Without further adieu, we are proud to present a couple snapshots of the Big Live platform…

1) Solves a problem in the industry (in other words, is it a game changing idea?)

2) Fosters community

3) Has reached scale or the board believes can reach scale

4) Has commercial viability

We are quite excited about the recognition and even more excited to bring you the experience this upcoming Spring!

For more information on the award:

As I learned first hand, this is one of those rare bands I can listen to for hours on repeat… even (and especially) on a 10-hour plane ride. The most striking song off their EP The Recordings of The Middle East is “Blood,” which has quickly ascended to the top of my most frequently played list. While the band hasn’t made their way stateside yet, they will be playing at Coachella on April 18th. Once The Middle East arrives here, no one will want them to leave anytime soon. And hey, who ever thought we’d be saying that?

St. Vincent performs “Actor Out Of Work” and “The Strangers” from her 2009 release Actor. Apprécier l’exécution magnifique!

His rhymes, his metaphors, his beats and his style shot through 2004 like a jolt of electricity, generating heat in the previously lukewarm rap realm. At a time when club friendly but poetically broke hits like The Ying Yang Twins’ “Salt Shaker” and Petey Pablo’s “Freak-a-Leek” topped the charts, Kanye crooned about selling drugs to get by (“We Don’t Care”), his near-death car crash (“Through the Wire”), and God (“Jesus Walks,” “Never Let Me Down.”)

But he wasn’t preachy. He didn’t paint himself as some sort of cleaned up, after-school-special emcee. He cursed. He dropped the “n” bomb. And he had fun with it, interspersing serious songs with tongue-in-cheek treats. “Slow Jamz,” his hilarious breakout hit with Twista and Jamie Foxx, ended up no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10 Singles of 2004. “The New Workout Plan,” with its interlude of affirmations from formerly fat chicks, cracks me up still.

On every track on “The College Dropout,” Kanye kept his rhymes real, layering them over rhythms few others could conceive. (Who isn’t haunted by the choir and strings that wail through “Two Words?”) Kanye lifted the bar for beats. The melodies backing the tracks of Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne, Chiddy Bang, and the like? Thank “The College Dropout” for that.

So yeah, it was a great album. It has sold more than 3.5 million copies to date. It won two Grammy awards and put Kanye on the map as one of the pop culture geniuses of this era. But why is it the album of the decade?

Some might argue that Kanye didn’t do anything that wasn’t done before. Yes, Jay-Z, B.I.G., and many more treated rap as a means for storytelling long before Ye stepped into the game. These men were his mentors, and he makes mention of them – in fact, he often features their lyrical stylings — all over “The College Dropout.”

But here’s the thing – no one packaged it like Kanye. No one galvanized a new generation of hip-hop lovers like Kanye. No one, frankly, made music cool like Kanye.

Since dropping “The College Dropout,” Kanye has gone on to further influence hip-hop (exhibit A: “808s & Heartbreak” and the mass adoption of autotune), shape the sphere of pop (exhibit B: his collaboration with Lady Gaga, the new Madonna), and pioneer the trend of rappers collaborating with indie artists (exhibit C: Kanye featuring Santigold and Lykke Li: “Gifted”), to say nothing of his influence in the fields of fashion and design.

Not only did “The College Dropout” shake up the music scene in 2004, its ripple effect – making Kanye West a household name – continues to impact pop culture today. His influence remains supreme. Think about it: why would anyone have cared about what he said at ‘09’s MTV VMAs if he wasn’t a huge deal?

Therein lies my argument: more than memorable music, “The College Dropout” introduced us to a man with the power to change and shape our tastes for years to come. If any other album did that this decade, do let me know. 

>>> Sheila Marikar

One of our studly interns, Princeton student Cameron McClain, plays host to some behind-the-scenes footage from our showcase in July. Always a party, Cameron interviews President Obama, Bruno, a coterie of urinators, a group of drunk and hot girls, a few frat boys, and a mix of Big Live fans.

