VANS WARPED TOUR 2012 June 16 - Aug 5 (Tour Dates / Full Line-Up)

Renowned for bringing skate/punk/action sports and youth culture to the forefront on a global scale, the VANS WARPED TOUR® is calling and summer is here…

The full VANS WARPED TOUR 2012 multi-stage line-up has now been revealed including Rise Against, who will join other previously announced main stage artists All Time Low, Taking Back Sunday, Anti-Flag, Yellowcard, The Used, Four Year Strong, New Found Glory, Pierce The Veil, Falling In Reverse, Breathe Carolina and more. The VANS WARPED TOUR--a mix of hotly-tipped and established artists--continues to be the most eclectic traveling festival tour on the planet featuring rock, punk, pop, hip-hop and rap, metal, indie rock, electronic, alt-country, folk-punk, dubstep, reggae and rockabilly.

Last night (Thursday, March 29), the VANS WARPED TOUR kick-off party and press conference was held at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. VANS WARPED TOUR artists (including Cherri Bomb, Neo Geo & Vampires Everywhere!) and friends joined tour founder Kevin Lyman and Steve Van Doren of Vans to celebrate.

Fans were treated to a screening of the new tour documentary film NO ROOM FOR ROCKSTARS (from Stacy Peralta and the producers of Dogtown & Z-boys) and enjoyed live performances from Forever Came Calling (the group featured in the film), Falling In Reverse, Matt Toka, Dead Sara as well as special performances from tour veterans Yellowcard (acoustic) and The Used.

[Pictured clockwise: The Used; Falling In Reverse; Ryan Key (Yellowcard); Ronnie Radke (Falling In Reverse), Bert McKracken (The Used) and Ryan Seaman (Falling In Reverse)]

"The energy at the 18th annual Vans Warped Tour Kick-Off Party was amazing," said tour founder Kevin Lyman. "All signs point to a great summer to come in 2012."

Beginning today, Friday, March 30 (10:00am PT) festival goers can purchase tickets via the exclusive, lower-priced pre-sale. To keep the festival at a great value, pre-sale package prices are $21.99 and include commemorative 3D ticket--which also serves as a jump-the-line early entry pass--a Vans Warped Tour 2012 compilation CD and a 25-cent donation to the Unite the United charity and all service fees. Only a limited number of pre-sale tickets are available per city and once they sell-out, they’re gone. The general on-sale will begin April 7.

The 41-date VANS WARPED TOUR 2012 commences June 16 in Salt Lake City, UT and finishes August 5 in Portland, OR. The tour will hit a handful of new venues this year.

VANS WARPED TOUR 2012:
6/16 Salt Lake City, UT Utah State Fairpark
6/17 Denver, CO Sports Authority Field at Mile High
6/20 Las Vegas, NV Plaza Hotel & Casino
6/21 Irvine, CA Orange County Great Park
6/22 Pomona, CA Pomona Fairplex
6/23 San Francisco, CA AT&T Park Lot A
6/24 Ventura, CA Seaside Park
6/27 Chula Vista, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
6/28 Scottsdale, AZ Camelback Park
6/29 Las Cruces, NM New Mexico State University
6/30 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
7/01 Houston, TX Reliant Center Parking Lot
7/03 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion
7/05 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/06 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills
7/07 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/08 Shakopee, MN Canterbury Park
7/09 Bonner Springs, KS Sandstone Amphitheatre
7/10 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center
7/11 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
7/12 Burgettstown, PA First Niagara Pavilion
7/13 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/14 Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau
7/15 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
7/17 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
7/18 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion
7/19 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
7/20 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
7/21 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
7/22 Hartford, CT The Comcast Theatre
7/24 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/25 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach
7/26 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre
7/27 Orlando, FL Central Florida Fairgrounds
7/28 Miami, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
7/29 St. Petersburg, FL Vinoy Park
7/30 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/31 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
8/01 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheater
8/04 Redmond, WA Marymoor Park
8/05 Portland, OR Rose Quarter Riverfront

VANS WARPED TOUR 2012
ARTISTS - GENRE
A Loss For Words - Pop Punk, Post Rock
After The Burial - Metal
All Time Low - Pop Punk, Alternative
Amyst - Post Hardcore/Electronic
Anthony Raneri - Alternative, Singer/Songwriter
Anti-Flag - Punk Rock
Ballyhoo! - Reggae, Rock
Bangups - Rock & Roll, Punk Rock
Bayside - Punk Rock, Alternative
Blessthefall - Metal, Rock
Born Of Osiris - Metal
Breathe Carolina - Electronic, Rock
Brian Marquis - Acoustic Folk
Captain Capa - Electro
Catchingyourclouds - Pop, Acoustic
Champagne Champagne - Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock
Chelsea Grin - Deathcore, Metalcore
Chunk! No Captain Chunk! - Pop Punk, Screamo
Cold Forty Three - Pop Punk, Rock
Danielle Barbe - Rock, Pop
Dead Sara - Rock
Divided By Friday -Pop, Rock
Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide - Rockabilly, Pop-Punk
Echo Movement - Rock, Reggae
Emily's Army - Punk
Every Time I Die - Rock, Metal
Falling In Reverse - Hardcore, Rock
Fireworks - Pop, Punk Rock
For Today - Rock
Four Year Strong - Punk Rock, Alternative
Funeral Party - Indie, Goth
G-Eazy - Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock
Hostage Calm - Punk Rock, Soul
Hyro Da Hero - Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock
I Am The Avalanche - Punk Rock, Alternative
I Call Fives - Pop Punk
I Fight Dragons - Rock & Roll, Chiptune/8-bit
Impending Doom - Metal, Metalcore
Into It. Over It. - Acoustic, Indie
It Boys! - Rock, Pop
Iwrestledabearonce - Metal, Rock
June Divided - Rock, Post Rock
Justina - Rap/Hip-Hop
Koji - Punk Rock, Acoustic
Living With Lions - Punk Rock
Lost In Society - Punk Rock, Alternative
Lostprophets - Rock
Machine Gun Kelly - Rap/Hip-Hop
Make Do And Mend - Rock, Punk Rock
Man Overboard - Pop Punk, Punk Rock
Matt Toka - Pop Rock, Alternative
Mayday Parade - Alternative Rock
Memphis May Fire - Post Hardcore, Metal
Mighty Mongo - Rock, Ska
Miss May I - Metal
Mod Sun - Rap/Hip-Hop
Motionless In White - Metalcore
Neo Geo - Rock, Electro
New Empire - Rock, Alternative
New Found Glory - Pop Punk, Rock
Of Mice And Men - Metal
Oh No Fiasco - Alternative, Rock
Owen Plant - Singer/Songwriter, Reggae
Pierce The Veil - Rock
Polar Bear Club - Punk Rock, Hardcore
Rise Against - Punk Rock
Rise To Remain - Metal
Senses Fail - Punk Rock, Screamo
Sick Of Sarah - Rock, Indie
Skip The Foreplay - Metalcore, Dubstep
Sleeping With Sirens - Chiptune/8-bit, Rock
Sleepwalker - Rock, Alternative
Stepdad - Electro-Pop, Indie-Pop
Streetlight Manifesto - Punk Rock, Ska
Super Water Sympathy - Alternative, Indie
T. Mills - Rap/Hip-Hop, Pop
Taking Back Sunday - Rock
Taylor Thrash - Pop, Rock
Ten Second Epic - Rock, Pop Rock
The Constellations - Indie, Rap/Hip-Hop
The Darlings - Rock, Alternative
The Ghost Inside - Rock, Alternative
The Green - Reggae, Pop
The Jukebox Romantics - Punk Rock, Ska
The Scissors - Punk Rock, Pop Punk
The Silver Comet - Alternative, Pop Rock
The Used - Alternative, Rock
They All Float - Post Hardcore, Hardcore
Title Fight - Punk Rock, Hardcore
Tomorrows Bad Seeds - Rock, Reggae
Tonight Alive - Pop Punk, Rock
Tony D'angelo - Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop
Transit - Post Hardcore, Indie
Twin Atlantic - Alternative, Rock
Vampires Everywhere! - Rock, Metal
Vanna - Post Hardcore
Vinnie Caruana - Acoustic
Wax - Rap/Hip-Hop
We Are The In Crowd - Pop Punk, Pop Rock
We Are The Ocean - Rock, Alternative
We The Kings - Rock, Alternative
Wick-It The Instigator - Electronic, DJ
Yellowcard - Alternative, Rock
You Me At Six - Rock

VANS WARPED TOUR:
The VANS WARPED TOUR® is well established as America’s premier music and lifestyle festival of the summer, breaking up-and-coming indie talent as well as both creating and showcasing major established artists since 1995. The nationally-renowned festival is the most eclectic traveling tour and features a diverse array of artists--with hotly tipped acts in every genre from punk, metal and indie to rock, hip-hop, rap, electronic, reggae and pop; as well as a variety of lifestyle attractions for its traditionally low ticket price.

The tour has cemented its place in history by bringing punk rock/skate/action sports culture from the underground to the forefront of global youth culture, while at the same time helping those in need and being the first tour to consistently use groundbreaking environmental concepts every year on the road. The Warped Eco Initiatives (WEI) range from biodiesel fuel for touring trucks and buses, to environmentally friendly catering for the artists and crew courtesy of Tada! Catering. There's even a solar-powered sound system on the Kevin Says Stage and vanswarpedtour.com showcases public transportation options for every tour date and carpool social media apps as well as exotic eco travel contests. For more information on the tour that Alternative Press readers voted the “Best Tour/Festival” of 2009/2010 and Rolling Stone called “America’s most successful festival” (2005)

UNITE THE UNITED FOUNDATION:
Unite The United Foundation is a public 501 (c) (3) non-profit, fundraising organization founded by the producers of the Vans Warped Tour Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour and Mayhem Festival. It is our mission to encourage fans, artists and industry leaders from the music, touring and action sports worlds to work toward positive change, by supporting local charities and participating in community volunteerism events across the United States. Unite the United Foundation is committed to raising funds to be donated directly to grass roots organizations that are making a difference in our national community.

