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

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Bad Veins – “Dancing on TV”

This clip from Bad Veins is equal parts tribute to the late, great Don Cornelius and A-ha’s “Take On Me”. How often can you say that about a music video?

The Black Keys – “Gold on the Ceiling”

The latest from Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney is the visual approximation of a band taking a well-deserved victory lap after having one hell of a past couple years. Cushy recording studios, massive wardrobes, photo shoots – it’s all there. Congrats boys, you’re officially rock stars.

Coldplay – “Charlie Brown”

Who knew parkour was still a thing? I guess when Coldplay is playing at an underground warehouse in your town, all of the normal modes of transportation get thrown out the window.

Cults – “You Know What I Mean”

In this video, Brian Oblivion of Cults doesn’t simply let one body-scaring stunt gone wrong end his fictional career as a daredevil. Instead, he hops right back onto the horse (or rather, the ladder) and risks his life to impress the girl of his fancy.

Drake – “Practice”

When most of us walk into a hotel room, there’s usually only a maid tidying up. When Drake walks into a hotel room, he finds…well, just watch it. First make sure your mom or any co-workers aren’t around though.

Jonquil – “It’s My Part”

This video combines three things: pizza, animal masks, and bull riding. In case you were wondering…yes, the result is as awesome as it sounds.

Madonna (feat. Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.) – “Gimme All Your Luvin”

Maybe a few of you have heard this one? To be honest, if I were ever featured in a video as unbearably corny and mindlessly bubblegum as this, I’d probably want to flip off the entire world too.

M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”

I guess Maya’s parents never told her to wear her seat belt when she was younger. Hey, at least no little kids got blown up this time.

Rick Ross – “Yella Diamonds”

As good as this track is, I’m still not sure how I feel about the fact that something that simply cuts back and forth from a vodka ad to a simulated rape scene passes as a hip-hop music video these days. Am I the only one who thinks the home invasion portion goes on maybe just a little too long?

St. Vincent – “Cheerleader”

We all know that Ms. Annie Clark “don’t wanna be a cheerleader no more,” but in this new video she apparently isn’t a big fan of being a giant-sized human art exhibit either. After breaking out of her binds King Kong-style, she unfortunately crumbles apart like a marble sculpture before she can make it to the Empire State Building.

The Black Keys have unleashed the video for “Gold on the Ceiling”, the second single off last year’s El Camino. It features footage from the album’s record release show in New York City last December. Watch it below.

Coachella’s 2012 lineup is officially one day old and that means it’s time for some post-reveal analysis. In the pages that follow, we run through the biggest highlights and surprises appearing on this year’s bill, in addition to the most glaring omissions. We also highlight five names worth knowing as you prepare for April’s big weekend(s).

Highlights

At the Drive-In

Best known as the duo behind prog-psych wunderkinds The Mars Volta, Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedrix Bixler-Zavala got their start as At The Drive-In, easily the best relic of the late ’90s’ post-hardcore wave. Since they disbanded way back in 2001, the band has been a regular fixture on fake Coachella lineup posters and “heavily rumored” blog lists nearly every year since. Despite the persistent rumors, the band remained officially broken up until yesterday afternoon, just hours before Coachella’s lineup dropped. As of now, ATDI’s Sunday night slot at the Polo Fields is currently their only scheduled date. Let’s make it count! –Möhammad Choudhery

Jeff Mangum

Notorious recluse and indie icon Jeff Mangum is unexpectedly, inexplicably back. It’s only been in the last year-ish that Mangum has started playing Neutral Milk Hotel tracks after over a decade of silence, so any chance to see him play is noteworthy. Given that his highly intimate gigs for 2012 have all sold out, his addition is more or less a bargain. For two weekends? It’s certainly the best anyone’s ever had, at least for him. -Ben Kaye

Pulp

Photo by Colin Athens

The absence of Pulp at Coachella and other American festivals last year was a noticeable one. Resolution finally came shortly before the lineup’s revelation, when Pulp’s official site was updated with a new series of cryptic questions before revealing their Coachella appearances: “You think you get off that lightly? You think this is over? There are so many questions left unanswered: Can this feeling travel across the Atlantic? Can we make the desert bloom? Can we conquer our phobias? And – most fundamentally: Why me? Why you? Why here? Why now? 2012: The year we get some answers?” If their long-awaited return to American shores is half as explosive as their singalong-stuffed Primavera comeback, then yes, the desert will, in fact, bloom as Pulp finally bring their sardonic wit and inimitable brand of showmanship to Coachella for what just might be both the first and last time. -Frank Mojica

Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

Back in 2004, Radiohead headlined Coachella. Since then, the Coachella Message Board has been flooded with requests, all screaming for Thom Yorke & Co’s to return. What a year to book them. With minimal presence on stage in 2011 – save for a surprise set at Glastonbury, Saturday Night Live, and a couple nights in New York City – Radiohead plans to attack 2012 in full force, already set for a nationwide tour that promises an intense arena show. Admittedly, the UK sensation’s latest LP, The King of Limbs, isn’t exactly desert-primed, but you can’t deny the toe-numbing excitement of seeing Yorke lose his shit to “Lotus Flower” in the desert. Buy me a bottle of water for that. Pretty please. -Michael Roffman

The Weeknd

Three acclaimed mixtapes. Little to no live work. Mystery loves company, and for Abel Tesfaye, he’s hardly alone. Why? Blame it on the voice. That could explain the thousands of intrigued fans come April 15th. But, will he deliver? Too early to tell, and it’s unfair to judge based on the scant performances from 2011. Besides, he hasn’t even assembled his full band yet. In fact, he’s holding auditions currently. So, if you think you could lend him a hand (and you want to perform at Coachella), send him an e-mail now. Just don’t screw up that scintillating cover of Jacko’s “Dirty Diana”. That could ruin our own – wait for it – weekend. Ha. Ha. Ha. -Michael Roffman

Surprises

The Black Keys

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Perhaps the most flagrant festival whores on this list, The Black Keys – who’ve played three of the last four Coachellas – were widely considered a long shot to headline in 2012, if only for Goldenvoice’s penchant against booking repeat performers. Lo and behold, they’re sitting pretty atop Friday’s lineup and, as good as El Camino was, few could complain. -Möhammad Choudhery

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg

Aside from Refused appearing out of thin air, this may be the most shocking addition to the bill. Nowhere in the oft-hostile Coachella rumor boards were either of these names mentioned. And why should they have been? Dre’s Detox has yet to come to fruition after years of rumors (his headlining will no doubt add to those endless rumors of its completion), and Snoop Dogg hardly has the star power to headline a bill at Coachella by himself. But together as two of the most rugged pioneers of West Coast hip-hop? That’s a set worth seeing. -Winston Robbins

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Nothing short of seeing Godspeed You! Black Emperor on an official line-up poster would’ve made me believe this one. Infamous for their staunch anti-establishment bent, Godspeed’s Saturday night at Coachella is their first major festival appearance to date (aside from a couple of appearances at ATP over the years). Though it’s been nearly a decade since they last released new material, the band’s 2010 tour saw them premiere a handful of new pieces, namely the riveting “Hope Drone”. The jury’s still out on how the group’s understated dramatics will stand up to the Sahara Tent’s insufferable, non-stop rumble and the notoriously raucous Coachella crowd. -Möhammad Choudhery

Jeff Mangum

On paper, a name like Jeff Mangum works wonders for posters and festivalgoers’ wishlists. But, realistically, did anyone ever think that would happen? It’s one thing to slot Magnum at a venue-centric festival like ATP, but to hear the ol’ bard belt out “Holland, 1945″ in 100+ degree weather, potentially to half of the cast from CW’s Gossip Girl, well…you get the idea. But it’s a reality. Sigh, the world was bound to find its eighth wonder one day or another. April 14th and April 21st of 2012, to be exact. -Michael Roffman

Refused

This reunion definitely comes out of nowhere, but there are a lot of hardcore punk fans more than thrilled the Swedish anarchists are coming together. The band’s official statement said they “never did The Shape of Punk to Come justice back when it came out” and now they want to “do it over, do it right.” Playing the songs in front of tens of thousands of fans at the polo grounds is one way to do it right. Even if they may lose a few anti-establishment points for it. -Nick Freed

Omissions

Björk

This one’s easy. Not only did Björk release a critically-acclaimed LP last year (Biophilia), but she also just announced a residency in New York City. So, clearly she’s gigging. Yes, she did appear at Coachella in 2007, though that frame of thinking didn’t stop Goldenvoice from booking The Black Keys (again, again, and again). Oh well. If anything, her omission just makes it easy for trollers on the Coachella Message Board to keep scoffing. You’d think with Radiohead… -Michael Roffman

Fucked Up

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

They didn’t find an invitation in the mail last year, they didn’t in 2012, either. Quite a shame, too. With last year’s aggressively sweet David Comes to Life still spinning on our *ahem* Spotify account, it would have benefit Goldenvoice to tap Damian Abraham’s eccentric band of punksters. Guess they thought Refused and At The Drive-In was aplenty. Maybe we’ll get another LA punk show out of it? The question is: Who will be there this time? Shame. -Michael Roffman

Kraftwerk

After they announced a sub-headlining spot at Ultra Music Fest this March, many considered Kraftwerk a lock to reprise their stellar 2008 Coachella performance this year. Their striking omission from the fest’s 2012 lineup hits especially hard for West coast fans of Kraftwerk, who haven’t seen the German electro-pioneers since. Time to pull out the ol’ discography, instead. -Möhammad Choudhery

Lana Del Rey

Even though Lana del Rey would fit in amongst the fashionable crowd at the festival, her new stardom and low, mellow croon, apparently, did not. The pouty-lipped internet star has exploded everywhere in the past few months, and her place in the lineup would make complete sense. She’ll have to sit this one out, and then play every other festival around the world instead. -Nick Freed

New Order

Two years ago, Bernard Sumner’s side project Bad Lieutenant was scheduled to play. (You know, the group featuring everyone from New Order except Peter Hook?) Then there was that pesky volcano. So, yeah, that didn’t happen. With New Order back (well, everyone except Peter Hook), and already headlining both incarnations of Ultra, it was easy to peg ‘em as shoe-in’s for Indio, CA’s big shebang less than a month later. Not the case. Instead, you Anglophiles will have to settle for Pulp…and Madness? -Michael Roffman

Who to Know

Company Flow

Photo by Nate Slevin

With Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg headlining this year’s festivities, all ears will be on West coast rap. But further down the lineup, and from a diametrically opposing location, comes Brooklyn’s Company Flow. The alternative rap trio, founded by current alt-hip-hop guru/Defintive Jux head El-P, first formed in 1993. After signing to Rawkus in the mid-’90s, they released their 1997 debut full-length, Funcrusher Plus, to heaps of critical acclaim. After the departure of member Big Jus in 1999, the duo of El-P and Mr. Len released one last instrumental LP entitled Little Johnny From the Hospitul before dissolving amicably. The group originally reunited for shows in October 2007 and July 2011, including supporting Portishead at ATP UK’s “I’ll Be Your Mirror” festival. A favorite of the most studied hip-hop head, Company Flow’s reunion is equal parts nostalgia and a subtle reminder of the spread and impact the rap game’s had on Coachella’s booking. -Chris Coplan

The Dear Hunter

Prog-rock experimentalist outfit The Dear Hunter (note: not Deerhunter) began as a side project Casey Crescenzo launched while part of the now-defunct The Receiving End of Siren. The band works almost exclusively in concepts; the Act Series, a planned six-part epic (three have yet been released), follows an early 20th century protagonist known as, get this, The Dear Hunter from birth to his love affair with a prostitute named Ms. Leading to his eventual death. Last year, they released The Color Spectrum, a collection of nine four-track EPs each themed around a color of the spectrum. With epic instrumentation, jaw-dropping vocals, and The Color Spectrum guest Manchester Orchestra also in attendance, they’re definitely worth checking out. -Ben Kaye

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar has yet to hit it extremely big, but he’s on the brink. With his 2010 mixtape O(verly) D(edicated), he started to make waves that only became stronger upon the release of his 2011 effort, Section.80. And did you hear his part on Drake’s “Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive” (Interlude)? The man apparently doesn’t need to breathe in between verses. Take all that and the fact that festival headliners Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre proclaimed him “New Prince of the West Coast” in August of 2011, and you’ve got a full-fledged hype hurricane. Here’s to hoping he sticks around to guest with Dre and Snoop. -Winston Robbins

Sleeper Agent

Sleeper Agent’s 2011 debut LP, Celabrasion, was a great exercise in clean, poppy alternative. Nothing edgy, per se, but ultimately catchy stuff. Vocalist Alex Kandel’s vocals act as an adhesive, especially to the quasi-modern rock vibes below it. Over the past year, this Bowling Green, KY sextet has attracted a number of eyes, including Rolling Stone, who named them “a band to watch.” Given that they’ve toured with the likes of fellow Kentucky pals Cage the Elephant, one would be wise in expecting a raucous display of all things rock. Nothing more, nothing less. -Michael Roffman

Thundercat

When Stephen Bruner isn’t providing bass for Flying Lotus, he’s recording as Thundercat. He’s also making jazz ultimately cool again. There’s a reason we named The Golden Age of Apocalypse one of the best albums of 2011: it’s an incredibly warranted yet highly unpretentious jazz record. Sort of an oxymoron in retrospect, but Bruner has found a way to make it a reality. As Möhammad Choudhery wrote, “Someone this good could only play sideman for so long, though.” Let’s see how he holds up on his own…at one of America’s biggest festivals. -Michael Roffman

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

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

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

The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys have added a second leg to their joint North American tour. Spanning 16 dates, the leg kicks off in Houston on April 24th and wraps in Milwaukee on May 16th. Tickets for these shows go on sale Friday, January 13th, except for Seattle (Jan. 20th) and Denver (Jan. 21st).

You can find both bands’ upcoming tour schedules below, along with Arctic Monkeys’ new video for “Black Treacle” from their LP Suck It and See.

