Musik is Good

Ra Ra

2010-12-28T22:39:00.003+07:00

Sort of like a cheerleader. Or sort of like a tiger. Either way, one of my new favorite bands: Ra Ra Riot.

Now for a trip down memory lane...

While I was interviewing in Boulder, CO, I stumbled upon an awesome record store called Albums on the Hill- They had an insane collection of new and used vinyls. I was there right after the release of Ray LaMontagne's God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise and Ra Ra Riot's Orchard, so I figured I'd pick them up along with Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters.

Since moving to Dallas, I've discovered some great places to hear live music, my favorite being the Granada on Greenville Ave. That's where I heard Ra Ra Riot live. Loved 'em on vinyl, and they were even better live. (It's always depressing when artists are worse live...) Plus, any band with a cello and violin is good in my book.

Not So Much "The Suburbs"

2010-08-23T03:55:00.003+07:00

My Dad and I made a stop at Hastings, a popular entertainment store, and picked up the latest Arcade Fire album. I know! It's been out for, what, a month now?

Hear me out... I'm traveling from Waco, TX to Denver, CO (and back) with nothing more than radio tunes and one mix CD that has a couple good tunes ('Stitched Up' by Herbie Hancock, 'Put Your Records On' by Corinne Bailey Rae). By the half-way point, I was desperate for some new, good music.

So what if CDs are out-dated? So is my '99 Buick Le Sabre! This album is rockin'. If you're like me (late to jump on the bandwagon), do it! You won't regret this purchase.

Plus, I got to listen to "The Suburbs" in the not so much suburbs of the Texas Panhandle.

Like Liberty

2010-07-26T02:21:00.003+07:00

The sky has gotten way more awesome, as have bells.

On my flight home from Italy a couple weeks ago, I was bored with the in-flight movies (Alice in Wonderland isn't as good on a tiny screen without 3D effects). I changed to the music channels and found a new collaboration between two artists I like. Danger Mouse (Grey album- mix of Jay-Z's The Black Album and The Beatles The White Album) meets James Mercer (lead singer, guitar for The Shins) to make the best kind of bells- Broken Bells.

I can't get over how much I'm digging this band. The Shins are one of my favorite bands, and this self-titled album is like an edgier, electronic-infused version of The Shins. Since the plane, I've been listening to the album on The Hype Machine. I'm keeping my eyes peeled at the record stores for this gem.

Some cool tracks to listen for:
The High Road
The Ghost Inside
Vaporize

New, like woah!

2010-07-26T02:03:00.006+07:00

Most of the music I've purchased over the past 3 years has been on vinyl. Being in Thailand was like constant withdrawal from music. While on a road trip, I stopped to pick up my records and record player from my sister in Waco, TX. I waited with anticipation for a week while I made my way back to MA. When I finally got there, I found that my record player was broken- externally, internally. Painful.

Last week I made the best purchases of the whole summer: a new record player and 5 new records. Instead of being big and bulky like my last record player, this one is compact and portable (like a boombox, but way cooler). It even has a hookup so I can convert my records to mp3s. Seriously, best purchase ever.

My new records

Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
Vampire Weekend- Contra
MGMT- Congratulations

The Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
The Black Keys- The Big Come Up

I'm obsessed with liner notes- gives the music more depth and gives me something interesting to read. And in the case of MGMT's Congratulations, the liner notes are just plain awesome, with lines like...
It's Working: Love? Or Confusion? Reality? Contusion? Subterranea or Sub-fusion. The Quest begins.

Long Time, No See

2010-07-26T00:14:00.004+07:00

Yep, double meaning. Typical.

Hey, Bonnaroo. Long time, no see. 2006, when I last went to 'Roo, was a major change for this mega-festival because they changed the make-up of their market by adding a new class act headliner: Radiohead. But I hadn't been back until this year. And as much as I thought changed between 2004 and 2006, even more changed between 2004 and 2010...

The Dead Weather

2010-02-28T11:31:00.002+07:00

I've always been a fan of Jack White, especially with the Raconteurs. His newest band, The Dead Weather, released their first album in 2009. I know I'm a bit late with the music times, but I'm in Thailand, so bear with me.

There are so many sounds in this album- from grunge guitar riffs in Hang You From The Heavens, to the funk-rhythms of Cut Like A Buffalo, to the folk and blues infusion in Will There Be Enough Water?

The Dead Weather has a fullness and soul unmatched by most modern rock bands. The album sounds as if it could have been produced in the 70's. Gritty rock & roll all the way...

The Dead Weather - Hang You Up From The Heavens

Don't Ever Stop This Train

2010-01-30T13:44:00.003+07:00

John Mayer is one of the best musicians of this generation with his guitar excellence and beautiful song writing. About a week ago I watched his "Where the Light Is" concert on DVD.

The concert had 3 parts:

Acoustic John Mayer
"John Mayer opening up for The John Mayer Trio"
This is the way I like music the most: sincere, simple and stripped-down. The first two songs he played (Neon, Stop This Train) are two of my favorite John Mayer songs: Neon for the guitar, Stop This Train for the songwriting. He also played a cover of Tom Petty's Freefallin', Daughters and a song I hadn't heard before called In Your Atmosphere.

John Mayer Trio
Whenever Try! was released, I realized that John Mayer was a serious and studious musician. Mayer didn't team up with just anyone; he teamed up with jazz legends Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino. This set was artfully done, starting with Every Day I Have the Blues. This 8 song modern jazz set was infused with so many solos, I almost forgot that this was the same guy who had just played the acoustic set.

John Mayer Band
This is the John Mayer I learned to love back in high school. I'm a sucker for pop. Good pop, that is. Mayer had a full stage of accompanying musicians, complete with horns, for this set 9 song set of Mayer standards like Why Georgia, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Waiting on the World to Change and Belief.

The best part about this concert was that it seemed like it was never going to end.

Bonnaroo Hating

2010-01-24T16:10:00.003+07:00

I've been reading up on a lot of message boards for any leaks or inside information on 2010 Bonnaroo. What bands have summer tours? Which ones are likely to play 'Roo? Are they going to grab some unlikely headliners?

What I found was not secret information, but the open hyped-up hate towards Kings of Leon.

