Certified Bananas, Big Digits, Miss Fairchild, Hot Beat December 15, 2005

Certified Bananas is DJs p.nice and Audiovandal. Since the dawn of the DJ, a key trait that sets trend-setters apart from bedroom wannabes is the ability to mix diverse and eclectic tracks together in new and interesting ways. On the dance floor, patrons are able to tell when this happens by the occasional "Oh, SHIT!" that is yelled by someone like T.D. from Big Digits (someone "in the know" as they say). When DJs reach the apex of their skill, you might not even know the mix happened until 10 seconds into the next track. This is what Certified Bananas are doing. They are giving you dancehall riddims with Q Tip vocals fading into a M.I.A. acapella atop Dipset beats. They both dig deep in the crates for rare gems, but aren't affraid to reach for the top-shelf and drop "It Takes Two" when the mood calls for it . These two men, more than any local DJ duo I've heard in a while understand the role of the DJ as simultanious educator and crowd pleaser. (To be fair, Matt & Luke of Dynasty, Tommee Knife of Marinate,and the Beat Research camp all know their shit too). Expect great mixes, great parties, and lots of props for the C.B.s.

Miss Fairchild was described to be by p.nice as "Soulful R&B, but not in the ironic way." After giving a listen, I agree. While their humor-minded name may lead some to view the act as a duo of kids jocking Marvin Gaye, I would offer they are more in line with modern acts such as Chromeo (Vice). By this I mean they are honest, and love a particular sound which in this case is a blend of breakbeat, funk, soul and R&B. It's easy to write them off at first glance due to the high levels of irony and sarcasm in modern music, especially in 'retro' sounding music. But with Miss Fairchild a deeper look and listen will bring out their true musicianship and talent as songwriters.

Big Digits, Boston's notorious white-clad duo bring thick synth and bass lines over a seeming endless onslaught of agressive beats influenced by hiphop, jungle, house, and classic breaks. T.D. and Mac's energy on stage is enough to turn someone like me (who admittadly couldn't get into the band at all, and went so far as to 'talk smack') into a very solid fan of their show. The boys love hip hop. They love dancing. They love getting a crowd moving and responding. The term "party band" would be wrong to use, as it implies their role to be merely elements of a gathering. Big Digits are, in fact, the party itself.

http://certifiedbananas.com/
http://www.bigdigits.com/
http://www.missfairchild.com/