Kings of the Night

A grand statement, but Kings of Leon should make a pretty big impression on tonight's Saturday Night Live!
The will be playing music from Only By The Night which comes out next Tuesday, but I think this family band (3 brothers & their cousin) could be even more.
They've put together 23 home videos of their everyday antics with a dash of in-studio performances and honestly I think the guys are hysterical an should be in some skits on SNL, but tell me what you think from this Kings of Leon video.

Pretenders / Hold Steady Ticket Giveaway

The Pretenders, The Hold Steady and All Mighty Senators play an all-ages show at Sonar on Friday, September 19th.

Tune into the Morning Show from 7 to 10 a.m. Thursday, September 18th, and listen for a song from The Pretenders' new album, Break Up The Concrete. (Listen live at the new WTMD.org.)

Erik will play a new song each hour, and the first listener to call into the station when each song plays (410-704-8936) wins a pair of tickets to the show and a copy of the new album.

Bob Sima performs "Map In My Lap" LIVE at the 8x10

Click to Play

Bob Sima joined us for a live taping of Baltimore Unsigned at the 8x10. Here he performs "Map In My Lap" off of his new album Periphery.

 For more information, visit www.wtmd.org or www.baltimoreunsigned.org.

Phish - Wedding Singers

They've got a new profession ahead of them if they want it!
Check out this video of all 4 members of Phish playing "Julius" at their former managers wedding this past weekend.

Kaki King on Dave Grohl's "Rock Star Moves"

So Kaki has been touring with the Foo recently and at the Outside Lands Festival she spoke with Rolling Stone about his cheesy rock n roll moves. Link to the Rolling Stone Article to See Video

Now the two have also been joining the stage together for Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners...an instrumental Dave Grohl wrote for the miners involved in the Beaconsfield Mine in Australia Colapse. He learned one of them was a Foo Fan and wrote the song prior to a meeting with the miner. The song is on their latest album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, Kaki King appears on the album version as well.Just a tid bit of knowledge for those who are curious.

Anyways, watch the two of them perform at O2 Arena in London on November 18, 2007

American Wins World Air Guitar Championships

Okay first off who has heard of this championship? Not me, until now...American Air Rocker Hot Lixx Hulahan...I'm hoping thats a stage name, beat 20 other contendors to become the 2008 World Air Guitar Champion, the Championship is in it's fifth year now.

Well we've all jammed on our air guitar during our favorite rock and jam solos. If you haven't you might be lying, but that's okay. I'll shamelessly admit I also sing in my car and play drums on my steering wheel or desk or lap or you, but nobody seems to play air guitar like this American...maybe you can get ready for next years championship! By the way have you seen the Air Guitar Shirt? Make your fantasy a reality, that video is below this one.

What's your favorite song to play air guitar on?



Air Guitar Shirt

One Fantastic Performer

With 3 names. That's David Andrew Smith who plays on Baltimore Unsigned tonight at 8pm. The Ellicott City native usually features a full band, but he goes solo this evening with excellent results! Check it out for yourself on this track called "Wit's End".

Covering the New River

Okkervil River, that is. As they get ready to release their new album The Stand Ins the band got all creative. Or rather they made their friends get creative and cover all the tracks from the album that will be out on September 9th.
Rather than making a whole new album of the covers these songs are available on Okkervil Rivers YouTube Channel.
Lead singer Will Sheff pairs up with A.C. Newman of the New Pornographers for this version of "Lost Coastlines."



So tell me what you think, I mean, is this a cool way for the band to share their upcoming songs or do you think they should be sharing the original versions first?

Pier Six Ticket Giveaway

WTMD welcomes The Avett Brothers and Drive-By Truckers to Pier Six Pavilion on Sunday, September 21st.

Register through Monday, August 25th, to enter a drawing for a pair of tickets to the show, courtesy of WTMD. (View the contest rules.)

Here are the Avett Brothers performing "Will You Return" in the back of their tour bus.



And the Drive-By Truckers performing "Never Gonna Change."

Saxophonist LeRoi Moore 1961-2008

Dave Matthews Band Saxophonist LeRoi Moore passed away yesterday afternoon suddenly of unknown complications. LeRoi was injured in an ATV Accident on June 30th while taking a break in between shows at his farm, his last show was June 28, 2008 at Nissan Pavilion. For those who were there, it will be one to remember. This message was posted on the Dave Matthews Website last night:

"We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program."

