The great thing about most debut albums? A band can go balls to the wall and give it everything they’ve got and want to give, because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. This definitely describes the Static Jacks‘ first album length offering to the world, If You’re Young. Despite the fact that the band hails from New Jersey, they sound more like the Libertines than Bruce Springsteen. They mix anarchic punk, the angst of youth, and remarkably accomplished instrumentation to create a really engaging sound.
My first introduction to the quartet was their impressive opening set in support of one of my current English rock band favorites, the Futureheads, in June 2010. I remember hearing them let rip onstage at the Black Cat and thinking, yep, I know exactly why the Futureheads chose them for support. While they must certainly have had different musical upbringings (the Static Jacks are very young: when I saw them, they all had Xs on the backs of their hands), I imagine the two bands’ mindsets are pretty similar: make it loud, make it powerful, and make it fun.
If You’re Young is, from what I can tell, a pretty good distillation of the band’s frenetic energy in live performance. Some of the songs are as chaotic as beloved Ramones numbers from the ’70s that should appeal to people who think American guitar rock is dead. (It’s not. There are plenty of indie bands in America. They’re just not getting played on the radio. Thanks Kings of Leon.) Opening track “Defend Rosie” tells you straight out from the gate that you are not dealing with just any band. The Static Jacks are a force to be reckoned with. “Girl Parts,” another high octane track, features added vocals from Ceci Gomez from Brooklyn band Beast Make Bomb.
But there are more melodic numbers that show off the band’s songwriting and musical ability. “Into the Sun” is a great example of this, with great guitar work and lead singer Ian Devaney‘s powerful vocal delivery. Other contagious tunes include “My Parents Lied,” a song I immediately picked up on live because of the infectious handclapping and minor key melody, and “Mercy, Hallelujah” and “Relief,” which both remind me of, dare I say it, the Boss. (I know. To some of you out there, that’s flat-out heresy. But I’m saying it because I want you to give this album a chance.) “Blood Pressure,” with its great singalong of “I’m afraid of the future / I want to share it with you” is oddly touching: as Devaney said in a recent interview about the album, “It’s mostly saying ‘if you’re young – or if you ever were – you’ll know where we’re coming from with these songs.’ These are pretty universal experiences that most people experience from their late teens and early twenties. It’s such a transition period, figuring out what you want to do and where you want to go. Youthful anxiety, I suppose.”
There are some surprising moments on here as well. “Sonata (Maybe We Can Work It Out)” is the band’s attempt at a tender ballad, with Strokes-like guitars, but its “partner” song, “Walls (We Can’t Work It Out)”, brings things back up tempo with feverish intensity. Considering their relatively young age, the Static Jacks have managed to put together a nice collection of hard rocking, memorable songs that show off their talents, talents that are sure only to grow. Catch the band live this fall as alongside New Yorkers the Postelles, they open for English rockers the Wombats. Will I be there for the opening night of the tour? You bet.
The Static Jacks’ debut album, If You’re Young, will be released in North America on August 30 on Fenway Recordings.
Track Listing
01. Defend Rosie
02. Girl Parts
03. Into the Sun
04. My Parents Lied
05. Sonata (Maybe We Can Work Out)
06. Walls (We Can’t Work It Out)
07. Mercy, Hallelujah
08. Blood Pressure
09. This is Me Dancing
10. Relief
11. It’s Such a Shame
12. Drano-Ears
Tour Dates
Oct 21 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC*
Oct 22 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia*
Oct 24 – Jefferson Theatre / Charlottesville, VA*
Oct 25 – Local 506 / Carrboro, NC*
Oct 26 – Loft / Atlanta*
Oct 29 – Fitzgeralds / Houston*
Oct 30 – Parish / Austin*
Nov 01 – Granada / Dallas*
Nov 02 – Record Bar / Kansas City*
Nov 04 – Outland / Columbus*
Nov 05 – Subterranean / Chicago*
Nov 07 – Varsity Theater / Minneapolis*
Nov 10 – Wonder Ballroom / Portland*
Nov 11 – Venue / Vancouver*
Nov 12 – Crocodile / Seattle*
*opening for the Wombats
I’m personally digging the Morning Benders’ slowed-down angelic take on the garage rock hit. It’s like they threw the song to the west coast, put it at 70% speed, and slapped on some synthesizer. What do you think?
It’s taken a long time, but the Postelles are finally releasing their album their eponymous debut album this upcoming Tuesday (June 7). The New York good time rock ‘n’ roll band – comprised of lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk, lead guitarist David Dargahi, bassist John Speyer, and drummer Billy Cadden – are close friends and this is reflected by the musical harmony heard on The Postelles. Does this sound familiar to you? It should. They consider the Beatles a big influence musically, which should come as no surprise when you listen to the record. Major keys to the Fab Four’s success were excellent songwriting skills, equally excellent musicianship, and enough charm and charisma to send millions of hearts a-flutter. The Postelles already have #1 and #2 in the bag. It’s only a matter of time before #3 becomes a reality for them.
