This weekend we will be heading to Chicago for our third consecutive Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park. There are so many reasons this fest is so great especially when compared to the other huge fests I’ve gone to in the past.
Maybe one of the best parts of the fest is the ratio of big name acts to the small size of the festival grounds. There are only 3 stages at this fest, 2 of them being right next to one another, and a third just a 5 minute walk away. And there’s really only music going on 2 of those stages at any given moment. The beauty of this is that unlike the huge festivals (usually with 6+ stages), it is actually viable to catch all the acts you want to see without worrying about which of your 4 must see acts you will watch, since they’re all playing at the same time. And it’s not like these are no name bands either. Many of these acts actually performed at Coachella, including some headliners and just about headliners.
This year they’ve changed up the Friday format a little bit as well. In the past, there were only a few Friday performances on the A and C stages. Two years ago, some of the acts performed full albums from cover to cover sponsored by All Tomorrow’s Parties and last year the acts played requests from the audience as part of Pitchork’s Write the Night. This year it seems the acts are free to perform whatever they want, and the fest has opened up the B stage on Friday for a lineup of top notch comedians as well. The Fridays in the past have felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the weekend so hopefully this will correct that. All they need now is to revive the DJ tent that I’ve heard about from the fest’s first years. I also think the Friday action starts a bit earlier this year, so it won’t feel so much like that half day with a few bands before the real fest begins (at least like it has for me in the past).
Another pretty unique aspect of Pitchfork fest is all of the interesting and unique merch you can obtain. There are typically 2 huge tents with lots of vendors selling just about anything you can think of, on top of most of the indie record labels on site with plenty of vinyl to go around. And for all of you poster collectors, make sure to check out the entire walkway devoted to unique and (presumably) handmade posters for just about any indie artist you can think of.
And let’s not forget the food. While festival food in general has greatly improved over the past few years, Pitchfork has always had a great selection of any type of food you could possibly want, including plenty of veggie and vegan items. And the beer, which I believe was $4 or $5 a piece last year, is also pretty reasonably priced compared to other fests, not to mention that it’s delicious Goose Island beer rather than the typical Bud Light.
But, of course, the most important part of the festival is the crazy good lineup they manage to put together every year. I mean, looking at the Sunday lineup this year is almost like taking a look at my most played artists in my iTunes. I’ve seen a lot of these acts live before (and am greatly looking forward to seeing them again), but I thought I would just highlight a few of the acts I’m most excited to catch this time around that I haven’t seen before. I’m wondering who will take the cake as this years unexpected MVP (the title I so dubiously granted to the incredible, perfectly lit by natural light M83 performance last year).
I have to admit, over the course of the past year, I’ve found a whole new appreciation for well-done pop music, so I’m especially excited to catch Robyn live on Friday night (especially since I’ll be missing her Detroit stop on the tour the following night). I’m expecting a high powered performance that could be a highlight.
Saturday afternoon should get a jolt of high powered Spanish energy when Delorean takes the stage. Besides their own brand of summery and danceable tunes, these guys have put out some of the brightest remixes in recent memory.
Cold Cave – Life Magazine (Delorean Remix)
I have to admit, while I’ve heard and loved a handful of Wolf Parade tracks, I’m much more familiar with side projects Handsome Furs and Sunset Rubdown. But if the energy of those bands is any indication, I fully expect Wolf Parade to have its way with the Pitchfork Crowd.
I’m not going to get into all the things I (and presumably many of you) love so much about San Fran rockers Girls. I will only say how excited I am to catch their early afternoon set.
Last but not least on my list of “most anticipated Pitchfork acts that I haven’t seen live before” is none other than Major Lazer. The Diplo and Switch-led live act is, by any account I’ve ever read, a not-to-be-missed all out party in all senses of the word.
Major Lazer ft. Ninjasonik – Pon de Floor (Diplo Rap Remix)
Make sure to check back next week when we will bring you our festival highlights as well as a whole boatload of pics from the weekend. A big boatload.
i dont reckon this album made many year end lists, but the completely raw sound (both musically and vocally)just stuck with me and kept bringing me back for more. and after seeing this two piece live this summer, i know that i want to listen to their music and to party with them. just a fun album.
to be perfectly honest, this album really didnt do much for me at first. then i was lucky enough to catch mr. penate live on a whim while i was in chicago earlier this year and i got to witness how fun and exciting his music can be first hand. then i found out my friend amber waited on him earlier that day, and i realized it was meant to be and the album went into heavy rotation shortly after.
the ever lovely natasha khans second album has really shown her moving forward since the release of the great “fur and gold” a few years back. this time, the songs are bigger and harder hitting. and its no surprise since she spent a bit of time in new york with dailybeatz favorite yeasayer working on beats. and for the second time, she even nabbed a mercury prize nod. we hope to see lots more of her in the future.
here we go magic is actually the third musical outing by luke temple, who previously released music under his actual name. i feel as though this album is best listened to on a lazy hazy summer afternoon. the intentional low production quality (allegedly recorded on a 4 track) actually adds to the album in this case. its almost as if we are listening in on some sort of practice session. a practice session which can get pretty ambient at times but more often than not is pretty neat.
its almost become uncool or cliche to like this album after how much buzz it got when its released, but since i am uncool, i am not afraid to add it to my top 
special thanks to mr peabs for informing me of this one month ago. i think the best way to describe this album is to steal from amazon reviewer mark roberts who says, “like m83s ‘saturdays=youth’, its a gorgeous and non-ironic homage to 80s music, without seeming any way dated.” i couldnt have said it better myself mark. hopefully this albums release date early in the year wont have thrown it off the radar of too many year end lists.
