So, there USED to be freenapster.com, and it USED to provide access to almost any artist's music. It was pretty awesome, and I linked ~90% of this blog's recommendations to that site. Now, apparently, Free Napster is no more. Booooooo.
It will be a long, on-going task of mine to redirect the links to somewhere you can hear the music, but in the meantime, if you click on a link that brings you to Napster where it asks you to sign in: 1) Be angry at them, for disrupting your chance to enjoy a good song 2) Google the song and still check it out, because it's awesome
If you have another source I should be using, please don't hesitate to send it my way. Email me for that, and any music recommendations, at tracy@groundwm.com. Thanks!
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:
Hopefully you'll find good music
Hopefully you'll give me new good music
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
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. :)
Once upon a time, a little boy named Esau Mwamwaya was born in Malawi, East Africa.
He learned to play the drums and even played in several bands while in Africa.
He later moved to London and ran a second-hand furniture store.
Recently, he paired up with Radioclit and together they created the album, The Very Best. I can't say I'm fanatic about it, BUT I do love what they've done and wanted to post their version of Vampire Weekend's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa for you.
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]
I'm a really big fan of Kaiser Chiefs' album Employment, and the only reason I haven't featured a song from it yet is because I can't decide on which song. Well, after seeing Kaiser Chiefs at Lollapalooza, I knew I had to feature them. Their live show was surprisingly fantastic. Their newest album, Off With Their Heads, has been on my list of records I intend to check out since before it was released. I haven't gotten to it just yet, but I have heard several tracks off the album via Pandora or Napster, and today's song caught my attention a while ago.
**Side note - I very honestly, 100% seriously, have no idea what's on the radio right now. I know Lady Gaga, and that's it. I mention this because I have no idea if a recommended song was completely overplayed at some point and everyone's mother knows it, or if it's some random track off an unknown album. I could google it, but I kind of like the objective opinion that not knowing the song's success allows me to have.
Lollapalooza Day 3
I got to the grounds on time to hear most of Sam Roberts Band's (Montreal, Canada) set, but like Day 2 I heard my first band from the side putting on sunscreen in the shade. I liked it, but headed straight to Friendly Fires (St. Albans, UK) after sunscreen to get a good spot. Probably the #4 band on my list of "bands to see at Lolla 09," I previously saw Friendly Fires with White Lies at Double Door this spring. I liked that show and I love their self-titled album, so I was really excited to start Sunday with some dancing at their stage.
Well, dance I did. And so did lead singer Ed Macfarlane, despite the high 90s temperatures during their 12:30 set. I thought he was going to die. Thankfully, he didn't, and the show was one of my top Lolla shows fo sho. Here's a clip:
(PS Band of Horses, I don't care if the "legend" Lou Reed (Brooklyn, NY) played late into your set all but 3 minutes (much less only 10!), you do not play a second over Jane's Addiction's set! (much less 3 songs!) Booooo. I'm mad at you.)
So the first show I went to after Friendly Fires was Kaiser Chiefs. As I mentioned before, it was awesome. I was very much surprised to see their front man in action. He did a really good job of getting a crowd the size of Lollapalooza's involved. And, they were fun musicians to see live!
(The lead singer is singing in the crowd. And I totally thought that chick in the pink shirt was a fan that got on stage that no one was going after. I then realized she was signing the show...)
Immediately following Kaiser Chiefs I headed to the Citi stage to get good spots for Passion Pit (Cambridge, MA). I got as close to the front as I could and it was PACKED. I had high expectations for their show, as I saw them in January at Schubas in Chicago and it was BEYOND FABULOUS. As soon as they stated playing, everyone went crazy and people were falling over and crowd surfing. I nearly died trying to dance at Passion Pit! So, I moved towards the rear of the crowd and danced with other non-crazies. Nonetheless, Passion Pit was amazing. I love their music, but I REALLY love how much everyone in the crowd dances. I taped a quick 360 view during their set, which you can see below.
Also, I didn't get a good clip of the craziness at Passion Pit, but this person did. I'm for serious people; paramedics were shoving their way through the crowd at one point. Check it out:
Last stand-out act of the night was Jane's Addiction (LA,CA). I can honestly say that I don't think I know a single one of their songs. I have no idea how so many artists can completely slip by me, but Jane's Addiction was one of them. And even so, I thought their live show was FABulous! I suspected I might like it because Perry Ferrall is kind of my hero, with the whole "creating Lollapalooza" thing. And because I love Semi Precious Weapons, who one of my friends used to describe Jane's asthetic. Well, after seeing the show I can say I loved it! Perry's still my hero, and I even liked their music. :) I was able to use my last bit of memory to film the opening few moments of their show.
Here are some random moments of Lollapalooza Day 3:
Liam Finn with Eliza Jane - Champagne in Seashells
RCRD LBL Radio
I'm a big fan of RCRD LBL.
RCRD LBL is a network of online record labels and blogs offering completely FREE (and almost ALWAYS amazing) music. I love them SO much, I added their radio widget to my site.
Enjoy! and check 'em out! :)
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