Phish Announces Halloween Festival

Anyone who is familiar with the quirky quartet from Vermont knows that they have a long standing tradition of halloween shows. In the past, Phish have played all covers on halloween, a tradition fans love. Since their hindus in in the early 2000's, fans have missed the ever popular cover shows.

Acording to RollingStone.com, Phish has just announced a three-day festival called Festival 8 in Indio, California.

Rolling Stone.com:

"Phish will celebrate Halloween this year with a three-day fest called Festival 8 in Indio, California, the band revealed on their official website last night. The concerts will run from October 30th to November 1st, with the band’s October 31st night show reviving a Halloween tradition for the first time since 1998: As in years past, Phish will perform another band’s album in its entirety. Festival 8, named because it’s the band’s eighth festival since 1996, marks Phish’s first festival since 2004’s Coventry in Vermont, and the band’s first-ever festival anchored on the West Coast."

Now, I don't know about you, but personally, if I'm going to spend all that money and see Phish, I want to see Phish play Phish songs. I mean, throw me a raging Divides Sky or You Enjoy Myself any day over a few covers. Yea, it can be cool to see them do covers, but I haven't heard them play their own music in years!

For some reason, Phish have started this trend of halloween shows, but I kind of wish they would end it.

The NEW KuzTunes

Blogging is the way of the future, no?

(hint, the answer is yes)

So I decided to take this blog in a new direction. Instead of just being music recommendations, I'm going to start posting about music and guitars in general. Hopefully I'll be able to update it more often, and I'll be able to give more fascinating information to all of you.

Don't worry, you will still get music recommendations and whatnot, but now its going to be scattered in between my ramblings.

So, until then, enjoy this track by British R&B artist, Estelle.

More Than Friends - Estelle

KuzTunes pick 7: Portugal. The Man

Alright Darsch, heres you're second band....

This is another indie band originally from Alaska, but now based out of Oregon. They have their roots planted in the "indie" scene but they also have elements of soul, folk and a little blues and even touching on experimental.

This track with a little bit of that experimental edge, using a lot of envelope filters and reverb on just about every instrument. It throws in some pretty nice, but subtle guitar work in there.

So, here is Portugal.The Man with the song "Lay Me Back Down" off the album 'Censored Colors.'

(sorry the YouTube video's embedding is disabled)

Lay Me Back Down - Portugal Th...

KuzTunes pick 6: Ojos de Brujo

Ok, ok, I know, I haven't kept my promise and updated this every Wednesday, BUT I'm gonna throw Somethign new at you guys right now, then probably again tonight or tomorrow morning.

So, today, I'm coming at you guys with a modern Spanish Flamenco band. They're a nine-piece band from Barcelona, and they consider themselves to be "jip-jop flamenco." (remember, the 'j' makes an 'h' sound!) The name means "Eyes of the Sorcerer" in English, which is pretty damn bad-ass.

These tunes really do melt a little big of classic Spanish flamenco with a cool hip hop vibe: interweaving traditional flamenco guitar, polished vocals, maracas and turn tables.

This track has a little bit of hip-hop influince and a lot of flamenco guitar. Might not be for everyone, but I figured I would class up this blog a bit with some world music.

So here's "Calé Barí" by Ojos de Brujo off the album 'Barí'

Calé Barí - Ojos De Brujo

KuzTunes pick 5: Typical Cats

What's up guys? This week I'm coming to you with a new flavor: some nice underground hip-hop. Now, most people who know me know that I usually don't like hip-hop and rap, mostly because of the shitty lyrics in today's popular music. But every once in a while, I can find some that I can dig, and every once in a blue moon, I can find a hip-hop group that I cant stop listening to. This past week, my friends, the moon was blue.

The only thing I can really find out about them is that they're from Chicago. And I guess thats really all you need to know.

Don't ask me how I found them, I actually don't even really remember myself. Probably just my endless youtube-ing late at night...

Combining a fantastic flow and even more fantastic beats, these guys know what they're doing. When you listen closer, you can see how incredibly simple the beats are, yet as soon as you turn it on, you cant help but start to bob your head. Try not to, I dare you.

Each beat usually is just some simple but tight, in the pocket drum beat with some nice jazzy leads over it. The song I'm going to show you has an awesome jazzy guitar providing a great canvas for some truly intelligent lyrics.

So, guys here you go, this is "Typical Cats" with the song "Cliche."

KuzTunes pick 4: An Endless Sporadic

Hey everyone, I come today bearing gifts in the form of a really awesome new band. Now, bear with me when I tell you that I first heard of them on Guitar Hero...but I looked into their other stuff, and WOW I am very impressed.

The band itself is only comprised of two guys, Zach Kamins on guitar, bass, keys and Andy Gentile on drums. If you like progressive rock with a little bit of nerd metal, then look no further than these guys. Unfortunately they only have one EP out right now called "Ameliorite", but they have a full length album currently in the works for release later this year.

This song is called "Sun of Pearl" and its is quite the prog-monster. Kamins is an EXTREMELY talented musician, and Gentile is a MONSTER on drums. This track goes from rocking your face off to sweet, sweet nothings being whispered in your ear....all at 150 mph. The song is a rush. Blazing through different sections with ever changing time signatures, its pretty hard not to get into this.

So here it is, "An Endless Sporadic" with their song "Sun of Pearl" off the EP "Ameliorite"

KuzTunes pick 3: Gomez

This week, I chose an indie band from across the pond, Gomez. I'm usually not an indie fan, but these guys seem to really appeal to me. Guitarist and lead singer Ian Ball has a wonderfully subtle croon to his voice that really complements the music.

I guess the best explanation for them would be "slightly more cheery, poppy, Radiohead." Some of their songs, like 'See the World" lend to more Thom-like vocals.

RIYL: Radiohead, Counting Crows, Wilco

Heres the song that caught my attention first, its called :"Airstream Driver