Vampire Weekend

In honor of me having to sell my ticket to their upcoming concert in April, I thought the least I could do was dedicate a blog post about them! (Can't go because I'm broke) I saw Vampire Weekend at ACL this past year and I absolutely loved them. I've been following them casually over the years, mainly because of Sofie, and have genuinely loved their music. I also loved the way they made the crowd dance and listen to their words. It's really cool to see a band move their audience and I think Vampire Weekend definitely achieved that. Also, the main singer, Ezra, was decked out in a full body jump suit. In Austin. Where it is hot. All the time. So man I was feeling for him up there. My favorite song right now is Unbelievers and Oxford Comma. I think Oxford Comma is the funniest song, it kinda brings out my inner nerd a lil bit. And an oldie but a goodie that was my first Vampire Weekend to be exposed to was The Kids Don't Stand a Chance. LOVE it.

Drive By Truckers

I looked up the Drive By Truckers. Pretty good! I'm still getting the depressing, sad, emotional vibe from them though. Which is fine by me but I think Isbell needs to add a few happy or at least hopeful songs to his list. I think the difference between Jason Isbell and the Drive By Truckers is that the Drive By Truckers definitely have a lot more instruments/depth going for them but I think Jason Isbell as a solo artist is more personal with his song and audience. I have not fully explored the Drive-By Truckers yet but I plan to!

Jay Z - The Black Album

Never have I ever realized (until now) how conceited this album is. Every single lyric has to do with Jay-Z being the biggest thing in music/ever. But since it is Jay Z, he can definitely say that and not be criticized for it. That being said, I am obsessed with this album. My favorites by far are Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Encore, Moment of Clarity and 99 Problems. I think this album establishes Jay Z as a classic modern rapper and sets the bar SUPER high for hip/hop rap in the future. While this album is modern, it sounds a bit retro as well, I'm not sure why though. One thing I thought was interesting about this album is that Jay Z got a different producer for each track, which I think added a lot of diversity to the album.

The Civil Wars - Billie Jean

I think this cover is beautifully done. It takes Michael Jackson's song and makes it their own I think. I personally don't like it when artists copy a song's tempo or they make it sound exactly like the original. And it is very hard to do a cover of someone that had such an impact on music like The Beatles or Michael Jackson. I love the harmonies in this song. However, I typically don't listen to the Civil Wars unless I'm taking a nap or doing something super calm. But I really like this cover for it's original take on the original song.

Red Hot Chili Peppers/Super Bowl fiasco

Some aspects of their Super Bowl performance bugs me but then I think about how successful and talented (I know you don't like that word ha sorry) they are it doesn't bother me as much. This was a mistake but I would never pass up an opportunity to play at the Super Bowl. That is an honor that someone should not turn down. I understand that it is disrespectful to both the musicians and the audience but I think they handled somewhat well. On stage, it was so obvious that their guitars weren't plugged in and I honestly think they wanted us to notice. I think they were almost making fun of the Super Bowl people and decided to joke around. Their "air guitars" were over done and I think they were just having fun, which they definitely deserve it. Music is sacred but I think that most of the blame should be put on the people that made the Chili Peppers do this, not the Chili Peppers themselves. This doesn't make me like/dislike the band anymore or less though.

Carole King (and a little James Taylor)

So I disagree with the statement: Carole King is like the Bob Dylan etc. Lyrically, I think they both have beautiful lyrics, but vocally Carole King has Bob Dylan beat in my opinion. My parents have a Carole King record and when I brought home the record player she was the first record we listened to. I love her raspy voice I think it adds personality to her songs. I was watching live recordings/shows of Carole King and she is an amazing pianist. I got introduced to Carole King through being introduced to James Taylor by my parents. I really love James Taylor. He is an amazing writer in my opinion. Did you know that he wrote his first song on the guitar when he was 14?? Anyway, I love Carolina On My Mind and Sweet Baby James. They're really sweet songs. You've Got a Friend, when sang with James and Carole, is my favorite though.