Shopping/Packing List - Don't Forget the Undies!

I figured I needed to do a What to Bring/Preparations post before it got too late, and for tips on food, check out my previous post here and click here for some tents I suggested. And if you thought my rage stool was awesome, you should start getting yours ready for the festival.

Now for everything else. Except clothes. I feel that everyone has their own style and whatnot, so I won’t go into that. BUT I DO SUGGEST GOOD SUNGLASSES, SUNSCREEN AND A HAT IF YOURE INTO HATS. I hate to sound like a mom, but the sun can do irreparable damage to us partiers, so it’s super important to stay sun-safe. Plus, getting burned is never any fun, so don’t let something so easily preventable ruin your weekend!!! Oh also, underwear. I don’t wanna smell yall’s butts.

Okay now really for everything else. Here’s a checklist.

• Tarps
• Tent
• Pillow
• Sleeping bag
• Flashlights and glowsticks (make sure batteries wont need replacing)
• Umbrellas/shade tents (something to make base a shady area, you can get creative with tapestries and rope!!)
• Chairs (lawn/camping/lazy boys)
• Lots of water
• Towels
• Some sort of table/surface for home base
• Trash bags (KEEP CAMP CLEAN!!!!!!)
• Utensils
• Plates
• Paper Towels
• Bottle opener
• Bug Spray (though I don’t really think the bugs bother anyone that much)???
• Camera
• Fun things like hoops, balls, whatever…
• Lighters
• Cash monaaayyyyy

And so so important: ICE
Here is what I suggest: Pack a whole separate cooler just for ice. Buy some at a gas station right outside Camp before you go in, and fill up the whole cooler. And never open it. And keep it in the shade. Only open it when you need to replenish your food/drinks cooler with more ice. Some campers have even bought dry ice, and if you think it’s necessary, you can go ahead and do that. Also wear gloves.

So I think I got everything? Print out this list when you start packing/shopping for that weekend, so you gets everythings. And if you wanna add some things or you have some unique/good ideas, comment below!!

ONLY 3 WEEKS UNTIL THE BIG WEEKEND WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Dada-mmDada: Do the Dada

Today I'm going to feature the electro/house duo Dada Life, because they threw an awesome secret show in the city earlier this week, and it was free, and thats's super cool of them, and on top of that their music is awesome and fun.

I'm going to start off with the song I can never get out my head once I've listened to it. The music video is also super funny, and I just love artists that make good music AND make me laugh.



I gotta get my hands on a vintage '69 Rolling Stones t-shirt so I can feel even cooler when I sing along. Another really great track, which is from last year, exemplifies their "rules" -- or the Dada way of life: "Destroy dance music and have fun. Don’t look back in the past. Always go forward. Don’t think too much. Always follow the money." How does someone live by this philosophy exactly? By kicking out the epic motherfucker!!!!



Besides their original tunes, Dada Life produces really great remixes as well. The most recent Justin Bieber remix, done as a joke???? (idk), makes the pop star almost kind of cool for a second, just by doing the Dada! (Who am I kidding, I have a totally inappropriate crush on him despite the big age difference and the fact that he looks like a chick.) Anyway, Dada Life kills it with this remix, and I deep down inside really really want to hear it at Camp this summer. I think everyone secretly agrees. :)



Check out their site, it's got tons of music on it, and check out their Facebook and Twitter. They are seriously funny dudes! Enjoy!

Portugal. The Man..... but not from Europe.

I'll be honest, I hadn't really heard of Portugal. The Man before the Camp lineup came out--but that's what is so great about this music festival! I've discovered some of my favorite artists at Camp, so it's awesome that they bring on a good variety of sounds. Anyway, I'm so excited to see their performance and I am already so blown away by their music. Camp posted a link to the band's Soundcloud for their Etta James cover (no it's not about have a good feeling for the 5 millionth time), and I found myself listening to it about 10 times straight.

Their original stuff is awesome, too, of course, though some of the music videos are sort of gruesome... But I guess that's kind of bad ass. This new album, In the Mountain in the Cloud, is phenomenal and a couple of the tracks that I really like are featured below. This first one is like, the ultimate independence song or something. I don't know, but the stop animation in the video is legit, so check it out!



I also read an interview with the drummer, Jason Sechrist, that All Your Light is his "favorite song we have... That’s going to be a fun live song!" (Oh yeah, can't wait for that!)

Now I'm having a hard time picking what else to feature here, because I really like all of it and I want you to just sit down and give the whole YouTube channel a listen. Because they have every song on there with album, acoustic, and live versions for you to enjoy. It literally took me two days to write this post because I'd spend hours clicking through all their videos...

So go to their site, follow them on Facebook and Twitter, and definitely check them out and get even more pumped for their appearance at Camp this summer!

No really...Zed's Dead, baby...Do I have to say it again?

Camp Bisco has been tweeting and posting all about the artist of the week, Zed’s Dead, a Canadian duo that has a really great “rags to riches” sort of story (if you follow their tweets, then you may have caught the video interview). With the sounds they were producing, Diplo and Mad Decent picked them up and they continue to gain a loyal and large audience.

