popwreckoning

There’s no exception from skipping out on watchng Paramore‘s new video for “The Only Exception.”

The Grammy-nominated rock group Paramore have unveiled details of their Spring headlining run.

The tour kicks off with a home state show in Tennessee’s Knoxville Civic Coliseum on April 26. Relient K and Fun will support the tour.

Fan Club members can buy presale tickets on Monday, February 1 at www.paramorefanclub.com. General public sale begins Friday, February 5 and Saturday February 6.

Tour Dates:
April 26 – Knoxville Civic Coliseum / Knoxville, TN
April 28 – John Paul Jones Arena / Charlottesville, VA
April 30 – Trump Taj Mahal – Mark G Etess Arena / Atlantic City, NJ
May 1 – The Bamboozle New Jersey – Meadowlands Sports Complex / East Rutherford, NJ
May 3 – The LC Amphitheatre / Columbus, OH
May 4 – DeltaPlex / Grand Rapids, MI
May 6 – Rockford MetroCentre / Rockford, IL
May 7 – i Wireless Center / Moline, IL
May 8 - WestFair Amphitheatre / Council Bluffs, IA
May 10 – E Center / Salt Lake City, UT
May 12 -  WaMu Theater / Seattle, WA
May 15 – Rabobank Arena / Bakersfield, CA
May 16 – The Joint / Las Vegas, NV 

The Swellers

The first band for the evening came on to the stage promptly at 6:40. They are known as The Swellers, a local (Flint, Michigan) pop-punk band that shares a record label with Paramore. Sounding very melodic-punk with a punch of metal thrown in, the band played very well adding punches of their influences from chunky 90′s alt-rock with melodic choruses. Singer/Guitarist Nick Diener understood how to add some edge to the music, but I still felt that they fell just slightly short of what they could be as a whole. The songs (mostly off their newest Fueled By Ramen release) were solid, well played, and hooky but without the catch. While most of the crowd was entertained, nothing was over-the-top special. Rating: B -

The Casualties

Second up was the always furious stylings of The Casualties. The band’s political sound of anger, fury and fist-pumping speaks volumes to the masses of disenchanted teenage punks in the world and have started to become a new staple on many a 16 yr. old’s rotation list. Not being known for their songwriting, The Casualties are better suited for stories regarding their live shows rather than their records – think more along the lines of a European Football match than US rock club – full of chanting and “oohs.” Much of this Casualties show was filled with previous catalog material of blistering favorites like the work song “World Belongs To Us,” Clockwork” and an electrifying cover of The Ramones‘ “Blitzkrieg Bop.” And as the energy rose, the bodies hit hard during three ‘walls of death’ and numerous circle pits which the venue seemed not quite ready for, but tried to deal with the best they could. Overall, after playing over 40 min and a set list in the double-digits, The Casualties called it a day but not before a sing-along (“War is Bitches”) and one fan-fueled fist fight over the lead vocalist’s scarf. Great energy and solid audience participation. Rating: A

Less Than Jake

After playing a highly sought after show in Detroit the previous night, Less Than Jake took to the cold streets of Chicago to pack in a crowd at the legendary Metro only mere hours before the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. With over 15 years under their belts, the band still share the same passion and dedication to their music as they are their fan base – they are renown for giving every bit of it back ten-fold.

As stage openers go, LTJ aren’t a band to try and impress anyone unless your idea of being wowed is watching a band with such history enter amongst the theme song to ‘Night Rider,’ thus announcing that on this night Nostalgia would rule the day. However once the band take their positions, raise their instruments and blares out the first note to “Automatic” all thoughts are focused on the boys with the brass.

While blazing through the first four songs in a long list of regulars and favorites, JR Wasilewski and Buddy Schaub went the extra mile to wildly weave in and out of the their fellow bandmates to ramp up the crowd’s energy. Hand-clapping helped to syncopate the ever-driving “Does the Lion City Still Roar”, while numbers like “National Anthem” and “Suburban Myth” helped to propel the audience to rush the stage in a dancing frenzy.

When not singing, you could often catch Chris Demakes and Roger Mangenelli performing their rich audience banter with such digs on boy-band phenoms The Jonas Brothers and pretty-boy “Hometown Hero” Pete Wentz; only to remind the audience that the current show was going to be “the most honest rock show you will ever see” – one can only look at the track record of this tenured band to see that the boys in LTJ have stuck to their guns and surpassed the test of time while never having any “Greatest Hits.”

