Imagine Dragons: "Radioactive"

We love bands with a little mystery, right? We love to get to know bands, but still be left wanting for the whole truth -- just to keep things interesting. Fortunately for the fairly straight forward Las Vegas-based indie rockers Imagine Dragons, they retain a little mystery.

Apparently, their name is an anagram. THAT ONLY THEY KNOW FOR WHAT. How mysterious is that? We love.

I puzzled for whole minutes and could only come up with A RANDOM SIEGING. Maybe I’ll try a few more before emailing the band my attempts at cracking the code.

But other than that, I’m going to once again trot out the “not entirely remarkable” moniker. Don’t get me wrong, these guys are solid. Their Killers- and Strokes-esque brand of supercharged pop-alt-rock with heavily layered guitar riffs and smashing drums is catchy, captivating, and highly replayable.

And in this video’s live setting, they haul out a massive drum -- look out, Boiler band! -- so they have that going for them.

Their rise to fame seems unsettlingly quick: The first two members, Dan Reynolds and Wayne Sermon, only met in 2008. A few years, additional band members, and EPs later, they inked a deal with veritable record label Interscope in fall 2011.

OK, so maybe that is a bit remarkable. And certainly the great speed with which their discography and music videos gained widespread popularity is commendable; either they have a kickass manager or the media and public believe they’re just that good.

I’m going with a combination of both. Decide for yourselves when you see them bang that drum on Friday of Lolla. Maybe they’ll even give out a clue to their anagram.

(P.S. Here's a bonus video of violinist Lindsey Stirling and haht vocal rock group Pentatonix doing a cover of "Radioactive.")

HAIM: "Falling"

Welcome back the magnificent Rachel Aguiar, music lover and writer extraordinaire, as she profiles LA sister trio HAIM.

Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear "family band"? The Brady Bunch? Donny and Marie? Hanson? The Jonas Brothers? An innate cheesiness? HAIM, a trio of sisters from Los Angeles, has no trouble moving past this stigma. And as it turns out, harmonizing is that much easier when you’re related (just listen to the a cappella start to the song “Better Off”).

Slightly reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, HAIM (rhymes with time) does an excellent job capturing a kind of west coast breeziness in each of their songs. I first discovered the band in the middle of the winter in Chicago, yet every time I listened to their music, in my mind I was driving down the coast of California in a convertible with the top down.

Despite forming the group more than five years ago, HAIM has only recently found mainstream success, especially after their EP debut at SXSW in 2012. Every single they release garners more attention than the last. Their latest single, “Falling,” definitely continues along this path, complete with funky bass lines, hand clapping, and soaring vocal hooks.

Recently, HAIM also collaborated on Kid Cudi’s new album, Indicud, creating one of the most critically acclaimed songs on the album, “Red Eye.” It was great to see how well HAIM’s bubbly and upbeat sound complemented Kid Cudi’s rawness. Here’s hoping to see more HAIM collaborations in the future.

So what should you expect from HAIM at Lollapalooza? You can expect a perfect show for lounging in a grassy field on a sunny day. That thought alone is what’s getting me through this rainy April. See you there!

-- Rachel Aguiar

Thievery Corporation

The DJ introducing this set sums it up well: Thievery Corporation is a gypsy carnival, an amalgamation of whatever instruments, vocals, and ambient sounds the acid jazz-loving band members bring to the table.

If you're familiar with the 2004 "Garden State" soundtrack, then you've probably been entranced by Thievery Corporation's best-known song, "Lebanese Blonde," which was featured in the movie. In today's featured performance, that song (which was originally released as a single in 1998) is second on the setlist, beginning around 6:20 with the recognizable sitar riff. Most all their songs give the same flavor as the hashish-praising "Lebanese Blonde" -- a bass groove,  meaty and echo-y female vocals, and relaxed drum beats with elements of dub, bossa, and Middle Eastern. This is music to sit on the side of the hill and groove to, as they've proved with a few past Lolla performances, including the Brazil festival in 2012. Clearly, Perry Ferrall is a fan:

Catch them at Lollapalooza 2013 on Friday, August 2.

