She & Him Head to Millennium Park this Summer

At this point, I think I'm a bigger fan of their first album than their second, but either way I'm excited about this show.

On Monday, June 7, they'll play a FREE show at Chicago's own Millenium Park. She & Him made their first appearance on this blog on November 26, 2008, with "You Really Got a Hold on Me" as my Recommended Song of the Day.


Of course, there's a facebook event for this occasion. You can choose to attend the show HERE if you're like me and need a reminder closer to the show.

props to LLP

I Wish I Could Go to Bonnaroo

Bonnaroo's line-up is shaping up quite nicely. Below is a list of confirmed performers, organized into separate sections of my knowledge (but not organized within those sections). If this were the Pitchfork or Lolla line-up, I'd be investing my time to check out the folks I don't know.

If anyone has a free ticket for me and a place I could crash, let me know! ;)

Top Picks
Phoenix
LCD Soundsystem
The Avett Brothers
Zac Brown Band
The Black Keys
Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers
She & Him
Miike Snow
Dr. Dog
Neon Indian
Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile
The Temper Trap

Would be Nice to See
Stevie Wonder
Jay-Z
Weezer
The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform “Dark Side of the Moon”
Regina Spektor
Thievery Corporation
Daryl Hall & Chromeo
The xx
They Might Be Giants
OK Go
Mayer Hawthorne and the County
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
The Dodos
Tokyo Police Club
Here We Go Magic

I Know Nothing About These Folks
The Dead Weather
Damian Marley and Nas
Michael Franti and Spearhead
John Fogerty
Jimmy Cliff
Les Claypool
John Prine
Jeff Beck
Dropkick Murphys
Against Me!
Deadmau5
Jamey Johnson
Clutch
Bassnectar
Kid Cudi
The Disco Biscuits
Kris Kristofferson
Medeski Martin & Wood
GWAR
Isis
Blues Traveler
Miranda Lambert
Calexico
Gary Chardonnay
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Martin Sexton
Lotus
Baroness
Dave Rawlings Machine
Jay Electronica
Ingrid Michaelson
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Big Sam's Funky Nation
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Brandi Carlile
Mumford & Sons
Rebelution
Diane Birch
Monte Montgomery
Julia Nunes
Fanfarlo
The Postelles
Hot Rize
B.O.B
NEEDTOBREATHE
The Entrance Band
Local Natives
Lucero
Dan Deacon Ensemble
Tinariwen
Wale
Baaba Maal
The Melvins
The Gaslight Anthem
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

I Don't Really Care About These Folks
Tenacious D
Norah Jones
Rise Against
Tori Amos
The National
Blitzen Trapper
Japandroids
Manchester Orchestra

I Really Don't Care About These Folks
Dave Matthews Band
Kings of Leon

2010 Coachella Line-up Announced

and I SO wish I could go :(

I will certainly be at Lollapalooza and Pitchfork again this year, but I really hope I can find a way to make it to Coachella or CMJ or SXSW or Bonnaroo too. Either way, I posted the Coachella line-up below for your reference, and I also called out which bands made me immediately excited. The bands are listed in relative order of excitement. :)

Muse
LCD Soundsystem
Passion Pit
SPOON
Florence and the Machine
Owen Pallett
Hot Chip
Yeasayer
King Kahn
Phoenix
She & Him
White Rabbits
Girls
Pavement
Them Crooked Vultures
Avett Brothers
MGMT
Gossip
Beach House
Gorillaz
Temper Trap
The xx
Matt & Kim
Dirty Projectors
Vampire Weekend
Hockey
Grizzly Bear
Tokyo Police Club
Sia

Upcoming Album Releases to be Excited About

So, the very fine blog Consequence of Sound posted a pretty thorough list of album releases for Q1 2010. I highlighted what I'm most excited for below, and you can check out the full list HERE.

1/12/10
Ringo Starr - Y Not [Hip-O Records]
Vampire Weekend - Contra [XL]


12/19/10
Editors - In This Light And On This Evening [Fader]
Eels - End Times [Vagrant]
Fredrik - Trilogi [Kora Records]
Spoon - Transference [Merge]


1/26/10
Animal Collective - Campfire Songs [Reissue] [Paw Tracks] Beach House - Teen Dream [Sub Pop]
David Bowie - A Reality Tour [ISO]
Four Tet - There Is Love In You [Domino Records]
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring [Arts&Crafts]


2/9/10
AM - Future Sons & Daughters [Filter Recordings]
David Bowie - David Bowie: Deluxe Edition [Decca/Universal]
Galactic - Ya-Ka-May [Anti-]
Hot Chip - One Life Stand [Astralwerks]
Yeasayer - Odd Blood [Secretly Canadian]


2/23/10
April Smith & The Great Picture Show - Songs For a Sinking Ship
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Here Lives Love [Nonesuch Records]
Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself [Kill Rock Stars]


3/2/10
Rogue Wave - Permalight [Bushfire]
The Whigs - In The Dark [ATO Records]

3/9/10
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil’s Tattoo [Abstract Dragon]
Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks [FatCat Records]
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach [EMI]
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks [Matador Records]


3/16/10
The White Stripes - White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights [Third Man]


3/23/10
Goldfrapp - Head First [Mute Records]
She & Him - Volume Two [Merge]

Random 10 Extras I Love

On this blog I post one song every day by a new artist, never repeating an artist... Sometimes it takes me a while to find an artist I believe is worth posting, and most of the time, once I find that artist, I love more than one of their songs. What to do?!?!

