"...but now, I'm gold"

This week I've discovered Rilo Kiley.

I was told on the Bonnaroo message board, Inforoo, that if I liked child stars, I'd like Rilo Kiley. Not that I'm a huge fan of child stars, but the comment caught my attention and I decided to give the band a closer look.

And I found this:

The indie rock band Rilo Kiley is fronted by former child actors Jenny Lewis ("Troop Beverly Hills" and "The Wizard") and Blake Sennett ("Salute Your Shorts" and "Boy Meets World").

The band has been active since 1998 and has worked under several labels, including Warner Brothers Records, which put out their 2007 album "Under the Blacklight." Speaking of "Under the Blacklight," I bought the album last week and have been listening to it nonstop since. My favorite track is also the album's second single, "Silver Lining" (as you saw in the video above if you watched it). I think it's sound is unique and a little different from the other tracks on the album.

Their songs have appeared in numerous movies, including "Must Love Dogs" and "John Tucker Must Die," as well as TV shows ("Dawson's Creek," "The OC," "Grey's Anatomy," "Weeds" and "Nip/Tuck"), so you may have already heard them. (As an avid viewer of "Grey's," I KNEW I had heard this band before...)

According to Metacritic.com, "Under the Blacklight" got generally good reviews, scoring a 71 out of 100, though it seems users and critics didn't enjoy the album as much as I do... using it as travel music to make the time driving from meeting to meeting at my day job seem a little more pleasant). Pitchforkmedia.com wasn't as kind, only giving the album a 5.1 of 10. The biggest criticism was that the band had seemingly sold out with this pop-friendly compilation. Jenny Lewis did get some props, however, for her singing and lyrics.

If you're not into "easy to digest" music that's "pop-friendly," and you're looking for something deeper, you may be interested to know there's more to Rilo Kiley than what I've shown you. Their 2002 creation "The Execution of All Things" was the other album I decided to check out, by way of my boyfriend's computer (which holds roughly 45,000 songs-plus). It got a 7.5 out of 10 from Pitchforkmedia.com, "with (its) intriguing lyrics, country/folk shimmer, and explosive pop moments."

The online music site finished it's review like this: "You could call The Execution of All Things a feel-good album, but there's enough going on that it rarely sounds like froth. Aside from a couple of twee missteps-- like the hyper-bouncy keyboards on "My Slumbering Heart"-- the band almost always hits the right tone: they do Americana without the alt-country cliches and cowpoke pacing, and the undercurrent of environmental concern is rich rather than blunt."

My favorite track on that album so far is "The Good That Won't Come Out." I know it's also the first track (like "Silver Lining"), but since I listened with my iPod on shuffle, I didn't notice until I looked it up just now. Both "The Good" and "Silver Lining" are ready to go on my playlist below if you want to take a quick listen.

All in all, I think Rilo Kiley has a lot to offer and can't wait to see them live!
(Hoping for no conflicts... *crosses fingers*)

'Lord, I was born a ramblin' man'

OK no, not really. But I do like that song an awful lot -- and that's one of the reasons why

this week, I'm excited about

The Allman Brothers Band.

Who can blame me?

According to their biography at RollingStone.com, The Allman Brothers Band is an original jam band that blended blues, R&B, country, jazz, and gospel to create a "new south" sound. Although their debut album, The Allman Brothers Band, sold well only in the south, the band eventually gained a reputation for playing live. Since then, 1971's Live at Fillmore East has gained the type of notoriety that Johnny Cash got from Live at Folsom Prison."Ramblin' Man," as seen in the title of this post, was the band's first and biggest single. It was No. 2 in 1973.

According to Rolling Stone, the band was plagued with tragic deaths like that of Duane Allman, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971. The band experienced turmoil over the years and regrouped in 1978 and then again in 1989, at which time it was attracting a new generation of fans that hailed it as the father of collegiate-jam rock (like the Dave Matthews Band). Gregg Allman is still kickin' and will be at Bonnaroo with the band this year.

The Allman Brothers Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and won a Grammy for "Jessica" in 1996 (which, if you are unfamiliar, was featured on Guitar Hero II for Playstation II). Another song you might be familiar with is "Sweet Melissa" (which was featured in the Oscar nominated film "Brokeback Mountain," for you fans of the movie).

Check out the band's official Web site, http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/, for more information.

I have always been a sucker for some classic rock with a little bit of twang, so the Allman Brothers Band is sweet, sweet music to my ears. Literally. It's the kind of stuff I was raised on (and the kind of stuff that kept me up all night watching those Time Life informercials -- "Gods of Southern Rock" or whatever).

Turn on the sound and refer to my Project Playlist at the bottom of the page for some examples of their work.

Initial artist lineup announced Feb. 6.

The initial artist lineup was announced Feb. 6, and though more announcements and additions are still to come, festival goers like myself can start to get excited. This list will automatically update, so you can check back here or on bonnaroo.com to keep up.

Straight from bonnaroo.com (go there if you want to learn more about these artists):


I have already started researching the bands so I know which ones I want to see (barring any scheduling conflicts), and I'm getting pumped. Who knew this would be so much fun months before the festival even goes down?

What is Bonnaroo?

Bonnaroo is a four-day multi-stage music festival in Manchester, Tenn., this year to take place June 12-15.

The festival comprises camping, a 100-acre entertainment village featuring film, art, beer and music technology and a constant stream of activities. Dozens of bands and indie favorites -- from rock n' roll to hip hop, jazz, Americana and electronica come to play at the festival each year. 

According to the Bonnaroo Web site, Rolling Stone magazine has named the festival experience one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll.

Get excited. Tickets go on sale Feb. 16.