Festival Season: Osheaga - Day 2

Day 2 in Montreal was overwhelming to the point where we're only collecting our thoughts over a week later, now that's journalism. Day 2 was the Georges St. Pierre to Day 1's Jon Fitch, or pick your analogy where Day 2 is much, much better. For the record, we caught The Black Keys and Gogol Bordello, though neither for long enough to make any worthwhile commentary here.

The Kills - 4:00-4:45
Grade: B

I’m not too familiar with this UK/US duo, despite having heard their name thrown about in all sorts of publications for several years now. With three full lengths under their belt, The Kills were consistent in their loud but minimal garage jams. They have a definite aesthetic appeal, not trendy really, just a refreshing “we could give two (choice expletive deleted) what you think of us or this song,” which was a pleasant way to start our day after missing Jamie Lidell’s soulful stylings for some Peel Pub $6 pitchers.

The Weakerthans - 4:15-5:00

Grade : C+

The Winnipeg post-punk veterans rocked the Mountain Stage in the late afternoon on Monday. For me, the music was overshadowed by lead man John K. Samson's actions about 'insufficient' set time, highlighted by a seemingly passionate exchange with an Osheaga staffer who I saw yelling from stage left. Despite the organizer's finest efforts to dissuade Samson, he decided that the Weakerthans needed more time on stage then what they were allotted, and the band played on. The songs were done well; it was a standard Weakerthans set. Advice for group for future time-crunched sets; avoid unnecessary (and boring) tangents about "the great game of curling", and you won't have these kind of issues.

MGMT - 5:30-6:15
Grade: B

Adorned with an oversized tie dyed t-shirt and an arsenal of beloved tracks to sing, Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT led the group in a relatively impressive performance at the Meg Stage. For a band surrounded by a great deal of hype, I found that MGMT came on stage with a refreshing level of modesty. Not too much chatter, just straight up psychedelic hipster indie rock. "Electric Feel" and "Kids" were favorites.

Duffy - 6:45-7:45
Grade: N/A

It was difficult to get a good look at the Welsh vixen from our spot on the grass, but I let my imagination roam. Duffy sounded confident and powerful enough to confirm her press package, though I can’t say she really caught our attention all that much. Where the day previous Sharon Jones barked bold statements and dared you not to pay attention, Duffy approached her set with slightly less bravado and we only stayed for a few songs. Hard to rate this performance based on our attention span at the moment.

The Go! Team – 7:00-8:00
Grade: B+

Ninja and crew took the stage with some authority, albeit some of the samples remained as simply playback to accompany live instruments. This wasn’t the case for every track, and I won’t try and make the argument that their songs should be, or are easily converted into fully fleshed out live tracks. Minor gripes aside, songs like “Grip Like a Vice” and “The Power is On” were catchy as they are on record and the band moved around the stage with the youthful energy they channel so well in song. As a big fan of both of their LP’s, I have no complaints about their live showing. They’re as charismatic as Benny Hinn and Randy Savage put together.

Broken Social Scene - 8:00-9:00

Grade: A

The evening BSS set was one of the most anticipated performances of the day for me. At Osheaga, the ever-changing live version of BSS consisted of its regular core (Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Andrew Whiteman of Apostle of Hustle, as well as Amy Millan of Stars, Liam O'Neil from the Stills. And I am sure there were others participating who I did not recognize as well…it is BSS after all. Highlights of the set include "7/4 Shoreline", "Diary Of a 17 Year Old Girl" and "Ibi Dreams of Pavement." Each song built on the next during the set, setting a gorgeous stage for the set's climax; a brilliant and powerfully enhanced version of "Pavement" played as the second last song. However, BSS's finale (an extended version of the already 9:55 minute "It's All Gonna Break") spotlighted Kevin Drew entirely too much, and it took away from the sets momentum in a very unfortunate way. Overall I was surprised by Drew's leadership/dictatorship on stage. Away from his vocal dominance, he presented himself akin to an overzealous high school band conductor, as he waved performers onstage when they had chosen to step aside, introduced members as if they were his own, and acted generally like he was the shit. Truthfully, the set reminded me of eating a cookie with too many chocolate chips in it. It was delicious, but at many points I just wanted to taste the sweet sweet cookie without being bombarded by cheap Kevin Drew cocoa bite after bite.

CSS – 8:30-9:30
Grade: A

The Brazilians, much like The Go! Team before them, brought a pretty bombastic, super-fun-happy-hour kind of set that worked perfectly in the dying light of the evening. Lead singer Lovefoxxx (parents lucked out she didn’t become an adult contemporary Jann Arden type, and yes I know it's a stage name) was pretty wild on stage in her technicolour bodysuit, with tons of running around and that cute Portuguese/Japanese/German/Whatever accent singing “Off the Hook,” “Let’s Make Love,” and new cuts like “Left Behind.” Cansei de Ser Sexy did not disappoint, and along with the Go! Team, buttered up the crowd real nice for the Meg Stage headliners and their bonafied lovin.

Chromeo – 10:00-11:00
Grade: A++

It was epic. A huge crowd chanted in unison when the lights went down. They chanted loud. They even chanted in tune.

CHROME EEE OOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO!

CHROME EEE OOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO!

CHROME EEE OOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Then Boom! The lights came up, and the music started. There was a fancy footwork epidemic spreading rapidly throughout the crowd. Tenderonis everywhere were grinding up on their man lovers. Kitschy dance music was played, and it had never been played better before. Chromeo's set at Osheaga stole the show. The well-traveled dance masters played an unbelievable set in front of a huge hometown crowd, dropping nothing but pure hotness. And best of all, they seemed genuinely happy to be playing at home. If BTA had an achievement award for perfection, Chromeo would be its first and only recipient.

