Conclusion

So over the course of this semester I have started this blog, titled Music on My Mind. I’ve stayed rather consistent on my topic these past weeks, but have strayed away a little. I thought I was going to do more of just write about whatever I’m listening to at the moment, but it has become more than that. The expansion now covers anything and everything music. I’ve talked about festival lineups; the death of music festivals, concert reviews, CD reviews, and music people should download or buy. Pretty much anytime I came upon new music I enjoyed, I wanted to share it with people who read my blog, although I’m almost convinced no one even reads this damn thing. I plan on continuing with this blog because I did enjoy doing it. I know I posted pretty much only on Sunday’s, which yet again I find myself doing. But in the future I hope to listen to new music, go to a concert, and come back to my computer and write about it. Being a journalism major, not writing is the only thing that will hold me back. I want to eventually write about music for some sort of publication, so this is I guess the first step to achieving my goal. This assignment has helped me think about writing about music and how to go about it. Writing about music is something that I find very difficult because music is delivered to people in very different ways. People hear music in their own original way so trying to tell someone how I received the music is difficult. This has given me great practice and I want to thank my English 306 professor Jenna for assigning to my fellow classmates and me.

Mos Dub

So on the website www.mosdub.com there is a link for you to download the album for FREE people. I highly recommend downloading this album, not only because it’s free, but because it is beauty to the ears. It is a mixture of Mos Def and some dub reggae, hence the name Mos Dub. Being a big fan of both Mos Def and every kind of reggae, this was something I downloaded as soon as I heard of it. It says on the website that it is produced by Max Tannone, who I have never heard of. Also on the website there is a link to check out other remixes called Jaydiohead, a remix of Jay-Z and Radiohead, as well as a remix of Beastie Boys over themselves. The remix of Beastie Boys over themselves was an interesting idea to me. I never really thought to mix an artist with other songs of that same artist before. I still haven’t downloaded that album yet, but maybe after writing this blog I’ll check it out. I can’t praise Mos Dub enough. I’ve been listening to it non-stop for the past 2 or so weeks. I just love the perfect mixture of Mos Def rhymes and the chill music of dub reggae. I can listen to it when I wake up, when I’m riding my bike to class, before I go out, or when I come back for a couple of cold beverages with the homies.

Umphrey's Mcgee

If you guys haven’t heard of Umphrey’s Mcgee I highly recommend taking a listen. There in the jam band scene, but their sound is very different then their fellow jam peers. There is a certain metal and rock sound to their guitar riffs and overall sound, which I immediately fell in love with. They’ve been compared to the Grateful Dead and Phish in their improvisation skills. Not only are their originals amazing, but also their ability to cover songs is another part of the band that I love. I have an album of theirs titled, “Umphrey’s Covers the World” and they really do cover everything. Some of the songs on the album include, “Billie Jean”, “Regulators”, Trenchtown Rock”, “Paradise City”, etc.

Now, I’ve seen Umphrey’s a handful of times, and they still are one of my favorite live acts in the scene right now. I never leave a show of theirs dissatisfied or unhappy. Every person who sees them for the first time always says how amazing their concert was, or how it was not what they were expecting. Umphrey’s shows are really an experience I think everyone should try out. They are from South Bend, IN, but are now based in Chicago, IL. This also makes it great for me, be it that I’m from Chicago, so I get to see them frequently. I saw them this last New Year’s Eve and it was amazing. I also plan on seeing them this summer, probably more than just once too.

Pretty Lights Concert Review

So this last Tuesday I went to the Pretty Lights concert here in Tucson. I’ve seen a little of Pretty Lights before, saw a couple of songs of his at the Rothbury Festival in Michigan this past summer. I arrived at the Rialto Theatre not really expecting anything in particular. I just hoped there were more than a couple rows of people in the crowd. I’ve been to a show at the Rialto and there were legit three or four rows of people. It’s really a sad site when the band is playing there hardest and there are only 40 or so people in the room. But walking into the Rialto that Tuesday night was a different site. The room was full, and not just full of people sitting around watching, but people feeling the music and grooving. It’s refreshing to be with people who aren’t afraid to let their guard down and appreciate live tunes at it’s fullest. Pretty Lights was one of the better shows I’ve seen here in Tucson. The energy they brought was insane; they really brought the crowd into it.

