It's been a while since I've been to a concert and it felt great to get out Sunday night with my musical soulmate, Rachel, to listen to some great bands. I went on a ticket buying spree in July, so this is the first of three shows I'll be attending in the next 2 weeks and my ears are both very happy (music!) and very sad (ringing ears for days!).
First up was Wild Cub, the opener for the main act.
They are a great indie quartet from Nashville who first appeared on my radar with their delightfully sweet song, Thunder Clatter. Legend is that the lead singer, Keegan DeWitt, wrote it for his wife and when he and some friends decided to record it, they thought, "Huh. We sound pretty good!" And thus Wild Cub was formed.
They put on a great show and the lead singer's dancing was infectious and hilarious. I've never seen such fast, rubber-bandy legs. They're generally less dancey than what I usually listen to, so it's a nice departure from my usual. Perfect for listening while picnicking with your main squeeze.
Listen to Thunder Clatter now.
Next up was the headliner, Bleachers.
The lead singer/guitarist is Jack Antonoff of Steel Train and fun. He started this band as a sort of side project while touring with fun. and by the time the tour was over, he had an entire secret album planned out in his head. He was a major crowd pleaser and interacted with the audience in such a fun way.
Also, major saxophone cred to one of the band members! Also, also, two drum kits on stage? Awesome. It was such a fun show and you could tell they were having a blast up there.
Their most popular song, I Wanna Get Better, has been all over your favorite commercials and radio stations this summer, so I'll offer their newest single which is just as fun to sing along to. Perfect for listening while road tripping with your BFF.
Normally I don't write music posts unless I've recently been to a concert, but I couldn't keep this one quiet! I'm a huge sucker for dream-pop, synth-y bands - especially if they have a female singer - and ya'll, Phantogram delivers. Just in case I wasn't totally sold, they throw in a few solid R&B beats to really seal the deal.
I bought their album, Voices, that came out last Tuesday which is pretty unusual for me. I'd heard 2 or 3 of the songs on XM, but sometimes you just know you're going to like the whole album based on a few songs.
Fall in Love - Phantogram
They're coming April 23rd if anyone wants to come with. I will definitely be going. Ya'll know I can't pass up a chance to shake my booty.
Black Out Days - Phantogram
Also, as a sort of taste-tester, here's a single that's been making the rounds on AltNation and XMU. You guessed it: female singer, synth-y beats. I swear I listen to more than just this. Her voice is comparable to Imogen Heap.
This song is called Bridges by Broods. Can't. Stop. Listening.
Bridges - Broods
Which type of music are you a total sucker for?
Also, I'm not the only one who listens to songs on repeat when you find a particularly catchy one, right?
-e.
Okay, ya'll. Take this with a grain of salt.
I certainly don't claim to listen to the best music (scratch that, yes I do)
and these only come from albums I purchased this year.
So. I'm sure there are some that I'm definitely missing because I didn't buy it
or didn't get into it like everyone else did (hey, The National).
But. These are my top faveys of the year.
5. Local Natives - Hummingbird
This was a great album, but had
a different vibe than their first, which I liked more. I saw them live this past year, so I have a blog post about that here. Hummingbird is
perfect for those days when you just really want
to be mellow.
4. CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe
This band is electronic, dancey, and has a female lead singer which I'm sort of a sucker for. This album was their debut and it was pretty fantastic. Perfect for wiggling your tush and tapping your toes.
3. Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience
Ya'll. I love Top 40 and I am not ashamed of this fact. This album was excellent, though.
Even my dad admits that JT has some serious musical chops and for those of you who know my dad, you know this is not a compliment he gives out readily. Perfect for dancing your hiney completely off.
2. The Neighbourhood - "I Love You"
You know an album is good when you can't stop listening to it and you actually get past track 6. This young band from California already got a blog post from me, too, so I'll just leave that there. Perfect for late night hang outs under the stars in your backyard.
