This just happened: Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs won Album of the Year at the 53rd Annual Grammys.

We’re still in shock, mostly because Lady Antebellum won everything else and Win Butler’s crew were denied the more minor, Alternative Album of the Year. But yeah, it did happen, and well, sometimes you just have to let Kanye do the talking: “#Arcade fire!!!!!!!!!! There is hope!!! I feel like we all won when something like this happens! FUCKING AWESOME!”

Other notable winners included The Black Keys, who beat out Arcade Fire for both Alternative Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals. The White Stripes (R.I.P.) were denied Best Long Form Music Video, but their Under Great White Northern Lights documentary did take home Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package. Also, Neil Young won his second-ever Grammy for “Best Rock Song”, Them Crooked Vultures scored “Best Hard Rock Performance”, and Danger Mouse earned Best Producer.

Below, you can find all the noteworthy winners (they’re in bold).

Record of the Year

Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”

B.o.B. ft. Bruno Mars – “Nothin’ On You”

Eminem ft. Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”

Cee-Lo Green – “Fuck You”

Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – “Empire State Of Mind”

Album of the Year

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Eminem – Recovery

Lady Antebellum – Need You Now

Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster

Katy Perry – Teenage Dream

Song of the Year

Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”

Ray Lamontagne – “Beg Steal Or Borrow”

Cee-Lo Green – “Fuck You”

Eminem ft. Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”

Miranda Lambert – “The House That Built Me”

Best New Artist

Esperanza Spalding

Justin Bieber

Drake

Florence and the Machine

Mumford & Sons

Best Electronic/Dance Album

La Roux – La Roux

BT – These Hopeful Machines

The Chemical Brothers – Further

Goldfrapp – Head First

Groove Armada – Black Light

Best Rock Song

Neil Young – “Angry World”

Mumford & Sons – “Little Lion Man”

Kings of Leon – “Radioactive”

Muse – “Resistance”

The Black Keys – “Tighten Up”

Best Hard Rock Performance

Them Crooked Vultures – “New Fang”

Alice in Chains – “A Looking In View”

Ozzy Osbourne – “Let Me Hear You Scream”

Soundgarden – “Black Rain”

Stone Temple Pilots – “Between The Lines”

Best Alternative Album

The Black Keys – Brothers

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Band of Horses – Infinite Arms

Broken Bells – Broken Bells

Vampire Weekend – Contra

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

The Black Keys – “Tighten Up”

Arcade Fire – “Ready to Start”

Jeff Beck & Joss Stone – “I Put a Spell on You”

Kings Of Leon – “Radioactive”

Muse – “Resistance”

Best Rock Album

Muse – The Resistance

Jeff Beck – Emotion & Commotion

Pearl Jam – Backspacer

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – Mojo

Neil Young – Le Noise

Best R&B Album

John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up!

Raheem DeVaughn – The Love & War Masterpeace

Fantasia – Back to Me

Jaheim – Another Round

Monica – Still Standing

Best Rap Song

Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – “Empire State Of Mind”

Eminem ft. Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”

Eminem – “Not Afraid”

B.o.B. ft. Bruno Mars – “Nothin’ On You”

Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz – “On To The Next One”

Best Rap Album

Eminem – Recovery

B.o.B. – The Adventures Of Bobby Ray

Drake – Thank Me Later

Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3

The Roots – How I Got Over

Best Spoken Word Album

Jon Stewart - The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents Earth

Craig Ferguson – American On Purpose

Sarah Silverman – The Bedwetter

Michael J. Fox – A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To The Future…

Carol Burnett – This Time Together: Laughter And Reflection

Best Comedy Album

Lewis Black – Stark Raving Black

Margaret Cho – Cho Dependent

Flight Of The Conchords – I Told You I Was Freaky

Kathy Griffin – Kathy Griffin Does The Bible Belt

Robin Williams – Weapons Of Self Destruction

Best Recording Package

The Black Keys – Brothers

Oh No Ono – Eggs

Anaïs Mitchell – Hadestown

Devendra Banhart – What Will We Be

Chip Taylor – Yonkers NY

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

The White Stripes – Under Great White Northern Lights

Pixies – Minotaur

Various Artists – Story Island

Various Artists – Light: On The South Side

Voormann & Friends – A Sideman’s Journey

Producer of the Year

Danger Mouse (Broken Bells, (The Black Keys)

Rob Cavallo (Paramore)

Dr. Luke (Ke$ha)

RedOne (Lady Gaga)

The Smeezingtons (Cee-Lo, Bruno Mars)

Best Short Form Music Video

Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”

The Johnny Cash Project – “Ain’t No Grave”

Gorillaz – “Stylo”

Cee-Lo – “Fuck You”

Eminem & Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”

Best Long Form Music Video

The Doors – When You’re Strange

Blur – No Distance Left To Run

Rush – Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage

Arif Mardin – The Greatest Ears In Town: The Arif Mardin Story

The White Stripes – Under Great White Northern Lights

None of this is directly related to the video we’re about to show you, but the context makes it that much better. Chances are you’re one of the 28 million people who has viewed Samwell’s strange “What What in the Butt” clip on YouTube. If not, maybe you’re one of the millions who saw Butters perform the song in the South Park parody. In a sign that this web meme has reached the apex of weird, now Josh “I’ll butt-f*ck you in front of your friends” Homme is singing the song. The guitarist joined Samwell on Comedy Central’s Tosh.0 to turn the obnoxious tune into a groovy acoustic jam.

“‘What what in the butt’ is not only a real question, but it needs an answer,” Homme said backstage. “And the answer is, ‘Let’s do it in the butt, ok!’”

Maybe this is the musical equivelent of a politician making a racist remark, then showing up hand-in-hand with Al Sharpton at the next NAACP dinner. Or maybe just Homme just has more of a sense of humor than he gets credit for. Either way, he plays some funky acoustic guitar to complement his “in my butt” harmonies. We can only hope this a preview of the next Vultures album.

On the plus, Brian O’Connor is the bassist for Eagles of Death and, because of this, has quite a few high-profile friends who are now coming to his aid.

First and foremost, Them Crooked Vultures, the super group featuring Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones, have announced plans for two separate benefit shows in London and Los Angeles. The former will take place on July 5th at the Brixton Academy. Details for the Los Angeles show are being finalized now and will be announced soon.

What’s more, The Dead Weather/Queen of the Stone Age’s Dean Fertita will fill in for O’Connor so that Eagles of Death Metal can carry on with all upcoming tour dates, starting tonight with a performance in Toronto.

Friends with benefits, indeed.

O’Connor released the following statement:

“In regards to my current health situation, with the remarkable support and love from my amazing friends and family, I am receiving the best medical and moral attention one could ask for. I cannot thank everyone enough for their continued support and involvement.  I am excited for my full recovery and look forward to getting back to what I love most, melting face with my bass. I’m feeling great, after all, I am half unicorn. Keep ya posted.”

If you’d like to contribute to Brian’s medical care fund please visit pablove.org.

Eagles of Death Metal 2010 Tour Dates:
06/16 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix (NXNE)
06/18 – Santa Cruz, CA @ ?The Catalyst
06/19 – San Francisco, CA @ Cannabis Cup at Mezzanine
06/28 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
07/23 – Jackson, MI @ Land of NOD Experiment
08/11 – Sturgis, SD @ Rock N Rev 2010

I don’t need to tell you that a lot can happen in a week. Well, that’s exactly what happened, more so in music and perhaps more so than at any point this month. There were intriguing new beginnings. Buzzed-about artists finally dropped proper studio LPs after months of hipster blogger speculation. Many groups teased their fans with information concerning impending single and album releases. Major summer music festivals announced important changes. There were also unfortunate ends. Some artists decided call it quits, whether by or against their own wills.

And this was all in one week. Think about that.

A summary of these past few crazy days follows.

– Austin City Limits revealed its line-up. Bonnaroo announced another round of lineup additions for its new dance-oriented stage, the Lunar Stage, along with a day-by-day schedule.

– The Creators Project will foster collaborations between musical and visual artists throughout the globe.

– LA-based metal group Isis’s upcoming tour will be its last.

– Arcade Fire will release a single from its upcoming album on June 1st. Here’s a sneak peak.

– Bono hurt his back. Now U2′s upcoming summer tour is in question.

– A Broken Social Scene-inspired love film is being released. Enough said.

– Paul Westerberg came out of hiding.

– On a sad note, Ronnie James Dio passed away earlier this week. He was 67 years old.

– Sleigh Bells’ crusty demos took the blogosphere by storm late last year. According to Winston Robbins, this duo’s got the goods. Check out their “clean” debut LP, Treats.

– Carson O’Shoney reviewed David Cross’s latest offering, Bigger and Blackerer. Let’s just say it’s not for the faint of heart.

– a-ha made its first stop in Chicago since 1986 as part of their farewell tour. Gillian Rosheuvel was there.

– Michael Roffman offered his thoughts on Them Crooked Vultures’ performance at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom.

– Chris Coplan sat down with Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel to discuss life since his group’s mainstream breakthrough three years ago.

– Los Campesinos! mastermind Gareth Campesinos talked natural disasters with Philip Cosores, among other things.

Want more? Revisit this week’s news here, reviews here, and exclusive features here.

Simple, precise, and to the point — Homme knows how to strike his fan’s hearts with as little as possible. Chugging away at a cigarette and noodling around the lower fret of his guitar, he struts about the stage, wearing his ass on his sleeve and a chip on his boots. His soft croon misleading, there is no mystery to Josh Homme. He’s modern rock’s average Joe, and he gets by just fine with that mentality.

So, what’s the fuss about Them Crooked Vultures?

Oh, but what isn’t there to fuss about? Homme must find solace in knowing he has quite the backing band these days. Whereas he usually assembles a motley crew for the road with Queens of the Stone Age, here he’s working with, well, just about the best musicians around. You don’t find a better drummer than Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones is…  yeah, you get the point. Some can argue that such names speak for themselves, maybe even take precedence over the music. It’s not something fans will agree with, but at the end of the day, it’s a solid argument — especially when you witness a show.

At the end of the set’s opener, “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I”, Grohl douses himself with water, shaking like a dog after a cool bath. He’s having the time of his life, and why shouldn’t he? He’s working with a close friend (Homme) and sharing a rhythm section with a legend from a band he’s idolized since his youth (Led Zeppelin). What more could he want? This band, this tour, and this show represents a mighty accolade in his career. He shows it, too. Seeing Grohl smiling and acting charismatic should surprise nobody at this point; however, with this trio, he showcases a different side to his character. He’s more youthful, he’s more focused, and he’s, above all, genuinely bringing the heat. He melts down the house as a frontman, but behind the kit, he makes it personal. That’s something you’ll never see at a Foo Fighters concert.

