Trail of Dead @ BV-SXSW 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As discussed, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead will be heading to Chicago for a performance on Saturday (7/20) of the 2013 Pitchfork Music Festival. Festival passes and single-day tickets are still available, and they've just announced that they'll also be playing the Double Door with fellow Austinites Ume on July 18. Tickets for the club show go on sale this Saturday (5/25) at noon CST.

All Trail of Dead dates and a stream of their most recent LP, Lost Songs, are below...

Continue reading "Trail of Dead playing Double Door w/ Ume before Pitchfork Festival"

Mikal Cronin's impeccably crafted MCII hit stores earlier this month via Merge Records. As discussed, Mikal and his band will be embarking on a spring // summer North American tour in support of the LP with Shannon & the Clams. That tour includes a sold-out performance at the Empty Bottle on June 11, and they've now added an early show to their schedule. Grab tickets while you still can. Mikal and co. will then return to Chicago in July to play the 2013 Pitchfork Music Festival.

All Mikal Cronin dates, a stream of MCII, and his new video for "Changes" are below...

Continue reading "Mikal Cronin adds a second show at the Bottle (updated dates)"

Pitchfork Music Festival 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

As discussed, Pitchfork Music Festival 2013 is set to take place in Union Park from July 19-21. The festival's initial lineup featured R. Kelly, Björk, Belle & Sebastian, Joanna Newsom, the Breeders (playing Last Splash), Swans, Rustie, El-P, Chairlift, Killer Mike, TNGHT, Sky Ferreira, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Mac DeMarco, Foxygen, Angel Olsen, Trash Talk, and Tree.

The remainder of the lineup has just been revealed, and includes M.I.A., Lil B, Solange, Wire, Yo La Tengo, Low, Savages, Toro Y Moi, Phosphorescent, Metz, Autre Ne Veut, Mikal Cronin, Parquet Courts, Merchandise, Woods, Julia Holter, Glass Candy, Andy Stott, Pissed Jeans, Frankie Rose, Ryan Hemsworth, Waxahatchee, Blood Orange, Daughn Gibson, Evian Christ, White Lung, KEN Mode, and DJ Rashad.

Three-day passes and single-day tickets are still available.

Check out the full lineup-by-day below...

Continue reading "Savages, Pissed Jeans, Wire, Waxahatchee, KEN Mode & more acts added to Pitchfork Festival 2013"

Pitchfork Music Festival 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

As discussed, the 2013 edition of Pitchfork Music Festival is slated to take place from July 19-21 in Chicago's Union Park. You already knew that R. Kelly, Björk, and Belle and Sebastian will be headlining the fest, and today, a bunch of other artists have been announced. Joanna Newsom, The Breeders (playing Last Splash), Swans, El-P, Killer Mike, TNGHT, Chairlift, Sky Ferreira, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Rustie, Mac DeMarco, Foxygen, Angel Olsen, Trash Talk, and Tree will all take the stage in Union Park that weekend.

Three-day passes and individual day tickets are still available.

Check out the current lineup-by-day below...

Continue reading "Joanna Newsom, The Breeders, Swans, Angel Olsen & more acts added to Pitchfork Music Festival 2013"

Pitchfork Festival 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

As discussed, the 2013 Pitchfork Music Festival is slated to take place from July 19-21 in Chicago's Union Park. Today, it has been revealed that the festival headliners will be R. Kelly, Björk, and Belle and Sebastian. Three-day passes and individual day tickets are still available for the fest. The full lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned for more information.

Pitchfork Festival 2012 (more by James Richards IV)

Though we've still got a few days left to go in 2012, Pitchfork have shared the dates for their 2013 music festival. It'll take place from July 19 - 21, as always, in Union Park. Three-day passes and tickets for each day go on sale TODAY (Friday, December 21) at noon CST. Three-day passes will be available for the discounted price of $95 and then will jump to $120 when that limited lot sells out. Individual day tickets are $50. The lineup will be announced in mid-January.

Stay tuned for more.

photos by Chase Turner

Corin Roddick (of Purity Ring) @ Bottom Lounge on 7.14.2012

After the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival wound down on Saturday night (7/14), with closing sets from Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Grimes, Tumblr kept things going with a party at the Bottom Lounge featuring DJ sets from Danny Brown, SKYWLKR, Corin Roddick (of Purity Ring), and LOL Boys.

Chase ventured over after the festival and you can check out more of his pictures below...

