Consequence of Sound » Mates of State http://consequenceofsound.net Think Fast, Listen Slowly Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:34:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Trey Anastasio recording with The National, Mates of State http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/12/trey-anastasio-recording-with-the-national-mates-for-state/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/12/trey-anastasio-recording-with-the-national-mates-for-state/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/07/trey-anastasio.png Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:43:46 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=176784

Photo by Debi Del Grande

There’s another unexpected collaboration in the works, this time between Phish frontman Trey Anastasio and members of The National and Mates of States, as SPIN.com reports. They’ve all come together to record Anastasio’s next studio album, with Peter Katis serving as producer. The connection? Katis produced The National’s Boxer and Mates of State’s Rearrange Us, along with Vermont rock band The Pants’ Eat Crow, which Anastasio championed upon its 1997 release.

According to SPIN, the acts are recording at Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Tarquin Studios, with the sound described as a “mix between Anastasio’s eclectic, Afro-tinged rock and the kind of experimental indie pop produced by the Philistines Jr., Katis’ own recently reformed band.” Recording is expected to wrap up in late December.

As previously reported, Anastasio will embark on his first-ever orchestral tour next February, which will feature orchestrations of classic Phish songs and solo Anastasio compositions. You can find the trek’s itinerary below.

It’s also worth mentioning that this isn’t the only jam-band related project in the works for The National: bassist Scott Devendorf is “shadow-curating” a Grateful Dead cover albums for charity.

Trey Anastasio Winter Symphony 2012 Tour Dates:
02/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
02/14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall
02/28 – Denver, CO @ Boettcher Concert Hall
03/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Walt Disney Concert Hall

]]> Photo by Debi Del Grande There's another unexpected collaboration in the works, this time between Phish frontman Trey Anastasio and members of The National and Mates of States, as SPIN.com reports. They've all come together to record Anastasio's next studio album, with Peter Katis serving as producer. The connection? Katis produced The National's Boxer and Mates of State's Rearrange Us, along with Vermont rock band The Pants' Eat Crow, which Anastasio championed upon its 1997 release. According to SPIN, the acts are recording at Bridgeport, Connecticut's Tarquin Studios, with the sound described as a "mix between Anastasio's eclectic, Afro-tinged rock and the kind of experimental indie pop produced by the Philistines Jr., Katis' own recently reformed band." Recording is expected to wrap up in late December. As previously reported, Anastasio will embark on his first-ever orchestral tour next February, which will feature orchestrations of classic Phish songs and solo Anastasio compositions. You can find the trek's itinerary below. It's also worth mentioning that this isn't the only jam-band related project in the works for The National: bassist Scott Devendorf is "shadow-curating" a Grateful Dead cover albums for charity. Trey Anastasio Winter Symphony 2012 Tour Dates: 02/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Symphony Hall 02/14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall 02/28 – Denver, CO @ Boettcher Concert Hall 03/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Walt Disney Concert Hall]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/12/trey-anastasio-recording-with-the-national-mates-for-state/feed/ 2 Album Review: Mates of State – Mountaintops http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/album-review-mates-of-state-mountaintops/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/album-review-mates-of-state-mountaintops/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/matesofstate-mountaintops.jpg Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:59:23 +0000 Adam Kivel http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=152980 Way back in 2000 (that phrase seems so wrong), the debut disc from Mates of State, My Solo Project, was much lauded for its gleeful, rough-around-the-edges take on indie pop. The married duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel propelled themselves forward on rabbit-thump drumming, gleaming keyboards, arching vocal harmonies, and, probably, a pretty decent amount of sugar. Their pop hooks were readily apparent, but there was a charming messiness about the thing, a sincerity that shone through in the fact that this wasn’t lo-fi for effect, that these were two musicians finding their own place, their own sound, and their own potential. Since then, their stock has considerably risen, and with each successive album, those rough edges have been sanded down, little by little. But rather than losing any authenticity, the duo have kept their strengths, all while bolstering their sound with new instrumental flourishes and stronger songwriting to couch those still-powerful hooks in.

To be sure, though, 2008′s Re-Arrange Us did have its missteps (it sounded, somehow, as if that raw, excitable energy had been subdued), but it was still a relatively solid indie pop record. Gardner’s switch to piano from her usual electric organ caught a lot of guff, but, in the end, the songwriting on the album was another step in the right direction, and the addition of bass and cello was an ingenuous use of the studio to flesh out their material. So, in many ways, their new disc, Mountaintops, could be seen as another test of their progress, whether they’ll move further along or catch on the new developments they discovered last time around.

From the opening twinkles of “Palomino”, though, it’s clear that the pair haven’t delved further down the Re-Arrange Us rabbit hole, instead delivering a return to the heavy handfuls of happy chorus that they’d done so well. The skyward soaring, wild, wordless vocal flourish that permeates the track, along with lines about “touching in the backyards of our youth” and how “I’ll never leave you” are pure adrenaline smile-inducers, and the song’s cresting wave structure, complete with wobbly breakdown and stunning pounded drum recovery, is another example of how far they’ve come as writers.

“Maracas” follows, its wonky organ riffs slippery and adorable in a Yo Gabba Gabba sort of way. But when Gardner’s multi-tracked vocals pitch in, the song gains a funky edge, particularly along her upward trilling chorus. Despite the song’s back-and-forth talk about not quite knowing someone the way she’d thought, the closing lines of “I got your back/syncopated breathing” is one of the more deftly straightforward statements of a relationship’s power in recent memory. While it plays into all of the issues that Mates of State haters have (massively joyful, big, indulgent vocal harmonies and cutesy instrumentation), it’s a great song, both lyrically and musically, and should readily please any non-Grinch.

The bombastic, ’80s cartoon nostalgia intro to “Sway” rings out a little too dramatically, Gardner belting out a yelped “oh” a la Zola Jesus. But no matter how cheesy it may be, the married couple harmony of “please sway with me” just sounds so sincere. Even at their musically least interesting (which this song is), the duo’s sincere delivery saves it from being another cheesy nostalgia track. The tom-heavy drums and plinking strings on “Unless I’m Led” are an interesting change of pace, vaguely Andrew Bird-y in tone, while Gardner’s lithe ballad delivery is fluidly framed by Hammel’s more staccato backing. This one-ups the dramatic quotient as well, but really, that’s what Mates of State do best. And exactly to that end, “Total Serendipity” follows immediately after, the piano-driven, Motown-y stomp rushing forward like something out of a cut Grease sock hop scene, at least until it slows itself down, at which time the repeated lines “You’re a pot of gold sitting at a rainbow’s edge/There’s a marigold growing in between your toes” are almost too twee to be true.

The talk of “what a double-mind can do” and the hard work of making music on “Basement Money” could all too easily be read as autobiographical. The repeated chorus of “We wait/We don’t give up” is uplifting enough to fit in with everything else, to be sure, and the talk of selling out and needing to “make a living somehow” concurrent with a love of music is pretty honest-sounding. The snappy rhythm and spotlight synths keep this from being an apology for their success. “At Least I Have You” similarly focuses on what could be taken as real, a story of music and touring replacing lost friendships. The fact remains, adorably, even through the dark, retro synth push, that the two have each other. If that sentiment sounds over-the-top, then Mates of State aren’t a band for you. If instead you’re giggling and aww-ing, then this is right up your alley.

That distinction has been one that runs through Mates of State’s discography, and it’s certainly one that the success of this new disc depends on. As their audience expands and their reach grows larger, it would seem that the cute is welcomed with open arms. Take that undeniably delightful charm, add their increasingly laudable songwriting, and pepper in some wise instrumentation choices, and this makes for a strong album, one that bodes well for more in the future.

