Haim – Showbams

Ohana Festival rolls into 2023 with The Killers, HAIM, Eddie Vedder, The Chicks, Foo Fighters & Pretenders lined up for seventh year

April 11, 2023 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Ohana Festival //
Doheny State Beach – Dana Point, CA
September 29th-October 1st, 2023 //

It’s that time again, Ohana fam.

The three-day festival founded by Eddie Vedder returns to Doheny State Beach for its seventh edition after making a splash last year with Stevie Nicks, Eddie Vedder, Jack White and P!nk headlining, and unlike previous installments, 2023 will boast a pair of headliners each day for the very first time as the calendar shifts from September to October.

Riding into Day 1 will be The Killers and HAIM, who were booked for the fest’s 2022 “Encore” session until it was canceled, plus a stellar undercard featuring Father John Misty, Japanese Breakfast, Franc Moody, Glen Hansard, Hermanos Gutiérrez and Amos Lee on Friday.

Your #OhanaFest 2023 Lineup is here! 🌴 Sign up for a presale code TODAY: https://t.co/MBP8krCrWN Presale begins this Thursday, April 13 at 10am PT! pic.twitter.com/6aU3mvgMsC

— The Ohana Fest (@TheOhanaFest) April 11, 2023

Saturday once again sees Vedder leadding the way, but this time he will have some solid help from The Chicks as the country stars make their debut appearance at Ohana Festival. And for those who want to rock out beforehand, you definitely won’t want to miss noteworthy sets by Grammy winners The War on Drugs and jam-band favorites Goose.

Putting a bow on the weekend, meanwhile, will be Foo Fighters and Pretenders at the top of Sunday’s bill following performances by Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Backseat Lovers, Suki Waterhouse, Thee Sacred Souls and more earlier in the day. See the poster above for the rest of the artists scheduled to take the stage in Dana Point.

Tickets can be purchased starting this Thursday, 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 reserve your spot! Both three-day and single-day GA passes will go for $479 and $169, respectively, with three-day and single-day VIP admission available for $1,499 and $549. Of course, there’s also the three-day Ultimate VIP option if you and a friend (it’s a two-person package) have a cool $9,950 in your festival budget to shell out.

UPDATE (May 23rd): Ohana has announced that Rainbow Kitten Surprise will no longer be performing in 2023 and have been replaced on Sunday by Deaf Charlie featuring Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and former Fitz and the Tantrums drummer John Wicks. Peep the updated poster above for the latest lineup.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Amos Lee, Big Joanie, Brooks Nielsen, Charley Crockett, Danielle Ponder, Deaf Charlie, Dehd, Dhani Harrison, Eddie Vedder, Emma Routhier, Father John Misty, Fitz & the Tantrums, Fitz and the Tantrums, Foo Fighters, Franc Moody, Glen Hansard, Goose, Haim, Hermanos Gutierrez, Jack White, Japanese Breakfast, Jeff Ament, John Wicks, Lido Pimienta, Lucius, Ohana Fest, Ohana Fest 2023, Ohana Festival, Ohana Festival 2023, P!nk, Pearl Jam, Pretenders, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Shame, Stevie Nicks, Suki Waterhouse, TALK, The Alive, The Aquadolls, The Backseat Lovers, The Chicks, The Killers, The Ohana Festival, The Ohana Festival 2023, The War on Drugs, Thee Sacred Souls, Trousdale, Wunderhorse

Ohana Festival brings back ‘Encore’ weekend for 2022 as Eddie Vedder, Alanis Morissette, The Black Keys & HAIM lead lineup

June 13, 2022 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Ohana Encore //
Doheny State Beach – Dana Point, CA
October 8th-9th, 2022 //

Hey, Ohana fam! If you thought that an “Encore” session would only be in 2021, well … think again.

After making its debut last year with none other than Pearl Jam headlining both nights, the second act of Eddie Vedder’s music festival returns this October.

We already knew that the sixth edition of Ohana Festival has Stevie Nicks, Vedder, Jack White and P!nk receiving top billing the weekend prior, but that will be just half of the fun down in Dana Point now.

Who’s staying for the Encore?! 😎 Pre-sale tickets on sale Thurs. 6/16 at 10AM PT. Sign up now at https://t.co/EXskNAnoPQ. pic.twitter.com/DawIRdQu7N

— The Ohana Fest (@TheOhanaFest) June 13, 2022

This time it will be Vedder, Alanis Morissette, The Black Keys and HAIM sharing co-headlining duties over two more days at Doheny State Beach, with an undercard featuring The Roots, Band of Horses, Julieta Venegas and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Others artists scheduled to perform include The Front Bottoms, The Afghan Whigs, Amos Lee, Amyl and the Sniffers, Marcus King, Iceage, Painted Shield, Hamilton Leithauser and more.

While the fest’s focus remains rock ‘n’ roll as you can see from the poster above, there’s also some hip-hop, soul, indie folk and punk sprinkled in to complement must-see sets by Khruangbin, Billy Strings, St. Vincent, Brittany Howard and Broken Social Scene over the event’s first three days.

Weekend and single-day tickets for Ohana Encore will go on sale this Thursday, June 16th 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 go!

UPDATE (July 23rd): Ugh! Despite debuting just a year ago, Ohana Encore won’t be back this October after all. The two-day event has been reportedly canceled after ticket holders received an email from the fest’s ticket service Front Gate Tickets stating it would no longer happen “due to circumstances beyond our control” and refunds will be issued automatically. As you can see from Ohana Fest’s website as well as their social media accounts (except for a profile photo we found on Facebook here), there’s no trace of Ohana Encore anywhere, so that’s always a strong indicator of some unfortunate news. However, at least some fans will always have the 2021 installment to remember.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alanis Morissette, Band of Horses, Billy Strings, Brittany Howard, Broken Social Scene, Charlotte Lawrence, Eddie Vedder, Haim, Hamilton Leithauser, Illuminati Hotties, Jack White, Jaime Wyatt, Jonny Roundhouse, Julieta Venegas, Khruangbin, Ohana Encore, Ohana Encore 2022, Ohana Fest, Ohana Fest 2022, Ohana Festival, Ohana Festival 2022, P!nk, Painted Shield, Pluralone, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Seratones, St. Vincent, Stevie Nicks, The Black Keys, The Roots, Trousdale

Coachella drops 2018 set times & map changes

April 10, 2018 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 13th-15th & April 20th-22nd, 2018 //

Breathe easy, Coachellans. All of your scheduling conflicts have finally arrived.

The three-day, two-weekend music and arts festival has delivered this year’s set times just after 7 p.m. PT (7:02 p.m. to be exact), precisely one hour later than it did in 2017.

Part of going to Coachella is having to make some tough decisions when it comes to choosing which artists to see, and veterans like ourselves have become quite used to experiencing this #FirstWorldProblem over the years.

But now that the cat is out of the bag, you can start mapping out your 2018 schedule if you’re headed to the Empire Polo Club this weekend.

So, what’s your biggest conflict on this year’s schedule and who are you most excited to see?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

Over the last several years, it has become more common to see the folks at Goldenvoice make some slight tweaks to Coachella’s Weekend 2 set times after the first weekend ends (the most notable might have been in 2015 when Florence Welch broke her foot during her performance Sunday on the main stage), and the same has proven to be the case in 2018, starting on Day 1 with Benjamin Clementine’s set being moved from the Gobi Tent to the Coachella Stage. Rick G., meanwhile, has been moved into Clementine’s 1:30 p.m. slot in the Gobi Tent, with DMM no longer preceding it at 12:30 p.m.

Some other noteworthy changes for Friday are Fisher, who didn’t perform during Weekend 1 but will replace B.Traits in the Yuma Tent, and Late Night Laggers, who were the first act to perform in the Sahara Tent on Day 1 but won’t be back for Weekend 2. Absent from Friday’s Mojave Tent lineup is Smiles Davis, which consequently has pushed Francesa Harding’s set back to 12:25 p.m., and Chulita Vinyl Club has replaced Jim Smith.

On Saturday, hip-hop producer Ahwlee will fill in for Salami Rose and Joe Lewis in the Mojave Tent, while Ron Gallo has been moved from the Gobi Tent, which lost Birdtastique and added Loboman, to the Sonora Stage, where Bane’s World, Otoboke Beaver and Mild High Club have all moved back one hour and five minutes to make up for the loss of R.O.C. Furthermore, Feel Good Green has replaced Palm Desert DJ Alf Alpha at the Outdoor Theatre, and Mexico City’s N.A.A.F.I. has been added to the Sahara Tent lineup in place of Jimbo Jenkins. The Coachella Stage also now has an eighth performer, with Gabe Real + Juicewon kicking things off at 1:25 p.m. on Day 2.

The third and final day of the festival’s second weekend sees the removal of Gabe Real from the Coachella Stage, leaving LION BABE as its first act to perform, while Los Angeles-based producer nostradahm will fill in for Juice won at the Outdoor Theatre. In the meantime, the Gobi, Mojave and Sahara Tents will each have new openers on Sunday: mr. rotu (replacing Phantom Thrett), VNSSA (replacing Pax) and EMME (replacing CVSS), respectively. And we couldn’t not mention that Jessie Ware’s set at the Outdoor Theatre has been moved back 15 minutes (as well as MAGIC GIANT’s by 10 to 2:25 p.m.), meaning that Weekend 2 attendees will have to settle for only 35 minutes from the UK singer-songwriter rather than 50.

UPDATE (April 20th): Weekend 2 changes! Goldenvoice has announced some more tweaks to the schedule, with Jessie Ware moving from the Outdoor Theatre at 5:55 p.m. on Sunday to the Coachella Stage at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday (we have to think it has something to do with Cardi B performing around the same time after she drew one of the biggest crowds during Weekend 1). The other alterations are related to Sunday’s set times in the Sahara Tent, as Illenium (now at 6:35 p.m.) and French Montana (now at 8:05 p.m.) have switched places. Petit Biscuit will still precede both at 5:10 p.m., while chart-topping hip-hop trio Migos are expected to hit the stage at 9:30 p.m., although we’ll see if they’re a little more punctual this time compared to the first weekend of the festival, technical difficulties and all. Of course, we recommend downloading the Coachella app on your mobile device to receive the latest updates if you’re out in Indio for the festivities.

