Sleigh Bells
So what did it take to make the Quadros cut? It’s pretty simple, I have to like the act’s music. The more positive things I can write about, the better chance they will end up here. Sure, I’ve added a couple bands I’m not too thrilled with, just because I knew their material well, but as we’re counting down the days until the festival, there are several bands I really enjoy who I haven’t written about yet.
Enter Sleigh Bells, who created one of my favorite albums from last year, Treats. You’ve probably already heard it, and formed an opinion of the band, but at least you can agree/disagree with the ordering of my suggested tracks. If you haven’t heard Treats, you must lead a very busy life. The best part about this album is the unique sound. Who else sounds like Sleigh Bells? The album has so far held up over time, meaning a lot of my favorites from 2010 have already been forgotten, yet I still find time to listen to Treats occasionally.
So what’s their live performance like? First off, it’s hard to imagine a woman with a mic, and a man with a guitar, can pull off all the different sounds you hear on the album, because, well, they can’t. One good thing about this fact, it’s (nearly) impossible for the show to be a true train wreck, since so much of the music is prerecorded. Wouldn’t it be cool to see five or six musicians on stage recreating the album live? While I didn’t care for their performance last fall, I still appreciated hearing their music being played so darn loud. I’m getting amped to see them again. And since the question was asked 43 times on the Sasquatch Message Board, Sleigh Bells set time is so short because Treats is their only album, and is 32 minutes long.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Crown on the Ground
2. Infinity Guitars
3. Rill Rill
4. Tell ‘Em
5. Treats
6. Straight A’S
Skrillex
I caught Skrillex at Coachella last month, and wrote four paragraphs in my Day 1 Coachella review, which can be read here. I doubt you’ll see Korn, and the light show in the Banana Shack will be elementary compared to the insanity of the Sahara at Coachella, but it should be a fun show.
Suggested Tracks:
1/2. Do Da Oliphant (into) ---> With Your Friends
3. Reptile’s Theme (from Mortal Kombat)
4. Rock ‘N’ Roll
5. My Name Is Skrillex
6. Fucking Die 2 (I really enjoy a good love song)
7. Kill Everybody (sexy, seductive)
The Antlers
The Antlers are an indie rock band from Brooklyn. They burst on the scene following the strength of their 2009 album, Hospice, which received critical acclaim. I don’t really know anything about this band, but I know once Hospice caught my ear after about three listens, I wanted to hear it every morning for two weeks. I saw them live, before I became obsessed with Hospice, but they didn’t keep my attention. Maybe it was the most spectacularly beautiful performance of their career, but after Phantogram got my dancing shoes twitching, the Antlers didn’t match my mood.
Their songs are pretty mellow, actually, very depressing is a better description. The phrase “hospice” doesn’t exactly conjure up swell thoughts. You won’t pass crowds of people blaring the Antlers in the campground while shotgunning beers, and Foo Fighters fans need not apply. If you walk by their performance, you might not even want to stay. If their music has clicked with you though, you’re going to appreciate the slightly smaller crowd, and the beauty theses songs can offer. Their new album Burst Apart is as lovely as Hospice.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Sylvia
2. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out
3. Two
4. Parentheses
5. No Widows
6. The Universe Is Going To Catch You
7. Bear
8. Putting The Dog To Sleep
Talkdemonic
Talkdemonic is a duo with a cute chick playing the viola, and her dad who mostly plays the drums. What? Okay, that was a joke, it's not really her dad on the drums, He might not be that much older than her either. Speaking of jokes, I caught the National a couple times last fall, the
second of which, Talkdemonic was an opener. Front man for the National, Matt Berninger, is pretty much a character, so he cracks a lot of jokes. Bands are basically required to thank their
opening band(s), and talk about how much they like hanging out with them and touring with them, and that sort of thing. So when one of the guitar players was thanking the openers, Matt followed it up with, "except Talkdemonic," joking about how much they don't get along. The thank yous came up again near the end of show, and again Matt pointed out, "except Talkdemonic." It was pretty obvious he was joking, but even more obvious to me because he used the same crack against a different opener the night before in Seattle. Hopefully they have a sense of humor.