Continue reading "Danny Brown, SKYWLKR, Corin Roddick & LOL Boys DJ'd a Pitchfork Fest afterparty @ Bottom Lounge (pics)"

photos by James Richards IV, Chase Turner

Thee Ohsees / Kendrick Lamar / crowd, Pitchfork Fest 7/15/2012

Just like the storms that passed through the area, Pitchfork Chicago 2012 has come and gone, leaving its mark on the city of Chicago in the form of three days of great music, new friends and favorite bands, and one Lady Gaga appearance. A second set of photos from day three at Pitchfork (7/15, first set is HERE), including pictures of Milk Music, Iceage, Vampire Weekend, Beach House, Chavez, Kendrick Lamar, Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, and more are below.

If you missed it, check out pictures from day one (one set HERE, another HERE) and day two (HERE and HERE).

Continue reading "Pitchfork Fest 2012 day 3 in pics (Vampire Weekend, Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Beach House, Chavez, & more)"

photos by Chase Turner and James Richards IV, words by Parker Langvardt

Wild Flag / Sleigh Bells

Day 2 of the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival happened on Saturday (7/14) with sets from Grimes, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Hot Chip, Sleigh Bells, Nicolas Jaar and more. We've already got pictures of day 2 up on BrooklynVegan, and here's another set of pics for BV Chicago.

I began my Saturday at the Blue Stage for The Atlas Moth, whose bluesy doom was an appropriate fit for the grey weather we had early on at the fest. Vocalist and guitarist Stavros Giannopoulos flashed a friendly peace sign that contrasted the aggression of his high, crackling scream. The interweaving riffs of the three guitarists give a lively edge to the band's slow, doomy rhythms. They were later joined by Chicago jazz trumpeter Jaimie Branch, who previously lent her skills to a track on The Atlas Moth's 2011 album An Ache For the Distances, and de facto Chicago rock saxophonist Bruce Lamont of Yakuza and Bloodiest. Lamont also performed with The Atlas Moth at SXSW 2012, and just last week contributed to The Black Lips' performances at The Empty Bottle and West Fest.

Cloud Nothings started on the cheerier end of their 2012 album Attack On Memory opening with "Fall In" and following with "Stay Useless". The rain began after "Separation," and it was down-pouring by the noisy bridge of "Wasted Days" a couple songs later. The stage hands covered the floor monitors with tarps before the PA system was shut off entirely, leaving the band jamming at stage volume. When frontman Dylan Baldi went to sing and found his mic off, the crowd took over the chant of "I thought I would be more than this" before Cloud Nothings closed out their set. They seemed disappointed, but great set nonetheless.

The sky had cleared by the time Bradford Cox took the stage as Atlas Sound, decked out in a straw hat, white face paint and a harmonica hanging angularly from his neck. Like most Atlas Sound shows, it was just Bradford and his acoustic guitar on stage, but he creates layers of sound with the loop and effect pedals that he runs it through.

The rain picked up again for Liturgy, who have disintegrated from a black metal quartet into a guitar duo backed by programmed drums. This was not the kind of set that you casually walked away from; it either captivated or repelled. The bizarre electronic drum tones might have fit better with dance music, but instead followed chunky, mechanical rhythms which usually synced up well, but lacked the dynamics that used to be provided by live drummer Greg Fox.. At one point, frontman Hunter Hunt Hendrix gave a solo vocal performance that involved him looping his voice into a strange, twisted chant, which stood in contrast to the howling and yelping scream he produced during the rest of the set.

The sun made its final return by the time Flying Lotus began his set. He spun bits of A$AP Rocky, a sped up Schoolboy Q, and the beat to "Niggas in Paris," mixed with pieces of his own abstract recordings. He was joined mid-set by rapper and Brainfeeder label mate Azizi Gibson, who also played the Brainfeeder showcase that night.

After a long set up and some volume issues with the PA, Nicolas Jaar and his live band began creating a swell of noise before settling into a cool electronic R&B groove. Though some of the band's mics were too quiet, the set was still enjoyable.

Back at the Blue Stage, Schoolboy Q walked on stage and yelled "Pitchfork, what it fuckin' do?" He later made a comment about being faded, a mental state fans might have expected from the lyrics of "Hands On the Wheel," which was heard during both his and Flying Lotus' sets. Many of his songs work in a party setting, but there is a dark sense to it. He made sure to keep the energy up, jumping and yelling more aggressively than heard in his recordings.

Hardcore fans of Godspeed You! Black Emperor had camped out in front of the Green Stage for a couple hours prior to their set, though it was still possible to get a good spot, about as far back as the sound booth, fifteen or so minutes before they began. The proximity of the stages made it easy to catch any artist for an acceptable amount of time, yet there was very little bleeding of sound between stages.

