No. 39: MUTEMATH

MUTEMATH is an alternative rock band from New Orleans. They have a bit of a futuristic sound, using keyboards and samples, but nothing that stands out to me in particular. I guess I don't mind the music side of this band, but they lose me when it comes to the vocals. They are poppy and, at times, cheesy. And I really don't like them.

I don't know, I could see people digging this band, but to me they seem kind of boring. They play at 5:00 on Sunday at Lollapalooza. They're up against Erykah Badu and Frightened Rabbit. I probably won't be going to check these guys out, but will opt for Frightened Rabbit instead.

MUTEMATH on MySpace

No. 40: Hockey

Portland, OR-based Hockey is the only band returning to Lollapalooza this year after playing it in 2009. They have become more well-known since last year, but they did not blow up by any means. I basically feel the same way about them as I did when I previewed them last year. They still sound like a mix of the Strokes and LCD Soundsystem. I feel like I should like this band more than I do, but for some reason, their songs don't really hook me.

Hockey ended up releasing their debut album, Mind Chaos, last October. They will be playing at a more impressive timeslot this year at Lolla -- 3:30 on Sunday. I did not end up seeing Hockey last year, and unfortunately, I will probably not be stopping by their set this year. It overlaps with both Mumford & Sons and Yeasayer.

Hockey on MySpace

Here's a video of one of their Strokes-esque songs, "Song Away."

No. 41: Metric

Hah, Canada. Metric, originally from Toronto, is an indie/punk/rock band fronted by Emily Haines, who has also performed with The Stills, The Stars, KC Accidental, Jason Collett and along with guitarist James Shaw in Broken Social Scene. That's where I'd start when describing the band: as an underwhelming Broken Social Scene with some Silversun Pickups and possibly even a little Cyndi Lauper.

The band has released 4 albums over the last 8 years, and for the most part I think they're pretty thin. Metric's members all have at least one side project and this may be a reason for the inconsistency and sometimes muttled sound.

Metric plays the Playstation stage at 5:15 on Saturday, up against Social D, AFI, and Deer Tick. I may wander by in this time slot to check out Metric, having no huge interest in any of the other bands, but I wouldn't call that a recomendation either.

Metric on MySpace

The Official Site of Metric

No. 42: Switchfoot

Switchfoot comes from San Diego and plays the definition of Alternative Rock. Which would be any band immediately played on radio station Q101 here in Chicago. Nothing bad but nothing extraordinary or unique, just pretty safe music. They are led by singer/songwriter Jon Foreman, who is also in the band Fiction Family with Nickle Creek guitarist Sean Watkins. Switchfoot is compared to Jars of Clay often because their Christian Rock influences and participation in some large Christian festivals, but I think they're a bit harder rock than Jars of Clay. They have produced 7 albums since the start of the band in 1996. The Beautiful Letdown is one of their more acclaimed albums mainly because of the song "Meant to Live" which received extended playtime on the air waves. All and all, not my kind of band but they do have a handful of solid tunes. They are playing on Sunday at 1:00 against the Dodos so I will not be in attendance.

MySpace
Band Page

No. 43: Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons is a four-piece folk rock band from London. They have a soft, nice sound and use a lot of vocal harmonies. Think of a somewhat mellower Fleet Foxes with a touch of bluegrass. They also remind me a little of Frightened Rabbit. I have heard a lot of buzz about this band recently, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they are like live.

The group formed in 2007 and just released their debut album, Sigh No More, last February (in the U.S.; the album was released in the U.K. in October 2009). I like the album a lot. It's soothing, but not too slow, and I could really see it growing on me more and more as I continue listening to it.

Mumford & Sons plays at Lollapalooza on Sunday at 3:00. They are up against Minus the Bear, so I have a feeling I will be checking these guys out.

Mumford & Sons on MySpace

Here's a video of their song, "Little Lion Man."

No. 44: Nneka

Nneka sings a style of hip hop with reggae and jazz beats accompanying her soulful voice. Born in Nigeria to a German mother and Nigerian father she remained there until the age of 18 when she moved to Hamburg, Germany, where she pursued her singing career. She has released three albums to date, I prefer her later Concrete Jungle which presents Nneka in a broader spectrum.

I enjoy Nneka and would compare her, obviously, to Lauren Hill and The Fugees, and slightly less obvioulsy, to The Roots, Speech Debelle (if you don't know her you should), and Stevie Wonder if you want to jump in the wayback machine. Nneka landed one of the worst time slots early Sunday from 12:15 to 1pm against Claptrapped favorites The Antlers and Frank Turner, as if we needed another reason to wake up early that day.

Nneka on MySpace

The Official Site of Nneka

No. 45: American Bang

American Bang is a Southern rock band from Nashville. They remind me a little of pre-"Sex on Fire" Kings of Leon. Similar to KOL, they draw from classic rock influences to make some energetic, rocking songs -- but it's nothing particularly original.

If you're at Lollapalooza on Friday afternoon and in the mood for something similar to the Black Crowes, maybe head over to the Sony bloggie (?) stage and check out American Bang. I however, will probably pass on these guys and get my Southern rock fix later in the day from the Drive-By Truckers -- a much more solid option in my opinion.

American Bang on MySpace

Here's a video of a performance from the Bottom Lounge in Chicago last year.

No. 46: Fuck Buttons

Fuck Buttons are an English noise-electronic band. It's a two-piece group, made up of Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power. I had never listened to Fuck Buttons before researching them for this review. I have to say, they will be one of the few bands I will listen to in the future that I hadn't heard before. (So far, at least. The other band I've really liked being Cymbals Eat Guitars.) They kind of have a Dan Deacon or Animal Collective feel to them, without the vocals.

The Buttons make spacey instrumental songs that flow into each other, while sounding pleasant and abrasive at the same time. I'm a pretty big fan of their 2009 release Tarot Sport, with its soaring crescendos and head-nod-inducing grooves.

I definitely look forward to listening to more of these guys in the future. However, I'm going to have a tough decision on whether to see them at Lollapalooza this year. They play at 5:00 on Friday -- directly up against the Dirty Projectors and Matt & Kim. It's probably between Fuck Buttons and Dirty Projectors -- but all three groups have me interested. This is unfortunate considering there is so little I am excited for on Friday.

Fuck Buttons on MySpace

No. 47: Jamie Lidell

Jamie Lidell is an English soul singer. I think his music style will bring a nice change of pace for Lollapalooza this year. It's not really my preferred type of music, but I find Lidell's style easy to listen to.

His latest album, Compass, which was released this past May, was produced by Beck and also features him as a collaborator. (Side note: when is Beck going to play Lolla? This needs to happen soon.) Despite the connections to Beck, I find the album to be pretty average at times. But songs shine at times, and I would recommend at least checking it out.

Lidell plays on Friday at 6:30 at Lollapalooza. I probably won't be checking him out, as his set will be overlapping with Hot Chip and Black Keys.

Jamie Lidell on MySpace

No. 48: Son of a Bad Man

Son of a Bad Man classifies themselves as Rock / Pop. I think it sounds more like Pop / Country pre-made for cheesy teen movies. They could have been the entire soundtrack of Varsity Blues. Their single of the debut album is called "20 Missed Calls" and it sounds just like you would imagine it. They hail from Jacksonville Florida and are led by a young lead singer, Shawn Fisher. Their music is just very cookie cutter and seems to have no imagination. I know I'm really hating on this band but I just don't get it. They play on Sunday at 11:30 on the BMI stage.

Myspace