Man, are some people angry about them. I understand that their most recent album Only by the Night "Sex on Fire"... yeah, yeah.... is more finely produced than their previous records, but it still possesses the same gritty rock and roll they've always had. I remember my first year at Bonnaroo in 2004 waiting for Saturday's music to start up at 12:30 in "That Tent." Who was I going to see? This new, young southern rock band from Tennessee named Kings of Leon.

The music started and people, previously passed out in the vast expanses of grass, started waking up to find the music. And that's when the people of Bonnaroo found Kings of Leon.

After seeing that show as well as one in 2008, no matter how many records are sold, how many fans there are, how produced they sound, Kings of Leon has it.

Kings of Convenience

2010-01-20T15:05:00.002+07:00

While on Pitch Fork checking out the latest music news, I came across a headline about Kings of Convenience. More specifically: about their Asian tour. I thought, Sweet. Asia. They've obviously got to come to Bangkok. So I went to their website, almost shaking at the possibility of live... Western... music, specifically Kings of Convenience.

And to my dismay, although they're going North (Korea, Japan) and South (Malaysia, Philippines), they're completely overpassing Bangkok. It almost makes me want to redirect my post-teaching travel. Almost.

MGMT

2010-01-07T15:14:00.002+07:00

Nominated for two 2010 Grammys, including best new artists, MGMT is a duo that I can't get enough of. Their style and digital sound is completely original, without cluttering their music with too much "electronica." Their next album, Congratulations, is due out this spring. The Bonnaroo lineup hasn't been announced yet, but I'm crossing my fingers that they'll be there.

And Here's to Christmas Cheer!

2009-12-19T17:17:00.003+07:00

My top three favorite Christmas songs:

1. The Christmas Song
Quite possibly the best description of Christmas spirit. Always best if sung by Nat King Cole.

2. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
One of the songs playing at every department store during the Christmas season.

3. Baby It's Cold Outside
Though the lyrics are a bit (okay, mega) creepy, it's a great duet. And it always reminds me of Elf.

Brothers McCann

2009-12-11T09:31:00.004+07:00

Brothers McCann released their first album on iTunes. The album is soulful with groove and pop undertones. Simply stated: It makes you want to get up and dance.

Brothers McCann is a five person band, of which two are brothers (Pat and Mike). I've stayed updated on their musical journey through Facebook and, since I've been away at college and away in Thailand, I can't wait to get home and catch a live show. Check out a track for yourself through...

1. Their website: http://www.brothersmccann.com/
2. iTunes
3. YouTube

Or just listen to the track I selected below.

Word up to Franklin, Mass!

And if you're a Ray LaMontagne fan at all, here's a nice cover of "Shelter"...

The Song and The Album

2009-12-02T16:34:00.005+07:00

Music: The gift that keeps on giving...

Okay, that saying can be true for so many things. But today we're going to assume it was made for music.

I've felt so out of the loop on music for the last several months- that is, until my Dad came to visit and gave me all of the new music he's purchased since I've been in Thailand. Magical, I tell you.

Of many album options, I gave my first listen to my oldest and most loved band: Wilco. As Wilco has matured in their musical creativity, they've moved away from the gritty, southern-pop (Being There, A.M.) and towards refined, well-produced studio albums (A Ghost Is Born, Sky Blue Sky). Growing old with a band is enjoyable, being able to hear all the directions their music has gone. But sometimes, I just love the "original material." And that is exactly why I love the track Wilco (The Song) from Wilco (The Album). It's comical, up-beat and, if the name doesn't say it all, Wilco.

Enjoy the camel!

Trains, Trains, Trains

2009-08-05T14:25:00.007+07:00

"Night Train"
Amos Lee

"Southbound Train"
Jon Foreman

"Train in Vain" (Stand by Me)
The Clash

Jeff Tweedy... Via Bangkok

2009-08-02T09:20:00.009+07:00

I've had several encounters with Wilco this past week.

There are two major English papers in Bangkok: The Nation and The Bangkok Post, which I try to read when I have breaks from teaching. Although there is a some international news, much of the news centers around Asia. Imagine how surprised I was to read an article about Wilco's lead singer, Jeff Tweedy.

And then, the very next day, imagine how surprised I was to receive this gift, purchased on the streets of Bangkok, from my boyfriend...

Not only is the shirt Wilco, but the venue which they advertise is a long-standing favorite venue of mine in Boston.

Brand New Heavies in Bangkok

2009-07-29T20:17:00.003+07:00

After a couple months of a live music dry spell, I'm finally going to my first show, if you will, in Bangkok. I've already seen Grand Master Flash, but that's a little different considering his genre of music.

And I'm going thanks to the advertisements on the BTS, the sky train through Bangkok. August 11th!!!!!!!

Random Music Moment

2009-07-16T16:57:00.004+07:00

Sufjan Stevens and David Crowder
My boyfriend and I were sharing his iPhone listening to music on the way home from Koh Samet. A song by Sufjan Stevens came on, and I was curious to see the song title because it was really compelling. Did I have it on my computer or was this my first time hearing it? I would have asked to see it then, but he was in possession of the iPhone and was completely conked out- I didn't want to wake him. When I came home I entered "Sufjan Stevens" in my iTunes search bar to find the two Sufjan albums I have (I have more on vinyl than on mp3) and strangely a David Crowder song- "O God Where Are You Now (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)." This was very confusing to me. I re-entered it. Still, it was there. What's this all about, I thought. Google- here I come! Findings? Sufjan Stevens wrote this song for Crowder's album A Collision or (3+4=7).

The Language of All

2009-05-25T16:37:00.002+07:00

Two things that are universal:
Math & Music (ok, and McDonald's.)

Math: The only thing I understand (other than English) on the white boards at my Thai school.
Music: I totally got into this Korean rock band the other night... and all the sweet guitar solos. For all I know they could have been singing about sushi, although that would be pretty entertaining.

There is also a mega-band here called "Big Ass." Seriously, there are advertisements everywhere. And every time I see it I secretly giggle to myself.

Celeb Couples

2009-05-11T08:36:00.005+07:00

...Ones that are shocking/cool

Ben Gibbard and Zoey Deschanel

Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore

To Feist or Not to Feist

2009-05-09T00:55:00.004+07:00

Fiest: One of the most beautiful voices in indie rock.
Wilco: My favorite band.

Some people have been gravely upset about their collaboration on Wilco's new album due out this summer. Tweety's sober judgement was good. I think it'll be a gem. In a not-so-sober state they could have ended up collaborating with Miley Cyrus. JUST KIDDING.

Kweller

2009-05-07T22:23:00.009+07:00

Ever forget about an artist and completely rediscover them? I first listened to Ben Kweller my senior year of high school (Sha Sha) and bought his second solo album my freshman year of college (On My Way). I went to see him co-headline with Gomez my junior year at Baylor, but I was underwhelmed with his new material, which was why I saw him neither year he played ACL (haha, or mostly because I wanted to see other sets).

2007: Robert Earl Keen- saving our spot for Wilco
2006: Galactic

About a month ago I couldn't get his music out of my head. I was literally walking around, working, driving all to the tune of Ben Kweller. To feed my sudden obsession, I checked out his MySpace and absolutely fell in love with the four songs posted. I bought the vinyl (which came with a CD!) that day. And now instead of singing "Commerce, TX" or "I Need You Back," I'm singing "Sawdust Man" and "Homeward Bound."

Random fact: Kweller sings lead vocals on Guster's "I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today." (Thank you, oh marvelous Wikipedia!)

Brendan Benson

2009-04-29T10:04:00.003+07:00

Whenever I come home, my favorite thing to do is play music catch-up with those who have similar music taste.

Alex: Do you like Brendan Benson?
Jordan: Yes! I love his song "Cold Hands, Warm Heart."
Alex: Yeah he's talented, but I guess that's a given when you're in the Raconteurs.
Jordan: Wait, he's in the Raconteurs?!

I've known his solo music, even enough to put him in my "iLike" two years ago. But I never knew he was part of a band that's popular enough to headline major music festivals? Crazy.

Really Random (Live) Music

2009-04-20T21:41:00.004+07:00

In the past 6 months, I've been to some pretty random shows. I think the most random would have to be the show when Chris Barron opened up for Edwin McCain.*

Sometimes it's the people, and not the music, that make a show incredible. I really enjoyed the concert, but the real show was happening at the table beside us. The show was at Foxboro's new venue: Showcase Live. It's a beautiful place, serving dinner, desert and drinks, with tables which seat about 10 people. My parents, boyfriend and I were at the end of our table and there was a middle-aged couple sitting to our left. The woman spoke to my mom and said that they were there for an anniversary (and that I'll Be" is their song). As the night progressed, the man got sloppier and sloppier, shouting "Baylorrrr" and then giving my boyfriend "pounds" and "high-fives." It was terribly awkward, because no matter how much he avoided these gestures, he would somehow get trapped into them. But here's the thing: after 10 double Jack&Cokes and about 200 high-fives, the man suddenly turned to mush, grabbed his wife's hands (who he had ignored the ENTIRE show), gazed into her eyes, and sung the entire "I'll Be" song to her while Edwin played it. Then immediately after the song ended he looked away from his wife, turning to by boyfriend, and gave him yet another pound... shouting "BAYLOR- HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT ONE?!?!" We were all stunned. It's like the guy completely transformed. Twice. Safe to say, now when I hear "I'll Be" on the radio, I no longer think of middle school dances.

*Chris Barron=lead singer of Spin Doctors="Two Princes (Just Go Ahead Now)"
Edwin McCain="I'll Be" and "I Could Not Ask for More"

Ever Just Feel Like Dying?

2009-04-14T21:22:00.002+07:00

Right now, that's me. I just got a text that Dr. Dog is playing ON BAYLOR CAMPUS April 22nd. I am flying home on the 21st.

The Vengeance

2009-04-09T20:04:00.005+07:00

For the second morning in a row, I woke up far too early. After making some coffee and reading the morning news, I had nothing else to do, as normal people were still not awake.

So I checked facebook. Nothing had changed since the night before, so I went about my normal "stalking" activities. I mean this in the least creepy manner possible- reading the news feed, responding to wall posts, etc. But then I stumbled onto my mom's facebook (yes, she's had facebook for a couple months) and looked at her info. Under "favorite movies" she had a movie: The Revenge of Cinderella. I just died laughing. It was a terribly funny comedy/horror student film (or at least I think/hope) where my mom played the part of the evil step-mother, who is eventually killed by Cinderella.

After awhile of searching for this movie with no luck, I stumbled on a link that told me the actual movie title: The Vengeance of Cinderella. Praying that I'd find a trailer on the internet, I searched everywhere possible to find one. Again, no luck. But I did find a website of an artist, Nyree, who named this movie as one of her career highlights...

This made me laugh.

Only 30?

2009-03-18T20:05:00.007+07:00

When I'm in the mood for an artist but don't have the album, I typically go to MySpace and listen to the four posted songs. One of my biggest music pet-peeves is finding out that there are only 30 second snip-its of the songs.

That's what just happened to me. I was craving Taylor Swift. I just love her.

What's the point of having only 30 seconds of a song? Recognition? I could understand if it was the norm, but most bands post full songs.

iTunes. They have 30 second snip-its. I would expect that there.

Anyways, I went to hype and listened to Taylor Swift songs, many that I've never heard before (not that I've heard many, haha) to my heart's desire.

Thank you, hype.

Jamie Cullum

2009-03-04T03:47:00.008+07:00

Oh, how I would love to see this guy live. Anyone going to be in Rotterdam in July? He's playing at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Other people playing the festival (just to make myself more jealous of attendees):
B.B. King
Herbie Hancock & Lang Lang
James Taylor

Soundtracks (count me in!)

2009-03-03T02:55:00.003+07:00

I'm not much of a soundtrack buff- especially when it comes to film scores. There Will Be Blood is the last time I even noticed a film score, and it was due mostly to the credits, where I found out Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead was the composer.

And then there was Revolutionary Road. (Yes, this is old news considering the last time I saw this movie was over a month ago.) When I first saw the trailer, I was so drawn into the film. Why, you ask? The music. So compelling. And then I saw it. Twice. The music kept me coming back for more. It's not the I didn't enjoy the movie... or the acting... or the plot... I just really, really loved the score.

So, who is this mystery composer? His name: Thomas Newman.

Other movies he's composed scores for:
-Cinderella Man
-Road to Perdition
-Shawshank Redemption
-American Beauty

Yeah, he's awesome.

The Fur is Loose.

2009-02-26T06:16:00.004+07:00

"It's hard to change something supernatural"
This video, for some reason, reminds me of the original iTunes visualizer.

Adams, Ryan

2009-02-12T05:25:00.005+07:00

I am reminded every time RA plays on shuffle that this musical mastermind is quitting. I mean, if I had his hard life... coupled with hearing loss... I might quit too. But man, this news still kills me.

Just months ago, my boyfriend and I were sitting in the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie listening to Ryan Adams and the Cardinals play. Little did we know it would be the last Adams tour in the great state of Texas.

3 of the first 5 songs were: Come Pick Me Up, Everybody Knows and Wonderwall. I remember thinking, "How could this get better?"

And it did.

From the crowd: Freebird!!!! Freebird!!!!!
Adams: Grandpa? Did someone say grandpa? Grandpa, if you're here, you should come play the Whirly.

From the crowd: RYAN ADAMSSSSS!!!!!
Adams: Hey guys, stop yelling my name. I'm in a band right now. The Cardinals.
From the crowd: CARDINALS!!!!!

Obviously it was a fantastic show (with a huge gong on stage, by the way), but I would have gone solely to hear the commentary.

Even you have to spend inordinate amounts of money to see Ryan Adams and the Cardinals before the end of their tour next month, DO IT.

Oldies not so old anymore

2009-02-09T23:46:00.006+07:00

There are only three stations I listen to in the car.
(This is an exaggerated claim.)

I've given up on most modern pop music, so I stick with classic rock and oldies.

Yesterday, Bruce Springsteen came on the radio. I did a double take. I would expect him on the classic rock station, but he was playing on the oldies station. I suddenly felt ancient. If this keeps up, next thing you know, Salt-N-Pepa will playing.

She is Love

2009-02-09T08:18:00.005+07:00

At Jon McLaughlin Show:
The second opener for Jon McLaughlin sets up and immediately starts into "She Is Love." The girl behind me (average age at the concert was about 18 or 19) squeals, "I can't believe they're starting with this song. I thought they'd save it for last." I recognized the song. It was the Nivea commercial song!

Side Note:
I don't watch very much television, and most of the television I watch is on the internet (limited/ internet specific ads). While I was home I watched an excessive amount of television, thus an excessive amount of commercials. Every commercial break I'd say to myself, "Please let that Nivea commercial come on..."

Continuing...
The band was fantastic. Singer had a great voice, drummer was in the zone, sax player was energetic (especially during the Billy Joel cover), the bassist was grooving and the guitarist had some great solos. I haven't seen an opening band with this much potential since I saw the Fray open for Ben Folds several years ago. And these guys are much more talented than The Fray. Look out, because they're going somewhere quickly.

Their single releases this Tuesday on iTunes. Check it out...

Spogga.

2009-02-06T10:15:00.002+07:00

I was home for a month, and after having my wisdom teeth out... drooling for a full week and spending way too much time on the couch... I was ready to see some form of human life. My friend was going to Providence to meet up with her sister at RI RA to hear a guy- Spogga. The name immediately intrigued me. I'd like to say that I went without a second thought. But, being me, I checked out his myspace in addition to looking up about 5 youtube videos. To tell you the truth, I was less than impressed. But couch or friends... Ok, I'll go.

I walk into the pub and see Spogga, a good-looking older guy. And then. The head turns. He has a nearly shaved head and a small ponytail section formed into one massive dreadlock. Nothing like anything I had seen before. Then his music began. Nothing like anything I had ever heard live (or anything remotely like the youtube videos). He played an acoustic, and along with other sounds (including a conk shell), looped his sounds to make mixed songs like "99 Problems" by Jay-Z with "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. It reminded me a lot of the Grey Album. But live. And by one guy. Pretty awesome. Good thing I didn't choose the couch.

Second Time Around

2009-01-28T23:48:00.006+07:00

I have seen two complete Kings of Leon shows.

1. Bonnaroo - June 2004

2. Austin Music Hall - Oct 2008

Huge time lapse. New records. New haircuts.

These Southern boys can still rock out. The intensity of the band hasn't changed too much (they've always been adrenaline fiends). But as their popularity has increased, the fans have matched the ferocity of the band. The only apt description of the fans is that of a crowd during the NBA finals... game 7.

Mystery Song

2008-12-13T21:09:00.003+07:00

I was reading the Guest List: Best of 2008, where artists choose their favorite albums or tracks of the year, on Pitchfork. The very last entry was M. Ward's, who I really enjoyed at ACL.

His list:
1. Becky Stark "Ocean and Ground"
2. Fleet Foxes "White Winter Hymnal"
3. T-Pain (ft. Lil' Wayne) "Can't Believe It"

I've definitely heard #2 and #3 (and love them). But who is Becky Stark? I searched on hype to hear her track, but nothing came up. I searched her name, but only 3 songs appeared, none of which were "Ocean and Ground." I did an itunes store search. No luck. This started to frustrate me. I did a google search on her name and found she is a member of the band Lavender Diamond. I hype searched this and still no luck. I think the song's made up.

Anyways, I listened to some Lavender Diamond tracks, and I totally dig it. The lead singer, Becky Stark, has a fabulous voice, a simple one that possesses a clarity like that of Karen Carpenter or Jenny Lewis. I like the tracks "You Broke My Heart" and "Open Your Heart." (Seems "heart" is a common theme...)

Christmas Music

2008-12-09T00:26:00.002+07:00

Two points on this topic:

-About half the radio stations I like in Waco have changed to Christmas tunes.

-David Crowder started Sunday's service off with Feliz Navidad.

What has this world come to???

Bonnaroo Debacle

2008-11-25T00:54:00.003+07:00

I've always found Kanye West annoying. Just like I find the Beastie Boys annoying. Not that I'm dogging their music style or creativity- I just find them annoying as people, not artists.

That being said, when I was on Digg earlier today and saw a link titled "The Top Ten Reasons Why Kanye West Is a Douche" I had to read further. I agreed with most of the list, but what I found most interesting were the posts people had left under the "top ten." Multiple people were complaining about what happened at Bonnaroo 2008.

Now, I haven't kept up with Bonnaroo since I last attended in 2006, but this festival is by far the most personal to me. Anyone who attends this festival loves music... well, and most love drugs and the 60's... but everyone loves music. Not the kind of "love" that you see from most people at other festivals. These fans know the life history of any major rock musician, the key the song is written in, side projects, obscure recordings, the background story of why songs were written. They're intense fans. They intimidate me.

Reading what Kanye did (demanding he would be the last show of the night, refusing to start until all other artists stopped playing, making fans wait almost 2 hours to begin his set, etc) infuriated me. It's bad enough to do that at any festival, but that should never be done at Bonnaroo.

My conclusion: I have lost respect for Kanye as a person and as an artist. The Beastie Boys still annoy me.

All About the Atmosphere

2008-10-21T22:35:00.003+07:00

Atmosphere can either make or break a show. Don't believe me? Maybe you should have seen Delta Spirit and Dr. Dog at the Parish in Austin. Being hot and unable to breathe at a show? Not fun. (Ok, festivals excluded- simply because it's expected). I have been following Dr. Dog since the summer of 2007, shortly after their release of "We All Belong," and I had the chance to see them at Siren Fest when I lived in NYC for the summer. The atmosphere was perfect. Dr. Dog was great. At 2007's ACL I was able to see them a second time when they were a sudden addition to the festival's lineup. Again, a great show (and breathing, even in Austin's insane heat, was possible). At the Parish I was really excited to hear Dr. Dog's new stuff, but the heat forced me to do something I've done only once before in my life- leave early. Maybe if the Beatles came back for a reunion tour I would have suffered through it, but that level of discomfort is rarely worth seeing a show.

I've already seen Delta Spirit since (at this year's ACL), and I'm sure Dr. Dog will be back in Austin again.

I Judge People by Their Musical Taste

2008-10-21T22:28:00.003+07:00

A typical question I ask within the first 30 minutes of meeting someone...
"What are your top 3 bands?"

A recent answer...
Guy: One Republic (Pop, but pop I enjoy. Wonder what else he's got in store)
Guy: Dave Matthews (Solid band- great live act. It's getting better...)
Guy: Nickelback (Stomach dropped)

Please visit: http://www.thewebshite.net/nickelback.htm

Foreign Records

2008-07-14T22:51:00.004+07:00

The coolest European (or anywhere for that matter) souvenirs I've been given:

Vinyl Recordings of:
"Flight of the Conchords" by Flight of the Conchords
"Gold" by Ryan Adams
"Being There" by Wilco
"You'd Better Look Out Below" by Arcade Fire
"Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd

American Bang

2008-06-12T12:07:00.003+07:00

I stumbled upon American Bang today and listened to the four songs they had on MySpace.

Songs:
Move to the Music
Traffic
The Stones
Jeepster (T Rex cover)

American Bang, of the self-described "southern-fried garage-rock" genre, remind me of a mix between Kings of Leon and Jet. This is one of the many shows I'm looking forward to at ACL in September.

SXSW Recap: Part Two

2008-04-29T04:26:00.003+07:00

Guest Appearance by Ben Harper.

Rumors started to circulate: Ben Harper would be sitting in on Tom Freund's set Thursday night. Thursday night before work, we were at The Tap Room listening to Sixpence None the Richer (who were playing their first show in five years) when a fellow volunteer confirmed the rumor-- Ben Harper was doing a sound check at Pangaea. We left quickly and were fortunate to catch the back half of the sound check.

Ben, who produced Tom's soon-to-be-released album, played slide guitar through the whole set.

Afterwards, I was determined to meet Ben. Amy was too... so she walked over with me.

Actual conversation:
Me: Sorry to interrupt, but it was a pleasure to hear you tonight.
Ben: Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the show. I'm Ben. (Extends hand to me and Amy. We all shake hands.)
Me: Nice to meet you. It was great to hear you again-- I haven't heard you live since high school.
Tom: When was that? Last Year? (We all laugh.)
Me: Back in 2004 when you toured with Jack Johnson.
Ben: Thanks for helping out. It means a lot.

We then proceeded to carry out Ben and Tom's guitars downstairs, where they were loaded up.

National Record Store Day

2008-04-21T22:45:00.001+07:00

We were fortunate to be in Austin for National Record Store Day. After a quick lunch at Whole Foods we headed across the street to Waterloo Records. There were boxes filled with records outside- 2 for $1. Instead of sifting through the boxes searching for a gem, we went into Waterloo and opted to purchase at least one vinyl to celebrate.

My choices:
Son Volt-- Straightaways
Whiskeytown-- Strangers Almanac
John Mayer-- Continuum

Amy's choices:
The Strokes-- Is This It
The Arcade Fire-- Funeral

SXSW Recap: Part One

2008-03-29T02:10:00.003+07:00

It would be difficult to sum up my entire SXSW experience in one post, so this will be the first of several posts.

Amy, JC, Ben and I had the pleasure of working at Pangaea, a club that recently opened in Austin. We lucked out with a great stage manager, club managers and crew... oh yeah, and MUSIC.

Pangaea Line-up:

Wednesday Night:
Bruce Robison
Bonnie Bramlett
Daniel Lanois
Blue Mountain
The Felice Brothers

Thursday Night:
Richard Julian
Salvador Santana Band
Tom Freund
Brett Dennen
Men
Perry Farrell

Friday Night:
The Airborne Toxic Event
Christopher Denny
Jon Foreman
Nicole Atkins
The Vines
Robyn

Saturday Night:
Planningtorock
Jacques Renault & Justin Miller
Still Going
Holy Ghost!
Digitalism

Of the above bands, the only two I knew off the top of my head were The Vines (my dad bought me their CD my senior year of high school) and Robyn (think: "Show Me Love," circa 1997). Upon further investigation I also knew Perry Farrell (lead singer of Jane's Addiction), Jon Foreman (lead singer of Switchfoot), Nicole Atkins (singer-songwriter from NYC), and Salvador Santana (son of Carlos Santana). I knew I'd be in for a treat.

Question: Who?

2008-02-11T07:30:00.001+07:00

Answer: http://2008.sxsw.com/music/festival/alphalist/

it's official.

2008-02-07T00:52:00.000+07:00

My last college spring break will be spent volunteering for SXSW in Austin. I'm excited to hear up & coming bands. Many of my current favorite bands have played SXSW previous years.

Take 2006 for example. Artists included:
*Arctic Monkeys
*Jose Gonzales
*Cat Power
*Belle and Sebastian
*Jamie Cullum
*Neko Case
*Nickel Creek
*Of Montreal
...just to name a few.

Downside? I am volunteering 4 nights and am committed to one specific venue, so there will be several shows I'll have to miss out on. But hey, music at the cost of volunteer hours? Beautiful.

Cover or Composer?

2008-01-31T03:23:00.000+07:00

What do most people think of when they hear "When the Stars Go Blue?" Tim McGraw? Bono? Cary Pierce? Tyler Hilton? The Corrs? Phil Lesh? ER? One Tree Hill? Who actually wrote this frequently covered song? Ahh, Ryan Adams, the ultimate songwriter.

Speaking of covers and Ryan Adams, he does one of the greatest covers I've ever heard- Oasis' "Wonderwall." He changes the tempo and emotion of the song-- in my opinion he makes the song much better (and I am an Oasis fan). If you're into songs Ryan Adams has covered, you should also check out his version of "Is This It?" by the Strokes.

never too late for resolutions

2008-01-29T06:27:00.000+07:00

My resolution? See more live shows. It becomes quite difficult to blog when I'm not seeing any new music (the last post was far too long ago).

I always complain about having to drive to Austin or Dallas for shows, but I was fortunate enough to start my music year in good old Waco, TX. Jon McLaughlin and Matt Wertz played the annual Omega Kids concert, which all proceeds go to Kenya. Last year Dave Barnes and Andy Davis played. Not only was I able to stay in Waco, but the tickets were only $15.

Jon McLaughlin played first, opening with "Industry" as I had imagined he would. Immediately I loved the vigor with which he played. He was concentrated on the force and passion of his songs- not on note and pitch perfection. Between every song, he had several witty remarks. He said something like, "I'm going to play some new songs that I've been working on. You won't know them. And if you do... that's creepy, because I've never played them for anyone." The new songs had more of a jazz flare to them. McLaughlin played solo with a grand piano (he said he hadn't played on a piano that nice in a long time). This allowed the songs to sound similar to the ones off "Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded." On a side note, McLaughlin was just nominated for an Oscar for his performance of "So Close" in the Disney movie Enchanted.

Unlike Jon McLaughlin, who I have been following for a couple years, I had only heard two Matt Wertz songs (he played both). Wertz entered the stage wearing a shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. I had flashbacks to the first (and only) time I saw Gavin DeGraw-- "Oh, here comes the rocker who thinks he is the man." He began playing alone, and I must admit that he plays a mean rhythm guitar. The band entered half-way through the first song and the sound significantly improved. Wertz and his band had a lot of energy and actually managed to get the stuffy Baylor crowd dancing. I didn't know it was possible. My favorite song of the night was "Wesley, Why?" a heart-felt song about the death of his grandfather.

Great show. Both are worth seeing.

The Beatles...

2007-10-24T06:21:00.000+07:00

have some pretty trippy lyrics.

Reference: Across the Universe (well, and their lyrics)

that's so not history

2007-10-22T15:39:00.000+07:00

So everyone has some "history" when it comes to music. Some regrets... some misinterpretations... some lost loves.

Here's my abridged history:
First full tape cassette (remember those?): "The Sign" by Ace of Base
First tape cassette single: "Run Away" by Real McCoy
First CD: "Tragic Kingdom" by No Doubt
First Vinyl: "Chutes Too Narrow" by The Shins
First music video viewed: "Barely Breathing" by Duncan Sheik
First concert: BB King & friends

The most embarrassing concert I've ever gone to is Hanson. Ok, second to O-Town (I was going through a rough time). All through middle school I tried convincing my parents that Hanson was the ULTIMATE band. I remember saying, "Dad- they play their own instruments- they write their own music- they are musical geniuses." I left out more important factors: they looked like girls- all of their "genius" songs were created in 4/4 from 1,4 and 5 chords. Saying that I liked them would be a complete understatement. I was infatuated. I'm talking... owned every CD (imports too), member of the fan club, posters covering every inch of white space in my room. It's part of my music history that I've suppressed... until now.

I'm going to see them live this weekend. I hope it is absolutely hysterical. I hope they play MMMBop.

In Rainbows

2007-10-16T23:34:00.000+07:00

Buy it for a penny... or much more.

Brilliant.

Before They Were Played on the Radio

2007-10-07T10:57:00.003+07:00

The Fray.

Now, I can honestly say that I'm not a huge fan of this band, but they're one of the few radio pop bands I can stand. And I can say "I knew them when..."

Waiting front and center

2007-10-02T00:52:00.000+07:00

On Sunday of ACL, Wilco was playing at one of the main stages. They've been my favorite band for five or six years now. I have seen them live several times, but I hadn't seen them live since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot had just come out. We made a group decision to miss out on some of our other favorite bands (and sit through other less exciting bands) to stake an area front and center for Wilco. The day started off great because Yo La Tengo played the stage at 12:30, and I've never seen them live. Also, we were able to hear Robert Earl Keen and Lucinda Williams, both Texas/Austin favorites. From the stage over, we heard Regina Spektor, The National and DeVotchKa.

Their sound has dramatically changed- mostly due to their new lead guitarist, Nels Cline. They took several old songs like Casino Queen (off A.M.) and I Got You (off Being There) and created a whole new dimension while preserving the simplicity of their early work. I enjoyed listening to Handshake Drugs off A Ghost is Born, which is their most experimental album.

Speaking of Cline, he had these crazy black & white striped socks on. We yelled "nice socks" several times, but we are girls and our voices were not loud enough. We asked the guy behind us to yell it. Tweedy heard him and then continued to explain that his socks were like the Wicked Witch of the West... and maybe he was the Wicked Witch.

They still have not played "Passenger Side," which is going to be my father/daughter dance at my wedding someday.

Colbie Caillat

2007-10-02T00:42:00.002+07:00

Ok, so not exactly my favorite genre (accoustic girly-pop), but she's got talent. I originally heard her on Sirius on my drive home from Texas. Her single "Bubbly" has an incredibly catchy tune and simple lyrics. After hearing it once, we were all singing along to the catchy tune and simple lyrics.

Just months ago: Playing at small clubs
Now: Touring with the Counting Crows, huge radio play

Did Video Really Kill the Radio Star?

2007-09-25T23:23:00.000+07:00

Since my OiNK account has been disabled, it's been hard to choose how I buy new music.

Vinyl:
Has the coolest sound quality
Can hang it (sweet wall art)
Can play it on my record player
Gets warped in the heat/ sun/ water
Can't replicate it
Can't put it on my iPod
Can't play it on my computer

Disc:
Have a physical copy of music
Can read the album insert (lyrics, art, notes)
Can play it in a cd player
Can play it in a car
Can play it on my computer
Can replicate it

Digital/ iTunes:
Cheaper than other options
Don't have to go to the store
Can play it on my computer
Loads immediately to iTunes
Full albums are cheaper than each individual song

There are some albums that I have on vinyl and don't have on disc or iTunes: Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel, Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins, and some live stuff from the Beatles. I've purchased the rest of my vinyls on disc or iTunes as well.

Is it fair that I have to pay for the music rights twice?
What if I illegally download an album that I already have on vinyl?
Would that be "wrong?"

I like the Happy Birthday song

2007-09-23T02:20:00.000+07:00

...En Espanol

in the past 3 months

2007-09-21T23:26:00.001+07:00

ive seen:
dr dog*
matt & kim*
mia*
voxtrot*
spoon*
new pornographers
wilco
colbie caillat*
bob dylan
bjork*
arcade fire*
damien rice
paolo nutini*
decemberists
regina spektor*
kaiser cheifs*
lcd soundsystem*
crowded house*
yo la tengo*

*1st time

(almost all of these were seen at sirenfest or acl)

lies, lies

2007-09-18T23:25:00.000+07:00

C'mon..

The Patriots weren't the only ones cheating; they're just the ones who were caught.

Once

2007-06-30T23:08:00.001+07:00

Oh. And I saw Once. It was good. It was relaxing. I'll probably go see Paris Je T'Aime this weekend. I like being in an area where I can see sweet movies.

sucker for albums...

2007-06-30T23:05:00.000+07:00

in the past 3 weeks i've purchased the following albums:
-Dr. Dogg
-Peter Bjorn & John
-Bjork
-Jon McLaughlin
-Travis
-"Once" Sountrack
-Spoon
-Imogen Heap
-Kaiser Chiefs

I like it.
I love it.

iiiiiPODS are good.

2007-06-19T09:18:00.000+07:00

I like walking to the beat of my ipod songs. My favorite song to do this with is Spanish Armada by Ratatat.

sneaky sale prices

2007-06-18T10:16:00.000+07:00

So I went to a show at the Canal Room on Tuesday- Colbie Caillat. I heard her on the coffee house station on Sirius. I thought she had a pretty catchy song- "Bubbly"- saw she was playing in the city... and hey, the show was only $10.

I went to Virgin Records a couple days before the show to buy her album. No bueno, she's unsigned. At first I was like man, that sucks and started towards the door. Then $10 signs caught my eye. Oh. A CD/ DVD sale!

I ended up buying 6 cds for $10 instead of one for $15. Lame.

Sales always get me.

who needs shoes?

2007-06-12T06:22:00.000+07:00

Obviously not me. I left my shoes at work today.

I bring two pairs to work. Heels and also slippers to wear at my desk. It took me until I was climbing the stairs to my apartment to realize that I wore my slippers out of the office, into the subway and through the city streets.

I think I'll throw them out.

all (good) things go

2007-05-30T06:00:00.000+07:00

I got Sirius for my ridiculous drive home from school (28 hours). It's good.. in fact, it's awesome. I've had it for just over two weeks, and now I'm leaving for the summer- which means leaving my car. So long Sirius!

And I guess not all (good) things go. Only Sirius.

small VENUES

2007-05-29T04:54:00.000+07:00

Intimate settings. Definitely the way to go.

Take the Black Crowes for example. The first time I saw them was back in high school at the Orphium Theatre in Boston- medium sized venue. Since then I've seen them at Bonnaroo (large), Great Woods/ Tweeter (large), Hippodrome in Springfield, MA (medium) and Pearl Street in Amherst, MA (small). Of course, the Crowes put on a great show in each of these locations, but my favorite show was definitely at Pearl Street. My dad and I actually got to see them perform under "Mr. Crowes Garden." They played several of these small shows under this name during their hiatus right before they were going to start touring again.

I saw Ben Folds awhile back and thought that his opening band was pretty good (The Fray). A few months later I saw that The Fray was playing a show at The Parish in Austin (similar to Pearl Street). Diege, Amy and I went to the show and actually got to see another guy who has started to make it big- Mat Kearney- open for them. We got a pretty cool area to stand-- to the right of the stage (which was only about 20x15 feet).

You can't get the same experience when you see shows in big venues. May as well pop in a live CD.

I mean, you've gotta be happy for the bands who "hit it big." But, the selfish part of me wants to keep them small and underground forever. I guess I can always say "I knew them when..."

something about that artist

2007-05-28T11:58:00.000+07:00

I strongly believe that songs evoke emotions- artists evoke emotions. Everytime I listen to The Shins I feel like everything's going to be alright. I get the same feeling from Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel. Very calming. Likewise, Regina Spektor makes me feel happy. Radiohead makes me feel motivated. Amos Lee makes me feel peaceful.

On another note, I'm really digging the new Dntel song featuring Jenny Lewis- "Roll On." Dntel collaborated with Gibbard for The Postal Service (Jenny Lewis was also featured on an album track). She is also the lead singer for Rilo Kiley. Woah, connections. Small world. Ok, and unnecessary information. Anyways, I like her voice. I like Dntel's stuff. Sweet.

I'm good at a game.

2007-05-07T03:47:00.000+07:00

Tetris might be the only video game I've ever been good at... I mean besides duck hunt. I used to play Tetris on my gameboy during plane flights but now I have it on my phone. Sweet huh? And I still play it on plane flights. They say you're not allowed to use your phone on flights but I watched a tv show (probably on the Discovery Channel or something, which obviously warrants credibility) that said phones don't interrupt anything with "air traffic control." Maybe it was on Myth Busters.

Plus- American Airlines doesn't even give you a snack anymore. It absolutely infuriates me that they make people pay $5 on top of their already expensive flights. It's not like flying Southwest. I could understand if they made people pay for a snack. But I guess it would mess with their "fly for peanuts" slogan. So a) they don't want people to play games on their phones, and b) they are lame and make people pay for snacks. Therefore, I will forever play Tetris on my phone during plane flights.

But back to Tetris. Sometimes after playing for awhile I start seeing the shapes when I close my eyes. "Flip! Over-Over-Over!" It's kind of weird but sweet at the same time. I like Tetris.

download.

2007-04-18T23:41:00.000+07:00

New(ish) songs I can't get enough of

1. sundress- ben kweller
2. girlshapedlovedrug- gomez
3. sentence of sorts in kongsvinger- of montreal
4. on the radio- regina spektor
5. australia- the shins
6. bucky done gun- m.i.a.

How to...

2007-04-18T00:10:00.000+07:00

Tie a tie
Make pancakes
Draw
Lose weight
Make money
Kiss
Write a resume
Solve a Rubik's cube

Things that came up on the google search on one of the school computers when I typed in "how to."

Awkward.

live nyc?

2007-04-12T12:31:00.000+07:00

Up until tonight, I was rather sad about the lack of live music in June/July. The one time I've ever had the chance to live in a city over the summer (or ever for that matter)-- lame music selection. I was delighted to check the latest updates on jambase.com. Wilco and Califone had both added shows. Of course, others have too. But hey, I'm satisfied with those two.

speaking of music festivals...

2007-04-04T01:39:00.000+07:00

I have always wanted to go to Lollapalooza. The tickets are relatively cheap and the festival is in Chicago. Seriously, what a sweet city. Last year they featured some of my favorite artists including Wilco, Raconteurs, MMJ, Flaming Lips, Ryan Adams, Shins, Nickel Creek, New Pornographers, Nada Surf, Jon McLaughlin, and Ben Kweller. I feel like it's a good mix of music.

I got an e-mail from them today saying that they're releasing early- bird tickets. So of course, I went straight to the site. My summer is relatively flexible compared to last summer. My internship is only 8 weeks, and I have weekends off. I figured it'd be perfect.

So when is it? Oh, August 3-5. Perfect... because my internship ends in July? Not so much. That's the same weekend as the AKPsi convention in DC. I'm already registered to go. Why do great things always occur on the same weekends?

One of these things is not like the others

2007-03-23T17:00:00.000+07:00

I have gone to Bonnaroo for the past three years, missing only the first two festivals. This festival showcases a wide variety of genres- everything from bluegrass to jam band to alternative to djs. It would be difficult to classify the festival as a whole but there has always been one consistent factor: headliners. Sure, they vary a little, but you can usually get a good overview of Bonnaroo by looking at the headliners. Typically they fall under the following categories- the Dead/ Phish/ Classic Rock/ Jam Band/ Panic. Last year they made a pretty bold statement by grabbing Radiohead to headline on their first US tour in several years. But even Radiohead fits into the "jam band" category, although they are much more experimental than the typical jam band.

Headliners since I've gone:
2006- Radiohead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Phil Lesh & Friends
2005- Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio
2004- The Dead, Dave Matthews & Friends, Trey Anastasio

Headliners before I've gone:
2003: The Dead, Widespread Panic, Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2002: Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio, String Cheese Incident

Who's headlining the 2007 festival? Well.. The Police (classic rock), Widespread Panic (again..), and Tool (?). I'd really like to know how Tool was roped into Bonnaroo. How does TOOL possibly fit? Last year, Radiohead was able to introduce Bonnaroo to the "Coachella-going type." I'm afraid that if Tool has the same effect, the "Warped Tour-going type" will be drawn to Bonnaroo. Needless to say, I will use the Tool show as a time to crash before the late night sets.

Ignorance or Irrelevance?

2007-03-21T21:44:00.000+07:00

There's a guy in the b-school computer lab right now who's wearing a Damon Red Sox shirt.

1. Does he even like Damon?
2. Does he even like the Sox?
3. Does he know that he's a traitor?
4. Should I tell him?

Maybe he's just a jerk.
Maybe he just doesn't care.
Or maybe.. he was just scrambling for a shirt this morning and it was the only one he could find.

Waco Radio Just Doesn't Cut It

2007-03-19T02:18:00.000+07:00

Amy and I decided that we want to start a radio station in Waco. Ok, so we haven't given it too much thought. Logistics? Equipment? Funding? I guess we're idealists, but with great intentions.

Our plan of attack:
1. Talk to Baylor and see if they will sponsor us and help us start up
-or-
2. Talk to a local radio station and see if they will let us have a show

We'll play "good music." What does that entail? Think- jam band, indie, brit pop/rock, singer/songwriters. What does that look like? Think- Starbucks meets Pitchfork meets Rolling Stone meets Bonnaroo.

It'd be good.

If all my friends jumped off a bridge, I would too

2007-03-18T02:07:00.000+07:00

Well, not quite. I don't do MySpace- I barely do AIM- I do Facebook, but it allows so little creativity that I don't even know if it counts. But now, I blog. Who knows how long it may last. Could this be my only post?

A few days ago I was at a Starbucks in Newport Beach, California. I heard some sweet sounds coming from the speakers so I asked the girl working (she was eating Pizza Hut and tried to hide the box from me) to find out who it was. She said it was James Morrison and showed me where the album was in the store. I made an impulse decision to purchase it.

Now you see, it's not that I usually buy albums after hearing about 90 seconds of a song. I was seriously in need of some new music. My friends and I were on the last day of our extensive roadtrip to California. Four of us rode in Eleanor, my little Jetta. Between us we had 3 iPods, but the battery power couldn't hold up for the 3,000+ miles. And besides M83, the only CD in my car, the only music option was the radio.

If you live in a place where there is slightly good music on the radio, be thankful. If you have satellite radio, be even more thankful. At one point, driving on the 8 from San Diego towards Tucson, there were only 4 stations that came in, none of which were in English. Then on I-10 in Texas, there was one point where the only station that came in was a preacher who spoke with such a heavy accent, it was impossible to understand. We turned off the radio and resorted to singing "kumbaya."

Long story short- it was a good purchase. If you like singer/songwriters like Marc Broussard, Jon McLaughlin and Paolo Nutini, you'll love James Morrison. He's got a strong voice and music filled with blues and groove.