From Yo Gabba Gabba!‘s new Christmas special, here’s indie-pop sensation Cults singing about hot chocolate:

Question: How can a robot drink, er, never mind.

The above video comes courtesy of Stereogum, while Yo Gabba Gabba!‘s “A Very Awesome Christmas” airs December 18th at 8pm ET on Nick Jr. Below, you can find Cults upcoming tour dates. Happy holidays, everyone!

Cults 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
12/31 – W. Hollywood, CA @ The Standard West *
01/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
01/14 – Washington, DC @ The Black Cat
01/19 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
01/28 – Brisbane, AU @ Laneway Festival
01/30 – Auckland, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/04 – Melbourne, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/05 – Sydney, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/10 – Adelaide, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/11 – Perth, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/12 – Singapore @ Laneway Festival
02/15 – Tokyo, JP @ Unit
03/02 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
03/03 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
03/04 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
03/06 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
03/07 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
03/09 – Orlando, FL @ The Plaza
03/10 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
03/11 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s ^
03/17 – El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
03/18 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
03/21 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up
03/23 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
03/24 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones
04/03 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
04/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
04/05 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
04/06 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
04/07 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
04/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue
04/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
04/12 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
04/13 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater
04/14 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
04/16 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/17 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
04/18 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
04/20 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
04/21 – Bloomington, IN @ Rhinos
04/22 – Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
04/23 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
04/25 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
04/26 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
04/27 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
04/29 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street

* = w/ Jenny and Johnny
^ = w/ of Montreal

One second. Sometimes that’s all a photographer gets – and hardly in ideal conditions. At worst (and most likely), a photographer may be squeezed between 15 others in the pit, mere feet away from pyrotechnics, finding support from stress-rattled knees, while focusing on a spastic frontman and sheltering oneself from a downpour, which may or may not involve a hailstorm. Truth: A great photographer handles the unenviable task of capturing that one moment everyone goes home thinking about. Half-truth: There’s probably a statistic somewhere that discusses what the job does to the heart. If not, there should be a study. Double-truth: It’s just a sweaty, life-threatening task.

Hi, I’m Michael Roffman, President and Editor-in-Chief of Consequence of Sound. You may know me from such stories as “Look Out! The Gaslight Anthem is Coming!” or “Scratch that… Brian Wilson is not returning to The Beach Boys.” This year, I sent out dozens of writers and photographers to hundreds of shows and just about every major music festival this side of the Atlantic (some even overseas). Without a doubt, our eyes were everywhere.

More specifically, our photographers’ multiple weighty lenses. In the past 12 months, we’ve published countless, fully-stocked galleries, featuring some of the most awe-inspiring shots on the ‘net, all thanks to our brave and inordinately talented photographers. Actually, that’s an understatement. These artists bleed talent – to get somewhat histrionic. Look, we value words, but as Fred R. Barnard so famously wrote, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Cliche, but you spend over four years putting these live and festival reviews together. You’ll quickly see how true that statement is. To date, I still feel like I’ve attended Bonnaroo.*

For our annual report, we put together our 100 favorite photos of the year. Lots of colors, lots of locales, and plenty of popular mugs to savor. So, throw on some tunes, grab a bag of chips, and enjoy the trip. You’ll go places, kiddo.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

* Would never happen. This guy in mud? Nah.

Weezer

Event: Weezer at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom
Date: 1/7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Walkmen

Event: The Walkmen at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse
Date: 1/13/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Girl Talk

Event: Girl Talk at Atlanta’s Tabernacle
Date: 1/21/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Sad Brad Smith

Event: Sad Brad Smith at Chicago’s Schubas Tavern
Date: 1/23/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

The Church

Event: The Church at Chicago’s Park West
Date: 2/11/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Robyn

Event: Robyn at Chicago’s The Riviera Theatre
Date: 2/14/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

The Dismemberment Plan

Event: The Dismemberment Plan at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 2/19/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Ben Kweller

Event: Ben Kweller at Chicago’s Vic Theatre
Date: 2/23/2011
Photographer: Joshua Mellin

Bright Eyes

Event: Bright Eyes at Miami’s The Fillmore
Date: 3/2/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Raphael Saadiq

Event: Raphael Saadiq at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Baby Headphones

Event: SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Owen Pallett

Event: Owen Pallett at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Strokes

Event: The Strokes at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

The Kills

Event: The Kills at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

TV on the Radio w/ Yo Gabba Gabba!

Event: TV on the Radio w/ Yo Gabba Gabba! at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Matt & Kim

Event: Matt & Kim at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Odd Future

Event: Odd Future at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Odd Future

Event: Odd Future at SXSW 2011
Date: 3/16-20/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Hollerado

Event: Hollerado at Axis of Audio Showcase: SXSW 2011
Date: 3/19/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Astronautalis

Event: Astronautalis (& Four Fists) at Axis of Audio Showcase: SXSW 2011
Date: 3/19/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

P.O.S.

