Photos: Rock the Bells Tour [Wantagh, NY; 08/03/08]
Photos by Drew Katchen; Above: Nas
Hip-hop royalty reigned supreme as the Rock the Bells tour made a flagship stop at Jones Beach in Long Island yesterday. As if scheduled appearances by Nas, A Tribe Called Quest (including a Q-Tip solo set), De La Soul, Ghostface & Raekwon, Method Man & Redman, Mos Def, Afrika Bambaataa, the Cool Kids, and Spank Rock weren't sensational enough, this Rock the Bells came packed with a few surprises. Pitchfork correspondent Drew Katchen reports:
-- Talib Kweli came out during Mos Def's set and they had a Black Star reunion. People lost their shit.
-- Jay-Z came out during Nas' set and performed "Black Republican" [and, according to Billboard.com, "Success"] with him. Everyone lost their shit.
-- Busta Rhymes came out during A Tribe Called Quest's set, right at the point in "Scenario" when Q-Tip says, "Yo Mr. Busta Rhymes, tell him what I did." People in China, Estonia, and Long Island lost their shit.
Billboard.com also notes that Slick Rick, EPMD, and Pharoahe Monch made guest appearances at Jones Beach. The Rock the Bells cavalcade of hip-hop delights makes a few more weekend stops before the summer is up.
Nas with Jay-Z
De La Soul
Q-Tip with Mos Def
A Tribe Called Quest
Ghostface Killah and Raekwon
Method Man and Redman
Mos Def with Talib Kweli
Afrika Bambaataa
Diplo and Abe Vigoda Join Up for Fall Mad Decent Tour
Top Ranking party magnate Diplo and tropical punk Skeleton kings Abe Vigoda will join forces for a North American tour this fall. The outing is billed as a Mad Decent tour, though Abe Vigoda and fellow tourmates Telepathe have no prior association with the label other than, we assume, mutual respect and admiration.
In addition to Diplo, Boy 8-Bit and-- on some dates yet to be determined-- Blaqstarr will represent Mad Decent on the excursion. We're not entirely sure what Count Dracula and pizza dude up there have to do with all this, but hey, there they are in Jacob Chabot's tour illustration.
Diplo and Abe Vigoda have plenty of summer shows to keep them busy before their joint adventure.
XL Recordings Compiles Early 1990s Club Hits
XL Recordings has dug into its vaults for the release of a compilation called XL Recordings: The First Chapters. The compilation collects dance singles and remixes the label released between 1990 and 1995, including tracks from the Prodigy, SL2, Kicks Like a Mule, and Awesome 3.
XL will release The First Chapters-- out now in the UK-- digitally tomorrow (August 5) in the U.S. The Stateside CD release follows on October 7, featuring a vinyl-esque deluxe gatefold package and collectors' cards for all eight contributing bands.
T.V. Eye: August 4-10
Live Music on T.V. this week:
Monday, August 4:
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Fleet Foxes
FUEL TV: The Daily Habit: the Night Marchers
Comedy Central: The Colbert Report: Apples in Stereo
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Cool Kids
Tuesday, August 5:
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Spiritualized
CURRENT: Sigur Ros @ MoMA
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: N*E*R*D
Wednesday, August 6:
NBC: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: Conor Oberst
FUEL TV: The Daily Habit: Lucero
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Randy Newman
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: the B-52s
Thursday, August 7:
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Conor Oberst
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Alejandro Escovedo
NBC: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: Solomon Burke
FUEL TV: The Daily Habit: the Warlocks
SUNDANCE: Live From Abbey Road: Elbow, MGMT
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Al Green
Friday, August 8:
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Mason Jennings
Saturday, August 9:
PBS: Austin City Limits: Sufjan Stevens, Calexico (rerun)
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Feist (rerun)
FOX: Fearless Music TV: Gogol Bordello, Dengue Fever, Ambulance LTD, Laura Marling
Georgie James Break Up
Photo by Shervin Lainez
August isn't exactly a transitional season, but this particular August seems to be fast turning into a time for bands to move on. On Friday we learned we'll soon lose first-rate firebrands Be Your Own Pet, and today comes the sad news that the members of DC indie-pop act Georgie James have decided to go their separate ways. But Georgie James, we hardly knew thee!
Band principals John Davis (ex-Q and Not U) and Laura Burhenn relayed the letdown in plain terms on their website [via The Washington Post's Going Out Gurus blog]:
After three years, Georgie James is calling it a day. We're proud of the album we made and everything else that we were able to do during our time together. We are both working on our respective solo projects...and hope to have albums out early next year. Thanks to everyone that helped our band over these past few years. And thanks to those who've listened to the music and come out to the shows. It is greatly appreciated. See you around soon.
- John and Laura/Georgie James
Georgie James leave us with one Saddle Creek full-length, 2007's Places, and a couple scattered singles and EPs. Their spirit will live on in the aforementioned solo projects: Burhenn's singer/songwriter work, and Davis' new thing, Title Tracks. Davis hopes to record a Title Tracks album this fall and release it early next year, and he's already recruited a live band consisting of Merideth Munoz (Pash) and former Georgie James associates Michael Cotterman and Andrew Black.
Thanks to reader Nicole Young for the tip.
Lollapalooza Report: Sunday [Scott Plagenhoef]
Photos by Joseph Mohan
Today we conclude our coverage of Lollapalooza 2008.
For Joshua Klein's coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
For Amy Phillips' coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
For Scott Plagenhoef's coverage, click here: Friday
For Matthew Solarski's coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Despite weeks of rumors to the contrary, Barack Obama did not show up to introduce anyone at Lollapalooza. It was, to say the least, a wise move: The presumptive Democratic nominee would have gained nothing from the event, and with the John McCain campaign gaining traction with an ad blitz that attempts to flip Obama's popularity on itself and paint his appeal as that of frivolous celebrity rather than politician, leader, or statesman, appearing at a music festival-- no less one whose big headline-grabbing guest to date was Lindsey Lohan-- would have just provided his opponent more ammunition.
