photos by David Andrako

Big Audio Dynamite

As you know, Arcade Fire played a light-up beach ball-filled headlining show on Saturday, and Odd Future made their presence known to crowd members, security and those watching Lil B, but other exciting stuff, like the reunited Big Audio Dynamite killing it (and bringing some to tears), happened too. The only unfortunate part of BAD's set was that Wire, who people keep reporting was "underattended," were on at the same time. Wire was also up against the very popular Mumford & Sons who played before Animal Collective who played before Arcade Fire.

Animal Collective got their usual mixed reaction thanks in part to their usual choice of playing whatever they want no matter how big the crowd and who's on before and after them. Anonymous | April 17, 2011 6:32 AM said, "fuck animal collective. people went to the festival to have fun [,not] to have images of cum projected for an hour while the boring drones. they had the deadest crowd i've seen on the main stage so far." Anonymous | April 17, 2011 8:25 AM basically agrees and said, "AC should have never been allowed on that stage in that time slot. The worst." Anonymous | April 17, 2011 1:33 PM says, "guys AC just sucks, this ain't no new mystery.... it's almost as if they try extra hard just to be that terrible and make the crowd feel like a bunch of tools for giving them money... They're prob just a social experiment by banksy anyway." But Anonymous | April 17, 2011 3:22 PM asks, "so AC sucks for trying to make innovative, artistically rewarding music instead of god-awful corporate college-rock like arcade fire? every song is like, the same four chords played over and over and over again."

Mumford & Sons went on after Bright Eyes who went on after Broken Social Scene who went on after Erykah Badu aka Erica Abi Wright aka Loretta Brown aka Annie aka Analog Girl in the Digital World aka Medulla Oblongata, etc. (she was great despite technical difficulties).

Erykah Badu

Neko Case helped make the New Pornographers shine under hot sun. Empire of the Suns won best costumes of the day. Phoenix New Times says...

"Also, I suppose yesterday was the "Fuck Arizona" day at Coachella -- Jenny & Johnny, Bright Eyes and One Day as a Lion all had sets during the day. I actually saw someone wearing a Sound Strike t-shirt on Friday. Wearing that shirt to a music festival is doing about as much as de la Rocha and Oberst are collectively doing to combat SB 1070."

The third and final day of Coachella 2011 is underway and streaming on the internet as I type this. Our pictures from Friday are HERE. Check out more pictures from Saturday, below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2011 Day 2 in pics (Big Audio Dynamite, BSS, Animal Collective, Erykah Badu, Bright Eyes, Mumford & Sons, more)"

by Black Bubblegum

One Day As A Lion

"It's better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb."

Great quote, but possibly an even better band? Anti- Records has announced the signing of One Day As A Lion, the collaboration between Jon Theodore (on drums, ex-Mars Volta), Zack De La Rocha (Vocals/Keys! Rage Against The Machine) and their debut five song EP due out July 22nd! Here's another, well, interesting quote:

"One Day As A Lion is both a warning delivered and a promise kept. A defiant affirmation of the possibilities that exist in the space between kick and snare. It's a sonic reflection of the visceral tension between a picturesque fabricated cultural landscape, and the brutal socioeconomic realities it attempts to mask. One Day As A Lion is a recorded interaction between Zack de la Rocha and Jon Theodore from Los Angeles, California."

Word(y).

RATM are playing Lollapalooza with Radiohead, Wilco, Kanye West and others.

The Mars Volta play the Hammerstein in September. Tickets are still available.

ODAAL EP tracklist below...

Continue reading "One Day As A Lion = Zach De La Rocha + Jon Theodore"