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

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

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

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

The MTK Festival may be making a play to become the next East coast multi-day festival to beat the odds, but it’s already got some local competition. Just twenty minutes down the road, the inaugural Escape to New York “creative art, music and interactive performance party” will be held August 5th to the 7th.

Set on the Shinnecock Reservation Land in Southampton, New York, the event comes from the creator of UK’s The Secret Garden Party. It looks to to make an equally lasting impression on American soil with The Godmother of Punk Patti Smith and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros topping the lineup.

Further acts include The Vaccines, Best Coast, Au Revoir Simone, The Postelles, and White Rabbits. Finishing off the initial lineup are Chairlift, Lissy Trullie, Graffiti 6, Submarines, and Static Jacks. Sunday acts and a promised Dance Tent are still in the offing, so stay tuned.

Tickets are currently on sale for $275 plus fees and parking passes. Single day tickets are available for $100 a day. Check the event’s website for ticketing information and more details.

While other acts are channeling the Beach Boys and Led Zeppelins of the world, The Postelles have fused Jan & Dean and a slightly more mod-ish version of The Strokes (that second influence is abundantly clear as Albert Hammond Jr. produced four of the album’s 11 tracks.) Like the bubblegum rock of the ’60s, The Postelles work best with a catchy concept. “123 Stop” is especially full of an overly sweet, cutesy defeat, a song where a pretty boy pouts to his best girl over the sounds of a low-key groove. Like The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me” or Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”, the protagonist in “Boy’s Best Friend” deals with a girl who doesn’t like boys. Rather than being upset, the boy confesses his understanding to a layer of rich, jangly guitars.

But save for a few great moments, musically speaking, the band is reminiscent of a cover band: all the right notes are being hit, but none of the feeling is there. Tracks are repetitive and uninspired, with each sounding too familiar. Yes, the rock of the ’60s was known for its uber-polished exterior, but even the most gimmicky of songs let loose with pained vocals or a feeling of despair via a heavy organ. This emotional emptiness is even more disappointing as the band is comprised of crack writers who continue the disconnect in some great lyrics and concepts.

“Blue Room” is actually a step toward reworking that gimmicky formula of 60′s pop-rock songs. Here, the protagonist sings, “And when she said she’d leave you/I never thought that she would mean for me/In spite of what she needs, try not turn your back on me.” In a hyper-modernized doo-wop call back, the friend responds, “The truth is always blind to me,” with the not-so-great of a friend admitting that it’s all “the jealous mind.” Here we have a unique perspective, one with an edge of realism and a tinge of awkwardness to the situation of jilted lovers. But save for a neat-o concept, the song falls flat, without a big enough reach musically or drudging up serious pain and absolute devastation.

“Whisper Whisper” features the same lack of enthusiasm and boundary-pushing. A girl deals with the kind of guy who slaps girls in the face and tells them he loves them, the kind of guy full of vile intentions and sugar-sweet promises. As the protagonist talks to the friend/ex-girlfriend, you’re left to wonder where the outrage and indignation toward her abuse went. There’s a disconnect between the feelings in lyrics and how those feelings are expressed sonically that much of the album suffers from, stifling some great potential. But it also shows a complete misreading of the potential of the music of the ’60s and ’70s: It wasn’t about a particular sound– it was about innovation and changing the world one tune at a time.

Have you ever seen That Thing You Do, the film about the rise and fall of the fictional band The Oneders? The Postelles are kind of like that. Everything feels like a construct, and while good pop music calls out to be devoured over and over again, their debut becomes just another footnote in the musical revolution.

The New York foursome have been working on their debut for the past couple years, a time period they also spent building a live reputation from small clubs to major festivals. They’ve also caught the attention of The Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., who loaned his skills to co-produce the record with the band.

“We’ve been working at this for quite a while and still have a long way to go,” said frontman Daniel Balk. ”But we’re so excited to release this album, to get out there and continue to tour and share our music and hopefully help some people have a little fun while we’re at it.”

They certainly are continuing to share their music. This past March, The Postelles released a new EP, White Light. The effort’s title track can be download from the band’s official website.

The Postelles Tracklist:
01. White Night
02. Sleep on the Dance Floor
03. 123 Stop
04. Boy’s Best Friend
05. Can’t Stand Still
06. Hold On
07. Stella
08. Hey Little Sister
09. Whisper Whisper
10. Blue Room
11. She She

The Postelles 2010 Tour Dates:
04/23 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Skidmore College %
04/26 – Norwich, UK @ Arts Centre *
04/27 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms *
04/28 – Leeds, UK @ Cockpit *
05/01 – London, UK @ Camden Crawl Festival
05/02 – London, UK @ Camden Crawl Festival
05/03 – Sheffield, UK @ Leadmill*
05/04 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy 2 *
05/14 – London, UK @ Club NME at Koko
06/10 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
07/28 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

% = w/ The Walkmen
* = w/ The Futureheads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Update: Here is the initial lineup…

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

Here are other expected and rumored acts.

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

Feature image courtesy of Ryan Mastro…

Per an interview with Spinner, the band decided to split recording into two very unique locations before finishing the album in their van between tour stops, including a recent gig at the Iceland Airwaves festival.

“Recording was a multifaceted process,” frontman Daniel Balk said. “First, we rented space at a studio called Quad Studios in Times Square, which was really weird because, as New Yorkers, we don’t really spend a lot of time there.”

Yes, that’s the same studio where Tupac got shot. Then their next stop, which may seem to needlessly make the whole ordeal longer than necessary, was a move of creative brilliance.

“So we were there for four days at first just, as an initial push and we basically worked 15, 16-hour days and we just went nuts,” Balk said. “That was half the record. The other half we did at Phillip Glass’ Looking Glass Studio with our friend Albert Hammond, Jr. of the Strokes. Very different experiences.”

What they’re now left with is songs that take a Strokes level retro rock and feeds it through a combination garage rock/Wall of Sound machine. Two songs, “Can’t Stand Still” and “Boy’s Best Friend”, are available now on the band’s MySpace.

Stay tuned for more album details and tour plans.