popwreckoning

It’s almost as though it’s a surreal trip, and a really good one at that. Taking a few of the most influential music ingredients today, a layer of Brett Dennen’s words and vocals, the backing of Forro In The Dark and a pinch of Jason Mraz and mixing them for a simple taste, not a whole meal, but it certainly is not one you would turn away for any reason. For the majority of this seven song EP, Brett displays to us a fun and poignant versatility.

Countless hours have been spent by hundreds of bands on song placement in any given LP. But when you have multiple works to pull from and also adding new material, it’s “enough to make you go crazy.” But with “Blessed” as his title track, Brett and company say simply, “I’m gonna celebrate being alive.” It’s like an old friend who has invited you to his fire side get together. And as Forro In The Dark skillfully adds the subtleties and impacting Brazilian swagger, Brett flies through and says this is where I’ve been. A massive introduction to this compilation EP.

With each song, Brett’s vocals and Forro’s beats literally refuse you to simply sit, it’s a work of dance and poetry. Even in writing this, I felt the strong need to book a flight to “San Francisco” and get an old accordion and play for the tourists on the Golden Gate. Making us believe that circumstances are not permanent, we simply dance into what we want to be and to damn the fires we walk on.

Dennen’s writing has always been prolific and prophetic, and hearing it in a different light, only reassures the listener that they can dig into songs like “Closer To You” with multiple points of view.

Adding Jason Mraz to this EP was like adding that secret spice to a sauce that was already amazing. It also reminds that as songwriters, Dennen and Mraz are powerhouses. “Long Road To Forgiveness” is smoky and flowing, as though you’re at a crossroads of some great journey and we got “nothing but time.”

And of course “Make You Crazy” is just fun, plain and simple fun. Yes, it’s embedded with very serious issues, it’s important to remember that, but man if you don’t wanna just get up and grab your most loved dance partner and move to the beats of Forro as they make this track a true force of nature. It also introduces those who have had no idea what true Brazilian “Forro” is. And “Forro” in Brazilian literally translates to the word “party,” and this track is guaranteed to excite the senses into a groove potentially foreign to Brett Dennen fans. But that’s exactly what this work is designed for, to broaden us all.

Power in words and song are truly relative to the reception, but it does happen universally at times and “Aint Gonna Lose You” is truly universal. We have all made those declarations of love and commitment, and here’s the anthem to prove it. With lyrics like “You could put a stick in my spokes, I can be the butt of your jokes….but I ain’t gonna lose you,” are just confirmations that as fun as this EP is, it’s also memorable and destined for immediate adoration on all sides. With so much out there that can decimate the belief that we can hold on to that in which we truly love, Brett says with determination and confidence, “They can tear my house down…but I ain’t gonna lose you.” And with this work, Brett Dennen and company hold on to us and make us dance!

Track Listing:
01. Blessed
02. San Francisco
03. Joan of Arc
04. Closer to You
05. Long Road to Forgiveness
06. Make You Crazy
07. Ain’t Gonna Lose You

Brett Dennen: website | myspace | @ bonnaroo

read ROTHBURY, Day 1

After a somewhat sleepless night — one must grow accustomed to sleeping on the bumpy ground surrounded by bongos, fireworks and crazy people — I awoke Friday morning…afternoon about 12:45-ish…stoked to catch Man Man, local Philly guys I adore, Broken Social Scene who I’d never seen live before and Girl Talk, another act I’d never previously had the fortune of catching in the flesh, among others.

Brett Dennen //  Ranch Arena
After managing to get my ass in gear, Jon and I made out way onto the festival grounds to catch the barefooted, ginger headed Californian known as Brett Dennen. Dennen has been all over the place all year long and it’s no surprise he’s garnering critical praise. His happy folk pop is crowd friendly and fun. Catch Dennen opening for O.A.R. later this summer.

Man Man // Sherwood Court
The before their scheduled performance at Rothbury, Man Man front man Honus Honus (nee Ryan Kattel) tweeted, “Heading to Rothbury fest to freak out some jam heads. We WILL be giving some poor fucker a terrible trip. Hehe…” Just one reason to love this mischievous quintet, who sported a new member at Rothbury.

Man Man is a wonderful cacophony of sound and a party on stage all dressed in white with war paint on their faces, jumping and running around throughout their set. Though tighter recorded, it’s nothing short of a treat to join the Man Man party as the fellas pound on a the stage, bang on an upside-down and hollowed out fire extinguisher, blow a duck call, or pour water into a bowl as if they were your everyday instruments.

Set List:
Hurly / Burly
Top Drawer
The Ballad of Butterbeans
Against the Peruvian Monster
Harpoon Fever (Queequeg’s Playhouse)
I, Manface
Mister Jung Stuffed
Big Trouble
Rabbit Habits
Black Mission Goggles

Rachel Goodrich // Tripolee
During sunlight hours, Tripolee was reserved mainly for greening efforts, panels and the occasional artist. I was lucky enough to walk by when Miami Beach darling Rachel Goodrich graced the stage with her bouncy indie pop. Goodrich has a sweet voice yet commands the full band that backs her. And they all play kazoo! Definitely someone I’d like to hear more from and encourage you to hear any of.

