Ohana Festival looks to make another splash in 2022 with Stevie Nicks, Eddie Vedder, Jack White & P!nk headlining sixth edition

April 11, 2022 by 1 Comment

Ohana Festival - 2022 lineup

Ohana Festival //
Doheny State Beach – Dana Point, CA
September 30th-October 2nd, 2022 //

Are you ready to do it again, Ohana fam?

The three-day festival founded by Eddie Vedder is heading back to Doheny State Beach after hosting a two-weekend affair last year that featured a two-day “Encore” with Pearl Jam, but with the Hall of Fame rock band relaunching its postponed 2020 tour this spring and summer, it will be a different cast leading Ohana Fest’s sixth year as the calendar flips from September to October.

Stevie Nicks will kick things off on Friday with an impressive undercard of Khruangbin, Brittany Howard, The Revivalists, Gangs of Youth and St. Paul & The Broken Bones highlighting Day 1.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s main entrée of Vedder and Jack White, who put out Fear of the Dawn last week as the first of two new albums he will release this year, should have everyone rockin’ (in the free world) before the lights go out, but don’t sleep on Grammy-winning bluegrass guitarist Billy Strings listed right below the two co-headliners alongside Manchester Orchestra.

Closing things down on Sunday will be three-time Grammy winner P!nk, who will have plenty of support thanks to some highly anticipated performances from St. Vincent and Broken Social Scene that will see the latter play their 2002 album You Forgot It in People in its entirety. Other notable names on the 2022 bill include Kolohe Kai, Inhaler, Bomba Estéreo, Cautious Clay, Joy Oladokun and Kevin Morby. Check out the poster above for the rest of the artists scheduled to perform in Dana Point.

Tickets can be purchased starting this Wednesday, April 13th at 10 a.m. PT during the festival’s presale, but you must sign up here to receive a presale code if you want to join the party!

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The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2019

December 27, 2019 by 2 Comments
Kali Uchis at Smokin Grooves Fest - Rochelle Shipman


Kali Uchis at Smokin Grooves Fest // Showbams’ Photo of the Year, by Rochelle Shipman

Um, that’s it? Another year in the rear-view mirror? Where the hell did the last 12 months go? Time sure does seem to fly when there’s so much good new music out there to enjoy.

With that said, it’s once again time for us to share our annual “Best of” lists like we have done the past few years (see our 2018 picks here). From new emerging artists to reunion tours to the return of rock ‘n’ roll, this year had a little bit of everything for both the casual and passionate music fan. And even if you didn’t have the time to listen to every album that came out (neither did we), that’s why we’re here: to help point you in the right direction whenever you do finally get the chance to dig in.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2019.

See our favorite performances from 2019 here.

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2019:

The Chemical Brothers at Shrine Expo Hall - Josh Herwitt


The Chemical Brothers at Shrine Expo Hall // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. Tool at Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA – October 20th & 21st
Unlike the delay on Tool’s fifth album Fear Inoculum, I thankfully didn’t have to wait 13 years to see my favorite band perform live. It was only a couple of years ago when I caught the boys at The Gorge, earning top honors as my favorite show in 2017, and subsequently a week later at Glen Helen Amphitheater for an all-day affair with Primus, Clutch, Fantômas, Melvins and The Crystal Method. Perhaps my tastes haven’t changed all that much since then, but even in a year that saw me attend half as many concerts as I usually do, Tool are still finding new and innovative ways to enhance their live show. Whether it’s tinkering with their stage production to incorporate a see-through curtain at times or adding surround sound throughout the arena, a Tool performance has evolved into a spiritual, meditative and almost out-of-body experience over the last decade. It’s no wonder why scoring tickets remains a trial of good fortune.

2. The Raconteurs at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – July 27th
3. The Chemical Brothers at Shrine Expo Hall – Los Angeles, CA – May 15th
4. Jim James & The Claypool Lennon Delirium at The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA – July 3rd
5. FOALS at Shrine Expo Hall – Los Angeles, CA – March 24th

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Tool – Fear Inoculum
When a three-time Grammy-winning band takes more than a decade to release its next album, it’s only natural for expectations to go through the roof. And I’ll be the first to admit that there was a small seed of doubt in my mind when it came to just how epic Tool’s latest sonic voyage in the studio could and would be. But upon first listen, any uncertainty I had about the merits of Fear Inoculum was quickly dispelled. The title track lures you in from the onset, building to a higher place as Maynard James Keenan (vocals) and company — Adam Jones (guitar), Justin Chancellor (bass) and Danny Carey (drums, percussion) — take listeners on an 80-minute rite of passage that holds up as some of the quartet’s best material in its entire catalog. I just hope they got at least one more LP in them, even if it takes another 13 years to make.

