Top 100 DJ's poll: My 5 votes for 2010 and why

Once again music heads, welcome one and all to the most important day of the week for many people in the working world...FRIDAY! Everyone loves Friday. I'm not even working right now and I love Friday. Not really too sure what it is about today, but Fridays usually just radiate positive vibes, good energy, and all around good times considering most of the working world knows their work week is coming to a close and they can enjoy doing the things they actually want to do for the next couple of days in the weekend. What does that include for most people? Cutting loose, putting on some good tracks, enjoying a nice strong drink, and dancing the night away. And if that's not what you enjoy doing on a Friday night, well you should probably re-evaluate your extracurricular activities.

On another note...this day brings me to a more important topic. It has come now to that time of year where once again (drumroll please) the TOP 100 DJ POLL HAS BEEN RE-OPENED!! That's right ladies and gentlemen. For those that haven't been up to speed in the DJ world, this is the most prestigious and recognized ranking system for DJ's around the world to showcase who remains on top, who is having a great year, who is making a breakthrough, and who is generally relevant in the electronic music community. Put on by www.djmag.com and voting through www.top100djs.net, the system runs from now until September for music lovers to vote for their top 5 DJ's of this year. The system has a very legitimate way of verifying voting so there is as little spamming as possible, and usually the results come out around October to announce the full 100 lineup in voted order to show who has really made an impact this year. As you can imagine, my voting has already come full circle and I've cast my choices. Do you want to hear about them? Of course you do. These are my top 5 choices that I've cast in rank order.

A few things to remember:
-This is in no way an opinion on who I think are the BEST 5 DJ's in the world. I'm sure some of my choices could be considered inferior to some bigger names that have had a few years head start. This is mainly my voting on who I feel deserve the votes because they have impacted my music listening in 2010 in some way, shape, or form. Somehow these have been special. So don't take it personal if I didn't pick your favorite.
-Only 5 are allowed to go on your cast ballot. If 10 were allowed or 20 were allowed, I could include more of the DJ's I hold near and dear to myself. However, I can't, so only 5 can do.
-This is not simply a countdown on who is a good "DJ". This is an all inclusive list that incorporates their productions, live shows, DJing skills, and ability to maintain their fanbase.

Now journey with me...

5. Tritonal

The ever so energetic DJ duo from Austin, Texas has my vote for number five because of the amazing breakthrough they have accomplished and great year they have had so far. They haven't really come on my radar in the past, but I felt they deserved a vote this year because of the countless shoutouts they have been receiving from huge name trance DJ's on radio shows, compilations, and remixes. Their podcast "Air Up There" has also been gaining a great amount of steam with great cuts picked out on the regular. These Texas boys have good taste. Not to mention, how often do you hear of trance DJ's coming out of Texas?? That's almost unheard of to me. Very remarkable. There is some definite USA pride coming with this vote and I think they deserve it. They work hard. And from what I have heard, their shows showcase a great amount of energy as well.

Check out:



4. Ashley Wallbridge

Perhaps my favorite producer of 2009-2010, Ashley Wallbridge from the UK never ceases to impress me. His productions are flawless. I don't think I have listened to one of his tracks or remixes yet without being stricken with awe. I really don't think this man has made a bad or boring track yet (knock on wood). He deserves this vote because this has certainly been his year on the rise. He has become a work machine, pumping out track after track while still maintaining a hectic touring schedule all over the world and maintaining his podcast. You could say, he's kind of like an Armin van Buuren Jr., but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I've witnessed some live footage of him on youtube and from what I can see, the man certainly does not disappoint in his live shows either. Perhaps my biggest regret of 2010 will be the fact that I missed his show in San Francisco at Ruby Skye. Oh well. If he continues on this path of success, I am sure it will be only a matter of time before he comes back.