Truth is, outside of their friends and family, I'm one of the biggest Talkdemonic fans attending the festival. I actually own three of their albums. Yeah, they have that many. There are no vocals, so it's just whatever they can play live on top of studio recorded material. It's great music to work to, lyrics being occasionally distracting. If you happen to catch their set at Sasquatch, tell the old dude I'm sorry.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Hillside Monarch
2. Ending The Orange Glow
3. Manhattan '81
4. Black Wood Crimson
5. Bering
Friday, May 20, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Quadros 7: Modest Mouse, Beach House, Black Mountain, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Modest Mouse
The band I've seen live the most. If you are an Internet nerd, you know Modest Mouse is a gigantic hit or miss live, and it usually had to do with Isaac Brock's level of energy/sanity. I saw their Portland residency in the fall of 2009, and every show was outstanding. The band went from a wall of anxiety to a group of professional musicians playing stellar music. One of my friends was so impressed, he accidentally included one of their 2009 shows in his top ten shows of 2010. He's old, poor guy.
I've seen Modest Mouse at their worst as well. In fact, every festival show I've seen of theirs has been awful to average. I've said in the past they don't care about the festival shows, but really care about their fans who pay $30 to see them locally. I think finally headlining Sasquatch will be different. I'm giving my personal guarantee that Modest Mouse will put on a hell of a show. Those of you skipping their set are going to miss something great.
If you are new to the band, I have one question, who are you? There are two schools of thought when it comes to Modest Mouse's music. There is the, "they used to be so good before they sold out," and the, "who is this band I've never heard of before the song Float On?" If you stray away from what is popular, the album you want to check out first is The Moon and Antarctica. If you are new to the band, and wear cologne, you want to check out Good News For People Who Love Bad News. They are both great in their own ways, but if you are undecided about which profile you fit, definitely go with The Moon and Antarctica first. One of the greatest qualities of Modest Mouse that still holds true to this day is they have an original sound. No one sounds like Modest Mouse.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
2. Float On (haha, die hards now hate me for including this near the top, and by the way, get over yourself, it's a great song)
3. 3rd Planet
4. Never Ending Math Equation
5. Gravity Rides Everything
6. All Nite Diner
7. Dramamine
8. Paper Thin Walls
9. Ocean Breathes Salty
10. I Came As A Rat
11. Spitting Venom (they have closed with this song many times in the last couple years. They obviously like it)
12. King Rat (this song kind of sucks, but no other band can create a song sounding like this. It's also a blast live)
Beach House
Do you want to know what gets me excited? As I write this, I get to listen to Teen Dream to pick my favorite tracks. It was one of my top five albums from last year. It gets me as excited as listening to Kanye West's latest, and I'm a huge Kanye fan. I like to give every album five listens before I form an opinion, because it usually takes that long before the catchy/impressive stick out, but I recognized virtually every song on Teen Dream after three listens. It is pure pop gold, and anyone who doesn't list in their top 20 albums for 2010 either hates pop music, won't listen to it, or has terrible taste in music.
If you want a comparison, the lead singer sounds a lot like Stevie Nicks. It's nice they landed a main stage spot on the Sasquatch lineup, since they were victims of sound issues at Sasquatch 2009. Not only was the sound at the Yeti Stage a recurring issue, but the wind was blowing perfectly from the main stage where the Silversun Pickups were playing. At one point, I could hear Silversun more than Beach House. So sad. They are back though, and I'm glad I get the chance to see them with the beauty of the Gorge in the background. You won't be dancing, and you'll probably prefer this show from the hill, but it will be Gorge-ous.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Zebra
2. Norway
3. Take Care (if you want to sing me this song when I'm under the weather, I might fall in love)
4. Walk in the Park
5. Wedding Bells
6. Used To Be
7. Silver Soul
8. Apple Orchard
9. Gila
Black Mountain
A friend turned me onto Black Mountain a couple years ago. I was working when I first listened to them, so I wasn't giving the album my full undivided attention, but I formed an opinion based on the general sound. The email I sent him read something like this, "It sounds like a dude started a metal band that couldn't hit it big, then he started dating a chick who wants to sing in a band. She then convinces him that they need to add her and become more indie, because that's what is popular these days, but the rest of the band doesn't like her and is revolting." For those who know the band, this statement is probably funny for its inaccuracy, but there is an underlying truth to it. The band has metal-like tendencies, but are very much indie-rock. It's like if you crossed Arcade Fire with Type O Negative, but a lot less excruciating.