Event: P.O.S. at Paid Dues Festival 2011
Date: 4/2/2011
Photographer: Winston Robbins

The Mountain Goats

Event: The Mountain Goats at Chicago’s Vic Theatre
Date: 4/5/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Queens of the Stone Age

Event: Queens of the Stone Age at Oakland’s Fox Theatre
Date: 4/11/2011
Photographer: Karina Halle

The Strokes

Event: The Strokes at Coachella 2011
Date: 4/15-17/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Kanye West

Event: Kanye West at Coachella 2011
Date: 4/15-17/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

The National

Event: The National, Arcade Fire at Chicago’s UIC Pavillion
Date: 4/24/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Arcade Fire

Event: The National, Arcade Fire at Chicago’s UIC Pavillion
Date: 4/24/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Battles

Event: Battles at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 4/30/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

tUnE-yArDs

Event: tUnE-yArDs at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 5/10/2011
Photographer: Wallo Villacorta

Lykke Li

Event: Lykke Li at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 5/23/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

The Gorge

Event: Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Death From Above 1979

Event: Death From Above 1979 at Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Robyn

Event: Robyn at Sasquatch 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Fitz and the Tantrums

Event: Fitz and the Tantrums at Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Flaming Lips

Event: The Flaming Lips at Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Decemberists

Event: Sasquatch! 2011
Date: 5/27-30/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Melvins

Event: Melvins at Chicago’s Double Door
Date: 5/31/2011
Photographer: Katie Schuering

Bonnaroo Fan

Event: Bonnaroo 2011
Date: 6/9-12/2011
Photographer: Ben Kaye

Buffalo Springfield

Event: Buffalo Springfield at Bonnaroo 2011
Date: 6/9-12/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Eminem

Event: Eminem at Bonnaroo 2011
Date: 6/9-12/2011
Photographer: Max Blau

Future Islands

Event: Future Islands at Chicago’s Subterranean
Date: 6/15/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Florence + the Machine

Event: Florence + the Machine at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom
Date: 6/18/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Glastonbury

Event: Glastonbury 2011
Date: 6/22-26/2011
Photographer: Laura Page

Eddie Vedder w/ Glen Hansard

Event: Eddie Vedder at The Chicago Theatre
Date: 6/28/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Phish Heads

Event: Phish Super Ball IX
Date: 7/1-3/2011
Photographer: Jake Cohen

Fucked Up

Event: Fucked Up at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 7/2/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Cold Cave

Event: Cold Cave at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

OFF!

Event: OFF! at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

Event: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

tUnE-yArDs

Event: tUnE-yArDs at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Fleet Foxes

Event: Fleet Foxes at Pitchfork 2011
Date: 7/15-17/2011
Photographer: Meghan Brosnan

Soundgarden

Event: Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon at Washington’s Gorge Amphitheater
Date: 7/30/2011
Photographer: Karina Halle

Paul McCartney

Event: Paul McCartney at Chicago’s Wrigley Field
Date: 7/31/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Lolla Chicago

Event: Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Le Butcherettes

Event: Le Butcherettes at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Crystal Castles

Event: Crystal Castles at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Coldplay

Event: Coldplay at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

The Chain Gang of 1974

Event: The Chain Gang of 1974 at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Ellie Goulding

Event: Ellie Goulding at Lollapalooza 2011
Date: 8/5-7/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Foo Fighters

Event: Foo Fighters at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 8/6/2011
Photographer: Heather Kaplan

Foster the People

Event: Foster the People at Outside Lands 2011
Date: 8/12-14/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Muse

Event: Muse at Outside Lands 2011
Date: 8/12-14/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Arcade Fire

Event: Arcade Fire at Outside Lands 2011
Date: 8/12-14/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Bush

Event: Bush at Chicago’s Congress Theatre
Date: 8/18/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Rubblebucket

Event: Rubblebucket at North Coast 2011
Date: 9/2-4/2011
Photographer: Lillian Cai

Pearl Jam

Event: Pearl Jam at PJ20 at Alpine Valley
Date: 9/3-4/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Erykah Badu

Event: Erykah Badu at New York’s Rock the Bells 2011
Date: 9/3/2011
Photographer: Jake Cohen

Lauryn Hill

Event: Lauryn Hill at New York’s Rock the Bells 2011
Date: 9/3/2011
Photographer: Jake Cohen

The Kills

Event: The Kills at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom
Date: 9/5/2011
Photographer: Karina Halle

James Vincent McMorrow

Event: James Vincent McMorrow at Chicago’s Hideout
Date: 9/15/2011
Photographer: Matt Hyland

Delta Spirit

Event: Delta Spirit at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

My Morning Jacket

Event: My Morning Jacket at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

Kanye West

Event: Kanye West at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

Randy Newman

Event: Randy Newman at Austin City Limits 2011
Date: 9/16-18/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

