Festivals

Outside Lands unveils 2015 schedule with set times

July 23, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

Believe it or not, the eighth Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is just around the corner, and the festival’s beloved Ranger Dave has finally disclosed what everyone has been asking for: set times!

Back in March, the festival released its daily lineups, and we knew at the time that at least Sunday’s headliner Elton John wouldn’t be pitted against one of hip-hop’s finest, Kendrick Lamar. Now, all the cards are on the table as you can see the set times for each day here.

Some of the biggest conflicts of the weekend include Friday’s headliner Mumford & Sons vs. D’Angelo and The Vanguard and Saturday’s headliner The Black Keys vs. Mr. Lamar. We know who we will be checking out (hint: both of them aren’t at the Lands End Stage), but with so many top-notch artists on this year’s bill, there’s bound to be some very difficult decisions that every festivalgoer will have to make. It’s a big reason why Outside Lands is one of our eight California music festivals you won’t want to miss before the end of 2015.

Want to keep the party going after the festival wraps up each night? Check out the late-night schedule that Outside Lands has planned here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Elton John, Kendrick Lamar, Mumford & Sons, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, The Black Keys

Phono del Sol goes bigger and better in 2015

July 16, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

King Tuff

Photos by Diana Cordero // Written by Ava Bernard //

Phono del Sol Music Festival //
Potrero del Sol Park – San Francisco
July 11th, 2015 //

The Bay Bridged teamed up with John Vanderslice of Tiny Telephone recording studio for their fifth installment of Phono del Sol Music Festival at Potrero del Sol Park last Saturday. This surprisingly affordable festival (advanced tickets were $30 and tickets at the door were $35) brought quite the diverse crowd. Fans and families alike were able to soak up the sun on a hot day while getting a chance to see some pretty epic bands and munch on plenty of tasty gourmet treats from some of SF’s favorite food trucks.

With the festivals grounds covered with an abundance of flamingo decorations, Lagunitas beer gardens and the backdrop of skateboarders set the mood for the event. Between sets from some noteworthy local and East Coast bands, festival attendees were able to enjoy tunes from LIVE 105 DJ Aaron Axelson in the beer garden all day.

Tiaras

The festival included 11 bands on the bill and kicking off the day was Scary Little Friends, whose psychedelic guitar riffs were showcased during favorite cuts like “We Are Young”. Opening the Potrero Stage, the garage-pop supergroup Tiaras have succeeded in becoming a Bay Area favorite, drawing in the early-afternoon crowd with their harmonious, dreamy mirage sound thanks to the vocals of lead singer/guitarist/keyboardist Ryan Grubbs. The afternoon continued with an array of different bands, such as Oakland-based psychedelic rock outfit Everyone Is Dirty, which brought a packed crowd and captured the hearts and ears of nearby passersby.

As the day went on and the sun started going down, the bands continued to keep everyone entertained. A majority of them, including Vérité, Tanlines and Generationals, shifted the music heavily toward electropop. One band on the rise is HEARTWATCH (fka The Tropics), which will also be performing at Outside Lands this year. The five-piece brought fans to their feet as people of all ages danced to Claire Georges’ sweet, happy-go-lucky vocals.

Tanlines

To round out the night, King Tuff and Tanlines closed both stages. Tanlines, the electropop duo out of Brooklyn, is a fun group that will make you literally “just wanna dance.” With their upbeat tracks, they proved to be an afternoon delight for everyone at the park.

Meanwhile, over on the Potrero Stage, King Tuff’s heavy garage rock was a favorite of the day, with Kyle Thomas’ nasal vocal stylings almost comparable to that of T. Rex and other bands like SF’s Thee Oh Sees. Both fun and memorable, King Tuff’s unadulterated rock had those at the front of the crowd in the middle of a mosh pit, and even some skaters hopped the fence in hopes of crowd surfing. Thomas definitely immerses a crowd with his music and succeeds in making you feel like you’re experiencing some real rock ‘n’ roll. It’s just another reason why Phono del Sol once again was a major success this year.

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Marriages

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Vérité

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Sonny and the Sunsets

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Everyone Is Dirty

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Generationals

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Heartwatch

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Mas Ysa

2015 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Scary Little Friends

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Aaron Axelson, Everyone Is Dirty, Generationals, HEARTWATCH (fka The Tropics), John Vanderslice, King Tuff, Phono Del Sol, Phono del Sol 2015, Phono del Sol Music Festival, Phono del Sol Music Festival 2015, Potrero del Sol Park, Scary Little Friends, Tanlines, The Bay Bridged, Thee Oh Sees, Tiaras, Tiny Telephone, Verite

High Sierra celebrates 25 years in grand fashion

July 15, 2015 by BenJamin Wallen 1 Comment

By Benjamin Wallen //

High Sierra Music Festival //
Quincy, CA
June 30th-July 3rd, 2015 //

High Sierra is an intimate music festival nestled in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. Held every year around the Fourth of July in Quincy, Calif., people come from all over to get down in the sun and have some fun.

Celebrating the festival’s 25th year brought the return of jam-band giants The String Cheese Incident and Umphrey’s McGee, both of which are no strangers to High Sierra. Tearing the roof off of festivals and causing the earth to shake from fans dancing is what String Cheese and Umphrey’s do best, after all.

The String Cheese Incident

San Francisco locals The Sam Chase & The Untraditional were another highlight at the festival. The Wood Brothers, meanwhile, brought their special sound to Quincy and had lots of new fans talking about them afterward. The Word, a mash-up of amazing musical talents from John Medeski to Robert Randolph, impressed by surprisingly only playing instrumental gospel tunes.

Pennsylvania bluegrass band Cabinet also left a heavy mark at High Sierra, as did T Sisters, who seemed to be everywhere. Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO), Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, The Brothers Comatose, Steve Poltz and Surprise Me Mr. Davis shared the stage for a memorable, mid-day set of California-inspired tunes in the indoor, air-conditioned music hall. On the final day of High Sierra, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead closed things out on the main stage with two full, vibrant sets.

On the whole, this year’s festival was very well-handled and maintained. High Sierra is a special event, made special by all of those who make it what it is. The festival never feels too crowded or overpopulated — it’s just right between the music, the people and the area amid everything else. It’s exactly what many want in a festival and so much more.

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - Con Brio

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - Umphrey's McGee

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - The Sam Chase & The Untraditional

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - The Wood Brothers

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - Animal Liberation Orchestra

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - T Sisters

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - The California Honeydrops

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - Steve Poltz

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - Tim Flannery

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - High Sierra Pick Extravaganza

2015 High Sierra Music Festival - The Brothers Comatose

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals, Photos Tagged With: ALO, Animal Liberation Orchestra, Cabinet, Con Brio, High Sierra Music Festival, Joe Russo's Almost Dead, John Medeski, Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, Robert Randolph, Steve Poltz, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, T Sisters, The Brothers Comatose, The California Honeydrops, The Sam Chase & The Untraditional, The String Cheese Incident, The Wood Brothers, The Word, Tim Flannery, Umphrey's McGee

Outside Lands announces 2015 night shows

July 9, 2015 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

The eighth annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is less than one month away, and with the Bay Area’s crown jewel of music festivals approaching, the anticipation couldn’t be higher for this year’s stellar lineup of music, food, wine, beer, art and comedy.

In addition to all the action taking place August 7th-9th at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, festivalgoers once again have the ability to keep the party going late into the night with a host of different shows throughout the City.

Gracing the stage at some of SF’s favorite small to mid-size venues will be plenty of top talent, including The Notorious Wilco Brothers (a Wilco offshoot of sorts), Texas-based gospel/soul singer Leon Bridges, who has recently shot up the charts with his hit single “Coming Home”, Brooklyn indie-pop outfit The Drums, Toronto noise rockers METZ and Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler’s electronic side project DJ Windows 98.

We’re speculating a few more night shows may drop a bit closer to August with some evening slots still unannounced for several local venues, so stay tuned here for more updates.

Tickets for all the night shows go on sale at Noon this Friday, July 10th over at DoTheBay.

Here is the schedule for the upcoming night shows with links to purchase tickets:

August 6th: Alvvays with GRMLN at California Academy of Sciences, 6 p.m., $12, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 6th: Strand of Oaks at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 8 p.m., $15/17, 18+ // BUY TICKETS

*August 6th: The Notorious Wilco Brothers at The Independent, 8 p.m., $75, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 6th: Popscene and Flood Magazine present DJ Windows 98 (aka Win Butler of Arcade Fire) at Rickshaw Stop, 9 p.m., All Ages // BUY TICKETS

*August 7th: Leon Bridges with Langhorne Slim & the Law at The Independent, 10 p.m., $25, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 7th: The Drums at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 10 p.m., $20, 18+ // BUY TICKETS

August 7th: METZ with Speedy Ortiz at Rickshaw Stop, 10 p.m., $20, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

August 8th: RL Grime at The Independent, 10 p.m., $35, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 8th: Twin Peaks with DMA’s, Day Wave at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 10 p.m., $15/$18, 18+ // BUY TICKETS

*Outside Lands night shows scheduled for August 6th and 7th at The Independent require a password strictly for festival ticket holders. Passwords will be sent via email to those who purchased passes online.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alvvays, Arcade Fire, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, California Academy of Sciences, Day Wave, DJ Windows 98, DMA's, GRMLN, Langhorne Slim, Langhorne Slim & The Law, Leon Bridges, METZ, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, Rickshaw Stop, Speedy Ortiz, Strand of Oaks, The Drums, The Independent, The Notorious Wilco Brothers, Twin Peaks, Wilco, Win Butler

Skipping FYF Fest? You can still see all these shows

July 8, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

FYF Fest returns to the LA Sports Arena and Exposition Park this August for its 12th edition with an amalgam of trending indie in tow. It’s also one of our eight music festivals taking place in California that you won’t want to miss before the end of 2015.

But if you’re not keen on catching headliners Frank Ocean and Morrissey yet still want to see sub headliners like Bloc Party or The Jesus and Mary Chain without shelling out $175 for a two-day GA pass (single-day passes have already sold out, by the way), well then, you’re in a bit of luck.

FYF and Goldenvoice have announced a series of sideshows around the festival’s August 22nd-23rd dates, which include performances by Toronto experimental hip-hop/post-bop trio BADBADNOTGOOD, Northeastern legendary alt-rockers Dinosaur Jr. and even NorCal industrial hip-hop group Death Grips, who, if you can remember, broke up not all that long ago, reneging on an opportunity to tour with 90’s rock heavyweights Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden last summer.

The sideshows start later this month, with LA’s own HEALTH kicking things off at The Echo before London-based post-punk revival band Savages finish the run off with a headlining gig at The Roxy on August 26th. It’s worth noting, however, that none of the sideshows will take place over the weekend of FYF, much like what Goldenvoice does in April by booking high-profile shows in and around Coachella’s two weekends.

Tickets for the sideshows go on sale at FYFpresents.com this Friday, July 10th at 10 a.m.

Here is the schedule for the festival’s upcoming sideshows with links to purchase tickets:

July 24th: HEALTH at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

August 19th: The Jesus and Mary Chain with A Place to Bury Strangers at The Fonda Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 19th: Bloc Party at Glasshouse // BUY TICKETS

August 20th: The Jesus and Mary Chain with A Place to Bury Strangers at The Fonda Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 20th: Bloc Party at The Roxy Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 20th: METZ at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: BadBadNotGood with Show Me the Body at The Regent Theater // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: NAILS at Echoplex // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: The Drums with Froth at Glasshouse // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: Lower Dens with Empress Of at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: Dinosaur Jr. at The Roxy Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 25th: Death Grips at Glasshouse // BUY TICKETS

August 26th: Savages at The Roxy Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 26th: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: A Place to Bury Strangers, Alvvays, Andrew Jackson Jihad, BADBADNOTGOOD, Battles, Belle & Sebastian, Bloc Party, Bonobo, Broncho, Chet Faker, CHK CHK CHK, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Cold Cave, D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Death Grips, Deerhunter, Dinosaur Jr., Dixon, DJ Dodger Stadium, DJ Harvey, Echoplex, Empress Of, Evian Christ, Exposition Park, FKA twigs, Flume, Flying Lotus, Frank Ocean, Froth, FYF Fest, FYF Fest 2015, Girlpool, Glasshouse, Goldenvoice, Goldroom, HEALTH, Hop Along, Horse Meat Disco, Jon Hopkins, Joyce Manor, Junk, Kaytranada, Kevin Morby, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, La Femme, LA Sports Arena, LA Sports Arena & Exposition Park, Laura Marling, Leon Vynehall, Lower Dens, Mac Demarco, Melody's Echo Chamber, METZ, Mikal Cronin, Morrisey, Morrissey, NAILS, Neon Indian, Nicolas Jaar, Purity Ring, Run The Jewels, Savages, Shlohmo, Show Me the Body, Simian Mobile Disco, Solange, Spiritualized, Tennis, The Drums, The Echo, The Fonda Theatre, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Regent Theater, The Roxy Theatre, Thee Oh Sees, Title Fight, Tobias Jesso Jr., Toro Y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Camping at a music festival soon? You’ll definitely want to check out this ultimate festival camping guide

June 25, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Festival season is upon us, and some of you might be getting ready to pitch your tent at a music festival this summer. Lucky you!

Camping at music festivals can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work — and a lot to remember. Did you bring an extra pair of socks? Did you bring some earplugs? How about insect repellant? Do you know how to start your own campfire?

Well, now you’ll know exactly what to do and what you should bring thanks to our friends over at Superfi, who put together this really awesome festival camping guide that should help with all your outdoor-living needs and more.

Take a look at the infographic below, and let us know what you think. What are some camping tips you have picked up from your own experiences that you can lend to other festivalgoers?

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals, Show Experience Tagged With: Camping, Music Festivals, Superfi

8 California music festivals you won’t want to miss before 2015 ends

June 17, 2015 by The Bam Team 3 Comments

Written by Josh Herwitt, Molly Kish & Nik Crossman //

Believe it or not, we’re already halfway through 2015. If you live in California and haven’t been to a music festival yet this year, don’t worry — you’re still in luck. Yes, Coachella and Lightning in a Bottle have come and gone, but summer is here and there are a number of music festivals in The Golden State that are quickly approaching. Here are eight that each offer their own unique experience and are sure to deliver before the calendar turns to 2016.

Northern Nights Music Festival
Location: Piercy, CA
Dates: July 17th-19th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Donning “A Greener Festival Award” for their 2014 presence, the three-day Northern Nights continues to prove itself to be one of the most sustainable, community-driven festivals in its third year. The electric lineup promises to set trends, debuting a wide variety of talent sure to appeal to many tastes. Beyond the music, NNMF sets itself apart with unique “floating stages” and engaging activities, including art installations, yoga, DIY and dream-decoding workshops, comedy and more, encouraging all festivalgoers to apply and contribute to the events. Festivals must deliver an experience beyond the music to stay relevant, and NNMF’s dedication to sustainability and community involvement demonstrates an understanding of this paradigm shift. -NC

HARD Summer
Location: Pomona, CA
Dates: August 1-2
Tickets: Buy them here!

HARD founder and CEO Gary Richards has toed the line between the EDM and mainstream music worlds over the past few years, starting in 2012 when bands like Bloc Party and Miike Snow were featured on the lineup. This year’s bill continues along that trend with alt-R&B artist The Weeknd serving as one of the festival’s two headliners alongside several other non-traditional EDM acts, including Schoolboy Q, Ratatat, Chromeo, Die Antwoord and Caribou. Yes, there will actually be plenty of instruments being played on stage this year. Who knew an electronic-focused festival could offer the best of both worlds? -JH

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival
Location: San Francisco
Dates: August 7th-9th
Tickets: Sold out!

Outside Lands has quickly risen from a SF summer highlight to one of the country’s top large-scale music festivals and a crown jewel of Bay Area production company Another Planet. Claiming the title as the “world’s only gourmet rock festival,” OSL has paved the way with its fairground food/music movement since 2008, setting the bar high with artisan experiences at its many “Lands” (wine, cheese, beer and choco) as well as its “Taste of the Bay Area” and “GastroMagic” programs. Although recognized as one of the premiere West Coast festivals, OSL still remains deeply ingrained in the rich culture of the Bay Area and continues to showcase some of the top talent in music, food, wine, beer, comedy, theater, art and culture on both a national and local scale. -MK

FYF Fest
Location: Los Angeles
Dates: August 22-23
Tickets: Buy them here!

With its eclectic lineup of indie rock, hip-hop and electronic-leaning acts, FYF Fest has become, in many ways, a Coachella offshoot over the years. That shouldn’t be all that surprising considering both are Goldenvoice-sponsored events at this point, but this year’s lineup feels underwhelming and repetitive in comparison to previous editions. If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that the Morrissey fans can finally rejoice. Other highlights include Bloc Party, D’Angelo & the Vanguard, FKA twigs, Run the Jewels, Mac DeMarco and Jon Hopkins, although it wasn’t that long ago that Chet Faker, Flume, Purity Ring, Dinosaur Jr., Toro y Moi, Simian Mobile Disco and Nicolas Jaar all played the fest, which will return to the LA Memorial Sports Arena and Exposition Park for its second time. And let’s also hope the FYF organizers have things figured out after last year’s epic line fiasco. -JH

Symbiosis Gathering
Location: Oakdale, CA
Dates: September 17th-20th
Tickets: Buy them here!

With 2015 marking Symbiosis’ 10-year “Re:Union”, the Northern California festival is set to impress. Born through a common vision of togetherness, Symbiosis encourages physical, emotional and social well-being through a vibrant community of artists, performers and creators. The lineup rivals other festivals in its class and compliments the unique multi-day “Immersion Workshops,” including Permaculture, Visionary Art and Yoga. In addition to complimentary camping, festivalgoers can upgrade to Reserved Car, RV or five-day “Ready, Set, Camp” glamping, aligned with the trend that festivals must deliver on the experience just as much as the lineup. As one of the older festivals around and their beautiful riverside venue, Symbiosis upholds its reputation as an experience you don’t want to pass up. -NC

KAABOO Del Mar
Location: Del Mar, CA
Dates: September 18th-20th
Tickets: Buy them here!

2015 has already marked a banner year for the greater San Diego area’s music scene. First, it was CRSSD Festival making a big splash in its inaugural year this past March, and now it’s KAABOO Del Mar making its debut on the final weekend of summer. With over 100 musical acts scheduled, including two VIP performances from Sheryl Crow and Ed Kowalczyk, as well as a comedy lineup that boasts Joel McHale and Lewis Black, KAABOO is primed to compete with the other large-scale, three-day California music festivals in Coachella and Outside Lands. But KAABOO is not simply a “music festival.” According to its organizers, KAABOO is a “new kind of arts and entertainment ‘mix-perience’ designed around comfort, quality and good times.” Well then, let the good times roll by the beach this September. -JH

TBD Fest
Location: Sacramento, CA
Dates: September 18th-20th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Beginning as a one-day festival in 2007, TBD Fest has grown into one of the major-market festivals in the country. With top-notch acts like Pretty Lights, Cut Copy, RATATAT, Chance the Rapper, Chromeo and Tycho, the now-three-day affair presents an all-star lineup along the Sacramento River. Although there’s no camping, TBD Fest touts a commitment to “all things creative” with artists, boutiques, chefs, craft beer, cocktails, wine and more. -NC

Treasure Island Music Festival
Location: San Francisco
Dates: October 17th-18th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Treasure Island, a joint effort from Another Planet Entertainment and Noise Pop, hails as one of the West Coast’s premiere boutique music festivals. Year after year, TIMF has become known for its diverse lineup by booking some of the biggest talent worldwide. With one of the most seamlessly designed layouts, TIMF takes place against the gorgeous panoramic views of the SF Bay on the historical landmark site of Treasure Island. The grounds allow for an easy commute between its two stages and facilitates the festival’s strict policy of no overlapping sets, while free shuttle transportation to and from SF as well as a host of after parties sets TIMF apart from the competition. -MK

Which of these music festivals are you going to? Which are you looking forward to the most?