The Black Keys 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
01/23 – Antwerp, BE @ Lotto
01/24 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/25 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/27 – Hamburg, DE @ Sporthalle
01/28 – Berlin, DE @ Arena
01/30 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
01/31 – Zurich, CH @ Maag Hall
02/01 – Eindhoven, NL @ Klokgebouw
02/03 – Nottingham, UK @ Capital FM Arena
02/04 – Edinburgh, UK @ Corn Exchange
02/06 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/07 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/09 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/10 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/11 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/22 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *
03/24 – Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Arena *
04/24 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Pavilion *
04/25 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
04/27 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena *
04/28 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center *
04/30 – Broomfield, CO @ 1st Bank Center *
05/02 – W. Valley City, UY @ Maverik Center *
05/04 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
05/05 – Sacramento, CA @ Powerbalance Pavilion *
05/07 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
05/08 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
05/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
05/11 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
05/12 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place *
05/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre *
05/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
05/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center *

* = w/ Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys 2012 Tour Dates:
01/12 – Sydney, AU @ Horden Pavilion
01/13 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
01/14 – Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage
01/27 – Madrid, ES @ Palacio
01/28 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau St Jordi
01/31 – Paris, FR @ Casino de Paris
02/01 – Lille, FR @ Le Zenith
02/03 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
02/04 – Paris, FR @ Zenith
02/06 – Toulouse, FR @ Zenith
02/07 – Caen, FR @ Zenith
02/08 – Metz, FR @ Les Arenas
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/22 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *
03/24 – Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Arena *
03/31-04/01 – Santiago, CL @ Lollapalooza Chile
04/03-04 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Quilmes Rock
04/07-08 – Sao Paolo, BR @ Lollapalooza Brazil
04/24 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Pavilion *
04/25 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
04/27 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena *
04/28 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center *
04/30 – Broomfield, CO @ 1st Bank Center *
05/02 – W. Valley City, UY @ Maverik Center *
05/04 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
05/05 – Sacramento, CA @ Powerbalance Pavilion *
05/07 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
05/08 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
05/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
05/11 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
05/12 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place *
05/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre *
05/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
05/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center *

* = w/ The Black Keys

Arctic Monkeys – “Black Treacle”:

“Rock & roll is dying because people became OK with Nickelback being the biggest band in the world… So they became OK with the idea that the biggest rock band in the world is always going to be shit – therefore you should never try to be the biggest rock band in the world. Fuck that! Rock & roll is the music I feel the most passionately about, and I don’t like to see it fucking ruined and spoon-fed down our throats in this watered-down, post-grunge crap, horrendous shit. When people start lumping us into that kind of shit, it’s like, ‘Fuck you,’ honestly.”

– The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney discusses the state of rock and roll (via Rolling Stone).

It’s hard to believe that 22 years ago, KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas in Los Angeles started out with a handful of bands who actually played acoustic sets. Fast forward to 2011 and any band would love a coveted spot in the lineup at the Gibson Amphitheatre. The weekend sells out in a matter of seconds and two worthy charity organizations benefit. This year, night one benefited Para Los Niños, a non-profit family service agency designed to raise at-risk children out of poverty and into brighter futures through positive educational opportunities and support. While night two benefited the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, providing a safe after-school environment where hundreds of boys and girls in South Central Los Angeles participate in tutoring, learn important social skills, and are guided to succeed in school and enter college.

It’s an entertaining two nights. Music fans are never bored because there’s never a break between acts. The stage turns around delivering one band after another. This year, the acts included everyone from indie delights Cage the Elephant, Young the Giant, and Foster the People to veterans Blink-182, Bush, and 311 to newer mainstays The Black Keys, Florence + the Machine, and Mumford and Sons. An eclectic line up for an eclectic city. Here’s how it went down – in photos.

Gallery by Debi Del Grande

[nggallery id=310]

Almost Acoustic Christmas, the annual two-day concert staged by Los Angeles radio station KROQ, takes place this weekend at the Gibson Amphitheatre. Beginning at 5:40 pm PT on Saturday and 5:30pm on Sunday, tune in below to watch the concert’s live webcast. Day one offers Blink-182, Social Distortion, Young the Giant, 311, and more, while day two promises The Black Keys, Florence and the Machine, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Death Cab For Cutie, Mumford and Sons, and more. The complete schedule is underneath the video player.

Saturday, December 10th:
05:40 pm – New Found Glory
06:10 pm – Young The Giant
06:40 pm – Chevelle
07:15 pm – Bush
08:00 pm – Sublime With Rome (replacing Incubus, who cancelled due to illness)
08:45 pm – Social Distortion
09:30 pm – 311
10:25 pm – Blink-182

Sunday, December 11th:
05:30 pm – Grouplove
05:55 pm – The Naked and Famous
06:20 pm – Foster the People
06:50 pm – Cage the Elephant
07:20 pm – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
07:50 pm – Florence and the Machine
08:30 pm – Death Cab For Cutie
09:10 pm – Mumford and Sons
09:55 pm – The Black Keys
10:40 pm – Jane’s Addiction

* All times listed in PST.

I promised the staff I would not go all Masterpiece Theater with this intro, so I’ll be brief. Our Annual Report has reached its halfway point with our Top 50 Songs of the Year. The many flags of our staff are hoisted high — and we couldn’t be happier with what we’re saluting. From Cults’ very first song to Tom Waits’ thousandth song, we put up the tracks that left us with more thoughts, feelings, and impressions than any other. We think we done good.

But just to make sure the world still spins on its axis, let us know what you think we missed from our list and what you liked in the comments. We thrive on that stuff.

Additionally, we’ve got the de rigueur Top 50 Songs of the Year Spotify playlist for you, a quick link to purchase the song on Amazon, and an easy ctrl-c +ctrl-v list for you at the very end immediately following our #1 song of the year.

As always, our profuse thanks for reading, enjoy these tunes, and we’ll see you again next week for the second half of our 2011 Annual Report.

-Jeremy D. Larson
Content Director

50. Ellie Goulding – “Lights”

At age 24, Ellie Goulding’s folktronica turned heads across the world, especially with “Lights”. Remixed from here to high heaven by killer producers, sampled by Lupe Fiasco for his latest mixtape, and dropped by DJs looking to get well-dressed girls on the dance floors from the Bay Area to Eastern Europe, its appeal lies in its honest vocals, minimalistic beats, and stark, raving energy. It’s Goulding’s first charting single in the U.S. and Canada, and judging from the widespread allure (and the thousands who camped near her stage at festivals nationwide), it likely won’t be her last. -Paul de Revere

49. Cults – “Go Outside”

Going from relative obscurity to indie stardom isn’t anything new, but the way Madelline Follin and Brian Oblivion of Cults did it with such New York coolness and style still seemed incredibly refreshing. By the time the mainstream caught wind of Follin’s adorably unique, helium-filled balloon voice, “Go Outside” was already a bona fide song of the summer contender. Its lyrics are like a mantra for anyone in a going-nowhere relationship, delivered in an irresistibly sweet, poppy tone. And how can you not dig that crazy glockenspiel solo? -Gilles LeBlanc

48. Big K.R.I.T. – “Country Shit” (Remix)

The original version of “Country Shit” showed up on last year’s K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, but this remix, featuring all-new bars from Ludacris and Bun B, goes harder in every way. Over a chopped and looped vocal sample and thunderous bass, K.R.I.T. delivers an unusually aggressive verse for “the folk in Texas that’s forever wreckin’ with the Styrofoam cup and the purple fluid.” This is a rave-up, no doubt, and it just might be the greatest Dixie rap get-together this side of “Int’l Players Anthem”. -Mike Madden

47. Mikal Cronin – “Apathy”

So much good came out of the fertile ground of the San Francisco psych/garage scene this year, and Mikal Cronin’s debut LP may be best in show simply because he’s got the hooks. “Apathy” digs in with stopgap verses and a vintage 60’s underground sound. Cronin is wrestling with that all-too-real twentysomething identity crisis; he’s a man who’s sure he doesn’t want apathy or empathy. Or everything. Or anything. His generation struggles with defining themselves, and finding a fine line between slacker and sincere is difficult. This loud and splashy confession pretty much nails that frustration. -Jeremy D. Larson

46. Cold Cave – “The Great Pan Is Dead”

The primal themes and screams of Wesley Eisold on “The Great Pan Is Dead” could have been penned by the Vikings or the Huns or some dodgy Germanic tribe. It’s ostentatious like an arena song with more than enough of Eisold’s hardcore/noise/new wave bent to make it sound like it could have been out on Wax Trax! Records. “Yeah/I will come running/gunning through the years/hunting heart/crushing fears,” except Eisold makes it seem like he’s going to do this while completely on fire. All the while, at its core, it’s just a romantic ode to someone who warrants truly epic imagery — imagery that would fall flat without the high-stakes propulsion of the music below it. If love songs are played in Valhalla, this may be the only thing allowed. -Jeremy D. Larson

45. Das Racist – “Michael Jackson”

“I’m fucking great at rapping!” With those five words, Himanshu “Heems” Suri embraces the new identity that he, Victor “Kool A.D.” Vazquez, and Ashok “Dap” Kondabolu have forged as Das Racist. Where elsewhere they’ll make you wonder whether this whole rap thing is just a lark, here D.R. take the simple to the nth degree. Whether it’s that ultimately basic brag, the “Michael Jackson/a million dollars/you hear me?/holler” chorus, or A.D.’s lithe “You go girl, it’s your world”, this song embraces the brilliance of simplicity. The beat kills, and references to Richie Valens, “Parenthood”, and McGuyver all smashed together somehow just makes sense. -Adam Kivel

44. The Horrors – “Still Life”

To be one of the 50 best songs of the year, at least one element of your introduction has to grab attention. With “Still Life”, The Horrors gave us three options. There’s the wobbly tape loop that gradually fades in, the body-vibrating drumbeat, and the bell curve synth melody. All that before we even get to the vocals! Faris Badwan sounds cautious, almost fragile, in the speak-sing verses. Once the chorus kicks in and the melody lights up, though, he richly belts out line after line, guaranteeing a sing-along from even the most casual fan. -Joe Marvilli

43. Bill Callahan – “Riding for the Feeling”

Bill Callahan is one of America’s most low-profile existentialists. “Riding for the Feeling” is a great example of why. Callahan’s smooth baritone lightly jogs along his own acoustic strumming, impressionistic organ, reverb-soaked electric guitars, and salt-and-pepper drums to craft a statement of beautiful futility. Mr. Callahan is capital letters THE TRUTH, and he spits a lot of it: “With intensity, a drop evaporates by law/In conclusion, leaving is easy when you’ve got some place to be.” How ’bout that for some cold, hard facts? But as the song progresses, it becomes clearer and clearer that the place Callahan has to be doesn’t really exist–that he’s just riding somewhere else, merely riding for the feeling. And so are we. -Drew Litowitz

42. Dum Dum Girls – “Coming Down”

A single of anguish, “Coming Down” is the side of Dum Dum Girls no one has ever seen. During the six-minute ballad, the ladies leave the mystery of their personas to find bliss in the wake of something awful, the death of front woman Dee Dee Penny’s mother. The same fuzz can still be found, but this time there’s more emotion and urgency. Penny wanted fans to feel something, and it’s hard not to at 3:31 with Penny’s declarations of departure. Lo-fi becomes a thing of careful beauty on “Coming Down”. -Lauren Rearick

41. Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers”

Though it’s called Wounded Rhymes, Lykke Li’s second LP could have easily been titled Wounded Rhythms. For proof, take a listen to “I Follow Rivers”. The melody drunkenly sways alongside her vocals, ranging from subdued verses to triumphant choruses. Clanging, hollow beats don’t just stick to the tempo, but occasionally flair and boost the background up. The woozy synth line remains laid-back but isn’t sloppy. Instead, it loosely drives the song forward without becoming the focal point. That’s saved for Lykke Li’s playful performance. On an album with as many heavy songs as this one has, that’s certainly a breath of fresh air. -Joe Marvilli

40. Wilco – “One Sunday Morning”

Jeff Tweedy warns us that this majestic 12-minute closer to The Whole Love is long in the very first line, but it’s a caution that proves to be moot. Despite the length and refusing to change its basic rhythm or structure, the song never tires, keeping the listener’s attention by sneaking in layer upon layer of instrumentation at strategic moments, then pulling it away. The whispering patter of Mikael Jorgensen’s piano may not drive the melody but blossoms and wilts at the mention of key words like “bells” and “the Bible.” Lyrically, it’s in the same vein as Sky Blue Sky closer “On and On”, a meditation on the relationship between Jeff Tweedy and a past acquaintance that only they understand. But its autumnal feel and confessional tone mean something different to everyone, the perfect tune for looking back on the year in non-linear terms. -Dan Caffrey

39. Liturgy – “Generation”

Brooklyn’s Liturgy have spent the last couple of years working up quite the shitstorm in metal circles for their admittedly ostentatious attempts at re-conceptualizing the genre from the ground up in what they call “transcendental black metal”. Critical response to their latest LP Aesthethica, was pretty much split down the middle largely for that reason. But all talk about the band’s perceived pretension is shot to bits by the initial blast of noise that kick off the album’s best track, the starkly minimal instrumental “Generation”. Seven minutes of blazing guitars and cracking snares, this slab of molten no-wave fury is more akin to early-day Swans than anything remotely “transcendental”, or even “black metal” for that matter. Even so, they’ve catalyzed progress and conversation in a genre that has, for decades now, stagnated in Norse Mythology and church burning scandals. Who says you need corpse paint to rock? -Möhammad Choudhery

38. Washed Out – “Amor Fati”

Washed Out’s Ernest Greene continues to distance himself from chillwave, creating one of the year’s most danceable tracks in “Amor Fati”. Fans have come to expect an inclusion of synths, but it’s the addition of an infectious chorus from Greene that makes for an unexpected moment of pop. The prominent vocals provide a break of warmth from the chillwave lull of its counterparts. Its latin title “amor fati” translates to love of fate. If this is where Greene’s destined, we’re lovestruck, too.   -Lauren Rearick

37. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”

Each year, there comes a song that is seemingly everywhere, from non-stop radio play to appearances in TV ads and basic cable shows. In 2011, that song was Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”. Musically, it appealed to a plethora of audiences, as if it were assembled from an equal number of dark, bluesy soul tunes and light, airy disco tracks. The vocals are among Adele’s finest, with an undercurrent of immense wisdom driving forward the larger-than-life, emotionally devastated cries of pain and confusion. But it’s the song’s overall sentiment, of having immense romantic regrets and laying every last one of them on your ex, that made this cut such a massively universal experience. Rare is the track that can mend wounds and help sell the iPhone 4S, but “Rolling in the Deep” does all that and more. -Chris Coplan

36. AraabMUZIK – “Streetz Tonight”

Don’t let the trance label deter you. AraabMUZIK’s Electronic Dream is an atmospheric trip from beginning to end. Best experienced as a whole, there are moments that jump out from the rest, perhaps none more than “Streetz Tonight”. Here, AraabMUZIK dials back his trademark drum machine ingenuity in favor of woozy synth grooves and airy, simplistic female vocals for a different, more laid-back type of head rush. -Austin Trunick

35. Tom Waits – “Hell Broke Luce”

Listeners had to be surprised the first time they heard this jarring, psychotic, nightmarish romp through a combat zone. “Hell Broke Luce” takes the form of a deranged boot camp march (“I had a good home, but I left, right, left”), with the time between Waits’ grating barking filled with banging and clanging, in-and-out guitars, sampled machine gun fire, and even a tuba during one brief lull. Lyrics include drill sergeant/grunt vulgarities, embittered questioning of authority, and lines that suggest the soldier protagonist sees himself as forever severed from the person he was before the war. (“What did you do before the war? /I was a chef, I was a chef/And what was your name? It was Jeff, Jeff”). I have no basis to judge whether or not Waits has captured the hellish realities of war on “Hell Broke Luce”, but I can say that if you’re listening to this track while out walking, it’ll keep you in step. Left, right, left. –Matt Melis

34. Kurt Vile – “Jesus Fever”

Ars longa, vita brevis, as the old adage goes: “Art is long, life is short.” On Kurt Vile’s “Jesus Fever”, the heartland rocker deals with this inevitable fate, all over a jangly progression that feels curated by Lindsay Buckingham circa 1975. One biting line: “When I am a ghost, I’ll see no reason to run/When I’m already gone/If it wasn’t taped, you could escape this song/But I’m already gone.” The lesson? Art is forever. In the digital age – especially a booming one like this year’s – that line takes on a whole new meaning. Art is forever… and everywhere. Now, how meta would it be if kids are listening to this in 100 years? Guess we’ll never know. -Michael Roffman

33. The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”

“These guys just don’t stop. The late-in-the-year arrival of “Lonely Boy” signaled a much anticipated dose of the Akron blues mongers, even though fans were still simmering from 2010’s Brothers. El Camino’s complete rip-roaring genius aside, the stealthy emergence of the lead single’s video of a solitary man dancing his ass off became an instant sensation as “Lonely Boy” could be heard leaking out from city bus riders’ headphones for a good week after its internet landing. And for good reason. The song is an infectious smack in the face of gritty blues riffs and powerful, rockabilly-influenced fury. Dan Auerbach’s muddy guitar rips into the single as Patrick Carney’s attack drums and a smattering of quirky backing keys propel the song into a spaced-out rock stratosphere where Mark Bolan and blues greats serve as ruling deities. As our own Harley Brown attests, the Keys are at the height of their game, and “Lonely Boy” is Exhibit-A of their zenith status. -Liz Lane

32. Battles – “Ice Cream”

When Gloss Drop single “Ice Cream” dropped, it was the test for many of whether Battles would be the same after losing frontman Tyondai Braxton. The verdict? Not exactly the same, but that is no disappointment. The track wades familiar territory for Battles while placing itself among the trio’s more accessible work. Guest vocalist Matias Aguayo shines with a keen impersonation of Braxton’s trademark vocal manipulation over an irresistible, glitchy two-chord jam. Recommended with a scoop of cake batter on a waffle cone, but maybe not in the bathtub. -J. Harry Painter

31. Kate Bush – “Wild Man”

50 Words for Snow is a rare album themed to winter holiday months while not being pigeonholed as a Christmas album. “Wild Man” is a testament to that. It’s a seven-minute journey through the snowy crags of Tibet, name-dropping countless faraway places and romanticizing the fabled Yeti as only Kate Bush could. That said, it’s a very different Bush song in a lot of ways, with guest vocalist Andy Fairweather Low providing the chorus and Bush swapping out her usual vocal stylings with a husky Mark Knopfler-esque dialogue for most of the track. The sweetness of Bush’s words and the song’s misty, musical veil make it easy to mistake “Wild Man” as a love song, but that’s not quite it. It’s a tribute to the mysteries still hidden in the natural world and the figments we chase, rounding the corners of distant hills, just out of reach. -Cap Blackard

30. Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – “The Last Huzzah” (Remix)

This Mr Muthafuckin’ eXquire remix, paying homage to Craig Mack’s “Flava in Ya Ear remix”, dilutes the year’s cattle call of mixtapes, guest spots, and debut LPs down to the strongest collective showing from any five rappers on a single track. Everyone’s got their fuel, whether its Despot’s “vodka soda,” Danny Brown’s “straight shots of Cuervo,” or El-P’s “straight shots of Sterno.” The track’s an ode to getting lit up, a celebration of skill and saying, “Fuck it all.” If these five guys stumble into 2012 with this much moxy, the same as Biggie, Craig Mack, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes did back in 1994, they’ll be the ones coming up big and making great comebacks. -Jeremy D. Larson

“The Last Huzzah” (Remix) (feat. Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown & El-P)

29. The Strokes – “Under Cover of Darkness”

It is the oft-used “return to form,” right? The yearning Julian Casablancas vocals and the doo-wop exchange between the guitarists and drummer Fab Moretti. Top it off with another great solo courtesy of Nick Valensi, and you have the makings of classic Strokes. We may not be talking about Angles years from now, but I’ll let you know the moment this song finally stops dancing around my head. -Justin Gerber

28. Beirut – “East Harlem”

The way Beirut toys with sense of place is so darn impish and charming. With the title and lyrics of “East Harlem”, you can’t tell whether Zach Condon is crooning about Amsterdam or New Amsterdam (NYC). Yet, at the same time, the details hardly matter. In this song about distance, you don’t know where you are for sure; you’re too lost in the sonic neighborhood or city block Condon has constructed. “Uptown, downtown” can seem like a “thousand miles between us” when you’re intent on studying the gorgeous detail of “East Harlem”, this city-song of blinding lights and gorgeous brass melodies. Go on, dwell in it. Stay awhile. -Paul de Revere

27. The War on Drugs – “Come to the City”

The anthemic centerpiece on one of the year’s most road-ready albums, “Come to the City” is to be played either with the windows down while  drifting along highways or in a stadium/field of a thousand pumping fists. It’s that kind of Arcade Fire-meets-Tom Petty power spun over reverberating organs and snapping drums that makes you want to lean your head out the car window and let the emotion wash over you with the wind. With Kurt Vile off on a solo career, frontman Adam Granduciel’s contemplative lyrics get to shine on their own. “I’ve been drinking up the sweet tea/It was made just for me,” he sings in a Dylan-esque warble. It was made for you, too, so drink up. -Benjamin Kaye

26. Frank Ocean – “Novacane”

If the majority of Odd Future is the id, then R&B crooner Frank Ocean is the ego. His depravity is just as endless, but he exemplifies his more reserved, complicated side on Nostalgia, Ultra standout “Novacane”. The beat is a monstrous amalgamation of hip-hop bass, random, glitchy noises, and, most important of all, a solid groove that sounds stuck between genres and intentions. Establishing a drug-fueled storyline involving porn stars and a trip gone bad, Ocean paints a picture of a stunted youth in search of the next big high to cure what ails him. The diagnosis for Ocean’s soul is grim, but the pursuit of absolution never sounded so intoxicating. -Chris Coplan

25. Girls – “Vomit”

“Vomit” is an anthem of solitude. Like Elliott Smith and Nirvana before him, Christopher Owens struggles with his own opiate addiction. This song is a declaration of an inescapable torment, an unanswered longing, a tender futility. The beginning guitar riff echoes with loneliness like a flickering lightbulb in a dark room. Owens repeats the line “looking for love” as he and Chet White descend into instrumental insanity: A guitar solo wracked with distortion erupts, an organ hums beneath, and melismas sound out through the song’s climax. “Vomit” is its own manifesto, expressing the belief that madness is freedom, that pain is inspiration. -Summer Dunsmore

24. Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise”

Hip-hop is always boasting how it’s a young person’s game, but “Make Some Noise” proved that the Beastie Boys are dogs who still have some bite left in them. The fortified funk they sic on us at the start of Hot Sauce Committee Part Two is aggressive, witty, and sweeping. It’s classic Beastie Boys… and then some. In light of their recent setbacks – from “MCA” Adam Yauch’s struggle with cancer to the album’s various delays – the Brooklyn legends ferociously returned to the spotlight. This single is a testament to that. While there’s a lot of wax-scratching nostalgia going on, there’s just too much energy at hand to ignore. So, when Yauch says, “The best is yet to come, and yes, believe this,” we most certainly do. -Gilles LeBlanc

23. Real Estate – “It’s Real”

A good-natured single, “It’s Real” by Real Estate defines California surfer rock. It’s a song about puppy love, as singer Martin Courtney croons, “I carved our names into a tree/I walked on decomposing leaves/I skated on a frozen sea/It’s real as far as I can see.” It does what indie music does best: weaves poetic, charming lyrics with a hooky chorus. However, it’s unique to many other love songs, which usually express the pains of heartbreak or the dark side of obsession; this love song is a revelry, an exposition of energy and enthusiasm that comes with the fascination for a loved one. It’s real. -Summer Dunsmore

22. Childish Gambino – “Bonfire”

Donald Glover plays the clueless Troy Barnes on Community. So, why take his nom de rhyme, Childish Gambino, even the slightest bit seriously? Because of “Bonfire”, dummy. The lyrics encapsulate Gambino’s wit (“This Asian dude, I stole his girl, and now he got that Kogi beef”) and even offer up the nastier side of the MC’s rainbow-colored personality (“The shit I’m doin’ this year? Insanity/Made the beat then murdered it, Casey Anthony”). It’s also got one of the LP’s most beloved and recognizable beats, equal parts bouncy club anthem and gritty garage rock jam. But really, it’s Gambino’s impassioned and visceral delivery style, like he’s barking at the listener, that makes this track a true burner. -Chris Coplan

21. Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”

Fleet Foxes’ titular track off Helplessness Blues is a lovely distillation of their sound, with the spectral doves of musicians like Roy Harper and Van Morrison flitting around for company. It’s such an epic poem that five minutes can hardly contain its beauty or its magnificent scope, which ranges from jangling folk to heavyweight, ethereal rock. By now, everyone knows the group’s sublime harmonies are their namesake, but when entwined with urgent guitar work and despairing language, it only adds deep emphasis to that fact. Feeling helpless has rarely felt so nourishing, building up to what can only be called a dappled sunlit kind of music, “my light in the dawn.” -Siobhan Kane

20. Radiohead – “Lotus Flower”

Anybody who heard Thom Yorke’s live versions of “Lotus Flower” back in ’09 and ’10 never could have imagined what it would morph into when it eventually made its way onto this year’s The King of Limbs, a surprise in and of itself. That finger-picked guitar ballad is now long forgotten thanks to the skittering rhythms, distant hand claps, and other ridiculous noises that now constitute “Lotus Flower”. The song is as dub-dance-y as Radiohead has ever sounded, with a backdrop culled from fractured loops of god knows what. But what makes “Lotus Flower” so noteworthy is how Yorke embodies it: with a healthy dose of croon-swagger. Confidence hasn’t always been Yorke’s vocal forte, but he straddles the line so perfectly between that and melancholy that it opens up a lot of doors for what Radiohead is capable of. That’s a shitload of open doors, by the way. -Drew Litowitz

19. Cut Copy – “Need You Now”

It’s a tough feat to render six minutes of addicting hooks. But that’s what Cut Copy managed to do with “Need You Now”. That explains why it opens the Australian outfit’s latest LP, Zonoscope: Hit ‘em with a punch, snag ‘em with a hook. Vocalist Dan Whitford employs a slick baritone throughout, which certainly pushes this number ahead, but it’s when he lets loose four minutes in that the heat turns up. While not as immediate as tracks like “Take Me Over” or “Where I’m Going”, it’s all about the payoff sometimes, and you won’t find a better one than here. It’s so heavy they need a downer at the end to bring things back to element. Talk about a trip. -J. Harry Painter

18. Neon Indian – “Polish Girl”

Ever wondered if the Super Mario coin-grab effect could be sampled successfully in a song? Welcome to the world of Neon Indian. Alan Palomo’s wistful cadence tells of lost love on Era Extraña standout “Polish Girl”, while spaced-out 8-bit synths evoke the longing, inescapable feelings of shoegaze. Yet, the result is a blissful four and a half minutes itching for a spin on the dance floor. With “Polish Girl”, Neon Indian has traded their signature chillwave stylings in favor of a dreamy spin on dance pop and set the new standard for retro chic. -Frank Mojica

17. Drake – “Take Care”

“Take Care” is one of six or seven tracks that could easily be deemed the best of the batch from Drake’s enigmatic, epic sophomore album of the same name. Set firmly atop impeccable (and unconventional) production by Jamie xx, the track soars with an unstoppable, sensual hook by hip-hop diva Rihanna: “If you let me, here’s what I’ll do/I’ll take care of you.” I defy any heterosexual man to refuse that offer. But what makes this track stand out more than anything is the potency with which Drake raps. As he battles insecurity, brutal honesty, and harsh reality, we see the side of Drake that was promised from the beginning – the talented side. -Winston Robbins

16. Jamie xx – “Far Nearer”

Between his masterful Gil Scott-Heron collab/remix LP We’re New Here, the slew of top-notch remixes he put out (including a HUGE rework of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”), and a couple of choice spots on Radiohead’s TKOL RMX compilation, Jamie xx’s huge 2011 quelled any and all doubts that he could succeed out of the shadow of the xx. And all that goes without mentioning “Far Nearer”, his debut solo release and crowning achievement to date. Built around a sun-drenched Caribbean steel drum line and a mangled Janet Jackson vocal, it’s a dance anthem for the ages and one hell of a way to launch one’s solo career. How’s that for setting the bar high? -Möhammad Choudhery

15. The Mountain Goats – “High Hawk Season”

Revolution hung thick in the air this year, and John Darnielle’s prescient salvo seems to be the people’s anthem that never was (meanwhile, 3EB turned this in). Darnielle’s boilerplate solo voice/acoustic guitar is backed by a four-part male a capella chorus that, despite The Mountain Goats’ obscene prolificacy, paves whole new avenues for a guy who’s been doing this for a long, long time. Darnielle’s vocals vary in dynamics and enunciation, causing the words to teem with frustration and resolve, something arena-worthy with just doo-wop harmonies and earnest songwriting. Sadly, Post-Barbershop-Quartet is not a genre I can throw on Pandora…yet. -Jeremy D. Larson

14. The Weeknd – “Wicked Games”

House of Balloons is fraught with tracks that are going to make you wish you lived a different, sexier life, but not one of them is more powerful than “Wicked Games”. As The Weeknd croons in his phenomenal upper register, “Bring your love baby, I can bring my shame/Bring the drugs baby, I can bring my pain,” you might honestly find yourself wishing you were addicted to codeine and emotionless sexual encounters. The track’s appeal to everyone’s dark side is endless. And while most listeners won’t ever pick up a Styrofoam cup full of prescription cough medicine and Jolly Ranchers to get faded, the song provides insight into a twisted life of beauty with a deep layer of abhorrent immorality looming just below the surface. -Winston Robbins

13. The Throne – “Niggas in Paris”

It’s still baffling that one of the hardest-hitting tracks on Watch the Throne contains a Will Ferrell sample from the figure skating parody Blades of Glory. “No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative,” Ferrell explains. “It gets the people going!” The long-anticipated collaborative record between rap’s reigning monarchs is a celebration in excess, but it comes packed with knowing winks like this one. Jay-Z and Kanye West roll in with a slow burn on top of piercing synth loop, gaining momentum as the song unravels, propelling one another into top form on this explosive club-pleaser. It’s Jay-Z’s methodical, fast-firing approach that sets the stage for West’s urgent, free-flowing (if a bit bonkers) rhymes; on an album grounded in the spirit of a healthy competition between the two powerhouse emcees, it’s on “Niggas in Paris” that they come together as a single, unstoppable hip-hop dream team. -Austin Trunick

