IDLES came just when we feared punk, aggression, and rock with a message was gone.  Thank god for IDLES.

Yes! LocoDistro is always proud to support the boys from Live4ever who continue to deliver with their finger-on-the-pulse of the British Rock scene—and never ending passion for the bands and their music.

Enter post-punk mega-force… IDLES Whether chocolate milk tasting at Whole Foods in Austin TX, reviewing vinyl albums at famed Waterloo Records, trying on dresses and wigs at Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds or rocking out at their crazy live performances, there’s certainly never a dull moment with Bristol’s Post Punkers IDLES !

And here is a recent video…  IDLES AF GANG.

LocoDistro was a proud sponsor of the Live4ever Media Lounge at SXSW2018. Get to know Manchester’s own… Findlay

Born and raised in Manchester, Findlay visits the Live4ever Media Lounge armed with a healthy dose of Rock Star attitude and fun laughs to talk about her rising music career and more.

For more on Findlay and other great emerging artists visit Live4ever at http://www.Live4ever.uk and don’t forget to subscribe to their channel. Live4ever breaks Indie and Brit Rock bands first!

LocoDistro was a proud sponsor of the Live4ever Media Lounge at SXSW2018.

Our interview series continues with English Singer-Songwriter Sam Fender visiting our SXSW suite high atop the OMNI hotel in Austin. Sam’s favorite tools of the trade you ask – well his Fender guitars of course!

For more on Sam and other great Indie artists visit Live4ever’s flagship zine/website at http://www.Live4ever.uk and don’t forget to subscribe to their channel. Live4ever breaks Indie and Brit Rock bands first!

LocoDistro was a proud sponsor of the Live4ever Media Lounge at SXSW2018

British singer-songwriter Frank Turner talks us through the inspirations and influences behind his latest solo album Be More Kind, trying to unite using a campaign slogan that has divided a nation, as well as the countless other projects which he always has on the go. Frank was one of this year’s SXSW artist highlights for sure.

Some Rock History for ya… Today in 1983 (ahem 35 years ago) U2 released their 3rd studio album War. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album is regarded as their first overtly political album with ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and ‘New Year’s Day.’ War became the band’s first #1 album in the UK—knocking Michael Jackson’s Thriller from the top spot.

It’s 2018 and we must acknowledge that race barriers sadly exist for too many Americans. Today in 1961 #Motown released its first million-seller. #ShopAround by #TheMiracles. Talk about breaking cultural barriers. Amazing achievement. I almost didn’t post this cause I didn’t want the importance to sound contrived—me being a white guy posting during #BlackHistoryMonth. But I happen to love #SmokeyRobinson. And I’ve had the pleasure of working with him. This anniversary deserves acknowledgment.

LocoDistro has got a lot planned for #SXSW this year—and we’re #thrilled to be doing it with @Live4everMedia who never cease to amaze in terms of “who to watch” each year. Stay tuned because some very special announcements will be made!

#SXSW2018 #Live4ever  #LocoDistro #PirateStudios #JAFilms #SnapchatToSomeone

In honor of the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win earlier this week (and the Grammys last week) we’re gonna kick off the weekend with a Philly-born Grammy-winning legend—DJ Jazzy Jeff. Born in Philly, winner of HipHop’s first Grammy (for 1989’s ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’) and legit creator of Turntablism’s game-changing Transform scratch—DJ Jazzy Jeff is still so good that Hollywood went to him to perform all the scratching in the feature film ‘Straight Outta Compton.’

This set is almost three years old—but so damn good. Hosted by collaborator and MC, Dayne Jordan, here is DJ Jazzy Jeff performing a tribute to the late-great J. Dilla from Johnny Brenda’s on N. Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia, PA.

Happy Friday. And you’re welcome!

Does it matter that the “safe choice” for Music TV’s single biggest performance doesn’t have a good album?

 

This Sunday Justin Timberlake takes the Super Bowl Halftime stage to support an album that Pitchfork describes as “shallow” and “a huge misstep for Justin” …but does it matter?

Let’s start with why Justin? Let’s be honest—he’s not musically exciting, he’s already done it, and nobody misses him yet. So wasn’t there anyone else the fans would be more excited to see?

Millennial pop fans prefer Charlie Puth – but JT is okay
R&B pop fans prefer Cardi B – but JT is okay
Older pop fans prefer Madonna – but JT is okay
Rock fans apparently don’t exist
Country fans prefer Chris Stapleton – but JT is okay if he brings Chris Stapleton

So when you look at it that way—JT is the clear and obvious choice for today’s TV Executive. The question of “is he musically relevant right now?” wasn’t even asked. Booking rule number one for TV Execs should always be—how is the music?

As long as we’re attempting to safely appeal to the perfect middle of a divided country, JT is what we get. But I can’t help but believe that going for the “second best booking” because it safely checks the boxes isn’t just a cop-out. How well is “lowest common denominator” working in other areas?

Now, throwing a bone to JT… his catalog and charisma may pull him through just fine. But I do hope he doesn’t bring Jimmy Fallon on stage. If he brings out Janet Jackson however— I’ll forgo another trip to the seven-layer dip and watch what happens. All that said, a “safe” performer with a questionable new album should not be enough to book TV’s biggest music gig.

Yes, everyone will be a ratings expert by Monday morning. But answering the headline’s question of “does it matter” two day’s before the event isn’t a sure thing. He’s a star for a reason, even if that reason happened a few years back. Social media will rant regardless of quality, so perhaps the actual Halftime ratings will be the only true definition of Halftime success or failure.

If Halftime experiences a ratings drop-off of Grammy proportions then yes, it matters. Take a knee to that.