I would like to officially apologize to the Memphis Police Department for speeding here to catch Oracle and the Mountain. I’m sorry, but I only break the law when it’s really, really convenient for me.

I had to catch the only band here who is from Memphis, who is not a rap group, who is somewhat representative of what currently, really goes on around here. (In my tiny head/world anyway.)

I mean seriously, where is all the Memphis music?

(I’m not talking about the Jerry Lee Lewis kind.)

We didn’t have 40 minutes for the Noise Choir? or Vending Machine? or even Lucero or Snowglobe or The Glass or whatever? Adios Gringos maybe? Joint Chiefs? Mouserocket? The Warble? The Subteens? Arma Secreta? I’m nothing that even approaches a music critic, but come on!?

In my head its early Saturday afternoon at the Tom Lee Park BSMF, most people are waiting around on the headliners, and this is the best time to wander and discover something. Preferably from Memphis. We have such an amazing, diverse music scene and it’s lame for it to just lie here dormant at our big “showcase.” I guess Muck Sticky and Saving Able is what the kids want to see.

But I’m not so sure. Maybe I just don’t get it.

Anyway Oracle and the Mountain was great.
We should have more acts like that.

Now that I’ve gotten my single, solitary gripe out of the way; I’m going to have some fun.

Maybe wander over towards the Buddy Guy, Lou Reed area. You guys should come hang out. I hear the draw today is 60,000, but it doesn’t really seem that crowded to me…

(I have pictures, but this computer is bobo… you’ll have to wait. I know you can hardly stand it.)

A corn dog is calling my name.

Cheers.

I just had a quick chat in the backstage trailer with Memphis aristo-crunk crew Lord T & Eloise, who had just wrapped up their set on the Cellular South Stage. The group has a big month ahead, with a slot on the Centeroo stage at the Bonnaroo festival and the release of their second album, “Chairmen of the Bored.” The boys told me this project represents a step forward.

“We were just working it out as we learned what our niche was,” said Cameron Mann, aka the powder-wigged Lord Treadwell. And that niche was hardcore rap, with ever more confident mic work from Lord T, Eloise (Robert Anthony) and Mister E (Elliot Ives). “The songwriting and the delivery is less goofy,” Mann said. “We’ve gotten a lot more props from the street than we did with the first album (”Aristocrunk”).” That street cred helped bring a host of well-known guests, including Skinny Pimp, 8Ball, Kia Shine, Dirt Nasty and Al Kapone.

Musically, new tracks performed today — like “Middle East,” with its sample of Egyptian Lover’s “Egypt Egypt,” and “Back From the Business Trip” — leave behind the pop flirtings of the first disc and go straight hip-hop, drawing from Memphis crunk as well as newer urban styles like Baltimore club and Chicago floss. Whereas Ives produced the majority of “Aristocrunk,” “Chairmen” brings studio help from North Mississippi Allstar Cody Dickinson, keyboard whiz Pat Fusco, Canadian crew The Volunteers, and the Colorado-by-way-of-Memphis jam band Pnuma Trio. Pnuma, in fact, produced the album’s single, “Untuxedo” featuring 8Ball and Kia Shine.

UPDATE (May 14): I adjusted part of Cameron Mann’s quote a few days after this post.

I was finally giving this year’s list of artists a cursory look.

“Hey Bryan did you put the 2008 line up on the site yet or am I looking at last year’s?”

“That’s this year.”

“Oh…”

Not a great prologue. Honestly I don’t understand why anyone would want to hear my opinion on most of these bands. But lucky me, lucky you, guess we’re all going to.

There’s a couple of acts I might not mind sitting through, but I also feel a powerfully less-than-thrilled rant forming at the base of my spine.

But not today, grasshopper.

I was just checking in to make sure I remembered my password anyway.

So, it’s that time of the year again. Time to head down to Tom Lee Park for some music, mayhem and misdemeanors ( … OK, so we here at The Commercial Appeal don’t condone any sort of illegal behavior, but it happens).

We’re in the process of getting some new content on the site for your perusal as you get excited for Music Fest. You’ll notice a few changes this year. First on the list that you’ll see is the AppealTV player located to the right of your screen (assuming, of course, you’re viewing the homepage of our MiM coverage). The staff at AppealTV has been at Memphis in May events for the past two years, so they’ve got things down to a science. Be sure to check back for set-up videos later this week and definitely for their coverage of the ‘Fest of Music this weekend.

For your scheduling purposes, we’ve gone ahead and posted the lineup here. Each band has an individual page with photos, Web sites and information.

This weekend, Michael Donahue will be audio blogging from Music Fest. We also have a plethora of text bloggers who will be keeping you up-to-date on the goings-on.

With all that’s going on, make sure to have a safe and fun weekend.

P.S. If you’ve got photos of your weekend, make sure to send them to our Flickr account (flickr@commercialappeal.com).