Lollapalooza 2012 Review: Day Three

Sunday, August 5 was a steady continuation of the current drought in the Midwest. The sun was high in a bleakly open sky. The park was sun-dried, putrefying the baseball fields and grass into a off-putting mud that rivaled Bonnaroo. And the night was set for the biggest acts of the entire weekend; Jack White and Justice. But more so than anything else on my mind was the imminent end of not only my weekend, but possibly my tenure at Lollapalooza. If it would be the final day - the truly final day - how would things end?

Day Three:

Five years in a row, three days a year. There's a passage in Into The Wild that reads, "Happiness is only real when shared." Since my second venture in Grant Park in 2008, I have ridden the Blue Line alone waiting for my friends to arrive late. And if this was truly my end, I'd rather share it than wade through half the day alone again.

We arrived pleasantly late - 3 p.m. to be exact. Slowly wandering the park, we traversed the seemingly endless mud pits on the South side of the park for a spot at Sigur Ros, electing to skip The Walkmen. Coming in, I've heard wild rumors about the Icelandic group's live performances; most notably how it can bring people to tears. Considering the heat and the relatively odd time for their performance (4 p.m.), the band put on one of the most memorable shows in Lollapalooza history. Tears didn't exactly happen, but rumblings of grown men crying did get around eventually. Even though the band left several notable songs out of their one hour set, including "Starálfur" and "Glósóli," the time was unmatched in terms of emotions. Jonsi, seemingly alone in a large group, could project unlike most other singers during the weekend to a continually stunned crowd.

Sigur Ros

While it seems like 80 percent of the park made their way to Florence + The Machine, my friends and I had just decided to spend the time languishing most of our last hours at Perry's with Dr. P, Big Gigantic, and Zed's Dead. It was a good change of pace just to not care for a while and joyously waste some time before the night ended.

The final night rounded out with the weekend's two biggest aforementioned acts - Justice and Jack White. Splitting among friends, I stayed for Justice on the North side. Considering last year's final venture with Deadmau5 proved to be a rain-soaked clusterfuck and that I still haven't seen Daft Punk, this would be the biggest electronica show I've ever seen. And that cannot be understated.

Justice

Justice are unbelievably intense live. Total non-stop, combining the best from their first two albums, It was a totally unique live experience. Although I'd relinquish Daft Punk's status at the top of the live electronica experience, Justice to me would be a fantastic second. It remained the best show of the weekend.

And that's how it all ended. What I'll be saying by this time next year is completely unknown to me, but for the time being I couldn't be happier of what these past five years have been.

Best Performances: Sigur Ros, Justice
Worst Performances: Zed's Dead

Highlights: "Varúð" by Sigur Ros
Lowlights: Mud

Lollapalooza 2012: Day Two Review

If we're keeping a tally, and we aren't, Lollapalooza's Saturdays usually end up being the strongest of the weekend. In 2008, it was Rage Against The Machine. In 2009, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs filled in for The Beastie Boys when MCA was first diagnosed with cancer. In 2010, Phoenix played the biggest show of the band's career. And last year, it was front and center for My Morning Jacket.

Predictably, 2012's Saturday stacked up as the strongest day of the weekend with the top-billed headliner Red Hot Chili Peppers slated to perform on the park's south side. But why Saturday ended up being the most memorable of the weekend was for completely different reasons.

Day Two:

Glancing at Saturday's schedule, there was enough quality acts to not only fill out the day, but to skip entirely. Looking at it again, there were several very-notable acts I neglected to see, including the aforementioned Chili Peppers. The trip started early with FIDLAR.

FIDLAR

Every year there's one small band that every Lolla-goer that ventures outside of Perry's falls in love with. For me, seeing FIDLAR at the Double-Door the previous Thursday really helped solidify their reputation as one of the most fun punk acts around. So while I was plenty familiar with the setlist, including a scorching closer of "Wake Bake Skate" in which lead singer Zac Carper jumped into a frenzied crowd to spit off the final 30 seconds, the excitement never dwindled. As one of the very few punk shows of the weekend, it was a fun change of pace and worth the early Saturday heat.

