The 11th annual Austin City Limits Music Festival runs October 12-14th at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. The lineup boasts Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, The Black Keys, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Florence and the Machine, Avicii, Bassnectar, Iggy and the Stooges, The Avett Brothers, The Roots, The Shins, Weezer, M83, Gotye, The Afghan Whigs, Crystal Castles, Andrew Bird, M. Ward, Alabama Shakes, and Childish Gambino.

Also playing are Tegan and Sara, Rufus Wainwright, Thievery Corporation, Umprhey’s McGee, Metric, Stars, Delta Spirit, Polica, Esperanza Spalding, Steve Earle, Patterson Hood, Gary Clark Jr., Die Antwoord, Big K.R.I.T., Zola Jesus, The War on Drugs, Black Lips, Los Campesinos! Freelance Whales, Caveman, Tennis, LP, Two Door Cinema Club, Trampled By Turtles, Oberhofer, Bombay Bicycle Club, Old 97s, Antibalas, Lee Fields & the Expressions, Father John Misty, Ben Howard, Michael Kiwanuka, and Patrick Watson.

Three-day and single-day passes are now available via the festival’s website.

For the second consecutive year, Austin City Limits will reveal a portion of its lineup through a “lottery.” As the festival’s website notes, scratch cards will be placed in various Austin establishments over the course of the next four days. At least five acts will be revealed each day, with each card containing the names of three acts (a card containing three matching names wins a prize!)

We’ll be keeping track of the results below and will post a formal lineup when the official announcement is made on Tuesday, May 22nd.

Austin City Limits 2012 takes place October 12-14th at Zilker Park. Three-day and single-day pases will go on sale this spring.

Fridy, May 18th:

Update: We’re told yesterday’s card revealing Red Hot Chili Peppers was actually fake.

1. Childish Gambino

2. Delta Spirit

3. LP

4. Quiet Company

5. Punch Brothers

6. Steve Earle

Saturday, May 19th:

1. Bon Iver

2. Alabama Shakes

3. Freelance Whales

4. Kimbra

5. Barrington Levy

Sunday, May 20th:

1. Jack White

2. The Black Keys

3. Andrew Bird

4. Esperanza Spalding

5. A-Trak

6. Zola Jesus

Monday, May 21st:

1. Iggy and the Stooges

2. Black Lips

3. Gary Clark Jr.

4. Bombay Bicycle Club

5. Two Door Cinema Club

San Diego blues rock heros Delta Spirit traveled 116 miles north to Los Angeles on Thursday Night for an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The band performed “California” and “Tear It Up”, two tracks off their recently-released self-titled third LP. Watch the replay below (via The Audio Perv).

Delta Spirit the album is out now via Rounder Records.

Lollapalooza 2012 takes places August 3-5th in Chicago’s Grant Park. According to Chicago Sun-Times, Black Sabbath will top this year’s bill, performing their only North American tour date of 2012. They’ll be joined by fellow headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, The Black Keys, Justice, and Avicii.

Other heavyweights include At the Drive-In, Sigur Rós, Florence and the Machine, The Shins, The Afghan Whigs, The Weeknd, M83, Passion Pit, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, Miike Snow, The Gaslight Anthem, Alabama Shakes, J. Cole, and Metric.

Also playing are Delta Spirit, tUnE-yArDs, The Tallest Man on Earth, Die Antwoord, Dr. Dog, Dawes, SBTRKT, The Walkmen, Neon Indian, Gary Clark Jr., Sharon Van Etten, Polica, The War on Drugs, Doomtree, White Rabbits, Washed Out, Of Monsters and Men, Tame Impala, Bowerbirds, The Temper Trap, The Black Angels, Bear In Heaven, Chairlift, Oberhofer, First Aid Kit, and JEFF the Brotherhood.

The festival’s electronic stage, Perry’s, will also return, boasting a lineup that includes Bassnectar, Kaskade, Santigold, Calvin Harris, Nero, Knife Party, Little Dragon, Skream & Benga, Zeds Dead, Big Gigantic, Sub Focus, Porter Robinson, and Star Slinger.

Three-day and VIP passes are currently on sale via the festival’s website.

New festival alert! The River’s Edge Music Festival will take place June 23-24th at Harriet Island in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Dave Matthews Band and Tool headline the inaugural bill and they’ll be joined by The Flaming Lips, Puscifer, Coheed and Cambria, Diplo, and Brand New.

Also playing are Delta Spirit, Scissor Sisters, Polica, Kinky, Mexican Institute of Sound, Motion City Soundtrack, Mutemath, Gardens & Villa, Kids These Days, K-flay, An Horse, Yuna, and Civil Twilight.

Two-day passes go on sale Friday, April 10th via LiveNation.

“I’m looking for something that’ll… break through. You know?” James Woods’ Max Renn yearns in David Cronenberg’s 1983 cult classic Videodrome. Oh, how things have changed. In today’s day and age, we’ve already drowned in media. It’s swallowed us. We’re nothing but a bubble amidst one infinite, engulfing abyss. Intimidated? You should be. With each passing second, you’re losing opportunities to take advantage of a culture that’s moving ahead and at an exhausting rate. You could very well be alone… left behind… abandoned. Terrified yet? Yes? Well, that’s more like it.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Caveman – “Thankful”

So what if the moves aren’t real? This video, which depicts New York’s indie wrestling circuit (yes, that’s a thing), actually manages to be a little touching in it’s humanizing portrayal of those involved.

Delta Spirit – “California”

The protagonist in this video from Delta Spirit crams almost an entire adolescence worth of mischief, anarchy, and carelessness into one crazy night. If anything, it will make you wish you were 17 again, when the biggest thing you had to worry about was how to sneak out of the house.

Dum Dum Girls – “Coming Down”

Remind me never to go to the same tailor as the chicks from Dum Dum Girls. Luckily they stop cutting away at her wardrobe before things get NSFW.

Frankie Rose – “Night Swim”

You know the part in Star Wars: Episode I when Jar Jar Binks brings Obi Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn to the underwater Gungan city? Well, this video is what that scene would look like if George Lucas only had $100 budget and was a little bit of a hipster.

La Sera – “Real Boy” / “Drive On”

La Sera goes Hamlet on us all with this “video within a video”. What starts as a a goofy circus show suddenly turns into a black and white version of something out of the Saw movies. Don’t worry though, the whole thing turns out to be a dream in the end.

Lee Ranaldo – “Angles”

Anyone will tell you that it’s no fun getting lost in New York City. For the inexperienced city traveler, it can be so easy to lose your bearings and accidentally wind up somewhere in Queens…or in an alley with Lee Ranaldo swinging a guitar from a huge wire.

Marilyn Manson – “Born Villain”

Shocker, this video is NSFW. Just, really NSFW. I know what you’re all thinking, it definitely needed more Shia LaBeouf.

The-Dream feat. Casha – “Kill the Lights”

In this video, The-Dream goes for the most literal interpretation imaginable considering the song’s title. Lightbulbs burn out, shatter, even burst into a ball of flames. In other words, time to break out the night vision goggles.

Shearwater – “You As You Were”

Someone needs to grab some tissues for the guys from Shearwater in this video. Don’t they know how hard it is to get blood out of fake animal fur?

Tenacious D – “To Be The Best”

Forget best video of the week, this might just be the greatest thing ever put on the internet. And that’s saying something.

Parties and Showcases

Incan Abraham – 9:00 p.m. @ Hype Hotel

Photo by Harley Brown

A little nepotism led me to Incan Abraham, who was also playing at Hype Hotel on Tuesday night, when I learned we had a mutual friend. After actually listening to last year’s hypnotic Ancient Vacation, I wanted to see their laissez-faire Local Natives vibe in action. The foursome played with refreshing enthusiasm, layering synthesizers with more organic drums, nesting Teddy Cafaro’s voice—which at times uncannily but also unsurprisingly mimicked Yeasayer’s Chris Keating—in humid polyrhythms. Smoke and low orange and purple lighting added to the totality of the experience, making Incan Abraham an act I would get lost in again. – Harley Brown

Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire –  10:00 p.m. @ Mohawk Patio

Photo by Michael Roffman

Spittin’ rhymes is one thing, but bringing a party is another beast altogether. Brooklyn’s Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire brought both to Pitchfork’s Tuesday showcase at the Mohawk – and then some. After moody electronic sets from Teengirl Fantasy and Schlomo, patrons flocking about the close-pocketed venue sprang to life during the Brooklyn rapper’s set. His crew sprayed bottle after bottle of water, invited more members on-stage, seemingly laughed together at inside jokes, and jumped to and from the stage, all while attendees held up their hands and screamed along to random verses, mostly from tracks off last year’s Lost in Translation mixtape.”What’s yo’ favorite part of the pussy,” he asked a dazed white spectator, caught in the madness. He didn’t wait too long for answer, screaming back: “It’s all good!” When he dove into the crowd towards the end, his crew joined along, and, well, it felt less hip-hop and far more punk rock. -Michael Roffman

UCB Comedy presents: The Best Damn Stand-up  -  10:30 p.m @ Esther’s Follies

Photo by Michael Roffman

Tucked away in the cubby that is Esther’s Follies, Upright Citizens Brigade hosted one hell of a lineup for well over two hours, featuring Chris Gethard, Eliza Skinner, Gabe Liedman, Kyle Kinane, Jenny Slate, Joe Wengert, Ron White, and Pete Holmes. From top to bottom it was a stellar night, though some highlights included: Gethard’s quirky brand of hyper-literate, pseudo-stonerish afterthoughts, which involved a digression on his mother being raped by Willem Dafoe (“I am the Green Goblin hate baby!”) and the choice of commercials during Biography’s I Survived series; Skinner’s manic yet whimsical analysis of cat ladies vs. dog guys; Kinane’s Carlin-like brand of crude humor, specifically his thoughts on being 35 and finally living by himself; and Pete Holmes, who told the best off-hand joke involving BBQ that Austin, TX will ever receive.

White’s appearance was a surprise, and that was sort of the delight of it all, though his cutting lines are always witty in the moment. Slate’s shocker-fueled routine, alongside Liedman, was commendable, though she belongs on film rather than the stage. (She also is Gilda Radner resurrected.) Holmes, however, essentially shanked everyone’s sides with his stream-of-consciousness-styled comedy. In addition to his thoughts on Austin’s eateries, Holmes skipped to and from several topics, all of which included his thoughts on wanting to fuck/be Ryan Gosling, wearing a boot for six months, his rogue’s gallery of celebrity doppelgängers (e.g. David Duchovny, fat Val Kilmer), and a random old joke about Ruby Tuesday. “I’m like the ol’ crotchety neighbor of this entire festival,” he stated. Hardly. He’s just the funniest. -Michael Roffman

Delta Spirit – 1:00 a.m. @ Hype Hotel

Photo by Harley Brown

When I noticed that the “Special Guest” headlining The Syndicate’s Conflict of Interest-curated Hype Hotel was from Long Beach, CA, I knew it was Delta Spirit. Even though I’ve seen them before and I will definitely see them again, I wanted to be among the first audiences to see them perform Delta Spirit at SXSW. As usual, they didn’t disappoint: Matt Vasquez and co. blasted through “Bushwick Blues” at warp speed, and new songs like “Empty House” and “Money Saves”, backed by a wall of hot, flashing lightbulbs. Vasquez throws his back and neck veins into every performance, but being back onstage seemed to be a homecoming of sorts. He got visibly choked up at several points and doubled over with emotion (or exhaustion) after encoring with “California”, eschewing the audience’s request for one more song. – Harley Brown

Read on for Wednesday’s coverage of SXSW including Mobb Deep, Killer Mike & El-P, Free Energy, Trash Talk and more.

CoSigns – The Beauty Bar – 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Who: Future Unlimited, Princeton, The Henry Clay People, Mikal Cronin, Bleached, Mr. Dream, The Men, Screaming Females, Titus Andronicus, and Cloud Nothings.

Photos: Heather Kaplan and Michael Roffman

[nggallery id=333]

Consequence of Sound – The Jr. – 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Who: Miracles of Modern Science, Hey Marseilles, Ezra Furman, Emily Wells, Thomas Dolby, and Free Energy.

Photos: Heather Kaplan and Michael Roffman

[nggallery id=334]

Parties/Showcases

Jonathan Meiburg – 2:oo p.m. @ Hype Hotel (MOKB/Songs by Toad party)

A solo set from Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg marked the second act of Hype Hotel’s Wednesday day party. The Hotel’s shimmering, scattered spotlight caught Meiburg’s head in a sort of beatific light—a gorgeous repose similar to a religious Renaissance painting. However, instead of holding up a crucifix or delicately outstretched hand, Meiburg wielded the best tool he has: an electric guitar. That guitar’s sound, along with his spine-tingling vocal wail, cut through the meat-locker-temperature air of the Hype Hotel. Tracks like “Dread Sovereign” from Shearwater’s latest record, Animal Joy, loomed menacingly and beautifully. “Run the Banner Down” was maudlin and reflective. For his last song, he eased into a 10-minute-plus vamp based around a single, delay-heavy guitar loop, which created a gorgeous drone that the entire audience got blissfully lost in. – Paul de Revere

The Twilight Sad – 3:oo p.m. @ Hype Hotel (MOKB/Songs by Toad party)

Photo by Paul de Revere

Despite sound problems throughout their set, Scottish shoegaze band The Twilight Sad gave a performance that was nothing less than punishing and beautifully punctuated with skeletal drum machine, what little of it the band could seemingly hear, and wall-of-shoegaze-sound guitars just two steps away from heavy metal. They squealed up to a start like an old locomotive with “Reflection of the Television” off 2009’s Forget the Night Ahead. The band, however, seemed to favor tracks from their debut, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, delivering stunning live arrangements of “Cold Days from the Birdhouse”, with a chilling, quiet opening followed by megaton slams of distortion, and “That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy”, with the haunting refrain of “The kids are on fire/In the bedroom.” – Paul de Revere

The Allah-Las – 10:40 p.m. @ 512 Bar (Innovative Leisure Showcase)

Photo by Harley Brown

As soon as The Allah-Las took the 512 stage in bolo ties, Ray-Bans, and skinny orange pants, I knew their self-described surf Topanga had to be good. I didn’t realize they were going to take me back in time to the previously undiscovered intersection of Austin Powers and The Surfaris. In addition to their fashion sense, the California-based band was groovy in all the right ways, riffing just hard enough to keep their “perfect mixture of the sands, the seas, the streets, and cities of the Golden State” from being too saccharine. After an album’s worth of flawlessly executed material, I was disappointed to find that the 45” of their only two available songs has already sold out, but at least it means they’re getting the recognition they deserve. - Harley Brown

Tycho – 11:25 @ Club de Ville (Ghostly International Showcase)

Photo by Harley Brown

The recording and performing moniker of San Francisco-based artist and designer Scott Hansen, who also goes by ISO50, Tycho embodies his “search for efficiency.” Even though Hansen and his two band members play the sort of progressive electronica more associated with trippy meanderings than minimalism, Tycho’s crystalline blips and driving beat are airtight. At Club de Ville on Wednesday night, tracks like “Hours” and audience favorite “A Walk”’s keyboard crescendos undulated in conjunction with Hansen’s drum and synthesizer beats, almost comforting in its symmetry. I closed my eyes to let the most affecting moments wash over me, but given that Hansen is a mesmerizing artist (I could stare at Dive‘s album art all day), I wish the band had done more to visually engage the audience. – Harley Brown

–

G-Side 8:30 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Alabama Rap duo G-Side continued their 10-show SXSW run with something akin to a musical blitzkrieg, only less hostile and with more laser lights. The sweet mojo was all in the details, be it the ultra-catchy introductory interludes with the backup singers or the pair’s mere stage presence (more engaging than menacing thanks to crack lyrical displays and primo showmanship). The pair demonstrated a tried and true hip-hop dichotomy, with Yung Clova the menacing anchor to ST 2 Lettaz’s sweat-soaked dance and stage-diving act. The highlight of the show, though, saw ST 2 Lettaz bring his brother and sister onstage for a few verses, transforming their set into a rousing family affair light on the drama and heavy on displays of anarchical dissent. Bringing your siblings onstage may hurt the street cred of some rap outfits, but it only made G-Side appear that much more willing to go all out in order to stand above their peers and to deliver something as earnest and personable as it was boomin’ and bass-tastic. – Chris Coplan

Action Bronson – 9:45 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Where G-Side’s set represented the warm glow of community, Queens rapper Action Bronson took to the stage like a man alone in misery. It should be noted that Bronson’s set was delivered with gusto, and that the 315-pound MC never skipped a lyric, resulting in a performance that more than did its part to rock crowds and break necks. Once more, though, the details spun the whole picture, with Bronson seemingly removed from the sea of cronies and underlings that huddled around him and stopping songs prematurely on the slightest of whims. Even the way Bronson lit up a cigarette purveyed a sense of tense annoyance, with songs a distraction between each puff. And yet, despite the copious amounts of ‘tude and mood swings, Bronson’s set matched the intrigue and exhilaration of watching and waiting to see a caged lion go berserk. Now, imagine the kind of shows he could deliver if he ever decided to smile. – Chris Coplan

Jacques Green – 10:25 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

There was a notable displacement of mass from Action Bronson’s set to Jacques Green’s, and a notable increase in pretty-boy vibes. In black patent leather boots, an Yves Saint Laurent t-shirt, and gold chain necklaces (no, the really long and thin ones) — the Montreal producer stood alone on the side of the stage, undulated with his knees together, and spun the hell out of some deep house/jungle/R&B jams. He integrated shadowy samples of Ciara, Araab Muzik, and I’m sure many others into grad-school club hits that balanced fun and flair and was totally danceable. Two things: I find it pretty suave when a DJ packs up his shit as he’s closing out his last song, as Green did ( though I’m probably the only one), and it was a fine coincidence that I noticed the totally Target Collection area rugs on the stage during his set. – Jeremy D. Larson

Wavves – 11:35 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Wavves are good — they are always good, only it seemed obligatory for them to perform tonight. A handful of new songs that didn’t really stick and a handful of old songs that have peeled off made for a serviceable set that went mostly appreciated by the increasingly inebriated bros at The Lustre Pearl. However, they can still hang their whole set on the gem “Post Acid” — a song that will probably always stick. - Jeremy D. Larson

Trash Talk – 12:15 a.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

“My ribs may be broken” said frontman Lee Spielman before note one. Even in an evening filled with rap posses 15-deep, this was the most nonsensical, superfluous thing said on stage that night. Because you’d think that if your ribs were broken you’d maybe mark a bit on stage — take care of your health and your broken ribs. But a hardcore punk Trash Talk show is not the place for a comforting, experience. Or maybe it is? When the audience opened up a circle pit that repurposed about 70% of the floor space — it was easily 40 feet in diameter — the pit became as much of the show as the band was. And because this was my first Trash Talk show and I don’t often find myself being swallowed into a chugging punch-fest, I just gawked in pure joy at the riotous violence.

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

The crowd and Trash Talk became a giant anarchist expurgation of emotions (mostly anger, and mostly in good fun) which I found to be extremely comforting. The polite, unspoken rules of public performance were shattered over and over again, as Spielman front-flipped into the audience, let fans scream whole verses to songs, made everyone sit down on the ground, told the pit to “go to the back of the audience and fuck those people’s shit up”, and even allowed himself to be fucking tackled off of the stage and into a small group of people into the audience without, like, getting mad about it. It was a relief to know that this kind of uncontrolled hysteria still exists, and that it was born from only heaviest of music. “Yeah, I broke my ribs” he said, later on. He probably mean that he broke more of them. - Jeremy D. Larson

Mobb Deep/Prodigy – 12:40 a.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

The general feeling of the crowd during the obviously tight Mobb Deep set was, “Oh my god Havoc, Prodigy, and Big Noyd are on a stage and they’re — oh man, they just did ‘Survival of the Fittest’ I can’t believe that I’m actually watching this. Oh my god they just did ‘Shook Ones’. I just saw Mobb Deep do ‘Shook Ones’” But even in the hazy awe of the reunion, they didn’t miss a single beat as they went through their greatest hits. A momentous occasion for the nostalgia, and unequivocal proof of Mobb Deep’s tenacity and influence on the whole genre. - Jeremy D. Larson

Killer Mike/El-P/SL Jones – 1:15 a.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

I was unclear as to whether this was going to be a full premiere of his forthcoming El-P-produced album R.A.P Game front to back. It wasn’t, but that was probably for the better, as the waning crowd at the Life or Death PR Showcase were showing signs of fatigue at the late hour. But, man, Killer Mike. I had never seen him before, but as with every other act of the night, he commanded the crowd with confidence, ridiculous skill, and off-the-cuff humor (in rousing speech about what defines R.A.P. (Rebellious African People’s) music, he yelled, “I make the music that makes you want to punch a reindeer in the face!”). Sure enough, El-P showed up and they both dropped a new track together, which was of course on fire. Killer Mike’s stage presence is like the perfect combination eXquire and Action Bronson — lyrics that come through the teeth with enough energy to get everyone screaming “Grind Time Rap Game!” at 2:00 a.m. - Jeremy D. Larson

Free Energy – The Jr. (Consequence of Sound Showcase) - 1:30 a.m.

Photo by Michael Roffman

It would be fair to say that true rock ‘n’ roll folklore is purely incidental. Most authors would agree that you can’t expect that sort of magic on-stage, you just have to let it happen. An hour and a half into Thursday morning, Philadelphia’s own Free Energy sparked up something pretty extraordinary at The Jr. (formerly Emo’s, Jr.), framing exactly who they are: an honest to god American rock ‘n’ roll band. But, first, some context…

Prior to their set, Thomas Dolby, whose setup went 25 minutes over the mark, bled his performance into Free Energy’s time slot, essentially nixing the band’s original bracket for sound check, which pushed everything back by about 30-35 minutes. Given that all the bars must close by two a.m. and Free Energy couldn’t start ’til about half past one, well, you do the math.

That didn’t matter, though. What could have been a shitshow turned into one of the most invigorating sets in recent memory. Frontman Paul Sprangers, now sporting a shorter, cleaner ‘do, paced the stage after a slightly awkward soundcheck, only to throw out a smile and the warm embrace of fuzzy, balmy ’70s rock. “One a.m., gotta keep it rockin’,” he stated coquettishly.

Photo by Michael Roffman

This mentality isn’t too much of a surprise. After all, it was only this past week that Sprangers told us, “I kinda like the idea that rock is dead because I can prove the point that when you put love and care into something– even if it’s a dead, shitty form where fuckin’ Nickelback or whatever is considered rock– it can be resurrected.” Big words, but he put ‘em to action.