Strong songs and strong music is where The Postelles is at. This is an album that will get your toes tapping and put a smile on your face, because this is a band that excels in crafting the pop tune. It should also be noted that this album was produced by Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes, so you know there was good work done behind the scenes. If autotune (um, Kanye West) leaves you cold and you’re tired of style over substance (um, Lady Gaga), than this is the album for you. The most “high-tech” gadgets used on here are the maracas on “She She.” I used to think that this genre of rock was just a throwback to the ‘60s, but giving that label is doing a great disservice to the Postelles. It’s not easy in this day and age to write songs like they did back then. There’s so much pressure these days to use fancy thingamabobs in the studio. Why? Because they are there and you can. But when you’ve got songwriting chops and don’t need all that electronic wizardry, why use it?
The Postelles specialize in straight-forward rock ‘n’ roll: guitars and drums paired with lead vocals, augmented by tight harmonies. Seriously, how often do you go to a gig and not see a Macbook or synthesizer hooked up somewhere? The Postelles don’t need them. Take for example the single they released last year, “White Night.” Balk’s voice slinks up and down the notes effortlessly, with Dargahi’s backing vocals in response and in harmony just sound so sweet. If you’re like me and think Please Please Me was one of the Beatles’ best albums, this should be music to your ears.
And “Sleep on the Dance Floor” (watch the video below), the song that immediately follows “White Night,” is even better. This, along with so many others on the album, has a great singalong chorus. The Postelles want to entertain you, but they also want to engage you. Listen to this a couple times and before you know it, you’ll be crooning “fell asleep…on the dance floorrrrr…” along with Balk. Same goes for “Hey Little Sister,” featuring a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist Dargahi; and “Stella,” Balk telling off a girlfriend, finally leaving her, his bandmates shouting with gusto, “Stella, you’re on your own!”
Most of all, I encourage you to listen to The Postelles closely. The bass line in “Can’t Stand Still” can’t be beat. “Hold On” (acoustic, pared down version above) demonstrates the band’s deftness with the ballad; it’s a good break from the other songs of a pretty brisk pace. And by the way, “brisk pace” and “good-time rock ‘n’ roll” do not mean these guys from New York City are lightweights in the topical sense. A fact-based account of a former girlfriend of Balk and Cadden’s, “Boy’s Best Friend” is the realization that the girl you once went out with has now come out as a lesbian. “Whisper Whisper,” echoing Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy’s “When You Go to Bed” more than Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun,” provides insight into an abusive relationship.
Fifty years ago, the world was infatuated with the Beatles. Now it’s the time the world became infatuated with the Postelles.
The Postelles’ self-titled debut album will be released on July 7 in America on +1 Records. The band will be touring the U.S. and Canada in June and July.
Tracklisting
01. White Night
02. Sleep on the Dance Floor
03. 1, 2, 3 Stop
04. Boy’s Best Friend
05. Can’t Stand Still
06. Hold On
07. Stella
08. Hey Little Sister
09. Whisper Whisper
10. Sound the Alarms
11. Blue Room
12. She She
Tour Dates
Jun 07-08 – Mercury Lounge / New York City
Jun 10 – Kung Fu Necktie / Philadelphia
Jun 11 – Red Palace / Washington, DC
Jun 15-16 – NXNE / Toronto
Jun 17 – Schubas / Chicago
Jun 18 – Summer Soulstice Music Festival / Milwaukee
Jun 20 – Tractor Tavern / Seattle
Jun 23 – Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Jun 28 – Echo / Los Angeles
Jul 07 – T.T. the Bear’s / Cambridge, MA
After seeing about 23 bands in one day, I fancied myself some sort of concert attending superhero. Powers: stamina (able to stand for an entire day), superhearing (can stand in front of speakers and not turn immediately deaf) and the ability to see the future (able to pick out the next big thing). You know what would have been a good superpower? The ability to fly…or maybe something like Nightcrawler’s power where I can just pop myself wherever I want to go. Thursday, we faced the fierce supervillain known as ”traffic” and his extra evil sidekick, “the good-luck-trying-to-park monster.” After a ferocious battle, we finally made it downtown and found a place to park.
I was already frustrated – in the time it took us to park, I missed a handful of bands I wanted to see. Feeling defeated with yet to see a single band for the day, my friend insisted we’d feel better with coffee in our systems. The hits just kept coming – the coffee/breakfast taco place we walked to had just finished serving breakfast. NO BREAKFAST TACOS? How to go on? It was like some cosmic SXSW-being had found my Kryptonite and took away my breakfast tacos. Perhaps if I had gotten more sleep, I would have realized that in Texas almost every other building or food trailer has tacos and all was not lost, but at that point in time, it really felt like the end of the world.
