Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
02/08 Tool 02/11 Jeff Mangum 02/17 of Montreal 02/29 Blind Pilot 03/31 The Naked & The Famous 05/14 M83 and I Break Horses 05/19 Flaming Lips, Young the Giant, Dawes and AWOLNATION 06/07 Bonnaroo 2012!!! 06/13 Roger Waters 07/28 Toadies
Battles formed in New York City in 2002. The original lineup consisted of guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Tyondai Braxton, keyboardist/guitarist Ian Williams, Guitarist/Bassist Dave Konopka, and drummer John Stanier. After a handful of EPs that were re-released by Warp, they released their debut Mirrored, to heavy critical acclaim. They released a few singles and got a small bit of notoriety from the song "Atlas," which appeared in several commercials, as well as in the video game Little Big Planet. Mirrored was a strage mix of post-rock, indie rock, electronica, and goofy cartoon music. Think a day at the carnival on acid.
Samples from Mirrored:
"Atlas"
"Race: in"
"Leyendecker"
After heavy touring between 2007-2010, it was announced in 2010 that vocalist/guitarist Tyondai Braxton was leaving the band to pursue a solo career. Heavy rumors of a break-up flooded the internet, but Battles insisted they were NOT breaking up. It would later be revealed that they were in the midst of writing on a new album with Tyondai when he left, and they tried to continue the album without him. They went in and recorded the album, only to find that they absolutely hated it. They decided to scrap all the songs and start from scratch without Braxton. The result was Gloss Drop, Battles' second album. The album received a lot of attention before it's release due to their decision to continue as a 3-piece instead of replacing Braxton. Many worried that the band would fail to re-produce the densely layered sounds of their first album with only 3 members.
Gloss Drop was released on June 6th, 2011, to very positive reviews. The band was praised for their ability to carry on without Braxton, seemingly without breaking stride at all. Spin called it "a triumphant moment, an experimental outburst both ingenious and accessible". Mark Shukla of The Skinny, remarking on how adroitly the band overcame the departure of Braxton, argued that "...above and beyond its considerable technical accomplishment, it's Gloss Drop's sense of playful optimism that augurs most auspiciously for this band's future." Which is a perfect way to put it. While Gloss Drop is a fantastic album on it's own, it's an even better album in context. Looking at how adeptly they overcame a huge obstacle like the departure of a major member, it's a true testament to the immense amount of talent that this band has, and it for sure makes me look forward to future releases where they become more confident and skilled as a 3 piece.
Samples from Gloss Drop:
"Africastle"
"Ice Cream"
"My Machines"
Finally, their live show. I've never seen Battles before they lost Braxton, but I can say that when I saw them this Halloween, they brought it. Even being familiar with the concept of live looping and sampling, it's still mind-blowing how much these guys can do on stage with only three members. One member playing a guitar and a synth at the same time, one with each hand, both guitarists building loops and samples upon each other, all the while Stanier is hammering out a steady beat behind them. This is seriously a must-see set at roo this year... so be there.
Last Edit: Feb 17, 2012 11:40:17 GMT -5 by mc - Back to Top
I would like to do a write up on Skrillex. Hopefully inform people and get them more excited about an artist they may have some bias views against.
That'd be great! I don't personally care for Skrillex's music, but I definitely want to represent all musical views in here. Skrillex will have a high-profile spot, so he deserves a spot in here for people to learn about his music. Maybe you'll even win a few converts
Sonny Moore aka Skrillex is a new up and coming artist in the EDM scene. Originally in the post hardcore band From First to Last, he left the group in 2007 to pursue his solo career, simply known as Sonny Moore.
This is a picture of Sonny in From First To Last
Sonny's solo career is where he first started experimenting with electronic music with his own vocals. Here's one of his earliest tracks, Gypsyhook:
While he continued to evolved he eventually stopped working on his Gypsyhook EP and and began preforming under the stage name Skrillex in 2008. Soon after he released his first EP under this new name called My Name Is Skrillex. Off this EP is a track called WEEKENDS!!! (featuring Sirah)
In late 2010 after touring with Deadmau5 and being signed to mau5trap recordings, Skrillex would drop another EP that would get him noticed. The EP is Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites and the song that got him noticed has the same name.
