Consequence of Sound » The Stills http://consequenceofsound.net Think Fast, Listen Slowly Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:20:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Top Stories of 2011 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/12/year-in-news-2011/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/12/year-in-news-2011/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/12/annual-stories.jpg Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:47 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=172427

Two decades from now, how do you think 2011 will be remembered? As the year we lost Amy Winehouse? How about the year three of music’s most iconic outfits – The White Stripes, R.E.M., and LCD Soundsystem — all decided to call it quits? Maybe Lana Del Rey will prove a sustainable force and then we can all tell our children about the great collagen debate of 2011. Or try to explain to them how two rock and roll hall of famers came together to create the worst piece of music imaginable.

Yeah, 2011 was a fucking weird year. Like, a total mindfuck. We lost some great ones, both literally and figuratively, and we wrote or read about them in between stories about Wayne Coyne’s gummy fetus and Nick Oliveri’s standoff with a S.W.A.T. team. Along the way, we were presented with a legal way to listen to a jazilion songs for free, watched that dude from Nine Inch Nails win an Oscar, and witnessed the return of not just Kate Bush and Tom Waits, but Jeff Mangum as well. Yet, at the end of the day, Lana Del Rey’s collagen lips and Odd Future’s misogynistic tendencies won the award for stories with the longest shelf life on my Twitter feed.

Then again, four weeks from now it’ll be 2012′s turn and who knows what that year has in store. Maybe some scientist will be able to revive Jim Morrison’s frozen head so that we can have a true collaboration between The Doors and Skrillex. Whatever the case may be, Consequence of Sound will be here, 24/7/365, ready to bring you all the major headlines. Until then, though, we remember the last 12 months, categorized by themes, in the pages that follow. And, as always, thanks for reading.

– Alex Young
Publisher

R.I.P.: The Ones We Lost in 2011

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011): The soulful, sultry songstress was the first British female to win five Grammy awards. Unfortunately, she also became a member of the infamous “27 Club” when police found her dead in her London home on July 23rd. An autopsy later confirmed her death as the result of accidental alcohol poisoning.

Clarence Clemons (1942-2011): Founding member and saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Clemons was a larger-than-life figure, and he’ll forever be remembered for his solos on “Jungleland” and “Born to Run”. Clemons died on June 18th from complications caused by a stroke. He was 69.

Bert Jansch (1943-2011): Acclaimed Scottish folk singer who was both a celebrated solo musician and member of the band Pentangle. Jansch died on October 5th following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 67.

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011): A celebrated musician, poet, and author who was largely credited as one of the leading influences of hip-hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron died on May 27th. He was 62.

Heavy D (1967-2011): The founding member and leader of Heavy D & the Boyz helped bridge the worlds of hip-hop and R&B in the ’90s before transitioning to a career in film. Heavy D (born Dwight Arrington Myers) died on November 8th reportedly from complications of pneumonia. He was 44.

Nate Dogg (1969-2011): West coast crooner collaborated with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Hale) died from complications of multiple strokes on March 15th. He was 41.

Poly Styrene (1957-2011): The former singer of X-Ray Spek was described as the “archetype for the modern-day feminist punk.” Styrene died on April 25th following a battle with breast cancer. She was 53.

Trish Keenan (1968-2011): Founding member and singer of British electronic band Broadcast. Keenan died from complications with pneumonia on January 14th. She was 42.

Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011): Legendary guitarist and longtime collaborator of blues icon Howlin’ Wolf is ranked at number forty-three in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Sumlin died on December 4th. He was 80.

Cory Smoot: (1977-2011): Guitarist for the shock rock band GWAR was the longest-serving member to play the character Flattus Maximus. Smoot was found dead on the band’s tour bus on November 3rd; as of December 5th, his cause of death is still unknown. He was 34.

DJ Mehdi (1977-2011): French hip-hop and electro producer was a member of Ed Banger Records and collaborated with Chromeo, Cassius, and Carte Blanche. DJ Mehdi (born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi) died on September 13th when the roof of his Paris home collapsed during a friend’s birthday party. He was 34.

Michael “Würzel” Burston (1949-2011): The former Army corporal served as guitarist for Motörhead from 1984-1995. Würzel died from complications of heart disease on July 9th. He was 61.

Mike Starr (1966-2011): The founding member and bassist of Alice in Chains contributed to two studio albums — including the 1992 classic Dirt — before departing in 1993. Starr was found dead on March 8th, with an autopsy later finding traces of drugs in his system. He was 44.

Suze Rotolo (1943-2011): The former girlfriend of Bob Dylan inspired many of the songwriter’s early love songs and appeared on the iconic cover of his 1963 classic, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Rotolo died of lung cancer on February 25th. She was 67.

Gerard Smith (1974-2011): The TV on the Radio bassist appeared on the band’s celebrated albums Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, and Nine Types of Light. Smith died from lung cancer on April 20th. He was 36.

John Barry (1933-2011): The Academy Award-winning composer soundtracked 12 James Bond films between 1962 and 1987 in addition to Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Out of Africa. Barry died of a heart attack on January 30th. He was 77.

Mikey Welsh (1971-2011): The former Weezer bassist appeared on the band’s 2001 The Green Album. Welsh was found dead on October 8th. He was 40.

Welcome Back: 2011′s Reunions

Photo by Colin Athens

While 2011 was a particularly harsh year for band breakups (see the next slide), at least Pulp came back. Long a dream on festival message boards, the legendary UK outfit finally reunited in the summer of 2011 for their first live performances in nine years. Our own Frank Mojica was at the band’s comeback show at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and declared it “an explosive set that cemented Pulp’s status as the essential festival band of 2011 and will be remembered as fondly and regarded as definitive as their Glastonbury 1995 performance.”

However, Pulp wasn’t the only celebrated outfit to return in 2011. Buffalo Springfield — the folk rock supergroup comprised of Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young — reunited after 43 years for a brief West coast tour and headlining performance at Bonnaroo. Wrote our own Carson O’Shoney of their Bonnaroo appearance: “Even those who weren’t familiar with the band’s work were surely impressed. Seeing Neil Young wail on guitar is simply one of the better things in all of music. But the final three knockout punches of ‘Broken Arrow’, ‘For What It’s Worth’, and ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ were what really solidified it as one of the best sets of the weekend.”

Other 2011 reunions:

After inciting a riot during their first live performance in five years at South by Southwest, hard-hitting Canadian outfit Death From Above 1979 played any and every summer festival, including Coachella, Sasquatch!, Quebec City Summer Fest, Lollapalooza, FYF Fest, ACL, and Treasure Island.

Post-punk icons New Order reunited after five years with a pair of benefit shows in Europe.

Mazzy Star unleashed a two-song single, their first pieces of new music in 15 years.

Ben Folds reunited Ben Folds Five for their first new material in a decade.

UK glam rock outfit The Darkness reunited for their first live performance since 2006 at UK’s Download Festival.

In celebration of their 45th anniversary, The Monkees hit the road for their first live performances since 1997. Unfortunately, the final eight dates of their trek were canceled “due to internal group issues and conflicts.”

Chicago’s own Hum delivered their first performance in a decade.

San Diego-based post-hardcore outfit Hot Snakes reunited at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas in December.

Austin, TX, noise rock pioneers Scratch Acid toured extensively for the first time in over two decades.

NYC punk band D-Generation hit the road in the fall for their first performances since 1999. A new album is also in the works.

Mexico City rock band Caifanes reunited after 15 years for a performance at Coachella.

The End of An Era: 2011′s Breakups

Bands, like trends, come and go. Some last for decades with deep catalogs, and others only survive a couple years with an album or two. Their presence has a lasting impact on our lives and ears, and thus their disbandment has the same. To the greats we lost this year: Thanks for the tunes. -Ben Kaye

R.E.M. (1981-2011): Seminal, legendary, and unequaled, Georgia’s alternative rock icons ended their career after three decades. From their 1983 debut, Murmur, to their 2011 finale, Collapse Into Now, to the world’s first GIF album cover, the band exemplified how to be successful, innovative, and cool while remaining uncompromising. Their legacy will be felt for decades more to come.

The White Stripes (1997-2011): One of the greatest bands of the era, this garage blues-rock duo left an indelible mark on music with six albums. Jack White will continue on in his myriad of forms, but The White Stripes will be remembered as the band that started it all and his most widely celebrated triumph.

LCD Soundsystem (2001-2011): These modern dance-punk virtuosos left us with three full-lengths and a year-long swan song, culminating in a finale at Madison Square Garden. And we still wish we were getting more.

Rilo Kiley (1998-2011): Fourteen years of indie rock ended rather unceremoniously. Regardless, their sophomore full-length, The Execution of All Things, will go down as one of the best albums of the last decade.

The Stills (2000-2011): These Canadian indie rockers released three albums over 10 years. They will likely be best remembered for 2008’s Juno Award-winning Oceans Will Rise.

The Academy Is… (2003-2011): These Warped Tour regulars dispersed while in the process of recording album #4. At least they got to tour with KISS before it ended.

Dear and the Headlights (2005-2011): Two full-lengths and extensive touring proved too much for this Arizona indie pop rock band. Scared by all the lights.

The Felix Culpa (2003-2011): Unsung heroes of the Midwest post-hardcore scene. Despite the success of last year’s self-released sophomore effort, Sever Your Roots, there will be no more happy mistakes.

Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (1984-2011): Founding members of Sonic Youth and godparents of indie rock. What the power couple’s separation means for their iconic band is yet to be seen, though side projects abound.

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel (2009-2011): This pair of indie darlings split after only two years of marriage amidst heavy work schedules for each. While separations are always sad, we can’t help but swoon over the idea that Deschanel is technically available…

Digital Takeover

On July 14, 2011, millions of music fans sighed in relief: Spotify hit U.S. shores, and the end of the war on music drew closer to its end. Now, that’s not entirely true – the labels still aren’t too happy, neither are the artists – but the idea that “music is free” has never been more agreed upon until now. Thanks to Spotify, users can legally check out a variety of new releases in addition to a fully digestible catalog that spans everyone from ABBA to John Zorn, at any time — even on their phones, though that option will cost them. But it’s a price that many will pay, simply because it’s the way of the future.

