DGAF

SEBASTIAN FOR PRESIDENT

2011-09-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

We've always considered him the most arguably underrated artist on Ed Banger, but I think we have a serious contender for DGAF Winner of 2011... and World President of 2012.

This video doesn't do his show at the Avalon (Friday, September 9) any justice (pun intended); you HAD to see this in person. No spoiler alerts here, but if you missed a date on his recent Primary Tour, I can only hope for your sake that he keeps this up for the next time you're able to catch him.

No need to rig that shit, our votes are already in.

DGAF NOUVEAU

2011-06-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

Photos by SHIMOSH

Meet Satsuki Shibuya, the mastermind and impresario behind zakka nouveau. If you haven't heard of zakka nouveau, now would be a good time to acquaint yourself. Forget buying a throw-away generic item at the mall, because zakka nouveau aims to create gifts that are both handmade and personal. The selection includes everything from tea towels, aprons, pot holders, tote bags, coasters, to even bento bags. Everything is useful and functional, but not devoid of any fun or charm... And neither is Satsuki!

We had the pleasure of meeting up with her at Coffee Cartel in Redondo Beach, and we are very honored to have had the opportunity. CMYK have known her from our days at Otis College of Art and Design, and despite her unmistakable talent in design, she's always remained very grounded and down-to-earth. (She was even nice enough to spot me for a tea because I'd forgot to bring cash!) She's now the owner of her very own business, and we're really proud of her.

But what exactly makes her so DGAF? Starting your own business from the ground up, for one thing, is pretty DGAF. (She went from learning how to use her mom's sewing machine when she was little to sewing her very own line of products!) But it's also the way she runs it. She designs all of the fabrics, sources out her own soy based inks, and is very involved with sewing and silkscreening her products. It's very DIY but not in the punk rock way you'd expect.

You'll understand why she reps DGAF to the fullest. But DGAF people aren't born, they're made. CMYK got schooled on determination, ambition, and why you should never give up, no matter where life takes you or what life takes out of you.

CMYK: Tell us who you are.

zakka nouveau: Satsuki Shibuya.

CMYK: What do you do?

zn: I'm the owner of zakka nouveau. That sounds weird! (laughs)

CMYK: Tell us a little bit about zakka nouveau.

zn: Well, zakka nouveau, the whole idea started maybe 4 years ago.

CMYK: Yeah?

zn: Yeah, during school... I realized I really do enjoy hand work and creating tactile design work. So instead of working on the computer I definitely liked printing, screen printing, letter pressing, things where I can actually see it in the process of it being created, instead of like pushing the print button and it comes out of the machine, and ding! It's done! More than that, I felt more gratified by the actual process.

So during that time I got interested in product design possibilities and how I can put the graphic not just as a print on to fabric or paper, but how can I push that even more to make things that people can use every day, so it's not wasteful. Because I don't think graphic design is wasteful, because it's communicating. But I do feel like in a way... it can be if it's overly used and abused. So a lot of printing paper that people just throw away.

CMYK: So is it the disposability of design that you just weren't into? Also I guess that brings up a more environmentally conscious/reusable kind of thing, was that conscious? Did you purposely want something that was environmentally friendly as well?

zn: Yeah. I felt like I wanted something [different] because you know graphic design—not all disciplines but in some—is very ephemeral. It's like, you produce it and bam! It's gone. I thought there must be a way to utilize graphic design so that it will be useful everyday and people will actually enjoy interacting [with it]. It's not just communicating visually, but in their tactile world. And I wanted to create something that is long-lasting.

So that's kind of where the idea started. I started kind of testing out making products... The sewing wasn't all that great but it was fun! I really enjoyed... doing stuff with my hands, whittling away at something for hours, like sewing. So I definitely enjoyed that more than sitting in front of the computer! After graduating I knew I didn't wanna go and work for a company or studio. I feel like I'm at the age where I could take a risk to start something. I've worked in the past and I felt like I had enough experience... and even if I mess up, I have enough time to mess up again.

CMYK: Do you feel you were right about that assumption?

zn: To be honest, I'm not sure yet. I'm 100% sure that I made the right decision to start my own company and not work for somebody. But, as far as if I'm successful with it, I’m not sure yet. Not to say money is a measure of success. Not only that, but are people recognizing what I'm doing is something they can relate to? Are people responding to it the way I hoped? Are they using the product how it fulfills their needs? That will be my measure of success.

CMYK: How do you plan on measuring? You can't just walk into people's homes.

zn: (laughs) For me, zakka is not about mass-production at all. It's definitely about creating one of a kind, limited edition pieces that are special to someone who wants to buy and use these products. For instance, if a customer wants a bag, a lot of times it's a one-off thing, so I'll know which bag is owned by who. So let's say that bag breaks, I want to be able to say, “Send it back, I'll fix it for you.” You know, to make that conversation continue. In that sense, I can gauge if the customer is happy with it, giving me feedback. I definitely don't want a mass product where I send out a questionnaire, because then it's not so personal.

CMYK: Would you say you're trying to create an experience, instead of a design that someone passively looks at? Are you trying to create an experience to connect people outside the internet?

zn: Definitely. That is definitely the direction I wanna go. zakka nouveau is always changing and right now it's becoming a lifestyle brand (such as Martha Stewart or Kurihara Harumi). I'm also interested in branching out to different areas, i.e. culinary, possibly a store, but as of now I'm concentrating on products and being a small goods + interior goods company.

CMYK: I think it's really funny and ironic because you started as a Digital Media major at Otis. What guided you to go in that direction? Because I know you did music before… So what made you go into digital? Was it technology?

zn: (laughs) I already knew when I entered college, I wanted to do something creative. I knew I couldn't do plain business. My body was screaming, "Nooo!" So I thought, I could go visual, or do music. I've been playing piano since I was really little. So I thought, I should go in the direction I know best. I love music and I studied music in college, and then I ended up working in the music industry and I thought I wanted to be a singer/songwriter. And I told my parents and they were like, "Whaaaat? But you'd better have a stable job!” You know, stable. [The] music business [is] not stable... totally not stable! So I would write music and sing at night, and then I would go to work during the day.

And then one day I realized, when I was writing music with my friend who is a super talented producer/songrwiter, that I don't know, something's missing... I wouldn't be 100% confident in saying I am a songwriter, knowing that there are so many others that are so awesome. I couldn't find my own voice or vision, and I knew there must be something else out there that's creative. So I started exploring, maybe it's visual that I'm really liking. I tried interior design, fashion design.

And then... I like music, I like visuals, so I thought, maybe I'll be a music video producer! That sounded great in my brain, in my head. Then I got into digital and I remember my classmate... We had to draw a character in a scene and damn, everybody put their stuff up on the wall and my character looked like an alien! The face was so jacked up! And he said to me, "Are you sure you're in the right major?" And I was like "NO!"

CMYK: (laughs) Straight up like that?

zn: (laughs) Yeah, he straight up told me, "Suki, not to be mean, but are you sure you're in the right place?" And I was like, "I dont' think so!!!" (laughs) I knew immediately from week one, it was not for me! I stuck it through but it was excruciating for me. Everyone drew at a certain level. I was not interested in drawing scenery and characters... and motion graphics. It was a whole other level of computers.

My work was looking like crap and I was feeling like I needed to quit Otis ASAP. I went halfway into Fine Arts... maybe something I would be into. I wanted to go into mixed media, but then I took a lot of the classes, which were really conceptual. I like “conceptual” but not to the point of feeling like my brain is being pushed into outer space! I was so lost and by the first year of Otis I wanted to quit. I was telling my parents that maybe I’m not cut out for anything creative.

Towards the end of the semester, my parents were like, “If you want to quit, we won't hold it against you.” They were really nice about it and said, "You can get married and have a kid!" (laughs) A big turning point was when my then fiancée (now husband!) Kevin said that, “If you start something, you gotta finish it... You gotta ride it through and find out what it is. There's a reason why you went there. You gotta find out.” So yeah, I was searching around for a major and ended up at Communication Arts... Oh this is great, you can use art to communicate with people. This is it!

CMYK: It wasn't even your first choice?

zn: No. It totally fell out of the air.

CMYK: How did you decide on that?

zn: It was immediate, when they explained to me what the major does: to use art, use design to communicate. Right there, I was like, that's great, that's what I would love to do! I was sold on the idea. I started taking classes and I loved them, and I finally felt like I was in my element... Even though classes were hell, I loved every moment of it. So I finally feel like I'm at a point where I can 100% be confident in telling someone, “This is what do, I love what I do, and even if you don't like it, I don't care because I love it!”

CMYK: That's perfect DGAF. Wow. We didn't know it was such a journey... it was a process, much of like what you do now is all about your process. It's the journey, not the destination.

zn: I think that was my biggest nightmare, is not finding what I want to do. People around me were becoming doctors, dentists, lawyers, and businesspeople, and here I am still trying to find out what I want to do with myself... This is what I truly believe, if people give themselves the time to find what they really love to do, then all that stuff will follow… because they're doing what they love. And people respect you for it regardless. Not forcing yourself, but if you do what you love... money will follow, I feel like.

CMYK: What if what you love is eating potato chips?

zn: Maybe you'll get that potato chip commercial.

CMYK: Or a professional chip eater. (laughs) Anyway, so were you always DGAF? What does DGAF mean to you? Do you have a philosophy?

zn: DGAF for me definitely means to have your own policy of who you are as person and to not let anything sway you no matter what anybody says to you or whatever happens to you... you can at least hold your own. If you are the sole person who believes in yourself, you can still hold your own and be ok with it. You're happy doing what you do.

I get it from my dad because I grew up watching my dad really work hard. I saw my dad one time, I just remember one week the car broke down. He literally woke up at 3 in the morning to bicycle through the mountains to get to work. It took him 3 hours there and back. He does motion picture catering so he has to go on set and he's cooking... It's a hardcore job but he still biked there and back… into the mountains.

CMYK: Into the mountains?

zn: Because he had to take a mountain trail to get to work. To see that determination, and to see he did it to support the family, it made me think. I always used to tell my mom, I don't care what anybody says to me, if I decide if I'm going to do something, it may take me a while to find it but if I find it, I know I can stick to it. I know it. I feel that's where I get my drive from.

CMYK: Wow, your DGAF mentor... DADGAF. DGAFather. (laughs) So what is the stupidest name you thought of for zakka nouveau?

zn: “The Green Square,” or “Gray Squares.”

CMYK: What was your thought behind that one?

zn: I don't know, I think it just sounded cool, it has no meaning behind it. (laughs)

CMYK: But zakka nouveau has a meaning.

zn: Well, my dad's a French chef, and I've always been intrigued with French cultural nuances. I'm Japanese, so I wanted to mix the two. “Zakka” means every day things to enhance your life... it could be design work that enhances your life or products or whatever to make your life a little bit happier or better. “Nouveau” is looking at things in a different perspective. I feel in society right now we're so trained to look at things as a brand or things as mass produced or as cultural status... “Nouveau” I wanted to be more of looking at your daily life in a different way, and know that not everything has to be bought that way or produced that way, there are other ways you can be making things around your life.

CMYK: Do you have any influences that people wouldn't expect?

zn: I'm really influenced by moments. For instance, if the sun is shining on the window sill in a certain way, it sparks a thought. Or if someone is laughing in a certain way, I might pick up that emotion and I somehow tie that into a visual reference... little things... spark an idea, so I guess every day little happenings tend to inspire me.

CMYK: Things from daily life? You make things for daily life.

zn: People really influence me. Like little things that people say. For instance, by meeting you guys, I'm getting so many neurological influences that when I go home I start writing it down or drawing it.

CMYK: You've always had a really positive attitude. What keeps you positive?

zn: When I was little, I had a really difficult childhood, and I think I grew up really fast and... I couldn't relate to a lot of kids. I always felt like an outcast because I couldn't talk to them about what I was going through. I am finally getting into the element where I feel like I can relate to people and they can relate to me, even if it's not by talking it could be through other means of communication.

So I keep a positive attitude, because I realize the positive attitude you exude always propels you to something more positive and it brings with it so much luck… I think that's what continues it... it's a total domino effect. It comes from my mom who always told me that even if my heart does follow, to keep moving forward and eventually your heart will catch up. So now I'm just always high, high on laughing with people and stuff...

CMYK: Any words of advice?

zn: It's so clichéd, but no matter what anybody else says around you, I would say just keep going at it because it's better than giving up, going with the norm, and being miserable. I think that's really important.

Thanks to our amazingly DGAF interviewee, Satsuki Shibuya, for giving us a little look into her brain. You can catch more glimpses at zakka nouveau. Don't forget to check out her latest collection: THE GOLDEN RABBIT, and keep a lookout for one-of-a-kind and limited edition items as well!

Who Am I To Feel So DGAF?

2011-06-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

Who am I???

On Saturday, March 26, 2011 MEN (http://www.myspace.com/men) performed at the Echoplex. For those of you who are unaware, JD Samson & Johanna Fateman of Le Tigre collaborated on some music and that music became MEN. The performing band consists of JD Samson, guitarist Michael O'Neill, and bassist Tami Hart (who has recently replaced Ginger Brooks Takahashi). We've written before on JD Samson but haven't mentioned much about the band.

So long story short: MEN are amazing. Go see them. Now.

No, I'm kidding, finish this article first. There's pictures!

Shimosh (sportin a MEN shirt!) + Laurie

Taken by the awesomely DGAF Laurie T.

Set Times

Bass Drum of Death

Psychic Friend

The night was opened by Bass Drums of Death & Psychic Friend. I wasn't around for most of Bass Drums of Death, but I was really digging Psychic Friend—they are very cute indie pop/rock. The crowd seemed to be pretty into them, too.

MEN with connecting helmets

MEN without connecting helmets

MEN took the stage at about 11:30 and came out in helmets that connected them into a triangle. It was very cool & unexpected; they played for a few minutes with the helmets on. They did a very energetic, fun set with songs from their latest album, Talk About Body. The crowd was super into it and they were really into it.

After playing an amazing set, the crowd was cheering and clapping and drunk girls were shouting "I LOVE MEN! I LOVE MEN SO MUCH!" After a couple minutes, they came back out and played an encore song—a cover of Bikini Kill's Double Dare Ya. I was ecstatic! MEN covering Bikini Kill? Punk fuckin' rock!

MEN are coming back to Southern CA for Coachella in a couple weeks. Hope you Coachella-kids get a chance to check them out!!!

HARD NYE Mr Oizo

2011-01-18T23:58:00.001-08:00

HARD NYE! We rang in 2011 the best way we knew how--with the weirdest, Frenchest DJ there is: Mr Oizo.

HARD NYE

This guy was on rollerblades and was carrying a light-up stick. Also, he was DJing on the patio.

And then limbo happened.

Ooh, Breakbot!

Oh, Suzanne...

DESTRUCTO

This man is extremely happy about his RUBBER vinyl.

Mr Oizo

with DJ Falcon.

Group shot! :D

2011 can only get stupider, Jupiter...

Ricky DGervaisAF

2011-01-18T23:49:00.000-08:00

So the internet has been buzzing about Ricky Gervais's hosting of Golden Globes. Hollywood is all butt-hurt. Oh no, you can't go and make fun of our important celebrities! Who do you think you are?

I just have to say: THANK YOU, RICKY GERVAIS. Obviously, he does not give a fuck. whatsoever.

A DGAF New Year

2011-01-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

Let's make 2011 a better, more DGAF year. We missed quite a few opportunities and free shows in 2010. We missed everything from the RZA at the Otis College of Art & Design graduation ceremony...

(But our friend Roger Tsao managed to meet him, so we're jealous but VERY grateful that he let us use this photo!)

...to the Record Makers 10th Anniversary art show (thank fuck we caught the much better promoted music show) to Michel Gondry (NOT Mitchell) doing a book signing. Hell, we even missed the Rubber premiere. I guess it was at the AFI Fest? It was the same night as Yelle, however.

Our internet stalking had failed and we can't let that happen again. We were on top of that shit in 2009.

Finances kept us from seeing the Wu-Tang performing 36 Chambers at Rock the Bells, our first ever Coachella, and countless other events, including the Red Bull Culture Clash and the Prince vs. Michael Experience! But we had no excuse to miss free shows from Peanut Butter Wolf, Hyper Crush, or Don Rimini. Except for conveniently timed colds, sicknesses, and/or physical ailments.

BUT NO REGRETS PEOPLE! NO TIME FOR THAT SHIT IN THE NEW YEAR!

CMYK got a new musical collaborator, our own DGAFriend Don aka Van Aerial. He definitely set the bar and raised our remixes up a few hundred notches.

We rang in the new year with Mr. Oizo on the decks at HARD NYE. Nothing says 2011 like a denim shirt.

We'd also like to announce our DGAFriend of 2010... Her name is Satsuki and you might know her from zakka nouveau.

You can read all about her in our long-anticipated interview, coming soon. Yes, we've been saying that for a while now... and we apologize for the delay... but another DGAF year is definitely on the way.

one of the funnier moments of 2010

2011-01-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

don't ask.

Move over, Ghostface, there's a new Killa in town

2010-12-15T01:14:00.000-08:00

Ummm... we need to collaborate with this guy.

Freedumb '90

2010-11-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

We don't need to say shit like we're "married to music". We'd rather have our freedumb, so don't step on it...

Step On Freedom by cmykdgaf

...sometimes clothes do not make the man.

Vice Cooler Couleur

2010-11-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

We were so excited to hear that DGAFavorites Yelle were returning to the Echoplex after their hilariously entertaining DJ set back in April. We were FINALLY going to see their live set as we'd missed at least one other opportunity when they'd come to LA. It was nice to see the place packed because we knew it was going to be a good show.

We'd never heard of Hawnay Troof before but we definitely won't forget him. Vice Cooler is the definition of DGAF. I mean, holy shit. I rarely see performers give it their absolute ALL like that: raw, genuine, and real as shit. While some performers are too cool for the crowd, he actually connects, interacts, and engages with the audience. He's confessional, grateful, and humble; it's his dance party and everyone really is invited. His music is fabulously fun and inspiringly energetic, and we would LOVE to catch his next show.

We couldn't find any videos of him from that night, but here's one from this past September at the Echoplex which will give you an idea:

After the rocking warm-up, Yelle all took to the stage in denim shirts and a phenomenal set of new material. This is probably the most talented and underrated band out there right now. If you can effectively play live drums to dance music, you've got some epic skills. Yes, we're talking to you, Grandmarnier. And you've got to have epic skills to play in a band with Julie and Tepr, for sure. Their new songs were as polished and catchy as ever. There were parts where all three of them played live drums, and it was a nice touch. If you want to see live pop genius, check them out. I'm waiting for them to take over the world.

For such positive vibes from the stage, the crowd certainly was a buzzkill. Fucking hell, you can be obnoxious on your own time, so if you come to see music, try to enjoy it. You're not there to start fights, feel people up, or heckle anyone... or are you? Put down that next drink unless you REALLY don't want to remember the show the next day. Try going up on stage yourself maybe and see how your audience reacts to you. Bet you can't do it. Especially in a denim shirt. You know who you are.

OH AND ONE MORE THING. IF GRANDMARNIER STAGE DIVES, YOU FUCKING CATCH HIM. I couldn't see well from where I was standing, but I didn't see him crowd surf at all after he dived off the stage. I'm thinking he just sank into that apathetic sea of douchebags. Back in April there was less than half the people, and they were all wasted and on rollerskates, and Grandmarnier still managed to crowd surf.

So we'd like to say that we're thankful for acts like Yelle and Hawnay Troof, for playing in LA and keeping it real and DGAF. Or real DGAF. We'd like to show our gratitude with a mash-up. But this is also dedicated to all the cheap garçons that night and the ones we've met throughout 2010.

Cheap Garçons by cmykdgaf

Yelle Kills! And kills it every time...

time flies when you're being DGAF

2010-11-15T22:48:00.000-08:00

Holy shit... where has 2010 gone? I swear we were just ringing in the new year with Chromeo and Peanut Butter Wolf at Club Nokia. Our musical input has slowed down a bit, but we should be back in full force next year (which is less than 2 months away?!?!)... We're planning a special remix for New Year's, and possibly another mash-up... but we have to take a break so we can finally finish the long-awaited interview with our DGAFriend Satsuki from zakka nouveau.

Let's see, so what else will we be up to for what's left of the year? Well, first of all, we will be DJing at Pop Monster this Saturday, November 20 from 7-10. It's free and local if you're from the South Bay. We love Pop Monster because they support local artists and it's the only place like this in the area. Check this place out because we're lucky here in Torrance to have it!

We may have missed him at HARD Haunted Mansion 2010 (not our fault) and the RUBBER premiere (totally our fault), but don't worry... we're going to ring in the new year with none other than Mr. Oizo.

Is anyone else already scared about 2011?

It ain't Halloween unless it's HARD

2010-11-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

ALL PHOTOS BY OUR FRIEND KAREN PEDROZA. THANKS GIRL!!! :)

I always thought Halloween was one of those holidays that of course reached its prime in childhood. I mean, dressing up in a costume and getting free candy? You can't top that. As an adolescent, I discovered things such as Knott's Scary Farm, to much disappointment (I found it more annoying that anything, but that's another story). I started to be at a loss every year for costume ideas. Besides, all the costumes for women were getting annoyingly "sexy". And with no Halloween parties REALLY worth going to, I just accepted that I'd outgrown the holiday.

That is, until in 2008, HARD revived the holiday for me. I can't imagine Halloween without it anymore. It's now back to being the holiday I look forward to the most! It's WAY more fun than trick-or-treating, and good music is also good for your health, unlike candy (no pun intended). I've also realized that dressing up is something you should NEVER grow out of. You're an adult, and you can come up with more ideas and more elaborate costumes. HARD Haunted Mansion, we salute you.

We arrived this year a little late, but we managed to score free street parking around the USC campus. We did miss Busy P, which was a bummer, but ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I AM GLAD TO HAVE MADE IT IN TIME FOR CROOKERS. THEY NEVER DISAPPOINT. They played a lot of their old fidget hits, and kept the crowd relentlessly going until they ended it with a Boyz II Men song. They will always be DGAFavorites and DGAF heroes.

Rusko was dirty and heavy... fucking dope. I definitely wanna see him again. I don't give a shit, I loved the tracks he produced for M.I.A.'s latest album.

Fortunately Shimosh remembered JUST in time that SebastiAn was playing indoors, and we clamored to get back into the Harder Stage. There was understandably a huge crowd wanting to get in as well. The setup is great so that when you walk into the indoors stage, you're already up at the front by the stage so you don't have to fight your way up from the back. SebastiAn KILLED it as usual. He is DEFINITELY one of the most underrated (if not THE most) DJ out there right now. He always plays pretty flawless sets. Very DGAF.

Now, we were SUPER bummed that Mr. Oizo had to be cut from the lineup (apparently due to visa issues). He was definitely one of the acts we wanted to see most. (He was replaced by Diplo, who wasn't a bad choice at all.) Now Mr. Oizo sure didn't play... but we did see him there! In the crowd! With TWO Flat Erics!!! WTF??? We're not trying to start any internet rumors or anything...

Bloody Beetroots were a good close to Saturday night. It was a more mellow live set, but they still made you dance. You don't mess with the Bloody Beetroots or their genre-defying live shows. Ever.

We returned Sunday as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. 2 days of HARD is always tiring but worth it. It just feels more epic. We ended up getting there late again, but we scored free street parking for the second night in a row! We managed to get there for the start of A-Trak and Flying Lotus. It was a TOUGH decision, and a kind of painful one, but we decided to check out Flying Lotus as we hadn't given him a chance at HARD Summer. We'd seen A-Trak play a mind-blowing set at the Ed Banger 7 party back in February, and it was tough knowing we'd missed another one, but we had to make a choice. I did not regret that decision at all, because FlyLo was nothing short of sick. He killed it with his ominous, eclectic mix of tunes. I believe the hype now.

We saw a bit of the special guest, who was Miiike Snow. As much as I wanted to stay, I needed to go to the Hard stage to see the act I was looking forward to the most that night: Underworld. The last time I'd seen them was 11 years ago at the Santa Monica Civic Center! Yes, ELEVEN years!!! How time flies. 1999's "Beaucoup Fish" was one of my favorite albums when I was younger, and I was dying to see what they'd be like in 2010. I was NOT let down. They were as vital as ever. It's hard to believe they've been around for 30 years!!! Karl Hyde is super DGAF... he's got way more energy on stage than performers half his age and dances around with an undeniable presence. Their music is uplifting but with dark undertones, and doesn't sound dated a decade later. "Two Months Off" felt like a total ray of light, "King of Snake" was a glorious surprise, and "Born Slippy" was the finale that just burned down the house.

Underworld just couldn't be topped. We caught some of Boys Noize and Jack Beats, who were both tearing it up, but by that time I was too tired and blown away by Underworld. But we already can't wait for the next HARD event.

Go HARD and go DGAF.

Steppin' Up

2010-10-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Anthony Dray Johnson (who rightfully got a high five from M.I.A.) for the photos!

M.I.A. is definitely one of the most DGAF people alive. She's got the most swagger, the most epic beats, and puts on a show (or more like a party) so energetic that it will melt your face off. You're guaranteed to dance your ass off and shout along to every lyric. She played a fair amount of songs from each of her 3 albums, including the "hits"... one of the things I love about her is that her music evolves with every album but remains unmistakably her.

She's a raw performer, and she was all over the stage; dancing, climbing on stuff, and constantly going up to the audience to mingle. She even gave a bottle alcohol(?) to someone in the crowd, and invited people up to the stage for the finale, "Born Free". (I also noticed that one of her dancers was one of the guys in that video. He's a HELL of a dancer too, you've got to see it to believe it.) I mean, who else can effortlessly rock hot pink and yellow sequin suits? You have to see her live to experience the badass that is Maya Arulpragasam.

XXXO

I Think UR Stupid 2

2010-10-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

We'd like to thank Jamaica for playing at the Echoplex last week. We definitely missed Flo, but Asian Dan totally rocked it. They played a great show but our only complaint was that their set was unfairly cut short due to time constraints (they were the last on the bill and due to play after 1 a.m.). We hope they come back to LA soon and are allowed to play a full set! In the meantime, check out our remix of "I Think I Like U 2"!

JAMAICA "I Think I Like U 2" (Over Cast Days Remix) by cmykdgaf

DGAF in Vegas

2010-10-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

So besides going to weird French parties, what else have we been up to since lagging?

Here's a few things we learned in Vegas:

1. We hate Clarence Carter. But we think we hate our friend Brian Lee Jones even more for making that video and introducing us to that song and making it the theme song of the weekend.

2. The TI Hotel and Casino, or the Hotel and Casino Formerly Known as Treasure Island, has a pretty good buffet. I mean, I'd never seen phở at a buffet before, let alone decent phở. Their Sirens of TI show, however, is downright unacceptable. I mean, we were raised here in Southern California on a steady diet of crappy entertainment and cheesy shows at Disneyland, and we thought that show was particularly bad. It was the most awfully written and executed live soft porn we'd ever seen. It is a free show, but come on. Only watch it if you want a good laugh while completely wasting your time.

3. Now Paris Las Vegas is pretty classy. I mean, nowhere with a fake Eiffel Tower can really be that classy, but by Vegas standards, I'd say it is. Well, kind of. It would have been classier if I'd found out that they didn't allow drinks up there after buying a plastic Eiffel Tower full of frozen Piña Colada. Chugging that thing before going up the Tower is either the best or worst idea, depending on your perspective. It kind of explains why they only sell stuff like pistachio flavored soft serve ice cream at the real one in the real Paris.

5. Now last but definitely not least... I've only got 2 words for you: PURPLE REIGN. Yes, it IS a Prince tribute show, and a surprisingly LEGIT one at that. If you love Prince, there is no excuse not to see this. Trust me, it will NOT be a waste of your time or money. Honestly, can any Prince fan turn down a Prince tribute show in Vegas? I don't think I'd pay to see a tribute show anywhere else... and I'm not sure if I'll see a better tribute show anywhere else.

Ok, so the Hooters Casino and its Mad Onion restaurant are mediocre at best. In fact, thanks to the Mad Onion (and my own drunkenness) I gave up eating fried food after ordering a platter with 4 different types of fried onions. But that's another story.

I was already kind of blown away as soon as the show started. Purple Reign was pretty much flawless in its execution from the get go, even down to the little details such as costumes and stage banter. They of course played most of Prince's crowd-pleasing hits. They didn't perform "I Would Die 4 U" or "Cream", but they did make up for it by playing "Pop Life", "Erotic City", and "Gett Off", which were all very pleasant surprises.

I definitely would not have been bored if it was all Prince the whole way through, but the Morris Day segments changed the pace up a bit and certainly didn't make the show any less entertaining. It was high energy all the way. Everyone was a genuine, natural performer and/or musician who knew how to keep the crowd going. I mean to be able to pull off a Prince tribute show that effectively, you HAVE to have talent and skills. Jason Tenner, who somehow bears a pretty striking resemblance to Prince, was nothing short of mind-blowing in his ability to capture his spirit.

This is the closest I'll ever get to seeing Prince live, and definitely in that small of a venue, that close to the stage, and in that price range. I can't complain. I may be a little biased here, but you'll probably enjoy this even if you're not a Prince fan.

We even went to the shady nightclub/bar afterward and managed to meet the bass player, the guy who played Morris Day, the the guy who played Jerome, and Jason Tenner. They were all super nice and down to earth. In fact, when amy told Jason that he was "wonderful", he replied with "I'm not Prince." WOW. Probably one of the most DGAF statements ever, from one of the most DGAF people ever in the most DGAF tribute band ever. HAHAHAHA!!!

Ok, so who wants another DGAF weekend in Vegas???

DGAFrench

2010-10-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

We HAD to return to Ooh La La Fest this year to catch Kavinsky. Shit, we at DGAF had been waiting like a year and a half to see him. He was supposed to come last November, and I was CRUSHED that he didn't make it. So I was excited when we found out he'd be at Ooh La La this year.

Of course, we worship the movie Steak so we thought it was hilarious that Sébastien Tellier would be playing that night too. We missed him last year at Ooh La La because we didn't go the night he was playing. We missed Turzi and Acid Washed, but fortunately we did make it to the El Rey in time to catch Tellier.

Obnoxious drunks in the crowd yelling during Sébastien's acoustic set

I was actually cracking up from the very start. Shimosh said he looked like a "sparkly Jesus". She was not kidding. Everything he was wearing was sparkly. In fact I swear he had some glitter in his hair too. The shit-faced audience was shouting stuff like "sexy French" at him. I can't really disagree with the guy who yelled that out, though. The whole experience was totally ridiculous. But totally entertaining.

Sébastien Tellier singing in the crowd of drunks

Sorry Tellier, but as soon as I saw Kavinsky at the side of the stage near the end of your set, I lost my mind. IT WAS ALL ABOUT KAVINSKY FOR ME. I waited anxiously for his set to start, and I was amused before he even started playing. There is just some bizarre paradox about him that I can't explain. He's sexy and goofy at the same time. He's got some major swagger but there's also something comical about him. I'm SO glad I made it to the front row, in the center.

I had as much fun watching him DJ as I did listening to his set. He has a lack of self-consciousness as well as a lack of hiding his emotions or expressions while playing. He played an eclectic, memorable set. I expected no less from him. The set started off with some technical difficulties, but luckily the volume was fixed early on. I feel sorry for all the people who decided to leave during his set. They missed out on such an undisputed badass. It was a damn shame that the place was almost empty when he did his finale with "Baba O'Riley". But someone shouted "Vive la France!" as he was walking off the stage, which was more like it. And hilarious. But I mean, REALLY?

It was a huge downer when I found out that following Monday that Record Makers actually had an exhibit the day before the show. Don't you LOVE finding out about things the week after something happens? Especially when they had ended the day before you found out about it? I was either too excited about Kavinsky playing to read any full descriptions of the Record Makers 10th Anniversary, or details of the exhibit weren't posted when I'd bought the tickets for for the El Rey show. Whatever the reason, it was major fail, and I need to be a more diligent internet stalker. But we're already excited for the next time Kavinsky comes back to LA!

If Sliimy doesn't come to LA anytime soon, he NEEDS to play Ooh La La Fest next year. Jamaica, who we saw there last year are playing this Friday, Oct 15 at the TILT 3 Year Anniversary at the Echoplex.

We'll be there. Be there of be DGAF. Or rather, be there AND be DGAF.

Le DGAF

2010-09-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Remember this guy? Kavinsky is finally back in LA tonight along with Sebastien Tellier and others at the second annual Ooh La L.A. (aka FRENCHFEST 2010). Hope to see you lovely DGAF betches there tonight at the El Rey.

the french national bird is the cock.
We had a blast at last year's Ooh La L.A. festival and are super stoked that they've brought back Tellier and added Kavinsky. I don't know too much about Acid Washed or Turzi, and I'm lazy so i haven't researched them, but i hope i'll be pleasantly surprised.

Last year's Ooh La L.A. fest

Jamaica (formerly Poney Poney) at Ooh La L.A. 2009

check out the rest of the festival and tickets and lineups and other crap here:
www.oohlalafestival.com

Part of DGAF never dies

2010-08-15T01:23:00.000-07:00

Need we say more? photo: JKatan

The best thing about LA is its ability to have outdoor music festivals without humidity or a big chance of rain. And the best thing about outdoor festivals is definitely the fresh air. It can get hot, nasty, and stuffy as hell inside a packed indoor venue. I mean nothing against indoor venues of course, but it's definitely way more comfortable being in the middle of a sweaty crowd when you're outside.

Not a bummer in sight. photo: JKatan

HARD Summer had the right idea of moving to the Los Angeles State Historic Park. It was the same quality, just a different vibe. Instead of an all-night rave style party, it felt way more like a regular daytime music festival.

This is not EDC, people. photo: JKatan

The security was not messing around... we'd already witnessed an arrest before we'd even got in. We then had to remove our shoes at the gates, airport style. Police were patrolling the streets, drug dogs were walking around, bouncers were everywhere. Nobody was fucking around.

HARD gets it right again. photo: JKatan

We arrived just in time for Breakbot, who warmed up his set with clean funky disco-tastic house, surprised everyone when he decided kick into harder gear. We were left so flabbergasted by the transition from Snoop Dogg to Mr. Oizo that we did a synchronized jaw-drop that no one could even imagine choreographing.

The breakdown with Breakbot. photo: JKatan

We headed to the Harder Stage for Switch, who was dropping all kinds of baile funk fun, and witnessed a pretty intense 2-hour tag team set from Benga and Skream. It was wobbly, energetic dubstep madness. They know how to work a crowd.

This is how we roll (no pun intended). photo: JKatan

We listened to the always dope sounds of Diplo as we headed toward the food trucks. The only thing security couldn't stop were the red ants that were crawling on my shoes and biting my feet while we were in line. We finished our sandwiches and made our way back to see Flying Lotus, who was playing a good but very mellow set. Apparently I missed him drop some heavy ass shit just as I left to check out Crystal Castles, who were assaulting the senses with their controlled, noisy chaos. If they're not punk as fuck, I don't know what is. Hell, even Alice Glass rhymes with badass.

Is that steam? photo: JKatan

But we could not bear to miss Tiga, who was tearing it the fuck up. He probably played the most undeniably danceable set all day. Proxy kept the party going... but we had to head over to at least catch the end of Major Lazer. There was a Chinese dragon and a ton of people dancing on stage, and we knew we'd missed some ridiculous antics. Leave it up to Major Lazer to take the party to the next level.

video: JKatan

But nobody brings the party like Soulwax. Yay Belgium! If you also know about 2ManyDJs, you know that the Dewaele brothers have so much musical talent it's disgusting. They've evolved from a really cute, catchy, and interesting pop band to this nonstop dance machine. It amazes me how they make live instruments sound electronic and analog equipment sound digital... you get the energy of a live band with the sound of a DJ set. It's totally legit.

video: JKatan

My only complaint? That they didn't play for like 2 hours. They were the perfect closer to HARD Summer. I don't think you can really follow Soulwax; I think it worked out to not have other DJ's on til 4am after the headliner.

But I forgot to mention one of the highlights of the day, and it was seeing the lineup for this:

Part of the weekend never dies.

Baba O'Beetroots

2010-08-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Tardy Tuesday! Our Mixin' Monday track this week is a mashup of The Who and The Bloody Beetroots: "Baba O'Beetroots."

BABA O'BEETROOTS by cmykdgaf

HAPPY NATIONAL BELGIAN DAY!

2010-07-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

We've been celebrating by releasing a remix of GRTONIC's "Sucker Punch" with our #1 DGAFriend Van Aerial.

Meron Gumi - "Sucker Punch (Belgian ROFL Remix)" by cmykdgaf

Club UnderGAF

2010-07-20T04:02:00.000-07:00

adorable bands edition

UPDATED 7/21

A while back, we took a DJing class and our teachers were these really cool cats who happen to run a weekly music event on Fridays at The Echo called Club Underground. CMYK made a trip out on Friday night and (despite getting in a bit late because SOMEONE (Shimosh) forgot their wallet at home) had a blast. The vibes are good, and the music is great. Sweater Girls won us over with their absolutely adorable indie pop sound.

Sweater Girls

The Secret History

Djs Diana and Larry

Check out Club Underground every Friday night at The Echo, on Sunset. They'll keep you dancing all night with everything from M.I.A. to Daft Punk to Yelle to Dee-Lite to of course a healthy dose of Britpop. And with delicious $4 pizza slices from Two Boots actually served in the venue, you've got a winning combination!

DonGAF

2010-07-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

"stupidest-post-ever" edition

Happy ONE YEAR DGAF-VERSARY. we've kept this blog going for a year already. wow. To celebrate, we want to share something very stupid and dear to us. That would be one of our good friends, Don.

Don was our DGAFriend of the year of '09 and things definitely would not have been so DGAF without him in '09 or '10. He often comes to events with us and there's never a dull moment between his witty commentary and his willingness to mess with the drunks and druggies. Not to mention this kid has major talent in the music production department. See this post for more deets.

Don with a drunk

Don with another drunk

Don drunk (not really)

Fun times with Nabil Linus and Don.

BreakDon

what even...

Don doesn't approve of such rude behaviour, Suz.

I think we already have a winner for DGAFriend 2010...

So for all the stupid times and stupid pictures, we salute you, Don. One year of DGAF and counting.

HARD LA goes M.I.A.

2010-07-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

But it's not over yet, because we still have HARD Summer with its expanded lineup AND WE CAN'T WAIT:

See you August 7th!!! It's gonna be a DGAF Summer... so let's keep on dancing!

steppin' down

2010-07-08T23:03:00.001-07:00

Nope, it's not Mixin' Monday yet. As a matter of fact, it's not Slacker Saturday or Sunday, or even Flakey Friday. We couldn't wait for the debut remix from Dreamcast (CMYK + Van Aerial). Our DGAFriend Van Aerial is 2 legit to quit.

Dreamcast - "Steppin' Up (HARD LA / M.I.A. Chaos Emerald Remix)" by cmykdgaf

no sleep til belgium

2010-06-21T01:20:00.000-07:00

NO SLEEP TIL BELGIUM by cmykdgaf

PURPLE REIGN

2010-06-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is a little late... but we here at DGAF spent our Memorial Day Sunday remembering how DGAF Prince was at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery... WAIT. HOLD ON. Before you start any vicious online rumors or frantically googling Prince to find out if he's part of one of the many celebrity casualties of 2010... as far as we know, Prince has NOT passed away. But he already has a legacy which is also alive and well... and what better way to celebrate that with a screening of Purple Rain!

If you've never seen Purple Rain, or if you've only seen it on a TV screen... in my opinion, there is only one way to see it, and that is a screening. It doesn't matter if it's at an independent theater (how we first saw it) or at an outdoor event like this; a big screen is the only way to capture its decadent glory. The vibe that a legion of Prince fans brings to it isn't too shabby either.

But what made this screening even better was the legit sound system!!! The performances alone make this movie, and hearing the classic songs blasting from big, professional speakers was nothing short of epic (and it made the cheesy dialogue funnier too!). I mean, this was the closest a lot of us will ever come to a Prince concert... and is the only consolation for those of us who had to miss his shows back in his heyday.

But make sure you show up super early to a Cinespia Hollywood Forever screening... it takes a bit to find street parking (which is free and well worth it) and also, Santa Monica Blvd. gets packed. We ended up waiting in line for about an hour as well, so we had to end up sitting at the back, which would have been ok if there weren't so many damn people standing up or walking around and blocking our view. Come on, people, didn't you come here to WATCH Purple Rain?

But how could this screening have been even MORE badass than it already was? An appearance by Dam Funk and Peanut Butter Wolf, of course!!! They were spinning all kinds of obscure and old skool Prince tracks before and after the movie. They really know their shit! We even joined in a little post-Purple Rain dance party.

Can any other movie screening be this DGAF? I don't know... you can't really top Purple Rain AND Stones Throw DJs.

tiger style

2010-06-11T00:38:00.000-07:00

... Or are they?

Here's the big debate of summer 2010. Well, for me at least...

You see, Wu-Tang is a way of life. One of the most conceptual music artists of all time are back to perform their classic "Enter the 36 Chambers" album in its entirety. Sounds like a dream come true. Well it is... kind of. So why am I not as excited as I should be?

Well, first is the obvious: no ODB. I have no idea how much his son can pick up the slack. I mean, it's fair compensation... but there was only one ODB and there only could have been one. Just because you're a blood relative doesn't mean you're as DGAF. I don't know, maybe he is. But ODB to me is just irreplaceable. Am I being too skeptical?

If I am, maybe it's because... well... real talk... Wu-Tang, when I saw them at Rock the Bells in 2007, were a pretty disappointing and disjointed live act. They were all over the place, totally not cohesive, and ultimately could not get it or themselves together to pull of a solid live show... I mean, they didn't even finish songs. They played my favorite song of 36 Chambers, "Da Mystery of Chessboxin", and it was cool but I wasn't as blown away as I thought I would be. I don't know if it's ego or if they just started being DGAF in the wrong kind of way. Curiously, A Tribe Called Quest is billed over Wu-Tang. Could it because Wu-Tang got a reputation for being underwhelming live?

So this is why I'm a little hesitant to buy my ticket... I'm a little broke right now and I know I'll get my money's worth from the rest of the lineup, but if I buy a ticket, it would be for Wu-Tang and I'll feel ripped off anyway if they don't deliver. To be continued...

Baby, I'm DGAF

2010-06-10T23:13:00.001-07:00

Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours (feat. Irfane) - HD from Ed Banger Records on Vimeo.

Leave it up to an old school medium like watercolor to push the art of music videos forward. Let's face it, it's an art form that stalled in the late '90s... you might have noticed that most of them from the past decade, especially mainstream ones, still follow a formula that hasn't evolved much since the pre-millenial end of MTV's heyday. But it's dope ass shit like this that gives me hope... or maybe it's just the sight of Breakbot with a keytar.

Breakbot, I'm Yours.

Dino P

2010-06-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

DJing for a bunch of little kids and jumping up and down in a dinosaur costume? pretty DGAF, Busy P.

Happy Slacker Sunday!

2010-05-30T02:37:00.000-07:00

Mixin' Monday returns late this month but comes early with a double-dose of traxxx! 2 mashups of Kavinsky's "Nightcall" vs. Babylon Pink's "Al Cowlings," named "Al Call" and "Nightcowlings." Please vote for us by going on our soundcloud page and clicking the <3!!!

AL CALL by cmykdgaf

NIGHTCOWLINGS by cmykdgaf

What took us so long? None of your damn business. You should be thinking about who would really win a drag race between a Testarossa and a Bronco. And how dope it is that we happen to look kind of like Draags from Fantastic Planet.

EDGAFNIES

2010-05-11T01:05:00.000-07:00

Whoomp! There it is!

So-Me knows what's up...

... and so do fusion taco trucks

We are the crowd, we're coming out, got my flash on it's true...

Busy P, WTF?

Busy P, FTW!

Pack it up

Pack it in

Let me begin

I came to win

Battle me that's a sin

For those who missed it (and I feel sorry for you who did, you know who you are!)... not only did they play Mr. Oizo twice, but So-Me took to the mic and RAPPED parts of a French hip-hop song. Yes, RAPPED, and totally pulled it off. I don't know how frequently this happens, but we've been to our fair share of Ed Banger parties and we have never witnessed this, and we certainly never anticipated this. Whatever it was, it earned So-Me undisputed DGAF of the night. The place was super packed and we were worried at one point that we wouldn't be able to get in... so even if we'd missed everything else and only saw that part, it would have still made the ENTIRE night worthwhile.

So-Me? More like... So-DGAF

NO MORE CHRISTIAN SIDE HUGS

2010-05-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

In case you don't know about the Christian Side Hug phenomenon:

We apologize because you probably didn't want to know, but apparently this was NOT a parody, a joke, or even irony. They were completely serious and totally meant it. This is definitely a sign of the apocalypse.

Which is why we'd like to give a DGAF award to the Retar Crew:

Check out more of their genius on their YouTube channel and MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THEIR ALBUM!

Tahiti Boy & The DGAF Family

2010-05-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

If you don't know Tahiti Boy & The Palmtree Family, you will after this video:

That is the most DGAF legal acid trip I've had in a while. My favorite part is when that fuzzy puppet monster tries to eat that mushroom at the end. We figured their live performance wouldn't be as mind-bendingly surreal as a Ben & Julia production, but we were looking forward to seeing Tahiti Boy & The Palmtree Family when they came to the Echo in April. We'd first heard about them when we found out that their guitarist Antoine is also in Jamaica.