Essential Tracks: “Palomino” and “Maracas”

]]> My Solo Project, was much lauded for its gleeful, rough-around-the-edges take on indie pop. The married duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel propelled themselves forward on rabbit-thump drumming, gleaming keyboards, arching vocal harmonies, and, probably, a pretty decent amount of sugar. Their pop hooks were readily apparent, but there was a charming messiness about the thing, a sincerity that shone through in the fact that this wasn't lo-fi for effect, that these were two musicians finding their own place, their own sound, and their own potential. Since then, their stock has considerably risen, and with each successive album, those rough edges have been sanded down, little by little. But rather than losing any authenticity, the duo have kept their strengths, all while bolstering their sound with new instrumental flourishes and stronger songwriting to couch those still-powerful hooks in. To be sure, though, 2008's Re-Arrange Us did have its missteps (it sounded, somehow, as if that raw, excitable energy had been subdued), but it was still a relatively solid indie pop record. Gardner's switch to piano from her usual electric organ caught a lot of guff, but, in the end, the songwriting on the album was another step in the right direction, and the addition of bass and cello was an ingenuous use of the studio to flesh out their material. So, in many ways, their new disc, Mountaintops, could be seen as another test of their progress, whether they'll move further along or catch on the new developments they discovered last time around. From the opening twinkles of "Palomino", though, it's clear that the pair haven't delved further down the Re-Arrange Us rabbit hole, instead delivering a return to the heavy handfuls of happy chorus that they'd done so well. The skyward soaring, wild, wordless vocal flourish that permeates the track, along with lines about "touching in the backyards of our youth" and how "I'll never leave you" are pure adrenaline smile-inducers, and the song's cresting wave structure, complete with wobbly breakdown and stunning pounded drum recovery, is another example of how far they've come as writers. "Maracas" follows, its wonky organ riffs slippery and adorable in a Yo Gabba Gabba sort of way. But when Gardner's multi-tracked vocals pitch in, the song gains a funky edge, particularly along her upward trilling chorus. Despite the song's back-and-forth talk about not quite knowing someone the way she'd thought, the closing lines of "I got your back/syncopated breathing" is one of the more deftly straightforward statements of a relationship's power in recent memory. While it plays into all of the issues that Mates of State haters have (massively joyful, big, indulgent vocal harmonies and cutesy instrumentation), it's a great song, both lyrically and musically, and should readily please any non-Grinch. The bombastic, '80s cartoon nostalgia intro to "Sway" rings out a little too dramatically, Gardner belting out a yelped "oh" a la Zola Jesus. But no matter how cheesy it may be, the married couple harmony of "please sway with me" just sounds so sincere. Even at their musically least interesting (which this song is), the duo's sincere delivery saves it from being another cheesy nostalgia track. The tom-heavy drums and plinking strings on "Unless I'm Led" are an interesting change of pace, vaguely Andrew Bird-y in tone, while Gardner's lithe ballad delivery is fluidly framed by Hammel's more staccato backing. This one-ups the dramatic quotient as well, but really, that's what Mates of State do best. And exactly to that end, "Total Serendipity" follows immediately after, the piano-driven, Motown-y stomp rushing forward like something out of a cut Grease sock hop scene, at least until it slows itself down, at which time the repeated lines "You're a pot of gold sitting at a rainbow's edge/There's a marigold growing in between your toes" are almost too twee to be true. The talk of "what a double-mind can do" and the hard work of making music on "Basement Money" could all too easily be read as autobiographical. The repeated chorus of "We wait/We don't give up" is uplifting enough to fit in with everything else, to be sure, and the talk of selling out and needing to "make a living somehow" concurrent with a love of music is pretty honest-sounding. The snappy rhythm and spotlight synths keep this from being an apology for their success. "At Least I Have You" similarly focuses on what could be taken as real, a story of music and touring replacing lost friendships. The fact remains, adorably, even through the dark, retro synth push, that the two have each other. If that sentiment sounds over-the-top, then Mates of State aren't a band for you. If instead you're giggling and aww-ing, then this is right up your alley. That distinction has been one that runs through Mates of State's discography, and it's certainly one that the success of this new disc depends on. As their audience expands and their reach grows larger, it would seem that the cute is welcomed with open arms. Take that undeniably delightful charm, add their increasingly laudable songwriting, and pepper in some wise instrumentation choices, and this makes for a strong album, one that bodes well for more in the future. Essential Tracks: "Palomino" and "Maracas" ]]> 70 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/album-review-mates-of-state-mountaintops/feed/ 0 Mates of State add fall tour dates http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/mates-of-state-add-fall-tour-dates/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/mates-of-state-add-fall-tour-dates/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/06/matesofstate.jpg Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:23:16 +0000 Chris Coplan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=140110

With the summit of a new Mates of State album almost in reach, the husband-and-wife indie pop duo are doling out even more fall tour dates on top of the lengthy autumn jaunt they’ve already outlined. The new dates, italicized below, comprise most of the 11th month and come to a close on November 21st in Cleveland, OH. Supporting the band on this leg of the tour will be Generationals.

Moutanintops hits stores September 13th via Barsuk. Also check out the video for “Maracas” below:

Mountaintops Tracklist:
01. Palomino
02. Maracas
03. Sway
04. Unless I’m Led
05. Total Serendipity
06. Basement Money
07. At Least I Have You
08. Desire
09. Change
10. Mistakes

Mates of State 2011 Tour Dates:
08/05 – Southampton, NY @ Escape to New York
09/21 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club # *
09/22 – Cincinnati, OH @ Mid Point Music Festival
09/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls # *
09/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Popped Festival # *
09/26 – Boston, MA @ Royale # *
09/27 – Montreal, QB @ Il Motore # *
09/28 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix # *
09/29 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews # *
09/30 – Chicago, IL @ Metro # *
10/01 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall % *
10/03 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel % *
10/04 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In % *
10/05 – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre % *
10/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn % *
10/07 – Orlando, FL @ The Social % *
10/08 – Sunrise, FL @ Langerado Festival
10/10 – Richmond, VA @ Canal Club % *
10/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar % *
10/12 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall %
10/26 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre $
10/27 – Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder $
10/28 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience
10/30 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room $
10/31 – St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird $
11/01 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom $
11/02 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater $
11/05 – Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/04 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s $
11/07 – Tucson, AZ @ Plush $
11/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box $
11/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge $
11/13 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater $
11/15 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar $
11/16 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room $
11/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café $
11/19 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom $
11/21 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom $

# = w/ Suckers
* = w/ Yawn
% = w/ Other Lives
$ = w/ Generationals

]]> italicized below, comprise most of the 11th month and come to a close on November 21st in Cleveland, OH. Supporting the band on this leg of the tour will be Generationals. Moutanintops hits stores September 13th via Barsuk. Also check out the video for "Maracas" below: [youtube CbqrO9oxc7E 500 325] Mountaintops Tracklist: 01. Palomino 02. Maracas 03. Sway 04. Unless I’m Led 05. Total Serendipity 06. Basement Money 07. At Least I Have You 08. Desire 09. Change 10. Mistakes Mates of State 2011 Tour Dates: 08/05 – Southampton, NY @ Escape to New York 09/21 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club # * 09/22 – Cincinnati, OH @ Mid Point Music Festival 09/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls # * 09/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Popped Festival # * 09/26 – Boston, MA @ Royale # * 09/27 – Montreal, QB @ Il Motore # * 09/28 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix # * 09/29 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews # * 09/30 – Chicago, IL @ Metro # * 10/01 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall % * 10/03 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel % * 10/04 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In % * 10/05 – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre % * 10/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn % * 10/07 – Orlando, FL @ The Social % * 10/08 – Sunrise, FL @ Langerado Festival 10/10 – Richmond, VA @ Canal Club % * 10/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar % * 10/12 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall % 10/26 - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Theatre $ 10/27 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder $ 10/28 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience 10/30 - Little Rock, AR - Revolution Music Room $ 10/31 - St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird $ 11/01 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom $ 11/02 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater $ 11/05 - Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest 11/04 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's $ 11/07 - Tucson, AZ @ Plush $ 11/08 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box $ 11/12 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge $ 11/13 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater $ 11/15 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar $ 11/16 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room $ 11/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café $ 11/19 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom $ 11/21 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom $ # = w/ Suckers * = w/ Yawn % = w/ Other Lives $ = w/ Generationals]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/mates-of-state-add-fall-tour-dates/feed/ 0 Slayer, Danzig, Passion Pit, Public Enemy head Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/slayer-danzig-passion-pit-public-enemy-head-fun-fun-fun-fest-2011/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/slayer-danzig-passion-pit-public-enemy-head-fun-fun-fun-fest-2011/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/04/rsz_funfest.jpg Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:14:21 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=139644 Still one of music’s best kept secrets, Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest has been pulverizing ear drums for the past five years with a genre bending lineup mixing rock, metal, punk, hip hop, and comedy. This year’s bill is no different, with metal titans Slayer, iconic hip-hop outfit Public Emeny, dance pop maestros Passion Pit, synth master M83, and a Danzig Legacy set (Danzig/Samhain/Danzig & Doyle Perform Misfits) topping the bill.

Set for November 4-6 at Auditorium Shores, this year’s edition also promises Rakim, Major Lazer, Okkervil River, Kid Dynamite, Henry Rollins, Reggie Watts, Flying Lotus, the recently reunited Hum, The Murder City Devils, Lykke Li, Four Tet, Neon Indian, Blonde Redhead, The Damned, Diplo, Ra Ra Riot, Cave In, and and Del The Funky Homosapien.

If that weren’t enough, the bill also features Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Spank Rock, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Ra Ra Riot, tUnE-yArDs, The Radio Dept., Boris, D-Generation, Zero Boys, Childish Gambino, Big Feedia, YACHT, Cecil Otter & Swiss Andy present: WUGAZI, The Joy Formidable, Mates of State, Cold Cave, Austra, G-Side, and Le Butcherettes. You can check out the entire bill at our Festival Outlook; we also have the lineup poster below.