Unfortunately, in the wake of the Ludacris mixtape fiasco, it also would have provided Obama numerous additional associative dangers, opening him up to be tarred with the lyrics and actions and thoughts of anyone else who appeared on the Lollapalooza stages this weekend. This would have been bad enough before boneheaded, self-absorbed Rage Against the Machine fans decided to associate civil disobedience with a total disregard for safety and security, but their actions effectively made it impossible. (As our friend and former colleague Brent DiCrescenzo said in his Time Out Chicago blog: "when Zach de la Rocha complains about 'cops and politicians' at a concert where cops on horseback protected people from injury, it deserves a hearty round of Shut The Fuck Up.")
Kanye West is another artist that self-appointed cultural watchdogs would have loved to associate with Obama. The political right has done an excellent job of keeping its own mouthpieces quiet on the subject of race, gamely ignoring it. One could argue that turning a blind eye toward race (and the lower- and middle-class) isn't restraint so much as an extension of their basic political policies, however-- as famously articulated by West himself. In a country in which serious debates and discussions about complex, multi-level issues such as racial disharmony don't take place, Obama simply couldn't introduce the guy.
Tonight, therefore, it was literally all Kanye. There was no parade of guest stars, as there had been at West's 2006 Lollapalooza appearance. There was no A-Trak, or any other DJ for that matter, and therefore no chunks of time in the set given to bits of records that West produced or grew up with, as there has been at previous shows. Even West's large band-- there seemed to be eight or nine of them, many inexplicably wearing some sort of visor helmet that never served a purpose-- spent the evening clouded in smoke and shadows. Instead, as on the Glow in the Dark Tour, we got 90 relentless minutes of West.
The show's first 25 minutes were performed almost as a non-stop suite, with a headstrong West virtually attacking the crowd and setting the tone for a night in which he seemed dedicated, in the wake of the Bonnaroo disaster, to proving his credentials as a hard-working showman. The one moment in which someone other than West took center stage was his band's abbreviated performance of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" sandwiched between "Hey Mama" and the show-closing "Stronger". With West nodding and smiling and basking in the moment, it almost seemed like some kind of redemption for the guy, and a weird reminder to himself to not rest on his laurels. (Journey were everywhere on Sunday: That same song closed the Gnarls Barkley set, and Girl Talk ended his show with "Faithfully".)
The set itself was a mix between West's darker tracks and/or moments of self-examination ("Can't Tell Me Nothing", "Jesus Walks", "Flashing Lights", "Diamonds From Sierra Leone", a version of "Get 'Em High" in which his voice was filtered through some sort of anti-Auto-Tune that turned it into a deep baritone), Kanye as motivational speaker ("Champion", "Touch the Sky", "Through the Wire", "I Wonder"), and Chicago-centrism ("Homecoming", "Put On", "Hey Mama", plus "Diamonds" opening with a JumboTron shot of the Chicago skyline's distinctive, diamond-shaped Smurfit-Stone Building.) The only outright pop songs performed were "Gold Digger", "Good Life", and "Stronger". Knowing this audience, he made shout outs to the North Side alongside the usual ones for the South and West. (He also may as well have thrown in the North Shore, since a large part of the crowd seemed to be from the affluent burbs.)
West's band, despite being shrouded, deserves a lot of credit for the show's success. As entertaining as A-Trak is live, West now performs like a rock artist rather than a hip-hop one-- his songs, sonically richer than the work of most of his peers, are better suited for it, and his use of a full band means the entire sound isn't just coming from one place. The big criticism of West's production style-- that it lacks an emphasis on rhythm-- weirdly becomes a strength live. Rather than the quickly fired-off and clipped runs through tracks that often characterize hip-hop shows-- a hook from the DJ, a verse or two, onto the next one-- West and his group extended his songs like an art-pop band. His musicians created big swathes of swelling sound, washes and builds and lush expanses that allowed West himself to roam around and, after that bullying opening 25 minutes, begin to inject his personality and ego into the tracks rather than into between-song speeches.
It's what could be classified as the egomania portion of the show that is likely getting headlines today. West at one point went on to ask artists to "push the envelope, advance the design." He rather clumsily went on to point out that in other fields-- some guy in the 70s had a computer the size of a room, and dreamt one day he'd have one inside a phone was his wtf example-- accomplishing something new is always a goal. He also lamented that, unlike in other fields, the greats of music history are placed too high on a pedestal, that contemporary artists and fans are conditioned to believe that they've missed the chance to live in extraordinary cultural times, that their work and their heroes will never live up to those from the past-- a condition that has made cyclical revivalism rather than progression the norm. (Yes, I get the irony that a hip-hop artist would make the complaint.)
OK, I get that this is the Kanye West that people hate, but...hey, he's right. What's more, his cockiness, his drive-- this is exactly what makes Kanye West the world's best pop star. It's what makes him one of the few capital-I Important people making big, communicative music. It's what drives him to experiment and explore with his sound, to seek and assimilate ideas from relatively unusual sources such as Jon Brion or Ed Banger. It's what makes him-- between his "SNL" freestyle, his stage-storming showdown with Justice, his "Stronger"/"Hey Mama" Grammy performance, and that very real and, yeah, brave Katrina reaction-- the only current pop star worth watching at every turn. He's the one figuratively off his publicist's leash ("figuratively" because Def Jam seem smart enough to not to try to box the guy in); he's the one making big gestures and trying to engage with the whole of the world in very demo-split times.
Over the past few years, we've watched West and his regular-guy shtick be replaced by naked ambition and superstardom, two things that are offensive to many listeners who simply want their musicians to be approachable. We need a balance though, and even though it's hilarious and disturbing to many that West admits that he wants to be bracketed with James Brown, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix-- as he did last night-- if not him, who? For all the cheers that are accompanying the major-label hara-kiri this decade, the destruction of the pop star, of the imagination-jarring entry-level musician, will be the quickest route to ensuring that your kid's exposure to music will be limited to songs attached to other mediums: gaming, film, TV, internet, ads-- four out of five of which are arguably already more central to youth and pop culture than music itself.