MAP

Several hours before revealing its Weekend 1 set times, the festival unveiled this year’s map, and it looks quite a bit different in comparison to some of Coachella’s past editions.

Last year, Coachella made some notable changes to its map, with the Mojave and Gobi Tents switching places and the addition of a third VIP section named “Hacienda Del Toro” that sat in between the Gobi and Sahara Tents. Goldenvoice even offered an updated location for the GA beer garden on that side of the polo fields, which was supposed to improve the traffic flow behind the Sahara Tent, though we’re not sure it totally worked to be honest.

Now, the Mojave Tent has been moved far away from the Gobi Tent and into the same area that the Sahara Tent once occupied (next to the VIP Rose Garden). In its place will be the Sonora Stage, which Coachella introduced last year, with the third VIP section (no longer named “Hacienda Del Toro”) directly behind it rather than off to the side. The Gobi Tent, meanwhile, has moved back to its old confines closer to the Outdoor Theatre, where the Mojave Tent was located just a year ago.

Another brand-new addition for Goldenvoice’s signature event is the Indio Central Market, a covered food hall that will feature 15 different restaurants and be situated behind the Sonora Stage. Inside will not only be New York City burger chain Shake Shack for the very first time, but also street food stand Cena, Moby’s vegan restaurant Little Pine and David Chang’s fried chicken sandwich shop Fuku. So, make sure to come hungry if you’re going to Coachella this year — we know we will.

But the biggest modification to the fest’s layout has to be the Sahara Tent’s new home after seeing the massive stage outgrow its longstanding location over the last decade. Positioned next to the main entrance, it will sit just in front of the Cantina and Beer Barn with the iconic ferris wheel and The Do LaB Stage nearby. And from what we can decipher by looking at the map, it appears that the Sahara Tent will be not as long as it used to be, but instead wider, a structural adjustment that was likely made to fit the space within the grounds.

We’ll make sure to give our two cents about these changes and much more when we return from the desert to share our favorite moments from this year’s installment, but as we often like to say around this time … Happy Coachella!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 6lack, A Perfect Circle, AC Slater, AIM, Alan Walker, Alina Baraz, Alison Wonderland, Alt-J, Alvvays, Amine, Angel Olsen, AURORA, B.Traits, Barclay Crenshaw, BØRNS, Bedouin, Belly, Benjamin Booker, Benjamin Clementine, Beyonce, Big Thief, Black Coffee, blackbear, Bleachers, Brockhampton, Busy P, Cardi B, Cash Cash, Cherry Glazerr, Chic, Chic with Nile Rodgers, Chromeo, Coachella, Coachella 2018, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Conway, Cuce, Daniel Caesar, David Byrne, Def Loaf, DeJ Loaf, Deorro, Django Django, Dreams, Elohim, Eminem, Fazerdaze, Fidlar, First Aid Kit, Fisher, Flatbush Zombies, Fleet Foxes, French Montana, Giraffage, Greta Van Fleet, Haim, Highly Suspect, Hundred Waters, Ibeyi, Jack White, Jacob Banks, Jamie Jones, Jamiroquai, Japanese Breakfast, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jessie Ware, Jidenna, Jorja Smith, Justin Martin, Kali Uchis, Kamaiyah, Kamasi Washington, Kelela, King Krule, Knox Fortune, Kygo, LANY, LEON, Lion Babe, Los Angeles Azules, Louis the Child, LP, Maceo Plex, Marian Hill, Migos, Miguel, MO, Moses Sumney, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Nile Rodgers, Noname, Nothing But Thieves, Odesza, Oh Sees, Pachanga Boys, Perfume Genius, Petit Biscuit, Portugal. The Man, Post Malone, Princess Nokia, PVRIS, REZZ, Russ, San Holo, Sigrid, Sir Sly, Skip Marley, Slow Magic, snakehips, Soulwax, St. Vincent, Sudan Archives, SuperDuperKyle, SZA, Talaboman, Tank and the Bangas, Tash Sultana, The Black Madonna, The Bronx, The Drums, The Neighbourhood, The War on Drugs, The Weeknd, THEY., TroyBoi, Tyler the Creator, Vance Joy, Vince Staples, Whetham, Wizkid, X Japan

Coachella wastes no time, revealing 2018 lineup headlined by The Weeknd, Beyoncé & Eminem

January 2, 2018 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 13th-15th & April 20th-22nd, 2018 //

Well, that didn’t take long.

Just one day into the New Year, and Coachella has already revealed its 2018 lineup, signaling to music fans worldwide that festival season isn’t far off.

After it was reported almost two weeks ago that this year’s headliners would be The Weeknd, Beyoncé and Eminem, that indeed will be the scenario, marking the first time in all 19 years that the three-day, two-weekend event won’t have a rock act topping its bill (a real sign of the times as some might say). Coachella’s 2018 edition will also serve as Beyoncé’s official debut after being forced to cancel last year due to pregnancy, as well as Eminem’s (the only time he has appeared was as a guest back in 2012 during Snoop Dogg’s and Dr. Dre’s headlining set). The Weeknd will be back on the polo fields for the first time since 2015, when the R&B singer closed the main stage on Saturday night as a sub-headliner after Jack White’s headlining slot.

Other notable names listed on the festival’s famed poster this year include HAIM, ODESZA, Kygo, Jamiroquai, Portugal. The Man, David Byrne, St. Vincent, The War on Drugs, alt-J, A Perfect Circle, Fleet Foxes, Chromeo, MØ, Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, Kamasi Washington and Jungle. The undercard, meanwhile, does feature some buzzworthy indie-rock acts such as Perfume Genius, BØRNS and King Krule, but as was the case in 2017, there continues to be more of a focus on hip-hop and R&B, as evidenced by this year’s headliner selections along with the second-line poster placement of SZA, Tyler, the Creator, Migos, Vince Staples, Post Malone, Cardi B and Miguel.

Coachella’s first weekend is scheduled for April 13th-15th, with its second weekend slated for April 20th-22nd. All tickets will go on sale for both weekends this Friday, January 5th at Noon PT here.

Got your sights set on the California desert this April? Relive our five favorite moments, from Radiohead to Kendrick Lamar, after last year’s festival.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 6lack, A Perfect Circle, AC Slater, AIM, Alan Walker, Alina Baraz, Alison Wonderland, Alt-J, Alvvays, Amine, Angel Olsen, AURORA, Barclay Crenshaw, BØRNS, Bedouin, Belly, Benjamin Booker, Benjamin Clementine, Beyonce, Big Thief, Black Coffee, blackbear, Bleachers, Brockhampton, Busy P, Cash Cash, Cherry Glazerr, Chic, Chic with Nile Rodgers, Chromeo, Coachella, Coachella 2018, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Conway, Cuce, Daniel Caesar, David Byrne, Def Loaf, DeJ Loaf, Deorro, Django Django, Dreams, Elohim, Eminem, Fazerdaze, Fidlar, First Aid Kit, Flatbush Zombies, Fleet Foxes, French Montana, Giraffage, Greta Van Fleet, Haim, Highly Suspect, Hundred Waters, Ibeyi, Jack White, Jacob Banks, Jamie Jones, Jamiroquai, Japanese Breakfast, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jessie Ware, Jidenna, Jorja Smith, Justin Martin, Kali Uchis, Kamaiyah, Kamasi Washington, Kelela, King Krule, Knox Fortune, Kygo, LANY, LEON, Lion Babe, Los Angeles Azules, Louis the Child, LP, Maceo Plex, Marian Hill, Migos Cardi B, Miguel, MO, Moses Sumney, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Nile Rodgers, Noname, Nothing But Thieves, Odesza, Oh Sees, Pachanga Boys, Perfume Genius, Petit Biscuit, Portugal. The Man, Post Malone, Princess Nokia, PVRIS, REZZ, Russ, San Holo, Sigrid, Sir Sly, Skip Marley, Slow Magic, snakehips, Soulwax, St. Vincent, Sudan Archives, SuperDuperKyle, SZA, Talaboman, Tank and the Bangas, Tash Sultana, The Black Madonna, The Bronx, The Drums, The Neighbourhood, The War on Drugs, The Weeknd, THEY., TroyBoi, Tyler the Creator, Vance Joy, Vince Staples, Whetham, Wizkid, X Japan

Albums you’ll want to hear in 2017

January 9, 2017 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Written by Josh Herwitt //

For as bad as 2016 might have been, there’s no question it yielded some excellent albums. So, what’s in store for 2017? It’s still early, but from what we know right now, there’s plenty of new music on the horizon — and a lot of it we can’t wait to get our hands on.

Here are 10 upcoming albums (in chronological order by release date) that you’ll want to hear and could very well end up being on some “Best of 2017” lists in another 12 months.

Bonobo – Migration

Release date: January 13th
Record label: Ninja Tune

British musician, producer and DJ Simon Green has organically built a loyal following among electronic music fans for almost two decades with a unique sound that combines downtempo electronica with trip-hop and world-music influences. Since 2013’s The North Borders, he has moved to Los Angeles and recorded his sixth LP Migration, which boasts a few notable guest appearances from Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker), Rhye and Hundred Waters.

The Flaming Lips – Oczy Mlody

Release date: January 13th
Record label: Warner Bros.

Wayne Coyne and his psychedelic sidekicks have been busy over the last few years, recording Beatles cover album With a Little Help From My Fwends in 2014 and releasing a collaborative LP with Miley Cyrus the following year. On their 15th studio effort, the difficult-to-pronounce Oczy Mlody that drops on Coyne’s birthday, the Lips return to the days of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and get a little help from their pop-star “fwend” on closing track “We a Famly”.

