When you compile a list like this, you start to tremble at how much you’re really going to absorb in the ensuing months. This doesn’t even cover the misses and surprises. If you’re a casual listener, you might get through an album a day. Okay, maybe two. If you’re a fanatic, you’re spinning discographies left and right. Still, after 365 days, either person is buzzing. One’s just a little louder with the phonetics.

As I wrote back in December, in a year, you’ll have your next roundup of favorite albums. You’ll have a new favorite song. You might even have a new band you’re obsessed with. It’s far too early to tell anything right now, but I’m willing to bet at least two or three of the records on this list will make up everyone else’s come December. At the very least, they’ll get people talking.

Hold me to it, if you want.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Porcelain Raft – Strange Weekend

What we know: The debut record from Porcelain Raft is the sum of Mauro Remiddi’s 27 years of traveling across Europe, recording hundreds of tapes, and working on sundry, eclectic musical projects. It’s pregnant with personal history and influences from across the globe, not just some upstart hazing up his bedroom with a MIDI processor.

What CoS says: It’s a lush and most excellent dream pop record that stretches into the past while continuing to blaze into tomorrow. They’re on tour with M83 and can fill the spaces with the same amount of sound. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: January 24th via Secretly Canadian [Pre-Order]

Grimes – Visions

What we know: Indie-major label 4AD called them up from the sticks to release Visions, and the mystical gaze of Claire Boucher’s music does what a few of her gauzy contemporaries have a hard time doing: Her songs float out of the bedroom and onto the dance floor.

What CoS says: It’s easy for music like this to turn from daze to doze in a flash, but Grimes seems to know when to pop it up. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: January 24th via 4AD [Pre-Order]

Grimes – “Genesis”

Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas

What we know: The esteemed singer-songwriter and poet will grace fans with his first studio album since 2004. No stranger to grappling with heavy concepts within his lyrics, the 10 songs on this new record will deal with “the most profound quandaries of human existence – the relationship to a transcendent being, love, sexuality, loss, and death.” The announcement of the album described it as “the most overtly spiritual” of Cohen’s career.

What CoS says: Cohen is one of music’s greatest living poets, and if anyone could craft a beautiful song from such solemn subjects, it would be him. His albums have usually proven worth the wait, and Old Ideas should hopefully be no different. –Austin Trunick

Due out: January 31st via Sony [Pre-Order]

Air – Le Voyage Dans La Lune

What we know: With both a Sofia Coppola score and a diverse catalog to their credit, Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin of Air are no strangers to blissfully abstract accompaniment. Expect this century-old silent film re-release come February, and if the “Sonic Armada” sampler was any indication, those schooled in Tangerine Dream have nothing to fear.

What CoS says: As it just so happens, Le Voyage Dans La Lune is much like Air itself — quietly influential and undoubtedly French. If you thought the Reznor/Ross dynamic was spaced-out, this project may very well take The Orb’s place on your iTunes playlists. –David Buchanan

Due out: February 6th via Astralwerks [Pre-Order]

Air  feat. Victoria Legrand - “Seven Stars”

Dr. Dog – Be the Void

What we know: On their seventh full-length, these Philadelphian psych-rockers trade symphonic for rollick. Even the tracks harkening most back to 2010’s orchestral Shame, Shame find moments of stomp, and folksy strums have largely given way to rocking blares. Though the good Dr. is still very much in, this “cathartic rock ‘n’ roll” record may be the loudest and heaviest thing they’ve ever put out.

What CoS says: With a catalog of consistent quality and the fact that their last two albums earned CoS Top Star honors, this one’s a no-brainer. The true test will be seeing where contributions from new full-time members drummer Erik “Teach” Slick and multi-talented Dimitri Manos take the band’s sound. –Ben Kaye

Due out: February 7th via ANTI- [Pre-Order]

Dr. Dog – “That Old Black Dog”

of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks

What we know: Across 10 albums, Kevin Barnes has played with all kinds of lysergic bliss, and their 11th LP sounds like a blend of former acid-pop songs and latter-day avant-electronic stretches. Its closest cousin is David Bowie’s Low, which is a great thing.

What CoS says: Beneath the vaporous instrumentals and glitchy funk, we could really use a good single this time around. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: February 7th via Polyvinyl [Pre-Order]

of Montreal – “Dour Percentage”

Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

What we know: To escape from the corner of a coffee shop can take some years, but with an indie debut as powerful as Van Etten’s 2010 album, epic, it only took a short amount of time for her to get noticed by The National’s Aaron Dessner. Tramp includes collabos with Dessner, Matt Barrick (Walkmen), Zach Condon (Beirut), Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak), Julianna Barwick, and more.

What CoS says: With a little help from her friends, Tramp more than gets by. Look forward to some roots rock and poison-tipped lyricism from this young talent. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: February 7th via Jagjaguwar [Pre-Order]

Sharon Van Etten – “Serpents”

Islands – A Sleep & a Forgetting

What we know: Montreal indie rock outfit Islands stripped down for its 2009 breakthrough record, Vapours. With A Sleep & a Forgetting, the band’s fourth album, the aesthetics and sensibilities are torn apart even further to reveal the rawest nerve, resulting in an LP of potent, minimalist instrumentation and low-key, yet sultry, lyrical content about falling out of love and listening to the radio. Even with so much of the band and frontman Nick Thorburn exposed, they’ve never seemed as powerfully succinct or alluringly lethal.

What CoS says: You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone doing so very much with so very little in 2012.  –Chris Coplan

Due out: February 14th via ANTI- [Pre-Order]

Islands – “This Is Not a Song”

Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror

What we know: Noise pop duo Sleigh Bells set the blogosphere aflame with Treats and its cranked-to-11 hooks and reckless abandon. As a follow-up, Reign of Terror will seemingly hone the pair’s sound, as evidenced by the return of producer Shane Stoneback and the shred-tastic bombast of lead single “Born to Lose”. Stock up on your extra-strength earplugs posthaste.

What CoS says: Why fix what ain’t broke? The group has a fresh enough sound to ride through at least this record before something may have to give musically. –Chris Coplan

Due out: February 21st via Mom+Pop Music [Pre-Order]

School of Seven Bells – Ghostory

What we know: Ghostory is more gothed out than anything School of Seven Bells has done before. The record pulses with dance beats reminiscent of Front 242 death disco, the duo’s signature misty sound, and more ghost imagery than you can shake a proton pack at. Singer Alejandra Deheza spells “P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R” breathily on record centerpiece “Low Times”, a moment that’s as terrifying as it is beautiful.

What CoS says: It should be interesting to see how SVIIB fares as just a core duo without vocalist Claudia Deheza, singer Alejandra’s twin sister. Claudia left the group abruptly in 2010, so it should be interesting to see how her departure might affect its songwriting, lyrically and structurally. –Paul de Revere

Due out: February 28th via Vagrant/Ghostly International

School of Seven Bells – “The Night”

Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself

What we know: It’s been almost three years since Andrew Bird’s last outing, 2009′s Noble Beast. He’s accomplished a lot over that time (including a recent installment at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art), though he’s waited this long to produce a proper LP. Surprisingly, he’s had the material all along. Based on the album’s tracklist for Break It Yourself, we’ve heard up to at least six of the 14 tracks live, already: “Desperation Breeds…”, “Danse Caribe”, “Give It Away”, “Lazy Projector”, “Lusitania” (feat. St. Vincent), and “Hole in the Ocean Floor”.

What CoS says: Bird has proven he’s a virtuoso five times over. He doesn’t need to shatter any barriers this far into his career. So, if this stuff sounds as familiar to you as it does to us, then you’re probably not too surprised. If you’re looking for something new, well, let’s see how the other tracks fare. Whatever the case, it’ll be a very cozy listen. –Michael Roffman

Due out: March 7th via Mom + Pop Music [Pre-Order]

Bowerbirds – The Clearing

What we know: Phillip Moore and Beth Tacular have always bounced their sound off of the roots of American music, and while their LP3 echoes with similar tones, it’s a richer production this time around. “Tuck the Darkness In” earns its crescendos, flips a catchy melody into the air, and stays rooted.

What CoS says: Bowerbirds take the faux out of the folk that’s around these days and get down to the core of their songs without cluttering it with smoke and mirrors. Here’s hoping they can still make the wounds as well as salve them. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: March 6th via Dead Oceans

Bowerbirds – “Tuck the Darkness In”

Ceremony – Zoo

What we know: For their first record with the famed Matador Records, California hardcore outfit Ceremony enlisted producer John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill, Simple Plan) with an aim to “refine their jagged sound while continuing to pursue themes of exurban alienation and confinement.” To give listeners a taste of the new record ahead of its official release date, Ceremony will release “Hysteria” b/w “I’m a Bug” (Urinals cover) on February 7th.

What CoS says: If “Hysteria” is any indication, Zoo will be a tamer—if no less enjoyable—affair than their previously more abrasive albums. –Harley Brown

Due out: March 6th via Matador

Ceremony – “Hysteria”

The Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea 

What we know:  Stephin Merritt says he’ll be returning to more synth-heavy and acoustic arrangements on The Magnetic Fields’ 10th LP—their first with Merge since 1999’s classic collection 69 Love Songs—with his usual cast of collaborators: Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, John Woo, Shirley Simms, Johny Blood, and Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket!). Signature amusing and quirky song titles abound— “All She Cares About Is Mariachi”, “Infatuation (With Your Gyration)”, and “I’ve Run Away to Join the Fairies”.

What CoS says: More inventive and endlessly catchy pop treasures from the man responsible for some of the greatest pop records of the last 20 years. –Lainna Fader

Due out: March 6th via Merge [Pre-Order]

The Men – Open Your Heart

What we know: The kind of volume that was on Leave Home, their previous album released not eight months ago, is hard to eclipse. But leave it to The Men to plumb even deeper into their milk crates to continue moving forward with their sound. There’s a bit of country, a bit of kraut-rock, and some ’70s AOR, and the whole thing still stays jagged in the best ways.

What CoS says: It’s a short turn-around time, but nothing on this album sounds tossed off. Even if some of the razors are less sharp this time around, it works. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: March 6th via Sacred Bones

The Shins – Port of Morrow

What we know: It’s been a solid five years since their last album. James Mercer is the only original member in the lineup. They’ll release it on his new label, Aural Apothecary. So, things have changed. But so far, based on three of the album’s 10 tracks (which includes the recently unveiled “Simple Song”), The Shins remain intact.

What CoS says: Despite the shake up in the lineup, there really isn’t much working against this album. Sure, Broken Bells wasn’t an awe-inspiring juggernaut, but it had its moments. With Mercer at home now, and seemingly alone (at least in the studio), one has to believe this will be, at the very least, a solid follow-up to Wincing the Night Away. –Michael Roffman

Due out: March 20th via Aural Apothecary and Columbia Records [Pre-Order]

Spiritualized – Sweet Heart, Sweet Light

What we know: When he debuted some new songs at Royal Albert Hall in October, Jason Pierce had a choir and orchestra in tow. He’s said the album “encompassed all I love in rock ‘n’ roll music. It’s got everything from Brötzmann and Berry right through to Dennis and Brian Wilson.”

What CoS says: The seminal Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space is an intimidating high-water mark. It sounds like his heart’s in the right place for this to rise to that level. Dicey live recordings of new material aren’t the best gauge, though, so we’re still holding out for a studio preview. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due Out: UK on March 19th via Double Six. U.S. release is set for sometime in March via Fat Possum

“Hey Jane” (Live):

Alabama Shakes – TBD

Photo by Ben Kaye

What we know: With a hearty co-sign from Patterson Hood of The Drive-By Truckers, Alabama Shakes are off to inject the soul of the south into the mainstream with their first official studio LP.

What CoS says: To prove Alabama Shakes can ride longer waves than those created by the press lauded upon them at CMJ and subsequent live shows, the Dap-Tone/Muscle Shoals acolytes are going to have to show the world they can write some memorable songs.  – Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: April via ATO Records

Tyler, The Creator – Wolf

Photo by Heather Kaplan

What we know: The veracity of his pull-quotes is always dubious, but Mr. Tyler Okonma told SPIN that his new album Wolf will be due out in April. He said of his third LP, “Talking about rape and cutting bodies up, it just doesn’t interest me anymore… What interests me is making weird hippie music for people to get high to. I’ll brag a little more, talk about money and buying shit. But not like any other rapper, I’ll be a smart-ass about it…”

What CoS says: If Tyler wants to make a psych-rap record, that’s at least interesting, but I have this nagging feeling that he’s going to be an insufferable smart-ass about it. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: April (?)

Regina Spektor – What We Saw from the Cheap Seats

What we know: Regina Spektor continues her reign as one of the best goddamn singer-songwriters of her era. The new record’s title is perhaps an indicator that she’s continuing her music’s frequent theme of plucky underdog-isms.

What CoS says: Except for a live record, Regina Spektor was awfully quiet over the last two years. In November, she announced the release of What We Saw from the Cheap Seats without much indication of what it’ll sound like, but her signature cute quirks will likely abound. It will be her sixth studio full-length, her latest since 2009′s Far. –Paul de Revere

Due Out: May

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – TBA

What we know: Surprisingly, very little. A producer has yet to be confirmed, same with the E Street Band. The Boss’s follow-up to 2009′s The Promise remains a slight mystery. Based on the album’s announcement – “We want you to know that the music is almost done (but still untitled), we have almost settled on the release date (but not quite yet), and that we are all incredibly excited about everything that we’re planning for 2012″ – there’s a heavy use of “we,” so one has to believe this will again be an E Street effort.

What CoS says: With the loss of Clarence Clemmons, already this will be a fairly controversial effort for Springsteen. On that note, it should also be quite emotional. If you know your E Street history, you’ll remember it’s only been a little over four years since the death of Danny Federici as well. Throw in another political race next year, Occupy Wall Street, and half a dozen recent collaborations… well, this album could go anywhere. Fingers crossed The Boss doesn’t pen a follow-up anthem titled “King of the Supermarket”. –Michael Roffman

Due out: Spring

Dirty Projectors – TBA

What we know: Figurehead David Longstretch took a Vernon-esque approach with this Bitte Orca follow-up. Sequestered for the most part alone in an unoccupied house in rural New York, Longstretch crafted creepy songs “about horror and fear,” including the “Thriller”-esque “About to Die”. He’s also said the record leans towards the band’s stripped-down Björk collaboration, Mount Wittenberg Orca.

What CoS says: Bitte Orca was a breakthrough, filled with lively and eccentric musicality. It rightfully earned a perfect score in our review almost three years ago. Fingers crossed that this apparently subtler and more haunted effort still shares qualities with their adored previous release. –Ben Kaye

Due out: Spring

Rufus Wainwright – Out of the Game

What we know: Rufus Wainwright’s last two projects have been an opera and a dramatic album performed start-to-finish as a song cycle. It seems appropriate that he should follow with an excursion back into pop, and his upcoming Mark Ronson-produced album promises to be Wainwright in all his mass marketable glory. Featuring backup from the Dap-Kings, Wilco’s Nels Cline, and Wainwright’s equally talented sister Martha, “there’s this kind of anchor of guys sitting around jamming. And it’s very sexy,” Wainwright told Stereogum.

What CoS says: Wainwright’s had a turbulent few years, including the death of his mother and the birth of his daughter. To see all that energy channeled into pop music will be interesting, and to hear it belted out by one of the marquee voices of our time will surely be enthralling. Wainwright is a consummate showman, and with this supporting cast, Out of the Game has miles of promise. –Megan Ritt

Due out: Spring

How to Destroy Angels – TBA

What we know: This past fall, How to Destroy Angels had originally planned on releasing a full-length LP, at least according to Reznor. The most fans received was a Brian Ferry cover and, well, a 174-minute soundtrack for David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Shortly after the soundtrack’s release, Reznor told Rolling Stone that a new LP was due out “[probably] in the first quarter of next year.” As far as direction goes, Reznor says they “were influenced by early Cabaret Voltaire – it’s very deconstructed rhythmically and more textural.” Vague, but something.

What CoS says: Reznor works in mysterious ways. He also never stops working. So, it’s likely that we’ll see this pop up while we’re sleeping sometime, or perhaps when we’re on a lunch break. Who knows? If it’s anything like their recent soundtrack work – hey, it’s essentially the same team – one can expect something wild. Or just another helping of music to carry you from the gym to the train, from the coffee shop to the sadistic caretaker to the… wait, what? –Michael Roffman

Due out: ”First Quarter”

Animal Collective – TBA

Photo by Frank Mojica

What we know: Notorious for touring on largely new, unrecorded material, it’s entirely possible that songs from AC’s ninth album (and their first since 2009′s Merriweather Post Pavilion) have been floating around in various states of gestation in bootlegs. That said, Dave “Avey Tare” Portner let a few details slip in interviews promoting his solo work, including the fact that they’ve got at least 10 songs written and that they’re having fun “jamming.” He’s also described their recent live shows as a “more immediate… hard-hitting set with more rhythm.” But these are the guys who brought you ODDSAC, so you never quite know what’s coming next.

