The last time alt-hip-hop act The Knux went on tour, it was one heck of a party. This November, the duo lengthen their stay on the road when they embark on a six week-long nationwide tour. Kicking off on November 8th in Scottsdale, AZ, Krispy and Joey will hit up Texas, Boston, MA, Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, Seattle, WA, and beyond before coming to a close on December 16th in San Francisco, CA. Peep the entire tour schedule below.

Just before their itinerary, though, is the band’s new music video for “Razorblade”. In the clip, the pair spend a day in LA, singing and dancing on the streets between partying with girls in a hotel room. Glad to see they’re preparing for the tour by getting plenty of rest.

The Knux’s sophomore album, Eraser, is out now.

The Knux 2011 Tour Dates:
11/08 – Scottsdale, AZ @ The Rogue Bar
11/09 – Albuquerque, NM @ The Launchpad
11/10 – Esl Pasto, TX @ House of Rock
11/11 – Ft. Worth, TX @ Lola’s Saloon
11/12 – San Antonio, TX @ The Korvoa
11/13 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
11/14 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
11/16 – New Orleans, LA @ Republic
11/17 – St. Augustine, FL @ Cafe Eleven
11/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
11/19 – Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone
11/20 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
11/21 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
11/22 – Boston, MA @ Church of Boiston
11/23 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory
11/25 – Pittsfield, MA @ Chameleon’s
11/26 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
11/27 – Buffalo, NY @ The Mohawk Place
11/28 – Washington, DC @ DC9
11/30 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
12/01 – Indianapolis, IN @ Birdy’s
12/03 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
12/04 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
12/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
12/06 – Cliva, IA @ Bombay Bicycle CLub
12/07 – Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
12/09 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
12/10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
12/11 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
12/12 – Seattle, WA @ High Drive
12/13 – Spokane, WA @ A CLub
12/14 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
12/16 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord

After Lil Wayne’s attempts at bridging the rock-rap chasm, hearing the guitar-riffy, two-minute-long instrumental intro to Eraser should raise plenty of eyebrows. The crystalline waves of guitar, laser gun synth bubbles, and repeated distorted guitar hook on “The Road (Intro)” sound a bit like the soundtrack to a training montage from a late ’80s karate movie of some kind. The fact that the same guitar opens following track “She’s So Up” doesn’t bode well, the duo’s chatty party flow about how “you’ve gotta keep your mind on your money and your honey by your side” a bit cliched if not enthusiastic. The wordless vocal hook, though, redeems a somewhat flat track. It’s further proof that these dudes are all about parties and woman, not necessarily in that order (or any order, really).

The easy-rocking beat of “You Can’t Lose” is a serious upgrade, paring down the big rock guitars and relegating them to accent flourishes on the chorus, and the smooth vocal harmonies make a nice compliment. Lines like “hanging out with all kind of hoes, where they come from nobody knows” again fall into the glamour-over-substance trap, but the round sound of the whole thing is smooth enough. The Natalia Kills-featuring “1974″ (in which she sings that we all need to party like it’s 1974) sounds ready-made for the current pop radio landscape, the nonsense party rap of “They know, I know, U2, Bono… with Speed, Keanu” sped up would spin out of control, but as slowly and methodically as it comes across, it gets a laugh on the first couple of listens.

The New Wave raver “Razorblade” contains almost no traces of the hip-hop grandeur that Remind Me in 3 Days flourished on, its droopy talk-singing delivery instead coming together like an apathetic early 2000s glam rock track. The much previewed “Run” featuring Kid Cudi turns the rave back up, another track aimed at crossover radio potential, the rap sections passing by in the night in the middle of Cudi’s sing-along chorus. The funk of “Queen of the Cold” opens with the pretty straightforward explanation that “You were like a snow angel trapped in a glass.” While the instrumentation sounds surprisingly like The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah” and the vocals give an all-too-brief shout-out to Remind Me standout “Bang Bang”, the track drifts amiably in its lyrical content. The surprisingly antagonistic narrative just doesn’t match the upbeat, funky music; lines like “This bitch don’t laugh, don’t get my jokes” are nowhere near as interesting, fun, or infectious as their first album, nor the beat behind them.

This conflict troubles Eraser in passages. For a group that so progressively blurs the line between rock, funk, electronic music, and hip-hop, their material can trend toward the stale, their bravado and subject matter pretty standard. The bright, synthy “Maniac” has a danceable rhythm, but the perhaps unintentional Flashdance aping is a strange choice. Jack Davey’s turn on “I See Stars” pushes a twinkling electronic tune even further into light, trippy airiness, the song a pleasant enough counterpoint to the guitar rock elsewhere. The opening beat to “Fame-Us” may be the most interesting thing on the album, its twanging near-Eastern strings evocative and different.

There are hooks here that are memorable, to be sure, and some songs that would make for pretty effective radio material, but the scattered cliches keep this from being an all-out winner. The title track’s “woo-hoos” are something The Black Eyed Peas could have come up with, but the Lindsey brothers don’t push into their purely pop world, instead embracing pop rap standards.

Essential Tracks: “You Can’t Lose”, “Fame-Us

Earlier this year, alt-hip-hoppers The Knux brought their rap-rock fusion to the masses with a slew of house parties. And while the great music and free beer and pizza has come and gone, Krispy and Joey attempted to recreate the raucous good time with their September 28th performance on the Late Show with David Letterman. Busting out a Kid Cudi-less version of “Run”, the brothers made the Ed Sullivan Theater feel like your cousin Jeffrey’s house during that rager back in ’96. Check it out below.

The duo’s sophomore record Eraser is out now. Thanks to The Audio Perv for video support.

Here’s a welcome surprise: NPR is now streaming Ryan Adams’ first LP in three years, Ashes & Fire, three weeks ahead of its October 11th release (via Pax-AM/Capitol). As previously reported, the 11-track effort was produced by the legendary Glyn Johns (Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Clash) and features guest appearances by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench and Norah Jones, who contributes piano and backing vocals on several tracks.

Other albums available to hear early:

– DJ Shadow’s new LP, Think of The Less You Know, The Better, arrives October 4th via Verge. Hear it now at NPR.

– The Damon Albarn-led super collective DRC Music releases their album Kinshasa One Two on October 4th via Warp Records, with all proceeds benefiting Oxfam’s work in the Congo. Hear it now at Hype Machine.

– The Knux’s sophomore LP, Eraser, arrives September 27th via Cherrytree. Hear it now on their MySpace page.

For anyone who has ever wondered what the life of a model is like (and didn’t completely trust America’s Next Top Model), pay close attention to the video for The Knux‘s “Run”. In the aforementioned clip, available below via Complex.com, the brothers and guest star Kid Cudi jam out in the most baller looking room ever. Their performance is the perfect soundtrack to a day in the life of a young model, which includes everything from standard photo shoots to massive coke binges. No way Tyra Banks would ever put up with such irresponsibility!

The Knux’s sophomore LP, Eraser, hits stores September 27th via Cherrytree/Interscope.