Coming soon...

(Artist Photos: Chelsea Lauren)

INCOGNITO Soul So SURREAL On The Funky Acid Jazz Express

Legendary UK groove-masters INCOGNITO embark on its third decade of creating funky mind-blowing soulful classics with their stellar new recording SURREAL.



As the preeminent funk/jazz/soul/dance outfit in the world, INCOGNITO, almost singlehandedly pioneered the “acid jazz” movement, scoring hits with versions of Stevie Wonder’s “Don't You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” and Ronnie Laws’ “Always There,” selling more than a million records in the process.

SURREAL is Incognito’s look into the future, featuring three of the brightest young stars on the British soul scene: Mo Brandis, Natalie Williams and Vanessa Haynes.

Mo Brandis, who is being hailed as England's John Legend, features on the sultry swing of "This Must Be Love," the two-step of "Don't Wanna Know" and the first single "Goodbye To Yesterday" which you'll swear you've heard before. And no, it's not a Boyz II Men cover, but it's just as good!

Watch "Goodbye To Yesterday" and the behind-the-scenes clip:

And then there's the soul sistas.

Long time Incognito lead singer and celebrated jazz/soul diva, Maysa, whom Incognito mastermind Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick calls his ‘awesome musical muse,’ gives SURREAL the special touch that only she can deliver.

Maysa features on three cuts, the lead track "The Less You Know" which has a big bold Earth Wind & Fire meets Michael Jackson vibe, "Capricorn Sun," a mid-tempo in-the-pocket groove machine and the closing tour-du-force "Thoughtful Fantasies" which sounds like mid-70s Chicago at their horn-blowing best.

New to Incognito is Natalie Williams, a rising UK star compared to Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, whom is most well-known for her monthly Soul Family Sundays residency at world renowned Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. Guests have included Amy Winehouse, Terri Walker and Jamie Cullum who remarked, "She’s a truly real, beautiful star, worthy of everyone’s attention.”

Ms Williams features on the dreamy elegance of "Above The Night," the Calypso-flavored sway of "The Stars From Here" and the sublime "Restless As We Are".

Rounding out the soul train trio is Vanessa Haynes whom contributed to Incognito's 2010 release Transatlantic R.P.M. and has previously worked with Van Morrison, Billy Ocean, Chaka Khan, LuLu, Anastacia, Leon Ware and Mario Biondi.

Ms Haynes features on the acid jazz boogie of "Ain't It Time," the tender "Don't Break Me Down" and the resplendent "To Be With You".

Augmenting world-class musicianship and know-how with a modern brigade of soul singers lays the foundation for the Incognito locomotive to hustle and bustle along its fourteen tracks.

Bandleader/guitarist Bluey shares, “I hope when people hear SURREAL they identify with the songs and see themselves in the stories. I hope they feel the bass & the drums in their guts and see this album as a complete work from beginning to end. I want the listener to feel nostalgic and in the next instance to be surprised. I want heads to nod, hips to sway, and hands to be thrown in the air. I want them to say that ‘this album is slamming!’”

INCOGNITO
SURREAL
1. The Less You Know (ft. Maysa)
2. Goodbye To Yesterday (ft. Mo Brandis)
3. Above The Night (ft. Natalie Williams)
4. Ain't It Time (ft. Vanessa Haynes)
5. Capricorn Sun (ft. Maysa)
6. Don't Wanna Know (ft. Mo Brandis)
7. Restless As We Are (ft. Natalie Williams)
8. Rivers On The Sun
9. Don't Break Me Down (ft. Vanessa Haynes)
10. The Stars From Here (ft. Natalie Williams)
11. To Be With You (ft. Vanessa Haynes)
12. This Must Be Love (ft. Mo Brandis)
13. The Way You Love (ft. Vanessa Haynes, Imaani & Mo Brandis)
14. Thoughtful Fantasies (ft. Vanessa Haynes, Maysa & Mo Brandis)

INCOGNITO TOUR DATES
03/28/12 Detroit, MI @ Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
03/30/12 New Haven, CT @ John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts
03/31/12 Reading, PA @ Berks Jazz Fest, Crowne Plaza Ballroom
04/01/12 New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues Club
04/02/12 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
04/03/12 Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
04/06/12 Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
04/07/12 Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
05/25/12 London, England @ London Islington Assembly Hall
06/05/12 Paris, France @ Trianon
07/13/12 Straubing, Germany @ Jazz an der Donau Festival
07/21/12 Saulkrastu, Latvia @ Saulkrastu Jazz Festival
08/01/12 Sapporo 札幌 Japan @ Jasmac Plaza Zanadu
08/03/12 Osaka 大阪 Japan @ Club Quattro
08/04/12 Fukuoka 福岡 Japan @ Beat Station
08/05/12 Hiroshima 広島 Japan @ Club Quattro
08/07/12 Nagoya 名古屋 Japan @ Nagoya Blue Note
08/08/12 Tokyo 東京 Japan @ Blue Note Tokyo
08/09/12 Tokyo 東京 Japan @ Blue Note Tokyo
08/10/12 Tokyo 東京 Japan @ Blue Note Tokyo
08/11/12 Tokyo 東京 Japan @ Blue Note Tokyo
11/02/12 Zurich, Switzerland @ Jazz No Jazz Festival

INCOGNITO.ORG.UK
FACEBOOK
TWITTER

KERLI Fixed At ZERO GRAVITY In A Weightless Wonderland (Video)

I'm as light as I can be

I'm as high as I can be

In a wondrous weightless wonderland where limitless isn't presumptuous.

