New Yeah Yeah Yeahs video - Despair

Patrick Daughters, the director who's biggest claim to fame is the beloved video for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs seminal video for "Maps," was at the helm once again with the band for the Mosquito epic "Despair." In it, the band parades their jubilant talents on top of the Empire State Building (the first video to do so), with Karen O coming as lively as ever during the roaring climax.

Watch the video below and grab Mosquito today on Interscope.

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.

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs video - Sacrilege

"Sacriledge," the grand and inspiring first single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs highly anticipated fourth studio LP Mosquito, has been given a stoic video treatment from director Megaforce. Told in reverse, the story centers around British model Lily Cole, who is the desire of the entire town.

Watch the sort of NSFW video below and grab Mosquito April 16 via Interscope.

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege

Just premiering over at Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show is "Sacrilege," the first official single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' long-awaited fourth studio album, Mosquito. It's a tamed take, with Nick Zinner's stuttered guitars frenzied in the back drop, while Karen O' flinches with her primeval yelps. Eventually, a chorus floats in, in case you were wondering what direction the band might be taking on the new album.

Check it below and grab the album April 16 via Interscope.

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 Atoms For Peace - Judge Jury and Executioner

As we look into the future of 2013, there's already a lengthy list of important releases headed our way. Among the ranks of Phoenix, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and (maybe) Daft Punk, Thom Yorke's well-known side project Atoms For Piece has scheduled an album release for late February.

The single "Judge Jury and Executioner" this morning on Zane Lowe's BBC 1 Radio Show, which also features a nice little visualizer video to go with it. Check it out below, and grab Amok February 25 and 26 (U.S.) via XL Recordings.

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

A logical refute of Bitchmedia's criticisms towards Lollapalooza

Browsing through people's reactions to the Lollapalooza lineup on Twitter, you'll see a genuinely mixed batch of responses: some enthralled, some disappointed, some indifferent - the usual norm to any situation like this.

However, one reaction garnered a significant amount of attention from Bitchmedia - an online analytical take on feminist pop culture.

After the lineup was revealed, Katie Presley, writer for the site, promptly noted an alarming absence of female acts placed upon the billing, sans a small handful. The response, aptly titled, "Lollapalooza 2011: Dudefest Midwest," which you can read here, noted that on the Lollapalooza official poster, there wasn't a single female act represented in any shape or form until Crystal Castles, the 20th artist on the list.

"The rest of the lineup is more of the same," Presley writes. "Five or ten dudes or dude bands, one lady or lady band. There are 100 acts playing at Lollapalooza this year. 32 of them have a woman in the band. Not at the center of the band, not necessarily the singer. Just in the band, anywhere."

Is her reaction appropriate? Of course. Anyone can read the lineup one time over and notice the overwhelming majority of male-led acts. But the same can be said about any major music festival. In fact, Coachella, which just passed two weeks ago, had even less female participants (but more headlining females at the same time).

So while Presley indeed has a valued point to be made, the frustration is completely misdirected. Before I explain why, I will note that I am a fan-boy of the festival, so take whatever you want from the response.

At the end of the entry, Presley notes her frustration with the festival's organizers, C3. From that, we can logically understand that the deft of the blame is to be put on their shoulders, but is that looking at the situation too narrowly?

Presley notes the frustrations specifically with a lack of female headlining material, but the absence of it never tells a straight-line story. The foot of the blame should be more focused towards the state of females in alternative music in general. The number of females that could realistically headline the festival, or those like it, is incredibly small. Lady Gaga of course headlined last year, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (who originally headlined this year's Lollapalooza Chile) headlined in 2009, but headliners from the previous year never repeat.

That being said, what other options could there realistically be? This is, after all, an alternative music festival footed by immense marketing and investment. To solely blame organizers is to ignore the audience that the event generates and caters toward.

While Presley does indeed have a point that should be addressed, where the reality lies is beyond the organizers of this and other music festivals like it.

Tuesday Bears: New Yeah Yeah Yeahs Video - Skeletons

Nearly a year after the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released It's Blitz!, the Brooklyn trio premiered their video for "Skeletons," a ghost-ridden black and white noir take of the album's most sullen and somber moment.

The Barney Clay directed video also features a "making of," explaining the chilly tones of "Skeletons" (courtesy of Babelgum).

