Top Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)

1. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
3. Franz Ferdinand - S/T (2004)
4. The Killers - Hot Fuss (2004)
5. Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)
6. Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War (2007)
7. Portugal The Man - Church Mouth (2007)
8. White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
9. The Strokes - Is this It? (2000)
10. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it Int the People (2002)
11. Hot Chip - The Warning (2006)
12. Blonde Redhead - 23 (2007)
13. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now Youngster (2008)
14. Portishead - Third (2008)
15. Ratatat - Classics (2006)
16. Metric - Fantasies (2009)
17. Beirut - Gulag Orchestar (2006)
18. Beck - Guero (2005)
19. Postal Service - Give Up (2003)
20. Jamie Lidell - Jim (2008)
21. Vampire Weekend (2008)
22. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones (2006)
23. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (2005)
24. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll (2005)
25. The Go! Team - Thunder Lightening Strike (2005)
26. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat (2006)
27. The Helio Sequence - Keep your Eyes Ahead (2008)
28. LCD Soundstystem - Sound of Silver (2007)
29. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas (2006)
30. Kings of Leon - Aha Heartbreak Shake (2004)
31. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of this Country (2006)
32. Tegan & Sara - The Con (2007)
33. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica (2000)
34. The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're gone? (2003)
35. Black Mountain - In the Future (2008)
36. Spoon - Girls Can Tell (2001)
37. Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On (2008)
38. Heartless Bastards - The Mountian (2009)
39. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods(2005)
40. Rodrigo y Gabriela - ST (2006)
41. The Kills - Midnight Boom (2008)
42. Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punk: Underdog World Strike (2005)
43. Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die (2005)
44. Tilly and the Wall - Bottoms of Barrels (2006)
45. Maps - We Can Create (2007)
46. King Khan & The Shrines - The Supreme Genius of..(2008)
47. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards (2006)
48. Fugazi - The Argument (2001)
49. The Sounds - Dying to Say this To You (2006)
50. My Morning Jacket - Z (2005)


Back to Home Page: Top Stories

Vampire Weekend + Ra Ra Riot = Discovery

Bacon Ice Cream... Two things that are great individually, but when you put them together they taste wholly different, yet still delicious. Discovery is the name of the new collaboration between Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot. Turns out that the two bands are pretty close and they have a bunch of ideas that don't fit into either band's repertoire. So, they created a new band. I'm 50/50 on side projects and collaborations, but I think Discovery has legs. I just don't want to see another disappointment like Clues (Unicorns + ex-Arcade Fire members). And on that note... why is it that these seemingly genius musicians who come up with great names like Vampire Weekend, Unicorns, Arcade Fire, Ra Ra Riot, etc... suck at picking band names for their collaborative efforts? I mean.. Discovery? really?

Well anyway, for your enjoyment... Here is a free mp3 download of "Orange Shirt" by Discovery.

Share on Facebook

Lollapalooza 2009 Lineup Announced!

Here's the Full lineup:

Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, Jane's Addiction, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, Lou Reed, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, Rise Against, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Neko Case, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Of Montreal, Arctic Monkeys, Coheed and Cambria, Ben Folds, Fleet Foxes, Silversun Pickups, Kaiser Chiefs, Crystal Castles, Bon Iver, Santigold, Atmosphere, Dan Auerbach, Cold War Kids, Deerhunter, Lykke Li, Robert Earl Keen, Peter Bjorn and John, Heartless Bastards, Gomez, Glasvegas, Federico, Aubele Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, Zap Mama, The Raveonettes, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, White Lies, Ra Ra Riot, No Age, Asher Roth, Los Campesinos!, Bat For Lashes, Chairlift, Gang Gang Dance, The Virgins, Amazing Baby, Portugal. The Man, The Knux, Ida Maria Delta Spirit, Friendly Fires, Manchester Orchestra, Constantines, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, Hockey, Miike Snow , Alberta Cross, Hey Champ, Sam Roberts Band, The Henry Clay People, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, Cage the Elephant, Living Things, The Low Anthem, Blind Pilot, Langhorne Slim, Other Lives, The Builders and The Butchers, Eric Church, Joe Pug, Kevin Devine, The Greencards Carney, Thenewno2

And spinning at PERRY'S
Bassnectar MSTRKRFT Simian Mobile Disco Deadmau5 Boys Noize KiD CuDi Crookers A-Trak Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set) The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set) LA Riots Kaskade The Glitch Mob Hollywood Holt Rye Rye He Say, She Say Car Stereo (Wars) Dark Wave Disco Moneypenny Yello Fever Animal Collective (DJ Set)

See the complete guide to 2009 music festivals here.

And the ever-popular accompanying video... sans puppets.

Lollapalooza Lineup 2009 from C3 Presents Video on Vimeo.

Share on Facebook

All Points West 2009 Lineup Announced

All Points West 2009 Line-up:

Friday, July 31: Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

Saturday, August 1: Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2: Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

Tickets are $89 for one-day, $199 for 3-day passes.

See the complete guide to 2009 music festivals here.

