The Echo Nestival

El – P

Onstage at Midnight

El-P, aka El Producto, is one of hip-hop's most obstinate and adventurous pioneers, combining a lo-fi old-school aesthetic with a progressive rock musician's inclination to push boundaries. He has never succumbed to the demands of corporate rap, instead choosing to pursue his own decidedly non-commercial direction. In the mid-'90s, he developed a strong reputation with the groundbreaking trio Company Flow, a band whose achievements include El-P-produced LP Funcrusher Plus on Rawkus Records, a label considered by many one of the best for intelligent hip-hop. Over the group's auspicious stint together, he proved he was himself capable of intense lyricism as well as sonic production so powerful it could stand on its own. In the latter part of the '90s, El-P was also a collaborator with Blackalicious, Mos Def, and Dilated Peoples.

In 2001, after releasing one last album with Harlem rappers Cannibal Ox, the group chose to amicably pursue their own directions. El-P then started his own label, Def Jux — later renamed Definitive Jux to avoid a suit from Def Jam. Between label operations and work on a proposed solo album from former Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha, he found the time to work on his own solo release, Fantastic Damage, which saw the light of day in May 2002. A critical masterpiece, it was followed by a real change-up, 2004's High Water, which was part of the Matthew Shipp-curated Blue Series and teamed the producer with Shipp, William Parker, and others from the fringe of jazz. Collecting the Kid, a collection of unreleased and hard-to-find tracks, appeared later that year. After nearly four years of work, El-P released his second proper production album, I'll Sleep When You're Dead, featuring contributions from the Mars Volta, Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, and even Cat Power.

Bodega Girls

Onstage at 22:50

One of the 25 Must-Hear Artists from the CMJ Festival - Spin Magazine

BODEGA GIRLS , a band of tricksters, hedonists and good-for-nothings whose morals defy even the most perverted of human beings. BODEGA GIRLS Only an audience so ... (more) bloodthirsty and sex starved as they could take pleasure in the world of bra-busting, pants-dropping debauchery they have to offer. BODEGA GIRLS A musical troupe performing acts of sexuality and persuasion with their own God-given instruments, turning on the already depraved, as well as the naive. .. BODEGA GIRLS A sick cinematic slew of sweaty skimp and callous kink. An unadulterated penetration into the gaping hole of the sicko's soul... BODEGA GIRLS The human id - illustrated in flesh and guitar strings. Hourglass figures and experienced fingers prance and wriggle their way across the stage, screen and into your psyche. An orgy of sleaze, desire, and rock and roll music - brought to life in bouncy, jiggly technicolor... BODEGA GIRLS Hedonistic purveyors of Soul, too well endowed and too world renowned to be confined to lo rent clubs and white bred soundstages – look for their sonic ebony to explode at a party near you. BODEGA GIRLS Dance. Fuck. Sweat. Dance some more. BODEGA GIRLS

Faces On Film

Onstage at 21:45

Faces on Film - Faces on Film is the project of songwriter Mike Fiore. Showcasing both the epic and the intimate on The Troubles, its first official LP, guitars drone and pianos alternate between plucking out fun and eerie melodies, all while Fiore makes veiled references to unspoken crimes, abandoned plans, and dysfunctional families, with his rich and enigmatic lyrics. Faces on Film has collaborated with a rotating cast of musicians from its Boston-area home, including members of bands like Hallelujah the Hills and Mr. Sister, in addition to consistently featuring Dave Hinckley on guitar. Upon its release, The Troubles was named as an “Album of the Year” by the Boston Globe. -Rachel Kowal, NPR