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Skeletons

Making of "Skeletons"

Bears and Bullets Top Ten Albums of the Decade - Fever to Tell

#8: Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Fever to Tell is two versions of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; first there's the utterly abrasive and gnarling sentiments of lead singer Karen O with songs like "Date With the Night" and "Tick" that sound like a cement-panel garage bursting with Iggy and The Stooges-era punk blues. And there's that blistering heart beneath the stage persona exterior with "Maps" and "Modern Romance." The majority of Fever to Tell is much of the former.

The band's 2006 album Show Your Bones and recent release It's Blitz! were all progressions of the Brooklyn trio's raw form on their 2003 debut, but neither can definitively rival it. Karen O's shake and grit that made her an indie girl icon is all here in its most pure and ecstatic form. "Y Control," Karen O's effigy on the Y-chromosome, implores a bigger picture. "I wish I could buy back the woman you stole," she bellows, almost making every man who listens feel worse in some odd, disconnected way.

Yet, it's "Maps" that endears this album more than anything else. For all the sneering punk in the albums first eight tracks, "Maps," was an instant grasp at glory. Easily one of the best songs of the last decade, it portrays a brilliant cascade of a group, who, at the time, were thought to nothing more but another name to throw on the emerging garage band pile in the early 2000's. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, mostly in part to "Maps," ensued and continue to prove themselves as one of the industry's finest artists, showcasing maturity, brilliance and progression with each new record.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

#10: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon

#9: Dear Science - TV On The Radio

Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of 2009 (Pt. IV: #10 - #1)

We'll continue our top 25 countdown with songs #10 through #1.

#10: Stillness is the Move - Dirty Projectors

As much as people fawned over Merriweather Post Pavilion, Dirty Projector's Bitte Orca rivaled it many ways. Some would even suggest that Orca surpasses MPP in brilliance with its sheer ingenuity and creative flourish, thanks in part to "Stillness is the Move." Often pop music is regarded is simplistic and rudimentary because of lack of originality and mass consumerism. With "Stillness," however, the rhythms, hooks, and harmonies of Amber, Angel and Haley is as uncommon and inventive as anything else we heard this year. Nearly impossible to replicate, although Solange Knowles did a good rendition.

Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move

#9: What Would I Want? Sky - Animal Collective

After over three minutes of distorted samples and crashes, Animal Collective's "What Would I Want? Sky," begins to glisten in a clash of brilliant vocal sequences, with a sample of the Grateful Dead's "Unbroken Chain" gently grazing in the background. Few and far between do Animal Collective's songs sound so gloriously uplifting and enriching, with Avey Tare asking, "Is everything alright? You feeling lonely? You feeling homely? You're not the only." The direct contrast between the first and the second half are what make Animal Collective such a polarizing and ingenious group -- with mess is beauty, in the brightest places.

#8: You're a Target - No Age

"You're a Target" accomplished something somewhat rare for No Age; they compiled a rousing, loud and boisterous noise-rock song with a collective harmony and memorable bridge. The song, part of the band's four-track Losing Feeling EP, wouldn't so much as fit with their 2008 album Nouns, because it sounds too mature, too frank and welcoming. "You're a Target," sounds, however, more embracing because the visceral fuzz and melody actual comes clean, unrushed, and still categorically immense.

No Age - You're a Target - MP3

#7: People Got a Lotta Nerve - Neko Case

How any artist retooled Hall & Oates coined "Maneater," to not only an extent of not only relevance but revitalization is beyond me. In Neko Case's "People Got a Lotta Nerve," the red-haired singer-songwriter boasts her man eater lifestyle not to the party-styled anthem idea of commanding and conquering the opposite sex, but ravaging them until their nothing. And yet, it's insatiably sweet coming from Case's exquisite alt-country voice -- both terrifyingly honest and beautifully broadcast.

Neko Case - People Got a Lotta Nerve

#6: Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

Before first listen to "Ambling Alp," Yeasayer could be deemed more psychedelic than pop. Their 2007 album All Hour Cymbals, aside from the wonderful "2080," sounded like a mirage in the Sonora desert -- long, labored, loose and fluid. "Ambling Alp," albeit very new (released only a few weeks ago), is a terrific step for the Brooklyn band. Pop is often curiously standard and continuous, always looking to achieve what's already been heard. Yet, every so often an artist with enough gall and ambition can make those strides toward a higher level. Radiohead did it, Animal Collective did it, and with "Ambling Alp," Yeasayer is doing it.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

#5: Lisztomania - Phoenix

With most of 2009 rumbling over Merriweather Post Pavilion and Bitte Orca, Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix reveled in their indie shadows and helped the band make their first leap into popular culture. "Lisztomania," creates a mass-appeal without asserting itself. Its bright melodies and cheery and leaping chorus, makes Phoenix sound lighter and more alluring than ever before, and it's not even the best song of the album.