Share on Facebook

Hot Chip and Peter Gabriel cover Vampire Weekend

I discovered a collaboration of Hot Chip and Peter Gabriel covering Vampire Weekend's 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' on Blip.fm. i'd like to see future collaborations between Peter Gabriel and Hot Chip.. but I do like the original version of this song better... although, I do love that PG had some creative license with the lyric, "It feels so unnatural. Peter Gabriel, too. And it feels so unnatural to sing your own name..."

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Hot Chip & Peter Gabriel

Back to Home Page: Top Stories

Share on Facebook

2009 Music Festival Calendar

The 2009 Music Festival Calendar will continue to be updated throughout the year. Bookmark this page and check back often.

NoisePop 2009 - San Francisco, CA
Official Dates: Feb 24 - March 1, 2009
Ticket Info: Festival Badge - $150 - on sale now
Lineup:
Antony And The Johnsons, Deerhunter, Stephen Malkmus, Josh Ritter (solo with a string quartet), the Mountain Goats (solo), Bob Mould, A.C. Newman, Sleepy Sun, French Kicks, Matt Costa, Thao Nguyen, Martha Wainright, Goblin Cock, From Monument to Masses, Thee Oh Sees, Kool Keith, Mike Relm, St Vincent, The Morning Benders, The Submarines, Ra Ra Riot, Dear And The Headlights, Port O’Brien, The Matches, Themselves, Portugal. The Man, Clues, Sholi, Flosstradamus, N.A.S.A., No Age and Les Savy Fav.


Langerado Music Festival 2009 - Miami, FL - CANCELLED
Official Dates: March 6-8, 2009
Ticket Info: CANCELLED
Lineup: CANCELED
Death Cab For Cutie • Snoop Dogg • Thievery Corporation (Live) • Slightly Stoopid • Ryan Adams and the Cardinals • Dashboard Confessional • The Pogues • Matisyahu • Flogging Molly • Michael Franti & Spearhead • Broken Social Scene • Cafe Tacuba • Umphrey's McGee • The Disco Biscuits • Robert Randolph & The Family Band • Pepper • The Faint • Cold War Kids • Steel Pulse • Public Enemy • Gym Class Heroes • Tricky • Girl Talk • Chromeo • Mute Math • Bad Brains • Ozomatli • Against Me! • George Clinton & Parliament / Funkadelic • Tortoise • DeVotchKa • Black Kids • Grupo Fantasma • Holy F*ck • Budos Band • Tokyo Police Club • Lotus • The Virgins • The Gaslight Anthem • King Khan and the Shrines • Lucero • Murs • Ra Ra Riot • Tortured Soul • Rebelution • K'Naan • The Egg • Zac Brown Band • Tigercity • The Aggrolites • Cloud Cult • Spam Allstars • Rachel Goodrich • Blue King Brown • The Heavy Pets • Awesome New Republic • The Postmarks • Suenalo • Live Painting by LEBO

SXSW Music Festival 2009 - Austin, TX
Official Dates: March 18-22, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Over 1000 Bands click here

Ultra Music Festival 2009 - Miami, FL
Official Dates: March 27-28, 2009
Ticket Info: $129.95 - $350 - on sale now
Lineup:
PRODIGY • PENDULUM • PAUL VAN DYK • ARMIN VAN BUUREN • MOBY • TIËSTO • BLOC PARTY • THE TING TINGS • CARL COX • CUT COPY • CRYSTAL CASTLES • DEADMAU5 • SANTOGOLD • HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR • & - FOR THEIR FIRST U.S. APPEARANCE IN SEVEN YEARS – RONI SIZE REPRAZENT

Coachella 2009 - Indio, CA
Official Dates: April 17-19, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup (official poster) : Paul McCartney, The Killers, The Cure, Morrissey, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, My Bloody Valentine, Amy Winehouse, MIA, Thievery Corporation, Beirut, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, Fleet Foxes, Girl Talk, The Hold Steady, Ghostland Observatory, X, Jenny Lewis, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Crystal Castles, No Age, Noah and the Whale, Los Campesinos!, TRAV$DJ-AM, MSTRKRFT. Peanut Butter Wolf, Sebastian Tellier, Themselves, Tinariwen

New Orleans Jazz Festival
Official Dates: April 24-26, 2009 & April 30-May 3, 2009
Ticket Info: $5-$600
Lineup: April 24-26, 2009
Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, Earth, Wind and Fire, Wilco, Erykah Badu, Spoon, Third World, Irma Thomas, Etta James, Robert Cray, Pete Seeger, Kinky, Drive-By Truckers feat. Booker T. Jones, Better Than Ezra, plus many more.
Lineup: April 30-May 3, 2009
Artist TBA, Aretha Franklin, Sugarland, Ben Harper, Tony Bennett, Kings of Leon, The Neville Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Allen Toussaint, O’Jays, Dr. John, Common, Emmylou Harris, Los Lobos, Toots and the Maytals, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The Whispers, Jakob Dylan, Chuck Brown, Meter Men: Zig, George, & Leo, plus many more.

