Music videos accomplish what has never been done before in the history of media: They make experimentation a commercial enterprise. They afford musicians, filmmakers, and multimedia artists the chance to have their craziest ideas not only produced, but shown to a large audience. What’s more, in the age of Internet video, indie productions are now on equal footing with million-dollar productions. There’s no visual medium more diverse or creative than music videos. Thirty years after the launch of MTV, the format is not only alive and well, but it’s matured, expanded, and become a part of our global culture. When The Beatles, and later Mike Nesmith, laid the foundation for what we’d come to know as a music video, could they possibly have known how big this concept would become?

The prevalence of online video has changed the way we watch movies, television… everything really. It’s not just the revolution that’s televised, but cute animals, skate tricks, accidents, celebrations, millions of memes in the making, and amidst all this chaos, brilliant, fun, and mind-altering visual art. On 1/11/11, we unveiled Cluster 1, a sister site to Consequence of Sound dedicated to filtering out the schlock and giving you only the best short films, animation, docs, and since we’re CoS, a ton of amazing music videos. In just under a year, we’ve posted over 1,000 of them, all handpicked.

Now, it comes to the task of choosing 25 of the best videos we’ve seen all year. These aren’t just the ones that moved us, blew our minds, or made us lol, but a selection embodying the year in videos. Fancy dancin’ Thom Yorke memed his way across the internet, Beyoncé changed outfits like a kerjillion times, Gaga became a man and a fish and then checked into a fashionable mental institution, and while those mega-stars shook the world at large, countless others were wowing the small screen, trending through Tumblr, and becoming secret sensations. We’ve got indie sci-fi from Russia, the most awe-inspiring NSFW video you’ve ever seen, demonic puppets, ’90s sitcom parodies, and so, so, so much more. This was a good year.

Each and every one of these videos is incredible. We hope you’re prepared. Just click forward. An audiovisual onslaught awaits you.

-Cap Blackard
Art Director/Executive Producer, Cluster 1

25. Gentlemen Drivers – “Valdor”

Catchy songs aren’t a problem for French electropop collective Gentlemen Drivers; party-thumping single “Valdor” certainly fits into that category. Its video, however, is a different breed beast. Think Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”, only set within a fake sitcom and featuring a Thanksgiving turkey that mutilates humans. Over the years, the Internet has stripped “bizarre” of its power. But sometimes, and this is rare, its true meaning bleeds through – literally and metaphorically, come to think of it. Here’s one such example. -Ted Maider

Director: Allen Cordell

24. Battles feat. Gary Numan - ”My Machines”

The Creators Project is a high-concept art initiative that’s been turning heads in the industry. So, when they decided to take on the music video for Battles’ “My Machines” and include guest vocalist Gary Numan, it was guaranteed to be an event. They didn’t disappoint. The video takes a thoughtless everyday activity (a man heads up an escalator with groceries) and combines it with an all-too-human fear of machines. Just what happens when an on/off switch doesn’t work? Who or what are we at the mercy of? As the horrific eye candy proceeds, the electronically driven rock of Battles adds to the impact and drama. With its slick look and clinical, high-contrast shooting style, “My Machines” leaves the viewer with a sense of unease and one incorrigible thought: Perhaps machines have more of an upper hand than we’d like to give them credit for. Creepy. -Karina Halle

Director: Daniels

23. Skrillex – “First of the Year (Equinox)”

There’s a skill in building up and destroying atmospheres. For Skrillex, it’s commonplace. In the Tony Truand-directed video for “First of the Year (Equinox)”, a similar feat is accomplished. What starts out as a creepy snapshot of pedophilia ends with something else entirely. As the dubstep artist shakes up the track, the music video does the same, reversing everything you thought might happen in seconds. In a word: sinister. In two words: very fitting. -Joe Marvilli

Director: Tony Truand

22. Com Truise – “Brokendate”

Will Joines directs this Blade Runner-esque film for Com Truise’s “Brokendate”, setting Seth Haley’s relentless, pulsating analog synths into Joines’s dystopian futurescape. This clip is dripping in nostalgia. In five minutes, Joines references a number of cinematic legacies from decades past—80s trench coat heroes, TRON-like retro-futurism, and VHS aesthetics—in his own neon-soaked noir, which casts the New Jersey producer as a shades-wearing, cigar-smoking, villainous mastermind. Cyber babes in dark lipstick wielding (quasi) threatening laser guns, glowing, wireframe pyramids on massive mainframes, dead bodies left to rot on the sidewalk—seems like the perfect visual corollary to Com Truise’s hazy synth odyssey. -Lainna Fader

Director: Will Joines

21. Rammstein – “Mein Land”

Industrial metal isn’t exactly a genre known for its sense of humor. Rammstein is the rare exception. For the release of their greatest hits LP, Made in Germany 1995-2011, the band members shuffled their cards once again, showing their playful side in “Mein Land”. The party kicks off in 1964 with the group engaging in a hilarious Beach Boys parody. There’s surfing, dancing, and even a Baywatch moment for singer Till Lindemann. Hands down the best juxtaposition of the year.  -Joe Marvilli

Director: Jonas Åkerlund

20. Biting Elbows – “The Stampede”

Music videos don’t always have to be rich with meaning (or girls with large posteriors). Sometimes, they can be silly and meaningless and still make an impact. Biting Elbows’ clip for “The Stampede”, simply titled “Insane Office Escape”, gained global attention for its minimalistic, yet genius, plot: Dude steals something from work, kicks heaps of ass to get out of said office, and finally makes his escape by, drumroll, magic. It’s stocked with over-the-top action, bad karate, and tongue-in-cheek humor galore. It’s the kind of fun, goofball clip that undoubtedly got some of us into music videos in the first place. Plus, who wouldn’t want to dropkick their boss in the neck some day? -Chris Coplan

Director: Ilya Naishuller

19. Polinski feat. Big Black Delta - “Stitches”

65daysofstatic’s Paul Wolinski knows how to make a splash with a solo record. As Polinski, his first solo record, Labyrinths, was preempted by one hell of a video for “Stitches”. Directed by Caspar and Josiah Newbolt with pixel art by John DeLucca, “Stitches” is an homage to the text-based video game adventures of yore… with a little bit of David Lynch thrown in, maybe even some Cronenberg. It’s a sci-fi detective story told in moody pixelated images and scrolling text. But “Stitches” doesn’t just take you into an old-school computer game; it takes you into the living room with Polinski. The entire video is framed in a television set, and the entire time, oh so very subtly, you can see Polinski playing the game in the reflection of the screen. It doesn’t get much cooler than this; it was our pleasure to unleash this video on the world. -Cap Blackard

Directors: Caspar Newbolt and Josiah Newbolt

18. Kate Bush – “Deeper Understanding”

At first glance, Kate Bush’s video for “Deeper Understanding” is rather off-putting. Why would someone with her profound wit shoot a near-literal interpretation of the track’s lyrics? Simple, to ease the viewer in. Bush directs this intimate, voyeuristic affair, working with sly camera work and quasi-realistic tones that offer this artificial, detached aesthetic. Themes of loneliness and connectivity run rampant here, focusing directly on the crossroads of technology and social interaction. Perhaps this video is so affecting because there’s so much to empathize with here. Pretty timely stuff. -Chris Coplan

Director: Kate Bush

17. Radiohead – “Lotus Flower”

People expect any new Radiohead album to be a game changer. We are to listen and contemplate Radiohead; we must understand the music. Yet, in the video for “Lotus Flower”, Thom Yorke reminds us that rock music is Dionysian rather than Apollonian, that he wants us to dance to his music. No longer the introverted auteur, Yorke shows a different side in a wild, unbridled, completely un-self-conscious celebration of the body. To all the young and hip kids who stand at a rock club leg-locked, take Yorke’s advice: It’s OK to dance. “Lotus Flower” also reinforces a frequent criticism of The King of Limbs: It sounds too much like a Yorke solo album. There is no band in this video. But Yorke has clearly amassed enough cultural capital to make a black-and-white video of him dancing in a warehouse, and it’s one of the year’s best. -Jake Cohen

Director: Garth Jennings

16. Miles Fisher – “New Romance”

If you grew up in the early ’90s, the first few seconds of Miles Fishers’ “New Romance” will be a delight. Its sublime parody of Saved by the Bell almost warrants a spot on this list by itself. But the fun doesn’t end there. While the fashion and styles may be retro, there’s a sick sense of dark humor underneath the bright colors. Directed by Dave Green, the whole thing feels like the next Final Destination entry, only seen through the eyes of John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray). Not exactly your average afternoon special, but who doesn’t love chaos? Plenty here. -Joe Marvilli

Director: Dave Green

15. Is Tropical – “The Greeks”

Kids say the darndest things. These days they also do the darndest things. Is Tropical’s video for “The Greeks” takes this idea to another level. In this Tarantino-esque clip, a neighborhood game of cops and robbers goes awry. Drug trafficking, torture, and terrorism follow, and it becomes apparent that the video is posing an important question for us to answer: What is the world preparing our youth for? “You only get what you give away,” as the song’s mantra goes. So true. While altogether a darkly comical video on the corruption of youth, it’s also a brilliant display of the power of imagination. Yikes. What does that say about us? -Summer Dunsmore

Director: Megaforce

14. Evelyn Evelyn – “Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn”

Despite a 100-year-long history of differing techniques, animation is still one of the most innovative fields in film today. The latest example is director Hoku Uchiyama’s groundbreaking video for Evelyn Evelyn. A cartoon image is drawn by the duo into a fogged-up glass window. From there, the visuals come alive and move through the panes, creating the story provided by the song’s lyrics. While it looks like the work could have been done on a laptop, the condensation is real. It took a few trials to get the lighting right, but the result is well worth any trouble. Innovative, outside the box, and just a little bit weird? Sounds like Evelyn Evelyn to us. -Joe Marvilli

Director: Hoku Uchiyama

13. Manchester Orchestra – “Simple Math”

They say life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die, and this autumn car accident depicted here may be the best representation of that. A tumultuous past spinning in and out of reality with just enough time to recollect moments that matter. These loopy camera shots and mumble-core (tumble-core?) lip-synching add a unique and memorable flair to this heartfelt trip through Andy Hull’s past. -Jeremy D. Larson

Director: Daniels

12. UNKLE feat. Nick Cave -  “Money and Run”

Rich men behave badly in UNKLE’s “Money and Run” video. Director Tom Haines mixes scenes of humor with horror in this short study of upper-class umbrage, from a tennis game gone wrong to vicious beatings in the street. Of all the violent vignettes, none is more strangely terrifying than the scene where a bare-assed man torments a cowering girl while wearing a Margaret Thatcher mask. Unsettling as they may be, they’re  disturbingly perfect visuals for Nick Cave’s urgent guest vocals. -Austin Trunick

Director: Tom Haines

11. Lady Gaga – “Marry the Night”

For the past two years, the music industry has dropped their jaws at Lady Gaga’s Alexander McQueen-shaped decadence, and that fascination has hardly subsided. With her 13-minute directorial effort, “Marry the Night”, Gaga assembled one of the most pretentious and over-sensationalized videos in recent memory. But, it wasn’t like she didn’t warn everyone. Prior to its release, Gaga told MTV, “This will be the longest video I’ve released to date… the beginning of the story I never told you.” In her mind, this untold story would be that of rejection, at least that’s what she told Alan Carr. It’s never that easy for pop stars, though. Instead, the video ended up being a metafictional parody of herself. Between the narration, the obvious aping of Madonna’s Desperately Seeking Susan, and the dolled-up dreams of a fashionista, Gaga assumes the role of the headline-grabbing drama queen. Here’s the question, though: Was this all intentional? Is this sensationalism intuitive? If so, it’s a pretty smart move on her part. It sort of harkens back to the early days of Eminem’s career, where he was so self-deprecating and self-aware that nobody could touch him. What’s there to even say? Checkmate, we guess. -Michael Roffman

Director: Lady Gaga

10. Fleet Foxes – “The Shrine/An Argument”

If you’re after a literal exposition of “The Shrine/An Argument”, you won’t find it in this video. Rather it’s a story in itself set to music that picks up on some of the song’s lyrical content but echoes more of its rhythms and cadences. The transitions in the song are expertly accentuated by rises and falls in the video narrative. The stop-motion animation technique used by director and co-animator Sean Pecknold (singer Robyn’s brother) lends a curious motion to the central stag-like character on his life-to-death journey. Think a slowed-down Mario in a video game. The film manages to be simultaneously heartwarming and unnerving, rich colors and surreal sunlight offering comfort bridged by a fear of global meltdown. It balances the beauty of nature with its raw bestiality alongside oddly homely, yet nightmarish, monsters. Form and content have rarely been better bedfellows in a music video. -Tony Hardy

Director: Sean Pecknold

9. Warm Ghost – “Open the Wormhole in Your Heart”

The directing team of Brandon LaGanke and John Carlucci at Holy Cow Films, along with Warm Ghost, present the human body as you’ve never seen it before. Think about this: Throughout art history, there is perhaps nothing that’s been so constant as observation of the human form. Despite all that time and all possible mediums, “Open the Worm Hole in Your Heart” offers something profoundly unique. It’s explicit, it’s chic, it’s powerful. Nude male and female bodies crawl, slide, and writhe over glass, distorting their shapes and textures. Oftentimes, you won’t be sure what body part you’re even looking at. Mix in some bubbling, black-lit neon liquids and the images meld together into a sensual human kaleidoscope. This year, Warm Ghost not only made a splash as an up-and-coming electronic act (e.g. their first full-length, Narrows, and performing at Moogfest) but also served as the progenitors of one of 2011′s first landmark videos. -Cap Blackard

Directors: Brandon LaGanke and John Carlucci

8. Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise”

It may not be to music videos what The Godfather Part II is to film, but “Make Some Noise” is about as clever as it gets for a 25-years-after-the-fact sequel. In case you’ve been cruising through time in your Back to the Future-immortalized DeLorean, it’s the continuation of the Beastie Boys’ apartment party-crashing MTV classic “Fight for Your Right”. But what makes it immediately stand out as one of the top videos of 2011 are all the cameo appearances, none of whom are manufactured reality stars looking to extend their 15 minutes of fame. “Make Some Noise” is a nonstop parade of A-listers who you genuinely wanted to be part of a humorous tribute to three formerly raucous and immature MC’s who are now the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. That or director Nathanial Hörnblowér must have a lot of incriminating photos. -Gilles LeBlanc

Director: MCA

7. OK Go – “All Is Not Lost”

Ever since running onto the scene on a bunch of treadmills back in 2006 (and winning a Grammy), OK Go have become renowned for their consistently quirky, inventive, and downright cool music videos. As well as the continuous shot and time-lapse, they’ve mastered the art of the Internet, using sites like YouTube to their fullest advantage. The clip for “All Is Not Lost” takes things to the next level by inviting user input to add a personal touch. The impeccably choreographed homemade kaleidoscope effect is impressive, but when viewed on Google Chrome, your own message can be added to the final scenes. What’s more, you can watch the messages of other viewers around the world for a truly international video experience. This one is also up for a Grammy, and should it win, it could give a whole new level of credence to the digital age. -Benjamin Kaye

