As the weather starts heating up, so too does the concert season. Unfortunately, living in Kansas City is not a good place to be for the good concerts. I know it sounds weird, but you would be surprised how many bands decide to go straight through the heartland from Chicago to Denver without playing a date here. And when the bands do need to fill in a midwest date, the KC/Lawrence area now has to compete with a resurgent Omaha scene, a growing Oklahoma and Iowa scene, and of course the usual St. Louis/Columbia, usually for one date (though it is worth mentioning that on occasion Springfield will sneak in and steal a good band too). Sometimes bands will throw us a bone and play a few of the said cities/states (thanks Animal Collective, you're the best!), but typically if the don't you're forced to wait until the next leg of the tour, or worse, the next album. Or, you could just fill up the car with gas, pack a lunch and maybe a sleeping bag, and hit the road to see your favorite bands.
Here's a few shows and festivals that might be worth hitting the road for.
South By Southwest (SXSW)
March 14th - 18th
Austin, TX
Helping keep Austin weird since 1987, SXSW is now more or less just a media circus disguised as a music conference. Not that I would know, I've never been (and no, I'm not bitter at all...)
Actually, some good can come out of paying to play an afternoon spot if you are a dedicated enough band to want to try and take it to the level that comes after self releasing your material, but as a fan I hear its not worth the money spent, which probably explains why no actual fans pay to go. I guess being an intern at CMJ really does pay off after all. (Again, I'm not bitter...) Seriously though, I do hear that it does kinda suck down there. Most of the venues are small, which can be awesome in theory, but its not so cool when 10,000 people are all trying to cram into the same bar as you, if you were even lucky enough to get inside the club in the first place. Another complaint is that since there are so many bands playing, you will inevitably have to make a choice to pick one band you like over another, which can be painful if it means missing the National because you're afraid you might never get to see Architecture in Helsinki.
I won't even try to give a list of bands. You can go to the SXSW website and see for yourself. Just click on the SXSW bands link, then pick a day. I trust you'll be impressed.
Blonde Redhead
April 14th
Chicago, IL
April 15t
Minneapolis, MN
If you had asked me a few months ago if Blonde Redhead was worth an 8 hour drive to see live, I probably would have said no.
Then again, that was before I heard 23. Trust me, this album begs to be heard live. 
Bright Eyes
April 22nd
Milwaukee, WI
Bright Eyes has a new album coming out and soon and is embarking on a major US tour to support it. From what I've come to understand, the new album is supposed to be similar in sound to I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, which makes me very happy. Maybe if I catch him on this tour I'll actually hear a song from that album (Bright Eyes' last KC stop was in support of Digital Ash, unfortunately, as they played not one note from Morning, and barely touched anything older).
There are several stops on this tour that are closer to the KC/Lawrence/Columbia/StL/ are than Milwaukee: Omaha (duh), Tulsa, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and Minneapolis. However, the Milwaukee show is the first of the US tour, which is usually pretty exciting for both the band and audience alike. Its also at a venue called the Pabst Theater. Only in Milwaukee...
Dismemberment Plan
April 27th and 28th
Washington, DC
Yes, this is a reunion show, the first (2) that I know of also, so this is kind of a big deal if you're a fan of one of the best bands to come out of the DC area. Even when the Plan broke up almost 4 years ago, they said they would likely get together once in a while to play together for benefits and such. Well, their word proved to be gold when it was announced they were headlining not one but two shows to benefit Callum Robbins. Last I heard, these shows were uber sold out, and since this is a benefit show, I would not recommend buying from a scalper, unless you have enough money to buy from a scalper AND make a donation to help poor little Callum, which you can do by clicking on the link and following directions.
The Plan are playing shows again. Nice...
Arcade Fire
May 18th - 20th
Chicago, IL
If you're like me, you're probably dying to know how the new songs will translate live. Even if you're not like me, chances are you are at least curious. Better start saving for this one - all three shows are sold out.