Sasquatch Music Festival 2009 - George, WA
Dates: May 23 -25
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Rumored per Travis Hay of Seattle P-I:

Saturday, May 23th

Kings of Leon / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / The Decemberists / Animal Collective / Bon Iver / Devotchka / M. Ward / Doves / Sun Kil Moon / The Gaslight Anthem / King Khan & The Shrines / Ra Ra Riot / Shearwater / Passion Pit / Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band / Vince Mira / Blind Pilot / Owl City / Arthur & Yu / Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele / Death Vessel / Hockey

Sunday, May 24th

Jane's Addiction / Nine Inch Nails / TV On The Radio / Peter Bjorn and John / of Montreal / The Avett Brothers / Calexico / M83 / The Airborne Toxic Event / The Walkmen / The Wrens / St. Vincent / The Dodos / John Vanderslice / The Submarines / Viva Voce / The Builders And The Butchers / AA Bondy / Fences / Point Juncture, WA / Jon Benjamin

Monday, May 25th

Ben Harper and Relentless7 / Erykah Badu / Silversun Pickups / Fleet Foxes / Gogol Bordello / Santigold / Grizzly Bear / Explosions In The Sky / Girl Talk / Blitzen Trapper / The Knux / Monotonix / Bishop Allen / Black Moth Super Rainbow / Beach House / Mugison / The Dutchess And The Duke / School Of Seven Bells / Horse Feathers / The Pica Beats / Loch Lomond / BLK JKS

Live 105's BFD - Mountain View, CA
Official Dates: June 6, 2009
Ticket Info: $25-$49
Official Lineup: The Offspring | 311 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Dead Confederate | Taking Back Sunday | Alkaline Trio | Rebelution | Metric | Mute Math | Glasvegas | Anberlin | Airborne Toxic Event | Cage the Elephant | Audrye Sessions | Crystal Castles (live) | DJ AM | Does It Offend You, Yeah? (live) | Villains | Steve Aoki | Mike Relm | Paparazzi | The Limousines (live) | Designer Drugs | DJ Omar | DJ Miles | MC Lars | Music for Animals | Wallpaper | Odawas | Dizzy Balloon | The Catholic Comb | Ambience | Solid State Logic | Fighting the Villain

Bonnaroo 2009 - Manchester, TN
Official Dates: June 11-14, 2009
Ticket Info: $224-$249
Lineup: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Phish (2 shows), Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Wilco, Al Green, Snoop Dogg, Elvis Costello Solo, Erykah Badu, Paul Oakenfold, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gov't Mule, Andrew Bird, Band of Horses, Merle Haggard, MGMT, moe., The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Bon Iver, Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabate, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Galactic, The Del McCoury band, of Montreal, Allen Toussaint, Coheed & Cambria, Booker T & the DBTs, David Grisman Quintet, Lucinda Williams, Animal Collective, Gomez, Neko Case, Down, Jenny Lewis, Santogold, Robert Earl Keen, Citizen Cope, Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, The Ting Tings, Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Kaki King, Okkervil River, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Crystal Castles, Tift Merritt, Brett Dennen, Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, Toubab Krewe, People Under The Stairs, Alejandro Escovedo, Vieux Farka Touré Elvis Perkins in Dearland Cherryholmes Yeasayer Todd Snider Chairlift Portugal. The Man. The SteelDrivers Midnite The Knux The Low Anthem Delta Spirit A.A. Bondy The Lovell Sisters Alberta Cross More Artists to Be Announced

High Sierra Music Festival 2009 Quincy, CA
Official Dates: July 2-5, 2009
Ticket Info: $140 (4-day pass, discounted through 1/26)
Lineup: John Butler, Umphrey's McGee, Ani DiFranco, Disco Biscuits, Galactic, The Del McCoury Band, Steve Kimock Crazy Engine feat. Melvin Seals, The Wailers, Tea Leaf Green, Ollabelle, Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, ALO, Vieux Farka, Touré, Dr. Dog, Devil Makes Three, The Travelin' McCourys, The Lee Boys, Cornmeal, Bonerama, Marco Benevento Trio, McTuff feat. Skerik, Joe Doria, Andy Coe & D'Vonne Lewis, Skerik will also appear as an artist-at-large, Joe Craven and Sam, Bevan Duo, Joe Craven will also appear as artist-at-large and emcee, Nathan Moore, Fareed Haque and The Flat Earth, Ensemble, Pretty Lights, Everest, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, Pimps of Joytime, J-Boogie and Dubtronic Science, Poor Man's Whiskey, Living Folklore

Mission Creek Music Festival 2009 San Francisco & Oakland, CA
Official Dates: July 10-25th
Ticket Info: $na
Lineup: Not Announced

10,000 Lakes Music Festival 2009 Detroit Lakes, MN
Official Dates: July 22-25, 2009
Ticket Info: $120 (4-day pass), available now
Lineup: Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic (2 nights), Wilco, Umphrey's McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Railroad Earth, Junior Brown, Tea Leaf Green, WookieFoot, Trampled By Turtles, Cloud Cult, Everyone Orchestra, Kathleen Edwards, Pretty Lights, BoomBox, William Elliott Whitmore, Kinetix, The Macpodz, My Dear Disco, The Ragbirds, Enchanted Ape and many more...

