Outside Lands will always hold a special place in my (overly-obsessed-with-all-things-music-related) heart. What's so great about it? Well to keep this from being another novel, I'll break it down from my own perspective. It's that one festival where it's not just a hop, skip, and a cartwheel away to get to the next stage like it is at Coachella, so instead - each stage is a separate unique shrine (for music, of course.) In fact, if you're planning on catching half of a set at Twin Peaks, and think it'll only take you a couple minutes to find a decent spot near the Sutro stage, think again. Also, If you're considering re-using your outfit from Bonnaroo, you better plan on adding at least a few more layers. Good news is that you won't have to worry about being caged up consuming overpriced beers, but the bad news is- beers will still be overpriced as per usual (duh.)
Other thoughts:
This is the first time GIVERS have made an appearance out in the public eye in what seems like, um forever?
Holy Ghost! vs. Warpaint on Friday? The real question is: do you want to dance your pants off or do you want to watch 4 badass females rip through jams such as "Bees" & "Disco//very?" You be the judge, I'll be at Lands End.
3:00-8:00 on Saturday = it's about to get physical, and by physical I mean how many times are you willing to hop around Golden Gate Park to catch everyone that's playing? Maybe you should reconsider your choice of shoes for the event and stick with something more comfortable (besides, it's highly unlikely that your shoes will even make it in the picture.)
Planning on heading to the fest early? Here's 3 bands worth checking out:
After looking at the lineup, there was no way I could pass up The Governors Ball Music Festival held in New York City. BANKS, Interpol, and The Kills all in one day? How could I turn the other cheek? This was the 4th year of the festival and by far the most impressive bill to date (although I would have loved to have gone in 2012 to see Modest Mouse on the island). The weather was absolutely perfect and the drinks were way overpriced, but hey, what's a festival without overpriced drinks? A major highlight was finally catching the talented Jenny Lewis perform both new & old JL material as well as a few Rilo Kiley classics such as "Silver Lining" & "Moneymaker." I miraculously survived the front of the crowd for Sleigh Bells, and witnessed some strange moments during Tyler The Creators set which may or may not have been the youngest crowd at the festival. If I ever get the chance, you bet your bottom dollar I'll be making my way to the East Coast for more. Even looking back at it after a couple weeks have passed - I still get butterflies from how great the experience was. Enough of my blabbering, below are some photos I took on Siera's handy dandy iPhone (because why take it with a 4 when you can take it on an iPhone 5s?)
DAY 3 A.K.A. Sunday A.K.A. the last hurrah of Coachella, unless you're coming back for Weekend 2? For those of you who aren't, time to suck it up & give it all you got (because you can always sleep on the drive home Monday.) If you didn't overdo it on Friday, you probably went all out on Saturday - I mean, who wouldn't when Skrillex is a headliner. Either way, the festival ends the earliest on this day so there aren't as many acts to catch!
Last year I ventured alone into the festival quite early (because everyone was hanging out in struggle city) and ended up having an amazing time. Not only did I get to see Wild Belle, but I stumbled upon Little Green Cars & Robert Delong (both were acts I had never listened to before.)
P.S. Unfortunately Beady Eye will not performing in the desert this year *sad face emoji*
but LANA DEL REY will still be there, and look better than 99.9999% of us. Do you think she's learned a few moves since her SNL performance?
JK! I love you Lana, I really really do.