Three-day and VIP passes are priced at $135 and $270, respectively and go on sale via the festival’s website. Single day passes ($55) will be available beginning September 1st.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/slayer-danzig-passion-pit-public-enemy-head-fun-fun-fun-fest-2011/feed/ 2 Mates of State announce fall tour http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/mates-of-state-announce-fall-tour/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/mates-of-state-announce-fall-tour/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/06/matesofstate.jpg Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:45:08 +0000 Danielle Fowler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=132251

Following last year’s titillating “Summer Crushes” tour, Mates of State are jumping back on the road to support their first full-length LP in three years, Mountaintops. So far the plan is to drop the sword swallowers and contortionists of yesteryear to allow a more mild-mannered float into the fall.

July and August are pretty slow for the modern pop duo, with only two gigs booked: Escape to New York in Southampton, NY and St. John’s Block Party in Rochester, MN. However, after their seventh album drops on September 13th (via Barsuk Records), expect the rest of autumn to be a blur of North American cities, including stops at MidPoint Music Festival, Langerado Festival and Voodoo Experience. Better yet, the headlining shows feature support from Suckers and Other Lives.

A complete list of their summer and fall dates are below, as is a video for the album cut, “Maracas”.

Mates of State 2011 Tour Dates:
07/09 – Rochester, MN @ St. John’s Block Party
08/05 – Southampton, NY @ Escape to New York
09/21 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club # *
09/22 – Cincinnati, OH @ Mid Point Music Festival
09/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls # *
09/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Popped Festival # *
09/26 – Boston, MA @ Royale # *
09/27 – Montreal, QB @ Il Motore # *
09/28 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix # *
09/29 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews # *
09/30 – Chicago, IL @ Metro # *
10/01 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall % *
10/03 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel % *
10/04 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In % *
10/05 – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre % *
10/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn % *
10/07 – Orlando, FL @ The Social % *
10/08 – Sunrise, FL @ Langerado Festival % *
10/10 – Richmond, VA @ Canal Club % *
10/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar % *
10/12 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall %
10/28 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience

# = w/ Suckers
* = w/ Yawn
% = w/ Other Lives

]]> Mountaintops. So far the plan is to drop the sword swallowers and contortionists of yesteryear to allow a more mild-mannered float into the fall. July and August are pretty slow for the modern pop duo, with only two gigs booked: Escape to New York in Southampton, NY and St. John's Block Party in Rochester, MN. However, after their seventh album drops on September 13th (via Barsuk Records), expect the rest of autumn to be a blur of North American cities, including stops at MidPoint Music Festival, Langerado Festival and Voodoo Experience. Better yet, the headlining shows feature support from Suckers and Other Lives. A complete list of their summer and fall dates are below, as is a video for the album cut, "Maracas". [youtube CbqrO9oxc7E 500 325] Mates of State 2011 Tour Dates: 07/09 - Rochester, MN @ St. John's Block Party 08/05 - Southampton, NY @ Escape to New York 09/21 - Washington, DC @ 930 Club # * 09/22 - Cincinnati, OH @ Mid Point Music Festival 09/23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls # * 09/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Popped Festival # * 09/26 - Boston, MA @ Royale # * 09/27 - Montreal, QB @ Il Motore # * 09/28 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix # * 09/29 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews # * 09/30 - Chicago, IL @ Metro # * 10/01 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall % * 10/03 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel % * 10/04 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In % * 10/05 - Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre % * 10/06 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn % * 10/07 - Orlando, FL @ The Social % * 10/08 - Sunrise, FL @ Langerado Festival % * 10/10 - Richmond, VA @ Canal Club % * 10/11 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar % * 10/12 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall % 10/28 - New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience # = w/ Suckers * = w/ Yawn % = w/ Other Lives]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/mates-of-state-announce-fall-tour/feed/ 0 CoS’ post-Bonnaroo news recap http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/cos-post-bonnaroo-news-recap/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/cos-post-bonnaroo-news-recap/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bonnaroo-2011-lineup.jpg Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:30:22 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=127935 After showering and eating something not drenched in grease, your first post-Bonnaroo activity should be getting caught up on all the non-Bonnaroo, music-related news that you went down last week. Fortunately, we got you covered; below, check out all of last week’s music headlines in easy-to-read bullet form. If something particularly tickles your interest, then click on the bullet’s respective link to check out the original news story. Also, be sure to stay tuned to Consequence of Sound for our complete recap of this year’s Bonnaroo.

Oh, and welcome back to the real world.

– Watch Yeasayer debut a brand new song live.

– Electric Daisy Carnival announced its 2011 lineup.

– Red Hot Chili Peppers revealed the tracklist for I’m With You.

– OFWGKTA’s Frank Ocean is hitting the studio with Kanye and Jay-Z.

– Jack White and Karen Elson ended their six-year marriage with a party.

– For your next family game night, pick up the Metallica version of Monopoly.

– Lil Wayne became just the second rapper ever to appear on MTV Unplugged.

– Check out a brand new song from The Rapture, via James Murphy’s turntable.

– Watch brand new videos from Neil Young, Bad Meets Evil, Belle & Sebastian, Bright Eyes, Best Coast, MellowHype, and Shine 2009.

– Get ready for new albums from Wu-Tang Clan, Beirut, Mates of State, Nick Lowe, The Jayhawks, Twin Sister, and Male Bonding.

– Paul McCartney is kicking off his 2011 tour with his first-ever gig at Yankee Stadium. Also, check out the CoS premiere of a remastered version of “Every Night”.

– Ra Roa caught up with The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne to discuss the band’s gummy fetus amd stompbox, a possible Nick Cave collaobration and more.

– Finally, Clarence Clemons, the legendary saxaphonist of Bruce Springsteen & the Street Band suffered a stroke over the weekend. Our thought are with him and his family.

]]> Consequence of Sound for our complete recap of this year's Bonnaroo. Oh, and welcome back to the real world. -- Watch Yeasayer debut a brand new song live. -- Electric Daisy Carnival announced its 2011 lineup. -- Red Hot Chili Peppers revealed the tracklist for I'm With You. -- OFWGKTA's Frank Ocean is hitting the studio with Kanye and Jay-Z. -- Jack White and Karen Elson ended their six-year marriage with a party. -- For your next family game night, pick up the Metallica version of Monopoly. -- Lil Wayne became just the second rapper ever to appear on MTV Unplugged. -- Check out a brand new song from The Rapture, via James Murphy's turntable. -- Watch brand new videos from Neil Young, Bad Meets Evil, Belle & Sebastian, Bright Eyes, Best Coast, MellowHype, and Shine 2009. -- Get ready for new albums from Wu-Tang Clan, Beirut, Mates of State, Nick Lowe, The Jayhawks, Twin Sister, and Male Bonding. -- Paul McCartney is kicking off his 2011 tour with his first-ever gig at Yankee Stadium. Also, check out the CoS premiere of a remastered version of "Every Night". -- Ra Roa caught up with The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne to discuss the band's gummy fetus amd stompbox, a possible Nick Cave collaobration and more. -- Finally, Clarence Clemons, the legendary saxaphonist of Bruce Springsteen & the Street Band suffered a stroke over the weekend. Our thought are with him and his family.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/cos-post-bonnaroo-news-recap/feed/ 1 Mates of State announce new album, Mountaintops http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/mates-of-state-announce-new-album-mountaintops/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/mates-of-state-announce-new-album-mountaintops/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/MatesofState.jpg Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:51:21 +0000 Chris Coplan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=127432

The last we heard of Mates of State, the husband-and-wife duo were expressing their musical crushes with a covers mixtape. As fun as those sonic affairs may be, the Connecticut-based indie rockers are back to writing original material, as their seventh album, Mountaintops, surfaces September 13th via Barsuk Records.

The follow-up to 2008′s Re-Arrange Us, the record was self-produced and written over the last 18 months in several different studios. Despite keeping most of the effort in the family, the band did tap a mixer in Chris Coady, who has helped put together efforts for Beach House, Gang Gang Dance, and Smith Westerns. The 10-song tracklist is posted below.

Mountaintops Tracklist:
01. Palomino
02. Maracas
03. Sway
04. Unless I’m Led
05. Total Serendipity
06. Basement Money
07. At Least I Have You
08. Desire
09. Change
10. Mistakes

]]> Mountaintops, surfaces September 13th via Barsuk Records. The follow-up to 2008's Re-Arrange Us, the record was self-produced and written over the last 18 months in several different studios. Despite keeping most of the effort in the family, the band did tap a mixer in Chris Coady, who has helped put together efforts for Beach House, Gang Gang Dance, and Smith Westerns. The 10-song tracklist is posted below. Mountaintops Tracklist: 01. Palomino 02. Maracas 03. Sway 04. Unless I'm Led 05. Total Serendipity 06. Basement Money 07. At Least I Have You 08. Desire 09. Change 10. Mistakes]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/06/mates-of-state-announce-new-album-mountaintops/feed/ 0 Watch: Mates Of State cover The Replacements http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/08/watch-mates-of-state-cover-the-replacements/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/08/watch-mates-of-state-cover-the-replacements/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/MatesofState.jpg Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:25:30 +0000 Jeremy D. Larson http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=59575 It’s covers day here at CoS, and that makes us all a little happier. Arcade Fire covered Jay Reatard, and Joanna Newsom and Robin Pecknold gave their takes on Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. Lets trifecta this, shall we?

