A day after Local Natives performed their newest single "Heavy Feet" on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, the band debuted the anticipated studio version from their upcoming Hummingbird LP. Check out the official single below and grab the album January 29.
Well on their way to becoming one of the biggest groups in indie, Local Natives stopped by the usually stellar KCRWMorning Becomes Eclectic to perform the brand new "Heavy Feet."
The track comes from the band's upcoming sophomore release Hummingbird, which is scheduled for release January 29. The band's entire session on KCRW will also be available within a week or two.
The first video from Local Natives long-awaited sophomore album Hummingbird for "Breakers" has premiered. Jaffe Zinn and the band itself directs the video, playing with odd time frames and particular imagery. You can check it out below and grab Hummingbird January 29.
It's been way too long since we've heard any new material from Local Natives. The Los Angeles group become everyone's favorite it-band when it released their 2009 debut Gorilla Manor, and have been touring on the current of it ever since.
A few months back news broke of the band working on new material, but it wasn't certain when we'd actually hear anything. Finally, today we finally can listen to the first new material from the band in nearly three years with "Breakers." The lush single is probably the first of many from the band's upcoming album Hummingbird, which is officially scheduled for release January 29 via Frenchkiss Records.
The band promptly released upcoming tour dates with the news, with a special stop at Philly's Union Transfer April 4. You can see the full list of tour dates via the band's official website, here.
Day one went well, for the most part, but would that trend last through Saturday? My Morning Jacket were set to play later that night, who if you may recall, were my most anticipated act of this year's festival, as were a handful of others earlier in the day. And as far as streaks go, Lollapalooza's second day always turns out well, so the odds were in my favor.
Day Two:
The early afternoon sun was quickly covered by an earthy grey overcast, setting doubts that rain would be at any point avoidable. Through J Roddy Waltson and the Business' noon set on the north side, the rain luckily strayed away. The Baltimore four-piece received a modest crowd on a stage that they're likely not used to, but rampaged through sets of hard-nosed blues. Waltson, the band's lead, mashed his way through Little Richard covers and some of the group's more well-known spins, including "Used to Did," the band's first single. Lollapalooza organizers did good justice to record this themselves, which you can watch below.
J Roddy Waltson and the Business
Unlike Friday, Saturday wasn't totally over-saturated with scheduling conflicts, and the split between J Roddy Waltson and Friendly Fires served a better purpose. The rain unfortunately did amass, but nothing more than a short spray between sets. The Hertfordshire (UK) group were a bit of a surprise to me, despite hearing both of their previous albums and their numerous appearances on BBC, I was unsure of what to expect from a live show.
In the group's second venture to Lollapalooza, the performance was more than what I hopefully expected. Frontman Ed Macfarlane is single-handily enough to see, but the group's power-blast dance rock only fueled one of the weekend's most fun sets. Macfarlane danced through each and every note, while giving the crowd even more incentive to by jumping in a few times. Some bands just don't do well in a festival setting, with wide open air and sunlight - Friendly Fires, on the other hand, excel in this type of setting, and are worth seeing whenever they come around.
Ed Macfarlance of Friendly Fires
A short walk away, I got ready for one of my favorite acts of the year - Black Lips. I talk about them enough as it is, so a synopsis isn't totally necessary. The band's insane. The stage was covered in puke and beer, while the more "into it" fans found it easier to throw their fists here than at any other show during the weekend. A large portion of the crowd were just casual onlookers, but I couldn't help myself getting into the fights, which included one for one of the band's broken guitars. I unfortunately lost that fight, but this guy didn't.
We were all winners
Gleefully exhausted, I took the short trek back to the same stage where Friendly Fires performed to catch Death From Above 1979. I've heard that their shows were loud, but the actual thing was ridiculous. Sebastien Granger yells, yells, and yells to ear-cracking extremes while Jesse Keeler's thundering bass makes any guitar sound almost pathetic. The show definitely isn't for everyone, but for a few hundred (or thousand) rabid fans it was exactly what they wanted. The duo is better suited in an enclosed setting, but a lot of the show still proved to be endearing.
Granger from DFA gets around sign language
Much like the day before, the Sony stage on the park's south side for Local Natives was literally choked with far, far too many people. Arriving at any point other than 10 minutes before it started pretty much guaranteed you a less than ideal spot. I took it as a time to relax and just listen nearby, rather than struggle in the mid-day heat.
Live, the band is a total joy, as was their set at Pitchfork in 2010. The limited source material actually served the band surprisingly well, with only a few onlookers not knowing what to expect. Still, the group hasn't released anything since 2009's Gorilla Manor, which is odd a band playing anything but a closing set.
Local Natives
Local Natives - Who Knows Who Cares (Live at Lollapalooza 2011)
Rather than squander my chances by checking over a few other acts, I opted to grab an early spot for My Morning Jacket. Thanks mostly to Eminem, who was playing on the opposite side of the park that night, but there may have never been a smaller crowd for a headlining act in recent Lollapalooza history. Literally getting from the back to the near front is an impossible feat for any closing act, but it was relatively easy that Saturday night. Thankfully, it only enhanced the atmosphere for fans of the band, who would have gladly opted for a more comfortable setting, compared to Eminem's slew of mud-drenched fans.
Live, MMJ are a must, for any and every festival. The band is pitch perfect, masterful instrumentalists who are fully capable of putting on an awe-inspiring show, and Saturday wasn't an exception. Blasting through over 20 songs throughout the band's catalog, the closing "One Big Holiday" became the staple of the entire weekend, which you can watch below (I'm also in the video for a split second).
My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday (Live at Lollapalooza 2011)
Again, another success story. Find out tomorrow how the festival's final day turned out.
Best Performances: My Morning Jacket, Black Lips, Friendly Fires Worst Performances: None
Highlight: "One Big Holiday," "Wordless Chorus," and "Mahgeeta" by My Morning Jacket. "Bad Kids," by Black Lips Lowlight: Local Natives' all too enormous crowd, missing The Glitch Mob.
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.
#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
The official Lollapalooza lineup release is a mere four days away, so before Tuesday comes around, I'll give the lineup wrap up of what we already know.
Now, if you've been following my Twitter, you'd see that the folks at the official Lollapalooza Facebook page have been running a daily game. Participants are quizzed on 10 random Lolla history questions per day, receiving three clues (max) about the 2011 lineup, depending on how many questions are answered correctly.
The game has been running every day since Monday, so here are the first batch of artists that we can base the clues off:
*There's a third clue from earlier today that asks, "This bluesy, rootsy beauty might just be James Brown reincarnated." The probable answers are either Janelle Monae, Adele, or Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Still unsure.
As for the adds, if those are indeed the correct answers, which the consensus seems to be, there are only a few surprises. Muse, Lykke Li, and Tennis have all been confirmed for some time, and many of the other artists were reasonable to assume that they'd appear. Ween, however, came almost out of left-field and should be a pleasant surprise for many attendees.
The game, as I said, will continue until Tuesday when the official lineup is finally released. Until then, there will be nine more clues released.
Los Angeles oft-blogged indie band Local Natives have debuted their video for "Airplanes," a cheap little video in a abandoned wintry home formerly housed by not-so-ancient ghosts.
The band's album Gorilla Manor, currently out in the UK, will be released via Frenchkiss Records in the U.S. February 16.
, which is odd a band playing anything but a closing set.
is still the group's most recent studio work, but even with limited material the group as unmistakably thrilling live.
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.
