Yeah yeah, so we’ve been busy and neglected Bembang, what with the holidays, moving, trips to Rome and Amsterdam (Brian), Taiwan and the Philippines (Lille), Chicago and Mexico (Araceli). But even from the remotest mountain in Baguio I have time to post the just-announced Coachella lineup. I’m not super excited about the lineup, but Sunday seems doable. See you guys there?
FRIDAY APRIL 16: Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Public Image Limited, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Benny Benassi, Fever Ray, Grace Jones, She & Him, Erol Alkan, The Avett Brothers, Calle 13, The Whitest Boy Alive, The Cribs, La Roux, Yeasayer, Lucero, DJ Lance Rock, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Proxy, Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, Wolfgang Gartner, Aeroplane, Iglu & Hartly, Sleigh Bells, P.O.S., Baroness, Hockey, Little Dragon, White Rabbits, Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall as Lions, Jets Overhead, Alana Grace, Pablo Hassan.
SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Muse, Faith No More, Tiësto, MGMT, David Guetta, The Dead Weather, Hot Chip, Devo, Coheed and Cambria, Kaskade, 2Many DJ’s, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Gossip, Z-Trip, The xx, John Waters, Les Claypool, The Raveonettes, Mew, Sia, Camera Obscura, Tokyo Police Club, Porcupine Tree, Old Crow Medicine Show, Aterciopalados, Bassnectar, Frightened Rabbit, Dirty South, Flying Lotus, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pretty Lights, Shooter Jennings, RX Bandits, The Almighty Defenders, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Craze & Klever, Zoe, The Temper Trap, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Girls, Beach House, Steel Train, Frank Turner.
SUNDAY, APRIL 18: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke????, Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, De La Soul, Julian Casablancas, Plastikman, Gary Numan, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, MUTEMATH, Deerhunter, Infected Mushroom, Club 75, Matt & Kim, The Big Pink, Gil Scott-Heron, King Khan and the Shrines, Florence and the Machine, Yann Tiersen, Little Boots, Miike Snow, Talvin Singh, Ceu, B.o.B., Babasonicos, Owen Pallett, The Glitch Mob, Mayer Hawthorne, Local Natives, Rusko, The Middle East, Hadouken!, The Soft Pack, Kevin Devine, Paparazzi, Delphic, One EskimO.
Tickets for COACHELLA go on sale Friday, January 22 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations and www.coachella.com. Three-day weekend passes are $269, plus surcharges. More details on layaway, camping options and up-to-the minute information, can be found at www.coachella.com.
I interviewed Peaches for The Onion here. In the interview she talks about Lady Gaga possibly ripping her off, and fans who try to touch her inapporpriately, however that goes for Peaches. Tonight she’s going to be in Chicago! Next week it will be Los Angeles. Here’s an outtake from the interview:
Lille/The AV Club: Most of the reviews of this tour talk about the high level of energy.
Peaches: It’s just something that I do, actually. I have an entertainment disease (laughs). I just think if you’re nervous and you hold it back if you’re doing a live show, it takes more energy [then letting it all out]. I think I’m on top of my game in my live show and my music. Right now I have a full band, costumes, homemade lasers.
11.20.2009 Chicago, Metro - Smart Bar
11.28.2009 Los Angeles, The Wiltern
I’ve been listening to Wax Tailor all day today trying to figure out what his music sounds like, exactly. The French hip-hop & trip-hop producer/DJ Wax Tailor (aka Jean-Christophe Le Saoût) makes music with a touch of everything — jazz, hip/trip-hop, soul, even bebop. It’s like RJD2/Massive Attack meets Moloko/Dido/Portishead — all downtempo, smooth grooves. Adam says his music has a hint of Chess Records’ old-school sheen to it. Whatever it is, it’s pretty hooky, and worth checking out tomorrow at the Troubadour.
Wax Tailor is promoting his third album “IN THE MOOD FOR LIFE.” Here’s the audio album trailer so you can preview all the tracks from one MP3. Here’s a free download of the first single off the album “Say Yes (feat ASM)”. Watch out for a review of the show, too.
