ROAD TRIPPIN' WITH THE ICE CREAM MAN

We had the opportunity to chat with the Ice Cream Man last weekend at Sasquatch. The Ice Cream man travels around the US to different festivals handing out free ice cream. He also does these amazing session with the bands...here he is with Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros at Sasquatch!

WE HAVE BEEN SASQUATCHED!

This last weekend was a great weekend for musicbleep as we headed up to Seattle to catch the SASQUATCH! Music Festival at the Gorge in Washington, and I have to say, it was quite the magical weekend! We started out our adventure on Friday night in Ballard, a neighborhood in Seattle known for a list of cherished music venues and hidden hot spots.  After dinner at King's Hardware, we were headed back to the car and passed Aaron Dessner from one of our favorite bands, The National.  Now, it was my birthday and I did meet them on my birthday two years ago, so I thought this to be a little ironic, so I had to stop him.  The next thing you know, we were at the Tractor Tavern with the National drinking PBR's and watching an intimate set by Peter Buck from R.E.M.  That was just the beginning.  The next morning we got up and drove east, past the cascades and pine trees to the Gorge.

The spectacular views of the Columbia River, and the broken cliff edges of the gorge as the backdrop and scenery for the amazing lineup of artists that they put together, set the mood for the weekend and was certainly well thought out.  Each day had remarkable sets, no matter which stage you chose; Sasquatch Main, Bigfoot or the Yeti, you were guaranteed a great performance.

We arrived early Day 1 of the festival to make sure that we caught some of the earlier acts; Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons (unbelievable)  Portugal. The Man (whom we had the chance to hang out and chat with after their show), The Middle East,  Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (best show of theirs I have seen so far),  and a speechless performance by The National.  Just to name a few.

The overall set-up of the festival was amazing, with it being built out of nature and using nature as the driving force behind the acoustics for live performances, to the overall vibe of the people that were there.  Nobody was there to fight, push, or shove (although there were times where a lot of dancing and pushing around during shows), everybody was there to share an experience that we all have a common bond over and that is MUSIC!  And to have it all laid out in those breathtaking surroundings, created a complete package.

Day 2 of the fest we started out our day right by hitting the Bigfoot stage, which was right by the entrance and two ponds.  Local Natives opened our late morning with lively energy and then we walked our way down the gorge to the Sasquatch stage to see Seattle locals The Long Winters, and They Might Be Giants (I bought my first TMBG album in the 7th grade, it was a nostalgic moment).  We decided to just take in all that was going on for a while; walking around, people-watching, checking out different stages and bands and then wondered back up the hill the catch an unforgettable set by the UK's The XX.  And they KILLED it!  We had the opportunity to meet up with the XX after and talked to them for a while.  We finished our day by watching a set by LCD Soundsystem which just blew us away.  Spectacle not to be missed.

Sadly Day 3 arrived *tear*.  But our frowns were quickly turned upside down, because we still had a FULL DAYS worth of bands and music we love.  Our day started of rather early with a surprisingly interesting performance by Detroit's Mayor Hawthorne and then some of our favorite AUSSIE'S....The Temper Trap, where Dougy and Co. nailed it, once again!  Drums + Water = RAD!  The Passion Pit soon came after and we danced to their electro-rock beats.  We were preparing ourselves for a more mellow ending to our evening, but She & Him have, well grown.  When musicbleep first saw this "duo", they were just that, Zooey and M.Ward.  Now they are a full grown band with much more upbeat and danceable sounds.  And how can you resist her face and personality...so adorable.  We had some time to kill so we walked around a bit and caught up with the drummer and singer from Band of Horses.  They were really sweet guys and very humble, which was nice to see with their quick rise to their success.  They soon took the stage and...I don't even know what to say.  We have been listening to them for years, but to see them live completely introduced us to them on a whole new level. After they finished their unspeakably amazing collections of songs, we walked up to finish the night with The New Pornographers, which we all know involves one of musicbleeps favorite singer/songwriters, Neko Case.  I have seen them before, but to see them so close to their Canadian home, was very special.  They were full of personality and humor, and then put on the perfect final touch to this amazing weekend!

As you can imagine, this was a great experience and we are so grateful that we were a part of it and be able to bring all the music love back to share with all of our muscbleep readers.  Keep reading this week as we will doing full individual reviews of highlighted performances, as well as reviews on some upcoming shows this week: The School of Seven Bells, The Hundred In The Hand, The Middle East and Mumford & Sons (yes, twice in one week).  We are very excited and look forward to going back to the SASQUATCH! Festival next year.  I'm sure the line-up of artists and the atmosphere will just be as great as this year, if not better.

WE ARE SASQUATCH!!

STORY: TONY CRAGO/CORY RADKE 
PHOTOS: TONY CRAGO/CORY RADKE

COACHELLA 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

In between their sets @ Coachella, bands found time to perform or give interviews around the local Coachella suites. Check out a few of the hightlights!

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

The three-day Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is playing to sellout crowds this weekend and shattering attendance records, festival officials said. The Goldenvoice-promoted festival, now in its 11th year, is drawing a record 75,000 people per day to the Empire Polo Club in the desert community of Indio, up nearly 15,000 from last year’s daily average. But the record attendance and a later curfew — 1 a.m. instead of midnight — weren’t the only new wrinkles in the festival. Promoters found themselves worrying about the eruption of an Icelandic volcano and its massive ash cloud, which halted flights in and out of Britain and northern Europe. A festival spokeswoman said seven artists were grounded in Britain, including Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, which had been on tour in Europe. British rock bands the Cribs and Frightened Rabbit were among those unable to get to the U.S. for the festival. “We would have taken any slot, any time, just to play this festival,” said Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison. “If you’re playing to people who’ve come to see you at a club show, the battle has been won.” The band had a prime Friday afternoon slot, and was counting on Coachella to increase its standing in the U.S. “This is bad for us on all levels,” Hutchison said. “We were about to head out on a U.S. tour, and this would have been a good way to get a few more fans on board.” Getting to Coachella wasn’t easy, even for those in Southern California. Traffic was at a near-standstill for much of Friday afternoon, as the four-mile route from the 10 Freeway to the venue was at a crawl throughout the day. Once they parked, fans spoke of hour-plus waits to get into the gates. Henry Conklin, a 19-year-old New York University student, said his friend paid a woman $40 to cut in line. Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron confirmed reports that a small number of ticketless fans had jumped the gate, but police made only 12 arrests Friday, and all were alcohol- or drug-related. Despite the increase in attendance, the arrest number was on pace to be down slightly from last year, when 69 arrests were made throughout the weekend. Police were also adjusting to the later curfew. After Goldenvoice was slapped with more than $50,000 in fines last year when headliner Paul McCartney played past the midnight deadline, the company won approval to extend Friday and Saturday curfew to 1 a.m. As a compromise, the department said Goldenvoice’s country-music Stagecoach festival will end at 11 p.m. rather than midnight next weekend. Even with longer hours and five stages of music, many festivalgoers had to strain for a glimpse of the more hotly anticipated acts. Up-and-coming rock group Yeasayer and beloved electronic act La Roux were performing at one of Coachella’s three tent-covered side stages, which overflowed in the afternoon heat, keeping many fans 30 or more feet away from snaring a glimpse of the artists. Yet the mood on the grounds was far from tense. Attendees were eager to brave the heat and lines for a Friday-night headlining set from one of music’s biggest stars, hip-hop artist Jay-Z. He had an unbilled, A-list surprise guest in tow — his pop-star wife, Beyonce.

We headed out Saturday morning, because we had tickets for Saturday and mostly wanted to see the lineup on Sat. It was such an amazing weekend. We got there around 1pm (missing traffic) so we could catch Frightened Rabbits, who never ended up making out due to the volcano in Iceland; however, we did see The Temper Trap, MGMT, Hot Chip, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and The XX. Finally, around 9pm we left so we could hit up the Ace Hotel After Party that was going on in Palm Springs.

I normally am not big on crowds, but there is something about music festivals that I really like. I don't know if it has to do with the magic of the desert or what, but there is just this amazing energy that you want to be part of. Many of the band I have already seen, but it's cool to see them in a festival setting. Everyone should at least try it once if you are a music lover.

Finally, Sunday we wrapped up the weekend @ the Ace Hotel Desert Gold Poolside Party with an acoustic set from Sondre Lerche. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. Thanks to everyone who made this weekend a fun one! I am already looking forward to next year!

PHOTOS: WIREIMAGE

COACHELLA ARTIST ALERT

Just one more day until Coachella!! Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will hit the Outdoor Theatre on Saturday afternoon. Another band YOU MUST SEE!! I have seen them a few time in L.A. and they blew me away. This band is incredible - I'm super excited to see them again this weekend. I told you I'm not leaving my spot at the Outdoor Theatre on Saturday.

EDWARD SHARPE 4 HAITI

On January 28, 2010, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s performed at the“Artists for Haiti” benefit in Santa Monica, CA. The benefit, which was sponsoredby Artists for Peace and Justice, was held at the Track 16 Gallery in BergamotStation. In addition to the concert, the night also featured a silent art auction,photographs of Haiti by Tao Ruspoli and short films from the Jacmel Film School.Overall, the benefit raised 126K, which was all donated to Father Rick Frechette ofSt. Damien’s Hospital and the ground-level doctors and rescue workers.

For more info about Artists for Peace and Justice go to http://artistsforpeaceandjustice.com/

A NIGHT OF TREATS

KCRW hosted their first ever Halloween party Masquerade the other night at the Park Plaza in Downtown LA, with performances by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Sea Wolf, Little Dragon and a special set from DJ Shadow!

EDWARD AND THE MAG-NET-IC ZEROS!

Last week we had the fortunate pleasure of seeing Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros not only once, but TWICE! If you are not familiar with this latest and greatest ensemble, please keep reading, but before that I would like to give a mention to the wonderful women who opened for these great talents: The LA Girls Choir. They sound just like they look, like a choir of angelic voices, with innocence and grace closely resembling a church camp chorus. I felt as if I had stepped into a venue where all the sisters from the film 'The Virgin Suicides' multiplied and went on tour. They sang familiar tunes, but a favorite of mine, and by the reaction from the SOLD OUT crowd, they did an amazing cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah', which was breathtaking. This was a very mild introduction to what we were about to witness.

Edward Sharpe, alter ego of Ima Robots frontman Alex Ebert, and his Magnetic Zeros, created the most amazing atmosphere that I have experienced in a very long time. They have put together something that is not that common these days, and completely blew me out of the water. I have been listening to them for quite some time now, watching online performances from the Hammer Museum and in studio performances on KCRW, but was still flabbergasted from the second they hit the stage.

With about 13 or so members (including some of the LA Girls Choir and whomever else wanted to join, invited up by Edward himself), they created a sound unlike anything giving off an enormous amount of positive energy. I felt as if I was so far out of the LA/Hollywood element and it was a nice musical vacation; by the end of the show I was dripping sweat from dancing and my face hurt from smiling the whole time. Not only were they inviting people up on stage to sing, dance, or to play an instrument, they often came down onto the floor and performed right in the mix of the highly energized crowd.

They sang "40 Day Dream", "Janglin", "Carries On", and my personal favorite "Home" accompanied by 'Jade', one of the Magnetic Zeros. They all have this undying kind of chemistry, but those two conduct magic on that stage. Their album, "Up From Below", was just released on July 7th of this year and they have already gathered quite the following. A sold out show at the El Rey (where they performed for almost 2 hours) and on Sunday at the Abbott Kinney Festival fans came in droves and packed the streets to see a FREE live performance as the sun set that day, of which Musicbleep trekked our way through the streets of Venice and waited to see them once again, as Tuesday was just not enough, we wanted more. And this is just the kick off, as they have many tour dates spreading all over the US and Canada. If they are in city near you, go check them out, you will not be disappointed!!

You can download their album on iTunes and check them out at http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/edwardsharpe You will hear and see a band not of this world, but of a world all their own. To give you a little taste, below is their performance of my favorite, 'Home', from the El Rey last Tuesday, I love it!!

FREE @ THE HAMMER: EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS!

One of Musicbleep's most recent discoveries and favorites, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will be putting on a free show at the Hammer Museum in Westwood this Thursday, July 23rd at 8PM. If you have not had the pleasure of indulging in this 12 piece ensemble of positive, 60's, indie rock, stop what you are doing and download their debut album "Up From Below". I have not stopped listening to this masterpiece since before it's July 7th release. They are definitely pulling in references from several musical genres and creating a style and sound all their own. Although progressive, their music can reach out and touch any taste, but I have to say it does bring out the old "hippie" in me and bringing me back to my Northern California roots. You can look the up at www.myspace/edwardsharpe or just go straight to iTunes and download this unforgettable album. It's the perfect soundtrack to the summer!


Story by Cory Radke

KCRW WELCOMES EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

KCRW introduced Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros to the world last week on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Such a FUN & ENERGETIC band, definitely a band you want to see live. Watch now and see what all the buzz is about!