Frightened Rabbit

Sometimes, it’s the shyest among us that have the most to say.

This was true in the case of Scott Hutchison, a guitarist and singer from Selkirk, Scotland. (Fun fact: William Wallace was named Scotland’s defender here!) Growing up, Hutchison was so fearful of human interaction his own mum dubbed him a “frightened rabbit.” His own mum.

Think they give many “participation trophies” in Scotch country? Not so much. Fortunately, the wee kit grew up to become a (albeit visually) well-adjusted adult who sings, plays, and interacts with the audience quite naturally.

The nickname, however, stuck around, as Hutchison used it as a stage moniker for his solo performances starting in 2003. He was later joined by his brother Grant (drums) and another guitarist by the name of Billy Kennedy. Today Frightened Rabbit tops out with five members.

Hutchisons and co. put out their first record, Sing the Greys, in 2006, and followed it up with The Midnight Organ Fight in 2008, The Winter of Mixed Drinks in 2010, A Frightened Rabbit EP in 2011, State Hospital (an EP) in 2012 and, most recently, Pedestrian Verse in February this year. Not quite as prolific as their furry namesake, but still pretty impressive.

Aside from having some really fantastic album titles, Rabbit’s music is heartfelt and catchy folk-pop, though not entirely remarkable. Some of the potential vigor might be absent from this particular performance, as Scott announces early on it was meant to be an “off day”, with a dream performance scheduled the following day at San Francisco’s historic Fillmore venue.

But at heart these guys aren’t head-banging material. Nor do they need to be. There’s enough aural variety -- mixed guitar riffs, lively keyboards, cosy harmonies, sentimental and Scottish accent-delivered lyrics -- to keep your ears entertained. After half a dozen albums, they’re comfortable in their own pelt.

The songs have a range of depth, and are at their most powerful when more driving, layered, and repetitive -- similar to the work of their countrymen The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Comparatively, they may demonstrate a slightly wider sound palette, floating about among the realms of light, dark, heavy, and airy. Does that make them better?

Not necessarily.

But we all have biases. Grab yourself some mates, a couple pints, throw on all three, and decide for yourselves. Just make sure you get an opinion from the shy one.

NOTE: These guys hit Lolla on Friday, August 2.

Nine Inch Nails: Live at Woodstock 1994

Now I remember why it's so difficult to keep a daily blog. An hour of musical lovin' is difficult to find some days.

But the artists of Lollapalooza are varied, interesting, and weird enough to capture our attention amidst the noise of life's busyness. See: Nine Inch Nails at 1994 Woodstock, so covered in mud that they look like zombies. Zombies playing industrial rock. Rock. On.

My friend Laura said that NIN got her through high school, and I can understand why. The band is loud, unapologetic, loud, expletive-ridden, and loud. You can't possibly have a sad thought while enduring the overwhelming force of NIN's sound.

The band, which officially consists of frontman Trent Reznor and whoever he chooses to play with after a given album, played the very first Lolla in 1991. In fact, the '90s were NIN's heyday, with two Grammys and a nod from Time and Spin magazines to the influence of Reznor (as Reznor has succinctly written on the NIN Wikipedia page). (Oh come on, you can totally tell he wrote it.)

After a philosophical difference with the recording industry, NIN began releasing music through Creative Commons in 2008, and they seemed to dip below the radar. The band went on official hiatus in 2009, but Reznor began rumbling about getting the band back together in 2012. This year's Lolla will kick off NIN's fall festival tour, with dates in San Francisco, Philly, New Orleans, and Paris, among others. And Reznor has said he's working on new material; perhaps we'll see some in Grant Park.

Besides Reznor, the current NIN line-up includes Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction, Adrian Belew of King Crimson, and Josh Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv, along with Alessandro Cortini and Ilan Rubin, who joined NIN for the band's 2008 album releases.