STS follows up last week’s release of his debut LP, The Illustrious, with a music video for The Knux-produced track “Cliché”. As its title so wonderfully foreshadows, the clip begins in a boring YXE frat party in Somewhere, USA, where it’s so white and stuffy you can cut the AXE body spray-infused air with a knife. That is, however, until STS himself hits the party and things get really bumpin’ a la Animal House (complete with character epilogues). Really makes us wish we could go back to spending $10,000 a year to make friends, study basket weaving or Sociology, and shower in flip-flops. Check it out below.

The Illustrious is available as a free download via the rapper’s website. You can also stream the album in full here.

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

-Gilles Leblanc
Staff Writer

Friday, July 29th

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

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

Photo by Bobby Foley

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

Saturday, July 30th

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

Sunday, July 31st

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

Photo by Stewart Wiseman

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

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

Photo by Gilles Leblanc

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

The Culture of Osheaga

Gallery by Gilles Leblanc and Stewart Wiseman

[nggallery id=247]

Last week, we introduced Philadelphia poet-turned-rapper STS (Sugar Tongue Slim) with the track “The Interview”. Our first taste of the MC, one couldn’t help but realize the big snag the up and comer got by tapping The Alchemist to produce. Don’t call that career bump a fluke, though, as the latest track from his debut LP The Illustrious, a number called “Cliché”, features production from another one of our favorite rap acts, The Knux. Check out the Southern hip-hop with a twist that is “Cliché” below; as STS himself described it, “The Knux go left with this track, and I went right with them.”

Featuring cameos by Yelawolf, Farnsworth Bentley, and Black Thought of the Roots, The Illustrious is due out online sometime in August.

STS – “Cliché” (produced by The Knux)

I sort of feel like Coach Eric Taylor in a Friday Night Lights halftime speech every time I jump behind the wheel here to write these intros every Friday. It’s all pep talk banter: “we’ve been scouring the internet” this, and “we’re gonna soldier on no matter what” that. But in all reality, how much pep talking do you really need? It’s 10 bang-up tracks, simple as that. So, for this week, let’s eliminate the superfluous speeches, and get right down to the nitty gritty. A couple streams of unmatched quality (we’re talking Caribou remixing Radiohead and brand spanking new Tallest Man On Earth good), and a handful of this week’s best and brightest mp3s. TGIF indeed. – Winston Robbins

Common feat. Nas – “Ghetto Dreams”

What has gotten into Nas these days? A few weeks back, he unveiled the unbelievably cool one-off “Nasty”, now we have this piping hot collaboration with Common? Is he making a final run for his spot as the king of hip hop? Could be! Whatever his intentions, he’s spitting with more energy and more excitement than he has in almost a decade. See below, where he raps showstopping-ly about his shortcomings, his inhibitions, and, of course, his ghetto credentials.

Common feat. Nas – “Ghetto Dreams”

Fair Ohs – “Baldessari”

Fair Ohs (formerly Thee Fair Ohs) share an ambitious, jangly pop cut from their forthcoming major label debut LP. Filled to the brim with tropical rhythms, speedy guitar riffs, and a very sing-a-long chorus, this one’s truly fit for summer.

Fair Ohs – “Baldessari”

The Avalanches – “Since I Left You (Stereolab Remix)”

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of their incendiary album Since I Left You, The Avalanches will be re-releasing the album with a bonus disc, which will include re-works from MF Doom, El Guincho, and Black Dice. This Stereolab remix of the title track is not on that bonus disc, but is an existing remix that, up until a few days ago, was only available on vinyl. The remix basically re-routes the song in every possible direction – slowing it down, speeding it up, making it heavier, stripping it down – but never once does it lose its charm or the charm of the original, which, in our book, makes this remix a complete winner.

The Knux feat. Kid Cudi – “Run”

When they’re not busy wrecking your house, The Knux are pumping their efforts into their forthcoming LP, Eraser. We’ve already had one studio cut, but this second one may have actually topped that stellar track. The Kid Cudi featuring “Run” is supremely catchy. And Cudi sounds right at home beside The Knux’s guitar based beats. Who knew?

The Knux feat. Kid Cudi – “Run”

Dominant Legs – “Hoop of Love”

With its quick harmonies, easy to follow guitar progressions, and genuinely loveable vocals, Dominant Legs are sure to churn some major waves when their LP, Invitation, drops in September. Case in point: the first taste of said LP, “Hoop of Love”. Dominant Legs is the brainchild of frequent Girls collaborator Ryan William Lynch, and it’s easy to see why the two parties get along so well. Bright (if at times a bit too simple) pop at its finest.

Dominant Legs – “Hoop Of Love”

Elite Gymnastics – “o m a m o r i”

Psychedelic Minneapolis duo Elite Gymnastics aren’t even going for the “pay what you like” method for their latest installments of music – though I’m sure they’d accept donations if you’re in a lavishly giving mood. Standout track “o m a m o r i” is as pop-savvy as it is ethereally psychedelic, and well worth your listen, too. Also, both of their EPs are available for free via their wicked awesome tumblr. We recommend you get over there pronto.

Elite Gymnastics – “o m a m o r i”

Active Child – “Hanging On”

I can’t decide what’s more exciting about this piece – the unbelievably sexed-up beats looming underneath the pristine vocals that fill the track from start to finish, or the fact that this is the second single from Pat Grossi’s (aka Active Child) forthcoming LP, the first being yet another installment in the Adult Swim Singles project — his collaboration with fellow sexy-crooner How To Dress Well. If the whole album shapes out to be anywhere near as good as the singles, we’re going to have quite a record on our hands.

Active Child – “Hanging On”

Veronica Falls – “Come On Over”

“Oh great,” you’re thinking. “Another song that pivots around the words ‘crimson and clover.’ in the chorus.” Tropes-be-damned! This is a galloping indie rock track with a delicate male/female vocal pairing that earns what some other dream-pop bands think they deserve. It gets an A for Effort, but not in the pejorative sense.

Veronica Falls – “Come On Over”

The Tallest Man On Earth – “The Weather of a Killing Kind”

I’m speechless because now that I’ve heard almost every The Tallest Man On Earth song, I can safely say there isn’t a rotten apple in the whole bushel. His commitment to the folk form throughout his short years as a songwriter reveals Kristian Matsson to be our generation’s folk laureate. This early, previously unreleased track ranks among his best.

Radiohead – “Little By Little (Caribou Remix)”/”Lotus Flower (Jacques Greene Remix)”

Searching Google for “Radiohead remix” will produce over 12,000,000 results, but here’s two of the best (though I would be remiss not to mention AmpLive’s In Rainbows remix). Radiohead is just kind of like open source code now, huh? Open to anyone who wants to mess around with it? Come at the king, and you better drop a sick remix at the throne.

Hard-hitting rap-rock outfit The Knux have dished out another taste of their forthcoming LP Eraser. Following “She’s So Up”, check out the Kid Cudi-featuring track called “Run” below (via Complex.com).

Eraser is due out in late September via Cherrytree/Interscope. Check out our recent discussion with the group here.

