Not to devalue pussy in any way, but call us pussies if you want. See, we here at MT have decided to move our own Metro Times Music Awards show, which we hyped to happen on May 14. Well, now it’s going down in the fall, November, specifically. Why, you might ask? Well, call it the law of diminishing returns, or, as we here at Hit Singles like to chirp, the law of strawberry jam — the further you spread something, the thinner it gets. We’re talkin’ the ubiquitous and downright knee-bruising media coverage of Motor City music lately that’s surrounded attendant events (see Blowout, the MC2, the backslap-rich DMAs and blah, blah, blah, blah). We mean, c’mon, who wants to read yet another published blurb about the fuckin’ Nice Device? You’d think they’re the second coming of the Pretenders, for chrissakes. Right? Right. If we did our awards show next week as planned, it would’ve been coming off a media overload of local music. How boring would that be?
Hence, we’ll do our planned spry and tongue-in-cheek-y (if not warm and fuzzy) drunken awards show (hey, Dykehouse, you gonna be around come fall?) when it’s nice and cold and uncomfortable outside, just how we like it. Plus, we’ll have all of 2005’s best to draw from. So, for the hundreds of bands who sent in CDs and inquiries for May’s postponed event, we offer you a wink, a nod and a sincere apology. And if you write in to bitch — or call us pussies — we might just offer you a frothy 40 of something delicious; note that the drink o’ choice around here is King Cobra. Oh, of the actual awards show, information will be doled out as it’s figured out. We’ll keep you posted.
The Fuse is lit
Speaking of yakked-about events, relax, Detroit. Chill, Europe. The lineup for Memorial Day weekend’s Fuse-In festival is finally in, and, we might add, it’s a fookin’ stunner. Dig it: More than 120 acts are confirmed on four stages: the Main Fuse-In, MusicLogical, Waterfront and the Underground Stage — which will split title programming between Tronic (New York), Mutek (Montreal) and Detroit’s Paxahau. Other performers (and inevitable program changes) will no doubt trickle down between now and May 28-30.
The festival formerly known as Movement and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival will bang hard and harder with local and international talent. Some of the early highlights include scheduled DJ sets by legendary Detroit performers Blake Baxter, Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin, Terrence Parker, Stacey Pullen and festival producer Kevin Saunderson; and live sets by Aux 88, Model 500, Octave One, SCAN 7 and Underground Resistance.
Topping the list of Europeans are Alexander Robotnick (Italy), Legowelt (the Netherlands), Luciano (Switzerland/Germany/Chile), Jacek Sienkiewicz and DJ Highfish (Poland/Germany), Germany’s Sten, Peter Grummich and Jan Jelinek — and a closing night live set by twisted Berlin electro-punkettes, Cobra Killer.
Also on the final night on another stage is Windsorite-cum-Berliner Richie Hawtin. Dan Bell, who recorded with Hawtin in the ’90s and also now lives in Berlin, will play directly before Hawtin on the same stage. The two will perform DJ sets. And, word is that rap and movie star Mos Def will close out the festival with a live performance.
Other details, such as how much it will cost to get into the three-day event, should be announced with the entire official lineup this week. Check forthcoming Subterraneans columns for in-depth info.
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