Say goodbye Noise Pop teens, you’re 20. You can almost legally drink. You’re still a few years from renting a car, but hot damn do you know how to put together a festival. Of course 20 in festival years is like a 140 in human years (or is that dog years?). The Simpsons. The WEB. You’re in elite company.
And like the seasoned vets you are, you’re doing it big. This initial announcement is setting a pretty high bar. Please continue the momentum.
Archers of Loaf
Bleached
Born Gold
Budos Band
Built to Spill
Christie Front Drive
Craig Finn
Cursive
Die Antwoord
Disappears
Grimes
oOoOO
Imperial Teen
Laura Veirs (with The Tumble Bees and with The Hall of Flames)
Mount Moriah
Porter Robinson
Surfer Blood
Taxes
Ume
Veronica Falls
Virgin Islands
The easy-breezy Palm Beach boys of Surfer Blood are back with a 4 track EP, Tarot Classics, set to come out October 25th. It’s their next release after their debut album Astro Coast, which was recorded in their freshman dorm at University of Florida and garnered attention from Pitchfork and SPIN.com. How they were productive in the chaos of freshman dorms is beyond me, but after that wildly successful album (that sounded like The Shins taking an underwater expedition; full to the brim with catchy synth melodies and dreamy reverb) it’s heartening to hear them come back so strong.
As a taster for their next LP, who they tweeted is to be produced by Phil Ek (Built To Spill, The Shins, Fleet Foxes), Tarot Classics is a rousing and adventurous teaser that focuses more on John Paul Pitt’s (JP’s) vocals. The feel-good vibes hit you hard with opener “I’m Not Ready,” where the guys experiment with tightening up their indie-power pop sound.
As a band riding the waves of youth and interweb popularity, Surfer Blood proves again that they are a solidly damn-catchy indie outfit. I absolutely cannot wait to see where their next LP takes them.
The Vivian Girls/Woods side project The Babies has been building momentum of its own for its charming garage pop with coed vocals.
Surfer Blood‘s set included some new songs from their forthcoming EP, including the fast-paced rocker “Miranda” and one about starting a band. Singer John Paul Pitts made the band stop playing in the middle of “Take it Easy” to fetch some children from the audience to join them on stage for the rest of the song.
Some people love Wavves‘ throwback stoner pop-punk, and some of us don’t get what’s so great about a disaffected dude sing lyrics like “I’m so bored, I’m so drunk.” But the band kept both groups entertained with a super-high-energy set and Nathan Williams’ constant stream of deadpan jokes (“I wasn’t ready–I was thinking about pornography,” he said after a false start to one song).
Guided by Voices tore through two hours worth of songs including favorites like “Kicker of Elves,” “Tractor Rape Chain” and “Hot Freaks,” with Bob Pollard announcing each song by name and doing sprightly dances around the stage.
WOJCIK‘s ferocious, instantly memorable garage rock has wonderfully biting hooks like “warming my hands on the bridges I’ve burned” and “cleaning my gun,” delivered with fiery charisma by singer Hailey Wojcik.
WATERS, the new project of Van Pierszalowski from Port O’Brien, made its US debut at the festival. The band has so far only released one track of its rousing folk-rock, but has plans to release an album in the fall.
Brooklyn’s third annual Northside Festival starts tonight. As in the past two years, we will be out and about seeing local and national bands at venues around the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods. Here’s our day-by-day guide to the festival’s shows.
Thursday, June 16
Tonight’s big events are the festival’s sold-out official opening party with Theophilus London at Music Hall of Williamsburg and Atlas Sound at St. Cecelia’s Church in Greenpoint. If indie pop is your thing, head to the NYC Popfest showcase at Bruar Falls with Eternal Summers, Reading Rainbow, The Secret History and Seapony. Things are sure to get interesting over at The Charleston’s “art punk” showcase, featuring the unique stylings of Cesspool, Hotter Than A Crotch, The Drunken Sufis, and more.