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Coachella, Coachella 2015, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2015, FYF Fest, GastroMagic, HARD Fest, HARD Summer, KAABOO, KAABOO Del Mar, Northern Nights Music Festival, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Symbiosis Gathering, TBD Fest, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2015

Treasure Island Music Festival unveils 2015 lineup featuring headliners The National, Deadmau5

June 9, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
October 17th-18th, 2015 //

After bringing Outkast and Massive Attack to the bay last fall, Treasure Island Music Festival has released the lineup for its 2015 edition — and it’s another doozy.

Taking over the island in mid-October, Brooklyn indie rockers The National and Canadian progressive-house producer Deadmau5 will headline the two-day festival, while Robyn (with La Bagatelle Magique), CHVRCHES, The War on Drugs, Azealia Banks, Father John Misty, STS9, Run the Jewels, Panda Bear, Gorgon City and Jose Gonzalez are just some of the other highlights on this year’s bill.

But don’t sleep on some other artists further down on the poster, including Atlanta five-piece Deerhunter, Norwegian producer/DJ Cashmere Cat, San Diego post-hardcore band Drive Like Jehu, Ty Segall contributor Mikal Cronin and Canadian post-punk outfit Viet Cong, which we had the pleasure of witnessing at Rickshaw Stop back in March.

Tickets go on sale this Thursday, June 11th here starting at 10 a.m. and include two-day GA passes for an early-bird price of $149.50 (before increasing to $169.50) as well as two-day VIP passes for $315.

In the meantime, you can relive the best and worst of 2014’s festival here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Azealia Banks, Baio, Bob Moses, Cashmere Cat, Chvrches, Deadmau5, Deerhunter, Drive Like Jehu, El Hex, Father John Misty, Gorgon City, Hudson Mohawke, Jose Gonzalez, La Bagatelle Magique, Lower Dens, Mikal Cronin, Ought, Panda Bear, Robyn, Run The Jewels, Shamir, Skylar Spence, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9), STS9, The National, The War on Drugs, TIMF, TIMF 2015, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2015, Viceroy, Viet Cong

Sasquatch! continues to reign supreme as the Pacific Northwest’s premier music festival

June 1, 2015 by Nik Crossman 1 Comment

Photos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Nik Crossman //

Sasquatch! Music Festival //
Gorge Amphitheatre – Quincy, WA
May 22nd-25th, 2015 //

2015 marked the 14th successful year of Sasquatch! Music Festival thanks to a hunch followed by a Pacific Northwest concert promoter. Back in 2002, when the U.S. festival scene was an infant, Adam Zacks decided to try his luck with an untapped market and bring the festival experience to the Pacific Northwest. The single-day festival sold out its first year, quickly validating Zacks’ hunch and setting the stage for one of the world’s most unique festival experiences.

Embracing the culture of the Pacific Northwest, Sasquatch! caters to the growing breed of indie-centric fans caring just as much about the festival experience (if not more) than the music itself. Over the last 14 years, Sasquatch! has become a “must-do” for festivalgoers and continues to impress with a stellar lineup playing against the majestic backdrop of The Gorge.

So, when I fell into tickets the week before the festival, I jumped at the opportunity to see some of my favorite bands jam out at Mother Nature’s cathedral. Having no campsite and no ride to/from the festival, I posted a Hail Mary message on the Sasquatch! Facebook page, asking a bunch of strangers to take me in as one of their own … and it worked! That’s when I realized Sasquatch! is more than the music — it’s coming together as a community to lend a hand and help a fellow human.

The two-hour drive from Seattle to The Gorge wet the appetite for the alluring landscapes to come. My two new friends and I arrived Friday afternoon, just in time to set up camp and catch the sun fall behind the mountainous horizon.

Little Dragon

Friday

Kicking off the festival, Friday’s lineup included the sounds of Ought, Mother Mother, Gogol Bordello, Action Bronson, Angel Olsen, AlunaGeorge, Little Dragon, Of Monsters and Men, Sleater-Kinney and of course, Flume, the 23-year-old Australian DJ/producer who has been taking the electronic music scene by storm since dropping his debut album in 2012. Despite a little rain early Friday night, the festival was in full swing and the energy inside the grounds built on itself with each performance. The unique sound of Little Dragon had the crowd flowing together, sprinkling in rumors and heightened anticipation for SBTRK‘s set on Sunday night. “Will Little Dragon come out for ‘Wildfire’?!” By the time Flume dropped his first beat at the Bigfoot Stage, the energy was palpable and everyone could feel why this young DJ was chosen to close out Friday night.

Modest Mouse

Saturday

With the loving melodies of Milo Green rushing over the Bigfoot State by mid-day, Twenty One Pilots picked up the tempo with an animated performance on the Sasquatch Stage, where the dynamic duo commanded their early-day crowd. Sylvan Esso threw down a Bigfoot dance party when their hit “Coffee” ignited the entire crowd to dance along with the ever-so-strange Amelia Meath on stage. Chromeo‘s love for themselves may only be surpassed by the massive turnout the funky duo brought to Sasquatch! main stage early in the evening. Their funk-tastic sound and vibrant stage presence was perfectly timed to set the stage for following acts like Glass Animals, Kiesza, Modest Mouse, ODESZA and Spoon. Kiesza took the El Chupacabra tent by stormy lights and surprisingly produced more vigor into the crowd than the Seattle duo ODESZA, who seemed to play a more mellow version of themselves than most are familiar with. Just down the hill from ODESZA, 22-year-old rock band Spoon spilled heavy guitar riffs over the crowd and presented an alternative ending to Saturday’s electronic scene. For the second night in a row, Sasquatch! closed out the night with a young, up-and-coming electronic act, staying true to their committed mix bag of new and established performers.

St. Vincent

Sunday

Milky Chance wooed the crowd at the Sasquatch Stage in the late afternoon on Sunday with their unique electro-folk-reggae sounds, lead vocalists Clemens Rehbein’s deep, melodic vocals and the magnificent backdrop of The Gorge. Shortly after Milky Chance stirred the crowd, the unlikely future of rap, Kate Tempest, lived up to her reputation as a force to be reckoned with while showering the crowd with positive affirmations. The sun started setting behind The Gorge while the idiosyncratic St. Vincent moved so distinctly across the stage like an elegant robot, convincing the crowd they made the right choice. The sultry vixen Lana Del Rey attracted one of the largest crowds to the Sasquatch Stage on Sunday night. While Del Rey is not as active as some of her siren peers, her presence was not lacking. Captivating the masses while her white dress blew in the wind, Del Rey abandoned the stage to walk among her amorous fans before leaving her set early to pass the spotlight to an epic instrumental jam session by her band. Madeon, the 21-year-old child prodigy, proved himself once again in the El Chupacabra late on Sunday night when he led the crowd on a fantastic journey of impeccable mashups and psychedelic lights.

Slow Magic

Monday

Monday was the last day of the four-day festival, and the crowds started to thin between the intermittent rain clouds playing hide and seek with the sun. Monday was also the day of drums, at least in the El Chupacabra. Armed only with a wolf mask, laptop and two drumsticks, Slow Magic kicked off the night in the Spanish-flavored tent with a one-of-a-kind experience. With his rare combination of synth and live drumming, Slow Magic is re-imagining electronic music as we know it. Not far behind the solo drumming DJ were the three-piece veterans The Glitch Mob. The trio conquered the stage with their new musical element “The Blade,” which combines both lights and instruments into something that looks like it came out of a space-age movie scene. Drumming their way into the bones of the crowd, The Glitch Mob elicited some of the most hands-in-the-air praise I saw all weekend. They closed out Sasquatch! with a bang, literally.

Camping

The Sasquatch! campgrounds were far from organized, which presents pros and cons, pending what you’re after. The grueling trek from general camping to the grounds made going to the festival more of a commitment than many appreciated. After a few journeys to and from, premium camping seemed well worth the investment. The wheel-and-spoke layout of the grounds made it easy to find other campsites and stumble into the food trucks for a late-night zombie dog. The camping community itself was friendly and full of love for each other, inviting neighbors to play beer darts and other awesome lawn games.

Activities

Despite the loving nature of the campers, the Sasquatch! campgrounds lacked the festival-sponsored activities so many of us have come to appreciate and expect like morning yoga classes at Coachella and personal development workshops at Lightning in a Bottle (LIB). The Sasquatch! community inside the grounds attempted to provide this outlet with a vintage arcade, self-defense demonstrations and community dance parties, but they fell short relative to other festivals. One could also argue the lack of art installations throughout the Sasquatch! grounds presents an area of improvement for the festival. That is, until they’re reminded of the natural art blanketing all of The Gorge. Well done, Mother Nature!

Sustainability

While LIB has been dubbed as “The Greenest Festival in America,” you’d think all festivals would have a strong commitment to sustainably responsible business practices by now. This was an oversight for Sasquatch!, as recycling bins were nowhere to be found and trash cans were often overflowing — a pretty easy, yet significant improvement that needs to be made.

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Mother Mother

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Gogol Bordello

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Action Bronson

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Little Dragon

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Of Monsters and Men

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Sleater-Kinney

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Diarrhea Planet

Sasquatch! Music Festival - The War on Drugs

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Glass Animals

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Modest Mouse

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Kate Tempest

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Future Islands

Sasquatch! Music Festival - The Districts

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Sharon Van Etten

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Run the Jewels

Sasquatch! Music Festival - Kendrick Lamar

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Action Bronson, Amelia Meath, Angel Olsen, Broncho, Chromeo, Diarrhea Planet, Flume, Future Islands, FUZZ, Glass Animals, Gogol Bordello, Gorge Amphitheatre, James Blake, Jenny Lewis, Kate Tempest, Kendrick Lamar, Kiesza, King Tuff, Lana Del Rey, Little Dragon, Live Nation, Madeon, Milky Chance, Milo Green, MO, Modest Mouse, Mother Mother, Odesza, Of Monsters and Men, Ought, Real Estate, Run The Jewels, Sasquatch!, Sasquatch! 2015, Sasquatch! Music Festival, Sasquatch! Music Festival 2015, SBTRK, Schoolboy Q, Sharon Van Etten, Sleater-Kinney, Slow Magic, Spoon, St. Vincent, Sylvan Esso, Tame Impala, The Districts, The Glitch Mob, The Gorge, The War on Drugs, Twenty One Pilots

Is Lightning in a Bottle shedding its ‘boutique’ label to go mainstream?

May 29, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 7 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 21st-25th, 2015 //

It has been more than 15 years since Jesse and Josh Flemming set out to throw a wild birthday bash for themselves in the Santa Ynez Mountains just north of Santa Barbara, Calif. The twin brothers, who had left their Pennsylvania roots behind for Los Angeles in the late 90’s in hopes of pursuing careers in the entertainment industry, enlisted the help of their younger brother Dede, who had his own aspirations of working in Hollywood, making the cross-country move to Southern California a few years after them.

But what started as a private party of 150 people would eventually become better known as Lightning in a Bottle (LIB), the famed boutique festival that the Flemming brothers have curated for more than a decade with the help of their LA-based event production company The Do LaB. Tabbed as the “Greenest Festival in America” each of the last five years, LIB has continued to foster a community that values sustainability first and foremost, but also social cohesion, personal health and creative expression. Consequently, the Flemming brothers have created one of the most unique experiences on the entire U.S. festival circuit, with music, art, yoga and workshops all serving as essential elements in forming LIB’s identity. Whether all of that can be sustained while the festival maintains its “boutique” label though, remains to be seen.

LIB sold out for the first time in its 15-year history with as many as 20,000 festivalgoers attending.

For the first time ever, LIB sold out in its 15-year history this month, with last weekend’s attendance peaking at 20,000 after hovering around 15,000 in previous years. Some of that surge can likely be attributed to the musical talent that LIB now shares with Coachella. SBTRKT, ODESZA, Tycho and Panda Bear, for instance, all performed in Indio this year while Flume, RL Grime and AlunaGeorge made appearances on the polo fields last April. But the festival has arguably welcomed no bigger up-and-coming artist than Flume, the 23-year-old Australian producer and DJ who won numerous awards in his home country back in 2013. Since then, he has been all the rage in today’s electronic dance music scene, with tickets to his three sold-out shows in LA last August reselling on both Craigslist and StubHub for upwards of $100.

So, it was no surprise that the largest crowd over the entire weekend congregated a little after midnight on Sunday to see Harley Streten take the stage as the festival’s top headliner and drop one wonky trap beat after another. With the crowd spilling over outside of the main stage’s premises, it was a quick reminder of what the Gobi Tent looked like during Flume’s set at Coachella just a year earlier. And by the following day, much of the camp grounds had already emptied out — a clear sign that those who made the trek to Bradley, Calif., had seen all that they needed to see, even if that meant simply watching Streten command the crowd with mainly a laptop. It’s at least in part why if The Do LaB continues to book headliners of Streten’s stature, LIB can likely kiss that “boutique” label goodbye — unless financial gain is of no interest or concern.

Australian DJ/producer Flume packed the main stage at LIB for his Saturday night headlining set.

Yet, that’s not the only indication that LIB could soon be headed for the big time. The real icing on the cake didn’t come until Sunday night, when English synthpop/trip-hop duo AlunaGeorge, midway through their main-stage set, busted out a cover of “White Noise”, the Disclosure mega-hit on 2013’s Settle that they collaborated with brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence on. And as I watched those all around me mouth every word that vocalist Aluna Francis belted out, it was hard not to foresee the moment becoming somewhat of a trend at LIB. Because when I attended the festival for the first time in 2011, there was little chance of hearing a Top 40 song on the main stage. LIB, for better or worse, has certainly come a long way since then.

The musical offerings aren’t the only noticeable change at LIB when you take a closer look, however. While the festival has always catered to health-conscious individuals, offering a variety of vegetarian, raw, organic and non-GMO options, it’s only started to offer dishes featuring meat, whether it be chicken, beef or pork (bacon was served … yes, bacon!), in the last two years — even though the chicken supply ran dry by Day 3 this year. That small, yet significant transformation could simply be the product of a growing fan base, one that continues to swell as EDM heavyweights like John Digweed, Thomas Jack and Bakermat become more and more a part of the festival’s musical palette. And with more people comes more trash (something LIB has kept to a minimum more than any other festival in America to date), less space (something that has always been relatively easy to come by at LIB) and a harder time of finding your friends (something that was never an issue at LIB in the past but became much more of one this year).

The purists may already be claiming that LIB has sold out and there’s no turning back. But at this juncture, the “transformational” festival — as some like to call it — is still toeing a fine line between the underground and mainstream. It’s where it goes from here that will ultimately decide its fate.

Lightning in a Bottle - William Close and the Earth Harp Collective

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Active Child, AlunaGeorge, Animal Liberation Orchestra, Bakermat, Coachella, Coachella 2015, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2015, Flume, Goldroom, GRIZ, Jason Bentley, John Digweed, Les Sins, LIB, Lightning in a Bottle, Little People, Odesza, Panda Bear, Poliça, Random Rab, RL Grime, Sbtrkt, SOHN, The Do LaB, Thomas Jack, Tycho, William Close and the Earth Harp Collective, Zion I

Oysterfest 2015 serves up a steamy bill of old-school hip-hop and electronica

May 14, 2015 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Photos by Maggie Corwin // Written by Molly Kish //

San Francisco Oysterfest //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
May 9th, 2015 //

O’Reilly’s SF Oysterfest celebrated its 16th year this past Saturday at the beautiful setting of Sharon Meadow inside Golden Gate Park. Billed as a 21-and-over event (although minors could attend only if they were accompanied by an adult), this year’s lineup of hip-hop and dance artists kicked the party up a notch with some profane rap classics and club favorites.

Opening acts The Schmidt, DeelanZ/K Theory and GZRUS warmed up the early crowds, which at peak attendance reached about 10,000 people. The Guinness flowed and kept attendees saturated as they braved the growing lines for their choice of shellfish delicacies. Barbequed, deep fried or chilled and shucked raw, the oysters were abundant as long as you were willing to wait your turn.

Grandmaster Flash

Kicking off the afternoon entertainment was hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash. A master turntablist, GMF took fans through a career-spanning set, touching upon songs he both took part in producing and crafting into iconic jams. He threw down lives remixes of Ini Kamoze, Sly and the Family Stone and Bob Marley and got the audience on its feet in anticipation for a grand finale of self-spun classics from his days with The Furious Five.

Warren G

Next up on the bill was Mr. “Regulator”, aka Warren G, who commanded the crowd with a throwback set of 90’s-era hip-hop. Covering every hit song he delivered as a solo artist or collaborated on during the height of his career, he held it down for his West Coast homies, who by mid-set were screaming along to every filthy lyric that came out of his mouth. The most memorable moments of the set were seeing the entire festival shout the incredibly X-rated lines to songs like “It Ain’t No Fun” and a cover of Dr. Dre’s “Let’s Get High”.

Thievery Corporation

Closing out the day’s festivities were back-to-back sets from Salt Lake City house duo Late Night Alumni and Washington, D.C. collective Thievery Corporation that bled seamlessly into each other. Late Night Alumni lead vocalist Becky Jean Williams, backed by John Hancock, Finn Bjarnson and Ryan Raddon aka Kaskade, pleasantly shifted the tone of the early evening from raging in the meadow to a more atmospheric, downtempo set. Thievery Corporation’s Rob Garza and Eric Hilton picked up the pace during their full band live set that featured various guest vocalist, and the festival mood quickly shifted from there.

While most of the crowd was vibing hard off Thievery’s worldly, techno ambiance, part of the audience had already dispersed. The dwindling sunlight and cooling weather may have had something to do with that, but the remaining festivalgoers were kept warm by Garza’s and Hilton’s eclectic beats that carried them into the early-evening hours.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: DeelanZ, Grandmaster Flash, GZRUS, K Theory, Late Night Alumni, Oysterfest, San Francisco Oysterfest, SF Oysterfest, The Schmidt, Thievery Corporation, Warren G

FYF Fest reveals 2015 lineup

May 6, 2015 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

FYF Fest //
LA Sports Arena & Exposition Park – Los Angeles
August 22nd-23rd, 2015 //

The 12th annual FYF Fest once again promises a delicious distillation of trending indie music, whether in the vein of electronic, rap or rock acts. Although, this year seems to be pretty lean in the traditional rock department.

Frank Ocean and Morrissey will headline the festival’s 2015 edition, while D’Angelo and the Vanguard, Deerhunter, Run the Jewels, Flume, Jon Hopkins, Spiritualized, FKA Twigs, Nicolas Jaar, Mac DeMarco, Thee Oh Sees and many more are also on the docket.

