No. 49: Dan Black

Dan Black is British pop electronica singer who hails from London. He has some good techno mixes that reminds me of stuff from Daft Punk, but when he opens his mouth it destroys it. I agree with a reviewer from Dot Music, "However much electro trickery he has at his fingertips, he needs some songs first". For example listen to "Pass That Head Noise", starts out with a solid beat then plops once the vocals come into play. I don't think hes terrible, I just think he needs to work more on integrating his voice into his music, just doesn't sound right to me. I am one person however and he obviously has many fans. I will absolutely give him credit for playing with a full band on stage, not many electronica bands bring everything live to the stage. The best song I think is the much slower "Let Go", just seems to flow much better with the vocals. He has been around the music industry playing in the alternative band The Servant since 1998, so he does have the stage presence. Dan Black will be playing at the BMI stage at 3:00 on Sunday.

MySpace

No. 50: Minus the Bear

One of two bands with the word "bear" in their name playing at Lollapalooza this year, Minus the Bear hails from Seattle. And I'd have to say, "minus" is a pretty appropriate word to describe this band. I don't hate them, or think I would immediately switch the channel if they came on the radio, but they don't grab my attention either.

At least on their latest album, Omni, which was released last May, there isn't much of anything original going on. Bland alternative rock, with a hint of psychedelic keyboard, and pretty annoying vocals don't really much for me. The group has been around since 2001, so it's possible some of their older material is better.

Contrary to what it probably sounds like, I don't completely hate this band. But I'm sure I'll be much more likely to check out the other "bear" band at Lolla -- Grizzly Bear. Minus the Bear plays on Sunday at 3:00, up against Mumford & Sons.

Minus the Bear on MySpace

Here's a video that does a pretty good job of summing up how lame this band can be.

No. 51: Drive-By Truckers

One of the most explosive bands to ever come out of the cultural hotbed that is Athens, GA, the Drive-By Truckers have cemented their rightful place as holders of the contemporary Southern rock crown. But don't tell front man Patterson Hood that...... "Southern Rock" has never been a tag he's been proud of wearing. Hood would rather be associated with a much broader scope of influences, which is why he was probably ginning ear to ear when critics called his band "America's greatest rock band". For the Truckers, the road to get to that superlative has been a long and winding one. The band nearly broke up in 2006 after a nightmare tour and tensions within the band, the documentation of which can be found in the just-released film, "The Secret To A Happy Ending". Shortly thereafter, the band parted ways with guitarist Jason Isbell, an element of the band that contributed, in my opinion, some of the best Truckers songs like "Decoration Day", "Outfit", and "Danko/Manuel". Since then, the truckers added John Neff in Isbell's place and continue to rip up the road touring with Booker T and in support of their most recent effort, The Big To-Do. The album is OK, but the one Truckers album that really does it for me is The Dirty South, where guitarist Mike Cooley and Hood trade haggard tales of the Reagan-era economy in Alabama, folk heroes, World War II, and tornadoes. Shonna Tucker and Brad Morgan round out the rhythm section as Morgan's grungy beats wrap themselves around Tucker's more reserved bass and sensitive vocals.

I will definitely checking out the Drive-By Truckers at Lolla this year. I have seen them a couple times and if you like balls out rock, you won't want to miss them.

Myspace

www.drivebytruckers.com

No. 52: Dawes

An appearance by Wilco member Pat Sansone on their debut album, jam sessions with Conor Oberst and having their national television debut on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson definitely put some notches in their column, not that Dawes needed the help.

Their debut album North Hills is a fitting tribute to the American folk rock bands of the past. I can picture Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young literally passing the torch to the band,Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, Wylie Webster and Alex Casnoff. Similar bands of today would include Delta Spirit and Blind Pilot; Dawes sound is softer though with more harmonies, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Fortunately Dawes has a favorable time slot in this year's Lolla lineup, playing at half past three Saturday afternoon conflicting only with the xx and Gogol Bordello. I will definitely make time to see this Southern California band jam.