You’ll also never see John Paul Jones in such wicked form. If there’s one wild card here — let’s face it, we’ve seen what Homme and Grohl can do together — it’s the former Zeppelin hero. With Homme’s limited vocal range, there’s a heavy dependence on instrumentation, which is exactly what Jones provides. On stage, Jones’ warped-yet-funky bass notes on “Gunman” turn the tightly packed audience into a human wave. His musicianship carries over into other instruments, including the violin (“You Can’t Possibly Begin To Imagine”) and the piano (“Spinning in Daffodils”). Forget that he probably witnessed Robert Plant forcing groupies to fornicate with sea creatures, here’s a musician at heart, willing to push aside stage antics in lieu of precise orchestration. For that, he wins the crowd over… in Chicago, L.A., New York, anywhere.

“What we love about music are special moments,” Homme declares toward the end of the night. It’s a resounding statement, and one that defines the group entirely. At its core, no matter how superior these musicians may be, Them Crooked Vultures represent a supergroup, and it’s because of this that the Aragon Ballroom sold-out. It’s not the music. It’s an event that, to paraphrase Homme, amounts to a “special moment.”

Think about an NBA All-Star Game, where every year the league rounds up its top players for a series of games and challenges. What do you remember? What do you take away? Certainly not the game. Of course not. You remember Dwyane Wade winning MVP or Paul Pierce knocking out both Chauncey Billups and Channing Frye in the 3-point match. The same could be said for Them Crooked Vultures. Yeah, “New Fang” brings back memories of it first hitting the net last fall, and sure, “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” might swim in your head for a bit, but that’s not what you relish. It’s seeing Grohl beating the living shit out of his drumset during “Caligulove”, or Jones smiling and dusting off his seat before ravaging the piano, or Homme being Homme. And together, yeah, that’s worth the ticket right there. Just don’t expect to be whistling the songs for too long after.

And therein lies the group’s dilemma…

All photography by Heather Kaplan.

Setlist:
No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
Gunman
Scumbag Blues
Dead End Friends
Elephants
Highway One
New Fang
Bandoliers
Interlude With Ludes
Mind Eraser, No Chaser
Caligulove
You Can’t Possibly Begin To Imagine
Spinning In Daffodils
Reptiles
Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up
——

[nggallery id=53]

]]> genuinely bringing the heat. He melts down the house as a frontman, but behind the kit, he makes it personal. That's something you'll never see at a Foo Fighters concert. You'll also never see John Paul Jones in such wicked form. If there's one wild card here -- let's face it, we've seen what Homme and Grohl can do together -- it's the former Zeppelin hero. With Homme's limited vocal range, there's a heavy dependence on instrumentation, which is exactly what Jones provides. On stage, Jones' warped-yet-funky bass notes on "Gunman" turn the tightly packed audience into a human wave. His musicianship carries over into other instruments, including the violin ("You Can't Possibly Begin To Imagine") and the piano ("Spinning in Daffodils"). Forget that he probably witnessed Robert Plant forcing groupies to fornicate with sea creatures, here's a musician at heart, willing to push aside stage antics in lieu of precise orchestration. For that, he wins the crowd over... in Chicago, L.A., New York, anywhere. "What we love about music are special moments," Homme declares toward the end of the night. It's a resounding statement, and one that defines the group entirely. At its core, no matter how superior these musicians may be, Them Crooked Vultures represent a supergroup, and it's because of this that the Aragon Ballroom sold-out. It's not the music. It's an event that, to paraphrase Homme, amounts to a "special moment." Think about an NBA All-Star Game, where every year the league rounds up its top players for a series of games and challenges. What do you remember? What do you take away? Certainly not the game. Of course not. You remember Dwyane Wade winning MVP or Paul Pierce knocking out both Chauncey Billups and Channing Frye in the 3-point match. The same could be said for Them Crooked Vultures. Yeah, "New Fang" brings back memories of it first hitting the net last fall, and sure, "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" might swim in your head for a bit, but that's not what you relish. It's seeing Grohl beating the living shit out of his drumset during "Caligulove", or Jones smiling and dusting off his seat before ravaging the piano, or Homme being Homme. And together, yeah, that's worth the ticket right there. Just don't expect to be whistling the songs for too long after. And therein lies the group's dilemma... All photography by Heather Kaplan. Setlist: No One Loves Me & Neither Do I Gunman Scumbag Blues Dead End Friends Elephants Highway One New Fang Bandoliers Interlude With Ludes Mind Eraser, No Chaser Caligulove You Can't Possibly Begin To Imagine Spinning In Daffodils Reptiles Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up ------ [nggallery id=53] ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/them-crooked-vultures-migrate-back-to-chicago-518/feed/ 7 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/prince-gorillaz-muse-lead-roskilde-2010/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/prince-gorillaz-muse-lead-roskilde-2010/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/04/roskilde.jpg Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=35838 A lot is made about the Glastonbury Music Festival and rightfully so. But one look at the Denmark based Roskilde Festival and it becomes quite clear that its 2010 lineup is as impressive as any in Europe, let alone the world.

After all, this year’s bill will be headed by Prince, Gorillaz, and Muse, which is mind numbing just to think about. What’s more, acts like Them Crooked Vultures, Pavement, The Prodigy, Patti Smith and Band, LCD Soundsystem, Robyn, Vampire Weekend, The National, Motorhead, Sick of it All, Alice in Chains, Kasabian, Tinariwen, and Bad Lieutenant are also set to take part.

It doesn’t stop there, however, as other confirmed acts include NOFX, Kings of Convenience, Drake, Paramore, Porcupine Tree, Pendulum, Julian Marley, Florence & the Machine, Dirty Projectors, Moderat, Beach House, HEALTH, Titus Andronicus, Local Natives, Japandroids, Wooden Shjips, Miike Snow, Converge, and Brother Ali. For a full list of confirmed acts, click here.

Not bad, right? Plus, unlike Glastonbury, tickets are still available. The Roskilde Festival takes place from July 1-4 in Roskilde, Denmark.

However, one quote stuck out at me while being a dork this year that truly captivated what this festival is all about. When people were all bickering over whether or not Jay-Z would be the third headliner (which he inevitably was), somebody stated something along the lines of, “Why would Goldenvoice get three contemporary headliners? They’ve never done this before.” Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say that, but Coachella was always known for having at least one headliner who had been around for awhile, but the reason this festival stands alone is because of the fact the bands on the bill are of such a high magnitude.

2010 marks the first true hip-hop headliner with Jay-Z, arguably one of the best rappers of our generation. Finally, Muse was called to the Polo Fields, after years and years of internet fans obsessing over the fact that the band needed to return with a higher spot on the bill. And the Gorillaz finally decided to make an appearance, which is something they rarely do anywhere, let alone at Coachella. Plus, they have written three of the best records in our time. Not to mention an amazing plethora of classic rock artists (Faith No More, Sly Stone, PiL, Echo and the Bunnymen) DJs (Deadmau5, Tiesto, Infected Mushroom), unique spectacles (Pavement, the Specials, Devo, and the USC marching band alongside Coheed & Cambria), the best in modern electo-pop (MGMT, Phoenix, Passion Pit) and finally one of the guys from Radiohead came back (Thom Yorke and his new band, Atoms for Peace). If this festival is too contemporary for people, they are clearly uninformed or misunderstand the definition of the word. This festival isn’t for contemporary music fans, it’s for people who love music. -Ted Maider

Friday, April 16th

Baroness
Mojave: 2:00-2:45 p.m.

The cool thing about Baroness is that the band members always come out and set up their own instruments before a gig. Coachella was no different. That being said, the sound never seems to falter when a band sets up their own instruments the only way they know how. With energy that I haven’t seen from Baroness in a long while, the band came out on stage and billowed through an almost hour long set that consisted of only the best from their Red Album and Blue Record.  John Baizley, lead singer, trudged and stomped his way around the stage and him and guitarist, Peter Adams, had many riff duels, back to back. This was one show of the weekend that should not have been missed. -Matt Rhodes

DJ Lance Rock
Sahara: 2:15-3:00 p.m.

Little children seem to love the television program Yo Gabba Gabba, a trippy Sesame Street that embraces modern day music to convey the same universal ideas of good living that children’s programming is supposed to teach. DJ Lance Rock brought this whole idea with him in his 45 minute show of bizarre monsters in an ecstacy explosion of infantile awesomeness. It didn’t matter how old you were, you could still rock out to a song about eating a healthy dinner. -Ted Maider

Avett Brothers
Outdoor Theatre: 3:20-4:05 p.m.

The Outdoor Theatre has become known for its technical difficulties throughout the years, and inexplicably, this year was no different. This is what plagued an otherwise fine Avett Brothers set. From the incessant buzzing on the right side of the stage to the fluctuating pitch of the mics, this set was doomed to never reach its potential. However, it had its highlights, including the rap portion of “Slight Figure of Speech” – fun despite setting back the White race about 20 years. -Harry Painter

Aeroplane
Sahara: 5:15-6:25 p.m.

These two nerdy looking air traffic controller types made some of the coolest airport techno to get you where you needed to go. Remember, music is the most quintessential part of any journey, and these cockpit party-geeks brought their audience to a new realm of dancing awesome. -Ted Maider

Dillinger Escape Plan
Gobi: 5:45-6:30 p.m.

When Dillinger Escape Plan took the stage, they took to it with a welcomed surprise: a tent packed with some of their biggest fans. The first couple songs were plagued with microphone problems but the band didn’t let that affect the bombastic set. Lead singer, Greg Puciato, climbed rafters and speakers and threw a microphone stand and himself into the crowd. Dillinger burned through songs spanning their whole career. They dove into newer material and even touched upon the oldies “43% Burnt” and “Sunshine the Werewolf”. Too bad Mike Patton didn’t come out to sing songs off of Irony Is A Dead Scene, though. Wishful thinking, I guess. -Matt Rhodes

The Specials
Coachella: 6:20-7:20 p.m.

Even after all these years, the Specials are still able to redefine the genre of ska even thirty plus years after its’ conception. Nothing beat the band’s dedication to the “rude boys and girls” as they blasted through “A Message to Rudy” as the sun set to just to the left of their already blazing set. This was the point in the day where everybody in the festival was skanking their hardest; except this time they wore sandals instead of checkered Vans. -Ted Maider

Passion Pit
Outdoor Theatre: 7:00-7:50 p.m.