2. The Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger
3. FOALS – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1
4. The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
5. Black Pumas – Black Pumas

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. Tool – “Descending”
If you’re still reading, you’ve probably gotten the hint by now that I’m a big fan of Tool. After all, it only seemed fitting that my top song in 2019 should also come from my No. 1 album of the year by my favorite band over the last two decades. I have seen Tool perform a shortened version of “Descending” several times since 2014, before it ever had an official title, so when Fear Inoculum arrived back in August, there was no track I anticipated hearing more. In fact, at more than 13 minutes long, it’s one that requires your full, undivided attention, which can be a significant amount of time to dedicate in a world of three-minute pop songs and endless distractions now. But for prog-rock enthusiasts like myself who are more than willing to take the ride, “Descending” delivers a total rush of blood to the head that ultimately leads to pure unadulterated euphoria.

2. Bon Iver – “Hey, Ma”
3. Hot Chip – “Hungry Child”
4. FOALS – “On the Luna”
5. Karen O and Danger Mouse – “Turn the Light”

Cate Le Bon - Reward

Kevin Quandt // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. Stereolab at Primavera Sound – Barcelona, Spain – June 1st
Primavera Sound has always had a knack for booking reunions (i.e. Pulp, The Avalanches and Pavement) to its “musical mecca” on the Balearic Sea. 2019’s iteration featured the first proper show in nearly a decade from the anti-capitalist art-pop darlings Stereolab. “Come and Play in the Milky Night” on 1999’s Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night would open the evening to the international consortium of aging music nerds who undoubtedly knew that they were about to be treated to a “best of” set from the English-French outfit. Better yet, their politically themed lyrical content seemed more relevant in 2019 than it was around the time of their creation a quarter-century ago.

2. Mike Dillon’s New Orleans Punk Rock Percussion Consortium at The Music Box Village – New Orleans, LA – April 26th
3. BLACK MIDI at Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA – November 21st
4. Amen Dunes at August Hall – San Francisco, CA – January 10th
5. Ween at Desert Daze – Perris, CA – October 12th

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Cate Le Bon – Reward
What a banner year for the Welsh artist as she created her most highly acclaimed LP to date. Le Bon has truly honed her craft over the last decade as she has collaborated with a laundry list of indie-music royalty before writing the whimsical and austere Reward that employs an array of fresh sounds swirling around her haunting, pixie vocals. 2020 will see Cate jump on tour alongside Kurt Vile in a solo capacity, but we can’t wait to see what she produces next.

2. Wand – Laughing Matter
3. (Sandy) Alex G – House of Sugar
4. The Murder Capital – When I Have Fears
5. Omni – Networker

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. FOALS – “Sunday”
As FOALS teeter on the edge of being rock’s next big headliner, the British group semi-quietly unleashed a pair of albums entitled Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 and Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2. While their style continues to hover around math, dance and indie rock, they dig into a deeper realm of sonic atmosphere as frontman Yannis Philippakis questions, even laments, the state of our current times. “Sunday” tends to borrow a tad from the grandiose nature of their fellow Brits in Coldplay before dropping into a four-on-the-floor section that was rather well-received during their March stop at the Fox Theater in Oakland.

2. Crumb – “Ghostride”
3. Vampire Weekend – “Sunflower” feat. Steve Lacy
4. Oh Sees – “Henchlock”
5. Allah-Las – “In the Air”

Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. slowthai at Lodge Room – Los Angeles, CA – September 4th
Shortly after releasing his debut album Nothing Great About Britain in May, Tyron Frampton played a few intimate U.S. shows several months later. My guess is that those were probably the last ones he’ll do if the UK rapper out of Northampton continues to rise and deliver, just like he did for much of 2019. Part Johnny Knoxville-type grime smart ass, part brilliant gritty-crust punk, slowthai shook the roof off LA’s Lodge Room, which turned out to be a warm-up show before he returned to play Camp Flog Gnaw in November. Frampton certainly came to please, setting the energy level at 11 and even performing his rowdy hit “Doorman” twice in the set. He could’ve run through it 15 times and the crowd would’ve left just as satisfied.

2. Little Simz at The Echo – Los Angeles, CA – June 13th
3. Taking Back Sunday at Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA – April 11th
4. Night Moves at The Echo – Los Angeles, CA – September 21st
5. Usher at Smokin Grooves Fest – Long Beach, CA – June 15th

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Little Simz – GREY Area
The production. The flow. The bars. The BALLS. Little Simz absolutely brings it on GREY Area, leaving no space for second-guessing, sexist bullshit or honestly anyone else at all. This latest studio album from the British emcee is all her, and you can feel it with every breath she takes. We should all be so lucky to come into our confidence the way that she did on this record, but most of all, we should just be grateful “Simbi” trusts us to keep her deepest secrets — and that they sound so, so good.

2. slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain
3. Shura – forevher
4. Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby
5. White Reaper – You Deserve Love

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. slowthai – “Doorman” (with Mura Masa)
This song technically dropped in 2018, but its spotlight was shone even wider with slowthai releasing his debut LP this year. The Mura Masa-assisted cut pulses with adrenaline, carries the air of a movie soundtrack in only three minutes and has a beat that will take you all the way to the moon and back. In the words of Lizzo, it’s a whole damn meal!