With JR’s and Buddy’s horns lighting up “Liquor Store” and breaking down the walls on “All My Best Friends Are Metalheads,” “Never Going Back to New Jersey,” on “Ask the Magic 8 Ball,” Roger took to the mic for some much-needed lowering of temperature in his band mates and after a few Chicago shout-outs to such notables as The Lawrence Arms‘ front man Neil Hennessy: a smooth rendition of “The Science of Selling Yourself Short” was quickly dispensed.

Other songs like “Conviction Notice,” “Al’s War” and “History of a Boring Town” all found the band in top form and proved that no matter their long road status, the boys in this band are showing no sign of slowing down. And to show that they still have love for the retired-filled southern city from where they hailed almost two decades ago, LTJ showed service to their fans by showing they are in fact “Gainsville Rock City.”

To round out the evening “The Ghost of Me and You,” “Nervous In the Alley” and “Look What Happened” were blasted out to leave the evening on a high note.

As shows go, this one is to be remembered. A highly-intense connection to the audience, trips down memory lane with storytelling, and one headbanging contest later, Less Than Jake threw one kick-ass party for all in attendance. The band noted that their last date to play The Metro was in 1998 and much has changed in music since, but one thing has definitely stayed the same – Less Than Jake’s commitment to their fans and music. Hopefully with a little luck the boys in this band will still be making us smile for another 15. Rating: A+

Written by Matt Miles.

Rock, electronica, hip hop…oh my! Pac Sun Tour offers a diverse line up and it going into the show, I knew this could either be really scary or something truly special. It wasn’t long before I could confirm that this the latter.

For select major cities, a local band is given the chance to open the show after winning a Battle of the Bands competition. Headliners Saosin came up with the idea to help local scenes out. For the Kansas City show, piano rockers A.M.I.M. won the battle and kicked things off. I’m not sure if they just brought a lot of their friends or if they just impressed the audience that much, but people were really into their set. I could see some potential. They had great stage presence and had skills on their various instrument. They were unified and didn’t overpower each other, which would be easy to do in a young band. However, they still have lots of room for improvement before they can start taking over radio waves. Lyrically they are a  bit weak…”It’s been three years. It’s so sincere. The chandeliers have disappeared.” Um, wtf?

After A.M.I.M. was Eye Alaska. These guys might have been my favorite act of the night even if I thought some of their set got a little repetitive. I went into their set with a curiosity. I hadn’t really heard them, but I had heard that their pianist/guitarist is the brother of Thrice‘s Dustin Kensrue. Eye Alaska stand out on their own and I after hearing them, while the brother connection most likely helps, they don’t need it. They don’t sound anything like Thrice, so the tidbit should just fade aways as some random trivia as they continue making their own impression on thew world of music. They were phenomenal and I think they’re poised to blow up as big as other popular warped bands likes Paramore. I’ve heard them described as “new wave,” but aside from the piano on a few songs, I don’t get that at all. They’re more pop rock/alternative. They’re incredibly hardworking too. The guys are doing acoustic instores at practically every stop and they’re down to earth. Even if their brand of music isn’t your style, their work ethic alone should make you want to support them.

I had similar feelings toward P.O.S. Hip hop isn’t my usual style, but I just wanted to support the guy. Again, you had yet another down to earth guy (in fact, all the bands on this tour were super down to earth, humble and genuine) that has music different than your usual expectations associated with that genre. Forget how Soulja Boy made you hate hip hop with his sleazy “Crank Dat,” P.O.S. actually has something to say with his music and he samples a wider variety of influences such as jazz. This is hip hop the way it was meant to be. The way that groups like Run-DMC envisioned it. Not those guys other guys on MTV that are wearing so many grillz you can’t even understand a word they’re saying.

True to their name, Innerpartysystem brought a party. With a light show that they say is actually a bit toned down from their usual show, they had carefully thought out their presentation just as thoroughly as their set list. The electronica beats effortlessly glided the party from one song to the next so the crowd keep up with “Don’t Stop” and other songs without a stop.

I’m not sure I can do headliners Saosin justice for their performance with a full review since I was off doing interviews during much of their set. From what I did see, I enjoyed. They are an alternative rock group with high energy and an edginess that makes them appeal to the screamo-sort of loves-to-mosh crowd, yet they have a softness and a vocal control that makes it so they’d still be pretty awesome for a guy to take a girl out on a date to see. With the way the various genres that opened for them and their own ability to appeal to various genres, I could see why they were given the headlining slot.

The tour continues until December 20. Check out additional information and dates here: pacsun.com/pactour.

PopWreckoning has interviewed all these bands. Check out the interview with Innerpartysystem here. The rest are coming soon!

Reviewing this album is bittersweet for me. For one thing, I hate all the hullabaloo that Twilight has brought along with it. It’s taken over so much of the media lately, and I’ve been sick of it since it started. When I saw the list of artists that were contributing to the Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack, my heart sank. Not because they were bad, but because they were oh so good, and the fact that they’d jumped on the Twilight bandwagon irked me so much. Secretly, I was hoping that the soundtrack was really really bad.

But I was proven wrong, because it’s so good.

Like, really good.

As of right now, I’m separating the soundtrack from the film, because the soundtrack will surpass the quality of the film no doubt. And I’ll take you through Alexandra Patsavas’ musical masterpiece piece by piece, as it’s the only way I can do it justice.

1. Death Cab for Cutie – “Meet Me On The Equinox”

As far as a Death Cab song, when I first heard this I was a little underwhelmed. But I think they’ve mixed it differently for the final soundtrack, so it’s grown on me a bit. Sure, the hook is a little generic for a Death Cab for Cutie song, but as far as a catchy single to start off the soundtrack, it works really well.

2. Band of Skulls – “Friends”

Track two had a completely different vibe as the songs surrounding it – as it’s more upbeat, and provides a lightness that the soundtrack otherwise doesn’t have. It’s the first of a few very raw sounding tracks on this album, which is something you didn’t get from the first film’s soundtrack. “Friends” isn’t a huge song, but it’s a nice departure from the other big songs on the record.

3. Thom Yorke – “Hearing Damage”

This was the one track I was dying to hear, as I’ve been a huge Radiohead fan for a long time, and it’s hard to criticize Thom Yorke for anything. And yet again, like the song says, Thom, “You can do no wrong… in my eyes.” A great throwback to Eraser from a few years ago, “Hearing Damage” is a dreamy electro track full of ominous synthesizers and tricky drums.

4. Lykke Li – “Possibility”

When I heard that Lykke Li would be contributing a song, I was expecting something similar to “I’m Good, I’m Gone,” for a less intense part of the movie, maybe when Bella isn’t seeing Edward in her head, but this slow ballad is so beautiful. It almost reminded me of “Lover’s Spit” by Broken Social Scene, with the heavy constant piano chord and lo-fi sound.

5. The Killers – “A White Demon Love Song”

This was the only song that didn’t seem to fit so perfectly with the rest of the soundtrack, but that could be the context The Killers bring with them, but I totally dig it as a Killers song. It goes back to Brandon Flowers’ natural crooning vocals without any of the frantic energy he seems to have adopted with Day and Age.

6. Anya Marina – “Satellite Heart”

To tell you the truth, the opening hook to this song sounds so much like another of Marina’s songs “Move You.” But then again, Alexandra Patsavas is also the music supervisor for “Grey’s Anatomy,” which is where I heard “Move You.” But as “Satellite Heart” moves through its verses and choruses, it gets bigger and draws you in more. The violin additions towards the end gave me goosebumps too.

7. Muse – “I Belong To You”

The original version could have easily gone in this version’s place. The remixing didn’t make it any better, nor did it necessarily make it any worse. This is by far the peppiest song on the record, which may mean something that it’s right in the middle. I don’t know, but this song didn’t wow me so much now, mostly because I’ve listened to it so many times since The Resistance came out last month.

8. Bon Iver & St. Vincent – “Rosyln”

Let me tell you, Justin Vernon’s vocals layered with Annie Clark’s and mixed with the understated acoustic guitar and banjo made for the best song on the record. By far. I could listen to it all day. It’s just…wow.

9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Done All Wrong”

BRMC’s distinctly lo-fi sound here works exquisitely, with the hints of southern rock and blues adds a different kind of sadness to the record, which up until now has lacked the depth that blues can bring. And what’s so ironic is that BRMC was on the season one soundtrack to “True Blood,” another bit of vampire fare.

10. Hurricane Bells – “Monsters”

Similar to “Friends,” “Monsters” is very much an upbeat song, with a hint of hopefulness. As a heavy movie watcher, I think “Monsters” almost sounds like one of those songs that editors layer over a montage, but not a cheesy one. Not quite filler, but not quite a stand-out, “Monsters” is one of the middle-of-the-road songs on the soundtrack.

11. Sea Wolf – “The Violet Hour”

The second happy song in a row, “The Violet Hour” is so dancey you wonder what’s happening in the story where they play this song. It also emphasizes the vocal theme throughout the record – quieter, smaller vocals – which is different from the first soundtrack with Paramore’s Haley Williams’ loud rock-chick vibe and Chester Bennington’s raw shriek.

