Coachella Videos

A little bit from Paul McCartney, Fleet Foxes, and Band of Horses.

Coachella-Sunday

Another fabulous day in the beautiful Palm Springs has passed, and sadly the spring break is over.  Kate and I started the day by the pool and then stopped by the Indioasis party, which had an interesting hipster crowd frolicking in the pool. After getting our share of free booze we headed over to the festival's main stage and chilled there and at the closest beer pen all night. Amazing performances by Peter, Bjorn and John and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs ensued, after which we met some great people and danced wildly to The Cure--the most anticipated show of the event.
I was sad to miss Lykke Li (we weren't rushing over to the festival) but I'm sure I'll get to see her again in NYC. I haven't seen PB&J in a few years, but they seem much more in sync with each other and I have been waiting for their next album! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs always put on some of my favorite shows. They rock hard, and damn good. Karen O is as crazy and happy as ever performing, and it's always great fun watching her do her thing. Unfortunately we had to sit through My Bloody Valentine, which was horrible. It was a good beer break but as Kate put it, "like listening to constant static." How did they get such a great time slot??? As for The Cure, it was surreal. I never thought I would see them, let alone they'd be touring again. They were perfection, and Robert Smith was just as scary as you'd think he would look. I love his voice though, and they played a set list everyone was happy with.

What a perfect festival weekend!!!

Coachella-Saturday

Yet another day of great shows at Coachella has passed. I forgot just how amazing the Killers are and they are fresh on my mind. Brandon Flowers has got such great energy and dance moves, and I was looooving all of the hits old and new. Flowers also surprisingly changed things up a bit with a few different beats and I loved that.
The best part about the show is that I’m not camping, nor rushing over to the festival to sit in the 100-degree desert. Yesterday morning I was drinking poolside and welcoming one of my closest friends Charlie, who is usually the best part of the party and I am SO happy to have him here (thanks to the VIP passes also). After the pool drinking debauchery (and some glances at Tiffany Amber-Theissan), we headed over to the festival and were treated with an unbelievable lineup. TV on the Radio, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, M.I.A (did she even take maternity leave?) and The Killers! Band of Horses has been my favorite show so far (a high energy show and a great view of the beautiful, sexy Scott Speedman didn't hurt), but I was sad to miss Jenny Lewis and Thievery Corporation. The VIP section was nothing special, although I did have a quick convo with Jared Leto and M.I.A's stylist. I'm off to the pool now and can hardly contain my excitement for today's shows! The Cure here I come!

Coachella-Friday

Coachella has been a blast so far. We arrived at our beautiful resort with pools straight out of Melrose Place with music lovers in their 20s and 30s everywhere. We rushed over to the festival as soon as we could so as not to miss The Black Keys. Unfortunately we did miss The Airborne Toxic Event, a favorite newcomer of mine that I discovered at SXSW last month, but you just can’t fit them all! As soon as we walked into the festival fields we ran into some college friends and sadly had to watch The Black Keys from a “beer pen” next to the stage. The show was a good as ever and a great start. From there, Kate, my partner in crime, and I, stopped by Conor Oberst where we ran into Lake Bell and soon after saw Anne Hathaway canoodling with her new beau at Leonard Cohen. He had a fantastic voice but was a bit slow so we took a beer break, while hearing Franz Ferdinand, N.A.S.A and Crystal Castles from afar (all sounded great). Our plan was to skip Ghostland Observatory since we’ve seen them so many times, but how could we resist? It was plain awesomeness, as usual, and was lucky enough to dance next to none other than Justin Bobby. A quick stop over at the highly recommended Beirut was next on the schedule, and back to the beer pen complete with Girl Talk in the background.


Last, but by far the least, was the infamous Paul McCartney. It was so much better than expected and on top of playing songs dedicated to Linda and John, and a ukulele from George, he played a plethora of Beatles songs amongst fireworks. “Black Bird,” “All My Loving,” "Yesterday," "Something," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Eleanor Rigby," "Band on the Run," “Live and Let Die,” “Hey Jude,” “Let it Be,” “Drive My Car,” “Back in the USSR,” “Paperback Writer;” to name most. Let's not forget "A Day in the Life" transitioning into "Give Peace a Chance!" I feel so lucky to have seen Paul, one Beatle, in this lifetime.

