The Decemberists are coming, the Decemberists are coming!

Well it has seemed like months since I have picked up the proverbial pad and pen to write anything about music. Don't worry, that does not mean I haven't been listening to music, I think I might go crazy if I didn't listen to music every day, maybe even going postal to a point. Well the past month has been crazy busy, especially having to work a real job, but the best thing is that the sports season is starting to grind to a halt and that means a summer of fun, music, and relaxing. I have had my interest peaked a little about this blog thing seeing that The Granada Theater is having a little contest for people to write a blog for them. I figured I might as well throw my hat in the ring and see if I get lucky enough to write for them, why not. (selfless promotion is not above me, I love music and would love to write for you guys)

Well, keeping up with my New Years resolution of a concert a month the next show on the horizon is The Decemberists in Austin. I am three days out from seeing them, and with each set list posting from them I am getting more and more excited. I have seen some local shows here and there in Waco, but to see some great professional musicians play live is what life should be about. You can forget your worries and get lost in music. So I am getting very excited for this show, The Decemberists are an amazing band, so I can imagine that this show should be really great. Of course I will let you know how the show is next week.

The next exciting news is Austin City Limits Festival finally sent out the first round of emails for festival tickets. After looking at their other festival Lollapalooza, I have a feeling that ACL will be just as good with their line-up. I am still searching the internet to see if anyone has any leaks for more bands for the line-up. I am very pumped for this, I get to hang out with some friends and by beautiful wife is going to go with me this year. So it should be a blast. Of course the speculation still is Radiohead at ACL, but now I am hearing a possible Soundgarden sighting as well. I am hoping for a Foo Fighters show, that new album is amazing, buy it now if you haven't yet. Now a few folks from Austin are calling Mumford and Sons, Kanye, Buffalo Springfield, Paul Simon, Wilco, and MMJ. I love the thought of Buffalo Springfield or Paul Simon, but two heavy hitters like that I doubt it would happen in one weekend. So let all the speculation begin, tickets go on sale next week, and I hope to have two three day passes in my little hands by the end of the day.

The past months music listens:

Ok, so it's been a while, and now it's time for all the little music nuggets that I have been listening to. Some are new, and some are albums that I have started listening to again. So here is a little list of everything I have listened to over the past month.

1. Foo Fighters- Wasting Light. Some people love the Foo Fighters, some people hate them. I say give into the love, this album is amazing from start to finish. It is the most true rock album I have bought in a long time. I love it so much that I am going to buy it on vinyl. Check out the songs Walk and These Days.
   
2. Bell X1-Bloodless Coup- I have been a semi-fan of Bell X1 for a couple of years. Sometimes I really like hearing them and sometimes not so much. I picked up their new album and I have really enjoyed it. Check out the song Velcro.
   
3. Cold Cave-Cherish the Light Years- I admit I haven't listened to much from Cold Cave, but I have been wanting to check them out. So far after a few listens I am really liking this album. Check out the song Confetti.
   
4. Elbow-Build A Rocket Boys!- I have been hearing a lot about this band, so I figured I should give it a go. Another album that is really good, I am hoping they come somewhere around Texas soon. Check out the song Lippy Kids.
   
5. The Go! Team- Rolling Blackouts- This is a nice mix of indie music and hip-hop is probably the best way to describe The Go!Team. Check out the song T.O.R.N.A.D.O.
   
6. The Kills-Blood Pressures- I started loving Alison Mosshart with the Dead Weather, and hadn't really started listening to The Kills at that point. Of course my rock crush took over and I had to give the Kills a listen and fell in love with them. Check out the song Satellite.
   
7. Lykke Li-Wounded Rhymes- I have had a few people keep telling me to listen to her, but was very slow to getting around to it. I am glad that I did get her new album, it is really good. Check out the song Get Some.
   

Also, if anyone knows where to pick up a needle for a record player, I really need one ASAP.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not

So, it has been a while since I wrote this thing. I have been way too busy with life and work and honestly haven't had much to write about. I have been sticking to my guns and doing a concert a month, and it has been hard to squeeze in a show with my schedule of athletic events, running Sloan all over, and helping out Kristen as much as possible. Since we are close to the end of the school year, I am starting to be a little less busy than I have been which is great.

It didn't hit me this week, until I was sitting at work and something popped up from Rolling Stone about it being the week that Kurt Cobain committed suicide. I am still blown away that a) someone so talented would do something like that, and b) its been 17 years ago this week. For me it makes me think of what I have done in those 17 years (and how old it makes me feel), and it also makes me wonder if anyone else remembers how important Kurt Cobain and Nirvana was to music.

I was a young kid with a million dreams working my way through a very eye opening first almost second year of college. Of course one of most famous stories I have is the "I will catch them when they come back through" story about Nirvana. One of my friends from back home had an extra ticket to the In Utero tour, and I passed on the extra ticket because I would "catch them when they came back through". Famous last words (pardon the pun) I know, but I did catch them. It was just minus Kurt Cobain and Krist Novaselic, and it was also in the form of the Foo Fighters when they opened up for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the 2000 Californiacation tour. Although to this day I still regret not taking that ticket to see Nirvana for one last time. To this day I now base my concert decisions on that fateful day, and I try to see any band that could or may break up.

