OUTSIDE LANDS INTIAL LINEUP

Outside Lands has announced the preliminary lineup for this August's third annual festival.  Big names include headliners Kings of Leon, Phoenix, The Strokes, My Morning Jacket, Wolfmother, Social Distortion, and Al Green.  Some more eclectic acts will also feature, like The Levon Helm Band, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Cat Power, and Furthur featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, who will headline Saturday night.  Hip hop will be represented too of course, most notably the collaboration between Damian "Jr Gong" Marley and Nas.  Upstarts like Janelle Monae and Empire of the Sun will also add some new flavor to the mix of bluegrass, jazz, dub, and electronic music that rounds out the bill.  More artist will surely be added soon, so stay on your toes, hippies.  

Outside Lands will take place August 14th & 15th in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park. Tickets are on sale now.  For information on Late Night shows, Festival Tickets, Food, and the full lineup, visit the festival's website.

FREE PHOENIX

On the heels of their Grammy win for Best Alternative Album, Boombox darlings Phoenix have decided to bestow some free music on the unworthy masses.  Live in Sydney features 8 Wolfgang tracks performed live on the band's recent tour.  Download the live album absolutely FREE here.

Gypsy Boombox's LIVE SHOWS of the YEAR

5. ALBERTA CROSS - Electric Factory / Philly / 11-5

4. FREELANCE WHALES / Fanfarlo - TT the Bear's / Boston / 12-17

3. PHISH - Wachovia Center Philly 11-24 & MSG 12-4

2. PHOENIX - Electric Factory / Philly / 0-28

1. TV on the RADIO/Grizzly Bear - Tabernacle / Atlanta / 6-13

More Phoenix

My Parisian obsession, Phoenix, were nominated for the Best Alternative Album Grammy last week for the consistently great Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.  The band recently hit the streets of the city of love to perform as part of filmmaker Vincent Moon's concert series La Blogotheque's "Take Away Shows".  Check out the performances of "Liztomania" and "One Time Too Many" below.  And if for some reason you don't have this album yet, run.
Phoenix - Lizstomania / One time too many - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Phoenix, Electric Factory, Philadelphia – 9/28

Absolutely nothing could stop the good mood at 7th and Willow with Phoenix in town. The rain that hung around all day finally gave up. The threatening reach of winter retracted, as well, leaving the night pleasantly cool and dry and ready for the Parisian invasion.

When the lights disappeared, the palpable energy in the room did an about face, just in time to see the backdrop light up, a blimp above the stage declaring Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the title of the band’s latest release. It’s odd when something so simple has such a profound effect. In this case, the buzz in the room was doubled by three simple words. A keyboard fuzz engulfed the room, and swelled accordingly as the band members made there ways out slowly, letting the situation build. The keyboards folded into a familiar piano intro, and “Lisztomania” ensued. The anticipatory fire in the room needed no fuel, but Thomas Mars and his co-conspirators had just thrown the whole drum onto the situation. It felt both premeditated and spontaneous, the perfect way to start the show. It also served as a statement of intent to the ears in the room, most of whom were bearing witness to live Phoenix for the first time. These guys meant business.

The opener’s endless catchiness bounced off of every corner. It was as infectious as expected, but went further, shedding some of the studio’s vibrato-pop for thicker, more rock based territory.