A few weeks back, The Knux gave us the the lowdown on their upcoming plans, which included the ambitious idea of a house party tour. Now, Krispy and Joey have detailed the trek, aptly titled “Kick In The Door House Party Tour”, which kicks off tomorrow in their hometown of New Orleans, LA.

So far, the band has 10 dates already set, ranging from parties at frat houses to some place called House of Guys (please don’t be what we think that is.) According to TheKnuxHouseParty.com, where fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news, venue locations, and more, the tour will be a chance to play venues with “no people limits, no barricades or stipulations,” in addition to free beer and pizza.

The group opted for this unique tour in order to “up the ante” of the live experience and return to a place where “everyone was on the same level, one nation under a groove.” The tour is especially impressive considering the band is signed to Interscope Records, one of the larger labels in the country.

Check out the entire tour schedule below,  and to have The Knux rock your casa, email them at TheKnuXHouseParty@gmail.com for more info.

The Knux’s new album, Eraser, is scheduled to hit stores June 21st via Cherrytree/Interscope.

The Knux 2011 Tour Dates:
05/06 – New Orleans, LA @ Tulane University Alpha Ep Pi house *#&
05/07 – Houston, TX @ John’s House Party *
05/08 – Austin, TX @ House of Guys *
05/12 – Eugene OR @ University of Oregon/SAE *
05/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ BYU Block Party *$
05/14 – San Diego, CA @ TBA *
05/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ UCLA/SAE *
05/20 – Santa Barbara, CA @ UCSB/The Biko House *
05/21 – San Francisco, CA @ TBA *
05/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bow & Sparrow Loft *%

* = w/ Chippy Non Stop
# = w/ G-Easy
$ = w/ Vibrant Sound
% = w/ J*Davey
& = w/ Swagga

Produced almost exclusively by the duo, Eraser‘s title comes from a feeling of starting fresh and emphasizing the live sound the band has developed since dropping their debut LP, Remind Me in 3 Days…, back in 2008.

“With this album, we want to take those preconceived notions and shatter and erase them,” eldest brother Krispy says. “This albums sums up everything we want to do. To transcend where we are and to smash everything wide open and make the kind of record that has that big sound we have live. It’s had hitting as shit and we keep the mayhem going and keep it free-flowing.” Despite that chaotic nature, Joey insists the album will still begin where the last album left off and deliver one cohesive message, stating, “Every song has its own story, so everything ties into each other.”

While a rock and roll album might be popular for the indie set, The Knux recognize that some hip-hop fans might not be as willing to get their rock and roll on. They counter that the sound of the album blares past any tightly-held genre loyalties and gets to a core issue all music fans are obsessed with. “This album is heavy, heavy; it’s sexy,” Krispy insists. “Even those don’t that like certain rock bands like that sexiness of certain rock bands. This album’s got that ’70s feel, but its very modern and straight-forward.”

To assist in the process, the MCs brought on Robert Orton, who has mixed albums for Lady Gaga and The Police, to aid them in creating the guitar-centric album that would be the “consolidated ‘punch-me-in-the-face album’ ” the outfit had their eyes on. That mostly DIY attitude also extended to the guests the brothers invited to play on the record. The one substantial contributor is an MC the group consider a kindred spirit: Kid Cudi.

“We met him at a club and he hugged me for a really long time,” Krispy says about Mr. Solo Dolo, who appears on the song “Run”. “He’s really deep and serious about music and one of the modern guys who won’t compromise. We like urban hood dudes who don’t get boxed in by stereotypes.”

Part of that attitude may be spurred on by the band’s perceptions about the media, particularly the blogosphere. Deciding a long time ago to fight against the predetermined tastes and stratification that occurs within many online music sites and magazines, they’re not ones to do something to further traffic or to top trending topics. “Blogs are Nazis,” Joey says. “They’re either super, super hip, or about the super popular; they’re forgetting the middle, the good shit people really want to here. It’s like Neil Young’s “Shock and Awe”. ‘Let me just make the loudest noise.’ Well, we’re not fucking making noise.”

That middle of the road approach also manifests itself in the band’s touring plans. In a day and age where ticket prices and selling practices are generating controversy, The Knux are taking the shows back to the people with an upcoming tour of house parties. Using Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking tools, they’re finding willing fans’ houses to rock with good tunes and free booze. “We just want to do different cool shit for the fans,” Krispy says. “This thing is stupid viral and it’s going to be fucking rad. We just want to build something and change the musical landscape.”

With the first show scheduled shortly in their hometown of New Orleans, LA, stay tuned for more info as it’s announced. Eraser is scheduled to hit stores June 21st via Cherrytree/Interscope.

New Orleans, La.-based rap duo, The Knux, are busy working on the follow up to 2010’s F*** You EP, and while the boys – brothers Kentrell and Alvin Lindsey (better known as Krispy and Joey, respectively) – say that sessions for what will be their sophomore LP were informed by late nights spent listening to the Rolling Stones, The Clash, ZZ Top, Joy Division, The Smiths and PM Dawn, Pigeons and Planes has now provided some visual evidence of the group’s love for the spectacle of rock music.

Streaming above is the video for the still-untitled album’s first single, “She’s So Up”,  and it’s essentially a staged live performance which finds Krispy and Joey backed by a drummer while an eclectic mob pogos up and down. It’s a bit strange to see “rappers” with guitars, but the Lindseys seem bent on transcending that label in the nearly four-minute clip. Director Don Tyler says the video is “a departure from what you’re used to seeing from The Knux,” and a behind-the-scenes clip (which can be seen below) finds the brothers explaining that they shot the video performance style because they wanted their new full-length to convey how “raw, wild, and untamed” they are in a live setting. There’s no release date on the album, but fans who haven’t delved into The Knux’s debut LP can cop that here.

Now, two months after the initial 2011 lineup announcement, Bonnaroo has confirmed a number of new acts. A staple since 2004, the festival will once again play a host to a jam-packed lineup of renowned comedians, highlighted by Lewis Black and the 420 Comedy Blaze tour hosted by Cheech Marin and featuring Ralphie May, the stars of Workaholics, and more.

Others to join them in the laughs include The League (Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, Jon Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi), Donald Glover, Kathleen Madigan, Eugene Mirman, Tim Minchin, and Hannibal Buress. Henry Rollins and filmmaker John Waters will also make appearances.

On the music side, NOFX, Galactic, G. Love & Special Sauce, Allen Toussaint (w/ Dr. John and The Original Meters), Black Uhuru, Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, and The Knux have all been added to the fold.

Also, Shpongle will present a full-scale production in the form the Shpongletron Experience, with Ben Sollee, Anthony B, Forro in the Dark, Dennis Coffey, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Futurebirds, and Hanggai rounding out the latest music acts.

Peep Bonnaroo’s complete 2011 lineup at our Festival Outlook. General admission and VIP tickets are still available an can be purchased via the festival’s website.

South by Southwest‘s 2011 lineup gets more ridiculous with each passing day. Now, The Strokes are confirmed to play a free show at Auditorium Shores on Thursday, March 17th, while Duran Duran will grace Stubbs one day earlier. Also, according to Austin 360, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan will play alongside Fishbone and Yelawolf for a showcase at the Austin Music Hall on Wednesday night.

Other new additions to the bill include Trentemøller, Talib Kweli, The Knux, Tinie Tempah, Mister Heavenly, The Secret Sisters, The New Mastersounds, Glasser, Daedelus, and Asher Roth. Plus, rising hip hop collective Odd Future will make an appearance, according to member Hodgy Beats.

The music portion of South by Southwest 2011 runs from March 16-20 in Austin, Texas. Head to our Festival Outlook to peep all one trillion acts confirmed to play, then hit up sxsw.com for ticketing info.

It’s been over a year since we’ve written about alternative hip-hop duo The Knux. As it turns out, though, the band have been spending a lot of time working on their as-yet-untitled sophomore LP, so there hasn’t been much to report.; until know, that is.  According to the band, the effort, the full-length follow-up to 2008′s Remind Me in 3 Days…, promises to be a fusion of guitars, beats, synths, and more, stripped down and swift as can be, all powered thanks to many late night listening sessions where “the Stones mingled with the Clash, ZZ Top met Joy Division and the Smiths chopped it up with PM Dawn”. If you’re wondering what that glorious sonic concoction might sound like, enjoy a stream their lead single,”She’s So Up”. It’s a mover, it’s a shaker, and it’s about a subject the band are all too familiar with — the ladies. Check it out below, and as always, stay tuned for more on their upcoming LP as it’s announced.

“Watchu Say” is definitely the track that draws a parallel to ATL’s most beloved sons. It’s a song that takes some of the vague rock and funk influence that made Stankonia such an important album, and spins the record one more time. Sonically, The Knux’s version of the beat is interesting, but such proximity to the Outkast masterpiece makes it feel like they’re trying too hard. They work to separate themselves by making a more menacing flow that has a cadence along the lines of Big Boi or even Killer Mike, but is less pop friendly or absurdist and more in line with something like Three Six Mafia with way more wit (Take the line, “She’s 17, she’s underage/She’s fucking for free then she’s underpaid”). The rest of the album works toward getting away from that gargantuan shadow, with its share of small steps and leaps forward.

Case in point, small step No. 1, “Floozy”, a cousin of the hit from their first album, “Cappuccino”. It’s all about a jangly guitar and a danceable bass, complete with a sing-song chorus. Here, though, the brothers switch up their flow. They take the song’s lyrical direction into a less glorified version of “Gold Digger” (“Now how the hell can you trust this lady?/She lurks in the park, dick crazy…”) with a more bluesy, down-home delivery style that is less about the sheer velocity. Here, the backing beat, punctuated by cowbell, is a rock track through and through, something more organic for a pairing that rode to relative success on the backs of a rhythm that could come from a Louisiana dive bar circa 1950.

If “Floozy” is their rock with heart and soul, “Pop the Cork” is the brothers’ ode to club love. What was a rap song with lots of fuzzy guitars is now an early 80′s dancehall reject, with a dash of Scandinavian techno. Imagine if Rick James made spacey funk music to get close, but you’d still be missing some of that late ’80s vibe of Prince-esque synth. There is a bit of guitar, but it’s much more polished than they’ve played with. But the gimmick of the song is less cheesy and feels more like a deliberate creation than a genuine statement of “we really think this is clever.”

But it’s when the group swings for the fences, ignoring stereotypes and the intricacies of an established sound (be it theirs or that of their influences) that the EP shines. “Fruits” features Malbec, a California rock/hip-hop group that has Britpop leanings. Their ethereal vocal stylings add a unique vibe to the song, something lonely and resentful, like a restless night. There’s a real level of vulnerability that stands strong, without a lot of their rhythmic guitars or electro shenanigans. They’ve bucked a lot of the thuggish cliches while maintaining a style that is just as raw and lyrical as any Dirty South concoction.

But a song like “Fuck You” does its best to hold onto that hustler mentality. It’s a simple song, built on some heavy bass, a banging drum beat, some looped guitars and effects, and the catchiest utterance of an insult ever. It also happens to be the song where the both Lindseys show the most personality: sex-crazed thugs with lighting quick spiels that can readily slang it in a sing-song fashion. They are always capable of taking a pretty jokey concept and making it danceable, something akin to fun loving hip-hop from the late ’80s with a uniquely cynical spin.

Check Out:

Download:
The Fuck You EP

Regardless, the bustling Windy City festival hosted thousands upon thousands of fans, all with the intention of drinking, meddling in mud, or getting in a fight. Yes, despite the array of laid back indie-talent, hundreds of male 20-somethings managed to throw arms and collapse on one another. It might have been cold, what with the frisky wind and pummeling rain, but fellow Chicagoans kept it nice and toasty with good ol’ fashioned bar brawls.

But that didn’t stop everyone else from having fun. After all, this is the festival that keeps Midwesterners sane throughout the winter: The idea that beer will be had, that outside life will be enjoyed once again, and music will never skip a beat. We’re only day one into the festival, but Mr. Perry… we salute you.

Manchester Orchestra
Budweiser: 12:15-1:00 p.m.

“Screw the rain! Let’s rock!” And with that, Q101′s Ryan Manno kicked things off at the oh-so-subtly titled Budweiser Stage.

Well, not really. Seconds later, Manno admitted that the ambivalent, hanging rain that would annoy the rest of the day was pushing things off schedule slightly. A few minutes later, though, one of the first sets of the day began, performed by Atlanta, GA’s Manchester Orchestra. Lead singer/guitarist Andy Hull led the quintet on stage, complete with red wool cap and Doug Martsch-esque beard. And the Built to Spill connection doesn’t really end there. Often times, throughout the set, Manchester Orchestra felt a lot like BTS-Lite. Well, maybe Lite too strongly implies easy listening. Maybe Built to Spill with more shouting and more melodramatic hooks.

They certainly do have the hooks though, and they were plenty big enough to draw a large crowd, especially for a 12:15 spot. The echoed howls of “Shake it Out” got the people pogo’ing pretty early into the set. Big, chunky guitars, plentiful of backing vocals and unbridled enthusiasm were the trademarks of “In My Teeth”, and, really, their entire set.

“This band has never had so many people like us…In the same place,” Hull smirked, before kicking into “I’ve Got Friends”, which proved to be the real crowd favorite. The muscle-y anthem about the success of others (off of the strong if unassuming Mean Everything To Nothing released in April) sounded just as thundering and sharp as the record, an impressive feat for such an early afternoon start time.-A.K.

Hey Champ
Chicago 2016: 12:15-1:00 p.m.

Chicago loves Hey Champ, and rightfully so. The group’s catchy electro rock gets the body moving in all the right ways, but oh how it feels so wrong. The sexy bass lines, the space-y guitar parts, and the velvet vocals all give both The Killers and U2 a run for their talent (not money, let’s be real here). Earlier this year, the band headlined the fourth night of Schubas’ Tomorrow Never Knows Festival, and though they nailed the set and pleased the sold-out crowd, they weren’t nearly as tight and realized as they were here in Grant Park. Vocalist and guitarist Saam Hagshenas dominated the Chicago 2016 stage and led his band into an empowering set, treating their early-bird slot as if it were a celebrated evening set. Songs “Face Control” and “In The White City” brought keyboardist Pete Dougherty to the forefront, but it was hot single “Cold Dust Girl” that roped in the trio as one. Hagshenas danced about, prowling around percussionist Jon Marks, who retained a consistent energy throughout. It may have been even too early for a beer, but these three snagged one hell of a crowd. Even some nearby stragglers over at the Citi Stage — all the way across the park — were swaying those hips. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they’re locals, either. -M.R.

Gringo Star
BMI: 12:30-1:15 p.m.

After the sardine can train ride that was the CTA Red Line, the drizzly adventure of Lollapalooza started with Atlanta, Georgia’s very own Gringo Star. Mixing one part punk rock ethic, one part manic performance and a heavy dose of 1950′s Americana, these guys got the party started early. Lead singer Nicholas Firgiuele wailed like a banshee hopped up on caffeine and the rest of the band followed his fanatic trailblazing. On songs such as “No One” and “The March Of Gringos”, the quirky Southern quartet packed punch after punch just below the three minute mark. Lead guitarist Peter Firguile’s guitar solos brought to mind the late and great Bob Stinson of The Replacements, complete with overzealous sloppiness and raw intensity. Images of old Western shootouts, drunken nights in saloons and frantic pianos were all over the place while they played. Switching instruments between songs, these guys kept the downtime between numbers next to nil. For 45 minutes, Gringo Star blazed their own path of musical glory in the great city of Chicago and in the process took a few souvenirs with them, concluding with a cover of The Exciters’ “He’s Got The Power.” -J.Z.

The Knux
Citi: 1:00-1:45 p.m.

L.A. via New Orleans’ The Knux were a breath of fresh air after wandering through a bunch of same-sounding, anthemic rock. Plus, instead of talking about how the rain sucked and how they were glad you stayed through the rain (LIKE EVERY OTHER BAND), Kintrell “Krispy Kream” Lindsey offered this feeling: “We know it’s raining, but do we give a fuck?” To which, the enthusiastic crowd shouted, that no, they did not. Krispy and his brother Alvin (aka “Rah Almillio”) were joined onstage by a DJ, a synth player and a guitarist, filling out their genre-crushing hip-hop quite masterfully.

By the end of the excellent “Cappuccino”, most of the huge crowd was bouncing along to the beat. But it did take a little bit of convincing for the ladies to go “Ooh” and the fellas to go “Aah” at the proper times. Once it caught on, though, Krispy was excited. “No homo, but I liked the guys’ one better,” he chuckled. “Don’t twit[tweet?] that. ‘Krispy is gay’.” Their set heavily focused on last year’s excellent Remind Me In Three Days, including “Bang! Bang!”, “Roxxanne” (which included some impressive guitar-work), and the true-love story “Powder Room”(“I don’t know what’s wrong with you, meet me in the powder room”). In the end, there was a lot of superfluous talk about “the smoke,” meeting up after the show and giving shout-outs to the city, which took up a lot of time that could have been used instead for another of their interesting, fun jams. -A.K.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Vitaminwater: 1:00-2:00 p.m.

After the impressive start to the day from Gringo Star, Austin, Texas soul patch descendants Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears stirred the musical Kool-Aid at the Vitaminwater stage. Having previously performed at the Chicago Folk & Roots Festival a month prior, Lewis & The Honeybears nonetheless felt right at home again. Blazing through soul-drenched numbers such as the sexual “Big Black Snake” and the blunt but awesome “Bitch, I Love You”, these modern day soul warriors brought visions of Otis Redding’s legendary 1967 appearance at the Monterey Pop festival. While these guys are hot off the wire no doubt, they’re on their way to serious awesomeness. They sounded much tighter than their Chicago Folk & Roots appearance weeks before, however their energy suffered greatly due to the surrounding hip hop show’s overexuberant bleeding of the music into their downtime. This was a shame however as it felt somewhat stale in an otherwise great performance. Nothing can be said about how great the guitars and saxes sounded, those were on fire. It’s just too bad the ambience couldn’t match the band’s intense soul jams, but good show nonetheless. -J.Z.

The Builders and The Butchers
BMI: 1:45-2:30 p.m.

Portland, OR’s The Builders and the Butchers set up shop at the small-ish BMI stage, where, unfortunately, their sound had to compete with the near-by Perry’s dance party. Once fighting through the techno grooves and the tree groves, the Builders and Butchers’ sort-of-gothic folk (think O’Death on Xanax) had a bit of trouble filling out the small area they’d been assigned. Maybe it was due to the fact that they were largely an acoustic act (a risky proposition in a non-main-stage setting), but the guitars, banjo, and ukulele all sounded rather flat and small.

But their music was still about as interesting as it ever was. “Vampire Lake” (off of last month’s Salvation is a Deep Dark Well) elicited a good crowd reaction, bringing a bit of stomp to the soggy conditions. The excellent “Down in this Hole” was no less stompy, complete with thumping tom drumming and a melody perfect for shouting along to.-A.K.

The Gaslight Anthem
Chicago 2016: 2:00-3:00 p.m.

If there’s one band that’s been the talk of the town all summer, it’s The Gaslight Anthem. Some may argue they broke through last year, especially with their critically acclaimed sophomore record The ’59 Sound, but this summer, they’re everywhere. After a rousing performance overseas at Glastonbury, complete with a cameo by the one and only Springsteen, these New Jersey rockers haven’t slowed down since. In addition to their own touring, they’ve hit the festival circuit pretty hard, and a week after the disaster that was All Points West (which ended up cancelling their Sunday spot), the Jersey boys took it all out on Chicago. Drummer Benny Horowitz machine-gunned into “High Lonesome” and amidst some smoke and rain, the rest of the band followed his lead. His leadership immediately fell to vocalist Brian Fallon, however, who spit out story after story, all about a town and state few had visited, but most related to — sort of the band’s shining hallmark. Song after song entertained the wet and frozen crowd, some of whom kept warm through unnecessary moshing.

Blame the crummy weather, but Fallon appeared rather stoic throughout much of the performance. He nailed each song, especially “Old White Lincoln” and “Film Noir”, but he came off a bit weathered. His knack for storytelling bled through, before he introduced “Miles Davis and the Cool”, as he pointed to the Congress Hotel and talked about Al Capone doing “stuff behind closed doors” and likening Capone to the cool cat that was Davis.

Fallon found his stride when he injected some humor. Before jumping into the three-fist punch that was “Where For Art Thou, Elvis?” into “Meet Me By the River’s Edge” and closing with “The Backseat”, Fallon confessed that his first concert ever was actually Depeche Mode, saying, “I don’t like mayo, but I like Depeche Mode.” People laughed, people applauded, and the rain continued. As if to acknowledge his influences even more, the boys threw in a gentle nod to The Clash (and Fallon’s idol Joe Strummer) by playing a refrain of “Lost in the Supermarket” towards the end of “The Backseat”. On the train back, hours and hours later, someone stated they had checked out the band on a whim, but that they were “definitely buying their fucking album.” That says it all. -M.R.

Bon Iver
Playstation: 3:00-4:00p.m.

Bon Iver kicked off the Playstation Stage’s “Night of Sort-of Pretentious Indie Folk!” (okay, that’s my label for it, not theirs). Well, actually, the definitively-not-dead Thax Douglas kicked it off with an entrancing poem about angels and dead skin cells. And, unfortunately, things went sort of downhill from then.

Justin Vernon and co. kept things light and mellow, for the most part; however, light and mellow, combined with a light and clinging rain and a heavily intoxicated crowd who often talked over the music wasn’t the greatest situation for Vernon’s lilt and croon. “Blood Bank” didn’t have its usual driving, shuddering drums. “Skinny Love” suffered from a glut of completely off-key backup singers in the crowd. New song “Brackett, Wisconsin” sounded like perfect background music for a tender moment on “Gilmore Girls”.

“Creature Fear” ended with a surreal feedback freakout, which felt completely out of place.

Before closing out the set, Vernon made sure to give a shout out to his friends: “Enjoy the Fleet Foxes boys, and Andrew Bird. It’s just going to be a pleasant afternoon.” If this was pleasant, I’m sure I’d like something a little different. -A.K.

Heartless Bastards
Vitaminwater: 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Following the heartening and rain soaked set from New Jersey powerhouse act The Gaslight Anthem, Cincinnati, Ohio garage rock quartet Heartless Bastards took the stage. By this time, the rain picked up and drenched the field with caked up layers of mud, slush and dirt for what seemed like miles. Gathering together in the center of the stage, rhythm guitarist/vocalist Erika Wennerstrom put on a decent display of vocal talent and good musicianship. The Bastards’ served as a good toss up between the late ’60′s Allman Brothers and the perennial favorites from England, The Pretenders. At times, Wennerstrom’s vocals hearkened back to iconic frontwoman Chrissy Hynde (oddly enough from Akron, Ohio), and in an odd way she resembled her appearance, as well. For the most part, save for Wennerstrom, the rest of the band musically weren’t much to write home about until roughly halfway through the set when they woke up a bit and started rocking out. Some random guy in the crowd pulled the “I’m-fucked-up-time-to-get-naked” card from the Lollapalooza UNO deck. Sure enough, while the band performed “Valley Of Dupree”, the Naked Guy showed no shame whatsoever in unsheathing down to nothing in the cold, damp rain, moshing with the crowd and dancing with whomever he could stand near. As aforementioned, the Heartless Bastards were decent at best, even amidst sound problems, but the fact that this guy (literally) had balls to spice it up a bit, it’s what makes this show memorable. You have to respect that…I think you have to respect that. -J.Z.

Ben Folds
Budweiser: 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Up north at the Budweiser stage, thousands relaxed in the depressed mud and gunk before pulling themselves out to the piano-laden soul-rock of Ben Folds. Umbrellas littered the crowd, everything from neon green to polka dots to even the Disney-endorsed affair. They stayed up, too, as Folds and his hired guns dove head first into the tongue-in-cheek “Bitch Went Nutz” off of last year’s lackluster Way to Normal. Whether they knew the song or were just happy to see the four-eyed piano-fiend, that’s up for discussion, but fists were up in the air and poncho-covered heads bobbled up and down.

The problem with Folds nowadays is that he’s kind of, well, dated. Aside from the “bros”, who can really get behind the seemingly-now-forced cover of “Bitches Ain’t Shit”? Even the band seemed lacked the enthusiasm, punch, and wit necessary to make it “work.” Again, blame the dismal climate conditions, but Folds came off rather remiss. Even anthemic tracks like “Landed” and “Rockin’ the Suburbs” lacked the heart ‘n’ soul that always seem to be there on repeated listens — though the latter could be blamed on the lack of synthesizers or effects, which really do sell the song.

Still, it’s Ben Folds, and while this may not have been a keystone performance (even for the day), he did come through on a few tracks. “Kate” brought soggy festivalgoers to drier days, and surprisingly enough, “Hiroshima” tore down the walls, even if there weren’t any there at the time. Though just when the band found its stride — drummer Sam Smith can become a beast — they came to a close. Quite a shame as during the set’s closer, “Army”, the entire crowd filled in on harmonies to near perfection. Forget the rain, blame the weak set list. Where was “Annie Waits”, “Zak & Sara”, or even the bittersweet “Still Fighting It”? Folds, your discography awaits you…use it. -M.R.

Fleet Foxes
Playstation: 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Where Bon Iver had just fallen flat of their recordings, Fleet Foxes took the Playstation Stage next and pushed a sound far larger and superior to their studio recordings. This didn’t seem like a possibility, though, as vocalist/guitarist Robin Pecknold quietly trod into the center of the stage, looking completely overwhelmed and discussing the fever he apparently woke up with that morning. But the soaring harmonies of “Sun Giant” showed no sign of being overwhelmed or sick. It was kind of sad to hear such a bright, breezy song about the sun that just wouldn’t show up at all.

A few songs into the set, I nearly get kicked in the head by a teenage female crowd-surfer. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Fleet Foxes are probably one of the least crowd-surf-able bands this weekend, but it was attempted nevertheless.

The rollicking, beautiful harmonies and rich musicality made “White Winter Hymnal” the absolute standout of the set, which, I guess, was to be expected from the outset. But, “Mykonos”, off of last year’s serene Sun Giant EP, gave it a run for its money. The dreamy, swirling rock paired with Pecknold’s ethereal vocals and lyrics about a pleasant (there’s that word again!) getaway made for a brief escape from the rain. -A.K.

Peter Bjorn and John
Citi: 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The last time we heard from Peter Bjorn & John at a major United States music festival it was back in March at South by Southwest. If you remember, things didn’t go to smoothly and led many to begin asking if the success of 2006′s Writer’s Block had begun to get to this Swedish outfit’s head. If Friday’s performance at the Citi Stage said anything, the weekend in Austin was nothing more than a small blip in what has otherwise been a pretty flawless career.

Within minutes of its Friday set at the Citi Stage, it became quite evident that the trio was on a mission, having returned to Lollapalooza to followup on a 2007 debut performance that was best described as disastrous — the sound cut out 15 minutes into the set. And while the weather may not have cooperated, the sound sure as hell did. The result was a 45 minute set consisting of both selections from their most recent full-length, Living Thing, and old favorites, including “Young Folks”, “Amsterdam”, and “Up Against The Wall”. It was fun, powerful, downright kick ass, and ultimately, left little doubt that these Swedes are still a force to be reckon with. – A.Y.

Andrew Bird
Playstation: 7:00-8:15 p.m.