With the California sun setting in the in the desert paradise of Indio, Passion Pit worked their crowed, as they are known to do. It truly just may be the way he speaks, but Michael Angelakos sounded rather intoxicated when conversing with the crowd. But as ever, Coachella witnessed spot on vocals from Angelakos and wonderful showmanship from the rest of the band. They played mostly Manners tracks, still plugging the re-release. Tracks included, but were not limited to: “The Reeling”, “Let Your Love Grow Tall”, and “Drive Me Crazy.” As the sun was in its last minutes of shining down of the enormous crowd, Angelakos asked the question: “The darker it gets here at Coachella, the more wild you’re gonna get, isn’t that how it works?” He couldn’t have hit the nail on the head harder if he were Lady Cleo. -Winston Robbins

Pretty Lights
Sahara: 7:50-8:50 p.m.

Sporting a lot of hype and – what else – some very pretty lights, Colorado electro artist Pretty Lights brought the energy to live up to the expectations. Those not drawn to the star power of Them Crooked Vultures or the even bigger hype surrounding Grizzly Bear one tent over were treated to a memorable, glitch-happy one-hour live set featuring Cory Eberhard on drums. “Hot Like Sauce” indeed. -Harry Painter

Them Crooked Vultures
Coachella: 7:50-8:40 p.m.

Imagine getting run over by an enormous truck of sound and you basically will understand what Them Crooked Vultures show was like. Dave Grohl smashing his drums with fury and grace, as he sweat out his entire body weight in a 50 minute set. Meanwhile Josh Homme pounded on his guitar like a madman as the band raged their greatest songs like “Mind Eraser”, “Dead End Friends” and a Phish-style jam on “Scumbag Blues,” which was dedicated to the entire crowd. Let alone John Paul Jones of Led fucking Zeppelin was sitting up there playing every instrument known to man and just absolutely killing it even 40 years after the band that made him famous got their big break (not to mention he sat down at a piano to play a beautiful piece, while Homme took a cigarette break in front of the whole crowd). -Ted Maider

Grizzly Bear
Mojave: 8:05-8:55 p.m.

A packed audience in the Mojave tent eagerly awaited the highly anticipated Brooklyn folk group. Starting off slow and building towards fresher material, Grizzly Bear gave their fans a taste of old and new. Of course we were all waiting for “Two Weeks”, and when it came it sealed their status as future headliners. The fact that all four members contributed to the vocals was awe-inspiring as every harmony recreated their albums seamlessly. The Mojave tent stayed dark throughout most of the set, further captivating the chill-factor that Grizzly Bear fans love to talk about. -Elias Newman

LCD Soundsystem
Coachella: 9:05-10:00 p.m.

A beaming James Murphy, clad in a sharp white suit, took the stage to uproarious fanfare. With the success of his previous two releases and the impending success of his upcoming (and possibly final) album This Is Happening, Murphy has evolved into a full-fledged legend. The LCD crew took no time leading us right into “Us v. Them” off of their transcendent 2007 release Sound of Silver. He expressed to us his sadness that he wanted to meet Them Crooked Vultures when they came offstage, but he found himself “stuck in the bathroom,” a shame indeed. Regardless of his disappointment, he soldiered on cheerily with new power hitter “Drunk Girls”. The remainder of his set would be largely from Silver, but he was intent on getting his new music heard. Apologizing for the “Faux pas of playing two new songs in a row”, he dropped the psyched-out anthem “I Can Change” followed by half monologue, half dance floor filler “Pow Pow”. He finished the night off with 11 minute crowd pleaser “Yeah” and funky love ballad “NY, I Love You”. One thing’s for sure, if this is truly Murphy’s last effort as LCD, he’s going out with a bang. Or a “Pow”, if you will. -Winston Robbins

Imogen Heap
Mojave: 9:20-10:10 p.m.

What made Imogen Heap’s set truly incredible was not just the music itself; her stage presence really made the late night set one of the best of the weekend. Speaking to the crowd as if they were old friends made for one hell of an intimate show. She even allowed us to learn and sing a song with her. Multitasking was her main theme of the night as she continued to play every single instrument on her own. She closed out the night on a keytar, finished on the baby grand piano, with her famous track “Hide and Seek”. -Matt Rhodes

Little Dragons
Gobi: 09:35-10:20 p.m.

After two appearances on Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach, Little Dragon has soared in popularity over the last few months. Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano alongside her three-piece band is an amazing sight, and her presence dominated the Gobi tent. The absence of “Twice” was disappointing but understandable, as the song would have brought the fast-paced set to a lull. In between Nagano’s power and shrills was a glimpse of a girl who was still light-headed at the thought of playing Coachella. It was that innocence that made for a special performance from a blossoming band. -Elias Newman

Vampire Weekend
Outdoor Theatre: 09:55-10:45 p.m.

Talk about a band that blew the fuck up. Vampire Weekend played the Outdoor Theater two years ago to a crowd that had merely just heard of them and wanted to check them out, but this time they played the same stage and you couldn’t get near it if you didn’t get there in time. The band ripped up versions of “Run”, “A-Punk”, “Walcott”, and “Oxford Comma” to a crowd that was ecstatic to be in the same place as the newest indie East Coast sensation. -Ted Maider

Jay-Z
Coachella: 10:50 p.m.

A countdown engulfs monitors on both sides of the stage. 10 minutes… 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4:20 (cheers and smoke loom overhead), 4, 3, 2, 1. Hova rises from inside the stage, with his 10-piece band right behind him. Starting off with “Run this Town”, Jay-Z didn’t waste any time. He worked through The Blueprint 3 alongside Memphis Bleek with a backdrop of skyscrapers and New York City behind him. At one point President Obama came on screen, and as he brushed his shoulders off during a previous speech, “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” blasted through the outdoor theatre. The moment was as humorous as it was surprising, and shows how Jay is not just a rapper but an entertainer. A few more hits (“99 Problems”, “H to the Izzo”), and then there she is. “Come on out B!” Beyonce’s cameo included the rendition of “Forever Young” as fireworks flew above the Coachella stage. Witnessing the romance was truly magical, especially as their first child is rumored to be on the way. Leaving the audience only to return for “Encore” was predictable, but it didn’t matter. The Jigga Man used his whole arsenal Friday night, and did it bigger than anyone could have expected. -Elias Newman

Saturday, April 17th

Rx Bandits
Outdoor Theatre: 12:25-1:15 p.m.

Thanks to a volcanic cancellation by Frightened Rabbits, both Rx Bandits and Porcupine Tree had extended sets, much to the delight of early comers to the festival. Rx Bandits played a full hour (10 more minutes than second-billed Faith No More), and it was easy to see why 60% of the people in the crowd (allegedly) traveled from out of state just to see them at Coachella (allegedly). The band’s jammy pop-punk made for enough good vibes to last into the evening. Rx Bandits are in serious need of an additional vocalist though. -Harry Painter

Porcupine Tree
Outdoor Theatre: 1:35-2:25 p.m.

Steven Wilson is a genius and it showed during Porcupine Tree’s afternoon set. The group was welcomed to the stage by a big fan base and went on to perform one of the best 50 minute sets I have ever seen. They played mostly new stuff but the musicianship shown was undeniable. Wilson and company were meticulous. They are true music nerds and the connection between the group was felt by all. Finding a band that can perform their funky progressive rock and metal with utmost perfection is almost impossible these days. -Matt Rhodes

Craze & Klever
Sahara: 4:05-5:25 p.m.

In a year rife with no-shows, turntablists Craze & Klever pulled through after missing their scheduled performance at last year’s festival. They put together a solid set featuring a couple of MC’s, one much better than the other. It was nothing to beat yourself up over from one April to the next, but it was very good, despite alienating some of the Sahara’s typical dance-oriented crowd. -Harry Painter

Beach House
Mojave: 4:25-5:15 p.m.

Beach House came out playing music that sounded like the soundtrack to my death. The trio played a heavenly brand of material, mostly culled from this year’s remarkable Teen Dream, that lifted you up to the clouds from paradise on Earth as they rocked a mellow set  that smoothed over a good vibe in the overcast heat. If you were just trying to cool off, there was no place better than with Beach House. -Ted Maider

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Outdoor Theatre: 5:10-6:00 p.m.

Edward Sharpe announced his arrival onstage by tying his sweaty, white t-shirt around a guy in the front row’s face. That pretty much kicked it off from there as the band played to a devoted crowd in the hot air. Their triumphant brand of indie rock truly connected well with the masses at the Outdoor Theater that afternoon.  Edward Sharpe and his posse proved to the crowd that power could be expressed through an elegant performance. At the end he sang out, “Thanks for being alive!” and all I can say to them in return is, “You’re welcome and thank you for making me feel that way.” -Ted Maider

The xx
Outdoor Theatre: 6:25 p.m. – 7:10 p.m.

“The roof is on fire,” announced bassist Oliver Sim with an uncontainable grin, after the roof of the Coachella Stage was literally aflame during Coheed and Cambria’s set. These grins appeared repeatedly on Sim’s and guitarist Romy Madley Croft’s normally deadpan faces, perhaps due to the large and growing crowd they had at least helped attract. Sim is a rock star in the making, and his band The xx has the chops to back up the almost comical neo-goth image. -Harry Painter

Hot Chip
Outdoor Theatre: 7:35-8:25 p.m.

Unfortunately, this set was not as epic as I had intended upon it being. Not because they aren’t talented musicians who make some of the best electronic music out there right now, but because the crowd seemed so uninterested. Also because frankly, the song choice was strange, which may or may not have been their fault. They were just one in a long list of bands who deserved a longer time slot. The five-piece outfit from London left out quite a few of their big hits to play obscure songs from this year’s One Life Stand as well as obscurities from 2008’s impeccable Made In The Dark. Hot Chip hit hard with the first song “One Pure Thought”, and much to the crowd’s delight, Alexis Taylor had donned his iconic mustard yellow pants to rock the Outdoor Stage at Coachella. They went on to play old favorites “Over and Over” and “Ready For The Floor” as well as new favorites “Hand Me Down Your Love” and “I Feel Better”. However, mixed in with the favorites, they played oddballs such, “We Have Love” and “Hold On”. On the whole, they got the crowd pumped, but I came away with the impression that they were trying out for the part of LCD Soundsystem, Jr. (Insert remarks about Al Doyle being a member of both bands here). They left the stage after saying, “We’ll see you all at Devo!”, who was scheduled to play later in the night. -Winston Robbins

Faith No More
Coachella: 7:55-8:45 p.m.

