JayeL Audio

Like I mentioned previously, you can’t really compare Hangout and Bonnaroo for many reasons (history, farm vs. beach, 4 day vs. 3 day, tent vs. condo, etc)….but if you were Bonnaroo did a damn good job of showing why they are the king of festivals on this side of the country. Headliners featuring some of the biggest bands of the last twenty years? Check. Legendary jam band? Check. Nostalgic reunion band? Top indie acts? Check. Hip Hop of the past, present and future? Check. Electronic acts for late night fun? Check. One of the top comedians right now? Check. All of those things and the list isn’t even complete yet.

2012 Bonnaroo Line-up
•RADIOHEAD •RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS •PHISH •THE BEACH BOYS (BRIAN WILSON, MIKE LOVE, AL JARDINE, BRUCE JOHNSTON AND DAVID MARKS) •BON IVER •THE AVETT BROTHERS •THE SHINS •FOSTER THE PEOPLE •SKRILLEX •AZIZ ANSARI •DISPATCH •FEIST •THE ROOTS •ALICE COOPER •SUPERJAM •BLACK STAR THE WORD (JOHN MEDESKI, ROBERT RANDOLPH AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS) •LUDACRIS •BEN FOLDS FIVE •FLOGGING MOLLY SPECTRUM ROAD (CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA, JACK BRUCE, JOHN MEDESKI, AND VERNON REID) •MAC MILLER •CHILDISH GAMBINO •MAJOR LAZER •TUNE-YARDS •AFROCUBISM •FLYING LOTUS •UMPHREY’S MCGEE •LITTLE DRAGON •ST. VINCENT •CITY AND COLOUR •THE CIVIL WARS •YOUNG THE GIANT •TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB •PUNCH BROTHERS •NEEDTOBREATHE •FITZ & THE TANTRUMS •BAD BRAINS •YELAWOLF •DAWES •BATTLES •DANNY BROWN •THE BLACK LIPS •SBTRKT •PHANTOGRAM •KENDRICK LAMAR •CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES •THE KOOKS •THE JOY FORMIDABLE •THE ANTLERS •KATHLEEN EDWARDS •MIMOSA •KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS •ALABAMA SHAKES •DAS RACIST •DELTA SPIRIT •GARY CLARK JR. •IVAN NEVILLE’S DUMPSTAPHUNK •LAURA MARLING •TRAMPLED BY TURTLES •MOGWAI •THE WAR ON DRUGS •BEN HOWARD •GROUPLOVE BLIND PILOT •ALO •THE DEVIL MAKES THREE •WHITE DENIM •EMA •HERE WE GO MAGIC •K-FLAY •THE LONELY FOREST •MARIACHI EL BRONX •BIG FREEDIA •DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR. •THE SOUL REBELS KVELERTAK •SOJA •STEVEN BERNSTEIN’S MTO PLAYS SLY •BIG GIGANTIC •SARAH JAROSZ ORGONE •DARONDO •FRUIT BATS •MOON TAXI

Tickets are on sale this Saturday and General Admission is $234.50+fees.
And for those keeping track at home, I realize 9 out of my 29 guesses for Hangout are performing at Bonnaroo. Thank you.

No preamble, lets just get to my own breakdown of the 2012 Hangout Music Fest initial line-up:

Yay
Jack White
Red Hot Chili Peppers (*added 2/8)
Alabama Shakes
Gary Clark Jr
Wilco
Dr. Dog
The Devil Makes Three
Flogging Molly
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Mac Miller
Dispatch
Young the Giant
G. Love & the Special Sauce
M. Ward
Futurebirds
Paul Oakenhold
Steve Winwood (haha)
Dawes
Paper Diamond
Rich Aucoin

Meh
Dave Matthews Band
Cage the Elephant
The Flaming Lips – Performing Dark Side Of The Moon
Skrillex
Randy Newman
STS9
Yelawolf
Chris Cornell
Zed’s Dead

Nay
Switchfoot
Gogol Bordello
Coheed and Cambria

?
String Cheese Incident
Mavis Staples
Allen Stone
Tribal Seeds
Jamie Bergeron
The Lumineers
Julian Marley
Rebeloution
Archnemesis
Big Freedia
Sleeper Agent
Shpongle
Hey Rosetta!