What CoS says: As a band that seems to evolve more organically and dramatically from disc to disc than almost any other, it’s hard to imagine Animal Collective sticking too closely to the formula that made Merriweather such a crossover smash. Either way, moving from cult heroes to indie megastars over the past 10 or so years means that both the demand and the stakes have never been higher. –Adam Kivel

Due out: TBA

Atoms for Peace – TBA

What we know: Back in October, Thom Yorke spun some heads when he told Rolling Stone there would be an Atoms for Peace record by the end of the year. As is the case with most records on here titled TBA, that wasn’t the case. His excuse for the delay then was that “it’s not good enough yet.” Longtime collaborator and Atoms member Nigel Godrich added, “The idea was to generate the music, then record the band. We did that. Some of it worked. We also went back to some of the electronic stuff. It’s still in flux. We’re waiting for the lightning bolt to strike.” Since then, it’s been clear skies, apparently. To get an idea of what they worked on, take a listen to “Judge, Jury, and Executioner”, which the band premiered during their 2010 tour – their first collaborative track.

What CoS says: It’s been a long time coming. Someone stand outside the studio with an umbrella, please.  –Michael Roffman

Due out: TBA

The Avalanches – TBA

What we know: This will they/won’t they tension bullshit is getting older than a bad sitcom. But this tweet is the closest thing we’ve had to something yet. Keep the dream alive.

What CoS says: Teasing this album is getting less funny as the years go on. But as with most myths, if you stop believing in it, it dies. –Jeremy D. Larson

Due out: TBA

Best Coast – TBA

What we know: Surf-rock romanticists Best Coast may have recently released drummer Ali Koehler, but they also previously managed to nab legendary producer Jon Brion (The Crystal Method, Kanye West) for album No. 2 (seems like a fair trade). For this record, frontwoman Bethany Cosentino has promised less “melodrama” and more maturity thanks to her drastically different lifestyle. That sentiment, mixed with Brion’s avant pop style, should make for one decidedly fresh take on young love and all its ups and downs.

What CoS says: The band’s sound on Crazy for You caught people’s attention despite the decided immaturity of the album’s lyrical content (or perhaps that helped). We’re interested to see how their cutesy sound holds up with an infusion of adulthood. –Chris Coplan

Due out: TBA

The Beach Boys – TBA

What we know: Brian Wilson has returned. So has Al Jardine. Even David Marks. It’s a full-scale reunion, all for the group’s 50th anniversary. While we’ve only heard a re-recording of “Do It Again”, Beach Boys sessions veteran Eddie Bayer says, “Brian’s new creations are just unbelievable.” What’s more, Mike Love, who has a long storied history of opposing Wilson, agreed, stating, “He hasn’t lost the ability to do what he does best.” So, there’s a positive outlook on this.

What CoS says: For the past few years, Wilson has been issuing covers albums (including last year’s abysmal Disney record). However, his last solo record, 2008′s That Lucky Old Sun, was a sugary-sweet classic that shines bright in his highly celebrated discography. If Wilson’s been holding out on songs for this LP and he’s supported by the vocals of Love, Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, and even David Marks, then we’re in for a tasty, nostalgic treat. Let’s just hope it isn’t Stars and Stripes, Volume 2. –Michael Roffman

Due out: TBA

Cat Power – TBA

What we know: It’s been four years since Chan Marshall’s last album, Jukebox, a collection of mostly covers that furthered the transition from the raw, minimal Cat Power of the ’90s to a polished, blues-evoking sound. In a 2010 interview with Rolling Stone, Marshall revealed that she was attempting to play all the instruments herself on the next Cat Power release, and a recent Facebook posting intimated that the new album is almost finished.

What CoS says: If the smoky soul exhibited in the new songs debuted on her 2011 tour or the seven-minute, eerily echoed reinvention of “King Rides By” are any indication, then the new Cat Power should prove well worth the wait. –Frank Mojica

Due out: TBA

Cibo Matto – TBA

What we know: Cibo Matto split in 2001 after two albums, but Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori joined forces again in December 2010 for Honda’s 50th birthday and three months later for a tsunami benefit concert. A reunion tour was subsequently announced, along with news that a new album would surface sometime in 2012. As of press time, the new album does not have an official title or release date.

What CoS says: A reunion that results in new songs and not just a trip down memory lane? Yes, please. During their brief “YEAH BASICALLY” tour, the duo mixed two new songs, “Tenth Floor Ghost Girl” and “Check In”, into the well-received sets, hinting that the magic that made Cibo Matto so fun 16 years ago has not been lost. –Frank Mojica

Due out: TBA

D’Angelo – TBA (Working Title: James River)

What we know: If the neo-soul genre had a Holy Grail, it’d be D’Angelo’s third album. With the release of the immensely powerful Voodoo in 2000, the world has been waiting with bated breath ever since for the follow-up, which frequent collaborator ?uestlove has recently confirmed is in the home stretch of completion. But after D’Angelo’s various, er, extracurricular activities have led to a decade-long cycle of delays and other such promises, the music world’s left hoping for a miracle. How fitting would it be if this record FINALLY arrived just in time for the End of Days?!

What CoS says: While probably not a part of the final tracklist, a demo of D’Angelo covering Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” recently surfaced. Not only was it weird and catchy, it helped generate a lot of buzz. Ya know, like the kind used for promoting something… –Chris Coplan

Due out: TBA

Daughter – TBA

What we know: Elena Tonra, aka Daughter, set pulses racing in 2011 with two delicious taster EPs. A full debut album is expected to follow later this summer or fall. She and her band are hoping to hit a UK studio for their first set of sessions in early spring.

What CoS says: Daughter has a number of new songs up her sleeve and, reviving the long held rock tradition of getting it together in the country, has hired a tiny cottage in a hidden corner of SW England this month to begin to work them up. The album should contain new material with perhaps a couple of reworked songs from the earlier EPs. –Tony Hardy

Due out: TBA

Fiona Apple – TBA

What we know: Rare live performances with preferred collaborators and several benefit and cover songs here and there have more than whetted the appetites of any Fiona Apple fan over the recent years; they must be a ravenous and wary bunch, considering her last album, Extraordinary Machine, almost never saw the light of day after its demos leaked. Rumors swirled for an album last year, fueled by those claiming to have heard it – more concrete news comes from Apple herself, jokingly admitting onstage last November that she had trouble remembering any new songs because “they’ve been done for a fucking year.”

What CoS says: Around the turn of the millennium, this powerhouse singer-songwriter was omnipresent, crooning her unique brand of melancholy, ruffling feathers at award shows, and upholding a strong musical integrity at such a young age. Now, more than a decade later, and only one album under her belt since then, Apple would have to stand distinct and tall next to her current imitators, both good and bad, to make any mark at all. –David DiLillo

Due out: TBA

Grizzly Bear – TBA

Photo by Heather Kaplan

What we know: Psych-folk outfit Grizzly Bear literally rewrote the rules of indie music and its cultural spread and impact with 2009′s Veckatimest, so it’s no surprise that the band would want to take their time with the follow-up. However, since announcing work on the album in May 2011, it’s been all but radio silence from Camp Grizzly save for apologies for delays (blame multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor’s CANT side project and frontman Ed Droste getting married). However, with a new year comes a new Facebook message of dedication, and the band is looking to make 2012/2013 the Year of the Bear.

What CoS says: Can lighting strike twice for the boys from Brooklyn? Lots of bands would crumble underneath such pressure, but Grizzly Bear seem to have a more solid foundation of devoted fans to keep them afloat. The real question, though, will be whether they stick with the Veckatimest formula or go for something brand-new sonically, thus expanding their skill set while also increasing the risk of an unsatisfied public. –Chris Coplan

Due out: TBA

Kanye & Friends – G.O.O.D Music Album -TBA

What we know: One of three albums West might be dropping this year (the others being his sixth solo album and a second full-length with Jay-Z), G.O.O.D. Music will also feature his G.O.O.D. Music kindred Big Sean, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Common, Pusha T, and others. However, it’s not yet known how the album will be carried out; maybe we’ll get a bunch of posse cuts, like what pervaded West’s pre-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy G.O.O.D. Fridays series.

What CoS says: If G.O.O.D. Music is similar to MBDTF or West’s 2011 Jay-Z team-up, Watch the Throne, expect ostentatious greatness. –Mike Madden

Due out: TBA

The Knife – TBA

What we know: Though it’s provided one of the most single-handedly influential records of the last decade, The Knife has taken six years off since the release of their 2006 opus, Silent Shout. The Dreijer siblings have kept rather busy during their time off, though, between Karin’s acclaimed debut solo outing as Fever Ray, Olof’s stint as a minimal electro producer under the name Oni Ayhun, and the pair’s turn as operatic songwriters on 2010′s Tomorrow in a Year.

What CoS says: There isn’t too much to go off of yet, but all signs point to an effort as ghoulishly delightful as Silent Shout and Fever Ray. –Mike Madden

Due out: TBA

Lotus Plaza – TBA

What we know: Having released an impressive split 7″ in 2011 to compliment his Lotus Plaza alias’s hazy, but beautiful, first LP from two years prior, Deerhunter guitarist Locket Pundt remains stoic and reserved as ever. An upcoming Atlanta show in March, recent Twitter buzz of mastering company The Lodge “having way too much fun working on Lotus Plaza”, and Kranky Records stating bluntly on Facebook “any day now,” however, all point towards an imminent sophomore album.

What CoS says: Both Deerhunter’s and fellow noisemaker Bradford Cox’s most recent albums excelled because of their embrace of the eerily straightforward; with any luck, Pundt will mine some of his more decipherable ideas featured on The Floodlight Collective and put them to exquisite use. –David DiLillo

Due out: TBA

Madlib & Freddie Gibbs – TBA

What we know: Back in late November at Madlib’s Medicine Show tour stop in San Francisco, the producer revealed plans for a new collaboration with L.A.-based, Gary, Ind.-raised gangsta rapper Freddie Gibbs, starting with a six-track Thuggin’ EP on Madlib’s Madlib Invazion label. It’s yet another killer joint venture for Madlib—see DOOM (Madvillainy), the late J Dilla (Jaylib), and Strong Arm Steady (In Search Of Stoney Jackson)—and a chance for Gibbs to explore new territory post-Cold Day in Hell before the release of the album he’s finishing for Young Jeezy’s CTE imprint. The duo’s as-of-yet untitled album is scheduled for early 2012.

What CoS says: If the EP’s first single is any indication, expect to hear Gibbs’ rugged rhythms detailing brutal tales of the young, desperate, and reckless over Madlib’s masterful mix of swirling psychedelia and deep soul grooves on MadGibbs’ debut album. –Lainna Fader

Due out: TBA

Mumford & Sons – TBA

What we know: In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, band member Ted Dwane described Mumford & Sons’ much anticipated follow-up to Sigh No More as “doom folk, kind of Black Sabbath meets Nick Drake.” There may be a degree of mischief in that remark that’s matched by comparative silence from the band’s record label. However, judging from new songs like “Ghosts” and “Lovers Eyes” debuted live in 2011, the new album is not likely to stray that much from the band’s core territory.

What CoS says: Even with a planned shift to the darker side of the musical spectrum, the band has a lot to celebrate after a giant-sized last couple of years. That dichotomy should be interesting to absorb when the record hits stores. –Tony Hardy

Due out: TBA

Nas – Life Is Good

What we know: Rumors about Life Is Good, Nas’ 10th studio album and his last at Def Jam, have been flying around for a while, but the only detail known for certain about it is that the previously released single “Nasty” will be on it. Anything else you’ve heard about the album – like, say, that AZ will be on it or that RZA will have a major hand in the production – is probably mere speculation.

What CoS says: If “Nasty” and Nas’ recent Common collaboration “Ghetto Dreams” are indicators, Life Is Good could be one of the Queens legend’s best albums of late. –Mike Madden

Due Out: TBA

Nas – “Nasty”

No Doubt – TBA

What we know: The last No Doubt album, Rock Steady, hit stores in December 2001 (does it not feel waaaay longer, though?). Even with the band at work on the album since May 2010, details are still decidedly sparse: The album promises to be another poppy synthesis of reggae and ska, resulting in song titles like “Settle Down” and “One More Summer”, all heaped together by a returning Mark “Spike” Stent (who also produced Rock Steady). Collaborations with dance hall wunderkinds Diplo and Switch show signs of some new life, but how those will work in tandem with the band’s tried-and-true stuff is as big a mystery as the remainder of this LP.

What CoS says: The more things change, the more No Doubt seemingly stays the same. That musical homogeneity is comforting in a way, like an old blanket or an ex-girlfriend you can’t get rid of. –Harley Brown

Due out: TBA

Pearl Jam – TBA

Photo by Jeremy Larson

What we know: This and that. Last March, Jeff Ament told Billboard, “We did a whole bunch of demos and everybody’s got a disc of 25 [songs] right now,” stating the band would hit the studio the next month and that they hoped “to get something done this year.”

What CoS says: That didn’t happen, but do you blame them? With a festival, a book, a documentary, a soundtrack, and late-night appearances, it’s no surprise we’re not listening to Pearl Jam’s 10th studio LP already. But with the festivities now over and a looming European tour, one starts to believe they’ll need something new to promote. Like, say, 12 of those aforementioned tracks? We’ve already heard a potential track with “Olé”. Or, maybe that was just a birthday anthem. You never know… –Michael Roffman

Due out: TBA

Peal Jam – “Olé”

Phoenix – TBA

What we know: Last we heard from the Franco-pop savants, they were recording an as-yet-untitled fifth album with a release date to be announced. We do know that Phoenix has been playing with “the dad of a friend’s orchestra” in Byron Bay, AU, to expand their percussive range. According to frontman Thomas Mars, “Drums are the DNA of our music, ‘cause we’d like to go somewhere else, we’d like to change that DNA.” He also said that so far the album can be analogized to the high-speed French commuter rail TGV.

What CoS says: Mars has been covering LP #5′s bases with catchall descriptors “nostalgic,” “futuristic,” “experimental,” and “minimal.” Considering the pressure to follow Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’s Grammy Award-winning success, it’s no wonder he’s playing it safe. –Harley Brown

Due out: TBA

Queens of the Stone Age – TBA

What we know: Rockaholic Josh Homme spent the better part of 2011 touring behind the re-release of Queens of the Stone Age’s eponymous 1998 debut, including a double shot at the PJ20 Festival. He also found some time apparently with the QotSA lineup as it stands to record their sixth album, their first in nearly five years since Era Vulgaris. When it will be out is anyone’s guess; hanger-on Alain Johannes tweeted in November that he “can’t say exactly when… but it’s a really good start.” 

What CoS says: Homme told BBC Radio 1 around Glastonbury that QotSA doesn’t “feel they have anything to prove,” implying it’ll probably be more of the same old, same old from them. When it’s loud, badass rock, though, we’re more than OK with this. –Gilles LeBlanc

Due out: TBA

Sigur Rós – TBA

What we know: Well, if we round up all the adjectives from each respective member (culled from an interview with The Wall Street Journal, of all places), we know Sigur Rós’ sixth LP is: “ambient”, “introverted”, “floaty”, “minimal”, and essentially a “slow takeoff toward something.” So, it’s another offering from Sigur Rós. Here’s a fun little tidbit: The band recorded in a studio that was once occupied by a swimming pool. Could we add “aquatic” to that list? We’ll see come spring.

What CoS says: The group’s last studio LP, 2008′s Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, found the Icelandic troupe taking a few turns, even adding some English to the mix. It still worked splendidly. Everything else that’s followed since – Jónsi’s 2010 solo LP, Go, Jónsi’s Cameron Crowe-assisted soundtrack, We Bought a Zoo - has left nothing but a ruby-colored, bloody trail. One that doesn’t taste like nickel, but rather sophisticated cakes. Much like the trio’s lyrics, that right there is pretty incomprehensible. But, it still gets the point across. Rest assured, we’ll be soundtracking our lives to the new LP by summer. –Michael Roffman

Due out: Spring

Soundgarden – TBA

Photo by Karina Halle

What we know: New material from Soundgarden has been rumored ever since Chris Cornell tweeted they were coming back on January 1st, 2010 from an extended hiatus. Things really started to heat up last February when the band stated that their goal for 2011 was to “make a record.” After a retrospective compilation (Telephantasm), Record Store Day exclusive, live album (Live on I-5), and an acoustic Songbook solo effort from Cornell, it looks like we’re actually going to get something fresh from the Seattleites as soon as this spring.

What CoS says: The grunge revival love-in is sure to continue for a good while yet, although guitarist Kim Thayil has tempered expectations that the album may not exactly be of the genre Soundgarden helped pioneer. We will keep our ears open with interest. –Gilles LeBlanc

Due out: TBA

WHY? – TBA

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

What we know: In the summer of 2011, WHY? announced a series of shows played on a baby grand piano, where they would be testing out material for an upcoming album. A hand injury forced many shows to be rescheduled or canceled, but some fans were lucky enough to catch the new songs onstage in December of last year.

What CoS says: As Eskimo Snow was recorded during the sessions for the acclaimed Alopecia, this will be the first collection of all-new material WHY? has recorded in four years. Yoni Wolf’s songwriting seems to improve with each album, and we’re eager to hear how he’s developed over that time. –Austin Trunick

Due out: TBA

The xx – TBA

What we know: The xx seems to have retreated back into the void from which it burst forth with mind-blowing, CoS Top Star-earning debut XX, emerging (with the exception of Jamie xx, who’s appeared on anything from Take Care to We’re New Here and remixed everything else) only to say that, yes, they really are recording a sophomore album, and here’s demo “Open Eyes” to prove it.

What CoS says: There’s been a two-year buildup and the danger of a sophomore slump, but no pressure, guys. Take your time. –Harley Brown

Due out: TBA

The xx – “Open Eyes” (demo)

Yeasayer – TBA

Photo by Carson O’Shoney

What we know: Loads of bands like to worry about one album per release cycle. Brooklyn psych-pop crew Yeasayer isn’t like other acts in more than a few ways. Discussing the group’s third album with Spin recently, frontman Chris Keating said the group recorded some 22 songs, which may be split up over two separate albums, “one that’s the real album with three-and-a-half to four minute pop songs, and another that’s more like a soundtrack and released on the Internet.” Even better still, Keating described the material recorded as a “demented R&B” album, like an “Aaliyah album if you played it backwards and slowed it down. Or David Bowie’s Lodger. Those two are major influences.” Whether that last bit’s a joke or not (perhaps even a half-truth?), the band continues to redefine how appealing being weird can truly be.

What CoS says: Based on 2010′s Odd Blood and these newsy tidbits, the outfit is getting closer and closer to a more complicated sound. With every catchy hook and pop-tastic beat they record, the songs become further entrenched in their own sense of intricacy and obscurity. LP #3 should be a shining example of that dichotomy. –Chris Coplan

Due out: TBA

Other notables include St. Vincent, Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Justice, Mazzy Star, M83, Explosions in the Sky, Childish Gambino, Flying Lotus, Destroyer, Cat Power, Madness, SBTRKT, Beirut, Amon Tobin, DJ Shadow, fIREHOSE, Miike Snow, The Rapture, M. Ward, Jimmy Cliff with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, The Horrors, Buzzcocks, James, EMA, Girls, tUnE-yArDs, and more.

The lineup also packs Wild Flag, ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Neon Indian, Santigold, Modeselektor, The Big Pink, Wu Lyf, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Head and the Heart, Laura Marling, Company Flow, AraabMUZIK, Kaskade, Le Butcherettes, Real Estate, Wild Beasts, La Roux, Thundercat, Azealia Banks, Kasabian, Goyte, Manchester Orchestra, Black Lips, Atari Teenage Riot, and more. Check out the full lineup below or at our Festival Outlook.

Update: Tickets go on sale Friday, January 13th at 10:00 AM PT. According to Pop & Hiss, three-day passes are $285, three-day with shuttle are $335, and VIP are $665.

Almost four years removed from her last LP, Jukebox, Chan Marshall has returned on Christmas Eve to unveil a new Cat Power single entitled “King Rides By”. The seven-minute track comes packaged alongside a Giovanni Ribis-directed video starring, of all people, boxer Manny Pacquiao. Watch it below.

Update: As some readers have pointed out, “King Rides By” was originally released on Cat Power’s 1996 album What Would the Community Think. However, the version released today is nearly three minutes longer and adds new layers of instrumentation and vocals.

An mp3 of the song is available to download on Cat Power’s website in exchange for a donation to the Festival of Children Foundation and the Ali Forney Center. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the two charities.

According to Matador Records, Marshall is currently finishing the new Cat Power album, though it remains undecided whether “King Rides By” will appear on the final tracklisting. Stay tuned for more updates.

“King Rides By”:

Admittedly, it’s pretty sweet of NPR to provide us with streams of the latest efforts by Death Cab for Cutie and My Morning Jacket. But showing that they’ve got the ability to make an entire week amazing, the broadcasting giant is once again offering a must-hear stream: Eddie Vedder‘s Ukulele Songs. His second solo effort, which features contributions from Glen Hansard to Cat Power, is now available in full until it hits stores on May 31st via Universal Music. What are you waiting for? Head here to listen to the Pearl Jam frontman uku-lay it down right.

After tapping She & Him, Jeff Tweedy, and Broken Social Scene for its initial launch, the St. Louis, MO-based LouFest returns in 2011 with an expanded and more diverse bill. Set for August 27-28 at Forest Park, this year’s festival will be headed by The Roots, TV on the Radio, Cat Power, Deerhunter, and The Hold Steady.

Other confirmed acts include !!!, Surer Blood, Das Racist, The Low Anthem, Dom, Ume, Sleepy Sun, Kings Go Forth, Troubadour Dali, Jumbling Towers, Old Lights, and Jon Hardy & the Public.

A limited number of discounted 2-day passes are now on sale for $59 via the festival’s website.

Cat Power, the stage name of singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, hasn’t released a full length of completely original songs since 2006′s The Greatest. While fans still have to wait for that LP to debut sometime in the future, fans can enjoy a new song from Marhsall’s February 4th show at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium above (courtesy of TwentyFourBit). The as-yet-untitled track is a subtle little slow jam backed up by the Dirty Delta Blues Band (which features Dirty Three’s Jim White, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Judah Bauer, and the Delta 72’s Gregg Foreman.) As always, stay tuned for more info regarding the release as it’s announced.

Set to take place from April 2-3 in Santiago’s Parque O’Higgins, the bill also includes Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deftones, Fatboy Slim, The Flaming Lips, The National, Empire of the Sun, Cat Power, Cypress Hill, 30 Seconds to Mars, 311, Sublime with Rome, Ben Harper, Cold War Kids, CSS, Devendra Banhart, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Ghostland Observatory, Fischerspooner, The Drums, Datarock, Boys Noize, and Bomba Estero.

The festival will also feature a number of Latin American outfits. You can find the complete bill at our Festival Outlook and/or on the poster below.

One-day, two-day, and VIP passes are available via the festival’s website.

While it remains to be seen what the singer better known as Cat Power has in store for 2011, we do know she’ll hit the ground running. Ground Control Touring has posted three 2011 tour dates, and although you’ll have to live near the Pacific Ocean to have a real shot at seeing Ms. Marshall play, we’re just glad that she’s on the road again. The dates kick off with a show at Honolulu, Hawaii’s Aloha Tower on February 2nd, with Cat Power then stopping in San Francisco and Los Angeles on the 4th and 6th, respectively.

Ticketing information is still forthcoming and there’s no word on whether more dates will be announced. We’ll keep you updated.

Cat Power 2011 Tour Dates
02/02 – Honolulu, HI @ The Waterfront at Aloha Tower
02/04 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
02/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box

Yeah, that’s cheesy, but true nonetheless. See, though the landmark independent label had reached it’s 21 year anniversary, the majority of fans in attendance were probably 21 when Matador Records started. Some, like me, drove from nearby cities of Los Angeles or Phoenix or Salt Lake City. But most seemed to have travelled much further, whether that be from the East Coast or from overseas. The price and difficulty of acquiring tickets weeded out much of the younger crowd, and though there were some people in their 20s <cough>, we were the minority.

What did that mean for the event? It meant that the crowd was excited but tame, knowledgeable but not competitive and drunk but not belligerent. There were no ambulances pulling passed out girls from the pit, no hydrating stations, and no smell of marijuana in the air. This last note was surely due to the fact that everyone could easily go to a hotel room to take care of their mind altering. Yes, only in Las Vegas could the marrying of venue with accommodations and a sprinkle of luxury and seediness have happened.

The most notably absent festival trademark was hippies. I didn’t see a single one! No, this was a festival made by and for Matadorks (not my term, a nice redhead said I could borrow it, though), and as every MC was made painfully aware, they only wanted to hear music and as much of it as possible.

Friday, October 1st

Guitar Wolf

Night one of the festival started late because of a flight delay, but I didn’t know this at the time. All I knew was the the Matador blog had made it clear the set-times were going to be strictly followed, so when I arrived at the Pearl minutes before the 7:30 p.m. scheduled start time, I was surprised to see the band hadn’t hit the stage yet. Of course, my big fear was that Pavement was going to be forced to reduce their set, a fear some fans took out on M.C. Jeff Jenson nearly every time he tried one of his between-band “comedy” routines (jokes from the M.C.’s over the course of the weekend focused on cocaine, Mark Ibold, and Bob Nastanovich being funnier than actual comedians).

But alas, Guitar Wolf did take the stage and the loudest band in Japan played a fun, but short set. I don’t listen to much Japanese punk, and their set wasn’t enough to make me reconsider this stance, but Guitar Wolf’s set played like an opener – it was short, got you fired up for the acts to come, and was mostly unremarkable. As far as the volume the band is known for, they didn’t seem too powerful up in the front, but I would discover over the course of the weekend that the Pearl has an amazing sound system, if you are in the right spots. In the front, the P.A. is designed to play past you, so most of what you are hearing is the stage volume, which meant the vocals seemed too low for most bands. Standing on the sides meant you would lose some part of the music depending on how the speakers were configured. But in the seats, the sound was of high quality and volume and I never had any complaints when I was back there.

Chavez

I’d always heard great things about Chavez, given them a listen multiple times, but never had them click with me. So I was surprised to witness them give the performance of the night. Their sound could be compared to Dinosaur Jr. in both the impressive guitar work and un-poilished vocal technique of Matt Sweeney. Sweeney has had the most distinguished career since Chavez last recorded in the mid-nineties, but guitarist Clay Tarver was the star on Friday night. While appearing as aging men onstage, Tarver managed to make the band young again with crisp solos and a revived passion that saw him raising his guitar over his head at numerous points, like a hockey player would hold the Stanley Cup. Sure they looked like your dad getting the old band back together in the garage, but Chavez proved that age really is just a number and 15-year-old songs can still sound fresh if you mean them.

Setlist: Top Pocket Man, Break Up Your Band. New Room, Unreal Is Here, Peeled Out Too Soon, The Ghost By The Sea, Pentagram Ring, You Must Be Stopped, You Faded, Flight 96

Fucked Up

Because I planned on seeing Fucked Up again later in the night, I took this set to eat some dinner and caught only the last bit. On record, Fucked Up are too screamy/hardcore for me, but I admit it’s quite the spectacle in concert. Pink Eye is a born-frontman, making connections with the crowd and getting every person in the venue to be invested in the set. He brought out his young son and gave the set a different spin, taking the aggression and putting a rounder tint on it. I would’ve skipped dinner if I knew that the later show was going to be all covers, but Fucked Up aren’t going anywhere and I will make it a point to catch their next local set.

Sonic Youth

Another weekend highlight, and about a billion times better than previous shows I had seen from them, which seemed to always be at the wrong time (as an opener for Pearl Jam, the day after they had their equipment stolen in Irvine). Though they have had Mark Ibold playing bass for them recently, Sonic Youth knew this was a party and played the show in their classic formation. Likewise, they played some absolute killer cuts and provided what might be the best single song of the festival, closer “Death Valley ’69″, which was spooky and inciting, giving Sonic Youth the fist-pumper that I always thought “Teen Age Riot” stood alone as in their catalog. Set openers “Tom Violence” and “Schizophrenia” were also tremendous, reminding us of just how good this band has always been. In fact, I might be alone in this opinion, but I think the set did lack by neglecting newer material, as it would have really tied together the set as a complete retrospective. After-all, they are Matador newcomers, and while it was truly a masterful performance, it did seem strange to fail to acknowledge The Eternal.

Setlist: Tom Violence, Schizophrenia, Bull in the Heather, Stereo Sanctity, Mote, The Sprawl, Cross the Breeze, (I Got a) Catholic Block, Shadow of a Doubt, Death Valley ’69

(Writer’s Note: As this is finished, I heard Steve Albini’s comments on Sonic Youth. So I take back everything I said. They suck and their set sucked and I’m way too indie to ever like them. Except when I produce records for major labels. Then, it’s just a paycheck, ya know? It doesn’t matter who signs it…Unless you are Sonic Youth.)

Pavement

Now, you will hear that Pavement were bad at this festival, that the two singers were obviously sick of each other, and that it was a poor end to an otherwise successful tour. I did not get any of that from their set. For one, they are Pavement. I don’t know if you expected them to totally change their demeanor because it was a special occasion, but it seemed like Pavement was almost more Pavement-y because of it. And secondly, I think I’ve heard this kind of report from just about every Pavement show on the reunion, like people are looking for a reason to think that they hate one another. Maybe I’m wrong, but I know they still have to visit South America. I guess that will tell us.

I lined up for Sonic Youth stage-right, because I knew that was where Malkmus had been positioning himself. Many other photographers had this same idea, but Malkmus came out and played “Grounded” with his back to us and facing the opposite side of the stage. After this song, they began changing something in the drums (Spiral Stairs also had some sound trouble, the beginning of a curse that seemed to take over that side of the stage, which some people attributed to Thurston Moore’s barrage of guitar noise) and Malkmus killed time by playing “Perfect Depth”, which was one of many rarer songs played this evening, including “AT&T” as an amazing closer that featured Malkmus leaving his voice on the stage with his reaching screeches.

Then Malkmus spun his microphone around, and began playfully posing throughout the rest of the set for the hungry crowd. As far a the reunion goes, it was a strange setlist (heavy on E.P. songs, Brighten The Corners) and offered less playfulness, but if there is ever a bright spotlight on Stephen Malkmus, I would hope that he would shy away from it. Maybe his band will always begrudge the man that right, but it is his right. Because without him, honestly, no one would care.

Setlist: Grounded, Perfect Depth, Stereo, Elevate Me Later, Shady Lane, Conduit for Sale, Starlings of The Slipstream, Box Elder, Unfair, Fin, Kennel District, Cut Your Hair, Two States, Gold Soundz, She Believes, Range Life, Stop Breathin’, Heckler Spray, Shoot The Singer, AT&T

Fucked Up Vs. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Though Chavez and Sonic Youth killed it, this after-party was the most fun I had all weekend. Now, I didn’t grow up listening to punk or hardcore, and in all honesty, I would never put Black Flag on for pure enjoyment. But I have a profound respect for the scene and what it meant, and both Fucked Up and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists may not be embraced by the punk scene, but they live its ideals everyday and preach its gospel to anyone that will listen. It was fitting these two would play a “versus” set, when really it was about unity and community, with both bands playing together when appropriate and genuinely enjoying themselves.

The setlists included tunes from other Matador artists (Leo covering Liz Phair, Fucked Up tackling a tribute to Jay Reatard, both with Mission of Burma’s “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver”) as well as a wide range of punk-rooted material (Superchunk’s Job Wurster providing guest-Danzig duties on the Misfits’ “We Bite”, both groups jamming out “Rise Above” together, Fucked Up providing a ferocious version of Nirvana’s “Breed”, and Leo using his own material as a stepping stone for guest appearances from Sally Crewe and Tom Sharpling with “Bottled In Cork”). The affair felt intimate, but more importantly it felt like a party, which was the whole point, right? It was nice to see two bands, who notably were in town for the entire weekend, not lose sight of that.

Harlem

And Harlem kept the party going. Though the audience was not particularly large (it had to be near 3 a.m.), Harlem asked the now noticeably drunk crowd to move in close. Harlem put everyone at ease by hoping that everyone was as drunk as they were. They didn’t play like it, though, as they put together the standout set from the young bands on the bill. They even came with their own trio of dancing drunk girls who played cute and spilled their beers.

But Harlem, a band I expected nothing from, were pretty damn good. Despite their difficult set-time, they seemed enthusiastic and their sloppy , 60′s-inspired garage rock was suited for a smaller gathering anyway. It felt like a Black Lips show where the band didn’t ry to fight you. It was enough to keep me in the building for their entire set, though not enough to make me stay for more Guitar Wolf.

I always claim to never get star-struck, but it might just be because I am a little shy. Either way, if I saw a musician on the street, 99 times out of 100 I wouldn’t stop him to chat or shake his hand (noted 1% exception occurred recently while walking by Jason Lytle, stopping to tell him that I was a big fan and then accidentally insulting him by stating that his performance that night was much better than the previous show of his that I had witnessed). And I didn’t really speak to much of anyone besides random concertgoers, who tended to be in the music industry in some way, instead preferring to watch fans live out their dreams. From Ted Leo taking the time to meet fans after his late-night set to Mitch Mitchell walking out and giving autographs before the Guided By Voices finale, the artists knew the dedication and cost that the attendees had absorbed to be there and besides showing their appreciation for their label, also showed appreciation for the reason the label exists: the fans. Ultimately, I was reminded of those fantasy baseball camps where you get a base-running lesson from Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt helps you refine your swing. But, instead, you got to hug a New Pornographer.

There were plenty of other reminders of the appreciation throughout the weekend. Saturday night’s after-party featured free Miller Light. Throughout the weekend, the top level record and merchandise stores offered signing sessions from the artists; everyone from Sonic Youth to members of Pavement. And there seemed to be no backstage corridors, as I rode elevators with both Fucked Up and Superchunk. Indeed there also seemed to be a lack of artist hospitality, unless they were given comps at the food court. Or maybe some artists were so grateful they wanted to eat with the fans, too. Doubtful.

Even the merchandise was made to impress, with each attendee receiving a free tote bag that held a program, a Matador pin, and a special 12-inch vinyl. I’ll let you guys hunt for what is on it, but it’s cool. Lastly, seven different artists created posters for the festival, each limited to only 200 prints. Most were sold-out by the end of the weekend and I’m keeping mine above my bed until I meet a woman who can convince me to get something more tasteful.

From the event being inside a hotel, to the in and out privileges, being off the strip and even the parking at the resort, everything gleamed with convenience. Any gripes that were heard on the first day had been silenced by the last. Yes, Matador at 21 succeeded big time at being a crowd-pleaser.

Saturday, October 2nd

Girls

I have seen Girls quite a few times and think their debut album is just fantastic. That being said, the conclusion of their hump-day kickoff set left a sour taste in my mouth. After beginning the show by admitting that they barely squeaked in to the main event and showing genuine gratitude for being able to participate, singer Christopher Owens ended the show by pleading with the other founding member, J.R. White to return to the stage.

The set began with a nice wakeup-call with “Laura” and then seemed to be content to lull the audience to sleep with a number of slow songs. Sure the crowd was sparce, but I was surprised to see the band so subdued. This, though, appeared to be a trick, as the band finished “Hellhole Ratrace” with its typical noise-jam and was about to kick into “Morning Light” and “Lust For Life”, basically signalling a complete change in the set and finishing with wow factor, like a boxer applying the knockout while the opponent was unsuspecting. And it would have worked, which is probably why White was so upset when his guitar began having technical problems (yes, in the same spot as Stairs). And though he grabbed a tambourine from the drum kit to finish-up “Morning Light”, his momentary making-due was indeed momentary, as he threw the tambourine to the ground at the conclusion of the number and stormed off stage. After his pleas were ignored, Owens led the band through the concluding number and left the crowd to draw their own conclusions about the state of the San Francisco group. Please note that alleged band fights at this point of the festival equalled the number of reunions.

Come

Okay, reunions went back ahead, and for good. Come, like Guitar Wolf, was a band I wasn’t really familiar with and their set didn’t really change that. It sounded like Chavez meets Hole and had a few rabid fans, particularly the coked-up dude next to me who kept yelling “Boston”. But the set seemed to please those who wanted to be pleased, and I think that was the point of the weekend. Making new fans would only be a bonus.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Man, Jon Spencer must get a lot of ass. He does this cool dip and pop move that looks almost like the splits but isn’t, plus he has awesome sideburns and plays music professionally. The only thing that might deter the ladies is his seeming lack of a vocabulary outside the words “baby” and “blues explosion”. Sometimes he curses, too. But I have a feeling it doesn’t matter once they see the kneeling-dance-move-thingie. I’ve never much enjoyed The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on record, but live they are a force to be reckoned with; hopefully this comeback lasts a little while.

Perfume Genius

Talk about shit luck. I have been pretty vocal about Perfume Genius. I adore their debut album. But scheduling the duo performing songs of a deeply personal nature involving sexual abuse, drugs, and suicide was not appropriate considering the party that Jon Spencer tried to incite minutes earlier. The funeral-like silence was broken only when “Mr. Peterson” tells of the eponymous teacher’s jump off a building, which one listener in the back must have not seen coming, because he yelled “Holy shit” like a football fan after a punishing, blindsided hit. Unsuspecting or drunk witnesses were forced to muffle laughter, to varying degrees of success. It was perfect for Cat Power, who didn’t have to change the mood on her own, but Perfume Genius’ primary entity Mike Hadreas acknowledged the morose sheet that had wrapped the room by introducing the final songs as “party jams.”

I was still able to appreciate the delicate beauty in the songs as well as notice the two lovers silently admiring each other and occasionally staring at the other when the other wasn’t looking. I even had to hold back sympathy tears when Hadreas lost composure on two occasions. When do you see someone perform art about themselves that can move the artist to tears, outside of a creative writing class? By the time they reach a real audience, most artists are taught to bury the personal stuff deep to avoid these kind of situations. I’m sure glad we get to see Hadreas learn this for himself, because certainly he will follow similar raw talents, like Conor Oberst, away from such personal pieces as his craft matures.

Cat Power

So, Cat Power was my dinner break, but I have to note that she seemed in a way better mood than at Outside Lands. I watched her open with her version of “Satisfaction” and second-guessed leaving for dinner as the singer smiled and gave off confidence that simply wasn’t present as she hid in the corner of the stage in San Francisco. I hear mixed things about the rest of her performance once the full band arrived.

Superchunk

Somehow, I misjudged timing at my hotel and missed the opening chunk of Superchunk. Heh, see what I did there? Plus, fellow Los Angeles music guy Andrew Youseff planted doubt in my head, noting that Cat Power hates being photographed and demands personal photo approval, thus causing me to stay for her set to start and get a few shots in. Anyways, I digress.

On Saturday the combination of too much rock and roll, elevation change and not enough sleep due to feverish writing and well, being in Las Vegas finally hit me like a ton of bricks. But the Superchunk that I did catch completely kicked ass.

The group has to be in their forties, but play like kids, jumping and yelping like teenagers trying to impress a pretty girl at a battle of the bands. But I think what really made the Superchunk set so memorable was the new songs, which hold their own against the back catalog. “Digging for Something” and “My Gap Feels Weird” could be on current alternative radio if they were made by twenty-year-olds, but note that Superchunk is not trying make the music of today’s youth. They are simply making the same style of music that they have been creating for a couple decades. It’s not their fault that pop-rock finally caught up with them…or maybe it is?

Setlist: Throwing Things, Skip Steps 1&3, My Gap Feels Weird, Digging For Something, Detroit Has a Skyline, Seed Toss, Mower, Learned To Surf, Cast Iron, Slack Motherfucker, Precision Auto

Spoon

I had just seen Spoon perform their most important Matador release, the Soft Effects E.P.,  in Los Angeles, so I figured I knew what was coming for this set. Well, I guess technically I did, but it wasn’t the part of the L.A. show that I expected. Though they did open with “Mountain To Sound”, the set then went pretty much like the main Palladium set. Maybe time constraints came into play?

But it was a perfectly fine set that would have been more enjoyable if I had not just seen it two days prior. And if I wasn’t about ready to pass out. But they did give one surprise in their lovely tribute to Jay Reatard, a Matador artist who died earlier this year (and opened for the band this past New Year’s in Milwaukee). Their version of “No Time”, the single released in 2008 for the label, was low-key but apt and ultimately affecting, showing an appreciation not for Matador the label, but for the artists who make it a truly special entity. A shame that not everyone was there to celebrate.

Belle & Sebastian

I was dead tired and seriously contemplated bailing on Belle & Sebastian. Yes, I know they are one of my all-time favorite bands, but that should give you an idea how tired I was. But I am glad I stayed, as the opening sounds of “I Didn’t See It Coming” brought me back to life and soon I was circling the theater looking for camera angles once again.

The Scottish group has produced some of the finest work Matador has to offer, and of all the headliners, they are the most well rounded and most professional. They are also the only ones still recording new material, which affected the set strangely. I noted when recently reviewing their new album that Write About Love seemed like a continuation of Dear Catastrophe Waitress, ignoring their last album’s shifts. And the live show reinforces that, which included four tunes from Waitress while offering only one tune from The Life Pursuit and most other old albums. So with more than half the set devoted to some of my least favorite material and the rest featuring the songs you’d expect them to play, the set was not up to par with the performances they were pulling out in 2006.

But I won’t whine. The set was fun above all and Stuart Murdoch is one of the most engaging and comforting frontmen in business. He took some lucky fans on stage and made them dancers for two numbers, then gave them all gold medals for their trouble. He also threw footballs into the crowd, hitting the top balcony, and proving his worth as an athlete. The crowd was pleased and I left feeling better, but in no way up for the afterparty. My apologies to Esben and The Wolf, Cold Cave, and Dead Meadow.

Setlist: I Didn’t See It Coming, I’m A Cuckoo, Step Into My Office, Baby, The State I Am In, I’m Not Living In The Real World, Piazza, New York Catcher, Write About Love, Sukie In The Graveyard, There’s Too Much Love, The Boy With The Arab Strap, If You Find Yourself Caught In Love, Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying, Sleep The Clock Around,(break), Me and the Major

If I ended up leaving Matador at 21 no longer on the Guided By Voices fence, firmly planted on the side of support for indie music’s butt-rockers, Sunday would have been the clear-cut standout of the festival. Even with not being into the GBV set, Sunday only narrowly loses to Friday, if only because Friday had higher highs and less-low lows, while Sunday was a more consistent show. That, and the Leo V. Fucked Up was seriously a bizarre, once in a lifetime spectacle that made me not only like the artists involved more, but actually appreciate music more in general, if that were even possible.

And while I was going to reserve this space to talk about all the issues I had with the festival, aside from technical issues that occur at any fest, there were few to no problems. The M.C. on Friday sucked, and actually, next time go with no M.C.s, period. It just makes the fans impatient and costs you money. Dim the lights and have the band walk-on like everywhere else.

But even as I wrap up this article, the lack of controversy and the general reliability of the music veterans involved left little to write about. While so much of the event was good, very few sets left me thinking “I want to tell someone about that.” Not to play spoiler, but Yo La Tengo had a set I wanted to talk about, as did Leo in both his roles. Sonic Youth, Pavement, Harlem, and Chavez had interesting sets, but not quite as shareable. Perfume Genius and Girls had different struggles, but they fascinated me nonetheless. Otherwise, everything was pretty good, but not meaty material, as you will see most writers for this event use lists or gimmicks to avoid duller moments and focus on the 10 or so happenings that left a lasting impression.

That is not to say I didn’t fucking love it. I was thankful for every minute, except maybe the Spoon-sleepys that hit hard. And I’d go again in a second. But maybe last summer’s seemingly-endless parade of weekend outdoor festivals toughened me up and made Matador seem too safe and easy… No that’s not it. I think it was more humbling to be in the presence of so much talent and dedication and inspiring commitment to stay true to both your ideals and your business partners, that to criticize seemed to miss the point and to shower with hyperbole would be disrespectful.

Besides Interpol, who had scheduled overseas dates at the time, the label got most of their core to come out, as well as former members like Spoon and Superchunk. And even if it was just an obligatory appearance, no one made The New Pornographers show up two days early or newbie Ted Leo play every set that would have him. No one made Matt Sweeney stick around to jam with Guided By Voices or Pink Eye check out Kurt Vile on Sunday afternoon. No, these artists seemed like family. Sure, some of the members hate each other, but they still all show up to Thanksgiving. And this Thanksgiving, a couple thousand of us got in on the feast, too.

Sunday, October 3rd

Kurt Vile

After a solid night of rest, I made it to the matinee for Kurt Vile‘s surprisingly sharp set. First of all, I had previously seen Vile as a solo act and thought that was it, so I was prepared for a sleepy acoustic affair. But when the foursome of people, who may or may not actually have faces, performed, they gave credence to all the positive attention artists and critics bestow on Vile. I didn’t know any of the songs, can’t say that I am dying to listen to more of his music, but I wasn’t bored or pissed, which says a lot on day three of a festival.

Times New Viking

Now, people get down on Times New Viking for being noisy and abrasive on record, but this was the reason I made my way to the matinee. And though they do replicate the lo-fi distortion in the guitar tones and mic levels, the chief problem I have with this band is not the noise, but the volume. I hate how I can’t get their albums loud enough and if I even dared put one of their cuts on a mix, all hell would break loose in my car. This is not a problem with their live set, allowing the listeners to finally notice their songs are pretty great pop songs in the center. Pop songs with hissing and static and occasional feedback and fuzz. You know, the best kind.

Shearwater

If Girls had it rough with their turnout as first-band-on-stage on Saturday, Shearwater might as well have not even shown up, playing to maybe 100 people at the start. But that didn’t stop Jonathan Meiburg and his cohorts from putting their all into their set, which seemed like an abridged version of their show I had previously seen at Spaceland. The big difference was that they focused on their louder and more upbeat tracks, and unlike Girls, they didn’t wait until the battle was nearly lost to win over the crowd. “Black Eyes” is a confident opener, “Castaways” sounded great, and the one-two punch of “Rooks” and “Century Eyes” are enough to win over most skeptics. A solid set that too many people missed.

Setlist: Black Eyes, Landscape at Speed, Castaways, Corridors, Hidden Lakes, Home Life, Rooks, Century Eyes, Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five, Uniforms

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Ted Leo was the MVP of the weekend. Though he only joined Matador recently, the man made his presence felt with the classic versus performance, a later jam with Liz Phair, an apparent killer karaoke jam, and one of the weekend’s best sets. I don’t know if it was a standard set for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, but from the opener of his most-beloved song, “Where Have All The Rudeboys Gone” to another duet with Sally Crewe for the extended ending of ‘Bottled in Cork”, Leo had the crowd feeling his enthusiasm for music. And that is maybe what the weekend was for him, not just a celebration of Matador, but a celebration of the little guy actually lasting, of achieving hard earned success and of doing things the right way rather than the easy way.

For the conclusion of his set, which featured an emphasis on Matador released The Brutalist Bricks, A.C. Newman joined Leo for a rendition of Nick Lowe’s “I Love My Label”, which saw Leo sitting on a monitor to really reach the crowd. He told a story that could have been taped as a commercial for the weekend, as it succinctly provided an explanation for why we were all there. I’d ruin it if I tried to recount it, but it involved Matt Sweeney and his introduction to Matador and how he had been on quite a number of labels and that Matador, like other indies, love music and love artists and provide an atmosphere for them to create. He then bolted into the crowd while Newman kept the song going from the stage, letting the crowd in on the lovefest.

And he has a point. But the point he didn’t make is that if you look at the Matador roster, while its list of up and comers are remarkable, like non-attendees Delorean and Magic Kids, in addition to the list of bands that have stayed with them for decades, like Belle & Sebastian and The New Pornographers, what’s really most impressive, is how the label can sign vets who could be on any label they want (and have seen many different labels throughout their career) but still choose Matador. Sonic Youth and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists prove that Matador does something that musicians respond to. We’d probably have to work for them to really understand it, but magic happens when Matador is involved, that’s for sure.

Setlist: Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?, Even Heroes Have to Die, The Stick, Me and Mia, Bottled in Cork, Woke Up Near Chelsea, The Ballad of the Sin Eater, I Love My Label (Nick Lowe cover)

The New Pornographers

I saw the Canadian power-pop supergroup over the summer in Los Angeles, but was there to interview Meric Long of The Dodos and didn’t get to write about The New Pornographers, one of my long-time favorites. I was disappointed in their enthusiasm and sound at the earlier date, but the Sunday set seemed anything but phoned-in. Like the Shearwater story, A.C. Newman’s story about “Challengers” being about meeting his wife was something that I had heard before, but what I didn’t know was that she was a Matador employee, but not for long as he joked, “No wife of mine will work for Matador Records”. Certain crowd members were shocked to see Dan Bejar join the group, seemingly high as hell, and deliver his barroom renditions of “Myriad Harbor” and “Testament To Youth In Verse” (introduced by Neko Case after a profession of love to Matador as “a song about Dan’s hatred”).

There were technical problems, with Case being too low in volume early on and Calder having the same issue when her moment to shine arrived during “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk”, but the setlist was more than satisfying, including “Letter To An Occupant” and surprising opener, “The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism”. But most importantly, the band looked like they were having fun (they were also one of the groups that could be seen taking part in the entire weekend). If the New Pornos are anything, they are jovial jokesters onstage and it was nice to see that playfullness and joy still visible, and that the L.A. show was hopefully a fluke.

Setlist: The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism, Myriad Harbour, Crash Years, Sing Me Spanish Techno, Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk, Silver Jenny Dollar, Use It, Challengers, Testament to Youth in Verse, Moves, Letter From an Occupant, The Bleeding Heart Show

Yo La Tengo

I hadn’t really seen Yo La Tengo before. Well I had, but it was the last part of an opening slot for Bright Eyes and though I thought I’d catch most of their set, it turned out to be just one really long song (“The Story of Yo La Tengo”). So after opening with my favorite YLT jam, “Here To Fall”, guess what song began? Yep, “The Story of Yo La Tengo”. But, I can’t complain, because Ira Kaplan went ballistic during this jam and absolutely killed it. Kaplan is an under the radar guitar hero that will hopefully receive his due from the next generation of musicians who need not look farther for an inspiration and influence.

The rest of their set was a little more light-hearted, as they performed a cover of “Nuclear War” with changed lyrics, so as to include the employees of the record label. “You Can Have It All” was fully choreographed and fully ridiculous, but “Nothing To Hide” saw perhaps the strongest side of the trio: genuine rock band. The recent tune, with its mantra of “harder not faster” could some up the work ethic of the label; not looking for a quick check but hoping the hard work pays off. While it may not get you into arenas, it gets a couple thousand enthusiasts to fork over their savings for a recapturing of the last 21 years.

Setlist: Our Way to Fall, The Story of Yo La Tango, Nuclear War (Sung As Matador Tribute), Autumn Sweater, Mr. Tough, You Can Have It All, Shaker, Nothing to Hide, Sugarcube, Blue Line Swinger

Guided By Voices

Lots of people loved this set, and I’ll give it that it was enthusiastic, but it also felt a little over-bloated, a little dinosaurish, and mildly self-absorbed. Maybe it was the crowd, with the arena rock atmosphere and “G-B-V” chants that got me to question, or the fact that I still have no desire to revisit some of these classic albums after watching the set (unlike Superchunk or Yo La Tengo), but I didn’t really get the whole event. Guided By Voices seemed like old men trying to relive the past, where Chavez or even the less-than-sharp Pavement were able to find their youth on the same stage.

But I can’t really hold Guided By Voices responsible for me being unable to relate to them. The band is a year younger than I am, and many of the touchstones (Robert Pollards leg kicks, Mitch Mitchell’s non-stop theatrics) are long out of date, but I don’t think I am the target audience. Point being: the matadorks ate it up. The sign above the band read the “club is open” and the band turned the still-polished Pearl into any bar in America. Fans seem to think the setlist was amazing, for me the weekend was already over and I patiently waited for the men to fatigue and end early, which they didn’t, going well-over curfew once again (every night did!) and leaving the die-hards feeling that the year’s vacation was worth it. Now, how was it not possible to sellout The Wiltern on the next night? Though their fans are rabid, they are still few.

Setlist: A Salty Salute, Shocker in Gloomtown, Tractor Rape Chain, Pimple Zoo, Closer You Are, Buzzards and Dreadful Crows, My Valuable Hunting Knife, Cut-Out Witch, Hot Freaks, Lethargy, Weedking, A Good Flying Bird, Motor Away, Striped White Jets, Matter Eater Lad, The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory, Gold Star for Robot Boy, Awful Bliss,14 Cheerleader Coldfront, My Impression Now, I Am a Scientist, My Son Cool, Echos Myron, Game of Pricks, Exit Flagger, Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy, (break), Johnny Appleseed, Smothered in Hugs, Don’t Stop Now (break), Quality of Armor, Some Drilling Implied

Gallery by Philip Cosores

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It’s already been a gloomy summer on the coast of California, so we needed this festival. SoCal already had its dominating festival, Coachella, and it was time for the Bay Area to strut its own breed of music festival again. And what better place to spend a weekend at than the legendary Golden Gate Park? The California coast might not have brightened up, but everybody was certainly in high spirits. In retrospect, how couldn’t you be?

This year, Outside Lands came off like a modern hybrid. For one, the lineup bridged a number of generation and stylistic gaps, opening up some people’s perceptions. This was one of the first festivals in which I can safely say a large chunk of the audience was over 40, and it didn’t seem creepy, or weird (a young girl asked about Furthur posting their set list online and everybody looked at her like she was insane). You had bands catering to the aged crowd who remembers what things were like “back in the day,” like Levon Helm, Al Green, and Social Distortion, but you had the top acts of generation-now like the Strokes, the Kings of Leon, Phoenix, and My Morning Jacket. This was a festival for all the freaks of the Bay to come out of the woodwork and unite under the sun, even if it wasn’t out.

And the freaks came out, rest assured, and it was wonderful to remember that if it weren’t for weird people like us, there wouldn’t be a festival to talk about. Outside Lands was a place this year where everybody could gather, be themselves, and rock out in one of America’s most historic spots in one of its coolest cities. Overall it was alright, I guess I’ll go next year.

Saturday, August 14th

People Under the Stairs
Lands End, 12:00 p.m.

Nothing could have made me happier than walking into Golden Gate Park to hear the San Francisco Knights themselves conducting some turntable Scientifics. “I think we got this party started,” they boasted to a crowd of “old hippies”: as they so eloquently put it. The titan twosome of Thes One and Double K threw it down to kick off the first day of the festival. The group had no problem representing the Bay Area, with their classic tune “San Francisco Knights”, and even discussed the weather, just before dropping into “Acid Raindrops”.

People Under the Stairs genuinely wanted to get the party going with their Mid-City Fiesta antics. Everyone around was totally indulging, as they lit joints all over the place, which was relished by the MCs themselves, who stated “shit was kicking in.” But they wanted to keep it positive, “It’s a little cold, but it could be warm if you believe,” Double K said. The group then launched into “Tripping at the Disco” to close their set of stoned age hip-hop for the early risers. -Ted Maider

Electric Six
Sutro, 12:40 p.m.

“That opening act was amazing. Rap rap rap. rap ra rap rap rap (in mock-rap tone). We are trying to start shit with the other bands so maybe they fight us and we get more press.” – Dick Valentine

Electric Six are instigators. They were out to start a party, get in trouble, make you dance, anything, really, to get you out of your 12:45 p.m. trance. And if you base you enjoyment of music by your engagement rather than what you actually hear, they were a success. Lead singer Dick Valentine is a ham, thrusting his pelvis, shaking his arms, and cracking jokes like he was at the Brea Improv, but I laughed at all of them, so I guess his mission was a success. When the group busted out “Danger, High Voltage”, I expected some kind of mass hysterics (like when I perform the same song at karaoke), but, alas, it was still the early afternoon and the moderate enthusiasm that was prevalent for everything was about as much as they were going to get. We sure had some laughs, though. - Philip Cosores

Freelance Whales
Twin Peaks, 12:45 p.m.

You can only read a band’s name so many times, and see them on so many festival lineups before you get curious enough to see them. Freelance Whales‘ brand of mellow indie seemed to win over the San Fran hipster crowd at Outside Lands on day one. Their music seemed mystical, and slightly warming on this dreary Bay day. But it wasn’t their show that drew me in, it was their bizarre instrumentation. For example, percussionist/keyboardist/guitar player Kevin Read had a watering can that he repeatedly beat with a mallet. Not to mention, Doris Cellar played some sort of tabled squeeze box for one of their slower and more melodic numbers. “We’d like to thank San Francisco for the last six months of our lives,” they said with pride towards the end of the show. So they thanked us, by playing some more cheery tunes. -Ted Maider

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars
Lands End, 1:25 p.m.

You got to have yourself some sort of reggae act at a festival to get the early and sunny crowd in high spirits. Well, there was no sun for Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Star’s performance, but they brought forth hypothetical sunshine with their slick reggae grooves. All throughout the crowd, girls splashed with tie dye and dancing in hula hoops were present, as well as several other patrons smoking copious amounts of marijuana to accompany the world music Sierra Leone and company put on. People didn’t necessarily sing along with lyrics that were a) in a different language or b) indecipherable, but the vibe of the music asked everyone to groove, and that’s exactly what they did. -Ted Maider

Pretty Lights
Sutro, 2:15 p.m.

I wandered around for quite some time before Derek Vincent Smith, aka Pretty Lights (aka the sole DJ I wanted to see at this festival), took the stage, and I planned on staying for every second of his jaw-dropping show. Just one year ago, I saw the guy at one of the tents at Bonnaroo, at 3 am, with the e-tard crowd coming down from Phish. Now he had his own slot on one of the bigger stages at Outside Lands in the middle of the afternoon, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t know how to throw down.

The thing about Pretty Lights is he embodies everything about the modern DJ. He’s got some sort of turntable scenario going on (whether they are digital or not is beyond me), as well as two laptops (one Mac, one PC) set up on both ends of his operation. Then, he takes his fantastic contraption of an instrument and brings in samples from all over the spectrum, from eerie piano to distorted guitars, thus getting everyone in the crowd to break it down. But he turns these samples into all different types of electronic music, making his work totally accessible to anyone endorsing in that medium. Pretty Lights is going to make things happen in the electronic world if his show keeps building and building up like his live music. -Ted Maider

Gogol Bordello
Lands End, 3:05 p.m.

Just prior to Gogol Bordello arriving on stage, I passed their singer while roaming through the VIP section. He looked, for lack of a better term, fucking menacing. And let me tell you, that menacing dude can rock in quite the menacing fashion. The high-tempo Gypsy insanity that is Gogol Bordello was a sound to be reckoned with at three in the afternoon. The band blasted through songs like the sonic insanity of “Start Wearing Purple” and “Wonderlust King”, while the audience proceeded to go into a gyrating frenzy. It’s not like the band took it easy either, though. Lead singer and guitar player Eugene Hutz sweat out his entire body weight as he rocked to the band’s furious songs.  To pronounce their ending, Hutz jumped up onto the drum set and took a bow. Everybody was quite pleased. But did you expect anything less from them? -Ted Maider

Levon Helm Band
Twin Peaks, 3:45 p.m.

Levon Helm and his gang of cronies showed up at the Twin Peaks stage in the mid-afternoon to lighten up the mood a bit. Between all the electronic, hip-hop, and rock music, it was finally something the older and Dead-Head crowd could truly appreciate. The group launched through some Band classics (like “The Weight”), covered the Dead (“Tennessee Jed”), and played a number of post-Band tracks, as well. His 10-plus unit performed some crunchy tunes that hippies gladly twirled around to in the grass. Meanwhile, the band had a good time by improvising with acoustic fury as they used their unique and large group of instruments to perform tunes for a sleepier, more laid-back crowd. -Ted Maider

Bassnectar
Sutro, 4:05 p.m.

Bassnectar is the scariest DJ ever. In fact, the whole time I was watching him all I could wonder was how in the fuck he became a DJ. As soon as the guy came out, everyone immediately lost their shit and began to rock their hardest electronic moves. Accompanied with hundreds of giant, black, beach balls, Bassnectar broke it down with his rare form of alternative metal dub-step, mixing bits from all over (most notably his remix of “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn”). The multi-genre mixer caused the earth to quake, people’s hearts to pump up a few notches, and me to freak the hell out. -Ted Maider

My Morning Jacket
Lands End, 5:00 p.m.

“God bless you, San Francisco.” –Jim James

My Morning Jacket never ceases to amaze me. The Bay Area crowd was genuinely stoked that Jim James and company had come to grace their presence with their rare, intellectual, and fantastic style of rock. The band kicked it off slow with tracks like “Tonite I Want to Celebrate with You” and “Gideon”. As the band jammed, escalated, rocked, and shocked, it really struck me that they truly work to perfection as a complete unit. If one member were to be replaced, the whole show would be at a loss. It’s the chemistry they share that speaks volumes. That… and their donkey, which happened to make an appearance at Sasquatch, too.

Eventually, the band busted out a chilling and hypnotic version of “Touch Me, I’m Going to Scream (Part 1)” and churned out a triumphant version of “I’m Amazed”, which sequed into a jet-fueled speedball rendition of “Highly Suspicious”, which fueled the crowd into a furious mosh. Towards the end, they brought it all back full circle as they lurched on with “Touch Me, I’m Going to Scream (Part 2)”.

Throughout the set, the band played a number of older tunes, too. “Golden”, “Off the Record”, “Steam Engine”, and “Anytime” were all showcased and all well-received. But, nothing came close to their powerful performance of “Wordless Chorus”, which saw the crowd uniting together under rain and through harmonies and reverb. But it wouldn’t stop there, either. Before they left, the group carved out a magnificent, 10 minute cut of “One Big Holiday”, which pumped out enough octane to tear apart the crowd. These guys may not be a jam band, but they sure do fucking jam. -Ted Maider

Wolfmother
Sutro, 6:30 p.m.

The biggest surprise at Outside Lands goes to Wolfmother, hands down. I attended mainly because my brother is a big fan and he dragged me along. However, thank goodness he did. It was the best decision I was forced into making all weekend. Little did I know this would be one of the most unexpectedly awesome sets of the festival. The only person who had more fun than the crowd at Wolfmother was frontman Andrew Stockdale. And why shouldn’t he have a bit of fun? With lineup changes galore since 2005, he deserves to smile. Despite the group’s latest effort, Cosmic Egg, they stuck to mostly material off their self-titled album. Climax? When the band busted into “White Unicorn”, transitioning midway through into a very fitting version of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm”, only to transition back into the end of “White Unicorn”. Like I said, unexpectedly awesome. -Winston Robbins

Cat Power
Twin Peaks, 7:05 p.m.

I’ve never seen Cat Power before, so I won’t be too hasty in my judgment. But is she always so boring? Julian Casablancas nonchalance is one thing, but seeming utterly bored is something different entirely. Maybe it’s just her steaz, but she looked like she just rolled out of bed for this show. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and frumpily dressed in a hoodie and jeans, she spent most of the set with her hands in her pockets. There was a portion of her show where she got down off the stage and into the photo pit to sing two songs, which I’m sure was awesome for all 53 people who could still see her, but eventually the rest of us just forgot she was there. It’s not like her being onstage was that much more exciting. But enough about stage presence. Musically, Chan Marshall couldn’t have been more spot on. “Sea of Love”, “The Greatest”, and “Metal Heart” were all pitch perfect. Every note hit, every inflection impeccable. I just wish she would have been a little more excited about her own talent. -Winston Robbins

Furthur ft. Phil Lesh and Bob Weir
Lands End, 7:25 p.m.

“They really did take it one step further…” –Dead-Head in Sculpture Garden after the show.

I have to start by admitting this straight up; I am not the biggest Dead-Head in the world. This has always been the biggest problem amongst my friends and I. Granted, I enjoy some of their songs quite thoroughly (how could you not), but I have never been one of those kids who goes through phases and phases of nothing but obscure Dead sets. But this entire set-up seemed like something I would totally be all about. For one, you have Phil Lesh and Bob Weir back together on-stage. Secondly, you have John Kadlecik of the Dark Star Orchestra, stepping in Jerry Garcia’s shoes, which he seems to have already done for a portion of his career. Take notice of the setting, though. It was the climax of Jerry month in the Bay, and the band was in Golden Gate Park, the place that pretty much spawned them.

Needless to say, all the tell-tale signs of a Dead-Show were there. All day, my buddy kept saying, “In San Francisco, Dead-Heads just seem to grow up from the ground.” Sure enough, this is what happened. Just prior to Furthur’s show, I watched the kid behind me drop a tab of acid into his friend’s mouth as a surprise. There were more Stealies than I could ever fathom in one place. And people had managed to sneak in recording gear to obtain what they would believe to be a priceless piece of live memorabilia. Well, this night, they were right.

The band was no longer slow, dreary, and too-hypnotic. They were back to the old Dead-style, quicker and extensive jams that kept the pace up. Opening with songs like “Cassidy” and “The Loser” got people on their feet, and scribbling song titles on their notepads all around me. The band launched into a rendition of “Let it Grow”, which they wove into a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time”. People were hip to the cover, considering cheers emanated throughout once those all-too-familiar sound of clocks chimed in.

But the band also launched into a number of Dead staples that belonged in Golden Gate Park. Extended jams on “Fire on the Mountain” and “Terrapin Suite” caused people to astro-project themselves back to the ’70s. To close off the single set, the band started up “Morning Dew” which spiraled into “I Know You Rider”, leaving all the Dead-Heads, who’d coughed up the 70 bucks to get in, very, very pleased.

When I was younger, I saw Ratdog and all the offshoots, but this to me was something far greater than a Grateful Dead recreation. This wasn’t a reincarnation; this was the future of the enterprise that is the Grateful Dead. Even I’ll admit it; they have had one of the best careers in history that any band could possibly ask for. Their material still impacts kids today as it did 50 years ago. So, the bottom line? I may not be a Dead-Head, but I can see that they have done a lot in their time, and they will continue to bedazzle their cult as time goes on. As I wandered off into the night, I heard techno drums going, infused the Furthur’s jamming, which somehow seemed to work in this modern age. Who knows what the future of music will bring? -Ted Maider

The Strokes
Twin Peaks, 8:45 p.m.

Let’s begin here: Why was Furthur headlining this festival? Look, we all know that Bob Weir and Phil Lesh are local Haight-Ashbury legends and were once a part of one of the most influential jam bands in the history of Rock and Roll, but does that really warrant a headlining slot? Seems like an irrelevant stretch to me. The tickets for day one sold, but they certainly didn’t sell out. The Deadheads are slowly dying off. The Strokes should have headlined. But that’s an argument for another time. It was funny, however, what a tangible barrier Furthur versus The Strokes created. In the impeccable words of Philip Cosores, everyone 30 and under was at one side of the park watching The Strokes, while everyone else was re-living their Dead days across the park.

At any rate, Julian Casablancas and company returned to performing on American soil once more after their Lollapalooza appearance, and I can only imagine that the shows were incredibly similar. I say that because tit for tat, the setlists were exactly the same, except Lolla got one more song that Outside Lands did. It was an unbelievable set in every way, musically, visually, you name it. But they were obviously missing one thing: chemistry. It was sad further proof that The Strokes might be on their way out.

However, it was fantastic to hear the songs that got me through the hard knock life of Middle School. They played mainly old favorites such as “Someday”, “Last Night”,  “Reptilia”, and “Hard To Explain” interspersed with only a couple First Impressions of Earth cuts. In between each song, they seemed to stall and talk amongst themselves about what they were doing, which showed a lack of preparation, perpetuating the rumors that they’re imploding. On a lighter note, though, Casablancas will never stop being one of the greatest frontmen of our time. He kept crowd interaction at a maximum and all night he made jokes and basically said whatever the hell came to his mind. It was an endearing, nostalgic run down memory lane that was ultimately enjoyable, but painful in that these are very much so not The Strokes I saw back in ’06. -Winston Robbins
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Gallery by Philip Cosores

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Sunday, August 15th

Amos Lee
Lands End, 12:45 p.m.

The Philadelphia singer/songwriter had the misfortune of playing to a tired crowd in the early afternoon, but made the most out of it. Amos Lee has the kind of voice the can sooth both the weary soul and the weary bones, managing to bring the crowd both to lie for the moment and awaken them at to the fun that laid on the horizon. Lee sings with conviction, and for a writer who had never heard him before and feels a slight bit of shame admitting that he enjoyed the set, it was a pleasant surprise to start a day.  -Philip Cosores

Mayer Hawthorne and The County
Sutro, 1:30 p.m.

If this day was about voices, Mayer Hawthorne was up to the challenge laid down by Amos Lee. Luckily for Hawthorne, where his voice lacks the immediacy of Lee’s, he has Mayer-ettes to provide the eye candy that the singer may lack himself. Sure Hawthorne may seem like a nerd, but he has soul and can get a giant crowd behind him. And somehow most of the crowd knew all the words (maybe this guy is huge) but even those that didn’t seemed to have a blast. Hawthorne may have made the most new fans of anyone at the festival. -Philip Cosores

The Temper Trap
Lands End, 2:15 p.m.

Well, I guess I just don’t get the appeal here. But people were sure excited to see The Temper Trap, to see their weird looking singer, to hear their harmless songs, even a new one that appeared three songs in and went absolutely nowhere. In hindsight, they are known for a song that came out last year with 500 Days of Summer, and oddly enough, it’s not really catchy whatsoever. <Shrug> -Philip Cosores

Janelle Monáe
Sutro, 3:05 p.m.

Most deserved Best New Music handed out by the almighty P4K should go to Janelle Monáe. Not only was her ArchAndroid fantastic from beginning to end, but she is quite the musician/dancer/fashionista. Playing mainly tracks from her most recent album, the crowd seemed to show particular interest in “Cold War” and “Tightrope”, and rightly so, as they were both spot on in every way (except Big Boi didn’t show up for his verse on the latter). Personally, I was quite moved by the stop-free four song medley which contained “Suite II Overture”, “Dance or Die”, “Faster”, and “Locked Inside” in one fell swoop. Impressive. Furthermore, her style is something that is to be simultaneously marveled and envied. Monáe is so much cooler than any of us will ever be, but we should love her for it, not be jealous. Some people were born to front bands (and Janelle is without question the best frontwoman I have seen in recent years), and others were born to write for/read music blogs. To each his own. -Winston Robbins

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Twin Peaks, 3:40 p.m.

“This is a fucking miracle!” –Edward Sharpe (Alex Ebert)

I made it to the front of the crowd by the skin of my teeth, but goddammit, I made it. And thank the lord I did. Four months ago, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were just some band that seemed to be playing every festival I wanted to go to. Now, they’re a crucial portion of my 2010 soundtrack, with a record that continues to sell and a fan base that continues to grow. Hey, you can only appear in so many car commercials before everybody understands your band rules that much.

The 10-piece band wasted no time kicking things up, opening with “40 Day Dream”, one of the stand-out and triumphant tracks from their debut record. The crowd went nuts at the opening drum beats, and then began to sway majestically while singing all the words. Luckily for them, the band played the majority of their album, Up From Below, and in order. Following the opener, they launched right into the happy-go-lucky tune of “Janglin’” and then continued with the album’s titular track.

The Magnetic Zeros did some great renditions of “Desert Song” and even let Jade Castrinos take over on lead vocals for awhile. The real gem though, of course, was “Home”, which the crowd screamed for the entire time. When the hot single finally did come on, everybody leapt up and down in a united frenzy, which seemed warranted for the song’s enthusiastic beat. During the breakdown, though, Alex Ebert and Castrinos discussed the first time they came to San Francisco, and what they did, but most all Castrinos wished the sun would shine. We were all right there with her, but it didn’t matter, because everybody was just elated to be in the presence of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, a band who will clearly be remembered when 2010 music is discussed for years to come. -Ted Maider

Al Green
Lands End, 4:00 p.m.

After Furthur took us back to the 60’s, somebody had to represent the 70’s, and no man was better for the job than Al Green. At 64, our beloved soul singer took the stage to a massive, loving crowd to give them a taste of his era. Not only did he come out belting his own barn burners “Tired of Being Alone” and “Let’s Stay Together”, but he did a tribute to all his contemporaries. He covered The Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself”, The Temptations’ “My Girl”, and Otis Redding (whom he referred to as ‘Big O’)’s “Sitting On the Dock of the Bay”. At the end of the set, the soul mastermind was all smiles, as was the crowd. -Winston Robbins

Slightly Stoopid
Sutro, 5:00 p.m.

How many Slightly Stoopid shows do I normally hear about within a summer? Way too many is an accurate answer. Slightly Stoopid has been able to strike a chord with the cannabis culture, and in California, that’s about ¾ of the population. Basically, these guys picked up right where Sublime left off, and now their brand of reggae-rap-rock has begun to get extremely popular. Throughout the entire show, a cloud of smoke loomed over the crowd, while the band played their cheery reggae tunes. However, they were not afraid to bust out the punk rock when things got a little too mellow. This has always been one of the band’s more positive traits; that they appreciate their punk roots. Not to mention, they covered Ol’ Dirty Bastard, while the crowd held W’s in the air with their hands. After enough Slightly Stoopid, I began to feel slightly stupid due to how spaced out I was, so it was time to vacate the smog and see some other aspect of our culture. -Ted Maider

Chromeo
Twin Peaks, 5:15 p.m.

As soon as the sexy leg keyboard stands were unveiled, the cheers began to roar: Chromeo was on their way. Taking the stage to their signature Fancy Footwork intro, the crowd went berserk. It was a very distinct crowd too, filled with college frat boys, but that didn’t take away from the show in the slightest. Dave 1 and P-Thugg know how to work any audience. By the first song, they had us in the palm of their hands and we loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, they didn’t play anything from their forthcoming album (due out in September),  but maybe that was for the best because hearing their old songs just got me super pumped to hear the new record. The kids went nuts for Chromeo classsics “Tenderoni” “Bona Fide Lovin’”, and “Needy Girl”, and they had every right to. Chromeo knows how to write quirky electro love songs like no one else. -Winston Robbins

Phoenix
Lands End, 5:55 p.m.

Holy… shit… dude. Phoenix has become somewhat of a cultural icon. Singer Thomas Mars has begun to acknowledge this, as he embodied what is true rock star persona while running around the stage with his bright red microphone chord. The rest of the band kept it going too, as their drummer pounded on each head mercilessly to keep the beats of all their high-energy songs going. This was easily one of the best shows of the weekend, and it’s so easy to see why the French five-some were given a sub-headlining spot.

The band kicked it off with “Lisztomania” and the crowd wasted no time diving into the grooves. But neither did the band. While they tore through the majority of their opus, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, playing songs like “Lasso”, “Fences”, and a thrashing “Armistice”, they were not conservative about pulling out past numbers. Tracks like “Run Run Run”, “Consolation Prizes”, and “Long Distance Call” resonated well with those watching, even though they didn’t necessarily sing along.

But the band kept everything interesting. Mars climbed up the amps, over the audience, and across the stage, all while his band kept mixing up instruments, bashing their equipment, and rocking their hardest. It was all straight up amazing and with so much energy.  As they’ve done for the past year now, the band closed things off with a nearly 10-minute rendition of “1901”. It didn’t drag, but at one moment I felt they were playing a different song altogether. As the band’s set came to a close, all the clouds parted for the day, and the sun finally came out. It felt good to feel the warmth again, but it wasn’t the miracle we needed. The miracle we needed was another four songs from Phoenix. -Ted Maider

Nas & Damian Marley
Twin Peaks, 6:50 p.m.

I’ve always been intrigued by Damian Marley & Nas‘ collaboration. I respect both artists  in their respective genres quite a bit, and their duet on “Road to Zion” (off Marley’s 2005 album Welcome to JamRock) was fantastic. But a whole album? It seemed a stretch. I was wrong in thinking that. The second I heard the album, it all began to make sense. It was like I finally go the joke that had been eluding me for weeks. They’re obviously distant relatives due to their African-American complexion, but musically they’re distant relatives as well. Hip hop draws so much from reggae, and contemporary reggae is constantly borrowing from hip hop. And these two make for quite a pair. Two of the most talented in their respective genres, it only makes sense that they are incredible together.

At the Twin Peaks stage, the two played mainly tracks from their latest effort, Distant Relatives. They came out with barn burner “As We Enter” and hit us with a couple of curveballs just before exiting the stage. First, Marley (and his floor length dreads) pulled out his mega-hit “Welcome To Jamrock” out and got the entire place thrashing. Then, Nas and Marley both went back to play their JamRock collaboration “Road to Zion”. They closed the set off with a cover of Marley’s father’s classic hit, “Could You Be Loved”, which of course won the crowd over and had us all singing in unison like a bunch of drunk Irish soccer fans. Lesson learned? Damian Marley and Nas are a perfect combination. -Winston Robbins

Social Distortion
Sutro, 6:55 p.m.

True story: The last time I had seen Social Distortion, I stopped drinking for three years. Since then, I have not listened to the band nor paid any attention to where they are in their career. But, everything ends and so did my boycott of Social D on this Sunday afternoon.

The sun was finally out and the Orange County natives seemed no different that the tough thugs that drove me into a drunken frenzy of terror so many years back. Now that I can actually recall experiencing them, I was impressed by the level of professionalism they showed in their set. They covered all the bases of their long career, with Ness still as menacing as before. “Bad Luck”, “Don’t Drag Me Down” and “Mommy’s Little Monster” kicked things off, but as the set rolled on song’s like “Ball and Chain”, “Prision Bound”, and “Story of My Life” made their way into the set.

Even though their set has probably been similar for 20 years, the band never looks bored or withdrawn. In fact, Ness seems like he wants to relate to the fans just as bad as the young man who wrote these songs. In closing with “Ring Of Fire”, you can’t help but think that Ness has written some songs as timeless as Johnny Cash. It’s a weird thought, but remarkably, it’s true. -Philip Cosores

Kings of Leon
Lands End, 7:50 p.m.

When did the Kings of Leon become this big-time, American headlining band? I think I missed this part in recent pop culture, because I still find the Kings of Leon to be a good band, but not a spectacle worth headlining some of the biggest festivals in America. The thing is though, most people like the Kings of Leon, so they are able to draw a crowd. Kings of Leon just embodies that simple, classic, and timeless American sound, and they actually do a decent job of it.

The Oklahoma quartet of brothers looked like classic American figures as they rocked their finest in front of tens of thousands of people. Jared Followill was dressed up like James Dean, while Caleb Followill kept up his gritty and down-to-Earth persona. The band kicked things off with the ultimate creeper-track, “Closer”, which sent chills down my spine as I watched them grace the monitors in a black and white color scheme. One could feel the ground vibrating as they got closer to the stage and as the sun sank over Golden Gate Park to the Kings of Leon’s gritty, welcomin,g and rocking tunes.

The band also played their hit songs like “Sex on Fire”, “The Bucket”, and “Use Somebody”, while also covering the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?”, which all seemed to keep the crowd genuinely pleased. The main stage was packed as far as one could see, so this was clearly a hot ticket for the last night of the festival. At the start, Caleb asked, “Mind if I have a drink?” and then toasted to the wonderful city of San Francisco. Clearly, the guy was the right man to finish off the show. As the band drew to a close, fireworks lit up the sky behind them and filled the polo fields with smoke. One had to ask, though… where was the crowd’s groove? -Ted Maider

Empire of the Sun
Twin Peaks, 8:25 p.m.

If you don’t listen to Empire of the Sun now, you will soon enough. The Australian electronic space bots from beyond will invade your stereo much like they invaded my brain Sunday night. For one, no band nowadays has a visual show like they do. It’s hard to explain (or do it justice), but the show involves spacey videos, frantic lighting, synchronized dancers in weird costumes holding even weirder props, and lots and lots of techno-future rock. Let’s just say that at one point I wondered if I was watching humans. Actually, looking back at the hour that was Empire of the Sun, I’m still trying to figure out what I saw.

Singer and proverbial captain of the group’s spaceship Luke Steele stood in what looked like a docking station in the center of the stage, surrounded by synthesizers, guitars, and microphones. You’d think this would be all overwhelming, and it probably would to an average musician, but Steele traded off instruments with no problem, and at times, he even managed to play several at once. Opening with the gem “Standing on the Shore”, the crowd found a perfect outlet to a.) find their groove and b.) trip the fuck out.

Basically, the band played their entire debut record, Walking on a Dream, but in an order that was more like a journey than an actual album. The group jammed on songs like “Swordfish Hotkiss Night”, keeping the drums loud, wild, and futuristic by mixing up all sorts of instrumentation from the great beyond. Other tracks like “Delta Bay”, “Half Mast”, and “We Are the People” were all accompanied by a light and video show that would make any performer rethink the entire visual aspect of their show. Think Bowie, but on a rare combination of steroids, coke, and MDMA. To close off the amazing spectacle, the band thrashed out its single, “Walking on a Dream”, as the ecstasy-starched crowd went nuts to finish off a night they didn’t want to end. -Ted Maider
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Gallery by Philip Cosores

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As previously reported, the acclaimed independent label will be celebrating 21 years by traveling to Vegas and hosting one hell of a birthday party — aka a three day music festival at the Palms Casino & Resort.

Today, Matador unveiled the lineup for the aptly titled Matador at 21 and to say it’s epic would be a pretty huge understatement. Making the most of its current roster, the label has tapped the likes of Pavement, Belle & Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Cat Power, and, oh, Guided by Voices. Yep, the acclaimed Ohio outfit, which hasn’t played a show since 2004, will be reuniting for the festival. Plus, it won’t be just any old reunion — the “classic” 1993 – 1996 lineup featuring frontman Robert Pollard, guitarists Tobin Sprout and Mitch Mitchell, bassist Dan Toohey Greg Demos, and drummer Kevin Fennell will be the ones playing.

Also scheduled to take part in the festivities are The New Pornographers, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Superchunk, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Fucked Up, Girls, Harlem, Cold Cave, Shearwater, Chavez, Guitar Wolf, and Kurt Vile. Even more names will be announced on July 5th.

Matador at 21 is set to take place from October 1-3. Ticket information has not yet been released, but I’m sure that won’t stop you from heading over to Expedia and booking a flight to Vegas once you’re done reading this article.

Revisiting the morbid and emotionally trying dilemma months later, too many songs still come to mind, even after trimming out some redundancies. With so many beloved poignant songs from which to choose, how could narrowing down the possibilities to a manageable list be anything but difficult? Nevertheless, if my funeral could only have one song, it would have to be “Maybe Not” by Cat Power.

The challenge in selecting funeral music is balance. Even if you believe you will be there to witness the occasion in some capacity, it’s really an event for the mourners. Essentially, the trick is to select songs that have a significant personal meaning to you, reflect how you want to be remembered, and are appropriate for the occasion. As one of my favorite artists, Cat Power, or Chan Marshall, has quite a few songs near and dear to me, including her unique style of covers.

Chan Marshall’s voice has a natural tendency to become overwhelmingly heart-wrenching, which is one of the reasons for my admiration. When it comes to the saddest of sad songs, they don’t get much better than those of Cat Power.  However, a funeral is already an unhappy occasion, and too sad of a song seems like overkill to me. Why restate the obvious and go for emotional overkill? While the simple repetition of the same four chords throughout the song gives it a haunting quality with the perfect level of somberness, it’s the lyrics that seal the deal for “Maybe Not”.

Just as is the case with a lot of the better songs in the world, the lyrics of “Maybe Not” are open to multiple interpretations. One general theme that I believe rings true with the possible interpretation I have imagined is how peace, whether in the world at large, with others, with one’s own demons, or even with death, comes from within.

We all do what we can
So we can do just one more thing
We can all be free
Maybe not in words
Maybe not with a look
But with your mind”

For me, “Maybe Not” is an acknowledgment of how one of the main motives for our actions is “so we can do just one more thing” in a lot of ways, including staving off death. While it has already become painfully clear to me that death can come prematurely despite doing all the “right” things in life, I also don’t want this unfortunate reality to be a justification for not trying. Essentially, I want to send the message at my funeral that I understand death is going to happen sooner or later (hopefully later), and it does not make life pointless. Rather, fearing death is ineffectual, and peace of mind is a heaven in itself. It’s a message that I consider delivered best by the smoky vocals of Chan Marshall, which for “Maybe Not” are more comforting than devastating.

Other acts of note include Al Green, Phoenix, Social Distortion, Damian Marley & Nas, The Levon Helm Band, Cat Power, Empire of the Sun, Wolfmother, Chromeo, Gogol Bordello, Bassnectar, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Pretty Lights, Janelle Monae, Amos Lee, and The Temper Trap. Check out the full list of confirmed acts here; lineup announcement remix video below.

Two-day passes, priced at $75, will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2nd at 10:00 AM PST via Ticketmaster.com. Stay tuned for additional details. Correction: Two-day passes will be priced at $125, while single day will be priced at $75. The original price, which came from SFWeekly.com, was incorrected.

They are called All Saints Day and they made their first track, “It’ll Come Around” available for free download below (via GvsB). At this point, that’s all we know, but we’ll surely update you once more information becomes available.

Check Out:
“It’ll Come Around”

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Buying albums might be ever so passé, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t quality new releases worthy of your dinero. Continuing with our theme of 2010, we have identified 35 albums you’ll probably want to buy over the next 365 days. Of course, since only about 1/4 of the albums that will be released in 2010 have actually been announced, this list is certainly heavily biased toward the first few months — though we tried to take into account some of the more realistic possibilities at the end — and subject to sudden change. But based on their creators’ track records and some early samples, we’re pretty confident in our selections. So with all that in mind, let us present you with 35 albums you should buy in 2010.