Three words sum up this show sufficiently: more dates please. As great as it was to see Faith No More’s “Second Coming”, this particular portion of the second coming lasted 50 minutes and just wasn’t enough – for any band near the top of the bill, and especially a high-profile reunion like Faith No More. Not to mention the cooperative but indifferent crowd, which caused even hardcore Faith No More fans to shy away from “Epic” and “Midlife Crisis” sing-alongs. Mike Patton was right on target: “I know we look like we’re 80 years old, but give us a fucking break!” Patton won over some people with that kind of humor. He was never actually on the stage for more than three minutes at a time, and at one point found himself diving off a barrier into the crowd. All other bandmembers brought their share of energy to the stage as well, and really, you couldn’t have asked for anything more from the band – except maybe replacing the too-long “Reunited” cover that opened the set with a…er, real song – this was essentially Faith No More playing a show to clueless Muse’s fans. - Harry Painter

MGMT
Outdoor Theatre: 8:50-9:40 p.m.

Plenty of harsh fingers have been pointed in the New York electro-pop band’s direction recently due to harsh words about their latest effort, Congratulations. But would it hold up live? Fuck yes. MGMT opened with “Flash Delirium”, and the crowd was stoked as the ever-popular MGMT cranked out tunes onstage with new greats like “It’s Working” and “Song for Dan Treacy” alongside excellent renditions of “oldies” like “The Youth”, “Electric Feel”, and “Time to Pretend”. No “Kids”, however, which probably left some feeling dull. Nonetheless, this performance proved one truly remarkable thing; people actually like MGMT, not just the few singles. People are learning. -Ted Maider

Major Lazer
Mojave: 9:25-10:10 p.m.

One of the more interesting sets of the night, that of Diplo and Switch’s latest project Major Lazer, was one continuous, seductive dance party. The music literally did not stop for a single second and neither did the dirty dancing. The infamous tutorial on creative ways to dry hump one another video AKA Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor”, made its presence known in Indio. Fronted by the man from the “Pon” video with the re-imagined Sisqo haircut, they nearly shook the Gobi Tent to its destruction. They played what seemed like every track from 2009’s Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, the crowd pleasers being “Jump Up”, “Hold The Line”, and “Pon De Floor” and remixes of Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants” and Benny Benassi’s “Sastifaction.” The designated Major Lazer dry-humper even pulled out the ladder and did the massive dive hump as featured in the video. Rarely have I seen a show summon this much energy. They impressed (and quite possibly aroused) all in the crowd. -Winston Robbins

Muse
Coachella: 9:35-11:05 p.m.

You hear all these claims about Muse’s live show and either don’t want to believe the band is that good, or you believe but can’t quite grasp it. Whichever side you’re on, you must watch Muse live at some point. God knows The Resistance isn’t a great album or even a noteworthy one, but the band just makes it fun live. Some of the new tracks slow down the show a little, but that may be because the crowd interaction slows along with it. This is to say that the sing-alongs throughout the course of a Muse set are nothing short of epic. Screaming “We will be victorious” over and over again is, like the glitter adorning Matt Bellamy’s guitar, a little silly but it feels right in the moment. Bellamy can shred though; it’s obvious he idolizes Tom Morello as much as he does Thom Yorke, and Bellamy can make even his silliest songs sound worth hearing – isn’t that what being a good live act is about? -Harry Painter

Les Claypool
Mojave: 10:35-11:25 p.m.

Les Claypool made quite an entrance, as he always does. He dubbed himself the “festival whore” and showed disappointment for not playing the Polo Fields in previous years. But the whore seemed to enjoy himself quite thoroughly while he did his usual bass thumping and crazy antics to a well-attended and quirky crowd. And nothing made it better than Claypool retreating from the stage to get his pig mask and finish off the night in true, weird Claypool style. Note: Oysterhead/Police drummer Stuart Copeland was spotted checking out Les in the front row at his set. -Ted Maider

Flying Lotus
Gobi: 10:45-11:35 p.m.

Despite conflicting times with Muse, The Dead Weather, and Les Claypool, Flying Lotus gathered a considerable amount of people to see his set in the Gobi tent. A set list would be hard to produce from this very crowded show for two reasons. A) A lot of improvisation goes into a FlyLo show and songs are hard to distinguish one from another, and B) His album Cosmogramma has yet to be released (May 3^rd, for those of you drooling in anticipation) and much of his set was devoted to debuting new tracks. The man of few words did play some old favorites including “Camel”, “Melt!”, and “1983”. The deepest, most secret part of my heart hoped that Thom Yorke would show up to do the vocals on the track he collaborated with Flying Lotus on for the new album, but that unfortunately never happened. Next best thing, however, FlyLo did an incredible cover/re-working of Radiohead’s “Idioteque” saying that “This one’s for my man, Thom.” He also did an impressive tranced-out re-working of Lil’ Wayne’s “A Milli” that got the crowd all kinds of riled. -Winston Robbins

The Dead Weather
Outdoor Theatre: 11:05-12:00 a.m.

Only the truly deserving (or blessed) get the chance to say, “How you feeling, Coachella? Good to see you again,” and Jack White took this opportunity before transitioning into “Hang You from the Heavens” Saturday night. He’s now had three appearances at Coachella, each with a different band. While The Dead Weather is the worst of White’s projects, the band is certainly capable of rocking, and while it couldn’t follow Muse, the band sure as hell rocked the Outdoor Theatre. Frontwoman Allison Mosshart and White have pleasing onstage chemistry and were a joy to sit back and watch after a long Saturday. -Harry Painter

Die Antwoord
Sahara: 11:35-11:55 p.m.

South African internet sensation Die Antwoord is no joke. When I first saw the video for “Enter The Ninja”, I was under the impression I was watching this year’s “Chocolate Rain”. I was as terrified as I was entranced. Something about them seemed less gimmicky than most internet spread musicians. And on night two of Coachella, my suspicions were confirmed. Die Antwoord is for real. Despite their extremely short 20 minute set, they destroyed their U.S. debut by playing “Enter The Ninja” “Beat Boy” and two other previously unheard tracks. Expect to hear more from and about this up and coming South African trio as the days go on. It was quite a spectacle to witness their fearless debut in the United States. -Winston Robbins

Tiësto
Coachella: 11:40 p.m.

Tiësto is the king of DJs, hands down. His next Coachella Main Stage installment was just as epic as his performance in 2007. Tiësto once again threw down some of the tightest produced techno in modern day music as a huge crowd rage on around him. This was the biggest party of the weekend with a full house packing in at the most expansive portion of the festival while techno lit up the night. The final number of the performance was a remix of the Platoon score, which brought tears to ravers’ eyes as they danced their hearts out under the stars. -Ted Maider

Devo
Mojave: 11:50-12:45 a.m.

As anyone at the Devo autograph signing Saturday will tell you, the guys that make up Devo are either out of their minds or very good at pretending they are. This point is illustrated very well by Devo’s live show, featuring cheesy songs supported by cheesy visuals and, of course, cheesy hats. Of course, Devo has always reveled in this sort of cheese, and that’s why the band was not to be missed closing the Mojave Saturday night – because it’s kind of brilliant. -Harry Painter

2ManyDJs
Sahara: 12:05-12:55 p.m.

Choosing between Sia, Devo, and 2ManyDJ’s late Saturday night was difficult, but I couldn’t imagine a more enjoyable time than that offered by the Dewaele brothers. The pair took the stage and took the audience on a journey of remixes and mash-ups, documented with moving album artwork displayed on two screens. Guns N’ Roses, MGMT, and even The Clash had the neon crowd dancing for the entire hour. They’ve played almost identical sets at other festivals, but the repetition had no effect on the chemical-induced audience. Whether they go by Soulwax or 2ManyDJ’s, the Dewaeles have mastered the art of putting on a good time. -Elias Newman

Sunday, April 18th

The Middle East
Outdoor Theatre: 12:15-12:55 p.m.

Likely due to Delphic’s volcancellation, The Middle East didn’t show up on stage until about 1 p.m., inadvertently pissing off some of the reasonably-sized audience. Luckily for the band, there wasn’t much early competition, since the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble didn’t show up. Luckily for everyone else, The Middle East was quite good, putting on a set ranging from soft folk rock to energetic post-rock. It’s not hard to imagine we’ll be hearing more from this band in the future. -Harry Painter

The Soft Pack
Mojave: 12:55-1:40 p.m.

Starting around one in the afternoon, The Soft Pack was one of the best early-birds. Saving “Mexico” and “Answer to Yourself” for last, they kept the intimate crowd alert throughout the entire set. Lead singer Matt Lamkin is no Alice Cooper, but his overall blasé attitude on stage worked well with the band. He even told the crowd to go drink a Heineken, and then admitted to earning a whopping 50 bucks for the advertisement. Not exactly professional, but damn funny. An excellent start to day two. -Elias Newman

King Khan & The Shrines
Mojave: 2:05-2:50 p.m.

The experience was religious. With a six-piece band behind him, King Khan brought soul music to a new level. No shirt, headdress, and a cape. How about that for an outfit. He had us screaming, burning money, and then crying at the end. Add the Yo Gabba Gabba crew and DJ Lance Rock to the mix, and you have one of if not the most insane act of the entire weekend. Seeing The Shrines live is not an option, it is a necessity, and apologies to anyone who missed the King himself. -Elias Newman

Owen Pallett
Outdoor Theatre: 2:25-3:10 p.m.

He may not have been the best violinist performing Sunday (see Yann Tiersen), but with apologies to Thom Yorke, no one used a loop pedal to better effect than Owen Pallett. The artist formerly known as Final Fantasy was brilliant, constructing beautiful songs by himself out of parts that could easily have taken all of Arcade Fire to perform separately. The downsides: geeky chuckles after every song, and he closed the set with an awkward inquiry to his guitarist about cornholing. -Harry Painter

Deerhunter
Outdoor Theatre: 3:35-4:20 p.m.

It was a mellow afternoon at the Outdoor Theater when Deerhunter took the stage sometime early in the festival. People sat down as the cool breeze sent chills down their spine, along with Deerhunter’s epic and melodic music, while the soothing notes began the final hours of the festival. Deerhunter played a great selection of lazy afternoon tunes and closed with a “jam medley” that was inspired by Echo and the Bunnymen’s performance from Friday night. -Ted Maider

De La Soul
Coachella: 3:50-4:40 p.m.

