Lollapalooza

All the way up to August 6-8, we will be featuring reviews and previews for artists playing Lollapalooza 2010. Not only that, we’ve enlisted Lolla-loving blogs, many which you guys picked out yourself, to help us out. Today’s feature on Skybox comes from Loud Loop Press. Enjoy!

Chicago melodic indie rock outfit Skybox enlist Tokusatsu’s Ultraman and another Japanese guy-in-a-costume monsters for their new video for the title track to their latest release, In A Dream. The track is sleek, danceable, electro-pop at it’s finest — just the kind of tune you’d want to hear nearing the earth’s destruction by giant interplanetary monsters. But fear not, people of earth! Skybox confirm the old adage that music is the strongest weapon in the galaxy and help out our metal-headed heroine Ultraman by destroying his nemesis via song.

Written by Richard Giraldi

All the way up to August 6-8, we will be featuring reviews and previews for artists playing Lollapalooza 2010. Not only that, we’ve enlisted Lolla-loving blogs, many which you guys picked out yourself, to help us out. Today’s feature on B.o.B. comes from About Last Night. Enjoy!

A half hour after performing at the Allstate Arena on Friday, rapper-singer B.o.B. sat in his dressing room with his sunglasses still on and a vodka drink at his side wondering why he had the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” soundtrack on his laptop.

“I don’t even remember buying it,” said B.o.B., 21, laughing. “I think somebody (else) may have bought it.”

Figuring I’d want to hear it for some reason, B.o.B. played the intro for “Ain’t No Party” on his laptop, which included the lyric “We got that hot one from The Chipmunks,” and rapped along to the following lyric, “Ain’t no party like a Chipmunk party.”

The show-and-tell portion of the interview didn’t end there.

B.o.B., real name Bobby Ray Simmons, played a rough edit of his upcoming “Airplanes” music video on his laptop immediately afterward. He bobbed his head as he watched the video and seemed most excited when Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams, sporting two buns in her hair, first appeared on screen.

“We haven’t even met,” he said of Williams, who recorded her part of the song and video separately. “(But) we’ve talked.”

“Airplanes” helped make B.o.B.’s “The Adventures of Bobby Ray” the No. 1 album on the Billboard chart earlier this month. The song is currently No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 while his other hit, “Nothin’ on You,” is No. 4.

“This music came from the hood,” B.o.B. said. “I didn’t really see many white people in Decatur (Georgia). I went to school on the other side of town… It’s crazy how this music has hit kids and Moms.”

The music also seems to have hit rock fans. B.o.B. performed at the Coachella festival last month (he broke out his guitar for a few songs) and will take the stage at Lollapalooza in August. While he’s honored to be one of three hip-hops acts selected to play Lollapalooza, he hasn’t let it get to his head.

“The diverse sound of my music makes it a good fit for that demographic,” said B.o.B., whose album features cameos by Eminem, Lupe Fiasco and Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. “But they do have me performing at 11:30 a.m., so…”

Written by Luis Arroyave

Soon you’ll be able to plan your Lolla weekend down to the minute. The schedule will be revealed June 8th. If you can’t make it all three days, Single Day Tickets will also be available June 8th. Stay tuned… http://www.lollapalooza.com/tickets/

All the way up to August 6-8, we will be featuring reviews and previews for artists playing Lollapalooza 2010. Not only that, we’ve enlisted Lolla-loving blogs, many which you guys picked out yourself, to help us out. Today’s feature on Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros comes from Consequence of Sound. Enjoy!

Everyone makes a big fuss over headliners, and rightfully so, but if you think about it, the lower and mid-tier of a lineup is really the most important thing. It’s what makes up most of your day, and by the end of the weekend, it’s what leaves you thinking either “Well, that was worth it” or “Crap, I’m out 200 something bucks.” Before you arrive and clog the streets and El lines of Chicago for Lollapalooza, you should probably glance below the headliners. No one denies that The Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and Phoenix add more bang to your buck, but it also goes without question that there’s a handful of acts — probably about three dozen of ‘em — that add more luster to your summer golden ticket.