It’s the death of the mp3 and the dawn of the truly, strictly digital age, where music listeners can immerse themselves in digital clouds of music. This year, Apple, Amazon, and Google Music all introduced similar formats, asking users to upload their collections into digital lockers, where they’ll always have access. Anywhere. Anytime. Where else can you go from there?

How about interactivity? Online forums evolved this year, too. “You should check this band out” is so passe. Instead, online users are opting for more media savvy formats, where they can turn their textual suggestions into aural delights. Through a service like Turntable.fm, which surfaced earlier this year, users now create rooms, throwing online soirees, where they DJ their own stations. All of this comes at little to no price and with zero trouble (although, there are always exceptions). So, it’s been a pretty transitive year in the music industry. A game changer, if you will. -Michael Roffman

An Odd Future, Indeed.

There’s that wonderful exchange at the end of Batman Begins, when Lt. Gordon digresses on The Caped Crusader’s influence over Gotham City, calling attention to like-minded criminals with a “taste for the theatrical,” stating plainly, “You really started something.” So true of the internet. Most of the time, you’ll find a chunky, melting pot of deep-seeded opinions, but sometimes, just sometimes, they all come together to agree on something. That’s when true change is had. And it can happen overnight.

Case in point: Odd Future and Lana Del Rey.

Controversy played a big role in the successes of these two – the former because of obscenities, the latter because of collagen – but, really, it only fueled it. The real credit, however, goes to the blogosphere. It’s the classic “she tells her friends” routine – only to an ungodly nth degree. One blog hypes a track, one site swears by another, and all of a sudden you’re trending on social networks nationwide, then worldwide, then… yeah, it sort of stops there. It’s nothing new. That’s the true nature of a fad (see: Trapper Keepers, Pogs, LA Gear). But, it’s never seen extremes such as this.

And as polarizing as these acts may be – “Aren’t they being misogynistic?”; “She’s not real! Her real name’s Lizzy Grant! OMFG, hate her!!1!” – it’s the way they came to fruition that’s far more interesting. It reveals a true power within the internet, one that may or may not be good. Regardless of its moral worth, though, it’s here to stay. As the Joker, essentially a by-product of Batman, ominously declared in the film’s follow-up, “There’s no going back. You’ve changed things… forever.” Yep. Deal with it, folks. -Michael Roffman

The Return of R&B

Some guy somewhere jokingly called it “PBR&B” and that gained traction for a little while — R&B for “hipsters.” If we take one thing away from this, let it be this: The resurgence and strength of R&B in 2011 had nothing to do with “hipsters,” a word I apologetically use here (and if I had two wishes for Christmas this year, it would be that I never hear that word again). The strength of The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, The-Dream, How To Dress Well, Active Child, and tangentially Drake this year was born from little else than a defibrillator to a dormant art form using a bit of indie sentiment.

The Weeknd’s sudden and (not so) mysterious arrival drew the highest peak in the EKG chart with the hedonistic, dripping-wet jams of his House of Balloons mixtape, sampling Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, which of course reached across the aisle to white tumblrites more ostensibly than Aaliyah and R. Kelly ever did in the 90’s. From there, Frank Ocean bowed out of producing pop hits for Biebs and made known his association with OFWGKTA for his Nostalgia Ultra mixtape, a damp and druggy confessional. Kanye took a liking to him, as well.

The cross-cultural movement was just as strong for Active Child’s choir-boy jams and How To Dress Well’s shrouded pangs, both of whom collaborated with each other on the song “Playing House”. There are many more artists working with these tools: production rooted in current trends, voices like butter, beats like woah. Perhaps the response to the hidden vocals of last year’s genre de l’année Chillwave is that these artists are putting the spotlight back on the soul of the human voice.  -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of the Legacy Act

It’s been seven years since Tom Waits released his 23rd album, six years since Kate Bush released her 9th, and 13 years since Jeff Mangum (as Neutral Milk Hotel) released his second. Not all acts that resurface have to have page-long catalogs, and like Mangum, not all comebacks have to include new material, but these three artists made the biggest impact in 2011 after some time away from the spotlight.

Not even just away from the spotlight, but in some cases purposefully reclusive. Before this year, Jeff Mangum appearances were becoming lore, like seeing the face of Mother Mary in a Crunchwrap Supreme. Mangum only did some one-off shows in barns or was seen looming backstage at some gig. But last January, he announced his reemergence for ATP New Jersey at the “I’ll Be Your Mirror” event — a festival! He went from barns to a major festival in like a year! He then went on a small U.S. tour and released a career-spanning Neutral Milk Hotel box set, and there are no signs of him stopping with tour dates already stretching into 2012.

For Kate Bush, pace is the trick. With 10 albums in over 30 years, we’re running on her press cycle — releasing her babies into the world only when they’re ready to leave the nest. With a flurry (ahem), she dropped two albums in 2011 — her self-explanatory Director’s Cut and her acclaimed new studio album, 50 Words for Snow. With no tour or late-night performances, Bush is still staying out of the limelight for now. But it’s not like she needs the press.

And then there’s the categorical Tom Waits, doing his thing for the 24th time with not a hint of phoning it in. Bad As Me is another trophy for his buckling shelf and his most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Twenty-four albums in 37 years with rarely a misstep or an eye roll, soundtracking movies, musicals, German surrealist plays, and with his release this year, he’s only further cementing himself as an American cultural icon. We await for “Waitsian” to be added to dictionaries. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

It’s a predicament: A member of Radiohead posts something online (e.g. new track, obscure art, a haiku-like blog entry, et al.), and you’re a.) out at lunch, b.) four hours into a deep sleep, or c.) at your own wedding. Whatever the situation, you’re finding the closest computer and fast. That sort of conundrum plagues every blogger’s life annually, but especially in 2011. As of today, Consequence of Sound has 10 pages of Radiohead-related news for this year alone. Quite a lot. To think, it all started in the eye-tweaking, early morning hours of February 14th, 2011. That’s when the group announced the release of their eighth LP, The King of Limbs, set to deliver only four days later. Naturally, the ‘net exploded soon after; in fact, as one reader put it that morning, “I just pooped my pants.”

That reaction turned sour (or just downright polarizing) when the LP eventually surfaced. Some complained about its length (a copious 37 minutes), speculating on a second part (which never materialized), while others wondered where the band went, calling it a Yorke-centric effort. A week after it was announced, Consequence of Sound awarded the album four stars, hailing it as “one of their most absorbing efforts to date.” (Currently, the album has a Metacritic score of 80.) Despite the general acclaim, critics everywhere levied their slight disappointment between their words.

But that hardly stalled the group. Since 2007′s event release of In Rainbows, the UK collective has stayed ahead of the curve, and this year was no different. Things just got weird. They issued a free newspaper, their “Lotus Flower” video sent dance enthusiasts on edge, and Yorke started hitting the DJ scene hard. But, on the other hand, they struck all the right nerves by releasing an exclusive Record Store Day 7″, “surprising” festivalgoers at Glastonbury, endorsing an album of remixes, and media blitzing NYC for a week (which included stops at Fallon, SNL, The Colbert Report, and two sold-out nights at The Roseland Ballroom). It doesn’t look like it’ll end for 2012, either, what with another LP and a proper tour on the way. That’s okay, though. Our stomachs, sleep schedules, and loved ones won’t appreciate it, but hey, more Radiohead, right? As the old adage with this group goes, “Stay tuned.” -Michael Roffman

The Day Trent Reznor Won An Oscar

When first approached by director David Fincher to score his film about the founding of Facebook, Trent Reznor had just wrapped up Nine Inch Nails’ lengthy farewell tour and was planning to take time off. However, as Reznor later explained, “When I actually read the script and realized what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned.” Undoubtedly attracted by the film’s sentiments on isolation, greed, and entitlement (all familiar issues to the Nine Inch Nails frontman), Reznor graciously accepted his new role as film composer.

Teaming with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, the duo would go on to create a masterpiece of “alternative-rock infused ambient electronic music” that as our Drew Litowitz writes, “mimics the anxious ambivalence that Sorkin’s script and Fincher’s direction convey so similarly.”  The score amplified the angst and turmoil that accompanied the success of Mark Zuckerberg. For a movie with no ostensible “action” sequences, the score built tension to great heights alongside Aaron Sorkin’s signature verbose script. One question remained: Would movie critics give praise to an outside artist who once sang, “God is dead and no one cares/ if there’s a hell, I’ll see you there”?

With 15 nominations for Best Original Score, it seemed Reznor and Ross had created a score that struck an international cord. Even after winning the Golden Globe, skeptics wondered if The Academy would give Reznor and Ross the Oscar over perennial favorites Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat. All doubt dissipated when Nicole Kidman and the all-too-pleased Hugh Jackman called the duo up to accept each one’s first Academy Award. “Wow, is this really happening?” Reznor asked during his acceptance speech.

Reznor’s now working on the score for the Fincher-directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Will he need to make more room on his trophy shelf? Plus, with an alt-rock artist taking home the coveted award, might Reznor’s win, combined with the efforts of Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers, be incentive for more contemporary artists to try their hand at composing film scores? We’d like to hope so. -Derek Staples

Who is Arcade Fire??!!?

Sunday, February 13, 2011. Talk about a tumultuous 24-hour news cycle: Hours before Radiohead resurfaced to wreak havoc on the ‘net with The King of Limbs (see page nine), Arcade Fire walked home with a Grammy for Album of the Year for their 2010 album, The Suburbs. As Win Butler & Co. cooked up an impromptu cut of “Ready to Start” over the ceremony’s closing credits, fingers raced across keyboards, mouses clicked, and emotions ran wild. Some praised the news – Kanye West tweeted, “#Arcade fire!!!!!!!!!! There is hope!!! I feel like we all won when something like this happens! FUCKING AWESOME!” – while others, many others, updated their Facebook and Twitter accounts in utter confusion. Thus, one of 2011′s most popular internet memes came to fruition: Who Is Arcade Fire??!!?

