Bears And Bullets Songs Of The Year (#25-#1)

And here it is, the final piece in the all-too-lovable list week: Bears And Bullets Top 50 Songs Of The Year, numbers 25 through one.

Bears And Bullets Albums Of The Year (#25-11)

Now that the Honorable Mentions are out of the way, here's the official Bears and Bullets Top Albums of 2012 list (part one):

The Shins perform on Conan

Last night The Shins performed "No Way Down" and an exclusive performance of "The Rifle's Spiral" on Conan in support of their ongoing Port Of Morrow tour. Check out both performances below.

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

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 ...

New Shins video - No Way Down

The newest video from The Shins most recent single "No Way Down" from the band's Port of Morrow, simply features James Mercer and the rest of the new members practicing in what appears to be their cabin-side studio. Check it out below, and grab the album now via Sub Pop.

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.
 

Wednesday Bears: Albums of the Month - March 2012

Albums of the Month - March 2012

After hitting a snag in January and seemingly going through the motions last month, March exploded. Quality albums from big names like Odd Future and Tanlines, alongside some unknown entities really made gave a lot of optimism for the remainder of 2012. Number one may not be a surprise for some of you, but the month gave us a lot of unexpected gems. Here are my favorite three.

3.) The Men - Open Your Heart

Distilled and aggressive, Open Your Heart (Insound) spills out half chaotically, half practically. The New York four-piece's sound goes through like aging punk veterans, still stout enough to seem destructive, but fluid enough to displace garage punk's DIY side. It's hard not to love The Men here, who find a median to blend all the laborious elements of clever alternative rock without flipping over a boring pass. In effect, the record sounds like it could be from anywhere between 1987 to 1995, but maybe that's part of the brilliance here - reverence without falling over itself trying to sound like Husker Du.

2.) Chromatics - Kill For Love

Luckily, we were able to hear all of Kill For Love a little before the month actually ended, so that qualifies it for the list. Blippy and atmospheric, Chromatics find their niche in Euro post-wave, with subtle instrumental effects coursing over harmonizing romanticism. It's what gave the band a good amount of hype long, long ago in 2007 with Night Drive. The long delay, however, allowed the group to create a huge amount of material - 90 minutes in fact on the new double-album - full of bright, electric, indie pop that remains startlingly consistent.

1.) The Shins - Port of Morrow

If you follow me on Twitter, this can't be a surprise. There wasn't any album scheduled for release before April of this year that had nearly as much of hype as The Shins return after a five-year absence, especially after the release of the heavy favorite lead single "Simple Song." The reformed James Mercer project sounds affectionate, although slightly less experimental than the group's previous three albums, but is so perfectly crafted and polished that there isn't any desire for it. Mercer sounds more genuine than he ever has on Port of Morrow (Insound), crafting blissful harmony between his usually impeccable song-writing. Particular cuts like "It's Only Life" stand out, and will be one of the sweetest damn songs you'll hear all year. The delay may have been too long for original material, but if all that time means we get something this good, then it'll always be worth it.

New Shins - Pariah King

Port of Morrow, arguably the most-hyped album so far this year, will be finally be fully released tomorrow, and things seem overwhelmingly positive. Not appearing on the album will be "Pariah King," this experimental bonus cut that for one reason or another, won't end up on The Shins' album. Stream it below.

Monday Bears: The Shins on SNL

Port of Morrow is gathering more and more hype as one of the biggest releases of early 2012 with the Shins emphatic return of "Simple Song." Before the Tuesday, March 20 scheduled release, James Mercer and the rest of the reformed band played the aforementioned single and "It's Only Life" on last weekend's Saturday Night Live. Watch both performances below.

The Shins - Simple Song (Live on SNL)



The Shins - It's Only Life (Live on SNL)

New Shins video - Simple Song

Yesterday it was announced that The Shins would be the next in a seemingly growing line of indie-centric musical guests on Saturday Night Live, for better or for worse. Assuming the vocal majority of "nothing is good enough for me" internet commentators don't decide to unsympathetically rip them apart because they are who they are, the performance hopes to be solid.

