Full Disclosure.

I have to admit, Maison kinda crept up on me this month.  Luckily I sent the invite out over 2 weeks ago, and more importantly I have tons of new French House, Nu-Disco, and French Touch I NEED to play.

If you hadn't noticed, I guess I have a *residency* at Tabaq on Friday and Saturdays.  Full disclosure, I HATE the word residency.  The term is usually used incorrectly and almost always used pretentiously.  I prefer "in-house" DJ.  Anyways, Tabaq is a good gig but I mostly play hip hop there.  Not that I'm not into that, but I need a creative outlet and a break from the hip hop and pop, which Maison almost always seem to be for me.

I also gotta impress my homie, Chris Nitti who will be DJing with me this month.  I DJ'd with this dude back in November for his (and other cool dudes') party Clockwork at Rock N Roll Hotel.  We had a blast, talked about Maison and French music, and next thing ya know he's booked for this month's Maison.  Chris has really gotten into Maison's M.O. and has introduced me to tons of new French music (i.e. this article).  Chris is also DJing at Bliss Dance Party at U Hall this month.  Not sure how he got that gig but I'm super jealous/excited for him.

Also, I'm excited to get back to Maison's roots of playing a wide-array of French Music.  Nostalgic (Modjo).  Relevant (Yelle).  Progressive (dOP).  The past two month's were really fun with the Daft Punk and Yelle tributes, but that was a little gimicky for me.  Maison has always about throwing a bare-bones party, developing a signature sound, and drinking cheap champagne.  It should be the anti-thesis of the Stefan-defined party themes that sometimes get the best of gay party promoters, myself included.


I also need Maison emotionally.  If you didn't know I've been DJing full time since November, and honestly it's been really tough.  I've been lucky to get lots of gigs to help pay the bills, but most of these gigs have not been like the creative outlet Maison or Aural Pleasure have been to me.  Top 40 and Hip Hop are fun, but once you start down that track you open yourself up to people requesting the Black Eyed Peas and such.  I've really come to learn that 90% (I love making up statistics) of this city has really really bad DJ etiquette.  You can request a song, but if I don't play it next, requesting it again is just really annoying.  And I really don't believe you when you say it's your friend's birthday, nor do I care.  If I don't have something you requested, I'm sorry but handing me your iPhone isn't going to get your song in my DJ catalogue and able to play on the turntables.  If I already played a song, I'm not going to play it again just because you say, "Come on, please, I wasn't here."  I admit I need to learn how to deal with song requesters in a better way.  I've sort of resorted to ignoring people and sometimes making snide comments to the more egregious of them with remarks like, "There are plenty of bars that have jukeboxes."

I've been dealing with really rude people, technical difficulties like an entire sound system at a bar failing on me while DJing, not getting paid on time, trying to make this freelance DJ gig work for me financially, and most dishearteningly, dealing with the passing of my grandfather and not being able to go home to mourn and be with my family because I have to DJ and can't find last minute flights home to the Quad Cities.

So yeah, I'm hoping Maison goes well tomorrow.  It's been a rough go since Shea has departed to focus on his other events and take a step back from DJing non-stop.  I understand and respect his decision and it's awesome that he came back as a "guest" for the Daft Punk party last month.  But it's definitely challenging having Maison all to my lonesome.  Luckily I've been able to invite some great DJs and even better friends to join in on Maison's sound.  Doing the Yelle party with Mikey was so fun, and, as I previously mentioned, I'm obviously stoked to have Chris this month.  Additionally, I can reveal that February's guest DJ will be Steve Lemmerman (DJ Lemz) from Baltimore who I've been dying to work with since I met him in December of '09 when I was guest DJing for the Pink Sock party, which I'll be at later tonight!

And that brings me to the point where I decide if this post is too revealing, too long-winded, too much of a pity party, and should therefore be deleted.  Just writing it has already made me feel better, which I guess is the point of journal writing.  But then again, this isn't a journal... this is a blog.

So fuck it.  I believe it was a very wise man by the name of Dr. Dre who said, "If Y'all don't like me, BLOW ME!  Y'all are gonna keep fuckin' around wit me and turn me back to the old me."


