This neck of the woods

I thought this time, instead of writing about a band or a show I will give you a quick review of the musical goodies, i.e. festivals, that are going to take place in this part of the world the coming summer. The reason why I am writing about it now is that out of the goodness of my heart I want to give you a fair warning, so that you may cancel your holiday plans and come to Eastern and Central Europe to enjoy the music and the culture for less. (I am pretty sure you can still get some discount plane tickets if you start looking now).

The list that follows is by no means complete or objective.

Heineken Open’er (June 30^th - July 3^rd, 2011), sponsored by the famous beer company, is a Polish summer classic, lastsing for 4 days due to the amazing number of performances. It takes place in Gdynia, which is a big sea-side Polish city, easy to access and great to visit (as it is part of what we in Poland call Trójmiasto, a combination of three wonderful cities: Gdynia, Gdańsk and Sopot – the last one features a pier way better than the one in Brighton). You can see the impressive line-up on their website. For me this festival is a sign that summer has started.

Next, just a wee week later you have Bazant Pohoda (July 7-9, 2011, Trecin Airport). Another beer-sponsored music event; this time held in Slovakia, where alcohol is always cheaper even though they use the Euro. If Opener is a classic than Pohoda is its quirky cousin. The two share some lineup, but the ambience is way different. Did I tell you that you can buy wine in pints there? And drink it while standing mere meters from the main stage?

If Slovakia is not Slavic enough for your taste, you can go to Serbian Novy Sad, for the EXIT Festival (July 7-10, 2011). In the beginning the event was a major political statement, a happy show in the mids of a post-war landscape, now it is just a huge celebration of music attracting tons of people from all over the world. Once you are there feel free to explore the rest of the Balkans.

For example, you can tour the land and get back to Serbia just in time for Guca festival (August 10-14, 2011, Guca) – the biggest trumpet festival in the world. A four day fest including loads of grilled meat, strong alcohol and trumpets. What’s not to like? The ultimate Balkan experience?

Not a fan of folk, yet dead set on something along the indie/alternative lines? Try OFF Festival in Katowice (August 5-7, 2011, yes, we are back in Poland, in Silesia, to be precise). Organized by the father of all indie music in Poland, the leader of the famous Myslovitz, Artur Rojek, this is the event for international and Polish indie fans. The atmosphere is any hipster's wet dream – a healthy combination of low-key with blaze and a big dollop of actual on-the-edge art. If you are looking for bands that noone knows yet, and want to be the first one to write them up on your bitchy music blog, OFF is the place for you.

And what if you are not so keen on just music? Well, may I suggest two more festivals that though sport quite a load of music events, focus on something slightly different. The Era Nowe Horyzonty film festival in Wrocław (July 21^st- 31^st, 2011) is any film lover’s feast. With screenings of films awarded at major international festivals, as well as retrospectives of famous or forgotten artists, this is the perverted and disturbing cinematic experience for you. But do not complain that I did not warn you – this is artistic cinema in its extreme. However, it is counterbalanced with some major cinematic venting opportunities in the form of the Midnight Madness series. Bear in mind that the ENH is not just films and their special events section includes gems such as a show by Grinderman, a Nick Cave baby.

If you are less keen on film, but still into arts, check out Maltafestival in Poznań (July 4^th -9^th, 2011). This event brings together theatres from all over the world, as well as music and dance performers whose art will blow your brains out. This year includes gigs by Portishead and Fleet Foxes.

So, cancel your Hawaii flight and come to Europe!

New Timbre album

If you've ever thought that the harp was a thing of the past, think again. Definitely think again. Timbre, an amazing harpist from Nashville, Tenn, has released her second album this May. The entire album is available for download and listen by clicking here.

The album features songs I've listened to dozens of times on her myspace such as "I Will Go Plant Little Flowers" and "Like Spinning Plates." I've seen Timbre play several acoustic shows and they were all breathtaking. The album features a wider variety of backup instruments, giving some of the songs a fuller sound. I'm torn on which I like better. Maybe I don't have to choose ... I like both in their own respects.