Jeff Coffin, Saxophonist for Bela Fleck has been filling in since July with the band and LeRoi was expected to make a full recovery. Despite the loss, the show went on last night in Los Angeles and will go on for the remaining tour playing again tonight in Los Angeles at the Staple Center. During the show Dave Matthews Band and Fans expressed their love for LeRoi:

"We all had some bad news today," Matthews told the sell-out crowd. "Our good friend LeRoi Moore passed on and gave his ghost up today and we will miss him forever." Fans then shouted Moore's name in tribute.

I had a chance to see Jeff Coffin on sax for the band at the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado and he brings a new sound and energy to the band. Most notably playing two sax's at once and frequently running around on stage. However I already began to miss LeRoi, who often stood still with his sunglasses on due to stage fright. Although in recent tours he had begun removing his sunglasses.

I invite you to share your memories of LeRoi, if you have pictures I'll post them on here for you e-mail them to alovett@towson.edu

RIP LeRoi, September 7, 1961 - August 19, 2008.

A Fan Tribute Video

Australian, Scottish & American

No, it's not the Olympics; although I have been enjoying watching other people exercise while I sit and critique their performance. But THIS is about the MUSIC!

Australia has Xavier Rudd, Amy MacDonald representing Scotland & the Americans are Ra Ra Riot. Erik will be judging their performance... Or rather talking about their latest albums on the New Music Sampler tomorrow at 6 & 8am on the WTMD Morning Show.

To get you psyched up for the sounds here's a preview of some songs.

Radiohead in Camden NJ

I still am taking in everything i saw tuesday night at the susquehanna bank center in camden NJ. After Grizzly Bear finished their set, the countdown to Radiohead had begun. A beautiful evening, much unlike the show at nissan where flooding caused many concert goers to miss the entire set. Tickets to tuesdays show were given to many of the fans that were un-lucky enough to miss the nissan show. For me, the two hour drive to camden NJ, the 45 minute wait to park, 8 dollar beers, and packed house were all well worth it as Radiohead took the stage and opened up with "15 step" from In Rainbows. Their entire set plus double encore was nothing short of amazing. They played a bunch of songs from In Rainbows, as well as older tunes like Kid A and many others. Here is a clip of the amazing light show and one of my favorite songs "Climbing up the Walls".

Jeb Loy Nichols to Headline September's First Thursday Concert

A musician, visual artist and member of the Fellow Travellers in the 1990s, Jeb Loy Nichols eventually set off on his own and released six albums as a solo artist, including Now Then (2005) and Days are Mighty (2007).

(He was also a featured vocalist on Groove Armada's 2007 album, Soundboy Rock.)

Jeb stopped by WTMD in June for an episode of Morning Sessions.
Listen to the interview.

And sample some of his recent songs at:
http://www.jebloynichols.co.uk/sound.htm

Songwriter Ben Taylor opens the show in support of his forthcoming album, The Legend of Kung Folk.

Jeb Loy Nichols and Ben Taylor will have CDs and other merchandise at the concert.
And be sure to stop by the WTMD Tent to say hello and grab a bumper sticker.

More information is available at:
http://www.towson.edu/wtmd/first_thursday.html

In the meantime, here's Jeb Loy Nichols performing "Days are Mighty" in New York City.

Learn Guitar From Rod and Gab

I still get chills when thinking about the performance by Rodrigo Y Gabriella at this year's Virgin Mobile Festival. Their music is absolutely groundbreaking! Who else have you heard that can take two acoustic guitars and turn them into melodic, machine-gun-fast stadium rockers- acoustic guitars that get as loud of a reception as any plugged-in rock band I've ever seen ?!

So, I'm sure the question everyone who has had the privilege of seeing them live is...."how do they do it?" Radio wasn't exactly the perfect medium for a guitar lesson, but below, you can see Rod and Gab reveal their magic tricks for budding guitarists.

Virgin Mobile Festival

Some more of what you may have missed or maybe just want to relive....

STP


Bob Dylan


Foo Fighters