Bonnaroo2010...the Countdown Begins

So...remember way back when I complained about not being able to go to Bonnaroo Music Festival? Well...this summer Jason and I will be making our way down to Tennessee for the festival! I don't think either of us can contain our excitement, and we're both already counting down til June 10!

From June 10-13 we will be in Manchester, Tennessee to see some pretty awesome acts, like Weezer, Phoenix, The xx, The Gaslight Anthem, She & Him, and Miike Snow (among many others that I can't wait to see) and we'll get to experience it all with 80,000 other people! Can we say heaven?

Here is what I know so far, besides the complete line-up:

• It costs $7 to shower, which I guess I'm okay with because they provide the shampoo and soap. Two less things to pack!
• I will be sleeping in a tent. Yes, me...in a tent.
• From what I've heard, Tennessee in June is hot and muggy...so drinking lots of water will be a must.

Now the countdown to June 10 begins...and it's only 106 days away, but judging how the first two months of 2010 have gone I think it will be here before I know it!

Look for more posts on our road to Bonnaroo adventure as it gets closer!

Resurrection

I'm bringing this blog back to life after quite a long hiatus.

I have more time to write now, and find some new music and things going on.

After I do an over-haul of the layout, I'll be back to posting, so watch for that in the next week or two.

She & Him 'Volume One' Leaves Some Eagerly Awaiting Volume Two...

Including me.

While some indie critics named it as one of their picks for top album of the year, others seemed to brush aside the simple lyrics and infectious melodies that Zooey Deschanel wove together with band mate M. Ward.

Deschanel, most notably known for her role as Jovie in 2003's movie Elf gave us another offering of her classic sounding and warm voice with the release of Volume One in 2008. With the exception of a Beatle's cover on the album, all of the songs were either written or co-written by Deschanel. Notable tracks include the album opener, 'Sentimental Heart' and go on to include 'Take It Back' and 'I Was Made For You.' My personal favorite? The hidden track 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.'

Either way, not a single track disappoints and this album was without a doubt a breath of fresh air in the music world.

Click below to play 'Sentimental Heart.'

	She & Him - Sentimental Heart
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

For Keane, 'Perfect Symmetry' Is A Chance to Start Anew

I had three one credit gift cards that I happened to win this summer from the music provider Upbeats.com. Three free songs from over a million to pick from. Without doing the math I'd say that the possibilities are endless.

So I started in the Top 100 section, and my eyes bulged ever so slightly. Okay, they bulged a lot. I saw a flashy album cover and beneath that the artist, Keane. I tried not to get too excited, they like to release little EPs and singles here and there. I took the single entitled 'Spiralling' to my e-Cart as quickly as I could and from there let my ears in on a little musical treat.

After that it was time to snoop. Indeed on October 13 in the UK, and only a day later for those devoted fans across the pond. The bands last full length album came in 2006 with Under The Iron Sea. However, Perfect Symmetry is promised to be a 'new, different Keane,' not only with their music but their image as well.

The single, 'Spiralling' is receiving airtime and is expected to be the best success on the album. Other notable tracks to look out for include; 'The Lovers Are Losing' and 'Love Is The End.'

The Ghost Overground

I would personally like to thank Jack's Mannequin for providing us faithful fans with a taste of what The Glass Passenger will be bringing us at the end of September.

Head over to their myspace to listen to 'The Resolution.'

I Will Be Returning...

to the blog world sometime next week.

I might need this to save my soul this semester.

I'm In Love

with a) this song b) this band c) the whole cd. Their name is Embrace. Check them out!

I Want My Vinyl, Please...

While on my ever boring lunch hour today, I was reading the Reading Eagle (gag) and came across a fantastic article in the entertainment section on how vinyl record sales are slowly reviving themselves. The article, by Sarah Skidmore talked extensively about how music fans are slowly beginning to purchase the vinyls, reaching out for the better sound quality provided by the analog sound over that of the digital.

Another product seeing a boost in sales; turntables.

While some are skeptical, there's no doubt that in independent music stores vinyl is making a comeback. The most popular album sold seems to be The Beatles with 'Abbey Road' along with favorites from the White Stripes, Foo Fighters and Pink Floyd. Other artists such as Madonna and Elvis Costello are reissuing albums into the LP format for listeners to rediscover and appreciate the vinyl sound and quality.

Don't worry, if you don't live near a local independent record store, Amazon.com has it's own section on the website dedicated to vinyl records, and BestBuy is starting to test sales in select stores and online.