My Picks: Anna Lunoe Jhene Aiko James Vincent McMorrow Classixx Daughter Flight Facilities STRFKR Rudimental The 1975 Flosstradamus Little Dragon Lana Del Rey Disclosure Calvin Harris Arcade Fire Who I refuse to miss:Flight Facilities, Daughter, Little Dragon, and The 1975 I've been loving on Flight Facilities since forever ago, and to finally catch them in the US is equal parts amazing and rare. I would recommend a song, but everything they've ever released has been golden. Be sure to spend the rest of your day on their SoundCloud page, you can thank me later. I'll be making my way bright & early to catch Anna Lunoe whose latest single "Breathe" is rather addicting & will probably sound divine in a festival setting. Predictions: I'm probably going to cry during Daughter(because let's be real, I've cried every single time I've seen them.)Classixx are known for bringing out at least a handful of vocalists to perform the tracks from their debut album Hanging Gardens, but this could possibly be the first time Nancy Whang will be there to perform "All You're Waiting For" (which is by far one of the best summer songs EVER.) The LA duo are more fit for the festival scene, and it only makes sense for her to be around since she's heavily involved with Holy Ghost! (who will also be performing.) Conflicts: When I'm more than positive that Calvin Harris will close out Sahara, will Disclosure play before him or will they close out another stage like Mojave where they performed last year? I am crossing my fingers there won't be as much of a conflict situation since the day is shorter, but this thought could easily change as soon as the schedule is released (any day now Coachella, any day now.) 3 acts I'm looking forward to seeing for the 1st time: FLIGHT FACILITIES, FLIGHT FACILITIES, AND FLIGHT FACILITIES. Who I'm Skipping On: Krewella, sorry that's not quite my scene. Probably stick around for a few NMH songs, and I'll probably do most of my "sight-seeing" this day (find me at the beer garden hugging my battery-operated misting fan WHICH WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE, BELIEVE ME.) My favorite Day 3 acts from the past: Ellie Goulding (2011) The Presets (2011) Death From Above 1979 (2011) Metronomy (2012) Porter Robinson (2012) Nero (2012) Wild Belle (2013) Jessie Ware (2013) Tame Impala (2013) Pretty Lights (2013)
DAY 2: Heads up first timers - It's a completely different ball game than Day 1. You might be feeling a little shaky & confused, but you should probably grab a water & some ibuprofen before you think about diving back into the shenanigans. This is where the art of rallying comes in handy. Most festival attendees tend to overdo it on the first day, and find themselves in struggle mode on Day 2, but NOT YOU! (You know better than that because you're reading this beforehand.) Don't forget to charge your phone as well as the backup battery (and the backup backup battery because you'll need every single percent when you get lost on your way back to camp.) If you have an iPhone, I highly suggest in eventually buying a Mophie battery case. It's handy, and totally worth the $$. Otherwise you can snag a 2600 mAh Power Bank for a really low price on Amazon (they're a total lifesaver.) This is definitely the day with the most acts I'd want to see. Catch me running from stage to stage if it gets down to that. I've done it before & i'll do it again. My Picks: Drowners Syd Arthur The Magician Blood Orange The Internet Galantis Netsky Holy Ghost! Bombay Bicycle Club Tiga BANKS Darkside Future Islands Temples Dillon Francis CHVRCHES The Head and The Heart Fatboy Slim Sleigh Bells Lorde Skrillex
Who I refuse to miss: Future Islands, Temples, Dillon Francis, and Bombay Bicycle Club. I've waited years to see Future Islands, and had finally planned on doing so when they played at the Center of the Arts Eagle Rock back in February - but when it falls on a best friends' birthday I had to sell my ticket to one lucky stranger via StubHub (you're welcome.) I'll be making my way bright & early to catch Psychedelic UK outfitSyd Arthur.Dillon Francis is one of two artists this year that's on back-to-back lineups (can you guess the other one?) His set last year on the updated Sahara Stage was one of my favorite sets from last year, and I'll definitely be making my way for round 2. (Listen to his set from this year's ULTRA Music Festival here.) Predictions: Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) & Solange will not perform "Losing You" together. Either Muse or QOTSA will close out the main stage while Pharrell Williams will bring onstage at least a handful of artists (Snoop is that you?) Also, Sleigh Bells will blow out several eardrums from the next tent over, so if you plan on catching the Brooklyn duo - invest in some earplugs unless you don't care to hear anything for the rest of your life. P.S. I'll totally be there. Conflicts: Every act on the 4th row are on my must see list for the most part, even Solange who made a bright cameo during The XX's set last year. Two I would pick from the line? Future Islands & Bombay Bicycle Club. I'm so excited that this is the 1st year BBC made it on the lineup, and they never fail to amaze me with their talent. You won't lose with either of the two, I guarantee it. Once the daily schedule is released, I'm sure I'll find a few more conflicts -_- 3 acts I'm looking forward to seeing for the 1st time: The Internet, Future Islands, and Temples Who I'm Skipping On: MGMT, Empire of the Sun, and Nas. I'm completely burnt out on all 3 of them, and my first experience with both MGMT & EOTS were rather.... well, boring. I'd love to see DARKSIDE which is the co-ed love child of Nicolas Jaar & Dave Harrington, and as much as I really appreciate Psychic as a body of art, I'd rather pay the $$ to see them not in a festival setting. Who knows, maybe they'll be graced with a night slot?
