Now that all the written pieces are out of the way, I wanted to share with you the collection of photos that I took at this year’s Lollapalooza. Before we dive in, I want to make sure you’re aware of a couple things. First and foremost, I was not given a press photography pass for the festival. That means I didn’t have the opportunity to stand right next to the stages and zoom in to get photos of sweat dripping off the faces of every artist that was up there. When you see Jack White looking like an ant in one of these photos, that was taken from pretty far back. I like to think that most of these photos are still reasonably decent though, and I tried my best to only select the ones that worked. Secondly, what I’m posting below is only a small sample of the total photos I took over the duration of the weekend. If you want to see the all the photos, head over to Facebook for day-by-day sets. Also, if you’d like to gain a little perspective on what bands I saw and the good/bad of it all, simply click this link to see all of my coverage of Lollapalooza 2012. Thanks! Photos are after the jump.
Author: Faronheit Page 126 of 192
This was Lollapalooza’s eighth year in Chicago, and in turn my eighth year in a row attending it. I’ve seen it transform from a tiny little four stage festival on one half of Grant Park to a monstrous behemoth of a fest complete with eight stages and multiple blocks of park space. I’ve stood through oppressive heat, severe thunderstorms, a lack of water and restrooms, gate crashers, mud pits, clinically insane crowds/bands, and those tiny little rocks that always seem to get into your shoes. This year introduced a new slice of fun: the total festival evacuation. And here I thought I’d seen everything. In spite of all those things, I’ve managed to have a whole lot of fun and get inspired by music all over again. It’s become a very well run festival, which I suppose is thanks in no small part to a generous volunteer staff and the huge revenues they make from it every year. Are there things that could still be improved? Sure, but it’s more minor stuff that likely isn’t a pressing concern for anyone. I’ll outline some of that, along with the best and worst music of the weekend right now in my Lollapalooza 2012 Winners and Losers.
I hope you had a grand weekend. As you may have read, mine was spent at Lollapalooza. I’m busy in recovery mode right now, but I’ll have some follow-up posts on it either tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, please enjoy this Monday edition of Pick Your Poison. Featured tracks include ones from DUDES, Jason Collett, Natural Child, Turtle Giant and XOV. In the Soundcloud section don’t miss streaming new stuff from Cult of Youth, John Cale, Six Organs of Admittance and Youngblood Hawke.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Dear Believer (Timmy Terror Remix)
Hot Freak Nation – All The Right Things
Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders – Short Memory
Jason Collett – I Wanna Rob A Bank
Miike Snow ft. Lykke Li – Black Tin Box (Case & Point Bootleg)
Natural Child – Mother Natures Daughter
Of Monsters & Men – Little Talks (The Knocks Remix)
SOUNDCLOUD
Cult of Youth – Garden of Delights
Rizzle Kicks – Epic Dreamers Remix
Well, put another one in the books: Lollapalooza 2012 is over. I had a whole lot of fun (as I do every year) and saw a whole lot of great music (which also happens every year). I’ll have a whole lengthy writeup on the weekend’s big winners and losers coming up in the next couple days, along with photo sets of pretty much every artist I saw. So yeah, there’s a little more Lolla coverage coming your way. In the meantime though, let me get to this quick summary of what happened on Day 3. The weather actually cooperated nicely, with a balmy 82 degree high temperature and barely a cloud in the sky. After the oppressive heat of Friday and the severe weather evacuation of Saturday, having one perfect day was just what the doctor ordered. My mental doctor also ordered that I stay home and rest just a little longer than the previous two days so I could make it all the way through still able to walk. Starting the day at noon or 1 PM and then partying until 2 or 3 AM is not a recipe for good health, so I’ve learned from personal experience. Anyways, here’s what I saw and my very brief impressions.
White Rabbits
They did everything a good band needs to do on stage. They were filled with energy and upbeat sentiments, and physicalized those things into something a crowd could get behind. Their double drummer attack and big melodies were very helpful too. Their albums might be a little lacking in creativity on the whole, but the songs morph into something else entirely when they’re performing them live.