2. Kari Faux – “Latch Key”
3. Billie Eilish – “bury a friend”
4. Little Simz – “Venom”
5. Smino – “Trina”

Tool - Fear Inoculum

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. IDLES – Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – October 10th
After putting out one of my favorite albums from 2018 and missing their show earlier this year, I was thrilled to finally catch IDLES live. To say that these English punk rockers put on a good performance would be a true understatement. They had the energy of an out-of-control freight train but were able to contain it while proving to be an incredibly fun act to see live. Frontman Joe Talbot engaged with the audience in a very authentic way, talking and singing to fans, not just at them. There were crowd-surfing guitarists, mosh pits and sing-a-longs … it was wild.

2. Punk Rock Bowling 2019 – Las Vegas, NV – May 23rd-27th
3. Judas Priest at The Warfield – San Francisco, CA – June 24th
4. Van’s Warped Tour 2019 at Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, CA – July 20th-21st
5. ITCHY-O at Cornerstone – Berkeley, CA – November 23rd

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Tool – Fear Inoculum
Well, after all of the waiting and speculation, Tool have done it again, in a really big way. Fear Inoculum is everything that I was hoping it would be, and then some. HUGE-sounding drums, guitars and bass wrap your head in a warm prog blanket while Maynard does what he always has so well. It takes the best parts of their previous albums and combines them to showcase a band that has clearly not missed a step in the 13 years since 10,000 Days.

2. Bad Religion – Age of Unreason
3. Brittany Howard – Jaime
4. Catbite – Catbite
5. Plague Vendor – By Night

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. The Hammerbombs – “I Hate Cars”
The Hammerbombs are an undersung Bay Area pop-punk group that have written some of the catchiest and fun songs I have heard from the East Bay scene in a long time. Their 2019 release Goodbye, Dreamboat made my top 10, and this track is the hands-down standout on an album chock-full of toe-tappers. It’s a heartfelt song written by singer and bassist Jen Louie, who has a knack for crafting some really fantastic tunes. The chorus is saccharine sweet, and you can’t help but sing along.

2. Lizzo – “Juice”
3. Bad Religion – “Do The Paranoid Style”
4. Ceremony – “In The Spirit World Now”
5. Lagwagon – “Surviving California”

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Arroyo Seco Weekend 2018: Ringing in summer at Goldenvoice’s chilled-out Coachella for grown-ups

June 29, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Arroyo Seco Weekend 2018Photos courtesy of Arroyo Seco Weekend // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Arroyo Seco Weekend //
Brookside at the Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
June 23rd-24th, 2018 //

No matter how old you are, going to a music festival can be a taxing and tiring affair. There’s a lot of walking, a lot of standing, a good amount of dancing and/or rocking out (depending, of course, on your energy level), and more walking and standing. If “festival shape” isn’t a catch phrase yet, it certainly should be. Because for some of us aging live music fans, being on your feet 8-10 hours and in the sun for two, three or four straight days isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Music festivals, in that regard, are designed primarily for the young and youthful, or at least for those who remain young at heart. So, when famed Southern California concert promoter Goldenvoice, best known for founding and organizing the world-renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival every April, announced last year that it would be launching a brand-new, two-day event in Pasadena focused on various forms of rock, funk, folk and country, it served as an opportunity for a different generation of live music fans to experience the same platform that has dominated the industry for the past decade (and for some who are parents, possibly understand why their kids like going to Coachella so much).

Arroyo Seco Weekend 2018 - Neil Young + Promise of the Real


Neil Young + Promise of the Real

With its second installment now in the books, Arroyo Seco Weekend has already carved out a solid niche in Los Angeles’ massive live music scene with a winning combination: great music and high-quality, top-notch local food and drink. It’s the same formula that has made Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco a huge success for longer than 10 years, but it’s still one that had also been largely absent from Southern California music festivals until four years ago when Goldenvoice started making a concerted effort to partner with top-notch LA eateries and restaurants for both weekends of Coachella. That’s where the comparisons end, though.

Arroyo Seco is really its own thing. There’s no denying, even after only a couple of years on the calendar, that it fosters a much different vibe than Coachella or Goldenvoice’s other LA area music festival, FYF Fest, which was surprisingly canceled five weeks after dropping its 2018 lineup due to reportedly poor ticket sales. But with a clear identity from the start, ASW stands more than a fighting chance at a time when music festivals are sadly a dime a dozen (except for the ticket price).

Arroyo Seco Weekend 2018 - Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters


Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters

Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett and his team, for one, came out of the gate swinging for ASW’s inaugural edition with a roster led by the late Tom Petty, which unfortunately ended up to be one of his final performances before his unexpected death, and British folk rockers Mumford and Sons, plus Alabama Shakes, Weezer, The Meters, The Shins, Dawes, Fitz & the Tantrums, Live, Andrew Bird, Broken Social Scene, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Charles Bradley & The Extraordinaires, Galactic and many more all making appearances. That didn’t mean, of course, it was void of suffering a letdown in Year 2, but such a thought was quickly put to rest when the fest’s 2018 bill came out and proved to be equally good, if not better than what 2017 offered. With rock legends like Neil Young and Robert Plant sharing the top of the poster with modern-day rock stars such as Jack White and Kings of Leon, ASW made sure to cater to more than four generations of live music fans, much like the longtime New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — which White, Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real (who also often serve as Young’s backing band), Irma Thomas and Aaron Neville, fittingly enough, all played this year — does each spring in The Big Easy. Throw in some nicer weather and some California-cool flavoring, and you’ve essentially got ASW. So, call it “#Dadchella” if you want, but that won’t stop those of us who are currently in our 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s from going again.