Pushing quickly while trying to cool down as much as I could, the next move was to Jeff The Brotherhood and right to Delta Spirit. Both performances were spirited, especially considering how extraordinary the heat had become during the Midwest's lengthy drought. Delta Spirit lead-singer Matthew Vasquez, at the end of his performance, was dunking his head in buckets of water and pouring them on eager fans jumping in the front rows. Still drenched in his own sweat, he nearly passed out at the end from the pure exhaustion.



Thereafter, the day drifted in another direction. Dry, grey clouds set an overcast - something most of us wanted but kind of feared at the same time. Venturing off, you noticed merchandising tents closing and small flocks gathering towards the entrance. If you were in the park last Saturday, in Chicago, or just watching CNN, you know what followed - a full evacuation. The rain is never so much of an issue as wind and lightning are. Considering those factors, along with a recent string of stage collapses at music festivals, the evacuation was actually a very good thing. For those who made it out and didn't waste their time, taking a break and letting the park cool down made the night that much more pleasant.

The delay only lasted from 3:30-6 p.m., pushing other performances back just an hour. Almost immediately upon reentry, The Tallest Man On Earth resumed Lolla festivities with one of the weekend's best sets. Going on over his scheduled play time, Kristian Matsson never seemed to slow down. Rounding off hit after hit from his previous three albums, it was clear that he resonated deeply with his fans who never seemed to leave.

Tallest Man On Earth

From then on, electing to skip both Franz Ferdinand and The Weeknd, I made a station at the Google Play stage through Washed Out, Twin Shadow and that night's headliner Frank Ocean.

Washed Out

While Washed Out did what they could considering their circumstances, and Frank Ocean's set was electric, the curiosity of the night laid with Twin Shadow. Sound problems and a rushed set forced the band for an extremely quick set (about seven songs), but what was seen was absolutely electric. The benefit of playing later at night than originally scheduled added a special element, which also leaked into Ocean's set.

Frank Ocean

Personal sets - truly personal - are actually fairly rare during music festivals. But for those around for Ocean's set, you truly felt a personal vibe. His on stage props streamed constant cartoons that any of his fans can identify with, while he constantly addressed his screaming onlookers. Culminating with the full 10-minute version of "Pyramids," it was a stellar way to end things on a very eventful Saturday.

Best Performances: FIDLAR, Tallest Man On Earth, Twin Shadow, Frank Ocean
Worst Performances: Washed Out

Highlights: "Wake Bake Skate" by FIDLAR, "There's No Leaving Now" by The Tallest Man On Earth, "Five Seconds" by Twin Shadow, "Pyramids" by Frank Ocean.
Lowlights: Evacuation

Lollapalooza 2012: Day One Review

With five years of Lollapalooza freshly ingrained in my ever-vigilant memory, 2012 may be my swan song. I might only be 23 years-old, but as far as the festival goes my friends and I are veterans in the strongest sense. We know every corner of the park and every trick to speed up the arbitrary processes of the day (always go to the bathroom near the Google Play stage). But more so than the regular Chicago knowledge, we're slowly noticing the median age is fairly young. Ultimately, my return to 2013 really depends on the lineup. I can't spend every year of my life doing this, can I?

All things considered, 2012 was another successful venture. Not only vacation-wise (you forget sometimes how amazing Chicago actually is), but the festival has so many features that it's hard to really grasp everything. Once again, Perry's place is massive. And while it does attract a crowd that's less than favorable (assholes), it's still something to really admire. But overall, how does 2012 stack up?

Day One:

August 3, 2012 was in reality maybe one of the weakest days in recent festival history, schedule-wise. Aside from the casual interest in NES-inspired band Anamanaguchi at 1 p.m., there was a slew of open spots throughout the day.

