Third Eye Blind at the Celebrate Fairfax Festival

The B-52s were supposed to be the performance for this event on Saturday night, but Third Eye Blind was told the day before the concert that they had been booked due to an illness.  They aren't touring right now, but they flew over to Fairfax from LA to play at the event the band dubbed a "campfire show." It was really fun to watch them perform when there was nothing planned. They played the song requests that people shouted out, and it's obvious that the lead singer is a really weird, but cool guy. Without a staged show, each band member's true personality comes out. I really wish it was possible to see other bands with unprepared shows, but I also don't want to be disappointed by a group I think are really talented, but turn out to just have good shows that someone else organizes.

They're working on an album right now, which they announced will be released in the fall.  Third Eye Blind played two songs they've been working on, "Sherry's a Stoner" and "I Was So High." They said they enjoy playing their new music at the smaller shows to see the reaction and how people like it, and they seemed to enjoy their newer songs too. They didn't say if these tracks would be on their next album or not.

Apparently Sherry is their manager's wife who they just want to make fun of.  They also quickly ranted about why you shouldn't smoke, and played the song while focusing directly on a group of people in the front who were not very inconspicuous about it.

They managed to get me excited about their upcoming album, and I wouldn't have called myself a real Third Eye Blind fan before this show. Sure I knew "Semi-Charmed Life," "Never Let You Go" and "Jumper" but that was it. I can't think of many concerts I've been to that didn't get me loving the band afterwards, and this was no exception. There's just something I love about seeing the band's personality, the way they interact with each other and the fans, and watching them show off some talents that can't be portrayed through headphones.

June Releases

May brought some great new music (Vampire Weekend, The National, Daft Punk!) but June is looking to be even bigger. It's the first real month of summer, and all these bands are looking to get their hits on the charts for summer.  I'm only listing the bands I've heard of, so there are many more releases this month. Some of the big names include Queens of the Stone Age, Goo Goo Dolls, Jimmy Eat World, The Lonely Island, 3OH!3, Kanye West, Mac Miller, City and Colour, Portugal. The Man, and MANY MORE.

June 3

Camera Obscura - Desire Lines

I liked the track "French Navy" off their last album.  This group has been around for a while, but they're still not very mainstream.  They're touring this summer with She & Him, and will be making a stop at WolfTrap.

June 4

Barenaked Ladies - Grinning Streak

This will be their 11th studio album.  They're known for their tracks "One Week" and "Pinch Me." They'll be at Merriweather Post Pavilion this summer on July 15th with Ben Fold Five and Guster.

City and Colour - The Hurry and the Harm

I really loved City and Colour's last album Little Hell, and I'm hoping this one won't disappoint.  City and Colour is really just a guy named Dallas Green, who has said that this album is "the fullest sounding City and Colour record to date." I'm looking forward to it

Capital Cities - In a Tidal Wave of Mystery

This is Capital Cities' first full length album, but with their hits like "Safe and Sound" and "Kangaroo Court" it's sure to be great.  Their EP Capital Cities put them on the radio, and they're playing at many of the major music festivals in North America this summer. I'm certain this band is just going to keep getting bigger.

Matthew Morrison - Where It All Began

Matthew Morrison made his debut on Glee, but has shown that he can do much more than just act.  

Megadeth - Super Collider

Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends

You can stream their entire album on their tumblr page at http://portugaltheman.tumblr.com/allthefeels.  There is not a single other band I can think of that releases this many albums.  Portugal. The Man regularly releases 2 albums per year, and even though they all start to sound very similar, there are always some great tracks from each album.  Evil Friends is sure to be another great album.  They'll also be at the 9:30 Club on June 6!

Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork

They're back! They were known for their guitar riffs and arena rock feel.  Their last studio album with new music was released in 2007, after that they disappeared for a while.  This album can be streamed for free on iTunes before its release.

Rogue Wave - Nightingale Floors

Rogue Wave is playing at the Black Cat on June 19! "Eyes" and "Lake Michigan" are my favorites.  This will be their 5th album, with their last album released in 2009, so it's been a while.  I'm hoping that means it's going to be really good.

Said the Whale - I Love You [EP]

Said the Whale is still a fairly unknown band, but I love their music.  "Loveless" and "Camilo (The Magician)"are my favorites, but there's really nothing that I dislike by them.  They have a very specific style though, that isn't found in many bands today.  You can go to their website www.saidthewhale.com and join the mailing list.  They'll then send you a link to download their single "I Love You." You really don't want to miss out on that opportunity.

June 10

Black Sabbath - 13

This is the heavy metal band's 19th studio album.  Black Sabbath was signed in 1969, and I thought the band members had gone their separate ways, especially with all the stuff Ozzy Osbourne was doing with his solo project.  But they're back with this album, and have released "God is Dead?" as a single.

June 11

Disclosure - Settle

This is their debut album, and they are also making many appearances at major music festivals this summer.  With dance and electronic music growing, I don't see them disappearing anytime soon. You can stream their album at their soundcloud website at https://soundcloud.com/disclosuremusic 

Goo Goo Dolls - Magnetic

"Rebel Beat" was released as a single from this track, which has a very catchy chorus, and seems to have more of a pop feel than their past releases. I've heard it on the radio a few times, and actually really like it, even though it's a little different than the Goo Goo Dolls I'm used to.  The album isn't available yet, but on iTunes you can listen to samples from each song, and buy "Rebel Beat."