For days following the Grammys, the widely celebrated Tumblr account reposted countless social media updates from users everywhere, all of whom had no clue who these Canadian indie rockers were. Some were angry, some were frustrated, and some felt victimized – as if the Grammys robbed Lady Antebellum, Eminem, Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry of a truer win. Naturally, as with anything this insubstantial to normal, everyday life, the wake calmed and most of the anger turned to curiosity. This partly speaks for the thousands upon thousands of fans that arrived in droves to catch them headline festivals, or take over their nearby venues. Creation through chaos, so to speak.

So, while recent Grammy-nominee Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) might think otherwise, the Grammys proved that they do still hold some weight, turning an indie rock icon into a household name. Admittedly, you might not appreciate your mother keeping The Suburbs on rotation with Taylor Swift, but hey, it’s an improvement, right? Yep, Jimbo: “Strange days have found us.” -Michael Roffman

Lulu and more WTF collaborations

We’re generally all for unique, head-turning collaborations, but some instances of teamwork insanity in 2011 really had us going “WTF?” For instance, just last week director Darren Aronofsky glorified Lou Reed and Metallica’s Lulu, which our own Jeremy D. Larson so bluntly described as ”a complete failure on every tangible and intangible level of its existence,” with a music video for “The View”. But not even a video by a top-notch director can save an album doomed by its concept and only further hindered by poor production that awkwardly abandons Reed’s vocals on top of the mix

If Metallica and Lou Reed would have spent a bit more time exploring other odd collabos of 2011, they possibly could have avoided their joint tragedy all together. Back in July, SuperHeavy, the supergroup made up of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley, dropped their first single, “Miracle Worker”. The bloated, inorganic track felt stapled together, with many critics and listeners calling it a marketing ploy by Warner Music Group.

Then in August, profanities flew left and right when we were presented with this picture of Jack White and Insane Clown Posse. If the pic wasn’t awful enough, whoever chose to listen to the White-produced “Leck Mich Im Arsch” and “Mountain Girls” were subjected to ICP at their crudest and most bizarre. Once again, we were left with two very important questions: Was this some maniacal plan each shared during their days in Michigan, or was this collaboration the strange payoff of a backroom bet?

Arguably, Re:Generation takes the prize for most “WTF”-worthy collaboration. Presented by the Hyundai Volster, the concept of Re:Generation was to explore jazz, R&B, country, classical, and rock through the eyes of five modern DJ/producers. Pairings included the Crystal Method and Martha Reeves, Pretty Lights, Leann Rimes, and Ralph Stanley, and the most noteworthy, Skrillex and the remaining members of The Doors. All that bass resonating from “Breakin’ a Sweat” had Jim Morrison rolling in his Parisian grave.

Here’s hoping 2012 finally brings us that Celebrity: Apprentice-inspired boy band featuring Meat Loaf, Lil Jon, and Mark McGrath. -Derek Staples

The Year of the Gummy Fetus

This past January, the often-unconventional Flaming Lips did something decidedly conventional: re-sign with Warner Bros. Records for a multi-year deal. However, with the deal came a newfound level of creative freedom, which Wayne Coyne and co. used to build their wildest and wackiest year to date. Seriously, some weird stuff’s ahead.

The band’s 2011 was marked by decidedly gimmicky ploys to sell music. If they weren’t schlepping tunes inside of gummy skulls or gummy female anatomy, they were creating songs that were six and 24 hours long (though proceeds from those massive, massive “songs” did go toward charity). That, or the group was busy crafting tunes about copulating blobs with the use of YouTube. Some of their releases, like where they wrote people’s name into songs, were decidedly hokey (even if, once again, they were for a good cause). If there were any legit music-making endeavors, like collabos with Prefuse 73, Neon Indian, and Lightning Bolt, not to mention super-shows with Weezer and Yeasayer, they were outshined by graveyard gigs and playing human Whack-A-Mole with SUNY students. If it made headlines while generating mass confusion this year, The Flaming Lips were undoubtedly behind it.

There’s no way to catalog these decisions and projects as true artistic exploration. If anything, nearly everything the band did this year were either jokes and goofs or absurd, almost harebrained marketing schemes. But when someone gives the inmates the keys to the asylum, should anyone be surprised when they smear the walls in green paint and dress up like penguins? We, for one, applaud Wayne Coyne and company for doing what they do best: entertaining us with their increasingly batshit hijinks. Here’s to the kooky things the band will cook up in 2012. -Chris Coplan

Stage Collapses

In the span of two months between July and August 2011, a freak trend hit the music world. Four stages in three separate countries collapsed, killing a total of 11 and injuring many more. The first collapse occurred on July 17th at the Ottawa Bluesfest, where strong winds caused the festival’s main stage to implode 20 minutes into Cheap Trick’s set. Gusts blew the stage backwards, which pushed the scaffold to teeter under the force. Three people were reported injured, and the remainder of the fest – one headlining spot by Death Cab for Cutie – was canceled.

Then, just weeks later on August 7th, a similar occurrence befell Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Brady District Block Party. Moments before local heroes The Flaming Lips were scheduled to go on, a lighting rig was struck by wind and fell into the stage. Though the stage was evacuated beforehand, preventing injury to fans, band members, and road crew, some $800,000 worth of the Lips’ equipment was damaged or destroyed.

The summer festival circuit’s worst incident occurred six days later during country duo Sugarland’s set at the Indiana State Fair. A massive gust of wind toppled the stage, sending steel scaffolding, lighting, and sound equipment into the audience. The destruction of the stage had come just minutes after organizers had announced the storm and outlined evacuation plans. Seven people died as a result of the collapse, with another 44 receiving treatment for various injuries at nearby hospitals.

The fourth and final collapse took place on August 18th at the Pukkelpop festival in Hasselt, Belgium. As Chicago-based indie rock band Smith Westerns were playing on The Chateau Stage, bursts of wind uprooted trees and collapsed several festival tents. The band was evacuated offstage just prior to its collapse. (A second construct, the Shelter stage, was also damaged by weather.) Four people were killed, with another 75 reported injured. The festival, scheduled to run until the 20th, was canceled Friday morning (August 19th).

Late last month, in the aftermath of the incident in Indiana, 51 individuals connected to the collapse sued Sugarland, concert promoters, and those who built the stage for breach of reasonable care. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A state-sponsored investigation of the collapse will be completed before the case moves forward.

On a more positive note, following the tragedies, fans, musicians, journalists, and festival promoters alike have all emerged to sound the call for increased safety measures, demanding better crowd accommodation and weather preparedness. While festivals will always contend with X-factors, better preparation can only benefit subsequent summer festival seasons. -Chris Coplan

And the Rest…

Clearly, as you’ve just read, a lot of things happened to the musical landscape in 2011. Some occurrences, though, were so darn awesome, head-turning, or just downright strange that they can’t be classified anywhere else. So, here they are, the rest of the biggest news stories of the year. -Ben Kaye

Kanye: The Musical: Ya know, this was probably bound to happen. Students at Australia’s Sydney University told the tale of Ye, from making beats for Jay-Z to his solo ascension, in this September production “about a guy who took a shot at the throne and didn’t miss.”

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks hold a “blowjob” contest: Seems the lyrics to “Senator” weren’t exactly FCC-approved. The line “I know what the senator wants/what the senator wants is a blowjob” needed a rewrite for the radio, so Malkmus reached out to fans for help. Turns out the senator actually wanted a corndog (who doesn’t?).

Bon Iver Day: Even a perfunctory listen to Bon Iver’s music reveals Justin Vernon’s strong affections for Wisconsin. That love was returned on July 22nd when Milwaukee’s Mayor Tom Barrett christened the day “Bon Iver Day” in celebration of Bon Iver’s WI ties, musical accomplishments, and the beginning of their world tour.

Beavis and Butt-Head: America’s favorite slackers/social commentators returned to MTV this year for all-new animated episodes. With a whole new slew of modern musicians and pop-culture to mock, this news… hee… errm.. uhh huhuhuh… rules.

2011: A Rock Odyssey featuring Jack White: For three epic nights, Stephen Colbert joined Jack White at the musician’s Third Man Records. The goal was to revive Colbert’s “music career,” and it ended up giving us three awesome segments, a Catholicism-off, and a duet of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Nick Oliveri arrested after S.W.A.T. standoff: When his girlfriend called the police, ex-Queens of the Stoneage/current Kyuss Lives! bassist Nick Oliveri refused to let her leave the residence or let the cops in. Four hours and a L.A. county S.W.A.T. team later, he was arrested for felony domestic violence. While the case awaits trial, Kyuss still lives, though Oliveri, out on $100,000 bail, won’t be joining them for any international tour dates.

Mic Todd arrested for armed robbery: On tour with Soundgarden, Coheed and Cambria bassist Mic Todd went out and robbed a Walgreens in Attleboro, MA, by telling the pharmacist he had a bomb. He was arrested that night at the Comcast Center on charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics. A month later, he was looking for a new band.

Courtney Love dates SALEM’s Jack Donoghue: So, Courtney Love thinks Dave Grohl is a dick, but witch-house is sexy. You know, sometimes I just don’t understand that woman.

Metallica Monopoly: Because nothing says “metal” like family game night.

Luther Campbell runs for mayor of Miami-Dade County: Admittedly, it takes some cajones to choose the eighth-most populous county in the country as your first foray into politics. Probably takes more to try to tax strippers. He lost, by the way.

Joe Jonas says he’s influenced by Daft Punk: The middle Jo Bro cites Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy work as an influence on his solo debut. So, in essence, you’re saying this led to this.