If rock is supposedly “dead” like so many say it is these days, you wouldn’t know it from the size of the crowd that descended upon the Brookside Golf Course adjacent to the Rose Bowl Stadium on a couple of hot summer days. ASW, rather, proved just the opposite, with even a few throwbacks, the Pretenders and Alanis Morrisette most notably, drawing large numbers over at the main stage. Then there were singer-songwriters Seu Jorge, Shakey Graves, Margo Price and Dwight Twilley, as well as blues savior Gary Clark Jr., pouring out their hearts and souls in what felt like a family-friendly environment (maybe the baby strollers helped). And how about Inglewood-bred jazz virtuoso Kamasi Washington mesmerizing with a powerful, mid-afternoon set? There were plenty of memories to be made at ASW in 2018, and we were just grateful to be there to bear witness to them.

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Arroyo Seco Weekend drops inaugural lineup led by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Mumford & Sons

March 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Arroyo Seco Weekend

Arroyo Seco Weekend //
Brookside at the Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
June 24th-25th, 2017 //

For the past few years, there’s been talk about the city of Pasadena hosting a multi-day music festival near the historic Rose Bowl. Shaun White’s snowboard/music festival Air + Style was the first to give it a shot (read our review here) back in 2015, but after experiencing some noise issues, it moved to downtown LA the following year and has continued to call Exposition Park its home.

Now, those rumors have become a reality with Goldenvoice announcing the inaugural lineup for Arroyo Seco Weekend. Coming to “the shady oaks and parkland” of Brookside at the Rose Bowl in late June, the two-day festival will feature three stages of live music with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Mumford & Sons topping the bill. But maybe even more impressive is the undercard, which includes Alabama Shakes, Weezer, The Meters, The Shins, Dawes, Fitz & the Tantrums, Live, Andrew Bird, Broken Social Scene, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Charles Bradley & The Extraordinaires, Galactic and more. Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup.

In addition to all the live music, there will be curated menus from LA’s celebrated restaurants and chefs, including Union’s Bruce Kalman, Sweetfin Poke’s Dakota Weiss, Rose Cafe’s Jason Neroni, Broken Spanish’s Ray Garcia, Sotto’s Steve Samson and République’s Walter Matzke. Free day parking and a bike valet will be available for festivalgoers, and those looking to take public transit to the festival will have easy access to the Metro Gold Line.

Weekend passes and single-day tickets can be purchased here for $225 and $125, respectively, starting this Monday, March 20th at 11 a.m. PT. VIP passes will also be sold at a price of $399 and $225, with weekend preferred parking available for $50.

Brookside Golf & Country Club

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Sasquatch! Music Festival releases 2016 lineup

January 12, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Sasquatch! Music Festival - 2016 lineup

Sasquatch! Music Festival //
Gorge Amphitheatre – Quincy, WA
May 27th-30th, 2016 //

Returning to the majestic Gorge Amphitheatre over Memorial Day weekend, Sasquatch! Music Festival has dropped another impressive lineup for its 2016 edition.

Now in its 15th year, the Pacific Northwest fest organized by Adam Zacks and Live Nation will feature performances by The Cure, Florence + the Machine, Disclosure, Major Lazer, Alabama Shakes and a whole lot more over four action-packed days. Some of our favorites include Leon Bridges, Jamie xx, A$AP Rocky, Caribou, M83, Kurt Vile, Yeasayer, Mac DeMarco, Big Grams, Chet Faker, Lord Huron and Tycho. See the poster above for the full lineup.

If you’re thinking about going to Sasquatch! this May, you’ll need to act quickly. GA tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 12th (in other words, today) at 10 a.m. here, and VIP supertickets can also be purchased on the festival’s website here.

Last spring, Showbams made the trek to The Gorge to cover Sasquatch! for our first time, and we didn’t leave disappointed when it was all said and done. With another stellar bill of artists, Sasquatch! is sure to shine once again in 2016.

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

April 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment

CoachellaPhotos 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

Coachella

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

March 11, 2015 by 15 Comments

1.OutsideLands2014_post

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.

Outside Lands fans

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

Outside-Lands-2014_post

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

View our predictions from 2014.
View our predictions from 2013.

Outside Lands

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Showbams Photography 2013: A year in review

December 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Purity-Ring

Purity Ring // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.25.13

The power and impact of a great photo is undeniable. Striking photos take you to another place, inserting you into a spectacular moment from the past.

The photographers in the Bam Fam have produced many memorable, inspiring live music photos in 2013. Feast your eyes on 50 of our best shots from the past year.

Click a band or artist name to view the original article.

