Things Carrie Loves

Top 10 Albums of 2010

guitargogether — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:23:34 +0000

It’s that time of year again kids… It was a great year for music and this list was very hard to compile! I’m sure I’ve forgot and left something big out!

Let’s dig right in shall we…

10- Fistful of Mercy – As I Call You Down

9- Sleigh Bells – Treats

8- Jonathon Tyler and The Northern Lights – Pardon Me

7- Carl Broemel – All Birds Say

6- The Whigs – In The Dark

5- The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards

4- Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown

3- The Black Keys – Brothers

2- Arcade Fire – Suburbs

1- Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues

Best Music Video of 2010

guitargogether — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:18:17 +0000

The Black Keys – Tighten Up

Humor coupled with an excellent song and a little violence thrown in always makes for a good video!

Stay tuned for more of my “best of 2010″ posts including my best album list that always gets people running to amazon/itunes!

You Gotta Hear This: Carl Broemel

guitargogether — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:28:40 +0000

You m ight not have heard of Carl Broemel before but you’ve probably heard of the band he’s in (or heard me obsessing over them) My Morning Jacket. This past summer Carl released an album of his own. I love it. You should love it to.

I can’t find any HQ stuff on youtube so you’re just gonna need to trust me on this one…

here’s one of the ok quality vids i found for Carried Away (live)

You Gotta Hear This: Fistful of Mercy

guitargogether — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:18:32 +0000

Normally I wait until I’ve heard the album at least once in its entirety but I’m so excited about this album that after only a few tracks in I feel the need to shout my love from the rooftops. The band consists of Dhani Harrison, Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur. I’m a sucker for super groups and this one is undeniably super! I just hope and pray I haven’t missed any tour dates! I meant to check out the album over a month ago when it came out and I forgot thankfully the bands appearance on Conon jogged my memory and sparked my interest! I know a few bands that just got some competition on my best of 2010 list!

Check out:

In Vain or True (live)

Father’s Son (live on Fallon)

Voodoo Fest 2010

guitargogether — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 04:55:26 +0000

My latest adventure was a four day weekend trip to New Orleans with two of my favorite whores. In between drinking our breakfast, enticing bands to come to our room with promises of vodka, impromptu dance parties in the middle of Bourbon Street, and ghost hunting we went to VooDoo Fest. The festival isn’t as big as other fests like Bonnaroo or Lollapolooza but still has major artists gracing it’s stages. This meant less walking not to mention fall in New Orleans is the perfect festival weather!

Friday was the first day of the fest. There really weren’t any bands we wanted to see except the nights headliner, Muse. We got there early and grabbed some dinner with our alcohol. (I respectfully declined the alligator on a stick) We sat in the grass and complained about… I mean listened to Weezer play at the stage across from the stage Muse would be playing. I didn’t think they were ever gonna get off the stage. I’m pretty sure they played their entire catalog as well as a bad MGMT/Lady GaGa cover. Finally it was almost time for Muse so we made our way to a good spot fairly close. Of course we get stuck behind the biggest slut/stoner at the entire festival. The second she smelled weed she was on whoever’s it was and smoked half of it while recounting a story from the night before where she got so high she thought her voice box was disintegrating. Muse came out and were mind blowing from the very start. The slut in front of us ditched her boyfriend and spent the entire show grinding on the guy next to her while her boyfriend stood there like an idiot. Nevertheless even though she made it incredibly difficult to pay attention to Muse the show went on and Muse were amazing! Matt Bellamy looked like a shiny disco ball in his sequenced suit rocking out on stage. They put on one of the best shows I’ve been to! Most notably the song Feelin Good because it became our anthem for the rest of the weekend! (if I had a dollar for every time I said Feelin Good that weekend it would have paid for the trip!

Saturday was another chill day with only two bands we wanted to see. First up was The Whigs! We arrived at the fest and got our alcohol aka lunch and got a spot right at the barrier (one of us was barrier and the other two behind). It felt like a lot of the crowd was there to try and get a good spot for Florence + The Machine but those who were there for The Whigs were really into it. They played an amazing set mixed with songs from their first album and their latest. Naked is phenomenal live! They’re so energetic on stage and obviously put 150% into their performance. I thought a camera man was gonna get kicked by Parker more than once though!

