No. 39: Gomez

Gomez consists of 5 members from Southport, England whose sound is almost as interesting as their background. Fun fact: They played their first show as an untitled band, only receiving their name after writing a sign for a friend which read "Gomez the gig's in here." People assumed they were Gomez, and so they kept the name. They then started recording demos in the drummer Olly's bathroom before signing with a record label, and here we are.

1999's Liquid Skin is my favorite of the band's albums, consisting of harder tracks like "Fill My Cup" to the softer, emotionally charged "We Haven't Turned the World Around." Coming from someone who has been accused of not taking risks with her musical palette, I must say Gomez has made me want to further explore other genres of music and not be afraid of different sounds. The job of lead vocalist switches from the three guitarists, Ian, Ben and Tom (who also provides us the keyboard). The fifth and final member is the bassist Paul. What I enjoy most about Gomez is their range and ability to take risks with their sound. Each song is different from the one before, yet is consistently intriguing to the ear. Gomez plays night two at Lollapalooza, and I think they are worth checking out.

No 40: Dan Auerbach and the Fast 5

Dan Auerbach is probably best know as the lead guitarist from The Black Keys, a 2-piece blues band from Akron, Ohio. After much success with the band, he released his first solo album, Keep it Hid, in February of 2009, which was recorded at his own Akron Analog studios using mainly vintage equipment. The album highlights include "My Last Mistake" and "I Want Some More," but the album is good noise from start to finish. During solo shows, Dan is backed by the band Hacienda, from San Antonio, Texas, and Patrick Hallahan, the drummer from My Morning Jacket, who have recently taken the name The Fast 5.

Being an avid fan of the band The Black Keys and having listened to the new Auerbach album several times before Dan's most recent Chicago show at the Metro on March 6, I expected a good show from Dan with the rest of the pieces just filling in. The performance was much more than that; it was loud and fast just like any show from the Black Keys, but instead of Dan drowning out the rest of the band, the band played together like they'd been on the road together for years. The tracks were longer and the sound was much deeper than anything I expected. They will be a definite stop of mine at this year's Lolla.


Dan Auerbach on MySpace

No. 41: Federico Aubele

Jamaican dub and reggae, American ambient and hip-hop, Mexican bolero, and Argentine tango. These genres describe Federico Aubele. I know what two of those mean. Federico is an Argentine singer-songwriter who speaks Spanish, English, and German. All of his vocals are in Spanish. Luckily for me, Federico explains all of his songs on his new album Amatoria are about love and inspired by Roman poet Ovid. Ovid is considered to have written the first book about love for the western culture. Federico was discovered by sending his demo to band Thievery Corporation and was soon signed to create his first album Gran Hotel Buenos Aires. All of the songs are slow paced but he adds some electronic beats into the mix, and I can see why Thievery Corporation helped him sign on their label Eighteenth Street Lounge Music -- I hear many similarities. Federico is actually playing the Ravinia tonight in Highland Park if anyone wants to check him out before Lollapalooza. He plays on Saturday at 1:30 on the Playstation stage at Lolla.

He also sports a sweet fro...

Official Page
MySpace Page

No. 42: Glasvegas

Glasvegas is a 4-piece band from Glasgow, Scotland that formed in 2003. The band has released one self-titled full-length album that received numerous awards and a mini album with a Christmas theme A Snow Flake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) both in 2008. Glasvegas' debut album is a solid effort. "Geraldine" and "Go Square Go" are highlights. I find them similar to Oasis and The Killers, and since they have a favorable time slot at Lolla I'll probably check them out while I'm waiting for TV on the Radio to take the stage.


However, the band falls into an unfortunate category with me. When a band arrives and suddenly appears on every radio station, headlines every festival, and becomes everyone's favorite band like the Killers in 2004-05, I tend to group in everyband that sounds remotely like them and not give them a second listen. An unfair way to judge the bands, but it happens and when I finally get around to giving them a second listen I often find that they're much more then the square hole I fit them into. This happen to anyone else?


Glasvegas on MySpace

The Official Site of Glasvegas

No. 43: The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem was Born in the USA. The band formed in 2005 and has toured from the Badlands, to Atlantic City, to the Streets of Philadelphia. They've had Glory Days and Better Days and seem to have a bright future.