Fiona-Apple-and-Blake-Mills

Fiona Apple & Blake Mills // Sam Heller
Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley //10.8.13

Killer-Mike

Killer Mike // James Nagel
The Independent // 7.31.13

Crystal-Castles

Crystal Castles // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oakland // 4.27.13

Phantogram

Phantogram // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

Warpaint

Warpaint // Marc Fong
The Independent // 9.17.13

Cut-Copy_

Cut Copy // James Nagel
Fox Theater Oakland // 11.2.13

Geographer_post

Geographer // Sterling Munksgard
Bimbo’s 365 Club // 11.23.13

Thee-Oh-Sees

Thee Oh Sees // Pedro Paredes
Great American Music Hall // 12.18.13

Grouplove

Grouplove // James Nagel
The Independent // 9.14.13

James-Blake

James Blake // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.20.13

Matthew-Dear

Matthew Dear // Mike Frash
Mezzanine // 5.22.13

Palma-Violets

Palma Violets // James Nagel
The Independent // 4.23.13

Polyphonic-Spree

Polyphonic Spree // Marc Fong
The Chapel // 8.19.13

Zedd

Zedd // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oakland // 10.9.13

Robert-Randolph

Robert Randolph // Steve Kennedy
Notes For Notes Benefit // 12.6.13

Savages1

Savages // James Nagel
The Independent // 9.27.13

Steve-Aioki

Steve Aoki // Sterling Munksgard
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium // 11.16.13

The-Flaming-Lips

The Flaming Lips // James Nagel
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium // 10.31.13

The-xx

The xx // Marc Fong
The Greek Theatre // 6.1.13

Atoms-For-Peace

Atoms For Peace // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

Thundercat1

Thundercat // James Nagel
The Independent // 11.13.13

Trey-Anastasio-Band

Trey Anastasio Band // Sam Heller
Fox Theater Oakland // 4.20.13

Alabama-Shakes

Alabama Shakes // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oakland // 3.5.13

AlunaGeorge

AlunaGeorge // Marc Fong
The Independent // 9.11.13

Autre-Ne-Veut

Autre Ne Veut // Mike Frash
The Independent // 3.11.13

chk-chk-chk

!!! // James Nagel
Great American Music Hall // 2.28.13

CSS

CSS // James Nagel
The Independent // 6.16.13

Danny-Brown

Danny Brown // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

Father-John-Misty

Father John Misty // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.24.13

HAIM

Haim // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

How-To-Dress-Well

How To Dress Well // Sam Heller
The Independent // 8.26.13

Jagwar-Ma

Jagwar Ma // James Nagel
The Independent // 12.11.13

Jamie-Lidell

Jamie Lidell // Sam Heller
The Independent // 3.29.13

Primus

Primus // Sam Heller
High Sierra Music Festival // 7.5.13

Run-The-Jewels1

Run The Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike) // James Nagel
The Independent // 7.31.13

Toro-Y-Moi

Toro Y Moi // James Nagel
Fox Theater Oakland // 11.15.13

Wild-Belle

Wild Belle // Eldon Christenson
The Independent // 9.26.13

alt-J

Alt-J // Sam Heller
Fox Theater Oakland // 8.29.13

Andrew-Bird

Andrew Bird // Sam Heller
Congregation Sherith Israel // 12.16.13

Andrew-WK

Andrew W.K. // Marc Fong
The Independent // 10.12.13

Anna-Calvi

Anna Calvi // Marc Fong
The Independent // 11.17.13

Big-Boi

Big Boi // Mike Frash
Mezzanine // 5.17.13

Deerhunter

Deerhunter // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.25.13

MS-MR

MS MR // James Nagel
The Independent // 6.16.13

Phoenix

Phoenix // Chaya Frash
The Independent // 4.1.13

Rogue-Wave1

Rogue Wave // Marc Fong
The Independent // 7.12.13

Sigur-Ros

Sigur Rós // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oaklnad // 4.16.13

STS9_Post

STS9 // Sam Heller
Fox Theater Oakland // 3.1.13

Washed-Out

Washed Out // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.25.13

Filed Under: Best of 2013, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard roars as the new lioness of Rock

March 7, 2013 by 2 Comments

Alabama-ShakesPhotos by Marc Fong ~ View photo gallery & setlist below

Brittany Howard, the heart and soul of Alabama Shakes, affirmed her unmitigated eminence as the premiere lioness of rock and roll at Fox Theater Oakland Tuesday. Her raw, ferocious vocals and expressive demeanor mixed with her 50’s southern style, complete her cat eye glasses, gave her a vintage look that matches the Shake’s throwback sound. The only thing missing was an iconic unidyne microphone.

Alabama Shakes formed in 2009 while the members were still in high school (feel old yet?), and they have only been touring nationally for about a year. Recent Grammy nominees for Best New Artist, their astonishing rise to festival sub-headliner status hints Brittany and the gang are only at the beginning of a long and successful career.

The Shake’s breathtaking Brittany Howard somehow has already reached legendary status in this brief amount of time. In the tradition of American blues, Howard “ain’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve,” telling her life story through her music. Howard’s fervid vocals belt from the depths of her soul as she erupts with impassioned intensity. A native of Alabama (duh?), her southern roots are apparent in her quirky, grimy howls that reverberate from her brilliant spirit.

