In 1992, Moby was among the bristling avant garde of dance music, at a time when that genre seemed poised to break through to the mainstream in a big way. It was with him that it did break, just a few years later. 1999’s Play, mainly a roster of scratchy blues and gospel samples layered over languid, housey tracks, sold nine million copies worldwide, spawned a series of hits, and introduced us to the ubiquity principle, whereby artists and their albums’ success can be measured by the fact that you hear them everywhere. He was Feist before Feist, “Young Folks” and “Crazy” all rolled into one, somehow pumping out of speakers at the Gap, the Duane Reade, your doctor’s office, your best friend’s cocktail party, and all those Silicon Alley startup parties. Every single track on Play was licensed for commercial use. The future was then.

Like the era of "irrational exuberance" that produced it, that album is likely to be the achievement for which Moby is best remembered, though he recently remarked that “in hindsight, it wasn't fun being the crucified poster child for selling out.”  read more »

CONCERTS

Feeling a bit hungry? "Hungry Like the Wolf," that is, (couldn't resist!) for some Duran Duran? Satisfy your appetite on May 30 and 31 when the iconic new wave quartet plays Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. [On Sale: Friday, March 21 at 10 a.m.]

Everyone's favorite British electro-pop band, Hot Chip, plays the Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 8. Sounds to us like it's going to sellout, so be sure to hit up Friday's Ticketmaster pre-sale (password=madeinbrooklyn). [On Sale: Friday, March 21 and noon]  read more »

This past Saturday, as a sellout crowd waited for Hot Chip to begin playing, a DJ at the Highline Ballroom played an a cappella version of Marvin Gaye singing “Sexual Healing.” Unadorned by dripping, quiet-storm keyboards and honeyed percussion, Gaye’s voice held the venue in thrall for a stirring few minutes, and those massed and awaiting the show quieted, some singing along, others just taking it in.  read more »

One gets the feeling that this is Hot Chip's year, much as it was LCD Soundsystem's in 2007. The cheeky Brits—but with heart! and brains!—know how to engineer a beat and write a hook, and their wave is cresting at the precise moment when smart dancehall and techno appear to be at their commercial peaks (think Justice, M.I.A., Chromeo, and the already mentioned LCD Soundsystem). Of course, to their credit, they've been doing their thing long before some of the aforementioned, and Made in the Dark (reviewed this morning by J. Gabriel Boylan) should cement their high standing. So, what if their video for "Ready for the Floor" relies a little too heavily on '80's pastiche—did they grab those girls straight out of a Don Henley video?—it's sure to do the trick.

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