It's Time for Summer

I know it’s been a couple of weeks since I last wrote my blog, and it has been awesome finally finding out who I am going to be seeing at Austin City Limits Festival this fall. Now it seems too far away with all the excitement from some of the bands I want to see. Of course the one let down is that The Eagles are closing, but to even it out Flaming Lips are going on before the Eagles, so I get to see them instead. There are a few bands on the line-up that I get to take off my bucket list of bands I want to see.

Plus on top of the excitement of seeing a pretty stellar line-up for ACL, I am also in the final stages of planning everything out while I go to California to be in a friends wedding. It looks like while I am in San Francisco, do I not only get to go see the Giants play and go to Alcatraz, I get to catch the band Real Estate play at the Independent while I am there. So this should be a fun trip, I really wish Kristen and Sloan could come, but due to the summer of weddings, they have to stay behind so they can go to Colorado in July for another family wedding. So it looks like we all get to go on a vacation, just unfortunately not together. Looks like we will have to plan something where we can do something together this summer.

It does look like it could be finally a summer of seeing some live music. I will be seeing Real Estate in San Francisco, and while Kristen and Sloan are gone I am going to try and see The Hold Steady in Dallas. Then of course being able to go see Austin City Limits will be amazing as well. On top of that I am dusting the glove off and playing in a softball league with some guys from the office, and since I just got my first set of golf clubs I plan on playing golf a lot more often. My goal this coming month is to play a round of golf a week. So I am hoping for a busy but fun summer, it’s about time that Kristen and I can go out and have some fun for a change. Not that we haven’t this whole time, but while she was in school we were a little more restrained with her going to school all the time.

Over all this should be fun summer for all of us. Sloan is getting excited about going to her first basketball camp, although she is not very happy about not being able to go to ACL with me since one of her favorite bands Matt and Kim are playing there. All in all it looks like a fun and busy summer for all of us.

Music this week:

The Black Keys- Brother
The Black Keys are one of my favorite bands, so I was a little excited about getting their latest album once it came out. Not to my surprise another great album for them as well. They have a very deep blues feel to all of their songs with the nice buzz of an indie garage band. So far I think I like every song on their newest album. Check out the song Tighten Up, it’s an awesome video. (One of the bands I get to see at ACL, that is on my band bucket list)

Band of Horses- Infinite Arms
Band of Horses are another of my favorite bands that has put out an new album for this summer. Although I hear their lives shows aren’t that great, but they do put out some great studio albums. It’s a great solid album from BOH, but nothing out of the ordinary for them. Check out the song Infinite Arms. (Get to see them at ACL, so I will be the judge of their live show.)

Gogol Bordello- Trans-Continental Hustle
This is by far and away one of the top bands I want to see at ACL, yes another Bucket List Band. I have heard nothing but amazing things about their live show. Gogol Bordello is considred a “gypsy punk band”. Their lead singer is from the Ukraine and so far their newest album Trans-Continental Hustle is awesome, and just makes me want to see them live even more. I am not usually a world music person, but seeing I have heard nothing but good things about this band I had to check them out, and was stoked to see them on the ACL bill. Check out the song Pala Tute.

Rumors, Predictions, Confirmations, and driving my wife crazy

Most of you know one of the main reasons I write my blog is because I like to write about my life and my love for music. I guess since I haven’t learned (yet) how to play guitar to become a rock star and my dreams of being the right fielder for the New York Mets didn’t pan out I have decided to write a blog about music and work in sports. At times I am sure my obsessions with music and sports drives Kristen crazy (more on the sports side than the music side of it), but of all things a husband can have I feel these two are the most tolerable ones to have. Since purchasing my three day pass for the Austin City Limits Festival I have been getting a few texts a day from one of my buddies and some other folks to see what rumors I have heard about who is going to perform at the festival. Although I do love the feel of being that guy that knows music and who might be at ACL, it has driven Kristen crazy due to me talking about it with her, seeing that it’s still almost 6 months from now.

Well like I had in my last blog (sorry for the time between the two) I will post some more for the rumor mill that is now almost coming to an end as of next Tuesday for the possible bands at ACL for this year. I do have some confirmations (not concrete), and some new people to add to the list. Hopefully this will calm Kristen’s nerves a little, but for those of you that read this and send me texts, go ahead and send a few to drive her crazy. So here is what I have so far:

The Flaming Lips (expected)
Blues Traveler (expected)
Robert Earl Keen (expected)
Pat Green (expected)
The National (expected)
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave. (expected)
Spoon (expected)
Band of Horses (expected)
Phish (rumored)
Eminem (rumored)
Muse (rumored/almost expected)
Passion Pit (rumored)
Phoenix (rumored)
Ponderosa (rumored/expected)
Ryan Bingham (rumored)
The Black Keys (rumored)
The Eagles (rumored/unfortunately)
Girls (rumored)Arcade Fire (rumored)Gogol Bordello (rumored)Keane (rumored)The Dead Weather (rumored)John Butler Trio (rumored)
Metric (rumored)
Jay-Z (rumored/on wish list for hip hop act)
Weezer (rumored)
Vampire Weekend (rumored)
Gorillaz (rumored)
Los Campesinos (rumored)
MGMT (rumored/not going to happen, on tour in Europe)
The Strokes (rumored)
Soundgarden (rumored)
Green Day (rumored)

Well there is what I have from the past two weeks. I feel firmly that the ones I have down as expected are a done deal. There are a ton of bands that I have left off, that I either really want to see or should be on the bill once the line up comes out next Tuesday. At this point I want to see how many bands I get right on my list. I guess it will be a long weekend for my friends and I to see who is actually going to be at ACL this year. I am sure if Jay-Z is there my wife will soon forget all the speculation this year once I give her a ticket to see him if he is there.

This week’s music:

Well this week, for me, starts off a great next few weeks of summer music releases. This week has started off with two of my favorite bands releasing an album. Next week you get the new Black Keys album, and a Band of Horses album. The next week will be interesting with an album from Stone Temple Pilots (some habits are hard to break for me, I will give them another shot). So here are my two reviews this week and I should have more after the weekend when I pick up Keane and Holy Fu**.

Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
To start off I am a huge Jack White fan, and I would be surprised to find people that aren’t one. This is the second album from his newest band. Horehound was an amazing album, and another amazing band at ACL that blew everyone off the stage. They come back with another hard hitting album for their second album. I have to say after listening to this about four times now, I like every song off the album. Check out the first single Die By the Drop.

The National- High Violet
I first purchased the Boxer album to see what the National was all about. After listening to that album, I soon ran out and got most of the rest of their work. I have never heard a voice like Matt Berninger’s before and even though it’s a baritone, it is amazing. I have not listened to a National album yet and said to myself “these guys suck”. Since finding out that they are for sure going to ACL, I can’t wait to see them live and hope that their studio music translates well live. Check out the first single Bloodbuzz Ohio off their new album.