Anamanaguchi

The self-described "chiptune" band is an unknown to most, but for those familiar with the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World soundtrack, Anamanaguchi scored the entire film. No vocals necessary, the band's uplifting atmosphere was enough to send part of the 1 p.m. crowd into a light frenzy. Sometimes creativity comes after the fun.

After the brief stop, the next hours were spent trying to find friends in a crowd of 100,000 people struggling to get service on their phones. For some stuck in the park, there's only a few "sweet spots" for cell service. And by "sweet spots" I mean, "It might work here, because it won't anywhere else." But, again, five years; I'm used to it.

Time was sparingly sent gathering snacks and biding time in the cooling Playstation Tent on the south side of Grant Park until the 4:45 p.m. SBTRKT show at the Google Play stage. The London electro-R&B act, fronted by Aaron Jerome, had delighted fans with details of their arrival from their native city earlier that same day. For a set that didn't cross over an hour worth of time, the effort was respected. And as the show is concerned, Jerome and co-performer Sampha did their most with their limited time. One thing fans noticed most was Jerome's innate freestyle abilities on the turntable and drums, adding another dimension to the live experience.

SBTRKT

Hastily leaving as soon as SBTRKT's set closed, most of the crowd rushed to the south side of the park for the night's biggest performances. The Shins, M83, and The Black Keys were all slated to play from 6:15 to close, as well as Bassnectar headlining Perry's. The Shins were a highly-anticipated name coming in, after sitting out on temporary recording hiatus since 2007. In reality, I'm still actually surprised I was able to finally see them after all this time, and they certainly did nothing to disappoint.

The lengthy setlist was topped by tracks from March's Port Of Morrow. Laced throughout the show were unrivaled gems from the group's previous three albums: Oh, Inverted World, Chutes Too Narrow, and Wincing The Night Away. No special song was left out, with 2001's "Caring Is Creepy" used as the introduction. Mercer and the band are certainly special live, almost perfectionists. Nothing sounded off on the Red Bull Soundstage - which provided to be one of the better stages the entire weekend. In all, it was one of the more satisfying experiences of the three days.

The Shins

Leaving slightly early to catch a spot close by, we made a tiny camp for M83 at the Playstation stage. For those who attended this year, the stage was marred with technical problems. Depending on where you stood, you either heard an amazing M83 concert or every conversation the people were having around you. But if you were lucky enough to get close, it was one of the weekend's highlights. Most specifically, the finale of the entire band performing a long version of "Coleurs." Culminating with Anthony Gonzalez screaming to Chicago fans, a light-parade followed. So while the Playstation stage may have been a struggle for some, having M83 fade into the night was still a sight to see.

M83

A late trip to Perry's wasn't so much of an experience for Bassnectar (although it was a good one) as it was for the people around. I'll keep it short; I wasn't paying a lot of attention.

So while the day started slow, the finale added an amazing dimension to my previous Lollapalooza experiences. But considering Saturday was a stronger day, I held my hopes up for more.

Best Performances: The Shins, M83
 
Highlights: "Couleurs," by M83. "Simple Song," by The Shins
Lowlights: Playstation Stage technical difficulties

So long ....

Well, its the best time of the year. I'll be heading off to Chicago in a few hours for my fifth Lollapalooza. Follow me on Twitter for all the recent updates and know-how on the event. See you kids soon.

And if you can't get there, don't forget Lollapalooza will be broadcast on Youtube August 3-5.

Lollapalooza 2012 Must-See Artists Pt. V

Today we'll continue our Lollapalooza countdown with part five.

#2: Sigur Rós
There have been very few artists as consistently remarkable as Sigur Rós throughout the years. With every new album (and side project), the band's enigmatic status continued to grow, with hauntingly emotional expansiveness made all the more surprising considering the fact that they sing in another language. 

