FYF Fest reveals 2013 lineup

One of the country's more continually underrated music festivals, FYF Fest, has announced the stellar 2013 lineup - marking the event's 10th anniversary.

Leading the way are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio, My Bloody Valentine, and MGMT, with a strong line of notable mid-tier and undercard inclusions. Included are: Deerhunter, The Breeders, Death Grips, Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Dan Deacon, Nosaj Thing, METZ, Yo La Tengo, Washed Out, Les Savy Fav, Shlohmo, Kurt Vile, and plenty more (plus comedians).

Click the poster above to see the full lineup, as of today. Passes for the two day event, which takes place August 24-25 at the L.A. State Historic Park in Los Angeles, start at a reasonable $99. Sales will begin at 12 p.m. pst, Thursday, May 16. Single day tickets will be available at the same time for $65.

Lollapalooza Rumors Update

It's been some time, but with only a few weeks left before the official Lollapalooza 2013 lineup is revealed, its time to get up to speed.

Union Transfer, Mar. 8 - Django Django (Preview)

Nailing down where alternative music's waves are flowing towards is really a matter of two directions, more often than not. Sure there are sub-genres going through strings of mutant mitosis every week, creating splendid off-breeds of the sounds we all know and love. But to put it simply, there are two primary directions: revivalism and new.

Django Django are unflinchingly new. The London band's post new-wave is branded with neo-futurism to a degree that makes MGMT look like its falling behind. Sprinting through the band's 13-track self-titled debut from last year and its hard to say there's much resonance from sound to sound other than the uncommon ambition to sound like no one else is doing it.

Handclaps, bizarro Afrofusion, glam, and even mulling electro spacing are all here. Sometimes all on the same song like "Firewater," which drifts and dreams like its plowing through the desert before sunset. It's a long-winded description for something that seems like ambition, which will certainly be on play tonight.

Alongside the group at Philadelphia's spectacular Union Transfer will be Minneapolis band Night Moves, which were featured on the site last August. Tickets for the show are still available here, with doors opening at 8 p.m.

Lollapalooza Brazil lineup released

With yesterday's release of the Lollapalooza Chile lineup, promoters have also dished out the newest Lolla expansion - Lollapalooza Brazil - Sao Paulo, specifically.

For those familiar with the Santiago, Chile lineup, the Sao Paulo version isn't much of a shock. The majority of the well-known names (Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, MGMT, others) are on both billings with only a few minor alterations. Instead of Bjork, the festival's second headliner will be the Perry Farrell-led (there's some kind of theme here) Jane's Addiction, which performed in Santiago last spring.

You can see the whole lineup and grab tickets here.

Lollapalooza Chile 2012 lineup announced

It's been over three months since the 20th annual Lollapalooza commenced and the Perry Farrell brand continues its new tradition of expansion. Last April, the festival launched it's first non-Chicago venue since its mid-2000s hiatus in Santiago, Chile, and luckily enough is making its way back.

Lollapalooza Chile 2011 saw previous Lolla performers Kanye West, Jane's Addiction, and The Killers headline alongside acts like The National and Flaming Lips. And while those acts have performed at multiple Lolla's in recent past, of the 57 artists who performed there last year, only four were also found on the next Chicago billing (roughly .07 percent turnover rate). So those looking for early clues to the August 3-5 lineup may not find much.

Regardless, the 2012 lineup was released just a few moments ago, and the model is similar to last year. Several artists from the last Chicago event are on the billing, including; headlining act Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Cage The Elephant, Skrillex and more. Alongside Dave Grohl and Co., Bjork will be Santiago's other headliner, marking the very first Lolla-anything that Bjork will be performing. If that's worth any clue, you can expect her to make the billing on at least one other major concert festival next summer.

You can read the entire lineup and look for tickets here.

Thursday Bears: 2010-11 Grammy Nominees

Replace Clapton with Jeff Beck this year

Last night, the official list of the 2010-11 (I never get the time-frame right for this) Grammys was released. Now, I have no long-winded rant set in place, but lets see where this goes. You can download the entire pdf of nominees here.