Once I got over the Wall-E thing and actually listened, I was surprised to simultaneously feel energized, touched, amused, and a little saddened by the unique music of Beautiful Small Machines. I guess I should have known from previous experience (and maybe Pixar induced tears) how emotionally invested I could become in a story of robot love. The electro-pop beats create an unusual juxtaposition with lyrics that could make for an, albeit unconventional, love song.

The duo comprised of Bree Sharp and Don DiLego just released another EP entitled Simple Joys, comprised of 4 remixes of the song “Simple Joys” and a reworking of “So long 2 U.” Take a listen, “Simple Joys” is beautiful in every form.

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BEAUTIFUL SMALL MACHINES >> SUPERCONDUCTER

BIG LIVE is an exciting new social networking platform that connects users around a shared entertainment experience. Users are able to watch full-length “live” concerts by joining one of multiple simultaneous scheduled streams to experience the content with a group. Fans will be able to visually recognize whom they are watching with, filter the group (friends and non-friends) to find certain individuals, communicate with them, and connect through a social network. If a user doesn’t like a certain group or concert, they can move to a different stage to discover new music and new people. 

Stay tuned!

Performances at the West 3rd space included Wavves, Crystal Stilts, Oxford Collapse,  Cause Co-Motion, Cutter, J.A.C.K., and Drink Up Buttercup. After a year of highly buzzed about events, Less Artists More Condos began to expand their geographical and artistic boundaries. Despite the expansion, the group was intent upon maintaining the secret, semi-illegal, and hard-to-find  nature of their shows. Some of these have included impromptu DJ sets under the pre-renovated High Line rail on NYC’s west side and bands on a pirate ship that sailed around Manhattan (click HERE to watch the Snakes Say Hiss performance).

AN EARLY VIDEO BIO OF LESS ARTISTS MORE CONDOS >>

Most recently, Less Artists More Condos have found a new home at Under 100, the rustic basement of hip hop impresario Damon Dash’s multi-purpose office space in TriBeca dubbed DD172. The space happens to also be the home to the cutting edge video channel Creative Control. Naturally, the two groups partnered: LAMC booking the shows and Creative Control filming. The results have sent shock-waves through those dedicated to the NYC music scene. A number of artists have stopped by including Mos Def, The Cool Kids, Voodoo Farm, The London Souls, Sleigh Bells (Click HERE to see the performance), and Javelin (click HERE to see the performance) among others.

It is with great pleasure to announce that Big Live plans to get in the mix. On December 19th, LAMC produced an incredible four band show (artists to be announced upon launch in February) and cameras were there to capture the excitement. As the shows continued into the wee hours of the morning, Chester French were recording in the DD172 studio next door and a number of graffiti artists were tagging a massive gallery wall space.

A TOUR OF DD172 >>

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With a brand new album on the way and an in-progress tour, Rooney is back to… playing video games and joking around. Frontman Robert Schwartzman (aka Solobob) has always been a playful video diarist and Big Live has coaxed him into resurrecting the series for our readers. Equip with a brand new FlipCam (no product placement kick-backs here!), Robert will documenting life on the road for the remainder of Rooney’s “Wild One” tour. Check the two latest entries below.

Rooney will be playing at Webster Hall in New York City on Friday December 11th. Buy tickets HERE.

Rooney >> Video Diary #1

Rooney >> Video Diary #2

Well you probably haven’t considering they don’t even have a page on Wikipedia which is probably a crime in some states. Well, they are a trio hailing from humble Rockford, Illinois recently signed to Lupe Fiasco’s own label 1st and 15th Records. Hey Champ has an infectious sound that can make anyone want to dance.

Combining melodic guitar riffs with just the right amount of synth-pop, Hey Champ is definitely going places. I got the chance to see them live at Lollapalooza 2009 and they already have a dedicated Chicago fan base. They even got the chance to create a music video for their first single, Cold Dust Girl.

The video sums it all up. Hey Champ is gushing with style and potential. Check these guys out before they get swept into the world of mainstream. I haven’t heard of any plans to release a full album yet, but when they do I am going to be first in line to get my hands on a vinyl copy.

mnhenry12@gmail.com

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Hey Champ >> Cold Dust Girl