Un-Break My Heart

Wanna hear Weezer covering Toni Braxton??

ME TOO!

Check it out here.

Here's to October

What October Sounds Like by EmoSarah

Sorry for my absence as of late. I blame it entirely on the following things:

1)Work
2)The Return of the Pumpkin Spice latte
3)The stellar-ness that is "Bored to Death" & "It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia"
4)Major League Baseball (I'm from FTW, so GO RANGERS!!)
5)The distracting nature of the Texas Renaissance Festival
6)Project Runway episodes being an hour and a half longer than past seasons
7)"Sigh No More" by Mumford and Sons and the fact that I'm going to see them LIVE in ATX next week!
8)My Macbook's failing battery AND power cord (Seriously, IN THE SAME MONTH!!)

So now that you are totally understanding and on my side, give the above playlist a whirl and I think that you will agree that my absence, while lengthy, has led to my return, which is highly beneficial to your musical enjoyment.

Get Some

I don't know about you guys, but when artists/bands ask for my email in exchange for free music, I see that as the being the epitome of a total win/win situation.

Not only are they going to GIVE me new music with minimal effort required, they're also going to keep me updated so I don't spend hours wikipedia-ing and google-ing my way thru the interweb just to find out if they have a new album/tour in the works.

That being said, right now Lykke Li is giving away her new single "Get Some" (which includes a b-side called "Paris Blues", just for joining her email list. I'm not sure who long this will last, but you can find out for yourself HERE on her official website.

Free Tunes Friday

So by now you know that Weezer's new album is on the horizon and is named after one of the nicest characters in TV history. But what you may not know is that thanks to Spinner, you can get your very own copy of their new song "Memories" RIGHT HERE before the album hits stores. And the best part is that its legal, so you can enjoy the new song, guilt free :)

Meet Tim Halperin

If you happened to catch Elizabethany's show on Friday, you heard Tim Halperin performing in studio for the Candy 95 staff. Even though I'm a sucker for cover songs, its his original material that really caught my attention. Below are videos of his original song "She Runs" as well as an amazing cover of Mike Posner's new single "Please Don't Go". I have a feeling this won't be the last time I'm talking about Tim's music either...just FYI.

FREE Tunes...Thursday???

HOLY HAIR-GEL BATMAN!!!

Believe it or not, those freshly coiffed lads are, in fact, the members of Anberlin. The band is getting ready to release their new album "Dark is the Way, Light is the Place" on September 7th and because they are probably one of the most generous acts making music today, they've teamed up with Spin.com to give away a single off the upcoming album called "Pray Tell". You can download it HERE!

Arcade Fire - At Madison Square Garden

Meet Caleb Mak

Tonight on The Music Meeting I'm real pumped to premiere music from a local artist called Caleb Mak. He's a member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2013 and I'm really digging his style. Catchy tunes definitly worth a listen...



If you like what hear you can catch him live at the Goodbye Summer Party at Schotzi's on Northgate on August 5th alongside Kid Cudi's pal Chip tha Ripper. Which gives me the perfect excuse to post this:

Free Tunes Friday

Spin.com has long been one of my favorite resources when it comes to discovering new artists. I showed up late to the indie-rock party and they helped me navigate the sometimes muddy waters of music that was slightly left of center.

I still remember buying my first copy, way back in 2004. Franz Ferdinand was on the cover. (This was when "Take Me Out" was EVERYWHERE...video games, commercials, radio airwaves, MTV....ok that last one's probably not true. MTV 2 maybe? Well, Fuse for sure.)