With such a late start, the most die-hard of fans stuck around – swimming somewhere between 40-50 patrons, altogether – which explains why a setlist featuring only two “oldies” eked out and worked. Intimate doesn’t even begin to explain it. When Sprangers sang the chorus to “Free Energy”, screaming, “This is all we’ve got tonight/We are young and still alive/Now the time is on our side,” it truly summed up everyone’s feelings in the room. In other words, shit happens, this is still pretty great, and let’s enjoy this.

Working from an arsenal of new material off their forthcoming sophomore LP, Love Sign, the Philadelphia rockers previewed an array of tracks that, according to a setlist, read something like: “Back”, the previously released “Electric Fever”, “Hailey”, “Hey Tonight”, and “Hangin’”. Hardly any of them strayed too far from what sold the band to millions of youthful rockers back in 2010, but they make it work. “Back” could have slid into Stuck on Nothing with ease, “Electric Fever” blossoms on-stage via Scott Wells’ stadium rock tendencies, “Hey Tonight” felt like a genius coagulation of early Cars and (strangely enough) U2, while top notch addition “Hailey” dipped into Jackson Browne and especially the best moments of Tom Petty.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Minutes before the clock struck two in the morning, Sprangers asked the crowd if they wanted to hear more new material (the group had two more new songs planned for the original setlist), or an oldie. Several screamed out past hits, but “Something in Common” stuck. Here’s the thing: It wasn’t like they didn’t want to hear new material, it’s hard to believe anyone would have balked at hearing a new track. Instead, everyone wanted one last chance to sing along, dance, and just rock out. That feels cheesy even writing that line, but it’s the honest to god truth, and fuck it, that feels good. -Michael Roffman

Whenever a band departs from their established sound, it can raise questions not only about authenticity but also about quality. Kings of Leon, for example, were criticized for abruptly abandoning scrappy, countrified punk for more accessible (some read: bland) arena rock even though they hinted at it before, mostly because Caleb Followill admitted that he coveted more fame and fortune. The same might even be said of Delta Spirit: “Bushwick Blues”’ emotive chords would have stuck out like a sore thumb on their alt-country debut, Ode to Sunshine, but it exemplifies the developing “broader sonic palette” that appears in full on Delta Spirit.

It’s hard to argue this new sound isn’t credible against lead vocalist Matt Vasquez’ gut-busting delivery in general, especially when he sings, “It’s in my head, it’s a relief, the sweet sound that I don’t want to leave” on “Otherside”. In this case, “the sweet sound” is the aforementioned progressive rock leanings, meandering triads that also open the more delicate preceding track, “Home”. Vasquez’ admission coupled with introspective prog-rock arrangements—intentionally or otherwise—reveal his concerns about the band’s new sonic direction. Like all moments of vulnerability, it’s buffered between “Idaho”’s verses about getting wasted and “Tellin’ the Mind”’s rollicking war yips, disclaimers which reassure listeners that the old Delta Spirit is still there. In fact, “Money Saves”’ rhythm and chord progression is almost identical to “Bushwick Blues”, a formula just as good the second time around.

It’s just as easy to recognize external influences on the rest of Delta Spirit. Opener “Empty House” fades in with articulated circularity not unlike recent tour mate My Morning Jacket’s “One Big Holiday”. The subtle panning halfway through the song introduces the album’s diverse yet understated production value, including synthesizers instead of “Trashcan”’s apocryphal namesake. It comes to head on closer “Yamaha”, which unfolds with lush, ambient buzz as Vasquez ends the album by unveiling his most existential lyrics yet: “There’s a thousand things I will not understand, there are certain things in life you cannot change”. This wider worldview has its moments, like the wistful sleigh bells on “Into the Darkness”, that strive to endear like the birdsong on History From Below’s “Scarecrow” but instead come off as contrived and somewhat schmaltz-y. The majority of “Time Bomb” nearly succumbs to the same fate, weighted down by bombastic drums and piano riffs seemingly straight out of High Violet.

In spite of these growing pains, Delta Spirit’s breadth still demonstrates a natural quantum leap from their earlier work, and the band itself is stronger for it. They’ve taken a risk by forever associating themselves with a self-titled album that departs in any capacity from their earlier releases, but it’s paid off in more sophisticated songcraft. Doubtless they’ll still lose fans, especially by insinuating that their earlier defining roots-rock didn’t reflect how they wanted to sound. But as Vasquez sings on “Empty House”, “Some folks don’t like charity,” and if the members of Delta Spirit are selfish making an album for themselves, so be it.

Essential Tracks: “Empty House”, “Money Saves”, “Otherside”

– Punk rock continues its resurgence in 2012 with the March 6th release of Ceremony’s Matador Records debut, Zoo. Right now, you can stream all 12 tracks at SPIN.com.

–  California blues rock band Delta Spirit unleash their self-titled third LP on March 13th via Rounder/Concord. Stream it now at RollingStone.com.

– North Carolina folk ensemble Bowerbirds release their third album, The Clearing, on March 6th via Dead Oceans. Stream it now at Stereogum.

Dave Matthews Band will hit the road this summer for its first U.S. tour since 2010. The massive trek spans over 40 dates, kicking off in The Woodlands, Texas on May 18th and ending in Mountain View, California on September 9th. Along the way, Dave and co. will share bills with The Avett Brothers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Delta Spirit, Fitz and the Tantrums, Gary Clark Jr., and a number of other acts.

A fanclub pre-sale for members begins Thursday, February 16, at 10:00 AM ET, with a public on-sale following on Friday, March 9th. Visit DMB’s website for specific on-sale dates and complete ticketing information.

An issued press release also reports that the band and producer Steve Lillywhite recently began work on a new studio album, the first since 2009′s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Stay tuned for more details.

Dave Matthews Band 2012 Tour Dates:
05/18 – Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion *
05/19 – Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion *
05/20 – Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Music Festival
05/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Ampitheatre at Lakewood ^
05/23 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre ^
05/25 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre %
05/26 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre $
05/28 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain $
05/29 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center $
06/02 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Ampitheatre ~
06/03 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center ~
06/05 – Manfield, MA @ Comcast Center $
06/06 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center $
06/08 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center !
06/09 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center !
06/12 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre #
06/13 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre #
06/16 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live +
06/17 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live +
06/22 – Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center +
06/23 – Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center >
06/26 – Camden, MA @ Susquehanna Bank Center ?
06/27 – Camden, MA @ Susquehanna Bank Center
06/29 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
06/30 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts >
07/03 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center ?
07/06 – E. Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Center
07/07 – E. Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Center ?
07/10 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Center ?
07/11 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre ?
07/13 – Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion &
07/14 – Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion &
07/18 – Tampa, FL @ 1-800-Ask-Gary Ampitheatre /
07/20 – W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Ampitheatre /
07/21 – W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Ampitheatre /
08/31 – George, WA @ The Gorge Ampitheatre ()
09/01 – George, WA @ The Gorge Ampitheatre ()
09/07 – Chula Vista, WA @ Cricket Wireless Ampitheatre <
09/08 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre <
09/09 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Ampitheatre <

* = w/ Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
^ = w/ The Head and the Heart
% = w/ Mariachi El Bronx
$ = w/ Carolina Chocolate Drops
~ = w/ Blind Pilot
! = w/ Lettuce
# = w/ Fitz and the Tantrums
+ = w/ Gary Clark Jr.
> = w/ Delta Spirit
? = w/ Brandi Carlie
& = w/ SOJA
/ = w/ Tower of Power
() = w/ The Avett Brothers
< = w/ Allen Stone

The 11th annual Bonnaroo Music Festival runs June 7-10th in Manchester, Tennessee. This year’s bill is headlined by Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish, and the reunited Beach Boys, with Bon Iver, The Shins, Dispatch, Foster the People, The Avett Brothers, Skrillex, Feist, and Aziz Ansari among the other heavyweights.

Other notables include The Roots, Ben Folds Five, Black Star, Alice Cooper, St. Vincent, Mogwai, Major Lazer, Flying Lotus, Alabama Shakes, Dawes, Flogging Molly, Childish Gambino, Ludacris, tUnE-yArDs, SBTRKT, Battles, Black Lips, Kendrick Lamar, Danny Brown, The Joy Formidable, Young the Giant, Kurt Vile and The Violators, EMA, The Antlers, Delta Spirit, Das Racist, The War on Drugs, Laura Marling, Here We Go Magic,  Yelawolf, and Mac Miller.

Also playing are Umphey’s McGee, The Word (featuring Robert Randolph, John Medeski, and North Mississippi Allstars), Bad Brains, Mariachi El Bronx, The Devil Makes Three, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, Gary Clark Jr., Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Kathleen Edwards, Phantogram, Two Door Cinema Club, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Civil Wars, City and Colour, The Kooks, Big Freedia, K-Flay, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Grouplove, White Denim, SOJA, Big Gigantic, Fruit Bats, Moon Taxi, The Soul Rebels, The Lonely Forest, ALO, Blind Pilot, Ben Howard, Trampled By Turtles, Mimosa, and Spectrum Road (featuring Santana, John Medeski, Jack Bruce, Cindy Blackman, and Vernon Reid.)

This year also promises another one of Bonnaroo’s trademark superjams; however, the participating artists have yet to be announced.

In all, over 125 bands and 20 comedians will perform across 13 stages during the four-day event. Additional artists and comedians will be revealed in the coming weeks. Below, you can watch the lineup announced by ESPN’s John Anderson.

Tickets go on sale beginning Saturday, February 18th at Noon ET via the festival’s website.

Update: Here’s the poster:

As previously reported, Delta Spirit will unleash their third LP on March 13th via Rounder/Concord. The self-titled affair was produced by Chris Coady (Grizzly Bear, TV On the Radio, !!!) at Dreamland Recording Studios – a converted church built in 1896 in Woodstock, New York. Below, you can grab an exclusive download of the album’s first track, “California”.

In support of the release, Delta Spirit will embark on a massive spring tour, kicking off with an appearance at South by Southwest. Find the band’s complete tour schedule below, as well.

Delta Spirit 2012 Tour Dates:
03/13-18 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
03/19 – Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room *
03/20 – St. Louis, MO @ The Old Rock House *
03/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Line Music Café *
03/22 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
03/23 – Chicago, IL @ Metro *
03/24 – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
03/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom & Tavern *
03/27 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
03/29 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
03/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
03/31 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
04/02 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater *
04/03 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
04/04 – Asheville, NC @ Greg Eagle Tavern & Music Hall *
04/06 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
04/07 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade-Hell Stage *
04/09 – Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theater *
04/10 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks *
04/12 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s-Upstairs *
04/13 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East *
04/14 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
04/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
05/01 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre *
05/02 – Boise, ID @ The Nurolux *
05/04 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s *
05/05 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
05/06 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl *
05/08 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades *
05/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore *
05/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box at Fonda *

* = w/ WATERS

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Those who caught Californian blues rockers Delta Spirit on their December jaunt with My Morning Jacket likely caught a preview of some new material from their forthcoming self-titled release. After the album, their third, drops on March 13th, you’ll be able to catch a full dosage of the new tunes when they embark on a spring tour.

The five piece will give the record a week to simmer before their first stop on March 19th in Little Rock, Arkansas. Next, it’s up towards Minneapolis, before heading eastward and taking a turn down the coast. After stopping by Austin in mid-March, they’ll move northwest before wrapping up in L.A. Grungy rockers WATERS will serve as support for the tour.

Tickets can be obtained here, with each purchase coming with an MP3 of Delta Spirit’s new single, out on January 30th. The complete tour itinerary is below, as well as a widget to nab their recent EP The Waits Room.

Delta Spirit the album is out March 13th via Rounder/Concord.

Delta Spirt 2012 Tour Dates:
03/13-18 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
03/19 – Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room *
03/20 – St. Louis, MO @ The Old Rock House *
03/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Line Music Café *
03/22 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
03/23 – Chicago, IL @ Metro *
03/24 – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
03/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom & Tavern *
03/27 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
03/29 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
03/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
03/31 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
04/02 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater *
04/03 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
04/04 – Asheville, NC @ Greg Eagle Tavern & Music Hall *
04/06 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
04/07 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade-Hell Stage *
04/09 – Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theater *
04/10 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks *
04/12 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s-Upstairs *
04/13 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East *
04/14 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
04/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
05/01 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre *
05/02 – Boise, ID @ The Nurolux *
05/04 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s *
05/05 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
05/06 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl *
05/08 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades *
05/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore *
05/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box at Fonda *

* = w/ WATERS

The music portion of South by Southwest 2012 runs March 13-18th in Austin Texas. Today, the festival revealed another batch of 2012 acts, with Built to Spill, The Magnetic Fields, Stars, Metric, Thomas Dolby, and Delta Spirit leading the way.

Other newly confirmed notables include Lee Fields and the Expressions, Talib Kweli, Grimes, The Big Pink, Oh Land, Screaming Females, Dan Mangan, Gross Magic, Ganglians, Daughter, The War on Drugs, Blood Orange, Bleached, Suckers, Spector, Miracles of Modern Science, Ear Pwr, Beach Fossils, Prince Rama, Zeus, and Zorch. For all the latest lineup news and updates, be sure to bookmark our South by Southwest page on Festival Outlook.

Also, as announced last week, Bruce Springsteen will serve as next year’s Keynote Speaker.

Registration for SXSW 2012 is now ongoing, with various types of badges to chose from. Click here for all the details.

One second. Sometimes that’s all a photographer gets – and hardly in ideal conditions. At worst (and most likely), a photographer may be squeezed between 15 others in the pit, mere feet away from pyrotechnics, finding support from stress-rattled knees, while focusing on a spastic frontman and sheltering oneself from a downpour, which may or may not involve a hailstorm. Truth: A great photographer handles the unenviable task of capturing that one moment everyone goes home thinking about. Half-truth: There’s probably a statistic somewhere that discusses what the job does to the heart. If not, there should be a study. Double-truth: It’s just a sweaty, life-threatening task.

Hi, I’m Michael Roffman, President and Editor-in-Chief of Consequence of Sound. You may know me from such stories as “Look Out! The Gaslight Anthem is Coming!” or “Scratch that… Brian Wilson is not returning to The Beach Boys.” This year, I sent out dozens of writers and photographers to hundreds of shows and just about every major music festival this side of the Atlantic (some even overseas). Without a doubt, our eyes were everywhere.

More specifically, our photographers’ multiple weighty lenses. In the past 12 months, we’ve published countless, fully-stocked galleries, featuring some of the most awe-inspiring shots on the ‘net, all thanks to our brave and inordinately talented photographers. Actually, that’s an understatement. These artists bleed talent – to get somewhat histrionic. Look, we value words, but as Fred R. Barnard so famously wrote, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Cliche, but you spend over four years putting these live and festival reviews together. You’ll quickly see how true that statement is. To date, I still feel like I’ve attended Bonnaroo.*

For our annual report, we put together our 100 favorite photos of the year. Lots of colors, lots of locales, and plenty of popular mugs to savor. So, throw on some tunes, grab a bag of chips, and enjoy the trip. You’ll go places, kiddo.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

* Would never happen. This guy in mud? Nah.

Weezer

Event: Weezer at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom
Date: 1/7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Walkmen

Event: The Walkmen at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse
Date: 1/13/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Girl Talk

Event: Girl Talk at Atlanta’s Tabernacle
Date: 1/21/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Sad Brad Smith

Event: Sad Brad Smith at Chicago’s Schubas Tavern
Date: 1/23/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

The Church

Event: The Church at Chicago’s Park West
Date: 2/11/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Robyn

Event: Robyn at Chicago’s The Riviera Theatre
Date: 2/14/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

The Dismemberment Plan

Event: The Dismemberment Plan at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 2/19/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Ben Kweller

Event: Ben Kweller at Chicago’s Vic Theatre
Date: 2/23/2011
Photographer: Joshua Mellin

Bright Eyes

Event: Bright Eyes at Miami’s The Fillmore
Date: 3/2/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Raphael Saadiq

Event: Raphael Saadiq at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Baby Headphones

Event: SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Owen Pallett

Event: Owen Pallett at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Strokes

Event: The Strokes at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

The Kills

Event: The Kills at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

TV on the Radio w/ Yo Gabba Gabba!

Event: TV on the Radio w/ Yo Gabba Gabba! at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Matt & Kim

Event: Matt & Kim at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Odd Future

Event: Odd Future at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Odd Future

Event: Odd Future at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Hollerado

Event: Hollerado at Axis of Audio Showcase: SXSW 2011
Date: 3/19/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Astronautalis

Event: Astronautalis (& Four Fists) at Axis of Audio Showcase: SXSW 2011
Date: 3/19/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

P.O.S.

Event: P.O.S. at Paid Dues Festival 2011
Date: 4/2/2011
Photographer: Winston Robbins

The Mountain Goats

Event: The Mountain Goats at Chicago’s Vic Theatre
Date: 4/5/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Queens of the Stone Age

Event: Queens of the Stone Age at Oakland’s Fox Theatre
Date: 4/11/2011
Photographer: Karina Halle

The Strokes

Event: The Strokes at Coachella 2011
Date: 4/15-17/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Kanye West

Event: Kanye West at Coachella 2011
Date: 4/15-17/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

The National

Event: The National, Arcade Fire at Chicago’s UIC Pavillion
Date: 4/24/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Arcade Fire

Event: The National, Arcade Fire at Chicago’s UIC Pavillion
Date: 4/24/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Battles

Event: Battles at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 4/30/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

tUnE-yArDs

Event: tUnE-yArDs at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 5/10/2011
Photographer: Wallo Villacorta

Lykke Li

Event: Lykke Li at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 5/23/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

The Gorge

Event: Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Death From Above 1979

Event: Death From Above 1979 at Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Robyn

Event: Robyn at Sasquatch 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Fitz and the Tantrums

Event: Fitz and the Tantrums at Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Flaming Lips

Event: The Flaming Lips at Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Decemberists

Event: Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Melvins

Event: Melvins at Chicago’s Double Door
Date: 5/31/2011
Photographer: Katie Schuering

Bonnaroo Fan

Event: Bonnaroo 2011
Date: 6/9-12/2011
Photographer: Ben Kaye

Buffalo Springfield

Event: Buffalo Springfield at Bonnaroo 2011
Date: 6/9-12/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Eminem

Event: Eminem at Bonnaroo 2011
Date: 6/9-12/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Future Islands

Event: Future Islands at Chicago’s Subterranean
Date: 6/15/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Florence + the Machine

Event: Florence + the Machine at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom
Date: 6/18/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Glastonbury

Event: Glastonbury 2011
Date: 6/22-26/2011
Photographer: Laura Page

Eddie Vedder w/ Glen Hansard

Event: Eddie Vedder at The Chicago Theatre
Date: 6/28/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Phish Heads

Event: Phish Super Ball IX
Date: 7/1-3/2011
Photographer: Jake Cohen

Fucked Up

Event: Fucked Up at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 7/2/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Cold Cave

Event: Cold Cave at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

OFF!

Event: OFF! at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

Event: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

tUnE-yArDs

Event: tUnE-yArDs at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Fleet Foxes

Event: Fleet Foxes at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Soundgarden

Event: Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon at Washington’s Gorge Amphitheater
Date: 7/30/2011
Photographer: Karina Halle

Paul McCartney

Event: Paul McCartney at Chicago’s Wrigley Field
Date: 7/31/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Lolla Chicago

Event: Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Le Butcherettes

Event: Le Butcherettes at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Crystal Castles

Event: Crystal Castles at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Coldplay

Event: Coldplay at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Chain Gang of 1974

Event: The Chain Gang of 1974 at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Ellie Goulding

Event: Ellie Goulding at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Foo Fighters

Event: Foo Fighters at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 8/6/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Foster the People

Event: Foster the People at Outside Lands 2011
Date: 8/12-14/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Muse

Event: Muse at Outside Lands 2011
Date: 8/12-14/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Arcade Fire

Event: Arcade Fire at Outside Lands 2011
Date: 8/12-14/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Bush

Event: Bush at Chicago’s Congress Theatre
Date: 8/18/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Rubblebucket

Event: Rubblebucket at North Coast 2011
Date: 9/2-4/2011
Photographer: Lillian Cai

Pearl Jam

Event: Pearl Jam at PJ20 at Alpine Valley
Date: 9/3-4/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Erykah Badu

Event: Erykah Badu at New York’s Rock the Bells 2011
Date: 9/3/2011
Photographer: Jake Cohen

Lauryn Hill

Event: Lauryn Hill at New York’s Rock the Bells 2011
Date: 9/3/2011
Photographer: Jake Cohen

The Kills

Event: The Kills at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom
Date: 9/5/2011
Photographer: Karina Halle

James Vincent McMorrow

Event: James Vincent McMorrow at Chicago’s Hideout
Date: 9/15/2011
Photographer: Matt Hyland

Delta Spirit

Event: Delta Spirit at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

My Morning Jacket

Event: My Morning Jacket at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

Kanye West

Event: Kanye West at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

Randy Newman

Event: Randy Newman at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

Incubus

Event: Incubus at Miami’s Bayfront Park
Date: 9/20/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Blink-182

Event: Blink-182 at West Palm Beach’s Cruzan Amphitheatre
Date: 9/23/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Deerhoof

Event: Deerhoof at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge
Date: 9/25/2011
Photographer: Katie Schuering

Radiohead

Event: Radiohead at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom
Date: 9/28/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

St. Vincent

Event: St. Vincent at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 10/5/2011
Photographer: Katie Schuering

Portishead

Event: Portishead at Chicago’s Aragon Theater
Date: 10/12/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Sims

Event: Doomtree at Minneapolis’ Fine Line Music Cafe
Date: 10/15/2011
Photographer: Harley Brown

The Stepkids

Event: The Stepkids at CMJ 2011
Date: 10/18-22/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Duran Duran

Event: Duran Duran at The Chicago Theatre
Date: 10/21/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Deadmau5

Event: deadmau5 at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom
Date: 10/22/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Moby

Event: Moby at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Moby

Event: Moby at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Childish Gambino

Event: Childish Gambino at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Catherine Watkins

Suicide

Event: Suicide at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

The Flaming Lips

Event: The Flaming Lips at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Catherine Watkins

Mayer Hawthorne & County

Event: Mayer Hawthorne & County at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

M83

Event: M83 at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Zola Jesus

Event: Zola Jesus at San Francisco’s The Independent
Date: 11/1/2011
Photographer: Summer Dunsmore

Feist

Event: Feist at Chicago’s The Riviera Theatre
Date: 11/4/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

The Raconteurs

Event: The Raconteurs at Orlando Calling 2011
Date: 11/12-13/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Pixies

Event: Pixies at Orlando Calling 2011
Date: 11/12-13/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

YACHT

Event: YACHT at San Francisco’s The Independent
Date: 11/17/2011
Photographer: Summer Dunsmore

M83

Event: M83 at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 11/17/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

The Cure

Event: The Cure at Los Angeles’ Pantages Theatre
Date: 11/23/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Tinariwen

Event: Tinariwen at Minneapolis’ Cedar Cultural Center
Date: 11/26/2011
Photographer: Harley Brown

Iggy Pop and the Stooges

Event: Iggy Pop and the Stooges at Hollywood’s Palladium
Date: 12/1/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Photo by Debi Del Grande

California-bred blues rockers Delta Spirit will return with their third studio album on March 13th, 2012 via Rounder/Concord The self-titled affair was produced by Chris Coady (Grizzly Bear, TV On the Radio, !!!) at Dreamland Recording Studios – a converted church built in 1896 in Woodstock, New York.