We ordered our coffee, sat down and I half-heartedly ate my sandwich off the lunch menu. Midway through our meal, my friend perked up. “Bethany, do you know who is sitting next to us?” I cast a casual glance at a table of what looked to me to be your everyday SXSW goers – sunglasses, toms shoes, suits and really skinny guys. A few of the guys had their backs to me and my previously mentioned superpowers didn’t involve x-ray vision to see who those guys were.
“That’s Michael Cera.”
I listened to the voice. Sure enough, that was moviestar Michael Cera was sitting next to us with his band Mister Heavenly, while I just sat around looking like a depressed hobo because I didn’t get to eat my daily tacos.
But you don’t care about my ridiculous obsession with breakfast tacos, so let’s get to the music.
We finally moved on from breakfast. I wanted to check out Foster the People at the MTV Garage, but the line was huge to get in and I don’t really do lines…at least not that early in the day, so we walked a few more blocks and ended up at the IFC house where we were under the impression that Wye Oak was about to play. Well, there were quite a few people at the IFC house enjoying the free drinks and a lot of other people looked busy in the glass studio, but it didn’t look like Wye Oak was playing anytime soon. Now I came to Texas to see an absurd amount of bands and so far this day we had been striking out. We bustled back outside and walked another block to perhaps my favorite venue at SXSW: The Central Presbyterian Church. Why do I love this venue? 1. Air-conditioning, 2. Chairs and 3. Best acoustics out of all the venues. I guess iTunes got the awesome acoustics memo because they recorded all the bands playing there and you can download those live sessions from SXSW on iTunes now.
We had gotten a text about an unofficial lineup happening at the church, but we didn’t really know set times. So we were pleasantly surprised when our first performance of the day came from synth rockers Neon Trees. Some people are anti-top 40 radio/mainstream, which Neon Trees have broken into, but if you disregard this band for their popularity, then you’re being an idiot because they are phenomenal live. They sound a bit like the Killers and were even discovered by that band in a way. I’ve seen them almost ten times in the past year alone because of their relentless tour schedule and I’ve never been bored by them. Each performance is unique and this performance was especially so. As mentioned earlier, this band was performing in a church and their frontman Tyler fully embraced the setting, taking off his shoes for climbing over pews and up on podiums, swinging his microphone around and more. In the middle of one song he leaned against the podium and said, “We’re gathered here in the church of rock,” before busting into the next round of the chorus. The people loved it, but I could only imagine some pastor in the back of the church cringing.
Kansas City’s the Republic Tigers followed, playing several of their new songs. “Kingsly,” “Merrymake It with Me,” “Somethin’ Fierce” and “Manny Feathers” filled out most of the set. Though the official recordings of these songs won’t be released until mid-April, but iTunes did record the entire live session at the church. If you want to check out this performance, visit here.
From the church we ventured into a very different sort of venue: Headhunters. Instead of pews and crucifixes we had tikkis and bamboo. The room looked like it only should hold 15 people, but closer to 100 people had squeezed in to the back patio, pressed up against the walls and spilling over the stairs. A band called Hot Panda was just finishing up and though we didn’t get to hear too much from them, I loved the big ballad rock thing they had going on that was turned into party music with the brass accompaniment. But the real reason why we had wedged our way into Headhunters was to see the party king himself: Andrew WK. Andrew WK was singing and playing keys, while a member of Beach Fossils tore it up on the guitar, which was awesome within itself, but really made this show complete was the hosting/singing of Nardwuar the Human Serviette. With this unique trio, we learned about Canadian government, learned about Nardwuar’s back hair and we got down. Though there wasn’t much room to move, Nardwuar demanded that everyone get down and jump up in unison. If you didn’t – he’d call you out and yell at you until you did as asked. Forget the free booze parties with the sunglasses handouts, this is how you party at SXSW.
From Andrew WK and Nardwuar, we swung by the Paste Party on 6th Street. We were eager to check out Saddle Creek trio Rural Alberta Advantage, but a duo of ladies drew us into the sideroom to see what their folksy songs were like. The act performing was Exene Cervenka. The Rural Alberta Advantage performed true to their name, singing heartfelt indie rock songs that transported listeners to what life is like in rural Alberta.
Then we went to see another trio: Grand Child. Grand Child wasn’t really on my radar until I learned that the kind guy, Andy Lane, loaning us floorspace to crash on in Austin was performing at the festival in this band. When I was last at SXSW two years ago, I saw his other band, Driver F, perform a bombastically fun set at the Tiniest Bar. Driver F is pop indie rock with trumpets blazing and huge drumbeats. Grand Child is complete turnaround from that sound. Grand Child is a folk trio with violin, guitar and occasional accordion. Their were some technical problems during this set, but the band kept a positive attitude and still performed a solid set.
