If
you've been keeping up with ACRN.com this weekend (or
me as a person), you know that the 8th Annual Nelsonville Music Festival happened this weekend.
This is the third year I've gone and I firmly believe it's been the best of
the three.
The
best thing about a mid-sized festival like Nelsonville is that among the big
artists is a slew of smaller bands that most people would never have heard of
otherwise. A festival announcer said it was the best place to discover your new
favorite band, and it is. So, for my first exec rec, I figured I'd give you
cool readers the best of what NMF 2012 had to offer.
1. Those Darlins
I
just love these girls. I first saw them at 2010's Nelsonville Music Festival and I was instantly a fan. I saw them again at The Union back in the fall. But
I can never get enough of them, so I was excited as all get out when I saw they
were back again at this year's NMF. Their mix of riot grrrl and Southern rock
is an original mix that is saucy, sexy and satisfying. Nikki and
Jessi Darlin really know what they're doing.
In
addition to the punk and Southern influences, Those Darlins' latest release, 2011's
Screws Get Loose, added a sort of Spektor-esque element. Check out video
for their single "Be Your Bro" below. This song mixes up gender
roles, and who doesn't love that? And the video gives you a glimpse of their
sexiness and live performance, which is what ya really want.
See these ladies live if you have the chance. They give any male band a
run for their money as far as putting the cock back in rock, and they probably
surpass any pop starlet in sex appeal. Meee-ow!
2. "Old Oak Tree" - Southeast Engine
If
you're reading an ACRN blog, chances are you are familiar with Southeast Engine. And as follows, if you know Southeast Engine, you love them already.
Because I'm slightly obsessed, I've caught these guys (in different forms)
three times in the last month, and they've been playing this track a lot. It's
from an upcoming EP and it's a great extension on their sand from Canary.
Here's
a video of out local heroes playing the track at South by Southwest. Hear these
harmonies for yourself. You won't regret it.
And
that chorus? Every time I hear it, those "diddle-a-dee's" get stuck in
my head in the best way possible. So damn catchy!
3. Old Hundred
These
Columbus rockers opened up the Saturday at Nelsonville for me, and boy howdy,
did they win me over. They were recently named one of the "10 Ohio Bands You Should Listen to Now" by Paste, and I can see why. Their brand of alt-country is performed well. Think Wilco, perhaps.
Anyways,
I firmly agree with Paste because these guys are some of the best that Ohio has
to offer. Since they live in the C-Bus, I assume they play 'round those parts
all the time, and I've caught them in Athens once. So, seriously, before they
blow up, check 'em out. And start here, with their song "Midwest
Girl." I chose this one because, well, I am a Midwest girl. And, of
course, the song is great.
4.
Shivering Timbers
Not
a lot of things make me proud to be from the Akron area. In my opinion, it's
just not the most exciting city. What I DO love about Akron, however, is the
wonderful music that sometimes comes out of my nearest hometown city. Of
course, we have The Black Keys. But, as I discovered this weekend, we also have the Dan Auerbach-approved (and produced) Shivering Timbers.
When
they performed at Nelsonville, the band just featured a stand-up bass, guitar
and drums, but that was more than enough. They ranged from slow songs with rich
harmonies to more boot-stompin' up-tempo numbers. I guess the theme of this
post is "see these bands live like I did," but do it. If nothing
else, they feel like they're on the rise. And don't you wanna say you saw
someone before they hit it big?
Check
out the end of their Nelsonville performance here. And if you look real
close and believe in yourself, you can see my boyfriend and me leaving the
field at the end of the video. Bonus!
5.
Hope For Agoldensummer
If I were in a band, I think it would be exactly
like Hope For Agoldensummer. These sisters have the best stage presence (mostly due to their quirky personalities) which was highly enjoyable. For example: their
set included a song they wrote for a free Baby Ruth at a corn maze, full of
ridiculous puns. So, yeah, Hope For Agoldensummer are right up my alley.
More
importantly, though, they have beautiful harmonies that are a charm to listen
to. Their cover of Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" showcases both
their vocal abilities and their quirky personalities. And, yes, it includes a
rap. Don't mind my obsession.
6.
Mucca Pazza
These guys won my award for the most interesting set of Nelsonville
this weekend. They're a punk rock marching band, if you can believe such a
thing exists. And holy crap, were they fun. They were loud, they were rude and
they were on point. And not on point in the way of high school marching band,
where you had to be perfectly in line. They were just mad talented. Their live
sets ain't your grandma's classical music concert, let me tell you that.
If
you ever get a chance to see them at a festival like Nelsonville, do it. They
sound weird, and maybe they are, but it's a weird that works. It's rude, it's
loud and it's marching band. Plus, their cheerleaders might be some of the most
badass chicks I've ever seen.
7. "Bein' Green"- Andrew Bird
I
knew Andrew Bird was immensely talented when I saw his headlining set Saturday
night, but that was kind of all I knew about him. His performance was full of
smooth violin playing, strong vocals and whistling. Yeah, apparently Andrew
Bird is a world-class whistler. I didn't know that.
Since
I can appreciate Mr. Bird, but am not necessarily a fan, my favorite part of his
set was his cover of this Kermit classic. It comes off the album that
accompanied the recent Jason Segel-penned Muppets movie. This track perfectly
captures the sadness and emotion of the song, and of course, it features that
wonderful whistlin' and fancy fiddlin'.
8.
Shovels & Rope
As I mentioned, Nelsonville is the perfect place to
discover a new favorite band. And for many at this year's festival, that new
favorite band was Shovels & Rope. They had a twang and a big personality,
which won over pretty much everyone who saw them, including myself.
Comprised
of Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, Shovels & Rope have one album full of
backyard string instruments, tambourines and their controlled, strained voices.
Will they be the next big thing in alt-country? It's hard to say, but they
definitely could be. Check out their rockin' song "Gasoline" and
judge their dirty, down home sound for yourself.
9.
"When I Was A Mockingbird" - Matt Bauer
I interviewed Mr. Bauer
for our website last week, and first off, he's a lovely fellow. Secondly, he's
immensely talented. His soothing voice mixed with gorgeous guitar and banjo
instrumentation makes for some haunting, yet beautiful melodies. In
preparations for my interview, I listened to Matt Bauer a bit, but then I
couldn't stop...
My personal
favorite track of his was this one, off of his latest album The Jessamine
County Book Of The Living. Just listen to that banjo! Listen to that
whisper. Is it hyperbolic to say it's perfect?
Unfortunately,
he didn't play this song when I was lucky enough to catch him at the No-Fi
Cabin, but his set was a perfect way to wind down for an hour. And if you ever
get the chance to catch this guy, do so.
10. A Wasteland Companion - M. Ward
Because
I am a fangirl, my favorite performance of the weekend was the closer, M. Ward.
I gotta give it up for the guy, he puts on one of the better live shows I've
ever seen. A lot of his energy came from the tracks he performed off his latest
record, A Wasteland Companion, which is why I have to recommend it for
ya.
Though
much of the album is typical M. Ward fare, he picks it up at several points. A
highlight for sure is "Me And My Shadow," which Ward performed about
halfway through his Nelsonville set. It's probably his most rocking song to
date, and will get your body grooving. In general, check out his latest album,
but here's that sampling for ya.
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