12. Destroyer – “Kaputt”

In the world of the album’s title track, drugs and women are indiscernible — two intangible forces that are meant to be chased across clubs, kingdoms, and radio airwaves around the globe. Destroyer frontman Dan Bejar never catches either one, but decides to write a song about it and dedicate it to America, a fact that he blatantly states in the final verses. Amidst wind effects, slowed-down disco bass, synthesized bleeps, and foggy trumpet, the band topples the fourth wall, then builds it back up again to continue their quest across time, space, and celebration for a high they may never get, but in turn bestow upon their audience. -Dan Caffrey

11. Wild Flag – “Romance”

“Romance” is the most unabashedly pop song on Wild Flag’s self-titled debut. More Bow Wow Wow than Bikini Kill, it shows a different, deliriously infectious side of this burgeoning supergroup. With a ringing, crunchy guitar punch over pounding surf drums, it’s the killer hook in the chorus that will keep you coming back again and again. (If you’re not tapping your toes by the time it gets to the hand clap-driven “shake, shimmy, shake” breakdown at the song’s climax, you’re probably not a warm-blooded human.) Straight-up rock and roll this irresistibly catchy is a rare treat in this day and age; “Romance” should be finding its way onto feel-good mixtapes for a long, long time. -Austin Trunick

10. Foo Fighters – “Rope”

The glorious possibilities of a three-guitar attack in Foo Fighters is truly felt with this tune from Wasting Light. With Pat Smear having officially returned to the lineup, the band created some of their most aggressive music to date. The echoing intro gives in to a track that bops between pop and alt-rock, before launching into Chris Shiflett’s thrash-metal solo near the song’s conclusion. Of course, it’s Dave Grohl’s constant that ties it all together. That being the tireless Taylor Hawkins, who proves once more why he’s one of the finest drummers in the game today, yesterday, and tomorrow. As the first single, “Rope” announced the return of the Foo, and in hindsight, it’s the cattle call that would go on to cement the band as the biggest rock act on the planet. They’ve had a good year. -Justin Gerber

9. James Blake – “The Wilhelm Scream”

The first thing anybody who listens to James Blake’s true breakout track notices is how undeniably incessant it is. It’s a classic study in repetition.

With Blake’s cyborg croon evaporating into palm-muted guitar masked as a digital processor, interspersed with the sound a black hole makes when you throw the whole genre of dubstep into it, the song slowly explodes into a haze of static, processed synth-organ, and the deepest bass around. It’s like a noised-out tribute to every sub-genre of reggae-inspired dance music, that both mourns its present dilution in the mainstream and celebrates the places it still has yet to go.

What’s most interesting about “The Wilhelm Scream”, though, is what this repetition means to Blake and why he’s created this song in the first place. At its core, the song is Blake re-envisioning something he must have heard incessantly over the past few years: his own father, soft rocker James Litherland’s “Where to Turn”, from his 2006 album, 4th Estate. Under this context, the song becomes a manifestation of Blake’s nostalgia and love for his pops — his memories and emotions aurally orchestrated into an infectious haze of confused sounds that come together perfectly. Cool, right? -Drew Litowitz

8. SBTRKT – “Wildfire”

As SBTRKT, Aaron Jerome has been one of the year’s most buzzed-about breakout artists. On “Wildfire”, the masked producer recruits 2011’s must-have collaborator, Yukimi Nagano (of electro-soulsters Little Dragon), for the year’s essential dance floor jam. Between a bassline that can only be described as downright filthy and the irresistible allure of Nagano’s velvety vocals, “Wilfire” is pure sonic sensuality. Drawing inspiration from South London post-dubstep to house to R&B, “Wildfire” takes everything that ever made someone dance in the past 20 years and spins it into something futuristic. As it deftly defies any single label, SBTRKT’s scorching style on “Wildfire” is a reflection of how the future will one day remember 2011. -Frank Mojica

7. EMA – “California”

Equal parts Psychocandy, Sinead O’Connor, Patti Smith, and Lou Reed, Erika M. Anderson’s (aka EMA) “California” turns heads with its aggressive-yet-vapid delivery and lyrics that spin tales of reckless abandonment. “What’s it like to be small-time and gay?” she crudely asks mid-song. “What does failure taste like? To me it tastes like dirt,” she asks and answers herself towards the end. It’s a slow shuffle that never really leads to an anthemic release as its rusty sprawl suggests, but that’s sort of the point. On paper, it’s just as seclusive and cyclical.

Sort of like madness. Anderson’s a native of South Dakota, so one has to wonder what her perspective is here. Here’s a supposition: It’s the struggle that California – the land of dreams and mystery, as suggested even by the likes of Steinbeck – isn’t what it appears to be. It’s a wasteland. It’s a falsity. But, she’s not alone there. When she says, “Fuck California,” so do we. Because if there’s anything we’ve learned from reality television, MTV, or reading short bios on any musician who’s ever surfaced on the Sunset Strip, California breeds a special sort of crazy. Anderson may never find her small-town roots again (“Schizophrenic rules the brain”), but she’s created one powerful ode to it. One of the best of its kind. -Michael Roffman

6. St. Vincent – “Cruel”

If you’re going to write a rock song around a single riff, it better be a ridiculously good one, something that you’re happy to get stuck in your head. There have been a few that fit the bill in indie rock over the last few years; Modest Mouse’s “Float On” and MGMT’s “Kids” come to mind. Add St. Vincent’s “Cruel” to that exclusive list. Annie Clark writes a completely oddball, vaguely old-timey verse melody, complete with saccharine background strings. But when she sings “oo-eh-oo-eh-oo-llll” on the titular lyric, that distinctive synthesizer riff comes into focus and simply owns you. It’s silly, it’s uplifting, it’s catchy, and it can completely carry the song. Throw in a majorly danceable backing track, a languid distorted guitar solo, and Clark’s wispy but powerful voice, and it’s indie rock gold. -Jake Cohen

5. tUnE-yArDs – “Bizness”

Merrill Garbus’ wonderful first single from her second record, w h o k i l l, reflects her decision to focus some aspects of the live experience into studio recordings, and certainly, the wild energy of “Bizness” is hardly constrained by the medium of a record. Perhaps this is what makes her great: The medium of music is the vehicle through which she has chosen to convey her creativity, but it cannot bind her. “Bizness” begins with the kind of vocal gymnastics that brings to mind David Longstreth dancing in a frying pan — lovely, gloopy, roaming sounds that also act as a warm vocal harpsichord of sorts.

Then there is the percussive aspect. The way Garbus layers sounds and percussion is a joy to hear, the military beats, along with a kind of skeletal, clickety-clack kind of sound that reconnects to her fascination with African rhythms. Her world is one that is anchored by a childlike sense of wonderment, and when the arresting, strident horns step in, you cannot help but smile. This is also because you sense her giddy reverie in taking apart traditional song structures and building them up again in her own image. When she sings “I’ll bleed if you ask me,” you really believe it, because her thoughtful sincerity is clear, amidst the revels. The visual accompaniment to the song (the video directed by Mimi Cave) is a perfect rendering of tUnE-yArDs’ ethos – to reach out to the child in all of us, keeping us young, keeping us strong, keeping us dreaming. -Siobhan Kane

4. Beyoncé – “Countdown”

At this point in her exceptional career, Beyoncé has transcended the traditional confines of pop diva status. Her latest album, 4, is full of the finest cuts of her career, be it for their infectious, poppy nature or for their demonstration of real, relatable emotional displays. And one could easily say “Countdown” is the best song on that album and leave it at that. To do so, however, is to discredit a track that is not only great, but a step above on a record whose primary notion is of stepping further into sonic grace.

From the initial wail of Bey’s voice to the marching band vibe, the track is the heart and soul, the lifeblood of a record that is a dynamo of R&B gold, both new and old. Queen B has built an empire of love songs and tributes to her boo(s), but none, be it on this album or the three before, come off as easily and thoroughly as they do here. We dare anyone to resist falling under the spell of the chorus where, like a Gucci-wearing version of The Count, Beyoncé counts down the ways in which she loves her man. It’s everything we love about Beyoncé: the sing-along-ability, the bombastic nature, and the beat that digs its nails into your hips to make them shimmy all night. Count it any way you want, this number’s a shining gem in Beyoncé’s bangin’ catalog. -Chris Coplan

3. M83 – “Midnight City”

A Parisian M83 fan said to me this year that Anthony Gonzalez is “the best French music producer, more famous in [the] U.S. than France.” So what’s made “Midnight City” and its double album source, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, catch fire like it has in the States this year? Well, “Midnight City” is a great single, for one. And it’s in a Victoria’s Secret commercial, which doesn’t hurt its exposure stateside, either. Surely, at this point, M83 has never been more popular than they are right now. And this year, a lot of that gets chalked up to “Midnight City”.

But look deeper. “Midnight City”, like all of M83′s music, touches on feelings valued deep within the American heart: light, innocence, and youth. M83 just shrouds them behind synth sheen and vocal processing on Gonzalez’s voice. When you imagine its abstract, misty mood piece in the classic Americana setting of Lover’s Lane or Makeout Point, it clicks. The narrator and a girl look out over how “the night city grows” a “mutating skyline.” “The city is my church,” Gonzalez sings. “It wraps me in the sparkling twilight.” It’s so gorgeous and wondrous, how can you not weep from its beauty? And how many songs this year have done that? O beautiful, for spacious skies, indeed. -Paul de Revere

2. Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers”

Cast aside all preconceived notions or any conclusions that you may have drawn about Odd Future for just a second. Try and get back to the moment when you first heard “Yonkers”. Whether you were a longtime fan or you were victim to the viral video that got tossed around for a few weeks, it moved you. It moved some to anger, and it moved others to excitement; regardless of direction, though, it moved you. There are few times in life when a song will force you to stop everything you’re doing because you’re too busy picking your jaw up off the floor. Even fewer are the times when those selfsame songs are written and produced by a 19-year-old. Much criticism has been cast in the direction of this song and at Tyler in general; many found his lyrics involving misogyny, brutal violence, and even rape to be supremely offensive. And ultimately, that’s a decision best made on an individual basis. But you cannot deny that, for better or worse, “Yonkers” is one of the most powerful hip-hop singles in recent memory. Still sends chills down my spine. -Winston Robbins

1. Bon Iver – “Holocene”

For as often as Justin Vernon’s cabin hibernation is parodied, doesn’t it sound just a little enticing? Leaving it all, sequestering yourself away from a world that won’t stop spinning? In some ways, Vernon never left that seclusion. The songs on Bon Iver may sprawl and breathe more, but they’re still born form Vernon’s desire for privacy and escape. They’re rural, surreal, and separate, and “Holocene” captures the essence of Vernon’s world, just as he tries to capture the essence of our current epoch.

The song pivots around the lyric “All at once I knew/I was not magnificent” and the garden of romantic words and loosely related imagery around it. Acoustic crescendos push the plot along, and the band’s woodwind and found sound arrangement provide the scenery. Whole ages of emotions advance and recede throughout its course, yet it manages to stave off melodrama.

Vernon recalls three hazy memories in three verses and gives them context with that pivotal lyric — an ego check. These are the lasting moments that Vernon hangs on to through it all. Can we find meaning outside of ourselves and inside missed connections or little moments we have with friends and family? This truly is what outlasts things. Now, none of this ideology is revolutionary, but Bon Iver renews its vows in the context of 2011 — a year of exponential speed and growth, of revolution and dissatisfaction, of disillusionment and displacement across whole swaths of culture and class. “Holocene” is that moment of reflection on the escape vessel as you float away from the wreckage and towards Bon Iver’s world. If escapism is increasingly how we deal with our problems, that ubiquitous cabin in the woods sounds better and better with each coming year. -Jeremy D. Larson

50. Ellie Goulding – “Lights”
49. Cults – “Go Outside”
48. Big K.R.I.T. – “Country Shit” (Remix)
47. Mikal Cronin – “Apathy”
46. Cold Cave – “The Great Pan is Dead”
45. Das Racist – “Michael Jackson”
44. The Horrors – “Still Life”
43. Bill Callahan – “Riding For the Feeling”
42. Dum Dum Girls – “Coming Down”
41. Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers”
40. Wilco – “One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)”
39. Liturgy – “Generation”
38. Washed Out – “Amor Fati”
37. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”
36. AraabMUZIK – “Streetz Tonight”
35. Tom Waits – “Hell Broke Luce”
34. The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
33. Kurt Vile – “Jesus Fever”
32. Battles – “Ice Cream”
31. Kate Bush – “Wild Man”
30. Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – “The Last Huzzah” (Remix)
29. The Strokes – “Under Cover of Darkness”
28. Beirut – “East Harlem”
27. The War on Drugs – “Come to the City”
26. Frank Ocean – “Novacane”
25. Girls – “Vomit”
24. Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise”
23. Real Estate – “It’s Real”
22. Childish Gambino – “Bonfire”
21. Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
20. Radiohead – “Lotus Flower”
19. Cut Copy – “Need You Now”
18. Neon Indian – “Polish Girl”
17. Drake – “Take Care”
16. Jamie xx – “Far Nearer”
15. The Mountain Goats – “High Hawk Season”
14. The Weeknd – “Wicked Games”
13. The Throne – “Niggas in Paris”
12. Destroyer – “Kaputt”
11. Wild Flag – “Romance”
10. Foo Fighters – “Rope”
09. James Blake – “The Wilhelm Scream”
08. SBTRKT – “Wildfire”
07. EMA – “California”
06. St. Vincent – “Cruel”
05. tUnE-yArDs – “Bizness”
04. Beyoncé – “Countdown”
03. M83 – “Midnight City”
02. Tyler, the Creator – “Yonkers”
01. Bon Iver – “Holocene”

After a slightly icy interview on The Colbert Report Tuesday evening, The Black Keys‘ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney returned to late night on Wednesday for an electrified performance of “Gold on the Ceiling” on The Late Show with David Letterman. In under four minutes, Carney broke a devilish sweat, Auerbach yanked out a charming smile, and the two convinced enough Americans of a second single off El Camino. Not too shabby of a feat for their first press week. They’ll need it; after all, they’ve got plenty of arenas to fill in the months ahead. Check out the clip below, courtesy of The Audio Perv.

El Camino is currently available everywhere.

