Foster the People

Vampire Weekend, Killer Mike to perform at Bernie Sanders rally

The Iowa Caucus is only a few days away and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is bringing in some notable musicians fo a last minute push. Vampire Weekend, Killer Mike, and Foster the People are all set to perform at a rally that is held by Sanders at theUniversity of Iowa Field House this Saturday.

The performance will mark Vampire Weekend’s beginning as a three-piece after the departure of Rostam Batmanglij and their first live performance since August 2014.

According to Ezra Koenig, frontman of Vampire Weekend, the lineup for Saturday will Koenig, drummer Chris Thompson, Dirty Projectors’ Dave Longstreth, and the University of Iowa Hawkapellas a capella group. He also said that the want to perform a separate show other than the main event.

For Killer Mike, the rally is just the newest in his various public appearances he has made for Sanders. The Run the Jewels MC has been a sort of de facto campaign spokesman. He has interviewed Sanders at his barbershop, introduced him at a rally in Atlanta, and spoke to the media after a Democratic debate.

The rally 2ill begin at 6:30 p.m. local time and is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

On February 5th, Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform at a Bernie Sanders fundraiser at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. Click here for more info.

Firefly Music Festival announce line-up

The Firefly Music Festival, which takes place between June 18 to 21 in Dover, Delaware has released its 2015 lineup. At the beginning of the least there is Kings of Leon, the Killers, and an act that is yet to be announced, with rumors pointing it towards Paul McCartney. Also on the list are Modest Mouse, Spoon, Morrissey, Cage the Elephant, Gary Clark Jr., Run the Jewels, Snoop Dogg, Foster the People, Empire of the Sun, Hozier, Bastille, Zedd, Matt & Kim, Tove Lo, the Kooks, How to Dress Well, Sylvan Esso, Betty Who, Clean Bandit, and many more. Tickets from the pre-sale have been sold out but general admission and VIP passes are still available on the festival’s website. The entire lineup can be seen above.

The Melodic Tree’s top 10 albums of the year

10. Post Tropical – James Vincent McMorrow: The dramatic change between Post Tropical and Early In The Morning was something that was shocking and yet extraordinary at the same time. McMorrow’s shift from folk to a more soulful sound seems to suit his voice that can hit beautiful falsettos.

9. Be Impressive – The Griswolds: Australian pop-rock rarely sounded as good. With catchy guitar riffs, such as in their hit song, “Beware the Dog,” and infectious lyrics, this is a stellar debut album from the Griswolds.

8. Sonic Highways – Foo Fighters: The concept of this album is one-of-a-kind and the way the Foo Fighters recorded it was original to say the least. Collaborating with different bands in each of the cities where they recorded, it is undoubtedly the most creative album of the year. Even with all of these collaborations, there is still the climatic sound of the band laced into it.

7. Supermodel – Foster the People: Foster the People returned this year with what feels like one of the best pop albums of the year. The dark lyrics are matched cool and bubbly instrumentals making the themes in this album virtually inconspicuous.

6. Everything Will Be Alright in the End – Weezer: The comeback from Weezer seems like a breath of fresh air from their previous two records, Raditude and Hurley. The hooks on this album return and gives the fans just want they want. It is reminiscent of their old days and yet guides us into their future.

5. They Want My Soul – Spoon: This follow-up to their 2010 Transference feels as though it’s a new era for Spoon and this is their first album with new guitar and piano player, Alex Fischel. This is a great comeback for the band after taking a few years off. There are hints of new influences throughout the album and yet, there is still the grit that has given Spoon their signature sound.

4. Sun Structures – Temples: The debut from Temples is the perfect album for anyone nostalgic for the 1960’s and 1970’s. With mellow vocals and keyboards, there is no doubt that Temples understand their abilities. The rhythms from drummer, Samuel Toms, on this album are beyond what most bands as young as they are capable of doing.

3. Singles – Future Islands: 2014 was quite the breakout year for Future Islands and it’s obvious with this album why so. The emotions in the lyrics and voice of Samuel Herring are strong and the backing instruments are just as climatic. The synthesizer on this album is one of the many elements that make this album so phenomenal. Singles is of those albums that will be on anyone’s playlist.

2. Young & Sick – Young & Sick: Artist and musician, Nick Hofwegen goes under the pseudonym of Young and Sick for both his art and music. His self-titled debut is a synth-driven R&B album with infectious bass lines. Whether or not you like R&B, Hofwegen seems to incorporate so much into the songs on this album, there is at least one element that everyone will like.

1. Strange Desire – Bleachers: Bleachers’ debut album Strange Desire can seemingly transport its listeners to a John Hughes movie. With climatic songs such as “I Wanna Get Better” and “Rollercoaster” that brings his melancholic lyrics together with intricate melodies and create something refreshing in the world of alternative rock. Frontman, Jack Antonoff creates new and exciting concepts on this album whether it is eccentric collaborations with Yoko Ono or incorporating Grace Dunham’s, Lena Dunham’s younger sister, talking about graduating college into his music.