From this point Skrillex name moved up the chain of popularity in the EDM world as he released big remix tracks like
Reptile's Theme
and the hugely successful remix to Benny Benassi's Cinema
As his fame rose, Skrillex created his own record label, OWSLA and released in August of 2011 his first music video from a song off his third EP More Monsters and Sprites, a remix album of Scary Monsters and Nice Spirits. This song would be known as Equinox (First Of The Year) which provided an equally fascinating video to a very catchy song.
December 2011 Skrillex released his fourth album Bangarang. Which has since received mixed reviews because, although it does feature dubstep, it dialed away from it.
Here's a personal favorite off the album, (Kyoto Ft. Sirah):
Although people commonly place Skrillex under the category of dubstep, he has commonly been noted saying that he doesn't belong under one category. He feels the challenge is just to create something new and exciting in the EDM world.
Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), John Cummings (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesiser, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drum kit). The band typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.
For those unfamiliar with "post-rock", its essentially instrumental rock that is very layered, emotional, and will display large fluctuations in volume, complexity and intensity throughout a song.
Musical Style
Their style has been influenced by bands including MC5, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, and post-rock pioneers Slint. During 2004, the band supported tours by two major influences, Pixies and The Cure. Mogwai's style has easily identifiable connections to genres like shoegazing, math rock, art rock and occasionally instrumental metal. Debut album Mogwai Young Team was described as "stunningly dynamic...[shifting] seamlessly from tranquil, bleakly beautiful soundscapes to brain scrambling white noise and sledgehammer riffing". Douglas Wolk, writing for SPIN in 1999 said of the band: "Their compositions have gotten increasingly drawn-out and austere over time, sometimes barely more than a single arpeggiated chord or two evolving for ten minutes or more, whisperingly brutal in a way that recalls Slint more than any other band". Braithwaite has commented on the absence of lyrics in most of Mogwai's music, saying: "I think most people are not used to having no lyrics to focus on. Lyrics are a real comfort to some people. I guess they like to sing along and when they can't do that with us they can get a bit upset."
Discography
I've done my best to include as many live versions of the songs as I could find so that you may see and hear what you can expect from their upcoming Bonnaroo performance. Enjoy!
Mogwai Young Team
Recorded in 1997, it is largely instrumental, with one notable exception ("R U Still in 2 It", which features vocals, although many songs feature recordings of various individuals speaking, whether over the phone ("Tracy"), reading ("Yes! I Am a Long Way from Home"), or just rambling ("Katrien").
It features limited instrumentation, consisting mainly of guitar, bass and drums, although other instruments can sometimes be heard throughout the album. The band had only written three of the songs before they entered the studio.
In my opinion, as well as others, this is their finest album to date.
Come On Die Young
Released in 1999, it is somewhat different from the rest of Mogwai's work because of its reserved tone. The album's second track, "Cody" is much more like a traditional pop song than most of the band's repertoire. Still slow and meandering, it features an uncharacteristically distinct melody, slide guitar and relatively prominent vocals. Much of Come On Die Young consists of slow, quiet, drum-driven tracks containing tense, feedback-laden crescendos and occasionally ambient textures. Near the end of the album, the bombastic "Christmas Steps" breaks away from this quiet tension and displays a return to Mogwai's more well-known distortion-heavy dynamics. The album's title derives from a Glasgow gang of the same name.
Rock Action
Released in 2001, Rock Action brought with it some changes to Mogwai's sound that they would continue to develop later, including the use of electronic instruments. While song structures on this album are typical of the band in most cases and respects, some of the contrasting dynamics have been toned down slightly and many of the songs focus more on texture than on structure. For the first time, Mogwai utilised synthesizers, expanding their timbral palette. The single "Dial: Revenge" fills much the same role that "Cody" did on Come on Die Young. The tone of Rock Action is somewhat less dark than previous works, but maintains Mogwai's cryptic cynicism.
Happy Songs for Happy People
Released in 2003, Happy Songs for Happy People is the fourth full-length studio album by Mogwai. It represents a further evolution of Mogwai's toned down, more electronic sound. The songs on the album are subdued, with the only exceptions being the towering "Ratts of the Capital," and cacophonous closer "Stop Coming to My House". Synthesizers often take the main stage on this album, with strings and piano also making the occasional appearance. Mogwai's usual vocalist Stuart Braithwaite does not sing on this album at all; however, Barry Burns ("Hunted by a Freak", "Killing All the Flies") and John Cummings ("Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep") do. It was the first Mogwai album to appear in the US charts, spending one week on the Billboard 200 at #182.
Mr Beast
The album Mr Beast was released in 2006. Drummer Martin Bulloch describes it as “ ...the best record we've made since Mogwai Young Team.” The album's title stemmed from an incident where Barry Burns and Dominic Aitchison landed in Florida to start a tour with The Cure in 2005, when they saw a taxi driver standing outside the airport holding a sign that said "Mr. and Mrs. Beast" which, after a 10-hour flight, was "funnier than life itself".
The Hawk is Howling
Released in 2008, It is their first album to feature exclusively instrumental songs, since their earlier albums all have had vocals (singing or spoken word) on some tracks. This is from Pitchfork: Mogwai's new album, The Hawk Is Howling, is the next iteration of the sound that began with Happy Songs. You get a handful of abbreviated heavy tracks, an equitable batch of somnolent drifts, and the occasional suggestive-of-the-future curveball. Just like 2006's Mr. Beast, Hawk follows an unevenly stacked 10-song structure, opening with a stately piano build ("Auto Rock" versus "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead"), a ferocious follow ("Glasgow Mega-Snake" versus "Batcat"), and a drifting reverie ("Acid Food" versus "Danphe and the Brain") before allowing the middle sag into vacuity. The last three tracks of both records form suites of sorts: Track eight offers a hint of menace, which is reined in on a gentle follow-up before the closer amplifies it all. It's a sensible strategy, and The Hawk Is Howling is ultimately listenable, understandable, and vaguely likable. Like the songs that shape it, though, the album just feels redundant and tenuous, like the last empty cloud trailing behind a fierce storm.
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Released in 2011, this is an excerpt from Rolling Stone: Of all the great Nineties guitar bands, Mogwai might be the one fighting hardest to keep the decade's anything-goes spirit alive. The Glasgow space-rockers have never lost their faith in ear-bleeding noise. On their superbly titled seventh album, they go for epic guitar savagery, weaving feedback with melody in the majestic surge of "You're Lionel Richie." They mess with keyboards on tracks like "How to Be a Werewolf," exploring the jagged electro grooves of groups like Neu! and Stereolab. Every band should mature like the Mogwai lads: still inventive, still challenging themselves and still insanely loud.
Sources: Wikipedia, youtube, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone
Last Edit: Feb 18, 2012 0:12:11 GMT -5 by Deleted - Back to Top
Blind Pilot began as a two piece indie-folk band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Israel Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski in Portland, Oregon circa 2005. The band remained in obscurity until 2008 when they embarked on a "Bicycle tour" from Bellingham, WA to San Diego, CA. On this tour, Blind Pilot played small venues down the Western coastline carrying their instruments on custom bicycle trailers that they fabricated themselves. Until this point the two-piece had yet to record an album and were looking to expand their sound.
In 2009, Blind Pilot grew to be a 6-piece group adding members Luke Ydstie (upright bass, backing vocals), Kati Claborn (banjo, dulcimer, backing vocals), Ian Krist (vibraphones), and Dave Jorgensen (keyboards, trumpet). They went on to record their debut album "3 Rounds and a Sound" and to tour the country opening up for bands such as Counting Crows, The Hold Steady and The Decemberists.