Last night, while out supporting El Camino, The Black Keys‘ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney stopped by The Colbert Report for a quick chat and a performance of current single, “Lonely Boy”. “Welcome to the Grammy club,” Colbert exclaimed, alluding to his own 2010 win, and the group’s multiple grabs for last year’s LP, Brothers. “Do you have any tips for maintenance?” Although initially stoic – Auerbach looked as outgoing as Ryan Gosling’s Drive character – Colbert snapped ‘em out of their trance with a few tongue-in-cheek questions. They discussed the new LP (“Why the hispanic influence? Why not The Camino?”), hoards of groupies (“I bet you’re beating them off with a stick.”), and whether or not the duo’s hometown of Akron, OH is the new Motown. Carney answered the latter question, offering one fun fact: “There are a lot of cheeseburgers there.” Who needs Yelp when you’ve got Carney? Anyhow, check it out below, courtesy of The Audio Perv.

Interview:

“Lonely Boy”:

Update: The band also played “Gold On The Ceiling” as a web exclusive.

El Camino is currently available everywhere.

The Black Keys are successful because they see their icons and raise them, amping up the classics to breathtaking speed with the lo-fi snarl that made them famous in the first place. The lickety-split drums of YouTube sensation “Lonely Boy”, similar to rockabilly touchstone Johnny Burnette’s “Rock Billy Boogie”, kick off the album along with a screaming Hammond organ. This instantly recognizable beat appears again on “Run Right Back”, but it eschews buoyancy for buzzing minor keys and an electric guitar with the timbre of a baby crying. Rockabilly evolves into punk on “Hell of a Season”, whose brassy cymbals and articulate bass line sound like The Clash’s tongue-in-cheek cover of “Police and Thieves”. Auerbach gives the song poignancy, however, when he sings in his signature swooning falsetto, “In this hell of a season/Give me more of a reason/To be with you/Say you’ll be better/I’ll keep waiting forever/You know I do.” Burton, aka Danger Mouse, also softens the rampaging percussion with the chorus’s pure, ringing triangle notes.

Burton’s last project, the Italian film noir-inspired Rome, audibly influences his touches throughout El Camino, which relieve the album’s ear-bleeding electricity. “Dead and Gone” segues into the same triangle chords on “Hell of a Season” as the beatific chorus underlying much of Rome. That album’s thematic spaghetti western effect creeps into the beginning of “Little Black Submarines”, which opens with Auerbach’s lonely quaver and simple acoustic strumming. But then at the two-minute mark, it erupts into a barroom brawler like — according to Auerbach himself — Black Sabbath. His shredding on “Submarines” tops even the also Burton-produced Attack and Release’s most face-melting moments at The Black Keys’ famed Crystal Ballroom performance. Attack’s psychedelia does surface on “Money Maker”, surrounding Auerbach’s voice and a cameo appearance by a trumpet buzz-wah in a halo of woozy reverb.

Besides drawing on their own back catalog and punk and rockabilly influences, Auerbach and Carney liberally sample funk, Motown, and ‘60s Britpop throughout El Camino, especially on the latter half. “Sister” moonwalks with a “Billie Jean” beat and a sassy kazoo-like breakdown from Auerbach’s Hammond, and “Stop Stop”’s tambourines and hand claps build like a Mod dance party only to break down like a Four Tops floor-filler. Follower “Nova Baby” is more of an enigma, swelling with elegant background notes like the song’s titular dying star. But closer “Mind Eraser” is unquestionably sexy, riding a beat Al Green would have produced in 1972. After hearing Auerbach bend over backward for proud, emotionally unavailable gold diggers, it’s a pleasure to hear him growl, a la Hombre Lobo, “I am a mind eraser, anything goes” (even though, of course, he later rescinds).

But it’s the bombastic, slightly sleazy “Gold on the Ceiling” that best sums up The Black Keys’ almost unbelievably consistent musicianship and success: “They all want my gold on the ceiling/Just a matter of time/Before you steal it/It’s all right, ain’t no God in my heart,” Auerbach sings. El Camino’s soul, in Auerbach’s hair-raising falsetto and Carney’s wicked drum lines, disproves the last line (even though the “gold” may very well refer to Brothers’ half a million sales). The duo deserves a victory lap after ascending from four-track recordings in Carney’s basement to selling out amphitheaters and headlining festivals, all while maintaining the same DIY aesthetic and work ethic since their Big Come Up. And what better vehicle for their success than El Camino?

Essential Tracks: “Hell of a Season”, “Mind Eraser”, and “Little Black Submarines”

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The Black Keys are certainly giving their followers a “Run Right Back” for their money: In addition to announcing 2012 tour dates, releasing their new album El Camino tomorrow, and appearing on Saturday Night Live (again), the powerhouse duo will be playing an intimate album release show tonight at New York’s Webster Hall.

Even though it’s a fan club-only event, the concert will be streaming online as part of MTV Hive’s Live In NYC series. Starting at 9 pm EST, watch the hour-long performance below. Following the webcast, five of the band’s performances will be available for on-demand streaming. While you’re counting down the hours, check out The Black Keys’ tour dates with The Arctic Monkeys below.

El Camino comes out this Tuesday, December 6th on Nonesuch Records. Pre-order your copy on CD or vinyl.

The Black Keys 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
12/05 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
01/23 – Antwerp, BE @ Lotto
01/24 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/25 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/27 – Hamburg, DE @ Sporthalle
01/28 – Berlin, DE @ Arena
01/30 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
01/31 – Zurich, CH @ Maag Hall
02/01 – Eindhoven, NL @ Klokgebouw
02/03 – Nottingham, UK @ Capital FM Arena
02/04 – Edinburgh, UK @ Corn Exchange
02/06 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/07 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/09 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/10 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *

* = w/ Arctic Monkeys

The Black Keys – “Junior’s Widow”

The Black Keys first tackled Kimbrough by covering his blues standard “Do the Rump” on 2002’s The Big Come Up. Gnarly and raw, Auerbach’s voice roughs up Kimbrough’s suave wail with Paul McCartney’s “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” urgency. While “Do the Rump” exemplifies The Black Keys’ racially transcendent musical abilities, the most intriguing track on The Big Come Up arrives at the end. “240 Years Before Your Time” elevates the record from grungy ‘60s blues to ‘90s trip-hop with a simple hi-hat rhythm and psychedelic reverb. It’s striking and foreshadows the duo’s forays into hip-hop. It’s no coincidence, then, that “240 Years Before Your Time” soundtracks a trailer to Blakroc 2, the rumored follow-up to 2009’s collaboration between The Black Keys and rappers like Mos Def, Ludacris, and RZA. The first Blakroc—which the BBC’s Nick Neyland calls, “a surprisingly compelling and welcome rejoining of the rap and rock worlds that successfully captures the off-the-cuff nature of the recording sessions”—remains a surprisingly solid example of cross-genre collaboration.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

“240 Years Before Your Time” was also the first example of The Black Keys’ tendency to include hidden tracks on their albums, which they did again during the Blakroc sessions. An “off-the-cuff” excerpt from these studio sessions, found at the end of album closer “Done Did It”, absolves The Black Keys similarly to Mildred Kimbrough’s voicemail message: M.O.P.’s Billy Danze joked, “I knew I should’ve brought my knife with me” after famously humorous drummer Patrick Carney told him to leave so Q-Tip could arrive. Hamilton said in an interview that Carney’s audacity picking on “the biggest guy in the room” from Brownsville (read: ghetto), joking or not, shocked everyone. The clip lends Carney, and by association his band, street cred that might not otherwise come across in Blakroc’s carefully orchestrated fusion of blues and rap.

A less slick but no less enjoyable example of The Black Keys’ hip-hop compatibility came out shortly after 2010’s Brothers and Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Wick-It the Instigator, the remix artist behind Beastie Mouse and Austin Powers vs. Big K.R.I.T., came out with seven mashups known collectively as The Brothers of Chico Dusty. Available for free download, songs like “Black Bug” and “Everlasting Shine Blockaz” made it onto blogs and mainstream media like Minnesota Public Radio and Spin Magazine. On Outkast’s website, Big Boi gave his stamp of approval to Wick-It the Instigator and thus by association, The Black Keys: “Mashups these days can be questionable, but this one is Big Boi approved and stankin’.” He then asked readers to vote for The Black Keys and Big Boi to perform at the Grammys. It doesn’t get much more “stankin’” than that. Even though The Brothers of Chico Dusty doesn’t bear The Black Keys’ official signature, it nonetheless demonstrates the hip-hop tendencies that underlie the band’s constantly evolving interpretation of north hill country blues.

Perhaps the biggest unintentional risk The Black Keys have taken is with the recent video for El Camino single “Lonely Boy”. Derrick Tuggle’s rockabilly dance moves have so far scored close to three million hits on YouTube. While the image of an African-American dancing and lip-syncing to two white guys from the Midwest might ruffle a few feathers, Tuggle was picked for the part almost entirely by chance: The video’s director saw him dancing to the music off-camera and, based on his version of the mashed potato (his dance has already become a verb, “to Tuggle”), decided to promote him from extra to star of “Lonely Boy”. Regardless of his race and how it relates to Auerbach’s voice coming out of his mouth, the simple truth is that Derrick Tuggle was the best dancer in the room and now probably on the Internet. Like him, The Black Keys work because they have fun with what they do and they do it well. It would otherwise not be possible to successfully re-appropriate Kimbrough’s north hill country blues, Big Boi’s Atlanta slang, or Raekwon’s razor-sharp rhymes. Let’s hope Mildred Kimbrough still feels the same and that the next idea The Black Keys have that’s “fraught with unmanageable questions” is Blakroc 2.

America’s newest arena act, The Black Keys, were back on Saturday Night Live last night for the second time in a calendar year. Anyone who still watches the show on a regular basis knows that’s a rarity, but when your turnaround time between albums is 19 months, and both albums are full of crunchy, commercially-acceptable riffs, you earn such rights. This is the case for The Black Keys, who of course follow up last year’s smash LP, Brothers, this Tuesday with the release of the equally ferocious El Camino. Also serving as our first opportunity to hear the new tunes live, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney first showcased the single “Lonely Boy” before dishing out “Gold On The Ceiling”. Both songs sounded rather great on my television set and Twitter’s too . Watch the replays below (via The Audio Perv).

“Lonely Boy”:

“Gold On The Ceiling”:

El Camino is out Tuesday via Nonesuch. Pre-order your own copy on CD or vinyl. Also, see The Ke

Two of music’s hardest-hitting bands are teaming up this spring for a massive arena tour. In support of their new album, El Camino, The Black Keys are hitting the road with UK rockers Arctic Monkeys. The trek currently spans 15 dates, kicking off in Cincinnati on March 2nd and ending in Norfolk, VA on March 23rd. Along the way, they’ll wreck havoc on places like New York’s Madison Square Garden, Boston’s TD Garden, and Chicago’s United Center.

Along with the U.S. jaunt, The Black Keys will be all over the UK and Europe in the early part of 2012. They’ll also be all over your TV over next five days, with scheduled appearances on Saturday Night Live (12/3), The Colbert Report (12/6), and Letterman (12/7). Plus, on Monday they’ll be playing a record release show at New York’s Webster Hall, which will be streamed live on MTV Hive.

Check out The Black Keys’ full schedule below, followed by the video for their single “Lonely Boy”. El Camino is out December 6th via Nonesuch. Pre-order your own copy on CD or vinyl.

The Black Keys 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
12/05 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
01/23 – Antwerp, BE @ Lotto
01/24 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/25 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/27 – Hamburg, DE @ Sporthalle
01/28 – Berlin, DE @ Arena
01/30 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
01/31 – Zurich, CH @ Maag Hall
02/01 – Eindhoven, NL @ Klokgebouw
02/03 – Nottingham, UK @ Capital FM Arena
02/04 – Edinburgh, UK @ Corn Exchange
02/06 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/07 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/09 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/10 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *

* = w/ Arctic Monkeys

“Lonely Boy”:

The Black Keys’ seventh LP, El Camino, is out now December 6th via Nonesuch. Right now, however, you can stream five of the album’s tracks on the band’s website. After sharing an email address, zip code, and country of origin, you’ll gain early access to “Lonely Boy”, “Gold on the Ceiling”, “Little Black Submarines”, “Sister”, and “Run Right Back”.

Produced by Danger Mouse and The Black Keys, the 11-track album was recorded at singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound studio in the band’s new hometown of Nashville during the Spring of 2011.

Pre-orders for CD, vinyl, and digital packages are now ongoing.

As we all know, The Black Keys will return with their new album, El Camino, on December 6th via Nonesuch. Four days earlier, however, we’ll get an early preview of their latest effort when the duo serves as the musical guest on the December 3rd episode of Saturday Night Live. According to Rolling Stone, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney will appear alongside host Steve Buscemi, marking the band’s second appearance on the show in 2011. If you recall, the Keys also played SNL last January; relive that performance via the video below.

And don’t forget: this week’s Saturday Night Live features musical guest Florence and the Machine. Check back here sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning for a video replay.

“Tighten Up” (Live on SNL):

Almost Acoustic Christmas, the annual two-day concert staged by Los Angeles radio station KROQ, returns to the Gibson Amphitheatre from December 10-11th. This year’s lineup packs radio rock heavyweights of past and present, with Blink-182, Incubus, and Jane’s Addiction billed alongside The Black Keys, Florence and the Machine, and Mumford and Sons.

Rounding out the lineup are Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Death Cab For Cutie, Social Distortion, Foster the People, Young the Giant, 311, Bush, Cage the Elephant, Grouplove, The Naked and Famous, Chevelle, and New Found Glory. You can find the day-by-day breakdown below, and stay tuned to our Festival Outlook for any additional lineup news and updates.

Tickets are priced at $75 per night, with night one on sale beginning Wednesday at 10 AM PST, and night two on sale beginning Friday, November 18th at 10 AM PST. Click here for additional details.

Night One, December 10th:
Blink-182
Incubus
Bush
Social Distortion
311
Young the Giant
Chevelle
New Found Glory

Night Two, December 11th:
The Black Keys
Florence and the Machine
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Death Cab For Cutie
Jane’s Addiction
Mumford and Sons
Foster the People
The Naked and Famous
Cage the Elephant
Grouplove

The Black Keys’ new LP, El Camino, is out December 6th via Nonesuch Records. Following the album’s lead single, “Lonely Boy”, our second taste comes in the form of the track titled “Run Right Back”. Check out a radio rip at Listen Before You Buy.

In addition to serving as the sixth track on El Camino, “Run Right Back” will also be released as the B-side to the “Lonely Boy” 12″ single on November 25th.

El Camino Tracklist
01. Lonely Boy
02. Dead and Gone
03. Gold on the Ceiling
04. Little Black Submarines
05. Money Maker
06. Run Right Back
07. Sister
08. Hell of a Season
09. Stop Stop
10. Nova Baby
11. Mind Erase

The Black Keys will release their new, Danger Mouse-produced album, El Camino, on December 6th via Nonesuch Records. Today, the band unveils the album’s lead single, “Lonely Boy”, which you can now stream below (via Radio 104.5). Update: Check out the official reveal alongside some pretty nifty visuals.

