popwreckoning

Top 3 Albums of 2009

• N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo (Anti) :: review
• Kevin Devine – Brother’s Blood (Favorite Gentlemen) :: review
• Zee Avi - Zee Avi (Brushfire)

Best Show of 2009

• N.A.S.A. at Emo’s Annex during SXSW. Wild dance party, dancing on stage with Orion slave girls and aliens, high fiving the DJs, being escorted off stage by security, and hanging out backstage. All around aces. (read about it)

Most Anticipated for 2010

• Basia Bulat – Heart of My Own (Rough Trade); even though I’ve got it and have been rocking it for a while

Most Overrated of 2009

• Passion Pit. F’real.

Best Music Memory

• Spending an entire day in a VIP lounge at SXSW making friends, drinking free drinks, eating free food, schmoozing with hotshots, hanging with An Horse and Langhorne Slim, running out to go catch Fight Like Apes and sneaking in the rest of the PW crew. Bar none the greatest music day of 2009.

Here’s to an even better 2010. Have a safe, fun and exciting New Year’s Eve!

 

Videographer Tim Marrinan was at Treasure Island Fest with some of the year’s biggest acts. Click on the image to see a video interview with buzz band Passion Pit and footage from the fest.

Passion Pit: website | myspace | @ rumsey playfield | @ monolith | interview with: ayad al adhamy

     

Phoenix’s fourth LP drop, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, was critically praised by critics the world over and shone a light on a band that through no choice of their own, eluded immense popularity. One track off of that album that was well received was “Love Like A Sunset.” Though I do enjoy the track, I don’t hold it in as high esteem as others when compared to others from the album, however, I quite like the remixes.

.Phoenix – Love Like A Sunset
“Love Like A Sunset” is an extremely long song, running close to eight minutes, with the majority being a dark and moody instrumental composition. The piano keys fall like raindrops on a cool and dreary evening, the melody hums, and a foreboding essence plumes from the staccato guitars. Though around six minutes in, sunshine breaks through the gloom with sweetly strummed guitars, Mars’ gentle vocals and a slower pace that ends with “You’re like a sunset.”

.Shuttle Remix
The Shuttle remix is concise, which is welcome. It’s not ominous or brooding like the original, but comes in with programmed drums that pitter patter throughout the track. Brief, but intense pushes on synthesizers are intermittently inserted, but right away we are welcomed with Mars’ vocals, which is the best part of the track. From there the song picks up with insane pace, become a pseudo techy house mix, with fuzz, distortion and bubbles of electronic tweaks. Also worth noting is that Shuttle is a member of Passion Pit, with whom Phoenix was playing a few shows with.

.Animal Collective Remix
The AC remix sticks to the blueprints of the moodiness of the original. The song is raw with a touch of tribal drums and the airy feel of the original. Here, too, Mars’ vocals come in without any delay and echo across the tune in a spacial manner. The remix picks up a little speed but for the most part sticks to this format, pleasant, understated, but nonetheless great to listen to.

Phoenix: website | myspace | @ rumsey playfield | @ monolith | @ record bar

Photo by: Dese’Rae L. Stage

Photographer Dese’Rae L. Stage shares photos from Passion Pit‘s performance at Rumsey Playfield on Sept. 25 in NYC.

Passion Pit: website | myspace | @ monolith | interview with: ayad al adhamy

Wait a second…is that…sun?

Yes, the second day of Monolith saw some sun. Though I must stress “some.” Granted “some” was a significant improvement to the cold, icy rain that drizzled on concertgoers the entire day before.

Feeling encouraged by the slight appearance of sun, Monolith’s second day promised to be good.

We Were Promised Jetpacks // Woxy.com Stage @ 1:40-2:20 p.m.

I started off with Scottish group We Were Promised Jetpacks. I couldn’t decide what I liked more. Their music or their stage banter with the audience.

During a brief break in their set, a girl shouted out, “Say four,”

“Whore?” asked Adam Thompson, causing the audience to erupt with laughter. “I’m not some kind of Scottish circus freak. I can’t roll into town and say whatever you want.”

The group just released their debut this past summer and while they cite their influences as Frightened Rabbit and Twilight Sad, I’d say they have mainly the accent in common and while I like those other two bands, I think We Were Promised Jetpacks had the most enjoyable live show after seeing all three at Monolith.