Okay, that was a brutal attempt at overstating how much The Gaslight Anthem sounds like Bruce Springsteen. They originally come from the Jersey Shore and are about as American as a band can get. The band has released two albums: Sink or Swim in 2007 and their latest The 59' Sound released in 2008. Both albums are solid throughout and the sound is very similar to a faster-paced, furious Springsteen album. The Gaslight Anthem has played on a Johnny Cash tribute album, routinely covers Tom Petty at live performances, and lists Neil Young as a major influence (yes I know he's Canadian). I'd like to check out the band at Lolla this year, however their time slot is in competition with both Amazing Baby and the Builders and the Butchers.


The Gaslight Anthem on MySpace

The Official Site of The Gaslight Anthem

No. 44 Peter Bjorn & John

Peter Bjorn and John are a Swedish indie rock band that is probably most known for their 2006 single “Young Folks” off the album Writers Block. By the end of the summer of 2007 you were either whistling the chorus at least once a day or gouging your ears out with an ice pick everytime you heard it overplayed on WXRT. Nonetheless it was one catchy tune.

Few people realize, but PB&J is actually named after 3 people and not 2. Peter Morén (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Björn Yttling (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals) and John Eriksson (drums, percussion and vocals).They have put out 2 albums since Writers Block. One was called Seaside Rock, an instrumental that can be hard for anyone but hardcore PB&J fans to get in to. The other is this year’s release Living Thing. Living Thing is a definite departure from the spacious and flowing pop music one was accustomed to when listening to PB&J. It sounds like an attempt to test their songwriting, but in the end the music doesn’t hold up and you keep asking yourself, Where is the hook? PB&J seemed like they were destined to break out after Writer’s Block, but have come up short in their last 2 projects. In this reviewer's opinion they were good at writing pop music with lofty lyrics and simple crowd pleasers. They had that feeling of classical music with a rock-sound and all has been lost on this new record with their reliance on a drum-machine.

PB&J played Lollapalooza in 2007 and their set was delayed about 20 minutes due to a power outage. To pass time they started scaling the banners next to the stage and were either drunk or consumed by heat exhaustion. They finished up their set with “Objects of My Affection," and "Up Against the Wall," two pretty powerful numbers that hopefully get played over anything off their new album at this year’s Lollapalooza. I would make a stop by PB&J for a song or two, but until they go back to what they were good at there are plenty of other bands to see.

Official Site

MySpace Page

No. 45: Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs are a rock group from Leeds, England. They have released three albums -- the most recent "Off With Their Heads" in October 2008. I bought this album last year after reading a very positive review in Paste magazine (91 out of 100). I don't think I would recommend it this highly, but it has its moments.

You can read a previous review I wrote on the album here. The album has kind of fallen out my play rotation recently, but I still like some of the tunes. (The jam at the end of "You Want History" is guiltily good.)

I've never seen this band live in person, but I did happen to catch a performance on the Palladia channel recently. I was not very impressed. Their songs fell kind of flat in front of a big crowd, and I fear more of the same from them at Lollapalooza. I probably won't be checking them out. But I could see myself stopping for a quick lesson, hoping to hear a few of their catchy songs that I don't want to admit I enjoy.

Their name comes from a South African soccer club. Does anyone else get a "Almost Famous" vibe from this picture?

Kaiser Chiefs on Myspace

Official site

No. 46 The Airborne Toxic Event

This five-piece indie rock band is from a district of Los Angeles called Los Feliz. The band is named after a chapter in the book “White Noise” by Don Delillo in which a large chemical spill from a rail car releases a toxic cloud over a city. With a name like that, I thought they would have more of an experimental sound, however it's pretty straight indie rock. Many of the tracks have an epic feeling where the song hits a great climax; it reminds me of Arcade Fire in a way.

The lead singer Mikel Jollett is a writer who has freelanced for NPR, L.A.Times, and Filter magazine. In 2006, instead of writing a novel for a year, he just kept writing songs and decided to start a band. The band's only album, which is self-titled, has some catchy tunes like "missy" and "gasoline" along with some more drawn-out songs with heavy violins from classically trained violinist Anna Bulbrook like "Sometime around Midnight." The band wraps up with bassist Noah Harmon (who holds a jazz degree in upright bass performance), former punk drummer Daren Taylor, and one of Jollett's old friends, guitarist Steven Chen.

Most reviews of the album recieved a good 7 or 8 out of 10. Of course Pitchfork gave it a whopping 1.6 out of 10. This may scare some of you from giving them a listen. Please don't, Pitchfork has been screwing bands since the beginning of time. Seriously 1.6? The band does enjoy creating music videos; they offer quite a few on their myspace page. Check out the acoustic version of "gasoline", "missy", and "innocence." Below is their impressive performance on Letterman. They play on Sunday 2:30 to 3:30 at Lollapalooza.

Official Page
MySpace Page

No. 47: Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes is a folk rock group from Seattle. At first listen, they draw obvious comparisons to the likes of My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses (at least vocally). Musically, however, they have an "older" sound -- something much wiser and mature than the 20-somethings that make up the band.

They released their debut full-length album last year. Read my initial review of it here. Almost exactly a year since I wrote that review, I still think the album is great. I look forward to hearing what these guys have in store for the future.

Now, Fleet Foxes put out this outstanding album with great harmonizing vocals, and it made me think the band would have a difficult time re-creating the sound in a live setting. But that couldn't be further from the truth. I saw Fleet Foxes twice last year -- once in a festival setting, once in a club setting. They sounded great both times, absolutely nailing the vocals and soul of the music.

If there was one complaint I had for the live shows, it's that the setlist was very similar both times. But when a band only has one album and an EP, I guess I can't complain. I really hope they've been cooking up some new tunes this past year -- but I'd still probably be content to see more of the same from them this year at Lolla. I'd definitely recommend checking them out.

Fleet Foxes on Myspace

No. 48: Ra Ra Riot

Ra Ra Riot is a six-member pop rock band from Syracuse, NY. In addition to the traditional drums, bass, guitar setup, the band features an electric violin player and an electric cello player. I'd say their sound is a mix of Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend.

The group only has one full-length album -- "The Rhumb Line," which was released August 2008. The album has a hint of sadness to it, thanks to the haunting strings and soft lyrics. "The Rhumb Line" was co-written by former drummer John Ryan Pike. Pike was found dead after one of their shows in 2007. This story also adds to the sad feeling of the album.

The album received favorable reviews, but I think it's a little overrated, partially because of what happened to Pike. I'll be interested to see how this band's future albums turn out and if their success continues. However, even though I'm not enamored with their album, I do think they're a great live band. I saw them play at the Double Door last year and they were incredible. I had never heard of them before, but thought that with a name like Ra Ra Riot, they would most likely be lame. But about 15 seconds into their first song, I knew these guys were for real. On stage, they jump around, smiling, having a blast. I recommend seeing Ra Ra Riot live if you can (especially to see their cello player).

Here's a blog written by Pike's mother as a tribute to his life.

Ra Ra Riot on Myspace

Official site

No. 49: No Age

No Age is a drum/guitar duo from Los Angeles. If I were to come up with a term to describe their sound, I'd say "space punk." They're loud -- especially for only two people -- but they also use a lot of sampled loop sounds. It makes for an interesting mix.

Their latest release, "Nouns" is a quick, thick rocker. It has catchy, poppier punk songs, and it has more experimental songs as well. (One of the songs is actually very Animal Collective-esque, which I dig). But regardless of the type of song, they rarely crack the 3:00 mark. I know that's the punk rock way of doing things, but when there are only 12 tracks, it kind of leaves me wanting more.

No Age is associated with "The Smell," an underground-community music club in LA that supports musicians and artists.

I have a tendancy to not really like bands with only two members, especially when I see them live. I feel like they lack the presence of a full band. Because of this, I'm kind of worried I won't like them live. I'm not sure how thier crazy sounds will transfer to the live stage -- if they even use them at all. I did check out one of their songs last year at Pitchfork and wasn't blown away, but I will probably give them a chance to win me over this year at Lolla. I enjoy "Nouns" enough to give them that chance.

No Age on Myspace

No. 50: Asher Roth

Asher Roth is a white suburban rapper, not to paint him into a corner. He may have more to give and on his first album he flows well with the beats, as if I know what flow is, but the album focuses too much on a juvenile college theme. I hate to think I don't like this album because I've outgrown the subject matter. His most popular singles "I Love College" and "Lark on My Go-Kart" focus mainly on marijuana, but touch other subjects such as mario cart, teddy ruxpin, wii fit, keg stands and others that bring back memories of dorm rooms and house parties.

