Wednesday Bears: Phoenix continues "Love Like a Sunset"

In anticipation for their upcoming headlining gig at Madison Square Garden, Phoenix (yes, Phoenix) have released the previously unknown third installment of "Love Like a Sunset," off their 2009 album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

It's a sincere pleasure to know that Phoenix is getting the Arcade Fire treatment: after a long and critically illustrious ten-year career, they've finally established themselves as a headlining name worthy of a legitimate stage. And judging from their headline performance at last August's Lollapalooza, they certainly can pull it off.

Take a listen to "Love Like a Sunset Pt. III" below (stream).

Friday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Review - Day Three

With only one day left, and the weather turning for the worse, I took my final trip to Grant Park Sunday, August 8. Could Sunday turn my whole vacation into a pile of shit? No, not really.

Day Three:

Well, it really didn't start out too well. Early in the Chicago afternoon, the clouds had crossed over from the west, flooding the area with rain and heavy (emphasis on heavy here) winds. Leaving the Blue-Line train before noon, the rain began to careen, lets say, horizontally. Incidentally, my $5 umbrella snapped and I had to park myself inside a Barnes & Noble until it got better. Weather reports had rain in the area throughout the day, giving me two options: bitch and moan or just bear with it. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that I'd just deal with it.

Arriving slightly late, the rain lightening up a little and the wind calming, I tried to make the best of what was quickly becoming a terrible day. But I guess my luck hadn't run aptly dry just yet, because the clouds ended up subsiding. Take that every weather person that day.

Now if you read the first two parts of my review (you didn't) you'd know that I've grown to appreciate Perry's place more than the previous two years. So while day three started out a bit late, and the early schedule wasn't too much to fawn over, the long hours I spent at Perry's, jumping with crowds with the Felix Cartal, Didi Gutman and Nervo made even my down-time more than worth it.

Nervo

Yeasayer were the first big act on my radar for the day, so after another mistaken trek to the opposite side of the park (something I did before last year), I made my way back to the Budweiser stage at the north side. The sun had hit its apex at this point, reaching above 90 degrees and glaring on the Brooklyn band. Despite the newfound heat, and Yeasayer lead-singer Chris Keating's affirmation that it "never rains on this band," the show was a bit average. Maybe it was the less-than crowd reception, or the deafening heat index, but one of my more eagerly anticipated bands really just didn't jump out that afternoon.

Yeasayer

Again, I found myself stuck in a 5:00 p.m. dilemma. Erykah Badu or Frightened Rabbit? Well, if you guessed neither you'd end up being right. So, it was back to Perry's for another hour and half or so. It's worth noting that the real reason I didn't see Frightened Rabbit was because the crowd was way, way too large, by the way.

A couple more hours of Perry's under my belt, coupled with a nice surprise performance from JFK of MSTRKRFT, had changed the tone of my weekend completely. No longer had I been so compelled to run my head off, trying to catch at least a song out of every single act I had the slightest interest in, but to just relax, see who I really want, and go to Perry's in my down-time.

JFK of MSTRKRFT

I was more tired than I ever, and The Temper Trap failed to interest me enough to weather their larger-than you may think fan base, so I settled with waiting patiently for the night's final two acts: The National and Arcade Fire.

Matt Beringer and the rest of The National don't have the usual bombast of bands playing into the night and closing out stages. It's pretty well-established that their type of sound is more casually wrought for the serene closed-door crowd, with songs like "Apartment Story" and "Lemonworld" finding more seams for quiet somberness than a 20,000-plus crowd. Regardless of whether the found fit the scenario, The National are too unique and too enriching to ignore. Plus, there's zero children there.

The National

Unfortunately, I had to leave the National set early to grab an at least "not so bad" seat for Arcade Fire, seeing as how Soundgarden didn't seem so big anymore, despite what ever 30-40 year old guy there would tell you. But whatever you've heard about the Arcade Fire's live performances, they're severely understated. The band, live, is an experience - an all-enriching oeuvre of lights, energy and a youthful orchestra of raw bliss that is not matched by many other acts. Truly, after the show, I was enthralled but not overwhelmed. Looking back, however, I understand now the sheer thrill I saw not only for myself and my friends, but every single other person there that day. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Arcade Fire

And there it was; three days of pure joy, once again proving why I ever decided to go in the first place. As it is, again, I'll be counting down the days until Lollapalooza 2011. Hell, the dates are already set. See you again Chicago, August 5 - 7.