]]> legal way to listen to a jazilion songs for free, watched that dude from Nine Inch Nails win an Oscar, and witnessed the return of not just Kate Bush and Tom Waits, but Jeff Mangum as well. Yet, at the end of the day, Lana Del Rey's collagen lips and Odd Future's misogynistic tendencies won the award for stories with the longest shelf life on my Twitter feed. Then again, four weeks from now it'll be 2012's turn and who knows what that year has in store. Maybe some scientist will be able to revive Jim Morrison's frozen head so that we can have a true collaboration between The Doors and Skrillex. Whatever the case may be, Consequence of Sound will be here, 24/7/365, ready to bring you all the major headlines. Until then, though, we remember the last 12 months, categorized by themes, in the pages that follow. And, as always, thanks for reading. -- Alex Young Publisher R.I.P.: The Ones We Lost in 2011 Amy Winehouse (1983-2011): The soulful, sultry songstress was the first British female to win five Grammy awards. Unfortunately, she also became a member of the infamous "27 Club" when police found her dead in her London home on July 23rd. An autopsy later confirmed her death as the result of accidental alcohol poisoning. Clarence Clemons (1942-2011): Founding member and saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Clemons was a larger-than-life figure, and he'll forever be remembered for his solos on "Jungleland" and "Born to Run". Clemons died on June 18th from complications caused by a stroke. He was 69. Bert Jansch (1943-2011): Acclaimed Scottish folk singer who was both a celebrated solo musician and member of the band Pentangle. Jansch died on October 5th following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 67. Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011): A celebrated musician, poet, and author who was largely credited as one of the leading influences of hip-hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron died on May 27th. He was 62. Heavy D (1967-2011): The founding member and leader of Heavy D & the Boyz helped bridge the worlds of hip-hop and R&B in the '90s before transitioning to a career in film. Heavy D (born Dwight Arrington Myers) died on November 8th reportedly from complications of pneumonia. He was 44. Nate Dogg (1969-2011): West coast crooner collaborated with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Hale) died from complications of multiple strokes on March 15th. He was 41. Poly Styrene (1957-2011): The former singer of X-Ray Spek was described as the “archetype for the modern-day feminist punk." Styrene died on April 25th following a battle with breast cancer. She was 53. Trish Keenan (1968-2011): Founding member and singer of British electronic band Broadcast. Keenan died from complications with pneumonia on January 14th. She was 42. Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011): Legendary guitarist and longtime collaborator of blues icon Howlin’ Wolf is ranked at number forty-three in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Sumlin died on December 4th. He was 80. Cory Smoot: (1977-2011): Guitarist for the shock rock band GWAR was the longest-serving member to play the character Flattus Maximus. Smoot was found dead on the band's tour bus on November 3rd; as of December 5th, his cause of death is still unknown. He was 34. DJ Mehdi (1977-2011): French hip-hop and electro producer was a member of Ed Banger Records and collaborated with Chromeo, Cassius, and Carte Blanche. DJ Mehdi (born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi) died on September 13th when the roof of his Paris home collapsed during a friend's birthday party. He was 34. Michael "Würzel" Burston (1949-2011): The former Army corporal served as guitarist for Motörhead from 1984-1995. Würzel died from complications of heart disease on July 9th. He was 61. Mike Starr (1966-2011): The founding member and bassist of Alice in Chains contributed to two studio albums — including the 1992 classic Dirt — before departing in 1993. Starr was found dead on March 8th, with an autopsy later finding traces of drugs in his system. He was 44. Suze Rotolo (1943-2011): The former girlfriend of Bob Dylan inspired many of the songwriter's early love songs and appeared on the iconic cover of his 1963 classic, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Rotolo died of lung cancer on February 25th. She was 67. Gerard Smith (1974-2011): The TV on the Radio bassist appeared on the band's celebrated albums Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, and Nine Types of Light. Smith died from lung cancer on April 20th. He was 36. John Barry (1933-2011): The Academy Award-winning composer soundtracked 12 James Bond films between 1962 and 1987 in addition to Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Out of Africa. Barry died of a heart attack on January 30th. He was 77. Mikey Welsh (1971-2011): The former Weezer bassist appeared on the band's 2001 The Green Album. Welsh was found dead on October 8th. He was 40. Welcome Back: 2011's Reunions Photo by Colin Athens While 2011 was a particularly harsh year for band breakups (see the next slide), at least Pulp came back. Long a dream on festival message boards, the legendary UK outfit finally reunited in the summer of 2011 for their first live performances in nine years. Our own Frank Mojica was at the band's comeback show at Barcelona's Primavera Sound and declared it "an explosive set that cemented Pulp’s status as the essential festival band of 2011 and will be remembered as fondly and regarded as definitive as their Glastonbury 1995 performance." However, Pulp wasn't the only celebrated outfit to return in 2011. Buffalo Springfield -- the folk rock supergroup comprised of Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young -- reunited after 43 years for a brief West coast tour and headlining performance at Bonnaroo. Wrote our own Carson O'Shoney of their Bonnaroo appearance: "Even those who weren’t familiar with the band's work were surely impressed. Seeing Neil Young wail on guitar is simply one of the better things in all of music. But the final three knockout punches of 'Broken Arrow', 'For What It’s Worth', and 'Rockin’ in the Free World' were what really solidified it as one of the best sets of the weekend." Other 2011 reunions: After inciting a riot during their first live performance in five years at South by Southwest, hard-hitting Canadian outfit Death From Above 1979 played any and every summer festival, including Coachella, Sasquatch!, Quebec City Summer Fest, Lollapalooza, FYF Fest, ACL, and Treasure Island. Post-punk icons New Order reunited after five years with a pair of benefit shows in Europe. Mazzy Star unleashed a two-song single, their first pieces of new music in 15 years. Ben Folds reunited Ben Folds Five for their first new material in a decade. UK glam rock outfit The Darkness reunited for their first live performance since 2006 at UK's Download Festival. In celebration of their 45th anniversary, The Monkees hit the road for their first live performances since 1997. Unfortunately, the final eight dates of their trek were canceled "due to internal group issues and conflicts." Chicago's own Hum delivered their first performance in a decade. San Diego-based post-hardcore outfit Hot Snakes reunited at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas in December. Austin, TX, noise rock pioneers Scratch Acid toured extensively for the first time in over two decades. NYC punk band D-Generation hit the road in the fall for their first performances since 1999. A new album is also in the works. Mexico City rock band Caifanes reunited after 15 years for a performance at Coachella. The End of An Era: 2011's Breakups Bands, like trends, come and go. Some last for decades with deep catalogs, and others only survive a couple years with an album or two. Their presence has a lasting impact on our lives and ears, and thus their disbandment has the same. To the greats we lost this year: Thanks for the tunes. -Ben Kaye R.E.M. (1981-2011): Seminal, legendary, and unequaled, Georgia’s alternative rock icons ended their career after three decades. From their 1983 debut, Murmur, to their 2011 finale, Collapse Into Now, to the world’s first GIF album cover, the band exemplified how to be successful, innovative, and cool while remaining uncompromising. Their legacy will be felt for decades more to come. The White Stripes (1997-2011): One of the greatest bands of the era, this garage blues-rock duo left an indelible mark on music with six albums. Jack White will continue on in his myriad of forms, but The White Stripes will be remembered as the band that started it all and his most widely celebrated triumph. LCD Soundsystem (2001-2011): These modern dance-punk virtuosos left us with three full-lengths and a year-long swan song, culminating in a finale at Madison Square Garden. And we still wish we were getting more. Rilo Kiley (1998-2011): Fourteen years of indie rock ended rather unceremoniously. Regardless, their sophomore full-length, The Execution of All Things, will go down as one of the best albums of the last decade. The Stills (2000-2011): These Canadian indie rockers released three albums over 10 years. They will likely be best remembered for 2008’s Juno Award-winning Oceans Will Rise. The Academy Is... (2003-2011): These Warped Tour regulars dispersed while in the process of recording album #4. At least they got to tour with KISS before it ended. Dear and the Headlights (2005-2011): Two full-lengths and extensive touring proved too much for this Arizona indie pop rock band. Scared by all the lights. The Felix Culpa (2003-2011): Unsung heroes of the Midwest post-hardcore scene. Despite the success of last year’s self-released sophomore effort, Sever Your Roots, there will be no more happy mistakes. Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (1984-2011): Founding members of Sonic Youth and godparents of indie rock. What the power couple’s separation means for their iconic band is yet to be seen, though side projects abound. Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel (2009-2011): This pair of indie darlings split after only two years of marriage amidst heavy work schedules for each. While separations are always sad, we can’t help but swoon over the idea that Deschanel is technically available... Digital Takeover On July 14, 2011, millions of music fans sighed in relief: Spotify hit U.S. shores, and the end of the war on music drew closer to its end. Now, that's not entirely true - the labels still aren't too happy, neither are the artists - but the idea that "music is free" has never been more agreed upon until now. Thanks to Spotify, users can legally check out a variety of new releases in addition to a fully digestible catalog that spans everyone from ABBA to John Zorn, at any time -- even on their phones, though that option will cost them. But it's a price that many will pay, simply because it's the way of the future. It's the death of the mp3 and the dawn of the truly, strictly digital age, where music listeners can immerse themselves in digital clouds of music. This year, Apple, Amazon, and Google Music all introduced similar formats, asking users to upload their collections into digital lockers, where they'll always have access. Anywhere. Anytime. Where else can you go from there? How about interactivity? Online forums evolved this year, too. "You should check this band out" is so passe. Instead, online users are opting for more media savvy formats, where they can turn their textual suggestions into aural delights. Through a service like Turntable.fm, which surfaced earlier this year, users now create rooms, throwing online soirees, where they DJ their own stations. All of this comes at little to no price and with zero trouble (although, there are always exceptions). So, it's been a pretty transitive year in the music industry. A game changer, if you will. -Michael Roffman An Odd Future, Indeed. There's that wonderful exchange at the end of Batman Begins, when Lt. Gordon digresses on The Caped Crusader's influence over Gotham City, calling attention to like-minded criminals with a "taste for the theatrical," stating plainly, "You really started something." So true of the internet. Most of the time, you'll find a chunky, melting pot of deep-seeded opinions, but sometimes, just sometimes, they all come together to agree on something. That's when true change is had. And it can happen overnight. Case in point: Odd Future and Lana Del Rey. Controversy played a big role in the successes of these two - the former because of obscenities, the latter because of collagen - but, really, it only fueled it. The real credit, however, goes to the blogosphere. It's the classic "she tells her friends" routine - only to an ungodly nth degree. One blog hypes a track, one site swears by another, and all of a sudden you're trending on social networks nationwide, then worldwide, then... yeah, it sort of stops there. It's nothing new. That's the true nature of a fad (see: Trapper Keepers, Pogs, LA Gear). But, it's never seen extremes such as this. And as polarizing as these acts may be - "Aren't they being misogynistic?"; "She's not real! Her real name's Lizzy Grant! OMFG, hate her!!1!" - it's the way they came to fruition that's far more interesting. It reveals a true power within the internet, one that may or may not be good. Regardless of its moral worth, though, it's here to stay. As the Joker, essentially a by-product of Batman, ominously declared in the film's follow-up, "There's no going back. You've changed things... forever." Yep. Deal with it, folks. -Michael Roffman The Return of R&B Some guy somewhere jokingly called it "PBR&B" and that gained traction for a little while -- R&B for “hipsters.” If we take one thing away from this, let it be this: The resurgence and strength of R&B in 2011 had nothing to do with “hipsters," a word I apologetically use here (and if I had two wishes for Christmas this year, it would be that I never hear that word again). The strength of The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, The-Dream, How To Dress Well, Active Child, and tangentially Drake this year was born from little else than a defibrillator to a dormant art form using a bit of indie sentiment. The Weeknd’s sudden and (not so) mysterious arrival drew the highest peak in the EKG chart with the hedonistic, dripping-wet jams of his House of Balloons mixtape, sampling Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, which of course reached across the aisle to white tumblrites more ostensibly than Aaliyah and R. Kelly ever did in the 90’s. From there, Frank Ocean bowed out of producing pop hits for Biebs and made known his association with OFWGKTA for his Nostalgia Ultra mixtape, a damp and druggy confessional. Kanye took a liking to him, as well. The cross-cultural movement was just as strong for Active Child’s choir-boy jams and How To Dress Well’s shrouded pangs, both of whom collaborated with each other on the song "Playing House". There are many more artists working with these tools: production rooted in current trends, voices like butter, beats like woah. Perhaps the response to the hidden vocals of last year's genre de l'année Chillwave is that these artists are putting the spotlight back on the soul of the human voice.  -Jeremy D. Larson The Return of the Legacy Act It’s been seven years since Tom Waits released his 23rd album, six years since Kate Bush released her 9th, and 13 years since Jeff Mangum (as Neutral Milk Hotel) released his second. Not all acts that resurface have to have page-long catalogs, and like Mangum, not all comebacks have to include new material, but these three artists made the biggest impact in 2011 after some time away from the spotlight. Not even just away from the spotlight, but in some cases purposefully reclusive. Before this year, Jeff Mangum appearances were becoming lore, like seeing the face of Mother Mary in a Crunchwrap Supreme. Mangum only did some one-off shows in barns or was seen looming backstage at some gig. But last January, he announced his reemergence for ATP New Jersey at the “I’ll Be Your Mirror” event -- a festival! He went from barns to a major festival in like a year! He then went on a small U.S. tour and released a career-spanning Neutral Milk Hotel box set, and there are no signs of him stopping with tour dates already stretching into 2012. For Kate Bush, pace is the trick. With 10 albums in over 30 years, we’re running on her press cycle -- releasing her babies into the world only when they’re ready to leave the nest. With a flurry (ahem), she dropped two albums in 2011 -- her self-explanatory Director's Cut and her acclaimed new studio album, 50 Words for Snow. With no tour or late-night performances, Bush is still staying out of the limelight for now. But it's not like she needs the press. And then there’s the categorical Tom Waits, doing his thing for the 24th time with not a hint of phoning it in. Bad As Me is another trophy for his buckling shelf and his most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Twenty-four albums in 37 years with rarely a misstep or an eye roll, soundtracking movies, musicals, German surrealist plays, and with his release this year, he’s only further cementing himself as an American cultural icon. We await for “Waitsian” to be added to dictionaries. -Jeremy D. Larson The Return of Radiohead Photo by Nate Slevin It's a predicament: A member of Radiohead posts something online (e.g. new track, obscure art, a haiku-like blog entry, et al.), and you're a.) out at lunch, b.) four hours into a deep sleep, or c.) at your own wedding. Whatever the situation, you're finding the closest computer and fast. That sort of conundrum plagues every blogger's life annually, but especially in 2011. As of today, Consequence of Sound has 10 pages of Radiohead-related news for this year alone. Quite a lot. To think, it all started in the eye-tweaking, early morning hours of February 14th, 2011. That's when the group announced the release of their eighth LP, The King of Limbs, set to deliver only four days later. Naturally, the 'net exploded soon after; in fact, as one reader put it that morning, "I just pooped my pants." That reaction turned sour (or just downright polarizing) when the LP eventually surfaced. Some complained about its length (a copious 37 minutes), speculating on a second part (which never materialized), while others wondered where the band went, calling it a Yorke-centric effort. A week after it was announced, Consequence of Sound awarded the album four stars, hailing it as "one of their most absorbing efforts to date." (Currently, the album has a Metacritic score of 80.) Despite the general acclaim, critics everywhere levied their slight disappointment between their words. But that hardly stalled the group. Since 2007's event release of In Rainbows, the UK collective has stayed ahead of the curve, and this year was no different. Things just got weird. They issued a free newspaper, their "Lotus Flower" video sent dance enthusiasts on edge, and Yorke started hitting the DJ scene hard. But, on the other hand, they struck all the right nerves by releasing an exclusive Record Store Day 7", "surprising" festivalgoers at Glastonbury, endorsing an album of remixes, and media blitzing NYC for a week (which included stops at Fallon, SNL, The Colbert Report, and two sold-out nights at The Roseland Ballroom). It doesn't look like it'll end for 2012, either, what with another LP and a proper tour on the way. That's okay, though. Our stomachs, sleep schedules, and loved ones won't appreciate it, but hey, more Radiohead, right? As the old adage with this group goes, "Stay tuned." -Michael Roffman The Day Trent Reznor Won An Oscar When first approached by director David Fincher to score his film about the founding of Facebook, Trent Reznor had just wrapped up Nine Inch Nails' lengthy farewell tour and was planning to take time off. However, as Reznor later explained, "When I actually read the script and realized what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned." Undoubtedly attracted by the film's sentiments on isolation, greed, and entitlement (all familiar issues to the Nine Inch Nails frontman), Reznor graciously accepted his new role as film composer. Teaming with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, the duo would go on to create a masterpiece of "alternative-rock infused ambient electronic music" that as our Drew Litowitz writes, "mimics the anxious ambivalence that Sorkin’s script and Fincher’s direction convey so similarly."  The score amplified the angst and turmoil that accompanied the success of Mark Zuckerberg. For a movie with no ostensible "action" sequences, the score built tension to great heights alongside Aaron Sorkin's signature verbose script. One question remained: Would movie critics give praise to an outside artist who once sang, "God is dead and no one cares/ if there's a hell, I'll see you there"? With 15 nominations for Best Original Score, it seemed Reznor and Ross had created a score that struck an international cord. Even after winning the Golden Globe, skeptics wondered if The Academy would give Reznor and Ross the Oscar over perennial favorites Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat. All doubt dissipated when Nicole Kidman and the all-too-pleased Hugh Jackman called the duo up to accept each one's first Academy Award. "Wow, is this really happening?" Reznor asked during his acceptance speech. Reznor's now working on the score for the Fincher-directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Will he need to make more room on his trophy shelf? Plus, with an alt-rock artist taking home the coveted award, might Reznor's win, combined with the efforts of Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers, be incentive for more contemporary artists to try their hand at composing film scores? We'd like to hope so. -Derek Staples Who is Arcade Fire??!!? Sunday, February 13, 2011. Talk about a tumultuous 24-hour news cycle: Hours before Radiohead resurfaced to wreak havoc on the 'net with The King of Limbs (see page nine), Arcade Fire walked home with a Grammy for Album of the Year for their 2010 album, The Suburbs. As Win Butler & Co. cooked up an impromptu cut of "Ready to Start" over the ceremony's closing credits, fingers raced across keyboards, mouses clicked, and emotions ran wild. Some praised the news - Kanye West tweeted, "#Arcade fire!!!!!!!!!! There is hope!!! I feel like we all won when something like this happens! FUCKING AWESOME!” - while others, many others, updated their Facebook and Twitter accounts in utter confusion. Thus, one of 2011's most popular internet memes came to fruition: Who Is Arcade Fire??!!? For days following the Grammys, the widely celebrated Tumblr account reposted countless social media updates from users everywhere, all of whom had no clue who these Canadian indie rockers were. Some were angry, some were frustrated, and some felt victimized - as if the Grammys robbed Lady Antebellum, Eminem, Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry of a truer win. Naturally, as with anything this insubstantial to normal, everyday life, the wake calmed and most of the anger turned to curiosity. This partly speaks for the thousands upon thousands of fans that arrived in droves to catch them headline festivals, or take over their nearby venues. Creation through chaos, so to speak. So, while recent Grammy-nominee Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) might think otherwise, the Grammys proved that they do still hold some weight, turning an indie rock icon into a household name. Admittedly, you might not appreciate your mother keeping The Suburbs on rotation with Taylor Swift, but hey, it's an improvement, right? Yep, Jimbo: "Strange days have found us." -Michael Roffman Lulu and more WTF collaborations We're generally all for unique, head-turning collaborations, but some instances of teamwork insanity in 2011 really had us going "WTF?" For instance, just last week director Darren Aronofsky glorified Lou Reed and Metallica's Lulu, which our own Jeremy D. Larson so bluntly described as "a complete failure on every tangible and intangible level of its existence," with a music video for "The View". But not even a video by a top-notch director can save an album doomed by its concept and only further hindered by poor production that awkwardly abandons Reed's vocals on top of the mix If Metallica and Lou Reed would have spent a bit more time exploring other odd collabos of 2011, they possibly could have avoided their joint tragedy all together. Back in July, SuperHeavy, the supergroup made up of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley, dropped their first single, "Miracle Worker". The bloated, inorganic track felt stapled together, with many critics and listeners calling it a marketing ploy by Warner Music Group. Then in August, profanities flew left and right when we were presented with this picture of Jack White and Insane Clown Posse. If the pic wasn't awful enough, whoever chose to listen to the White-produced “Leck Mich Im Arsch” and "Mountain Girls" were subjected to ICP at their crudest and most bizarre. Once again, we were left with two very important questions: Was this some maniacal plan each shared during their days in Michigan, or was this collaboration the strange payoff of a backroom bet? Arguably, Re:Generation takes the prize for most "WTF"-worthy collaboration. Presented by the Hyundai Volster, the concept of Re:Generation was to explore jazz, R&B, country, classical, and rock through the eyes of five modern DJ/producers. Pairings included the Crystal Method and Martha Reeves, Pretty Lights, Leann Rimes, and Ralph Stanley, and the most noteworthy, Skrillex and the remaining members of The Doors. All that bass resonating from "Breakin' a Sweat" had Jim Morrison rolling in his Parisian grave. Here's hoping 2012 finally brings us that Celebrity: Apprentice-inspired boy band featuring Meat Loaf, Lil Jon, and Mark McGrath. -Derek Staples The Year of the Gummy Fetus This past January, the often-unconventional Flaming Lips did something decidedly conventional: re-sign with Warner Bros. Records for a multi-year deal. However, with the deal came a newfound level of creative freedom, which Wayne Coyne and co. used to build their wildest and wackiest year to date. Seriously, some weird stuff's ahead. The band's 2011 was marked by decidedly gimmicky ploys to sell music. If they weren't schlepping tunes inside of gummy skulls or gummy female anatomy, they were creating songs that were six and 24 hours long (though proceeds from those massive, massive "songs" did go toward charity). That, or the group was busy crafting tunes about copulating blobs with the use of YouTube. Some of their releases, like where they wrote people's name into songs, were decidedly hokey (even if, once again, they were for a good cause). If there were any legit music-making endeavors, like collabos with Prefuse 73, Neon Indian, and Lightning Bolt, not to mention super-shows with Weezer and Yeasayer, they were outshined by graveyard gigs and playing human Whack-A-Mole with SUNY students. If it made headlines while generating mass confusion this year, The Flaming Lips were undoubtedly behind it. There's no way to catalog these decisions and projects as true artistic exploration. If anything, nearly everything the band did this year were either jokes and goofs or absurd, almost harebrained marketing schemes. But when someone gives the inmates the keys to the asylum, should anyone be surprised when they smear the walls in green paint and dress up like penguins? We, for one, applaud Wayne Coyne and company for doing what they do best: entertaining us with their increasingly batshit hijinks. Here's to the kooky things the band will cook up in 2012. -Chris Coplan Stage Collapses In the span of two months between July and August 2011, a freak trend hit the music world. Four stages in three separate countries collapsed, killing a total of 11 and injuring many more. The first collapse occurred on July 17th at the Ottawa Bluesfest, where strong winds caused the festival's main stage to implode 20 minutes into Cheap Trick's set. Gusts blew the stage backwards, which pushed the scaffold to teeter under the force. Three people were reported injured, and the remainder of the fest - one headlining spot by Death Cab for Cutie - was canceled. Then, just weeks later on August 7th, a similar occurrence befell Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Brady District Block Party. Moments before local heroes The Flaming Lips were scheduled to go on, a lighting rig was struck by wind and fell into the stage. Though the stage was evacuated beforehand, preventing injury to fans, band members, and road crew, some $800,000 worth of the Lips' equipment was damaged or destroyed. The summer festival circuit's worst incident occurred six days later during country duo Sugarland's set at the Indiana State Fair. A massive gust of wind toppled the stage, sending steel scaffolding, lighting, and sound equipment into the audience. The destruction of the stage had come just minutes after organizers had announced the storm and outlined evacuation plans. Seven people died as a result of the collapse, with another 44 receiving treatment for various injuries at nearby hospitals. The fourth and final collapse took place on August 18th at the Pukkelpop festival in Hasselt, Belgium. As Chicago-based indie rock band Smith Westerns were playing on The Chateau Stage, bursts of wind uprooted trees and collapsed several festival tents. The band was evacuated offstage just prior to its collapse. (A second construct, the Shelter stage, was also damaged by weather.) Four people were killed, with another 75 reported injured. The festival, scheduled to run until the 20th, was canceled Friday morning (August 19th). Late last month, in the aftermath of the incident in Indiana, 51 individuals connected to the collapse sued Sugarland, concert promoters, and those who built the stage for breach of reasonable care. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A state-sponsored investigation of the collapse will be completed before the case moves forward. On a more positive note, following the tragedies, fans, musicians, journalists, and festival promoters alike have all emerged to sound the call for increased safety measures, demanding better crowd accommodation and weather preparedness. While festivals will always contend with X-factors, better preparation can only benefit subsequent summer festival seasons. -Chris Coplan And the Rest... Clearly, as you've just read, a lot of things happened to the musical landscape in 2011. Some occurrences, though, were so darn awesome, head-turning, or just downright strange that they can’t be classified anywhere else. So, here they are, the rest of the biggest news stories of the year. -Ben Kaye Kanye: The Musical: Ya know, this was probably bound to happen. Students at Australia’s Sydney University told the tale of Ye, from making beats for Jay-Z to his solo ascension, in this September production "about a guy who took a shot at the throne and didn’t miss." Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks hold a “blowjob” contest: Seems the lyrics to “Senator” weren’t exactly FCC-approved. The line “I know what the senator wants/what the senator wants is a blowjob” needed a rewrite for the radio, so Malkmus reached out to fans for help. Turns out the senator actually wanted a corndog (who doesn’t?). Bon Iver Day: Even a perfunctory listen to Bon Iver’s music reveals Justin Vernon’s strong affections for Wisconsin. That love was returned on July 22nd when Milwaukee’s Mayor Tom Barrett christened the day “Bon Iver Day” in celebration of Bon Iver’s WI ties, musical accomplishments, and the beginning of their world tour. Beavis and Butt-Head: America’s favorite slackers/social commentators returned to MTV this year for all-new animated episodes. With a whole new slew of modern musicians and pop-culture to mock, this news... hee... errm.. uhh huhuhuh... rules. 2011: A Rock Odyssey featuring Jack White: For three epic nights, Stephen Colbert joined Jack White at the musician’s Third Man Records. The goal was to revive Colbert’s “music career,” and it ended up giving us three awesome segments, a Catholicism-off, and a duet of The Star-Spangled Banner. Nick Oliveri arrested after S.W.A.T. standoff: When his girlfriend called the police, ex-Queens of the Stoneage/current Kyuss Lives! bassist Nick Oliveri refused to let her leave the residence or let the cops in. Four hours and a L.A. county S.W.A.T. team later, he was arrested for felony domestic violence. While the case awaits trial, Kyuss still lives, though Oliveri, out on $100,000 bail, won’t be joining them for any international tour dates. Mic Todd arrested for armed robbery: On tour with Soundgarden, Coheed and Cambria bassist Mic Todd went out and robbed a Walgreens in Attleboro, MA, by telling the pharmacist he had a bomb. He was arrested that night at the Comcast Center on charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics. A month later, he was looking for a new band. Courtney Love dates SALEM's Jack Donoghue: So, Courtney Love thinks Dave Grohl is a dick, but witch-house is sexy. You know, sometimes I just don’t understand that woman. Metallica Monopoly: Because nothing says “metal” like family game night. Luther Campbell runs for mayor of Miami-Dade County: Admittedly, it takes some cajones to choose the eighth-most populous county in the country as your first foray into politics. Probably takes more to try to tax strippers. He lost, by the way. Joe Jonas says he’s influenced by Daft Punk: The middle Jo Bro cites Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy work as an influence on his solo debut. So, in essence, you’re saying this led to this.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/12/year-in-news-2011/feed/ 6 Members of The Stills, Broken Social Scene form Eight and a Half http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/members-of-the-stills-broken-social-scene-form-eight-and-a-half/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/members-of-the-stills-broken-social-scene-form-eight-and-a-half/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Eight-and-a-Half-Scissors.jpg Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:17:31 +0000 Andrew Rubin http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=153146