ah yes, everyones favorite early twenties london minimalist rock band, the xx. i was really late in listening to this album (as i am with most everything) but from even the first track i knew i was going to like this one. its amazing how much emotion can be put forth with such little sound at all. and the voices of oliver sim and romy madley croft just work perfectly together. not to mention the fact that they put out one of the biggest remixes of the year.
yeah, thats right, a compilation has made its way into my best albums of the year list. why? mostly because it was basically a whos who of the indie world at that point in the year and there were tons of great tracks that came from that album. and its for a good cause taboot! and is there even any doubt as to which track youre going to hear from it?
karen o and crew did it again, this time the tunes were bigger, brighter, and just made you want to dance. the album came out just as the warm weather was starting to take shape, and it became an essential summer album. with a big festival repertoire this year, including an impressive last minute lollapalooza headlining gig, the band solidified their place among todays great rock acts.
after just one listen to this album i knew it was right up my alley, especially since my tastes have turned so much to anything that can be danced too. even the title of the opening track, “happy up here”, was a great indication of what youd be getting from this one, fun energy. a great pump-you-up record with one of my top 5 songs of the year.
this was one of the latest additions to my music collection, and i reckon that if i had a little more time to spend with it, it may have inched up even higher. the dreamy sounds laid over a nice beat just take you to another place. i think this is one of those albums where the album art perfectly fits the music. cant wait to see what weird and or memory tapes and or cassette bring us next.
yeah, you knew it was coming eventually. my love affair began when i finally got a studio version of “my girls”, the track i fell in love with when i heard it live almost a year earlier. and the rest of the album kept me coming back for more. im really not going to repeat everything anyones said about this album because we would be here all day, but this is a must have for any music fan. bonus points for most psychedelic album art. just find a large version of the album cover and get back to me.
the first time i listened to this album it was early on a sunday morning driving through the (at the time) desolate streets of detroit. this scenario was so fitting with the album that karin dreijer andersson eventually turned it (well, something like it) into a music video. my surroundings during my first listen really shaped my vision of this album in an extremely positive way. however intrigued i was by andersson before this project, i am now intrigued tenfold by her mysterious persona.
this album definitely snuck up on me, with its loud guitars and catchy melodies. i think what i like most about it is that the whole album just sounds so much like california. not any specific destination or aspect of california, just california as a whole. perhaps because of christopher owens’ gritty and playful vocals, the album just feels real and genuine. its also one of those albums where my favorite song changes weekly. right now, its “morning light”.
so much to say about this latest offering from phoenix. i still remember my first time hearing “1901″ and how i knew instantly it would become a go-to song when i needed some energy, and then i realized that a lot of the album was the same way. and a seven and a half minute track that was almost all instrumental? sign me up. and just recently i was able to witness first hand that their live performances contain all of the energy of the album (and then some).
i still have no idea what “veckatimest” is supposed to mean, but i do know that it lived up and surpassed any hype and expectation. a solid offering from the very first notes of “southern point” to the wistful ending of “foreground” and jam packed with classics in between. this is one of those albums that just about any music fan young or old will probably enjoy.
for annie clarks sophomore album, she broke every musical rule. whatever role you thought an instrument would play, it played the opposite on this one (listen to the flute throughout this song below, for example). and i think thats whats so special about this album. it doesnt really sound like anything youve ever heard before, and its almost uncomfortable to listen to at first, but once you get a grasp on whats going on, you can really apprecaite how one of a kind it is.
ok, so i dont know if this album was technically released this year, or why it seems to have multiple names, but it definitely found its biggest audience this year either way. the album cover describes the album perfectly. old fashioned and awesome. this folky number (allegedly all recorded live on a 24 track machine) is perfect for that friend who just cant get in to any of your music because it was made on a computer and therefore unpure. full of beautiful melodies with stripped down production, its the simplicity of this album that draws you in, and its the catchy songs that will keep you singing. it conjures visions of flower children holding hands singing songs, in a totally non-dirty hippie way.
one of the most emotional albums, musically and lyrically, in recent memory. the tale of troubled lovers dealing with a terminal illness is told in great detail on this album, complete with the good times, the bad times and everything in between. but much of the time (save for maybe “kettering”), the music doesnt want to make you cry, in fact, it does quite the opposite. in “bear”, for example, the music is like that of a childrens lullaby but builds into something much bigger. and if you think that their live show would be boring and quiet, you would be in for a shock when they nearly blow the speakers out.
if you read this blog with any regularity, then you probably already knew this was the number one album. miike snow was really my overall musical act of the year, with the great album, two great live performances that i witnessed, and two of the ILLEST remixes of the year. in my opinion, this is the perfect album for people who hear the word “electronic” and run away screaming, because its totally electronic in a completely digestible way. the album starts out with the total pop hit “animal”, then “burial” gives our first tastes of computers, but its subtle and welcome. by “silvia”, youve moved on from dipping a toe in the water to pretty much end up waste deep in electronic goodness, and by then, the water feels fine so youre ready to dive in head first. luckily there are tracks later like “plastic jungle” and “in search of main” to whet your appetite. and the album pales in comparison to their live performances, with their 5-10 minute dj improvs following nearly every song.
buy this track on itunes