Incubus

Event: Incubus at Miami’s Bayfront Park
Date: 9/20/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Blink-182

Event: Blink-182 at West Palm Beach’s Cruzan Amphitheatre
Date: 9/23/2011
Photographer: Lauren Guagno

Deerhoof

Event: Deerhoof at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge
Date: 9/25/2011
Photographer: Katie Schuering

Radiohead

Event: Radiohead at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom
Date: 9/28/2011
Photographer: Nate Slevin

St. Vincent

Event: St. Vincent at Chicago’s Metro
Date: 10/5/2011
Photographer: Katie Schuering

Portishead

Event: Portishead at Chicago’s Aragon Theater
Date: 10/12/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Sims

Event: Doomtree at Minneapolis’ Fine Line Music Cafe
Date: 10/15/2011
Photographer: Harley Brown

The Stepkids

Event: The Stepkids at CMJ 2011
Date: 10/18-22/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

Duran Duran

Event: Duran Duran at The Chicago Theatre
Date: 10/21/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Deadmau5

Event: deadmau5 at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom
Date: 10/22/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

Moby

Event: Moby at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Moby

Event: Moby at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Childish Gambino

Event: Childish Gambino at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Catherine Watkins

Suicide

Event: Suicide at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

The Flaming Lips

Event: The Flaming Lips at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Catherine Watkins

Mayer Hawthorne & County

Event: Mayer Hawthorne & County at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

M83

Event: M83 at Moogfest 2011
Date: 10/28-30/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Zola Jesus

Event: Zola Jesus at San Francisco’s The Independent
Date: 11/1/2011
Photographer: Summer Dunsmore

Feist

Event: Feist at Chicago’s The Riviera Theatre
Date: 11/4/2011
Photographer: Brad Bretz

The Raconteurs

Event: The Raconteurs at Orlando Calling 2011
Date: 11/12-13/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

Pixies

Event: Pixies at Orlando Calling 2011
Date: 11/12-13/2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard

YACHT

Event: YACHT at San Francisco’s The Independent
Date: 11/17/2011
Photographer: Summer Dunsmore

M83

Event: M83 at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall
Date: 11/17/2011
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson

The Cure

Event: The Cure at Los Angeles’ Pantages Theatre
Date: 11/23/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Tinariwen

Event: Tinariwen at Minneapolis’ Cedar Cultural Center
Date: 11/26/2011
Photographer: Harley Brown

Iggy Pop and the Stooges

Event: Iggy Pop and the Stooges at Hollywood’s Palladium
Date: 12/1/2011
Photographer: Debi Del Grande

Last night, J-Fal (or, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) put together the best party any child’s parents could ask for: Erykah Badu, Biz Markie, Bootsy Collins, The Roots, and Yo Gabba Gabba! all performed together on stage, debuting a new song, “We’re Gonna Party Today”. Although George Clinton didn’t surface, there was plenty of old-school funk to be had, which led to one bold lesson: Great grooves make great friends. The best part, however, comes around 2:30 when Black Thought chimes in – what a bad ass. Once again, how is this not Emmy award-winning material?

There are many types of geeks out there: you’ve got your comic geeks (that’d be me), your D&D geeks, video game geeks, music geeks (that’d be us), and the whole lot. When two of a geek’s pleasures find themselves intertwined, it’s the definition of geekgasm. Enter chiptune rockers I Fight Dragons, a band built for those of us who still gush over how badass the original Contra was on NES.

With two EPs, including last year’s Welcome To The Breakdown, under their belts, I Fight Dragons are finally set to unveil their debut full length. The onomatopoeically titled Kaboom! is set for an October 25th release from Photo Finish/Atlantic. Produced by Matt Mahaffey (Beck, Tenacious D), the album was created “not only with traditional rock elements, but also by using old video game soundcards” – hence the term “chiptune”.

You can sample two examples of their style on their website, where they’re streaming the title track (with the distinct sound of Samus from Metroid going into her morph ball) and “The Geeks Will Inherit The Earth” (listen for the classic coin sound from Mario). In addition, you can check out the band when they join the Yo Gabba Gabba! crew on four September tour stops (side note: I Fight Dragons uses Nintendo controls as live instruments. Awesomeness). Complete tour information and the Kaboom! tracklist are below.