Hip-hop was certainly in the house on Sunday when De La Soul took the Main Stage on Sunday afternoon, turning the festival’s most happening spot into the biggest afternoon party. The group had a live band accompanying them, and spent no time messing around with single verses of popular songs, but blasted through tracks off all the old LPs that spanned their entire career. If you wanted to get funky on Sunday afternoon, this was the place to be. -Ted Maider

Julian Casablancas
Mojave: 5:35-6:20 p.m.

Donning a studded leather jacket and some scorching hot, red pants, Julian Casablancas makes no secret that he’s cooler than you’ll ever be. As he strutted about the Mojave stage, The Strokes frontman whisked through a number of solo tracks — “11th Dimension”, “Out of the Blue”, and the now-crowd favorite cover, “I Wish it Was Christmas Today”– which all but solidified his status to the crowd that he is the brains of modern day rock music. Contrary to what you might expect, Casablancas wasn’t too shy about cranking out a few Strokes tunes, which he did and to which the crowd enjoyed immensely. Nothing like hearing some of our generation’s best rock tunes. -Ted Maider

Charlotte Gainsbourg
Gobi: 5:40-6:30 p.m.

Charlotte Gainsbourg’s set was a rare event; she never tours, so the chance to hear live renditions of songs from her 2009 album IRM was enough of a sell for a guy who had already seen Jónsi with Sigur Rós. Well, okay, plus the Beck rumors and everything. IRM has some great songs on it, but Gainsbourg just isn’t much of a singer, and that becomes painfully clear in a live setting, as did the absence of Beck’s vocals on “Heaven Can Wait”. The band was very tight though, unlike Gainsbourg’s shirt. -Harry Painter

Jónsi
Outdoor Theatre: 5:55-6:45 p.m.

Thousands gathered to see what the long-time frontman of epic Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós would produce as a solo artist. What they got was first of all, not in Icelandic, but English, which surely threw some listeners off. People began to leave minutes into his 45 minute set, which is a real shame because it was beautiful. Jónsi has one of the most unique, beautiful voices on God’s green earth and he flaunted it in every way during his set. The peacock pageantry that is prevalent in his album artwork and solo videos made its real life manifestation on the Outdoor Stage at Coachella on Sunday. His set ran a bit short, and was in the middle of the sun, which stole from the atmosphere he was going for, but he played songs from his impeccable Go flawlessly. He hit especially high highs during the subtle “Grow Till Tall”, the enlivened “Animal Arithmetic”, and the centerpiece of his album “Boy Lilikoi”. And while we’d all rather see him with Sigur Rós presenting a new album, this is surely the very next best thing. -Winston Robbins

Phoenix
Outdoor Theatre: 7:10-8:00 p.m.

Phoenix took the stage at sundown to see a mammoth crowd awaiting their musical remedies. And I will personally assure you that not one person in that monstrous crowd left disappointed. A band like Phoenix is so fun to watch. Everything is organic, and it all rides on sheer talent. And they are writing some of the best Pop-Rock music in the world today. Not only are they some extremely talented musicians, but they’re fronted by Thomas Mars, who seems to be right at home while entertaining a crowd. As he looked out at the crowd he commented, “You guys are forever! I can’t even see the end of you!” Despite the number of watchers, he sang the songs note for note and moved with an easy swagger that made Phoenix so much fun to watch. “He implored us to enjoy the sunset and enjoy the music” as they jumped right into Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix hits “Lisztomania”, “Lasso”, “Rome”, and “Fences”. They visited their past music with songs such as “If I Ever Feel Better”, “No Consolation Prizes”, and “Long-Distance Call”. They closed up with an explosive “1901” and left the crowd screaming. -Winston Robbins

Pavement
Coachella: 7:45-8:55 p.m.

Nothing was cooler than seeing the Stockton, California quintet back together for their first American performance. The group of pals was right where they left off 11 years ago at the first Coachella, except this time they weren’t at one another’s throats. A “Silent Kid” opener was met with a couple sound glitches, but even that couldn’t silence the band as they melted everyone’s faces with “Shady Lane”, “Summer Babe” ,“Cut Your Hair”, and a very memorable rendition of “Grounded”, one that hypnotized every member of the crowd. Coachella made a band that was never supposed to be overtly glorious into something to remember for ages to come with this performance. -Ted Maider

Yann Tiersen
Mojave: 7:55-8:45 p.m.

It was one of the best sets of the weekend, and almost no one saw it. No one should have seen it, had Yann Tiersen been in his original slot opposite Gorillaz, but Gary Numan canceled, making it actually possible for people to watch the Amelie composer. The Amelie crowd got its fix with a gorgeous solo violin performance of “Sur Le Fil” (and a not-immediately-recognizable brooding version of “La Valse d’Amelie”), but the dark post-rock that made up the majority of Tiersen’s set was a perfect lead-in to Thom Yorke’s gig. -Harry Painter

Thom Yorke/Atoms for Peace
Outdoor Theatre: 9:00 p.m.

Let’s be honest – Coachella had four headliners in three days; everyone was at Thom Yorke right before everyone was at Gorillaz. And Yorke’s was a headline-worthy show. He and his band, Atoms for Peace, played his 2006 solo album The Eraser from start to finish, complete with out-of-control bass explosions by Flea. The Eraser has always gotten better with each listen, and Atoms for Peace’s versions of the album’s tracks work because they highlight instead of negate the strengths of The Eraser. Never before have I considered dancing to any song on The Eraser, but I didn’t have to think twice about it at Coachella. Yorke was quite the dancer himself, consistently goofy and having the time of his life. The inevitable encores were worth sticking around for; the first was a three-song solo bit that included new song “Give Up the Ghost” and a couple acoustic Radiohead tracks, while the second cued Atoms for Peace back on stage to end the show. Also of note: Yorke dedicated the song “Atoms for Peace” to Pavement. -Harry Painter

Gorillaz
Coachella: 10:30 p.m.

This may have been the first time in Coachella history that 99% of eyes at Coachella Sunday were on the headliner (the other 1%, of course, being on 2010’s most predictable train wreck in Sly Stone). That large majority of eyes saw a spectacle, and it was almost everything it was cracked up to be. Almost, that is, because some expected names like Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, and Shaun Ryder were no-shows. However, this was but a slight blemish in a wholly captivating experience, the first full-blown show supporting new album Plastic Beach. Damon Albarn, along with guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Paul Simonon of The Clash, and several other guests, performed selections off Plastic Beach and Demon Days with precision and funk. Bringing the most funk was Bobby Womack, who completely botched his first line in “Stylo” to the point of embarrassment (Albarn even gave him a dirty look), but redeemed himself by the end of the night by nailing “Cloud of Unknowing”. Booty Brown was on point during “Dirty Harry” and De La Soul kept the energy up during its appearances. The highlight may have been “Empire Ants”, however, with Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon nailing her part at the peak of the set. In fact, this was a dream Gorillaz set for those more inclined toward the cartoon band’s mellow output. -Harry Painter

Conclusion

And so ends another memorable year at Coachella. Does time fly by or what? 2010 was filled with bearable heats, sold out crowds and one of the best line-ups the festival has ever seen. Thanks to the changes in ticket sales, camping truly felt like a communal experience and whether or not you partied in the campsite all weekend, danced in the Do-Lab or saw all of the wonderful headliners, your time at Coachella should have been some of the best spent. I actually felt terribly sad to be leaving Monday morning and wished it could have been just a couple days longer. Signing a decade-long renewal contract obviously shows that this was one of the best years Coachella has ever seen.

So now it’s back to the message boards to argue and debate and make false rumors of who is going to be at Coachella 2011. Lives do revolve around this one amazing weekend and I am sure all of you are already looking forward to next year. So until then, “good morning, good afternoon, and good night” all of you “Coachellians.” -Matt Rhodes

In other words, you can now head over to the Rock It Out! Blog to stream three of RSD ’10′s biggest releases: Soundgarden’s reissue of “Hunted Down”, The Black Keys’ “Howlin’ For You” 12″, and the previously unreleased Them Crooked Vultures track “Hwy 1“. Then, stop by some kind of awesome to take a listen to Weezer’s Record Store Day cover of Green Day’s “Brain Stew”. The one downside? Limited edition vinyl > leaked streams.

Take it in, people. It’s worth the watch. (Below, also check out the band’s up-to-date touring schedule. Also, remember on April 17th, aka this Saturday, aka Record Store Day, Them Crooked Vultures will release a special, limited edition 10″ picture featuring live cuts of “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” and “Hwy 1″.

Them Crooked Vultures 2010 Tour Dates:
04/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
04/19 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore
05/13 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotia Place
05/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
05/16 – Winsdor, ON @ Colosseum at Caesars
05/17 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Egyptian Room
05/18 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon
06/04 – Nurnberg, DE @ Rock Im Park
06/06 – Nurburgring, DE @ Rock Am Ring
06/07 – Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
06/10 – Amsterdam, NL @ Heineken Music Hall
06/11 – Donington Park, UK @ Download Festival
06/30 – Arendal, NO @ Hove Festival
07/01 – Borlange, SE @ Peace & Love
07/01-04 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/02 – Roskilde, DK @ @ Roskilde Festival
07/30-08/01 – Niigata Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival

The Black Keys:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Broken Bells:

What: Tour date for Detroit, MI

When: June 1st

Tixs: $35.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 12:00 PM EST

Delta Spirit:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Damian Marley & Nas:

What: Tour date for Brooklyn, NY; Atlanta, GA; & Los Angeles, CA

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Green Day:

What: Tour dates for Hartford, CT; Dallas, TX; & Chula Vista, CA

When: August – September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Phish:

What: North American tour

When: June – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy:

What: North American tour

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Them Crooked Vultures:

What: Tour date for Chicago, IL

When: May 18th

Tixs: $46.75

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM CST

Are we missing anything? Let us know in the comments below!

The Honda Civic Tour featuring Paramore and Tegan & Sara:

What: North American tour

When: July – Septeber

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Lady Gaga:

What: Tour dates for Atlantic City, NJ and Oklahoma City, OK

When: July – August

Tixs: $54.50 – $$192.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Lilith Fair:

What: Dates for Portland, OR; George, WA; Tinley Park, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Toronto, ON; Atlanta, GA; and West Palm Beach, FL

When: July – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Livenation.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Neil Young:

What: Tour dates for Louisville, KY; Atlanta, GA; Spartanburg, SC; and Nashville, TN

When: May – June

Tixs: $85 – $245

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

The New Pornographers:

What: North American tour

When: June – August

Tixs: Prince varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Them Crooked Vultures:

What: Tour date for Toronto, ON

When: May 15th

Tixs: $28.50 – $73.75

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 12:00 PM EST

Ween:

What: Tour dates for Chicago, IL and St. Paul, MN

When: June 25th and 26th

Tixs: $26.50 – $29.75

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Are we missing anything? Let us know below!