There have certainly been some truly awful spin-offs in the entertainment business: Baywatch Nights, Joanie Loves Chachi, Saved by the Bell: the College Years, and lastly and definitely least, Joey. Now, less than six months after the breakup of Canadian indie-rockers The Stills, former members Dave Hamelin and Liam O’Neil are attempting to right all the wrongs of former spin-offs by teaming up with Broken Social Scene drummer Justin Peroff for a new band titled Eight and a Half. Naturally, the project shares the same name as the renowned 1963 surreal masterpiece by director Federico Fellini (8 Heads in a Duffel Bag must have been taken). Check out their appropriately dreamlike first song, “Scissors”, streaming below.

“Hold me, like an old friend. Hold me, like an omen” sings Hamelin, his vocals buried deep inside the wonderfully lush and layered synth-based track. While “Scissors” definitely marks a change for the trio, they are in good hands with Grammy-nominated John O’Mahony (Coldplay, Metric) at the helm who took up the mixing duties for the as-yet-untitled and self-produced debut album. Expect the upcoming LP to be released sometime in early 2012.

As for the direction of the group and their music, Peroff recently told AUX, “I don’t know, to be quite honest with you. It’s not even really rock ‘n’ roll. It’s got rock sensibilities, it’s got pop sensibilities. It’s very synth driven, but not in a 2007 electro way. It’s pretty heavy.” Well, then. Throw in some cowbell and we’re sold.

“Scissors”

]]> Baywatch Nights, Joanie Loves Chachi, Saved by the Bell: the College Years, and lastly and definitely least, Joey. Now, less than six months after the breakup of Canadian indie-rockers The Stills, former members Dave Hamelin and Liam O'Neil are attempting to right all the wrongs of former spin-offs by teaming up with Broken Social Scene drummer Justin Peroff for a new band titled Eight and a Half. Naturally, the project shares the same name as the renowned 1963 surreal masterpiece by director Federico Fellini (8 Heads in a Duffel Bag must have been taken). Check out their appropriately dreamlike first song, “Scissors”, streaming below. “Hold me, like an old friend. Hold me, like an omen” sings Hamelin, his vocals buried deep inside the wonderfully lush and layered synth-based track. While “Scissors” definitely marks a change for the trio, they are in good hands with Grammy-nominated John O'Mahony (Coldplay, Metric) at the helm who took up the mixing duties for the as-yet-untitled and self-produced debut album. Expect the upcoming LP to be released sometime in early 2012. As for the direction of the group and their music, Peroff recently told AUX, “I don’t know, to be quite honest with you. It’s not even really rock ‘n’ roll. It’s got rock sensibilities, it’s got pop sensibilities. It’s very synth driven, but not in a 2007 electro way. It’s pretty heavy.” Well, then. Throw in some cowbell and we're sold. "Scissors" ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/members-of-the-stills-broken-social-scene-form-eight-and-a-half/feed/ 0 A post-Record Store Day/Coachella 2011 recap http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/a-post-record-store-daycoachella-2011-recap/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/a-post-record-store-daycoachella-2011-recap/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/04/post-coachella-rsd-recap.jpg Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:50:27 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=115044 Thanks to the wonder that is the Internet, the music industry is an endless being, a creature of pure motion that is always dragging its various tentacles forward to a future of further hype and equally combustible excitement. Because of the size of such a beast, there is little in the world that can halt this monstrosity. Well, irresistible force, meet the immovable object: the one-two punch of Record Store Day and the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. With this once-a-year happening, people get lost in the energy and the sounds and the drama and forget that outside of the dingy record shops and the enchantment of a field in the middle-of-nowhere California, things are still going down in the rest of the land of music-making. So, as a reminder to ensure you know the party’s over, here’s a plethora of the latest releases, news bits and developments, and much more that a lot of you undoubtedly missed whilst forgetting about the happenings of Planet Earth. Reality’s a bitch, folks!

