EMMIE Magazine Fall 2010

KING KHAN

& THE SHRINES CITIZEN COPE

HEREWEGO MAGIC PRIMAVERA

WIZKHALIFA

BLITZENTRAPPER

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FEATURES

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR Funded in part by the Associated Students of Madison. ASM does not necessarily endorse the beliefs

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TABLE OF TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS

Editor’s Note: 4 5 Features: 6

Primavera: 34

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FEATURES Hi Everyone,

few. This issue also encompasses a wide variety

Madison with consistently updated content at copy!

Bis Bis, Joyce Edwards

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EMMIE STAFF EMMIE STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: Joyce Edwards Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Meher Ahmad

Josiah Savary

Layout Editor:

Jennifer Beth DADA Tyler Fassnacht Alex Grossman Allison Hicks Olivia Jakiel Emma Jelley Katherine Kehoe Renee Kramer Luke Krause Rusty Lalkaka Ryan Lehrman Jay Luthar Kaitlyn Schnell Marilyn Waters

Lindsey Kennedy

Features Editors:

Katherine Kehoe Ryan Lehrman Eric Walters

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FEATURES

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photo by: peter ALLEN EMMIE ISSUE***.indd 7

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KING KHAN and the shrines Whether he is yelping along with garage-psychedelia in a

army, and went world.

brothers, and yeah, we used to listen Chinese music, you know, all sorts of

type of music, I try to mix it up a lot, was kind of thrust upon me. I mean, I

Yeah, actually it was, yeah.

in a punk band called the Spaceshits when I was about

Okay. They should have enema awards. people that I really loved, and who, you reasons, you know, and Scabies Award.

rock and soul band.

“

�

hatred and, you know, shit, and they would kind of

music. So I think that, you know, I try to approach our music in the same way, me. No, uh, I was born in Montreal, Cana da. And then I wound up miraculously in Germany, and then made a home

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when I met the Spaceshits, my other

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concert.

My parents were from India, they came to Mon treal in like the... My dad the Shrines and the They are two, you know, (Mark Sultan, Spaceshit

My mom actually came to

half of BBQ), it was like,

shows, and we played in this really crappy bar called Key West Club in Montreal, and I was, I

two of us, and also, you

photo: quarterlifeparty.com

much like family. It was really kind of you know, for me, at least this year,

“

had a table set up in the front,

”

Defenders and kind of BBQ and the

and he took a was like “Fuck you!” and then took a

lot, and I pros and cons to every

and spat on everyone in the front row, and my mom

actually Lou Reed invited us to the Sydney Opera House, that

the front.

And I was in the back, and I was like, really pissed

awesome.

And then we broke up.

like 3 days. Actually and yeah, Lou Reed

to kill my friend. But then, when I looked at my mom and

excited. with Lou Reed and Lauri Anderson for

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that show, when we played, they moved

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FEATURES actually reminded me quite a bit about a lot of Montreal.

me in the bathroom.” And then I went in the

it used to be really cheap but now because of all these yup

to happen everywhere, would happen in Berlin, but slowly, it happens. Like these business types, like “Oh! This

Yeah, I mean, you know whenever I see her, her not to check me out on the internet, but

lot of Turkish families, poor

it. I even asked my brother, I was like, “Does

No! Not even in German. raise my family... I have two wonderful children, and my wife at

“ You know,

At least, you know, people in the audience... I

” Saucer full of secrets...

by meher AHMAD & tyler FASSNACHT

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The National Rallies Madison Fans When I found out that Barack Obama was bench more than learned to accept when they turned out to be true. Not my favorite band, but the President of the

The band hit the with a heavy

Photo: Whatspikelikes.com

would rise to the occasion.

“Runaway”, immediately followed by a the hindrance of my physical ability to make it from the rally to the Orpheum on

at the theatre exhausted. I knew the

his customary fashion: keeled over, talk

with him. The band was not to leave so

but had never heard of him prior to the exactly how honest the statement was. perfectly, and a powerful performance of “Mr. November”, a nod to the President,

forced to drop the name due to trade

ist Bryce Dessner preceded “Slow Show”

main event. I had been front row for the

son crowd would be tame. As it turns

cert of a band whose members know how

JELLEY

bros started to barrel their way to the

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FEATURES

BLITZEN TRAPPER act as their own roadies. in the fact that not only was I in a prime

Photo: Esquire.com

of folk that slowly serenades you into

“The hardest working band in Rock n’ Roll”

and Fast Bullets” a track which, despite some sound problems early in the set,

later when the sextet played their head

such a feat).