Anywho, Spin's giving you the chance to get some free music from some artists featured in their latest issue. CLICK HERE for your free download code! And here's the track list for the sampler:

Buckcherry "All Night Long"
Department of Eagles "Brightest Minds"
First Aid Kit "Hard Believer"
Francis and the Lights "For Days"
Henry Clay People "Slow Burn"
Jaill "The Stroller"
Maximum Balloon "Tiger"
Menomena "Five Little Rooms"
MNDR "Fade to Black"
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band "Leaving Trails"
Sun Kil Moon "Australian Winter"
Tame Impala "Solitude Is Bliss"
The Love Language "Heart to Tell"
The Sword "Tres Brujas"
Villagers "Becoming a Jackal"


Now, if that weren't enough free stuff for one day, Spin's also giving you a 14 song sampler of artists that are playing this years Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. CLICK HERE to get your download code sent directly to your email. And here's the track list for the sampler:

1. Spoon, "Written in Reverse"
2. Wavves, "Post Acid"
3. Social Distortion, "Far Behind"
4. Deer Tick, "20 Miles"
5. Dirty Projectors, "No Intention"
6. The Temper Trap, "Science of Fear"
7. The Big Pink, "Dominos"
8. Jamie Lidell, "Telephone (Tiga Remix)"
9. Chiddy Bang, "Dream Chasing"
10. Cypress Hill, "Light it Up"
11. Erykah Badu, "Window Seat"
12. Nneka, "Viva Africa"
13. Cut Copy, "Hearts on Fire (Holy Ghost! Remix)
14. Empire of the Sun, "Walking on a Dream (Hong Kong Blondes Remix)"

All Summer

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for collaborations. Throwing a few of my favorite artists on one track is one of the best ways to get my attention, and that's exactly what Converse has done. Again.

In 2008, they decided to get Pharrell Williams together with Julian Casablancas from The Strokes and Santigold for this little ditty...



Well this year, Converse tapped Kid Cudi (swoon), Beth Cosentino from Best Coast and Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend to take part in their "3 Artists: 1 Song" series. And the result has been stuck in my head all week long.




And while I'm sure you've all familiarized yourselves with Kid Cudi and Vampire Weekend, here's a quick introduction to one of my new favorite acts: Best Coast.


Best Coast - When I'm With You
(And yeah, I know. I hate clowns too. But I freaking love this song. And I love In-And-Out, so its ok.)



Best Coast - Boyfriend

A blog from my future husband...

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...I disagree. I think this is...

If you tuned into The Girly Show on Candy 95 this morning, you heard me laughing like a crazy person when I stumbled across a blog called "Dear Girls Above Me"... The premise is a guy had some girls move into the apartment above him, they say bone-headed thing. He retorts. I laugh maniacally ...and I'm sorry for my cackling...

Here's a video he posted, infoming the girls of what he does when they're having one of their parties...

Just Another Mash-Up Monday

"A lot of people just assume I took some Beatles and, you know, threw some Jay-Z on top of it or mixed it up or looped it around, but it's really a deconstruction. It's not an easy thing to do. I was obsessed with the whole project, that's all I was trying to do, see if I could do this. Once I got into it, I didn't think about anything but finishing it. I stuck to those two because I thought it would be more challenging and more fun and more of a statement to what you could do with sample alone. It is an art form. It is music. You can do different things, it doesn't have to be just what some people call stealing. It can be a lot more than that." - Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton


Mash-Ups, like covers songs can be a thing of beauty....they can also be a frickin apocalyptic-level disaster.

Run DMC started the ground work for the mash-up game over two decades ago but I don't think people really understood the impact they have on the music industry until Danger Mouse released The Grey Album in early 2004.

Jay-Z followed with the mainstream mash-up blueprint (pun intended) when he brought Collision Course, his collaboration with Linkin Park and claimed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 200 chart later that same year.

In recent years, we seen the emergence of Viva La Hova, Jaydiohead and countless other mash-up releases that have been widely praised by audiences and critics alike.

Both Jay-Z and Lil' Wayne have said that they feel Drake is poised to rise to the top of hip hop. So it was only a matter of time before someone decided to take his rhymes and set them to a new soundtrack. Enter producer Chi Duley and here's what you get...




While I'm not feeling all the tracks on "October's Very Cold", due to the fact they lack the imagination of The Grey Album and the seemlessness of Collision Course, I still found this 10 track offering well worth a listen or two. There are some high points ("The Fly Scientist", "The Best Strawberry", "Troubles Over") and some downright silly moments ("Money to Fix", "Viva La Forever"), but overall let's call this what it is...A great way to spend some time on a Monday morning.

Here are a few of my personal favorites..and you can click here to hear "October's Very Cold" in it's entirety.