Black Mountain hails from Vancouver, so all the Canadians who read this will be stoked. Sasquatch will be my first time seeing them, and I'm pretty darn excited. They are in my top ten even. I hope no one is keeping track of how many top ten acts I have, because it's probably close to eighteen.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Tyrants
2. Stormy High
3. Don't Run Our Hearts Around
4. Faulty Times
5. The Hair Song
6. Druganaut
7. Old Fangs
8. Wilderness Heart
9. Stay Free
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
If you happen to catch this band, I believe they will be one your top ten highlights of the festival. I'm not really into their recorded material, but they are so much fun live. Therefore, I'll keep the suggested tracks short. Everything you need to know about this band live I stated in my review of their recent Portland show.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Get Yo Shit
2. Gunpowder
3. Big Booty Woman
4. Bitch, I Love You
The band I've seen live the most. If you are an Internet nerd, you know Modest Mouse is a gigantic hit or miss live, and it usually had to do with Isaac Brock's level of energy/sanity. I saw their Portland residency in the fall of 2009, and every show was outstanding. The band went from a wall of anxiety to a group of professional musicians playing stellar music. One of my friends was so impressed, he accidentally included one of their 2009 shows in his top ten shows of 2010. He's old, poor guy.
I've seen Modest Mouse at their worst as well. In fact, every festival show I've seen of theirs has been awful to average. I've said in the past they don't care about the festival shows, but really care about their fans who pay $30 to see them locally. I think finally headlining Sasquatch will be different. I'm giving my personal guarantee that Modest Mouse will put on a hell of a show. Those of you skipping their set are going to miss something great.
If you are new to the band, I have one question, who are you? There are two schools of thought when it comes to Modest Mouse's music. There is the, "they used to be so good before they sold out," and the, "who is this band I've never heard of before the song Float On?" If you stray away from what is popular, the album you want to check out first is The Moon and Antarctica. If you are new to the band, and wear cologne, you want to check out Good News For People Who Love Bad News. They are both great in their own ways, but if you are undecided about which profile you fit, definitely go with The Moon and Antarctica first. One of the greatest qualities of Modest Mouse that still holds true to this day is they have an original sound. No one sounds like Modest Mouse.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
2. Float On (haha, die hards now hate me for including this near the top, and by the way, get over yourself, it's a great song)
3. 3rd Planet
4. Never Ending Math Equation
5. Gravity Rides Everything
6. All Nite Diner
7. Dramamine
8. Paper Thin Walls
9. Ocean Breathes Salty
10. I Came As A Rat
11. Spitting Venom (they have closed with this song many times in the last couple years. They obviously like it)
12. King Rat (this song kind of sucks, but no other band can create a song sounding like this. It's also a blast live)
Beach House
Do you want to know what gets me excited? As I write this, I get to listen to Teen Dream to pick my favorite tracks. It was one of my top five albums from last year. It gets me as excited as listening to Kanye West's latest, and I'm a huge Kanye fan. I like to give every album five listens before I form an opinion, because it usually takes that long before the catchy/impressive stick out, but I recognized virtually every song on Teen Dream after three listens. It is pure pop gold, and anyone who doesn't list in their top 20 albums for 2010 either hates pop music, won't listen to it, or has terrible taste in music.
If you want a comparison, the lead singer sounds a lot like Stevie Nicks. It's nice they landed a main stage spot on the Sasquatch lineup, since they were victims of sound issues at Sasquatch 2009. Not only was the sound at the Yeti Stage a recurring issue, but the wind was blowing perfectly from the main stage where the Silversun Pickups were playing. At one point, I could hear Silversun more than Beach House. So sad. They are back though, and I'm glad I get the chance to see them with the beauty of the Gorge in the background. You won't be dancing, and you'll probably prefer this show from the hill, but it will be Gorge-ous.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Zebra
2. Norway
3. Take Care (if you want to sing me this song when I'm under the weather, I might fall in love)
4. Walk in the Park
5. Wedding Bells
6. Used To Be
7. Silver Soul
8. Apple Orchard
9. Gila
Black Mountain
A friend turned me onto Black Mountain a couple years ago. I was working when I first listened to them, so I wasn't giving the album my full undivided attention, but I formed an opinion based on the general sound. The email I sent him read something like this, "It sounds like a dude started a metal band that couldn't hit it big, then he started dating a chick who wants to sing in a band. She then convinces him that they need to add her and become more indie, because that's what is popular these days, but the rest of the band doesn't like her and is revolting." For those who know the band, this statement is probably funny for its inaccuracy, but there is an underlying truth to it. The band has metal-like tendencies, but are very much indie-rock. It's like if you crossed Arcade Fire with Type O Negative, but a lot less excruciating.
