Just To Share

Just to make sure my first post is prolific enough, I thought I would share the line-up for every West Coast hipster, hippie, and desperate-to-be-cool Dad's favorite desert music festival: Coachella.

2009 seems to be following the Coachella trend of recent years--that is saturate the gig with a bunch of "must-see bands," but keep the headliners relatively familiar. A brief analysis of the line-up might lead to the conclusion that the organizers are counting on nostalgia to motivate ticket sales. Paul McCartney is joined by Leonard Cohen on the first day, and The Cure closes out the bash on the third. Aside from the high profile kings of yesterday's charts, there will be a tremendous presence of indie-rock royalty such as Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio, Conor Oberst, Band of Horses, etc. The Los Angeles psychedelic and punk scenes are also well-represented with Ariel Pink, Gang Gang Dance, and No Age trekking out to the hot sands of Indio for the big weekend. Perhaps the acts that will be most intimately appreciated by niche fans are the legendary 'gazers My Bloody Valentine (Not to sound overly pretentious but I had them pegged for 'chella the minute they played Santa Monica) the noisy New Yorkers A Place to Bury Strangers, the vixen Vivian Girls, and the ever self-conscious Morrissey. Hip Hop, Lounge, and Trip are definitely sparse this year, with only a couple high profile talents posted to the roster. Oddly enough, the only noticeable contemporary VH1/MTV darlings making appearances look to be Amy Winehouse and The Killers--one may only hope this trend continues into 2010 and beyond. On a personal note, I'm somewhat surprised that the pseudo-rave trend has not followed Coachella into 2009. Apparently last year's attempt to capture the sweaty, ecstasy driven, candy-covered raver crowd won't be repeated anytime soon.


I look forward to posting more news (and potential rants) in the future. --Ryan

Bonnaroo Fest Lineup!

I don't live anywhere near Washington!


Behold:

Dan's Best of 08 in 09

Alas, it can't be 2007 every year. It's been a strange year for pop music, what with Chinese Democracy finally seeing the light of day and Kanye West's transformation into a ghetto-blastin' Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. The return of My Bloody Valentine and Portishead, and the long-awaited announcement of Blur's upcoming reunion brought the early 90's back with a vengeance, with its attendant climate of socioeconomic bad-vibes, and another black president-elect (WJC being the first). Without further ado (or, admittedly, a shred of authority) I present my humble selections as the best records I heard in 2008.

1. The Dodos - Visiter

Logan Kroeber acts every bit the capital-P "Percussionist" on the Dodos sophomore record, pounding out ramshackle, persistent rhythms which tumble smartly beneath an alternately intricate and thrashing acoustic. Singer Meric Long's crafty wordplay and surprisingly affecting sentiment sound out among the clamor, providing the best record of the year with a hefty emotional punch.


2. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

It's worth mentioning again, lest we forget: We're damn lucky Spencer Krug and Dan Boekner still set aside time from their day jobs for Wolf Parade. Their sophomore effort resounds with joyous cynicism from the first Casio strains of "Soldier's Grin," and finds Boekner coming into his own as a socially-critical songwriter while Krug works his effortless ethereal magic, all while managing to name-check the Mamas and the Papas.

3. The Walkmen - You & Me

The perpetually sepia-toned Walkmen pulled off a stunner this year with this smoldering firecracker of a record. Steeped in haunted acoustics, Hamilton Leithauser's mournful croon, and guitars/organs set to overdrive, You & Me could soundtrack The Great Gatsby. The band's vital rhythm section succeeds yet again in breathing fire into Leithauser's smoky lounge-act.


4. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls

Combining Spector harmonies, shoegaze chainsaw guitars, and punk thrash, Vivian Girls sprinted out of the gate with an arresting debut album bursting with contagiously energetic hooks that stick in your head like the best old Buzzcocks singles. At turns sunny and tragic, this is an immediately accessible noise-pop record that also rewards repeat listens.


5. That Ghost - Young Fridays

Soul-baring bedroom indie pop doesn't get much better than Young Fridays, the label debut from prolific self-releaser Ryan Schmale. C86 hiss and jangle filters through Daniel Johnston's desperate earnestness resulting in a record that is catchy, rich, and haunted.