Farm Aid 2012 – Hershey Park Stadium

An annual event making it to it’s 27^th year, Farm Aid supports local family farmers to aid them in keeping their land and thrive in a tough economy. Concert goers can find it easy to get wrapped up in the music and forget this day is for a cause. But each musician speaking about the benefit made us all realize we were there for something more than a day of entertainment, we were there to help local families survive on the land we live on. Overall the fans enjoyed the day and the sell out crowd took in every moment of the music, but perhaps not the venue.

Packing 29,000 people into Hershey stadium was something left to be desired by the concert promoter. The small and narrow walkways under the bleachers housed most of the beer and food vendors as well as the bathrooms. When you left the field you knew you were in for a long wait. 1 hour beer lines made for a miserable crowd experience and not to mention the 1 hour bathroom lines as well (Yikes!). Trying to navigate through the crowd in these areas left us frustrated. But thank goodness for the incredible line up, because when you entered the field and left the madness behind, it seemed like none of that mattered and all the stress melted away.

The afternoon started at 2:00 PM with Dale Watson, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (Willie Nelson’s son), Pegi Young and the Survivors and ALO. I casually caught these acts in the parking lot on Sirius Radio’s Farm Aid channel – Willie’s Wheelhouse. We entered the stadium as Jamey Johnson strummed his first song. He did well and had a solid set. I have not ever previously heard his music but enjoyed it as I relaxed and took in the scene. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals came out blazing after Jamey Johnson’s slower blend and were joined on Stage by Willie Nelson for “Ragged Company” and finished up their short five song set with “Medicine”.

Jack Johnson opened with “Better Together” and “Home”. If you have ever seen him live you know what to expect. Jack is consistent and flawless as Jack always is. He commented on his wife sitting in the front row “making him nervous” and made the fans sigh, “awe”.  I love how his family tours with him and he mentioned many times that several of his songs were written about her. He went down his list of greatest hits, which made the hippies in the crowd roar and dance, and yes I was one of them. He finished his set strong with “Bubble Toes”, “Banana Pancakes”, “Flake” and “Mudfootball”.

Kenny Chesney, was well…Kenny Chesney. White shirt, ball cap, and jeans so tight he must have just pulled them out of the dryer. I was a little bummed he did not sing “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”, especially this being Farm Aid, but he choose to perform other hits such as “Beer In Mexico” and “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem”.

Now the highlight of the evening was Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds. Absolutely stole the show. Being a huge DMB fan, I have seen him about a dozen times, so I can say with confidence I have never experienced him like this. He opened with “Gravedigger” and I was enthralled, I think I even had tears coming down my face at one point. And my question to the music writers of the world, “Why hasn’t Tim Reynolds ever made the list for the top 50 guitarists of all time?!”  He took his acoustic guitar and turned it on its side, manipulating every string and sounding like a classically trained Spanish guitar player. He made their acoustic set spark something deep within them as musicians and us as fans watched in amazement.  They continued wowing the stadium with “Stay or Leave”, “Don’t Drink the Water” and “Funny the Way It Is”. Then Dave took us all to another level of sexy with his stripped down version of “Crush”. I swear I saw a dozen women lighting up cigarettes after this intense love song, including myself. Matthews and Reynolds took us home with “Mercy”, “Dancing Nancies”, and “Some Devil”, sealing up their set and made us all think this was the end of the night. I forgot we still had the founding fathers of Farm Aid to see!

John Cougar Melloncamp opened with “Authority Song” and sounded rough. He is an American music legend that has toured the nation for years and I think it may be wearing on him. By the time “Small Town” was performed, I thought he was not going to make it to the end of his set. Kenny Chesney boyishly joined him on stage, with his hand in one pocket and appeared to forget the lyrics. After half way through his segment, Melloncamp did warm up and killed the end of his set with “Crumbling Down” and “Pink Houses”, a definite crowd pleaser to the point that everyone sang in unison, “There's a young man in a t-shirt|Listenin' to a rockin' rollin' station|He's got greasy hair, greasy smile|He says, "Lord this must be my destination."

