Friday, July 27, 2007

Lollapalooza 2007 Study Guide

FRIDAY

HYPE AT SXSW ALERT

The Fratellis (11:45-12:30)

Glasgow, Scotland

Indie/lo fi

This band was talked about big at SXSW. Not quite like Mika or Amy Winehouse but they got a lot of hype. They seem to be rising quickly through ranks of the different size venues.

Who Does It Appeal To?

Indie kids

Pop punk fans

Younger crowd

You Will Like It If:

You like Whitestar, The Strokes, Jet, The Vines

If Wolfmother is too hard trio for you

Pros: fun show

Cons: semi annoying

Download This:

Flathead (you know this from the new iTunes adds)

Chelsea Dagger

BOYCOTT THIS BAND!!!! ALERT

Illinois (12:00-12:30)

Bucks County, PA

The band is good. The band is really good. The manager is a prick. He led me on like he was going to sign with Rock Ridge Music, before he decided to insult me, my business and my business model. He talks down to people even in doing business. I will not be going to see this band. Hopefully none of you will either.

NEXT BIG THING? ALERT

Ghostland Observatory (12:30-1:30)

Austin, TX

Electo/Indie

Talk of the music industry/fans that follow bands under the radar. A lot of writers and industry schmoes think this could be the next band to break out. They are where the Cold War Kids were a year ago. Another band who got big hype at SXSW this year.

Who Does It Appeal To?

Indie kids

Hispters

Dance music fans

You Will Like It If:

You wanna see the possible next big thing

You wanna dance right away at Lollapalooza

Pros: Could be the next big thing

Cons: The show is really early for a relatively unknown

Download This:

Sad Sad City

SOUL ALERT

Soulive (12:30-1:30)

New York, NY

Jazz/instrumental

Former members of Supergrub and Ben Kenney’s Division group. Press doesn’t love them, they aren’t overly hip but they are really good. They have worked with everyone form Anthony Hamilton to Goapele to Incubus.

Who Does It Appeal To?

Fans of Stax, Booker T & The M.G.s

Hippies

You Will Like It If:

You like instrumentals

You like Robert Randolph

Pros: amazing musicians

Cons: can get a little slow

Download This:

Joyful Girl

Crosstown Traffic (Hendrix Cover)

BLUES ALERT

Charlie Musselwhite (2:15-3:00)

Clarksdale, MS

Blues

This guy is a the lead singer and harmonica player for a blue quartet from the Mississippi Delta. He is amazing. I went to see him a little over year ago and had a blast.

Who Does It Appeal To?

Harmonica Fans

Blues Fans

Hippies

You Will Like It If:

You like vocals from the Sopranos Theme (not him but deep like that)

You like old men

You like the blues brothers

Pros: amazing musicians

Cons: not the most exciting show

Download This:

Clarksdale Boogie

Black Water

MY FAVORITE NEW BAND

Silversun Pickups (5:00-6:00)

Los Angeles, CA

Indie/alternative

This is my favorite new band. They use a lot of distortion and the singer is a dude… but sounds like a girl. They use both hard rock sounds and indie alternative sounds at the same time. This is one of the bands I am most excited to see the whole weekend. Very abstract lyrics but still really cool.

Who Does It Appeal To?

Indie kids

Hipsters

Hard rock kids

Grey’s Anatomy Fans (Lazy Eye was in an episode)

Conan O’brien Fans (Conan is such a big fan they have been on 4 times since September)

You Will Like It If:

You like distortion

You like guys who sing like girls

You like Metric or Smashing Pumpkins

You like mid-90s style college rock

Pros: very fun show, awesome record

Cons: singers voice isn’t as good live and gets a little screamy at times

Download This:

Future Foe Scenarios

Well Thought Out Twinkles

Lazy Eye

Melatonin

Checkered Floor

I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THIS BAND

Satellite Party (6:30-7:30)

Los Angeles, CA

Dance Rock

I don’t really know much about this band other that Perry Ferrell (formerly of Jane’s Addiction and runs Lollapalooza is the singer). His vocals are great the music is very simple dance beats.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Dance kids

Indie Hipsters

You Will Like It If:

You like 80s music

You like music that’s weird to be weird

Pros: Perry Ferrell

Cons: Fergie sings in one of the songs

BROOKLYN’S DANCE PARTY BAND

LCD Soundsystem (7:30-8:30)