Director: Trish Sie

6. Childish Gambino – “Bonfire”

Though his lyrics may be littered with witty obscenities and outlandish “too-soon” jokes (case in point: “Made the beat and murdered it, Casey Anthony”), Childish Gambino’s stellar new record, Camp, also grapples with the seriousness of racial identity in modern society. The “Bonfire” video, through its dark mise-en-scene, frenetic editing, and nightmarish plot, provides an art house glimpse into the warped current state of racial affairs, while offering a visceral commentary on America’s tumultuous past concerning these issues. Director Dan Eckman tastefully does so without being preachy, and Glover’s performance is strikingly convincing. At the end of the day, the video is a thought-provoking counterpart to a sometimes-ridiculous song, an emphatic aesthetic success, and yet another demonstration of Donald Glover’s unfaltering creative genius. -Caitlin Meyer

Director: Dan Eckman

5. Destroyer – “Kaputt”

Unlike past Destroyer releases, Dan Bejar’s Kaputt revved up everyone’s libidos and amplified our subconscious desire for seductive disco-jazz. Fittingly, the surreal ’80s-like visuals for the title track leave you feeling like you’re “chasing cocaine through the backrooms of the world all night.” Such images as a geeky computer nerd, an inexplicable flying whale, steamy Jazzercise dancers, and the cheesy choreography of desert dancers are key elements that lend a self-aware sense of humor to the fantastical world conveyed by director Dawn Garcia. And, just like the music videos of the ’80s, there’s no real, deep, hidden meaning to all of this. Indeed, “It all sounds like a dream to me.” -Brittany Flynn

Director: Dawn Garcia

4. Beyoncé – “Countdown”

With the video for “Countdown”, Beyoncé proves once again that even though she’s beyond successful in life, love, and career, it’s impossible to hate her. The flawless makeup and choreography coupled (yes, that was intentional) with calculatedly goofy facial expressions and dancing maintain the tenuous balance between idol Sasha Fierce and Bey, the girl next door. It proves to her audience that even though Beyoncé is rapidly ascending the celebrity ladder to an almost untouchable height, she’s just like any other girl who secretly wants to be Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. Furthermore, “Countdown”’s brightly colored American Apparel wardrobe and hip warehouse space—which are constantly advertised on our televisions, billboards, and Internet windows—along with the recently released Live at Roseland DVD package Beyoncé as an affordable lifestyle choice. And it works because you’re too busy trying to peep Bey’s baby bump to pay attention to the video’s subliminal advertising. -Harley Brown

Director: Adria Petty

3. St. Vincent – “Cruel”

Throughout her career as St. Vincent, Annie Clark has played with concepts of control and chaos, whether that means erupting into feedback-y guitar solos in the middle of a sharply orchestrated tune or, as in this video, playing such a solo while bound and gagged in the trunk of a sedan. Another familiar Clark topic is the flimsiness of gender roles, seen here as being kidnapped into suburban housewife-dom and eventually being buried alive. Throughout all the highbrow conceptualizing and dirt pileup, Clark remains cool, confident, stylishly dressed, and always ready to rock. The murderous, bespectacled, besweatered family seems like something out of a Wes Anderson nightmare, and Clark’s frazzled looks into the camera scream well-intentioned. The repeated, spinning camera shots of her backyard burial spliced with all of the should-be-wholesome weirdness makes this claustrophobic analysis of “normal” family life a perfect fit with Strange Mercy‘s combination of wit, austere beauty, and intricate simplicity. -Adam Kivel

Director: Terri Timely

2. Foo Fighters – “Walk”

No strangers to penning uplifting rock tunes, Foo Fighters buttoned up their latest LP, Wasting Light, with high hopes on sentimental closing track “Walk”. True to the Foo’s style, the group issued a silly pop video that’s become trademark for them (see: “Big Me”, “Learn to Fly”, this year’s “White Limo”). But, the video for “Walk” came off rather cinematic. Director Sam Jones parodies Joel Schumacher’s 90′s relic Falling Down, with Dave Grohl subbing for Michael Douglas’s iconic role. Anyone familiar with Grohl knows he’s hardly the serious type, and this video only adds to his comedic resume. As the Douglas character, Grohl struggles with an engulfing city — everything from messy traffic jams to pedantic employees. So, he goes nuts. Throughout, Grohl pummels people, he throws tantrums, and he even runs someone over with a golf cart. Blame it on the track, but there’s something oddly cathartic about it. It’s a hilarious escape. “Rock ‘n’ roll is a lifestyle and a way of thinking,” Jason Lee’s character says in Almost Famous. “But it’s a voice that says, ‘Here I am… and fuck you if you can’t understand me.’” That’s fully exemplified here. - David Buchanan

Director: Sam Jones

1. Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers”

As Tyler, The Creator raps, “Yonkers dropped and left them craniums mind-fucked.” Why? For some time now, rap videos haven’t been a representation of an artist, but more or less the products that sponsor them. Until 2011, the year OFWGKTA’s ruthless leader became prince of hip-hop, notorious rap videos flaunted the latest from Gucci and Cristal. They served not as an extension of an artist’s personality, but an obnoxious commercial. Then Tyler, The Creator informed us, “Fuck money, diamonds, and bitches/Don’t need them” in what became the most intriguing music video of 2011. Rather than popping champagne, Tyler exposed the true Odd Future swag that is pure, unadulterated evil. But no longer was rap about the rich man; this video was self-made and posted on Tyler’s YouTube account. It launched the group into success and proved something millions of people tend to believe: The Internet can make you a star. View Count: 31,811,321. Just an FYI. -Ted Maider

Director: Tyler, the Creator

While MUTEMATH may have captured the overall “beautiful swagger” mood of the three-day festival, plenty of the other 80+ acts brought different styles. Oakland, CA’s WALLPAPER. wasn’t afraid to turn the low end up and shake the foundation of the resort festival’s three hotel properties. The group’s two drummers exchanged battling drum beats while lead singer Ricky Reed traded spastic tribal dance moves with wild child singer Novena Carmel. That wasn’t the only dancing to be had. Earlier in the weekend, Dinosaur Feathers had audience members dancing about like happy muppets thanks to their simple-yet-smart ‘n catchy Brooklyn melodies. And by Sunday evening, Nico Vega laid down big ballad vocals, channeling Karen O and Florence Welsh over distorted octave riffs and DFA1979 style drums – no doubt a disastrous recipe for crowd control.

Photo by Toni Tronu

On the main stage, however, Big Boi and Manchester Orchestra had no problems flipping the genre switch on the crowd. While Big Boi was not touring with a wind section or multiple backup singers, he easily made DeLuna Fest remember its slogan, “America’s Original Beach Party.” Girls from the audience were pulled onto the massive stage, many of them only wearing bikinis, and danced like Notorious B.I.G. was holding open auditions for his new music video. Whereas Manchester Orchestra, coincidentally nearby locals of Big Boi (they’re both from ATL), followed after the sun had gone down, only to effortlessly show the crowd that big rock riffs and loud vocals can also make a crowd sway from side to side. Andy Hull’s voice translated wonderfully from the album to the live stage, and people who were not the biggest fans of the outfit simply exclaimed afterward that they “brought it.”

Other notable acts included The Parlotones, Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band, The Limousines, Stars, Cold War Kids and The Airborne Toxic Event. Having been in the industry for over a decade, South Africa’s The Parlotones are finally beginning to open America’s eyes to whatever is currently winning the rest of the world over. The eccentric post-punk quartet only added to the core positivity that DeLuna Fest tries effortfully to convey on paper. Though, they weren’t alone. Sets by Kevin Devine and Ra Ra Riot kept this feeling alive. Devine had open dialogue with front row audience members, and Ra Ra frontman Wes Miles took the time out of the set to repeatedly tell the audience the importance of hydration.

It’s a festival. A beach-side festival, no less. Naturally, there were some wild-eyed incidents. The Airborne Toxic Event claimed one of them. Mid set, lead singer Mikel Jollett climbed roughly 35 feet up a rafter and sang from atop the stage. While above, he mentioned that he felt like a swim, and did just that. He returned to ground level, threw off his boots and ran with about 40 audience members into the Gulf of Mexico while the band stretched out a melody. Again, more evidence that this festival strives to keep its mantra true.

Photo by Toni Tronu

But only one incident of many. Those with cameras had plenty of jaw-dropping memories to capture and take home. By weekend’s end: Girl Talk sprayed confetti into the night sky, Matt and Kim crowd surfed on audience members’ hands, Stars coated their crowd in rose pedals after almost every song, The Constellations poured drinks for each other on stage, Ghostland Observatory likely scared aliens away for another 100 years with their light show, and Rivers Cuomo danced atop protected sand dunes with a handful of daring audience members. In its second year now, DeLuna Fest finds itself amidst a wonderful identity crisis. It wants to be a music festival, but at its core, it’s really just one swingin’ party. Pensacola should be proud.

Gallery by Toni Tronu

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Between October 13th and 16th, DeLuna Fest 2011 hits the beautiful shores of Pensacola Beach, FL for a weekend of music from big-name acts like The Shins, Weezer, Cake, Jane’s Addiction, Cut Copy, Big Boi, Matt & Kim, Girl Talk, Cold War Kids, Manchester Orchestra, The Sounds, Airborne Toxic Event, New Pornographers, Stars, Wanda Jackson, Bettye LaVette, Kermit Ruffins, and more bands than there is sand on a beach. If spending a cold October weekend basking in the sun at the “first resort destination festival” in the country sounds like a welcomed respite, then you’re in luck: we’ve got a pair of passes that we’re just dying to give away. To get your pasty white hands on ‘em, all you need to do is:

–Follow us on Facebook or Twitter. We’ll forgive anyone who isn’t already subscribed to either.

– Then, in either a tweet, a wall post, or in the comment section below, tell us which band or act you’re most excited to see. Wanna dance the night away at Girl Talk? Maybe party like it’s 1994 with Jane’s Addiction? We want to know!

We’ll notify the winners early next week, which should be just enough time to get your body ready to wear a swimsuit.

Those not willing to depend on luck can get their tickets here; day passes are just $75, while three-day passes are going for $189.95. Or, just splurge on the VIP pass, which includes free drinks, premiere views, and VIP lounges, for a mere $800. Check out the entire lineup here, and stay tuned to our Festival Outlook page for more news and announcements. See ya in Florida!

Written during the final weeks of 2010 following an unrelenting tour schedule, the debut full-length of Atlanta’s O’Brother is an acknowlegement on how that time away from home affected them personally, including the strains on relationships with friends and family, the contradiction of touring versus home life, and the tension of developing as a collective. The outcome is Garden Window, an 11-track LP that blends the band’s many influences: the aggression of Deftones and Torche, soaring guitars of Britain’s Oceansize, a hopefulness in line with Sigur Rós, and an attempt at the emotional depth possessed by Radiohead and Thom Yorke.

To harness their energy, the band enlisted Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra to serve as producers, and hired Mike Sapone (Brand New, Public Enemy, Taking Back Sunday) to mix the final product. Ahead of the album’s November release date via Triple Crown Records/Favorite Gentlemen, the band is rolling out the lead single, “Machines Part -1″. The heavy, alt-rock track showcases the vocals of Tanner Merritt, the driving bottom end courtesy of bassist Anton Dang and drummer Michael Martens, and headbanging-worthy riffs of dual guitarists Johnny Dang and Aaron Wamack. Check it out below.

Leading up to the album’s release, O’Brother will spend time on the road with Thrice, Moving Mountains, and La Dispute. You can find their entire tour schedule, along with the album’s tracklist below.

Garden Window Tracklist:
01. Malum
02. Lo
03. Sputnik
04. Poison!
05. Lay Down
06. Easy Talk (Open Your Mouth)
07. Machines Part-I
08. Machines Part-II
09. Bear
10. Cleanse Me
11. Last Breath

O’Brother 2011 Tour Dates:
09/30 - Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café #
10/01 - Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee #
1o/03 - Dallas, TX @ The Door #
10/04 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s East #
10/05 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues #
10/07 – Ft. Lauderdale @ Revolution #
10/08 – Orlando, FL @ Beacham Theater #
10/09 – Atlanta, GA @  The Masquerade #
10/11 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle #
10/12 – Richmond, VA @ The National #
10/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory #
10/14 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom #
10/15 - Towson, MD @ The Recher Theater #
10/16 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza #
10/18 – Boston, MA @ Royale Night Club #
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda #
10/20 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theater #
10/21 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Zoo #
10/22 – Covington, KY @  Madison Theater #
10/23 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall #
10/25 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection #
10/26 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall #
10/27 – Chicago, IL @ Metro #
10/28 - Sauget, IL @ Pop’s #
10/29 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada #
10/30 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall #
11/01 – Magna, UT @ Saltair #
11/03 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox #
11/04 - Portland, OR @ Wonderland Ballroom #
11/05 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom #
11/06 - Sacremento, CA @ Ace Of Spades #
11/08 - Los Angeles, CA @ Mayan Theater #
11/09 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues #
11/10 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues #
11/11 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues #

# = w / Thrice, Moving Mountains and La Dispute

It might comes as a shock, but Atlanta is home to more than just Coca-Cola and the setting of a Futurama episode. It also boasts indie-rock poster children Manchester Orchestra.

The band is flying high right now, wrapping up supports for the likes of Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance. They’ve also managed to snag a couple MTV VMA nominations for their “Simple Math” music video (which you can watch below). Now, Manchester Orchestra is planning to hit the road on a fall tour in support of their terrific recent album Simple Math.

Sponsored by clothing store PacSun, the “PacTour” kicks off in Houston, TX on October 21st and runs until November 22nd in Orlando, FL. The Dear Hunter, White Denim and Little Hurricane will all provide support. Check out the complete tour schedule underneath the video.

Manchester Orchestra Fall 2011 Tour Dates:  
08/23 – Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater *
09/02 – Seattle, WA @ KNDD Fest
09/04 – Edmonton, AB @ Sonic Boom 2011
09/23 – Huntsville, AL @ Big Spring Jam
09/24 – Atlanta, GA @Music Midtown
10/02 – Bristol, UK @ Bristol Academy 2 **
10/03 – Glasgow, UK @ Glasgow O2 ABC **
10/04 – Birmingham, UK @ Birmingham HMV Institute Library **
10/05 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy 2 **
10/07 – London, UK @ London Koko **
10/21 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live ^#
10/22 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s ^#
10/23 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom ^#
10/25 – Tuscon, AZ @ Railto ^#
10/26 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues ^#
10/27 – Pomona, CA @ Glass House ^#
10/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom ^#
10/29 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom ^#
11/01 – Magna, UT @ Saltair ⁺⁺
11/02 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall ^##
11/04 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre ^##
11/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze ^##
11/07 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues ^##
11/08 – Detroit, MI @ Clutch Cargo’s ^##
11/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Zoo ^##
11/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory ^##
11/12 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^##
11/13 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre ^##
11/14 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ^##
11/16 – Richmond, VA @ The National ^##
11/17 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ^##
11/18 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos ^##
11/19 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom ^##
11/21 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution ^##
11/22 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues ^##

 * = w/ Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance
** = w/ The Xcerts
++ = w/ Thrice, White Denim & The Dear Hunter
# = w/ White Denim, The Dear Hunter and Little Hurricane
## = w/ White Denim and The Dear Hunter

Because of the quality of headliners Osheaga attracted in 2010, it necessitated an expansion to three full days, a move that proved to be an unqualified success. (Just ask the beer and merchandise vendors!) It was an eventful weekend. The vibe was off the charts, the food was great, beer was literally brought to you, there were spectacular fireworks, and there was even a wedding presided over by Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips. Remember what they say: Whatever happens in Montreal…ends up on Consequence of Sound! And the best part of all? Looks like Osheaga is here to stay – The 2012 edition is already scheduled for August 3rd-5th next year!