12. OK Go – “Shooting the Moon”

A typical OK Go song, with Damian Kulash’s soft, dreamy crooning, “Shooting the Moon” is another lighter song on the record. But what makes this song even better is the stark contrast that comes in the last minute of the song with heavy bass and strong distorted guitar riffs.

13. Grizzly Bear – “Slow Life”

Coming off an amazing record, Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear doesn’t lose any of their authentic sound here with the intentionally droning vocals from Beach House’s Victoria Legrand adding to the ominous, woodsy feel of Grizzly Bear’s music. As the song goes on, it builds to the climax which makes it fit perfectly on the soundtrack.

14. Editors – “No Sound But The Wind”

In tandem with their latest release, this marks the beginning of a new period for Editors, losing the heavy Interpol parallels and moving into a rawer, anthemic sound. “No Sound But The Wind” essentially finishes out the record in terms of rock songs, and it is the perfect ending in terms of emotion.

15. Alexander Desplat – “New Moon (The Meadow)”

It’s hard to talk about a classical song in the context of an otherwise indie rock soundtrack, but by itself, this song makes me actually kind of excited to hear the full score. It’s not too long, yet not too short, to give us just the right amount of classical to actually finish off the album.

This went on very long apparently, but hopefully it enlightened you to how awesome this soundtrack is. It moves fluidly through different emotions and different keys it sounds like one of those great mix CDs that you made for your significant other when you were going through a “rough patch.” Even if you hate everything Twilight, give the soundtrack a chance. You won’t be disappointed.

The soundtrack release date has been moved up and will be available Friday, Oct. 16.

New Moon: soundtrack site

Welcome back, readers!  Looks like the toxicology and autopsy reports on Michael Jackson are taking forever and I, for one, need to take a break from the lovefest that was my month-long MJ tribute (read: here, here, here and here!).  With MJ on the mind, it’s been hard to think of other musicians, so hopefully this Pop Punk Miscellany piece will serve as an adequate segue back to the mixed-bag madness that usually is Under Cover.

To mix things up, this week I’m featuring a genre I haven’t always focused on.  Pop Punk is always a good time and usually infuses a vivacious energy that’s perfect after a hard day at work or for the drive home following a kickass evening.  Here are some classic covers by some very pop-friendly bands.  Enjoy!
–

. Alien Ant Farm – “Smooth Criminal” (original: Michael Jackson)
What?  I told you.  Getting Michael Jackson off the mind has been difficult, so Alien Ant Farm‘s infamous cover of “Smooth Criminal” may help this week’s switch to pop punk.  I’m not even the biggest AAF fan or anything, but I do recall giving them points for creativity with this rousing rendition when it came out nearly a decade earlier.  This cover is a sped-up rock version, yet manages to share more than a few similarities to the original.  There’s the anti-gravity leaning, studded gloves, homage paid to Bubbles the Chimpanzee, and let’s not forget an equally strange lead singer Dryden Mitchell on the verge of an epileptic seizure in the music video.  Be sure to check out the video to see if you can count all the MJ references!  I myself counted at least 10…

.Paramore – “My Hero” (original: Foo Fighters)
My Foo Fighters/Dave Grohl-obsessed ass is aware of the sacrilege of posting an acoustic Paramore cover that doesn’t even have the same killer bass line or energetic drumming that jumpstarts the original, but I’m such a sucker for cute little pop punk outfits featuring impressive female vocalists like Hayley Williams.  In a word full of the Katy Perrys, Rihannas, Britney Spears-es, and assorted pop wrecks out there, I’d choose Paramore over them any day by mere fact that this 20-year-old can actually sing.  Her voice is so clear, resonant and melodic, and it flows so nicely with the gentle strumming on the acoustic that I bet even Mr. Grohl himself would dig this one.  And hey, if Mr. Grohl is reading this… call me.  You can be my hero for a day, if I can watch you as you go.  Oh snap!

. Yellowcard – “Everywhere” (original: Michelle Branch)
Personally, I’ve always felt Yellowcard knows how to perfectly put out precious pop punk gems each and every time.  And hey look, they’re off from their hiatus? Lead singer Ryan Key has such a sweet, genuine vocal delivery, the guitars are punchy and power-poppy, and mad props to any group aside from Dave Matthews Band who can incorporate a lead violinist so effortlessly into their songs.  These boys from Florida take a pop classic like Michelle Branch‘s “Everywhere” that was already awesome in its own right and add a refreshing little upbeat twist with the help of some very pretty electric guitar riffs and surprisingly gorgeous slicks of violin that lace the song and add a dash of dramatic intensity to the breakdown.  This song makes me regret quitting the violin in high school because it irritated my chin, much to the dismay of my high school music teacher.  Sorry, Mr. Santin!

