Old Faithful: The Annual Lolla Roundup

As I digest the bounty of riches obtained during my annual pilgrimage home to the Temple of Lolla, wanted to offer up some initial observations for folks to try out and (hopefully) enjoy.  Here's the quick and dirty on some of the instant winners:

Best in Show (Newcomers Division): The Districts and Vance Joy -- Multiple power outages during their set couldn't stop this quartet from Lancaster County, PA who left absolutely everything they had out on the stage on Day II, closing their high noon set by smashing their guitars and toppling their drum kit and leaving a bowled over crowd of new fans in their wake.  Lead singer Rob Grote howled and flailed around stage, with power and without, taking the crowd through a batch of alt-folk songs that rise and fall like a country breeze before exploding into full-fledged storms.  There's a ton of great tunes for such a new band -- the soulful "Lyla" and "Funeral Beds," the combustible "Call Box" and "Long Distance" (both of which screamed live), but for me nothing's better than "4&4," which is a perfect mix of their jangly country vibe and their raucous howl. Keep your eyes out for these guys if they're coming to town, and take a taste of what they have to offer here:



Australian folky Vance wasn't a discovery like the Districts -- I've been in love with his debut EP God Loves You When You're Dancing since I picked it up a few months ago -- but his performance was a confirmation that love was well-deserved.  Joy's name is indicative of what his music evokes, as each track builds upon the warmth and exuberance of the last, leading to group-wide singalongs in the park.  Songs like "Emmylou," "Playing With Fire," and "Snaggletooth" shine off the EP, as do songs like "Mess is Mine" from the upcoming full-length.  At times, sitting in the sun in the park with Joy on stage felt like sitting around a campfire, all warmth and golden glow. With Joy's warm voice, heartfelt lyrics, and lovely ukelele, it's hard to find much to dislike, let alone not sing along with at the top of your lungs.  None moreso than on lead single "Riptide," a little over three short minutes of pure, unadulterated Joy:

 

Best in Show (Recent Favorites Division): Parquet Courts and Run the Jewels -- For the five of you that read my annual lists, you already know the Courts and RTJ are two of my recent faves (the Courts being one of the best in many, many years -- a sentiment not dissuaded by their new album, which will undoubtedly be making its way onto this year's list.  See me in January for precisely where...) RTJ was more of the unknown heading into the weekend -- only one album behind them, and the fact that virtually all rap performances I've seen are utter shit was making me a little nervous. Thankfully, though, these guys were anomalies and absolutely crushed their set in the rain.  El-P and Killer Mike sounded fantastic, had tons of energy and were bounding around stage riling the crowd (which is impressive as Mike is no tiny ballerina), and the beats were absolute sledgehammers.

Same goes for the Courts, who erupted on stage with a blistering string of tracks from their new album and their flawless debut before going on (for me) a too-long meander into their slower stuff, which killed the momentum.  I understand balancing your sets and wanting to give folks a breather, but they'd done such a great job working everyone into a lather this was a bit like stuffing a toddler full of cupcakes and sugar and then telling him to sit still in the corner for 30 minutes. Thankfully they ended on a high note, ripping off a string of high-octane jams that culminated in the moment I'd been most looking forward to for the festival, and a batshit crazy rendition of "Sunbathing Animal" off their new album.  Two huge sets from two of my recent faves.

Best in Show (Old-timers Division): Interpol and Spoon -- These two were surprises, one because I wasn't expecting that much from them, the other because they exceeded what I was.  For the former, Interpol is a band I've cooled on over the years.  I saw them years ago for a birthday show in Chicago in support of their debut album, which remains one of my all-time faves, and that remains one of my favorite concert experiences. (Partly because they were playing along with my favorite band no one has ever heard of -- buy me a drink sometime and maybe I'll clue you in to who they are...) Their follow-on album Antics was pretty solid, but Our Love to Admire was a little bloated and I didn't even buy their fourth album, so I was pretty floored when they gave one of the best top to bottom performances of the weekend.  There was a sense of urgency from them that I hadn't seen in years -- maybe it was partly because they were playing a greatest hits set that leaned heavily on their first two albums (I only recall one or two tracks off their forthcoming album), but they played with fire and sounded fantastic.  Absolute home run.