Now I’m hanging poolside living the Cali lifestyle, reminiscing about yesterday’s shows whilst sipping on a mimosa…what could be better?

Sexual Healing

So I have been requested to make a mix tape to enjoy with your loved one.  Add this to your playlist, and go ahead and thank me later.

The Rolling Stones, "Ruby Tuesday"

The Raconteurs, "Together"

Radiohead, "Fake Plastic Trees"

The Cure, "Pictures of You"

Death Cab For Cutie, "Cath"
The Rolling Stones, "Wild horses"
Led Zeppelin, "Tangerine"
The Doors, "Love me two times"

Nico, "These Days"

Coldplay, "Lost?"

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "Upon this title wave of young blood"

Modest Mouse, "3rd Planet"
The Doors, "Light my fire"
Jimi Hendrix, "Voodoo Child"

The Beatles, "Lucy in the sky with diamonds"
Bob Dylan, "Simple twist of fate"
The Black Crowes, "She talks to angels"
My Morning Jacket, "One big holiday"

Radiohead, "Karma Police"

MGMT, "Kids"

The Flaming Lips, "Yoshima battles the pink robots, pt. 1"

Pink Floyd, "Wish you were here"

My Morning Jacket, "Thank you part 1"

Bon Iver, "Skinny Love"

Kings of Leon, "Revelry"

The Pixies, "Where is your mind"

My Morning Jacket, "Thank you part 2"

The Black Keys, "All you ever wanted"

Pink Floyd, "Hey You"

Bush, "Glycerine"

My Morning Jacket, "Laydown"
Billy Joel, "Piano man"
Counting Crowes, "Amy hit the atmosphere"
Pearl Jam, "Nowhere man"

Arcade Fire, "Rebellion (lies)"

Radiohead, "Jigsaw falling into place"

Band of Horses, "No ones gonna love you"
Led Zeppelin, "Thank you"

Black Kids, "I've underestimated my charm (again)"

Bob Dylan, "Ain't no more cane"

Cut Copy, "Strangers in the wind"

The Raconteurs, "Blue Veins"
Pink Floyd, "The great gig in the sky"

Jimi Hendrix, "Hey Joe" 
Kings of Leon, "Sex on fire"

Elliot Smith, "Oh well, okay"

Rolling Stones, "Moonlight Mile"
Red hot chili peppers, "Desecration smile"
Radiohead, "In rainbows"

Arcade Fire, "Neighborhood 1-Tunnels"
Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Tuesday’s Gone"
Bloc party, "Like eating glass"
MGMT, "Electric feel"

Nico, "The fairest of the seasons"

The Black Crowes, "Time will tell"

Radiohead, "All I need"

The Replacements, "Unsatisfied"

Music: During Those Intimate Moments

Sorry Mom & Dad, I know you're reading this.

Music is a key ingredient to heat things up in the bedroom, and I thought I'd share a few artists and albums to help you get in the mood/intensify the atmosphere. Music brings out so much emotion and electricity in myself, and I hope to pass on the experience. If you need a mix tape, let me know.

-A no-brainer: Any Led Zeppelin record
-Pink Floyd, "Dark Side of the Moon"
-The Rolling Stones, "Sticky Fingers"
-Ray LaMontagne, "Gossip In The Grain"
-A Tribe Called Quest, "The Love Movement"
-The Velvet Underground, "The Very Best of the Velvet Underground"
-The Beatles, "1967-1970"
-Pearl Jam, "Rearviewmirror"
-Bob Dylan, "Blood on the Tracks"
-Nirvana, "Nevermind"
-Any My Morning Jacket record
-Eamon, "I Don't Want You Back"
-Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago"
-Cat Power, "Jukebox"
-Rachael Yamagata, "Happenstance"
-The Black Keys, "Attack & Release"
-Band of Horses, "Cease to Begin"
-Bush, "Sixteen Stone"
-The Black Crowes, "Shake Your Money Maker"
-Kings of Leon, "Only By The Night"
-Muse, "Black Holes And Revelations"
-Explosions in the Sky, "The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place"
-David Gray, "White Ladder"
-Counting Crows, "This Desert Life"
-The Doors, "The Very Best of the Doors"
-Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Stadium Arcadium"
-The Felice Brothers, self-titled
-John Legend, "Get Lifted"
-Jimi Hendrix, "Are You Experienced"
-Keane, "Hopes and Fears"
-Death Cab For Cutie, "Narrow Stairs"
-Radiohead, "In Rainbows" or "The Bends"
-Any Coldplay record
-The Cranberries, "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?"
-Arcade Fire, "Funeral"

