Three Days, Three Concerts

So, this weekend should be fun and full of sound. As things lined up, I'm going to hit three concerts this weekend.

Friday -
Avi & Celia are out of Vermont, having formed a couple years ago at the University of Vermont (where other notable acts such as Phish formed), and have recently been named the best act of the month by Higher Ground, the best music place in Vermont. They're doing a show at the Langdon Street Cafe, a small music venue in Montpelier.

Saturday -

Up at the University of Vermont, two bands are playing for the school, Guster with Brett Dennen opening for them. I've only listened to a limited number of these guys songs, but I've enjoyed them. Guster recently released their latest album, Ganging Up on the Sun, which has some good songs on it. Brett Dennen's got a folk-ish sound that's quite good. I'm looking forwards to this show, even though I just found out about it about a week ago.

She's Mine - Brett Dennen
Satellite - Guster


Sunday -

This is a show that I've really been looking forwards to for the past month or so, Brandi Carlile with A Fine Frenzy opening. Both women are fantastic singers, each with a fantastic sound. They're playing up at the Higher Ground Music Hall in South Burlington, and this should be a good one.

Rangers - A Fine Frenzy
The Story - Brandi Carlile

I'll most likely be posting up reviews of each of these concerts on Monday, when I get back to my computer, so stay tuned.

Hype - Buy

Women Who Rock - CYA's Top Ten

I've been looking up information on Regina Spektor, as she's got a concert here next week, and I'm contemplating on going over to see that at some point. While looking around, I came across a reference that she was #5 on Spinner.com's Women Who Rock list. I took a look and decided to come up with my own list.



10 - Brandi Carlile
It took me a little while to get into Brandi Carlile. It wasn't until she released The Story that I started getting into her unique sound, and really started listening. She's got one helluva vocal range, and a fantastic voice to go along with it. She'll be up here in October and I'm planning on seeing that.

The Story - Brandi Carlile

9 - Regina Spektor
I've started to get into Regina Spektor. She's got a very cool sound that borders on a bunch of things. Originally from Russia, she's come to New York and is doing quite well for herself with her first album, Begin to Hope. She's coming to Middlebury next week. Should I see her?

On the Radio - Regina Spektor


8 - Tristan Prettyman
My first exposure to Tristan Prettyman was through the show Six Degrees with Love, Love, Love, and since then, I've loved, loved, loved her music. Acoustic guitar and great vocals is what she's all about.

Evaporated - Tristan Prettyman


7 - A Fine Frenzy
A Fine Frenzy is another one that I've picked up from the television world, this time when they used Hope for the Hopeless in House. Her fantastic voice couples well with her piano work, along with some absolutely stellar lyrics. I'll be seeing her in October with Brandi.

Rangers - A Fine Frenzy

6 - Feist
I got into Feist with her first single, Let It Die, and I've really enjoyed her upbeat, pop sound, as well as her work with Broken Social Scene. I just missed her show up here in Vermont with Rogue Wave, and I'm kicking myself about that...

1 2 3 4 - Feist


5 - Sara Wheeler
I came across Sara Wheeler at my school five years ago, and just got one of her newer albums. Like Prettyman, she's got the whole acoustic guitar and fantastic vocals going for her, with some great songs. I hope that she'll be back out and about soon.

Freedom - Sara Wheeler


4 - Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley is a new band for me - I got Under the Blacklight and loved it. They've got a great feel and variety to all their music, and are quite standoffish in a way that's not overdone.

Dreamworld - Rilo Kiley


3 - KT Tunstall
Where to start with KT Tunstall? I loved her first album, Eye to the Telescope, as well as her second album, Drastic Fantastic (review coming next week) and just love this woman's sound and style. She did some time here in Vermont, and hopefully, will be returning.

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall


2 - Sara Bareilles
I just got into Sara Bareilles a couple weeks ago when I came across her fantastic first album Little Voice. She's got great lyrics and sound here with this first album, and I'm hoping that we'll see more from her in the near future.