Vampire Weekend – Contra

What’s not to expect? Contra just might be the most anticipated followup since Nirvana tackled In Utero, or perhaps when the Arcade Fire delivered us Neon Bible. Either way, the hype is off the charts for this one, namely because some folks consider the boy’s debut to be a one trick pony. However, judging from “White Sky”, “Run”, and the recently delectable “Cousins”, it might be safe to say that those folks are more or less… wrong. What a surprise, right? -MR
Due Out: January 12th via XL Recordings

Eels – End Times

On Eels’ official website, End Times is described as “the sound of an artist growing older in uncertain times.” That description can fit Mark Oliver Everett, the lead singer/guitarist/keyboardist/creator of the band, perfectly. Being around for 15 years now, Eels has always met big philosophical issues head on and their upcoming release is no exception. Produced by Everett (aka E), the album is the story of a divorced artist who equates his personal loss with the loss of integrity in the world he’s living in. End Times is in someways a companion piece to last year’s Hombre Lobo, which deals with the desire that starts everything. Eels’ new record is the flip side of that coin. As we start a new decade, End Times is E’s way of taking one last mournful look back at what’s been lost along the way. -JM
Due Out: January 19th via Vagrant Records

“That Look You Gave That Guy”

Spoon – Transference

When Britt Daniel sits down to record something, the result is typically out-of-this-world. With 2007′s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon carved out intrinsic indie-pop that rocked, rolled, and… chilled. It was short, and if it were any other band, we’d probably complain. But simplicity is king with these folks, and while that’s a formula we’ve come to enjoy and they’ve managed to successfully employ, new tracks like “Written in Reverse” suggest we might actually be in for a surprise. Oh, expect stars to paint this one highly. -MR
Due Out: January 19th via Merge

“Written in Reverse”

Surfer Blood – Astro Coast

Hype is a devious thing. Sometimes it works, sometimes it explodes… bad. When Pitchfork Media put these Florida beach kids on their proverbial shoulders, the indie blogosphere kept their eyes peeled on ‘em. Considering the band’s premiere single “Swim” snagged listeners who still have yet to hear anything else from ‘em, it’s hard to ignore this release. Expect, well, just be sure to write down the album’s release date. This one could be this year’s hottest commodity, or it could be another Black Kids situation. We’re betting on the former. -MR
Due Out: January 19th via Kanine

“Swim (To Reach the End)”

Beach House – Teen Dream

If you’re not hip to Victoria Legrand’s vocals, then you’ve gotta ask yourself, “What the fuck have I been doing for the last decade?” Simply put, they’re alien. It’s hard to imagine someone who sings like that, let alone actually know that person exists. But, for the past six years, this Baltimore duo has “blessed” the world with unbelievable dream pop. Now, 2008′s Devotion is every vinyl collector’s modern fantasy, with spooky-yet-sweet instrumentation (thanks to Alex Scally) that haunts and swoons, and if things sound as promising and as daring as new single, “Norway”, then we’re really going to sleep well in 2010. -MR
Due Out: January 26th via Sub Pop

“Norway”

Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM

One word: Beck. For her third full-length, the French electronic pop singer teamed up with Mr. Beck Hansen, and when we say teamed up we’re talking total collaboration! He wrote the album’s music, co-wrote the lyrics, produced, and mixed the whole thing. And based on a few early listens (hear below), it appears as if IRM will further prove that anything Beck touches turns to gold. -AY
Due Out: January 26th via Because

“IRM”

Los Campesinos! – Romance Is Boring

Romance Is Boring marks the Welsh outfit’s third effort in just two short years and final with founding member Aleks Campesinos!. Not surprising a culmination of emotions will be on display — “It is a record about the death and decay of the human body, sex, lost love, mental breakdown, football and, ultimately, that there probably isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel,” the band says of the album. Depressing, yes, but the end result should be the Los Campesinos!’s most captivating and developed work to date. -AY
Due Out: January 26th via Arts & Crafts

“The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future”

The Magnetic Fields – Realism

Frontman Stephin Merritt describes his band’s eighth studio album as “my folk album.” This is not surprising considering the effort is said to replace the Psychocandy fixation of the band’s last album, 2008’s Distortion, with a sound informed by “late 1960s/early 70s orchestral and psychedelic folk.” In doing so, Merritt and Co. used no electric instruments in the studio, instead choosing to go with everything from accordions and violins to tubas and nontraditional percussion instruments like tabla and, seriously, tree leaves. Seriously. -AY
Due Out: January 26th via Nonesuch Records

“Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree”

Midlake – The Courage of Others

Tim Smith seems to be somewhat of a musical chameleon. With Midlake, he has created two records with two distinct sets of respective influences. 2004’s Banman and Silvercork was an Elephant 6 style exploration through the kaleidoscope of psych-folk, while 2006’s The Trials of Van Occupanther was a Thom Yorke’d out journey through the 70’s, with hints of Neil Young and America blended in. So what color will Smith and the rest of the Denton, Texas quintet assume with their latest, The Courage of Others? Well, according to an interview Smith did with Pitchfork, we can expect the addition of some old British folk to their jazzed out rock: “We got into British folk. We started listening to Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, and Pentangle; those are the three biggies. Strawbs, Amazing Blondel, a lot of more obscure bands: Yellow Autumn, Windy Corner. A lot of Pentangle. I had never listened to that stuff before. Just like before the previous album, I had never checked out Neil Young or Joni Mitchell or anything. So the same thing sort of happened, but with British folk.” So, this thing is going to be like a depressing meet and greet between Thom Yorke and Nick Drake with some occasional shredding and some weird time changes. Sounds good to me! -DL
Due Out: February 2nd via Bella Union

“Acts of Man”

The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack

We all miss The Strokes. We want back the musical hope they generated back in 2001/2002. And while we may never get that back for a variety of reasons, San Diego rockers The Soft Pack are assuring us that the future of music is sure to be bright. Formerly The Muslims, the surf/garage rock of the foursome is undeniable catchy while maintaining a level of craftsmanship beyond their years and level of experience. The lead single, “Answer To Yourself”, with its sharp guitars and groovetastic bassline, coupled with a message of individualism, all hark back to something way old and something that music needs to move toward. While they’ve already broken big in the UK, the band is gaining notoriety in the States. And expect their debut LP to cause even bigger waves. -CC
Due Out: February 2nd via Kemado

“Answer to Yourself”

Sade – Soldier of Love

10 years is an eternity in the music industry. Heck, even anything more than a few years and your fans can begin to think you’ve dropped out of the world. But if there’s one act that deserves to wait 10 years between album’s, it’s Sade Adu. Her new album, Soldier of Love, will be the follow up to 2000′s Lovers Rock, and if you think that time has widdled away at her musical prowess, think again. The album’s first single, the title track, is a six minute epic, punctuated by strings and a menacing guitar, with a dance-y, sorrowful vibe that is powered by the sheer agony and lioness tone that is Sade. We’re not usually ones with a great deal of patience, but we’re glad we had a little for Ms. Adu. -CC
Due Out: February 8th via Epic Records

“Soldier of Love”

Massive Attack – Heligoland

Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall pulled out all the stops for their first album in six years. Not only did they round up the likes of Blur’s Damon Albarn, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Hope Sandoval, Horace Andy, and Martina Topley-Bird to serve as guest contributors, but they teased Heligoland‘s release with the stellar Splitting the Atom EP. Ah, the life and times of perfection. -AY
Due Out: February 9th via Virgin

Hot Chip – One Life Stand

One Life Stand is billed as Hot Chip’s most complete work to date, which is certainly saying something given the fact it will be following up 2008′s critically acclaimed Made in the Dark. To accomplish this feat, the English electro outfit combined soul, modern R&B, “golden age” soul, and “the sounds of Arthur Russell, Prince and Theo Parish.” Eclectic to say the least. -AY
Due Out: February 9th via Astralwerks

Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Yeasayer is no stranger to musical experimentation. But with their newest album, they’re controlling the surge of loops, effects and massive ambiance to deliver an effort that is as streamlined as can be without losing that spirit of innovation. Expect big things for the single “Ambling Alp”. While the video is a NSFW tour de force of naked people, the song itself is pure pop magic. Singer Chris Keating sounds like some voice ripped from an ’80s tape deck, with a beat from an old Big Country track that’s been mutated by heavy synth and effects that feel both artificial and wholly warm and organic at the same time. And despite being a “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel”, the song’s message is way too universal to not appeal to even the most mainstream of tastes. So while the album may have leaked in early December, it shouldn’t do anything to the impact Odd Blood will have on 2010. -CC
Due Out: February 9th via Secretly Canadian

Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

While the debut album of Local Natives was already released in the U.K. back in November, the Los Angeles indie sensations are looking to bring success stateside this coming February. Gorilla Manor‘s namesake proved to a huge influence over the band the last couple years; besides being the source of chaotic energy for them, the house was also where most of the record was written. Featuring the jungle rhythm of first single, “Sun Hands”, and a cover of the Talking Heads’ “Warning Sign”, the end result is an effort that explores obsession with both the miraculous and disastrous. With any luck, Local Natives will return from Europe to find as much fortune in Gorilla Manor as they found within that house. -JM
Due Out: February 16th via Frenchkiss Records

“Sun Hands”

Erykah Badu – New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh

Badu’s New Amerykah Part I: 4th World War was a huge hit and on the top 10 lists of many critics for 2008.  With the pressure on to deliver something even bigger, the Texas born musician is doing away with her sharp wit and socio-political message and making Part II all about what’s going on in her head. “‘Part I was the left side of my thoughts — it was more socially political and my thought process was more analytical,” Badu told Billboard in December. “This time there wasn’t anything to be concerned with — the album is more emotional and flowy and talks about feelings.” Expect lots of live instrumentation and everything from a harp to a Theremin as the album explores songs that Badu has said will also have an underlining rumble to them and will “feel like a hug.” That’s one embrace we’re anxiously awaiting. -CC
Due Out: February 23rd via Universal Motown

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

Spilling the beans on Arcade Fire’s upcoming project (see below) isn’t the only reason this British folk rock outfit is making headlines these days. Not only was their debut album produced by Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire, Bjork), but it has already been embraced by our friends across the Atlantic, as evident by the #11 debut chart position and the slew of glowing reviews. Plus, we really liked it as well. Needless to say, a U.S. release is a longtime coming. -AY
Due Out: March 2nd via Glassnote Records

“Little Lion Man”

The Ruby Suns – Fight Softly

Different will be the theme of this New Zealand outfit’s third full-length. “With this new album, I just wanted to do something different because doing the same thing would just be boring to me. It’s probably the opposite of what I did for the last one,” explained singer/songwriter Ryan McPhun. As he went on to note, that different is apparently something on the realm of Michael Jackson’s Dangerous. “In the last year or two, I had a break from guitar music. I’ve just been appreciating pop music.” Color us interested. -AY
Due Out: March 2nd via Sub Pop

Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

The latest installment in Damon Albarn’s acclaimed project has been in the works since September of 2008. Along the way, he tapped the likes of Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, Barry Gibb, and The Horrors to help out. Aside form that (and the sample below), however, we don’t know much more about Plastic Beach, but, according to the band’s unofficial website, we’ll know something come March 8th — the day the album is scheduled to be released. -AY
Due Out: March 8th via Parlophone

“Electric Shock”

The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night

Last time they were a dark horse, now they’re a natural, yet hyperbolic, state of being. Whatever the roaring night may sound like, the Canadian prog-rock masters are sure to deliver something grandiose with their third full-length. The press release for the thing makes it sound like a Bond movie told through harsh strums: “On March 9th, Jagjaguwar will release The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, a twisting chronicle of spies, double agents, novelists and aspiring rock gods turned violent. Loyalty, dishonor, love, and hatred are all seen through the eyes of two spies, communicating through short wave in code and fighting a war that may or may not be real.” What? Yeah, exactly. With a description like that it’s hard to know what to expect sonically, but either way, this thing could be up for an Oscar when it’s all said and done (get it, cause it’s like a movie?). -DL
Due Out: March 9th via Jagjaguwar

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo

For their fifth studio album Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, their first full length, non-instrumental since 2007′s Baby 81, San Francisco’s dark garage rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are releasing the effort on their relatively new Abstract Dragon record label. That means the band is going to be under even closer scrutiny regarding the success or failure of the album. And making matters even more tense, it’s also the first album for new drummer Leah Shapiro. But worry not, as Beat The Devil’s Tattoo is surely going to be a rocking good time — we’re certain of this because the album was written and recorded at The Basement Studio, the same Philadelphia music spot where Howl came to life. And if you’re up to date on your BRMC history, this is the effort that saw the band move in that great new direction. Rock on, folks, rock on. -CC
Due Out: March 9th via Abstract Dragon

Broken Bells – Broken Bells

Earlier this year, James Mercer fired keyboardist Marty Crandall and drummer Jesse Sandoval from the Shins for “aesthetic” reasons. Though it was a pretty dick move on his part — a decision which prompted a lot of head scratching and some reevaluation of Mercer’s character for fans — Mercer may be winning back some listeners with his latest collaboration with super producer/Dark Night of the Soul colleague Danger Mouse. And while Broken Bells may not be the new Shins that Mercer did the firing for, it’s shaping up to be a pretty cool warm-up for what’s to come. Current single “The High Road” has all the uplifting pop qualities of any Shins tune, with some Dangermouse-y anolog synth thrown on top, and if it’s any indication of the rest, we’ll have quite the record. So Mercer, while it may take some time to forgive your egotistical behavior, I can’t say I am not going to listen to your music anymore. Broken Bells may be too good to let grudges get in the way of. -DL
Due Out: March 9th via Columbia

“The High Road”

Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks

If you could only use the Scottish quintet’s album titles to describe them (or at least their most recent), alcoholism would certainly be a start. 2008’s The Midnight Organ Fight is surely a reference to late night intoxication, and their forthcoming The Winter of Mixed Drinks can’t really be any more direct. So they like to drink and produce some pretty dreary, yet nonetheless beautiful music. “The theme I’m going for is pushing yourself out to the edge of things and being alone, feeling lost and not knowing where you are, which is how I’ve felt recently. It’s not all fun and games, but hopefully it’ll just be less obviously personal and brutal than the last record. Less oppressive,” explained leadman Scott Hutchinson in an interview with Qmunicate.  If we’re lucky, what’s not so fun for these guys will make for one hell of listen for us at home. -DL
Due Out: March 9th via FatCat

“Swim Until You Can’t See Land”

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks

Mr. Leo & crew rely on the past for their Matador Records debut. “It certainly sounds like guys of a certain age who used to be in hardcore bands,” Leo told Rolling Stone. “For better or for worse, I really don’t get mellower politically — it winds up leaving me sometimes to just want to play hardcore. I’m ultimately a better singer than I am a screamer.” Whatever its basis may be, Matador is already proclaiming it’s Leo’s “most confident, kinetic and varied work” to date. -AY
Due Out: March 9th via Matador Records

“Even Heroes Have To Die”

Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

New Jersey’s favorite lo-fi rockers return with a sophomore studio album that sticks to one particular theme: the Civil War. So, chaos with historical context! Plus, The Monitor will feature some familiar faces, many of whom will be doing some spoken word parts.The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn as Walt Whitman? Vivian Girls’ Cassie Ramone as Jefferson Davis? Need I say more? -AY
Due Out: March 9th via XL Recordings

“Four Score and Seven (Part Two)”

Goldfrapp – Head First

Goldfrapp is one of those bands that has always been well received if nothing else. The only catch is that the Alison Goldfrapp-led electro group has worked under the radar of many people, which is for the best for their unique sound and public image. But after collaborating with Christina Aguilera on her new album, Goldfrapp and Co. are surely going to gain even more attention than before. And there’s no better way to parlay that then with a new album entitled Head First. Described in press releases as “Goldfrapp’s most powerful trip to date, a speedy rush of synth optimism, euphoria, fantasy and romance”, the album’s first single, “Rocket”, drops in early March. And with this being third third album in five years, on top of an always heavy touring schedule, Goldfrapp could have a truly golden 2010. -CC
Due Out: March 23rd via Mute Records

Jónsi Birgisson – Go

Being the lead of the Icelandic post-rock group Sigur Rós, Jónsi Birgisson has the weight of the indie music world on his shoulders as he prepares to release his new solo album, Go. But like the collaborative efforts that have marked his career, Birgisson isn’t going this alone. To begin with, the album’s production work is in the capable hands of Peter Katis, a man who sports names like The National and Interpol on his resume. Plus, Birgisson has enlisted his boyfriend and part-time collaborator Alex Somers, who, as a visual artist, is sure to add a unique visual aspect to the album. The sound of the album, though, should be able to handle the pressure all on its own. According to a May 26, 2009 post on the Sigur Rós site, the album will feature string and acoustic compositions and arrangements by composer Nico Muhly. Sounds like music to our ears. -CC
Due Out: March 23rd via XL Recordings

“Boy Lilikoi”

She & Him – Volume Two

Indie’s favorite boy-girl duo returns for the much anticipated followup to 2008′s Volume One. On this particular endeavor, M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel took a similar “organic approach,” but came up with a different type of sound. “I think that the dark shades that were on the last record are maybe a little bit darker on the new record, and the brighter shades on the last record are a little bit brighter on the new record,” Ward told Paste Magazine. “I think that people are going to hear more contrasts.” Of course, nothing can be too dark when Ms. Deschanel is involved. (Queue obligatory wink.) -AY
Due Out: March 23rd via Merge