The Walkmen
I very much like The Walkmen, but also promised myself I’d never go see them perform again because nothing could ever top the previous time I saw them. The reason I ultimately watched their set was because there wasn’t anything else good on, and it was on my way before Sigur Ros. In other words, The Walkmen were a choice borne out of convenience. That’s pretty much how they treated their set, too. Frontman Hamilton Leithauser may wail up a storm on stage with his gravelly voice, but there’s not much substance beyond that. So no, they were unable to do better than the last time I saw them.
Sigur Ros
Not only was Sigur Ros’ set one of my predetermined highlights of Sunday, but for me it was a highlight of the entire festival. While I was (and continue to be) upset over their 4 PM time slot (they performed at 8:30 PM at the Osheaga Festival two days earlier), it didn’t seem to matter much to the band. They were the same as they always are, soft, beautiful and somber melodies with explosive crescendos made of pure brute force, the whole thing anchored by Jonsi’s angelic voice. New song “Varúð” was part of their shortened festival set, and it fit in perfectly. With the vast size of Grant Park as their canvas, the band accompanied by their orchestral friends in Amiina painted a picture so beautiful you couldn’t help but be inspired.
Toro Y Moi
I wish I could say a lot of nice things about this set. The last Toro Y Moi record was really good, and hopefully the one coming out later this year will be too. The new songs previewed sounded solid, but then again so did pretty much everything. It was a lovely dance party if you were only listening to it, but watching was a whole other matter. The band may have been bobbing their heads while performing, but frontman Chaz Bundick didn’t seem to know how to engage the crowd. In other words, it was good, but it could have been much better.
At the Drive-In
If you saw At the Drive-In perform when they were still together over a decade ago, you understand the power of their performances. They’re high energy and intensely fun, with Cedric Bixler-Zavala as key ringleader and mischief-maker. Watching them reunited at Lolla, they haven’t lost a single step. Jumping off the bass drum and throwing the microphone stand into the air are just a couple of the wild things that happened during their set. Even technical difficulties couldn’t stop them from entertaining the crowd, filling the time with awkward stage banter that encouraged people to throw their shoes on stage. What’s missing in the end is only a deeper connection to the crowd. ATDI are a band of the people, and having them perform atop a high stage was almost like the difference between animals in the zoo and animals in the wild. So long as it’s not life threatening, you want to be as close to the animals as possible.
Chairlift
After their set was cancelled thanks to the storm on Saturday, DJ Mel was bumped from Sunday evening’s lineup to make room for Chairlift instead. With a new album full of really catchy synth-pop songs to perform, they dove right in and never looked back. With Florence + the Machine having just finished their set at the neighboring stage and Jack White set to start on the opposite side of the park, odds were against Chairlift. The stage may have been larger than the one they were originally scheduled to perform on, but the crowd was arguably smaller thanks to those tough time slot choices. Their set left me pleased, especially when frontwoman Caroline Polachek spun around or clapped/snapped. Call it a harmless but rather enjoyable late Sunday night set.
Jack White
In case you didn’t know it already, Jack White is the MAN. He’s one of the best guitar players living today, and to hear him tear a song to shreds is invigorating and inspiring. Naturally then, his headlining set was exactly that, along with a fair amount of showmanship to elevate the whole thing. There was the blue and black color scheme, and the two different backing bands, one all male and the other all female. They switched them out in the middle of the set, and thanks to the quiet duet of “Love Interruption” it went seamlessly. There was material from his solo debut album, with a handful of tracks from his other projects including The White Stripes, The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs. There were even a couple covers thrown in for good measure. Of the three major stage headlining performances I saw this past weekend, this was easily my favorite.
Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2012 was a short one. That is to say, a few hours were cut out due to inclement weather. By “inclement” I mean severe storms the likes of which Chicago hasn’t seen in a little while. They evacuated Grant Park for the first time in Lollapalooza history, undoubtedly scared at the prospect of a potential stage collapse that might kill some people. So from about 3-6 PM no bands performed and while some were rescheduled, others were cancelled entirely. One of the bands I was most looking forward to, Chairlift, was unable to perform as a result. But I did get to catch a few bands on Saturday, mostly after the storm. Here’s a quick summary of what I saw, which I will expand upon at a later date.