Over the next three years Blind Pilot would go on to have their own headlining tours and play several American music festivals including Sasquatch, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. In September of 2011, Blind Pilot released their second album "We Are the tide"
Musical Style:
Blind Pilot has a strong folk/americana vibe in the same vein as Fleet Foxes or The Head and The Heart. Israel's vocals have a soft and somewhat Elliott Smith texture while the rest of the band throws in harmonies that flow seamlessly into his own. Musically the mixture of strings and horns is mesmerizing, especially in a live setting.
02/08 Tool 02/11 Jeff Mangum 02/17 of Montreal 02/29 Blind Pilot 03/31 The Naked & The Famous 05/14 M83 and I Break Horses 05/19 Flaming Lips, Young the Giant, Dawes and AWOLNATION 06/07 Bonnaroo 2012!!! 06/13 Roger Waters 07/28 Toadies
Didn't forget about doing my Blackstar write-up, but I wasted all of my free time today waiting around for tix. I'll hopefully have something up tomorrow, Monday at the latest.
(1) Damon Albarn (2) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (3) King Khan & His Shrines (4) Ty Segall (5) Ms Lauryn Hill (6) Darkside (7) Kanye (8) Janelle Monae (9) Goat (10) Meshuggah.
2012 shows: 3/23 - The Men 4/9 - Of Monsters & Men 4/21 - Bassnectar 5/2 - Shpongle 5/22 - Jack White 6/1 - tUnE-yArDs 6/7-6/10 - Bonnaroo 2012 6/18 - Destroyer 6/20 - The Tallest Man On Earth 6/23-6/24 - Governor's Ball
Post by James Baxter on Feb 19, 2012 15:58:02 GMT -5
tUnE-yArDs
tUnE-yArDs (referred to as tune-yards from now on) is the brainchild of Merrill Garbus, showcasing her talents as a vocalist, percussionist, and ukelelist; Often at the same time, thanks to her loop machine. Her style is so unique and groundbreaking that it's hard to categorize. The best description I can think of is Reggie Watts and Björk combined.
BiRd-BrAiNs/BiRd DrOpPiNgS (again, the only time I am capitalizing it that way)
In 2009, Merrill released the first album under the tune-yards moniker, bird-brains. She performed it entirely on her own, and used a $2 tape recorder to capture it. My take: Recording straight onto cassette gave the album a very personal feeling, as if she just recorded it for herself, and to show to friends. It's the same feeling I get listening to "Hi How Are You?" by Daniel Johnston
Best tracks: Hatari
Fiya
Real Live Flesh
Jumping Jack
w h o k i l l
Last year, the second and latest tune-yards record was released to critical acclaim. The record took a less lo-fi approach than the last; it was recorded in a studio with a bassist, who has become a prominent part of tune-yards. He's often the only stringed instrument on display, and even co-writes songs My Take: This is a stronger album than the last in every sense of the word. It's more polished, politically charged and thicker, thanks in no small part to Nate Brenner, the new bassist. It really feels like tune-yards is evolving from a project to a band.
Best tracks: Doorstep
Powa
Bizness
My Country
Gangsta
Thoughts on Their Live Sound: I saw them at Black Cat in DC for the early show. It was probably the best performance I'd been to all year. Merrill ruled the audience in a way I rarely see musicians do. She said jump, and we jumped. I would have asked how high if she wasn't absorbed in crafting a rhythm piece by piece. The songs all make a great transfer to a live environment with little modification. The only drastically different song is "Bizness", where her cooing is replaced by saxophones. This is one of the top five acts for me at Bonnaroo, and should not be missed. I will leave you with their tiny desk session, and hopes that they test some new songs.
(1) Damon Albarn (2) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (3) King Khan & His Shrines (4) Ty Segall (5) Ms Lauryn Hill (6) Darkside (7) Kanye (8) Janelle Monae (9) Goat (10) Meshuggah.
