Mars Volta playing Toads Place (HOLY FUCK!)

Wow! Apparently The Mars Volta will be playing Toads Place on January 11th. I'm surprised they are playing such a small venue especially in CT. Tickets are $27.50 and go on sale next Saturday @ noon. I'm just bummed there's no support.

18 Bands announced for '08 Warped Tour

The first 18 bands for the 2008 edition of the Vans Warped Tour were announced the other day. The list is below:

The Academy Is...
The Briggs
The Bronx
The Color Fred
The Devil Wears Prada
Every Time I Die
From First to Last
Gym Class Heroes
The Lordz
Norma Jean
Katy Perry
Pierce The Veil
Reel Big Fish
Relient K
Shwayze
Street Dogs
3Oh!3
We The Kings

It's an okay lineup so far. The one's in bold are the artists I would personally go see however there's nothing very extraordinary as usual. What's strange though is how Kevin Lyman the other week said Against Me! were playing this year however they are no where on the list. Hmm...

2008 Grammy nominations

I have never been a huge fan of the Grammys however after nominations were released for the 2008 edition of the awards, I was impressed. Here are some of the highlights of those nominations:

Record of the Year

The Pretender - The Foo Fighters
Rehab - Amy Winehouse

Album of the Year

Graduation by Kanye West
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
Echos, Silence, Patience, and Grace by The Foo Fighters

Best New Artist

Paramore
Amy Winehouse
Feist

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

1, 2, 3, 4 by Feist
Rehab by Amy Winehouse

Some other highlights on the list include some surprises like the Beastie Boys; they got nods for Best Instrumental Performance and Album. Justice also got the nomination for Best Dance Recording and Album which I hope they win.

It's a tough list but I say fuck all the haters and I would personally say Amy Winehouse should win all the mentioned categories minus Best New Artist who should go to Feist (by the way she also was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album). Kanye's album was good but not nearly as catchy or creative as past releases and to be honest I really can't say much about the Foo Fighters because I have not had the chance to listen to their latest release yet.

Now if only they choose better performers than past years I might actually make it through the entire ceremony.

Band of the Week - Brave Citizens

I've been absolutely obsessed about this week's featured band Brave Citizens over the past few weeks. The San Francisco based duo is a side project of lead singer Andrew Capra who currently sings and plays guitar in the pop/rock band Hopefield.

Although this is considered a side project, it in no way lacks the incredible edge most sideprojects seem to miss. Andrew completely self-produced the entire EP Revolutions which is up in it's entirety streaming for free on their MySpace.

As far as sound, the band is an awesome mix of bands such as Mute Math, U2, and tons more proving further more that Andrew and friends can write great, catchy edgy rock songs that is a complete rarity these days.

www.myspace.com/bravecitizens
Hightrack Track: the entire Revolutions EP

Joanna Newsom playing w/ symphony in Brooklyn

EDIT: Got the details for the show. They are below:

Fri 2/01
8:00 PM

Joanna Newsom
Brooklyn Academy of Music (Featuring members of Brooklyn Philharmonic) All Ages $25


So stoked about this one. Apparently, Joanna Newsom will be playing an entire set with a full orchestra in Brooklyn on February 1st. I couldn't seem to find the details about where and how much this is. Anyone know??

Glassjaw post new "track"

Glassjaw posted a new "song" over on their MySpace page. The track is titled "yum yum". It's mostly 5 minutes of repetitive electronic beats however there are some live drums that kick in with 5 seconds left. Definitely a teaser for some new, fresh tracks.

Also, there is the enticing 200? in the album details. That shouldn't be too mysterious. It's pretty much common knowledge that the band should be putting out the album sometime next year which will be their first effort since the band went on hiatus in 2004.

There is also a pretty well backed rumor floating around that Saves the Day and Glassjaw will be heading out together sometime next year also.

Chromeo playing Bowery Ballroom

EDIT (12/6/07): First show is sold out however the duo just added a second show on January 28th.

Dance/electronica duo Chromeo are returning to NYC on Saturday, January 26th the very small and intimate Bowery Ballroom. Show isn't very well publicized (it's not even listed on their MySpace) however the venue has the show listed up on their site and tickets are selling at $18 each. The show is also 18+ (sorry kiddies). If you want to go to this show, definitely get tickets NOW. It will sell out really soon.

Gallows

I downloaded Gallows latest album Orchestra of Wolves and I finally now understand the incredible buzz about this band. They are capable of combining the pissed hardcore aggressiveness of Botch and Refused, the technical screamo aspects of bands like This Ship Will Sink and Orchid, the 80's punk attack of bands like Minor Threat, and able to squeeze into one neat, little package. Finally a band who can play music in a genre that has seen much, much better days.

Led Zeppelin's playing Bonnaroo??

The latest word on the street (and coming from a pretty reliable source) is that Led Zeppelin will be playing their first US show in some 25, 30 odd years at this year's Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee. They just can't announce it till after their London show which I believe is sometime in couple monthes. If this is true, WOW. They would have definitely up'ed their game over Cochella who blew them out of the water last year with their lineup.

Rumor also has it that Metallica will be playing the festival too.

The pop's gotta pop

I've been writing about WAY too much pop bands on this site. Even music in general. I'm going to try mixing it up in the days to come...

Pictured above: Ampere at a show in Brooklyn. If you like incredible, original Saetia like screamo with a Minor Threat mix, you have to check these guys out.