GIVERS
The only band I saw before the evacuation, and they were the perfect start to my day. Their upbeat energy was contagious, and the crowd was totally into it. They stuck with the great stuff on their debut album In Light, and made it even more exciting and catchy than ever. GIVERS are definitely going places.
FUN.
After the evacuation and rain delay and the release of a revised schedule, I was with some people that desperately wanted to see FUN. I went along for that ride, even as two of my favorites The Tallest Man on Earth and tUnE-yArDs were also playing at the same time. One thing I learned is that people love FUN. They love FUN. in the same way people love Neon Trees and the like. I am not a fan, but stood there trying to understand the appeal. What I took away from their set was that they’re high energy and really appreciate their fans. They’re also a little better than what their hit single might suggest. So there’s that.
The Weeknd
After a food and restroom break that took far longer than anticipated, I stumbled through the mud to see half of The Weeknd’s set. Turns out Abel Tesfaye (the man behind the project) is a pretty strong live performer. As a full band, they haven’t put on too many live performances, but you wouldn’t know that from watching them. Tesfaye’s vocals are the heart of it, and while he’s not quite Frank Ocean, he’s of comparable quality, which is meant as a compliment.
Bloc Party
The last time I saw Bloc Party was the last time they played Lollapalooza a few years ago. I wasn’t too impressed then, and apparently neither was frontman Kele Okereke. He said that he didn’t enjoy his last Lolla experience, but was having a much better time this time. It sure sounded like it too, as their set was better and more memorable than before. They kept the tempos strong and the hits coming. The couple new songs they played felt a little shaky, but maybe that’s how they all start before you’ve heard them a hundred times.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
What can I say about this performance. I’ve seen RHCP a couple times now, and they tend to be okay live. The live versions of their songs often have a little extra kick to them thanks to a funky bass solo from Flea or extended outros and such. Flea remains the band’s stronghold and focal point, the only real treasure now that John Frusciante is not with them anymore. Anthony Kiedis does all sorts of posturing on stage, but the real tragedy was that he seemed to forget a few lyrics. It made things interesting, to be sure. That, and the off-key renditions of RHCP hits done by every single person standing around me made for a pretty shrug-worthy performance.
Frank Ocean
Due to the modified rain delay schedule I didn’t see, I had no idea when Frank Ocean was performing. Somewhere around 10 PM I wandered over to his stage, and he’d been on for at least a 20 minutes or so. Because I also had an aftershow to go to and sets were pushing well past the curfew time, I couldn’t stay and watch the rest of Ocean’s set. I caught 3 songs, and they were all spectacular. His album Channel Orange is one of 2012’s best, and as a live performer he makes every single kind word said about it justified. The man is now a bonified superstar in both the studio and on stage. It was probably the most impressive thing I saw all day, even if it was only 15 minutes worth.
With Day 1 of Lollapalooza 2012 in the books, let me give a very brief rundown of all the bands I saw today, and my on-the-spot reactions to their sets. I’ll have photo sets for you and some longer collected thoughts once the weekend officially wraps up. Until then, my Twitter account is the best way to keep up with all the happenings in Grant Park, though my reception has been spotty at best. I may have social media blackouts for a few hours as a result. I’ll do my best to keep you all updated as possible though.
Yellow Ostrich
I only saw the last half of their set. They were dealing with sound issues and to me came off as lackluster and not the best way to start my day.
The War on Drugs
This is where I should have started my day. The band also had some sound issues, but got them cleared up quickly and put on a very rousing set anyways. Better than I anticipated it to be, too.
Sharon Van Etten
I’ve seen Sharon Van Etten twice before, and this third time was probably my favorite. Her band seemed tighter than ever, and her vocals were seeped in emotion. She didn’t even need to use words. Her tone said it all.