1. Bastille - Bad Blood
Speaking of albums I can't stop listening to: I got this one in June for my birthday and still haven't quit it. It's excellent and they burst into the music scene this year, making their way from indie stations to Top 40 to commercials and movie trailers. I am super excited for their success (except for the fact that their Austin show sold out immediately. Someone hook me up with tickets!). Perfect for singing at the top of your lungs in the car. Accompanied by air punches
Honorable mentions:
Tegan and Sara -Heartthrob
Kanye West - Yeezus
Arctic Monkeys - AM
Albums I'm sure were awesome, but I didn't buy, only listened to a few songs:
Phoenix - Bankrupt!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito
MS MR - The Secondhand Rapture
Lorde - Pure Heroine
Haim - Days Are Gone
Did I leave your favorite off the list? Tell me! Maybe it'll become my new favorite.
-e.
Last night I was one of those annoying concert-goers. You know, the ones who think they know all the songs until it becomes very apparent there's a whole other album out that they didn't even know about.
So, half the time I was bobbing my head and loving the show. The other half, I was like "how do I not know this?? It's great!"
I immediately went home and bought the album I had only 12 hours before not even been aware of.
As should ya'll.
Local Natives not only put on a great show, but have a great album to back it up. You know how sometimes the show doesn't match what you hear on the album, or vise versa? That is not the case here.
Their most recent, Hummingbird, is perfect for late-night driving when you need to wind down.
The previous album, Gorilla Manor, is more upbeat, yet drips with heartache. It's delightful.
I warned ya'll last month that this blog post was coming.
Did you check out The Neighbourhood when I told you to?
I will continue to defend the greatness of this band even though the concert last night left much to be desired. I'll go ahead and chalk that up to getting older.
I mean, I am getting sooo old. See?
Sigh.
Either way, cool way to start my birthmonth!
Rachel and I started the night by getting Serious Pizza in Deep Ellum. The pizzas were huge and delicious, the dough thrown right in front of you, and all the toppings placed as you watched. Pretty nifty, ya'll!
After, we headed over to Trees for the show. The Neighbourhood is a band from California that tricks you into thinking they're from the UK.
They've got dark, soulful beats and a unique lead voice that wraps up the whole, delicious musical package. The show was a bit...off, but I really encourage you to check out the album.
Single: Sweater Weather
My fave: Let It Go
I am (obviously) not a music critic. I just know what I like (and what you'll probably like, too).
Check 'em out!
-e.
When I bought my car in 2011, it came with a free year-long subscription to Sirius XM. My dad warned me that after the year was up, I wouldn't be able to get rid of it because I was going to like it too much. I didn't believe him.
You'd think I would know better than that after 24 years. He was right.
I don't even mind the monthly cost, though. To me, all the new indie music I'm treated to is more than worth it.
Last night is a prime example. Two bands came into town for $10 (!!!) and I never would have heard of them if not for Sirius. I owe any hipster cred I have (uh, not much) to my XM radio.
I present: Royal Teeth ft. American Authors.
Both are great, poppy bands. And both are bands you should check out, like, rightnow.
American Authors opened and put on a really great show. If you want to know which song to listen to, Believer is their single out right now.
One of the band members is originally from Texas, so a bunch of his family was there, cheering him on. His adorable aunt was standing next to us and dancing her little heart out. She excitedly asked us when the set was over if we enjoyed it. We did!
After American Authors, Royal Teeth came on. They have two lead singers, a male and female, who make great harmonies together. Their music is just plain fun.
During the last song, their single Wild, the lead guy came out into the audience with his snare and we basically had a drum circle going around him.
Overall, total blast! Thanks, House of Blues, for having such a great, cheap show.
I went to a concert Wednesday night with my fabulous friend, Michelle! We saw Purity Ring and both concluded it to be "interesting". The band was fun and great, but the crowd was collectively on every drug known to man. We made a game out of guessing who was on what.
The best I can describe this band would be 80's dance meets hip-hop, which sounds awesome and is.
Check them out here, and then check out the great (read: not so great. Concert photos are the hardest, can I get an amen?!?) pictures I got.
Side note: the show was at the Granada, but we met up at the Sundown next door before the show.
The bar was packed, so we went up to the rooftop and I'm now going to add that to my list of places to hang out when the weather is gorgeous and I feel like being outside. It's got a fun view of Greenville and great people-watching.
Add it to your list of things to do in Dallas!
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