-Gilles Leblanc
Staff Writer

Friday, July 29th

Sweet Thing – Galaxie Tree Stage – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

Toronto pop rockers Sweet Thing got the sixth edition of the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival off to a flying start – Literally! Charismatic lead singer Owen Carrier seemed determined to fire up everyone gathered at the scenic Tree Stage for the long weekend ahead. He let some patrons up front shake his streamer-laden tambourine, and he also took a swig from a unsuspecting festivalgoer’s beer. I don’t think he left a tip, but here’s one from me to you… Check Sweet Thing out, especially the song “Change of Seasons”, recently featured in the trailer for Crazy, Stupid Love. -Gilles Leblanc

Kid Koala – BlackBerry River Stage – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

After Kid Cudi’s cancellation, due to illness the morning of the festival, the festival managed to find another Kid…albeit in a koala bear costume. “I am not Kid Cudi,” Kid Koala announced through some booing from the audience before he launched into a light DJ set. Due to the last minute booking of his performance, he didn’t have his laptop with him, forcing him to stick to old fashioned record spinning at the turntable. Vintage yet unsuccessful, leaving much of the crowd to dissipate. Oh well. -Stewart Wiseman

Lights – Sennheiser Green Stage – 4:20 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

Lights is the alias for Valerie Poxleitner, a lovely young girl from the same Northern Ontario town as Shania Twain. She plays cutesy electro pop with a tinge of guitar, which the young women not already at the main stage area for Eminem ate up. I don’t mean to accuse her of something like this, as she’s obviously talented, but it looked like her mic was on a bit too much of a fade at times, if you know what I mean (as in she MAY have been lip-synching). I caught her later happily posing for pictures at the artist’s entrance, so all is well as far as her fans are concerned! -Gilles Leblanc

The Knux – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 4:40 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

After a short DJ set, New Orleans’ own The Knux were welcomed to the stage with the crowd shouting “Knux! Knux! Knux! Knux!”. Oddly enough, the fanfare died down and festivalgoers remained rather stoic, despite suggestions by an energetic Krispy. But, here’s an act that’s different than many in the highly contested genre. For one, the members can fill in on instruments when they’re not rhyming. During “Capuccino”, Joey laid some guitar solos down that worked behind Krispy’s flow. It was this versatility that brought the crowd up again, and by the time they reached “Bang Bang”, their closer for the set, the crowd knew they were seeing quality rappers with a bright future to come. -Stewart Wiseman

Uncle Bad Touch – Galaxie Tree Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

No creepy, incestuous in-laws back at the Tree Stage, just some straightforward, honest-to-goodness garage rock by a band from Montreal titillatingly called Uncle Bad Touch. With a healthy dose of Led Zeppelin thrown in. Not only that, two of their four members are female, including a tambourine player named Julia who was making her debut with them. And I found out from singer/bassist ‘Mikey’ that they’re coming to Toronto in a few weeks to play a free show with Parlovr – Formidable! -Gilles Leblanc

Charles Bradley – BlackBerry River Stage – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

At 63 years old, it’s a wonder why Charles Bradley wasn’t discovered earlier. At Osheaga, the new legend performed one of the most beloved sets of the weekend, and songs like the soul stirring “This World (Is Going Up In Flames)” had the whole audience grooving along. The good vibes carried out until the end, when Bradley finished his set with a surprise cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”, reworked in an unimaginable soul comb over. That sent the Canadians over the edge – but also Bradley himself. The grateful look in his eyes hinted that he’s finally found his place in music: amongst the great soul voices of our time. -Stewart Wiseman

Broken Social Scene – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 6:10 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

The Canadian indie-rock pioneers attracted the first big crowd of the day, and vocalist Kevin Drew thanked Montreal for how well they’ve been treated over the last 10 years, stating how the band can always depend on the city to be there for them. Opening with “KC Accidental”, Broken Social Scene bled out their trademark raw energy, issuing solid cuts of “Forced to Love”, “Texico Bitches”, and a cover of Modest Mouse’s “The World At Large”. A couple of surprises, though. For “Almost Crimes” (off 2002′s You Forgot It in the People), Brendan Canning invited local singer Arielle Engle to join in for the biggest rocker of the set. And while “World Sick” didn’t make the 50 minute set, they did throw in “Meet Me in the Basement”, performed by not so much a band but better yet a tight family that maintains a very healthy relationship. -Stewart Wiseman

Bran Van 3000 – BlackBerry River Stage –  7:05 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

With Kid Cudi withdrawing due to illness, recently reunited Montreal collective Bran Van 3000 moved up a slot. It became somehow appropriate that they followed Broken Social Scene, as you could argue that they were the late-’90s precursor to BSS’ formation in Toronto, only more electronic. When telling other music fans that I was going to Osheaga, I was surprised to hear how many people not only remembered BV3, but wished they could come with me to hear songs like “Drinking in L.A.” (from their 1997 album Glee). Newer stuff from their 2010 comeback The Garden was very well received too, namely “Grace (Love on the Block)” and “Jahrusalem”, which incorporate rapping/hip hop along with costumes on stage. One girl dressed up like a peacock! -Gilles Leblanc

Joseph Arthur – Sennheiser Green Stage – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

So it didn’t draw the most, but Joseph Arthur held quite an intimate evening set. The Akron, OH folk singer started the block in nontraditional fashion – by painting. After finishing a modernist Picasso-esque piece, Arthur turned to his band of foot pedals, and swam about in his sea of loops. As much as the crowd asked him to play “Into the Sun”, he never touched it and stuck mainly to material from his latest effort, Graduation Ceremony. Lyrical lessons arrived in the form of “Black Lexus” and “Honey and the Moon”, the latter highlighting his essential strengths of providing words of wisdom via poetry. Where else would you see a spoken word piece involving oil paints? -Stewart Wiseman

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Galaxie Tree Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

Another Canadian draw, The Rural Alberta Advantage (RAA) took to one of the festival’s smallest stages, which in turn produced the most excited (and packed in) audience of the day. Travelers from all over – Calgary and St. Johns, to name a couple – arrived to see the group. So appreciative this crowd was – the last time RAA performed at Osheaga was ’09 – that at moments, the die-hards sang louder than singer Nils Edenloff. Still supporting their latest effort, 2011′s Departing, the set was quite heavy with newer material, with one standout being “Tornado 87″, thanks to its irresistibly catchy chorus. A key to the band’s success is their wide range of sounds. From the beautiful “In the Summertime” in which Amy Cole and Nils Edenloff traded vocals, to the rocking finale “The Deathbridge In Lethbridge” where drummer Paul Banwatt was at his best. Because of this, the RAA are a band loaded with songs for every musical taste, and their performance on Friday night was only a glimpse into what’s to come. -Stewart Wiseman

Janelle Monáe – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 8:05 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

Janelle Monáe didn’t just take advantage of the huge crowd waiting for Eminem; she knocked a home run right out of Parc Jean-Drapeau and into the Saint Lawrence River with a performance that had Montreal raving about her so much, she became a trending topic on Twitter. It was funky to the max, energetic beyond belief, and boundlessly creative. With her backing band sharply decked out in varying degrees of black and white, Monáe entered fully covered in a cloak accompanied by two similarly dressed “druids” before shedding her garment and launching into “Dance or Die” off her breakthrough album The ArchAndroid. We got her hits “Cold War” and “Tightrope” back-to-back, as well as an absolutely KILLER cover of “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5. We even got to see her artistic side as she painted an impromptu picture in glitter during instrumental parts of songs. -Gilles Leblanc

Eminem – BlackBerry River Stage –  9:20 p.m.

One word heard all night Friday during Eminem’s return to Canada as a headliner was « malade. » Translated, it means sick, with a similar meaning to how English-speaking kids use it today slang-wise, only more amplified, more frenzied. Yeah, I’d say it’s a suitable way to characterize the Osheaga-record throng of 38,000 ‘hip hop heads’ who came to see Mr. Mathers before he hits Chicago for the 20th anniversary of Lollapalooza. Eminem sure wasn’t afraid to play up that we were witnessing something historic, from the dramatic opening video to the hard road he’s been on that led to his latest chart toppers Relapse and Recovery, pausing occasionally to remind Montreal how much he’s missed the city.

Photo by Bobby Foley

I don’t know about momentous, but there were an abundance of highlights – Royce da 5’9” made a guest appearance for “Fast Lane” and “Lighters” (Em even wore a white Bad Meets Evil T-shirt to commemorate the occasion). There were tributes to 2Pac and Nate Dogg. But the biggest cheers were saved for Eminem’s greatest hits medley, where he rapped a verse from each of “My Name Is”, “The Real Slim Shady”, and “Without Me”. That is until everyone lost their collective $#!% when they heard the riff to ‘Lose Yourself’ after a short encore break. An explosive finish to a stellar Day 1 of Osheaga! -Gilles Leblanc

Saturday, July 30th

The 222s – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

The thing that was maybe most impressive about Osheaga in 2011 was how receptive the crowds were to so many bands, even The 222s, who were probably NEVER up this early back in their late-1970s punk prime. Hailed back then as one of the genre’s first ever bands from Quebec, they reformed last year for North by Northeast, but this was their debut at a fest like Osheaga. And it doesn’t look like this will be just another one-off, as they had people bopping their heads to their fun fun fun Ramones-indebted songs like ‘I Love Suzan.’ -Gilles Leblanc

The Midway State – BlackBerry River Stage –  1:30 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

Montreal and Toronto aren’t always the best of friends, for reasons that extend far beyond music. The “Centre of the Universe”, as Toronto is sometimes called derogatively outside its borders, actually had quite a heavy presence at Osheaga 2011, including alt-rockers The Midway State. They just released their second album, Paris or India, a couple of weeks ago, and were in full showcase mode Saturday afternoon. By the reaction new tracks like “Alive”, “Fire!”, and “Lightning” got when they were played, it was as if a busload of Torontonians had made the 6+ hour trip to the festival…and encouraged everyone else to cheer them on! -Gilles Leblanc

Manchester Orchestra – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

“I took French for seven years and failed every year of it,” frontman Andy Hull announced to an adoring crowd. Luckily, he didn’t need his French skills to communicate to the French speaking crowd; from the first strum of his guitar the crowd was already into it. Atlanta, GA’s Manchester Orchestra knocked out 40 minutes of catchy pop-rock. With vocals that ranged from soft-spoken to aggressive rage, Andy Hull made the crowd familiar with his music, which seemed fitting given that the first time they played in Montreal there were only 18 people in the crowd. “Shake It Out” turned things up a notch, building a chin dance from the crowd. All in all, a very surprisingly enjoyable set. -Stewart Wiseman

The High Dials – Galaxie Tree Stage – 2:10 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

In need of some shade after being out in the open and exposed directly to the sun, I headed to the comfortable Tree Stage for the first time Saturday to take note of The High Dials from Montreal. They didn’t help cool me off much, as their psychedelic rock-meets-power pop got bodies working up a sweat, and when their saxophone-playing friend joined them for a handful of songs, forget about it! And I must say, they also had the most radical-looking amplifier case of anyone I covered at Osheaga, as it was littered with stickers of admirable bands like The Kills and Franz Ferdinand as well as places they’ve conceivably travelled to in the relatively short time they’ve been together. -Gilles Leblanc

Hey Rosetta! – BlackBerry River Stage –  2:40 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

Hey Rosetta! has been receiving more and more attention as of late, and their set at Osheaga helped them win over many new fans. The folk-rockers from Newfoundland mainly played songs off their latest LP Seeds, and proved to the audience why they were put on the Polaris Prize short list. The crowd picked up “Yer Spring” relatively quickly, and echoed the line “I’m going up!” along with vocalist Tim Baker for the song’s entirety. Smiles were apparent on the faces of many in the crowd, and it seems that Hey Rosetta!’s music has a way of lifting the spirits of a whole audience. This was quite apparent when the band closed with a cover of The Constantines’ “Do What You Can Do”, an anthem about doing more to help others, which Hey Rosetta! definitely did on Saturday by helping make Osheaga a memorable event. -Stewart Wiseman

Mother Mother – Galaxie Tree Stage – 3:10 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

After taking a quick beer break, I was amazed by how many more people were now at the Tree Stage in anticipation of Vancouver’s Mother Mother. Once mohawk sporting singer/guitarist Ryan Guldemond and the rest of his band got going, it was easy to see what all the fuss is about. I don’t know if the same holds true for the rest of the country, but these guys (and two girls, including Ryan’s sister Molly) are gaining a lot of steam in Toronto – Two songs from their 2011 album Eureka, “The Stand” and “Baby Don’t Dance”, have been getting significant airplay on modern rock radio station 102.1 The Edge, and they’re booked to playSound Academy this September. -Gilles Leblanc

Tokyo Police Club - Budweiser Mountain Stage – 3:20 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

Over 40 minutes, vocalist and bassist David Monks’ high-energy antics kept the crowd in line, which happened to be the first great gathering of Saturday. Pulling from 2008′s Elephant Shell and 2010′s Champ, the Canadian outfit received the best response from earlier work, especially the tender “Tessellate” and “Nature of the Experiment”. In a smart move, they closed their set with the very fitting “Your English Is Good”, a song which united the voices of the French and English speaking people into one universal language. Much has changed here, and for the good. -Stewart Wiseman

John Butler Trio – BlackBerry River Stage –  4:00 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

I learned at Osheaga that Australia’s John Butler Trio have some pretty hardcore Canadian fans. They were the only band I can remember where people brought handmade signs for them – One in particular was from a “Sheila” claiming she had trekked all the way from Vancouver (nearly 5,000 kilometres, or 3,000 miles) JUST to see them!  I also learned that the John Butler Trio were one of the more rocking bands at Osheaga; when Butler himself wasn’t getting’ down and bluesy with his lap slide guitar, he was kickin’ up a proverbial storm playing banjo-fuelled bluesgrass. An easy highlight of the entire weekend for me. -Gilles Leblanc

Sam Roberts Band – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 4:50 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

When Arcade Fire headlined Osheaga in 2010, it showed how powerful the Montreal crowd can get supporting a major hometown act, and that’s exactly what happened when Sam Roberts and crew hit the stage. The much anticipated set started with the heavy hitting “I Feel You”, off his recent critically acclaimed effort Collider, and from there the crowd just continued to ignite. His first performance at home, at least in support of his latest LP, Roberts worked with a devoted following, which altogether felt more or less like a homecoming. As a result, he brought out some close friends, including Elizabeth Powell (lead singer of Land of Talk), who performed backup vocals on “Longitude”, and renown Montreal sax man Chet Doxas who joined Roberts’ brass section. To close out the set, Roberts shouted to the audience, “On va chanter ensemble mes amis,” before kicking into “Brotherdown”. In any other festival in the States, Sam Roberts might just be a second thought on a festival lineup; but in Montreal he was one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend. -Stewart Wiseman

PS I Love You – Galaxie Tree Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

PS I Love You are rapidly becoming the type of band you don’t ever get tired of seeing live, as something memorable is always bound to happen. When I saw them a little over a month ago at NXNE, Paul Saulnier and drummer Ben Nelson blew out an amp by the sheer force of their rawk. At Osheaga, Saulnier ‘only’ broke a string off his guitar, but he hardly bat an eye as he was too busy trying not to bite his protruding tongue. He also showed a good deal of wit, saying things like, “Don’t cheer, I’m just the roadie,” and “We’re PS I Love You, and we only have 12 minutes left.” I foresee big, big things for these Kingston boys. -Gilles Leblanc