Spoon, on the other hand, is the definition of consistency.  They're one of those bands that I've always really liked, but for whatever reason never gone CRAAAAZY over, the way I have for Parquet Courts or J Roddy, say, to pick two recent headbombers. They're the sonic equivalent of apple pie, for me -- tons of people love it, and I'm probably not going to shove it away if I find it in front of me, but I'm not going to go hunt it down because IGOTTAHAVESOMERIGHTNOW!  So I was surprised at how good these guys were live.  They balanced their set a bit more, sampling from almost all of their eight albums while being sure to give equal footing to their most recently released material.  And it all sounded great -- lead singer Britt Daniel was diffident and cool as always, but retains his killer gravelly voice, and the rest of the band played with a ton of energy, too.  Maybe I will have a slice of pie, Margaret...

Best Time: Joywave and Gemini Club -- These two gave great performances on the side stages, starting dance parties in the rain, and sparked the biggest sense of deja vu from the previous year.  Both gave buoyant, upbeat performances, showcasing their 80s style brand of synth pop nicely to get people moving, and because of their stages and sound called to mind two discoveries who did the same last year, Wild Cub and Atlas Genius, respectively.  It's a complimentary comparison -- like those bands, these guys keep it simple, but execute it well.  The NY-based Joywave offer bouncy tracks like "Golden State," "True Grit," and "In Clover," which all ride along on frontman Daniel Armbruster's high-pitched falsetto. (Who looks uncannily like a mustachioed Noonan, making it even more difficult not to love them.)  "Tongues" is the standout track, both for its quirkiness and catchiness.  You'll find yourself humming the melody hours after, and not hating that you are.



Hometown boys Gemini Club offer similar batches of joy and gave one of the more memorable sets of the weekend, keeping people dancing and happy in the midst of an utter deluge. Lead singer Tom Gavin belted out winners like "Sparklers," "Nothing but History," and "By Surprise," jumping out into the crowd to dance with folks in the middle of the rain.  Having listened to their albums, I think they actually sound better live, as the synths were more in balance than on the recorded offerings, but still a good time however you hear em.  Check out "Show my Hands" (a winner in both arenas) here:

 

Best Discoveries: Fly Golden Eagle and Royal Blood -- These two are slightly different, sonically, but both gave killer performances that left the tree-covered BMI stage (perennially the best at the show) a singed, smoking heap.  First up are Eagle, a four-pack from Nashville that hearken back to 70s AM radio with a great classic rock vibe.  Wild maned lead singer Ben Trimble's nasally falsetto flies high over the proceedings, which is an amalgam of gritty blues and redolent soul.  Tracks like "Far Out," "Devil's Eye (Basilisk)," and "Bed of Roses" smolder live, while "Psyche's Dagger," and "Need Some Money" bathe you in warmth. "Violet Crown" shows them at their overall best, mixing the two to potent effect -- see for yourself here:



On the other hand, the only thing British duo Royal Blood bathe you in is a wall of scuzzy, sludgy bass and bludgeoning drums.  Coming from a long line of bluesy twosomes of late (White Stripes, Black Keys, etc) what these guys do isn't complicated, but it also isn't easy to ignore.  Lead singer Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher offer up a range of heavy riffs and melodies that were absolutely irresistible live. (Thatcher came off his stool several times throughout the set to more effectively annihilate his kit -- fuck. yes.) They've only released a four-track EP so far, but the rest of the material they played was equally excellent, so will definitely keep my eyes peeled for their formal debut. Tracks like "Hole" and "Out of the Black" ebb and flow nicely, while "Come on Over" is a freight train rolling downhill.  Lead single "Little Monster" shows their potency well, though, building to a thunderous climax that's sure to have you thrashing.  Check it out here: