Consequence of Sound » Pickathon Music Festival http://consequenceofsound.net Think Fast, Listen Slowly Thu, 31 May 2012 17:24:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4-RC1-20950 Neko Case, Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper head Pickathon 2012 http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/03/neko-case-dr-dog-blitzen-trapper-head-pickathon-2012/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/03/neko-case-dr-dog-blitzen-trapper-head-pickathon-2012/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2012/03/pickathon2012thumb-200x200.jpg Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:08 +0000 Ben Kaye http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=197600 Over the last 14 years, Pickathon Music Festival has grown into a premiere summer destination for music lovers and performers alike. Zale Schoenborn started the scrappy festival with his wife, family, and some friends, and a continued family-run mentality has kept it a unique experience. Situated on Pendarvis Farm outside of Portland, OR, Pickathon’s five core organizers have designed unparalleled sustainability efforts and a community atmosphere that has musicians and fans returning year after year. With another indie-all star lineup, neigh perfected greening practices, and their projected first-ever sell-out, this year might be the festival’s finest yet.

Neko Case, Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper, Heartless Bastards, and The Wood Brothers top the lineup for the event running August 3rd through 5th. Other notables include Phosphorescent, The Cave Singers, Cass McCombs, Hot 8 Brass Band, Langhorne Slim, Abigail Washburn, Lost Bayouu Ramblers featuring Gordon Gano (of Violent Femmes), White Denim, AA Bondy, Handsume Furs, The Mynabirds, Typhoon, Bowerbirds, and Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, amongst 26 more on the initial lineup.

To find out more about the festival, its lineup, its sustainability programs, and its future, we called up Pickathon’s Executive Director and co-founder, Zale Schoenborn.

The festival has worked hard to stay at a relatively small size. To maintain a moderate breadth while continuing to grow, they’ve taken a pretty obvious, yet atypical, route: ask the people. “We said, should we raise ticket prices and keep it like, not growing, but we could get there that way? Or should we just keep ticket prices really below that half price of our standard, which is like Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, and just keep growing it. I don’t think there’s one person that didn’t want us to just raise ticket prices, because they thought it was still a super price.”

They also recently asked their audience how the camping situation should change on the ground. “And why not? Like, why throw shit down people’s throats? There’s a great tweet out there that somebody said, ‘If all the comments were like Pickathon, then shit would get done.’ We trust people. It’s common sense, and more kinda like where most people are these days. So we love kinda muckin’ with all these big kinda taboos about how you should do things.”

In addition to growing prices, they’re also planning on growing their digital presence. Last year, the festival recorded the entire proceedings for a free, “hi-fidelity” broadcast of each stage on Seattle’s KEXP. Capturing performances in such high quality originated from plans to launch a record label (!!!), but Schoenborn saw even more potential.

“This year it’s still gonna be free. And then grow it like crazy, like 25, 30,000 people watching it. And then we wanna get it into the 50 going towards 100. Then that’ll actually sustain itself and create this super high quality, amazing production that you could buy a pass for Pickathon before or after.” Imagine an entire six-stage music festival that would survive digitally, for a price, after it had ended physically. As Schoenborn said, “We’re not Live Nation, we’re not C3, we’re not Superfly, we’re none of the big boys. But we’d play a big boy on TV.”

Superfly may dwarf Pickathon in stature, but the team behind Bonnaroo recently reached out to the smaller staff for some advice. One of the Portland festival’s claims to fame is its entirely plastic-free experience, a concept ‘Roo is looking to adapt.

“It freaks people out to say ‘getting rid of plastic’,” Schoenborn admits. “We got rid of almost 50,000 plastic bottles the last year we had plastic. A festival like Bonnaroo’s size, it’s millions. Millions of water bottles. So you basically have to reuse something; you have to have your own cup.” While that sounds easy enough, it’s a frightening concept for ‘Roo-level events. “We’re trying to basically work with other festivals and convince them it’s not a crazy idea, it totally scales. I don’t know if people believe it translates to them.”

While the idea “ran out of runway” this year, Schoenborn is confident a plastic-free Bonnaroo is a real possibility. “We had it totally designed out. You just need water trucks, which they got, they got water. And on the beer side, instead of throwing away compostable cups, we sell a stainless steel beer cup and a way for you to clip it on your belt. It’s not that big a deal. It just isn’t. You have a cup, and you rinse it out if you want to, but you just pour beer in it, and it’s fine. And then there’s not garbage on the ground.”

Pickathon also implemented a new dish washing program. Essentially, a token gets you a delicious portion of local fare atop “a totally awesome product made of bamboo – biodegradable – and bamboo utensils.” You drop that reusable dishware at a dishwashing station, pick up a new token, and the processes repeats. You can even take the product home at the end. “It makes sense. [The attendees] aren’t pissed off; they feel involved. That’s the crazy, most ironic thing. When we start mucking with the social order, we try not to make it a drain on everyone else, which I think seems unreal. We say, “Look, people will be happy. You’ll have this huge sustainability impact, and it’ll actually essentially make money on your scale.’ They’re like, ‘No.’”

Schoenborn is aware that profitability “will likely be the one thing that wins the day,” but says his faith in people tells him it will happen eventually. Still, he says, “the festival isn’t even about that; it’s about the music. It just kinda feeds into your ability to enjoy yourself. I mean, look, there’s no trash! It just becomes another reason to relax and chill.”

With the initial lineup, there are currently 40-plus other reasons to relax and chill at Pickathon. Schoenborn says they generally disregard crowd-drawing power when booking talent, and the Pickathon staff has a unique way of “curating” the festival. Much like they reach out to their audience, they’ve gathered top 20 lists from musicians, bloggers, and friends across the musical spectrum asking, “what’s the red meat in [your] world? What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen that’s going on right now?”

A collection of some 600 albums culled from those lists led to some pretty interesting unknowns on the lineup. “Kitty, Davis & Lewis is a huge band in England. They opened for Coldplay last time they were in the States. They headline big festivals all over Europe. But they’re completely unknown. They’re these super cool kids. They’re kinda like very fashionista, Avett Brother type kids. They’re just a freak of nature. When you see them, they’ll blow you away.”

Schoenborn also mentioned The Hot 8 Grass band from New Orleans’ ninth ward, “hardcore, experimental Cajun band” Lost Bayou Ramblers with Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano, Vieuz Farka Toure, and Los Cojolites, whom he calls “the Avett brothers of their mountainous region in Mexico.” He continues, “We pulled this crazy band out of Nova Scotia, called Genticorum. Zero draw. I got these guys from Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, who just happen to be some of the most amazing Irish/Scottish players in the world. I was picking their brains and they gave me this huge list of Irish, Scottish and Celtic music. Right at the top of the Celtic list was this band Genticorum. They’re like rock stars in Nova Scotia, but they’re totally unknown.”

It’s true that Pickathon has a history of traditional musical styles, but it isn’t all about the underground roots acts. “I mean, half of these artists are all over Consequence of Sound. Cass McCombs, White Denim, Handsome Furs are an awesome band, Bowerbirds. It’s really all about all this music just mixing together and kinda blowing your mind.”

Expectations for this year’s experience are high, as the organizers predict their first pre-gate sellout. So we had to ask: why the confidence? “We’re kinda just going on a historic curve. And our lineup is still growing in terms of there were lots of things we couldn’t afford before. But this year, top to bottom is full of these freaks of nature. Like Neko [Case]; we’ve just never had anyone of that kinda level. She’s got two sets, one way out in the woods and then one on the main stage. It’ll be historic stuff.”

What it comes down to, says Schoenborn, is lineup plus atmosphere. “We try to keep it pure. We have no banners, nothing like that at the festival. If a sponsor wants to like plaster stuff, it ain’t gonna happen at this festival. [We’re] trying to do things that just feel right. It feels like we’re threading the needle and doing what people are hungry for. It’s kinda natural to us.”

“We’re in the top five or 10 festivals country wide in terms of [cultural festivals],” he concludes. “We’re starting to kinda suck some of the same oxygen [as bigger festivals]. And that’s our whole subversive plan long term is just, how can this scrappy little thing throw on this crazy music no one’s ever heard of, all mixing it up, do that? They’re not allowed to do that. It’s fun as hell; that’s where we’re coming from.”

The 14th annual Pickathon Festival will continue the fun this August 3rd through 5th. Tickets, complete lineup, and other information can be found on their newly redesigned (courtesy of Schoenborn’s brother, Eric) website at www.pickathon.com.

]]> not growing, but we could get there that way? Or should we just keep ticket prices really below that half price of our standard, which is like Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, and just keep growing it. I don’t think there’s one person that didn’t want us to just raise ticket prices, because they thought it was still a super price.” They also recently asked their audience how the camping situation should change on the ground. “And why not? Like, why throw shit down people’s throats? There’s a great tweet out there that somebody said, ‘If all the comments were like Pickathon, then shit would get done.’ We trust people. It’s common sense, and more kinda like where most people are these days. So we love kinda muckin’ with all these big kinda taboos about how you should do things.” In addition to growing prices, they’re also planning on growing their digital presence. Last year, the festival recorded the entire proceedings for a free, “hi-fidelity” broadcast of each stage on Seattle’s KEXP. Capturing performances in such high quality originated from plans to launch a record label (!!!), but Schoenborn saw even more potential. “This year it’s still gonna be free. And then grow it like crazy, like 25, 30,000 people watching it. And then we wanna get it into the 50 going towards 100. Then that’ll actually sustain itself and create this super high quality, amazing production that you could buy a pass for Pickathon before or after.” Imagine an entire six-stage music festival that would survive digitally, for a price, after it had ended physically. As Schoenborn said, “We’re not Live Nation, we’re not C3, we’re not Superfly, we’re none of the big boys. But we’d play a big boy on TV.” Superfly may dwarf Pickathon in stature, but the team behind Bonnaroo recently reached out to the smaller staff for some advice. One of the Portland festival’s claims to fame is its entirely plastic-free experience, a concept ‘Roo is looking to adapt. “It freaks people out to say ‘getting rid of plastic’,” Schoenborn admits. “We got rid of almost 50,000 plastic bottles the last year we had plastic. A festival like Bonnaroo’s size, it’s millions. Millions of water bottles. So you basically have to reuse something; you have to have your own cup.” While that sounds easy enough, it’s a frightening concept for ‘Roo-level events. “We’re trying to basically work with other festivals and convince them it’s not a crazy idea, it totally scales. I don’t know if people believe it translates to them.” While the idea “ran out of runway” this year, Schoenborn is confident a plastic-free Bonnaroo is a real possibility. “We had it totally designed out. You just need water trucks, which they got, they got water. And on the beer side, instead of throwing away compostable cups, we sell a stainless steel beer cup and a way for you to clip it on your belt. It’s not that big a deal. It just isn’t. You have a cup, and you rinse it out if you want to, but you just pour beer in it, and it’s fine. And then there’s not garbage on the ground.” Pickathon also implemented a new dish washing program. Essentially, a token gets you a delicious portion of local fare atop “a totally awesome product made of bamboo - biodegradable - and bamboo utensils.” You drop that reusable dishware at a dishwashing station, pick up a new token, and the processes repeats. You can even take the product home at the end. “It makes sense. [The attendees] aren’t pissed off; they feel involved. That’s the crazy, most ironic thing. When we start mucking with the social order, we try not to make it a drain on everyone else, which I think seems unreal. We say, “Look, people will be happy. You’ll have this huge sustainability impact, and it’ll actually essentially make money on your scale.’ They’re like, ‘No.’” [vimeo 37275863 500 325] Schoenborn is aware that profitability “will likely be the one thing that wins the day,” but says his faith in people tells him it will happen eventually. Still, he says, “the festival isn’t even about that; it’s about the music. It just kinda feeds into your ability to enjoy yourself. I mean, look, there’s no trash! It just becomes another reason to relax and chill.” With the initial lineup, there are currently 40-plus other reasons to relax and chill at Pickathon. Schoenborn says they generally disregard crowd-drawing power when booking talent, and the Pickathon staff has a unique way of “curating” the festival. Much like they reach out to their audience, they’ve gathered top 20 lists from musicians, bloggers, and friends across the musical spectrum asking, “what’s the red meat in [your] world? What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen that’s going on right now?” A collection of some 600 albums culled from those lists led to some pretty interesting unknowns on the lineup. “Kitty, Davis & Lewis is a huge band in England. They opened for Coldplay last time they were in the States. They headline big festivals all over Europe. But they’re completely unknown. They’re these super cool kids. They’re kinda like very fashionista, Avett Brother type kids. They’re just a freak of nature. When you see them, they’ll blow you away.” Schoenborn also mentioned The Hot 8 Grass band from New Orleans’ ninth ward, “hardcore, experimental Cajun band” Lost Bayou Ramblers with Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano, Vieuz Farka Toure, and Los Cojolites, whom he calls “the Avett brothers of their mountainous region in Mexico.” He continues, “We pulled this crazy band out of Nova Scotia, called Genticorum. Zero draw. I got these guys from Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, who just happen to be some of the most amazing Irish/Scottish players in the world. I was picking their brains and they gave me this huge list of Irish, Scottish and Celtic music. Right at the top of the Celtic list was this band Genticorum. They’re like rock stars in Nova Scotia, but they’re totally unknown.” It’s true that Pickathon has a history of traditional musical styles, but it isn’t all about the underground roots acts. “I mean, half of these artists are all over Consequence of Sound. Cass McCombs, White Denim, Handsome Furs are an awesome band, Bowerbirds. It’s really all about all this music just mixing together and kinda blowing your mind.” Expectations for this year’s experience are high, as the organizers predict their first pre-gate sellout. So we had to ask: why the confidence? “We’re kinda just going on a historic curve. And our lineup is still growing in terms of there were lots of things we couldn't afford before. But this year, top to bottom is full of these freaks of nature. Like Neko [Case]; we’ve just never had anyone of that kinda level. She’s got two sets, one way out in the woods and then one on the main stage. It’ll be historic stuff.” What it comes down to, says Schoenborn, is lineup plus atmosphere. “We try to keep it pure. We have no banners, nothing like that at the festival. If a sponsor wants to like plaster stuff, it ain’t gonna happen at this festival. [We’re] trying to do things that just feel right. It feels like we’re threading the needle and doing what people are hungry for. It’s kinda natural to us.” “We’re in the top five or 10 festivals country wide in terms of [cultural festivals],” he concludes. “We’re starting to kinda suck some of the same oxygen [as bigger festivals]. And that’s our whole subversive plan long term is just, how can this scrappy little thing throw on this crazy music no one’s ever heard of, all mixing it up, do that? They’re not allowed to do that. It’s fun as hell; that’s where we’re coming from.” The 14th annual Pickathon Festival will continue the fun this August 3rd through 5th. Tickets, complete lineup, and other information can be found on their newly redesigned (courtesy of Schoenborn’s brother, Eric) website at www.pickathon.com.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/03/neko-case-dr-dog-blitzen-trapper-head-pickathon-2012/feed/ 0 Pickathon 2011 adds Black Mountain, Grupo Fantasma, Wye Oak, and more http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/pickathon-2011-adds-black-mountain-grupo-fantasma-wye-oak-and-more/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/pickathon-2011-adds-black-mountain-grupo-fantasma-wye-oak-and-more/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pickathon-2011.jpg Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:00:46 +0000 Derek Staples http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=115220 With an unmatched focus on environmental sustainability, Pickathon Music Festival‘s only vice is some wonderful noise-pollution for neighboring Portland, Oregon. Taking place in Happy Valley, OR between August 5th and 7th, the indie-roots festival bypasses the normal list of festival regulars, to establish an eclectic family-friendly bill of banjo pickers, acoustic outfits, soul legends, and other bluegrass greats.