Lupe Fiasco- Budweiser Mountain Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

After a day chock full of rap and hip hop, Lupe Fiasco had all of Saturday to own the genre. Chicago’s finer export kicked off with “Shining Down” which saw him parade around the stage in glory. Unlike some other acts, Fiasco didn’t need to try hard to pump up the crowd, as they were ready and willing to party. Where many rappers rely on beats to accompany their music, Fiasco’s band blended rock sounds with his rhymes in a surprisingly good combination. Things got weird halfway through his set, however, when Fiasco went on an anti-American rant that had many scratching their heads instead of cheering, but then again this is the same rapper who labeled President Barack Obama as “the biggest terrorist”.  Oh well. Closing with his biggest hit “The Show Goes On”, Fiasco brought the energy back and the party started once more. No new fans per se, but those who turned out had a blast. -Stewart Wiseman

Death from Above 1979 – BlackBerry River Stage –  7:25 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

Having seen Death from Above 1979 less than two weeks before at the Quebec City Summer Festival, I didn’t think they could get much more intense, but they may have actually topped what drummer/singer Sebastien Grainger himself called the best show so far on their reunion tour. The mosh pit at the main stage bordered on the insane, but what was even crazier (yet infinitely cool), was how several of Grainger’s friends in music, such as Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Jimmy Shaw from Metric (who he owns a recording studio in Toronto with), came out to support him and Jesse F. Keeler from down in front, in the photographer’s area, as opposed to side stage. -Gilles Leblanc

Ratatat – Sennheiser Green Stage – 8:15 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

A friend of mine who’s more well versed in electronica than yours truly insisted I see Ratatat, touting them as the “American Daft Punk.” I don’t know if I agree entirely with his declaration, but I’ll give Ratatat this: They know how to draw a crowd and throw a heck of a unique dance party, complete with a glassy, monolith-shaped projection system to add to everyone’s, um, trip! Dope, hand waving beats from mastermind producer Evan Mast were accentuated by bendy guitarist Mike Stroud. They were fun, but the festivities at the Green Stage would only get louder and more penetratingly pulsating as the weekend wore on… -Gilles Leblanc

Bright Eyes – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 8:15 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

To follow Fiasco’s fiesta was a little unfortunate for Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes. As a result, he arrived to a much smaller crowd, though this didn’t affect the band’s performance at all. Opening with “Four Winds”, the female-heavy audience serenaded Oberst with his own lyrics; a trend which continued throughout most of the night. “Poison Oak” started out soft and mellow, like the majority of Bright Eyes songs, but had an emotional climb towards the end of the song, building up higher and higher and making it one of the highlights from their set. “The Calendar Hung Itself” was a particularly dark and moody number, contrasting slightly with the other more upbeat songs. Performing closing duties, “One for You, One for Me” rang loud as a perfect anthem and one of the best of the night, leaving their many fans with a message of endearing hope. Much needed today. -Stewart Wiseman

Elvis Costello & the Imposters – BlackBerry River Stage –  9:20 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

The second night of Osheaga was, er, a bit of an anomaly compared to the rest of the festival. Once the carnage had subsided following Death from Above 1979, it was time for Elvis Costello’s carnival to roll into town; he even brought a go-go dancer and strongman scale. (The “Hammer of Songs.”) Unfortunately for the 40 year music veteran, the assembled masses couldn’t have been more indifferent – At best, it was maybe a quarter of the size of Eminem’s audience from Friday. Not much of a ‘mass’ by any means. And that’s a shame, because it’s not like he didn’t belong there; his “Watching the Detectives”, “Everyday I Write the Book”, “Alison”, “Radio Radio”, “Bedlam”, “I Want You”, “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea”, and “Clubland” all form the basis of present-day alternative rock. And he gave it his all, too. Those who were there will tell you they had a rollicking good time. I felt bad for ol’ Elvis, but that said, I still left before his encore to see the end of Fucked Up’s set at the Tree Stage. Any guilt I may have been feeling went away rather quickly when Damian Abraham presented Sebastien Grainger as a special guest to ‘sing’ a F’ed Up song with him and do some crowd surfing among his francophone peeps! -Gilles Leblanc

Fucked Up – Galaxie Tree Stage – 10:10 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

At a festival where most of the people could be labeled as pot-smoking hippies, the Fucked Up crowd of punks and hardcore fans was a rare sight. After Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham brought out his son for an appearance, the band arrived too and wasted no time in getting the crowd psyched up, starting with “Queen of Hearts”. The song didn’t even start yet before Abraham was interacting with all his fans from the photo pit, and it only took two songs for him to lose his shirt, crowd surf, and join the romping mosh pit. Naturally, Osheaga sent their toughest security guards to work this set, and they were the busiest they had to be all festival. Admittedly, the messages in these songs can often be lost due to the loud nature of the show, but Fucked Up has put together some great love songs, which is often a challenge for hardcore bands. Of course, that’s the last thing anyone’s thinking about while they’re performing, but on record, especially their latest LP,  David Comes To Life, it’s something to always consider. There’s much more to this shirtless maniac than what meets the eye. -Stewart Wiseman

Sunday, July 31st

Elephant Stone – Galaxie Tree Stage – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

After everything that had happened at Osheaga over its first two days, it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least to have heard someone on the Montreal Metro say, “You know what this festival REALLY needs? A band to seriously rock a SITAR!” Enter Elephant Stone, the brainchild of Rishi Dhir, a former member of The High Dials, who of course played the day before. There are sonic similarities between the two competing groups, but where Elephant Stone takes psychedelia to a new level is when Dhir stretches barefoot on a raised area to jam with his Indian imported instrument. Groovy, man! -Gilles Leblanc

The Sheepdogs -Budweisier Mountain Stage – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

The Sheepdogs cracked open Sunday with some good old fashioned rock and roll. The Saskatoon natives have been making the rounds, thanks to their fame via Rolling Stone, but they back up the words on print. Ewan Currie is everything a rock and roll frontman should be: great voice, works with the country rocker look, and enjoys cold beer for breakfast. Musically, it’s just as picture perfect. Country rocker “I Don’t Know” sounds like it came straight out of the 1970’s, with Currie and bassist Ryan Gullen trading vocals, while a song like “Southern Dreaming”, specifically that guitar hook, kept the crowd awake and dancing. Good things to come. -Stewart Wiseman

Typhoon – BlackBerry River Stage –  1:30 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

No, not every indie musical ensemble who prominently feature string and horn arrangements in the 2000s are Arcade Fire rip-offs. (Or is that Shark Attack now?) But when you play the same stage as they did the year before, in their hometown no less, there are bound to be comparisons. Portland, Oregon’s Typhoon didn’t make anyone at Osheaga forget who Arcade Fire is; however, they definitely won themselves some new fans with their determination to make it to the festival combined with outstanding musicianship. Anyone with dueling drum kits is worth a listen! -Gilles Leblanc

An Horse – Sennheiser Green Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

Seeing all these different instruments producing such great sounds, I was taken aback somewhat to discover Australia’s An Horse are only a two-person band who probably would have fit in better yesterday. At first glance, I guess you could call them a “reverse White Stripes,” as there’s a girl named Kate Cooper on guitar and Damon Cox on drums (Sex = Male). I found them slightly underwhelming; if anything, they made me yearn for The White Stripes even more…or at least The Raconteurs. Sorry to digress, but I’d like to ask the Osheaga organizers to book Jack White, Brendan Benson and company for next year’s festival. Now! -Gilles Leblanc

Eels – BlackBerry River Stage –  2:50 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

The enigmatic Mark Oliver Everett brought his bearded Eels to Montreal for one of the more anticipated slots of the Osheaga Festival. He looked to be ecstatic to be there, high fiving bandmates after songs and yelling nonsensical things like “We did it!” Focusing mainly on his recent Eels album trilogy (Hombre Loco, End Times and Tomorrow Morning), I’d say it was a triumphant return to Canada for the man simply known as E – It rocked, it was soulful in a Blues Brothers kind of way, and it was plenty weird, but we’ve come to expect that from him since Beautiful Freak introduced us to E’s world in 1996. And I think he was the only artist to express his love for poutine. And maple glazed donuts, apparently! -Gilles Leblanc

The Sounds – Budweiser Mountain Stage –  3:30 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

Does anyone reading know the Swedish equivalent for “Damn?!”As in “Damn, are The Sounds ever awesome!” Considerably more rocking than ABBA, but not quite as punkish as The Hives…I think the majority of people at the Budweiser Stage would concur with me that their “new” New Wave was just right for Osheaga. I KNOW a lot of red (and white)-blooded males in the audience were transfixed on sexy Sounds lead singer Maja Ivarsson. And I know it got awfully hot in Montreal that weekend, but those little black bicycle shorts she was wearing? All I can say is…DAMN! (Or is that jävla?!) -Gilles Leblanc

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Sennheiser Green Stage – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

As luck would have it, my feet were hurting pretty bad by the time New York City’s The Pains of Being Pure at Heart took to Osheaga’s Green Stage. It didn’t take long for them to be joined by my ears, but in the best manner possible. Their driving, all-out guitar assault was pure bliss to me. I can see why their album Belong has been so highly regarded this year. I must look into this “Nu Gaze” movement more, as I definitely heard echoes of NYC’s own Sonic Youth, Gish and Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins, and My Bloody Valentine. I especially found it cool how singer Kip Berman even stopped at one point to acknowledge someone wearing a MBV T-shirt. -Gilles Leblanc

Cypress Hill – BlackBerry River Stage – 4:20 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

Sunday saw a fun, nostalgic site: Cypress Hill. Whether it was intentional or not remains to be seen, but the veteran hip hop stars performed at 4:20 p.m. and naturally the smell of weed was inescapable near the stage.  With the exception of The Flaming Lips, the West Coast rappers attracted the biggest crowd of the day and they were definitely the most adrenalized. B-Real started the set with a short freestyle before calling on Sen Dog to join with him on “Shoot ‘Em Up”, which had fans making finger guns in the air. “Are you fucking high right now?” B-Real asked the crowd to mass applause, edging them on to smoke more and more. By the time the set ended with “Rock Superstar”, it was hard to find one person in the front row whose eyes weren’t bloodshot, a mission accomplished for Cypress Hill. -Stewart Wiseman

Viva Brother – Galaxie Tree Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

A music festival just doesn’t seem complete without some flair and flavor from the UK. Thank goodness latest buzz band Viva Brother made the trip to Canada. They describe their sound as “Gritpop”, or a grittier version of mid-’90s Britpop as practiced by Blur and Oasis. Speaking of Oasis, if you were to tell me Viva Brother frontman Leonard Newell was a relative of the Gallaghers, I’d probably believe you. His eyes also seem to have a bit of a Thom Yorke ‘droop’ to them; if that’s not a perfect pedigree for rock ’n’ roll success, I’m not sure what is. If that wasn’t enough, they had someone in a full-blown gorilla suit (and Viva Brother T-shirt) show up at their Osheaga set and bounce nonstop with their arms in the air! -Gilles Leblanc

Beirut – BlackBerry River Stage – 5:50 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

“It’s great to be back in the land of poutine,” vocalist Zach Condon joked early in the set, before speaking to the crowd in surprisingly good French. Beirut’s music was able to put all the festival goers under a trance, creating a relaxing atmosphere for the evening set. “Nantes” had the entire crowd clapping and cheering along from the moment Condon raised his trumpet. Zach Condon’s a talented multi-instrumentalist, but bad luck hit him when his ukulele’s sound failed to be picked up across the speaker system. After trying a few times, he decided to give up and move onto “Scenic World” which literally moved the audience. Overall, the combination of poetic lyrics and rousing horns won over the crowd, and Beirut’s set was spoken about for the rest of the evening. -Stewart Wiseman

City and Colour – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 6:35 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

City and Colour started their performance with “Sleeping Sickness”, welcomed by cheers from the crowd, which only grew louder when Dallas Green invited Tragically Hip vocalist Gordon Downie to the stage to sing a verse. Alexisonfire and City and Colour could not be further apart musically, and the introspective music had the crowd pleased and clapping on songs like “Weightless” and “Fragile Bird” from this year’s release, Little Hell. The set wrapped up not long after that with “Sometimes (I Wish)”, leaving fans disappointed as the band only played 30 minutes of the 50 that they were supposed to play before the delays. (Fans that caught Toronto’s critically acclaimed rapper Shad’s set at 8:00 were treated to a surprise in his opener, as he brought out Dallas Green to sing the chorus to his song “Live Forever”.) To make up for their short set, City and Colour promised to be back in Montreal soon for a full length concert; leaving their many faithful waiting for the day where they can enjoy Green’s poetry once again. -Stewart Wiseman

White Lies – Sennheiser Green Stage – 6:55 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

White Lies’ Harry McVeigh struck me as having an amazing beautiful ‘alternative’ singing voice, reminiscent of Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode. They have some downright gloomy sounding songs and lyrics (i.e. “Holy Ghost”, “Death”, and debut album To Lose My Life), yet I found them fairly pedestrian, almost gentlemanly, especially compared to the rougher-around-the-edges Viva Brother. I loved how they joked about this fact, saying how while it may have looked like they were crying occasionally, they were actually sweating. Polite like Coldplay, but with more underground indie credibility…for now! -Gilles Leblanc

The Tragically Hip – BlackBerry River Stage – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

It’s hard to watch The Tragically Hip and not solely focus on Gord Downie running around the stage with odd-ball antics, apparent right from the start on opener “Grace, Too”. Too much time is often spent watching Downie, that the guys behind him actually making the music are left under-appreciated, but guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker were superb at their craft and were critical in the great performance The Tragically Hip put on. Songs like “Bobcaygeon” and “New Orleans Is Sinking” had the entire crowd roaring the lyrics back at the band; a true testament to how influential The Tragically Hip have been for almost three decades in shaping the sound of Canadian music. The band closed with the rocker “Little Bones” that lifted the spirits of the entire crowd, many of whom came to the festival for the sole purpose of seeing the Hip; and by the end of the set everyone knew why The Tragically Hip will go down as Canadian legends. -Stewart Wiseman

Crystal Castles – Sennheiser Green Stage – 8:15 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

It’s not that I don’t or can’t appreciate club-style electronica at a rock festival – I think it’s brilliant that Osheaga has the Piknic Electronik as a place for people to dance or chill out. That said, I don’t think I’m the only one who doesn’t ‘get’ Crystal Castles’ strobe-flashing, seizure-inducing live show. Seriously, why does Alice Glass have a mic? It’s not like we can ever make out what she’s singing, and she doesn’t really add much else other than inciting crowds even further by jumping into the sea of bodies to surf. Security didn’t like how her actions inspired some to climb trees either. They did end with their cover of The Cure’s “Not in Love”, even though it took us all a minute to recognize it because of all the distortion. -Gilles Leblanc

Death Cab For Cutie – Budweiser Mountain Stage – 8:25 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

For a band coming out of Washington state, the pressure is always there to match up to other local greats like Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, and Pearl Jam. For 10 years and counting, Death Cab for Cutie has managed to rise to fame without the roaring rock ‘n’ roll, commanding a devout legion of fans, all of whom can recite any of their lyrics in their sleep. This extends out into Canada, of course. After an extended intro that saw Ben Gibbard go from guitar to piano, “I Will Possess Your Heart” launched the group into a slightly erratic set. Two songs into their performance, Ben Gibbard’s guitar started acting up on him, and after replacing it with another guitar that wasn’t working, he showed his professionalism when he sat down at the edge of the stage to serenade his loving fans instead of stopping the entire song. Favorites like “Soul Meets Body or “The Sound of Settling” worked well, but so did new single “You Are a Tourist”. Technical problems aside, the gig was a joy. -Stewart Wiseman

The Flaming Lips – BlackBerry Stage – 9:25 p.m.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

Before The Flaming Lips started their festival closing performance, frontman Wayne Coyne advised the audience about his strong strobe lights and to be careful with his giant space bubble; but what he should have warned the crowd about was that his performance may induce acid trips. Right from the very beginning with the band members walking out of an illusionary door in an LED screen, the audience knew they were experiencing perhaps the most jaw-dropping rock show they’ll ever see. Coyne eagerly anticipated this performance and told the crowd that he last played Osheaga in 2006, and that Osheaga is not just one of the greatest festivals in Canada, but is one of the greatest in the entire world.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

Alongside a cast of characters dolled up a la Wizard of Oz, Coyne & Co. rolled out their 1999 masterpiece The Soft Bulletin in full (with the exception of “Buggin’”) to a crowd that may not have been familiar with their work, but who knew theatrics when they saw it (this is the city where Cirque du Soleil was born after all). Halfway through the performance, however, Coyne (looking truly emotional) told the crowd that sometimes this album has the power to “fuck him up” and that this may be the last time that anyone ever sees it performed in full live. This would be a shame, especially since it builds to quite the climax. The end of the album is just electric, and on Sunday, “The Spiderbite Song” attracted cheers from all who were there to witness the end to a great weekend at Osheaga 2011.