A large portion of the Playstation crowd jumped ship after the impressive set by Fleet Foxes, but a hardcore constituency stuck it out for hometown hero Andrew Bird. After enduring a good bit of “I love you”s and the like (including [no joke] a group of females throwing underpants on stage), Bird and his bandmates were ready to get down to business (and play music, you weirdos). The sublime “Fiery Crash” opened the set on a positive note, complete with plenty of his trademark whistling. “Masterswarm” featured the first use of the iconic functional and esthetically pleasing double-leslie speaker, filling the area with a whirlwind of multi-looped violin. Bird’s excellent touring bassist Mike Lewis also filled in on clarinet and saxophone. The typically impressive violin intro for “Anonanimal” only grew more impressive with tenor sax backing Bird note for note. “Not a Robot, But A Ghost” got an extended ambient outro, including the guitarist (who Bird introduced twice as “Lonesome Jim”) holding a portable radio up to his pickups, producing a distant, echoed noise wash.

“There might be some snacks, later,” Bird hinted before jumping into “Oh No!”, the opening track off this year’s excellent Noble Beast. The latin-tinged pop of “Imitosis” was a huge hit with the laid-back crowd, even producing some dancing. The typically distant(or perhaps embarrassed) Bird even gave back some of the love he was receiving: “You’re important to me” he drawled in that bass-y way that only he could.

The typically middling “Scythian Empires” was quicker, sharper than usual. It really shows that the group has been working together for a while, establishing connections and an understanding of the way the songs worked.

And, what do you know, there were snacks. Well, there was “Tables and Chairs”, off of the sublime Mysterious Production of Eggs, with its endearingly understated chorus of “There will be snacks, there will.” The band powered right through the subtle, complex tune, adding a layer of clarinet to match Bird’s looped violin hook. But this impressive work was quickly eclipsed by a rousing, masterful rendition of “Fake Palindromes”. Bird stood on one leg, kicking the other at the knee like a child telling a long story, violin held aloft as he coyly sang the song’s second chorus. As always, Bird was nothing short of amazing in his musicianship, his engaging lyrics and his impressive, multilayered(in so many senses) performance. This set proved, for those that didn’t already know, that he is a can-not-miss type of performer, something that needs to be seen and never gets stale, instead growing and changing organically with each new day. -A.K.

Kings of Leon
Budweiser: 8:15-10:00 p.m.

Kings of Leon played to a very different Lollapalooza than they’ve played in the past. Instead of the 10 or so fans that Caleb Followill mentioned during the festivals’ traveling days and the mediocre afternoon crowd back in 2007, they played to roughly 40,000 screaming fans as one of this years six headliners opposite the park from Depeche Mode. With a headlining spot, the brothers (plus a cousin) really had a chance dig into their catalog this time around. That’s exactly what they did, as they pulled plenty of songs from all four of their albums, pleasing both avid and casual fans. Caleb mentioned that Chicago is one of his most favorite cities in the world, and he added between some sips, “I’m gonna get drunk tonight.” Something tells me that wasn’t wine up there…

After getting through the sing-a-long “Sex On Fire”, Caleb thanked the crowd again for “making us a bigger band than we really are.” Somewhat of a double edged sword, Caleb isn’t exactly happy with the huge crowds that are showing up to see the Southern rockers as he’s mentioned in multiple interviews with Rolling Stone and Mojo to name a few. After dedicating the show to a girl named Louise (sp?), who the band met during the day, they launched into current single “Use Somebody” only to follow up with a crowd pleasing “Black Thumbnail”, to which Caleb kicked the microphone off the stage. Awesome. – A. Keil

Depeche Mode
Chicago 2016: 8:00-10:00 p.m.

It’s been a long time since Depeche Mode hit the Second City, and boy does it show. An hour before the English sensation graced the stage — and just as the rain cleared and the skyline lit up — fans arrived by the truck load, camping out and claiming ground with the utmost sincerity. Mountains of sweaty, rain-weathered flesh came together at the front of the Chicago 2016 stage and went back as far as behind the sound tent, and this was at 7:45 p.m. By the time frontman Dave Gahan rattled off the lyrical madness of “In Chains” (off of this year’s Sounds of the Universe), the dedicated fanbase had formed walls and started shoving those attempting to push forward — more often than not, just stragglers who decided too late to catch Depeche.

This brought about some remarkable scenes, that played out even better with Gahan and co.’s accommodating scores. During “Wrong”, another new cut from this year, intimidating and pulsing red lights flashed on and off as zombie-looking drunks stumbled atop the fan club fans. It was chaos, but beautiful, too. As Gahan traipsed around the stage, twirling the microphone stand as if it were as light as a scarf, more and more attemped to push through, only to be butted back out. These weren’t the only spectacles, however. No, as if to top last year’s magnificent light displays (thanks to Radiohead, NIN, and Kanye West), Depeche Mode came prepared.

Throughout each song, surrounding video engulfed the band in one giant digital display. At one point, during Violator‘s classic “Policy of Truth”, gumdrops fell from a bubble, bouncing up and down, left and right, creating this jaw dropping display of candy-coated colors. Oddly enough, they all bounced along perfectly to Andrew Fletcher’s rhythmic basslines. What’s more, during “A Question of Time”, neon pinks and blues accented the stage, while each member had their share of time on-screen. It looked straight out of a music video from 1986, and added to the decadence the band sports with no shame.

What’s remarkable is how tight, crisp, and clean this band sounds. Drummer Christian Eigner is flawless, rivaling the likes of Stewart Copeland, as he throws in fill after fill. And then there’s Martin Gore, the band’s brainchild, who literally adds the glitter to the already overflowing glam this band trademarks. While nowadays Gore shares more looks with Keith Richards than that of the trendy ’80s poster-boy from yesteryear, he still dances and sings like he’s 25. During “Home”, the sparkly guitarist smiled and giggled about when the crowd gave him props. It was nice.

Some other highlights included the hair-raising, head-popping, and hip-breaking performance of “Enjoy the Silence” (no doubt a religious experience for some), the driving tour-de-force behind “Precious”, and naturally, the perfect chart topping closer, “Personal Jesus”, complete with the lifting bassline that could make any geriatric boogie. While there were some tunes amiss (“Waiting for the Night”, anyone?), the set list pleased even the most casual spectator, enough to have them argue and throw water at the more dedicated fans who refused to let them in. That’s the formula for a perfect headliner, and really, that’s exactly what Depeche Mode offered. How nice of them. -M.R.

Photo courtesy Brad Bretz

Rock the Bells evokes mixed feelings among many hip hop fans. On the one hand, the festival is notorious for delays, cancellations and shortened set times. On the other hand, you simply aren’t going to find this many great rap acts on one stage anywhere else. I attended the second show of the tour at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in the north suburbs of Detroit on Sunday. While I usually refrain from writing concert reviews in a chronological style, I feel this is the best way to capture the scope of this festival:

Pre-Show:
Concertgoers at the DTE Energy Theater were greeted at the entrance with signs announcing Busta Rhymes, scheduled to be one of the events headliners, had canceled his performance for the day. To the credit of the organizers and the venue, refunds were offered at the door, but it was still an ominous start to the day. As it turns out, Busta skipped the show to attend the BET Awards. This is a legitimate enough excuse, but one that seems could have been handled a little more in advance. At the very least it would have been nice if GU could have pulled Raekwon, GZA, or someone else off the Chicago lineup to take his place. As it was, they just started the show a little late.

The Knux:
I wasn’t a big fan of The Knux‘s instrument-driven, misogynistic debut, but it seemed logical that their music would translate well to the stage. But for whatever reason The Knux opted to play with just a DJ. The lack of a live band was a glaring omission at a festival that has seen live instrumentation added to a lot of acts who didn’t really need it (Wu-Tang comes to mind) over the years. Still, the New Orleans MC’s did a decent job holding down the stage, no small task for an early-day set in front of a nearly empty amphitheater.

K’Naan:
According to the listed set times (the updated listed set times at that), Chali 2na was to take the stage next.  Instead, K’Naan strode out to the opening chords of “In the Beginning”. The Somalian-born rapper continued to stroke his surprisingly large ego, claiming his music to be “the freshest sound you’ll hear all day.” And in a sense he was right. The Rock the Bell lineup is perpetually full of artists who were making great music last decade, or at the very least have a style that sounds like they should have been making great music last decade. K’Naan stands in opposition to this, representing hip hop’s transformation into a global genre. And the fans, most of whom did not appear to be familiar with his music, responded enthusiastically to his politically-charged lyrics, joining in the sing-along on set closer “Waving Flag”.

Slum Village:
Slum Village may have been an opening act, but the hometown fan base was clearly represented in Detroit. A large group of fans (relatively speaking) filled up the front and center of the venue, waving their hands and rapping along with the legendary J Dilla’s one-time group.

Slaughterhouse:

These guys are straight up rappers. In my Rock the Bells preview I called them the best MC collective since Wu-Tang Clan. After seeing them perform I stand by my claim, though their lyrical prowess did not exactly translate that well to a large stage, especially a large stage in a nearly empty venue. Perhaps they knew this and it explains why they spent probably ten minutes in an a cappella cipher. Or maybe ciphers are just their thing considering, you know, they are so damn good at it.  Regardless, it was easily the best part of their set. Slaughterhouse also gets bonus points for some of the most entertaining artist banter of the day, dropping gems like, “Give it up for Royce da 5’9″…holding it down for Detroit…if [he] ever grew an inch he’d be fucked,” and “Everyone put a peace sign in the air for Michael…I’m going to put a middle finger in the air for that lying little kid.”

Tech N9ne:

Here is a fun fact. Last year, Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne was the third highest grossing touring artist in hip hop, trailing only Jay-Z and Kanye West. I know, right? It’s not all that surprising when you consider his legions of fans. I can’t lie. I own none of the guy’s music and I don’t really see that changing anytime soon. But he put on a pretty entertaining set and he wore face paint and it turns out those are the two things I look for when I don’t know any of the songs. Also, I saw him a couple hours later in the deserted food area just having a bite to eat with a few people…and he was in full makeup!

Reflection Eternal:

Reunited with Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli put on a set that was a whole lot like the sets he puts on without Hi-Tek.  He was perhaps the first artist of the day to come across unmotivated, forgivable given the small crowd.  The set was obviously high on music from the duo’s aged debut album, including “Move Something” and “Too Late” among others. They also touched on new music from their upcoming second album. But like usual, the best crowd reaction was saved for “Definition”, “Get’em High”, and “Get By”. Still, even the latter, usually one of the best live hip hop songs, came across a bit flat, as Kweli half-heartedly sleepwalked through the whole false start routine.

The Roots:

Perhaps it is just me, but it seems that the Roots hour-long set was shockingly low on covers. Maybe with the late night gig and the decline in tour dates they are just welcoming the opportunity to perform songs they wrote themselves. And I have to say, as much fun as their trademark jam sessions are, it was really nice to hear them delve into their back catalog to play songs like “Respond/React” and “Proceed” along with live staples like “Star” and “The Seed”.

Big Boi:
The nice thing about rappers is that, for the most part, they know what the crowd wants to hear. Big Boi spent very little time previewing material from his upcoming Sir Luscious Leftfoot, electing instead to please the audience with just about every single OutKast ever recorded (aside from the strangely absent “B.O.B.”)  He even dug a little deeper on “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Part 1)”.  Still, as much fun it was to hear these songs live, the performance just increased desires to see an OutKast tour, or at least that new album Big Boi kept promising throughout the show.

Nas & Damian Marley:
I am continually amazed by Nas‘s stage presence. He seems to get better every time I see him, bringing a level of intensity and emotion that is nearly unmatched in the genre. The last three times I saw him he performed solo, with no hype man or band. It was just DJ Green Lantern, Nas and one mic. Queensbridge’s finest was able to hold down an empty stage better than anyone I have ever seen. But on Sunday he had a full band, along with what could be called the greatest hype man of all time in Damian Marley.

Nas went on first, bursting onto stage as the band played the opening notes of “Hip Hop is Dead”. He proceeded through his typical Illmatic medley, finally bringing Damian Marley (and that flag waving guy…I wonder if it is the same guy every time) onto the stage after four songs. Nas continued through his hits with Marley helping him out and lending his own flavor to the songs.  There were too many great moments to name. Nas’ “One Love” ended by breaking down into a reggae beat and transitioning into Bob Marley’s “One Love”. “If I Ruled the World” was an emotion-packed sing-along with Nas commenting on Michael Jackson being in a better place. Eventually, Nas took a break and left Marley to perform his solo material. He slowed the tempo of the show down a bit, mixing covers of “War” and “No More Trouble” in with some of his slower songs. It all lead up to the rollicking “Welcome to Jamrock”, which got the crowd as live as it had been all day.  So far.

The real party was going on up in the lawn and the concourse separating it from the seats. I learned this when I left my seat and headed for the back, (mistakenly) assuming the show was just about over. That’s when Nas raged back on stage and tore into “Hate Me Now” and everyone just started going bananas. The entire concourse was a dance pit. B-boy circles broke out all over the place. It was pure joyful mayhem. And that was before the triumphant flourish of “My President” drove the crowd into a further frenzy by bringing back memories of another timeless night seven and a half months before. And that was before he ripped through “I Can”, “Made You Look” and “One Mic”.

The show wasn’t over yet. Marley returned and the two performed together on “Road to Zion” and a song from the new album. The mellower songs offered the crowd a chance to catch its breath before a short walk to the parking lot (let’s face it….everyone was parked pretty close…sorry, just had to get one more cheap shot in.) All in all, the set checked in at close to ninety minutes, long by hip hop standards and unheard of by Rock the Bells standards.

Final Thoughts:
My problems with Guerilla Union and the Rock the Bells festival have been well documented in the past and I’m sure I will have more to say on some of these issues in the future. Instead, I chose to focus this review on the music and I have absolutely no major complaints on any of Sunday’s sets. All qualms aside, it was an incredible day of music. The crowd was small but the vibes were good. Most importantly, there were no major delays and every act played its full set time. This seems to be a huge step in the right direction. Let’s just hope there is enough interest around the country for the festival to continue moving forward.