Check out:



3. Dada Life

These party boy Swedes most definitely have amazed me this year. I had the pleasure of seeing them twice at the same event! Seeing their name on the lineup for Electric Daisy Carnival had me do some investigation on their tracks and where they are from. Considering this has been a huge year for house, Dada Life has enjoyed some success in 2010 stemming from their big releases, remixes, and guest DJ remixes of their own track for maximum exposure. I really dig their style of producing. Whether they lean on the more electro or progressive side of things, their tracks always have a groove that immediately has your head bobbing to the beat. What really makes them stand out however, is their live show. Their set at EDC completely rocked me because of the insane amount of energy these two have live. Most importantly for me, they rock it because they honestly look like they are having fun while they are spinning the records they love! I think this is important because a sour DJ will never have the crowd in their pocket. These two are incredible fun and always bring out surprises at their shows (inflatable bananas and champagne bottles anyone?). Their sense of humor has also been able to crack up their follow DJ's with the likes of twitter. I can see big things coming for Dada Life. Do the DaDa!

Check out:



2. Benny Benassi

The Italian Stallion himself, Benny Benassi certainly belongs on this countdown for me because of the amazing year he has been having so far. We all have known him ever since his smash hit "Satisfaction" in 2003, however what has made him relevant ever since then and this year especially, is his ability to re-invent himself to once again bring something new to the fold. When a DJ has a big single like "Satisfaction", that sort of success can either make or break you. In the latter case, many DJ's like Darude and Dirty Vegas have scored a one hit wonder and fizzled out with time due to their lack of a follow up hit and inability to translate that style into momentum. Benny Benassi has kept up as a work-a-holic with countless remixes, releases, and compilations to prove to the masses that his staying power is without question. Switching up the style in 2010 to include hip hop artists and R&B singers, he has still been able to be considered a purist by many because of his producing style having the ability to evolve and bring something new while being able to snag the attention of newcomers to house music. Simply put, he can do it all. On a small side note...his live shows are simply amazing. His set at Electric Daisy Carnival this year proved to me that Benny Benassi will be a name that might never be rid of in the house music world. His transitions, song choices, stage theatrics, guest apperances, and overall show flow made him one of my favorites at EDC without a doubt. Bow down to the Italian Stallion.

Check out:



1. Armin van Buuren

The man, the legend, the already 3 time top 100 #1 DJ winner once again is a candidate for #1 for me without question. Armin van Buuren is THE icon of trance in today's electronic music scene. How has he been able to do it? We all know the reasons why: his globally popular "A State of Trance" radio show, his incredible live shows, his amazing ability to connect with fans, and powerful productions & remixes. But I think the main reason why I think that Armin has been able to remain on top while others like Tiesto and Paul van Dyk have slowly decreased in rank is because the man is a complete and utter work-a-holic. He's a machine. Ever since I began following him in 2007, I'm not sure he has ever really taken time for himself. The radio show alone and global touring schedule is enough to be considered a 200% full time job, but he still manages to consistently crank out full artist albums that rock the trance community. I could honestly write a whole column on Armin van Buuren and why he is the best (which I think I will do someday), but for now let's just say that the man has been and most likely will be #1 for a reason. He knows what he's doing and he's remained humble all throughout. He has a way of connecting to people that I don't think any other DJ can do at this particular moment in time. I should also mention he has a new album due out in September called "Mirage". Some more classics to turn up on there I am sure. Cheers mate, you earned this one again. 4 times the king!

Check out:



...and that's it boys and girls! What do you think? Do you agree with these 5 choices? Do you disagree with these choices? What would your choices be? I think these are 5 solid candidates that deserve all the props they get for their hard work and expect to see great things come out of each and every one of them throughout the rest of the year; especially in competing for that grand prize of being crowned as the #1 DJ of the world. I'm certainly excited to see how the polls turn out. Let the games begin! GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!!!!

~Dr. M

Random Thoughts 6/08/10: Diva Wars!

Can't we all just get along in the music biz? Apparently not, and that sentiment especially applies when it comes to women. More importantly, divas with egos bigger than Jay-Z's. I've been noticing some specific divas haven't been getting along lately, so let's break them down...