Let’s be honest. If you paid for a three-day ticket, by Sunday morning you will be fucking exhausted. You will be cranky. It will have probably rained twice in two days but yet it’s still 90+ degrees out and humid as all hell. We’re here to make your decisions for you:
Friendly Fires OR Yello Fever OR RaRaRiot
Araceli:I may leave it up to a coin toss. Let’s see, Friendly Fires or RaRaRiot…and it’s heads! RaRaRiot it is!!! (ok, I didn’t really flip a coin, but it’s hard choice, Friendly Fires would perhaps be more lively, but RaRaRiot has a great song I want to hear live. (ditto on the press tent, perfect viewing spots too, though Bonnaroo’s VIP camp site was pretty awesome)
Brian: I have to go with the amorphous anthemic poly-rhythmic Friendly Fires — they pump the kind of electro-funk that have made !!!, Cut Copy, and Hot Chip my favorite live experiences of the past few years. This may very well be the best show of the day.
Lille: Did you know that Lollapalooza has the best press tents? They have free granola bars, fresh fruit, FREE BOOZE. Guess where I’m going to be?
Consensus: If you have press credentials make sure to make it really obvious to everyone who paid: eat your free food and drink your free booze in plain sight for all the cultural groundlings to see. Also mention to everyone you’re only at Lolla because it’s free for you.
Kaiser Chiefs OR He Say, She Say OR The Airborne Toxic Event
Araceli:Once again, I’m tagging along with Brian (let’s see this white boy dance!)
Brian: I don’t care for the Kaiser Chiefs — I’m amazed they’re still around. I’m sticking to the dance-your-ass-off trail and checking out Chicago’s electro-partystarters He Say She Say.
Lille: When in doubt, I always choose the foreign band, just because I never know when they’re going to be in town. I haven’t heard anything new from Britpoprockers Kaiser Chiefs in YEARS, but I did like that one song…what was it called….
Consensus: I predict a riot… at the He Say She Say stage.
The Raveonettes OR The Hood Internet OR Gang Gang Dance OR Dan Deacon
Araceli:Dan Deacon can kiss my ass. I’m Gang Gang Dance. Laters.
Brian: As it was at Pitchfork, it is at Lolla. Girltalk killed at Pitchfork and played Lolla’s best set last year. Spazzy Dan Deacon drew nutso crowds at Pitchfork, he will be a most entertaining show here. I guarantee mash-up kings Hood Internet will be doing an aftershow somewhere during Lolla weekend — in a setting like this they won’t do much beyond play their singles on a computer.
Lille: I’ve seen Dan Deacon before, and I never know if his sets as performance art stand up with repeated views. However, I’n sure they’re better than the snoozefest from Denmark, surfrockers Raveonettes
Consensus: Dan Deacon: loved by some, baffling to others, blogged by all.
Neko Case OR Glitch Mob OR Vampire Weekend
Araceli:Neko Case? BORING! Vampire Weekend? DOUCHE BAGS…who the hell is Glitch Mob? Let’s find out. Damn, good thing no one reads this blog…I don’t mean to be this harsh-–bad week.
Brian: To witness Neko Case live in the flesh is beyond description. She has a powerful voice that soars mellifluously through even the worst P.A. systems. Vampire Weekend has yet to prove live chops despite having great songwriting abilities. (I just wanted to use the word meliflous.)
Lille: I love Neko Case! She saved my life at Northern California festival Earthdance last year; she was like a military general commanding a sea of dirty hippies. It was awesome.
Consensus: Neko Case pwns the granola crowd, Ezra Koenig’s feelings are hurt, Glitch Mob get a new fan.
Dan Auerbach OR Boys Noise Or Passion Pit OR Cold War Kids
Araceli:Brian killed himself because he couldn’t choose? Be a man!! I love Cold War Kids, but Passion Pit is pretty fun.
Brian: Honestly. You can’t make a bad choice here. You can make a BETTER choice, but not a bad one. Too many decisions —> brain aneurysm —> Brian involuntarily chooses death.
Lille: Fifty percent of the Black Keys is still 100 percent fun. Dan Auerbach FTW!
Consensus: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lou Reed OR Deerhunter Or Snoop Dogg
Araceli:I saw this incredible Andy Warhol exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco this Spring. I fell in love with Lou Reed there, so I shall see him.