Let's hope it rains the first day of Lolla, because they'll be playing on Friday night and I want to see Zombie Reznor in all his glory.

Zombie Trent Reznor

YAWN: "Kind of Guy"

De-globalization is the new black: Eat local, drink local, ride local. How about listen local? Enter YAWN, the first hometown heroes to appear in this Lolla prep post-a-ganza. These relative newcomers stomp the ground around Wicker Park, so they won’t have to travel quite so far to make their Sunday spot at the festival.

The YAWN yarn has the group’s origins dating back to 2007, though things didn’t really get yawning until 2010, when they released a self-titled, five-track EP and blew the doors off a showcase at Austin’s South by Southwest festival in 2010.

This successful doors-blowing landed them exposure in Pitchfork, NME and other fine musical word-spreading media. They proceeded to issue EPs Open Season in 2011 and Happy Tears (available for free on their website!) in 2012. They were yawn their way.

But yawn just a minute; what about the Yawn sound? Theirs is a pop potpourri, a veritable endless stream of “Man, that reminds me of” propelled by close resemblance to the multi-layered and sample-laden electronic stylings of Yeasayer, Brian Eno, Grizzly Bear, Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective, etc etc. And that's not a bad thing.

Someyawn, they do emerge from the proverbial pile, however. There’s a lightness, a playfulness, an uber-rhythmic yawnness to their tracks that sets them apart. Clearly, the quality is difficult to nail down.

But what also stands out is the wide variety of sounds they produce across their brief discography. They’re experimenting, changing, evolving -- enough to keep things interesting, not so much as to confuse the listener. They’re being, dare I yawn it, artistic.

One explanation for their diversity is -- homer alert! -- the Chicago climate. In an interview with online music journal Pop’stache, the guys joke that the abrupt and drastic seasonal changes in the City that Works inspire them to follow suit in their music-making. Yawn!

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: "Ffunny Ffriends"

Unknown Mortal Orchestra comes from the psych rock genre of wandering guitar, simple structures, and groovy drum beats. They released a self-titled debut in June 2011 and a sophomore album, fittingly titled II, this past February. They created some buzz at this year's SXSW, and they're
currently on a worldwide tour that will take them through Chicago as well as Paris, Liverpool, New York, Akron, and Des Moines. (Party in Des Moines!)

But as with Bob Dylan, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, and a number of other artists, you probably either love or hate the voice of lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Ruban Nielson. Live, he sounds like this:

And with effects, he sounds like this:

I'll be honest: I like Unknown Mortal Orchestra better with the effects than without, but maybe that's okay -- they are a psych rock band, after all, so that's half the point. Nielson's high-pitched, raspy voice has an odd timbre that sounds strained without the echo-y, lo-fi sound effects. Bassist Jake Portrait and drummer Riley Geare round out the trio and provide a solid rhythm section to cradle Nielson's distinct, guitar-led melodies and frazzled, just-trying-to-cope-with-life lyrics, which are both endearing and impactful. And I'm always a sucker for a Kiwi accent. Check them out on Saturday of Lolla.

Alt-J (∆): "Fitzpleasure"

Please welcome the magnificent Rachel Aguiar, music lover and writer extraordinaire, as she profiles British rock band Alt-J, who perform Sunday of Lolla.

Alt-J

Every once and a while, you’ll listen to an album that you fall in love with from the very first listen. Alt-J’s An Awesome Wave was not one of these albums for me. The first time I heard the Cambridge-based band’s album, I couldn’t tell if I loved it or hated it — it was a completely unfamiliar experience. Uncertainty about the album soon developed into straight-up obsession. The band utilizes a vast range of styles and instruments that may seem haphazardly thrown in at first, but ultimately come together. Listeners will find themselves transfixed by the erratic and warbly voice of lead singer, Joe Newman. As I introduced Alt-J (named for the keystrokes needed to create a ∆ on a Mac) to as many friends as possible, I found it increasingly challenging to describe the band.