The Strokes were the big buzz band Thursday and unlike most bands playing at tiny bars, the Strokes were given a big stage in the middle of a fenced in park. They weren’t scheduled until 8, but the Auditorium Shores Stage at Lady Bird Lake was a bit of a walk, so we joined the masses already walking over there. The park was packed. Food tents and port-a-potties lined the fences and blankets with fans covered nearly every square inch of ground. The photography pit ended up as complete chaos – which was just another testament to the band’s popularity. Despite their break, the Strokes haven’t changed much since the last time I saw them. Sure, the guys all have slightly different haircuts, but the set contained all the hits you could want – “Hard to Explain,” “New York City Cops,” “Reptilia” – and the expected new ones. The songs fit in just as well with the old songs thanks to killer guitar riffs and Julian Casablancas‘ almost-bored-sounding-yet-still-suave singing style with the surprise yowls here and there. Fans got a little too zealous about this show though and the night ended with a bunch of people knocking over a fence, trying to push their way in when it hit capacity.
Hot and tired from the walk to the Strokes, my next stop was a return the air-conditioned Central Presbyterian Church. I had just missed Cults, but by luck I got in just in time for the almost religious experience that was Glasser. Haunting, ethereal vocals and entrancing stomping dance moves to tribal beats: it was like the venue was made specifically for Glasser. Beautiful and breathtaking.
The next portion of my night was a tribute to goofy, geeky indie rock at Maggie Mae’s. I know ‘geek’ used to have a negative connotation, but I’m using it with a very positive tone and to describe bands with pop culture references and very smart lyrics. Washington’s The Lonely Forestperformed new songs off their just released Arrows. This is the band that was good enough to attract Death Cab for Cutie‘s Chris Walla‘s attention to sign to as the first to his label, so they’re worth checking out. They’re so catchy, that you won’t regret giving them a listen.
Inside Maggie Mae’s was Aussie Darren Hanlonplucking away upbeat folk songs on guitar and banjo. He was joined by a female guitarist and vocalist that I didn’t recognize, but it was a nice addition to cover the many guest vocals he has on his album.
One of my favorite bands that I last discovered at Lollapalooza followed Hanlon. Jukebox the Ghost is a piano pop rock trio with tons of energy. Their songs are so bubbly that even when they’re singing about being crazy, you’re in a happy mood about it.
If Wednesday I was all about the ladies, it seems like Thursday had become my tribute to Canadians. My favorite Candian singer is Dallas Green and I went to watch him perform with City and Colour. City and Colour has some of the most beautiful and true lyrics I’ve heard. The folk songs are fairly simple instrumentally – mostly just acoustic guitar – but it just makes the poignant lyrics and singing stand out all that more. Just take a look at some of the lyrics in the opening song of the set, “Sleeping Sickness.” “With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind, could it be this misery will suffice?” sings Green in the chorus. For anyone who has lied awake at night with troubling thoughts, this song describes the “sickness” exquisitely.
From one singer-songwriter with killer lyrics to the next, I rounded out Thursday with a familiar favorite: Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band. Every time I see him perform, he is equally, if not more, passionate. He can mislead by starting off with the typical slow, folk sound, but then he hits a chorus and veins are throbbing and he’s yowling out with such energy and vigor that you can’t help, but be swept away. As a special treat, the set also included songs from Devine’s project with Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books.
So despite my earlier frustrations with the day, Thursday ended up being pretty fantastic.
—
Check back for more to come from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW. You can see more photos from Day 2, Thursday, March 17 below and read her Day 1 blog here.
Thursday night at the sold-out 9:30 Club in Washington was laid out like a three course meal at a fancy restaurant. First up was Springfield, Missouri band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, whose name has be one of the strangest yet oddly memorable ones ever invented. Their music has a jaunty, peppy vibe and a perfect appetizer to start off the evening. Classic guitar riffs, bouncy melodies, really engaging instrumentation – all you really need or ever want in a good indie pop/rock band, really. (I’ve never understood the appeal of the Morning Benders; Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is definitely more my thing.) A great example: “Sink/Let It Sway,” which like its name suggests, makes bodies in a crowd sway.
I always find it really cool when band members play musical chairs, and this happened with this band, as the original lead singer switched off with the drummer, who took over bass, while the bass player took over lead vocal and guitar duties. The result: a decidedly harder rock song, so hard that the guy drumming lost a stick in the first few seconds of hitting the skins. Hardcore. Other highlights of their opening set were “All Hail Dracula!” (appropriate for the “Twilight” fans, perhaps?) and the wistful “Pangea.”
Following some crazy techno pumping up the crowd and overexcited Two Door Cinema Club fans chanting “ah-oh-ah-ah-oh” off key, it was time for the first of the two co-headliners. A blinding light show ushered in the Northern Ireland band, but I can forgive them because they were on point their entire set. It was like enjoying the best Indian curry of your life – exciting, sweat-inducing, full of life, like you never wanted the experience to end. Second song in, at the start of “Undercover Martyn,” lead guitarist Sam Halliday flashed a broad smile at us in response to the “we love you Sam!” shouting and I knew it was going to be one stellar show. Earlier that day, lead singer/guitarist Alex Trimble visited one of the Nation’s Capital’s many fine pawn shops and scored a used yet gorgeous Fender for his guitar collection. After introducing the lone brand new song on this tour, “Handshake,” he thanked the 9:30 audience for being part of the first gig of what is sure to be an exciting musical history for his new baby. The new song didn’t disappoint, with its handclaps and intricate guitar lines.
