The Shake

Classics and labels be damned The Shake are taking over the indie rock scene with a perfect blend of elements as diverse as 60s/70s Britpop and NYC indie rock. Despite that description the coolest thing about The Shake is that they defy labels completely. Vocalist Jon Merkin sums it up best “Our varied musical influence is what gives us our sound. We sound familiar to some but new to others”. It’s really the new part that turned us on to this band. They are young (College in NYC but no mentions of another blood sucking band), they are diverse and most importantly they have the energy to kick the sometimes stale music scene in the you know what! The Shake manage to bring all of their individual taste to the table and provide us with some of the best tunes we’ve heard in a long time.

Veto

Here in the states we tend to be very focused on music that is homegrown. Of course, we are comfortable with the “popular” music from our UK cousins a la Coldplay, Duffy, Lily Allen, etc. But when it comes to venturing deeper into the music pool of the old continent the journey comes to an abrupt end. The shame in that is we sometimes miss incredible music from bands like Veto. Quite simply this Danish powerhouse is the best band you’ve never heard of. Period. We first got hip to Veto last year when we featured the single “Can You See Anything” from their debut disc There Is A Beat In All Machines. Now they’re back with their follow up Crushing Digits and nothing has changed as they continue to hit us with their blend of hard core rock and electronic jams. Led by lead singer Troels Abrahamsen, the tunes grab you by the scruff of the neck and make you rock out.

Veto decided early on they would do things their way. The group has gone to great pains to avoid becoming victims of the usual sound alike pitfalls that consume average bands. Instead they play music that is unlike anything else out there especially on US shores. Originality is a piece of the puzzle, add to that mystique great song writing plus in your face anthems and you have all the tools to craft the UK’s next great band. In case you still don’t believe; check out Veto’s work and we at FREE guarantee you won’t put it down.

DJ Mode

Some would say that the role of the DJ has diminished in the world of hip hop. Gone are the days when every MC was joined at the hip with his DJing partner. But in reality the role of the DJ has simply moved venues. Those venues are the sexiest nightspots all around the world and that is where the DJ holds court. DJ Mode’s court of choice spans from NYC to Miami and to Las Vegas. Mode has been a constant on the DJ scene from the age of 16. He cut his teeth, no pun intended, at the notable Scratch Academy in NYC and was forced to step up to the plate quick. You have no choice when you’re literally mixing it up with DJ royalty like Jam Master Jay and DJ Scratch. Fast forward and now Mode is spinning in the hottest spots around like Level V, Bungalow 8, Upstairs, Prive and Rockbar. Mode finds the perfect vibe to keep your party on point and the energy high. Mode’s musical choices defy explanation but when you leave sweaty, hot and feeling high you know you were at a DJ Mode party.