“I’m going to let you in on a secret,” said Thompson near the end of their set. “This might be our only good song. We peaked.”

I wouldn’t let Thompson’s modesty fool you. All their songs are good.

Rahzel // Esurance Music Stage @ 2:30-3 p.m.

I was a bit disappointed with the arrangement of the next options at the festival. I could either see DJ rapper The Pirate Signal or hip hop artist Rahzel. These genres are not really my thing and I was disappointed that there weren’t any alternative genre options when the rest of the line up was pretty good about having variety at different stages.

I decided to sit at the top of Red Rocks and watch some of Rahzel. Rahzel, is perhaps better known either as the “beat boxing champ” or as a member of The Roots.

The first ten minutes were painful. I find having a DJ yell, “We’ve got the champ; we’ve got the champ” over and over while some other guy simply talks kind of lame. That “warm-up” part was something I could have done without.

But then, Rahzel finally showed off his beatboxing skills. First it was White Stripes‘ “Seven Nation Army” then a little Justin Timberlake and countless other popular tunes. And that was bad ass.

Neon Indian // Woxy.com Stage @ 3-3:40 p.m.

Now Neon Indian was more my speed with its synth heavy lo-fi pop. It is the project of Alan Palomo of VEGA.

Monolith was the first ever live performance of the band, but as Palomo’s bold movements and twists of the microphone cord made it look like they had been performing forever. His female bandmate on keys was a bit more timid though and I’m not sure if that was her personality or nerves.

I expect this group to blow up soon because let’s be honest…who doesn’t love the synth?

Monotonix // Southern Comfort Presents Stage @ 3-3:30 p.m.

So I didn’t intend to see any of Monotonix and then I accidentally ended up seeing too much.

After emerging from the depths of Red Rocks, I was surprised to see a large crowd huddle in front of the Southern Comfort Stage, yet no one was on stage nor did it look as though anybody had been on stage. Crews were already setting up for the next band. Yet there was some weird sort of rap rock…I’m not quite sure how to describe what was going on soundwise…coming form the middle of the croud.

Suddenly, from the depths of the crowd, a skinny, shirtless man with long hair was lifted on to the shoulders of the crowd. This was Monotonix and the people were just eating his performance up. I finally got to see him, but this is also when I saw too much of him.

It wasn’t long before he was mooning the crowd and I decided it was time to take my leave from the spectacle and check out another band.

The Dandy Warhols // Esurance Music Stage @ 3:30-4:15 p.m.

Maybe it was the singer’s stripped shirt, but there was a definite sailor swagger to the Dandy Warhols.

They seemed happy to be playing, but there was also an aloofness that made it a little difficult to connect with their live show.

The group was at their best when songs called for extra percussion effects like on “The Legend of the Last of the Outlaw Truckers.” The band sounded better and seemed happier on songs like that.

Set List:
Burned
Trucker
Junky
Good morning
I Love You
Holden Me Up
The Last High
Bono
Get Off
U2BF
Wasp
P/Boys

The Love Language // Radius Earphones Stage @ 3:40-4:20 p.m.

Looking at the stage set up for The Love Language, my first thought was that two separate bands were going to duel for the ownership of the drummer. Two keyboardists faced each other and two singers stood side by side. It was crowded for such a tiny stage.

But once I heard the band start to play, it was quite clear that something different was happening on stage. Instead of two separate bands battling for control of the drummer, siamese twins would be a better image to conjure up. The band was a single entity, but at the same time, as they switched from song to song, they showed different personalities. The Love Language are Siamese twins, not joined at the hip, but at the drummer.

Aside from walking away from this review with that weird imagery, know that soundwise, they really are the language of love. They are just happy-sounding and sweet and tons of other things that make you want to curl your toes with glee. There was a carefree nature about the music and the performance, so carefree in fact, that the band hardly flinched when all their foot-stomping knocked one of their keyboards off the stand.

Set List:
2 rabbits
providence
nocturne
blood
brittney
blue angel
sparxxx
manteo
lalita
hello mary lou

The Thermals // Southern Comfort Presents Stage @ 4-4:45 p.m.

I’ve had the privilege of seeing The Thermals before.

I just love the nasally stretch of the singers vocals, “Nooooow weee cannnn see,” the bassists growth from nonchalance to lost-in-the-moment jumping, and the unabridged enthusiasm of the constantly smiling drummer.

Yet, since I had seen them before, I regrettably had to pull myself away to catch some acts I had never seen before. Next time, Thermals. Next time.

Set List:
Return
Afraid
Future
Trivia
Let go
How Know
Call Name
Back Gray
Sick
Trip
100 %
Strosa
Pillar
Culture
We See

Bad Veins // Woxy.com Stage @ 4:20-5 p.m.

Two guys, flowery wood boxes, a big film machine and a telephone. Sounds like the beginnings to a weird sitcom, but really this was just the beginnings of Bad Veins, a duo that features a tape machine named “Irene.”

The guys and “Irene” produced a really full sound, but I’m not entirely convinced I understand the purpose of the telephone bit.

While I’m sure many in the audience inadvertently wandered in, they stayed because they group was unique and good.

HEALTH // Radius Earphones Stage @ 5-5:40 p.m.

HEALTH – OMFG.

I can’t decide if I love the festival organizers for booking some amazing bands or hate them for booking some amazing bands in ridiculously small rooms.

If you were one of the lucky few who didn’t get shut out of HEALTH’s set, you know how amazingly fortunate you were to witness them live. Each band member was all over the stage, jumping and thrashing. I’ve never seen so much energy from a electronica rock band.

If you were unfortunate enough to get shut out, get in your car and drive somewhere to see them even if that means driving to an airport.

This is a band everyone must witness once in their life.

The Twilight Sad // Woxy.com Stage @ 5:40-6:20 p.m.

The Twilight Sad rounded out the Scottish trio performing at the fest.

A schedule change moving Savoy earlier and shifting Passion Pit and Phoenix later due to a cancellation from illness in MSTRKRFT‘s camp made it so I wasn’t conflicted with choosing between Twilight Sad and Passion Pit.

The set was hauntingly beautiful, but a bit of a downer. A technical hiccup in the set lightened the mood a bit as the band awkwardly stated, “Wish we knew some jokes.”

They were talented, but awkward and shy, which I suppose is fitting for their music. Plus, they had accents, and who doesn’t love a good accent.

Set List:
Doonstairs
Faster
Hit Single
Eyes Oot
Mooth
Rabbit
Sheepdng

(not typos, just how they wrote it out on the set list)

Tigercity // Radius Earphones Stage @ 6:20-7 p.m.

Tigercity was some smooth, easy-listening and I unfortunately was just too revved up to go see Passion Pit to truly enjoy this group.

It wasn’t that Tigercity was bad and they had the recipe for everything I love–synth! It was just that it was more so something that was more appealing to an older crowd that still wanted to be hip than what I’m into. Sorry Tigercity.

Set List:
Fake Gold Other Girls
Graz 75 B
Ancient Lover
Power Stripe Solitary Man
Red Lips D Water
A Better Place James
My Type
Let Her Go
?
Mallory

Passion Pit // Southern Comfort Presents Stage @ 7-7:45 p.m.

OK, again, I don’t know why the festival organizers didn’t put Passion Pit on the main stage because the entire day this was the band that I heard everybody talking about going to.

They were good the last time I saw them, but I can’t get over how much the stage presence has improved. Every band member was all over the stage, jumping off monitors and the kick drum and falling on the floor.

The crowd makes a Passion Pit set. They know all the right times to respond and sing back the vocals.

High-pitched vocals have the potential to be obnoxious, but in Passion Pit’s case, it is pure fun and add the electronica beats and you have a non-stop dance party.

I could have been content to end the night here, but some of my favorite French rockers were getting ready to take to the main stage.

Set List:
make light
i’ve got your number
let your love grow tall
little secrets
to kingdom come
better things
sleepyhead
smile upon me
…can’t remember what was played here…
the reeling.

Phoenix // Esurance Music Stage @ 7:45-9 p.m.

Phoenix has been in the music game for a long time, but it wasn’t until Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that the States finally took notice of these French rockers.

Yes, the lyrics don’t always make sense (remember English is not their first language), but they sure sound good and are tight musicians.

Think Air with a dash of Daft Punk–this comparison shouldn’t be too hard considering all these artists are part of the Versailles scene.

Phoenix started strong with “Listzomania” and even stronger with “1901,” a song that blew audience away when performed on SNL.

My night ended with Phoenix. Sorry Mars Volta, but I had an eight hour drive that had to be completed before my roomies’ class the next day.

