Here it is my latest musical fascination, Kassidy. This Scottish folk rock band has been tabbed across the pond by some media outlets as “Britain’s Kings of Leon” and fall into line with the rabid folk obsession of Mumford & Sons, Fleet Foxes and the likes but they have their own distinct sound and that to me is refreshing. Their debut album Hope St. dropped earlier this year and I don’t think it will take too much longer for this quartet to wind up here in the states.
Here is a playlist for April. I’m going to try and make a new one each month so be on the lookout. These selections are a mix of the artists I’ve been listening to lately. Let me know what you like, don’t like, want to hear more of. Weather is getting nicer out so the need for driving and pool music is a necessity!
Cheers!
Craig
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April 2011
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – “The Golden Age”
Old Crow Medicine Show – “Wagon Wheel”
The Avett Brothers – “I and Love and You”
Angus & Julia Stone – “Paper Aeroplane”
G. Love – “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”
Freelance Whales – “Generator^First Floor”
Mumford & Sons – “Lover Of The Light”
Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
Brett Dennen – “Dancing At A Funeral”
Donavon Frankenreiter – “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching”
Anthony B – “Never Wanna Lose You” ft. Gyptian
Gyptian – “Take Me Higher”
Kings of Leon – “Back Down South”
Middle Brother – “Portland”
Jenny & Johnny – “Big Wave”
Bruno Mars – “Count On Me”
Jack Johnson – “From The Clouds”
The Beautiful Girls – “Running”
Graffiti6 – “Free”
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.
These are in no particular order (except for the first one with good reason) because there is so much good music and moments to capture and look back on in 2010. I know I have forgotten some and welcome your additions but here are some are of my favorites from the past 365 days.
DoYouHearTheMusic.com – simply because I finally did it and started my own blog. For me it was a huge accomplishment and I only hope that if you are reading this you found some new music to listen to. Looking forward to adding and improving the site next year
Temper Trap – the Australians blew up in the US in 2010, headlining tours, “Sweet Disposition” being remixed into one of the best electronic songs, “Fader” taking off on the charts, etc.
Chiddy Bang – “Opposite of Adults” – what can I say, I dig these guys and I just hope more people give them a listen in 2011
Fitz & The Tantrums – the second half of my 2010 was dedicated to this band. I am in love with their sound and can’t wait to see them live
ImWithTheDJ.com – can always count on my friends’ blog for fun, inspiring and another side of music, posts
Tinie Tempah – not only is he one of the hottest artists across the pond but Tinie Tempah is quickly making his way to the US with his hit song, “Miami 2 Ibiza” ft. Swedish House Mafia
Tinchy Stryder – Another UK hip-hop act who should get some crossover into the US in 2011
Laidback Luke – What can I not say about this guy, he’s incredible. Three songs he remixed in 2010 that stick out to me: Calvin Harris – “You Use To Hold Me,” Robyn – “Indestructible” and of course Wynter Gordon – “Dirty Talk” (hands down one of the BEST songs of the year)
Vampire Weekend – if these guys were big before, Contra made them a global brand
Kings of Leon – I’ve been a fan of KoL for as long as they’ve been a band and Come Around Sundown reminds me of their original works. One of my favorite tracks of the year “Back Down South” I hope gains mainstream airplay
Brandon Flowers – went solo in 2010 and wow did he impress. Much more than I ever imagined he would. Bravo
Trombone Shorty – have you heard “Show Me Something Beautiful”
Dave Matthews Band – after announcing that they were taking 2011 off, I knew I had to see DMB as much as I could in 2010 and to me, they sounded incredible. So good it hurts to know they are taking next year off
LCD Soundsystem – wow, these guys rocketed to the top of the charts in 2010 and to be completely honest, the show I saw at the Pearl at Palms in Las Vegas, one of the best concerts of the year
That two DJ friends of mine have opened sneaker boutiques in Las Vegas- DJ Vice’s CRSVR inside the Cosmopolitan and DJ Ikon’s Feature off Spring Mountain/Jones
Bobby Long – getting set for a big release in 2011 and big things to come. He was one of the big surprises for me during Mile High Music Festival
Pepper at HRH – always guarantee a good time when going to see Pepper Live and once again they rocked the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas poolside to a HUGE crowd.
