Taylor Swift. (btw, really cool of her to bring her band up upon acceptance of her award!) …Kinda saw it coming. The country music community is conflicted about this. Some think she’s too young(youngest ever to win) or simply a shallow writer. I read a few different comments on blogs and such I read thinks it might be the downfall of country music. Others thought Carrie Underwood should be the queen of country.

To me, although it wasn’t Jamey Johnson, I was glad to see her win. I appreciate her as a writer and can’t deny a good song win one is presented in front of me. The fact that she has nine songs in the top 30 of Billboard shows that other people like her too. Yes she is young, she writes about young things…go figure. I hope to see her next album mature in lyric context as her fans are also growing older. Only time will tell. Taylor’s victories last night(entertainer of the year, female vocalist, album and video) will only strengthen the battle over Taylor VS Carrie. I’m more of a Miranda fan myself…

In other CMA news Jamey Johnson won song of the year for “In Color.” Even country radio saw this coming. I’m happy for Jamey, I hope he’s working on another album that will  as Gorge Jones said …”take country back”

A new scenster is in town and He has grossly pop overtones. Adam Young(Owl City) has the number 1 single in the States at the moment with “Fireflies.”  His album “Ocean Eyes” has sold only 180,000 records, which to me is really low especially after being place in that teenster vampire movie… what was the name??? Oh yeah, Twilight.  None the less he had the most Itunes downloads last week.

Is it me, or does this sound like a super glossed up version of Postal Service? The sounds are similar, video game-ish sounds slapped with catchy beats and and dream like anthems. Almost too familiar lyrical content of lack of sleep and the hope for better days. Just wondering, am I the only one who thinks this?

Universal South has made sure not to bring him to the west coast yet. I’m sure they are nervous of our Sub Pop culture or our DIY Silverlake scene ripping his record apart. Owl City is Universal South’s way of being indie. Its a glossy imitation and a pathetic attempt at that. It almost sounds like these were your standard in the box songs gone synth.

Be original.

At the end of the year a new country artist finally takes number one. Justin Moore celebrates his number one song “Small Town USA” by performing a set at BMI Nashville. Does it deserve to be number one from all the other artist out there? You tell me.

I’ve seen just about ever major act that has come through town. I saw The Police at Dodger Stadium, Billy Joel and Elton John at Staples Center along with Paul McCartney and Madonna. I’ve Seen Sting at Panteges, Rilo Kiley with Elvis Costello at The Wiltern, seen the Foo Fighters with Weezer in Long Beach along with Green Day, Blink 182, and Jimmy Eat World. Dave Matthews with Jason Mraz at Home Depot Center and so on. All were great bands to see live. Except Blink 182. They sucked. I think that was the Pop Disaster tour. Jimmy Eat World was the proven talent on that tour.

I went to the theaters to see that Scorsese’s film following the Rolling Stones twice actually. Finally last night I watched U2 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena live on YOUTUBE. I was considering seeing U2 at the Rose Bowl but it seemed like a logistical nightmare. People from around the globe were camping out two days before. The show sold out at 100,000 and there are only 20,000 parking spots. The last time I saw U2 was in Phoenix  on the “Vertigo” tour. I saw them 3 times that year. (Staples Center and Qualcom were the others)

So at 8:30 last night I turned on my lap top.  I was thinking alright this will be fun for a song or two. Three hours later and an encore or two I finally went to bed. They were absolutely amazing! I thought there would be a huge disconnect with my ear phones and 17″ screen. I had chills from the moment Larry Mullin JR walked on stage and the crowd went crazy.

They started of with a couple songs off “No Line on the Horizon.” The album went platinum.  Their fan base is huge so that was expected. The album is great not a single on it in my opinion, however one of the best records they have put out in my opinion. The songs were even better live. These songs were written for the stage. Written to be played in front of 100,000 screaming fans. A complete direction change from “How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb” and even more so from “All That You Can Leave Behind” which had 12 combined singles. Those songs were written for radio. These songs, songs they opened up with were made for the masses live.

This tour is the make up to the disaster that Pop Mart was in ‘97. This is what the tour was supposed to be. U2 is the greatest band out today. They are better then any other act that I have seen…Hands down…. It is almost a spiritual rock revival when your at one of there shows. You are just overwhelmed with emotion. time stands still just for that moment where there isn’t a problem in your life. I look forward to seeing them next leg of their tour!

It was the greatest concert I never been to! I loved it. Here is the set list.

Breathe
Get on Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Stuck In A Moment
No Line on the Horizon
Elevation
In A Little While
Unknown Caller
Until The End of the World
Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I’ll Go Crazy – Remix
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
Walk On
One into Amazing Grace into..
Where The Streets Have No Name

Ultraviolet
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender

Singer / Songwriter Natasha Khan takes us back to 1983 with her album Two Suns. Released back in April of this year Bat for Lashes gives you the Euro Pop goodness that puts you right into high school with Elizabeth Shue in Karate Kid cheering on Daniel Larusso to jump the fence before he gets pummeled. Her album is good. Great to have in the background or at party for a song but its a guilty pleasure band at best.

Here is an excerpt from her website…

Two Suns’ was written and recorded around the world, from Big Sur and the Joshua Tree desert in California to the rolling Welsh countryside and the city sprawls of New York and London.

