A Walking Disast3r

We have moved....

2010-06-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.awalkingdisaster.net

Remodel....

2010-03-15T12:30:00.002-07:00

So I have been throwing some new ideas together and will be re-doing the site with new logos, layouts, contributors,....and more in the meantime I am headed to Austin for this weeks SXSW festivities....I will be doing coverage for both The Denver Post and my other blog ULTRA8201....so follow my shenannigans.

Keep up with me if you can on Twitter:

@Robert_Castro

and on Facebook:

Facebook.com/castro.robert

Denver American Idol

2010-02-02T21:49:00.002-07:00

For those of you who haven't seen this a good friend and co-worker of mine was on tonight's American Idol and pretty much rocked the judges. I still remember going to core training with this guy and telling myself "dat boy got talent". Congratulations Mark....from A Walking Disaster.

@ Yahoo! Video

Coachella 2010

2010-01-19T17:50:00.002-07:00

Here is the lineup for this year....looks promising, I have yet to attend Coachella so this may be the year.

Top Ten Albums Of 2009

2010-01-01T13:23:00.004-07:00

So here it is folks my top albums of 2009. I had an opportunity to catch a few of these bands this year during SXSW, Monolith, and other shows here in Denver. So without further adieu I present you A Walking Disaster's Top Ten.

1. Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

2. Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest

3. Animal Collective-Meriweather Post Pavillion

4. Metric-Fantasies

5. The XX-Self Titled

6. The Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca

7. Julian Plenti-Julian Plenti...Is Skyscraper

8. Raekwon-Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.. II

9. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs-It's Blitz

10. Blakroc-Blakroc

STS9 News and New Year's Eve Show Info

2009-12-17T12:22:00.002-07:00

So it looks like the boys from Sound Tribe Sector Nine have released their new album AD EXPLORATA....and with that being said the will be playing a New Year's Eve show here in Denver......

STS9 are pleased to announce they will be celebrating New Years Eve 2009-2010 at Denver, Colorado’s Wells Fargo Theatre on December 30 and 31. Located in the heart of downtown Denver and part of the city’s world renowned convention center, Wells Fargo Theatre is a state of the art masterpiece that boasts over 5,000 seats all less than 150 feet from the stage. Its stage will be the biggest STS9 has ever had the pleasure of performing on and is located directly in the heart of one of America’s greatest cities with tons of hotels, restaurants, clubs and cultural attractions just footsteps away.

TICKETING INFO / DETAILS:
Tickets for the Wells Fargo Theatre go on-sale this Thursday August 20th at NOON MOUNTAIN / 2PM EASTERN time exclusively through STS9Store.com. Due to the fact that each venue employs different ticketing systems, the first 1,000 two day passes sold for Wells Fargo Theatre will be provided a unique code to be used to purchase tickets for the Gates Hall event which will go on-sale MONDAY AUGUST 31st at NOON MOUNTAIN TIME via TicketMaster. Codes will be unique to each user and cannot be shared or transferred. You will be allotted the same number of tickets for the Gates Hall show that you purchased for Wells Fargo. You can buy up to that number of tickets, however each code expires after purchase whether you buy all of your allotted tickets or not. You will have until MIDNIGHT on FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4th MTN time to buy these tickets that are held for you, however, they are indeed first come first served in regards to seat location. Any remaining tickets will be released to the public at a later date.
- Two night passes for Wells Fargo Theatre are $97.50 + a one time $5.00 processing fee per order + shipping.
- STS9 are waiving service charges on the first thousand tickets but must ship registered mail via UPS.
- There will be no will-call option.
- Gates Hall tickets will be approximately $35.00 with all per ticket service charges included via TicketMaster.
- Wells Fargo Theatre will feature general admission seating and a large GA PIT both nights.
- Gates Hall is a RESERVED SEATING SHOW.

-Single Day Wells Fargo tickets do not allow access to buy tickets for Gates Hall @ University of Denver on 12/29. Only 2-Day Pass purchasers will qualify to purchase Dec. 29 tickets at a later date

-2-Day Pass Purchasers: Please save email confirmation to use to purchase 12/29 Gates Hall tickets at a later date

- All shows are ALL AGES.

THE GENESIS OF AD EXPLORATA Santa Cruz, CA...10.06.09....A family member of ours has a shortwave radio that we have all been messing around with. We had been using it for sound effects and noises when one day it was left it on in the studio. Keyboardist David Phipps' daughter Aya was playing around with the dials when all of a sudden it stopped on this voice on the super low frequencies of the spectrum. It was a woman's voice, artificial we later found out, counting off numbers in a very clear and concise way. We became obsessed with what we had heard and for weeks we sat behind the dials trying to find more voices. There was only one more to be found, the voice we sampled for the beginning of the song "Central". After a bit of research, we found that these were numbers stations, thought to be coded messages various governments use to send correspondence to spy's overseas. This of course isn't publicly acknowledged by any government, even though in 2001 the United States tried the Cuban Five for spying using information they supposedly received and decoded by broadcast from a Cuban numbers station. STS9 has always been fascinated by numbers; finding this transmission captured our imagination so much that we had to see if there was something more to what we had found. Immediately we enlisted the skills of a crypto-hacker friend of ours to see if she could find any relevance to the sequence we had recorded. When she ran the numbers as coordinates corresponding to a map of military bases in California, she came up with an exact location in Big Sur. We immediately went to check it out and sure enough there was a trail about 10 miles back off of Nacimiento Rd. just south of the park that led to this old abandoned bunker type structure. It was crazy. We were all looking at each other in disbelief but there we were. We crawled through a hole at the bottom of the fence and walked inside. There we found a rusted metal box that had a few pictures, documents, patches, passports, and a knife in it. The first picture was of a document from Allen Dulles to J. Edgar Hoover on brainwashing. The second was of two men standing over a map of the Middle East. That image became the cover of our first single "Atlas" off the upcoming release 'Ad Explorata'. One of the patches we found was the most intriguing of our finds. It had this physically impossible symbol on it that looked futuristic next to all of the older documents. It's the symbol we lay over top of every image you will see for the album. In doing some research, we later found an old book of 'black ops' military patches at the Prelinger Library that had a brief description of this patch. It was thought to be for a secret unit that first used satellites to gather SIGINT (signal intelligence) from other countries during the Cold War. The story is that this team actually gathered signals from another civilization in our galaxy. Their motto was 'Ad Explorata, Forward into the Unexplored'. We're not ones for conspiracies but sometimes the truth is stranger than anything we could imagine. With this, we present to you STS9's newest studio release "Ad Explorata" due out December of 2009, inspired by the idea that there is always more to be discovered, manifested by the belief that you can always push towards the unknown and unexplored, and created by the will and desire for constant artistic evolution, expression and change. STS9. AD EXPLORATA. 2009.

Pursuit Of Happiness-Kid Cudi ft. MGMT & Ratatat Video

2009-12-08T23:24:00.003-07:00

Here is a pretty hype video off Kid Cudi's album....look for a cameo by Drake.

Phoenix Take Away Shows

2009-12-03T23:18:00.003-07:00

Probably one of my new favorite bands this year, thanks to My Old Kentucky Blog for posting these and sharing.

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Phoenix - Lizstomania / One time too many - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Phoenix - Long distance call - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Save Monolith!!!!!

2009-11-19T10:00:00.004-07:00

The fact that this festival is in my backyard and in perhaps the world's most stunning outdoor venue, it is important we keep Monolith alive. Please pass the word along and help raise money to keep it going strong. Donate what you can, $1, $5, $10, and if you are a big baller-shot caller hell drop a benjamin. Go here for more information and thank you.

Over the last three years, the Monolith Festival has humbly built a musical mecaa in the form of a 2-day, internationally recognized boutique music festival. From its inception the event has attracted some of the top performers in indie, pop and hip hop culture including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mars Volta, Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, Spoon, Phoenix, The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Method Man, Passion Pit, Chromeo, and more!

After three years of significant growth, the festival experienced financial hardships at the 2009 event, due in large part to inclement weather on opening day. The festival must currently raise $200K dollars in order to continue building and producing the festival.

So far the response has been overwhelming! We are certainly not looking for any handouts but have received a number of requests on how fans could donate a few bucks to help support the cause. Thanks to the nice folks at Kickstarter.com, here we are.

We set our initial goal at $38,000 which would be a tremendous start to helping us get over some immediate humps.

Thank you so much! If you are interested in making a larger contribution in exchange for ownership in the event, please contact jb@monolithfestival.com.

Thanks.
Monolith loves you.

Team Monolith.

Project location: Denver, CO

Ghostland Observatory at The Ogden Theater

2009-11-17T23:12:00.003-07:00

I had a chance to catch the electro-rock duo from Austin, Texas last week check out the rest of the pics on the Denver Post Reverb Section.... and here.

All You Haters (Suck My Balls)....

2009-11-16T14:38:00.010-07:00

Well it's official this video from A Walking Disaster's own Randy M. Washington has become viral and is spreading like wild fire. In fact the Denver Egotist and Westword have got a hold of it....so without further adieu I present you Question Block....

All You Haters (Suck My Balls) from nixbros on Vimeo.

Special thanks to the talented Nix Bros.

Jay-Z Bringing His Blueprint 3 Tour To Denver

2009-11-05T16:13:00.004-07:00

The New York Yankees win the World Series last night and the guy who made the Yankees cap more famous than the Yankees can will be coming to the Mile High in March, I believe it's the day I get back from SXSW.

LOS ANGELES, CA – November 5, 2009 – In the midst of his first college tour, promoting his latest #1 album The Blueprint 3 and his recently released video game sensation “DJ Hero: Renegade Edition,” the unstoppable JAY-Z confirms North American tour dates for 2010’s BP3 tour. The second leg of the Live Nation-produced tour will begin on February 22nd in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center with more dates to be announced soon. JAY-Z will be joined by Grammy-nominated rapper Young Jeezy who will open all dates on the tour. Tickets go on sale beginning November 13th at LiveNation.com in select markets.

JAY-Z’s BP3 North American tour will make a cross-country trek in 2010 stopping at arenas in major markets including Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Greensboro, Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, St Louis, Indianapolis, Denver, San Jose, Los Angeles and more. Additional day of show and on sale information will be announced shortly for stops in East Rutherford, Uniondale, Atlantic City and Detroit.

