Fleet foxes, great set

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Manchester, very solid set, large crowd did intimidate them, probably picked up a few thousand fans

No. 1: Jane's Addiction

Jane’s Addiction has been around (on and off) since 1985. Their sound is heavy and energetic, but not necessarily as gloomy and dark as other bands starting to take off around that time. They definitely were lumped into the whole “grunge” scene but had a much livelier sound than the dreary Seattle scene. Perry Farrell, even to this day, is known as one of the best front men in rock because of his superfluous sound and stage presence. Lollapalooza itself wouldn’t exist without Farrell, who started the festival in 1991. Jane’s Addiction toured with it as their farewell tour; in fact, Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro would have outright fights onstage. The band broke up in 1991, but released two studio albums in that time: Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual.

After a few side projects, Jane’s reunited in 1997 with Flea (of Red Hot Chili Peppers) on bass for a short tour. In 2001, the band released a new studio album, Strays, and headlined the resurrected Lollapalooza tour in 2003. They broke up again after that (and if the trend continues, will after this Lollapalooza too). Their most recent tour has been this summer of 2009 with Nine Inch Nails (who shared the stage with Jane’s Addiction at the very first Lollapalooza in 1991). This weekend, Jane’s Addiction claims the headlining slot at Perry’s festival again. Despite their age and all the drama, Jane’s is expected to rock Lollapalooza back to its roots. So for anyone not familiar with Jane’s Addiction, I suggest you forget about The Killers and see what started this 3-day orgy of rock in the first place.


Jane's on MySpace

The Official Site of Jane's Addiction

No. 2: Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode have been together for close to 30 years and have the discography and following to show for it. The band’s music was before its time, and their prophetic style influenced many of today’s artists including The Killers, The Bravery, Franz Ferdinand, Radiohead, The Crystal Method, Linkin Park, Fear Factory, Rammstein, Marilyn Manson, A Perfect Circle, Smashing Pumpkins, Tori Amos, Pet Shop Boys, Johnny Cash, and Coldplay.

Maybe it was because I was naïve or too young to get it (my musical tastes have matured and grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade or so), or maybe because Depeche Mode had laid the groundwork for much of the music I had listened to a good portion of my adult life, it made it hard for me to see them as anything but overproduced synth pop. After hearing that Depeche Mode would be one of the headliners at this year's Lolla, I decided I wanted to take another listen to the band's entire catalog and try to understand how and where this headliner tag was coming from. I get it now; I understand how some of the generation behind me could so deeply enjoy this band. I’ll admit outside of Violator, the band's 1990 breakthrough album, I still think most of their work is a series of hits and misses. The new album happens to be a miss. Even within the misses, I can see how much of the electronic influences in music today can be linked back to the band's experimental electronic rock.

I will definitely be joining the crowd on Friday night to see Depeche Mode, the competition is slim. Just think of it as Personal Jesus against Sex of Fire. Easy choice right?

Depeche Mode on MySpace

The Official Site of Depeche Mode

No. 3: Andrew Bird

Chicago's own Andrew Bird might be one of the most original musicians to come out over the past 10 years. In today's day in age where one has probably heard just about everything and nothing seems that new, Andrew Bird is like a musical messiah to me. The multi-instrumentalist graduated from Northwestern in 1996 with a degree in...violin performance? He released a folk diddy that same year called "Music of Hair". After gaining little exposure from such a straight up classical folk record he decided to form a new group, Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire. The Bowl of Fire's albums are a mixture of swing and jazz. They sound like records straight out of the Depression era but with a rockier beat. These records gained critical success, but never sold many copies. One night in 2002 The Bowl of Fire was supposed to open for a local band, Handsome Family, but the rest of the band members couldn't make it. Andrew had to play the show solo. This is when he began reinventing how the violin should sound and be played. He brought a looping station he had been messing with to the show thinking people would be upset there was no supporting band. He experimented with looping while plucking a violin and whistling. The Bowl of Fire was no more. Andrew Bird had found his sound and wouldn't look back.

Myspace

No. 4: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

OK, OK, I have to admit, listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for this review made me enjoy their music a bit more. I’m not in crazy love like some fans have been for the past 9 years, but I can see where people can enjoy this style of music. This band is led by Karen Lee Orzolek (know as Karen O), guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase. They broke out into the scene in 2003 with their debut album Fever to Tell and song "Maps" started to hit the radio waves. They now have three albums which have all been given rave reviews from many of the toughest music critics. I would describe the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as electronic punk. The sounds is overall very grungy with heavily distorted guitars and pouty loud vocals, but then they will break out into something you would here from The Chemical Brothers.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs replaced Beastie Boys on Saturday night due to Adam Yauch needing surgery because of a cancerous tumor in his left salivary gland. I'm sure this helped many people make the decision to see Tool. Even though I have more respect for their music, I still believe the show they performed at Lollapalooza two years ago was not that great. I've had many people argue this with me, but I just didn’t see the attraction. I would be willing to give the band another shot, but there is no way in hell it's going to happen this year since they're playing during Tool's timeslot. Anyone that goes to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will not know what they’re missing.

One more note, doesn't Brian Chase (left) look like Bruno? Just a thought.

Official Page
MySpace Page

No. 5: Tool

Tool is one of those bands that fucks you in the brain and leaves you bleeding and burning for more. The first time I saw one of their shows, I was dumbstruck..... It was such a flurry of visceral resonance that stuck with me for days and days afterwards. Made up of Maynard James Keenan (vocals), Adam Jones (guitar), Justin Chancellor (bass), and Danny Carey (drums), Tool is a welcome addition to Lollapalooza '09. The band was formed in LA in the early 90's when Keenan met Jones through Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello and decided to start a band together. Danny Carey was the guy who lived above MJK back then and obliged to play drums for them upon their request. Carey was already an accomplished studio musician who once toured with Carole King. At first, Carey was reluctant to join the band because he didn't think they were very good, but the band began to gel with the addition of Paul D'Amour, the band's first bassist.

The band became famous for songs like "Sober" and "Prison Sex" from their first full length album Undertow, and videos for these songs were stop motion oddities created by Adam Jones, who just so happened to have a background in special effects. If you've seen Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters 2, or Nightmare on Elm Street, you've seen some of Jones' handiwork. The band had continued success on their next album, Ænima, with kickass jaunts such as "Stinkfist" and "Eulogy" all while welcoming their new bassist, Chancellor. However, in my eyes, their opus, Lateralus, was their next album. This album is an enigma of messages, time signatures, and demonstrates just how mindblowingly freaky Tool can be. (It is said that if the tracks on the album are put into a different order, the album will play as one song.) The album was also dedicated to the memory of Bill Hicks, a personal hero of mine and the band's. Next up was 10,000 Days, a chartburner of an album which while not as adventurous as Lateralus had been, sold over 500,000 copies in its first week and debuted at #1 on Billboard, nevertheless.

What's next for Tool is tough to say. There have been whispers about a new album on the horizon for quite some time, but when said album will be released, is just about anyone's guess at this point. Up until this summer the band was on hiatus, which permitted the members to pursue their other many interests such as relaxation, side projects (Puscifer), and wine hocking (Keenan). Personally, I'm just glad they're here at Lolla this year, and I strongly advise you to check them out over the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who are competing (ha!) in the same time slot.

www.toolband.com

(There is no Tool Myspace page as Tool is very vocal in their disdain for MP3's in general.)

No. 6: Lou Reed

"Take a walk on the wild side" was Lou Reeds first hit as a solo act, a song about Andy Warhol's superstars and there journey to New York which involves transsexuals, drugs, and prostitutes. Since then he has pushed out 20 albums. Prior to his solo career, Reed was in one of the first true experimental rock bands The Velvet Underground. Rolling Stone named their debut album The Velvet Underground and Nico the 13th greatest album of all time. I personally think White Light/White Heat is a best album.