But it doesn’t matter. I couldn’t hope for a more perfect end than Passion Pit and Phoenix.

Set List:
Listzomania
Long Distance Call
Consolation Prizes
Lasso
…sorry, blanking on this part of the set…
Girlfriend
Rome
Too Young
1901

Monolith: website | day 1

You may already known them for that ubiquitous JC Penney’s commercial featuring “Too Fake” or maybe you witnessed them throwing beer at Lollapalooza. The band is Hockey and they are dropping their first US label release Mind Chaos, Sept. 14, so I dropped in on them at Lollapalooza to learn what this album and what they’re all about.

I spoke with bassist Jeremy “Jerm” Reynolds and drummer Anthony Stassi.
Bethany, PopWreckoning: What was your reaction with what happened with your Lollapalooza set?
Anthony Stassi, Hockey: Whatever. That happens.
PW: What goes through a band’s mind when you’re opening a huge fest and you lose tech support?
AS: Different bands do different things. I’ve never seen a band stand around and hang out.
Jeremy “Jerm” Reynolds, Hockey: We just hung out. We did a drum circle for awhile, which was positive.
AS: I ran a meeting behind the snares. We were like we shouldn’t just walk off, we’re trying to get people stay. We need to stay. So, I ran backstage, grabbed as many beers as I could possibly have and then I just ran up and started throwing beers in the crowd. People just loved that one.
PW: I’m sure they did. But what did the Lolla organizers think of it.
AS: I don’t care what the Lolla organizers think. I hate the organizers.
JR: The Lolla organizers lost power in our set for ten minutes.
AS: And our sound guy was a Bi…
PW: And I don’t think it was just you guys. Other bands seemed to have lots of sound problems.
AS: Really? See. I hope to get minors drunk on the behalf of Lollapalooza. If I had Ziploc bags of weed, I’d throw that too.
PW: People in the crowd would definitely like that.
JR: Oh sure. We made some fans today: “Oh the free beer band? Yeah! I love them. They’re great.”
PW: Oh yes, it is something that people will definitely talk about at least.
JR: Yeah.
PW: Played a few good songs then threw beer.
AS: Yeah. Hung out.

PW: Ok, so going off that Lolla hiccup, how do festivals compare to doing smaller club shows?
JR: Festivals are really great. Festivals are like summer camp and club shows are like school.
AS: You just have to accept festivals for what they are. No sound check—you’re going to sound bad. The monitors are going to be insane. You’re not going to think it is going well or whatever and you’re going to be playing to tons of people that don’t know you. If you accept that and get past that, then they’re the most fun shows in the world.
PW: I did see you guys at Bonnaroo, so I did get to see a full set from you.
JR: Oh nice, Bonnaroo.

PW: You guys just kind of exploded. You had Mind Chaos out for awhile on CD Baby and then it sold out and all of sudden you’re just everywhere on blogs and commercials.
AS: Yeah. That was just a little demo that we had and we recorded and put out in our basement. The album that is being put out in the fall is kind of half that and half new songs all mixed together. The other thing was totally in our basement and done by us. It is weird.
JR: It is weird. It was quick. We went from our basement in Portland to playing in the UK without anything else: without establishing ourselves in Portland, without establishing ourselves in the West Coast.

PW: Is it just easier to go to the UK first or was there a reason?
AS: A lot of reasons. We got played on BBC1 and The Guardian wrote us up.
JR: They have kind of a different system of there. They have naturalized radio, so if you get played on Radio 1, you’re everywhere. The US doesn’t work like that. It takes a lot more coordination and a lot more hard work to go to every city.

PW: Do you have a preference on a system? Do you wish the US had a naturalized system?
JR: I don’t know.
Dr: We don’t really know much about the US vs UK system.
AS: US seems like it is just big. It is overwhelming. There’s a lot compartmentalized areas.
PW: But you guys are getting help here and getting a lot of ad play.
JR: Yeah, just recently we got added to modern radio…alternative radio…whatever, here in the United States. Getting played here is kind of a big deal for us.