Pitchfork Music Festival 2009 - Chicago, IL
Dates: July 17-19, 2009
Ticket Info: Tickets on Sale March 13, 12pm CDT.
Lineup: rumored - The Black Lips
Lineup: official: The Flaming Lips, Built to Spil, TheNational, The Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, Tortoise, Pharoahe Monch, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Grizzly Bear, The Walkmen, Vivian Girls

Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts 2009
Dates: August 1, 2
Ticket Info: on sale now, $125 Canadien
Lineup: COLDPLAY - BEASTIE BOYS - THE ROOTS - JASON MRAZ - RUFUS WAINWRIGHT (SOLO) - ARCTIC MONKEYS - GIRL TALK - THE DECEMBERISTS - CRYSTAL CASTLES - LYKKE LI - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL - THE TING TINGS BEAST - ELBOW - JOSH RITTER - THE HONEY BROTHERS - LE VOLUME ÉTAIT - AU MAXIMUM - KITTY DAISY & LEWIS - WINTER GLOVES - PARLOVR - MOTHERS FATHERS

Lollapalooza 2009 - Chicago, IL
Official Dates: August 7-9, 2009
Ticket Info: $190 for 30-day pass
Lineup: Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, Jane's Addiction, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, Lou Reed, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, Rise Against, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Neko Case, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Of Montreal, Arctic Monkeys, Coheed and Cambria, Ben Folds, Fleet Foxes, Silversun Pickups, Kaiser Chiefs, Crystal Castles, Bon Iver, Santigold, Atmosphere, Dan Auerbach, Cold War Kids, Deerhunter, Lykke Li, Robert Earl Keen, Peter Bjorn and John, Heartless Bastards, Gomez, Glasvegas, Federico, Aubele Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, Zap Mama, The Raveonettes, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, White Lies, Ra Ra Riot, No Age, Asher Roth, Los Campesinos!, Bat For Lashes, Chairlift, Gang Gang Dance, The Virgins, Amazing Baby, Portugal. The Man, The Knux, Ida Maria Delta Spirit, Friendly Fires, Manchester Orchestra, Constantines, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, Hockey, Miike Snow , Alberta Cross, Hey Champ, Sam Roberts Band, The Henry Clay People, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, Cage the Elephant, Living Things, The Low Anthem, Blind Pilot, Langhorne Slim, Other Lives, The Builders and The Butchers, Eric Church, Joe Pug, Kevin Devine, The Greencards Carney, Thenewno2

All Points West - Jersey City, NJ
August: July 31, August 1+2
Ticket Info: Tickets are $89 for one-day, $199 for 3-day passes.
Lineup: Friday, July 31: Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

Saturday, August 1: Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2: Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

Tickets are $89 for one-day, $199 for 3-day passes.

Summer Sonic Festival 2009 - Tokyo, Japan
Official Dates: August 8-9, 2009
Ticket Info: 39,500 Yen
Lineup: Linkin Park - My Chemical Romance - Nine Inch Nails - The Specials - The Flaming Lips - Aphex Twin - CSS - The Enemy - Klaxons - Mogwai - Paramore - Placebo - Sonic Youth - Soulwax - Teenage Fanclub - Boys Like Girls - Cancer Bats - Datarock - Enter Shikari - Ghostland Observatory - Girl Talk - Hollywood Undead - Kid Sister - Kyte - Lady Gaga - Lenka - Little Boots - Mando Diao - Matisyahu - Metronomy - Mew - Mercury Rev - Mutemath - N.A.S.A. - Red Light Company - Saosin - 2 Many DJ's - The Vaselines - VV Brown - Yuksek

Outside Lands Music Festival 2009 - San Francisco, CA
Official Dates: August 28-30, 2009
Ticket Info: on sale April 15
Lineup: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, M.I.A, Jason Mraz, Ween, The Mars Volta, Thievery Corporation Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, TV on the Radio, Dead Weather, Atmosphere, Tom Jones, Silversun Pickups, The National, Q-Tip, Brett Dennen, Built To Spill, Mastodon, Raphael Saadiq, Calexico, Os Mutantes, Midnite, JJ Grey, Mofro, Kinky, Deerhunter, Lila Downs, Trombone Shorty, Orleans Avenue, The Dodos, Bettye LaVette, Dengue Fever, Heartless Bastards, The Dirtbombs, Lenka, Akron/Family, John Vanderslice, Matt and Kim, Portugal. The Man, The Morning Benders, The Duke Spirit, Zee Avi, Blind Pilot, SambaDa, Ryan Bingham, West Indian Girl, Extra Golden

Bumbershoot 2009 - Seattle, WA
Official Dates: Sept 5-7, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Sheryl Crow / Modest Mouse / Katy Perry / Michael Franti & Spearhead / De La Soul / Raphael Saadiq / Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan / The Long Winters / Sly & Robbie & the Taxi Gang / World Party / MSTRKRFT / Roy Ayers / Common Market / UH HUH HER and many, many others…

Monolith Music Festival 2009 - Red Rocks, CO
Official Dates: not announced (Sept)
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Not Announced

Austin City Limits Music Festival 2009 - Austin, TX
Official Dates: October 2-4, 2009
Ticket Info: $185 (3-day pass)
Lineup: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, John Legend, The Dead Weather, The Levon Helm Band, Ghostland Observatory, Sonic Youth, Mos Def, Toadies, Flogging Molly, The B-52s, Lily Allen, Citizen Cope, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, Coheed and Cambria, Andrew Bird, Girl Talk, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Phoenix, Bassnectar, Bon Iver, !!!, Avett Brothers, The Airborne Toxic Event, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Clutch, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Grizzly Bear, Heartless Bastards, Passion Pit, White Lies, Dan Auerbach, The Walkmen, The Scabs, Reckless Kelly, DeVotchka, Blitzen Trapper, The Virgins, Here We Go Magic, Eek-A-Mouse, K'Naan, Asleep at the Wheel, Dr. Dog, The Raveonettes, The Knux, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, State Radio, Los Amigos Invisibles, The Felice Brothers, Federico Aubele, Raul Malo, Daniel Johnston, Poi Dog Pondering, Brett Dennen, School of Seven Bells, and many many more....

POP Montreal - Montreal, Canada
Official Dates: Sept 30-Oct 4
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Not Announced

Treasure Island Music Festival 2009 - San Francisco, CA
Official Dates: October 17-18, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Rumored Lineup Beirut, The Decemberists, The Flaming Lips, Girl Talk, HEALTH, MSTRKRFT, Monotonix, Murs, No Age

CMJ Music Marathon 2009 - New York, NY
Official Dates: October 20-24, 2009
Ticket Info: on sale now
Lineup: Not Announced


Back to Home Page: More Stories

Share on Facebook

My Year in Lists - Top 10 Albums in 2008

#10 Tilly and The Wall - o
o is the most aggressive Tilly and The Wall album to date. The Omaha quintet uses feet to keep the beat... Tap Shoes, to be exact. o is the Tilly's third full length release, and was produced by Mike Mogis (Saddle Creek Records). I only bring this up because the production quality of o really accentuates this musical element more than their previous two albums, which is important, because the tapping is what defines Tilly and The Wall. This is an album that will put you in a great mood. You can listen to it from beginning to end and then want to replay it over and over again.

#9 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
This list would be thoroughly incomplete without Vampire Weekend's debut album. After I saw them in 2007, I knew they would have a quick come-up in 2008. And they did, which I think makes me brilliant. This is a thoroughly fun album that is extraordinarily accessible to all musical tastes. Well, mainly white people. According to a Salon.com interview with Christian Lander, founder of stuffwhitepeoplelike.com:

SC - What about the whitest band?
CL - Right now? I have to say Vampire Weekend all the way. They're pushing it to levels unseen.

#8 Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
Steph Benson (writer for Rhapsody) posted on her facebook status that Girl Talk is truly music for those with A.D.D. Mashing almost every conceivable song with a beat from 1970 to 2008, Feed The Animals is an action packed dance marathon. I was sitting in a middle seat on a flight from Denver to LAX between two giant men. I put on Feed The Animals on my iPod and annoyed the shit out of them with my seat dancing and head bobbing. Sorry guys... you'd have been dancing too.

#7 Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors
Plug the headphones into the Hi-Fi, switch on the lava lamp and listen to this amazing musical journey. This album deserves more than a few blurbs, so I'm going to direct you to antiMusic.com to read a terrific description of the album. F-You. I'm not lazy. Take it back.



#6 Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On
Heart On was the most difficult album to place on my Top 10. I knew it belonged but I had a very difficult time placing it. I wasn't entirely impressed with them when I saw them live during San Diego's Street Scene, but since the album came out in November, it has been in constant rotation. It's a true blooded rock and roll album with very catch riffs and sounds like the offspring of a Mick Jagger and David Byrne project.


#5 Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation
As I mentioned in my previous post, Radio Retaliation has a theme of political fury and is quite possibly their most lyrically robust and musically diverse album to date. They mix reggae, hip-hop, arab, indian, among musical styles from a variety of regions while singing in at least 3 different languages.



#4 Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster
Los Campesinos! may not have a sound that will appeal to everyone, but this album oozes energy. The riffs are catchy, the choruses are singable, and the songwriting brings with it a clever youthfulness. "I'll be CTRL-ALT-Deleting your face with no reservations". LC! however, not only has one spectacular album released this year, but two. Hold On Now, Youngster was released in February and We Are Beautiful, We are Doomed was released in October. Both albums are similar in nature; that is to say, great. However, We Are Beautiful, We are Doomed could very easily have been an extension of Hold On Now, Youngster which is why I left the latter off the top ten, but it definitely gets an honorable mention.


#3 Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
This Portland duo incorporates guitar, drums, synth and harmonica. Comparisons to Bob Dylan are often drawn with their songwriting and vocals. Though the poetry allows the listener to reflect upon self-awareness, heartache, hope, and independent thought about God, it is mostly upbeat with complex musical rhythms which may be why this album scored so high with me.


#2 Jamie Lidell - Jim
When you start to be compared to Stevie Wonder, Little Richard, Sly Stone, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye while creating a sound that none of the above would have ever dreamed of, it's fair to say you are in good company. This album is brimming with soul from beginning to end and is funky enough to guarantee a little bit of feel good to all its listeners.


#1 Portishead - Third
While Third is technically the third full-length release by Portishead, it is their first release in eleven years. There are many that are calling this album a 're-debut' or 'comeback' album... I think what really happened was that they died and became vampires with incredible musical abilities. The good part about that is that they will live forever and hopefully make music for as long as I live. Portishead makes it to the top spot because they not only push the limits of their own core-competency, but also because they break new ground (and set the bar high) with new experimental sound.