Tahiti Boy & The Palmtree Family are fun, breezy, summery pop. They're not overtly psychedelic but they'll put you in a dreamy haze. They're really cute and mellow live, and play really well crafted songs, so check them out! They're really nice if you say hi too.

Tahiti Boy

& the Palmtree Family

Antoine Palmtree

drum!

Harmonizing adorably.

No, the CD's were not free

But apparently they were

Don't forget to watch their DGAF tour video!
And check out their music on MySpace.

BlooDGAF Beetroots

2010-05-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

the italian stallion edition

Badass shot by Holy Mountain, from HARD Haunted Mansion 2009

When M.I.A. sang "no one on the corner has swagger like us," was she talking about herself and Bob Rifo? Because that man has SWAGGER.

Bob Rifo, aka Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, aka leader of the Bloody Beetroots -Death Crew 77-, aka the "Rifo" part of "Rifoki," aka Bobermann, is a producer/dj/vocalist/punk rocker/Italian man/comic nerd who never shows his face.

Bob Rifo on guitar at HARD LA 4/25 (pic from Holy Mountain)

The Bloody Beetroots are an electronic trio (formerly duo) consisting of Bob Rifo, DJ Tommy Tea & drummer Edward Grinch. They make banging electronic music and tons of remixes. What's awesome is that they're actually punks who have crossed over into electronic music, and crossing genres is always good in our DGAF books. Bob Rifo's often caught wearing a Black Flag or Misfits shirt or something. He even has a Black Flag tat!

photo by Caesar Sebastian, HHM 2009

And he makes amazing, well-composed electronic music! It's not even just something nice to dance to, there's thought and concept behind it. Check their website for manifesto and other things to read.

Maybe I'm just impressed because I've run into too much "real punk rockers don't do that DJ crap"/"there's only one genre of music that's good and it's the one i like" kind of mentality lately. Bob Rifo did an interview with Don't Party a while ago:

Punk and Anarchy are big words for anyone to shoulder. Anyone who wants to adopt this philosophy has a big responsibility and a duty not to betray it. I try to encourage freedom and independence through the channels that are available to me. One musical genre just ain’t enough for me.

I just think that's fucking badass.

HARD @ the Palladium 4/24:

Holy shitballs. It was amazing. Look at him run across the stage! He has so much energy and rocks the stage so hard.

Recently, Bob Rifo teamed up with DJ Steve Aoki to form Rifoki (Rifo + Aoki = Rifoki, get it? eh? eh???). They're like hardcore BFF's (that doesn't make any sense, but just pretend it does).

RIFOKI made their live performance debut at the Palladium, as well. From where I was on the mezzanine, I could see mosh pits happening on the floor. Fuck yes.

See, that's one of the best things about the Bloody Beetroots, and about the current electro eclecticism in general: lately, artists and DJ's aren't afraid to wear their diverse influences on their sleeves and play whatever the fuck they want, how they want. Fortunately, this time around, it's not an awkward or clumsy hybrid like, you know, rap-metal. Thanks to HARD, we've been able to witness some of the best and most DGAF DJ's and artists in electro right now, and two nights of Bloody Beetroots in a row at the Palladium were absolutely no exception.

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 at The Palladium! 4/25/2010 photo: Holy Mountain

After a pit stop at the The Waffle next door, we made it in time for Sidney Samson, who were were totally psyched to see because of, well, "Riverside." Need we say more? We walked in as he was playing the Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" and the crowd was already going wild. Sidney Samson was unexpectedly '90s, as he also dropped Red Hot Chili Peppers twice and managed to mash up his own "Riverside" with Oasis' "Wonderwall"??? A pretty DGAF feat. I would DEFINITELY love to see him spin again!

Look at them go! photo: Holy Mountain

Now the Beetroots and Death Crew 77... where do I start??? They manage to really capture the energy of punk without letting anything get in their way. Instead of watering it down with electro, they complemented it. Instead of letting a bigger venue dilute it, they used it to blow it up. Electronic music and live instrument combinations can be half-assed and gimmicky if not integrated properly, but Death Crew 77 know EXACTLY what they're doing and their results are nothing short of exhilarating, as they've pushed everything a step further beyond its limits and managed to pull it off effortlessly.

Ed Grinch tearin' it up! photo: Holy Mountain

Bloody Beetroots play a decent DJ set, but I felt that this was their true, epic, DGAF element. Their DJ sets don't quite capture their spirit nearly as much as Death Crew 77 does. I don't remember rocking so hard at a show in a long time, and that includes all genres of music. Steve Aoki proved to be surprisingly punk as fuck too. I don't know how I survived 2 nights in a row, but it was insanely worth it. Exhausting, but I have absolutely no regrets.

Beetroots wave! or just cheering. photo: Holy Mountain

It's so obvious Bob Rifo has shitloads of stage presence, and there is early proof in "Kinky Malinki." Even before the Beetroots, Death Crew 77, or Rifoki, Bob Rifo had a band and was making catchy pop punk. We are in love with this song, which never gets old no matter how many times we repetitively play it on YouTube:

Come on. The makeup. The facial expressions. The little yellow keyboard he pounds. And then he smashes a bottle over his head. DGAF. end of story.

Oh yeah, check them out
deathcrew77.com
myspace.com/thebloodybeetroots
twitter.com/bloodybeetroots

It's gonna be a HARDGAF Summer!

2010-05-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

HARD LA with the Bloody Beetroots was the SHIT!!! The Hollywood Palladium was a great venue to host it as well. Good location, a decent size, and easy to get around in. It got me excited for HARD Summer! It's going to be interesting seeing HARD mostly during the day at a new location.

Born DGAF

2010-04-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

If the video is taken down, you can watch it here.

Controversial, shocking, whatever. You've probably already seen it and discussed it. M.I.A. gets more DGAF every time. Her new song is a surprisingly dark, almost psychedelic soundscape; ominous and catchy at the same time. The video is strikingly voyeuristic yet is somehow much more integrated and less detached than most videos with regulation lip-synching, choreography, and performance footage. It's a different kind of theatrics, and far more effective.

M.I.A. fucking means it.

Can't wait to see her in July at HARD!

DGAF Cats

2010-04-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ed Banger DJ's, free beer, cookies, mini-cupcakes, and pizza on a sunny afternoon. Whoever can think of something better wins a prize.

Busy Pizza Party

They TOTALLY planned to match. I don't care what anyone says.

Gettin' down with Busy P

Even Jesus showed up!

Jesus Christ, Breakbot!

Gaspard: no Justice, no peace

Brian Bell, what the hell?

Ed Banger KILLS it every time.

It doesn't matter if it's at a small club, at a festival, or at a Cool Cats pop-up store like the one at Barracuda on Melrose... Ed Banger know how to bring the party and keep it DGAF. They even brought the Dubstep this time, FUCK YES.

Apparently they're going to be back in LA next week, stay tuned!

GRANDGAFMARNIER

2010-04-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

WOW! It's been quite a hectic 2 weeks. Sorry for the delay. We won't be caught up for a bit.

But let's go back to April 15, shall we? It's the dreaded income tax filing deadline here in the US. Now don't get me started on that... but I'm referring to the Down & Derby Roller Disco to the Echoplex that night where we had the honor of seeing a Yelle DJ set. We had NO idea what we were getting ourselves into, as usual.

Now I personally don't understand why you would want to rollerskate inside a club (ok, most of it has to do with the fact that I can't actually skate, but it would also drive me nuts not really being able to dance) but I found it surreal and hilarious. I didn't even think roller discos were real, or at least in these past few decades. There was nothing more amusing than being in a crowded club where everyone was extra tall and rollerskating and occasionally eating shit. Alcohol not only causes drunkenness but slippery floors so I guess that's why they make you sign a release before going in.

This proved how good of an idea it was not to bring Shimosh's camera inside. This is why there are no photos, sorry.

Everybody knows that Yelle is DGAF. We don't really need any more evidence. Julie is incredibly sassy and quite the badass. She's cute but at the same time has got way too much swagger for her own good. She's got the skills to both sing and rap about whatever the fuck she wants, including small dicks. And let's face it, songs in English are getting boring. If she's not DGAF, I don't know who is. Shimosh talked to her before their set and she was really nice!

It was a Yelle DJ set, so Julie only performed a few short but sweet songs. "Cooler Couleur" off Crooker's "Tons of Friends" album was a completely unexpected opener. But you had no idea (or probably do, if you know me or follow the blog) how fucking happy I was. They KILLED it with "Je Veux Te Voir", which had the whole place dancing and probably falling over on their skates. Julie's delivery is spot-on, she's got flow and a deceptively pretty voice spiked with a dose of attitude. You can tell she's a genuine performer.

But what I wasn't expecting at all was Grandmarnier. Holy fuck. I had no idea. I could tell he was a dope DJ, he was dropping some pretty sick tracks like Sidney Samson's "Riverside", M.I.A.'s "Pull Up the People", Mr. Oizo's "Flat Beat"... but I had no idea that I was about to get my mind blown. Ok, haha, he was dancing a little bit, that was cute. Whatever, Julie was getting the crowd way more pumped with her energetic moves and she even went into the audience and danced with everyone in the front, which was a fun, awesome surprise.

It stared getting ridiculous when he grabbed a mic and started to tell everyone in the audience to imitate a sound effect that was in a song. Nobody was really getting it, but he kept persevering until people eventually did.

I was cracking up. Suddenly he was doing shit like spinning around slowly while clapping and swinging his arms around and making Tecktonik gestures and playing air piano and he was even doing butt dances where he bent over and started shaking it... I had never laughed so hard during a DJ set in my life. There were seriously times I could not get myself to dance despite the tracks being good.

Things were getting out of control, Grandmarnier was singing along to tracks and generally not giving a fuck. He ran over and picked up Julie and swung her around and started tapping a beat on her. He would get on the mic to say random shit, like he somehow felt compelled to ask the crowd if we liked Lil Jon when he started playing one of his tracks, and then another time started asking everyone if they had water bottles???

He once psyched the crowd into thinking he was going to climb on the table, but I almost thought I was going to die when he did a stage dive. I don't think he gave a fuck that there were not enough people, and that most of them were on skates!!! The expression on his face was priceless! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. For a second it almost looked like he was going to get dropped on the floor, but luckily enough people came to his aid and he got back on stage safely. But then he decided to celebrate by doing Tecktonik moves across the entire stage. At this point I couldn't take it anymore and thought I had to go home.

The set ended with him telling us a new album was coming out this year... and I was done for the night. I didn't know if I was more tired from all the dancing or all the laughing. I had no idea what had just happened, except for the fact that Grandmarnier had won DGAF for the night. Or for the year. We've seen some pretty DGAF DJ's... but this was on another level. I also don't remember see Grandmarnier drinking anything but water. He was probably completely sober. I really don't know anymore.

All I know i that Yelle is DGAF and DGAF <3 Yelle! Thanks for making us dance and laugh!

Why blog when you can go out...

2010-04-25T18:46:00.001-07:00

...AGAIN?

Caught by the Cobrasnake
Sorry for the delay, peeps. Reviews and a new Babylon Pink remix are on their way. But unfortunately not in time for Mixin' Monday. CMYK had better get used to this lifestyle. And not getting the LA sign backwards in photos.

FUCK

2010-04-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

WHAT A WEEK. WE ARE SO BUSTED. AND IT'S NOT EVEN OVER.

Lag Patrol

2010-04-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry we're lagging a bit on the Yelle DJ set at the Echoplex review, people. But CMYK have been unexpectedly busy doing taxes, working on remixes, playing parties, celebrating birthdays, and going out consecutive nights for over a week. So this time we do have excuses for lagging, but it still doesn't make it acceptable. Because we're nowhere near Eyjafjallajökull.

HAPPY 4/20!

2010-04-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's Tardy Tuesday! Hey, what did you expect, it's 4/20! Here's a smokin' remix of Donso's "Mogoya", done for a Fairtilzer contest. You know where you can find it: on our Facebook page or download it here.

BP vs. DGAF pt. 2

2010-04-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

It's a low key Mixin' Monday! We've released another Babylon Pink remix of "Stutter" from our vault. You know where you can find it: on our Facebook page or download it here.

Check out Babylon Pink on his Myspace or Soundcloud.

OFF THE DGAF

2010-04-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

Off the Ten was off da chain!

If you're looking for a backyard show with good vibes, good peeps, and good music, look no further than... Baldwin Park? Yes, the DayKare consistently hosts fun, safe, all ages shows for everyone to enjoy. Leave your drama, your booze, your drugs, and douchiness at the gate. Everybody's here to play music, listen to music, and be DGAF.

For those who don't know, the DayKare is John's house. John is in the Stoned Koalas and he is generous enough to let bands play and hang out at his house. It's a few bucks to get in but all of that goes towards pizza that everyone gets to share. Snacks and drinks are already provided for free. But why is it called the DayKare? Because there's a room in the house that's used as an actual day care for kids, and for these shows, the day care room is used as the backstage area/bathroom.

We definitely think this was the best lineup the DayKare has had so far. (Well, one band in particular did bring more comic relief than anything else but we'll explain that later.) It was also the best organized and also ran very smoothly. There were 2 stages (the tent in the driveway and the garage) which worked out really well in terms of efficiency. And hell, there were cool red, green, and blue lights in the garage that just looked like a total trip. One of the best things about Day Kare shows is the diversity and inclusivity of bands from all parts of southern California. It's not just exclusive to one one scene or genre.

Junket claimed her voice was messed up due to being sick or something, but none of us heard flaws in her singing. All we heard is her genuine songwriting skills and nice melodies. A pretty impressive opener.

Junket

Nobu Albatross is something else. The definition of a real musician. He played percussion on his guitar, made the strings sound like a drumroll at one point, and played his mind-blowing "blumenco" (blues and flamenco) style while working a high hat and a maraca that was attached to his guitar. A total show stopper. And done with absolutely no ego.

Nobu Albatross

Kylie from Jolene's Leftovers completely rocked her solo set. She has stage presence and a punk energy despite only being armed with an acoustic guitar. She's got good original songs and the fact that she covered Tori Amos, the Dresden Dolls, AND the Proclaimers' "500 Miles" makes her very DGAF, indeed.

Kylie from Jolene's Leftovers

Now there was one band who shall remain unnamed. This band must have taken an hour and a half to set up, and they'd brought a sound crew, roadies, and a fucking professional CAMERA CREW. Nothing against Off the Ten, but this wasn't Coachella. And this wasn't even a signed band. All this hassle, and they only played maybe four songs. They didn't bring a single fan, however, and every single member of their crew was too cheap to pay THREE BUCKS to get in. They had all that money for all that expensive equipment, and not a few bucks to contribute to the show. They split after attempting to get people on their mailing list and pass out a business card or two. Good Charlotte! OOPS! I mean, good riddance!

The Stoned Koalas, the hosts of Off the Ten, always know how to bring the fun. They're enjoyable, energetic, and play music because they love music. Mad props, guys, for setting up a good show and playing a good show yourselves!

Stoned Koalas

Stoned Koalas

On the 5 are just plain sassy. They rock out, make you dance, make you smile. Without a question one of my favorite bands from the South Bay right now. Every show I've seen has been consistently legit.

