From New York City to San Francisco you can’t go far without the spirit of the American Lifestyle Revolution raining down upon small farm towns and big city parks with a new generation of musical awesomation and big ass sunglasses. The journey thus far has been absolutely astounding. I’m enameled by all the happy smiling faces I’ve encountered along the way, both familiar and new, and I’m looking forward to the climax of this saga over the course of the coming weeks.
In a future recount we’ll look into this incredible new Lifestyle Innovation that is surely the beginning of a new era of summer destinationing, that being the rise of the urban center music festival. If it were only the Chicago sunrise over lake Michigan, bikini beach volleyball practices, the dart games in Manhattan, the Australians without shoes, the crab fishing on the Chesapeake, the hours of Natural MariNation, or the countless beautiful people who’ve shared their stories and their wealth, Dienu. But there’s more. There is the music, and it is good.
I trust the acuity of my readership and their appreciation for good music. And since I know of many, who like me, are fueled by the chemistry that pours from the beat of a drum and the drive of a base, I thought that I would highlight some of the new music out there that has taken me away. Thus far, the big-names like Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Jack Johnson, and Stone Temple Pilots have delivered on point as can only be expected from such great acts. However, mixed into the daytime sets like chipped ice off the block is a slew of great new acts that really bring the rock.
First up is Gorgol Bordello. I don’t know what to call their music but it’s one trippy concoction of Latin beats, killer guitar riffs, hot female vocalists, fiddle frenzies, and a crazy lead singer who rocks a 'stash like it’s 1973. This band is a wild ride that is worth checking out if you’re inhibitions are low.
If you come to get down however, Broken Social Scene is the show for you. This band pulls out all the stops with an army of on stage musicians and instruments that is confusing to follow but amazing to watch. Accompanied by the Grammy award winning Amy Millan, this explosion in the sky from Canada interacts with the crowd like no band I’ve ever seen. Making full effect of their multi-thousand strong audiences’ ability to make a shit load of noise on command, Broken Social Scene often encourages their listeners to howl out loud just for the sake of being alive.
I always like to check out the young bucks on the scene while I’m out and about and this year some names have stood out. The Virgins are a baby-faced indie rock band from Manhattan whose sound is sort of punk and sort of contemporary, but their style is original and they showed great potential for a wild bar party or a Soho street riot. Matt Pinfield, New York’s reigning rock and roll guru, introduced them as one of his favorite new acts as he also shamelessly promoted his new Rock Radio station WXRP 101.9 in New York… the best free radio station I think I’ve ever heard, but let’s see how long that lasts.
If Hip-hop’s more your style, there are tons of acts out there for you. Forget Kanye and his knockoff bullshit that doesn’t even credit the decades of musical talent that he shamelessly over samples. That’s right Kanye, find something Diddy didn’t do. Acts like Girl Talk and Mark Ronson are fresh and free-form coupling the old with the new without trying to hide the fact that they’re just playing to the crowd’s musical prowess by mixing rock songs with new-age funky breaks and really hot chicks dancing on stage. Further in the Hip-hop scene, regardless of what you’re into, there’s no denying that Lupe Fiasco is just really fucking cool.
Finally, there is always room in my ears for the work of Trent Reznor, who recently broke
The list could go on and on, but for now I'll just wish everyone the best of luck these next few weeks as we prepare to fall back into the drollery of the declining weather. Though the season will change, the music will always be there to carry us through and I look forward to seeing everyone out in the sunshine. Take it in and enjoy the life that’s all around you because there is little else worth celebrating than the freedom to hear great music.And finally, please please please keep on dancing, keep on singing and keep on living, because “in times like these, in times like those, what will be will be, and so it goes.”
Always and often and on it goes, you can find my soul at the rock and roll shows.
Bloom
The Nation is poppin’ in the heat of the summer, folks. The weather is fine, the corn crop is lush, and I’ll never get tired of all the “women in their summer clothes.” The road is seared with my tire tracks as I travel the land reaching destinations of musical paradise where within the golden essence of lifestyle conservation can be distilled from the sweat of millions of dancing bodies. Rock and Roll is back on the scene and I’m sharin’ in the groove of this August rush.
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