Music News | LovetheMusic

Eddie Vedder Is Mocking Me - Live at the Gorge 05/06

When I'm in Centerville visiting my girlfriend I have to rely on the Davis County Public Library for my internetting needs. I usually do this on while Katie's working and I have nothing else really to do but kill a bit o' time, and I usually don't post while I'm up here. However, as I was on my way out of Target [where Katie works] I saw something so noteworthy that I feel morally obligated to tell the LtM loyal. And everyone else: Pearl Jam has just released Live at the Gorge 05/06. Yeah, that's two years represented in the title. Three concerts, seven discs, seven and a half hours of live, rockin' Pearl Jam. I've not heard it, but I'm a supersucker for live PJ releases, already owning two bootlegs, and check out the following high points of the setlists:

"State of Love and Trust" from the Singles soundtrack
"Crown of Thorns" originally by Mother Love Bone, also from the Singles soundtrack
Covers of songs by the Who, the Ramones, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, and probably a few other I don't recognize by title
Old material, new material, rare material.

All this for about $35 bucks, really isn't bad, but I'm so broke right now that this is kinda killing me. So, I may as well say it, I've got a birthday coming up, if any of you love me enough. In the mean time, enjoy "State of Love and Trush" and imagine this mess live and up in your grill.

Pearl Jam Official Website // MySpace // Buy Live at the Gorge 05/06 for THIRTY bucks @ Amazon

Pearl Jam - State of Love and Trust

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/stateofloveandtrust.mp3]

Music Blog Awards 2007

The Music Blog Awards are back.

No, just kidding. Apparently this is the first year for them. Go 2007.

If you wanna vote, go:

The Music Blog Awards 2007

Pandora No Longer On Air Internationally

Pandora, my favorite internet radio source, is shutting off airplay in all other countries, besides the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

I think this is pretty ridiculous. Pandora has strict rules about skipping songs and etc.; they're not distributing free music. If anything, Pandora has caused people to buy more music with what they have found while listening to Pandora. I know I have. Its pretty hard not to be pleased with what Pandora spits out; its based on what you like.

I think this is the first restriction I've been aware of as far as blogging and the internet. Yeah, you can't copy someone else's stuff and publish it as your own, but thats pretty 'Duh'. I wonder if music blogs will be next. Because we're so big, bad, and threatening.

Ridiculous.

I think that musicians, true musicians who have a desire to create and share with the world, would not be jumping down peoples throats about distributing free music or internet radio anyway. If someone loves your music, thats awesome. You make most of your money by playing shows anyway. And why buy a CD when its just going to get burned to my computer so I can stick it in my mp3 player?

If you agree, or disagree, leave it in the comments.

[UPDATE] :: Access Pandora through a proxy. (Source: Lifehacker)

MC Frontalot, MC Lars Show Pictures

So we have pictures from the MC Frontalot, MC Lars and Optimus Rhyme show, with a little Steel Train. More pictures to come, when a roll is developed. We hope.

That's it, folks. Our other shots are a little blurred and similar. Hope you liked anyway.

MC Lars, MC Frontalot, Optimus Rhyme, Steel Train: 04-16-07, Kilby Court, SLC

I said it before and I'll say it again: I love Kilby Court. It's a catalyst that will make an okay show good, a good show great, and so forth. Thus was the case with the nerdcore show.
It started off with dubious omens. We showed up late, though with the thoroughly nerdy excuse that Dave was running an instance on World of Warcraft. We arrived to find that the band Steel Train had been added to the top of the bill and that we'd missed Optimus Rhyme's set. On top of that everyone would only be playing half-hour sets, instead of Front and OR for 45 and Lars for an hour. Didn't have much time to complain, though, Front was about to take the stage.
Live hip hop is something I'd never experienced, so I didn't know what to expect. Especially from fringe artists like Frontalot. YouTube has quite a bit of low-quality footage of the Front live, so I was a little nervous. But rhymes from "Goth Girls" kept running through my head, and I kept getting more and more excited. I was not let down. MC Frontalot has such a unique stage presence it's hard to look away. Kinda like a car crash when he dances. A beautiful, beautiful car crash.
MC Lars said I'm fresh. I say we're even. He brings an incredible amount of energy to the stage, even one as minuscule as Kilby Court. When he describes his sound as post-punk laptop rap he's not kidding, he had his iBook and a projector set up on metal folding chairs to make his own multi-media presentation. DYI ethics like that also make him more punk rock than you. Audience participation was abundant, too, and that's the quick route to my heart. The audience was given a part to sing during "Mr. Raven", "Generic Crunk Rap", "If I Had a Time Machine, That Would be Fresh", "Download This Song", and "Signing Emo". An amazing amount of energy, an amazing good time. The set ended with Lars being joined by Front and Wheelie from Optimus Rhyme for a rousing rendition of "Nerdcore Rising", which also provided the audience an opportunity to flex it's vocal muscle.
This brings us to Steel Train. We were discussing leaving the show after Lars as a show of solidarity to the nerd crew. But talking to…it was either the guys from Optimus Rhyme or Gm7 and Blak Lotus [keys and bass/guitar respectively for Frontalot, also played with Lars], it was explained that the drummer from Steel Train used to drum for MC Lars, they were on their way from New York to LA to record a new record, and had been in a van on the road for 35 hours prior to the show. This softened us up quite a bit. I'm glad it did, too, because Steel Train make great musics. Without actually sounding like them, ST have many of the same elements we love about the Shins and [in my mind, leastwise] John Butler. Plus they did one of the coolest things I've seen a band do: they gathered all five guys around a single microphone and blasted some harmonies over a single guitar. They also jam very well and I recommend giving them listens.
I didn't actually see the whole set because my girlfriend was tired and wanted to sit down. So we went out to the courtyard and sat around the fire [coolest venue ever, I'm telling you]. Luckily we could hear the band fine, and also I got to sit around a hobo fire with MC Lars. That's right, I schmooze.
Well, before I make an even bigger ass of myself, here are some final verdicts:

Optimus Rhyme: In fairness for missing their show, I got the CD. Review forthcoming.

MC Frontalot: His job's not a job, it's a damn good time.

MC Lars: An incredible amount of energy in a DIY multi-media extravaganza, ya'll!

Steel Train: A little out of place on the bill, but a good band all the same. Gread hair, if nothing else.

Overall: I'm definitely going to the next nerdcore show that comes my way, looking for full sets. I was lucky enough to get to talk to both Lars and Front, plus a few guys from OR and Frontalot's band. They're really nice guys. Run their own merch table and everything. Dave says he's seen local bands who think they're too good to run their own merch table. Anyhow, I seriously look forward to seeing this business again.

Check out our Preview Post, with more mp3s.

Pictures Coming Soon!

MC Lars Official Website // Label // MySpace // Buy The Graduate

Optimus Rhyme Official Website // Label // MySpace // Buy School the Indie Rockers

Check out Steel Train, too.

Related Audio:

MC Lars - White Kids Aren't Hyphy

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/White%20Kids%20Aren%27t%20Hypy%20-%20MC%20Lars.mp3]

Optimus Rhyme - Obey the Moderator

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Optimus%20Rhyme%20-%2003%20-%20Obey%20The%20Moderator.mp3]

MC Frontalot - Nerdcore Rising TEASER

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/MC_Frontalot_-_Nerdcore_Rising_06_Nerdcore_Rising_TEASER.mp3]

Steel Train - Better Love

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Better%20Love%20-%20Steel%20Train.mp3]

MC Frontalot, MC Lars, Optimus Rhyme

One thing that is supremely important in the world of hip hop is credibility. Where you're from, what you've done, why I should listen to you. Why you know what you know. You don't have cred, you're a joke. This is why you must spit what you know. So what do you get when a bunch of guys with notable mic skills turn out not to be so gangsta fresh? What happens when they're, well, nerdy? You get nerdcore hip hop .
Those who watch Sealab 2021 have heard mc chris over the end credits a few times. Readers of Overcompensating and Penny Arcade are at least a little familiar with MC Frontalot. Rock radio listeners [at least those who listen to one of the top five rock stations in the nation (X96)] have heard this song by MC Lars. Readers of Newsweek will be familiar with ytcracker's criminal record.
The reason this all comes out right now is that tonight I'm going to see MC Frontalot, MC Lars and Optimus Rhyme in Kilby Court. I'm wicked stoked, just wanted ya'll to have a little background before I write a concert review. I didn't want to blow your minds too much. In the mean time, enjoy the following MP3s, ya'll. I've got two from Lars and two from Front, to display that they can be both jokey and serious. I'll be back soon with a concert review. Nerd ho!