On the 5

Aftergloam are a group of tight musicians who play awesomely heavy riffs and have a sick rhythm section. They had me from the get go. And anyone who can actually pull of a sweet cover of Nirvana's "Aneurysm" is pretty DGAF.

Aftergloam

The Philosophies were a cool, solid band to listen to until the cops showed up. RIGHT IN BETWEEN A COVER OF MGMT'S "KIDS". COME ON BALDWIN PARK PD. SHOW SOME FUCKING CONSIDERATION. COULDN'T YOU HAVE WAITED UNTIL AFTER THEY FINISHED THEIR SET??? (Apparently they'd waited about 20 minutes until taking any action because they liked what they'd heard, and rightfully so!) The show had to be moved inside into the DayKare, and we were left hanging with an abruptly unfinished MGMT cover. DGAF salutes the Philosophies and we'd definitely like to catch you guys again.

The Terrapin are just straight out epic and psychedelic, no doubt about it. It actually worked in their favor, I think, to play inside the Day Kare. It was an odd setup, but their projections showed up strongly and eerily on the white walls. It certainly made the experience more interesting and surreal, which was totally a happy accident.

The Terrapin

IE is quite the DGAF badass. She has nothing to hide behind, and gets up and just does her thing. Her only weapons are her relentless beats, her voice and a mic, and her ferocity brought the house down. I was pretty inspired.

CMYK were just plain stupid.

All in all, we laughed and danced til we cried. We can't wait for the next DayKare show! Thanks to John from the Stoned Koalas for making it happen!

(NEXT TIME THOUGH, PLEASE DON'T SERVE ANY MUNCHIES, OR AS MARIA PUT IT, "Cheetos Chex Mix". YOU SAID NO DRUGS AT THE SHOW SO WHY WERE YOU SERVING SOMETHING MORE ADDICTIVE THAN CRACK COCAINE???)

DGAFKARE

MIXIN MONDAY: OFF THE TEN

2010-04-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Mixin' Monday!

It's been a while, right?

So we had a fun time at Off The Ten music fest at our friend John's house, aka The Daykare. This is our set from Saturday!

OFF THE TEN by cmykdgaf

And since it's been a little while, here's an updated version of Stutter (CMYK remix)!

Stutter (CMYK Remix) by cmykdgaf

hope you enjoy the tunes ;)
stay tuned for a review of saturday's off the ten music extravaganza!

wake up, wake up, it's tha 1st of the month...

2010-04-01T10:51:00.001-07:00

IT'S THROWDOWN THURSDAY!

WAKE UP

2010-03-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

STEP OFF! BACK THE FUCK UP! STOP THE FUCKING HOMOPHOBIC COMMENTS BECAUSE SLIIMY REPS DGAF TO THE FULLEST! DON'T BE JEALOUS! ACTUALLY, WAIT, YOU SHOULD BE JEALOUS! BECAUSE HE ALSO KIND OF LOOKS LIKE PRINCE!

LUKE "SKYYWALKER" CAMPBELL IS CRYING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HE CAME OUT WITH A BORING ASS REALITY SHOW A FEW YEARS AGO INSTEAD OF FINDING BETTER USES FOR THE PHRASE "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY":

AND JARED LETO, PLEASE STOP COVERING SONGS AND LET SLIIMY TAKE OVER:

PEREZ HILTON, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD THANK YOU FOR ANYTHING, BUT THANK YOU FOR PROMOTING THIS SASSY MAN!

France, stop being so DGAF! Wait... no, DON'T!

Tons of Friends: Tons of DGAF

2010-03-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

the "NOT Tons of Fidget edition"

BOOM CLAP BOOM CLAP BOOM CLAP BOOM CLAP

Yes, Crookers could have released the epic fidget house album that we were all waiting and hoping for. Or they could have done something very DGAF and done something that nobody was expecting. So let's all chill the fuck out and appreciate the fact that they did the latter instead of deciding to pigeonhole themselves in one type of genre.

Don't get me wrong, Crookers' unmistakable bouncy sound is what initially drew me in as a fan and kept me there, beat after relentless beat. It seemed like they'd perfected their signature style. Crookers made some of the most addictive, exhilarating, crowd-pleasing remixes this side of fidget... So where do you go from there? Well, you can either keep doing what you're doing, or step out and prove you that you're not just a one-trick pony.

Of course we all, myself included, wanted Crookers to come out with an album that took their original sound a step further. Even though I would have danced my ass off to an album like that, I actually respect Crookers more for releasing an album with a more mature and sophisticated sound, and something less predictable. *gasp* I think it was a badass and interesting move to put the accapella version of "Day N Nite" instead of reminding fans yet again of their obvious straight up smash hit remix. It was like putting a middle finger up to everyone who was wishing for the rest of Tons of Friends to sound like the original "Day N Nite" remix.

We wanted soul claps, they gave us subtlety. Before writing it off, try listening beyond the surface. It's not going to instantly beat you into submission like their older songs... this time you actually do have to pay more attention to the details because it's no longer about face-melting instant gratification. But because they've moved away from their distinct sound, this album does at first sound subdued and even underwhelming by comparison... but once I gave this album a chance, I was hooked. It took a few listens to realize how much the production is integrated with the vocals. Let's face it, the old Crookers sound was pretty overpowering, so this time they've stepped back to allow the guest vocalists to shine, which was a pretty generous and respectful move.

The new Crookers sound is about atmospherics and textures; it actually forces you to listen to the quality of songs and dynamics rather than flashy samples, beats, or basslines. Of course they're still there, but in a different perspective. I think Crookers went in the right direction by proving they could be insanely versatile producers. Tons of Friends boasts a diverse range of pop, R&B, hip hop, electro, reggae and even the indie/country/folk of "Lone White Wolf"... Crookers can tread them all, without losing consistency, or relying too much on past formulas. The future is now, and the future is DGAF. Tons of DGAF.

My only real complaint? "Festa Festa" is not on this album.

check them out at crookers.net

FLAKEY FRIDAY!!!

2010-03-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Yup, so we lagged again this past Mixin' Monday. So instead of a mix to get you through the week, we present you a mix today on Flakey Friday, to get you through the weekend! We're not going to make this a habit, but sometimes shit happens. We were originally going to mash up "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with Tony Toni Toné's "Let's Get Down", but we realized songs that sound similar to each other don't necessarily work out that well or turn out too interesting, so we changed up our game plan. We present to you, "Smells Like Stress", our Nirvana vs. Justice mashup. Hear the sound of when Seattle meets Paris on our Facebook page or download it here.

HARDGAF 13

2010-03-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

No, Destructo. We salute you.
Destructo, we apologize. You usually open HARD events, and our laggy asses have often missed you play. We now realize how much we regret it, because we witnessed one hell of an eclectic set. The show-stopper of the night? A SICK ass mashup of "Pon De Floor" and the theme from Beverly Hills Cop. That ALONE was worth it.

Show up early and show some love

HARD 13 was certainly reppin' for the UK this year:

Boy 8-Bit

Jack Beats

Fake Blood

Club Nokia is a decent venue, but the only complaint I have is the elevators. I have never been so glad NOT to have been rolling in my life! The elevators were awkward for me, despite being 100% sober. Even going up one floor seemed to take forever... There's just something about being in an elevator in a club with other smelly, rolling, and drunk people that just isn't my thing.

No Security

Gaslamp Killer

The upstairs area was a little bit unexpected as it looked like a swanky bar. In case you missed it (which I did, to check out Jack Beats), the special guests were Deadmau5 and Tommy Lee!

HARD never fails to throw in surprises! But they couldn't even plan for this shit:

You KNOW you're surprised when you fucking forget to throw the Wu-Tang sign

I remembered this time

Nice to see fellow Killa Bees at HARD 13. I think I... I think I like it, like it!

CMYK wants to thank HARD again for another typical HARD event... in this case, "typical" means yet another good lineup and yet another awesome night.

prince rakeem nelson

2010-03-08T02:57:00.000-08:00

It's Mixin' Monday, so get on top... cream shaboogie bop? This ain't no purple rain, peeps! Who would have thought, straight outta somewhere between Paisley Park and the Shaolin Slums... we present Cream vs C.R.E.A.M. (CMYK BUKKAKE MIX) on our Facebook page or download it here. From Minneapolis to Staten Island, killa bees unite!

the most DGAF kind of party

2010-03-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

get your freak on

2010-03-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

It's the return of Mixin' Monday! Again! We've returned with a remix that sort of evolved more into an original track... which may explain why we missed last Mixin' Monday. Listen to You're a Freak (CMYK's Das Tekno Wait What? remix) on our Facebook page or download it here.

Erotic City

2010-02-23T01:36:00.000-08:00

Aw, crap. We'd spent too much time at the The Waffle again. But it's not difficult when you've got good company and good food, all at 25% off because of a Facebook promotion. Red velvet waffles, and gluten-free waffles that taste like cake are not a game, and neither are waffle ice cream sandwiches. PB Wolf was due to play at Freak City down the street in 15 minutes, and we hadn't even got our check.

We did our best to hurry to Freak City before midnight, but with so much stuff going on that Saturday night in Hollywood, parking of course was a bitch. I didn't think we'd make it. It was approaching 12:30 when we were finally walking into the venue. The $5 cover charge was a good deal, but shit, had we already missed half his set? Or maybe his entire set if he was only doing a short one! Argh! Dammit!

Whatever... as I was waiting for Lisa and Shimosh to pay, I saw a man wearing a racoon cap suddenly appear behind them. Uh... um... HOLD UP. There is only ONE person in the whole world who can rock that look... and YES, OMG IT WAS PB WOLF!!! Wait! WTF? What the hell was he doing here? Right when we happened to come in? Wasn't he already playing??? Had he already played??? I was so taken by surprise that I only managed a lackluster "hi" when he passed by.

But that's ok, a few minutes later I managed to get a picture with him:

WU-TANG! He was super nice and down to earth. The best part was finding out that he hadn't played yet... I'd seen him play nothing but '90s videos at FYF last year and I caught him at Club Nokia on New Year's Eve, and I was kinda blown away both times, so I was expecting nothing less tonight. It's an '80s night tonight. He HAS to play Prince, I thought.

When he launched into a ton of eclectic '80s shit I'd never heard or saw before, I was impressed. He KNOWS his shit. He doesn't have to rely on hits to rock the party. Some of it sounded familiar, and I know I've heard more than one or two songs on 93.5 KDAY or HOT 92.3 (formerly The Beat). The videos make it so much more engaging and nostalgic. He introduces you to so much new shit while bringing you back to the stuff you already know, and it's so fucking fluid how he does it, you barely notice the songs/videos changing, no matter how many genres he treads...

...LIKE WHEN, WITHOUT WARNING, HE SUDDENLY HIT US WITH RASPBERRY BERET!!!

It felt like pure blissful victory. He chose the right song with the right video for the mood. He could have gone the obvious route and given us something from "Purple Rain", but he's PB Wolf and he knows what the fuck he's doing. Especially when he played what looked like a rehearsal video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller".

There is something undeniably hypnotic about what he does. You have to witness PB Wolf VJ to truly understand the magic. I've suddenly found myself getting more into the '80s lately, bizarrely enough. I've never particularly liked that decade much until pretty recently. Maybe it's too much French electro? Or Prince? But whatever the reason, PB Wolf gave me even more of an appreciation to the ridiculous aesthetics and decadence of that era. Not every DJ has that kind of effect on you.

Freak City is an interesting venue; it's got tons of rooms, it's got a little shop upstairs, and it's full of coked-out hipsters. In fact, I swear I saw an American Apparel model there. It's got a cool intimate vibe but sadly became apparent that most of the people were there to be seen and not really there for the music. I saw so many people just randomly start dancing out of nowhere for a few songs then just completely disappear upstairs or to another room. I couldn't tell if they were even feeling it, and a lot of them weren't even paying attention the videos. But whatever, that's their loss if they're too cool to appreciate PB Wolf but are hip enough to go to Freak City and know when to dance because the '80s are kind of in right now.

But props to the people who were there for real, like this guy, who wins DGAF audience member of the night. He was constantly at the front, feeling every note of every song, dancing his ass off, I mean this is what I am talking about and this is how it should be:

Wow, even Mayer Hawthorne made an appearance:

A dope end to a dope night, yeah, fuck Ed Hardy:

And one more thing: PB Wolf, will you marry me?

It was in Culver City that I knew joy

2010-02-23T00:20:00.001-08:00

It was noticeably less packed than other times we'd been to Scion Space in Culver City, and it made DGAF go WTF. I mean, there were still complimentary gift bags available at 9 p.m.! Those things are usually completely gone by 8! There was no line outside by the time we'd left, which there usually is. In fact, there wasn't even a line for the wine and Honest Tea, which was a first. We don't know where everyone was, but we knew they were missing out. I mean it was cool to be able to walk around more easily and be able to look at the work, but it was disappointing not to see the overwhelming love that Sixpack France deserved. I mean, they're not exactly obscure, and ok, the place wasn't empty, but see for yourself what the fuss was all about:

It was on Earth that Sixpack France knew DGAF.

Brooklyn? Maybe we should have stayed in (Drag) Queens...

2010-02-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

So... besides everything you saw and read about... what else did we get up to when we should have been working, blogging, and mixing? Well, we're gonna come clean. Besides staying up til 5 a.m. comparing Pizza Tours (Google that shit!), we ended up watching a few cheesy Disney movies; especially sequels to the Little Mermaid... and let's not forget the mighty Dragulator.

Believe it or not, these are ALL made from original, non-Photoshopped photos of me (lighting made my face darker or lighter in some photos). Believe me, I still don't know how I went from Joan Rivers to Missy Elliot and everything in between. At least for once I don't look like a French DJ man with facial hair and shit.

All in all, it was a very productive week...

anYway: day 9

2010-02-22T22:49:00.001-08:00

Right after the Polysics, we went around to find something to eat as we were both starving. After passing a bootleg In-N-Out burger place called Fresh-N-Fast (everything from the menu to the logo to the interior design were copied), we realized we didn't know where anything was and couldn't find anywhere to eat. It was past midnight so a lot of places were closed. We randomly walked around and found some supermarkets, but nothing really struck us.

~~In-N-Out~~ Fresh-N-Fast

That is, until we came across three 24-hour restaurants at the same time. One, of course was a French restaurant, and the other was the cheesiest looking diner you will probably ever see in your life. The French restaurant was packed and darkly lit and didn't look as fun as the diner next to it. We figured we could go to a French restaurant in LA, but a NYC 24-hour diner would definitely be worth visiting. We couldn't resist Big Daddy's restaurant, with its explosion of pop culture decor. The $2 beer with a burger was also an incentive.

I eventually decided to pass on the burger and what would probably end up being a generic American beer and decided on a Reuben sandwich with tater tots and a chocolate egg cream instead. Wise choice. They HOOKED it up, and it was insanely good food too. I knew we'd come to the right place. Good service, good food, a fun vibe, and even Trivial Pursuit cards on each table.

But I REALLY knew we'd come to the right place when Erotic City started playing. THEN I saw a man with an Andy Warhol-style ODB shirt sitting near us. That's when I knew it was fate. Unforgettable last dinner in NYC...

