Ooh La La Lollapalooza 2011

Amanda Davis — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:23:10 +0000

This year I made my second trip to Lollapalooza and per usual it failed to disappoint. Thinking back to 2 years ago at Lolla I remember one band that stood out to me as the best of the day. It was raining all day and everyone was muddy, disgusted from all day porta potty use - but very happy because all of us music lovers were together listening to beautiful sounds. With the rain we all sang along to the tunes of Bon Iver. You’ve heard this before so I won’t go into too much detail except to say that I had another magical moment this year. It’s that moment that you hear a song for the first time and you immediately know it, like know it. That probably doesn’t make sense but I think the best songs are ones that you hear for the first time and immediately respond to. You have no doubt when you buy their cd that it is going to be amazing and that’s what happened with Young the Giant. I could hear their music from far away and walking up towards their stage I just had this surge of happiness inside. They are EVERY bit as good live as their cd which really is saying something – It’s not just their production company that makes them good -they really are that good. Their music is fun, definitely west coast, and may I say that Sameer is ridiculously cute? Two more things for brownie points: 1) They are touring right now with Incubus 2) In March they headlined the Billboard Showcase at South by Southwest. Just another reason to go to Austin this year!

Other AMAZING Lolla bands:

Two Door Cinema Club

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – I talked mostly about Young the Giant but they were my second favorite of the day

Bright Eyes

White Lies

Foster the People

Wye Oak - WO had some electrical problems her first time at Lolla but man was she cute. Like her a lot.

I Could Feel My Heartbeat Taking Me Down

Amanda Davis — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:06:40 +0000

I was having trouble writing a memoir piece in my creative writing class in high school. I knew what I wanted to write about, but it was about an unpleasant experience so I was scared. I remember my professor Andrea Dinan told me that if I couldn’t be painfully honest when writing something it wasn’t worth writing about. Very few artists truly write that way. Unprotected. They tend to write in generalities, but they can’t lay it all out on the table. Manchester Orchestra has a song called I Can Feel A Hot One that grabbed me the very second I heard it. It paints such a heartbreaking picture and you can see this story unfold right in front of your eyes as you listen. Not just this song alone, but many of their songs are captivating. And not only are the lyrics captivating, but the music is fantastic. Their songs are so diverse in style that I think anyone who listens to their music could like it. Read the lyrics below and then listen to the song. They are one band I don’t want to forget because, to be honest, they rock my world.

If you are in Chicago August 7th, 8th or 9th check them out at Lollapalooza. I’ll see you there!

www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra

www.themanchesterorchestra.com/us/home

Download on iTunes

I CAN FEEL A HOT ONE – Manchester Orchestra

I could feel a hot one taking me down
For a moment, I could feel the force
Fainted to the point of tears
And you were holding on to make a point
What’s the point?

I’m but a clean man, stable and alone man
Make it so I won’t have to try
The faces always stay the same
So I face the fact that I’m just fine
I said that I’m just fine

I remember, head down,
After you had found out
Manna is a hell of a drug
And I need a little more, I think
Because enough is never quite enough
What’s enough?

I took it like a grown man crying on the pavement
Hoping you would show your face
But I haven’t heard a thing you’ve said
In at least a couple hundred days
What’d you say?

I was in the front seat, shaking it out
And I was asking if you felt alright
I never want to hear the truth
I want to hear your voice, it sounded fine
My voice, it sounded fine

I could feel my heartbeat taking me down
And for the moment, I would sleep alright
Invading with a selfish fear
To keep me up another restless night
Another restless night

The blood was dry, it was sober
The feeling of audible cracks
And I could tell it was over
From the curtains that hung from your neck

And I realized that then you were perfect
And my teeth ripping out of my head
And it looked like a painting I once knew
Back when my thoughts weren’t entirely intact

To pray for what I thought were angels
Ended up being ambulances
And the Lord showed me dreams of my daughter
She was crying inside your stomach

And I felt love again

*Heard on One Tree Hill (as always)

My Lover's Name is Music » Lollapalooza

Ooh La La Lollapalooza 2011

I Could Feel My Heartbeat Taking Me Down