Thursday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. II

As the days to Lollapalooza 2010 swiftly approach, we continue the list of my top ten must-see acts of the festival. And now, here's part two.

#8: The Walkmen

A relatively under-billed, for some reason, act at this year's festival, The Walkmen are on the cusp of releasing what is expected to be another stellar album to their frequently filled catalog. Five years after the group broke into the hearts of indie-philes everywhere with their dynamic, and all-engrossing single "The Rat", The Walkmen, led by lead-singer Hamilton Leithauser are on the cusp of yet another studio release, Lisbon.

The new album, scheduled for release in September, via Fat Possum Records, is a continuation of the matured sound from 2008's You & Me, with plenty of modern saloon-esque horns cascading the slow decadence of Leithauser's surprisingly booming voice. For more on Lisbon, you can read an NPR highlight on the band's new works here.

The Walkmen will be performing at 1:00 on the Adidas Mega stage, Friday, August 6.

The Walkmen - Stranded - MP3

#7: The New Pornographers

Canadian super-group The New Pornographers - led by singer-songwriters AC Newman, Dan Bejar and Neko Case, who made her own appearance at Lollapalooza last year - will be making their first appearance at the festival as a whole group in four years.

After a successful string of critically acclaimed albums released in the first half of the 2000's, The New Pornographers, coupled with their various side projects, took a bit of a side-step with their somewhat disappointing 2007 release, Challengers. Fast-forward three years, and you have Together, a collective reshaping of the band back to the enduring sounds fans first experienced with Mass Romantic.

The group will be performing at 4:00 on the Budweiser Stage, Friday, August 6. Together is out now via Matador Records.

The New Pornographers - Crash Years (Live on Fallon)

Check in tomorrow for Part III ...