Check out the new video from the band's huge lead-single "Simple Song" below, starring a dead James Mercer and his jerkoff family.

Monday Bears: New Shins - September

Things got exciting a few weeks back when The Shins returned with their first new material in nearly five years with the exceptional "Simple Song." In addition to the recently reunited group (still led by James Mercer, but with different band members along the way) scheduling a handful of tour dates, including Coachella and Sasquatch! appearances, the band released the B-Side to "Simple Song" earlier today, "September."

The "Simple Song/September" 7" will be available February 14 via Columbia Records. You can watch the lyric video for "September" below, and pre-order The Shins upcoming album Port of Morrow here.

Friday Bears: Sasquatch! 2012 lineup revealed

Sasquatch!, held every year in the Pacific Northwest, isn't regarded as one of the bigger music festivals in the United States, but is usually regarded as one of the best.

Last year, festival organizers enlisted the talents of the Foo Fighters, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, and lot more over the course of four (yes, four) days. While that may be fairly impressive for what isn't regarded as one of the year's bigger events, this year's does boast a fairly heavy - although not as top-heavy - lineup, which you can read in it's entirety here.

Notables in this year's lineup include, but are not limited to Jack White, whose solo album is set to debut a few weeks before the fest, and is the first confirmed show of the ex-White Stripe. Alongside White will be Bon Iver, who seem to be on pace to play every festival this year, the ever-elusive Beck, The Shins, Tenacious D, The Roots, and native heroes Shabazz Palaces, among many others, including comedy acts.

Tickets are on sale now for $315. The event will take place May 25-28

Coachella 2012 Lineup Revealed

As you probably have already heard, the first big music festival of 2012 released its lineup early today, and as you can see from above ... Coachella looks to the biggest event of the year. Not only has the Indio, California festival has enlisted Radiohead, The Black Keys, and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg as the three primary headliners, but recently reunited At The Drive-In, Pulp, Justice, The Shins, Bon Iver and a crap-ton more have also made the list. Which, by the way, is a bit different this year.

If you haven't heard already (as I had no idea), Coachella is going to take place over two weekends. The lineups won't change from the weekends of April 13-15 to 20-22, but the artists will be playing twice because of overwhelming ticket sales.

Before I get into whatever inclinations this will have for Lollapalooza later this summer, I will affectionately say that this is absolutely the best festival lineup I've seen since Lollapalooza 2008. It's really just astonishing to look at.

Anyway, Coachella usually has a heavy layover of acts for Lolla. Last year, 31 of the 170-plus Coachella acts ended up playing both festivals, with roughly an 18 percent carryover rate. However, of those acts, none were considered the headliners. That doesn't bode fairly well for those hoping that Radiohead would make the Chicago date, but it doesn't completely rule them out.

If there are any tickets left, do your best. They'll be gone fast.

Monday Bears: New Shins - Simple Song

Only a few months from the release of The Shins last album since 2007 (really), the Portland group have released the first single from the upcoming Port of Morrow (available tomorrow for pre-order tomorrow with exclusive versions of "Simple Song"). There isn't much of an aesthetic departure from 2007's Wincing the Night Away, despite the changes in the group. "Simple Song" is incredibly catchy and engaging, or, James Mercer-esque. Listen below.

Monday Bears: Philly's Popped! Music Festival is back

On hiatus since 2008, organizers of Philadelphia's Popped! Music Festival announced plans to return later this year.

The revamped line-up is fairly indie-friendly, fronted by the recently reunited Shins, Girl Talk, and Pretty Lights. Other notable acts set to perform include: Panda Bear, The Hold Steady, Titus Andronicus, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Rakim, Black Thought, and more. You can check the already scheduled acts here.

Other acts will be added to the bill in the coming weeks. If you catch on right now, Ticketmaster is offering $25 off two-day passes for a modest $90 or $175 for VIP passes for the September 23-24 dates.