Citi® cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning November 10th at 10am local time through Citi’s Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com. Citi® cardmembers will also have access to VIP Ticket Packages that include VIP Lounge seats, personal concierge, a private pre-show VIP party and more.

“Jay-Z is the greatest rapper alive. Anyone who was in attendance at his sold-out KeyArena concert Saturday night can attest to that fact. Hova, Young Hov, Jigga, Hovito, whatever you call him Shawn Carter is on top of the rap game and there were no signs of him stepping down any time soon during his career-spanning two-hour show.”

Seattle Post Intelligencer (KeyArena Review), October 19, 2009

“In a performance that had the feel of a stadium show, thanks to the scope of the production and the magnitude of the star on stage, Jay-Z did something remarkable during his encore Friday night. Even more remarkable than the tight, full-band renditions of stunners like “Big Pimpin’” and “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” and more attention-getting than his flashy New York City skyline backdrop. He made individual members of the audience feel that they were as important as him, an entertainer with 11 No. 1 albums and an entrepreneur reportedly worth $150 million.” The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Penn State Review), October 14, 2009

The current North American tour, a mix of 26 colleges and arenas, has featured sold out dates including Pennsylvania State’s Bryce Center, UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, Northern Kentucky University’s Bank of Kentucky, Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center, and the University of Massachusetts’ Mullins Center as well as, the KeyArena in Seattle, Kelowna British Columbia’s Prospera Place, Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center, Providence’s Dunkin’ Donuts Center and Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena.

For complete ticket, tour and on sale information visit LiveNation.com.

JAY-Z BP3 TOUR 2010

Previously announced dates:

Nov 07 Fresno, CA Fresno State University/Save Mart Center

Nov 08 Los Angeles UCLA/Pauley Pavilion

Nov 10 Austin, TX University of Texas at Austin/Frank Erwin Center

Nov 12 Champaign, IL University of Illinois/Assembly Hall

Newly announced dates:

Feb 22 Houston, TX Toyota Center

Feb 23 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

Feb 25 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena

Feb 27 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

Feb 28 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Mar 03 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Mar 07 Norfolk, VA Scope Arena

Mar 11 Boston, MA TD Garden

Mar 16 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena

Mar 19 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center

Mar 20 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse

Mar 22 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Mar 24 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion

Mar 26 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

*** More cities and dates to be announced soon.

U2 360 Tour Coming To Invesco

2009-10-26T10:04:00.004-07:00

It has been 18 ago tomorrow that I witnessed the ZOO TV Tour back in El Paso, Texas, this should be a good one.

U2 -- arguably the world's most popular rock 'n' roll band -- will perform June 12 at Denver's Invesco Field at Mile High.

It is the Irish rockers' first outdoor show in Denver since they performed in 1997 at the old Mile High Stadium. U2 has played at the Pepsi Center on more recent tours.

Tickets for the Denver show are scheduled to go on sale Nov. 6, promoter Live Nation said Monday. Early tickets will be sold through the U2 fan club.

The full range of ticket prices was not announced, but Live Nation said 85 percent of the tickets will be priced at less than $95 plus service fees, general admission floor tickets will be $55 and at least 10,000 tickets per venue will be priced at $30.

U2 previously played a handful of U.S. dates on its current "U2 360°" tour.

The U.S. shows announced Monday begin June 6 in Anaheim, Calif., and conclude July 19 in New York, followed by several European dates. The Invesco date will be the second show of the series.

Several of the tour's dates previously placed on sale have been sellouts.

The tour features what is believed to be the largest set for any rock concert, including a 150-foot spider-like construction looming over the midfield stage and a massive system of video monitors encircling the stage.

Invesco Field -- home of the Denver Broncos -- was designed to accommodate rock concerts, although they have seldom been staged there, as the economics of the rock-concert business has shifted most major tours to smaller basketball and hockey arenas.

The first ticketed event ever held at Invesco Field was an Aug. 11, 2001, concert by the Eagles. (Denver Business Journal)

stellastarr* Coming To Denver

2009-10-15T06:48:00.005-07:00

The last time I saw these guys was when they opened for Editors, I am loving the new album and looking forward to this show.

stellastarr* is headed back on the road this fall, crisscrossing the country and playing small club shows from Boston to LA, as well as New York's Bowery Ballroom, the site of many past renowned stellastarr* gigs. Stay tuned for news coming soon on a new single to be released in conjunction with these shows.

Tickets for these tour dates will all be on sale by Saturday, October 17th.

Check the full run of tour dates below:

Nov 16th || Orlando, FL || The Social
Nov 17th || Roswell, GA || Whirlyball
Nov 18th || Carrboro, NC || Local506
Nov 19th || Washington, DC || Rock ‘n' Roll Hotel
Dec 3rd || San Francisco, CA || Popscene*
Dec 5th || Los Angeles, CA || Spaceland
Dec 6th || San Diego, CA || Casbah
Dec 7th || Phoenix, AZ || Rhythm Room
Dec 9th || Denver, CO || Larimer Lounge
Dec 16th || NYC || Bowery Ballroom
Dec 18th || Boston, MA || Paradise

*- No advance sale in SF; all tickets will be available at the door

For more info, check MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/stellastarr
and PureVolume.com
http://www.purevolume.com/stellastarr

Tweet with stellastarr*:
http://www.twitter.com/stellastarrband

Photo: Phil Knott

Win Tickets to see Black Gold this Sunday...

2009-10-14T12:37:00.004-07:00

Here is your chance to go see Black Gold this Sunday at Bender's here in the Mile High to win tickets simply follow me on Twitter and DM me the first person to do so wins the tickets easy enough....Winner will be chosen Thursday night.

We've all been there before - the inevitable breakdown. Black Gold, the new collaboration between Eric Ronick (Panic at the Disco, Ambulance Ltd.) and Than Luu(M. Ward, Rachel Yamagata), have, however, just made the breakdown sound much more appealing by creating a toe tapping tune to embody the experience. Check out brand new video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nExylRhxxcM

"Breakdown" can be found on the album "Rush" - available now in North America and the United Kingdom.

Black Gold are now touring the US with Austin-based rockers, Girl in a Coma.

Black Gold Tour Dates:

October 5 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse
October 6 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
October 8 - Detroit, MI - The Cafe
October 9 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio
October 10 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's Rock Club
October 10 - Chicago, IL - Rockhouse
October 11 - Saint Louis, MO - Firebird
October 15 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
October 17 - Denver, CO - Benders 13th Avenue Tavern
October 19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Burt's Tiki Lounge
October 20 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
October 21 - Seattle, WA - Comet Tavern
October 22 - Portland, OR - Rotture
October 23 - San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord
October 25 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place
October 27 - Santa Barbara, CA Muddy Waters Cafe
November 1 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
November 3 - Mesa, AZ - Hollywood Alley

http://www.blackgoldmusic.com

http://www.myspace.com/blackgold

The BLAKROC Sessions

2009-10-06T09:14:00.004-07:00

This is probably the most anticipated album I am looking forward to this year(aside from the Thom Yorke and that Flea dude's side project)....be sure to checkout www.blakroc.com for more info and amazing photos by John Peets

Win A Pair Of Passes To See Sea Wolf This Friday

2009-09-22T21:26:00.004-07:00

Win a pair of passes to catch Sea Wolf this Saturday at The Hi-Dive, just leave your name and e-mail in the comments section for your chance. You can also DM on Twitter for your chance follow @Robert_Castro

September has arrived and for LA music collective, Sea Wolf, this month will find them crossing the United States touring behind their love-struck sophomore record, White Water, White Bloom, out September 22nd courtesy of Dangerbird Records. Before all that, they have released lead single, "Wicked Blood". Interweaving momentous strings with Alex Church's signature blend of intricate story telling, it's a beautiful introduction to the new material.

Stream, "Wicked Blood" exclusively on their Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/seawolf

Sea Wolf's six-week tour with Sara Lov (http://www.myspace.com/saralov) also kicks off September 14th.

Tour Dates:
September
14 Santa Barbara, CA – Soho
15 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar
16 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
17 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
18 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s 365 Club
21 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
22 Vancouver, BC – The Media Club
23 Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
25 Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
26 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
29 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
30 Milwaukee, WI – Mad Planet

October
1 Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
3 Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio
4 Newport, KY– Southgate House
7 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center for the Arts
9 Toronto, ONT – Sneaky Dee’s
13 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
14 New York, NY – The Mercury Lounge
16 Brooklyn, NY – Union Hall
17 Philadelphia, PA – North Star Bar
18 Baltimore, MD – The Talking Head Club
19 Washington, DC – DC 9
24 Nashville, TN – Exit In
28 Austin, TX – Emo’s Jr.

Artist: Sea Wolf
Album: White Water, White Bloom
Label: Dangerbird Records
Release Date: September 22 2009

Pre-order the record via Dangerbird today (http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/whitewaterwhitebloom)

Win A Pair Of Passes To See Pretty Lights October 3rd

2009-09-22T20:51:00.007-07:00

How would you like to attend the Pretty Lights show on October 3rd at The Ogden. As you may have noticed we here at A Walking Disaster like giving stuff away to our loyal readers and here is your chance, simply answer the following question in the comments section with your name and e-mail, winner will be chosen on Friday. Who are the members of Pretty Lights? Simple enough.

Pretty Lights is the musical vision of the ultra-versatile Colorado based producer Derek Vincent Smith, accompanied in the live setting by drummer, Cory Eberhard. Together these two achieve a raw energy rarely reached in the realm of electronic music.

At a time when music lovers from almost all subcultures and genres are finding common ground in the basic form of bangin' beats, Pretty Lights is giving the people what they want; electro organic cutting-edge party rocking beats that fill venues with energy and emotion and send dance floors into frenzies. And the people are responding. Pretty Lights’ first two albums, Taking Up Your Precious Time and Filling Up The City Skies, have been downloaded over 300,000 times from PrettyLightsMusic.com, which equates to over 6.15 million track downloads. Additionally, since January 2009 Pretty Lights has sold out 33 shows including stops at Bowery Ballroom in New York, the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Georgia Theatre in Athens, and Subterranean, Congress, and The Metro in Chicago.

Pretty Lights returns with his new album, Passing By Behind Your Eyes, out October 6 and available for free download at PrettyLightsMusic.com.What makes Pretty Lights truly different though, is that these beats have serious soul. Passing By Behind Your Eyes continues to showcase juxtaposing collages of beautiful vintage samples against backdrops of futuristic synthesis and dirty broken beats, creating a sound that can snap your neck while simultaneously shedding your tears. The sound is not only getting around, it's spreading like a virus.

Passing By Behind Your Eyes is out October 6 and will be available for free download at www.prettylightsmusic.com

PRETTY LIGHTS ON TOUR

08.09.09 – The National – Richmond, VA **SOLD OUT**
9.02.09 – Lyric Theatre – Oxford, MS **SOLD OUT**
09.03.09 – The Sky Bar – Auburn, AL **SOLD OUT**
09.04.09 – Athens Arena – Bogart, GA **SOLD OUT**
09.05.09 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO **SOLD OUT**
09.12.09 – Trinumeral Festival – Horseshoe, NC
09.18.09 – Symbiosis Gathering – Groveland, CA
09.21.09 – Bama Theatre – Tuscaloosa, AL
09.23.09 – Rhythm &Brews – Chattanooga, TN
09.24.09 – Amos’ Southland – Charlotte, NC
09.26.09 – Diesel – Wilmington, NC
10.01.09 – Fox Theatre Boulder – Boulder, CO
10.02.09 – Aggie Theatre – Ft. Collins, CO
10.03.09 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
10.12.09 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
10.14.09 – Key Club – West Hollywood, CA
10.15.09 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
10.16.09 – Nocturnum – Eureka, CA
10.17.09 – Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA
10.18.09 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
10.21.09 – The Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
10.22.09 – Miramar Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
10.23.09 – Park West – Chicago, IL
10.24.09 – Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI
10.25.09 – Bluebird Nightclub – Bloomington, IN
10.27.09 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
10.28.09 – Exit/In – Nashville, TN
10.29.09 – The Valarium – Knoxvile, TN
10.30.09 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
10.31.09 – Ann Street Shed – Charleston, SC
11.03.09 – Crowbar – Tampa, FL
11.04.09 – Vagabond – Miami, FL
11.05.09 – Engine Room – Tallahassee, FL
11.07.09 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
11.10.09 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
11.11.09 – La Zona Rosa – Austin, TX
11.12.09 – George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AR
11.13.09 – Newby’s – Memphis, TN
11.14.09 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
11.17.09 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
11.18.09 – 9:30 Club – Washington D.C.
11.19.09 – Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza – New York, NY
11.20.09 – The Note – West Chester, PA
11.21.09 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
01.03.09 – Jam Cruise 8 – Fort Lauderdale, FL

For more information on Pretty Lights, please visit:
www.prettylightsmusic.com
www.facebook.com/prettylights
www.twitter.com/theprettylights

www.myspace.com/prettylights

Metric Announce North American Tour

2009-09-22T10:46:00.002-07:00

METRIC ANNOUNCES BRAND-NEW NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF SMASH HIT FANTASIES

BAND MAKES HISTORY BY SCORING THEIR FIRST
TOP 20 RADIO HIT WITHOUT A LABEL

Riding the wave of success of their latest album Fantasies, METRIC announces that they will hit the road for a fresh round of North American tour dates this fall, beginning on November 16th at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY.

METRIC stands out amongst a new breed of music acts that opts for a hands-on approach, as opposed to turning to established labels and large management companies to chart their destiny and develop fan relationships.

That success is punctuated by the fact that METRIC's debut single, "Help I'm Alive," has officially cracked the Top 20 Alternative charts on US commercial radio (Mediabase.) The single got something of an organic start as it was accidentally leaked online, picked up by The Hype Machine blog and then put on air by Seattle's KNDD last February.

METRIC is in solid, groundbreaking company with their self-released approach, joining Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam and a host of others who are going to market without the support of a traditional retail label. However, Metric sets itself apart by being the only one so far to actually "break" and begin to cross over in to the mainstream entirely on the basis of a self-released album. All of the other artists currently taking a similar path were previously well established, generally having had the backing of a major label in the initial stages of their career, which helped them sell millions of albums and establish a global fan base which has been instrumental in allowing them to do what they are doing today. METRIC, on the other hand, sold more albums within 8 weeks of releasing Fantasies than they did in the previous four years with their prior release, Live It Out... making this album their first major breakthrough success.

METRIC accomplished this feat with the help of a small but global operation coordinated by their two managers, operating out of their home in Montreal, Canada. The operation included direct-to-fan efforts, extensive online, radio, retail, video, tour, and synch licensing initiatives.

The first leg of METRIC's North American tour can be found below. More dates to be announced soon.

You can listen to Fantasies in its entirety and download the hit single "Help I'm Alive" at http://ilovemetric.com.

Tour dates for METRIC:

November 16, 2009 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom

November 17, 2009 Portland, ME Portland City Music Hall

November 18, 2009 Hartford, CT Webster

November 19, 2009 Providence, RI Lupo's

November 20, 2009 Boston, MA House of Blues

November 21, 2009 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights

November 23, 2009 Baltimore, MD Ram's Head Live!

November 24, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small's

November 25, 2009 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory

November 27, 2009 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre

November 28, 2009 Atlanta, GA Center Stage

November 30, 2009 Houston, TX Warehouse Live

December 1, 2009 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa

December 2, 2009 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom

Monolith Music Festival Day 2 Recap:

2009-09-19T08:51:00.008-07:00

Monolith….Day 1 …I’m going to let you finish but I just want to say that Day 2 is the best day of the festival......of all time.

After an awesome and wet day 1, the weather goods delivered a perfect day 2. Getting a chance to sleep in a bit and recover we headed out in hopes of catching some bands we had yet to see. The good folks at Flip Video were gracious enough to provide us a Flip Mino HD to catch some of the action this year, please check out their line of Flip cameras for your concert recording needs. Upon arriving at the venue we noticed that all the press photographers were on the Southern Comfort Stage, which stirred our curiosity a bit. We looked at our schedules and had come to the conclusion that Monotonix was the band we were not going to miss this year. After reading reviews and watching endless You Tube footage of past shows we knew we were in for a treat. Who really cares if you can understand a single lyric these guys sing it is their ball to the wall un-staged show that had people buzzing about one of the finest sets of the festival. They served up a hot plate of in your face no holds barred chaos. They stole beer from the audience, climbed on the audience, spit on the audience, and the crowd soaked it up. At one point (kids close your eyes) front man Levi Elvis took the microphone stuck it where the sun don’t shine and managed to continue the rest of his song. I won’t even go into their short shorts these guys were wearing, it was something straight out of the 80’s. One thing is for sure these crazy Israeli bastards sure know how to rock.

Next up was a trek down to the Esurance Main Stage to catch a band I have always wanted to see. I was expecting a little bit more from The Dandy Warhols and left quite unimpressed with their pretentious stage presence. It seemed as many in the crowd were expecting a more exciting set only to be left disappointed. Who knows maybe a later time slot would have benefited them.

I decided to stay at the main stage to catch another band I felt did not live up to the high expectations I had perceived. Maybe it was their “epic” Lollapalooza set that had me excited to see these guys. Now let me just say that the crowd quickly filled up the main stage for these guys. I guess when you are just punching buttons on a monitor you kind of lose that substance factor.

The next group to take center stage was the hip-hop slapstick duo of Red and Meth…for those of you not down with the slang that would be Redman and Method Man. The two exchanged lyrical barbs back and forth and hit the decent size crowd with a little hip hop flavor. With hits such as the fitting ”How High” the duo plugged their upcoming movie and soundtrack “How High 2”. As the hip hop world continues to embrace the new generation of artist leave it to these two to bring back a little nostalgia.

Day 2 seemed to bring up more bands that I wanted see, In fact taking the SoCo stage was a band that played last year to a much smaller crowd, it goes to show that if you market your band right and make good quality music it pays dividends, such was the case for Passion Pit, who had the whole upper level of Red Rocks shaking the ground…no they really had the ground shaking. With a their highly acclaimed album Manners in rotation almost everywhere the band delivered crowd favorites such as “Sleepyhead” and “Little Secrets”, to the supportive crowd.

After some re-shifting of bands from the SoCo Stage to the Esurance Main Stage all due to MSTRKRFT cancelling (rumblings from the crowd included that they snorted to much cocaine the night before), the main stage belonged to the Parisian boys known as Phoenix. Thomas Mars and crew took center stage where they so rightfully belonged in the first place to rock the crowd with a tight set and accompanied minimal light show that had the Red Rocks crowd singing word by word almost every song. These guys seem to be blowing up at just the right time.

The artist you were mostly likely to run into during the whole festival would probably have been the Canadian duo of Chromeo (who by the way were able to plug AWD in the video on this page). These guys where everywhere from the kickoff party Friday night to randomly catching sets from all the artist throughout day 1 and 2. What has to be one of the most famous stage props in the business, the mannequin legs holding up their keyboards and other instruments. The crowd chanted CHROME-O-OOOO, Chrome-O-OOOO, although I have been a big fan of their music, I had never seen them live and came to appreciate the live instruments used in their sets, by far one of the more underrated performances of the festival.

Last but not least the Sunday headliners hold a special place in my heart as they are originally from my hometown of El Paso, Texas. What started off as At The Drive In the early days of their careers has branched off into several factions, we had groups such as the dub-inspired Defacto, the alt-rock Sparta, which later became the country-alt-rock Sleeper Car and finally the prog-rock Mars Volta. All in all they all have become inter-wined between its members and very much the foundation for their current projects.The Mars Volta has a unique fan base to say the least you are either a fan or you are not, such was the case at Monolith as it clearly showed by the capacity of the venue. Nevertheless they put on a show that I consider one of the best at the beautiful, historic venue. With lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala commanding the stage and Omar Rodriquez-Lopez providing the soundtrack it was an experience never to be forgotten. A perfect way to end day 2 of the ever-growing festival, a big thanks to everybody involved in putting the festival together, organizers, staff, artist, fellow bloggers, writers, photographers......see you guys next year.

Monotonix

Monotonix

Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols

Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols

Method Man

Redman and Method Man

Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit

Thomas Mars of Phoenix

Chromeo

The Mars Volta

Cedrix Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez

More Day 2 Pics Here:

Monolith Music Festival Day 1 Recap:

2009-09-15T11:50:00.009-07:00

In its third year now The Monolith Music Festival took center stage this past weekend at the majestic Red Rocks Amphitheater in beautiful Morrison, Colorado. This year brought an indie platter of goodness to the table as some of the industries up and comers and established veterans took to the masses. From prog- rockers to electro darlings to hip-hop pioneers there was something for everybody.

Some of the weekend’s best sets included The Antlers, whose three-piece outfit rocked the WOXY Stage on day 1. The indoor stages seemed to have been more crowded this year due to the inclement weather that was bestowed upon us on Saturday. Packed into the Radium Room Stage was Portland, Oregon outfit Starfucker who many considered the highlight of the first day of festivities, many complained that they should have been on one of the bigger stages which is true but having the sweaty masses all packed like sardines enhanced the set with perfection. The buzz band I was looking forward to on day 1 was Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, when asked to describe this band I would say picture a grittier, and by grittier I mean hippier, and by hippier I mean dirtier…and well you get the picture. It is as if I was seeing a Boulder, Colorado version of the Arcade Fire. Talk about an energetic set, they commanded the set with a tight sounding wave a musical bliss, that took everybody for a ride tripping’ or not.

Another of the first day standouts was the beat boxing, show stopping, guitar slinging, Thao and The Get Down Stay Down, I was reluctant to catch this set at the main stage due to the fact that I knew I had to trek all the way up the brutal Red Rocks stairs, which by the way created a cardio workout that may well indeed last until Thanksgiving. Thao wowed the crowd with her guitar and lyrical craftsmanship that may have been suited for a smaller setting, yet she knocked it out of the park on the main stage.

Another standout performance was by a band I had a chance to catch this past Spring during South By Southwest, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart take me back to a time when I started getting into music, with a sound reminiscent of early bands such as The Smiths mixed in with a little Psychedelic Furs topped off with a sprinkle of early Smashing Pumpkins, they would have provided an updated soundtrack to any John Hughes film today.

If anybody showed to exhibit the cool factor this year I would award it to The Walkmen, while others seemed in awe of the spectacular surroundings these guys came to do with what they do best and that is play a tight sounding set with beautifully crafted songs that stick in our mind, still today “The Rat” sounds just as good as it did 5 years ago.

One of the shows I did not want to miss was M. Ward who I truly consider one of the best talented showmen in the business, with a no holds barred guitar mastery Ward gives us a change of pace unmatched by others. With a backing band to accompany his lyrical art form M. Ward may have won a few younger fans unfamiliar with his work. The theme of this years fans seemed to be a younger crowd who were obviously in attendance for certain bands that catered to them. By the way the rumblings centered around OK Go’s main stage occupancy and Glitch Mob’s lackluster performance. Many thought Starfucker and HEALTH deserved a main stage billing, but they are kids what do they know?

Moving on, the awesome thing about festivals is the array of rumors that end up circulating abuzz throughout. As we patiently waited for Doom to take the stage his dj, dropped us a line about a possible Doom and TV On The Radio collaboration, will it see the light of day I guess we will have to wait. Besides who really knows if that was really Doom on stage after all.

By this time my legs are on the verge of falling off, I tell myself only 3 more climbs up and down…We made our way downstage to catch the one they call Girl Talk, now let’s just throw this out there now, Greg Gillis is often frowned upon by many dj’s who consider him a sort of black eye to the scene, although he may not be as conventional as those guys, in fact he doesn’t even refer to himself as a dj, one thing is for certain no matter what he does, no matter how he does, the truth of the matter is he knows how to pump up a crowd. I had a chance to see Girl Talk last summer in Boulder and really feel his set should be on a smaller stage, (again when we compare the Red Rocks main stage to others it fails in comparison). I think his set would have been more justified on the Southern Comfort Stage. He seems to mash-up a mixture of genres that well…just fit right, sometimes you scratch your head and wonder why wasn’t that the original piece in the first place.

Nothing sets the mood for the next band than a dude walking out in a suit wearing a rather enormous tiger head. Hailing from the musical hotbed of Athens, Georgia, Of Montreal brings a unique and must-see live performance of the unexpected. You never know what you are going to get with these guys. Kevin Barnes seems to have this aura of showmanship when he performs often leading you to focus on him the whole time. Undoubtedly one of the best sets of the day goes to these guys who pretty much rocked the SoCo Stage.

Although they have managed to tame down their once gritty punk rock persona in favor of a more pop-friendly indie outfit The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s continue to impress the masses with a style and showmanship by one of the best leading ladies in the business. Karen O, is the heart of the band, always leaving us wonder what kind of crazy outfit she is going to grace us with. Her outfit looked like Rainbow Brite got together with some Native Americans and decided that this years fashion line would go against the traditional warm Earth colors in favor of some bright ass futuristic war dress. On this night it really didn’t matter what she would have wore as her and Nick Zinner (is this guy seriously one of the most underrated axe men in the business) and Brian Chase (doesn’t he remind you of a guy who could play drums in a house band for some late night talk show) gave the crowd a musical and visual appealing show, nothing dramatic, yet a perfect way to close out Day 1.

Day 1 highlights:

Best Band: Edwin Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and Starfucker (Tie)

Most Boring Band: Girl Talk (only because Red Rocks was to big for the one man show)

Best Dressed: Karen O followed right behind by Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes

Best Ode To The 80’s Era: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Enjoy the pics…….

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

Thao and The Get Down Stay Down

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Starfucker

The Walkmen

Doom

Girl Talk

Kevin Barnes (Of Montreal)

Karen O of The Yeah Yeah Yeah's

Karen O and Nick Zinner

Karen O

The Yeah Yeah Yeah's

Check out more pictures from day 1 here:

Monolith Update

2009-09-13T11:57:00.004-07:00

Day one was was wet and cold yet amazing. Day 2 looks like it will be nicer we are still sorting through pics and also will have video posted hopefully tomorrow.

Monolith Music Festival Schedule Grid and Map

2009-09-07T20:31:00.005-07:00

With just little over a week left before this years Monolith Music Festival we give you the official schedule and map for next weekends events. For those of you who have waited last minute tickets are still available here. For those of you attending Friday's kick off parties here is a FAQ. Also b sure to check out Gigbot to customize your own schedule.

VIP TICKET QUESTIONS

I have will call VIP tickets where can I get them? Will I be able to get them at the Kick-Off party?

Yes. We have added a “box office/will call” tent at the Kick-Off Party. This tent is located in the parking lot in between the Gothic and Moes. Hours of operation for this area are 5pm to 10 pm MST.

I got the wrong VIP shirt size, need my shirt or I am missing a lanyard. What should I do?

A: No worries, we have you covered. We will have lanyards available at the ticket tent. Just show your VIP pass and we can get you a new lanyard. If you received the wrong shirt size or had a will call VIP Gold Pass, you can exchange/pick up your t-shirt at the ticket tent (Located in the parking lot in between the Gothic and Moes.

What do I need to get into the VIP Kick Off parties

You need to have the official Kick-Off Party ticket. These were issued with every VIP Gold Pass order or given out as a part of a number of special promotions. All you need is your Kick-Off party ticket. If you have a VIP Gold Pass, keep it with you as this will give you preferential treatment in the event the show is at capacity

Can we leave and come back or go back and forth between the venues

Yes, if you are 21 years or older you may move freely from venue to venue. Please note that if you leave a venue and there is a line to get in, you will have to wait in line to re-enter. VIP Gold Passes and Media Wristbands take priority in the event there is a line to get in.

My VIP Kick-Off tickets says “Subject to venue capacity” What does that mean?

This means that if the venue is at capacity, you may or may not be admitted. We have allocated a specific number of tickets that cover both venues. At certain times during the parties fans may gravitate towards a specific venue/show. Please be patient and we will do our best to get you in. We encourage everyone to get there early and take full advantage of both events.

How old do you have to be to go the kick-off parties

You must be 18 years or older to attend the Antics Party (Chromeo DJ) at Moes and 21+ to attend the Southern Comfort Kick-Off Party (Cool Kids) at The Gothic

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: Phoenix

2009-09-04T22:34:00.007-07:00

One of the bands I will not be missing at this years Monolith Music Festival will be the Parisian foursome of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix ( I did not get a chance to see them the last time they rolled through the Mile High). I recently had a chance to catch up with French band and discussed topics from Saturday Night Live to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Read my interview below. Make sure to catch Phoenix as they play the Southern Comfort Stage on Sunday at 7:00 p.m.

AWD: Was the emergence of Brit-Pop an influence on your sound, if so what bands influenced you?

Phoenix: Whatever band was shoe gazing (shoe gazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980's). I was into. What was great about growing up in Versailles is that you could be influenced by every kind of music. You were not stuck with one style since there was none that was popular in Versailles.

AWD: What was your reaction to the home-made video for “Liztomania,” and did you ever watch any of the 80’s films that were the influence for the video?

Phoenix: We liked it a lot and decided on post it on our website right away. Yes we are are big John Hughes fans and have seen all his movies. I went to see Ferris Bueller's Day Off in a movie theater recently and sound of the Ferrari's engine is much better on big speakers.

AWD: What can we find currently playing on your iPod’s?
Phoenix:

"Smoke gets in your eyes" by Brian Ferry

"Street Hassle" by Lou Reed
Bitte Orca by the Dirty Projectors
a lot of Van Morrison

AWD: You guys recently returned from Japan, what was it like experiencing first hand a different culture and what are your fondest memories of Japan?

Phoenix: My favorite memory is watching Metallica and Daft punk at Summer Sonic 2006. Otherwise I love to eat and shop in Japan...

AWD: What was it like playing on “SNL”, and who would you consider your favorite “SNL” character of all time?

Phoenix: Too hard to pick up a favorite character - would be like having a favorite child Bill Murray, Molly Shannon, Kristen Wiig's characters are among my favorites.

AWD: You guys are about to embark on a North American tour starting here in Denver at The Monolith Music Festival, what should the fans expect and are their any surprises?

Phoenix: I just wish it'll be better than last time we played there which was a magical night. It happened to be the day Michael Jackson died. Once the show was over, we played his hits in the venue and all danced for 2 hours. A very nice memory. Regarding the show, expect fast and slow, quiet and loud, bright and dark and total devotion for the Denver crowd.

Here is actual footage from that show...

AWD: Finally “it’s 20 seconds to last call” what drink do you guys order?

Phoenix: I'll get a Martini hoping I'm at the Laundry bar (where the best martini's are)

Inglourious Basterds Giveaway

2009-09-03T22:38:00.006-07:00

Once in a while we here at A Walking Disaster like to give away free stuff. Since we are in the giving mood, we are giving away the motion picture soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's new film Inglourious Basterds. The contest is easy simply leave a comment with the answer to the following questions as well as an email and name. Winner will be chosen at random. Contest ends Sunday at midnight?

Q: True or False Brad Pitt once dressed up a Pollo Loco Chicken to pay for his acting classes?

Q: Name the movie in which Brad Pitt co-starred with Robert Deniro?

Monolith Kickoff Parties

2009-09-03T10:15:00.003-07:00

2009 Monolith Festival Kick-Off Parties are going to be EPIC. We will be setting it off Monolith-Style.

An official Kick-Off Party ticket (you get one free with every VIP Gold Pass purchase) or Media Wristband is required to get in. Special line for VIP Gold Pass holders.

+ Get a VIP Badge and enjoy reserved soundboard seating at Monolith, VIP Parking, Lounge Access, Festival T-Shirt and more.

+ Get your VIP Badge online now or take chance on grabbing one at our ticket tent.

+ Will Call/Ticket Tent will be in the parking lot in between The Gothic and Moes. You can also purchase Monolith Festival tickets at the tent, if they are still avail.

Get more VIP Gold Pass details here:
http://www.monolithfestival.com/tickets/tickets/vip_gold_passes

MONOLITH KICK-OFF PARTIES FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH
Both parties are happening side by side at The Gothic and Moes. Grab your VIP Pass and bounce back & forth between both events! Re-entry is permitted but once you leave a venue, you may have to wait in line to get back in, if we are at capacity. We strongly encourage everyone to get there early to avoid the line.

Southern Comfort Kick-Off Party at The Gothic:
Doors: 6:30 PM * 21 + to enter
Complimentary fresh Chipotle cuisine for the first 150 through the door plus 2 complimentary Southern Comfort cocktails from 6:30-8 PM.

The Love Jones Affair, feat. Indiana Jones and Gabby Love, get your pre-party started promptly at 6:30 pm spinning all your indie, electro and hip hop classics.

then...
7:30 PM The Parson Red Heads
8:15 PM Woodhands
9:00 PM Sugar and Gold
9:45 PM The Grates
10:35 PM Boyhollow
11:15 PM The Cool Kids

Antics/Filter Kick-Off Party at Moes BBQ
Doors open at 8:30 * Must be 18 or older for admission
***Check out the activity cars and give-a-ways in front of the venue. Live silk-screening, Rockband and more!

Free Bowling and Shoe Rental from 9/11
Moe's features a slick arcade, 8 lanes of bowling, full bar, BBQ and live music room. The music will be pumping throughout the entire venue!

9 PM Natural Selection
9:45 PM Hot Tub
10:30 Chromeo (DJ Set) - Playing for at least 90 minutes.

For more information on the kick off events visit:
http://www.monolithfestival.com/tickets/tickets/vip_gold_passes

Monolith Music Festival Set Times:

2009-09-02T12:54:00.002-07:00

Saturday Set Times:

ESURANCE MUSIC STAGE
9:30 PM - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
7:45 PM - Girl Talk
6:15 PM - M. Ward
4:45 PM - OK Go
3:30 PM - Frightened Rabbit
2:30 PM - Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down
1:30 PM - Gregory Alan Isakov
12:30 PM - The Depreciation Guild

SOUTHERN COMFORT STAGE
8:45 PM - Of Montreal
7:00 PM - Doom
5:30 PM - The Walkmen
4:00 PM - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
3:00 PM - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
2:00 PM - Speakeasy Tiger
1:00 PM - Autovaughn

ROCK ROOM STAGE (Indoor Stage)
7:40 PM - Hollywood Holt + Million $ Mano
6:20 PM - Thunderheist
5:00 PM - Starfucker
3:40 PM - Woodhands
2:20 PM - Lydia
1:00 PM - Stars of Track and Field

WOXY.COM STAGE (Indoor Stage)
7:00 PM - Cotton Jones
5:40 PM - Cymbals Eat Guitars
4:20 PM - The Answering Machine
3:00 PM - These United States
1:40 PM - The Antlers
12:20 PM - Generationals

MADELOUD.COM STAGE
7:15 PM - Boulder Acoustic Society
5:45 PM - Caitlin Rose
4:15 PM - Wendy Darling
3:00 PM - Danielle Ate The Sandwich
2:00 PM - Avi Buffalo
1:00 PM - Roadside Graves

DJS (ESURANCE MUSIC STAGE)
9:00 PM - Cysko Rokwell
7:15 PM - Boyhollow
5:45 PM - Klaw
4:15 PM - Mentat
3:00 PM - Scotty Metalic
2:00 PM - Satan's Eighties Lovechild
1:00 PM - Option 4

UNDERGROUND (WOXY.COM + ROCK ROOM STAGES)
9:10 PM - Self Inflicted With Sammie T
8:30 PM - Digital Disko

Sunday Set Times:

ESURANCE MUSIC STAGE
9:30 PM - The Mars Volta
7:45 PM - MSTRKRFT
6:15 PM - Method Man & Redman
4:45 PM - The Glitch Mob
3:30 PM - The Dandy Warhols
2:30 PM - Rahzel
1:30 PM - The Features
12:30 PM - Spindrift

SOUTHERN COMFORT STAGE
8:45 PM - Chromeo
7:00 PM - Phoenix
5:30 PM - Passion Pit
4:00 PM - The Thermals
3:00 PM - Monotonix
2:00 PM - The Grates
1:00 PM - The Knew

ROCK ROOM STAGE (Indoor Stage)
7:40 PM - Savoy
6:20 PM - Tigercity
5:00 PM - Health
3:40 PM - The Love Language
2:20 PM - The Pirate Signal
1:00 PM - Royal Bangs

WOXY.COM STAGE (Indoor Stage)
7:00 PM - Deer Tick
5:40 PM - The Twilight Sad
4:20 PM - Bad Veins
3:00 PM - Neon Indian
1:40 PM - We Were Promised Jetpacks
12:20 PM - A Shoreline Dream

MADELOUD.COM STAGE
7:15 PM - Rachel Goodrich
5:45 PM - French Horn Rebellion
4:15 PM- Red Wire Black Wire
3:00 PM - Beats Antique
2:00 PM - Anni Rossi
1:00 PM - Jim Mcturnan & The Kids That Killed The Man

DJS (ESURANCE MUSIC STAGE)
7:45 PM - Boyhollow
5:45 PM - Vajra
4:15 PM - MU$A
3:00 PM - Tyler "DANGER" Jacobson
2:00 PM - Neo Vizion
1:00 PM - Mike Deez

UNDERGROUND (WOXY.COM + ROCK ROOM STAGES)
9:00 PM - DJ Devo
8:20 PM - SEVEN7H WAVE

Sunday Set Times:

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: M. Ward

2009-09-01T10:45:00.003-07:00

I have had a chance to see M. Ward on two occasions in the past, once during SXSW with his lovely sidekick Zooey Deschanel with their group She & Him and also last year here in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. It is always a pleasure to see M. Ward and the musical prowess he brings to the stage make sure to catch him at The Monolith Music Festival as he takes the Esurance Main Stage at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday night.

Portland, OR-based singer/songwriter M. Ward (born Matthew Stephen Ward) grew up listening to gospel and country, two genres that figure prominently in his breezy, West Coast take on Americana. After a six-year stint with the folk-rock trioRodriguez, Ward began sketching out songs deeply rooted in the classic traditions of American country-folk. Ward's first solo effort came in the form of Duet for Guitars 2, which was written and recorded while he was living between Chicago and various locales on the West Coast. Eventually, the album was placed in the hands of the ever enigmatic Giant Sand mastermind Howe Gelb, who released it on his own Ow Om Recordings in the fall of 2000. The record enjoyed favorable reviews and a considerable amount of attention in underground rock circles, and Ward supported it with a handful tours throughout the United States and Europe.

Released in 2001, End of Amnesia helped to further develop Ward's penchant for dusty, timeless narratives and bluesy, back-porch ballads, but it wasn't until 2003's Transfiguration of Vincent that Ward would begin to penetrate the mainstream. His first release for indie darling Merge Records, Vincent cashed in on the Great Depression obsession of the post-O Brother, Where Art Thou? gold rush, paving the way for 2005's Transistor Radio and 2006's Post-War, both of which firmly established Ward as a major player in the burgeoning indie folk/adult alternativerock scene. In 2008, after collaborating on a song for the film The Go-Getter with actress Zooey Deschanel, the unlikely duo released a well-received album of covers and Deschanel originals called Volume One under the moniker She & Him. Ward returned to the studio later that year to begin work on his next full-length offering; 2009's Hold Time, which featured guest vocals from Deschanel, Jason Lytle(Grandaddy), and Lucinda Williams, arrived in early 2009.

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: Of Montreal

2009-08-31T15:51:00.003-07:00

I always seem to be one step behind these guys when they perform, although I did see Kevin Barnes DJ a SXSW party a couple of years ago, this one is going on my schedule for that weekend. Of Montreal play the Southern Comfort Stage at 8:45 p.m. Saturday night at The Monolith Music Festival.

The brainchild of singer/guitarist Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal was among the second wave of bands to emerge from the sprawling Elephant 6 collective. A native of Athens, GA, Barnes was inspired to form the euphoric indie pop group in the wake of a broken romance with a woman from Montreal. He signed with Bar/None Records while living in Florida, subsequently moved to Cleveland and Minneapolis in search of compatible bandmates, and finally returned home to collaborate with bassist Bryan Helium (also a member of Athens' Elf Power) and drummer Derek Almstead.

Of Montreal's debut album, Cherry Peel, appeared in mid-1997, followed that autumn by an EP entitled The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower. From the start, the band buoyed its bright, flamboyant indie pop sound with elements of psychedelia and vaudeville; Of Montreal's earliest records also exhibited a lo-fi sound that bordered on twee pop, although the band steadily shed those influences throughout the early 2000s. After Helium left the group in 1998 to focus on Elf Power full-time, Almstead assumed bass duties, while keyboardist Dottie Alexanderand drummer Jamie Huggins both joined the lineup. Nevertheless, the band's second album, 1998's The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy, was recorded primarily as a Barnes solo project.