Honorable Mentions go to:

Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Marnie Stern - This Is it and I Am It and You are It and So Is That and He is It and She is It and It is It and That is That
The Mighty Underdogs Droppin' Science Fiction
Black Mountain In The Future
Ratatat - LP3
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
She & Him - Volume One

Back to Home Page: Click Here

Share on Facebook

My Year in Lists 2008 - Top 15 Artists in Handstamp's Headphones

Where the hell have I been, you ask? I'll tell you where I've been... I've been in LA where you get too self-consumed to allow yourself time for creative outlets... like writing. I know, I know, you're thinking that if that were really true, then how would i explain Hollywood showbiz? and my point to you is: exactly.

Well, anyway, i spent the last 9 months living here in sunny southern California. While I've kinda enjoyed my time here, I really miss San Francisco and I'll be returning in a few days. Since I've been a bit off the radar, I decided what better way to get back on the radar by telling all you faithful readers what I consider the bests of 2008. Over the next few days, four lists will follow culminating with the Best Live Shows of 2008. But now, we start with the top 15 that I have played on my iTunes or iPod in the last 12 months (according to Last.fm scrobble function)

My Top 15 Most Played Artists (according to Last.fm)
1: Stars - While Stars have been on my iPod for a few years now, it wasn't until late 2007 that something clicked with me and these Scags.
2: Los Campesinos! - LC! released two albums in 2008 and they were both AMAZING. Read reviews on Hold on Now, Youngster released April 8, 2008 and We Are Beautfiul, We Are Doomed released Dec 2, 2008. {Note: The title of this post is pays homage to one of their songs}
3: Helio Sequence - I first discovered this band when I saw them at the Independent during NoisePop 2008. It was an extraordinary show (Builders and Butchers opened) and the Helio Sequence quickly moved into heavy iPod rotation.
4: Ratatat - Ratatat makes great driving music... since Last.fm doesn't measure the songs i play on my car stereo, Ratatat could easily have been higher on this list.
5: Jamie Lidell - This Brit has more soul and funk than one man should have.
6: Tilly and the Wall - Keeping the beat with their feet... thanks to Tapping Tilly.
7: Eagles of Death Metal - My first exposure to EODM was 'Heart On', their 3rd full length album, which was released on October 28. The fact that it got to #7 on this list tells you its been in HEAVY rotation in recent weeks. They've been described as 80's punk dipped in 70's Rolling Stones.
8: The Ting Tings - This feelgood electrpop band came on HUGE in 2008 three hit singles. Made it to #2 on Last.fm's top new artists of the year.
9: Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation, released November 2008, has a theme of political fury and is quite possibly their most lyrically robust and musically diverse album to date.
10: Belle & Sebastian - Indie Sweethearts release BBC Sessions Deluxe Box Set.
11: Blonde Redhead - Blonde Redhead is like my Pink Floyd -- No matter what year it is, the will always make the charts.
12: Girl Talk - I dare you to sit still while listening to Girl Talk's most recent album Feed The Animals
13: Hot Chip - Nerds with man-boobs will make you swoon and rock.
14: of Montreal - Running out of
15: Maps - Clever things to say
other notable Artists curiously absent from this list (last.fm doesn't count stuff I listen to in my car): MGMT, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, 'Calvin Harris', 'Vampire Weekend', 'Portishead',






Back to Home Page: One More Time, From the Top!

Share on Facebook

September - October Archive

07/08 - Port O'Brien + The Builders & The Butchers (Detroit Bar, Costa Mesa)
07/10 - Port O'Brien + The Builders & The Butchers (Spaceland)
07/10 - Tilly & The Wall (EchoPlex)
07/12 - RATATAT (EchoPlex)
07/18 - Wolf Parade (Henry Fonda)
07/19 - The Action Design (Knitting Factory)
07/20 - Download Festival (LA)
07/23 - Mickey Avalon (Grove, Anaheim)
07/24 - Foxy Shazam + Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Key Club)
07/29 - Bloc Party + Does It Offend You, Yeah? (Mayan Theatre)
07/30 - The Hold Steady (Avalon)
08/06 - The Ting Tings (El Rey)
08/07 - The Faint (Henry Fonda)
08/23, 24 - Sunset Junction Street Fair (Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Menomena, The Happy Hollows, !!!, The Black Keys)
08/27 - Portugal. The Man (Troubadour)
08/28 - Portugal. The Man (Troubadour)
09/09 - Ratatat (Henry Fonda)
09/10 - Ratatat (Henry Fonda)
09/13 - Aesop Rock (Troubadour)
09/14 - Aesop Rock (Troubadour)
09/15 - Aesop Rock (Troubadour)
09/17 - Vampire Weekend (The Wiltern) 2 nights
09/18 - Tokyo Police Club (Henry Fonda)
09/18 - Vampire Weekend (Wiltern)
09/19-20 San Diego Street Scene (Hot Chip, TV on The Radio, New Pornographers, Tokyo Police Club, Tegan & Sara)
09/20-21 Hot Chip (Wiltern)
09/21 - My Morning Jacket (Greek Theatre)
09/25 - Tussle + Ra Ra Riot (Echo)
10/01 - Stars (The Avalon)
10/02 - Gogol Bordello (The Grove - Anaheim)
10/02 - Sigur Ros (Greek Theatre)
10/02 - Stars (HOB Anaheim)
10/16-19 - Tegan & Sara (4 nights @ Henry Fonda)
10/30 - Fujiya & Miyagi (Troubadour)

Back to Home Page: One More Time, From the Top!

