Tag Archives: Coachella

New Music Tuesday: Foster The People – TORCHES

24 May

Today is a special day and not just because it is Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday.  Today Foster The People officially released their debut album, TORCHES. Before I go on, please get this album because I promise you won’t be disappointed.

From beginning to end this disc is simply, awesome.  While “Helena Beat,” “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Houdini” are the only tracks many have heard, would you believe it if I told you none of those are the best songs on the CD? While I do indeed love those songs, “Call It What You Want,” “Miss You” and “Warrant” could all be considered the top track.

I compare TORCHES to Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane for the simple fact that I can’t recall a debut album having so much potential for hit after hit since.

Also I’ve been fortunate enough to see these guys four times already and if you can somehow swindle your way into one of their shows (just about every date is sold out), you’ll really see what these fellas are made of; talented musicians on the rise.

Check out their performance of “Helena Beat” on Jimmy Kimmel last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PYLBJXGamE

Revisited: Coachella 2011 via @IMWITHTHEDEEJAY

22 Apr

It’s a great day as a good friend of mine and fellow music lover, Angela (@IMWITHTHEDEEJAY), becomes the first guest blogger on Do You Hear The Music and shares her first Coachella experience in words and video.  Angela has one of the coolest blogs I’ve come across and always has fun, interesting and inspiring posts as well as the latest and greatest from DJ Vice.  Check out the below and then visit her blog and follow her on Twitter.

Coachella 2011.

I’m no stranger to packed crowds, pounding beats and rhythmic drum patterns and quite candidly house music, nightlife and large crowds make me feel at home; so much so it’s why I started my blog, rightfully titled: IMWITHTHEDEEJAY.  No further explanation needed.

Going to Coachella for the first time alongside DJ VICE proved to me that this festival truly has something for everyone. I was quite surprised just how many DJ sets were scheduled during the weekend line-up and thus spent a lot of time checking them out.

What impressed me the most about Coachella was the variety of music ranging from indie, house and dub step to R&B and hip-hop.  I learned about some new artists, such as Leftfield, while also appreciating artists I was already familiar with even more after hearing their songs live combined with their stage presence (Chromeo, The Strokes, Cut Copy).

Here is a short video I put together to share some of the highlights on my experience and exactly why I plan to go back every year.  Enjoy.

My Best and Worst of Coachella 2011

best surprise moment : Usher & Paul McCartney on stage during AfroJack’s house set

worst moment : the moment I felt the urge to pee & knew I was going to hold it ALL night! Yuck on portable bathrooms.

best performance to dance to : Cut Copy & Chromeo

best performance to jump for : AfroJack

best performance overall : Kanye West

best songs: “Original” Leftfield, “Needy Girl” Chromeo, Swedish House Mafia “Save the World”

most overused house song : “Awooga” Calvin Harris

most disappointing performance : Tinie Tempah

best fashion piece I saw : crochet white fringe vest with white glowsticks tied to each piece.

worst fashion: going barefoot

best overall: the great choice in music – you can’t even manage to hear everyone you would like to because there are so many stages & performances.

worst overall: DUST = allergies, scratchy eyes, watery nose and a layer of film all over you.

Don’t bring next year: Any “professional” DSLR camera – they won’t let you in with it.

Pack next year : bandana & anything glow in the dark!

Revisited: Mumford & Sons – 4 15 11 – Boulevard Pool – Las Vegas

21 Apr

“Originally appeared in Vegas Seven

Check out my most recent concert review of Mumford & Sons from April 15 at the Boulevard Pool at Cosmopolitan.  You can also click HERE to for the setlist and images.

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Weekend Wrap in Photos: Jenny & Johnny, Chairlift, Mumford & Sons, Nas & Damian Marley

17 Apr

What a weekend for live music it was in Las Vegas.  So many great bands and DJs in town stopping through before hitting Coachella that it almost felt like Coachella East as there was an electricity all weekend.  On Thursday, seeing Jenny & Johnny perform at the Chandelier Bar at Cosmopolitan was just awesome and a great way to kick things off.  Caught a couple minutes of Chairlift’s set after but wasn’t too impressed.  Friday night was bananas at Mumford & Sons rocked the Boulevard pool (when the weather is perfect I don’t know if there is a better place in Las Vegas to see a show); Tallest Man On Earth was a great opener as well.  My musical weekend was wrapped up on Saturday night as Nas and Damian Marley took to the stage for what’s always a fun and energetic performance.

Here’s the weekend in pictures, Jenny & Johnny courtesy of me and Mumford & Sons and Nas and Damian via Erik Kabik (www.erikkabikphoto.com).

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Revisited: Mumford & Sons – Las Vegas – 4 15 11 – Set List and Images

16 Apr

Last night was one heck of a show.  Mumford & Sons first time ever playing Las Vegas and what a night it was!  Be sure to check out the review coming out in Vegas Seven next week but until then, here’s the set list and some images courtesy of Erik Kabik.

Mumford & Sons – 4 15 11 – Las Vegas

 1. Sigh No More

2. Awake My Soul

3. Roll Away Your Stone

4. Nothing Is Written – new song

5. White Blank Page

6. Timshel

7. Earth Below My Feet – new song

8. Little Lion Man

9. Lover Of The Light – new song

10. Thistle & Weeds

11.  Lovers Eyes – new song

12.  Dust Bowl Dance

Encore Break

13. Cover : Old Crow Medicine Show  – Wagon Wheel

14. Winter Winds

15. The Cave


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New Music: Foster The People – “Pumped Up Kicks – The Highweights Remix”

15 Apr

It’s no secret I am a huge fan of Foster The People so naturally if I hear something new, I’m going to share it.  Check out The Highweights’ remix of “Pumped Up Kicks.”

And if you are some of the lucky ones heading to Coachella this weekend, be sure to check the guys out Sunday at 6:50 p.m. in the Gobi tent. You won’t be disappointed, I can guarantee that.

Revisited: A Musical Saturday Night In Vegas

14 Mar

Last Saturday night was music mania.  Besides being at music festivals I have never experienced so much live music in one night.  The night started across the street from Luxor where The Ting Tings and Cee Lo went back and forth rocking out as part of the Red Bull Sound Clash event.  Very cool concept and both acts ran the gamut on their hit songs as well as performing a handful of covers including The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and “Rock The Casbah.”    What was definitely the highlight of the night was watching the entire crowd go ballistic when Cee Lo ended the show with “Fuck You.”

From Sound Clash the race was on to make it over to the Cosmopolitan for The Strokes concert.  Thankfully they were 30 minutes late hitting the stage so I only missed the opener.    Playing their first show to support the new album, Angles, they sounded solid and definitely had all rocking the entire show (you could seriously feel the floor shaking throughout).   Being my first time seeing The Strokes live, they exceeded my expectations and put on one of those shows you’ll never forget.

Next up was racing downstairs to catch the last set of Foster the People over at Book & Stage.  Seriously those who were able to catch at least one of the eight sets they played over their four day stint, consider yourself lucky.  It was great to see how much fun the guys were having and exuding an energy that had the packed house appreciating what the next big thing were rocking out with.  While their EP featuring only three songs “Pumped Up Kicks,” “Houdini,” and “Helena Beat” sounded absolutely magical and have netted them sold out shows on their current tour, I can’t wait for the debut album TORCHES to drop in May. Look up the song “Kids” and you’ll know what to look forward to from the band that’s about to become the darlings of SXSW and Coachella.

After Foster The People it was time to take a hard left and hit up Marquee and the end of Kaskade’s set to keep the night of music going.

Say Hello to BONNAROO 2011

15 Feb

The Coachella lineup is pretty damn sick but after seeing the initial announcement of artists slated to perform at Bonnaroo, I am now torn and thinking I should look into heading to Tennessee this summer.  I mean at Bonnaroo you have the return of Buffalo Springfield and Widespread Panic celebrating 25 years, String Cheese Incident, Warren Haynes and Gregg Allman which I can all but see some fun little guest appearances in the works, Mumford & Sons are thrust to the big time stage, Ray Lamontagne and Iron & Wine finally out of the tiny print on the line-up, just knowing Primus is going to be there leaves me wondering what Les Claypool has up his sleeve, Sleigh Bells, Portugal the Man, The Drums, Wavves, Ryan Bingham!  Plus Smith Westerns, Beats Antique and STS9, Hayes Carll, Amos Lee, Deer Tick, Matt & Kim, Grace Potter and so many more great acts and that’s not even including the headliners, Eminem and Arcade Fire.

Here’s the line-up as of today:

OMG Coachella 2011 Line-up

18 Jan

Ok so now the planning can officially begin getting underway as the 2011 Coachella line-up has been announced. I am so stoked about this line-up and definitely finding my way to Indio this spring.

At first glance, Day One is top priority.  As much as a fan I am of Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Lauren Hill, Cut Copy, Brandon Flowers and all the other top billing acts, I’m more jacked about Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Here We Go Magic, Klaxons, !!!, The Drums, Afrojack,  Ozomatli, The Morning Benders and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti to name a few.

Day Two is going to be a dance party bonanza with Steve Angello, Empire of the Sun, Paul van Dyk, Fedde Le Grand, Laidback Luke, Joachim Garraud, Chuckie and more plus, Raphael Saadiq, Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, the Kills, Mariachi El Bronx plus Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons and so much more!

Day Three has a ton more great artists but I am not as high on it as Days 1 & 2.  The return of the Strokes, The National, Duran Duran, Duck Sauce, Eliza Doolittle, Tinie Tempah, and Ben Harper’s Fistful of Mercy should all be insane performances.

All I can say is WOW and while some may start chiming in saying this isn’t the best Coachella line-up in the 12 years I would argue that when we recap the festival later this spring it will go down in the record books as featuring one of the finest collections of music we have ever seen over the course of three days.

Coachella 2011

Three-day weekend passes, along with camping passes for Coachella go on sale Friday, Jan. 21 at 10:00 AM (PT) through Ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000  and at http://www.coachella.com. Three-day weekend passes are $269.00, plus surcharges, and camping passes are $75.00. More details on layaway, camping options and up-to-the minute information, can be found at http://www.coachella.com.