2009's Best Music (Metal Edition)

1) Skeletonwitch - Breathing the Fire
2) Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive
3) Baroness - Blue Record
4) Kylesa - Static Tensions ("Said and Done")
5) Mastodon - Crack the Skye
6) Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse Now (stream)
7) Slayer - World Painted Blood

2009's Best Music

1) The Maldives - Listen to the Thunder (stream)
2) Port O'Brien - Threadbare ("My Will Is Good")
3) The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
4) Joel Smith - The Filibuster
5) The Thermals - Now We Can See
6) David Bazan - Curse Your Branches
7) Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
8) Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
9) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
10) Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Elkfest 2009 - Spokane, WA (5/29-31/2009)

Elkfest was hot and fun this year. The Elk installed water misters in their tented area which were quite refreshing. All of the bands were pleasantly surprising. I was already looking forward to seeing the Moondoggies and I wasn't disappointed. I caught the very end of Shim's set on Saturday night. I'll definitely have to check them out in the future. I was able to grab CD's from the Moondoggies and Joel Smith.

The Booze Fighters

Silian Rail

Joel Smith and the Hands of Plenty

The Maldives

Pickwick

David Dondero

The Moondoggies

Flickr, Last.fm

Elkfest 2009 Lineup

Elkfest is taking over Cannon St. again for 3 days of music, sun, and beer. Elkfest runs Friday through Sunday, May 29th through May 31st. Artfest is also taking place down the street at Coeur d'Alene Park. Here's the Elkfest Lineup, check out the Elkfest page for artist links.

Friday May 29th

4 PM - The Booze Fighters

6:30 PM - Silian Rail

9:15 PM - The Globes

Saturday May 30th

2 PM - Kaylee Cole w/ Adam David, Dane Ueland, and Kevin Long

3:30 PM - Joel Smith & the Hands of Plenty

5 PM - Whiskey Dick Mountain

6:15 PM - La Cha-Cha

8 PM - The Maldives

9:15 PM - Shim

Sunday May 31st

3 PM - Pickwick

4:15 PM - David Dondero

5:30 PM - The Moondoggies ("Changing" MP3)

7 PM - James Pants & the Royal Zodiac

8:15 PM - Velella Velella ("Do Not Fold/Do Not Bend" MP3)

Record Store Day 2009 - The Haul

Record Store Day festivities at Rhino Records on the way to Coachella. Links updated as I find them.


Bad Religion 7"
Blitzen Trapper "War Is Placebo" 7"
Dead Weather 7"
The Decemberists "The Rake's Song" 7"
Fat Possum Records Sampler 7"
Flaming Lips / Black Keys "Borderline / Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" 7"
El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez "Cryptomnesia" full-length LP
Flight of the Conchords "Pencils in the Wind" 7"
Gaslight Anthem "Live at 10"
Grizzly Bear "Live at KCRW" 7"
Heaven & Hell "Bible Black" 7"
Iron & Wine "Norfolk 06/20/05" CD
Jane's Addiction "Mountain Song" 7"
Jay Reatard & Sonic Youth split 7"
MC5 "Kick Out the Jams" 7"
Misfits "Walk Among Us" LP
My Morning Jacket "Celebracion de la Ciudad Natal" CD & double 10" w/CD
New Order "Temptation" 7"
Obits "I Can't Lose" 7"
Record Store Day Sampler LP
Silversun Pickups "Pikul" 12"
Slayer "Psychopathy Red" 7"
Sonic Youth & Beck split 7"
Sublime "Superstar Punani" 7"
Thermals/Thao Split 7"
These Arms Are Snakes & Russian Circles clear vinyl 12"
Vetiver "Wishing Well" 7"
Tom Waits "Live from the Glitter Dome" 7"
Whiskeytown "San Antone" 7"

EDIT: 6/25 more links

Coachella 2009 - The Plan

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM - Rhino Records (Record Store Day)

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - Driving

1:30 PM to 2:10 PM - Cloud Cult

2:40 PM to 3:30 PM - Joss Stone

3:45 PM to 4:35 PM - Blitzen Trapper

4:35 PM to 4:55 PM - Dr. Dog

5:05 PM to 5:50 PM - Henry Rollins

6:25 PM to 7:15 PM - TV on the Radio

7:25 PM to 8:15 PM - Fleet Foxes

8:40 PM to 9:30 PM - Band of Horses

10:25 PM - The Killers

11:05 PM - Mastodon

Coachooser

Record Store Day 2009 - The Plan

As I previously posted, Record Store Day takes place on April 18th this year. Now this year, Becca and I will be attending Coachella on that very same day. Not to worry, there is still hope. Coachella is very aware of the importance of Record Store Day and will have their very own record store day market at the festival. Also, just in case, I have located participating stores in Palm Desert and Claremont.

Also with regards to my previous post, the number of record store day exclusive releases has grown exponentially. I mentioned a couple last time, but the list has grown quite large. I hoping to hit a couple of the stores I mentioned because you can't find all of the exclusives everywhere. The complete list can be found here. Some notable additions are singles by Blitzen Trapper, the Decemberists, Flight of the Conchords, Modest Mouse, Heaven & Hell, Slayer, and Grizzly Bear.

Festivals 2009

The festival season is almost here. Here's what we have to look forward to (not full lineups):

SXSW (Austin, TX March 13 - March 22)

The Decemberists, Devo, Annuals, Beach House, Andrew Bird, The Black Angels, Black Lips, Deer Tick, Delta Spirit, Dredg, Explosions in the Sky, Grand Archives, Grizzly Bear, Handsome Furs, The Hold Steady, Justin Townes Earle, Mika Miko, Monotonix, Passion Pit, Peter Bjorn and John, The Raveonettes, The Shackeltons, Telekinesis!, These Arms Are Snakes

• The Decemberists will play The Hazards of Love in its entirety (with live stream on NPR).

• The Hold Steady to play Rachel Ray SXSW party.

Coachella (Indio, CA April 17 - April 19)

Brian Jonestown Massacre, Beirut, Band of Horses, The Black Keys, Blitzen Trapper, Calexico, Cloud Cult, The Cure, Drive-By Truckers, Fleet Foxes, Franz Ferdinand, Fucked Up, The Hold Steady, The Killers, Mastodon, M. Ward, Morrissey, My Bloody Valentine, No Age, Okkervil River, Paul McCartney, Peter Bjorn and John, Silversun Pickups, Throbbing Gristle, TV on the Radio

• Throbbing Gristle Play Coachella & first ever NYC show

Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN June 11 - June 14)

Bruce Springsteen, Phish (2 shows), Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Wilco, Snoop Dogg, Elvis Costello, The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, MGMT, The Decemberists, Bon Iver, Animal Collective, Neko Case, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer

• Bruce Springsteen and reunited Phish play Bonnaroo
  

Up next Sasquatch, PDX Pop Now!, Bumbershoot, Musicfest NW

Record Store Day 2009

It's that time of year again! Of course, I'm talking about National Record Store Day. The day that we come together to celebrate independent record shops across the country. I first heard my favorite song of last year, "Furr", on a free Sub Pop compilation I received at last year's event.

This year Matador is releasing three exclusives records only for participating shops. Artists involved include Beck, Sonic Youth, Jay Reatard, and Pavement.

EDIT: The Thermals and Thao with Get Down Stay Down are releasing an exclusive split as well.

Local participating stores:

Spokane - Unified Groove Merchants, 4000 Holes

Portland - Everyday Music, Jackpot Records, Music Millenium