With a new mixtape of covers already out, Mates of State are a perfect fit to offer another insightful cover to The A.V. Club’s “Undercover” series. Over at Slicing Up Eyeballs, you can see how The Replacements’ seminal “I Will Dare” is filtered through Mates of State’s saccharine sounds to a supremely pleasing effect. The guitar riff has been promoted to the trumpeter, the chorus slides into a cool and sultry waltz, and is that Todd Barry on drums? Nice. Check out the video below.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/08/watch-mates-of-state-cover-the-replacements/feed/ 0 CoS End of Week Recap: June 21-25 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/06/cos-end-of-week-recap-june-21-25/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/06/cos-end-of-week-recap-june-21-25/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/06/recap626.jpg Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:00:43 +0000 Emma Ramsay http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=49741 The sun is shining. The beaches are open. The nights are clear. It’s summer, remember?

This is the point of the year when you don’t even need an excuse to venture away from home or the workplace. It seems like there’s always something going on somewhere. And, yes, most of these things aren’t exactly free. This is especially true of music. Summer is, after all, the time of extensive tours, unbelievable festival lineups, and a list of must-buy albums that never seems to end. Here at CoS, we’ve got plenty of ways to for you to drain your funds.

Oh, we’ve also got a steady supply of entertaining tidbits for you each week, ranging from links to goofy viral videos to breaking news.

Well, at least that’s free.

– As if Lollapalooza attendees don’t already have enough tough decisions to make, the festival’s official aftershows were announced this week.

– Also, Lollapalooza promoter C3 Presents’ radius clause is under fire.

– The second installment of the Epicenter music festival dropped its lineup. Among the artists playing this year are Eminem, Blink-182, and a recently reunited Bush.

– Super-fans, let the salivating commence: there might be a new Radiohead LP later this year, according to guitarist Ed O’Brien.

– Remember the last time D’Angelo, Leonard Cohen, and Swans released albums? You don’t? Well, look for them in the future.

– Pearl Jam and Interpol have new songs available for listening.

– It turns out Brian Wilson will NOT be reuniting with The Beach Boys.

–Kinks bassist Pete Quaife passed away. He was 66 years old.

– NME Radio unexpectedly came to an end.

–  More details revealed about Google Music.

–LimeWire will relaunch as a legal, subscription-based service.

–Legal issues may postpone the release of The Game‘s highly anticipated new album.

– Dirty Projectors and Bjork announced a collaborative EP and it’s be available in just four days.

– Rice University students are in for something special next semester.

– A slew of Cocteau Twins reissues will soon be available.

– Public Enemy‘s Chuck D never holds anything back. This week was no exception.

– And speaking of people who never hold anything back… But seriously, just watch this.

– Watch this, too.

– Michael Roffman shared his thoughts on Lewis Black‘s latest effort.

– Winston Robbins reviewed Eminem‘s Recovery.

– Mates of State brought their magical US tour to Chicago. Read Meghan Brosnan’s report here.

– Philip Cosores covered Make Music Pasadena.

– Don’t forget. We’ll be hosting two showcases at this weekend’s Northside Festival. Be there or be square. (Wow. I can’t believe I just wrote that.)

]]> Lollapalooza attendees don’t already have enough tough decisions to make, the festival's official aftershows were announced this week. -- Also, Lollapalooza promoter C3 Presents' radius clause is under fire. -- The second installment of the Epicenter music festival dropped its lineup. Among the artists playing this year are Eminem, Blink-182, and a recently reunited Bush. -- Super-fans, let the salivating commence: there might be a new Radiohead LP later this year, according to guitarist Ed O'Brien. -- Remember the last time D'Angelo, Leonard Cohen, and Swans released albums? You don't? Well, look for them in the future. -- Pearl Jam and Interpol have new songs available for listening. -- It turns out Brian Wilson will NOT be reuniting with The Beach Boys. --Kinks bassist Pete Quaife passed away. He was 66 years old. -- NME Radio unexpectedly came to an end. --  More details revealed about Google Music. --LimeWire will relaunch as a legal, subscription-based service. --Legal issues may postpone the release of The Game's highly anticipated new album. -- Dirty Projectors and Bjork announced a collaborative EP and it's be available in just four days. -- Rice University students are in for something special next semester. -- A slew of Cocteau Twins reissues will soon be available. -- Public Enemy's Chuck D never holds anything back. This week was no exception. -- And speaking of people who never hold anything back... But seriously, just watch this. -- Watch this, too. -- Michael Roffman shared his thoughts on Lewis Black's latest effort. -- Winston Robbins reviewed Eminem's Recovery. -- Mates of State brought their magical US tour to Chicago. Read Meghan Brosnan's report here. -- Philip Cosores covered Make Music Pasadena. -- Don't forget. We'll be hosting two showcases at this weekend's Northside Festival. Be there or be square. (Wow. I can't believe I just wrote that.)]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/06/cos-end-of-week-recap-june-21-25/feed/ 0 Mates of State bring pals to Chitown (6/22) http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/06/mates-of-state-bringmake-pals-in-chitown-622/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/06/mates-of-state-bringmake-pals-in-chitown-622/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mates_thumbnail.jpg Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:28:34 +0000 Meghan Brosnan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=50273 Mates and Friends = Magic

Seriously, Mates of State know how to host a night of entertainment. Their sold-out June 22nd line-up at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall  put together the unlikeliest of characters: an international bubble artist, Geoffrey “Merlin” Akins, funny man Todd Barry, and the head banging misfits of Free Energy. Surprisingly, this eclectic group was a near pitch perfect mix of magic, comedy, and music.

Geoffrey “Merlin” Akins commenced the night with a wand in hand and a stellar set of tricks. He got the audience wide eyed and ahhing with excitement. “No matter what your age, anything is possible if you believe,” Akins preached while conquering the impossible… a square bubble. And from the reaction of the crowd, it was evident Akins has made believers out of us all.

Comedian Todd Barry took the stage next, and killed with a set of sarcastic zingers that ranged from apartment searching in Manhattan to a pot smoking Haley Joel Osment. Barry, you may remember him from HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, is a stand-up comic who knows how to deliver, and held  his own with a room full of hipster college kids.

Glam-rockers Free Energy followed. On tour for their debut album Stuck on Nothing (produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem), this Philadelphia quintet looked like they were having a blast as they bounced across the stage. They delivered pop rock songs that are as catchy as they are enjoyable. Songs like “Hope Child” and “Bang Pop” got the crowd giddily hand-clapping and singing along. These guys are fun to watch. Luckily, if you missed it they’ll be back in town July 17 for the Pitchfork Music Festival.

Frankly, the night could have ended happily before the headliner ever started. But Mates of State proved to be the icing on an already delightful cake. The crowd was all grins when the husband/wife duo, Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, took the stage with “Re-Arranger”. With Gardner manning keyboards and Hammel on drums, the band hammered out favorites from their various albums (they have seven). Highlights from the set included “Think Long” and “You Are Free”, as well as a cover of Tom Waits’ “Long Way Home” off the group’s latest album, Crushes (The Covers Mixtape). With their playful banter, whimsical melodies, and sugar coated music people got exactly what they came for… Mates of States and their entourage of characters at their best.

Click here to view more of Meghan Brosnan’s work.

Mates of State setlist:
The Re-Arranger
Get Better
True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston cover)
Whiner’s Bio
Think Long
You Are Free
Long Way Home (Tom Waits cover)
For the Actor
New Song (Unicorns)
Technicolor Girls (Death Cab for Cutie cover)
Now
Ha Ha
Fraud in the 80s
Laura (Girls cover)

Encore:
My Only Offer
Sleep the Clock Around (Belle and Sebastian cover)
Unknown Replacements cover
Goods (All in Your Head)
——

[nggallery id=67]

