Top listens on this fine trip to Minneapolis:
Marina and the Diamonds
Icona Pop
Robyn
Passion Pit
I love listening to music and hitting the road, it feels like freedom!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Alabama Shakes in t-1.5 hours
So basically this is just me letting people know how extremely excited I am to finally be seeing Alabama Shakes! It's been one of the shows I have been most eager to see this year, mostly because NPR was on top of their arrival like white on rice. I'm excited to hear what they have to offer! Tonight's show is at the House of Blues Boston (@HOBBoston) and the show starts at 8. Hope we see you there!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
What the folk?!
That's right people, folk has finally gone main stream (again).
I've gone to a couple of concerts since the last time I posted, a couple that I really feel need to be discussed and reviewed. To start off, let's take a quick look back to the concerts that were hit up this wonderful summer:
Foster The People (Kimbra opened!!)
Old Crow Medicine Show and The Lumineers (opener: The Milk Carton Kids)
The Avett Brothers
soon to come: Alabama Shakes
So let's start with the concert that was not folk, but was an alternative rock concert. At the time I wasn't a huge lover of Foster the People, but my opinion quickly changed. I sort of happened into this concert, it wasn't something that I had planned on going to so I hadn't really done any research on their sound other than what I had heard on the radio. I was really pleasantly surprised by their show! I realized I knew more than the one "Pumped Up Kicks" and really enjoyed myself.
I attended OCMS with the express purpose to watch their opening act, The Lumineers. I love me some Bluegrass OCMS, but I had really been into The Lumineers all summer and they were finally coming to Boston!! To open for The Lumineers we were introduced to The Milk Carton Kids. A quirky pair of guys from LA that played two acoustic guitars who had killer dead pan personalities. I love dry humor and just complete dead pan humor, so their banter with the crowd was really spot on for me. The crowd really loved them, too, at the House of Blues. It was a perfect setting for them, not too huge, but big enough and still small enough to stay intimate. Their ability to harmonize was something that I couldn't, and still can't, get over. You couldn't hear who's voice was who's, it was really perfect. I became an instant fan and immediately went home to download some tunes. At their website you can download their albums for free, or you can get them on iTunes, I really suggest giving them a listen. As for The Lumineers, they were PERFECT. I couldn't get over how great they were live, and I vowed that the next time they came around I would absolutely go see them again. "Ho Hey" and "Big Parade" were pulled off flawlessly with crowd involvement and also band involvement. It was obvious that this Denver based band had fans in Boston!
An evening with The Avett Brothers, I'm not even sure that I can wrap my head around that show even a week and a half later. The first time I had listened to them was when "If it's the Beaches" had come out around late 2008. Then, thank you iTunes and NPR All Songs Considered, I heard them on a podcast live from the Newport Folk Festival from 2009 and was really intrigued by their singing voices, or yelling/harmonizing that they were able to accomplish live. I've been a long time fan of The Avett Brothers and have been really amazed at how far they've come. It's a pretty incredible time for the banjo right now, so this folk revival is really working in their favor. The best part is that they aren't even really that folky, they're more of a rock group. The most folk-like aspect to them, in my opinion, is their ability to tell a story in every single song that they create and play. Scott and Seth Avett have really mastered the ability to relate to people, mostly because everytime one hears a song, they can immediately understand where that song is coming from. Whether it be a really simple song like "January Wedding," where Seth sweetly sings about he love of his life, or "Distraction #74," where Seth and Scott harmonously weave their voices in and out of each other's while still keeping the song steeped in the more rock/aggressive voices that they are known for at their shows. I'm pretty sure, if memory serves me, they started the set with "Paranoia in B Major" and continued to include "When I drink" "Salina" "Shame" "Down with the Shine" "Will You Return" "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promises," just to name a few. Obviously this was a show for their most recent album that had just been release earlier this month entitled "The Once and Future Carpenter." For two and a half hours straight I was immersed in the Brothers Avett and wished that it could have been for longer. No opener was needed, at 7:45pm they came onto the stage to raucous applause and left at 10:30pm to chants for more. I've never been to a concert like that, it was incredible.
I've gone to a couple of concerts since the last time I posted, a couple that I really feel need to be discussed and reviewed. To start off, let's take a quick look back to the concerts that were hit up this wonderful summer:
Foster The People (Kimbra opened!!)
Old Crow Medicine Show and The Lumineers (opener: The Milk Carton Kids)
The Avett Brothers
soon to come: Alabama Shakes
So let's start with the concert that was not folk, but was an alternative rock concert. At the time I wasn't a huge lover of Foster the People, but my opinion quickly changed. I sort of happened into this concert, it wasn't something that I had planned on going to so I hadn't really done any research on their sound other than what I had heard on the radio. I was really pleasantly surprised by their show! I realized I knew more than the one "Pumped Up Kicks" and really enjoyed myself.
I attended OCMS with the express purpose to watch their opening act, The Lumineers. I love me some Bluegrass OCMS, but I had really been into The Lumineers all summer and they were finally coming to Boston!! To open for The Lumineers we were introduced to The Milk Carton Kids. A quirky pair of guys from LA that played two acoustic guitars who had killer dead pan personalities. I love dry humor and just complete dead pan humor, so their banter with the crowd was really spot on for me. The crowd really loved them, too, at the House of Blues. It was a perfect setting for them, not too huge, but big enough and still small enough to stay intimate. Their ability to harmonize was something that I couldn't, and still can't, get over. You couldn't hear who's voice was who's, it was really perfect. I became an instant fan and immediately went home to download some tunes. At their website you can download their albums for free, or you can get them on iTunes, I really suggest giving them a listen. As for The Lumineers, they were PERFECT. I couldn't get over how great they were live, and I vowed that the next time they came around I would absolutely go see them again. "Ho Hey" and "Big Parade" were pulled off flawlessly with crowd involvement and also band involvement. It was obvious that this Denver based band had fans in Boston!
An evening with The Avett Brothers, I'm not even sure that I can wrap my head around that show even a week and a half later. The first time I had listened to them was when "If it's the Beaches" had come out around late 2008. Then, thank you iTunes and NPR All Songs Considered, I heard them on a podcast live from the Newport Folk Festival from 2009 and was really intrigued by their singing voices, or yelling/harmonizing that they were able to accomplish live. I've been a long time fan of The Avett Brothers and have been really amazed at how far they've come. It's a pretty incredible time for the banjo right now, so this folk revival is really working in their favor. The best part is that they aren't even really that folky, they're more of a rock group. The most folk-like aspect to them, in my opinion, is their ability to tell a story in every single song that they create and play. Scott and Seth Avett have really mastered the ability to relate to people, mostly because everytime one hears a song, they can immediately understand where that song is coming from. Whether it be a really simple song like "January Wedding," where Seth sweetly sings about he love of his life, or "Distraction #74," where Seth and Scott harmonously weave their voices in and out of each other's while still keeping the song steeped in the more rock/aggressive voices that they are known for at their shows. I'm pretty sure, if memory serves me, they started the set with "Paranoia in B Major" and continued to include "When I drink" "Salina" "Shame" "Down with the Shine" "Will You Return" "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promises," just to name a few. Obviously this was a show for their most recent album that had just been release earlier this month entitled "The Once and Future Carpenter." For two and a half hours straight I was immersed in the Brothers Avett and wished that it could have been for longer. No opener was needed, at 7:45pm they came onto the stage to raucous applause and left at 10:30pm to chants for more. I've never been to a concert like that, it was incredible.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Black Keys
Because I'm at work, I probably shouldn't be updating. However, I really just need to get this off my chest.
I am so upset that people are only now discovering the Black Keys! This is by no means the band's first album, yet it is the album that is making the most headway. Didn't anyone listen to Rubber Factory!? Come on! I'm glad the guys are finally getting some much deserved credit!
Alright. I'm done.
I am so upset that people are only now discovering the Black Keys! This is by no means the band's first album, yet it is the album that is making the most headway. Didn't anyone listen to Rubber Factory!? Come on! I'm glad the guys are finally getting some much deserved credit!
Alright. I'm done.
Alabama Shakes
I know that throughout my traveling life I try to post as much as I can, but sometimes things come up and this isn't always my main priority.
Today was a day of getting back to some roots. Some good old, New Hampshire lovin' roots. As I was driving my sister and I to a birthday party, I had on Alabama Shakes and essentially did what I always do, which is to hold CoCo hostage to my musical flavor of the week. Lucky for me, she enjoyed them, so it was no big deal that we would be listening to them for another 45 minutes.
The album Boy's and Girls is truly something I haven't heard in quite sometime. I pride myself in listening to all music and really trying to appreciate even the most out there tunes, but this band has something completely different than the regular "it" factor. They have a soul. I know that there is a genre of music entitle "Soul" that just referes to some guy or girl really gettin' into the music, but that's different to me. This band, Alabama Shakes, has a soul. Lead singer Brittany Howard is the most unique voice I have ever heard. Every note sounds as if she has been waiting a lifetime to say it, with such delicate precision and timing you would assume that she has never had the chance to get these thoughts off of her chest before. The album is clearly the band's way of saying that they have finally arrived and that they are grateful for the experience.
Whether you like rock n' roll, soul, pop, indie/folk, americana, whatever...give Alabama Shakes a listen. They might make you a bit nostalgic for a time that my generation was never part of, but one that inspired revolution of society. Take a listen...
Today was a day of getting back to some roots. Some good old, New Hampshire lovin' roots. As I was driving my sister and I to a birthday party, I had on Alabama Shakes and essentially did what I always do, which is to hold CoCo hostage to my musical flavor of the week. Lucky for me, she enjoyed them, so it was no big deal that we would be listening to them for another 45 minutes.
The album Boy's and Girls is truly something I haven't heard in quite sometime. I pride myself in listening to all music and really trying to appreciate even the most out there tunes, but this band has something completely different than the regular "it" factor. They have a soul. I know that there is a genre of music entitle "Soul" that just referes to some guy or girl really gettin' into the music, but that's different to me. This band, Alabama Shakes, has a soul. Lead singer Brittany Howard is the most unique voice I have ever heard. Every note sounds as if she has been waiting a lifetime to say it, with such delicate precision and timing you would assume that she has never had the chance to get these thoughts off of her chest before. The album is clearly the band's way of saying that they have finally arrived and that they are grateful for the experience.
Monday, April 23, 2012
What do I do when I'm stuck in an Airport?
Obviously I start looking up new music acts to throw myself into!
Here I am, so wonderfully stuck between flights for business, in Philadelphia. I've never been here before, not even a drive by, but I'm definitely feeling the City of Brotherly Love. After all, this was our nation's first capitol!
Who comes to mind when I set my music sights on this gray and rainy city? John Coltrane, of course. Some smooth music stylings by Mr. Coltrane are perfect for this extremely inclement (and extremely annoying) weather. His jazzy sounds are lifting me right out of these modern times and into a period that maybe wasn't any easier, but was definitely cooler. As I stare at these sark white walls and ugly, out-dated US Airways signs, I really do find myself longing for a night time jazz scene with an ice cold drink in my hand and perhaps a gang of friends around me, enjoying the lively music and all around moment that Jazz music made. It isn't difficult to dream of happier places, especially when your current setting is an airport over flowing with angry customers; weather really does something to the mood. I'm relying on Trane to transport me to a Philadelphia that I never knew and most likely will never know.
Feeling Jazzy, but not feeling straight music-no talk? Check out Kimbra. She's a New Zealander with some serious pipes and a knack for hitting jazz right on the head while still incorporating modern sounds. If you haven't heard of her, check out the duet that she sings with Gotye ("Somebody That I Used to Know"). She's currently on tour with Gotye, but she was seen a few weeks back at South by Southwest and really turned heads. Her bluesy voice makes you want to sit in a speak easy with a short glass of whiskey and a cigarette...well maybe not those things specifically, but definitely a small corner club with a close atmosphere!
Here I am, so wonderfully stuck between flights for business, in Philadelphia. I've never been here before, not even a drive by, but I'm definitely feeling the City of Brotherly Love. After all, this was our nation's first capitol!
Who comes to mind when I set my music sights on this gray and rainy city? John Coltrane, of course. Some smooth music stylings by Mr. Coltrane are perfect for this extremely inclement (and extremely annoying) weather. His jazzy sounds are lifting me right out of these modern times and into a period that maybe wasn't any easier, but was definitely cooler. As I stare at these sark white walls and ugly, out-dated US Airways signs, I really do find myself longing for a night time jazz scene with an ice cold drink in my hand and perhaps a gang of friends around me, enjoying the lively music and all around moment that Jazz music made. It isn't difficult to dream of happier places, especially when your current setting is an airport over flowing with angry customers; weather really does something to the mood. I'm relying on Trane to transport me to a Philadelphia that I never knew and most likely will never know.
Feeling Jazzy, but not feeling straight music-no talk? Check out Kimbra. She's a New Zealander with some serious pipes and a knack for hitting jazz right on the head while still incorporating modern sounds. If you haven't heard of her, check out the duet that she sings with Gotye ("Somebody That I Used to Know"). She's currently on tour with Gotye, but she was seen a few weeks back at South by Southwest and really turned heads. Her bluesy voice makes you want to sit in a speak easy with a short glass of whiskey and a cigarette...well maybe not those things specifically, but definitely a small corner club with a close atmosphere!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Yes, I went to see KC
Seeing Kelly Clarkson may have started out as sort of a joke. Not a concert that I paid a million dollars a ticket and not a concert I was putting a lot of weight on.
I never watch American Idol. I don't like it, I think it's annoying. I was only aware of Kelly Clarkson being a real artist when her second album came out, and even then, I was just listening for fun. Last night made me think twice about KC. She was witty and fun an joked around the entire show! She was personable and made me want to be her best friend. Her voice was beyond incredible! I was expecting a Whitney wannabe, but no. She was spot on without the slightest bit of pitchiness. Fully impressed and in love with Kelly.
I never watch American Idol. I don't like it, I think it's annoying. I was only aware of Kelly Clarkson being a real artist when her second album came out, and even then, I was just listening for fun. Last night made me think twice about KC. She was witty and fun an joked around the entire show! She was personable and made me want to be her best friend. Her voice was beyond incredible! I was expecting a Whitney wannabe, but no. She was spot on without the slightest bit of pitchiness. Fully impressed and in love with Kelly.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Two Posts in 1 Day?! Shit Go'n get CRAY
AWESOME Arctic Cirlce shared by good friend Aubrey! Amazing find and I'm in love with the more unique sounds that I hear throughout the song. I love the way I feel when I listen to this, I feel like I should be swept away in a romantic Jane Austen-ish way! I can't get enough of this!
Watch and love:
you're welcome
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Munchen
European travel is so worth the annoying flight. The music, food, architecture and art are always breathtaking and always inspiring. I am currently in the Munich airport in Germany with my brother, reluctantly waiting for our plane to take us back the States.
One of the things about Munich that really caught my attention was the lack of German made music. Almost everything that the younger population listens to is American music. I asked one of our friends here about it and he seemed surprised that I would care. He said listenin to German music is crap. The only music that is truly German is for old people(polka, etc.) I asked him what music he liked and he told me
that the only German music that was any good were the up and coming rappers. Other than that, anything tht has a hypnotic beat will suffice for him. It serms that is the common response from everyone in the room. If it can be danced to, then it's good.
Every morning we wake up to music, notall American. One song that was heavily played was a Portugese club song, complete with accompanying dance moves. Se et un Pego. I'm pretty sure it is by a singer Michele Telles...I'll have to double check. Either way, it was a fun one to listen to.
Chuss!!
One of the things about Munich that really caught my attention was the lack of German made music. Almost everything that the younger population listens to is American music. I asked one of our friends here about it and he seemed surprised that I would care. He said listenin to German music is crap. The only music that is truly German is for old people(polka, etc.) I asked him what music he liked and he told me
that the only German music that was any good were the up and coming rappers. Other than that, anything tht has a hypnotic beat will suffice for him. It serms that is the common response from everyone in the room. If it can be danced to, then it's good.
Every morning we wake up to music, notall American. One song that was heavily played was a Portugese club song, complete with accompanying dance moves. Se et un Pego. I'm pretty sure it is by a singer Michele Telles...I'll have to double check. Either way, it was a fun one to listen to.
Chuss!!
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