Lollapalooza 2011 line-up has been announced!

I was excited to see who would be headlining Lollapalooza this year, but I'm sad to say that I am not wowed. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Foo Fighters and Muse fan. I've seen how hard FF can rock their faces off before, and would love to see Muse live, but again, not blown away with the headliners. There are definitely some other acts that would be must sees for me, such as, Beirut, Local Natives, The Kills, Ratatat, Ellie Goulding, and so many others. 

Without further ado, I present the Lollapalooza 2011 line up!

The line up is pretty small, so go here to see it a little better.

The Antlers' NEW Album, 'Burst Apart'

First listen available on NPR Music - Listen HERE! I am pumped about this album, and can't wait for my deluxe vinyl to get here.

The Antlers, 'Burst Apart' will be released May 10, 2011. 

R.I.P. Gerard Smith of TV on the Radio

Keyboard and bass player, Gerard Smith, of TV on the Radio, passed away Wednesday morning. The band released the following statement on their website today:

"We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and band mate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer. Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly." 

Smith was 34 years old. My thoughts are with TVOTR and Smith's family.

Here is a video of TVOTR with Peter Murphy and Trent Reznor. It's fun to watch.

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Reference:

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00039916.html

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise

Here is the Beastie Boys' new video for "Make Some Noise." It has some pretty big names in it, and its funny stuff.

Beastie Boys - "Make Some Noise"

Here is the preview for the album, also…

Who Is Ready for ACL 2011?!

ACL announced that tickets would go on sale sometime in the next few weeks, so you better get ready if you don't already have your 3-day pass. They go fast. That also means that the line up announcement will be coming soon. 

For more information on Austin City Limits Festival go here.

Don't Miss The Strokes On Coachella Live!

The Strokes will be playing Coachella tonight at around 8:55pm PST. Coachella and YouTube have been nice enough to let us unfortunates watch the festival via live webcast. Lots of other bands are playing as well, starting at 4:00pm PST, but I'm ready to stroke out!

Watch Coachella live here - http://www.youtube.com/coachella.

The Strokes - "Under Cover of Darkness"

Wish you were at Coachella? Watch LIVE!

Missing out on the festivities of Coachella 2011? Follow this link and watch live!

Reminder: Record Store Day is Saturday!!

I love going to my local record stores, but Record Store Day is the one day out of the year that we all get to celebrate those independent businesses and the music. Record Store Day was envisioned by Chris Brown and founded back in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner. 

Again, it is a celebration of all independent music stores throughout the country. Many musicians participate in the festivities and release limited edition records in honor of the day. This year there are over 200 releases available and I am so excited to pick my way through them all. I've put together a short list of some of the releases I'll be looking for, [gifts accepted :)].

My RSD 2011 (Short) Wishlist:

Daft Punk: Tron Soundtrack Walt Disney Records Vinyl

Foo Fighters: Medium Rare RCA LP 120 gram

Gorillaz: The Fall Virgin LP 2000

Matt & Kim Block: After Block Fader 7" 1000

The Black Angels: Phosgene Nightmare Blue Horizon 10" colored vinyl 5000

Danger Mouse; Daniele Luppi: Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi Present ROME starring Jack White; Norah Jones Third Man black 7"

The Growlers: "Gay Thoughts" / "Good Feelings" Everloving 7" vinyl 1000

The Kills: Satellite Domino 10" 500


The White Stripes: "Let's Shake Hands" b/w "Looke Me Over Closely Third Man red/black swirled 7"

The White Stripes: "Lafayette Blues" b/w "Sugar Never Tasted So Good" Third Man white/black swirled 7"

Yeasayer: End Blood Secretly Canadian 7" Vinyl 900

For a complete list of the releases, take a look here. Or you can watch Chris Brown tell you about some of them in the video below.

In addition to the tremendous amount of releases for Saturday, there will be live performances, appearances, and signings at many of the participating stores. If you’re lucky enough to be in New York City area, Regina Spektor will be at Other Music, or check out the Foo Fighters in Long Beach, CA at Fingerprints. If you happen to be in Kailua, HI this Saturday, like I will be, you can see Todd Rundgren perform at Hungry Ear Records. 

To find out if there is a participating store near you, go here. Or for a complete list of appearances, go here.

Record Store Day is a party for everyone. Even if you do not enjoy collecting vinyls, you should still get out of the house, enjoy the festivities, and support your local record stores. You'll find me digging through records at Hungry Ear Records in Kailua, HI. Its going to be a good time, see you there!

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References:

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/record-store-day-releases-a-complete-guide-1005134522.story

http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home

http://www.hungryear.com/

Does Anyone Use Ping?

I've been using Apple's music social media network, Ping, since it first came out and I am not sure that it is relevant. I've found that all of the artists and bands that I follow post the exact same thing on Ping, as they do on Facebook and/or Twitter. They have improved some of the features of Ping since its debut and adding features such as concert listings and link up to Twitter, but it is definitely missing something… Has anyone else tried Ping?

NIN - RIght Where It Belongs

This is obviously not a new song, but it is stuck in my head. I'm a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails and even though their music is darker, it always makes me happy. 

Nine Inch Nails - "Right Where It Belongs"

Goodbye, LCD Soundsystem...

LCD Soundsystem played their last show last night at Madison Square Garden with Arcade Fire. Sad to see them go, but I wish them well in whatever they plan to do next.

LCD Soundsystem - "Tribulations"