DAT Politics @ NXNE
WITH KIDS ON TV, PETER PROJECT, GRAVITY WAVE, ARTIST OF THE YEAR, TIMES NEUE ROMAN, DJ ROD SKIMMINS. THU, JUN 18. WRONGBAR, 1279 QUEEN W. $12 OR NXNE WRISTBAND.
Formed in 1998 in France, DAT Politics are a trio of glitch-pop pranksters who understand that fun and fuzz can go hand-in-hand. Their eight LPs for the Tigerbeat6 and Chicks on Speed labels (including Mad Kit, which is both new and great) are full of tunes that are as original and melodic as they are hyperactive. Don’t miss these pioneers as they perform on a bill stacked with talent, including their C.o.S. labelmates and sometime-locals Kids on TV.
The Sheen Brothers @ Edumacation WITH DJ FASE. THU, JUN 18. THE DRAKE UNDERGROUND, 1150 QUEEN W. $5 BEFORE MIDNIGHT, $10 AFTER.
This special edition of DJ Fase’s monthly Edumacation marks the T.O. debut of The Sheen Brothers, a.k.a. NYC/Philly DJ extraordinaire Cosmo Baker and sought-after Toronto producer/MC 4th Pyramid. Cosmo — best-known for his party The Rub — is both a DJ’s DJ and an absolute crowd pleaser. Since 2001, 4th Pyramid has produced tracks for artists including Wu-Tang and Sammy Bananas, and is at work on his own album, to be titled Twice As Strong. The bros played a packed NYC show last month; let’s see what the T-dot’s got.
Fake Blood @ NXNE WITH BARLETTA, NASTY NAV. SAT, JUN 20. WRONGBAR, 1279 QUEEN W. $20 OR WITH NXNE WRISTBAND.
When British producer Fake Blood emerged in 2007, he immediately stood out from the fidget and electro-house crowds. The strength and musicality of his early remixes — of Armand Van Helden, The Black Ghosts and The Count and Sinden’s “Beeper” — had people aching to know the masked man’s identity. As it turns out, Fake Blood is Theo Keating a.k.a. DJ Touché of hip-hop/big-beat duo The Wiseguys and, now, one half of The Black Ghosts. He’s continued to create ace remixes — hitting Little Boots’ “Stuck on Repeat” and Hot Chip’s “Touch Too Much” way out of the ballpark — and his “Mars” original begs for a follow-up.
The Cool Kids @ NXNE WITH GZA, NINJASONIK, CANDY COATED KILLAHZ. SUN, JUN 21. YONGE DUNDAS SQUARE. FREE.
One of the highlights of NXNE ’09. Not only will hip-hop lovers be treated to Wu-Tang Clan chameleon GZA and Brooklyn punk-crunk trio Ninjasonik, we’ll also get a live set from Chicago hip-hop duo The Cool Kids. Call them backpackers, hipster-hop or whatever, but these ’90s–loving MCs have connected to crowds without caving in to conformist production. Their new mixtape, Gone Fishing, remains up-for-the-download.