Kaboom! Tracklist:
01. Fanfare
02. KABOOM!
03. Save World Get Girl
04. cRaZie$
05. Gloria (Interlude)
06. My Way
07. With You (feat. Kina Grannis)
08. Fight For You
09. The Geeks Will Inherit The Earth
10. Disaster Hearts
11. Don’t You?
12. Working
13. Before I Wake
14. Suburban Doxology

Yo Gabba Gabba!  and I Fight Dragons 2011 Tour Dates:
09/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
09/17 – St. Louis, MO @ Fabulous Fox Theatre
09/18 – Indianapolis, IN @ Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University
09/20 – Cincinnati, OH @ Oronoff Center for the Arts

After the insatiable party that was Thursday, it would take more than just fireworks to blitz on by. Friday did the job, though. With the ruminating smells of BBQ now baked into everyone’s clothing and the eclectic mix of colorful wristbands, South by Southwest had officially taken over everyone’s lives. Not that anyone was really complaining; not when you could go back home and brag to your nephews and nieces about seeing Yo Gabba Gabba in person, or to your older uncle that OMD really killed it, or to your classmates that you almost got mugged at an Odd Future show – twice. We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again…only in Austin.

Spin Magazine‘s SXSW 2011 Day Party – Stubb’s – 12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

For an invite-only party, Spin Magazine‘s Friday day party at Stubb’s sure didn’t feel too exclusive. Its dirt floors layered with fans and industry types, the enviable lineup was in great company. Outside, the line never calmed down, either, keeping the venue at near over-capacity. But, it’s no surprise, especially when juggernauts like TV on the Radio, who performed on the very stage the night before, The Kills, or OMD topped off one hell of a packaged experience. Throw in another Smith Westerns appearance (possibly their 50th?), a raucous and loud set from Off!, and countless DJ sets, and, well, there’s really, really, really no room for complaints. We’ll let the photos bring you there this time, as our photographer Heather Kaplan captured the star-studded sets, which also featured surprise appearances by Moby and…Yo Gabba Gabba. Jealous yet?

[nggallery id=189]

Wye Oak – Mohawk  - 2:00 p.m.

When she wasn’t at Fader Fort or Spin’s shindig, Heather Kaplan managed to catch some shots of Baltimore’s exceptional duo, Wye Oak, over at The A.V. Club’s fiesta at the Mohawk. Despite the summer-like festivities, the gig proved to be incredibly intimate and quite memorable. Do not miss them.

[nggallery id=191]

Das Racist – Scoot Inn – 2:30 p.m.

There was no doe-eyed looks of supplication with Das Racist, driven home by their frequent request that we all “turn around and go home.” The collective juked from dropping lol cultural references to subverting the entire idea of performing for a crowd – all over some pretty chill beats. Their show wasn’t punk nihilism but more of a collegiate cleverness and detachment –which by the end of it I felt like the butt of a joke I’m not quite sure I got. Either way, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rap group as self-aware and smart as these guys, which is always a breath of fresh air against the obsequiousness of other young bands at the festival. Also, they repped Don Imus and it somehow made sense. -Jeremy D. Larson

Odd Future – The Scoot Inn – 4:00 p.m.

]]> Spin Magazine's SXSW 2011 Day Party - Stubb's - 12:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. For an invite-only party, Spin Magazine's Friday day party at Stubb's sure didn't feel too exclusive. Its dirt floors layered with fans and industry types, the enviable lineup was in great company. Outside, the line never calmed down, either, keeping the venue at near over-capacity. But, it's no surprise, especially when juggernauts like TV on the Radio, who performed on the very stage the night before, The Kills, or OMD topped off one hell of a packaged experience. Throw in another Smith Westerns appearance (possibly their 50th?), a raucous and loud set from Off!, and countless DJ sets, and, well, there's really, really, really no room for complaints. We'll let the photos bring you there this time, as our photographer Heather Kaplan captured the star-studded sets, which also featured surprise appearances by Moby and...Yo Gabba Gabba. Jealous yet? [nggallery id=189] Wye Oak - Mohawk  - 2:00 p.m. When she wasn't at Fader Fort or Spin's shindig, Heather Kaplan managed to catch some shots of Baltimore's exceptional duo, Wye Oak, over at The A.V. Club's fiesta at the Mohawk. Despite the summer-like festivities, the gig proved to be incredibly intimate and quite memorable. Do not miss them. [nggallery id=191] Das Racist – Scoot Inn – 2:30 p.m. There was no doe-eyed looks of supplication with Das Racist, driven home by their frequent request that we all “turn around and go home.” The collective juked from dropping lol cultural references to subverting the entire idea of performing for a crowd – all over some pretty chill beats. Their show wasn’t punk nihilism but more of a collegiate cleverness and detachment –which by the end of it I felt like the butt of a joke I’m not quite sure I got. Either way, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rap group as self-aware and smart as these guys, which is always a breath of fresh air against the obsequiousness of other young bands at the festival. Also, they repped Don Imus and it somehow made sense. -Jeremy D. Larson Odd Future - The Scoot Inn - 4:00 p.m. With a mountain of hype and buzz surrounding them, Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats of Odd Future came to Austin with grand expectations and a cross-section of fans looking for the group to prove their status as nothing but over-hyped jokes. Within the first chords of their hit track "Sandwitches", the duo proved beyond a shadow of a doubt their well-deserved place at SXSW (and the music biz as a whole). With the crowd whipped to the point of frenzy, the twosome took turns tearing up the mic and scaring the shit out of people, with their focus on everything from the cops to the photographers and bloggers in attendance. When they weren't making death threats, they were climbing on amps and rooftops and jumping into the crowd. Not even a crowd bumrushing the stage and elbowing their way to the pair could deter any iota of attention from OF. If anything was clear after the performance (other than the remants of carnage), it was that Odd Future are truly validated after months of internet celebrity, but not that they fucking cared either way. As cliche as it may be at this point, there's only one thing left to say: SWAG. -Chris Coplan Fader Fort SXSW 2011 Day Party - 1101 E. 5th St. - 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Day parties are just the thing to do in Austin. Some folks flock to Austin, TX without any credentials or wristbands or badges and just take advantage of them. A few are now staples: Rachel Ray's, Brooklyn Vegan's, Pitchfork's, and, naturally, Fader Fort's. (Let's hope Axis of Audio's makes history today and becomes a staple, too.) Fader's party always sports an intense lineup, filled with acts everyone puts on their "must see" lists. This year was no exception. Our photographer Heather Kaplan slipped in just as Friday's main events - Odd Future and Matt & Kim - took to the stage, with the former dismantling it, and the latter patching it up. Needless to say, the two brought enough energy and jaw-dropping moments that the two to 17 hour wait outside to get wristbands was worth it. Party...literally. [nggallery id=190] Jaill - Red 7 Patio - 8:00 p.m. It's safe to say that if you've heard one garage-esque rock band, you've heard them all. That shouldn't, however, stop you from seeing Jaill. The Milwaukee, WI band play a blend of garage rock and psych-pop with a life-hardened wit and sense of cynicism that is abundant throughout their lyrical output. Their playing is tight and efficient, their stage presence almost non-existent, and it's hard to pin down something unbelievable about them, but as far as solid bands go, the group could make headway as something to watch down the road. -Chris Coplan Shabazz Palaces - Red 7 Patio - 8:50 p.m. Odd Future may be the premier frontrunner for everyone's attention this year at least as far as hip-hop acts go, Shabazz Palaces is one act that deserves a solid chunk of your time. As far as acts go, they may be one of the more mysterious, without a MySpace or much info about the avant-rap group available. But once they hit the stage, though, it was all love. The end result of Digable Planet rhymes (of which frontman Palaceer Lazaro/Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler is one-third of) made dark and slightly gangsterized combining with the sounds of synths and congos and refuse from electronic music, the group lay down smooth, mainstream-friendly cuts that overflow with depth and wit and a ton of emotion, all while still maintaining a healthy distance of sorts. With help from the soulful and powerful Seattle duo THEESatisfaction, Shabazz Palaces showed that rap can be weird and wonderful even if you're not talking about pimple-covered dicks. -Chris Coplan Chromeo - La Zona Rosa - 12:00 a.m. Chromeo-ohhhhh-oh! Behold the chant that was repeated throughout the set of the Montreal dance-rock duo during their show at La Zona Rosa. Kicking things off with "Don't Turn The Lights On", Dave 1 and P-Thugg didn't have a bevy of long-legged backup singers for this performance. But they still made the crowd move to their every command, from putting hands in the air and clapping to jumping throughout entire songs. Some stand out tracks of the evening included a guitar heavy remix of "Momma's Boy", the instant dance classic "Fancy Footwork", and, of course, "Tenderoni". Also, having been to La Zona Rosa earlier in the week for Queens of the Stone Age, Chromeo should be proud knowing they brought in way more people than Josh Homme's band of rock and roll rebels. Dancing, vocoders, heavy 80's influenced beats, and easy-to-sing lyrics, a Chromeo show is not one to be missed at anytime. -Sami Jarroush Okkervil River – Antones – 1:00 a.m. Okkervil River seem to have a storied relationship with Austin. Has everyone in Austin seen these guys like a hundred times? Are they like the fun uncle that’s adored by the relatives but whose wife and kids are really bored by his antics? Either way, a dissonant crowd dynamic and some tech issues bruised what otherwise would have been a routinely powerful performance. Three new songs were played off their upcoming album, I Am Very Far, each one furthering the verbose and poetic lyrical structures singer Will Sheff is known for. New song “Writer” (Rider?) had a retro vibe that sounded not unlike The Doors' “Touch Me”, and connected the band's various new members well, rather than it being Will Sheff and the Okkervil Rivers. But when the spotlight was on Sheff, there were no qualms. He exorcized some demons with the powerful acoustic number “Stone”, and screamed to the rafters in their crowd favorite “For Real”. It might have been that Sheff had one too many whiskeys, or just general SXSW exhaustion, but dude looked like wrecked at the end of their closing sing-a-long “Lost Coastlines”. But I would wager that it's most likely that, even after playing Austin for the umpteeth time, Okkervil River still aims to leave nothing left on the stage after a show. -Jeremy D. Larson ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/03/cos-at-sxsw-2011-odd-future-the-kills-okkervil-river/feed/ 0 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/watch-the-decemberists-do-yo-gabba-gabba/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/watch-the-decemberists-do-yo-gabba-gabba/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/02/decemberists-yo-gabba-gabba.jpg Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:02:00 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=100899

We could all use some cheering up, so check out this clip of The Decemberists’ contribution to Yo Gabba Gabba (via Rolling Stone). No acid required.