Winners of the fifth annual “mtvU Woodie Awards” are:

Woodie of the Year – (Artist of the Year)
Paramore (Atlantic Records)

The Breaking Woodie – (Best Emerging Artist)
There For Tomorrow (Hopeless Records)

Left Field Woodie – (Most Original Artist)
Chromeo (Vice Records)

Best Video Woodie – (Best Video of the Year)
Motion City Soundtrack “It Had to be You” (Epitaph Records)

The Good Woodie – (Greatest Social Impact)
Jack’s Mannequin (Warner Bros Records) – “Dear Jack Foundation” – Established by lead singer, Andrew McMahon, a leukemia survivor, this group raises money and awareness for cancer research.

Performing Woodie – (Best Tour)
Atmosphere (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

College Radio Woodie – (Best Campus Radio Station)
91.7 FM, WICB Ithaca College

Best Music on Campus Woodie
The Bride Wore Black

Congrats to all the winners! Don’t forget to watch the awards on November19th at 8PM!

mtvu: website | “Woodies”

This punk-pop rock band known as Hey Monday resembles the style that you can find in all of the music that Avril Lavigne and Paramore produce. All of them seem to have similar high pitched vocal styles and punk rock guitar riffs. Hey Monday has that “umpf” potential that we all know and crave for, to become the next teen craze.

The music found on their new album Hold On Tight can be considered inspirational music to young teens that are in high school and the situations that they might encounter. In their new album, the songs talk about situations that high school kids might have to go though, such as “Homecoming” and “Josey,” which are prime examples of just that.

“Homecoming” is a song about coming home to those loves we left behind and reminiscing about the times that they had, while in the song “Josey,” the lyrics describe a troubled teen who goes to parties and gets belligerently drunk and how it is just a phase, but one day she will figure it all out.

My only criticism of this record is that it is not that diverse. There are a few songs on this album that do stick out more than the others, but for the most part, everything else seems to blend into each other. However, LOOK OUT! Here comes Hey Monday.

Tracklisting:
01. Set Off
02. How You Love Me Now
03. Homecoming
04. Obvious
05. Candles
06. Run, Don’t Walk
07. Josey
08. Hurricane Streets
09. Arizona
10. Should’ve Tried Harder
11. 6 Months

Hey Monday: website | myspace

Written by: Kyle Thurin

As Dear and the Headlights prep for the release of their sophomore album Drunk Like Bible Times, a few of the guys took some time to discuss their busy tour schedule and upcoming album with me. Below you can read my interview with bass and key player Robert Cissell, guitarist P.J. Waxman and lead vocalist and guitarist Ian Metzger.

Bethany, Popwreckoning: Can you tell me a little bit about your band formation? You guys almost didn’t happen, right?
Ian Metzger, Dear and the Headlights: Yeah, It was just a long process of years of trying to get a band together, then it breaking up and reforming. Of having different members and format. It’s been a slow click. It’s been three years of a sort of trimming the fat process.

PW: Now you [Ian] actually left town for awhile. Where you looking to just leave Dear and the Headlights behind?
IM: Well, we weren’t really Dear and the Headlights at that point. It was just me, P.J. and another guy. It just wasn’t working out, so I was just looking to do something else. Then this ended up working out.

PW: You guys met Mark Kulvinskas through Craigslist. How did that process workout? Did you run into any kooks trying to do that?
IM: Well, Craigslist was kind of a last resort. We had tried out 13 different people: drummers from friends we knew and friends of friends, but they were no good.

PW: With a solidified line-up and not all the drama of finding members, how has recording your sophomore album compared to the first one?
Robert Cissell, Dear and the Headlights: It was easy and fun. It was my first recording experience because I didn’t do the first record with them. So, it was awesome and I don’t think it could have gone any better. Unless, if we had like three months instead of six weeks.

PW: How involved was Equal Vision with the album?
IM: With the recording? They were involved financially and that was about it.
P.J. Waxman, Dear and the Headlights: They had no say in what we actually put on the record.

PW: So it wasn’t very different then when you guys recorded through Bob Hoag?
IM: Bob? We did it with him again, but he has a new studio, which made things easier. There weren’t motorcycles revving in the acoustic tracks and airplanes going by during everything this time.

PW: No free sound effects?
IM: Haha, yeah, exactly.

PW: Another thing you guys tried out was not demoing the songs. How did that work, you just tested them out live?
PJW: Yeah, we would just play them out live even if they weren’t actually finished.
RC: We’d play them without singing actually lyrics.
IM: Yeah, I’d try them out with different lyrics every night. I’d say different stuff and it worked out. It was cool. It definitely made the recording itself a lot more exciting for us.

PW: So, when the lyrics quit did you just remember them from the night or did you take notes?
IM: The lyric process is a lot more in-depth. I would just make all the sounds I wanted to make and then I would just say words that had the same syllable count I was looking for, but wasn’t necessarily the word I wanted to use. It kind of was like a weird game, I guess.

PW: So how did audiences respond to that? Were they confused by that?
IM: They don’t know.
PJW: They don’t know if you’re singing the right words, especially if it’s a new song.
RC: Especially if they’ve never heard the right lyrics.

PW: The new record comes out on the Sept. 30. What can people expect from this? Is it similar to the first album or are you trying some new styles?
IM: I don’t think it’s like the first album, but I don’t think it’s going to be disappointing to anybody that liked the first album. It’s not like a big disconnector or anything like that. It seems like any sort of lack of maturity that we might have had on the first record came through as a more mature idea on this second record. With having different members in the band, a lot of parts worked better together than they did on the first record.

PW: So, Rob with this being your first time recording, since you weren’t there for the first album, how was your contribution? Was it pretty exciting to be involved in the songs finally?
RC: Definitely. I had been playing the old songs with the guys for like close to a year so it was cool to actually get together and write a batch of new songs that I could say that I actually had a hand in writing and recording.

PW: So do you think you had something really different to offer?
RC: Yeah, I think every single musician has something different to offer.

PW: So you didn’t try to emulate the original?
RC: No, I just tried to do my own thing.

PW: Are you guys worried about sophomore slump reaction or anything like that?
IM: I think we’re all really happy with what we did and we’re all really happy with the way it came out.
RC: It’s not like we really stress out about whether it’s going to be a slump or not. We’re just excited to get it out there and see what happens really.
IM: Even if every one else thinks it is a slump, we’ll be proud of it.

PW: It won’t be a slump. I’m sure it will be fine. So which song on the record are you most excited for people to hear?
PJW: I hear every one on there and think, “I love this song,” but then it will go to the next one and think this is the one.
IM: I think every one will be pleased by the diversity. I’m excited for them to hear the whole record in its entirety, not just one song.

PW: Are there some common themes throughout the songs?
IM: Lyrically, each song is kind of about it’s own thing.
RC: I think it’s about Ian’s comments on like the last year or so of his life.
IM: Yeah, the last two years since this band’s been going. A lot of it, lyrically, is just about my experiences and just a kind of current recap of things that I have been thinking about or occurrences.

PW: Like relationship stuff or do you get political?
IM: No, I’m not really political, per se. It’s not even necessarily relationships or stuff like that. Some songs are, but not just male/female relationships.
RC: Relationships with friends.
IM: Conversations. I don’t know. One song is kind of dealing with a poem that I read.

PW: What poem?
IM: “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg.

PW: How did that poem inspire you?
IM: Hm.

PW: It’s not like a recap is it? Like Ra Ra Riot did a song based off an e.e. cummings poem that basically restated the poem.
IM: Oh, really? No, it’s not like that.
RC: I don’t think you’d even be able to tell that it’s really about the poem reading the lyrics.

PW: Which song is it?
IM: “Carl Solomon Blues.” It is like the third song on the record. I more so read that poem and it made me question my abilities as a writer or anybody interested in poetry or lyricism. So it kind of is a song mocking myself and my abilities as a poet after reading such a dense, crazy work. As much as I’m kinding making fun of myself in a way after reading that poem, a lot of that poem and that style has influenced the ways that I write. I really connect with Ginsberg and his writings.

PW: Do you like the other beat poets, too?
IM: I’m most familiar with Ginsberg. I’m not really familiar with beat poetry. I’ve read some Kerouac.

PW: So you guys have toured with some pretty big names, like fellow Arizonians Jimmy Eat World. Did you know those guys before you toured with them?
PJW: Yeah, we just kind of met up with them on that tour.

PW: How was that tour, I know their were some people questioning the line up because it was you all and Jimmy Eat World with Paramore, which was kind of a weird combination.
IM: Yeah, it was great.
RC: It was cool.
PJW: We had really good responses. There were lots of people there and then we did like five or six shows after that with just Jimmy Eat World.
RC: That was really cool.

PW: So, is there much of a music scene?
RC: I don’t even know anymore.
IM: There’s much more of one than before.
PJW: There’s tons of bands.
RC: I guess I don’t really know. What exactly is a scene?