Well, as hard as it may be, I chose one-and-only-one song to recommend each day, but now my Random 10s allow me to share other songs from these artists that I love. Enjoy! :)

The Blow - Parenthesis
Calvin Harris - Acceptable in the 80s
Grizzly Bear - Alligator (choir version)
Iron & Wine - Innocent Bones
Mugison - Jesus is a Good Name to Moan
Muse - Butterflies and Hurricanes
She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
Verona Red - Hesitations & Cliches
Wolf Parade - Call It a Ritual
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

Recommended Song of the Day

Portland, OR

5/13/09: Never Had Nobody Like You, by M. Ward

Listen to it HERE

I've heard many a times that M.Ward makes good music.
Then I fell in love with She & Him.
THEN I realized that "Him" was M.Ward.
NOW I've fallen for this song. Can't wait to hear more!

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

PS Today is a very special day because my first niece was born today! Welcome to the world, Miss Ava Yvonne :)

Recommended Song of the Day

Chicago, IL

5/8/09: The Greater Good, by Moxie Motive

Listen to it HERE

Moxie Motive makes good music.

The Greater Good and It's Always Easy (IAE is very She & Him-ish) are their newest tracks, which are being celebrated tonight at Empty Bottle. Oh, and the songs are FREE, click to download.

I'll be there tonight!

Tracy :)

The Last 25 Albums I listened to

My Album Ratings

When I started this blog in November I made a goal to listen to albums. I think I've been too into my iPod lately and needed to get back to hearing albums and bands the way they are intended to be heard - in a full-length, non-shuffle format. I made up a rating system to keep track of them, with ##### being the best. I've decided to share my list to-date for a few reasons:

1. Hopefully you'll find good music
2. Hopefully you'll give me new good music
3. Hopefully since I'm sharing such intimacies with you, our bond will grow stronger

First sorted by rating, then chronologically because if you're an analytical freak like me you might enjoy seeing my sequence of discovery.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)


By Rating

#.5
Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

##
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

##.5
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Lucinda Williams - Little Honey

###.5
She & Him - Volume One
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

####
Dr. Dog - Fate
I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini?

####.5
Battles - Race In
Foals - Antidots
Greg Wood - Vibrating Glass
Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk it Off

#####
The Blow - Paper Television
Calvin Harris - I Created Disco
Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini
The Faint - Fasciinatiion
The Faint - Wet From Birth
Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams
Mugison - Mugiboogie
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping


Total List Chronologically

1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago ##.5
2. Dr. Dog - Fate ####
3. The Faint - Fasciinatiion #####
4. The Faint - Wet From Birth #####
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes ##
6. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals ##.5
7. Greg Wood - Vibrating Glass ####.5
8. I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini? ####
9. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular #####
10. Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams #####
11. Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust #.5
12. She & Him - Volume One ###.5
13. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend ###.5
14. Calvin Harris - I Created Disco #####
15. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins ####.5
16. The Blow - Paper Television #####
17. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga ####.5
18. Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim #####
19. Battles - Race In ####.5
20. Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini #####
21. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping #####
22. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive ##
23. Foals - Antidots ####.5
24. Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk it Off ####.5
25. Mugison - Mugiboogie ######

Fun Event!

On Wednesday, 12/3, head to the Lakeview Broadcasting Company at 3542 N. Halsted from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to celebrate Venus Zine's Hottt List Issue Release! Special guest DJs Rocktapussy will rock the house with two hours of free A.M. cocktails.

The first 50 ladies will receive very special gift bags featuring swag from Leviticus Jewelry, Medusa's Make-up,Bleeding Heart Bakery, Roxana Potapovs, and more. The weather outside might be frightful but Venus Zine's Hott List Issue Release Party is guaranteed to be oh-so-delightful!

See you there!

UPDATE: So, the party was a blast! Lots of fun people there, a venue worth going back to, free energy drinks (with booze) all night, and a gift bag too. FABulous :)

Do yourself a favor and check out Venus Zine online.

Recommended Song of the Day

11/26/08: You Really Got a Hold on Me, by She & Him

Enjoy :)

Tracy