Multi-instrumentalist A.C. Forrester signed on for 1999's sublime The Gay Parade, while the retrospective album Horse & Elephant Eatery followed in the spring of 2000. The group continued with the release of Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse in April 2001 and Aldhils Arboretum in September of 2002, both of which were issued by the Georgia-based label Kindercore Records. With the subsequent folding of Kindercore, the departures of multi-instrumentalistAndy Gonzales and Almstead, and Barnes' marriage, 2003 proved to be an up and down year for the group. Barnes' newly-minted wife, Nina, joined Of Montreal's lineup as the group signed to Polyvinyl Records and delivered one of their most celebrated records, Satanic Panic in the Attic, in early 2004.

The following year found Barnes exploring a bouncier, synth-driven avenue with the release of Sunlandic Twins, but things began to get complicated in his personal life at the same time. He and his wife moved to Norway for the birth of their baby. Deprived of familiar touchstones, Barnes fell into a deep depression and, upon returning to the States, continued to travel progressively downhill. He and his wife separated for a time, and she returned to her family in Norway with their new daughter. Through the emotional turmoil, Barnes concocted what was to be his darkest, most personal, and ambitious album yet -- Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? -- in 2007. Arriving one year later, Skeletal Lamping furthered that ambitious sound by emphasizing Barnes' outrageous alter ego, "Georgie Fruit," whose influence pushed the album toward funk and prog territory. An Eluardian Instance (Jon Brion Remix EP) followed in early 2009, featuring five remixed tracks from the previous album.

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: Passion Pit

2009-08-25T10:04:00.005-07:00

One of the most anticipated bands at this years Monolith Music Festival is Passion Pit, these guys seemed to fly under the radar last year playing a rather late set many missed, I do not expect the same this year

Passion Pit is an electronic band that formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States in 2007. They consist of Michael Angelakos (vocals, keyboards), Ian Hultquist (keyboards, guitar), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth, samples), Jeff Apruzzese (bass, keyboard) and Nate Donmoyer (drums). Passion Pit was a vocab word used in a class Mike took in school. It’s a slang word for a drive-in movie theatre where kids used to go to make out.

Michael played his first show alone sitting with his laptop and a microphone. Later, Ian approached Mike and asked him if he wanted to start a band. After a few line-up changes, Passion Pit was born.

The band’s debut Chunk Of Change EP originally had four songs and was recorded by Angelakos on his laptop. It was intended as a belated Valentine’s Day gift to his girlfriend. This set of songs was passed around Emerson College, where Angelakos was attending and caught the attention of many blogs. It was then released on September 16th, 2008 onFrenchkiss Records with two extra songs. The band’s debut album, entitled Manners, was released on May 19, 2009.

The song Sleepyhead contains samples of the song “Oro Mo Bhaidin” by Irish harpist Mary O’Hara. This song has been used in a Canadian PSP advertisement, MTVs ‘What the Flip?’ campaign and the television shows, Skins and Gossip Girl.

Passion Pit made their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday July 29, 2009 performing their song “The Reeling” from the album Manners.

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: MSTRKRFT

2009-08-24T13:19:00.002-07:00

Don’t even try to come to Red Rocks in a couple of weeks not prepared to dance. Canadian (AWD loves Canada) raised MSTRKRFT will be at Monolith on day two. (Bio from the most credible source on the internet - Wikipedia)

Their first single was "Easy Love", released in 2006. They released their second single, "Work On You", on July 6. In contrast to the "Easy Love" music video, "Work On You" featured animated robots similar to those found in classic cartoons (see: Voltron, Transformers ). Although The Looks is MSTRKRFT's first album featuring original content, the band has created remixes from a variety of other artists ranging from Buck 65 to The Kills to Jesse F. Keeler's own band, Death from Above 1979.

MSTRKRFT released their first LP, The Looks, on July 18, 2006 in the United States and February 2, 2007 in Britain. Keeler and Al-P told Eye Weekly weeks before the release of The Looks, that as the album was being finished, the planning stages for a follow-up record had already begun. Describing the upcoming album's new direction, Al-P said that the album would be "darker, underground disco and house with elements of American rock music."

The "2007" version of their song "Street Justice" was also released as a single. On the band's website message board, Keeler mentioned they were also working on a compilation album composed of their remixed tracks. Street Justice was also featured on the THQ action game, Saints Row 2. Neon Knights was also featured on Need For Speed: Pro Street, and their remix for Justices' D.A.N.C.E. was featured on the movie "Meet The Spartans".

Their song "Paris" was featured in a 2006 commercial for the online music store URGE. In 2007 MSTRKRFT appeared at the WEMF World Electronic Music Festival.

In September 2007 MSTRKRFT performed at an Australian spring music festival "Parklife" in Brisbane. They performed their remix of the song "Woman" from Modular label mates Wolfmother. Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother appeared on stage and sang live while MSTRKRFT performed the remix.

In 2008 through Obeygiant.com released a mix cd with Z-Trip. In conjunction with this CD, Obey offered the Art work print, entitled Soundclash of the Titans. On May 24, 2008 MSTRKRFT were featured on the famous BBC Radio 1 show, The Essential Mix. MSTRKRFT later performed at the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which included a diverse group of artists ranging from Metallica to Jack Johnson.

On March 17, 2009, MSTRKRFT released their second LP, Fist of God. All songs were written by Jesse F. Keeler and Al-P. Initial critical response has been average at best, with major periodicals Spin, Rolling Stone, and Blender giving the album less-than-stellar reviews. The album features guest appearances by John Legend, E-40, N.O.R.E., and Lil' Mo, among others.If the order doesn’t change, MSTRKRT should be going on right before The Mars Volta. Sunday is going to be epic!

Lebowski Fest Coming To The Mile High

2009-08-19T21:02:00.001-07:00

‘Seriously, what’s better than two days of Dudes and Nihilists facing off to party, bowl and watch the movie of all movies together? Nothing, that’s what.’ - LA Weekly

“The Dude abides, and I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that.” - ESPN

The West Coast leg of Lebowski Fest 2009’s “Speed of Sound” Tour – I guess we can close the file on that one. Along the way, we saw Dudes, Walters, Maudes, and Jesuses aplenty. We saw iron lungs, White Russians, and toes. So many toes. We saw landlords, rugs, and Strangers – Achievers all, and proud we are of them.

And that was only the beginning…

The Speed Of Sound will roll on, starting with Lebowski Fest Denver on September 8 & 9, cruising through the Midwest (Minneapolis, Chicago) and then hitting the East Coast (Boston, NY, Philadelphia, and DC). Austin wraps things up in October, and that’s all she wrote. Black Diamond Heavies will be opening at the Movie Parties with some songs off the Lebowski Sountrack as well as originals. The Speed of Sound Tour has 8 more cities to hang with, so if you’re around, Abide.

EAST COAST TOUR DATES
Tue/Sep 8 || Ogden Theatre – Movie Party || Denver, CO
Wed/Sep 9 || Bowl-ero – Bowling Party || Denver, CO
Fri/Sep 11 || First Ave – Movie Party || Minneapolis, MN
Sat/Sep 12 || Memory Lanes – Bowling Party || Minneapolis, MN
Sun/Sep 13 || Portage Theater – Movie Party || Chicago, IL
Mon/Sep 14 || Diversey-River Bowl – Bowling Party || Chicago, IL
Tue/Sep 15 || Diversey-River Bowl – Bowling Party || Chicago, IL
Sat/Sep 19 || House of Blues – Movie Party || Boston, MA
Sun/Sep 20 || Kings – Bowling Party || Boston, MA
Tue/Sep 22 || Terminal 5 – Movie Party || New York, NY
Wed/Sep 23 || Lucky Strike – Bowling Party || New York, NY
Thu/Sep 24 || Brooklyn Bowl – Bowling Party || Brooklyn, NY
Fri/Sep 25 || Electric Factory – Movie Party || Philadelphia, PA
Sat/Sep 26 || North Bowl – Bowling Party || Philadelphia, PA
Mon/Sep 28 || 9:30 Club – Movie Party || Washington, DC
Tue/Sep 29 || Strike Bethesda – Bowling Party || Bethesda, MD

Fri/Oct 9 || Stubb’s – Movie Party || Austin, TX**
Sat/Oct 10 || Highland Lanes – Bowling Party || Austin, TX
**-Austin Movie Party Tickets go on sale this Saturday, Aug. 22

Buy Tickets at www.LebowskiFest.com

WEST COAST WRAP-UP

Har Mar Superstar as The Landlord.

Lebowski Fest West kicked off in Seattle with the real-life inspiration for the movie’s main character, Jeff “The Dude” Dowd, getting honored by his hometown with the prestigious ‘Key To The Universe’ (you know, where he was part of the Seattle Seven. Well, it was him and six other guys). Har Mar Superstar opened up the Movie Parties with a soul-stirring rendition of the Landlord Dance Cycle – turns out costuming was actually pretty easy. Then, a greeting “via satellite” from Jeff Bridges himself sent crowds in to a frenzy. Nothing could possibly follow that, except the film to end all films, of course.

The Bowling Party is the true heart and soul of any Lebowski Fest stop – it is where people come in costume. While viewing the movie among a crowd of Achievers is a unique experience, living the movie among a crowd of Achievers is something else entirely. The true spirit of the Dude abides in those bowling alley. It’s good knowin’ he’s still out there, after all these years… Takin ‘er easy for all us sinners.

Seattle, WA: “Say, friend - you got any more of that good sarsaparilla?”

It’s a family affair in San Francisco

Portland, OR: (L) “Phone’s ringin’ Dude.”, (R) Har Mar Superstar w/ Liam

(L) Seattle Nihilists: Must be exhausting, (R)Portland, OR: Itty Bitty Bang Bang Performed A Burlesque Act at The Movie Party

Click Above To Read ESPN’s Coverage Of Seattle

Click Above To Read The San Francisco Chronicle’s Coverage

The Achievers: The Story of Lebowski Fans

After over five years of filming, a feature-length documentary about the cult following and fans of The Big Lebowski has come to light. The Achievers: The Story of Lebowski Fans is now available on DVD!

Filmmaker Eddie Chung turned his camera on at the first traveling Lebowski Fest in Las Vegas in 2004 and found himself engulfed by a strange and wonderful culture of fans who called themselves "Achievers."

After following the event and interviewing everyone from fans like My Morning Jacket's Jim James, to Lebowski Fest founders Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt, to The Dude himself Jeff Bridges, Eddie Chung has put together a feature documentary that shows how a movie that failed upon its initial release would later become a cult sensation and ultimately bring people together, forming friendships and even marriages!

