posted by Tina on August 19, 2011
How can I put into words the meaning behind the madness that is Band of Horses? After reading review after review….after review….after review….one struggles with originality to describe a show and actually capture the way you felt when you were there. Only people who have been to see them “get it.” When I first heard of the cancellation of the Kings of Leon tour, my heart sank. Just like a large percentage of the people who bought tickets…I was only going because of Band of Horses. However…knowing the band’s background and the type of fellas they are…including management…I hoped that they would find a way to make it happen. And sure enough….my wish came true. See..all good things DO come to those who wait. And thus brings us to the August 10th show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. Not only did they keep their rendezvous with NY…they kept the exact date! And believe me..to be able to book a show on that short of notice at ANY venue in NYC….is practically impossible. Unless you’re Band of Horses!!! To me…that says a lot about the band. The guys mentioned once, in the brief moment I got to meet them at last year’s Grand Central Station secret show that they aren’t really big fans of coming to the city and honestly, I don’t blame them. New York is challenging each and every day. But these guys showed up with smiles on all their faces and more “thank yous” to everyone there than anyone could possibly imagine. They rocked the Hammerstein as if they had waited their whole lives to play there.
Ben Bridwell opened the show with the comment “Look at all you last minute Johnnys!!” Last minute??? Little did they know…some of us had been looking forward to this for months!!!! The whole crowd was literally… “No…thank you for still coming.”
How disappointing for them must it had been when they realized that KOL was going to bail? How can you not love a band that follows through with a tour when the headliner cancels? Where does one even begin to make that happen? I’m guessing that the fans were the first thought in their head and not the money. Of course the money helps to pay the bills and allows them to travel across the world but….it’s evident when Ben speaks to the crowd, that he’s not there because of the money. He’s there because of his passion for music and wanting to make people happy. I’ve seen many many a band in my time, and I have never felt like a band was there for the crowd and not for themselves as much as I do when I see Band of Horses.
If you’ve been following the band for awhile, then you can see the difference in a show just two years ago compared to a show now. Ben Bridwell has turned into this frontman that went from shy and modest to getting right out there, engaging the crowd, leading the band onward into success. The thing that I admire about the band is that every single interview I see, the band is always positive, always excited about what they are doing and eager to talk to the crowd. Even after answering the same questions over and over again, Ben Bridwell always answers with such positive motivation and integrity, you can’t help but admire the guy. When the band is on stage, there is such an exuberant amount of energy in the air that it just rubs off into the crowd. They all literally look like they are having a good time and not “working” the crowd. I feel like I’m in the presence of them practicing in a garage space it’s just that up close and personal. Like they’re there just for you.
Hammerstein’s show was nothing less than what I thought it would be. Outstanding. Surprises. Old songs. New Ones. Jokes made about KOL. At some point in the middle of the show Ben Announced “We’re starting to record the next album…..TOMORROW!!!!” He said it was a bit earlier than planned but that “Our tour got FUCKED!!!” and thus recording began on August 11th. Imagine how excited the crowd was to hear that. I wanted to share that with you all here. The band’s been busy trying not to let their fans down, booking more and more shows. Of course they won’t be able to hit every town or city that missed them…but they are definitely trying their hardest to make it happen. So be patient my little grasshoppers. And if they come CLOSE to your town but not close enough, I implore you, make the drive and go see them. Kings Of Leon cancelling may have been the best thing that ever happened for Band of Horses and because of this effort to keep their commitments, this may excel them to the level of greatness. Not that they aren’t already in my eyes but…..you know what I mean.
» Meaningless labels: Americana • Big Sound • Clever Lyrics • Driven • Male vocal
(13 votes)
Loading ...posted by Tina on August 11, 2011
Nothing makes me happier than getting a new band’s music out there before they hit the mainstream. Hotels & Highways was a project begun in the fall of 2010. Seems more and more bands these days are applying a collaborative effort into creating their music. Each band member can contribute their own individual style of writing and then go back to their home towns and continue to work together on the music until they achieve the sound they are going for. For Hotels & Highways this plan became successful and the three band members released their CD in March this past year. A comparison that came to mind was The Civil Wars. Upon looking further into the band’s history, they had the opportunity to play with The Civil Wars at this past year’s SXSW music festival. For a music festival like that, they could not have found a better combo to perform together. A comfortable blend of folk, country and a little pop in between, you would not think the band spent just over a week creating the songs for their first release. Sure, there were long months in between but the hard work payed off and Lost River was the result. For Lisa Piccirillo, Patrick Thomas and Erin “Syd” Sidney success is on the way. Shortly after the release of Lost River, the CD is a 2011 Amazon.com Editor’s pick. I couldn’t be more happier for them. Make sure you check out their music and listen to the whole CD on the band’s website. For this trio hailing from California, Vermont and my current home town of Brooklyn, New York I’m guessing the band will be spending a lot of time together on the road of touring musicians.