If you haven't already done so, please RSVP to Maison on Facebook HERE

And follow us on twitter HERE

And follow me HERE

MAISON: A Salute To Daft Punk Preview Mix

One of the first times Shea and I DJ'd together (I believe at Duplex Diner), we had a complete love fest over the EASTAR remix of Daft Punk's "Something About Us."  From there, we decided to throw a party dedicated to French House and Maison was born.

With the release of Daft Punk's first new music since 2006 with the soundtrack for Tron Legacy, Shea and I will be saluting Daft Punk at Maison this Thursday, December 16th at Napoleon Bistro Lounge.

Please RSVP on facebook HERE.

Please enjoy this preview mix featuring Daft Punk, some covers, and side projects of Thomas Bangalter and Le Knight Club.

One more Yelle video + Preview Mix!

Yelle Week is coming to a close and it's finally time to party tonight.  $5 Beaujolais Noveau all night.  $5 champagne from 9-11pm.  $4 beers all night.  Me and DJ MAJR (Shift + Siren) all night long. Here's the FB link: Maison @ Napoleon.

Here's a preview mix to get ready for tonight:


Here's the final video for Yelle week w/ A Cause Des Garcons (Because of Boys)

Little French Girl Covers ‘Tristesse Joie’

adorable.

Ever wondered what Yelle is saying?

One of my favorite Yelle songs is Je Veut te Voir, which means I Want To See You, which is followed by the lyrics "In a Porno Film." Yeah, Yelle is a dirty, dirty girl. The rest of the translation is after the video.


Cuizinier (singer), with your little sex surrounded by red curls
I can’t believe you can think that you are wanted
I can’t understand it even in the dark,
even if you keep your PJs tight
Even if you guard your bathrobe, tight as a tailored T-shirt
Keep your nightgown, it’ll limit the bastard acts

I want to see you
In a porno film
In action with your cock
Shape potatoes or fries
To find out
About your anatomy
About your cousin Teki
And your fetish gear

Cuizi, what is
Your favourite position?
Your Olympic performances
But you do nothing orgasmic
You are naked
Under your apron
Ready to draw your sword
But tough luck

You dream of a neon Hummer
Designed by Akroe
But you have no license
You always take the metro

Superstar for a night, your life’ll return to normal
No need for sunglasses to hide yourself
You wait for your green card
This is not lip service
I’ve managed to make you
One with my scanner
Entrance is free tonight
It’s the only way to come
Then we girls wandered
Yeah, we’re going to chippendales
We had not planned to spend a night with the jokers
We wanted to see their pecs, guys hung like bulls

Your posters of Lil’ Jon cover those of Magic Johnson
You’re too crunk (crazy drunk) to slam dunk

Cuiziner, it’s you who I want to see
Who I want to see tonight
Be ridiculed by a girl who raps better than you
I only have 10 fingers
not enough to count all of them in the room
All these hairdressers like me who know you’re only worth a hair

French Drag Queen feat Yelle... yeah unexplainable

Fatal Bazooka Feat Yelle: Parle à ma main (talk to the hand)- I hope you enjoy the Marching Band at the end as much as I did.

It's YELLE Week @maisondc

I'll start off Yelle week w/ the video for the new single, La Musique.  Enjoy the kittens and RSVP on Facebook for Maison this Thursday at Napoleon HERE.

TONITE: Clockwork @ RNR w/ Ratt Moze, Chris Nitti, & Philip Goyette

The boys from Clockwork are having me DJ tonight w/ them at RnR Hotel in the upstairs bar.  Should be lots of fun- I know I'll be bringing some fun club bangers and mixing in my disco collection as I go.

If the four of us aren't a good enough reason to get you out to the Atlas District, then the BROADS are hosting a party at Jimmy Valentine's.  Come before or after or not at all.  There's a free shuttle that goes from H Street to Bladensburg Rd and back to Chinatown.

Whatever hope to see you there.  Here's a free track:
Final DJs- Twilight

Maison Does Yelle: A Cause Des Garcons

This month, Maison is getting ready to take on the gayest Frenchest pop icon of our era: Yelle.  For me, Yelle took a special place in my little gay heart from this video in which 3 dancing French boys move and groove to A Cause Des Garcons, which means "Because of Boys."  Enjoy. Oh and RSVP on FB for Maison this month: Maison: A Yelle Tribute Night

If I Ruled The World