...After sleeping in again due to a pretty tiring weekend, we went on a last-minute mission to Williamsburg, which is apparently the Silverlake of NYC. We went to get some NYC gluten-free goodies for our friend Lisa but we found out the bakery was closed when we got there. Oh well. We managed to find a Kosher health food store nearby that sold gluten-free cookies, perfect! After getting lost, we finally found our way back to the G Train replacement shuttle back to Greenpoint and we had to get packing for out flight out.

Welcome to Hipsterville

Closed on Sunday? :(

Straight outta Williamsburg

Uh oh, we're lost

Whew, we made it back to Greenpoint

But dammit, we had to go!

I'm actually really glad we ended up taking the subway and AirTrain instead of chickening out and taking a taxi again. The trek wasn't bad at all. Our suitcases also weren't too big or heavy, and the buses and trains weren't too packed. It was a cool experience because it was our last day in NYC and it was a nice last chance to take in more of the city. The AirTrain was cool too!

This station did not used to be called Poney Poney

I'm on a plain, I can't complain

We were exhausted but not quite sleep deprived this time. We managed to finish our We Are Your Prostitutes mix in time for Mixin' Monday on the plane of all places! Temperatures we'd previously thought were cold in LA were suddenly warm as shit. Our friend Jorge picked us up, and of course the Frenchess continued with the sounds of Phoenix on the car stereo.

Verdict? I decided I'm going to move there one day. I've always wanted to since a teenager and now I know for sure. But LA is hardly even ready for CMYK, so it will definitely take NYC some time to get ready.

Special thanks to Karen and Chris for letting us crash at their place and being the best hosts on the planet! We owe you guys! And to Melanie, for meeting up, introducing me to some bomb dumplings, and for making her dream to live in NYC a reality! Major props! Our friend Stephanie, as well, with her DGAF hair and for random gifts! All DGAFriends! And of course a VERY DGAF shout out to the people of NYC, the Ed Banger Crew, the Polysics, and everyone else who helped make it happen!

aNYway: day 8

2010-02-22T21:50:00.001-08:00

I'm sure you can understand how tired we were after the all night Ed Banger bash. What's great about staying sober while partying is that you not only save money, but you don't feel like shit the next day. And it's not as hard to stay up all night as you think without stimulants, especially when you're having a great time.

I was still out of it though, as I'd obviously slept in and had to hurry to meet my friend Melanie, who I used to work with at Tower Records back in the day. Melanie moved to NYC a year and a half ago to get her Master's degree; she loves it in NYC and I can totally relate! Shimosh and I were planning on going to the Polysics that same night, and Melanie had homework, so I didn't have all day and night to hang out. Of course I forget all about my camera, so I not only forgot to empty the memory card but also to bring it. Oops!

But that's ok, because all I knew is that I had some BOMB dumplings from Chinatown, super cheap, delicious, and filling. The place wasn't big, but it was really packed and busy, which is always a good sign. I'll post the name of the place once I ask Melanie, I forgot what it was called and where exactly where it was! LOL One of the best things I love about NYC is the mom-and-pop style restaurants, with no frills, where the emphasis is on good food. I like the lack of non-chain restaurants, where everything isn't so sterile and cookie-cutter. I'm totally into the personality, the roughness around the edges, and the authenticity of places like these.

After hanging out in Chinatown for a bit, it was time to finally go to the Gramercy to catch the Polysics! This wasn't our first time seeing the Polysics, but definitely the first time seeing them outside of LA! In fact, this was our first rock show in NYC. I'd seen them before at the Knitting Factory and the Roxy, and I'm not necessarily glad I missed them at the Roxy recently, but I'm glad I was able to see them in NYC instead. Definitely one of the most fun, energetic, and engaging live acts I've ever seen, no exaggeration.

We were worried about the show selling out, but fortunately we were able to get tickets at the door. The place reminded me a little bit of the Troubadour in LA, or a smaller Avalon. I don't want to be a hater, but I was not impressed with the opening band at all. Maybe it was because I was unfairly anticipating the live spectacle of the Polysics, and maybe my standards were too high. They weren't bad, but it just seemed like the usual indie rock drone and I swear one of the members thought he was Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead.

The Polysics though. The fucking Polysics. They're the complete package: they entertain you when they're playing music and when they're not playing music. It's genuine, it's amusing, it's hilarious. You dance when you're supposed to dance, and laugh when you're supposed to laugh. There is nothing like them. You have to be there to really experience them, videos don't do them justice:

Besides the relentless dance action of their songs, let's fucking talk about Hiro. One of the most DGAF performers you will ever see in your life. We're still not sure why we needed to be reminded why he needed a DGAF profile on here. We will never know where is energy comes from, but it never stops for a second. Shit, his glasses are covered in sweat after one song! He leads the crowd through chants, dances, and even jumping jacks. He only speaks Engrish and he does not give a fuck: he pronounced it "New York Shitty." If that isn't DGAF I don't know WHAT is.

I wish I could have recorded his announcements on how he wants everyone to use "TOISU!" in everyday life, and also about how he asked if the Polysics could be your Valentine because it was Valentine's Day the next day. "MUCH ROVE!" I really, really feel sorry for whoever missed these moments. I'm not sure if I've ever laughed harder in my entire life. Hiro fucking MEANS every word he says, too.

I'm glad we got to catch Kayo on her last tour. I fucking loved the contrast of Kayo's robotic deadpan stage presence to Hiro and Fumi's spazz outs. It's a shame because they all have such good chemistry and they all contribute equally to the Polysics dynamic. It definitely won't be the same without her.

But no matter what, it'll always be the POLYSICS OR DIE!!! TOISU!!!

aNYway: day 7

2010-02-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, it turns out that Day 7 was also the same day as the Ed Banger 7 at Terminal 5. Here's where the visuals go down in both quantity and quality a little bit... of course my backup digital camera that was working fine right before the trip decided to crap out on me during the trip when I needed it. I mean on the upside, it still took photos. On the downside, the display was broken so we couldn't see for shit what we were taking pictures of. talk about the blind leading the blind! The camera also stopped taking pics too, it got filled up and we had no way of deleting them to make more room. We should have been better prepared, but whatever. We still managed of course to have the time of our lives, and also take a few pics from that night:

We arrived a little late, but managed to catch the very end of Mehdi's set. The place was already packed and bumpin'. Coat check was already closed. The special guest was A-Trak, as he dropped what seemed like a nearly flawless set, except he did not play the obvious Duck Sauce crowd pleaser "aNYway"! He did somehow manage to fit in the intro of "Circle of Life" from the Lion King without skipping a beat, though. Utterly baffling. But the crowd was going insane, with good reason. The next surprise guest was Uffie, who had a short 2-song set. She was cute but not hugely impressive. I am still confused as to what happened after her set, right before Busy P came on. Everyone got on stage as this giant cake was unveiled, and there was a balloon drop... I just can't really explain it. I still have no idea what happened. Just watch this video to get an idea:

The crowd was getting more chaotic, and I had to get out of the crowd as Busy P started his set. (It's awkward being stuck in a dancing crowd when you have to hold onto you coat.) I love how he drops the Crookers remix of "To Protect and Entertain" every time he plays. Busy P always knows how to bring the party, it's a well known fact.

Justice are cute if a little low on bass. Gaspard is not doing anyone a favor by wearing those creepy glasses. I once told him he was hot at Cinespace and I couldn't imagine doing that now. We realized we were actually more excited for the afterparty with SebastiAn, So-Me, and Feadz. After Shimosh gave A-Trak a high five in the hallway, we decided to roll up to the Webster Hall in a taxi. It was a good decision, as we arrived just as the party was starting. So-Me was already killing it!

The smaller venue and more low-key vibe made a huge difference, as there was actually room to get up to the front, and more importantly, to dance! We'd already decided the afterparty was way more fun. When So-Me took us back to the '90s with "You've Got to Show Me Love", it was more like, you've got to So-Me love. But when he continued the '90s with Wu-Tang's C.R.E.A.M. (which is WAY more fun to sing at karaoke than Prince's "Cream", by the way), that pretty much made my night. The only major difference I've noticed between NYC and LA electro fans at clubs is that EVERYONE KNOWS WU-TANG LYRICS IN NYC! I felt right at home. Peanut Butter Wolf would have been be so proud.

So-Me ended his set by doing a VERY DGAF backflip into the crowd. Then SebastiAn made his entrance by playing none other than Mariah Carey's "I Can't Live (If Living is Without You)" which cracked us up and confused the hell out of us al the same time. Then he flipped everything on us when he began the 11 minute long mind fuck of an intro of his new song "Threnody". The whole crowd was left in a state of suspense until the song dropped, and the party kicked up again. SebastiAn is never short of surprises when he DJs, which definitely makes him one of the most interesting around right now. He does it all with a straight face, no matter how ridiculous it gets. Even when he plays a string version of Killing in the Name Of.

Now Feadz, who we practically discovered that night, is a completely different kind of DGAF. I don't remember seeing anyone else from Ed Banger who was feeling it more than he was. I don't remember seeing him stop dancing around for a second, and he was clearly wasted and making the most out of it. He even messed around with the crowd a bit before throwing an Ed Banger 7 t-shirt into the crowd, waving it around like a matador would with a bull. The shirt was even red, LOL and he was getting a kick watching the crowd freaking out in anticipation. Hell, I was too, and I was in the crowd! I still have no idea how he managed to pull off a really smooth DJ set while most likely drunk. He seemed to know every word to every song he played though... if Busy P brings the parties, Feadz definitely brings the fun.

The afterparty was over at 5 a.m. with no regrets whatsoever. What followed was an odd taxi ride back to Greenpoint, which involved our taxi driver picking up an additional customer who was about to get ripped off by a private cab. We'd officially discovered that the G train, near our friend's apartment, wasn't running from a nice old lady who randomly started talking to us when we got out of the taxi. Good thing we took a taxi. Good thing we're DGAF.

aNYway: day 6

2010-02-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

Back in business with Tim Burton @ the MoMa

one word: GENIUS

Pretty DGAF

Uh oh, I'm scared

From Paris to LA in NYC

Gateway to the Shaolin Slums

Why pay $12 when you can get this view from the Staten Island Ferry for FREE?

Best kept secret tourist attraction in NYC

But Staten Island's Pizza is no secret

So what exactly brought us to Staten Island? DGAF likes to not just explore the touristy spots, but places that are the real deal as well. Besides the obvious Wu-Tang connection, we'd also found out about the Staten Island Pizza Tour. Yes, a PIZZA TOUR. We initially weren't too sure about spending $40 until we realized you got HOOKED up with not only a standard tour of the borough, but also, a slice of pizza and a beverage at FOUR locations, two desserts, and a T-SHIRT.

After we realized how good of a deal it was, we were HEARTBROKEN to find out that the tours only ran on Saturdays and you needed to book at least 2 weeks in advance. It was the day after the Ed Banger party/afterparty, and we'd only found out about it online a few days before it was supposed to happen. So we decided to take our own mini-tour. I'd researched the four stops on the tour and we decided on Lee's Tavern in Dongan Hills as it was the most easily accessible one. The other three required riding buses and a little more navigation, but Lee's was pretty much right outside the Dongan Hills Staten Island Railway stop.

Dongan Hills is a totally chill suburb. It was almost hard to believe that we were still in NYC. It was a purely legit local's bar, and we felt a little out of place. The bartender, who we think was the owner, was witty as all hell and the mozzarella and basil pizza was nothing short of mind blowing. It was totally fresh, the ingredients were all real, and we managed to eat an entire large all by ourselves. If you wanna explore NYC, make sure you definitely visit some non-touristy areas. We also found New Yorkers to be generally friendly, and you probably won't be let down by the food. It's all about realistic experiences, so be DGAF in all your travels.

aNYway: day 5

2010-02-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

There was a chance of getting snowed in

Why do snow covered cars look funny to me? Not because I'm from LA, it's because I'm weird

I laughed when I got hit by a snow blower on the way to Key Food... is that weird too?

On our way to the Habitat Bar

Definitely a nice little spot in Greenpoint, be sure to hit this place up!

aNYway: day 4

2010-02-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

Straight outta Greenpoint

the DJ Don is French and the chocolate is Polish

Little Italy, big appetite

Best Sangria I've ever had... the food is so good here even the fire hydrants are reppin'

We were NOT ready

Times Square is not for squares

The core of the Big Apple?

Remind me why Paris is called the City of Lights?

We HAD to go in here

Enough said.

Around the world in a day...

... or maybe just Rockerfeller Center

aNYway: day 3

2010-02-17T18:00:00.001-08:00

Make sure you hit up Junior's and get some cheesecake!

Hurry up and check out the food court!

Zaro's Bakery does NOT mess around, even for a second

Last time I checked, the Eiffel Tower was NOT in NYC

Sometimes I feel like I live in Grand Central Station...

Willie G: The Poet of New York City

aNYway: day 2

2010-02-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Stephanie for the sexy Bollywood cassette!

Brunch at Effy's Café on the Upper East Side... highly recommended

Little Monsters

At the Met... so happy I could die?

Exploring with Tara

Ryan and I met at the Met

As you can see, the Met is no joke!

aNYway: day 1

2010-02-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

Delirious at LAX

Waking up at JFK

Can you spot John Legend? We did.

Brooklyn Bounce

Hangin' with our hosts Karen and Chris in the East Village

So legit that we came back a few days later

Does this place ever close?

Frozen yogurt when it's already freezing... why not?

How they keep NYC so clean

Mykel, Karen, and I having too much fun on the Subway, on our way to karaoke

I can do it aNYway that you want it...

2010-02-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

Now where do we start? We took a very DGAF break from the DGAF blog as we spent a week in NYC. Sure, we should have spent our week blogging and mixing, but we were having an action-packed time as it was: food, snow, Times Square, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, Staten Island, the Staten Island Ferry, the Statue of Liberty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMa, The Ed Banger Seven party AND afterparty, the Polysics...

... and of COURSE a busted digital camera. We were hoping to be able to take pics where Shimosh couldn't bring in her camera, but the display on my backup camera of course went to shit. So sadly, there will be a lot of visuals missing...

But the most important thing is that we had a blast. More details of our trip coming soon...

i got 36 chambers and a bitch ain't one

2010-02-16T11:30:00.001-08:00

This has been getting a LOT of hate (see the comments)... do people really need to be such purists? As you all know, DGAF are huge electro fans AND major Wu-Tang allies (Hell, they were the whole reason we went to Staten Island on last week's trip to NYC and also found out about their pizza tour). Maybe it's because it sounds a lot like a Crookers remix, but I definitely approve of this.

I also had an idea myself to make a Gravel Pit remix, but it looks like I was beaten to the punch. I think the Disco Villains did a great job, I feel they took the right elements and samples to make a pretty legit mix. I would drop this in a DJ set, it would definitely serve its purpose to make people dance, and the Wu-Tang reference is what makes it interesting and DGAF. The great thing about electro is its diverse influences, from hip hop to metal to disco to punk to old school techno. I can definitely understand that not all Wu-Tang fans are into electro, and vice versa, but come on, people, stop hating!

Crookers are Hookers

2010-02-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

It's the return of Mixin' Monday! CMYK spent last week in NYC, more details to come soon... but for now hear our comeback mashup We Are Your Prostitutes (Justice vs. Crookers) on our Facebook page or download it here. Maybe we'll make up the lost week? Stay tuned...