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

Before finishing his set, though, Coyne called upon one of his many Dorothy’s and another man dressed as the Cowardly Lion for a wedding ceremony. Coyne announced that the two were from Calgary and that they met at Osheaga that morning, took 10 hits of acid each, and then decided to get married. “With all the power vested in me by the universe, The Flaming Lips, Montreal, and LSD; I now pronounce you man and wife!” Coyne proclaimed for the new happy couple, before launching into “Do You Realize??” -the last song of the set. Now, how were you planning to get married again? -Stewart Wiseman

MSTRKRFT – Sennheiser Green Stage – 9:50 p.m.

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

There’s no use trying to review MSTRKRFT’s DJ set other than they altered the entire space near the Green Stage into the biggest rave I’ve ever seen! Standing side-by-side at an oversized steel table, donning headphones occasionally but always with a smoke in their mouths it seemed, DFA 1979’s Jesse F. Keeler and his longtime friend Al-P pushed the sardine squished crowd to a veritable fever pitch with their high-speed, aggressive, bone-rattling rhythms. It was an unconventional way for anyone with leftover energy to get themselves tired and ready for a long sleep after a weekend unlike any other, but hey, it worked for me! -Gilles Leblanc

The Culture of Osheaga

Gallery by Gilles Leblanc and Stewart Wiseman

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New Jersey is responsible for a lot of great music. Bruce Springsteen. George Clinton. Frank Sinatra. DJ Pauly D. These and a plethora of other big names have made The Garden State a place for outstanding music. Now, up and comers The Static Jacks hope to add their band to the list of great acts truly reppin’ Jersey with the August 30th release of their debut album, If You’re Young. In anticipation of said release, we at CoS are pleased to premiere “Into The Sun”.

The album, produced by Chris Shaw (Ted Leo, Bad Brains, Elvis Perkins in Dearland), will be the culmination of the four-piece’s DIY efforts to combine everything from garage rock to punk to soul in order to flesh out a sound that’s as raw, rich, and diverse as their home state. Fitting title aside, “Into The Sun” is just the kind of grainy, grand rock epic that fits the legacy of New Jersey to a T. Check out the track below – it’s like driving on the New Jersey Turnpike in the middle of summer.

The band also has an upcoming fall tour supporting The Wombats; see their entire itinerary below. If You’re Young hits stores August 30th via Fearless Records.

The Static Jacks – “Into The Sun”

If You’re Young Tracklist:
01. Defend Rosie
02. Girl Parts
03. Into The Sun
04. My Parents Lied
05. Sonata (Maybe We Can Work Out)
06. Walls (We Can’t Work It Out)
07. Mercy, Hallejullah
08. Blood Pressure
09. This Is Me Dancing
10. Relief
11. It’s Such A Shame
12. Drano-Ears

The Static Jacks 2011 Tour Dates:
08/01 – Burlington, VY @ Higher Ground *
08/03 – Portland, ME @ State Theater *
08/05 – New York, NY @ Escape To New York
08/06 – Huntington Beach, CA @ The Black Bull
08/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo $
10/21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
10/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
10/24 – Charlottesvilla, VA @ Jefferson Theater *
10/25 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 *
10/26 – Atlantya, GA @ The Loft *
10/29 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s *
10/30 – Austin, TX @ The Parish *
11/01 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater *
11/02 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar *
11/04 – Columbus, OH @ Outland *
11/05 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean *
11/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theater *
11/10 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
11/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue *
11/12 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe *

* = w/ Manchester Orchestra
$ = w/ Active Child
* = w/ The Wombats

Over its 12-year existence between 1994 and 2005, Music Midtown brought such musical heavyweights as Foo Fighters, Bob Dylan, and Crosby, Stills & Nash to downtown Atlanta. However, growing competition in the form of a li’l Teneesse-based festival called Bonnaroo, not to mention a tropical storm that ravaged the 2005 edition of the festival, forced Music Midtown to cancel its 2006 incarnation. It hasn’t returned since… until now.

Coldplay and The Black Keys will headline a revamped one-day version of Music Midtown on September 24th at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. Other confirmed acts include Cage the Elephant, Band of Skulls, The Joy Formidable, Manchester Orchestra, Young the Giant, The Constellations, Mona, and The Postelles.

One-day passes are priced at $55 and go on sale beginning July 16th. VIP packages will also be available. Complete ticketing information is available at the festival’s website.

Speaking with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Music Midtown co-founder Peter Conlon said that the festival chose to scale down its approach. “The basis is to really build acts and to get people to come and enjoy music. We need to build our core audience again.” That being said, organizers are hoping to add a Friday night single-act concert to the festivities.

Set to run October 13th-16th, this year’s festivities leads with Weezer, Jane’s Addiction, and Big Boi. Other highlights include Cut Copy, The New Pornographers, Ghostland Observatory, Matt & Kim, Stars, Ra Ra Riot, Mute Math, Cold War Kids, Ladytron, and Manchester Orchestra.

The initial bill also includes The Airborne Toxic Event, Wanda Jackson, Betty LaVette, K. Flay, Toubab Krewe, Bear Hands, Royal Bangs, PS I Love You, Asobi Seksu, AWOLNATION, The Constellations, The Limousines, The Hood Internet, Grouplove, Free The Robots, Gary Fields, GIVERS, Bad Books, Motonpony, wallpaper., and JJ Grey & Mofro, among many others.

Expanding on last year’s set-up, DeLuna will now feature a total of six stages of music this year, with performances taking place on both the beach and the pool decks of the festival’s three high-end resort hotels (The Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach, The Hilton Pensacola Beach, and the Holiday Inn Resort Pensacola Beach). Lifeguards, beware!

Both the Early Bird and Early VIP ticket packages are sold out. Currently, two packages are available for purchase: the VIP Weekend package, which goes for $800, and the Advanced package, available for a cool $149.95. For complete ticketing information, visit the festival’s website.

With each of its nine tracks seeming like a journal entry into Hull’s mind, a few of them stand out as irresistible fun. “April Fool”, the band’s latest single, is one of the album’s strongest moments, as Hull claims he’s got “that rock and that roll,” which is more than evident by the song’s close. This particular track begs to be heard, with its strong guitar riffs and pulsating drum lines complimenting Hull’s voice to an undeniable degree.

On a more hypercritical level, Simple Math as a whole feels like a concept album that nearly accomplishes what it sets out for, falling just short of the finish line. With strong vocals and song variety, Simple Math is more than just an average rock record, matching every expectation that was laid out by 2009′s Mean Everything to Nothing. And although the band doesn’t completely succeed at creating a concept album, they do succeed in making an album that’s worth many listens.

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.

As Media Specialist, part of my job requires me to go to the source of the media and document it. After a few days at Coachella, I have returned to Cluster 1 Headquarters to make sure all the newest videos are here for you all to see. Enjoy!

News:

Cluster 1 News with Sami Jarroush – Updates on Animal Collective, The National, Rage Against the Machine, Arcade Fire, and our Sasquatch contest!

Animation:

Instrumental Video #9 – Eventually…DJs will be replaced with robots.

Nokta – It’s an abstract short-film project with really cool animation, but needless to say, it freaks this guy the fuck out.

4000 Frames of Fury – Alex Evans creates a Phillip K. Dick style claymation of zombies rising from the grave. The undead are especially scary when the Gorillaz play in the background.

Another Round:

Kings Have Long Arms ft. Candie Payne – “Big Umbrella” – Shot in black and white in Manchester, not far from United’s football ground, Ms. [Candy] Payne purposefully strides down back alleys facing grim brickwork, along empty faceless streets and a canal towpath. Some charmingly amateurish and old-fashioned animation lends a couple of colourful interludes to the film noir.

Music Videos:

Daedelus – “Sundown (Haunted Dub)” – The last of the Room 205 series in which the DJ conjures up some truly spooky vibes.

Art Brut – “Last Weekend” – Sometimes music can bring the most eclectic group of people together. The proof lies in this video.

Kathryn Calder – “Arrow” – Animated video of a post-apocalyptic city, and a character who takes a page out of Noah’s book.

Grimes – “Vanessa” – It’s the definition of anti-pop….weird choreographed dancing complete with experimental rhythms.

Manchester Orchestra – “Simple Math” – They say your life flashes before your eyes prior to death, and we experience frontman Andy Hull’s flash in this video that shows what made him the man he is today.

Alexis – “Lonely Sea” – Alexis sings “You’ve forgotten who you are,” on this track, but looking into something as big as the ocean usually can help you figure it out. Judging by this video, this singer certainly figured things out.

Ponytail – “Honey Touches” – MENZ, the director of the video, states this clip depicts, “man’s everlasting battle with fruit and the pursuit of making the ultimate smoothie.” CoS’ Joe Marvilli, however, observes, “We think it’s a Fruitopia commercial that never was.”

Com Truise – “Fairlight” – Nothing like retro ’80s advertisements about the technological future, sewn together by 10lb Pictures to create a sleek, tech-based music video.

Gemini Club – “Future Tidings” – Personally, I think we need more unprecedented break dancing complete with an all-white suit.

George Watsky – “Stupidass” – People have always found Coldplay’s “The Scientist” to be a fantastic music video. This video takes that concept, but makes the message a bit more upbeat….primarily by starting it off not with a car crash, but a dude standing naked in a park.

Mario Basanov & Vidis feat. Jazzu – i’ll be gone” – This is your Polygraph detecting music….it’s way less stressful.

WhoMadeWho – “Every Minute Alone” – According to The Cure, “Boys don’t cry.” But according to WhoMadeWho, men most certainly cry. See for yourself.

Gentleman Drivers – “Valdor” – We always sit down for family Christmas dinners to devour our food and remember another year together. Well, what happens when the food decides to devour us? Merry Christmas? More like bah humbug!

Live:

Luke Rathborne – “Dog Years” – There are many activities one must engage in on tour when they aren’t playing music, and this live recording of “Dog Years” encapsulates Rathborne’s life on the road along with the music that takes him on his journey.

Wakey!Wakey! cover Yeasayer’s “Ambling Alp” [Live] – As part of the Cobra Den Invitational’s, Wakey!Wakey! had “Ambling Alp” stuck in their heads, and ended up replacing the synthesizers with violins. Now there’s a dope cover and a new video series!

Don’t Forget…

– Want a constant stream of musical goodness? Check out our Channel, featuring over 30 music videos, several short films, and other nifty clips, all crammed together in one non-stop barrage of visual and aural stimulation.

- Social networking is a way of life, so follow us at @cluster1tv and on Facebook

Set for April 29-May 2nd during the city’s annual Memphis in May celebration, this year’s festival also sports Cee-Lo Green, Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, B.o.B., The New Pornographers, Sublime with Rome, Cake, Ziggy Marley, Cage the Elephant, Macy Gray, Amos Lee, Slightly Stoopid, Gregg Allman, Manchester Orchestra, Lucero, Lotus, J.J. Grey and Mofro.

Rounding out the bill are Jason Mraz, Lucinda Williams, Charlie Wilson, Betty LaVette, Ludacris, Tommy Castro, Godsmack, Buckcherry, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Lee Boys, Devon Allman’s Honeytribe, Kirk Whalum, Hubert Sumlin, Sick Puppies, Jimmie Vaughan, Amy LaVere, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, John Hammond, and Otis Clay.

As mentioned, tickets cost $69 and are available through Ticketmaster.com. VIP packages are also available. For additional details on the festival as well as all of Memphis in May’s activities, please visit the memphisinmay.org.

Born out of the simple idea of filling time off by collaborating on a small batch of songs, Devine and Hull’s new band – Bad Books – is set to digitally release their ten-track, self-titled debut on October 19th. And while you won’t be able to actually get your hands on a copy of the record until November 9th, there’s still plenty to be excited about. Lead single, “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask”, is a two-minute rocker that finds Hull singing alliterated lyrics in Devine’s unique vocal cadence, and the tune takes the acoustic strumming found on Devine’s 2006 effort – Put Your Ghost To Rest – and trades it in for a harder, frolicking riff reminiscent of something you might hear on a Manchester Orchestra record.

Even though the songs clearly showcase the difference of styles, the boys didn’t save any breath reiterating what their songwriting differences meant to the partnership. Devine (who admits to wanting to “outthink” his instincts”) said that his meticulous nature and Hull’s willingness to write on the cuff and trust his own intuition “meshed really, really well,” while Hull was just excited that the Brooklyn-based Devine was “cool enough” to let him change a part or add a bridge here and there.

A limited edition deluxe bundle and the first vinyl pressing have already sold out, but pre-orders for the second pressing and CDs are still on going at Favorite Gentlemen’s website. Check out the tracklist and “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask” below, and then catch the band at one of the five shows listed below. Tickets are available on the band’s website or on Ticketmaster.com.

Check Out:
“You Wouldn’t Have To Ask”

Bad Books Tracklist:
01. How This All Ends
02. The Easy Mark & The Old Maid
03. Baby Shows
04. You’re a Mirror I Can’t Avoid
05. Holding Down the Laughter
06. You Wouldn’t Have To Ask
07. I Begged You Everything
08. Please Move
09. Mesa, AZ
10. Texas

Bad Books 2010 Tour Dates:
10/20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (CMJ Showcase)
10/22 – Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear’s Place
10/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ The North Star Bar
10/24 – Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
11/24 – Atlanta, GA @ The Stuffing at The Center Stage Complex

As it relates to the bands, this year’s newly unveiled initial bill is heavy in up-and-comers, though there are a few old-timers mixed in as well. For example, for every Surfer Blood, Four Tet, Salem, Small Black, Big Freedia, and School of Seven Bells, there’s also Ghostface Killah, Helmet, Senses Fail, Greg Dulli, and even Bayside. Also, Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra will debut their new collaboration, Bad Books. You can find a full listing of confirmed bands here.