And part of the fascination of watching West grow in the past few years, is that, well, he's grown. He's a naturally curious guy who has wrestled with fame or fortune or status and intertwined those experiences into his music-- not through a series of shell games, as Eminem did, but in very transparent and honest ways. One result is that he sometimes fucks up-- the guy is willing to look foolish, he's willing to be human, he's willing to be who he is at any given moment rather than who he wants to project.
The thing lost in West's braggadocio-- which has curbed since the Justice incident, actually-- is that he turns his accomplishments into motivational speeches, adding to his "I did it" ethos a sort of "and you can too." His "let's push music forward" functions as a chart pop version of music's DIY pleas-- not necessarily, "do it all on your own," but "go out and produce something" or are the very least "insist on something more than you're being given." Oddly then, West's talking points and his globally curious approach to his work echo the political phrasing of Obama-- and, just as with West, the ambition and drive of Obama is oddly dismissed as elitism or arrogance.
West has allowed his fame to open doors for himself, exploring fashion, architecture, music, travel, and design. It's a stark contrast to the willful incuriosity of those who use their money as a shelter and shrink their world. That same willful incuriosity has, of course, poisoned the policymaking of the U.S. Despite McCain's Obama-as-celeb ads, it's the current administration that instead reflects the self-absorbed, inward-turning, restrictive Spears/Hilton reaction to wealth and power. George W. Bush himself is an Ivy Leaguer from a dynastic political family, he's not a "regular guy"; yet somehow being giving every tool with which to succeed in life and then instead stumbling through much of his adulthood made him approachable and real rather than ill-equipped to lead. Meanwhile, the relative accomplishments and pursuits of excellence from fellow Ivy Leaguers and birth-lottery winners Al Gore and John Kerry were "elitist" and out of touch. (OK, they were also terrible, terrible campaigners.) Somehow, so too now is the bootstrap-pulling efforts of Obama.
Obviously, West is no Obama, and pop music is not politics (and sorry for the soapboxing but 13 weeks before a general election, this stuff should permeate far more of our time and thoughts), but outside of just geography, class, and race, the position each plays within his field is similar-- the internationalist who actually looks beyond our borders when their peers are more focused on regionalism; the unifier who seeks to appeal to all demographics in a culturally Balkanized America; individuals who risk alienating people by saying they have aspirations for themselves, and therefore for the rest of the country, to do and be better. Weirdly, they're each also getting blasted for those same shared impulses.
Beck Covered by Jay Reatard on "Gamma Ray" Single
Beck's own spastic youth is in the past, but he'll get to relive it vicariously through spaz king Jay Reatard's cover of "Gamma Ray" on the Modern Guilt track's forthcoming single. XL will release "Gamma Ray" in Europe on August 11 with Beck's original on the A-side and Jay Reatard's cover on the B-side.
Speaking of Jay Reatard and singles, don't forget that Jay's Matador Singles '08 comes out via Matador in the U.S. on October 7 (October 6 in the UK). His Singles 06-07, meanwhile, is available now via In the Red.
Both Jay and Beck have tour dates scheduled for the coming months. One of Jay's is tonight (August 4) in Dallas.
Lollapalooza Report: Sunday [Amy Phillips]
Photos by Kirstie Shanley and Joseph Mohan; Above: Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley by Joseph Mohan
Welcome to our coverage of Lollapalooza 2008, which concludes today. Check back for reports from Joshua Klein, Scott Plagenhoef, and Matthew Solarski.
For Joshua Klein's coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
For Amy Phillips' coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
For Scott Plagenhoef's coverage, click here: Friday, Sunday
For Matthew Solarski's coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Saul Williams [5 p.m.]
Photos by Kirstie Shanley
As Saul Williams' band took the stage, I overheard a couple behind me talking.
Him: "Should we stay or should we watch Flogging Molly?"
Her: "Are you kidding? Just LOOK at that guy!"
It was unclear exactly which guy she was referring to: the guitarist in a silver space suit, the keyboardist in a sleep mask and Dracula cape, or DJ/percussionist CX Kidtronix, in red and gold hockey pads resembling armor. No matter. Along with Williams, who entered after a hero-welcoming buildup wearing Aladdin Sane makeup and brightly colored plastic feathers in his hair, the ensemble delivered the sartorial highlight of my Lollapalooza weekend. And that was even before Williams' daughter Saturn showed up to sing and dance in a tutu. Additionally, somebody had handed out feathers like the ones in Williams' hair to audience members before the show, increasing the spectacle.
Sometime between 2004's underrated Saul Williams and last year's Trent Reznor-assisted The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! Williams decided that being a slam poet with rock star tendencies was way less fun than being a rock star with slam poet tendencies. This was a wise decision. In concert, his Bomb Squad-esque walls of noise and aggro chanting go down much smoother when hitched to a futuristic glam aesthetic. (Not so smooth: Williams' cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Saul Williams can do many things. Singing is not one of them.)
After commenting about the fact that Kanye West and Nine Inch Nails were competing for Lolla-goers' attentions later that night, Williams said, "My whole purpose is creating music where you don't have to choose." And, against the odds, he has succeeded. In his review of NiggyTardust, Nate Patrin wrote, Williams "is one of those rare artists who justifies the notion of a hip-hop/rock interchange in a post-nu-metal world." But when watching a sea of white kids with feathers in their hair go apeshit to the shuddering "List of Demands (Reparations)", middle fingers in the air, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Rap-rock, black rock, Afro-punk: why are these things so difficult to pull off, so difficult for people to wrap their heads around? Why aren't more artists like Saul Williams capturing the public's attention?
Gnarls Barkley [6:15 p.m.]
Photos by Joseph Mohan Top: Cee-Lo Bottom: Danger Mouse
Gnarls Barkley might come across as a good time party band, but most of their songs are about depression, insanity, self-doubt, and other such party-pooping topics. It was the melancholy side of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse that stole the show at Lollapalooza, eclipsing the early evening chill-out vibe. To answer the first question on everyone's lips when it comes to a Gnarls Barkley gig ("What were they wearing?"): Prep school uniforms for the backing band, mustard-colored sport coats over boating whites for the two main men. Vampire Weekend, watch your backs! The outfits plus the band's bouncing and frugging during upbeat numbers like "Run" and "Smiley Faces" leant the proceedings an air similar to the Nirvana "In Bloom" / Outkast "Hey Ya" video trajectory.
But the party was just not getting started. These "fun" songs felt labored, like everybody was trying too hard-- except for Danger Mouse, who looked like he'd rather be in a recording studio as he hunched over a keyboard or organ or glockenspiel (for the Violent Femmes cover "Gone Daddy Gone"). Cee-Lo danced a bit and exhorted the funky people in the house to make some noise, etc., but he didn't seem completely comfortable. Introducing mega-hit "Crazy", he said wearily, "you've probably heard this song."
When things slowed down, however, it was a different story. Cee-Lo's voice is a formidable instrument, a wheezing yelp that almost doesn't seem human. For the beginning of the mournful "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?", the rest of the band departed, leaving just the two Gnarls principals on stage. Backed only by Danger Mouse's organ, Cee-Lo was given room to stretch out and display the true power of his pipes. They followed with a cover of Radiohead's "Reckoner". It might not seem like it would work on paper, but when Cee-Lo grabbed hold of that gorgeous melody, I got chills.
Mark Ronson [7:15 p.m.]
Photos by Joseph Mohan. Top: Mark Ronson Bottom: Rhymefest
Mark Ronson sure is a nice guy. He gets a plum Lollapalooza slot, right before Kanye, and he gives it away to his friends. This was the last show on his tour in support of Version, his lackluster (yet hugely popular, at least in Britain) 2007 collection of R&B/soul covers of primarily indie rock tunes, featuring a different guest vocalist on every track. Big stars like Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams put in work on Version, but they were nowhere to be found at Lolla. The most famous face on stage was Ronson himself.
After introducing his huge band (string section, horn section, drummer, and conga drum player) with an instrumental medley of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and Maxïmo Park's "Apply Some Pressure", and trying unsuccessfully to get the crowd to sing along with the latter, Ronson brought out some guy named Tiggers to murder Britney Spears' "Toxic". It was deadly...until Rhymefest showed up to save the day. Filling in for the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, who raps on the Version take on "Toxic", the Chicago MC amped up his hometown crowd with his electric stage presence. By the time Rhymefest dove into the crowd, the audience was eating out of his hand. Though it was rumored that a Kanye appearance was imminent, the man never showed, even when Rhymefest launched into their collaboration "Brand New", from his overlooked 2006 album Blue Collar.
But as soon as Rhymefest left the stage, a charisma void set in. Liverpool songstress Candie Payne filled in for Lily Allen on a cover of the Kaiser Chiefs' "Oh My God", perennially unlucky Neptunes collaborator Kenna butchered Ryan Adams' "Amy", though he had better luck with his own "Out of Control", and Australian crooner Daniel Merriweather sucked all the bile out of the White Stripes' "You Don't Know What Love Is". Then it was time for an instrumental version of Coldplay's "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", anchored by a trumpet playing the lead melody. Ugh.
For some reason, Ronson gave the largest chunk of his set to Philadelphia hipster rap duo Plastic Little, who blew through M.O.P.'s "Ante Up", Ronson's "Ooh Wee" (what, Ghostface, Nate Dogg AND Trife were all busy?!), and their own "The Jump Off". They didn't leave much of an impression.
After all that, it was actually a relief when Alex Greenwald of pop-punk band Phantom Planet stormed the stage in true rock star fashion. Though his and Ronson's cover of Radiohead's "Just" is dreadful, Greenwald knows how to work a crowd, throwing his mic stand around, jumping into the pit, and climbing scaffolding. Greenwald brought the rest of Phantom Planet on stage for a run through their hit "California" (aka "The O.C." theme song) with Ronson on piano. As a huge sucker for that song (and anything related to "The O.C." in general), I have to admit, it was pretty sweet.
London soul singer Tawiah took Amy Winehouse's place on the Zutons' "Valerie", and sound-wise, you couldn't tell the difference. Then everybody came out to dance and clap along with Daniel Merriweather's take on the Smiths' "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before".
To be honest, I gotta hand it to Mark Ronson. The whole thing was a huge clusterfuck, the music was mostly terrible, and the crowd didn't know the words to songs that might have been huge hits in England, but barely registered here in America. But Ronson himself came across as goofy and likeable, just a big dork who throws genre distinctions to the wind and wants all types of pop music to be friends with each other. Sure, it was cheesy. And I'd never in my life prefer Ronson's versions of these songs to the originals. But Ronson's enthusiasm was infectious, and I couldn't help grinning.
"Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno" Tour Revealed
Aha, that's more like it! Those feeling a little stiffed by the meager offering of live dates David Byrne served up a short while back can rest easy: the Talking Head has revealed the first leg of a generous world tour, set to storm the States and Canada as summer turns to fall.
This is, of course, the "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno" tour-- which, it bears repeating, features David Byrne but not Brian Eno. Instead, Byrne will focus on Talking Heads and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts material created in conjunction with Eno. I guess you could say he'll be there in spirit.
Look for the North American leg of Byrne's journey to kick off September 16 in Pennsylvania and wrap up November 8, also in Pennsylvania. Mr. Byrne then intends to hit up "Australasia" in early 2009 and Europe this coming March, though those dates have yet to materialize.
What has materialized: "Strange Overtones", the previously mentioned free download off Byrne and Eno's forthcoming Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, which you can nab here now with but the click of a mouse and the sacrifice of an email address (which the guys promise not to use for nefarious purposes). Everything is due in download and stream form August 18, with its physical counterparts slated for release "later in the fall." Cool beans.
Lollapalooza Report: Sunday [Matthew Solarski]
Photos by Kirstie Shanley and Joseph Mohan; Above: The National by Kirstie Shanley
Welcome to our coverage of Lollapalooza 2008, which concludes today. Check back for reports from Joshua Klein, Amy Phillips, and Scott Plagenhoef.
For Joshua Klein's coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
For Amy Phillips' coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
For Scott Plagenhoef's coverage, click here: Friday, Sunday
For Matthew Solarski's coverage, click here: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Brazilian Girls [2:15 p.m.]