Just Another Mash-Up Monday by EmoSarah

Advanced Warning - June 15th, 2010

June 15th 2010 by EmoSarah

Brandon Flowers - "Crossfire"

I have to admit, the first time I heard this track I immediately wondered if this was a B-side from "Sam's Town". But upon further review, I started to come around and appreciate this song. For everything negative thing people have said about Brandon Flowers, there is a something that is unmistakable about his talent. We all have our missteps in this life (Does "Day & Age" ring any bells?) but I for one am excited to see what he has instore for us when his first solo album "Flamingo" hits stores in September.

Stars - "Fixed"

Oh, Canada. Somedays I think that you must have been secretly observing my adolescence because how else would your musicians be able to write its soundtrack? A few years ago, Stars replaced Alanis Morrisette as my Canadian heart song writers and I'm unashamed to admit I've cried my way through 2005's "Set Yourself on Fire" and 2007's "In Our Bedroom, After the War" on more than one occasion. I've only heard two tracks from "The Five Ghosts", which is set to be released next Tuesday, but from what I've heard my interest has been peaked.

The Roots featuring Monsters of Folk - "Dear God 2.0"

I know I already told you about this song a few weeks back, but now that the album "How I Got Over" is set to hit stores next Tuesday I'm jumping at the chance to talk about it again. The Roots are artists, pure and simple. No pretension. No club-bangers. Just real music. This song gets to me...and I mean that in the best possible way.

The Gaslight Anthem - "American Slang"

Geez, I just love this band. There's nothing about them that I don't like, other than the fact that I haven't seen them live yet. Luckily, I've been tied over until that day by their full Bonnaroo set, which I posted earlier this week. The new album is in stores and available for download today.

Arcade Fire - "Ready to Start"

So if you are anything like me, you spent yesterday feverishly scouring the interweb looking for full versions of the 2nd set of new songs from "The Suburbs". (It's release date has been set as August 3rd) Well, I was finally successful and I figured I'd share the love with you guys.

Team Eric

So some of the ladies at the radio station (myself included) have been, and will continue to be, in a perpetually good mood over the next several weeks and that can be a reflection of only one thing....




HBO's True Blood is back. Which means more quality time with our favorite vampire that we love to hate, Eric Northman...known to the world as actor Alexander Skarsgard.

Alli also recently pointed out that while he's received much attention from fans and the media for his work on True Blood...we've actually seen him before...in one of my all-time favorite movies come to find out...

Here he is displaying some of the most awe-inspiring acting of our time..."ORANGE MOCHA FRAPPUCCINOS!!!"

Missed Bonnaroo?

Hate camping? Couldn't afford the trek to Manchester, TN? Whatever your reason for missing out on Bonnaroo 2010 this weekend...never fear.

Thanks to the fine folks over at NPR, it can be like you were actually there. Here are some highlights...


The Dead Weather -

Set List: "Forever My Queen" "60 Feet Tall" "Hang You From The Heavens" "You Just Can't Win" "So Far From Your Weapon" "I Cut Like A Buffalo" "No Horse" "A Child Of A Few Hours Is Burning To Death" "The Difference Between Us" "I'm Mad" "Hustle and Cuss" "Die By The Drop" "New Pony" "Will There Be Enough Water" "Blue Blood Blues" "I Can't Hear You" "Treat Me Like Your Mother"

She & Him -

Set List: "Thieves" "Black Hole" "Lingering Still" "Sentimental Heart" "Home" "Change Is Hard" "I Thought I Saw Your Face Again" "Magic Trick" "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" "In The Sun" "Don't Look Back" "Over It Over Again" "This Is Not A Test" "Ridin' In My Car" "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"

Dave Matthews Band -



The Avett Brothers -



Against Me -



Mumford and Sons -



Regina Spektor -



The Gaslight Anthem -



The Temper Trap -

As promised...

Here's the link to where you can hear the Eclipse soundtrack in its entirety nearly a week before its release.

FYI - My favorite tracks thus far are the ones from The Dead Weather, Metric, The Black Keys and Florence + The Machine.

But honestly...