Dawes on MySpace

The Official Site of Dawes

No. 53: Los Amigos Invisibles

Espanol? No? Me either. However, the language barrier did little to stop Los Amigos Invisibles and their Latin beats. The sextet from Venezuela plays a "mezcla" of funk and disco with a "obvio" Latin influence.

To be completely "honesto" my familiarity with Latin music goes about as far as the Mexican Hat Dance or "Jarabe Tapatío." Los Amigos Invisibles' high energy seemed to be a good enough translator for me, songs like Mentiras really get the "sangre" flowing. If you need an early pick up at Lolla I would definitely recommend checking out the Amigos at 1pm on Friday, if you can afford to miss the Walkmen.

Los Amigos Invisibles on MySpace

...and a short side note if you google search Los Amigos Invisibles you are referred to male enhancement sites, thought it was funny.

No. 54: Blitzen Trapper

For me, Blitzen Trapper is definitely one of my "must see" bands at this year's Lolla. I was first introduced to the Portland natives about two years back by a girl I used to work with. I was always curious about the band... I had seen them in a Rolling Stone I had at the time, and was always intrigued by their logo- something that looked like it came straight off the cover from a 70's classic rock album (See their album cover for Furr for proof). She gave me a CD she burned of the aforementioned album, and while I was not fully blown away, I did really like its rusty, dusty feel, as well as the songs that seem like they came straight outta '70's pop radio (Do you see a theme here?). I became a fan after letting songs like "Sleepytime In The Western World", "God And Suicide", and the tremendous murder ballad "Black River Killer" marinate into my brain and daily consciousness for about a month straight. I even went so far as to give it an Honorable Mention in my list of top albums from 2008 last year.

Furr could only give me a hint of what was to come in the form of the just released Destroyer Of The Void. This album will, mark my words, be one of my, if not some of you other Claptrapper's top albums of 2010 before the year is through. With this album, Blitzen uses a sniper rifle with a laser sight to hit the bullseye instead of a shotgun. What I mean by that is that while I find most of their older albums enjoyable, it seems like they were trying to paint with too broad a brush. Older Blitzen albums seem to run the gamut from country twang to prog to noise rock, but Void succeeds where those don't by showcasing the more rustic, operatic side of the band. When listening to the title track, comparisons to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" come and go, but true to the influence, the song will take you on quite a journey filled with rousing and demure moments alike. The album also boasts a new murder ballad, "The Man Who Would Speak True" that is truly on par with it's predecessor in scope and hyperbole.

Please do your Lolla-going self a justice and seek out this band before you get there. Then you can be as pumped as I am about seeing them instead of another pervasive Lady Gaga knockoff.

Blitzen Trapper's Website

Myspace

No. 55: The Big Pink

So The Big Pink, I've been struggling with what to say about this group for a while now. I've had their only album, A Brief History of Love, playing for weeks now and it's always just sort of there. The duo, Akiko Matsuura and Leopold Ross, are an electric rock group from London has been loosely compared to bands like Nine Inch Nails and Yeasayer, very loosely. A more appropriate and recent comparison may be The xx, another high praise band I can't seem to get. Monotonity with no hook sounds like a blast. After saying all that I'll give them which seems like my normal review they're not that bad, I just don't think they're all that good either. Then again if you enjoy The xx and don't mind missing Drive-By Truckers, Cymbals Eat Guitars and My Dear Disco you might want to wander over to the adidas stage Friday afternoon or check them out at Lincoln Hall, probably a better venue for their sound, the Thursday before.

The Big Pink on MySpace

The Official Site of The Big Pink

No. 56: Cymbals Eat Guitars

I had not heard New York-based Cymbals Eat Guitars before doing this preview, but I'm glad I chose to write them up because I'm liking what I hear. By no means a super original sound, Cymbals Eat Guitars sounds a bit like Pavement or Built To Spill, but they are definitely not knock-offs.

They're a young band, and have only released one album to date: Why There Are Mountains, but I wouldn't be surprised if these guys stick around for a while. Check out the tracks "And the Hazy Sea" and "Wind Phoenix." Those are probably my favorites from the album.

My discovery of Cymbals makes me a little more excited for Friday at Lollapalooza; however, they play at 3:30, which presents a conflict with Drive-By Truckers, another band I'd like to catch. So I'm definitely going to have a dilemma on my hands.

Cymbals Eat Guitars on MySpace

No. 57: The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack is a fast paced indie/rock/punk garage band from San Diego. Their songs are fairly simple but have some catchy hooks. They do have an older punk sound which they've said in interviews is what there going for. I'm not a huge fan of their lyrics. One of their most popular songs is "Answer to Yourself." Here are the first few lines.

"You gotta answer to yourself

You can't depend on anyone else

You gotta know where you stand

And what's in your hands

Yeah you gotta answer to yourself "

Just doesn't seem like much thought was put into the lyrics. They have one album which is self titled and it wouldn't be if they kept their old band name. These guys used to be called The Muslims but not shockingly got too much flack and changed their names. They will be playing on Saturday at 12:30 on the Budweiser stage. I may catch them but would not go out of my way. I think The Morning Benders who are playing earlier Saturday should have had this spot.

No. 58: Wolfmother

Similar to my previous preview of Cut Copy, Wolfmother hails from Australia. However, the two groups' sounds are pretty much polar opposites. Wolfmother plays a brand of classic psychedelic rock that could be compared to Black Sabbath.

The band put out their self-titled debut in 2005, and it received a lot of praise. It looked like Wolfmother would really take off as a band, but things didn't go so smoothly. In August 2008, drummer Myles Heskett and bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross left the band due to "irreconcilable differences." Wolfmother is currently a four-member group, and their new album, Cosmic Egg, isn't much of a departure from their earlier stuff. It still has the distinctive vocals of Andrew Stockdale along with a 70s classic rock vibe.

I've heard Wolfmother is good live band, so I'm looking forward to seeing them on Sunday of Lollapalooza. They go up against MGMT, so that might be a tough decision for some, but I wasn't very impressed with MGMT at Lolla a couple years ago. So I think I might check out Wolfmother instead.

However, there is a chance that there won't be a decision to make here. Wolfmother's fan site is reporting the band has canceled its entire European tour this summer due to illness. No word on Lollapalooza and whether their show will be canceled, so stay tuned...

Wolfmother on MySpace

No. 59: Cut Copy

Cut Copy is a three-member electronic dance rock band from Australia. They make up part of an interesting mix of similar-type bands playing Lollapalooza this year that includes Hot Chip and Phoenix.

Cut Copy's most recent release was in 2008 -- In Ghost Colours. I'm a fan of this album, even though it's a little cheesy. But despite the cheesiness, it features great flow, catchy tunes, and an overall fun vibe. It's a really good summer album, and I hope this transfers to this year's Lolla festival. Some tracks to check out: "Unforgettable Season," "So Haunted," and "Strangers in the Wind." The band supposedly has a new album coming out this year, but there is no official word yet.

I have not seen Cut Copy perform live, but I have read numerous reviews that have praised their skills on stage. They play Saturday night at Lolla at 7:30. It should make for a pretty interesting lead-in into Phoenix's headlining set. I'm looking forward to it.

Cut Copy on MySpace

No. 60: The Cribs

Keeping with my theme of previewing "The [fill in the blank]" bands, The Cribs are an English indie rock band. They have some punk rock in them, and they kind of remind me of The Strokes. I saw them play at the Double Door a couple years ago, and they were honestly very underwhelming. The sounds wasn't great, and a lot of their songs sounded exactly the same. (Side note: Luckily, the night was salvaged by the opening band, Ra Ra Riot -- who I had never heard before. But that's another story.)