Share on Facebook

Upcoming Shows

07/10 - Tilly & The Wall (EchoPlex)
07/12 - RATATAT (EchoPlex)
07/18 - Wolf Parade (Henry Fonda)
07/19 - The Action Design (Knitting Factory)
07/20 - Download Festival - Datarock, M83, Tapes 'n Tapes, etc.
07/23 - Mickey Avalon (Grove, Anaheim)
07/24 - Foxy Shazam + Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Key Club)
07/29 - Bloc Party + Does It Offend You, Yeah? (Mayan Theatre)
07/30 - The Hold Steady (Avalon)
08/06 - The Ting Tings (El Rey)
08/07 - The Faint (Henry Fonda)
08/23, 24 - Sunset Junction Street Fair (Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Menomena, The Happy Hollows, !!!, The Black Keys)
08/27 - Portugal. The Man (Troubadour)
08/28 - Portugal. The Man (Troubadour)
09/09 - Ratatat (Henry Fonda)
09/10 - Ratatat (Henry Fonda)
09/13 - Aesop Rock (Troubadour)
09/14 - Aesop Rock (Troubadour)
09/15 - Aesop Rock (Troubadour)
09/17 - Vampire Weekend (The Wiltern) 2 nights
09/18 - Tokyo Police Club (Henry Fonda)
09/18 - Vampire Weekend (Wiltern)
09/19-20 San Diego Street Scene (Hot Chip, TV on The Radio, New Pornographers, Tokyo Police Club, Tegan & Sara)
09/20-21 Hot Chip (Wiltern)
09/21 - My Morning Jacket (Greek Theatre)
09/25 - Tussle + Ra Ra Riot (Echo)
10/01 - Stars (The Avalon)
10/02 - Gogol Bordello (The Grove - Anaheim)
10/02 - Sigur Ros (Greek Theatre)
10/02 - Stars (HOB Anaheim)
10/16-19 - Tegan & Sara (4 nights @ Henry Fonda)
10/30 - Fujiya & Miyagi (Troubadour)

Back to Home Page: More Posts

Share on Facebook

Vampire Weekend - Then and Now.

Vampire Weekend, July 2007, Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco - Capacity 127



Vampire Weekend, June 2008, Central Park, New York City, - Capacity WTF?


photo courtesy of HRH

Back to Home Page: One More Time, From the Top!

Share on Facebook

Treasure Island Music Festival Lineup..

The Treasure Island Music Festival was an absolute blast last year. The island makes for an awesome venue with breathtaking views and the comfortable grounds. I didn't know if the good folks from Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment would be able to top last year's roundup of artists, but they did. Here's some info about the upcoming festival:

"After an immensely successful inaugural year, Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment are thrilled to announce another stellar line-up for the Treasure Island Music Festival. The two-day festival will once again take place in one of the world’s most breathtaking settings: an island smack-dab in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Picking up where it left off last year, Saturday, September 20th will feature cutting edge electronic and dance oriented acts with Justice closing. The Raconteurs will headline Sunday, September 21st which features a one-of-a-kind line-up of highly regarded established and emerging indie rock bands. Here is the confirmed line-up for each day so far.

Saturday September 20th
JUSTICE
TV ON THE RADIO
GOLDFRAPP
HOT CHIP
CSS
ANTIBALAS
AESOP ROCK
AMON TOBIN
FOALS
MIKE RELM
NORTEC: BOSTICH + FUSSIBLE

Sunday September 21st
THE RACONTEURS
TEGAN & SARA
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
SPIRITUALIZED
OKKERVIL RIVER
TOKYO POLICE CLUB
THE KILLS
DR. DOG
JOHN VANDERSLICE
THE DODOS
FLEET FOXES

Additional artists are yet to be confirmed but the total number of performers will be 28 over the two-day event. Single day tickets cost $65.00, Two-day tickets cost $115.00.

Worth every penny.

Feb - April SF Concert Archive.

Clearing out the old SF LIVE MUSIC RADAR to make room for the LA CONCERT RADAR... and I'm archiving.

02/24 - Built To Spill + Meat Puppets (Fillmore)
02/27 - MINIPOP + West Indian Girl
02/28 - Or, The Whale (Cafe du Nord)
02/29 - The Helio Sequence + Film School (The Independent)
03/01 - British Sea Power (Bottom of the Hill)
03/02 - M.Ward + Zooey Deschanel, She and Him (GAMH)
03/02 - Tilly and the Wall + Capgun Coup (Rickshaw Stop)
03/03 - Nicole Atkins (Independent)
03/07 - Honeycut (GAMH)
03/13 - Bravery (Fillmore)
03/13 - Gogol Bodello (Warfield)
03/15 - Say Hi [fka Say Hi to Your Mom] (Bottom of the Hill)
03/22 - Vampire Weekend (Independent)
03/23 - Vampire Weekend (Rickshaw)
03/24 - Tokyo Police Club (Independent)
03/25 - Blue October (The Grand Ballroom)
03/25-27 - Citizen Cope (Independent)
03/27 - Portugal. The Man (Bottom of the Hill)
04/02 - The Black Keys (Warfield)
04/23 - Death Cab for Cutie (Fillmore)
04/23 - Man Man + Yeasayer (GAMH)
04/24 - Hot Chip (Fillmore)
04/27 - Datarock + Ladytron (Fillmore)
04/27 - Les Savy Fav (GAMH)
04/29 - VHS or Beta (Mezzanine)
05/03 - Rogue Wave (Fillmore)
05/13 - Kate Nash (Fillmore)

