David Bowie - The Next Day
Wow. This is one of THE WORST albums I have ever heard. I forced myself to persevere through listening
to the whole thing (in an effort to give it a chance), and it was painful. I am
embarrassed for David Bowie. I love a
lot of Bowie's songs, and he has done one of the most beautiful
songs I can think of, Life on Mars,
so it makes me sad that he couldn’t just NOT MAKE THIS CRAPPY ALBUM. That is
all.
Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
I think we can all agree... that this band's name is fantastic. So good, in fact, that they don't even have to make good music to make it big. It's the best band name I have heard in a loong time.
But extra bonus: the music is good! A throwback to 60's-style, simplistic, chill, psychedelic rock. And they emulate it very well.
I often find myself grasping to figure out what other bands a new band sounds like (and not being able to put my finger on it), but not this one! I know exactly what it is that they sound like. The lead singer is a young Mick Jagger fronting an exact replica of what a modern day Velvet Underground would sound like. When the lead singer is not sounding exactly like a young Mick Jagger, he is sounding like a young Lou Reed ! It uncanny. Maybe Lou Reed and Mick Jagger had a son together, and he started this band....?
Their sound is spot on Velvet Underground. It is like the lost tapes of the Velvet Underground. I love it.
Guards - In Guards We Trust
Mac Demarco (current Discography)
While at first listen there may not be anything incredibly
novel about the songs that Mac Demarco puts out, I encourage you to give it a
listen, and then revisit it again. Then tell me if that jangly reverb guitar
sound doesn’t stick in your head. That
jangly off-pitch guitar sound, sounds like they recorded the guitars on vinyl, and
then let it get slightly warped, and then used that as a backdrop to sing over.
And once it gets in your head, it just
reverbs around in there, and you can’t get it out! The songs are overall
simple, but catchy.
I saw in an interview that he wrote up the entirety of Rock n Roll Night
Club as kind of a joke, and then got a record deal out of it. The album is
pretty consistent from start to finish, except it is interspersed with some
filler radio-banter, which only serves to add to the weird vibe.
I can’t help but draw comparisons to David Bowie when I listen
to this album. The title track sounds just like Bowie. And Baby’s Wearing Blue Jeans is like Bowie’s
Blue Jeans, redux.
This album is where that jangly sound will get ya. Definitely
has that bizarre can’t-put-my-finger-on-it throwback weirdness possessed by Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Definitely some similarities there.
I like a lot of the tracks on this one:
I was going to list the tracks I like here…..but then I realized
I like all of them. Listen to it! And then
listen to it again!
The Heavy - Glorious Dead
Soulful, brassy, good!
This album is pretty damn
awesome with a few duds. Overall a great find!
The Lonesome Road has
a Tom Waits kind of gritty swagger.
Songs I like:
- Be Mine [I love this song! damn its good...]
- Curse Me Good
- What Makes a Good Man
Grimes - Visions
I love this album. I didn't originally like it. I originally lumped it
in with some other stuff, but after a few listens I can see that there is something
different here.
For one thing, I like this description: "Her music is
an eclectic mix of styles which she described herself as “ADD music”, because
it shifts frequently and dramatically." I think that it is fairly
accurate. It is very ADD.
I also like her voice.
I saw Grimes at the 2012 Capitol Hill Block Party but I hadn’t
really listened to her album very much ahead of time. Now that I am into this
album and it is in regular rotation, I am ready to see her live again and really see how it translates live.
The songs that I really like are :
Sasquatch 2013 Lineup
Sasquatch Music Festival At the incredible Gorge Amphitheatre. All I can think about is festivals....festivals.... MUSIC festivals!
There are many names that stand out to me, and while not many of the headliners grab my attention... scroll your eyes down to about mid-list and there you find a bunch of obscure names that have me ready to rock. Lets break it down a bit.... in no particular order.
Headliners:
The Postal Service - It's the Postal Service! (please let the new album be good. thanks.)
Siqur Ros - I only caught a piece of their set at Bonnaroo '08 and have been kicking myself ever since. It was beautiful, and I missed out. not again.
Macklemore etc - I would love to see them live. I bet it will be lack-luster., but I am willing to find out.
Mumford & Sons - Sometimes this band annoys me, but I'll give them a chance to change my mind.
Cake - Yes. I'm excited about this one. Many memories related to Cake.
"Freebie" Headliners:
Most of the other headliners, I will watch, should they not interfere with other essential acts. I'll watch them and pretend that I didn't pay for them (and call 'em freebies). ; )
Mid-listers and bottom-of-the-barrel listers:
This is where I usually get over-excited about obscure bands, that it is rare to see.
Empire of the Sun - I am totally excited about seeing this band.
FANG ISLAND - Capitalized because they might be the reason I commit to buying a ticket. One of the most under-rated bands in my opinion. I love this band. Especially their self-titled album. It is like a party of the most positive energy in your brain. Crazy uplifting guitar rock anthems!
Bloc Party - Wow. I can't wait! Been on my "see live" list for about 10 years.
Divine Fits - VERY pumped about one of last years favorites.
Ariel Pink etc - should be interesting.
Surfer Blood - love their music. very fun.
Toro y Moi - I'm interested.
Bands I will gladly see again:
Edwarde Shape etc. - Always a cult-like experience. And I have a crush on the chick.
Grimes - Saw her at the 2012 Capitol Hill Block Party but I hadn't really listened to her album. Now I am ready to really see how it translates live.
Dirty Projectors - Regardless of their (insulting in my opinion) last-billing on the Line-up trailer, I will vouch for them. It was there live performance at Bonnaroo '09 that brought them to my attention. And they blew me away. I stumbled up to their stage (tent) and heard what I thought (at first) was some kind of electronic sound, then realized that the 2 chicks A Capella harmonizing! I am in love with some of the sounds that emanate from their voiceboxes. It is amazing.
Youth Lagoon - CHBP 2012. Not super impressive live, but I like the album a lot. I'll watch him again.
The Barr Brothers - Saw them open for Deer Tick. My notes "Very good. nice sound. cool harp. I am very interested in keeping this band in the rotation." I haven't kept them in rotation. But I'll put em back in!.
Bands that may tarnish your hopes :
Andrew Bird - He is my 2nd top artist according to Last.fm, and I love him, BUT his live show will ruin him for you. This is assuming you assume his songs will translate well live. THEY DO NOT. (sorry to burst your bubble), but its not rocket science: You hear his awesome whistling and vocal inflections on the album, You get that in your head, and then you realize that he takes "artistic liberties" with his songs during live performances. and you walk away unimpressed at best.
The XX - My notes from their latenight 'Roo '10 performance: "They were spot on, as one might expect. Glad I caught this one, but they have the stage presence of a dead.... rock." So you can just listen to the album and you will get more than at the live show.
Comedians:
Kyle Kinane - VERY funny guy. Would love to see him.
Nick Offerman - "Ron Swanson" he's on TV! all around good guy. I'd like to see him.
Recommendations? - this is a common place to overlook talent (and regret it later). suggestions appreciated.
And as always, I feel I have a lot of listening "research" to do in preparation for the festival, as there are many bands that I am (ever-so-slightly) embarrassed to say I don't know. It's a a lot of work to go to a festival and be on top of new music.
Now accepting suggestions on what bands I am overlooking!
If anyone is interested in how Sasquatch compares/contrasts to other music festivals (I have been to a few others. Most of them on the East Coast), I would be more than happy to discuss this ad nauseum. There are equally as many things that make this festival great, as there are failed opportunities to make it better. (Many of which are not difficult to achieve.) If only I could speak to the festival organizers directly... Maybe I just need to be the festival organizer. :)
It appears that they have learned their lesson from the wristband fiasco of last year, and are sending out wristbands via the mail this year. THANK YOU Sasquatch! That shit was ridiculous last year. People stood in line literally all day to exchange their ticket for a wristband: a completely unnecessary transaction.This means (I assume) that you will need a wristband to get on the camping grounds, which will limit random people from just showing up to party for the weekend. Not sure how I feel about that, but its an easy price to pay to avoid that mess again.
Local Natives - Hummingbird
I LOVE the previous Local Natives album Gorilla Manor, and the new album Hummingbird seems to be a continuation of the same goodness. I like it.
Coachella 2013 Lineup
Looks like a throwback to about 5 years ago, but that is fine with me, because I really haven't moved on from that point. plus some other good recent bands that I would like to see. Headliners are a little weak, but still good. The fucking Postal Service !!!! (hell yeah). I want to go.
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