For its 13th installment, Pickathon already tapped Mavis Staples, Bill Callahan, Lee Fields & The Expressions, plus the Fruit Bats and others, and are now completing the lineup with 11 new acts – pushing the total near 50. Most notably, Black Mountain, Grupo Fantasma, and Wye Oak will be making the trek to the northwest, but the “Disneyland for music lovers” wouldn’t be complete without the sounds of Corrine West & Kelly Joe Phelps, Michael Hurley, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter, L. C., Ulmer, Lightning Dust, Dawn Landes, Sunday Valley, and Eilen Jewell.

Tickets for the weekend will be available here beginning April 9th at 3 p.m. EST. In conjunction with Live & Breathing, the event’s promoters launched the The Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions, which features 2010 Pickathon artists like Dr. Dog, Breathe Owl Breathe, Little Wings, These United States, Langhorne Slim, Megafaun, and Fruit Bats performing in the secluded 10×10 pumphouse on the Pendarvis farm. The sessions can be viewed via the Pickathon blog.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/pickathon-2011-adds-black-mountain-grupo-fantasma-wye-oak-and-more/feed/ 0 Festivals in Brief: Bonnaroo, South by Southwest, Electric Forest http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/festivals-in-brief-bonnaroo-south-by-southwest-electric-forest/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/festivals-in-brief-bonnaroo-south-by-southwest-electric-forest/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/12/festivaloutlook-259x2601.png Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:00:57 +0000 Jennifer Hayward http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=103709 There’s no way around it: this week was huge in music news. Between certain record release updates and the Grammys showcasing some of the best collaborations and performances in music today, it would be impossible to not get excited about all 2011’s festivals have to offer. Monday, while many were celebrating Valentine’s Day, still more were counting down the hours until Bonnaroo was set to release the official lineup for its decennial.

With many of the past weekend’s Grammy winners/nominees/performers on the billing, the announcement sparked much conversation. So much so, in fact, that it was almost easy to forget that there was any other news to be had. This of course was not the case, as major lineup announcements were also made for both the indie darling Pickathon Music Festival, and Middle of the Map Fest, as well as Switzerland’s Greenfield Festival.

Now that you’ve had time to meditate on the Bonnaroo announcement, check out all the other news you may have overlooked in this week’s edition of Festivals in Brief. And don’t forget, the best way to stay informed on all the latest news and rumors is by bookmarking Festival Outlook and following us on Twitter. After all, Wednesday only comes once a week.

P.S. – South by Southwest is nuts this year!

P.P.S. – Is Radiohead playing ACL?

News:

– Bonnaroo made its 2011 lineup announcement Tuesday. For the festival’s ten-year anniversary, Conan O’Brien was employed to deliver the lineup, which includes Arcade Fire, Eminem, a reunion of Buffalo Springfield, The Strokes, Widespread Panic, Lil’ Wayne, My Morning Jacket, The Decemberists, Mumford & Sons, and many more. General Admission and VIP tickets go on sale this Saturday at 12pm EST. Based on Coachella and Sasquatch!’s quick sellouts, you probably don’t want to wait to buy tickets.

– The Pickathon Festival announced its initial lineup. Now in it’s 13th year the festival will celebrate with performances from Mavis Staples, Bill Callahan, and Califone. It remains the unsung hero of the festival circuit, with its small, cult following and dedication to environmentally sustainable practices. More lineup additions are expected in coming months.

– Jam gods String Cheese Incident announced they will hold their own festival. The Electric Forest festival will take place this Fourth of July Weekend, in Rothbury Michigan. This new development makes the future of Rothbury Music Festival dubious, as preparations for its return remain unseen. The lineup for Electric Fores festival is expected February 28th. Stay tuned for additional details.

– South by Southwest added plenty more acts to its 2011 bill, including Queens of the Stone Age, Yoko Ono (who will also be a featured speaker), B.o.B., …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Panic! at the Disco, Lucinda Williams, Liz Phair, and Meat Puppets, among others. Tickets remain on sale.

– All Tomorrow’s Parties tapped reclusive Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Mangum to curate one of its two weekend in Minehead, UK this December. Other confirmed acts include Superchunk, The Raincoats, and The Apples in Stereo.

– Mangum is also playing ATP’s “I’ll Be Your Mirror” in New Jersey. Today, the festival’s curators, Portishead, added Mogwai, The Horrors, Beak>, The Pop Group, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, and the reunited Ultramagnetic MC’s, among others, to the bill.

Lineup Additions:

– Bonnaroo: 2011 lineup announced, includes Eminem, Arcade Fire, Buffalo Springfield reunion, The Black Keys, The Strokes, My Morning Jacket, Lil’ Wayne, The Decemberists, Mumford & Sons, Robert Plant & Band of Joy, Ray Lamontagne, and Best Coast will all be performing with many more.

– Lollapalooza: Wax (Expected)

– South by Southwest: The Strokes (Rumored), Foo Fighters (Rumored), added Queens of the Stone Age, Yoko Ono, Curren$y, B.o.B., …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Panic! at the Disco, Lucinda Williams, Liz Phair, Meat Puppets, and more

– Austin City Limits: Radiohead (rumored)

– Pickathon Music Festival: 2011 lineup announced, includes Bill Callahan, Mavis Staples, and Califone, Vetiver, The Sadies, and Laura Veirs

– ATP’s “I’ll Be Your Mirror” NJ: Added Mogwai, The Horrors, Beak>, The Pop Group, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Ultramagnetic MC’s, and more

– ATP UK curated by Jeff Magnum: Jeff Mangum confirmed to curate. Initial lineup also includes Superchunk, The Raincoats, and The Apples in Stereo

– Essence Music Festival: Initial lineup announced, includes Kanye West, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Mavis Staples, Jill Scott, and Trey Songz

– The Bamboozle: 30 Seconds to Mars (Expected)

– Glastonbury (UK): Colplay confirmed as Saturday headliner

– Rock Werchter (Belgium): Added Eels, Kasabian, Griderman, Beady Eye, and Warpaint

– Rock am Ring & Rock im Park (Germany): Added Rob Zombie, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, Mastadon, Wolfmother, White Lies, and Duff McKagan’s Loaded

– Exit Festival (Serbia): Added Beirut, Underworld

– Roskilde Festival (Denmark): Added Big Boi and Janelle Monae

– Bilbao BBK Live (Spain): Added Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian, !!!, and 30 Seconds to Mars

– Greenfield Festival (Switzerland): 2011 lineup announced, includes Foo Fighters, System Of A Down, Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, Social Distortion, and Disturbed

– Isle of Wight Festival (UK): Added Band of Horses, The Courteeners, The Cult, We Are Scientists

– Wireless Festival (UK): Added TV on the Radio, Foals, The Horror, and Metronomy

– Hove Festival (Norway): Added Bright Eyes

– Delfest: Added Chris Robinson (of the Black Crowes), Warren Haynes & Friends, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Railroad Earth

– Rocklahoma: 2011 lineup announced, includes Motley Crue, Staind, and Whitesnake

– Middle of the Map Fest: 2011 lineup announced, includes The Raveonettes, Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s, Two Door Cinema Club, Cursive, Small Black, Daniel Johnston, The Life and Times, Dosh, The Appleseed Cast, Tamaryn, and El Ten Eleven

– Free Press Summer Fest: 2011 lineup announced, includes Weezer, Girls, Cut Copy, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Yeasayer

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/festivals-in-brief-bonnaroo-south-by-southwest-electric-forest/feed/ 2 Music News Apocalypse: Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Queens of the Stone Age! http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/music-news-apocalypse-radiohead-arcade-fire-queens-of-the-stone-age/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/music-news-apocalypse-radiohead-arcade-fire-queens-of-the-stone-age/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/04/explosion.jpg Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:54:00 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=103340

Image via Hipster Runoff

Ask any member of the CoS news team what keeps them up at night and they’ll likely tell you it’s the excitement/fear of Radiohead dropping an album at 4:45 AM. That’s exactly what happened earlier this morning; fortunately, Harry Painter and Mike Roffman are insomniacs.

But Radiohead’s surprise new album wasn’t the only bombshell of February 14th, 2011. From Arcade Fire’s Grammy win to Zooey Deschanel’s new tv gig, today’s music headlines were as hot as they are heavy. So what better way to remember the most insane day of 2011 then by recapping it in bullet form below!

– Radiohead‘s eighth album, The King of Limbs, arrives this Saturday. In related news, that box of chocolates no longer qualifies as a decent Valentine’s Day gift.

– In even more Radiohead news, guitarist Jonny Greenwood will score We Need To Talk About Kevin, a forthcoming film starring the equally amazing John C. Reilly.

– Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler might be pissed at his ex-bro, but he has something that Thom doesn’t: a Grammy for Best Album. Also, we have a recap of all the Grammy performances.

– Queens of the Stone Age will take their newly reissued self-titled debut on the road this summer.

– The punk-tastic Green Day shared a mastered live version of “Cigarettes and Valentines”.

– You’ll need 12 iPhones to hear all 12 parts of The Flaming Lips’ new single, “Two Blobs Fucking”.

– Zooey Deschanel has signed on to star in a new Fox TV pilot entitled Chicks and Dicks. Suddenly, I care about sitcoms again.

– Florence and the Machine announced a series of headlining tour dates.

– Yeasayer gave us a Valentine’s Day triple whammy: a free EP, new video, and tour dates.

– Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor might need to update his resume. It looks like he is joining Velvet Revolver.

– Finally, Mavis Staples, Califone, Bill Callahan head the 2011 edition of the Pickathon Music Festival. Click here to check out the full lineup and read an interview with festival co-founder Zale Schoenborn.