Produced in conjunction with LA concert promoter Goldenvoice, FYF will sell weekend passes for $175 and single-day passes for $109. Buy tickets starting this Friday, May 8th at 12 p.m.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alvvays, Andrew Jackson Jihad, BADBADNOTGOOD, Battles, Belle & Sebastian, Ben UFO, Bloc Party, Bonobo, Broncho, Chet Faker, CHK CHK CHK, Cold Cave, D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Death Grips, Deerhunter, Dinosaur Jr., Dixon, DJ Dodger Stadium, DJ Harvey, Evian Christ, Exposition Park, FKA twigs, Flume, Flying Lotus, Frank Ocean, FYF Fest, FYF Fest 2015, Girlpool, Goldroom, HEALTH, Hop Along, Horse Meat Disco, Jon Hopkins, Joy Orbison, Joyce Manor, Junk, Kaytranada, Kevin Morby, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, La Femme, LA Sports Arena, LA Sports Arena & Exposition Park, Laura Marling, Leon Vynehall, Lower Dens, Mac Demarco, Melody's Echo Chamber, METZ, Mikal Cronin, Morrisey, Morrissey, Neon Indian, Nicolas Jaar, Purity Ring, Run The Jewels, Savages, Shlohmo, Simian Mobile Disco, Solange, Spiritualized, Tennis, The Drums, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Thee Oh Sees, Title Fight, Tobias Jesso Jr., Toro Y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Is the Lightning in a Bottle lineup becoming a mini version of Coachella’s?

April 21, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Photo courtesy of Daniel Zetterstrom // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 21st-25th, 2015 //

For those who made the trek to Indio, this week officially signals the return to reality after witnessing some of the best live music you’ll likely see all year.

Coachella withdrawals, after all, don’t take long to set in, and the thought of having to wait 12 more months to experience what you just went through in three days is probably really bumming you out right now.

But fear not, because while it may not have the same name recognition that Coachella has come to garner, Lightning in a Bottle has slowly but surely started to share more and more of the same artists that have recently graced the polo fields.

Take this year’s LIB lineup, for example. SBTRKT, ODESZA, Tycho and Panda Bear all played at Coachella the past two weekends while newly anointed headliner Flume, RL Grime and AlunaGeorge made appearances last April. Other acts like John Digweed and Poliça have also performed at Coachella not that long ago, making this year’s LIB lineup one of the most appealing in its decade-long history.

With its own stage at Coachella for some time now, the artists collective and event creations company known as The Do LaB has continued to expand its reach, and as a result, LIB has grown more and more popular each year. Though the musical overlap might be just one reason for the boutique festival’s growing attendance, there are a number of LIB acts this year that could very well be printed on Coachella’s lineup next year, much like what Chet Faker, Gramatik, What So Not, Cashmere Cat and Ryan Hemsworth experienced from 2014 to 2015.

Active Child: Electronic music artist Pat Grossi will follow up his critically acclaimed 2011 debut You Are All I See in June with the release of his second full-length album Mercy. But before that, he’ll kick off his North America tour consisting of mostly seated shows with his first appearance at LIB this May, and it’s only natural to think that a stop at Coachella is on the horizon.

GRiZ: Grant Kwiecinski has become a household name in electronic music circles over the past three years after supporting electronic heavyweights like Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Gramatik and Big Gigantic on tour. The Detroit native has kept his foot on the accelerator, having already released his fourth studio album Say It Loud in only a little more than four years on the scene, and will be back at LIB after hitting the festival for the first time two years ago.

Goldroom: Josh Legg’s project performed on the main stage at LIB in 2013, and he’s got the live band back together for another go-around this year. The LA-based act gave off a sexy vibe at CRSSD Festival in San Diego last month, and it could be ready to take on Coachella once a full-length album comes out.

Les Sins: Chaz Bundick is best known for his work as Toro y Moi, but his electronic-leaning side project Les Sins has kept him rather busy going back and forth between the two. After playing Coachella this year with Toro, Bundick could be back in 2016 with the way Les Sins has taken off over the past few months.

Little People: London downtempo electronic artist Laurent Clerc has been releasing music since 2006, starting with his debut album Mickey Mouse Operation. Now based in the States and more specifically Portland, Ore., Clerc dropped his Csay Csay EP in March and recently spent some time on the road supporting Seattle duo ODESZA, which makes a lot of sense after you listen to his track “Enola”.

Random Rab: Having played the festival the past four years, the San Francisco producer is a LIB veteran, and he’ll be making his fifth straight appearance this spring. While his last album came in 2011, Random Rab has continued to perfect his live sets after touring with such LIB favorites as Bassnectar, Shpongle and Beats Antique.

Thomas Jack: EDM rising star Thomas Jack hit it big in 2013 with his single “Final Speech”, and his stock only continued to grow with remixes of Adrian Lux and Of Monsters and Men. With the way the 20-year-old DJ and producer from Australia is igniting dance floors, it’s probably not long before he’s hitting the polo fields in Indio after taking another crack at the LIB audience this year.

Snakehips: Oliver Lee and James Carter quickly climbed the dance charts last year with their sample-heavy PBR&B grooves as they exhibited on popular remixes of Wild Belle and The Weeknd. The UK production duo continues to sell out venues, and it will be no surprise if it’s listed on the 2016 Coachella lineup.

SOHN: English musician, songwriter and producer Christopher Taylor unleashed his first full-length album (read our review here) a little more than a year ago, and he’s been known to collaborate with high-profile artists like Lana Del Rey and BANKS. While it was relatively surprising to not see SOHN on the Coachella lineup this year, it’s a safe bet that he’ll find his way to Indio pretty soon.

Zion I: Oakland hip-hop group Zion I haven’t performed at Coachella in surprisingly more than a decade, and this year will mark their first time ever at LIB. Rapper Baba Zumbi and producer Amp Live earned praise for their ninth and latest album Shadowboxing back in 2012, but the duo is long overdue for a return to the desert.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Active Child, AlunaGeorge, Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, Cashmere Cat, Chet Faker, Coachella, Coachella 2015, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2015, Flume, Goldroom, Gramatik, GRIZ, John Digweed, Les Sins, LIB, Lightning in a Bottle, Little People, Odesza, Panda Bear, Poliça, Pretty Lights, Random Rab, RL Grime, Ryan Hemsworth, Sbtrkt, snakehips, SOHN, The Do LaB, Thomas Jack, Toro Y Moi, Tycho, What So Not, Zion I

Coachella releases 2015 set times for both weekends

April 7, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 10th-12th & April 17th-19th, 2015 //

The wait is finally over for Coachella attendees wondering what their biggest lineup conflict might be at the Empire Polo Club.

The three-day, two-weekend music and arts festival released this year’s set times as soon as the clock struck 7 p.m. PT tonight, and as always, there are some tough choices to make.

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

UPDATE: After Florence Welch announced on Facebook that she broke her foot jumping off the Coachella Stage during Florence + the Machine’s Weekend 1 performance, the band’s set was reduced from 55 minutes to 30 for Weekend 2.

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

But if you’re feeling a little adventurous with your music selection this year, make sure to check out our list of artists who will likely premiere new music on the polo fields.

Happy Coachella!

Which 2015 Coachella artists will premiere new music on the polo fields?

April 6, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 10th-12th & April 17th-19th //

The 2015 festival season gets kicked into high gear this Friday when the first weekend of Coachella takes over the Empire Polo Club. With a lineup featuring headliners AC/DC, Jack White and Drake among a myriad of other high-profile acts, there is so much good music that one can’t possibly see it all over three days in the desert. If you’ve already seen alt-J perform songs from This Is All Yours live, you might not see a need to catch their Saturday early-evening set, for example.

So, that got us thinking: who will likely be premiering new material this weekend in Indio?

We dug through the lineup and looked at which artists have recently released new tracks or albums prior to their set at Coachella, as well as artists planning to release new material later this year. Happy Coachella!

*All set times below are in PT.

ALABAMA SHAKES

New album: Sound & Color
Release date: April 21
Playing Coachella: Friday, 7 p.m. (Outdoor Theatre)

The Shakes will be making their Coachella debut in a big way this year with their sophomore LP Sound & Color slated to be released two days after the festival’s second weekend. The four-piece performed new singles “Don’t Wanna Fight” and “Gimme All Your Love” on SNL last month and should give fans a strong preview of the album before it officially drops.

ALESSO

New album: Forever
Release date: May 26
Playing Coachella: Friday, 11:35 p.m. (Sahara Tent)

Swedish DJ/producer Alesso (formerly Alessandro Lindblad) has come a long way in a few years and will finally drop his first studio album Forever toward the end of May. In February, he premiered a new track featuring Roy English entitled “Cool”, which reached as high as No. 21 on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

BUILT TO SPILL

New album: Untethered Moon
Release date: April 21
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. (Outdoor Theatre)

Indie-rock stalwarts Built to Spill will celebrate the release of their first full-length album in more than five years with their first-ever appearance at Coachella. So far, the band has released “Living Zoo” and “Never Be The Same”, but fans can expect to hear a lot more from Untethered Moon during their Sunday slot.

CLOUD NOTHINGS

New album: No Life For Me with Wavves
Release date: TBA
Playing Coachella: Friday, 1:55 p.m. (Gobi Tent)

After turning the corner last year with Here and Nowhere Else, Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings have already jumped back into the studio, but this time it’s to make a collaborative record with San Diego’s Wavves. With no release date pinpointed yet, it’s possible Cloud Nothings singer/guitarist Dylan Baldi could bring out Nathan Williams during their set and give fans a taste of what’s to come on No Life For Me.

