Thunderball, the "Ambassadors of Style" have been putting out quality music on DC's Eighteenth Street Lounge label for years.  Their appearance alone would put a party on the top of our list.  Throw in a reunion of legendary house outfit East Coast Boogiemen, the return of Baltimore's own Patrick Turner and appearances from DJ heroes Chris Bulla and Jesse Figment, and you have got yourself a party!

Check out the details here.

Joe makes a hometown appearance this Thursday in Baltimore for Posh Cavern @ Red Maple - 930 N. Charles St. 

It's also the birthday of our good friend Michael Owen.  Michael is the man behind the Baltimore Love Project, and has always been a big supporter of Gourmetbeats, even appearing on Gourmetbeats Radio back in 2005!  Definitely not a night to be missed!

Nice interview with Joe (also Nice) on bassfaced.com.  He'll be up in Brooklyn this Saturday bringing the business once again to the 718.  Check the details at reconstrvct.com!

The guys from ForQuarters introduce the first in a series of events they are calling 'The Gumball", with support from Gourmetbeats, EightyEightyDC, and SoulMob Productions.  Starting on a very strong foot, their first installment will feature Lazy Days Recordings label boss and legendary DJ, Fred Everything.

We saw Fred Everything for the first time at the 2005 Winter Music Conference in Miami where he performed an unforgettable set at the now-defunct venue Bash.  It was one of those nights where the stars aligned, everyone was in attendance, and every shoe was on the dance floor; where you looked around and saw some of the best DJ's and producers in the industry, and they were all dancing like crazy.  We've been huge fans ever since, and expect that the combination of Fred and ForQuarters will result in a tremendous night.

Get a taste of the ForQuarters boys tonight in DC for their new monthly at Eighteenth Street Lounge.

This year’s Winter Music Conference was announced amid a flurry of controversy over its split with the Ultra Music Festival.  In years passed, the conference had benefited (or suffered depending on who you talk to) from the huge draw of Ultra Fest, which as of this year claims to be the largest music festival in the world.  Gourmetbeats took the trip down to South Beach to see how the WMC stood on its own.

We have to say that from the beginning that this trip to Miami was one of the most fun we've ever had.  It seemed that at every event, we entered to a room full of great music and good friends.  All the people that we hadn’t seen for the past year were there, hands in the air, feet on the floor, enjoying the Miami sun.  House music was in full effect, with 99.9% of the parties revolving around various subgenre’s of the 4x4 conference stalwart.  As house music lovers, we were thrilled with the choices, but can see how others may have wished for a little more variety.  One thing that we always look forward to at the WMC is hearing something new that really pushes the envelope, and the good-times were great but they didn’t give us that taste of innovation we were hoping for.

As usual there were way too many events to choose from, which of course is a good thing, although it seemed like many of the large name acts were absent.  In a way, this turned out to be kind of refreshing, as it allowed more of the up-and-coming artists to take center stage.  We were still able to see sets from the big names (Joey Negro, Tenaglia, etc.) but also caught some unexpected gems (Sean Thomas' tremendous set at Love/Hate for example).  One thing that seemed to be a recurring problem during many of the daytime pool parties held at hotels was sound complaints.  We encountered several instances where guest complaints forced the sound to be turned down.  Maybe the unexpected move to early March resulted in more non-conference guests in the hotels than usual? 

Crowd sizes at the larger parties were perfect, with just the right person-to-dancefloor ratio, but some of the smaller, well deserving events ended up having a little too much room to dance.  It was great to see some of our favorite DJ’s and producers up close and personal, but we’d be willing to fight the crowds a little if it meant more exposure for the artists.  Despite these negatives, we ended up having some of the best times in memory, but does the fact that WE had a great time really speak for the conference as a whole?  It’s great to play music for all the people who already love it, but what about introducing new ears to the sounds and nurturing new fans?

Outside of the clubs and pool parties, the usual seminars, panels, and International Dance Music Awards went on as normal, although it’s interesting to note that Ultra Fest brought home the award for “Best Music Event”, and very few of the nominees for best DJ actually performed at the conference this year.  Overall, although the WMC was different than past years, we would call it a success.  The split with Ultra changed the conference into something much more intimate, exciting, unexpected, and really special, we just hope they can keep it up.  Larger crowds bring money, exposure, and sponsorships that help pay for the artists and events that we all want to see.  With numbers down dramatically this year over last, the WMC organizers may have to think outside the box if they hope to keep this legendary week of music going strong into the future.

Joe Nice stopped by the offices of GetDarker.com while in London for his European tour and recorded a set for this excellent dubstep web source and now label.  Check it out at http://www.getdarker.com/audio/podcasts/joe-nice-getdarkertv-088/

Gourmetbeats hits the road as Joe heads across the pond on his European tour and Tyler heads to South Beach for the Winter Music Conference.