On Friday, The Flaming Lips became the latest indie-approved outfit to entertain kids (and adults) on the Nickelodeon show Yo Gabba Gabba!. While their performance could be construed as both a pro and anti-drug message, I sure did learn about the many job opportunities currently available in this economy.

The Lips will perform “I Can Be A Frog” on the November 5th episode of the show, and while Entertainment Weekly‘s report says the song is “an original penned by the [show's] staff,” one view of a one-minute teaser reveals that the Yo Gabba Gabba! version sounds a lot like, if not identical to, the track from disc two of the band’s 2009 studio LP, Embryonic.

We’ll find out if any lyrics have been changed when the episode airs, but it still seems like Coyne is having a blast on the show. He’s got not one but two top hats on his head, and he doesn’t look the least bit upset that he forgot to bring his pair of giant, laser-shooting hands with him. What’s even better is that the whole band is getting in on the fun. They can be seen alongside their leader playing oversized cartoon instruments while wearing the outrageous costumes that fans of the show have come to know and love.

If you’ve been living under a rock, then you probably don’t know that Yo Gabba Gabba! – which has been on the air for over two years – is a kids television program that could’ve been easily inspired by going to one too many Flaming Lips shows while tripping on shrooms. The half-hour program is hosted by DJ Lance Rock (that guy in the photo) and features a mix of out of this world live-action segments and short animated segments set to music that makes us wish we were five years old again.

Below, you can check out a teaser of The Flaming Lips’ Yo Gabba Gabba! appearance, as well as the official video for “I Can Be A Frog”.

sur·re·al

[suh-ree-uhl, -reel]

–adjective

1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of surrealism; surrealistic.

2. having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic: surreal complexities of the bureaucracy.

3. Watching Broken Social Scene shake their laffy taffy to dance music while on stage with a giant cartoon cactus in front of a whole crowd of kids while you regret being born before 2003.

The Vancouver twee pop band will make its full-fledged comeback, however, when its third album Grey Eyes hits the market October 12th on the band’s own imprint Boompa. The album will, according to a press release, feature influences from ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s pop.

But don’t worry, Gabba fans, the Salteens haven’t forgotten about you. They will be embarking on the “Yo Gabba Gabba” tour in Canada next month (where was this damn show when I was a kid?).

The portion of the tour featuring the Salteens begins with two dates in Alberta on September eighth and ninth, followed by four gigs in Vancouver. The Salteens will span the country and finish up with two shows in Ottawa on the 19th.

Attendees on this tour will have the opportunity to purchase a new six-track EP called Kid Songs, which will include the songs from the show, “I’m So Happy” and “Be Nice to Animals”. Kids at home will be able to grab a four-track version online.

The full list of dates is below (tickets here), and the Salteens have made available a free mp3 of “If Love Is Gone Where Do We Go from Here” here.

Salteens 2010 Tour Dates:
09/08 – Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
09/09 – Calgary, AB @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
09/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre (two shows)
09/12 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre (two shows)
09/14 – Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre
09/15 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
09/18 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre (two shows)
09/19 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place (two shows)

Each performance may include favorites like “There’s a Party in My Tummy” or a remix of Chromeo’s  ”Nice and Clean”, but a long list of live guest appearances will keep expectations high for each new city. According to the Yo Gabba Gabba! website, each show will feature Biz Markie’s beat-box tutorial and a different guest artist, so fans can never be sure what to expect. Said guest artists have not yet been announced, but previous appearances by Snoop Dog, The Roots, Cold War Kids, and Sarah Silverman keep the possibilities wide-open for this tour’s live shows. Is there a Thurston Moore noise-rock tutorial in Yo Gabba Gabba’s future? Probably not, but a fan can dream.

This fall’s tour kicks off August 27 at Bethel, New York, and will make 60 stops, including five-shows at Radio City Music Hall, before concluding in early December.  Each date will have multiple shows, past shows taking place at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets are currently only available for American Express members, while the Internet pre-sale begins June 2nd on Ticketmaster. The general sale begins June 5, but by that time expect a vast majority of tickets to be sold. One dollar from each ticket will go to support Habitat for Humanity. View the complete list of dates below.