Cobain was just 27 years old, very young. At 27 I just met Kristen and was on my way of starting my life, not finishing it. I couldn't imagine missing everything I have done since turning 27. Did he have his problem? Of course, drugs, depression, anxiety of being famous, he had a ton of problems. To me he helped move music to where it is now, he was the catapult to move music out of the 80's and push it into another whole direction. It seems like over night music when from hairspray and tights, back to loud and rebellious. He single handedly flushed hair metal down the toilet. He let my generation have a voice, granted it was a voice no one was ready for, but a voice for us none the less. It's just amazing just over those 17 years I went from an awkward 18-19 year old to a father with a daughter that at some point will be introduced to Nirvana when she gets older. Like I said, it's sad to see someone so young and talented go so soon.

And the rumor mill begins for the 2011 Austin City Limits Festival

Well kids, very soon the tickets for ACL will go on sale, and I am sure that not only myself but thousands of others will gobble up those three day passes without knowing what bands will be playing. I guess that is the fun of going to a festival is not only seeing some great established acts, but seeing that unknown band or singer before they blow up, for example:

2002-Ryan Adams, Wilco, G. Love, and String Cheese Incident.

2003-Bright Eyes, Drive-By Truckers, Spoon, Ben Harper, Kings of Leon, and Jack Johnson

2004-John Butler Trio, Dashboard Confessional, The killers, Ray Lamontagne

2005- Jet, Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, The Black Keys, The Decemberists

2006-Muse, Cat Power, Wolf Parade, Nada Surf, Phoenix, The New Pornographers, Gomez, TV on the Radio

2007- LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., Cold War kids, The National, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Manchester Orchestra

2008- Band of Horses, Silversun Pickups, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Yeasayer, The Kills

2009- Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper, School of Seven Bells, The Low Anthem, Deer Tick, The Henry Clay People, Girl Talk, Mike Posner

2010- Miike Snow, Those darlins, First Aid Kit, Two Door Cinema Club, Local Natives, Blind Pilot

You can see the progression of ACL over the years by the smaller acts that have at this point either became very popular or as of the last two years about to be popular. I guess it will be time for me to give you guys a few rumors and confirmations for this year's festival.

Confirmed/Expected Acts: CeeLo Green, Young the Giant, Hunx and his Punx, Iron and Wine, Ha Ha Tonka

The Rumor Mill: Hayes Carll, Jay Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Mumford and Sons, MGMT, Wilco, Sublime with Rome, Tame Impala, The Drums, Weezer, R.E.M., Buffalo Springfield, Explosions in the Sky, Odd Future Gang Kill Them All, and the biggest speculation out there for the reason that ACL moved to September is to get RADIOHEAD.

Well so far with the confirmations, I am starting to get a little excited for a CeeLo Green/Gnarls Barkley set, plus I really love Iron and Wine. And if the tweet above is correct, I am so ready to see Radiohead it's not even funny, let's just say something would be crossed off the bucket list by the end of ACL is that is true.

Music for the past month:

Well it's time for what I have been listening to either old or new, but I guess since it's the end of March I might as well just throw everything together, for an end of the month album list. Hopefully you check these bands out that I throw out, some you might like and others you might hate, but they great bands to me, I will take it easy and give you t0 bands/albums to listen too now.

1. Odd Future Wolf Gang kill Them All- this is a hip-hop group out of LA that has 12 members in OFWGKTA. Each member has put out his own albums over the past two years. Most of them are skaters in LA and have been featured in Thrasher magazine at some point. This group is a very acquired taste for most, but they are the next big thing in Hip-Hop.(Here is the link to their site, PARENTAL ADVISORY, go at your own risk http://oddfuture.com/)
   

   
    

2. Peter, Bjorn, and John-Gimmie Some- Just got the album over the weekend and after the first listen, I really like this third album Swedish indie band. They will be in Austin and Dallas in June.
   
3. Big K.R.I.T.- Return of 4Eva- This is his second mixtape that I have downloaded and if there is a next big hip-hop star that is coming up, I feel that Big K.R.I.T. is it. I have listened to this album a few times since getting it, and I love it.
   
4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart-Belong- This is their second album, and I was sort of a fan of their first album, but then going into a recording studio and refining their sound made this album so much better than their first.
   
5. Wiz Khalifa-Rolling Papers- I am a big fan of his single "Black and Yellow". His first studio released album is good, but if I had to choose between him and KRIT, I still go KRIT.
   
6. Paper Tongues-self Titled- I have been a little reluctant of getting this album. To me some of the singles I have heard were a little too popish for me. After listening to this album, I will be interested to see what they can do for a sophomore follow up.
   
7. Jessica Lea Mayfield-With Blasphemy So Heartfelt- This is her first album that she released, she is currently working on her studio album with Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys. Her first album is good, and she has an amazing voice, I am very excited to see what she does with Auerbach from the Black Keys.
   
8. J Macias-Several Shades of Why- I love Dinosaur Jr. and I love this solo album from J. Go get this album.
   
9. Das Racist-Sit Down, Man- This is another Hip-Hop act, and they are quickly moving up to as Rolling Stone put it "25 Best New Bands in the World", which is a big thing. This is their 2010 mixtape they put out, and I really enjoy listening to it.
   
10. The Joy Formidable-The Big Roar- This is a three piece indie band from England. This is their first album they have released and from what I have heard a really great band live at SXSW. I would suggest getting this album.