]]> Flight of the Conchords, is a stand-up comic who knows how to deliver, and held  his own with a room full of hipster college kids. Glam-rockers Free Energy followed. On tour for their debut album Stuck on Nothing (produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem), this Philadelphia quintet looked like they were having a blast as they bounced across the stage. They delivered pop rock songs that are as catchy as they are enjoyable. Songs like "Hope Child" and "Bang Pop" got the crowd giddily hand-clapping and singing along. These guys are fun to watch. Luckily, if you missed it they'll be back in town July 17 for the Pitchfork Music Festival. Frankly, the night could have ended happily before the headliner ever started. But Mates of State proved to be the icing on an already delightful cake. The crowd was all grins when the husband/wife duo, Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, took the stage with "Re-Arranger". With Gardner manning keyboards and Hammel on drums, the band hammered out favorites from their various albums (they have seven). Highlights from the set included "Think Long" and "You Are Free", as well as a cover of Tom Waits' "Long Way Home" off the group's latest album, Crushes (The Covers Mixtape). With their playful banter, whimsical melodies, and sugar coated music people got exactly what they came for... Mates of States and their entourage of characters at their best. Click here to view more of Meghan Brosnan’s work. Mates of State setlist: The Re-Arranger Get Better True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston cover) Whiner's Bio Think Long You Are Free Long Way Home (Tom Waits cover) For the Actor New Song (Unicorns) Technicolor Girls (Death Cab for Cutie cover) Now Ha Ha Fraud in the 80s Laura (Girls cover) Encore: My Only Offer Sleep the Clock Around (Belle and Sebastian cover) Unknown Replacements cover Goods (All in Your Head) ------ [nggallery id=67]]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/06/mates-of-state-bringmake-pals-in-chitown-622/feed/ 0 Watch: Mates of State covers Nick Cave’s “Love Letter” http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/watch-mates-of-state-cover-nick-caves-love-letter/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/watch-mates-of-state-cover-nick-caves-love-letter/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/MatesofState.jpg Thu, 13 May 2010 17:00:23 +0000 Ray Padgett http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=40842 Last month we learned about the upcoming covers album by Mates of State and now we have a taste. In a mournful video full of trees, fire and slo-mo walking, the husband-and-wife duo moan through Nick Cave’s “Love Letter.”

Cave’s original comes from No More Shall We Part, the 2003 album that signaled his return from heroin addiction. The melancholy melodrama seems an unexpected choice for the poppy pair, but they slow things down accordingly. Performing the song as a duet turns the laments of a scorned suitor into a dialogue between two lovers who just can’t get it right.

Hearing how well they merge their style with Cave’s only excites us more for Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), on which they also tackle Girls (“Laura”), Fleetwood Mac (“Second Hand News”), and Tom Waits (“Long Way Home”). The Covers Mixtape will be released digitally on June 15th, the same the duo will launch its bizarre Summer Crushes tour. And because “We made it as efficiently and independently as possible, so in turn we wanted to make it as easy as possible for anyone and everyone to hear it,” the band will be selling the album for only $5.

]]> No More Shall We Part, the 2003 album that signaled his return from heroin addiction. The melancholy melodrama seems an unexpected choice for the poppy pair, but they slow things down accordingly. Performing the song as a duet turns the laments of a scorned suitor into a dialogue between two lovers who just can’t get it right. Hearing how well they merge their style with Cave’s only excites us more for Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), on which they also tackle Girls (“Laura”), Fleetwood Mac (“Second Hand News”), and Tom Waits (“Long Way Home”). The Covers Mixtape will be released digitally on June 15th, the same the duo will launch its bizarre Summer Crushes tour. And because "We made it as efficiently and independently as possible, so in turn we wanted to make it as easy as possible for anyone and everyone to hear it," the band will be selling the album for only $5. ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/watch-mates-of-state-cover-nick-caves-love-letter/feed/ 0 On Sale: Friday, April 23rd, 2010 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/on-sale-friday-april-23rd-2010/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/on-sale-friday-april-23rd-2010/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/03/onsaletoday.jpg Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:00:08 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=36298 The following tickets are on sale beginning Friday, April 23rd, 2010. Oh, and did you know you can support CoS simply by buying through the links below? Talk about an added incentive!

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Faith No More:

What: Date for Brooklyn, NY & Philadelphia PA

When: July

Tixs: $25.00 – $50.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Erykah Badu:

What: North American tour featuring N.E.R.D., Janelle Monáe, The Roots’ ?uestlove, and Maxwell.

When: June – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

The Hold Steady w/ The Whigs:

What: North American tour

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Junip:

What: North American tour

When: June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

LCD Soundsystem:

What: Dates for Hollywood & Pomona, California

When: June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Liars:

What: North American tour

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Mates of State:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Muse:

What: Dates for Charlottesville, VA and St. Louis, MO

When: October – November

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

]]> What: North American tour When: June - July Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time Faith No More: What: Date for Brooklyn, NY & Philadelphia PA When: July Tixs: $25.00 - $50.00 Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time Erykah Badu: What: North American tour featuring N.E.R.D., Janelle Monáe, The Roots’ ?uestlove, and Maxwell. When: June - August Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time The Hold Steady w/ The Whigs: What: North American tour When: July Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time Junip: What: North American tour When: June Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time LCD Soundsystem: What: Dates for Hollywood & Pomona, California When: June Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time Liars: What: North American tour When: July Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time Mates of State: What: North American tour When: June - July Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time Muse: What: Dates for Charlottesville, VA and St. Louis, MO When: October - November Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/on-sale-friday-april-23rd-2010/feed/ 0 Mates of State announce U.S. tour/traveling variety show http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/mates-of-states-announce-u-s-tourtraveling-variety-show/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/mates-of-states-announce-u-s-tourtraveling-variety-show/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/04/crushes.jpg Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:00:06 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=36031 Of all the tour announcements I have ever written, this is by far the coolest ever. As you may know, this summer, Mates of State will unleash Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), a 10-track effort that hears the husband and wife duo covering the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Belle & Sebastian, The Mars Volta, Tom Waits, and more.

In support of the release, the duo will embark on the “Summer Crushes” tour this June and July. Now here’s where it gets really cool. The two month trek is being billed as a “virtual traveling variety show,” and promises to feature — get ready! — live magic, sword swallowers, contortionists, human blockheads, and more.  What’s more, Mates of States’ own Jason Hammel will serve as the tour’s resident DJ, while Philadelphia alt-rock outfit Free Energy, Brooklyn indie rockers Suckers, and comedians Todd Berry and Nick Thune will take turns opening. Unique to say the least.

Tickets for this extravaganza — and you know you want them — will go on sale starting Friday, March April 23rd via Ticketmaster.com.

Mates of State 2010 Tour Dates:
06/15 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse *#
06/16 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street *#
06/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *#
06/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s *#
06/19 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *#
06/21 – Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century *#
06/22 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *#
06/23 – Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar *
06/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar *
06/25 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown *
06/26 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird *
06/28 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue *
06/30 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * ^
07/01 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * ^
07/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *^
07/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *^
07/04 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *
07/06 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s *
07/07 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
07/08 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live *
07/09 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon *
07/10 – Birmingham, AL @ Workplay *
07/12 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt *^
07/13 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *^
07/14 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *^
07/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg ^
07/16 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ^

* = w/ Free Energy
# = w/ Todd Barry
^ = w/ Nick Thune
% = w/ Suckers

]]> Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), a 10-track effort that hears the husband and wife duo covering the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Belle & Sebastian, The Mars Volta, Tom Waits, and more. In support of the release, the duo will embark on the "Summer Crushes" tour this June and July. Now here's where it gets really cool. The two month trek is being billed as a "virtual traveling variety show," and promises to feature -- get ready! -- live magic, sword swallowers, contortionists, human blockheads, and more.  What's more, Mates of States' own Jason Hammel will serve as the tour's resident DJ, while Philadelphia alt-rock outfit Free Energy, Brooklyn indie rockers Suckers, and comedians Todd Berry and Nick Thune will take turns opening. Unique to say the least. Tickets for this extravaganza -- and you know you want them -- will go on sale starting Friday, March April 23rd via Ticketmaster.com. Mates of State 2010 Tour Dates: 06/15 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse *# 06/16 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street *# 06/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *# 06/18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small's *# 06/19 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *# 06/21 - Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century *# 06/22 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *# 06/23 - Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar * 06/24 - Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar * 06/25 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * 06/26 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird * 06/28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue * 06/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * ^ 07/01 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * ^ 07/02 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *^ 07/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *^ 07/04 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress * 07/06 - Lubbock, TX @ Jake's * 07/07 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre * 07/08 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live * 07/09 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon * 07/10 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay * 07/12 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt *^ 07/13 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *^ 07/14 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *^ 07/15 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg ^ 07/16 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ^ * = w/ Free Energy # = w/ Todd Barry ^ = w/ Nick Thune % = w/ Suckers]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/mates-of-states-announce-u-s-tourtraveling-variety-show/feed/ 1 Mates of States cover Waits, Mars Volta, Death Cab on new album http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/mates-of-states-cover-waits-mars-volta-death-cab-on-new-album/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/mates-of-states-cover-waits-mars-volta-death-cab-on-new-album/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/04/crushes.jpg Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:10:22 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=33203 If you’re like us and follow Mates of State on Twitter, then you’re probably aware that the husband-wife duo of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner have been busy working on a covers album. This summer, they’ll unveil the finished product, a 10-track effort titled Crushes (The Covers Mixtape).

The first full-length recorded and produced by Hammel and Gardner themselves, with a mixing assist from longtime collaborator Peter Katis (The National, Interpol), the album hears the duo covering a variety of well-known acts, including Death Cab For Cutie (“Technicolor Girls”), Belle & Sebastian (“Sleep the Clock Around”), The Mars Volta (“Son et Lumiere”), Daniel Johnston (“True Love Will Find You in the End”), Girls (“Laura”), Nick Cave (“Love Letter”), and the legendary Tom Waits (“Long Way Home”).