Bonnaroo
June 14th - 17th
Manchester, TN
This year's edition of Bonnaroo, which is now owned or put together by MTV, is definitely less jammy than years past (though that that does not mean that it won't be jammy at all). The main acts this year are The Police, Tool, Widespread Panic, The White Stripes, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Wilco, and The Flaming Lips. Other notable acts are: Franz Ferdinand, Ween, The Decemberists, The Roots, Kings of Leon, Regina Spektor, The Black Keys, DJ Shadow, Spoon, The Hold Steady, Lily Allen, Feist, Hot Chip, Aesop Rock, Tortoise, Clutch, Cold War Kids, Dr. Dog, Girl Talk, Annuals, Mute Math, Apollo Sunshine, ,The National, and Black Angels.
Pitchfork Music Festival
July 13th - 15th
Chicago, IL
As of this writing, the lineup for the second installment of the Pitchfork Music Festival has not been completely revealed, yet it already looks to be very promising with Cat Power, Of Montreal, Iron and Wine, Grizzly Bear, Jamie Lidell, and Girl Talk on the bill, with more to be announced.
One other intriguing aspect of is the teaming of Pitchfork and All Tomorrow's Parties to bring the first American installment of Don't Look Back, where an artist, often seminal, plays an album, often their best, in its entirety. So far, Sonic Youth and Slint are slated to play their opuses Daydream Nation and Spiderland at European festivals. Is it possible the mighty Pitchfork can book one or both bands to play them at the festival? Stay tuned...
Daft Punk w/ the Rapture
July 31st
Denver, CO
As if seeing Daft Punk live isn't cool enough, our favorite pair of robots Daft Punk schedule a brief North American tour, including a stop at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. And they're bringing the Rapture.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
On the Road Again...
Nostalgic Music Video of the Day: Skee-Lo - "I Wish"
Part three in a small series of music videos focusing on one-hit-wonders.
If you overlook the fact that I'm white and that I was not old enough to drive when this song was released, you can probably see why I related to this song growing up. I too, was picked last at basketball. I tried to make up for my lack of scoring ability by getting rebounds, but when you're shorter than everybody else, that proves to be very difficult. I think I was also de-pantsed in public once. Yes, only once.
Jerks.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Nostalgic Music Video of the Day: Nada Surf - "Popular"
The second video in a small installment focusing on one-hit-wonders.
This band forced me to ask myself the question of what constitutes as a one-hit-wonder. Last year, Nada Surf released a new album and had one of their singles grace the airwaves of modern rock radio. But was it is popular as "Popular"? I don't think so. My theory is that if you played the two songs on the jukebox at a bar, the majority of people would recognize "Popular". A hit, to me, is when a song not only does well in the realm of its own genre, but is able to have some success outside of it as well. For example, "Last Nite" by the Strokes was a hit, but I would have to say that "Someday" was not, just because it didn't thrive outside of Alternative Radio. Instead, "Someday" is just one of their singles.
I remember when this video hit big. They took a lot of shit for ripping off Weezer, and rightfully so. The singer more than resembles Rivers Cuomo when he's in the teacher costume, and looks like he should be in the photo of the Blue Album when playing on the football field. The song owes a lot to "Undone (The Sweater Song)" too, with its talking verses that lead into the sing-along chorus. Still, I really kinda like this song. I remember being a geeky 14-year-old and wondering why they wrote a song guiding girls on how to date any boy they wanted to and not the other way aroud, because my nerdy freshman ass sure needed a teenage guide to popularity.
I also wonder why anyone would tell Johnny Footballhero they liked his article in the newspaper. Doesn't that just insinuate that Johnny can even write in the first place?
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Spring Hymns (Revised)
Officially, the Spring season has yet to arrive, but you wouldn't know it if you've stepped outside the past couple of days. I, for one, couldn't be happier. I love both of the transitional seasons, and after this short but brutal winter we had I'm ready for a little warmth, a little more color on the ground and in the trees, maybe even a little rain and lightning.
One thing about the changing seasons that I find intriguing is how it affects what I listen to. I've had discussions about this with people before, and while it seems that everyone is affected the same way to a certain extent, I have come to the conclusion that the seasons affect me more than most. 
