May 20-26

With new releases...

This week I could only find two significant record releases.

On May, 23rd, the much anticipated...
Lady Gaga
Born This Way

Am I going to go buy this album? Pfff...probably, as much as I hate to admit it. Lady Gaga has been labeled as a music genius whose talents are not only unique but have set the bar for other pop artists. That alone will make me check it out. I imagine that the music may be too "clubby" for me but oh well. This album has already produced three successful singles, Born This Way, Judas and The Edge of Glory.









...and on May, 24th, country superstar...

Brad Paisley
This Is Country Music


I personally think Brad Paisley is one of the more respectable country artists in the game today. His new album has already sparked interest with two singles, This Is Country Music and Old Alabama. I look forward to getting this album.







In Music...


Ok, maybe I miss the old days of Pablo Honey and The Bends, but to me, Radiohead is making a swing from cool rock to "artsy." In March, Radiohead released, The King of Limbs. This album is definitely comparable to Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows in the sense that it is electronic and mechanical. When I listened to it, it made me either want to walk or sand floors. I am not sure which. Little By Little is the only track that really jumped out at me. Lotus Flower was alright and the rest was very similar. If you liked the last few albums by Radiohead, you will like this. If you are an old school Radiohead fan, you might want to listen first. It is interesting to note that this album possibly was recorded at Drew Barrymore's home in CA.

The Foo Fighters release Wasting Light which may be their heaviest album yet. This album was recorded in Dave Grohl's garage, instead of their home-built Studio 606. I would say this album is closest to The Colour and the Shape. The first tracks that jumped out at me were Bridge Burning, Rope, These Days, Back & Forth and A Matter of Time. The Foo Fighters have never put out a weak album and they continue to meet expectations. At some point, people may actually admit that they are better than Nirvana......OH NO!!!!! He didn't...yes I did.

Ok, I admit that I hadn't heard of these guys until recently. I feel cheated that I didn't get to listen to these guys sooner. Fleet Foxes bring us Helplessness Blues and it is amazing. If you haven't heard them, stop reading and go listen, you won't be sorry. If you have heard of them, lucky you, you are blessed. I am hoping that some of the delay in receiving this music is due to their Northwest origin. I really can't compare this sound to anything else I know. It is truly unique. It is a blend of harmony, folk and minstrel. That may sound ridiculous but it works. When I first heard it, I thought of a modernized renaissance fair but with better musical talent and the ability to harmonize. Go get this album and give it a listen. You won't be sorry. This is the best album I have heard in a long time. I am officially on their bandwagon.






This weeks throwback albums:

I always thought Our Lady Peace was a great band that is under appreciated. Clumsy gave the band their biggest initial success with hits like, Clumsy and Superman's Dead. Realistically, the whole album is good and their whole catalog is very good. They are still pumping out great music, they just don't get a lot of airplay. David Cook, from American Idol fame, claims that Our Lady Peace is his favorite band and has influenced him in his musical career. Give them a chance, you may like them.








This week I bring you another classic hip-hop staple, Main Source's Breaking Atoms. This marks the beginning of Large Professor's career. This album is solid and every true hip-hop fan should give it a listen if you don't already own it. This album produced a couple of charting singles, with Looking at the Front Door and Just Hangin' Out, but the other tracks warrant listening. They never followed up their success of this album but I am glad that they were able to produce one gem before they disbanded.









In Charlotte...

Bojangles Coliseum

No music events

NC Music Factory

Friday Live!

Friday, May 20th
Cowboy Mouth

For those of you who don't know them, Cowboy Mouth is a rock band from Louisiana. They became popular with the hit, Jenny Says. During live performances of Everybody Loves Jill, audience members are known to throw red spoons on stage. I have heard these guys can get crazy and give some interesting performances. Check 'em out.

The Fillmore

Friday, May 20th;
Neon Trees

Neon Trees gained popularity as the opening act for rock band, The Killers. They released their own album, Habits, which spawned the hit, Animal. This track reached #1 on some charts. I have included the video for this below. Go see them and let me know how they are live.

Thursday, May 26th;
The Deftones

This is one of the concerts that I want to check out. To me, the Deftones were much harder, better musicians and much edgier than Limp Bizkit. They were Limp Bizkit before and after Limp Bizkit. Their entire catalog is very good and I always recommend them to people. If you get a chance, go check them out. They always rock and if you like hard rock, you will not be sorry.

The Saloon

Friday, May 20th;
Simplified

Okay, I will be honest. I don't know who these guys are and I couldn't find any information on them. I don't even know what kind of music they perform. If anyone goes to see them, please let me know how they are.







Wednesday, May 25th;
The Memorials

I don't know much about these guys either. This band contains a drumming prodigy named Thomas Pridgen. Pridgen performed with The Mars Volta before forming his own band. Check them out and let me know how they were.







Ovens Auditorium

Sunday, May 22nd;
Steve Martin w/ Steep Canyon Rangers

Everyone knows Steve Martin from his movies and comedy work. But, not everyone know that he is a world-class banjo player. This guy is seriously good. His new album, Rare Bird Alert, was inspired by one of his upcoming movies in which he plays a competitive bird watcher. For me, he is one of the best bluegrass groups performing today. If I had to pick one concert to see this week, it would be this one, hands down. I included a clip of them performing on Letterman.

Time Warner Cable Arena

No current musical events

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

No current music events

Amos' Southend

Friday, May20th;
Crossfade
Crossfade is a rock band who has had minor success on the charts. Perhaps their biggest hit was Cold in 2004. I have included a sample of that song for you.

Saturday, May 21st;
The Maine & Augustana

I have never head of The Main but Augustana had a sufficient hit in 2006 with Boston. Check it out below.

Thursday, May 26th;
"A Brutal Payback" f. Burnstitch, Merzah, Concept of Structure, Signals the Sky and Alas We Breath

This seems to be a collection of hard rock bands. If you attend, let me know how the show was.














all information was gathered from venue sites, or is public or personal opinion. All images were gathered from Google images or from venue websites.