SOHN – Rennen

Release date: January 13th
Record label: 4AD

London native Christopher Taylor has been known for working extensively with such artists as BANKS, Lana Del Rey and Rhye, but his transition in becoming a legitimate solo act was cemented with the release of his 2014 debut LP Tremors, which peaked at No. 31 on the UK charts. Now calling LA his home, he has spent the last three years constructing Rennen, his second record as SOHN that’s led by “Signal” and its frighteningly beautiful music video.

The xx – I See You

Release date: January 13th
Record label: Young Turks

No impending album in the first quarter of 2017 may have as much hype around it as The xx’s I See You, their long-awaited follow-up to 2012’s Coexist. The build-up to its release in the last few months has seen the London trio perform on SNL, where they showcased lead single “On Hold” and debuted “I Dare You”, and play shows in Eastern Europe to go along with the news of guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley Croft’s recent engagement.

Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound

Release date: January 27th
Record label: Carpark Records

Lo-fi noise rockers Cloud Nothings have come a long way since Dylan Baldi started recording songs in his parents’ basement. With their last two LPs — 2012’s Attack on Memory and 2014’s Here and Nowhere Else — garnering critical acclaim from the music media, the four-piece will release Life Without Sound, its fifth studio album and first with lead guitarist Chris Brown now officially a member of the band, later this month.

Japandroids – Near to the Wild Heart of Life

Release date: January 27th
Record label: ANTI-

Known for their DIY approach and high-energy performances, Brian King and David Prowse are back after what some may have considered a brief hiatus since touring in support of their 2012 studio album Celebration Rock. This time, the Canadian garage-punk duo is signed to a new label, with its third LP Near to the Wild Heart of Life set to drop on ANTI- in a couple of weeks before embarking on a 20-date North American tour this winter.

Elbow – Little Fictions

Release date: February 3rd
Record label: Polydor

2017 marks a big year for Elbow. The Mercury Prize winners have been going at it for 20 years, and to celebrate the occasion, frontman Guy Garvey and company are unveiling their seventh studio album Little Fictions, which features collaborations with The Hallé Orchestra and their choir after longtime drummer Richard Jupp announced in 2016 that he was leaving the group to pursue other creative projects, from expanding his drum school to various charity work.

Sampha – Process

Release date: February 3rd
Record label: Young Turks

Sampha Sisay, who performs under his mononymous stage name, has built much of his reputation on working with high-profile artists like Drake, Kanye West and Solange. But almost seven years after unveiling his debut EP Sundanza, the South London electronic musician, singer-songwriter and producer is finally dropping his own full-length effort, highlighted by previously released singles “Timmy’s Prayer” and “Blood on Me”.

Ryan Adams – Prisoner

Release date: February 17th
Record label: PAX AM/Blue Note

At the age of 42, Ryan Adams is as prolific as any musician out there right now, with Prisoner marking his 16th LP and the follow-up to his Taylor Swift cover album. And while he has been teasing the record for about six months, originally hinting at a possible November release, the alt-country songwriter gets ready for his next chapter, which he says was inspired by 80’s rock giants like Bruce Springsteen and AC/DC despite coping with a very public divorce at the time.

The Shins – Headworms

Release date: March 10
Record label: Columbia

By the time The Shins unleash their fifth LP this March, it will be nearly five years between album releases for the Portland-based outfit. Of course, it’s no secret that bandleader James Mercer keeps a tight schedule between The Shins and Broken Bells, but on Heartworms, the Albuquerque native made sure to include “So Now What”, the song he wrote for the “Wish I Was Here” soundtrack that he later said was “one of the best things” he has ever done.

The following artists and bands are expected to release new albums in 2017 but have yet to confirm an official release date and/or an album title:

ANTEMASQUE
Arcade Fire
Broken Social Scene
Bruce Springsteen
Chic
Chromatics
Depeche Mode
Diddy
DJ Premier
Gorillaz
Grizzly Bear
GZA
Haim
Jesu/Sun Kil Moon
John Mayer
Kanye West
The Killers
LCD Soundsystem
Lupe Fiasco
Major Lazer
Mastodon
Modest Mouse
My Morning Jacket
The National
The Offspring
Pond
Ride
Sky Ferreira
Spiritualized
St. Vincent
T.I.
Troye Sivan
Vampire Weekend
Wyclef Jean
Zack de la Rocha

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, New Music Tagged With: Antemasque, Arcade Fire, Bonobo, Broken Social Scene, Bruce Springsteen, Chic, Chromatics, Cloud Nothings, Depeche Mode, Diddy, DJ Premier, Elbow, Gorillaz, Grizzly Bear, GZA, Haim, Japandroids, Jesu, john mayer, Kanye West, LCD Soundsystem, Lupe Fiasco, Major Lazer, Mastodon, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, New Music, Pond, Ride, Ryan Adams, Sampha, Sky Ferreira, SOHN, Spiritualized, St. Vincent, Sun Kil Moon, T.I., The Flaming Lips, The Killers, The National, The Offspring, The Shins, The xx, Troye Sivan, Vampire Weekend, Wyclef Jean, Zack de la Rocha

Albums you’ll want to hear in 2016

January 6, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Written by Josh Herwitt //

Now that we’ve said our goodbyes to 2015, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2016 and what lies ahead when it comes to new music. Although it’s still rather early and new albums are sure to be announced after this writing, there’s plenty of ear candy that’s already set to be released in 2016.

Here are 10 upcoming albums (in chronological order by release date) that you’ll want to hear and could very well end up being on some “Best of 2016” lists in another 12 months.

David Bowie – ★ (Blackstar)

Release date: January 8th
Record label: RCA/Columbia

The 20th studio album from Ziggy Stardust will be one of the first to hit stands in 2016, and although the 68-year-old legend has said that his touring days are over, Bowie is still capable of making an intriguing record, much like he did in 2013 with The Next Day. From what we’ve heard on ★, be it the 10-minute title track or in recent weeks “Lazarus” (the song that Bowie is also using in his off-Broadway musical by the same name), we’re eager to hear the rest.

Tortoise – The Catastrophist

Release date: January 22nd
Record label: Thrill Jockey

It’s been more than six years since Tortoise last released an album, but the Chicago post-rock outfit will unveil The Catastrophist, led by first single “Gesceap”, later this month. Featuring vocal contributions from Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley and Todd Rittmann of Chicago bands U.S. Maple and Dead Rider, the new LP was inspired by music closely tied to Chicago’s jazz and improvised music scenes that the city commissioned the band to write back in 2010.

Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger

Release date: January 22nd
Record label: Drag City

Segall announced his eighth studio album by mailing a VHS tape to Pitchfork less than two months ago, and if that wasn’t eccentric enough, the prolific garage rocker followed it up with a dedicated website for the LP, which includes a hotline number to call and two videos — one that shows him and the band wearing baby masks and another that sees him playing a doctor while explaining what “emotional mugging” is. Despite Emotional Mugger not extending quite as long as Segall’s previous solo effort Manipulator did, many of the track names are worth a chuckle, from “Breakfast Eggs” to “Baby Big Man (I Want a Mommy)”.

Bloc Party – Hymns

Release date: January 29th
Record label: BMG

Long known for pioneering a sound that bridged the gap between indie rock and electronic music, Bloc Party return in early 2016 with their fifth studio album and their first with new members Justin Harris (bass, keyboards) and Louise Bartle (drums). Debuting material from Hymns, including newest single “The Good News” at FYF Fest (read our festival review here) in August, the British quartet will also offer a deluxe edition of the LP with four bonus tracks.

St. Lucia – Matter

Release date: January 29th
Record label: Columbia

Jean-Philip Grobler released the debut LP for his Brooklyn-based, synthpop project St. Lucia toward the end of 2013, and late this month, the South African native will unveil his follow-up to When the Night. If you were curious as to how Matter will sound in comparison to his first full length, Grobler has a geographical analogy to describe both: “If the last album sounded like the tropics, this album is the desert.”

Black Moth Super Rainbow

Release date: N/A
Record label: N/A

Thomas Fec has become well-regarded in indie-electronic circles for his work as Tobacco over the last several years, but for more than a decade, he has also served as the frontman of Black Moth Super Rainbow, the Pittsburgh psych-rock group that’s preparing to drop its sixth studio album later this year. As BMSR fans await the LP’s official release, the band surprised many in mid-November by streaming its new mini-album Seefu Lilac, which features “neon flavored outtakes from a 6th album that doesn’t yet exist.”

Animal Collective – Painting With

Release date: February 19th
Record label: Domino

After streaming new material on loop at Baltimore’s BWI Airport the day before Thanksgiving, Animal Collective are now just a few weeks away from the release of their 10th studio album. Taking some much-needed time off after its latest tour so that David Portner and Noah Lennox could focus on their own side projects, the band refined its songwriting approach for Painting With, removing the long, ambient passages that were often synonymous with their previous LPs and also collaborating with Welsh musician John Cale and multireedist Colin Stetson.

Wild Nothing – Life of Pause

Release date: February 19th
Record label: Captured Tracks

Jack Tatum remains the brains behind his indie-rock/dream-pop project Wild Nothing, having been its founder and lone songwriter since 2009. Feeding off the success of 2012’s Nocturne, Tatum consciously wanted to reinvent himself as a musician while recording Life of Pause in Los Angeles and Stockholm with producer Thom Monahan, and if his double-sided single “To Know You”/”TV Queen” is any indication, we’re starting to see what he means.

Poliça – United Crushers

Release date: March 4th
Record label: Mom + Pop

Poliça lead vocalist Channy Leaneagh may have been pregnant last year, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way this Minneapolis synthpop group has continued to work in the studio. In following up its successful sophomore effort Shulamith from 2013, the five-piece takes a more political approach on its third full-length album United Crushers, which boasts first single “Lime Habit”.