Brian: I tend to get all the deer and wolf bands confused. Does Lou Reed do Velvets covers? I’m would think so. Lolla is a big, generally uniformed, audience… most big names do “greatest hits” type sets so count me in. If it’s just his solo stuff, I’ll pass. Yes, I have just lost cred points.
Lille: How can you go wrong with Lou Reed? Even if you’re not a fan of his solo work (a lot of which is awesome), the Velvet Underground is the backbone of most art rock these days, and you have to pay your respects.
Consensus: Witness the progenitor of modern rock take a walk on the slightly wild side.
Band of Horses OR MSTRKRFT Or Silversun Pickups
Araceli:I hate when bands play more than one date. Nap time.
Brian: Meh. Band of Horses. Could be a nice, sit on the lawn, recovery type set.
Lille: Gah. Back to the press tent and free booze!
Consensus: Naps and Food
Jane’s Addiction OR The Killers
Araceli:Jane’s all the way. (Brian, you’re saying that out of spite. I suppose it’s because you’re not from the West Coast).
Brian: Perry Ferrell once again over-estimates how much people like him. He booked his lackluster Satellite Party last year for a late-afternoon set, now he books his own comeback as the 2009 closer. Sorry. I choose Killers.
Lille: I hate the Killers as much as I love Jane’s Addiction. I disagree with Brian; I think Perry Farrell can still bring it. Go if only to say, “I saw a Jane’s Addiction reunion show, not a lowly band derivative.”
Consensus: Don’t choose shows based on spite; there’s a reason why “Jane Says (live)”, is available on every jukebox in the country.
Araceli, Brian, and Lille tell you what performances to see on Friday night at Lollapalooza, or at what times you’re better off just dying than watching a crap lineup.
White Lies OR Builders and the Butchers OR The Gaslight Anthem
Araceli:Perfect time for brunch
Brian: If I went out the night before, I may as well (might) be dead at this point.
Lille: I like White Lies! Their lead singer is like a hobbit. Oh, wait, I’m thinking of White Rabbits.
Consensus: Sleep if you have to; if not, let your hangover lead the way.
Bon Iver OR Heartless Bastards
Araceli:Bon Iver, no doubt! (er, not thee no doubt, but bearded guitar man)
Brian: Heartless Bastards. I’ve heard, like, “buzz”, about them. Bon Iver is beautiful but sleeepy… sleeeeeeeeeepy
Lille: Bastards! I love both bands and have seen them both TWICE, but I’ve seen Bon Iver deliver more complete and nurturing sets. The drummer of the Heartless Bastards looks like Uncle Fester.
Consensus: 50/50 — go to the stage nearest you.
Ben Folds OR The Virgins OR Sound Tribe Sector 9
Arceli:Kill me now…
Brian: French Ennui purveyors The Virgins beat out death… but barely. (Ed. Note: They’re not French. I don”t know who I was thinking of. My bad.)
Lille: Anything BUT effin Sound Tribe Sector 9, aka the most disgusting band with the most disgusting fans on earth.
AraceliI’ve already seen the YYY’s mini-me version perform live, and I’ve heard the name: Asher Roth too many times at work to know this white boy better move out the way. I’m heading for a tranquil evening with Fleet Foxes
Brian: This is the defining show-split for Friday – You will be able to look at EACH PERSON AT LOLLAPALOOZA and know which of these three stages they will be at. I choose Crystal Castles, because I like girls that (have) bang(s).
Lille: I love Fleet Foxes but I might catch something from their dreadlocked audience…so I choose Asher Roth just to be contrarian. Even though I think his music is shite.
Consensus: Fleet Foxes (Please note, each one of us chose a different stage — unplanned! Swear to God. -BHB)
The Decemberists OR A-Trak OR Thievery Corporation
AraceliI want a nice peaceful death, so catch me at The Decemberists
Brian: ‘Cemberists. A-Trak is just doing a DJ set, and Thievery Corp.’s been at Lolla every year and I still don’t care.
Lille: I’ve been bored at too many Decemberists shows to ever want to see their pseudo-literary songs and their bowties again. I choose SLEEP.
