Reptar video - Rainbounce

About a week ago, Reptar premiered the video for "Rainbounce" from the band's early August EP Oblangle Fizz, Y'all! . It's pretty damn good for a band that actually played Lollapalooza this year and I didn't know anything about them, refuting my know-it-all assness.

Reptar - Rainbounce

Friday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011: Day Three Review

I rarely meet Sunday, the final day of Lollapalooza, with aggressive eagerness. The varied anticipation is usually mulled by paramount exhaustion and the daunting fact that, well, it's all but over. In previous years, the final night had been met by the weekend's most anticipated acts, like Arcade Fire last year, and Kanye West in 2008. This year, organizers found it befitting that Deadmau5, the first headlining electronic act since Daft Punk in 2007, would close out the north side, while modern rock staples Foo Fighters set the night on the south. What they didn't have in mind, unfortunately, was the timely monsoon that would set in on the skyline.

Day Three:

Waking up early, nothing but grey rain was visible through my hotel window. For a festival sweltering with enough people, it's bad enough, but at Grant Park, which has a tendency to get muddy with even the slightest bit of water, it's a potential disaster. Keep in mind, a little (or a lot) of mud and rain won't hurt anybody, but it will absolutely destroy your phone, wallet, and whatever else you have in your pocket at the time, as it did my Ipod (temporarily).

Luckily, after a quick shower, light had shone through and the sky was completely blue again - a perfect start to the day, which began thankfully with Titus Andronicus.

Titus Andronicus

The New Jersey (hey) art punks shone on the brightest part of Sunday afternoon, which may not be terribly befitting to the band's post-civil war era - if there ever was such a thing - punk. The group raced through tracks from their first two albums, starting with fan favorite "A More Perfect Union." It was an unfortunately abrupt set, but that's what you get for a 12:45 main stage billing. Still, the show was insatiable, even though the sounds do more justice in an enclosed area for longer.

The next few hours were a spaced mix of Perry's casual curiosity and dragged exhaustion after days of dancing, screaming, and pushing with little to no sleep to speak of. Daedelus did a fine early afternoon show, but those common household assholes made their way around to Cool Kids, making yet another insufferable Perry's experience. It's a shame for an act that seemed to so effortlessly control the crowd and feed off their energy, but I couldn't get out fast enough.

Daedelus

Gathering time to collect myself, the first shroud of death clouds crept over the Chicago skyline, raining through nearly the entirety of Best Coast's late-afternoon set. While my friends chose to spend their hours in the mud on the park's south side, I was spent for shelter. It wasn't until 7 p.m., when Manchester Orchestra took the same stage that rain had eventually died out and I gave it another go around.

Manchester Orchestra

Now, I can't go on the record proclaiming I'm actually a fan of Manchester Orchestra - I've never given them a shot, nor have seen them the numerous times they've appeared at Lollapalooza. In fact, since 2006, no single artist (aside from Perry Farrell himself, which shouldn't count) has appeared at the festival more than Manchester Orchestra, a total of four times. Regardless, the group puts on a fine, if not-to-describable show.

Leaving early was key for grabbing a spot for Deadmau5, considering the shit-storm of mud and garbage that had glossed over the park at that point. And like predictable clock-work, the rain cloud of all rain clouds set in. Now, as I said before, a little rain and mud can't hurt anybody (unless you drown, but, come on), but it will destroy your electronic equipment if you can't protect it. Call it whatever you want, but I wasn't risking all of my possessions being destroyed, Deadmau5 or not. So, I booked it out of there in time to save my stuff (except my clothes, which belong to the trash gods now).

Some people can deal with it, I clearly can't. It's absolutely unfortunate what happened, but at the very least I have solace knowing I took every moment in that weekend before that. I would say that the rain ruined that end, but everything leading up to that point was still a success, so I can't gripe too much.

So, that's the end. Four years in, I feel absolutely normal riding the blue line train into center city in the morning, as if my commute to work. I've fallen in love with the city and the festival over the years, and 2011 was no exception. And with luck, 2012 will be the same. Speaking of, if you haven't heard, the dates for next year are already scheduled: August 3 - 5. If all goes as planned, I'll be doing this all over again.

