Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist


(Gospel/R&B/Soul)

The first great soul singer of the '70s, Green bridged the gap between deep soul and smooth Philadelphia soul, while also incorporating elements of gospel and R&B.

Making stylish records with tight beats and sexy backing vocals, Green landed thirteen Top 10 hits during the early seventies including "Tired of Being Alone", "Let's Stay Together" and "I'm Still in Love with You."

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, Green was recently named #14 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "100 Greatest Singers of All-Time."

His latest album, Lay It Down, was released on May 27, 2008 and was produced by Grammy Award winning producer James Poyser and The Roots Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. It's his first Top 10 album since 1973, and thanks to the production team, as well as guest artists like Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae, the album gives Green a more youthful sound.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist



(Blues/Hard Rock/Jamband/Southern Rock)


"When you walk out on the stage, the possibilities are infinite every time." - Warren Haynes

In 1994, Warren Haynes, Allen Woody and Matt Abts created Gov't Mule, as an Allman Brothers Band side project. Though none of the above mentioned were original members of the Allman's, Haynes and Woody were asked to join in the reformation of the ABB in 1989. Abts was a former drummer in the Dickey Betts Band.

The three shared a love for bands like Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Neil Young, Free, Traffic, Black Sabbath, the James Gang and Little Feat. Haynes and Woody left the Allman's in 1997, when it became apparent that the ABB would not be recording any new material.

In August of 2000, Woody was found dead in New York City from a heroin overdose. A month later, the Allman Brothers Band, the Black Crowes, Phil Lesh and Friends, Jimmy Herring and Edwin McCain came together for "One for Woody", a benefit concert to raise money for Savannah Woody's education.

Haynes and Abts considered ending the Mule, as they're known to their fans, but they continued on, and over the next couple years, would record a couple of tribute CD's, known as The Deep End, Volumes 1 & 2.

The two discs featured a number of Woody's favorite bass players, including Jack Bruce of Cream, John Entwistle of The Who, Mike Watt of Minutemen, Les Claypool of Primus, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Chris Squire of Yes, among many others.

They began to tour in support of these albums, which eventually led to the additions of Danny Louis (keys) and Andy Hess (bass) in Gov't Mule.

Over the years, Mule has put out several studio albums, but like many of their influences, they were at their best in the live setting. They have become a staple act at several festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Mountain Jam, All Good and the New Orleans JazzFest.

Haynes created the Christmas Jam in 1989, a concert benefiting Habitat For Humanity. The concert has taken place every year since, in Haynes hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. In the past five years alone, Christmas Jam has raised close to a million dollars, with more and more money being raised year after year.

In 2003, Asheville Mayor Charles Worley, declared December 18th, "Warren Haynes Day." The London Times called the event "one of the top ten concerts in the USA."

Over the years, the benefit concert has featured a number of friends, guests and musicians, for some rare and special collaborations. Aside from the Allman Brothers Band and Phil Lesh and Friends playing, the event has featured an almost neverending list of guests. Get ready. It's a long list: Blues Traveler, Jackson Browne, the Drive-By Truckers, DJ Logic, Peter Frampton, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, Hot Tuna, Ray LaMontagne, Little Feat, Living Colour, Branford Marsalis, Dave Matthews, the Neville Brothers, New Orleans Social Club, North Mississippi Allstars, Phish's Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, John Scofield, Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart, Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Bob Weir, and several members of Widespread Panic.

In more recent times, Gov't Mule performed one of the most hailed sets at the Bonnaroo 2007 Music Festival, which included collaborations with the mighty John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna), Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) and Michael Franti (Spearhead).

In even more recent times, bass player Andy Hess left the band in September of 2008, being replaced by Jorgen Carlsson.

Other Bonnaroo artists you may like:






Bonnaroo 2009 Artist

(Est. 1994, Chicago, IL)
The Band
Jeff Tweedy - lead vocals, guitar
Nels Cline - guitar
Glenn Kotche - percussion
Pat Sansone - multi-instrumentalist

Genres
Alternative Rock, Alternative Country, Folk Rock, Experimental Rock

Other Artists You May Like

Bonnaroo Artists You May Like

My Thoughts
It wasn't until I heard Sky Blue Sky, that I really fell in love with this band. However, the first album I bought by the band was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which I purchased at some point during the same year it was released (2002). Over the next five years, that album would basically sit in its CD case, with very, very minimal listens.

Sky Blue Sky was an album that sparked wonder and curiousity for me, involving all of their previous efforts. This is what led me back to YHF, as well as their complete discography, including the double-live album, Kicking Television.

It wasn't until Bonnaroo 2007, when I got to experience first hand, what a Wilco show was all about. There was something about that day, that show, that environment, that somehow I was able to achieve a pure state of peace of mind during their performance.

No, it wasn't any crazy drugs or anything like that. Something happened that day, something that had never happened to me (music related or non-music related). For the first time in my life, I could honestly say that I felt a truthful and complete state of euphoria.

Since then, I have only seen Wilco one other time - August 2007, at Louisville's Slugger Field. Although it didn't feel the same as that Bonnaroo performance, overall, they played a better and longer show.

So maybe I haven't been a fan for a long time. Maybe I haven't seen them in concert, as many times as I would like or as many times as I've seen other bands. But I can honestly say that there is something in Tweedy's voice, something in his lyrics, in the band's music, the sound, the way they can change from the country, folk sound, to the alternative, experimental sound.

Somehow I just really connect with this band, in a way only few bands can do for me. Although its only been a short amount of time, Wilco has quickly earned a spot among my top five favorite bands of all-time.






Sunday, March 29, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Elvis Perkins in Dearland

Folk-rock's Elvis Perkins would rather be known as a recording artist, rather than a singer-songwriter because the latter reminds him of open-mic nights and coffeehouses. So with that being said, the recording artist is the son of actor Anthony Perkins (Psycho) and photographer Berry Berenson (Life Magazine).

Named after Elvis Presley, he was raised in both L.A. and New York and attended Brown University. Taking up music at an early age, Elvis first learned the sax, and then the guitar in high school, where he took lessons from Prescott Niles (The Knack). While playing in rock bands, he developed an interest in classical guitar, and as a poet, he gradually began to morph his words into lyrics.

The "In Dearland" part is the band that he takes on the road, consisting of Brigham Brough (bass, vocals, sax), Wyndham Boylan-Garnett (organ, harmonium, trombone, guitar, vocals) and Nick Kinsey (drums, clarinet, vocals). Perkins' claim to fame came as a result of his debut album, Ash Wednesday.

That album was a project long in the making, but took a serious detour after the terrorists attacks on 9/11. Tragically and sadly, to say the least, his mother was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11 that was horrifically flown into the World Trade Center's Tower 1. To make matters worse, 9/11 was the day before the ninth anniversary of his father's death.

Their latest release, the self-titled Elvis Perkins in Dearland, was released on March 10 of this year, and in just that short amount of time, the album has already been drawing rave reviews.

With this album, we begin to see some closure, with the losses that Elvis has experienced. These songs are somewhat of a celebration, bringing in strings and horns, as well as elements of blues and gospel.

Other Bonnaroo artists you may like:

Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Delta Spirit, The Low Anthem

Watch some videos...

Elvis performing "While You Were Sleeping" solo on The Late Show with David Letterman

Title-track, "Ash Wednesday", live at New York's Bowery Ballroom

"May Day" live from Bonnaroo 2007

Clip of the full-band version of "While You Were Sleeping" live from Bonnaroo 2007

The band's first single from the new album, "Shampoo"

"Doomsday", also from the new album

Saturday, March 28, 2009

CincyPunk Just Around the Corner

The eighth installment of the CincyPunk Festival is almost here, and it features thirty-nine bands over two nights. Not just punk music, the festival will seriously cover all types of music: acoustic, blues, country, electro, experimental, folk, garage rock, hardcore, hip-hop, indie, jazz, metal, new wave, prog, psychedelic, punk (of course), reggae, rock, ska and world music.

Currently, there are free sampler CD's for the festival, available at the Southgate House, Shake-It Records and Everybody's Records. The sampler features a song from twenty-three of the bands playing, including Alone at 3am's "Mexico", the Seedy Seeds "Drive Me to the Center" and Slow Claw's "Miss Lady Lately."

All proceeds will benefit the Animal Adoption Foundation located in Hamilton, so why not come out to hear some of the best on the local scene, as well as some out-of-towners. For those of you who have been into the local music scene for awhile, the festival will also feature four reunited bands, all taking place on Saturday, April 11.

Once again the festival is being sponsored by CincyPunk.org and Chipotle, as well as PBR, so come out early and get yourself a free burrito. The PBR isn't free, but it's cheap and it does the trick. Did you know that the Southgate House is the #1 seller of PBR in the state of Kentucky? What else is the Southgate House #1 in? Amazing live music. Okay, that last one's just my opinion but I think many would agree. They really are #1 in PBR sales, ask the friendly bartenders.

New to the festival this year is the Silent Auction. The auction will feature band memorabilia from a number of the bands, and again, all proceeds go to the Animal Adoption Foundation.

If you love music, animals, good people and good times, the weekend of April 10-11 will be a hell of a time for you at the Southgate House.

Onto the bands...

Friday night features nineteen bands on three stages.

In the ballroom:

Local garage-rockers Mad Anthony, new indie-pop rockers Koala Fires, alt-indie rockers Turnbull AC's, punk rock vets Thistle, psychedelic punk rockers White Girls, electronic and indie-popsters fresh off their SXSW debut Seedy Seeds, blues infused and garage brewed rock 'n roll from Lions Rampant and country, indie rockers Alone at 3am.

In the lounge:

Acoustic music from punk outfit Riverside Revival and pop rockers Jared and Bryan, alt-indie rock from former Promenade man Scott Cunningham, also known as Wake the Bear, Alone at 3am's indie side project featuring the sexy Sarah Davis who call themselves Stick Figure Drawings and my new favorite local band, Wonky Tonk.

In the parlour:

The hot, new local buzz act State Song, Duppy a Jamba mixes ska, reggae and jazz, indie punk rock from Knife the Symphony, experimental-indie rock from Indy's We Are Hex, psychedelic soul music from Caterpillar Tracks and Guitars, who will be making their first live public appearance at CincyPunk.

For Saturday, they'll be twenty bands playing, which includes four bands reuniting for some one-offs.

In the ballroom:

Christian pop punk from Echo to Voltron, local ska, punk rockers Loudmouth, yet another hot, local buzz act in Slow Claw, countrified punk rock from local favs 500 Miles to Memphis, progressive punk rock from Arms Exploding, and one-off reunion shows from Pincushion, Spodie and Saturday Supercade.

In the lounge:

The VIPs, Moxy Monster combine hip-hop and new wave, Matt Stanton, Small Time Crooks, an acoustic Eatafetus Trio show and The Prohibitionists.

In the parlour:

Experimental ska from Ukraine Crane, reggae punk from Frankl Project, pop punk 'n crunk from The Dopamines, positive vibes and high fives from John Walsh a band featuring a Seedy Seed, indie rockers Mint 6 Ten and punk glam rockers Shotgun on Blonde.

Find more on the bands...

The weekly, local entertainment-zine, CityBeat, has some nice write-ups about many of the bands. Here are the links:

Mad Anthony
Koala Fires
Turnbull AC's
Seedy Seeds
Lions Rampant
Alone at 3am
Wonky Tonk
Duppy a Jamba
Caterpillar Tracks
Slow Claw
500 Miles to Memphis
Eatafetus Trio
Frankl Project

Some other links...

We Are Hex
CincyPunk write-up
Learn how to play "The Regret" by 500 Miles to Memphis on guitar
Video of 500 Miles to Memphis at 2008 MidPoint Music Festival

Some videos...

Wonky Tonk covering Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel No. 2"

John Walsh live at CincyPunk VII

Mint 6 Ten at CincyPunk V

Riverside Revival at CincyPunk

Seedy Seeds at CincyPunk

Wake the Bear performing at Northside Tavern

The Lions Rampant performing in Madison, WI

Frankl Project video montage

We Are Hex

500 Miles to Memphis at MidPoint 2008

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Passion Pit

Passion Pit is an indie, electronica, dance band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, that formed in late 2007. The band consists of Michael Angelakos (lead vox, keys), Ian Hultquist (keys), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth, samples), Jeff Apruzzese (bass) and Nate Donmoyer (drums).

Success came rather quickly for them, from being recognized by the Boston music scene after just a handful of shows, being awarded the Best New Act of 2008 by The Phoenix and soon after, being signed to New York's Frenchkiss Records and the UK's Columbia Records.

Get this. Their debut EP, Chunk of Change, was just released about six months ago. It was originally a Valentine's Day gift for Mike's girlfriend, and became popular throughout Emerson College, where he was attending.

The song "Sleepyhead" gained media exposure from a Canadian PSP advertisement, as well as MTV's 'What the Flip?'. Pitchfork Media even included the music video in its Top 40 music videos of 2008.

Passion Pit have finished their first, full-length album, Manners, and is due out May 26 of this year. ClashMusic.com commented that the album "has every chance to rank as one of the year's best."

Although it's only been a short amount of time, their live show has been received well, earning spots opening for bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Girl Talk and These New Puritans.

For you Cincinnatians not attending Bonnaroo this year, you'll have a chance to catch Passion Pit, coming fresh off their festival performance, when they stop by the Mad Hatter on Saturday, June 13. The show is only $10 in advance/$12 at the door. Though I've never seen them live, I highly recommend attending. With the way the economy is, you can't beat seeing a band with that much buzz for that price.

Other 'roo artists you may like:

Paul Oakenfold, Girl Talk, Crystal Castles, Chairlift

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Louisville's Forecastle Festival

Although only four bands have been announced, I'm already impressed. Two nights of Widespread Panic, the Black Crowes, the Black Keys and the Avett Brothers.

They'll be adding 65 other bands and DJ's to the lineup, but the festival is already looking better than last year.

The 8th annual festival takes place July 10-12 on Louisville's riverfront. Pre-sale tickets are $40 a day or $100 for the weekend.

There's a kick-off party on Thursday, July 9 at Glassworks Rooftop, featuring performances from local and regional bands and DJ's, that will be announced at a later date.

There's also an after-party on both Friday and Saturday nights, on the Belle of Louisville (a big ass boat), also including performances by bands and DJ's.

Sounds like a good time. I've never been. Maybe I'll go. I don't know Louisville to well, but it's only an hour drive or so.

Why is My Morning Jacket not headlining this thing? They are from Louisville. Maybe they'll be an addition. One can hope.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Locals Do Bonnaroo

The newly reformed Heartless Bastards are returning to Bonnaroo this summer. The old Bastards lineup played the festival in 2005.

The indie/garage rockers, were originally a four-piece, consisting of founders Erika Wennerstrom, Mike Lamping, Dave Colvin and Michael Weinel. They played their first show at Northside's The Comet in August 2003, where Erika used to bartend. Shortly after, Colvin and Weinel left, and they became a trio by adding Kevin Vaughn on drums.

The Bastards caught their break in 2004, when they were signed to Fat Possum Records, after Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) passed on their demo. The five-song demo was recorded in 2002 at the local Ultrasuede Studios, and featured contributions by Reuben Glaser (Pearlene) and Jesse Ebaugh. Remember that last name for future reference.

Rolling Stone had this to say about their debut album, Stairs and Elevators:
"the Heartless Bastards are a small-town band who are ready to show the big city no mercy."

From there, their success continued to build. They finished #12 on WOXY's "97 Best of 2005" among the likes of Spoon, and ahead of The White Stripes.

It was time for a change come August 2008. Erika relocated to the "Live Music Capital of the World" (Austin, TX), and hooked back up with Ebaugh (bass) and original drummer, Dave Colvin.

The third album, The Mountain, produced by Spoon producer Mike McCarthy, was released on February 3.

The Heartless Bastards have returned home, fresh off the South by Southwest Festival. They are playing The Madison Theater tonight, with openers Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears. The show starts at 8 pm. Wish I wasn't working tonight so I could attend the show.

Guess I'll have to check 'em out at the 'roo this summer.

Other 'roo artists you may like:

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, White Rabbits, Delta Spirit

Bonnaroo Additions Have Arrived!

The wait is over. Not even fifteen minutes ago, the Bonnaroo website was updated with several artist and comedy additions. These artists join what was already a stellar lineup. Here they are:

Bands/Musicians
Public Enemy
Ani DiFranco
Amadou & Mariam
Shadows Fall
Heartless Bastards
Tony Rice Unit
High On Fire
Passion Pit
Dillinger Escape Plan
The Wailing Souls
The Itals
MURS
White Rabbits
Janelle Monae
Hockey
Pretty Lights

Comedy
Jimmy Fallon
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Presents Bonnapoo 2009
An Evening (or Afternoon) with The Daily Show featuring John Oliver & Rob Riggle
Michael Ian Black & Michael Showalter
Aziz Ansari
Kristen Schaal
Arj Barker
Todd Barry
Rory Albanese
Wayne Federman
Nick Thune
Nick Kroll
Kurt Braunohler
Amy Schumer
Kumail Nanjiani
Pete Homes

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Joe Pug

A former UNC playwright student, Joe woke up one day and realized he wasn't happy with the direction he was going. So he packed up his things and headed for Chicago.

He worked as a carpenter by day, and at night, broke out a guitar he hadn't played since his high school days. Already having plans for a play he was writing, he took those ideas and created "the sublime lyrical masterpiece" that would become the Nation of Heat EP.

These songs were recorded on a limited budget, but that was okay. All Pug needed was a mic, a guitar and harmonica. His wholeheartedness would shine brightly through every note he sang, and the rest as they say, was history.

Fast forward to May 2008, where Joe would play his first headlining slot, at the widely known Schuba's Tavern. Two weeks later, the EP was finally released, and would eventually establish him as one of his generation's most respected songwriters.

He has since toured with the likes of Todd Snider, Susan Tedeschi, Kasey Chambers and James Hunter. His full-length debut album will be recorded this year.

Other Bonnaroo artists you may like:

Bon Iver, Ben Sollee, Todd Snider, The Low Anthem, AA Bondy

Sunday, March 22, 2009

On A Local Note...

I went to see Ryan Adcock tonight at the College Hill Coffee Company, which was my first trip to that part of town. I got lost on the way home, but thanks to a cellphone call to my mom, I was quickly headed in the right direction.

Because I had never been there, I arrived a little late, however, I still caught a good hour-and-a-half of acoustic Adcock.

Churning out stripped-down versions of the songs you'll hear on his albums, while tossing in a few covers here and there (David Gray's "Babylon", Dylan's "Watchtower" and The Band's "The Weight"), Ryan alone plays with the same amount of heart and soul only a full band can possess.

I instantly became a fan of his music, some several years ago, partly due to his unique guitar playing technique, but for the most part it had to do with what I felt through his hopeful lyrics and reassuring voice.

A good amount of his show tonight was based around the songs of his past two efforts, 2002's From Silence and Joy and 2006's Unfinished. Some of the songs change a little bit when he's playing solo, and you may even see him go off into the wonderful world of improv.

Then there was the new material. Many songs. I lost count. I remember hearing a few back at MidPoint last year, but for the most part, what I was hearing was new to my ears. It's like the man gets ten times better with each song he writes.

He also noted that his next album has already been recorded, with a release date sometime in May or June. He's got a few other surprises up his sleeves in the coming months (which I won't mention), the first coming in about a week. Make sure to check out his site for all the latest news.

I will give you two hints, however. Two words. Flare and gun. You figure it out.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Rodrigo y Gabriela

Rodrigo Sanchez (lead guitar) and Gabriela Quintero (rhythm guitar) met in Mexico while playing in a thrash metal band called Tierra Acida.

They left metal for acoustic, although they still wear their roots proudly on their sleeves. Now they play fast paced, instrumental/classical guitar style, as well as making it very rhythmatic, along with guitar/feet pounding, adding a little bass and depth.

They became frustrated with the limitations of the local music scene and high-tailed it to Ireland. Talk about Luck 'O the Irish. Damien Rice got them their break, when they were signed on to play the Oxegen Festival, an annual festival in Kildare, Ireland that hosts an average of 80,000 people a day.

They were arguably one of the greatest shows on the first night of Bonnaroo 2007, with an audience spilling well outside of the tent and beyond. They killed it, and their covers of Metallica and Pink Floyd songs (with crowd sing alongs) didn't hurt either.

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Galactic

Galactic is a New Orleans jamband that formed in the mid-90's. They combine elements of jazz, electronica, world music, funk and as of more recently, hip-hop. Several hip-hop artists have collaborated with Galactic including Boots Riley, Gift of Gab and Chali 2na.

Founding members, Robert Mercurio and Jeff Raines, began the band while attending college at Tulane and Loyola, respectively. They brought in Richard Vogel, Ben Ellman and well-noted drummer Stanton Moore. In 2004, vocalist Theryl DeClouet left the band, which led the band in the direction of instrumental music.

They became enamored in the local funk scene, with artists like The Meters and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and have invited several artists up on stage to jam with them including the Neville Brothers, George Porter of The Meters, members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Garage A Trois saxophonist, Skerik.

The band tours hard, and has gone on the road with the Allman Brothers Band, The Roots, Widespread Panic, BB King, Counting Crows and Jurassic 5.

Others you may like:

Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, TV on the Radio, MGMT, moe, The Knux

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: St. Vincent

Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent, is a mult-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter, and was a member of both The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens' touring band.

Referred to as an "adorably spunky guitar prodigy" by the Boston Globe, the 26 year-old has opened for such acts as Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, The National, Sufjan Stevens, John Vanderslice, Midlake and Xiu Xiu.

While studying at the Berklee College of Music in 2003, Clark released an EP with fellow students entitled Ratsliveonnoevilstar.

Fast forward to 2006, where she was beginning to catch a break. Joining Sufjan Stevens' touring band for a European tour, her EP Paris Is Burning, earned her a spot opening those shows.

Over the next year, she would join the cast of The Polyphonic Spree, appearing on The Fragile Army, as well as releasing her debut, full-length album entitled Marry Me. Her solo album features appearances from Mike Garson (Bowie's longtime pianist), as well as Louis Schwadron and Brian Teasley, both of the Spree.

Things just kept getting better for St. Vincent. In 2008, she was nominated for three PLUG Independent Music Awards, taking home the Female Artist of the Year award.

Though her next effort, Actor, won't be released until May 4, the buzz has already begun building. Just a couple of days ago, she debuted songs from the album at the South by Southwest Music Festival.

For those of you currently in Austin for the festival, you can catch St. Vincent tonight at midnight at Antone's. Nomo, Mirah and Theresa Andersson are also on the bill.

Others you may like:

Andrew Bird, Jenny Lewis, Grizzly Bear

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: of Montreal

Indie, pop band, of Montreal, is not Canadian. They formed in the powerful music city of Athens, Georgia. Frontman Kevin Barnes, has been the only constant member since the beginning, but he's had quite a long cast list.

of Montreal changes their style between albums, by combining musical experimentation, catchy melodies and sing-along choruses. They are influenced by indie pop, psychedelic music, vaudeville, afrobeat, funk, krautrock and reggae.

Barnes has recently been working with Andrew VanWyngarden from MGMT, on a project called Blikk Fang. As of now, both of Montreal and MGMT are scheduled to play on Saturday at Bonnaroo, so if we're lucky, we may get to see a Blikk Fang show.

Others You'll Like:

Animal Collective, Andrew Bird, The Decemberists, MGMT

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint is one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B. He's had a successful solo career. He's written and produced hit songs, that have been covered, and in some cases, made popular by artists like The Rolling Stones, The Who, Otis Redding, Dr. John, Irma Thomas and Aaron Neville.

He got his break at just seventeen years old, when he sat in for Huey Smith during a performance with Earl King's band in Alabama.

His career peaked in the '70's, when he grew into a funkier sound, writing and producing for artists like The Meters, Dr. John, Robert Palmer and Solomon Burke.

He also collaborated with Elvis Costello for The River in Reverse, and they performed together at Bonnaroo 2006. His next effort, The Bright Mississippi, is due out this year.

Others You May Like:

Al Green, Erykah Badu, Raphael Saadiq

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria is a heavy metal, prog rock band that formed in New York fourteen years ago. They are a band influenced by music of an elder era (Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rush, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Bad Brains, At the Drive-In).

They make concept albums about The Armory Wars, a comic book series written by lead singer Claudio Sanchez.

Coheed's most recent album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, debuted at #6 on the Billboard charts.

They've toured with everyone from Thursday, Thrice and AFI, to Linkin Park, Clutch and The Fall of Troy, as well as being apart of several festivals including Warped Tour and Bamboozle. This year they'll be hitting the road with Slipknot and Trivium on the .All Hope Is Gone tour.

Other bands you may like:

Nine Inch Nails, The Mars Volta, Shadows Fall, High on Fire, Dillinger Escape Plan

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Ben Sollee

Singer/songwriter Ben Sollee is a classically trained cellist, who mixes folk, bluegrass, jazz, R&B and soul, creating a sound all his own.

Also a member of Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet, the Lexington, Kentucky native has appeared on the local Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and was even named one of NPR's Top Ten Unknown Artists of 2007.

Last May, Sollee released an EP, and one month later came his full-length debut album, Learning to Bend.

Other artists you may like:

Andrew Bird, Bon Iver, Brett Dennen, Elvis Perkins, A.A. Bondy

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Booker T. Jones appearing with the Drive-By Truckers

Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and arranger, best known for fronting the southern soul band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s.

A musical prodigy as a child, Booker T. played the oboe, sax, trombone and piano. He played on Willie Nelson's album Stardust, and has lent his trademark keyboards to everyone from Ray Charles to Neil Young to Natalie Merchant.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 Grammys.

The Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country, Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia. They formed in 1991, and have seen several members of the band come and go, the most notable of them, Jason Isbell.

They've created a raw, dirty, grungy country rock sound inspired by everyone from The Rolling Stones and Faces, to Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Henry.

The result of this collaboration is Booker T's new album, Potato Hole, to be released on April 21. He is joined by the Drive-By Truckers as his backing band, as well as featuring Neil Young on nine of the album's ten tracks.

But don't get your hopes up too quick.

Neil Young won't be joining them onstage at Bonnaroo. He'll be off in Europe playing both the Norwegian Wood and Isle of Wight Festivals on the same Bonnaroo weekend.

Neil or no Neil, the collaboration between Booker T. and the Truckers will be a special one at that, probably going in the books as one of the most legendary performances in Bonnaroo history.

You might also want to check out these sets at Bonnaroo:

Al Green, Gov't Mule, Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: David Grisman Quintet

David Grisman is a bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist from New Jersey and composer of acoustic music. In the early 90's he created the Acoustic Disc record label in hopes to spread acoustic and instrumental music.

When David was seven years old, his professional trombonist father had him take piano lessons, but it was when he was around 13 or 14 that he discovered folk music and the Kingston Trio.

In 1964 Grisman met Jerry Garcia at a Bill Monroe show at Sunset Park, and Garcia dubbed him with the nickname "Dawg." Dawg music is what he calls his mix of bluegrass and Reinhardt/Grappelli-influenced jazz.

Throughout his career, Grisman has been apart of many different musical projects and has collaborated with countless musicians of various styles including Rob Wasserman, Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Peter Rowan, Mark O' Connor, Bela Fleck, David Bromberg, Del McCoury, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Sam Bush and the Kronos Quartet.

In 2007 he sued YouTube because he felt that they should be required to prevent individuals from posting recordings of his music, and that he felt he was the one who should be responsible for licensing and policing his own copyrights.

Other artists you may like:

Merle Haggard, Del McCoury Band

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Gomez

Gomez are an alternative, British-pop band from Southport, England, that signed to Virgin Records in 1997. They are currently signed to Dave Matthews' ATO Records.

Their debut album, Bring It On, won the Mercury Music Prize in 1998. Early on in the band's career, they earned a spot opening on the Eagle Eye Cherry tour.

Gomez were beginning to break through with the release of their third album, 2002's In Our Gun. The album made the top 10 on the UK charts and the top 50 on the Australian charts.

They later on went into the studio to work on their fourth album, with famed producer Tchad Blake (Tom Waits, Crowded House, Pearl Jam).

Gomez have been touring extensively over the past several years playing festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Beale Street, JazzFest, Sasquatch and Jam Cruise, as well as tours with the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Cake, OAR and Ben Kweller.

Their upcoming album, A New Tide, will be out on March 31.

Other bands you may like:

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Brett Dennen

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Kaki King

Katherine Elizabeth King, also known as Kaki, is a guitar player and singer/songwriter from Atlanta. At a young age, her father encouraged her interest in music.

During her high school years, she played in a band with Morgan Jahnig, who later became the acoustic bassist of Old Crow Medicine Show. While attending New York University, Kaki would play down in the cities subways.

She makes her sound using fret-tapping with slap bass techniques, using the guitar for percussional beats, as well as layering and looping. She cites Michael Hedges and Preston Reed as critical influences.

Others you may like:

Jenny Lewis, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Bon Iver, St. Vincent

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Okkervil River

For the past ten years, Austin's Okkervil River is finally climbing the latter, to becoming an integral part of a new breed of indie-folk bands like the Decemberists, Conor Oberst and the National. In 2006, they signed with Virgin/EMI Records.

It wasn't until their fourth album, 2007's The Stage Names, where Okkervil River started earning their dues, with the album finishing at #62 on the Billboard 200, selling 10,000 copies in its first week. The album was actually recorded as a double album, however, the second part of the album wasn't released until just last year.

Vocalist and songwriter Will Sheff, also fronts the band Shearwater, and is a noted rock critic with an English degree, although he wanted to be a filmmaker while in college.

The band currently consists of several members and instruments, and they have also seen there share of bandmates who have come and gone.

Aside from Sheff on acoustic guitar, there's Lauren Gurgiolo on the electric guitar, pedal steel and mandolin, Patrick Pestorius on bass and piano, Justin Sherburn on keys and guitar, Travis Nelsen on drums and percussion and Scott Brackett on trumpet, keys and percussion.

Going back to the second half of that double album, Okkervil River released The Stand Ins last year, and have followed up quite nicely. The album continues on with the same themes of pop culture, celebrity suicide and the chaos and self-deception of the rock 'n roll lifestyle. The album is their best yet, finishing at #42 on the Billboard 200.

Others you may like:

Wilco, Andrew Bird, Band of Horses, The Decemberists, Bon Iver, Jenny Lewis

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Raphael Saadiq

Brought into this world as Charlie Ray Wiggins from Oakland, the man now known as Raphael Saadiq is a singer, songwriter and record producer associated with the soul movement.

You also may know him as the lead vocalist and bass player of the popular '80's R&B/Dance trio, Tony! Toni! Tone!. After their demise, Saadiq went on to the supergroup, Lucy Pearl, which included Dawn Robinson of En Vogue and Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest. Unfortunately, they were finished after their only album.

Saadiq is a very well respected talent, who has worked with anyone and everyone in the music world. Let me throw some names at you. Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, The Isley Brothers, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Macy Gray, Angie Stone, Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip, Ludacris, The Bee Gees, Lionel Richie, Nappy Roots, T-Boz from TLC, Floetry, John Legend, Joss Stone, Babyface, Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire, among many, many others.

At just 42 years young, Saadiq has paved the way for several artists, and has already accomplished a lifetime's work in a short time.

Look for Raphael Saadiq to pop up throughout the Bonnaroo weekend, collaborating with a number of artists.

Other Bonnaroo artists with soul power:

Al Green, Erykah Badu, Allen Toussaint

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are an indie, punk rock band that formed in Washington, DC and members are based around the northeastern states. Leo started this band after his previous band, Chisel (who had toured with Fugazi and Blonde Redhead), broke up in the late '90's.

The band has seen several members come and go, and their current live lineup also includes James Canty on guitar, Marty "Violence" Key on bass and Chris Wilson on drums.

They were signed to Lookout! Records in 2001, but left the label in 2006 amidst financial crises. They are now with Touch and Go Records, a label that includes !!!, Blonde Redhead, TV on the Radio and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

The band's popularity has grown because of heavy touring and performances at large music festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Pitchfork. They went on the road last year with bands like Pearl Jam, Against Me! and Future of the Left.

Other bands you might like at Bonnaroo:

Okkervil River, Portugal. the Man, American Princes

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles is the Canadian experimental, electronica duo of Ethan Kath and vocalist Alice Glass. With the production of multi-instrumentalist Kath, and the distorted vocals of Glass, it would seem that they could have provided the soundtrack to the video game console Atari.

They formed in 2003, but did not record their first single, "Alice Practice", until 2005. Although the song was an accidental microphone test, their success on MySpace had record companies contacting them for deals.

They are known for their chaotic live shows, and their remixes of a number of groups including Bloc Party and Klaxons.

They are huge in the European music scene, having played festivals such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, as well as having toured with the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Metric and The Teenagers.

Electronica usually dominates the latenight scene at Bonnaroo, so I think it's safe to say we know when Crystal Castles will be playing.

Other acts at Bonnaroo you may enjoy:

Paul Oakenfold, Girl Talk, The Ting Tings

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Brett Dennen

Brett Dennen is an acoustic, folkie guitarist from Oakdale, California. He gives off a more relaxed, mellow feel with his music, much like a Jack Johnson or James Blunt.

His popularity began to rise with the release of his second album, 2006's So Much More, which had three successful singles. His music has since been featured on television shows like Grey's Anatomy, House, The Unit and Scrubs.

He's been on tours with artists such as John Mayer, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Guster, Mason Jennings, Colbie Caillat, Erin McCarley and Meiko.

But his most recent effort, is his best, last year's Hope for the Hopeless. The first single from the album, "Make You Crazy", features none other than an Afro-Beat legend that is also playing Bonnaroo. I'm talking about Femi Kuti. Let's hope that collaboration happens at the festival!

Here are some other singer/songwriter's like Dennen you might enjoy:

Bon Iver, Ben Sollee, Citizen Cope, Elvis Perkins

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Vieux Farka Toure

Malian singer and guitarist, Vieux Farka Toure, is the son of the legendary Ali Farka Toure, one of Africa's most renowned musicians. He quickly stepped into his own spotlight with his debut release in 2006.

Although his father wanted him to pursue a career in the military, Vieux took after his father because he realized he had the music within him.

In 2001, he became a student at the National Arts Institute in Bamako, taking up guitar and percussion, while writing his own music. Not even two years later, famed kora player Toumani Diabate became Vieux's professional mentor.

He's putting the finishing touches on his second album, which will be released in late spring on Six Degrees Records.

He kicks off his U.S. tour at Bonnaroo, and I'm anticipating a collaboration with his mentor, who is joining Bela Fleck's African Project.

Some of those other world music artists at Bonnaroo you may like:

Bela Fleck and Toumani Diabate, Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, King Sunny Ade

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Portugal. the Man

No, this band is not from Portugal, they are in fact from where else but Wasilla, Alaska, and currently based out of Portland, Oregon. Their band name came from several ideas including David Bowie's "bigger than life" fame, as well as the name of a book vocalist John Gourley was planning on writing about his father.

They are an alternative, post-hardcore, experimental indie band made up of former members of the band Anatomy of a Ghost. At times the band uses drum machines and synth loops to anchor their songs, while other times they use the conventional guitar, bass and drum setup.

Gourley provides the band with his high-pitched vocals, and abstract lyrics that rely heavily on imagery. Last year, he took home AP Magazine's 'Best Vocalist of the Year' Award.

They have released three studio albums thus far, the 2006 debut, Waiter: "You Vultures!", with the other two drawing attention of critics, 2007's Church Mouth, and last year's Censored Colors.

Other bands at Bonnaroo you may like:

The Mars Volta, Animal Collective, Yeasayer

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Delta Spirit

Delta Spirit is an up-and-coming indie rock band from San Diego, who incorporate elements of americana, punk and soul into their music. A band made up of multi-instrumentalists, they bring in unconventional instruments like trash can lids and orchestral bass drums.

The five friends music relationship dates back to 2005, however, they have only released one full length album, last year's Ode to Sunshine. The album has been receiving rave reviews from the music world.

They have already shared the stage with the likes of Cold War Kids, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Dr. Dog. They're drawing comparisons to the Violent Femmes, The Waterboys and Gomez.

Other Bands at Bonnaroo you may like:

Andrew Bird, Band of Horses, The Decemberists, Jenny Lewis, Gomez

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: The Lovell Sisters

Jessica, Megan and Rebecca Lovell are from Calhoun, Georgia and have roots in acoustic, bluegrass and classical music. The sisters began taking classical violin and piano lessons with the local youth symphony, around the age of five.

They are known for both their strong, vocal harmonies and instrumental performances. At MerleFest 2006, Rebecca took home first place in the mandolin contest.

With only one studio album under their belt, 2005's When Forever Rolls Around, The Lovell Sisters will be releasing the follow-up this spring. The touring band also includes Matt Wingate on acoustic guitar and Daniel Kimbro on upright bass.

Other Bands at Bonnaroo you may like:

Tift Merritt, Cherryholmes, The SteelDrivers

Monday, March 16, 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: Alberta Cross

Alberta Cross is a bluesy, folk-rock band originally from London, currently based out of New York.

Songwriters' Petter Ericson Stakee and Terry Wolfers have been influenced since a young age by the sounds of bands and artists like The Band, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen.

Aside from blues and folk, Alberta Cross also mixes in a little roots rock, gospel and soul to create a sound that is drawing comparisons ranging from Neil Young and The White Stripes, to The Felice Brothers and Deer Tick. They have shared the stage with bands like Oasis, The Shins and Simian Mobile Disco.

2007 saw two releases from the band: The first, an EP called Leave Us Or Forgive Us, and the mini-album, The Thief & The Heartbreaker.

Alberta Cross look to release their first, full-length album this April or May, on Ark Recordings.

If you like this band, here are some other bands at Bonnaroo you might want to check out:

Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, The Low Anthem, A.A. Bondy.

Top 5 Shows (for the Week of March 15-21)

Tuesday, March 17
Southgate House
Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk with Daughters & Sons

Recognize that last name? You just might. Coming from the legendary New Orleans musical family, Ivan is the son of Aaron Neville, and has been an active musician for over the past twenty-five years. Aside from appearing on several Neville Brothers albums, Ivan was a former member of Bonnie Raitt's band, and also accompanied Keith Richards on his first solo tour. His music embodies the rich heritage and culture of "The Big Easy."

Friday, March 20
Bogart's
Rachael Yamagata

Southgate House
Banderas with 500 Miles to Memphis, The Lions Rampant and Chico Fellini

Saturday, March 21
Bogart's
Ratatat

The Gypsy Hut
Scotty Lust & the Two Timers with The Sundresses and White Girls

Rothbury Unveils Artist Lineup

Just moments ago, the Rothbury Music Festival released the initial artist lineup for the second annual summer festival, held on Fourth of July Weekend in Rothbury, Michigan at the Double JJ Ranch.

Not a bad lineup at all.

Here's a look into the lineup:

There's a little bit of everything here. Jam bands from different generations like The Dead and String Cheese Incident. Folk and country gods, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Bluesy, southern jam band rock from the Black Crowes and Gov't Mule. A collaboration between Damian Marley and Nas. There's a group called Quannum All Stars which includes hip-hop's Lyrics Born, The Mighty Underdogs, Gift of Gab and Lifesavas.

Other bands that stick out to me include Yonder Mountain String Band, Cold War Kids, John Butler, Girl Talk, Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, Martin Sexton, Railroad Earth, The Hold Steady, Brett Dennen, Son Volt, Jackie Greene, EOTO, Pretty Lights and the Low Anthem.

For more information on Rothbury, click here.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Concert Thoughts

Last night I attended the MidPoint Music Festival Reveal Showcase, otherwise known as Pomegranates CD Release Party for their latest effort, Everybody, Come Outside! The album drops April 14 on Lujo Records.

I'm not sure when or where I first heard of Pomegranates (I'm not even sure I knew how to pronounce it), but what I do remember is how I felt the first time that I saw them live. It was a show last year, or maybe the year before, at the Southgate House, and they were definitely opening for somebody. It might have been a national touring act, but I don't know. I also don't have an exact number of those in attendance, but there couldn't of been more than thirty or forty people at this show.

As I was passing the Southgate House last night looking for a place to park, I was pleasantly surprised to see a line of people extending to the street curb. Never in my life have I waited in a line that long to get into the Southgate House. But don't take that the wrong way. Lines of people that long can bring nothing but good to any business.

I was already running behind, and feared that the concert was already underway. By the time I got through the doors and downstairs, Enlou had already finished and Matthew Shelton and friends were setting up.

They call themselves Matthew Shelton's Picnic, and is one of a few musical endeavors led by who else but Matthew Shelton, whose deep, baritone voice brought to mind God as a singer/songwriter. Shelton stands tall and center, acoustic guitar in hand, playing a different type of folk music, something I've never heard.

What makes this sound appear new to my ears, is who is accompanying Shelton. Somewhat of a super group of sorts. Basically, extremely talented, local individual musicians.

To Shelton's right, and bringing more bass to the music, we have Laura Sabo and Kathleen Moniaci, on the bass clarinet and bassoon, respectively. To his left, we have Sharon Udoh of the Newbees on keys and backing vocals, and Peter Adams on violin.

I have to say, I enjoy seeing unfamiliar sounding instruments brought to life on stage. As they were playing, I often found myself gearing in on what each individual brought to the music. At times, Shelton reminded me of a folk artist from a timeless age. I also thought at times, that this group would be a great opening act for someone like Andrew Bird or Sufjan Stevens. Though I could tell that some of the notes weren't hit perfectly, I reminded myself that musicians are people too, and occasionally make mistakes. When they were spot-on, they created magnificent landscapes of pure musical beauty.

Up next was the Illinois indie-rock band, Headlights. At a time when indie-rock is at an all-time high, I'm beginning to feel an overload of similar sounding bands. Not that Headlights sounded like any or every indie-rock band out there...they really don't.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm starting to become bored with the typical, male/female vocal swap you see in electronic-indie rock. It was once my cup of tea, but because I've grown accustomed to the taste, I think I'm in search of a new, fresh taste for my ears. Bands like this really have to stand out above the rest, if they're looking to win over my heart.

But don't base your opinion on what I'm saying. Check out Headlights for yourself. After all, in only five years they've done quite well. Over 45,000 listeners on last.fm, over 420,000 views on MySpace, as well as nearly 590,000 plays on their MySpace page. Not to mention they are signed to a highly respectable label, Polyvinyl Records. That label also includes Asobi Seksu, Loney Dear and Cale Parks.

On after Headlights, were the men of the evening, Pomegranates.

Don't judge too quickly when you see this band. All very young looking but mid-twenties or so, you would think these guys were headed to a high school band challenge at Bogart's. Hell, even I'm a young, looking guy going on 28, who still gets carded for cigarettes!

Age is of no importance once these guys plug in. I remember from that first night that I saw them play, I immediately thought their sound fit somewhere between Modest Mouse and The Shins. Come to find out, they are heavily-influenced by the Talking Heads/David Byrne and Brian Eno.

The band is made up of a few multi-instrumentalists and a drummer/percussionist. Throughout their set, front man Joey Cook, along with Isaac Karns and Josh Kufeldt, would trade instruments back and forth. One playing the standard electric guitar, another on bass, and the other working with sampling and the keyboard.

They brought a lot of the new songs out last night, having never played several of them live. Because the album doesn't come out until next month, I'm not going to sit here and try to write about the fine points of an album that I can't listen to over and over again. That wouldn't be fair.

All I can really say is that the show was great, the Southgate House was a sellout, and 2009 will be a great year for Pomegranates.

As for the whole MidPoint stuff...

The MidPoint Music Festival has launched a newly designed website here, along with a new logo called "Monty", a riverboat captain with one-eye (the midpoint) and a big mustache. What the importance of the logo is, I have no idea, but it looks like a sweet little graphic.

Of course you know, MidPoint will be back in late September, and better than ever. It always is. They're bringing back the Scion Streetcars, as well as continuing showcases across the river at the Southgate House.

They even announced someone who'll be playing at MidPoint this year. He's a national touring artist, who recently played at the Southgate House, and even commented that night on his love for playing such a historic venue. This artist and his band are getting ready to play SXSW with the Felice Brothers and Deer Tick. His band brought down the house that night with their cover of the Talking Head's "Pyscho Killer." You might know of him if you've heard about the Drive-By Truckers.

It's Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit!

Friday, March 13, 2009

CincyPunk Updates

The eighth installment of the CincyPunk Music Festival is just around the corner, once again taking place at Newport's Historic Southgate House, on the weekend of April 10 and 11.

The music festival was born out of cincypunk.org, a music forum where fans can spread word across the globe about their favorite bands.

As for the festival, don't be confused by the name. Although they started out heavy in booking mostly punk acts, the festival has expanded to include many styles of music, while maintaining a "punk/DIY attitude."

The festival has raised over $18,000 in the past four years, which have all been donated to several charities including Lighthouse Youth Services of Cincinnati, the Mental Health Association of Northern Kentucky, the Women's Crisis Center of Northern Kentucky and YMCA Camp Ernst's Core Character Values scholarship program for inner-city youths.

This year's proceeds will be going to benefit the Animal Adoption Foundation, a non-profit/no kill animal shelter operating in Harrison, OH for the past thirty-seven years.

Here's how the music schedule is shaping up:

Friday, April 10
$7 for 21+/$10 for 18+

Ballroom:
8:00-8:30 MAD ANTHONY
8:45-9:15 KOALA FIRES
9:30-10:00 TURNBULL AC'S
10:15-10:45 THISTLE
11:00-11:30 WHiTE G!RLS
11:45-12:15 SEEDY SEEDS
12:30-1:00 THE LIONS RAMPANT
1:15-2:00 ALONE AT 3am

Lounge:
9:00-9:30 RIVERSIDE REVIVAL
9:45-10:15 JARED AND BRYAN
10:30-11:00 WAKE THE BEAR
11:15-12:15 STICK FIGURES
12:30-1:30 WONKY TONK

Parlour:
8:30-9:00 STATE SONG
9:15-9:45 DUPPY A JAMBA
10:00:10:30 KNIFE THE SYMPHONY
10:45-11:15 WE ARE HEX (Indianapolis)
11:30-12:00 CATERPILLAR TRACKS
12:15-1:00 GUITARS

Saturday, April 11
$7 for 21+/$10 for 18+

Ballroom:
8:00-8:30 ECHO TO VOLTRON
8:45-9:15 LOUDMOUTH
9:30-10:00 SLOW CLAW
10:15-10:45 500 MILES TO MEMPHIS
11:00-11:30 ARMS EXPLODING
11:45-12:15 PINCUSHION (reunion show)
12:30-1:00 SPODIE (reunion show)
1:15-2:00 SATURDAY SUPERCADE (reunion show)

Lounge:
9:00-9:30 THE VIPS
9:45-10:15 MOXY MONSTER
10:30-11:00 MATT STANTON
11:15-11:45 SMALL TIME CROOKS
12:00-12:30 EATAFETUS TRIO (acoustic)
12:45-1:30 BAND TBA

Parlour:
8:30-9:00 Ukraine Crane (reunion show)
9:15-9:45 THE FRANKL PROJECT
10:00:10:30 DOPAMINES
10:45-11:15 JOHN WALSH
11:30-12:00 MINT 6 TEN
12:15-1:00 SHOTGUN ON BLONDE

Set times are subject to change...

Summer Concerts at Riverbend & PNC Pavilion

The summer concert schedule is slowly coming along, for both Riverbend Music Center and it's baby brother amphitheater, PNC Pavilion.

So far, only a few shows have been booked, that I feel are worth mentioning.

Here's how the schedules are shaping up so far:

PNC Pavilion

Tue, May 12
Kings of Leon with The Walkmen
SOLD OUT!

Jackson Browne has also been booked to play the smaller amphitheater, but an exact date and ticket info has not yet been determined.

Riverbend Music Center

Thu, June 4
Coldplay
Tickets on sale Fri, March 20 at 10 am

Tue, June 16
Dave Matthews Band with The Hold Steady
Tickets on sale today! - Fri, March 13 at 10 am

Sat, June 20
311 with Ziggy Marley
Tickets on sale Sat, Apr 4 at 10 am

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Cincinnati's Week in Music

Here's a rundown of what's happening locally, in the world of music:

Monday, March 9
Southgate House
Agent Orange with SS-20 and Liquid Limbs in the ballroom...
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights with Grooveshire in the parlour...
Open Mic Night in the lounge...

Open Mic Night at the Southgate House is known as one of the cities best open mic nights. I've been going on and off since last fall, and there really are some good players there. In my opinion, it'd be nice to see some of them record an album or EP, and get some shows booked, at least locally to start out. You may think open mic nights are just okay at best...but at shows like these, great talent CAN be discovered.

Tuesday, March 10
U.S. Bank Arena
Billy Joel & Elton John

Southgate House
Here We Go Magic with Callers and Peter Adams & the Nocturnal Collective in the parlour...

Here We Go Magic is currently hitting the road hard, where they'll be seeing much of the east coast, as well as the northeast. But the best part for them, may be the five shows they'll be playing at this year's SXSW Festival - the first being a gig with Akron/Family.

Wednesday, March 11
MusicNOW Festival at Memorial Hall
featuring The Books and the Artist-in-Residence, Kronos Quartet

Northside Tavern
Peter Adams with Matthew Shelton's Picnic, Molly Sullivan and Fanatics and Traitors

Thursday, March 12
MusicNOW Festival at Memorial Hall featuring one of the most important musicians in Africa, kora player Toumani Diabate, Karl Jensen, with the Kronos Quartet exploring music from around the world including Africa, India, Greece and the Middle East

Friday, March 13 - Two CD Release Parties, which one do I choose?
Northside Tavern
Wussy CD Release Party with The Fervor

Southgate House
Pomegranates CD Release Party with Headlights, Matthew Shelton's Picnic and Enlou in the ballroom...
Starling Electric with Single File and The Harlequins in the parlour...

Whichever one you choose, you win. Both Wussy and Pomegranates are among the best in the local scene.

Saturday, March 14
Northside Tavern
Coltrane Motion with Culture Queer and You, You're Awesome

Check out my interview from last year's MidPoint Festival with Michael Bond of Coltrane Motion here.

Southgate House
Dexter Romweber Duo with J. Dorsey Blues Band and Lions Rampant in the ballroom...
Davy Jay Sparrow with The Rolle Singers and Magnolia Mountain in the lounge...

Wayne Coyne Rips Into Arcade Fire

So I stumbled upon this article from RollingStone.com about Wayne Coyne (of the Flaming Lips) giving a big "F You!" to Win Butler and company from Arcade Fire.

Frankly, I don't really care about this story. Just wanted to share it with you guys.

I love the Flaming Lips and I love Arcade Fire. I saw Arcade Fire up in Columbus a couple years ago (the final leg of the Neon Bible tour) and it was one of the best shows I saw that year.

I've had two opportunities to see the Lips, both at music festivals, but because of schedule conflicts, I chose the other bands. At ACL 2006 the Lips played against Ben Harper, and I'm a bigger Harper fan, so I chose him. The worst thing was the fact that I missed the Lips latenight show at Bonnaroo 2007, where they landed a UFO on stage, with Wayne rolling out into the crowd in his plastic bubble.

While this story may be somewhat of a waste, I was glad to read Win Butler's response. You can find his response by going to the Arcade Fire site, clicking on "Win" in the upperleft, then clicking on "Win's Scrapbook." I tried to make a link, but for whatever reason it doesn't take you exactly to his scrapbook.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Go See A Show Tonight...

...at the historic Southgate House!

A lot of bands to see tonight on all three floors...

In the ballroom...

Jason Isbell (former Drive-By Trucker)
Deer Tick - you may like them if you're into Langhorne Slim, the Felice Brothers, Bon Iver or A.A. Bondy.

In the parlour...

Neil Hamburger
Daiquiri
Billy Catfish

In the lounge...

The Ladybirds

For more information including show times and ticket prices visit SouthgateHouse.com.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Go See A Show Tonight...

...at the Mad Hatter in Covington!

Seriously...

Tonight we're celebrating a special party for two of Cincinnati's finest indie bands, Bad Veins and the Seedy Seeds. Both bands are heading to Austin, Texas pretty soon, to be a part of the largest music festival in the country, South by Southwest. It may not officially be the largest music festival, however, in my opinion, it is the largest, and I base that on the fact that a couple thousand bands from all over the world play the festival in a matter of a week.

The music for tonight doesn't end there though. Opening the show is an up-and-coming local indie/folk band, Hazle Weatherfield. They've been compared to bands like Bright Eyes and Okkervil River.

So come down to the Mad Hatter tonight to celebrate or just to listen to some fine indie rock.

Doors open at 8 pm, but the show probably won't kickoff until about 9. It's only $5 and, seriously, there isn't a better show in town tonight.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Woodstock: Exploring Several Options

This summer marks the 40th anniversary of the infamous Woodstock Festival, and it appears that the legend of the name "Woodstock", will get another chance to be resurrected from the disaster that was Woodstock 1999.

Nothing is confirmed yet, but they are exploring several options. Chief promoter Michael Lang is planning two free Woodstock concerts. Yeah that's right. Free. No venue is lined up for the show in New York, but it will take place on the exact days that the first one in 1969 took place on, August 15th and 16th. The other show will be held in Berlin on August 22nd and 23rd. Berlin? Okay. Why there? Not to mention this show will be held at Hitler's favorite airport!

For the Berlin show, organizers have booked several of the original performers from the show in '69, including The Who, Carlos Santana, The Dead and Joan Baez, as well as Neil Young.

They are looking to get the very same acts for the show in New York, along with Joe Cocker and Country Joe & the Fish.

My Thoughts

I think this is a great way to celebrate forty years. It just may work with the lineup they are projecting.

I think this festival happening in 2009, couldn't have come at both a better, and a worse time. It's a great time for the festival to come along because, it's been forty years since the first, and a good number of the original acts are still around, but may not be at the fifty year reunion. Get them while you still can. No question they'll do a fifty year reunion.

It's also a bad time for the festival because music festivals, in general, are at an all-time high. So many festivals. Most outside, and during the warmer months, but we're even getting a large number of acts playing cruise ships in the winter time.

Then I begin to realize that I'm not thinking realistically. The festival won't fail. It's Woodstock and it's only one year. This isn't going to be a yearly thing. Even if it was, it would still probably succeed. Would we really need it every year? Not really. We got the New Orleans Jazz Fest, Bonnaroo, Lolla, Coachella, ACL, Wakarusa, SXSW and a ton of other newer festies like Outside Lands, Rothbury, Sasquatch and Stagecoach.

It's a good thing to see them want to celebrate forty years, but it's even better that they've finally come to their senses to book the very same acts who played in '69. The lineup in '94 wasn't bad at all, and even '99 had some very nice acts. But for some reason, something happened in '99 and I just can't figure it out. I mean, I've watched the documentaries on the festival, and the VH1 Behind the Scenes look or whatever, and while I think some of it may have been certain bands, something just drove people to snap and rebel.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Indie Rock Invades Mad Hatter Tonight

A few, very fine, up and coming indie rock bands are taking over the Mad Hatter tonight.

Tokyo Police Club is a Canadian indie rock band, who write catchy, danceable tunes. They stop in Covington tonight, as they're on their way to play the Harvest of Hope Festival in St. Augustine, FL, later in the week. Other acts at that festival include Against Me!, The National, Girl Talk, GZA, Bad Brains, Bouncing Souls, Less Than Jake, The Gaslight Anthem, Black Kids and Ra Ra Riot. For fans of Ra Ra Riot, Foals, Vampire Weekend and Wolf Parade.

Harlem Shakes are an indie rock band from Brooklyn, whose sound and melodies bring to mind classic New York, vintage pop rock and doo wop. For fans of the Handsome Furs, Illinois and the Broken West. Also playing Harvest of Hope Festival, as well as South by Southwest. They'll be doing some shows coming up with Bell X-1, including Philadelphia's World Cafe Live.

Opening the show is Ruby Coast, a newish Canadian indie rock band, who just released their first EP a few months ago. You'll probaby like them if you like the other two bands on the bill. Also playing Harvest of Hope and South by Southwest. Ra Ra Riot will be joining them on the road for a few shows.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Bands Added to Bonnaroo

Although Bonnaroo has not released any official news of artist additions, several artists have confirmed that they'd be playing the festival, most of them via MySpace.

It would appear that most of these additions are Cafe Acts - the two cafe's at Bonnaroo are the Blue Room Cafe, located in the field of the What Stage, and the Troo Music Lounge, located between Which Stage and This Tent. Cafe Acts can sometimes be local Tennessee bands, but for the most part, these bands are smaller (in popularity), and because of the size of the tents, these bands also play to the smallest crowds at Bonnaroo. But that's not to say that they're not good or worth checking out. When at Bonnaroo, I never saw a band in the Blue Room Cafe. But I've seen a few in the Troo Music Lounge including Jonah Smith, The Whigs, John Paul White and Langhorne Slim.

Onto the Addition Leaks...

Like I said, most of these will probably be Cafe Acts, but there are a few recognizable names. The bigger names include Peter, Bjorn & John, Amadou & Mariam, American Princes, Murs, and the Lee Boys.

Some of the "less-recognizable" names include Jessie Baylin, Dan Dyer, ccome, Charlie Allen, Keisha Jackson, Jacob Guinnup, Sift, The Voyage North, The Pied Piper, Dwayne Kerr, DJ 609, Orpheo McCord, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zero's, Stacy Osorio, the Saturday Night Revolution with Dean Morrison, Sarah Siskind and the 603 Kings.