Rothbury Festival 2009 - Friday July 3rd

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From Friday

Wasn't too sure where to go with the blog review when I started with Thursday, but I realized that there are so many amazing reviews on the internet that I should just do my part to contribute to the wealth of stories and recollections. After a rediculous opening day of Rothbury 2009, I could barely sleep in anticipation for Friday's great day of music.

From Friday

After finally getting some sleep and making it out of the domesticated zoo that was the campgrounds, I made it to catch the Brett Dennen show to start off my Friday. I had seen Brett Dennen twice before, opening up for John Mayer at a show a few years ago at the Verizon Ampitheater in Noblesville, IN and also at Rothbury in 2008. I was glad to see him a bit more sober this year, because I'm pretty sure he was quite drunk last year during his show. Either way, he is still a great musician with a unique sound and music style that makes for a great feel-good concert. Couple that with a great Michigan afternoon on a Friday, and everything was just dandy. There aren't too many videos up on the infamous YouTube yet, but there happens to be a decently-produced video on the web that actually starts off by showing my friends and I in the lower right of the camera right at the beginning. So there is a little FYI for the day, but enjoy the video and check him out if you ever have the chance to for an enjoyable concert experience.



Following the Brett Dennen show, we made it over to check out G. Love and Special Sauce. I have been quite upset that I have never made it to one of his shows, and was extremely happy when I saw his name on the set list for 2009. He stepped up a notch in my book when I saw him come up sporting some new black Nike Blazers with the neon laces. Call that FYI #2. He put on a great show, playing a lot of the songs from all of his studio albums creating a great mix of songs and styles. He even played one of my favorite songs, "Booty Call" so I was thoroughly satisfied.

From Friday

Moving on from G. Love, we caught a little bit of Femi Kuti & The Positive Force while killing some time before Broken Social Scene. I had never heard of Femi Kuti before, but I was pretty amazed at the performance. Their music was an almost Afro-Beat roots-y vibe combined with the showmanship of James Brown and Al Green. They put on a great show and was extremely happy that I was able to check out a great previousl unknown band.

From Friday

Leaving the Femi Kuti & The Positive Force show early we made out way over to get some good seats for the Nas and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley show. En Route we landed upon the Broken Social Scene set. Not having too much knowledge of a lot of their music, they came highly recommended from a friend so I wanted to make sure to check them out. I couldn't believe how good their show was, playing with such an energy that you don't get too much at a day-show of a festival. Their music definitely rocked Rothbury during the first full day of tunes.

From Friday

Leaving after a handfull of songs, I made it over to the Nas and Damian Marley show. This show was definitely near the top of my To Do list for Friday's shows. I have never seen Nas or Damian perform, and both of these musicans have earned a lot of respect in my book for making great music time and true. Nas came out first and did his thing, performing everything from "One Mic" to teaming up onstage with Damian for the timeless "Road to Zion." Damian rocked the stage playing all of his jams and even playing some songs I have never heard before. Hopefully they are some new tunes because I definitely loved the vibe from him and his band during the music. Look for me to get some of my videos from this set uploaded in the near future.

From Friday


Following the Nas and Damian Marley show, we headed back to take a break for the day and get some food and rest. Missing some of the first set of String Cheese Incident, I was able to make it back to catch a great deal of the second set and witness the rediculous performance they put on. I really wish I would have been able to catch more of their show because I couldn't believe how energetic their performance was. Since their "breakup" in 2007, everyone knew that they wouldn't be reuniting for Rothbury and not put on an amazing concert. To the say the show was amazing doesn't do the String Cheese perfomance justice. They came back and somehow managed to take their vast library of songs and sounds and put them together to not only create an amazing setlist, but they also seemed to create a new sound as if they were going to be getting back together to head on that audio-journey together. There are some really great YouTube videos out there of their performance, I have just hosted a few below. For those who were not the biggest fans going into the show (including myself), I would testify that they definitley made their mark in my mind of a great band that can put on a unbelievable show. Whenever a band reunites on a perfect summer evening with giant beach balls and circus performers, only magic can happen. Check out even more videos on the web and you can just imagine how rediculous it was to be apart of it!



Following an insane String Cheese Incident show, I couldn't even imagine what Sound Tribe Sector 9 was going to have in store for us Rothbury-ites. Following in the footsteps of some amazing performances through just the first 2 days, STS9 seemed to draw from the SCI performance and funnel that energy and hype into their late-night set. They played a lot of tunes that I had jammed to many a times in my room, and even played some songs that seemed to be new to me (and hopefully will be on an album soon!). Seeing them last year had me excited to be able to catch their late-night show again in the beautiful Michigan night.

From Friday

Having to leave the STS9 show early to catch the Girl Talk show, I was nervous that Greg Gillis and company wouldn't be able to bring the amount of energy and excitement that was being pumped out of the speakers of the STS9 show. As I secretely had hoped, Greg Gillis aka Girl Talk came out, started the REAL party, and it never seemed to stop for another 2 days later! I have been a big fan of Girl Talk for quite some time, and after missing out on what turned out to be a horrible performance at Miami (OH) in Oxford, OH, I was stoked to be able to see him at his prime late-night festival slot. Coming out on stage already packed with fellow Rothbury-ites, Greg sported a red and blue sweat suit looking like he just came out of bed. If I got to wake up to rediculous mixes of Pop, Rock, Hip Hop and everythign in between, I'm sure I would be much more productive everyday. We were lucky enough to get fairly close considering Sherwood Court was packed to the edges. I couldn't have been more happy to finally see Girl Talk live while being in one of the greatest party environments ever! (That and the glowing colors and heart-pounding beats always combo with other things to make an even better experience)

From Friday

Rothbury Festival 2009 - Thursday July 2nd

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Well here it is folks, I guess better late than never. This will be my first official "Festival" blog post, so let's see how well I can attempt to translate my loose conjunction of memories onto the electronic world wide web.


Rothbury Festival 2009 [From Thursday]

I don't even really know how to start with my recap of the festival. Since I was lucky enough to be able to attend the inaugural year of Rothbury in 2008, I knew that I had to make this an annual event for my summer break. When they announced the line-up for the 2009 festival, I knew I would be spending my Independence Day Weekend in Rothbury, Michigan once again. With so many great bands to check out, I was just hoping that there wouldn't be too many schedule conflicts so I would have to miss out on some great concerts. It's hard to describe all of the shows and events from the weekend, but I will do the best I can to try to let everyone in on what was probably the greatest 4 consecutive days of my life.

I'll just do a show by show run down of all of the concerts I can remember. If you were in attendence, then you know that keeping track of all of the sights and sounds could be quite a challenge at some points.

Sherwood Forest [From Thursday]

I started off Thursday catching the end of the Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam and moved on to check out Keller Williams. After seeing him last year, I knew that seeing him kick off Rothbury 2009 would be a real treat. As expected, he didn't let me down. Playing all of my favorites, I was quite pleased to kick off the festival with some amazing jams from the greatest One Man Band in the world.

Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam [From Thursday]


Leaving Keller a bit early, I was able to go check a completly unknown band called Future Rock. Hailing from Chicago, these guys were one of the most energetic shows that I had ever seen. Following the rising trend of digital electronic synth-rock bands, Future Rock sets themselves apart from the rest by being truley innovative with their music. You can almost hear a structure composition in their sounds, creating an almost synthsized symphony sound. I definitely recommend everyone check them out and try to catch one of their shows if you ever can. I will seeing where I can catch an upcoming show.

Check out a short video I shot from their Rothbury performance at the Tripolee Dome. It's not great, but it sure does show how energetic their shows are.




After the Future Rock show, we headed back to catch a good part of the Lotus show. Being a band I had only heard of a few times, they put on a great show at Rothbury in my mind. After a great Lotus show, I made it over to catch the Cool Kids. Kid Cudi was originally scheduled to perform during this slot, but for some reason ended up cancelling a few weeks before the show. Although bummed I wasn't going to be able to catch my first Kid Cudi show in one of the greatest concert settings ever, the Cool Kids definitely did not let down the fans (including myself).

StereoPirate @ The Disco Biscuits [From Thursday]

Following the Cool Kids set, we moved onto the headlining show of the evening, The Disco Biscuits. Seeing them for the first time last year opened my eyes to a whole new sound to music. I had been eagerly awaiting this show ever since it was announced, and once the music started I was taken to a whole new place. For their entire set, they played with non-stop energy and emotion. I had never heard them sound so good together, and everyone else around was having the same thoughts as me. Their show set the bar so high for the rest of the festival, I was actually slightly nervous as to what could possibly compare to such a raw performance of sound and light. As my video clip below shows, the entire place was packed and filled with energy (and tons of glowsticks!) After seeing the show, I became an instant faithful fan and have been spending the last few days downloading a lot of their recent shows off of Archive.org. I promise that once you hear their newer stuff, you will fall in love with them to. Be sure to catch them if at all possible on their current tour, you will not be let down!