Black Mountain hails from Vancouver, so all the Canadians who read this will be stoked. Sasquatch will be my first time seeing them, and I'm pretty darn excited. They are in my top ten even. I hope no one is keeping track of how many top ten acts I have, because it's probably close to eighteen.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Tyrants
2. Stormy High
3. Don't Run Our Hearts Around
4. Faulty Times
5. The Hair Song
6. Druganaut
7. Old Fangs
8. Wilderness Heart
9. Stay Free
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
If you happen to catch this band, I believe they will be one your top ten highlights of the festival. I'm not really into their recorded material, but they are so much fun live. Therefore, I'll keep the suggested tracks short. Everything you need to know about this band live I stated in my review of their recent Portland show.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Get Yo Shit
2. Gunpowder
3. Big Booty Woman
4. Bitch, I Love You
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Quadros 6: Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Robyn, Archers of Loaf, Mariachi El Bronx
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
It surprises me when people say things like, "I hate that band." I can't say I hate any band who hasn't personally done me wrong, and that includes those who create music making me want to tie the noose tight and pull. Okay, to be fair, maybe I hate Owl City?
When discussing bands you "hate," the band least likely to show up on any list is Rodrigo Y Gabriela, yet no one seems to be excited for their return to Sasquatch? You can't say, "I don't like their voices," because neither of them sing. You can't say, "They are too loud," because it's two acoustic guitars. You can't say, "They are too soft," because their style is influenced by metal music, including Metallica and Slayer. You can't say, "they are ugly," because they are an attractive duo (and yes, Gabriela's accent might have made me weak in the knees once or twice). What is not to like about them?
Gabriela is rhythm guitar/rhythm section. She uses her hands to slap the guitar creating the percussion background in between doing her (often cross handed) finger pickings. Rodrigo is the lead guitar, but also joins in on the guitar slapping occasionally. How many acoustic guitarists have you seen tune the sound their guitar makes while tapping it? Maybe the only fair criticism I've heard is that they aren't real flamenco, but a bastardized form of flamenco which they basically invented. So maybe flamenco traditionalist have a reason to "hate" Rodrigo Y Gabriela, but I don't suspect there will be too many flamenco traditionalist attending Sasquatch.
The only thing that scares me away from Rodrigo Y Gabriella's live shows is the $40 ticket price, which is half the cost of your Sasquatch day pass. So I'm not trying to talk you into spending your gas money to catch their show, but if you are already there, I highly recommend strolling by, even if only for a song or two. You'll want to stay. Plus, they are doing the film score for the new Pirates of the Caribbean film, with the soundtrack scheduled to be released as early as next week. Don't you like Johnny Depp? I didn't even mention how Gabriela broke a string at Sasquatch 08, followed by a expletive, and a comparison to a Spinal Tap moment (so cute), while Rodrigo instinctively wowed the crowd with an amazing solo while she had her string fixed, which took way longer than expected. It was one of the highlights of the festival.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Hunuman (keep in mind this is two acoustic guitars. You can really get the difference between the rhythm of Gabriella and the lead of Rodrigo here)
2. Orion (Metallica cover)
3. Santo Domingo
4. Tamacun
5. Buster Voodoo
6. Diablo Rojo
7. Ixtapa
8. Savitri
9. Stairway To Heaven (Peter Frampton cover)
Robyn
I'll admit, I avoided Robyn for way too long. Everything I've heard about her made me think she is right up my alley, but I never gave her a chance until she landed on the Sasquatch lineup. She makes me feel like a teenager, a teenage girl at that. Ok, that was meant to get a laugh out of those who know me. Her music hits me like Madonna hit me when I was a kid. Yes, I'm admitting that too.