Yo Gabba Gabba – 2010 Tour Dates
08/27 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods
08/28 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
08/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for the Performing Arts
08/31 – Gilford, NH @ Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilio
09/02 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
09/03 – Buffalo, NY @ Artpark
09/04 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
09/05 – Montreal, QC @ Place des Arts
09/08 – Edmonton, AL @ Northern Jubilee
09/09 – Calgary, AL @ Southern Jubilee
09/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
09/12 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
09/14 – Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre
09/15 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre Theatre
09/18 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
09/19 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
09/21 – Rochester, NY @ Auditorium Theatre
09/22 – Burlington, VT @ Flynn Theatre
09/24 – Portland, ME @ Merrill Auditorium
09/25 – Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre
09/26 – Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre
09/28 – Providence, RI @ Providence PAC
09/29 – Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre
09/30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
10/02 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
10/03 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
10/05 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theater
10/06 – Cleveland, OH @ State Theatre at PlayhouseSquare
10/08 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
10/09 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
10/10 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
10/11 – Louisville, KY @ The Palace Theatre
10/13 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre
10/15 -Richmond, VA @ Landmark Theater
10/16 – Greensboro, NC @ War Memorial Auditorium
10/17 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
10/19 - Chattanooga, TN @ Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium
10/20 - Huntsville, AL @ Von Braun Center
10/21 - Nashville, TN @ Jackson Hall – Tennessee PAC
10/23 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
10/24 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
10/27 - Jacksonville, FL @ Moran Theatre at Times Union Center
10/29 - Kissimmee, FL @ Silver Spurs Arena
10/30 - Tampa, FL St. @ Pete Times Forum
10/31 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
11/02 - Columbia, SC @ Township Auditorium
11/03 - Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
11/05 - Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
11/06 - Kansas City, MO @ The Midland
11/07 - Denver, CO @ 1st Bank Center
11/09 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The E Center
11/12 - Spokane, WA @ INB Performing Arts Center
11/13 - Seattle, WA @ Tacoma Dome
11/14 -Portland, OR @ Memorial Coliseum
11/15 - Eugene, OR @ Hult Center
11/18 - Sacramento, CA @ Memorial Auditorium
11/20 - San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
11/21 - San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
11/26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theater
11/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theater
11/28 - San Diego, CA @ San Diego Sports Arena
12/04 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theater
12/05 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theater
12/07 – El Paso, TX @ Abraham Chavez Theater
12/09 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
12/10 – Houston, TX @ Hobby Center
12/11 – Austin, TX @ Cedar Park Center
12/12 – Dallas, TX Dr @ Pepper Arena

The TV show, which routinely features the likes of The Shins, The Roots, and Chromeo performing kid friendly numbers, is going on tour with several live multimedia events. Not only will DJ Lance Rock host, but the show will feature Biz Markie’s Beat of the Day, plus the Aquabats, whose frontman, Christian Jacobs (the Bat Commander), is the co-creator of the show. The first live event is March 13th in Minneapolis, MN, with seven stops in total. The tour winds down on March 21st in St. Louis, MO. But if you can’t catch the act there, there’s always the production’s stop at the 2010 Coachella. For more info on that little concert, head here .

Thankfully, most shows have two showtimes, with one usually in the early afternoon and the other around 5 p.m.; not too late for the kiddies or the unemployed. You can get more info on the tour at their official live site.

“Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There’s A Party In My City!” Tour Dates:
03/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Theater
03/14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
03/16 – Toronto, ON @ Elgin Theatre
03/17 – Toronto, ON @ Elgin Theatre
03/19 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Embassy Theatre
03/20 – Cincinnati, OH @ Aronoff Center for the Arts
03/21 – St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theater

A lot of the tracks are done by the regular cast of the show and are worth little note (except “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, which sounds like awesomely bad ’80s pop hair metal). If they did have any value, it’s to understand what dance music sounds like if it were made by a child (same tribal repeating of lyrics and a lot of squeaky accordion-esque beats and chirpy drums). The only meat on this album are the guest spots. You will, quite obviously, find nothing of any real emotional value here. And yes, I know it’s a kid’s album, but still there’s nothing of substance to grab a hold of, no moments of glimmering hope that demonstrate to us that music can bridge the generational gap and unite children and adults into some higher understanding of the simplicities of life. There’s way too much jangly guitars for that anyway. But more so, the album does away with the true complexities of many of the artists. Take, for instance, the Of Montreal tune “Brush, Brush, Brush”. What we’re left with is this vaguely electro song that sounds like Of Montreal but without the primal sexuality, sarcasm and general showmanship. Or there’s the default kind of drum machinery of Money Mark’s “Robo Dancing”. It’s as if each of the artists have been lobotomized and much of their soul, and not technique, has been removed.