There's a distinct fan-fare for the band, despite its Icelandic roots. In a niche entirely its own, Sigur Rós exists as an anomaly. The songs are lengthy and touchingly atmospheric, without connecting any certain meaning to its large English speaking fan base. But that insatiably memorable sound on standout tracks like "Hoppípolla" from 2005's Takk... and "Svefn-g-englar," the song most of us were introduced by from the group, is what keeps the legendary status of the band growing.

Word of the band's live performances sound almost cult-like in their absurdity. One description heard fairly often when viewing Sigur Rós is that it brings fans to tears. Literal tears. Would you miss an opportunity like that? I won't.

The band will be performing at 4 p.m. on the Red Bull Soundstage, Sunday, August 5.



#1: Justice 
Sitting at the top of my "must-see" list even before Lollapalooza became a staple in my life, French electro duo Justice could easily be the show of the weekend. Known for their chaotic light shows and live experiences, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay are the next in line to the fellow France natives Daft Punk  (not quite there yet) for their crowning live electronic music experiences.

The only unfortunate circumstance of Justice performing this year is that fans will have to decide between them and Jack White, who will be performing at the same time Sunday night, August 5. Considering I've seen White in various live forms already, I'll venture to the North side of Grant Park for what's sure to be a memorable party.

The band will be performing at 8:30 p.m. on the Budlight Stage, closing the festival.

Lollapalooza 2012 Must-See Artists Pt. IV

Today we'll continue our Lollapalooza countdown with part four.

#4: The Tallest Man On Earth
Obsession doesn't necessarily explain my recent fascination with The Tallest Man On Earth. Of course, I have an absolute urge to hear anything and everything Kristian Matsson creates, and I'm fairly confident saying that he's my favorite new artist in the past several years - but obsession is a strong word. In reality, I'm just very sure that he's one of the best artists working today and his ultra-romantic folk music is otherworldly.

Matsson will be performing at 5:15 p.m. on the Playstation stage, Saturday, August 4.



#3: M83
Even before 2011's utterly spectacular Hurry Up, We're Dreaming was released, M83 were something of a joyful enigma. The work of Anthony Gonzalez hasn't appeared at Lollapalooza since 2005 - the first official year the festival was stationed in Grant Park, standing with smaller festivals and venues for a few years.

However, after the band's last album and standout single "Midnight City," the band has become a full-tilt must see act, growing in popularity faster than ever before. And after their celebrated performance at Coachella, it's hard to say that M83 isn't one of the biggest non-headliners this year.

Gonzalez and the band will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on the Sony stage, Friday, August 3.



We'll continue with Part V tomorrow ...

Lollapalooza 2012 Must-See Artists Pt. III

Today we'll continue with our Lollapalooza countdown with Part Three.

#6: Frank Ocean
He may not technically be a headliner, but no single act at this year's festival has received more of a media push than Frank Ocean in the past few weeks. This month's studio debut Channel Orange was a mega critical and commercial hit, which made even more news considering Ocean's recent coming out.

As one of the festival's very few R&B acts, Ocean's upcoming performance should be one of the more unique experiences of the August weekend. He'll be headlining the smaller Google Play stage at 8:45 p.m., Saturday, August 4. Catch him before it becomes impossible.



#5: The Shins
Remarkably, James Mercer managed to completely reform The Shins from 2007's Wincing The Night Away to this year's Port Of Morrow with the same stellar results. While it may not be the same band that indie-philes fell in love with during the intro of "Caring Is Creepy" on Oh, Inverted World, 2012's version of The Shins still captures Mercer in the same romantic light.

The band will be leading into the Friday, August 3 headline performance of The Black Keys on the Red Bull Soundstage at 6:15 p.m.



We'll continue with Part IV tomorrow ...

Lollapalooza 2012 Must-See Artists Pt. II

Today we'll continue our Lollapalooza countdown with Part Two.

#8: Bassnectar
Lorin Ashton has become a regular electronic mainstay for major music festivals in recent years, performing at Lollapalooza as recently as 2009. Despite his career beginning over 11 years ago, the San Francisco native has been riding the ongoing wave of popularity that basically any big name in the electronica scene has been getting. Now, with tremendous stage shows and seizure-educing light extravaganzas, Bassnectar has earned a reputation as one of the genre's 'must-see' acts.