Shore. everywhere, “Lola.”

Trapper, but was fairly solid none the less.

prepared itself for a band talented “Gold For Bread,” the concert developed

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Conquers the High Noon Saloon that chummy ambience that smaller foster.

recently debuted.

When that sort of musical kismet oc

to the homemade charm of an apple the show.

Drummer Brian Koch decided to con Photo: Vancouverconvertaddicts.com

who hopes to win the heart of one very

into the crowd, he politely asked that the crowd not steal his $3 purchase.

that the band served up and asked

treasure. ber.

staples and crowd clichés. Just like how

The band played such a consistently solid stream of music that, by the end

of the party who shouts out “Freebird!” when asked for requests, each concert

Pearly Gate Music had called them “the

KEHOE

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The Rise and Fall of Georgie Fruit Barnes has revealed that much of the album was written during

Photo credit: facebook.com/ofmontreal

Between Of Montreal’s last three albums, Hissing Fauna, are You the Destroyer?, Skeletal Lamping, and now False Priest, listeners have been getting familiar with lead singer Kevin Barnes’ alter ego Georgie Fruit. False Priest marks what could be the end of Georgie Fruit, and leaves listeners wondering where Barnes will go next.

A black, cross-dressing, pansexual socialite, the fantastical Georgie Fruit was a necessary escape for Barnes from his very real personal battles with depression and detachment from humanity. Hissing Fauna began with Barnes struggling to cope with his emotional issues while trapped by the burden of his own self aware insecurities and intense chemical depression. During the course of writing and recording the album, Barnes was adapting to his newly prescribed anti-depressants: the way they changed his mood, his thought process, and especially his comfort with writing personally. The pills likely saved his life, and have drastically changed the way he’s approached songwriting.

separation from his wife Nina. As she had been a massive creative and emotional support for him, it is easy to see how his lonely stay in Norway would lead to the kind of lyrics found the beginning of the album. Between concerns about his self image (“… Trying to restructure my character/ Because it had become vile to its creator”), adjusting his personality through chemistry (“So am I erasing myself? Hope I’m not erasing myself”), personal authenticity (“All the party people dancing for the indie star/ But he’s the worst faker by far”), and rampant mood

up this time/ Know you bait me way more than you should/ And it’s just like you to hurt me when I’m feeling good”), it was clear Barnes was feeling crushed under the weight of his psyche.

His desperation reached a breaking point in the 12-minute “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” when he blamed his despair on forming a connection he had no control over, and shouted the passionate verse, “Let’s tear this shit apart/Let’s tear the fucking house apart/Let’s tear our fucking bodies apart/Let’s just have some fun!” From then on, the album became Georgie’s nonchalant falsetto atop electrifying, funky bass, and painted a picture of a bizarre and

hedonistic social scene with Georgie at its center. While it was unclear if Kevin and Georgie were co-existing or if Georgie had taken fully over, it was obvious the songwriter in the latter half of the album was in a very different mindset from the former.

If Hissing Fauna was Georgie Fruit’s birth, then Skeletal Lamping was his coming of age and midlife crisis rolled into one. Starting with declarations of “I’m a motherfucking headliner, bitch you don’t even know it,” true, don’t wanna be your man, just wanna play with you,” Georgie Fruit was thriving in his new and glamorous life. The album was not without signs of inner turmoil though, best summarized in “Death Isn’t a Parallel Move” in the verse, “The identity I composed out of terror has become oppressive now/ I must defy this dark assignment/ I’m over it now/ I’m so over it now.”

An interesting facet of Skeletal Lamping is that Barnes did not distinguish when he was singing as himself versus Georgie. In an interview with the blog You Ain’t No Picasso, when asked whose point of view the album was supposed to be taken from, Barnes replied, “I don’t even separate them in my mind.

The Georgie Fruit character is not separate from Kevin Barnes. I can’t really say ‘oh that was just this role I was playing,’ because it’s just a part of my personality. All of it is just a part of me anyways.” If this is the case, then the part of himself he was revealing had stayed fully hidden before. Prior to Skeletal Lamping, it would be hard to picture of Montreal having songs featuring lines like,

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“I’m so sick of sucking the dick of the cruel cruel city,” “You’re the only one with whom I would role play Oedipus Rex,” or “We can do it softcore if you want/ but you should know I take it both ways.” Besides the controversial sexual topics, the album also marked a major stylistic departure from of Montreal’s previous albums. Barnes wrote the album not on a song-bysong basis, but more as dozens of roughly one minute movements that

the arrangement does not suit him.