After getting mind-trapped in The Disco Biscuits show, I was only able to catch the last few songs of the Cold War Kids. I was pretty bummed to find out that I missed out on a tremendous performance from the Indie rockers. Even though I have yet to see a full concert of them, I am still not that upset since I got to be a part of one of the greatest festival performances ever with The Disco Biscuits. With the first day in the books, my expectations had been set quite high for the rest of the amazing bands still to play during the 4th of July Weekend.

From Thursday




Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move

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This video is everything I would expect from the Synth-Rock band from Brooklyn, Dirty Projectors. I can't think of any better concept for the music video than the outdoors, mountains, goats, and the band. Definitely a nice compliment to the song, enjoy!

Monsters of Folk to release debut album September 22nd

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That's right, not only are the rumors of a "super-group" true, but also we can expect a premiere album from the group this fall. On September 22 (tentatively of course), rock idols Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), Conor Oberst (the soul behind Bright Eyes), M. Ward (the man also known as M. Ward), and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes member / Super-producer). The first three of these guys had a small tour emerge out of nowhere in 2004, which provided the internet with some high-demand live shows. All I know is that there is no possible way for this album to be anything but amazing. Check out the tracklisting below and be sure to mark your calendars!

http://www.monstersoffolk.com/

01 Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)
02 Say Please
03 Whole Lotta Losin'
04 Temazcal
05 The Right Place
06 Baby Boomer
07 Man Named Truth
08 Goodway
09 Ahead of the Curve
10 Slow Down Jo
11 Losin Yo Head
12 Magic Marker
13 Map of the World
14 The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me
15 His Master’s Voice

Coconut Records - "Microphone"

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Coconut Records aka Jason Schwartzman just released the music video to accompany their new single "Microphone." This single marks the first to be released from the Janurary 2009 release Davy. Enjoy this music video, everything I would expect Jason to conceptualize it as. Check out this album, as well as their first album Nighttiming. Both are great albums, simple yet creative.

Breakfast at Sulimay's - Wilco and Dirty Projectors

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For those who have never heard of this online series of web-shorts, Breakfast at Sulimay's is one of the funniest YouTube generation web series that I have ever seen. Taking place in a small town coffee shop, Breakfast at Sulimay's is a collection of music reviews conducted by local senior citizens. The characters are halarious, as you would expect if you were to ask your grandparents to review your music. The most recent episode consisted of a review of "Wilco (The Song)" and "Stillness is the Move" by Wilco and Dirty Projectors, respectively. I guess Wilco is meant to get dirty and dance to. And Dirty Projectors are an oriental band. Hm...who knew? Enjoy this and check out all of their other halarious reviews!


Animal Collective - "Summertime Clothes"

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In typical Animal Collective fashion, the guys have created a new music video for their 2nd single off of Merriweather Post Pavilion, "Summertime Clothes." Although not offically released as the next single until 7/7/2009, Animal Collective has leaked the music video to help create some hype (which needs no creation at all). I guess this music video follows suit to their first single, "My Girls." Trippy, crazy visuals, random people running around...only this time add in some giant inflatable clear beach balls and some wicked ice sculptures, and to no suprise you end up with another great Animal Collective song and video. Enjoy!

Phoenix - "1901"

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Here's the new music video for the Phoenix joint "1901." After hearing the song, it was actually the type of video I was expecting from the French rockers. Enjoy the song and trippy visuals!

Sonic Youth - The Eternal

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Wow. I really wish I had listened to more music from the Sonic Youth. After constantly being pressured by my friend to listen to them, I finally gave in and decided to just pick up their new release The Eternal. I started listening and couldn't stop. They seemed to have so many elements to their music drawing my mind back to other bands that I love listening to. Straight through, it was a great listening experience. I highly recommend going out and picking up this album. Even though 2009 has been loaded with great music, this album will be finishing the year near the top for sure.

The Dodos - Visiter

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Here is a copy of the 2008 release from The Dodos entitled Visiter. I have been jamming to this album a lot lately, and I cannot wait for them to put out their next album, hopefully soon. Enjoy!

Wale ft. Lady Gaga - "Chillin'"

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Here is the new music video for the Wale joint "Chillin'" featuring Lady Gaga. As much as I love this MC hailing from the District, I know this jam seems to have a strong influence of a radio/club jam with the addition of Lady Gaga. She makes the song hit you hard though, so props to these two for collaborating so well. After seeing this guy front row at Purdue for free, I cannot wait to see him finally get the respect and attention that he deserves. [Note: His live show with a full backing band makes all of his music THAT much better] Enjoy this song and video, great collage of Wale chillin and kickin it all over the District of Columbia!

MGMT - "Kids"

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Not really too sure how I feel about this video. After being a work-in-progress for close to an entire year, MGMT finally get's their music video for "Kids" out to the public. I actually feel bad for the little kid in the video, but according to their website "No children were harmed" during the filming, haha. Great tune and a nice little cameo by Joanna Newsom as the child's mother. Enjoy!

Record Store Day presents: Vinyl Saturday

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Man oh man, what a great day it is to hear the announcement about Vinyl Saturday. Created and set-up by the people that brought your Record Store Day, they are back to try to re-vamp the record industry by hosting another new record store event on June 20th. Everyone should mark their calendars and save some change because this event is going to host a ton of new releases from bands, just like Record Store Day did as well. I was lucky enough to pick up the My Morning Jacket release from RSD and also the Wilco documentary: Ashes of American Flags.
Included in the June 20th Vinyl Saturday will be new singles released from:
Wilco
- "You Never Know" (From Wilco: (The Album) due out June 30th)
- "Unlikely Japan" (The orginal mix of Sky Blue Sky's "Impossible Germany")

Modest Mouse
- "Autmn Beds"
- "Whale Song"

Also we can expect releases from Green Day, and the upcoming Pete Yorn/Scarlett Johansson collaboration. I cannot wait to pick up both the new Wilco and Modest Mouse singles. Rumor has it that they will be trying to make the 3rd Saturday of every month a Vinyl Saturday. I couldn't think of anything better to do, so everyone go out and support your local record store!

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

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It seems like 2009 is the best year for music in a long time. 2008 wasn't bad, but it seemed to hold the break-out albums for a lot of bands. Well now 2009 has come, and now it seems to be the year of the defining moments in a lot of bands' careers. NPR has come to grips with this and has been priviledged enough to stream a lot of albums a week or so early. They just started streaming in its entirety, Bitte Orca, the newest album from Dirty Projectors. I have only recently started to listen to them in heavy rotation in my music, and I have become quite the fan. The new album is almost insane how creative the band has gotten with their music. I'm sure quite a few people will have heavy doubts for it, but many did on Merriwether Post Pavilion and Veckatimest too, so take it or leave it....Anyways, definitely check out the album and pick it up when it releases! Enjoy!



Here is the new single, "Stillness Is The Move" for you to enjoy!

The Dodos - "Red and Purple"/"Eyelids"

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Footage from a 2008 pre-concert rehersal of The Dodos brought us a amazing version of the songs "Red and Purple" and "Eyelids" off of their album Visiter. Once again, Pitchfork.TV knows how to find the best footage from all of the great bands. Check them out for all of the music news about the music that matters if ya want. Enjoy this song and both of the original versions too!


Dan Auerbach - "Heartbroken, In Disrepair"

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Here's the new video from Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach. Although the video is nothing special effect-wise, it still has a nitty-gritty vibe to it of just Dan and his touring band Hacienda rocking out in the Texas countryside. His solo album Keep It Hid was a great progression from his Black Keys roots towards an exploration of every style of music from reggae to jazz. Definitely a must-have for any Black Keys fan. Enjoy!

Yeasayer - "Tightrope" [Pitchfork.TV]

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I am pretty much speechless after watching this version of the Yeasayer song "Tightrope." Yeasayer teamed up for the Dark Was the Night collaboration for AIDS awareness with such great bands as The National, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket, Dirty Projectors, Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, and many many more. This is definitely my favorite album of 2009, if you want to consider a compilation of amazing artists a legit album. I am a big fan of Yeasayer's All Hour Cymbals album and cannot wait for them to finish recording their follow-up. Be sure to check out the Pitchfork site for additional footage of performances by The National and Dirty Projectors. And be sure to pick upt this album ASAP! Enjoy!

Phoenix - "Lisztomania (Holy Ghost Loves Paris Remixomania)"

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Well I posted a streaming copy of one of the songs from the new Phoenix album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, "1901" Here is one of the first unofficial singles from that album, remixed by fellow French DJ's. Enjoy!

Kanye West - "Paranoid"

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Kanye West Paranoid Official Music Video from bonna dona on Vimeo.



Well here it is folks, the premier of the new Yeezy video for the joint "Paranoid." All I know is that if you can make it past the trippy Kanyes floating around everywhere, you will be able to enjoy a almost 80's-ish music video loaded with the ever-so-sexy Rihanna. Enjoy!

RIP Jay Bennett

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On Sunday morning, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that former Wilco member and musician Jay Bennett was found dead at his Urbana, IL home at age 45. Jay was best known for his influences and work on the Wilco albums Being There, Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. His momental work on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as well as the his growing issues with the rest of the band, are chronicled on the Wilco documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. His work with Wilco on those albums created music that truly changed my life. I still regard the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album as one of the favorites of all time. Best of wishes to his friends and family, music will not be the same without him.

