Finally, 2009 Lollapalooza Lineup Revealed!

 

Well the wait is finally over, and while this year’s Lollapalooza lineup won’t blow you away like it has in years past (especially with the list of headliners), the low to mid tier bands are completely packed with worthwhile artists this year– something that can’t be said about years past.

While most of the lineup had been accurately speculated upon ad nauseum, one big surprise is that Snoop Dogg will be gracing Grant Park with his presence. While it’s nice to see a well known hip-hop artist from outside the city limits make it to Lolla, it’s a bit perplexing that Snoop Dogg was deemed the best available choice. That being said, Snoop will attract quite the draw, and deservingly so.

In other news, Perry’s DJ tent also is packing some talent with names like MSTRKRFT, A-Trak, and DJ sets from both Animal Collective and Hercules and Love Affair.

Other notable artists that will be playing are:

• Arctic Monkeys
• Bon Iver
• Deerhunter
• Fleet Foxes
• Glasvegas
• Gomez
• Los Campesinos!
• No Age
• Of Montreal
• TV on the Radio

Once again, if you need a reminder, Lollapalooza is from August 7-9, 2009 this year with tickets running from $195-$225

Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz!

It’s Blitz! is a quantum leap over everything Yeah Yeah Yeahs have released previously.

Release Date: March 9, 2009
Record Label: Interscope
Rating: 95

Yeah Yeah Yeahs were sending a clear message of the bands direction with the release of the single “Zero.” This wasn’t the same band that released track after track of snarling garage rock back when the band, musically speaking, was in its infancy. Heck, this isn’t even the same band that released the Is Is EP. It may be disappointing to most, but Yeah Yeah Yeahs have taken the fascination with New Wave head on and manipulated its common parts to forge their own musical niche. If you can accept that (or simply overcome the shock of) Yeah Yeah Yeahs dared to head in this musical direction—which most fans should have been prepared for after the half-baked Show Your Bones—then you are in for a treat of an album that is certainly one of the most outstanding of the year.

The immediacy of the songs like “Zero,” “Heads Will Roll” and “Shame and Fortune” will cause them to garner the most attention, but where Yeah Yeah Yeahs show their real maturation is on the slow stuff, namely “Soft Shock” and “Skeletons.” On those slower songs, Karen O. is truly at her most vulnerable, creating an intimate, subtly vulnerable narrative unlike anything seen since “Modern Romance.”

It’s Blitz is a quantum leap over everything the band has done previously—both musically and lyrically. The weak links are far and few between, and although the second half of the album could stand another uptempo song, it’s hard to fault when the songs in place are so well done.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"

Dave Matthews Band Offer New Single for Free

Well the countdown for Daveheads turned out to be worthwhile as the anticipated single “Funny The Way It Is” was finally revealed in its entirety as the band released the single as a free download via their webpage.

While the overall sound is decidedly mainstream, it’s actually in a good way for once as “Funny The Way It Is” could very well have some staying power in terms of airplay and it doesn’t completely abandon the elements that made DMB what it was in the first place. If nothing else, the pairing of Rob Cavallo and the band appears to be an outstanding match musically speaking.

The album, Big Whiskey & the Groogrux King will be released 6/2 via RCA.

01 "Grux"
02 "Shake Me Like A Monkey"
03 "Funny The Way It Is"
04 "Lying In The Hands Of God"
05 "Why I Am"
06 "Dive In"
07 "Spaceman"
08 "Squirm"
09 "Alligator Pie (Cockadile)"
10 "Seven"
11 "Time Bomb"
12 "My Baby Blue"
13 "You And Me"

New from White Rabbits- “Percussion Gun”

Off of their upcoming album entitled It’s Frightening, White Rabbits have a new song for you all to enjoy. Like the rest of the album, “Percussion Gun” was produced by Spoon’s frontman Britt Daniel, and as the title would lead you to believe the heavy percussion definitely dictates the flow of this relatively moody track. If this song is any indication, expect a different direction from the guys this time around compared to their debut Fort Nightly, and that’s definitely a good thing for them– as they have a fuller yet less chaotic sound that allows their music to breathe in a sense– something helpful as the songwriting on “Percussion Gun” alone is quite a few notches above much of their debut.

Look for It’s Frightening to be released on May 19 via TBD Records with a tour to follow shortly after.

White Rabbits It’s Frightening “Percussion Gun”