So that was interesting, eh? That makes my grand total of correct guesses….2. I wondered last week what angle organizers would take: jam band-centric? more electronic artists? a spice of indie? At first glance, I would say they went with…I have no idea. A little bit of everything? I didn’t expect a lot on the hip-hop front, but Hangout’s selection of only white rappers every year is a bit disheartening. Plenty of artists that I need a 101 on (SCI I’ve been hearing about for years, but haven’t checked out yet), a few I could do without and a lot that are fine, but I’m not in love with. I would assume that the next headliner to be announced is either Eddie Vedder or Red Hot Chili Peppers, but after the initial announcement, who really knows. This initial wave of acts certainly didn’t wow me. The acts in the “yay” section are great (Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr, Dawes and Wilco in particular). I’m hoping a lot of contracts just aren’t finalized yet, because there seem to be a lot of gaps so far. Obviously, Bonnaroo doesn’t have the beach, proximity to a pool or the 35K attendance cap, but the line-up rumors already seem like more of a win.

Thoughts?

Hangout Music Fest is doing what they and most festivals do when it comes to line-up announcements: make you wait. I have faith organizers will top the past two years in creating a sun filled beach weekend with great artists all weekend, but it is a tad excruciating. Especially since I’m already committed (basically) with a ticket and reserved beach condo (on the beach, btw).

So what should I do until the line-up announcement? Probably make a wish list. Here is what I sent fellow HOF veteran Brian P as my predictions for the 3rd Annual Hangout Music Fest:
The Black Keys
The Beach Boys
Pearl Jam
Big Gigantic
Pretty Lights
Mumford & Sons
Big Boi
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Childish Gambino
Fitz and the Tantrums
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Avett Brothers
Passion Pit
RJD2
Girl Talk
Edward Sharpe
Railroad Earth
Trombone Shorty
Janelle Monae
Tom Petty
Givers
Gary Clark Jr
Gomez
Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr
Jessica Lea Mayfield
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Alabama Shakes
Primus
Walk the Moon

Obviously, there will be more acts than I guessed, but any thoughts? Comments? My list is a tad on the indie side, so its certainly more of a wish list than actual expectations, but I can dream right? In fact, Hangout hasn’t really dove into hip-hop acts (AT ALL), so Big Boi and/or Childish Gambino are essentially a pipedream. The rumor I heard about Dave Matthews Band seems logical, but time will tell.

Based on the past 2 years of line-up release dates, I’m betting next Friday, February 3rd will be the day. Leave your guesses in the comments!

Only 1 day until Music Midtown! The most beautiful thing about this festival is that fact is that there isn’t a single tough decision since all bands play at separate times. The toughest choice of the day will be if I need to leave Young the Giant early to get a good spot for the Black Keys. Festival organizers are expecting 60,000 in Piedmont Park and the weather is looking like a gorgeous 81 degrees. Mix in an early rooftop party and I’d say a perfect weekend is on tap.

Walk the Moon is taking Mona’s place so I revised the mixtape. Download and comment below. I for one and most looking forward to the Keys (obviously), Band of Skulls, The Joy Formidable and the Postelles. What about you?

JayeL Audio Presents…MUSIC MIDTOWN 2K11 – DOWNLOAD (.rar)
1. Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
2. Coldplay – Lost!
3. Coldplay – God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (live)
4. Coldplay – Strawberry Swing
5. Coldplay – Violet Hill
6. The Black Keys – Chop and Change
7. The Black Keys – I Got Mine
8. The Black Keys – Strange Desire
9. The Black Keys – She’s Long Gone
10. Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down
11. Cage the Elephant – Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked
12. Cage the Elephant – Around My Head
13. The Joy Formidable – Whirring
14. The Joy Formidable – Austere
15. The Joy Formidable – A Heavy Abacus
16. Young the Giant – St. Walker
17. Young the Giant – My Body
18. Band of Skulls – I Know What I Am
19. Band of Skulls – Friends
20. Band of Skulls – Light of the Morning
21. Manchester Orchestra – April Fool
22. Manchester Orchestra – Pensacola
23. The Constellations – Felicia
24. The Constellations – We’re Here To Save The Day
25. Walk the Moon – Anna Sun
26. Walk the Moon – Lisa Baby
27. The Postelles – White Night
28. The Postelles – 123 Stop