Already I have taken notice to how the weather is affecting me. Just today I was suddenly in the mood to listen to Doves first album, Lost Souls.
If I had to pick one album to listen to for the entire season, it would probably be that. It makes sense why, I first heard the single "Catch the Sun" in March during Spring Break of 2001, and I bought the album a few weeks later. I listened to it for the first time at a friend's place with the windows open and a beautiful nighttime breeze blowing in the apartment. I also have fond memories of driving to Lawrence in similar weather with the windows down and the album playing at full blast, not saying a word to friends as we rode. 
Another band I listen to more during this season than any other is Modest Mouse, especially the album Good News For People Who Love Bad News. While I can play Moon and Antarctica just about any time of the year, I find myself having a hard time playing Good News when the weather is cold, and certainly more in April than even July. I can also barely stand to listen to Building Nothing Out of Something unless is Spring.
Again, there are reasons for this as well. Good News came out in Spring of '04, and immediately my friends and I were hooked, as was the entire city of Lawrence. For a good three months you couldn't go anywhere in town without hearing that album; coffee shops, bars, clothing stores, record stores, parties, you name it. Good News still has the distinction of being the only album I've heard played straight through in its entirety at the Replay Lounge on the inside jukebox. As for Building Nothing, I bought it not long after Good News, because I was in need of anything Modest Mouse at the time.
There are others, believe me, but I'll stop here for now (see below). If you took the time to read this, feel free to share any of your Springtime favorites by leaving a comment. 
Nostalgic Music Video of the Day: Primitive Radio Gods - "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand"
This is part one in a small installment focusing on one-hit wonders.
I never really got into this band very much, the song was just a little to slow for my liking back then, and the guy's voice a little monotonous as well. You know how I liked my whiny emotive singers, especially back in the early to mid 90s. But still, I never hated this song, and really loved the use of the B.B. King sample in the song. The video itself isn't that spectacular, but does use some cool effects here and there. Apparently the Primitive Radio Gods still make music, I had no idea.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Nostalgic Music Video of the Day: Green Day - "Basket Case"
I remember being pretty young when I got this album, on cassette . I was in 6th grade I believe, but maybe 5th. Young, either way. I remember not really understanding what the lyrics meant. Why would he go to a whore to complain, and what exactly is a whore anyhow? My mother was surely pleased with that inquiry. Actually, I never had to ask, she had already explained a few years earlier after she overheard the "nature is a whore" lyric while I was listening to my Nirvana cassette. I tried to tell her he was saying "horror", and she bought it, or at least pretended to buy it in hopes that allowing me to be my own censor when it came to purchasing music would prove to be more fruitful than if she prohibited certain albums for me.
Boy, was she wrong! Rock and roll warped my brain.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Recommended Album of the Week: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Two Montreal bands in a row to inaugurate the recommended albums, who woulda thunk it. Actually, the Arcade Fire are sort of Montreal by way of, well, wherever. Isn't Win from Texas or something originally? Well, regardless of where the band is from, the album is good. Damn good. Which, of course, makes me look like a fool after writing about how the new songs weren't so hot.
I still stand by that previous post though. Neon Bible is not an album packed full of potential hit singles, and hearing "Black Mirror", "Intervention", and "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" out of the context of the entire album did nothing to excite me. Honestly, the full album leaking was probably the best thing that could have happened, because when it did the fans who were really unsure of what to make of the new songs, myself especially, were given the chance to hear them in context and understand that this album is truly an album, even more so than Funeral I think.
Let me be clear, however, that by saying that I in no way mean that Neon Bible is a better album than Funeral, that would be false. I just think that Funeral actually had several potential singles on it. Or, better yet, if you were to introduce Funeral to a friend that had never heard the album before but could only choose one song to represent it, you could probably pick just one. You and I might not pick the same one, but we could, that's all I'm saying. I don't think its that easy with Neon Bible. "The Well and the Lighthouse", maybe my favorite song on the album, does not fairly represent "Ocean of Noise" or "My Body is a Cage", and "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" in my opinion, does not represent anything on the album fairly.
