Your Vegas Pictures from Lollapalooza

It took a very long time for me to find my camera cable, but I wanted to post these photos I took during day #1 of Lollapalooza of Your Vegas. They were FANTASTIC. Check out the reviews of Lollapalooza Day #1, Day #2 and Day #3.

Anj Granieri Concert Review by Raine

Review by Raine.
Photograhy by Toni Agosta, Shutterbox Photography.

The Tin Angel is a small club located on 2nd Street in the Olde City section of Philadelphia, It is upstairs from an eclectic restaurant called Serrano, and both are welcoming and cozy. There's no place better to head on a sultry summer night to hear Anj Granieri perform her captivating music.

As we entered and decided on a table, we noticed Anj immediately. She's a tall, striking girl with that great hair! I introduced myself and my husband and she immediately started a conversation with us. We had lots to talk about since, like Anj, my husband is from the Atlantic City area. Anj is hoping to branch out from that area, and after spending time in New York, she is booking gigs in Philadelphia. She is also collaborating with some other artists (a few from thesixtyone) on live music ventures.

Now to the best part – the music! There were four performers on the bill and Anj was first. She is the kind of performer who gets the audience involved in the show by explaining how she comes by the ideas for the songs she writes and performs. We heard Bright Winter (you can feel the wind on the beach while listening to this one - a good way to cool off in June), Michelle (my personal favorite about the foster child her parents took in for a year), View of the Few (a song inspired by her family), The End of Love (that fabulous instrumental that just conjures up all kinds of emotions before you even realize what's happening), The Rest of Me (written while Anj was living in New York) and The Mark. The Mark is such a powerful song, and performed live just brought tears to my eyes, which is no easy feat.

She ended the show with her own version of God Bless America which was jazzy, distinctive, and respectful all at the same time.

I will definitely see Anj perform again. Her voice is one of a kind, and her personality shines through her compositions

Anj's music is available at cdbaby.

Review: Lux Lisbon - When I Hear The Culture I Reach For My Revolver

Lux Lisbon, one of the first bands to really catch my attention at The Sixty One, makes infectious pop rock. Their mini album is called 'When I Hear The Culture I Reach For My Revolver', four tracks of monumental epic guitar rock. Their bio on The Sixty One declares a clarion-call guitar sound (a clarion-call is a powerful request for action or an irresistible mandate). They're pretty spot on with that assessment. The sound erupts with a confidence that you don't often see in a band's first release.

I've been listening to the album on my iPod on morning walks and it definitely gets the blood flowing. Track 1, 'Plastic Lullaby' has a luscious jangly guitar sound, reminiscent of U2, with beautiful boy/girl harmonizing. Stuart Rooks vocals take off in the chorus and I caught myself singing along after just a couple of listens. Total ear candy.

'Poppy Fields', the second track, has been some compared made to the chorus of U2's 'City of Blinding Lights' because the line "Oh you are so beautiful tonight". Yes, they're the same words, said in a similar manner and I do hear some U2 influence in their music. However, my take, it's a completely different song. I mean, how many songs are titles 'All I need?' I was thinking about that on my morning walk yesterday when Radiohead's All I Need came on. It got me thinking about Jack Wagner's sappy song with the same title. Air, Fat Joe, Matchbox 20, Amerie and probably 1000 other bands have songs of the same title, but I digress... 'Poppy Fields' is a fantastic song.

'Cherry Blossom Tree' is a sweet, softer song, just as the title suggests, but the guitars get going in the solo and the song crescendos into a grandiose spacious sound. It's another song fromt the album that lodges firmly in your brain and you can't get it out of your head (but do you want to?!)

'Animals' has great hooks and lyrics, but it is so steady and rocking that you're almost tired after hearing it! OneMonkey of The Sixty One commented that "You need to check your pulse!" True true.

The final track 'Sunflower' is in the same vein Rob Thomas sound, a mid-tempo pop-rock that really shows off Rook's flourishing vocals.

Technically, all of the musicians play tightly and it's obvious that they've pushed themselves in their craft. Stuart Rooks vocals are always powerful and emotive, allowing him to sing both the ballads and the more rockin' music with equal skill. The band has clearly found their own distinctive sound and if they can get the exposure, they could be chart toppers.

What I don't get is the title of the album, When I Hear The Culture I Reach For My Revolver. I should have asked them about this in the interview. Is it a commentary on the bad music that is so popular and pushed by the RIAA (like the 'New country' genre that I so loathe)? Is it some statement about gun culture?

Experts say that music with exercise boosts brain power. The extra cerebral assistance obviously hasn't helped me figure out the meaning of the album title, but it certainly keeps me from getting bored and quitting my exercise routine early. My only complaint is that five tracks clock in at just over 20 minutes and it's simply not long enough to satisfy my needs. It's finished just as I'm completely into the groove. Gimme more, Lux Lisbon!

Lux Lisbon's mini album is available at iTunes.

10 Cool Websites We Recommend

Ploomy posted an article which was just Dugg. Guess what the first one listed is? Our favorite The Sixty One!

Thesixtyone makes music discovery fun again. You’ll like it because it’s like a safari for music junkies. Get rewarded for discovering new music and having discerning tastes. Don’t blame us if you stay up late looking for that one track that helps you level up. Oh yeah, they also have of one the best UI experiences of all the music sites we’ve been too.

It's a great article and also mentions Hulu.com, which is a favorite of mine. I highly recommend Journey to the Center of the Earth.

RoseMary III at Dillenbecks, May 10, 2008

RoseMary III is a group of über-talented teenagers from Ada, MI. I walked into Dillenbeck's just after they went on and the place was packed with energetic high school kids, parents snapping pictures and a few wiggly siblings. I squeezed my way into a seat fairly close to the front and was blown away by these talented musicians.

RoseMary III is led by the short but charismatic Wilson Cusack, age 14. Cusack's song writing skills are really damn impressive for a kid so young. I remember the crappy poetry I wrote at that age. Cusack's lyrics are deep and heartfelt. His vocals are emotive, but at times a bit flat. Cusack played guitar and organ during the show. He has some mad skills on the piano. This kid has got a future.

What most impresses me about Cusack is his comfort performing in front of such a large group of people. For being such a small guy, he has a great stage presence and was able to crack jokes and keep thing running smoothly.

One of the best parts of the show was when Cusack wished his mom a happy Mother's Day and made up a song on the spot for her. It went something like "Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Thanks for driving me to band practice and gigs." Haha.

Nick Rolls is the violinist and the violin is what really sets this group apart from other bands. He plays that fiddle hard. He shredded his bow by the end of the show.

Drake plays the drums and he really had some interesting rhythms that he was tapping out on the drums. The new guy... I don't recall his name.... was it Andy?... is the bass player, who joined the band three weeks ago. Both Drake and Bass boy kept it low key at the show.

Cusack explained that the band name came from a long conversation about what they should name the band. Rolls' violin was called RoseMary and they stole the name. There were three in the band, now four, but they're keeping the name. They had t-shirts at the show with a big III with RoseMary written across the center in a font that looks suspiciously like Crackhouse. It totally looks like a horror movie logo.

The band plays really well together, especially Cusack and Rolls who seem to play off each other. The band did a great job of transitioning between songs (much better than Kanye did when I saw him!) and everyone sounded really good. Check out this clip from the show that I shot on my digital camera and then had some fun with to disguise my lack of tripod. It was the final song of the night and is called The People Around Us. Cusack mentions that no one seems to like this song. I admit, it was my favorite of the night.



RoseMary III is now available for download at ITunes. You'll have to search for it though because I'm still trying to figure out this link thing with iTunes!

Apoc Rock - Tokyo Police Club Concert Review by Apocalypse

Friday April 04, 2008, Miami, Florida

Tonight I got a chance to see Tokyo Police Club live at Studio-A in Miami, a small, intimate, beautiful venue that regularly features new Artists and is one of the only remaining bastions of Indie music in South Florida. From the line outside, it was evident that this band is more popular than I had expected, with a looong line of people of all ages, dressed in various shades of black. The opening bands for this show were the Miami-based The Jean Marie and the Minneapolis band, Eagle Seagull.