Best Performances: Arcade Fire, The National, Nervo, JFK
Worst Performances: Yeasayer

Highlights: "Crown of Love," by Arcade Fire, "Apartment Story," by the National
Lowlights: The overcrowding at the Sony Bloggie stage for Frightened Rabbit and The Temper Trap.

Thursday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Review - Day Two

Day one was an undoubted success, but if anyone is familiar with music festivals, that kind of success isn't usually long-lived. But while day two wasn't the jubilant adventure Friday, August 6 was, the dropoff was hardly noticeable. Already, 2010 was shaping up to surpass 2009.

Day Two:

The perfect weather from Friday carried over the next morning, so me waking up over an hour later than I had originally planned didn't put too much of the damper on the beginning of my day, although it did force me to miss The Morning Benders at noon. I took my first steps in Grant Park that day just fast enough to catch the beginning of Harlem's short set. Quirky, intimate and fun, the Tuscon trio crashed through quick hits from their 2008 debut Free Drugs and this year's Hippies. Although nothing really jumped out of the group's set, the show still proved to be very solid for the early afternoon.

Harlem

Ubiquitously, apathy set in after my short leave from the Sony Bloggie stage. Wild Beasts and Rogue Wave were both competing for my half-assed attention, with the former winning out. Now while I can't say for certain that Wild Beasts played a good or bad set, I can pretty much tell you I didn't care either way. With that, and the fact that Stars continued to seem less and less appealing at the time, I did what anyone else would (or should) do; go to Perry's place before I grabbed a spot for Gogol Bordello.

It's within that time that I learned my first official lesson for Lollapalooza this year: when you're bored, don't hesitate, just go to Perry's. As pedestrian as it sounds, it really is a constant string of fun - no waiting, non-stop music and unavoidable freaks by the barrel-full. It'll be something to remember for next year.

Balkan Beat Box

And then there's Gogol Bordello. For those who aren't aware of my obsession with their live act, or their devoted, energetic fan-base, Gogol Bordello is one of the most intense, blissful and heavy-hitting live acts out there. And just like 2008, the band proved to be one of the best, if not the best, non-headlining act of the weekend. It's no wonder I've now seen them more than any other group in my life.

Exhausted, covered in sweat and confetti, I decided to forgo a spot for Deer Tick and grab a better one for Spoon. As it always seems to be around five and six o'clock, the crowds begin to swelter and gather in enumerable droves at the main stages. So what came of a nice relaxing spot in the grass quickly grew into a choke-gasm behind the festival's seemingly tallest fans (they were all friends, who would have thought?).

Spoon, by the time they had begun, had proved once again that waiting is usually worth it. The Austin natives played through most of their catalog, from 1998's Series of Sneaks all the way up to this year's Transference, with the set mostly focusing from their previous two albums. Again, it wasn't a set that "blew" people away, that's not the kind of music Spoon plays, but it was eerily pitch perfect, long-lasting and invigorating all in the same time.

Spoon

With the sun beginning to set on the Chicago skyline, I only had a few choices left for the night: starve to death, see a bit of Cut Copy or wait for Phoenix. Well, I hate starving, so I got that out of the way first, and wedged a spot for Cut Copy. Apparent sound problems drove me out after the group opened up with "Lights and Music," so I made my way back to where I started. It's worth noting that Cut Copy's show was apparently one of the best of the entire festival.

I may have lost my pristine-ish spot for Phoenix, but even from where I was (not too much further back than before) I saw perhaps the best show of the entire weekend. Coming in, knowing well that this was set to be the largest show in the band's ten-year career, and the fact that they supposedly weren't going to be a headliner prior to the festival's lineup announcement, Phoenix blew all my doubts right out the window. Spanning from the group's debut album United to last year's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (still the backdrop to their shows). While I'm not sure their big enough to still headline other festivals, they certainly are capable of doing so.

Phoenix backdrop

With two fantastic days behind me, I left the park, my fingers crossed until Sunday.

Best Performances: Phoenix, Gogol Bordello
Worst Performances: Wild Beasts

Highlight: "Start Wearing Purple," by Gogol Bordello, "Written in Reverse," by Spoon, "Love Like a Sunset" and "Playground Love" (Air cover) by Phoenix.
Lowlight: None

Day Three Review Tomorrow

Wednesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Review - Day One

Lollapalooza 2010 has come and gone. And as with every year, I'll post my day-by-day in depth review of everything that happened, to me at least.

Day One:

By now, I feel comfortable calling myself a Lolla veteran. Despite the new shake-ups organizers made to the park - moving some stages and increasing size and ticket revenue - certain things about the festival have now become somewhat predictable. Now that's not me saying that I don't enjoy my time, because I certainly do, but the surprise factor has somewhat been diminished. Regardless, August 6, the festival's first full day, was one of the best I've ever had the privilege of being a part of.

The sun was out in pristine blue sky, as Chicago usually seems to this time of year, at a hot, but bearable 80 degrees. Walking in I noticed two distinct things that we're a bit different: one; the size expansion. The Lolla-area had been extended to Michigan Avenue, allowing several stages their own space, more bathrooms and easier in and out access to the park. The other was the overwhelming amount of Lady Gaga fans. They had come in black and pink droves, with colored hair, flaring costumes and skin-tight everything, parking themselves at the south side of the park for the entire day, hoping to save a seat in the enormous crowd that was growing throughout the day. It was a big change of pace for a festival that had never billed a pure mainstream pop act of this caliber. For once, the festival wasn't a haven for mislabeled hipsters and older fans looking for a fun weekend. More on that later.

So, officially, my third Lollapalooza began with Wavves at around noon. For those familiar with the band and their studio work, you'd understand the risks seeing them. Luckily, or in another sense, predictably, the band is better live than advertised. With a weekend short on surprising acts, Wavves was a good start. The noise rock trio, headed by notorious frontman Nate Williams, were a bit out there (if you know the cover of their King of the Beach album you can pretty much figure it out) for the majority of the show, accusing fans for being Ben Stein and whatnot, but they settled into their own, making them a bit more endearing than before.

Wavves

Leaving Wavves with a little time to spare, I made my way to the opposite end of the park to catch the Walkmen, the first of my many heavily anticipated performances. While the first five minutes of the show were clouded with immense, for some reason, technical difficulties, the band broke into with the first of many new tracks from their upcoming album Lisbon.

Decked in their usual casual yet formal clothing, the group, thanks most to Hamilton Leithauser's booming vocals, gave maybe the best early performance of the day, mixing in new work and more familiar singles like "In the New Year" and "The Rat" throughout the show. All in all, a pretty damn good start for just being 2:00 p.m.

The Walkmen

My eventual down-time was few and far between, but between 2:00 and 4:00 I had my first breather. I took short trips to see Ana Sia, my first visit to the updated Perry's Place, and a couple minutes with noise-gaze trio Cymbals Eat Guitars, but eventually found myself waiting for the New Pornographers to start.

Kicking off with my favorite song of theirs, "Sing Me Spanish Techno," Neko Case (draped in a sun-protecting hat), AC Newman, Dan Bejar (who came in and out often) and the rest of the group performed almost every hit they've had in their near ten-year careers, spanning from 2001's Mass Romantic to this year's Together. Needless to say, the group sounded flawless on stage, despite the direct sunlight on Case's fair frame. Friday afternoon had again spurned what would turn out to be one of the weekend's best shows.

The New Pornographers

Once 5:00 rolled around, I was caught in my first of several weekend dilemmas. Do I stay at the north side of the park and catch the Dirty Projectors? Or Fuck Buttons? Well, I knew I wasn't going to Matt & Kim on the south side so there wasn't too much worry there, so I tried my time at both and wound up just grabbing my spot for Hot Chip.

It's unfortunate to note that this was probably the only stain on day one. As I mentioned before, the plethora of Gaga fans camping out at the south end of the park eventually begun to choke the area around the main stage. And by 6:00 any person hoping to grab a spot for either Hot Chip or Gaga had to really manage their way through the sidelines. It's a shame too, because the group put on one of the best shows of the weekend, but half of time I was trying not to bump shoulders with 40,000 others. Still, it was another great show for the day.

With the first night a few hours away from closing, I geared up for day one's headliner, The Strokes. I stayed a short time at Jamie Lidell's bearded and disheveled performance, trying to rest my legs in anticipation of two and half hours of straight standing (and/or jumping). Yeah, it didn't really do much to help.

Jamie Lidell

For those who weren't aware, or don't regularly read this thing, this was the first show the Strokes had done in the United States in nearly four years. While there wasn't any new material to speak of (could be a good or a bad thing), the band seemed like they haven't spent too much time apart, performing almost their entire track list from Is This It? and several other songs from their last two albums. It's hard-pressed for Lolla headliners to put on disappointing performances, and aside from the late start and somewhat early exit (making a scheduled hour and half show into an hour and 10 minute show), The Strokes easily delivered. So for fans electing to, or adamant about staying away from anything Gaga, their night ended pretty well.

The Strokes

Best Performances: The Strokes, The New Pornographers, Hot Chip, The Walkmen
Worst Performances: None

Highlights: "Reptilia" by the Strokes, "Bleeding Heart Show" by The New Pornographers and "In the New Year" by The Walkmen
Lowlights: The Gaga crowd at Hot Chip

Day Two Review Tomorrow ...

Tuesday Bears: Back from Chicago

Well, as it always unfortunately is, Lollapalooza must come to its end. I'll post my in-depth three day review later. But for now, enjoy.

Semi-Precious Weapons (with Gaga)

Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. V

And finally, here's part V.

#2: Spoon
No, Spoon aren't one of the six headliners at Lollapalooza this year, something that speaks volume to the festival's plethora of solid mid-tier acts, or their maybe weak-ish headliners. The Austin, Texas indie-alterna veterans, now 12 years into their critically-amassed studio career, have become a staple for summer music festivals, appearing at Pitchfork Music Festival two years ago, Coachella in April, Lolla (for the third time) and Austin City Limits later this year.

It seemed that the release of 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga, that the band would be poised for an enormous breakout, similar to what Phoenix has experienced since the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix last year. While things didn't exactly pan out in the same manner (they never really do), the band is still is at the peak of their long career.

Spoon will be performing at 6:15 on the Budweiser stage, Saturday, August 7. Fans can also meet the band at 8:00 in the F.Y.E. Tent.

Spoon - The Mystery Zone (Live on KCRW)



#1: Arcade Fire
Six years and only three studio albums to their credit, the Arcade Fire are in a unique place - too big for the indie scene and still too small, obscure and profound for the big markets. While it remains to be seen that this will be the zenith of their careers, the band has certainly reached a point of critical profoundness.

I guess it's somewhat ironic that I ended up posting this today, the same day the group releases their third album The Suburbs. I've heard bits and pieces, but have to get my hands on a full copy of the release. But from what I've heard (and numerous others have) the band does not disappoint. Surely, during Lollapalooza, for those who aren't obsessed with Lady Gaga, the Arcade Fire may end up being the biggest thing all weekend.

The Arcade Fire - We Used to Wait - MP3

Well, that wraps up this year's top ten list. I'll be heading off pretty soon, so Bears and Bullets will be on its annual hiatus. Stay tuned next week for my in-depth review of the festival.

Stay cool kids ...

Monday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. IV

The final day before my departure is here, so I better be quick with this whole list thing. Here's part IV.

#4: Phoenix
The French quintet has basically been everywhere since the release of the critically and commercially successful Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix release last year. The group, however, has pumped out several LP's since their 2000 debut United. While it has been a slow and steady climb, the band has seemed to reach their surprising peak.

Phoenix made appearances at Bonnaroo and Coachella in the past, but 2010 will be the first time in the group's ten-year history at Lollapalooza. For a band that seemed to be so underrated by many for the better part of last decade, Phoenix are now sharing the headlining spotlight with five of the festival's biggest acts - likely for the largest show of their career.

Phoenix will close out the second night of the festival on the Budweiser stage at 8:30, Saturday, August 7. Fans can also meet the band at 5:30 at the F.Y.E. Tent the same day.