Photo by Kirstie Shanley
As Sabina Sciubba strutted on stage in a lacy white getup heavy on the fabric, parasol in hand, hair and makeup done up like Bow Wow Wow's Annabella Lwin, the dusty fields on the south end of Grant Park suddenly felt infused with all sorts of alien and surreal energies. The song was "Strangeboy", and as its otherworldly sounds filled the air I was thinking about punning on genres. Brazilian Girls' brand of polyglot pop isn't world music-- it's otherworld music! Because it's otherworldly! Get it?
:-(
Thankfully the allure of that idea wore off right along with "Strangeboy"'s trance state. Un-thankfully, the Girls' more eccentric and cabaret-esque material began to give way to a stream of their meandering, largely chorus-less offerings, which seemed to lull everyone into a lifeless groove. And then, inevitably, there was silly signature song "Pussy", followed by the requisite gasps and cheers. "Pussy, pussy, pussy"? More like lazy, lazy, lazy.
Black Kids [3:30 p.m.]
Photos by Joseph Mohan
Black Kids, what mixed signals you send us! You call yourselves "kids" and write endearingly precocious pop songs like "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You", then you sing about giving head to statues and implore us to "Listen to your body tonight/ It's gonna treat you right." Your vocalist sounds like Robert Smith on one tune, then Richard Butler on the next. You give away four awesome songs, and now you're trying to sell us six more not so awesome ones.
I guess it's only fitting, then, that this mid-afternoon set was a mixed bag. "Boyfriend" and "Hurricane Jane" provoked ebullient sing- and dance-alongs, and folks were generally receptive, but by the latter third of the set the band was visibly fatigued. Reggie Youngblood can sing, but he often got over-excited and missed the mic slightly, resulting in an uneven vocal sound.
But I do want to take a moment to spotlight keyboardist/backing vocalist Ali Youngblood, whose wide smiles and mischievous big-eyed glances feel genuine and collectively comprise a charm that goes a long way to redeem this band.
Love and Rockets [6:15 p.m.]
Photos by Kirstie Shanley
If there's an audience clamoring for the reemergence of Love and Rockets, that audience wasn't gathered around the Bud Light stage at quarter past six yesterday. Apart from a few scattered bouncers and hand-wavers and swayers, most of the folks in the first couple dozen rows-- many decked out in NIN regalia awaiting the band's headlining set, including at least one gal with the words TRENT REZNOR IS GOD scrawled across her chest and stomach in black marker-- simply stood by and took in this serviceable set with polite indifference while batting a few beach balls about.
Even a personal introduction from Perry Farrell himself-- who declaimed he has been "in love with" Love and Rockets since he was young-- and lively renditions of "It Could Be Sunshine" and "Kundalini Express" failed to really rouse the crowd. Then the grim realization sunk in that without any backup singers or extra microphones in sight, we probably weren't going to hear Love and Rockets' one big hit, "So Alive" (we didn't), and I was all but ready to write this one off, and perhaps suggest that it really ought to have been a big Bauhaus farewell show instead.
And then... this happened:
And it was awesome.
The National [7:15 p.m.]
Photos by Kirstie Shanley
Irony? As I was walking away from a prime spot for the Nine Inch Nails set, the National's Matt Berninger began singing over yonder, "Walk away now, and you'll start a war." And indeed, the internal conflict was something fierce, but I had my assignment-- and heck, I like the National too-- so victory in this war was theirs.
Indeed, I like the National enough that I forgive the occasional dud lyric, though I have to wonder if even Berninger feels a little embarrassed when he sings a line like, "I'm sorry I missed you/ I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain." But hey, at least that song-- Alligator opener "Secret Meeting"-- gives the man a chance to really let loose with the yelling, something he doesn't really get to do with any of the material off last year's excellent Boxer.
Berninger would get that chance two more times, including an electrifying finale of Alligator closer "Mr. November". Rather than go the obvious route in light of the band's recent t-shirt campaign, Berninger instead announced that he was not dedicating the song to John McCain.
But it was during the much more subdued and melancholic "Racing Like a Pro", whilst panning a sea of sun-battered but smiling faces, that it occurred to me: what more perfect post-festival comedown music could one ask for? I even considered skipping NIN altogether, so that I might savor the mood of this moment on the long ride home. I'd ultimately opt to let Trent Reznor shatter that serenity, but what a sublime serenity it was.
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- Dear God, Please Let This Be the Lil Wayne Album Cover
- My Bloody Valentine Announce North American Tour!
- Tom Waits Reveals "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Sigur Ros Line Up Summer Tour Dates
- Coldplay Reveal Viva la Vida Tracklist
- Sigur Rós Announce Full North American Tour
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Saturday]
- Wolf Parade March Out New LP Tracklist
- Photos: Sasquatch! Festival [Monday] (NSFW)
- Beck Announces Summer Tour
- Wolf Parade Announce Summer Tour
- Sonic Youth Reveal Starbucks Hits Comp Details
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Thursday/Friday]
- Sigur Ros Sneak Peeks of New Album, Expand Tour
- Pitchfork's Guide to Record Store Day
- Radiohead, Live Nation Respond to Virginia Washout
- Peter Hook Talks New Order Split, DVD, Joy Division
- Ian Curtis' Gravestone Stolen
- Was Bonnaroo Really M.I.A.'s "Last Gig Ever"?
- Tom Waits Extends "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Pitchfork Festival: Set Times Revealed! Tix Going Fast!
- The New Mogwai Album Tracklist Is Amazing
- Wolf Parade Join the 2008 Cover Art Hall of Fame
- The Conor Oberst Album Cover Is Dreamy
- Built to Spill Reveal Full-Blown Perfect Tour
- Crystal Castles Caught Up in Artwork Controversy
- Photos: Radiohead [West Palm Beach, FL; 05/05/08]
- Girl Talk's Feed the Animals Available Now!