Those who pre-order El Camino on iTunes will receive an instant download of “Lonely Boy” beginning today. Also, the track will be packaged alongside another album cut, “Run Right Back”, on the limited edition 12″ single for Record Store Day’s upcoming Black Friday event on November 25th.

El Camino Tracklist
01. Lonely Boy
02. Dead and Gone
03. Gold on the Ceiling
04. Little Black Submarines
05. Money Maker
06. Run Right Back
07. Sister
08. Hell of a Season
09. Stop Stop
10. Nova Baby
11. Mind Eraser

Since 2007, Record Store Day has been considered the “Black Friday” for music enthusiasts – now it actually is. On November 25th, the same fanatics that camp out on that fateful third Saturday in April will have to brave the cold November hours. The complete list of exclusive releases is available on Record Store Day’s website, but we listed out some of our favorites below.

–  The Beastie Boys will release a vinyl deluxe edition of their most recent LP Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2. The set, limited to 5,000 copies in the U.S., includes a 60 page hardbound book, a 5.1 version of the album, videos, and more.

– The Black Keys will release their new single, “Lonely Boy”, on 12″ vinyl.

– Bon Dylan’s 1965 single, “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?”, will be packaged in a 7″ vinyl box set. The set is limited to 5,000 copies in the U.S.

– Ryan Adams will release a new 7″ single featuring two unreleased demos, “Do I Wait” and “Darkness”. The release is limited to 3,000 copies in the U.S.

– The Beatles’ compilation The Singles will be released as a 7″ vinyl box set. The set is limited to 10,000 copies in the U.S., and 5,700 copies international.

– Kings of Leon will package together their early albums Youth & Young Manhood, Aha Shake Heartbreak, Because of The Times, and a fourth LP made up of unreleased studio and live tracks picked by the band themselves in a 4 LP vinyl box set titled The Early Vinyl. The set is limited to 3,250 copies in the U.S., and 1,200 international.

– John Lennon’s album Imagine will be packaged in a 40th anniversary vinyl box set. The set is limited to 5,000 copies in the U.S., and 1,700 copies international.

– Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album Blood Sugar Sex Magik will be reissued on a double 12″ red vinyl. The set is limited to 5,170 copies in the U.S.

– Soundgarden will release an EP titled Live on I-5: Before The Doors Soundcheck on 10″ vinyl. The five-track effort comprises soundcheck performances from the band’s 1996 tour. The set is limited to 4,000 copies in the U.S.

– Nirvana’s 10″ singles from Nevermind will be collected together for the first time, housed in an individually numbered slip case. The set is limited to 5,000 copies in the U.S.

– Wilco will release “Speak Into The Rose”, a b-side from their new LP The Whole Love, on 10″ vinyl.

Update: It’s not yet listed on the Record Store Day website, but according to an issued press release, The Doors will be releasing a “one-of-a-kind limited, serial-numbered box set” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their album L.A. Woman. The package includes classic tracks “The Changeling”, “Riders on the Storm”, and “Love Her Madly”, backed with newly-discovered and never-before-heard alternate takes of each song, and a fourth single of never before-released studio banter. The box artwork will also include the original Messianic image of the naked woman nailed to the telephone pole used for the album’s inner sleeve.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Big news in the world of Denver indie-pop duo Tennis. As Gorilla vs. Bear reports, the band has announced that The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney will produce their upcoming sophomore LP, the follow up to to this year’s CoS Top Star-earning Cape Dory. Also, ahead of the album’s early 2012 release, Tennis will soon unveil a 7″ single titled “Origins”, also produced by Carney, via Forest Family Records. We’ll post additional details on both records as they become available.

Below, also via Gorilla vs. Bear, you can hear Tennis’ brand new cover of The Zombies’ 1965 hit, “Tell Her No”.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Earlier this week, The Black Keys announced their new studio album via the most cleverly-delivered, white trash-tastic way imaginable. They followed that news up earlier today with drummer Patrick Carney’s plans to produce the next record for up-and-comers pop duo Tennis. Tonight, to cap off a busy week and nab that highly-coveted music news hat-trick,  the Keys will take part in the T-Mobile-sponsored “4G Factory Live” web concert. To see the duo in action, head here at 11 p.m. EDT. Then, be sure to stick around for a DJ set from The Roots’ Questlove at 12 a.m. EDT.

If you haven’t already, check out the Bob Odenkirk-featuring El Camino announcement clip below. The album’s first single, “Lonely Boy”, arrives on October 26th, while El Camino hits stores on December 6th via Nonesuch Records.

El Camino Tracklist:
01. Lonely Boy
02. Dead and Gone
03. Gold on the Ceiling
04. Little Black Submarines
05. Money Maker
06. Run Right Back
07. Sister
08. Hell of a Season
09. Stop Stop
10. Nova Baby
11. Mind Eraser

Turns out Bob Odenkirk was right. The Black Keys will release a new LP this year. On December 6th, El Camino, the group’s seventh studio effort hits streets via Nonesuch. As Pitchfork reports, the follow up to last year’s Brothers sees Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney working alongside Danger Mouse once again. And though we’ll have to wait ’til October 26th for new single “Lonely Boy”, the Akron duo has provided a tracklist to admire, which we’ve provided below.

Mark it, folks: El Camino starts cruising December 6th.

El Camino Tracklist
01. Lonely Boy
02. Dead and Gone
03. Gold on the Ceiling
04. Little Black Submarines
05. Money Maker
06. Run Right Back
07. Sister
08. Hell of a Season
09. Stop Stop
10. Nova Baby
11. Mind Eraser

Well, looks like The Black Keys have returned. That is, if we’re to take Bob Odenkirk’s cryptic clues to heart. In an exclusive clip released by Funny or Die, Odenkirk plays salesman Ross Lipnick – you know, of Lipnick Used Cars – who is trying to push a used 1984 El Camino with a sale date that reads December 6th. Have a quick read through the clip’s summary via YouTube:

1994 EL CAMINO: 273,000 mi. 200 cubic-in. 3.3L 95hp V6 engine, 3-speed turbo autom shift, sapphire stylus, some ticks/pops, light surface noise. Working AM/FM radio, tan metalflake/woodie panels, some rust. Black vinyl seats. Priced to sell — Grab the Keys and go! Contact Pat or Dan at (330) 510-1206

Who could Pat or Dan be? Gimme a break. You don’t have to be an ace at Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? to get this one. It would “appear” that El Camino is the not-so-long awaited follow up to last year’s critical and commercial smash, Brothers. And, that it’s due out December 6th. But maybe we’re reading too much into this. Check out the clip and decipher it for yourself.

We’ve reached out to the band’s representation for comment, but it’s Columbus Day and no music publicist is working. Stay tuned for more.

Earlier this month, a trailer for Blakroc 2 hit the internet, advising us that another batch of music combining the fury of The Black Keys with the rhymes of hip hop’s most elite emcees was coming soon. But now, Done Waiting points us to a recent interview with The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney in which he reveals that said trailer was an unauthorized leak and that there are in fact no plans for a second Blakroc album.

“Blakroc 2 is not coming out soon, although somehow a trailer that was made two years ago without our permission and then recirculated without our permission,” Carney explains. ”We have stuff recorded for it — about eight songs that I guess are done — but those were all recorded two years ago. So there are no plans for Blakroc 2 to be released as an album.”

Check out Carney’s complete interview below.

On the plus side, at least you still a new Black Keys album to look forward to.

Blakroc, the insane collaborative project that combined the rock fury of The Black Keys with the crisp rhymes of Raekwon, RZA, Mos Def, and Q-Tip, among others, appears set for sequel. According to the trailer below, a second Blakroc album is coming soon; this time around, The Black Keys will apparently be joined by hip-hop titans Talib Kweli and Wiz Khalifa, along with buzzworthy emcees Curren$y, Jay Electronica, and The Cool Kids. Not surprisingly, the trailer also confirms that a lot of pot was smoked during the recording sessions.

The Black Keys’ other new album, the Danger Mouse-produced one, is also coming soon. So you Black Keys fans are spoiled rotten.

Some call it the “Oscars for youth,” but realistically, the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) feel more like crack for gossipers. Controversy! Chaos! Glam! Anything can happen. It used to be waiting anxiously for Madonna’s next “big move,” whether it was her flashing some ass or offering some tongue. (Gross? Hardly.) Nowadays, it’s more about who’s going to screw up, what will be the grand upset, and, admittedly, who’s going to be the next “Kanye.” Keywords, people: sex and drama.

But that’s always been the case with the VMAs. Wait, you don’t actually think it’s a special award? Gimme a break. It’s a moon man. Can you even remember last year’s winner? Let alone those in the ’90s? Didn’t think so. But, you’ll always recall how Krist Novoselic attempted to give himself a concussion with his bass or Britney Spears’ dazzling skin-colored wardrobe or that one dude from Rage Against the Machine rebelling by, um, climbing a stage ornament. Or, wait, was that the MTV Movie Awards? Hmm. Whatever the case, it’s the exploits that stick with us, not the wins.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to offer some predictions, right?

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Best New Artist

Who Should Win?

Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers” – The Odd Future honcho took a classic hip-hop video concept of one shot/one room/one dude (see: D’Angelo’s “Untitled“), and added a demented twist on it. And now I cannot listen to this beat without thinking of Tyler hanging himself.

Who Should Not Win?

Kreayshawn – “Gucci Gucci” – If I have to see one more video of people flaunting their shit at Los Angeles clubs, I’m going to shoot my television and beat that MTV astronaut over the head with his own flag.

Who Will Win?

Wiz Khalifa – “Black and Yellow” – Within this four-minute video, Wiz comes off as charming (he still lives with his mom), a baller (he drives a sick car), and the video’s photography is outstanding (note the shot of him on the b-ball court with his name written in chalk). It seems like the Taylor Gang can hold a block party with no problem, so it also seems like they could win this award… no problem. You know what it is. -Ted Maider

Best Pop Video

Who Should Win?

Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” – Between her booming voice and globs of talent, Adele is rewriting the rules of what great pop has to be in order to obtain success. You go, girlfriend.

Who Shouldn’t Win?

Bruno Mars – “Grenade” – For emotional inconsistency, for hackneyed lyrical efforts, and for that poof haircut, we award Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” with this prestigious award. It also comes with a free phone card so you can call Janelle Monae and learn how to be a proper retro act.

Who Will Win?

Katy Perry – “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” – Don’t ever discredit the Rebecca Black Bump. Ever. -Chris Coplan

Best Rock Video

Who Should Win?

The Black Keys – “Howlin’ For You” – It’s not a music video. It’s a Grindhouse homage with Tricia Helfer, Sean Patrick Flanery, Shaun White, Corbin Bernsen, and “Sir” Todd Bridges. The only thing more badass would be if you dressed The Black Keys up in mariachi outfits and gave them a Shake Weight and a guitar with a hidden chainsaw. Oh, wait…

Who Should Not Win?

Foster the People – “Pumped Up Kicks” – Ok, the song is unstoppably catchy and everyone loves it, but the video amounts to nothing but a bunch of people walking around doing stuff. And not even interesting, rock band stuff — literally just walking around and doing random stuff. Waste of the lyrics’ visual potential.

Who Will Win?

Foo Fighters – “Walk” – They’ll take it if for no other reason than they’re the most MTV-friendly of the nominees. Not that they don’t deserve it. It’s cathartic watching Dave Grohl flip out on life’s little irritations like we all wish we could, and his facial expressions are priceless from beginning to electrifying end. -Ben Kaye

Best Male Video

Who Should Win?

Eminem feat. Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie” – When you tap Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox for your video and get upwards of 360 million views on YouTube making it the fourth most viewed video of all time (because the VMAs nowadays are essentially recognition of YouTube multi-millionaires), it’s hard not to be a shoo-in. Guess it helps that this is one of the better songs nominated, too.

Who Should Not Win?

Justin Beiber – “U Smile” - 47 million views on YouTube? Please.

Who Will Win?

Cee Lo Green – “Fuck You” – Even though the original version with the lyric crawl was 10x better, Cee Lo’s retro kitsch heartbreak video still has enough charm left after a year to woo the masses. -Jeremy D. Larson

Best Female Video

Who Should Win?

Beyoncé – “Run the World (Girls)”  – “Run the World (Girls)” was Beyoncé’s charged return, bringing the best of her message of female empowerment. An apocalyptic backdrop gave fierce a whole new meaning with numerous costume changes, explosions, and the support of an army of girls displaying Beyoncé’s signature moves.

Who Should Not Win?

Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” – Compared to her flashy counterparts, Adele’s somber seated video is more suited for an award show that actually matters.

Who Will Win?

Lady Gaga – “Born This Way” – It’s hard to top the Gaga-created galaxy that combines the best of her over-the-top visuals with top-notch dance moves. With her supportive little monsters behind her, this flashy and all-over-the-place video fits right in with the VMAs. -Lauren Rearick

Best Hip-Hop Video

Who Should Win?

Kanye West feat. Rihanna and Kid Cudi – “All of the Lights” – “WARNING: This video has been identified by [the British organization] Epilepsy Action to potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy.” What else needs to be said?

Who Shouldn’t Win?

Chris Brown – “Look at Me Now” – Best hip-hop video? Nah, but if there were a category for best hyphyjerkingetcrunkandcrankdat video, this would easily be the victor.

Who Will Win?

Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass” – Minaj appeals to teenage girls, and since that demographic watches a whole lot of MTV, “Super Bass” is the obvious favorite. Hell, this video could be a remake of David Hasselhoff’s “Hooked on a Feeling” clip, and I’d pick it to win. -Mike Madden

Best Video With a Message

Who Should Win?

Lady Gaga – “Born This Way” – A truly great message is displayed in a new and cliche-free format. Plus, intergalactic childbirth is going to one day replace water births.

Who Should Not Win?

Eminem feat. Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie” – Wait, doesn’t everybody already know how terrible domestic violence is? Has no one seen that PSA with Keira Knightley?!

Who Will Win?

Lady Gaga – “Born This Way” – Do you not understand just how powerful and amazing intergalactic childbirth is? -Chris Coplan

Best Collaboration

Who Should Win?

Kanye West feat. Rihanna and Kid Cudi – “All of the Lights” – Nothing shone brighter than this all-star clip. Plus, The Throne’s “Otis” missed the cutoff for consideration.

Who Should Not Win?

Katy Perry feat. Kanye West – “E.T.” – Between Kanye West’s terrible verse, which he surely wrote on the toilet, and the faux artistic makeup, all copies of this video should be shot into the farthest depths of space. Better luck next time with your Lady Gaga Lite routine, Ms. Perry.

Who Will Win?

Nicki Minaj feat. Drake – “Moment 4 Life” – On star power alone, Minaj and Drake will capture the award. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy reminiscing about when both were still up-and-comers. Ah, late last year… -Chris Coplan

Best Video of the Year

Who Should Win?

Tyler, The Creator  - “Yonkers” -  Not that I really want to see Tyler’s id stroked by another accolade, but it’s the only video on the ballot that separates itself by being simple, personal, and affecting. But, above all, this video is actually shocking — making it a precious artifact from the year that Odd Future tried to manufacture shock.

Who Should Not Win?

Katy Perry – “Firework” –  It’s a modern retelling of the Grease parable, only instead of painting yourself like a whore to fit in at Rydell High, you shoot fireworks out of your titties.

Who Will Win?

Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise” – With more “Oh hey, it’s that guy from that one thing I like” cameos than samples on Paul’s Boutique, MCA, Ad Rock, and Mike D are the underdogs who, fueled by star power and years of seminal music videos, will gladly accept the award despite being far too established and talented to give one simple fuck about any of this. -Jeremy D. Larson

Outside Lands marked its fourth year by showing that after all this time, San Francisco still remains one of the coolest cities on the planet. Hosted by Another Planet, a company known for having their fingers on the pulse of the Bay Area’s musical community, Outside Lands took all the elements of the Bay’s music culture and tossed them into the city’s most beautiful natural environment: Golden Gate Park. There was pretty much something for every Nor-Cal dweller to enjoy; from the jams of Phish to the electronic-dance of deadmau5 and the electro-dance-jams of bands like STS9 and Lotus. Not to mention indie rock icons like Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, and The Shins.

But Outside Lands also kept it local in terms of everything else, which is inspiring to see in a time when everything is done via internet, with people who might live thousands of miles away. Between the food trucks, local wine tasting, local musical acts (Stone Foxes anybody?), and aspiring artists who filled the park with their good vibes, Outside Lands was a festival that compacted all the artistic elements of the city into the polo fields at Golden Gate Park. It literally was a taste of the Bay Area.

Photo by Ted Maider

And while they did encompass all the good things about the city, they also managed to showcase some of the downsides of it. For example, there was too much going on at once. Like any night you spend partying in the Bay, Friday involved a million conflicts, the worst being Vermont’s Phinest up against indie-rock legends The Shins. And Sunday contained another hard decision: deadmau5 or Arcade Fire? And there even managed to be rush hour traffic similar to that found on the Bay Bridge whenever you tried to get from the Lands End to the Twin Peaks stages. It was just utter chaos in that small, grassy section outside the trees.

But it didn’t matter, though, because in the end, everybody’s spirits were lifted. Everybody inside just cared about the good vibes, hearing some groovy jams, and enjoying the rare sunshine. In San Francisco, that’s just about all you can ask for.

-Ted Maider
Media Specialist

Friday, August 12th

The Joy Formidable – Sutro Stage – 1:10 p.m.

Blaring their noisy, little pop gems that are fast proving too big for tiny clubs around the world, Welsh trio The Joy Formidable continued their world domination with a stellar early afternoon set at the Sutro Stage. The band found themselves sudden stars, their foot-stomping rhythms and shout-along chorus of “Austere” proving especially effective as they drew the weekend’s first big crowd. -Möhammad Choudhery

Phantogram – Sutro Stage – 2:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The surprisingly large crowd that showed up for Phantogram received a treat: two brand-new songs from a forthcoming EP and…the duo of vocalist/keyboardist Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter on guitar/electronics just sounded good. Really good. Yet Sutro Stage and moments on other large stages weren’t exactly “sound,” but more on that later. Phantogram pulled heavily and at an efficient pace from its debut, Eyelid Movies. (“When I’m Small” and “Mouthful of Diamonds” got great reactions; “As Far as I Can See” live sounded like Portishead doing club bangers.) Barthel and Carter, joined by a live drummer here, debuted “Don’t Move”, which has a distinct shimmer similar to U2’s The Edge. New song “Sixteen Years” didn’t mess around with a pretty gloss, however. Carter plugged a straight Kevin Shields-type shoegaze solo in, showing that while most of the crowd gawked at the beautiful Barthel, she wasn’t, as Karen O put it, “bigger than the sound.” -Paul de Revere

Foster the People – Sutro Stage – 3:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Apparently, lots of people seem to enjoy Foster the People. This was evident by two things: 1) Their crowd was huge in the sense that you could not get close to the stage if you arrived “just in time” for the show and 2) People did not stop talking about their show all weekend. Foster the People have literally skyrocketed in fame this past summer and rightfully so. They don’t just write catchy songs like some of their electro-pop counterparts; they know how to play. Members switched up instruments constantly in a playful, yet talented fashion, while the crowd sang along to tracks like “Houdini”, the charming “Waste”, and mega-sensation “Pumped Up Kicks” (even though everybody left after that song). Foster the People’s Torches album certainly has put them in the spotlight. Let’s just hope they stay lit. -Ted Maider

Toro Y Moi – Twin Peaks Stage – 3:50 p.m.

For an artist with such lively, fresh beats, Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bundick is, as Bay Area bros would put it, “hella” subdued. But there’s still something imposing about Bundick’s sounds. The Stevie Wonder-like monosynth tone of opener “New Beat”, possibly Bundick’s best song to date, filled the large Twin Peaks Stage like it was gaseous. And the vamp only one minute into the song? Forget it. It was full. Toro’s sound filled up the space exactly as much as it needed to. Screw “chillwave,” this is ambient funk. To paraphrase old-school rapper 4-Ever Fresh, “Creating funk music ‘cause I never dug chillwave.” Indeed. -Paul de Revere

MGMT – Lands End Stage – 4:35 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

As the initial racket over how very antagonistic and unfriendly Congratulations was dissipates, people finally seem to be coming around to the record. Not that MGMT mind how long it took. In what more than a few in the crowd interpreted as arrogance (but was probably a bit closer to a “told you so”), MGMT blasted through a stellar sub-headlining set with their usual sort of understated awesomeness. Even as many in the crowd sounded legitimately disappointed at the lack of props, onstage antics, and the conspicuous absence of the band’s megahit “Kids” from the setlist, MGMT simply did what they do best. Andrew VanWyngarden cut surprisingly close to a young Mick Jagger as he howled his way through the band’s neo-psychedelic gem “Weekend Wars”, while James Richardson played guitar hero for a couple minutes, finger-tapping his way through a stellar solo at the end of “The Handshake”. Extra points for the dreamy little jam at the start of “I Found a Whistle”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Ellie Goulding – Sutro Stage – 5:00 p.m.

One of at least three victims (all female) to vocal issues due to the San Francisco’s seasonably cold August, Ellie Goulding hung in there for her set like a champ. She hit some of her vocals tremendously well, holding back a bit of her soaring vocals, of which there’s much in her light, airy, feminine dance-pop. Some of her vocals weren’t ideal. And it was her last U.S. date on her first earnest U.S. tour. But no matter, because it was ladies night (er, late afternoon) at Sutro Stage. The crowd’s female-to-male gender makeup was approximately 5-to-1, and Goulding dressed for it, looking amazing in her bright red coat (she is British, but somehow I don’t think she’s politically in the tank for King George) and heels. -Paul de Revere

Phish – Lands End Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

A giant billboard appeared on the monitors shortly after MGMT left stating, “Phish 6:30-10:30.” To some, this was a sign to turn around and head as far away as possible, but to others, it was a glorious declaration. After Furthur headlined Outside Lands last year, it made total sense for the Vermont quartet to take the reigns this year.  And Phish festival sets…well, they’re a different breed.

See, Phish plays nothing but solo shows throughout the country. It’s never Phish on tour with MGMT or Foster the People or The Shins for that matter. It’s just Phish. The band has played two big rock festivals since their reunion (Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits), and both times they played shows that were not necessarily geared towards their core fan base but rather baiting newcomers. At Outside Lands, plenty of people in the crowd had never seen Phish nor necessarily listened to them, so what happened for the next three hours with tens of thousands of people was a sensation you can only experience in this setting.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Phish arrived with “Kill Devil Falls” and continued to amp the pace for the entire first 90-minute set. The band cut deep with pieces meant to get people moving such as “Wilson”, “Funky Bitch”, “Possum”, the exhilarating “Axilla I”, and a rendition of “Sample in a Jar” that was one of the best versions of the past year or so. After delivering a sonic punch of a first set, Phish left the crowd for 40 minutes as everyone tried to cram in even further. The next set involved more spacey jams like “Piper” and “Fluffhead”, including a showy new track titled “Steam”. But that didn’t stop them from continuing to crank out gold: a cover of “Life on Mars?”,  the now-rare “Birds of a Feather”, and a “Tweezer Reprise” that made Bassnectar’s bass sound like complete shit. It was the perfect way for Phish to play Golden Gate Park.

Basically, what I’m trying to say here is, you haven’t lived until you’re in a 30,000+ Phish crowd, sweating, dancing, singing, and jammed up against the barricade. -Ted Maider

Big Boi – Sutro Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Ah, the set that never was. Big Boi did not, in fact, end up performing on Sutro Stage after having his set pushed back 40 minutes (a fairly last-minute announcement by the festival), leaving the audience, much of which slowly peeled away, hanging for another 30 minutes. Instead, Dave Chappelle, who had a stand-up gig in South Bay that weekend and is a known lover of San Francisco, came out and riffed for about five minutes. ”A lot of black youth never get to go to a concert where there’s beach balls,” Chappelle said.

With great resistance from the wind, the crowd passed one Chappelle’s way. And with seemingly great glee, Chappelle kicked the ball back into the crowd. It almost made up for the fact that Big Boi would end up not performing at all.

According to Big Boi’s Twitter, his DJ went to the wrong stage (apparently taking a fair amount of time getting to the right one). Big Boi continued on Twitter, saying festival staff would only give him 20 minutes to perform because of the delays, which he judged as not worth it. “I will NOT do a half-ass show,” he tweeted. “Tried to go on after Badu. Not possible. Sorry.”

Big Boi cited “artistic integrity” in the matter. -Paul de Revere

Best Coast – Panhandle Stage – 7:50 p.m.

No joke: Best Coast‘s Bethany Cosentino rivals Neko Case, a singer-songwriter nearly twice her age, in withering stage banter. In response to a random audience question between songs: “On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love rock ‘n’ roll?’” Cosentino answered back, “Negative zero.” Ouch.

To be fair, Cosentino talked as well as rocked. She had to save her voice, too, which held up well. And guitar-wise, it sounded better than ever in terms of her live sound, which stayed true to Crazy for You’s analog studio drone, no doubt using the remainder of the Panhandle Stage’s solar power for her and guitarist Bobb Bruno’s amps. There was the one-two step of slow dance numbers “I Want You” and “Our Deal”. “Bratty B” and “Honey” drew sweet coos from Cosentino, where charm actually snaked its way into her repertoire.

“This is our last song,” she said before launching into “Each and Every Day”. “After this, we’re gonna watch Phish.” Deadpan. “Just kidding. I don’t even know what Phish sounds like.” -Paul de Revere

The Shins – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Though they haven’t played a proper show in four years, haven’t put out any new material since 2007, and James Mercer is their only remaining original member, The Shins still warranted a headlining slot way across the park from Phish’s three-hour jam extravaganza. Mercer’s placid voice and The Shins’ calm, serene back-catalog were a perfect fit for the breezy, starlit evening, taking the reported crowd of 40,000 on a nostalgic trip back to cardigans, high school, and otherwise related sweet, sensitive times. Rather than devolving into a greatest hits affair, Mercer sounded as fresh as ever, indeed infusing his tracks (which, at their oldest, are now a decade past) with the energy of his work with Danger Mouse in Broken Bells. Classics such as “Caring Is Creepy”, “Australia”, and “New Slang” were delivered in pitch-perfect fashion, as was the new track — reportedly titled “For a Fool” — that the band debuted. So, uh…how about that new album? -Möhammad Choudhery

Saturday, August 13th

The Stone Foxes – Sutro Stage – 1:25 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

As stated, Outside Lands always showcases local talent, so they booked some of San Francisco’s hottest, homegrown acts. The Stone Foxes were one of the coolest bands of the entire weekend, not just because they lived up the street, but because they brought the rock. The blues-based quartet rocked super hard, thrashing about on stage like raccoons with broken necks to tunes with names like “Psycho” and “Stomp”. It was a call to go wild. Hook, line, and sink… they made me a fan. -Ted Maider

The Vaccines - Twin Peaks Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The UK’s very latest guitar-buzz band is actually pretty good. Who would’ve guessed? Armed with a handful of late-night TV performances, a solid debut record, and the huge sort of performance they put on Saturday afternoon at the Twin Peaks stage, the quartet don’t look like they’ll flounder anytime soon. Blasting through highlights off of their debut, this year’s What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?, The Vaccines peaked with an uproarious cover of Minor Threat’s hardcore classic “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Paul F. Tompkins, Moshe Kasher – The Barbary Tent – 3:00 p.m.

Why perform comedy under a tent? Mr. Show alum Paul F. Tompkins isn’t sure why (“We have structures!” Tompkins protested), but, boy, the dapper gentleman sure dressed for the Barbary Tent’s grand occasion. It worked for Tompkins, but Tompkins’ hilariously offensive opener, L.A. comedian Moshe Kasher, just had to keep swearing he wasn’t gay.

Kasher’s story about witnessing a woman in an airport using Fritos to scoop the filling out of a king-sized Snickers ice cream bar is borderline surreal in its gross-out factor. Tompkins kept to his standard 10 minutes of riffing and then a structured story, mostly talking about his pre-comedy career odd jobs and his days at the Largo nightclub in L.A., striking up a creative relationship with director Paul Thomas Anderson and, subsequently, reading through Magnolia seated next to Tom Cruise, a punchline in his own right. It was a regular circus. -Paul de Revere

STRFKR- Twin Peaks Stage – 3:40 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Portland synth-poppers STRFKR couldn’t contain their excitement at the start of the biggest show of their young career, busting out their camera phones to capture the reported crowd of 15,000. With two records worth of tunes that are at turns emotive and very, very danceable, STRFKR turned in what was easily the breakout performance of the weekend. Touring guitarist Patrick Morris’s overdriven lead guitar lines stole the show on tracks like the hook-filled “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second” and “German Love”, while Josh Hodges’ hushed vocals lent the songs a nice, breezy touch. A bouncy, tripped-out cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was capped off by the raucous “Go Crazy”. At which point, of course, everyone did. -Möhammad Choudhery

Vetiver – Sutro Stage – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Maybe it was because Vetiver was going up against Arctic Monkeys or even because of the band’s local residency, but Vetiver’s set was not well-attended. It was all well and good, as it gave the Sutro Stage’s isolated blanket liers, dancers, and the like more room to relax, which was at a premium on the festival grounds. Vetiver’s textured, mellow folk-rock mostly put a relaxed, spa feel to everything… if the spa had pot-scented everything. A cover from The Grateful Dead (“Don’t Ease Me In”) picked up the energy a bit and Michael Hurley’s “Be Kind to Me” was a nice, simple song to change up the sonic drawl of songs like “Can’t You Tell” off Vetiver’s latest, The Errant Charm. -Paul de Revere

Arctic Monkeys – Lands End Stage – 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Arctic Monkeys really have harnessed the modern indie sound. You can always tell when it’s them and their high-octane brand of rock. The British crew arrived on the scene playing cuts like “Brainstorm”, a track that is enough to turn the crowd into a boiling pot of water. People sluggishly sang along while glancing at their iPhones to tracks like “Brick by Brick”, but it was during moments like “I Bet That You’d Look Good on the Dancefloor”, “Fluorescent Adolescent”, and “The View From the Afternoon” that people began to bring out the party. Overall, it made for a good afternoon set, but it seems like a waste that they didn’t play “Fake Tales of San Francisco”. Oh well. -Ted Maider

Ximena Sariñana – Barcade Tent – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It’s worth emphasizing this much smaller, more intimate set of Ximena Sariñana’s in the festival’s Barcade Tent, a welcome break from the vast atmospheres of even the festival’s smaller stages. Sariñana performed mostly for die hards and Spanish-language fans, with at least half of her set sung in Spanish. “Wrong Miracle” and “Bring Me Down” were an English language stand outs, conjuring the semi-formal, sweet and quirky songwriting of Regina Spektor. The jazzy torch song “Mediocre”, which Sariñana said would probably “shred” her remaining voice (again), was an incredible peak to end the set. She left it all out on the field and her fans were left wanting more, chanting “Otra! Otra!” -Paul de Revere

Eskmo – Panhandle Stage – 6:05 p.m.

In what was likely one of the best-sounding sets at Outside Lands, San Francisco-based electronica producer Brendan Angelides, aka Ninja Tune Records artist Eskmo, absolutely tore apart the Panhandle Stage with few there to notice. It hardly mattered. Eskmo was too busy recreating his own production: ripping pieces of paper against a microphone and using various wood blocks and a frying pan among other items. Angelides also created his own vocals and vocal loops live on stage. You can’t say that for, you know, 99% of electronica producers. If Four Tet and Squarepusher had a club-banger collaboration project that defied you to dance, it might sound like Eskmo. Truly one of the best sets of the weekend. -Paul de Revere

The Black Keys – Lands End Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

In the four years since the White Stripes forfeited their seat as the blues’ ambassador to indie rock, The Black Keys have seen a huge ascent that culminated in Brothers’ smashing success last year. Here, sub-headlining at Outside Lands’ main stage, the duo proved to be every bit the monolithic force they’re reputed to be, as they tore through renditions of their golden oldies “Thickfreakness” and “Busted” before inviting a couple other band members to play through highlights off of their latest record, including “Tighten Up”, “Howlin’ for You”, and “Next Girl”. The duo closed things out with the one-two punch of Attack & Release’s “Strange Times” and their very own blues epic, “I Got Mine”. -Möhammad Choudhery

The Roots – Twin Peaks Stage – 6:50 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Everybody likes a show from The Roots. I mean, Jimmy Fallon picked them to be his house band for a reason. The Roots kicked back with their brand of funk-rap, and so did the San Francisco crowd. As the sun set behind everybody, people danced, climbed trees to get a better view, and enjoyed tracks like a sped up version of “The Seed 2.0” and the oft-covered “Jungle Boogie”. Seeing everyone in such high spirits certainly indicated that the Roots were there for the right reason: to spread the good vibes. -Ted Maider

Muse – Land’s End Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

How’s this for an opening trifecta? “Uprising”, “Supermassive Black Hole” into a Jimi Henrix-style “Star-Spangled Banner” in full view of a United States full-sized stars and stripes flapping in the cool breeze, and then “Hysteria”. Perhaps the interlude paired with “Hysteria” makes an implicit comment about the state of U.S. politics. Perhaps. But wait, what about Muse’s home country? Things are literally on fire there.

Well, Muse didn’t say a word, curiously. Though, the band’s cover of “Negative Creep” (yes, the Nirvana song) could’ve been a nod to a violent rioter’s state of mind. Nonetheless, “Negative Creep” isn’t very epic, and that’s what this show was for the most part.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

But, really, Muse is epic in a totally different way. Muse is theatrical not like U2 but like actual theater. “United States of Eurasia” is basically the disembodied finale reprise of a musical. A really, really big rock musical, one akin to 80′s progressive rock band Queensryche… or Rush. A riff or two of “House of the Rising Sun” into “Time Is Running Out”? Come on, how is this even Britpop anymore, except that it’s from Britain?

Yes, Muse fans, you like what is essentially a progressive rock band. This band’s ambitions don’t just reach into politics (which singer/instrumental genius Matt Bellamy spoke not one word about), they reach for the stars, they reach for fantastical heights. This band wants to grab starlight in its collective hand and throw it onto a stage for its fans’ viewing pleasure. And the band’s lasers are cooler than Coldplay’s, anyway. Just sayin’. -Paul de Revere

Girl Talk – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:40 p.m.

You can try to prep yourself for a Girl Talk performance with what seems to be everyone’s simple description: a guy puts a 90-minute dance/electro set together on the fly by meshing together a ridiculous assortment of samples from nearly every genre imaginable. What you can’t quite prepare yourself for is how well said meshing is done. Or how perfectly it all comes together, for that matter. Kicking things off with the ominous opening riff to the Sabbath classic “War Pigs”, Girl Talk mashed together everything from 80′s radio hits to rap acapellas to Neptunes beats to create a sort of otherworldly dance music. The best part: a confetti-burst finale set to the solo from “November Rain”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Sunday, August 14th

tUnE-yArDs – Sutro Stage – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

tUnE-yArDs, that’s one-woman band Merrill Garbus in particular, is so talented, it’s not even funny. So, why was she forced to play so early in the day? Perhaps because Garbus, an Oakland native, just had to cross the Bay Bridge to get to work. Who knows? Regardless, Garbus punched in early, and delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. Her performance on songs like “Powa” (for which the crowd stayed quiet during its long buildup), “Bizness” (the crowd followed Garbus’ instructions to limber up before dancing), and “Gangsta” (the crowd obliged with the song’s ritual fist-raising) speak for themselves. “I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve ever had at a festival,” Garbus stated. Yeah, that’s because you’re easily one of the best acts of the festival. -Paul de Revere

Junip – Twin Peaks Stage – 1:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Led by folksinger José González (already with a successful solo career to his name), Swedish quartet Junip broke it down at the Twin Peaks stage while most of Outside Lands seemed to be racing down to Golden Gate Park’s other end for tUnE-yArDs. Though a bit more steeped in electronica than González’s solo work, Junip’s set mostly played like a fuller take on his own, spacious sound, as on the expansive “Without You”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Mavis Staples – Land’s End Stage – 1:45 p.m.

To be blessed by Miss Mavis Staples is a beautiful thing. It’s a passing of the torch, if you will. Colin Meloy of The Decemberists got the endorsement at Newport Folk Festival and so did Win Butler during Staples’ set at the Land’s End Stage, the festival’s largest. In a beautiful rendition of The Band’s “The Weight”, Butler took the fourth “Crazy Chester” verse of the famed song to huge screams. Otherwise, Butler demurred toward rhythm guitar. After he left, other Staples classics rolled out, including the Staples Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” (“The Staples Singers have been takin’ y’all there for 61 years… Now we want you to take US there,” Miss Mavis said) and gospel standards like “Wade in the Water”. Staples, at over 70 years old, still has it and had the best voice, gutbucket soul and all, of the festival. -Paul de Revere

Grouplove – Panhandle Solar – 2:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

With an opening tour with Florence + the Machine and a highly regarded EP under their belt, Grouplove seem poised for a big break. Christian Zucconi led the LA-based five-piece through a set of rootsy folk-pop that leaned heavily on their acclaimed self-titled EP, while offering a peek at their forthcoming full-length, Never Trust a Happy Song, in the lilting harmonies of “Lovely Cup”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Latyrx ft. Lyrics Born and Lateef – Sutro Stage – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Latyrx had a big band to organize on stage, but the band was assembled on time by 2:30 p.m.. Ten minutes later, Lyrics Born and Lateef took the stage and began to rap. Their flows were totally on point, and their antics were appreciated by the crowd, as they gave shout-outs to towns in the Bay like Vallejo, San Jose, Emeryville, and of course, San Francisco and Oakland. Meanwhile, a majority of the backing band just stood there, while the two rappers stole the show. They should have just hired a DJ, and nobody would have batted an eye. -Ted Maider

!!! – Twin Peaks Stage – 3:05 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

So, if LCD Soundsystem is retired and James Murphy stops performing, does that mean !!! inherits the live-disco DFA sound? Because it sure sounds like it. Like LCD, !!! use no computers of any kind (none that I saw, anyway) to create its disco jams. !!! lead singer Nic Offer is younger and less sedate than Murphy, jumping his silly ass around everywhere as a frontman. But similar to Murphy, he leans toward a bandleader role, indulging in an extended series of James Brown-style “hit me”’s. “Two times!! Three times!!!” And the band’s sonic textures make for interesting listening and great dancing: a rare combination. -Paul de Revere

Major Lazer – Twin Peaks Stage – 4:40 p.m.

Asses shaking everywhere on stage after cute girls get brought up, serious towel-swinging hype men, silly string sprayed everywhere, and a field of people helicoptering their shirts: This is a Major Lazer show. You might expect it on the beach or somewhere with warm weather or indoors in a club. Would you expect anything else? But the setting of Pacific Northwestern redwoods, pines, and oaks swaying in a chilly breeze with Major Lazer’s music? Well, that’s just incongruous as hell. And fun as hell.

The list of drops is too many to count, much less list. Major Lazer debuted a new, untitled song (with a martial snare riddim and clipped robot-rock vocals), two big dubstep drops that actually got the white folks really into it, a mash up of “6 Foot 7 Foot” by Lil’ Wayne with the Jamaican traditional “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”, sung by Harry Belafonte, and a drop of “Jump Up” that shook the earth of Golden Gate Park when Diplo instructed everyone to pogo. Louder sound and better subs on the Twin Peaks Stage would’ve really put this over the top but it was insane fun regardless. -Paul de Revere

Wye Oak – Panhandle Stage – 5:30 p.m.

One of the most confident young bands in indie rock today, Wye Oak took to the Panhandle Stage with poise, having already performed earlier on Sunday. To a warm, setting sun, Jenn Wasner’s guitar growled and howled like a well-trained bear the way a trainer wields it. Wasner may be one of the best guitarists in indie today, as she may have already gained a Thurston Moore/Neil Young-like confidence in her guitar sound after only three Wye Oak records in five years. Andy Stack’s double-duty as drummer and keyboardist provides the ground on which Wasner’s trained animal can roam, providing so much bottom end. For a duo, Wye Oak make a lot of noise like Young or Sonic Youth but can be tender like Yo La Tengo. Their set’s second song “Holy, Holy”, off its Merge Records-released Civilian, was a perfect example. Wasner braved the chilly wind hurting her hands to bust out wash after wash of guitar. If Sunday was good for any kind of performer, it was good for scrappy, determined bands like Wye Oak. -Paul de Revere

STS9 – Twin Peaks Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) was exactly what a festival in the Bay Area needed, a band that combines elements of jamming with electronic music, although their blend was more hip-hop-based. Girls climbed on boyfriends’ shoulders and were still rocking harder than most people on the ground. People waved everything in the air, ranging from giraffe heads to inflatable chimps, all to emphasize their joy, excitement, and the fact they could feel the groove. Dancing refused to subside as STS9 ripped their many synthesizers, bongos, and bass heavy grooves. It was easily one of the most surprising sets of the weekend. -Ted Maider

The Decemberists – Lands End Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Following up a great performance by legend John Fogerty, The Decemberists were in high spirits late Sunday afternoon, playing a set heavy on songs from the old-timey The King Is Dead. Frontman and indie-folk’s poet laureate Colin Meloy cut a charming figure, as he worked his way through his own wordy lyrics and clever between-song banter, even offering up the band’s “The Soldiering Life” as camel-fighting music. (It worked. No less than three camelfights broke out in the crowd.) And who knew “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”, that weird nine-minute sea-shanty off of Picaresque, could be such a huge, crowd-pleasing festival set closer? -Möhammad Choudhery

Deadmau5 – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

“I’m with deadmau5! And where you at, hater?” –Haley Morenstein

It’s clear that Joel Zimmerman, aka deadmau5, is appreciative of his fans. Just “Like” him on Facebook to find out. But everybody at Outside Lands was able to see it in person. deadmau5 and his cube of glory graced us with their presence 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and with the sun setting just in front of him, no less. That didn’t stop the one-man wonder from turning the crowd upside down. To kick things off, the celebrated DJ delivered newer cuts like “Bad Selection” and a rendition of “Some Chords” that caused the temperature in the crowd to raise to at least 10 degrees. But he also brought it back, playing the most hypnotic (and perfectly timed) version of “Arguru” and teasing with “Sometimes Things Get, Whatever”. People did not stop moving, though, and they continued to shove through the crowd to try and get closer. Their attempts were made more difficult when “SOFI Needs a Ladder” (complete with SOFI) and a new mix of “Ghosts N’ Stuff” came out of the speakers. People may knock on him as an artist in the blog world, but he can put on one hell of a show. Where you at, hater? -Ted Maider

Arcade Fire – Lands End Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

If nothing else, Arcade Fire winning last year’s Grammy for Album of the Year cemented their place as indie rock’s first graduate to stadium rock supremacy. Between headlining every festival in the book over the past year and earning the egotistical rep that comes with their new stature, Arcade Fire have grown rather nicely into themselves. Closing Outside Lands out across the fields from deadmau5’s electro-party, they put on a dance party of their own. Even though they work the same stage setup and Spike Jonze-directed film clips and rock the same setlist as they have this whole tour, nothing felt remotely canned as the musicians switched parts, beat at their instruments, and howled into their mics with a fervor more akin to a circus troupe than a band of Canadian arena-rockers.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

At points on The Suburbs, such as the molten “Month of May”, it’s a bit hard to sell. Live, though, the band chug right through it, very at home in the heavy riffage before breaking into a spirited rendition of “Rebellion (Lies)”. The crowd was on their toes, dancing along and singing every line throughout the night. The band soon took their bows and left the stage, returning with their unforgettable symphonic anthem, “Wake Up”. For all I’d built it up to be, I couldn’t have possibly braced myself for that transcendental moment when all 30,000+ in attendance burst into the same wordless yell at the top of our collective lungs. Chills, man. Chills. -Möhammad Choudhery

The Culture of Outside Lands

Gallery by Ted Maider and Debi Del Grande

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