Best Performances: Titus Andronicus
Worst Performances: Weather

Highlight: "A More Perfect Union," by Titus Andronicus
Lowlight: What do you think?

Hey, no more Lollapalooza posts for a while? Deal.

Thursday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011: Day Two Review

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.

Wednesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011: Day One Review

Four years up, four years down. If there was any hesitation that I had become a festival regular at this point, it's been thoroughly tossed aside. With every new expansion of the park, there's still the staples: That smell from the mud on the south side, the BMI stage being consistently empty, the north side offering crowd size relief, lines at Kuma's, etc.

But with Lollapalooza's 20th Anniversary, there were some notable changes. First and foremost was the newly expanded Perry's Place, which in four years had expanded from a small gathering to the football field-sized cave. Over those years, festival organizers (and notably Perry Farrell himself) have done a lot for electronica music, growing and moving the stage every year, gathering bigger and bigger acts. In addition, with the size growth, the largest Lolla crowd ever (270,000 + fence jumpers over all three days) didn't seem as overwhelming as it had in years past, sans for a few way, way too overcrowded acts (Foster the People).

Day One:

Festival-goers noted that day one was easily the most crowded booking of all three days, with enormous acts laced throughout the schedule, causing numerous scheduling conflicts. For me, it all started with The Vaccines.

The much-hyped UK act had a very early slot on the first day, sitting comfortably on the south side's main stage. I don't quite know what it is, but the first act I see every year usually delivers, and the group was no exception. Pacing through nearly their entire debut album (closing with "Norgaard"), the four-piece put on at the very least a solid show, setting the trend for early Friday afternoon.

Delta Spirit

After a small break, Delta Spirit were set to play on the same stage. Already familiar with the act after seeing them at Lolla two years ago, I knew kinda what to expect - a rowdier than thou spectacle befitting a band with a little more publicity to back up their name. Live, the band is in another world of exceptional, baiting singles here and there with lead-singer Matthew Vasquez easily leading the crowd. Sure, there were a handful of Muse fans here and there, with just permanent frows of disappointment that they weren't listening to Muse yet (they played the same stage later that night), but they couldn't take away from an outstanding show, led by an incredibly enigmatic front-man. With all respect, if you missed this show, you missed one of the best of the weekend - bar none.

What followed next was a series of glory and frustration, all at Perry's. Through Feed Me, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 1977, and Skrillex, I was immersed in a shroud of deluded assholes, genuinely nice people, and then many more assholes. The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 1977 proved to actually be one of the weekend's all-around best acts, far and away, but wading through Feed Me and Skrillex's crowd was unbearable. It in itself explained this year's greatest flaw and asset - the Perry's crowd.

Looking around the tent's outside, one could easily see throngs of kids in large groups - far too large to have traveled far distances. It's apt that the bros would only hang around the other local bros, because that was all they cared to see, aside from Eminem the next night. It's no coincidence, however, that because of this the shows outside of Perry's were for the most part very comfortable and easy to manage. Still, it's an absolute shame that the generic Perry's crowd dragged down the atmosphere of the park.

Crystal Castles

After a sweaty stagger away from the tent, I crossed shortly over to catch Crystal Castles' set. After a notoriously poor showing in 2009, the set was plagued with technical problems. Alice Glass' mic was continually cut off or spaced out, with the show ending a few minutes early. Still, the crowd seemed more than pleased, despite the clear difficulties, with the duo ending the set with "Not in Love," one of the best songs of the weekend. It's somewhat apparent that this is more of an indoor, late night band, rather than one playing for an oversized crowd of casual onlookers. Maybe the festival scene just isn't right for them.

For the first time in the festival's Chicago history, four headliners would close out the night. The near 100,000 Friday fans were split among the aforementioned Muse on the south side, Girl Talk at Perry's, Coldplay on the north side, or Ratatat at the smaller Google+ stage. I gladly opted for the smaller act, with a much better guaranteed seat.

