Friday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011 Must-See Artists, Pt. V

And finally, here's part five.

#2: Deadmau5
Love it or hate it, no electronic act has exploded as much as Mr. Deadmau5 has in quite some time. For only the second time in Lollapalooza's history (Daft Punk performed in 2007), an electronic act will be headlining one of the main stages. The Toronto-based solo act has a pretty tough act to follow (albeit four years ago) with Daft Punk's show, which is highly regarded as the best show Lollapalooza has ever put on. Not coincidentally, Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) shows have become increasingly more elaborate, to the point where Zimmerman's label has said that this year's show will outdo Daft Punk's. Far be it from skepticism that he'll actually pull it off, but the boasting is fairly enticing.

Deadmau5 will be headlining the festival's final night, Sunday, August 7, at 8:30 p.m. on the Bud Light stage. Zimmerman will also be signing autographs at 6 in the f.y.e. tent.

Deadmau5 - Ghosts N' Stuff (ft. Rob Swire)



#1: My Morning Jacket
Is it a surprise? The music festival veterans will be appearing at their third official Lollapalooza, but their first since 2007 and first as a headlining act. Extremely well-regraded as one of the absolute premiere live music experiences, My Morning Jacket have rightfully exploded in recent years, even garnering their own American Dad episode (one of the show's best, if I can add). In short, the band is an absolute cannot miss.

My Morning Jacket will be performing Saturday, August 6, at 8 p.m. on the Bud Light stage.

My Morning Jacket - Wordless Chorus (Live)



My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday (Live)

New Bjork video - Crystalline

Before the heavily-anticipated release of Bjork's ultimo (the only word suitable) album/app/show/thing, Iceland's icon released the first video from Biophilia for "Crystalline." Famed director Michel Gondry directed the video (his eighth for Bjork), in which, well, it's hard for me to explain.

"Shot on 16mm Bolex cameras, “Crystalline” feels more like an experimental sci-fi film than a typical music video. Lighting effects were achieved through multiple exposures that involved backwinding or capping the lens to painstakingly capture numerous passes on one frame of film. To ensure repeatable but modifiable actions, servo controlled LED rigs were custom designed and built.

Bjork’s performance was initially recorded against black on multiple cameras and then projected into the set against a spinning disc hovering above a cratered moonscape. Three projectors, arrayed along an arc at 30 degree intervals with synched performance create perspective shifts when the camera moves around the disc giving Bjork an ethereal, holographic presence.

Additionally, fabricated ice crystals, streaking comets, hammered metal drums nestled in moon craters, concentric sand patterns, and Gondry’s abstract 2D drawings all contribute to the cosmic vibe."

Biophilia will be released in multiple forms late September.

Bjork - Crystalline

Thursday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011 Must-See Artists, Pt. IV

Today, we continue our Lollapalooza 2011 countdown with part four.

#4: Local Natives
Los Angeles five-piece Local Natives took a very, very slow rise to their eventual position in the alternative music sphere - one that seemed surprising, given their instantly likable vocal harmonies and often enriching material. Each member of the group is more than just an instrumental set in the band, with every member contributing in one way or another to songs' vocals. Their 2009 album Gorilla Manor is still the group's most recent studio work, but even with limited material the group as unmistakably thrilling live.

After playing last year's Pitchfork Music Festival, the band is making their first ever appearance at Lollapalooza, performing Saturday, August 6, at 5:30 p.m. on the Sony stage.

Local Natives - Who Knows Who Cares (Live on A Take Away Show)



Local Natives - World News



#3: Titus Andronicus
Ahhh, pure New Jersey civil-war era modern art punk. It's a tough description to pin to a band that's really tough to categorize. My affection for Titus Andronicus probably stems from the local tie-ins and the band's frequent appearances in the area, but there's something really different about these guys.

There last album The Monitor was a critical hit, bit broadly speaking, the group's still pretty small (hence the early Sunday slot). Regardless, check them out. Especially if you're from around the area.

Titus Andronicus will be performing Sunday, August 7, at 12:45 p.m. on the Music Unlimited stage. The group will also be signing autographs at 2 p.m. at the f.y.e tent.