Below, you can grab a free download of the band’s recently released live EP, The Waits Room. Recorded live at  Prairie Sun Studios in November 2010, the five-track effort includes three new songs: ”The Flood”, “John Henry”, and “My Dream”.

The band also plans to preview new material during their upcoming December tour dates with My Morning Jacket. Find the tour docket beneath the widget.

Delta Spirit 2011 Tour Dates:
12/06 – Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theatre *
12/07 – Dallas, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie *
12/08 – Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theatre *
12/10 – Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cove Ampitheater *
12/11 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live *
12/12 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium *

* = w/ My Morning Jacket

And what better way than to conclude than in the music mecca that is Austin, Texas.

As any Austinite will attest, keeping Austin “weird” is very important to the city. And that sort of goes for multiple definitions of the word. Austin stays “weird” as in estranged from the average and the everyday (not gonna find a Wal-Mart too easily in downtown Austin). They like to keep big business out; keep it local. But it’s also weird as in just plain odd. At any given time, you might be run over by one of the hundreds of bicycle rickshaws zooming around town. Or you might find yourself talking to the owner of a street-vending head shop about how great that crazy dude busking in a Peter Pan costume is.

Regardless of which interpretation you lean toward, one can’t help but look at Austin City Limits as an exception to the rule. Radio darlings Coldplay and Kanye West are anything but estranged concepts. They’re comparable to the “Wal-Marts” of the music world. But put those names directly next to Alison Krauss, or The Antlers, and then I guess the combination of all those acts in the same place equals “weird”. Who knows? And who cares, really? ACL is the final of the “Big Four”, and this year marking its 10th anniversary, was a sight to behold.

-Winston Robbins
Senior Staff Writer

Friday, September 16th

Theophilus London – Bud Light Stage – 12:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I had high hopes for Kid Cudi when the Cleveland MC debuted a few years back. He was meant to be a breath of fresh air in the rap game, someone with globs of swagger AND heaps of substance. As that’s all but gone a bust thanks to diluted dreams of rock and roll fame, Brooklyn’s Theophilus London has stepped in to reinvigorate the genre. He can sing, he can rap, he can move a crowd, and, though he’s still in the early phases of his career, he’s proven to be anything but hype. Don’t believe me? Whilst some artists might fear a little festival rain, London embraced it to create a truly organic and fun way to kick off a giant event. -Chris Coplan

Wild Beasts – Honda Stage – 1:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

After coming off one of 2011’s better releases, and being one of the first performers at ACL’s 10th anniversary, I was expecting Wild Beasts to go huge. Alas, they did not. That’s not to say they didn’t play an enjoyable set, they did, including tracks “Albatross”, “All The King’s Men”, and the obvious crowd favorite, “Hooting and Howling”. But in the end, it was status quo for Wild Beasts – some great musicianship mixed with some great energy. -Winston Robbins

Reptar – Austin Ventures Stage – 1:20 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Somehow, mud isn’t an enticing organic dance-floor. But that’s why complex, prog-like acts and jam bands alike are a true staple of most outdoor festivals. Six-minute musical explorations done by dudes with bushy beards who may also be barefoot just beg for some mud-mashing. Atlanta, GA’s Reptar is every bit the typical rock act you’d expect from ACL, and so much more. Their sound is grand and complicated, yet wholly approachable, thanks to a decidedly punk aesthetic. They’re weird, odd, and disarmingly strange with the noises and screams they employ, but their music, especially in a live setting, has a great pop sensibility. The point being, if you’re going to spend your days in the pit listening to rock, it doesn’t always have to be the Phish or Widespread Panics of the world that get transcendental. -Chris Coplan

Fool’s Gold – Austin Ventures Stage – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

This sextet from Los Angeles always knows how to get the room, or in this case, giant grass field, jumping. Introducing themselves as Coldplay, Fool’s Gold kicked off their 45 minute set like an IV of coffee straight to the audiences’ veins. The crowd was enthusiastic and dancing along to favorites such as the effervescent “Surprise Hotel”, off of their freshman album Fool’s Gold, and the animated “Wild Window”, from their latest release Leave No Trace. With bongos, tenor saxophone, and rhythm guitar driving this fun band, it’s hard not to think of the African-beat inspired days of Talking Heads. The band’s energy was infectious and a great way to kick off ACL. -Lauren Modery

Delta Spirit – Bud Light Stage – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

In the middle of his band’s set, Delta Spirit frontman Matthew Vasquez made an interesting observation. Dripping with sweat, the rocker informed the rather packed crowd that his band was the only rock act set to grace the Bud Light stage that day. After confirming this with a check of the schedule, one more observation formed: There may have been no better rock act to be given this privilege. With a stage that would later feature everyone from Kanye West to Big Boi, Delta Spirit, though a seemingly odd choice, demonstrated a powerful and stirring performance that could take a solid, if un-praised rock band, and make them into something that might actually be a no-brainer for a show on a huge festival stage. They may not be the Kings of Leon, or even some other buzz-worthy rock act, but Delta Spirit have the mesmerizing skill set to cement themselves as a giant rock act. This, this was simply step one. -Chris Coplan

James Blake – Honda Stage – 3:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

One of the most hyped artists at the festival this year, James Blake drew one of the largest crowds the festival saw at the Honda Stage. The London post-dub prince had no problem living up to said hype as he ran through a breezy, brilliant  setlist that included early deep cuts (“CMYK”), self-titled debut big hits (“Limit To Your Love”, and a very moving, intricate version of “I Never Learned To Share”), and the title track from his forthcoming EP (“Enough Thunder”). Perhaps the most notable aspect of this show was just how organic every sound was. It’s not a YouTube/word of mouth success story. Blake can truly play these songs in a live setting, and can do so with unerring precision. Multiply the fine musicianship by a lovely sounding voice and some hype, and I think we have ourselves a legitimate indie tour-de-force. -Winston Robbins

Smith Westerns – Google+ Stage – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Chicago’s own Smith Westerns are an interesting little nut. They took the lo-fi rock of their self-titled debut and made it into a ’60s pop-infused masterpiece with Dye It Blonde. But, all the makeovers in the world couldn’t hide one simple truth: Smith Westerns may not be the best band for an outdoor festival. Sure, the kids love them, and they have a great sound, and maybe this was just a bad show amongst a whole slew of great ones, but the simple truth is that the band has neither the power, nor the enthusiasm to adequately fill the space given to them in Zilker Park. That lackluster performance really highlights some previously ignored or unseen truths about the band. For instance: Are they as great as once thought, despite the lack of passion? Are they geniuses, or just a bunch of burn-outs? It also suggests that, even though bands are popular enough, certain sounds are better left for the dark dives of after-show parties. -Chris Coplan

Ray LaMontagne – AMD Stage – 4:10 p.m.

Not only is the nostalgic sound of Ray LaMontagne easy to listen to, he’s not too rough on the eyes either. With his mountain man beard, battered top hat, eggplant suit, harmonica, and raspy voice, this Americana relic definitely knows how to ooze the charm. LaMontagne isn’t a very animated or chatty performer, but luckily his music and strong backup band, The Pariah Dogs, do all the convincing. Highlights of his performance include a collaboration with country duo The Secret Sisters (who played ACL earlier that day) on a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”. LaMontagne’s laidback set had to combat with the hot afternoon sun, but his dedicated fans hung in there as he plowed through hits “You Are the Best Thing”, “Trouble”, and “Beg, Steal or Borrow”. -Lauren Modery

Big Boi – Budweiser Stage – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

“Throw yo’ deuces in the sky for the shutterbug”, Big Boi commanded on the hook of his album mega-hit “Shutterbug”, to which everyone obeyed, creating a massive portrait of peace signs floating just above the crowd. Antwan Andre Patton thoroughly surprised many with his set. Several fans (myself included) were fully expecting it to be a push for his superb solo venture, Sir Luscious Leftfoot: The Legend of Chico Dusty, but it was more an Outkast sing-along with Luscious snippets every now and again. Boi got the party started with old time favorite “ATLiens”, followed promptly by another classic, “Rosa Parks”. Who cares that it was probably a hundred degrees outside with the sun beating directly down on us? Big Boi was throwing the best dance party of the day thus far! It all peaked when the bassline for the immensely popular “The Way You Move” dropped, and Big Boi began to spit the radio hit with 12,000 fans rapping along word for word. -Winston Robbins

Cold War Kids – Honda Stage – 5:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

There was something missing at the Cold War Kids’ set on Friday evening. The band even sensed it too. As people began leaving in droves after the fourth song, front man Nathan Willett asked the crowd if they were still alive. Based off of their performance, one would assume Cold War Kids is a better studio act than live band. Willett’s aggressive singing and movements do little to warm the crowd. Even their hit “Hang Me out to Dry” just didn’t sound right. The singer’s voice was strained and the music rushed. Willett couldn’t hit the notes we were used to hearing. All in all the band’s performance lacked character. The audience never really became engaged, and the boys tried to convince them that they were watching the best band in that time slot. Guess they felt a little threatened by the large crowd over at Foster the People. -Lauren Modery

Charles Bradley – Vista Equity Stage – 6:00 p.m.

I love this man’s life story almost as I love his music. So, with all that under his belt, Charles Bradley took the stage in Austin and played to a noticeably older crowd (graying heads galore). One couldn’t help but think of Otis Redding and James Brown as Bradley belted every high note with precision and incomprehensible amounts of emotion. Sporting a flamboyant purple blazer and a sleek glittering vest, Bradley ran through most of his debut album, stopping off at high points “No Time For Dreamin’”, “Lovin’ You Baby“, and “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”, which got uproarious praise. Through his emphatic, emotional performance, Bradley truly reminded everyone in attendance just why they call it “Soul”. -Winston Robbins

North Mississippi Allstars – Austin Ventures Stage – 6:15 p.m.

One of the lesser known acts of the festival (at least compared to the other big-name acts), the North Mississippi Allstars aren’t, at their very core, anything special. There is no flash, no pop, no shiny colors, no blended genres, no meat suits, and no iconic stage show. Heck, the trio doesn’t even have a Twitter! But what they do have is a sound that is raw and pure, the very dark, painful core of jazz and blues presented in its most damaging and simplified form. Amidst a slew of other bands, set in a weekend where everyone would be focused on sounds of a more alluring (albeit it superficially) quality, North Mississippi Allstars show that skill and dedication make for a great show, even if  not everyone’s paying attention. -Chris Coplan

Photo by Nate Slevin

Nas & Damian Marley – Budweiser Stage – 6:30 p.m.

I can envision exactly how the concept for Nas & Damian Marley’s album Distant Relatives came about. Longtime friends and frequent collaborators Nas and Damian Marley were sitting in some VIP room of some afterparty years ago, smoking a little herb. And one said to the other in that contemplative stoned tone, “Man, if you really think about it, we’re still brothers, even though you’re from Jamaica and I’m from New York (or vice versa). We come from the same roots, man!” To which the other replied, “Man, that’s some heavy shit.” And a year or two later, we have their exhilarating project to showcase that simple, yet profound aesthetic. Opening with the rap-laden “As We Enter”, their ten man band danced and played their way through a superb set that finished up with a three punch K.O. – “Road To Zion” their collaboration on Marley’s solo album, “Welcome to Jam Rock”, Marley’s massive radio hit, and “Could You Be Loved”, a dedication to Marley’s father, who I’m sure you’re familiar with. -Winston Robbins

Santigold – Honda Stage – 7:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Here’s a question for the entire known world: Why the H-E Double Hockey Sticks isn’t Santigold more famous?! She’s smart, charming, and attractive, but, more than that, she’s like a decidedly less crazy and annoying version of her mentor, M.I.A. She blurs the lines between pop, rap, dance, and electronica better than so many other female singers and foreign bands that do the same. Plus, her stage show is an actual show, complete with back-up dancers, costume changes, and a backing band dressed similar to Devo. So, the question begs: Why does she not have a huge following? Her set was just as packed as any actual headliner, and men, women, old folks, and young kids alike were grooving something fierce. But why has she not exploded in popularity like her idol and her contemporaries? By all accounts of her smash set, she should be the biggest thing in the world. Alas, she’s not, largely thanks to album delays and other non-important factors. But, after a spell-binding set of favorites and a slew of new cuts, here’s hoping the fantasy someday informs reality. -Chris Coplan

Coldplay – AMD Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Thanks to big brothers everywhere, and not to mention The 40 Year Old Virgin, it’s a crime to love Coldplay. And, in all fairness, there is something about the band that merits such intense apathy and/or hatred. Chris Martin and company are a little soft, prone to grandiose displays of overwrought emotional sentiments, and they’re also responsible for a track like “Yellow”, which may the be the most weepy, unintelligible pop song ever created. All that, coupled with their holier-than-thou-but-still-pious rock god routine and political leanings, and you’ve got the very definition of wuss rock.

And then you see them live, and the whole world changes.

Finally, in the middle of a field surrounded by all those strangers, the group exceeds the critiques and comments of the world, and displays themselves as being a massively important rock band. All the flash and neon lights make you feel dizzy, swept up in something bigger than anyone in that venue. What was over-the-top, overly emotional parent rock is something akin to a religious experience as shared by several thousand other people. Every cut sounds immense and booming, and it’s a reminder of why people love music and go to such sweaty lengths to see and hear it. But, when it’s all over, it’s hard to recall that feeling, like a faint memory from a lifetime ago, or something that happened while drunk. But, for a few moments, Coldplay is the best band in the world. -Chris Coplan

Kanye West – Budweiser Stage – 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Kanye West was worth every dime they paid (probably a lot of dimes) to have him perform at this year’s installment of ACL. One might contest that it wasn’t that great because it was sort of just what he did at Coachella. But that argument would be moot, because what he did at Coachella was a sight to behold, and tremendously worthy of a second look. Furthermore, these shows may have had the same overall structure, but everyone should know by now, Kanye’s a loose canon, and you have to learn to expect the unexpected when dealing with the Chi-town hero. This time, he took the grandiose route. And while he may have fallen short at times in achieving the exact perfection he was going for (a mic-cutting plague, a few twinges of prima donna, and a healthy dose of awkward stage banter were largely to blame), one can’t help but admire the sheer balls it took to try and convert this colossal vision and make it a tangible reality.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Separated into three acts, Kanye’s headlining set played a bit like a greatest hits record, and it wasn’t without help from the fans. Ye had the masses chanting along with him like one big sing-along chorus for the entirety of his all-too-short hour and a half. To decide which song was the most powerful is almost unfair, since they all packed such a different punch, but his nearly 13-minute long rendition of “Runaway” was awe-inspiring. The tens of thousands of people spitting line for line along to “Jesus Walks” was utterly chilling. And to see him raised high above the crowd on a boom lift during the set opener “Dark Fantasy” to rap to the masses? Nothing short of entrancing.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Truly, you would be hard-pressed to find a dull moment in this show (except for his extended “thank you’s” that lasted for what seemed an eternity). He officially hung up the hat of this version of his live show, declaring that this would be the last time this extravagant, ballet-dancing, pyrotechnic show would be performed, effectively making the already stunning show that much more meaningful. But he’s on to bigger (and debatably better) things. If this show is anything like what he’s got scheduled next, you may want to start selling your belongings to get into the mostly sold out Watch The Throne tour. -Winston Robbins

Saturday, September 17th

The Antlers  - AMD Stage – 12:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I can’t decide which is more tragic: the fact that The Antlers were scheduled to play this early in the day, or that nobody really showed up to watch them. The second fact is probably the direct result of the first fact, but it’s a shame nonetheless. They stuck to mostly songs from their fantastic latest LP Burst Apart; in fact, every song but one was from the new album. And even that earlier track (“Kettering”), sounded very much like their new era sound, which is in no way a complaint. They’ve really honed in on a sound that is very fitting and very palatable. Before they closed with “Putting The Dog To Sleep”, lead singer Peter Silberman said ineloquently, yet somehow still quite effectively, “We love Austin…. Fuck.” Well, despite the fact that you got shafted on a set time and not a whole lot of ears were there to hear, I’m pretty sure Austin loves you, too. -Winston Robbins

Aloe Blacc & the Grand Scheme – Bud Light Stage – 12:30 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Say what you will about a corporate festival like ACL, but it truly has soul. Though he’s a lesser name, Los Angeles’ Aloe Blacc proved to be anything but an underdog with his Saturday kick-off set. There was a moment in his show where he referenced a lot of soul greats that came before him, like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and James Brown. Blacc truly is a synthesis of all these acts: He’s got a heapin’ help of sex appeal and strutting dance moves like Gaye, there’s a sort of classy, intangible showmanship that would definitely make Green proud, and when it comes right down to it, he can whip the crowd up like the Godfather. All that, and he still managed to start an almost unheard of bit of audience participation: a Soul Train line. Hallelujah! -Chris Coplan

Cowboy and Indian – Austin Ventures Stage – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Unfortunately this Austin-based folk rock group featuring actor Jesse Plemons from Friday Night Lights and Jazz Mills of T Bird and the Breaks suffered from wrong stage at the wrong time. It was impossible for this mellow flower child band to audibly compete with the other stages. What the crowd could hear and see was a sweet one- violins, beautiful harmony, a beaming pregnant woman in a 60’s Day-Glo dress. Cowboy and Indian is still relatively new and have yet to release an album. Let’s hope they find venue more fitting for their sound. -Lauren Modery

Twin Shadow – Google+ Stage – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

As sweet and sunny as Zilker Park is, the weekend was plagued by intermittent bits of rain and cloud cover. It was especially fitting, though, when most of the clouds seemed to amass over Twin Shadow’s set. It was probably because the dark and stormy setting found the perfect soundtrack in the group’s moody, ’80s inspired synth-rock. The set was also a clear reminder that, unlike Smith Westerns, you can have a killer show even if you’re an emotionally sensitive buzz-band. All it takes is making the most of what you have, creating an intimate setting, and honing in on a certain vibe while still blasting it out of the park. Twin Shadow know how to change it up and shift their sound to accommodate any setting, like they’re masters of the universe. How else would one explain the clouds leaving as the band finished their set? -Chris Coplan

Phosphorescent – Austin Ventures Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

A six-man band took the stage, only to get rained out before they could start on time. Two-thirds of the band left to waterproof their equipment, but frontman Matthew Houck and his drummer remained behind, and he nimbly played with his looping pedals to entertain the audience as the band prepared for a rainy show. Once they finally started (about 10 minutes after scheduled), it was a good blend of a harder folk-rock, and a very vocal driven soft folk. The juxtaposition of a very hard version of “A Death, A Proclamation” and the softer “Heaven Sittin’ Down” was an obvious crowd pleaser. -Winston Robbins

Young The Giant – AMD Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

How many times has a band come to a festival on the verge of something big, delivered a stellar performance that gets the whole world talking, and then gone on to true rock and roll stardom? No one has enough fingers or toes to properly count that high. And, for all intents and purposes, Young The Giant will be another pinky or big toe on that list, with a showing that wowed a packed crowd (one of the bigger for an early show). But do they actually deserve such acclaim and adulation? Are they worthy of being the next act to strike it big? They may have entertained a crowd (which is all that matters in the end), but they did nothing to genuinely show they were fighting to get their time in the spotlight. With a forced, paint-by-numbers set, YTG were neither phenomenal nor ground-breaking, settling instead for mediocrity. Enjoy the success, boys. Somehow, you’ve earned it. -Chris Coplan

Alexander – Google + Stage – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Alex Ebert from Edward Sharpe is running solo this time, promoting his new album, Alexander, but he still brought an element of the Magnetic Zeros to his Saturday performance. Ebert likes to interact with the crowd, dress like a dirty hippie, and talk about love. He wore a rainbow guitar strap and welcomed his fans to sing into his mic. His show was like a giant camp fire and the crowd ate it up. Though there is a certain amount of cheesiness to his shtick, his passion for music is nonetheless endearing. -Lauren Modery

Alison Krauss & Union Station – Budweiser Stage – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

While others were across the park getting a whole different folk experience at Iron & Wine, the more (to put it politely) “mature” crowd was listening to the beautiful sounds of Bluegrass queen Alison Krauss. She herself has the voice of an angel, there’s no doubting that, and her music fit right in with the Texas crowd. Despite the rain picking up during her set, her fans were many in number, and very loud. She and her band ran through a solid setlist that varied from smooth and harmonious (“Every Time You Say Goodbye”), to straight toe-tapping, hooting and hollering barn dance music. The show peaked when they closed with “Man of Constant Sorrow” with the original vocalist from the O, Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack, Dan Tyminski (sorry to be the bubble burster, but no, that wasn’t really George Clooney singing.). -Winston Robbins

The Moondoggies – Austin Ventures Stage – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Yet another seemingly unknown rock and roll band inspired by the blues, jammin’, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Seattle’s Moondoggies are in a whole different frame of mind from their fellow young, up and coming rockers. They’re fairly standard musically, with most of the group’s sonic creations being fairly straight-forward. However, there’s something uniquely organic in their throwback routine. With a whole generation of bands trying to make Neil Young proud, the Moondoggies do a great job of praying at his altar without being total fanboys, freeing up time and space for them to explore tight, yet impactful musical explosions. Maybe Mr. Young really would be proud after all? -Chris Coplan

Skrillex – Google+ Stage – 5:00 p.m.