The joyous opener ‘I Feel Ya Strutof a happy Georgie on the album.

Mostly, both his relationship and ego seem to crumble around him as the album progresses, culminating in the heartfelt pleading of “Famine Affair” cries of, “You marginalize me/ You sabotage me/ Go away, go away, go away” and, “You’ve ruined me, you’re a terrorist, I’m a casualty of you” are given tremendous gravity tained through the previous albums.

Throughout the album, the narrative is punctuated with jarring outbursts bordering on the non-sequitur, which seem like they arise from somewhere between the real and imagined lives of Kevin/Georgie. Individually they make little sense, but together they lend the album the feeling of a constellation made from many separate stars of affection, manipulation, and hedonism.

Photo credit: youaintnopicasso.com

abruptly collided and overcame each other. The soul-baring, intentionally startling approach taken to Skeletal Lamping was, Kevin revealed in the same YANP interview, partly a response to the backlash over the band’s Outback Steakhouse commercial. Amid longtime fans accusing the band of selling out, Barnes decided to go well outside his, and everyone elses’, comfort zone.

False Priest continues the tensioned Kevin/Georgie duality, but has evolved both musically and narratively. While Georgie Fruit once seemed to be the model of promiscuity, False nogamous relationship. Simply put,

Musically, False Priest sounds like a more mature Skeletal Lamping. The arrangements have somewhat dialed back the spastic stylistic jumps, and and excellent guest performances

by Solange and Janelle Monáe. The even in the throes of severe identity confusion, of Montreal can still make catchy and dance-worthy pop songs.

While the format may remain a little disjointed for some, the delivdisjointedness is certainly less than Skeletal Lamping. Barnes said in an interview with The Boston Phoenix that in False Priest he aimed to lose the collage feel of Skeletal Lamping while maintaining the unpredictability. scriptor for the album, and the songs do conform to a pop composition more than the majority of Skeletal Lamping.

The emotional breakdown near the end of the album is capped by the Do Mutilate?” which raises many questions for the direction of the next of Montreal album. Though ambiguous, it seems like Georgie Fruit may have been eliminated by amid the emotional fallout. Still, the question remains if of Montreal will leave the alter ego behind entirely going forward. Hopefully the album concluding in a robot voice proclaiming, “If you think god is more important than your neighbor/ You’re capable of terrible evil/ If you think some prophet’s words/ Are more important than your brother and your sister/ You’re ill/ And you’re wrong,” doesn’t mean that Barnes is segueing from Georgie Fruit the sex icon to Ethicstron the secular humanist robot. Given his newfound comfort with setting poignant introspection to catchy pop tracks, it seems of Montreal could produce a more satisfying album by leaving the surreal alter egos behind.

As a hint of what’s to come, Barnes said in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly in September that the seemingly random lines at the end of “Faberge Falls for Shuggie” (“Skeletal lamping/ The controller sphere/ False priest”) were taken from writing exercises he had done, and would be the titles of the next three of Montreal albums. Given this, it seems probable that the next album, The at least in Barnes’ mind. Whether this will still feature Georgie Fruit or a return to strictly Kevin remains a mystery. Hopefully in some way Barnes will continue his relentless push forward lyrically and compositionally, and 2011 will see the release of yet another entirely new side of of Montreal.

eric WALTERS

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Here We Go Magic not to NY at least on our home turf. All

prefer not to make a schedule and try

When Here We Go Magic arrived at the press tent, the sun had just peeked out

-

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ent than you were before. Those are monumental, and those are happen

actually have one in Paris that was really of the show in Paris, we were shocked at how many people came and it was really hot and sweaty and one of those Photos: Julie Jarzemsky

kind of spacious rock and it was kind of and pressure made it feel like a band that had been a band forever, you could feel it in your body that you were have a full band but we were on the

-

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ATMOSPHERE the DJ table to keep himself on track,

broken heart, and what could have been more like a novelty act.

cent of the best episodes of Cops:

As has been their custom over the last

limit by forty miles�

ist, a keyboardist, and producer Anthony Davis AKA Ant on the turntables.

With such name drops and the amount of support the Madison com My Friends Tour� to a sold old crowd at the Orpheum theatre, which in

the crowd to rap to the faces of individ to choose from, the performance includ

Grieves and Budo, and Blueprint.