Osheaga, we hardly knew ye. Until next year, hopefully headlined by Chromeo.

- mca & BA

Festival Season: Lollapalooza Review - Day 1

Well how about that. Despite donning a Robo-Boot to protect my freshly broken foot/sprained ankle combo from an ill-advised (and poorly timed) skateboarding spill last Saturday, my first ever Lollapalooza also doubled as my most musically indulgent 3-day span in my life thus far. So now I'm going to do my best to recap (if not recapture) the diverse, epic, and gloried weekend spent in Grant Park, Chicago.

The Go! Team (2:15pm)

Listening to the Black Lips tear through their 1:15pm set while sweating through my t-shirt on the outside of a festival behind 20,000 other anxious patrons wasn't terribly easy to swallow. But once we did arrive, the Go! Team seemed prepared to cheer my spirits with their impressive energy that was even more so considering the scorching heat. The crowd was pretty substantial considering their relatively early slot and still lengthy line up, and the Team won them over blasting out tunes from both of their albums.

The Go! Team - Grip Like a Vice

The Kills (3:15pm)

Up next were London, UK's the Kills. Admittedly, I'm pretty sure I hadn't heard a single note from this gender-split twosome. It was strictly off the recommendation of a friend (who compared lead Allison "VV" Mosshart to a less attention- seeking Karen O), and the fact that nobody wanted to go see Duffy with me that lured me to the stage for their antics, and thankfully so. Not a great performance, admittedly, as the two seemed about to melt under the rays. But despite the elements, the strength of their songwriting shone through. Definitely one of the more pleasant finds of the festival, and one that might have the potential to truly hook me in a dark nightclub rather than a day fit for a picnic.

the Kills - Hitched

Gogol Bordello (4:15pm)

Though I opted to bask in the sun and stare gazingly at the big main stage screens, I couldn't help but notice that I may have been the only person in the strong crowd not moving a muscle. Instead, with "gypsy punks" Gogol Bordello leading by example, the response from the crowd was certainly notable. These guys build their reputation on a powerful live presence, which they brought 100% to the Lolla experience.

Gogol Bordello - Supertheory of Supereverything

Mates of State (5:15pm)

Of all the bands on the bill Friday afternoon, Mates of State could perhaps be the one most suited for a park on a bright, cloudless summer day; their pleasant synth-pop melodies seem crafted with exactly this environment in mind. Despite their suitability however, the husband and wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel never really seemed to emote much energy whatsoever, which was in time relayed onto the crowd who approved slightly to their breadth of tunes across their 10 year career, but never legitimately erupted at any point during the set.

Mates of State - The Re-Arranger

Grizzly Bear (5:45pm)

After leaving Mates of State relatively unimpressed, I set up shop at the "accessibility zone" (thank you, wounded paw) for a comfortable spot for Radiohead tourmates Grizzly Bear at the City stage, one of the smaller of the festival. At risk of getting criticized by the indie- masses, I've never given their critically acclaimed Yellow House much of a chance. So checking this set out, I felt very much like an open book ready to absorb "what all the fuss was about". The conclusion: subtle melodies over wistful vocals and enough resonance to make me revisit Yellow House, but still a skepticism and speculation that it might not have enough jump to really have my name on it.

Grizzly Bear - Knife

Bloc Party (6:15pm)

It has taken me well over a year to accept the fact that A Weekend in the City is not Silent Alarm. But in that time span, I've seen the best songs from both albums in a live environment three times, each time leaving me with a slightly more optimistic outlook on their sophomore effort. Now, as they seem primed for their third release, their upcoming single "Mercury", which experiments with loops and samples, seems like a valiant effort to expand and progress rather than stick to their guns - the ones which started as fierce semi automatics before retreating to handgun status. In general, the set was classic Bloc - high energy modern rock n' roll, a charismatic lead donning the t-shirt of a man he cannot vote for given his citizenship (guess who), and a rollicking crowd appreciative throughout.

Bloc Party - Mercury

Radiohead (8:00)

Fucking ruled. But of course we already knew that. My first RH experience was everything I could have hoped for - impeccable song selection (In Rainbows heavy, but with a healthy sprinkling of the highlights of all other albums with the exception of the dated Pablo Honey), impressive but simple effects, and flawless recreations of the impossible sounds which only Thom and Co. can bring to live on record, let alone in the flesh.

Radiohead - Bodysnatchers

- bbbykmbrly.

Boom, baby.

The Kills are a BTA favourite, not least because they're equal parts British (guitarist Jamie Hince) and American (vocalist Alison Mosshart). According to Wikipedia (which is never, ever wrong):
"The duo first met when Mosshart heard Hince practicing in the hotel room above hers, and when their former groups disbanded they struck up a songwriting partnership. For months, the pair air mailed work tapes across the Atlantic; this proved to test the patience of both artists as it took days or weeks to get each others tapes, so Mosshart upped sticks from her Florida home and flew to London."

Sweet story. Anyway, the pair released their third album Midnight Boom on March 10th to rave reviews from just about everyone and it quickly hit the number one spot on the UK Indie chart. You can stream some tracks from the new album and find out more about the band here. The Kills are currently on a gigantic international tour.

The Kills - URA Fever
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (Nite Cells Bored Robot Remix)

- a.m.p.m.