Blues Rock Setlist - Alabama Shakes, Band of Skulls, & The Black Keys

Bring on the power and soul that epitomizes the true foundation of rock n' roll.  With blues-infused heavy electric guitars, these few tracks are sure to enliven your ears.

Alabama Shakes "Hold On" - Alabama Shakes EP

With only a 4 song EP released, this new band has been attracting some good indie cred from the likes of NPR and KEXP. One listen and its easy to tell why, lead singer Brittany Howard has some major pipes. Howard transforms into a Southern rock, bluesy temptress in "Hold On," playing with the length and timing of her notes, stretching them to their limits before exploding in full power.



Band of Skulls "Sweet Sour" - Sweet Sour

Good things are sure to come musically in 2012 for Band of Skulls judging by an early preview of the title track "Sweet Sour."  With their album officially coming out in February, these English rockers are prime for a breakout following in the likes of The White Stripes and The Kills.



The Black Keys "Lonely Boy" - El Camino

The most recognizable of the three bands, The Black Keys had a monster of a year in 2010 with the inescapably brilliant album Brothers.  Just this past week, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney released El Camino, the group's seventh studio album together. The first single "Lonely Boy" is fun, fast, and an instant hit from where they last left off.  You can visit their website for the full music video.

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In Rotation 2 : Foster the People - Torches

As far as breakout music goes for 2011, there's no denying the creative success that Foster the People have had with their debut album Torches.  While "Pumped Up Kicks" has definitely been and deserves to be the group's standout song, just about every track on Torches has the potential of being a hit single. Start to finish, the entire album is filled with lively songs and contagious beats that'll have you pumped up ready to go.  Though the exterior of the music is upbeat, many of their songs actually take on a darker tone lyrically.  Its this ability to infuse hip swaying music with topics extending past the dance floor that makes Foster the People one of the year's top new bands.

Notable Tracks:
1. "Helena Beat"
2. "Pumped Up Kicks"
3. "Call it What You Want"
7. "Houdini"

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In Rotation: Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials

Florence + the Machine exploded onto the scene with the debut album Lungs.  It seemed within such a short time F+M were seasoned veterans of powerhouse pop.  Coming off such a meteoric rise, it is often hard for an artist to turn around and deliver a second sensation.  However, the "sophomore slump" is not felt in the newly released Ceremonials.  Not to disappoint, F+M takes us on a follow-up journey of dramatic themed story telling.  Listening one can sense how much of her own self is put into each note, sung as if each song will be her last.  Where Lungs felt like a collection of various thoughts and themes, Ceremonials has a concentrated point of view of procession and ritual.  An ambitious album, F+M released a deluxe version offering additional tracks along with demo and acoustic version various tracks.  The acoustic versions are a welcomed lift to the heavy layering orchestral accompaniments, the parsing away of drums and bass lines highlight with even more emphasis her vocal abilities and core essence of the songwriting.

Notable Tracks:
1. "Only If for a Night"
3. "What the Water Gave Me"
5. "Breaking Down"
7. "No Light, No Light"
8. "Seven Devils"

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In Rotation 2 : TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light

Combining indie rock, dance, soul and everything in between, TV on the Radio is a band that I can always expect to go beyond the music and explore the artistic side of sound.  Their latest album, Nine Types of Light, delivers a wave of rhythms and vocal shifts.  At first listen, strong beats and up-tempo tracks like "Caffeinated Consciousness" and "New Cannonball Blues" appear to dominate the album with their bold nature.  But with every further listen, the true driving force is a stream of (on the surface) gentler, more subdued songs.   This is evident in "Forgotten" and "Will Do," where there is almost an uneasy romanticism that takes form through the creeping beats.  As true art always is, there are many layers to Nine Types of Light that keep unraveling the more its explored.

Notable Tracks:
5. "Killer Crane"
6. "Will Do"
8. "Repetition"
9. "Forgotten"
10. "Caffeinated Consciousness"

For even more artistic expansion, TV on the Radio released a full-length music video, filled with individual visual representations for each one of its songs and then tied together with a collection of ideas provoked from topics found within the record.

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In Concert : Generationals @ Record Bar

Generationals opened the night bringing their toe-tapping beats onto the stage.  The New Orleans based band energized the room with fun up-beat tempos, instantly sparking the audience to dance along.  With the release of their second album, Actor-Caster, Generationals find opportunity to intertwine 50's doo-wop, british guitar rock, 80's keyboard pop, and dreamy vocals in to their minimalist indie rock. They are a young band with a fresh opinion on how to incorporate sounds from generations past into a present sound.

Notable Tracks:
1.  "Ten-Twenty-Ten"
7. "Black and White"
8. "Tell Me Now"
10.  "Please Be It"

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In Concert: tUnE-YarDs @ Jackpot Music Hall

On a gloomy rainy evening, one might not think going to a concert is high priority, but that was not the case this past Monday at the Jackpot. To a standing room only crowd, the tUnE-YarDs took the stage with their warpaint on.  A phantom of multitasking, Merrill Garbus looped drum signatures and vocal "skats" effortlessly. With tremendous vocal range, lyrics of regressed modern oppression whilst backed with a rhythmic bass groove, the tUne-YarDs had the entire crowd moving as one. Every song from whokill takes over your body, dropping you deep into an African drum circle where every spastic limb movement is an extension of the beat.

Notable Tracks:
1. "My Country"
2. "Es-So"
3. "Gangsta"
4. "Powa"
6. "Bizness"

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In Concert: The Wombats @ Record Bar

"Tooooorrrd!" echoed from the back of the crowd, as The Wombats brought their fun, energetic music to the stage.  Tord, playing bass whether he was bouncing back and forth across the stage, climbing atop speakers or being down on the ground, brought nonstop action to the show.  All the while lead singer Matthew Murphy and  drummer Dan Haggis brought their cheeky English humor to the forefront, telling jokes in between songs, and hiding behind amps and curtains for the encore.  Their songs are a direct reflection of their fun-natured attitude and are all happy, uncomplicated music that you can't help but dance to as The Wombats Proudly Present... This Modern Glitch.

Notable Tracks:

1. "Our Perfect Disease"

2. "Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)"

3. "Jump into the Fog"

6. "Techno Fan"

7. "1996"

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