It’s hard to believe that the band admitted to radio personality Tara O. in Ottawa last week that when the band co-headlined with Kitsune labelmates Delphic on a tour of the UK in late 2009, they felt unprepared and under rehearsed compared to the more experienced electronic band from Manchester. The days of Two Door Cinema Club feeling tentative are long gone. Songs like the forthcoming single “What You Know” and the perennial favorite “I Can Talk” resulted in widespread pogo-ing and a sea of arms in the air. Kev Baird‘s relentless bass line in “Come Back Home” proves Two Door does indeed rock out hard, and their sound has definitely won over Washington. The band were quick to show their appreciation for the adulation being given to them, with Baird saying at one point, “my friend told me this is the best venue to play at in the United States. And he was right!” Bring on album #2, guys.
Two Door Cinema Club Set List:
Cigarettes in the Theatre
Undercover Martyn
Hands Off My Cash, Monty
Do You Want It All?
Something Good Can Work
Handshake (new song)
Kids
You’re Not Stubborn
Costume Party
What You Know
Eat That Up, It’s Good for You
Come Back Home
I Can Talk
If Two Door Cinema Club was the entree, then Tokyo Police Club was the cooling dessert at the end of the meal, punctuated with hot fudge and a cherry on top. Funnily enough, one of the more memorable moments that can be attributed to the Canadian band happened before they even stepped foot onstage. I guess Tokyo Police Club are big Tom Jones fans, judging by the incidental music played before their set. “What’s New Pussycat” played on repeat at least four times, and I overheard one person behind me complain to his gigging buddy, “I seriously want to die.” As if someone was listening, “It’s Not Unusual” came out over the PA and everyone around me started singing along in approval.
The crowd reaction for Tokyo Police Club, at least in the beginning, seemed completely the opposite of the one for Two Door. Instead of responding physically, Tokyo’s fans seemed rapt with attention for lead singer/bassist Dave Monks, singing along to their idol. Overall, a much chiller vibe seemed to settle over the crowd. Later on though, “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” and “Breakneck Speed,” both from last year’s release Champ, went down a treat and upped the energy level back up again. But what was the pièce de résistance? The bands joining forces to do an unexpected encore of the Strokes‘ “Last Nite.” Doesn’t really get better than this on a cold winter’s night in DC, I can assure you.
Tour Dates:
Jan 22 – Trocadero / Philadelphia^&*
Jan 23 – Newport Music Hall / Columbus^&*
Jan 25 – Masquerade / Atlanta^&*
Jan 26 – Crowbar / Tampa^&*
Jan 27 – Social / Orlando^&
Jan 28 – Culture Room / Ft. Lauderdale&*
Jan 29 – Jack Rabbit’s / Jacksonville&*
Jan 31 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge&*
Feb 01 – Granada Theater / Dallas&*
Feb 02 – La Zona Rosa / Austin&*
Feb 03 – Warehouse Live / Houston&*
Feb 05 – Exit-In / Nashville&*
Feb 07 – Blue Note / Columbia, MO&*
Feb 10 – Mad Hatter / Covington, KY&*
^with Two Door Cinema Club
& with Tokyo Police Club
*with support from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Though the Young International‘s debut EP won’t be out until February 2011, the group has some great teaser music that you shouldn’t wait until the new year to hear.
by Ryan P.
The up-and-coming band released a song just for the holidays: “This Year.” “This Year” is a beautiful, acoustic Christmas love song featuring Amy Stroup on a vocal duet. The heart of the song is the lyric, “I just really want you here with me.” It’s a great tune for fans of bands such as City & Colour and Guster.
If you’re looking for a great holiday tune for getting cozy by the fireplace, check out “This Year.”
In addition to “This Year,” on December 7, the pop rock act release their first single “Ruckus,” which you can check out below.
One would think that after 9 festivals and a handful of trips to Austin, I’d have the hang of how this whole thing worked. I’d be grounded and prepared for the pros and cons of festival life. Yet, when my alarm sounded at 3:45 in the morning on Oct 8, I still cussed, tripped over my cats and chucked my alarm across the room. Regardless of it being a day filled with the possibility of 44 different bands and my choice of 6th Street bars, 4 o’clock in the morning still pisses me off quicker than Obama sets off the Republican Party.
Following two flights (Kansas City to Dallas, Dallas to Austin) I touched down at the airport to be rescued by our new weekend Craigslist roommate. After dropping off my belongings at the house and sitting down for a quick veggie friendly meal at the snack bar, I checked into press around 12:30p.m.
The day started at the BMI stage with Ponderosa, who’s set started at 12:40. While we certainly didn’t intentionally make our way directly to their stage to catch their set, their voices and folky sound reminded me enough of Drive-By Truckers to stop me on my way to The Verve Pipe’s Austin Kiddie Limits HEB stage set. Their sound was certainly strong enough that I look forward to seeing what they can manage following the 2011 label debut, Moonnight Revival. I expect to hear from these guys again.