Ed Sharpe & the Magnetic Zereos:

What: North American tour

When: June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

George Wein’s Folk Festival:

What: Three day festival in Los Angeles featuring Yim Yames, Andrew Bird, The Avett Brothers, Levon Helm, and more

When: July 30th – August 1st

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Newportfolkfest.com at 10:00 AM EST

Green Day w/ AFI:

What: North American tour

When: August – September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

HARD LA M.I.A.:

What: One day festival in Los Angeles featuring M.I.A., Sleigh Bells, and more

When: July 17th

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Groovetickets.com at 10:00 AM PST

HARD NYC M.I.A.:

What: One day festival in New York featuring M.I.A., Sleigh Bells, and more

When: July 24th

Tixs: $40 – $55

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

N.E.R.D.:

What: Tour date for New York, NY

When: April 28th

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Livenation.com at 12:00 PM EST

The New Pornographers:

What: North American tour

When: June – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Stars:

What: North American tour

When: June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Them Crooked Vultures:

What: Tour dates for Los Angeles, CA; Indianapolis, IN; Windsor, ON; and Ottawa, ON

When: May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Vampire Weekend:

What: Tour date for New York, NY

When: September 17th

Tixs: $39.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 11:00 AM EST

Are we missing anything? Let us know below!

After that, Grohl will likely head into the studio to begin work on the Foo Fighter’s next studio album, while Homme has already begun mapping out late summer tour dates with Queens of the Stone Age. The band is also rumored to be re-releasing its self-titled debut. As for the third member of the super group, Mr. John Paul Jones? Well…

Tickets for Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Windsor, and Ottawa can be had starting Friday, March 26th, Toronto on March 27th, and Chi-Town on April 2nd. Visit Ticketmaster.com for more info.

Them Crooked Vultures 2010 Tour Dates:
04/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
04/19 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore
05/13 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotia Place
05/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
05/16 – Winsdor, ON @ Colosseum at Caesars
05/17 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Egyptian Room
05/18 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon
06/04 – Nurnberg, DE @ Rock Im Park
06/06 – Nurburgring, DE @ Rock Am Ring
06/07 – Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
06/10 – Amsterdam, NL @ Heineken Music Hall
06/11 – Donington Park, UK @ Download Festival
06/30 – Arendal, NO @ Hove Festival
07/01 – Borlange, SE @ Peace & Love
07/01-04 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/02 – Roskilde, DK @ @ Roskilde Festival
07/30-08/01 – Niigata Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival

“We’ll find time to sit down and start planning the next album. The aim is to get a really solid basis for it.”

— Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins reveals (via Kerrang!) that the band plans to begin work on the followup to 2007′s Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace later this year. Currently, the project is on hiatus, as frontman Dave Grohl continues touring with Them Crooked Vultures, while Hawkins is gearing up for the release of his next album with Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders.

The super group, which (as everyone should know by now!) consists of Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl (drums), Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones (bass), and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme (guitar/vocals) (plus touring guitarist Alain Johannes), delivered as solid of a performance as you’d expect from three legendary rock stars, even despite the suspect setting of SNL’s Studio 8H and early sound problems (turn up Homme’s vocals!). Of course, it helped that the outfit chose not to throw any curveballs, sticking to the well-known and utterly fantastic singles, “New Fang” and “Mind Eraser, No Chaser”.

What’s more, there was a bit of a treat on top of the good performance — Grohl appeared in a sketch with Kutcher, Fred Armisen and Bill Hader as an aging rock band performing at a wedding. The sketch was surprisingly funny (Grohl should totally host SNL!), or maybe it just seems that way when surrounded by…well, SNL sketches (need I explain?).

Thus, by night’s end, we received yet another example of the fact that Them Crooked Vultures just seem to make a lot more sense live than they sound on record. Um… for some people.

Hat tip to The Audio Perv for video support…

Update: It turns out that Them Crooked Vultures, as well as The Roots’ ?uestlove, appeared in an unpaired sketch about Kutcher’s new social media network, “Tooter”.

We should also note that if you were disappointed by the unimaginative song selection, the band will be on TV again next Saturday for a more extensive performance. Be sure to check out Them Crooked Vultures on Austin City Limits on PBS (check your local listings for air time).

Them Crooked Vultures 2010 Tour Dates:
02/08 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
02/10 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
02/11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
06/11-13 – Leicestershire, UK @ Download Festival

This will be the band’s second TV performance in two weeks, as the guys will be the musical guests on Saturday Night Live the previous Saturday. As you know, musicians not named Kanye don’t normally perform on TV twice in the same year these days, let alone twice in the same month, so this will be a treat. I still want my MTV back, though.

Check your local PBS affiliate’s listings for the Austin City Limits showing, and watch the band’s performance of “New Fang” here. The setlist is below, along with upcoming tour dates.

AFI:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Dashboard Confessional:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Daughtry:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: May – June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

James Taylor & Carole King: Troubadour Reunion:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: May – June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Joanna Newsom:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Puscifer:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Them Crooked Vultures:

What: Dates for Atlanta, Charlotte, New York

When: February

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Also, don’t forget…

Coachella Music Festival:

What: Three day festival in Indio, CA featuring Jay-Z, Muse, Gorillaz, Thom Yorke, and lots more!

When: April 16-18

Tixs: $269 for GA; $339 for VIP

Buy: Ticketmaster.com

In other TCV news, they’re playing Coachella, they may record another album, and Paul McCartney still isn’t a member.

As the lineup below indicates, Jay-Z, Muse, and Gorillaz will headline this year’s festivities, set to take place from April 16-18 at the Empire Polo Club. Other heavy-hitters include the recently reunited Pavement, Them Crooked Vultures, Faith No More, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, MGMT, The Dead Weather, Echo & the Bunnymen, LCD Soundsystem, DJ Tiesto, David Guetta, Sly & the Family Stone, The Specials, Orbital, Public Image, LTD, and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, who will deliver a solo performance.

Indie sensations Spoon, Grizzly Bear, Fever Ray, Passion Pit, Hot Chip, She & Him, Owen Pallett, Little Boots, Ra Ra Riot, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Deerhunter, and the Dirty Projectors are also set to perform, as is The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, Gary Numan, De La Soul, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Coheed and Cambria.

Find the complete 2010 lineup below. Check out our Coachella Outlook page for links to all the confirmed acts respective websites.

Individual tickets go on sale Friday, January 22nd at 10am PST via Ticketmaster.com. Layaway tickets for three-day passes and camping are also available through February 15th.

Update: For those wondering, Thom Yorke ???? = Thom Yorke, Flea, Nigel Godrich, Mauro Refosco, and Joey Waronker, aka the same band that played in Los Angeles last October (via TFB).

“We went out for a bite to eat afterwards and Dave [Grohl] told me he was starting this band with Josh [Homme]. I asked him who was playing bass and he rather sheepishly told me he’d approached John [Paul Jones]. So you read it here first; Paul McCartney was nearly the bass player in Them Crooked Vultures. Actually, I’m sure it wouldn’t have happened but it’s an interesting project.”

— Paul McCartney (via The Daily Mail) on how he, and not Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, could have ended up a member of Them Crooked Vultures. Of course, while we love Macca, we’re kind of glad he didn’t.

As for 2009? Well, the Dirty Projectors became a household name, as did Twitter, Girl Talk turned into a gimmick, Kanye continued to be an asshole, online music streaming got big (and bought), and the sales of digital and vinyl releases continued to increase, while the Virgin Megastores and Sam Goody’s of the world went bye bye.

And that’s not even scratching the surface. Before we turn the page on the 2000s, we wanted to take one more look at the year that was the last 365 days. Music, here was your 2009…

Top Albums of 2009

As selected by the CoS Staff…

01. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion

02. Passion Pit – Manners

03. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You

04. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love

05. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

06. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!

07. Kittens Ablaze – The Monstrous Vanguard

08. Wale – Attention Deficit

09. The Antlers – Hospice

10. The Dead Weather – Horehound

Click here for #11 – #100

Top Songs of 2009

As selected by the CoS Staff…

01. Phoenix – “1901″

02. Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes”

03. Passion Pit – “Sleepyhead”

04. Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”

05. Phoenix – “Lisztomania”

06. Wale – “Triumph”

07. Jay-Z – “Run This Town” (feat. Kanye West and Rihanna)

08. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”

09. Girls – “Lust for Life”

10. Animal Collective – “My Girls”

Click here for #11 – #50

Headline Grabbers

There is always a few particular artists who seem to appear in the headlines more than others. Take these three for example:

Lil Wayne appeared on ESPN, began work on a rock ‘n’ roll album, talked gangsta with Katie Couric, won some Grammys, released the worst song ever, pushed back the release of his rock ‘n’ roll album, pushed back the release of his rock ‘n’ roll album again, told kids to stay in school, teamed up with Madonna, collaborated with Kanye, Eminem, and Drake, promised two albums before the year was out, plead guilty to weapon possession, released a stellar mixtape, watched his mom get a TV show, had his rock ‘n’ roll album mistakenly leaked, and got arrested again, all while actually failing to release any studio albums at all before the year was out. And to cap it all off, he’s going to prison in February!

For a band that didn’t release an album in 2009, Radiohead sure managed to grab quite a few headlines. Capitol Records reissued their discography, Thom Yorke debuted a new song, as well as contributed to the New Moon soundtrack, Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway collaborated with Neil Finn and Wilco, the entire band got together to release a tribute song for Harry Patch, the last surviving World War I combat soldier, Thom Yorke covered Mark Mulcahy’s “All for the Best”, the entire band got together again to release a track titled “These Are My Twisted Words”, Thom Yorke offered a secret 12″, Thom Yorke formed a new band and played some shows, the entire band got together for a third time to begin work on a new studio album, and Thom Yorke became really pissed about climate change.

You either loved or hated the amount of U2 present in 2009. Bono and crew got on their boots, played the Grammys, resided on Letterman, released a new album, teamed up with Brandon Flowers and Chris Martin, started talking another new album, took to Fordham University for a secret show, embarked on the first leg of their claw-featuring global 360 tour, tapped Muse as an opener, wrote a Broadway musical about Spider-Man, pissed off David Byrne, got reviewed in Chicago, reissued The Unforgettable Fire, apparently made no money, played the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall-of-Fame anniversary, titled their next album, wanted to be like The Beatles, plotted more tour dates for 2010, played a free Berlin Wall concert behind the backdrop of a different wall constructed by MTV to prevent those without tickets from watching U2 play a free Berlin Wall concert, teamed up with Jay-Z, got tapped for Glastonbury 2010, and announced a remix album.