It's no secret that I have, shall we say, an affinity for the Fighters of Foo. Some people would call it an obsession. I like to call it a "heightened appreciation".

Either way, I know many of you are fans of what could easily be the greatest rock band of our generation, so I thought maybe you'd be interested in spending an hour with them...for free. This show is like a year old, but then again they've been on hiatus, so I guess it really doesn't matter. Plus this episode of Austin City Limits features some honorary Foos from the Skin and Bones dvd, including the musical baller known to the world as Rami Jaffee.

Enjoy.

Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.

The Roots are for lovers...and haters.

The Roots make EVERYTHING better. Disagree?? Does Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ring any bells? In addition to being the only entertaining part of that "program" I personally have a special spot in my heart ever since they helped me say goodbye when Jay Z performed his farewell concert. Even though we all knew that he'd come back, it was still a rough time for me...

Well, now we can add one more thing to the ever-expanding list of the things The Roots have improved upon....

Ever heard of a little band called Monsters of Folk? (If you haven't, WHEEERRREEE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?? They're a supergroup featuring Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, Jim James of My Morning Jacket & M. Ward of She & Him...)Anywho, here is the lovely song that they released, one of my personal favorites actually, called "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)". Give it a listen:



Pretty solid track, right? Or at least I thought so until I heard THIS:



I hate to say I told you so...That's a lie. I actually totally love it.

I TOLD YOU SO!

"Dear God 2.0" is on The Roots' new album, How I Got Over, which will drop June 22nd.

You're welcome, World.

"But he smells like ranch dressing!!"

Love the album. Love the song. Love the video...

Man, I can't wait to be a parent.

Free Tunes Tuesday - BONUS

Ok, I guess I COULD choose to keep this to myself, seeing as how I JUST posted how you can get free music from some of the best bands to grace the Bonnaroo stage next month, but I guess I'm just feeling generous this morning...

Among my recent musical discoveries was a band from England called Canterbury and while I'm shocked that they don't have a blog section on their website called "Tales" what they do have is a bunch of free music. (If you like what you hear, you can always send the band a few bucks...or ehhhh shillings? pounds? pence?)

You can get their entire album "Thank You" or you can download their song "Gloria" that has been stuck in my head for the past week at http://www.canterburythankyou.com/

(For the record, I suggest that you listen to this song before watching the video, bc I'm not entirely sure what's going on here. Except it's in slow motion and I think they're playing that game where you try and get people to look at a circle and if they look then you get to punch them?? If you went to middle school, you TOTALLY know what I'm talking about.)

Free Tunes Tuesday

This year's Bonnaroo music festival in fast approaching and Spin.com is helping you get ready for the big camp-out with free music from some of the artists gracing this year's stages including Phoenix, The Gaslight Anthem, Mumford and Sons, Manchester Orchestra, Kings of Leon and many others. To get your free copy, check out:

http://www.spin.com/articles/free-album-spins-picks-bonnaroo-2010

The house that Jack built...

Last night at the Third Man Records studio in Nashville, Tennessee, an event happened. Karen Elson, known to most simply as Jack White's model wife performed a show featuring music from her debut album, The Ghost Who Walks, surrounded by about 100 fans. (Two of which were Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban, just for a little name-dropping)

Now I understand why many people would be skeptical about the idea of White's better have becoming a performer in her own right. That being said, you need only to look at the strong female musicians he surrounds himself with (Meg White, Allison Mosshart) to be reassured that if Elson didn't have what it takes, Jack wouldn't be promoting her career. Not to mention releasing her album on his label.

Her singing is very Emmylou Harris-esque, in that its strength comes in its subtlety. If these live videos are an indication, I think Elson has got quite a nice little future ahead of herself in the music industry. You can follow my lead and order her album at www.thirdmanrecords.com (Also, a little bird told me that you will be able to watch last night's performance from Elson on the site tomorrow (May 26th, at 12pm CST)

Here's a look at what you can expect from her debut LP:

Under Cover - Leona Lewis

Seriously, let's just let Leona Lewis cover EVERY song. Because if I'm being honest, I can't think of one song that I don't want to hear her take on.

Her most famous cover is her version of Snow Patrol's "Run"...Here's the original...



Now I love Gary Lightbody. Probably more than anyone. Probably more than I should... but grab a tissue and listen to Leona's chart topping version...




On on some rare occasions, I think Leona's version far surpasses the original. Case in point, here's Oasis' classic, "Stop Crying Your Heart Out".



Now...Leona's take...



Now if Leona's any indicator, I think Simon Cowell bringing X Factor to the states may be the best thing that ever happened to us. Sorry Seacrest....I for one say bring it Cowell!

"It's All I See These Days"

Here's your future
Originally uploaded by Emo Sarah

Good news for Kevin McHale Aka Glee's Artie Abrams (right)...there's a good chance you're going to grow up to be The Black Keys' Patrick Carney's (left) doppleganger.

In case you didn't know: last Tuesday, The Black Keys released a new album called "Brothers" which I've been more than a little obsessed with since. I hardly ever recommend buying an album before you hear it, but in this case I'm willing to suggest you make an exception. It's THAT good.

The Black Keys are schedule to open up for Kings of Leon on their nationwide tour this fall. For more information and tour dates, check out www.theblackkeys.com.

Eclipse Soundtrack Announced

I know that the majority of people who read this don't care about The Twilight Saga. In fact, some of you might down right loathe it. But regardless of your feelings on the books/movies, you've got to hand it to author Stephanie Meyer and the team of people selecting the music to score the film...They've consistently chosen some great bands and some great songs to appear on the soundtracks. For example:

Lead single from "Twilight" - "Decode" by Paramore



Other notable tracks - "Eyes On Fire" by Blue Foundation, "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron and Wine, "Never Thinks" by Rob Pattinson

Lead single from "New Moon" - "Meet Me On The Equinox" by Death Cab for Cutie



Other notable tracks - "Hearing Damage" by Thom Yorke, "No Sound but the Wind" by Editors, "Roslyn" by Bon Iver and St. Vincent

As you can see, there are some left of center heavy hitters in these films and I'm sure the impending release of Eclipse on June 30th will prove to be the same.

Here's the Eclipse Official Soundtrack Listing:

1. Metric- Eclipse (All Yours)
2. MUSE- Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)
3. The Bravery- Ours
4. Florence + The Machine- Heavy In Your Arms
5. Sia- My Love
6. Fanfarlo- Atlas
7. The Black Keys- Chop And Change
8. The Dead Weather- Rolling In On A Burning Tire
9. Beck and Bat For Lashes- Let’s Get Lost
10. Vampire Weekend- Jonathan Low
11. UNKLE- With You In My Head (Feat. The Black Angels)
12. Eastern Conference Champions- A Million Miles An Hour
13. Band of Horses- Life On Earth
14. Cee Lo Green- What Part of Forever
15. Howard Shore- Jacob’s Theme
BONUS TRACKS
16. Battles- The Line
17. Bombay Bicycle Club- How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep

No official word yet on what the lead single will be, but it's looking like the band that acted as Stephanie Meyer's muse throughout the writing of the books, Muse will finally get the honor. (They are the only band that previously appeared on both the Twilight and New Moon soundtracks...just FYI)

Muse released the song "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)" earlier this week. Lead singer Matthew Bellamy wrote the song after a breakup with his girlfriend and talked to BBC Radio 1 on Monday saying "It was a song looking right back on that moment that you first get with someone and everything feels like its going to go on forever...[It has a] kind of like a cheesy love sentiment.”



Another possibility of a single comes from another band featured on the soundtrack, Metric. Recently singer Emily Haines recounted her experience on ilovemetric.com - here's a clip from the blog...

“I’ve always wanted to write music for film, but I never expected to start with something on this scale, so you can imagine how surprised I was when out of nowhere I got a phone call from Howard Shore, who I’d never met or even spoken with before. Most people know him as the man who wrote the acclaimed score for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I grew up on Shore’s earlier works... To my amazement, Howard was calling to ask me to work with him on his latest project: scoring the next Twilight movie, Eclipse. He wanted Jimmy & I to write the theme song for the pivotal last scene in the movie, integrating the music from his existing score into a composition that would express the emotional ending of the film. Seriously?!?! The lyrics would have to be in the voice of the main character Bella, and we had to stay within the confines of harmonic and melodic themes Howard had in mind for the last scene."