Brooklyn, NY

Dance Rock/techno

I have seen this band a whole bunch… it’s a blast. The last time I saw them was a year and a half ago and no one watched the stage, the whole club danced. You have heard some of these songs with out realizing it.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Dance kids

Indie hipsters

You Will Like It If:

You like to dance

If you like bands but also like Daft Punk and Bob Sinclair

Pros: Shows are a blast

Cons: don’t know if it will translate well outdoors

Download This:

Daft Punk Is Playing At My House

Yr Citys A Sucker

SATURDAY

HILARIOUS BAND ALERT (Chas: The Epitome of Luna Duna Fluna People)

I’m From Barcelona (11:45-12:30)

Jonkoping, Sweeden

Twee Choir

For those of you who don’t know what Twee is, think of Polyphonic Spree. Even better think of the old Coca Cola commercial with all the people singing “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony!” Its the happiest form of music. So happy that its hilarious. There are 20 some odd people in this band.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Hipsters (the non brooding kind)

People who like to dress like they are 40 years older than they are

You Will Like It If:

You can listen without taking it seriously and just enjoy the hilariousness

Pros: its fun

Cons: its embarrassing

Download This:

We’re From Barcelona

CANADIAN INDIE ALERT

Tokyo Police Club (12:45-1:30)

Newmarket, Ontario

Indie/Garage/Pop Punk

This is a good band. They are a lot like a lot of the hip indie lo fi stuff that is out there right now. They don’t try to be cool, they actually celebrate their nerdiness, especially the guy who does shout vocals and plays the keys. This band has been in the music businesses radar for a while especially after CMJ and SXSW this year. I tried signing them but they graciously declined.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Indie kids

Canadians

Maybe some emo types

You Will Like It If:

You like to know bands that no one knows

Pros: songs are quick and fun

Cons: literally end suddenly, too suddenly

Download This:

Nature Of The Experiments

Your English Is Good

CANADIAN INDIE THAT I AM TRYING TO SIGN ALERT

Sam Roberts Band (2:15-300)

Montreal, Quebec

Indie/Classic Rock

This band is excellent. They combine the singer songwriter sound with 70’s style rock. They used to just be called Sam Roberts but they added ‘Band’ because he kept getting booked on singer songwriter tours a la Ike Reilly’s initial problem. I am in the process of trying to sign this band and I will likely watch their show with their manager but still in the crowd. I encourage you to join they are awesome.

Who Does This Appeal Too?

Canadians

Indie kids

Girls who like rock music

Classic rock fans

You Will Like It If:

You like guitars

You wanna see what I am trying to sign

Pros: great musicians, catchy songs

Cons: Show is only 45 minutes

Download This:

An American Draft Dodger In Thunder Bay

Mystified, Heavey

Brother Down (a fan favorite)

Mind Flood (usually the last song he plays, bet you cant stand still during the second half)

Bridge to Nowhere

CURRENT KINGS OF THE INDIE WORLD ALERT

Cold War Kids (3:30-4:30)

Los Angeles, CA

Indie with blues and soul influences

I tried signing these guys about a year and half ago and they graciously declined. They got the money they were looking for and they deserve it. Lisa and I went to see them on our second date. We have watched them rise from playing in front of 100 people (opening for SoundTeam) to selling out 1,500 person venues easily to opening for MUSE at Madison Square Garden. Alec and I saw them last year there were maybe 40 people watching… that will change this year I am sure. These guys have an amazing record and are awesome live. If you have never seen them, or you don’t know their music, you owe it to yourself.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Indie kids

Blues fans

People who love a good show

You Will Like It If?

You like original sounds

You like non instruments used in songs (Pelegrino Bottle used in St. Johns)

Pros: The signer spends a lot of time behing a piano, so the guitar and bassist really put on a show

Cons: Honestly… none this is a great band

Download This:

Hang Me Out To Dry (you may know this song but live its great)

We Used To Vacation (amazing lyrics about his alcoholic father)

St. John (song about college boys who get drunk, fight, someone dies and someone goes to jail… Let’s Go O-range!)

