XLR8R is looking for editorial interns in our San Francisco office who know the difference between Junior Boys and Boys Noize, techno and electro, Major Lazer, lazer bass, and drum & bass, hip-hop and trip-hop, and who require minimal hand-holding. Positions are for both editorial and events and online marketing.

Duties include writing and posting content to the XLR8R website, writing record reviews, assisting with the preparation of web graphics, logging incoming releases, and helping with general organizational tasks. This intern will also help with the management of XLR8R.com’s social networking accounts (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter).

All internships are unpaid, and require a commitment of 8-10 hours per week, for 4-6 months. Eligible applicants will have excellent communication skills, knowledge of Microsoft Office, and be email- and internet savvy. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and HTML are a plus. Journalism students are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and 2-3 published or unpublished writing samples to [email protected]. Please, no phone calls.

The East Bay’s DJ Matthew Africa has a new podcast up which features two hours of jerk music, the L.A.-centered music movement that builds on foundations built by Bay Area crews like The Pack. With freaky mixes and nasty lyrics in surplus, this podcast is damn sure to be blasting from a lot of porches and earbuds in the coming weeks. While you’re at it, you can get some mixing tips from Africa by watching this awesome episode of XLR8R TV!

Download 2 Busy Saying Yeah Episode 5 mixed by DJ Matthew Africa here.

Tracklisting:

1. Cold Flamez: Miss Me, Kiss Me
2. Jaye Cooley: Drippin Wet
3. YT: Call Me Daddy feat. New Era & TayF3rd
4. Dizzy: Swagg It Out
5. YG: AIM Me
6. Looney Toonz: Cock A Doodle Doo
7. Swagg City: That Hoe Crazy
8. Asia Lynn: Bad Bitch
9. Vixen Ent: Toot My Shit
10. Clothes Off Movement: Better Than You
11. J.R.: Inhale It feat. TayF3rd & Ashlii
12. NHT Boyz: Introduction
13. Dinoo Supreemo: Dirty Ass Vans
14. Rude Boyz: Go Hard
15. Go Go Power Rangers: Tippin on My Dick
16. New Boyz: You’re a Jerk
17. Rude Boyz: Tight Jeanz
18. Fresh Boyz: I Rock Skinnies feat. New Era
19. YT: Skinny Ass Nigga
20. Pink Dollaz: I’m Tasty
21. Camille Tianna: Hot Commodity
22. TayF3rd: Heard About Me feat. Project & New Era
23. Turfeazy: In a Tree
24. Vixen Ent: Bust Me a Nut
25. The Lowz: She Poppin’ feat. Nie’Starr
26. Julian: Jerkin Song
27. L7: Knock Knock
28. YB: 2 Step
29. Ro2co: Toot It Up Done
30. Dinoo Supreemo: Step To
31. Aeiress Ent: Billy
32. Wes Nyle: Dougie
33. Nokio: Hi I’m a Jerk feat. YT
34. YB: I’m a Jerk
35. Jayy Starr: Where the Functions
36. New Boyz: Cricketz feat. Tyga
37. YG: I’m Still Poppin
38. Young Sam: I Do My Thang feat. Asia Lynn
39. Payso: Beat That Pussy feat. Cold Flamez
40. New Era: Dumb Bitch
41. Draft Pick: Get It Jerkin
42. Julian: Do It Don’t Stop
43. The Bangz: Get It Girl feat. Pink Dollaz
44. Asia Lynn: Tip Toe feat. Aaliyah D
45. Fly Guys: We Jerkin
46. Ro2co: Shooting Dice
47. TayF3rd: Conceited

Autumn always brings a smattering of music fests all over the U.S., and next week, the twin cities of Champaign-Urbana, IL, are hosting the Pygmalion Music Festival. While many of the performers appearing at the fest are of a flannelly, twee indie variety, there are also some killer electronic acts making appearances, including YACHT, RJD2, Skream, and many more. Though festival passes are sold out, individual day tickets are still available, so check the full schedule below to find out where and when your favorite acts are appearing.