Ratatat

Ratatat is truly an act better seen in the dark, as was evident with their performance at Coachella. While the fireworks and light shows were meant for Muse and Coldplay, Ratatat gave a fine light show performance tucked in Grant Park's corner. It likely didn't have the bravado of the two other acts' already well-established shows, but it did prove to be a nice outlet for those who don't really care for them.

Aside from the occasional asshole, Friday was an astounding success, just like the previous years (sans 2009). Tomorrow, I'll be posting my Saturday review.

Best Performances: Delta Spirit, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 1977, Ratatat
Worst Performances: Crystal Castles

Highlight: "Bushwick Blues," by Delta Spirit. "Warp 1.9," by Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 1977. "Not In Love," by Crystal Castles. "Louder Pipes," by Ratatat
Lowlight: The Skrillex crowd.

Before I Go ... Lollapalooza Mixtape!

As it has been since I started Bears and Bullets in 2008, early August means one and only one thing - Lollapalooza. By tomorrow, I'll be taking my annual stay in Chicago for the music festival with immense anticipation.

Nearly seven months after the festival's first lineup announcements, and four months since the actual lineup has been released, it's all set. So, before I go for my fourth time, here's a few notes for fellow fest-goers and a bonus (free) mixtape at the end.

• Drink. Water.: It's nothing new or extraordinary, but never forget to drink. Chicago heat usually peaks around this time of year, averaging in the high 80s/low 90s consistently, and heat exhaustion isn't uncommon during the weekend. Bottles of water are made readily available across Grant Park, but for a cheaper and better environmental option the people at CamelBak have placed six filtered water stations around the grounds (check the map here). 
• Don't Skip Perry's: Electronica/Techno/Dance music may not be for everyone, but even for the slightly curious fan, there's something more to music festivals than just the few bands you may be looking forward to. And especially considering the size of Perry's has greatly expanded with stellar acts set to perform, this year isn't one to miss.
• Why Camp?: I don't mean actual camping because unlike Bonnaroo, you can't actually camp on the festival grounds. But a lot of fans arrive early, run to the mainstages, and don't move for the entire day because of a certain headlining act. It's not uncommon, but it completely takes away from one of the festival's more important joys - seeing what you aren't sure of.
• Don't Be Lazy: Three-day passes cost at least $215, why are you spending so much time in a hammock and playing Frisbee? Go see the damn music.
• When You Can't Decide, Go the Uncommon Route: Scheduling conflicts happen every day, every year. Most Lolla-goers aren't unfamiliar with seeing live music, so if you're undecided between one act you have seen between one you haven't - go see the one you haven't. It's my own personal rule to see as many different acts as possible, so don't take that last one too seriously.

So, I'll be off until some time next week. If you're going too, have fun - it's almost impossible not too. And for those who can't, stay with Youtube, which will be streaming the shows all weekend long.

And, as promised, grab this year's Lollapalooza Mixtape below.

Tracklist:

1.) Billar - Ratatat

2.) Celestica - Crystal Castles

3.) Right This Second - Deadmau5

4.) Pull Out - Death From Above 1979

5.) New Direction - Black Lips

6.) Fucked From Above 1985 - Bloody Beetroots

7.) Morning Thought - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

8.) Circuital - My Morning Jacket

9.) Beyond Monday - The Glitch Mob

10.) Weekend - Smith Westerns

11.) Warning - Wye Oak

12.) You Know What I Mean - Cults

Download Here: ZIP File

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)

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 ...

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 ...

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 ... 

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 ...

J Roddy Walston and the Business - Used to Did

J Roddy Walston and the Business, a little (in a way) blues-rock band out of Baltimore seem uncharacteristically obsessed with classic rock style. Their Vagrant home page is an exorbitant collage of rock n' roll icons - the kind you'd see transposed across frat boy wallpaper. However, that usual style transition rarely translates to anything worth mentioning, especially in a modern sense.

I imagine to a lot of people, the substance with J Roddy Walston isn't too appealing; I was offput by it too, initially. But, their inclusion in the Lollapalooza lineup was good enough to grab first-ballot attention, so when I came around to "Used to Did," I was pretty pleased. See for yourself.