Tame Impala
Big crowd for these guys, who I really like on record. Turns out they’re just pretty good live. Maybe it’s more that their psychedelic songs aren’t as friendly when you’re outside in 90 degree heat.
The Afghan Whigs
Dressed in all black, the band hit every necessary note in their amazing catalogue. They played like they hadn’t lost a beat, and Greg Dulli wailed like a man possessed. Tragic that so many went to see Metric instead of this classic band. Oh, and lest I forget, their cover of Frank Ocean’s “Lovecrimes” is one of my early weekend highlights.
Die Antwoord
Here’s my other weekend highlight. I wouldn’t consider myself a Die Antwoord fan, and I don’t really listen to their records often, but they surprised me in a big way with their live show. They’re super energetic and weird (in a good way). They worked hard enough to make their set very memorable, and for that I give them full credit.
Passion Pit
With the reported mental health issues frontman Michael Angelakos is going through, I was concerned how it might affect the band’s live show. Turns out, not at all. They’ve gotten even better since the last time I saw them a few years ago, and the absolutely massive crowd was eating up every last note.
The Shins
I had to jump away from Passion Pit to see The Shins because I really like both of their latest records. I only wound up hearing a couple of new tunes, supported mainly by classic standbys off the Chutes Too Narrow album. Honestly, that was perfect for me. It lacked the outward fun party energy of Passion Pit, but offset that with great attention to detail.
M83
I think this was the biggest crowd I was in all day. I could only stay for 20 minutes before having to run across the park for Black Sabbath, and what I was able to hear was excellent but not nearly loud enough. The crowd seemed to only care about the hits on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, because classics like “Teen Angst” and “Colours” were met with shrugs. Too bad.
Black Sabbath
I never paid that much attention to Tony Iommi before, but after their set I was convinced he’s one of the 10 best guitarists still living today. The man hit every note with precision, and that’s with questionable health too. Ozzy was Ozzy, playing ringleader and encouraging the crowd to cheer louder or throw their hands up or whatever. He was mostly on target vocally, but slipped now and then, something all too easily forgiven considering his age and history. Bill Ward is certainly missed, however fill-in drummer Tommy Clufetos did an admirable job, especially on some big solos. The band hit all the important marks, including “Iron Man,” “War Pigs” and “Paranoid.” I wish them all the best and don’t regret missing The Black Keys for a second.
Happy Friday! I’m at Lollapalooza all weekend long, so I’d like to encourage you to check in with the site for my daily recaps of all the action happening in Grant Park. If you’re going to be there, even if it’s for a single day, don’t miss my preview guide with suggestions on what acts to see and when. For live updates about what’s happening, check in with me on Twitter. Hopefully I’ll have plenty of fun commentary there too. For everyone else, please enjoy this Friday edition of Pick Your Poison. I’m happy to recommend tracks from Blanche Blanche Blanche, Denver, Menahan Street Band, North Atlantic Drift, Ormonde, Peace, and Solidisco. In the Soundcloud section, stream songs from Boys Noize, Groove Armada, Teengirl Fantasy, and Bonde Do Role/CSS side project Madrid.
Bart Finks – Pain in My Pocket
Blanche Blanche Blanche – Green Light
Brendan Hines – Could’ve Sworn
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – One Love to Another (Aqua Remix)
Foy Vance – Something in the Water
Janka Nabay ft. Bajah – Nar London
La Boum Fatale – Rumple (9b0 Remix)
Menahan Street Band – The Crossing
Ninjasonik – This is How We Treat ‘Em (ft. Hollywood Holt & Million $ Mano)
North Atlantic Drift – Albatross
Seamonster – Normandy Landscape
Thomas Bryan Eaton – Last June
Tropical Popsicle – Ghost Beacons
SOUNDCLOUD
Groove Armada – Pull Up (ft. Slarta John)
kilo kish – Watergun (Prod. by The Internet)
Lollapalooza weekend is literally right around the corner, and if you’re going I want to make sure you’re aware of my preview guide to help ensure you see the right bands and artists all weekend. I’ve also put together Spotify playlists for each individual day that you can listen through to learn more about the acts performing. It should be a great time, and I hope you’ll either be there or check in for daily recaps of everything going on. Moving onto today’s Pick Your Poison, let me give a hearty thumbs up to tracks from Bad Cop, Fine Times, The Luyas, Poolside’s remix of Matthew Dear, Tidelands, Turbo Fruits and another new song from Wavves instrumental side project Sweet Valley. In the Soundcloud section, you should definitely stream tracks from The Child of Lov, Faun Fables, Indian Handcrafts and Land Observations.