Many have called Alt-J “the new Radiohead.” In their review, Pitchfork wisely moved beyond this too-simple description and tried to distill the essence of Alt-J’s sound: “The notion of a male vocal that’s halfway between Macy Gray and a goose gibbering over beats discarded from Eskimo Snow-era WHY? is certainly a complex notion. Sometimes they sound like Bombay Bicycle Club playing in a submarine.”

The review goes on to discuss how the lyrics don’t seem to make any sense. This definitely felt like the case upon the first few listens. However, later I found that the lyrics in each song have huge significance, and it was rather startling when I finally made the connection.

The song “Fitzpleasure” is seemingly filled with lyrics that make no sense – “Tra-la-la, in your snatch fits pleasure, broom-shaped pleasure.” The entire song is actually inspired by a rather nasty scene in Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel Last Exit to Brooklyn, which involves a prostitute named Tralala, a group of men, and a broom.

Additionally, the song “Matilda” is actually homage to the climax of one of my favorite films, “Léon.” One of the catchiest songs on the album, “Breezeblocks,” references Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. Finally, “Taro” tells the love story between two war photographers, Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, specifically capturing Capa’s last moments before and after he steps on a landmine.

Fans of the album will find themselves transfixed by the stories of the songs as well as the sweeping, experimental sound. I’ll be honest: While some of the friends I introduced to Alt-J have become mega-fans, others were not so impressed. Ultimately, I highly recommend giving An Awesome Wave a few listens before deciding whether or not to catch them at Lollapalooza.

-- Rachel Aguiar

Mumford & Sons: Live at Glastonbury

Saturday's Lolla headliners hardly need an introduction, as they've taken the American music scene by storm since dropping their debut album, Sigh No More, in early 2010. Prior to that, Mumford & Sons had already developed a fan following in their home of England and neighboring Ireland. But as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Amy Winehouse, the Kinks, the Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, and dozens of other magnanimous British artists have proven, to make it in the U.S. is to hit the jackpot. Maybe it's because we spend more than $300 million a year on costumes for our pets, or maybe it's because we're the world connoisseurs of music. No one can be sure.

Anyway, the U.S. word-of-mouth machine began rumbling about this quartet of stunningly talented Brits in mid-2010, but we really took notice when they nabbed two Grammy nominations in December 2010. The attention garnered from their live performance of "The Cave" at the Grammy ceremony in February 2011 doubled their album sales, and a few months later Mumford & Sons headlined at Glastonbury, giving us today's hour-long, full-concert jam. They charmingly insert a few "new" (at the time) songs, tracks like "Lovers' Eyes" and "Below My Feet" that became the lynchpins of their sophomore album, Babel, released more worldwide more than a year later, in September 2012. This time they won the Grammy, nabbing "Album of the Year" this past February and killing the competition with an unapologetically emotional and lively performance of the lead track, "I Will Wait," a video of which is sadly absent from YouTube (darn you, copyright).

You've got to love a band that has fun on stage.

I was somewhat distressed to learn, while researching this post, that frontman Marcus Mumford was born in 1987, making him the same age as me. Cue "what am I doing with my life?" moment, to be superseded by "fuck yeah, my generation!" This band is one of the most entrancing rock bands performing today, and their show will be a major highlight of Lollapalooza. Their music is ardent, poetic, danceable, and instrumentally complex thanks to each members' expertise on a range of elements and willingness to go balls-to-the-walls on four-part harmonies. The effect is chilling.

I'm so excited, I'm giving you TWO full-length concerts in today's post. This is a Daijams first. Check 'em out in front of an American audience. Their charm, grace, and genuine thankfulness is ingratiating.

The Court Yard Hounds: "Skyline"

 

Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, a.k.a. the Court Yard Hounds

I was a latecomer to country music. In fact, I still haven't truly come around. My boyfriend practically grew up wearing cowboy boots and line dancing, so I'm making an effort, and I've found a lot to like: lovely harmonies, sweet acoustic guitar mixed with melodic violin, lots of blond hair. I speak, of course, of the Court Yard Hounds.