Friday, June 17
Beirut plays McCarren Park with Sharon Van Etten and Yellow Ostrich. Woods celebrate the release of Sun & Shade at St. Cecelia’s Church. DOM is at Brooklyn Bowl with “special guests.” Public Assembly hosts the U.S. debut of the young Danish post-punk band Iceage; Cold Cave’s Wes Eisold DJ’s after their set. The ever-present Surfer Blood headlines the Kanine Records showcase with Grooms, Pepper Rabbit, Dream Diary and more.
Saturday, June 18
Guided by Voices headlines the biggest-ever Northside show at McCarren Park, with Wavves, Surfer Blood and The Babies (starts early–doors 3pm). The night offers quite the selection of big shows as well: Thee Oh Sees‘ album release show for Castlemania at Brooklyn Bowl, Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces at Europa, Twin Sister at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! and Javelin at Glasslands, and The Suzan headlining a great lineup of female-fronted bands at the Tom Tom Magazine party at Bruar Falls.
Sunday, June 19
If you haven’t caught Deer Tick performing Nirvana covers as Deervana yet, tonight is your chance. Mt. Eerie is at St. Cecelia’s Church and YACHT headlines the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Other strong lineups are the glam electropop wonder Diamond Rings with Porcelain Raft and BELL at Europa, and local shoegazers Asobi Seksu with Air Waves and Blair at Glasslands.
NYC electropop group Hooray for Earth employs ferocious beats and five reverb-loving vocalists to create a huge, warm and danceable sound.
Watching Owen Pallett piece together his gorgeous symphonic pop compositions on stage is an engrossing experience. Using loop pedals, he adds one layer at a time, with his violin serving as a lead, rhythm and even percussion instrument all at once. He announced that this would likely be his last solo show, as he recently started playing with a drummer.
Surfer Blood‘s set got cut off after only five songs, which was especially unfortunate considering they now have new material to show off. They did manage to play two rocking new songs, though.
On record, Seattle’s Telekinesis is just Michael Benjamin Lerner, but live, he enlists a full band to recreate his enjoyable power pop songs.
Menomena‘s engaging rock made skillful use of piano and saxophone.
Okkervil River only got to play for half an hour, but they made the most of it, tearing through favorites like “For Real” and “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” as well as two tracks from their upcoming album, I am Very Far. As Will Sheff kicked off the clapping for closer “Unless It’s Kicks,” he said “Put your hands up! I want to ruin you for all the other bands you’re going to see today.” And they basically did, until their nighttime set (see below).
Philadelphia guitar-and-drums duo Reading Rainbow plays bouncy, cheery pop with sweet vocal harmonies.
NYC rock trio Yellow Ostrich manages to sound like a much larger band thanks to the use of loops, horns, and powerful drumbeats.
The Submarines’ sunny, tambourine-accented pop inspired smiles all around with positive sentiments like “Every day we wake up, we choose love, we choose life.”
Judging by the four new songs Okkervil River played during their second set of the day, including the surprisingly heavy “The Valley” and the hard-hitting waltz “Wake and Feel Fine,” their new album may turn out to contain some of their most powerful material yet.
By day, Ty works as a Product Manager at ticketing & social commerce startup Eventbrite. By night, he runs Sum The Greater, a music blog, and direct-to-fan marketing company. He spent two years managing Artist Services at Topspin, and has since dedicated himself to helping small bands build actionable fan bases.
1. Jonsi - Go Do
It’s not common to find pop music that you can truly experience, but Sigur-Ros frontman Jonsi delivered nine moving tracks. And like Apple products, the songs get better the more ways you experience them. From the artsy DVD “Go Quiet,” to the theatrical live production (captured in the “Go Live” record and DVD).
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
I’ll admit, I wasn’t a huge Beach House fan after their first record. It was good, showed potential, but it didn’t move me. But they came back far more mature with an incredible sophomore effort.
3. Cotton Jones – Tall Hours In The Glowstream
The best music can make you feel like you’re somewhere completely different. Cotton Jones does just that on their third record. The combination of ’60s-style production (complete with male and female harmonies), and intensely personal songwriting make for a comfortable and fascinating journey down a river, in a boxcar, or in a hot air balloon.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Horse Power EP
It’s rare for a debut EP to end up so high on a year-end list, but these guys are legit — their songwriting is refined, their live show is sharp, and their sound bridges the gap between oldies-inspired pop and more modern chillwave.
5. Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame
I’m not sure if it’s possible for Dr. Dog to write a bad song, and it’s definitely not possible for them to play a bad show.
6. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
Arguably the best debut of the year, thrusting these guys into the spotlight perhaps a bit too quickly for their live show, but the fact that they’ll continue to grow from here is exciting.
7. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Blippy, spacey, pop goodness that makes your brain dance.
8. Voice Of The Seven Thunders – Voice Of The Seven Thunders
Who knew folk metal was even a genre? I, for one, am more than a little excited that it is. It was built for the deep, dark woods, and is rich in psychedelic qualities.
9. A B & The Sea – Boys & Girls EP
Ok I’m biased on this one, but hearing these songs once instantly sold me on wanting to work with the band. Their live show continues to impress the California crowds, and they’ll be looking to grow that audience nationwide next year.
10. The Like - Release Me
What happens when surf punk girls go back to the ’60s? Glory.
Chock full of poppy gems and inspirational masterpieces, The Suburbs is poignant, thoughtful, aggressive, soothing, and fierce. Everything about it is relatable, and there’s no mood, situation, or time of day that isn’t perfect for throwing this album on.
-Spencer Crooks
Bad Books S/T
[Razor & Tie]
When you combine Kevin Devine (alt rock God) and Andy Hull (Manchester Orchestra’s lovable frontman), how can you possibly expect anything but album of the year? It’s all the lyrics, all the love, and all the mind-blowing instrumentals you’ve been looking for. I judge you for not owning this yet.
Teen Dream is definitely Beach House’s most accessible album to date. Victoria Legrand’s hauntingly beautiful vocals weave around Alex Scally’s eerily hypnotic melodies creating a blissful soundscape that teases and taunts your eardrums.
If you’ve been looking for the perfect floating music for your everyday life—look no further. This album has weaved its way into most days this year just for this good reason.
Halcyon Digest takes the best of every Deerhunter and Atlas Sound record to date and packages the goods together to make for one of the most satisfying and re-playable records in years. Standouts are “Don’t Cry,” and the epic, “He Would Have Laughed,” but there’s not a weak track on the record. The album will surely go down as a modern classic and a soundtrack for the year.
LeBlanc’s songs are wise beyond his years, and this debut album should get a few solid spins. When you’re itching to crack that bottle of wine you’ve saved forever, we suggest this as your entertainment. (Being a little sad doesn’t hurt either.)
Every band should not only include a banjo, but should also tickle your ears until they fall off. Freelance Whales’ sweet indie-pop sounds even made their way into the mainstream being featured in various TV shows and commercials, including a spot for the social-media giant, Twitter. Weathervanes is an immediate go-to when a boost of happy is in need.
Frightened Rabbit The Winter of Mixed Drinks
[Fat Cat]
After singer Scott Hutchison recovered from the breakup he chronicled so powerfully in 2008’s The Midnight Organ Fight, it was hard not to wonder whether Frightened Rabbit could follow it up with another great album. Fortunately, The Winter of Mixed Drinks provided a resounding “yes.” Still gloriously anthemic, and deliciously angsty, but with a refreshingly positive bent. Song after song boasts great lyrics ripe for impassioned sing-alongs.
-Kiri Oliver
Javelin No Mas
[Luaka Bop]
No Mas? Si, muchas mas por favor! Brooklyn’s mix tape/sample masters provided THE accompanying album for summer of 2010’s heat-induced debauchery.
There’s something about Newsom’s take it or leave it voice that solidifies this as one of the top albums of the year. Take her, please don’t leave her!
Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and G.O.O.D Fridays
[Def Jam]
Kanye absolutely owned the second half of 2010. The first glimpse we saw of him was the super weird and awesome two-minute clip for “Power.” We got the best of Kanye: gnarly beats with guitar and auto-tune, and he was rapping again (thank God) with Graduation-esque ferocity. Then mid-August he started giving away music every Friday, starting with a remix of “Power” that featured mentor and friend, Jay-Z. It got better every week with all-star collaborations that came across as easy, effortless, and mind-blowingly good. Kanye was back at the center of not only the rap universe, bringing together everyone from Rick Ross to Pete Rock, but pop music in general. The Remix of “Runaway Love” pairing Kanye, Raekwon and Justin Bieber over the Wu’s, “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ Ta F’ Wit,” was genius, and a lot of fun. “Christian Dior Denim Flow” was possibly the best rap song of the year with Kid Cudi, Kanye, Pusha T, and Lloyd Banks all in top form. He reminded everyone that he can do what he wants when he wants, and we should thank him for it.