PW: Well, like I’m from Omaha and there is kind of a scene built up around Saddle Creek or you go to Chicago and you get a lot of bands that sound like Fall Out Boy. I actually heard something about screamo music being big in Arizona?
RC: Is that still going?
PJW: We don’t really hang out in Arizona too much anymore.

PW: My last question then, what would I find on your iPods or whatever music device you use?
RC: So much.
PJW: A lot of stuff.
RC: Different stuff. Harry Nelson to Dr. Dre.
PJW: Haha. Seriously though.
RC: The most hardcore rap to the most beautiful, touching music.

PW: What’s the most embarrassing thing anybody has on their iPod?
IM: I’m not embarrassed by anything.
RC: Bon Jovi.
PJW: It’s not even Bon Jovi. It says Bon Jovi, but it’s really one of our songs.
All laugh.

PW: You labelled one of your songs as a Bon Jovi song?
PJW: Yeah, we were just driving and I was like I’m going to just play this song as a joke.
IM: Then one of our songs started and I was like, “What?”
PJW: The Walkmen.

PW: That’s not embarrassing.
PJW: No, that’s not embarrassing. I just bought a lot of older records. A lot of our influences are older.
IM: Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Harry Nelson, Flaming Lips. We listen to a lot of stuff.
PJW: Kinks.
PW: That’s all I have. Thank-you so much guys.

Dear and the Headlights: website | myspace

Somehow, day 2 of this year’s Virgin Mobile Festival was even better than the first. While I was still on a high (all natural!) from the Foo Fighter‘s set the previous night, each of the sets I was honored to see on Sunday blew me away, especially that of the closing act performed by the one and only Kanye West (the other major reason along with Lupe Fiasco, I needed to hit VFest). Again, I was a bit of a late arrival, but only missed Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Go! Team this time, making it to catch half of Shudder To Think‘s set.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – 12:00-12:45 // North Stage

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

The Go! Team – 12:20-1:05 // South Stage

The Go! Team

Shudder To Think – 1:05-1:55 // North Stage
I kind of missed the Shudder To Think train when it first came around (to be fair, they did form when I was just a year old and disbanded while I was still in my middle school girl power pop phase), but after a ten year hiatus, a quasi-reunion occurred last year and the band pulled off a solid set at Virgin Mobile Festival.

Shudder To Think

Andrew Bird – 1:25-2:10 // South Stage
Andrew Bird, whose 2007 Armchair Apocrypha I (and many others) adore, played a phenomenal set last Sunday to a packed South Stage. He’s recently sold out 2 New York City shows in just 2 hrs for his upcoming tour! Not surprising in the least. Get in on some Andrew Bird tour action, if only to see him rock out with a violin — it’s magnificent.

Andrew Bird

Paramore - 2:15-3:05 // North Stage
One of the most touted national acts, I was disappointed with how boring Paramore’s set was. Haley and the guys had fierce energy, but every song blended together making the set feel like one long song. Then again, that’s what pop punk usually is.

Paramore

She & Him – 2:35-3:25 // South Stage
Having seen this magnificent duo before, I ditched Paramore and made my way over to the South Stage to be as close as possible to Ms. Zooey Deschanel and her counterpart Mr. M. Ward. The set list was almost exactly the same as when I’d see the band headline at the Trocadero in Philadelphia, but it was just as good the second time. The one noticeable change was a cover of “I Put A Spell On You” which wonderfully displayed Deschanel’s vocal range, and the addition of an original song by back-up singer Becky Stark, who’s also got a great set of pipes.
Why only these two pictures of Deschanel are available, I can’t say, but you can check out some pictures from their Philadelphia performance here.

She & Him: Zooey Deschanel

Taking Back Sunday – 3:30-4:20 // North Stage
Taking Back Sunday was totally my jawn in high school. For nostalgia’s sake, and I still really dig Tell All Your Friends and Lazzara’s mic swinging action, I caught out part of the band’s high energy set. An oldie but still a goodie.

Taking Back Sunday: Adam Lazzara

Lil Wayne – 3:50-4:30* // South Stage
The asterisk on Lil Wayne’s set time denotes that this time line was not accurate since Lil Wayne showed up on stage 40 minutes late, making fans wait almost two hours, as many staked out their spots during She & Him’s set. I don’t like to be kept waiting, so I opted to catch a good spot for Iggy & the Stooges over at the North Stage instead. I’d seen Iggy at Download: Philadelphia so I knew I was in for a great set. I’m bummed to have missed Lil Wayne’s performance, but if I ever get the chance to see him again, I hope he’s prompt.