]]> Image via Hipster Runoff Ask any member of the CoS news team what keeps them up at night and they'll likely tell you it's the excitement/fear of Radiohead dropping an album at 4:45 AM. That's exactly what happened earlier this morning; fortunately, Harry Painter and Mike Roffman are insomniacs. But Radiohead's surprise new album wasn't the only bombshell of February 14th, 2011. From Arcade Fire's Grammy win to Zooey Deschanel's new tv gig, today's music headlines were as hot as they are heavy. So what better way to remember the most insane day of 2011 then by recapping it in bullet form below! -- Radiohead's eighth album, The King of Limbs, arrives this Saturday. In related news, that box of chocolates no longer qualifies as a decent Valentine's Day gift. -- In even more Radiohead news, guitarist Jonny Greenwood will score We Need To Talk About Kevin, a forthcoming film starring the equally amazing John C. Reilly. -- Arcade Fire's Win Butler might be pissed at his ex-bro, but he has something that Thom doesn't: a Grammy for Best Album. Also, we have a recap of all the Grammy performances. -- Queens of the Stone Age will take their newly reissued self-titled debut on the road this summer. -- The punk-tastic Green Day shared a mastered live version of “Cigarettes and Valentines”. -- You'll need 12 iPhones to hear all 12 parts of The Flaming Lips' new single, “Two Blobs Fucking”. -- Zooey Deschanel has signed on to star in a new Fox TV pilot entitled Chicks and Dicks. Suddenly, I care about sitcoms again. -- Florence and the Machine announced a series of headlining tour dates. -- Yeasayer gave us a Valentine's Day triple whammy: a free EP, new video, and tour dates. -- Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor might need to update his resume. It looks like he is joining Velvet Revolver. -- Finally, Mavis Staples, Califone, Bill Callahan head the 2011 edition of the Pickathon Music Festival. Click here to check out the full lineup and read an interview with festival co-founder Zale Schoenborn.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/music-news-apocalypse-radiohead-arcade-fire-queens-of-the-stone-age/feed/ 4 Mavis Staples, Califone, Bill Callahan head Pickathon 2011 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/mavis-staples-califone-bill-callahan-head-pickathon-2011/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/mavis-staples-califone-bill-callahan-head-pickathon-2011/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pickathon-2011.jpg Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:30:12 +0000 Karina Halle http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=103071 Much like the artists that play there, Oregon’s Pickathon Festival is the underground hero of the music festival scene. It has a devoted following from both attendees and musicians, yet manages to keep a low-key presence among the bigger festivals. Spread out over the 80 acres of Pendarvis Farm outside of Portland, Pickathon features six distinct stages, artists who play multiple sets during the weekend, a relaxed atmosphere and an unmatched sustainability angle. Now in its 13th year, the indie roots festival, which is “commonly referred to as the best festival experience in the country” aims to keep the good vibes going with their initial 2011 lineup.

Mavis Staples, Bill Callahan, Califone, Lee Fields & The Expressions and Fruit Bats are some of the bigger acts playing during the August 5th-7th weekend. Other notable acts include Damien Jurado, Vetiver, Laura Veirs, The Sadies, Richard Swift, The Builders and The Butchers, Danny Barnes, Sonny & The Sunsets, Elliott Brood, Truckstop Darlin’, Rock Plaza Central, Buffalo Killers, Whitey Morgan & The 78′s, Ages and Ages, Charlie Parr, Cahalen Morrison & Eli West, Pokey LaFarge, and Ted Jones and The Tarheel Boys, with an additional 10 to 15 more bands being added in the coming months.

“We are the slow food music festival,” describes Pickathon’s co-founder Zale Schoenborn. “We want people to come and immerse themselves. We could be at five times the amount of people but we are going to stay super small on purpose.”

Staying small allows for the gregarious family-like atmosphere which benefits both the festival-goers and the artists.

“We get feedback from people that we are their favorite weekend of the year,” Schoenborn continues. “We call the festival the year’s greatest music party. There’s very little hassle. Like security barriers – there are basically none. There is nothing separating you from the artists. The artists are almost always out in the audience, totally jaw on the floor watching the other artists. It’s kind of a weird description, but it’s basically the Disneyland for music lovers. There are six very distinct stages that have really unique vibes, and you feel like you’re on a different planet when you’re at each of them.”

The more manageable size also helps for the festival to enforce their sustainability and environmental angle. From being completely plastic free (even beer cups), to having solar-powered stages and lights, Pickathon is leading the way among festivals.

“We don’t charge for water,” notes Schoenburn. “We don’t have any plastic on the premises. There are 10s of thousands of dollars we are losing by doing things like that. It just makes sense to us but we are definitely the lone cowboys on the festival scene. “

But what Pickathon is best known for is the type of artists they attract. Though they started out as a small outfit that specialized in traditional music, they’ve grown to have a diverse and varied music lineup.

“It’s really about supporting artists in this really unique niche in the music festival world,” says Schoenborn. “It’s been really great to us because there’s no one really doing what we are doing. Mixing the more hardcore traditional music with the type of music you wouldn’t see at a bluegrass festival. I always thought, ‘Why would I want to go to three days of the same music?’ I want to be challenged and have an interesting mix going on here. So as a festival, that was a totally new idea.”

This year, Schoenborn is excited to have some really unique acts on the bill, such as Lee Fields& the Expressions. “We haven’t had a serious, hardcore soul band such as Lee Fields ever, especially on that level, and he’s one of the freaking legends of this universe,” he admits. “One of the common features of all the artists featured at Pickathon is that they are really strong singers. So obviously we are honored to have Mavis Staples play. I also love Damien Jurardo, Richard Swift, Califone. There’s a great young band out of Ohio that I’m very excited about called the Buffalo Killers. They are a three-piece classic rock out of the 70’s in a Black Keys meets Black Sabbath way. ”

The hardest choice for Schoenborn is trying to work in the artists who have requested to play the festival again and again. “All artists want to return and it’s a hard choice to make,” he explains. “They all want to come back and though we are major, we are not one of the major festivals, yet they try and make space in their schedules to play. We are super appreciative but we don’t have bands coming back every year as a matter of keeping the music in cycle of what’s being released this year and supporting a wider ring of artists and making it so that when they come back, people are really excited to see them.”

Caset Laforet of the Toronto-based “death country” band Elliot Brood is one of those repeaters and is delighted to be playing Pickathon for the second year in a row.

“It’s one the best ones we’ve played in North America,” says Laforet. “How it’s set up, how it’s run, their environmental stance –we’re really lucky to come back.”

Just as it draws in festival-goers, the relaxed vibe and innovative staging options is what keeps the artists like Elliott Brood in full support of Pickathon.

“It makes it much more of an intimate experience when people can actually see the bands and talk to them,” Schoenborn says. “We stayed at a hotel offsite but we still spent most nights just hanging out at the festival and meeting different people. You’re all standing in the same food line-ups and watching the same shows together. It’s amazing for artists.”

The festival has already sold-out of its pre-sale tickets, but remaining tickets, as well as the rest of the line-up, can be found on their website at www.pickathon.com.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/mavis-staples-califone-bill-callahan-head-pickathon-2011/feed/ 0 Festivals in Brief: NXNE, Summerfest, Montreal Jazz Fest, Forecastle, Virgin Fest Nova Scotia, No Depression, HARD Summer, and more! Yes, kids, it’s a lot! http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/05/festivals-in-brief-nxne-summerfest-montreal-jazz-fest-forecastle-virgin-fest-nova-scotia-no-depression-hard-summer-and-more-yes-kids-its-a-lot/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/05/festivals-in-brief-nxne-summerfest-montreal-jazz-fest-forecastle-virgin-fest-nova-scotia-no-depression-hard-summer-and-more-yes-kids-its-a-lot/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 18:30:31 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=14937 Two things we can take from today: 1.) the festival announcement season is far from over and 2.) festival organizers all like making announcements on Tuesdays. As you’ll see below, there’s a lot going on in the world of summer music festival, so, let’s recap with today’s edition of “Festivals in Brief.”

North by Northeast:
Last month, we noted that South by Southwest’s sister festival extravaganza, North By Northeast, will return to Toronto, Ontario for five days of music, delivered by over 500 local, national, and international acts. Organizers have looked to further validate this statement with a ton of lineup additions, including The Cool Kids, GZA, Dillinger Four, Apostle of Hustle, Crystal Antlers, and CoS’ favorites Kittens Ablaze. Now would probably be a good time to head over to nxne.com to pick up your passes/wristbands.

Summerfest:
Like a bang, Summerfest‘s extensive, and always eclectic lineup has taken shape. After taking their time to reveal the Marcus Amphitheater headliners for this year’s edition, organizers have made one round after another of announcements in the last week, literally revealing a new batch of 2009 acts every afternoon. Included are both mainstream staples (Staind, Puddle of Mudd, Guster, Salvia)  and indie favorites (Cage The Elephant, Lupe Fiasco, Back Door Slam, STS9). Get the up-to-date lineup here. Pick up your Marcus Amphitheater – yes, you have to pay separately to see the headliners, and and general admission passes via Ticketmaster.com.

Montreal Jazz Festival:
The complete lineup for the Montreal Jazz Festival, or should I say, Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, has also been revealed in the last week. Stevie Wonder, Ben Harper & Relentless7, DeVotchKa, Estelle, Joe Cocker, Mos Def, and The Orb among the acts now scheduled to join the previously announced likes of Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy & Susan Tedeschi, Jackson Browne, and Femi Kuti in downtown Montreal between July 1st and 12th. Head to montrealjazzfest.com for a full schedule and ticket information.

Virgin Festival Nova Scotia:
Well, if the initial lineup for Virgin Festival Nova Scotia is any indication, then Virgin Festival Montreal might just be one strange outlier. The Tragically Hip, The Offspring, Dinosaur Jr., Metric, Plants and Animals, Hey Rosetta!, and Arkells are among the names set to perform at Citadel Hill on July 4th. Tickets will go on sale beginning Saturday, May 16th via virginfestival.ca.

Forecastle Festival:
Organizers behind the Louisville, Kentucky based Forecastle Festival, which is scheduled to take place from July 10-12 at the Riverfront Belvedere, have also dropped a few more details relating to its 2009 lineup. Cage The Elephant, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Man Man, Designer Drugs, The Detroit Cobras, and Maps and Atlases and some fifty other bands and DJs are now scheduled to to join Widespread Panic, The Black Crowes, The Black Keys, and The Avett Brothers for Forecastle ’09. The day-by-day schedule can be seen and tickets can be had by logging onto forecastlefest.com.

No Depression Festival:
Back in March, Seattle based No Depression Magazine announced that it would be ceasing monthly publication in June and would instead become a twice-annual “bookazine.” Apparently all that’s you need to launch a music festival these days; on July 11th, No Depression in conjunction with Seattle Theatre Group (STG Presents), Live Nation, and The Lakeside Group will bring a lineup headed by Gillian Welch and Iron & Wine to Redmond, Washington’s Marymoor Park for the first annual No Depression Festival. Patterson Hood & The Screwtopians, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter, Justin Townes Earle, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Zee Avi, and a collection of Seattle based roots musicians under the banner Seattle Roots-Music All-Star Revue are also confirmed to take part. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com.

HARD Summer Festival:
Here’s a shock: HARD’s summer festival, aka HARD Summer Festival, continues to be a raver’s delight. Today, Chromeo, Crystal Castles, Crookers, The Bloody Beetroots, Busy P, Steve Akoi, Amanda Blank, Jack Beats, Dan Oh, and Skeet Skeet joined the ’09 bill, which already included Underworld, A-Trak, Sebastian, and Tiga. Pre-sale tickets can still be had via GrooveTickets.com.

What Else?

  • This year’s Sonic Bloom, which features Bassnectar, EOTO, and ZILLA, will now be held at Bellvue, Coloardo’s Mishawaka Amphitheatre. Tickets will apparently go on sale soon.
  • This year’s Hillside Festival recently offered a sneak peak at its 2009 lineup: Tokyo Police Club, Final Fantasy, Xavier Rudd, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Loreena McKennitt, and David Francey will be among the names dishing out the tunes in Guelph, Ontario between July 24th and 26th. ,
  • Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, John Doe and the Sadies, and Horse Feathers have been added to Portland, Oregon’s favorite indie roots music festival, the Pickathon Indie Roots Music Festival.
  • The Dead Weather and Cake appear to be the first two acts confirmed for this year’s edition of Street Scene, scheduled to take place from August 28-29 in San Diego, California.
]]> North by Northeast: Last month, we noted that South by Southwest’s sister festival extravaganza, North By Northeast, will return to Toronto, Ontario for five days of music, delivered by over 500 local, national, and international acts. Organizers have looked to further validate this statement with a ton of lineup additions, including The Cool Kids, GZA, Dillinger Four, Apostle of Hustle, Crystal Antlers, and CoS' favorites Kittens Ablaze. Now would probably be a good time to head over to nxne.com to pick up your passes/wristbands. Summerfest: Like a bang, Summerfest's extensive, and always eclectic lineup has taken shape. After taking their time to reveal the Marcus Amphitheater headliners for this year's edition, organizers have made one round after another of announcements in the last week, literally revealing a new batch of 2009 acts every afternoon. Included are both mainstream staples (Staind, Puddle of Mudd, Guster, Salvia)  and indie favorites (Cage The Elephant, Lupe Fiasco, Back Door Slam, STS9). Get the up-to-date lineup here. Pick up your Marcus Amphitheater - yes, you have to pay separately to see the headliners, and and general admission passes via Ticketmaster.com. Montreal Jazz Festival: The complete lineup for the Montreal Jazz Festival, or should I say, Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, has also been revealed in the last week. Stevie Wonder, Ben Harper & Relentless7, DeVotchKa, Estelle, Joe Cocker, Mos Def, and The Orb among the acts now scheduled to join the previously announced likes of Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy & Susan Tedeschi, Jackson Browne, and Femi Kuti in downtown Montreal between July 1st and 12th. Head to montrealjazzfest.com for a full schedule and ticket information. Virgin Festival Nova Scotia: Well, if the initial lineup for Virgin Festival Nova Scotia is any indication, then Virgin Festival Montreal might just be one strange outlier. The Tragically Hip, The Offspring, Dinosaur Jr., Metric, Plants and Animals, Hey Rosetta!, and Arkells are among the names set to perform at Citadel Hill on July 4th. Tickets will go on sale beginning Saturday, May 16th via virginfestival.ca. Forecastle Festival: Organizers behind the Louisville, Kentucky based Forecastle Festival, which is scheduled to take place from July 10-12 at the Riverfront Belvedere, have also dropped a few more details relating to its 2009 lineup. Cage The Elephant, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Man Man, Designer Drugs, The Detroit Cobras, and Maps and Atlases and some fifty other bands and DJs are now scheduled to to join Widespread Panic, The Black Crowes, The Black Keys, and The Avett Brothers for Forecastle '09. The day-by-day schedule can be seen and tickets can be had by logging onto forecastlefest.com. No Depression Festival: Back in March, Seattle based No Depression Magazine announced that it would be ceasing monthly publication in June and would instead become a twice-annual "bookazine." Apparently all that's you need to launch a music festival these days; on July 11th, No Depression in conjunction with Seattle Theatre Group (STG Presents), Live Nation, and The Lakeside Group will bring a lineup headed by Gillian Welch and Iron & Wine to Redmond, Washington's Marymoor Park for the first annual No Depression Festival. Patterson Hood & The Screwtopians, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter, Justin Townes Earle, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Zee Avi, and a collection of Seattle based roots musicians under the banner Seattle Roots-Music All-Star Revue are also confirmed to take part. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com. HARD Summer Festival: Here's a shock: HARD's summer festival, aka HARD Summer Festival, continues to be a raver's delight. Today, Chromeo, Crystal Castles, Crookers, The Bloody Beetroots, Busy P, Steve Akoi, Amanda Blank, Jack Beats, Dan Oh, and Skeet Skeet joined the '09 bill, which already included Underworld, A-Trak, Sebastian, and Tiga. Pre-sale tickets can still be had via GrooveTickets.com. What Else? This year's Sonic Bloom, which features Bassnectar, EOTO, and ZILLA, will now be held at Bellvue, Coloardo’s Mishawaka Amphitheatre. Tickets will apparently go on sale soon. This year's Hillside Festival recently offered a sneak peak at its 2009 lineup: Tokyo Police Club, Final Fantasy, Xavier Rudd, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Loreena McKennitt, and David Francey will be among the names dishing out the tunes in Guelph, Ontario between July 24th and 26th. , Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, John Doe and the Sadies, and Horse Feathers have been added to Portland, Oregon's favorite indie roots music festival, the Pickathon Indie Roots Music Festival. The Dead Weather and Cake appear to be the first two acts confirmed for this year's edition of Street Scene, scheduled to take place from August 28-29 in San Diego, California. Europe still has a lot of festivals. ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/05/festivals-in-brief-nxne-summerfest-montreal-jazz-fest-forecastle-virgin-fest-nova-scotia-no-depression-hard-summer-and-more-yes-kids-its-a-lot/feed/ 4