Charles Bradley – Changes

Release date: April 1st
Record label: Daptone Records

You have to wonder if Charles Bradley was a Black Sabbath fan growing up as a kid, because his new album Changes draws plenty of inspiration from the legendary heavy metal group’s Vol. 4. While his cover of the famous Sabbath hit serves as the LP’s title track, the “Screaming Eagle of Soul” continues to win us over with his rags-to-riches story (Bradley was at one time homeless before becoming a cook and working various odd jobs) and his undying charisma.

The following artists and bands are expected to release new albums in 2016 but have yet to confirm an official release date and/or an album title:

AlunaGeorge
ANTEMASQUE
Band of Horses
Beck
Blink-182
Chairlift – Moth
Chromatics – Dear Tommy
Crystal Castles
Death Grips – Bottomless Pit
Deftones
Diddy – No Way Out 2
DJ Premier – Last Session @ 320
Drake – Views From the 6
Frank Ocean
Gary Numan
Gorillaz
GZA – Dark Matter
Haim
James Blake – Radio Silence
Kanye West – SWISH
Kings of Leon
LCD Soundsystem
Lupe Fiasco – Drogas
M.I.A. – Matahdatah
M83
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Major Lazer – Music Is the Weapon
Mark Kozelek
Metallica
Metronomy
Modest Mouse
My Morning Jacket
No Doubt
Pete Yorn – Arranging Time
Radiohead
Rihanna – Anti
Spiritualized
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Killers
The Strokes
Zeds Dead

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, New Music Tagged With: AlunaGeorge, Animal Collective, Antemasque, Band of Horses, Beck, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Blink-182, Bloc Party, Chairlift, Charles Bradley, Chromatics, Crystal Castles, David Bowie, Deftones, Diddy, DJ Premier, Drake, Frank Ocean, Gary Numan, Gorillaz, GZA, Haim, Kanye West, Kings of Leon, LCD Soundsystem, Lupe Fiasco, M.I.A., M83, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Major Lazer, Mark Kozelek, Metallica, Metronomy, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, New Music, No Doubt, Pete Yorn, Poliça, Radiohead, Rihanna, Spiritualized, St. Lucia, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Killers, The Strokes, Tortoise, Ty Segall, Wild Nothing, Zeds Dead

The 15 best stage banter spewing musicians in live music today

November 13, 2014 by The Bam Team 9 Comments

Photo by Sam Heller // Written by Mike Frash & Kevin Quandt //

For better or worse, these 15 artists entertain, control and impact the collective mindset of a capacity crowd with between-song bantering as much as their music. Here’s a hint: we like our banter dry.

What did we miss? Drop us a comment to to continue the flow.

15. Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon’s stage banter serves the purpose of helping to curate a mad, collective experience. If you’ve never taken the Dan Deacon plunge, do it. And come with an open heart and mind. -MF

14. Samuel Herring (Future Islands)
Samuel Herring’s motivational banter nicely segues into Future Islands’ songs, combining over-the-top crowd engagement, fully-committed dance moves and passion that boarders on possession. For example, when introducing “Lighthouse” (watch above at 4:24), Herring says “this is a song about those dark moments in our lives, and the friends and the family that bring us back.” Here the introduction makes you ponder about the song’s lyrical meaning, magnifying its importance. -MF

13. Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
Billie Joe Armstrong has already had a long, epic career on stage and has seen it all and has done it all. After one logs as much time as Green Day on stage, some epic moments in banter/antic history are bound to happen. In the early days, they egged on the crowd to pelt them with clumps of mud, while more recently Billie Joe has decided to take his anger out on the teleprompter crew and likely be extension, Clear Channel. -KQ

12. Tom Waits
Tom Waits is no doubt one of a kind, and the man surely isn’t a road warrior these days on the live circuit. But he did perform at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit last year to steal the show with his banter as much as his iconic, raspy voice. -MF

11. Dave Matthews
If the whole music thing doesn’t work out for Dave Matthews, he can likely take up a career in being an aspiring stand-up comedian as he has entertained crowds between songs for decades. The stream-of-conscience delivery that Matthews regularly launches into has become a fond pastime for longtime fans, even going as far to create an endearing term for it known as “davespeak”. -KQ

10. Jack White
White can talk up a storm during his gratifying live performances — no doubt he’s in the running for best live musical act of 2014. The biggest rock star in the world made headlines earlier this year at Fenway Park when he trashed Rolling Stone while also dumping on the Foo Fighters. But White’s banter can also be fun, lighthearted and engaging, something most everyone can appreciate. -MF

9. Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age)
Ya don’t fuck with Josh Homme when he is onstage. Period. However, if this happens, you should be prepared to be entertained, as he will fully launch into a tirade of epic proportions upon his deserved target. I weep for those who have been on the receiving end of these legendary diatribes. -KQ

8. Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams’s passion flows from him like an angst-filled teenager, often spastic and random. But at his headlining show at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass this year, Adams transitioned his banter into an impromptu gem revolving around a someone holding balloons in the back of the park in SF. If you haven’t yet, listen to his new album — it’s wholly deserving of being his self titled record. Also, watch this montage of banter highlights from the aughts. -MF

7. Les Claypool
Les Claypool is weird in all the right ways. And he’s willing to stop mid-show and comment on circumstances that surround him, whether he gets spit on from the pit, gets hit with an empty water bottle by some spunion or if he witnesses two chicks brawling front and center. -MF

6. Jeff Tweedy
Tweedy has interpreted Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” as historical spoken word poetry. There’s the time the Wilco frontman told the story of ending up two doors down from former bandmate Jay Farrar in Mexico. No matter the show, his banter contains the all important element of surprise, even that time he said “I’m trying to balance fun with crushing depression. Always a challenge.” Dry wit and wisdom define the man, yes indeed. -MF

5. Run the Jewels (Killer Mike and El-P)
El-P and Killer Mike are two of the most creative minds in music, plain and simple. You hear it in their rhymes and in El-P’s production, but also in how they grasp control of the crowd between songs. A perfect example: El Producto’s recent story about meeting Mark Kozelek before they took to their competing sets at Fun Fun Fun Fest. El got his crowd to yell “Suck My Dick Sun Kil Moon”, injecting Run the Jewels into Kozelek’s war on The War on Drugs. And the duo’s banter about finding your own 36″ Chain is an empowering lesson of personal pride and swagger over materialism. On top of that, count on Killer Mike and El-P to crush every moment with excitement and ownership. Just never forget, Run the Jewels is not for your children. -MF

4. Mac Demarco
Mac Demarco holds a mellow, irreverent spirit that is contagious. He can also stage dive like a boss, too. Then there was that time he performed naked and semi-attempted to stick the mic up his bum. He’ll never live it down. He often introduces his songs with a healthy dose of charm, and you gotta love his propensity for spontaneity. The key ingredient: Demarco ain’t afraid to engage with his audience and among the band, creating a spoken word moment out of nothing. -MF

3. Kanye West
Stage banter usually means an epic rant or four when it comes to Yeezus live, and some of the soliloquies this year have lasted longer than a Type II Phish jam. At London Wireless Festival, Kanye gave a 20 minute-plus speech, he addressed the “Fuck Kanye” mantra, attacked the media and proclaimed he’s the No. 1 fucking rock star on the planet in his return to Bonnaroo. And at Outside Lands this year, West commanded that we “make some circles … and push whoever is next to you and shit.” In most all cases, Kanye’s stage banter collects both awes and boos, while at the same time, signifying his narcissistic tendencies better than any South Park joke or comedic parody. -MF

2. Father John Misty
I know it’s early, but J. Tillman is on a legendary path. Sure, he’s a captivating storyteller, but he also has the uncanny ability to add improvised, add-on words and phrases at the end of each line at a whim (particularly with his acoustic performances). You get the sense that Tillman looks to keep things interesting for himself above all else, a quality that churns out memorable performances night after night. Most impressively, Father John Misty has created a performance space that consistently questions our collective reality, hoisting his freak flag high and daring you to come along for the adventure. What’s ultimately so captivating is how he doesn’t let you in on the joke, if there even is one to begin with. -MF

1. Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon)
Kozelek has had a career-defining year that has spanned beyond the brilliant Benji. His stage banter included telling one festival audience “all you rednecks, shut the fuck up”, and in the musical feud of the year, Koz fought a one-sided battle against The War on Drugs, going on a relentless campaign against the band when their overlapping festival sets sent the WOD speaker sound across the field to invade Sun Kil Moon’s set.

To commemorate the beef, Kozelek wrote a song, “War on Drugs: Suck My Cock”, which describes how the whole thing began — with stage banter, bringing the whole thing full circle by creating a song that he promised on the stage that day. Talk about manifesting reality. By the way, Mark, I was at The War on Drugs show at The Fillmore that night, and I didn’t take no bridge or tunnel.

It’s improvised stage banter on a genius level while also often abrasive, cruel and surly. But holy shit does it suck you in like a controlling bully on the schoolyard, forcing you to stand still so you aren’t the next target. And if you’re doubting Kozelek’s banter at all, just listen to these wise words. -MF

Filed Under: BAM of the Week, Featured Tagged With: Beck, Dan Deacon, Father John Misty, Haim, Jack White, Jeff Tweedy, Kanye West, Les Claypool (Primus), Mac Demarco, Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon), Phish, Run The Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P), Ryan Adams, Samuel Herring (Future Islands), Tom Waits

Outside Lands Day 2: HAIM take another step toward the top

August 10, 2014 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

Saturday brought a more celebratory tone to Outside Lands Music and Arts Festiva despite the typical August fog’s return to SF’s Golden Gate Park. Following Kanye West’s exciting Friday set that was marred by multiple man-baby moments, it was time for smiles to become contagious and for the communal spirit of the fest to take flight.

No one led this Day 2 transition better than HAIM. “I want to see babes on babes on babes. Totem pole!” demanded ESTE FUCKING HAIM of the Outside Lands crowd, and oblige they did. An effective festival technique, Alana, Danielle and Este quickly counted as festivalgoers doubled up toward the sky like a meerkat looking for a predator. And by the time the awesome threesome blasted into “Forever”, the crowd had been primed by funny, engaging banter.