Araceli:Of Montreal, sitting waaaayyyyyyy back from the theatrics
Brian: Of Montreal. Crazy. Ass. Stageshow. I love me some Chicag0-based Bird, but I’ve seen him a bunch of times — the smaller setting the better.
Lille: You guys are insane. Of Montreal is faker than Flaming Lips. Andrew Bird can have my babies any day.
Consensus: Of Montreal, by some fluke of bad taste
Kings of Leon OR Depeche Mode
AraceliThis is a tough one. I’ve seen them both live many times, KOL probably more cause all they ever do is tour, but damn those boys are CALIENTE, no joke. If you want to talk about stageshow, those dudes got it. Just the thought of what their latest hair-do’s has me breaking a sweat. Don’t even get me started on the chest hair. But I know by now, all the bro’s will be at KOL, so I’ll be at Depeche Mode, and catch my Los Angeles godfathers in full-force.
Brian: ‘peche-mo
Lille: DM! Of course! And this time I don’t want anyone getting an allergy attack and going to the paramedic tent during “Personal Jesus.” Hear that, Araceli?
1) I’ve never seen No Doubt live, even though it was my favorite band from 1995-2002 If … I had seen a lot of No Doubt shows in my youth, I would probably not have been as blown away by Gwen Stefani and company. The venue wasn’t gigantic; it housed thousands, but it wasn’t an arena. But we were seven rows away, and I could see her sweat glistening off her abs, the fake lashes, the hulking skulking way she danced around the stage. Although she opened the set with a bum microphone (they had to switch mics THREE TIMES during “Spiderwebs,” we didn’t hear anything until the chorus! WTF?) I was transported to my 15-year-old self again, waiting for No Doubt videos to come on MTV.
2) I watch a lot of shows — maybe two or three a week. If… I didn’t watch so many concerts as a music journalist, I would probably not have had a good point of comparison for No Doubt. As it was, I was totally blown away by the production value of No Doubt’s set. The visuals were created with After-Effects. The lighting was impeccable. The sound was full. The whole band looked great — everyone was in black and white outfits, Gwen Stefani had three costume changes. Everyone PERFORMED.
No one was in a dirty shirt, no one was looking to the ground while playing guitar. Tony Kanal jumped four feet into the air while playing bass, and still connected with the audience. I had forgotten what it was like to watch a really good, produced show — watching someone with money to spend on lights, clothes and sound makes for a really entertaining experience. I love watching a show that’s light years away from what a recorded album feels like, and the difference between a regular concert and a show like Monday’s No Doubt show is like the difference between going to Disneyland and going on rides at a county fair.
3) I have no qualms about going to reunion shows of bands I love. If … I were a purist, I would avoid reunion tours because of the bands’ motivation. Whether or not a band is performing because they need money, even to an audience that they rejected years ago, is irrelevant. I can accept nostalgia acts because I grew up abroad and didn’t have a chance to see any of these great bands before I lived in the States. So whenever I hear that a band that was super important to me — the Police, the Pixies, Smoking Popes — is touring again, I jump at the chance to see them. “Tragic Kingdom” was my 1995 soundtrack. When I started dating my first real boyfriend, we broke up and got back together constantly — so much so that he appropriated “Ex-Girlfriend” and called it my song. In 2002, my father, my sister, my brother and I went on a road trip around North Luzon; we listened to No Doubt’s “Rock Steady” and Bob Marley’s “Legend”constantly because it was our only musical middle ground. After my father passed away, I stopped listening to “Rock Steady,” because it would always make me sad.
So is No Doubt relevant in my life RIGHT NOW? Maybe not. But does it mean I love them any less? Not at all.
4. I love watching shows in big cities. If… I weren’t in a great big metropolitan area, I wouldn’t have seen Shirley Manson, Garbage’s lead singer, sing “Stand and Deliver” with No Doubt. In LA they can pull out various celebrities at concerts, giving it that extra ooomph. When Shirley Manson came out (braless, natch), the hairs on both my arms stood up and my friends and I couldn’t stop screaming. Oh. My. God.
I walked out of the Gibson Amphitheatre (formerly Universal) exhilarated, with my ears ringing and a pulled calf muscle from jumping around so much. We had boss seats (thanks Annette!) I can’t remember the last show I enjoyed this much. Well, maybe Phish — but only because it was surprisingly fun. But that’s another blog entry.
Despite ye Gods trying to prevent me from going, I DID make it down to Pitchfork on Saturday after an EL detour, miles-long walk, and then forgetting my tickets back up north. The challenges did not stop there.
On the stage was DOOM(previously MF Doom). The limber linquist already had his work cut out for him on Saturday. A long line of Union Park hip-hop performers had already set the precedent: Hip-Hop acts at Intonation/Pitchfork do not do so well. Aside from Public Enemy’s stellar set last year, Clipse, Ghostface and De La Soul all seemed put-out by the festivals lack of crowd enthusiasm. What made DOOM different was that he didn’t seem to need or want crowd participation to put on a good show… he simply powered through. Disguised, as always, in a silver villain’s mask, DOOM’s lazy but deceivingly limber voice rolled through head-scratching couplets at a confounding rate. The rhymes switched rhythm and pace so often that watching DOOM fans sing along to their favorite lines was like watching them try to quote their favorite movie in fast-forward.
DOOM
Next up was eastern European tinged folk-rockers Beirut. Helmed by Zach Condon, the troupe plays fairly straight-ahead American folk music but adds on ukulele, horns, tuba, accordions and a voice that is distinctly… Old World. Where in the Old World, who the hell knows, but it feels European to us state-siders that wouldn”t know the difference anyway. The sound was very nice, and crowd favorites like the wonderfully arranged “Elephant Gun” and “Postcards from Italy” transitioned very well into the live venue. The only downside was that the music was a bit plodding. This is completely understandable given their m.o., but in a festival setting most people think, “If I’m going to be standing, I may as well be moving,” which explains the gradual (gypsy like?!) flow away from Beirut and towards Matt & Kim.
Matt & Kim at Pitchfork (Photo from Twitpic account: Michaelgoneil
Matt & Kim were, as expected, pre-pubecently giddy and dropping f-bombs left and right for added sincerity points. If you need to know anything about this duo it’s that they’re a boy/girl keyboard/drum duo that excel in their live performance, and what they lack in chord progressions they more make up for in enthusiasm. Their performance on the Balance Stage, which they proudly claimed to be their largest ever, did not disappoint. There were fist-pumpers, crowd surfers, and full waterbottle-throwers galore. Matt’s keyboard got kicked unplugged. (BUT WHO CARES!?!?! WE USED TO PLAY IN BASEMENTZ!!!@!#!!). It was an uprorious shout-along set and I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about defecting from the Balkan stage. Unfortunately, as it’s evident the VIP/Press backstage fences have swelled even further into the paying crowd’s space this year, I had no sight of the band from far stage right, and thusly no fun photos. But you have to LOVE this Twitpic from Michaelgoneil that M&K retweeted… (Kim’s on the right).
In line with me deciding that I was going to learn to moonwalk on my birthday this year (I set the goal in April), I had been watching a lot of Michael Jackson videos prior to his death. Now, this? Maybe I am the harbinger of doom!
A few weeks ago, I discovered that “Howlin for Judy” by Jeremy Steig was the origin of the Beastie Boys’ classic, “Sure Shot.” (We were listening to “Droppin’ Science: Greatest Samples from the Blue Note Lab” at a friend’s house.) It also has the song that that Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode” takes its hook from, “The Edge” by David Axelrod & David McCullum.
I can die now, but from envy; Brian is at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago while Araceli is at the Siren Fest in New York. Wadup, LA?
Comprised of DJ STV SLV and ABX, The Hood Internet represent the future of the mash-up. Gone are the days where you mix one song with another song just because you can, or because they share a strange time signature, or because they make a hilarious song title. Technology is such (and GirlTalk has shown) that there is a way to mix any song with any another song and make it sound good. The next step, the step Hood Internet is going in, is voluntary restraint for the sake of clarity and craft — in this case, restricting the mix to only bands that share the city they all hail from. Also, it’s my City, so I’m biased.