A world where Bubbles float on shades of Deity scented with glee

And swim in the technicolored telepathy of KERLI

In a world fixed at Zero Gravity, all is fair in love and levity.

A world bathed in the sweet sweet sounds of bottomless beats preening under the waterfall of a weighty weightless Goddess is a world shaped by art, fashion, expression, colors, sights, sounds, RPMs, BPMs, linguistics, phonetics, pinwheels and fluffy cuddly teddy bears.

Imagine a weightless world where the peaks of Madonna, Lady Gaga, Bjork, Katy Perry and Rihanna unlock the tulips of Tiesto, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Deadmau5 & Kaskade.

Welcome to the destiny of Zero Gravity

Behold the first moonchild of KERLI 2.0

Immerse yourself in the official music video for ZERO GRAVITY directed by Alon Isocianu (Done With Dolls, Candy Coated Killahz, The Balconies, Shortwave HotKid) and Pasha Patriki (Down With Webster, Kate Voegele, Finger 11, Emily Osment).

Watch it and then close your eyes and watch it again...

KERLI
ZERO GRAVITY
Feels like coming home
After traveling a million miles
I am not alone
Searching for the starlight in the darkest skies

A complex surface
Laid out right before our eyes
Everything makes sense
Now that you are by my side

I'm as light as I can be
You got me feeling weightless
You take me on an odyssey
You got me feeling weightless

You make me float free
My love for you is endless
No ties are binding me
Oh onto zero gravity

Now onto zero gravity
Oh onto zero gravity

All the pain in me
No more needs to be expressed
Feels like I can breathe
You lift a burden off my chest

Traces of sadness
No more chaining me to the ground
I am limitless
Ever since you came around

I'm as light as I can be
You got me feeling weightless
You take me on an odyssey
You got me feeling weightless

You make me float free
My love for you is endless
No ties are binding me
Oh onto zero gravity

Now onto zero gravity
Oh onto zero gravity
Now onto zero gravity
Oh onto zero gravity

I'm as light as I can be
You got me feeling weightless
You take me on an odyssey
You got me feeling weightless

KERLI MUSIC.COM

SXSW 2012 Top 10; CHERRI BOMB Explodes And DEAD SARA Emerges

(Taylor Jardine of We Are The In Crowd)

SXSW 2012 - TOP 10

2000+ bands descended upon Austin this year for the 26th Annual SXSW Music Conference and Festival.

As David Coverdale once intimated, Here I Go Again...

I've been to the annual morass of music and mayhem for the past 12 years and although I was, initially, less than enthused about this year's offerings, I was pleasantly surprised over the course of 96 hours and departed Tejas with a few new favorites.

In the Pinterest of full disclosure, we did not have a photographer on hand so the accompanying photos happened somewhere else in a time line of sublime. Pinstagram anyone?

1. PORTER ROBINSON @ Empire Automotive - Having seen this 19-year old DJ phenom last year as an opener on the Skrillex summer club tour (he also opened for Tiesto's 'College Invasion Tour'), Porter once again proved that he is headed for the same stratosphere as both Sonny Moore & Tijs Verwest.

Manning the sonic portal at quarter after 1, Robinson's pumping electro house bumped the crowd hard for 90 minutes.

Special thanks to BandPage for handing out cheap sunglasses to all dance floor revelers. They came in handy, especially when a guy, hoisted on stilts in a full-body LED suit, came barging into the middle of the crowd to shoot lasers out of giant pistols. Said guns were also hooked up to hoses of freon. Taking a sonic cue with the immortal words from Skrillex "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"...CALL 911 NOW! LED man proceeded to shoot powerful blasts of freon on the hot & sweaty bodies as he spun wildly in circles.

Apart from being engulfed in a sea of foam at clubs in Ibiza, this entertaining add-on was one of the best I've ever been a part of.

2. WE ARE THE IN CROWD @ Palm Door - WATIC had recently cancelled their LA show at the Troubadour, so I went to see them with no preconceptions (other than a glowing recommendation) and no knowledge of their music. Fortunately for me, they started late due to a PA glitch which allowed me to walk in during the first part of their set.

During the course of the first three minutes of vocal interplay between Taylor Jardine and Jordan Eckes, I became their newest fan. Tay (as she goes by) reminds me of a badass mix of Hayley Williams and Cady Groves and their songs are catchy as hell.

After the show, I said 'Hello' to the affable Ms Jardine whom helped me sort out my phone's two-way camera. I scooped up a free Glamour Kills tee and off I went.