I personally view Skrillex as that friend everyone has who you genuinely care for, but is just so easy to make fun of. He’s obviously not as legitimate a dubstep artist as Rusko, Caspa, or any of his other contemporaries, and sure, he’s fine with the fact that his fans are the “peole who still use myspace” constituency, but the man can throw a party. He’s also responsible for some of the best dubstep released this year, and he’s gaining popularity (and also knowhow) like crazy. His live mixing onstage has evolved so much just in the last six months. His set at ACL had some mixing issues, and some minor sound errors, but nobody complained when they were bouncing up and down to his gnarly dubstep remix of Damian Marley’s “Welcome To Jamrock”. His own songs were quite well received, also. “I Want To Kill Everybody In The World” and “My Name Is Skrillex” got the packed Google+ stage rocking. So, he blew it by being the frontman for From First To Last, but everyone deserves a second chance, right? -Winston Robbins

Fitz and The Tantrums – Honda Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Once again, the power of soul-funk reared its head, this time in the form of the decidedly alternative Fitz and The Tantrums. Even though they’re a great band on record, other soul acts during the festival definitely outshone this group. Even still, Fitz and The Tantrums are a great live act for a number of reasons. Their stage show is sleek and minimalist, like the whole audience was transported to some dirty club in the ’60s. As well, the dynamic between Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs is even better in-person, filled with a lot of sexual tension that isn’t overpowering, some truly wonderful boy-girl harmonies, and call backs one would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. They may not have been the best, but in the dusk of the coming musical onslaught, their quirky light still shone bright. -Chris Coplan

Gillian Welch – Vista Equity Stage – 5:30 p.m.

Gillian Welch’s set was plagued with problems – a 30 minute pushback and overpowering dub beats from Skrillex at the Google+ stage – but that didn’t stop the petite singer songwriter from knocking it out of the park. If you were directly in front of the stage you got a good taste of what the buzz is all about. Welch suggests a time and place long ago. On stage was just her, her guitar, banjo, harmonica, and musical partner Dave Rawlings. They were in perfect sync and perfect harmony. Devoted fans ate up Welch’s songs like candy, but some tweeters commented later that they were unhappy with her quips about technical issues they were experiencing. -Lauren Modery

Cee-Lo Green – Bud Light Stage – 6:00 p.m.

In a super gigantic humongous festival with so many huge and important names, none looked more undeniably appealing on paper than the Lady Killer himself. But, like a lot of things in life, the actual event or occurrence was way less impressive than all the hype and dreams. In the last year or so, on the back of a his massive hit “Fuck You”, Green has shown himself to be a truly skilled showman. What the crowd got in Austin, TX, though, was rather lackluster. From the lack of costumes and extravagant stage show to Green insisting the audience knew how horny he was (we can only care so much, yo), the performance sounded flat, and felt unbecoming of a guy who has a plethora of skills and talents available in his toolkit. Even “Fuck You”, which actually got the crowd moving and singing, felt passion-less, with the enthusiasm of a recently dead body. “Fuck him and fuck her too,” Cee-Lo? Fuck anyone for watching you and not Cut Copy. -Chris Coplan

Cut Copy – AMD Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

If I were to slap a headline on the entire Saturday installment, it would read: “Cut Copy Saves the Day”. What was a pretty sleepy afternoon immediately transformed into a sprawling music extravaganza, and Cut Copy was the catalyst. Emerging onto a stage fraught with jungle scenery and plant life, the four (sometimes five) piece outfit synth-popped the hell everyone in attendance (a huge amount of people considering how early in the day it was and that Cee-Lo was playing at the same time across the field). The Aussies played hits that spanned the entirety of their career. In Ghost Colours tunes “Hearts on Fire” and “Lights & Music” were received with particular adoration (and by adoration I mean all-out frenzy), as were many of their newer songs, such as “Blink And You’ll Miss A Revolution” and “Need You Now”. Perhaps the most notable thing about this show, however, is just what a stunning frontman Dan Whitford is. When that man was behind the mic, it was all eyes on him, no holds barred. Some people were born to front a band, and Whitford is quite obviously one of those people. -Winston Robbins

TV on the Radio – Google+ Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

What could have (and should have) been one of the outright highlights of the festival, ended up being nowhere close to expected. It had nothing to do with the Brooklyn indie gods themselves, they played an incredible set that spanned their voluptuous back catalogue. But the festival’s arrangement for the band was horrendous. The Google + stage was mainly for mid-size acts (e.g. Foster The People, Skrillex, Empire of the Sun, for example), so to put such a popular band on such a small stage is just bad planning. The crowd for TV on the Radio was, of course, massive, and it the Google+ stage simply could not accommodate. It didn’t help that the crowd was so large that it was pushed back into port-a-john territory, literally creating small crowds in between the lines of people in queue to do their business. It was a cluster cuss if I’ve ever seen one. The band, however, was at its finest. The setlist was largely a combination of Dear Science tracks with Nine Types of Light folded in here and there. “Will Do”, “Red Dress”, and “Wolf Like Me” were absolute fire-starters, and the band played a great set on the whole. They were just the unfortunate victims of circumstance. -Winston Robbins

Chromeo – Honda Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

A festival, to some extent, is a chance for a band to hit the stage, wow the crowd, and really define who they are. Some acts might even do something new or different, change up the script on their career. For its sub-headlining gig, Chromeo weren’t doing any innovating, but they still put on an amazing show. The thing about Chromeo is that, unless they deliver the curveball of all curveballs with any future releases, they’re always going to be the electro-funk duo obsessed with girls and sex. No one is more dedicated to that obsession than Dave 1 and P-Thugg. With the audience comprised primarily of girls looking to drink off their eight dollar beer buzz, Chromeo knew all the right moves to get them swaying and grinding like nobody’s business. And since every man wants to be at that kind of show, the audience filled out nicely, building to an epic dance party that the pair orchestrated with brilliance and ease. They may not be reinventing the wheel, but who says ya gotta? -Chris Coplan

My Morning Jacket – AMD Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

My only complaint for this particular set, and for My Morning Jacket shows in general, is the lack of deviation from the norm. Even with a new album under their belt to bolster their show, they still play a very similar live show to what they did four years ago. It’s a little brighter now, and on a bigger stage, but the antics remain a little too similar. Don’t read too much into that cynicism, it was a fantastic show musically. My Morning Jacket has a catalogue so strong that there typically isn’t a dull moment in their live sets. But it would be nice to see them delve a little deeper into that catalogue for some variation in setlists.

Photo by Nate Slevin

And even despite the Stevie Wonder playing at the same time across the park, MMJ managed to garner a massive audience. Jim James was his tight-lipped self, only speaking to the audience two or three times, each time to outline how the crowds at Austin City Limits made him feel like he was “flying”. But other than those quick little rants, it was straight to business, and they packed as many jams as they could into their hour-and-a-half set. From the simplicity of “Victory Dance” to the grandeur of “I’m Amazed” and “Wordless Chorus”, he, his cronies, and their knack for beautiful eclecticism kept the audience completely enthused for the entirety of the show. To conclude, they brought on the entirety of New Orleans outfit Preservation Jazz Band and played “Holdin’ On To Black Metal” and “One Big Holiday”. -Winston Robbins

Stevie Wonder – Bud Light Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

There are certain acts in pop music that everyone knows. Not just people who like music or pay attention to music, but literally everyone in the whole world that has ever existed from the moment said artist hit the stage for the first time. Stevie Wonder is one of those acts. He’s spent the last 40-odd years making some of the most influential and powerful soul music the planet has ever heard. Tons of bands and singers, a lot of which were scheduled to play ACL, owe their very existence to Wonder. So, suffice to say, even with My Morning Jacket drawing a chunk of the crowd on the other end of the park, the crowd for Wonder was still a sea of eager, expectant fans hoping for just a few moments of pop magic in its purest form.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

For the most part, Wonder delivered. However, it was not the pristine lightning storm of love and joy some had probably dreamed of since Wonder’s appearance was announced. First, volume issues led some of the crowd in the back to chants of “Turn it up,” which, after going unaddressed, turned into disinterest. But, even without that, Wonder still enthralled the majority of the people. He delivered a slew of classics, and even a couple of covers, like the opener “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” and a Bob Marley homage. But, with the elation of hearing Wonder live and in person also came his absurd, bizarre rants on the state of the world and U.S. politics. Opinions are fine and all, but probably not the best choice in entertaining an exhausted crowd looking to escape the world. Though seeing Wonder wasn’t the total fantasy many had hoped, no one left the venue without feeling a little grateful. -Chris Coplan

Sunday, September 18th

The Head and the Heart – Google+ Stage – 1:30 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

The sun was at its absolute hottest during The Head and the Heart’s set, but it didn’t seem to deter many. Drawing a huge crowd for such an early slot, they played their lovely melodies to a vast number of Austin faces, and their music was right at home in the folk-heavy city. From the quiet vocals of “Lost In My Mind” to the huge crescendo of “Rivers And Roads”, this set was a triumph on all fronts. -Winston Robbins

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Honda Stage – 1:30 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

As a young band steadily rising to the top of a lot of people’s arbitrary personal charts and playlists, it’s important to keep track of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. from time to time. While the last big show for the duo was at SXSW earlier this year, the last six months had made all the difference. Fresh off the release of their debut album, the band have lost the costumes and some of the gimmicks, finding in their place more great pop appeal. They were tighter and more focused than ever before, whipping through their standard setlist with a newfound sense of purpose and dedication. The audience responded accordingly, dancing and swaying with loads of appreciation (the free popsicles also probably helped). In Texas, DEJJ made their stance and established themselves as not a fad, but a genuine pop-rock band to be reckoned with. -Chris Coplan

The Airborne Toxic Event – Budweiser Stage – 2:30 p.m.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the band, but I was a bit stunned initially by the whopping-ly low 1.6/10 rating given by Pitchfork to The Airborne Toxic Event’s debut album. But now I totally get it. The best song of the tired set was a song they didn’t write (a highly mediocre cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire”), and their big hit “Sometime Around Midnight” was more lackluster live than it is on the studio album, which is already pretty meh already. A decent portion of the crowd population was into it, but let’s be perfectly honest with each other: in general, a decent portion of the overall human population are idiots. Airborne played themselves off with a cover of “I Fought The Law” (just blew your mind with originality, right?). Overall, so not rock and roll. Or maybe too rock and roll. I can’t decide. -Winston Robbins

The Walkmen – AMD Stage – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Once more, praise be to the gods of the live show. When The Walkmen released Lisbon last year, the five-piece unfurled one of their most impactful and minimalist efforts to date. Even as sonically pleasing as it was, the last bits of connection with that album can’t be cemented until the material is delivered live (and preferably on a beautiful, sunny day). The tracks echoed and cut through the huge, open air, with all of the LP’s tiny nuances out there to be heard in a truly expansive fashion. Not only did that album get a chance to shine, but the band doled out “The Rat”, and a ton of new material from its upcoming seventh release. Altogether, this material made for a headline-worthy show at a time when a lot of people were still arriving. -Chris Coplan

Suzanna Choffel – Austin Ventures Stage – 2:30 p.m.

This Austin-based singer and songwriter is quickly making a name for herself with her sultry vocals and soulful tunes. Regardless of the size of the stage, Choffel’s presence carried all the way through Zilker Park and across Austin. Her voice is precise and heartbreaking; one can hear every bit of emotion squeezed out of her vocal chords. She has the rare gift of instantly drawing the audience in and holding them there until the very end. Her songs are playful and funky – a xylophone here, a moog there – a mix of indie, jazz, funk, and blues. The crowd was a small but dedicated one. With her talents it seems unlikely you won’t be hearing her name in the big lights soon. -Lauren Modery

Photo by Nate Slevin

Chiddy Bang – Google+ Stage – 3:30 p.m.

Like Chromeo before them, Chiddy Bang didn’t do much in the way of something mind-blowingly complicated or unique. Yes, their blend of mainstream-friendly, commercially-viable rap is sweet and catchy, but they’re not musical masterminds or supreme geniuses by any stretch of the imagination. But, when the crowd is tanked and looking for a good time, Chiddy Bang excel at delivering a buttload of bass and super duper hooks made to scream to your neighbor. And there’s nothing wrong with understanding your crowd, and giving them just what they want, exactly when they want it. In fact, there may not be enough of that simple formula achieved at festivals the world over. With lots of bands teasing their big hits or straying away from material they’re known for, Chiddy Bang deliver all the sonic sugar the crowd can handle and more. -Chris Coplan

Broken Social Scene – Budweiser Stage – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Here’s my favorite thing about Broken Social Scene: they will never put on a boring show. Even the best performers (My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes) tend to do the same show over and over again with very little room for variation, whereas BSS sort of flies by the seats of their pants. Whether its unannounced personnel changes, deciding to play songs out of the blue, or simply just having enormously good rapport with the audience, Broken Social Scene puts on one of the best live shows in music. This set was a little unusual, on the whole, however. They ran through the obligatory songs like “7/4 Shoreline” and “Meet Me In the Basement”, and they even did that Modest Mouse cover they’ve been so fond of lately (“The World At Large”). But they threw in some lesser heard songs like “Major Label Debut” and “It’s All Gonna Break”. Near the end of the performance, Kevin Drew said that Broken Social Scene had been “friends hanging out for the past ten years”, and there was no doubt that what he was saying was the truth. They looked like they were as genuinely delighted to be playing music to ACL as ACL was to hearing said music. -Winston Robbins

Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses – AMD Stage – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Much like Cowboy and Indian and Gillian Welch, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses suffered from what a lot of singer songwriters did this year: bad timing and bad placement. The AMD stage was way too big for the laidback country tones of Bingham and his band. In fact, one may argue that Bingham would best be seen in an intimate setting, not wafting through the Zilker Park aifr. Nonetheless, Bingham put on a solid show, knocking crowd favorite “Hallelujah” out of the ball park. Word on the street is that Terrance Malick and Christian Bale were also at Bingham’s show. -Lauren Modery

Joseph Arthur – Austin Ventures Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Joseph Arthur is one man, a guitar, and a lot of looping and reverb. At first what seemed like an ill fit for an outdoor festival line-up turned into a mesmerizing performance by a talent like no other. As Arthur took the stage and began playing guitar, he also painted a number of large abstract paintings, art that he would come back to later in the set and add to, all the while still singing and playing guitar. No wonder that Peter Gabriel signed him to his label in the mid 1990’s. Arthur definitely takes the cake for most interesting artist at ACL this year. -Lauren Modery

DFA 1979 – Honda Stage – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

In a word: fitting. What started as a riotous (literally) return to music in the city of Austin last March at SXSW, ended as a raucous show at Austin City Limits. Well, for America, that is. This was the last scheduled date on the duo’s reunion tour. While no fire marshals were summoned or people booted from the premises this time around, DFA 1979 did their best to cause chaos in Austin. Sporting a much more lax and cohesive set than they did a few months ago, they ran through favorites like “Romantic Rights”, “Dead Womb”, and “Go Home, Get Down”, and did so quite fluidly. Drummer/singer Sebastien Grainger even took time to joke with the crowd, inquiring about the difference between masochism and sadism. He decided that everybody in the crowd was a masochist for braving the sweltering Austin heat for three consecutive days and deciding to spend this portion of the afternoon with them. Masochists or not, the moderately sized crowd was hanging on their every riff and backbeat. (Writer’s note: Jesse Keeler might be the coolest dude alive.) -Winston Robbins

Elbow – Google+ Stage – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Elbow didn’t bring a big crowd, but it definitely brought a feverish one. The audience reached their hands out toward singer Guy Garvey and gang the minute they took the stage. Garvey’s friendly nature and interaction with the audience made up for the fact that his vocals were often too low to hear. As it began raining, Garvey made the crowd promise they wouldn’t abandon the band and they didn’t. Hundreds stood in the rain during magic hour to listen to what was obviously their favorite British pop band. -Lauren Modery

Fleet Foxes – Budweiser Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I have seen Fleet Foxes a total of seven times including this set, and this one was vastly different from the others – which is in no way a compliment. Fleet Foxes have risen to sub-headliner status, and they deserve every bit of it. Their tight harmonizing, their boyish demeanor, and their unreal musicianship warrant their place on the food chain. But this show lacked any semblance of energy. Singer Robin Pecknold is always so invested in his live shows, screaming his lungs out and always inserting humorous quips. But this show lacked anything of the sort. The music was great; spot on, note for note. But they were dragging in terms of stage presence. Not one of them made any real attempt to engage their massive audience. Musical highlights included “The Shrine/An Argument”, “Helplessness Blues”, and “White Winter Hymnal”, and the quality of the music didn’t droop for a single second. But the Seattle boys just seemed tired. -Winston Robbins

Randy Newman – Vista Equity Stage – 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

The beauty of the Vista Equity tent is that it has a roof, therefore the cheers and claps seem all the more meaningful since they don’t get lost in the air hanging over Zilker Park. With that being said, it appeared that the crowd waiting for Randy Newman had to be one of the most bloodthirsty bunch at ACL. Albeit a 55 and over bloodthirsty bunch. Newman’s show was plain and simple- Newman and a black Steinway piano. He wasted no time getting to the stage and jumping into the first song “It’s Money That I Love”. By “Short People” he had all the chair sitters up on their feet. The man is ageless. His look, voice, and key tinkling have not changed since 1975 and that’s what makes Randy Newman so gosh darn loveable. -Lauren Modery

Photo by Nate Slevin

Empire of the Sun – Google+ Stage – 7:30 p.m.

Empire of the Sun did their regular dog and pony show, beginning with “Standing On A Shore”, choreographed dances and costume changes throughout, slowly building to “We Are The People”, only to slump down to the faux-encore that leads to their smash hit “Walking on A Dream”. For those in attendance who had not seen the show, I’m sure it was fantastic. And in all seriousness, it is an unbelievably good show the first time around. But it was literally the exact same show they’ve been putting on for over a year. If I had any say in how things are run in the Luke Steele and co. organization, I’d say this: North American has had ample time to see the live act you’ve created for Walking On A Dream, get back in the studio and give it another go. -Winston Robbins

Arcade Fire – Bud Light Stage – 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It seems impossible for one not to have an epiphanic experience at an Arcade Fire show and this show was no exception. As the lights dimmed and a montage of Spike Jonze’ Scenes From the Suburbs and 1970’s coming attraction cards, a hush came over the gazillion person crowd. Everyone waited to be suspended in a dream-like state for the next two hours. The band kicked off the evening with “Ready to Start” from last year’s The Suburbs and then took everyone on an emotional roller coaster through their short, but meaningful body of work.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Highlights of the evening included The Suburbs extra “Speaking in Tongues”, a spastic “Month of May”, and the epic “We Used to Wait”. The band has continued to maintain the same energy level since the beginning – running around on stage, beating drums in the air, etc. – and the only time it faltered is when Win Butler’s voice became a little winded during “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)”. That didn’t last for long, though. The band ended with a roundhouse performance of “Neighborhoods #3 (Power Out), “Rebellions (Lies)”, and “Sprawl” that left the crowd in a state of awe. Everyone shuffled out of the park satisfied that this was the ending to another wonderful ACL. -Lauren Modery

Yim Yames/Iron & Wine – Stubbs’ BBQ Aftershow – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Winston Robbins

My Morning Jacket has reached the stage in their career that seeing Jim James (or Yim Yames, if you prefer) in such an intimate setting is a rare occasion. That fact wasn’t lost on the audience when he came onstage to open the weekend-closing aftershow. Using only a bass guitar and an omnichord (not at the same time), he ran through some deeper MMJ cuts arranged in the strangest, most intriguing ways. Hearing “Smokin’ From Shootin’”, “It Beats 4 U”, and “What A Wonderful Man” altered to fit completely different moods was a treat that will probably not come around again anytime soon.

So, when Iron & Wine took the stage, the bar was set extremely high. But Sam Beam and his nine-piece ensemble (including Margaret Irglová of Once fame) were up to the challenge. With the amount of players in his band and the instruments they possessed, much of the setlist was devoted to material from The Shepherd’s Dog, but there were a few rarities that he threw in as well including “Jesus The Mexican Boy”, “The Sea And The Rhythm”, and a powerful rendition of Our Endless Numbered Days track “Fever Dream”. And as the absolute icing on the cake, Jim James joined Sam Beam and co. onstage during the encore to perform a medley cover of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” and Lionel Richie’s “Stuck On You”. -Winston Robbins

The Culture of Austin City Limits

Gallery by Debi Del Grande

[nggallery id=264]

Gallery by Nate Slevin

[nggallery id=265]

Photo by Debi Del Grande

My Morning Jacket have announced another leg of U.S. tour dates in support of their recent LP, Circuital. After conquering the UK and Europe in November, Jim James and co. will begin December with a pair of shows in California. From there, they’ll travel east, splitting bills with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Delta Spirit along the way, before making their way up the East coast. The trek will then come to a close when My Morning Jacket teams up with Band of Horses for a massive December 14th performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Check out the band’s complete touring itinerary below, along with the video for Circiutal‘s “Holdin On To Black Metal”.

My Morning Jacket 2011 Tour Dates:
10/20 – Nashville, TN @ Memorial Gymnasium (Commodore Quake)
10/21 – Charleston, SC @ Southern Ground Music & Food Festival
11/02 – Glasgow, UK @ ABC *
11/03 – Birmingham, UK @ Institute *
11/05 – Leeds, UK @ Academy *
11/06 – Manchester, UK @ Academy *
11/07 – London, UK @ Roundhouse *
11/08 – Bexhill, UK @ De La Warr Pavilion *
11/10 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix *
11/11 – Luxembourg @ Den Atelier *
11/12 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor *
11/14 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso *
11/16 – Berlin, DE @ Festsall Kreuuzburg *
11/17 – Lund, DE @ Mejeriet *
11/18 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene *
11/19 – Stockholm, SE @ Munchen Brewery *
12/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Ampitheatre #
12/02 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium #
12/06 – Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theatre ^
12/07 – Dallas, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie ^
12/08 – Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theatre ^
12/10 – Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cover Amphitheater ^
12/11 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live ^
12/12 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium ^
12/14 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden $

* = w/ The Head and the Heart
# = w/ Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
^ = w/ Delta Spirit
$ = w/ Band of Horses

Only 30 miles from the Twin Cities, SoundTown presents a feasible music festival option for Midwesterners who are expensive plane tickets away from live music hotbeds like Oregon, California, Austin, TX (which is practically a state), and New York. Though attendance was so sparse the ticket-sellers slashed prices from $50 per day to $25 in the week before the event and at times I felt ashamed of my Minneapolis brethren for not coming (only 30 miles? For 25 dollars?) to see The New Pornographers and Okkervil River, I kind of enjoyed feeling like an intrepid festival tastemaker.

They’re already planning the lineup for SoundTown 2012. I’m hopeful but skeptical that listeners will suddenly realize that SoundTown is a bargain. As Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit said, “We’re halfway between Minneapolis and Madison, two of our best rock and roll audiences on earth.” If the bands are already halfway there, surely Midwest music fans can do the same, especially when you can still tube down the Apple River and eat Foxy Falafel all in the same day!