Due to what I later understood to be

announced to the crowd that he had

Photo: Marilyn Waters and wrist bands were collected, we walked into the crowded theatre to the announcement of Blueprint and DJ Rare Groove. mance for myself and many of those

I was then surprised to hear him delve

Blueprint, it pains me to say that the performance was not what I would have hoped for, least of all from one of label

future travels take them on a road back

months before a play, when the actors

and travels of a rapper on the road. We

ers. Like an unprepared comedian at a

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A Very Sad Night as it was in the days of the barefoot hip pie dresses.

the dot. When in the history of music has

as an innocent Boston teen, I fell in love

four years here I have never been to a not the early bird special at Bluephies. than intended, about ten twenty, but

Of course, “Paris (Ooh La La)” had to

and the band have clearly pulled for mar

adore forever (somehow “Paris (Ooh La

learned to further dismay that the open er had played a half hour set, followed by a ten minute set break, at which point

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KNOCKED SIDEWAYS

@CITIZEN He walked on clad in a loose button-down, hair tied back in dreaded ends. Overhead, blue lights shone down on the twostory backdrop with the image of his new The RainWater LP. His bearded face looked worn yet enduring; everything about him matched his name, Cope.

Last spring was the first time I saw singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Citizen Cope, whose real name is Clarence Greenwood.

The performance was so amazing I was later found breathing spasmodically out of a brown paper bag after the show. His eclectic blend of hip-hop backbeats combined with flown melodies is unequaled. When I heard he was coming to Madison, it was a given: I was going.

Photo: citizencope.com

I made up my mind that there would be nothing less than front row, no matter the elbows I would have to throw or screaming girls I would have to brush out the way. I met up with my brother and another friend at the Union doors, checked tickets and went into the theater. Astonishingly, it was not crowded. We walked straight up to the front of the stage, curling around it to watch the instruments glimmer under the lights. People trickled in. Two girls next to us had made the trek from Green Bay to witness Cope for

COPE

the first time. They came three hours early because they thought lines would be out the door. Open seats were everywhere. The girls and I could not understand it.

Cope and his band, consisting of two talented keyboard players, a bassist who keeps better time than Big Ben itself, and a pocket drummer took the stage a half hour late, naturally. I couldn’t help but imagine that the vacant upper balcony was a bit disappointing for them. However, they kicked open the first set with the apt ‘Off the Ground’ from their The RainWater LP, which released earlier this year.

Within moments, the upbeat organ hits and percussive rolls pulled my body into a soothing sway. Cope sang without his guitar, his hands earnestly wrapped around the mic as though he were confiding in a close friend at a coffee shop.

Soon stenciled light projections flashed over the backdrop as Cope strapped on his Martin acoustic and jumped into one of their older, better known songs, ‘Bullet and a Target.’ Backward-hatted frat-bros, hippy girls in long pattern dresses and an adultlescent woman wearing a questionably lowcut shirt were all chiming together, “What you’ve done here is put yourself between a bullet and a target.” There wasn’t a single person around me who didn’t have their feet moving.

Cope, however, moves in his own modest and minimal

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Cope-kind-of-way. When he sings, his mouth barely opens and his lips are still; melodies ring out with an air of utmost ease. Only his wrist moves as he strums sultry guitar chords, his fingers drawn in unique shapes upon the frets. Standing back, he is stoic and telling. Not only Cope but all the band members move and lock down their own groove. The music seems to both harness them in their own pocket and tie one another together. Seconds into ‘Holdin’ On’ I could see this intriguing bond materialize: grounded by the drummer’s gunshot snare the bass player sweetly plucks, carrying the pop licks of the keyboardist as the overarching organ holds take wing; Cope, lifted in more ways than one, ties it all back in.

An electric ‘Son’s Gonna Rise’ suddenly broke loose.

I peered through the jumping bodies to see my friend with a wide smile and hands skybound. A premature breakdown sent the crowd screaming for more, but before we knew it Cope and the band unleashed the chorus. They ended their first set with energy levels high.

Photo: blogs.suntimes.com

When Cope re-emerged, it was just him on guitar. He began with a soft yet powerfully evocative piece called ‘Salvation,’ which connotes Cope’s struggle against a drug-related betrayal. The solemn mood continued for a while in the acoustic set until Cope debuted an unreleased tune that even by its title ‘One Lovely Day’ (Bill Withers, anyone?) was refreshingly uplifting. My mind began to swim in the vocal reverb and major chords.

The band returned on stage and as any good Cope fan would expect, he let the drummer kick. His weaving of woodblocks and tambourine hits into the robust groove gave an ambient edge to hip hop style beats. Ghost notes, which are soft unaccented hits, and explosive snarecracks alike reverberated through the audience. Then, the soundtrack to oh so many of my summertime car-rides and late freshman nights started to play. ‘Sideways,’ one of their last songs of the night, blew from Cope’s guitar into me and if I could’ve stayed in that euphoric musical coma, I certainly would have opted to.