- Radiohead Use Fancy Technology in Camera-Free Video
- The New Mogwai Album Cover Is Disappointing
- My Morning Jacket Announce Lengthy American Tour
- Weezer Reveal "Red Album" Tracklist, Bonus Cuts
- The National Design T-Shirt for Obama
- Arcade Fire Scoring Donnie Darko Dude's New Movie
- Josh Homme Defends Himself: "Homophobic? I'm in Queens of the Stone Age for Crissake"
- Radiohead, Prince at Odds Over Blocked YouTube Vids
- Radiohead to Go "Green" on "Conan O'Brien"
- Feist Does "1234" on "Sesame Street", Adds Dates
- Radiohead, Interpol, Pornos Fete Independents Day
- R. Kelly Not Guilty!!!!
- Crystal Castles Respond to Chip Music Controversy
- Kanye West Responds to Bonnaroo Haters
- Wanna Open for Coldplay?
- Sub Pop Announces 20th Anniversary Bash
- Bob Dylan Big Ups Barack Obama
- OiNK Users Apparently Arrested by British Police
Other Recent News
Mon: 08-04-08
- Photos: Rock the Bells Tour [Wantagh, NY; 08/03/08]
- Diplo and Abe Vigoda Join Up for Fall Mad Decent Tour
- XL Recordings Compiles Early 1990s Club Hits
- T.V. Eye: August 4-10
- Georgie James Break Up
- Lollapalooza Report: Sunday [Scott Plagenhoef]
- Beck Covered by Jay Reatard on "Gamma Ray" Single
- Lollapalooza Report: Sunday [Amy Phillips]
- "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno" Tour Revealed
- Lollapalooza Report: Sunday [Matthew Solarski]
- Cotton Jones (ex-Page France) Sign to Suicide Squeeze
- Lollapalooza Report: Sunday [Joshua Klein]
Sun: 08-03-08
Sat: 08-02-08
Fri: 08-01-08
- Drummers for Boredoms' 88 BoaDrum Revealed
- Kooks Plan Huge Tour, Stir up Olympics Controversy
- Jay Reatard Matador 7" Comp Due in October
- Los Campesinos! to Release Another Album Already
- Be Your Own Pet Break Up
- Bjork's Duet With Antony to be New Single, Video
- Ladytron, Ratatat, SMD, Antipop Do Pantiero
- Atmosphere to "Paint the Nation" This Fall
- Born Ruffians Tour, Four Tet, White Williams Remixes
- David Banner Takes on Critics, Storytelling, Mongooses
- Q-Tip Reveals Details of First Album in Nine Years
- Lollapalooza 2008 Kicks Off Today
Thu: 07-31-08
- Dizzee, Four Tet, White Williams, Bonde Play Underage
- Malkmus Schedules Fall Tour With Blitzen Trapper
- The Donkeys Sign to Dead Oceans for Sophomore Album
- Hot Chip Serve Up iTunes EP in U.S.
- Photos: Bloc Party [San Francisco, CA; 07/30/08]
- The Hives Invade Our Shores Again
- Of Montreal Reveal New Single, Add Love Is All to Tour
- Billy Corgan Sues Videographer Over Shoddy Work
- Mount Eerie, the Blow, Mirah, Kimya Dawson on Comp
- Avalanches Putting "Finishing Touches" on Second LP
- Radiohead, Clap Your Hands Guys Team for Soundtrack
- Deerhoof, Dodos, Nellie McKay Set to Rock Spiegelworld
- Oneida Prep First Album in New Trilogy
- Cut Copy Remix CSS on New Single
- Spoon, Shins, Swell Season on New KCRW Comp
Wed: 07-30-08
- Animal Collective Line Up Fall Dates
- Lips' Christmas on Mars Due on DVD in October
- O'Death Sign to Kemado in U.S., Reveal Third Album
- The Hold Steady Line Up Fall Dates
- Photos: Daniel Johnston and Friends [Dublin, Ireland; 07/28/08]
- Young Jeezy Heralds Recession With New Album
- Murs Runs for President on New Album
- TVOTR Reveal Dear Science, Tracklist, Add Dates
- Jamie Lidell Announces Fall North American Tour
- Madonna, T-Pain Set for Timbaland's 2nd Shock Value
- Campesinos!, Four Tet, Mae Shi Play A Day at the Races
- Britt Daniel, No Age, Les Savy Fav Do MFNW Nike Gigs
Tue: 07-29-08
- James Jackson Toth, the Dutchess & the Duke Tour
- Jack White, Alicia Keys Duet on James Bond Theme
- Silver Jews Documentary Coming to DVD
- Broken Social Scene Tour Behind Solo Albums
- Jay Reatard Preps Fifth 7" for Matador Series
- UPDATE: No Daft Punk Tour in the Works :(
- Bob Dylan Gathers 1989-2006 Rarities on New Set
- Mighty Underdogs [ft. Gift of Gab, Lateef] Prep Debut LP
- SFA, Los Campesinos!, Mae Shi Play Standon Calling
- Tokyo Police Club, Dan Deacon Do Free Yr Radio Shows
- Walkmen Pre-Release Album for $5 Charity Donation
- Robyn Nixes All Points West Set for Madonna Tour
- Devendra Banhart Pens Intro to Poetry Book
- The Streets Announce LP Release Date, Fall Tour
Mon: 07-28-08
- Photos: Pemberton Festival [Sunday]
- Lightning Bolt, Les Savy Fav Cap MBV ATP Lineup
- Photos: Pemberton Festival [Saturday]
- School of Seven Bells Sign to Ghostly, Prep Debut LP
- El Guincho's Alegranza! Worldwide Release Details Set
- T.V. Eye: July 28-August 3
- Photos: Pemberton Festival [Friday]
- Byrne and Eno Announce New, Self-Released Album
- Deerhoof Reveal Fall U.S. Tour
- Tom Waits Hits NPR
- Eric's Trip, Julie Doiron, Think About Life Do Sappyfest
- Photos: Bonnie "Prince" Billy [Jeffersontown, KY; 07/26/08]
Fri: 07-25-08
- Live No Age, Deerhunter, Xiu Xiu, High Places on DVD
- The Chemical Brothers Collect Singles on Brotherhood
- Land of Talk Sign to Saddle Creek in U.S., Prep Debut LP
- Leonard Cohen Expands Tour
- Blur Drummer Rowntree Loses Another Election
- Relive the 1980s on the Regeneration Tour!