Red Wine, Success

Hospital Beds

Tell Me In The Morning

QUEEN OF INDIE FOLLOW UP ALERT

Regina Spektor (5:30-6:30)

Brooklyn, NY

Indie

She is currently the face for female indie music. While Amy Winehouse is getting the press (that Regina has been getting for two years) Regina is still out selling her. I have never seen her but she is supposed to be good live.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Indie girls

Hipsters

You Will Like It If:

You like the piano music

You like break up songs

Pros: Good songwriter

Cons: She plays at the same time as The Hold Steady

Download This:

Fidelity

On The Radio

MIDWESTERN BAR ROCK ALERT

The Hold Steady (5:30-6:30)

St. Paul, MN/Chicago, IL/Brooklyn, NY

Indie/Bar Rock

This band is kinda cool in its own way. It sounds like a normal indie bar rock band, but its not. The singer… doesn’t really sing. He kinda just tells stories. He sounds a lot like your friend at the bar who has had too much to drink and is telling you about an encounter he had with the underbelly of society. They sing about people and situations that would make Ike Reilly proud. Whiskey soaked blues/punk.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Guys who would rather drink at a bar like the Murphy’s than a bar like the one at Sofitel.

People from Minnesota

You Will Like It If:

You like Ike Reilly

Jack Daniels

Pros: Fun

Cons: He doesn’t really sing, plays at the same time as Regina Spektor

Download This:

Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Hornets! Hornets!

Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night

GREY’S ANATOMY ALERT

Snow Patrol (6:30-7:30)

Belfast, Northern Ireland/Dundee, Scotland

Alt pop

I don’t know a ton about this band other than what Kim plays here at my office. I do know that every single music blog in the world talks about how much the show Grey’s Anatomy loves this band. In my opinion it makes sense why. They make dramatic songs not too dissimilar from Tavis or Coldplay. I also know that Abbye is a fan of some of their songs, and I only know that from away messages haha. Though this band leans that way,

Who Does This Appeal To?

Fans of alternative pop

Fans of softer rock

You Will Like It If:

Travis, Coldplay, Grey’s Anatomy, Gin Blossoms, Nick Drake

Pros: Great song writers

Cons: Don’t know how exciting their show will be

Download This:

Open Your Eyes

Chasing Cars

INDIE ICON ALERT

Spoon (7:30- 8:30)

Austin, TX

Indie/Alternative

These guys have been a big name in the indie world for almost 15 years. They have likely influenced several of the bands that will be playing at Lollapalooza. They have a a great sound made up of part indie alt with some brit sounding lyrics. I have never seen them but have a great live show reputation.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Indie kids

Fans of live music

You Will Like It If:

You like Lollapalooza

Pros: influential song writers, good live

Cons: they released an album this week so I don’t know the music to help

Download This:

I Tune My Camera On

They Never Got You

The Way We Get By

The Underdog

LOLLAPALOOZA’S BIGEST IMPORT ALERT

MUSE (8:30-10)

Devon, England

Indie/hard rock/theatrical rock

As far as record sales and ticket sales go, this is Europe’s biggest band that isn’t called U2. They were the first band to sell out the new Wembley Stadium (90,000/night)… two nights in a row. They use a lot of distortion and play some very catchy songs.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Indie kids

Hard rock kids

Maybe some emo kids

You Will Like It If:

You like older/harder Radiohead

You like MRNORTH’s harder stuff

A less emo version of My Chemical Romance

Download This:

Time Is Running Out

Stockholm Syndrome

Hysteria

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist

SUNDAY

CELEBRITY BAND ALERT

Juliette & The Licks (11:30-12:15)

Los Angeles, CA

Rock/indie punk

I don’t know anything about this band other than Juliette Lewis is the lead singer. All I know is at a few festivals they have covered The Stooges. The only reason to see this literally may be to see a celeb.

ROCK RIDGE MUSIC ALERT

MRNORTH (12:30-1:15)

Dublin, Ireland/Queens, NY

Rock/hard rock/pop rock/theatrical rock

Well, as many of you know, this is my favorite band that I work with… they are also some very good friends of mine. They are super talented and are great songwriters. There is nothing more to say or I will be gushing like we are talking about Abbye’s principal at her Sheppard graduation… hhahaha.

Who Does This Appeal To:

People who like me

Fans of well written music

Fans of pop rock

You will like it if:

You like Jeff Buckley, Incubus, U2, Radiohead, MUSE

Pros: great songs, great show

Cons: SHOW IS TOO EARLY AND TOO SHORT!!!

Download This: Purchase This:

Let Me In (great pop rock song)

Start From A (most incubus-esque track)

Wastin’ (the story of a man who drinks too much)

Silver Mouth (anit- Bush track)

Player (catchiest new song)

So Many Things (this albums single)

Sleeping Dogs (ballad)

Waking The Dead (hard rock song)

For The Cheater & The Cheated (first song they wrote after Colin broke up with his girl)

HYPE ALERT

Amy Winehouse (2:15-3:15)

London, England

Soul/r&b

She looks like and indie rock chick… but she sounds like a soul throwback. I saw her at SXSW and she came out so drunk that she barely played… I don’t know much else about her.