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. Seasons (Waiting On You) – Future Islands

2. Sleep – Summer Heart

3. Like A River Run – Bleachers

4. Keep in the Dark – Temples

5. Down and Out – The Griswolds

6. I’ve Had It Up To Here – Weezer

7. Do You – Spoon

8. Heartache Fetish – Young & Sick

9. Pseudologia Fantastica – Foster the People

10. Lampshades on Fire – Modest Mouse

11. Crystalized – Young the Giant

12. Honeymoon – SomeKindaWonderful

13. In the Summer – Finish Ticket

14. Through the Dark – The Mowgli’s

15. Texas – Magic Man

16. Karaoke – Smallpools

17. Kathleen – Catfish and the Bottlemen

18. Fiona Coyne – Saint Pepsi

19. Uma – Panama Wedding

20. Red Eyes – The War on Drugs

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. Dark Depths – Banshee Bones

2. Coming of Age – Foster the People

3. My Time – Minus the Bear

4. Promises and Troughs – We Were Promised Jetpacks

5. Fever – Maps & Atlases

6. Turn Off This Song and Go Outside – The Lonely Forest

7. Follow My Feet – The Unlikely Candidates

8. Satellite – The Cinema

9. Jungles – Stepdad

10. Four Days Straight – Scattered Trees

11. Young – Air Review

12. Against the Grain – Hudson and Troop

13. For You – the Sparrow

14. Carousel – Miner

15.  To Be Young – Tall Heights

16. The End – The Lower 48

17. I Found a Body – Tan Vampires

18. Every Little Thing – Soft Swells

19. Mr. Bones – Tiny Victories

20. Up! – The Black and White Years

Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

Lollapalooza to expand to Berlin

Lollapalooza has expanded from Chicago over the last few years and has had several festivals in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Lollapalooza was supposed to branch into Israel but was was scrapped for security reasons. The here are rumors that there could be a Toronto incarnation, however, the organizers of the festival are looking to Europe.

Lollapalooza announced that they have plans for a Lollapalooza Berlin which would take place September 12th and 13th at the Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, Germany.

The head of William Morris Endeavor’s music division, Marc Geiger, stated: “We have very carefully considered bringing our festival to Europe and frankly, were intimidated by the rich festival history Europe has had for 50 years. Berlin feels like it is ready to explode as a city and cultural center and we want to be there to grow with the city.”

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, also stated: “Over two decades since its inception, Lollapalooza is more than ready to break new ground and bring the experience to new audiences, offering not just music, but fashion, food, plus an environmental awareness that is so important in the future of music festivals. Working with C3 and Melt! Booking to bring the Lollapalooza brand to Europe gives me great pleasure in not only building upon my relationship with these global partners but allows me to return to the iconic Templehof site in September.”

Details such as artist lineup and ticket info, will be announced soon. The South American Lollapalooza’s festivals will occur during the course of three weekends during March: Lollapalooza Chile in Santiago from March 14th and 15th, Lollapalooza Argentina in Buenos Aires from March 21st and 22nd, and Lollapalooza Brazil in Sao Paulo on March 28th and 29th. Rumored acts playing at these festivals include Jack White, Robert Plant, and Foster the People.

Supermodel – Foster the People

In their new album, Supermodel, Foster the People seems to send a message through their music about their opinions on current social issues. With darker lyrics and less electronic influences in the songs, Supermodel seems to be somewhat of a shift from their previous album, Torches. However, there is still the classic neo-psychedelic sound that seems to give Foster the People their popularity. Members of the band consist of Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, percussion), Cubbie Fink (bassist and vocals), and Mark Pontius (drums and percussion). Supermodel sounds a lot like a toned down version of Torches, using more guitar driven melodies rather than a heavy electronic sound.

With an easy falsetto, Mark Foster seems to explore his range well throughout Supermodel and still maintain his one-of-a-kind voice. Much like Torches, Foster seems to have a sort of distinct tone to his voice that gives audiences a reason to come back to Foster the People’s music that is hard to find elsewhere. In the song, “Are You What You Want to Be,” Foster combines a catchy chorus with clever lyrics. Lyrically, the themes on this album are considerably darker than previously, dealing with Foster’s personal feelings towards issues with consumerism and “the ugly side of capitalism.” Foster the People recorded Supermodel in a two-step process, recording the instrumentals first and then writing lyrics and recording vocals second.

The instrumentation on Supermodel focuses more on the guitar aspect of their music rather than the electronic, unlike Torches. Hoping for a multicultural sound on this album, Foster the People used various instruments in different environments than what they were used to. With this natural sound, there is still electronic influences throughout that fuses the two sounds together in a seemingly stunning way.

A step away from their previous album, this new, eclectic sound on Supermodel will give listeners a fresh perspective on what Foster the People are trying to be. This vibrant collection of pop songs will keep listeners coming back for more.