LAUNCH Festival 2013

 If you happen to live on the west coast, this is the one festival that you will want to invest your time & energy in attending next year, believe me.   

This year marked the 5th anniversary of LAUNCH in downtown Sacramento, California and brought the community together in a unique way. Starting off with a block party on Wednesday evening & wrapped up with two full days of music at Cesar Chavez Park, this particular festival covers all of the necessary bases: music, fashion, art, and design.  

Around 10,000 attendees took part in this two-day event of the five-day festival, and was the largest attendance so far. With Imagine Dragons & Girl Talk as two of the main headliners, the crowd surfaced from all over. Elysse Ralph (who wrote about the bands below) & Julia Frather were there to capture the essence of both days, and needless to say it was a great time all around. 

LAUNCH Instagram: @launchsacramento

LAUNCH Twitter: @5432launch

Doombird

Doombird was the 3rd performance on the Tower stage and they did not disappoint. This dancy quad band is Sacramento homegrown. Although this is the 1st time seeing them live, they were a highlight for Day 1.

Minus The Bear

One of the bands I've seen most live, and will never get sick of. They played immediately after Blond Redhead on the main stage, and it couldn't have been a better transition of bands. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Alex and Jake a while before the show, and they are as great as their music- genuine, different, and definitely humble.

Washed Out

 A little different than my live experience with Minus the Bear, a band I have NOT had the pleasure of seeing live. I was like a giddy school girl waiting for this band, arms up on the railing, staring at the stage in awe of what I was about to see. As I had expected, they did not disappoint-they were as equally excited to play for us as we were to see them perform for us as a crowd, which made the set in entirety a music funhouse. The thick bass, and that synthesizing voice pumping through the speakers is all I was focused on.

Geographer

 This band has never failed to not make me sing at the top of my lungs in my car-WITH NO SHAME. Except this time it was in my backyard-Ceaser Chavez Park. Michael Deni's voice sounds like a god, and who could deny the cello along with the synthesizer? Not I! They know how to get the crowd hyped, and they did just that. Michael jumped off stage and into the crowd waving his hands back and forth, and all I could think about is "man, I am so lucky to have these undeniably talented men play in front of me right now."

Surfer Blood 

Ya know, this band has played over our speakers at work and I found myself bobbing my head, then eventually singing along hoping I would seem then live one day. So when I saw they were on Launch's lineup, you could say I was quite excited. Of course i was smack dab in front, sweating, and so pumped. I'll just put it plain & simple - they put on a powerhouse performance.

More highlights from the festival:

Mark Robert Fuller of Gold Fields

Patricia Beranek of St. Lucia 

Van She 

  

With Alex & Jake from Minus The Bear

Be sure to visit Julia's Flickr account to see more of her work - all of the photos above were captured by her! 

One AMAZING Way to Start Your Morning :)

For me personally, getting ready in the morning is something that cannot be done without listening to MUSIC. Listening to something that's upbeat is a MUST! Sorry espresso, but you're not #1 on my list of pick-me-ups when I'm looking for something to start the day off right (although there are days when a pit-stop for coffee is more than necessary). My preference for music in the morning varies with the type of day it's going to be. Some mornings I immediately go straight for Yeasayer's latest album Fragrant World, and then there are mornings where I blast LCD Soundsystem like there's no tomorrow and it turns into a one-person dance party with my hairbrush in hand. Take it from me, LCD Soundsystem does wonders especially when you have to wake up at 4:15AM for your 6AM shift. ;)

The playlist featured below is more of a mellow (but nowhere near as mellow as a Bon Iver track) selection of songs! These are the songs that I immediately turn on the second I walk out the door of my apartment complex, and into the chilly Philadelphia weather. There's a great chance you've heard a few of the tracks before. My morning playlist is never the same, so there will be different versions popping up throughout the next couple of weeks, hope you find them just as helpful as I do!

freshvibesmonday #6

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE! Today is a pretty special day for Americans as it is a day to honor those we may or may not know that are brave soldiers who fought for our country! It's not "just" a holiday, it's much more than that. 

So, have a lovely rest of the day & enjoy these tunes whether you're relaxing, recuperating, or freaking out over finals (like me). Sorry for the draught of posts recently, I promise I'll make up for it with the next couple of ones! :) XX

Loquat - "TIME BENDING"

YAY THEY'RE BACK. Well, only 3 of the original members but still- this is a bit of a surprise to hear that they are back AND with a full-length album to deliver. "Time Bending" is the first track off We Could Be Arsonists, and it's a great way to start off the album. Super-duper catchy, and I ADORE Kylee Swenson's voice. Crossing my fingers this bay-area band will be performing at this years Treasure Island Music Festival, as they played an opening slot during the festival in 2008. 

Lana Del Rey - "NEVER LET ME GO" 

This is an unreleased track from LDR that recently leaked about a week ago or so. Perfect track for summer and especially to tend the blues that come with it. I'm curious to see where this track will go, maybe a new EP or something for her to perform during the three straight days of performing in LA? Who knows. 

Two Wounded Birds - "TO BE YOUNG"

The intro to this song gives off a more accelerated Tennis vibe, but when the vocals start to kick in I immediately think of The Horrors. I really dig their sound as it fits in perfectly with one of my previous posts "Sounds That are Younger Than They Sound". If it says anything, check out on their "Artists We Also Like" tab on Facebook: the first two are Ramones & The Beach Boys. BOOM perfectly describes their sound. Dig it! 

Milo Greene - "DON'T YOU GIVE UP ON ME" 

Discovering Milo Greene must be credited to the 2012 music issue of NYLON. It's by far my favorite magazine, and I'm pretty sure this is the one issue that I literally read from front to back in less than two hours. Thought it was pretty clever to read that Milo Greene came from a pseudonym made up from the band members when they collaborated at shows in 2009. Look out for their debut album out July 17th, and if you dig their sound check out: The Head & The Heart and The Civil Wars! 

Van She - "IDEA OF HAPPINESS"

If you're a Van She fan, you're probably freaking out about their upcoming release since it feels like forever when they released their self-titled EP in 2006. The new album will be released in the US On July 10th, YIPPEE. 

Bobby Womack Ft. Lana Del Rey - "DAYGLO REFLECTION"

If the name Bobby Womack doesn't ring a bell for you, listen to the track and hopefully you'll recognize that soulful rich voice. Or if you're a Gorillaz fan like me, then BAM it should make perfect sense to you who Bobby Womack is (does "Stylo" ring a bell). This beautiful duet will be released on Womack's full-length album The Bravest Man in The Universe on June 12th in the US on XL Recordings. Mmm classic & elegance at its finest.