Avicii – Fade Into Darkness (Young Bloods Bootleg)
Brandon De La Cruz – Two-Headed Boy Part 2 (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
Chew Lips – Hurricane (The Hotel/Last Night in Paris Remix)
Ellie Goulding – Hanging On (VOODOO FARM Moombahton Remix)
Josephine Foster – Child of God
Matthew Dear – Her Fantasy (Poolside Remix)
Picture – Everything Time (Fort Romeau’s Midnight Dub)
SOUNDCLOUD
Hey friends! I’m happy to present you with Faronheit’s Guide to Lollapalooza 2012. Whether you’re headed to the festival this year or would just like to learn a little more about the artists performing on this year’s lineup, hopefully this guide will point you in the direction of the acts you won’t want to miss. Before we get started, I should go over a few details to help you interpret this properly. The purpose of this guide is not to analyze every act on the lineup and weigh who you should go see at what particular time. Simply put, I picked 10 acts from each day, irregardless of what time they are playing, and attempted to explain why they’re worth seeing. It’s a very good lineup this year, so choosing only 10 from individual days was tough, but I like to think this is distilled down to help you have the best possible Lollapalooza experience. I should note that some of the small side stages and Perry’s go largely ignored in this guide, because I think if you want to know where to go for dance parties or American Idol runner-ups, you can find them yourselves. Speaking of finding things, make sure you look at the festival map before going to Grant Park, if you’ve never been before. Knowing where the stages are located and that it’s a 15 minute walk from one side of the park to the other is very, very important. In the guide below, I’ve indicated when and where the acts I’m recommending are performing, and they’re ordered by time slot to help plan out your day. Additionally, if you’d like to hear music from the artists I’ve mentioned below, along with a bunch of other acts, there are links to individual day Spotify playlists for your enjoyment. I’ve structured those playlists thematically rather than by time slot to provide you with the best possible listening experience. All that said, I hope you’re ready to have a lot of fun this weekend. Drink plenty of water, dip yourself in sunscreen, and try to rest whenever possible. Those are my tips for surviving the weekend. Without further ado, click past the jump to view my Guide to Lollapalooza 2012!
I’m very saddened to hear that Elephant 6 co-founder and Olivia Tremor Control member Bill Doss has passed away. He was 43 years old. His cause of death has not yet been announced. What’s somewhat strange about it is that I just saw him perform with The Olivia Tremor Control a couple weeks ago and he seemed perfectly fine. I suspect his friends and family thought the same thing. I think most people that die so suddenly, it’s later determined that they had some sort of body issue nobody was aware of, like an enlarged heart or something. Who knows what the official cause was, though I suspect it didn’t have anything to do with drugs or alcohol. If you’d like to attend the memorial service for Doss, it’s taking place this Saturday from 2-4 p.m. at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. In lieu of flowers, his family is also asking for donations to Nuci’s Space, an organization that works to help prevent suicide and assist with depression and other mental disorders affecting musicians. You can click here to donate. As for what this means about the future of the Olivia Tremor Control, we will see. They were in the middle of recording a new album, so we may get a few more Doss-fronted songs in the near future. In the meantime, let’s continue to mourn the loss of another important musician and great talent. Onto today’s Pick Your Poison. Good and interesting tracks from AM, The Asteroid Shop, Dog Society, Fold, IlldotLogic and Scarlett Johansson with Lulu Gainsbourg.
Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Blackbird Blackbird Rework)
Alison Valentine – Peanut Butter
AM – Me and My Arrow (Harry Nilsson cover)
Erik Gundel – The Mountains Grow
Fold – Mr. President, We’re in Trouble
Hot Chip – Night & Day (Jericho A.D. Remix)
Jon Samuel – First Transmission
RUMTUM – New Lands/Sea Gypsies
Scarlett Johansson & Lulu Gainsbourg – Bonnie and Clyde (Serge Gainsbourg cover)
SOUNDCLOUD
It’s a relatively weak week for new album releases, which is just fine by me. We’re gearing up for a big fall with new stuff from Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear, among others. For those looking to pick something up from your physical or digital music retailer, be aware there’s new stuff out this week from Allen Stone, Black Swans, Blur (Their 21 box set), IlldotLogic, Joshua Radin, Major Lazer, Reel Big Fish, Sacred Caves, Shannon McArdle, and Wildlife Control. If you’re really looking to hear a great new record though, next week my Class of 2012 artist Blonds will be releasing their debut LP The Bad Ones. You can stream the whole thing right now exclusively at Stereogum. For individual songs though, look no further than right here and this edition of Pick Your Poison. Don’t miss some strong mp3s from Balmorhea, Gemini Club, THe Helio Sequence, Mapuche, Trails and Ways, Vitalic and White Poppy. The Soundcloud section has some great audio streams too from the likes of the A$AP Mob, Beak>, Children and Mungolian Jetset.
Bryan Ellis – Skinny Luv (Bon Iver cover)
Carried By Waves – For the Absent
Dikembe – We Could Become River Rats
Freddy Hall – Hold Love, Keep It in Your Hands
The Prodigy – Hyperspeed, G-Force Part 2 (12INCHPT Remix)
SOUNDCLOUD
A$AP Mob – Bath Salt (ft. Flatbush ZOMBiES)
According to the dictionary, a purity ring is a “type of promise ring that pledges abstinence.” In more plainspoken terms, by wearing a purity ring you promise to not have sex until you get married. As many who wear purity rings will claim, the wait is worth it. How fitting then for a band calling themselves Purity Ring to make us wait a long time before releasing their first full length album. First appearing in early 2011, they began releasing single after single, like a trail of breadcrumbs to keep us interested and engaged. It helped that they were really good songs, too. Describing their sound can be a little difficult, but it’s fair to say they’re like a more pop-driven version of The Knife or Crystal Castles, pairing skittering hip hop-esque electronic beats with often masked female vocals. The duo of Corin Roddick and Megan James are responsible for the project. Roddick handles the instrumental side, and James does vocals and lyrics. Their first single “Ungirthed” did just about everything right, fusing together little electro plinks with surges of bass, and James’ vocals playfully floating above it all. It was fun and surprisingly addictive, which was a trend that continued with additional singles like “Belispeak” and “Fineshrine.” A grand total of five out of eleven songs off their new album Shrines were released leading up to it, and there wasn’t a weak track among them. Now with the whole thing available for your consumption, the great news is that their previous success wasn’t a fluke. Even the non-singles carry hints of being potential future singles, and this record is so jam packed with them it can be a challenge to pick out the highlights. On any given day you might fall in love with “Crawlersout,” only to have “Lofticries” dig its claws into you the next time around. That’s a good sort of problem to have, though for fans that have been keeping up with the band since 2011, some of those earliest tracks will always be considered noteworthy moments. Newcomers to the Purity Ring bandwagon may initially find inspiration in certain songs, though the entire record might start sounding like an amorphous blob after awhile. Such a reaction is completely natural given that the template tools used to make this album don’t really change from track to track. Even the lyrics are thematically similar, filled with vibrant body imagery. “Sea water is flowing from the middle of my thighs,” James sings at the start of “Crawlersout.” The very next song is “Fineshrine,” where she encourages somebody to “cut open my sternum and poke my little ribs around you.” From the ringing ears and clicking teeth of “Ungirthed” to the sweating lips and starving hips of “Saltkin,” and even to the album cover featuring disembodied hands and lungs, Purity Ring are very easy to figure out, even if their distinct sound and lyrics can be challenging. It’s the angle they approach each melody and hook that makes the difference, rewarding close listening. If Shrines has a failure, it comes via the mid-album oddity of “Grandloves.” Isaac Emmanuel of Young Magic shares vocal duties with James in what feels like an ill-advised duet where he tries on his best computer-glitchy Beck impersonation. The song’s not bad by any means, but really more pedestrian and uninspired than everything that surrounds it. Otherwise it’s a very impressive debut from a band that continues to change and evolve with time. It might take them a few years to finally generate a follow-up LP, but if history is any indication, we’ll be hearing a new song or two or five before then. If it’s anywhere near as good as what we’ve been given on Shrines, it truly will have been worth the wait.