 Neil Young and Crazy Horse…what can I say but I have never been a fan. However, as an advocate to music I respect their talent and their status of being American icons, but I was a little lost during Young’s set. There were hardly any lyrics and each song was mostly instrumental, in other words all jam without the bread. When he did sing, he missed the microphone so many times it was hard to make out the lyrics. Closing his set with “Like a Hurricane” (over 15 minutes in length), Young repeated the line “I wanna love you” over and over again. I think I fell asleep in the middle of the arrangement at some point and when I woke up I noticed most of the bleachers were empty. The crowd had dissipated and called it an evening.

Finally, a little after 11 PM, the man himself took the stage, Mr. Willie Nelson. Quick and classic this old favorite did not disappoint. Singing in his familiar voice, he took the stage looking as he did 20 years ago, with a full beard and long braids. Nelson opened with “Whiskey River” and “Beer for My Horses” and later talked through his performance of the Patsy Cline favorite “Crazy” like spoken word. The highlight of his set was when his son joined him on stage for the Pearl Jam cover “Just Breathe”. Nelson and his son have such similar singing styles it became hard to tell who was the melody and who was the harmony. He closed the evening with The Blackwood Quartet and The Bee Creek UMC Choir for “I’ll Fly Away” and “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”.

The day came and went and I witnessed many American musical icons, which I would not trade anything for in the world. As a whole I thoroughly enjoyed myself and wished I could have shared this experience with all my friends that could not make the trip. I can only hope Farm Aid will release a DVD of the concert not only to share and relive my experience but to provide support for a worthy American cause. To support local farmers, please check out their website www.farmaid.org to see how you can donate. And check out their YouTube site for Live performances.

Check out full set lists here 

"Lolli" Pop - The New Word in Music



There has always been a certain flavor of music prevalent on the summer charts and taking over local radio playlists. This year has been no different. We all find ourselves singing these catchy songs and trying our hardest to avoid their inevitable charm. Some go to great length to never admit they enjoy them but find themselves blasting them on the car stereo or finding these songs ranked as the number one played track on their iTunes.
 

These tracks are sweet to the ears and their deeply whimsical sound is concentrated more so than in the average pop song. Singing them even in our sleep, these catchy tunes dominate our summer soundtrack. I call these songs “Lolli”, short for Lolli-Pop.

 

There are several themes to these cherries. They tend to embrace coming of age themes supported by simple, direct, adolescent lyrics.  Often focusing on puppy love or unrequited devotion, these tunes are relatable to all ages and cannot be denied.  The music videos are massive doses of bubblegum imagery, replete with colorful costumes, high heel platforms, and Abercrombie attire. The dance club party scenes are intoxicating and make the listener crave to be a part of the fun.

 

Many artists relevant on the charts today possess this “Lolli” sound such as Karmin with “Broken Hearted”, Justin Bieber with “Boyfriend”, Katy Perry’s “Part of Me”, Demi Lavato with “Give Your Heart a Break”, and who can deny the biggest summer hit of 2012, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”.

 

2012 is far from the first year to feature “Lolli”. It grew into a pop music force in the latter half of the 20^th century with classics like The Dixie Cups, “Chapel of Love” hitting number one on the billboard charts in 1964, and in the 80’s with Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”.  And who can forget the “Lolli” songs that littered the airwaves coming from the handsome boy bands of the 1990’s? There were so many faves from the Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, and 98 Degrees. It seems The Wanted and One Direction have taken the boy band crown and are the current kings of “Lolli” in this modern era, currently smashing the charts and swooping up young girls’ hearts all over again.

 

Most of us find “Lolli” to be a release from stress.  “Lolli“ is fun, upbeat and easy to get lost in.  It is a music genre that some may feel sets music back, but it is necessary in the music world just as the occasional popcorn movie is necessary in cinema.

So don’t be shy!  Grab your music device and proudly show your love for “Lolli”.  Blast it out loud, sing it free and you will be surprised who joins in on the fun.