More importantly, they are remarkably talented at what they do. HAIM fucking rocks live. They elongate and have adapted some of their songs, like “Forever”, for the better. Before introducing “The Wire”, Danielle prepped the audience for the call and response of “Right!”. Full buy-in permeated the Lands End stage as most everyone joined in the fun.

If HAIM continue to write undeniably catchy songs while retaining their fierce attitudes, the sky’s the limit. The atypical vocal phrasing never gets old, and I hope they continue to create music that develops around their quirky approach to modern pop while re-purposing the familiar. These Los Angeles-based sisters could be headlining big festivals in 3-5 years.

• Jagwar Ma displayed noted improvement since their show last year at The Independent, the group has expanded their sound further on stage, stretching out the vocal mantras into delirious territory. Jano Ma’s production showed shades of Nine Inch Nails, balancing Moog synthesizer and a squelchy analogue sound.

• Big Freedia was everywhere Saturday. The Queen Diva brought a taste of NOLA to the new GastroMagic stage, allowing proactive patrons to cook up a beignet while they got there bounce on. Then, Freedia was at the Soundwave tent, and finally for her proper set at the Panhandle Stage. Ass Everywhere!

• SF-based graphic designer-turned-musician-turned-full-band Tycho had a prime spot mid-day at Twin Peaks, but it’s unclear if Scott Hansen’s minimalist approach translates in a big, open field at a festival. While the crowd energy was low as expected, it was a solid set accompanied by a new, intriguingly odd video component.

• The Sutro Stage was alive with an intimate crowd for Deer Tick. Screaming fans belted out lyrics and danced with interlocked arms to the group’s raucous, twangy Southern rock.

• Duck Sauce is refreshing for embracing the absurd, boiling down dance music into explosions of bass with melodies as obnoxious as “Gangum Style” or happy hardcore. But A-Trak and Armand Van Helden have pinpointed the perfect equation for a ridiculously good time, making sure not to ever get too jarring or obvious. When looking for a raging, good time in a festival setting, nothing may be more fun than Duck Sauce. Quack.

• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are just about as “legend” as it gets, and tracks from Petty’s 2014 LP Hypnotic Eye were laced throughout the main stage headliner’s set. “Friend of the Devil” was covered, a nod and a wink to the Grateful Dead’s home turf, while “American Girl” finished of the night on a high note.

• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at Twin Peaks was way more crowded than Tom Petty’s show. Macklemore brought out Mary Lambert for the GBLT anthem “Same Love”, which included a wedding proposal well-suited for SF.

What was your favorite show or moment on Saturday? What are you looking forward to Sunday?

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Big Freedia, Day 2, Deer Tick, Duck Sauce, Golden Gate Park, Haim, Jagwar Ma, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2014, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Tycho

Outside Lands 2014: Lineup locks, likely acts & long shots

March 12, 2014 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 18 Comments

Photos by Tim Hampson // Written by Mike Frash & Kevin Quandt //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

As we inch towards springtime, leading to summer, and Coachella is within a month’s reach, some Bay Area music freaks (like us) begin to speculate about who is gonna be gracing those stages freckled throughout Golden Gate Park come August. Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is set to return to SF on August 8th-10th.

The greatest indicators are the group’s touring schedules — Osheaga Music Festival in Montreal and Pickathon in Oregon have announced their schedules the weekend prior to Outside Lands (with Lollapalooza to still be announced). Squamish Valley Music Festival in British Columbia is the same weekend as Outside Lands, but Vancouver is close enough for artists to double dip.

Conversely, we can confirm some big acts that won’t be on the bill due to scheduling conflicts. But if this is even close to what the Outside Lands 2014 lineup looks like, the Bay Area should be in for a delicious, fog-enhanced treat.

UPDATE 4/7: The lineup has been announced!

Lock It In (we think)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: A new album on the way and a lack of dates out West makes him a solid candidate for top billing this year. Also, keep in mind that OSL has never repeated headliners, as well as the fact that Super Fly (Bonnaroo), who along with Another Planet Presents, handles the bulk of the booking.

Arctic Monkeys: [CONFIRMED] These festival stalwarts announced an extensive tour with a noticeable gap in the western demographic which leads to speculation that they’ll return for a sub-headlining set. Confirmed for August 10th at Osheaga.

Chromeo: [CONFIRMED] A Red Rocks date on August 5th is a good sign that these party starters are en route back to San Francisco for a possible Twin Peaks headlining spot.

Modest Mouse: Confirmed for Osheaga, and with no California dates on the calendar for the recently announced tour, Modest Mouse is starting to look like a lock.

Cut Copy: [CONFIRMED] Cut Copy and Chromeo are on parallel tracks. Both will have played APE shows in the past year, and their tour buses are aligning toward the Bay in early August.

CHVRCHES: [CONFIRMED] Confirmed for Osheaga, it just makes sense that one of the the biggest breakout acts of 2013 will triumphantly return to the Bay after playing the Independent, Mezzanine & Fox Theater Oakland over the past year.

Flume: [CONFIRMED] It’s due time for this EDM heat-seeker to return to San Francisco, and what better place and time than Outside Lands. Flume’s popularity could land him Twin Peaks headlining duties.

Tycho: [CONFIRMED] Having become the darlings of Another Planet, what better progressive act to grace the bill than Tycho. Sold out shows in the coming weeks lend to a strong demand.

Foster the People: Performing at Squamish Valley Music Festival Friday lends a good possibility that Mark Foster and band will trek down to Golden Gate Park for a Sunday set. A slot at Osheaga Festival the weekend prior says they’ll be hitting many large events as they support their latest release Supermodel.

Iron & Wine and Glen Hansard: These two artists are booked to play Hollywood Bowl on August 10th, leading most savvy music aficionados to make the leap that these acts will be present.

Danny Brown: A lack of Bay Area dates coupled with spots on the ‘OSL crossover’ festival, Squamish, could mean we are in for a ‘Kush Koma’ with oddball, Danny Brown.

Likely To Appear

Elton John: The announcement of Sir Elton playing Bonnaroo has fueled this rumor nicely, even if questions of availability swirl. The main issue would be surrounding a clause with Caesars where John has a residency. However, this Vegas run ends in April, so it looks possible.

Green Day: These Bay Area legends have surprisingly never played Outside Lands, and it seems possible we’ll see them grace the main stage for a night with Billy Joe and company.

Coldplay: New music on the way, coupled with scheduled appearances at South by Southwest is a clear sign that Chris Martin and lads are gearing up to re-dominate the world with their anthemic rock. Also, never headlined OSL.

Tiësto: [CONFIRMED] Ranger Dave likes to book some of the biggest names in the EDM world to ‘compete’ with headliners, attracting a slightly younger crowd to congregate at Twin Peaks on most evenings. Tiësto’s production would fit nicely into the bigness of past DJ spotlights.

Frank Ocean: Frankie is mounting his come back after a relatively quiet past few years. His billing on Bonnaroo fuels the speculation that Super Fly booked him, and other acts, for more than just Roo.

The Flaming Lips: [CONFIRMED] Wayne Coyne has had a busy past few months with a recent release and some serious Fall touring. Now, as summer looms, it appears the Lips will be omnipresent at summer festivals. Recent Another Planet shows coupled with Bonnaroo presence make these weirdo legends a likely booking.

Lorde: Has any act ever gone to sub-headliner status this quickly? Based on her popularity and the way she’s altered the pop landscape, Lorde deserves it. She’s confirmed to play Osheaga and her April dates at Fox Theater sold out immediately.

Chance the Rapper: No longer Chicago’s secret, Chancelor Bennett needs to get better acquainted with the Bay Area. There is a gap in his schedule, and the Acid Rapper is confirmed for Osheaga.

HAIM: [CONFIRMED] For being California girls, sisters Este, Danielle and Alana could show a bit more love to the Bay Area (They’ve played in England over 20 times). Their first ever show in the Bay was at Treasure Island Music Festival last year, and their fauxchella Fillmore dates were tough tickets to snag as they sold out in seconds.

Lykke Li: [CONFIRMED] Confirmed for Friday of Squamish, it’s very possible the breathtaking Swedish singer-songwriter could grace Outside Lands on Sunday.

Foxygen: Even though there has been turmoil (broken legs, inner-band conflict), the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic should come play “San Francisco” in it’s namesake. The group is confirmed for Pickathon as well.

Mikal Cronin: [CONFIRMED] The singer-songwriter has become quite the popular local musician and would be ideal for a showcase of SF rock. Booked for the Oregon Pickathon means he’ll be active around this time.

Valerie June: [CONFIRMED] The American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is playing Pickathon and other West Coast dates prior to Outside Lands. June’s sound will fit nicely into the festival’s curation net.

It Could Happen

Kanye West: [CONFIRMED] As it appears OutKast will not be the infamous first hip-hop headliner, we look to Kanye West as an outside possibility as the debut of rap taking center stage one summer evening. Inclusion on Bonnaroo’s docket makes a reasonably strong start to an argument for Yeezy.

Eminem: Already a rumored headliner for Lollapalooza, Slim Shady has also booked a co-headlining date with Rihanna at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena the Thursday before Outside Lands while also confirmed for Squamish on Sunday the 10th. Starting to trend toward “likely”, should we be adding RiRi as a rumored headliner?

Tool: Already playing two SF shows in March, would it be that much of a surprise to see Tool headlining one night? Certainly they are big enough to handle top billing duties.

Pharrell Williams: A Ranger Dave’s “hat” tweet has led many to speculate the possibility of Williams’ presence on the festival grounds. Limited dates pepper his itinerary, so it’s anyone’s guess.

The Avett Brothers: Having not played the event in over five years and select festival appearances over the summer, one could make the argument that Avett will return. Bonnaroo booking also helps this case.

Kendrick Lamar: K-Dot’s touring schedule is open, but there are no obvious indicators an Outside Lands appearance will happen. But for a festival that’s usually short on hip hop & rap, it would be too fun to see the Outside Lands stage and surrounding area get crazy during “Backseat Freestyle”.