-Jeff Bracco
Local Natives Gorilla Manor
[Frenchkiss Records]
Following their coming-out party at Coachella in April, the boys from Los Angeles found their way onto my iPod over and over again. Their amazing 4-part harmonies, crescendoing instrumentals and indie-rock stamina made Gorilla Manor a no-brainer for one of the top albums of 2010.
Stuart McLamb (aka The Love Language) snuck into a crowded field this year by going for broke with an album equally weighted by bombastic chamber-pop leanings and a variety of 60’s Pop influences. Few other artists this year could communicate the immersive, melodic tension felt by Libraries. For pure indie pop pleasure, few other albums rival McLamb’s whimsical touches.
I can’t stop listening to this album…so fun, so sweet, so poppy…like eating Pinkberry in a sundress on your birthday while riding a pony, holding balloons, and being surrounded by fuzzy animals, and your favorite cartoon characters.
No other album penetrated me so deeply this year. Between the stunning, yet haunting music, thought-provoking lyrics, and baritone vocals of frontman, Matt Berninger, High Violet made my soul its home in 2010.
It’s as though My Bloody Valentine never stopped playing music. Brooding, dark, layered, and amazing…hopefully they won’t wait another 5 years before their next release.
It took a former hardcore guitarist (Poison the Well’s Derek Miller) to show us a new vision of pop music. Sleigh Bells’ songs are speaker-bustingly heavy, with Alexis Krauss’ voice soaring above the addictively danceable beats and crunching guitars.
New folk, blah. Not another dirty hippie..or so we thought. I was completely blindsided by Stornoway’s indie folk. Beachcomber’s Windowsill is a pretty album. Plain and simple. Moments of pure poetry and surprisingly mature harmonies and melodies wrapped up in an ocean of emotional highs and desperate lows.
The hardest working band of 2010, hands down. Was there a festival this band didn’t play? They’ve been compared to power pop icons Weezer. On the surface, maybe. But there’s something beyond the hooky power chords and confident groans of singer John Paul Pitts that strikes me. Youthful and honest compositions are the real treat, a platter of ambitious tones and textures that sometimes include West African rhythms.
Titus Andronicus frontman and talented wordsmith Patrick Stickles hit on a perfect formula on The Monitor, setting big ideas and big feelings (see: Conor Oberst) to big New Jersey Rock (see: Bruce Springsteen), with the occasional Irish jig thrown in for good measure (see: The Pogues). Don’t be intimidated by the whole “Civil War concept album” thing – you’ll get to jump up and down and sing along to refrains ranging from “the enemy is everywhere” to “you will always be a loser.”
Frontman Connor O’Brien is Irish and looks very similar to Connor Oberst. That aside, Â debut record Becoming a Jackal is the sole reason I’ve ruined a perfectly good pair of chucks this in 2010. Two miles in light rain in San Francisco does not work well with canvas shoes. What does work well with a canvas though is O’Brien and his ability to write beautifully happy, yet haunting songs.
Wavves’ latest effort, King of the Beach, has a much more grown up sound than previous releases. The trio keeps much of the fast, sunny, lo-fi punk noise, but ditches some of the excess murkiness and distortion. It sounds like the album was actually recorded in a studio rather than an old van. The noise is still there, the effects are still gloriously sloppy, it’s just been cleaned up a bit. The music actually has room to breath without fighting through the noise.
New wave meets shoegaze and dream pop. A perfect album while you’re driving your car while the sun is setting. An album that will make you feel good without imposing itself at any time.
