The time has finally come. So far I’ve brought you two out of three parts of coverage from SoundLand, but now it’s time to say goodbye. I give you the final installment of my musical journey through the last day of SoundLand 2011. A moment of silence please…
Actually there’s no reason to be sad over the third and final review of my SoundLand experience, because the final day was actually the BEST day of the entire festival in my opinion. Not to mention every single act that I saw was Nashville based. I’ve got to hand it to SoundLand; they really know how to bring a festival home. See what I did there?
Ok, can I be completely honest with you all? I’ve been wanting to use that title for so long now and never had the chance to until this moment.
Yep, for part two of my three-part SoundLand coverage I’m dedicating an entire post to the third day of the festival where folk music rang supreme. So with that being said, let’s delve into the highlights and start folkin’ around already.
Let’s face it. When most people think of Nashville, a scenic picture of stetson wearing cowboys blasting the twangy tunes of Garth Brooks comes to mind, right? Sorry to burst your bubble, but Nashville’s music scene is actually much more than the ultra-country stereotype it’s had since the 1950s. This past weekend SoundLand 2011 Presented by Next Big Nashville showed everyone exactly that.
Luckily for those of you who couldn’t be there to experience it (or even for those of you who did and can’t remember it) I was there to represent The Vinyl District and bring you all the coverage of the massive musical party known as SoundLand 2011 in a three part post for your viewing pleasure.
Last week the English songstress PJ Harvey won the Mercury Prize for her eighth studio album, Let England Shake, making her the first artist to ever win the award twice. She performed “The Words That Maketh Murder” from the new record at the awards ceremony.
Additionally, today Harvey is releasing an exclusive iTunes Session that can be pre-ordered on the iTunes Store. The EP features seven recently recorded live tracks along with an interview by Harvey herself. The Session includes four songs from her most recent album as well as three of her most widely acclaimed songs from past albums.
As previously mentioned, this past weekend The Vinyl District got a chance to get down and dirty in Nashville, Tennessee for The Music City Festival & BBQ Championship. The festival was nothing but non-stop classic rock, BBQ, and beer brought about by some of Tennessee’s best musicians, vendors, and partygoers. Though Saturday’s BBQ contest and car show were pretty awesome, Friday night was definitely the highlight of the festival.
Around 5:00 Friday evening was when the festival started to kick off. All of 1st Avenue and Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville were closed off for the event. If you don’t live there, that’s kind of a big deal. The streets were lined with BBQ tents, dance stations, ice cream vendors, non-profit tents, and other related sponsors and VIP tents, but more on those later. I was headed straight for the source of entertainment for the festival, The Grand Ol’ Porker Stage.
First up was a delightful Beatles tribute band called The WannaBeatles. I’m not going to lie to you, normally cover bands just really aren’t my thing. The WannaBeatles, however, comprised a local four-piece ensemble with refreshing vocals, talented instrumentalists, and pretty damn good impressions.
Well, it looks like The Vinyl District is gettin’ a little more country this month, y’all. Yep, we’re headed south for The Music City Festival & BBQ Championship in Nashville, Tennessee tomorrow and Saturday (8/26-27)! Not only are we fully going to partake in the delicious BBQ eating competitions, but we will also be checking out the Music City Car Show and of course ALL musical events happening around the event as well.
Who is expected to grace our presence on the Grand Ol’ Porker Stage this year? Glad you asked.
With music going in the direction that it is these days, it’s always nice to hear an artist create sound that takes us back a few decades. Luckily, we’ve found one nestled into the sandy beaches of Miami. Ryan Mahon is an old soul in a young body who creates an unnameable genre of music with influences ranging from Thin Lizzy to The Strokes. We dug his music and decided to reach out for an interview to hear what he had to say.
Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you break into music?
My father is a musician. Growing up, he taught me the basic things and allowed me to get my own sort of “feel” on the music. As I got older I tried getting into any musical outlet I could. I played in the high school band… guitar of course. As for my own music, I started writing when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. It was just normal teenage kid stuff.
Who are some of your inspirations for your music now?
Definitely The Strokes. Julian Casablancas is a major hero of mine. He’s incredible. Also, I think John Lennon and Thin Lizzy to name a few more. I like the way they are able to make worlds with their music.
Ryan Mahon | Last Day in Paradise
Would you say that your music is a reflection of these artists? It’s very hard to place a genre to your sound.
Yeah, I’ve been told that. It’s got an old sound to it. I would say it’s sort of a Jimi Hendrix and Strokes-type vibe with more of the Thin Lizzy songwriting style, if that makes sense. It’s kind of all over the place, but I want to move forward to sound more and more like them in a way.
Three pop stars: one Australian, one Danish, and one Mexican. One venue: 9:30 Club.
Even though it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, in reality it’s the next ticket giveaway that The Vinyl District and 9:30 Club have to offer you. On Thursday (7/28), Australian singer Sia Furler a.k.a Siais performing to a SOLD OUT club with Oh Land and Ximena Sariñana, and we have a pair of tickets for you to win.
Sia is already a big hit overseas, having plenty of Top 10 hits and collaborating with artists such as Christina Aguilera and Zero 7.
The world has had its fair share of awful tribute albums added to the repertoire over the past few decades. Anyone remember The Beatle Barkers’ musical slap in the face Tails From the Pound – The Lost Tapes? Or how about the memorable Indie Translations of Usher? Yeah, I thought so…
Well fear not, world! Finally we’ve been graced with a tribute album that’s actually worth your while! That’s right. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you Rave On Buddy Holly, a tribute to one of rock & roll’s greatest pioneers this world has ever seen.
With artists like Florence and the Machine, My Morning Jacket, She & Him, and The Black Keys, amongst others, Rave On Buddy Holly pays tribute to the late Holly with timeless lyrics and iconic melodies brought together in the upbeat, modern sound of the 21st Century.
There are so many great tracks on the album, but a few artists on the album went above and beyond to create a unique take on Holly’s classics.
Paul McCartney | It’s So Easy
No doubt Buddy Holly was one of the primary influences for The Beatles in their early years both lyrically and instrumentally. Paul has said many times before that he would sit around trying to emulate the catchy riffs and controversial lyrics of the rock & roller himself back in the beginning days of The Quarrymen. Oddly enough, Paul could not have been further from the 1950s vibe when covering Holly hit “It’s So Easy” on the tribute album. Instead, McCartney chose to growl the entire song behind guttural guitar riffs. If that isn’t enough for you, there are some hidden surprises at the end of the song from the “Macca” that leave you scratching your head thinking, “What the hell did I just listen to?” It’s that good.
Karen Elson | Crying, Waiting, Hoping
Nashville local Karen Elson (though recently divorced from music mogul Jack White) still claims her stake in the Nashville music scene by doing things like covering Holly’s “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” with smooth, soft vocals over a giddy, Southern instrumental sound. She keeps the sweet 1950s style and adds in a little bit of Nashville with a fiddle accompanying her sultry voice. Her track is definitely a highlight of the album.
Cee Lo Green | (You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care
Though it was really hard to just pick three favorites, I think the last spot has to go to Cee Lo Green covering one of Holly’s more obscure tunes, “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care.” Who would have thought Cee Lo could whip out the Buddy Holly signature “hiccup” and perform a cover so beautifully behind a steel drum, of all instruments? It’s simple, upbeat, a little tropical, and completely unlike anything Cee Lo has ever done before. It’s a surprise hit. Bravo, Cee Lo, bravo.
Other close favorites that didn’t make the list above include Julian Casablancas’ take on “Rave On,” recent Nashvillians The Black Keys covering “Dearest,” and She & Him doing the popular hit “Oh Boy!”
Oh what the hell, they’re ALL my favorites.
Overall, Rave On Buddy Holly is one of the best tribute albums I’ve heard to date and is a perfect way to ring in what would have been Holly’s 75th birthday. There could not have been better artists chosen to perform on the compilation, and the music does Holly justice to the highest degree. It’s innovative, catchy, and gets the tribute album stamp of approval. This is definitely an album for the record books.
The world has had its fair share of awful tribute albums added to the repertoire over the past few decades. Anyone remember The Beatle Barkers’ musical slap in the face Tails From the Pound – The Lost Tapes? Or how about the memorable Indie Translations of Usher? Yeah, I thought so…
Well fear not, world! Finally we’ve been graced with a tribute album that’s actually worth your while! That’s right. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you Rave On Buddy Holly, a tribute to one of rock & roll’s greatest pioneers this world has ever seen.