A DGAF Reminder

2010-02-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

Just in case you forgot the meaning of DGAF:

Installation Six @ Scion Space

2010-02-04T00:17:00.000-08:00

DGAF <3 Scion Space. They've consistently had pretty fresh, exciting shows featuring everything from video art, sound art, installations, graphic design, illustration, and posters from some of the dopest established and up-and-coming artists and designers. I've never been to a dull show here. Some of my past favorites have been a live VJ, and a giant 2-D piece by So-Me illuminated by a lightbox that reminded me of a modern-day stained glass window (displayed behind a curtain exactly how they display those fancy religious ones from churches in art museums).

We also <3 Scion Space because they HOOK IT UP! They provide free wine and Honest Ade and Honest Tea but there's always huge lines so I usually don't bother. I once scored a free bottle of Honest Tea though, I was so happy, I love that stuff! But whatever you do, always check the start time and MAKE SURE YOU COME EARLY. Believe me, you will be glad you did. If you come within 30 mins of it opening, you'll be sure to find street parking, skip a long stupid line, and best of all: get the coveted Scion gift bag!!!

Gift bags: get 'em while they're hot!

You automatically get one for free on a first come first serve basis, so it's definitely worth showing up before they run out. You get a cute bag with anything in it from CDs, magazines, flyers, earbuds, t-shirts, and even watches. DGAF had showed up "fashionably" late to previous Scion Space shows and realized we'd missed out on some goodies so we decided to step up our game this time and we scored.

Installation Six was a video exhibit that featured works from Dust La Rock, Eric Nakamura & Saelee Oh, French as Funeral Fog, Ill-Studio, Josh Graham, Mark Mothersbaugh, Monihan Monihan, PMKFA, and Sage Vaughn. They ranged from surreal to cute to humorous to dreamlike and everything in between. Each one had is own quirks, whether they be odd, charming, or both.

Josh Graham - Six Witnesses to a Dying Star

Sage Vaughn - "Self Help"

Dust La Rock - "Occult of Personality"

A kid getting down to Eric Nakamura & Saelee Oh's "Breathing Underwater"

Who was DGAF winner of the night? Well, a lot of the little kids there were getting into the videos than most of the adults, of course. They were dancing and spazzing away to the projections, and trying to interact with them. But the award for most DGAF video hands down went to Monihan Monihan, who surprised us and made us laugh in "iChill". Obviously we couldn't capture it here, but it it was a series of short films, with each starting off in a tranquil outdoor setting. It would be completely silent and still for a few minutes until suddenly this crazy fuzz pedal effect music would come on, and out of nowhere someone with a big crazy Día de los Muertos looking mask would jump out and start attacking someone else already in the scene. We can't describe it here. You'd have to see it for yourself. But the results were beyond DGAF.

Monihan Monihan - "iChill"

But DGAF winner of the night? We'd say Skeet Skeet, for not being too cool to be nice and talk to his fans, and for not being too cool to check out an art opening even though he was DJing that night at the Ricardo Montalbán Theater. It was going to be at a party put on by Converse and Paper magazine called "We Love Art", and judging from that name, we knew Skeet Skeet was by no means a hypocrite. He's the real deal.

Skeet Skeet!

Stay tuned for more DGAF Scion Space adventures at the Sixpack France show opening on Feb 20...

Veggie Thrill

2010-02-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

Grubbin' in El Segundo

It's nothing short of a miracle that one of the best vegan restaurants I've ever been to is here in the South Bay! I mean LA does have some pretty legit vegan restaurants... but I would never have expected one like this to pop up in El Segundo. (There are also other locations in Hollywood and Irvine, and hopefully more coming soon!)

Haters beware, because this place is helping to break all the stereotypes associated with vegan food and re-define the concept of fast food. Ignorant people may dismiss vegan restaurants as bland, expensive rabbit food for hippies. But they have no idea what they're missing: chili cheese fries, nachos, burgers, caesar salad, fried "chicken" wings, soup, chocolate pudding... and it doesn't stop there. This may change people's minds about their wrong perceptions about vegan food, and people may be rejoiced to find fast food that won't clog your arteries.

Ok, so it may not be quite as fast as most fast food places. But who needs drive-thrus when you can dine in a nice, modern, clean environment? The atmosphere is spacious and relaxing even though I pretty much always see it busy. It may not be quite as cheap as your local In-N-Out, but it is more healthy (while not sacrificing taste), and of course they use better quality and cruelty-free ingredients than the suddenly "health conscious" McDonald's. The results will surprise vegans and non-vegans alike.

Deirdre loves the Veggie Grill! We don't blame her.

I've enjoyed everything I've had from their menu... every burger, sandwich, and salad I've had from there so far has been consistently delicious. I can't pick a favorite, but I think it's MANDATORY that you try AT LEAST one item with the VG cheese. This is one the most legit vegan cheeses I have had anywhere! Move over, Velveeta. The VG cheeseburger is a good, solid vegan cheeseburger (though they could put more cheese on it). The nachos should be your first choice for an appetizer, and the mac and cheese your first choice for a side dish. And don't forget, just because it's not on the menu, does not mean you can't order chili cheese fries. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!

You can also get the regular sweet potato fries as a side order (but they're so much better with chili and cheese on them!) or the kale. Yes, kale. It has a delicious miso sauce on them, and they're cooked to a delightful texture and have a mild, pleasant taste. Eating your veggies was never this fun, believe me. The coleslaw is nothing special, and if you're going to order salad, I'd say get one of the big ones instead of on the side. There's free refills on the tasty lemonades and teas that also won't give you diabetes.

The only criticism I have is the dessert menu. With main courses this impressive, you'd think they'd have the sweets to match. I mean, they're not bad at all, just kind of lacking in selection. Their best dessert in my opinion was the pumpkin cheesecake, which they'd taken off the menu a while ago. The carrot cake is fabulous, and the frosting is of course, legit. The chocolate pudding is rich and smooth. The cookies are ok. They should bring in vegan milkshakes and ice cream to the mix. Maybe they could have a dessert of the day, like how they have a soup of the day.

But whether you're a strict vegan, a meat lover who thinks they can't stand vegan food, or anyone in between, this place is for you.

The Veggie Grill

WOW

2010-02-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

Happy February! We're already into the second month of 2010... it's Mixin' Monday, and you know what that means. Today we bring you Vous Êtes Des Salmon Dance (Mr. Oizo vs Chemical Brothers (Crookers remix)). Check out our Facebook page or download it here.

Right now it's more like Mashup Monday, but eventually we'll evolve into remixes... and then... original tracks!

Hyper DGAF

2010-01-20T03:52:00.000-08:00

the "neon & time travel is always DGAF" edition

Hyper Crush is a band from LA/the 80s/videogameland, and they don't give a FUCK.

There's three members: Holly, Donny, & Preston. Holly & Donny on vocals, Preston on keytar + DJ.

I first found out about them from our friend Emely. Actually saw them live for the first time opening for LMFAO. I thought they were pretty cool then, but didn't look too much into them. Recently, I went to a video shoot for their latest single, "Keep Up." Once I started doing a little more research, i though, holy schnikes these guys are so DGAF. Here's why:

straight out of 1990

Look at them. Do you see those colors??? They wear a lot of neon, reference the 80s/early 90s, old school video games, Back to the Future/DeLoreans a LOT, and generally seem to not take themselves too seriously. No one wears that much neon and gives a fuck. It's just not possible. Oh, and also: MERCEDES BENZ EMBLEM AROUND THE NECK. wtf.

HE HAS LASER FINGERS!!!

According to the official Hyper Crush site, they are "three shit-faced extra terrestrials" who form the greatest electro-80s hip hop band:"
Donny “Ponyboy” Fontaine is a straight shooter who once won a trip to Reno Nevada in a James Dean look alike contest. Despite his uncanny looks he still has trouble with low self esteem at times. Donny began rapping in the summer of 56’ and has not stopped since. One of Donny’s greatest achievements was a freestyle battle he won at the country manor home for the mentally disabled. “As far as I’m concerned none of these retards stand a chance” said Donny prior to his landslide victory. (Side note: In an interview with you would if you had robot ears, Preston said, "DONNY HAD BEEN PRACTICING HIS METAPHORS FOR MONTHS. HE FACED ELI PORTER IN THE FINAL ROUND. DONNY BARELY ESCAPED WITH THE VICTORY AND HIS PRIDE.")
What would the greatest Doo-Hop group of all time be without a super Producer/DJ extraordinaire. His name is Preston “Cutty” Moronie, a cool customer on the computer buttons with a penchant for domestic violence.In an interview Preston once asked a reporter, "what do you tell a woman with two black eyes?" "What?" the reporter replied. "Nothin', you already told her twice," he yelled, as he strangled the broad next to him.
Donny & Preston first met in the fall of '62, during a fist fight at a local Denny's in the city of San Fernando. The two were involved in an altercation over what song was to be played over the jukebox. Preston wanted to hear some "Fats Domino" and Donny of course, insisted on "Martha and the Vandellas."
The waitress who stopped the quarrel was none other than Holly “Baby” Valentine. A big time hussie with a foul attitude and a mouthful of bubble gum. Holly was born in the jungles of South America but moved to the States after having killed several cops. With a voice like an angel and a mouth like a truck driver Holly hit it off perfectly with Donny and Preston. The three decided to start the doo-hop, electro, death-core super group “hyper crush”.

That sounds like some stupid shit that we'd make up.

old & DGAF (halloween 2009)

Some more DGAF evidence:

Exhibit A: water skating across a pool.

hi i'm preston and i don't give a fuck.

Exhibit B: jumping off a second story onto a bunch of people.

hi i'm preston and i (still) don't give a fuck.

Yes, that second video did happen during the shoot for Keep Up. I think events get shut down when people jump off things like that.

I don't know the context of this tweet at all:

Probably was just him thinking, "i don't give a FUUUUUCK!!!" but he only tweeted the last part of it.

come on, look at that neon Hulk Hogan shirt. he is so DGAF. Also, our pants kind of match.

Although I feel that the most DGAF thing about this band is the lyrics. Maybe you're one who doesn't listen to lyrics much. I sometimes don't pay attention to the lyrics and just listen to the music, but sometimes things will catch my ear. Things like:

What the fuck did he say? Walk back and punch the DJ. (Robo Tech)
She laughed, uh, she left me hanging/Holy Schnikes, I was mad! (Sex and Drugs)
Who the fuck is Hyper Crush?/I don't know, they're nice as fuck. (Who The Fuck Is Hyper Crush?)
Back to the crib you freak, freak/tell your mother to leave, leave/unless she wants it too, then it's cool, she can be with me. (She's a Freak)
I fucked around and got arrested/for looking great!/can you believe it, i'm conceited?/now look away. (747)
Shoot your homie in the foot 'til he starts to dance/slap him in the fucking mouth just as hard as you can/when he asks you what you're doing, say 'i'm super retarded/i know that you're my homie but i'm shooting regardless.' (Super Retarded)

and probably my favorite:

HYPER CRUSH. STARRSET. NICE AS FUCK. START TO SWEAT. FUTURISTIC MUSIC IS THE SUPERSTITIOUS DO THE DISHES. (Get Retarded feat Starrset)

I don't even understand.

he's got some mad rhymes, yo.

and now here's a bunch videos just because they're amusing:

"We don't really know shit."

"We have people behind us, but it's ok, because we gotta get the city." Stopped on a freeway in Seattle. At least you're not stopping traffic in the middle of Hollywood Blvd.

Yeah, we wear our own shirts.

Getting busted in Mormonville, Idaho while playing Sex & Drugs.

They make it rain.

1-900-go-fuck-yourself

Download their shit:
Mixtape Vol 1
Mixtape Vol 2

**ALSO**
They're so DGAF, we decided to make a little dgaf mashup...
Download/listen to our shit:
Big Boom Box Comin' - Hyper Crush vs. Crookers

Warped Romance

2010-01-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Happy belated MLK Day!

To celebrate, DGAF have made our first mashup of the year, called Warped Romance. Check out our Facebook page or download it here.

Boring is the new DGAF

2010-01-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

On the night of 1/13/2010, CMYK ventured out to CulCi (that's Culver City, for you squares who don't know) in Suz's pimpin' new car to the Mandrake for an Otis party. The theme was "Boring is the New Fun," a party to get used to boring office life. The party was organized by the Advanced Image Making class taught by Davey Whitcraft at Otis College of Art & Design.

DJ don/Van Aerial/half of Loco Moco

Our friend Don was DJing that night. Him and his friend Roger joined forces to become "Loco Moco." Our friends are stupid. But they play good music.

Roger (aka Moco)

We make stupid faces at each other

Pierre Real, aka DJ Real was also DJing that night.

DJ Real

fun times

Suz is enjoying herself

There was also a food truck, the Komodo Truck. Food was really legit, very tasty Asian fusion. They are short on vegetarian options, but it is really delicious. We tried their chicken burrito, which was a little bit sweet and citrus-y.

Suz is enjoying her food

Oh yeah, back to the party. It was a good vibe with good music. They had a camera set up, along with a few office props.

Jacob taking photos

and a projection of Office Space

Overall, it was a fun night. It was nice seeing people from Otis having fun for once.

SHIMOSH

more photos

nerding out

the Davey Whitcraft (aka DJ Spider Pretzels)

For more photos, check the set on flickr.

DGAF Profile #7: Phra of Crookers

2010-01-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

The "Crookers! Phra and Bot!" Edition

UPDATED 1-20-10

This profile should have been done last year. We talked about giving Phra a DGAF profile, but somehow it didn't happen. So we've awarded him the first DGAF profile of 2010. There's not a whole lot we know about Phra, who is one half of DGAF DJ duo favorites Crookers. But then, there's not much to say about him either, because we think these videos more than speak for themselves:

Save time and go to 1:10, 5:05, and 6:30...

He can cook like a chef, rocks a pink polo shirt like nobody's business, and started off as a hip hop DJ at 11 years old! It doesn't appear that he'll blow you off if you approach him, no matter how drunk and obnoxious you are (as witnessed at the Custom Hotel after Hard Summer in August 2009). If you've seen Crookers DJ, you'll have even more evidence that he's DGAF. But we're pretty sure you haven't heard him rap. Yes, rap. He can rock the decks AND mic with equal DGAF.

His Twitter name is also Phrappuccino. PHRAPPUCCINO. As you can see we're not making this up. You sure as hell won't find that at your local Starbucks. I think he should do a rap album, and maybe it could be called "phRAPpuccino".

But what kind of name is "Phra"? We assumed it was short for "Francesco", his real name, and spelled with a "ph" for fun (phun?). But on further investigation, we accidentally found out on Wikipedia that "Phra" was a Thai title of nobility and royalty! It was probably intentional, but even if it wasn't, that doesn't make him any less DGAF.

No wonder the upcoming Crookers album is going to be called "Tons of Friends". Who wouldn't want to be friends with someone that DGAF?

some people think i'm DGAF...

2010-01-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

I never believed the hype surrounding Dizzee Rascal until he collaborated with Armand Van Helden and wrote quite a DGAF manifesto...

... in fact, I believe this song kind of sums up everything about DGAF right now.

Britney who? It's all about Aries Spears

2010-01-09T00:03:00.000-08:00

Time after time, I told myself...