Broken Social Scene // Ranch Arena
Broken Social Scene kicked off their set with an Allman Brothers Band cover, and informed the audience of the fact just to make sure we all knew. Front man Kevin Drew then announced that they weren’t going to play any love songs, but would rather jam out instead, fitting for a festival like Rothbury. BSS played a mix of old and new, jammy but tight, and created a dance party for a very interactive crowd. Stars‘ Amy Millan joined Broken Social Scene on stage, lending her lovely vocals to the set. I spent the majority of the set transfixed by the band and wondering how this could possibly be my very first time seeing them.

Damian ‘Jr .Gong’ Marley & NAS // The Odeum
I unfortunately missed Damian and NAS, due to being occupied by Broken Social Scene and then probably finding some dinner before the main act. Jon took some awesome pictures, though, and promises me that this set was awesome.

Flogging Molly // Ranch Arena
I never ended up getting over to Ranch Arena to check out Flogging Molly, but Jon took some pictures as the fellas no doubt let loose some good ol’ Irish punk rock hell.

The String Cheese Incident // The Odeum
As the headliners of Friday night, The String Cheese Incident had no direct competition whilst they played, so needless to say, the lawn at the Odeum was packed. It wasn’t until this night that I decided that the String Cheese Incident, who played Rothbury the previous year and jumped at the chance to come back, are awesome. I’ve never really been into jam bands, but String Cheese’s great beats and jammy piano melodies got me into the mood to twirl around to their mesmerizing sound.
(no Popwreckoning photos available)

Chromeo // Sherwood Court
I don’t doubt I’m going to catch a bit of flack for this, but Chromeo is totaly overrated. Had Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, not been up next, I would’ve promptly headed back to my tent for some shut eye. While I had a bit of fun getting dancing with the Chromeo fanatics would chanted “Chromeo, Oh-oh” in hopes they’d come on despite the String Cheese Incident running 20 minutes over, it’s really lame to name drop your band in all of your own songs. I appreciate P-Thugg donning a Phillies hat, but Chromeo’s novelty wore off rather quickly and I bided my time waiting for Girl Talk.

Girl Talk
It almost seems ridiculous to try to capture a Girl Talk set in words. Gregg Gillis’ energy is a force to be reckoned with. It’s obvious he loves what he does, despite the fact he arrived at 8PM, mixed from 2AM to 3AM and bolted almost immediately thereafter. His energy was off the charts as he was allowed to have 50 members of the audience join him on stage (though I suspect many more ended up dancing around him) and had the rest of us on the lawn cheered him on as we were possessed into frantic movement by the beats of his mash-up magic.
Dancing around like a nutter to Girl Talk was the perfect end to the night. I made my way out just a touch before the set was over so I could see how things looked 100 yards back, then 200 yards back. As I lingered on the edges of Sherwood Forest, I thought that Girl Talk would have no problems properly playing a major arena. Hopefully that will keep him in the game longer if the aforementioned rumor is true.

Stay tuned for Rothbury, Days 3 & 4

Photos: Jon Gitchoff
except Rachel Goodrich photo by Jessica McGinley

I love Bonnaroo, but it is lucky that it is only four days. I don’t think my body could have moved if it had been a fifth day. Part of the reason for my extra soreness might have been due to sleeping in the car instead of the tent. My camp partner kept moving the tent despite it being five in the morning and in frustration, I just crashed in the car. Seat belts in the back are not much more comfortable than sleeping in the ground. Feeling extra gross, I actually paid the five dollars for a cold shower before I was ready to take on Sunday.

Joshua caught the first act of the day, Cage the Elephant, which he describes as “This generation’s Nirvana.”

Following Cage the Elephant in energy and in craziness was Dillinger Escape Plan. The screaming is not really my cup of tea, but as they climbed over amps, the guys continued to keep their musicianship tight.

We calmed down a bit with the songwriter stylings of Jessica Lea Mayfield. Though really a solo project, her drummer came very close to outshining her.

Another lady rocked our hearts after Mayfield. The buzzed about YouTube queen, Julia Nunes delivered hits and covers on her sharpie-decorated guitar and ukulele. Nunes and her friends whipped out sunglasses to look like true “douches” when covering a “douche” song before playing a cover of 3OH!3‘s “Don’t Trust Me”. After witnessing her humor in person, it is easy to see why she became such a YouTube sensation.

Josh and I again parted ways after Nunes. He had yet to witness the masterful sounds of Andrew Bird‘s whistling and violin playing, so he went to the Which Stage.