J Roddy Walston and the Business - Used to Did

Lollapalooza Update: Edit

Correction: I mentioned yesterday that The Cool Kids and little hurricane would be added to the Lollapalooza lineup, but neglected to mention that the former act would be replacing Jay Electronica.

As always, keep here for more Lollapalooza updates.

Friday Bears: New Cool Kids album - When Fish Ride Bicycles

A day after Cool Kids signed on to perform at this year's Lollapalooza, Mikey and Chuck debuted their first full album When Fish Ride Bicycles for free over at Green Label Sound's Facebook page. Just give the page a Like and you'll be able to hear to whole album in its entirety.

When Fish Ride Bicycles is set for release next Tuesday, July 12. Check out the video for the album's first single "Bundle Up" below.

The Cool Kids - Bundle Up

Cool Kids, others, added to Lollapalooza lineup

Earlier today, Lollapalooza promoters announced several new additions to the festival lineup, including 2008 alums the Cool Kids. Alongside Chuck and Mikey, who'll be performing fairly early Sunday at 3 p.m. on the Perry's stage, two-piece blues set little hurricane (no caps on purpose here) were also added to the billing.

little hurricane were also added the Sunday billing, altering the previously scheduled lineup a tad. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. was pushed up to a 3:15 p.m. show, while every other scheduled performer on the Grove stage was also pushed back.

Keep up with Bears and Bullets for all Lollapalooza updates.

Wednesday Bears: Sleigh Bells drop Lollapalooza tour date

Early today it was announced that Sleigh Bells would not be attending this years Lollapalooza (per the festival's Facebook) due to conspicuous "scheduling conflicts."

Festival organizers instead lampooned in their place Mexican garage band La Butcherettes, who will now be playing middle of the first day (Friday, August 5).

For one of the year's highly touted mid-card acts, this is probably a disappointment to a lot of Lolla hopefuls.

My Morning Jacket on Fallon

My Morning Jacket stopped by Fallon yesterday to play the title track from their recently released Circuital LP, alongside a web-exclusive version of "You Wanna Freak Out."

This weekend, the band will be at Bonnaroo (again) before a lengthy tour across North America, with stops at Lollapalooza and ending at Austin City Limits in September.

Bonus: You can grab the title track for free over at Amazon.

My Morning Jacket - Circuital (Live on Fallon)



My Morning Jacket - You Wanna Freak Out (Live on Fallon)

Joy Formidable - Whirring

Another gem in the lower-card of the Lollapalooza lineup, check out the Joy Formidable's version of "Whirring" from the group's March performance at SXSW.

Joy Formidable - Whirring (Live)

Tuesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2011 schedule released

As it is with all things Lollapalooza, the release of the festival's three day schedule holds some importance at Bears and Bullets. So, take a looky below by clicking on the days.

Friday, August 5

Saturday, August 6

Sunday, August 7

First, some thoughts:

Sunday, as previously speculated, is the weakest day on the schedule with large gaps of "who gives a crap" throughout the day. Considering I always have a scheduling conflict no matter what day it is, the fact that I only have one (Modeselektor or Explosions in the Sky) that day is either a relief or a bad sign.

The first two days look to have their fair share of unfortunate casualties, which sadly include Beirut, Ratatat, and more.

Thoughts?

Monday Bears: New Beirut - East Harlem

Beirut debuted "East Harlem" late last week, the A-side for the 7" made available via Zach Condon's own Pompeii record label today. The sound, if you haven't heard it yet, is unmistakably Beirut - a subtle coalition of Eastern bravado with Condon's simple melody. Listen to the stream below, via We All Want Someone To Shout For.

The group will be at Bonnaroo later this week, then will take a lengthy trip outside the states before their August return to Lollapalooza.

Friday Bears: New Vaccines video - All In White

The Vaccines premiered their newest NSFW video for "All In White," off the group's What Did You Expect From The Vaccines debut, scheduled for release May 31. The video is an arty mish-mash with a little nipple that's about ... something.

The band's in the middle of their tour with the Arctic Monkeys but will eventually split off for a length European stop before returning back to the states for Lollapalooza.

The Vaccines - All In White