Holiday Hangover

The holidays are over and i've been forced back to reality.

This is probably my least favorite time of the year. KOST stopped playing Christmas tunes, the decorations are all packed up, the egg nog has gone bad, and the Christmas tree is on it's way to the big lot in the sky. If that wasn't bad enough, the job that pays the bills is requiring a lot of my time right now, so there won't be any new posts after this, probably until about next week or so.

In the meantime, be sure to check out The Hype Machine's Zeitgeist 2010 — A collection of the very best music of 2010 as picked by music bloggers. Featuring original artwork, full album streams, and DJ mixes created for The Hype Machine. (You can check out my top 10 from 2010 here).

You can also take a look back at all my favorite songs from 2010, (31) Days of Good, and i'll still be fairly active over on twitter.

Lastly, enjoy this awesome version of Holiday, from Vampire Weekend's recent iTunes Session (purchase it here), courtesy of Some Kind of Awesome.

Vampire Weekend - "Holiday" (iTunes Session) by Some Kind of Awesome

Stay Tuned!

(31) Days of Good: Day 5

Today's picks come from two bands that both released follow ups to fantastic debut albums. The first one comes to us from the American psychedelic rock band, MGMT.

MGMT burst onto the scene with one of 2007's finest, Oracular Spectacular. That album was huge and there was just about nothing wrong with it...except maybe that it was too good. Now MGMT had the incredibly difficult task of living up to everyone's expectations with their sophomore effort.

Congratulations was released this last April and while it may not have the instant favorites and radio hits that Oracular Spectacular had, it is still a mighty fine record. You can tell when listening, that this album is a passion project and the boys made the album they wanted to make, not what they were expected to make. My favorite track is actually the first one I listened to—Flash Delirium. I'll be completely honest, when I first listened to this I was somewhat disappointed. The track's distinct clash of styles at first turned me off, but after much more listening, the song grew on me and it is now one of my favorite MGMT songs overall. It's almost like 2 or 3 songs in one and the continuous buildup and eventual explosiveness of the track makes it impossible to not blast the song from your car stereo.

[listen] MGMT - Flash Delirium

Purchase Congratulations via Amazon or iTunes

More MGMT @ whoismgmt.com

I was pleasantly surprised with this next band's latest. Indie rock and NYC natives, Vampire Weekend, came out of nowhere with the 2008 release of their self-titled debut album. It's not that I disliked that album, it just isn't a favorite of mine. So needless to say, I wasn't overly excited for the 2010 release of Contra. However, after the band released Horchata as a free download and as I started to hear more (thank you very much Hype Machine), I really began to enjoy the album and it's probably one of my favorite 2010 releases.

If I had to pick one favorite right now, it would definitely be Run. The combination of syths, drum machines, and the swooning vocals of Ezra Koenig make for a fantastic track and one of my favorites of 2010 (the 2:39 mark is my favorite part, listen to it with good headphones and turn it up).

[listen] Vampire Weekend - Run

Purchase Contra via Amazon or iTunes

More Vampire Weekend @ vampireweekend.com

More (31) Days of Good @ 35mmBeats

april show list

long overdue april show list, sorry for the delay...

4/7 citizen cope @ the wiltern

4/8 revolver golden gods @ club nokia

4/8 amon amarth @ HOB sunset

4/9 nikka costa @ roxy theatre

4/9 murder by death @ troubadour

4/9 the knux @ spaceland

4/10 liars @ el rey theatre

4/10 adlers appetite @ key club

4/10 patty griffin @ the wiltern

4/10 adam green @ troubadour

4/10 west indian girl @ roxy theatre

4/10 saint motel @ echoplex

4/11 willie nelson @ the grove (anaheim)

4/12 vnv nation @ glass house (pomona)

4/12 crystal castles @ echoplex

4/12 butch walker & the black widows @ el rey theatre

4/12 blue scholars @ viper room

4/13 retribution gospel choir @ spaceland

4/13 elvis costello @ arlington theatre (santa barbara)

4/14 vampire weekend @ fox theater (pomona)

4/14 mad professor @ echoplex

4/14 dev/nylon pink @ cat club

4/14 the ruby suns @ the echo

4/14 them crooked vultures @ club nokia

4/15 taylor swift @ staples center

4/15 natural vibrations @ roxy theatre

4/15 the specials @ club nokia

4/15 she & him @ glass house (pomona) (see you there!)

