The xx-xx

9 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 16 seconds until 'Roo. But, who's counting.

The xx confused me at first. Well, that's not to say they don't still confuse me; trust me, they do. But I couldn't figure out this band at all when I first heard them. I think I listened to the first few songs on this album in The Disc Exchange one day, and I remember shrugging it off like it was some over-hyped critic fodder. I didn't come back to it until I heard that the band was going to play in town for Big Ears. I gave the album another shot, and I liked it a bit more, but I still couldn't get into the dreamy aura and the floating voices. Fast forward to now. I love this. I really really love this stuff. It's amazing. Now, tell me why that happens? I have no clue. I gave it the same chance all three times, and the first two were strikes. Now, I've been listening to the album non-stop. Frreeaakkyyyyy. In a good way.

The xx are a bunch of super emo hip London school kids who grew up listening to Aaliyah and The Cure, the latter showing much more clearly through their atmospheric dream pop. The kids made a single, and the critique world flipped their wig. They made an album, xx, and lather, rinse, repeat. It got a lot of critical acclaim, and the band has been on a rampant tour across the world ever since.

The album is sleek, sexy, and embracing, but timid. The band has created a sound all to themselves, and they convey it like a hermit crab, poking it's head out with caution and time. The xx create world's to be explored with every reverberating chord structure. Soft and steady mechanical beats churn into listeners head like a droning factory line. While the songs may not present you with different colors, they invoke many shades of gray that are meant to be built with imagination. The album sits comfortably next to Frank Sinatra's In The Wee Small Hours in the late-night listening category, and with songs like "Nighttime" and "Stars", The xx seem to be cool with it.

The opening track, despite it's lack of the core vocals, is arguably the best on the album. Appropriatley named, "Intro" is more of a night-mare than a dream, with it's steady repeating guitar line, and dark room-filling chords. The track builds and builds, adding the two lead voices in a monk-like drone and a continually climaxing blend of drums, before all falls down, except the same ominous chords pre-mentioned, leaving a flying sensation unlike any other. It's sensational and effective to the core.

The next track, "VCR", is an emo romance, filled with teen angst, boredom, and poetic meanderings of past love. The dynamic vocal duo of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim is perfect for the spacious tinkering the band plays. The two sing their verses outstandingly well, but together, they form zen, pairing like it is all their lives are meant for. They both have a tone as serene as a gust of wind in the rain, but as dark as the the storm cloud it came from, which is mysteriously brooding yet very likable. The song is beautiful and poetic, pondering, "When I find myself by the sea, In another's company, by the sea. When I go out to the pier, gonna dive and have no fear." This is the kind of song that makes an album great hands down.

Some people would say that The xx's problem is that they sound the exact same, never really diverging from the same tempo and sound, but not all bands have to do this. The xx music doesn't scream that it is bold, and adventurous. It is soft and steady. That is all it needs to be. That being said, not all of the songs on the album maintain their hypnotic brilliance as well as others. "Basic Space" is just that, a basic block of time on the album. It's not bad, but it's not all that good either. "Infinity" suffers from the same disease. But, I could feel differently about both of them with a new listen. That's the beauty in the music. It stirs emotion in different ways with every listen. I may not appreciate the song that well now, but after a dozen listens or so, it could be my favorite. There's a strange power in this ability that draws me back to listen more and more.

If you can't handle songs without smoke and mirrors to keep you interested, then xx is not the album for you. It takes a very dedicated and open minded listener to really appeal here, but if you give it room to work inside your head, The xx will manipulate your moods, hack into your dreams, and stir a strange emotion you can't quite put your finger on. I'm very eager to hear what else the young British band can manage to do with a few bare instruments, soothing vocal ability, and an yearning to spread their bleak hearts through more of their beautiful music.

Wale-Attention Deficit

It's time for some more pre-Bonnaroo antics. 10 more days until I hit the road with my boy Jake. Can't wait.

Bonnaroo isn't exactly a showcase for hip-hop. Sure, it has hosted it's fair share of moguls. Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, and this year Jay-Z are some of the biggest names in rap. Ever. Bonnaroo has has rap artists ever since there first year, but, until this year ( maybe last), that;s not why people go to the festival. Now, in it's effort to appeal to music tastes of all appetites, B.o.B, Kid Cudi, Jay Electronica, and Wale, as well as various other rap groups from different cultures will be rockin all week long.