While we waited between The Whigs and Florence we listened/watched Cage the Elephant at the stage across from ours. They sucked pretty bad. Then the lead singer literally wouldn’t go backstage. He crawled on top of any surface he could to stage dive off of including the VIP tent. We were positive his death was near but he survived and finally left.

Next up was Florence + The Machine aka the porcelain skinned flame haired goddess of music. By this time we all three were on the barrier. I felt like a 12 year old at Justin Bieber concert waiting for her to take the stage and had to fight back tears from the emotional joy I was experiencing watching/listening to her. She’s like a talented classy version of Lady GaGa. Her voice is 10 times better (it’s heavenly) plus she actually sings live. A little over halfway through the show she tossed one of the drumsticks she uses during the show out into the crowd. It was headed towards the person about 2 people away from me but bounced out of their hands then bounced off the person next to them and flew up in slow motion. Without even thinking I reached out and grabbed it which also appeared in slow motion. Not only did it feel like slow motion and appear in slow motion to me but my two friends also said it appeared that way. I kind of just swooped in and grabbed it. If I wasn’t left handed I probably wouldn’t have got it! I did get it though and I held it tightly for the rest of the mind blowing show! The jumping at the end during Dog Days almost killed me but was fun!

At the end of the show I was approached by another girl who came up and asked for me to let her plead her case. I thought she was gonna ask to hold my newest most prized possession (I would not have let her! trust no one is my motto!) but no… she starts going on about how she drove all the way from Oklahoma and how she’s been a fan for over a year and asked if she could please have the drumstick. I just stared at her as she cried (yes she really cried). She suddenly stopped crying when I said no sorry I drove all the way from Nashville to see Florence. She rudely asked how long I had been a fan and was not happy when I replied “probably longer than you.” (it’s probably the truth… I first started listening to Florence a long time ago when a friend from the UK mentioned her). I then walked off to join my friends and we had a good laugh over her. I really wanted to be like ‘sure you can have it’ and act like I was gonna give it to her and then pull it back and run off laughing cause that’s just the kind of person I am but I didn’t. She probably sat in her hotel room rocking herself back and forth crying all night.

The next day we were supposed to go see Jonathon Tyler and the Northern Lights but sadly did not make it. They played a little to early for us considering we drank most of our meals the two days before. (I’m sorry JTNL…next time I’ll get my ass out of bed!) We made it in time to listen to MGMT while waiting for My Morning Jacket. (I again respectfully declined alligator on a stick) MGMT sounded good but I was really just excited for My Morning Jacket. We were pretty close for them (as close as we could be since the main pit area is reserved for VIP ticket holders which was stupid if you ask me). They came out dressed in wizard costumes made from white robes, long white wigs, and moon face masks. They played one song that I’m pretty sure was new unless it’s some old song I’m not aware of. Other people around me were asking if it was new too though. Despite their sheer epicness on stage I left before the last few songs knowing that we’d need to make the shuttle back to the hotel and there would be a huge crowd to fight if I waited. They were a great way to end the festival though! You really can’t beat MMJ on Halloween in New Orleans!

Overall I really liked Voodoo as a festival. It was so low key compared to the others. There was no two mile hike from the parking lot to the festival and the layout of the festival was nice! The main stages were within sight of each other so you could see all the main acts. The weather was perfect! We didn’t have to pack a bag for the day and there weren’t so many bands that it required running around like crazy trying to see them all. I’d definitely go back to Voodoo again!

See all my Voodoo pics here: http://s850.photobucket.com/albums/ab62/guitargogether/Voodoo%202010/

A short clip of The Whigs:

You Gotta Hear This: Jonathon Tyler and the Northern Lights

guitargogether — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:45:00 +0000

I know I’ve mentioned Jonathon Tyler and the Northern Lights (JTNL) before on Tumblr/Twitter. They’re one of those bands that came to my attention by some divine miracle only God could make possible (and I’m an atheist… That’s how much I love these guys). I was prepping for Bonnaroo when a friend told me I should try and catch JTNL’s set and in the process of pre-listening before Bonnaroo found out another friend (who was going to Bonnaroo) liked them as well! So I thought hey… if two of my friends like them then they must be a decent band!

I fell in love right away! Southern rock/blues/soul filled my ears and I quickly purchased their album. You should do yourself a big favor and make that purchase now too!

Check out:

Devil’s Basement (acoustic)

Gypsy Woman

Pardon Me (official video)

30 before 30: Lolita

guitargogether — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:24:30 +0000

Lolita: Perverts are people too.