Alabama-Shakes

All the sold out shows should be attributed to the unparalleled vocal stylings of Brittany Howard. Her stage presence captivated and enthralled the ardent audience at the Fox Theater on this rainy night. Howard’s delivery gives her songs new life that’s isn’t apparent on their record, and perfectly timed smoke wisps float onto the stage to frame Brittany’s grit and determination.

Alabama Shakes satisfied the crowd by playing two of their more popular songs, “Hang Loose” and “Hold On,” early in the show, smartly getting the radio hits out of the way so the audience could focus on deeper cuts from their only album Boys & Girls. Brittany had strong command of the microphone as she belted out tunes like “I Found You,” “Be Mine” and “On Your Way.” Whether Howard was inspiring pin-drop silence during slower tunes, or creating upbeat, euphoric moments, Alabama Shakes sang to our hearts then rocked our souls.



Setlist:
Goin’ To The Party
Hang Loose
Hold On
Always Alright
I Found You
Rise To The Sun
Boys & Girls
Be Mine
Worryin’ Blues
On Your Way
You Ain’t Alone
Heavy Chevy

Encore:
Gospel Song
I Ain’t The Same
Heat Lightning

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Coachella 2013: Predictions, wishes & rumors vs. reality

January 14, 2013 by 7 Comments

Coachella 2013By Mike Frash //

With a casual tweet, festival season is about to begin. Anticipation over the imminent 2013 Coachella lineup is building, and recent history shows the festival lineup could come this week.

Do you have your accommodations set? Hopefully your ticket is taken care of, because Coachella 2013 could already be close to sold out.

Presale ticketing for this year’s Coachella sold out within hours of going on sale both weekends last May, and it was the first time pre-sale sold out in such a quick fashion. The Coachella 2012 general on-sale sold out within an hour for both weekends a year ago, and if you weren’t ninja-quick at getting into the waiting room, you were shit out of luck. Take all this into account, and there might be a very limited amount of tickets available after the 2013 lineup drops. Is it possible Coachella 2013 is completely sold out from presale ticketing?

Coachella

Headliners: Reality vs. Rumors
The headliner rumors arrived early this year, with speculation over The Rolling Stones and Daft Punk dominating the conversation. At this point The Rolling Stones seems like the more likely of the two to be headlining, even though they haven’t played a whole lot of festivals since Altamont in 1969. Besides, Coachella rumors about Daft Punk and David Bowie playing Coachella are a yearly running gag at this point — we’ll believe it when we see it. Bowie even has a confirmed album coming out in the spring, but his bandmates are saying Ziggy has ruled out performing live … forever.

Reunions are a big part of Coachella’s top-notch lineups, and last year saw the regrouping of At The Drive-In, Pulp and Refused. This year it looks like The Postal Service and My Bloody Valentine could happen. Blur would also make sense since they reunited at the Olympics last year. Black Sabbath was reportedly on board to headline last year until they had to pull out at the last moment, and they have a new album coming out in June. Outkast would be the perfect hip-hop headliner, but that seems unlikely with Big Boi pushing his new LP. Wu-Tang Clan seems like the most likely rap act to play the main stage, but are they big enough to headline one of the three days each weekend?

Last year saw The Black Keys headline Friday along with Swedish House Mafia, and most people thought The Black Keys weren’t worthy of headliner status. But Coachella is good at king-making groups and artists, elevating them to the top level simply by making them headliners. Goldenvoice could repeat last year’s Friday concept by crowning Phoenix, The xx or Mumford and Sons headliners while putting deadmau5 on the top line to satiate the EDM masses.

Reality (likely headliners):
The Rolling Stones, The Postal Service, deadmau5, My Bloody Valentine, Black Sabbath, Pearl Jam, Phoenix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wu Tang Clan, No Doubt, Mumford & Sons, The xx

Rumors (probable wishlist-fiction):
Daft Punk, Outkast, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails (How to Destroy Angels is likely)

Artists to see before they get big:
Last year, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Death Grips, Azealia Banks, First Aid Kit, and lots of other artists performed at Coachella before getting exponentially bigger by the end of 2012. Possible contenders for 2013 include Angel Haze, AlunaGeorge, FIDLAR, Foxygen, Wilde Belle, & Earl Sweatshirt, although the hype for Earl is already tremendously loud.

Coachella

Best EDM acts most likely to not perform in the Sahara Tent:
• deadmau5
• Bassnectar
• Tiesto
• Simian Mobile Disco
• Andy Stott
• Nicolas Jaar
• Dan Deacon
• John Talabot
• Disclosure
• Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Artists most likely to return for second consecutive year:
Kendrick Lamar and Dawes, because Dawes somehow plays every festival.

Headlines we’d like to see:
“Frank Ocean, Tyler The Creator join Earl Sweatshirt’s first solo set”
“Progressive-house trend baffles Sahara tent candy-kids”
“Thom Yorke, Bradford Cox & Trent Rezner play a combined 9 sets each weekend”
“Katie Perry attends Coachella again, never considered for performing duties.”