Wale (pronounced Wah-lay) is the one I'm most excited to see. He's a fresh-face, he raps exceptionally well, and he lays down some sick beats. He's generally well-rounded. He's best known for his collaboration with Lady Gaga, "Chillin". Don't let Lady Gaga's name discourage you. She's only in it for a few measures, and she sounds better than usual. Much to my liking, I checked out the album after hearing the single, and I've gotta admit, it's one of the best rap album's I've heard in a while. There's not a weak link the whole way through, and he hits it out of the park in a few songs.

Wale, born Olubamale Victor Akintimehin, was raised in suburban D.C., where he began calling himself "The Ambassador of Rap for The Capitol". He started making music in college, but eventually dropped out and set all of his effort on his rap career. He released some of his songs that got play on local radio and gradually began raising more and more eyebrows until he was signed by Interscope in 2008. Attention Deficit was released in 2009, gaining pretty good record sales and lots of critical acclaim.

Attention Deficit starts out with a huge splash of what Wale can do. "Triumph", sounds like a robotic swing band gone haywire. The track is full of surprises, and Wale has one of the best flows you can ask for, rolling through lines like its as easy as walking down the street. The track is one of the best on the album, slightly reminiscent of Jay-Z's famous opener from The Blueprint, "The Ruler's Back".

The two hit's are very solid tracks that transcend a lot of modern popular rap, not just talent-wise, but in it's material that has more substance than just hoes and drugs. "Chillin" slips in and out of a great Atari-glitched stutter beat that has a tinge of Passion Pit flowing through the hook. Lady Gaga does a pretty good job of not being a complete music-raping talent-wasting freak, too. "Pretty Girls" has a great beat with a huge voice singing the hook, but there is a hug problem with the whole thing. The very top note of the line repeated throughout is about 1/16 off-key, and this makes me want to destroy something in my immediate vicinity with a hammer. I cringe painfully every time the otherwise great voice fails to get up to the pitch over and over again until I start to rip my hair out. It's a real shame too, because Wale does some of his best rapping, and Gucci adds an unespected great verse too. It hurts to think about.

The best track on the record comes in the simplest form of song. "90210", a cautionary tale of the near impossibility of trying to find succes in Hollywood from a female stand-point. Wale is accompanied by no more than a Pokemon-esque blip track and some light bass, and his talent shines through without the distractions of his elaborate beats and guest artists. The tale is sad, but un-ashamed in its ugliness, which is something many rappers won't get near; scared it will tarnish their bad-boy image. I guess the songs not about him, but I still feel some of his humbleness in the young girl's sad life-story.

The end of the album starts to drag out with slower jams, lacking the punch to keep things interesting. "Contemplate" especially lulls on without ever really being that relevant to anything in the album; musically, rhythmically, or lyrically. In another act of Jay-Z, "TV in THe Radio" (Featuring my boy K'naan) has virtually the exact same beat as Hovva's "Empire State of Mind". They are eerily similar, almost to the point of suspicion. Weird Stuff.

Despite the album rolling gradually down-hill, it's still worth a good listen or two. Wale is one of the most promising up and comers in the business right now, and with a few adjustments, he should be putting out some outstanding albums in the near future.

Minus The Bear

For Jeremy.

The National-High Violet

I've made up my mind to become a little bit more familiar with some of the artist I will be seeing at Bonnaroo, so here on out, I guess it will be a full-on road to Bonnaroo review-a-thon. I'm excited about it, and you might be marginally interested. I guess I'm freaking out over 'Roo a bit, but it's a good feeling, so I won't be slowing down anytime soon.

I first heard about The National from my sophomore year Geometry teacher. The guy loves a lot of the same music that I do, and he's seen U2 over twenty times in concert. That's a heck of a lot of money. The National were the spur of a conversation of bands we don't know well, and the band floated around my sub-conscious until the buzz about their new album came out, and I got a hold of it. At first glance, or listen, I was kind of perplexed. I mean, the band wasn't bad, but nothing was blowing me away. But, that was just the ADHD talking. I never sat down and listened to the album. Now that I've finally given it the light of day, I've been pretty impressed.

The National don't have an interesting story at all. They are just a band that began in Ohio, finally formed in New York, and have been putting out albums over the last 15 years to high critical acclaim. Good enough for me.

This album still isn't my favorite album of all time. It seems to lack a lot of glimmer. There isn't much that imediatley draws you in. All it leaves are great big orchestral rock tunes that focus as much on meaning and moral as they do music. I've spent the morning looking over lyrics, pondering meaning, and letting the music affect the whole thought process. I have a tedious habit of putting little to no emphasis on lyrics, and what a song is for. I love the music, and I love band's who focus on the music. This is not to say that The National doesn't put their all into the musicality. Lawd no. The band produces quietly emphatic sound gardens, very similar to Grizzly Bear. Their gentle distortion cries out to be played in cathedrals, not bars. The music is a place to ponder about things. I especially love the horns that creep in and out of the music, like a mist that is there one minute and gone the next. And somehow, through all of the effort put in the music, the lyrics still shine the brightest. They are very loosely coherent and understandable, but that leaves listener interpretation and application. The lyrics reach into sub-conciouses and connects to little things in every one's life, with no two listeners sharing the exact same view of the art. Isn't this what great music is supposed to do? Heck, it's what art majors live for.

A lot of the songs on High Violet are depressing. The singer shares nuggets of his sorrow filled life, and occasionaly throws in his two cents on the ordeal. The fast pace, tinny guitar'd "Sorrow" opens with these poetically beautiful, but harshly lived words.

Sorrow found me when I was young,
Sorrow waited, sorrow won.
Sorrow that put me on the pills,
It's in my honey it's in my milk.
It's only about half a heart alone
On the water,
Cover me in rag and bones, sympathy.
Cause I don't wanna get over you.
I don't wanna get over you.

People connect to that. That is real. The song is not optimistic, because not everything in life is. The song itself completes, instrumentally, what a lot of Cold Play can't produce. The distinct howling in much of the background, and the gradual build of piano, strings, and bass, before the sudden break off, is scintillating.

The albums' biggest hit, "Bloodbuzz Ohio", is one of the song's I don't really connect with that well in words, but the music is outstanding. If you were to remove the drums and bass from the song, you would be left with a prayer of gently swooping melodies, and quiet disposition of the singers mind. The rhythm section propels the song into an energetic plea, instead of the otherwise reverently somber poem. As I said earlier, there is nothing fake in the ability to grab listeners for the right reasons. There are no gimmicky stops in sound, or key changes. The music is powerful just the way it is, even if you don't notice at first.

The opening song on the album, "Terrible Love" is a brilliant, rhythm morphing, group crooning, nonsensical travel through the solitude of the singer's love. The song builds and builds and builds until it bursts at the hinges. It just stops, like a euphoric malfunction. It's nice though. It leaves your mind open for what's left of the album. At one point, the sea of sound dies down, and the singer just repeats, "Company, It's quiet company, It's quiet company". High Violet is just that. It is the quite company to the sorrowed, depressed, and the out-of-ideas. It is reminiscent of the past, without hope for the future; a spot everyone falls into. Interestingly enough, the album doesn't leave listeners with this. The last song, "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks", assuredly leaves with the message, "All the borders are risin', Still no surprisin' you, Vanderlyle Crybaby Cry, Man it's all been forgivin', The swans are all swimmin'". With those lines, The National sail its patients of heartbreak out to sea, with a brighter future lying in the distance.

So I'm a little behind...

I haven't been keepin up with this bad boy too well recently (Gah Andy, you suck), but it's because I was busy getting rid of high school forever (Yay! And, you're the awesome!). It's really a pretty terrible excuse, because I haven't really done anything for a couple weeks now. School was easy. I kicked-off the best summer ever about a week ago by finally hitting purchase on the inter-web for my Bonnaroo tickets. Yea, I'm thooper-ekthited. It really should be the bomb. I even got all super organized and set up a schedule of shows I plan to go by. Nothings permanent, but this schedule is going to be my treasure map for the week. So, since I'm sure you are dying to know who I will allow to play for me, here's the shows I plan on rockin' out to.

• Thursday

Joe Robinson- I don't know anything about this guy, but he's the first show of the week, so I hope it's a nice start. He seems like an unbelievable Australian acoustic guitar god, so that's good enough for me.

Caitlin Rose- This is another matter of the only show playing. She sounds like a folksy Zoey Deschanel knock off. Meh.

The Postelles-I've heard of these guys, but I don't know them at all. I think they play modern L.A.-ish rock. Like a Modest Mouse/Girls mix.

Baroness- These guys could be super loud and obnoxious, or a lot of fun. They play hard hard rock, almost to the point of being metal. I would love to see them pull of some of the guitar licks and drum fills live.

Local Natives- This one is going to be tricky, because Manchester Orchestra starts their set 15 minutes after Local Natives. I've heard a lot of rave reviews from the music community about these guys, and I might end up staying for this whole set.

Manchester Orchestra- I've not only heard great things about Manchester Orchestra, I've heard some of their album, and really liked it, so, like I said, I'll be torn between them and Local Natives.

Neon Indian- This should be pretty trippy, but I think it will be a blast. Neon Indian is similar to Passion Pit in their electro glitch rock. They just take things a whole new step and jump into the realm of hippy trippy.

The Temper Trap-I have been seeing this name for a while now. They sound like U2. A lot.

The xx- I'm going to watch most of these guys, but I don't really like them that much. I just can't but into the super minimal rock. It bores me. I guess I'm shallow.

Wale- If The xx disapoint, I'm sure Wale will be a fun show. I heard he only got to play half of his set at Coachella, so hopefully he'll put on a great show to make sure he keeps getting asked to festivals. Just a wish.

Joshua James- I want to see this guy on the sole fact that he looks and sounds like a Chihuhua.

Sharam- This show is a big maybe. He is techno at it's most concentrated, and at 3 in the morning, I'll probably catching some sleep for the next day instead.

Thursday is my least known, and least active day. I'm taking a gamble on some of the bands, but I'm sure it will be a blast. I might not be able to get into the Budweiser stage, so if I can't I'll probably use the time to check out what all is going on around the place.

• Friday

The Punch Brothers- I've seen these guy's three times now, and every time has been outstanding. However, since I have seen them so much already, I will leave the set early to go see..

Conan O'Brien- I love Coco. I absolutely hated to see his show go, as it was the only late night talk show I would ever watch. I've read that his show is hilarious, and it will probably bring out some fun guests.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros- I honestly only know one song by this group, but I love it. Mixed reviews have kept me from listening to this album, so maybe they will win me over.

Dr. Dog- This is my favorite show coming into the week. I really like everything I have heard this band play, and they sound like a blast. They are one of my friend who manages the Disc Exchange's favorites.

She and Him- I loved these guys, until the group put out their second album. If this set is good enough, i'll stay and listen for a while, but if not, I will proceed on to...

The National- This is one of the most hyped bands at 'Roo, and I hope they kill it.

Tenacious D- If the National bore me, I can see most of these comic's set.

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers- I just want to say I've seen Steve Martin. He's a funny guy.

Michael Franti and Spearhead- This show is just to hold me over until Kings of Leon, so I may not see much of it.

Kings of Leon- They are headlining for a reason. I cannot wait to see these guys play.

The Black Keys- This one is hard, because I'll be passing up the Flaming Lips set, but I have to hear The Black Keys live. Their music is meant for it, and this may be one of my only chances to catch them live.

The Royal Bangs- I might see them, just because they are local. They would be fun live, but I can catch em on campus just as easily.

The Crystal Method- I do want to dance the night away on Friday, and The Crystal Method should help with that. They are infectiously catchy.

Kid Cudi- All of these last five shows all pretty much run together, so I can't say if I will see all of them. This is my least likely show to make it to.

LCD Soundsystem- And this is my most likely show to make it to. I don't know anything like this, and they should play a great set.

B.o.B.- Yep, that guy with the mega-hit on the radio now. I'm only going to check him out if I get bored with LCD.

While Thursday is going to be kind of lax, Friday will be crazy. There are a ton of great bands playing at the same time, so I'll be running around everywhere.

• Saturday

Rebolution-This is one of the few reggae groups I'll see all week, so I'm going to go to play with hippies.

Langhorne Slim- This guy will kick off my very folk morning and after noon with a set that, I've heard, is excellent.

Brandi Carlile- If you read this blog at all, you know I freak out for Brandi. I love her, and I will love seeing her again.

Dave Rawlings Machine- For those who don't know, this is Old Crow Medicine Show with Dave Rawlings (and probably Gillian Welch). This is another one of my most anticipated shows of the week.

The Avett Brothers- You should also know how much I loved I and Love and You. I know like ten people who've seen the brothers live, and they all say it is the best show of their lives.

The Dead Weather- I'm going to leave Avett early in order to see this whole set. I freaking love these guys, and can't wait to come face to face with the legend Jack White.

Jeff Beck- The guitar god with freaky long fingers is going to be spell-bounding. He plays a guitar like no one else in the world.

Stevie Wonder- Stevie can get old after a while, but I've gotta her "Superstition".

Jay-Z- This is the show of the week, if all goes down right. I love Jay-Z, and he is the best rapper alive. If I get really lucky, Beyonce will come out for a song or two.

Lissie- If I can get into the Budweiser lounge, this will hold me over until...

Deadmou5- This guy is a great DJ, and I'm sure he will be a blast.

The Disco Biscuits- This shows a big maybe. If i'm up to it, i'll jam it out.

Saturday will probably be my favorite day, as I love most of the bands playing. I know almost every band I plan on seeing.

• Sunday

Tinariwen- The last day of the concert kicks off with these Egyptian rockers. They may be an acquired taste for some, but their skill is undoubtedly amazing.

Japanroids- I don't know anything about them, but they're name wins me over.

Aziz Ansari, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, and Rob Huebel- RAAAAAAAANDY. My dad kind of knows Paul Scheer.

Regina Spektor- I loved her big hit, and I hope the rest of her music is just as good.

Supagroup- This is the big band Bonnaroo gathers from current festival bands to play for an hour. I would love to see Jack White on guitar, Dave Matthew's drummer, and Phoenix's bassist.

Ween- This is one of a three way tie for this hour's slot.

How I Became The Bomb- second choice.

Space Capone- third choice, and likely winner for it's name.

Phoenix- Another favorite of mine. this band could play the best set of the week as long as they don't play Love Like A Sunset.

Dave Matthew's Band- I've heard stories from dozens of people about this band's shows, and I can't wait to experience one for myself. It should be crazy, since it's the last show of the week.

This will be a great way to close the week off. no doubt.

As I said, this is very likely to change a lot, but It's my initial battle plan. Please tell me if you suggest any one else I should see. I'm going to try to really get some material on here this week, so stay tuned kiddos.

The Dead Weather-Horehound

Music has always been a sucker for the song, not the album. Singles are in as much, if not higher demand nowadays, than albums; especially on the pop charts. And why shouldn't they be. Heck, with todays technology, I could hash out and produce a single (quality aside) with my laptop in a day, maybe less, and judging from the quality of most of the radio, that's exactly what happens now. Honestly, singles have held their own throughout music history, ever since the dawn of the recording device. Theres nothing wrong with releasing hits by themselves. I guess I just appreciate a planned album that works together much more. It's one thing to write a great song, but to write anywhere from 7-20 songs and make them all fit together as one superfluous work of art takes something a little bit more special.

If I haven't ever told you before, Jack White is one of my idols. The man is a living legend, creating music where he sees fit, with no higher men in suits affecting his output at all. He is passionate, genius, and original, all at the same time. Most people know him for his duo with his "sister" Meg White, The White Stripes. This two piece band produced six of the most ferociously simple, but effective albums of all time. People will argue that the band is a lot of noise, but if you have ever seen the band actually perform, you can instantly connect with what they were doing. However, as Jack Whites already amazing talent soared higher with each new album, Meg kind of stayed grounded in her simple drumming, which worked for a long time, but started to hold Jack back. The band took a hiatus, and Jack formed his folk rock brethren, The Raconteurs. I don't own their first album, but the second, Consolers Of The Lonely, is one of my all-time favorites; an album at its best. However, the band also took a break two years ago, and Jack formed his new, harder rocking, band, The Dead Weather, in its wake.

The Dead Weather consists of Jack, Allison Mosshart (The Kills and Discount), Dean Fertita (Queens of The Stone Age), and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes). the band started from an impromptu jam session at Jack's newly established Third Man Records. The band slowly began writing songs, and within two weeks of the meeting, Horehound was born.

The most interesting thing about Jack is that he is an ambassador of the old. He dresses like a souther gothic John Dillinger. He owns a house outside of Nashville that is antique to the core, including the instruments found in its doors. Jack likes his guitars real, and barely messed with. There was a great documentary that came out last year called It Might Get Loud that documents stories and techniques from Jack (The Electric Purist), The Edge (King of the Soundboard), and Jimmy Page (He's snuggly in the middle). The movie is a must for any rock fans, and it has some amazing showcases of how to really play the old six-string. The greatest scene in the whole movie is a DIY workshop on how to make a guitar, Macgruber style; with a 2X4, some wire, and a glass coke bottle. He throws it together in five minutes, and plays it on the spot, and it is the greatest. The movie is a great waste of two hours, and features some great songs, including a group effort through The Bands classic, "The Weight".

Ta da!