Let’s play Guess That Indie Band! Question: What’s a band that involves a break up, a 12-step program for addiction, a hot-as-hell debut album, and a messianic figure to lead them?

Discover Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Here’s a band that deserves the attention and hype, namely due to their successful debut release, Up from Below, which is a gold mine waiting to be gutted by people like you. It carries a sound that bounces with such a sentimental swagger that you’re prone to smiling like a goofball hours later. It’s a strange concoction, too. Think about those hard hitting moments of any Johnny Cash/June Carter duet, add it to that feeling you get when you listen to early Arcade Fire tunes, especially the tracks that force you to sing along whether you’re alone or with friends, and then set it all to the enclosed intimacy of a warm camp fire. Yes.. that sound.

It’s a noise to appreciate, which is why Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have really taken off this year. The LA dectet (yes, a dectet), led by Ima Robot’s Alex Ebert, set the ball rolling in motion with last year’s three-track debut Here Comes EP. Though they really started turning heads with the release of their LP, Up from Below, which cracked the Billboard Top 200, ranked up Australian charts, and brought them television appearances, everything from ABC News to late-night guest spots. They don’t let their recordings speak for themselves, either. This past year they’ve hit the road hard, which has landed them appearances at a variety of music festivals, including both Bonnaroo and Sasquatch.

But what’s up with that name, right? After a vicious breakup with his girlfriend, Ebert carved out a fictional character named Edward Sharpe, who he insists, “was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind…but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love.” Now, considering how messianic that sounds and coupled with the fact that he has nine people surrounding him, it’d be easy to suggest this band is, well, a cult. However, that’s not the case, and no, they won’t make you drink some odd tasting Kool- Aid. But come to think of it, you almost want this band to be a cult, especially when you see how excited and happy they are on stage and hear how jovial they sound on record. In fact, don’t be surprised if you exclaim, “Jesus, where is this Kool-Aid?”

Now, one would imagine that with a band so large, members would be lost and/or overlooked. While anyone can argue that the spotlight tends to fall on Ebert, in addition to his ever so enjoyable focus on Jade Castrinos, each member in the band throws their cards on the table, collectively making a perfect hand. This isn’t a band where the number of musicians is simply a novelty. Not at all. When you listen to songs like “Home”, “Up from Below”, “Come in Please”, or “40 Day Dream”, you’ll recognize that these songs can’t be done with only two members — especially not with such intimacy. It’s the collective pieces of the Edward Sharpe puzzle that make the songs so passionate, entertaining, and downright catchy.

Let’s focus on the intimacy for a moment. This is such a hard thing to have at an outdoor music festival. But rest assured, if there’s a band to bring this connection, it’s this one. That is, if you’re willing to let it happen. If you do, you’ll be whistling, you’ll be swaying, and you’ll feel your heart swelling at the vulnerability and connection between two artists (Ebert and Castrinos) intent on creating something more than just chords and lyrics. Those cheeks your mother once pitched will burn with a smile of extreme elation. Take that moment to smile.

Now, imagine that feeling amongst thousands of festival-goers, amidst a balmy-yet-breezy summer day, and under the architectural glory that is downtown Chicago. Done? Okay, make it a reality.

Written by Phillip Roffman

All the way up to August 6-8, we will be featuring reviews and previews for artists playing Lollapalooza 2010. Not only that, we’ve enlisted Lolla-loving blogs, many which you guys picked out yourself, to help us out. Today’s feature on The Soft Pack comes courtesy of The Tripwire. Enjoy!

It’s dinner time and The Soft Pack are hungry. This is reasonable. What is perhaps unreasonable is that I’m sitting in their van, badgering them with questions about menial shit like how they chose their band name, and (unknowingly at the time, for what it’s worth) preventing them from sating themselves. If I were in that position I would probably be answering monosyllabically, unable to elaborate on anything, lost in a dream about fresh pasta or cheeseburgers. But they are riding high and into it, probably because their second album—the first written and recorded with their current lineup, and the first released under the newly-chosen name (more on that later)–came out a few days prior. Tonight is the New York record release party, a midnight show at the tiny, stage-less, basement-cum-venue Cake Shop in the Lower East Side. When they play, they will play tenaciously, and I will think: I’m really glad they finally got to eat.