Plausible Acts We’d Like to See:
Alabama Shakes
alt-J
AlunaGeorge
Andy Stott
Angel Haze
Animal Collective
Atlas Sound
Atoms for Peace
Bassnectar
Bat for Lashes
Beach House
Ben Howard
Big Boi
Bjork
Black Sabbath
Blur
Cloud Nothings
Chromatics
Crystal Castles
CHVRCHES
Dan Deacon
Divine Fits
Disclosure
Die Antwoord
Django Django
Ducktails
Earl Sweatshirt
Father John Misty
Fiona Apple
Frightened Rabbit
Grimes
Grizzly Bear (Added 1.17.13)
Haim
Hot Chip
How to Dress Well
James Blake
Jamie Lidell
Japandroids
Jessie Ware
John Talabot
Jim James
Kendrick Lamar
Kishi Bashi
Killer Mike
Local Natives
New Order
Nicolas Jaar
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Major Lazer
Matthew Dear
Mumford & Sons
Passion Pit
Penguin Prison
Phoenix
Pretty Lights
Sigur Ros
Skrillex
Spiritualized
Stars
STRFCKR
Tame Impala
The Faint
The Joy Formidable
The Knife
The Postal Service
The Rolling Stones
The Walkmen
The xx
Toro Y Moi
TNGHT
Ty Segall
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Vampire Weekend
Warpaint
Wavves
Wild Belle
Wild Nothing
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeasayer
Yo la Tengo
!!!

Coachella

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Best tracks of 2012

December 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Some of our favorite tracks in 2012 are from The Lumineers, Tame Impala, Japandroids, Father John Misty, & Electric Guest.

The Lumineers, Tame Impala, Japandroids, Father John Misty, & Electric Guest created classic songs in 2012.

Showbams contributors have listed their favorite tracks of the year.
What were your favorite songs in 2012? Leave a comment below.

View our Best Shows of 2012
View our Best Albums of 2012

Mike Frash – San Francisco @MikeFrash
Subscribe to Mike’s “Best Tracks of 2012” Playlist on Spotify.

1. Sun Kil Moon – “Among the Leaves”

When a song get’s it’s 50th play and just gets better, you know you’ve found something special. This song showcases Mark Kozelek’s voice and songwriting perfectly, and is so good he named the album after it. With every spin the descriptive lyrics evolve in the mind of listener. Kozelek tells the tale of a girl he sees around town and wants to help. And when the wind instruments kick in, the song takes off and flies.

2. Tame Impala – “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”

This track might me the most simple song from Lonerism, but it is also the most memorable. It’s plenty trippy like the rest of the album, and it’s also the most catchy song – the one that’s still bouncing around your head a day later. “It feels like we only go backwards, but every part of me says go ahead.” This refrain so basic yet effective, and Kevin Parker’s familiar vocals blend seamlessly into Tame Impala’s psychedelic fuzz rock.

3. Passion Pit– “It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy”

Once Michael Angelakos’s bi-polar disorder disorder and attempted suicides were made public, this album and track worked on a higher level. It may be the most biographical song on Gossamer (that says a lot), and the penultimate track steps into anthem territory with confessional optimism. It’s like Michael is telling himself, repeating over and over, that he’s going to make it. Knowing the context of the song makes it more effective, but the biographical background is not needed to know this song is great.

4. Japandroids – “Fire’s Highway”
5. Frank Ocean – “Pyramids”
6. The xx – “Angels”
7. John Talabot – “Destiny” feat. Pional
8. Fiona Apple – “Every Single Night”
9. Tanlines – “Brothers”
10.House – “Kindness”

Honorable Mention:
Killer Mike – “Reagan”
The Presets – “Fall”
Wild Nothing – “Paradise”

Pete Mauch – Los Angeles @PeteMauch

1. Father John Misty – “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”

2. Neil Young – “Walk Like a Giant”

3. Trey Anastasio – “Scabbard”

4. Tame Impala – “Apocalypse Dreams”
5. Neil Young – “Ramada Inn”
6. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools”
7. Alabama Shakes – “Hold on”
8. Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
9. Gary Clark Jr. – “Numb”
10.Jack White – “Freedom at 21”

Molly Kish – San Francisco @MollyKish

1. Lumineers – “Ho Hey”

Due to the incredible commercial success of the Lumineers self-titled debut, you couldn’t escape this song in 2012. Infectiously simple both in lyrics and structure, this song’s basic pop composition grabs it’s audience’s attention immediately and has you singing along from the first listen. An instant crowd pleaser and multi-format radio hit, I still have yet to change the dial.

2. Azealia Banks – “212”

A Hard hitting hip hop club hit, this song’s dirty beat and even filthier flow is an immediate dance party call to arms. Bursting onto the scene with this track produced by Lazy J, Azaelia Banks jumped into the female rap game spitting fire. Incorporating the repetitive use of the word cunt into a chorus and making it contagiously catchy and not crude: genius.

3. The Presets – “Youth in Trouble”

The Presets came back to the EDM scene after a four year hiatus and did so with authority. Starting off one of this year’s best dance albums, this standout track is a club banger. With its extreme builds, relentless bass line and scream along party lyrics, the Presets win my “drop of the year” award in this bar setting track.