Music Festivals

Despite a recession which saw a number of mid-tier summer music festivals call it quits, the big boys were as grand as ever. Coachella rounded up McCartney, Bonnaroo brought The Boss and Phish, and Lollapalooza finally saw Perry using his festival to his advantage. What’s more, Outside Lands proved once again that its a festival to be reckon with, while Sasquatch! demonstrated that Washington state can also rock hard. Hova was able to save All Points West from a mud filled weekend, Pitchfork continued to serve as a hipster’s wet dream, and the Virgin Mobile Festival reminded us that some good things can be free. Finally, Consequence of Sound hit South by Southwest for the first time, celebrating with events featuring the likes of Astronautalis, Gringo Star, Shad, 13ghosts, Kittens Ablaze, Catfish Haven, and Blueblood. Oh, and did we mention we have already begun planning for next year?

Supergroups

By the time December rolled around, there were as many supergroups in existence as there were non-supergroups…

Dave Grohl + John Paul Jones + Josh Homme = Them Crooked Vultures, Conor Oberst + M. Ward + Jim James = Monsters of Folk, Jack White + Alison Mosshart + Jack Lawrence + Dean Fertita = The Dead Weather, Thom Yorke + Flea + Nigel Godrich + Joey Waronker + Mauro Refosco = ???, Phil Lesh + Bob Weir = Furthur, Coldplay + Mew + a-ha = Apparatjik, Supergrass + Radiohead = The Hot Rats, Joe Budden + Joell Ortiz + Royce da 5’9″ + Crooked I = Slaughterhouse, King Khan + Black Lips = The Almighty Defenders, New Order + Blur = Bad Lieutenant, Sammy Hagar + Michael Anthony + Joe Satriani + Chad Smith = Chickenfoot

Reunions, Hiatuses, and Nothing at All!

Two 2009′s biggest themes were bands reuniting and bands calling it quits (or announcing extended hiatuses). And then there were those that couldn’t make up their mind at all.

Blur began its reunion, The Stooges revived Raw Power, Pixies gave it another go, Creed came back!, No Doubt did too, Faith No More hit Europe, Phish returned, The Murder City Devils reunited for Coachella, Sunny Day Real Estate returned for some grunge, Deadheads got the best Christmas present ever, Blink-182 got back together for the kids, Spinal Tap released a new album for the first time in 17 years, Sublime played a show and then got sued, Eminem reunited with D12, Simon and Garfunkel became friends, Limp Bizkit dusted off the red cap, Three members of the Velvet Underground got together for a discussion, Orbital celebrated its 20th anniversary with a reunion, Jawbox made its first live performance since 1997 on J-Fal, Faces reunited without Rod Stewart, while Take That did reunite with Robbie Williams, John Lydon moved on to Public Image Ltd., Cee-Lo got back together with Goodie Mob, The Jayhawks reunited, as did The Gories, and Ben Lee resurrected Noise Addict. Oh yeah, and some band named Pavement announced plans for a busy 2010.

On the other hand, Blur also ended its reunion, The Verve broke up again, Oasis had a fight, Flight of the Conchords called it quits, Music journalism died, Nine Inch Nails said goodbye, as did Harlem Shakes, The Broken West, and Pela, and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Blitzen Trapper, Bon Iver, Lily Allen, Deerhunter, and TV on the Radio all announced lengthy hiatuses.

Plus, we learned an At The Drive-In reunion apparently wasn’t a possibility, nor was the rumored Stone Roses comeback, Spacemen 3 got an offer, but declined, The Kinks kept thinking about it but still didn’t do anything, contrary to Courtney Love’s comments, Hole didn’t reunite, Pulp teased and then unteased, and Swans thought about it and didn’t. And not surprisingly, The Libertines, The Smiths, and Neutral Milk Hotel all continued to tease to no fruition, while Led Zeppelin continued the suspense.

Soundtracks with benefits

There’s nothing like a nice movie soundtrack or benefit album featuring some of our favorite musicians. 2009 exemplified this fact to the max…

Grizzly Bear, LCD Soundsystem, Badly Drawn Boy, Arcade Fire, Karen O and friends, Daft Punk, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Beck, Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard, British Sea Power, Dengue Fever all provided sounds for the silver screen, as did the inane number of musicians appearing on the New Moon soundtrack.

Ben Gibbard, Fleet Foxes, and The Cave singers contributed to the Give Seattle charity album, while Tom Waits, Pete Seeger, and Jim James lent their talents to Preservation, an Album Benefiting Preservation Hall and Its Music Outreach Program. Our friends at Ear Farm rounded up Tom Tom Club, Sean Bones, tUnE-yArDs for their pro-Xmas Do you EAR what I EAR?. Peter Bjorn & John, Juliette Lewis, and White Rabbits helped fight malaria. The Climate change benefiting Rhythms Del Mundo Classics saw contributions from The Killers, The Rolling Stones, and Amy Winehouse. Stars (like Yorke and The National) collided for Mark Mulcahy. Hot Chip, The Hold Steady, and Lily Allen shared reinterpretations on War Child Heroes. And let’s not forget about Dark Was The Night, the tantalizing 31-track effort featuring the Dirty Projectors with David Byrne, Feist with Ben Gibbard, Sufjan Stevens, My Morning Jacket, and more, all in benefit of The Red Hot Organization and AIDS awareness.

Our Most Memorable Features

In addition to everything else that went down, 2009 also saw Consequence of Sound further expanded our feature stories. The following are some of our favorites/most memorable:

We brought you interviews with Pavement, Ms. Consequence of Sound herself, Regina Spektor, Tom Jones, Passion Pit, Slayer, Ben Kweller, The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, Anti-Flag, Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, Hot Water Music, The Von Bondies, The Screaming Blue Messiahs, The Antlers, Boots Riley, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and Fleet Foxes’ J. Tillman. Oh and we talked with Los Campesinos! not once, but twice.

Our Editor-in-Chief Michael Roffman gave us the entire story of The Thermals, contributing writer Alyssa Spiel spoke with 311 about its 20th anniversary, and the one and only Cap Blackard spent the day with Astronautalis.

We listed everything from the Top 11 Influential Minds of Industrial Metal and Top 10 Grunge Albums to the  Top 10 Fake Bands and Top 10 Sleepiest Albums. We did some Audio Archaeology, dusted off some ol’ classics, shared our guilty pleasures, introduced you to some great new bands, and continued teaching Rock History 101.

As for the most commented posts of the year? That honor goes to Laina Dawes’ review of 311′s Uplifter.

The Year’s Most “Unique” Moments

We thought we’d close on a light note, as in this year’s stories and moments that, well, left us scratching our heads the most…

Bill Corgan wrote a song for the Super Bowl, Bruce Springsteen apologized for selling music through Walmart, Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged, Mandy Moore married Ryan Adams, Lil Wayne released “Prom Queen”, we wrote a post about the Jonas Brothers, Crystal Castles had a meltdown, Santogold had to change her name to Santigold, Manu Chao pissed off Mexico, Chickenfoot was actually real, Prince released a $2,100 iPod, Billy Corgan made a wrestling promo, Tupac revealed he might still be alive, Creed released a new album, Billy Corgan hired a 19-year-old drummer, Kanye West helped kids stay in school, Ron Artest paid homage to Michael Jackson, Reading Music Festival banned flags, Kidz Bop covered Kanye West, Ryan Adams became a video game reviewer, R. Kelly forgot to title his new album, Oasis broke up, Liam Gallagher formed Oasis 2.0, 30 Seconds to Mars and Kanye West released a song together, 7-Eleven reissued The Beatles, Snoop Dogg got himself a new name, Rivers Cuomo was interviewed by a dog, Diddy appeared on the Home Shopping Network, Morrissey and Johnny Marr emailed, Marilyn Manson got swine flu, Radiohead didn’t break up, Elvis Presley’s grandson scored a record deal, Starfucker changed its name, Fall Out Boy formed a metal band, and Pete Doherty sang a Nazi song.

Thank you!

Before we end our 2009 recap, we would just like to take one last moment to thank the individuals who have helped Consequence of Sound become what it is today. Thank you to the publicists who work hand-in-hand with us each and everyday, thank you to the festival promoters who continue to work with us despite the fact we ruin your lineup announcements, thank you to the message boards which provide such a bevy of information, thank you to those who email us news tips and music submissions, thank you to our fellow bloggers, thank you to our amazing and tireless staff, and thank you to our readers who have put trust in us and our the reason we keep at this 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

2009 was an amazing year for Consequence of Sound, but 2010 will be even better. Stay tuned for a number of brand new features, including that much needed change we’ve all been eagerly awaiting.

Coachella (April 16-18; Indio, CA):

• Muse – Already confirmed.

• Beastie Boys – Coachella’s other big comeback.

• Gorillaz – Not the most prototypical headliner, but Damon Albarn’s acclaimed project will have a new album and show by then. Coachella sounds like a perfect place for a debut.

• The Other Headliner: Who will be that other big name at this year’s Coachella? That’s the million dollar question. Could it be Pearl Jam, who will be playing the New Orleans Jazz Festival a few weeks later? What about Soundgarden, who are currently mapping out west coast dates and are said to be “into the idea” of Coachella? Or possibly The Rolling Stones? If we had to bet, our money would be on Pearl Jam, but none of the three names would shock us.

• Faith No More – Supposedly touring the West Coast in April? Seems like a no brainer at this point.

• Smasing Pumpinks – Billy’s new band is confirmed to be touring this Spring. We were shocked when he dropped Coachella as a launching point in a recent interview, but it certainly seems plausible.

• Vampire Weekend – A solid sophomore album earns you a sub-headlining spot.

• LCD Soundsystem – Will be touring then.

• Orbital – We haven’t heard anything, but the English electric duo already has several European featival appearances scheduled this Summer. A Coachella appearance seems long overdue.

• The Dead Weather – Jack mentioned he would probably return to Coachella in 2010. Looks like it will be with The Dead Weather.

• Others: Them Crooked Vultures, The Specials, Interpol, Deftones, Liars, Spoon, Echo and the Bunnymen, Hot Chip, The xx, Tegan and Sara, Dirty Projectors, The Big Pink, The Avett Brothers, Yeasayer

Bonnaroo (June 10-13; Manchester, TN):

• U2 – It’s beginning to appear more and more that Bono and Co. will be making their way to Manchester.