Post by Dave Maynar on Feb 19, 2012 17:08:35 GMT -5
Fitz and the Tantrums
History The legend is Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick received a phone call from an ex in 2008 who told him of a neighbor who had an organ available. Fitz decided to get it back to his house. He describes the organ as being a compass that helped him find his musical direction as he wrote "Breakin' the Chains of Love" that night in his living room. FatT played small clubs around LA during the first half of 2009 as Fitz wrote and recorded the entrirety of "Songs for a Break-Up, Volume One" in his living room. This EP was released Agust 11, 2009 through Canyon Productions. Fitz and the Tantrums toured with Flogging Molly and Hepcat during September 2009. Adam Levine from Maroon 5 then heard the EP and immediately invited Fitz to open for Maroon 5 for 8 shows during November 2009 after the original opener had to drop out due to fatigue. In December 2009 the band shot the official music video for their first single "Breakin' The Chains of Love", directed by Joshua Leonard.
In March 2010, Fitz and The Tantrums played at KCRW’s Official Showcases at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.In October 2010, On April 15, 2010, Fitz and The Tantrums opened for ska legends The Specials on their North American reunion tour at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. On April 26, 2010, Dangerbird Records announced that they had signed Fitz and The Tantrums. Their first full-length album, Pickin' Up the Pieces was released on August 24, 2010. Daryl Hall invited the band to perform on his popular web-series Live from Daryl's House.[14] They played a seven-song set including four Tantrums songs, early Hall song "Girl I Love You", "Perkiomen", and finishing with "Sara Smile".
On January 12, 2011, Fitz and The Tantrums performed the songs "MoneyGrabber" and "Don't Gotta Work It Out" on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live in Los Angeles. On February 28, 2011, they performed "MoneyGrabber" on TBS' Conan and on April 5, 2011, on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On Friday, February 3rd, 2012, Fitz and The Tantrums performed the song "Don't Gotta Work It Out" on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Members Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick (vocals and keyboards) Spent years in LA music, writing music for other artists and working in studio with Beck producer Mickey Petralia
Noelle Scaggs (vocals and percussion) Formerly of the LA jazz/soul group, The Rebirth
James King (saxophone, flute, trumpet, and harmonica) long-time friend of Fitz, former LA session musician who has worked with Mariah Carey, Dr. Dre, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys and others
Joseph Karnes (bass guitar) Also a member of Desktop Rulers and Pedestrian
Jeremy Ruzumna (keyboards) LA-based musician who has Worked with Bruno Mars, Cee Lo, Macy Gray, Joss Stone, BEP and others
John Wicks (drums and percussion) LA-based studio session drummer, producer, and songwriter. Has worked with B.o.B, Bruno Mars, Cee Lo, Meshell Ndegeocello and others.
Live Show I saw them at the Bijou this past year. They have a high energy show where Fitz and Noelle interact with the crowd and play off each other really well. Due to their still-small catalog, they tend to work in a few covers during shows, such as "Steady, As She Goes" by the Raconteurs and "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics
TBT is a 5-piece bluegrass band from Duluth, Minnesota. They've been releasing music for the past 8 years but until recently they had been popular only in bluegrass circles. Their last two albums, Duluth (2008) and Palomino (2010) have increased their popularity into the indie fanbase. Their traditional bluegrass stuff is generally fast-paced picking and uptempo rhythms. They can really pick it and all 5 musicians are really talented. They break away from the uptempo picking though so they're not a one-trick pony. The band has remained unchanged since 2004 and consists of:
Dave Simonett-- guitar, vocals Tim Saxhaug-- bass, vocals Dave Carroll-- banjo, vocals Erik Berry-- mandolin, vocals Ryan Young-- fiddle
I started getting into them when I saw that they were on the Newport Folk Festival lineup last year and they blew me away with their performance. They will likely not bore anybody and you will not get numbed by constant uptempo bluegrass. They mix up their sets well with slower paced songs and are very personable and fun onstage. These vids had the best sound quality so these are the ones I posted:
Long time listener, first time caller, but I'd be willing to do Kendrick Lamar and Yelawolf.
That'd be great! Glad for you to join us.
I'm surprised nobody has claimed any of the top few bands on the lineup yet. Radiohead, RHCP, The Beach Boys, Bon Iver, all still available. I suppose I might do one of them if they don't get claimed soon.