PW: So on the Mind Chaos that is coming out Sept. 15, I feel like I have seen tons of album covers for it. Did you guys do the album art and what is going on with it?
JR: I did the album art, actually. The four covers are all the cover. The cover is actually divided into four panels. The reason for that is that just as a theme, mind chaos is about many different ways of seeing the same thing. So, having a cover that is four covers is really just…it sort of just fits the concept. Also, four images is an ancient religious and philosophical kind of theme that we wanted to channel. It’s sort of like the history of human beings on the four covers starting in the left corner and moving into mind chaos, which is modernity: 2009 – white scribble.
PW: Interesting. Is philosophy something that’s always interested you?
JR: Yeah, yeah. I think there are a lot of references to religion and history and philosophy on the record and there are themes that creatively we like to reference.
PW: And you used crayon for the cover?
JR: I cut up old books. I got old books at garage sales and things like that and took the paper and glued it together. I used paint, crayons, marker and glue. It is all very childish, but it is just a hobby I guess.

PW: It’s cool. Now why did Mind Chaos’s release date get pushed back? It was supposed to come out earlier this summer, right?
JR: I think among other things, more dirty behind the scenes industry things, I think that we are such a new band to a lot of people. The idea was that we needed to tour and generate some kind of interest or at least get our name out there so that when the record finally does come out there will be people that are there that will be interested.
AS: We’re still finding stuff on the record that we hated. Awhile back it was us battling the label to delay it. We just like two weeks ago had a meltdown about one of our songs, so we went by ourselves into a studio and remixed it. We just totally redid and we were like, “You guys got to put this out. Put this on the record and take the other version off. You got to do it.” They were like, “What? You can’t do that. We’re about to release it.” And we were like, “You got to do it.” They were like, “Fine, but we have to push the record back.”

PW: So do you guys have a hard time listening to your original EP or demos?
AS: Oh, yeah.
EEEks-Virgins got super loud in the background with their sound check here.
AS: Do you have problems?
JR: No. It stands as an accomplishment for us and an appropriate representation of the band at the time.
AS: The other version came out and we got signed. The old version.
JR: We’ve remixed and stuff, so it is still there, but different. The songs are there. We’ll have to see happens in the big bad world.

PW: Working with Capitol and a label for this release–did they have a lot of say in it?
JR: Interestingly, they didn’t have much to say. They basically said, “Look we really like this record you put out by yourselves. We think there should be a few more songs. Otherwise, it’s great.” And we were like, “Sweet. That was easy.”
AS: One of the reasons we went with them was because they were one of the only labels that was like, “Don’t change anything.”
JR: It was cool. They liked us for who we were. They liked our basement album—our demo, basically. It was something that we did on our own and it was important to us, so it was important that it was something the label could get behind. We needed them to like us for that and not something we were going to become because what we were going to become was based on that. We worked hard to get it the way we want it to be.

PW: Ok, well, it is getting loud with The Virgins’ sound check behind us, I read somewhere that you were all vegan, is that right?
AS: Not anymore.
JR: The two of us were vegan for awhile and then I think one article said we were vegan and it spread into the world, which is fine.
AS: I liked it.
PW: Well that ruins my question. I was going to ask what festival-friendly vegan food there is.
AS: Most of them have gotten vegan friendly. We just did a bunch of festivals in the UK and a lot of them were some of the best places for it. They all had vegan options.
PW: Bonnaroo was really good about it.
AS: Oh yeah.
PW: This festival has been more meaty.
JR: Well it is Chicago.

PW: Ok, well, let’s be done so they can do sound check. I’m glad to have heard at least three songs today and hopefully I’ll here more in KC soon.
AS: Yeah.
PW: You here all three days?
JR: No, we’re leaving tomorrow for New York.
PW: Too bad. I know you’ve done a lot with Passion Pit and Friendly Fires.
AS: Yeah. It seems like we’re always following them around and staying in the same hotels.
PW: Haha. Well have a safe flight to New York.

Hockey: website | myspace | @ lollapalooza | tour dates

The coasts of the United States never seem to be at a shortage for festivals, but travel to the heart of the country and festivals are scarce. Chicago does have Lollapalooza, which is a fun festival, but very mainstream. So the addition of Monolith Festival has been a haven for the Midwest hipster to see new buzz indie bands and some classic gems in one of the most beautiful venues in the world: Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado.

The first day of the festival was a cold and rainy mess, but the bands stuck it out with smiles and were gracious to all the people who stayed the whole day. Store bought ponchos and trash bag made ones became the must have fashion accessory and one stage emcee quipped he would give a prize to anybody who could pull off the most creative, hipster rain outfit.