Following a short and disappointing stint with The Verve Pipe, I shifted my way through the early morning crowd towards the great indie band The Mountain Goats. John Darnielle and company owned their Austin City Limits set, playing to the crowd better than any other band on Friday’s bill. Standing barefoot in front of a fairly large 2:00 p.m. crowd, the band shined through old favorites and revealed new songs, like “For Charles Bronson.” Throughout their hour long set, they swapped jokes and stories with the crowd resulting in an overall feeling in the crowd that this wasn’t a festival set where the band simple rushes through their motions as much as a giant soapbox to story tell from. For those who failed to get to the festival or get out of bed by this band’s set, you missed the best set of the day.
Following The Mountain Goats, I wondered over to the BMI Stage to kill some time before Miike Snow‘s set. What I found there was The Kills. This Nashville, Tennessee band is a cluster of complication. Sounding like a blended version of hair bands, alt. country and Guns and Roses, it becomes somewhat hard to wrap your head around what exactly The Kills are. My first impression, mainly coming from the big ass guitar solos that distract throughout a majority of their songs. When it all comes down they’re just a glorified frat band no different than that playing your local dive. Having heard enough, I head towards the Honda stage.
However, the downward spiral would continue through the next two sets. As well over a handful of people gathered for Miike Snow’s extremely early set, it dawned on me that Bonnaroo has figured something out that Austin City Limits hadn’t. This was the fact that dance sets do not really work when the sun is up. However, the set itself seemed pretty musically collected, including creepy Eyes Wide Shut masks and a special appearance by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, who helped the band cover his group’s song “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance.” Overall, a very entertaining set that could have easily been the best set of the festival day had the conditions been right.
Billed as the possible best band of Austin City Limits, I must confess The Black Keys were a huge letdown to me. Their set seemed very lackluster to me, almost as if something were missing. While the vocals were excellent and the instruments were on for the most part, the stage seemed to dominate the duo. Maybe it was the outside elements which sometimes tend to make sounds simply disappear. At the end of the day, The Black Keys set simple was not worth the struggle and fight of the lawn chair jungle. While I know it will be a very unpopular vote, my advice would be to simply stick to the band’s CDs where they shine.
However, one duo who did shine at Austin City Limits was Sup-pop’s Beach House. Their dreamy set filled the air causing a spontaneous dance party that left drunken hipsters skipping around the wall of bright blue festivals that lingered near the Honda stage. Victoria Legrand’s beautiful voice stood out as one of the top of the day as the band frantically made their way through their set. I expect bigger things from this band than they’ve already accomplished, which already is pretty impressive.
I bolted from the area, dodging Spoon’s set for the time being to catch Amos Lee. With one of the best voices in music, this folk meets jazz crooner’s set was easily worth the time it took to get to the Austin Ventures stage. With a sense of calm and charm that is second to none, he undoubtedly found his way into the hearts of more than a handful of the mid-sized crowd that had found its way to his stage.
Following Lee, the time had come for me to face my fear of Spoon. Now, don’t get me wrong, it isn’t as though I’m not a fan of Spoon. In fact, I own all of their records on both compact disc and vinyl. Furthermore, it’s always exciting seeing a hometown kid (Rob Pope) make good. However, the two previous times I’ve seen Spoon play, I was bored out of my mind. They were not very crowd interactive and were back lit to the point that it was like watching shadow cut outs of spoon on stage. Needless to say, I hadn’t picked their set as one of my most anticipated for Austin City Limits.
But to be fair, they proved me wrong. I’d simply be lying if I didn’t say that I walked away from the AMD stage impressed with their performance. Their usage of horns on “The Underdog” was one of the most memorable moments of the 2010 Austin City Limits.
For historic purposes I made my way towards the Honda Stage to check out Sonic Youth for the second time this year. While I must admit that they can still hold their own after almost 30 years of making music, a full day of festival life on very little sleep left me somewhat disinterested. Roughly halfway through the set, I made my way to Vampire Weekend in hopes of finishing up my day.
Personally, Vampire Weekend and I have some issues. We’ve had a very rocky relationship throughout their very short and extremely hyped career. It’s hard for me to stomach the popularizing of Afro-pop by a bunch of rich, upscale Ivy League grads. Now, the problem that I have realistically has very little to do with the band itself. Honestly, I hate their fans. It’s the same group of hype blinded Urban Outfitter junkies who’ll buy anything that American Apparel deems worthy.