This country duo just released their debut in 2010, but they're no newcomers to the music scene. Sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison are two-thirds of the Dixie Chicks, a group they started together in 1989. They hit paydirt in the mid-'90s, when lead singer Natalie Maines joined up and helped them earn 10 CMA Awards and 13 Grammy Awards between 1998 and 2007. The group has been on hiatus since 2008, so the sisters embarked on this side project.

Maguire and Robison's pedigree and polish is obvious in their performance. They've both primarily been instrumentalists with the Dixie Chicks, playing everything from guitar to fiddle to banjo to mandolin to accordion. But with the Court Yard Hounds, Robison takes the lead on vocals, and her self-penned and personal lyrics weave through warm guitar and violin sounds, reaching climax when Maguire chimes in with tight, shiver-inducing harmonies. This is easy listening, much like the Dixie Chicks' corpus, but it's sans Natalie Maines' bold stage presence and that thing that country singers do with their voice sometimes, where they flip the end of a word to the back of their throat. (Can someone tell me the technical term for that? Check out what I mean with this 2002 DC performance. Listen to Maines' third word, "know.")

The Court Yard Hounds will release their sophomore album this summer, so you'll want to pick that up because they'll probably play it top to bottom during their set on Saturday of Lolla.

Maines is also keeping busy, with her first solo album, Mother, set to drop on May 7. But never fear, Dixie Chicks fans: The three firmly insist that their reign is not over. In the meantime, the mellow music of the Court Yard Hounds will sate the country-minded among you. I wonder if you can line dance to it.

Ben Howard: "Black Flies"

In choosing to write about the increasingly famous British singer-songwriter Ben Howard, I was suddenly awash with a sense of deja vu. Have I penned on this talented young man before? Indeed, I have.

But that’s ok. Surely there are more than a few ways to describe his art. More performances of his to bless this blog with.

For those too lazy to follow the above link or flit off to the Wiki monster, Mr. Howard is a scrappy youngster (25 -- I have a birthday this Saturday and yes, that’s young) hailing from Devon, U.K. His heartfelt brand of indie-folk acousti-rock fits right in with the wave of outdoorsy, unshaven, kale-munching hipster-nip (Mumford & Sons, Wilco, Fleet Foxes, resurgence of DMB, etc.) continuing to sweep the planet. And that’s a good thing.

Since his last feature in this space, Ben’s released a full-length studio album called Every Kingdom that coincided with a breakout performance at the 2012 South By Southwest festival in Austin, TX. Oh, and it helped land him a PAIR of highly coveted 2013 BRIT awards: British Breakthrough Act and British Male Solo Artist. Not too shabbs.

His performance of “Black Flies” at last year’s Dutch uber-rock festival Lowlands (seriously, people will give up their entire vacantiegeld to attend this multi-day extravaganza) is a bit of a departure for him. He generally doesn’t do much with electronically boosted sound: At a sold out show in Amsterdam’s famed Paradiso venue last year, his mostly mellow and intimately engaging songbook almost didn't fit the cavernous space.

You can see/hear that for the first half minutes of “Black Flies.” And then the switch flips. The dark switch. The gut-wrenching, head-bowing, tear-jerking dark vivid emotion switch that belies something truly grim and burning going on deep inside. Here it is laid bare: raw and white hot.

Ben is such a sentimental performer, singer and lyricist that you knew that dark switch was there all along. Frankly, I think it suits him, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more of it in his music. But it's early in his career, and for now, I’ll take what I can get.

Not convinced his inky depths are for real? Check out this sick, sad-times cover of one of the brightest pop gems of the last decade:

Beast Patrol: "Plaster"

You can't make it in rock music without a badass, low-angle promo shot.

At Lollapalooza, there is no scraping the bottom of the barrel. If you like female-led alt-rock groups like Metric, Tegan & Sara, and Blondie, put a check-mark next to the Saturday performance of the 2013 line-up's last-billed artist*, Beast Patrol, and read on.

