New Best Coast video - The Only Place

Best Coast's ode to their California upbringing, "The Only Place," was given its video debut from director Ace Norton, showcasing Bethany Cosentino and Bob Bruno doing normal things that happen to be in California. Check it out below.

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.

Monday Bears: Bears and Bullets Fourth of July Free Mix!

Happy Fourth everyone. For today, I thought I'd offer something a little different; a free mixtape (haven't done that in a while).

The songs don't have any particular Fourth of July tinge or any super-American inflection behind them. They're just a bunch of songs that fit particularly well for summer 2011. You can check out the tracklist and grab the download below.

So, enjoy.

1. Surprise Hotel - Fool's Gold
2. Vibrationz - Javelin
3. Dear Les Friends - Hotel Mexico
4. Take Me Somewhere - Tennis
5. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
6. Each and Every Day - Best Coast
7. Big Sound - Big Wave Riders
8. Bombay - El Guincho
9. Gifted - N.A.S.A (ft. Kanye West, Santigold, Lykke Li)
10. Last Night at the Jetty - Panda Bear
11. Real Life - Tanlines
12. Eyes Be Closed - Washed Out

Fourth of July Mix - MP3 (ZIP)

Tuesday Bears: New Mastodon video - Deathbound

A couple weeks ago, Adult Swim started their summer Singles Program with Ford & Lopatin and this video from Best Coast. Earlier today, the fourth selection in the singles series premiered, with Mastodon's "Deathbound," an insane take on Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood, the solar eclipse, and puppets.

Mastodon - Deathbound

Friday Bears: New Best Coast video - Gone Again

Daniel Garcia's new video for Best Coast's "Gone Again" is the second in Adult Swim's Singles Program, running since early June to August, with new videos from Mastodon, the Tallest Man on Earth, and more.

Yeah, the slow-motion and army scenario makes it seem somewhat ominous, but once the Snacks masks go on, no one should be worried.

Best Coast - Gone Again

Update: First Lollapalooza 2011 Confirmations!

Importante!

The first official news of Lollapalooza 2011 was released several hours ago. As it is every year, the three primary headlining acts are announced several weeks before the entire official lineup is released. In 2009, Jane's Addiction, Depeche Mode and Beastie Boys (who were forced to cancel) were the first headliners to be announced. Last year, Lady Gaga, Soundgarden, and Green Day were given the top billing of the annual festival. So it's safe to assume that the first three headliners will be the more popular acts of the festival so as to draw an obvious crowd.

Noting that, 2011's three primary headliners will be ...

Eminem
Muse
and Foo Fighters

Surprised? There were probable hints that Muse and Foo Fighters would be two of the six headliners, but Eminem seemed to come out of left field - much like Lady Gaga last year. There has been variable voiced disappointment over the selection, but it seems unmerited. For the past two years, many of the headliners were so-so at best, but were rounded out by terrific middle-tier acts and opposing headliners. So, maybe a knee-jerk reaction by some was a bit forced. And, for the record, I'll take those acts over Depeche Mode, Tool, Kings of Leon, Green Day, Jane's Addiction and a washed up Soundgarden on most days.

Other acts also confirmed were: Best Coast, Girl Talk, Lykke Li, and Crystal Castles.

I'll keep you up to date with more Lollapalooza rumors throughout the next few months leading up to the Chicago festival.

Best Coast bring "Each and Every Day" to Letterman

Last night, Best Coast, who are just pretty much everywhere lately, appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman with "Each and Every Day," which, by my count, is the 80th single from Crazy For You.

Bonus: You can grab the "Each and Every Day" MP3 for free exclusively at Amazon. Get to it.

Best Coast - Each and Every Day (Live on Letterman)

Tuesday Bears: New Best Coast video - Crazy For You

So for anyone who thinks the I Can Has Cheezburger cats are still irrelevant, well, they're trying to make music videos. Several kittens in a short video featuring Best Coast performing "Crazy For You" star, directing and sporting coffee and teaz for the band.

Best Coast - Crazy For You

Monday Bears: New Best Coast video - Boyfriend

Often the remedy to many of 2010's summer doldrums, Best Coast have (finally?) released the official video for their single "Boyfriend." And just like we suspected all along, the Taylor Cohen-directed video is about a Quinceañera. Typical.

Best Coast's latest album, Crazy for You, is out now via Mexican Summer.

Best Coast - Boyfriend

Monday Bears: Real Estate

Apologies for the long, unregulated break(s) that I went on last Thursday and Friday. As I usually do with my short-winded apologies, I'd like to just sever all memories from that time period and continue as I normally would, without any regard to my lazy lack of offerings.

Real Estate, a New Jersey band slowly making a name for themselves amongst the swirling new crop of acts like Best Coast and and Smith Westerns that have no directly discernible genre to plug them in to.

The video for their single "Black Lake" is not so much an actual music video, assuming the band has not yet reached that portion of their career. The group performed in front of the Tunnelvision crowd (presented by Chocolate Bobka), sponsored by Underwater Peoples and Twosyllable Records.

Real Estate - Black Lake



Real Estate - Green River - MP3

Weird Summer

The guys at Aquarium Drunkard and Gorilla vs. Bear have dished out some lovely (and long) end of summer mix tapes, full of the fuzzy sun-fusion indie surf that have given Summer 2009 such a vibrant sound.

From the Aquarium Drunkard mix we have works from The Books, Atlas Sound, Love, Otis Redding, The Magnetic Zeros, Little Joy, Best Coast, and many, many more (full tracklist here.) The mix was put together by Aquarium Drunkard creator Justin Gage and his group Mondo Boys, which Gage calls a "NY/LA mixtape/sound collage collaborative."

Mondo Boys - Weird Summer - MP3 (79.3 MB)

Or

Mondo Boys - Weird Summer - ZIP