CMJ 2010 is in full swing in New York City, with a mind-boggling number of can’t-miss shows happening at all once. Check out some highlights from Wednesday night:
Bear Hands plays energetic post-punk that always maintains a strong sense of melody, even as the guitars veer off into dissonant or otherwise quirky riffs. Their songs occasionally recall Modest Mouse, particularly “What a Drag,” which closed their set at the PureVolume House. They also debuted “Crime Pays,” the first single from their upcoming album, Burning Bush Supper Club.
Danish pop sensation Oh Land, a 24-year-old singer/songwriter now based in Brooklyn, is sure to emerge as one of the breakout acts of CMJ this year. She’s blessed with a stunning voice, model looks and a classier version of Lady Gaga’s outrageous fashion sense—she sported a miniature light-up house on her head—but most importantly, she knows how to write charming, wholly original pop anthems that range from electronic to orchestral. Her engaging performance included a talented drummer and what she calls her “contraption,” a large, sparkling box that plays her music and shows video projections on a bundle of white balloons. Her self-titled EP came out on Tuesday. I suggest checking out her music as soon as possible, and then preparing to hear it everywhere.
In case you were wondering, the Kevin Devine/Manchester Orchestra collaboration Bad Books is “not going to be a band that only puts out one record,” as they announced during their inaugural show at the Bowery Ballroom. That’s good news, because Devine and Manchester frontman Andy Hull have great chemistry, both musically and on stage. The two singers have pooled their collective talents for writing emotionally raw, evocative, and wonderfully melodic songs that tend to inspire passionate sing-alongs. In addition to playing the songs from Bad Books’ self-titled debut, which was released Tuesday, they threw in some songs by each artist, much to their fans’ delight. Devine and Hull will be touring together in December, again playing music from all three bands.
“This is pop music, nothing more, nothing less,” Drums singer Jonathan Pierce said during the band’s set at Webster Hall. That may be true in a sense, but most pop bands will never sell out a 1400-capacity venue. The Drums play soaring, instantly likable indie pop that is clearly indebted to any number of British new-wave bands but still manages to sound fresh. Their energetic performance included plenty of awkwardly adorable dancing, most notably guitarist Jacob Graham’s interpretive dance solo during “Down by the Water,” which ended the show. This talented and humble band is capable of winning over even the most cynical and jaded music fans.
Surfer Blood probably set some sort of record by playing Webster Hall three times in two nights—first on Tuesday in The Studio for MTV, then opening for the Drums in the main space on Wednesday, then on another secondary stage right after that show ended. At CMJ ’09, people were digging “Swim” and the band was just starting to get buzz; after all they’ve accomplished in the last year, these shows are like a victory lap more than anything. That doesn’t mean they’re slacking, though—their sets are always tight and energetic, and marked by a sincere appreciation for their fans’ support. Unlike the great majority of buzz bands that emerge each year, they’ve proved that their songs have genuine staying power.
The Treasure Island Music Festival has officially wrapped up its 3rd 4th year of music, dancing, activities, and food packed into two days. The event, put on by Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment, kicks off every year with a day of electronic dance/DJ/hip-hop music and closes with a day of indie rock. The lineup is a perfect blend of big ticket acts and rising stars, giving the event a large festival feel in a tiny package. With past headliners like the Flaming Lips and Justice, TIMF 3 4 had a lot to live up, to but this year’s powerhouse lineup definitely brought the fun and excitement we have come to expect.
After listening to all the bands, tasting all the food and dancing till our booties would shake no more, The Owl Mag is taking a look back at some of the highlights and handing out some TIMF honors.
Best Warming Up of a Frozen Crowd – Belle and Sebastian
What is there to say about Belle and Sebastian? Their live shows are whimsical. No matter what your musical taste it’s impossible not to be won over by the band’s sweet sounds. Only a band as wonderful as Belle and Sebastian could warm up a frozen, rain-drenched crowd standing in the oceanside breeze at 9PM.
Best In Show – Deadmau5
Deadmau5 rocked it, pounding the crowd with heavy beats, an overwhelming light show and his patented mouse helmet complete with LED lights.
