Unsigned Bands at Leeds Music Festival
So Leeds Music Festival is going on as we speak in the UK. I am so jealous. White Lies, a UK band I saw at Lollapalooza who rocked it, along with a bunch of other well known and unsigned bands are going to be playing there this weekend. I haven’t gotten to listen too much to the bands playing at Leeds since I just found out about this maybe an hour ago, but what I’ve heard so far I like. Take a listen!
Leeds Music Festival
Enjoy the afternoon! If you want to go to a music festival in Indy this Saturday full of unsigned and local artists check out Knollfest. And thank you to http://www.theunsignedguide.com/ for introducing me to these bands!
He Nearly Got Me
Aug 26, 2009 Artists
So when I went to see the best musician ever a couple weeks ago…and you should know who that is by now…I had a funny experience. Paul Freeman, a musician from the UK, was the opening musician for Edwin. He was very charming and funny and energetic. There was a part during his performance where he looked out at the crowd and brought a cute girl up on stage to sing with him. After he was done performing, he announced that he would be signing his cd’s at a table in the back of the room. Soooo since I thought he was great, I went back to meet him and chat. I told him he did great, he looked me over and then asked me if I had been left of the stage when he was performing. I said yes and he said, “Oh, I nearly got you!” And what did he write on the cd you may be asking? He wrote ”I nearly got you. Next time I will.” Shoot I wish he would’ve. I would’ve rocked it on stage with him. Sooooooo cute. Love the accent. Anywho, back to music. He is great no doubt, but much better live than on his cd which is a little watered down. So catch him live if you can. Oh and here is a picture of him and Edwin’s band at the end of the show. Sorry, I never claimed to be a photographer.
Paul Freeman and The Edwin McCain Band
Tags: Edwin McCain, Paul Freeman, Rock
Chicks Rock!
Aug 21, 2009 Artists
I’m sure if you like to watch independent films, tv dramas or romantic comedies you have heard of Ingrid Michaelson, Imogean Heap and/or Colbie Caillat. Well, all three of them have new albums coming out next week on August 24th/25th. Ingrid Michaelson has been releasing a new song everyday on all of her websites up until the release next week of Everybody. So you should check it out. Very good stuff. Very very. Imogen Heap, as always, puts out music you won’t hear anywhere else. And Colbie Caillat fulfills my pop needs with her pretty little voice and catchy tunes.
If you like these artists, I have suggestions for you…
Meiko - Meiko is very real and cute and romantic. She looked very innocent, upon first glance but not so much. She doesn’t mind cussing to get her point across more fervently and her songs are about life situations, funny or not. Although, when she cusses she does so very sweetly.
Lenka- Her branding scheme looks like a little kid’s attempt at “artwork” and it works for her because her music is a little like that. It is very naive, but imaginative and funny and I love it. Very Regina-Spektor sounding.
Ashley Brooke Toussant- I met someone at Lollapalooza who told me about Ashley and I was surprisingly impressed. Her music is very relaxing and umm french. Even though she’s not. Or so she says.
April Smith and The Great Picture Show - April opened up Lollapalooza this year. If you like the circus April is your gal. Very vampy and gives off a warm vintage feel.
Sia - She might have a crazy life, as shown through her lyrics, but I love her. Her smoky voice combined with a wide variety of moods and vocal stylings she expresses in, Some People Have Real Problems, make life that much tolerable.
Tags: April Smith, Ashley Brooke Toussant, Colbie Caillat, Folk, Imogean Heap, Indie, Ingrid Michaelson, Lenka, Meiko, Melodramatic, Pop, Rock, Sia
Good Winter
Aug 18, 2009 Artists
A mean hacker deleted my site last week so I am back with a new look! No one can stop Mr. Domino (Playstation reference)! Anyways, you may see some minor site changes within the next couple days, but I hope this will be the last of changes for a while. Soooo back to Lollapalozza bands. Today, we salute Bon Iver. It was funny observing the crowd for Bon Iver versus the other bands at Lollapalooza. Everyone just shut up and focused when they got on stage. People were getting pissed at others for obstructing their views with umbrellas and talking too loud. All the overly dramatic people were annoying, don’t get me wrong, but I found it amazing that everyone wanted to experience Bon Iver in peace and quiet. It was a nice break from all the rock bands we heard that day. The lead, Justin Vernon, has a nice high range and soft voice and the beautiful harmonies between him and his band members pull at your heart. He gives emotion in all the right places of every song and he makes me want to find the good in life. There was one point during his performance where everyone just starting singing along with him. It really is a beautiful thing hearing thousands of people join together at the same time for the same purpose: loving music. Please download his cd. Bon Iver deserves all the praise in the world. Much love to my good friend Aaron for introducing me to his music.
Bon Iver
Bon Iver – For Emma (A Cappella)
Tags: Amanda loves, Bon Iver, Folk, Indie, Lollapalooza 2009
The Edwin McCain
Aug 12, 2009 Artists
I first heard Edwin McCain during the Dawson’s Creek years. Back when I’ll Be was THE SONG played on the radio. I immediately fell in love with his gushy ballads along with every other teenage girl in America. My blog is actually named after the lyrics in his song “Far From Over.” But over the years I’ve grown to appreciate him for more than that. It is true that many of his songs are very “lovey-dovey” but not all of them. However, all of them ARE inspired, fun, soulful, catchy and just plain amazing. He is, by far, my favorite musician. None of his music is the same and over the years he has only gotten better. And I have to give his band credit because without the plus 5 he wouldn’t be so amazing.