I’ve been to a few New York shows and saw their set at last year’s totally overpopulated Starscape, but their appearance at the Mad Decent Block Party at South Street Seaport was definitely a fun time. It was very interesting to see the reactions of NY tourists and families to the whole thing (huh? dubstep?). White Satin is a great track, but I really, really love this one (something about flaying you alive—so creepy):



Here’s a newer track off their latest EP “Inspected:”



They are definitely talented, and from my experiences, they put on a good show. I can’t wait to see them (it’s been almost a year) at this year’s Camp. If you want to explore a little more, follow their Twitter and Facebook. If you really want to see more right this minute, there’s a full video of Zed’s Dead’s Ultra 2012 performance.

And just so you know:

Shpongle Presents... wear a freaky outfit and shake your ass girl! (Masquerade)

So last year at Camp, the Shpongle Live performance was not only phenomenal, but the seemingly supernatural clouds and lightning emerging from behind the main stage while they played made them the talk of the festival ever since. Shpongle is on the bill for this year, too, but it will not be the live performance we saw previously. Shpongle’s Masquerade is very similar to the Shpongleton Experience, for those who are familiar with that show. Instead of both Shpongle members and various accompanying musical artists on stage, there is only Simon Posford inside a huge pyramid like structure that has FANTASTIC visuals projected onto it, no really—I was blown away by the effect those particles of light had WOW.


I caught this last night at the Roseland Ballroom in NY and I tried to get a few different views of what was going on.

Also, I’m sorry the audio quality is so bad in this one, I don’t know what happened. But, I’m pretty close to that feathered hat!

So to clarify, this is a DJ set of Shpongle’s music, as well as some of Posford’s solo work as Hallucinogen. (Though you never know, we may be in for some surprises at Camp!) Regardless, the set is really cool, super enjoyable and if you don’t think it’s your thing, just give it a chance this summer anyway. It’s really hard not to at least stop and watch.

If you want to get a chance to see it a venue before Camp Bisco XI, check out the tour dates on the website: www.shpongle.com

If not, then hold tight til July, because you’re not going to want to miss it!

AHHHH LINEUP, HUGS FOR EVERYONE

Camp Bisco's 2012 LINEUP IS OUT!!!!!!!

Camp Bisco has always been able to pull in artists from various genres and sub-genres, mash them together in a lineup, and make the weekend a very unique experience. The truth is, that there are a lot of people out there just now getting into the “EDM” craze—newer festivals in the Northeast like Electric Zoo and Electric Daisy Carnival NY are catering to this (mostly young) audience that is springing out of recent popular culture. I’ve been to Zoo, and for some people, the ones that never want to leave the city environment or escape to nature, it works. For me and a lot of music lovers out there, being around trees in the middle of nowhere where there is shitty cell service because who the fuck do we really need to be calling anyway… that’s the way it should be.

This year, Camp Bisco is bringing in big dubstep names, one of which has become a controversial shaker-upper in the music community: Skrillex and Bassnectar. Zed’s Dead and MiM0SA also represent the dubsteppers (as Rusko would say haha).

Some big names in the experimental electronic genre appear as well, such as Brazilian Amon Tobin, who has video game and movie musical scores on his resume. Among others, Crystal Castles and Shpongle’s Masquerade set also represents the genre. There are also great artists representing electro; big names like A-Trak, Simian Mobile Disco, Dada Life, Zedd and Porter Robinson prove that there are plenty of people attending who just want to dance and dance and dance.

Camp always features some great hip-hop and rock as well. This year they’re bringing in Big Boi and Atmosphere as well as Portugal. The Man to change it up some.

The aforementioned and Lotus, Big Gigantic, Mimosa, Holy Fuck, Break Science, (AHHHH too many to love) are only some of the names featured in a bigger font on the flyer, so you can only imagine the amount of awesomeness that is in store.

And there are loads of artists I haven’t even mentioned here because I can only write so much, and I know those big names are what really draw the attention. HOWEVER I cannot stress enough HOW MUCH BETTER YOUR LIFE WILL BE when you expand those ear taste buds and check out those lesser known artists, even if they play music you don’t typically like. Camp is another world and you need to take advantage of it. It’s your chance to grow as a person in ways you can’t really do in everyday life.

As this lovely Bisco weekend grows closer and closer, I will be posting about the big names and the little names that will be taking the stages at Camp this year. So read along, get excited, and if you haven’t already… BUY YOUR TICKET!

Beats That Are Antique, But Certainly Not Old Fashioned

After all the hullabaloo of the traffic and finally getting into Camp on the first day, we did a quick set up, then headed right over as Beats Antique was taking the stage. I did NOT want to miss them under any condition. Their sound is so unique and I love it because it takes musical aspects from cultures around the world. The Middle-Eastern and afro-beat influences in their music calls for various instruments that you don’t always see up on stage at a lot of concerts. I like to think that they are opening our minds to a musical universe that is so much more than guitars, drums, and computers. Check out this video of their Bonnaroo performance of their well-known track, Egyptic:

And as you can tell, what is not to love about Zoe Jakes, the crazy talented dance performer of the group. Her moves are incredible! She even travels around, teaching classes for belly dancing and other dance forms. Not only is the music multi-cultural, but Zoe’s dancing brings in Middle-Eastern, Indian, Argentinean, and American styles into one blend that reflects the entire personality of Beats Antique. Just watch her in this clip:

Here’s a track from their latest album that I really love. It’s so groovy and I love cats and cats with skillz and the Catskill Mountains and the brass sounds exploding all around, of course. It’s really hard not to dance to what Beats Antique is playing here.

If you followed Bassnectar around a little while ago, you probably caught Beats Antique on tour with him. I think Lorin got his look from Zoe, but she clearly pulls it off much better.