Phoenix - Lisztomania

#4: Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The border between dance and rock music is hard to define. Often times those in music business will attempt to trespass on that border, and, more or less, failure is certain. What the Yeah Yeah Yeahs achieved with "Heads Will Roll," not only crosses that border, but takes it down. Karen O shrieks and shrills on a "chrome" dance floor, imploring that everyone should "dance, dance, dance till your dead," while Nick churns a haunting synth lead, almost sounding like noir with poise. The finishing product, glistening in a metallic stream, is heavier than it appears; it rips and tears through the dance-floor with a midnight castle element -- glowing in the dark and shining under the lights.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll - MP3

#3: My Girls - Animal Collective

"My Girls" rushes into the ear with a earthy stream, followed by the emerging electro beat, humming quietly in the back. The song yearns for simplicity, imploring that Panda Bear doesn't "care for fancy things," but that gloriously simplicity is already there. "My Girls," sounds like sped-up evolution. The sounds careen and swirl around the listener, with tiny percussions, vocal samples and bass punches popping out of the back like small cracks on the Earth's surface. It leads and ends in the same fashion, slowly swelling, rising, climaxing, and falling back down to Earth. But before it falls, "My Girls" goes somewhere Animal Collective, until now, haven't found before -- a place lost between sounds and meaning, combining for something unbelievable.

Animal Collective - My Girls

#2: 1901 - Phoenix

"1901" is Phoenix's advertisement for the rest of the world -- it's the culmination of the bands work for the majority of the decade; smart, invigorating, inviting pop music that can make someone smile for days. The song's fuzzy interlude and landscaping synths make Thomas Mars sound cleaner and cooler than ever, bringing the band in the commercial spot light that has been years in the making.

Phoenix - 1901

#1: Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear

"Two Weeks," is Grizzly Bear's triumph on Veckatimest. It's stark, luring, brilliant and incredibly intelligent. Every key note hit by Ed Droste and the rest of the band, honing in on their trademark harmonies, sounds crisper and better than ever. The alarming exceptionalism of "Two Weeks" makes one wonder how much further the band can progress after Veckatimest and 2006's Yellow House. Indeed, if "Two Weeks" can prove anything other than indelible craftsmanship, it's that Grizzly Bear seem to progress at each and every try. How much better can they get?

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks - MP3

Merry Christmas, yall.

Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of 2009 (Pt. III)

We'll continue our top 25 countdown with songs #15 through #11.

#15: Lust for Life - Girls

"Lust for Life," opened Girls debut Album with a long stretch of wishes and desires, asking for really the most simple things, but end up getting less than nothing. That "brand new start" lead singer Christopher Owens sings about comes at the back end of everything, after he realizes that those wishes, realistic or not, aren't going to happen. Despite the uplifting harmonies, percussion and tambourine, the song splits between sobering and gleeful, knowing that Owens never ends up getting the "boyfriend," "pizza," or "beach house." And yet the hand-clapped led second verse with the rest of the band filling in delightful 60's California harmonies makes you almost forget how much you can screw up before anything goes right.

Girls - Lust for Life - MP3

#14: Animal - Miike Snow

There's something oddly chilling about Miike Snow's "Animal." The production of each and every beat leading into and ending the four-and-a-half minute song is so precise that the rough idea of human's basic instincts and flaws and they're downfall seems almost counter-intuitive. What is heard, however, is one of the year's more catchy and accessible indie hits.

Miike Snow - Animal

#13: Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective

The first of several Animal Collective songs on this year's list, "Summertime Clothes" is a casually inviting spin into the Baltimore band's engulfing psychedelic pop. The jumpy, blippy, starry summer night single stood in the shadows of "My Girls," during Merriweather Post Pavilion's reign over 2009, but many argue that it surpasses it in excellence. While that may be here or there, "Summertime Clothes" deserves its due recognition.

Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes

#12: Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The charging anthem of It's Blitz!, "Zero" ushers in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs first and best attempt to bring electro-charged pop to the Brooklyn band's garage-driven sound. When Karen O's voice rises with the "climb, climb, climb," guitarist Nick Zinner's pulsating melody enriches, pushes, and explodes, climbing higher and higher until "Zero's" breaking point. And that "Zero," despite being who they are, sound bigger than ever.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero (Live on Letterman)

#11: Swim (To Reach the End) - Surfer Blood

"Swim"'s endless Weezer-esque comparisons are becoming a tad null. Weezer, at their mid-90's peak resembled something close to what Surfer Blood were able to churn out -- the driving hooks, insatiable fuzzy riffs, pounding drums and chanting chorus -- but that 90's band is long gone. "Swim" sounds more complete, refreshing and tauntingly infectious than anything on Raditude, while keeping a keen ear of sincerity in the mix. The song doesn't belong in the 90's, or anywhere else really - it's pop in an endless form, that sounds similar and different after each listen.

Surfer Blood - Swim (To Reach the End) - MP3

Check Back Later for Tracks #10-#1

Lollapalooza 2009 Review (Day Two)

While day one of Lollapalooza 2009 proved to be very disappointing for the most part, day two more than made up for it

Day Two:

The weather was perfect, contrary to Friday, with a steady stream of sunlight cascading on Grant Park throughout the day. Along with the much welcomed weather, the line-up picked up the slack significantly with much anticipated acts like Animal Collective, TV on the Radio, Lykke Li, Santigold, and headliners Tool and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, among dozens of other notable acts set to round out the night.

At around 11:45 AM, roughly an hour earlier than the day before, I entered the park with a much more attentive smile on my face. The mud had all but disappeared from the park grounds while lines for concessions and bathrooms were completely absent. In those first few moments it was almost as if I had already had a better time than the day before.

My first venture took me back to the Playstation stage - where Andrew Bird finished the previous night - to check out the quirky New England four-piece Ezra Furman & The Harpoons. The group proved to be one of the best pre-noon acts of the festival as Furman enchanted the crowd in a suggested ironic raincoat as he spouted clever stories with his Gordon Gano-esque voice.

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons

As 12:15 drew near, I made my short walk to the Budweiser stage where I was asked by a grey-bearded older gentlemen for the time. In yet another lapse of deluded ignorance, I had no idea I was talking to Chicago rock poet-laureate Thax Douglas, who introduced the next act on my schedule, Delta Spirit.

The poem (from Thax's Myspace), entitled "Delta Spirit No. 3" went:

"like caramel drizzlings on the skin the brands glow dully whenever the body needs to cook a new version of itself- the fresh new body is vain of the brands which its fingers read as birthmarks tattooed by God, the brands taking a much needed vacation by riding the new body's vanity until their services are needed." -8/7/09 Schuba's.

My bewildered face was quickly erased once Matt Vasquez and the rest of the San Diego rock/blues group took the stage. Although they addressed the fact that they never played such a large crowd before, the group thoroughly impressed. Vasquez stands out as one of those rare true rock frontmen that has such a foregoing attitude that the outstanding music being played behind him almost seems to fulfill his true nature as a traveling bluesman.

Delta Spirit

The set closed with an amazing rendition of "People, Turn Around" as Chicago Cubs super-fan Ronnie Woo Woo (apparently, he's a big Delta Spirit fan) made his way through the crowd. At this time, Lollapalooza promoters sent me a text informing that rock & roll legend Buddy Guy was set to appear at the Kidzapalooza stage to perform alongside child guitar-prodigy Quinn Sullivan at 1:30.

A chance to see Guy enticed me enough to run to the stage, which seemed to be a mistake considering the heat. However, Guy didn't make the appearance on time and I was (almost) forced to listen to Sullivan, a child who's talents are more than admirable, but is still a 12 year-old kid. Needless to say, the child's songs about his guitar, how much he likes guitar, and about how he wishes it was 1973 again, tested my patience.

After an angry departure I decided to get a good spot for Minneapolis rap group Atmosphere at the Chicago 2016 stage. For those familiar with the schedule at this time I elected to pass up Animal Collective's DJ Set at Perry's and British indie-pop group Los Campesinos! on the opposite end of the park. Still, as I may regret missing Campesinos! a little, Atmosphere put on a spectacular show. Slug's rhyme's are chaotically intrinsic, full of challenging imagery and skill that would more than likely put any other MC at this year's festival (mostly Asher Roth) to shame.