- The Faint Kick Off Tour, Add Dates
- Rolling Stones Publisher Sues Lil Wayne
- DFA's Death From Abroad Compiles Supersoul Label
- Nine Inch Nails' Lights in the Sky Tour Launches
- Faraquet Deliver Singles Comp on Dischord
- Iha, D'Arcy Sue Virgin Over Pumpkins Digital Royalties
- Clipse Album Gets Title, Rick Rubin Production
- Roky, Circulatory System, Elf Power Do Athens Popfest
- The Rosebuds Get a Bon Iver Assist on New Merge LP
- LSF, Shellac, Lightning Bolt, Om Play Halloween ATP
Thu: 07-24-08
- GZA Embraces Pro Tools on New Album
- Cold War Kids Announce New Album, Big Tour
- Madlib Remixes Madvillainy, Curates BBE Comp
- Liz Phair Bringing Guyville to Philly, D.C., Boston
- Okkervil River Extend Tour
- Los Campesinos!, Wedding Present Play Indietracks
- Low Plan Late Summer Trek, "Evening With Low" Gigs
- Nadler, Vladislav Delay, Projectors Gal on Charity Comp
- Shellac Schedule Fall Tour
- Wild Beasts Bring Domino Records Debut to America
- These Are Powers Sign to Dead Oceans, Reissue LP, EP
- Nick Cave/Bad Seeds Catalog Gets Deluxe Reissues
- Nick Cave, Wire, Hot Chip, Deacon Play Pop Montreal
Wed: 07-23-08
- Courtney Love Sued Over Nirvana Sale
- Exclusive Franz Track Heads to U.S. on Foe Soundtrack
- The Spinto Band Sign to Park the Van, Prep New LP
- Dr. Dre Eyeing "November or December" for Detox
- Mark Kozelek Drops EP, Tours With/Sans Sun Kil Moon
- Sunset Rubdown Announce Brief Tour
- Bonnie "Prince" Billy to Release Another Live Album
- Gorillaz Become Monkey for "Circus Opera" Soundtrack
- The Dead C Reveal Rare U.S. Tour, New Album, Reissues
- The Mountain Goats Announce Fall U.S. Tour
- Kanye Helps Iraq War Veterans in MTV Documentary
- Xiu Xiu Split 7" With High Places, Plan Photo Project
- Fleet Foxes Cancel Show After Van Breakdown
- Photos: Melt! Festival [Gräfenhainichen, Germany; 07/18-07/20/08]
- Thermals' Harris Talks New LP, Sub Pop, Dolls
- Atlas Sound to Open for Stereolab
- Walkmen, Man Man, Black Mountain Do Rifflandia
Tue: 07-22-08
- Photos: Annie / Stereolab [Tønsberg, Norway; 07/18/08]
- Pinback Tour Into the Autumn
- Photos: Siren Music Festival [Brooklyn, NY; 07/19/08]
- Paul Westerberg Sells New Album for $0.49!
- Photos: Summercase Festival [Barcelona, Spain; 07/18-07/19/08]
- T.V. Eye: July 22-28
- M83 Schedule Fall North American Tour
- Photos: Whartscape Festival [Baltimore, MD; 07/17-07/20/08]
- Cut Copy Announce North American Tour With Presets
- Radiohead, Burial, Neon Neon Make Mercury Shortlist
Mon: 07-21-08
Fri: 07-18-08
- Pitchfork Music Festival 2008: It's On!
- China Imposes Performer Bans After Bjork Outburst
- Julie Doiron Reissues Second Solo Album
- Nas Announces Intimate "Experience" Shows
- Tindersticks Send Saw LP Overseas via Constellation
- Santogold and Diplo Team for Top Ranking Mixtape
- Karen O Debuts New Side Project With Silly Name
- Two More Strokes Pursuing Solo Projects
- Nigel Godrich's "From the Basement" Coming to Cable
- Pornos, Neko, Black Mountain, Ratatat Do Hideout Fest
Thu: 07-17-08
- Jarvis Writing Music for Wes Anderson Kids Movie
- Blitzen Trapper Reveal Furr-y Fourth Album
- All Girl Summer Fun Band Return With Third Album
- T.I., Fall Out Boy Link Up for Nightmare-esque Track
- Sebadoh, Cursive, Faint Members Play Telephone
- Iron & Wine Add More Fall Dates
- Brian Eno Not Touring With David Byrne After All
- GZA, Tortoise, Del the Funky Homosapien Do Forecastle
- Rhino Reissues, Expands Replacements' Sire Albums
- Thao and the Get Down Stay Down Get Out on Tour
- Wire Reveal More North American, European Dates
- CSS Add Bonus Disc to Donkey Preorder
- Killdozer, Neko Case, Shearwater Play Forward Fest
Wed: 07-16-08
- Hold Steady to Star in "Letterman" Sketch
- New Kemado Label Preps Dungen, Marissa Nadler LPs
- Sebastien Grainger (ex-DFA 1979) Signs to Saddle Creek
- Pitchfork Music Festival: Sunday Tickets Sold Out!
- Timbaland to Produce Next Jay-Z Album?