Her beautiful and deep lyrics mixed with the beautiful harp provide for a stunning performance. If you have the chance to see Timbre live, you will not regret it.

http://timbre.bandcamp.com/

http://www.myspace.com/timbre

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. new album

June 7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr's latest album hits stores. If you wish to ride the bike before you buy it (and oh, you definitely should!), then you can! The promotional video can be viewed here. They do a nice job of playing off their band name as the video begins with someone taking off a race car driving suit with the Cheerios label branded on the front. Underneath the race car outfit is a man in a suit and it ends with the two of them shaking hands. A play off the corporate name, I take it. Well I now for one am anxious to see what the rest of the songs sound like and are about.

The group finished a tour up this spring and appeared at South by Southwest. They were also recently featured on ABC and the interview can be seen here.

Many good things are in store for the group this summer including appearances at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Below is a complete list of their summer tour:

May, 25 - Proud Larry's - Oxford, MI

May, 26 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX

May, 27 - Club DaDa - Dallas, TX

May, 28 - Emo's Alternative Lounge - Austin, TX

May, 31 - Santa Fe Brewing Company - Santa Fe, NM

June, 01 - Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ

June, 02 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA

June, 03 - The Echo - Echo Park, CA

June, 04 - Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA

June , 06 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR

June, 07 - The Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA

June, 09 - The Neurolux - Boise, ID

June, 10 - Kilby Court Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT

June, 11 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO

June, 13 - The Waiting room - Omaha, NE

June, 14 - The Mill - Iowa City, IA

June, 15 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN

June, 17 - White Rabbit Cabaret - Indianapolis, IN

June, 18 - The Mad Hatter - Covington, Kentucky

June, 25 - St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI

Aug, 05-07 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL

Sept, 16-18 - Austin City Limits - Austin, TX

For more info please visit:

http://www.daleearnhardtjrjr.com

http://www.myspace.com/daleearnhardtjrjr

http://www.quitescientific.com/horsepowerep

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Twitter

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New Death Cab, My Morning Jacket

Death Cab for Cutie's Codes and Keys and My Morning Jacket's Circuital both drop next Tuesday, and both are currently streaming in their entirety on NPR's "First Listen." What's more, they've each recorded an edition of VH1's "Storytellers": Death Cab's will air this Friday; MMJ's next Friday. I've always enjoyed "Storytellers," and I'm surprised and pleased that it still exists and that they're getting good acts for it.

Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys [streaming] (iTunes)

My Morning Jacket - Circuital [streaming] (iTunes)

Apocalypse negative

Unfortunately you woke up in your bed on planet earth this morning. Chances are, your friends and family are here too. Rapture ... negative.

However in the rapture spirit, Return to Mono released an apocalypse-like mp3. The song is called "Song of the Beast" and can be listened to here: [mp3]

The song is off their album Framebreaker. Their songs create this fun atmosphere of electronic synth and just awesomeness. The kind of music you would associate with the rapture. So enjoy and rejoice that you are here and life continues.

http://www.myspace.com/returntomono

http://www.wix.com/returntomono/rtm-web-2

http://www.facebook.com/Return.to.mono.sf

Flashback Friday: Cursive's "The Radiator Hums"

Poking through my music library, I recently stumbled across Cursive's back catalog and got sucked into a nostalgia time warp to my emo-soundtracked high school years. Domestica (2000) and the follow-up EP Burst and Bloom (2001) represent some of the best of what's been called emo: brash and melodic, with lyrics and vocals that are overwrought and affected but not cheesy. (I unfortunately can't say the same about the album art, as seen above.)

"The Radiator Hums" is one of my favorite tracks of all time, and it's been firmly stuck in my head for a couple of weeks since revisiting it. It's supposedly offered for free on the band's website, but the link is broken, so here it is. Eat it up.

