Lollapalooza and the current state of music festivals

Why can't you get tickets?

There's a permanent sway that has held over the music festival market, drifting in one improbable direction in the past six years. Availability for music festivals, such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella, have become slim in recent years, selling out earlier and earlier every season. What results is a fundamental change in the way we, as fans, approach the idea of festivals.

Bonnaroo, Firefly reveal 2013 lineups

Earlier today, both the 2013 Bonnaroo Music Festival and Dover, Delaware's Firefly Festival announced their annual lineups.

Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mumford and Sons, Bjork, and Wilco will sit at the top billing of the Manchester, Tennessee festival, which is the second of the three major U.S. music festivals to be announced (the third, of course, being Lollapalooza).

Firefly will also boast Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, as well as Coachella and Lollapalooza 2012 headliner Red Hot Chili Peppers. Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foster The People, MGMT, and Kendrick Lamar will also be on top of the billing. For the full lineups, go to the official festival websites linked below.

Bonnaroo will take place June 13-16, with tickets going on sale February 23 at noon EST (here). Firefly will take place the following weekend, June 21-23, with tickets going on sale February 21 (here).

Coachella 2013 lineup revealed

While there was some big news out there today, including a brand new Strokes song that nobody seems to like, yesterday's revealing of the 2013 Coachella lineup is still the big story.

As with last year's lineup, the Indio, California festival will span two separate weekends in April (12-14 and 19-21). Following up last year's impossibly good lineup, this year looks to top it.

Featuring the shockingly rare Blur and Stones Roses as the day one headliners is enough on its own, but throwing acts like Phoenix, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, New Order, Wu Tang Clan, a reunited Postal Service, and TWO Nick Cave acts make it the early front-runner for festival of the year.

Not just top heavy, the fest's mid-card and lower tier acts are ... just damn good: The Descendants, Thee Oh Sees, Violent Femmes, Major Lazer, Trash Talk, Japandroids, Local Natives, Four Tet, Dinosaur Jr., Danny Brown, Wild Nothing ... it just keeps going.

Click on the poster above to see the full lineup, but tickets won't be available for a few days. There's a special countdown on the Coachella website that you can keep track of, but tickets will sell fast when it comes.

As for Lollapalooza fans, while my status is uncertain this year, Coachella does have some forbearance on who performs at the Chicago festival. In 2011, the two huge events shared 31 acts (18 percent of the billing), although none of the acts were headliners. Last year, only one major headliner (The Black Keys) performed at both.

What does this mean for 2013? Well, don't expect Blur, The Stone Roses, and Red Hot Chili Peppers to appear, but don't count out Phoenix.

New (!!!) Daft Punk album/tour coming in 2013

In what has to be the most terrifyingly exciting news we've seen in a while, French super-no-one-else-compares-to-them duo Daft Punk are finally, finally coming back.

It's been over three years since the release of their live album Alive and more than six since the duo's last studio album (not counting their work with the Tron: Legacy soundtrack). In that time, Daft Punk have earned the stellar reputation as one of the biggest and best live music spectacles in the world. Their transformative show at Coachella 2006 (their first U.S. show since 1997, at the time) and Lollapalooza 2007 were ritualistically heralded as two of the greatest festival performances of the decade - by anyone. You can go so far as to say that the current popularity wave electronica music is riding in the U.S. was all started by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, so word of a new album and tour should be bigger news than ever.

You can see in the promo graphic, March 13th of next year marks the release of No End, which was produced with help from Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder. As well, word is that the production team responsible for the iconic live pyramid in their performances will be hard at work again to make sure the new live experiences are more memorable than the last. Tour dates are sketchy, but do in fact exist. We'll likely hear more news on live performances in the near future. For now, however, just revel in the excitement. It's finally time.

Stream Death Grip's 'The Money Store'

Death Grips have been everywhere lately, which is slightly odd considering who they actually are. The Sacramento rap punks made waves last year with Exmilitary, and a few weeks back with their insane wall of live looped gif's, plus a Coachella performance last weekend (and next weekend).

So if you're still interested after all of that, here's the group's newest album The Money Store, available in full stream from their Soundcloud page. Listen below.

Tuesday Bears: No Radiohead at Lollapalooza this year

Several weeks before Radiohead are scheduled to headline this year's Coachella and Bonnaroo music festivals, the most-mentioned band on this site have released their expanded tour dates for the remainder of the calendar year. Included in that list is a June 10 date at the First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Now for anyone familiar with the oft-mentioned radius clause enacted for major U.S. festival, all that means is that Radiohead will not be on this year's Lollapalooza billing. Speculation over who might be booked as the #1 headliner is still up in the air, and there are zero confirmations as of now, but Radiohead will not be among them.

The band will still play plenty of shows in the coming months, including three stops in New Jersey. You can check out the expanded tour dates here.

Bonus: The band also premiered a completely new song during their Dallas performance last night called "Skirting on the Surface." You can watch that live performance on a surprisingly not that bad crowd shot below.

Radiohead - Skirting on the Surface

Finally, some Lollapalooza rumors

This time last year, we already knew a handful of headliners and sub-headliners for Chicago's Lollapalooza, so waiting until mid-February was a bit boring.

Until today, the only rumors shifting through for the festival have been off-hand suspicions of Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers, among other headliners clinging to festivals like Sasquatch! and Coachella. And while those aforementioned rumors for Metallica seem to have some legitimacy now, a few other names have been 'leaked.' Now, these still are not confirmations, so don't take them as such, but they are much more likely as of today, via Consequence of Sound.

Suspected headlining acts like Jack White, Beck (who hasn't played the festival in a surprising 15 years), and Sigur Ros are among the names, of which also include Swedish House Mafia. Personally, Metallica and SHM don't really do anything for me, but are big names regardless. The others, however, make this year seem pretty exciting. It's good to finally hear that.

As always, check back for more rumors as they come.

Monday Bears: New Shins - September

Things got exciting a few weeks back when The Shins returned with their first new material in nearly five years with the exceptional "Simple Song." In addition to the recently reunited group (still led by James Mercer, but with different band members along the way) scheduling a handful of tour dates, including Coachella and Sasquatch! appearances, the band released the B-Side to "Simple Song" earlier today, "September."

The "Simple Song/September" 7" will be available February 14 via Columbia Records. You can watch the lyric video for "September" below, and pre-order The Shins upcoming album Port of Morrow here.

Coachella 2012 Lineup Revealed

As you probably have already heard, the first big music festival of 2012 released its lineup early today, and as you can see from above ... Coachella looks to the biggest event of the year. Not only has the Indio, California festival has enlisted Radiohead, The Black Keys, and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg as the three primary headliners, but recently reunited At The Drive-In, Pulp, Justice, The Shins, Bon Iver and a crap-ton more have also made the list. Which, by the way, is a bit different this year.

If you haven't heard already (as I had no idea), Coachella is going to take place over two weekends. The lineups won't change from the weekends of April 13-15 to 20-22, but the artists will be playing twice because of overwhelming ticket sales.

Before I get into whatever inclinations this will have for Lollapalooza later this summer, I will affectionately say that this is absolutely the best festival lineup I've seen since Lollapalooza 2008. It's really just astonishing to look at.

Anyway, Coachella usually has a heavy layover of acts for Lolla. Last year, 31 of the 170-plus Coachella acts ended up playing both festivals, with roughly an 18 percent carryover rate. However, of those acts, none were considered the headliners. That doesn't bode fairly well for those hoping that Radiohead would make the Chicago date, but it doesn't completely rule them out.

If there are any tickets left, do your best. They'll be gone fast.

Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. V

And finally, here's part V.

#2: Spoon
No, Spoon aren't one of the six headliners at Lollapalooza this year, something that speaks volume to the festival's plethora of solid mid-tier acts, or their maybe weak-ish headliners. The Austin, Texas indie-alterna veterans, now 12 years into their critically-amassed studio career, have become a staple for summer music festivals, appearing at Pitchfork Music Festival two years ago, Coachella in April, Lolla (for the third time) and Austin City Limits later this year.