Battle for the Supreme Blonde Diva:
Christina Aguilera vs. Lady GaGa


This feud has been carrying for quite some time now from what I understand. The most interesting part about it is how entirely fabricated by the media it is. Neither lady acknowledges that any sort of rivalry exists when they get asked in front of a camera or microphone; but we all know what's going on. The roots of those seem to have been started ever since Lady GaGa began to emerge and Christina Aguilera came out with her "keeps getting better" single that pretty much took the up and comer's music style and fashion almost to a T. What gets me on this one is Lady GaGa is doing exactly what Christina Aguilera did so many years ago, only at a more extreme level. Wacky fashion, danceable tunes, singing chops, showing all kinds of ass in little to no clothing on stage...yep...Christina did all that before. What gives GaGa the edge? The fact that Christina took time off to be a mom and vacated the spot for a little bit. GaGa has done big things ever since Christina has left the music industry for a while and used the Aguilera formula to cement herself into stardom simply by doing it bigger, louder, and crazier than Christina did. Now that Christina wants to come back and reclaim her spot, it seems like a much harder task now that GaGa has gained so much steam. Not to mention Christina's new music sounds suspiciously like the electro dance beats that Lady GaGa songs have popularized recently.

Winner: Lady GaGa


Battle for the Baddest Bitch in Rap:
Lil Kim vs. Nicki Minaj


This one wasn't too hard to foresee. You can't really be a female rapper in the game and come nasty and raw without biting the style that Lil Kim originated. There's just no way around it. Lil Kim wasn't the first female to start rapping, but she definitely brought the sex element into it and had a style all of her own. Ever since then, we have seen Foxy Brown, Trina, Shawnna, Jacki-O, Gangsta Boo, and now Nicki Minaj. From the sex ridden raps, skimpy outfits, and colored wigs, Nicki Minaj might as well be Lil Kim Jr. But what's Lil Kim's problem with Nicki? She says Ms. Minaj has snubbed her in the past and hasn't paid the proper respect to the Queen Bee that is deserved. I hate to say it, but I think Nicki has the upper hand in this feud. Lil Kim has been washed up for days with lackluster material and poor attempts at media attention (this one included). Nicki has taken the high road and pretty much ignored all the bad press that Lil Kim is trying her best to throw towards the Young Money MC. Let's put it this way...Drake is on stage supporting Nicki Minaj while Ray J is on stage supporting Lil Kim. Not hard to see who has more relevance. Sorry Queen Bee. That day might be done.

Winner: Nicki Minaj


By looking at both of the winners of these battles, its apparent that the "out with the old, in with the new" phrase really holds its own when it comes to these female artists. Sorry OG Divas, but times have gotta change. Unfortunately, it's not your time anymore.

~M

Throwback Thursday: How Napster Changed The Game

I have been reminiscing on a lot of great music and music moments from my teen years, my pre-teen years, and my childhood years and how a lot of them have affected my life. In this pursuit I have come up with a lot of good material for the Throwback Thursday column. However, then I started thinking deeper and about how I even became so inclined to music in the first place. Then it hit me as I started to download some new tracks. Not sure what all of you music heads use to download music (yes I am one of those), but I use LimeWire. I have my issues with it, but overall it gets the job done. No point in getting too used to one particular program because before you know it, you will have to find something new. Before this it was KaZaa for me, before that it was Morpheus, before that it was WinMX, before that it was....Napster. It made sense. This is what I had to write about. Napster not only changed my life in various ways, it enriched it infinitely. But forget about me, Napster single handedly changed the music industry as a whole forever. It will never be the same, and it's all thanks to a kid named Shawn Fanning... Let's just get into this Throwback Thursday shall we?


