P.STINNETT

As MACRoCk ‘08 draws near, I want to take some time to feature some of my favorite bands that are playing this year. MACRoCk is always a great weekend in Harrisonburg. Old friends return, new friends are made, and occasionally you attend a show and hear a great new band. Here are five bands you should make a point to see at MACRoCk this year including *very* short descriptions and links to where you can hear them.

5. Mas Y Mas - spastic rock created by Pepsi fans for Pepsi fans. Their new full length is coming out on Sound/Friends Network, the record label spawned by awesome design firm PlayLab from Brooklyn, NYC.

4. Crossed Eyes - pop-influenced punk from North Carolina. They’re currently working on their second 7″.

3. Shapiro - piano pop from Harrisonburg that sounds more and more like David Bowie or Queen every time I see them. My old friend Daniel White manages them. They’ve been working on a new CD for a while and I’m really looking forward to hearing it.

2. Mock Orange - psychadelic angular rock from Evansville, IN. It’s hard to describe their sound. I’ve been a huge fan of Mock Orange since high school and I’m looking forward to seeing them again. They have a new CD titled “Captain Love” out in Japan right now, but I don’t think it’s been released state-side yet.

1. Aloha - quiet and atmospheric rock. Aloha’s newest release, “Light Works” is not my favorite, but I’ve always enjoyed their music. They played at MACRoCk ‘06 and put on a great show.  

So what are you waiting for? Go to www.macrock.org and buy your pre-sale tickets! If you have any questions about the conference, or if you want to meet up at a show or after party, feel free to leave a comment! 

The Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference may be the reason I’m in Harrisonburg today. I attended the conference in the spring of 2004 and it opened my eyes to the beauty of a bunch of sweaty kids playing music to a bunch of other sweaty kids in a basement (or living room.) I just completed an overhaul of the MACRoCk website and we’re launching tomorrow morning. Just wanted to give a quick plug to my design and to a great music conference that I’m proud to be a part of.

UPDATE: The results from the launch day of the MACRoCk website are in…

Just a quick update on one of my favorite bands. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is releasing a new full length album on Polyvinyl Records. The album is calling Pershing and you can hear the opening track here, courtesy of Pitchfork Media. I’ve been following SSLYBY for a while and was a member of their tape club. They do a great cover of Don’t Cry No Tears by Neil Young, one of my favorite songs. Check out the song and look out for them on a tour supporting their new album!