“One” – Swedish House Mafia – not much to elaborate on this except the BIGGEST song of the Summer 2010
Wolfgang Gartner – with a half filled nightclub, those who made it out to Vanity at the Hard Rock Hotel this summer were treated to one of the best DJ sets
Mark Ronson – “Bang Bang Bang”
Dave Matthews Band – “Write A Song” Live – this has quickly become one of my top DMB songs and hearing it live cemented its place for good
Taio Cruz – “Dynamite” – this song is club gold. The reactions when this song is played is right up there with “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Just Dance,” “Since You’ve Been Gone” and the likes where people go absolutely insane for it.
DJ Khaled – “All I Do Is Win”
Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – “We No Speak Americano” – took some time but gained serious momentum in the second half of 2010
Roger Sanchez – “2gether” – what a remix and breath of fresh air
Edward Maya – “Stereo Love”
Michael Franti – Sound of Sunshine – Love me some Michael frantic but his latest disc was a real surprise for me and I am forever grateful to have had this as a soundtrack to my summer
Kanye West – “Power” – forget how good his whole album is, “Power” is my jam
Lupe Fiasco ft John Legend – “Never Forget You” – what a song and definitely some lyrics you should pay attention to
Jimmy Cliff – seeing the legend perform live at Mile High Music Festival was one of the best musical highlights of my life. Man still has it and I could listen to him perform any day
Miike Snow – wow the surge to stardom keeps rising for these guys
Dr. Luke – this guy produces hit after hit after hit. I mean Katy, Perry, Ke$ha, Eminem, etc. all have top hits because of him
Cee Lo – what can’t he do?
B.o.B. – his debut disc is flat out phenomenal
Biffy Clyro – keep an eye out for these Scottish rockers
Graffiti6 – love love love
Good Shoes – English band you have no excuse not to listen to
Duck Sauce – The team of A-Trak and Armand van Helden make you wonder where the musical boundaries are going to be pushed to next
Pirate Radio on DVD – this is one of my favorite movies of all time and definitely a great music flick
The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. rerelease – it still amazes me what they are able to do today with remastering original recordings
Treme – what a great job HBO did with this series. Can’t wait for season two
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Yeasayer – “Ambling Alp” one of my favorite tracks of the year
D.W. Brandt – “Some Fantasy” another amazing track this year
Drake – what else can you say about this guy and “Over” with the Dead Prez beat SICK
Wavves
The Crookes
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon because of The Roots as the house band – did you see the performances?
Mumford and Sons – my tip of the hat to CC for the good look before these guys struck it big
Maccabees – just check em out
Aerosmith – finally getting to see these guys live and good thing I did since Steven Tyler broke up the band for American Idol
Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger – one of the most fun concerts I’ve ever attended and well worth $31
Friendly Fires – another band you haven’t heard of
Rehab at Hard Rock Hotel
The music program at Wet Republic – just do a search for the recap of all the artists
The Dirty Dutch invasion – DJ Chuckie crushed it
Afrojack – monster year and now has a Vegas residency
David Gray – never lets you down
Aloe Blacc – How To Make It In America on HBO pushed him to mainstream and “I Need A Dollar” isn’t even his best work (did you catch Kid Cudi the actor?!)
David Guetta and Kid Cudi – “Memories”
Discovering Blue King Brown
John Butler Trio – April Uprising – hands down one of the best albums of the year
The Parties- Coast Garde
Donvavon Frankenreiter – “Glow” – I’ve been a Donavon fan since the first time I saw/heard him opening for G. Love at Hob Sunset Strip and anytime he has new music out, I don’t even have to wonder, I just know it’s good music
Subway Sessions – really really cool concept
Chromeo teaming up with Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend on the track “I Could Be Wrong”
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – if you haven’t listened to her, you are missing out
The Black Keys – finally hit stardom
Elton John and Leon Russell – The Union
The Gaslight Anthem – back with their third LP, the Jersey rockers killed it again
Calvin Harris
Gyptian – “Hold Yuh” – the original is wonderful but the Major Lazer remix is awesome
Hot Chip
Mile High Music Festival – a great two days with an insane amount of top tier bands to see
Sure there are many great CDs released in 2010 but I think I actually agree with Rolling Stone, they put together a list that’s pretty damn good. Their Top 10 is really hard to argue with but I’d actually put Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown (the disc especially “Back Down South” reminds me of why I because a fan seven years ago), Beach House – Teen Dream (this was definitely one of those surprise discs and pushed the duo to stardom) and Yeasayer – Odd Blood (great disc and “Ambling Alp” is hands down one of the best songs of the year) up higher.
