VW doesn't disappoint

I blogged about my Vampire Weekend experience at my Here and There blog at thetelegraph.com.

Check it.

I get to see Vampire Weekend!

It may not be at the 'Roo like originally planned, but I am going to see Vampire Weekend live this week at the Pageant in St. Louis.

I am pretty excited.
The concert is Wednesday, so keep an eye out for updates.

Also, I've just come back from a road trip (involving a wedding and a football game) and I've discovered quite a bit of new music I'll be wanting to write about soon. It's probably not new to all of you, but it is to me, so that will have to do.

I missed it

As you can probably see, I missed Bonnaroo, to my greatest disappointment.

Not next year tho, oh no. I have a plan.

Next year, my boyfriend and I plan to go by ourselves, and anyone who wants to come along is welcome to. That way -- anyone bails out, we're still going.

It's a sure-fire plan that can't miss!

Sense my excitement.

BAD NEWS: I will likely remain a Bonnaroo Virgin

Apparently one of the guys my boyfriend and I were supposed to go with is no longer going, and as a result, neither are my boyfriend or myself. There is still hope, but it is unlikely.

I blame the economy.

The reason our friend can't go is because he's paying off a debt from not having a job for awhile. The reason we aren't going without him is because we were going to take his mom's van and would now have to take my car, and because by that point in time, gas will be about $4 per gallon.

Maybe it's just not meant to be this year. Unforseen costs are coming up. We just got a cat that looks like its going to have to be spayed and declawed. My car needs its 30,000 mile checkup that costs $600 or else my warranty won't remain valid. And more.

Like I said, we still COULD go since we both have that week off of work already, but its looking more and more likely that we will spend our money and our time doing something else this year.

I'm in mourning...

Best of 2008 so far

A list of artists with the best music coming out of 2008 so far would definitely include the band

Vampire Weekend.

As I was traveling to the scene of a story early this week, I came across one of the songs I would normally skip through on my iPod. Though I've added new music I want to get into, I generally feel like listening to something I already know when I need to concentrate on something other than what's coming out of my car speakers. This time was different for some reason. The song was "Bryn" by Vampire Weekend.

The band appeared on "Saturday Night Live" this past Saturday and played the song "M79" (see video below) complete with accompanying violinists. Hearing clips of their other stuff, I figured I'd like the band if I gave their songs a closer listen -- but when I heard "M79," I was instantly a fan. As a budding musician learning to play the fiddle, it's obvious why this song in particular appeals to me.



Since I already loved two songs on the album, I decided to give the other songs a chance. I was not disappointed.

Most of their tunes are upbeat and fun. Lead singer Ezra Koenig has a great voice, which I think is pretty unique, just like the band's sound, which has obvious African-beat and British pop (which I love) influences.

My fave top 5 on the album, in order:

Honorable mention: "Campus"
5. "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance"
4. "Oxford Comma"
3. "Mansard Roof"
2. "Bryn"
1. "M79"

MTV.com describes the band:

"New York City's Vampire Weekend mixes preppy, well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms. Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomson formed the band early in 2006, when they were finishing up their studies at Columbia University. Taking their name from a movie Koenig made during his freshman year, the band started out by playing gigs at the university's literary societies and at parties.... The buzz around Vampire Weekend reached a peak in 2007... The Mansard Roof EP was Vampire Weekend's debut release... followed by their self-titled first album early in 2008."

http://www.vampireweekend.com/
Listen to some of the band's music here, or on their MySpace page.
http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

Metacritic.com users rated the band's self-titled album an 8.3 out of 10. Critics felt similarly about the album. I think you will too.

Love that Southern Rock

This week I've been slacking. I'm sorry it has taken so long to update, but now that I am getting to it, I want to talk about

Drive-By Truckers.

While a little tardy, this post is actually quite timely -- according to its official Web site, the band is slated to appear on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on March 11. I encourage you to check them out if you are not familiar.

The band's newest album, "Brighter Than Creation's Dark," just came out in January 2007 and was well recieved from what I am reading here.

Pitchfork Media rating: 8.2
Metacritic.com: 84 out of 100 (based on 27 reviews)

Many reviewers have compared the Truckers to the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd and other Southern Rock greats. I, too, am a fan. (They are definitely on my list of must-sees at the festival this year.)

According to drivebytruckers.com, 2007 was a year of transition and reinvention.

In the spring, they parted ways with Jason Isbell, who had been in the band for five years and three albums. As a result, they moved away from the “big rock show” to focus a little more on the stories and music and playing new stuff in front of a live audience.

According to the site, the band finished recording “Brighter than Creation’s Dark" in August and
mixed it themselves to keep to the album’s “homegrown feel.”

The album comprises music from three different writers, including bassist Shonna Tucker, whose songs have not been featured before, the site reads.

The band considers the album to be its best yet.

Two of my favorite tracks on the new album are "Two Daughters and a Wife," and
"Perfect Timing." But don't take my word for it (wow, I sound like Levar Burton
on "Reading Rainbow")...

Check out Drive-By Truckers on their site, http://www.drivebytruckers.com/. You can watch video performances or listen to audio if you like. I will be adding new tracks to the playlist below.

"...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.