-Harley Brown
Staff Writer

Friday, August 19th

Rustpocket – Summit Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Rustpocket was one of two bands to win Metromix Twin Cities’ SoundTown Showdown, and even though I arrived late to a tent with almost no one in it, I was impressed. “We’re the first band ever to play SoundTown!” they proudly proclaimed before advertising “free CDs for sale.” I can’t say I see Rustpocket breaking into the tight-knit Minneapolis music scene, but with their expertly executed shredding and anthemic choruses, I have no doubt they’ll succeed.

Charlie Parr – Metromix Stage – 2:30 p.m.

For a 12-string guitarist who plays with as much technical ability as guitar greats Leo Kottke and John Fahey, Charlie Parr had a remarkably diminutive stage presence. His between-song banter included a story about him and his son playing mini-golf after getting lost driving to SoundTown. He captivated the lawn-sitters and riled up the line dancers with old favorites like “Where You Gonna Be (When the Good Lord Calls You Home)”.

Zoo Animal – Summit Stage – 3:00 p.m.

One of several logistical problems at SoundTown was that the Metromix and Summit stages were far too close together. In order for a musician on one stage to be heard, the artist on the other stage had to end their set early. After Parr finished, everyone headed over to see Zoo Animal. Terse, irreverent singer and guitarist Holly Newson introduced the band with “We’re getting a little antsy, so we’re going to start with new material,” which they did for the majority of their short set. The band eschews religious labels even though Newsom writes many, if not all, her songs about her relationship with God. As always, Newsom transfixed with her stage fervor, thrashing and tossing her hair, and abruptly ran offstage after their last song.

Farewell Milwaukee – Metromix Stage – 3:45 p.m.

Once the thunderous applause for Zoo Animal died down, everyone trooped back over to the Metromix Stage to see six-piece Americana band Farewell Milwaukee (a seemingly popular local band name, with others like Farewell Continental and the Farewell Circuit). Their brand of country light, with low harmonies and plenty of acoustic guitar, didn’t particularly stand out from the other local acts; nonetheless, they played skillfully and the band’s set was perfect for a sunny afternoon on the grass before the rest of the action-packed day took off.

Apollo Cobra – Summit Stage – 4:15 p.m.

When I noticed that guy wearing the “I Fucking Love Kittens” t-shirt, I should have known he would be the frontman of ’80s hair metal dance band Apollo Cobra. Their outlandishly sexy set—which definitely sampled some riffs from “Heart of Glass”—sounded slightly out of place with the sun still up, but it entertained with funky bass lines and lyrics like “dance like a motherfucker.” And as the bassist sings, if “there’s a beat I like and a girl I like, let’s dance to this!” So I did.

Jeff Ray and the Stakes – 5:00 p.m.

“I know these assholes, and they’re really good.” That’s how Minneapolis folk/blues/country band Jeff Ray and the Stakes were introduced. With a harmonica, an acoustic steel slide guitar, what looked like a bongo, not to mention more traditional guitar and bass, they were truly “really good.” If there’s one thing Minnesota does well—some might say surprisingly well—it’s old-school blues. Unfortunately, I saw hardly any of their set because I wanted to make it over to Cory Chisel on the Main Stage.

Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons – Main Stage – 5:00 p.m.

I didn’t have high hopes for alt-country golden boy Cory Chisel after seeing his latest album, Death Won’t Send a Letter, in the discard bin at my radio station. But the native Wisconsinite, who cited Charlie Parr as an influence and grew up in North Minneapolis, charmed me. The stage’s security guard must have felt the same, because he brought Chisel a beer during new song “Guiding Star”. Even before Chisel dedicated the song to the burly, trucker-moustachioed man, his husky voice and the Wandering Sons’ dexterous playing would have been enough (for the many vocal female fans surrounding me, it was). The five-piece sounded much more soulful live than recorded, especially their song “Born Again”. The audience persuaded Chisel to perform the acoustic, gospel-like “These Four Walls”, a pitch-perfect end to SoundTown’s first main act.

More Than Lights – Summit Stage – 6:00 p.m.

More Than Lights is another band I initially had (still do, really) a difficult time getting my ears around, even though their orchestral, spoken-word hip-hop is beloved in the Twin Cities. On their first song, the band sang, not sampled, the choruses of Sublime’s “What I Got” and “Best of My Love” by The Emotions. Though they were sung with heart, I didn’t buy it. Local guest vocalist Alicia Steele stole the show with her throaty warbling and sassy dance moves. While other Summit and Metromix artists curtailed their sets to give their neighboring stage a chance to be heard, More Than Lights played until the end, which meant I had to miss local folk collective Roe Family Singers to catch Delta Spirit.

Delta Spirit – Main Stage – 6:45 p.m.

“Yeah! Somerset, Wisconsin!” Matt Vasquez yelled as he took the stage, good-naturedly mocking the sparse but enthusiastic audience. Without much further ado, Delta Spirit ripped through “Bushwick Blues” before Vasquez continued, “To be honest with you, I smoked pot today! It was great! God bless America!” The caliber of the performance and the band’s onstage banter reminded me why I’ve been wanting to see them for so long. Delta Spirit played a tight, raucous set, screaming and shredding like there was no tomorrow. Vasquez threw his guitar into the air after “Ransom Man”, letting it hit the stage on the third time; and guitarist Will (I know that because Vasquez coerced, and tuned, the audience into singing “Happy Birthday” to him) played a tambourine attached to a trash can lid for “Trashcan”. Delta Spirit played a new song, “Tear It Up”, and encored by covering country standard “Doin’ My Time” after singing the opening “Na, na na na na” salvo to classic football fight songs.

Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers – Metromix Stage – 7:45 p.m.

I only caught a hot minute of Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers’ set before leaving to see Sims at the adjacent Summit Stage (which turned out to be moot, because he was 20 minutes late. I’m guessing it’s because he wanted to give the Cat Swingers a chance to be heard.) The local, mostly ragtime, occasionally baroque blues-folk group incorporate a washboard and ukelele for an old-timey listening experience.

Sims – Summit Stage – 8:00 p.m.

I was looking forward to seeing Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree member Andrew Sims, aka Sims, as a solo act, since he released his latest record, Bad Time Zoo, to critical acclaim this past spring. Usually, he performs with the rest of the Doomtree crew, but this SoundTown performance served as a preview for his Good Time Zoo tour later this fall. With DJ and beatmaker Lazerbeak as his accompaniment, Sims started his set seemingly nervous, taking a while getting started and showing off his “dance moves.” He gained momentum as the set continued, playing newer songs “Bad Time Zoo” and “The Veldt” interspersed with older material. Unsurprisingly, the politically-minded rapper took a dig at Michele Bachmann, earning a unanimous roar of approval from the audience.

Ghostland Observatory – Main Stage – 8:45 p.m.

Ghostland Observatory was pretty much everything I thought it would be: earth-quaking bass and the best laser show I’ve ever seen (well, except for The Flaming Lips’ light show extravaganza, but we’ll get to that tomorrow). All their songs blended together into one long DJ set by Thomas Ross Turner, who donned a Count Dracula-like Chilean flag as a cape; but you could discern songs like “No Place for Me”, “Miracles”, and “Codename Rondo”. The lasers really peaked on the last song, starting and stopping, trance-like, with the spoken melody and the chorus’s repeated command to “listen.” Subtleties like the softer, funky ‘80s synth lines and Aaron Behrens’ vibrating falsetto were lost in migraine and/or seizure-inducing sonic and visual effects. Physically and mentally, I was forced to take a break before their set ended.

Roma di Luna – Summit Stage – 10:00 p.m.

Right before local darlings Roma di Luna took the stage, I found out that this show would be the group’s last performance. As soon as lead vocalist Channy Casselle took the stage without her husband, Alex, with whom she fronted the band, it slowly dawned on me why they were breaking up. Roma di Luna was understandably melancholy, eschewing their new, more upbeat material for old songs like “Plenty” off their debut, Find Your Way Home. Even though they are disbanding, Roma di Luna did debut a new song they’re “working on” called “Too Real”. Before the New Pornographers’ opening song drowned out Roma di Luna—I felt slightly guilty leaving for the Main Stage after Casselle said, “Now you won’t be able to hear us anymore”—her arrestingly creamy, round voice reminded rapt Minneapolitans how much we’ll miss her. That is, until we hear her recently announced new project, Polica.

The New Pornographers – Main Stage – 10:30 p.m.

A.C. Newman’s curmudgeonly stage banter and a noticeably absent Neko Case detracted from the New Pornographers’ usually effervescent pop. Don’t get me wrong. Songs like “The Laws Have Changed” and “Your Hands Together” still put a grin on my face (including Case substitute Kathryn Calder’s whistling, which I later realized may have been lip-synching), and the songs still sounded practically giddy live. It just felt like the New Pornographers were simply going through the motions. Granted, it’s not like the audience made things easy. After being pelted with glow sticks, Newman asked the audience how much they cost and said, “Let’s consume. Consume and prosper!” And then he brought up Minnesota versus Wisconsin, which I’m willing to bet contributed to the early mass exodus. Too bad everyone missed “The Bleeding Heart Show”, a highlight not even wayward glow sticks or age-old rivalries could diminish.

Saturday, August 20th

New Century Masters – Summit Stage – 12:45 p.m.

The New Century Masters’ jangly, guitar-and-keyboard-driven surf-pop was a great way to salvage an initially frustrating day that began stuck behind a lift bridge somewhere between Wisconsin and Minnesota. Despite the terrifically sunburned keyboardist not feeling well, New Century Masters played their first set with gusto anyway and ended by covering Syd Barret because, as the band said, “Who doesn’t love covers?”

Ghostmouth – Metromix Stage – 1:00 p.m.

Ghostmouth’s extensive sound check began even before New Century Masters went on, beginning each stage’s attempt to drown the other out. The other band that won the Metromix SoundTown Showdown, Ghostmouth adorned their stage with jack-o’-lanterns and their songs with fat bass lines and quick-fingered builds. Despite the band’s impressive technical ability, they didn’t play with as much enthusiasm as Rustpocket, who were clearly stoked to be one of the bands picked to play at SoundTown.

Phantom Tails – Summit Stage – 1:30 p.m.

One of my favorite local bands, Phantom Tails plays self-proclaimed “Deep Space Doom Funk,” which consists of hard, gritty synthesizers and drum machine beats backing vocalist Orion Treon’s jagged voice. They performed a few songs off their upcoming album but mostly stuck to their debut, Sounds of the Hunchback Whale. When they played dance-y headbanger “Oven of Romance”, the audience whooped its approval, to Treon’s pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, the technician pulled the plug on Phantom Tails to give The Ericksons a chance to be heard.

The Ericksons – Metromix Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Even though both Summit and Metromix amped their sound in the tacit war between bands wanting to be heard, there was no way the soft, folk-y Ericksons would have been heard with another band playing in the background. Backed by a drummer, two sisters harmonized symbiotically and played electric and acoustic guitars. Though they cite the Pretenders as one of their influences, The Ericksons’ music hews closer to what it would sound like if Gillian Welch fronted Mountain Man.

Arms Akimbo – Summit Stage – 2:30 p.m.

The Arms Akimbo underwent a sonic rebirth after band member Nick Shaser returned from London and brought back an obsession with Britpop standards. Besides the uncanny Oneders resemblance on “You Want To”, you could hear a Clash-like brusqueness on “The Kids Still Love Us” and, obviously, when they covered The Beatles.

Solid Gold – Main Stage – 3:00 p.m.

Solid Gold remain one of those bands who have managed to successfully ride the coattails of their first full-length for several years—Bodies of Water, in addition to side projects like Gayngs and The Jah-hawks, a Jayhawks dub cover band—and they never fail to deliver live. Even playing during broad daylight, they coolly—with the exception of Zach Coulter rocking out on the guitar and his daughter, Birdie, who made an appearance grinning from ear to ear during the last song—grooved to signature, electronic, bedroom dance tracks like “Get Over It” and “Neon Rose”. In addition, they opened with the second Beatles cover of the day, “Norwegian Wood” (which also appears on Minnesota Beatles Project Volume 2). They also debuted some new songs like “Eat Your Young” from their forthcoming as-yet-untitled sophomore effort.

Joey Ryan and the Inks – Metromix Stage – 3:30 p.m.

I was surprised to see that Inks namesake Joey Ryan is also, apparently, the bassist for New Century Masters (although that’s how the Great Minnesota Music Collective works, I suppose). Even more surprising was that his wedding ring was conspicuously absent now that he was the center of attention as the lead vocalist. The band played mostly new material off Dennis Lane and closed with Neil Young’s “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, owning the song’s high harmonies that fit in naturally with the Inks’ signature sound.

White Light Riot – Summit Stage – 4:15 p.m.

Despite their drummer suffering technical difficulties, White Light Riot surged through their soaring, epic rock and roll. Their minor chord-driven walls of noise sounded like Kings of Leon mixed with Colplay, which made for a compelling set even if all their songs sounded similar. Ultimately, there wasn’t enough staying power to keep me from Slick Rick (to be fair, not much could keep me from “La Di Da Di” and Doug E. Fresh).

Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh – Main Stage – 4:30 p.m.

A DJ began Slick Rick’s set with “Okay, this is hip-hop. Let’s go,” before “going back to hip-hop 101” with a mashup of the Beastie Boys’ “Brass Monkey”, “Be Faithful” by Brassman Scoop, and Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend”. Slick Rick’s extensive backing band took the stage before he arrived and did, in fact, perform “La Di Da Di”, “Mona Lisa”, and other classic samples to amp the audience. Before he began, Slick Rick admitted, “Sometimes I like the new school better than the old school.” Doug E. Fresh canceled at the last minute, so Slick Rick extended his set before quietly disappearing from the stage and leaving a rendition of Talib Kweli’s “Get By” in the hands of a guest rapper and his capable backup singers. In Doug E. Fresh’s stead, an as-yet-unnamed but supposedly 19-year-old preternaturally talented beatboxer—“I’d like to see him go up against Heatbox,” I overheard someone say after his uncanny imitation of Ginuwine’s “Pony”—performed between Slick Rick’s set and Okkervil River.

Molly Maher and Her Disbelievers – Metromix Stage – 5:00 p.m.

To prepare for Okkervil River, I headed back over to the other side of the festival grounds to listen to roots-y local band Molly Maher and Her Disbelievers. Maher, whose quietly commanding stage presence and voice resembled Bonnie Raitt, played slight, reverberating country tunes. “Aw, thank you,” she said repeatedly to an audience trickling in from the Main Stage, who lay supine on the sunny lawn before rousing themselves for barroom rockers White Iron Band on the Summit Stage.

White Iron Band – Summit Stage – 5:45 p.m.

With songs like “Whiskey River” and “Minnesota Song”, White Iron Band is from the Iron Range in northern Minnesota and proud of it, rocking out in cowboy hats and Carhartt overalls. “On the way down here, we stopped by the bar and drank some beers at 10:30, took some shots at noon, and now here we are.” The band’s brawling, boot-stompin’ drinking songs catered to an audience that already seemed to know all the words.

Pert’ Near Sandstone – Metromix Stage – 6:30 p.m.

With White Iron Band still creating a line-dancing mosh pit at the Summit Stage, lightning-fast, ragtime fiddlers Pert’ Near Sandstone had to wait until it was over to begin their set. Since they started at the same time as Okkervil River, I only had time to see their tap dancer practice his clogging moves before heading over to the Main Stage.

Okkervil River – Main Stage – 6:30 p.m.

“It’s an honor to be sharing a stage with Slick Rick,” singer Will Sheff said after Okkervil River’s opening waltz, “Wake and Be Fine”, off their spring release, I Am Very Far. With one reverb-heavy microphone and one regular one, Sheff faithfully rendered his tortured tenor in songs like “For Real”. The rest of the band, including world-class shredder, lead guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo, played an energetic but somewhat scattered set. The lack of focus made sense when Sheff removed his sunglasses and bassist Zach Thomas admitted he was a little high. Nonetheless, Okkervil River lived up to their proclamation of “Let’s fuck it up!” by riffing emphatically on “Rider” and “Black”. Before closing with “Lost Coastlines”, they covered the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B”, which sounded even more sea shanty-like than the original.

Pink Mink – Summit Stage – 7:45 p.m.

After winning Minneapolis weekly City Pages’ coveted, critic-bestowed Picked 2 Click award last summer, grungy, female-fronted, punk rock quartet Pink Mink had gotten even better since the last time I saw them. With fast and furious time signatures and lyrics like “heavy metal cupcake / I’ll slap your handshake,” they more than held their own in hot-pink tights and sequined shift dresses. As I left the stage to catch DeVotchKa, Pink Mink finished with a Replacements cover, sending the already headbanging audience into a frenzy behind me.

DeVotchKa – Main Stage – 8:15 p.m.

In my humble opinion, DeVotchKa was the best act at SoundTown. Despite fearing a contact high from people lighting up all around me before The Flaming Lips, I continued to be amazed by Nick Urata’s pliant vibrato and whistling skills. The band’s deep understanding and creative interpretation of klezmer, Flamenco, and gypsy folk captivated this hardened journalist, who also definitely teared up during the opening bars of “How It Ends”. And then, DeVotchKa nailed an ominous, psychedelic “Venus in Furs”, which, like Okkervil River’s “Sloop John B”, seriously rivaled its original. By the time Urata threw his bottle of red wine up in the air and it splashed all over the stage, I could have gone home happy.

Heiruspecs – Summit Stage – 9:30 p.m.

Like Pink Mink, Saint Paul hip-hop group Heiruspecs were much better at this time of night than when I saw them during a daytime showcase in the spring. They, too, incorporated human beat box Muad’dib into a set that eschewed samples in favor of vocalist Felix’s old-school lyrics and flow. They roused Summit Stage’s biggest audience with tracks like “Get Up” and “I Know”, even though Twinkie Jiggles and his upright bass have been replaced with another electric bassist. Despite the band’s dynamic performance and the tent’s dedicated response, everyone emptied out during the last song to get ready for The Flaming Lips.

The Flaming Lips – Main Stage – 10:15 p.m.

Even 24 hours later, I still don’t know where to begin. The Flaming Lips‘ Wayne Coyne emerged with the rest of his band from a screen that flashed, at different points, a glowing, naked lady smashing a high-hat; eyeballs; animal mouths; and a live feed of Coyne himself. He climbed into his giant, inflatable bubble and rolled around on top of the audience. Smoke, confetti, and dust rained down on everyone; there were giant, inflatable aliens and butterflies and about 50 Dorothy look-alikes throwing their bodies around onstage. That’s in addition to a 10-minute laser show and a giant gong that lit up when Coyne struck it. As some other esteemed music publications have said, you really should see The Flaming Lips before you die.

They did not play The Soft Bulletin, opting instead for opening with grungy psych-rocker “Worm Mountain” off Embryonic, followed by arguably their first hit “She Don’t Use Jelly”. After more songs from Embryonic including “See the Leaves” and “The Ego’s Last Stand”, Coyne led the audience in an acoustic sing-along of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1”. And, yes, since this was the sixth live show the band has played, The Flaming Lips indulged the audience with some Dark Side of the Moon.

I must say, while I respect Wayne Coyne as a musician, genius, and semi-deity, I don’t appreciate his attitude. My enjoyment of The Flaming Lips experience was seriously curtailed by Coyne’s incessant hyping. “Come on, you fuckers! Comeoncomeoncomeon! It’s Saturday night! We have a giant, inflatable alien onstage. Isn’t that enough for you? We came all the way out here to play for you! Come on, motherfuckers!” punctuated his stage banter and even interrupted what would otherwise have been a stirring rendition of “Do You Realize?”. I left the show satiated but disgruntled. (That said, I wouldn’t hesitate to see The Flaming Lips again.)

The Culture of SoundTown

[nggallery id=254]

This year had particular significance. Narrowly avoiding cancellation when sponsors walked away from the 2009 50th anniversary celebration (the number is a bit disingenuous; the festival took a hiatus between 1971 and 1985), the festival returned to non-profit status this year under the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. banner. In addition, now in its “52nd” year, the festival experienced its first-ever complete sellout. 10,000 hungry folk fans took the water taxi across the harbor or wound around Harrison Avenue to attend each day.

Under nearly cloudless blue skies and despite the cruel heat doing its best to boil the good out of you, the venue really seemed to bring the best out of everyone. Whether contemporary risers or established legends, musicians brought their finest to the Fort. They couldn’t escape the magic of the place, love and passion flowing through every note sung or strummed. Covers and cameos were standard, tributes to music’s past, present and future.

The crowd’s appreciation and respect weren’t reserved for the performers, though it surely washed over them in waves. I’ve never seen a venue left cleaner at the end of the day, nor so many smiles and hugs shared by complete strangers – I myself partook in more than a few. Despite the odd segregation of the split main (Fort) stage crowd, with its square standing section on the right roped-off from the sea of beach chairs and blankets on the left, the sold-out crowd commingled as much as the bands. Indie-leaning youth danced with old-fashioned maturity to Emmylou Harris and Delta Spirit alike.

Photo by Nate Slevin

And there was still so much I missed. I’ve heard tales of Trampled by Turtles doing incredible things on the Quad Stage (I caught their encore cover of “Where Is My Mind?”), and The Devil Makes Three was a highlight for many. The story of John McCauley leading a score of artists through an amalgamation of “Goodnight Irene”, “La Bamba”, “Twist & Shout”, and “I Wanna Be Sedated” at the Backstage Benefit BBQ on Saturday night is already mythical. I never even made it to the newly added Lego DUPLO Kid’s Stage.

Yet it doesn’t bother me. The festival provided more than a fair share of fulfilling experiences. As Taylor Goldsmith said amidst Middle Brother’s set, “It’s not about what’s new or what’s different – it’s about what’s good, and folk music.” There was plenty of both to go around, and anyone in attendance should feel lucky to have witnessed what they did. I know I do.

-Benjamin Kaye
News Writer

Saturday, July 30th

PS22 Chorus – Alex and Ani Harbor Stage – 11:30 a.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

When people say the festival is getting younger, they’re usually referring to the audience, not the musicians. The inverse was true as the first notes of 2011 came from the voices of some of the youngest performers ever to take a Newport stage: a group of 11-to-12-year-olds from Staten Island. The PS 22 Chorus, an ever-graduating group of youth led by one Mr. B on keyboard, performed strong renditions of songs the typical middle-schooler wouldn’t even recognize. The audience was enthralled by the kiddy karaoke. Opener “Energy” by Austra roused true emotion, Mr. B pointing to one crowd member and ribbing, “No crying. I see you.” Soloists shined, like Roseli confidently tackling Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer”, generating applause at every big note. Of course, they’re still just kids, often looking like another bored choir practice, some lazily half-doing hand choreography or omitting it entirely. But by the time they closed with Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”, the crowd was on its feet, showing the blooming performers a lot of love. Hopefully, some of these kids keep it up after graduation, because there’s certainly something special in the mix here.

Wailin’ Jennys – Fort Stage – 11:40 a.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

I initially had no intention of catching Wailin’ Jennys‘ set, but after hearing them do a stirring soundcheck of Gershwin’s “Summertime”, I wanted more of those lush harmonies. The trio of ladies didn’t disappoint, providing warm, perfectly keyed notes to the first main stage crowd of the festival. They also proved to be not just great vocalists but great performers, passing instruments back and forth between songs and telling tales to the obliging audience. Before gutsily covering headliner Emmylou Harris’s “Deeper Well”, Nicky Mehta told of how she mixed parenting and practice by playing for her twin boys in their Johnny Jump Ups, the bouncing babies acting as a barometer for a song’s success. “This next song is a winner for them, inspired much height in the bouncing,” she said. “Occasional impact.” Helped out by the fierce viola of a “male Jenny”, band member Ruth Moody’s brother Richard, the group played a sweet set of resplendent folk tunes, dropping a fair amount of reverential covers amongst their own catalog.

Typhoon – Alex and Ani Harbor Stage – 12:35 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

By noon, it was so hot that you would sweat sitting still, so I was relieved to find seating up front under the tent for the indie musical storm of Typhoon. After forming a hands-in pep-circle onstage as they were introduced, 13 band members took up 13 instruments and went into a cacophonous rendition of “White Lies”. At first the sound was overwhelming, but once it leveled out, the performance was commanding. Kyle Morton led the collective with a powerful voice and confidence that added miles to his stature. Songs like “The Honest Truth” and new number “The Common Sentiment” took full advantage of the mighty orchestration such a large band can bring to a performance when properly utilized. As the final notes of the last song faded, they realized they had more time, and without a word, they all jumped into “Down, Cowboy” with a boisterous breakdown befitting their name. Adding to the enumerable reasons this band separates from the congested Northwest indie-folk scene, I’m pretty sure they’re the only group around that could give emotional resonance to a refrain of the words “kitchen tile.”

Freelance Whales – Quad Stage – 1:40 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Yes, Freelance Whales have many “folk” instruments in their arsenal, and many of their songs distinctly tilt in that direction. Still, while their synth-pop sounds were more evidence of Newport’s modern proclivities, something didn’t settle in properly at their set. “Elevator, First Floor” (which they later encored at the LEGO Duplo Kid’s Stage with the PS22 Chorus) rang true enough, but others, like “Kilojoules”, felt out of place and, worse, just strange. Part of this is the band’s seeming inability to reproduce live some of the more complicated vocal layers of their debut, Weathervanes. One of that album’s standouts, “Starring”, came off as haphazard, off-timed, and all around weak. This young, buzzing band has some work to do before they come together as a live unit.

Gogol Bordello - Fort Stage - 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

“I warn you, this band is not for the faint of heart” was the introduction given to one of the most anomalous bands on the lineup, Gogol Bordello. The stage was sparse for a Gogol set: Only five members of the normally nine-piece band sat on chairs. No chair can hold what this band brings, though, even in acoustic form. Frontman Eugene Hütz was up on his feet by the second number, “Wanderlust King”, and shirtless by “Tribal Connection”. They didn’t bound about stage like they would at a plugged-in show or even at other unplugged shows they’ve played. Instead, the set showed respectful understanding of the setting. Their energy remained high, playing their hearts out for what at times felt like a private concert for the packed dance section. “I’m sorry, people over here,” Hütz addressed the lawn chair and blanket crowd on the left. “This music is not really for laying down type of purposes.” After a set consisting of hits from their wealthy repertoire plus new track “General Amnesty”, even the older crowd was out of their chairs and swaying about. “They’re getting the message,” Hütz said. We all did by the end: No matter the venue, these guys put on an incredible show.

Delta Spirit - Quad Stage - 2:55 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

A packed Quad proved I wasn’t the only one anticipating a killer set from Matthew Vasquez and his Long Beach crew, aka Delta Spirit, and it’s safe to say no one left disappointed. “Come on, you can get up!” Vasquez beckoned as they took the stage, and within half a second every chair was vacated. The band ripped through “Bushwick Blues”, “White Table”, and even furiously tore down the end of “Ransom Man”. Their fans loved them through and through, dancing about and singing to every song from “St. Francis” to older numbers like “People C’mon”, though there were understandably no crowd vocals for new track “Empty House”. The love was returned with an earnest, impassioned performance song after song. While Vasquez has mesmerizing energy as a frontman, guitarist William McLaren plays his axe to bits, and Jon Jameson is one of the most fun-to-watch bassists I’ve seen in a while, multi-instrumentalist Kelly Winrich may be the unsung hero of the group, bouncing between keys and percussion even in the middle of songs. Together, the band provided one of the brightest highlights of the weekend.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Tegan and Sara - Quad Stage - 4:25 p.m.

Given an acoustic set, Tegan and Sara had a chance to let their folk-side shine, but it was a show that might not have panned out as they’d hoped. Though they played hits like “Back Into Your Head” and “Nineteen”, a lot of it sounded similar in the stripped-down setting. Slipups and restarts were near constants; Sara stopped “Alligator” abruptly saying, “I fucked up, that’s me, that’s on me.” But what kept the show from awkward nonsuccess was the constant banter. “No? Not again?” Sara asked her sister. “Yeah, no, do it again,” Tegan quipped back. “Do it by yourself, in fact.” Despite the flaws, the packed Quad loved it, prompting Sara to satirically remark, “It’s so hard to start a song when everyone keeps yelling that they love you.” It wasn’t a standout set, but the intimacy they created with their adoring audience was commendable. As was Tegan’s time spent signing every article fans threw over the backstage fence. Their fans honestly love them, and it’s nice to see that love returned with equal sincerity.

Mavis Staples - Quad Stage - 5:35 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Full disclosure: I wasn’t actually at most of this set. I walked by, planning on just catching a song before moving on. Then Ms. Staples announced a special guest, and out came The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy, and this happened. It was one of those great moments that only happens at Newport, and watching the 72-year-old Staples literally punch out the end of “The Weight” till she was breathless was inspiring. After the song, Meloy wished Staples a happy birthday (it was July 10th) and gave her a warm hug before heading off to his own headlining set.

The Decemberists - Fort Stage - 6:05 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

With a new number-one record nestled firmly in folk stylings, The Decemberists were poised for a triumphant return to Newport, this time as headliners. Colin Meloy led his troupe onstage with a glass of wine held high to the applauding crowd. “Some of you look like you may be over-folked,” he remarked on the sunbaked lot. “But for those of you who are under-folked, we will try to folk you right now.” The joke garnered as many groans as laughs and set the stage for what I’ve come to expect is a typical Decemberists outing.

As always, the music sounded fine–great, even. These guys can play exquisitely, there’s no doubt. The setlist was nothing unexpected, relying heavily on The King Is Dead tracks like “Rise to Me” and “Rox in the Box”. They did sneak Meloy’s purposefully dreadful “Dracula’s Daughter” into the middle of “O Valencia!” but quickly abandoned it. “That was a bad detour,” Meloy laughed slightly. “Forget it.” The biggest problem here is that while everything sounds wonderful, it doesn’t sound like a great live show. Little is unpredictable, and nothing really pops with stage presence. “The Rake’s Song” came close with its powerful drumming and refrain and Meloy managing to get just the seated section to clap along was amusing. “Won’t Want for Love” also showed signs of life, but while Sara Watkins has settled into her role standing in for the ailing (and much missed) Jenny Conlee, her voice lacked the haunting quality that makes the track so affecting, and Meloy’s voice doesn’t play off hers as well.

Photo by Nate Slevin

For the second time this summer, I walked away from a Decemberists show with more memories of their repartee than their songs. Meloy dedicating “This Is Why We Fight” to festival founders Pete Seeger and George Wein for “teaching us that the ‘S’ word, socialism, isn’t a bad word and that we’re all in this together.” Calling “The Soldiering Life” a song about “homoerotic love between sailors” and dedicating it to “that flotilla of yachts over there. Hope you’re having fun and keeping the rosé chilled, because Lord knows mine isn’t.” The stage-farce that was closer “The Mariner’s Revenge”, complete with Chris Funk climbing down the stage rigging to get that one woman who wasn’t doing the moaning and groaning of being devoured by a whale to stand up and go “argh.” While Gillian Welch and David Rawlings coming out for an encore of “All Arise!” and “June Hymn” was a delight, even that was predictable and overshadowed by the tongue-in-cheek performance. In truth, this talented band shines in their humor, and it was an altogether fun show. However, I expect something more than sit-com entertainment from a live show, especially a headlining one in front of a sold-out festival crowd. Entertain me, sure, but put some energy into more than just cheekiness.

Sunday, July 31st

David Wax Museum - Fort Stage - 11:40 a.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

A year after winning a spot on the festival’s smallest stage, David Wax Museum was opening the main stage on Sunday. The band owned the promotion with a truly rousing set of their particular blend of Mexo-Americana. David Wax was a The Warriors look-alike with his red bandana and vest, hunched over his guitar like he was protecting the sound during “Look What You’ve Done to Me” with guest vocalist Rhiannon Giddens of Carolina Chocolate Drops. Suze Slezak was charming and elegant in her specially designed Lily Brush dress, even as she stomped about, creating unique vibrating and ratcheting sounds by playing, of all things, a donkey jawbone on “Yes, Maria, Yes” and “Chuchumbe” (roughly translated as “belly button”). As Wax explained, it’s a song rediscovered in archives 20 years ago after being banned by the Church in Mexico for inciting belly-to-belly dancing. The duo showed endless appreciation for their strong horn section and dancing percussionist Julia del Palacio, eliciting applause at every solo. Both smiled ceaselessly, and their sheer joy was contagious. “Can you feel what an honor it is for us to be here?” Slezak asked. Yes, the crowd answered, and it’s an honor to have you.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Mountain Man - Alex and Ani Harbor Stage - 12:30 p.m.

Where the Wailin’ Jennys impress with musicianship as well as vocals, Mountain Man are all about harmony. True, those harmonies are damn near perfect, but with nothing else but a subtle guitar, the show is far less interesting. The trio of ladies still haunted with their vocals on the likes of “Mouthwings” and the Kate Bush cover “Rivers of Babylon”. What was most surprising about the serious-sounding group is that they’re kind of dorks, though maybe the ironic band name should’ve given that away. Amelia Meath told a story of dreaming she was in love with and spooning Marilyn Manson. After one song, they remarked how sometimes howling like wolves was a suitable replacement for applause. The next song, which Amelia explained was a cover of someone she’d met online (“I’ve never met anyone on the Internet,” said Alexandra Sauser-Monnig. “You’ve never played World of Warcraft,” Meath replied), received a chorus of howls from the crowd. “This is great,” Meath said through laughter and baying. “We sound totally insane!” They sort of did, but when they were singing, they also sounded downright bewitching.

Cave Singers - Alex and Ani Harbor Stage - 1:40 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Pete Quirk doesn’t look like a lead singer. With his trucker hat, tank top, and full beard, he looked more like the roadie behind the wheel of the equipment truck. Then he gave a holler before the first notes of “At the Cut” came out in his distinctively pinched voice, and you couldn’t picture him behind anything but a mic, even if it was sometimes hard to pick out lyrics. His neck vanes popped like Macho Man Randy Savage during “Beach House”, stark proof of how much he was putting into the performance. He couldn’t have a more appropriate name than “Quirk”, with his constant blinking, head scratching, and jerky hand gestures. Seated, guitarist Derek Fudesco rocked back and forth like he was having a musical fit, and the sound he created with drummer Marty Lund was rowdier than many larger bands could muster. Straightforward and hard, when they were told they had 10 more minutes left, Quirk panted, “We’re done.” They ended early, but they left a lot of sweat and a great set behind them.

Amos Lee - Fort Stage - 3:25 p.m.

There was no introduction to Amos Lee as he took the stage–just the first notes of the title track to Mission Bell, gentle and subtle like the man himself. Chatter was minimal, though he echoed a sentiment many other acts shared about the strange crowd setup: “The beach chair people, while I know you’re enjoying it, it’s just a very strange thing to look at.” Seated or not, his voice demanded the fullest attention of the Fort Stage crowd, heartfelt and pure as it poured out through the thick air. A well-constructed set found him grouping rockier and bluesier songs like a slightly faster take on “Truth” and “Low Down Life” between soulful numbers like “Loose Tight” and “The Wind”. What it boils down to with Lee, as always, is that he can sing the hell out of a song. His voice is just undeniable, and when he was helped out by Secret Sisters on “Clear Blue Eyes”, it was even better.

Middle Brother/Dawes - Quad Stage - 4:20 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Another Matthew Vasquez set, another massive highlight. There’s not enough space to detail how truly awesome this set was. A notification sent through the festival’s app said it best: “If you’re not @Middle_Brother, you should be.” No band had more fun on stage the whole weekend than they did: Vasquez, his garb far less formal than the previous day, bounding about, sharing his mic with his bandmates during “Someday”; Taylor Goldsmith getting the crowd to sing on “Thanks for Nothing” and the bloodiest, gutsiest rendition of “Blood and Guts”; John McCauley sharing the stage with Mountain Man for “Daydreaming”, the girls visibly touched by the large, sublime harmonies provided by the crowd. “We haven’t even practiced!” Vasquez whooped at one point. “We haven’t even seen each other since North Carolina!” They had every right to be impressed with themselves. No band played as hard as they did that weekend, and no crowd was more responsive, hands constantly up, voices ringing out, bodies moving.

Photo by Nate Slevin

While I missed a Jonny Corndawg appearance (the honorary fourth middle brother), a text from my trusty photographer Nate had me rushing from Elvis Costello to catch an impromptu set by Goldsmith’s other band, Dawes. The mini-set opened with “Fire Away” and closed with “When My Time Comes”. For the latter number, the other brothers returned to take a few verses, appearing equally as enamored with their bandmate’s music as their own. One of the most lasting moments of the festival came when McCauley held his mic stand out over the crowd, the music cut away, and the Quad was reduced to rubble by the hundreds of voices belting the final chorus. Magic, plain and simple.

Elvis Costello - Fort Stage - 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

While it was hard to split time between a legend and a supergroup whose time together may well be limited, I somehow found a way to catch the majority of both sets. Billed as a solo, acoustic set, it was a welcome surprise to turn the corner and find Elvis Costello backed by The Impostors, though their presence could have been the result of his voice being too weak to hold the Fort down alone. He had a lot more help, though, as Secret Sisters came out for “A Slow Drag With Josephine” and a cover of Hank Williams’ “Why Don’t You Love Me Like You Used to Do?”. Chris Thile appeared on mandolin for “Brilliant Mistake” and stuck around for the next number, too, as Costello giddily proclaimed, “Please welcome to the stage–I always like saying this–Ms. Emmylou Harris.” Applause resounded as the headliner entered for “Scarlet Tide”, and on the eve of a debt crisis, the line “No more money left to spend” was especially poignant.

Closing with “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” was equally fitting and a spirited way to finish his set. Steve Nieve worked the theremin, possibly a first for the festival, like a magician, awing many. Saying how pleased they were to end their tour at Newport, Costello remarked, “You know you’ve come to the right place when you’re standing side-stage behind Pete Seeger watching Wanda Jackson.” Newport was even happier to have them, and for the first time the chair and blanket crowd was mostly on their feet. In fact, many of them stayed that way and walked towards the exits when Costello left the stage. While his voice was clearly fatigued, he never let up once, a showman to the end, and a headliner in many hearts.

M. Ward - Quad Stage 5:40 p.m.

Photo by Nate Slevin

Simple and cool, M. Ward started his set solo. Most of his time was spent making gorgeous tones come from his acoustic guitar, like slowing down “Chinese Translation” and making it pretty as hell. On two occasions he sat at a piano, his posture like he was playing a dive bar, to perform some covers. First was David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”, almost unrecognizable as a near ballad. The second was of Daniel Johnston’s “Story of an Artist”, the lyrics of which Ward delivered with such a faux-deadpan expression and mocking tone that chuckles speckled the audience. Immediately after that, the mood shifted entirely as Dawes provided rocking back up for the remainder of the set, including a ridiculously fun delivery of “Roll Over Beethoven”. After an encore of “Ferry Boat”, Secret Sisters came out for “Something Stupid”, putting two of the most cameoed bands on one stage with the great Mr. Ward–a perfect way to close the Quad on the final day.

Emmylou Harris - Fort Stage - 6:05 p.m.

Though many left the Fort after Costello had finished, the remaining folks packed the main stage area full for the monument of grace that is Emmylou Harris. With her silvery white hair kept from her eyes with a black headband, a black leather bracelet, and a flowing black dress with white pill-stripes, she was a half step away from punk. At 64 years old, she stood tall and confident in the setting summer sun, glorious and classic all at once. When she introduced “The Road”, the ever-present sadness at the loss of her late mentor and partner Graham Parsons could be felt in the quivers of her voice. After “Get Up John” and some spot on a cappella harmonizing with her band for “Calling My Children Home”, she returned to some melancholy. “Okay,” she said, “I gotta get back to the sad stuff before people think I’ve been taken over by some jovial person.” It wasn’t her own sorrow that came next, but Steve Earle’s in the form of “Goodbye”.

Photo by Nate Slevin

A gentle country set isn’t exactly my cup of tea as a headliner, but Ms. Harris still did an applaudable job in the spot. It was the very essence of the modern Newport Folk Festival to see so many people, varied greatly in age, race, and background, shuffling their feet and swinging their arms to tunes like “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight”. Present and past sensibilities met onstage, as well, when the duo of The Civil Wars came out for Harris’s encore (well, she called it an encore, but she never actually left the stage). Dancing happily and singing for “Evangeline”, Joy Williams looked pleased as could be to be sharing the legendary Newport Fort stage with the equally legendary Harris.

Photo by Nate Slevin

That was it for Harris’s set, but the true closer of the festivities was something even grander. Out walked Pete Seeger, the eternal Newport icon, even at 92, guitar in hand. Then Middle Brother and Dawes walked out with Jonny Corndawg and Mountain Man. The Secret Sisters returned, David Wax Museum led out Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and Brown Bird and M. Ward joined Emmylou Harris and The Civil Wars–a truly impressive array of artists. Even festival founder George Wein stepped onto the stage. As the crowd gathered closer to lend their voices, Seeger led the bevy of talent in “Turn! Turn! Turn!”. When he slung on his banjo, even the musicians on stage applauded and smiled. Calling out the lyrics for the unaware, Seeger paced us all through “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?”. It was felicitous, moving, and immutably beautiful. It was the Newport Folk Festival summed up in a single, neatly wrapped performance.

Photography by Nate Slevin.

The Culture of Newport Folk Festival

Gallery by Nate Slevin

[nggallery id=246]

The Austin City Limits Music Festival runs September 16-18 at Zilker Park. In the event you’re not completely wiped out by the ferocious sun, ACL puts on a number of official aftershows. Among some of the more notable names playing late night: Manu Chao, Bright Eyes, Death From Above 1979, Empire of the Sun, Pretty Lights with Nas, Iron & Wine, Yim Yames, and Smith Westerns, and Cults. The full schedule is posted below; ticket information can be found here.

Thursday, September 15th:

– Pretty Lights w/ Nas and special guest Run DMT at Austin Music Hall (Ages 16+)

– Old Crow Medicine Show w/ Hayes Carll at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

– Delta Spirit w/ J. Roddy Walston and the Business, Futurebirds at Emo’s Outside

–North Mississippi Allstars at Antone’s

Friday, September 16th:

– Manu Chao La Ventura at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

– Skrillex w/ Chiddy Bang at La Zona Rosa (Ages 16+)

– Twin Shadow and Cut Copy DJ Set w/ Theophilis London and Diamond Rings at Emo’s (Inside and Outside)

– Smith Westerns and Cults at The Parish

– Gary Clark Jr. at Antone’s

– Lance Herbstrong at Stubb’s Indoors

Saturday, September 17:

– Empire of the Sun w/ Mayer Hawthorne & The County at Austin Music Hall

– Bright Eyes w/ Kurt Vile and the Violators at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

– Fitz and the Tantrums w/ Aloe Blacc & The Grand Scheme at La Zona Rosa

– Death From Above 1979 w/ The Vaccines at Emo’s

– The Head and The Heart w/ The Moondoggies at Antone’s

– Wild Beasts w/ Telekinesis at The Parish

– Phosphorescent w/ little hurricane at Stubb’s Indoors

– Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. w/ Yellow Ostrich at Lambert’s (Ages 21+)

– Gospel Brunch: The Lee Boys at Stubb’s Indoors (11AM & 1PM Seatings)

Sunday, September 18:

– Iron & Wine and Yim Yames at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

– Gospel Brunch: Tyree Morris & Heart of Worship at Stubb’s Indoors (11AM & 1PM Seatings)

You can peep the whole list of shows below, but here are some “must sees” in our book: Death From Above 1979 at the Metro on Thursday, The Vaccines/Tennis at Schubas on Friday, and Titus Andronicus/Fences hitting up Reggie’s on Saturday. If you’re willing to brave the House of Blues, you can catch more of Lykke Li (who wouldn’t?) and the Arctic Monkeys, performing their new brilliant LP. It should be noted that there are no planned performances at the Vic Theatre, where Soundgarden and Pearl Jam both performed pre-weekend sets in previous years. Could there be something in the works? Maybe a Foo Fighters gig? Speculation, sure, but you never know. We’ll have to play the waiting game.

In the meantime, here are your shows and check out Do312.com for ticket information!