Riot goes gold

Paramore's (pictured above in disguise) latest effort Riot! has gone gold. Absolutely zero surprise here. When the hell will this band peak? It seems like they keep getting bigger and bigger and it shows no sign in ending anytime soon.

Band of the Week - Into It. Over It

This week's Band of the Week is an artist I've actually already mentioned on this blog Into It. Over It. After a week, I am still glued to my iTunes listening to the songs Evan has recorded over the last 10 weeks. In case you haven't gotten a chance to look at the previous post about Evan's newest project, the main premise of Into It. Over It is to create a song every week of Evan's 23rd year. That's an asounding 52 songs!

It's a creative and innovative idea that gives you something to look forward to each week. I know that I personally have been caught up listening to each new song that premieres every Thursday and reflecting on the past week. It's seriously a powerful thing that Evan is doing. It also helps that the songs are absolutely awesome and totally free to download on his website!

www.myspace.com/intoitoverit
www.intoitoverit.com

Similar artists: Texas is the Reason, Death Cab for Cutie, Braid, The Progress, Up Up Down Down
Highlight track: All of them!

How desperate can you get?

Sales of Britney Spear's new album Blackout have gotten so bad in the Canada that they have started campaign where they are offering a free movie ticket if you buy the album. HAHAHA! How pathetic can Britney Spears' life get?

Brand New playing Gramercy Theater

Brand New are playing Triple Crown Record's 10 anniversary show at the Blender Theater at Gramercy on in New York City on Monday, December 17th. All proceeds go to the Feelgood Foundation which benefit 9/11 first responders. Also playing are The Receiving End of Sirens and As Tall As Lions.

Tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster tomorrow @ 1pm and cost $27.50 (that doesn't even include all the surcharges). It's expensive however Gramercy is very, very intimate (holds only 550 people) and all the proceeds go to a great cause.

Also, if you want to even think about going to this show, I highly suggest you get the tickets on time tomorrow cause they will certainly be $100 each on Craigslist by tomorrow.

The Prospero Collapse

Probably one of the promising bands I've heard out of Long Island in a long time, The Prospero Collapse creates some of the best post hardcore music I have heard since Thursday's Full Collapse album. That's saying A LOT. Their EP is extremely solid and has been stuck in my CD player for quite some time now. Keep an eye out for these guys in the near future...

www.myspace.com/theprosperocollapse
Highlight Track: Cross Your Oceans

First '08 Warped Tour bands announced

The first bands have been announced for the 2008 run of Warped Tour. Against Me and The Bronx (pictured above) are the first two of four bands Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman announced last night at a college lecture he was giving. The other two are Pierce the Veil and The Devil Wears Prada. Lyman also went on to say that he would be announcing 12 to 14 more bands NEXT WEEK on the Warped Tour's official site.

Other than the last two bands mentioned, this year's lineup is already shaping up to be a promising one. Any thoughts on who might be the headliner(s)?

Into It. Over It.

What do you get when you combine the creative mind of The Progress' Evan Weiss, 52 weeks of his 23rd year on earth, and Gradwell Studios? The refreshing indie/rock blend of Into It. Over It, that's what!

Evan has been involved with some pretty awesome musical projects in the past whether it be his current focus The Progress, spending time on Up Up Down Down or dabbling with his other sideproject Emergency. However, by far, his newest project takes the cake. Not only is the music incredible (think Braid meets Death Cab meets everything awesome) but the concept is so incredibly innovative and daunting. The concept is to create a new song every week of the 52 weeks of his 23rd year. Pretty wild, huh? He's only into week 9 with 9 songs. That's what most artists will release in one record that they might spend anywhere from a few monthes to a couple years on.

Be sure to check his MySpace every Thursday when he posts a new song for the week and to check up on his progress. Also, if you want to download the songs from each week, you can go to the project's website which I've listed below.

Finally someone makes listening to music a fun, interactive experience again!

www.myspace.com/intoitoverit
www.intoitoverit.com

Moving Mountains

If you are a fan of The Appleseed Cast, Explosions in the Sky, or even Brand New (post Deja Entendu era), then you'll probably fall in love with Moving Mountains. Hailing from nearby SUNY Purchase, these 4 guys make some pretty incredible, beautiful music. Entirely self produced, their latest effort Pneuma certainly deserves a hard, good listen.

www.myspace.com/movingmountainsmusic

Highlight Track - Cover the Roots

RIP The Blood Brothers

I know this is old news but last week we saw the unfortunate passing of The Blood Brothers. Since this blog is fairly new I decided to give it an honorable mention.

It's sad to see one of the only talented true punk rock bands that gets a lot of play by kids these days fade out. I heard nothing but great things about their live show (unfortunely I never got to see them live) and fortunely they leave us with a pretty extensive catalog.

What's intriguing though which I wouldn't be surprised by is that the band's downfall was probably encouraged by the dismantlement of their record label V2 earlier this year. Either way, this shouldn't be the end of the members involvement in music. I am sure that they will toil a whole lot more with their current projects Neon Blonde and Head Wound City.

Bamboozle 2008

Has anyone else realized that ticket prices for Bamboozle 2008 have gone up from around $30 per day last year to $50 per day this year? Wow. So far really only "big" band announced has been Paramore (pictured above) which really isn't a surprise. Anyone have any idea why it's so much more expensive this year? Obviously there they must have something big in the works. Hmm, Blink 182 reunion anyone?