Rolling Stone‘s Best Albums of 2010
1. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2. The Black Keys, Brothers
3. Elton John and Leon Russell, The Union
4. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
5. Jamey Johnson, The Guitar Song
6. Vampire Weekend, Contra
7. Drake, Thank Me Later
8. Robert Plant, Band of Joy
9. Eminem, Recovery
10. LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening
11. The Dead Weather, Sea of Cowards
12. John Mellencamp, No Better Than This
13. Taylor Swift, Speak Now
14. Robyn, Body Talk
15. The National, High Violet
16. Kid Rock, Born Free
17. Beach House, Teen Dream
18. Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown
19. M.I.A., Maya
20. Neil Young, Le Noise
21. Big Boi, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty ///
22. Spoon, Transference
23. Elizabeth Cook, Welder
24. Maximum Balloon, Maximum Balloon
25. Superchunk, Majesty Shredding
26. Yeasayer, Odd Blood
27. Peter Wolf, Midnight Souvenirs
28. My Chemical Romance, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
29. The Roots, How I Got Over
30. Rick Ross, Teflon Don
A good Friday for music lovers. Check out a few of today’s items:
And drum roll……..
As are many, I can’t wait for Come Around Sundown, the fifth release from Kings of Leon to be released in October. What makes me really excited are the few songs I’ve heard already bring me back to Youth and Young Manhood which is my favorite KoL disc and what really made me dig the Tennessee rockers’ sound. While “Radioactive” the first single off Come Around Sundown was released earlier this month, take a listen to “Back Down South” below as this may soon be the next hit from the Followill’s.
A friend recently asked me what albums can I listen to all the way through and never get sick of. A tough question on the spot but nonetheless I was able to figure out a handful.
Bob Marley: Legend
Do I really need to explain this one? From beginning to end this CD is such an incredible compilation of music from an artist whose songs and lyrics are appreciated worldwide.
O.A.R.: The Wanderer
Those who know me are well aware that O.A.R. is my favorite band and those who know O.A.R. were probably introduced to them by the song “That Was A Crazy Game of Poker” like I was. While I can listen to their music day in and day out, this CD is definitely a chart topper for me, as it seemed everything just clicked when I listened to the album. From “Poker” and “Conquering Fools,” two favs and ending with “About Mr. Brown” and “Ladanday” this CD brings me back to my days at ASU when I first heard of the band and that first show at Nita’s Hideaway.
Donavon Frankenreiter: Self-Titled
He just rereleased this as Hawaiian-style but to me this was one heck of a debut album that had sweet tunes and beautiful lyrics on every track. Add guest appearances by Jack Johnson and G. Love and what you get is a remarkable album from a surfer turned rocker.
Bruce Springsteen: Essential Hits Vol.1
Hit after hit but to me, the best version of “Blinded By The Light,” “Rosalita” is a song that should be on everyone’s playlist and “Born to Run” is just legendary. You can’t go wrong with the Boss and this three disc set is fantastic but disc 1 takes the cake.
Dave Matthews Band: Under The Table and Dreaming
I remember when my brother gave me this CD and I think for an entire summer I didn’t listen to anything else. To think that this album spurred on my love of DMB and to know I could pop in the CD or play on the iPod and it would be like day one all over again.
Jurassic 5: EP
This EP is to me arguably one of the greatest hip-hop CDs of all-time. The lyrics are fresh and it was a breakout in the alternative hip-hop scene and aligning J5 with the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Kool Keith and Black Star.
Lupe Fiasco: The Cool
I’ve been a Lupe fan since I first heard “Kick Push” and after seeing him live I was amazed. When The Cool came out, I just really dug the sound and the lyrics he spits.
Caesars: Paper Tigers
You know that song from one of the first iPod commercials, “Jerk it out?” Well what if I told you that was the worst song on the entire album. This disc has a good tempo all the way through a definitely a great CD for a workout or road trip.
Kings of Leon: Youth and Young Manhood
The first disc from the fellas is raw and I love it. It’s just good clean rock and roll, also a must have for any KoL fan. They’ve definitely stepped up their game in the years but this disc is special.
Do You Hear The Music? 