Most Disappointing Crowd Reaction to an Amazing Show – LCD Soundsystem
Maybe it was the cold or perhaps everyone was danced out, but LCD Soundsystem did not get the hero’s welcome they deserved. Granted, they did come out with one of their slowest jams, putting a damper on the over all performance–but they rocked the rest of the set, although you wouldn’t be able to tell from the almost motionless crowd.
Best Local Act – Maus Haus & Wallpaper
This was a tie between synth rock locals Maus Haus and disco glam duo Wallpaper. Yes, they were the only two local acts, but they are the only two hailing from the Bay Area that could hang with the likes of Deadmau5 and LCD Soundsystem. Both bands drew a large crowd considering they were the first two acts of a two-day festival.
Most Adorable – She & Him
Okay, so Zooey Deschanel is adorable, but so is the rest of the band and their music. Not many people could pull off an oldies revival sound like that but Deschanel and M. Ward do just that. It’s nice to see them transition from novelty act to a legitimate band.
Most Insane Fans – Die Antwoord
Die Antwoord is insane, so naturally, their fans are insane as well. The combination of screaming, writhing, tattered-clothes-wearing fans with gold-grill sporting, profanity-spewing, super ninja Die Antwoord, is a match made in some awesome alternate dimension.
Most Enthusiastic – !!!
!!! lead singer Nic Offer is an animal on stage, dancing around like a kid who’s just realizing he loves music. It made the fans scream and boogie right along with the funky, disco, dance rockers.
Most Likely to Succeed – Phantogram
There were some big names at the festival, but walking around listening to people chatter, the buzz was all about Phantogram. Festival goers really dug the once-duo now-trio’s brooding, electronic shoegazing. We will definitely be hearing more from them in the future.
Most Out of Place – Holy Fuck
Holy Fuck is not a festival band. Their sound is amazing and mesmerising; they are aggressive and chaotic. It’s an incredible experience to see them live inside a venue, but the chaos is diluted when played in a big outdoor festival setting. If you weren’t standing right by the stage the noise emanating sounded awkward. Those who were not already fans were not beckoned to the stage but rather milled about seeing what else the festival had to offer.
Best Advice – !!! and Die Antwoord
Nic Offer of !!!: “You should join a band, it’s a lot of fun.”
Die Antwoord: “Be happy.”
Best Battle of the Swedes – Little Dragon and Miike Snow
So apparently Sweden is filled with costume-wearing, shadow-lurking, space-age dance rockers. At least that’s what could be gathered from the last two acts to appear on the Treasure Island second stage. Little Dragon wooed the crowd with their spacey synth pop while lead singer Yukimi Nagano drew more people in with her dancing, swaying, jumping and siren voice. Miike Snow put on an equally trippy show filled with driving beats, hypnotic vocals and theatrics. The band entered the stage in darkness and smoke, all wearing expressionless masks. Their sound is a meticulous patchwork of sounds from electro synth to DJ beats to punk and disco.
Most WTF? – Monotonix
Any band that says “fuck the stage, we are playing in the crowd” is going to have a memorable performance. Monotonix threw their gear into the crowd and used those who weren’t scared away as the stage. Literally, the lead singer sat on a drum stool that was held up by the audience. There’s no way to really describe their sound–it’s loud, frightening and awesome.
Most Lackluster Stage Presence But With Killer Beats – Four Tet
Poking at a laptop doesn’t make for the best stage performance. Luckily Four Tet pumps out some killer music so stage presence can easily take a backseat.
Best Food – Unagi Burrito
BBQ Kalbi serves up a killer unagi burrito.
Best Sponsored Promotion – Vitaminwater’s Silent Disco
In a move of sheer genius, Vitaminwater set up a Silent Disco, a designated area tucked in a corner of Treasure Island where people were dancing in silence, or at least that’s what it seemed from the outside. In reality people were wearing wireless headphones listing to fantastic DJs spinning dancy remixes and beats.
Best Unlisted Performance – The Ferocious Few
The Ferocious Few set up an impromptu stage in a small corner of the festival and played a killer set sans stage, as their fans have grown accustomed to.
Most Appropriate Band Theme – The Mumlers
San Francisco’s The Mumlers took the stage with a pirate theme, perfectly matching the overall pirate theme of the festival. They even play a brand of rock that is dark yet danceable, something a pirate could definitely jig to.