Music? What's That?

Unfortunately, my summer hasn't exactly started as planned. I'm working full time, and by the time I get home I'm anything but in the mood to write.

However, I'm going to try my best to change that, especially with there being so many great releases coming up this summer.

So for those of you still dedicated enough to look at this from time to time, I'm going to do my best to keep this updated for you.

Now let's get down to business:

On iTunes, you can buy Coldplay's single, 'Viva La Vida' for the usual 99 cents as well as pre-order their album. Since I'm back in the green thanks to my job, I took the liberty of buying it...and it's genius. Hopefully it's setting the stage for the rest of the album. If it is, I'm sure that it won't fail the waves of Coldplay fans looking forward to it. Check out their website for information on tour dates as well.

Until We All Burn...

I've really taken to this song off of Narrow Stairs, it calms me down, helps me to relax. Something in his voice lets me know that everything is going to be okay.

Ladies and gents, I give thee 'Grapevine Fires.'

You Can't Do Much Better Than Narrow Stairs

I've been awaiting May 13 for quite some time. Simply for the fact that Narrow Stairs, the newest Death Cab for Cutie album would finally be in my hands.

So on my lunch hour (yes, working full time) I headed over to Best Buy to get this little beauty. After a minor heart attack when I couldn't find it, I was delighted to see the strange yet amazing cover art that made it stand out from the other new releases this week. Much to my dismay though, I had to wait another 5 hours before actually being able to listen to it. 

I've got to say... the five hours that I had to wait was definitely worth it, without a doubt. I'm trying to understand why critics who reviewed the album classified it as 'dark' and such 'a different sound,' because to me it's anything but dark. Sure, some songs have more deep lyrics then fans might be used to, but Gibbard's work far surpasses almost everything that he has done up until this point.

While the whole album (produced by Chris Walla) is practically flawless, certain songs definitely stick out. Be sure to listen to 'You Can Do Better Than Me' along with 'Your New Twin Sized Bed' and 'Bixby Canyon Bridge.'

You won't be disappointed.

Old News, New News...Something in Between

In October 2007, Dashboard Confessional released their much anticipated album, The Shade of Poison Trees, I was a bit surprised when Revolt Media posted a short letter from Chris himself saying the he was back in the studio again.

True, it was posted in late March, 5 months after the release of their previous album, but with the flack that they've been getting for The Shade of Poison Trees being rushed and underdeveloped, you'd think they'd slow it down a bit.

However, I'm not going to complain. With the hopes of being released sometime in 2008, it would be the third consecutive year that Dashboard would release a full scale album, following 2006's Dusk and Summer and 2007's The Shade of Poison Trees.

More to come as more details arise, but check out the article posted by RM for yourself.

I'm Thinking (and Feeling) Songs Of Summer...

I've got 5 days of school left, and summer and the promises of ice cream, baseball games, sunny days and vacations to the beach have left me in anything but the mood to study.

So I've been trying to avoid songs the suggest summer, but let me tell you, it's so hard. They are everywhere. 

It's impossible to escape them, believe me... I've been trying.

Some of my favorites to kick back and sign along to? I'm glad you asked.

'The Garden' - Cut Chemist - Not exactly sing along to material, but has the perfect rhythm for a lazy day by the pool. I'm addicted to it even though I have no clue what the girl who is singing happens to be saying.

'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' - Tears For Fears - Okay so scorn me for the fact that a) it's not indie and b) it's from the 80's (my favorite decade by far, wish I could have spent more time in it), but this song is to me, classic teenage summer rebellion song. And hello, it was in the fantastic movie Real Genius. 

'Atoms for Peace' - Thom Yorke - Yes, the lead singer for Radiohead released some solo work in 2006, and this happens to be my favorite song from the disc. It's relaxing, making it perfect for lazy summer nights.

'Dusk and Summer' - Dashboard Confessional - Off of the 2006 release in which the song gets it's name, you can expect some pretty beachy tunes to come off the CD. And you can't deny it, there are some great tracks that you can listen to over and over while in front of the waves. Rumor has it that Chris Carrabba and the crew are back in the studio....I'm looking forward to finding out if that's true (don't worry, I'll let you know!).

'Satellite' - Guster - Anyone who knows me personally knows that I obnoxiously sing this song when ever I get the chance. Why not listen to it and do the same? It's perfect to shout out while running through the nice cool grass. For a change of pace try out The Astronaut's Radio Remix. I'm sure that the fact they both have to do with space is sheer coincidence. 

