San Cisco - San Cisco

This is really growing on me!

It sounds like Phoenix at times and also Vampire Weekend (but better) I think at times. and sometimes a blend of the two.

Very catchy. A late find for the year for me (thanks Blake!), but I would say its up there on the list of 2012 albums!

How Festival line-ups are made

I found this on Reddit, and thought it was funny enough to pass along. It is pretty much spot on.

You have to look no further than this very page to see that this must be the algorithm that festivals use to fill choose their line-ups.  

Pitchfork serves up initial 2012 Festival Lineup

Calling all no-coast-ers!

The initial Pitchfork Music Festival line-up has been announced. It is currently pretty crappy (IMO), but if past years are any indication, it will probably be a great lineup of the current indie bands, and it will be a bargain. 30+ additional bands have yet to be announced, so you can expect the line-up to get significantly better. It will sell out...fast.

I have always wanted to go to the Pitchfork Music Festival, and see Chicago while I’m at it. But not this year.

When: July 13-15th 2012

Where: Chicago's Union Park 

Tickets on Sale:  Friday, March 9th    12 pm (Central Time)   at the Pitchfork Music Festival website. 

Ticket Cost: 

Individual Day:  $45

3-Day Passes:   $110

The line-up as of now: 

Vampire Weekend, Feist, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Hot Chip, 

AraabMUZIK, A$AP Rocky, the Field, Liturgy, Kendrick Lamar, 

Grimes, Cloud Nothings, Tim Hecker, and Willis Earl Beal 

Bonnaroo 2012 Lineup Released

The 2012 Bonnaroo Festival Lineup has been released. There are some pretty good gets as far as headliners: Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish, and The Beach Boys

Probably the biggest names for headliners of any festival lineup I have seen for this years festival lineup announcement season.

Radiohead at Bonnaroo is probably really awesome. I missed Radiohead's Bonnaroo debut several years ago (2006), of which Thome Yorke said it was his "favorite show for ever and ever and ever."  !!!!!!!!!!!!  That is quite a statement, although he is not the only musician to say that Bonnaroo is their favorite venue.

As far as The Beach Boys, it is the full original members[who are currently living]. In other words this is different from past tours where it was just a few "Beach Boys" with a backing band. However, I'm sure it will just end up being a depressing rendition of all of their hits. I would probably still check it out.

Phish is a big get from the jam scene and will please the Bonnaroo festival-goers reminiscent of Bonnaroo days past, when it was almost exclusively a Jam festival.

And who doesn't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers? So I would say it is not a bad set of headliners

And continuing down the list there is a good collection of mid-level bands and lower-level bands. Pretty typical good lineup for Bonnaroo. Worth the ticket cost. Worth the driving??...is another thing altogether. Get 'em while they are cheaper, because it will probably sell out, and the price will only go UP!

The full lineup (as of now):
Bolded bands are the one I would initially have on my list (of course that will evolve).

RADIOHEAD  •RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS  •PHISH • THE BEACH BOYS (BRIAN WILSON, MIKE LOVE, AL JARDINE, BRUCE JOHNSTON AND DAVID MARKS)  •BON IVER  •THE AVETT BROTHERS  •THE SHINS  •FOSTER THE PEOPLE  •SKRILLEX  •AZIZ ANSARI DISPATCH  •FEIST  •THE ROOTS  •ALICE COOPER  •SUPERJAM  •BLACK STAR  • THE WORD (JOHN MEDESKI, ROBERT RANDOLPH AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS)  •LUDACRIS • BEN FOLDS FIVE  •FLOGGING MOLLY  •SPECTRUM ROAD (CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA, JACK BRUCE, JOHN MEDESKI, AND VERNON REID) MAC MILLER  •CHILDISH GAMBINO  •MAJOR LAZER  •TUNE-YARDS  •AFROCUBISM  •FLYING LOTUS • UMPHREY’S MCGEE  •LITTLE DRAGON  •ST. VINCENT  •CITY AND COLOUR  •THE CIVIL WARS • YOUNG THE GIANT  •TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB  •PUNCH BROTHERS  •NEEDTOBREATHE • FITZ & THE TANTRUMS  •BAD BRAINS  •YELAWOLF  •DAWES  •BATTLES  •DANNY BROWN THE BLACK LIPS  •SBTRKT  •PHANTOGRAM  •KENDRICK LAMAR CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES  •THE KOOKS  •THE JOY FORMIDABLE  •THE ANTLERS  •KATHLEEN EDWARDS  •MIMOSA  •KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS  •ALABAMA SHAKES  •DAS RACIST DELTA SPIRIT  •GARY CLARK JR.  •IVAN NEVILLE'S DUMPSTAPHUNK  •LAURA MARLING TRAMPLED BY TURTLES  •MOGWAI  •THE WAR ON DRUGS  •BEN HOWARD  •GROUPLOVE • BLIND PILOT  •ALO  •THE DEVIL MAKES THREE  •WHITE DENIM  •EMA  •HERE WE GO MAGIC  •K-FLAY THE LONELY FOREST  •MARIACHI EL BRONX  •BIG FREEDIA  •DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR.  •THE SOUL REBELS KVELERTAK  •SOJA  •STEVEN BERNSTEIN'S MTO PLAYS SLY  •BIG GIGANTIC  •SARAH JAROSZ ORGONE  •DARONDO  •FRUIT BATS  •MOON TAXI

Geograper - Animal Shapes

(indie pop, indie, electronic)

I found this album by accident, and it is fantastic! I mistook Geographer  for Geologist (a member of Animal Collective).... I gotta say, that was an easy mistake to make, but I'm glad I made it!. Haha.

It sounds like a cross of Grizzly Bear and Passion Pit. I arrive at that combo since it has the chill vibe and vocals of Grizzly Bear, but the crisp, catchy synth-work of Passion Pit. Which is a weird, but fantastic combo.

It is an EP so it is short and has no filler so all 6 tracks are solid. Give Paris a listen and tell me that synth riff doesn’t immediately resonate as in your brain as addiction.

…And I just found out that they are playing within 4 miles of my house, in less than a month!!! Damn that was good timing on that accidental find!

Paris 

(No actual video here, just audio for your listening pleasure)

Sasquatch 2012

Update (2-8-12):  The Pre-Sale password  is  "electronic"

Buy tickets here

Update (2-7-12) - New Additions: Santigold, Of Monsters & Men, Graffiti6, Anthony Jeselnik

The Sasquatch Lineup has just been released.

The festival will be held on Friday, May 25^th to Monday, May 28^th.
Tickets [4-day passes + camping] on-sale: Saturday, February 11th at 10am

Price: approx $315 for 4-day passes. (YIKES!!!!)

The line-up isn’t amazing or terrible, just kind of ehh.  There is a lot of initial negativity pouring out from festival-goers, probably because they are depressed that Coachella is sold out without them. I’m somewhat in that boat.  

Being previously on the East coast I have not paid too much attention to the lineup as I knew it was out of reach, but looking back at past line-ups, this year does seem to be missing the big guns. Had this been my festival stomping grounds, and my yearly escape-from-reality destination, this lineup probably would have been depressing.

For me it will be a whole new festival to experience, so I guess I’m not as let-down as others who have been going for years. It is still a music festival, with quite a few bands I could fill up a 4 day weekend with.  I haven’t made up my mind about going yet, but initial feelings point to no, based on the price versus lineup factor. Update: I am now pretty sure I am going, I am now going! So if you are in the PNW and are going, let me know! What changed my mind you ask? Well I don't know who I was kidding, thinking that I just sit home while a festival is going on this close by! And some good friends are going (which makes it all the more exciting) and ....who can turn down a festival?

The Artists. Bold are the ones I am currently interested in seeing. I have to do a bit or research to add to my ‘to see’ list. If you have any recommendations on who to see please feel free to give them!

Jack White, Beck, Bon Iver, Pretty Lights, Tenacious D, The Shins, Beirut, Girl Talk, The Roots, The Head & The Heart, Portlandia, Feist, Silversun Pickups, Metric, Explosions In The Sky, The Joy Formidable, Mogwai, Nero (DJ), M. Ward, John Reilly & Friends, Childish Gambino, St. Vincent, The Civil Wars, Jamey Johnson, Little Dragon, Tune-Yards, Wild Flag, Blind Pilot, Wolfgang Gartner, Beats Antique, Apparat, The Walkmen, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Mark Lanegan Band, Spiritualized, Blitzen Trapper, The Cave Singers, Shabazz Palaces, Fun., Grouplove, Tycho, Sbtrkt, Strfkr, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Deer Tick, Imelda May, Alabama Shakes, Dum Dum Girls, The Helio Sequence, Kurt Vile, Cloud Cult, We Are Augustines, Ben Howard, Here We Go Magic, Zola Jesus, The War On Drugs, Shearwater, Cass McCombs, Active Child, Trampled By Turtles, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Araabmuzik, Star Slinger, L.A. Riots, Com Truise, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, I Break Horses, Walk The Moon, Dry The River, Allen Stone, Pickwick, Hey Marseilles, Gary Clark Jr., Purity Ring, Electric Guest, Yellow Ostrich, Nobody Beats The Drum, Coeur De Pirate, Lord Huron, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Beat Connection, The Sheepdogs, Hey Rosetta!, Said The Whale, Howlin Rain, Gardens & Villa, Felix Cartal, Craft Spells, Vintage Trouble, Poor Moon, Black Whales, Gold Leaves, Greylag, Awesome Tapes From Africa
Thee Satisfaction, Dyme Def, Fresh Espresso, The Physics, Sol, Metal Chocolates, Grynch, Spac3man, Don’t Talk To The Cops, Scribes, Fatal Lucciauno, Fly Moon Royalty, Katie Kate

Comedy: Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Todd Barry, Beardyman, Rob Delaney, Pete Holmes, Howard Kremer, and more!

Here is the Lineup Announcement Video

and here is a CLASSIC Sasquatch video to hold you over until May!

tUnE-yArDs - whokill

(experimental, freak folk, indie)

tUnE-yArDs has been on my Last.fm Recommended Artists list for a long time, but I have been reluctant to venture out of my music bubble to find new tunes. After seeing mentions of this artist in various places and on several best-of-2011 lists, I finally gave it a listen. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to be pleasantly surprised!  whokill is by far the most interesting and unique album that I have encountered from 2011.

Merrill Garbus’ androgynous vocals combined with layering and distortion produces an intriguing ‘sound’. This album may not be for everyone, as it is a bit sporadic, off-beat, and wild at times, but I find its oddity draws me in. It implants these intriguing, catchy little snippets in my brain.  In a way, this album has become an addiction; constantly plaguing my thoughts with cravings for a specific riff.

All the songs are interesting and most are great, but Gansta is a good place to start.

Recommended Albums of 2011

It is (past) time for end-of-the-year lists. 

Now that I have been perusing other people's Best of 2011 lists, it is clear that I have been seriously "out of the loop" of good, current music. I feel that I am still discovering fantastic music from 2011, so I am not proposing this as a "Best of 2011" list. 

It is pretty much what I have listened to the most this year. I do however feel that there are many very good albums here that I would love to share, so you should listen to them right now!

If you click the Artist or Album text, it will take you to the corresponding Last.fm page with all kind of additional information. Clicking the album art will automatically play the album in Spotify! In parenthesis are the top 3 tags from Last.fm so you can get a general genre. 

My Recommended Albums of 2011

M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming

(electronic, shoegaze, post-rock)

A masterpiece! For my full review of this album see my previous post.

Fleet Foxes - HelplessnessBlues

(folk, indie, folk rock)

A fantastic album. Just like ALL previous Fleet Foxes albums; perfect harmonies that are done far to well, for an almost completely beautiful album.

The Rosebuds - LoudPlanes Fly Low

(indie, indie rock, indie pop)

Another great album by The Rosebuds. 

This one has some fantastic violin work to add to an already great sound. 

Other Lives - TamerAnimals

(indie folk, indie, alternative)

They have a kind of folksy sound combined with backing beautiful grand orchestral expansiveness.And they got their song writing figured out as well.

Side Note: This band is blowing up! I saw this band open for The Rosebuds, knowing nothing about them, but immediately loved them. They then went on to open for (and ride the coattails of) Bon Iver as he exploded into mainstream famousness. This year they will be opening for Radiohead! From The Rosebuds to Radiohead...in less than a year... folks that is either insane... or this band has a fantastic sound going for them. Check 'em out and decide for yourself.

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

(female vocalists, singer-songwriter, indie)

I have a crush on Annie Clark, who makes up St. Vincent. She is adorable, and she has great vocal chords. But she also writes great, witty, music. If you dig this, check out her previous 2 albums.

Radiohead - TheKing of Limbs

(alternative, alternative rock, rock)

So yes, I feel this album is less than most Radiohead albums, so in that regard it was a tiny bit disappointing. HOWEVER, Radiohead is greater than most bands, so this album is still great.

TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light

(indie, indie rock, experimental)

Another great album showcasing TV on the Radio's unique sound. Maybe a little more somber than previous albums, but great nonetheless. Check out "Killer Crane".

 Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care,Take Care

(math rock, experimental, post-rock)

Another fantastic album from Explosions. How can a band so consistently make epic albums?

 Guards - Guards

(lo-fi, indie, indie pop)

I saw this band open for Deer Tick, and they blew me away. They have a really cool sound featuring an omnichord! I think we will be hearing more about this band in the near future.

Panda Bear - Tomboy

(experimental, psychedelic, freak folk)

Just as the 3 tags above hint at, you will probably think it is "weird", but what do you expect from a member of Animal Collective? It may take a few listens, but if you give it a chance you may find that there is something interesting here.

The Antlers - Burst Apart

(indie, indie rock, slowcore)

The Antlers are the masters of beautifully depressing music and this is just another installment of a perfectly depressing album. This falls into the 'not for everyone category.' but I love it.

Coachella Line-up Released!

UPDATE: Coachella is now SOLD OUT! Tickets went on sale on Friday Jan 13th, 2012, and ALL tiers for BOTH WEEKENDS were sold out in a matter of hours!   Friday the 13th...an unlucky day, indeed.


Coachella! Well.... its awesome....as usual...... who wants to go!?

This year, there are actually 2 different weekends of the SAME festival! Coachella will “attempt to produce two identical festival weekends. That means same lineup, same art, different people."

April 13-15     or    April 20-22  in  Indio, California

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

There have been several fantastic albums released this year, but the one that I just cannot turn off is Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83. It seems to mesh so well with my brain that it is has become the soundtrack of my synapses. This refreshing and nearly flawless album has almost immediately risen to one of my favorite albums of….life.

M83 rejuvenates 80’s-style synth and produces fresh modern synth rock. This coupled with their mastery of the shoegaze sound creates fluidity and maintains continuity throughout the album, even as the songs ebb and flow. I feel they have delivered a masterpiece: the perfect mixture (and sequence) of upbeat rocking synths and fantastic drumbeats, interlaced with leisurely soundscapes which slowly build anticipation as the song progresses and then…… aaahhhh, aural bliss. 

M83 has made several good albums, but it seems that they have reached new depth with Hurry Up, We're Dreaming; a new depth of sound as well as emotional depth. My only criticism is the fairytale/trip Raconte-Moi Une Histoire, whose purpose is to put you in the youthful, carefree open-mindset of which the album is best listened. It does this well, and is not a bad track, but upon continued listens it is skip-worthy. This minor inconvenience does very little to tarnish such perfection.

So do your auditory cortex a huge favor: gather up a pair of good headphones (not earbuds), lay down, relax, close your eyes, free your mind, listen to it straight through in it’s entirety, and send your imagination on a delightful adventure. Just as the title implies, it is the perfect listen-straight-through on the cusp-of-consciousness album.

Listen to it now on Spotify.