The Radiator Hums [mp3] (iTunes)

The Antlers @ Black Cat

 On Tuesday I was psyched beyond belief to go see The Antlers at Black Cat. I was excited to see them play songs from their new album, Burst Apart. The opening band, of whom I only caught the last few songs, was Little Scream (pictured above). They seemed to me to be somewhere in between Twin Sister and St. Vincent - less poppy than Twin Sister, but the lead singer had a strikingly similar tone to her voice and even looked kinda similar but a slightly less hipstery. The few songs I heard, I liked for the most part and I think they could really grow on me with further investigation.

 One of the things I hate about seeing The Antlers lives is drunk people. I'm sorry but you just don't get wasted at a show like The Antlers. Their music is slow and contemplative. Their old album is downright tragic. All of their music is gorgeous and thought-provoking. It's not the kind of stuff you drunkenly grind with your even drunker boyfriend to. It's not the kind of stuff that warrants shouting like you're at a frat party. And for those of us who are true fans (like myself), it really takes away from the whole experience.

 The Antlers, as always, were great. Their music is full and beautiful, just as fabulous as it is on their albums - which I unfortunately don't get to say about a lot of artists. And despite their quick and somewhat dramatic rise to fame, they still seem like very down-to-earth guys. I know that's not saying much but it's really enough to describe them. They're a simple band playing lovely, complex music and they're very worth seeing live and also listening to their album, which I promise will grow on you with every listen. My only complaint was that the sound mixing wasn't great.

Setlist:
I Don't Want Love
No Widows
Parentheses
Rolled Together
Bear
Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out
Hounds
Putting the Dog To Sleep
Encore:
Kettering
Corsicana
Two
Wake

More photos:

The Antlers @ The Black Cat

Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out [mp3] - (iTunes / Amazon)

Ryan Driver

Ryan Driver hails from Toronto, where he creates ensembles in the city like his mutant jazz standards group, The Ryan Driver Quartet. He sings, plays the guitar and is quite the accomplished improviser. His upcoming album, Who's Breathing, is set to drop June 7th, and includes his quirky musical workings and fast-fingered guitar licks. Part swank jazz, part bluegrass, part pop.

Everything Must Spin [mp3]

Governor's Ball Festival!

In only a few short weeks, I'll be making my trek to Governor's Island in New York City. What for? Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Neon Indian, Girl talk and a few others.

Around 11ish in the morning Saturday, June 18 I'll board a ferry to the island and proceed to dance my behind off for the rest of the day. I've been to a variety of all-day summer music festivals and already I can tell that the Governor's Ball will be unique. First, there's a dance contest in the works. They're having eager dancers submit videos and the winners get an assortment of prizes, the best prize being backstages passes and the worst (or really just last place) prize being two regular tickets to the festival (still awesome, if you ask me).

Another postive about the festival is no overlapping sets. One thing I hate is having to either pick between artists or split sets in half in order to hear both. Well, that agony will be spared at the Governor's Ball.

Other activities will be mixed in with the music. Sports include beer pong (yes), ping pong, sand volleyball and basketball.

Tickets are still available! For more information, updates and other neat things, visit the website: Governor's Ball!

We Were Promised Jetpacks

My first blog post a few years back for We Are Not a Rock Band was about We Were Promised Jetpacks. I had heard just one song and thought it was incredible. Their debut album had yet to be released and it seemed they were a little known secret I had discovered, confident they wouldn't be a secret for long.

I was wrong, and two years later it seems that they're still relatively unknown. This is criminal as their debut album 'These Four Walls' is pretty fucking great. Worried about getting shut down, I'm putting a YouTube here instead of the MP3, but fear not, if you love it (and you will!) you can get from my original post

Austin City Limits 2011 lineup announced

Today the lineup for Austin City Limits 2011 was announced. Headliners include Coldplay, Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes. Other highlights (or at least my picks) include Cee Lo, Santigold, TV on the Radio, Iron & Wine, Broken Social Scene, Elbow, Sara Bareilles and The Antlers (who I am coincidentally seeing play in DC tonight! Yay! Look for that review later this week).

New video + mp3 - I'm From Barcelona

Here's the music video for I'm From Barcelona's latest single, "Always Spring," which you can also download for free from their website.

New Death Cab for Cutie video

It's a very simple video, but I think it works well with the song, which is a simple song. Check it out.