However, in the name of unbiased journalism, I decided to swing by and see exactly how the band sold that day’s performance. Things I took away from the set that could be deemed positive are as follows:
1. They were musically tight at a festival. This is impressive in an outdoor setting when sounds can sometimes vanish.
2. They’ve got a great deal of energy. Their set was free of any downtime and dull moments.
3. They managed to draw one hell of a crowd, even against legends Sonic Youth.
However, I found myself annoyed by the uninformed crowd of high school girls and drunken frat boys that surrounded me, stating comments like “yeah! Vampire Weekend is the most talented band at the fest,” and “They are so unique.” Unable to keep myself from pointing out all the flaws in those theories, I decided, instead, to leave.
Having seen Phish once in my life (at Bonnaroo), I opted to never do so again. So I sat up to catch a bit of The Strokes, whom I’d never seen.
Starting a few minutes late with “Is This It” the crowd seemed to forget having to wait for the set. Their undeniably infectious tunes appeared to outshine their New York swagger and hipster bastard attitude. Julian Casablancas, for example, belted out to the crowd, “I can’t see shit because like an asshole, I wear sunglasses at night.”
Regardless of the between song cockiness, I must begrudgingly admit that The Strokes hour-long set was pretty effective. They kept my attention, provided plenty of hits and managed to squeeze in a decent set in a somewhat short amount of time. Besides, it could have been worse. I could’ve been watching the endless guitar solos of Trey Anastasio.
Let me preface with a few facts:
I live in Kansas City which happens to be a 13-hour drive from Austin.
I drive a teal ’99 Chevy Cavalier.
She is 3,000 miles overdue for an oil change.
Her name is Teal-a Tequila.
I drove her to Austin.
Before we left KC, we had no idea where we were staying.
This was my first time in Austin.
Alright, time to get started. 3:00PM (Thursday) – The trek begins! My friend Tricia and I load up Teal-a and get situated for the long ass night ahead of us. Luckily, my parents live 3-hours from Kansas City en route to Austin. So of course, we stop there for a free meal then hit the road again around 11.
6:00AM (Friday) – After switching on and off for most of the drive, neither one of us could stay awake for much longer. Time to sleep in a parking lot of a gas station? Yes, please.
8:00AM – Get back on the road!
10:00AM – Woooooo finally! Arrive in Austin! We head straight to downtown to the shuttle pickup. Brushed our teeth, changed and got ready in a parking garage then boarded the shuttle.
Noon – Was supposed to meet Josh to pickup our press credentials. Of course, he didn’t get there until 1. So we waited outside in the shade.
This is where things just sort of run together for me. The first hour or so, we mainly just walked around and figured out where things were. We did manage to catch the middle of the Mountain Goats set.
2:30PM – Interview with Amos Lee, who is now my newest musical crush. He was seriously great. Check out the PodWreck!
3:00PM – MIIKE SNOW! I love this guy. Unfortunately, I was only able to stay for 3 songs before heading back to the press tent. That’s okay though, because he rocked it. Although, as you’ll see later – most of the dancier sets were during the day. This caused them to lose a sort of charisma that coincides with dance.
3:30PM – PodWreck with Bear in Heaven. They in fact, have seen a bear before.
4:30PM – Done with interviews for the day! Time to listen to some tunes. Saw the last of the Black Keys’ set from afar then watched most of Beach House which had great energy and the crowd loved it.
6:00PM – AMOS! I was lucky enough to see his set. He blew me away. I had heard his stuff before but hadn’t seen him live. Now I know why he’s one of those people that you have to see. Great stage presence and his voice is…. Magical.
8:00PM – We decided to stay for a few songs of the Strokes. Now I can say I’ve seen them live. Even though their live stuff is just as monotonous as their albums, they still put on a good show.
This is the point where we should have been heading to the car to sleep in a parking lot or some random place along those lines. BUT thankfully, our good friend Brandon has a brother that lives in Austin and offered us a place to stay. We couldn’t be happier to find out that he wasn’t crazy.
That night Jason (who we were staying with) took us to an Austin staple: Kerbey Lane. Late night eats that are actually good! We highly suggest the Kerbey Queso.
The first day of Lollapalooza was basically goo goo for Gaga day. The line up was stacked with glam, synth-heavy, dance-loving bands leading up to the fashion icon’s performance and the crowd was packed of Lady Gaga wannabes. They could be found flooding performances by My Dear Disco and Semi Precious Weapons at the BMI Stage. Whipping it good to Devoand continuing the dance with Hot Chip before the queen’s own show.
However, though the blonde wigs and pleather jackets reigned supreme, there were still plenty of fans gathered rocking real leather jackets and tight black jeans, while they waited for their beloved the Strokes to reunite on the Budweiser stage. These were the fans that could be found singing along to “Dominoes” with the Big Pinkor chilling on the lawn withthe Black Keys. These were even the hipsters at Wavves and the Dirty Projectors.
And of course, you did have a smaller crowd that was prepared to bounce between both headliners.