Asher is from a small town 20 miles Northeast of Philadelphia and is often compared to other "white rappers" such as Eminem and Atmosphere. He even has a song on his first album Asleep in the Bread Aisle called "As I Em" that focuses on the comparisons between him and Eminem. I like some of the songs individually but find them hard to take one after another. I hate to think my dislike comes from the fact I've outgrown most of the subject matter, I like to consider myself immature. I think Asher Roth has a lot of promise and has and easily distinguishable sound compared to the "white rappers" that came before him. One day in the future may put out a career defining album, I just hope this isn't it. I will probably avoid his stage at Lollapalooza fearing a break out of fraternity letters and natty light.


Asher Roth on MySpace

No. 51: Los Campesinos!

Aleksandra Campesinos! - Singing/Keyboards/Melody Horn
Ellen Campesinos! - Bass/Singing
Gareth Campesinos! - Singing/Glockenspiel/Keyboards
Harriet Campesinos! - Violin/Keyboards/Singing
Neil Campesinos! - Guitar/Singing
Ollie Campesinos! - Drums/Singing
Tom Campesinos! - Guitar/Singing

That's a lot of stuff right there. Listening to Los Campesinos! I enjoyed what I heard, but after learning they were a seven piece band with numerous instruments including a Glockenspiel confusion and curiosity crept in.

The band is from Cardiff, Wales and formed just three years ago in early 2006. In many of their songs they feature call/answer, female/male vocals similar to bands like Johnny Foreigner and Broken Social Scene. Like I said earlier I enjoyed the band but with a time slot competing against the Animal Collective DJ set, Joe Pugg and Atmosphere I'm not sure I'll find time for it, unless my curiosity gets the best of me.


Los Campesinos! on MySpace

The Official Site of Los Campesions!

2009 Lollapalooza schedule

The 2009 Lollapalooza schedule was announced today. I'm fairly pleased with the distribution of bands, although I think Sunday is kind of weak. And I'm only seeing one major conflict so far. Here are a few thoughts:


Friday, August 7

The good: Friday is solid-looking. Hockey, Manchester Orchestra, Amazing Baby, and Bon Iver will make for a busy first half of the day. The second half is a little less exciting. I'll probably try to catch Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird, and Kings of Leon (as long as they're not playing all songs off their latest album). Bands I would like to see, but not sure if I'll make it: The Builders and the Butchers and Of Montreal.

The bad: Manchester Orchestra kind of got hosed on their timeslot, although they are playing on a mainstage this year. Better hope it doesn't take over an hour to get into Grant Park this year. Amazing Baby only get 45 minutes. Headliners are pretty weak. I have no desire to see Depeche Mode, so if KOL is sucking I don't know what I'm going to do.


Saturday, August 8

The good: This day probably has the most number of bands that I'm really excited to see. Nice to see Joe Pug get a sweet mid-afternoon slot. I'm really happy Animal Collective has a later timeslot, so hopefully they'll have a cool light show. Also, AC isn't in a conflict with anyone I want to see. (I don't care about Ben Harper.) No conflict for TV on the Radio either. Best headliners, but since they're playing at the same time that's kind of a bad thing (see below).

The bad: Ezra Furman has a way-early slot, so I'll probably miss that. No Age and Hercules and Love Affair DJs are playing at the same time -- I'd like to see both. After the lineup was released, I decided the only headliners I was interested in were Beastie Boys and Tool. I'm really torn on who to see. I've never seen either band, I like both bands, but I'm not in love with either of them either. This'll probably be a gametime decision.


Sunday, August 9

The good: Looking forward to Portugal. The Man, Passion Pit, and Band of Horses.

The bad: This day doesn't really blow me away. I have no interest in the headliners, and there's a potential conflict with Deerhunter and Lou Reed. Kind of wish Ra Ra Riot wasn't playing so early, but I can understand why they are.

