7/18/11

Pictures from Pitchfork 2011

all photos by me :)

Welcome to Illinoise! Round-Up of Sunday's Pitchfork Festival.

Chicago was a balmy 95 degrees on the last day of Pitchfork Festival. The weekend was full of must-see acts like Animal Collective, Curren$y, Twin Shadow, and Fleet Foxes. Sunday, however, was something special.

Doors opened at noon while festival-goers were greeted with a warm welcome (both figuratively and literally) as well as free water. I had my own agenda in mind, deciding to check out UK’s Yuck!, Kurt Vile & the Violators, controversial rap collective Odd Future, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Deerhunter, and TV on the Radio. With only 3 stages taking over Chicago’s Union Park, there was plenty of time to see everyone and do a little shopping at the various tents.

At 1:45, Yuck! took the Red Stage. The quartet shined with their indie-pop at an all-time high. While technical difficulties messed with the latter end of their set, the crowd was still showing them mad love. Definitely check them out if you’re a fan of bands such as Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Matt & Kim. Across the way playing the Green stage was Kurt Vile & the Violators. As I watched, I wondered if there was some type of hair-length requirement to be in Vile’s band. They brought a certain “down home” atmosphere to the festival. Vile took up an acoustic guitar at the end of the set, almost sounding like Bob Dylan. The band is definitely worth checking out.

Back at the Red stage, chanting began: “Wolf Gang, Golf Wang!” and “Swag!” were amongst the calls from the crowd anxious for rap collective, Odd Future. Surrounded by hype as well as animosity, the group had a lot to live up to…and they did. Odd Future’s fearless leader Tyler, the Creator hobbled on stage with his broken foot and all, only to jump head-first into the crowd later in the set. Hodgy Beats, Mike G, DJ Syd the Kyd, and Domo Genesis also joined Tyler on stage, contributing their own tracks to the set as well as revving up the crowd. It was dangerous and glorious in all of the sweat and heat during the mid-afternoon. The protesters outside of the park did nothing to sway listeners and it seemed to me that the newcomers had one of the largest crowds of the day. While nothing the collective raps about should be taken seriously, these kids (all around the age of 20 or younger) have a serious talent and are oddly loveable.

After the tornado that was Odd Future, nothing else really seemed to matter. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti played only half their set, before lead singer Ariel Pink left the stage and angered crowd behind. The sound void was quickly filled by metal band Kylesa, who tore up the Blue stage. While the mostly mellow, indie rock seemed to lose its luster, there was plenty else to do. Posters created by local artists were being sold and local record store, Reckless Records was selling off some of their inventory at obscenely reasonable prices.

Veteran indie-pop rockers Superchunk played before a cool breeze fell over Deerhunter at the Green stage. The music seemed to cool everyone off as the festival was drawing near a close. Singer Bradford Cox seemed happy to back in the States, let alone the festival, saying, “Don’t let anyone tell you that this isn’t the best country in the world!” Patriotism aside, the band was a distraction from the heat and lack of standouts for the day.
Sadly, that’s where my Pitchfork experience ended. While I would have LOVED seeing TV on the Radio, but the hydration and sanity of the people I was hanging out with ultimately won out in the end. My new friend Charles, however, said that TOTR absolutely KILLED it, despite the recent death of bassist Gerard Smith.

This was my first Pitchfork, but it definitely won’t be my last. Like any festival, it’s always a good time and there’s always a chance to meet new people and discover new interests. There’s a certain community feel Pitchfork has that other larger festivals don’t. The organizers managed to make Union Park feel like its own city and that alone is a sign of major success.

7/6/11

A promotional EP, entitled Split, distributed by Deathwish and Armageddon features two tracks by subtly different artists. The bands, Converge and Dropdead, both have roots in the hardcore genre but take different paths in execution and appeal.

The first track on Split is “Runaway,” contributed by Converge. The song’s grinding sounds and solitary, quick guitar solos are the track’s only highlights. What ensues for about three minutes is the standard, metal drumming and indistinguishable lyrics. For a band who has twenty years of work under their belts, this seems like the typical screamo/hardcore bands that have been playing Warped Tour for years. While the song’s ferocity will be perfect for moshpits, at Warped Tour or really anywhere else, the track has zero substance and emotion.