“We’ve been talking about doing a covers record for a long time. We’d hear a great song at 2 AM while driving the straight line from one part of Texas to the next, and all we’d want to do is play that song as if we had written it,” explained the band in an issued press release. “There are so many artists we considered, some for the mere fact that they wrote a perfect song, some for nostalgia’s sake, some because more people need to hear them, some for the challenge, and some to shed a whole different light on a song: Our light… make it a duet, more optimistic or maybe less traditional.”

If you’re not already overwhelmed with excitement at this point, wait until you hear this: The record also had an “unexpected after-effect of jumpstarting the creation of the next Mates of State record.” Explains the band: “When we were finished, we couldn’t wait to write our own songs again…. In dissecting these songs, taking out the biggest creative component–actually writing the song–we were more thoughtful of other musical aspects.”

No word on release dates for either of the two albums, though the Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) will come first sometime this summer. As an early preview, you can check out the duo’s cover of Girls’ “Laura” over at its official website.

Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) Tracklist:
01. Laura (Girls)
02. Son et Lumiere (The Mars Volta)
03. Sleep the Clock Around (Belle & Sebastian)
04. Technicolor Girls (Death Cab for Cutie)
05. Long Way Home (Tom Waits)
06. Love Letter (Nick Cave)
07. Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac)
08. 17 Pink Sugar Elephants (Vashti Bunyan)
09. Roller Coaster Ride (Dear Nora)
10. True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston)

]]> Crushes (The Covers Mixtape). The first full-length recorded and produced by Hammel and Gardner themselves, with a mixing assist from longtime collaborator Peter Katis (The National, Interpol), the album hears the duo covering a variety of well-known acts, including Death Cab For Cutie ("Technicolor Girls"), Belle & Sebastian ("Sleep the Clock Around"), The Mars Volta ("Son et Lumiere"), Daniel Johnston ("True Love Will Find You in the End"), Girls ("Laura"), Nick Cave ("Love Letter"), and the legendary Tom Waits ("Long Way Home"). "We've been talking about doing a covers record for a long time. We'd hear a great song at 2 AM while driving the straight line from one part of Texas to the next, and all we'd want to do is play that song as if we had written it," explained the band in an issued press release. "There are so many artists we considered, some for the mere fact that they wrote a perfect song, some for nostalgia's sake, some because more people need to hear them, some for the challenge, and some to shed a whole different light on a song: Our light... make it a duet, more optimistic or maybe less traditional." If you're not already overwhelmed with excitement at this point, wait until you hear this: The record also had an "unexpected after-effect of jumpstarting the creation of the next Mates of State record." Explains the band: "When we were finished, we couldn't wait to write our own songs again.... In dissecting these songs, taking out the biggest creative component--actually writing the song--we were more thoughtful of other musical aspects." No word on release dates for either of the two albums, though the Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) will come first sometime this summer. As an early preview, you can check out the duo's cover of Girls' "Laura" over at its official website. Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) Tracklist: 01. Laura (Girls) 02. Son et Lumiere (The Mars Volta) 03. Sleep the Clock Around (Belle & Sebastian) 04. Technicolor Girls (Death Cab for Cutie) 05. Long Way Home (Tom Waits) 06. Love Letter (Nick Cave) 07. Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac) 08. 17 Pink Sugar Elephants (Vashti Bunyan) 09. Roller Coaster Ride (Dear Nora) 10. True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston)]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/mates-of-states-cover-waits-mars-volta-death-cab-on-new-album/feed/ 0 Starbucks compilation features Spoon, Jose Gonzalez, and The Shins’ singer http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/starbucks-compilation-features-spoon-jose-gonzalez-and-the-shins-singer/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/starbucks-compilation-features-spoon-jose-gonzalez-and-the-shins-singer/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:00:34 +0000 Harry Painter http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=24225 Valentine season is coming up, and now thanks to Starbucks, the type of listener who actually purchases CD’s from Starbucks has the ideal sort-of-hip soundtrack to mark the occasion. The third edition of Hear Music‘s Sweetheart series is out today, and features indie covers of love songs ranging from ZZ Top to Kylie Minogue (via Pitchfork).

Some notables: Folk singer/songwriter Jose Gonzalez kicks off the album with a cover of Minogue’s “Hand on Your Heart”, Mates of State tackle Tom Waits’ “Long Way Home”, and James Mercer (The Shins fame) and brother Robert cover Bob Dylan’s “Spanish Harlem Incident”. The album also features covers of songs by Paul McCartney, Paul Davis, The Zombies, and Daniel Johnston.

You can download the album on iTunes right now. See the tracklist below:

Sweetheart 2010 Tracklist:
01. Jose Gonzalez – Hand on Your Heart (Kylie Minogue cover)
02. Grand Archives – Cupid (Sam Cooke cover)
03. James Mercer & Robert Mercer – Spanish Harlem Incident (Bob Dylan cover)
04. Spoon – Love Song (The Damned cover)
05. Elvis Perkins – Teneme en Tu Corazon (Keep Me in Your Heart) (traditional)
06. The Long Winters – Give Me All Your Lovin‘ (ZZ Top cover)
07. Yo La Tengo – You Make Me Feel Good (The Zombies cover)
08. Céu – Eu Amo Você (I Love You) (Tim Maia cover)
09. Diane Birch – I Go Crazy (Paul Davis cover)
10. Jason Collett and Zeus – Every Night (Paul McCartney cover)
11. The Avett Brothers – I Love (Tom T. Hall cover)
12. Mates of State – Long Way Home (Tom Waits cover)
13. Angelique Kidjo – Ne Me Quitte Pas (If You Go Away) (Jacques Brel cover)
14. Hey Marseilles – True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston cover)

]]> Sweetheart series is out today, and features indie covers of love songs ranging from ZZ Top to Kylie Minogue (via Pitchfork). Some notables: Folk singer/songwriter Jose Gonzalez kicks off the album with a cover of Minogue's "Hand on Your Heart", Mates of State tackle Tom Waits' "Long Way Home", and James Mercer (The Shins fame) and brother Robert cover Bob Dylan's "Spanish Harlem Incident". The album also features covers of songs by Paul McCartney, Paul Davis, The Zombies, and Daniel Johnston. You can download the album on iTunes right now. See the tracklist below: Sweetheart 2010 Tracklist: 01. Jose Gonzalez - Hand on Your Heart (Kylie Minogue cover) 02. Grand Archives - Cupid (Sam Cooke cover) 03. James Mercer & Robert Mercer - Spanish Harlem Incident (Bob Dylan cover) 04. Spoon - Love Song (The Damned cover) 05. Elvis Perkins - Teneme en Tu Corazon (Keep Me in Your Heart) (traditional) 06. The Long Winters - Give Me All Your Lovin' (ZZ Top cover) 07. Yo La Tengo - You Make Me Feel Good (The Zombies cover) 08. Céu - Eu Amo Você (I Love You) (Tim Maia cover) 09. Diane Birch - I Go Crazy (Paul Davis cover) 10. Jason Collett and Zeus - Every Night (Paul McCartney cover) 11. The Avett Brothers - I Love (Tom T. Hall cover) 12. Mates of State - Long Way Home (Tom Waits cover) 13. Angelique Kidjo - Ne Me Quitte Pas (If You Go Away) (Jacques Brel cover) 14. Hey Marseilles - True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston cover)]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/starbucks-compilation-features-spoon-jose-gonzalez-and-the-shins-singer/feed/ 3 NIN, Pixies, Pet Shop Boys and more for Virgin Festival Ontario ’09 http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/07/nin-pixies-pet-shop-boys-and-more-for-virgin-festival-ontario-09/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/07/nin-pixies-pet-shop-boys-and-more-for-virgin-festival-ontario-09/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:27:12 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=17315 It looks like Virgin Festival saved its best for last. In what will be the fifth and final Virgin hosted Canadian music festival of the summer, organizers have pieced together a rather impressive and electric bill for Virgin Festival Ontario. Nine Inch Nails, which will be saying goodbye, the Pixies, which will be saying hello, Our Lady of Peace and Ben Harper & Relentlesss7 head the list of acts set to descend on Burl’s Creek Park from August 29-30. Also included are the Pet Shop Boys, N.E.R.D., Franz Ferdinand, Grizzly Bear, Mew and Cold War Kids. Get the full lineup here; get tickets, beginning Saturday, July 18th, via virginfestival.ca.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/07/nin-pixies-pet-shop-boys-and-more-for-virgin-festival-ontario-09/feed/ 12 The Grates finally ready to share Teeth Lost, Hearts Won with the rest of the world! http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/07/the-grates-finally-ready-to-share-teeth-lost-hearts-won-with-the-rest-of-the-world/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/07/the-grates-finally-ready-to-share-teeth-lost-hearts-won-with-the-rest-of-the-world/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:05:56 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=17001 Australia seems to be a pretty kick ass country. Tim Fite and Mates of State surely are some pretty kick ass artists. So, color us excited when presented with the prospect of getting of an album that combines our friends down under with the aforementioned artists, and send your thank you letters to The Grates who will release just that on September 15th.