The Cribs released their fourth album, Ignore the Ignorant, last year. I haven't heard much of it (screw you Apple for shutting down Lala), but I have their 2007 effort, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, and it leaves me feeling pretty similar to their live shows -- not very impressed.

The group did add former Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist, Johnny Marr, so maybe he could make a difference for some people. Probably not me, though. It's basically a sure-thing that I will not be in attendance when The Cribs take the stage at Lollapalooza at 2:00 on Sunday -- they play at the same time as Blitzen Trapper, a band I am very excited to see.

The Cribs on MySpace

No. 61: The Walkmen

The Walkmen formed in 2000 with members from the Washington, DC area. Musically, the band reminds me a little of The National, but probably a little more upbeat. And vocally, The Walkmen bear little resemblance to The National, as lead singer Hamilton Leithauser belts out a unique, almost Dylan-esque voice.

The band's most recent album, You & Me, is a favorite of mine. It's a thoughtful, artistic, and satisfying collection of songs. I find it hard to find a song I don't like on the album. As much as I enjoy The Walkmen's studio work, however, I find them a tad disappointing live. Disappointing might be the wrong word -- I just don't get the same satisfaction from their songs in a live setting. However, I would still suggest going to see them at Lollapalooza if you get there early on Friday. (They kind of got hosed with a 1:00 slot.)

The group should have a new album out sometime in August, so maybe look forward to some new tunes.

The Walkmen on MySpace

No. 62: Frightened Rabbit

So if the Counting Crows put out a slightly more progressive album and Adam Duritz somehow picked up a Scottish accent along the way, you'd pretty much end up with Frightened Rabbit. Frightened Rabbit's lyrics center on somber subject matter such as break ups, suicide, and loneliness but they are joined by a more upbeat tone and hope filled vocals. The band has released 3 albums Sing the Greys, The Midnight Organ Fight, and their latest and least crowish The Winter of Mixed Drinks.

Give them a listen, you'll probably like the five member indie band from Scotland but I bet your girlfriend likes them more. Now it probably sounds like I'm selling them short, but I do enjoy them and I'm sure they put on a good festival show. Slotted with Erykah Badu and MUTEMATH, two bands I know little of, I'll probably check them out until I feel it's time to secure my place at the Budweiser Stage for MGMT.


Frightened Rabbit on MySpace

Videos of Frightened Rabbit

No. 63: Company of Thieves

Company of Thieves is likely to put on a good show this year at Lollapalooza as it will be performing in front of a hometown crowd. Leading the band is vocalist Genevieve Schatz.

Overall, I like this group’s sound. Schatz voice is soft bought strong. The band is by no means a “chick” band. While nothing they do is over the top, everything they do is pretty solid.

Interesting enough Schatz met both guitarist, Marc Walloch, and drummer, Mike Ortiz, on two separate occasions at Union Station. It didn’t take long for them to put out their first album Ordinary Riches which has received pretty good reviews. Checkout songs “Pressure” and “Oscar Wilde” to find out what you could be in store for.

www.myspace.com/companyofthieves

www.companyofthieves.net/

No. 64: Balkan Beat Box

Just take a good long look at that picture. You want to be in this picture. Better yet, you want to be drunk and in this picture. You've got a pantload of hot hipster chicks, drums and wah pedals in the audience and..... wait.... is that someone's grandpa breaking it down in there??? Admit it, that shit looks fucking fun....And as someone who has seen Balkan Beat Box perform live, I'm here to vouch that it is. Way back in 2006, I had the luck to stumble into a small Mobile, AL bar called the Cell Block to find a shirtless pint-sized dynamo by the name of Tomer Yosef crowd surfing while bandmates Ori Kaplan (sax) an Tamir Muskat (drums) ripped it up on stage. These guys had the crowd eating delicious morsels of eastern gypsy punk infused with hip hop and dubstep with accents of rockabilly out of their hand. Balkan Beat Box's pedigree as a gypsy punk band has roots in THE pre-eminent mainstream gypsy punk band, Gogol Bordello where Muskat was a percussionist. Balkan Beat Box has always had one goal from the start of their career: To bring peace and understanding of numerous cultures through their music and explosive live shows. The band has 3 releases under their belt, 2005's Balkan Beat Box, 2007's Nu-Med and this April's Blue Eyed Black Boy. The band has also exploded to 10 members from just the core trio and Chicago is one of 3 stops on its world tour this summer as the band will be concentrating on touring places like Spain, France and Israel. Just think about what those shows are going to be like and then think about the fact that you might not see this band again for a while... If you had fun at the Dan Deacon show last year, you might want to check these out as it may prove to go above and beyond that one in terms of crowd participation and balls -out crazyness. Bottom line: Don't balk at Balkan.