Nicole Atkins @ the Independent

Ah, Mondays can be such a drag sometimes... but on a Monday night with Nicole Atkins playing at the Independent, who can complain about anything? Not me, that's for sure.
During the evening I met a couple of friends who I proceeded to tell that Nicole Atkins was high on my list of potential baby-makers. We scurried to the edge of the stage to sing along and watch as Nicole so skillfully eye-fucked everyone in the room as she belted out song after soulful song.

Folk/soul rocker, Langhorne Slim, opened with an amazing set that might sound like what the love child of Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello might sound like.

There are six straight days of great music coming to the Independent. Don't miss:
3/22 - Vampire Weekend + Yacht
3/23 - Phosphorecent + Bon Iver
3/24 - Tokyo Police Club
3/25 - Citizen Cope (through 3/27)

video:

Vampire Weekend, New Album, Popscene This Week!

I just listened to the much anticipated Vampire Weekend album and I have nothing but good things to say (as always). The debut album is available on iTunes, and I'm sure they will have copies at Popscene (330 Ritch) on Thursday. Take a listen, watch the video, see the band. You'll enjoy.

Concert Schedule Heating Up

January 24th - Silian Rail - Hemlock Tavern - The instrumental duo impressed the crowd at the Thread Production showcase at Bottom of the Hill back in July. Plus the reference to one of my favorite movies gets bonus points. If you don't know it, watch the video.

January 25th - Action Design - opening for the Donna's at Aaron Axelsen's new Popscene establishment. Get there early to see them... The lead singer has a very Karen O + Pat Benetar rock'n'roll hotness to her.

January 26th - planningtorock - Mezzanine - I saw her open for Hot Chip at the Fillmore earlier this year. It was on my wishlist of artists to see in 2008. Very bizarre, Very eccentric... If that's OK with you, then you will think she is awesome. I'm not making this shit up..
"Neo-vaudevillian kaleidoscope of a record, its vigorous and defiant, littered with off kilter touches" - WIRE June 2006
"I´m getting a record that is super fucking weird but also satisfyingly mind-blowing." - VICE magazine July 2006

January 27th - Ian Fays - Hemlock Tavern:
The Ian Fays were supposed to play on my birthday at the Hemlock, but the show was cancelled. Fortunately, I gave their tunes a listen and was immediately hooked to their casio-tone indie rock.

January 31st - Vampire Weekend - Popscene - I seem to have missed a handful of their shows since I saw them open for The Shout Out Louds. The talented young band from NYC has been compared to the sounds of Paul Simon and David Byrne.

Coming Soon to the Independent!

On November 10, L.A.-based sextet, West Indian Girl, returns to the bay area to headline at the Independent. Their last performance was at the Treasure Island Music Festival where they played a 20 minute set on the side stage. I remember wanting to hear more. If I said that the sound is like a Death Cab meets Honeycut, you might get a good idea for the sound, but I don't think that's exactly it. The show at the Independent is the 3rd Annual D.A. Taylor Charitable Foundation Benefit. Opening for West Indian Girl is Earlimart.

The show is on November 10, at the Independent and tickets are $13-$30 and available at Independent.com

----------------------------------------
Also returning to San Francisco is Vampire Weekend. Check out my earlier post about Vampire Weekend when they opened for the Shout Out Louds at the Rickshaw Stop. I'm very excited for their return. This time they will headline the Independent. They claim to be specialists in the following styles: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "Upper West Side Soweto", "Campus", and "Oxford Comma Riddim." If you don't know what that means, that means you don't know anything. Go read a book. Or just go to their myspace page and listen to a couple of tracks.

Vampire Weekend performs on Wednesday 12/5 @ The Independent. Tickets are $12 and available at Independent.com

Shout Out Louds @ Popscene (Rickshaw Stop)

OK, moving on to some new music. There is so much happening tonight in live music in San Francisco as I discussed in my post from a few days ago. Oh No! Oh My! is playing at the Independent, and Mondo Generator (featuring Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age) is playing at Cafe du Nord, but the decision was made to go to Popscene to see the Shout Out Louds. While I'm most excited to hear some of their tracks off 'Howl Howl Gaff Gaff', I'm curious about their new upcoming album with the featuring the track 'Tonight I Have To Leave It' was recently released on an EP. Listen below. Stay tuned. An up and coming band from NY: Vampire Weekend will open:




Just got back from the show... Shout Out Louds were great... but Vampire Weekend took the cake. Look out for the guys in the top right (Vampire Weekend) in the very near future. Now I gotta get some rest so I can be ready for RATATAT tomorrow...

Shout Out Louds
Vampire Weekend
Popscene