First up is the aptly named two-piece Little Hurricane, a guy-gal blues duo from San Diego in the vein of the White Stripes. The band was a last minute addition to the lineup that we happened upon while waiting for other hometown heroes the Cool Kids to take the stage. (The band may be from San Diego, but the drummer hails from Sweet Home Chicago.) And it turned out to be a happy accident, one we realistically probably should have missed -- the band is so new they don't even appear on Allmusic.com, the authoritative music reference site par excellence.
Since it appears I'm scooping even the masters here, here's the band in a nutshell. The comparisons to the Stripes are inevitable -- attractive girl drummer, bluesy guitar guy and lead vocalist, beguiling chemistry between the two when on stage. And while guitarist Anthony Catelano lacks Lord Jack's raw guitar fury and garage fuzz, he more than holds his own on their debut with a playing style that shies more toward classic blues than Jack's unbridled bolts of lightning. Catelano's more restrained playing and melodic vocals mesh nicely with drummer Celeste Spina, who earns the comparisons to the estimable Ms. White -- strong drum beats, ghostly (and slightly off-key) backing vocals, serving as a calming, quieting presence to balance the band's fierier other half.
If Lord Jack and Ms. White represent the musical equivalent of Hurricane Katrina in their size and destructive force (which they very much do), Catelano and Spina are more of a storm in a teacup at this point. (Like I said, aptly named.) Which is not to knock their passion or prowess -- there's plenty to sink your teeth into on their debut album. Homewrecker is a tight 40-minute affair, full of smoldering slow-burners ("Crocodile Tears," "Lies," "Tear Bucket") and their harder charging kin. ("Trouble Ahead," "Haunted Heart," the title track) It's a nice mix, one that shows why they've shot to success so quickly. (They won Best New Artist at the San Diego music awards and a slew of other awards this year -- album of the year, record of the year, etc.)
And while they may not obliterate your senses like Jack and Meg so regularly did, that's ok -- not every band should level your head they way Katrina did cities and lives. So take the more contained fury presented here -- a stormy cup of darjeeling, say -- and enjoy. A good first sip is the below, a performance of "Shortbread" from the concert:
Next up is the Australian band Boy & Bear, a similarly new quintet from Sydney that showcases beautiful layered harmonies and a three acoustic guitar attack that will leave you swooning. We stumbled upon these guys immediately after the Cool Kids (Sunday was quite a day) and immediately fell in love with them, as they mixed wonderful songs with a touching and sincere gratitude for having people come check them out. (Lead singer Dave Hosking must have thanked the crowd at least a dozen times in their set, each time somehow sounding more heartfelt than the last.)
The band formed in late 2009, but are just starting to break out off the strength of their debut EP, With Emperor Antarctica. And if those five songs are any indication of what's to come (their debut LP hit this week and has yet to be reviewed by yours truly) their star will continue to rise. Songs like "Blood to Gold," "Rabbit Song," and "The Storm" all glow, with Hosking & Co's stacked vocals, finger-picked guitars (and banjo), and singable choruses warming like a fire after a rainstorm. (Say, the monsoon that came immediately after their set closed, for example, which raged for 40 minutes and would have even made a fish feel waterlogged.)
Their cover of Crowded House's "Fall at your Feet" is another heart-slayer, but for my money nothing tops "Mexican Mavis," a folksy gem that sounds great on the EP but even better live and showcases what the boys can do. Check it out here:
Finally, the last find of the weekend was one I'd been turned onto right before we left (thanks to my research for this site's previous post), but was looking for confirmation of their capabilities live. The band was the new British act The Vaccines, and the reason I stumbled onto them is because their lead singer happens to be the man formerly known as Jay Jay Pistolet, author of that absolute gem 25 Songs I discussed last post.
The difference between these two bands and personas couldn't be more stark -- Pistolet was heart-breaking, soft introspection; the Vaccines are cock-sure, tongue-in-cheek swagger. Their debut What Did You Expect From the Vaccines? is a 35-minute blast of 60s-era sock hop rock that captures that period's energy well and will have you dancing and pumping your fist in the air like a teenager. (More on emphatic fist pumps in a bit.) From the album opener "Wrecking Bar (Ra Ra Ra)" to subsequent tracks "If You Wanna," "Blow it Up," and the lead single "Post Break-up Sex," your feet will start moving and your body will be compelled to follow. It's all high-energy stuff, which is not to say it's superficial or cheap, as pop so often is -- Hayward Young's lyrics continue to be full of subtle sweetness and cheek. (Check out the lead single or the similar blast "Norgaard" for two stellar examples.)
None highlight this more than the following, "Wetsuit," a song that shows how the band shines even when they slow down a bit and let their songs unfold before building to a crescendo. This one was stuck in my head for days before the concert and was easily a favorite of the live set -- Hayward Young's vocals shimmered like his guitar licks, there's great lyrics, a great melody -- it's just a great tune. Check it out here:
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The two main highlights of the weekend were from a pair of acts I already loved and were extremely eager to see, including one I'd scribbled about here before. Towards the latter, Fitz and the Tantrums took the stage early Saturday and positively BUSTED it. They were hands-down the hardest working band we saw over the course of the weekend, blitzing through almost their entire album with a couple of killer covers thrown in along the way -- a souled-up version of the Raconteurs' "Steady as she Goes" and a funkier version of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams, much to the audience's delight. They even managed to debut a new song, the uber-cool "Wake Up," shown below. By the time they start cutting loose towards the end of the song (right around the 3-minute mark) they've long since established the groove. A great new track, and a sign of more great things to come, I hope.
We'll close with what easily was the high point of the weekend, Dutch DJ Afrojack's blistering set Friday night. While other genre headliners Girl Talk and Deadmau5 were disappointments, Afrojack positively killed it, whipping the 15,000 strong crowd into a unbridled dance frenzy during his hour-long set. For the third year in a row the electro tent represented the best part of the festival -- previous years had major league DJs Diplo, 2manydjs, and MSTRKRFT, among others -- and this year continued the Jeffersonian trajectory as the party moved on up to an airplane-sized hangar for 15 thousand of your closest friends. That the tent was almost constantly full and overflowing into the adjacent fields shows I wasn't the only one clued into this reality.
For a taste of Afrojack's set and the mayhem that ensued, check out the below clip, which shows the mess of humanity in the tent dancing like the ship's going down. Not visible is the fact that the inside of the tent is easily over 100 degrees at this point, which made it feel a bit like dancing in the middle of a Bikram yoga studio. Not that anyone cared -- we left the tent soaked to the bone and itching for more. (Special Easter egg of the video is my girlfriend making an appearance at the 1:07 mark as the fist pumping lass pogoing in the spotlight next to the soundboard.)
For a fuller appreciation of his work, check out Afrojack's mix from Radio 1 last year, which is a two-hour long jam. Check it out here:
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One last non-Lolla bit before I jet is the lead single from dance rock favorites The Rapture's upcoming album, which has been captivating my speakers since I heard it last month. If this is a sign of what's to come, the boys haven't lost a step in the five years since they released the stellar Pieces of People we Love. Check out their return to glory here, and mark your calendars for the album's official release soon. Until next time, amici...