From the producers of Dogtown & Z-boys and Riding Giants, The Achievers: The Story of Lebowski Fans is available now on DVD exclusively at Lebowskifest.com, and hits stores October 27th. More here:
http://www.lebowskifest.com/WhatHaveYou/AchieversDocumentary/tabid/201/Default.aspx

Perhaps you read about it in the LA Times or Variety.

Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt: Founding Dudes of Lebowski Fest
(photo: Tim Norris)

For Information on upcoming Fests, pictures, posters, shirts, stickers, fan forum and what-have-you can be found at www.LebowskiFest.com

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: Girl Talk

2009-08-18T11:02:00.006-07:00

One of the artist most likely to start a dance riot at this years Monolith Music Festival is none other than Mr. Greg Gillis himself, also known as Girl Talk, for those of you who have never witnessed a Girl Talk show live prepare to be blown away. I had a chance to see him in Boulder last July as seen in the pic below.

Pittsburgh artist Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) has scrupulously created music from samples for over eight years. His fourth album, Feed the Animals, continues his sonic evolution towards his party-infested live show. While his first album, Secret Diary (2002), was full of purposeful glitches and noise, his subsequent albums, Unstoppable (2004) and the groundbreaking Night Ripper (2006), moved closer and closer towards dance-able mixes of varying genres, often including dozens of audio sources in a stream of juxtaposed hooks. With the fourth Girl Talk album on the Illegal Art label, Gillis steps even closer towards a creation that is centered on pop musicality rather than attention-deficit sample splicing.

Girl Talk has been known to underground audiences for several years, but it wasn't until 2006 that Gillis crossed over and caught the attention of a larger audience. With Rolling Stone, SPIN, Blender, Pitchfork, and even Beck including Night Ripper in their _best albums of 2006_ lists, Girl Talk has gone on to be booked by major festivals (Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Virgin, All Points West, Pitchfork, DEMF, etc.), and solicited for remixes (Beck, Thrill Jockey, Tokyo Police Club, Grizzly Bear, Simian Mobile Disco, Peter Bjorn & John, TeddyBears, and Of Montreal). And with roughly 200 live shows over the last couple of years, Gillis has consistently played larger venues to capacity crowds (every date on his 2007 North American tour with Dan Deacon sold out).

A year after the critically acclaimed Night Ripper release, Gillis quit his job as a biomedical engineer and now focuses on music full time. With his newly acquired lifestyle he can now work on music during the week and fly out to play shows on the weekend. With only a laptop in hand, the Girl Talk live show is more portable than a traditional band and has afforded Gillis the opportunity to travel the world with minimal overhead. A visceral culture of audience involvement has also become key to the live Girl Talk experience. Performances oftentimes feature the stage being mobbed with a sweaty mass of dancers who surround Gillis as he triggers samples and create mixes, new and old, out of loops from his hard drive. Such performances have quickly become one of the most entertaining and exhilarating live shows many have experienced as Girl Talk has the extraordinary ability to get the crowd ecstatic and keep the thrill going for the entire concert.

The new album, Feed the Animals, collects the material that was developed over the last two years as part of Gillis' ever-changing live show. With hours of material in hand, it still took months to meticulously edit together the seamless album that combines 300+ samples in 50 minutes. Such fastidious care is what separates Girl Talk from the dime-a-dozen remixes that are posted to the Internet daily. In comparison to the previous release, Gillis has described this new album as expanded, with a larger range of tempos and samples. Yet, at the same time the focus has shifted from technical prowess to the flow and balance of each segment in an effort to successful translate the over-the-top party feel of the Girl Talk live show into album form.

Before Girl Talk suddenly reached critical acclaim, a typical show would attract 15-30 people. During those initial years it was an extreme oddity for someone to show up with a laptop and play elaborately constructed mixes of pop samples. In the last couple of years, though, not only have Gillis' live shows exploded, but he is also being recognized for his innovations. From Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips nominating him for the Shortlist Music Prize to Representative Mike Doyle speaking about him to Congress (in relation to copyright laws), Gillis has quickly become a public figure. Emerging from his underground Pittsburgh roots, he is now being lauded as the future of electronic music by techno pioneer Richie Hawtin, while celebrities such as Paris Hilton are vying to dance onstage during a Girl Talk show. Gillis modestly takes it all in stride and has stated in interviews that he will eventually go back to a normal job, all the while reveling in the party while it lasts.

While Girl Talk's music is often categorized alongside mashups, or DJ mixes, it is critical to note how distinct his assemblages are from the conventional mixing of two simultaneous tracks. Gillis' roots lie more in the rich history of sample-based compostion as demonstrated by artists such as Dickie Goodman, Negativland, John Oswald, Steinski, Public Enemy (The Bomb Squad era), and countless others. Rather than taking mashups to an extreme, Girl Talk is more focused on the art of the sampling and developing new tracks that have their own character, and surpass the original elements. Such transformative work is what helps qualify his output as being protected by the _fair use_ principle of U.S. Copyright Law.

Filter Unbound Launches

2009-08-17T23:38:00.003-07:00

FILTER MAGAZINE LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY NEW MUSIC PUBLICATION: FILTER UNBOUND

INAUGURAL ISSUE FEATURES ICONIC ELECTRONIC BAND:

DEPECHE MODE

AUGUST 17, 2009 – LOS ANGELES, CA – FILTER, a leading national independent music magazine since 2002, has launched a revolutionary new digital publication called FILTER UNBOUND, an innovative and entirely original online platform unlike any other web-based magazines, identities or publications in existence.

Check out FILTER Unbound @ FILTERmagazine.com

FILTER UNBOUND’s s exciting, unparalleled content includes: in-depth, exclusive coverage provided by the FILTER magazine editorial staff; bonus outtakes and never-before-seen footage from artist interviews; single-artist focus comprising of comprehensive stories, band histories and complete discographies—including commentary from the artists themselves—and completely interactive, clickable content with links to photos, band websites, videos, audio interview clips and much more.

Simply, FILTER UNBOUND is the one-stop publication for all die-hard music fans.

“We have singled out what we do best in our print publications, and found a way to bring outstanding art direction, photography and storytelling to a new format,” said Alan Miller, co-publisher and co-founder of FILTER magazine and FILTER Creative Group.

FILTER UNBOUND has a greatly-expanded distribution via an exclusive partnership with the world’s largest musical instrument retailer Guitar Center, the premium seller and distributor of musical instruments and gear. This distribution partnership will enable FILTER UNBOUND to reach over 12-million new users in addition to the thousands who already read and enjoy FILTER magazine and FILTERmagazine.com.

Not only widening content visibility, cutting-edge partners will also enable a broadened coverage of technology and high-tech gear, complete with exclusive offers from advertisers. What’s more, all editorial content, media elements, web applications, bonus features and special deals are completely free to users with a one-time registration.

Advertising advantages with FILTER UNBOUND include exclusive advertising partnerships (one advertiser per issue) to give sponsors optimal exposure; integrated advertising within the content of online publication; and complete site takeovers on FILTERmagazine.com, which includes unique homepage cover art which will live online for several weeks at a time.

The first issue of FILTER UNBOUND will be available on www.FILTERmagazine.com beginning August 17th and feature an exclusive retrospective on Depeche Mode, containing a complete discography with commentary from the band and producers, an in-depth conversation between Depeche Mode and Röyksopp, audio and video bonus features and much, much more.

The issue will be supported solely by VTech’s new Wi-Fi Internet Radio player. Additional issues will be available monthly, and feature Sonic Youth, Slayer, The Dead Weather, Morrissey and others.

FILTER magazine and FILTER Creative Group are excited to unveil FILTER UNBOUND, a new way to learn, read, see and hear about the bands and musicians you love.

Good music will prevail.

About FILTER Magazine

In its seven-year history, FILTER has become the premiere music lifestyle publication covering on-the-verge bands and cutting edge musicians for the intelligent music lover. The bi-monthly magazine also features avant-garde authors, filmmakers and artists, and has established itself as the editorial voice for independent music enthusiasts.

About Guitar Center

Guitar Center is the world’s largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 214 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and website, www.musiciansfriend.com . In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's website at www.guitarcenter.com.

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: The Yeah Yeah Yeah's

2009-08-13T09:46:00.004-07:00

The first time I saw these guys was in 2006 at The Fillmore here in Denver they had just released sophomore album Show Your Bones. Nonetheless when they were announced as the Saturday headliners at this years Monolith Music Festival I was pretty excited. Continuing with our series of artist spotlights I present to you The Yeah Yeah Yeah's.

Discovered in the wake of the Strokes' popularity and the subsequent garage rock revival, New York's art punk trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are comprised of singer Karen O, guitarist Nicolas Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. O met Chase at Ohio's Oberlin College and met Zinner through friends after she transferred to NYU. Zinner and O formed the band in 2000; originally, they were a folky duo called Unitard, but they went electric after being inspired by Ohio's legendary avant punk scene. After the drummer they recruited initially bowed out, Chase joined the lineup.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs wrote a slew of songs at their first rehearsal and soon wound up supporting the Strokes and the White Stripes, earning a significant buzz for their arty yet sexy take on garage punk. In late 2001, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their self-titled debut EP, which they recorded with Boss Hog's Jerry Teel, on their own Shifty label. Early the next year the band stepped into the international spotlight, appearing at South by Southwest, touring the U.S. with Girls Against Boys and Europe with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and headlining their own U.K. tour. Wichita Recordings distributed the group's EP in the U.K. and Touch and Go reissued it in the States.

In between tours, the group spent 2002 putting the finishing touches on its full-length debut and playing American dates with Sleater-Kinney, Liars, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Late that year, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released the MachineEP to tide fans over before their first full-length. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs moved to Interscope for their debut album, 2003's Fever to Tell. Boasting a cleaner sound and more eclectic songwriting than their EPs, the album continued their critical acclaim and also won them a fair amount of commercial success: the gorgeous ballad "Maps" became a hit in 2004 and pushed Fever to Tell to gold status that year.Karen O also moved to Los Angeles in 2004, making the Yeah Yeah Yeahs a bicoastal band.

