Rock The Bells 2013 Lineup Announced
Hip hop’s biggest music festival just announced the lineup for its 10th anniversary tour featuring some of hip hop’s most classic names and a ton of newcomers making huge waves on the scene.
Artists include Southern boy Big K.R.I.T., Kendrick Lamar’s crew Black Hippy, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Common, Curren$y, Tyler the Creator, rap’s most prolific socio-political commentator Immortal Technique, Talib Kweli, Tech N9NE, and of course Wu-Tang Clan.
Unfortunately, some of the really great artists like Kid Cudi, Common, Jhene Aiko and E-40/Too $hort will only perform certain dates, but for a baseline price of $89 (top ticket prices go up as high as $240, and that’s not including VIP) we can’t get too greedy. My guess, and I got five on it, is E-40 will hold down the Bay Area show. But I’m still hoping for a Kid Cudi appearance.
Check this week’s live announcement with Indiana-born, NYC-bred Supernatural (also performing), who set the world record in 2006 for the longest continuous freestyle rap at the Rock The Bells Festival in San Bernardino, CA. He rapped for 9 hours and 15 minutes. Holy shiiiit.
BottleRock Countdown: Joan Jett
She is known as the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Rolling Stone Magazine called her one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. She’s hot, she’s vegan and she runs her own NYC-based record label Blackheart Records. Viva La Glam Rock!
“I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll” was originally by the Arrows but Jett’s version hit the stratosphere of classic rock anthems (Billboard number 1 in 1982). If she doesn’t win this year’s Rock And Rock Hall Of Fame nomination, you’ll be stoked you saw her before she becomes embossed in rock and roll gold.
BottleRock Countdown: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
If you avoid Top-40 on the radio and don’t tune into what’s left of MTV, you probably haven’t seen the music video for “Thrift Shop” by Seattle hip hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Well here it is, and it’s good – its got nearly 300 million YouTube views for crying out loud.
“One man’s trash is another man’s come up”: they strut grandpa’s coats, jump racks of old blue jeans, and mock everyone in the club with matching $50 t-shirts. It’s an ode to the working class and a big overdue fuck you to capitalism. For all the materialistic lust of the early 2000′s, in post-recession times what else is there to do but hype the thrift shops?
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform the official opening night of BottleRock. If you already have a 3- or 4-day pass you can go for free, but you need to fill out the RSVP form to guarantee a ticket. They are asking for donations as little as $1 are requested to benefit Autism Chords and The City of Napa Parks and Recreation. And if you didn’t buy festival passes, tickets are only $40 (purchase them here) – definitely the most affordable show on the BottleRock bill.
BottleRock Countdown: Café Tacvba
From inside the dark, dingy dives of century-old buildings to the roof-top pool bars of boutique hotels, Mexican rockers Café Tacvba are played at least once every hour, of every day, somewhere in Mexico City. They are by far one of the most prolific bands of the “Spanish Rock” movement of the 1990′s. And with the same original members since starting in 1989, their sound is perfected experimental rock. If that makes any sense.
Five years after the release of their last album Sino, which won two Grammys for Latin song of the year, the band just came out with El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco (The Object Once Called An Album). The record is a pretty good look at the band’s sound over the last decade, including their classic mix of alt-rock with ska, electronica, and varieties of indigenous folk music of the Americas – you can hear the entire album here.
The New York Times once called Cafe Tacvba “one of the most important bands in the hemisphere. A smart, cosmopolitan band with a broad streak of lighthearted surrealism.”
Among many great tracks, one of their more famous songs is “Eres“, but this video of “Olita de Altamar” (2013) shows the eccentricity and spirit you can probably expect on stage at BottleRock.
BottleRock Countdown: The Avett Brothers
Amidst the surge of folkie-indie-hipster songwriters that took hold of Americana music over the last three years, few are as authentic as The Avett Brothers. These North Carolina boys harmonize like they were born with it – which isn’t surprising since they’ve been doing it since they were kids.
Their 7th studio album, The Carpenter (produced by the infamous Rick Rubin), was released last year and soared to number 4 on the U.S. Billboard Charts after being nominated for a Grammy. While categorized as every sub-genre of folk rock you can image, the real element to their music is that sweet southern front-porch songwriting.
A YouTube quote by ScartonsmithIrving pretty much sums up their sound: “when the Avett brothers harmonize….someone, somewhere gets laid.”
Since they will be performing on the smaller Miner Family Winery Stage at BottleRock, this lovely performance of “I And Love And You” at Glastonbury Festival in 2010 is probably what you can expect. We hope they decorate the Miner stage with giant mushrooms as well.
BottleRock Countdown: The Black Crowes
Because rock and roll is what this festival is really all about, and because we haven’t seen this video since circa 1996, our second countdown pick is “She Talks To Angels” by The Black Crowes. Aside from the video’s awesomely grainy 1990s shadow play, the song defines a generation of melancholy rock star culture: it is supposedly about a heroin-goth dilettante that lead singer Chris Robinson once met in Atlanta. We really hope they play mostly the classics.
