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Mad Decent Block Party Friday Photo Re-cap

Mad Decent Philly Block Party Friday photo re-cap

Diplo and Mad Decent crew have come a loonggg way since they first set up shop at what is now PHILAMOCA in the early 2000s.

A trip down memory lane for Diplo, where the sidewalk outside PHILAMOCA still bears the Mad Decent stamp.

The Mad Decent Block party, which originally was a raucous street party that closed down the five-point intersection at 12th Street, Spring Garden, and Ridge Avenue, has exploded into a nationally touring summer sell-out.

Big up to Sean Agnew (pictured here in Elmo costume with a handle of Captain Morgan, also a former WKDU DJ) and R5 Productions for their biggest show to date, and for handling the event like the champs they are.

We took in the sights and sounds of the Friday madness, catching sets from Major Lazer, Philly’s own Dirty South Joe, Zeds Dead, Keys N Krates, Allison Wonderland, and Giraffage.

crowdMDBlocParty-4 — You’ve got to assume that Diplo is used to this at this point.

All photos by Frank Kinyon.

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New Music Discovery: Getting Back in Shape

By Esmail Hamidi

All the CDs in my car skip now.

I bought earbuds so I could listen to music on my walks home, but I maxed out the data on my phone. Dead hard drive in my old iPod Photo, dead batteries on my old iPod Nano, dead batteries on my cassette Walkman. YouTube blocked at work. Mouse chewed through the cable on my kitchen speaker. No time. Obligations. Bad radio. Wack DJs. The rat race.

All these forces seek to destroy my relationship with new music. I’m feeling closer to 33 every day. Especially deep in the dusty record bins on Toilet Radio.

But no! At WKDU, I am still capable of falling in love with new music of all kinds. This list is proof. Enjoy.

Girlpool – Ideal World

This cut off of Girlpool’s debut really impresses me. Minimal production, rock-solid guitar tone, and their growing aptitude for harmonies make this song an ear-perking jam. Heroin, anyone?

Blacksage – Basement Vows

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=717950818 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=3388504126]

Soulful triplet feel on Baltimore’s Friends Records. Cool.

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Movement Detroit 2015 – Photo Gallery

The calm before the storm at the Movement Main Stage on Saturday, May 23rd, 2015.

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Movement Detroit 2015 – Day 2 Photo Recap

Photos: Peter Liu, Words: Chris Burrell

Movement Day 2 was a ton of fun and was filled with so many amazing musical moments. The fun for us began when we met up with our Philly buddy Josh Wink at the main stage at 6 pm. Above, we’ve got DJ friends Jackie Gallagher and Tommy Hogunz posing “215” with Josh – always gotta represent!

Josh had the eager Detroit crowd in an afternoon fit, working through a feverish medley of songs from his catalog, including “Don’t Laugh”, “Are You There” (Ben Klock’s Remix), his newest track “Denial” (which Dixon played the day before, also on the main stage), a different (perhaps forthcoming!?) mix of “Talking To You”, then closed out with a heavy remix of “Higher State of Consciousness”.

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LEVITATION (AUSTIN PSYCH FEST): A REVIEW

by Kirsten Becker

This past weekend I had an incredibly awesome time at Austin Psych Fest (now called Levitation) on Carson Creek Ranch in Austin, TX. This particular festival has been one I have tried to go to for a while, but funds/time/commitments have gotten in the way. Fortunately, this year worked out perfectly and I hopped on a plane by myself to Texas for this unforgettable festival experience.

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Notes from the Underground: Thursday May 7th – Saturday May 9th

goodie warehouse — The goodie crew providing the laser fullness at their warehouse.

Soooo many good DJs are rolling through Philly this weekend. This is a list of what’s going on to help keep you up to date and up all night.

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Pre-Record Store Day chat with Icebird (RJD2 & Aaron Livingston)

Everyday is Record Store Day for a lot of us, including RJD2 and Aaron Livingston, who recorded a brilliant album together in 2011 as Icebird. I had the privilege to sit down with them in our studio last week to chat and play some records ahead of the Record Store Day vinyl release of their album The Abandoned Lullaby.

“I feel weird saying I have a lot of records when I’m sitting next to RJ. I have a few records,” said Aaron.

RJ responded, “But I don’t have a lot of records, I don’t have records like Rich Medina. I have a modest record collection when I consider the heavy duty record collectors. I don’t have a storage unit -there’s a defining line and I’m a non-storage unit guy.”

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