October was sort of a blur for me, really. I spent a large portion of the month listening to nothing but Andrew Bird. This isn't a bad thing, it's just a thing, because Andrew Bird's music makes everything better. Guess that tells you the kind of month that I had. Here's a little mix of what I was listening to this past month, including Mr. Bird.

A bit of a quiet week overall, and yet I still will be finding myself at two, maybe three, shows. I'll be at Dawes on Wednesday and Johnny Flynn on Friday, and thinking about catching the Heavy on Saturday. Busy week. If you see me, say hi!

The guys of Cadillac Sky have all of the elements that make a great live show: entertaining band members, catchy songs, great senses of humor, and some serious talent. Their opening sets for Mumford & Sons definitely converted me into a huge fan.

Fact: Young Buffalo are not actually a herd of buffalo. They are, however, pretty darn young looking. Like I needed to feel any older this week.

Witty banter would mean nothing without stellar music to back it up, and fortuately, Mumford & Sons have continued to deliver on that mark. Their performance is tight, without skipped beats or botched notes, but not so polished as to feel inauthentic.

Good morning, friends. While I'm still trying to process my Epic Mumford Roadtrip, have a list of great shows coming up this week. The list's a little overwhelming to me right now, as I weigh my need for sleep against my need for More Live Music.

Sensitive, dreamy pop can even make Katy Perry's music (for a given value of 'music') better.

If you're looking for me this week, I'll be on my Mumford Midwest Mini-Roadtrip. (I can't think of another word with M. Migration, maybe?)

The trio steps into an old tradition of storytelling and instrument swapping. Genuine Negro Jig is a bonafide bluegrass record; even their cover of 2001 pop hit “Hit ‘Em Up Style” sounds like it’s straight out of a scratchy 1920’s record.

What happens when you combine an instrumental song and a bunch of ambitious musicians? Why, this mash up of RJD2's "A Beautiful Mind" with "Nature Boy", as sung by Nat King Cole, of course. Add in a music video shot live in one continuous shot, and you've got something pretty memorable.