You can catch Bassnectar headlining at Perry's, on Friday, August 3 at 8:45 p.m.



#7: The Weeknd
Because I haven't talked enough about Abel Tesfaye over the past year and a half, now I finally get my chance to catch the much-hyped Canadian singer in a huge setting.

The Weeknd has no immediate plans to release anything new following up his super-acclaimed three free mixtapes; House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echo of Silence. But since his April performance at Coachella, he's been getting even bigger, selling out shows with relative ease.

You can catch Tesfaye performing at the Red Bull Soundstage, Saturday, August 4 at 6 p.m.



We'll continue with Part III tomorrow ...

Lollapalooza 2012 Must-See Artists, Pt. I

By the fifth year in a row, I'm used to this.

With less than two weeks to go before the August 3-5 Lollapalooza festival begins in Chicago, I'll be providing my annual top ten countdown of 2012's Must-See Artists. Last year, headliners My Morning Jacket and Deadmau5 rounded out the top two, with regular Bears and Bullets favorites Black Lips and Titus Andronicus also landing in the countdown.

As it is every year, seeing every act - notable or otherwise - is impossible. So for those waiting through the list to see Jack White, unfortunately, won't be seeing him. Regardless, let's start with #10.

#10: Jeff The Brotherhood
Despite officially beginning their careers in 2001, Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall didn't really catch anything close to buzz until their 2009 album Heavy Days. Pulsed with fuzzy blues and cool garage punk, the recently released Hypnotic Knights LP finally gave some more ground for the band to walk on. Amid an extremely extensive touring history, the band has finally reached the major festival circuit. And, more than likely, they'll be returning very soon.

You can see Jeff The Brotherhood early Saturday, August 4, at 1:30 p.m. on the Playstation stage.



#9: At The Drive-In
The first project of Mars Volta figureheads Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López made huge news earlier this year after announcing their 2012 reunion. Rodríguez-López has already declared that At The Drive-In would not be recording new material, despite finally returning after more than ten years. Their April performance at Coachella marked one of the very few appearances for the band, so having them perform at Lollapalooza should be considered extremely rare.

Catch the band one last time (probably) Sunday, August 5 at 6 p.m. on the Red Bull Soundstage.



We'll continue with Part II tomorrow ...

New Passion Pit video - I'll Be Alright

A few days after Passion Pit announced plans to cancel a portion of their summer tour due to singer Michael Angelakos' "mental health," the band released the second video from the hugely anticipated sophomore release Gossamer.

The stunning video features a surprising visual display of engaging modern art, as well as one of the album's best tracks. Gossamer, which is due out July 24 via Columbia Records, is available to stream courtesy of NPR.

The band plans to return to its summer tour early next month at Lollapalooza.

Lollapalooza schedule, aftershow lineup released

With less than two months before Lollapalooza, the last stretch of the preliminary events has finally passed. Earlier today, the festival released their official three-day schedule, and their lineup of pre-Lolla and post-Lolla after shows. You can check out the listed shows here; FIDLAR & Delta Spirit is one I'm particularly excited for.

As for the schedule, we already knew which artists were playing on which days, but not at which particular times, so this is simply a clarification. As it is, the biggest obvious dilemma is Justice and Jack White closing Sunday night on opposite sides of Grant Park, which is a fairly big decision for a lot of us. However, because of the relative openness of the Sunday schedule, you have the opportunity to see either At The Drive-In and Florence+The Machine prior to the aforementioned acts with relative ease.

Outside of that, there have been more divisive schedules, but there are a few big decisions that will have to be made. Check out the schedule for yourself, here.

New videos from M83, The Walkmen, Andrew Bird, and El-P

A direct video sequel for M83's "Midnight City," the newest video from directors Fleur & Manu has to be Akira inspired in some form (with an Adam Yauch tribute Easter egg thrown in as well). Check it out below.