Hundreds more acts are set to be announced in the weeks ahead. As for badges, they’re currently on sale, though the ongoing early bird discount ends tomorrow at midnight, so hurry.

For additional info as well as the festival’s day-by-day bill, visit forecastlefest.com. And stay tuned for another lineup announcement, which will apparently be coming soon.

As for the end result of said attention? An initial lineup announcement headed by Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews Band, and Kings of Leon. Other noteworthy acts include Jack White’s The Dead Weather, Jack Black’s Tenacious D, Weezer, Norah Jones, Damian Marley and Nas, LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, Regina Spektor, Tori Amos, John Fogerty, and Jeff Beck.

Also set to appear at this year’s edition, which runs from June 10-13, are the Dropkick Murphys, John Prine, Jimmy Cliff, Michael Franti and Spearhead, The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, Deadmau5, Against Me!, Les Claypool, the Zac Brown Band, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, and Rise Against, as well as a few familiar faces, including the Disco Biscuits, Medeski Martin & Wood, and Calexico.

A number of high-profile indie acts will also perform, including She & Him, Blitzen Trapper, The Dodos, Local Natives, The Gaslight Anthem, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Chromeo (who will be joined by the legendary Daryl Hall), Tokyo Police Club, and Neon Indian.

We should once again note that today’s announcement was billed as the initial lineup, and additional artists are expected to be named in the weeks ahead. We’ll of course update you when the information becomes available.

Tickets, available in the general admission and VIP varieties, are currently on sale and priced at $234.50 and $1,349.50 respectively. Payment plans are available, as are various rental packages. Hit up bonnarootickets.com for all the specifics.

Additional details regarding the festival itself can be read on bonnaroo.com. We also suggest bookmaring our Bonnaroo Outlook pages, as we’ll update it once additional lineup news is announced. Now would also be a good time to check out our recent interview with Bonnaroo co-founder Ashley Capps.

As previously mentioned, the lineup announcement will work something like this. Unlike previous announcements, the 2010 bill will not be unveiled all at once, but rather throughout the day, with the goal being to “generate conversations about the lineup a few acts at a time.” Starting at 10 AM EST (barring any early leaks), bands will begin announcing their participation via various social media outlets and bonnaroo.com. It’s basically like one giant, procrastinating-inducing puzzle. Fortunately, just in case we don’t figure it out by then, Bonnaroo will end our agony by announcing the full lineup later tomorrow night.

Given all this, it only makes sense that we start an open thread, where you guys can chat, complain, and post any discoveries you find. We’ll of course keep track as well!

7:30 pm Update: 90 minutes left! LCD Soundsystem, Les Claypool, Lucero, Kris Kristofferson, Martin Sexton, and Deadmau5 among the newest additions.

5:30 pm Update: Add The Dodos, Tori Amos, Tenacious D, Damian Marley & Nas, Lotus, Blitzen Trapper, Calexico, Mumford & Sons, Aterciopelados, and John Butler Trio to the mix. Still waiting for Neil, Pavement, and Roger Waters…

3:30 pm Update: A few more worthwhile confirmations: The Dead Weather, They Might Be Giants, The Melvins, Dave Rawlings Machine, John Prine, Mew, Dr. Dog, Clutch, and The Bakerton Group. Also, a few more expected: Alicia Keys, Pavement, and Spoon.

2:00 pm Update: So far, we’ve been going at this for a good five hours and we still only know about a 1/4 of the acts. Of those however, there are certainly a fair share of early highlights, including Jay-Z, The Flaming Lips, Regina Spektor, The National, Disco Biscuits, Jeff Beck, Norah Jones, Weezer, She & Him, and Phoenix.

We can also confirm the participation of Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, Dropkick Murphys, and Zac Brown band. As for what we can expect to see in the hours ahead? Neil Young, Spoon, Broken Social Scene, and Deadmau5. Also don’t be shocked if Roger Waters (performing The Wall), Pavement, and My Morning Jacket make an appearance.

Update: Here is the initial lineup…

Against Me!, Aeroplane, The Avett Brothers, B.o.B., Baaba Maal, The Black Keys Bassnectar, Baroness, Blitzen Trapper, Blues Traveler, Brandi Carlile, Calexico, Chromeo w/ Darryl Hall, Clutch, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Damian Marley & Nas, Dan Deacon Ensemble, Dave Matthews Band, Dave Rawlings Machine, The Dead Weather, Deadmau5, Diane Birch, Disco Biscuits, The Dodos, Dr. Dog, Dropkick Murphys, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Entrance Band, The Flaming Lips (w/ Stardeath and White Dwarfs) performing Dark Side of the Moon, The Gaslight Anthem, GWAR, Here We Go Magic, Hot Rize, Jamey Johnson, Japandroids, Jay-Z, Jeff Beck, John Prine, Kid Cudi, Kings of Leon, Kris Kristofferson, Ingrid Michaelson, Isis, John Fogerty, Julia Nunes, LCD Soundsystem, Les Claypool, Local Natives, Lotus, Lucero, Manchester Orchestra, Martin Sexton, Mayer Hawthrone & the County, Medeski Martin & Wood, Melvins, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Miike Snow, Miranda Lambert, Monte Montgomery, Mumford & Sons, The National, Needtobreathre, Neon Indian, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Norah Jones, OK Go, Phoenix, The Postelles, Punch Brothers, Rebelution, Regina Spektor, Rise Against, She & Him, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Stevie Wonder, The Temper Trap, Tenacious D, They Might Be Giants, Thievery Corporation, Tinariwen, Tori Amos, Tokyo Police Club, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Wale, Weezer, The xx, Zac Brown Band

Here are other expected and rumored acts.

Now, buckle up kids! It’s going to be a long and wild ride!

Feature image courtesy of Ryan Mastro…

Along with Manchester Orchestra on the trip will be The Features and O’Brother, with Chris Staples and Biffy Clyro joining for select dates. Tickets can be had via Ticketmaster or Front Gate Tickets.

While you’re at it, you might be able to satisfy some of your Manchester Orchestra fix with Gobotron, the solo project from guitarist Robert McDowell. His debut album will be available for download next Tuesday, January 19th via Manchester Orchestra’s label Favorite Gentleman Recordings.

Manchester Orchestra 2010 Tour Dates:
02/26 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues ^
02/27 – Jacksonville Beach, FL @ Freebird Live ^
02/28 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution ^
03/02 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues ^
03/03 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s ^
03/04 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Showroom ^
03/06 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee **
03/07 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues **
03/09 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour **
03/10 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour **
03/12 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater **
03/13 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox at The Market **
03/15 – Boise, ID @ The Knitting Factory **
03/19 – The Beaumont Club @ Kansas City, MO **
03/20 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown **
03/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theater **
03/23 – Chicago, IL @ Metro **
03/24 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall **
03/25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre **
03/26 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall **
03/27 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club Theatre – **
03/29 – Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights **
03/30 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club **
03/31 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon **
04/01 – New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place **
04/02 – New York, NY @ The Fillmore New York at Irving **
04/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero **
04/05 – Towson, MD @ The Recher Theatre **
04/06 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa **
04/07 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle **
04/08 – Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm **
04/09 – Columbia, SC @ Jillian’s **

^ with The Features, Chris Staples, and O’Brother
** with The Features, Biffy Clyro, and O’Brother

Thrice, one of the many opening acts, distinguished itself by playing several songs off of its new album, Beggars, released this past August. Songs like “All the World Is Mad”, with catchy beats and Kensrue’s enticing vocals, hooked the crowd — even those who hadn’t heard the album prior. Thrice was also sure to please its old fans by playing some classic tunes such as “The Artist and the Ambulance”, a song that many immediately started chanting along to.

Next up was Glassjaw, delivering an impeccable show. With suave Daryl Palumbo taking the stage in a pristine button-down and slicked back hair, at first it was hard to believe so much voice could come from one person. Once the first chord struck, Palumbo showed off not only his incredible vocal talent but his insane stage presence that led to an extremely rough but energized crowd. Several songs on the setlist included, “Ape dos Mil”, “(You Think You’re) John Fucking Lennon”, and “Tip Your Bartender”. Also from Long Island, this brilliant post-hardcore band put on one hell of a show for its fans from home.

Quick to recapture the crowd’s energy from Glassjaw’s performance, Brand New took to the dimmed stage and began with “Welcome to Bangkok”, an instrumental that slowly built up and got the crowd revved as the band launched into “Sink”, a song off Daisy, its new LP. Slowing back down again, the band then played, “Degausser,” from its 2006 album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me.

Brand New is one of those unpredictable bands that is always experimenting with new sounds. Its album Daisy, released on September 22^nd, certainly is distinguishable from the outfit’s previous entries. With a more post-hardcore sound (although not quite), the album carries a dismal but incredible vibe unlike Deja Entendu and The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. In only two months the LP has already garnered some large accomplishments, including selling over 46,000 records its first week and reaching #6 on the Billboard 200, making this tour in support of the album even more exciting for the boys from Long Island.

After performing an emotional “You Won’t Know”, Brand New played a string of songs from Deja Entendu, the 2003 LP that first sparked the group’s immense popularity. Many of the remaining songs had a backdrop with images projected above the stage. Some were disturbing (like a bloody child holding a knife), while others were just eerie (like spiders and sperm cells). Although strange, the depictions captured the sense of the new album rather accurately.

Brand New also used its homecoming show to help out the local charity Island Harvest, an organization for hunger relief on Long Island. By offering for sale two limited edition posters (one with only a run of 250 pieces) to fans who brought two cans of food for the organization, Island Harvest left the Coliseum with many cans for the hungry. In addition, several other local charities will receive the earnings from the poster sales.

Eighteen songs and an hour and a half later, Brand New offered up its last song, “Seventy Times 7”, from its first LP, Your Favorite Weapon, to close out its long-awaited homecoming show. As singer and guitarist Jesse Lacey said, “Everywhere we’ve been, everything we’ve done, wouldn’t have been possible if it didn’t start right here at home.” It seemed only appropriate for the group to end a great tour with one of its first songs — to remind us of Brand New’s evolution since its humble beginnings on Long Island.

Setlist:
Welcome To Bangkok
Sink
Degausser
You Won’t Know
Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t
Sic Transit Gloria… Glory Fades
Limousine
Vices
Gasoline
Sowing Season
You Stole
In A Jar
Luca
The Archers Bows Have Broken
Jesus Christ
Bought A Bride
At The Bottom
Play Crack The Sky
Seventy Times 7

Hull closed out the set with a nice medley that started with him alone on stage adding Chris Freeman on vocals/tambourine who switched to the drums when Jonathan Corley came back on bass. Afterwards there were more than a few people who were surprised by the set. I overheard a number of previous nay-sayers that were won over thanks to the new album. Here’s a few photos from the show:

10/08 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium *
10/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Salt Palace Convention Center *
10/13 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre *
10/15 – Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena & Convention Center *
10/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium *
10/20 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues *
10/21 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues *
10/22 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre *
10/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues *
10/25 – Lubbock, TX @ Lonestar Amphitheater #
10/27 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ #
10/29 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom #
10/31 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom #
11/01 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience
11/04 – Lake Buena VIsta, FL @ House of Blues #
11/05 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz #
11/07 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues #
11/09 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore #
11/10 – Richmond, VA @ The National #
11/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar #
11/13 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa #
11/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory #
11/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory ^
11/17 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
11/18 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
11/20 – Montreal, QC @ Olympia De Montreal ^
11/21 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus ^
11/22 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus ^
11/24 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory ^
11/25 – Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theatre ^
11/27 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum ^

% = w/ Coheed & Cambria
* = w/ Manchester Orchestra
# = w/ Thrice
^ = w/ Glassjaw

Find a complete list of the confirmed dates below. Tickets can be found via Ticketmaster.com.

Silversun Pickups 2009 Tour Dates:
09/05 – Honolulu, HI @ Pipeline Cafe
09/14 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s ^
09/15 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room ^
09/16 – Green Bay, WI @ The Club ^
09/18 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium ^
09/19 – Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place ^
09/21 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge ^
09/22 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom ^
09/25 – Little Rock, AR @ The Rev Room ^%
09/26 – Huntsville, AL @ Big Spring Jam
09/28 – Lexington, KY @ Buster’s ^
09/29 – Johnson City, TN @ Electric Cowboy ^
09/30 – Knoxville, TN @ The Valarium ^
10/02 – Gainseville, FL @ The Venue %
10/03 – Ft. Myers, FL @ Ricochet #%
10/04 – Jacksonville, FL @ Flordia Theatre #%
10/05 – Columbia, SC @ Headliners #%
10/07 – Hilton Head, SC @ Shoreline Ballroom #%
10/09 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues #%
10/10 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore #
10/11 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa #
10/13 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis #
10/14 – Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre #
10/15 – Toronto, ON @ The Sound Academy #
10/17 – Providence, RI @ Lupo’s #
10/18 – Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights #
10/20 – Hartford, CT @ The Webster #
10/21 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground #
10/23 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory #
10/24 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Ches Arena #
10/26 – Toledo, OH @ Headliners #
10/28 – Peoria, IL @ Exposition Gardens #
10/30 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience
11/16 – Frankfurt, DE @ Batschkapp
11/17 – Stuttgart, DE @ Longhorn
11/18 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Work
11/19 – Hanover, DE @ Faust
11/20 – Rockstock, DE @ Mau Club
11/29 – Bologna, IT @ Futurshow Station *
11/30 – Milan, IT @ Palasharp *
12/01 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion *
12/03 – Rotterdam, NL @ Ahoy *
12/04 – Cologone, DE @ Lanxess Arena *
12/06 – Antwerp, BE @ Antwerp Sportspaleis *
12/08 – Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena *
12/09 – London, UK @ O2 Arena *
12/11 – Bridlington, UK @ Bridlington Spa Centre *
12/12 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Central *
12/14 – Glasgow, UK @ SECC *
12/15 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre *
12/16 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre *

^ = w/ Manchester Orchestra
# = w/ Cage the Elephant
% = w/ An Horse
* = w/ Placebo

Joining Brand New on the tour will be some rather big names, including Manchester Orchestra, Thrice, and Glassjaw.

Tickets for the newly announced dates will go on sale beginning Monday, August 10th via Ticketmaster.com.

Brand New 2009 Tour Dates:
08/29 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
08/30 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
09/16 – Puyallup, WA @ Puyallup Fair & Events Center %
10/01 – Cleveland, OH @ Time Warne Cable Amphitheater *
10/02 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore *
10/03 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom *
10/04 – St. Paul, MN @ The Pageant *
10/06 – St. Louis, MO @ Uptown Theatre *
10/08 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium *
10/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Salt Palace Convention Center *
10/13 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre *
10/15 – Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena & Convention Center *
10/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium *
10/20 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues *
10/21 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues *
10/22 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre *
10/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues *
10/25 – Lubbock, TX @ Lonestar Amphitheater #
10/27 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ #
10/29 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom #
10/31 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom #
11/01 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience
11/04 – Lake Buena VIsta, FL @ House of Blues #
11/05 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz #
11/07 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues #
11/09 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore #
11/10 – Richmond, VA @ The National #
11/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar #
11/13 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa #
11/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory #
11/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory ^
11/17 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
11/18 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
11/20 – Montreal, QC @ Olympia De Montreal ^
11/21 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus ^
11/22 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus ^
11/24 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory ^
11/25 – Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theatre ^
11/27 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum ^

% = w/ Coheed & Cambria
* = w/ Manchester Orchestra
# = w/ Thrice
^ = w/ Glassjaw

After the wind-up of “The Only One”, it’s obvious the band’s sound has changed. By the third track and first single, “I’ve Got Friends”, it’s a welcomed change that remains consistent throughout the entire record. Upon hearing the record for the first time, a few months before it’s release, it was difficult to pick out which tracks would be singles. Quite frankly, nine of the tracks are radio and TV ready. All 11 tracks, on the already grandiose Mean Everything To Nothing, will have a video release. This seems like a presumptuous move for Hull and company, which is currently on Act V of XI in the video series with “In My Teeth”.

Mean Everything To Nothing flows seamlessly through the first five tracks and by the sixth, “100 Dollars”, listeners are given a bit of a break. The song acts as a perfect interlude, segueing into the last half of the album with “I Can Feel A Hot One” (originally released on the EP Let My Pride Be What’s Left Behind), “My Friend Marcus”, and the title track “Everything To Nothing”. On first listen, closing track “The River” seemed to be epic clocking in at 11:34 minutes. However, it’s a two part song with a silent interlude between parts. For fans of Manchester Orchestra’s original sound, the second part sounds a little closer to the band’s debut.

After tallying over 400 total spins from the 11, hugely accessible tracks, I am obviously biased. With that said, take this as a brief overview and by all means interpret the remainder of the album away. However, fitting in one last opinion, Mean Everything To Nothing is the definitive Manchester Orchestra album and warrants at least one listen-through.

Check Out:

FUN (featuring ex-members of The Format and Anathallo), Audrye Sessions, and Winston Audio will provide support on the upcoming dates…

Check Out:
“I’ve Got My Friends”

Manchester Orchestra 2009 Tour Dates:
04/21 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In
04/22 – Atlanta, GA @ 40 Watt
04/23 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
04/24 – Richmond, VA @ The National
04/25 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
04/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
04/29 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
04/30 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
05/01 – Rochester, NY @ Water St.
05/02 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
05/03 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
05/05 – Pontiac, MI @ Eagle Theater
05/06 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
05/07 – Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter
05/08 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
05/09 – Minneapolis, MN @ Station 4
05/12 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
05/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon
05/15 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
05/16 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
05/17 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
05/19 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
05/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
05/22 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
05/23 – Tucson, AZ @ Congress
05/24 – Tempe, AZ @ Clubhouse
05/26 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Inside
05/27 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
05/28 – Houston, TX @ Walter’s
05/29 – New Orleans, LA @ Spanish Moon
05/30 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
05/31 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
06/02 – St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
06/03 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
06/04 – Orlando, FL @ The Social

Fortunately, the boys will be back with more than just an EP this time around. Scheduled for release on April 21st, Mean Everything to Nothing is the third studio effort for Manchester Orchestra, kicking off what will inevitably be another busy summer for the band. Don’t fret though, already the ball’s on the roll, as the band recently released the album’s tracklisting (after the jump) and the killer new single, “I’ve Got Friends”.

The new tune starts off rather spacey, with some digital sounds and what not, before heading right into the group’s trademark buzz. It’s catchy too, and the chorus really sells the song. When vocalist Andy Hull angrily sings, “I’ve got friends in all the right places…”, it all sounds pretty bad ass. The monotonous guitar riffing that builds and builds offers a sweet release, too. All in all, a strong single.

Hopefully this holds you over ’til April, too.

Check Out:
“I’ve Got Friends”

Mean Everything to Nothing Tracklist:
01. The Only One
02. Shake It Out
03. I’ve Got Friends
04. Pride
05. In My Teeth
06. 100 Dollars
07. I Can Feel A Hot One
08. My Friend Marcus
09. Tony The Tiger
10. Everything To Nothing
11. The River
12. Jimmy Whispers (hidden track)

During each of Lollapalooza’s three days, we blogged the latest updates with tidbits ranging from The Weakerthans’ unexpected cancellation to Perry’s surprise guest. Once arriving back to the weekend’s official headquarters, aka Michael Roffman’s living room, and finding some food, we spent the next several hours recapping and reviewing all of the day’s events.

And while it was limited, a few of us did manage to squeeze in some sleep as well.

To recap all of our coverage for both Lolla and non-Lolla attendees, as well as provide a few additional memories and friendly links, we not present you Consequence of Sound’s most extended and thorough piece of Lollapalooza coverage yet. We remember, Lollaplooza 2008…

Table of Contents:
I. Day 1 in Review
II. Day 2 in Review
III. Day3 in Review
IV. Interviews
V. Day 1 in Photos
VI. Day 2 in Photos
VII. Day 3 in Photos
VIII. Lollapalooza by the Numbers
IX. Lollapalooza Bootlegs
X. Lollapalooza in Videos
XI. Lollapalooza.com 2008 Blogs
XII. Special Thanks
XIII. Comments

Day One: Friday, August 1st

The Main Event: Radiohead

Tonight, Chicagoans (and out of towners) were finally treated to the British spectacle that’s been in the cards for four to five months. Riding on a hype that would benefit most summer blockbuster films, Radiohead headlined the first night of 2008′s Lollapalooza. Thom Yorke and Co. were welcomed with open arms, literally, and they responded with a warm, balmy performance.

It’s a wet dream for Perry Farrell that the British quintet matched the hype. The buzz over the past few months has been deafening, with fans scorching up the web and tickets for Friday leaving the box office. This morning, it wasn’t really a surprise to see several fans, well actually hundreds, catapulting through the entrance and racing to the front of the AT&T stage, where they’d be camping for a mere ten hours. As the day aged, more and more eco-friendly Radiohead shirts were bought and worn. It seemed as if they were the only band that mattered.

To some, they were.

Continue reading…

The rest of the day…

Day one of Lollapalooza 2008 started off with a bang. Though with a line of festival-goers stretching more than five blocks, most folks didn’t start rolling in until Holy Fuck and Black Lips kicked off their respective sets, unofficially signaling the start of this year’s festivities.

Neither band shows signs of early morning hangovers as Holy Fuck thrilled an already crowded AT&T Stage, many composed of those diehard Radiohead fans in hour one of their day-long camp out, with the electro bliss of “The Pulse”. While fans of Yorke and company didn’t seem all too captivated by the Canadian natives, perhaps because no remix of “Nude” was offered, Holy Fuck did offer the other willing recipients a set of overpowering sounds that brought reminders and memories of LCD Soundsystem’s ruckus set last Lollapalooza.

Those who choose to make the long trek over to the Bud Light Stage for Atlanta’s Black Lips received a set that while lacking a bit of the band’s characteristic inane stage antics, was equally enthusiastic. Kicking off with “I Saw A Ghost (Lean)” and “O Katrina!”, the band’s 16 song set offered the mostly still sleepy concert goers with a style that blended Phil Spektor with early Rolling Stones.

Before heading over for our interview with the Black Lips, we made a quick stop at the AT&T Stage to check out a few minutes of Yeasayer. While the band presented themselves well on the larger than life main stage, most of their set seemed a bit underwhelming, with the exception of a captivating rendition of their hit “2080″. Though their synth, electro-heavy sound was tight, Yeasayer frontman Anand Wilder was a bit sloppy on the vocal side of things.

One of the day’s more surprising performances was the set delivered by Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears on the BMI Stage. The grooving Austin blues outfit delivered some of the festival’s coolest sounds under the overhang of Grant Park’s greenest areas, allowing for a refreshing scene of comfort and music. Though a rather unknown act on the bill, anyone walking by the BMI Stage during their set couldn’t help but be stopped by Black Joe Lewis, even if it was just for a few minutes.

Under scorching heat (as expected at 2:15) and with refillable water bottles of wine flowing( $24 at the bar tents), The Go! Team joined a host of other Friday bands in setting a great tone for Lolla 2008. With their usual, six person band on stage, Go! played a balanced selection of tracks off both albums. They scored with their instrumental and more melodic tunes, getting everyone moving in the sun, only a few hours before The Black Keys would do the same on the exact stage. Ninja, the main singer, came out with a special energy and with a bright colored pair of sunglasses that matched with many of the crowd watching. Compared to 2006, The Go! Team was able to switch instruments easier and sounded very polished in their performance, which can be hard for the electronic samples and tempo changes in every other song. This was another breakout Lolla performance from The Go! Team, who at this point might as well be penciled into a middle of the day slot every year.

For anyone who has seen Gogol Bordello live in the past, their set on Friday was your typical performance. In other words, an hour long of furious, gypsy punk rock that is unique as it is fantastic. Under the watchful eye of a blistering sun and accompaniment of Lollapalooza’s best creative dance moves, the Brooklyn rockers played a set of mostly hits, highlighted by the frantic, rootsy “American Wedding” and jaw-dropping closer “Think Locally Fuck Globally”.

The musical/husband and wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel took the Myspace Stage soon after the finals rings of Gogol Bordello faded. While begining in classic Mates of State form, the drummer and keyboardist were soon accompanied by an orchestral section as they made their way through the set heavy in Re-Arrange Us’ material. Though Mates of State seemed a bit too small for the stage, their innocent grace brought memories of Broken Social Scene’s epic 2006 Lollapalooza performance.

After Cadence Weapon, the crowd at the BMI Stage began to overfill as fans rushed in to catch local rap duo The Cool Kids. Despite taking the stage 15 minutes late (iit seems that even a rock festival can’t curb Late Rap Show Syndrome) they were met by a rabid crowd ready for a hometown party. And The Cool Kids delivered, tearing through the entirety of their wildly popular Bake Sale EP, a couple tracks from their forthcoming EP, and a rollicking medley of covers that included The Pharcyde’s “Passing Me By”, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Raw”, and the obligatory rap anthem, “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” They were playful (directing the crowd specifically on how to behave for each song), helpful (Mikey Rocks showed genuine concern and extended a hand to a crowd surfer about to fall), and creative (taking their self-proclaimed title of “Black Beastie Boys” to new levels by throwing lines from “One Two” over the Beasties’ beats.) In short, The Cool Kids were just about everything you would expect from a great hip hop show; they put on a party and it’s not hard to see why they have built up such a positive reputation without even releasing a full-length album. Given Lollapalooza’s favoritism of local rap acts you would have to imagine The Cool Kids will be back. But don’t expect to see them on the street stage again.
If lucky enough to evade the sun, Radiohead fans camping out, and girls wearing headbands, Bloc Party provided one of the more solid crowd pleasing sets of Friday. The crowd for Bloc Party was different, containing many casual music fans and college radio fans. It was definitely a show for the tried and true Bloc Party fan, the set list seemed to contain more tracks off Weekend in the City and earlier songs by the band were done with some new live twists. Parts in the middle of the set allowed Kele and the rest of the band to play some of their slower and more calming tracks, which surely had to be appreciated by thousands showing up for Radiohead in a few shorts hours. “Helicopter” and “Waiting for the 7.18″ stood out as the best tracks of the performance and had the crowd loving their choice to stick it out with Bloc Party.

As Jack White led his bandmates on stage for their Friday night performance on the Bud Light stage and the first sounds of Lollapalooza’s most notable rock and roll band overcame the packed crowed gathered to see the Raconteurs, the collective feeling was one of awe. Between the guitar solos, extended jamming, and dueling vocals between White and Brendan Benson, the four-piece outfit reaffirmed why that with only two albums under their belt, The Raconteurs are already widely considered one of today’s best rock bands. Though the performance was largely affected by sound problems, renditions of “Conolers of the Lonely”, “Level”, and “Keep It Clean” still provided enough captivating sounds that the delayed echos circulating the crowd were easily forgiven.

While most gathering in Grant Park’s south side as the sun began to set below Chicago’s famous skyline were focused on the long-awaited headlining performance to come, Stephen Malkmus led his Jicks in a 45 minute se that best can be described as fun. Heavy in material from his recently released album Real Emotional Trash, Malkmus not only offered a taste of his vast talents and decades of live experience, but also presented himself as someone full of innocence and modesty, reflecting a pleasant down-to-earth persona.

But by the time 8:00 p.m. came around, most of the day’s more noteworthy memories were, at least temporarily, forgotten as Lolla-goers got their first sites of Radiohead.

Day Two: Saturday, August 2nd

The Main Event: Rage Against the Machine

The walk from Buckingham Fountain to the AT&T Main Stage featured a variety of sites as 8:30 p.m. approached on Saturday night. A line of ambulances were parked horizontal to the path full of bruisers in an all out sprint to ensure a piece of the action, while those too young, too small, and perhaps too smart, positioned themselves on hills, stairs, and any other sort of barrier that would provide safety from the scene about to take place.

The Toadies were engaged in an appealing 45 minute set across the south field of Grant Park, but like Stephen Malkmus the night before, it was viewed, if anything, as background noise. Festival-goers grew impatient for the first signs of Zach de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk on the field of dead grass.

Darkness and for the first time, anticipation, began to fill the Chicago air.

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The Main Event: Wilco

There weren’t any fireworks over this headliner, but the Chicago natives didn’t need them. Strutting across the stage after a very impressive performance by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Jeff Tweedy brought out his rag tag band for a universally sound set. Even if it was only months after their career defining residency here at the Riviera, Mid-westerner’s galore were eager to see what is quickly becoming an American musical past time, Wilco.

In the foreground of a bold Chicago skyline, the Bud Light stage shined a bright red, with fans gathering nonchalantly, as opposed to the rough housing going down across the park. It was pleasant and as many continued chatting or sharing joints, what was left of the wafty Saturday sun diminished quietly. A breeze joined in, just in time, as the band swept in to open with Being There‘s “Misunderstood.” Within seconds, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone was already throwing various instruments as Tweedy carried on with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot‘s pivotal, “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.” Not much else was said, but most of the fans were too busy swaying, or clapping, or… wondering what the hell they were wearing.

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The rest of the day…

Saturday mornings are usually filled with either sleep in’s, hang overs, or plans to stay in and watch TBS all day. But today, not only was it the second day of Lollapalooza, but the weather was out of this world. Under clear blue skies and a sun that wasn’t even half as harmful as yesterday’s, everything was in it’s right place… to borrow from yesterday’s act, which was still running on all our minds.

The angular guitars and rhythmic snyths and drums of Foals almost made a mockery of other shows across the park. With a crowd that seemingly never ended inside an already small space of the Citibank stage, Foals brought their style of dance-rock to another level. With people closer to the stage dancing and moving, the people in the back were left to wonder who the hell is “Foals” and why didn’t they hear of them sooner. Surely, these crowds will walk away from Lollapalooza with one more new band to check out. While many of the people who saw Foals did so on their way to MGMT, many walked away with a performance that made MGMT’s job that much harder and a new band to follow. As for the already-a-Foals-fans, the highlight of the set was Balloons, a solid song made stronger by a band clicking in all gears on tour and a raucous crowd who found a band to stop and groove or dance to.

Coming off of a few months of touring, Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan, aka The Gutter Twins, brought their gloom rock outfit to Lollapalooza. Seeing the underground legends again was nothing short of fantastic, but it was odd to hear and see it all go down in daylight. Most of the downtrodden songs off of this year’s Saturnalia, namely set opener “The Station” or even “God’s Children”, were awkwardly juxtaposed against an even more surprising cool, crisp August day. No one could argue that the show’s pivotal moment came when Dulli ripped right into his other band’s (The Twilight Singers) material, specifically “Bonnie Brae.” Although Rage fans had begun gathering, it was great to see such a large audience for such an underrated band. Next time, give ‘em an evening shift.

