I’m an old school Pearl Jam fan, and most of all I love their live stuff. If you’re a true Pearl Jam fan, this 100 song collection is a worthy purchase. They’re playing for a hometown crowd, in an incredible venue and Eddie Vedder is on fire. There’s no shortage of his grunts, hoots and howls on this disc all backed up with Pearl Jam’s legendary raging intensity. They cover all of their classics, and throw in covers of The Who, Tom Petty and of course Neil Young.

Available via PearlJam.com

Then there’s the type of album that you’ve bought because you like a single or two. You might not love all of the songs at first, and you might even skip past a few of them. But then over time, you notice the nuances of the music and tunes you didn’t like initially are suddenly in massive rotation.

Frightened Rabbit from Glasgow, Scotland is one such band.

My brother Dan turned me on to the single Be Less Rude, along with The Greys and Square 9 from their Sing the Greys album. These guys have a very raw sound, and that’s a good thing. Listenening to FR reminds me of when I first heard the Violent Femmes. They had a rough-around-the-edges style, but their songs were incredibly catchy. I get hints of The Clash and The White Stripes on many tracks, and even a wee dram of Dave Matthews on the track Behave!

If you enjoy their studio tracks, it’s well worth your while to pick up The Modern Leper - a live track from their 2007 SXSW show at Urban Outfitters. The whole show is fantastic, but this blistering performance really showcases their talent as a band.

I’m jealous of you Twangville readers in NYC - Frightened Rabbit is playing at the Mercury Lounge on June 24.

More Previews & Downloads available on eMusic

• 1991 was the best year ever in the history of music
• Desert island disc: Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys
• Favorite Bands: The Catherine Wheel, Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Run DMC, The Police, Thievery Corporation, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Green Day, Face to Face
• Bands I’ve come to like recently: Arcade Fire, Lucero, Satellite Party, White Stripes, Federico Aubelle, Pela
• Often in heavy rotation: Dropkick Murphys, Nirvana, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Chemical Brothers, Roni Size, LL Cool J, Weezer, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Postal Service, Phish, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Bruce Springsteen, The Pixies, The Cure, The Smiths
• First concert: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA at the Orange Bowl
• Most recent concert: Lucero, with Tom at the Black Cat in Washington DC
• Bands I’ve seen the most in concert: Live and Phish
• Best Concert: Smashing Pumpkins at the 9:30 club in DC in the mid 90’s
• Band I want to play at my birthday party: The Catherine Wheel

A little background on myself and how I fit into this group. I’ve known Tom since 8th grade, and he has been a key influencer of my musical tastes from high school onward. Tom introduced me to REM and a number of other great bands over the years. In the early 2000’s, I worked with Tom and Mayer, and more recently have been in a fantasy football league with Mike.

I’m a huge music fan, and am looking forward to contributing to Twangville. If y’all need help with reviews, I’m happy to take on some of the Alternative / Indie pile. I’ve got a long commute to and from work, with nothing to do but listen to my ipod. I have a habit of zeroing in on a band that I like and listening to them 50 times in a row. With Twangville, I now have an outlet to share my thoughts about these bands and songs with a like-minded community.

Cheers,

Matt