For me, my day started with Chicago’s own BBU. I had flown in to Chicago from Kansas City and immediately hopped on a CTA train to drop my bags off where I was staying before heading to the fest. The train was packed and I was wedged between baseball and music fans. At one stop a large posse of people hopped on the train shouting, “Lolla, lolla, lolla.” They tried to get the train to join in. One of the women in the group laughed and shook her head, pretending to be embarrassed by the boys’ antics, but still having a great time. The group asked who was heading to the fest then revealed that they were BBU and that they’d be performing on the Perry’s Stage. Some older woman on the train, who had probably never listened to hip-hop before, asked what they sounded like and if they could sing for us. Guess what? They did. A very brief little rap before more chants of “Lolla!” It was fun, rather than annoying, to have the ride disrupted by this group and I was glad I got to have this unique introduction to a group that I probably would have otherwise skipped.
Eventually, I made it to my stop and dropped my bags off at my friends. Then it was immediately back on the train to ride to Monroe and the fest. Train delays, and then a ridiculously long walk to the press check-in meant that I missed more morning acts (These United States, Wavves, Javelin, Foxy Shazam, etc) than I would have liked and my feet were already sore before even walking to a single stage. I booked it to catch the tale end of the pop rock piano tunes of Jukebox the Ghost. The DC-trio plays songs that I think puts Ben Folds to shame. I stuck around waiting on My Dear Disco to take over after them on the BMI Stage. I had just spoken to the group the day before, and was excited to see that their music lived up to my expectations: unique instrumentations to craft fun dance songs that got the crowd moving despite the heat.
I then went on a trek down to the Hard Rock Hotel to grab a tasty bite to eat and a few drinks, while enjoying an acoustic set from the Constellations. This was the perfectly blend of jazz, blues and rock to accompany my meal. All the vocals blended together perfectly and single “Felicia,” was so upbeat and catchy, that I completely forgot my veggie wrap because I was so absorbed. After their set, I explored the rest of the music lounge. People were getting tattoos, enjoying DJs, getting massages, and having their hair-styled. It was a pretty sweet set up, but there was still plenty of music to be heard back at Grant Park.
Perhaps the most talked about incident of the day happened about midway through Friday. Gaga tour mates Semi Precious Weapons were owning the BMI Stage when the headliner herself joined them on stage. She did some impromptu drumming and singing, a little provocative dancing and then ended with a stage dive into the crowd. Insane! It was a great treat for the smaller crowd gathered there while the indie kids were listening to Neko Case sing with the New Pornographers and a little bit of an older crowd broke out their dome hats with Devo.
For me, the highlight of my day was the BMI Stage, but it was the performance of Neon Trees that I thought was the best. These guys are poised for success with their easily accessible songs perfectly crafted for singing and clapping along. Tyler, the lead singer, knows how to hold the crowd in the palm of his hand – or even the claw of his hand. He really takes the single, “Animal,” to heart and rawrs and claws at the audience. The band has the added perk that it not only sounds a bit like The Killers, but it also was discovered by the Killers.
Since I’ve seen the Black Keys multiple times this summer I excitedly ran over to watch Hot Chip. Fully ready to dance, I was a bit disappointed with the performance. Sure, Hot Chip played the singles and songs you wanted and yeah, it was cool to hear them dedicate a song to Gaga, but they were boring. They never moved. How can a dance band expect people to dance if they don’t even want to move to their own music? For all I knew, they were just playing CD recordings because there really was no reason for the band to be on the stage. Continuing the disappoint was Chromeo. Lots of lights, and it wasn’t so bad when it was just the music, but the vocals, I could have done without. They were obnoxious, repetitive and just didn’t offer anything of substance. I was more than over their nonsense and ready for my headliners: Lady Gaga and The Strokes.
I’m still processing the spectacle that was Lady Gaga, so check back in a few hours once I have my thoughts sorted. For now, enjoy a few photos from the performance.
Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga. What to say? Gaga’s Lolla show is pretty much the spectacle that she’s been touting across the country for her tour. It’s a mix of an actual concert and a Broadway production. The plot of the show is that Gaga and posse have to get to the Monster Ball-an incredible place where you can be your true self-but the car is broken down. Gaga, of course, says she can save the day and goes to tinker and play around in the engine, which doubles as a piano. The staging is cool, but it is all just a bit over the top as well. Dramatic pauses that lasted uncomfortably long left you praying that she’d just start singing already; gross, bloody photos graced the megascreens; and then there were motivational speeches. Oh My Gaga the speeches. Look, I give the lady props. She actually has some talent and knows how to work a crowd. Heck, she really knows how to work a piano. But the near-crying routine? I didn’t realize this was some weird motivational speaker I was watching. I thought I was supposed to at a concert. Too much. When Gaga started going off on how inspirational we all were and she started tearing up, that’s when I bailed. I needed music and I needed it to rock. Fortunately, the Strokes had me covered. It was moreso a visit to the classics of their catalogue, so sorry that I can’t give anything away about what to expect from a new Spring album. All that matters is that they still sound amazing, they kill the guitar solos and damn, is it good to have their no-nonsense rock back.
Check back for more updates and recaps from Lollapalooza Saturday, Sunday and the after shows.
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Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
It’s taken a long time, but 
