A Peek into 'Roo '11: Robert Plant & Band of Joy

Bowing down from the clouds, the universe greets its favorite package parading rock god, Robert Plant. Years after the majesty of Led Zeppelin, and having worked as a solo artist for some time, Plant has found a new voice to claim. Choosing to no longer divulge in the telling of mythological pros, Robert Plant has steered in another direction in his most recent musical conquest, Band of Joy. His latest attest of brilliance samples sounds inwhich are familiar to the west. In my opinion may be described as, cowboy blues. Although, Plant's newest tunes don't quite necessarily constitute as blues in the traditional sense. There are so many sounds that come from Band of Joy... rockabilly, doo wop, and some hard hitting rock tracks.Robert Plant has shown the world, yet again, just how bloody proficient he is as a musician. While I would die to be front and centre at a Zeppelin show about 35 years ago alongside Pamela Des Barres swooning and grooving to the mystical sounds- given the chance that I were alive, or time travel were an option- I will gladly settle for seeing Robert Plant the weekend of June 9th at Bonnaroo.

A Peek into 'Roo '11: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

I hadn't heard of the wonderful Grace Potter until this spring while perusing Bonnaroo options. Grace has this tremendous energy, she really does. You can feel said energy pouring, just gushing, into every song. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals most recent album titled, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is truly such an eclectic, soulful piece of work. The bluesy songstress that is Grace Potter shares an overwhelming vigor and liveliness through the music in which she creates. Grace and the Nocturnals embody a sometimes bluesy, slightly country, a little grungy even,  sound full of sentiment. Not to mention the hint of Joplin in Grace's vocals is to-die-for. The music is extraordinarily well put together. There is a distinct functional balance that is really working for the group. If this capacity of zest can be launched through the speakers of my MacBook, I can't even imagine the vitality of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals live on stage at Great Stage Park.

A Peek into 'Roo '11: The Head and the Heart

Sigh. The Head and the Heart, ladies and gentlemen. I fell in love upon first listen. This group of twenty-somethings sings and plays as though they are of another time, an older time. With a seemingly clear influence of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young as well as Leonard Cohen whilst sounding quite Dylan-esque at times, this Seattle folk based group has my heart. There is an overpowering woeful element that is oozing from this bands pours. The Head and the Heart have the added contribution of being pop writers and having a somewhat pop-ish backbone, though I maintain they are a predominantly folk... soulfully folk. These genres fusing together with six brilliant musicians has generated an unerring arrangement of music. This video of Lost in My Mind is amazing. I am constantly drawn to the creative, artistic coups of others and this to me, this whopping pit of passion can not be described in any words, other than beautiful.