This week: Napster

Before the internet became the mass population's superhighway for music discovery and music purchasing, we were all old school. How did we find out about new music? Whatever the hell radio played. How did we buy music? Record stores. What were the media outlets? CD's and audio cassettes. Needless to say, I'm sure all of us listened to a lot more of a narrow selection of music back then as we do today. Aside from the record labels and radio stations playing for us what they wanted us to listen to, our selections for music were also limited based on income. Take me for example: I was a kid living in the suburbs of the SF Bay Area and my only outlets for music were the radio that I listened to on my walkman and the few CD's/tapes I could afford to buy with the little bit of allowance here and there. Yeesh. Were I still restricted to those constraints for the rest of my life, my musical knowledge and appreciation would be slim to none. The outcome of this was that all I listened to were top 40 hits and when I could actually afford to buy something I would get whatever album was popular with my friends at the time. It sounds ridiculous in hindsight, but who could blame me? I didn't know any better, and I can imagine a lot of youth back then did not either. Music for me wasn't necessarily a form of self expression in my childhood years; it was more of an acceptance tool. I didn't know much about it or understood what was "good music", so I went along with the flock of sheep when it came to music selection. I didn't grow up poor, but I didn't get a lot of money from my parents, so the CD's I bought were the popular rap or rock albums at the time. Green Day's Dookie, Sublime's self titled, Puff Daddy's No Way Out, Notorious BIG's Life After Death...you get the picture. However, the answer existed that nobody had thought about up to this point: the internet.

I can't remember exactly when the internet was introduced to me. I think it was in 5th grade that I got a personal PC for the first time. It might have been until 1997 that I actually got the internet on that personal computer. I thought the internet was the greatest thing ever invented when I begin to explore it, but the true potential experienced to me was when I realized things were "downloadable". First it was sound clips, sound bytes, and short video trailers. But the true pinnacle was just around the corner. The introduction of the mp3 file was a key element. Windows .wav files were way too big to reasonably be able to download at full length of a song with the 56k dial up speeds that the internet operated on at the time. MP3's were a new file type that greatly reduced the amount of data required to represent an audio recording and still sounded like a faithful reproduction of the uncompressed audio. Now with this, The true pinnacle was realized to me when Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker released Napster in June 1999. Nothing was ever going to be the same for the music industry because myself and the rest of the world finally found a way to get all the music we couldn't afford and actually have control over what was being played to our ears. The concept was amazing: all one had to do was type in the artist name and song title and a list of the people who were sharing those songs would pop up. One double click away and a download would begin for the mp3 file of the song of your choice. A few minutes later we had a file that was good to go to just press play. The revolution had begun and there was no stopping it...

The Good:

What did it mean that kids could listen to music now without having to pay for it? It meant that all the doors were opened for music listeners to discover new music and accept new genres because the burden of paying for a record virtually didn't exist anymore.
Example: I wasn't a huge fan of the blues before simply because I didn't know about it. I never heard blues music on the radio so by default it wasn't my thing and it wasn't in my music library. However, I had heard so much about B.B. King and wanted to understand why he was so popular. But like most of the general public, I didn't feel like shelling out 16 dollars simply to check out a new artist. My money was limited so I wanted to spend it on music I knew I would enjoy. Napster introduced the new alternative: I typed "B.B. King" in the artist box of Napster and downloaded the top results. What happened? I am now a full blown fan of the blues. Would this have happened without Napster? Absolutely not.
People became more eclectic and appreciative of other music styles simply because it was available and they had the option of exploring. If a young kid like me was curious about new artists and new music movements that were happening, they could actually check out what was going on. This meant amazing things for up and coming artists looking for exposure. Also, it is an arguable point that post millennium saw the biggest uprising of genre blending among artists. Rap Metal, Blues Punk, indie rap, electronic rock...the possibilities became endless.

The Bad:

Those same up and coming artists that were excited about all this new exposure were also facing an incredible backlash from the recording industry and leading record labels. File sharing meant less profit margin for record labels and big name artists, and naturally, they didn't like that one bit. Many acts like Metallica, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Britney Spears were widely outspoken against people listening to their music for free. Lars Ulrich event want as far as to publicly campaign and help orchestrate a string of lawsuits that would ultimately be the demise of the Napster program (we all remember that now don't we?). Since there was less money all across the board for the recording industry, the inevitable outcome for all up and coming artists was that securing a record deal was infinitely more difficult. Not only that, but once a record deal was secured, it on the record label's terms. Now that the dust has settled and it's 10 years later, we see the long run effects that the record industry has suffered. Music as a whole has been watered down and the same producers and artists are now being forced upon us; simply because they have the money to do so. Less profitability means more struggling artists. There is less emphasis on quality and more emphasis by the labels on the search for "the next big thing".

There was no denying that the revolution was here to stay. File sharing was introduced to the masses and the greater population. Once Napster was shut down, the idea was not about to die. New programs were created in its stead and file sharing became an untamable beast that eventually grew to film and television. Some options have been presented to keep money in the hands of the record labels like iTunes, a pay version of Napster, Rhapsody, and other mp3 download sites. Will there ever be an answer on how to save the music industry and still keep the music lovers happy? I have no idea. I do know one thing for sure: I am a living, breathing product of the Napster revolution and I owe all my music enthusiasm, music knowledge, musical depth, and musical inclination to the program. Thanks Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker. You created a monster. Cheers.

~Dr. M.

Dr. M's Diagnosis On: Sean "Puffy/P. Diddy/Diddy/Dirty Money/I'm Rich Bitch" Combs

Hey what up world. Dr. M back at it again on this Friday night. I figured my last post would be the last one of the night and maybe weekend but I decided to say forget it because something came up. And that something was reading this very interesting article on mtvnews.com about Sean "P. Diddy" Combs (or whatever the hell his name is these days). Actually the article was neither interesting or entertaining, but it share a noteworthy tidbit of information: Sean Combs has YET ANOTHER business venture. For those too lazy to read it, he's talking about opening up a management firm so he can ruin more careers without actually signing artists to his label (if its even his label anymore...he keeps selling more ownership as it makes less and less money).


Sean Combs...what a name. Internationally renowned, but then again, for what? The man is a jack of all trades, and at the same token, a jack of no trades. Let's put this into perspective. He is classified on wikipedia as a record producer, rapper, actor, and fashion designer. Now add talent manager to that list as well. Is he really good at any of those? Let's investigate....

1. Record Producer

He definitely deserves his props for lifting Bad Boy Records from the ground up and starting that movement in the 90's. In the mid to late 90's you always heard songs from Biggie, Ma$e, or the man Puffy himself all over the radio and mtv. However, he is NO RECORD PRODUCER. He's an executive producer, entrepreneur, and businessman yes; he has the money and he can make the moves, but him trying to hop in and take producing credit? That's just downright dirty. I'm not talking about how he's always on every song saying his trademark "yea, badboy, can't stop won't stop!" and in every video, I'm talking about actual production credits under "Diddy & The Hitmen". Puffy has never been known for actual studio production, aside from shouting orders at the producers he has in the studio at the time. The Hitmen are the ones that do the actual production work. And funny enough, The Hitmen has a lineup that constantly changes. Is this just Puffy's way to squeeze more money out of all the songs released on Bad Boy Records? It just may be.

2. Rapper

Rapper? Does he even write his own rhymes? His albums have progressively sold less and have been more critically panned with each release and in recent years he's struggling to find his own genre...let's just skip this one...

3. Actor

He's been in a few movies like the sequel to Carlito's Way and he's done a few Broadway shows, but he's far from being recognized in the film industry as an "actor". Good for him for branching out though. Seems fun.

4. Fashion Designer

His clothing line Sean John is pretty popular. I don't wear any Sean John but from what I've read its a pretty lucrative business venture and people seem to like it. Does Puffy actually design the stuff? I'm not sure. He might take credit for designing the Sean John styles just like he "produces" records.