My favorite Day 2 acts from the past: Paul Van Dyk (2011) Steve Angello (2011) Fedde Le Grand (2011) Martin Solveig (2012) Feist (2012) Miike Snow (2012) Kaskade (2012) Radiohead (2012) Ben Howard (2013) Foals (2013) The Postal Service (2013) Hot Chip (2013)
This year marks my 4th Coachella in a row, and it's hard to predict how this one will roll out because every year has been completely different from the one before. Yes, I'm camping & if you think I'm crazy for doing so - you should probably never make it out to Bonnaroo. Once you camp at a festival such as Bonnaroo, everywhere else is a piece of cake (for the most part.)
Day 1 definitely surprised me with its bottom row roster.
Take my advice and get there as early as you can - last year it took us almost an hour to get in from the campgrounds and I ended up missing a handful of acts I was looking forward to the most. :(
MY PICKS: The Preatures Wye Oak Austra Waxahatchee MS MR Jagwar Ma Flume Bastille Bonobo HAIM Chromeo Ellie Goulding Broken Bells Outkast Who I refuse to miss: Wye Oak, Flume, Chromeo Predictions:Since Isabella from The Preatures is the vocalist for one of Flume's most recent hits, it would make my day if they joined forces during Flume's set. Zedd will most likely bring out Foxes for "Clarity" & Outkast will blow everyone's mind with the hits. Conflicts: There's a good chance that the Preatures, Austra, and Wye Oak all playing at the same time. (Please don't do this to me lineup gods.) If it happened, who would I see? TOUGH DECISION BUT, Wye Oak. I would rather save up and see Austra on a proper tour where they play somewhere dark and indoors (that's just me though.) 3 acts I'm looking forward to seeing for the 1st time: The Preatures, Waxahatchee, and Broken Bells Who I'm Skipping On: The Knife was one of the main reasons I attended Primavera Sound in Barcelona last year & it makes me sad to say that I was quite disappointed with their set. I'm not saying that you should skip out on their set, but that I am more interested in catching other acts instead of The Knife.
I will without a doubt be ending my night with Outkast and Broken Bells (which I'm hoping will both be on the Main stage.)
My favorite Day 1 acts from the past: The Chemical Brothers (2011) Marina and the Diamonds (2011) Skrillex (2011, he was the 3rd person to play on the Sahara stage, now look where he's at.) Excision (2011) Cut Copy (2011) Madeon (2012) The Rapture (2012) Dillon Francis (2013) Stars (2013) Metric (2013) Passion Pit (2013) Modest Mouse (2013) Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2013) Jurassic 5 (2013) Bassnectar (2013)
First things first: I may have survived Primavera Sound physically, but unfortunately my iPhone didn't make it past Friday. So let me paint a picture for you using words because honestly, photos wouldn't have done this experience justice.
I had no idea what to expect when it was set in stone that I would be attending Primavera Sound, a relatively large music festival held in Barcelona, Spain! For those of you who aren't familiar with the event, it actually lasts around a week (if you include the pre-shows, and events that take place at outside locations.) It is held at the Parc del Forum. Located next to the water, the scenery played a huge role in the experience that literally lasted from sunset to sunrise.