We won’t mention the fact that the release of Teeth Lost, Hearts Won is a long time coming, what with the Australia outfit having released it in its native country nearly a year ago — oops. What we will mention is that the band’s sophomore effort consists of 13 tracks, was produced by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol), was recorded at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, and as alluded to, features guest appearances by by Kori Gardner of Mates of State and the one and only Tim Fite.

In support of the release, The Grates will perform a number of one-offs in the coming months, which includes an appearance at this year’s Monolith Festival.

Teeth Lost, Hearts Won Tracklist:
01. Burn Bridges
02. Carve Your Name
03. The Fun in Every Start
04. Two Kinds of Right
05. Aw Yeah
06. Milk Eyes (feat. Kori Gardner)
07. The Sum of Every Part
08. Storms and Fevers
09. Earthquake
10. Not Today (feat. Tim Fite)
11. When You’re Scared of Dogs
12. Let It Die
13. The Biggest and Longest Adventure Ever

The Grates 2009 Tour Dates:
07/12 – Ottawa, ON @ 88 Lounge
07/15 – New York, NY @ Pianos
07/22 – New York, NY @ Pianos
07/24 – Guelph, ON @ Hillside Festival
07/29 – New York, NY @ Pianos
07/28 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
09/13 – Morrison, CO @ Monolith Festival

]]> Teeth Lost, Hearts Won is a long time coming, what with the Australia outfit having released it in its native country nearly a year ago -- oops. What we will mention is that the band's sophomore effort consists of 13 tracks, was produced by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol), was recorded at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, and as alluded to, features guest appearances by by Kori Gardner of Mates of State and the one and only Tim Fite. In support of the release, The Grates will perform a number of one-offs in the coming months, which includes an appearance at this year's Monolith Festival. Teeth Lost, Hearts Won Tracklist: 01. Burn Bridges 02. Carve Your Name 03. The Fun in Every Start 04. Two Kinds of Right 05. Aw Yeah 06. Milk Eyes (feat. Kori Gardner) 07. The Sum of Every Part 08. Storms and Fevers 09. Earthquake 10. Not Today (feat. Tim Fite) 11. When You're Scared of Dogs 12. Let It Die 13. The Biggest and Longest Adventure Ever The Grates 2009 Tour Dates: 07/12 - Ottawa, ON @ 88 Lounge 07/15 - New York, NY @ Pianos 07/22 - New York, NY @ Pianos 07/24 - Guelph, ON @ Hillside Festival 07/29 - New York, NY @ Pianos 07/28 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern 09/13 - Morrison, CO @ Monolith Festival]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/07/the-grates-finally-ready-to-share-teeth-lost-hearts-won-with-the-rest-of-the-world/feed/ 0 Mates of States re-arrage Re-Arrange Us http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/04/mates-of-states-re-arrage-re-arrange-us/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/04/mates-of-states-re-arrage-re-arrange-us/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:15:03 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=13730 Want to know just how cool Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel? How many parents do you know are currently gearing up for the release of their very own 12″ EP full of remixes?

That’s right. As if the lovely duo better known as Mates of State hadn’t already done enough to solidify their status on coolest musical parents on Earth, Gardner and Hammel will return on April 14th with Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1, a 4-track 12″ featuring four reinterpretations of tracks from 2008′s Re-arrange Us. Included on the effort will be remixes from DJ Sega, Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, and RAC, all of which will be packaged in a DJ white sleeve. Only 1,000 copies will be printed worldwide – pre-order now via Barsuk Records – and will be available exclusively on vinyl several weeks before hitting digital retailers.

And as if that wasn’t enough, in celebration of Mates of State recently launched co-headlining tour with the Black Kids, DJA of Mad Decent has created a Black Kids vs. Mates of State mash-up. The number can be had now as a free digital download via RCRD LBL.

Re-Arrange Remixes Volume 1 Tracklist:
01. You Are Free (The Mae Shi Remix)
02. The Re-Arranger (Flosstradamus Remix)
03. Now (RAC Remix)
04. Help Help (DJ Sega Philly Club Remix)

Mates of State 2009 Tour Dates:
04/06 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
04/07 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues *
04/09 – Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Musee Juste Pour Rire *
04/10 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre *
04/11 – Chicago, IL @ Metro *
04/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater *
04/13 – Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club *
04/15 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater *
04/17 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
04/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom *
04/19 – Portland,  OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
04/20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent *
04/21 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent *
04/23 – Los Angeles,  CA @ Henry Fonda Theater *
04/24 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House *
04/25 – Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse *
04/27 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
04/28 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa *
04/29 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live *

* = w/ Black Kids

]]> Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1, a 4-track 12" featuring four reinterpretations of tracks from 2008's Re-arrange Us. Included on the effort will be remixes from DJ Sega, Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, and RAC, all of which will be packaged in a DJ white sleeve. Only 1,000 copies will be printed worldwide - pre-order now via Barsuk Records - and will be available exclusively on vinyl several weeks before hitting digital retailers. And as if that wasn't enough, in celebration of Mates of State recently launched co-headlining tour with the Black Kids, DJA of Mad Decent has created a Black Kids vs. Mates of State mash-up. The number can be had now as a free digital download via RCRD LBL. Re-Arrange Remixes Volume 1 Tracklist: 01. You Are Free (The Mae Shi Remix) 02. The Re-Arranger (Flosstradamus Remix) 03. Now (RAC Remix) 04. Help Help (DJ Sega Philly Club Remix) Mates of State 2009 Tour Dates: 04/06 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall * 04/07 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues * 04/09 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Musee Juste Pour Rire * 04/10 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre * 04/11 - Chicago, IL @ Metro * 04/12 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater * 04/13 - Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club * 04/15 - Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater * 04/17 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos * 04/18 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom * 04/19 - Portland,  OR @ Wonder Ballroom * 04/20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent * 04/21 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent * 04/23 - Los Angeles,  CA @ Henry Fonda Theater * 04/24 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House * 04/25 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse * 04/27 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre * 04/28 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa * 04/29 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live * * = w/ Black Kids]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/04/mates-of-states-re-arrage-re-arrange-us/feed/ 0 Black Kids, Mates of State head out on Spring tour http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/01/black-kids-mates-of-state-head-out-on-spring-tour/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/01/black-kids-mates-of-state-head-out-on-spring-tour/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:05:57 +0000 Luke MacLeod http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=10792 Indie kids rejoice! Two of the genre’s favorite acts are teaming up for what will a North American tour of epic hipster proportions, or at least the closest example to whatever that would be. Yes, the un-politically correct Black Kids will be trekking across the US (and two stops in Canada) with the husband-and-wife duo of Mates of State, We’ll let that sink in for a second.

Now onto the specifics.

Following the Black Kid’s appearance at Miami’s Langerado Music Festival in March, the two outfits will team up beginning in early April for the month long tour. While the dates put an appearance at Coachella out of appearance, the tour will take Black Kids and Mates of State just about everywhere, including sunny California. Both acts will be touring behind their respective 2008 works: the Black Kids are currently supporting the highly entertaining Partie Traumatic, while Mates of State are still all about their piano-drive, pop-friendly Re-Arrange Us.

Tickets for most North American dates will go on sale beginning today, January 12th, via Ticketmaster.com.

Black Kids/Mates of State 2009 Tour Dates:
03/08 – Miami, FL @ Langerado Music Festival (Black Kids only)
04/02 – Richmond, VA @ The National
04/04 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
04/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
04/06 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
04/07 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
04/09 – Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Musee Juste Pour Rire
04/10 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
04/11 – Chicago, IL @ Metro*
04/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater*
04/13 – Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club
04/15 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
04/17 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
04/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
04/19 – Portland,  OR @ Wonder Ballroom
04/20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
04/21 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
04/23 – Los Angeles,  CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
04/24 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
04/25 – Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
04/27 – Dallas, TX @ Granada
04/28 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
04/29 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
05/01 – Atlanta,  GA @ The Loft (Black Kids Only)

* = w/ Mates of State

]]> Partie Traumatic, while Mates of State are still all about their piano-drive, pop-friendly Re-Arrange Us. Tickets for most North American dates will go on sale beginning today, January 12th, via Ticketmaster.com. Black Kids/Mates of State 2009 Tour Dates: 03/08 - Miami, FL @ Langerado Music Festival (Black Kids only) 04/02 - Richmond, VA @ The National 04/04 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 04/05 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg 04/06 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall 04/07 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues 04/09 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Musee Juste Pour Rire 04/10 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre 04/11 - Chicago, IL @ Metro* 04/12 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater* 04/13 - Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club 04/15 - Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater 04/17 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos 04/18 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom 04/19 - Portland,  OR @ Wonder Ballroom 04/20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent 04/21 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent 04/23 - Los Angeles,  CA @ Henry Fonda Theater 04/24 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House 04/25 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse 04/27 - Dallas, TX @ Granada 04/28 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa 04/29 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live 05/01 - Atlanta,  GA @ The Loft (Black Kids Only) * = w/ Mates of State]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/01/black-kids-mates-of-state-head-out-on-spring-tour/feed/ 2 CoS remembers Lollapalooza 2008 http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/cos-remembers-lollapalooza-2008/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/cos-remembers-lollapalooza-2008/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:10:14 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=4699 This past weekend, Consequence of Sound traveled to Chicago, Illinois for the 2008 edition of Lollapalooza. With the task of covering a festival with nearly 70,000 daily attendees, 100+ musicians, and all the fun that comes with the Perry Farrell founded event, we left Sunday night with a lifetime of memories.