I'm always interested to see how the task of scoring film's with contemporary music comes about and it's refreshing to have this amount of insight into the process. Take it or leave it, the soundtrack drops June 8th and Eclipse hits theaters June 30th.

Come over here pony...

World, meet Tired Pony.

Tired Pony is a new supergroup consisting of featuring Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) Peter Buck (REM), Scott McCaughey, Iain Archer, Richard Colburn (Belle and Sebastian), Troy Stewart and Garret "Jacknife" Lee.

Oh, and if that wasn't enough, they're adding in guest performances from M. Ward (She & Him, Monsters of Folk), Zooey Deschanel (She & Him) and Tom Smith (Editors)...

Gary Lightbody (AKA: The object of Emo Sarah's affection) and company will be performing tracks from their new album "The Place We Ran From" (in stores July 12th) for the first time on July 14th at The Forum in London.

If you have the means and desires to pop across the pond for the show, be sure to sign up to receive the pre-sale code at www.tiredpony.com

Life just got infinitely more exciting for yours truly. And my little emo heart can hardly contain the excitement. Here's a look into how Tired Pony came together...

Deja Video?

So I was watching my favorite video from The Strokes earlier today...



Well, afterwards a thought occurred to me. Well three thoughts actually...

1) Man. I totally have a weird crush on Albert Hammond Jr.
2) This video is like a warning to all guys who dare to wear white jeans...unless they're named Andrew W.K...then its totally ok.
3) Hmmm. I've recently seen another music video that totally ripped this one off.

Exhibit A: Taking Back Sunday's "Sink Into Me"



See what I mean? Pretty "similar" huh? Once I started to think about it, this isn't the first time that TBS has released a video reminiscent of another band's work.

Exhibit B: Foo Fighters - "Best of You"



Now here's TBS's video for MakeDameSure:



Now. Taking Back Sunday isn't the only band to release something reminiscent of another act.

Exhibit C: The Bravery "An Honest Mistake"



Pretty cool, huh. Like a giant lifesize game of Mousetrap. Well, Ok Go may be best known for their treadmill running video for "Here It Goes Again", but give recently they've gotten a lot of praise for this video too (Which was released well after that "An Honest Mistake" mind you.)

Exhibit D: OkGo "This Too Shall Pass"



Ok. Now let's see that video in reverse!



So, really it was just the paint element that was similar to the OkGo video. But sometimes there is just certain elements of a video that can stand out enough to feel like plagiarism.

Exhibit E: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus "My Guardian Angel" (Pay special attention to the use of a lightbulb as a microphone)



Now, let's take a look at Paramore's video for "Ignorance"....



Oh and I just noticed something else! Watch the "Ignorance" video again. See that blue box Hayley's dancing around in? I know where I've seen that before....And I'd bet money you do too...You might not want to admit it, but I know the truth!!! BEHOLD...

Exhibit F: N*SYNC "Bye Bye Bye"



For the record, I love all of these acts and music videos in general. I just think these similarities are interesting a deserved to be pointed out. I'll be on the look out for more Music Video Knock-Offs...SO STAY TUNED!

Summertime Suggestions

Summer's almost here...and in addition to all the festivals and special events happening, there are some pretty amazing one off shows and tours making their way to our fair state in the coming months. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, these are just a few high points I see on the horizon...(Not to mention these are the shows I'll be attending in the near future.)

Minus the Bear
with Young the Giant

May 16th - Austin - La Zona Rosa

Why you should go: I caught Minus the Bear at the Filter day party during SXSW in March and was truly impressed with how spot on they sound live. They're signed to Dangerbird Records, which just happens to be one of the only labels that I see eye to eye with musically. They just released their new album "Omni" last week and while it's not for everyone, it's definitely worth a listen.



mewithoutyou

July 16th - Dallas - Prophet Bar

Why you should go: 2 reasons: 1) I've never had a bad time at a mewithoutyou show 2)If you don't use it, you'll lose it...And by "it" I mean live acts coming to play in the musical wasteland formerly known as Dallas.