Gogol Bordello: The Gypsy-punk freaks are confirmed to play Osheaga, and they played Outside Lands in 2010. A return seems possible.

Jagwar Ma: [CONFIRMED] Being rather active in the festival realm in 2014, these party-starters can easily jump from Osheaga over to SF. A previous Another Planet-booked show at the Independent demonstrates there is communication present.

Long Shots: Already booked elsewhere (don’t count on it)

OutKast: Andre 3000 and Big Boi might be playing over 40 festivals this year, but Outside Lands won’t be one of them. OutKast is confirmed for Flow Festival in Finland the same weekend as Outside Lands.

Arcade Fire: Win Butler and company are performing at Squamish Valley Music Festival, but they have a date set at Shoreline in July, and they headlined three years ago.

Jack Johnson
Queens of the Stone Age
Robert Plant
Santana
Neutral Milk Hotel
Janelle Monae
DARKSIDE
Mac Demarco

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Chance The Rapper, Chromeo, Chvrches, Coldplay, Cut Copy, Elton John, Flume, Foster the People, Foxygen, Frank Ocean, Glen Hansard, Gogol Bordello, Gramatik, Green Day, Haim, Iron & Wine, Jack Johnson, Jagwar Ma, Janelle Monáe, Kendrick Lamar, Lord Huron, Lorde, Lykke LI, Mac Demarco, Mayer Hawthorne, Mikal Cronin, Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, OSL, OutKast, Outside Lands, Outside Lands Music Festival 2014, Pharrell Williams, Portugal. The Man, Queens of the Stoneage, Robert Plant, Santana, Sharon Van Etten, The Avett Brothers, The Flaming Lips, Tool, Tycho, Valerie June

Showbams Photography 2013: A year in review

December 27, 2013 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

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

Killer Mike // James Nagel
The Independent // 7.31.13

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

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

Warpaint // Marc Fong
The Independent // 9.17.13

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

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

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

Grouplove // James Nagel
The Independent // 9.14.13

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

Matthew Dear // Mike Frash
Mezzanine // 5.22.13

Palma Violets // James Nagel
The Independent // 4.23.13

Polyphonic Spree // Marc Fong
The Chapel // 8.19.13

Zedd // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oakland // 10.9.13

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

Savages // James Nagel
The Independent // 9.27.13

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

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

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

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

Thundercat // James Nagel
The Independent // 11.13.13

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

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

AlunaGeorge // Marc Fong
The Independent // 9.11.13

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

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

CSS // James Nagel
The Independent // 6.16.13

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

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

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

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

Jagwar Ma // James Nagel
The Independent // 12.11.13

Jamie Lidell // Sam Heller
The Independent // 3.29.13

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

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

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

Wild Belle // Eldon Christenson
The Independent // 9.26.13

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

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

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

Anna Calvi // Marc Fong
The Independent // 11.17.13

Big Boi // Mike Frash
Mezzanine // 5.17.13

Deerhunter // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.25.13

MS MR // James Nagel
The Independent // 6.16.13

Phoenix // Chaya Frash
The Independent // 4.1.13

Rogue Wave // Marc Fong
The Independent // 7.12.13

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

STS9 // Sam Heller
Fox Theater Oakland // 3.1.13

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

Filed Under: Best of 2013, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: !!!, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, AlunaGeorge, Andrew Bird, Andrew W.K, Anna Calvi, Atoms for Peace, Autre Ne Veut, Big Boi, Charles Bradley, Crystal Castles, CSS, Cut Copy, Danny Brown, Deerhunter, Father John Misty, Fiona Apple & Blake Mills, Geographer, GROUPLOVE, Haim, How to Dress Well, Jagwar Ma, James Blake, Jamie Lidell, Killer Mike, Matthew Dear, MS MR, Palma Violets, Phantogram, Phoenix, Polyphonic Spree, Primus, Purity Ring, Robert Randolph, Rogue Wave, Run The Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike), Savages, Sigur Ros, Steve Aioki, STS9, The Flaming Lips, The xx, Thee Oh Sees, Thundercat, Toro Y Moi, Trey Anastasio Band, Warpaint, Washed Out, Wild Belle, Zedd

Treasure Island Music Festival 2013: Top sets

October 22, 2013 by The Bam Team 4 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong

Treasure Island Music Festival delivered one its best artist lineups in recent years October 19 & 20, allowing fans to immerse themselves in some of the best progressive dance and indie rock today. The festival seemed louder this year (that’s a good thing), and a sold out Saturday raged harder than most other TIMF days in the past. Sunday featured many acts with a tendency to inspire dancing and earplug use more than past Treasure Island Sundays (that is also a good thing).

Thoughts of lovely Indian Summer evenings were washed away by cold evenings, something that was on the mind of many artists. In the world of live music, artists are forced to choose style over function in relation to the idea of look versus comfort. Brian King from Japandroids must wear his white t-shirt and Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells has to show some leg, but fest-goers can wrap themselves in emergency blankets, furry costumes and bundles of layers. So we had that going for us.

View our show reviews below, including eight performances named TOP SET, along with hundreds of artist and scene photos.

Saturday ~ October 19, 2013

Atoms For Peace ~ TOP SET
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 9:25pm

Thom Yorke does not like “playing at sea”, so don’t hold your breath in regards to Atoms For Peace playing SS Coachella anytime soon. Thom might not win any new fans with his ‘witty banter’, but the infectious cacophony he produced with Flea, Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco was difficult to ignore, or stand still to. Barrage is one word that comes to mind as you are pummeled by bass and drums at almost every moment, and it’s evident Flea loves the challenge of bringing the most complex afro-funk bass lines he humanly can. Atoms can’t slow down, they go hard the whole show. Hell, even the originally sedate UNKLE track “Rabbit in Your Headlight” had a rousing pulse to it. This is where Yorke wants to be, this is the sound that he wants to produce, especially as he brings his hyper-rhythmic love over into his primary project. -Kevin Quandt

Phantogram
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 8:35pm

Phantogram are back on the road, road testing new material from their new self-titled EP and a forthcoming long player, and they closed out the Tunnel Stage Saturday with a rocking psychedelic dance party. “Black Out Days” packs a punch as powerful as “Don’t Move”, which closed out the set. “Nothing But Trouble” and “Howling at the Moon” (song titles unconfirmed) were two tracks the band unveiled despite commenting that they probably should not be playing them. Despite a few technical glitches and unwanted feedback, Sarah Barthel’s voice was flawless and the new material received a big response, adding up to one of the many highlights Saturday night. -Kevin Raos

Little Dragon
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 7:40pm

Swedish electro-pop group Little Dragon continues to mature with age. Performing on the big stage towards the end of the night, they were certainly granted the respect that they deserve. Having just wrapped the recording of their fourth studio album due in the spring, Little Dragon was eager to demonstrate their evolved sound to the eager crowd, giving older songs a new, sonically swirling spin while debuting a new song or two. Fronted by the talented vocals of Yukimi Nagano, Little Dragon sounded as good as ever on the island. -KR

Holy Ghost! ~ TOP SET
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 6:50pm

The largest act off DFA Records to be part of the bill since LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost! kept the “dance bar” raised high during their Sunset shift on Saturday at the Tunnel stage. Predominately playing tracks off their recently released 2013 album Dynamics, the New York disco distributors started a dance party almost immediately as the first notes hit the audience’s ears. Electrifying the crowd with new sing along favorites “Dumb Disco Ideas” and “Dance a Little Closer,” the Bay Area got a taste of what these boys will have on deck for their just announced New Year’s Eve headlining show at The Independent. -Molly Kish

Major Lazer
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 5:55pm

For a festival act, it’s hard to top the energy that Diplo and the Major Lazer crew bring to the stage. Riding a tsunami of booty clapping trap music into the rest of the evening’s insane line up, the crowd lost their collective minds witnessing the onstage antics and bone shattering bass lines of Major Lazer’s early evening set. Vuvuzelas blared, sirens rang and between the acts’ revamped hype-man roster, twerk army and Diplo’s human hamster ball, the festival escalated quite rapidly into full-throttle rage mode. -MK

DJ Falcon
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 5:10pm

French DJ & producer Stéphane Quême, aka DJ Falcon, had a prime time slot on paper, but his audience was rather small. It looked like most folks were taking a breather or getting food between Disclosure and Major Lazer. While there was plenty of space at the Tunnel Stage for DJ Falcon, it was filled out by dance-heads that had to keep the train moving. The set ended with Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” into “Give Life Back to Music”, but the set would have had a bigger impact by ending with his own Random Access Memories cut “Contact”. -Mike Frash

Disclosure ~ TOP SET
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 4:20pm

The brothers Lawrence returned to the Bay Area for their second ever show, exemplifying how much things can change in the course of a year. Disclosure attracted the most dense and one of the most mentally immersed crowds of the weekend — it’s safe to say the UK duo are the most popular electronic act on the planet at the moment. From the moment these two fans set the tone of the show by sharing a lollipop, Guy and Howard Lawrence performed most of the tracks off their landmark first LP Settle, adding live drum and bass instrumentation. “Help Me Lose My Mind” was especially effective at slowing down the BPMs late in the set while keeping emotions high. If they could manage to bring along the likes of Jessie Ware, Aluna Francis, London Grammar & Sam Smith on tour with them to sing in the flesh, Disclosure would pack in arenas from Sydney to San Francisco. -MF

Poolside
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 3:35pm

Poolside curated a mellow, island vibe that suited the bright afternoon sun at the Tunnel stage. Ultra-catchy songs like “Why You Wanna”, “Do You Believe” and “Slow Down” deliver seductive mantras that are hypnotic, yet keep you swaying to the beat. A bonus Poolside highlight came for those that were lucky enough to stick around after Atoms for Peace had finished for an intimate Poolside DJ set on the way out. -KR