• Roger Waters performing The Wall - Word on the street is that The Who isn’t happening. Roger Waters seems like a suitable replacement.

• The String Cheese Incident – This year’s Phish.

• Guns N’ Roses – If Axl were to play any music festival this summer (and we know he wants too), then it would have to be Bonnaroo.

• Jay-Z – Might be a bit of a stretch considering he already has a date in Europe that weekend, but Bonnaroo does need some hip-hop and it only makes sense that the world’s biggest festival would tap the world’s biggest rapper. Late night set? Thank goodness there are things such as airplanes.

• Pavement – Exclusivity won’t matter by then. Why not have them?

• Pixies – Keeping the reunion going.

• My Morning Jacket – My Morning Jacket and Bonnaroo belong together.

• Others: The Flaming Lips, Them Crooked Vultures, She & Him, The Whigs, Deftones, The National, Rufus Wainwright, Drive-By Truckers, STS9, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Rothbury Music Festival:

• Phish – Rothbury’s turn?

• Neil Young – Rothbury couldn’t make it happen last year.

• Wilco – The one major music festival that the Chicago outfit has yet to hit.

• Umphrey’s McGee – Duh.

• STS9 – Duh, redux.

• Furthur – No Dead… next best thing.

• Other: Disco Biscuts, Ghostland Observatory, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, Gov’t Mule

Lollapalooza (August 6-8; Chicago, IL):

• Muse – Yes, they have a date in Chicago next spring. But so did The Killers in 2009…

• The Strokes – The Strokes will return in July. Could Lollapalooza be their big U.S. comeback?

• Green Day – They’ll be supporting Green Day Rock Band in 2010, and with European festival appearances already announced, Lollapalooza looks like a realistic possibility.

• Beastie Boys – The trio will return to Grant Park to make good after last year’s cancellation.

• Arcade Fire – They’ll be playing lots of places by then.

• Weezer - We had to squeeze Rivers in somewhere.

• Phoenix – Our first confirmed band.

• LCD Soundsystem – Why not?

• The Dead Weather – Lollapalooza and Jack White have a long history together. We’re guessing The Dead Weather will be around all Summer, so an appearance makes sense.

• Others: The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Interpol, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, The Whigs, Yeasayer, Wale, Dirty Projectors, The Thermals

Speaking as to what the future holds, the supergroup of Josh Homme, John Paul Jones, and Dave Grohl revealed that they are indeed planning to followup their recently unveiled masterful self-titled debut.

“I felt we’ve only just started to pick up steam. Why would we want to stop now?” explained Homme, a sentiment which was further backed up by Jones. “We all know we have so much more in us yet.”

Mr. Grohl then chirped in and confirmed what we all were waiting to here: “When we make our second record, it’s going to be even more powerful than this one.”

No specifics were given, but that won’t stop us from now engaging in a collective fist pump. Ready… go!

What can you expect from a lineup such as this? Well, at times they sound like Zeppelin, and at times they sound like Zeppelin mixed with Queens of the Stone Age. Pretty simple, no? It’s needless to say that there’s a considerable amount of thunder on this record, powered by Grohl’s confident beating and Homme’s shameless way of channeling Jimmy Page while simultaneously sprinkling some of his very own cold-blooded strum on top. Yes, the song is “Reptiles”, and it is but one of the many instances when the Vultures “summon the spirit of Zep”, as Rolling Stone puts it.

It’s not like they set out to recreate all Zeppelin masterpieces, though. Them Crooked Vultures is an entirely new, unprecedented project, not to be confused nor dangerously associated with any of the members’ high-profile musical histories.

…Nah, it’s Dave Grohl and Josh Homme jamming with John Paul Jones!

And that’s really the best way to sum it all up. I mean, just because they too hold their own celebrity statuses and accomplishments does not mean they were not psyched to make a record with Jones, who brought us “Kashmir” and “No Quarter” and “Black Dog”, to cut the list short.

Celebrity status aside, however, the trio cooks up a blend of demonically sly licks, heavy-pedal forward trudging drums, and bass lines that exude calm mastery. “Nobody Loves Me And Neither Do I” kicks off the titanic hard rock mega-jam with Grohl’s precise, determined beats leading into Homme’s seductive vocals—coupled with his teasingly strange lyrics, a key instrument of this album’s appeal. The elemental pieces of this sound are their uniformly arranged hooks, which produce a full, wholesome energy; and their musical attitude, screaming unrefined hard rockin’ outlaw (see: “New Fang”). After a few good listens, it’s evident that Grohl carries the torch of power for the group, setting down some hard, strong crashes and rides like the great drummer that he is. I couldn’t help but wonder just how tired he would be after playing all 13 tracks back to back.

On “Dead End Friends”, they probably sound their most original, introducing the song with ghoul-like guitars and following with some pretty alarming solos. The best off this one, though, is in “Elephants”. It starts out with, you guessed it, a Zeppelin sound, but quickly grows into a spinning-mad jumble with a few stops on the psychedelic riff express. “Scumbag Blues” gives room for Jones to bring forward his keyboard skills and superimpose them onto his cool bass, while Grohl keeps the pace for Homme’s well-deserved guitar-sturbation. The aptly-named “Interlude With Ludes” comes flowing in at just the right time, since 45 minutes of hard-stomping mammoth-led rock ‘n’ roll can get a bit exhausting. This track unleashes a more freaky side of the Vultures, and caters to the need of almost all experienced rock musicians to go a little Eastern in sound. The pace then picks up again with “Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up”, which for a split-second, oddly reminded me of Portugal. The Man live, but it was just that split-second that is now lost in all the reverberating riffs and pummeling bass pedal kicks that followed.

The band is unlikely to be permanent, but it’s really an outstanding collaboration, and definitely one to be remembered. The only problem is that, from the get-go, you knew this stuff was going to be good. That allows for plenty of bias in expectation, and you wouldn’t want to like a record before you hear it just because it carries some impressive names, would you? Just kidding. After all, it is Dave Grohl and Josh Homme jamming with John Paul Jones.

Check Out:

Buy:
Them Crooked Vultures

See:
On Tour Now!

Them Crooked Vultures, the album, will be released on week from tomorrow, November 17th, via DGC/Interscope Records. Them Crooked Vultures, the band, have a few upcoming tour dates in support of the release.

Them Crooked Vultures 2009/2010 Tour Dates:
11/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theater
11/19 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
11/21 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater
11/22 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
12/06 – Munich, DE @ Zenith
12/07 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
12/08 – Cologne, DE @ Palladium
12/10 – Plymouth, UK @ Pavilions
12/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Guildhall
12/13 – Blackpool, UK @ Empress Ballroom
12/14 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
12/15 – Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy
12/17 – London, UK @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo
12/18 – London, UK @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo
01/19 – Perth, AU @ Challenge Stadium
01/22 – Melbourne, AU @ Festival Hall
01/25 – Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage
01/26 – Sydney, AU @ Hodern Pavilion
01/29 – Wellington, AU @ TSB Bank Arena
01/30 – Auckland, AU @ Vector Arena

311 Day:

What: One day event at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Los Vegas, NV on March 11th

When: March

Tixs: $59.50 – $64.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

Bon Jovi:

What: Tour dates for New Meadowlands Stadium (NJ)

When: May

Tixs: $36.50 – $150.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

Chris Brown:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: November – December

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones:

What: Tour dates for Hometown Throwdown 12 (Boston, MA)

When: December 26-28

Tixs: $25.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

Mission of Burma:

What: Tour dates for multi-night stints in Boston, MA & New York, NY

When: January

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

Them Crooked Vultures:

What: Tour date for Los Angeles, LA

When: November 17th

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM PDT

Fortunately, it does not appear that we’ll have to go through that roller coaster ride of “will they” or “won’t they” again. Speaking in a recent interview with BBC6, Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones shot down rumors of another reunion.

“Jimmy and I rehearsed a bit with Jason Bonham and we couldn’t really agree on singers and that fell by the wayside. Then this came along and to be honest, I’m really happy.”

The “this” being referenced is of course Jones’ involvement with the Them Crooked Vultures supergroup, and with the band’s self-titled debut studio album set for release on November 17th and more tour dates likely to follow, it does not appear that this involvement will end anytime soon.

In other words, a Led Zeppelin reunion, at least one involving John Paul Jones, probably isn’t all that likely for the foreseeable future.

After live bootlegs galore, finally some studio work for Them Crooked Vultures has surfaced. Makes sense, given that the supergroup’s debut hits streets in a matter of weeks now (November 17th). The new studio cut is actually a bite of what’s to come — puns overload here, folks — and it’s called, “New Fang”. A fitting title considering Halloween is just a few days away, right?

Much like the wolf the fangs belong to, this one prowls. It’s loud, it’s stuffed with guitar work, and it drives home hard. Josh Homme’s signature scowl is present and seems to float upon Dave Grohl’s tense yet tight-as-ever drumming. The real hero here, however, is John Paul Jones, who steals the track with some paranoid bass lines and out of control organ work. So overall, is it jaw dropping? No. But it rocks… and really, what else did you expect?

Trick or treat, folks.

“New Fang” will serve as the album’s first single and will be serviced to radio as of midnight Monday, October 26th.

Them Crooked Vultures 2009 Tour Dates:
11/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theater
11/19 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
11/21 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater
11/22 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
12/10 – Plymouth, UK @ Pavilions
12/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Guildhall
12/13 – Blackpool, UK @ Empress Ballroom
12/14 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
12/15 – Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy
12/17 – London, UK @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo

What’s more, fans can expect an onslaught of tour dates to support the release in the coming months, including December dates in the UK and Europe and a January trip to Australia and New Zealand. No word yet for the Americas (after all, they were just here), but stay tuned.

In the meantime, mark those calendars, folks.

Them Crooked Vultures tracklist:
01. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
02. Mind Eraser, No Chaser
03. New Fang
04. Dead End Friends
05. Elephants
06. Scumbag Blues
07. Bandoliers
08. Reptiles
09. Interlude With Ludes
10. Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up
11. Caligulove
12. Gunman
13. Spinning In Daffodils

Them Crooked Vultures 2009 Tour Dates:
12/10 – Plymouth, UK @ Pavilions
12/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Guildhall
12/13 – Blackpool, UK @ Empress Ballroom
12/14 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
12/15 – Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy
12/17 – London, UK @ HMV Hammersmith Apollo

As it turns out, the Big Apple will now offer not one, not two, but three (possibly four?) Pavement reunion shows during September 2010. What’s more, 11 months prior, on October 15th, Them Crooked Vultures will hit Roseland Ballroom (via BV).

New York never looked so good!