[caption id=”attachment_3109” align=”aligncenter” width=”565” caption=”André Obin performs at the Middle East Upstairs”][/caption]

A few months ago, I did a concert review of Stars and Track of Field when they played at Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, MA. I really dug the opening act, who I referred to as “mystery noise man.” Well, good news, we tracked him down to see what he’s all about.

His real name is André Obin, and after a somewhat lengthy conversation, it’s altogether too ironic that a true-to-life enigma was already a mystery from the start.

It’s hard to pin down a person like Obin, an out-and-out music genius hailing from Cambridge, MA whose year abroad at Oxford birthed a passion for electronic music. Obin describes his experiences in London during the lat 90s:

On the weekends I was basically going to London and checking out DJs and live bands, and I just realized electronic music does something different for me because of the way it’s gridded, how sequencing can be attractive. I like robot sounds, is what I’m trying to say.

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Swedish indie-pop group Miike Snow (no, that’s not a typo) just released the music video for their hit single “Black and Blue.” Miike Snow’s sound has been described by professional music critics as “A-ha meets Animal Collective.” I personally like to think that their sound is more of an offshoot of Passion Pit’s. The band’s lead singer/songwriter Andrew Wyatt even sounds a bit like Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos.

The guys released their self-titled debut album back in May of 2009, and on it was “Black and Blue” and “Animal,” a song that went on to catapult them to fame. It’s funny, because as I sit here writing this, Miike Snow is currently playing at T.T. the Bear’s Place in Cambridge, MA, which is just a stone’s throw away from me. I wish I had bought tickets.

Anyway, the video for “Black and Blue” is one of the more captivating ones that I’ve seen lately, and it’s not incredibly weird. It actually depicts an interesting story; after the 3 minutes and 42 seconds are up, you feel for the main character.

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Leaders of the Boston-area sneaker elite, Concepts, teamed up with Nike Sportswear and DJ Clark Kent, to serve a more than generous offering for the sole that is guaranteed to give sneaker heads something to be thankful for well after the holidays have ended.

The Black Friday Nike Air Force 1, personally designed by sneaker enthusiast DJ Clark Kent (not to be confused with a “collector”), has redefined and reintroduced the term “classic” in relation to this popular Nike style. The shoe is, as Clark Kent described at today’s Concepts drop, “a fly luxury shoe without the luxury price tag”. The sneaker’s details include black pony hair, lenticular material, black patent leather, and a rainbow candy sparkle sole. We’re willing to bet that Clark’s impressive 1,800 pairs of Air Force 1’s, which are part of his massive 2,200+ sneaker arsenal didn’t hurt the chances of his design making it into production.

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On Saturday, November 8th, Hel Toro hosted their CD release show at the Middle East Upstairs. The New Harmless is Hel Toro’s third LP, and it marks a deviation from their typical hardcore sound. Where their older recordings were primarily aggressive hardcore with few melodies, The New Harmless marks a departure from strictly hardcore to a flirtation with guitar parts marked by indie-riffs.

I arrived at the show on a night of rather dismal weather, but the wetness did not deter an impressive turnout. People littered the sidewalk in front of the Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cigarette smoke was plenty as people chatted anxiously awaiting the upcoming performances.

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[caption id=”attachment_875” align=”alignnone” width=”570” caption=”Diplo Peforms at the Middle East in Cambridge”][/caption]

Sweaty, drunken teen girls bumping and grinding with a giant slice of cheese pizza on a stage is usually something that only occurs in the most bizarre of fantasies. But, on Friday October 17th, Diplo and the Mad Decent crew (shoutout to Pizzaboy) made this a glorious reality.

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