Freelance Whales remix

Discoforgia just put out a remix of Freelance Whales' "Hannah." Described as a "sunny electro funky banger remix," the remix is definitely fun and experimental. Discoforgia has remixed songs from Ok Go, The Ting Tings and others. Listen to the version here:

http://soundcloud.com/arcade-z/freelance-whales-hannah-discoforgia-remix

While this new version is completely different than the original, I still enjoy both in their respected contexts. Both versions incite some sort of movement ... one dancing at a club and the other jamming with your friends in the streets.

http://twitter.com/#!/discoforgia
http://www.facebook.com/arcadez
http://www.facebook.com/arcade.discoforgia
http://soundcloud.com/arcade-z

Meredith Bragg

Virginia-based songwriter Meredith Bragg has announced the release of his forthcoming full-length album, Nest. Out on July 19th, this will be the fourth album for the chamber-pop artist who has been compared to the likes of Ben Gibbard and Elliot Smith.

Birds of North America [mp3]

Sweetlife Festival

Wow. What a day. Emma, Mike and I arrive at the Merriweather Post Pavilion just as U.S. Royalty begins to perform. Hailing from DC, they have quite a stage presence. The lead singer wore some sort of fur shirt and another member wore red, white and blue striped pants. It felt very 1970's rock and roll. They have a nice style of blues rock. Their album just came out in January and they've gotten press in NPR, Spin, the Washington Post and others.

Second may very well have been the highlight of my day. Walk the Moon came out and tore it up! I am a bit partial though, I'll admit. Walk the Moon comes from Cincinnati where I am also from. I've been following these guys since summer 2008 so it's surreal to see them play a festival with the Strokes, Girl Talk, Cold War Kids, etc. A paper plate of face paint was passed throughout the audience as fans painted their faces a la the "Anna Sun" music video. Walk the Moon is a group that goes out on stage and has the best time ever. Not only is it apparent, it's contagious. Their songs are catchy and fun to sing along with. It's not long before everyone is singing, dancing and jumping. And the rest of the day, I had "my baby is a mess, my baby is a dancing queen" stuck in my head.

Ra Ra Riot was another highlight. This was the first time I saw them live and I'm afraid I've developed a band crush. As a violinist myself, I have a soft spot for any band with orchestral instruments. Lucky for Ra Ra Riot, they have both a violinist (with sparkles on the side of her violin!) and a cellist. They have a similar sound to the Arcade Fire although much more fast and upbeat. They too have catchy rhythms that I find myself singing along with.

Minus the rain, the rest of the festival was amazing. The Girl Talk set felt like a dance party with literally everyone you've ever known. Part of the theme of the festival was environmentally-friendly living. Organic samples were found at some of the tents and there were bikes for folks to test out in between songs. The only complaint we had was in regards to the venue, set up like a standard outdoor venue with a pit, the pavilion seating and the lawn. However since it was a festival, there was no assigned seating. Naturally, everyone wanted to be up front in the pit. However I suppose according to Merriweather rules, only a certain number of people were allowed in the pit at one time. So groups were getting split up, people were hopping fences and getting mad at the employees. Outdoor festivals seem to work the best in a park or a big, open field where these sorts of complications don't arise. Oh well ... perhaps the next Sweetlife Festival.

The Pipettes @ Red Palace

On April 23rd, I found myself back at the Red Palace yet again for my second DC concert, The Pipettes. I was very excited to see these sassy British ladies, and they did not disappoint. Apparently the two are sisters (is it just me or did there used to be a third?) and they were just plain delightful - in delightful matching costumes with delightful matching dance moves (simple enough so the audience could try to follow along if they so pleased). Maybe it's just because of their British accents (which I also find delightful) that the word delightful seems to be coming so readily to mind to describe everything about them, but all in all it was a good show full of poppy, witty fun. And of course, I was delighted when they played one of my favorite songs of all time, "Dirty Mind." See below for the mp3 and more pictures!

The Pipettes @ Red Palace

Dirty Mind [mp3] - ( iTunes / Amazon )