Two-year-old Beast Patrol is an alt-rock trio from Brooklyn that came together after taking part in "a revolutionary show powered by bicycles, called Natural Ass." Vocalist/guitarist Vanessa Bley and bassist Anthony Marchesi were already living together at the time, but it seems the moment they met drummer Robert Granata, the stars aligned over the cycling-frenzied tushes. (It was a party intended to promote the use of bicycling as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. The entire show was powered by audience members riding 18 bicycles. It's a pretty awesome idea, and very New York.)

Vanessa was playing the show with her self-titled band, whose EP carried her name:

And Marchesi and Granata jumped right in to promote that album with her. The trio soon decided to form under a new name, and Beast Patrol was born. This past September they released the first EP under the band's name, titled Fierce & Grateful. And the four-song EP sounds just as its title suggests—eager but graceful, thoughtful, and rocking. They band has described their vibe as a "cocktail of all our favorite bands: '90s rock, '70s funk, '80s beat, '60s drugs, etc."

Check out the EP's intoxicating single, "Plaster," of which Bley said to Rolling Stone: "'Plaster' came so quickly when I wrote it. Total explosion. I actually hated it at first because it was so personal, but over time the lyrics applied to more and more...We all fall apart and try to clean it up. It’s important to step outside yourself and try to get in. Keep the beast in check." Sounds like a mission statement.

Stream the full Fierce and Grateful EP and download it for free here.

*In reality, the bottom half of the line-up has no official order of importance. But isn't this a fun gimmick?

The Cure: Live at Reading Festival 2012

If you're unfamiliar with one of the world's original goth rock bands, also known as one of the world's most successful and influential alternative rock bands, here's the quick and dirty version: The Cure was formed in England in the 1970s. Of the original line-up, only frontman Robert Smith remains, and his gloomy song lyrics and echo-y vocals have come to define the band's sound, though he wasn't originally slated to be the lead vocalist. The band's best-known songs, "Boys Don't Cry," "Friday I'm in Love," "Lovesong," "Just Like Heaven," and a few others have received extensive radio play over the years, with the latter three reaching the Billboard Top 100 in the 1980s and 90s.

The Cure has never played Lollapalooza, which may explain why people are freaking out about it. Above, check out their full performance at England's Reading Festival last August along with Lolla 2011 headliners the Foo Fighters.

Which brings me to my point: I'm super excited to see The Cure. They are going to be awesome. But Lollapalooza was founded to give smaller, unknown bands the limelight, even if just for 43 minutes on the Kidz Stage. While you should totally go to Lollapalooza and see artists like The Cure or Nine Inch Nails (who were on the original Lolla lineup in 1991), you shouldn't go JUST to see The Cure or Nine Inch Nails. Tomorrow I will profile the very last name on the 2013 Lolla playbill, Beast Patrol, a Brooklyn outfit that formed in 2011 and has released one self-titled EP to date. Maybe someday, after releasing 13 studio albums and establishing a worldwide fanbase, they'll return to headline Lolla again. Maybe not. But this festival is about them, and the other 100 bands you probably don't know much about.

But omg totally go see The Cure on Sunday night because they're going to be SO AWESOME.

Lolla 2013 Lineup Posted

Greetings music fans! As Chicago emerges from winter hibernation, the Lolla organizers have bestowed something to carry us through the petulantly late-arriving spring: the 2013 lineup! [insert excited squealing noises]

Over the next 123 days, look to this independent, lovingly written blog for the low-down on every single one of the bands, rappers, DJs, singer-songwriters, and oddities playing Grant Park on August 2, 3, & 4, from headliners The Cure and Phoenix (Sunday), Mumford & Sons and The Postal Service (Saturday), and The Killers and Nine Inch Nails (Friday) to the local bands and "we're just lucky to be here" outfits that fill out the festival's 125-artist roster.

Three-day passes are already sold out (though a number are always available from Craigslist, scalpers, and radio giveaways). Single-day passes go on sale this Wednesday, April 3, at lollapalooza.com.

To whet your whistle, check out this year's teaser video: