Archive | December, 2011

Now Playing: U.S. Royalty

29 Dec

In what is looking like my final post of 2011, why not go out with a bang.  I had posted about them earlier in the year performing at the Sweetlife Festival but never really gave a listen until recently and boy was that a big mistake.  I am now finding myself enamored with Washington D.C. indie rock band, U.S. Royalty.  Their album Mirrors has been on repeat for much of December (hey, better late than never) and I can’t see how these guys aren’t going to be one of the next big rock bands.  From sweet harmonies to gritty and pretty guitars, U.S. Royalty is captivating and their album will definitely take you for a ride. It’s one of those discs that keeps getting better and better as you get deeper in it.

 

I may be the only one who views it this way but if you took a little Ryan Adams, The Strokes and Band of Horses, a touch of The Black Keys and Kings of Leon, splash in some classic rock from all over the 70 (you can hear Fleetwood Mac on “Monte Carlo” below) and of course the indie rock sound of today, you get an incredible sound that is U.S. Royalty.

 

So there you have it, one last nugget of good music to wrap 2011.  Hope you enjoy as much as I do.

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2011 in Photos via ErikKabikPhoto.com

28 Dec

Thanks to friend, photographer and music lover, Erik Kabik, I have been able to feature some stellar photographs from concerts throughout the year and as we close 2011, here are some images Erik tabbed as some of his highlights from the past 12 months. Hope you enjoy!!

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Now Playing: Tallahassee – Swimming Song (Loudon Wainwright cover)

27 Dec

First and foremost you all need to check out the band, Tallahassee.  Hailing from Boston, the quartet led by former NFL player Brian Barthelmes are a nice slice of Americana and a band you need to know now.  Their debut album Jealous Hands was released in the spring but here is a cover of  Loudon Wainwright’s “Swimming Song’ which I currently can’t get enough of.  Enjoy!

 

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Tonight: Allen Stone – Las Vegas

23 Dec

To say I’m excited about tonight is a massive understatement.  If you find yourself in Las Vegas I highly recommend you make your way to The Cosmopolitan at 10 p.m. tonight where Allen Stone will be performing at Book & Stage.  Click HERE to read what I wrote back in October and if you haven’t already, make sure you pick up his self titled album.

If you feel like getting down and listening to an incredibly talented musician, tonight is the night to waltz yourself over to the show.  Heck, it’s free so you really have no excuse.

 

 

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Now Playing: The Knocks – Brightside (’96 Bulls Remix)

22 Dec

First of all, I love the name, ’96 Bulls. Secondly, that team was insanely amazing and third but most important, this remix from the Australian duo is dope and if it were summer in the States like it is down under, I’d be listening to this nonstop as well.

2011 in Music: Some of My Favorites

21 Dec

Another year has come and (just about) gone and as we approach day 365 of 2011, there is a lot of great music and music moments to reflect on.  In keeping with something I started last year, here is a list of items that made MY year in music.  While I know I’ve forgotten some moments, at least it’s a snapshot of what my ears and eyes were gravitating towards.  Enjoy and here’s to an incredible year of music in 2012.

  • My favorite album of 2011 is GROUPLOVE’s Never Trust A Happy Song
  • After finally attending Bonnaroo, I totally see why my friend said “when you go, you’ll understand why it’s the best music festival”
  • Lollapalooza was an amazing experience with incredible bands, amazing friends and killer access
  • Being asked to write concert reviews for Vegas SEVEN which parlayed into band interviews as well – something that to this day I never thought would happen from a little blog I started about my love of music
  • Continuing the writing by being asked by Vegas Rated, a national publication to write a few music columns each month
  • Seeing Mumford & Sons at The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan, easily one of my favorite live shows ever
  • I’m a lucky one living in Las Vegas since The Cosmopolitan and C3 Presents booked too many bands that I love for four night stints playing Book & Stage for FREE – to give you an idea, we’re talking Young The Giant, Foster The People, Aloe Blacc, Ryan Shaw, Fitz & The Tantrums, Allen Stone, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Walk The Moon, Robert Randolph, Mayer Hawthorne, Tennis, and the list goes on and on
  • Frank Turner, where you been all my life – England Keep My Bones is a album everyone needs to have
  • Finally seeing The Strokes live(twice this year) and realizing just how badass they really are
  • My blog post from March when Foster The People were coming to town
  • The discovery of bands like The Apache Relay, The Belle Brigade, Ruby Coast, GIVERS and Smith Westerns
  • Thank you Walk The Moon for providing some of the most fun of the summer with your spirited sets
  • RedBull Soundclash with Cee-Lo and The Ting Tings, look it up if you don’t know what I’m talking about
  • Marquee Nightclub Boom Box Room with Eric D Lux
  • The return of Dispatch
  • Middle Brother
  • One more Furthur show in the books
  • Saying goodnight to the bad guys with a final concert, oh man how I’ll miss The Black Crowes
  • Stumbling upon Childish Gambino’s set at Bonnaroo and being blown away
  • Gary Clark Jr.
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon taking over as the king of late night performances thanks to The Roots as the house band and a great booking team
  • Brands like Chevy and Nissan using indie bands for commercial music
  • CC from Little Hurricane
  • The Dirty Guv’nahs
  • EDM grabbing America by storm
  • Thankful for Avicii creating hit after hit after hit
  • Spotify
  • Seeing a late night Cults show in Chicago that completely blew me away
  • Going to see a favorite of mine, Brett Dennen and having DAWES who opened just own the evening
  • Seeing G. Love yet again and having him break into Freddy King Jr.’s “Look Over Yonder”
  • Allen Stone, what a young talent
  • Alabama Shakes, if you didn’t see my post on them, search, listen and become infatuated with Brittany Howard’s voice
  • Finally seeing Lupe Fiasco in concert again, had to wait too long since the last time
  • Robert Plant still rocking it like he was in his 20s
  • Seeing The Black Keys in a nightclub, a ballroom and with 60,000 ppl and still getting the same feeling of rock and roll no matter the size or venue
  • The Head and The Heart
  • Catching Lil Wayne in concert, something I never thought I’d do, same with Eminem
  • Buffalo Springfield, yes I can say I never thought I’d see them live but did
  • My Morning Jacket won me back over after giving up on them
  • Seeing Widespread Panic for what could be the last time
  • Anyone else catch The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons and Bob Dylan at the GRAMMYs?  Sick performance and totally put M&S on a whole new level
  • The music from across the pond is quite amazing, lots of new bands and artists to be on the lookout for
  • Big Troubles
  • How incredibly awesome Daytrotter.com is
  • In my opinion, one of the best singer-songwriters of today, James Morrison quietly released his third album, The Awakening
  • Aloe Blacc, yes “I Need A Dollar” thrust him into the spotlight last year but damn, what an artist – incredible stage presence and one of the most talented musicians today
  • O.A.R. dropping a new record that everyone needs to own
  • IAMDYNAMITE  – before it’s too late, go get SUPERMEGAFANTASTIC, these fellas are going to blow up, just wait and see in 2012
  • The music video for Maps & Atlases’ “Israeli Caves”
  • Welcome back Ryan Adams
  • The sophomore release by Girls probably hasn’t gotten too much attention but WOW
  • Youth Lagoon
  • Thank you Damian Marley for getting everyone together to form SuperHeavy
  • NewVillager, the videos may be a bit to artsy for me but the music, genius
  • WU LYF chances are about 99% you have never heard of them but you need to know them pronto
  • Uncle Mountain
  • Nashville is for righteous music to me what Brooklyn was for a throng of indie bands
  • If you get a chance to see the Black Lips, don’t pass it up
  • Gimme Some by Peter, Bjorn & John
  • “Up Up Up” was like a soundtrack for my year, big things coming for GIVERS
  • ·         Fight For Your Right Revisited
  • ·         I was thrilled to see Fitz & The Tantrums hit it big in 2011
  • ·         Food is the New Rock blog
  • G. Love’s latest, Fixin To Die which was recorded in North Carolina and produced by The Avett Brothers
  • Seeing a mob of people at 1 p.m. on Friday of Lollapalooza for Young The Giant
  • Catching Lynyrd Skynyrd perform for 200 people at the opening of their BBQ & Beer joint in Vegas
  • Tedeschi Trucks Band – Revelator
  • Another knock-out by Trombone Shorty
  • The Cinema
  • Paul Simon’s So Beautiful or So What
  • Benjamin Francis Leftwich
  • Wolf Gang
  • Our little Book & Stage fan club, thanks for making the past year pretty damn incredible
  • Skylar Grey I was truly impressed with her live show
  • Raphael Saadiq did it again
  • Tinie Tempah finally made it Stateside
  • Ryan Bingham, thank you – great interview and your show definitely backed up your words, a true pleasure to catch a couple live shows this year
  • Seeing the legend, Dr. John
  • Scottish rockers Kassidy, definitely a band everyone should be listening to
  • Audio, Video, Disco – love love love the approach by Justice on the new album
  • Remixes of “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”
  • And waking up every day to listen and discover new music

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New Music: @MiikeSnow – “Devil’s Work”

19 Dec

Thanks FILTER Magazine for the tip on this one! Excited for the new album to drop in 2012.

 

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Cults on Yo Gabba Gabba! (Video)

16 Dec

Love this!  Thanks to Pitchfork.com for the heads up on Cults appearing on the Yo Gabba Gabba! “A Very Awesome Christmas” which airs December 18.  The duo perform a song called “Hot Chocolate” which you can watch below.

The Cults on Yo Gabba Gabba! from stereogum on Vimeo.

 

Can never get enough Cults, hands down one of the highlights of my 2011 in music.

 

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Foster The People Announce 2012 US Tour Dates

14 Dec

After a blistering hot 2011 that saw them go from relatively unknowns to king of the mountain, Foster The People announced today 2012 US Tour dates. A few things that stand out:

1) They are playing Red Rocks! Single handily one of the top live music venues in the world.

2) They are returning yet again to rock Sin City at The Cosmopolitan!

3) Check the size of some of the venues on this tour, wow!

4) Amazing trio of openers spread out over the tour. Whether you see FTP w/The Kooks, Tokyo Police Club or Mayer Hawthorne, going to be a phenomenal evening of music.

So there you have it, four more reasons to check out the breakout band of 2011 which garnered two GRAMMY nominations from their debut album, Torches.

Foster The People 2012 Tour Dates:

5/29 New York, NY Rumsey Playfield *

5/30 New York, NY Rumsey Playfield *

6/1 Columbus, OH The LC Pavilion *

6/4 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre *

6/5 Austin, TX The Backyard *

6/7 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre *

6/10 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion *

6/12 Montreal, QC Lachine Canal #

6/14 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for the Performing Arts #

6/15 Boston, MA Bank Of America Pavilion #

6/16 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit #

6/19 Toronto, ON Downsview Park #

6/20 Chicago, IL Congress Theater #

6/22 Minneapolis, MN US Bank Theater #

6/25 Burnaby, BC Deer Lake Park &

6/26 Seattle, WA WaMu Theatre &

6/27 Portland, OR Edgefield &

6/29 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre &

6/30 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre &

7/3 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre &

7/5 Salt Lake City, UT The Great Salttair &

7/6 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre &

7/7 Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan &

* (w/The Kooks)

# (w/Tokyo Police Club)

& (w/Mayer Hawthorne & The County)

Must Have Music: Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones

13 Dec

You ever listen to an artist/band for the first time only to discover they have been around for quite some time, have released a few albums and wonder, “where the hell have I been?”  Well it happened to me last month with Frank Turner and damn, I cannot get enough of his record, England Keep My Bones, his FOURTH album.   I now find myself listening to his previous works to catch myself up to what I’ve been missing but continuously being drawn back to his latest record which was released this past summer.  Turner exudes a singer-songwriter, folk, punk style unlike anything I’ve ever heard.

Say hello to Frank Turner and give a listen to one of best albums of 2011.

 

 

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