Robyn was apparently a pretty big pop star in the 90s. I don't recall, I was listening to Phish. But her comeback includes some seriously catchy electro beats. You could delete her voice, and several of her songs would hold their own as instrumentals (but why would you want to delete such a voice). I caught about fifteen minutes of her set at Coachella, and it was a blast. She has a ton of energy on stage, jumping and skipping around, breaking into the workout video type calorie burning dancing that neither you or I can pull off. I'm looking forward to catching more of her set this time. A word to any of the dudes/bros reading this, put your masculinity aside for a second, check out the tracks listed below, and get ready to dance awkwardly.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Dancing On My Own
2. With Every Heartbeat
3. Indestructible
4. Hang With Me
5. Fembot (maybe one of her most popular, but no 16 year-old connection with this one)
6. Love Kills
7. Criminal Intent
8. Show Me Love
9. Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do
10. In My Eyes
11. Time Machine
12. U Should Know Better (just cuz I like Snoop Dogg, fo shizzle)
Archers of Loaf
One thing that makes Coachella such a respected festival is the reunion bands. It seems like they get bands to reunite just for the festival. Sasquatch doesn't get that, "wow, that band is getting back together?" If you want to get technical, Jane's Addiction's first reunion festival was Sasquatch, and Pavement was announced at Sasquatch before Coachella, but everyone knew those two bands were getting back together. When the Sasquatch lineup was announced, most outside of North Carolina had no idea Archers of Loaf were reuniting.
Archers of Loaf would be best described as indie rock, but they have a much heavier punk influence than what is known as indie rock these days. My introduction to this band was their final studio album, White Trash Heroes. The trio of songs "Slick Tracks And Bright Lights," "One Slight Wrong Move," and "Bang On A Dead Drum" (which they allegedly switched instruments for fun) shows how diverse that album is. The first of said trio is a sensitive singer/songwriter tune, the second is a straight up great rock song, the third is an experience in vocal noise and slide guitar. I love White Trash Heroes, so if you want an album suggestion instead of track suggestions, start there.
My favorite part about the schedule announcement is Archers of Loaf not conflicting with the Flaming Lips (it looked as though they might). They have played one reunion show so far, have one scheduled for the week before Sasquatch, then play their third show in 12 years at Sasquatch. It's a pretty big deal. I won't miss a note of this set.
Suggested Tracks:
1. One Slight Wrong Move
2. Wrong
3. Web in Front
4. Bacteria (six minute up and down song)
5. Revenge
6. Power Walker (I had to include this for comedy purposes)
7. Slick Tracks And Bright Lights
8. What Did You Expect?
9. Slow Worm
10. Quinn Beast (this song is pretty cheesy, but somehow caught my ear every time I heard it)
11. Sick File (Nice and short punk song)
12. Backwash
Mariachi El Bronx
One thing I love about music festivals is getting to see so many different styles of music in one weekend. You don't have to see every singer/songwriter, or every indie rock band, or every electronic act. You can mix it up and see music you wouldn't normally pay for (or headliners you wouldn't normally pay for like the Foo Fighters). This is the reason I made a point to catch Mariachi El Bronx at Coachella recently. I've never seen a Mariachi band live outside of the ghetto version played at local restaurants. You know what, it was awesome. Granted, they were first up on a side stage early in the day, and I was basically laying in the grass wishing my life would end, but they entertained.
If you haven't already heard, this band is basically an experiment/side project of the band "The Bronx," who are playing the same night. So a hardcore band decided to tune it down and make a Mariachi album. The biggest travesty about music fans these days is the lack of diversity, so hopefully they turned a couple hardcore fans onto a new genre? I didn't get close enough at their Coachella set to see if their collars were covering up neck tatoos, or if their festive hats were covering up mohawks. Thus, I am anxiously waiting to get up close for this.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Quinceniera
2. Cell Mates
3. Silver or Lead
4. Sleepwalking
5. My Love
It surprises me when people say things like, "I hate that band." I can't say I hate any band who hasn't personally done me wrong, and that includes those who create music making me want to tie the noose tight and pull. Okay, to be fair, maybe I hate Owl City?
When discussing bands you "hate," the band least likely to show up on any list is Rodrigo Y Gabriela, yet no one seems to be excited for their return to Sasquatch? You can't say, "I don't like their voices," because neither of them sing. You can't say, "They are too loud," because it's two acoustic guitars. You can't say, "They are too soft," because their style is influenced by metal music, including Metallica and Slayer. You can't say, "they are ugly," because they are an attractive duo (and yes, Gabriela's accent might have made me weak in the knees once or twice). What is not to like about them?
