music

In Rainbows, In Charlotte

If you’re a big Radiohead fan, then you’ll be thrilled to learn that the fab-five will be playing at Charlotte’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on May 9th (the day after finals end). Lawn tickets were still available as of 5 PM today but they definitely won’t last long. Click here to scoop one up and join me for a little post-exam jam. I’ve never seen them live but friends who have say that they’re awesome. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the band, I’ve attached a video that will help fill you in.

("Nude" from their new album, In Rainbows.)

Tags: music, entertainment, radiohead, | 1 Comment

Putting things in perspective

I know, I know. The fact that Wake brings in one decent artist a year to perform during Springfest seems pretty exciting. But this announcement from Brown University is a startling reminder of how lame we really are. Brown has a friggin concert series lined up for their Spring Weekend including performances by M.I.A., Lupe Fiasco, Girl Talk, Umphrey’s McGee, and indie-sensation Vampire Weekend. That. is. absurd. All of those artists are great. I saw Girl Talk live earlier this year and can report that it was one of the craziest (read: best) shows that I’ve ever been to. Oh well, keep your fingers crossed. If we’re lucky, we’ll get Jason Mraz

Tags: wtf, music, | 3 Comments

Shameless Plug(s)

I haven’t written much about music on here, which is a shame because there are few things that I love more than a solid tune (see: “Tupelo Honey,” “The Weight,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want"). So, in order to remedy this situation, I figured I’d give a little press to my friends’ bands and expose you all to some solid new listening material.

1) Cash Cash. Two of my good friends, JP and Sam, have been trying to make it in the music business since we were in eighth grade. It seems like it’s finally paid off; these guys got signed by Universal Records over winter break and are now working on their debut album with producers who have worked with Hellogoodbye, Gym Class Heroes, We the Kings, Boys Like Girls, and more. I’m really proud of these guys; they’ve been honing their sound for years and I can’t wait to hear what they come up with while working with a big-time producer or two. They’re a solid blend of pop, rock, and electronica. Check out “CSL F-Bomb Remix” on their myspace page here and be sure to watch out for these boys—I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the near future.

2) Carlon. Mike McWilliams, an all-around great guy from my hometown, has a band called Carlon. Like Cash Cash, they’re currently in the studio working on tracks for their debut album. They’ve also got some amazing producers on board: Ross Peterson, who’s worked with John Mayer, Kanye West, and Muse, and Pete Francis, bassist of the band Dispatch (remember them?) Carlon’s a really interesting group - it’s hard to say who they “sound like,” but it’s obvious that they’re fans of alternative bands like the White Stripes and older, classic rock superstars like the Stones. One thing that really impresses me about these guys is their lyrics. Be sure to scope out “Ferris Wheel” and “Fever of Initiative” here.

3) Taylor Carson. Last, but certainly not least. Taylor’s going to be big. I’m proud to say that he lived next door to me during his musically formative years. He’s an accomplished singer-songwriter with solid guitar chops and soft but powerful voice. He strikes a nice balance with his soulful ballads like “If I Fall’ and harder, groovy jams like “Lucky Tonight”. Taylor’s been playing shows in Washington D.C. for the last few years and has built up a really solid fan base there. Give his stuff a listen here.

Videos of Carlon and Taylor after the jump.

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Phenomenal Article

When you’ve got some free time, do yourself a favor and read this article from the Washington Post. It’s about what happens when Joshua Bell, one of the best violinists in the world, plays some of the most beautiful pieces ever written on a multi-million dollar instrument in a DC Metro station during the morning rush. You can probably guess what happens. The piece, written by Gene Weingarten, won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing this year, and it’s easy to see why. 

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