The National lived up to its headliner status Saturday night, drawing heavily from the band's last album, "Boxer." Why aren't these guys more popular? About Today (live) - The National Doom What was really cool about this year's fest was the strength of the schedule during the day, from Saturday's opener Cymbals Eat Guitars to early Sunday eve's M83. Both days featured strong performances by [...]
Damian Abraham bit open beach balls, took off his shirt and planted himself in the audience to deliver a searing hardcore performance at Pitchfork Saturday. His band, Fucked Up, will never get any mainstream radio play but the 300-pound Abraham is one of the best showmen in indie rock today.
It didn't take Jesus Lizard frontman David Yow long to establish himself Friday night. He took a running leap off stage into the crowd on the first song. Not bad for a guy in his late 40s. He even did a little comedy (see the video below). The Jesus Lizard was the third and, by far, most entertaing act at the first night of Pitchfork. Yo La Tengo played a solid set just before Jesus Lizard, while opener Tortoise was just boring. The headliner Built to Spill was competent but [...]
If you really don't like the Flaming Lips , you should check out Pitchfork fest's other Sunday night headliner, The Very Best . This is a fascinating collaboration between Esau Mwamwaya, a singer born in the East African country of Malawi, and London DJ duo Radioclit. They play an exciting mix of songs that sample, cover and collaborate with popular Western artists (like M.I.A ). Dinosaur on the Ark - The Very Best [...]
When the schedule was first announced it looked like Grizzly Bear was going to headline Pitchfork Sunday. That was until the Flaming Lips were added. Either way, both bands - a study in contrasts - play excellent shows. Expect a perfectly orchestrated chamber-pop performance from Grizzly Bear. As for the Lips: These guys put on one of the most theatrical spectacles of any band playing today. Sunday is chock full of other great artists: Women , The Walkmen , Japandroids , M83 , Vivian Girls [...]
Any festival that opens with Cymbals Eat Guitars and ends with The National is pretty awesome. But Pitchfork's Saturday lineup gets even better. My additional top picks for the day: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart , Fucked Up , Bowerbirds , Beirut and Wavves . But there are a number of other really good bands to see. So take a chance on a band you don't know. The National has been working on a follow-up album to "Boxer" and playing new songs [...]
Built to Spill is Pitchfork fest's headliner Friday, but Yo La Tengo is the band to see. Indie stalwarts for more than two decades, Yo La Tengo is releasing its umpteenth album, "Popular Songs," in September. Friday's performers are participating in Write the Night , which means they'll play songs requested by fans as determined by Web voting. (Sorry, polls are closed.) Hopefully, Yo La fans dug deep into the band's catalog, and we'll get to hear some new songs, too. Also, playing Friday are local heroes [...]
Jack White's latest vehicle, The Dead Weather , releases its debut album, "Horehound," Tuesday. Also featuring The Kills singer Alison Mosshart, the band has a cool sound. I Cut Like a Buffalo - Dead Weather
Here are two more reasons Pitchfork fest is more fun than Lollapalooza : Beirut and M83 . One sounds like music from the old country, while the other could fill the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie. Both gigs are highly recommended. Nantes - Beirut Couleurs - M83
Sad, sad songs. That's what Magnolia Electric Co.'s Jason Molina sings. But, I tell you, he plays a great show and this is one of the best bets for live music in Chicago this weekend. Molina's music reminds me a little of vintage Neil Young with a horn thrown in now and then. Magnolia Electric Co. headlines Schubas Saturday night and the Hideout on Sunday.
I was hooked on the Thermals from the first time I heard the 2006 song "Here's Your Future": God reached his hand down from the sky/ God asked Noah if he wanted to die/ He said, "No Sir, oh, no Sir!"/ God said, "Here's your future: It's gonna rain..." So we packing our things/We're building a boat/ We're gonna create the new master race/ 'Cause we're so pure, oh Lord we're so pure Maybe the Thermals, who play Pitchfork next weekend, haven't changed much in the [...]
Yeasayer's Chris Keating is getting a lot of attention for singing on Simian Mobile Disco's great new song "Audacity of Hope." But Keating will be back with Yeasayer when he plays Chicago next weekend as part of the Pitchfork lineup. Here's an interesting fan-produced video for Yeasayer's standout song "2080." 2080 - Yeasayer
Bloc Party's new song, "One More Chance" got its video release recently. It's pretty funny. The song will be released officially Aug. 10, and, of course, it's been remixed already. One More Chance - Bloc Party One More Chance (Alex Metric Remix) - Bloc Party
Peter King, a Republican congressman from New York, caused a stir over the weekend after he declared the media spent too much time covering a "low-life" like Michael Jackson. He also called the King of Pop a "pervert" and "pedophile."
The Walkmen are working on a follow-up album to the excellent 2008 release "You and Me." No word yet on whether the new one is going continue the meloncholy approach of "You and Me." The Walkmen, of course, can ratchet up the tempo. "The Rat" is probably still the band's best-known song. The Walkmen, which plays Pitchfork fest , performed five songs off "You and Me" for Internet radio station WOXY in May. You can download the set here: WOXY.com Lounge Act - The Walkmen
USA! USA!! USA!!! Now that I have that out of my system, today's freedom post is about a hardcore punk Canadian band called Fucked Up . The band's lead singer, 300-pound Damian Abraham, cuts himself and gets naked in concert. Can you handle any more freedom? USA! USA!! USA!!! Fucked Up made the most exciting album of 2008 ( "The Chemistry of Common Life" ). The 2006 release "Hidden World" and the 2007 album "Epics in Minutes" are excellent, too. This isn't for the faint of heart - it's real heavy-duty punk rock. [...]
The band Women came out of nowhere late last year just in time to pop up on various best of '08 lists. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, the Canadian band's self-titled debut album is a mix of psychedelic-noise-fuzz, lo-fi indie rock. (How's that for a description?) Like most of the bands I'll be featuring over the next couple of weeks, Women plays Pitchfork July 19. Then the guys reportedly take a break to work on a follow-up album. [...]
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart may be the most enjoyable new band of 2009. Imagine a much peppier version of the Jesus and Mary Chain . Unlike the sad-sack songs of JMC, this band's music is full of vigor and energy and should be one of the highlights of this year's Pitchfork . Come Saturday - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Young Adult Friction - The Pains of [...]
A good reason to get to Pitchfork fest's second day early this year: Cymbals Eat Guitars . The New York band often gets compared to Built to Spill and Modest Mouse , but I think it holds its own with an original sound. The songs have a lot of peaks and valleys that go from atmospheric layers to melodic to explosive (not always in that order). The band is touring its self-released album, "Why There Are Mountains." This video was shot by a fan but cut short by venue [...]
Enough from me. Here's what the experts have to say about new Wilco (and Dirty Projectors). Wilco the Song - Wilco
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Big Boi & Theophilus London (feat. TRE LUCE) - 'She Said OK'