5. Talent Manager

Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj are in for some TROUBLE! They are the first two to sign to his new management firm. Both trust Puffy as a very knowledgeable man and the one to take them to music success. However, should they trust their career to Puffy and put it in the hands of someone who doesn't have any successful artists on his record label? This is the one that gets me. The whole management firm thing is new, but Puffy has always revered himself as a good talent scout and manager. Is he really? I don't know....do the names Danity Kane, Dream, Day26, Donnie Klang, Kain, Black Rob, Mark Curry, G.Dep, Craig Mack, Carl Thomas, and 112 mean anything to anybody? Ya...didn't think so. They have all gone by the wayside after initially having the hype of being on Bad Boy Records and the seal of approval from the man himself. Did I miss any? Bottom line: Every artist Puffy has "discovered" and signed has failed (or died). Ma$e didn't necessarily fail but he quit to become a pastor. Soon as he decided to come out of retirement, Puffy put the final nail in the coffin of his career.

Oh and I almost forgot. He's the spokesman for Ciroc vodka. I'm sure he can put that on his everlasting resume. But let's wrap this thing up....



**DIAGNOSIS: The man is out of touch with the music industry and scrambles for ways to stay relevant. He's good at nothing but average at everything. However, it works. He's a good businessman. That's what he does. People need to stop giving him credit as a "musician" though.

**PRESCRIPTION: Nothing at all. No matter what, he'll do just fine. Cheers Puffy



'Til next time world! Leave a comment!

~Dr. M

Dr. M's Diagnosis On: Ke$ha

Now...I understand pop music. We all should. It should have good production, a catchy melody, inspiring or interesting vocals, and some sort of substance that really makes us feel into the song even though we know it could be about nothing. Pop music used to mean something. However, somewhere along the timeline, it got raped and now we get results like this:



Yeesh! I know we aren't to judge a book by its cover, but I think this picture pretty much sums it all about this particular artist I wanted to diagnose: Ke$ha. A San Fernando Valley native who had her dreams and sights set on music stardom; at ALL costs! Ever since we had the boy and girl band explosion of the 90's, it became pretty apparent you didn't need actual singing talent or skill of any sort to become a pop sensation. Britney Spears broke the mold and let everyone know that any pop sensation dream is possible as long as you have a connected family, good looks, money for a boob job, squeaky clean image, and record label backing. As much as I hate to do it, I have to give Ke$ha a lot of credit for her ability to break all the rules. If you've ever heard a Ke$ha song, seen a Ke$ha video, or witnessed a Ke$ha "performance", you would know that this chick falls into neither category. Except for one actually, and that would be record label backing. The musical bubblegum juggernaut producer Dr. Luke saw fit to give this Tennessee bumpkin (where she grew up) girl an opportunity to be what nobody else could. Simply put ladies and gentleman...Ke$ha: a "pop singer" who has no talented singing voice, no particular good looks, no dancing skills, no connected family, AND happens to present an image to kids of a constantly trashed party girl (which she actually seems to be) shot to #1 on the charts when her album Animal hit the shelves and became an overnight pop sensation. God Bless America. I can't really begin to wonder where to point fingers. Any help? Well my first finger will be pointed at Dr. Luke for giving this chick a record deal first of all. His next strike for me is the niche he found for her using electro-dance-pop beats; using the flawless theory that girls really don't care how bad the music is as long as they can dance to it. I want to say, yet another rape of the electronic music scene for the teeny boppers. Best part of this is Ke$ha's pretty obvious lack of a genre preference. No matter what she could do to make it, she would do it, regardless of substance or class. Let's all get drunk and dance y'all! In her own words "Don't be a little bitch with your chit chat just show me where your dick's at." We can all hope all girls at the club are so intelligent.

***Diagnosis: Delusional! Whack! Crap! Fail! Cancer to the music industry. I'm looking at you too Dr. Luke

***Prescription: Surgical removal. A smack to the face and plane ticket back to Nashville.