MGMT did indeed make an attempt of this difficult task with a hour-long performance on the MySpace Stage. Though enthusiastic and fun, thanks to a multitude of the Brooklyn duo’s indie-approved hits like “Electric Feel” and “The Youth”, sound problems seemed to ravage a good portion of the audience. In some spots, the electro-heavy sound was overpowering, while in others, the banging DJ beats of Booka Shade bled into MGMT’s air. However, in the end, the mix of the band’s recent indie cred and catchy as hell music seemed to attract more than a fair share of folks.

Perry Farrell made his much-awaited Lollapalooza 2008 debuted with a performance on the newly created performance area that is his namesake. While more spectacle than anything else, special guests appearances from Slash and Samantha Ronson certainly helped Perry deliever one of the more unique performances so far this weekend. Though, between Ronson’s DJ set, Perry’s lively sing-a-longs, Slash’s acoustic strums, and the nearly 800 folks overwhelming the side stage, the set’s mixbag of material certainly made it hard to comprehend what was actually going on.

Spank Rock dazzled the crowd with a host of guest singers including Amanda Blank. Letting some of the producing and beats start things off, the Baltimore duo eventually turned the stage into the sexiest place in Grant Park, with electronic sounds and lyrics geared to get everybody moving. One of the great things to watch was Naeem Juwan and Amanda Blank bump and grind like no one was watching. This brand of entertainment even inspired many of the more bohemian ladies in the crowd to yell any sexist, crazy, or weird lyrics with Spank and with the rest of the people in attendance. Known for being a live staple at Spank Rock shows, “Shake it till my dick turns racist” had either the crowd laughing, dancing, or screaming the entire time and with personal Lollapalooza and Chicago references being made throughout it, no one can blame them. After seeming reluctant due to the blazing heat and energy of the crowd dying, Spank Rock did close the show with “Bump” and made sure everyone walked away with yet another great band to listen to or another great Spank Rock performance in their memory.

With some of the crowd from Spank Rock leaving, fans of Battles got close, fast. Renowned for intense live shows, the Citibank stage yet again was packed for the experimental noise dance of Battles. Similar to Foals in angular guitars and creating musical layers on stage, Battles rocked hard for even the most stiff of concertgoers. With much of the band being trained adults, who have been playing for years, this was an easy show to impress the people watching. With an almost nonsensical drum set up, John Stanier showcased his amazing drum skills on a very special day, his 40th birthday. The four-piece outfit played nearly without stops creating a sort of jam session feeling, albeit a technically stunning jam session. Interesting to note was the translator for the hearing impaired being rendered useless by Battles not really having distinguishable lyrics. Also two shirtless fans were able to get onto the stage and dance before eventually being escorted off by security. Battles did come back for a short encore after the main set was finished, this of course to make sure they closed off the stage properly for the night before everyone headed over for Rage Against the Machine right next door.

It was exactly 6:30pm on Saturday, when the montage friendly horn section from the Rocky theme song began to play over the mounting speaker system of the AT&T Stage; breaking the sitting silence of the crowd and giving way to the arriving night. With a few electric roars and sporadic applause from the heat pressed audience, the Second City’s second son, Lupe Fiasco, entered the south stage with backflipping charisma (literally). Never dumbing it down for one moment. The live, achromatic set of Lupe blended past hits from his Grammy winning debut Food & Liquor with the fiercely sharp tracks of 2007’s The Cool; opening with the string-enriched skate anthem, “Kick-Push” and closing with an extended rendition of the red-carpet single, “Superstar,” featuring Matthew Santos.

Although the performance was only an hour long, the on-stage offering from Lupe and crew felt like a lifetime captured in the blink of an eye. The flawlessly pure combination of energy and raw talent lyricism made-up for the show’s short duration, as it showcased Lupe as not just one of hip-hop’s elite emcees, but one of the music industry’s top performers. Watch out Kanye, the star in your shadow is becoming a little brighter.

In what might possibly be the weekend’s greatest power hour, Will Sheff and his Texas outfit, Okkervil River, laid fire to the Playstation 3 stage. Culling most of the material from last year’s The Stage Names, the set list stretched back some, even bringing out material from 2004′s Black Sheep Boy and 2002′s Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See. Sheff commands the stage, checking over on fellow band members at each break, before bleeding out into the microphone. His rough voice seemed innovative in comparison to the clean syrup on record. Some highlights included an epic rendition of “Girl in Port”, a fan driving performance of “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe”, and a hard hitting cut of “For Real” which had Sheff scaling the drum set with guitar in hand. They may have inadvertently opened for Broken Social Scene, but they clearly stole the fire.

Broken Social Scene took the Bud Light Stage for what many fans considered an encore now two years in the making. Yet as special as the occasion was considered to be, the band’s return to Grant Park at their epic 2006 performance was for the most part, by the book. The Kevin Drew, Brandon Canning fronted Canadian band kicked off in standard BSS fashion with some instrumental experimentation on “Pacific Theme” followed by a rendition of “Cause = Time”. And for the most part, the set remained your typical Broken Social Scene performance – brilliant music, captivating vocals, and even a few guest appearances. (Amy Milan filled female duties, while Apostle of Hustle’s Andrew Whiteman was a member of the current traveling unit.)

But ultimately, it was by no means what most had been expecting. It was no 2006 performance. Gone were the tears of joys, cries for an encore that left such a memorable impression in the minds of all those who had witnessed the spectacle. In reality however, the expectations may have been a bit much, no longer are we talking about the same Broken Social Scene that was seen two short years ago. They are no longer music’s best kept secret, and with the success, has come a loss of intimacy. Still as underwhelming as the performance may have been for some, the sounds of “7/4 (Shoreline)” and “It’s All Gonna Break” couldn’t help but leave you smiling and dancing along.

Given that the crowd either devoted itself to spots for Rage or picnic space for Wilco, it was nice to hear Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings soldiering on. The band’s sound is unique in that it sounds neither modern nor retro, it just sounds solid. The Georgia natives went over some, but no one complained, as they brought out the best in everyone on the North side of the park. Smiles and swaying should be good enough in anyone’s book.

As darkness approached, it was time for Wilco and Rage Against the Machine.

Day Three: Sunday, August 3rd

The Main Event: Nine Inch Nails

Two stories fell over Grant Park tonight. South at the AT&T stage, Kanye West brought fans along on his extraterrestrial expedition, whereas up north, industrial guru Trent Reznor wreaked havoc on the Bud Light stage, opening his fans’ eyes to an apocalyptic future. Most, if not all witnessing, should agree that NIN told the proper story to end Lollapalooza 2008. The only problem is scaling back and remembering it all.

Ah, where to begin…

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The Main Event: Kanye West

Uncertainty filled Grant Park’s south end on Sunday night. With Kanye West just moments away from making his triumphed return to Lollapalooza, this time faced with the task of closing out the 2008 version of the festival, questions undoubtedly floated throughout the crowd.

What would Kanye do? Would Lollapalooza be a follow up to June’s Bonnaroo disaster? Would his seizuring light show be brightening the night’s sky? Would the Chicago native treat his hometown to something special? What’s more, would the city even embrace a performance?

One couldn’t help but wonder.

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The rest of the day…

The third day of any festival is always hard. Aching backs, sore legs, and trembling eyes are usually the sort that describe a third day attendee. It makes you wonder how anyone can survive the fourth day at Bonnaroo, let alone the late nights. Fortunately for those that attend Lollapalooza, things are wrapped up nicely on Sunday, usually. Unfortunately, this year’s Sunday was a bit stale in comparison to Friday and Saturday, with most of the acts smudged at the end, inviting chaotic scheduling conflicts that nobody should have to make. It didn’t help that the sold out crowd felt overbooked and unwarranted, either.

Heat and humidity didn’t stop vocalist Michael Kincaid from rocking out on a Sunday morning. Over at the Citi stage, What Made Milwaukee Famous churned out a few genre spanning songs, mostly picked from this year’s album, What Doesn’t Kill Us. Everything from Spoon to Dashboard Confessional bled from the set, though much to the audience’s pleasure, they never strayed too far from the garage. It was a good early morning set for the Austin, Texas unit, though not nearly as memorable as one would have expected.

Despite the prospects of playing on a stage missing a video screen and still rittled with sound problems (see MGMT’s Saturday set), The Whigs provided an early morning punch of grunge-friendly rock anthems that helped get many folks filling the south end of Grant Park out of Sunday morning hangovers. While there was a large contrast in quality between the Georgia native’s heavy rock oriented sounds vs. their slower, acoustic ballads, which almost seemed overwhelmed due to the size of the stage, the – fronted band’s passion and drenched, Cobain-like look, certainly left a lasting impression.

Though a Perry Farrell performance at Kidzapalooza has been a staple since the festival first kicked off in 2005, this year’s performance was one for the ages. Like yesterday, the former Jane’s Addicition frontman/Lollapalooza mastermind was joined on stage by Slash for a short, unannounced performance. Only this time around, the performed renditions of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious”, GNR’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and Jane’s “Mountain Song” and “Jane Says” were for the children presented at the Kidzapalooza stage on Sunday afternoon. Though between Perry’s mystifying pieces of advice to the young boys and girls, Slash’s cigarette smoking guitar playing, and the massive amounts of adults overwhelming the tiny stage, the performance was anything from your standard lullaby.

“Mountain Song”

As Perry and Slash were entertaining the kids, the electro-friendly duo better known as Chromeo offered those gathered around the Myspace stage an incredibly vibrant and loud performance full of familiar favorites from their much-acclaimed debut album, Fancy Footworks. Unlike some of the other indie approved acts who struggled on the massive stage (see: MGMT, Mates of State), Chromeo seemed to flourish in the setting.

This is the conversation we imagined taking place when Girl Talk was scheduled to perform on the much too small Citi Stage:

C3 Presents Staff Member: Hey Perry, I have a fantastic idea!

Perry Farrell: About Lallapaloooza?

C3 Presents Staff Member: I think we should book Girl Talk, a mishmash DJ from Pittsburgh that everyone seems to be talking about these days.

Perry Farrell: Anything for Lallapaloooza!!! But since his name doesn’t have the “Jane’s Addiction,” “Slash,” or “Rage Against the Machine,” in it, I feel like he should be put on the Citi Stage.

C3 Presents Staff Member: Anything you say, boss!

The result: sheer and utter mayhem. While those who actually saw Gregg Gillis would have only seen the DJ jumping up and down around his custom made laptop, the suffocating crowd size certainly put a damper on what sounded like another trademark Girl Talk performance.

Over on the modest MySpace stage, New Jersey’s own Blues Traveler rocked through some good ol’ blues rock. Frontman John Popper looks the same as usual these days, though he’s a bit more engaging, and with good reason. The band managed to grab a larger than expected crowd, which enjoyed the set list ripe with new and old. No surprise that old timing hit, “Runaround”, received some accolades; however, the audience stuck around ’til the end. Good news for the Princeton quintet.

English rockers Love and Rockets played a loud set, and stress the loud, as the sun settled once and for all. While most of the audience could have been waiting for the industrial madness to come, the gothic rockers benefited from a crowd who loved hard hitting rock. Borderline shoegaze, Love and Rockets was a pleasant surprise. Drummer Kevin Haskins proved to be one of the better drummers for the weekend, shining towards the end in songs “Kundalani Express” and “Mirror People.” The shining moment came during closer “Yin and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)”, where a group of dancers, hidden behind black and white striped costumed and dome faced heads, ricocheted around and around. It all came down into a culminating crash and burn, ending a powerful and unlikely set. Before leaving the stage, bassist David J tipped his hat to the audience, and then held it out, for God knows what.

A member of the audience gathered at the Playstation 3 stage around 8:00 p.m. said it best. “The National just sound perfect.” Though not your prototypical festival-friendly band, especially considering the Brooklyn based rockers were performing right before Nine Inch Nails, the Matt Berninger led band delivered a performance of unmatched musical quality, mixing stunning, vibrant sounds, somewhat reminiscent of Nick Cave, with equally captivating lyrics. The National’s hour long performance was quality throughout, but the set’s final two pieces, “Fake Empires” followed by “Mr. November” in all its perfection, was easily one of the biggest highlights of not only the set, but entire third day.

As the final day of Lollapalooza 2008 came to a close, two of music’s more intriguing names, Kanye West and Nine Inch Nails, took their respective stages for the last performances of the day.

Lollapalooza Interviews

• Will Sheff of Okkervil River
• The Black Lips
• Michael Kincaid and Jason Davis of What Made Milwaukee Famous
• Jeremiah Edmond of Manchester Orchestra
• Sofia Talvik

Day One in Photos:

Day Two in Photos:

Day Three in Photos:

Lollapalooza by the Numbers:

• Performances by The Weakerthans: 0
• Kanye West Look-a-Likes: 1
• “Glow in the Dark” sunglasses: 1
• Myspace stickers using pasties sightings: 1
• Perry Farrell sightings: 3
• Radiohead t-shirts: 5
• Total Broken Social Scene Members Appearing On Stage: 10
• People Too Many at Perry & Friends: 800
• Attendees: 225,000
• Samples used by Girl Talk: Infinite

Lollapalooza Bootlegs:

via Lollapalooza Message Board and largehearted boy:

• Radiohead
• Rage Against the Machine
• Wilco
• The Raconteurs
• The National
• Bloc Party
• MGMT
• Explosions in the Sky
• The Whigs
• Blues Traveler

Lollapalooza in Videos:

Radiohead – “No Surprises”

Radiohead – “Paranoid Android”

Rage Against the Machine – “Testify”

Rage Against the Machine

Kanye West

Wilco – “New Song”

Nine Inch Nails – “The Big Comedown”

The Raconteurs

Girl Talk

The National – “Apartment Story”

John Butler Trio – “Ocean”

Love and Rockets

Riots

Perry Farrell & Slash – “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”

Bloc Party – “Like Eating Glass”

Lollapalooza.com 2008 Blogs:

This year, Consequence of Sound’s Lollapalooza coverage was featured on Lollapalooza.com’s Blogapalooza. Also taking part in the fun was Ross Hebert, the official, fan-approved Lollablogger. Be sure to check out all of his entries as well!

Special Thanks:

Consequence of Sound would like to thank the following people for helping us out this weekend: Art Pena, Hattie Trott, Ross Hebert, Alex Bonami (bmanders), Bryan Hawkinson, Maggie Gryske, Brendan Telzrow, Zach Hinkle, Megan McDiffitt, Nicole Orbe, Laura Hamlett, Brittany Pearce, Jacqueline Thompson, Nick Travers, and of course, Perry Farrell.

Comments:

Voice your memories, thoughts, and anything else on your mind, below…

We’ll give him a break though. After all, his band rocked through a wicked tight set over at the Citi stage the day before, and while his other band mates relaxed, he had to face the gallows… us. We weren’t so bad though, and you can hear in this interview that we’re both enjoying ourselves a little too much. Plus, life wasn’t so bad. Edmond was able to enjoy a filling breakfast to kick off the day.

Keep a look out for everything Manchester Orchestra this year. As you will hear, they have quite the plans in store.

interview-with-manchester-orchestra1.mp3