Live Review: Saturday @ Lollapalooza

Talk about a summer of firsts! I couldn't quite bring myself to spring for the full three day Lollapalooza experience, so I decided to attend the second day of the annual fest. Marilu (my wonderful photographer) and I lucked out and missed the downpour on Friday, and were instead scorched by a day of sun and heat. This was my first time at a BIG music festival, so I was a little taken aback by the sheer number of people crammed into Grant Park. However, braving the crowds was a small price to pay for some of the great performances we got to witness.

The day started out with a set from The Low Anthem, a group that I've really been getting into as of late. Unfortunately, one of the nearby stages did its best to drown out the band's comparatively subdued songs, but by a few songs in the mix was perfectly enjoyable. I wasn't familiar with alot of the songs that were played, but what really struck was the beauty of the sparse but effective instrumentation. The members of the group are all multi-instrumentalists, incorporating instruments such as clarinets, horns, and pump organs into their arrangement. The highlight of the set for me was the Oh My God, Charlie Darwin track "Home I'll Never Be" which was every bit as raw and raucous as its studio counterpart. These guys may have gotten stuck with a pretty crappy spot on the schedule, but they delivered a set worthy of bigger stage and a larger crowd.

No Age's set was an entirely different animal than the one I experienced just a few days earlier at their show at the Memorial Union Terrace. The biggest difference was that No Age's guitarist had dislocated his shoulder the night prior, but managed to power through a nearly hour long set despite the fact that he has in a brace and hopped up on Vicodin. As a result, the most action the stage saw was a when a speedy fan hopped the barrier and jumped up on stage to deliver a note to No Age's drummer before quickly evading security and jumping back into the crowd. While I'm not really that familiar with No Age's recorded works, they sounded good and the oddly small crowd seemed to eat it up.

For me, the whole day kind of led up to TV on the Radio taking the stage. I was anxious to see how tracks from their superb Dear Science would hold up in a live setting. Turns out, they could have sounded better, if not for an extremely sub-par sound mix. I tolerated the muddy mix of opener "Love Dog", but by the time the band started "Golden Age" and things still didn't sound quite right, it didn't bode well for the rest of the performance. It's a shame too, because TVotR brought a killer horn section that really filled out their songs. It was just a little irritating when you couldn't hear Kyp Malone belting out the lyrics on "Crying" or that cool keyboard riff on "Red Dress". Not the band's fault, they looked as if they were giving it their all, and the set closer of "Staring at the Sun" sounded great. I just wish it hadn't taken the whole set to troubleshoot the mix...The Yeah Yeah Yeahs aren't the kind of band I would peg to headline a night of a festival, but after seeing the show they put on Saturday night, I can totally understand why they got the spot. The group proved themselves a totally competent replacement for the currently incapacitated Beastie Boys, thanks in no small part to the amazing vocal prowess and awesome stage presence of one Karen O. The band transitioned seamlessly between newer dance-tinged tunes such as "Heads Will Roll" and "Zero" and the older more rock-infused numbers such as "Pin" and "Date with the Night". Did I mention how good they sounded? I wouldn't be surprised if frequent producer David Sitek was behind the boards, making sure that the same fate that befell his band just an hour earlier didn't also affect the YYY's. An acoustic version of "Maps", during which Karen temporarily forgot the words, and a rousing rendition of "Y Control" made the night complete for me. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's encore-less set was a worthy end to a special day at a festival I'll certainly return to someday soon.

Favorite Albums of 2007

Let me get you up to speed; yesterday we took a look at some albums that should have been on today's list, if not for a few missteps or the simple fact that they didn't make it out this year. It's always interesting to look back through the year's music and rediscover a few neglected tunes, or realize just how much you're (still) listening to releases from the past year. I'm always a little bit worried that I'm neglecting new music; I've done a much better job of keeping up with new releases this year, but I'm the still kind of guy who also likes to complete the back catalogs and find interesting old stuff to listen to. Anyways, here it is; my favorite albums of the year arranged alphabetically by title:

Armchair Apocrypha - Andrew Bird
This one has been criminally overlooked on all of the year-end lists I've looked through so far. Bird's latest not only tops his previous record, the critically lauded Mysterious Production of Eggs, but also substantially improves upon the unique style which powers his work. The addition of Dosh into Bird's inner circle of collaborators is one of the most perfect matches ever made, and the results are some of the best tracks on the record.

Boxer - The National
The subdued arrangements and flat vocals are an acquired taste, but once this one grows on you it's hard to stop listening. The National deliver a hauntingly beautiful record that strays from the all out rock of their previous release, instead concentrating on building an atmosphere and accentuating the subtleties.



Challengers - The New Pornographers
I initially panned this one for not living up to it predecessor, the high energy whirlwind of Twin Cinema. Since then, I've come to appreciate this as the Porno's maturing, so much so that the few bombast moments left in the wake sound forced in comparison. A.C. Newman and company have become an entirely different animal; this is the album where the New Pornographers stop sounding like a supergroup and start sounding like a band.

Drums and Guns - Low
Low's latest takes the band back to their slowcore roots, shying away from the more rock-oriented direction of their 2005 release The Great Destroyer. The songs are just as beautiful and sparse as ever, vocals in the foreground with instruments providing texture and context. Drums and Guns brings the slowcore genre comfortably into present day, with pertinent lyrics and the same old haunting sound.

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
By now, Spoon is a well oiled machine and any album they decide to put out is met with impossibly high expectations. The band's latest manages to deliver, providing a marked improvement over it predecessor. Britt Daniel upholds his title as reigning master of the pop-rock song, and even manages to inject a little bit of studio weirdness without seeming pretentious. Jim Eno also gets a shout out for immaculate production, and some of the most precise drumming around.