 

Check out my “Lolli” playlist on Spotify and sharemyplaylist.com

 The “Lolli” Artist Short List:

Backsteet Boys Britney Spears

Carly Rae Jepsen

Cyndi Lauper

Demi Lavato

Ellie Goulding

Justin Bieber

Karmin

Katy Perry

Maroon 5

N’Sync

New Kids on the Block

One Direction

Spice Girls

Taylor Swift

The Dixie Cups

The Go-Go’s

The Wanted

 

Submission "Music to Thier Ears" - more details

As a follow up to yesterday's blog entry, I wanted to provide more clarification on suggestions that I need for a segment called "Music to Their Ears". This segment will compare how musicians may feel when hearing the crowd cheer as their songs are played.

In other words, I feel that we, as music lovers provide a certain type of "music" and joy to the musicians as much as they do for us by our reaction to our favorite songs performed live.  “Music to Their Ears”  will isolate the crowd as the cheers swell through the LIVE performance to show that the listener is sending back positivity and love to the artist performing. I know it may sound strange, but I know it is something you will all enjoy as this blog entry is complete.

A couple examples I think may help you are performances from U2 with “Where the Streets have No Name” from the Zoo TV Tour (song drops about :50 seconds in):

And John Mayer’s “Gravity” from the Where the Light Is concert (song drops about 1:27 in):

Listen closely on how the crowds react as these big hits are being performed.  This is what I am looking for to be included in this next blog entry.  There are no boundaries to the genre of music you submit, feel free to send anything that makes you feel alive.

All I need are your suggestions - Please send the name of the artist and the LIVE track name of your choosing and I can do the rest to find the recording.  If you have a link to a video, please include that as well so I am sure to hear the correct one!  Here are the ways you can submit:

· Email: sournotes1@gmail.com

· Twitter: @sour_notes or use hashtag #musictotheirears

· Facebook: Sour Notes

· Or comment on this blog post

Deadline for submission is June 10, 2012 – and thank you!



Sour Notes Submissions needed for "Music to Their Ears"

Sour Notes is working on a segment called “Music to Their Ears” and needs help! Please submit a live track (song name and artist) of any musician that the crowd is cheering/screaming when the song drops. Looking for songs that start out inconspicuous and the crowd does not initially know the song, but when the song drops the crowd goes crazy.  The top 5 submissions will be chosen to be included in next month’s blog entry.

You can submit through:

• Email: sournotes1@gmail.com
• Twitter: @sour_notes or use hashtag #musictotheirears
• Facebook: Sour Notes
• Or comment on this blog post

Thank you for your help!

Superbowl Highlights Are For More Than Just Sports

It never fails, the Superbowl comes around and it is inevitable that there will be some surprises coming your way.  Superbowl 46 was no exception starting off with Brady scoring 2 points for the opposite team, Bradshaw simply sitting on the goal line in the fourth quarter, and who can forget M.I.A.’s middle finger making an appearance during the halftime show (I wonder if there was a Las Vegas bet on that).

But this year was not only about the sport or the halftime shenanigans it was about the music, in the commercials that is. Alternative and Indie music made its way into our living rooms, even if you did not realize it. Here are a couple of those underlying moments:

Audi made a splash with Echo and the Bunneymen’s 1984 single, “The Killing Moon”.  A good fit for a vampire commercial.

Brett Dennen received product placement in the America’s Got Talent commercial featuring Howard Stern.

(Still Shot - See poster to the left)

(Actual Commercial)

Chevy Sonic played the upcoming band, Fun, with their single “We Are Young” which recently featured in Glee. Their album, Some Nights, drops February 12, 2012.  Oh and did I forget to mention the band shown driving the vehicle in the commercial was OK Go!

The mash up of the evening goes to Budweiser for splicing The Cults, “She Sells Sanctuary” with Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling”.

And I suppose The Darkness was reborn with their 2003 single, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” brought to you by Samsung.

And lastly, Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” made it as an outro during the second quarter courtesy of the NFL and NBC.