No. 52: Bat for Lashes

Bat for Lashes is the alias of female British singer song writer Natasha Khan. She has a operatic voice that accompanies down-tempo hip-hop and reggae style music. Compared favorably to other female vocalists such as Bjork, PJ Harvey, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple, her overall sound comes off closer to trip-hop groups Massive Attack and Portishead to me. Bat for Lashes has released two full length albums "Fur of Gold," (with Prescilla, one of my favorite of this artist's tracks) and her latest release, "Two Suns."

Khan has received praise from some notable people, including MIA and Radiohead's Thom Yorke. Bat for Lashes even opened for several nights on Radiohead's 2008 tour. I enjoyed Bat for Lashes but have always needed to be in the right frame of mind to listen to Massive Attack and Portishead. I have added her tracks to that playlist but probably won't go out of my way to see her this year at Lolla.


Bat for Lashes on MySpace

Official Site of Bat for Lashes

Listen to Her Cover Kings of Leon's Use Somebody

No. 53: Chairlift

Chairlift is a three-person synth-pop band from where it seems like every new indie band is from: Brooklyn. They're fronted by Caroline Polachek, who also plays keyboard. She has a pleasant voice, but not one that's ground-breakingly unique or anything. Guitarist Aaron Pfenning also chimes in occasionally, which I feel takes away from the strength of the band (Polachek).

Chairlift is probably best known for their single "Bruises," which appeared on an iPod commercial. The song is poppier than most of the songs on their album "Does You Inspire You," release in September 2008. Most of the songs are crawling, quiet, and kind of boring, in my opinion. I do like the song "Earwig Town," but other than that, I'm not really that drawn to any of the tunes. So if you're in the mood for something kind of mellow, with hints on '80s synths, this might be right up your alley. I don't think this will be something I go out of my way to see at Lolla this year.

Chairlift on Myspace

Official site

No. 54: Gang Gang Dance

Gang Gang Dance is an experimental band from New York. Think Animal Collective with a female singer. They use a lot of loops and tribal percussion, giving the music a very "out there" feeling. But from what I've heard of the band, their songs don't really have much focus. They're kind of all over the place.

Being a big Animal Collective fan, I would have thought this would be a band I liked, but I just don't think I can give them my stamp of approval. I like weird music probably more than any other Claptrapped contributor, but this is even a little too weird for me. Maybe seeing them live would change my mind about them...

The band has had its share of bad luck. In 2002, original band member and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Livingston Maddox was struck by lightning and killed. And this past February, the band had to cancel an entire European tour after a fire destroyed their equipment. You can read a Myspace blog post on the fire here.

Gang Gang Dance on Myspace

No. 55 The Virgins

This band is described as dance-punk, it sounds to me like every song is made for a soundtrack for a movie staring Freddie Prince Jr. It's a very teen bop type of music, their target market has to be teenage girls. Obviously I'm not a huge fan. They hail from New York and have one album released that's self titled. The band is made of Donald Cumming, Wade Oates and Nick Zarin-Ackerman. Their songs appeared as the whole score for an episode on the TV show Gossip Girl...shocker.

It's not all poison to my ears, the song Fernando Pando has some substance and character, I do enjoy that song. Well needless to say I won't be checking them out at Lolla, but if you dig this type of music, go and dig it.

Offical Page
MySpace

No. 56: Amazing Baby

Amazing Baby is a psych rock band from Brooklyn. They're part '80s, part Pink Floyd, part Ween, and part something totally unique. And I have to say it -- I think they're pretty ... Amazing.

They attended Wesleyan University with the guys from MGMT. Coincidentally (or maybe not), they sound similar as well. Comparisons aside, I think Amazing Baby are better.

Their upcoming album, "Rewild" will be released June 23. You can check it out right now on their Myspace page too. The album is great as a whole. The first six tracks are all interesting, different sounding from each other, and must-listens.

Probably my favorite aspect of the band is that their songs don't all sound the same. The songs aren't as different as, say a collection of Ween songs, but it's kind of along those lines. Just when you think you've figured out their sound on "Rewild" they bust out "The Narwhal," a spacy, acoustic, almost-tribal-sounding song.