- Nick Cave, JAMC's Hart in Doc on Pop Group Frontman
- Vampire Weekend Extend Tour
- Conor Oberst Launches World Tour
- Low, Tapes 'n Tapes Dudes Play MN Obama Benefit
- Parts & Labor Reveal Details of Listener Supported LP4
- Nike Brings Boredoms' 88Boadrum to L.A., Brooklyn
- Cat Power, Neko Case Set for Next Dexter Romweber LP
- Mount Eerie Talks Julie Doiron Collab, Tons of Releases
- Ariel Pink Plots "Thanks Mom I'm Dead" Tour
- Josh Homme, CSS Singer Spice Up Primal Scream LP
- Spiritualized, Oasis, Bloc Party Play Toronto Virgin Fest
Tue: 07-15-08
- Actually, THIS Is Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping Cover
- Broken Social Scene, Roots, Costello Play Whistler Fest
- Scarlett Johansson Covers the Cure on iTunes Live EP
- M.I.A. Hints at Clothing Line With Weird Video
- Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors on Believer Comp
- Jesu, Tim Hecker, Dntel, Subtle Remix Genghis Tron
- Long Blondes' Cox Still Sick, Band Cancels August Dates
- Go! Team Share Tune Bundle, Cut Charity Song, Tour
- Justice Design Leather Jackets, Jeans for Clothing Line
- Bloc Party Bassist Moakes Takes Brief Paternity Leave
- Autechre, Vitalic, Clark, the Orb, the Bug Hit Glade Fest
- The Magnetic Fields Announce Fall Tour
- CSS' Lovefoxxx Talks Donkey, Band Shakeups, Alt-Rock
- Kid Sister Debut Album Gets a Release Date, New Name
Mon: 07-14-08
- Photos: Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Festival [Redmond, WA; 07/12-07/13/08]
- Dylan, Sonic Youth, Bikini Kill (?!) on Rock Band 2
- T.V. Eye: July 14-20
- P4K Fest Update: Saturday Tix Gone, Sets to Stream Live
- Beck Announces More Fall Dates
- Sufjan, Antony's Johnsons on Gabriel Kahane Album
- Jenny Lewis Reveals New Album Details
- Coldplay Kick Off World Tour, Give Away New Song
- Lil Wayne, UGK Help David Banner Tell Greatest Story
- Radiohead Help Fans Compute Actual Carbon Footprint
- Jana Hunter Gets Back on the Road
- Guns N' Roses to Debut Democracy Track in Rock Band
- I'm From Barcelona Ask Who Killed Harry Houdini?
- Oberst, Mountain Goats, Low Play End of the Road
Fri: 07-11-08
- Of Montreal Reveal Cover, Tracklist, Tour, New Member!
- Tough Alliance's New Chance Coming to America, UK
- Moore, Mascis, Verlaine, Cline Play Fender Show
- New Pornographers Extend Tour
- Charlie Louvin Readies Two LPs, Opens for She & Him
- Snoop Dogg Remixes Johnny Cash on Comp
- Maria Taylor's Gear Stolen in San Francisco
- Chuck D Joins Pre-Festival Nation of Millions Panel
- Gang Gang Dance Unveil New LP, Get Hot Chip Remix
- Deacon + Girl Talk + Spank Rock = Whartscape Fun
- Johnny Foreigner Bring Debut LP to North America
- Sigur Ros, Vampire Weekend Do Splendour in the Grass
Thu: 07-10-08
- The Thermals Are Back, in Doll Form
- Bodies of Water Unload New Secretly Canadian LP, Tour
- Pitchfork Music Festival Set Times Updated
- Free Blood Send Second 12" Stateside via DFA
- Aesop Rock Lines Up U.S. Tour, Blogs About Cereal
- Fucked Up Sign to Matador for New LP, 7", EP Reissue
- Nick Thorburn Talks Human Highway
- Gnarls Barkley, Verve, Raveonettes Play Italia Wave Fest
- Beachwood Sparks Add Reunion Gigs, Plan New Album
- Radiohead Use Fancy Technology in Camera-Free Video
- Deerhunter Reveal Microcastle Release at Last
Wed: 07-09-08
- The Flaming Lips Help Puppies Find Homes!!
- El Guincho Cancels Tour, Including P4K Fest Set
- CSS, Flosstradamus Remix Bloc Party on New Single
- Annie Cancels London Date Due to Illness
- Pumpkins Set First Anniversary Gig, Corgan Gets Guitar
- Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls Join Up for Tour
- Sally Shapiro Producer Johan Agebjörn Preps Album
- Lil Wayne Starts His Own Line of Champagnes
- Why? Announce Massive Late Summer/Fall Tour
- Photos: Sled Island Festival [Calgary, Alberta; 06/24-06/29/08]
- Marnie Stern Announces New LP With Ginormous Title
- Of Montreal, Projectors, Fuck Buttons Do Sundae Fest
- Radiohead, Coldplay Reissued on Vinyl
- Portastatic Cover Hot Chip, Mag Fields on Rarities Comp
- A Place to Bury Strangers Add Dates
Tue: 07-08-08
- The National Design T-Shirt for Obama
- Elf Power Launch Tour, Craft LP With Vic Chesnutt
- Photos: Hove Festival [Arendal, Norway; 06/23-06/27/08]
- Björk Cancels Another Gig Due to Throat Ailment
- Photos: RZA [New York, NY; 07/05/08]
- Shudder to Think Announce Reunion Tour
- Neko Case Guests on New Crooked Fingers Album
- Photos: Roskilde [Saturday/Sunday]
- Kanye Denies Anger Management Treatment Rumors
- Juana Molina Announces New Album, Tours With Feist
- Photos: Sonic Youth / The Feelies [New York, NY; 07/04/08]
- Sufjan, LCD, Newsom, Feist, BSS Inspire Coloring Book
- Art Brut, Campesinos!, Black Kids Lounge on the Farm
- Ratatat Firm Up Late Summer Tour
Mon: 07-07-08
- Photos: Roskilde [Thursday/Friday]
- T.V. Eye: July 7-13
- Black Devil Disco Club Deliver Third Album
- Department of Eagles [ft. Grizzly Bear's Rossen] Prep LP
- Photos: The Hold Steady [Brooklyn, NY; 06/29/08]
- Stars, Caribou, Black Mountain Make Polaris Short List
- Spoon, Roots, Bird, Pinback, Lupe Play Mile High Fest
- Dungen Announce New Album
- TV on the Radio Line Up Late Summer Tour
- R.I.P. Black Swans Violinist Noel Sayre
- Bruce Springsteen Releases Digital Live Charity EP
- Justice NOT Producing Next Red Hot Chili Peppers LP
- Jack White Shows "Strong Feelings" for Detroit in Poem
- Scott Walker to Produce Live Tilt/Drift Shows
- Flaming Lips, Sigur Ros, Bloc Party Play Pukkelpop