Concert

Last night I saw Vampire Weekend (for the third time) in concert and it was absolutely amazing. I really love how each of the band members play independently but in sync at the same time. Ezra Koenig (lead singer) was hilarious and interacted with the crowd so much more than he did previously, due to the fact that the concert was held at Stubbs and therefore was a smaller venue. Their set list was flawless-- it was so great just being in the atmosphere of it all. My favorite part of this band is the guitar and how playful // folky it sounds without being full-blown folk music. Here a video I took of their song "Walcott" --

ACL Lineup

The ACL lineup this year is much  better than last year in my opinion. The masterminds behind the scenes did a good job of ensuring there would be a variety of genres, from Skrillex to Pearl Jam. Eminem is a huge headliner that left plenty of people over the moon, however I will more than likely skip that concert. If time allows/if there are no other bands playing at the moment I would love to see Pearl Jam, just because I know they can play and have the years of skill and raw talent to back it up (plus I just enjoy their old rocker vibe). I am SO extremely excited to see Beck because I have been a longtime fan of his older grunge albums in addition to his brand new mellow songs.
Say Goodbye -- Beck (one of my favorite of his new ones)

In addition to Beck, I am probably most excited for Spoon. Spoon has been a favorite of mine for so long and I absolutely cannot WAIT to see them live again. Major Lazer would be cool if there is nothing else to see. I also want to see the Avett Brothers, The Head and The Heart, Broken Bells (for sure), maybe Childish Gambino, Chvrches, St. Vincent, Phantogram, Fitz and the Tantrums, and more.

Youth Lagoon

The song "Canons" by Youth Lagoon has been hanging around my Spotify for the last couple of weeks and I realized that it is my favorite song to do homework to, especially when writing essays. I haven't exactly explored Youth Lagoon in depth but, based off this song, I would like to hear more. "Canons" has cool guitar chords that persist throughout the song, and it has a voice overlay that makes everything sound retro, almost from a distance. Youth Lagoon is a one man band composed of Trevor Powers, and in this live rendition of "Canons" he proves to be a proficient piano player as well. This acoustic version is really pure and innocent, but I'll include the studio version too so you can hear the overlay I'm referring to...

Nirvana... (again)

I know I already blogged about Nirvana back in October, but watching their Unplugged MTV performance really made me appreciate their actual musical abilities more so than before. Kurt Cobain's voice has such a raw pull to it, one of the reasons why they were such a successful band. The songs have such a strong connotation to each and every one of them, breaking the fourth wall and really connecting with the audience. Nirvana has a hardcore/grunge reputation that causes random "rebellious teens" to adopt their music simply for its rebellious and alternative qualities, not for the message or delivery. This isn't really an issue, but it certainly bothers me (and I'm sure other people as well) to see random girls/people in general walking around in Nirvana merchandise purely for the namesake and without any regard to the actual music they are advertising. Nevertheless, Nevermind is an extraordinary album with a ridiculous amount of hit songs, all maintaining their own unique message and feel while having an undertone that ties the album tracks together. After watching Unplugged in class, I decided that "Dumb" was my favorite song of the show....

St. Vincent

I started listening to St. Vincent after you showed us in class one time, and I really like her stuff. The one word I can think of describing her is "unique," because I have honestly never heard anything quite like her music. My favorite song is "Digital Witness," but I enjoy "Cruel" and "Rattlesnake." Now I regret not seeing her at SXSW (granted, I was out of town, but still). Her music has a cool edge and all around interesting aspect that drew me in from the beginning.

U2

I love listening to U2. After watching the documentary a while ago about The Edge, Jack White, and Jimmy Page, I formed a newfound respect for The Edge and his contribution to the band. I like how U2's sound is rock but with a slight electronic feel that incorporates technology without changing the entire vibe. The constant renovations that The Edge makes to U2's sound, in part with the rest of the band of course, emphasizes the message they try to get across. U2 has embedded war protests and fights against diseases into their albums, which (I believe) is one of the reasons why they are such a highly regarded band. They could have very well stuck to traditional chords and lyrics that generated revenue and fame, but they chose to adopt a well-deserved cause, which I believe is admirable. My favorite songs are Ordinary People, Beautiful Day, Vertigo, City of Blinding Lights, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Get on Your Boots, Miracle Drug, All Because of You.

Voxtrot

I just heard the song "The Start of Something" by Voxtrot yesterday and really really enjoy it. I found it through my spotify radio and began to like it due to its similarity to The Smiths and The Strokes. They have a retro sound that stands out among the artists of today AND they're from Austin. Which makes them even better. I have only heard one song so far but I definitely plan on looking up their discography in its entirety. Their career was very short lived, for they released their first self-titled album in 2007 and broke up in 2010. In a way, this is good for me because it means I won't drop $40 on yet another concert ticket, but it also means that I don't get to hear them live. Which is sad. Anyway, I really like this band and recommend that you listen to this song! Yay fellow Austinites.

Hair Metal

The other day was Hair Metal day, and it was strange to say the least. I was ignorant to the level of androgynous men that were prominent in rock bands throughout the 80s. They were certainly not afraid to experiment with their clothing/actions, especially in Kiss, Twisted Sister, and Warrant. There were man times where I was surprised after a band member turned around and showed himself to be a boy with excellent hair, not a girl. It seems paradoxical to me to have these male rock members achieve this grunge-rebellion-edgy image through feminine qualities (clothing, hair, the pitch of their singing...). I knew how Kiss painted their faces and wore ridiculous clothing but the largely androgynous cloud over this rock era was news to me. It is also strange in that people were far less accepting of gay rights and homosexuality than today, and yet (as many people pointed out in class) they were contradicting what many people considered heterosexuality. It all seems strange to me. I would not have liked to live in this time period... it sounds scary.