Lollapalooza 2011 Aftershows
08/03 – Cold War Kids w/ Gold Motel, Carbon Tigers, Katz Company @ Metro
08/04 – Death From Above 1979 w/ Metz @ Metro
08/04 – Crystal Castles w/ The Naked and Famous @ House of Blues
08/04 – Smith Westerns @ Schubas
08/04 – Delta Spirit w/ Reptar @ Lincoln Hall
08/04 – Cults w/ Guards, Riter @ Empty Bottle
08/04 – Feed Me w/ Savoy @ Logan Square Auditorium
08/05 – Black Lips w/ Night Beats @ Empty Bottle
08/05 – Atmosphere w/ Prof, Evidence, Blueprint @ Metro
08/05 – Lykke Li w/ Foster The People @ House of Blues
08/05 – Portugal. The Man w/ Wye Oak @ Double Door
08/05 – The Vaccines w/ Tennis @ Schubas
08/05 – Afrojack w/ Perry Farrell @ The Mid
08/05 – Tinie Tempah & Young the Giant @ Subterranean
08/05 – Local Natives w/ Walk the Moon @ Lincoln Hall
08/05 – Sam Adams w/ Kyle Lucas & Captain Midnite @ Bottom Lounge
08/05 – Pretty Lights & Skrillex @ The Congress Theater
08/06 – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart w/ Young Man @ Empty Bottle
08/06 – Arctic Monkeys w/ Disappears @ House of Blues
08/06 – White Lies w/ Rival Schools @ Double Door
08/06 – Fitz & the Tantrums w/ Christina Perri @ Schubas
08/06 – MSTRKRFT w/ Midnight Conspiracy, Nathan Scott, Compact Disco @ The Mid
08/06 – Dom w/ Typhoon @ Subterranean
08/06 – Two Door Cinema Club w/ Grouplove @ Lincoln Hall
08/06 – Titus Andronicus w/ Fences @ Reggie’s
08/06 – Daedelus w/ Eskmo, Lorn @ Bottom Lounge
08/06 – 12th Planet w/ 16bit, Richie August, Mega Mike @ Logan Square Auditorium

Next Tuesday, Austin City Limits will reveal its 2011 lineup to the masses. But like many other festivals these days, the Austin, TX-based extravaganza is getting the fun started early by “leaking” a number of acts. While a game of trivia is not required, it does help to be in Austin resident, as the festival is revealing at least three acts each day via “Lineup Lottery” scratch off cards that can be found in Austin area businesses. For those living elsewhere, we’ll be keeping track of the progress in both this post and in our Festival Outlook.

Day 1: My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Empire of the Sun, Delta Spirit, & J. Roddy Walston and the Business

Day 2: Arcade Fire, Cee-Lo, Chromeo, Smith Westerns, & Hayes Carll

Day 3: Kanye West, Iron & Wine, Mavis Staples, The Head and the Heart, & Alexander

Other heavyweights include A Perfect Circle, Bright Eyes, The Cars, Big Audio Dynamite, Ween, Arctic Monkeys, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Nas, Explosions in the Sky, Death From Above 1979, Deftones, Cee-Lo Green, Beirut, Flogging Molly, OK Go, The Kills, and Cold War Kids.

A number of indie favorites are confirmed, including The Mountain Goats, Atmosphere, Titus Andronicus, Ratatat, Best Coast, Crystal Castles, White Lies, Lykke Li, Local Natives, Black Lips, Delta Spirit, Sleigh Bells, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Wye Oak, The Drums, Smith Westerns, The Naked and Famous, Phantogram, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Joy Formidable, Young the Giant, and Cults.

If that weren’t enough, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Cage the Elephant, Rival Schools, The Chain Gang of 1974, Friendly Fires, Portugal. The Man, Manchester Orchestra, Two Door Cinema Club, Noah & The Whale, Lissie, Foster the People, Mayer Hawthorne & the County, Fences, City and Colour, and Gold Motel are also confirmed.

This year’s edition will also feature an expansion of Perry’s Place, the festival’s electronic-oriented stage. Designed to accommodate a crowd of 15,000, the area will host the likes of Girl Talk, Kid Cudi, Pretty Lights, Skrillex, The Glitch Mob, Jay Electronica, Modeselektor, Daedulus, Feed Me, Busy P, and Joachim Garraud.

Find a complete list of confirmed acts at our Festival Outlook.

Three day and VIP passes are priced at $215.00 and $850.00, respectively, and are now available via the festival’s website.

It was almost a sensory overload this year. It’s safe to say there was too much to do. I can honestly say it didn’t help much adding a sixth stage to the schedule, and turning the Do-Lab from Smurf Village to a more practical stage. Friday was this year’s “Conflictchella” in which around the hours of two and five p.m. involved so many good acts playing simultaneously on various stages that it damn near caused aneurysms (OFWGKTA vs. Warpaint vs. the Drums vs. you get the idea). Saturday will forever go down as one of the most well-planned days in the history of the festival because, let’s face it, Bright Eyes -> Mumford and Sons -> Animal Collective -> Arcade Fire is modern music’s wet dream. And Sunday was a mixed bag of goodies (the Strokes murdered) and definitely some odd moments (Kanye, where were all your fellow rappers?).

And then there was the artwork…which took a whole new step up. This year, Coachella partnered with The Creators Project, adding a game-changing visual element to certain shows, as well as an in-between stage show that literally lit people up. There was the Spiritualized exhibit, which from the outside was a large silver cube in the back near the main stage, as well as the various usual oddities spread out all over the grounds. The stages themselves received massive upgrades — each tent, including the small Oasis Dome, now had screens on either side of the performers. Brazilian designer Muti Randolph upgraded the Sahara tent with a roof-spanning light installation, and the main stage underwent some awe-inspiring if unnecessary transformations before the top acts each night. In terms of the Coachella design, they took a step up, and in terms of the music, they just confused the shit out of everyone.

Photo by Matt Gainty

What matters here though isn’t the band selection, or the weird things scattered on the Polo Fields, but it’s the experience. People were skeptical this year with some of the choices, but you can’t get Radiohead to headline every year, and Coachella has already billed the biggest bands of the previous generation multiple times (do you all want Tool and the Peppers again?). The people at Coachella certainly know what they’re doing, and will always be able to deliver the public a fantastic weekend. It’s those who have had unwavering devotion to the festival that have to worry though. Times are changing, people, and so is Coachella…accept it.

-Ted Maider
Media Specialist

Friday, April 15th

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Outdoor Theatre – 1:15 p.m.

Fun fact: The Rural Alberta Advantage are not from Alberta at all, let alone rural Alberta. They’re actually from Toronto, Ontario, and they rock some. The singer has a bit of a Billy Corgan thing going, which is good or bad depending on whether you’re a Corgan fan. One member alternates between keys and a floor tom, while the third member annihilates the drums. As festival openers go, you can’t ask for more. -Harry Painter

!!! – Outdoor Theatre –  2:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Disco-punk is taking over the world whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Despite the Friday afternoon heat, !!! vocalist and mascot Nic Offer was able to get the crowd on its feet and thrash about in the sun. Nic and company were no slouches themselves as they rocked through numbers like “Heart of Hearts” and “Must Be the Moon” to get everyone in a dance frenzy. Heat, good music, and lots of dancing can always get the party going, and this was a worthy start to the weekend. -Ted Maider

Brandt Brauer Frick – Gobi – 2:05 p.m.

These guys sometimes perform with an ensemble, but it was just the three of them (Brandt, Brauer, and Frick) at Coachella. The setup was one member manning the electronic drums while the other two toyed with synths. It got a little samey after a while, but Brandt Brauer Frick‘s original and hands-on take on techno was a delight at two in the afternoon. -Harry Painter

Cold Cave – Mojave – 3:00 p.m.

It seemed strange to have a band like Cold Cave playing in the middle of the day, but their dark mystique and catchy electro tunes sure had a place at Coachella. People bobbed their heads and grooved (somehow, to such dark music), while vocalist Wesley Eisold belted out his cynical and twisted lyrics. Even after all these years, and a total genre swap, the guy still knows how to channel his anger through a musical performance. Plus, he got people to rock out in the heat to “Confetti”, easily one of the band’s most badass tracks. -Ted Maider

Photo by Ted Maider

Omar Rodríguez-López – Gobi- 3:15 p.m.

Titus Andronicus conflicting with Omar Rodríguez-López so early in the day was a crime. Especially since he brought out The Mars Volta bandmate Cedric Bixler-Zavala to accompany him on vocals. You got basically the same thing you’d get from a Mars Volta show, at about half speed — much easier on the ears, actually. It would be nice to hear the guitarist without Bixler-Zavala one of these days, but no one is complaining about an unadvertised Mars Volta appearance. -Harry Painter

Skrillex – Sahara – 3:30 p.m.

The things one has to put up with to watch a damn hip-hop show at Coachella; with Odd Future coming on next, getting to the tent during Skrillex was a must. The former From First to Last frontman has some bangers, but whoever told him bringing out a nu-metal band was a good idea was yanking his chain. Yes, Jonathan Davis and Munky of Korn came out to do whatever it was they did, and helped Skrillex become the first in a long series of catastrophic Friday acts. Didn’t this used to be the dance tent? Wait, scratch that. Korn at Coachella? Really? -Harry Painter

Titus Andronicus – Outdoor Theatre – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

When I learned Titus Andronicus was going to play the Outdoor, at three in the afternoon, I thought the Coachella planning team had just about lost their fucking minds. Civil war punk rock songs in sweltering heat are enough to take you back to the feelings of the soldiers alone, but Titus did what they do best…they shredded. Opening with “A More Perfect Union”, people embraced the punk and heat, kicking up dust and a flesh storm that sort of went out of control. Regardless, the band marched on, rocking out tracks like “No Future Part III: Escape From No Future”, “Richard II” and, of course, “Titus Andronicus” (complete with harmonica). Yes, it was hot, but lead singer Patrick Stickles encouraged us to drink our electrolytes, so we could rock as hard as he. -Ted Maider

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All – Sahara – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Despite Odd Future‘s lack of danceability, it was the only tent that was going to be able to hold the flow of people. Still, if you’re going to take over the beloved Sahara, you’d better bring it — and Tyler and crew were not up to the challenge. Odd Future has put out some promising material, but you wouldn’t be able to tell if Coachella was your first experience with the group. OFWGKTA came out late in a burst of energy, but forgot to rap. Those who lament Wu-Tang’s live show don’t know how bad it can get; Odd Future’s formula was to scream lines, ignore the beat, and if one guy accidentally spoke over another, curse loudly to save face. Wu-Tang Clan? Please, at this point Odd Future’s live show is an unfunny, low-production Insane Clown Posse show. -Harry Painter

Cee-Lo Green – Coachella Stage – 4:50 p.m.

At Coachella, there are five stages, and if one act disappoints, there are always other options. Unfortunately, leaving Odd Future for the main stage was like moving from Port-au-Prince to Tokyo. Cee-Lo Green was even tardier than Odd Future, and by the time he came on at 5:30 p.m., the crowd had already let out several loud waves of boos. Cee-Lo apologized, offering the excuse that he had “just landed.”

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Okay, fair’s fair. However, Cee-Lo, who arrived not in a flamboyant peacock outfit or a Star Wars getup but a white tee, made things worse by bitching about his set time, then waiting two minutes for his Josie and the Pussycats knockoff backing band to play an uncoordinated “Iron Man” riff before finally singing a note. His set was half-assed, and his bassist was truly a disaster; she was off-key the whole afternoon, ruining both “Crazy” and the set closer, a comically mailed-in “Fuck You”. To his credit, Cee-Lo apologized and took the blame, before inciting a short-lived “Don’t Stop Believing” sing-along. Still, it’s going to take repeat views of that Grammy performance to wash off the stink. -Harry Painter

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart –  Mojave – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

“Oh my God, can I just say I am having the best time at Coachella right now?” – Peggy Wang (keys)

With a great new album, and a true appreciation for the Coachella vibe, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart had no reason to be as depressed as their music makes them out to be. Sparking the early evening rays, the band came out looking hip yet excited. It wasn’t necessarily the show to catch if you wanted to jump-start your weekend, as most people sat longingly and watched their (beautiful) distortion wail, but it worked. When the band dished out a couple new tracks off their latest effort, Belong, including the new single “Heart in your Heartbreak”, people shuffled their feet and danced like playful children. It was happy, but that’s all. -Ted Maider

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Gobi – 5:45 p.m.

Did I mention Friday didn’t work out so well? Ariel Pink and his band, but mostly just Ariel Pink, contributed to a hell of an afternoon with one of the funniest meltdowns in memory. Was it a joke? It appeared so. The show was going rather well, but Pink inexplicably stormed off stage after cutting off a song with, “I know you all hate me, but we’re going to stop playing now, so, sorry.” He shortly rejoined his Haunted Graffiti, all smiles, and finished the set — but half of the time, he stood there dancing awkwardly and let the band do the work. The chorus of “Round and Round” is actually rather soothing without a lead vocal part. -Harry Painter

Lauryn Hill – Coachella Stage – 6:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Considering the train wrecks, you’d think watching Lauryn Hill, the reigning queen of unapologetic derailments, had zero chance of making the day any better. Then again, she wrote “Doo Wop”. Hill’s set worked out for a little bit; “Everything Is Everything” sounded okay. Then Hill proceeded to ruin “Lost Ones” beyond all recognition — okay, one more chance. Hill’s backup singers handled all the hard-to-reach notes on “Ex Factor”, which Hill sang with none of the passion that made it great over a decade ago. That was it for me; I like “Doo Wop” just the way it is, thank you. -Harry Painter

YACHT – Mojave – 6:25 p.m.

YACHT was a band many people were talking about prior to the festival. When it came time to see them though, it was quite surreal. They gave shout outs to disco-punk gods LCD Soundsystem, asked us if we believed in aliens, and played their brand of atmospheric dance tunes that went over quite well with the tent crowd. Tracks like “Dystopia” had the crowd chanting “The Earth is on fire,” and when they performed their hit, “Psychic City”, the whole place went bananas. -Ted Maider

Interpol – Coachella Stage – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

In 2007, it was Interpol, not Kings of Leon or even Arcade Fire, that everyone thought would be headlining next time around. Instead, Interpol was demoted for Coachella 2011, having lost a bassist (or two) and popular momentum. New bassist Brad Truax filled in okay, although a timing slip-up during “Evil” was a drag; it didn’t help that the bass was way too high in the mix. Otherwise, Interpol went through the motions on hits like “Slow Hands”, “The Heinrich Maneuver”, and “Obstacle 1″, but never acted like they belonged at night on a big stage. New song “Lights”, backed up by some animation from David Lynch, was the surprise highlight. -Harry Painter

Cut Copy – Mojave – 8:35 p.m.

Cut Copy‘s popularity this year is reminiscent of Hot Chip’s popularity the first year they played Coachella. It’s only getting bigger from here. Cut Copy wasn’t in the Sahara, but the band turned that audience into a Sahara crowd. Dan Whitford’s vocals aren’t very flexible, so you have to really like that sort of thing to get into it. -Harry Painter

The Black Keys – Coachella Stage – 8:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It was drummer Patrick Carney’s birthday, so the surrounding members of the now non-duo The Black Keys made note to rock extra hard. To kick off the set, older numbers like “Thickfreakness” took precedence, but soon enough newer material off of last year’s Brothers – “Tighten Up” and “Next Girl”, namely – rolled out. Carney celebrated his birthday in style, as the band thrashed about like dying sharks, absolutely annihilating their instruments in the process. The problem? The sound was unnecessarily low, causing the crowd to engage in a “Turn it up!” chant. This performance had gold all over it, but sadly, it was reduced to silver. -Ted Maider

Beardyman – Oasis Dome – 9:00 p.m.

I knew he was a beatboxer, I came to watch him beatbox, and when I got there I didn’t know he was beatboxing. Beardyman is pretty good. -Harry Painter

The Aquabats – Mojave –  9:45 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Oh! The fury of The Aquabats! For a while now, Coachella attendees have wanted the famous ska team, known for their comic book gimmicks, to grace to Polo Fields with a show. Finally, they obliged, by delivering the goods complete with giant inflatable enemies, a superhero video intro, and evil cavemen. And it helped that they played jams like “BFF”, “Pizza Day”, and “The Cat with 2 Heads” to cause a dedicated, partly costumed crowd to rock out. Not to mention an on-stage appearance from Danny DeVito, as well as two members of the Kings of Leon, who claimed to “love the Aquabats” before rushing off. -Ted Maider

Kings of Leon – Coachella Stage – 9:55 p.m.

Unlike Muse, who took about as long as Kings of Leon to finally hit it big in America, the Followills don’t care much for relying on impressive visuals. There was smoke and there were lights, but beyond that, Kings of Leon put on a bare-bones rock (okay, soft-rock) show. There’s certainly something admirable about that; however, people expect something from a headline act, whether it’s visuals, unbelievable musicianship, or just an outstanding physical performance. The band has been through this fest-headlining routine in both Europe and America now, but none of these traits were evident at Coachella. 

They didn’t feel like Kings of anything, but they delivered a well-constructed set friendly to longtime fans. Caleb declared the band was “tired of playing the new stuff,” just before diving into a one-two punch of hits “Molly’s Chambers” and “The Bucket”. There was a healthy selection off Aha Shake Heartbreak and Youth and Young Manhood, but all the new songs that you’re sick of made appearances as well. Predictably, Kings of Leon saved “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” for the end, before closing with Because of the Times track “Black Thumbnail”.

The first of two headliners who weren’t really headliners put on a better show than the indie crowd will admit. Plus, they came out to “Bitches Ain’t Shit”, which is a truly unhateable move. Still, Kings of Leon deserve some of that hate — even with plenty of old songs, those new ballads are just too much. Now that they’re officially rock stars with a bunch of American hits, maybe it’s time to rock again so that next time the Followills play Coachella, the fellas can have some fun, too. -Harry Painter

The Chemical Brothers – Coachella Stage – 11:40 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

Goldenvoice had to do this…a main stage Chemical Brothers show to wrap up day one. The “brothers” were 45 minutes late (thus the brothers never truly got to “work it out”), and the candy crowd certainly hates to wait. But, as soon as the opening of “Galvanize” came over the speakers, everybody in the crowd went absolutely ape shit. Nobody stopped dancing for the entire hour and 20 minutes they played. Everyone was treated to their favorite gems like “Star Guitar”, “Hey Boy Hey Girl,”  and the new hit, “Swoon”. When the plug was pulled on them around 1:20 a.m., everyone begged them to play one more song, but instead Ed and Tom waved good night, and day one was officially over. Maybe next year, we’ll get Daft Punk. -Ted Maider

Saturday, April 16th

EE – Gobi – 11:50 a.m.

EE was one of the artists collaborating with The Creators Project, which to almost everyone watching meant nothing. To the layperson, it meant the first act in the Gobi was a Korean indie pop group with a DJ and b-boys, and lots of colorful, crazy outfits and good photos. Swag? -Harry Painter

Photo by Ted Maider

The Joy Formidable – Gobi – 12:55 p.m.

Every year at Coachella, there’s at least one band that comes on before three in the afternoon and turns out to be one of the best acts at the festival. The Joy Formidable was that band this year. The three-piece from Wales plays blistering, crunchy, indie rock with a hint of shoegaze, and boasts a winner in frontwoman Ritzy Bryan (winning name too). After demolishing the tent and inciting way too much applause for the time slot, the band went old school and broke its equipment. It seemed kind of out of place, but that’s because rock and roll is dead, right? -Harry Painter

The Twelves – Sahara – 1:30 p.m.

The Brazilian duo that is The Twelves has garnered praise for its remixes, some of which the duo showed off early Friday in the Sahara. Many a dance was to be had to versions of Metric’s “Help, I’m Alive”, Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic”, and the infectious “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You” by The Black Kids. -Harry Painter

The Tallest Man on Earth – Gobi – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It was pretty hot at this point in the day, and the music of Kristian Matsson was the perfect cure for everyone’s exhaustion. The solo performer arrived on stage for sound check, and jammed the whole time, making up songs on the spot just to tease the crowd. When it finally came time for his set to begin, he had already been playing for 10 minutes. People in the crowd squirted water at one another, as he soothed us with tracks like “King of Spain”, “Troubles Will Be Gone” (afterward, he assured us they would), and “You’re Going Back”. All by himself, he hypnotized that crowd to the point that despite how hot and sweaty they may have been, they really didn’t want to leave. -Ted Maider

Foals – Mojave – 3:15 p.m.

Several text messages and a packed-to-capacity Mojave tent indicated that Foals clearly had something radical going on for their set. Upon my arrival, the entire tent was bouncing furiously as the U.K. export banged their instruments in a fit of dance-punk fury. They had the entire tent on its feet jumping in unison to gnarly cuts of “Spanish Sahara” and “Two Steps, Twice”, all while expelling loads of energy. Exciting. -Ted Maider

Gogol Bordello – Coachella Stage- 3:35 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Everyone’s favorite gypsy punks concentrated mostly on Trans-Continental Hustle material, but it never really makes a difference what Gogol Bordello plays. Every time, you are going to get a) a Sean Connery-looking fellow with a fiddle, b) accordion solos, and c) approximately nine people on stage looking to give you the best show of the year, if not your life. Eugene Hutz, one of the best frontmen in rock, shirtless with red wine dripping down his chest, succeeded in getting all the Erykah Badu fans to scream “Break the Spell” like they meant it. That’s how you do a show. -Harry Painter

Delta Spirit – Outdoor Theatre – 4:05 p.m.

Talk about a wrong stage at the wrong time. Delta Spirit were giving it their all at the Outdoor Theatre, but this did not coincide with what other people were feeling. Songs were met with dull cheers, as the crowd lay around sluggishly watching the band play fairly new material. If this show had been going on in a tent, they might have received a better reaction. As it was, people looked too fatigued to enjoy the Long Beach quintet. -Ted Maider

Photo by Harry Painter

Cage the Elephant – Outdoor Theatre – 5:20 p.m.

As the sun started to wither, and people began to rehydrate, Cage the Elephant called to arms. Immediately upon hitting the first notes of “In One Ear”, the audience rushed the stage like a rogue wave. This set the tone for the whole performance. Singer Matthew Shultz arrived sporting a red sundress, and ran around the stage, periodically jumping into the crowd (this clearly pissed off security, but hey, he’s there to put on a show). The band rocked through a number of its songs, and got a crowd sing-along for its gem, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”.  To finalize everything, Shultz brought loads of patrons on stage to dance with him as they knocked out “Sabertooth Tiger”. Random note: Throughout the duration of the show, fighter jets above wrote Lady Gaga lyrics in the sky. -Ted Maider

Broken Social Scene – Coachella Stage – 6:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Canada’s second most-popular indie rock band cued the setting of Friday’s Coachella sun with some of the fan favorites which have become standard in Broken Social Scene‘s sets: “Texico Bitches”, “7/4 Shoreline”, “Anthems for a 17-Year-Old Girl”, and “Meet Me in the Basement”. Lisa Lobsinger came to help out beginning with “Anthems”. It was low-key in the way only BSS can do low-key and it was spectacular as always. And those horns on set closer “Meet Me in the Basement”, the horns from heaven that erupted for an extended finale, they never get old. -Harry Painter

Elbow – Mojave – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I’ve never been one to rationalize a band’s status here by pointing out that they headline arenas in the U.K. — what terrible logic — but Elbow really deserves more exposure here. That they can only fill up a quarter of the Mojave is a sign of the direction of Coachella’s fanbase; bands like Elbow, Wire, and The London Suede would’ve filled their tents three years ago. Still, as empty as it was, Elbow was not taken aback and performed to high standards. Frontman Guy Garvey led the crowd in clap-alongs for nearly every song, and displayed multi-instrumental capabilities to complement his vocal talents. The band, which has previously performed its 2009 album The Seldom Seen Kid with the BBC Concert Orchestra, was accompanied by a string section for Coachella. -Harry Painter

Bright Eyes – Coachella Stage – 7:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Conor Oberst returned to Coachella. This time, he brought his famed unit, Bright Eyes. Nevertheless, the crowd spent the hour buzzing about. What moved them even more was how hard Oberst actually rocked some of his finest tracks. He dedicated “We Are Nowhere and It’s Now” to all those who randomly came to Coachella, just as the sun dipped behind the mountains for a quick, eye-soothing natural occurrence. Soon after, the stage turned into a trippy light show for everyone, which highlighted tracks like “Approximate Sunlight” and “Old Soul Song”, the latter of which might have been the most beautiful moment on the Polo Field that day. In their 50-minute set, Bright Eyes captured the spirit of Coachella perfectly, as music and nature aligned with one another for one amazing set. -Ted Maider

Shpongle – Sahara – 7:50 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

I’m not sure the Sahara tent has ever been so empty at night; but then, One Day as a Lion was sparsely attended in the Mojave, and Elbow filled the Mojave to about 25 percent capacity at best. Welcome to the emerging career of Mumford and Sons, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a shame, though; The Shpongletron Experience is not something that people will be able to see whenever they like, and it’s worth seeing. Especially if mushrooms are involved. Shpongle deejays atop a giant, glowing, psychedelic fixture, complete with lights and Eastern religious imagery, and there are dancing girls and psychedelic trance. What’s not to like? -Harry Painter

One Day as a Lion – Mojave – 8:15 p.m.