I wore two jackets and a poncho and wrapped my camera gear in a bag and despite only operating on an hour of sleep, I made it through the festival and loved every minute of it. Monolith fortunately has one of the best indie line-ups with few disappointments, so it was easy to lose yourself in the music and forget that you couldn’t feel your toes anymore.

Generationals // Woxy.com Stage @ 12:20 – 1 p.m.

Like I said, it was ridiculously cold out and off and on sprinkling, so heading to the indoor stages early seemed like a good plan when I arrived at Monolith Amphitheatre. Turns out it was. I started at the Woxy.com Stage, a stage that ended up having the best line-up of the day and hosting a majority of the best acts that I saw. Generationals were among those acts.

Generationals had a rock sound with folksy inclinations. The singer was a lot of the reason I liked them because he had a sort of nasal boldness to his vocal that made me think a bit of Tokyo Police Club without ever thinking that the band sounded like them. The female keyboardist balanced out his vocals, but I wasn’t as thrilled with the band when they gave her the lead vocals on a song. She was a fun support member to watch, switching from keys to keyflute (I have no idea what those mini-keyboards are that you blow air into, but that is what I’m calling keyflute.)

As I walked off from their set, I made a mental note to check out this band’s music at home. I quickly learned that I’d be making a lot of these mental notes.

Stars of Track and Field // Radius Earphones Stage @ 1:00 – 1:40 p.m.

I’ve been dying to see Stars of Track and Field since a few years ago, my local radio station, 96.5 the Buzz, played “Moons of Antarctica” on air and I went out and actually purchased their album. “With You,” my favorite from that album, was actually the last song I listened to in the car ride before the fest.

I don’t know why, but for some reason, I always figured the group had a girl in the band because of the records’ harmonies, so I was a bit surprised when three guys came out wearing tight pants and leather jackets. Despite the gray day and playing indoors, the singer had on bug-eyed sunglasses. He also adorned a scarf and their whole look reminded me of the time I saw Barcelona and their musical sound isn’t that different from each other. Perhaps they’re all friends–they are both bands from the Northwest, and maybe they do their shopping together.

Once I got over my surprise that a weird falsetto was the actual harmonizer, I got really into their set. They had a few pitchy problems, but it was still good. The new songs fit perfectly with the old and it was fun to watch the guitarist take random dips and jumps as he rocked out. Another cool thing that I discovered about Monolith watching them is that to the side of the Radius Earphones Stage, there was an artist that was painting them. I guess this was happening all day and it was fun to see a mixing of the two art genres. Stars of Track and Field just released a new album about a week ago. Go check them out.

Set List:
Movies
EOAT
Static
Bright Fire
With You
The Aviator
Arithmatik
Now You Lift
Lacuna
Lights

The Antlers // Woxy.com Stage @ 1:40 – 2:20 p.m.

The Antlers were yet another amazing discovery for me. I really hadn’t heard much about them until this past week and had no idea what to expect. What I got was the product of if the singers of Cold War Kids and Passion Pit had a baby that then the kid was raised by Fleet Foxes in some mountain cabin in the heart of the Rockies. This group had that sort of classic sound meets modernity.

The vocalist was a crooner and he would crawl up the scales at the end of the verses, hit his high note and add a beautiful, yet different vibrato touch at the end. Gorgeous. As a whole, the group had the Fleet Foxes vibe with that sort of blending and harmonizing that the Foxes do so well. Also gorgeous.

A warning though—the musical subjects are very sad–hospitals, death and cancer.

Set List:
Bear
Sylvia
Shiv
A Trophy
2
Epilogue

Lydia // Radius Earphones Stage @ 2:20 – 3 p.m.

I’ve seen these barefoot indie pop musicians multiple times and they always give warm fuzzies. Piano, pleasing guitars and a perfectly happy band that never stops smiling kind of does that for you. They’re like Straylight Run, but happier.

These United States // Woxy.com Stage @ 3 – 3:40 p.m.

I think this band might win for favorite new artist of the day. PopWreckoning recently raved about them in an album review, and now we continue the raving by declaring them fucking amazing live. It was like being at a barn party with your closest friends gathered and just as you hit the tipsy point, somebody whips out an acoustic guitar and just starts jamming. It’s the kind of party where you love your friends and the music and are having such a good time that you think you could be eternally happy holding your beer and listening to your friends play forever.