Cope’s music affords a new understanding once you see him. His songs are lucid reflections of himself; his urban roots and poetic command shine through what he writes. Cope & his songs are still yet moving. Simple and truthful. He is stripped down and reminds me of a musical version of Ernest Hemingway. Despite Madison’s unpronounced turnout, Citizen Cope graciously approached the lip of the stage shaking hands with everyone who could get close enough; and after a night of Cope-ious melodies, front row, and a handshake, I, amongst others, was left ‘knocked sideways.’ by ryan LEHRMAN

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FEATURES

Hit Fans With A Dance-Punk Jolt! all the unstoppable force of a punk band

Those who arrived early were treated to For those already addicted to the boom “Cameras”, I can promise that the rest headed fans. from Madison staple F. Stokes. He rapped with such enthusiasm that the

can only be described as Madisonian, produce. The band played some catchy

ism and honesty that is rarely seen

voice , the audience remained

mainstream rap. By the end of the set,

same amount of cheer as when “All I Do is Win” played over the sound system in between sets.

expectant crowd. crowd that he and Kim had been record was ready to cut loose.

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“That’s great honey, but get down from there before you kill yourself!”

The Brooklyn duo has been described

of the band, the audience seemed to

spots near the one individual who had

“Just A Friend”.

Photo: Pampelmoose.com

dance to!

The band pulled out all the stops, play

Photo: Citypages.com

The show also featured the spontane

Kim played the part of the concerned mom, with an expression that said “Holy

known for. Kim walked into the audi ence, supported by only their hands.

from there before you kill yourself.”

perfect chord between badass and ador able.

descended into the beer and sweat drenched audience for what seemed

KEHOE

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WIZ KHALIFA LIGHTS UP MADISON listened to his recorded music before, his set only consisted

Sounds like a plan. If

on the bill at the last second to put in to the show and to

and Baken” tour stop in Madison.

now that F. Stokes

claim my surprise that this show was in fact

here. Unfortunately, maybe because of the circumstances,

that is not usually done at the Orpheum unless you are Ween or Deadmau5 appar ently. Several factors probably contributed

of rap shows, most

with such a short from what I could make out, his lyrical

basically repeated lines of “Lets party”

another chance be cause I like the idea was local MC Smokes, who mostly raps

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more of his own shows.

some comparisons to Eminem, however, he really shares more in common with the likes of Lil Wayne and recent col

FASSNACHT

out weird lines about a roadmap almanac.

Honestly, if words could spark, Yelawolf would have burned the house down, but fortunately he

made obvious when some people in the front

call, “yeah, I know, I am excited for him too.� His

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FEATURES

Iron &Wine Sam Beam.

At The Pabst 10/13 Smoke” is hushed and understated, but on Wednesday, it had a lively, bluesy beat. Some of the

Beam was undoubtedly at his very best. vocalist Rosie Thomas, Beam played an

liked to hear “Boy With A Coin” and

latest record, as well as a few from earlier records , to

Dog ounce of space is consumed by

I would venture to say that The Pabst is the favorite venue of most Milwaukee

piece band, it was atypical to

and historic, and the

there, from Colin Meloy to M. Ward, comments on how phenomenal the venue is. On Wednesday

If I had to choose, my favorite Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford

“Upward Over The Mountain,”

for a more perfect setlist. cited to hear “He Lays In The Reins” for

love our Pabst Theatre, too.

Calexico.

Milwaukee local Heidi Spencer (of The Rare Birds) opened the show. She spoke The Pabst as a child, and how wonderful

In my opinion, Sam Beam is one of very ward Over The Mountain” and “Woman

the shows on his next tour. she was the perfect pick to introduce

For example, on the record, “Cinder And

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Ode to

Katy with her braids and she was in love with neath the recess slides and never knew.

A Girl.� She had the same black hair, the same sweet and sultry innocence.

it. That was all I needed to hear.

Photo: Hublon.com

doll. Yet worst of all, the track “Califor

The scar on the middle of my forehead is from a drunken encounter with a man pick and choose my miracles.

the braids for cherry lip balm.

parents. They sit and stare at me, silent as marble statues. In between us on a na, on top of which several tarantulas

decay, an ambulance rushed him to the

from her overhead bin as she bent No need to ask me if I feel bad about it,

a doctor who was a woman came in, explained the fracture of his pelvis by woman to lower her voice. I looked at

CD and DVD of the performance. It was my Christmas present to myself. In it, Katy looks like a pink wood nymph sur

thief for you, Katy.