RIP Jay Bennett
November 15th, 1963 - May 24th, 2009

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"

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Well I'm going to have to give you a head's up before the music video gets going to far. Ever since I first heard this song off of the upcoming release Veckatimest, I fell in love. I have only been really listening to Grizzly Bear for about a year, but I cannot wait enough for the new album to release. As would seem fitting, Grizzly Bear creates a semi-creepy music video to accompany the great song. As if the slow motion wasn't weird enough, once the lights and fireworks start, it becomes no-holds-bar. Enjoy!


Dave Brubeck - "Take Five"

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I decided to hit up the local record store when I was back home in Fort Wayne, and lucky for me Wooden Nickel was loaded up with great used vinyl. Ever since taking a History of Jazz class this past semester at school, I have re-fallen in love with my favorite genre of music. It's amazing how jazz music seems to be the only style of music that has truly withstood the test of time. It's been 50 years since Dave Brubeck released this beautiful song on his album Time Out. If you are already on my site to check out music, then this song is a must. Enjoy!


Iron & Wine - "Godless Brother In Love"

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So the other night Iron & Wine's Sam Beam and his sister Sarah showed up to the Late Night With Jimmy Falon and ended up playing a brand new song, "Godless Brother In Love." Myself, like most others I assume, figured he probably would have ended up playing a tune or two from his just released album of rarities entitled Around the Well. I gotta admit that I'm a big fan of this song and hope that it will be on an upcoming EP in the near future. Enjoy!


10.Deep X Kid Cudi - "A Kid Named Cudi"

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Since I was one of the few lucky people to cop a re-release of the 10.Deep X Kid Cudi collaboration on the release of Cudi's A Kid Named Cudi, I decided to put up the album for everyone to stream and listen to. Even though this mixtape dropped almost a year ago, it became an instant classic in my book. I haven't been much of a fan of the rap and hip-hop game lately due to the peak of creativity a few years ago it seemed like. Yet Kid Cudi has been hitting the scene hard, and he deserves every bit of his new-found hype and apprecation. It's pretty crazy to think that his jam "Day 'N' Night" is almost 2 years old. Just goes to show how messed up the music industry is, keeping these jams from our ears for that long. For the lucky ones of us who were able to cop the re-release of the 10.Deep X Kid Cudi collector's shirt, congrats and stay fly. Don't hate, just enjoy the jams!



Phoenix - "1901"

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Here is a new tune from the French band Phoenix. They have a unique sound, blending synth-rock with pop-y vocals, creating a truely unique and amazing sound. With their recent album release Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, they are finally able to put their amazing sound on the map and getting the recognition they deserve. Enjoy!


Umphrey's McGee - "Cemetary Walk II"

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Before anything else, if you have never seen Umphrey's McGee perform, then you have not experienced a great live show. I must admit that up until a couple of months ago, I had never witnessed one of their fantastic shows. For a few friends and myself, starting off Spring Break with a Friday the 13th show of Umphrey's McGee was phenominal. Of course I was anxious to hear my favorite two tracks from their newest album Mantis, "Cemetary Walk I" and "Cemetary Walk II." I'm glad that someone was able to get some great video footage of this show, so major props to YouTube for allowing us to re-experience amazing shows. The album versions of the songs are great, but live is just rediculous. Enjoy!

Miller Chill X The Dodos - "Fools"

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So I'm not going to try to be too biased in my views about this commercial, mostly because I am not a fan at all of Miller Chill beer at all. But, I do have to say that I am a very big fan of The Dodos and more importantly, the song they used for the commercial "Fools." Enjoy the commercial, and try to enjoy the beer if you can. And if not you can just enjoy the streaming version of the full song below. Enjoy!


Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Nikorette"

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Well here it is folks, the first single off of the new Conor Oberst album Outer South. The transition away from Bright Eyes is definitely complete ever since his self-titled solo album last year. Although this album has been getting mixed reviews from every critic imaginable, I still feel its a great album and am a personal fan of the new sound of Conor Oberst. His impecable imagery in his lyrics and music is still there, only now its backed up by multiple vocals and instruments. I definitely recommend this album for everyone to pick up. Enjoy!

Weezer X MGMT - "Kids" X Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"

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So this is the first official post to my movement of the StereoPirate blog to a new site. I hope that this chang will allow me to add more features and tools to the blog. As far as design, I hope to be getting around to that in the future. So here we go, in a new age, with a little MGMT and Lady Gaga covered by none-other than Weezer. Enjoy!

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