There honestly wasn't a bone to pick with this lineup when it was first exposed. Especially with the confusion & disappointment that surrounded Coachella's lineup this year, it seemed like everyone was onboard with Primavera immediately. Unfortunately as the festival was approaching, a few artists had to cancel including: Fiona Apple, Foxygen, and FIDLAR.
Wednesday night opened up the event and was also free to the public. It was quite a treat to run into some old friends from Santa Barbara, CA who happened to be visiting/living Barcelona at the time! The night was mostly spent running around the gigantic venue, but DELOREAN put on an excellent set that kept everyone moving & grooving from beginning to end!
Following Wednesday, each day started around 6:00 (or 18:00 in Central European time) & if you were a true festival-goer... you wouldn't make your way out of Parc del Forum until 5 or 6am. Thankfully our hotel, AC Hotel Barcelona Forumwas literally next door (and is without a doubt the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in!) It was literally the epitome of convenience for this festival, and I suggest that you look into staying here if you're thinking of attending in the future! This festival made Coachella's 12pm-midnight setup look like a cakewalk. You thought 5 stages at a festival was overwhelming? Try 8-10. There were even a few bands playing multiple sets throughout the course of the festival, but even then it was still possible to miss a set.. or seven.
In terms of exploring Barcelona, I didn't have much time on the days of the event except for a few hours to grab refreshments and other necessities needed for recovery. Although I did make my way to La Sagrada Familia, La Rambla, and a variety of other locations where I acted like a tourist and devoured tapas/sangria like there was no tomorrow. Mmmm...
This post is already getting pretty lengthy so let's cut to the good stuff. I caught as many acts as my legs could carry me to...literally. Here were a few of my highlights that made the trip memorable. Oh yeah, did I mention that it got pretty chilly? I've never layered for a festival quite like I did at Primavera.
Who were my top 2 overall?DAUGHTER & CRYSTAL CASTLES. Pretty ironic combination, but I was literally blown away by both performances. On Friday night Daughter performed at the Vice stage which was relatively small, but the crowd was enormous to the point that Elena Tonra admitted that this was the biggest crowd they played in front of thus far. Crystal Castles was just bananas, and as it took place on the last and final night of Primavera - it fit perfectly with the scene.
So what did I learn from this experience?
-It's not a festival without a ferris wheel, and by placing it right next to the water was a wise decision Primavera.
-Meeting spots are KEY... shout-out to the beanbag/astroturf area sponsored by Woouf! I believe.
-Europeans can be quite homely, but also extremely crazy...and will steal your cell phone from your pocket while you're clapping. (insert sad emoji)
-"Sexy beers" sold for €1 a pop outside the venue are kept cool in sewers beforehand. At this point, you're at a festival where you're going to pay 2-3 times amount of what you would normally pay for a beer inside, so either expect to spend $$$ if you don't pre-game or suck it up and invest in those sexy beers.. besides they're not that bad, you guys.
- Researching the weather before you leave for a festival is probably one of the best decisions you'll ever make... and you won't regret what you packed in your suitcase.
It is officially September 1st, and it won't be long before the Los Angeles State Historic Park opens their gates to thousands of hungry individuals. Some might be hungry for an overpriced piece of pizza, but the kind of hunger I'm talking about is for MUSIC. Nothing beats live music. What better place to experience a music festival then in Los Angeles where you won't have to worry about freezing your bum off (cough, Outside Lands). Once the schedule was finally made public, there were a few minor tantrums/rants and it wasn't long before they tweaked/edited the positions of the time slots. The *UPDATED* & official time schedule is featured below if you haven't had a chance to check it out!
I was quite surprised to find that there wasn't an APP for FYF FEST. Festival apps do come quite in handy, and it saves paper ;). This will be my first time attending FYF & to be honest with you I have no idea what to expect. It's better to hope for the best rather than set obnoxiously high standards of what the festival will be like, right? Even better, I managed to attain a Press Pass for the event due to a fellow music aficionado/friend of mine having to cancel. This will be the first of (hopefully) many experiences where I will have this type of opportunity at a music festival. Don't worry, you'll be the first to hear about the details :) Now here are a few tracks that I've been listening to of bands that will be playing at FYF FEST.