The Pygmalion Music Festival runs from September 16 – 19.

Pygmalion Music Festival 2009 Schedule:

WEDNESDAY

Canopy Club:
8:30 PM — Common Loon
9:30 PM — Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band
10:00 PM — Owen
11:00 PM — Japandroids
12:00 AM — Headlights
1:00 AM — Physical Challenge DJs

THURSDAY

Blues:
11:45 AM — Liesel Booth
12:30 PM — Pamela Machala

Sandella’s:
12:45 PM — Tracey and Tricia
1:30 PM — Stanton McConnell
2:15 PM — Cara Maurizi

Red Herring:
6:00 PM — Morgan Orion and The Constellations
7:00 PM — My Dear Alan Andrews
8:00 PM — Post Historic
9:00 PM — Early Day Miners
10:00 PM — World’s First Flying Machine

Krannert Art Museum:
6:40 PM — Liz Janes
7:20 PM — Brooke Wagonner
8:00 PM — Denison Witmer
8:45 PM — My Brightest Diamond
9:45 PM — William Fitzsimmons
10:45 PM — Bob Nanna

Courtyard Cafe:
7:30 PM — Butterfly Assassins
8:30 PM — Deelay Ceelay
9:30 PM — Starfucker

Canopy Club:
6:20 PM — Ohtis
7:00 PM — Santa
7:40 PM — Mason Proper
8:20 PM — Company of Thieves
9:00 PM — Elsinore
9:40 PM — Joe Pug
10:30 PM — Decibully
11:10 PM — Maserati
12:10 AM — Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s
1:00 AM — Lucero

The Highdive:
9:00 PM — Geist
10:00 PM — DJ Belly
11:00 PM — DJ Mertz
12:00 AM — Skream

FRIDAY

Blues:
11:30 AM — Girls Next Door
12:00 PM — Ryan Groff
12:45 PM — William Fitzsimmons
7:00 PM — The Jips
8:00 PM — Empires
9:00 PM — jigGsaw
10:00 PM — So Many Dynamos
11:00 PM — So Long Forgotten

Sandella’s:
12:45 PM — Final Pygmalion Effect
1:30 PM — Matt Wagemann
2:15 PM — Kilroy et al

Channing-Murray:
6:30 PM — You and Yourn
7:15 PM — Hathaways
8:00 PM — Good Night and Good Morning
9:00 PM — Low

Red Herring:
10:30 PM — Oceans
11:30 PM — Pet Lions
12:30 AM — TBD

Canopy Club:
6:20 PM — Zach May and The Maps
7:00 PM — Ganglians
7:40 PM — Phantogram
8:20 PM — BLK JKS
9:00 PM — Jookabox
9:40 PM — Maps & Atlases
10:30 PM — Pomegranates
11:10 PM — The Antlers
12:10 AM — Autolux
1:00 AM — Wavves

Cowboy Monkey:
10:00 PM — Angie Heaton
11:00 PM — Mazes
12:00 AM — Cameron McGill and What Army
1:00 AM — The 1900s

Mike N’ Molly’s:
5:15 PM — The Delta Kings
6:15 PM — The Duke of Uke
7:15 PM — The Number One Sons
8:15 PM — Tina Sparkle
9:15 PM — Gentleman Auction House
10:15 PM — Light Pollution
11:15 PM — Neoga Blacksmith

Bentley’s:
9:30 PM — Village
10:30 PM — The Horns of Happiness
11:30 PM — Alpha Mile
12:30 AM — Golden Quality

SATURDAY

Parasol Records:
12:00 PM — Tim Stephens
12:40 PM — Morgan Orion and The Constellations
1:10 PM — Cameron McGill and What Army
1:40 PM — Peninsula
2:10 PM — Boston Fleener (of The Jips)
2:40 PM — Drew Danburry (acoustic)
3:10 PM — You and Yourn
3:40 PM — New Ruins (acoustic)
4:40 PM — The Horse’s Ha (acoustic)

Exile on Main St.:
1:30 PM — Elsinore
2:30 PM — Zach May and The Maps
3:30 PM — Santa
4:30 PM — The Curses