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.

Continue reading…

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.

Continue reading…

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…

Continue reading…

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.

Continue reading…

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

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:

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…

]]> Consequence of Sound traveled to Chicago, Illinois for the 2008 edition of Lollapalooza. With the task of covering a festival with nearly 70,000 daily attendees, 100+ musicians, and all the fun that comes with the Perry Farrell founded event, we left Sunday night with a lifetime of memories. 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. [youtube sIwoG3mLgeQ] 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. Continue reading... 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. Continue reading... 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... Continue reading... 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. Continue reading... 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" [youtube wlYsnPbOwS8] Radiohead - "Paranoid Android" [youtube m19n1J80tbs] Rage Against the Machine - "Testify" [youtube V7obVy1YyTM] Rage Against the Machine [youtube l0xEMN_XBaM] Kanye West [youtube jchL_ahxp3Y] Wilco - "New Song" [youtube RPz7a99orLI] Nine Inch Nails - "The Big Comedown" [youtube wFMmpv1auz4] The Raconteurs [youtube _BdMnZot6Rc] Girl Talk [youtube dywH1gStbug] The National - "Apartment Story" [youtube PfgzEuQWRYo] John Butler Trio - "Ocean" [youtube QX2NiaGe6d8] Love and Rockets [youtube vyjsk2umIng] Riots [youtube qWXCE7uOsrU] Perry Farrell & Slash - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" [youtube i5tpEEbafWc] Bloc Party - "Like Eating Glass" [youtube Ii8GR4wCQ7Q] 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...]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/cos-remembers-lollapalooza-2008/feed/ 16 Lollapalooza in Review: Friday, August 1st http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/lollapalooza-in-review-friday-august-1st/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/lollapalooza-in-review-friday-august-1st/#comments Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:07:25 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=4585 As we alluded to earlier today, 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.

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.

Lollapalooza 2008: Day One by the Numbers:

Black Lips t-shirts: 0

Kanye West name drops: 0

Beverages left at the media tent at 3:00 p.m.: 0

Myspace stickers using pasties sightings: 1

Perry Farrell Sightings: 1

Radiohead t-shirts: 5

Attendees: 75,000

]]> 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. [youtube sIwoG3mLgeQ] 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. Lollapalooza 2008: Day One by the Numbers: Black Lips t-shirts: 0 Kanye West name drops: 0 Beverages left at the media tent at 3:00 p.m.: 0 Myspace stickers using pasties sightings: 1 Perry Farrell Sightings: 1 Radiohead t-shirts: 5 Attendees: 75,000]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/lollapalooza-in-review-friday-august-1st/feed/ 1 Album Review: Mates of State – Re-Arrange Us http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/05/wnew-on-cos-re-arrange-us/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/05/wnew-on-cos-re-arrange-us/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2008/05/Re-Arrange-Us.jpg Tue, 20 May 2008 19:12:53 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=2141 As first seen on WNEW.com…

After an extended hiatus which saw the birth oft their second child and a new found career in blogging, the duo consisting of Kori Gardner on keyboard and Jason Gammel on drums, better known in the music world as Mates of State, are finally back with their fifth studio album, Re-Arrange Us. And while their trademark exuberant energy and infectious catchy musical styles are once again, the husband and wife band decided to mix things up, and dare I say, even tone it down a little.

This time around, Mates of State took a simpler route in sound, or at least as simple as you can get when describing their rhythmic complex style, choosing to replace Gardner’s characteristic crashing organ for the modesty of a piano. As the album’s opening track “Get Better,” quickly illustrates, this simplicity not only results is a softer and richer sound, but also allows the true vocals talents of Gardner, something somewhat restricted in the duo’s previous work, to be exemplified brilliantly throughout. Between the interplay with her male counterpart and the various solo parts sprinkled throughout the 10-track album, Gardner is consistency ravishing, enabling Re-Arrange Us to become both the duo’s most beautiful and candid work to date.

However, piano isn’t the only new facet making up Mates of States ever-growing sound. The duo’s addition of more classical instruments, such as the cello and bass throughout, allow for an added depth of emotion to back each song. But in only a way Mates of States could pull off, the duo still manages to incorporate those trademark rhythmic bounces and contagious melodies that have allowed the two to become one of indie music’s favorite darlings. The repeating chorus and pop heavy beats of “Now” create an instant radio friendly hit, while the bold transitions and styles found in pieces like, “The Re-Arranger” and “Help Help” are a bit reminiscent of some of the duo’s previous work on My Solo Project and Bring It Back.

Lyrically, the album is equally emotional and powerful, once again depicting a look at the happiness and struggles that come hand in hand every relationship. “You Are Free” is a sobering illustration of breakup and the long journey for eternal love, while “Now,” though a bit bland, exuberates passion both lyrically and musically. The curiosity of love, parenthood, and today’s society are just some of the other topics examined throughout the emotional rollercoaster of stories present on the album, which for the most part, are conveyed, in their characteristic, upbeat, and always-catchy nature.

Re-Arrange Us not only offers the band’s biggest diverse work to date, but also represents two partners who both trust and believe in one another. In an album, which is full of experimentation and emotional exposure, the husband and wife chose for the most part to deviate from the chaos and complexity profound in much of their previous albums, for revealing simplicity. A decision certainly full of risk, but perhaps most appropriate for a duo whose music depicts the strength and power present in the love they hold for one another.


Check Out:
“My Only Offer”

]]> As first seen on WNEW.com... After an extended hiatus which saw the birth oft their second child and a new found career in blogging, the duo consisting of Kori Gardner on keyboard and Jason Gammel on drums, better known in the music world as Mates of State, are finally back with their fifth studio album, Re-Arrange Us. And while their trademark exuberant energy and infectious catchy musical styles are once again, the husband and wife band decided to mix things up, and dare I say, even tone it down a little. This time around, Mates of State took a simpler route in sound, or at least as simple as you can get when describing their rhythmic complex style, choosing to replace Gardner’s characteristic crashing organ for the modesty of a piano. As the album’s opening track “Get Better,” quickly illustrates, this simplicity not only results is a softer and richer sound, but also allows the true vocals talents of Gardner, something somewhat restricted in the duo’s previous work, to be exemplified brilliantly throughout. Between the interplay with her male counterpart and the various solo parts sprinkled throughout the 10-track album, Gardner is consistency ravishing, enabling Re-Arrange Us to become both the duo’s most beautiful and candid work to date. However, piano isn’t the only new facet making up Mates of States ever-growing sound. The duo’s addition of more classical instruments, such as the cello and bass throughout, allow for an added depth of emotion to back each song. But in only a way Mates of States could pull off, the duo still manages to incorporate those trademark rhythmic bounces and contagious melodies that have allowed the two to become one of indie music’s favorite darlings. The repeating chorus and pop heavy beats of “Now” create an instant radio friendly hit, while the bold transitions and styles found in pieces like, “The Re-Arranger” and “Help Help” are a bit reminiscent of some of the duo’s previous work on My Solo Project and Bring It Back. Lyrically, the album is equally emotional and powerful, once again depicting a look at the happiness and struggles that come hand in hand every relationship. “You Are Free” is a sobering illustration of breakup and the long journey for eternal love, while “Now,” though a bit bland, exuberates passion both lyrically and musically. The curiosity of love, parenthood, and today’s society are just some of the other topics examined throughout the emotional rollercoaster of stories present on the album, which for the most part, are conveyed, in their characteristic, upbeat, and always-catchy nature. Re-Arrange Us not only offers the band’s biggest diverse work to date, but also represents two partners who both trust and believe in one another. In an album, which is full of experimentation and emotional exposure, the husband and wife chose for the most part to deviate from the chaos and complexity profound in much of their previous albums, for revealing simplicity. A decision certainly full of risk, but perhaps most appropriate for a duo whose music depicts the strength and power present in the love they hold for one another. Check Out: "My Only Offer"]]> 70 http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/05/wnew-on-cos-re-arrange-us/feed/ 1