Most Energy – Superchuck
You would never guess that the members of Superchunk are in their 40s. Especially not after watching them jump and run around the stage at Treasure Island. They had more energy than any of their younger festival partners.
Newest Fashion Trend – Animal Hats
These aren’t the furry hats with ears that everyone is used to seeing. These are hats with animals on them. Maybe it’s a shark or a lion or a chicken but now there’s no more looking like an animal, people are just straight up wearing animals.
Best Recovery – Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene came out on stage looking like they hadn’t slept in months and that’s because they hadn’t. They were at the end of their tour, looking tired, getting frustrated, and at one point a malfuntioning guitar was thrown to the ground. After some hearty crowd love the band powered through and got a second wind closing out the show with Drew jumping into the crowd because, as he put it, “I’m going to crowd surf now because I want to be close to you.”
Best Classic Indie Rock – The Sea and Cake
The Sea and Cake have been around for some time, before the indie explosion of the 21st century. They have played consistently pleasant, soulful understated indie rock since the mid-’90s and that’s exactly what they brought to Treasure Island.
Most Exciting Newcomers – Surfer Blood
With a single album under their belt, Surfer Blood is burning up the indie rock scene and gaining some serious notoriety. They play fuzzed-out, island-inspired grunge pop. They put on a raucous set that drew in many old and new fans.
The Worst – RAIN
How did San Francisco go from 90 degrees to rain in a week? More importantly why did it happen during Treasure Island? The festival definitely seized a bad opportunity and made it worse by not allowing umbrellas and then selling shitty plastic ponchos for $5 each. Unfortunately it was worth the inflated prices as the rain didn’t let up until later in the afternoon.
San Francisco is rapidly becoming a popular festival destination for music fans around the world. With Outside Lands, Noise Pop, Treasure Island, Stern Grove, Hardly Strictly and most recently, the All Shook Down Festival, it’s a wonder why the city by the bay isn’t more recognized for its festivals. Let’s keep it that way! Any more ravenous, dancing, music loving fans on Treasure Island might sink the damn thing.
CMJ starts today in NYC. Here are just a few of the great shows happening over the next five days:
Tuesday
Big ticket show: Yo La Tengo, DOM, Screaming Females @ Brooklyn Bowl (FREE)
Best day show: The Music Slut party @ Pianos – BRAHMS, Oberhofer, Electric Tickle Machine, Hooray For Earth, Yukon Blonde and more (FREE)
Buzz-filled lineup: Jenny and Johnny, Wild Nothing, Times New Viking, Happy Birthday, La Sera @ Irving Plaza (tickets)
The Owl Mag recommends: Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band, Miniature Tigers @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets)
Wednesday
Big ticket show: The Drums, Surfer Blood, The Dewars @ Webster Hall (tickets)
Best day show: Terrorbird party @ Cake Shop – Marnie Stern, Baths, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Dark Dark Dark, Prince Rama and more (FREE)
Buzz-filled lineup: Apache Beat, Wild Nothing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Marknie Stern, Diamond Rings, DOM, MINKS, Tamaryn, Houses, Lower Dens, Evan Voytas @ Santos Party House
The Owl Mag recommends: Linfinity, Paul & the Patients, Gobble Boggle, Tristen, Teletextile @ Pianos (upstairs)
Thursday
Big ticket show: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Blow, Screaming Females, Suuns, Young Man @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (BrooklynVegan showcase) (tickets)
Best day show: I Guess I’m Floating party @ Pianos – Baths, Oberhofer, Young Man, Beach Fossils, Pepper Rabbit, Violens, Class Actress, MillionYoung, Blackbird Blackbird and more
Buzz-filled lineup: Adam Haworth Stephens, Frankie & The Heartstrings, The Mynabirds, First Aid Kit, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Old Canes, Sky Larkin @ The Delancey (downstairs)
The Owl Mag recommends: Jukebox the Ghost, Drink Up Buttercup, Savoir Adore and more @ The Bowery Electric
Friday
Big ticket show: None, really, but tons of good choices Best day show: BrooklynVegan party @ Public Assembly – Asobi Seksu, John Vanderslice, Times New Viking, DOM, Ty Segall, Oberhofer, Lower Dens, First Aid Kit and more (FREE)
