The 11 Best Bands at Coachella…each day

Incredible line-up this year.  Impossible to do one list for the whole festival…so here’s three lists! One for each day.  These are by no means the only good bands playing, just the ones that I’m most excited about.  And Saturday is easily the most packed day.

The 11 Best Bands at Coachella on Friday:

  1. Outkast
  2. Girl Talk
  3. Broken Bells
  4. The Replacements
  5. HAIM
  6. A$AP Ferg
  7. Ellie Goulding
  8. Waxahatchee
  9. Bryan Ferry
  10. Grouplove
  11. Zedd

The 11 Best Bands at Coachella on Saturday:

  1. Foster The People
  2. Empire Of The Sun
  3. Cage The Elephant
  4. Nas
  5. Muse
  6. Pet Shop Boys
  7. Skrillex
  8. MGMT
  9. CHVRCHES
  10. Blood Orange
  11. The Head and The Heart

The 11 Best Bands at Coachella on Sunday:

  1. Arcade Fire
  2. Neutral Milk Hotel
  3. Beck
  4. Superchunk
  5. Lana Del Rey
  6. STRFKR
  7. Calvin Harris
  8. Disclosure
  9. Preservation Hall Jazz Band
  10. Chance The Rapper
  11. Bad Manners

 

 

 

The 11 Best Songs By MGMT

When MGMT burst onto the scene a few years ago, it was like a meteor filled with chocolate covered cherries exploded in our ears.  The album was all over the map from sugary synthy dance mania to psychedelic-laced head trips.  It was chaotic sound storm but it was beautiful at that same time.   Though their sophomore album toned down the frequency it still managed to deliver a worthwhile effort.  But now it’s time for album three and the early word is not good.  I know MGMT sounds like they’re trying to be the next Flaming Lips…but they should really be following in the footsteps of The Offspring.  See, the Offspring was originally a straight up punk band in the style of Bad Religion.  Though they had some hardcore fans, they were not appeasing a bigger fan base.  They started adding one or two goofy radio songs per album for the pop radio fans while on the rest of the album they stuck to their typical aggressive rock.  Twenty years later, they’re still trucking.  It was a compromise.  Do a couple songs or the labels and radio, and in return, you get to have a career making music you love.  Not a bad trade-off.  MGMT should have a 1-2 Kids-like songs per album.  It’s what the fans want.  Learn from Dexter Holland, he’s a very smart guy.  He may sing for a punk rock band…but he also has a doctorate in microbiology.  True story!

Here are the 11 Best Songs By MGMT:

  1. Kids (Oracular Spectacular)
  2. Electric Feel (Oracular Spectacular)
  3. Time To Pretend (Oracular Spectacular)
  4. Flash Delirium (Congratulations)
  5. Weekend Wars (Oracular Spectacular)
  6. Song For Dan Treacy (Congratulations)
  7. Of Moons, Birds, & Monsters (Oracular Spectacular)
  8. Brian Eno (Congratulations)
  9. Indie Rokkers (Time To Pretend EP)
  10. Love Always Remains (Time To Pretend EP)
  11. Metanoia (Metanoia)

Buy MGMT’s new album, MGMT…now!!

The 11 Best Songs of the Year (so far):

I’m a sucker for a request.  And I’m a sucker for making lists.  Had no intention of doing this…but if the fans want it…then…

 Here are the 11 Best Songs of the Year (so far):

 1.  I Was A Teenage Anarchist Against Me! (White Crosses)

2.  25 To Life – Eminem (Recovery)

3.  Odessa – Caribou (Swim)

4.  Soft In The Center – The Hold Steady (Heaven Is Whenever)

5.  You Wanted A Hit – LCD Soundsystem (This Is Happening)

6.  Giving Up The Gun – Vampire Weekend (Contra)

7.  Valleys of Neptune – Jimi Hendrix (Valleys of Neptune)

8.  End Love – OKGo (Of The Blue Colour of The Sky)

 9.  Can’t Hear My Eyes – Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (Before Today)

10.  Flash Delirium – MGMT (Congratulations)

11.  The Fourth Night of Drinking – The Drive-By Truckers (The Big To-Do)

 Buy any of the great releases from 2010 and more!

The 11 Best Albums of the Year (so far)

 Over halfway through the year and I am unimpressed.  Eminem’s new album is pretty good and definitely a return to form.  But the best of the year?  It’s not even the best Em album.  Maybe 3rd best.  And Massive Attack, Morcheeba, and MGMT have all made nice albums…but these are far from their best material.  So what gives?  Last year at this time, the Animal Collective, the xx, Grizzly Bear, and Phoenix had all released albums.  I’ve listened to Sleigh Bells (a reincarnation of Atari Teenage Riot), Best Coast (the new Raveonettes), Surfer Blood (a watered-down Pavement), Beach House (a more moody Joan As Police Woman), & Local Natives (a less innovative Elbow) and have been underwhelmed by all of them. Where’s the good music people?!

 This decade is really starting off with a whimper.

 Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2010 (so far):

 1.  Eminem – Recovery

2.  LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

3.  Massive Attack – Heliogoland

4.  Morcheeba – Blood Like Lemonade

5.  Jonsi – Go

6.  MGMT – Congratulations

7.  Tokyo Police Club – Champ

8.  Against Me! – White Crosses

9.  Free Energy – Stuck on Nothin’

10. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Mojo

11. Caribou – Swim

 Buy these great 2010 albums and others now!

The Unknown: Beck’s Record Club (W/ MGMT) – Songs of Leonard Cohen

This weekend my wife got in a fight with her best friend over text message.  What was the fight about?…one of them didn’t understand what the other said in her text.  Then she, misinterpreted it…and instead of calling and figuring it all out…they preceded to snap back-and-forth at each other in text over their cellphones, whipping each other into a frenzy.  At one point, my wife said she would never talk to her friend ever again.  All over a misread text.  Things are better now…they are BFFs again…but it just goes to show…though technology has changed our lives…we still go through all the same shit.
 
Here is Beck’s Record Club (featuring MGMT) – Songs of Leonard Cohen
 
1.  Suzanne
 
Buy MGMT’s new album, Congratulations…now!!!