Madison House Publicity’s brand spankin’ new Mile High Festival has gotten even better thanks to some artist additions:
Jason Mraz, Lupe Fiasco, Mike Gordon (of Phish), Hill Country Review, Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers, Ferras, The Whigs, and Eric Hutchinson
Personally, I’m not a Mraz fan, but Lupe and Gordon are awesome. Andy should have fun with that, while I’m holding it down at Pitchfork that weekend.
It’s not until Sept 26th-28th, but it’s never too early to get excited for festivals…especially ones with line-ups as awesome as Austin City Limits:
Foo Fighters, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Beck, Manu Chao, John Fogerty, David Byrne, The Raconteurs, The Mars Volta, Gnarls Barkley, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, N.E.R.D, Erykah Badu, Tegan & Sara, Iron & Wine, G.Love, Neko Case, Band of Horses, Silverspun Pickups, Gogol Bordello, Gillian Welch, The Black Keys, Against Me!, Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels, Okkervil River… Vampire Weekend, YMSB, Spiritualized, MGMT,
My first reaction is that I finally have a must-go-to-Austin moment and I can not wait for David Byrne! When Vampire Weekend is about 40th on a list of Festival artists, you know you’re in for something special…
Our friends at Madison House Publicity clued us in to some additions to their kick-ass 4th of July festival:
Sam Beam of Iron and Wine, Atmosphere, Steel Pulse, The Wailers featuring Elan, Ingrid Michaelson, Perpetual Groove, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Boombox, Brother Ali, Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled By Turtles, and Four Finger Five.
I’m most excited to see The Wailers again, especially Elan who I had this exchange with at Langerado…
Zack: Who would be in your all-star band?
Elan: Sly Dunbar on drums. The Family Man on bass. Carlos Santana, lead guitar… “Do they have to be alive?”
Z: No, all-time.
Elan: That opens it up. Add Jimi to lead guitar. On vocals, “there will be a whole bunch of us.” Bob, John Lennon, Jim Morrison and myself.
Anyone you’re psyched to see added, Andy?
Sad news for music lovers: Greg Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers, has been receiving treatment for Hepatitis C and while the treatment has been successful, he will not be able to give 110% and had to pull out of Bonnaroo. The good news is that their other 12 dates in August will go on as scheduled.
However, we’ll give you some good news with this dose of bad news. Bonnaroo has said that there will be an exciting announcement this Thursday. Stay tuned…
Sorry for the mini vacation from the Festival Crashers. Little 500 at Indiana beckoned, and we had to make the pilgrimage back to B town. What better way to return though, than with a post about the Green Apple Festival?
This is an Earth Day celebration with three days of music taking part in cities across the nation. Washington D.C., New York, Miami, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles and San 
Francisco will all be getting their Green Apple on.
Zack and I will be at Lincoln Park Zoo on Sunday, the 20th, to enjoy the Chicago festivities. The event is being MC’d by none other than everyone’s favorite neard (neck beard) rocking QB, Kyle Orton. The bands are Bill Kruetzmann, Oteil Burbridge and Scott Murawski headlining, with Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bassnectar, Chicago Afrobeat Project, 
Miss Lori Holton Nash (PBS Kids) and The Gwalla Gwallas also performing.
Also going on under the Green Apple name is a kick off concert Friday the 18th at Kinetic Playground. The Jennifer Hartswick Band and the Hue usher in the Earth Day festivities with special guests Algernon. -AS
When Zack and I saw the Benevento Russo Duo a few weeks ago, we discussed how two people could make so much noise. They really rocked for a duo. The Black Keys new album, produced by Danger Mouse, rocks just as hard for a duo, with a whole lot less noise.
The match seems fated, really. Danger Mouse originally commissioned the Black Keys to compose new songs for an Ike Turner comeback album. When Turner passed away, Danger Mouse decided he still wanted to work with them. Much of what they had written for the Turner album became Attack & Release.
Upon first listen, I was really wowed by the Black Keys stripped down, raw, bluesy rock. I have a couple of their earlier albums, but there weren’t many tracks that I liked as mu
ch as I like most of this album. That may be the influence of Danger Mouse, who lately has turned everything he touches to gold. An interview with the band in Rolling Stone talked about how Danger Mouse really pushed them to broaden their soundscape.
The opening track is a slower tune, and really lets the listener in. The album really kicks off with the rocking blues guitar riff that opens “I G
ot Mine.” By the time the listener gets to “Strange Times” the album is in full blown rock and roll mode. I usually cannot stand an artificial clap track, but Danger Mouse made it work while adding in some Gnarls-esque ‘whooooahs’. “Same Old Thing” provides a good change of pace with flutes provided by drummer Patrick Carney’s uncle, who was a Tom Waits sideman.
This album could not have come at a better time. New albums to listen to in the car with the windows down are a welcome treat come springtime. I look forward to doing some of that tomorrow on my way down to Bloomington for Little 500. I hope it doesn’t rain.
“The world doesn’t just disappear when you close your eyes, does it?” -Memento
I feel we’d be remiss for not mentioning a massive festival solely because we’re not going. With Roger Waters performing Dark Side of the Moon, they have arguably the best headliner of the summer.
You could call this thing Pitchfork West with: The Raconteurs, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Animal Collective, M.I.A, My Morning Jacket, Fatboy Slim, Spiritualized, Gorgol Bordello, Justice, Death Cab for Cutie, Kraftwerk (really?!)
Thankfully for us Midwest festival crashers, most of these bands will be at other festivals, but it’s still sad to know a top-flight festival is going uncrashed. Speaking of that, I just found out I can’t go to Bonnaroo. Andy’s still going, but it’s heartbreaking. That’s all I have to say. About that. -Z.T.
It’s not a top-5, but a top-12 if you will. If this doesn’t get you excited for festival season, then you need to check your pulse. I tried to put in a little something for everyone. Hopefully it’s a lot of everything for everyone. Without any further ado, here is my muxtape:
I think the bands Zack listed are givens. Musical duhs, if you will. Here’s a list of five bands that I’m excited to see there not in that list. If Langerado was any indication, Zack will include them in any future list after seeing them.
No, I didn’t take a bunch of speed today, there’s just a lot to report:
Pitchfork TV is here! The wildly popular indie-rock web site now has t.v. I’m currently watching a Pixies documentary at work and loving every second of it. -Z.T.