If you've made it this far, you're probably wondering why I like the album so much. Honestly, its hard to say. Win's lyrics are more paranoid, his voice less like Smith, Byrne or Bowie and more like Springsteen, an artist I could never get into that much. Also, the lack of the hit single, or for a better term, anthem, really forces the listener to be patient, especially if the listener is expecting something more akin to Funeral.
Still, I like the paranoid lyrics. I like that Win is voicing his struggles with Christianity. I like that Win is attempting to hold the mirror up to society and expose us of some of our faults. I like that there are no real anthems on the album. I like that this is not Funeral part 2. I like that they took a chance on a darker sound. I like that Win has, more or less, become the "voice" of the band. Yes, Regine is the better vocalist, but she's still there chiming in, and believe me you take notice when she does (see "Antichrist Television Blues" for the best example).
Sure, you could knock the band for preaching to the choir with their lyrics, or that they aren't entirely original, and that the Arcade Fire are just another in a long line of bands/artists writing songs about their struggles with religion, society, the government, America, an unjust war, etc, and you would be 100% right, but they certainly won't be the last either, so why not let them have their say? Besides, its not as if songs about the lost lives of loved ones, growing up in and hating the suburbs, love, longing, and so forth, are exactly original either, yet we all went apeshit over Funeral and the first EP, didn't we?
To paraphrase something I read in an issue of Filter Magazine a few years back in reference to another band, if Neon Bible sounds like a disappointment, perhaps it is not because of any qualities that it is lacking, but because their debut album was so fantastic that the bar was set too high.
"Keep the Car Running" comes close to the full band singalong we're used to hearing from the Arcade Fire. "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" starts with Regine singing lead, the only song on the album to do so. Soon the song ends up sounding like the bands take on a Go-Go's tune (which might make for a strange mash up with "We Got the Beat"...) before it settles into a slower groove courtesy of a xylophone twinkle, and then BAM!, Armageddon's on its way, and Win's begging, pleading for her to "stop now before its too late.../there's a great black wave in the middle of the sea" over the gnarliest detuned guitar line I've heard in a while.
"Ocean of Noise" meanwhile, is possibly the most mature song the Arcade Fire have written. The song drifts along nicely and employs are more subtle progression from verse to verse than they probably would have previously. Still, they can only restrain themselves for so long, so be prepared for the grandiose ending that keeps rising, its crescendo lifted just a tad more by a horn section. "Antichrist Television Blues", the album's biggest offender of sounding like Springsteen, at least does the Boss justice in its apparent homage, and in my opinion Regine's freakout at the end might be worth the price of buying the album alone. "No Cars Go" sounds much better in this updated version, though I'll admit some of the charm is gone, and the lyrics are a little corny and don't appear to fit any of the album's themes. Finally, there's "My Body is a Cage". If the album were a movie then this song must be the end credit theme. When the church organs kick in, I envision a screen going to black. This song is an epic ending to a great album.
If I were reviewing this for Pitchfork, I would rate it an 8.7 out of 10, a full point below the rating for Funeral, and I think that's pretty fair. However, the more I listen to this album the more I like it. This album defines the term "grower", but that's a good thing because I continuously keep going back to it, which is something I can't say about too many albums any more. Turn it on, turn it up (loud), take it on a drive, whatever. Trust me, it will come
Sunday, March 4, 2007
More Video Nostalgia!!!
Because I'm bored, here's three more videos from an era when MTV actually played music videos.
Video #1: Depeche Mode - "I Feel You"
This video actually does not get me as nostalgic as, say, "Enjoy the Silence", but to be fair I did see this video more than the former just because "Enjoy the Silence" was a little before my time. Watching this video now, I'm pretty confused as to why this video was given the green light. I'm sure the lingerie clad actress is part of the reason, but seriously, what the hell is Dave Gahan doing in this video? When he's not over emoting, he's over thrusting. I never want to do heroin.