Buzz-filled lineup: Grooms, We Are Country Mice, Eternal Summers, Young Prisms, Braids, Pepper Rabbit, Viernes, Dream Diary, Dinowalrus @ Cake Shop
The Owl Mag recommends: Takka Takka, La Strada, The Forms, The Nouvellas, Greg Jamie (of O’Death) @ Bruar Falls
Saturday
Big ticket show: Neon Indian, DOM, Wild Nothing, Lower Dens, Lia Ices, Fake Problems, Lord Huron, The Static Jacks @ Bowery Ballroom (tickets)
Best day show: Shilpa Ray, Everything Everything, The Young Empires, Kisses, Lower Dens, Light Pollution @ Arlene’s Grocery (FREE)
Buzz-filled lineup: Xeno & Oaklander, Braids, Gobble Gobble, Buke and Gass, L’Atra, Acrylics, The Tony Castles @ Cameo Gallery
The Owl Mag recommends: Red Wire Black Wire, Mon Khmer, Unsolved Mysteries, Neighbors, Teams @ Brooklyn Fireproof East
Day 2 of the 2010 Treasure Island Music Festival was wet and bitterly cold but a little rain never hurt nobody. Pat yourselves on the back for escaping shuttle island. Now go stock up on some Emergen-C.
You need to be in tip top shape for this weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival. And with the Giants making the playoffs (FUCK YEAH!) the bus situation over to creepy island (it’s so weird over there) is set to be an epic battle of patience and bladders. These tunes should put you in the right frame of mind.
Not to be crude, but this giveaway is going to make you pop a mind boner. We’ve got a pair of tickets to the most fantastical, magical, chub-inducing festival—a.k.a.
—the Treasure Island Music Festival. We know, you can barely contain the excitement pulsating through your extremities. Beware, people are watching you. So keep it down, perverts.
To win, tell us (below) what would comprise the perfect date night in San Francisco. Start to finish. And your answer should include music, and a nightcap, of course. The winner will be announced here: facebook.com/theowlmag. Again, COMMENT HERE. FIND OUT WHO WINS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. (Be sure to fan us, Casanova.)
If you’re heading out for MidPoint on Friday (9/24), we highly recommend you get yourself to these shows ASAP. Friday finds a bit more atmospheric rock than Thursday, but the lineup is poised to please the indie fan in everyone.
Surfer Blood Cincinnati Club at 11:30PM
Top off your night with one of the acts that many are looking most forward to, Surfer Blood. The band is the closer for Saturday at the Cincinnati Club, following the secret show (have you figured out the secret show artist yet?). Fresh off the release of their list-topping 2010 debut, expect to see a band that combines traditional indie influences with certifiable noise. They never disappoint.
Seedy Seeds and Caribou Grammers at 8:30PM/9:30PM
Grammers is yet again the place to be with Cincinnati’s own Seedy Seeds taking the stage early. This three-party team mixes influences as far as electric noise to sweet pop, and everything in between. The band fills the stage everytime, and will most certainly be your new favorite band to “take home” from the festival.
Stick around for another buzz band, Caribou. Mixing countries of residence, Dan Snaith is layered, lush, and complex. Fans of paying attention to every flawless musical detail will tip their glasses (unless they’re at the Secret Show!).
Lions Rampant and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Southgate House 10:00PM/11:00PM
Take a trip over to the historic Southgate House for some good ole down and fun rock with the Lions Rampant. Playing the Party on the River this summer for Q102 is definitely the vibe that fits this fun band that ties R&R with a more authentic Maroon 5 feeling.
Afterwards, DC’s seminal political-punk band, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will challenge every portion of your brain. Not in the mood for that? Round out your night absorbing the bands passionate soundtrack. You’ll thank them come election season.
From time to time you can download free mp3s from artists and bands that we love listening to. We scour the web for these links, occasionally hosting our own, in the hopes of influencing you to go out and buy/support these artists and bands. If that bugs you, because you hate free stuff and wish to be compensated for it, let us know and we will remove it ASAP. Happy listening.