Godspeed spent the first several minutes of their set focusing on one note, working intently on expanding it slowly by creating noise that inched up toward harmonizing notes. After a careful build, the strings broke out into a dark Eastern European melody. When the first song ended, the silence was eerie, like a cease-fire in a war zone. The often sepia imagery projected behind them reinforced the seriousness of their set, at one point showing sped up smoke stacks spewing vapor and particles into the atmosphere. Having seen their other project Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra earlier this year, the instrumental Godspeed seemed to be more apocalyptic and bleak. Both bands are very critical in a post-modern way, but the lyrics in Silver Mount Zion provide a sense of hope, in that there are other humans aware of the world's problems. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is more like the soundtrack to the human race destroying itself.

Pics from day 1 are HERE. More from day 2 are below...

Continue reading "#P4K Festival 2012 pics & review (part 4) - Grimes, Nicolas Jaar, Psychic Paramount, Liturgy, Youth Lagoon, Danny Brown & more"

photos by James Richards IV, Chase Turner & Fred Pessaro

"Vegan" (photo by James Richards IV)

"Rain controlled the tempo of Pitchfork Music Festival day one early on, but the clouds eventually gave way to sun shine and music from an eclectic and entertaining lineup of acts. At its close, Friday of Pitchfork Fest 2012 was a humid but fun time that was definitely not short on memorable moments." [LoudLoop]

"In a sharp programming shift, Day 1 went from the psychedelic pop of Olivia Tremor Control into the mixtape hip-hop of A$AP Rocky. The only similarity I can think of between the two acts is that there are higher than average odds that both their listeners partake of illicit substances." [Jim DeRogatis]

"Dirty Projectors, a six-piece New York band with some highly acclaimed albums in its resume, demonstrates seriously accomplished chops during a set full of art-pop songs. [Greg Kot]

We already posted up one set of pictures from the first day of Pitchfork Fest up on BrooklynVegan. Here is a BV Chicago exclusive set and it continues below....

Continue reading "#P4K Festival 2012 pictures (part 2) -- ASAP Rocky, Japandroids, Big K.R.I.T., Dirty Projectors, Clams Casino, Flatstock & more)"

Tonight after Pitchfork, one option is to head over to Nellcote (830 W. Randolph St.) to spend some more time with the Dirty Projectors. Get back to Nellcote by noon on Saturday for some brunch tunes courtesy of BAIO aka Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend who also DJs again Saturday night with Chromatics at Lincoln Hall. Vampire Weekend then headline Pitchfork on Sunday. Check out the full Pitchfork Fest schedule.

Check out What's Going on Friday for more options tonight (7/13), like Cobrafest.

If home, watch Pitchfork Fest online.

Pitchfork Fest 2012 (photo by Joshua Mellin)

Friday's schedule got pushed back a bit due to rain, but the posted schedule along with the video streams of all three days of Pitchfork Fest, below...

Continue reading "Pitchfork Fest streaming now (watch it here)"

"This will pass ?#weather?" - Pitchfork Music Fest

"The storm during the storm" (Jacob Daneman)

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

AT 151 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ROUND LAKE PARK AND HIGHLAND PARK TO BOLINGBROOK... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING... BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS... ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

CITIES AND TOWNS AFFECTED... HODGKINS... BROOKFIELD... MAYWOOD... GLENVIEW... HIGHLAND PARK... LA GRANGE... COUNTRYSIDE... PARK RIDGE... MELROSE PARK...

THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED... ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY... BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY... BROOKFIELD ZOO... CHAIN O LAKES STATE PARK... COLLEGE OF DUPAGE... COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY... DOWNTOWN CHICAGO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. HEAVY RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO STANDING WATER ON ROADWAYS AND POOR VISIBILITY. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

UPDATE: Gates pushed back to 3:30.

Flying Lotus at Coachella 2012 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Since Flying Lotus signed with Warp in 2007, he's released two full lengths, Los Angeles and Cosmogramma, and two EPs, Reset and Pattern+Grid World. If you've missed out on any of those releases, now's a great time to catch up because the label just reissued them all on vinyl and you can also stream them at Bleep's website, where the vinyls are available to purchase individually or as a bundle.

Meanwhile, FlyLo is in Chicago this weekend for Pitchfork Festival, which he plays on Saturday (7/14), and to be the musical guest of Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show at Bottom Lounge on Sunday (7/15). As discussed, he's also throwing a Brainfeeder showcase on Saturday night (7/14) near Union Park with Jeremiah Jae, Azizi Gibson, Push Beats, and a "very special guest." We can't say who the guest is but Brainfeeder is Flying Lotus's label, so... Any guesses? RSVP is still open.