No doubt The Feelies are one of the greatest and most influential acts to survive the 1980s. Having inspired acts from the ’80s rebels R.E.M. to ’90s indie pride Pavement, The Feelies have paved the way for some of the best college rock and indie rock artists of all time.
Before their official reunion back in 2008 and this year’s album Here Before, they released four albums including Crazy Rhythms, which has been voted 49 of the top 100 albums of the 1980s by Rolling Stone and number 49 of the best alternative records of all time bySPIN Magazine.
In short, The Feelies are kind of awesome.
Well guess what? The Feelies are coming to the 9:30 Club this Saturday, June 18th, and The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of tickets to see them!
This is the part where you get really excited.
Long guitar solos in the middle of songs are the best, right?
In order to win the tickets to the show, reply in the comments below with your favorite guitar solo in a song.
Mine has got to be from Chuck Berry’s 1958 hit “Johnny B. Goode.” Whether it’s Chuck performing it or Marty McFly putting his spin on it, it’s a winner every time.
The winner will be chosen Thursday (6/16) at noon.
The Go-Go’sROCKED the 80s. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played and re-played “We Got the Beat” with the top down on my car blasting the ’80s anthem and singing at the top of my lungs. Don’t deny it, you’ve done it too.
Well, now you get the chance to relive the ’80s with The Go-Go’s, even if you weren’t there the first time. The Vinyl District is giving one of you a SIGNED copy of The Go-Go’s re-issued Beauty and the Beat debut album. It’s got all the goods on it, including “Our Lips Are Sealed” and the aforementioned “We Got the Beat.” Oh, and did I mention that it’s pink?
Let’s recap: A signed, pink, re-issued copy of The Go-Go’s debut album Beauty and the Beat.
How do you win this awesome beyond belief prize? It’s easy. Just tell us, in the comments below, your favorite ’80s pop anthem.
The winner will be chosen Friday (6/17) and must have a mailing address in the continental US or Canada.
Good luck!
Oh, and just a fun fact: The Go-Go’s are playing at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center TONIGHT as part of their Ladies Gone Wild Tour! The show starts at 8:00 pm. So, get out those hair crimpers and neon headbands and party like its 1989.
So guess what? We have more ticket giveaways to, well, give away. This time we’ve got a pair of tickets to see Those Darlins with Natural Child at Jammin’ Java on Friday, June 10th.
For those of you who don’t know much about the spunky Darlins, the energetic quartet come from the pits of pure Southern Rock & Roll… and have the chops to prove it. They recently released a new album titled Screws Get Loose and were listed on Rolling Stone as a “Band to Watch.”Impressive, huh?
The opening act is definitely one to watch for, as well. Natural Child, a wildly entertaining trio out of Nashville, shares the same label (Infinity Cat) as up-and-coming artist JEFF the Brotherhood, so you know they keep good company.
Basically, you’re going to have a hell of a good time at Jammin’ Java this Friday by winning tickets to the show. It’s going to be party.
How do you win the tickets? Simple. Tell us in the comments below, which song is your party anthem?
Sorry, but I’m going to have to go ahead and claim Andrew W.K.’s “Party Hard” as mine. How can you not want to jump around and fist pump at a party to this song? Exactly.
The winner will be chosen the day of the show, on Friday (6/10) at noon, and must be able to confirm via email by 3pm, so get to it and stay on top of your email!
TODAY, the Manhattan-dwelling duo Cultsrelease their much-anticipated self-titled debut album. The album contains eleven tracks of non-stop catchy indie rock awesomeness, including four of the five tracks from their 2010 7″ of the same name.
Whether it be from the vintage 1960s feeling “You Know What I Mean” or the catchy airy anthem “Go Outside,” one thing all of the tracks on the record have in common is an infectious summertime vibe. You can listen to the entire album below!
With that being said, The Vinyl District wants to give you a FREE SIGNED vinyl copy of the new debut album. Yep, that’s right.
To win the vinyl, all you have to do is tell us in the comments below, your favorite summertime song.
For instance, mine is“Daydream” by Beach Fossils. (Note for future reference: If “beach” is in the band name, it’s a winner every time.)
The winner will be chosen next Tuesday, June 14th, and must have a mailing address in the continental US or Canada.