Before you start ridiculing me like everyone else has all my life for liking him, I have to ask if you have really listened to any of his music. Besides his handful of radio hits. I’m pretty sure you haven’t so if you get the chance, I highly suggest you get out to The Vogue tomorrow night. He puts on a very high energy rock & soul show and never disappoints. I know, without a doubt, I wouldn’t be who I am today without his musical influence. Just give him a chance because you might secretly realize you like lovey-dovey rock music too.
Edwin McCain – Gramercy Park Hotel Live 2008 at Bogart’s
If you want to try him out, and you should, I suggest the Misguided Roses, Far From Over or Lost in America albums.
Tags: Amanda loves, Edwin McCain, Pop, Rock, Soul
The Hazards of Love
Words can’t express how much fun Lollapalooza was this past weekend. The weather was rainy and gross on Friday and still great fun was had by all. If you have the chance to go next year you should make it a top priority. As soon as I arrived on Friday, Manchester Orchestra started their set. They were the sound of perfection and probably the best performance I saw. But enough about them because I’ve already talked about them recently. My second favorite performance was by none other than The Decemberists. I had listened to them just a smidge before I went to Lollapalooza. Only enough to know that I didn’t want to miss them while I was there.
The Decemberists were utterly captivating to say the least. Their newest cd The Hazards of Love tells a story about a woman named Margaret, her shape-shifting lover William, his forest queen mother and a cold-blooded rake (also known as a douche bag). All the songs on their cd flow together as if it is one musical piece. There really are no words to describe this band or this cd. Their larger than life story-telling lyrics combined with real folk instruments, like the amazing accordian, leave you intrigued to the very last song. They are really only a 5 person band, but they brought in other extremely talented musicians to play/sing the characters in their story. Shara Worden who plays the forest queen and Becky Stark who plays Margaret were so fun to watch because their voices portrayed their characters perfectly, one innocent and one ominous. It really was more like watching a rock opera than a concert and that is way more than I asked or hoped for. I immediately fell in love with not just the band, but an epic story. I will forever be thankful to them for making such picturesque music.
The Decemberists play at the University of Kentucky in October.
To watch a snippet of their Lollapalooza performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw2jg7r5VtU
Tags: Lollapalooza 2009, Manchester Orchestra, Rock, Rock Opera, The Decemberists
Somebody’s got a case of the blog vomits
So tomorrow I head north. I’m Chicago bound in seek of great music and a great time. Hopefully no shananigans will be involved, but I can’t make any promises. Maybe I just don’t want to. Next week I should have much more music for you to listen to after going to Lollapalooza. For months I’ve been listening to the bagillion bands that are going to be there this weekend and I can’t tell you how excited I am. If you can make it to Chicago this weekend, you most definitely should. In the mean time, there are a couple of artists that haven’t made it to the top of my “blog priority list” lately so I lay them before you now. This is a bit of what I like to call blog-vommiting-of-the-mouth so I apologize. And I apologize to them for not getting my full devoted attention, but by no means does it mean they aren’t fantastic.
Lights – My brother actually introduced me to her music. She is a Canadian chic who makes “intergalactic-electro music.” It’s pretty cool unique stuff. Not for everyone though. http://www.iamlights.com/
Alexi Murdoch – Most of the music from the movie Away We Go is from Alexi. Very Iron and Wine. Chill music and oh so delightful. http://www.aleximurdoch.com/index_site.html
Musikanto – I found him through Joe Pug on Myspace and was seriously impressed. His stuff is darn good, like the song Flowers and Stinging Bees. But he doesn’t seem to be marketed very well. Someone needs to get a hold of him. http://www.musikantomusic.com/
Betsy Roo- I found her through Kate York on Twitter. She writes music for a lot of people, including Mindy Smith whom I love and adore. http://www.myspace.com/betsyroomusic
Ok, enough blog vomiting. I promise next week to write full blown blogs about the amazing bands I am about to partake in. They are just a night’s sleep away.
Tags: Alexi Murdoch, Betsy Roo, Indie, Joe Pug, Lights, Lollapalooza 2009, Mindy Smith, Musikanto, Pop, Rock
Eden was a Garden
Aug 4, 2009 Artists
I was listening to this song and I felt this urgency to be sitting on a porch swing in South Carolina drinking sweet tea. Or maybe aspire to be a hippie? Roman Candle has this southern earthy rock feel to them that I LOVE! Skip has such experienced vocals and smart lyrics you just know he’s been making music since he was born. I really think that because the band members are family you hear a connection that other bands can’t possess. I feel at peace listening to them.
Roman Candle is a band that I found by following isoundcom on Twitter and even though I’ve only been on Twitter for a couple weeks now, I must say I don’t know if I could find a band more intricate, down to earth and hopeful. This isn’t their first cd so I’m kind of sad I haven’t found them earlier. After listening to Oh Tall Tree in the Ear to death, I’m going to dig up some of their earlier stuff to see what it sounds like. I’m sure it is just as good. Take a listen for yourself.
http://www.myspace.com/romancandle
Tags: Amanda loves, Indie, Pop, Rock, Roman Candle