Lana Del Rey - The Lyrics (Part 3)

Even if you do not enjoy the music, you must admit Lana Del Rey’s lyrics are cunning and clever and make Born To Die that much more complete.  In this final part of my Lana Del Rey series, I wanted pull out the lyrics that made each song noteworthy. These were my favorite ones, complete with my initial thought.

1.      Song:         Born to Die

         Lyric:          “Come take a walk on the wild side. Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain”

Talk about imagery, don’t all of us girls hope to find that bad boy, get a little wild and if a freak rain storm came through we may feel complete?

 2.      Song:         Off to the Races

          Lyric:          “He loves me with every beat of his cocaine heart”

Sounds like he’s a real winner. Um yeah, please rip me off a piece of that.

3.       Song:         Blue Jeans

          Lyric:          “Love you more than those bitches before” 

 Meow-meow, them some fightin’ words.

4.       Song:         Video Games
          Lyric:          "Watching me get undressed, take that body downtown” and “Put his favorite perfume on”

 I mean come on girls, we know the game.

5.      Song:         Diet Mountain Dew
         Lyric:          “Take another drag, turn me to ashes, ready for another lie?”

 I have nothing to say other than, great lyric!

6.       Song:         National Anthem
          Lyric:          “Don’t you know who you’re dealing with? Um, do you think you’ll buy me lots of diamonds?”

This girl is robbing this guy blind not only from his heart but apparently from his wallet.

7.       Song:         Dark Paradise
           Lyric:          “I’m lying in the ocean, singing your song.”

 Her love has died and she is adrift worrying if he will wait for her.

 8.       Song:         Radio

        Lyric:          “Now my life is sweet like cinnamon. Like a f**cking dream I’m livin’ in.”

Girl meets boy, boy leaves girl, girl finds fame, rubs it in boy’s face.

 9.       Song:         Carmen

           Lyric:          “Tying cherry knots, smiling, doing party favors”

 Trust me there is nothing “G” rated about this.

10.    Song:         Million Dollar Man
           Lyric:          “You said I was the most exotic flower”

 She isn’t the only girl growing in his greenhouse.

11.    Song:         Summertime Sadness
           Lyric:          “Got my hair up real big beauty queen style”

I wonder if she uses the mega spritz or super hold....

12.    Song:         This Is What Makes Us Girls
    Lyric:          “Pabst Blue Ribbon On Ice”

Spoken like a true teenager.

13.    Song:         Without You
           Lyric:          “I even think I found God in the flash bulbs of the pretty cameras.” 

Someone should probably tell her it wasn’t God.

14.    Song:         Lolita
           Lyric:          “Could be kissing my fruit punch lips in the bright sunshine”

Where’s Punchy when you need him? 

15.    Song:         Lucky One
    Lyric:          “I tried so hard to act nice like a lady, you taught me that it was good to be crazy.”

Is this guy licensed to be giving this kind of advice? He should be careful about what he wishes for. No one likes a crazy.


Click Here for Lana Del Rey - Part 1, The Artist
Click Here for Lana Del Rey - Part 2, The Album

The Black Keys - El Camino

El Camino was released to the masses in December 2011 and has been the talk of the music industry for weeks.  Their album Brothers put Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney on the map back in 2010 winning 3 Grammy Awards including Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Recording Package.  This duo was destined to bring the raw, organic sound of rock and roll back into our living rooms.

If the sound of Brothers could have been said to be stuck in the “Mississippi Mud”, then El Camino is cruising at rapid speeds down Highway I-10.  El Camino is a much more accelerated blues supported album and better for those long car rides, compared to Brothers which has you drifting on your couch.

The BIG song of the album could easily be "Little Black Submarines".  With over four minutes of rock bliss, this song has the quintessence of the smash hit "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. Perhaps an iconic influence to The Black Keys?