We Are The In Crowd are definitely a shining light spotlighting the current crop of potent pop punk. Having just released Best Intentions, their Hopeless Records debut album, look for them to tour the rest of 2012 including the entire Warped Tour.

(Nia Lovelis, Miranda Miller, Rena Lovelis, Julia Pierce)

3. CHERRI BOMB @ Bat Bar/Red 7Having originally seen an incarnation of Cherri Bomb when they were still called Red Shadow, the Bat Bar performance on Wed night was their first SXSW showcase (I saw them at the Alt Press showcase on Saturday as well), one of their first US shows outside of Los Angeles and the first time I was seeing them.

Having opened for Foo Fighers in Europe last summer and recently having played the Soundwave Festival in Austrlia, these four teenagers (lead vocalist/lead guitarist Julia Pierce, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Miranda Miller, bassist/vocalist Rena Lovelis & drummer/vocalist Nia Lovelis) are much more than the Runaways. Sure they have the looks and the undeniable stage presence but sheer talent oozes and their songs pack a whallop. Nia's monstrous drumming surely put Dave Grohl on notice that there's a new kid on the block.

Hearing "Shake The Ground" (live) from their upcoming This Is The End of Control debut on Hollywood Records (due May 15; produced by Red Decibel & Bobby Huff), it was one of those moments where a collective feeling washed over the room...we were all a part of something f'in special.

Tick, Tick...Boom! Get ready to watch Cherri Bomb EXPLODE!

4. DEAD SARA @ Buffalo Billiards - Formidably led by singer Emily Armstrong and guitarist Siouxsie Medley, LA's Dead Sara are a force to be reckoned with.

Having seen their sold-out Troubadour show at the beginning of the year, I was already fully onboard the 'Weatherman' train but this is the kind of band that you want to see again and again because they are truly living on the edge looking to push every performance past the rev line.

Emily's determined passion for over-the-top appetite for destruction reminds me of a cross between Eddie Vedder during Lollapalooza '92 and Kory Clarke during his tour for Warrior Soul's Geffen debut.

For the crescendo of every performance of 'Weatherman,' Emily climbs on top of an amp stack and leaps off...I can see her scaling bigger and bigger heights, literally and figuratively, during their opening slots on The Used & Chevelle tours this spring and the entire Warped Tour.

On this particular afternoon at the In Grooves/Fontana showcase (Dead Sara's self-titled debut releases April 10), Ms Armstrong finished her impassioned regaling of 'Weatherman' by leaping headfirst into the crowd (nearly landing on top of me) and moshing out the final strains with her newly christened diehard fans. A SXSW moment to remember forever!

5. FRED FALKE @ Malverde - My end to SXSW 2012 couldn't have finished any better. I hoofed it over to Malverde (at 2nd & Guadalupe, just behind 'The W') for some soul-invigorating deep house by French music producer Fred Falke.

Beginning his music career in 1995, Falke started as a gigging bass player before switching to production work in the late 90s. Now, in high demand, he's remixed tracks by the likes of Little Boots, Gossip, U2, Annie, Grizzly Bear, Uffie, Ladyhawke, Florrie, Lykke Li, La Roux & Ke$ha's 'TiK ToK' which how I first came to know about him. He also twisted the knobs on a version of her mega-hit "We R Who We R".

Fred's live DJ sets feature him playing bass on an actual bass and not just pressing a pre-programmed loop-di-loop.

The lights in Malverede came on at 2:15AM and due to a rousing call for an Encore, Falke obliged with another 15 minutes of low-end-drop-out and requisite dancefloor build-up. A master of ceremony. A masterful set of circumstances. A mastery of music.

6. SKRILLEX @ The Main - What's there to be said about Skrillex that hasn't already been said? Everyone (except Grammy 'Best New Artist' voters) knows he's the friggin' messiah forging the new wave of electronic music...a bloody revolution is under way!

His set at The Main was cool because it was a "vs" config whereby he shared the deck with labelmate Porter Robinson whom debuted a brand new song.

Skrill dropped Cinema & Scary Monsters & Bangarang and, needless to say, the crowd (myself included) went ballistic! It was HOT as a MOFO in there, both literally and pure volume wise.

7. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN @ ACL Live - Having never seen Springsteen before, I decided that if chosen in the SXSW lottery I would go check it out for a few songs. I stayed for all 2 1/2 hours.

Highlights were the 17-piece E Street Band (Jake Clemons, nephew of Clarence, was fantastic), Bruce stage-diving, his comment that SXSW was "fuckin' crazy right now and a teenage music junkie's wet dream", "10th Avenue Freeze-Out" and Tom Morello's Rage Against The Machine-style guitar solo during his rendition of "The Ghost of Tom Joad". I was blinded by the light.

Fittingly, Springsteen opened and closed the show with Woody Gutherie covers. Low Anthem, Alejandro Escovedo, Tom Morello, Eric Burdon (of The Animals), Arcade Fire members Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, Garland Jeffreys and Joe Ely joined in the "This Land Is Your Land" finale that, in the confines of the relatively small Moody Theatre, and context of SXSW, was a treasured moment in time.

Thanks to Jesse Malin for the cold Dos Equis (which he bought for me when I bumped into him on the patio before the show). He was catching part of Bruce's set before heading to his own showcase later that night. Such is the beauty and the dynamics of SXSW.

8. I THE MIGHTY @ Lucky 13 - During Blameshift's showcase the day before, producer Erik Ron introduced me to this San Francisco based alt rock band. ITM was opening the Equal Vision Records showcase the next day at Lucky 13, a venue Live Nation turned from empty space into rock venue in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks (such is the nature of many of the makeshift SXSW venues that are only open for 10 days out of the year).

Led by the captivating delivery of singer Brent Walsh and mightily anchored by guitarist Ian Pedigo, bassist Chris Hinkley and drummer Blake Dahlinger, I the Mighty made an indelible impression on me as an act ready to breakout in a big way.

Their Erik Ron-produced Karma Never Sleeps EP, which features the single "Cutting Room Floor," releases March 27 via Equal Vision.

9. GRIMES @ Clive Bar - Let's just call this the set I almost didn't see...because of the massive overcrowding of Clive Bar's awkward layout and Grimes' insistence on soundchecking for about 30 minutes past when she was supposed to start.

She was getting feedback from the lone mic in her setup and with an enormous crowd on the main floor packed in like sardines, it seemed like an eternity until she began (ironically, the throngs could easily have been placated by putting on a recorded mix of Grimes...her voice has that soothing Bjork meets Enya-like quality).

All was soon forgiven as her soaring vocalizations over a flowing bed of dreamy electronica reaffirmed the hype that she's poised for a mainstream break-thru this year. Let's hope she hires a sound engineer to go on the road with her.

It should be noted that across town at the very time she was emoting elegance, Eminem was throwing down with 50 Cent on his seminal Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Ms Grimes (aka Claire Boucher from Vancouver BC) is surely the next in line to get rich or die tryin'.

10. BLAMESHIFT @ Texas Rockfest - Led by the powerful vocals of Jenny Mann, Long Island rockers Blameshift are in the midst of a three-month eco-powered tour that took a brief break in late February so the band could record their amazing new EP with producer Erik Ron (VersaEmerge, Panic! at The Disco, Foxy Shazam, D.R.U.G.S).

Highlighting "Better Without You (C'est la Vie)" and "Revolution" from the forthcoming 6-track EP, "Figure Out A Way" (the live version contained a short chorus of Tiffany "I Think We're Alone Now") from their The Black Rose EP and working in a brand new cover of Rihanna "We Found Love," Blameshift are generating a ton of buzz as one of the Best Unsigned Bands in the land.

Other SXSW 2012 Highlights:

BIRDS OF CHICAGO @ Betsy's Bar - Americana instrumentation took flight on the wings of gorgeous harmonies (in English & French) by singers Allison Russell and JT Nero.

BORGORE @ The Parish - Israeli DJ Asaf Borger (aka Borgore) went full Gore with an aggressive set of "Gorestep" splashed with live rap and a dose of death metal. Flanked by female pole dancers on either side, Borgore kicked off his 6-week U.S. tour which includes stops at Ultra Music Fest, Coachella & Nocturnal Wonderland.

CANDLEBOX @ Antone's - Having just heard Kenny Powers play Candlebox "Far Behind" during the Jason Sudeikis (aka "Shane") eulogy/funeral scene on a recent episode of Eastbound & Down, the band was once again front and center on my mind after nearly a decade or so. I was a fan of the band and the Seattle scene/sound in the 90s so I was curious.

Singer Kevin Martin was in fine form but it was Peter Klett's meaty riffs and tasty blues-soaked guitar solos that sealed the deal.

Their new album Love Stories & Other Musings arrives April 3.

MUSTARD PIMP @ Empire Automotive - Mustard Pimp are the french dynamic duo of Baron and eKa (whom used to be a guitarist in a metal band).

Showcasing at the Dim Mak Records (Steve Aoki's label) event and hitting the stage just before Porter Robinson, their music is hard to classify as they throw down everything from House to Breakbeat to Electro and Maximal. What's easy to classify is that they satisfy.

JESSE MALIN @ Cedar St. Courtyard - The Cedar Courtyard is one of my favorite places to see a show...especially when I'm actually in the courtyard and not out on 4th St waiting in a crazy long line.

I've seen Jesse many times, both solo and as the made man plunging the punk rock detonator of D Generation. He always delivers as if every show is his last...sharing the same ethos as his idol Bruce Springsteen.

Hitting the stage a little after 1AM, with an acoustic guitar and electric piano accompaniment, Malin played some favorites from Glitter in the Gutter and channeled his freeform beat poet stream-of-consciousness alter-ego as only a master manipulator of theatrics can do.

JILLETTE JOHNSON @ BMI Brunch, Four Seasons - Playing during the annual BMI shindig on the lawn of the Four Seasons is actually a primo gig in front of a large swath of key execs in the music biz. Only problem is that said industry types are usually hungover and focused on large cups of java and breakfast tacos.