Azizi Gibson, who plays the Brainfeeder showcase, was recently signed to the label. Azizi is a rapper from LA and according to facebook, his interests are "money, pussy, success." If FlyLo signed him we can bet he's pretty good, since we know how picky FlyLo is with rap these days. See for yourself, by checking out Azizi's video for "Booshie Champagne" below.

Continue reading "Flying Lotus is here, streaming & reissuing albums, hopefully playing the Brainfeeder showcase w/ Azizi Gibson & more"

Pitchfork Fest begins today (7/13), which means so does Sailor Jerry's annual and free Cobrafest. A couple more artists have been announced since we last spoke (that's the updated flyer above). RSVP is still open.

More King Tuff & Natural Child tour dates HERE.

Another Saturday night Pitchfork Fest afterparty happens at Bottom Lounge with a DJ set from Danny Brown (and others).

Not going to the fest today? Stream it online.

DJ sets from Danny Brown & Skywlkr, Corin Roddick (of Purity Ring) and LOL Boys. You can RSVP HERE.

Atlas Moth @ Union Pool in June (BKLYN) (more by Markus Shaffer)

Psychedelic metal outfit The Atlas Moth are gearing up for a big weekend. They'll kick off Saturday (7/14) of the Pitchfork Festival with a 1PM set on the Blue Stage. Not headed to the fest and/or want to see a club show from the Chicago mainstays? They'll play the Ultra Lounge that night with support from Why Intercept, Jar'd Loose, and Encrust (tickets).

The Atlas Moth are also touring down to the Hopscotch Festival in late-August with Ireland's Altar of Plagues, which kicks off at the Ultra Lounge on August 31. Ticketing info is forthcoming.

In other Atlas Moth news, frontman Stavros Giannopoulos' side project Chrome Waves are set to make their live debut at the Cobra Lounge on August 10 (tickets). CW is a supergroup of sorts, featuring Bob Fouts (The Gates of Slumber, Apostles of Solitude) and Jeff Wilson (Nachtmystium, Wolvhammer). They released their debut EP in late-January, which you can stream four of six tracks from at the bottom of this post. Mares of Thrace, Pilgrim, Primitive Weapons, and Like Rats are also included on the bill.

All Atlas Moth dates are listed below, along with some some song streams.

Continue reading "Atlas Moth playing Pitchfork & Ultra Lounge Saturday before tour w/ Altar of Plagues; Chrome Waves making live debut"

Greg Fox @ Cameo Gallery on Sunday w/ Guardian Alien (more by Caroline Harrison)

Brooklyn's Liturgy are headed to Chicago this weekend to perform on Saturday (7/14) of the 2012 Pitchfork Festival. Saturday tickets are now sold out, but you have one more chance to catch Liturgy this weekend. On Saturday night they'll be headlining the Hideout with support from Lasers and Fast and Shit. Advance tickets are on sale.

As mentioned, Guardian Alien (the project of ex-Liturgy drummer Greg Fox) are set to play the DIY alternative to Pitchfork Festival, Bitchpork, on Sunday (7/15). One through four-day passes are on sale now.

Some Guardian Alien / Liturgy song streams below...

Continue reading "Liturgy playing the Hideout after Pitchfork; Guardian Alien playing Bitchpork"

If you aren't headed to Union Park this weekend for the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival, you can stream it from the comfort of home (or wherever) via YouTube. Single-day tickets are still available.

There is also a free official festival iPhone app available via iTunes.

Check out the full schedule HERE.

Lotus Plaza @ Lincoln Hall in April (more by Zach Pollack)

Lotus Plaza, the current project of Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt, are headed our way next week to perform on Saturday (7/14) of the Pitchfork Music Festival. Single-day tickets are still available. Lockett and co. will hit Chicago one day before their festival appearance to headline Subterranean with support from Dent May and Hollow Stars. Advance tickets are on sale.

Oxford, Mississippi-based musician Dent May released his newest LP, Do Things, last month via Paw Tracks. Stream the album tracks "Home Groan" and "Best Friend" at the bottom of this post. A goofy video for "Best Friend" is also below. May also recently took to covering the Grateful Dead's "Shakedown Street," which you can stream and/or download below. The Chicago show is just one stop on the group's summer tour schedule. All dates are listed below.

Opening the show will be Atlanta band Hollow Stars, which features former Deerhunter guitarist Colin Mee. They released a new EP, called Neshama, in February via CoCo Art. Stream the album at the bottom of this post. Hollow Stars begin a summer tour with Lotus Plaza today. All dates are listed below.