Love Song - Sara Bareilles


1 - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
No contest for me - Grace Potter is the best female vocalist out there at the moment. She rocks hard, her live concerts are just out of this world, and she's got some deep influences with Rock & Roll. Plus, her songs, sound and voice are all just amazing. Go out and buy This is Somewhere, you won't regret it. Or, get her other two albums, Nothing But The Water or Original Voice.

Mr. Columbus - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Hype - Buy - Look

Best of the Month: August

Over the past month, I've been collecting, listening and buying songs as they catch my interest, and here are my picks for the best of August:

Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen
The boss is back with the first single in a couple of years now, and this one's pretty damn good. Solid guitar work and drive behind this one, with a solid track once again.

Don't Stop Now - Crowded House
Even A Child - Crowded House
Crowded House is back after, inadvertently. Starting out as a solo album with the older members of the band added on, they're back with a bit of a better sound than before, with two fantastic songs, Don't Stop Now and Even A Child.

Ashes and Wine - A Fine Frenzy
Rangers - A Fine Frenzy
A Fine Frenzy, whom I've talked about before, is off to a fantastic start with her first album, with a sweet voice and beautiful piano accompaniment, all the while displaying some fantastic lyrics. Ashes & Wine and Rangers are two of the best songs off the album, although the entire thing is pretty damn good.

The Pretender - Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are back with their latest single, The Pretender, which starts off slow before exploding into a really good song. I'm not sure if it's as good as Best Of You, but it's still a pretty good track.

Mr. Columbus - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Falling or Flying - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals exploded with their first major studio release, This Is Somewhere, refining their sound and sharpening their already fantastic songwriting skills. Mr. Columbus and Falling Or Flying are two of the best tracks from the album, although you'd be hard pressed to find a bad song on that album.

Boy With A Coin - Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine's latest single shows a little experimentation, adding in a bit of a faster rhythm and a richer sound than some of his older songs, but it's an a really catchy track that's just amazing.

1973 - James Blunt
I wasn't a fan of Blunt's first single, You're Beautiful, but 1973 really won me over, I'm not sure if I'll check out the rest of the album, but this one's a much stronger track that's good in it's own right.

Killing for Love - José González
Down The Line - José González
José González is following up the amazing Veneer with In Our Nature, with more original works, but a couple of covers as well (Teardrop). Killing for Love and Down The Line are two really good tracks that highlight his acoustic guitar work and lyrics.

Close Call - Rilo Kiley
Dreamworld - Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley's been the talk of the blogging and media community for the last couple weeks with her new album, Under the Blacklight with some of the best pop music out there. Blending some really cool guitar work and vocal talent, this album's certainly a really good listen. Close Call and Dreamworld are my two favorites from the album.

Hold On (iTunes)– KT Tunstall
K.T. Tunstall’s back with a new single, for her upcoming album Drastic Fantastic, which is fast, hyper and sounds like a fantastic followup to her last release, Eye to the Telescope.

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Vampire Weekend
This is a fun offbeat song who’s just released their first self-titled EP. It’s light, poppy, indie music at its best. These are some guys to keep an eye on.

Hype – Buy

iTunes Free Music of the Week

Every Tuesday, iTunes has a couple of songs up for free download. Sometimes, it's crap, sometimes, it's really good. This week:

Road to Recovery - Midnight Juggernauts

You Picked Me - A Fine Frenzy *Really Good*

Promesa de Amor - Jeremias

Also, they've got the pilot to the new SciFi remake, Flash Gordon, up for free.

New Artist: A Fine Frenzy

I first learned of A Fine Frenzy earlier this year, when one of her tracks, Hope for the Hopeless, was used on the FOX show House, MD. Like most of the other music selections in the show (almost all of which are exceptional), the song really stood out.

A Fine Frenzy is the stage name for Alison Sodul, who hails out of Seattle, and who taught herself the piano. Now, her debut album has just been released, One Cell in the Sea, and like Hope for the Hopeless, the album is full of outstanding and quite beautiful songwriting and sound. Some of the songs, such as the ones below, really strike me:

Ashes and Wine - A Fine Frenzy
Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy

Hype - Buy - Look