Video #2: The Prodigy - "Firestarter"
Remember Amp, the late night electronic show MTV used to have? I can't remember which came first, this video or that show, but one definitely spawned the other (with maybe a little help from the Chemical Brothers), for better or worse. Actually, I don't mind older Prodigy as much. It wasn't until that joker started "singing" and started hogging all the screen time that things went seriously downhill. Also, there two things that bother me about this video. 1). Why is a British guy wearing a shirt that looks awfully similar to an American flag? 2). For a song called "Firestarter", the amount of actual fires in said video is poorly lacking.
Video #3: Orbit - "Medicine"
I had this party almost three years ago, and for the party I made 5 mix CDs (this was before iPods, or at least before everyone had one) to play for the party. In the middle, the party's centerpiece, was a mix of only 90s alternative rock songs. If you ask me, it was pretty fucking solid, and I put this song on it towards the end to get everyone rockin' out again. Only there was one problem, no one else remembered the song. Oh well. I can see why, after re-watching the video I honestly didn't remember much that happened, but the song still sticks out to me to this day. Then again, I am a softy for 90s alternative radio.
On a side note, I miss Matt Pinfield. That guy knew his shit, didn't he? In case you don't remember, he was the host of 120 Minutes in its later years (among other shows, but this was the one I remember the most). Around the same time TRL was in its early stages (and still called Total Request Live), and they would play a game with Matt called Stump the Matt or Take it to the Matt, something like that, where callers would call in with their questions and try to stump him. I saw him lose only once. The guy was a genius, he knew how to spell Bjork's last name without prompting (its Gudmundsdottir, and is probably missing some umlauts, in case you were wondering). Anyhow, I can't reminisce about old music videos without giving at least a thought to Matt Pinfield, and Kurt Loder, and Kennedy, and...
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Recommended Album of the Week: The Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse
As the title of the album might suggest, Montreal's The Besnard Lakes are out to prove themselves. Fellow Montreal-ites The Unicorns, Arcade Fire, and Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown have garnered some serious attention over the past few years, and while its possible the Besnard Lakes aren't looking for as much attention, it can safely be said that they at least don't want to be overlooked. Nor should they. Are the Dark Horse is 45 minutes of pure headphone candy. The album is similar enough to Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade in the way they incorporate multiple instruments into each song, but very dissimilar in what they create as a result. Where Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade reached for grandiosity on their debut albums, the Besnard Lakes took their ambitions a step beyond and attempted to make an album that is epic. That, and their love for 1970's smoke-'em-if-you-got-'em classic rock bands.
Opening track "Disaster" and the second song, "For Agent 13", are both excellent mood setters, and if you are enjoying a smoke, they're fantastic ways to get settled in before liftoff. There's lots of reverb over the vocals and guitars and, well, you name it. At times, there's also strings that occasionally dip into Sigur Ros territory. The songs are incredibly enjoyable, but a whole album of said songs could, and most likely would, get a little boring after a while. Luckily, the album's third song, "And You Lied to Me", hits like a ton of bricks. Granted, it isn't until about 5 minutes into the song when it does happen, but it happens, and you'll be thankful when it does, and by it I mean the freakout guitar solo that sounds straight out of an early 90's Smashing Pumpkins record (another fan of the Floyd) that not only provides a much needed jolt after drifting along for so long, but is also long enough without going too long and sounding like a jam-band or a even Built to Spill concert.
From there you get "Devastation", which pretty much solidifies and captures the band's love for the music of our parents. This would be an easy song to hate, the female backup singers singing the chorus of the song may be a little to corny, but its also catchy as hell, and I dare you to listen to this song a couple of times and not find yourself humming it later. It may not be as good as the songs before or after, but its certainly the most memorable after the early listens.
After the full on rock assault of "Devastation", Are the Dark Horse comes full circle with songs that are soaked in reverb and spotted with trippy strings. This includes my personal favorite song, "Because Tonight", which will probably still be one of my favorite songs of 2007 by years end.
In short, the Besnard Lakes may be the dark horse, and they might still be overlooked when its all said and done, especially with the highly anticipated Neon Bible being released on Tuesday. Still, its a bold and often striking album that will be appreciated by those who hear it, and if nothing else is a step up from being known as the band that opened for the Unicorns.