Jillette's voice was quite lovely and I look forward to hearing her forthcoming Wind-Up Records EP Young, Blind and Dumb, co-produced by Peter Zizzo (Vanessa Carlton, Avril Lavigne) & Michael Mangini (Joss Stone, Diane Burch).

LIVE @ Antone's - While brand new singer Chris Shinn sounds like an Ed Kowalczyk knock-off, their solid set began with "The Dam at Otter Creek" and focused on material from the mega-platinum Throwing Copper (one of two platinum records on my office wall). Hearing "Lightning Crashes" as a full-blown drunken crowd sing-along is a near perfect way to spend five minutes.

Before Live (whom were billed as a "special guest") hit the stage, guitarist Chad Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer and drummer Chad Gracey joined Candlebox vocalist Kevin Martin and CB guitarist Sean Hennesy for a set of hard-driving alt rock under the moniker The Gracious Few.

THE MILK CARTON KIDS @ St. David's Sanctuary - Imagine Simon & Garfunkel channeling the Fleet Foxes in well-press suits. Serene vocal elegance. Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale (aka The Milk Carton Kids) received a standing ovation at the end of their set.

TMCK's debut studio album Prologue is available for free download via their web site.

NOW, NOW @ Palm Door - Promoting their sophomore album Threads, Cacie Dalager (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Bradley Hale (drums, backing vocals) and Jess Abbott (guitar, vocals) make sweetly layered artsy indie rock akin to Tegan & Sara navigating an intergalactic space-time continuum.

(Taylor Young & John Pedigo)

THE O's @ St. David's Bethel Hall - Indie folk duo out of Dallas with a penchant for Smothers Brothers-style camaraderie amidst a fierce attack of kick drum, foot tambourine, slide guitar and banjo.

Throw in a few cold brews, a shot of bourbon and voila, you have a tasty batch of cheery-O's.

Look for summer/fall dates opening for Rhett Miller (solo) and Old 97's.

ZZ WARD @ Bat Bar - Sporting her trademark fedora, singer ZZ Ward brewed up a mean batch of rock, blues & soul laced with dark leaves of Z.

Visit her web site to grab her free Eleven Roses mixtape featuring "Better Off Dead" and "OVERdue".

THIS GUY... whom secured one of my all-time concerts highlights...

CADY GROVES; You Outta Know THIS LITTLE GIRL Gives Good Show

Every girl is capable of murder if you hurt her

Theoretically speaking.

About a theoretical guy named "Todd"

Remember the key word is "capable" though This Little Girl has Got A Good Alibi. And you outta know what it is.

Ms Cady Groves (aka Cady Groovenstein III) is vying to become the next mega superstar traveling the road paved platinum by Alanis Morissette (Jagged Little Pill), Liz Phair (Exile In Guyville), Avril Lavigne (Under My Skin) and Adele (19 & 21).

Love gone awry. Love gone goodbye. Love like a stick in the eye.

May she soon indulge in a big fat gelatinous piece of pop culture pie.

And may we all go along for the ride.

So, theoretically speaking, I found myself in Downtown Disney on a random Wednesday night smack in the latter mid-half of the second third of February.

Might I have on mouse ears?
Might I be saying, Yes please Dear?
Might I be mistakenly looking for Sears?
Might I be drinking cold Meeler beers?

Might I suggest that none of these are anywhere near?

I got a good alibi.

I'm a cultural attaché.

And I was curious. Being such a coveted pick in this year's draft class, would CGIII go number two overall, or with a little Luck, could she be #1.

Could Oklahoma be national champions once again? It has to happen Boomer Sooner or later, especially with Ms Cadence under center.

She definitely has the catskillz to pay the beat box billz.

But...

Could the inimitable Cady Groves imitate herself to a tee in front of a packed House of Kool Moe Dees?

Would she be as funny as an RSS feed of Ambien tweets?

Would she charm the OC with sweet itty bitty ditties like "Real With Me" "Refrain" "One In The Same" "Fly" and "The Life of A Pirate"?

Would she rile up the O' Reillys with the vengeful Castrol from her forthcoming RCA Records' debut?

Would she reach into her knit hat of good n plenty to cherry pick a patch of pickled pepper from her technicolor coat of many covers; Paramore "The Only Exception" Katy Perry "California Gurls" Ke$ha "Blow", The Band Perry "If I Die Young", *NSYNC "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You", Jason Mraz "I'm Yours", Taylor Swift "Mean", Miranda Lambert "Famous In A Small Town", Blake Shelton "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking", fun. "We Are Young", Miley Cyrus "Climb", Rihanna "Umbrella", Alanis Morissette "You Outta Know", The Dixie Chicks "You Were Mine", The Dixie Chicks "Take Care Of You", Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love" or Adele "Someone Like You"?

Would "Rubber Dicks" and "Rubber Duckies" swim their way into the convo?

Would she ignite the hay of Caliente Chelle Rae?

It's 7:55 and the bee's knees have left the hive.

The pollination of a generation has begun.