I say all of this to instill the old time morals found in The Dead Weather's being. Horehound is like the last musings of Clint Eastwood, if Clint Eastwood was a serial killer. It's dark, and forceful, and rough, but the music provokes a cathartic reaction, not only conveying its dark emotions on the listener, but evoking them in the listener themselves. Seriously, I listened to this album straight through, and got pretty pissed off. Why? I don't know. It just did it to me. However, I haven't been mad sense. It's weird stuff, but I've had a great weekend, even when having to put up with some bad stuff I didn't want to do.

Honestly, I could tell you about specific songs on this album, but 1) that would be somewhat against what I've been saying about this album, and 2) wouldn't do it justice in any way, shape, or form. I can't do it. The songs are dark, musky, even hard to listen to, but it's amazing. the music is powerful, and it takes some time to mentally decode. If you take the time out of your day to free your mind, and let this album play, it will affect you in some way. I'll warn you, this band is not for the folk diet. If all you listen to is Nickel Creek and Ray Lamontagne, you will very likely not like this album, at all. Who knows, I don't. It's a confusing piece. But it's one of the coolest things I have ever heard. So if you're game, listen to the whole thing, start to finish, and thank Jack White for sharing his ability to anyone who will listen.

K'naan-Troubador

Do you ever get sick of the same old rap talking about promiscuous women, mind altering enhancers, and dollar bills? Do you want someone who sounds more intelligent than, oh I don't know, Asher Roth? Do you want to listen to someone who wears those Jason Mraz hats a whole lot better than Jason Mraz? Well, have I got the African-American for you! K'naan has been seeping his way into the publics eye for a couple of years now, and the release of Troubador, if followed by a few more great albums, could cement his place in rap history

K'naan has a pretty cool story that is told a lot through his music, but even more so on the internet. K'naan is a native of Mogadishu, Somalia, which, in case you haven't heard, is in the middle of a pretty ugly civil war. K'naan, which means "traveler", was born Keinan Abdi Warsame, smack dab at the beginning of this, and he spent the first thirteen years of his life running from his death, all the while absorbing the hip-hop records his father sent him from Harlem. After the big 1-3, K'naan briefly moved to Harlem with his dad, before packing up and heading north to Rexdale, Ontario, a heavily Somali populated part of Canada. He learned English by 10th grade, and he dropped that whole school thing and started rapping and traveling (K'naan'ing) across North America. Here's the cool part. Some friend hooked him up with a gig at the UN's 50th anniversary concert, at which he criticized the UN for their terrible job of helping Somalia, a deed which takes some major cajones. It's like getting invited to birthday party, and showing up just to break all of the presents. BAD A! From here, K'naan spent the next time touring with small time African artists and recorded The Dusty Foot Philosopher in 2005, and Troubador in 2009.

Point blank, K'naan has made an outstanding piece of art here that infectiously grows in your head. I have listened to this album ten times or so now, and every time, I like it just a little bit more. K'naan mixes orchestration and drum machine like a hip-hop sen-sei, and he has lyrics that are meaningful and honest. I find myself singing or speaking lines from "Take a Minute" all the time now, like a mantra. I heard K'naan perform this in NPR's office concert series with just a guitar and keyboard, but it is so lyrically explosive, that the intensity still shone through. The album version is softly captivating.

The first half of the album is K'naan marking his musical territory. The first six songs are all hit-material, but manage this in completely different ways. In this first half, K'naan's lyrical rhythm and nuance shines bright, as he jumps in, over and, around the beat in more ways than you can imagine. In some places, the man is packing words in songs like Outkast, effortlessly rambling for verses on end, before using the chorus to catch his breath. I can picture concerts where K'naan hypnotizes his audience in his verses, and sends them dancing in the hooks. "Bang Bang", the most fun you'll have with the album, is a break-neck club love nightmare, that uses Adam Levine's (Maroon 5) suave vocal ability to narrate the tale. This song invests itself in the listener in seconds, and hits on all cylinders. Other songs drop the futuristic rock for older big-band orchestration, much like New York's calling card, Jay-Z, and K'naan even further establishes how great this sounds with rap. "ABC's", "I Come Prepared", "America", and "People Like Me" reference the older music in their own way, like a record player in a night club.

As the first half of the album was the wow factor, the second half is the admirable part. Most of these songs are life lessons, through K'naan's teachings and examples. My favorite track on the album, "Somalia", has the same laid back groove as T.I's "Rubber Band Man", but there's a huge difference in T.I. and K. T.I. is a thug, no doubt, but he would be considered a bunny compared to what K'naan's up-bringing. Sure ATL's got spot's, but Somalia is like a whole country of Compton at midnight, and that is exactly what "Somalia" is all about. Dear rappers, Listen to the song, find out a little bit about this country, and realize how your ghetto is about as scary as Six Flags to these guys.

K'naan has found out that you can rap, sound great, and talk about real life, not rap life, all at once. He has time to play, go clubbing, chase some girls, sure, but he raps about things bigger than that. Personally, this is one of the most interesting artists I have ever heard. I really want to sit down and interview this guy for hours. He seems like he would have a whole lot to say. So K'naan, if you're reading this, hit me up. You sound like THE man. To everyone else; I don't know anyone who this music wouldn't appeal to. K'naan is musically brilliant enough to captivate the most picky of music fans, but radio-friendly enough to appeal to anyone who doesn't like to think about their music. He's made one heck of an album, and if you hear it once, you are going to want more.

Highlight Tracks

• I Come Prepared
• Bang Bang
• Somalia
• America
• Fatima
• Take A Minute

Death Of Lala

Apple announced today that they were shutting down my favorite music accessibility site, Lala, which means no more super easy way to post whole albums after reviews anymore. In other words, ppppiiiiiissssssssss. I'll have to find another way to put albums on here now. Anyways, go pay the site a visit before it closes at the end of this month.

Asher Roth, Flogging Molly, and Passion Pit

Last night was UT's annual kickoff to commencement, Volapalooza 2010. Asher Roth opened (somewhat) Flogging Molly was a special guest, and the all mighty Passion Pit headlined the night. The show really stepped up from the last few years, with much bigger bands that elevated from a few cult followers, to mass college appeal. The last two years hosted Gym Class Heroes and Cake, which would be fun, but they are no Passion Pit, or Flogging Molly for that matter. But hey, don't worry guy's. You blow Asher Roth out of the water.

Dang Asher, you look pretty gangster.

Oh Roth, you crazy little preppy pot-head you. Why? Why play "music"? Why breathe? This guy was simply not good. I'll leave it at that. He had a pretty good band behind him, but a band can only do so much behind a terrible main aspect. I understand him being there; you have to appeal to all audiences, but man, I could have done without this guy. And it's not like I don't enjoy a good rap concert. T.I. was awesome last year. It's just when you use the term "motherf*@$%&" more than you use, oh I don't know, nouns, it get's old quick. He did have one smart move. He let his DJ wrap the show up, instead of himself. That was pretty good, I mean the guy could scratch with the best of em. The drummer was pretty legit too. All in all, that show was a solid 3/10. maybe a 2, I've just had time to sleep on it; get it out of my head. eh.

These guys will cut your throat and date your mother. I mean just look at em......

Where Asher Roth failed, Flogging Molly picked it all up off of the ground. I went to the show last night with my youth leader, Matt, and he had seen Flogging Molly on the Warped Tour. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I mean, I knew what kind of music they played, but I had never physically heard it before, and you don't know Irish cut-throat punk pub rock until you've heard it. Trust me. So, the only precursors I had were stories of mosh pits and mayhem at Matt's show, and the fans that showed up for this one. There were kilts, there were obscure piercings and tattoo's, there were mohawks of every color(but mostly, green) and I knew this band would be crazy.

Sure enough, I was right. These guys were really out there, but in a great way. The seven piece band consists of a bass player, and accordion player, a fiddle and tin pipe player, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist, an electric banjo and mandolin player, a lead guitarist, and a huge drummer, all but one of whom were over forty. The lead singer and his fiddling wife had to be at least 50. I had never in my life seen an electric mandolin, and now I'm looking into buying one. This thing was the most bad-a folk instrument ever. Like an axe Metallica would play, if Metallica were all midgets.

I usually have a problem with band's who have one sound, but Flogging Molly is so unashamed of having one main sound, that it works perfectly. Every song is at a flaring pace, and the band gets pissed if you don't clap on every one, leaving my hands raw by the nights end. I'm not talking your basic white kid clap either, were clapping like the Irish; in other words, balls to the wall. And if the crowd wasn't clapping, they were jumping like the ground was covered in napalm. I've never seen a punk rock show, so Im 100% positive this crowd was mild compared to them, but it was pretty rowdy none the less. The lead singer dedicated every song to something or someone; his wife's mother, his father, the 1,000 Irish mean and women who were enslaved in the Barbados Islands, Peace and Freedom in Ireland, pirates, and drinking, lots and lots of drinking, a theme especially appreciated on UT's "dry" campus. It was like a really coked out history lesson. My favorite song, "What's Left Of The Flag", was one part ode to his patriotic dad' lessons on his death bead, one part praise of Irish history, and denunciation of it's bloody war.