After Zack de la Rocha showed up to the Empire Polo Field with Rage Against the Machine four years ago, people were expecting big things for the band’s future. When big things didn’t happen, out came a little five-song EP by One Day as a Lion. Nothing happened again, and now we’re here. And really, it’s not so bad. Along with Death from Above 1979, De La Rocha and Jon Theodore (still incredible behind the kit) may be the only bands ever to incite mosh pits with a dinky keyboard — and they were both at the same festival! De La Rocha doesn’t seem to rap anymore, which would be okay if he didn’t overuse that reverb effect on every song. Still, it’s such a relief to see De La Rocha can branch out and do something that doesn’t suck, unlike certain other Rage Against the Machine members. -Harry Painter

Big Audio Dynamite – Outdoor Theatre – 9:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Mick Jones’ other band — not Gorillaz; his other other band — sounds awfully dated in 2011, just as dated as Duran Duran. But damned if they aren’t a riot. Big Audio Dynamite played songs your mother won’t remember like “E=MC2″, the BAD theme song “BAD”, and what Jones described as a “country western hip-hop ballad” (not far off), “The Battle of All Saints Road”. It’s not mandatory viewing, but any big fan of The Clash would get something out of a BAD set. -Harry Painter

Animal Collective – Coachella Stage – 9:45 p.m.

And the award for Best Visual Performance goes to….

The thing about Coachella that truly sets it apart from other festivals is the ability to watch bands grow. When Animal Collective played three years ago, they performed at one of the smallest stages…at the same time as Portishead. When they returned this year, with several new tracks and some classic cuts (“Summertime Clothes” finale, “Did You See the Words”), they brought with them the most spectacular visual show to grace the main stage this year. Flashes of color, creepy worm-like animations, and several large cubes loomed above their heads, making for one of the most unique sets of the weekend. This is the new age of psychedelic….and they are the leaders behind it. -Ted Maider

The London Suede – Mojave – 10:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Coachella wasn’t able to pick up Pulp, but it got the next best thing — the band known back home as Suede. Only when you surround a Britpop mainstay like Suede with a bunch of 2010s indie bands do you realize how long it’s been since the ’90s. Suede got right back on the horse for its first U.S. show since reuniting, playing its heart out on favorites like “Animal Nitrate” and “Trash”, and closing with “Metal Mickey” and “Beautiful Ones”. Even without Bernard Butler, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if these guys stuck around for a while and made some green. They deserve it. -Harry Painter

Arcade Fire – Coachella Stage – 11:20 p.m.

“If you had told me in 2002 we’d be headlining Coachella with Animal Collective playing before us, I’d have told you that you were full of shit.” –Win Butler

In a career defining performance, the Arcade Fire proved via the Coachella ladder of success that they are officially one of the most important bands of our time. People furiously rushed the stage during set break, and camped out ruthlessly to wait for the band. Moments prior to their arrival, a series of odd Grindhouse trailers played, before the “feature presentation”. A timely female began singing about May, and I muttered “Month of May” under my breath. A split second later I was proven right, as the band vigorously launched into that one-chord intro, and immediately pulled the rug out from everybody’s feet.

Everyone sang, everyone danced, everyone screamed, and everyone was reduced to rubble by the show Arcade Fire put on. The band’s live performance has come so far, and this performance proved it. Win, Régine, and co. followed the hectic opener with “Rebellion (Lies)” that tugged at everyone to join in, various cuts from The Suburbs accompanied by imagery from their new film, and the most kickass version of “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” that resulted in crowd surfing and head-banging. Prior to their encore, they launched into “Wake Up”, which ended with several hundred white inflatable balls containing colored lights inside to fall from the stage. The crowd was covered to the point where they could no longer see.

To bring us back to life, the band returned for an encore of three more tracks, including the most epic finale version of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”, wrapping up one of Coachella’s most well-planned days to date. Arcade Fire has come so far, from playing an afternoon slot on the Outdoor Theatre to headlining, and showing 60,000 people that it is the best band on the planet right now. This is their apex; enjoy it as much as they do. -Ted Maider

Sunday, April 17th

Delorean – Gobi – 2:00 p.m.

The Ibiza revival band from Spain, Delorean, is always a fun catch. Ekhi Lopetegi and co. are top-notch performers, and turned a half-empty tent into a full tent within the span of 40 minutes. Lopetegi’s vocals are weak live, however, and sound nothing like the recordings. Delorean would be a must-see event if he could work on that aspect of Delorean’s shows. Until then, they’re a see-it-if-you-know-what’s-good-for-you event. -Harry Painter

MEN – Mojave – 2:20 p.m.

Le Tigre member JD Samson is a hell of a frontwoman/man/whatever and makes for 90 percent of MEN‘s stage presence. The other 10? A combination of the trio of interconnected helmets, Bret “The Hitman” Hart pink and black jumpsuits, and lyrics like “I’m gonna fuck my friends.” MEN covered Bikini Kill’s (that would be, of course, Kathleen Hanna of Le Tigre’s old band) “Double Dare Ya” to end a raucous, fun set. However, let the “Are We Not Devo” jokes commence. -Harry Painter

Wiz Khalifa – Coachella Stage – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Wiz Khalifa‘s song “When I’m Gone” begins with “They say all I rap about is bitches and champagne.” Not true — his lyrics unsubtly cover the always-popular territory of cannabis as well, don’t you know. As a matter of fact, Khalifa spent as much time talking about weed as performing Sunday. At Coachella, on the main stage at 4 p.m., that is a problem. It’s too damn hot to pay mind to a guy who lip-syncs to uninspired Empire of the Sun samples, has his DJ cue up extended Nate Dogg tributes, and whose hype man finishes most of his lines for him. And he must have burned five minutes of his 50 allotted advertising Chuck Taylor shoes and his new album Rolling Papers (it’s out now in stores and on iTunes, by the way).

He had some moments, though. He played a few solid cuts off Rolling Papers in addition to the older stuff, and an a capella performance of his verse from his Snoop Dogg collaboration “That Good” was probably the best 30 seconds of hip-hop at Coachella. -Harry Painter

Nas and Damian Marley – Coachella Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley was no rookie to the Polo Field, but with Nas, they brought a whole new kind of heat. As the Rasta flag was waved high, Nas spit fire, while Damian Marley and his band pulled the crowd to their feet and thus a dance party ensued. Of course, no Marley show is complete without a cover of his father’s work (“Could You Be Loved”) which sparked good vibes and several joints. But at the same time, the hip-hop crowd’s needs were met while Nas performed cuts like “One Mic”, and a (for some reason) no-Lauryn Hill version of “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)”. What really rocked though was when Marley and Nas worked together on duets “Nah Mean” and “As We Enter”, as it brought on a whole new kind of party to the main stage on Sunday. -Ted Maider

Death from Above 1979 – Coachella Stage – 6:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

As excited as the crowd appeared, there was a lingering fear to this potentially riotous set. As soon as Death from Above 1979 started with “Turn it Out”, however, the fears became reality, and a huge hole for moshing ripped open amidst the crowd. It was difficult to breathe, several were pushed around violently, yet everyone screamed the lyrics. While people were hoping they’d be on a smaller stage for more mayhem, the crowd didn’t seem to have a problem stomping the crap out of each other on the biggest stage for one of the most intense shows of the weekend. The Toronto duo roared through “Romantic Rights”, a terrifying version of “Pull Out”, and even a sing-along of “Little Girl” to make it the deadliest show of the whole weekend. Blood was certainly spilled; it’s just that this time it was that of the fans, and not a police horse. -Ted Maider

Trentemøller – Mojave – 7:10 p.m.

Backed by a live band — and fronted at the beginning by a cage of, well, ribbons — Danish producer Trentemøller laid out an onslaught of arpeggios and downtempo ambient music to an early Sunday night crowd. Trentemøller was followed in the Mojave Sunday by Ratatat, Leftfield, and The Presets, all of which we missed. And that’s why we hate Coachella. -Harry Painter

The National – Outdoor Theatre – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The National is so appropriate to close the Outdoor Theatre at sundown it would almost be an insult to give them the exposure of a later Coachella Stage slot. Flawless as usual, The National played through the festival set it has been touring with since High Violet came out (two off Alligator, two or three off Boxer, the rest off High Violet). It would be nice to get an old song here and there, and “Abel” does not count, Mr. Dessner. The National invited Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and fellow Coachella band Gayngs to play guitar on “Terrible Love”. -Harry Painter

Duran Duran – Coachella Stage – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Frontman Simon Le Bon made it clear that he, along with his legendary unit Duran Duran, were more excited about playing Coachella than anyone else. While there wasn’t a whole lot of talk about the Polo Field of them, they sure rounded up a large crowd on Sunday, proving to the world that after 30-something years the ’80s still prove cool. Every soul found rhythm during a spot-on rendition of “Hungry Like the Wolf”, including the drunken fans at the nearby beer garden, who chugged along as they danced about madly. In addition to the nightclub anthem, the band also dusted off classics like “Notorious”, dedicated “A View to Kill” (yes, the Bond song) to the late John Barry, and keyboardist Nick Rhodes took photos of the audience as they finally brought the house down with “Girls on Film”. Apparently, Coachella will always have a home for the ’80s. -Ted Maider

The Strokes – Coachella Stage – 8:55 p.m.

Sure, The Strokes shared the headlining slot on the bill with Kanye West, but everyone knew who the real headliner was, regardless of personal taste. The Strokes were second banana, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t earn their top billing. Playing a career-spanning set as well as five new songs, The Strokes continued their bid to re-endear themselves to the world at Coachella.

Plus some newcomers, as well. There were throngs of kids in the pit who couldn’t have been older than five or six when Is This It came out, waiting eagerly next to the 20-somethings who grew up on the likes of The Strokes and The White Stripes. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but hey, five years of inactivity can make you into a legend these days.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Anyway, young Strokes fans, old Strokes fans, and Kanye fans alike were all bouncing by the time the opening riff of “I Can’t Win” tore into the field. The Strokes play the songs people want to hear, so outside of the Angles cuts, it was all hits from there. The sing-alongs manifested throughout the whole set, but were most prominent for “Last Nite”, “Reptilia”, and “Under Cover of Darkness”. The only slow moments were the new wave revival tune “Games” and fellow Angles track “Gratisfaction”.

Julian Casablancas was uncharacteristically chipper; the random trucker hat he was wearing along with his leather jacket and shades might have had something to do with it. He made fun of Duran Duran (“Was that a flute solo I heard? Just checking.”) and more energetic rock frontmen (“Generic lead singer-speak: You motherfuckers ready?!”). This kind of humor lasted throughout the night and it was nice to see all of them in good spirits. -Harry Painter

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 –  Sahara – 9:35 p.m.

The techno-metal masters of insanity played Sunday night to a very rowdy and visually nutty Sahara tent. The noise that the Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 call music was accompanied by a light show that really took things to a whole other level. But it was the Beetroot’s craziness that was getting this crowd hopped up. While I only was able to catch the end of their set, what I saw totally freaked me out…and now I fear the assault the Death Crew 77 could possibly do to our ears. -Ted Maider

PJ Harvey – Outdoor Theatre – 9:45 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

It was very hard to leave PJ Harvey‘s set for Kanye West, which was obviously the point, those evil bastard schedule monkeys. It’s a tragedy that there’s ever something more important than PJ Harvey going on at the same time, but such is Conflictchella. She was scheduled to leave her stage around the time he took his, but Harvey’s Outdoor Theatre-closing set ran well into the third or fourth Kanye song, which was disastrous for the stage conflict but awesome for Harvey fans. Harvey played mostly songs off Let England Shake, but gave oldies like “Meet Ze Monsta” and “Down by the Water” some life. -Harry Painter

Kanye West – Coachella Stage – 10:30 p.m.

Mr. West claimed his Coachella closing set, something of a redemption show after Swiftgate and a year of gay fish jokes, was his “most important show since [his] mom died,” and he backed up this claim by dedicating it to her and even closing with “Hey Mama”.

So how’d he do?

Mama should be proud. Sure, he didn’t bring out Rihanna or Jay-Z or Nas or Ludacris or Talib Kweli or Die Antwoord. Sure, there were some ups and downs and some kinks that need to be worked out. But by and large, Kanye West proved Sunday he deserves and can handle a major headlining spot.

West landed a first at Coachella, dare I say a one-up on Prince — he was delivered to the Coachella Stage on a giant crane as he carefully spit out the words to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy opener “Dark Fantasy”, accompanied by Justin Vernon, who had a busy weekend. When he finally touched ground, he quickly broke out “Power” (a song he claimed he thought about performing at Coachella as soon as he wrote it) and early hit “Jesus Walks”. His set, as expected, was made up almost entirely of hits, from “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, “All Falls Down”, and “Through the Wire” to later singles like “Stronger”, “Heartless”, and last fall’s omnipresent banger “Monster” (fucking hands were seen at the concert). The climactic combination of “Runaway”, with guest Pusha-T, and “Lost in the World”, with Vernon again, was simply stunning.

The show was as much performance art as music; West won the more-people-on-stage-than-Arcade-Fire award by having on the whole team of ballerinas from the “Runaway” video back for a live rendition of that creepy choreography. There were costume changes, props, and most importantly, lots and lots of pyro. He overdid it on that front; by the middle of the show, there had been so much pyro it had long since shed its intended effect.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Let’s face it: As West admitted during his little speech about 808s and Heartbreak, he can’t sing for shit. Which is why it was a good call to throw the three cuts off that album in the middle, so as not to detract from the flow. Still, he can’t sing for shit, and he made it worse by attempting these bizarre diva vocal breaks as if he were Christina Aguilera. “Love Lockdown” sounded more like a poetry reading at open mic night than a hip-hop concert. The night ended with more embarrassment for everyone except Kanye as he left us hanging with that whole “mamamam-m-mama” bit from “Hey Mama”, and no encore even when the crowd demanded one.

Still, he’s pretty good at hiding the weaknesses and highlighting the strengths. He has surprisingly good breath control, especially after a show just under two hours; he knows how to pace himself. He’s a born entertainer, as everyone knows, and for better or for worse concentrated on performing first and rapping second. Sure, there had to be some lingering disappointment after West closed such a high-energy, hit-filled set with an ode to his dead mother. But the two hours leading up to it earned him an excuse to play that song, and who are we kidding, Kanye will do whatever the hell he wants anyway. He’ll do it at Coachella and he’ll do it at Wrigley Field. -Harry Painter

Did you like the videos? Feel like you could do it yourself? You can! With a Sony Bloggie Touch HD, the festival’s yours for the keeping! Then again, you could always try and win one, too.

Gallery by Debi Del Grande

Our writers couldn’t make it everywhere, but photographer Debi Del Grande sure did. Her eyes went all over Polo Field, and now you, the reader, get to benefit from them.

[nggallery id=199]

On July 25th, 1965, one of the most fabled concert moments in history occurred when Bob Dylan plugged in his guitar at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, RI. In homage to that man’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” this year’s George Wein’s Newport Folk Festival line-up was revealed with the help of fans turning over cards displaying the artists’ names. And like years past, those names make one hell of a lineup.

The Decemberists, Emmylou Harris, and Elvis Costello (solo acoustic) will all make return appearances, this time as headliners. Other familiar faces making a repeat showing at Fort Adams Park include Gillian Welch, Amos Lee, Earl Scruggs, M. Ward (with special guests), The Felice Brothers, and David Wax Museum, who won a spot on last year’s lineup.

The acts only get bigger from there: Gogol Bordello (acoustic), Wanda Jackson, Mavis Staples, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Tegan & Sara, and Carolina Chocolate Drops will also perform. Plus, after bowing out last year with an injured hand, Justin Townes Earle will be in triumphant attendance.

If that weren’t enough, Delta Spirit is on the bill, as is lead singer Matthew Vasquez’s super-group side-project Middle Brother. The Wailin’ Jennys, Freelance Whales, The Secret Sisters, Trampled by Turtles, The Civil Wars, The Head & The Heart, Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three, The Cave Singers, and Mountain Man add to the mix.

Filling out the roster are What Cheer? Brigade, Devil Makes Three, Typhoon, The Ebony Hillbillies, Brownbird, River City Extension, and even the PS 22 chorus (really). Finally, two unexplained but mega-intriguing inclusions are listed: Song Circle with Dar Williams, Ellis Paul, John Gorka & Liz Queler; and The Seeger Clogging All-Stars. Be excited.

Recent years have featured a special Friday night show, but this year it is apparently “under consideration” [sic]. More artist announcements are promised, however.

Tickets go on sale Thursday, March 31st at 10 AM EST and can be ordered online, by phone, or by mail. Single-day GA passes can be purchased at the Newport Visitor Information Center, and a festival office in the Newport area will open at a later date. More information can be found at the festival’s website, as can the announcement video (psst! That’s yours truly holding the Pokey LeFarge sign). See you at the Fort!

Front page photo by Nate Slevin

Regardless of your opinion of DMB, there’s no denying their work ethic. The dudes even work during a hiatus! As previously reported, Dave Matthews Band will hold four three-day music festivals across the United States this summer, the first of which takes places June 24-26 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ.

In addition to three headlining sets by DMB, the lineup for the NJ edition of the “Dave Matthews Band Caravan” features The Flaming Lips, Bassnectar, Dr. Dog, Ray LaMontagne, Amos Lee, Thievery Corporation, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Warren Haynes Band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Delta Spirit, David Gray, and O.A.R.

Other confirmed acts include Damian Marley, Guster, Lotus, Rebelution, Fitz and the Tantrums, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Lisa Hannigan, Punch Brothers, From Good Homes, Big Gigantic, Alberta Cross, Mariachi El Bronx, TR3, Vusi Mahlasela, The Budos Band and Bobby Long and special performances by Dave Matthews Band members Carter Beauford and Stefan Lessard plus a Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds acoustic set. The festival will also include a number of late night shows at Atlantic City venues, but details are still forthcoming.

Tickets, which will be available as three-day passes only ($195), go on sale to general public on Friday, March 25th at 10AM EST via DMBCaravan.com. Also, an online ticket request period for the festival begins Monday, March 14th, at 10:00 AM ET and concludes Monday, March 21st, at 10:00 AM ET at warehouse.davematthewsband.com.

The midwest edition of the “Dave Matthews Band Caravans” is set for July 8-10, though its location and lineup are still forthcoming. As of yet, there are no further details on the other two caravan stops.

Matthew Vasquez’s little side project might be sounding very promising these days, but it’s still safe to say that Delta Spirit gives him a very stable crutch to lean on no matter what. Just look up and watch this video of the San Diego, Calif. five-piece absolutely kill it on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night.

“White Table” may start a bit subdued, but it doesn’t take long before the boys completely lose their collective heads on the History From Below track. If you’ve ever been to a Delta Spirit show, than you already know how charismatic Vasquez is on stage; however, seeing multi-instrumentalist Kelly Winrich jump from the keys to playing every drum on stage should be the reason you get off your bum and see them live.

They’re currently off the road, but can catch them when they perform in desert on day two of Coachella. Everyone else can just settle for the video above, via The Audio Perv.

The 13 stop trek will take place entirely in March beginning in DC on the 2nd. Boston, New York, Philly, Toronto, and Chicago will all get some love before the tour finishes up at South by Southwest in Austin, TX. The question remaining is how do you separate guys like Taylor Goldsmith and John McCauley from their other bands, Dawes and Deer Tick respectively? The answer: you don’t. Dawes and Deer Tick will rotate through opening duties for Middle Brother, with select appearances by Jonny Corndawg (who also happens to appear on the supergroup’s eponymous debut). Sadly, the other Middle Brother, Matthew Vasquez, won’t be bringing his Delta Spirit brethren along. Let’s not get greedy, now.

For a preview of what a Middle Brother show looks like, check out the video below of the band performing “Me Me Me” at their second ever live performance, a benefit show for Invisible Children. We told you to check out the song just days ago, but now you can watch it, too. What, you still want more? Fine; click over to Partisan Records’ website for preview clips of their entire self-titled debut album, due out March 1st. Now be satisfied already. Savages….

Middle Brother 2011 Tour dates:
03/02 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/03 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
03/04 – Providence, RI @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
03/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
03/06 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
03/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
03/10 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
03/11 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
03/12 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
03/13 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
03/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
03/17 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
03/19 – Austin, TX @ SXSW

The indie folk supergroup now known as Middle Brother has given us another listen at their upcoming self-titled debut. The first taste of the band, consisting of Matthew Vasquez of Delta Spirit, Deer Tick frontman John McCauley, and Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith (with his brother Griffin providing percussion), was the downbeat and gloomy “Daydreaming.” This new one, “Me Me Me,” shows a completely different side of the group. From the get-go, distorted guitars and plucky, plinking keys provide a far more playful atmosphere. The track feels like it was improvised amongst the smells of beer and sweat of an old-time Southern dancehall dive. It just has that overtly fun feel, perhaps from juxtaposition with “Daydreaming”, perhaps from simply being a damn enjoyable tune. See for yourself, and check out the debut record from the project on March 1st.

Hat tip to Crawdaddy for audio support.