These United States made every person in the room feel like they were all close friends at a party such as that. Their crowd interactions made it seem like if you did have a request, they would have tried to fulfill it. In fact they tried to do something like that. A person in the audience asked where they were from and after responding, they want on to say that they had a question box on the side of the stage because nothing was as important as responding to what the people want. And as for the crowd, whether they knew the bands very, very, very new music, they would still try to sing along.

When I left the room, I was still singing, “Get yourself home, boy, get yourself home.” The little jamboree at the packed Woxy.com Stage was hands down one of the best sets of the festival and maybe one of the best sets that I’ve seen in my life.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros // Southern Comfort Presents Stage @ 3 – 3:30 p.m.

I only caught a bit of this group, but it was exactly like the Letterman performance. Smiliing hippies dancing to the feel good “Kumbayah” like music that a bajillion musicians on stage were performing. It was good, but it is hard to give a complete review of a band when you only caught a song and a half.

Frightened Rabbits // Esurance Music Stage @ 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.

This Scottish act was the first of three that I would see at the festival and the Scottish acts came to the festival to show the American audience who was boss.

Accents made it difficult to really follow lyrics, but it didn’t matter. It sounded great and the people loved it. Some fans got really, really into it:

Pains of Being Pure at Heart // Southern Comfort Presents Stage @ 4 – 4:45 p.m.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart was a band that I was really excited and really nervous to see. I loved their self-titled debut, but one of the critics I respect in Omaha gave them a mixed review about two days before this festival. He basically said something along the lines of PoBPaH as one of those groups that has a great band, but a singer who can’t sing.

After seeing them for myself, I have no idea what he was talking about. The singing was perfectly fine and a nice cheery spot in the extra dismal weather. Kip, the singer, even quipped, “Today we’re the Rains of Being Pure at Heart.”

I think the band’s genuine glee at playing for Monolith made the set just that much better. It would have been easy to be wallow in misery that I could see my breath,  couldn’t feel my extremities and was now at risk for pneumonia, but then I would look up and see Pains’ smiles and I’d smile too and forget the cold and get lost in their noise pop.

OK Go // Esurance Music Stage @ 4:45 -5:45 p.m.

You know them for their dance moves whether in front of funky wallpaper, on treadmills or in a backyard, but OK Go is so much more than that. They are a talented band that cares about their fans and really understand the art of performance.

One member walked out ahead of the group and struck out a large clear sideways bass drum. He was the herald to singer Damian Kulash‘s entrance. It was an attention grabbing opening.

The band proceeded into a set filled with all their well-known songs and some brand new ones. There was lots of confetti and cute little anecdotes.

What I liked the most about OK Go was that the band really was all about the people. Red Rocks is an epic amphitheatre, but there is a big gap between the main stage and the front row of the audience. Kulash bridged that gap and carried his mike stand to the heart of the audience for a love song.

“Denver, are you lovers?” Kulash asked. To which the crowd cheered a yes. “Good. Our next one is a love song. We’re going to give it the 60s treatment and wave…or you got lighters? Those allowed here? Hold up you cell phones and let them get fucked up in the rain.”

They had a playful edge about them that just made it impossible to not like every moment of the set.

“This next one is a new song, but I need your help singing. This is in C er G no D…Pitch perfect. We’re pitch perfect.” said Kulash. “You’ll sing, ‘Let it go, this too shall pass.” The audience had a miserable attempt at repeating it back. “That was a bit fast, but we’ll give it a try.”

Kulash does not have a future in teaching because that was the worst attempt at giving directions I have ever seen. When the song finally got to that part, it sounded nothing like what he sang in the practice run, resulting in a kind of pub like singalong on the audience’s end. Fortunately I think Kulash has a secure future in music so he won’t have to toy with the idea of education as an alternate career.

Set List:
Shooting
Get Over It
Million Ways
White Knux
I Want You
Oh No
BFK
Don’t Ask
HIGA
Last Leaf
Skyscrapers
Disaster
TTSP
Good Idea
Invice
DWYW

The Walkmen // Southern Comfort Presents Stage @ 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.

I couldn’t bring myself to leave OK Go and I was dreading trekking up the stairs again, so I was strongly contemplating skipping the Walkmen to wait to  see M. Ward, but others at the site have said this act was the shit, so I embraced more soreness to add to my calves and jogged up to see the Walkmen. It was good, but kind of blah. After the last few really solid and crowd-welcoming performers, it was hard to get into this set. The Walkmen’s downfall? They could sing and play well, but the performance was lacking in the entertainment value. Sorry other editors at this site. I just didn’t feel it.

