick just a few to represent what 2013 had to offer. The following are small selection of my favorites from the past year.

For each of us this was a difficult task. How does one compare Postiljonen, Two Door Cinema Club and The Knocks? Each one feels so different and fills such a unique niche that we could debate their individual merits well into 2014. At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Fortunately, that is pretty much what we do around here which is how we made it through this harrowing experience.

Unlike my cohorts, I was unable to pare down my selection to fewer than twenty tracks. Anything less than that seemed unrepresentative of the wonderful tapestry of music that has passed through our collective imagination here at TMD. I hope you enjoy this installment and please let us know if any of your faves that were left on the chopping block (we all have some there, trust me). Happy holidays and enjoy!!!

The Spotify playlist is the unabridged version of my favorites from 2013. It is arranged in no particular order so shuffle might be the best way to enjoy it.

Tim’s Essential Tracks of 2013

Tim — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 20:03:03 +0000

So that was 2013 huh? Pretty solid year. I’ve been working on this list all year. Full disclosure, if you’re looking for the obvious “Best of 2013″ list, this is not for you. This is more about the tracks that might have slipped through the cracks, the tracks that never quite got the attention they deserved. Some of them are more obvious than others (read: Daft Punk). While others, need to be heard (read: Streets of Laredo).

How do you boil down a year to 15 songs? In my case, you don’t. You make a soundcloud best of and a Spotify Best of list. We had a banner year personally, professionally and musically. A lot of firsts that I am extremely thankful for. Rather than sit here and wax poetic on what was definitely the best year of my life, why don’t you just sit back and listen to these tunes that helped make 2013 so special?

And then I made a totally different Spotify playlist so you got hours of music to listen to.

Bel Heir – Kiss the Devil (ASTR Remix)

Jason — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 15:44:13 +0000

Just when you’re not looking something comes out of left field and smacks you right in the face. In this case it was ASTR‘s remix of Bel Heir‘s Kiss the Devil. Nothing like a group from Philly mixing it up with a couple of New Yorkers. The resulting magic is tantalizing, emotive and well, heavenly. What are you waiting for, give it a listen!

TMD & Beautiful Buzzz Present: CMJ 2013 Showcase

Tim — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 16:21:43 +0000

Now I’m REALLY excited! Last month we SOLD OUT The Knitting Factory with Betty Who, Joywave & Future Screens. Well now it’s time to announce our 2013 CMJ Lineup. It seems like every show we’re going bigger. This time is no different. It’s CMJ and we’re not pulling any punches. We’ve got eitght (8) bands lined up for you and I could not be more excited about this lineup. Each band hand picked from the pages of TMD and brought right to the streets of Brooklyn. This show is going to be all time. And to up the ante, we partnered with our West Coast blogger from another mother Beautiful Buzzz to really turn things up.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Here’s our lineup:

Strange Talk
Little Daylight
Joywave
Bad Suns
ASTR
Night Drive
Story of The Running Wolf
Badboxes

Lineup Breakdown:

Strange Talk We caught the Aussie rockers last year at CMJ and we were blown away by their live set. The energy is amazing and they might sound better live than they do on their albums. To say you’re in for a treat is an understatement. I’m honored and so stoked to have them be a part of our showcase!

We fell in love with Little Daylight at first listen. Based out of Brooklyn they are in the midst of taking over the electro pop world with their soaring synths and sexy vocals. Couldn’t be more excited to catch this set.

Rochester, NY based Joywave has been in our sites for a while now and when we had them play our sold out show two weeks ago, it was very clear that they needed an encore. Their unique brand of electro rock and hip hop is undeniably delicious and impossible not to dance to.

Bad Suns comes to us all the way from Los Angeles and I’m very excited for their live set. They remind me of a throwback to Incubus in only the best of ways. The first notes of their hit ‘Cardiac Arrest’ brought me back to a time and a place. Blending modern pop with late 90’s rock never sounded so god damn good.

What can I say about ASTR. They are as New York as it gets. They lit the internet on fire earlier this year with their haunting smash, ‘Operate’ and the rest is history. They blend hip hop, R&B and electro into a sexy new sound that has got Rihanna watching the throne. Don’t sleep on this.

What up Night Drive?! You may be familiar with the Austin based duo from our label when they remixed Steel Phantoms back in August. Or maybe you’ve copped their insanely good EP that was recently released. Either way, there is no denying their talent. I caught them at Glasslands on Friday, and when I say you’re in for a treat, that’s an understatement.

Story of The Running Wolf: I actually don’t know where to begin when talking about this LA duo. ‘Stratospheric’ is in the running for song of the year. And as for video of the year, it takes it in a land slide. We’ve been trying to get these LA homeboys to play the East Coast for almost a year. FINALLY they make their NYC debut. We could not be more thrilled to have them.

What can I tell you about Pittsburgh’s Badboxes? I can tell you that if you miss this set, you’ve failed. They played our August show and their energy is unmatched. Their debut single JSMN has been on loop for months now and it’s still as good as the first time I heard it. So excited to see these guys again. Trust, you need to be there.

But wait, there’s more. Just when you thought I was finished, I’m gonna punch you in the mouth with some Dart Party. Resident DJ to the stars. To say we’re lucky to have the enigmantic savant behind the ones and twos is to like saying I’m happy we have oxygen. It’s just absolutely CRUCIAL. His infectious sets keep the people moving and he’s building a strong track record for face melting after parties and bring the JAMS all night long. You’ve been warned. (I’m not really going to punch you in the mouth. That was just hyperbole.)

We’ve also got Deli Radio, Dos Equis, BK Booth & Solé Bicycles on board as some super rad sponsors to help really turn this thing out.

WHEN: Tuesday October 15, 7pm
WHO: All ages
WHERE: The Knitting Factory
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS