Archive | August, 2010

Mile High Music Festival

9 Aug

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Mile High Music Festival is finally here! Ok well a five long days away but man am I stoked about two days of amazing music.  After booking tickets months ago the flight to Denver is oh so close and I can’t wait.  On Saturday, August 14 and Sunday, August 15 The Fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park will be home to over 40 music performances and definitely over a handful of acts I can’t wait to hear. 

The toughest part over the two days will be agonizing over which performances are a must see and which I’ll sadly have to take a pass on.  I do know that Saturday will get started with Donavon Frankenreiter’s performance and I’m definitely in to see ALO, Nas & Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, Slightly Stoopid and Jack Johnson.  The rest of Saturday is a toss-up.  As for Sunday, Drive-By Truckers and Ozomatli are shoe-ins for the early side with Jimmy Cliff, Z-Trip, Weezer, My Morning Jacket following and Dave Matthews Band wrapping up the festival.

So much good music in one place over two days and add in what a city Denver is and you can’t ask for much more.  DoyouHearTheMusic.com will mostly be devoted to my preview of Mile High Music Festival artists the rest of the week aka a way for me to talk about some of my favorites.  If you’re reading this my hope is that you find some new music to listen to along the way and if you want to throw in your two cents, please do!

Peace + Love + Music

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Revisited: My First Concert

9 Aug

I was a mere eight years old in December 1989 and found myself at the Atlantic City Convention Center going to my first concert, The Rolling Stones. Of course at eight I couldn’t comprehend what a big deal The Rolling Stones were but I remember Mick Jagger running around like a maniac, gigantic blow-up legs inflating like the floats at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, we somehow wound up backstage and me asking my parents “what’s that smell?” Little did I know then that The Rolling Stones would become one of my favorite bands and that this would be the beginning of my love of music. I’ve been fortunate to have seen The Rolling Stones in three different decades (80s, 90s and 00s). I still have the concert t-shirt from that Steel Wheels tour and now it actually fits and is not used for pajamas.

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More Summer Music

7 Aug

It’s the weekend and here are two songs that are summer essentials, especially out at the pool, “Stereo Love” by Edward Maya ft. Vika Jigulina and “We No Speak Americano” by Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP. If for some reason they aren’t on your summer playlist, add them NOW.

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Get The Weekend Started With This Song

6 Aug

Ready for the weekend to begin? Here’s a track to get it started the right way. When the sun is shining, the temperatures are up there and you have a cocktail in hand, push play.

Coldplay vs. Buena Vista Social Club – “Clocks”

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Your August Playlist

6 Aug

For the first Friday in August here’s a little summer playlist of songs you should be adding into your music rotation to help get you through the hot, hot heat.  While I suggest checking out all the songs and artists below, don’t miss a few of the unknowns like Blue King Brown, a fantastic reggae band from Australia, the original recording of “The Seed” by Cody ChesnuTT (not The Roots) and “Some Fantasy” by D.W. Brandt which is a must and you can only find it on the 1% For The Planet album.

“Come and Check Your Head” – Blue King Brown

“Yes I Will” – Michael Franti

“Pictures of People Taking Pictures” – Jack Johnson

“Misery Runs” – MyNameIsJohnMichael

“Stay Lucky” – The Gaslight Anthem

“Zebra” – John Butler Trio

“The Seed” – Cody ChesnuTT

“Can I Kick It” – A Tribe Called Quest

“Past My Shades” – B.o.B. ft. Lupe Fiasco

“In the Flesh” – Jurassic 5

“The Light” – Common

“Periscopes” – The Beautiful Girls

“What Ya Know About” – Donavon Frankenreiter

“Bullet Holes” – Dispatch

“Bright Side of the Road” – Van Morrison

“Maria” – ALO

“One Drop” – Bob Marley

“Jimi Thing” – Dave Matthews Band

“When It’s Good” – Ben Harper

“Sunshine” – Matt Costa

“Ocho Rios” – The Movement

“Landalay” – O.A.R.

“Back In The High Life Again” – Steve Winwood

“Funcry” – Thomas Cunningham & The Locofocos

“Some Fantasy” – D.W. Brandt

“Fishing Song” – G.Love

“Cocaine Eyes” – The Rolling Stones

“Watching The Detectives” – Elvis Costello

“Give It Up” – Pepper

“KRS One” – Sublime

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Yeasayer – Ambling Alp

5 Aug

I know this song has been out for a while now but I’m really digging it these days and can’t seem to get enough of, “Ambling Alp” by Yeasayer off their album Odd Blood.

Something really cool they are doing, visit www.amblingalp.com and download the single for FREE.

Enjoy some good music and if you’re not a fan of Yeasayer, it’s never too late to become one!

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Revisited: Aerosmith – July 31, 2010

5 Aug

July 31, 2010 – MGM Grand Garden Arena – Las Vegas, Nevada

I made a spur of the moment decision to head on down to MGM Grand and scalp some tickets to the Aerosmith show.  I have seen Steven Tyler solo but it’s no Aerosmith and had tickets to see Aerosmith/KISS years ago before the show was cancelled due to Tyler getting laryngitis so I knew I really wanted to make sure I’d see one of the iconic rock & roll bands of the last 40 years (I have a thing where I try to see all of my favorite artists in concert before it’s too late – kind of like a bucket list for music). Within minutes tickets were in hand and I was going to finally see Aerosmith!  Besides being in an fantastic location to people watch (I swear it was like a time warp with the concert goers), the entire show was a greatest hits concert.  While they may not be the same band as 30 years ago, they can still rock out and put on a damn show. Personally being able to hear “Sweet Emotion” and “Dream On” live was enough for me.  Plus besides Mick Jagger I don’t know another rocker who could sport sequined costumes they way Steven Tyler does.  The only downer of the evening was Joe Perry’s Guitar Hero interlude which I can only imagine how much money they paid to have him take five minutes to endorse the game.  All in a well played last minute decision and being able to cross another band off the bucket list.

Here’s the set list:

Train Kept A Rollin’
Love In An Elevator
Fallin’ In Love
Eat The Rich
Pink
Living on the Edge
What It Takes
Mama Kin
Last Child
Cryin’
Drum Solo
Lord of the Thighs
Guitar Hero Joe
Stop Messin’
Miss A Thing
Sweet Emotion
Baby Please
Draw The Line

Encore
Dream On
Walk This Way
Toys In The Attic

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New Music: Curt Smith of Tears For Fears

5 Aug

So check this.  You all know Tears For Fears, the British duo of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal who brought us such timeless hits as “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and of course “Head Over Heels,” well Curt Smith is back with a new track set to be released on August 12 titled “Perfectly…..Still” featuring Universal Hall Pass aka Melissa R. Kaplan.  The song is a beautiful harmony of vocals that can easily send you off into a daydream and thus the song being about a temptation to leave the perfect life behind on a jaunt but then remembering how great life is now.

The real kicker to the creation of the song is Smith and Universal Hall Pass has never met in person but only through social media!  Similar to how Smith and avant-garde cellist Zoë Keating collaborated to create “All Is Love” from tweets on Twitter, “Perfectly….Still” was crafted from a relationship born through MySpace.  The creativity to be in two complete different locations and produce a tremendous sound that seems as if the artists had been in a studio together is unbelievable.

So check out Smith’s website at www.curtsmithofficial.com to keep up on the latest and don’t forget to grab the new track, “Perfectly…..Still” on August 12.

Also Smith has a really wicked weekly webcast called “Stripped Down Live with Curt Smith” that I suggest you check out to see some intimate garage jamming with up-and-coming bands.

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New Donavon Frankenreiter Song

4 Aug

Donavon Frankenreiter’s music can always bring a smile to my face and remind me of good times. He just posted his new song “Glow” on his MySpace page and you can click here to take a listen.

Donavon Frankenreiter at Wasted Space, Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas. Sunday, December 6. Photo credit Craig A. Nyman

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My Love Affair With Lost Highway Records

4 Aug

I am a huge Donavon Frankenreiter fan and when he was no longer with Brushfire Records it might have been a blessing in disguise for me selfishly.  For those who may not know, Brushfire Records is Jack Johnson’s label and has many of my favorite artists: ALO (plus Zach Gill solo), Matt Costa, G. Love, Mason Jennings, Neal Halstead, etc.). 

Anyways, when I found out Donavon had signed with Lost Highway I found myself drawn to their website for information and low and behold stumbled upon some musical gems that I have on my constant playlist in Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears and Ryan Bingham.

The first time I ever listened to Black Joe Lewis I almost peed my pants in excitement.  I mean this sounded like a 21st century James Brown, the funk, soul and rock & roll all in a fun and raw way.  His music just grabs a hold of you and takes you for a ride that can be described as captivating.  When I discovered BJL and listened to his album Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is, I had to share it with EVERYONE and of course, anyone who listened to it became an instant fan too.  As the legend of BJL grew (in my world we are talking) I hoped and prayed that I’d get a chance to see him live. Shortly after I received an email from a buddy of mine, Ryan Doherty of WENDOH Media Companies, with the subject Thank You and in the body “just booked Black Joe Lewis for the holiday party.”  I was ecstatic to say the least and let’s just say the show in December 2009 at Wasted Space at the Hard Rock Hotel was everything and then some.

Now Ryan Bingham who’s probably best known these days as an Oscar Award Winner for his track “The Weary Kind” in the Jeff Bridges movie “Crazy Heart” is a different story.  I will be the first to admit that country music is not in my everyday music selections but after hearing “Dylan’s Hard Rain” in June of 2009 I switched my stance and was addicted to his album Roadhouse Sun.  Bingham’s raspy, whisky voice takes hold and drives you deep in the heart of Texas.  After becoming a fan I took myself back a couple years to his debut release Mescalito and wondered how this guy has been flying under the radar for so long.  Looking forward to the September 7 release of his album Junky Star.

Lost Highway also has another country artist who I’ve become a fan of in Hayes Carll.  His twangy voice and ragged tunes is easy to become addicted to from the Texas singer/songwriter.  Did I mention that the label also has Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Ryan Adams and Lyle Lovett?!

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