Another future Lollapalooza alum, The Walkmen, just released their seventh studio album yesterday, along with a video for the title track "Heaven," directed by Alex Southam.



Despite the fact that Andrew Bird's latest album, Break It Yourself, has already been out a few months, until today we haven't seen any official video from the album. Check out the brain-exploding animation (done by Yu Morita) for "Eyeoneye" below.



And finally, from one of the best albums of 2012 so far, El-P released the video for his heavy single "The Full Retard," which ends up being more NSFW than you might think. Check it out below and grab Cancer for the Cure now.

Wednesday Bears: Lollapalooza rough schedule released

With three-day passes selling out yesterday, Lollapalooza released their "which artists on which day" rough schedule. The announcement (click photo for larger image) came with the release of single-day passes, which are available now for $95.

Conflicts are inevitable (in life as well, but, forget about that), and it seems that Sunday presents the biggest challenge. Jack White, Florence+The Machine, At the Drive-In, Justice, and Sigur Ros are scheduled to play as the day's largest acts, so decisions are likely going to be made, and unhappiness will spread like, let's say, smallpox.

While Sunday seems unfortunate, days one and two should be comfortable, with a super-strong mid-card scheduled to perform Saturday.

Check back to Bears and Bullets for when the official schedule is released.

Lollapalooza 2012 lineup revealed

So, the day's really here. And after the previous months/weeks of speculation, the biggest story of Lollapalooza 2012 ended up being that the lineup leaked from Sunday WAS 100% ACCURATE. It's the first time in recent memory that a complete leak like this has happened with a major U.S. music festival, so everything we heard tonight wasn't a surprise.

As you know, Black Sabbath, with all original members, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Jack White, Florence + The Machine, At The Drive-In, Avicii, and Justice are the big names headlining the August 3-5 Chicago festival. And if you've been following, you'd already known that M83, Sigur Ros, The Weeknd, The Shins, and many others will fit the billing as well.

So while the fest isn't as particularly top-heavy as in years past, there's a more-than solid mid-card to support it, with spectacular acts like The Tallest Man on Earth, Jeff the Brotherhood, Michael Kiwanuka, FIDLAR, and many others. Alongside them is an extremely solid electronica lineup, with Bassnectar, Star Slinger, Madeon, Kaskade, and plenty others worth your time this year.

There were a few left-field acts, like Franz Ferdinand and The Afghan Whigs making the billing, despite zero previous rumors of their inclusion.

But as it is every year, there are some notable disappointments. Namely, the absence of Odd Future, St. Vincent, Fucked Up, and Refused, among others, not making the final billing.

Regardless, there is a ton of depth to Lollapalooza 2012, and plenty of reason to get excited. Tickets for the festival are still available. And as always, stay tuned for more additions (and subtractions) from the billing, and the lineup schedule, which should be available in a few weeks. As well, check out the official Lolla video below.
 

Lollapalooza lineup leaked early?

What you're looking at above is an "apparent" copy of the official Lollapalooza 2012 lineup, given to press members at the festival's branch outing at Lollapalooza Brazil from last weekend. The photo leaked a few hours before midnight, Sunday, and for all reasonable expectations it looks accurate.

Considering the leaks that Lollapalooza has already confirmed with their CTA ads (Jack White, Justice, etc.), what you see above looks extremely plausible to be the actual lineup, which will be out officially sometime on Wednesday, April 11.

So while I won't go on the record saying that this is the full lineup, what we'll see Wednesday will probably be very similar to what's listed above. There are, however, a few notable holes in the lineup. Number one, namely, is the absence of Kimbra, who was one of the acts that Lollapalooza promoted with their aforementioned CTA ads. Several other acts, such as Odd Future, St. Vincent, and others, have also personally said that (at least through a varying party) they would be performing at the festival.

