Play This: Bat For Lashes, LCD Soundsytem

Two quick recommendations coming your way. First off, Bat For Lashes' debut album Fur And Gold. This one has been much hyped as of late, and for good reason. Powerful vocals (akin to Bjork at times), epic instrumentation and dream-inspired themes. If you don't want to check out the entire album at least grab the album opener "Horse And I."

Second pick, Sound of Silver from LCD Soundsystem. This one has been on the list of things to check out for a while now and I'm glad I finally did. Falling kind of into the indie dance genre, LCD Soundsytem is heads and shoulders above the rest of the class. The main reason being that main-man James Murphy delivers the good but never takes himself too seriously. Groovy beats keep you moving. Heavy on the electronics but never too heavy. If you just check out one track, go for "North American Scum."

Weekend Extraordinare Part I: Wilco Shines

This past weekend was the big back-to-back concert extravaganza. Wilco on Friday followed by Beastie Boys on Saturday. The type of weekend us music geeks dream of. Two bands known for their stellar performances. Both shows at Berkeley's legendary Greek Theatre. And Airbag Radio was there to take in every minute of it.

In this post we have included a review of the Wilco's performance, to be followed by Beastie Boys in a separate issue.

Let's start by pointing out that these six guys can play. Wilco masks their deadly accuracy in deceptively loose delivery but when they turn it on its apparent how tight the band really is. That night's performances of "Shake It Off" and "Hate It Here" demonstrated their perfect live skills.

Frontman, Jeff Tweedy, was not only a killer bandleader and singer (even better live than on record) but also an entertaining spokesman, conversing with the crowd between songs on various topics, including phrases not to use e.g. "I loves me some..."

Lead guitar player, Nels Cline, was certainly the stand-out musician of the band. His style comes off as a hybrid of John Frusciante (of the Chili Peppers) and Tom Morello (of Rage). With a little slide guitar in there to mix it up. He really belongs on the list of best guitar players of our time. Drummer, Glenn Kotche was equally impressive but had less opportunities in the set to wow the crowd.

Show highlights included "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," "Impossible Germany," "Hate It Here," "Jesus, Etc." and "Sky Blue Sky." Deeply missed were "Heavy Metal Drummer" and "What Light." (Maybe next time they come around.) And if they do come around again, you gotta be there. Even though they probably won't have this awesome of a poster next time.



Stay tuned for Part II of Weekend Extraordinare.

Fields

This past May, Airbag Radio had the good fortune of catching indie up-and-comers Fields at New York's Mercury Lounge. What a show! Cool crowd, good beer and great music all going down in an old brick room on the edge of the East Village. Fields delivers driving acoustic rock, soothing melodies, and crescendos of epic proportions. We highly recommend you check out their full length debut, Everything Last Winter. If our plug for the band has piqued your interest, check out "Song For The Fields," the free single of the week on iTunes. Grab it before Monday night. For further listening, see Fields' EP, 7 From The Village.

Ragin' In SF

Saturday, August 18th, Rock The Bells rolled into the parking lot at San Francisco's AT&T Park bringing with it a myriad of hip hop acts, an eclectic crowd and one legendary rock band hellbent against the man. Mad props to Rage Against The Machine for throwing down big time despite the subpar soundman and a less than enthusiastic crowd. The band was in fine form and hasn't lost a step in the past seven years they've been split up. Main man Zack de la Rocha spit mad fire aimed at the powers that be and, during "Wake Up," proclaimed that we, the people, must realize that the true power for change lies in our own hands. Equally outspoken was mad scientist Tom Morello's guitar, which he banged and clanged into a concoction of other worldly noises. As for the rest of the show, Wu-Tang Clan's time on stage was more like a party, with Method Man taking the helm as both king and jester. Oakland posse Hieroglyphics put it down with their signature indie style. Unfortunately, The Roots, Mos Def and Talib Kweli all took the stage prior to Airbag's arrival at the festival. All in all, making it to Coachella the past spring for Rage's comeback was a dream come true, catching 'em a second time this year was an extra special treat.


An old-school Wu fan, throws up the W.


The calm before the Rage.

Dropping A Timebomb

Today saw the release of the new single, "Timebomb," Beck's first release since last year's block rockin' album, The Information. This little jingle got's some block rockin' going on as well. Classic Beck synth grooves, steady rhythm and a schoolyard chorus hollering back at the man himself. As Beck puts it this is "a song for bonfires, blackouts and the last hurrah of summer." Sounds good to us. Check it out below on iTunes.



For more Beck gems you have yet to hear, go over to www.beck.com and check out "Forget Marie." This one sounds like a Sea Change era outtake that'll hopefully make its way onto an album someday.

Foos Fight Fire With Fire

Foo Fighters have announced that their sixth album, Echoes, Patience, Silence And Grace, will be released on September 25th. But while you do your best to wait patiently for the release date, you can get your Foo Fightin' on over at stereogum.com. They've got a special treat, Foo Fighters covering The Arcade Fire's "Keep The Car Running" from the BBC's Live Lounge.

If this track leaves you jonesin' for some more covers of Arcade Fire, check out Calexico's take on "Ocean Of Noise."

The Shins Hit Up The Greek Theatre

That's right! Everyone's favorite indie hitmakers, The Shins, will be bringing their live show to Berkeley's Greek Theatre on Friday, October 5th. For those who have yet to catch the band live, this performance is a must-see. Their stop at The Warfield this past spring was stellar, including the surprise cover of Pink Floyd's "Breathe." (Props to the guys for taking on this classic, and pulling it off with grace and style.) Tickets go on sale this Sunday, August 19th, at 10AM.