Silversun Pickups
with Against Me! & The Henry Clay People

July 19th - Austin - Stubbs BBQ
July 20th - Houston - Warehouse Live
July 21st - Dallas - The Palladium Ballroom

Why you should go: Have you heard "Swoon"? Why in the hell would you not want to see if they can pull that off live??? (For the record...they can.)



Robert Plant & The Band of Joy

July 24th - The Woodlands - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 26th - Austin - Stubbs BBQ (SOLD OUT)

Why you should go: 2 reasons. 1) It's Robert Plant 2)The Band of Joy consists of Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Byron House, Marco Giovino and Buddy Miller AKA some of the most talented musicians on the planet. (Sidenote: Robert Plant and The Band of Joy will release their debut album in September. )

Paramore
Honda Civic Tour w/Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory and Kadawatha

September 8th - The Woodlands - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September 10th - Dallas - Verizon Theater (Formerly Nokia Theater)

Why you should go: Whether or not people want to admit this, Paramore is here to stay. The band has worked through their growing pains and internal tensions and have come out a stronger, more united front. They've grown leaps and bounds over their last 3 full length albums and show no signs of slowing. While they are still lacking the major airplay and notoriety, Paramore's journey feels a lot like No Doubt version 2.0. Plus, Tegan and Sara put on a great show, or at least they did when I saw them at ACL. Oh, and props to Hayley for getting to tour with her boyfriend's band. (She's dating NFG guitarist Chad Gilbert...in case you were unaware.)

Oh...and for the record, I believe Hayley had the flu when she did this performance. Impressive, no?

"Sometimes you die by the drop..."

Saw The Dead Weather at Stubbs in Austin last Friday night. 2nd most amazing concert experience ever...since I got Dave Grohl to look at me at ACL a few years back.

Sorry Meg...I love The White Stripes and all, but Jack White and Alison Mosshart are a match made in Rock and Roll Heaven. A place I've heard there is a stairway to...

The Dead Weather's debut album Horehound is in stores now. They're new album drops May 11th.

Clusterfunk 2010

So remember when I told you about that Sounds Under Radio/Flawless Escape show happening at The Stafford this Friday? Well turns out, the show isn't just a show....its a CLUSTERFUNK!

Clusterfunk 2010 is gonna be the best way to celebrate the end of another semester. The show starts Friday at 6pm and will feature performances from Sounds Under Radio, Flawless Escape, The Black and Blues, Matt Harlan, The Phuss, Ray Johnston, Chandler Nash, Johnny's Body, The Headliners...Plus this will also double as the CD Release show for the new album from The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

Tickets are only $10, and don't forget that you will be able to register to win tickets to see Paramore EXCLUSIVELY at the show!

See ya there!


PS: I love words that sound like obscenities, but actually aren't....CLUSTERFUNK.

Sounds Under Radio & Flawless Escape @ The Stafford

Our friends Flawless Escape and Sounds Under Radio will be playing a show at The Stafford in Downtown Bryan this Friday, May 7th! Come and hang out with me and Zakk Patricks from Rock Candy and enjoy some AHHH-MAZING music.

Oh. And if that wasn't reason enough to come hang out, what if I say I'm gonna further sweeten the deal by giving you the chance to register for tickets to see one of today's hottest bands EXCLUSIVELY at the show too?

Want to know who??? Here's a hint.

In case you don't recognize 'em...that's Paramore. And they're great live.

See ya Friday.

PS: Tune into Rock Candy for a live in studio performance from Flawless Escape later this week. Details to follow soon!

"Do you see, what I am taking on?"

Lorien (Nashville, TN)

The Young International (Nashville, TN) - The end is only the beginning...

Today, our friends in Lorien have announced that they've decided to call it quits. Here's what they have to say on the matter.

After four amazing years, Lórien will be playing their final show. From the infant stages of our band to right now, the five of us have been as close as family. Despite the tremendous circumstances, it was no accident that we were brought together, nor was it an accident that our paths met with those of you who are reading this right now. These years have been a remarkable ride and we walk away from them joyful and forever grateful to those of you who supported us, fed us, housed us, watched us and sang with us.