Phoenix - 1901



#3: The Strokes
A band I'd begun to think I'd never have the pleasure of seeing, The Strokes (and not just Julian Casablancas or Albert Hammond Jr's solo work) are over four years-removed from their last produced work as a cohesive unit. First Impressions on Earth, the group's third studio record, seemed for a while to be the last anybody would hear from the suddenly iconic New York garage-rock group.

News of the quintet have been low, aside from various solo and side projects, since their last release. In 2009, word of a new album from the whole group had been rumored, but nothing was made official until earlier this year. Along with news of a new album (expected release some time next month), the Strokes also announced they'd be playing their first shows in the states in nearly half a decade. Though new shows are few and far between, the group is set to be one of Lolla's primary headliners.

The group will close out the first night of the festival on the Budweiser stage at 8:30, Friday, August 6. You can also catch the band at the Outside Lands and Austin City Limits festivals later this year.

The Strokes - You Only Live Once



Check in Later for Part V ...

Friday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. III

Another day, another day closer to departure. Here's part three of Bears and Bullets Lollapalooza 2010 countdown.

#6: Hot Chip
As with The New Pornographers, English pop-dance-whatever group Hot Chip are making their first Lollapalooza appearance since 2006. Since the group's first appearance, the sounds of Alexis Taylor and a small amount of revolving members have achieved a slow progression through 2008's Made in the Dark and this year's One Life Stand, with songs like "Ready for the Floor" and "Shake a Fist" that we in the blog world have heard about probably a thousand times over.

Regardless, the group's dynamics and well-regarded live prowess push them to the middle of this year's list. Plus, I haven't seen them. Hot Chip will be performing at 6:00 on the Parkways stage, Friday, August 6.

Hot Chip - I Feel Better



#5: The National
If it hasn't been mentioned enough this year already, The National have become a pretty big deal. For the band's first studio release since 2007's The Boxer, 2010's High Violet have all-but affirmed their continuing climb up the indie music echelon.

On a short return from their last Lollapalooza performance in 2008, The National are set again to finish off the last night of the festival on the north side of the park, on the Playstation stage at 7:15, on Sunday, August 8. Side note; fans can meet the band at 4:30 on that Sunday for autographs at the F.Y.E. Tent.

The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio



Check in Monday for Parts IV and V ...

Thursday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. II

As the days to Lollapalooza 2010 swiftly approach, we continue the list of my top ten must-see acts of the festival. And now, here's part two.

#8: The Walkmen

A relatively under-billed, for some reason, act at this year's festival, The Walkmen are on the cusp of releasing what is expected to be another stellar album to their frequently filled catalog. Five years after the group broke into the hearts of indie-philes everywhere with their dynamic, and all-engrossing single "The Rat", The Walkmen, led by lead-singer Hamilton Leithauser are on the cusp of yet another studio release, Lisbon.

The new album, scheduled for release in September, via Fat Possum Records, is a continuation of the matured sound from 2008's You & Me, with plenty of modern saloon-esque horns cascading the slow decadence of Leithauser's surprisingly booming voice. For more on Lisbon, you can read an NPR highlight on the band's new works here.

The Walkmen will be performing at 1:00 on the Adidas Mega stage, Friday, August 6.

The Walkmen - Stranded - MP3

#7: The New Pornographers

Canadian super-group The New Pornographers - led by singer-songwriters AC Newman, Dan Bejar and Neko Case, who made her own appearance at Lollapalooza last year - will be making their first appearance at the festival as a whole group in four years.

After a successful string of critically acclaimed albums released in the first half of the 2000's, The New Pornographers, coupled with their various side projects, took a bit of a side-step with their somewhat disappointing 2007 release, Challengers. Fast-forward three years, and you have Together, a collective reshaping of the band back to the enduring sounds fans first experienced with Mass Romantic.

The group will be performing at 4:00 on the Budweiser Stage, Friday, August 6. Together is out now via Matador Records.

The New Pornographers - Crash Years (Live on Fallon)

Check in tomorrow for Part III ...

Wednesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. I

That heavily-anticipated time of year has finally drifted within the week. Next Tuesday, August 3, I'll make my annual departure to Chicago for Lollapalooza. If you don't know that by now, well, now you do. And as with the coming days, I'll give out my list of my ten most anticipated acts of the festival.

Now keep in mind, because of schedule restrictions and conflicts, that seeing literally every act I wish would be utterly impossible. So, there will, unfortunately, be some omissions in this list; including: The Black Keys, Grizzly Bear, and others.

So to start my list, we'll highlight two artists that made my first official top ten list, Gogol Bordello and Yeasayer.

#10: Gogol Bordello
Eugene Hutz and Co. are somewhat frequent here (considering how much I adored them in 2008), so me seeing them as much as I can always ends up being a must. The group, an eclectic mix of European, Asian and American gypsy punks (the only title that works) are well-known for their electric live shows and rampant fan base.

Fresh off the release of their fifth studio album, Trans-Continental Hustle, Gogol Bordello will be performing at 3:45 on the Parkways stage, on Saturday, August 7.

Gogol Bordello - Immigraniada (Live on Jools Holland)



#9: Yeasayer
Another act I first saw at Lolla 2008, Yeasayer have gained a little more recognition in the past few years, especially after the release of their Odd Blood last February. Over those years, the group's sound has evolved from slow, psychedelic jams from their All Hour Symbols album in 2007, to a more flexible electro-pop.

The group will be performing at 4:00 on the Budweiser stage, Sunday, August 8.

Yeasayer - O.N.E.



Part II will be continued tomorrow ...

Tuesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 schedule revealed

Now I have nothing left to wait for but my annual Chicago vacation.

Lollapalooza announced earlier today their official schedule for their 2010 festival with their usual assortment of conflicting set times and empty hours. Let's break it all down:

Day One: Friday, August 6 marks the opening day of the festival, and is jam-packed, unlike last year's lackluster opening day. Noise-something duo Wavves will start my festival early at 12:15 p.m., with The Walkmen, playing a surprisingly early 1:00 p.m. set shortly following. Raphael Saadiq, The Big Pink and Cymbals Eat Guitars all follow until 4:00 p.m., when fans will have to decide between The New Pornographers and Devo.

Shortly following, we encounter another Day One conflict; Fuck Buttons, Matt & Kim and The Dirty Projectors will all begin their sets at 5:00 p.m. Only an hour later, The Black Keys and Hot Chip will begin their sets, with Jamie Lidell starting at 6:30.

Day One will be closed out by The Strokes and Lady Gaga.

Day Two: Compared to Day One, Day Two is a relative breeze. It starts with the Morning Benders at noon, for a measly half-hour set, then Harlem and Rogue Wave begin at 1:00 p.m. Then, I expect to cruise through Stars, Gogol Bordello, Grizzly Bear, Deer Tick, Spoon and Cut Copy, all the way until Phoenix headlines at 8:30.

It's worth noting that Green Day, who is the other Day Two headliner, will play a two hour and 15 minute set - the longest set I've seen scheduled for a long time.

Day Three: Day Three looks a bit more like Day One, with a handful of conflicts arising at the end of the day.

It starts with HEALTH and The Antlers at 11:30 a.m. through noon, then Dodos, The Cribs and Blitzen Trapper play at 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Then, another conflict; indie-upstarts Freelance Whales, Minus the Bear and Mumford & Sons all begin at 3:00 p.m. So, choose wisely.

Yeasayer begin their set at 4:00 p.m., in what turned out to be a pretty easy choice. However, at 5:00 p.m., another conflict a-la Day One arises. Frightened Rabbit, Erykah Badu and MUTEMATH all begin at the same time, so again, think carefully.

Then, another series of conflicts: at 6:00 p.m., MGMT and Wolfmother both perform. While this decision may be a little easier for some people, MGMT have a just reputation to suck live. That being said, The Temper Trap also begin their performance at 6:30 p.m. The National follow at 7:15 p.m., and then The Arcade Fire and Soundgarden will close out the festival.

So that's the jist of it, except for Perry's Place. You can check out the entire schedule below, or just head over the festival website.

Day One (Friday):

Day Two (Saturday):

Day Three (Sunday):