I finally finished my first book on the 30 books to read before you’re 30 list! It took me a while but once I got into it I finished fast! Lolita… Lo… Delores Haze where do I begin? I came out of reading this with such mixed feelings. Do I hate Humbert Humbert for the dirty perverted pedophile he is or do I feel sorry for him because he truly loved his little Lolita and his love for her and the damage he caused her made him go insane? Either way it was beautifully written. Even the cringeworthy moments describing the protagonist’s (or is he the antagonist? or both?) lusty feelings for little Lo are described poetically in a way that makes you forget for a second it’s an old man talking about a 12 year old girl. I make a living counseling the victims of such perverse acts so reading from the point of view of the self proclaimed pervet made it feel awkward and even more icky to actually feel sorry for him at times.

At any rate I’m glad Lolita was on this list! It made me think hard and question myself and my beliefs which is a good break from mindless entertainment once in a while!

Next Up: Getting Things Done by David Allen. I’m switching it up to a self-help book out of curiousity. It must be amazing if it made this list!

See previous post for the full list of books: http://thingscarrieloves.wordpress.com/category/30-books-to-read-before-30/

Kings of Leon: Come Around Sundown (track by track review)

guitargogether — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:21:59 +0000

The End -

One of my favorite songs on the album. It’s dark and depressing and the vocals alone are enough to break your heart. In fact I really love Caleb’s vocals on this track! It’s one of the songs on the album where it seems a little more effort was put into it. I’m in love with the line “I ain’t got a home, I’ll forever roam.” It’s one of those lines that just hits me and has a lot of meaning for me personally.

Radioactive -

I think they took all the energy they were going to put towards the entire album and put it all towards this track! It’s really the only track on the album that feels like it has any energy to it (probably why it’s the first single). I like this song but I could it or leave it to be honest.

Pyro -

I like the lyrics to this song (for the most part! There are a few where I raise my eyebrows.) I like the meaning to it as well. It makes up for some of the lesser tracks on the album even though musically it’s not spectacular it’s a great song overall.

Mary -

There are two songs on the album that don’t really fit the CAS mold and this is one of them, however, it’s a fantastic song. It would have made for a good b-side instead of tossing it in the middle of a beachy sounding album. It’s quite catchy though! I dare you not to sing along!

The Face -

I hated this song at first but once I got over the fact that it’s obviously about my arch nemesis (at least that first part “if you give up NY I‘ll give you TN“) I actually started liking it. Again I like the vocals. Caleb’s voice shakes my soul when he sings loud and clear like that. It’s still not one of my faves on the album…. It’s kind of middle ground.

The Immortals -

Tied for first place with another for my favorite on the album! Funny because it was one of the first four I heard live and have had a bootleg of and it was always rated #4 for me. Now that I’ve heard those 4 tracks recorded this is #1 out of those 4! I am in love with the lyrics!!! I think it’s a gorgeous song! Perfect really…

Back Down South -

So before I heard the recorded version of this it was my absolute all time favorite song ever (of any band). I couldn’t wait to get a clear recorded version of this song so I could dance and stomp my feet to it. Not so much now that I heard the recorded version… It’s slow and boring with absolutely no emotion in the vocals. I love the intro (I think that’s the lap steel they talked about and fiddles?) but then it overshadows the guitar and drums through the rest of the song and really makes the song dull. I also think the crap at the end is terribly cliché and kind of wonder why they suddenly get excited at the end when it’s sooo boring throughout. When Caleb sings it sounds more like he’s going south for a funeral. My original feelings about the song hearing it live was that it was a feel good party in the south type of song.

The recorded version is kind of like what Molly’s Hangover is to Molly’s Chambers. It’s the slowed down version and both are great but I just have a soft spot for the live version. Also strange because I LOVE Trani live (everyone knows it’s one of my favorites) but I’ve never been to keen on the album version. As one of my friends put it, this song should have been saved for Caleb’s solo country debut (which I dream about him releasing every night). It really is an amazing song live and I’ll always have a special place in my heart for it. We will always have that Bonnaroo bootleg right?

Beach Side -

Another song I was terribly disappointed in at first listen but I like now. It’s another middle ground song for me. I think it’s about Jared (I haven‘t got to watch all the CAS interviews so maybe they say that or something totally different). It really does have a beachy vibe to it more than the other songs. It’s very chill.

No Money -

It’s definitely the balls of the album. I can’t wait to hear this song live! The recorded version only shows some of its potential. I think live it will have more of the emotion and grit to it we are used to hearing from the Kings. Matthew’s guitar playing in this song is awesome! The intro is a liiiiittle bit borrowed from Immortals but I can forgive that.

Pony Up -

Another middle ground song for me. It’s not one of my faves but overall I like it. The bass line in this song really saves it.

Birthday -

I can’t really get into this song. The lyrics/the vibe of it just sounds thrown together for an extra song for the album. It’s kind of catchy after listening to it for while but that’s about it…

Mi Amigo -

This song doesn’t really do it for me. It’s one of those where they should have let him go back and work on the lyrics.

Pickup Truck -

*sigh* This song is the shining star of the album. It redeemed everything I was disappointed in above. I love the lyrics, I love the vocals, I love the guitar, I love the bass, I love the drums… I love it! It’s like the Trani/Arizona/Cold Desert of this album (for me). If you could marry a song I would propose to it. It’s absolutely perfect in everyway. In true KOL fashion the song tells a story. I’d put this song as one of their top 5 ever. Well done on this one boys! Well done!

Overall:

Overall I would never say this is definitely not a match for their first three albums. Honestly it’s kind of like OBTN part 2 without the radio friendly ballad of Use Somebody and the catchy crowd favorite Sex on Fire. In one interview Caleb said that getting up and getting in a cab and going to the studio everyday in New York made the album feel like work and I definitely see that coming through in the album. Some of the songs felt forced and for the most part the songs lack any emotion and just feel lazy. That could also be due to the fact this album is equally as overproduced as OBTN was. It’s albums like this that make say “I miss Ethan Johns.” I’m very excited to hear the rest of these songs live though! If the recorded version of Southbound (sorry Back Down South) versus the more emotion filled energetic live version is any indication of what the other songs will sound like live then by all means bring on the tour dates!

Come Around Sundown is a really good album (once you wrap your head around the whole beachy idea). It’s just not super mind blowing for me. Matthew’s guitar playing is one of the saving graces of the album. He’s so underrated! Jared’s bass lines are phenomenal in a few of the songs. Caleb’s lyrics (sorry Leb you know I’ll always love you) are hit and miss but vocally he’s right on. On OBTN with Cold Desert he did the whole drunk and just singing whatever came to him and it worked…it was magical even! The songs he ad libbed on this album are quite obvious and sound just that…ad libbed like he just said whatever came to him and it doesn’t really work for me on most of these tracks. The drumming… well we all know Nathan is the greatest drummer ever to walk the planet.

Now, to clarify because I know people will come to me with this argument… I wasn’t expecting a YAYM/ASH/BOTT remake. That isn’t even what I want. Those three albums are perfect, yes?(I think everyone can agree on that) but they’re also all three totally distinguishable from one another and I’d never want them to desecrate those sacred albums by trying to recreate them.

　

(comments are welcome with your opinion but please don’t bash mine! remember we’re all entitled to our own opinion!)

Facial Hair Friday: Charlie Hunnam and Ryan Hurst

guitargogether — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:31:52 +0000

Since I forgot facial hair friday last week I thought I’d give a double dose today in the form of my favorite television facial hair. Charlie Hunnam and Ryan Hurst from Sons of Anarchy both known for smooth faced acting roles both have some delicious facial hair for Sons.

Ryan as Gary in Remember the Titans: Smooth as a babys behind!

Ryan in Sons of Anarchy with a beard you just wanna grab a couple handfuls of!

Next up is the sexy and talented Charlie Hunnam…

Here he is smooth faced (and looking quite dapper)

fast forward to now… blonde facial hair has never looked so good!

Cupcakes on Fire: KOL Contest

guitargogether — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:16:50 +0000

Just for fun(and cause I’m bored)… Submit your version of KOL lyrics using the word Cupcake(s) or something Cupcake related to either old or new songs (new songs can be found streaming at kingsofleon.com). Be as creative as you can. It can be one lyric or an entire song you turn into some cupcake loving! It doesn’t even have to make sense as long as it’s funny!

For example: “eatin cupcakes on the ground blowin white noise sound like a trani on ten”

Leave your submission in a comment to this (if you tweet them to me I won’t remember them).