DESAPARECIDOS

New album: Payola
Release date: June 23
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 4:35 p.m. (Gobi Tent)

Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst said in an interview last summer that his emo-garage side project plans to release its second full-length album this year, marking the band’s first in 13 years (check out new song “City on the Hill” above). Though the Nebraska band has disbanded and reunited a number of times, its current stretch together marks the longest since forming in 2001.

DRAKE

New album: Views from the 6
Release date: 2015
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 10:15 p.m. (Coachella Stage)

With plans to release his fourth studio album this year, Canadian rapper Drake takes his first swing at Coachella with a headlining slot on the festival’s final day. In the meantime, he’s kept his fans on their toes by dropping a fourth mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, in mid-February.

DUKE DUMONT

New album: TBA
Release date: 2015
Playing Coachella: Saturday, 8:20 p.m. (Sahara Tent)

UK deep house producer Adam George Dyment, who performs under the stage name Duke Dumont, put out a new EP and a couple of singles, including one featuring fellow Brit Jax Jones, last year. This year he’s already dropped a new single entitled “The Giver (Reprise)”, and there’s a strong possibility that we will hear more new tracks from the Blasé Boys Club record label owner on Sunday.

FKA TWIGS

New album: EP3 EP
Release date: TBA
Playing Coachella: Saturday, 9:35 p.m. (Gobi Tent)

Tahliah Debrett Barnett, aka FKA twigs, made a big splash when her debut album LP1 peaked at No. 16 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 30 on the U.S. Billboard 200 last year. The British singer-songwriter, who recently became engaged to actor Robert Pattinson, announced in November that she had begun work on a third EP, and just last month she released the first song “Glass & Patron” from it.

FLORENCE & THE MACHINE

New album: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Release date: May 29
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 8:50 p.m. (Coachella Stage)

It’s only been three years since Florence Welch last played Coachella, but this time it will be with a new album’s worth of material to perform. The band’s third studio album will release in late May, and a couple of singles have already been shared over the past two months, including “What Kind of Man” and “St Jude”.

FLYING LOTUS

New album: TBA (as Captain Murphy)
Release date: TBA
Playing Coachella: Friday, 10 p.m. (Mojave Tent)

Steven Ellison took his game to a whole another level last year with You’re Dead! as he continues to work and collaborate with some of today’s brightest and most talented artists in hip-hop, jazz and electronic music. Ready to take his rap persona Captain Murphy into the studio for a new album this year, FlyLo just might drop some rhymes as well as beats for his fans who show up to his Friday set.

GHOSTFACE KILLAH

New albums: Twelve Reasons to Die II & Supreme Clientele Presents… Blue & Cream: The Wally Era
Release dates: 2015
Playing Coachella: Friday, 5:45 p.m. (Outdoor Theatre)

After coming out with his 11th studio album 36 Seasons last year, Ghostface Killah is expected to release two more albums in 2015, Twelve Reasons to Die II and Supreme Clientele Presents… Blue & Cream: The Wally Era. Scheduled to perform with his Wu-Tang colleague Raekwon, who also has a new album on the horizon, the duo’s set should feature plenty of new material from both of their upcoming albums.

JAMIE XX

New album: In Colour
Release date: June 1
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. (Gobi Tent)

Jamie Smith of The xx jumped into the electronic world with his 2011 remix album We’re New Here, and now more than four years later, the English producer will unveil his first proper LP in June. So far, he’s released singles “Loud Places” (featuring The xx’s Romy Madley Croft) and “Gosh”, but Smith could give fans a more in depth preview of In Colour when he performs Sunday.

KASKADE

New track: “Never Sleep Alone”
Release date: April 6
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 7:25 p.m. (Coachella Stage)

Superstar DJ and record producer Ryan Raddon, aka Kaskade, has dropped a brand-new track just in time for his huge Sunday night performance at Coachella. While it’s unclear right now if “Never Sleep Alone” will make it on to Kaskade’s new album (no title or release date announced yet), it’s a safe bet that he’ll be unleashing this one when he takes the stage.

KYGO

New tracks: “Stole the Show” feat. Parson James & “ID – Ultra Music Festival Anthem”
Release date: March 15
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 11 p.m. (Mojave Tent)

Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, who goes by his stage name Kygo, has been one of EDM’s fastest-rising stars in the last year. After remix collaborations with Chris Martin and Avicii propelled his career to the next level, the 23-year-old producer from Norway dropped his second single “Stole the Show” last month and will hit the polo fields for the first time ever this spring.

LIL B

New album: TBA
Release date: 2015
Playing Coachella: Friday, 3:10 p.m. (Outdoor Theatre)

Brandon McCartney, professionally known as Lil B, has been called many things, from rapper to author to motivational speaker. The 25-year-old from Berkeley hasn’t put out any new music since 2011, but with his sophomore LP scheduled to come out at some point this year, he’s sure to perform some new tracks during his Sunday set at Coachella.

MAC DEMARCO

New album: TBA
Release date: TBA
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 3:05 p.m. (Outdoor Theatre)

Canadian singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco earned critical acclaim for his full-length album Salad Days last year, and fans of the “blue wave” rocker got some promising news over the weekend when he shared a compilation video that includes pieces of five new songs that are currently being mastered in the studio. Knowing his tendency for the unpredictable, fans could very likely hear some of those tracks live for the very first time this weekend.

MARTIN SOLVEIG

New track: “Intoxicated” (with GTA)
Release date: January 19
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 4:50 p.m. (Sahara Tent)

It’s been a while since Martin Laurent Picandet, aka Martin Solveig, has released a proper studio album. However, the French electro/nu disco producer dropped a new single with Laidback Luke last year, and he’s started this year off working with GTA on a brand-new track entitled “Intoxicated”.

NERO

New album: TBA
Release date: TBA
Playing Coachella: Friday, 9:35 p.m. (Outdoor Theatre)

NERO took home a Grammy in 2013 for their remix of “Promises” with Skrillex, and the British electronic music trio has remained relatively quiet since then. That’s supposed to change this year with the group planning to drop its follow-up to 2011’s Welcome Reality, but there’s been no official announcement regarding the album or a tour, making its Coachella performance that much more special.

R3HAB

New track: “Phoenix” (with Sander van Doorn)
Release date: March 9
Playing Coachella: Friday, 7:10 p.m. (Sahara Tent)

Fadil El Ghoul drops singles, not albums, and he’s been doing it consistently since 2009. The Dutch DJ is signed to Afrojack’s Wall Recordings imprint, and he collaborated with fellow countryman Sander van Doorn on his latest single “Phoenix”, which just came out last month.

RAEKWON

New album: Fly International Luxurious Art
Release date: April 28
Playing Coachella: Friday, 5:45 p.m. (Outdoor Theatre)

It’s taken Raekwon almost two additional years to drop his sixth studio album, but the Wu-Tang Clan member will finally do just that later this month after two weekends at Coachella. In fact, the record’s first two singles — “All About You” and “Soundboy Kill It” — were released toward the second half of 2013, while the third and most recent one, “Wall to Wall”, came out less than two months ago.

RATATAT

New album: TBA
Release date: TBA
Playing Coachella: Saturday, 11:15 p.m. (Sahara Tent)

It’s been almost five years since Ratatat put out an album, and it’s safe to assume one of the reasons the New York City duo is playing Coachella this year is due to the fact that it has a new album in the works. While not much is known about the record right now (although some fans believe it will be titled LP5 to follow appropriately after 2008’s LP3 and 2010’s LP4), this is one set that should showcase plenty of new music from Mike Stroud and Evan Mast.

SQUAREPUSHER

New album: Damogen Furies
Release date: April 20
Playing Coachella: Friday, 10:50 p.m. (Gobi Tent)

It’s been quite a while since Tom Jenkinson last played Coachella, but the UK native is primed to play the festival again this year with his 14th studio album on the horizon. Squarepusher has released three tracks, including “Stor Eiglass” (listen above), from his upcoming Damogen Furies at this point, so fans should surely hear plenty of new material from the IDM pioneer.

TAME IMPALA

New album: Currents
Release date: TBA
Playing Coachella: Friday, 9:15 p.m. (Coachella Stage)

Making their third Coachella appearance in the last five years, Australian psych rockers Tame Impala continue to soar under frontman Kevin Parker’s direction. While both SF and LA fans got to hear the band experiment in between songs during its fall mini-tour (read our reviews of the SF show and LA show), Tame Impala should have some more focused new material to share from their upcoming LP Currents, which the band only officially announced two days ago along with new single “‘Cause I’m a Man.”

TODD TERJE AND THE OLSENS

New album: N/A
Release date: N/A
Playing Coachella: Friday, 9:20 p.m. (Gobi Tent)

Norwegian DJ, songwriter and record producer Terje Olsen, better known as Todd Terje, made a big first impression last year with his debut LP It’s Album Time, and while he may not necessarily be debuting brand-new material at Coachella, he’ll be performing with a live band called The Olsens (from his label Olsen Records), much like he did at the 2014 edition of Oya Festival. So, although festivalgoers may not hear new songs from Terje per say, they’ll definitely be in for a real treat when he joins the party on Friday.

TORO Y MOI

New album: What For? (read our review here)
Release date: April 7
Playing Coachella: Saturday, 4:20 p.m. (Mojave Tent)

Chaz Bundick has stayed busy over the past year between his electronic side project Les Sins and writing Toro y Moi’s fourth studio album What For?, which drops just days before the band plays Coachella. And as we learned from the band’s recent show in SF, Bundick has incorporated more of a 70’s psych-disco-funk sound into the Toro y Moi repertoire.

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ

New album: Self Love (split with Self Defense Family)
Release date: 2015
Playing Coachella: Sunday, 1 p.m. (Mojave Tent)

Touché Amoré have long been known for splitting EPs with other post-hardcore bands, and that’s what they plan to do on Self Love with New York’s Self Defense Family this year. What it could mean is some new songs being debuted at Coachella, which is one of just four shows that the LA group has planned right now.