Atmosphere

After Atmosphere's extra long 16 song set, I grabbed my first (and last) food of the day, a bratwurst with grilled onions, which proved to be the only good food I bought during the whole festival. I made my way to the Citi stage to catch Ipod friendly group Chairlift as my friends and I accidentally met up. They shortly departed to catch Coheed & Cambria while I waded through the spacey twee of the Brooklyn trio. The short, sweet set was clouded by enormous feedback and tiny technical disturbances that made making out anything Caroline Polachek said a bit of a struggle. Still, fans seemed to enjoy themselves enough, especially during "Bruises," one of the better songs of the day.

Chairlift

Soon after, Dean Spunt and Randy Randall of No Age made their way to the Citi stage, with Randall sitting in a chair for the entire show as the result of a dislocated shoulder from the night before. The Southern California noise-rock duo brought with them a following of musicians including Deerhunter's Bradford Cox and TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe and Dave Sitek listening on the sidelines, not to mention a group of avid fans (one so avid that he ran on stage, danced, gave Spunt a note, and dove back into the crowd nearly untouched by security). The show, despite Randall's handicap, was vibrant and loud, full of jumpy singles from the band's 2008 album Nouns and 2007's Weirdo Rippers.

No Age

Exhausted and my ears ringing, I filled my water bottles and moved to the opposite side of the park to grab a spot for TV on the Radio. The north side of the park at this time was immensely packed from people seeing Santigold at the Playstation stage and the Arctic Monkeys at the Budweiser stage. Trudging through was difficult, but my efforts were rewarded as I squeezed into a spot on the right side of the stage (same method I use every time).

As Santi's set ended (with a invigorating version of "Creator") TV on the Radio opened up with Dear Science's "Love Dog." The atmosphere surrounding the collective sound was lush with Dave Sitek's acutely organized feedback and backing rhythm section while Adebimpe and Kyp (the beard) Mylone took control of center stage. Adebimpe seemed to fall into his own, commanding stage as a modern Mick Jagger, effortlessly shifting from Dear Science and Return to Cookie Mountain, to the band's earlier work from the group's 2003 Young Liars EP. If I were to be brash I'd say in another couple years there's almost no doubt that TV on the Radio could achieve headline status.

TV on the Radio

The group closed out with a perfect "Staring at the Sun," that still remains possibly the best song of the festival. With the group sending off and Ben Harper and The Relentless 7 starting off close by the hardest decision of my weekend came; do I wait and get a great spot for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (the only headline act I anticipated) or do I venture across the park and get a little of Animal Collective's show (who, for those that regularly read my posts, will note was my most anticipated act of the festival)? I elected the former, passing up what many regarded as a good show from Animal Collective in order to save my spot.

My patience once again was justly rewarded, as I witnessed arguably the best show of the festival with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O., possibly the best frontwoman in music today, graced the stage in an obscure yet fitting Native American headdress, starting the show with "Runaway" from this year's It's Blitz! LP. The show only got better as the group scattered gems from It's Blitz!, 2006's Show Your Bones, and their spectacular 2003 debut Fever to Tell.

Karen frequently addressed the band replacing the originally scheduled Beastie Boys (guitarist Nick Zinner even played a riff from "So What'cha Want" from the Beastie's 1992 album Check Your Head) and how shocked they were to be there. None the less, the show was extraordinary. The trio filled the headline spot easily as jubilation from the fans filled the air when the group performed their hits "Heads Will Roll," "Zero," and a very special "Maps" in which Karen O. cheerily forgot the words to her most famous song.

In all, day two embarrassingly surpassed day one. The music was nearly perfect along with the weather and fans, creating an unforgettable atmosphere in the park. And with my luck still prevailing that trend would continue to day three.

Best Performances: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Delta Spirit

Worst Performances: Quinn Sullivan

Highlight: "Staring at the Sun" by TV on the Radio

Lowlight: Skipping Animal Collective.

Day Three Review Tomorrow

Official Lollapalooza 2009 Countdown (Pt. IV)

Continuing the countdown of my Top Ten Must-See Lollapalooza Acts we take a look at Brooklyn's TV on The Radio.