I kneel before you forsaken.

Too embarrassed to purchase it, I stole

- DADA

If you were to ask me what I think of the

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FEATURES

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F E S T I VA L S

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ROBYN

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM

MEDIUM

DANCING LEVELS HIGH

“HEY, CHICAGO!

Crumpled schedule in my pocket, press pass around my neck and friends in tow, I headed in to

SO MANY OF YOU GUYS TONIGHT!”

James Murphy of LCD nailed his set which included old faves & new hits.

Modest Mouse, the last

DELOREAN

as expected. The band had muddled & messy in all myriad of ten ster heaven. Whereas crowds like

of the day. With her revamped electronic sound won over the crowd at her

DELOREAN Delorean

KURT VILE

was not the case at Pitchfork. Not despite the Kurt Vile

of the music, but the camaraderie between the crowd,

Folkster Tallest Man

both played the shady “DO ME A crowds who FAVOR AND GO were happy to SEE MY SISTER ROBYN”

REAL ESTATE

of the sun.

example of the comradery between

FRIDAY

30

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH

S AT U R D AY

PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL

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RAEKWON CROWD

MAJOR LAzER

CD IS ONLY 33 MINUTES AND

SLEIGH BELLS

WHOLE THING! GO SEE PAVEMENT!”

BIG BOI

OUT OF CONTROL

Raekwon & were rewarded with a lively show and a

worthy set that amped up

“I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR FACES NOW! TO BE SO STAND OFFISH EARLIER.”

WOLF PARADE

NEON INDIAN LOCAL NATIVES GIRLS

FLATSTOCK POSTER FESTIVAL

BEACH HOUSE

“SAY HI TO TAKING VIDEO

ST. VINCENT HERE WE GO MAGIC

CHILL

PANDA BEAR One of the more

L

S U N D AY

resembled a lullaby it was so ambient.

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FEATURES

Welcome to

Northcoast O

Chi-town’s Newest Festival

teers, by Saturday the kinks were worked out and

psychedelic, experimental electro.

All Photos: Liza Burkin

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Virgin Free Fest L

At Merriweather Pavilion

et me start by saying that the weekend of Virgin Free Festival involved a ridiculous amount of time in the car. It took us 15 hours to drive from Madison to Baltimore, Maryland, home to Merriweather Pavilion, the location of the free festival.

The daylong jam of bands ranging from throwback acts like Joan Jett to the one-album-in artist Sleigh Bells was well worth the drive. The first act, Jimmy Eat World, set the mood for the day. The energetic band had the whole pavilion singing along and throwing hands in the air in no time. Folksy buzz band Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros kept the crowd engaged— so much so that one fan clutched onto lead singer Alex’s hand for a good 2 Chromeo started playing in a stage known as minutes. the “dance forest.” The stage lived up to its name as Chromeo’s 80s beats and synthesizers There were however, some less enthusi- sent fans grooving about. astic reactions to the artists. Yeasayer, despite keeping up with their usual The evening acts of the festival came with high-energy performance quality, some mishaps. The dance forest was so could hardly get people to bob their heavily danced-upon during Sleigh Bells that heads. Not sure if it was the heat or kicked-up dirt filled the air in monstrous dust simply the “East coast brat” attitude, cloud. but I’m sure the rigidity of the crowd would shock anyone who went to the Though seeing Alexis Krauss thrash & twirl band’s show in Madison last spring. to her guitarist’s catchy riffs was probably The strange paralysis of the crowd at worth it for fans, most were coughing up dirt Yeasayer was quickly broken when by the end of the show. M.I.A, the very artist

who signed Sleigh Bells, was surprisingly disappointing. Starting several minutes late and with a prolonged DJ intro, M/\Y/\’s act was hard to put up with. Luckily LCD Soundsystem’s set gave us an excuse to dip out on the noise being produced on M.I.A’s end of the festival. James Murphy. Now there’s a man. He succeeded in reviving my friend who nearly had an allergy attack in the dust cloud. Dancing underneath a giant disco ball in the pavilion, embedded in fans throwing glow sticks, was an excellent way to tie up this priceless (sorry, couldn’t resist) experience. by julie JARZEMSKY

All Photos: Julie Jarzemsky

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FEATURES

too serious, so we wander over to see

spot for Broken Social Scene. Our

Day One to Primavera Sound I stop dead in

Apparently I have stumbled into a System (members of the Elephant

painful double bills: do I see Built To Spill, as close as possible for Pavement,

camera over to a band member and camera works for minutes. The lon able I become with my skinny arms

am here at the fabled Primavera Sound.