As a funny side note, not long ago, the members of the band were actually working for a ringtone company. From an interview on clashmusic.com: "We all worked at a ringtone company. We were sitting around making ringtones for Indiana Jones theme songs, but we really wanted to record. Once we were pretty sure we wouldn’t starve to death if we quit our day jobs, we did,” O’Connor (guitarist) says. “Quitting my job ruled. I took my boss aside and said, ‘I’m going to be a professional musician now, you’ll see.’ It was great. Yo, check this out: I’m at work right now, and I’m in my underpants, smoking a cigarette and cooking food. That’s great.”

I'll be checking these guys out at Lolla. If you're in the Chicago-area, you can go see them at Park West tomorrow (June 13). I'm interested to see if these guys will be this year's MGMT. I'm predicting they'll make an even bigger impact.

Official site

No. 57 Portugal. The Man

I'm surprised I've never heard of this group before, they have some great tunes, I especially enjoy the vocals of John Gourley. This band originates from Alaska, currently lives in Portland and have their fourth album coming out in July. That's four albums in the past four years -- you don't see that much these days. I was trying to nail down a genre, but the songs are very different from each other. So I went to some other websites to see what they label Portugal. The Man and the list is as follows: indie, experimental, indie rock, progressive, rock , Post-Hardcore, Alternative, soul, blues, and folk. That's quite a list, all I know it sounds damn good.

So I'm sure you are curious about the band name as was I. Well here is the answer from Gourley. "Portugal is a man's name as "Ziggy Stardust" is David Bowie...but the country is representing a group of people- and the band is not just one person..." So I guess we won't hear from a band named The John Gourley Band anytime soon.

As I sit here writing this post, I'm still wondering how I just discovered this band, but sure glad I did. So yes you will see me watching them at Lolla. Listen to "Shade," "Lay Me Back Down," "Sapphire Magic" and "People Say." It will be good for you, I promise.

Sounds like, many bands, just listen. Alright if I had to say, it would be Mars Volta meets Sonic Youth meets early Radiohead and My Morning Jacket. That sounds about right.

Official Page
MySpace Page

No. 58 The Knux

Well to start off, I'm not the biggest hip-hop fan out there, but I actually really like what I've heard from these guys. The duo are brothers from New Orleans that landed in L.A. after Hurricane Katrina hit. They obviously don't take themselves too seriously, they chose "Krispy Kream" and "Rah Almillio" as their rap names, and The Knux is short for The Knuckle Heads. Kentrell "Krispy Kream" Lindsey and Alvin "Rah Almillio" Lindsey currently just have one released album "Remind Me in 3 Days..." which came out last year. The hit songs "Bang, Bang" and "Cappuccino" have been heard on the show Entourage and in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, which seems fitting for these laid-back goofy brothers.

The unique and my favorite aspect to The Knux is they play their own instruments on stage, which you don't see often with hip-hop. However, they keep true to the hip-hop style since their instruments never lead over the lyrics or general beat of the song. I would say they sound similar to OutKast. If you're into hip-hop, check em out at Lolla. I bet these guys will be real fun to see. Listen to "Bang, Bang", I bet you'll be hooked.

Official Page
MySpace Page

No. 59 Ida Maria

Ida Maria is a pop-punk rocker from Norway. She has an interesting voice, with hints of Janis Joplin and Bjork, but it also has a definite uniqueness to it. I guess I would describe her as a punky version of Lily Allen.

Her songs are definitely catchy. Songs "Oh My God" and "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked," both of which appear on her only album, "Fortress Round My Heart," will certainly be stuck in your head no matter how badly you want them out -- only after a couple listens. But her songs, for the most part, aren't cheesy-catchy. They're interesting and pretty energetic. The slower songs on her album are fairly uninteresting; Ida Maria thrives on her energy and attitude.

I could see people having a good time seeing her live. Her music isn't really my bag, however, so I probably won't be checking her out at Lolla this year.

Interesting fact about Ida Maria: she has synaesthesia, which makes her see colors when she hears tones or sounds (according to Spin magazine). Sounds like that would make being a musician a lot of fun...

Ida Maria's Myspace

Official site

No. 60: Delta Spirit

With a name like Delta Spirit and a sound as soul as Skynrd you would think the band would have been raised in the heart of the south, but their origin is sunny San Diego, California. As Matt Vasquez lead singer of Delta Spirit said in a Patrol Magazine interview "Wasn’t The Band from Canada, Neil Young’s Canadian, CCR is from San Francisco, Janis Joplin’s from Austin, I like her. I grew up there! It’s not about where you are, it’s about what music gravitates to you, what music people showed you, what music grabbed you, it could be anything."

Delta Spirit was definitely grabbed by sound that was made years before their time and miles from their homes. They re-create a sound comparable to southern rockers that came before them, and at times, like during "People C'mon" and "Trashcan," seem to be able to make that sound their own. The music for Delta Spirit is only beginning, they have only released one full-length album "Ode to Sunshine," and I am looking forward to checking out the band at Lolla and will be listening for any information on a sophmore effort.


Delta Spirit on MySpace

No. 61: Friendly Fires

Friendly Fires, out of England have grown on me a little. When I first listened to them, it seemed like they were little more than a synth pop act in the same class as Duran Duran. Over time I have grown accustomed to certain songs off their self-titled debut like "White Diamonds", and the breakout hit, "Jump In The Pool". While songs like "Paris" from the same album give me douche chills (Someday we're gonna live in Pars/ I promise, I'm honest), the tracks that I do like have a frantic, multi-percussion layered groove complete with slap bass. Case in point, the totally funked out "On Board" where the call and response main line of the song is repeated collectively by all three members until it becomes stuck in your head. While the songs of Ed MacFarlane, Jack Savidge, and Edd Gibson don't really have much to say, they create a fun party vibe and would do any club DJ a service by having them on hand.

If these guys have a favorable slot, I might check them out at Lolla, but I can't see myself going out of my way.

Friendly Fires' Myspace

Official Website

No. 62 Manchester Orchestra

Manchester Orchestra is a young indie rock band hailing from Atlanta that has already proved themselves with two released full length albums: "I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child" and "Mean Everything to Nothing." The latter received a "Phenomenal" (91 out of 100) rating by Paste magazine. This young group is led by Andy Hull (now age 22) who mostly sings about struggles of being on the road and his relationship with God. Some of us at Claptrapped have had the pleasure of catching these guys in a few concerts, even by accident once which was posted by Kolmin in April. Their sets range from a high-energy giving you goose bumps type of feeling to sweet melodies. Hull's singing was described in a review as going from Conor Oberst to Eddie Vedder-esque. I would say they sound like a combination of Silversun Pickups / My Morning Jacket, which helps since the producer of the latest album was Joe Chiccarelli who produced The Raconteurs, My Morning Jacket, and The Shins. There is seriously not one song this band has that I dislike, even on the EPs which have some nice treats like "I was a lid" on the EP "Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind."

We can sit here and write all day about this band, but really you have to just listen and enjoy. This band needs to be a stop for you during Lollapalooza.

Official Page
MySpace Page
Official YouTube page and Podcast
Live on Letterman 1
Live on Letterman 2
Unplugged at Spin

No. 63: Constantines

Upon first listens of Constantines from Ontario, one gets the feeling that they are a bit of an acquired taste. The two guitarists in the band, Steve Lambke and Bryan Webb, share vocal duties and their style can best be described as a breathy, scratchy drawl not completely unlike Bruce Springsteen. Their latest, Kensington Heights, goes from almost prog-y power punk on "Hard Feelings", to synth laden rock on "Credit River", back to dreary dive bar ready numbers like "Million Star Hotel" and "I Will Not Sing a Hateful Song." This band is a little hard to pin down, and I'd probably enjoy them if they were a little more melodic. If I had to compare them to another band, that band would be Big Head Todd and the Monsters.... A band I'm not too keen on to begin with.

So if you haven't guessed, this band isn't going to be on my list of shows to see at Lolla, but don't let me stop you:

Constantines Myspace

Official website

No. 64: Ezra Furman and the Harpoons

"I wrote this song in a paper bag!", exclaims Ezra Furman on "We Should Fight", the song that kicks off Inside The Human Body, the Boston band's latest album. While that's more than likely not true, the band knows a thing or two about writing and recording songs in cramped places. The band's first album, Beat Beat Beat is said to have been recorded in various dorm rooms at Tufts University, a process that seems like it could have been a factor on Inside The Human Body. The album has a very jangly, raw air about it, complete with Furman's shaky vocals and harmonica squalls-a-plenty. The Flaming Lips and Violent Femmes influences are extremely palpable on songs like "The Stakes Are High" and their radio hit "Take Off Your Sunglasses". There's even some touches of Daniel Johnston in there. However, the band makes this style their own as shown on "Springfield, IL" where Furman's floaty almost operatic voice laments "This big bad world makes me want to vomit/I can feel my soul escaping out my mouth." Seems as though Ezra and I have a common thread as that is a thought I too share when thinking about the state capital lately...

I think this is gonna be a show I see at Lollapalooza if only to see how a guy that looks like Ezra can sound like Wayne Coyne and Gordon Gano are partying in his voice box.

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons' Myspace

Official Website

No. 65 Henry Clay People

The Henry Clay People come to the midwest after being reputed as the best live act in L.A. It will be the band's second trip to Chicago this year after stopping here on their tour with Ben Harper and the Relentless 7. Led by the Siara brothers, Joey and Andy, this band of four are riding high on their recent album release For Cheap or For Free.

Though they are from L.A., HCP is surpisingly folk. They play undoubtedly good ole rowdy drinking music, good for cheap beer (Keystone anyone?) and screaming guitar solos. I am sure they put on a loud show in packed bars with a crowd growing ever more drunk with them, but it will be interesting to see how their music translates at Lolla. Their influences include early Replacements, Pavement and they sound similar to A.M. era Wilco.

I caught a recent XM inteview with them, they sounded very humble, thanking the fans that let them crash at their place while on tour. They also mentioned many of their friends who have been helping them out lately (Aquarium Drunkard and Autumn Tone Records are a huge sponsor for the band on the L.A. scene). But the interview gave me a feeling that the music is put together by a collaboration amongst friends and friends of friends lending a hand, which is a large part of its success.

Useless knowledge on Henry Clay himself, he was a senator and Speaker of the House who ran several times for President and never won.

www.myspace.com/thehenryclaypeople

No. 66 Miike Snow

At first, I thought this was a one-man show; however, this is a trio made up of Andrew Wyatt, Christian Karlsson, and Pontus Winnberg from Sweden. I would describe their music as electronic pop. These three are actually producers that decided to create their own sound and band. They worked with several artists including Madonna, Rob Thomas, and Britney Spears. I think these guys should stick to creating their own sound since I enjoy it much more than some of the artists they worked with previously. I would compare them to Passion Pit, Animal Collective, and a touch of Postal Service -- especially on the track "Vampire Weekend vs. Miike Snow." They haven't even officially come out with their debut album yet, it comes out on June 9th, but you can listen to all the tracks on MySpace. Overall, I think this is a good first album if you're interested into electro/pop. Many of the tracks sound unique, which I think is tough to pull off for this genre.

I will not be running toward the stage at Lolla for Miike Snow, but I really dig some tracks like "Black and Blue", "Burial", "Animal", and my favorite "Vampire Weekend vs. Miike Snow." It may be interesting to catch them if you can at Lolla on the side stage.

MySpace Page / Official Page

No. 67: Alberta Cross

For Petter Ericson Stakee and Terry Wolfers of Alberta Cross, it seems like they have gotten their fair shake in the music world as of late. Stakee (guitar, vocals), and Wolfers (bass, vocals) have only released a couple of EPs in their short history together; Leave Us Or Forgive Us, and The Thief and The Heartbreaker. While I couldn't really find an official website on this little band, and despite their short history together, the duo have been featured in various festivals like All Points West, Coachella, and Austin City Limits. This summer they will play to huge audiences at fests such as Lolla, Bonnaroo, and Glastonbury. Their EP The Thief and the Heartbreaker is a pretty solid effort from these guys. Stakee, who calls Sweden home and Wolfers, who's from London, both came together over a love of music as reported on their Wiki site. It appears they've done their alt-country homework with haunting, clench-jawed songs such as "Lucy Rider" and "The Devil's All You Ever Had". Most of the songs have acoustic touches, and have really grown on me. Out of all the new bands I've listened to for this feature on Claptrapped, I gotta hand it to Alberta Cross for being the best.

I'm looking forward to seeing these guys at Lolla. They have a sleepy authentic feel to them, but I recommend checking out their disc beforehand. I don't think this is going to be a very high energy show, so it's probably best if you know what you're in for before you get into it.

Alberta Cross' Myspace