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. 69: Hockey

(First off, I'd like to say I'm going to try to avoid all puns that deal with the sport of hockey.)

I'm not going to lie and say I didn't choose to preview the band Hockey because I love the sport. That's totally the reason. I was half-expecting to find a band about as entertaining as Five for Fighting, but I think Hockey has the chance to be an interesting emerging band.

Hockey is a four-member group from Portland, OR. They will be releasing their debut album, "Mind Chaos," in late August.

A lot of people label the band as a mix between the Strokes and LCD Soundsystem, and I'd have to agree. The lead singer sounds a lot like Julian Casablancas (lead singer of the Strokes) with the occasional inflections of James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem). From listening to their recorded material, I could see them being a fun band to go see live. Their songs have good energy with dancy beats. I'm planning on checking them out at Lollapalooza.

Check them out on Myspace.