Meanwhile, I ventured over to the Other Tent for my first time in the entire festival. The atmosphere there was warm and I don’t mean the muggy Tennessee weather. The people and workers there felt more like a family than the other tent. It probably had a lot to do with the line up there, too. As the bare footed, Brett Dennen, jammed and danced away on stage, it was hard to not feel like you were at a party with your closest friends.

Brett Dennen’s Set List:
Someday
When You Feel It
So Far From Me
San Fran
Darlin
Who Do You Think
She’s Mine
I’m Strong
Heaven
Crazy
Blessed

After Dennen, Okkervil River was next up. Will Sheff really is an amazing songwriter, but I had never really given him credit for his stage presence until this performance. As he passionately gripped the microphone, he danced around the stage.

Josh and I briefly crossed paths as he worked his way over to catch Arizona rockers Dear and the Headlights at the Troo Music Lounge. They’ve been busy on the festival circuit and have their performance down to a science.

I worked my way over to What Stage to catch none other than Snoop Dogg. He was sporting some bling, but his set lacked the usual paraphernalia I had seen with it. Erykah Badu joined him for some numbers, but while everyone else buzzed about that, I could not help getting excited over Snoop’s drummer. With a flick of the wrist the guy was artfully drumming and tossing sticks everywhere. I guess I didn’t give rap and hip hop drummers enough credit, but this guy was better than all the rock drummers I had seen the entire festival.

Band of Horses‘ gentle tunes were warming up the Which Stage as I walked over to see Neko Case. She showed she had a sense of humor by doing a duet with Triumph the Insult Dog.

Josh watched one of the best sets of the festival by Coheed and Cambria. Big hair and tongues wagging, these guys embodied what it meant to be a rock star. I had never seen them with a girl before, but as she picked up some of the higher notes, I soon learned her purpose. Claudio Sanchez has enough on his plate without having to keep up the breath support to do his signature falsetto the entire time. For example, he was busy teaching the audience that it was in fact possible to play an instrument using your hair.

Ending the festival, just as they began it by headlining, was Phish. Phish fans celebrated before their set with a tortilla fight. Then as Phish jammed, one final festival surprise awaited. Bruce Springsteen had stuck around to do a final guest appearance. Since he’s The Boss, Phish played a few Springsteen songs with him before bidding him goodnight and jamming some more. Fireworks heralded the end of the festival and people flocked back to their tents and back to their homes.

Bonnaroo 2009 was a huge success filled with classic and new talent thanks to Big Hassle. While I think I might settle on hotel instead of a camp, I’m excited already thinking about the next year. Here’s to Bonnaroo 2010!

Bonnaroo: website | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Of Montreal @ This Tent | Spotted: Drew Barrymore | Quick News 1 | Quick News 2

Photos by: Bethany Smith and Joshua Hammond

Australian sibling duo Angus and Julia Stone just released their second digital EP, Hollywood, on iTunes this week and have announced their debut full-length, A Book Like This, to drop March 3, 2009. The full-length, co-produced by friend Fran Healy (Travis), is a simple and endearing vision of the duo’s world which has already received critical acclaim worldwide.

The pair is also recognized for their intimate live show, selling out headline dates in Australia, London and beyond. Those in the States will get their chance to experience the magic in the spring when the pair will tour the west coast of the US supporting Brett Dennen and their own forthcoming album. This fall, Angus and Julia Stone will stop in a few select US cities touring the Hollywood EP.

Tracklisting:
01. Mango Tree
02. Wasted
03. Private Lawns
04. The Beast
05. Silver Coin
06. A Book Like This
07. Choking
08. Bella
09. Paper Aeroplane
10. Hollywood
11. Just A Boy
12. Jewels And Gold
13. Here We Go Again

Tour Dates:
Nov 17 – The Loft / San Diego, CA
Nov 18 РHotel Caf̩ / Los Angeles, CA
Nov 20 – Hotel Utah / San Francisco
Nov 22 – The Living Room / New York, NY
Mar 12 – The Plaza / Vancouver *
Mar 13 – Crystal Ballroom / Portland *
Mar 15 – Showbox at the Market / Seattle *
Mar 16 – Knitting Factory / Spokane *
Mar 17 – Knitting Factory / Boise *
Mar 20 – The Fillmore / San Francisco, CA
Mar 21 – The Fillmore / San Francisco, CA
Mar 22 – Boardwalk / Sacramento *
Mar 24 – House of Blues / Los Angeles *
Mar 25 – House of Blues / Los Angeles *
Mar 27 – House of Blues / San Diego *
Mar 28 – Clubhouse / Phoenix *
Mar 29 – Rialto Theatre / Tucson *
Mar 30 – Santa Fe Brewing Co. / Santa Fe *
Apr 01 – Belly Up / Aspen *
Apr 02 – Fox Theatre / Boulder *
Apr 03 – Bluebird Theatre / Denver *
Apr 04 – Murray Theatre / Salt Lake City *

* w/ Brett Dennen

Angus and Julia Stone: website | myspace | youtube