Coachella Here We Come

I'm officially taking the plunge and heading out to the west coast with my dear friend Kizz to enjoy my third bi-annual Coachella festival in the hot hot heat of Palm Springs.  This year, we're doing it right with a hotel room 5 miles from the festival with a much needed pool and spa.  I'm still trying to convince my father to loan me the BMW convertible, and then we'll be rocking in style.

I look forward to reporting back.

SXSW--The Beginning

It's been a busy month preparing for South By Southwest in Austin, TX, and boy was it worth it. Austin stands on it's own for being the coolest southern city, with the hippest people around playing music, drinking Lonestars, and rockin' cowboy boots and the sickest vintage boots I've seen.  Since there was so much music (thousands of bands) and so much talent, my next few posts will be about each day of my festival experience in the wonderful city of Austin (perhaps my future home).

It was great to be back working with my friend and mentor coldsmokefilms, and we had an interesting first two nights.  The first band we stumbled upon was none other than a Led Zeppelin tribute band (and no, it was not "Lez Zeppelin").  These guys had it down.  They were wearing wigs and replica outfits (a bit too cheesy in my opinion) and put on a fantastic show, but lacked the sex appeal.  The highlight of the night was being summoned to the stage by "Robert Plant" who exclaimed how much he loved the flower in my hair.  "Jimmy Page," who's been playing Zeppelin songs for 20 years, had some damn good solos.

The following night we had the pleasure of stumbling upon a U2 cover band, although not one of my favorite bands, they were able to hold our attention for a few songs.

I can't wait for the original, new music to come over the next 4 days!

Congrats Delta Spirit...

For selling out Bowery Ballroom!  

I do have to be honest and say this was the least enjoyable Delta Spirit show I've been to.  The energy was off for some reason.  Maybe it was the larger venue, or the fact that the singer was throwing picks at the audience with a sour look on his face.  Yeah, I'd like to be totally entranced with the music, but people talk during a show, sometimes people don't dance or move during a show; that's just the way it is.  But don't get mad at your fans if you can't bring the energy!  I won't stop listening to your music, but was disappointed to find out you weren't the rock stars I thought you were going to be.

On Repeat: Adele--Best New Artist

I’ve been listening to the beautiful Adele nonstop recently. She’s captivated the world and outshined even Katy Perry and the Jonas Brothers by winning the “Best New Artist” and “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” awards at the Grammy’s this year. Her debut album, 19, produced by heavy hitters Mark Ronson and Eg White, has received critical acclaim and is extremely solid. According to iTunes, "Adele displays a formidable talent as a vocalist, underplaying her lines with insinuating feints and seductive shadings...what grabs the listener most are her soul queen moves, tossed off with a sultry flair that can be mesmerizing." My favorites include “Hometown Glory,” “Right As Rain,” and Bob Dylan cover “Make You Feel My Love.” Her New York show on May 5th is sold out, but keep checking on Craig’s List!

Breathtakingly beautiful, my dear.

I'm listening to:

Band of Horses, "Cease To Begin"

Eric Hutchinson, "Sounds Like This"

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, self-titled

Radiohead, "In Rainbows"

The Black Crowes, "Shake Your Money Maker"

Cat Power, "Jukebox"

Handsome Furs, "Plauge Park"

The Felice Brothers, self-titled

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Show Your Bones"

Gossip, "Standing in the Way of Control"

bonnaroo

Although I've never been to bonnaroo , I've wanted to go every year and have just never made it down to Tennessee.  The June line-up is just as good as expected!  This year, is it Coachella to hang with the LA hipsters, or Bonnaroo to chill with the new age hippies for me?

Sex On Fire

Caleb Followill had me at "Sex on Fire."

I was lucky enough to get floor seats to the (gasp) sold out Kings of Leon show at Madison Square Garden on Friday night (thanks Joyann). Here we go with those damn sippy cups again. These boys usually belt out the same sexy guitar riffs and similar rock songs that I love. The shows are usually as expected, and the seven or so I've seen haven't been very diverse. But they get me every time.