Eminem topped all everyone this year with 10 nominations for Recovery, including Album of the Year, and Record and Song of the Year for "Love the Way You Lied (ft. Rihanna). Among the notables for Record and Song of the year, which are still two different categories for essentially the same thing, is Cee-Lo's (not Gwyneth Paltrow's) "Fuck You." We have a darkhorse.

Among the artists I perpetuate the idea of caring about, or legitimately do care about, Arcade Fire had a few significant nominations of their own for The Suburbs, including (gasp) Album of the Year. They stand a pretty long shot to actually win the award, but it's good to see that they at least got recognition for it. They were also nominated for two other awards, including Best Alternative Music Album, alongside Band of Horses, The Black Keys, Broken Bells, and Vampire Weekend. Surprisingly not nominated amongst them, Gorilliaz, for Plastic Beach. I'm not gonna get too worked up over the Grammys not nominating the right people every year though.

The Best New Artist Category, which sometimes sees a litany of indie acts (like MGMT last year), is a little flat this time around - something Bielebers will contest to. Aside from the Biebs, Drake, Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons, and ... Esperanza Spalding were nominated. Because I don't know who Spalding is, or care not to know who she is (i.e. Zach Brown band last year), she'll likely win. Oh, I checked her out, the first photos on Google came up with her next to a jazz bass. This is done.

I won't share the butt-fuckin'-ton of details, but I will declare this: In the Best Rock Performance By a Duo with Group or Vocals category, Jeff Beck's and Joss Stone's cover of "I Put a Spell on You" is nominated alongside songs from Arcade Fire, Muse, Kings of Leon, and The Black Keys. I'm guaranteeing a win for Beck and Stone. Guarantee.

It's just the way it is, and I've reluctantly accepted that the Grammys, despite being labeled as the most prestigious of music awards (if there is such a thing), will do less and less accurate justice as time goes by. I could be wrong, and see what I like (or hope) wins, but I know I won't be.

Tuesday Bears: New MGMT video - Congratulations

If any of you are already familiar with Yeasayer's recently released video for "Madder Red," then you've already experienced the pain of losing your freak pet one too many times. But, just in case you're into that sort of thing (aren't we all?), here's MGMT's newest video for "Congratulations."

MGMT - Congratulations

Monday Bears: MGMT "Flash" on SNL

In a two-song performance that didn't seem as bad as most indie bloggers predicted/hoped, MGMT made their Saturday Night Live debut last weekend. The band, fresh off the release of their second studio album, Congratulations, performed "Flash Delirium" and "Brian Eno," two songs that don't exactly bring the same mass-appeal that "Time to Pretend" or "Kids" did, but still offer some wild-eclectic spin. I always liked the mad-dash finish to the end of "Delirium," anyway.

MGMT - Flash Delirium (Live on SNL)



MGMT - Brian Eno (Live on SNL)

Tuesday Bears: Listen to MGMT's new, full album

Earlier today, MGMT decided to give fans an early taste (kinda) of their upcoming new album Congratulations, as a result of an apparent "album leak," according to the band.

The whole nine-track album is available at the band's homepage, free for anyone who cares enough to listen. It's an eclectic mish-mash of semi-psychedelic surfer rock, haunted mansion harmonies and soft acoustic lushes, compiling a, let's say, less than memorable album.

You can listen to Congratulations in it's entirety here.

Tuesday Bears: New MGMT - "Flash Delirium"

MGMT debuted "Flash Delirium," the first single from their highly-anticipated second studio album Congratulations earlier today. For about a little more than four minutes, listeners can get the pleasure of hearing the group channel through about 11 different sub-genres in a quick, bright swirl. In the end, the title really does it justice.

Congratulations is due out April 13 via Sony Music Entertainment.

MGMT - Flash Delirium - MP3

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

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.