Lil Wayne

Iggy & the Stooges - 4:50-5:50 // North Stage
If you want some punk rock and roll, no need to look further than Iggy and the Stooges, or just Iggy. The man, in his sixties, has more energy than an entire kindergarten class. He ran around the stage, jumped on amps, and yelled at the crowd to ‘get the hell up on stage!’ and went so far as to demand that security allow the crowd to jump the barricade and thrash about on stage. Sadly, these demands were not met, so rather than accept defeat, Iggy jumped down and engaged himself with the crowd running around through the open space that was barricaded off from the stage, since security also refused to let him actually jump into the crowd.

Iggy and the Stooges

The Black Keys – 5:15-6:15 // South Stage
I also skipped over The Black Keys in favor of staking out a spot for Stone Temple Pilots as I figured my future opportunities to see STP was far less great than the future potential of catching a Black Keys set.

The Black Keys: Dan Auerbach

The Black Keys: Patrick Carney

Stone Temple Pilots – 6:20*-7:35// North Stage
No pictures have been made available for Stone Temple Pilots.
The band arrived on stage 20 minutes late, but rather than have their set extended like Lil Wayne’s on the other stage, they were forced to finish up at 7:35, keeping at least one stage on schedule. They powered through their hits and Weiland — who was layered to the max with clothing (t-shirts, vests, 3 or 4 ties) — removed a piece of clothing with each new song played. The crowd eagerly sang and moshed along for the entire set.
In addition to making their fans wait 20 minutes to begin their peformance, with maybe 15 or 20 minutes to go, STP left the stage for 5 minutes — maybe they needed a hit? — in which Weiland removed his t-shirt and put on a black leather vest before coming back out to perform their last two songs. Perhaps it was supposed to be an encore, but making the audience wait 20 minutes initially should’ve sent a red flag to Weiland and co. that we wanted more songs, not a lame attempt and a pseudo-encore.
Despite time issues, all and all a decent set.

Moby - 6:30-8:00 // DJ/Rave Tent
Never actually went into the DJ Tent (though everyone referred to it as the “Rave Tent”) for fear of club kids and getting molested by those on X, but walked by slowly during Moby’s spinning session. It was fab and had I not been rushing to catch the legendary Bob Dylan, I probably would’ve stopped and raved it up for a bit.

Moby

Bob Dylan – 6:45-8:00* // South Stage
No pictures have been made available for Bob Dylan.
I’ve never seen Bob Dylan perform before. I think that perhaps since I’d been building him up in my mind for the 23 years I’ve been alive, I expected too much. He was great, no doubt, but it wasn’t the magic I’d expected. And he didn’t even let the cameras (neither photo nor video) get close enough to even show his face. So for all I know, it wasn’t even Dylan. Just saying.

Nine Inch Nails – 8:05-10:00// North Stage
I’m not big into Nine Inch Nails. What?! Yeah. It’s true. I can only take at face value what Ajay told me in regards to this: I’m “a happy person.” I stuck around for a good portion of their set and I was impressed by the ridiculous light show they put on, but I was definitely eager to get over to the South Stage for Kanye West.

Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor

Kanye West – 8:30-10:00* // South Stage
No pictures have been made available for Kanye West, which is unfortunate because his stage show was a visual assault of lights, colors and fog. If I owned a point and shoot digital, I’d have pictures of my own to show you, but I always manage to drop them. A lot. They don’t last long in good working order in my possession.

Lots of VFest attendees shared my enthusiasm for Kanye’s performance and packed out the lawn in and around the South Stage to dance and sing/rap along with the oft-controversial rapper. His set list was long and inclusive featuring “Good Morning”, “Champion”, “I Wonder”, “Get Em High”, “Through the Wire”, “Heard Em Say”, “Diamonds from Sierra Lione”, “Touch the Sky”, “Good Life”, “Flashing Lights”, “Homecoming”, “All Falls Down”, “American Boy”, “Put On”, “Jesus Walks”, “Gold Digger”, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”, and “Stronger”. He also spit some original lines on the spot — or so it seemed, anyway.

I was definitely impressed with West’s set and cannot wait to see him again. He mentioned that he was bummed out to have to be put up against Nine Inch Nails again (the first being at this year’s Lollapalooza) because he wanted to be in the crowd for their set. He did, however, praise VFest for their choice of venue since those who couldn’t afford tickets to the event (think in the hundreds) were still able to see and hear many acts through the fence. He was very honest in his sentiments about loving his fans and never wanting to do anything more than perform for them because it’s what he loves and lives for. I absolutely walked away from VFest with a greater admiration for Kanye West.

Here’s looking forward to Virgin Mobile 2009 — I can’t wait to see how they try to top this year.