M. Ward // Esurance Music Stage @ 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.

M. Ward had a similar problem to the Walkmen, except, unlike them, I felt really guilty that I found his set a little blasé. He is a fantastic guitarist and singer, but I think he would have been better off either earlier in the day or playing one of the smaller indoor stage. His act was nice because it diversified the line up a bit and I think some of the older audience members really got into it, but the younger kids had a hard time staying awake.

Ward just had a tough act to follow after OK Go’s set and like I said, his problem wasn’t that he isn’t talented. Simply poorly placed in the line up.

Set List:
Sad Sad Song
Chinese Translation
Requiem
Epistemology
Fool Says
Poor Boy
Some Lucky Night
One Life Away/Lullaby Rag (acoustic)
Poison Cup
Four Hours
Magic Trick
To Save Me
Fahey/Fisher of Men
Nobody Like You
To Go Home
Vincent
Big Boat

Beethoven

Girl Talk // Esurance Music Stage @ 7:45 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Anybody who has heard of Girl Talk knows that Girl Talk tears it up every time. My friends had never experienced Girl Talk and I had to rush off to an interview before this set, so I gave them a little tip: stay close to the front before this set and keep your eyes open. Why would I give this tip? Because Girl Talk is a DJ that likes to be surrounded by people, toilet paper and lots of confetti…sometimes blow ups and balloons, but those were missing this time around.

Anyways, my smart friends took my advice and soon noticed a line toward the side of the stage and hopped in the line. This line was to get on stage with Girl Talk and to dance your heart out. So as Girl Talk blasted his spin on modern and classic hits, my friends got to dance up close and personal on one of the most epic stages in the United States.

I got out of my interview to join the rest of the audience getting covered in the rain, toilet paper and confetti and I loved every messy minute of it. Girl Talk has to be the love of everyone…well, maybe not the security and clean-up crews, but still, you know what I mean.

Of Montreal // Southern Comfort Presents Stage @ 8:45 – 9:30 p.m.

It is weird to say this, but Of Montreal was kind of tame this time around. No guitars were given out like at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza at the end of the set. No guest performers. No balloons. Even the costumes weren’t quite as crazy as usual. They still had the gas mask Christmas story and they had the little dance bits with the people in black.

So since I wasn’t as distracted by the other stuff that usually accompanied their set, I was actually left to focus on their music this time around. Guess what? It was still fucking amazing. Great keys, falsettos and guitars and all while every band member moved around and danced.

Set List:
Intro
Mingusings
Fashion
Seine
Cato
Forecast
Rapture
Id Engager
Faberge
Elegant Castle
Touched
Eluardian
Heimdalsgate

Rejector

Yeah Yeah Yeahs // Esurance Music Stage @ 9:30 – 11 p.m.

I want to be Karen O. This is a woman so creative that she can wear jackets more colorful than Joseph’s technicolor dreamcoat. So bold she has no problem spitting like a man. And so talented that she can be caressing the vocals to a love song one moment, “They don’t love you like I love you,” and then going into a loud yowl, “I do! I do love you!”

Karen O owns the stage and uses every square inch for her dance moves and she never tires as she hops around. Watching her, it is almost easy to forget that Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a band and there are other people on the stage. I’ve seen this band multiple times and tonight was the first time that I really watched the rest of the band. Nick Zinner has some great guitar lines, but I finally noticed him as a performer tonight. He often just stands off to the side in a too cool for school leather jacket with his lower lip out in a concentrated pout as he plays. This show he seemed to finally interact and Karen and Nick even came together in an embrace at one point.

Each song was better than the last as the band went through old and new hits. “Cheated Hearts” into “Headz Will Roll” into the normal full version of “Maps” just made for a non-stop dance party and singalong.

It was  a great way to end the night and left the crowd psyched and ready for day two of the festival.

Set List:
Runaway
Dull Life
Honey Bear
R Tung
Shame
Gold Lion
Zero
Miles Away
Skeletons
Hysteric
Soft Shock
Cheated Hearts
Headz
Maps (full)
Dates

Look for the Sunday follow-up soon!

Monolith Festival: website

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