Gabriela is rhythm guitar/rhythm section. She uses her hands to slap the guitar creating the percussion background in between doing her (often cross handed) finger pickings. Rodrigo is the lead guitar, but also joins in on the guitar slapping occasionally. How many acoustic guitarists have you seen tune the sound their guitar makes while tapping it? Maybe the only fair criticism I've heard is that they aren't real flamenco, but a bastardized form of flamenco which they basically invented. So maybe flamenco traditionalist have a reason to "hate" Rodrigo Y Gabriela, but I don't suspect there will be too many flamenco traditionalist attending Sasquatch.
The only thing that scares me away from Rodrigo Y Gabriella's live shows is the $40 ticket price, which is half the cost of your Sasquatch day pass. So I'm not trying to talk you into spending your gas money to catch their show, but if you are already there, I highly recommend strolling by, even if only for a song or two. You'll want to stay. Plus, they are doing the film score for the new Pirates of the Caribbean film, with the soundtrack scheduled to be released as early as next week. Don't you like Johnny Depp? I didn't even mention how Gabriela broke a string at Sasquatch 08, followed by a expletive, and a comparison to a Spinal Tap moment (so cute), while Rodrigo instinctively wowed the crowd with an amazing solo while she had her string fixed, which took way longer than expected. It was one of the highlights of the festival.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Hunuman (keep in mind this is two acoustic guitars. You can really get the difference between the rhythm of Gabriella and the lead of Rodrigo here)
2. Orion (Metallica cover)
3. Santo Domingo
4. Tamacun
5. Buster Voodoo
6. Diablo Rojo
7. Ixtapa
8. Savitri
9. Stairway To Heaven (Peter Frampton cover)
Robyn
I'll admit, I avoided Robyn for way too long. Everything I've heard about her made me think she is right up my alley, but I never gave her a chance until she landed on the Sasquatch lineup. She makes me feel like a teenager, a teenage girl at that. Ok, that was meant to get a laugh out of those who know me. Her music hits me like Madonna hit me when I was a kid. Yes, I'm admitting that too.
Robyn was apparently a pretty big pop star in the 90s. I don't recall, I was listening to Phish. But her comeback includes some seriously catchy electro beats. You could delete her voice, and several of her songs would hold their own as instrumentals (but why would you want to delete such a voice). I caught about fifteen minutes of her set at Coachella, and it was a blast. She has a ton of energy on stage, jumping and skipping around, breaking into the workout video type calorie burning dancing that neither you or I can pull off. I'm looking forward to catching more of her set this time. A word to any of the dudes/bros reading this, put your masculinity aside for a second, check out the tracks listed below, and get ready to dance awkwardly.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Dancing On My Own
2. With Every Heartbeat
3. Indestructible
4. Hang With Me
5. Fembot (maybe one of her most popular, but no 16 year-old connection with this one)
6. Love Kills
7. Criminal Intent
8. Show Me Love
9. Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do
10. In My Eyes
11. Time Machine
12. U Should Know Better (just cuz I like Snoop Dogg, fo shizzle)
Archers of Loaf
One thing that makes Coachella such a respected festival is the reunion bands. It seems like they get bands to reunite just for the festival. Sasquatch doesn't get that, "wow, that band is getting back together?" If you want to get technical, Jane's Addiction's first reunion festival was Sasquatch, and Pavement was announced at Sasquatch before Coachella, but everyone knew those two bands were getting back together. When the Sasquatch lineup was announced, most outside of North Carolina had no idea Archers of Loaf were reuniting.
Archers of Loaf would be best described as indie rock, but they have a much heavier punk influence than what is known as indie rock these days. My introduction to this band was their final studio album, White Trash Heroes. The trio of songs "Slick Tracks And Bright Lights," "One Slight Wrong Move," and "Bang On A Dead Drum" (which they allegedly switched instruments for fun) shows how diverse that album is. The first of said trio is a sensitive singer/songwriter tune, the second is a straight up great rock song, the third is an experience in vocal noise and slide guitar. I love White Trash Heroes, so if you want an album suggestion instead of track suggestions, start there.
My favorite part about the schedule announcement is Archers of Loaf not conflicting with the Flaming Lips (it looked as though they might). They have played one reunion show so far, have one scheduled for the week before Sasquatch, then play their third show in 12 years at Sasquatch. It's a pretty big deal. I won't miss a note of this set.
Suggested Tracks:
1. One Slight Wrong Move
2. Wrong
3. Web in Front
4. Bacteria (six minute up and down song)
5. Revenge
6. Power Walker (I had to include this for comedy purposes)
7. Slick Tracks And Bright Lights
8. What Did You Expect?
9. Slow Worm
10. Quinn Beast (this song is pretty cheesy, but somehow caught my ear every time I heard it)
11. Sick File (Nice and short punk song)
12. Backwash
Mariachi El Bronx
One thing I love about music festivals is getting to see so many different styles of music in one weekend. You don't have to see every singer/songwriter, or every indie rock band, or every electronic act. You can mix it up and see music you wouldn't normally pay for (or headliners you wouldn't normally pay for like the Foo Fighters). This is the reason I made a point to catch Mariachi El Bronx at Coachella recently. I've never seen a Mariachi band live outside of the ghetto version played at local restaurants. You know what, it was awesome. Granted, they were first up on a side stage early in the day, and I was basically laying in the grass wishing my life would end, but they entertained.
If you haven't already heard, this band is basically an experiment/side project of the band "The Bronx," who are playing the same night. So a hardcore band decided to tune it down and make a Mariachi album. The biggest travesty about music fans these days is the lack of diversity, so hopefully they turned a couple hardcore fans onto a new genre? I didn't get close enough at their Coachella set to see if their collars were covering up neck tatoos, or if their festive hats were covering up mohawks. Thus, I am anxiously waiting to get up close for this.
Suggested Tracks:
1. Quinceniera
2. Cell Mates
3. Silver or Lead
4. Sleepwalking
5. My Love
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Additions/Subtractions, and Lineup Changes
May 2nd: DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid knows somebody, I mean was added to Friday, to complete the four day sweep. S. Carey was moved from Monday to Sunday.
April 25th: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears added to Sunday, replacing the Villagers (Live review of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears recent Portland show here).
April 24th: Mariachi El Bronx added to Friday
April 4th: The Glitch Mob added to Saturday, replacing CSS
March 23rd: Typhoon added to Sunday
March 15th: Matt McCarthy (comedian) added to Saturday
March 14th: Seattle Rock Orchestra (performing Radiohead) added to Saturday. I'm calling it right now, the lineup for Sasquatch 2012 will feature Seattle Rock Orchestra performing Pearl Jam.
March 9th: Bob Mould added to Friday
March 4th: Biffy Clyro added to Friday
March 3rd: The Scott Aukerman & Paul F. Tompkins Show added to Monday
March 2nd: Wavves added to Monday
March 1st: Hari Kondabolu (Comedian) added to Sunday
February 16th: MSTRKRFT and Major Lazer switched days
February 15th: DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid added to Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
February 11th: Givers added to Monday
February 8th: J. Mascis added to Saturday, Head Like A Kite added to Monday
February 7th: Death From Above 1979, Tokyo Police Club (Neither were on the original poster)
April 25th: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears added to Sunday, replacing the Villagers (Live review of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears recent Portland show here).
April 24th: Mariachi El Bronx added to Friday
April 4th: The Glitch Mob added to Saturday, replacing CSS
March 23rd: Typhoon added to Sunday
March 15th: Matt McCarthy (comedian) added to Saturday
March 14th: Seattle Rock Orchestra (performing Radiohead) added to Saturday. I'm calling it right now, the lineup for Sasquatch 2012 will feature Seattle Rock Orchestra performing Pearl Jam.
March 9th: Bob Mould added to Friday
March 4th: Biffy Clyro added to Friday
March 3rd: The Scott Aukerman & Paul F. Tompkins Show added to Monday
March 2nd: Wavves added to Monday
March 1st: Hari Kondabolu (Comedian) added to Sunday
February 16th: MSTRKRFT and Major Lazer switched days
February 15th: DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid added to Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
February 11th: Givers added to Monday
February 8th: J. Mascis added to Saturday, Head Like A Kite added to Monday
February 7th: Death From Above 1979, Tokyo Police Club (Neither were on the original poster)
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