Cajun Tomato @ Pitchfork Music Festival 2011 (Friday)

NOTE: This is the first of a three-part series chronicling my Pitchfork Music Festival experience. Check back for more info on Saturday and Sunday’s performances later today and Wednesday.

Two days before flying to Chicago last week I watched “Horrible Bosses”, a comedy about a trio of friends who conspired to kill their asshole bosses. I went into the movie theater with ground level expectations. To my chagrin, the movie sucked more than I expected.

The same could be said for my feelings toward the first day of Pitchfork Music Festival. I started with low expectations. Yet I still came away underwhelmed.

Aside from tUnE-yArDs (and EMA to a lesser extent), most of the bands I witnessed Friday possessed little redeeming value. My time would have been better spent exploring downtown Chicago than attending Pitchfork’s opening day. Thankfully the festival’s final two days made up for Friday’s lackluster opening, but I will get into this more later.

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Cajun Tomato’s Favorite Songs of ’09

Hi there. Outside my door, a firefight is happening. Or at least it sounds like Fallujah. Not sure if the neighborhood kids are killing each other or just letting off some steam. Either way, sounds like they’re having a blast. The New Year will be here in five hours. Crazy to think. In honor of the New Year, I decided to rank my favorite songs of the year. 2009 was loaded with invigorating music. My goal was to pick my 20 favorite songs. This is not a “best of” list. REPEAT: This is not a “best of” list. Just songs — some mainstream, some obscure — that pleased my eardrums and captured my attention. Hope you enjoy!

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