Tour dates for all three artists are listed below, along with some song streams.

Continue reading "Lotus Plaza playing Sub-t during Pitchfork Fest w/ Dent May & Hollow Stars"

Thundercat @ Coachella 2012 (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

Jazz bass great/Flying Lotus collaborator/Suicidal Tendencies member Thundercat (aka Stephen Bruner) has been added the lineup of North Coast Music Festival, taking place from August 31 - September 2 in Union Park. Three-day passes are still available. The festival's schedule-by-day is forthcoming.

Speaking of Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison), he'll hit Chicago next week to perform on Saturday (6/14) of the Pitchfork Music Festival. Single-day passes are still available. FlyLo will also be the musical guest of Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show live at the Bottom Lounge on July 15. Comedic guests on the Chicago show include Lil Rel and Brandon "Hot Sauce" Johnson, and tickets are still available. Check out some Eric Andre Show clips at the bottom of this post.

Some Thundercat/Flying Lotus song streams and Eric Andrew Show clips below...

Continue reading "Thundercat added to North Coast; Flying Lotus performing on 'The Eric Andre Show' live @ Bottom Lounge"

DOWNLOAD: Thee Oh Sees - "Lupine Dominus" (MP3)

Thee Oh Sees @ Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 (more by BBG)

Pitchfork Fest is just around the corner and there are now a few more aftershows that you can choose from. On July 13 Lower Dens, who play the fest that afternoon, will headline the Bottle with support from No Joy and Alan Resnic (tickets). Ty Segall, The Men, Mystic 100's, and Zath will play the venue on July 14. Tickets for that one are currently sold out but maybe they'll release a few more. Thee Oh Sees will close out the weekend with a show on Sunday (7/15) featuring support from The Blind Shake, Terrible Twos, and The Mallard (tickets).

Thee Oh Sees are busy prepping their new album, Putrifiers II, for release on September 11 via In the Red. Download the album track "Lupine Dominus" at the top of this post. They'll be touring with Ty Segall this fall, whose new album Slaughterhouse hits stores today (6/26) via In the Red. Stream the LP, which is credited to the Ty Segall Band, in its entirety via SPIN. As mentioned, Ty will also be taping a live episode of Sound Opinions at Lincoln Hall during his stay in Chicago. Have you RSVP'd yet?

Purity Ring @ Sasquatch Festival 2012 (more by Chris & Rae Graham)

Aside from the Pitchfork Fest official aftershow of Chromatics and BAIO at Lincoln Hall, two more late night events that are taking place at LH's sister venue Schubas have been revealed. Purity Ring and Born Gold, whose frontman was once a member of Purity Ring, will play Schubas on July 13. Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Dirty Beaches, and A Lull will play the venue on July 15. Stay tuned for ticketing info on both aftershows. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.

As mentioned, Father John Misty also plays Schubas on July 14.

Purity Ring recently shared another track, called "Fineshrine," from their forthcoming LP Shrines (out 7/24 via 4AD). Take a listen to the song at the bottom of this post and/or head to BrooklynVegan for a download.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra put out a new single last week, called "I'll Come Back 4 U," as part of Adult Swim's Singles Program. Take a listen to the song via a widget below.

Purity Ring and Unknown Mortal Orchestra song streams below...

Continue reading "Purity Ring, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Dirty Beaches & others playing Schubas during Pitchfork Fest"

Like they did last year, Sailor Jerry will return to Cobra Lounge (235 N Ashland) for three nights of Pitchfork Fest afterparties, and if you can't tell from the killer (free!) lineups listed in the flyer above (...White Mystery, Human Eye, King Tuff, Natural Child, Psychic Paramount, Coathangers, Heavy Cream...), each night is going to rock very hard. We predict packed houses of Sailor Jerry intoxicated fans, great music and trouble getting to Union Park on the following days in time for the Pitchfork Fest opening bands go on.

Oh, and more bands are still TBA! July 13-15, 9 p.m., FREE with RSVP, 21+

Chromatics @ Lincoln Hall in January (more by Zach Pollack)

Chromatics were recently added to the lineup of the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival, which is taking place from July 13-15 in Union Park. The group will also play an official festival aftershow on July 14 at Lincoln Hall with support from BAIO (aka Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend). Tickets for the late night show go on sale this Friday (6/22) at noon CST.

All Chromatics dates are listed below, along with a stream of their album Kill for Love.

Continue reading "Chromatics playing a Pitchfork Fest aftershow @ Lincoln Hall"