DJ Jason Eldredge Reports from the East Coast

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Former KCRW DJ Jason Eldredge left the station to continue his higher education in New York City and he’s reporting back on musical highlights of his new East Coast life:

The weather in Manhattan is finally warming up, and so is the Spring tuneage:

A couple of major acts currently on my radar include NYC’s producer-du-jour Penguin Prison. This native New Yorker is someone who I initially scoped out via his unique remix work on Goldfrapp’s “Rocket.” His innovative take on Ellie Goulding’s “Starry Eyed” (featuring the incomparable Theophilus London) toughened up the original in a way that made me an instant fan. Equally as pleasing is his solo work. I recommend the beak-out track “Something I’m Not,” an electric piece of synth-pop that builds with some pretty interesting crescendos.

Penguin Prison by Bjorn Looss
Penguin Prison by Bjorn Looss (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Two days after Groove Armada visited “Morning Becomes Eclectic” at KCRW, I found myself backstage with one-half of the duo, Andy Cato, at a very noisy Webster Hall where we talked about the new album and the work he and Tom did with the up-and-coming Kings Cliffe band Fenech-Soler. I had the pleasure of meeting these lads at their soundcheck the week before at Piano’s in the East Village and can’t recommend their song “Stop and Stare” enough. The single will be out late April on Moda Music and is soon to be heard everywhere. Catchy riffs + a passion-fueled chorus = summer soundtrack alert.

Fenech Soler
Fenech Soler (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

In line with the extended Groove Armada family, UK’s Doorly (who remixed GA’s “Paper Romance” featuring Fenech-Soler) has also become a new favorite. Many of his remix and production credits are gaining major acclaim, but he truly shines on a new remix of Marina & The Diamonds’ beautiful song, “I Am Not A Robot.” This track is re-invention at it’s finest and I predict big things from this man in the future.

Two final bits of music news:

All of Broadway is currently a-buzz with the introduction of the new Green Day Musical “American Idiot,” based on and including selections from the Grammy Award-winning album of the same title. I was in the audience for the third night of previews for this banger and as rock-musicals go, it’s really great. The set is visually stunning and the cast gives every bit of themselves from the opening number on.

coachella2Lastly, with the 2010 Coachella Valley Music Festival upon us next weekend, I wanted back to a standout performance from last year. The Chemical Brothers closed the night with a 12-minute song called “Escape Velocity” which will be available in June on their new album entitled “Further.” It’s hard to believe that we’ve had to wait an entire year for this release, but I’ve just heard the official studio version and it’s worth it.

I will be back in Palm Springs this year to play some jams poolside all weekend long at The Ace Hotel & Swim Club. I assume being back in my SoCal element for the first time since I left last August will prove that you can take the boy out of LA, but you can never take the LA out of the boy. More to come…