Courtyard Cafe:
5:00 PM — The Daredevil Christopher Wright
6:00 PM — Lymbyc Systym
7:00 PM — Brighton, MA

Krannert Center:
7:30 PM — The Books
8:45 PM — Iron and Wine
10:00 PM — Princeton
11:00 PM — Ra Ra Riot

Canopy Club:
9:00 PM — Physical Challenge DJs
9:45 PM — Porno Galactica
10:45 PM — YACHT
11:45 PM — The Hood Internet
12:45 AM — RJD2

Red Herring:
10:00 PM — On Again Off Again
11:00 PM — Now Now Every Children
12:00 AM — Drew Danburry
1:00 AM — Sunset Stallion

Cowboy Monkey:
10:00 PM — Lonely Trailer
11:00 PM — The Horse’s Ha
12:00 AM — Gazelle
1:00 AM — New Ruins

Mike N’ Molly’s:
8:15 PM — Tyson and The Friction
9:15 PM — Steel Eater
10:15 PM — Scurvine
11:15 PM — The Life and Times

Bentley’s:
10:30 PM — Take Care
11:30 PM — Marmoset
12:30 AM — Mordechai in the Mirror

Pictured above: Skream.

In my more embarrassing years, I hugged some subwoofers. And when I first fired up the Ultrasone PRO 900 closed-back headphones, I felt that familiar husky frequency. The bass slam was real, even without a metal grill imprint in my skin. The response was boomy, even by Ultrasone standards (the company’s HFI-780 was previously a bassophile’s dark fantasy). However, left alone to a healthy 100-hour playlist, these PRO 900 cans settled into a character less about my initial imagery and much more about riveting imaging.

The PRO 900s were tested playing all manner of MP3s, Apple Lossless and FLAC files, SACDs, DTS 96/24 and 192/24 DVD-Audio (oh, even a few plain ol’ CDs). Some artists analyzed included Depeche Mode, Delorean, Clark, Burial, OutKast, Björk, HEALTH, Can, Phoenix … hell, even Paul Oakenfold’s latest Perfecto mix; just because these plushy velvet ear cups are $549.95 doesn’t mean audiophiles have good taste, and the 40mm mylar/titanium-plated drivers offered a physically involving, snobbery-repelling experience.

All sounds were auditioned through either a MacBook Pro/Native Instruments Audio 8 DJ outputting 96 kHz/24 bit or an Oppo DV-980H universal audio/DVD player paired to an Integra DTR-7.8 receiver. (The PRO 900 deliver 6 – 42,000 Hz, 96 dB max SPL at a relatively efficient 40 ohm impedance, so you can drive them with a laptop/iPod headphone output, etc. but a dedicated amp is recommended to resolve full details.)

“Boxy” does not apply to any aspect of the circumaural PRO 900; “extension,” however, is very apropos. The smooth lead in/lead out of transients, the directional cues, the airy soundstage—in these areas the PRO 900s shine. Tones reveal both proximity and extremities, rarely feeling congested. Mind, the PRO 900s are not neutral. Overall, there is a warm, rounded characteristic, which allows highs to avoid fatigue at the edges (note, however, these headphones are reasonably unforgiving of heavily limited/hot sources, so compress with caution). The mid-range seems mildly “recessed” at times, but with such prodigious bass and pronounced highs that isn’t surprising; more accurately, the mids aren’t augmented, as these headphones are more deliberate than “forward.”

Isolation/clamping power is pretty good, so the PRO 900s would be capable for live tracking (assuming you can handle the potential damage stress). However, these really come across as comfortable headphones for mixing/mastering, for balancing cerebral and visceral in a more private monitoring solution. It aims squarely for the gut without neglecting the gilding.

Over on DJShadow.com, the Bay Area turntable superstar has made available the live broadcast from XFM London he performed alongside the Quannum Crew (Blackalicious, Lateef, Lyrics Born, Joyo) live in the studio. You can buy the download or CD of the previously unavailable performance from back in December of 2000 off of either Shadow’s or Quannum’s website.