As I busted out some of the best moves ever seen on this side of the Mason Dixon line, the sweat poured down the pleasantly plump gentleman on my right. To be fair, I was similarly perspiring, amidst a sea of what can only be described as Bro Montana and his Navabro brethren. The location: Terminal 5 for Brobible.com’s Revelation Summer Kick-Off. While I am neither a reader of the site, nor a fan of notoriously brolific events, the brommunity created a lineup worth weathering the Charles Broakleys and Bronald Reagans (by the way, I’m two “bros” away from tying a non brobible.com and DMB fan site record for most bro references in a single article). The pinney clad crew managed to gather Chiddy Bang, RJD2, Pretty Lights and almost every club level lacrosse player in the country, certainly no small feat.

To start the night, the sample heavy duo from Philly brought the thunder. Working within the constraints of a thirty-minute set, Chiddy and Xaphoon played crowd pleasers “Truth,” “The Opposite of Adults,” “Never” and “All Things Go.” While they killed each aforementioned Swelly Express track, the highlight of their performance was indubitably Chiddy’s freestyle. After taking suggestions from the highly inebriated audience, Chiddy rattled off a startlingly sharp freestyle atop a classically tight Xaphoon beat. My only complaint of the set was absence of “Hey London.” Although I understand that we were on the other side of the Atlantic, the Air Swell track transcends its geographic ties.

Next up were the equally impressive beats of Rjd2. The temperate Ramble John Krohn sauntered on stage, said, “Hi, my name is RJ,” and proceeded to unleash his famed instrumentals. While I’m not usually partial to strictly instrumental performances, Rjd2’s beats and accompanying visuals allowed for a surprisingly impressive set. For those of you unfamiliar with Rjd2, check out the track at the bottom, something tells me your affinity for all things Don Draper and Sterling Cooper is about to be tickled.

Headlining the evening was Pretty Lights. While I had enjoyed their remixes and mashes (that are free via their website), I was unsure about how they’d translate into a live setting. Little did I know that producer Derek Vincent Smith, accompanied by drummer Cory Eberhard, would be able to provoke unbridled enthusiasm from the jammed packed crowd. Their remixes, samples and mashes continue to amaze me, and the concurrent light show (hence their name) only intensified their performance. The duo rocked the crowd for a venerable two hours and ended with one of the most amazing mashes the world has ever heard. While its become common place for artists to end New York shows with their rendition of “Empire State of Mind” (see LCD Soundsystem), Smith threw both “Juicy” and “Hello Brooklyn” atop Jigga’s Marcy Project anthem. I wish I could reencounter the unforgettable mash and share its magic with you, but for now I’ll have to leave you with the Tuckahoe mash of Pretty Light’s favorite “The Time Has Come” and Weezy’s “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy.”

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

Hey London – Chiddy Bang (YSI)

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

A Beautiful Mine – Rjd2 (YSI)

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

Stuntin’ Pretty – Tuckahoe (YSI)

Related posts:

1. Welcome to the New Site!

Boyz, In Da Hood.

Usually, I don’t pay much attention to mixtapes. It’s been my experience in the past that you have to cut through a lot of crap in order to get to the good stuff. That said, there are a few key exceptions to this rule, and that comes in the people who know best how to maximize the mixtape. The best example I can think of is Wale, whose Mixtape About Nothing flaunted copyright laws in mixtape-perfect form, while showcasing his ability to rhyme on every and any topic. Lil Wayne also manages to make his stuff consistently awesome, so that each mixtape is newsworthy. And, after their Swelly Express, Chiddy Bang are making a serious case for inclusion among the ranks of those hip-hop all-stars.

We’ve heard of these Chiddy boys both with their summer-smashing “Kids” and in the form of a sweet mashup courtesy of their DJ, Xaphoon Jones. Lucky for us, the mixtape holds pace with those two. The production value on it is pretty amazing, and they drop some samples that are sure to please. The highlight in my opinion is “Truth,” which samples the only Passion Pit song as catchy as “Sleepyhead,” “Better Things.” Plus, they reference Full House’s Jesse Katsopolis, so what’s not to like? Kickstart your week with a bang, and thank me later.

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

Fresh Like Us (feat. Yelle) – Chiddy Bang (YSI)

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

Truth (feat. Passion Pit) – Chiddy Bang (YSI)

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

All Things Go (feat. Sufjan Stevens) – Chiddy Bang (YSI)

Grab the mixtape for free here.

Related posts:

1. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
2. [Insert Super Smash Bros. Joke Here]
3. This time you can call it a comeback

Miss ya already

It was the summer of 2009. Everyone died. Seth McFarlane tried to make Family Guy among those deaths, but the American people showed their loyalty and continued to watch stubbornly despite its increasing idiocy. Meanwhile, the Animal Show was put very quietly on life support. For a while there we weren’t sure if Frosted Miniguns and the rest of the family was going to be able to pull through. My fellow writers and I waited anxiously in the sterile hallways of Internet Hospital; IcebergXC in his morbid obesity scooter, the 6-11 Marquis Meowmers squatting due to the low virtual height of the ceiling, Dave flitting in and out of visibility as he is wont to do, and Rookie of the Year David in his little incubator. (Because he’s a baby to the Show. Get it?) Meanwhile, I got my hand stuck in an ice machine, because I LOVE SCRUBS. But just then, when things looked bleakest, the Show got up on its confusingly metaphoric hind legs and stampeded through That Guy Who Directed Home Alone and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Memorial Hospital, trampling all the decrepit websites on its whirlwind way out. And let me tell you, man, I was worried for a minute there. But, quoth Dumbledore (or someone similarly old and white): the night is always darkest before Batman shows up. Or something. So now, the reference you’ve been waiting for off and on since mid-July or so:

Aaaaand we’re baaack!

Though the 2009-2010 academic blogging year may be off to a bad start, what with the Jimmy Fallon skit link and all, I can promise you that the Animal Show is here to stay. Update your homepage, kids. This is about to be your one-stop shop for all the music your ears can take in. Which is to say I’m aiming for at least 3 posts a week. Luckily, I’ve got some extra help, because I’m officially taking little yellow Voldemort baby David out of his incubator and making him enough drink blood potion to resuscitate him, so that I’ll have to make myself confusingly half-dead to kill him, if I ever want to do that. But I would never want to kill David, because, as I said, he’s about to Run This Town.

And, with that deftly-incorporated reference, we’re back to talking about music. But before I address that catastrophuck, allow me to briefly comment on everything else that happened this summer, because I know you’ve been dying for more of my opinions. So, to wrap up:

The new Harry Potter movie sucked; Dirty Projectors are pretty cool; Michael Jackson is dead; “I Gotta Feelin” is the song of the summer (2 out of 5 Animal Show staffers agree!); Mad Men is a show I watch; Two-suit Spider Solitaire is hard, but a lot easier than four-suit Spider Solitaire; Chinatown is the filthiest place on earth, short of Trenton, NJ; E-603’s new album is pretty dope; President Bartlet has MS; Where the Wild Things Are will be enjoyable; It’s “The Climb,” ya’ll; I have seasonal allergies; IcebergXC is nicer in real life than in internet world.

I’ll almost certainly elaborate on several of those in the weeks to come, but for now, allow me to tell you what’s new:

Nothing.

It’s gonna be business as usual around these parts, albeit a much more frequent “business as usual.” I am considering taking the dramatic plunge from wordpress.com to wordpress.org, which would only mean webhosted mp3s as something new for you, but that’s none of your business. For now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy a few hand-picked songs from my summer, which are sure to be your new best friends.

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

If I Ever Feel Better – Phoenix (Mega) (YSI)

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.

Kids (feat. MGMT) – Chiddy Bang (Mega) (YSI)

Related posts:

1. The Worst of the Worst: Christmas in the Stars
2. You guys, summer 2010 is going to be all of the best times of our young lives.
3. Revenge of the Hood Internet: the First Animal Collective Mash-up I like.