I catch up with my drunkards I met at

crowd.

Pavement was a pipe dream I kicked

These are not fairytales.

I know there is an Eden it sprout from the beach of Barcelona in late May.

Blood. They are the perfect companions for

of compulsive psychosis sloshed

school, not that happens in reality. They launch the crowd into a fever by open

is happy to be there. They seem to

they need a note from the principal hipsters to catch The Fall, whose Myself with Ira and Georgia Kaplan of Yo La Tengo.

The guy from the Circulatory System doesn’t know how to use a camera. (Yes, my fly is open.)

Primavera is mythical. You hear the Mediterranean Sea. These are not fairytales. I know there is an sprout from the beach of Barcelona

atre bowl that overlooks the Mediterra nean Sea, we take in The XX. The show is Pavement!

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Spanish band that keeps my head bob

with a no complaints set. I leave early

harmony immediately send me in to a

Ira of The Condo Fucks (Yo La Tengo)

Frank Black of the Pixies.

CocoRosie make me think someone

Mouth a Desert” and Monotonix

“Coco” and Sierra “Rosie” wear

they pretended to be a punk called The Condo Fucks. The

I so love to hear from Ira. to entertain bored veterans punk.

Sea breezes.

Steven Malkmus being silly.

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FEATURES a technical mishap takes out the whole band. In response, out of the hat when confronted with a problem leaves me impressed.

Spanish become wild beasts Espanol. Frank Black is quiet wounded yelps of “Me voy!� start for Isla De Encanta, the

Bradford Cox of Atlas Sound

Day Three

the sweat on their shirts. The crowd is shamefully small for the quality of the performance. lyrics with kindred spirits. The

CocoRosie

mere meters from the Mediterranean Sea will have a special place in my memory for years to come.

hold it anymore and we are across the Mediterranean sea. The set is unearthly, The drummer Christopher Bear unloads in live perfor

I swear Grizzly Bear are aliens.

Stormtroopers throw great dance parties.

Lloyd Hayden, the drummer of Florence + The Machine who

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with the ques

responds with

who in the band us a story about accidentally

Day Four

Christopher Lloyd Hayden, the drummer of Florence + The Machine

his hotel room but a towel and “a hard on the

The Almighty Defenders (AKA the Black Lips and King Khan and the BBQ Show)

Park. Real Estate sound like a Feelies record played at half

I sit in the back of theatre for Sunny

to rub this in the noses of my emo friends back home.

Stories and Photos: peter charles ALLEN

one let loose a bunch of southern Pentecostals hopped up on

killer set of bluesy, punk rock.

our way back to the hostel.

The Moon rises over the Mediterranean Sea and Sunny Day

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LOLLAPALOOZA I fell into synch with my now standard

an opportunity to kick people in the face ablancas, I was more than dead set on

from fellow veterans. The Metra was

like war paint, and speed walked to the train as I considered a baseline of insan ity for the weekend events. Will Arcade Fire and Phoenix live up to all of the

I MET in the pit for Wolfmother, Rusko, and The end, we headed across the park to catch I met up with my bros from Louisville an easy yet precocious vibe that carried pinnies, pastel shorts, and Ray Bans to the contrast of my all black uniform, we

Black Keys.

by any stretch of the phrase, my day was completed with some full body exorcism at Rusko and a solid performance by the frenchies of Phoenix.

“But let’s get real for a second. Friday was all about the whole Strokes vs. Gaga debate.”

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“The standstill moment when I MET PERRY FARRELL.” SUNDAY: this band that their name has already been taken by the

pyrotechnics were out of control literally, and they had me for the rest of the day. But seriously, they RAWKED so

All Photos: Joyce Edwards

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0 DISTURBINLY BAD

SUBSTANDARD

GOOD

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10000 AWESOME

DISTURBINGLY GOOD

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NO AGE Everything in Between 9,050

An immediate word that comes to mind when you listen to

Despite their reliance on only a handful of instruments (whether resourceful or out of necessity), the band created a visceral experi

ous success.

and Pavement, bands that were never daunted by the con

of their DIY past and future.

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Revival, the track released to those who downloaded and

DEERHUNTER

with this band.

Halcyon Digest total loneliness and painful awkwardness has been seen

9,950 walls made of concrete�), this solitude is in an open sea, with

lems with leaks (two Deerhunter albums were leaked close to a year before their release dates), the band kept this record air not remember me.� does have a weird pedophilia vibe to it. (It starts out with this album.