Hotels & Highways – Figueroa (Downloaded 353 times)
Hotels & Highways – Twenty Questions (Downloaded 288 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Alt-country • Folk • Harmonic • Poppy
(11 votes) Loading ...awesome blog, do you have twitter or facebook? i will bookmark this page thanks.
My site:
rachat pret consommation Rachat de Credit
I didn’t know where to find this info then kaboom it was here.
Abril, we are on Facebook – see link at top right of this page and please like us!
posted by Tina on July 10, 2011
Sometimes it’s not about fame and fortune but it’s about the passion of doing something you love. When you hear Supervisor of the Loveless Average, it’s evident that the band’s passion and drive to create music is clearly their top priority. Supervisor of the Loveless Average is an indie-rock band from Atlanta, Georgia featuring John McNicholas on vocals and guitar, Elizabeth Elkins on bass and Marco Corales on drums.The band formed around the idea of spontaneous song creation, with the goal of creating one new song for every practice.
Songs about Cities is the dynamic result of that experiment gone right. The EP’s lead off track, “Baltimore Bound,” is a Pavement-y ode to leaving your home town, while songs like “We Can Stow Away the Sound” explore the dynamic little details of broken yet dysfunctional perfect relationships. I mean let’s face it, some of the best songs we’ve ever heard are always about some sort of relationship gone bad or some negative life experience. Why? Because you know you can relate and that artist has just put into words what you couldn’t and basically hit home. Not only does SOTLA create that hit home heartfelt music, but they also bring that positive energy to the crowd which makes us as the listeners want to hear more. So then, want to hear more? Supervisor of the Loveless Average are celebrating the release of Songs About Cities digitally on July 1st, and with a release party on July 15th at the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta, GA.
Supervisor of the Loveless Average – Baltimore Bound (Downloaded 224 times)
Supervisor of the Loveless Average – We Can Stow Away The Sound (Downloaded 262 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Driven • Male vocal • Upbeat
(17 votes) Loading ...Wow, great stuff. I hope they play NY sometime.
Was totally stuck until I read this, now back up and running.
posted by Tina on June 23, 2011
If you haven’t yet discovered the voice and music of Ray LaMontagne, I would encourage you take a listen. When I first heard LaMontagne’s voice, it inspired me to think about a hot summer day, hanging out on a front porch, sitting on a swinging bench. His raspy voice will ease your mind and soul. Interestingly enough, LaMontagne didn’t set out to be a singer songwriter. Though LaMontagne did not set out to be a singer songwriter, upon hearing his music, you would assume he had aspired as such…
You might be familiar with his more popular tune “Trouble” from his 2004 album release Trouble. LaMontagne’s voice will start you off with a story and take you to a different level of listening and appreciation for music and its effect on your soul. Did I really just say soul? Yeah…I think I did. Follow up with his latest CD in August of 2010 God Willing and the Creek Won’t Rise. It’s hard for me to say which tunes are my favorites. They all mean something to me. LaMontagne’s music gives me some peace and solitude. Whether it’s a sweltering hot summer day or an immensely cold winter evening, I can find a tune that sets the mood…
Ray LaMontagne – For The Summer (Downloaded 909 times)
Ray LaMontagne – Trouble (Downloaded 474 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Amazing Voice • Folk • Male vocal
(17 votes) Loading ...I’ve been a fan Ray Lamontagne for awhile now. Incredible music. Have you heard of Burlap to Cashmere? You’d probably like them too.. their music is kind of similar and they just came out with a new album. Listen to this: http://mediaplayer.creativeonlineteam.com/content/burlaptocashmere/index.html
will always be my fav bearded man.
August 27th, 2011 at 7:16 am
i love your blog, i have it in my rss reader and always like new things coming up from it.
September 1st, 2011 at 5:20 am
Howdy, make sure you tell us when we’ll see a follow up.
September 1st, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Thanks so much. We really appreicate the feedback!