As he mentioned in Rolling Stone Magazine last week, Patrick Carney has received criticism for his unpolished drumming style and does not pretend to be anything but a novice. His style is that of Meg White’s from the White Stripes, in that her amateur sound is what helped to make that band quite special.  Dan Auerbach, on the other hand, has been surrounded by the blues growing up and has had a handful of bands prior to forming The Black Keys.  His experiences and exposure to the industry has created his basic, stripped down rock & roll guitar riffs and are what keeps this band true to their roots.

Check out their website for the upcoming tour and a listen to their first single "Lonely Boy".

Yael Meyer - Everything Will Be Alright

The album name sums up the theme in one phrase, Everything Will Be Alright. A pop happy, cuddle up and make me warm record, the lyrics and song content rely heavily on growing old together, happiness to see a friend, and the safeness to know you are not walking this life alone.

Santiago de Chile born musician Yael Meyer has been creating music since the age of five and left her country to experience the Berklee College of Music in Boston at the age of eighteen.  A diligent student, she completed her degree in just three and a half short years.  She developed and recorded her first album Common Ground in 2000 while living in Boston and has recently released her sophomore album, Everything Will Be Alright.

She mirrors the 1990s-2000s Rom Com soundtrack Queen, Chantal Kreviazuk, who produced may songs that lift you up and make the listener feel fuzzy. Meyer has had songs appear is several TV shows such as Drop Dead Diva, Private Practice, Life Unexpected and others.  Ah, those are the days of Dawson’s Creek where Meyer’s music could have been showcased to my generation…

The album as a whole creates light fare with a touch of dreamy as each song floats in a cluster of clouds.  It is refreshing and warm and deserves listen on her Bandcamp site.

Nicholas Gunty

A reminiscent blend of lead singer Samuel Beam (Iron and Wine) peppered with James Mercer (The Shins) vocals, this upcoming Midwestern artist comes to us from the state of Indiana. Vocals are soft and subtle as his guitar drives his lyrics through each track. His songs would have been a great addition to the Garden State soundtrack amid other artists like The Shins and Colin Hay.

Nicholas Gunty's self-titled, self-produced album released in July of 2010 was recorded in his home. He self-produced all 12 tracks and showcased his ability to be a self-starter by creating many layers of musical talent featuring guitar, bass, drums, piano and other musical instruments. 

In 2010, he performed at South Bend’s B1 Block party warming up the crowd for well-known alternative indie rocker group, Guster, who have thier own cult following and could prove to expose Gunty to many music enthusiasts.

Since Gunty is still working up the ranks, there is little information available to learn more about him…I suppose we shall see what the future brings.  Check him out on Spotify (if you have cold feet on buying the album and need a test drive) or on his band camp site.

Fitz and the Tantrums in Concert - Pittsburgh

Fitz and the Tantrums performing at Mr. Smalls Theatre

Fitz and the Tantrums performed to a sold out crowd on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania. The opening set featured Walk the Moon Band, who brought their edgy twisted sound to the stage and properly warmed up the masses.

The headliner took the stage opening with Don’t Gotta Work It Out, a sure crowd pleaser to set the tone for their nearly 2 hour set. Michael Fitzpatrick commanded the stage and Noelle Scaggs entered like a rocket, full of fire and spunk. As I watched, I wondered if she could keep the energy throughout the entire length of the show and she did not let up one bit. Together, Fitz and Scaggs have an interesting spark on stage. They draw intensity from one another through the entire set and their undeniable energy demands your attention and raises the bar.

The band later switched into Pickin’ Up The Pieces which finished with a flute solo, yes a flute solo, by James King and led into a cover of the Raconteurs hit Steady, As She Goes. Later the crowd sang in unison to the Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) that had all the funk-rock soul that Fitz and the Tantrums represents. Finishing their encore with MoneyGrabber, Fitz had the crowd literally on their knees crouching for the big finish. Sweet Noelle shared not one but two tambourines with the crowd, and the two lucky men who caught them went home very happy. Hmm, I wonder how many tambourines she travels with, but I digress.

Fitz and the Tantrums were dramatically cool and take the soul vibe to the next level throughout the length of their set. Please check out their tour schedule to experience them live!