Download This:

Rehab

ICON ALERT

Iggy & The Stooges (4:15- 5:15)

Ann Arbor, MI

Punk/hard rock

He is one of the most influential artiest ever. The Stooges were more or less the first punk band. When they came out they were just considered a rock band of course we know better than this now. Lisa and I saw him live about 3 months ago… the energy is so high he sounded so great you would never guess he was 60!

Who Does This Appeal To?

Classic rock fans

Punk fans

Musical icons

You Will Like It If:

You like a great showman… he doesn’t stop moving

Pros: high energy, super fun

Cons: at the same time as Kings of Leon (cruelest overlap of the year)

Download This:

1969 (Iggy discusses being 21 and bored)

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Iggy makes a drunken booty call)

Search & Destroy (his most famous song)

Raw Power

My Idea Of Fun (written through GW’s eyes

End Of Christianity

No Fun

ARE THEY REALLY ON DURING THE STOOGES ALERT

Kings of Leon (4:15- 5:15)

Mt. Juliet, TN

Southern rock/bluesy rock/indie rock

This is one of my favorite new bands. They are whiskey soaked southerners who are all brothers (and one cousin). Their dad (and uncle) is a Pentecostal Minister. Of course with that type of house hold they all turned in to substance abusing, man whores and that’s what every single one of their songs is about. Literally. They are fun as long as you can get past how different his singing voice is, some people can’t.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Indie kids

Younger crowd

Indie girls

Southern rock fans

You Will Like It If:

You like to Jack Daniels

You like to dance, in a more rock/country way than the electronic stuff

You like Hold Steady, Silversun Pickups

Pros: Fun show, wise ass lyrics

Cons: at the same time as Iggy & The Stooges (cruelest overlap of the year)

Download This:

Milk (Abbye and My jame from Spain a couple years ago)

Molly’s Chamber (you will recognize if from a Jetta commercial a couple years ago)

Soft (song about a struggle he is having after getting too drunk and bringing a girl home)

The Bucket

Taper Jean Girl (aka Lisa Romoff haha)

Slow Night, So Long

King Of the Rodeo

Trani (same idea as the Kinks- Lola)

Knocked Up (not as whiskey soaked new song influenced from being on the road with U2 and Pearl Jam for the past year)

BEST UNDER THE RADAR SONG OF THE FIRST HALF OF 2007

Peter Bjorn & John (5:00-6:00)

Stockholm, Sweeden

Indie pop/electric

I don’t have much to say other than they have the best song of the first half of 2007.

Who Does This Appeal To:

Indie kids

Hipsters

Emo kids

You Will Like It If:

You like Serge Gainsbourg and Bridget Bardot’s Bonnie & Clyde

Pro: great song

Con: possible one hit wonder

Download This:

Young Folks (song about a guy and girl who just are in love and care only about eachother)

FUN DANCE BAND ALERT

!!! (5:15-6:15)

New York, NY

Indie dance music

The bands is pronounced (chk chk chk). I have seen them before for an explanation see Day 1 LCD Soundsytem.

Who Does This Appeal To:

Dance kids

Gay guys

You Will Like It If:

You literally wanna dance like you are at a club for an hour straight

Pros: way fun

Cons: gets redundant

Download This:

Me And Giuliani Down By The Schoolyard (this song is dedicated stupid and insulting law that Giuliani made outlawing dancing in bars unless the bar buys a cabaret license.)

BEST SONG OF 2006 ALERT

TV on the Radio (7:15- 8:00)

New York, NY

Indie rock/trip hop/electric

This band is def a one hit wonder. I am not a fan of their record but they have a definite hit that was the best indie song of 2006. The band is a bunch of black dudes and they do have some trip hop sounds but this def not the Roots, this is a rock band. David Bowie has been known to help them on stage before as well.

Who Does This Appeal To?

Indie kids

You Will Like It If:

You liked most of the things at Lollapalooza, especially Cold War Kids, Silversun Pickups, Peter Bjorn & John

Pros: supposed to put on a great show

Cons: on song noticeably stronger than the rest

Download This:

Wolf Like Me (song about a man who at night turns into a warewolf and he explains to a girl that she has it in her too)

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