AHMAD

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MERIDENE Something Like Blood 8,220 In their sophomore album, the lyrics take on a sound features the unique and memorable instru

ously.

rock vibe on their premiere album

Each track relates to the current economic crisis, remains relevant to the lives of listeners today.

lent base to work from for future albums.

BETH

JOSHUA RADIN The Rock and the Tide 8,111 rhythm.

The Rock and the Tide. And with the widespread success of his last

Comparable to the likes of James Taylor and Paul

his voice, it is clear that his life experiences share melodies. The Rock and the Tide deserves musical study playlist.

SCHNELL

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THE BOOKS The Way Out 8,008 New York duo, The Books, fourth album,

spectrum, however, on

of Pink, they used recorded voices, supposedly found on tapes their music, on

TH

albums, but honestly I think that this is more of a statement about the band than the album.

a few others on the album, lacks replayability. On the other

FASSNCHT

MAJOR LAZER vs.LA ROUX LazerProof 7,389 takes an already excellent Skream remix of In for the Kill and

e

al mixtape opens with their take on Bulletproof, a vibrant remix

ELL

LALKAKA

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LIZ PHAIR FunStyle 5,000 but alienates me, and likely most work is appreciated so much because yes, a rap (“Bollywood”) is peppered with humorous In fact, when I found out that my mid with each other.

LONG

spect, what else could she have done to

BLACK MILK Album of the Year 8,400 focuses on the snare drum. It all seems reminiscent of a Roots record.

Produced by Black Milk himself, the album is marked by live

end of “Black and Brown” also takes a poke at the naysayers by not, wish to listen to live instrumentals and intricate samples.

YEUNG

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BELLE & SEBASTIAN Write About Love 7,380 Despite the similarity in sounds between the

vocals masterfully. And for those who lean the Life Pursuit, this album will be another hit. last work, The Life Pursuit, released 5 years

remain a popular band within the

help but tap your toes to the cutesy chord melodies.

pop synth tunes. “The Ghost of Rockschool” on the new album echoes “The Dress Up in

the movie

. On top of that, the

sounds the kind of music you hear on radio

SUFJAN STEVENS The Age of Adz 8,889 creeped out. What seems to stand out the most is the ironic con

pushes his previous topical boundaries with this album, explor

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HOLY SONS Survivalist Tales 6,987 and a solo. As the instead of Fatalist Tales. However, the

and Om band member Emil Amos. If Eddie Vedder had

desperate measures when there are nofast food restaurants or

The Wild,

by speech samples that transparently lecture on sadism and

into the rural expanses of open country. them.

is not survivalism. This album is for someone who plans to do

smell the clover via a piano part that approaches soulfulness Previously, Ida Jo has done many record

the album incorporate only violin, drums chorus. “These Days” and “Eileen” are similarly upbeat and my favorites on the album. Unfor tunately, some tracks are more successful than

IDA JO Providence 7,800

her lyrics, which focus and the complica most notable aspect of Providence, how ever, is the violin, which she plays in a mend to anyone. masterful and unexpected fashion. Rather

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CHROMEO Business Casual 7,070 ay,

sents his true feel too proud to con front her about his mistakes,

allusions to the music of Hall and Oates are apparent in their

to their other releases, but much more polished.

Clearly, the concept of irony is not lost on the duo, as every

A

freshest band around. made Friday “Wacky Tie Day� in order to fool everyone into learn a lesson from Steve: kitsch is only a veneer that cannot

a few months, or any other Chromeo album.

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OBERHOFER

more at NYU, has that certain boyish charm

o0Oo0Oo

of the album is “Dead Girls Dance,” where space noises and Corey Mathews screams

8,383

and mimic the whistles and howls of Brad

KEVIN MORRISON Of Whom I Am only way to express my love for the simplicity of Southern California, released his debut album Of

8,501 mend our minds we patch up the sorrow.”

“Another Shade of Blue”, despite its seem smooth vocals and simple per bob your head to. Like, “Cry”, which has a

talent possessed by Morrison and follows with solid, standout tracks. “Hold on” is full of raw en

heartbreak.

JAKIEL

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DARLING Lights That Last Forever 6,600

ere will be appreciated by those

ms

ancholy for the sound, especially since the theme they follow is

worthy of a few spins to make your head spin.

LONG

BAD RELIGION The Dissent of Man 8,575

their thirty year anniversary sounds clean and crisp without

mature feel that suits the band well.

Instrumentally, Dissent is a fast and powerful mix of rock and

is an excellent album, and recommends itself to listeners, be

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ALBUMS

GO TO

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