Danny Brown
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 2:45pm

This late addition to the lineup was embraced, even if we had to lose the UK rarity that is Tricky, and his early Saturday showcase allowed him to span his releases more fully, primarily with the release of Old. A long intro built hype nicely, and by the time Danny Brown sauntered onto stage, the youthful crowd was revved up and eating from the MCs hand for the remainder of a high-energy set. Highlights included “Radio Song” and “Monopoly” off XXX. The sky’s the limit for Brown as he settles into his newfound ‘King of Weird’ title. -KQ

Robert DeLong
Saturday • Tunnel Stage • 2:00pm

21st century one man band Robert DeLong inspired early movement from the audience with his danceable, percussive beats. Equipped with an array of musical toys, DeLong demonstrated his ability to create deep layers of sound with only the use of his two hands. Robert DeLong is clearly a drummer at heart, however he takes his music to another level, synchronizing his beats through the tip of his drum stick. DeLong continues to build smart and innovative beats in a live environment, surpassing many of his ‘button-pushing’ peers in technique and output. -KR

ADULT.
Saturday • Bridge Stage • 1:15pm

Goth electro rockers ADULT. warmed up the main stage in a big way Saturday. Dressed in all black with a heavy dose of leather, singer Nicola Kuperus and beatmaker Adam Lee Miller, were battling the heat of the sun the entire set. Kuperus commented on her desire for the sun to go away and contemplated refuge under the stage. Kuperos, however, found relief from the sun during the final two songs when she jumped into the audience to perform at crowd level. Kuperos eventually found a patch of shade to the left of the stage under a tree to close out the set. -KR

Sunday ~ October 20, 2013

Beck ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 9:25pm

Beck emerged for his Sunday headlining set about 25 minutes after the printed time, but he more than made up for it by playing a collection of upbeat material to help “keep us warm” well past 11pm. All in all, the set was a greatest hits showcase — the Bay Area weekend warriors still rocking on the island heard “Devil’s Haircut”, “Loser”, “E-Pro”, “Girl”, and to end the night “Where It’s At”. New songs like “I Won’t Be Long” and “Defriended” didn’t get played, but the final show of the fest did see one of the only guest appearances of the weekend. Beck treated the Bay to the live debut of “Let’s Get Lost” from the Twilight:Eclipse soundtrack, enlisting Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells for the wonderful duet. This surprise was only topped when Beck reminded us he was ‘bringing that quiet storm’ during “I Wanna Get With You (And Your Sister, Debra)”. Beck showed, yet again, that he is one of the coolest guys in music. -MF

Sleigh Bells
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 8:30pm

Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller closed down the Tunnel Stage on a bitterly chilly Sunday evening. Though many in the crowd, and likely on stage, weren’t too cold for too long as the energy levels rose quickly as thick riffs and bombastic beats came rushing from off the Bay. “Comeback Kid” and “Tiger Kit” were early highlights in the set. Showbams contributors were commenting that Sleigh Bells has become a quintessentially solid festival band that all can enjoy and head-band along to. Even though it was the second to last set of the event, it would’t be the last time Alexis graced the stage on this night. -KQ

Animal Collective ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 7:40pm

Ramping up the “weird” during the festival’s most surreal performance, Animal Collective pulled out rare cuts and old classics for their Sunday night set on the Bridge Stage. Bringing along their all-consuming, giant mouth set design from the Centipede HZ tour this past year, the boys blew the minds of the early evening crowd with their intense visuals, spasmodic stage show and extended psychedelic jam session. Shying away from the radio hits, Animal Collective delved deep into their catalogue for a surprising set list with songs like “The Purple Bottle”, catering to an audience full of devoted fans and impressed noobs. A bold scheduling call for the traditionally more mellow of the two days, Animal Collective fulfilled the TIMF diversity quotient while properly mind-fucking the withstanding festival-weary crowd. -MK

Japandroids
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 6:50pm

It’s hard to fathom how many miles on the road Brian Davis and David Prowse have racked up since the release of Celebration Rock. Treasure Island was their last show in the continent for a while, but they continue on to far off places before taking their well-earned break. In the meantime, the Canadian duo did their best to shake off the brisk wind by blazing through songs like “The Night of Wine and Roses” and “Fire’s Highway”. The enthusiastic crowd bopped along in a combination of adoration and warmth. -KQ

James Blake ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 6:00pm

James Blake‘s sound fit the moment exquisitely as the sun began to disappear behind a long band of fog that threatened to take over Treasure Island. Blake now tours as a trio, wisely adding live percussion to enhance his dreamy soundscapes. Confident yet mostly stoic, Blake’s measured vocals hung in the brisk fall air to mostly pin-drop silence. The progressive nature of the 25-year old’s music suddenly feels so familiar since Blake blasted into the worldwide music scene four years ago. Maybe its a product of his influence, or just the fact that his heavenly voice, modulated or not, blends so well with his post-dubstep-based production. This set elicited gasps of joy from the throngs of female fans along the stage rail, and the ending of “Overgrown” had an orgasmic effect on a couple of people near me. Set placement of songs was ideal — “Retrograde” and “The Wilhelm Scream” bookended the performance perfectly, and “Voyeur” stole the show, igniting an extended dance session. James Blake is simply a legend in the making. -MF

Real Estate
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 5:10pm

Sunday afternoons don’t get much more ideal than sail boats as a backdrop, sun in our eyes and Real Estate churning out their breezy style of surfed-out indie rock. However, this set was not a showcase of previously released material, but rather a showcase of new material, and even a new touring keyboard player. Even with a few brand new songs filling their set, Real Estate still managed to represent both of their stellar releases. “Green Aisles” was especially strong as a large palm tree behind the stage swayed along with the crowd. -KQ

STRFKR
SUNDAY • Bridge Stage • 4:20pm

STRFKR sees you’re confetti cannons and giant hamster ball Diplo and ‘raises you’ a crowd surfing astronaut and an army of blow up dolls! STRFKR pulled out all of the stops for their over the top afternoon performance. Pulling from their four full length albums, the boys were out there to get the crowd moving. While catching the last glimpses of sunlight on the Bridge Stage, the band executed one of their most polished Bay Area performances to date amongst a complete shit show of on stage distractions and “hype animals.” Dancing furries, a sumo wrestling battle and simulated oral sex/bestiality provided humorous stage antics for the second half of the set. Depending on your mindset during this point in the weekend, the show either came off as unnecessary overcompensation or one of the best shows Sunday. -MK

HAIM ~ TOP SET
SUNDAY • Tunnel Stage • 3:35pm

How is it possible that the spunky LA-based sister trio HAIM has never played a proper set in San Francisco until TIMF? Well, if life is about first impressions, the Bay Area is smitten. Part of HAIM’s success lies in their equal value and contributions to the group — Este, Danielle & Alana Haim share singing duties, adorable stage banter and the ability to play their instruments magnificently. Most of all though, it’s HAIM’s fearless and passionate approach to everything they do that is most memorable. They are all very comfortable on stage, as seen through their ‘in the moment’ mentality, responding to calls from the crowd and telling people to throw their food on stage for a mid-set snack. “Honey and I” got a stripped down treatment that worked well, something the ladies said they did specially for SF. Asking if we were ready to dance, HAIM launched into “Forever”, and TIMF obliged. This international sensation has finally played the other end of their home state, and HAIM is likely to play theater-sized venues next time they are back. -MF

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: ADULT., Animal Collective, Atoms for Peace, Beck, Danny Brown, Disclosure, DJ Falcon, Giraffage, Haim, Holy Ghost, James Blake, Japandroids, Little Dragon, Major Lazer, Phantogram, Poolside, Real Estate, Robert DeLong, Sleigh Bells, STRFKR, Treasure Island Music Festival

15 things to expect at Treasure Island Music Festival

October 16, 2013 by The Bam Team 2 Comments

Expect to see or experience these 15 things at Treasure Island Music Festival 2013:

1) Thom Yorke dancing like this:

2) 27% of females in attendance will borrow their boyfriend/girlfriend’s jacket because they came ready for warmer weather, forgetting the festival takes place in the middle of San Francisco Bay.

14% of the boyfriend/girlfriends’ that gave up their layer will buy a TIMF hoodie.

3) A group of drunk British blokes and Palma Violets’ manager/hype-man/party-starter Harry Violent lead the pogo-pit charge at 1:30, proceeding to get much of the crowd to join them. Impressive for an early Sunday show.

4) Move over dubstep. Meet the most amazing bass-face in contemporary music:

5) Old and Young lose their shit to Disclosure’s breakout tracks like “Fire Starts to Burn” and “Latch” — Treasure Island will hence be dubbed “Dance Island”.

6) Danny Brown’s “Kush Coma” illustrates how wonderfully stoned the Bay Area is, soundtracking the scene with 27 weed references. And, that’s only the marijuana references!

7) You walk in early on Sunday, swear to yourself you’re hearing Beck, but it’s actually Cayucas.

8) Overheard at Holy Ghost! sunset show:

“‘Bridge and Tunnel’, that’s the name of the two stages!!!”
“Dude, this is this is the new LCD.”
“And my Dad said Disco was dead, pshhhh.”

9) As the ‘mad shuttle dash’ begins during the Atoms for Peace encore, the festival faithful will enjoy every last note, understanding that shuttle lines offer time to recap the day! Or you could plan your own exit route.

10) The one guy with the furry hat that never leaves Silent Disco.

11) Diplo attempts to talk the crowd into breaking Big Freedia’s twerking world record during the Major Lazer set, but only 6 girls in the front row “express themselves” as Diplo takes a cell phone pic, then tweets it.

12) That adorable couple that stakes out a small spot between the Tunnel and Bridge stages and sees all 13 acts in one spot Sunday.

13) A beautiful James Blake sunset show moment confirms why you live in San Francisco or Oakland.

14) You swear you won’t wait in line for the ferris wheel, but end up giving in by the end of the night on Saturday or Sunday.