I'm surprised nobody has claimed any of the top few bands on the lineup yet. Radiohead, RHCP, The Beach Boys, Bon Iver, all still available. I suppose I might do one of them if they don't get claimed soon.
Honestly, the idea of compiling 20ish years of Radiohead history is a pretty daunting task for me, or I would have signed up first day.
Post by Alberto Balsalm on Feb 21, 2012 16:10:23 GMT -5
That didn't take long.
Here we go, Radiohead write-up:
The band that I would like to nominate for induction into Cleveland's very own Rock and Roll Hall of fame is Radiohead. Selling over 30 million albums worldwide, while constantly changing their sound and continuously breaking boundaries both musically and artistically, Radiohead is a band who surely will make it in once their career is over, although their career is far from being over.
Radiohead formed in the mid-1980's while attending a boarding school called Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England. The band is composed of lead vocalist Thom Yorke, brothers Jonny and Colin Greenwood on lead guitar and bass, Ed O'Brien on rhythm guitar and Phil Selway on drums and percussion. Originally called "On Friday", they eventually changed their name after signing with EMI to "Radiohead", inspired by the title of a song on the Talking Heads album, True Stories. They released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. With the hit single "Creep", still one of their most well-known songs, their post-grunge style catapulted them into the spotlight, but this style wouldn't last long -- a theme that would become common for Radiohead. Their next album, The Bends, featured the same acoustic-guitar driven sound but began to expand with the greater use of Jonny Greenwood's keyboard. The album fared well, and they began to crossover into the US.
1997 is when things really changed for Radiohead though. The band decided to take control artistically and self-produce their next album with assistance from friend and producer Nigel Godrich, a pair that would become very well known over the next decade working together. Godrich, who is sometimes referred to as "the sixth member of the band" similar to George Martin in The Beatles, helped craft Radiohead's now-distinct sound with his dense, swirling atmospheric layers of sound. The result was a very experimental, pseudo-concept album in OK Computer, now seen as one of the best albums of the '90's and hailed by many critics as one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Stemming form Yorke's obsession with ambient electronic music and jazz, the band was able to emulate these types of sounds while still using guitars and keyboards and staying in a traditional rock format. Seen as a rebellion against the Britpop era that was slowly fading in England at the time, a genre that Radiohead had been lumped into with their first two slow, acoustic-driven albums, the album has been cited as a major influence on famous English bands soon to arrive on the scene such as Muse, Coldplay and Bloc Party. It's noncommercial sound would lead to disappointing initial sales, but after nearly universal critical acclaim it would soon propel them to worldwide success as a leading force moving forward in the music industry. But even with the huge step forward in OK Computer, no one could see what was coming next.
After all the pressure of the success of OK Computer, the band retreated from the spotlight for a few years and desired to make a drastic change. Their next album, Kid A released in 2000, would abandon the guitar-oriented rock format entirely, in favor of a glitchy, ambient, jazzy, electronic sound. Despite not having a single or music video, Kid A debuted at number one on the charts due to a unique marketing strategy employed by Yorke and the band. In a time when the music industry not yet truly found its niche on the internet, Radiohead took the first step by maintaining a heavy promotional web presence, and even recording a session of the album and purposely leaking it on the then-new file sharing site "Napster" weeks before the release. This generated a significant buzz for the album and is seen for one of the main reasons how it was able to debut at #1 without a single.
The unique marketing and release of this album is something that would become a trend for Radiohead later. After the release of Amnesiac in 2002 and Hail to the Thief in 2004, the band became fed up with labels and the music industry and left EMI and remained quiet for 4 years after that. Then, in October 2007 the band suddenly announced that they would be releasing their 6th album, In Rainbows, digitally on their website in 10 days for any amount you wanted to pay. This unique strategy again generated a lot of buzz for the album, which moved 1.2 million units on the day it was released, and the album's more accessible sound was met with their best critical and commercial reception since Kid A. The band again remained dormant for 4 years after the release of In Rainbows and then suddenly announced their 7th album, The King of Limbs, days before it's released in similar digital fashion to In Rainbows, but with a fixed price this time. The album also focused heavily on art, with extensive artwork and packaging along with a viral community art project led by Thom Yorke to promote the album. The sound of the album is also a major departure from In Rainbows, returning much more to the electronic stylings of Kid A with a heavy focus on rhythm and percussion.