Concert etiquette was pretty funny last night. UT made the fatal mistake of passing out frisbees, and the front of the crowd were tossing those suckers like grenades. I almost got hit about five times, and I saw a good ten people or so take shots right to the head. You formed a little fellowship with everyone around you; everyone would look for frisbees and try to save neighbors from face shots, and if you did get hit, someone next to you would definitely throw the disc back, as if retaliation. It felt like Irish brother hood. Of course, there were plenty of douche-bags who didn't follow this code. A guy behind matt punched some dude in front of Matt in the arm, and the tiny guy turned around and cranked a punch right in Matt's chest before he could explain who threw the first blow. It was pretty funny, I gotta say.

aghughughaghaghagh...... ppaassiioonn ppiittt

When Flogging Molly left the stage, along with all the Irish punks in the audience, me and Matt managed to worm our way up to about twenty feet from the stage. The only problem with this, was that we literally had no room to move. It was like sardines. Matt could have done without it, but I didn't care; I was about to be face to face with one of my absolute favorite bands, and a super stoned flock of college kids weren't going to stop me. We waited forever, helping kids crowd surf, fanning off with spare frisbees, and building up anticipation by going over how many people were there. It was a HUGE crowd. The big World's Fair Ground was packed from front to back. I honestly think there were anywhere between 10,000 to 15,000 people there, and we were in the front 500 or so. It was amazing. Plus, we would scoot forward every few minutes because people couldn't take the crow, pushing every one forward a few feet. I'd whip out my phone and take a picture of the stage or crowd and braggingly send it to all my poor friends who couldn't make it to the show. Finally the lights came down, a single synth tone rang out, and Passion Pit took the stage.

I can't begin to tell you how amazing these guys were. They opened with "Eyes As Candles" and never looked back. The crowd was immediately in a giant dancing frenzy. After the first song, they jumped into "Make Light" and the crowd went ape. Everyone was singing it, and when the full band blows up on the chorus, the whole place was euphorically jumping like maniacs. It was one of the coolest crowds to be in ever. Between songs, the band's front man, Michael Angelakos, would throw in little questions and comments about college; i.e. who's ready to party, who's sick of school, and f%$# finals, much to the crowds appreciation. He didn't waste too much time talking though. He knew what the crowd wanted. After a few songs, Passion Pit started one of my favorites, "Let You Love Grow Tall". The band's main keyboardist, proudly wearing a black Justin Bieber t-shirt with the little girl smiling next to a piano, danced his way through the tune, and occasionally broke out a beat on his latin percussion kit at his side.

OH MY GAWD I LOVE BIEBER!!!!!111!!!1!!

The group ended the main part of their show with their Prince, Van Halen hybrid "Little Secrets", with the massive crowd dancing with the band the whole time. We were bumping people, getting hit with frisbees, glow sticks, and shoes, and slowly starting to lose hearing, but we didn't care; this was Passion Pit, put up with it or get out. I bet you could hear the crowd singing the descant of the chorus from a mile away. The band walked off stage, and the whole crowd was either yelling "encore" or "Sleepy Head" which the band had not yet pulled out of their bag. The band returned to the stage, the crowd exploded like an A-bomb, and immediately went into a song I haven't heard, with a much heavier techno aspect than most of the rest of their songs; like 4-Tet techno-y. Didn't know it, but I didn't care, it sounded great. After "Moth's Wings" (I think), The band stopped and didn't say a word, collecting their thought and looking out over the audience. Suddenly, I heard the "Sleepyhead" start up, and the rest was the crowd screaming the whole thing. The song ended, Michael thanked the crowd, and fireworks erupted from the top of the garage next to World's Fair. I went to Disney a few months ago, and I enjoyed these fireworks a heck of a lot more than Illuminations, or whatever their shows are called. As people left, every Go Vol's chant in the book was blaring from groups around the park. It felt good to be a Volunteer. OH YEA, I almost forgot. Passion Pit was supposed to play Vanderbilt two weeks ago, but had to cancel. HAHAHA. That was a nice touch. It was the most fun I've had at a concert since Springsteen back in November, and while it closed off a year for the UT kids, I'm declaring it my welcome party. Here's to you UT. I know you probably can't, but please get close to booking as great of a show next year.