The boys of KOL have great style, and Caleb looks great with his now short hair tucked behind his ears, his shirt open just so, hipster vest, and tight tight jeans that perhaps were a pair his mom used to sew for everyone in the band. In his latest interview with Rolling Stone, it's hard to imagine that he was deciding who would be the "front man who gets all the ladies" with his brother, and stated "I don't want to, but I will." It would be interesting to know how many ladies he really does get. I have a feeling it's a large number. His voice is the perfect amount of raspy-ness, and drives me crazy with "On Call", "Knocked Up", and of course, "Sex On Fire". You move in ways you've never moved before! Being a part of Caleb's " biggest moment of my life" with graphics floating by of the lights of NYC, a killer light show, and a stadium with hipsters actually dancing, was worth the large venue and even the after party snub. Oh, and congrats on the Grammy boys.

Current obsessions:

Adele 19

Belle and Sebastian BBC Sessions

Stars Set Yourself On Fire

Annuals Be He Me

The Felice Brothers, self titled

Jessica Lea Mayfield With Blasphemy So Heartfelt

Jem Down To Earth

Jessica Lea Mayfield

So I haven't been able to write much lately since I'm pretty much trying to figure out my life and all, but I came across this artist and you need to know about her. Mayfield's voice is insane. She is 19 years old people! I could go on about how great her voice is, but I've posted a video for you to see for yourselves (sorry for the annoying intro). And, in a nutshell, a few writers describe her better than I can; "Sweet and twangy, Mayfield's voice is all smoky, twangy loveliness, and maybe it's because of that sweetness that her songs cut deep, radiating pain like a punch to the solar plexus" (emusic) and "Mayfield's voice is lifting, aching, and magnetic...this young lady sings with an old soul" (The Huffington Post). For those of you that dig Cat Power and Feist, this is right up your alley.  Download her album, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, engineered and produced by the Black Keys' very own Dan Auerbach.

Coachella 2009

The 2009 Coachella line-up has been announced!  I will say it's pretty amazing.  Stand-outs include The Cure, Morrissey, Paul McCartney, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Band of Horses, Black Keys, Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio, Girl Talk, Ghostland Observatory, and Peter, Bjorn, and John, to name a few.  They are even offering a payment plan during these economic times, and I recommend NOT camping because it gets VERY hot. Consider yourself warned!  Get a house with a bunch of friends and leave for the show early everyday.

MMJ Madness

Well people, the year was filled with so many ups and a few downs, but I ended up having a perfect last day of 2008.  The morning was filled with chilaxing and prettying myself up, and the evening started with an amazing home cooked meal, red wine, prosecco and other various party favors.  It was the perfect pre-party before heading to Madison Square Garden (thankfully away from Times Square) to see My Morning Jacket’s THREE AND A HALF HOUR totally rockin’, full of love, New Years Eve bash of a show.  Surrounded by seven of my favorite people in New York, sippy cups of beer (those are so dangerous), champagne, and MMJ lovers, the night was a bit hazy but enjoyed thoroughly nonetheless.  By some miracle I recently scored two great seats in the first section (thanks Matt), and the 10 or so other people I knew at the show sneaked in and were able to sit with us the entire show, with only one short security run-in.  I’d like to note that the very old security man was adorable.

Now to get to the band praises.  They played perfectly—no surprises there.  Apparently I missed the memo from Jim James asking everyone to dress black-tie, and the band themselves had about 2 (maybe 3?) slick suit changes and played 3 (maybe 4?) covers (Hall & Oates, James Brown, that “celebrate good times” song).  Which were great, but I would have rather heard their own songs!  They did play most of our favorites but all of them have been played at the other 3 shows I attended this year, and it would have been nice to hear a bit more variety (so the covers were appreciated).  When the show was over, it also felt like some songs were missing; but when I listed them off my friends assured me they played them.  I mean, what can you miss in three and a half hours?  A bit too much champagne for Eve I think!

I thought for sure they would be playing one of the encores at the stroke of midnight, but the countdown was displayed on a large screen and amidst tons of kisses and confetti, it lifted at midnight and revealed the band.   They continued on to play for an hour and I wish I could tell you the rest of the dazzling details. 

Remember to cherish every moment in the new year, be thankful for what you have and who you love, and get lost in the music whenever you can.