Jimmy Eat World - Damage

They're back! They're touring again all summer (making an appearance at the 9:30 Club on Aug 11). Their first album Jimmy Eat World released in 2001 was an instant hit, but no albums since has come even close.  Then they just disappeared off the radar after their last album Invented in 2010.  3 years later they're touring and have a new album. I guess they're far from gone. You can also listen to a few tracks off this album at their website http://jimmyeatworld.com/audio/damage/.

Prodigy & Alchemist - Albert Einstein

This is the second collaboration album by Prodigy & Alchemist.  It's a collaboration between the rapper Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and the producer The Alchemist, who is also currently working as a DJ with Eminem.

The Black Dahlia Murder - Everblack

The Lonely Island - The Wack Album

They're doing "Wack Wednesdays" and releasing a track from this album every Wednesday on their Youtube page. Check it out at www.youtube.com/thelonelyisland. They've announced that this album will feature collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams (Him again! Where did he suddenly appear from?) Lady Gaga, Billie Joe Armstrong, T-Pain, Kendrick Lamar, Robyn and more.

June 18

3OH!3 - Omens

This album was originally announced to be released in the fall of 2012, but obviously there were some major delays. We can hope that the delay allows the album to be even better and that the wait was worth it. The single "Back To Life" and "You're Gonna Love This" are tracks off this album that were released as a singles. I like them both, but they're far from the sound of "Don't Trust Me" that made this band popular in the first place. They'll also be making a stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 10 as part of the Vans Warped Tour.

Empire Of The Sun - Ice On The Dune

Empire of the Sun's sophomore album.  Their first album Walking On A Dream had some major hits, so this one shouldn't disappoint. "Alive" was a track off the album released as a single.

Hanson - Anthem

J. Cole - Born Sinner

Kanye West - Yeezus

He announced this as his album cover, saying that he was taking a minimalist approach. Simply a blank disk, with tape that has the album name "Yeezus" written across it.  I'm not sure if he'll surprise us later with a more elaborate cover, but Kanye's been doing some strange stuff recently.  This album is also never going to be available for pre-order, which is pretty unusual nowadays. I really don't know what Kanye's doing here, and he hasn't released anything about the album.  It's as though he just wants to drop it all on June 18 as a total surprise.
This has also been theorized to be an album cover, but it's just been going around the web. Kanye has not said anything about it, and it has not been in any ads.

Kelly Rowland - Talk A Good Game

Mac Miller - Watching Movies with the Sound Off

Mac Miller's album was first announced to be out in "early 2013." There was some delay, but it happens. After Mac Miller announced the name of this album, Donald Trump tweeted, "Little Mac Miller's next album may bomb. He can't use my name again for sales." I would not consider this guy anything close to "little" with the recognition he's earned.  It's true that one of his hit singles from the last album was "Donald Trump" but I'm sure that Mac Miller has many other ways to make his sales, and that the name of his single wasn't one of them.

Sigur Rós - Kveikur

They classify themselves as an Icelandic Post-Rock band.  They've been around since 1994 and this will be their seventh studio album, so clearly they're doing things right. None of their music is in English, but you really don't notice that at first.

The Mowgli's - Waiting for the Dawn

The Mowgli's released the EP Love's Not Dead, which was an immediate hit with the few people that actually heard this relatively unknown band.  Eventually though, the track San Francisco hit the radio, and has been playing nonstop on just about every alt rock station.  They're going on a long tour this summer, with a stop in San Francisco, of course!

June 25

August Burns Red - Rescue & Restore

This will be their fifth studio album.  They're a leading force in the modern metal scene with past appearances with the Vans Warped Tour. They're touring again with them, and will be at Merriweather for it on July 10th. They're a Christian band, and the lead singer is quoted by Shout! as saying "Christian is a religion and not a style of music," and he would "rather just let the music speak for itself."

Hawthorne Heights - Zero

They'll be at all tour dates with the Vans Warped Tour this year.  This is their 5th album, and you can preview it from their Youtube page at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0YfBxp0WQw.

John Legend - Love in the Future

This is John Legend's 4th solo album, and he's said that it has the feel of his first two albums, but with some changes.  You can hear his first released single off the album "Who Do We Think We Are" featuring Rick Ross on his website at www.johnlegend.com.  He also released "Ordinary People" which can be found his Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PIh07c_P4hc.

Skillet - Rise

This will be Skillet's ninth studio album.  They call themselves a Christian rock band, but you wouldn't guess it from just listening to their songs.  They've released four singles off this album, which can be found on their Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/skilletband.

Tech N9ne - Something Else

This will be their 13th studio album.  They're well known for their track "Caribou Lou", but not working well with other artists.  Tech N9ne discussed in an interview that the name Something Else comes because his album really is something else.  He says that it's put together in a completely new way, and that many tracks are not radio length, with 4 or 5 versus.  He also said that he often can't work with other rappers because of his "military style work ethic." You can see that interview here if you're interested http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i3f_akE6Aq4. This guy is actually pretty interesting, he also makes a stab at Eminem.

Wale - The Gifted

Wale has announced that his album features appearances from Cee Lo Green, Nicki Minaj, Juicy J, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Jerry Seinfeld, and more.  Just with that list of names, this album is hyped.  The single "Bad" was released, featuring Tiara Thomas, and made it to number 25 on the Billboard (even with the squeaking bed sound the ENTIRE song, which in my opinion just takes away from the song more than anything else). "LoveHate Thing" was also released as a single.  He's from DC, so I have to like him, right? "Chillin" featuring Lady Gaga was the first track I heard by him, and I think had a big part of his fame. It's also all about "DC Chillin'" so I have to like it.