Monday, July 26, 2010

Music Monday: Roots & Reggae by the Bay

One of our favorite local organizations, the Damariscotta River Association, along with sponsorship from us and other local businesses, is putting on the annual Roots and Reggae by the Bay fest this coming Saturday, July 31. It is to be a most rocking time; it's outside, family friendly, affordable (proceeds go to a great cause, preserving and protecting local land and animal habitats), and there will be four awesome bands to get you boogieing!


photo via this blog

The Jason Spooner Trio is a groovy acoustic bluesy folk-rock ensemble, with great lyrics that have won Mr. Spooner many awards. This group is a local favorite and are sure to take us on a wonderfully mellow sonic ride. When we were looking for a video to share, we found the band covering Radiohead's "Subterranian Homesick Alien", and for that, Jason Spooner Trio, we give you many enthusiastic thumbs up!



Here they are playing their own "Spaceship":




photo via maine common sense


The Jerks of Grass seamlessly meld traditional bluegrass stylings with progressive roots music to play fun and high-energy tunes sure to get you hopping and bopping and dancing around! Check out this video of them performing; the sound is great but the visual footage is kind of fuzzy.



Stream is known as"Maine's premier reggae band", playing reggae with elements of dancehall, zouk, and soca sounds. Chances are if you have been to any reggae fests in Maine you have seen these guys, and know they put on a great show that is super fun for dancing!



The New Rangers are an acoustic offshoot of the Round Pond Rangers. They are a rockin' band who we hope will grace us with some of their sweet Dead covers and Irish fight songs!

If all that music isn't enough to tempt you to join us at this fun fest, there will also be fresh local oysters, Caribbean food and spirits, as well as local and international crafts.

You can purchase tickets at Damariscotta River Association (only location for credit card sales, 207-563-1393), Maine Coast Book Shop & CafĂ© (Damariscotta), Mexicali Blues (Newcastle and Freeport), Sherman’s Books & Stationery (Boothbay), Treats (Wiscasset), Wild Rufus Records (Belfast), and Bull Moose Music (Brunswick & all locations)
.

We hope to see you there!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Music Monday: LCD Soundsystem


The music of LCD Soundsystem could be catagorized as something like dance-punk-electronic-pop-indie-rocktastic. Led by the clever and often self-effacing James Murphy, this is music with a dance-demanding beat and lyrics that will make you laugh and think once you settle down. Murphy began the group in 2002 with the witty, wordy eight-minute single "Losing My Edge."He describes this tune as "an athem" to growing older and realizing that musical styles change with generations. Check out the song (and watch Murphy get slapped in the face for eight minutes) below:



LCD Soundsytem released a self-titled double album in 2005, to much critical acclaim. The first song, "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" quickly gained popularity, particularly in the UK. The album and the song were both nominated for Grammy awards that year. Try to listen to this song without moving at all; it's hard!



In 2007, the band released Sound of Silver to more critical acclaim. Why? Because it is awesome! This album retained the bouncy dance feel of older songs, while making a succesful leap to straight-up rock; all the while retaining the sound that is undeniably, uniquely LCD.

Evidence that Murphy does the melodic just as well as dance-punk:



Here's a song from the same album that will make you want to move and groove:



This is Happening just came out a few months ago, and is amazing! (We think so, anyway) The music itself is filled with fun drums and weird little beeps that will not allow you to sit still, while the lyrics are honest and insightful. Here, the single "Drunk Girls" describes with wit and humor the difference between "drunk girls" and "drunk boys":



Another great tune, "Dance Yourself Clean":



You really should just listen to the whole thing.







Ok, that's all you get for free. Go buy the album! You'll like it! Check out their website here if you dig LCD Soundsystem like we do.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Music Monday: Thievery Corporation & Ween

Nobody can resist dancing at the Pier Review!
photo via pizza comedy

Good times are fast approaching, as we count down the days to the 2010 Pier Review at the Maine State Pier in Portland's Old Port. The pier is an great outdoor venue, and the two bands that will be playing, Ween on Friday July 16 and Thievery Corporation on Saturday July 17th, are poised to blow your mind with their tuneful talents.

Perhaps you are asking yourself, "How might I win some sweet free tickets to this deluge of rocking awesomeness?" Well, wonder no more, for it is easy as can be! Become a friend of Mexicali Blues on Facebook and post:

"Like Mexicali Blues and you can have a chance to win 2 tickets to Thievery Corporation 7/17 and Ween 7/16 in Portland, Maine!"

for your status update. Or, follow Mexicali_Blues on Twitter and re-tweet:

"RT @mexicali_blues to win 2 tickets to @ThieveryCorpDC 7/17 and #Ween 7/16 in #maine! #wakemeupwhenIwin! #freetickets"

Best of luck to everybody who enters! For those of you who would rather not leave your fate to chance and want to purchase your tickets, you can do so here and also feel good about your purchase, because proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Preble Street, a local social services agency. Sweet!

Now it's time to check out what all the fuss is about, so read on!


photo via this ween fansite

Ween was formed in 1984 in Pennsylvania, when Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. The pair became known respectively as Gene Ween and Dean Ween as they work together on their musical creation and adventures. Their music is often considered to rest under the genre umbrella of "alternative", although one of the things that we like about Ween the wide variety of styles they embrace and pull off.

Here is a reggae-style tune from their Friends EP:



Here's a pretty straight up alternative song called "Transdermal Celebration":



Watch this sweet video of Ween performing "Big Jilm" live:



This is a versatile band with an expansive catalog of songs (check out their long discography here) with a quirky, danceable, funny sensibility. Do be aware, these guys often curse and address adult subject matter in their tunes, so it may not be entirely appropriate for younger concert-goers. Check out their website here for more music and information.


photo via trip-hop

Thievery Corporation is a DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists. Their music style mixes elements of reggae, acid jazz, and smooth world music, creating songs that are simultaneously mellow and perfect for dancing. The two men formed the group in 1995, when they bonded over a shared love of dub, bossa nova, and jazz records.

Check out this video of the band performing their song "Warning Shots":



Not content to just make good music, the band takes a progressive political stance on various issues, opposing war and exploitative trade agreements, while supporting human rights and food programs. Those are ideals we can surely get behind!

And here's a song we can all surely dance to:



Visit the Thievery Corporation website for more good stuff, enter to win free tickets to either of the shows, and we hope to see you there!