Gary Clark, Jr. is a blues musician from Austin, TX, a city with a rich history of blues musicians including the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan. SRV's brother, Jimmie Vaughan, helped Clark gain traction and exposure in the Austin and Texas blues scene. I recently saw him at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in mid-April along with a huge crowd of amazed onlookers. He absolutely destroyed it and was one of the best acts I saw all weekend. Clark has won the Austin Musician for Best Blues and Electric Guitarist three different times and May 3 is the official Gary Clark, Jr. Day in Austin. Recently, he appeared with B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, and Buddy Guy in the Red, White, and Blues event at the White House. Tabbed as a savior of blues, a genre that hasn't got much press lately and mainly dominated by white musicians for the past 40 years, the videos below show why he's so special...
Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man On Earth, is a Swedish singer-songwriter. He's recorded two fantastic albums Shallow Grave (2008) and The Wild Hunt (2010) and is set to release a third album sometime this year. He easily compares to Bob Dylan in vocal-style and songwriting ability, but he's a much better guitar player than Dylan ever was. Themes of his songs are typical of singer-songwriters - life, love, relationships, etc. - but he pens fantastic metaphors to keep things interesting and fresh.
Here's a track off Miike Snow's Happy To You, the Swedish band's second album. Released this week on iTunes (worldwide on 3/27), it's a strong second effort from the band. It's the track is the best I've heard this year so far.
Landmark album for a band who has created so much over their long career. This one made national headlines, not so much for the music within, but for the initial cost of the release....nothing or whatever you want to pay. It was a clever move by a band who could have sold it for $9.99 in a digital download from iTunes. A big F-U to the major record labels, who have struggled to end the file sharing explosion since the turn of the century and failed to adapt their business model to the internet age. Rather than prosecute, Radiohead chose to embrace the file sharing concept and released the album themselves. Surprisingly, the band had strong sales even though users could download it for nothing. I initially downloaded it for 5 pounds, but subsequently bought it on CD and vinyl. One of the few albums I have in all three formats.
Aside from the way it was initially distributed, the album itself is breathtaking and the strongest effort of Radiohead's career. There's not one dull moment, but tracks 3-8 could be the best sequence of songs ever recorded by any band. Just unbelievable songwriting and instrumentation, these songs still amaze after 5 years of listening to them. It's easily my favorite album of the past decade.
Beginning in 2006, Frightened Rabbit, a Scottish quintet, has quietly made a string of fantastic albums - Sing The Greys (2006), The Midnight Organ Fight (2008), The Winter of Mixed Drinks (2010). They're slated to release their fourth album in August, and I'm looking forward to their next effort. The Midnight Organ Fight is their strongest record and one of my favorites of the last decade. It's a fresh take on the classic break-up album with the frighteningly amazing metaphors and emotional lyrics written by frontman Scott Hutchinson. Hutchinson sings in a thick Scottish voice which takes a little while to get accustomed to, but it grows on you given the passionate delivery and the backing instrumentation is unbelievable. A classic rock band with a lot more to say, and hopefully in 2012 they'll have even more people discover this talented band from across the pond.
Coachella is one of the premier music festivals in the world. 100s of bands pack the stages over three blistering hot days in the Mojave Desert outside of Indio, CA. In 2007, I camped here for the festival which featured Arcade Fire, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Kings of Leon, The Arctic Monkeys, and many other great bands. This year we're renting a house to beat the heat and sleep past 7 a.m. Here's the bands I'm most looking forward to seeing....
Radiohead
Legends. Known for their amazing live shows, this is the main reason why I'm packing my bags and heading out to the desert. I've seen them only once live, and it will be cool to see them at a festival with 70,000 other fans.
Bon Iver
Fresh off their Grammy for Best New Artist (the Grammy's really need to do their research, 2008 anyone?), Justin Vernon and company are setting out for another extensive tour this year in support of their amazing self-titled, sophomore album. They've proven they can handle the big stage with a blistering set at Glastonbury a couple of years ago. Can't wait.
m83
After a huge 2011, m83 is back for another tour in support of their album of the year, Hurry Up We're Dreaming. I've never seen them live, although I've heard they don't disappoint.
Frank Ocean
This guy proved he has some serious star potential in 2011 with the release of a great mix-tape. He's slated to provide us with his debut album in the spring, and I'm eager to hear how he performs live. If this video is any indication, it should be spectacular minus the singing fans in the background.
The Weeknd
Looking forward to seeing this sensational R&B artist. He took the Internet by storm, releasing 3 mix-tapes without the assistance of a major label. The one thing that makes me apprehensive about his performance is that his music is heavily sampled and beat oriented which probably won't translate well to a live setting.
Dr. Dre and Snoop
They aren't the main reason why I'm going because rappers aren't known for their live performances (with the exception of Jay-Z). But I can't help being just a little excited for the legendary gangsta rap duo. It'll bring back many memories of the middle/high school days.
The Black Keys
While I've seen them many times, they never get old. The Friday headliners will not disappoint with their arsenal of amazing tracks. In 2007, they played a small tent and I didn't get a chance to see them. Now their headlining. It's what makes these festivals so great.
Feist
I've never seen her live, so this will be a real treat. She's one of my favorite female vocalists and musicians, so it will be nice to see her in person.
Explosions in the Sky
Unbelievable. Easily one of my favorite sets of Coachella 2007. They played in the middle afternoon on the main stage, and it was nice to just chill on the grass and listen to these masters of post-rock perform. Hopefully they'll play the main stage again as the sun sets, as a warm up for the highly energetic sets of m83, Arctic Monkeys, and the Black Keys.
Miike Snow
Caught the end of Miike Snow's set at Bonnaroo in 2010 and wished I was there for the whole thing. They really had the crowd rolling, and I'm anxious to hear their new material.
Girl Talk
By the time Sunday comes around, I hope I'll have enough energy to keep up with this guy. He's a master at mixing and sampling while putting on a fantastic live show.
The Arctic Monkeys
This is another band I saw when I went to Coachella in 2007. It was an amazing set, and these guys are no strangers to the main stage. While they've expanded their sound since then, to my disliking, they'll still pack a mean punch on Friday night.
After buying The Beatles' Love soundtrack on DVD audio, an excellent recording and a must listen for any Beatles fan, I felt inspired to list my favorite songs by the band. There's no question that this is the best band to ever exist, and without them, music today wouldn't be the same. Their work is truly timeless.
10. "Strawberry Fields Forever"
09. "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
08. "Hey Jude"
07. "In My Life"
06. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
05. "Yesterday"
04. "Something"
George Harrison's masterpiece. A very underrated Beatle, if there is such a thing.
03. "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End Medley"
02. "A Day In The Life"
One of the best songs ever written and closing track on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, it's rock's first real epic. Lennon and McCartney pulled together a 40 piece orchestra to create the song and each sang verses with different themes.
01. "Tomorrow Never Knows"
This is my favorite track by the band. I can't imagine being alive in 1966 and hearing this for the first time. It's way out there when compared to the rest of Revolver, but eerily relevant even today. Unbelievable track and way, way, way ahead of its time.
