Live Nation’s Skullcandy Identity Festival kicked off its American tour on August 11, which has electronica lovers nationwide all hyped up.  With three stages and numerous acts,  it promises to be a rowdy dance party.  It might be overwhelming for some, but it will definitely be a great end to your summer (which ever date you make it to).

The festival is hitting North Carolina on Tuesday, August 16, and Charlotte’s Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre is  set for an amazing lineup! The quality and amount of artists booked for the show has me incredibly excited about an adventure to the Queen City. I’m most excited about Rusko, Nero, and Steve Aoki, but the rest of it will be great as well. Datsik, Chuckie, and DJ Shadow are also at the top of my to-do list.

As far as safety & fun goes:

1. STAY HYDRATED!
2. Take a map & event lineup
3. Be open to new music
4. Only take permitted items (see official site for details)

Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top 10s to CMJ.

CMJ Radio 200 from WKNC’s Daytime Rock

CMJ RPM from WKNC’s Afterhours

CMJ Loud Rock from WKNC’s Chainsaw Rock

Gorillaz, Plastic Beach

Bassnectar, Time Stretch

Hot Chip, One Life Stand

ARTIST     Album     (Song)

1. GORILLAZ Plastic Beach     (Virgin)

2. BASSNECTAR Time Stretch     (Amorphous)

3. HOT CHIP One Life Stand     (Astralwerks)

4. RUSKO O.M.G.! (Mad Decent)

5. SLEIGH BELLS Treats     (Mom and Pop)

6. TORO Y MOI Causers of This     (Carpark)

7. JAVELIN No Mas     (Luaka Bop)

8. SUGAR AND GOLD Get Wet!     (Antenna Farm)

9. VARIOUS ARTISTS     Bustin’ Loose     (T&A)

10. CROOKERS Tons of Friends

Photo by Nicole Palko

Major Lazer’s North Carolina tour stop this past Tuesday at Cat’s Cradle proved to be one sweaty, non-stop dance party.

Sleigh Bells opened the show with a mix of loud, distorted guitar, blasted beats, and the yelping, chanting vocals of singer Alexis Krauss. The duo did a fine job warming up the crowd for what was to be a night of non-stop dancing and mayhem. They played a mix of blog favorites including as “A/B Machines” and “Crown on the Ground” and new tracks likely to appear on their debut album due out later this year.

Immediately after Sleigh Bells closed out their set, British dubstep artist Rusko took the stage to the sounds of a bass-maxed-out version of Petey Pablo’s “Raise Up”. From there, he cruised through crowd-pleasing remixes of Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘n’ Nite” and Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek”, in addition to original tracks such as “Woo Boost” and the Tupac-sampling “Da Cali Anthem”.

Photo by Nicole Palko

Following a brief intermission at the end of Rusko‘s set, Major Lazer main men Diplo and Switch took to a table of CDJ’s and laptops at the back of the stage. The lazer lights came on and the party wouldn’t let up for another hour-plus. With hype-man/MC Skerrit Bwoy bouncing around the stage in his colorful mohawk and a bikini-clad dancer pulling moves that looked like something a gymnast might do in a strip club, the crowd went absolutely insane. People were bouncing. People were dancing. The whole crowd was swaying. Foam lazer-guns were thrown into the crowd. As the duo mixed their way effortlessly from Major Lazer hits “Pon De Floor” and “Keep It Goin’ Louder” into tracks they’ve produced individually, Skerrit Bwoy and the dancer took to pulling off moves straight out of the “Pon De Floor” video (warning: NSFW). The chemistry between the two was obvious, both wearing ear-to-ear grins the entire time.

I had heard that the show was supposed to run until 2 a.m., but was cut short after a guy fell and busted his head open , which was evident due to the pool of blood near the back of the room. Regardless of whether or not the show was supposed to go on for another two hours or not, Major Lazer brought what is likely to be one of the best-remembered dance parties the Cradle has ever seen.

Here are the top 10 albums played during the Afterhours format over the past week, compiled by our Afterhours Music Director Joseph Brookes.

1. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
2. Pretty Lights – Making Up A Changing Mind EP
3. Funckarma – Dubstoned 3
4. Pantha Du Prince – Black Noise
5. Felix Cartal – Popular Music
6. Telephoned – Telephoned EP
7. Rusko – Woo-Boost EP
8. Kraddy – Android Porn Remixes EP
9. RJD2 – The Colossus
10. Heyoka – Marklar

Here are the top ten albums played during WKNC’s Afterhours format during the past week, compiled by Afterhours Music Director Joseph Brookes.

1. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
2. Pretty Light –  Making Up A Changing Mind EP
3. Pantha Du Prince – Black Noise
4. Telephoned  - Telephoned EP
5. Rusko – Woo-Boost EP
6. Funckarma – Dubstoned 3 EP
7. RJD2 – Colossus
8. Kraddy – Android Porn Remixes EP
9. Heyoka – Marklar
10. MiM0SA – Psychedelic Stereo EP