It seemed that the release of 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga, that the band would be poised for an enormous breakout, similar to what Phoenix has experienced since the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix last year. While things didn't exactly pan out in the same manner (they never really do), the band is still is at the peak of their long career.

Spoon will be performing at 6:15 on the Budweiser stage, Saturday, August 7. Fans can also meet the band at 8:00 in the F.Y.E. Tent.

Spoon - The Mystery Zone (Live on KCRW)



#1: Arcade Fire
Six years and only three studio albums to their credit, the Arcade Fire are in a unique place - too big for the indie scene and still too small, obscure and profound for the big markets. While it remains to be seen that this will be the zenith of their careers, the band has certainly reached a point of critical profoundness.

I guess it's somewhat ironic that I ended up posting this today, the same day the group releases their third album The Suburbs. I've heard bits and pieces, but have to get my hands on a full copy of the release. But from what I've heard (and numerous others have) the band does not disappoint. Surely, during Lollapalooza, for those who aren't obsessed with Lady Gaga, the Arcade Fire may end up being the biggest thing all weekend.

The Arcade Fire - We Used to Wait - MP3

Well, that wraps up this year's top ten list. I'll be heading off pretty soon, so Bears and Bullets will be on its annual hiatus. Stay tuned next week for my in-depth review of the festival.

Stay cool kids ...

Tuesday Bears: Sasquatch! 2010 Lineup Announced

The lineup for 2010's Sasquatch! Music Festival in Gorge, Washington was leaked several hours ago with sources indicating that it's 100% official, with festival organizers likely confirming the list later today (as of now, has been confirmed).

The May 29-31 festival will be headlined by Pavement, who are also headlining Coachella and the Pitchfork Music Festival, My Morning Jacket and Massive Attack. LCD Soundsystem, MGMT and Public Enemy will also be on the bill, with more artists to be announced later.

Full Lineup:

A-Trak
Avi Buffalo
Band of Horses
Booka Shade
Boys Noize
Broken Social Scene
Brother Ali
Camera Obscura
Caribou
City and Colour
Craig Robinson
Cymbals Eat Guitars
Dam-Funk
Deadmau5
Dirty Projectors
DJ Z-Trip
Dr. Dog
Drive-By Truckers
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Fool's Gold
Freelance Whales
Fresh Espresso
Fruit Bats
Garfunkel & Oates
Girls
Hudson Mohawke
Japandroids
Jets Overhead
Kid Cudi
Laura Marling
LCD Soundsystem
Local Natives
Luke Burbank
Massive Attack
Mayer Hawthorne
MGMT
Midlake
Miike Snow
Minus the Bear
Morning Teleportation
Mumford & Sons
My Morning Jacket
Nada Surf
Neon Indian
No Age
Nurses
OK Go
Passion Pit
Past Lives
Patrick Watson
Pavement
Phantogram
Portugal. The Man
Public Enemy
Quasi
Rob Riggle
Shabazz Palaces
She & Him
Simian Mobile Disco
Tegan & Sara
Telekinesis
The Hold Steady
The Lonely Forest
The long winters
The Low Anthem
The Middle East
The Mountain Goats
The National
The New Pornographers
The Tallest Man On Earth
The Temper Trap
The Very Best
The xx
tUnE-YaRdS
Vampire Weekend
Vetiver
Wale
Ween
Why?
YACHT
Yes Giantess

Bonnaroo Lineup Announced Throughout Today

Not too long after Coachella and the Pitchfork Music Festival revealed parts of their official 2010 lineups, Manchester, Tennessee's four-day Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is doing the same.

Announced throughout the day (one act every six minutes) via the festival's Myspace, this year's lineup (as of now) includes several large acts including Jay-Z, Phoenix and The Flaming Lips performing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Several other acts include Weezer, Wale, The Avett Brothers, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, Gwar (hopefully following Jones), and many, many more.

Tickets for the June 10-13 festival are available now. Expect more updates and bigger names in the near future.

Tuesday Bears: MGMT Set to Release Second Studio Album, Congratulations

Nearly two and half years after the initial release of 2007's Oracular Spectacular, MGMT (courtesy of Columbia Records and Sony Music) are set to release their second studio Congratulations.

Fresh of the duo's first Grammy nomination (losing Best New Artist to the Zac Brown Band), the band is likely to take part in (yet again) another string of summer festivals, after already confirming dates for the Coachella and Bamboozle music festivals.

Full Track List:

1. "It's Working"
2. "Song for Dan Treacy"
3. "Someone's Missing"
4. "Flash Delirium"
5. "I Found a Whistle"
6. "Siberian Brakes"
7. "Brian Eno"
8. "Lady Dada's Nightmare"
9. "Congradutions"

Congratulations is scheduled for release April 13 in the U.S, but you can preorder the album next week. Head on over to Spin for more details.

Tuesday Bears: Return of the Bear .... Coachella Lineup Announced

Sorry for the overwhelming delay - with the computer going to Hell and moving around, I had to delay Bears and Bullets for the numbing two weeks. Thankfully, everything has been put back an order and I'm ready to return to the daily routine.

Indio, California's annual Coachella festival lineup has been announced, with with top-heavy oft-rumored acts Jay-Z, Pavement, Muse, Thom Yorke (solo), and Gorillaz headlining among others. The new poster (seen above) lists Yorke next to "????," which would incline to be special guests? A new backing band? We'll see.

Full Lineup:

FRIDAY APRIL 16: Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Public Image Limited, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Benny Benassi, Fever Ray, Grace Jones, She & Him, Erol Alkan, The Avett Brothers, Calle 13, The Whitest Boy Alive, The Cribs, La Roux, Yeasayer, Lucero, DJ Lance Rock, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Proxy, Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, Wolfgang Gartner, Aeroplane, Iglu & Hartly, Sleigh Bells, P.O.S., Baroness, Hockey, Little Dragon, White Rabbits, Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall as Lions, Jets Overhead, Alana Grace, Pablo Hassan.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Muse, Faith No More, Tiësto, MGMT, David Guetta, The Dead Weather, Hot Chip, Devo, Coheed and Cambria, Kaskade, 2Many DJ's, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Gossip, Z-Trip, The xx, John Waters, Les Claypool, The Raveonettes, Mew, Sia, Camera Obscura, Tokyo Police Club, Porcupine Tree, Old Crow Medicine Show, Aterciopalados, Bassnectar, Frightened Rabbit, Dirty South, Flying Lotus, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pretty Lights, Shooter Jennings, RX Bandits, The Almighty Defenders, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Craze & Klever, Zoe, The Temper Trap, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Girls, Beach House, Steel Train, Frank Turner.

SUNDAY, APRIL 18: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke????, Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, De La Soul, Julian Casablancas, Plastikman, Gary Numan, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, MUTEMATH, Deerhunter, Infected Mushroom, Club 75, Matt & Kim, The Big Pink, Gil Scott-Heron, King Khan and the Shrines, Florence and the Machine, Yann Tiersen, Little Boots, Miike Snow, Talvin Singh, Ceu, B.o.B., Babasonicos, Owen Pallett, The Glitch Mob, Mayer Hawthorne, Local Natives, Rusko, The Middle East, Hadouken!, The Soft Pack, Kevin Devine, Paparazzi, Delphic, One EskimO.

Ticket's for the April 16-18 event officially go on sale Friday, January 22. For more details, head over to the Coachella Website.

Wednesday Bears: A Real Pavement Reunion?!

Today's headline on Pitchfork's news feed reads, "Holy Shit: Pavement Reunion is Real!" finally giving hopeful fans word that isn't just a useless rumor. According to an unidentified source (Pitchfork, via Brooklyn Vegan did not reveal the name) 90's indie-rock pioneers Pavement will be performing a benefit show September 21 next year at Central Park Summerstage.

The Brooklyn Vegan article (since confirmed by Stereogum) posted yesterday states that, "According to reliable sources, it's finally happening in 2010! There will be multiple, possibly four, nights of shows at NYC's Central Park Summerstage in September of that year."

From there it goes on suggesting a possible tour, an appearance at next year's ATP NY Festival, and maybe Coachella in April, but nothing beyond the Central Park Summerstage has been anything close to confirmed yet.

Stay tuned in for more developments in the story.