The second track, contributed by Dropdead, is “Path of Glory.” It’s raw, classic punk at its finest, reminiscent of Black Flag or The Germs. The track is a political anthem for the masses with its unrelenting speed and subtle melodic qualities. This band, also running 20 years strong, remains true to punk’s undying underground.

When full EP’s are released, I suggest checking out Dropdead over Converge. The band seems to know who they are and what they stand for while Converge seems to be playing catch-up with up-and-coming metal acts. **7.5/10

7/4/11

Review: Skying -The Horrors

British, art rockers The Horrors burst on to the scene in 2007 with their major label debut, Strange House. Songs like “She is the New Thing” and “Sheena is a Parasite” were a breath of fresh air amongst veteran, alternative acts –giving music with a Gothic atmosphere an accessible edge. From then on, the band have seen the light…and moved towards it. Their latest release, Skying, takes the lighter, electronic sounds of 2009’s Primary Colours and took it up a notch. What ensues is melodic waves of synths, lucid guitars, and whispery vocals.

The album opens with an almost tribal sound before fading into a psychedelic feel driven by keyboards. The track, “Changing Rain” has a “Dear Prudence” feel to it with its ethereal overlays and restrained vocals from singer, Faris Badwan. The mellow feel, with diluted vocals, is a theme throughout the entire record, but each song brings something different to the album, allowing it to remain intriguing.

There are aspects of early ‘90s alternative rock in tracks like “Drive In” and “Monica Gems” which make the record seem familiar but still fresh. There is even a post-punk feel to the track, “Endless Blue” which also incorporates a dance feel with muffled waves of guitar and bass. The dance-ability of the record seems to be a new step for The Horrors and continues on to a stand-out track, “I Can See Through You.”

While the album’s openers are strong and full of only the best old and new sounds, the album does falter with long, minimalist tracks that almost seem arduous and vocals that take a backseat to instrumentation. While “Moving Further Away” has a great bridging guitar riff, Badwan’s lyrics about his personal account of fame get to be repetitive and overdrawn. “Oceans Burning” and “Wild Eyed” seem to drone on with instrumentation that fades into the background and almost become full-out bores.

Skying’s finale, “You Said” breathes life back into the album. And while the tone of the album, as a whole, is light and forward-thinking sound wise, the lyrics are still quintessentially dark and mysterious. What The Horrors excel at is the ability to remain themselves in their appearance and message while moving forward and discovering new sounds. The album is beautiful –the cascading keys and shining moments of intricate guitar playing and subtle drums prove that this band knows what it is and is proud of it. **9.4/10

7/1/11

Review: Within & Without -Washed Out

Washed Out’s music is genre-bending. Is it indie? Sure, but there are so many layers to indie now that one label isn’t enough. What is being known as “chillwave” is getting monster attention from hipster haunts like coffee shops and record stores to TV shows like Portlandia. Up-and-coming acts like Twin Shadow to more established ones like Panda Bear are all reaping the benefits of this new sound, but it’s Washed Out who is really doing it right –and just in time for summer.

The new album, Within and Without, is chalked full of defining chillwave beats and distortions. Blissful echoes and cascading keyboards create a dream-like atmosphere around each track. “Amor Fati” and “Before” are the shiniest beacons of pure, west coast-inspired music and will fit perfectly on any summer playlist.

The album’s standout tracks, “You & I” and the title-track “Within & Without” show Washed Out’s strengths. “You & I” pays homage to the electro-pop of the ‘90s with a slight hip-hop influence. A seductive, female spoken-word bridge livens the background of the song, punctuated with a killer synth contribution. “Within and Without” is simple, but the vocal is easily understood and the shimmering cascade of keyboards at the end makes it an album favorite.

While the record as a whole does fall to some “chillwave” clichés: overly muffled vocals, indistinguishable lyrics, and over-powering electronic distortions, the closer “Dedication” throws all rules of the genre out the window. The vocals are strong yet soft, and the piano is the perfect counterpart to the running, technologic theme. Within and Without is almost like a coming-of-age movie –it may not have an outright happy ending, but it’s hopeful. **9.0/10