Because there hasn’t been an extraordinary amount of talk about it here on this site, I want to take a brief moment to mention Lollapalooza 2012 and how I’ll be covering it. In the past, I’ve gone all out for Chicago’s biggest music festival. I’ve devoted more than a week to covering it in full, providing preview guides and mp3s and all sorts of other goodies to try and ensure your festival-going experience was as good as it could possibly be. This year, I’m still hoping to make your Lollapalooza experience great, I’m just condensing my coverage of it a little bit. Today would normally be the when I start in on that sort of thing, but for 2012 it’s not going to happen until Wednesday or Thursday. And while I’m happy to provide day-by-day preview guides on what artists to see, I won’t be going hour-by-hour, instead simply selecting artists you shouldn’t miss on each day no matter what time they’re on. During the festival I’ll have daily recaps for you, and once it’s all over I’ll have a wrap-up post with a bunch of photos. I don’t so much want to reduce my coverage as I feel like I have to in order to maintain my sanity. With such a huge festival, it’s a lot harder to cover than say the Pitchfork Music Festival. So I’ll do what I can, and I hope you’ll check in on the main page to see what’s happening whether you’re going or not. Okay, let’s do Pick Your Poison for this Monday. There’s some good music in this batch, so be sure not to miss songs from Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Lovely Bad Things, Modern Rivals, The Mountain Goats, R. Stevie Moore and The Sea and Cake. In the Soundcloud section, hear my Class of 2012 artist Blonds cover the latest Dirty Projectors single.
Eleni Mandell – Never Have to Fall in Love Again (ft. Benji Hughes)
Jenee Halstead – Bitten by the Night
Letting Up Despite Great Faults – Visions
Lovely Bad Things – I Just Want You to Go Away
Mac DeMarco – My Kind of Woman
Modern Rivals – Defenestrate You
The Mountain Goats – Cry for Judas
Ryan Helsing – Our Gift Is Our Wish
Wolf Rider – For You (Travelin Bags)
SOUNDCLOUD
Atlas Genius – Trojans (Fred Falke Remix)
Blonds – Gun Has No Trigger (Dirty Projectors Cover)
Who’s got Olympic Fever? It’s a dangerous disease that people seem to come down with once every two to four years. Not everybody is affected, but there are certainly warning signs to watch out for. Obsession with torches is one of the gateways, along with suddenly caring about sports you either don’t normally like or would never play in a million years. Would you watch a professional swimming or diving competition where all the participants are from your own country? They don’t normally televise those things for a reason. When it’s international and the Olympics though, suddenly it’s on for 2 hours and you’re hooked. Personally, I try to stay away from the Olympics as much as possible. It’s not that I dislike them or the idea of supporting my country, but instead just the opposite. If I give in and start watching, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop. In other words, I would immediately come down with Olympic Fever, and the only way to cure it is when the two week sports competition ends. I’d rather not get sucked in if I can. Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t resist. If you can hold off from watching the opening ceremonies or weekend events long enough to check out today’s Pick Your Poison, it’s a great one. Top picks today include tracks from Crystal Castles, Field Report, Lymbyc Systym, Rosco Bandana, Suburban Living and Tough Guys of America. The Internet’s (of Odd Future) remix of alt-J’s “Fitzpleasure” is quite good too. Have a great *Olympic* weekend!