The WMC starts Tuesday in Miami, and tonight was spent connecting with friends and preparing for the opening events.  Dinner and drinks were had with the cast and crew of the Future Classics party, our first stop on the 5 day whirlwind that is to follow.  Featuring a lineup of seminal house music legends including the Basement Boys, Danny Tenaglia, and Crystal Waters to name a few, we will definitely be getting the week started right.  Stay tuned for coverage of the conference and updates as the week continues.

Meanwhile 4500 miles away Joe Nice continues his European tour, tearing through historic Ghent, Manchester, and London, and continuing like a force of nature, ending the week in Berlin on Friday.  Fives will be tossed, dubplates will be rewound, and we'll have a full rundown of Joe's European adventure soon to come!

Jonn Hawley lives and breathes house music.  He's been rocking the turntables since 1991, the production studio since 2000, and his own record label since 2003.  Now, with releases coming out on legendary Large Music as well as his own Soul Fuel imprint, and appearances playing around the country, it seems 2011 may be the year that Hawley crushed.  We sat down with the man from Milwaukee during his recent east-coast tour to talk music, food, and the green and gold: 

This past Saturday the ForQuarters guys brought you out to Baltimore to play.  Impressions of Charm City?

Baltimore definitely gets "IT" when it comes to house music and what it's all about!  The vibe in that room was so thick you could have cut it with a knife.  I have mad love for the 410 and the ForQuarters crew!  This last party ranks in the top 5 nights for me.

Good to hear Baltimore representing!  Now your "Back At It" EP dropped on your label Soul Fuel yesterday, the first release in a while.  I take it the title is a reference to this?  What got you back to concentrating on the label?

The label and its direction kind of strayed for a while because my involvement dropped off due to working on other projects.  Now I have the time to devote to it fully.  2011 is gonna be fun!

How would you describe the "Soul Fuel Sound"?

To put it plain and simple the name explains it all.  Fuel for your soul.  We are not trying to shoot for one specific sound, just soul moving goodness!

In a couple of weeks you'll be playing at the Large Records party in Miami for the Winter Music Conference (WMC).  How did that relationship start?

For years I had been playing Large records in my sets, so my respect for the label was already high.  I had heard that Jeff Craven (the owner of Large) was playing a gig in my hometown Milwaukee, so I decided to go out and see the show.  From the moment I walked in Jeff was playing cuts that touched my soul!  Later that night I was playing an after set at a party that Jeff happened to be at.  I dropped a few of my cuts and Jeff was really feeling them.  He asked if they were available and I nearly shit myself!  I was like "whoa, the owner of Large is asking about my music!"  Mind you I have been playing Large records since 93.  We exchanged numbers after smashing tracks until 7am and ending with "sunshine people", EPIC!  Later that week Jeff asked if I would be interested in doing an EP for him and the rest is history!

Speaking of the conference, you have a lot of history with the WMC. You started your label there back in 2003, and this year I count 9 appearances on the list. What's your take on the whole Ultra-WMC separation?

Personally I was kind of worried at first but as we have gotten closer to WMC I have realized that this year is going to be one of the most real yet.  HOUSE MUSIC is gonna be king again!  Thank you uLOLtra hahaha

What can we expect from Mr. Hawley in 2011?

2011 is gonna be an exciting year in music for me.  So far I have my next EP coming out on Large, also EP's on Lingo and Soul Fuel.  Remixes on Alphabet, Union, Soul Fuel, Guesthouse, and Golden State.  I have a few podcasts in the making too.  Deejay gigs are rolling in for the spring and summer.  Life is good!

Best thing about being from Wisconsin?

People underestimate us!

Do I even need to ask your favorite sports team?

Haha!  Ill give you a hint: that Green and Gold runs thru my veins.

Last thing you had for dinner?

Qdoba - Chicken Burrito

Favorite Beer/Spirit?

Hands down a beer brewed in New Glarus, Wisconsin called Spotted Cow. When it comes to spirits I'm a vodka/tequila guy!

Favorite thing to do on your day off?

I have a few favorite things to do outside all depending on the weather but the top of them all is just relaxing with my wife in front of the fire!

Anything else you want to say to the people?

Live.Love.House!

 Check out Jonn Hawley's latest release on Soul Fuel: "Back At It" available now at Stompy.com!

We're not all down on Coachella.  URB has some great suggestions for not-to-be-missed acts that we mostly agree with.  We would add on Rye Rye, Thunderball, Kode9, Mala (rumor?), and Mary Anne Hobbs to name a few.

The folks over at Crosstown Rebels will be releasing their twelfth full-length album at the end of the month, this time featuring American ex-pat house producer Maceo Plex. Crosstown prides itself on featuring "creative young people with something new to say", and with the one Damian Lazarus at the helm, seems to release a consistent stream of great music.

If Maceo's single "Vibe Your Love" is any indication, this album should be no exception. Pick it up at record stores January 31st.

Check out DJMag's list of the best DJ equipment/gadgets/software of 2010 (much of which has us drooling all over our keyboards).

http://www.djmag.com/techawards/