Despite the aforementioned massive hurdles, the songs are infectious. The songs are on autopilot but get into your brain stem and eat away at the pretentious cells, despite how valiantly you may fight. Chromeo’s song “Nice ‘N’ Clean” sounds like Rick James and Marvin Gaye doing an afterschool special on hand washing. It’s not them, but it feels like their smooth funktacular guitar and their synth heavy hip-hop. The Shins’ “It’s OK, Try Again” may be the catchiest tune on the album; the banjo part moves along with less of the band’s normal musical sensibility and does without their alternative braininess. I’m From Barcelona with “Just Because It’s Different Doesn’t Mean It’s Scary” is like an MGMT cover band that is really into things like xylophone and mandolin and a big old bass part. And on “Lovely, Love My Family”, you’ll find it hard to recognize it’s The Roots behind this reggae jam by Bloc Party with a fuller, lusher arena rock quality sound.

Now the question begs, what’s the point of getting bands like these and stripping away so much of what makes them real? Why would we want an album replaced with body snatcher versions of many of our favorite acts? Listening to this album will refresh your view of many of these bands. It’s a chance to hear some of them in this completely new way without a lot of the particulars that they’ve built for themselves. As well, they’ve got the time and material constraints and a specific outlook to generate. So, as a fan in general, it’s a break from something we’ve loved about these bands and built up about them. These notions about their sound are so important for fans and for a band to drop them like that and turn such a smiley face to it all makes you think. For most people, it’ll surely give them a new appreciation of what the band’s sound is while hearing a richer diversity in their skillset and thought processes.

This album also stands as a reminder to us of an often forgettable universal truth: It’s just music. Despite the crowds and genres formed like ghetto walls and the bickering and the sheer emotional universe that’s been created by bands for decades, it’s all this highly subjective construct of sounds. No, this album isn’t great and most of you won’t listen to it. But it grabs you by the ears with its simplicity and offers to you music. No pretense, no need for understanding. Just offerings of pure sunshine that range from the hip-hop beats of Biz Markie to dreary psychedelic-lite guitar of Mark Kozelek’s “Bedtime Lullaby”. They’re fast enough and quick enough to dance to and you’re left with nothing but you and the tunes. It’s a way to get back to music the way you did as a child: If you like it, move to it. If not, dance because you can. That’s a life lesson if there ever was one.

On October 20th, the awesomely titled Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome! will be released via Filter Recordings. Like the televisions series itself, the album’s tracklist, which consists of 21 selections, will sport positive, kid-friendly contributions from many indie heroes, including Of Montreal, I’m From Barcelona, The Roots, Chromeo, Mark Kozelek, and The Shins. Hell, even Biz Markie will make an appearance.

The album will also be available as a deluxe edition featuring bonus songs. It will be supported by the Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE: There’s A Party In My City tour, which will hit Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago during the months of November and December.

Now, go wash your hands…

Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome! Tracklist:
01. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Theme
02. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Party in My Tummy
03. The Shins – It’s Okay, Try Again
04. Yo Gabba Gabba! – I Like to Dance
05. Money Mark – Robo Dancing
06. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Get the Sillies Out
07. Biz Markie – Biz’s Beat of the Day #1
08. Chromeo – Nice ‘N’ Clean
09. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Try It, You’ll Like It
10. The Roots – Lovely, Love My Family
11. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Don’t Be Afraid
12. I’m From Barcelona – Just Because It’s Different Doesn’t Mean Scary
13. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Bubbles
14. Of Montreal – Brush Bursh Brush
15. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Nice & Easy
16. The Little Ones – Hey, Won’t Somebody Come and Play
17. Weird Science – Go Crazy Remix
18. Yo Dazzlers – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
19. Mark Kozelek- Bedtime Lullaby
20. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Goodbye Song
21. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Closing Theme

On the other hand, there are a few shows that not only give today’s youth hope, but are as entertaining on anything on television period. Take Nick Jr.’s Yo Gabba Gabba! for example. Since premiering in 2006, the television series has tapped a slew of guests to semi-educate children about a variety of topics, all while maintaining a steallary entertaining feel. The Aquabats had a pool party, Mates of State made sure no one was left out, The Ting Tings sang about names,  and Elijah Wood did well, we’ll still sure about that one.

The latest act to lend their talents? The stellar electro duo that is Chromeo of course! This past Friday, P-Thugg and Dave 1 took to the airwaves to share their funky sounds…and teach children to wash their hands. As you’ll see below, in less than two minutes, Chromeo manages to shrink small enough to play in a sink, sing a song that is as musically rich as it is informative, and make sure P-Thugg provides a brilliant example on how one must always wash one’s hands before playing keyboard. Needless to say, the whole thing is quite impressive…

Chromeo 2009 Tour Dates:
03/04 – Miami, FL @ LIV (Dave 1 only) *
05/25 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival *

* = DJ set