The group took some time to pursue individual projects in 2005. O loaned her vocals to "Hello Tomorrow," a collaboration with producer Squeak E. Clean that provided the soundtrack to a Nike shoe commercial directed by Spike Jonze, whileZinner recorded with the side project Head Wound City and also had a book of photographs, -I Hope You Are All Happy Now, published. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs reconvened in the studio that year to record their second album with Clean as producer; jokingly, Clean said that the album was about O's cat and would be called Coco Beware, but the album's real title, Show Your Bones, was revealed soon after. Released in spring 2006, the album was the band's most mature, polished work yet, and reached number 11 on the album charts. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs spent the rest of the year touring in support of the album, and returned in summer 2007 with the Is Is EP, a collection of newly recorded versions of songs written in between the band's two albums. It's Blitz!, which took the band's sound in a more streamlined, electronic direction, arrived in spring 2009.

Monolith Music Festival Artist Spotlight: The Mars Volta

2009-08-11T10:03:00.004-07:00

Just over a month from now The Monolith Music Festival will take residency at the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheater showcasing some of the finest indie, electro, hip-hop, alternative music bands in the world. This will be my third time covering the event and would have to say it is the best lineup yet. From now until the festival we here at A Walking Disaster will be focusing on some of the acts from the festival. The first band we decided to spotlight has a special place in my heart, hailing from El Paso, Texas I had a chance to witness some of the early works of the headliners for Sunday night. Until this day I still have memories of going to Cantina La Tuya and watching Defacto which at the time was side project some of the members where part of. I remember listening to At The Drive In religiously as well as Sparta and the Mars Volta. This will be my first time seeing these guys live believe it or not and what better way than in my own back yard of Red Rocks, without further adieu I present The Mars Volta.

The eighteen or so years that Omar Rodriguez-López and Cedric Bixler Zavala have spent making music together have been a prime example of the theory of musical evolution, a journey of exploration that's seen the duo refuse to stand still, maturing and growing ever bolder in their art. From Omar's first joining their previous group, El Paso's lauded and lamented At The Drive-In, and progressively pushing that band in more experimental directions that ultimately pulled it apart, to Omar's composing of epic scores and Cedric's creation of lyrical novellas to complement them resulting in The Mars Volta's first two albums, theirs has always been a partnership that has prioritized challenge over contentment.

"The only objective, throughout, has been to always move forward," says bandleader Omar, speaking from the recording compound in Mexico from which he currently helms The Mars Volta. "To always make the next album sound different to the one that came before it, to always be evolving."

And so it has been, with the Mars Volta from day one. The band was already rehearsing during the entropic latter phase of At The Drive-In, and well before that Omar and Cedric had maintained the extracurricular dub outlet De Facto with future Mars Volta members Ikey Owens and the late Jeremy Ward (whose life would inspire the narrative of the Volta's 2005 sophomore effort Frances The Mute). In 2002, The Mars Volta's primordial three-song Tremulant EP would materialize on the band's own GSL label. Their earliest shows and recordings captured the frantic, chaotic pell mell of their origins, a riot of ideas veering off in every direction, until they began to settle into something of a cohesive lineup and musical focus to produce a modern progressive masterpiece in the form of De-Loused In The Comatorium. Over the course of ten sprawling stunning compositions that improbably formed a greater whole, this astonishing debut album served as an elegy and dramatization of the life of Julio Venegas, a friend and mentor to the young Omar and Cedric who had succeeded in taking his own life after multiple suicide attempts. For the purpose of the album, Venegas re-imagined as the fictional character Cerpin Taxt, the songs chronicling his potential adventures in the dreamscape of a suicide attempt-induced coma.

Dashing the predictions of post-ATDI detractors, De-Loused... debuted to stellar critical and commercial reaction. The first proper Mars Volta headline shows saw the band perform the album in its entirety, a cathartic and grueling nightly marathon that often ended with band members in tears, as the album improbably went gold. Emboldened by this success, Omar and Cedric solidified their core live group of bassist Juan Alderete de la Pena, keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens, percussionist Marcel Rodriguez-López (Omar's brother), flute/tenor sax player Adrian Terrazas and drummer Jon Theodore and began work on an even more ambitious sophomore effort. Like De-Loused..., the album would be inspired by the loss and remembrance of a close friend, this time Mars Volta sound manipulator Jeremy Ward, who passed away unexpectedly not long after De-Loused... was released. 2005's Frances The Mute's narrative revolved around an adopted protagonist's search for his biological parents and its ultimately unsatisfying resolution, mirroring the experiences of Ward's tragic life story. The first Mars Volta record to be produced by Omar (De-Loused... had Rick Rubin manning the boards with Omar), Frances The Mute again defied and surpassed all expectations, entered the Billboard 200 at #4, featured contributions from legendary musical figures from David Campbell to Larry Harlow to now regular Volta studio guitarist and erstwhile Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante, and spawned an actual hit single in the form of "The Widow." The live shows in support of Frances The Mute--which found Omar and Cedric's former ATDI bandmate Pablo Hinojos reuniting with them--would be the band's most ambitious and intense to date, as they headlined and sold out venues including the Greek Theaters in Berkeley and Los Angeles, while Frances... climbed toward half a million U.S. sales. All in all, a more than fitting tribute to another fallen friend.

For Amputechture in 2006, Omar and Cedric tore up the script yet again, deciding to make their third full length their first without a central unifying theme. Omar likened the surreal single song vignettes and their impressionistic tales of heresy, intolerance, demon worship and the like to vintage episodes of the original Night Gallery and Twilight Zone TV series. While Amputechture proved the most difficult of The Mars Volta discography to date--Omar and Cedric came to regard to the record as their autistic child, the one that related the least to others but that they nurtured the most--standout tracks such as "Viscera Eyes" and "Day Of The Baphomets" remain live favorites to this day.

The period following Amputechture's release and ensuing tour seemed plagued with mishaps and misfortune. Drummer Jon Theodore was let go and the band struggled to retain a stable replacement. Live dates were marred and postponed by inexplicable equipment issues and Cedric's suffering a strange and hobbling injury. An engineer suddenly lost his mental composure and a flood disabled Omar's studio. The band ultimately recognized a correlation between things unraveling and the appearance of the primitive Ouija prototype "talking board" Omar had picked up in Israel and gifted Cedric with upon his return. Nicknamed the Soothsayer, the board had been telling the band members an unfolding story of seduction, infidelity and murder featuring colorful characters that ultimately coalesced into the malevolent Goliath. By the time the Soothsayer's label peeled back to reveal pre-Aramaic writings of ominous origin, Goliath's stories had morphed into pleas that escalated into threats. Omar took matters into his hands and traveled to remote and random location, burying the Soothsayer in an unmarked grave, a place that would never be revealed to any of his band mates and that would hopefully escape his memory as well.

The legacy of the Soothsayer would be The Bedlam In Goliath, The Mars Volta's fourth album, released in early 2008 to a #3 Billboard debut. A virtual musical embodiment of madness incarnate, The Bedlam In Goliath eschewed the gradual build of previous Mars Volta records, diving feet first into frenzy on the opening "Aberinkula," which also marked Volta fans' first recorded impression of new drumming powerhouse Thomas Pridgen. As the album progressed, "Ilyena," "Goliath," "Soothsayer" and even the unsettlingly quiet eye of the storm that was "Tourniquet Man" gave musical substance to the characters and stories conveyed to Omar and Cedric through the Soothsayer. Much like the band's experience with the ancient and insidious talking board, The Bedlam In Goliath is a chilling yet addictive experience--and one that ultimately nabbed the band its first ever Grammy, as the track "Wax Simulacra" took home the Best Hard Rock Performance statuette from the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in February 2009.

For Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the studio isn't just another tool at his disposal, or even something as simple as an instrument in its own right. The studio is his laboratory, his playground, the place where he can take the raw bones of his songs, his fresh-born ideas, and refine and experiment with them, twisting them into radical new shapes, sending them hurtling in askance directions.

For The Mars Volta's brand new fifth album Octahedron, however, Omar adopted an oblique and entirely new strategy, one he'd never tried before in the group's career. Having cut the basic tracks for this new album, instead of retreating to the studio to tinker endlessly with the songs and recordings, he chose to step away. Instead of feverishly adulterating the tapes with the mosaic of overdubs and FX that have typically aided Omar in realizing his concepts, he chose instead to polish and refine what he had, to hold back on every bell and every whistle. The result is, he says, the first of his albums that he can listen to for pleasure. It is also an album that distils all of the energy, all of the furious invention that characterizes music with a clarity they've never before achieved. In keeping with this spirit, Omar pared the band down to a 6-piece lineup, asking Hinojos and Terrazas to leave, both of whom did so amicably.

"It was really challenging, to hold back," he smiles. "To add many layers, or an instrumental freak-out section here or there, began to feel predictable to me, so I started putting restraints on myself, saying no, you aren't going to add 97 extra parts to this song. I reined it in, and kept it to the core of what those songs were."

Octahedron is an album heady with the emotion and high-drama that has always been The Mars Volta's trademark, their newfound simplicity and focus delivering some of the most immediate and powerful songs in their discography. Lyrically, Cedric employed 'disappearance' as a loose theme, inspired by the culture of kidnapping that has latterly infected the group's current home of Mexico, by the mysterious disappearances that populate the library of urban myth, and the way emotions - even the strongest, purest emotions - can mysteriously, but entirely, ebb away.

The album opens with the tender ache of "Since We've Been Wrong," Cedric's keening vocal establishing a mood that's deeply blue, powerfully melancholic, a sucker punch that hits every bit as hard as Octahedron's unashamed rockers (the gleaming futuristic funk of "Teflon," the tense chase-music of "Cotopaxi"). Pulling back from the full-tilt experimentation of previous releases, Octahedron invests its energies in Omar's gift for song craft, for swooning guitar runs of high tension and emotive power (closer "Luciforms"' epic riffage), for the nagging hooks and choked melodies that wreath the churning rhythms of "Desperate Graves." "For me, all that's important is if something moves you or not," explains Omar. "I've never tried to be tricky, to be complicated; if it gives me goosebumps, I'll use it. If it's striking, if it hits me as a listener, that's all that matters to me."

Ultimately, the album is another in a series of testaments to Omar and Cedric's unassailable faith in following their muse in whichever direction it takes them; thus far the journey's been the ride of the creative lifetime, and they see no sense it second-guessing it yet, especially not when it delivers so pointedly powerful a record as Octahedron.

"The only reason we even have a fan base is because I've stayed true to my instincts," nods Omar. "We've not tried to repeat previous successes to make them happy, we've stayed true to ourselves, and made the music that we want to make, and that's what they respond to. They can sense this is something really pure." And on Octahedron, perhaps purer than ever.

Website: www.themarsvolta.com