As you may have heard, the Bonnaroo Music Festival has once again announced, yet another, line-up for the ages. Headlining this years festivities are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Beastie Boys, Phish, and Nine Inch Nails. Although these bands have made an incredible impact on the history of music, there are numerous other bands I would much rather see. (Don't get me wrong, I'm quite certain I will dazedly stumble into the Beastie Boys crowd and "fight...for my right...to party!" I mean, it is the Beastie Boys for Gods sake.) In no particular order, here are my top 5 bands to see at Bonnaroo in 2009. Ladies first...
1)Santogold: I first read about Santi in a SPIN magazine I picked up in May of 2008; she was one of the few "Artists To Watch" that year. Of course, I am a sucker for new music and immediately logged on to her Myspace page to check her out. After hearing the song L.E.S. Artistes, I immediately fell in love. I was intrigued by her eccentric, afro-beat, rock n' roll style. I immediately bought her cd, and without holding back, I can say that every song is good. You have probably heard her music in a Bud Light Lime or VO5 commercial at some point in your life. I have seen her on a few late night shows. Her stage presence is subtle, but her music will rock your socks off. Rolling stone once made the equation M.I.A. + Karen O + the 1980s = Santogold. Something to think about.
Notable Songs: L.E.S. Artistes, Creator, Say Aha.
2)The Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Recently, the YYY's were placed in the top 25 bands to see live, putting them in the likes of U2, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, and The White Stripes. They are currently working on a new album due out this spring, but with the albums "Fever to Tell" and "Show Your Bones" under their belt, I am quite sure they could make up one hell of a set-list. From what I have seen of their live (video) shows, Karen O wants nothing more from the crowd to feel her emotion in each and every song. She has no fear, holds nothing back, and her band mates can drop kick you in the face with a riff of the axe and a beat of a drum. I will wait for an entire day to see this band.
^My Must See ^
Notable Songs: Maps, Phenomena, Rich, Gold Lion.
3)T.V. On The Radio: I honestly first heard of TVOTR in early 2005 when a few of my friends drunkenly stumbled into our designated drivers car to get a ride home. I remember asking him who the band was and where they were from because, at the time, I was really getting into it. (Of course, after a few cold ones just about anything sounds good.) But, they made an impact on me. So when their third album, "Return to Cookie Mountain" surfaced in 2006, I remembered that ride home and immediately downloaded their cd. Of their three, at the time, I thought this one was the best. So here we are in 2009 with yet another fascinating album. They had a big year in 2008 with "Dear Science," winning Rolling Stones greatest album of the year. I was hesitant to say whether I liked/disliked the record because of my obsession the previous one, but after hearing it a few times, I can proudly say its definately worth a listen. I am really looking forward to seeing what they can produce on stage. With a few lights glowing and the amps turned up, I'm sure it will be one hell of a show.
Notable Songs: Wolf Like Me, Province, Halfway Home.
4)The Mars Volta: TMV was named the "Best Progressive Rock Band of 2008" by Rolling Stone magazine. From what I've seen on videos, singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez can flat out break it down on stage. If you combined Zach de la Roca's passion and extravagant force on stage, mix it with a few of Jim Morrison's dancing rants, add a hint of Grateful Dead jam sessions, and top it off with a Pink Floyd-esque light show, you have The Mars Volta on stage. Every person I know who has saw them live has told me they seriously pack a punch and were worth every penny they spent on tickets.
Notable Songs: Televators, Goliath, The Widow.
5)Girl Talk: No, I'm not referring to the 1988 party game designed for teeny-bopping, adolescent girls. I'm talking about Gregg Gillis' stage name. GG specializes in mixing dozens of samples from different songs and basically creates a new one. For example, you may hear the Beastie Boys, Lil' Wayne, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyonce', Jay-Z, Jurassic 5, Bubba Sparxxx, Kid N Play, Led Zepplin', and Nelly all on one track mixed together. Its very creative and a lot of fun to get funky-dance-crazy-mixed-up-rock-out-tastic-buckwild to. My cousin saw him in Detroit and said he had never seen anything like it. I saved this one for last because a friend and I had the opportunity to catch his show in Louisville a few months back and passed it up. We have regretted it ever since. Check out youtube clips and you'll see why.
Notable Songs: Play Your Part (Part 1 and 2), Set It Off, What Its All About.
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