TOURIST

New track: “Holding On”
Release date: May 25
Playing Coachella: Saturday, 12:20 p.m. (Mojave Tent)

London-based artist William Phillips has slowly been climbing the ranks, but he’s already done some big things in 2015 after winning a Grammy for helping Sam Smith co-write his hit single “Stay With Me”. Since then, he’s released a new track entitled “Holding On” that features Australian artist Josef Salvat and American singer/pianist Niia before he plays at Coachella for the first time.

VIC MENSA

New album: Street Lights EP
Release date: 2015
Playing Coachella: Friday, 1:20 p.m. (Coachella Stage)

U.S. hip-hop recording artist Vic Mensa is a former member of Kids These Days and a founder of the hip-hop collective SAVEMONEY with Chance the Rapper. The Chicago native, who serves as a featured artist on Kanye West’s new track “Wolves”, plans to follow up his 2010 EP Straight Up this year with another EP by the name of Street Lights and should have some surprises in store at Coachella.

YELLOW CLAW

New album: Blood For Mercy
Release date: 2015
Playing Coachella: Saturday, 4:45 p.m. (Sahara Tent)

Amsterdam DJ trio Yellow Claw started winning over fans back in 2010 by mixing trap, hip-hop, dubstep, hardstyle and moombahton into their sets. With a number of EPs already out, they’re getting ready to release Blood For Mercy but have yet to officially release any tracks from the album.

Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of Coachella artists who will likely perform new material:

FRIDAY
Alabama Shakes
Alesso
Cloud Nothings
Flying Lotus
Ghostface Killah
NERO
R3hab
Raekwon
Squarepusher
Tame Impala
Todd Terje and the Olsens
Vic Mensa

SATURDAY
Deorro
FKA twigs
Ratatat
Toro Y Moi
Tourist
Yellow Claw

SUNDAY
Built to Spill
Desaparecidos
Drake
Duke Dumont
Florence & the Machine
Jamie xx
Kygo
Lil B
Mac DeMarco
Martin Solveig
Touché Amoré

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alabama Shakes, Alesso, Built To Spill, Cloud Nothings, Coachella, Coachella 2015, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2015, Deorro, Desaparecidos, Drake, Duke Dumont, Empire Polo Club, FKA twigs, Florence & the Machine, Flying Lotus, Ghostface Killah, Jamie xx, Kygo, Lil B, Martin Solveig, NERO, R3hab, Raekwon, Ratatat, Squarepusher, Tame Impala, Todd Terje and the Olsens, Toro Y Moi, Touché Amoré, Tourist, Vic Mensa, Yellow Claw

Outside Lands daily lineups are out!

March 31, 2015 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is ahead of the curve this year, selling out general admission three-day tickets in 45 minutes.

Now the single-day lineups are out, and we can breath easily knowing that the good people at APE and Superfly have not pitted Elton John versus Kendrick Lamar (thank you). One more request: Please help us avoid a D’Angelo vs. St. Vincent conflict.

Mumford & Sons will be up against Wilco (or maybe D’Angelo) to get the fest started, and you’ll have to decide between The Black Keys and Kendrick Lamar on Saturday.

Will Sam Smith open for Elton John or go against him at the Twin Peaks Stage on Sunday? Logic would dictate that Smith will open for Elton John, perhaps even duet with each other, and dance acts will take over Twin Peaks on Sunday with AXWELL Λ INGROSSO headlining. It’s easy to imagine many upset three-day ticket holders if Elton John and Sam Smith are at the same time.

Take a look at the full daily lineups here at the Outside Lands website, and below. If you planon getting single-day tickets, be sure to be ready at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Buy your tickets here.

FRIDAY, August 7th

Mumford & Sons
Wilco
D’Angelo and The Vanguard
St. Vincent
Porter Robinson
Chet Faker
First Aid Kit
RL Grime
Lake Street Dive
George Ezra
Iration
Lindsey Stirling
Glass Animals
Robert DeLong
Broods
Leon Bridges
Alvvays
The Family Crest
The Revivalists
Strand of Oaks
Speedy Ortiz
Natalie Prass
The Sam Chase

SATURDAY, August 8th

The Black Keys
Kendrick Lamar
Tame Impala
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Billy Idol
G-Eazy
Milky Chance
Toro Y Moi
Mac DeMarco
Angus & Julia Stone
Laura Marling
Django Django
Classixx
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Misterwives
Langhorne Slim & The Law
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Giraffage
Twin Peaks
WATERS
Fantastic Negrito
Devon Baldwin
The Tropics

SUNDAY, August 9th

Elton John
Sam Smith
Axwell & Ingrosso
Slightly Stoopid
Hot Chip
Caribou
The Devil Makes Three
Nate Ruess
ODESZA
DJ Mustard
St. Paul and The Broken Bones
James Bay
Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke: Get Real
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
Sky Ferreira
SZA
Allah-Las
Shakey Graves
Dan Deacon
Benjamin Booker
Ryn Weaver
GIVERS
METZ
DMA’s
Alex Bleeker & The Freaks

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival

Outside Lands 2015: Elton John, Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Kendrick Lamar are your headliners

March 24, 2015 by Mike Frash 5 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

The eighth Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival has unleashed its 2015 lineup, and it’s a winner. At first glance, this looks like the best lineup in the history of the fest.

The headliners are Elton John, Mumford and Sons, The Black Keys, Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar & Wilco.

Other notable acts include Tame Impala, D’Angelo and the Vangaurd, St. Vincent, Hot Chip, Caribou, Mac DeMarco, Toro y Moi, Dan Deacon, First Aid Kit, ODESZA, Laura Marling, Sky Ferreria, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Classixx, Leon Bridges, Strand of Oaks, Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke, Natalie Prass, Django Django, Glass Animals, Speedy Ortiz, Shakey Graves, Lake Street Dive, Giraffage, Allah-Las, Benjamin Booker, METZ, DJ Mustard, The Revivalists, Iration, The Devil Makes Three, Twin Peaks, The Family Crest, Alvvays & Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.

Also playing at Outside Lands 2015 are Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Billy Idol, Porter Robinson, G-Easy, Slightly Stoopid, Chet Faker, Misterwives, DJ Mustard, Angus & Julia Stone, Robert DeLong, Ryn Weaver, James Bay, RL Grime, Milky Chance, GIVERS, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, SZA, The Sam Chase, Langhorne Slim & The Law, George Ezra, Fantastic Negrito, Broods, Lindsey Stirling, Nate Ruess, DMA’s, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, Devon Baldwin, & The Tropics.

Watch the announcement video at Funny or Die and see the full lineup here.

Get your tickets starting Thursday at 10 a.m.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, Allah-Las, Alvvays, Angus & Julia Stone, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Benjamin Booker, Billy Idol, Broods, Caribou, Chet Faker, Classixx, Dan Deacon, D’Angelo and the Vangaurd, Devon Baldwin, DJ Mustard, Django Django, DMA's, Elton John, Fantastic Negrito, First Aid Kit, G-Easy, George Ezra, Giraffage, Givers, Glass Animals, Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke, Hot Chip, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Iration, James Bay, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Kendrick Lamar, Lake Street Dive, Langhorne Slim & The Law, Laura Marling, Leon Bridges, Lindsey Stirling, Mac Demarco, METZ, Milky Chance, MisterWives, Mumford and Sons, Natalie Prass, Nate Ruess, Odesza, Outside Lands 2015, Porter Robinson, RL Grime, Robert DeLong, Ryn Weaver, Sam Smith, Shakey Graves, Sky Ferreria, Slightly Stoopid, Speedy Ortiz, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, St. Vincent, Strand of Oaks, SZA, Tame Impala, The Black Keys, The Devil Makes Three, The Family Crest, The Revivalists, The Sam Chase, The Tropics, Toro Y Moi, Twin Peaks, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Wilco

CRSSD makes a big splash in debut as 2015 festival season heats up

March 19, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 5 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 14th-15th, 2015 //

Music festivals rarely ever run smoothly in their inaugural year. Whether they are poorly timed, disorganized or just not well thought-out, first-time festivals often have their fair share of problems.

But Southern California-based event promoters Goldenvoice and FNGRS CRSSD are quickly changing the game after putting on a nearly flawless first edition of CRSSD Festival at San Diego’s Waterfront Park last weekend.

Bridging the gap between the EDM and alternative electronic worlds much like HARD Events founder and CEO Gary Richards has done with his own festival series, the two-day, 21-and-over event initially caught fans’ eyes with electro-rock bands like Empire of the Sun and Chromeo topping an impressive, dance-oriented bill that also included ODESZA, Flight Facilities, Hot Natured, Classixx, Maceo Plex, Justin Martin, Lee Burridge and Pete Tong.

Then, a month later, CRSSD organizers drew even more attention to the festival when they announced Phase II of the lineup, adding James Murphy, Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons and Trippy Turtle to an already stacked list of performers.

And with temperatures hitting the high 80’s on both Saturday and Sunday, CRSSD Festival couldn’t have served as a better warm-up (no pun intended) for Coachella, which, by the way, is only three weeks away.

Here are our awards from the first-ever CRSSD Festival.

Most Epic Set: Empire of the Sun

The Aussie glam-pop giant has been headlining festivals for a while now and continues to do so in epic fashion. Empire of the Sun’s live performance is as much of a spectacle as it is a psychedelic dance party, and when they intertwine the two so fluidly as they did to close out the first day of festivities at CRSSD, they’re able to leave lasting memories for both new and old fans.