You know The Soft Pack. Maybe not personally, but you know people like them–smart, enthusiastic, motivated twenty-somethings confused by the prevailing what-the-fuck-do-we-do-with-ourselves-nowness of their generation and trying to make a life of something they actually enjoy doing in the midst of it. Unlike many, The Soft Pack have actually made that happen.

After graduating from college, high school friends Matt Lamkin and Matty McLoughlin moved back home to San Diego (Lamkin didn’t have to go very far since he graduated from UCSD; McLoughlin had to schlep his stuff back from Richmond, Virginia). They decided it was time to form the band they’d been talking sporadically about starting for a few years. “It was time to give it a shot before we got real jobs,” Lamkin says. In the meantime, they delivered pizzas. “We’d have different shifts,” adds McLoughlin, “So I’d demo something in the morning, and then Matt would get off and do the lyrics. We’d try to trade CDs on our routes.”

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We are excited about the expansion of the festival lay-out at Grant Park. This larger footprint makes for a better fan experience with more legroom. Perry’s stage will have a new home with room for even more dancing. The Chow Town food court and restaurant offerings will be bigger and better than ever. And logistically, this new lay-out allows us to better service important areas of the event.

For the last two years, Lollapalooza has had sell-out attendance of 75,000 per day. With the new footprint, we’re adding 35 more acres – about 40% more space. Contrary to what was reported by The Chicago Sun Times, the sellable capacity will increase by only 10-15%.

This contest is now closed, thanks to all who entered!
Make sure you’re following @lollapalooza to catch the announcement of the winner.

If you’ve got a Twitter account, you’ve got a chance to win a round-trip flight to Chicago, hotel accommodations, two 3-Day Lollapalooza tickets, a side-stage VIP vista of French Pop darlings Phoenix and a meet & greet after their set. It’s as easy as 1-2-tweet!

STEP 1
Tweet an eye-catching message telling us why you absolutely must meet Phoenix at Lolla. Include the tags @lollapalooza and @wearephoenix

STEP 2
Send your tweet before Saturday, May 15th @ 11:59PM CDT

We’ll pick the most creative tweet and reward you with unforgettable rock & roll weekend! See the official rules below.

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With Lollapalooza set to conquer Grant Park again this August, Consequence of Sound will be diving head first into this year’s jaw-dropping lineup, highlighting a variety of acts we think are pretty cool. Given that the internet hypes artists before they’ve even opened their garage doors, you’ve most likely heard a few (if not most) of them by now. Regardless, CoS is here to open those eyes and unclog those ears…

This year we’re excited about Australia’s breakout dance-glam act Empire of the Sun, especially because Lolla will be its first ever performance in North America!

If you’ve heard of them before, you’re quite familiar with the group’s out-of-this-world sound, but if you’re sitting there scratching that noggin of yours in confusion, you’re in for a sonic treat…

In late 2008, a spaceship from the land of Oz touched down. On board were pilgrims from Pepperland – children of Bowie, Prince, and LeBon, conceived in a sentient crystal matrix. They came to show us the colors and sensations that we’d forgotten in the coldness of our socially-networked solemnity. The jeweled lotus that had shriveled within our collective consciousness once again sprang to life with the fire of a stone cut by space-angels. By winter of 2009 their sonic petals had drifted to the British Isles and by spring they’d made landfall in America. Suddenly it was summer all over the world.

Empire of the Sun has returned art pop to a glistening wilderness of adventure. The summer of 2009 was theirs and the whole planet was dancing and falling in love to its technicolor soundscape. Empire’s debut album, Walking on a Dream, took the world by storm… on the iPod of a 16-year-old art student in Edinburgh, echoing from the outdoor speakers of an Italian gas station… every field of sunflowers swayed to their beautiful melodies. It’s been ages since an act wielded synthpop, glam, and dance music so aptly, but Empire of the Sun isn’t looking to the past. Just as its musical progenitors once did, they look to the future.
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