I'll Follow You - Oakley Hall
I discovered this group just in time for their inaugural Merge release, which was good timing on my part. I'll Follow You tones down some of the noisier elements of the group, likely to appeal to a wider audience, but keeps all the alt-country vibe intact. From the vocal harmonies to the Skynard-esque guitar solos, it all makes for one heck of a solid record.



In Rainbows - Radiohead
With only ten day's notice, the world's premiere reclusive rock band released their best album since OK Computer. In Rainbows doesn't fizzle out (Hail to the Thief) or get too weird for it's own good (Kid A), it just delivers in spades. The band has never sounded better, so much so that it might even be worth picking up the forthcoming physical release, if only for the miniscule jump in sound quality.

Liars - Liars
The art-rockers tone it down a notch and release their best record to date. There's still plenty of deft studio manipulation and a healthy dose of electronics, but it's all packaged into some of the most rocking songs the band has ever wrote. It's a dark, at times abrasive, record but it's one of the most continuously enjoyable listens of the year.



Mirrored - Battles
Before this year the term 'math-rock' would have been met by most (myself included) with blank stares and disinterest. Battles' first full-length puts the genre firmly on the map with an album that sounds as fun as it is nonsensical. Somewhere between kraut-rock and aimless noodeling, Mirrored is one of the more unique records to hit my speakers this year.

Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
While not quite on par with their impeccable debut, the Canadian rockers' second release is far from a sophomore slump. Neon Bible is a bigger, bolder statement from a group that has the talent to make such melodrama work in their favor. The instrumentation, from booming pipe organs to swelling strings, is just as lush as it needs to be. I'm still listening to it well after its early 2007 release, so just like its predecessor; it has some staying power.

Sky Blue Sky - Wilco
Not the weird record that everyone expected for Nels Cline's first trip into the studio with the band, but certainly not a disappointment by any means. The album oozes with the ambience of laid back classic rock, while the spiraling solos on tracks like "Impossible Germany" and "Side With the Seeds" plant it firmly in the present. It's the next unexpected evolution from a band that seems comfortable in any number of genres.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
I think many people wrote this album off as just another one of Damon Albarn's side projects, which doesn't make much sense because Albarn has an amazing track-record within the side-project arena. Couple that with the fact that this is more of a British supergroup than anything, and you're in for a very interesting record. Albarn and company churn out what can only be described as apocalyptic brit-pop. It's dark and seething at times, but all catchy as hell.

The Triumphant Return

Well, it's been a while since I've posted here. Suffice to say, I'm not dead, just unmotivated and busy with more pressing matters. In the months since my last post I've graduated from high school, landed a summer job and to top it all off, last night I attended Wilco's show at Cincinatti's Aronoff Center. A great night to say the least, especially with an opening band as outstanding as Low. Before the show I ran into Mike Jorgenson on the sidewalk outside the venue and started out the signing of my "What Light" 7" single (a single which none of the band even knew existed, more on that later). Doors opened early and before taking my seat I snagged an amazingly clever Nintendo Wii-themed Wilco t-shirt pictured to the left. Low kicked the night off promptly at 7:30, drawing mainly from their newest release Drums & Guns (a real grower, I've been listening to it quite a bit as of late). The band didn't rely on pre-recorded effects of any sort, opting instead to rearrange songs to be played by their three-person configuration. Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker's haunting vocal harmonies were in full effect, making the accompanying music almost secondary in comparison. The sparse audience in attendance for this opening act were surprisingly respectful, which is really integral at a Low show since so many of the songs are quiet and subdued. In the words of Nels Cline "Low is the only slowcore band who gets it right".

Wilco took the stage to the opening strains of "Shake it Off", quickly launching into "You Are My Face". Both were songs I'd never heard live before and, in my opinion, both greatly improved upon their studio incarnations. The focus on Sky Blue Sky tracks continued throughout the main set, with spot on renditions of "Side With the Seeds", "Impossible Germany", "Sky Blue Sky" and "Walken". The set was surprisingly YHF-heavy, including the usual "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", "War on War", and "I'm the Man Who Loves You" joined by "Pot Kettle Black" a song from the era which I've never had the pleasure of hearing live before. A welcome change was the lack of Ghost is Born material in the set. While I don't mind hearing the songs, both shows I've been to previously were chock full of songs from that album, so it was nice to hear some new things. The band looked to be having a great time on stage, still full of all their beginning of tour energy. Tweedy introduced the audience to a Spinal Tap-esque stage piece which turned out to be a tiny macramé owl that came down from the rafters onto the stage behind the band ("Adjust yourself to THAT reality"). The main set culminated with "Hummingbird", but the band quickly returned for their first of two encores, launching into the great new tune "Hate it Here" following it up with the a rendition of "Poor Places" that bled into the krautrock of "Spiders". The night ended up with a sing-a-long to "What Light" and the pop-rock goodness of "Heavy Metal Drummer".
After the show I managed to get the rest of the band sign my "What Light" 7". No one in the band had any idea that Nonesuch had even put out a single in the UK. Tweedy wondered why they hadn't at least sent him free copy for his collection. Nels was excited about the inclusion of rocker "Let's Not Get Carried Away" as the b-side. I gave Glenn the URL of the website I imported from (Juno Records, for any of you who'd like to own a copy). My only regret is that I didn't get to meet any members of Low, but I can't complain too much. Yet another awesome night with Wilco.