Myspace

www.balkanbeatbox.com

No. 65: The Dodos

The Dodos are a three-piece rock group hailing from San Francisco. They have a unique sound that centers around acoustic guitar and interesting percussion. Drummer Logan Kroeber plays a kit without a bass drum, and doesn't use the cymbals much. (He does usually play with a tambourine attached to his foot, though.) But it's the unique style of drumming combining with the fast-paced acoustic strumming that makes me really like this band.

They released their fourth album, Time to Die, last year and I felt it was a step down from their previous effort -- 2008's Visiter. Check out the track "Red and Purple" from Visiter to get a perfect example of how well the guitar and percussion work together.

I'm excited to see The Dodos at Lollapalooza this year. I first heard this band at the Pitchfork Music Festival a couple years back and they really caught my ear. They put on a great live show. The Dodos will be playing on the jam-packed final day of Lolla, at 1:00. Don't miss 'em!

The Dodos on MySpace

Here's a pretty sweet video of their track "Fools," with a bit of an extended intro.

No. 66: The Antlers

The Antlers are not exactly what you'd call an uplifting band. The Brooklyn-based group plays soft, powerful songs that toy with your emotions. The band's 2009 release, Hospice, was one of my top 5 albums last year; I love it. But again, it's definitely not an uplifting collection of songs by any means. Hospice is a concept album centering around the pain caused by the death/loss of a loved one.

Listening to the album feels like reading a book or watching a movie. A sad one. You feel the singer's emotions that include guilt, sorrow, and a hint of hope. Singer Peter Silberman has a great voice, but behind the lyrics is also great music. The keyboards enhance the eerie tones -- almost similar to the eerie songs on Radiohead's Kid A. Highlights of this album include "Kettering," "Two," and "Wake."

Despite my appreciation for The Antlers, I'm not sure I can award them must-see status at Lollapalooza. From concert reviews I've read, the group sounds to be as emotional on stage as on their records. I just don't know how this tone would fit in a large-festival setting. I have the feeling their quieter songs could easily be drowned out by other stages. However, I am excited to check them out and hope they prove that theory wrong.

Antlers on MySpace

Here's video of a series of songs from a Washington DC concert. It sounds pretty good, which makes me a little more optimistic for their Lolla show.

No. 67: Miniature Tigers

"Save your sorries, tell it to the volcano", chides frontman Charlie Brand on the title track of his band's latest release, Tell It To The Volcano, allegedly to an ex-lover whom he is about to toss into a waiting pool of magma. These might sound like dire lyrics on paper, but to hear Brand sing them, they come out with a warm and happy tone complete with a " The Lion Sleeps Tonight" -style bridge and final chorus.... Well, that's a recipe that ultimately creates a poppy little gem that had me listening to it on repeat when I first heard it. The Brooklyn by way of Phoenix, AZ quartet has been on the rise since 2008 when its first national tour hit the road opening for Ben Folds. The band creates infectious little ditties in the same lighthearted style of Folds... Sweet, earnest, and intelligent. The rest of the band is Rick Schaier on drums and vocals, Algernon Quashie on guitar, keyboard and vocals, and Alex Gerber on bass and vocals, and help bring life to even more quirky songs about getting your fingers bit off by dinosaurs. I definitely want to hear more of this band as they sound extremely cohesive and tight and have a knack for making weird situations sound oddly cozy and warm. The band will release Fortress on July 27th.

Myspace

No. 68: Mimicking Birds

Portland's Mimicking Birds are a band meant for Sunday morning. The trio just released their self-titled debut, produced by Modest Mouse's leader, Issac Brock in March of 2010, and have enjoyed a nice little run of exposure with opening spots on Modest Mouse's tour. The band was originally just guitarist Nate Lacy, and was soon joined by Aaron Hanson on drums and Tim Skellenger on guitar. The band's moniker is a fitting label for the ethereal and introspective tunes they produce. A mostly acoustic band, Mimicking Birds will no doubt draw the inevitable comparison to Bright Eyes and even though the hushed tone in which Lacy sings is reminiscent of Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull in his quieter moments, I think their songs hold up well on their own as original works.

"We enjoy making music for scenery," Lacy says. "The sound of language and big picture issues are inspirations for our music." This statement definitely jibes with the cinematic quality of their songs, and the album's earnest tunes paint a beautiful portrait for any somber and/or triumphant scene from your life. The standout track for me is "New Doomsdays," a meandering observation of the inherent oneness of the human race in the shadow of an impending apocolypse. Hopefully the understated sounds of this band won't be drowned out by the many neighboring bands at Lolla because I think this could be a great show for anyone who enjoys beautiful songs about volcanoes and burning stars.

Myspace

No. 69: Foxy Shazam

"How did I get signed up for this?" were my initial thoughts listening to Foxy Shazam's 2008 release Introducing. I could not help but find the band's lead singer, Eric Sean Nally, to be a plain out obnoxious drunk (even if he was sober). His raucous over dramatic delivery of his lyrics was way too much for me. Instrumentally the music is playful and theatrical, but not necessarily impressive. But maybe I shouldn't be a complete hater. It's punk pop for the younger generation. Seemingly attention starved, Nally's in-your-face style may just provide the erratic and constant stimulation the Y-generation needs.

Listening to Foxy's 2010 self-titled release the group has definitely gotten it together. I dig it from the very beginning in which Nally starts the album by announcing “There sure are a lot of dogs out this evening, perhaps they can assist me in a song” followed by a barking choir. This album is much cleaner and more radio friendly with evident hooks in Count Me Out and Unstoppable and power ballads like Bye Bye Symphony. From their sound, I would expect big hair, a laser light show, groupies galore, with all of the works. We will see how they hold up at Lolla.

Where you may have heard them before: their single Unstoppable was featured in Super Bowl XLIV

Sounds like: Queen, Fun.

www.myspace.com/foxyshazam

http://www.foxyshazam.com/

No. 70: Wavves

Wavves is another noise rock band that, at first listen, reminded me a lot of the last band I previewed -- HEALTH. It's a one man project, fronted by Nathan Williams, out of San Diego. The group reminds me of No Age and Deerhunter -- some punk rock with lots of weird noises goin on. Wavves released a self-titled album in 2009, and it's pretty good. Give it a try if you like the type of music.

The band has some pretty interesting history when it comes to playing festivals. At last year's Barcelona Primavera Sound Festival, Williams and then-drummer Ryan Ulsh underwent a meltdown of epic proportions. Williams took the stage in an obviously unstable state of mind and eventually started taunting the crowd after the festival-goers started getting impatient. Ulsh ended up running out from behind the drums and poured a beer on Williams' head. After dodging bottles flung from the crowd, Ulsh dashed off the stage, throwing his drumsticks at Williams.

Wavves ended up canceling their European tour, and Williams issued an online apology, where he admitted mixing ecstasy, Valium, and Xanax before taking the stage that night.

I'd like to check this group out at Lollapalooza if they have a good time slot. Who knows what will happen when Wavves takes the stage?

Wavves on MySpace

Here's a clip from the festival show, before the meltdown. Definitely awkward.