alt-J – Fitzpleasure (The Internet of Odd Future Remix)
Birds & Batteries – The Golden Age of Dreams
The Cringe – Rushing Through the World
Field Report – Taking Alcatraz
Flosstradamus – Rollup (Baauer Remix)
Lymbyc Systym – Prairie School
Shy Around Strangers – It’s Alright
Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Paperskin (ManyColoredBeast Mix)
Suburban Living – I Don’t Fit In
Windsor Drive – I Don’t Feel It
Zulu Pearls – No Heroes No Honeymoons
SOUNDCLOUD
If you’re going to pick a band name as emotionally evocative as Eternal Summers, you’d best have the material to back it up. People get excited about summer, because it means time off from school or work, warm weather, and lazy days by the pool or lake with family and friends. It’s a special season to say the least, and one we often wish would go on forever. The road hasn’t always been paved with sunshine and blissful happiness for Eternal Summers though. They’ve spent the last few years in relative obscurity, part of a somewhat secret music community in their hometown of Roanoke, VA called Magic Twig. It’s a loose collective of musicians that work with one another without much regard for official band membership. They have their own recording studio and embrace the DIY/lo-fi aesthetic. Guitarist/singer Nicole Yun and drummer Daniel Cundiff met that way, and with their minimal pop powers combined they became established enough to earn a record deal. After a couple of EPs, 2010 saw the release of their first full length Silver. While it certainly achieved some degree of measurable success, reviews weren’t exactly glowing with affection for the duo. Then further tragedy struck: while on tour, their gear was stolen. Yun’s special Parker Nitefly guitar was among the losses, and she didn’t have the money to pay for a new one. Other guitars didn’t quite have the sonic range to pull off some of their songs, so to compensate for the low end they brought in bassist Jonathan Woods. Becoming a three-piece has fleshed out Eternal Summers’ sound more than ever, as has their decision to outsource the mixing of their new album Correct Behavior to New York, where The Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner and producer Alonzo Vargas took care of it. They may have been concerned about letting other people have some degree of control over their sound, but the end product really shines positively on the growth of the band and provides the leg up needed to get the attention they deserve. Helpful as these changes might be, in the end they don’t amount to much if the songs themselves aren’t good. Thankfully Eternal Summers don’t have that problem, as this album features stronger lyrics, more confident vocals and more candy-coated hooks than anything they’ve ever done before. First single “Millions” kicks things off in a very bright and bouncy fashion, really hammering home the fuller sound and putting Yun’s vocals at the front of the mix. “I’ve got to shake this shell and break it into millions,” she sings, and while it’s supposed to represent a new found freedom in your life, in many ways it also feels like the band is starting fresh and embracing the same ideals. That same intense energy and playfulness continues to carry on through super addictive songs like “Wonder,” “You Kill” and “I Love You.” All together those first four songs make for one of the best starts of any record so far this year. Cundiff’s drumming is propulsive in exactly the ways it needs to be, especially on more punk rock numbers like “You Kill” and “Girls in the City.” Yun also gets in some intelligent guitar solos on “Wonder” and “Heaven and Hell,” likely the result of not having to worry about being the only guitar in the band anymore. There are a few moments where Correct Behavior slows down, which help balance out the record nicely and give you a chance to catch your breath. “It’s Easy” and “Good As You” are dreamy and beautiful in all the ways they need to be, holding your attention when they very well could have killed the mojo established by the quicker, more upbeat tracks. Perhaps the biggest standout on the entire album comes right in the middle with “Girls in the City.” It’s the only track where Cundiff handles the vocals, and the post-punk melody blended with his very cut-and-dry baritone makes it comparable with something you’d hear from Joy Division or Crystal Stilts. Eternal Summers showed hints of such influences on their previous releases, however it’s never come across as clearly as it does here. The only real problem is that it doesn’t mesh as well with the breezier pop stuff that’s all over the rest of the record. Finding a better way to incorporate new and different styles is one of the things they can work on for their next long player. In the meantime, Correct Behavior goes a very long way towards making Eternal Summers the sort of band you want soundtracking those times of fun in the sun.