4. Electric Guest – “This Head I Hold”
5. Fiona Apple – “Hot Knife”
6. The xx – “Reunion”
7. Kishi Bashi – “Bright Whites”
8. Dr. John – “Locked Down”
9. Yeasayer – “Reagan’s Skeleton”
10.Bloc Party – “Octopus”

Honorable Mentions
Passion Pit – “I’ll be Alright”

Kevin Raos – San Francisco @kevinraos

1. Tame Impala – “Apocalypse Dreams”

Best track on the best album of the year. The more I listen to this album the more my opinion of it morphs and shifts. That’s one of the best things about an album like this – you hear something new every time you listen.

2. Electric Guest – “This Head I Hold”

This song sounds like it could have been written 50 years ago. Classic sound, classic song. One of my favorites of the year.

3. Lana Del Rey – “Born to Die”

I put this in my top 3 simply because I want to comment about my love/hate fascination with Lana Del Rey. Lana Del Rey’s fragile demeanor and futile resistance towards fame make her one of the most interesting artist of 2012. I’m not a giant fan of her music as a whole, but I LOVE this song.

4. alt-J – “Fitzpleasure”
5. Stepdad – “My Leather, My Fur, My Nails”
6. Django Django – “Default”
7. Passion Pit – “Carried Away”
8. Memory Tapes – “Thru the Field”
9. Trey Anastasio – “Scabbard”
10.Matthew Dear – “Her Fantasy”

Eric Shaden – San Francisco @3ricShaden

1. Major Lazer feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors – “Get Free”

2. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”

3. Passion Pit – “Constant Conversations”

4. MIA – “Bad Girls”
5. Santigold – “Disparate Youth”
6. Hot Chip – “Motion Sickness”
7. Purity Ring – “Lofticries”
8. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”
9. Chairlift – “Sidewalk Safari”
10.RAC feat. Penguin Prison – “Hollywood”

Kevin Quandt – San Francisco @KJQuandt

1. TNGHT – “Higher Ground”

The duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice brought their unique brands of production into one insanely big release this year. This highlight track, among others, features chopped vocals, a plethora of hand-clapping and a massive bass tuba beat that has been destroying dance floors the better part of 2012. Higher Ground begs to be properly rhymed over, but in the meantime the production is the shining light of the year.

2. Pond – “Eye Pattern Blindness”

What an epic rock track these Aussies churned out this year. Taking notes from Floyd and Zeppelin equally have helped these lads write and perform a rock masterpiece full of twist and turns, not to mention it clocks in at a rare 6 minutes. Syd Barrett is smiling down from above.

3. Japandroids – “House That Heaven Built”

From the distorted wall of guitar to the infectious chorus, epitomizing the sound of Brian King and David Prowse, this track has angst and energy slathered all over it. These guys don’t write typical rock and roll songs, and it is refreshing to see their hard work paying off in dividends. A true rock gem for the ages.

4. Father John Misty – “Hollywood Cemetery Forever Sings”
5. The Allah-Las – “Tell Me What’s on Your Mind”
6. How to Destroy Angels – “Keep it Together”
7. Cloud Nothings – “Wasted Days”
8. Jack White – “Love Interruption”
9. Clark – “Secret”
10.Woods – “Size Meets Sound”

Honorable Mentions:
Liars – “No. 1 Against the Rush”
Thee Oh Sees – “Lupine Dominus”
Chromatics – “Kill For Love”

Sean Little – San Francisco @splittle

1. Nikki & The Dove – “Mother Protect” (Goldroom Remix)

Nikki & The Dove are great as is, but what Goldroom does with this track is reinvent it in a way that’s thoughtful and massive all at once. It’s one of those rare remixes that you hear after the original, and never listen to the original again. It’s that good. Goldroom has really blown up over the last year, touring the globe and this is the track that arguably started it all as it was supported by Aeroplane and The Magician among others giving it, and him, serious credibility. Keep him on your radar and expect more of this for a long time to come.

2. Bicep – “Vision of Love”

This is stripped down, essential house. This track could be thrown into any 90’s house set and not skip a beat, which is a testament to Bicep and how they hone their craft. Two dudes from Ireland that just seem to constantly pump out hits and push the party and boundaries. This is the song that shows less can be more, and stripped down production can have a big impact especially when compared with many of today’s overproduced tracks. When the pianos come back in at 3:39 it’s all over.

3. Moonlight Matters – “Come For Me” (Might Mouse Remix)

This is huge. It’s just euphoria in a song. I’ve ended more than a few sets with this and hands are in the air, drinks are being tossed around and people are just losing their shit. Don’t sleep on this stellar remix as many people have and it’s a shame. Words don’t do it just so just listen and wait for it to kick in.

4. Waze & Odyssey – “Love that (Burns Hot Enough)”
5. ColeCo – “Rickey Smiley”
6. Moon Boots – “Off My Mind”
7. Presets – “Ghosts”
8. Van She – “Jamaica”
9. Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers” (The Magician Remix)
10.Chris Malinchak – “The Fourth”

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