Woo! What a show. By the time this relatively young band stepped on stage, the venue was filled to the rim with anxious fans, packed in so deep and so tight that I doubt a dropped penny would even hit the floor. TPC (to us fans, that is) came in rocking and didn't let up. The intensity of their play was evident in the energy that the crowd reveled in, singing along to every syllable and jumping up and down, electrifying the tiny venue. It was, quite a sight.





Tokyo Police Club jumped from one song to another song to another, with the slightest pause in between. There was no usual, pointless, inarticulate banter that most bands engage in, following each song, trying to engage the crowd (and other than Bruce Spingsteen) failing miserably nearly every time. Nope. This was Rock time. I joined the crowd center stage and in that hot, sweaty bathhouse of perspiration, heat and energy, I joined them in singing along, arms raised in rockin' reverie and feeding off the vibe of the band/fan perfect storm. A small mosh pit even broke out beside me, and being the aging man who is desperately trying to retain grasp on his youth, I joined in. All good fun and although not much of a mosh pit, I still managed to bruise a rib.







Tokyo Police Club played hard and they played with heart. Crisp chords and organized songplay with little (if any) jamming. They covered every song on their current album and even played a few from their upcoming album, Elephant Shell (available on April 25th on iTunes). It was a roaring good time and the band proved that they can handle a concert with energy and intensity. One thing I noticed was that they did not deviate from the recorded version of their songs, so it was a live version of what they have already recorded. As a fan, I like to see the band reinterpret their music when playing live, just to give those who came all the way out to see them a bonus above and beyond what they can get on their car stereo. The night was closed out by that all important song by Tokyo Police Club, Tokyo Police Club, which nearly brought the roof down on the small club

By most measures, it was well worth the time to go out and see TPC play. I am looking forward to the new album and who knows, maybe they'll make their way back all the way to South Florida once again soon.

Bagel Bites

Guess Who's Back?

Hello again all! It's been a few weeks since I've been able to sit down and share my thoughts with you on the music that has been rolling into thesixtyone. In this time period there has been uproar over the limitation of songs that an artist can upload and a complete reversal (Bug were told) that allowed some piano player to upload 30 tracks before reaching level 5. Only a few things remain constant at thesixtyone. They are:

1. AnnieB
2. Great music
3. Glenn Case wall postings

Now that we have that out of the way, let's listen to some music.

Two Short Album Reviews (The return of Non-Fuzz)

Born Ruffians

This up and coming band has created an album that is sure to be a mainstay in a lot of peoples players.

The first single of the album is "Hummingbird" and is a catchy and frantic track that speeds down the road of suicide without blinking an eye. That's the way that I interpret anyway. Luke Lalonde has an interesting vocal style and doesn't seem to care if he annunciates well and for me that adds to the charm. I'll warn you now that that front half of the album doesn't deliver nearly enough compared to the back end. I maintain that all should give it a listen though.

Vampire Weekend

I was a bit hesitant to check these guys out after I had heard their cover of Exit Music For a Film by Radiohead. No one really does Radiohead any justice and it nearly kept me from hearing this great band. I'm amazed that this band can sound like so many artists (Paul Simon - Graceland Days, The Kinks, The Police and many others) while still maintaining a very unique sound. This one has been stuck in my car stereo for weeks. Literally, when I hit the eject button it won't come out.

Can I Get Some Love?

Bye Polar Bear is my underrated artist of the week. With great covers of Neutral Milk Hotel and Leonard Cohen and some interesting original stuff I can see this guy at the top of the61 artist list.

Ready For Revival

The Acorn

One of my favorite acts on the61, The Acorn, have been on this site from the beginning. All of their songs have posted and should be ready for some new ears on the site. Give them a listen.

Pasta

Time again to say goodbye. It seems as if we are in for many changes on the61 but as long as the music stays great I will not be going anywhere.

Hasta la pasta!

Temple Scene Music Review

Temple Scene, a favorite of thesixtyone, has finally yielded to the demand of its rabid fan-base and finally released four songs on Amazon. Being one of those rabid fans, I clicked on over to Amazon and with great anticipation purchased their songs and immediately added them to the rotation of my favorites on my iPod. It was evident from my first encounter with Temple Scene's music on t61 that this was music that was intelligent, beautifully thought-out, masterfully created and well... excellent.

I was glad that Breathing was one of the first four songs released by the band. 'Breathing' exemplifies the beauty of Temple Scene's music. It is rich in texture and builds on layers upon layers of soft and dark harmonies that pull you for the long haul. With lyrics that are both romantic and tragic and vocals that are soft and unforced, the song changes tempos and crescendos into a melodic tour de force that can be enjoyed no matter what mood you're in. The new release of this song sounds a bit too cleaned up than the one that is posted on the site, and while as a sometime snobby audio-phile, I miss the original grit of the song, it is nonetheless one that is amazing, no matter what the production.

The other song released,Somewhere in the City is has a bit more structure, with a constant beat and a near 80's keyboard style, which translates well in this format. The same theme of tragedy intemixed with hope is played out in this song, which paints imagery that dances with the lyrical poetry and simplicity that has become the bands trademark. What seems to work well for Somewhere in the City is that it never gets boring, and yet still manages to feel as warm and comfortable as an encounter with a long awaited friend.

Half Life looks inward for inspiration and, while the theme of perseverence through loss of love can get a bit tired, Temple Scene manages to handle it with grace and not let it get preachy. Half Life is perhaps a bit more poppy and has the cool, 'tortured-soul' feel of a ballad, but it works well in blending the highs and lows into a well-rounded song.

The last song released, Everything is perhaps the weakest in this great mix. Not that it doesn't sound great, but somehow, it is missing the multiple layers of sound that define Temple Scene's music. Instead, it is a more straight-forward, nearly formulatic song, relying on a simple harmony and the strength of the vocals.


I truly appreciate this band's music and their unique sound. The creative duo of Ric Levy and Phillippe Rose have proven they can handle music with an Artist's ear and melodies with a composer's intricacy. While the newly released songs sound a bit too cleaned up in post-production and I miss the yellow bear logo of the original releases, I, for one, am grateful to finally be able to carry these tunes anywhere and listen to them all the time.

-Apoc

Dead To Me & Teenage Bottlerocket Review

I caught Dead to Me and Teenage Bottlerocket tonight at Bottom Of The Hill in San Francisco. These are both punk pop bands that all the punker kiddies seem to dig. Actually, I was surprised that the crowd wasn't a little younger, but this punk pop sound hasn't changed much since the 80s (since the days of Husker Du and The Ramones), so maybe it suits the older crowd just fine.

As soon as we walked in the door, Jason, my company's president, introduced me to Chicken from Dead to Me. Yes, Chicken. I guess his real name is Tyson, so everyone just calls him Chicken.

When we came in a band was playing but I can't remember the name. The Femurs? Possibly. They sound like your average punk band with a yelling front man and lots of fast 3 chord guitar. Not bad music, but nothing to distinguish them from the herd of bands with this sound, but fun to listen to.

Teenage Bottlerocket was up next. They have two singers and when one of the guys sings, it totally reminds me of The Ramones. They were pretty awesome because they could play seamlessly between songs and were ending on the same note the next song began. The guy with The Ramone's voice was in this other band called the Wellingtons and I hear they'd do their whole show in this manner. I would think that would be tough on the forearms and neck, since they do a lot of headbanging. Teenage Bottle Rockets are out of Wyoming. It was a fun show but really loud. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Dead to Me was the headliner. The singer was very talkative and entertaining (like he might have been on speed, but I heard he's clean and sober - he's probably just one of those really hyper people). They put on a very energetic show.

It was a rockin good time. They have a really good sound system in the club, but man, was it loud.

The pictures in the post are ripped from the band's MySpace pages. I took some photos but they turned out really crappy. The Dead to Me photo is by Patrick J Stefano. Nice photo, Patrick.

Concert Reviews

If you catch a band on The Sixty One live, we'd love to post a review of the show and some photos if you have any.

I live in Michigan and I'm very pleasantly surprised at the number of really good bands from the area. I plan to catch a few in the next couple of months and post about it. Hopefully I'll even get to meet the band. I'm a total groupie, you know. The photo below is of me (in garish lipstick), Neil Finn (my idol!) and my sister after a Crowded House show last August. I'm not afraid to talk to the band! ;-)