And it's sweet as motherlovin' sassafras.

Focusing solely on material from her debut album, this self-dubbed "Beautiful Freaks" tour with labelmates Hot Chelle Rae was well-constructed to showcase two of the leading lights of RCA.

At a lo-dough price, most all of the shows along the tour sold out providing Ms Groovestein the opportunity to get touchy-feely with her fervent fans while indoctrinating a bunch of new ones.



A Cady Groves show is as easy as 1, 2, 3

Uno Dos Tres.

1) She sings beautifully (and seemingly effortlessly)

Whether it's dueting with Ryan Follesé (of Hot Chelle Rae) on “Why Don’t You Love Me” (the album version features Demi Lovato), belting out the chorus of "I'm Not Afraid Of You," rowing the skinny bop pop of "We're The Shit," emoting the heart-wrenching exorcism of Adele's "Someone Like You" or cheerleading the hand clap slap "breakdown" of "This Little Girl" (think Avril Lavigne "Girlfriend");

Don't you know you should never treat a girl like that?
Got a good alibi, and my bag's all packed
Don't you know you should never treat a girl like that?
'Cause the next one's gonna have the hammer pulled back

Cady Groves is 1000% the real deal!



2)You sing voraciously along with her

Cady's got a good alibi...she's having as much fun hearing the unison of voices echo her words as she is sangin' her songs.



It's ironic that much of new material has threads sewn by Mean Jolene Greene because she seems to be so fully engrossed in the joy of the moment when singing her songs with her fans.



3) Cady hot chili pepper sprays the crowd with spicy chippy dip by way of loose lipped quips

Result: Smiles that stretch a mile for a long while.

Three days of the condor later and I find myself on the well-worn sidewalk of the Sunset. Its refurbished neon is luminescent...much like the beautiful freaks all dolled up on a Saturday night in Hollywood.

And on this night at the Roxy, it's more or less a label showcase as the VIP section is jam-packed with honchos, hogwarts and dignitaries.

Amongst the shuck n jive are songwriters Tom Meredith (co-wrote "This Little Girl", "I'm Not Afraid of You" & "In Your Window") and Sean Douglas (co-wrote "This Little Girl").

The room is abuzz and security keeps telling me to stand inside of the line separating the main floor from the aisle. But I wanna colour outside of the line because Tonight, Tonight, I am here to hear the HCR mega-hit for the fourth time in 4 days (yes, they basically open and close the show with their biggest song) and to see if the song remains one in the same or the tide of the pirate had waned.

Aside from one less song in the (already) short set, Cady strapped on her metaphorical rubber duckie once again and proved she's no one trick pony.

In addition to a freeform variation on her rant about all the "Evil Todds" in the world, she sauteed some extra thick sarcastic sauce in a matter-of-fact dead-pan while introducing her Adele cover by saying she was trying to help a young struggling singer from the UK.

Going on with the spoken intro for quite a bit longer than at the Anaheim show, she commented that probably only four people in the room found her funny.

I was one of the four horsemen.

While comedic timing in a live setting is perfected over time, she continues to be the funniest person on two thumbs...follow her on Twitter for a daily dose of hilarity.

And then there's her constant stream of homemade videos with her older brother Kelly...

"YOU SHOT ME IN THE THIGH!"

Her sassy stream-of-consciousness sets her ship apart on the open sea.

Which is where Cady Groves is headed.

She'll get to live her Life of a Pirate after all.

It's time for her ship and fresh air

Pop culture has refurbished its lair.

CADY GROVES
SET LISTS:

House Of Blues
Anaheim, CA
February 22, 2012
1) Revenge
2) We’re The Sh!t
3) In Your Window
4) I’m Not Afraid Of You
5) Live and Learn
6) Red Handed (Acoustic)
7) Someone Like You (Adele cover)
8) This Little Girl

Roxy Theatre
W. Hollywood, CA
February 25, 2012
1) Revenge
2) We’re The Sh!t
3) In Your Window
4) I’m Not Afraid Of You
5) Red Handed (Acoustic)
6) Someone Like You (Adele cover)
7) This Little Girl

CADY GROVES
BEAUTIFUL FREAKS TOUR
w/ HOT CHELLE RAE & ELECTRIC TOUCH
02/14/2012 - Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
02/15/2012 - Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
02/17/2012 - Vancouver, BC Venue
02/18/2012 - Seattle, WA Showbox Sodo
02/20/2012 - San Francisco, CA Slim's
02/22/2012 - Anaheim, CA House of Blues
02/23/2012 - San Diego, CA House of Blues
02/24/2012 - Indio, CA Riverside County Fair
02/25/2012 - Los Angeles The Roxy Theatre
03/24/2012 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
03/25/2012 - Tampa, FL State Theatre
03/26/2012 - Jacksonville, FL Freebird
03/28/2012 - Dallas, TX House of Blues
03/29/2012 - Austin, TX La Zona Rosa

(Special thanks to Cady Groves, Danny Rukaskin & Jamie Abzug @ RCA Records. Concert photos courtesy of Picksysticks)