The other problem, notably, is that C3 (Lollapalooza promoters) have kept the lineup under extremely tight wraps - more so than they've ever done. Why, then, would they give the entire lineup to press members? What sense does that make, even more so considering the lineup will be out in less than three days?

So while there are some logical holes here, let's play around with the idea that this is the real lineup. Because if it is, I'd be pretty damn happy. Black Sabbath is a huge booking - one that no other festival could get. And Jack White will not performing at the other large music festivals this year, other than Sasquatch! More so, however, is the very strong undercard - possibly the best, in my opinion, since 2009.

I'll be keeping you up to date on Twitter of the leak's legitimacy, but if nothing shows up I'll be updating the real release Wednesday. Stay tuned.

First Lollapalooza confirmations? Let's just say they are for the sake of fun.

Bare with me here, because it's been a pretty long time before I've been able to say that it looks like we finally have some Lollapalooza confirmations.

The reason is a bit different than past years, but Lollapalooza (three-day passes are on sale today, by the way) has posted adds around the Chicago public transit system. At the Logan Square station, four "clue" ads were posted, verified by several Chicago blogs including Wine & Pop.

The "clues" indicate lyrics from four different acts, of which are two suspected additions: Justice and Jack White, alongside two very surprising inclusions, The Weeknd and Die Antwoord.

Regardless of your opinion on the last inclusion - it's usually not positive - those are four big attention grabbers, and have hyped up a pretty exciting festival that, by the way, will be fully revealed April 11.

As always, stay tuned for more details!

Osheaga lineup announced

The annual Montreal music festival Osheaga announced their official lineup a few hours ago, with Snoop Dogg, The Black Keys, and Justice leading they way. If you noticed something, the festival's dates are scheduled conveniently (or inconveniently) on the same exact weekend of Lollapalooza.

In years past, both festivals usually had a heavy crossover rate. Last year, 20 of the 83 acts playing the Canadian fest also played Lolla, roughly a 24 percent carryover rate. That is, however, when the fest was a week before. As it stands, a lot of the artists on the billing are suspected to play Lolla, including the aforementioned Black Keys and Justice, along with Florence + The Machine, The Shins, Sigur Ros, Passion Pit, and more.

So far zero confirmations have actually been made for this year's Lollapalooza, which is pretty surprising now that it's getting into late March. This time last year, half of the headliners plus a few other had already been known for weeks. Regardless, the fact that Osheaga and Lolla fall on the same weekend doesn't rule any of the artists out, just that they obviously won't perform on the same days.

Bonus Notes: The $75 souvenir tickets for Lollapalooza have already sold out, despite no lineup confirmations, and early bird tickets go on sale next week, March 27. As always, stick with us for more rumors.

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

Tuesday Bears: Pitchfork Music Festival lineup released

No other music festival bares influence on Lollapalooza more than the Pitchfork Music Festival. Both are held in Chicago, less than a month apart from one another. And because of this, the festival organizers have inacted a "radius clause" which I've mentioned on here time and time again, that states that musical acts that play within a certain mile radius in a certain time span before and after Lollapalooza's scheduled dates cannot play there. All this usually means is that any act playing Pitchfork cannot play Lolla and vice versa.

So, who won't be at Lollapalooza this year? Feist, Vampire Weekend, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, lead out the initial headlining list, alongside Hot Chip, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Tim Hecker and a handful of other notable acts, all of which you can see here.

The pre-Pitchfork predictions seemed to be strong for Bon Iver, PJ Harvey, and Jeff Magnum headlining, but now that that seems to be out of the question, that all but guarantees a spot for Justin Vernon and the band at Lolla in August. This, however, is not the entire Pitchfork Music Festival lineup. More than 30 other acts will also be added, so nothing is certain.

Again, nothing is confirmed yet, but this is reason enough to be suspicious. Tickets for the July 13-15 fest go on sale Friday, March 9 at noon. Single-day passes are $45 and a three-day pass are a reasonably priced at $110.

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.