OUTSIDE LANDS - FRIDAY PREVIEW

Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. Found my way downstairs and wrote a blog about who to go see on the first day of OUTSIDE LANDS FESTIVAL 2011.

Yes. I'm that excited that I'm quoting Beatles and not sleeping before I go. Returning a third day for the festival - the event brings legendary acts like Phish and The Original Meters into a festival environment that is also peppered with lesser known acts that, while they've been in the game, are still hoping to have careers that endure nearly as long as either one of the above.

I fully intend to indulge myself in those artists still seemingly hungry for growth. I'm not talking about the chart toppers that people might flock to, but the ones I wish were chart toppers - like K. Flay. She's got swag. I think she's talented (and intelligent). And she's down with real hip-hop. This video's got breakers, Converse and tap dancing - all which get props in my book. She plays at 12:45.

Or Toro Y Moi - the ambient chillwave masterchild of Chazwick Bundick responsible for a sexy remix of Tyler, The Creator's "French!" and releases a new EP (Freaking Out) in just over a month. Doing duty at two California festivals this weekend (Saturday at Pacific Festival in OC) - the San Francisco crowd is lucky to get him to get the party started at 3:50 at the Twin Peaks stage.

"Still Sound" is a more recent offering from the second album, Underneath The Pine. It was recently featured on an episode of Entourage, which probably propelled the visibility of the Bull and I into new places.

"Talamak" is from Toro Y Moi's first album - released on Carpark Records in 2010. Also a gem.

For those who want to see Foster The People and Toro Y Moi - they'll have a tough decision to make. I'm sticking with Toro, who has played less festivals than the People.

I'll be throwing my love for Los Angeles behind a different home grown act - the funk masters that are Orgone. I really hope Fanny Franklin is there rocking with them. She has a killer voice that crushes it over the Stewart Killen led rhythm section. They have a healthy library of originals (at least four albums) and also do killer covers of songs like "Ain't No Use" and - "Brothers On The Slide"

Orgone is one of those bands that doesn't have "official" music videos - just dirty nasty funky ass jams that make you want to get down live. Certainly will be much more of a throw down than MGMT - who still haven't earned back my respect from previous poor performances. If you dig our recommendations - please just trust me, and peep Orgone.

While I'd love to catch a little of Ellie Goulding or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah or even Miguel Migs, I'm going to squat by Panhandle for The Limousines at 6:15.

I've actually never seen the recent Dangerbird Records signees and clever minds behind "Internet Killed The Video Star" - so I'll be losing my virginity so to speak.

Checking them out means missing out on most of Big Boi - who has been doing great all festival season. If you love Outkast, love to see black men in track suits or just want to get down with daddy fat sacks - check him out at Sutro Stage starting at 6:20 p.m.

It also means missing the beginning of Phish, who take stage at 6:30 p.m., and have also allegedly been having a great summer season. Here is a video of them performing Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" at Hollywood Bowl on Monday for the first time. It takes a few minutes for it to get going - but it is kind of cool to watch a band that has toured for close to 30 years play a song they've never played before.

Here They Come: The Roots Make Rare 2011 Stateside Festival Appearance at Outside Lands (OLF Preview)

Staples of hip-hop culture for over two decades, and now - more or less staples of mainstream entertainment and pop culture, The Roots have achieved iconic status.

Formerly having toured over 200 hundred dates a year, the Jimmy Fallon house band has now found a comfortable home not being on the road. While that might mean we get to enjoy a brief dosage of their amazing skill on a nightly basis - it means less of the free flowing Black Thought spearheaded hip-hop medleys and crushing percussion of Knuckles and ?uestlove.

But, at Outside Lands Festival 2011 we do get that dosage. Hopefully at least an hour. Preferably a full two. Its not like they don't have the material. Essentially 10* albums deep (* - depends how you judge Wake Up with John Legend) - and well over a hundred tracks of original material - you'd hope they headline a night. At least I do. I've been a Roots junky since the 90s.

At OLF, no matter how long they play, expect to hear some old gems, definitely Here I Come (the Fallon theme song) and quite possibly, something from their rumored forthcoming album. I hope to get a handsome dosage of Legendary material from Things Fall Apart and/or Illadelph Halflife.

Lo Down Loretta Brown in Downtown San Fran (Show Review)

Oh my, my, my, the audience was feelin’ high. Dj Lo Down Loretta Brown, aka Erykah Badu and @FatBellyBella on twitter, screwed up some ditties on 4.20.2011 for a night of soul, funk, and hip-hop on the turntables at Ruby Skye in downtown San Francisco. It’s one thing to hear the beautiful Badu belt out some soulful lyrics, but to watch this woman play with tracks that she’s influenced by is something that’s on a whole other level. Just by watching her spin, you can see her love for music being poured out of her head and shaken on the table. She had the entire place rocking their hips or AT LEAST bobbing their heads to her bass driven beats. To top things off, she almost made it a chore to keep her audience in check by singing a little flow here and there and stopping the occasional track to let audience take over control on vocals and sing-a-long. Erykah, if you want to have me sing-a-long with you just give me a beat and a headwrap and I’m there, Ma.

Follow them NOW

Ruby Skye - @RubySkye
Erykah Badu - @FatBellyBella

Post by Anthony Martinez

Mowgli's Roll North To Rock Elbo Room; Afghan Raiders Crush 111 Minna Gallery

Last night LA natives The Mowglis drove up to San Francisco and rocked a little place called The Elbo Room. This band, complete with it's 8 members, know what they want, who they are & they know how to make you want it. Its not just about them. It's about everyone. The music invites you in & I never wanted to leave.

Remember the LJ meme ____ is Love ? Well let's bring it back with The Mowgli's are love. Their song 'San Francisco' represents the city perfectly and I love that I now call it home. 'Staying Alive' slows down and makes me enjoy life while never skipping a beat. Can you tell I'm in love? I'm about to carve Mowgli's + Sheida 4eva in a tree. When you think of Mowgli, who do you think of? The little boy from The Jungle Book. Well - for their very last song The Mowgli's finished with a cover of I Wanna Be Like You. Everyone's inner child in the room escaped their aged body and started to dance. Michael, Colin, Dave, Josh, Peter, Spencer, Matt and the beautiful Katie, come back soon, kay?

After all that was done, I was a hop, skip and a Bart away from 111 Minna Gallery to see Afghan Raiders. The boys played a free show to an intimate crowd. Mikey & Vincent are joined at the hip. Their synths and vocals did wonders to mine. And Drew's bass drum is just something I can't talk about right now. The short set ended and friends gathered around to congratulate the band. Afghan Raiders are so sharp & sexy. The gallery itself was filled with a collection from local artists. The drinks were good and the bartender was sweet.

All in all the ringing in my ears this morning was well worth it.

http://thecollectiveca.com/the-mowglis
www.afghanraiders.com

No tree was harmed after this post.

Review by Sheida Mohammed AKA @ohsheida

Outside Lands Picture Gallery

Empire of The Sun Loses U.S. Virginity

The Australian music sensation, Empire of The Sun, have finally made their way to the United States....and they chose LA to be their first epic run of concerts with 4 straight nights at The Music Box.


Having first performed in the states at Lollapalooza on August 6th, Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore are basically virgins to how U.S., no less Los Angeles and the west coast, do our indie electro jams. However, from what I've heard, they were prepped to deliver and are performing indie-electro anthems in an atmosphere described as a "a balls to the wall rave party."

If you think you don't know this band, you just don't know them by name. You've heard their songs at the club, remixed or not, for the last two years, especially here in LA. I even remember the first time I heard "Walking On A Dream," I had to know who that was. The Australian duo has been riding in fantasy land ever since their 2008 album, Walking On A Dream, on the strength of the title track, "We Are The People" and "Standing on The Shore." The latter, which repeats "Don't want to talk. All I hear is noise," reflects exactly how I hope to be at their concert.

I'm pretty upset that I am not going to be at Henry Fonda to see any of these local shows. I'm saving my virgin eyes and ears (and my cash) for their Sunday night Outside Lands closing set.

Check out more EOTS music, including lots of remixes, by following links on this hypem search: http://hypem.com/#/search/empire+of+the+sun