2010-01-07T00:32:00.000-08:00

That I wasn't gonna lag. (I never had anything to lose. I also checked myself, just to make sure.) That was 2009. We mean it this year. We're a week into 2010, friends and enemies. It's a new year, a new life, a new car for the Suzanarchist. No more waiting MONTHS after an event to blog about it. A few days is acceptable. A few weeks is pushing it... but months is unprecedented. No more waiting and then doing like 10 blogs at once to catch up. We're DGAF, but that's not the kind of DGAF we're aiming for.

This year we're gonna be DGAF more regularly, and that means blog more regularly. We've already booked some adventures for the next few months... and we know this is going to be the most DGAF year yet. The DGAF crew has some projects up our sleeves... be afraid. Be very afraid. CMYK are set to make our DJ debut this year (for real this time), with possibly a single, or a few, or an EP, or an album or two??? Who knows. And the Suzanarchist will start work on her new website/design project which is a collaboration with Shimosh's photography. The circle is breaking and is continuing to multiply in various patterns.

The future is now. The future is DGAF. We're doing it again in '10.

I can do it anNYway that you want it...

Black Hole Son of a Bitch

2010-01-05T01:26:00.001-08:00

People not in the DGAF circle may not be very aware of our many inside jokes about Soundgarden. This isn't even the tip of the iceberg:

So New Year's wasn't as stupid as expected. However, this is another case of a joke misfiring... as something unexpectedly stupid beyond our comprehension apparently happened on the fateful first day of 2010...

CHRIS CORNELL ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SOUNDGARDEN REUNION.

It was one thing to get the "Jesus Christ Pose" single on vinyl for a joke Xmas present... but this? And what did my friend Leer Jet, who got me this aforementioned single have to say about this?

"We're there"

Oh, Jesus (Christ Pose) indeed.

They Don't Really Care About Us... but they really do care about the '90s

2010-01-03T01:20:00.000-08:00

Wow. I have never seen MJ look more '90s in my LIFE. And he helped define the early '90s with "Dangerous". Does this remind anyone of a higher-budget, more commercial M.I.A. video? And couldn't you imagine this dry snare beat being mixed into a Major Lazer song? I TOLD YOU THE '90s ARE BACK! As if it wasn't apparent enough with Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, the Prodigy, and the Beastie Boys being dropped into what seemed like every other DJ set in '09.

Thanks to PB Wolf for exposing me to this video and RIP MJ <3

ChromeOMGUG

2010-01-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 2010, everybody!

To celebrate the end of a ridiculous year and the beginning of another ridiculous year, CMYK + some DGAF friends went to see Chromeo & Peanut Butter Wolf at Club Nokia. 2009 was great, but in 2010, we're doing it again! The first song we heard as we went in was Skee-Lo's "I Wish", and we knew it was gonna be a night to remember.

The show started off with Gaslamp Killer, who has the best hair I've ever seen on a DJ. The way he was rocking out, our friend BJones commented "it looks like his hair's going to fly away." Dubsteppy and fun.

Then Vega hit the stage. The singer had a fro and a leather vest. He is full of inside jokes. Let's not forget that they looked like At the Drive In if they were a Jonas Brothers cover band. Ok, they weren't THAT bad. They were cute indie pop.

And then... PEANUT BUTTER WOLF. Sorry everybody, I love Chromeo, but this was the main event for me. After experiencing the magic of PB Wolf back in September at FYF, I was expecting nothing short of genius. Chromeo was a definite contender, but this was pretty much the deciding factor for me to ditch HARD NYE this year and go to Club Nokia. I waited in anticipation to end 2009 with PB Wolf... and let me tell you. He KNOWS how to end a decade.

Of COURSE he starts off with Serge Gainsbourg, as if he saw Shimosh's "I Love French Boys" t-shirt. We all laughed and stared at the video projection in disbelief. But when Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us" suddenly popped into the mix with no warning, I was awestruck. When ODB came in out of nowhere, I swear I almost broke out in tears. I mean I'd witnessed 2ManyDJs mix Dolly Parton into Slayer... but this was on another level for me.

And so he began his onslaught of hip hop videos, from old skool to '90s and '00s, while still somehow managing to fit Flight of the Conchords, Phoenix, and the Cure into the mix! (And by the way, did anybody notice that Modjo probably got "Lady" from the very first verse of Michael Jackson's "Working Day and Night"?) DAMMIT! I realized I should have requested DMX's "Up in Here" when he was requesting videos for this NYE show on Twitter!

During PB Wolf's set, a very small child came out on stage. His name is Miles, aka Baby Boogaloo. Maybe you've seen him on Ellen, but he's an adorable and tiny dancer! He was actually on stage for FYF but we could barely see him from where we were standing. Check those terrible videos I took with my phone...

Miles, aka Baby Boogaloo

look at him go!!!

Miles & his daddy

Sorry for the terrible quality. But regardless, it was a treat! Baby Boogaloo is DGAF!

And again, PB Wolf ended his set with Wu-Tang's "Triumph". Another tear in my eye... but once the projections stopped and the screen was put away, he proved himself still a formidable DJ without the visuals. I could not have asked for a better finale to 2009. Thank you PB Wolf. What a way to countdown to 2010...

10!

9!

8!

7!

6!

5!

4!

3!

2!

1!

CHROMEO!

Yup, they brought on the non-stop dance party to kick off 2010 with a whole lot of 80's style funk... WOW!!! The 80's were 3 decades ago now! Who cares when Chromeo brings it, it never sounds outdated. Songs like "Tenderoni", "Fancy Footwork", and "Night By Night", have you almost wishing for a jheri curl revival (or is that just me?). And P-Thugg is the world talkbox champion, let's not even kid ourselves. We at DGAF are so glad we got to see them play live finally. They're pretty slick DJs, and again P-Thugg's talkbox is unbelievable during mixes, but they are a fun live party band!

Thee Mike B ended the night with a schizo mash-up of club hits, dance tracks, hip hop jams, and pop songs. It was the start of a new year, a new decade, and the finish of another exhausting night of dancing.

Now all 2010 needs is a Club DGAF.

DGAF of the year 2009

2009-12-29T13:37:00.001-08:00

American Apparel even got in on the act... yup, we partied like it was 1999 and it was the Frenchest Year ever. We didn't even leave LA. How scary is that? The year started with the Suzanarchist going to eat at the French Market at Disneyland, tipsy off Alizé and Hpnotiq she'd smuggled in Gatorade bottles. It was funny seeing Anoraak at the Echoplex the following month... but as the year continued, stuff like the Ooh La La Festival and the Crème de la Crêpe restaurant by my house happened. And did the Suzanarchist ever anticipate getting called "Gaspard", and so often (and "Mr. Oizo" even once)?? And somehow Shimosh speaks perfect French while all I can say is "I'm funny and lazy". Inside jokes misfired, but our retarded predicaments always hit the target. The end is near! The end of the year, that is (but never our stupidity (unfortunately)); we thought it'd be a fun idea to make our own "best of" list. People, events, moments that have topped our 2009 DGAF list!

Most DGAF DJ (Duo):
2ManyDJs
Sorry Justice, Crookers, The Bloody Beetroots, Mixhell, & others—the DGAF DJ Duo of the year is 2ManyDJs. Have you seen these guys live? They really Don't Give A Fuck. It's amazing. Crookers came a close second for providing the most relentless beats of 2009...

Most DGAF DJ (Solo):
IT'S A TIE!

Peanut Butter Wolf
Crams all the hits while leaving absolutely no room for boredom, and rocks eclecticism you won't find anywhere else (besides 2ManyDJs). The undisputed master of '90s hip hop. Nobody mixes nostalgia and entertainment like PB Wolf. Forget YouTube, it's all about getting your vintage video fixes from his VJ sets! He did a short tour of 9 dates with all 90's videos. He was the "first time they allowed hip hop" at Fuck Yeah Fest. He kicked off that set with Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison." ANYBODY who can effortlessly and seamlessly mix Serge Gainsbourg into Michael Jackson into O.D.B. without missing a beat wins the highest DGAF honor. AND for finishing your set with Wu-Tang's "Triumph" at West Coast shows. Could've played some West Coast hip hop or "California Love" but why be predictable when you can be DGAF?

Mr. Oizo
So DGAF that we had to be him and Flat Eric for Halloween. His DJ set at Control at the Avalon may not have had the visual splendor of 2ManyDJs (but hey, nobody else did) but he set the bar for originality and did not rely on clichés, predictable songs, or formulaic dynamics (even if he DID play Pon De Floor). Hell, he guzzles champagne, smokes, and breaks CD's on his head and throws them out to the audience. He doesn't even need a crowd to party. He will do the Chivers handshake with suspecting and unsuspecting fans alike. He directed Steak. Enough said.

Most DGAF event:
Busy P's Cinespace Birthday
What other event happened during FINALS of Senior Year at Otis, had a collection of drunk French guys, Thomas Bangalter (yes, of Daft Punk) DJing without the robot mask, Kavinsky miming a saxophone on a bottle of Vodka and then distributing said Vodka in the bottle cap to random people, a fight between Kavinsky/Mehdi/So-Me vs Cinespace Bouncers, Busy P telling us to get out, and Kavinsky drunkenly stumbling across Hollywood Blvd. while stopping traffic?

None other, thankyouverymuch.

Most DGAF Pop Performer:
Lady Gaga
So, after seeing Lady Gaga perform at the Nokia Live on Monday, December 21st, 2009, it's super official—Lady Gaga wins at pop, at performance, and at DGAFness in general.

Most DGAF Restaurant:
The Waffle
Fuck Denny's. They're always busy, they have mediocre food, and no vegan menu. The Waffle literally has something for everyone. Even your dog. Now THAT'S DGAF. Where else can you get $12 bottomless Sangrias, Mimosas, Margaritas, and Bloody Marys? Perfect for pre-parties when you know drinks are going to be too expensive where you're going, and perfect for afterparties when you're hungry from dancing all night. Be DGAF while giving a fuck about your food!

Most DGAF Director:
2Michel Gondry
I STILL don't know why he turned down the chance to direct Steak.

Most DGAF friend:
Don
There's too many Don moments this year. Too many stupid Don moments to count. When CMYK go out, we're always certain that "something stupid's gonna happen." When CMYK + Don go out, it's guaranteed that the stupidity is increased tenfold (that's an understatement, but i just want to use the word "tenfold"). Every time we go to a club event, there's always someone on ecstasy the he finds and messed with. If there's anyone who knows how to fuck with rolling e-tards in the funniest way, it's Don. Ex: at Control to see Etienne de Crecy: "DON PATROL!"
Don is truly a pioneer in Not Giving A Fuck about ANYTHING, and for that, we love him. And hate him a lot.

honorable mention:
amanDon
Amanda Blaze Pillon + Don Okuda = amanDon
a pretty DGAF duo. When amanDon gets together, things just get ultra stupid.

Now there are way many more DGAF and stupid events, but too many to mention here. Video contests, fake Facebook pages, Busy P's blog, drunken encounters in hotel lobbies, random wristband distribution, Thanksgiving Day fasting, the frightening phenomenon that is LMFAO, and of course the many mind-blowing, face-melting events and club nights that the HARD team put on. If you want all the details, read our blog, which only chronicles a fraction of what we get in to and up to.

We have a feeling that 2010 will be an even more DGAF decade. Stay tuned, stay DGAF...

GAGA OOH LA LA...

2009-12-29T01:44:00.000-08:00

It's good to live expensive

Seeing the one and only Lady Gaga Live was a very highly anticipated DGAF event of the year. We managed to get score some very inexpensive tickets on eBay a month before the show at the Nokia Theater, and we felt even luckier as we saw tickets to up to hundreds, and even thousands of dollars as the date approached. Neither of us had been to a large-scale pop show before, and we had no idea what we were in for, especially as it was Lady Gaga, who'd proved to be nothing short of a show-stopping spectacle herself. Not only was she a genuine musician and performer, but it there was so much more to her "image" than just her "look". Lady Gaga is an actual multi-talented and multi-dimensional artist who doesn't feel the need to be safe or sterile to win over fans. But she still acknowledges she's a pop singer in an artificial genre: "We're plastic but we still have fun!"

We are the crowd, we're comin' out

We had to dress up of course. When we arrived at a parking lot near the Nokia Theater, we took a next to someone's Hummer with various Lady Gaga motifs drawn on the windows. It was cute. Here's a word to the wise: there is nowhere really fast or inexpensive to eat directly around the Nokia Theatre, and getting the cheapest parking lot possible means you'll only have to walk literally a minute or two from the venue... why pay twice as much because you don't wanna walk for 60 more seconds?

The opening act was Semi-Precious Weapons, who were pretty DGAF. I thought the singer was a fierce tall supermodel woman, and it wasn't until halfway into the set when I realized it was in fact, a fierce man in stilettos!!! Even his voice sounded androgynous, and he rocked everyone in the Nokia Theater like the glamazon that he is. They were raw, energetic, and knew how to put on a show. We're not surprised that Lady Gaga would choose such a DGAF opening act. And awesome that she'd keep it diverse.

We were looking foward to Kid Cudi but to our dismay he never quite materialized. We found out later that the was either kicked off or dropped out of the tour.

But we got over it quickly as we were transported into flashy futuristic darkness... and Lady Gaga emerged out of smoke and a screen of lazers during the glorious "Dance in the Dark", wearing a costume with flashing lights on it. Fucking intense. Wow. It was over the top without trying too hard... but that could be used to describe her entire show.

There were costume changes, avant-garde videos playing during songs, a set that could only be described as abstract... it was theatrical without being cheesy, it was eye-catching without being tacky. Lady Gaga not only invites you to her party, but welcomes you to her world. And yes, she really does sing live! She performed most of the songs from "Fame Monster", which I definitely got more into after seeing them live. "So Happy I Could Die" was a highlight for me. There was a medley of "Money Honey", "Beautiful Dirty Rich", and "The Fame", much to my delight.

Hell, the remix of "Fancy Footwork" by Crookers even played during one of the videos shown during breaks between songs. Could Lady Gaga get any cooler?

She also does understand subtlety, which you would not expect. There were songs like "Alejandro" where she would be the only one on stage, and then of course there's the songs she plays on the piano. She put on an Elton John-like feathery costume and sang a moving rendition "Speechless" and then the magically mind-boggling ragtime acoustic piano version of "Poker Face". Her stage banter seemed unrehearsed and genuine. It may have been rehearsed, but the way Lady Gaga delivered it felt personal.

"Boys Boys Boys" was a total riot, and "Paparazzi" was as mesmerizing and haunting as I've ever heard. You have to see this to believe this, I can't even describe what went on in her performance. Totally captivating. She ended with "Eh Eh [Nothing Else I Can Say]" as she came out of the stage in that giant metal orbit ball, then went into the dance version of the all-conquering "Poker Face", which got the whole theater dancing. The encore, which was the unstoppable "Bad Romance", was the most victorious, anthemic finale that could not be topped.

Believe the hype because Lady Gaga has lived up to it and left a trail DGAF for all of us to follow. It's up to you to catch up and catch her live.

Well, we couldn't finish this story without mentioning something stupid that happened. We thought we were safe until we got back to Shimosh's car and she realized she'd lost her keys.. luckily someone had left them with the attendant.

(I'm going to spare you from a whole bunch of Lady Gaga song title puns right now...)