Titus Andronicus - No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future



We'll continue with Part V tomorrow ...

Lego My Friends

Wednesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011 Must-See Artists, Pt. III

Today, we continue our Lollapalooza 2011 countdown with part three.

#6: Black Lips
The Atlanta punk band makes their second return to the festival this year, but a bit different from last time around. Back in 2008, the somewhat lesser-known Black Lips bounced onto a major label the year prior, performing most of 2007's Good Bad Not Evil in a very early afternoon show. Four years later (although with a few different members), the group is a little more refined following the release of their Mark Ronson-produced Arabia Mountain.

You can see the band on the Playstation Stage, Saturday, August 6 at 3 p.m. In addition, the group will also be signing autographs at 4:30.



#5: Beirut
Zach Condon's enormous project will actually be making their first ever appearance at the Chicago music festival weeks before the release of their third full studio LP The Rip Tide. For those unfamiliar, Beirut is an incredibly unique piece, comprising of a dozen members, the Condon-led group perform a whirring blend of accessible world, folk, pop, electronica, and a litany of other potential genres.

To make the appearance even more special, they'll be closing out Saturday night, August 6, on the Google+ stage at 8:45 p.m.

Beirut - Nantes (Live on Take Away Show)



We'll continue with Part IV tomorrow ...

New Mastodon video - Black Tongue

The second track off of Mastodon's upcoming September release The Hunter (the first one was released with Adult Swim's Singles Program a few weeks ago) isn't quite as insane as "Death Bound," but is still relatively speaking, fucking insane.

Check out the video below and pre-order the September 27 album (via Reprise) here.

Mastodon - Black Tongue

Tuesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011 Must-See Artists, Pt. II

Today, we continue our Lollapalooza 2011 countdown with part two.

#8: Ratatat
One of the more impressive acts of last April's Coachella, Ratatat will carry the torch as the first act in a new Lollapalooza tradition - closing out the night on a sub-stage. In previous years, two opposing large headliners and a Perry's Place headliner were the only three options for festival goers. However, with the continual expansion of the park's perimeters, organizers added a fourth option.

The Brooklyn duo with four albums to their name will be playing Friday, August 5 at 8:45 p.m. on the Google+ stage.

Ratatat - Neckbrace



#7: Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77
Another Perry's Place and Friday act to keep an eye on, the Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 (who were originally just the Bloody Beetroots and only consisted of the two original members) previously appeared at the festival in 2009 (I obviously missed them). However, that won't be the case this time around, seeing as how as the new Death Crew their shows have grown from big to extraordinary. And with an entirely revamped Perry's, it's a must.

The crew will be performing Friday, August 5 at 5 p.m. in the tent.

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 (Live at Crossover Festival 2010)



We'll continue with Part III tomorrow ... 

Let It All Go

Monday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011 Must-See Artists, Pt. I

My annual vacation is almost a week away. But, like always, I give a top ten countdown to my most anticipated acts of Lollapalooza. And, as it is with every year, there are certain preferences that make this list. For instance, regardless who all the headliners are, it's impossible to see them all. So, not every giant act will be here. Let's start with #10.

#10: The Glitch Mob
As I learned last year, Perry's Place has a lot more to offer than the usual festival-goer would suspect. The music is nearly non-stop, with solid fun all the way through the three days. And with the 20th anniversary of the fest, Lolla organizers have made Perry's all the more worth it, expanding the area to literally "the size of a football field."

The Glitch Mob, who recently released their We Can Make the World Stop EP, will be performing at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 6. I think it's fitting that I show the same video that got me into them.

The Glitch Mob - Street Warfare (XLR8R TV)



#9: The Vaccines
I talk about the Vaccines enough as it is, but now that I actually have the opportunity to see them, I'm fairly excited. The group caught on late last year with the release of their Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)/Blow It Up 7", they've been steadily garnering more and more attention as the months have gone by, including headlining their own tour in the fall.

You can see the group early on the first day, August 5, at 12:45 p.m. on the main Music Limited stage. The group will also be signing autographs at 2:00 p.m.

The Vaccines - Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)



We'll continue with Part II tomorrow ...