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It's no CMJ, to be sure, but recently quite a few big-name musicians have treated Art Basel as a good excuse to come down to Miami, spend time by the pool, cozy up to art world bigwigs and play some gigs. This year's no exception. Here's a rundown of some of the bands taking part in the action.
Metric
On Dec. 1st, Canadian indie pop darlings Metric are playing a free "Art Loves Music"-themed concert on the beach (Oceanfront at Collins Park) to kick off a week of free concerts masterminded by the folks at Creative Time.
LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy and his merry band of party-rockers are playing the always-legendary Jeffrey Deitch beach party at the Raleigh on Dec. 1st.
Mark Ronson
He won't be belting out the hits from his latest album, Record Collection, but Mark Ronson will be showcasing his actual record collection at LIV, where he'll be DJing on Dec. 1st alongside Ross One, Contro, Jessica Who and Blue Jemz.
Casey Spooner + Alex Calibur
Following the fall release of his debut solo album Adult Contemporary, Fischerspooner frontman Casey Spooner will be playing his electro jams alongside noise rock phenom Alex Calibur on Dec. 2nd at the Lords Hotel.
Twin Shadow
The much-buzzed Twin Shadow (the alias of a Brooklyn-based fellow named George Lewis) will be playing his haunting, '80s-reminiscent bedroom pop alongside boy-girl duo Phantogram on Dec. 2nd at Grand Central. The show is hosted by Toyota Antics and FILTER Magazine.
N.E.R.D.
Perhaps the most important of all the shows (for our intents and purposes), N.E.R.D. will be playing an Art Basel kick-off party hosted by AOL and PAPER on Dec. 2. The event, to celebrate the opening of FriendsWithYou's "Rainbow City" installation, will also feature the DJ stylings of new It DJ on the block, Mia Moretti.
Perry Farrell
The legendary Jane's Addiction frontman is playing a gig with his wife Etty Farrell at Bardot on December 2nd to premiere and raise awareness of their Precision Guided Musicians Art Project, an initiative meant to break down the walls between art, technology and music. To that end, he and his wife will be playing alongside DJ Chris Cox at an event billed as "Perry-Etty vs. DJ Chris Cox."
Peaches
Swiss label Bally is celebrating the launch of BallyLove (a capsule collection of products created by Swiss artist Phillipe Decrauzat) with a party thrown in conjunction with the Swiss Institute of Contemporary Art New York. Berlin-based electroclash legend Peaches will headline the event (Dec. 2 at the Moore Building) with a DJ set by artist Nate Lowman.
Blondes
Brooklyn-by-way-of Berlin dance duo Blondes, comprised of Zach Steinman and Sam Haar, are known for their ambient, spacey beats. They'll be playing the Spectre Event Horizon after-party at newly opened club EVE on Dec. 3rd.
No Age + Ninjasonik
The art damaged L.A. punk duo No Age and Brooklyn-based electro-rappers Ninjasonik are playing two arty parties (on Dec. 3rd and 4th) sponsored by the Miami New Times and Fountain Art Fair Miami.
Matt and Kim
The pop duo, who headlined a big, free concert on the beach during 2008's Art Basel, are returning to Miami. This time however, hot on the heels of their jaunty new album Sidewalks, they'll be DJing a party at Bardot on Dec. 4.
David Guetta
Probably the most famous DJ in the world right now, David Guetta (he of "Sexy Bitch" fame) will be taking over the ones and twos at Mansion on Dec. 4th for his "F*** Me, I'm Famous" party.
A-Trak + Dave 1
Fun fact: Super-producer A-Trak and Chromeo frontman Dave 1 are brothers! The family band will play as the Brothers Macklovitch on Dec. 4th at Grand Central. The party's hosted by Blackbook magazine and the mysterious "Mr. X."