A lot have people have criticized the resurrection of Music Midtown. All I can say is:
A) Its the largest festival in Atlanta and you don’t have to drive 4 hours away
B) The ticket cost is about what Coldplay would cost to see on their own and probably what Black Keys fans will be paying soon
C) Even if you don’t enjoy Coldplay, the Black Keys know what they are doing (and don’t have an ATL stop otherwise)
D) The smaller bands are much better than you think. I guarantee you’ve heard Young the Giant’s “My Body”, The Joy Formidable have been getting rave reviews on the road and The Postelles blew me away earlier this year
E) Support Atlanta artists. Manchester Orchestra and The Constellations have been paying dues for awhile and are sure to put on a good show
F) Band of Skulls might be the sleeper band of the lineup with their bluesy garage rock. They’ll make an excellent appetizer for The Black Keys
G) Turns out Cage the Elephant have more in their arsenal than “Ain’t No Rest For The Weekend”. Check out their latest album Thank You Happy Birthday
H) Music Midtown takes place in the most beautiful park in Atlanta, Piedmont Park
I) Organizers know its not the “old Music Midtown”, but it is a start that could lead to something bigger and better. In the state that the music industry is currently, there is no way that would be possible. Why do you think fests like Bonnaroo and Lolla cost so much.

Bottom line: If you don’t like it, don’t go. Maybe this link will brighten your day instead.
That is all. See you at Piedmont Park in September.

Music Midtown 2K11 – DOWNLOAD (.rar)
1. Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
2. Coldplay – Lost!
3. Coldplay – God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (live)
4. Coldplay – Strawberry Swing
5. Coldplay – Violet Hill
6. The Black Keys – Chop and Change
7. The Black Keys – I Got Mine
8. The Black Keys – Strange Desire
9. The Black Keys – She’s Long Gone
10. Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down
11. Cage the Elephant – Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked
12. Cage the Elephant – Around My Head
13. The Joy Formidable – Whirring
14. The Joy Formidable – Austere
15. The Joy Formidable – A Heavy Abacus
16. Young the Giant – St. Walker
17. Young the Giant – My Body
18. Band of Skulls – I Know What I Am
19. Band of Skulls – Friends
20. Band of Skulls – Light of the Morning
21. Manchester Orchestra – April Fool
22. Manchester Orchestra – Pensacola
23. The Constellations – Felicia
24. The Constellations – We’re Here To Save The Day
25. Mona – Listen To Your Love
26. The Postelles – White Night
27. The Postelles – 123 Stop

Pick-up your tickets here and view the schedule here.
Comment aplenty below, por favor.

So this is happening…

WHAT: Music Midtown 2011
WHERE: Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
WHEN: Saturday, September 24th, Noon to 11pm
LINEUP: Coldplay, The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, Manchester Orchestra, Young the Giant, The Joy Formidable, Band of Skulls, The Constellations, The Postelles, Mona
ABOUT: Music Midtown returns in a one-day, two stage format at one of the nicest parks in the Southeast, Piedmont Park. Attendance is expected to be capped at 55,000.
TICKETS: $55 GA, $250 VIP, $1,000 Super VIP (plus fees). On sale here on Sat, July 16th at 10am.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Plenty of hotels in Atlanta
MY TAKE: Of all the things I hear about that I missed in the Atlanta days of old (Buckhead’s party scene, OutKast shows), Music Midtown was the one thing I really wanted to see. Though not in its original form, Live Nation and the city have revived the fest for another round. The new Music Midtown won’t be as large previous years when it peaked at 300,000 (rivaling Bonnaroo) and had six stages over three days, but the current one day format at $55 seems like a steal. A Coldplay arena show could certainly cost more than that.
If you haven’t seen Piedmont Park, it is a massive jewel park for the city and 55,000 should be a manageable sized affair (festival map here). Other than Coldplay and the Black Keys, organizers went with a solid indie/up-and-coming line-up that aligns with their “scaled down” approach. I love the fact that they included two buzzing homegrown ATL acts in Manchester Orchestra and The Constellations. Let’s also not forget that this year’s fest will take place in September, which should be much cooler than sometimes sweltering May. Live Nation is also trying to secure a Friday, single act show as well. I would imagine the smaller size festival is largely due to recent Screen On The Green problems, but it this year goes well, who knows where this could lead.
AM I ATTENDING: Hell yes and so are you. We’ll talk about our plans soon.

Leave your comments and musings below. Michigan friends can also place reservations for a weekend in the “A”.

WHAT: DeLuna Fest 2011
WHERE: Pensacola Beach, FL
WHEN: October 13th-16th
INITIAL LINE-UP: Weezer, Jane’s Addiction, Cake, Big Boi, Stars, Matt and Kim, Cut Copy, Mute Math, Airborne Toxic Event, New Pornographers, Manchester Orchestra, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, Ghostland Observatory, JJ Grey & Mofro, Wanda Jackson, The Hood Internet, Ladytron, the Constellations and more
ABOUT: The second year for another beach festival not far from, but very different from Hangout. Festival grounds are located near three resorts and have positioned DeLuna as an affordable, but luxurious alternative to fests in mountains, deserts or fields.
TICKETS: Tickets are $149 for a three day pass and VIP is $800 (includes VIP lounges, premium viewing areas, top shelf booze and more)
ACCOMMODATIONS: Since DeLuna takes place on the beach in and around resorts, it only makes sense to stay on site, right? There are various VIP packages that include tickets and can be found here. If VIP isn’t your thing, there are plenty of hotels in the area.
MY TAKE: Thats more like it DeLuna. While I’m inclined to enjoy almost any form of live music on the beach, last year’s line-up for DeLuna Fest was a little too 1990′s rock radio for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still get caught humming STP’s “Interstate Love Song” now and again but other than the sunshine/beach factor, Michael Franti, Edward Sharpe and a few others it just wasn’t a good fit for my taste.

Flash forward to 2011 and I believe organizers made a phenomenal improvement from last year. A solid mix of “legacy” bands like Jane’s Addiction and Cake, with historic acts that are still current like Weezer and Big Boi (you know he’ll play some OutKast jams). Throw in some legit indie performers like Cut Copy, Stars, The New Pornographers (with Neko Case? I hope), Matt & Kim, Ladytron, Cold War Kids, The Hood Internet and Ra Ra Riot and rising acts like Airborne Toxic Event, Manchester Orchestra and the Constellations and you are looking a quite a fun beach party. Honestly, what could be better than Cut Copy on THE BEACH?
AM I ATTENDING?: I think I definitely would….but I’ll be relaxing on the beach in Playa Del Carmen that weekend celebrating my honeymoon. You should go for me. Thanks.

One of my new found friends who writes for Paste, Consequence of Sound and other music outlets was able to interview Girl Talk at Hangout Music Festival. Pretty cool interview and just shows how down to Earth Gregg Gillis is. Nice work Scotty.

Also, if you’re need of some quality PR, check out Greenberg Palmer – Boutique Public Relations.

Look for my rundown of the second annual Hangout Music Festival soon…

Tickets and shuttle pass are printed, bags are packed, Jen has arrived, and the route has been mapped out. I think that means its almost May 20th. If I had an away reply for this website, it would probably read: I’ll be out of the office from Friday, May 20th until Monday, May 23rd enjoying the hell out of the 2nd annual Hangout Music Festival. Yes, I will be on the beach in Gulf Shores, AL listening to the likes of Cee-Lo, The Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, Girl Talk and Foo Fighters with my feet in the sand and a cold Coors Light in my hand (with a koozie, of course).

If you aren’t able to attend, but still would like to be part of the festivities, you can download the mixtapes and watch the streaming video provided by iClips.

Talk to you Tuesday,
JayeL

Here it is. 3 playlists featuring bands from all three days of the upcoming festival in Gulf Shores, AL. This obvsiously isn’t all the music you’ll hear, but hopefully it will be a lot of it. I could have made a disc of just Black Keys and Cee-Lo tracks, but tried to go for a few that I haven’t listened to in a minute. Days 2 and 3 seem particularly impressive, but I have to say I’m pretty excited for My Morning Jacket on Friday. Consider MMJ, JJ Grey & Mofro and Big Gigantic the new acts I’m looking forward to most. Of course, The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Foo Fighters and Cee Lo are my most anticipated overall. I’m not sure I can wait an entire month, but I guess I will have to.

Hangout Music Fest 2K11 Mixtape
Day 1 (.rar)
-featuring Widespread Panic, My Morning Jacket, Sts9, Bassnectar, Grace Potter, Umphreys, Soja, Railroad Earth and Beats Antique
Day 2 (.rar)
-featuring Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips, Avett Brothers, Cee Lo, Pretty Lights, Slightly Stoopid, Medeski Martin & Wood, Big Gigantic, Xavier Wood, Minus the Bear, Dead Confederate and Mariachi El Bronx
Day 3 (.rar)
-featuring Paul Simon, The Black Keys, Michael Franti, Girl Talk, Ween, Matisyahu, Drive By Truckers, Old Crow Medicine Show, JJ Grey & Mofro, Galactic and Portugal. The Man

Thanks to Jenny, Josh, Tom, Sara, Phil and newcomer Danny G for providing all the sounds I didn’t know already.