Some of Reed's music is a little too out there for me. I'm a fan of experimental rock, but many of the songs have no structure at all. It will be interesting to see what he plays at Lollapalooza since he can pull from 20 of his albums and 9 from The Velvet Underground. He will be going against Snoop Dog on Sunday, definitely two opposite acts. I assume Snoop Dog will take the majority of the crowd.

Official Page
MySpace Page

No. 7: Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon consists of three brothers (Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill) and their cousin (Mathew). The band was named after their father (named Leon), who traveled with the boys throughout the South as a Pentecostal evangelist. Leon introduced them to classic rock, and when the family settled down eventually in Nashville, the Followill brothers picked up instruments and started making music.

I kind of have mixed feelings about this band. I used to really dig them, but I don't like the direction their last two albums have gone. Their first two albums, Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak were in-your-face rockers. I'll listen to the first four songs of Aha Shake any day -- it's a great string of songs, ending with one of my favorite Kings of Leon songs: "Pistol of Fire."

Their third album, Because of the Times took a while to grow on me. I didn't like it at first, and it wasn't really until I saw them play at Lollapalooza a couple years back that I started to appreciate the album. And then came last year's Only by the Night. Not only do I dislike most of its songs, but I don't like the attitude of the album. (Read my review of the album here.) Everbody under the sun has heard the song "Sex on Fire." This commercial attitude, along with the band's huge ego, worries me. Kings of Leon wants to be huge stars, and they probably will be. I'm just not sure if I'll be listening much longer.

I would recommend seeing these guys live, however. They sound good, and they play with attitude. I can only hope they play a mixed setlist with lots of their old stuff at Lolla. They're headlining Friday night -- up against Depeche Mode.

Myspace

Official site

No. 8: The Killers

The Killers came out of Vegas in 2002 and have what I would call a sort of '80s throwback alternative sound going on. Everyone remembers when Hot Fuss came out because they scored about 3 radio hits with that record and became a household name. That period around 2004-2006 The Killers were on top on the alternative music scene and garnered much success from singles like, "Mr. Brightside" and "All These Things That I Have Done."

They really had to prove themselves on their next album, which can be an impossible thing to do when your first is such a smash success. In 2006, they came out with Sam's Town, which lead singer Brandon Flowers says came from a hotel/slash gambling hall in Vegas. Brandon Flowers also said the single "Read My Mind" was the best song that the band had ever written. The inspiration for the bridge in the song came from Kurt Cobain singing it to him in a dream. The other single off the album was "When You Were Young." Both songs stuck with the sound The Killers mastered on Hot Fuss and could have been on that record as well.

Apparently the critical as well as retail success of those records went straight to Flowers' head because all he has done since is come off arrogant and cocky. His label Island Records carried The Bravery and Fall Out Boy and he was once quoted as saying that those two bands "are riding on the coattails of the success of The Killers." This did not go over well with The Bravery, and a short fight ensued. It has since been resolved, and Flowers admitted he was not proud of his actions.

Most recently The Killers put out Day & Age. This record has not gained as much success as the previous ones and has only produced one hit single, "Human." This song drives me nuts. The line in the song goes, "Are we human or are we dancer?" I went crazy trying to figure out why they worded it that way and what the hell it meant. Turns out Flowers was making a reference to the late Hunter S. Thompson who once quipped that America was raising "a generation of dancers." This still irks me to this day. First of all, Hunter S. Thompson hated electronically created music and would shit all over the amount on '80s synth The Killers reproduce. And as far as dropping the 's' off humans and dancers? Flowers told Rolling Stone that he was irritated over the confusion about the lyrics and also that fans were unhappy with the song's dance beat: "It's supposed to be a dance song, [the beat] goes with the chorus...If you can't put that together, you're an idiot. I just don't get why there's a confusion about it." Go ahead buddy, attack your fans, great idea.

The Killers are playing on Sunday night at the same time as Jane's Addiction. If I had to choose I would go with The Killers since I never really got why Perry Farrell thinks Jane's Addiction is good enough to reunite. What do they have past "Been Caught Stealin'? The Killers should at least put on a good stage show and with the amount of hits they created over the past 6 years they should play at least one song you used to love.

Official Site
My Space Page