Summer time mix

After Coachella, things became harried and I didn't have a life outside of work. That and the music scene lacked substance. So here's a summer happy go lucky, yee haw in the haystacks mix. Hopefully come this fall, I'll be able to find the time to write biased reviews. Or maybe I'll pull a Bon Iver and lock myself in my room with Kid A on repeat. Oh, speaking of Kid A, let's start this list.

Jigsaw Falling into Place - Radiohead (In Rainbows)
Russia - Ramona Falls (Intuit)
Ghosts - Laura Marling (Alas I Cannot Swim)
Say Hello to the Angels - Interpol (Turn on the Bright Lights)
I Can Change - LCD Soundsystem (This is Happening)
Tightrope - Janelle Monae (The ArchAndroid)
The Underdog - Spoon (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)
Floating Vibes - Surfer Blood (Astrocoast)
Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire (Funeral)


As always, if there's something new and good on the horizon, drop me a note.

Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane are normally not my go-to band when I'm making a visit to the HeartBreak Hotel. (Not that my heart is broken or anything near that metaphor. After all, Germany won their match today and now I'm trying to devise a plan to see how I can marry Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller. Polygamy is legit in Deutschland, right?)

But sometimes we forget how amazing the musical world is until one leaves their itunes on shuffle. Wham bam, thank you ma'am, and we are reminded. I think the world has forgotten Jefferson Airplane for its musical talents and instead credit the downfall of music to "We Built this City on Rock n Roll." I will not battle anyone on the merits of that song, but let's rewind to the days of Jefferson Airplane and let the Starship part be a distant future.

"Coming Back to Me" is an instigator of bedroom tears. If I were a 15 year old girl with a severe case of broken heartitis (which sounds like a demented case of hepatitis), then this song would be my anthem. Curtains drawn and lifeless body sprawled on my bed, I'd let Marty Balin tell me "I saw you, I saw you, I saw you comin' back to me." Insert a choked sob. Cross out "CB + JG = 4eva." And curse the torturous world of love. Oh, to be 15 again. "Crown of Creation" marches Grace Slick's vocals  on par with Pat Benetar. "Embryonic Journey" is a drift on some interesting guitar finger picking. On the same plate, we've got "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" but those are the one-hit wonder type of songs that tend to pave over the genuine talent of a band.

Anyways, that's your blast to the past moment.

Hi world!

We're nearing the half way mark for oh-ten and I'm sad to report that it's been an uninteresting five months so far. Broken Bells, Gorillaz, and Vampire Weekend have been my lifeline these past few months but to list only three bands is a heart breaker. I am looking forward to new LCD Soundsystem as they were the absolute high light of Coachella this year (next to Gorillaz). All the major blogs have had good reviews for LCD so that makes me more excited than bananas in pajamas. My favorite show review comes from Pitchfork where the author notes that most bands are sonically disorganized when drunk but James Murphy channels soul and charisma after swigging more than enough champagne and whiskey. He is my Williamsburg hero. He slurred his way through "Losing My Edge" at Coachella but that made him infinitely more amazing. How can that double standard exist?

So, 2010, what do ya for me?

Is it spring yet? Because there is a spring in my step and I am giddy with spring fever. I'm also done using the word "spring" in my sentences. So here's my requisite Coachella post. Take a gander at the line up and tell me you're not melting in your pants at who Goldenvoice managed to wrangle this year.

The headliners are a brush off the shoulders. I'm intrigued by Jay-Z and he's proved himself at Glastonbury. I've seen Muse before and I wasn't impressed. So I hope there's another good band playing at the same time as them. But Sunday, oh bloody Sunday, there will be high expectations for Gorillaz. Damon Albarn, you best impress and maybe give us a "Woo-hoo, I feel like heavy metal!" shout out.

Now for the day by day break down. The boring shit. But hey, if you're reading this, you either love me to pieces or were led astray by google search.

Friday: LCD Soundsystem is my headliner that night. I wonder how they're going to be on the large outdoor stage as they're more of a tent band. But James Murphy, he has never disappointed me before. Them Crooked Vultures. I expect Dave Grohl and Jay-Z to high-five right before/after their sets. Public Image Limited = Johnny Rotten, enough said. I hope he spits into the crowd and some lucky photographer will catch that shot or be saliva-attacked. Passion Pit, Grizzly Bear, Echo and the Bunnymen share same font size billing. And I know these bands will performed adequately well beneath the blazing Indio sun. But as the font size gets smaller, we have She&Him with my darling M Ward and Zooey what's-her-name. Which means her husband Ben Gibbard will be in tow and I know Jenny Lewis and Jimmy Tamborello aren't touring. So why not have the Postal Service perform? If just to stand on stage and say "Fuck you Owl City." Grace Jones. Why is her name not in larger letters? I am stumped by this snub to the disco diva queen. She sold out the Hollywood Bowl! Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, La Roux will have me meander towards their stage for a brief listen before I beg for shade and water.

Saturday: Not. Impressed. Muse = no. Faith No More = double no. Tiesto = triple no. MGMT = cringe. Can somebody explain to me how we time travled to 2004 because Coheed and Cambria are the sub headliners. They are on the same bill line as Devo, the Dead Weathers, and Hot Chip? Alternate dimension, perhaps? Let's just skip the sub headliners because Saturday is an audio wasteland. So the XX, Mew, Tokyo Police Club, White Rabbits, Portugal. the Man, Girls. Beach House, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Fields. I am so set for indie rock that day.

Sunday: We've reached the crossroads to audio heaven. Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom York, Phoeniz, Spoon!!! In 2005, while most of the crowd caught Coldplay, I saw Spoon and that was worth my night. Granted, I was curled up on the deserted bleachers but I would have chosen the cold temperatures over Coldplay's out of key set any time. Sunny Day Real Estate will be a collision of guitar reverb, but nowhere close to last year's My Bloody Valentine. Belinda Carlise, my ears are still humming. Matt & Kim, Miike Snow, Local Natives, Mayer Hawthorne will round out the rest of festival trampling. The biggest surprise of the festival will have to be a performance by Yann Tiersen. His name might not be familiar but if you've seen Amelie, then you too will wonder how he will bring whimsy to the desert. I'm looking forward to it but orchestras in the heat don't mesh well.

Is it April yet?