BottleRock Countdown: The Black Keys
There is exactly one week remaining until the biggest music festival the North Bay has ever seen. In honor of the lucky concert-goers who are about to embark on a massive planning mission that will likely involve hours of calculated preparation to see as many bands as possible, we’ve decided to post some of our favorite studio and live recordings of the bands, art troupes and comedians you probably shouldn’t miss.
It’ll be impossible to highlight everyone scheduled to perform, but this unabashedly discerning (and totally subjective) must-see list should help guide you through the mind-blowing five days, 4 stages, and 60 bands at BottleRock this year. If anything, it will help ensure you don’t end up like these Coachella kooks.
Only because they are the best damn rock and roll band to come out of Ohio in the last decade, first on our BottleRock Countdown list is Akron duo The Black Keys. They just won three Grammy Awards for best rock album, best rock song, and best rock performance. There really isn’t a better reason to stop everything and get as close to the stage as possible. Check out this video of “Strange Times”, live at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland:
Alia Sharrief Releases New Video
Berkeley-based hip hop artist Alia Sharrief released her newest music video “Tough Love” this week, showcasing both her talent as a respected rhymer and as an up-and-coming film director. Representing a new generation of female rappers, Alia throws down neo-soul Bay Area flavor with class and finesse. Check it.
The Skatalites to Perform at the Last Day Saloon
Legendary Jamaican rockers the Skatalites perform tonight at the Last Day Saloon, and it will be one of the last shows at the venue as we know it—it’s slated to close May 5.
It has been a year since the Skatalites came through Northern California, nearly selling out their last show in Santa Rosa. Although only one founding member remains, the band sounds as true to its roots as it did thirty years ago.
Last year, we wrote about The Skatalites celebrating Jamaica’s 50th anniversary as an independent nation. The band was collecting instruments to take back to the Alpha Boys School in Kingston, which over the years has transformed orphaned boys into some of reggae’s biggest stars. Their new album Walk With Me contains some of the last recordings done with founding drummer Lloyd Knibb; it’s a tribute to all the members who played with the band from the beginning in 1964 until each passed away.
Widely considered the founding fathers of ska music, tonight could very well be one of the last opportunities to see an original member of one of the best ska bands in the history of reggae music play on stage.
The Skatalites headline with local favorites Our Vinyl Vows and DJ Konnex tonight at the Last Day Saloon, 120 Fifth St., Santa Rosa. $20-$25. 707.545.5876.
Review: Reggae Legends Sister Carol & Mykal Rose In Santa Rosa
Sister Carol took the stage ten minutes before midnight. In dark glasses and tall rasta head dress, the 54-year-old radiates reggae empress on stage. Born Carol East in Kingston, Jamaica, Sister Carol is celebrating three decades of bringing women up in a culture dominated by masculinity. Part roots singer part rhymer, her signature chatty dancehall style has crowed the “Black Cinderella” one of the most eloquent women in reggae music.
A fashionably late entrance is standard affair in reggae culture. The practice is a gesture of sorts, giving the crowd a chance to appreciate the DJs and fill the dance floor. In fact, a seasoned fan knows to arrive no earlier than 11pm so as not to wander aimlessly until someone gets on stage. Arriving just before show time, the venue had already filled with people who had seen Sister Carol or Mykal Rose several times before. Fans came down from Mendocino County, Lake Tahoe, and up from the City owing to the significance of having these two reggae legends play such a small venue with a live band.
Now in its second year as the only reggae genre night in Santa Rosa, Casa Rasta has garnered a steady following of local fans. Resident DJ Kieran “Sizzlak” Eagan is lead seleckta, building on experience as a late-night reggae music programmer with San Jose’s KKUP, 91.5FM. And now taking to the decks is DJ Dinga, better known for his MC techniques with the wildly popular mixed martial arts event, Cage Combat. With Bay Area sound system Jah Warrior Shelter dropping in on a regular basis, the dynamic duo are coming into their own, booking quality live talent and attracting a fan base four counties wide.
Sister Carol’s performance was memorable. Having seen her perform on festival stages for thousands of people, it was an entirely different experience to see her engage a small audience. She took care to give attention to those in the front row and was absolutely on point with the back-up band. Going into several free styles, even within songs, the clarity of her rhymes was beyond impressive. It was if she had played a thousand times yet this time’s rhymes had renewed potency. Flawless renditions of “Rasta Girl” and “Womb-Man” sounded like album recordings, and the classic anthem “Reggae Arena” was, as always, the highlight of her set. Not a minute of lagging, just pure concentration in the music and the vibe. To our dismay though, the crowd did not realize “Wild Thing” was her last song and failed to produce an applause worthy of an encore. When she did not come back on stage, a sense of somber awe filled the room. The crowd knew they were not ready to say goodbye.
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