This post was submitted by Rocky

Hey, folks! As we prepare for another glorious summer here in the District, I can’t help but let my mind wander back to the last one, my first on the TNG staff. It’s a little crazy to think that I’ve been putting this little doohickey together every Tuesday for almost a year now! Good crazy, obviously, but still! It’s nuts how the time flies! Anyway, one fortunate side effect is that I have nearly a year’s worth of archives, which comes in handy when you decide to err on the side of sanity and extend your Memorial Day weekend a day or two. So, in case you missed it (or really, really enjoyed it) the first time, here is MACRoCk 2009, my absolute favorite post and mixtape from this past year. It really meant a lot to share that experience with all of you, so hopefully you’ll enjoy it (again). And I promise a fresh, new installment of What We’re Listening To will be waiting for you right here next Tuesday at 3. Until then! XO! – R*

Happy Tuesday everybody and welcome to a very special episode of What We’re Listening To! We’re going to try something a little different this week. As I mentioned briefly before, last week I had the distinct pleasure of going to the 12th annual Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference down in Harrisonburg, Virginia. What’s that? Well, it’s a two-day indie music festival held annually on the first weekend of April. Of course, the MACRoCk folks can explain it much more eloquently than I. From their website: “The Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference (MACRoCk) is the annual celebration of college radio and the independent music community perpetuated by student volunteers at WXJM (the Harrisonburg college radio station) and local residents. MACRoCk aims to create a support network amongst college radio, the independent artists and labels for whom college radio exists, and the community as a whole. Workshops, panels, a label exposition, and band showcases stimulate MACRoCk-ers to express ideas, experiences, and support that will encourage progress amongst college radio and the independent music movement.” Sounds pretty sweet, right? So I’m going to go ahead and devote this week’s column to all the sights, sounds and fresh, new bands of my very awesome weekend up in the mountains. I’ve got a few stories, a few pictures and, of course, a mixtape of my 20 favorite MACRoCk alums! We’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming next week. Do it to it, y’all…

Now before we begin, I feel like I should explain that MACRoCk holds a very special place in my heart. A few years ago, I was going through a pretty rough patch and my best friend, Melina, called me up and invited me to spend the weekend with her and her friends relaxing in Harrisonburg. There would be shows and pretty scenery and fresh air, and even though I didn’t really know about any of the bands playing, I was promised a good time. Well, I got a little more than that. Not only did I meet a group folks who would become some of my best friends in the world, I got to sit at the feet of all these incredible artists and just listen and learn and drink their beer. Now I go back every year I can. Obviously, it’s wonderful go and see old friends and party and get wasted (because Lord knows there’s a lot of that…), but as we’ve discussed, I think it’s really important to support independent artists. You never know where or when you’ll find the next Sufjan Stevens or Of Montreal, artists with a singular vision that turn the game on its head. So to that end, may I present to you MACRoCk 2009: a story told in 15 (admittedly shitty) pictures…

Obviously, there was a ton of other great stuff I didn’t get pictures of. (Pabst is a cruel, cruel mistress.) Honorable mentions go to my high school chum, Nicole, and her band Eternal Summers. When someone you haven’t seen in years hands you a CD and asks you to give it a listen, it can be a little scary, but Eternal Summers is honestly pretty great. I’m kind of obsessed with their song, “Fall Straight Back.” It’s like if The Velvet Underground and Camera Obscura had a baby that made you want to cry and cry. But in the best possible way. Also, on my short list is French-Canadian singer/songwriter/artist Geneviève Castrée who currently records under the name, Ô Paon. (You may remember her from back in the day when she was known as WOELV). It was a very quiet, simple show – just her, a guitar and an effects pedal – but startlingly powerful and intense at the same time. She gives off kind of a Bjork-y vibe, which I quite liked. Definitely worth a listen. And what about Des Ark, Bowerbirds, and Pattern Is Movement: the buzzworthy bands that everyone was supposed to go see? Well, I kind of missed them, but I do really like Bowerbirds and PIS as you’ll soon see. Des Ark? Personally, not my cup of tea, though I think her song titles are brilliant. “Jesus Loves You (But Yr Still Coming Home With Me Tonight)”? Amazing. If you’re a fan, I heard she was great.

Now for some reason, the interweb won’t allow me to turn the pictures or their captions into links, so either I’m stupid or the internet is. Of course, I am not willing to make that bet, so here are some links to the wonderful bands I mentioned above. Give a listen. Explore. You never know; you might find something new and amazing that you never even knew you needed…

Shoot Straight Crew: http://www.myspace.com/shootstraightcrew
Dialogues: http://www.myspace.com/dialoguesharrisonburg
Invisible Hand: http://www.myspace.com/adamsmith
Whatever Brains: http://www.myspace.com/whateverbrains
American Tourist: http://www.myspace.com/anamericantourist
Super Vacations: http://www.myspace.com/meetthevacations
Mas Y Mas: http://www.myspace.com/masymasymasymas
Snack Truck: http://www.myspace.com/therealsnacktruck

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

Over the past twelve years, there have been a ton of amazing acts that have played MACRoCk and gone on to fame and fortune. Or at least critical acclaim and a modicum of name recongition. Here are 20 of my personal faves…

MACRoCk Through the Ages:

VCR – “Bratcore”
Q and Not U – “Wonderful People”
Of Montreal – “The Party’s Crashing Us”
Man Man – “Black Mission Goggles”
Fugazi – “Waiting Room”
An Albatross – “Floodgates Released”
Animal Collective – “Peacebone”
Elliott Smith – “Color Bars”
Pedro the Lion – “Political Science”
Mirah – “Cold Cold Water”
Bowerbirds – “Olive Hearts”
Prefuse 73 – “Nuno”
Little Brother – “Carolina Agents”
Mates of State – “Ha Ha”
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra – “Che Che Cole”
Matt Pond PA – “Fairlee”
Owen – “Bad News”
Pattern Is Movement – “Bird”
Sufjan Stevens – “Vito’s Ordination Song”
Wesley Willis – “I Whipped Spiderman’s Ass”

Alright, show’s over, ladies and germs! The whole gang will be back once again next Tuesday. I promise. Thank you so much as always for reading and listening and don’t be a stranger! Have a great week! XO

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