I’m probably seeing Pretty Lights again this summer, at the SummerCamp Music Festival. Their scheduled to play one of the late night shows, which I feel is completely fitting. They are the perfect music to play the late night shows. It’s the kind of electronic music that Pretty Lights’ produces is exactly what my ears want to hear at 2 or 3 in the morning at a festival.

Phish 3D

So recently I have read that Phish will be coming out with a 3D film of their concert out in theaters. The film is set to come out April 30th in selected cities. Phish 3D is going to cover their Halloween show this past October in California. It was in Indio, Ca, which is the same location the Coachella Festival is on. The film is going to be an exclusive one week run in theaters nationwide. There is never before seen footage of them backstage and songs they covered during the Phish 8 fest in California. The film is supposed to be a little over 2 hours. I hope someone I know wants to go see this with me. I mean, Phish in 3D? C’mon that sounds like a visual and audio spectacle. Phish is also going to be heading on tour this summer. I plan on seeing them at the Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. I missed out on them last year and knew I made a mistake. Some of my friends attended the show and said it was unbelievable. I wonder what the film is going to be visually, what exactly is going to be 3D? I heard the Halloween show was incredible that weekend. They covered certain songs by the Rolling Stones, and I heard that is supposed to be in the movie as well.

Coachella- Live Stream

What would we do without modern technology? Well, without that I wouldn’t be watching a live stream video of the Coachella Music Festival right now. This is amazing, multiple camera angles, close to the stage, and good sound and video quality. The program is wired through Facebook application, which I found just searching on google. The Internet is changing the music scene in such an obvious light it’s insane. How music is distributed, watching live streams of concerts (like what I’m doing currently), and album leaks are all apart of this ever-changing music revolution. I’ve been watching it all-day and kicking myself for not going to the festival. Wish I had the money to go this year, but I plan on seeing LCD Soundsystem at this year’s Pitchfork Festival in Chicago. I didn’t even know how many people were in the band, definitely more people than I originally thought.

Today I’ve seen segments of De La Soul, Them Crooked Vultures, and as I mentioned before LCD Soundsystem. Them Crooked Vultures rocked, I mean their a legit supergroup. As this weekend progressed I was getting more and more jealous of the people who attended Coachella this year. I know the headliners weren’t the best, but seeing pictures of people enjoying the live music and atmosphere made me wish I got the money to go this year. Maybe I’ll start saving some money for next year’s fest.

Mike Posner

So recently one of my buddies showed me some new tunes. These tunes are courtesy of Mike Posner. He is currently a senior at Duke University and just signed a major record deal with J Records. When I first read this I was completely jealous of the guy. I mean a record deal your senior year of college? Pretty much my dream in a nutshell right there. He is a singer/songwriter/producer who has been considered in the synth-pop, electro-hop, and hip-hop genres. He currently has two mixtapes out right now. His first mixtape is titled, “A Matter of Time”, and his second is titled, “One Foot Out the Door”. His sound is unique in the fact that he brings hip-hop and dance beats together. His catchy melodies combined with the synth noises add for a nice mixture. My favorites from Posner include, “You Don’t Have to Leave”, “Cooler Than Me”, and “Bring Me Down”, all of which are off his latest mixtape, “One Foot Out the Door”. I’ve seen a youtube video of him where he just makes one of his songs in his dorm room. He’s got a massive piano/synthesizer and a laptop in his room. It really is amazing how now a days you don’t even need a recording studio to become popular. You can literally make your own music in your room, in Posner’s case in your own dorm room. I can’t even imagine how popular this guy is on Duke’s campus. It’d be a pretty tough decision to stay in school after signing a major record deal, but I think he made the right one. Being so close to graduating I would probably have done the same thing. Posner tours on the weekends, with that and studying probably takes up most of his time. That’s a hell of a way to end your collegiate career if you ask me.