Pitchfork Fest 2008 - Saturday

Pitchfork Fest 2008 came and went. It seemed like it would never arrive, and here I am writing a review of it. Summer sure does fly by.

Saturday morning was a rainy affair, but the weather pretty much cleared up by the time Jay Reatard took the stage for his 12:30 PM set. I was not too familiar with his music, but his set started off the day great. High-energy garage punk with few stops in between. I will probably retrieve his LP, Blood Visions and give that a spin. My big complaint is that the volume was too quiet for the big stage, and he would definitely benefit from playing in a small club. He reminded me of Bob Pollard in that he announced the name of the song he was about to play. I dig that, and I'll probably do the same for Random Candy.

We caught some of Caribou's set while waiting for Fleet Foxes, and wow, they sounded terrific. I wish I could have seen more.

Naturally, Fleet Foxes were next. The Chicago Tribune (and nearly every music publication) has been whacking off to them for a few months, and with good reason. Their record is really cool and different. Of course, all the reviews of their set in the next day's newspapers were super-positive. They sounded great, but the festival setting is totally wrong for them. They deserve to sell out Metro and warm some interiors. I was impressed that they quieted the crowd as much as they did, but that's partly due to the fact that the acoustic guitar was so fucking quiet.

It didn't take much for Andrew to coax me into watching part of Fuck Buttons' set. I was really impressed with this band. Noisy, loud, and with some melodic flair, the Fuck Buttons were right up my alley. I recommend seeing them and buying their newest LP. This was my great "surprise" set of the fest.

Vampire Weekend was awesome. I am in a different world from everyone that says their live show is underwhelming. They delivered. I had a great time, and so did my friends. Their new song is incredible, and they even gave "Blake's Got a New Face" a much-needed boost.

!!! - are they a joke band? Terrible.

The Hold Steady rocked really hard. They played a lot of new stuff, and I did NOT hear "Stuck Between Stations." I wish they had included it in the set. This band is well suited for all environments, including festivals. Craig Finn is hilarious.

We caught Jarvis Cocker's set as we waited for Animal Collective. What a snoozer! No Pulp, no care. Sorry.

Finally, Animal Collective took the stage as headliner. Wow. I am a believer in this band. They had the best set of the weekend. Bright, trance-inducing lights perfectly complimented their zany takes on old songs. And hell, they played "Comfy in Nautica" by Panda Bear. Their show was the kind of show that turns non-believers into believers, casual listeners into avid fans, and the rest into melted snow. They sucked all the life out of me, as a matter of fact. Hail AC!

Sunday review coming soon.

30 Minute Weekend Playlist (3/14/08)

Welcome back blogosphere! This edition of 30 Minute Playlist is brought to you courtesy of Spring Break! It’s here. I intend to relax in Downers Grove for the week and maybe drive out to a friend’s campus for good times. What do you intend to do? Are you even on Spring Break? Let’s hang out during the week; we’ll buy records or get lunch or drink alcohol. Sounds like a plan to me.

Naturally, the playlist has a lot of feel good jams in it. It starts out with Desmond Dekker’s ’69 classic, “Israelites.” If you don’t know, chances are you are not British. Youtube it. Marley’s oft-forgotten “So Much Things to Say” is next, followed by African musician, Fela Kuti. Driven to madness by Vampire Weekend, I naturally started listening to Paul Simon again. The Band of Horses song is a real winner. The playlist ends with a tune to cater to your inner parrothead. Fact or fiction: 4 Buffett tickets cost $407.35. I’ll put it out there and let you all decide.

1. Desmond Dekker – Israelites
2. Bob Marley – So Much Things to Say
3. Fela Kuti – Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake AM
4. Paul Simon – Graceland
5. Panda Bear – Untitled 1
6. Vampire Weekend – Campus
7. Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You
8. Jimmy Buffett – He Went to Paris

Review: Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

I’ll start by asking for a late pass, and I also have to apologize for sleeping on Vampire Weekend for about a month too long. Vampire Weekend is the early frontrunner for the most-hyped band of 2008 award, and with good reason. Their debut is smart, catchy, and likely to top some critics’ best-of lists in nine months.

This record smokes in more than one way. For starters, it is just over 34 minutes. That’s short, even by indie pop standards. Secondly, the songs are compact, straightforward, and generally fast. “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” ends just as you think “Mansard Road” has begun.

What I like most about this record is the use of clean guitar and clever global hooks. The songs seem easy enough to play, but are neatly executed for fans of precision. The drummer is excellent, especially on “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” when he uses bongos (or something like that). The vocalist is confident, even if his lyrics are absurd.

This brings me to my biggest complaint about the record: the lyrics. They are trite, hard to relate to, and generally snobbish. I’m sure they get this criticism all the time, so I don’t have to go any further. If you like songs about yachts, Vampire Weekend is for you!

Don’t sleep on this band any longer: go out and get Vampire Weekend ASAP (or at least before you bring the fishing boat out of winter storage). For fans of: Paul Simon’s Graceland, unique pop music, Cape Cod, African grooves, and clean guitars.

30 Minute Weekend Playlist (3/7/08)

This is the first installment of my thirty minute playlist feature. I think it will be a smash hit on my fresh, up-and-coming blog!

The beginning of the playlist starts with some tunes that will get you all ready for Spring. Song five is from the Blacklisted leak and takes the playlist in a sinister, heavy, and noisy direction. This does not last long, however, as I ease the mix back into the smooth department at about 26 minutes. On the weekend, who has the time to listen to two hour mixes? Not me! The Starting Line song is there to provide evidence of their illustrious career as a band- a career that was put on indefinite hiatus this past week.

1. Vampire Weekend – A-Punk

2. Beatnik Termites – Red Haired Girl

3. El Guincho – Kalise

4. Beach House – Wedding Bell

5. Blacklisted – Circuit Breaker

6. Pulling Teeth – Stonethrowers

7. The Starting Line – Hello Houston

8. Logh – Note on Bathroom Mirror

9. Medeski, Martin, Scofield, and Wood – Julia

Remember: I am not going to host files for download. I assume my loyal reader(s) have some, if not all of the songs. I would be willing to send them somewhere else, but not in this blog. Maybe in person! Or on AIM! SN - Panther1215.