It includes appearances by Brooklyn’s finest psychedelic experimentalists Yeasayer, who provide bass and beat programming. The legendary Scott Walker also performs a duet with Natasha for the album closer ‘The Big Sleep’.
As with Fur And Gold, Natasha chose to co-produce Two Suns with David Kosten (AKA Faultline).

Sounds like a bunch of hippy BS in my opinion. Psychedelic experimentalists?! Am I on the wrong coast or something? I hate weird explanations(unless true) of recording albums and writing songs.  I know the truth is a little boring at times, but is it really that hard to say “I got drunk and took a bunch of pills and purposely tried to remember the time my dad touched me when I was nine.” More people can identify with that then I went to Joshua Tree and had some huge revelation about playing music that had been dead for the past 25 years.

I digress. On the upside they were asked by Coldplay to open for their Latin America dates. I can see them being a huge success in those countries. Khan is pretty big in the UK club scene. Radio all over London play her stuff too. So there is a demand for her music, and even though Faultline produced the record I doubt it will have legs in the States.

Scarlett Johansson & Pete Yorn – Break Up

I’ve seen this record in every Starbucks I have been in for the past two weeks or so. It had peaked my interested though not really liking Pete Yorn(over rated and lucky to be on tour with Coldplay) and after Scarlett only selling 16,000 records of her pathetic attempt at covering a bunch of Tom Waits tunes. Just like anything else there was tons of hype. Although I should have learned from the single that was released almost five months earlier, I went ahead and bought the record for $12.95.

Maybe one of the most overrated songwriters in recent history paired up with an actress who was convinced that she had singing capabilities who acts as if she invented the Silverlake scene come together for what Yorn describes as an album sent to him in a dream.

“I was having a strange week of insomnia and when I finally passed out, it came to me in a dream. I woke up and the whole thing was in my head, fully formed.”

I listened to the record twice on my drive up to SF. It was the hardest thing to listen to since nails scratching a chalkboard. The production, jenky at best was full of second rate drum samples and gallons of reverb poured all over to cover up the lack of thought put in to the lyrics.

There is not one song that grabbed me. In fact people would leave if the song was left on past thirty seconds if you put any of these songs in a playlist you had made for a party. Coming to him in a dream fully formed… Pete, go back to sleep, bad music is better of unheard.

Mike Mogis (producer)

Earlier this month I talked briefly about Mike Mogis in his ties with Monsters of Folk. With the disaster that is that album it doesn’t take away from the genius that is Mike. Probably the most saught after producer has had his hand in some of the greatest records in the past 10 years. Lets look at a few of them.

Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous

Released August 17th 2004, More Adventurous introduced Rilo Kiley to the masses after they’re inking a deal with Warner under the the name Brute/Beaute Records.  The song “I Never” was placed in the film “Must Love Dogs” and the album sky rocketed from there. This is one of my all time favorite albums. The writing is every bit genius the Jenny Lewis is and the production of the record followed suit.

Brighteyes – I’m  Wide Awake and It’s Morning

Released January 25th 2005, Mike produced what I believe to be Connor Oberst best record. The arrangment of every voice, sound and instrument has purpose and you can see as if it were hand crafted. Plus having Emmy Lou singing works well on any record.

Currently He is producing for Rachel Yamagata.

Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn and Sugarland are confirmed to headline the fourth annual Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival, it was announced Thursday. The two-day outdoor fest will take place April 24-25, 2010 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.

Additional performers on the country, folk and bluegrass-heavy lineup include Billy Currington, Gary Allan, Phil Vassar, Merle Haggard, Carlene Carter, The Oak Ridge Boys, Mallary Hope, Ray Price, Jamey Johnson, The Avett Brothers and Bobby Bare, among others.

Everyone that I come across seems to love this album. So I figured I will take a listen. Rollingstone compares them to the CSNY but I’m not sure I see the comparison. No surprise that I disagree with RS though…

Now let me say this… I own every M. Ward record, and believe that he is the best thing to come out of Portland music scene. I was never a big fan of My Morning Jacket however, I can’t deny some gems that Jim James has written. As for Connor Oberst… I own all of Bighteyes’ catoluge, and really love the “I’m Wide Awake and its Morning” record. It’s amazing! …And of Coarse Mike Mogis has produced half of the Omaha indie stuff which I love. With all that said here is my review.

The first song “Dear God” is horrible. I almost want to throw the CD out the window of a car that is driving as fast as it possibly can guaranteeing destruction of it upon impact. I wasn’t expecting Trip Hop as and opening to a “folk” record. Not a good start.

Skip song two and song three. The first song on the record should be track four. Mostly sung by Oberst, “Temazcal” is what the rest of the album should be. Hearty layers of voices, a classic M Ward production with tones of verb all over the track. Haunting sounds and solid lyrics.

I skipped track five after twenty seven seconds. No originallity cliche in all its non-glory. The next song is worth its ninety nine cents at Itunes. “Baby Boomer” is an up tempo tune that will make you want to snap your fingers the whole song through.

The album is all over the place as far as production is concerned.  Generally you’d want to collaberate only if it adds to yourself as a writer. If I was to hear this before their prospective bands I wouldn’t purchase anyone of their records. I don’t want to finish this review. The writing seems rushed, the production and music seems though it appears to have M. Ward’s fingerprint on it, it isn’t his best.

Save your money buy a couple tracks of Itunes. They should have release an Ep with “Temazcal”"Baby Boomer” and “Ahead Of The Curve” on it.