#4: TV on The Radio

Since the release of TV on The Radio's Young Liars EP back in 2003 it has been considerably difficult to pinpoint exactly what the band sounds like. Alternative is too easy; it's a solid collaboration of indie rock and electronic fusion, with influences of punk, funk, and jazz to round the sound out.

The band's 2006 landmark release Return to Cookie Mountain (named album of the year by Pitchfork and Spin Magazine) and the single "Wolf Like Me" (a must-see performance here on Letterman) continued to launch the band's name in the music stratosphere. Their 2008 album Dear Science (named album of the year by Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine, again) solidified the band's position in music today.

The band will be performing Saturday, August 8 (Day Two) on the Budweiser Stage at 6:30. The band will also be performing a sold out aftershow with Chairlift at the Double Door August 7 at 10:00.

TV on The Radio - Dancing Choose


#3: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Yeah Yeah Yeahs were a late addition to the Lollapalooza bill as a desperate last-second measure taken by the festival's organizers to replace fellow NYC act Beastie Boys after the group had to cancel all of their remaining summer tour dates. Yet, as it stands, Yeah Yeah Yeahs still standout as one of the can't miss acts of the weekend.

The group's recent album release, It's Blitz!, was a maturation from the band's previous efforts. Although while Karen O and Co. sound has definitely changed since the group's astounding 2003 debut Fever to Tell, and 2006's Show Your Bones, the band remains one of the biggest staples in indie and alternative music.

The band (as one of the six headliners) will be performing Saturday, August 8 (Day Two) on the Budweiser Stage at 8:30.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Replace Beastie Boys at Lollapalooza

Only one day after news of Adam Yauch's cancerous tumor and the Beastie Boys cancelling all their remaining Summer tour dates, Lollapalooza has already scheduled the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to replace the New York rappers for their Satuday night (August 8) show.

Prior to the release of the Lollapalooza scheduled the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were mentioned to be near locks for the Chicago festival, but were left off the initial billing.

As for the remainder of the Beastie Boys cancelled shows, including All Points West and Austin City Limits, word on a replacement has not been named as of yet.

More news to come ...

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs Video - "Heads Will Roll"

"Heads Will Roll," the 2nd video released off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs most recent LP It's Blitz! debuted earlier today. The werewolf seems to be the principle difference between this video and the one for "Zero."

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Videos; Phoenix, M. Ward, and, well, guess.

Got a slew of new and somewhat new videos for you today from Stereogum, Pitchfork, and My Old Kentucky Blog.

Lucky me got a copy of Phoenix's new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix from a friend last week and I was very pleased with the results. Apparently, the band also scheduled a Bonnaroo date this summer to support the album. Here's a video from the album's latest single "Lisztomania," courtesy of Pitchfork TV.

Phoenix - Lisztomania



Here's the second video from M. Ward's latest album Hold Time, "Rave On" a Buddy Holly cover featuring the indie-explosion that is Zooey Deschanel on backup vocals.



And, for about the 15th day in a row, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have given a live television performance. This one, however, is a little special. The Brooklyn group didn't perform their regular "Zero" off of It's Blitz! on Fallon last night, but rather a deceptive "Heads Will Roll." The results never the less seem to be as good as usual.

Wednesday; Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Doves

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been artfully terrorizing the NYC scene with their Saturday performance on SNL, last night's stint on Letterman, and their upcoming debut on Fallon, promoting their recent It's Blitz! release.

Gone is Karen O's signature "Zero" leather jacket along with Saturday Night Live's crappy music production category. For those who may not realize it, well, we really don't need to go over the details again. (SNL vs. Colbert Performances).

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero (Live on Letterman)



Doves also had a duel performance on Later... With Jools Holland (oh yeah, so did Yeah Yeah Yeahs) of "Winterhill" and "Kingdom of Rust" off of their recently released album of the same name.

Monday; Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I hope everyone that cares had at least an adequate Easter/Passover/Godless weekend, that being said mine was also adequate, yet fulfilling. Details are pointless, just make up the story yourself.

Anyway, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as everyone else has already cued in on, performed on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live with host Zach Efron, who was surprisingly funny and was lucky enough to host one of the best episodes this season. The band themselves performed "Zero" from their recently released It's Blitz! LP, but went with their staple hit "Maps" off of 2003's Fever to Tell instead of their recent LP's second single. Judge, please.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero (Live on SNL)



Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Live on SNL)