valslist Newsletter 8.20.09

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”

-Confucius

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NEW PLAYLISTS

Olive, Millie and a Butterfly (release date 8.20.09) Listen
Coming Up for Air (release date 8.22.09) Listen
Last Call for Summer (to be released 8.22.09) Listen

Val’s Artist Interview with Blind Pilot on iTunes

• The valslist Podcast Series has launched!
• Listen to this fun 3 part interview with the hot new Portland band that’s creating quite a buzz, Blind Pilot. Listen Here

MEMORIES – LOLLAPALOOZA

• Val’s favorite new artists: Alberta Cross, Dan Deacon, Chairlift, Miike Snow, Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, The Greencards
• Knee deep mud and freezing on Friday
• 96 degrees and muggy on Sat and Sun – that’s Chicago
• GALApalooza (kickoff party for Lolla w/Vampire Weekend) SOLD OUT! (coolest scene in Chicago – be there next year)
• Valslist beach balls flying at every stage – thanks for hitting us up :)
• A full marching band up on stage with Dan Deacon – just when you thought they’d thought of everything
• Depeche Mode – and their biggest fan, the 80s girl – who danced non-stop for an hour amongst the sea of people
• Dilemma: The Killers or Jane’s Addiction? Kings of Leon or Depeche Mode?
• Perry’s Stage – best dance music / DJ’s I’ve ever heard – that stage never stopped – neither did the dancing fans
• Valslist tattoos and wrist bands handed out in the looooong bathroom lines – hey, gave you something to do
• Our House of Blues aftershow SOLD OUT! (thank you Blind Pilot and Ezra Furman)
• Passion Pit – good chaos on a side stage (if you weren’t lucky enough to catch them at Apple Store w/Chairlift)
• Chicago Fire Dept spraying water mist on concert goers. Luxury? Nope. Necessity.

COMING SOON

valslist iPhone App – Music Discovery on the Go – Stay Tuned…

iPOD CLASS and valslist artist KATIE TODD live at APPLE STORE

Friday Aug 21 iPod Class at 6pm Live music at 8pm You’ll love Katiie!
Get Katie’s new song “Machines” on valslist FREE download of the week!

VAL’S SHOUT:

If you have a few minutes, give a few of my favorite artists a listen:

JONES STREET STATION (Free Song of the Week)
Listen

JONAH SMITH
Listen
New album Lights On

ALBERTA CROSS
Listen
Great 70s vibe with a twist of new

THE NORTHWOODS
Listen
New LP Morning, Noon, & Night

VAL ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Q: What do your playlist titles mean?

A: They represent what’s going on in my life at the moment. Just like an album title, they mean something only to me. They’re not categorizing the music per se. Under Construction was during house renovation. Olive, Millie and a Butterfly are my great aunt, my grandmother, and a real butterfly that came to their patio every day to visit them. 30 years later, a butterfly comes to my patio every day. No joke. Five Sips are my 5 favorite drinks I drink every single day. Griswold Drive is the street I grew up on. Stuff like that.

Q: How do you choose your vintage tracks #5 and #10 on your playlists?

A: I work very hard to find those elusive B Side songs from my teen years. Not the ones overkilled on radio, but rather, the ones you’ll remember when you hear them. They’re intended to bring back that feeling… For my younger listeners, they’re intended to enlighten you :)

Q: You’ve been called a music filter. What makes valslist different from other filters like Pandora or iTunes’ Genius?

A: We differ in three big ways. One, I’m a human filter. I’m an actual person handpicking the best new music out there. I’m a fan, spreading the word about artists you might not find on your own. The others are computer filters; they use algorithms to pick music for you. Two, I try to help you branch out and expand your music taste, by bringing to you new emerging artists, new sounds, etc. I help you get out of your music rut and get current! Pandora and Genius have a different approach, by asking what you like (or keeping track of what you’ve bought) and give you more songs that sound like that. “More of the same” isn’t necessarily bad, it just doesn’t expand your horizons as much. Third, Valslist keeps it really simple. I take the hassle out of the music search because I do it for you. I search and listen to music all day, so you don’t have to. I choose the songs and arrange them into playlists so all you have to do is download. They’re ready to go. New music is added each week. I include specialty playlists for things you’ve asked for: Dinner Party music, Workout music, Chill music. Simple. Easy. Other music filters offer long lists and albums which require you to listen, weed through, invest a lot of time. Different approaches, that’s all.

SPECIAL THANK YOU (This month my thank you list is huge!)

• Eric & Kristen, who designed the valslist tattoos, bracelets and beach balls for Lolla. They went fast.
• Brenda, Alison, Denise, Wendy, Julie, Amelia, Susan, John, Chris, Julie & Gregg, Bianca & Rick, Linda & Peter, John, Mark, Parkways Foundation and C3: GALApalooza was the coolest scene in Chicago.
• Cici and your street team – biggest thrill? when valslist ball was on big screen at Silversun Pickups
• Stuart, Blind Pilot, Ezra Furman, Sandi, Joy, Lisa, who actually made the after show dream come to fruition. Josh, next year?
• Lisa, huge thanks for the support and the media pass.
• The house full of college kids I hosted for Lolla, my kids, Sandi & Lisa (the most fun fest partners ever) hi energy every minute
• Andrea, Andrew, Jonathan & friends, thanks for making the m&g work!
• Brenda, for working a miracle with the passes
• Denise, your marketing ideas are endless – esp when it comes to valslist
• My interns and Aaron – you always asked “how high” and you always delivered when I yelled jump
• Joy, “high octane” is an understatement.
• Lizzy, Marilyn and family for your patience as I worked on your party music.
• Mark, your patience was an uber virtue this past month.

Your iPod. Our Music. Done.