LCD Soundsystem – TBA

We know about as much about LCD Soundsystem’s third LP now as we did back in October. So, we’ll just re-paste what we wrote then: The yet-to-be untitled affair will apparently hit stores sometime in March, feature the artistic talents of Ruvan Wijesooriya, graphic designing of Mike Vandino, and mastering of Shellac’s Bob Weston, be supported by an extensive world tour, and be headed by a single that will be available as both a digital download and vinyl. As for a description of the actual content, frontman/creative genius James Murphy noted to goldcoast.com.au it is “different than Sound Of Silver and certainly different than the first one … It still sounds very much like us, like James. It’s maybe slower and it’s kind of got some more rock stuff back in it. It also has a bunch of disco influences.” -AY
Due Out: March via DFA

Interpol – TBA

There’s no title, release date, or even YouTube videos of new songs. But the boys of Interpol have confirmed that their fourth LP will see light sometime in early 2010. And based on recent comments, we have absolutely no idea what to expect. “The new record falls back towards the first,” drummer Sam Fogarino explained to Paste in November, an assessment which would be shot down by frontman Paul Banks just a few weeks later. “What we’ve worked on is a real step forward and just very different and very relaxed in what we’re doing,” Banks told BBC before noting “I don’t even know what [Fogarino]’s talking about.” Just make it good, boys. -AY
Due Out: Early 2010 via Capitol

U2 – Songs of Ascent

Considering how packed 2009 was for U2 and how much is already on the plate for this coming year, one would think Bono and Co. would take it easy when it comes to new projects. Well, I guess someone forgot to remind the acclaimed Irish outfit of this. Tentatively titled Songs of Ascent, the album is believed to be more meditative than it’s predecessor, last year’s No Line On The Horizon, and will be made up of leftover material from the last album’s sessions as well as new songs currently being worked on in New York. According to Bono, the release will be headed by its first single, a surging anthem titled “Every Breaking Wave”. Hopefully, it’ll give U2 the hit that eluded them last year. Plus, at the very least, the album should be a treat to fans used to long waits between records from the Irish rockers. -JM
Due Out: Mid-2010 via Mercury/Interscope

The Thermals – Double Negative

Despite nearly 10 years as a band and the recent finalization of its lineup as a trio, don’t expect The Thermals fourth studio album (which is under the working title Double Negative) to be anything less than energetic and confrontational.  In fact, this time around they’re going after the ruiner of lives and the creator of pop music: Love. “It’s hard to be in love with someone. If there’s a theme to this record, it’s that,” lead singer and guitarist Hutch Harris told Paste Magazine back in December 2009. “A lot of the songs are pretty brutal lyrically. It’s really negative thoughts about love and relationships.” And while the chaos and fury that is their bright and energetic form of power-punk is sure to remain, the band also promises to kick it hard ala Thin Lizzy and ZZ Top. Take that, love. -CC
Due Out: September 7th via Kill Rock Stars

Red Hot Chili Peppers – TBA

They already have a new guitarist and, soon enough, the acclaimed rock outfit will have a new album as well. Back in October, drummer Chad Smith told Clash Magazine that the yet-to-be-titled followup to 2006′s Stadium Arcadium “could be finished “Some time next year, maybe this time [next year].” Yeah, it sounded too good to be true at the time, but the band is said to be currently held up in the studio, meaning, that fantasy seems to be becoming more and more like a reality. -AY
Due Out: Late 2010 via Warner Bros.

Eminem – Relapse 2

2009 was a big year for Eminem. Relapse was his first record since 2004′s Encore, and while 2009 could have also seen the release of yet another Eminem record in the form of Relapse 2, we’re not even the slightest bit upset its been pushed back into the void of 2010. Of course, how could we not be upset? Em has promised this record to be a more “emotionally driven” effort than Relapse was. Despite this being in the public eye for the longest time, there’s not too many details to get excited about. Expect “The Warning”, a Mariah Carey diss track, a collabo with 50 Cent and production by the likes of Dr. Dre and Just Blaze. Even without too many details, we still can’t wait for Mr. Mathers to pour his heart out and undoubtedly rock us while scaring the crap out of us. Just don’t keep us waiting too much longer, please. -CC
Due Out: 2010 via Shady Records

Arcade Fire – TBA

Little is known about the year’s most awaited new album. All we do know is that it is due out sometime in 2010, Neon Bible‘s Markus Dravs will again be handling the production, and that it will probably be quite good. “I keep asking Markus how it’s going and he’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s okay’,” Mumford and Sons’ Marcus Mumford explained in a recent interview. “And I’m like, ‘What are the songs like?’ And he goes, ‘Better’.” -AY
Due Out: 2010 via Merge

Other Albums You’ll Probably Want to Buy:

• Of Montreal – False Priest: It’s been in the works for a while now, so expect that “psychedelic” album sometime in 2010. Perhaps as soon as August or September.

• The National – Vintage Rifles (?): The band teased us last summer by debuting material off the much anticipated 2007′s Boxer. Spring 2010 looks to be the time that anticipation will turn into reality.

• The Dead Weather – TBA: Jack White’s new crew spent the holidays recording the followup to last year’s Horehound. According to frontwoman Alison Mosshart, the yet-to-be-titled effort, which will be a self-produced and self-recorded affair, will likely come out sometime soon.

• Fleet Foxes – TBA: According to frontman Robin Pecknold, the Seattle outfit’s second full-length will “definitely” be out in 2010.

• The Avalanches – TBA: Word on the street is that 2010 will finally be the year the acclaimed electro outfit follows up 2000′s Since I Left You.

• Sufjan Stevens – TBA: Stevens’ label, Asthmatic Kitty, says there are no plans for a 2010 release, but if his Fall 2009 tour was any indication, a new studio album is on the way. He was debuting songs for pete’s sake!

• Cat Power – TBA: Ms. Chan Marshall is working on a brand new effort all by herself.

• Joanna Newsom – TBA: Another album we know nothing about other than that it is coming.

• The Strokes – TBA: The band hasn’t even confirmed that a new album is coming, but we can still hope.

• R.E.M. – TBA: Michael Stipe and Co. are currently hauled up in the studio working on album #15.

• Kanye West – TBA: As he revealed just yesterday, the Chicago rapper is working on something.

• Nine Inch Nails – TBA: “Sorry I haven’t been around much lately, I’ve been working on not working for a couple of months, which for me is hard work. 2010 has a number of things planned including new material from nine inch nails.”

• Radiohead – TBA: – Duh.

Those who prefer Cat Power solo instead of with a band will be particularly happy by the news. Discussing the new material with Pitchfork, the musician born Chan Marshall said, “It’s just me this time… I don’t know if I should push all these [new] songs away and actually try to write and record it with the band. I don’t know what to do. But I’m at a point where my heart tells me, ‘Chan, you haven’t played piano or guitar for four or five years,’ and I do have guilt about that. People ask me, ‘When are you going to play by yourself?’ I have problems with strange yearnings and guilt. I’m also frightened because some of them are sad again and I feel really nervous about that.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean Cat Power has been sitting around for the last three years. Quite the opposite. Her 2008 cover album, Jukebox, was followed by the Dark End of the Street EP later that year. Earlier this year, she opened for the Pretenders in a trek across North America that wrapped up in September.

There’s no word on a release date yet but we do know that Marshall will be trekking Down Under for a few dates before and after New Year’s Day.

Cat Power 2009/2010 Tour Dates:
12/30 – Phillip Island, AU @ Pyramid Rock Festival
12/31 – Brisbane, AU @ Powerhouse
01/02 – Gold Coast, AU @ Coolangatta Hotel
01/05 – Adelaide, AU @ Governor Hindmarsh Hotel
01/06 – Perth, AU @ The Astor Theatre
01/08 – Wollongong, AU @ Waves
01/09 – Newcastle, AU @ Panthers
01/10 – Sydney, AU @ Days Like This Festival

Tickets for select dates go on sale beginning tomorrow, June 5, at 10 A.M. EST via Ticketmaster.com.

The Pretenders 2009 Tour Dates:
08/04 – Rama, ON @ Casino Rama
08/05 – Rama, ON @ Casino Rama
08/07 – Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theatre ^
08/08 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom *^
08/09 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony *^
08/10 – New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *^
08/12 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion *^
08/13 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre *^
08/14 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre *^
08/15 – Harrisburg, PA @ The Forum ^
08/16 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion Outdoor *^
08/18 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom *^
08/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Weesner Amphitheater *^
08/20 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Harrah’s *^
08/22 – Littleton, CO @ Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield *^
08/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Botanic Gardens *^
08/25 – Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield Amphitheatre *^
08/26 – Vancouver, BC  @ Malkin Bowl *^
08/27 – Redmond, Wa @ Marymoor Amphitheatre *^
08/29 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery *
09/01 – Pala, CA @ Starlight Theater *^
09/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre *^
09/04 – Rancho Mirage, CA @ Agua Caliente Casino

* = w/ Cat Power
^ = w/ Juliette Lewis

So, let’s move on to some other news, like the fact that Juliette Lewis is super popular. After all, she’s hanging out with everyone from The Mars Volta’s Omar Rodríguez-López to The Pretenders and Cat Power these days. Details, you ask?

Well, the hang out time with Rodríguez-López began back in 2007 at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. As the story, or press release goes, the two “soon bonded over their love of Fellini movies and the relationship between drama, visual images and songwriting,” so much so in fact, that late last year, the two got together and recorded a Lewis’ latest studio effort. Entitled Terra Incognita and due for release on September 1st via The End Records, the 10-track effort is described as featuring a “emotionally guttural and ultimately melodic and unpredictable, new sound.” In other words, as Lewis notes, “This album is so sonically different than anything I’ve done before and captures many flavors of my emotional life and voice.”

The other hang out time, the one with The Pretenders and Cat Power, hasn’t gotten away quite yet, but will in the coming months. Lewis will look to support the release of Terra Incognita by teaming up with The Pretenders and Cat Power for a summer tour of epic extravaganzas. A few dates have trickled out so far, but most are still forthcoming.

Terra Incognita Tracklist:
01. Romeo
02. All is for God
03. Ghosts
04. Fantasy Bar
05. Hard Lovin’ Woman
06. Terra Incognita
07. Uh Huh
08. Female Persecution
09. Junkyard Heart
10. Intro
11. Noche Sin Fin
12. Suicide Dive Bombers

Juliette Lewis 2009 Tour Dates:
06/05 – Nurburgring, DE @ Rock am Ring
06/06 – Nurnberg, DE @ Rock im Park
06/08 – Verona, IT @ Arena di Verona
06/09 – Rome, IT @ Alpheus
06/10 – Ravenna, IT @ Rock Planet
06/12 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
06/13 – Rodez, IT @ Festival Skabazac
07/18 – Istanbul, TR @ Rock’n Coke Festival
07/19 – Bern, CH @ Gurten Festival
08/09 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony *^
08/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Weesner Amphitheater *^
08/22 – Littleton, CO @ Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield *^
10/21 – Glasgow, UK @ Garage
10/22 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
10/23 – London, UK @ O2 Shepards Bush Empire
10/24 – Bristol, UK @ Lazarette Festival
10/25 – Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms
11/04 – Berlin, DE @ Kesselhaus

* = w/ The Pretenders
^ = w/ Cat Power

After working with songs like the Stones “Satisfaction” and Dylan’s “I Believe in You”, Marshall turns mostly to 60′s soul to turn into loungey rasps. For instance, James Carr’s “Dark End of the Street” is a powerful, harmonized southern soul gem. Carr, the son of a Mississippi Baptist preacher, sang in gospel choirs, and it shows. Chan Marshall, while a Southerner raised by a blues pianist father, doesn’t have that same religious upbringing (to my knowledge), and that seems to greatly alter the music. As a genre, soul is, just as its name implies, highly spiritual. Combing through the 60′s soul stacks, you’ll come across musician after musician who started off singing in churches, and the spiritual power of their performance shows.

She also uses the EP to show some guts as evident by her rendition of an Otis Redding gem. “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)” sounds good under the control of Marshall’s lush, beautiful voice. The instrumentation is clean, interesting and calm. But, again, Redding was a Macon, Georgia Baptist choir member. His unfortunately short-lived career is full of mind-boggling singles; Redding’s voice was one of the most amazing of the soul era. Marshall’s voice is great, but the soul isn’t the same.

Later in the EP, there’s an Aretha Franklin tune. Wouldn’t you have guessed it, Aretha was born to a Memphis Baptist minister. “It Ain’t Fair” is a good rendition, in Marshall’s version. Her piano chording is perfectly suited to her voice, deep and rich, never missing a note. But the Aretha deep cut, with a restrained horn section and backing gospel vocals is something that Marshall just can’t replicate.

When she sings Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son”, it turns from a car commercial jam into a slow, slinky blues. This is the only song on the EP that really transforms the original into something different, something new and better. Instead of a roar, the chorus is sorrowful and murky. “It ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one” turns from a rebellious rally cry into a sad statement of truth.

Tack on a throwaway Pogues cover, and a good, if dull, Fairport Convention track, and you’ve got an EP. There’s a simple lesson learned though. Chan Marshall doesn’t have the same soul that Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding. And if you needed to listen to an EP to figure that out, send me an e-mail and I’ll get you a list of 60′s soul records to pick up for homework.

Check Out:

At first glance of the schedule, I wondered how they were going to pull this year off by putting heavy hitters such as Foo Fighter and Kanye West on the south stage. In previous years, this was the obvious secondary stage, being that it was small and on a parking lot surface, but this year surprised me as they built it up and moved it onto the grass, creating a second main stage. This was an excellent move on the organizers part, and one that will help the festivals longevity. If that wasn’t enough, there were free rides provided by bike powered rickshaws, free water, and fun, free “swag” for recycling your waste that included jeans and even an iPod for those filling up the free bags they handed out.

Before I continue with the music, I must digress first and call out the organizers on a major mistake. For the entire summer I have been recovering from a major accident that put me in a wheel chair until recently. Every concert and festival I have attended has been extremely accommodating, making the experience that much better, until this past weekend. I assumed that the festival would provide handicapped parking, but as I searched for it, none of the attendants had any idea what I was talking about. Even more frustrating, I had to pay $30 for a regular space as all the handicapped parking I did see had been reserved for those using the race track, not for those going to the festival.

Now with that off my chest… on to the show!

Saturday started off with the indie-approved sensation Cat Power and the pop rock of KT Tunstall. Tunstall sounded great as she belted out her pop friendly hits to a filled out crowd. There were sing-alongs and dancing to be seen as everyone woke up at the crack of noon. Cat Power experienced some sound issues as her voice was hard to hear in the beginning, but luckily things did clear up, providing a great performance.

Gogol Bordello knocked the energy up a notch as they delivered another classic set filled with wine spitting and bucket playing, with all their gypsy-punk fury. Swell Season was a nice surprise to see on the line-up, and the Oscar winners delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova harmonized and worked through sleepy, gentle piano ballads, but once it was just Hansard with his worn out guitar, his furious strumming and passionate vocals took over the set. Given the quiet nature of the music, you could hear Lupe Fiasco‘s beats on the south stage, at which point Hansard dedicated a Van Morrison cover to the rapper. The highlight of the weekend came at the end of the set, when Hansard’s mic was cut off. He took it upon himself to jump into the crowd, guitar in tow, and lead everyone in a sing along of Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin Nowhere”.

After Lupe Fiasco finished up, Bloc Party came on next for the last performance on its summer tour. The first mosh pits of the day broke out as they pummeled through their quasi-emo-dance rock, which sounded great and especially heavy. The most unique performers of the weekend were easily the Spanish guitar virtuoso’s Rodrigo y Gabriella. Their technique was as technically impressive as it was flawless. Their hands moved so quickly while strumming, it almost looked as if they weren’t hitting the strings at all. But indeed, they were, as they mixed lightning fast picking and strumming with guitar tapping percussion that had even the hardest of rock fans throwing up the devil horns. “Tamacun” closed out the set and left everyone amazed at what they had just seen.

Citizen Cope mellowed out the festival with a performance that sounded much better in this kind of setting than it had the previous time he was in the area at the 9:30 club. Songwriter Clarence Greenwood rolled through much of his well known material, adding bits of built up intensity, then bringing it back down to the hip swaying, head bobbing melodies he does best. Keeping the north stage chilled out, Wilco came on to welcome the sunset and delivered a powerful set of tunes. As a long time Wilco fan told me afterwards, it was the best he had seen them in the area, as they were especially “on” that evening. After a breathtaking extended solo on “Impossible Germany”, it’s not hard to consider them the quintessential live band.

Closing out Saturday on the south stage was the rock of the mighty Foo Fighters, while opposite on the north stage, some enjoyed acoustic surfer ballads of Jack Johnson. For those looking to rock, Foo Fighters tore through their impeccably impressive set, opening with their recent success “The Pretender”. As always, the charismatic Dave Grohl knocked the audience out of their sweaty shoes with a set that covered all the hits. The surprise came when they broke into their cover of The Who’s “Young Man Blues”, solidifying that everyone within earshot could do nothing but rock out. Half way through, and after the extended metal-esque “Stacked Actors”, Grohl and company brought out the acoustic numbers with their expanded band, glazing through “Marigold” and the powerful “My Hero”. That didn’t last long, however, as the rock was brought back with the classic Foo hit, “Everlong”, and continued to finish the night with “All My Life” and “Times Like These”.

We had been rocked hard, and there was still a day to go…