15) Overheard from first time TIMF attendee:

“Wait, both stages are right here with no overlapping sets? Awesome. Pretty good view too…”

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Atoms for Peace, Beck, Cayucas, Danny Brown, Diplo, Disclosure, Haim, Holy Ghost, James Blake, Major Lazer, Palma Violets, Thom Yorke, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2013

Treasure Island Music Festival: New music from 2013 artists

September 9, 2013 by Mike Frash 3 Comments

Photo by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash

Treasure Island Music Festival serves as the exclamation point to festival season in the Bay Area, giving music lovers one more chance to live it up before winter. The festival, which takes place this year October 19 & 20 in the middle of the bay, is properly stacked this year, offering a pleasant mix of up-and-coming indie fare along with DJs that bring the rage and rock outfits that bring the noise. Really, there are at least 7 reasons to GO BIG.

The placement of this festival mid-Fall creates some interesting dynamics for artist tours — some groups have been touring relentlessly and will likely be wrapping up their current road trip in the fall (see STRFKR, James Blake, Palma Violets and Major Lazer).

Other groups are just getting started, releasing new music in the coming weeks before playing TIMF. Here are six artists to keep an eye on before heading to the island.

Holy Ghost!
Dynamics releases September 10, 2013
Best Tracks: “Dumb Disco Ideas”, “Okay”, “Bridge & Tunnel”

Holy Ghost! procured a retro-house disco sound through live instrumentation long before nouveau disco became the sound of 2013 thanks to Daft Punk, and now Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire has launched their new single, “Reflektor”, in a big way September 9 — And LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy is already garnering credit for helping to transform the group to a dance party catalyst with their forthcoming release. Before the Arcade Fire long player is available in full, James Murphy’s label DFA will release Holy Ghost!’s second LP Dynamics Tuesday, September 10.

While Holy Ghost!’s second full length doesn’t read as a raging dance party throughout, their live show sure does. The Brooklyn duo consists of a songwriting partnership between Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel, but the touring group fills out to a thick porridge of seven people, including LCD System’s Nancy Whang at times. At FYF Music Festival August 25, the group set the crowd afire by playing songs faster, segueing them seamlessly and by curating a pleasing stage set-up (see “Dumb Disco Ideas” above). The sum of these parts is a pumped up, ass-shaking crowd that usually only happens with DJs these days — yet Holy Ghost! achieves this through instrumental layering that delivers a nuanced, deeper sound that isn’t found in the group’s studio work.

Whispers of “the new LCD Soundsystem” have been reverberating around the web and the water cooler, and it’s a fair comparison within the context of the live experience both groups create — LCD left a gaping hole in the world of live music by hanging it up, and it’s easy to envision Holy Ghost! filling this gap over the next year.

The group performed a live set on LA’s Morning Becomes Eclectic (KCRW) September 9, showing exactly why they are a group on the rise. When performing live they sound grittier, with faster BPMs, and they exhibit more control around build-ups and explosive moments. “Dumb Disco Ideas”, “Okay” and “Bridge and Tunnel” were all more intense than their clean, sanitized versions on Dynamics.

When asked about DFA, they said that the label is “somewhat responsible for the band’s existence,” and that they have been with Murphy’s label since the beginning. “DFA stuck with us for 4 years while we were figuring things out.” The morning show also announced Nancy Whang was performing with the group Monday. The inclusion of Whang on the full tour with Holy Ghost! would add yet another similarity between this musical metaphor.

Regarding the performance at FYF August 25, they called it the “Best show we’ve ever played in the United States,” saying the crowd was great and it was a memorable night. It seems distinctly possible that the party animals that populate Treasure Island October 19th will set the bar even higher.

HAIM
Days Are Gone releases September 30, 2013
Best Tracks (so far): “Forever”, “Falling” and “Don’t Save Me”

One of the fastest rising groups of 2013, Haim, have a not-so-obvious way of pronouncing their name. It rhymes with “time”, so if life were fair the spelling would be HIME. But, that’s the name these three talented sisters were given at birth.

Many of the tracks from their first long player, which officially drops September 30, have been trickling out for over a year. It’s apparent the premiere album from the LA sister trio will be well received, since about half the songs on the album track list are already out, and they are great. Songs like “Forever” and “Falling” are so well-regarded they’ve already received multi-artist remix treatment. And the group has been so productive the last couple years that some previously released songs like “Send Me Down” and “Better Off” didn’t make the final cut of Days Are Gone.

Este, Danielle & Alana HAIM have a unique relationship with rhythm & melody — their vocals often syncopate with rhythm over melody, especially with backing vocals. This unique vocal tactic circles around addictive hooks that twist and build while evolving past traditional verse/refrain/verse song structure.

Treasure Island Music Festival 2013 will somehow be the group’s first performance in the Bay Area, even though the LA-based group have played Southern California and in Europe dozens of times. Get there early Sunday for this one.

Sleigh Bells
Bitter Rivals releases October 8, 2013

Things have been evolving quickly for noise-rock duo Sleigh Bells. Their third album in three years, Bitter Rivals, will unleash in early October. Singer Alexis Krauss is now heavily involved in production — guitarist, songwriter and producer Derek Miller did all the heavy lifting on the groups’ 2010 breakthrough Treats.

Krauss & Miller have been planning a “cleaner, more melodic album” for their third record. Does this mean fuzzy guitar anthems are out in favor of easy to digest tracks like “Rill Rill”. Lead single “Bitter Rivals” hints that the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

Expect this set to be one of the loudest sets of the weekend, even though Sunday is usually a day reserved for more mellow indy fare like James Blake or Real Estate.

Beck
Two new albums to be released in late 2013, early 2014.

We’ve known for about nine months that Beck has had two albums in the works for this year — yet as we head toward the Fall we don’t have any official release dates for his acoustic album and the proper follow-up to 2008’s Modern Guilt.

What we do have are two new songs that are meant to be stand-alone tracks — Neither “Defriended” or “I Won’t Be Long” will be found on Beck’s forthcoming records. Although, both tracks would serve as excellent lead singles for any Beck record.

The most delicious part about these two new tracks are the 14+ minutes b-sides of the same songs. The extended version of “I Won’t Be Long” is an adventurous journey that begins in My Bloody Valentine territory, then it wallows blissfully in the refrain “I won’t be long” before grinding down into a feedback-based breakdown, then rebirthing where the song started.

Let’s hope Beck feels like extending these new tracks at Treasure Island to end the weekend.

Phantogram
New album, possibility titled Voices, to be released in late 2013, early 2014.

Phantogram haven’t released any new music from their second long player, which is due this fall, but expect to hear at least a couple new cuts before they hit up TIMF in six weeks. The group headlines a month-long tour in the fall and have been in the studio this summer. Phantogram’s recent teaser video (view it above) promises more of the same — an awesome amalgamation of dance, beats and indie rock.

There’s been a lot of hash tagging of #phantogramvoices lately on Phantogram’s social media — a new single and album release date seem imminent, maybe as early as this or next week.

UPDATE 9/12: Phantogram released a new song entitled “Black Out Days”:

Little Dragon
The group’s fourth LP to be released in late 2013, early 2014.

Much like Phantogram, Little Dragon are hard at work on a new album, and they’ve shared a video to prove it too. Little Dragon only have four shows lined up in October, including their appearance at Treasure Island Music Festival.

Filed Under: Featured, Treasure Island Music Festival Tagged With: Beck, Haim, Holy Ghost, Little Dragon, Phantogram, Sleigh Bells, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2013

Treasure Island Music Festival: Seven reasons to go big

June 12, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 8 Comments

The seventh annual Treasure Island Music Festival returns October 19-20, and the top-notch lineup is as strong as ever. The acts slated to perform are so good, we suggest that you go big. ‘Going Big’ can mean a lot of things here: Getting a two-day VIP pass, taking in every single set and even riding the Ferris Wheel after a couple of Spicy Pies all count. For the first year, only two-day GA, VIP & parking passes are available for purchase, and there is no guarantee single day passes will be sold.

In honor of the seventh iteration of this quintessential Bay Area Festival, here are seven reasons to go big.

1. Now that is a headliner!

Atoms for Peace

Short of Radiohead, there are few acts as highly sought after as Atoms for Peace. Besides the group’s resounding star power with Thom Yorke and Flea, not to mention Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refosco, Atoms are not constant touring machines like some acts on the bill such as Major Lazer or Sleigh Bells. AMOK’s release was months ago, but is still on constant rotation for many (including this writer), but it’s anyone’s guess how some of these dynamic songs will transcribe to a large, live format.

Band members have been leaking footage of their rehearsals on YouTube, and dropping some seriously exciting nuggets of possibility that make their second touring cycle even more thrilling. Case in point: the video of Thom performing 1998’s heralded UNKLE collaboration, “Rabbit in Your Headlights”. Not only is this an amazing track that Radiohead never attempted, but it pretty much confirms the inclusion of non-Atoms material on stage this run. Will the rehearsed Hail to the Thief B-Side “Paperbag Writer” be present on this tour? Well, guess you’ll have to be on the island to see if the Bay Area is graced with one, or more, of these contemporary gems.

2. “All the best Saturdays are spent dancing!”

The Dance Sets – Disclosure, Holy Ghost, DJ Falcon, Major Lazer, Robert DeLong, Phantogram, Poolside

Per the usual, TI will be split stylistically into two days with Saturday being dominated by all things dance and electronic music, so no moping about or standing with your hands in your pockets. Atoms for Peace will close the first day, but the pulsating lead up to the headliners will generate lots of buzz before the final act even struts out. Disclosure finally return to the Bay after their premier show last fall, and with a highly regarded debut record in June, they are sure to gain new fans and get festivalgoers of all ages into a frenzy with their patented house-oriented 2-step/garage hybrid. Holy Ghost! is the newest DFA Records darlings who have been selling out shows and turning heads this spring, even before releasing their much anticipated sophomore effort, Dynamics. Their deep synth-laden take on disco-pop is infectious, so don’t miss this duo. French producer DJ Falcon is yet another act who has been garnering a great deal of attention with his work on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories – he produced the intense, final track “Contact”. Expect a