– R.I.P. The Stills.

– Lady Gaga‘s latest single, “Judas” hit the web.

– My Morning Jacket launched a Self-Hypnosis Series.

– LCD Soundsystem will release their final concert on DVD.

– Stream two tracks off Radiohead‘s Record Store Day single.

– In other news, there’s no such thing as The King of Limbs, pt 2.

– Death Cab for Cutie previewed three tracks from their new album.

– Watch the Arctic Monkeys’ new video for “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”.

– Soundgarden announced the first four dates for their first North American tour in 14 years.

– Santigold is back with a brand new single. Hear “Go”, featuring Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

– The Shins are back and gearing up for their first performance in three years. Also, hear them perform a new song.

– Awesome show alert: Rage Against the Machine is teaming up with Muse and Rise Against for a summer concert in Los Angeles.

– Pitchfork Music Festival rounded out its 2011 lineup with Thurston Moore, Superchunk, Battles, Toro Y Moi, tUnE-yArDs, Cold Cave, and more.

– Hear a taste of David Byne and Will Oldham‘s soundtrack for the upcoming film This Must Be The Place. Also see Sean Penn dress like The Cure’s Robert Smith.

– Wiz Khalifa, Thievery Corporation, Common, Neon Indian, Little Dragon, and Gogol Bordello are among the initial acts confirmed for this year’s North Coast Music Festival.

– The world biggest’s music festival revealed its 2011 lineup. U2, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Morrissey, Queens of the Stone Age, Chemical Brothers, Paul Simon, Bright Eyes, and a thousand more are set for Glastonbury 2011.

– Win a brand new Sony Bloggie Touch HD Camera.

]]> The Stills. -- Lady Gaga's latest single, "Judas" hit the web. -- My Morning Jacket launched a Self-Hypnosis Series. -- LCD Soundsystem will release their final concert on DVD. -- Stream two tracks off Radiohead's Record Store Day single. -- In other news, there's no such thing as The King of Limbs, pt 2. -- Death Cab for Cutie previewed three tracks from their new album. -- Watch the Arctic Monkeys' new video for “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”. -- Soundgarden announced the first four dates for their first North American tour in 14 years. -- Santigold is back with a brand new single. Hear "Go", featuring Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. -- The Shins are back and gearing up for their first performance in three years. Also, hear them perform a new song. -- Awesome show alert: Rage Against the Machine is teaming up with Muse and Rise Against for a summer concert in Los Angeles. -- Pitchfork Music Festival rounded out its 2011 lineup with Thurston Moore, Superchunk, Battles, Toro Y Moi, tUnE-yArDs, Cold Cave, and more. -- Hear a taste of David Byne and Will Oldham's soundtrack for the upcoming film This Must Be The Place. Also see Sean Penn dress like The Cure's Robert Smith. -- Wiz Khalifa, Thievery Corporation, Common, Neon Indian, Little Dragon, and Gogol Bordello are among the initial acts confirmed for this year's North Coast Music Festival. -- The world biggest's music festival revealed its 2011 lineup. U2, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Morrissey, Queens of the Stone Age, Chemical Brothers, Paul Simon, Bright Eyes, and a thousand more are set for Glastonbury 2011. -- Win a brand new Sony Bloggie Touch HD Camera.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/a-post-record-store-daycoachella-2011-recap/feed/ 1 The Stills call it quits http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/the-stills-call-it-quits/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/the-stills-call-it-quits/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/04/the-stills2.jpg Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:00:54 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=114908

Canadian indie rock outfit The Stills have announced their break-up, ending a decade-long run that saw the release of three studio album and tours with the likes of Kings of Leon and Built to Spill. Formed in 2001 by vocalist Tim Fletcher, drummer Dave Hamelin, guitarist Greg Paquet and bassist Oliver Corbeil, the outfit had stints on both Vice Records and Arts&Crafts, and their third and final album, 2008′s Oceans Will Rise, earned them Juno Awards for Best New Group and Alternative Album of the Year. Read the band’s break-up letter in full below:

Dearest Friends of The Stills,

How does one go about writing a message like this? I don’t know, but I will do my best.

We have been silent for many months now, discussing amongst ourselves how and when to announce this news, as we’ve needed some time to think it over and let the dust settle, so we hope you can understand our silence.

After the better part of a decade together, several months ago we sat down and decided to disband The Stills and part ways. Simply put, The Stills have broken up.

We love each other, we have taught each other, and we’ve grown up together, through all kinds of madness and years and twists and turns, and we spent the better part of the last year trying to keep it going for each other, out of love for one another and out of respect for our long past together. But ultimately, the best decision for each one of us, and in order for each of us to live fully, creatively, and freely, being true to our hearts, this had to happen.

Perhaps the most difficult part of all this is announcing it to you – I hesitate to say ‘fans’ – Our Friends. We’ve been extremely lucky to have shared this time with you, and for the love you’ve shown us, we are humbled, moved and thankful beyond words. You held us up, you encouraged us, and you made this a profound and deeply meaningful journey for each of us. Please know in your hearts that we felt your love and will always keep it with us in our own hearts as we move on through life.

To all who helped us through the years, encouraged us, supported us, worked with us, put up with us, put our records out, toured with us, loved us, and beyond – we are forever touched by you.

We were creating our own story as we went. It’s not easy to know when the best ending is, but we found ours, and it’s one that allows us to look back on all we’ve achieved with great pride and a sense of real accomplishment. Now that the book closes, we can look on the journey and see it as one trip, from beginning to end; one complete and perfectly imperfect universe.

And now our music and what it means rests in your hands. It belongs fully to the world out there, and especially to you. Make it all you wish it to be, in whichever way you most want to.

May your lives be filled with joy and happiness,

The Stills

]]> Oceans Will Rise, earned them Juno Awards for Best New Group and Alternative Album of the Year. Read the band's break-up letter in full below: Dearest Friends of The Stills, How does one go about writing a message like this? I don't know, but I will do my best. We have been silent for many months now, discussing amongst ourselves how and when to announce this news, as we've needed some time to think it over and let the dust settle, so we hope you can understand our silence. After the better part of a decade together, several months ago we sat down and decided to disband The Stills and part ways. Simply put, The Stills have broken up. We love each other, we have taught each other, and we've grown up together, through all kinds of madness and years and twists and turns, and we spent the better part of the last year trying to keep it going for each other, out of love for one another and out of respect for our long past together. But ultimately, the best decision for each one of us, and in order for each of us to live fully, creatively, and freely, being true to our hearts, this had to happen. Perhaps the most difficult part of all this is announcing it to you - I hesitate to say 'fans' - Our Friends. We've been extremely lucky to have shared this time with you, and for the love you've shown us, we are humbled, moved and thankful beyond words. You held us up, you encouraged us, and you made this a profound and deeply meaningful journey for each of us. Please know in your hearts that we felt your love and will always keep it with us in our own hearts as we move on through life. To all who helped us through the years, encouraged us, supported us, worked with us, put up with us, put our records out, toured with us, loved us, and beyond - we are forever touched by you. We were creating our own story as we went. It's not easy to know when the best ending is, but we found ours, and it's one that allows us to look back on all we've achieved with great pride and a sense of real accomplishment. Now that the book closes, we can look on the journey and see it as one trip, from beginning to end; one complete and perfectly imperfect universe. And now our music and what it means rests in your hands. It belongs fully to the world out there, and especially to you. Make it all you wish it to be, in whichever way you most want to. May your lives be filled with joy and happiness, The Stills]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/the-stills-call-it-quits/feed/ 4 Built To Spill plots summer full of touring http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/built-to-spill-plots-summer-full-of-touring/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/built-to-spill-plots-summer-full-of-touring/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/built-to-spill-leanback.jpg Thu, 06 May 2010 18:35:32 +0000 Jeremy D. Larson http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=39502 I’m happy for America today. I’m happy because Built To Spill is coming back to the states for a confirmed summer tour. I’m happy because now America has a plethora of opportunities to see them live, which, if you haven’t seen Doug Martsch coax a solo from his six-string, my friend, you’re gonna be happy once you do.

Built to Spill’s marathon fall 2009 tour supporting its latest LP There Is No Enemy was extensive and had the band mostly sticking to music clubs. This particular endeavor is just as vast, but will see BTS hitting larger open-air venues, pavilions, and amphitheaters alongside those traditional club performances. Of course, we have Kings of Leon to thank for outdoor arenas, as BTS will be crisscrossing paths with those boys on their tour all summer.

In addition to its opening stint for KoL, Built to Spill will also headline a series of shows throughout North America this summer, as well as make appearances at both the Sled Island Music Festival and LouFest. So, you know if you don’t like Kings of Leon, you’re still good. You can find the healthy list of upcoming tour dates below.

Tickets for the Kings of Leon dates are already on sale, while headlining dates will be available starting Friday, May 7th. Visit Ticketmaster for more info.

Built to Spill 2010 Tour Dates:
05/08 – Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy *
05/09 – Liverpool, UK @ O2 Academy *
05/10 – Galway, IE @ The Black Box *
05/11 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street *
05/13 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy *
05/14 – Newcastle, UK @ O2 Academy *
05/15 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy *
05/16 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy *
05/17 – Cambridge, UK @ The Junction *
05/18 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire *
05/20 – Zurich, CH @ Dynamo *
05/21 – Berlin, DE @ Astra *
05/22 – Mannheim, DE @ Alte Feuerwache *
05/23 – Paris, FR @ La Machine *
05/24 – Brussels, BE @ AB *
05/26 – Stockholm, SE @ Tyrol *
05/27 – Hasselhom, SE @ Siesta Festival
05/29 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
07/02 – Calgary, AB @ Sled Island Festival
07/09 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #%
07/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion #%
07/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #%
07/14 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #%
07/15 – San Fransisco, CA @ Slim’s
07/16 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
07/17 – George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre  #%
07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre #%
07/20 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre #%
07/22 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
07/23 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
07/24 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre #^
07/25 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #^
07/27 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
07/28 – New York, NY @ Filmore at Irving Plaza
07/29 – Farmingdale, NY @ The Crazy Donkey
07/30 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center #^
07/31 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre #^
08/01 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls
08/03 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre #^
08/04 – Welfleet, MA @ Welfleet Beachcomber
08/05 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #^
08/06 – Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony
08/07 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live #
08/08 – Ashville, NC @ The Orange Peel
08/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
08/10 – Little Rock, AR @ The Village
08/11 – Dalla, TX @ Granada Theatre
08/13 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
08/28 – St Louis, MO @ LouFest
09/01 – Dewey, DE @ The Bottle & Cork

* = w/ Dinosaur Jr.
# = w/ Kings of Leon
% = w/ The Features
^ = w/ The Stills

]]> There Is No Enemy was extensive and had the band mostly sticking to music clubs. This particular endeavor is just as vast, but will see BTS hitting larger open-air venues, pavilions, and amphitheaters alongside those traditional club performances. Of course, we have Kings of Leon to thank for outdoor arenas, as BTS will be crisscrossing paths with those boys on their tour all summer. In addition to its opening stint for KoL, Built to Spill will also headline a series of shows throughout North America this summer, as well as make appearances at both the Sled Island Music Festival and LouFest. So, you know if you don't like Kings of Leon, you're still good. You can find the healthy list of upcoming tour dates below. Tickets for the Kings of Leon dates are already on sale, while headlining dates will be available starting Friday, May 7th. Visit Ticketmaster for more info. Built to Spill 2010 Tour Dates: 05/08 - Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy * 05/09 - Liverpool, UK @ O2 Academy * 05/10 - Galway, IE @ The Black Box * 05/11 - Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street * 05/13 - Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy * 05/14 - Newcastle, UK @ O2 Academy * 05/15 - Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy * 05/16 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy * 05/17 - Cambridge, UK @ The Junction * 05/18 - London, UK @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire * 05/20 - Zurich, CH @ Dynamo * 05/21 - Berlin, DE @ Astra * 05/22 - Mannheim, DE @ Alte Feuerwache * 05/23 - Paris, FR @ La Machine * 05/24 - Brussels, BE @ AB * 05/26 - Stockholm, SE @ Tyrol * 05/27 - Hasselhom, SE @ Siesta Festival 05/29 - Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound 07/02 - Calgary, AB @ Sled Island Festival 07/09 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #% 07/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion #% 07/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #% 07/14 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #% 07/15 - San Fransisco, CA @ Slim's 07/16 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom 07/17 – George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre  #% 07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre #% 07/20 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre #% 07/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 07/23 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom 07/24 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre #^ 07/25 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection 07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #^ 07/27 - Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club 07/28 – New York, NY @ Filmore at Irving Plaza 07/29 - Farmingdale, NY @ The Crazy Donkey 07/30 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center #^ 07/31 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre #^ 08/01 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls 08/03 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre #^ 08/04 - Welfleet, MA @ Welfleet Beachcomber 08/05 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #^ 08/06 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony 08/07 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live # 08/08 - Ashville, NC @ The Orange Peel 08/09 - Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre 08/10 - Little Rock, AR @ The Village 08/11 - Dalla, TX @ Granada Theatre 08/13 - Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep 08/28 - St Louis, MO @ LouFest 09/01 - Dewey, DE @ The Bottle & Cork * = w/ Dinosaur Jr. # = w/ Kings of Leon % = w/ The Features ^ = w/ The Stills]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/built-to-spill-plots-summer-full-of-touring/feed/ 6 Kings of Leon team up with Built to Spill, The Black Keys for tour http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/kings-of-leon-team-up-with-built-to-spill-the-black-keys-for-tour/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/kings-of-leon-team-up-with-built-to-spill-the-black-keys-for-tour/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/04/kol.jpg Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:19:19 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=38112 Continuing today’s trend of notable bands teaming up for high-profile tours, Kings of Leon will hit the road this summer with the likes of Built to Spill, The Black Keys, The Whigs, The Features, and The Stills. Yeah, sound the odd touring combination alert!

As previously reported, Kings of Leon will return from a six month hiatus to embark on a four month North American endeavor, starting June 5th in Atlantic City. The aforementioned outfits will split opener duties; The Whigs will kick things off before Built to Spill and The Features take over beginning July 9th. On July 23rd, it’s The Stills turn. Then, starting August 3rd, The Black Keys and The Whigs will hop on the tour bus, serving as openers for the remaining of the tour. Got all that? If not, just check out the complete tour listing below.

We should also note that The Stills’ stint will prove particularly special as it will mark the return of original guitarist/vocalist Gregory Paquet. Paquet departed The Stills to go back to school after the band wrapped touring on its acclaimed 2003 debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart. After Paquet’s departure, drummer Dave Hamlin, moved out from behind the kit to play guitar in the band, while touring keyboardist, Liam O’Neil became a permanent member. Paquet will renew his duties as guitarist, accompanying his now current bandmates on their two week leg with Kings of Leon.

Tickets for the upcoming tour are currently available via Ticketmaster.com.

Update: Post updated w/ correct opener dates.

Kings of Leon 2010 Tour Dates:
06/05 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Events Center *
06/06 – Saratoga, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center *
06/08 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain *
06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/30 – London, UK @ Hyde Park
07/09 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #^
07/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion #^
07/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #^
07/14 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #^
07/17 – George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre  #^
07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre #^
07/20 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre #^
07/23 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre %
07/24 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre #%
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #%
07/28 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre %
07/30 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center #%
07/31 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre #%
08/03 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre #%
08/05 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #%
08/07 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live #%
08/21 – Chelmsford, UK @ V Festival
08/22 – Staffordshire, UK @ V Festival
09/03 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &*
09/07 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Riverbend Music Center &*
09/08 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium & Star Pavilion &*
09/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre &*
09/11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater &*
09/13 – Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek &*
09/17 – W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre &*
09/18 – Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre &*
09/20 – Birmingham, AL @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &*
09/22 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion &*
09/23 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center &*

* = w/ The Whigs
^ = w/ The Features
# = w/ Built to Spill
% = w/ The Stills
& = w/ The Black Keys

]]> Logic Will Break Your Heart. After Paquet’s departure, drummer Dave Hamlin, moved out from behind the kit to play guitar in the band, while touring keyboardist, Liam O’Neil became a permanent member. Paquet will renew his duties as guitarist, accompanying his now current bandmates on their two week leg with Kings of Leon. Tickets for the upcoming tour are currently available via Ticketmaster.com. Update: Post updated w/ correct opener dates. Kings of Leon 2010 Tour Dates: 06/05 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Events Center * 06/06 – Saratoga, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center * 06/08 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain * 06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival 06/30 – London, UK @ Hyde Park 07/09 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #^ 07/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion #^ 07/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #^ 07/14 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #^ 07/17 – George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre  #^ 07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre #^ 07/20 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre #^ 07/23 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre % 07/24 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre #% 07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #% 07/28 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre % 07/30 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center #% 07/31 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre #% 08/03 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre #% 08/05 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #% 08/07 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live #% 08/21 – Chelmsford, UK @ V Festival 08/22 – Staffordshire, UK @ V Festival 09/03 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &* 09/07 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Riverbend Music Center &* 09/08 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium & Star Pavilion &* 09/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre &* 09/11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater &* 09/13 – Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek &* 09/17 – W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre &* 09/18 – Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre &* 09/20 – Birmingham, AL @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &* 09/22 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion &* 09/23 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center &* * = w/ The Whigs ^ = w/ The Features # = w/ Built to Spill % = w/ The Stills & = w/ The Black Keys]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/kings-of-leon-team-up-with-built-to-spill-the-black-keys-for-tour/feed/ 3 The Stills preview new material, tour http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/03/the-stills-preview-new-material-tour/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/03/the-stills-preview-new-material-tour/#comments Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:07:32 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/03/the-stills-preview-new-material-tour/ Last night, the Stills began their intimate, but SXSW heavy U.S. tour in Philadelphia. In support of the tour, the Canadian natives have released a video featuring some new material.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5OseloMk44&rel=1]

Tour dates after the jump…

The Stills 2008 Tour Dates:

3/5/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
3/6/08 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s
3/7/08 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
3/8/08 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
3/13/08 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s/Canvas Media-AV Club-Arts&Crafts-Saddle Creek, 3pm
3/14/08 – Austin, TX @ The Fader Fort, 6pm
3/15/08 – Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar, 4pm
3/15/08 – Austin, TX @ The Parish/Arts&Crafts Showcase, 1am

P.S. the SXSW set at the Beauty Bar is Rachel Ray’s party.

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]]> The Stills 2008 Tour Dates: 3/5/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s 3/6/08 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s 3/7/08 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s 3/8/08 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom 3/13/08 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s/Canvas Media-AV Club-Arts&Crafts-Saddle Creek, 3pm 3/14/08 – Austin, TX @ The Fader Fort, 6pm 3/15/08 – Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar, 4pm 3/15/08 – Austin, TX @ The Parish/Arts&Crafts Showcase, 1am P.S. the SXSW set at the Beauty Bar is Rachel Ray's party. :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/03/the-stills-preview-new-material-tour/feed/ 1