This decision comes at a time of transition. As the seasons changed outside our windows, the landscape of our individual lives and the bands life began shifting as well. When Cara’s departure became certain, the future of Lórien became more uncertain. We had spent these years building something together, something that we intended and had always hoped to finish together. We became a puzzle with missing pieces, a house with no roof. Therefore we decided to put our efforts to rest as Lórien.Lórien will play its last notes in Nashville at the Rutledge on April 27^th.

Now before you sink too deep into the mourning process, I have some great news. The 4 remaining members of Lorien have decided to start a new musical journey...

With every ending, there is always a new beginning. With Lórien fading behind, the surviving members are engrossing themselves in an exciting new project. We have locked ourselves away and working night and day on our most exciting endeavor to date. Spring has brought a new energy along with new sounds and a new attitude. May we introduce you to THE YOUNG INTERNATIONAL.

On a personal note, out of all the bands I've ever interviewed, the guys from Lorien hold a special place in my heart because they are the ONLY ones to ever write me an impromptu original song: "A-Rod (The Future of Sports)". So, while I'm sad that we won't be hearing the Lorien material anymore, I'm very excited to see what Kaleb, David, Chase and Thomas have in store for us with The Young International. Here's your first taste of what to expect from the newly formed foursome.




***For a FREE download of "Ruckus", check out their website. ***

Currently Listening To: "Ruckus" by The Young International

"Sing, sing to me..."

Sounds Under Radio (Austin, TX) - Living proof that getting dropped from a major label is the best thing that can ever happen to you.

Many years ago, 2006 to be precise, I first heard about a band called Sounds Under Radio on a music blog that I frequented. (Still do, in fact. Check it out here.) I liked what I heard and a few weeks later I saw them perform live...And then, I came to a crossroads. When you find a great local/regional band the caliber of SUR, you have a few options on how to proceed.

1) You can do the selfish thing and never tell anyone about them, in hopes that they'll never live up to their full potential, ensuring that you'll get to see them perform hometown shows at least 6-12 times a year.

2) You can do right by them. Tell everyone you've ever met about them, call local radio stations, go to shows, buy CD's and play some small part in inevitable success.

As much as I wanted to choose the former, I chose the latter.

The band gained much attention after their song "Portrait of a Summer Thief" was featured on the Spiderman 3 soundtrack alongside The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Snow Patrol. This led to a short stint at Sony/BMG but the band and label parted ways in 2008, the same year they self-released their debut album "Cinematica". (Standout Tracks: Wasteland, Perfect Machine, Sell Out)

They've spent the last few years honing their skills with a constant regional touring schedule. Last month, they released their sophomore album "My Communist Heart" (Standout Tracks: Sing, Effigy, Army of Me) and within the past week they've enjoyed quite a bit of attention after they released the "All You Wanted" EP, and the title track was featured on the CW's Vampire Diaries.

If you haven't experienced a SUR show, I highly suggest you make plans to be at The Stafford in Downtown Bryan on May 7th, when they help Flawless Escape kick off their Illumination tour. In the meantime, click the links to buy music from Sounds Under Radio and get all the latest via their social media pages!

Nice To Meet You...Again.

Alright guys, let's try this again. Welcome to the new, in some ways improved EmoSarah.com. A website devoted to all things music. That includes but is not limited to independent music, best of what's next, new releases, what you may have missed, random rarities as well as coverage of the local, regional, national, international and intergalactic music scenes.




Don't forget that you can check out aggielandsrock.com to hear brand new segments of Emo Sarah's Cry for Help, featuring what could possibly be your new favorite band. In the past, we've featured a variety of acts like What Made Milwaukee Famous, Dance Gavin Dance, Clairmont, Holy Fiction, Far-Less, Electric Touch, Mothers Anthem, Chatterton, Brave Citizens, many of whom have gone on to receive national attention and grace the stages of events like Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW and even some of your favorite TV shows.

I think that's all the important information you guys need right now. Here's hoping for a website that doesn't break down (and also to me NOT forgetting the login and password information!)

Currently Listening To: "Oh, Goodbye" by The Colourist