4/15 lady antebellum @ the wiltern

4/15 autolux @ detroit bar (costa mesa)

4/15 the willowz @ spaceland

4/15 pavement @ fox theater (pomona)

4/16 too much good music @ COACHELLA (indio aka the surface of the sun)

4/16 taylor swift @ staples center

4/16 english beat @ galaxy concert theatre (santa ana)

4/16 zoe @ ventura theatre (ventura)

4/17 more good music @ COACHELLA (indio aka the surface of the sun)

4/17 jeff beck @ nokia theatre LA live

4/17 fair to midland @ troubadour

4/17 jj @ echoplex

4/18 even more good music @ COACHELLA (indio aka the surface of the sun)

4/18 love is all @ the echo

4/19 zoe @ glass house (pomona)

4/20 john browns body @ roxy theatre

4/20 the bronx @ el rey theatre

4/20 ratt @ key club

4/20 taylor hawkins & the coattail riders @ troubadour

4/21 megafaun @ the echo

4/21 foxy shazam @ troubadour

4/21 semi precious weapons @ roxy theatre

4/21 gary numan @ el rey theatre

4/22 japandroids @ echoplex

4/22 the bronx @ HOB anaheim

4/22 bonobo @ el rey theatre

4/22 shelby lynne @ roxy theatre

4/22 hole @ henry fonda theatre

4/23 norah jones @ orpheum theatre

4/23 killola @ roxy theatre

4/23 tyrone wells @ troubadour

4/23 high on fire @ el rey theatre

4/23 rx bandits @ glass house (pomona)

4/23 gza @ detroit bar (costa mesa)

4/23 hole @ henry fonda theatre

4/23 the french resistance @ echoplex

4/24 stagecoach country music festival (indio)

4/24 hard-the bloody beetroots @ hollywood palladium

4/24 shearwater @ spaceland

4/24 high on fire @ detroit bar (costa mesa)

4/24 US air guitar championships @ troubadour

4/24 the dear hunter @ glass house (pomona)

4/24 conan o'brien @ gibsion amphitheatre

4/25 stagecoach country music festival (indio)

4/25 conan o'brien @ gibsion amphitheatre

4/25 emerson and lake @ orpheum theatre

4/25 sara haze @ roxy theatre

4/25 murs @ velvet jones (santa barbara)

4/25 hard-the bloody beetroots @ hollywood palladium

4/26 aqualung @ bootleg theatre

4/27 dr. dog @ henry fonda theatre

4/27 agua teen hunger force @ el rey theatre

4/27 juliette lewis @ the echo

4/28 the avett brothers @ arlington theatre (santa barbara)

4/28 shpongle @ roxy theatre

4/28 dark star orchestra @ el rey theatre

4/29 rogue wave @ el rey theatre

4/29 dark star orchestra @ galaxy concert theatre (santa ana)

4/29 the mary onettes @ viper room

4/29 katchafire @ roxy theatre

4/29 jamie lidell @ troubadour

4/29 murder city devils @ glass house (pomona)

4/30 needtobreathe @ glass house (pomona)

4/30 chelsea handler @ gibson amphitheatre

4/30 a day to remember @ wiltern

4/30 sugar & gold @ the echo

4/30 the slackers @ el rey theatre

4/30 the spill canvas @ roxy theatre

4/30 heartless bastards @ echoplex

4/30 murder city devils @ henry fonda theatre

sasquatch 2010

the lineup for the 2010 sasquatch festival was announced last night and as usual, it's quite impressive. sasquatch is set to take place may 29th - 31st and will again be held at the gorge amphitheater in george, wa. some of the headliners include pavement, massive attack, mgmt, and vampire weekend.

this lineup definitely rivals coachella and that fact that it doesn't take place in a sweaty dust bowl is big thumbs up. both festivals have outstanding lineups this year, but there are a few artists (freelance whales, telekinesis, nurses, tegan & sara) slated to perform at sasquatch only, that makes this festival the one i would rather attend (as well as the heat factor).

tickets go on sale tomorrow (feb 17) at noon EST. unfortunately, for a southern california resident with a limited cash flow, coachella is much more economical.

sasquatch 2010 lineup:

A-Trak
Avi Buffalo

Band of Horses
Booka Shade
Boys Noize
Broken Social Scene
Brother Ali
Camera Obscura
Caribou
City and Colour
Craig Robinson
Cymbals Eat Guitars
Dam-Funk
Deadmau5
Dirty Projectors
DJ Z-Trip
Dr. Dog
Drive-By Truckers
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Fool’s Gold
Freelance Whales
Fresh Espresso
Fruit Bat
Garfunkel & Oates Girls
Hudson Mohawke
Japandroids
Jets Overhead
Kid Cudi
Laura Marling
LCD Soundsystem
Local Natives
Luke Burbank
Massive Attack
Mayer Hawthorne
MGMT
Midlake
Miike Snow
Minus the Bear
Morning Teleportation
Mumford & Sons
My Morning Jacket
Nada Surf
Neon Indian
No Age
Nurses
OK Go
Passion Pit
Past Lives
Patrick Watson
Pavement
Phantogram
Portugal
The Man
Public Enemy
Quasi
Rob Riggle
Shabazz Palaces
She & Him
Simian Mobile Disco
Tegan & Sara
Telekinesis
The Hold Steady
The Lonely Forest
The long winters
The Low Anthem
The Middle East
The Mountain Goats
The National
The New Pornographers
The Tallest Man On Earth
The Temper Trap
The Very Best
The xx
tUnE-YaRdS
Vampire Weekend
Veviter
Wale
Ween
Why?,
YACHT
Yes Giantess

mp3: freelance wales - generator 2nd floor

more info:

sasquatchfestival.com