'Brighter Than Sunshine' - Aqualung - Ya know, for the cloudy days that summer might bring.

'New Soul' - Yael Naim - Quite honestly, this song just makes me want to stand up and dance around. I think I'd even be content dancing around in the rain if this song was on. And I know someone else who feels the same way about this song.

Others to consider: 'Mushaboom' - The Postal Service Remix, 'Talking Like Turnstiles' - Death Cab for Cutie, 'Holiday From Real' - Jack's Mannequin, 'Sitting, Waiting, Wishing' - Jack Johnson, and (another blast from the past) 'Take On Me' - A-ha.

Happy summer everyone!

Posting Shall

return to normal tomorrow.

I've finally finished all work until at least Friday afternoon.

See you then. =)

I'm Taking A Break

from my usual music tonight and attending a completely different kind of concert.

One without moshpits and screaming crowds and crazy people all over the place.

I'll be attending a sit down shut your mouth and don't move for three hours concert. It's for my quite talented 13 year old brother.

He made it into the Berk's County Junior Band, Chorus and Orchestra concert. Yup, all three. He's pretty awesome.

So as for the change of pace, I'm kinda looking forward to it.

I Apologize

for my lack of updates this week. There's not much time left before finals and I'm racing to get papers and projects done before the semester is over.

Lame excuse, I know.

Anyways, on to better things. I'm trying to compile a list of some of the concerts I really really really want to go to this summer.

There's a lot of them. So sometime tonight I'll post them along with some other musical note.

I just wanted to get something up here so you know I'm alive and well.

We Were Boxing

We were boxing the stars...

We were boxing...

You were swingin for Mars...

Dark blue have you ever been alone in a crowded room?

                          I'm here with you.

I'm Writing A Paper About Boondock Saints

I realize that has nothing to do about music, but this does.

A video, just for you. 

I really need to get my paws on Hotel by Moby, pronto.

And if you watch the video, you'll understand my little play on words. 

Somebody Asked Me A Tough Question (Sad Face)

Last night, someone asked me what I consider to be a tough question. To some, it may not seem like it's that big of a deal, but to me it was pretty tough to answer. So now, the tough question that was given to me?

What is your favorite song?

Well to be honest I was about ready to cry. I sat around for about ten minutes before stating quite simply that I had no idea. So I was inspired. Why not write down some of my favorite songs but just to give me a better idea, not actually forcing me to actually pick a favorite song, which apparently is clearly impossible for me to do.

So my Top 5 favorite songs, in no particular order:

Cue the Sun - Daphne Loves Derby - I've been in love with Daphne Loves Derby for about six years, but when I heard this song last summer, I fell hard. With it's simple acoustic sound, excellent lyrics and even a harmonica (score...really that adds points) this song just makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

Hamburg Song - Keane - When Under the Iron Sea came out in 2006, this song stuck out to me like the North Star in the night sky (go ahead and make fun of me for that but it's true). The song itself holds a lot of meaning for my close friends and I, each in different ways. But honestly for me it's the lyrics that get me, like most of the songs that I love. If I could post the whole lyrics to the song here I would, but I'll link it and you can just go read them for yourself.

Slipping Away - Moby - I've been listening to Moby a lot lately, and some of his songs are amazing, even without lyrics. The song is off of his 2005 album Hotel, and although there are plenty of other amazing songs off of the two disc release, just read this please:

Open to everything happy and sad

Seeing the good when it's all going bad

Seeing the sun when I can't really see

Hoping the sun will at least look at me

Focus on everything better today

All that I needed I never could say

Hold on to people, they're slipping away

Hold on to this while it's slipping away

Two words, my friends: Freaking Amazing.

I Want to Know Your Plans - Say Anything - For once, the musical aspect of this song outweighs the lyrics for me. Although both are amazingly fantastic in their own right, I can't down either, but the music to me is what makes this song complete. And it's a song about love, so of course I'm all for it.

Pieces of the People We Love - The Rapture - Someone (a very awesome someone) introduced me to The Rapture over the summer, and let me tell you...I love them. Their sound is quite original and this song reminds me so much of the summer that it makes me want to lounge by the pool or hang out on the beach. It's also really great for summer parties...just sayin'.

So, there, my five favorite songs. And although there happen to be oodles more that I love, these five stand out to me the most.

Also, this post is dedicated to my dear friend SAMM. Who owes me a York Peppermint Patty on Tuesday. ;-)

No No No

I don't believe it. :(

Read that first line. And cry.