Biggest Dance Party: Chromeo

These two childhood friends from Montreal have been igniting dance parties all over the world since dropping their 2004 debut She’s in Control, and while their synthpop sound hasn’t necessarily evolved leaps and bounds over the last decade, they still know how to get a crowd moving, whatever the occasion may be. With the weekend winding down, you could find plenty of festivalgoers all over the grounds grooving to Chromeo’s signature brand of disco funk. We even saw people dancing on their way to the porta potties!

Most Uplifting Set: Classixx

As we found out at Treasure Island Music Festival last fall, LA electronic duo Classixx have come a long way since their early days remixing artists like Phoenix, Mayer Hawthorne and Holy Ghost! Scheduled to play the always-important post-sunset set on the Ocean View Live stage, they stepped up to the challenge and delivered one of the most awe-inspiring shows of the weekend. With their wide range of influences, the sky — especially when it’s tinged orange, red and blue — appears to be the limit for these two beatmakers.

Biggest Surprise: Lido

Quite frankly, we didn’t know anything about Norwegian producer Lido (aka 22-year-old Peder Losnegård) prior to his 4:30 p.m. set on Sunday. Well, maybe we should have. After watching him drop remixes of Bill Withers, The Weeknd and alt-j all while maneuvering between keyboards, electronic drums and a variety of programming equipment, we were thoroughly impressed with this young stud’s skills. Oh, and his pipes aren’t shabby either.

Best Stage Visuals: ODESZA

The Seattle production duo has been on fire of late, and its Sunday night set was easily one of the most anticipated of the weekend thanks to the release of its second full-length album In Return this past September. While “Say My Name” has taken the airwaves by storm over the last few months, it was their stage visuals that really stood out. Artistic and abstract at the same time, you couldn’t help but stare at the huge LED screen directly behind Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight as they worked their magic on us.

Most Enthusiastic Performance: Robert DeLong

Is there a more entertaining live performer in dance music right now than Robert DeLong? Whether he’s singing or banging away ferociously on the drums (his stage setup includes both acoustic and electronic), the 29-year-old Washington state native is one of the most animated acts in electronic music. Fusing house, moombahton and a handful of other EDM sub-genres into his Sunday afternoon slot, he showed an enthusiasm unparalleled to any other artist on the CRSSD lineup.

Best Guest Performance: Flight Facilities

Since their inception in 2009, Australian production duo Flight Facilities have continued to soar by dropping new singles year after year. Exceeding all expectations at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco during Noise Pop 2015, they arrived at CRSSD on Sunday night and didn’t disappoint, employing guest vocalists like Brooke Addamo (aka Owl Eyes) to engage the crowd and supplement their disco-house grooves.

Most Under-Appreciated Set: STRFKR

Portland electronic quartet STRFKR have been going strong for more than eight years now. With four studio albums to their name, Joshua Hodges, Shawn Glassford, Keil Corcoran and Patrick Morris have continued to build on their synth-heavy sound. Unfortunately with DJ Harvey and Thomas Jack playing sets on the festival’s two other stages at the same time, STRFKR’s rather fun and upbeat performance on Saturday went relatively unnoticed.

Sexiest Stage Presence: Goldroom

We unexpectedly caught Goldroom at Lightning in a Bottle a couple years ago, so we were already familiar with Josh Legg’s breezy, chilled-out arrangements. But somehow we did forget how sexy Mereki Beach can be when she takes over the mic, as she strutted her stuff in her shiny kicks midway through Goldroom’s Saturday afternoon set. With Legg getting the live band back together, fans of the LA-based act should be seeing a lot more of Beach.

Most Mysterious Performance: Slow Magic

One of the biggest enigmas in electronic music these days is the man behind a Technicolor wolf mask. While his identity still remains unknown to most, his fans know him best by his stage name Slow Magic (read our review of his SF show from the fall). Though a small, yet passionate crowd assembled for his early-afternoon set on the main stage Sunday, you had to feel for a guy wearing a mask and playing drums in almost 90-degree heat.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Chromeo, Classixx, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, CRSSD, CRSSD 2015, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2015, Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons, Empire of the Sun, Flight Facilities, FNGRS CRSSD, Goldenvoice, Goldroom, James Murphy, Jason Bentley, Justin Martin, Lee Burridge, Lido, Maceo Plex, Pete Tong, Robert DeLong, Slow Magic, STRFKR, Tensnake, Trippy Turtle, Waterfront Park

High Sierra Music Fest adds Umphrey’s McGee, The Word, Lake Street Dive, Nicki Bluhm, Lotus & more

March 12, 2015 by Mike Frash 2 Comments

Photo by Justin Halgren // Written by Mike Frash //

High Sierra Music Festival //
Quincy, CA
July 2nd-5th, 2015 //

The 25th addition of High Sierra Music Festival is starting to look like a major celebration of the magical four-day fest’s history.

This lineup is arguably stronger than any in the past five years, rewarding the HSMF faithful for years of loyalty. I gotta say, this is not only a great alternative compared to the final Dead shows in Chicago, but it looks much more fun. Dig into the lineup (so far) below.

Also, discover why we keep going back to High Sierra Music Festival.

Phase Two additions include:
Umphrey’s McGee
The John Butler Trio
The Word (John Medeski, Robert Randolph, Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, Chris Chew)
Lake Street Dive
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers
Lotus
The Jeff Austin Band featuring Danny Barnes, Ross Martin, Eric Thorin
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
BoomBox
The Motet
Papadosio
Fruition
Jennifer Hartswick
The Waifs
Dopapod
The Nth Power
Steve Poltz
Marco Benevento
Nathan Moore
The Main Squeeze
Scott Pemberton
Cabinet
The Black Lillies
Tim Flannery & The Lunatic Fringe
Con Brio
T Sisters
Patchy Sanders
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers
The Nibblers
Michael McNevin
The Sam Chase
Jessica Lurie – Artist-At-Large
Living Folklore

Get your HSMF tickets here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: High Sierra Music Festival

Outside Lands 2015: Lineup locks, likely acts & long shots

March 11, 2015 by The Bam Team 15 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

UPDATE: The lineup has been announced. View the full lineup here.

Outside Lands 2015 speculation season may now commence.

For the first year, wristbands will be used for all three-day GA and VIP tickets instead of paper tickets or PDF printouts. Could this be a sign that single-day tickets are a thing of the past?

As a comparison, Coachella moved over to wristbands the same year single-day tickets were abolished. If Superfly and Another Planet can sell out the entire weekend with only three-day passes, than why wouldn’t they punt on the one-day option?

We’ve looked at tour dates, researched competing festivals and considered Outside Lands’ curation history. Squamish Valley Music Festival in BC may be the same weekend from August 7th-9th, but those large metal flying birds make it so musicians can easily do both fests.

The same goes for acts booked in Europe the week after Outside Lands — many artists will play Lollapalooza or Osheaga, followed by Outside Lands, then they cross the pond for mid-August festivals abroad.

If you have a lead or opinion, drop us a comment below. We’ll be updating this list as new developments happen. So, allow us to play Nostradamus and offer these predictions.

Lock It In

Kendrick Lamar – Ranger D tweeted he DLed KDot’s new album on March 16th, and he’s also headlining Bonnaroo.
Mumford and Sons – OSL fits their schedule between Squamish and their Washington “stopover.”
Tame Impala – These Aussie psych-rockers and APE loyalists are ready for a prime-time slot.
Deadmau5 – The mouse is atop many major lineups, including Bonnaroo, so his return to OSL seems logical.
St. Vincent – Annie Clark is worthy of headliner status, and she’s confirmed for Osheaga.
Sam Smith – The big question remains: Is he a Land’s End or Twin Peaks headliner?
Bassnectar – This APE regular is long overdue to helm Twin Peaks for a hometown blowout.
Hot Chip – Basically confirmed via Twitter. And they’re in LA on August 11th.
Wilco – The stars are aligning … Tweedy, Cline and company are confirmed for LA on August 5th.
Alabama Shakes – Playing Squamish. Remember how packed their first OSL appearance was?!?!
Run the Jewels – Accidentally confirmed on RTJ’s tour page and would mark OSL’s first B2B booking.
Sylvan Esso – They’ve played The Independent and Fox Theater Oakland in the past year, and they’ll be in the Midwest the week after OSL.
Django Django – Playing in LA on August 6th.
!!! (chk chk chk) – Played OSL four years ago, and they’re touring with Hot Chip in LA on August 11th.
Jeff the Brotherhood – Dates open and booked for Mumford “stopover” up north in Walla Walla.
Laura Marling – Playing LA on August 6th and a perfect selection for a Sutro Stage. (added March 17th)

Seems Likely

Elton John
The Black Keys
The War on Drugs
The Avett Brothers
Brandon Flowers
Death From Above 1979
Toro Y Moi
Of Monsters and Men
Interpol
First Aid Kit
Stromae
ODESZA
ScHoolboy Q
Gorgon City
The Kills
Slow Magic
Slightly Stoopid

Looking Plausible

Drake (Downgraded to “Looking Plausible” 3/16)
Bruce Springsteen
Chance the Rapper
Caribou
Florence + The Machine (upgraded to “Looking Plausible” on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Axwell Λ Ingrosso
alt-J (upgraded on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Belle & Sebastian
The Decemberists (upgraded on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Flying Lotus
Father John Misty (upgraded to “Looking Plausible” on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Future Islands
Mac Demarco
Glass Animals
Hozier
Benjamin Booker
Alvvays
AWOLNATION
Strand of Oaks
Bahamas
Hiss Golden Messenger

Long Shot (but could happen)

Jack White
Sleater-Kinney
D’Angelo
Weezer (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Jack Ü
Nas (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
TV on the Radio
Todd Terje
Gary Clark Jr. (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Action Bronson (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Viet Cong (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Marina & the Diamonds
MS MR (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Charli XCX
Jamie xx
Kygo
San Fermin (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Milky Chance