Bonnaroo Breakout

One of the things we look forward to about Bonnaroo every year is speculating over who will be the next "break-out" band, someone most people have never heard of, that goes onto greater fame. With over 1,000,000 YouTube plays, 58,000 MySpace friends, and 6 paragraphs on Wikipedia, it can't really be said that no one's ever heard of Battles. Just maybe no one who's not online regularly. Anyway, I wasn't even there but it's impossible to ignore this kind of vibe:



Kudos to Lightning 100.com's Brian Waters for picking up.

And just in case the sound issues wreck it for you, check out this studio video -



p.s. - Helmet fans might recognize the guy at the yellow drumkit as John Stanier.

New Sloan

I've had a soft spot for 'em since the "Underwhelmed" days. So far I've only had one listen to their new album, Parallel Play, and it's a keeper. If I have anything more to say beyond that, I'll add it later but for now, check out the Bob Dylan homage linked below.

Sound: Down in the Basement (sample)

New in the Bin This Week - Brendan James

What your ears might tell you is the latest celtic singer/songwriter in the Damian Rice vein is actually a New Hampshirite. Brendan James debut album, The Day is Brave, takes its name from a play based on Deirdre of the Sorrows one of Ireland's mythological heroines. If you like piano-based singer-songwriters, you should like this a lot.

And Bo Diddley, Geez

Never even rated a mention on the list at all. I would so hate to be in the shoes of those who approved that list, today of all days.

Your #41 Is My ...

Rolling Stone has published its list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time." No, really. As you'd expect, the peanut gallery has its pea shooters out and in some cases, rightfully. U2 comes in at #28 with "Where the Streets Have No Name." Really? That? Not something like "Two Hearts Beat As One," or "I Will Follow," or even "Gloria" or "The Fly" or any of those songs where the Edge establishes himself in your face within the first eight seconds? Whatever.

Further down the list is a real treat from a band that, if they hadn't existed, we might never have gotten a U2. Television was always one of those bands I meant to turn myself onto but never got around to it until 1992 when they reunited and made that wonderful album with "Call Mr. Lee" on it. While I was admiring that at work one day, my then PD, Jim McGuinn said, "hey, if you've got ten minutes, I'll give you the greatest guitar solo, ever."

In the interest of paying it forward: