Last Dinosaurs – Andy

Indie Rock/Pop

Last Dinosaurs is a four-member indie rock/ pop group out of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Aussies, Sean Caskey (21, lead vocals and guitar), Lachlan Caskey (18, lead guitar), Sam Gethin-Jones (22, bass) and Dan Koyama (21, drums), climbed the Australian music charts this spring with the March 2nd release of their album, In a Million Years. The album reached #2 on iTunes Australia.

This track, “Andy,” off their In a Million Years album is an upbeat summer jam. Last Dinosaurs is currently touring the UK and Europe. They have not yet performed shows in the United States, but look out for those in the future. Last Dinosaurs is definitely a band to watch this year.

- BB

6/13/2012 | HandsDownMusic on Etcetera Sponsors...

Huge shout out to Etcetera for featuring us on their website. Expect more from them soon and catch some photos of our merchandise on their rafting trip after this weekend. You can also see them on our Sites We Like page and visit their website at www.etcski.com.

-Hands Down

Country Concert Schedule – Summer 2012

If you have never been to a country concert, it’s something you absolutely have to experience at least once. Zac Brown Band kicked off the season on May 31, putting on an incredible performance in front of a sold out crowd at Merriweather Post Pavilion. But if you missed it, several of country’s biggest stars will be stopping by the Maryland/DC/Virginia area in the next few months, including two of the all-time greats pictured above. Here’s a list of the summer’s best shows and links to buy tickets…

6/23-RASCAL FLATTS with Little Big Town, Eli Young Band, and Edens Edge @ Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA

6/28-DIERKS BENTLEY @ Pier Six Pavilion, Baltimore, MD

7/6-LUKE BRYAN @ St. Leonard Fire Department, St. Leonard, MD

7/14-TOBY KEITH with Brantley Gilbert @ Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA

If you want a show full of America, this is the show for you. Toby Keith, who frequently performs for troops at Military Bases and has recorded American classics such as “Made in America” and “American Soldier,” should provide a heavy dose of Red, White, and Blue at Jiffy Lube Live. He also has one of country’s best songwriters opening for him in Brantley Gilbert, who wrote Jason Aldean’s hits “My Kinda Party” and “Dirt Road Anthem.”

8/12-Brothers of the Sun Tour featuring KENNY CHESNEY and TIM MCGRAW with Jake Owen and Grace Potter @ FedEx Field, Landover, MD

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw have combined for 5 CMA Entertainer of the Year awards and have become two of the most popular touring musicians of all time. It’s hard to imagine how good they’ll be touring together all summer. They have reportedly been playing individual sets and then playing an encore set together to close the show. On top of that, rising star Jake Owen will be the opening act for what is probably going to be the best show of the summer.

8/25-BRAD PAISLEY with The Band Perry and Easton Corbin @ Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA

9/8-WMZQ Fall Fest featuring JASON ALDEAN and LUKE BRYAN @ Jiffy Lube Live

What better way to close the season than with two of country’s brightest young stars teaming up to headline WMZQ fall fest. These two have been releasing hit after hit for the last few years and should put on a great show.

-Heff

Foster The People – Don’t Stop (Oliver...

Dance/Electro/House/Indie

When I first discovered Foster The People’s Torches I listened to it non-stop for days. Oliver’s Remix of Don’t Stop is a fun and upbeat take on one of my favorite tracks from the album. Enjoy!

- BB

Ben Folds Five – Do It Anyway (New Single!)

Alternative/Indie

As a huge Ben Folds fan, I was extremely excited to find out that he was reuniting with his original band from the 90′s, The Ben Folds Five. The group, which disbanded amicably in 2000, has collaborated once again on a new album set to be released sometime this year. The album title is still unknown but the group recently released this track, Do It Anyway, as a sneak peak. From the sound of it, it seems like the old friends had a great time rocking out to this song. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the album has in store for us!

Click HERE for a free download!

The Ben Folds Five will play Mountain Jam Festival in Hunter, NY and Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN before heading off to tour the U.K.

-BB

5/14/2012 | Album: Ben Kweller- Go Fly a Kite

Indie/Rock/Country

Everytime I listen to a new Ben Kweller album I feel like it should be the soundtrack to some Garden State- like indie movie. Perhaps its the heartfelt lyrics or the acoustic melodies, but something about his songs make me want to drink some hot chocolate curled up by a fire. Back in February, the 30-year-old singer/song writer released his fifth studio album, Go Fly a Kite. Kweller brings a more mature sound to this album that seems like a combination of his past works. With songs inspired by folk, country, and power-pop music, there’s something on this album for everybody. As an added bonus, every album comes with songbook with all the chords to the songs so you can jam along.

Check out some samples from the album below. Go Fly a Kite is available on iTunes:

DOWNLOAD ON ITUNES: Ben Kweller- Go Fly a Kite

-BB

Folk/Country influenced- “Full Circle”

Pop/Rock – “Mean to Me”

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong @ Looney’s Pub,...

 Alternative/Dance/Indie

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong might best be known as the jam/funk band that opened for Ludacris at 2009′s Art Attack, but on Thursday night they brought down the house at Looney’s. The four UMD grads acknowledged their Terrapin roots at the beginning of the show. Lead singer/guitar, Greg Ormont, even made fun of being back in College Park, saying that he just can’t leave this place. Ormont and guitarist/vocals Jeremy Schon founded the band as freshmen in Cumberland Hall. Drummer Dan Schwartz and bassist Ben Carrey soon completed the group. Since then, Pigeons has played various music festivals including Domefest 2012 and has shared the stage with notable artists such as Papadosio and The Bridge. Thursday night they proved that they know how to put on a show. With a set beginning at 10 and playing until close, Pigeons had most of Looneys on the dance floor by 11. Pigeons brought the funk all night, debuting a new song and playing old originals “Time to Ride,” “Upfunk,” “Zydeco,” “Landing,” and “f.u.n.k.” Throughout the night they jammed to funky covers and creative mash-ups of The Talking Heads, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Greatful Dead, Phish, and Sublime. Judging by the number of dreadlocks I counted at the bar, Pigeons definitely knows how to cater to their audience. The best performance came at the end of the night with Pigeons’ sports themed jam of “Zombie Nation” where they had all of us cheering along.

You can see Pigeons again on 5/19 at the 8×10 in Baltimore.

Check out pics and song samples below. (I’d have more pictures but I was too busy dancing). Enjoy!

- BB

5/11/2012 | Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at Verizon...

90s/Alternative

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been sharing their incomparable sound with the world since 1983, and last night they stopped in DC as a part of their “I’m With You” tour. Without question one of the greatest live bands of our generation, the Chili Peppers did not disappoint. They played their new songs like “The Adventures of Raindance Maggie” and “Look Around”, but also delivered classics such as “Can’t Stop,” “Dani California,” “Under the Bridge,” “By the Way,” and “Give it Away.” While he will never be John Frusciante, new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer did not disappoint. He seems to have developed a good chemistry with Flea, as was evident from some epic jams like the one leading into “Californication.” Perhaps the best performance of the night was that of “Around the World,” where the Peppers came out for their encore after an Earth-shattering drum solo from Chad Smith, and absolutely shook the Verizon Center with the 1999 hit. This is without a doubt the best concert I have ever been to. Make sure to go see them if they come back around.

Find the setlist, videos, and pictures below.

-Heff

Setlist:

1. Monarchy of Roses

2. Dani California

3. Otherside

4. Can’t Stop

5. Ethiopia

6. Throw Away Your Television

7. Hard to Concentrate

8. The Adventures of Raindance Maggie

9. Right on Time

10. Look Around

11. Under the Bridge

12. Higher Ground

13. Factor of Faith

14. Californication

15. By the Way

Encore:

16. Around the World

17. Give it Away

Anthony, Flea, Chad, and Josh opening with "Monarchy of Roses."

Flea killing it on the bass during "Factory of Faith."

Art Attack XXIX – B.O.B. / The Dean’s...

Art Attack Review

So this past Friday the HDM crew made it out to Byrd Stadium to cover Art Attack XXIX, featuring sets by Harmonic Blue, The Dean’s List and headlining performer B.O.B. As the sun set on College Park, Boston based hip-hop group The Dean’s List commanded the stage and rose the crowd’s energy to it’s boiling point saving “Dear Professor”, arguably their most popular and crowd friendly track, for the end of the set as the stands began to overflow with rowdy UMD students. Sonny Shotz, The Dean’s List lead MC, fired the crowd up asking repeatedly if they were ready for B.O.B. before wrapping up their set and leaving the stage to prepare for the night’s headline act. After Art Attack workers riddled the crowd with glow sticks and dusk turned to night, the stage was set for B.O.B. to make his first Maryland appearance. The lights dimmed, the speakers bumped and the crowd roared as Bobby Ray calmly walked out onto the stage and then erupted into an energetic rendition of “Beast Mode”. Honestly, I was surprised he had anything left in him after the first song. He went so ham it was ridiculous. As his set progressed he dropped in all the necessary hits including “Magic” and “Don’t Let Me Fall”, but dropped numerous new tracks from his latest studio album, “Strange Clouds”, which has sold over 84,000 copies to date. He is clearly no stranger to the stage and puts on one hell of a show while exuding an exceptional combination of musicality and a deft hand at several different instruments. After the show Ray spoke to reporters about the thrill of playing to such a large audience for the first time as well as the incredible response he received from the crowd even when he dropped his newer projects. He said he’d never experienced anything like the energy from the UMD students, nor had he played to such a large crowd. For him, it all started with the music and in the end it continues to be all about the music and when fans show a resounding sense of music literacy and interest in his new productions, he says, the pay-off is unexplainable. He is a true rags to riches story, and at just 23 years young B.O.B. is a force to be reckoned with in the hip-hop industry. Many have already compared him to fellow Decatur, Ga. native Andre 3000, who is often considered one of the most talented musicians in hip-hop and has a similar knack for conscious rap as well as unique well crafted beats to go over. All in all the event was pretty incredible and the turn out was amazing. Check out the photos from the event here, and stay tuned for more event coverage from HDM in the future.

-Eazy

Sonny Shotz

DJ Mendoza

Harmonic Blue

Where’s Waldo?

B.o.B / Art Attack Crowd

4/13/2012 | HandsDownMusic.net E-Newsletter

The HandsDownMusic Team is proud to announce the launch of our first E-Newsletter. You requested a weekly recap, and we listened – HDM will now be updating this every week and you will be able to access it by signing up as a HandsDownMusic User.

VIEW HANDSDOWNMUSIC WEEK IN REVIEW E-NEWSLETTER HERE

VIEW HANDSDOWNMUSIC WEEK IN REVIEW E-NEWSLETTER HERE

Click the link above to get all the details and sign up on HandsDownMusic.net here to get them every week

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