As you can see, Radiohead is a band that has not only been pushing the boundaries of music, but artistic expression and even the music industry for the better part of two decades now. With an ever-changing sound that has influenced all different walks of artists and a strive to be unique and make a difference with every release, they will certainly go down as one of the most important bands of my generation, and still have a bright future ahead of them that will inevitably end up in Cleveland, Ohio.
Post by RadioSpirit on Feb 21, 2012 16:26:36 GMT -5
That's pretty good, although, without any Youtubes or links, it'd be hard for someone who had never listened to them before to get a feel for their sounds throughout the years. I guess it's less important for headliners since most people will have listened to them before.
That's pretty good, although, without any Youtubes or links, it'd be hard for someone who had never listened to them before to get a feel for their sounds throughout the years. I guess it's less important for headliners since most people will have listened to them before.
Yeah like I said it's just from a paper I wrote last semester. Just figured I'd throw it on here since we didn't have anything yet lol
Phantogram, made up of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter, didn’t jump out as a major highlight to many people when they appeared on Bonnaroo’s lineup. I’ll be honest, I had only listened to them a little pre-lineup, but, since then, they have grown to be one my most anticipated acts this year.
Phantogram hails from Saratoga Springs, New York, which is a small town in upstate New York. Barthel and Carter met in junior high, but didn’t form the band until 2007 after Carter left his first band Grand Habit and Carter decided to stop pursuing a visual arts degree. They are self-described as "street beat, psych pop.” The original name for their band was Charlie Everywhere; they didn’t change their name to Phantogram until they signed to BBE in 2009 (they would later sign with Barusk Records).
It was in 2009, that they released their first EP, which was self-titled. Later that year they would release another EP called Running From The Cops, then, finally, in September 2009 they released the first full album Eyelid Movies.
The title song of their second EP, Running From The Cops, was the first song that garnered a significant amount of recognition. It has a fantastic synth beat that carries the listener through the entire song:
Also, off that same EP was When I’m Small, which gained in popularity when used on the premiere episode of MTV’s remake of Skins. This song is my favorite song off that first EP. This is the song of theirs I could listen to over and over again:
After those EPs, out came Eyelid Movies, their first full-length. Like the first song here, this next one is sung by Carter. I have always been drawn to bands that have female and male vocalists. It creates a sense of surprise to every album the band releases. And when the vocals by both members are as good as these two, it creates a strong, lasting collection of great music. Here is You Are The Ocean:
And from the same LP, here is a live version of All Dried Up:
Then two years later the duo put out another EP, Nightlife, which is arguably their most popular effort to date. This EP produced the song many are the most familiar with, Don’t Move:
From what we can tell, Phantogram will be a Thursday night set. And I have high hopes that they’ll go down with The XX and Deerhunter as one of my favorite opening night acts I’ve seen at Bonnaroo. Can’t wait, y’all!
Post by norulesupply on Feb 22, 2012 23:42:33 GMT -5
YOUNG THE GIANT
Young the Giant's sound is as uniquely diverse and eclectic as its five members. Sameer Gadhia, Payam Doostzadeh, Jacob Tilley, Francois Comtois and Eric Cannata hail from, surprisingly, Newport Beach, California. An assembly of "international names" and assorted backgrounds that combine to produce a refreshing brand of sun soaked Indie rock. With lush experimental compositions complimented by subtle yet infectious pop hooks and unique, soothing vocals, it is a sound all their own.
Predominantly comprised of teenagers, the five piece delivers mature arrangements far beyond their years. As high school students they conquered the local Orange County music scene winning awards and praise, quickly developing momentum that was soon challenged by their new college lives. At 5 different schools, divided by hundreds of miles of the California coast, the band persisted, continuing to play shows and write new music for their EP Shake My Hand.
With the release of Shake My Hand came the new and unexpected challenge of keeping up with the demands of critical and popular acclaim.With their single Cough Syrup becoming a local favorite on KROQ, and strong web chatter from sites like absolute punk who claimed the EP was a "Slick set of rock songs... that for all of its cocksure maturity and tight, catchy production, can easily be confused with a veteran stadium show", the praise was reaching much further than the shores of Newport Beach.
In early 2009 the band decided to leave their textbooks at school and hit the road throughout California to a growing following from San Francisco to San Diego. In a few months they went from playing smaller coffeehouses and clubs to headlining a packed House of Blues in Anaheim. In between they showcased at SXSW and opened for Ghostland Observatory, The Whigs, and Kings of Leon.
Young the Giant spent 2010 touring with Minus the Bear and Steel Train while working on its debut album with producer Joe Chicarelli. After the band finished recording in early June, they played additional shows with Marina and the Diamonds, The Futureheads, Neon Trees and New Politics.
I'm not sure what the general thought of Young the Giant is around here, but let me tell you, I would not miss this show if I'm a rock/indie rock fan.
Young the Giant really has only one album, titled "Young the Giant". Redirecting yall to their earlier albums (known as The Jakes) would be unfair, as their sound took a very different identity after all the personnel changes. Like I said, I'm haven't really gotten a feel around here for how much people know/like Young the Giant, but their sound can go from serene, relaxing, and "easy" one second, and then they can slam on the gas and get you going.
Seeing them live, you pretty much know what they're going to play (that being, their entire album), but they do perform some covers. As far as their show, they are high energy, and they definitely give the fans and audience what they want. You won't be able to tell by watching them that they're still kind of relatively new. Their show, as well as their music, would lead one to believe that they are much older and more mature than are. They moreso control the crowd, which is fun to be a part of (saw them at ACL)
There is a lot more to Charles Bradley than honey-soaked (via a chimney) vocals and James Brown microphone tricks. There is pain in those songs. Pain I’ll never understand.
Charles was born in 1948 in Gainesville, FL before his family departed to Brooklyn. He and his brother spent most of their time playing in back alleys and living on the streets until his sister took him to The Apollo to see the man himself, The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown. That night was a turning point for Charles as he ran home to start practicing the tricks he’s still performing today.
Job Corps was what it finally took for him to leave Brooklyn. Charles made his way to Bar Habor, Maine where he learned to cook. That’s also where he started to preform when he put his first band together. He later found himself working as a chef for a mentally-ill asylum in Wassaic, NY (after his band mates got drafted).
Bradley hitchhiked to California where he spent 20 years working as a chef and making music before returning to New York City. Moving back in with his family he started to follow his dream of being a performer. He took the moniker “Black Velvet” and began a James Brown tribute band. Till that night he was awoken by sirens outside his house and a police officer explaining that his brother had been shot and killed. Bradley was devastated and did little preforming after that, even though he was starting to make a name for himself. Daptone Records Gabriel Roth saw an off chance performance, one night and signed him on the spot. He introduced Charles to Thomas Brenneck, a member of The Bullets (later of The Budos Band) and the two hit it off. They recorded 2 singles as Charles Bradley & The Bullets. But The Bullets gave way to The Budos Band and they folded for a time.
It wasn’t till Brenneck moved to Bushwick, the neighborhood that Bradley was residing in, that the two became reacquainted. Brenneck had started a subsidiary for Daptone called Dunham and Charles became his first artist.
The World (Is Going Up in Flames)
Heart Of Gold
I can’t tell you much about “his Extraordinary Men”. When I saw them it may have been the tightest backing band that I have seen in a while. (I'll write more of a live review tomorrow).
No Time For Dreamin'
Heartaches & Pain
This Love Ain't Big Enough
Last Edit: Feb 24, 2012 6:37:14 GMT -5 by aftermath - Back to Top