Simian Mobile Disco - "SERAPHIM"
Tanlines - "ALL OF ME"
M83 - "REUNION"
Beirut - "ELEPHANT GUN"
Givers - "MEANTIME
Tycho - "COASTAL BRAKE"
Future Islands - "AN APOLOGY"
I realized where this was going so I had to pull myself away from adding the next video, this lineup is just loaded from ear to ear with amazing sets it's hard to choose a select few! I hope that for those who are attending to have a great time, and for those who aren't attending - HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
In case you weren't aware: this upcoming weekend is not only Memorial Day Weekend but it also marks the 10th annual Sasquatch Music Festival held at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. It's a 3-day festival sponsored by: esurance (an AllState company), Kokanee, Honda, Verizon, Matador, and Alaska Airlines. Some of the high notes for the festival are without a doubt: Jack White, Beck, Bon Iver, Tenacious D, The Shins, and Pretty Lights.
So HERE is the first dose of my personal high notes that I highly suggest you check out for yourself while you're there (because unfortunately I'm a full-time student and finals are in less than two weeks, boo).
If you want to learn more about the festival itself, feel free to checkout their website by clicking here!
Alright, so you're probably thinking "no shit sherlock" that Metric is a must-see on my list. I might be a fairly young(22) music enthusiast, but Metric and I go WAY back. Thanks to a dear friend of mine, I was immediately attached to this group following the 2003 release of their first full-length album Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? "Dead Disco", "Combat Baby", "Wet Blanket" were bonafied jams of mine. They have an undeniable "sparklepunch" sound that I find addicting; and spikes your curiosity about what influences the words that come out Emily Haines' mouth. Other tracks of mine that I'm head over heels about and hope you'll hear live are: Police in the Private, Monster Hospital, Help I'm Alive, Collect Call, Gold Guns Girls, Gimme Sympathy, and this newly released track you'll find below titled "Youth Without Youth". This single will be on their upcoming release Synthetica that is out on June 12th. If you think about it, this is the perfect time to expose some of the new material.
Take it from me as I've had the pleasure of catching The Joy Formidable live twice last year-THEY PUT ON AN AMAZING LIVE SHOW. Not only did I catch them at a festival setting (Outside Lands), but also at a small nearby venue (SoHo). TJF is a trio consisting of Ritzy Bryan(lead vocals/guitar), Rhydian Dafydd(bass guitar/backing vocals), and Matt Thomas(drums/percussion) from the UK. Don't let Ritzy's pint-size frame fool you, she's a beast (just watch how big her eyes get). It really amazed me how identical they sounded to their recordings. Below is my favorite track by them "A Heavy Abacus" off their first (and only so far) full-length 2011 album The Big Roar. Have no fear, the amount of roar in their music will not cheat you whatsoever.
I predict Purity Ring to be one of the standout sets for this music festival. With the amount of hype that's been generated off their 3 tracks that have been swimming for what feels like forever, Purity Ring is barely a year old. After an amazing delivery at this year's South By Southwest (SXSW), a surprise release of a new single "Obedear" that was followed by the announcement of an upcoming album release has graced our attention. Shrines is the first full-length from Purity Ring, and will be released July 23rd on 4AD/Last Gang Records. Below is the first single off Shrines titled "Obedear".
Recently when I posted about favorite duets, Active Child was featured in it along with How To Dress Well for their hypnotizing track "Playing House". Active Child (aka Pat Grossi) is easily one of the most talented solo artists today, and I am extremely envious of you who get to catch him in the flesh this weekend! I would love to hear what your thoughts were in regards to his live performance. Enjoy Active Child's Live Performance on KEXP Radio below from last September.... that harp-playing is mighty wonderful.
Zola Jesus aka Nika Roza Danilova is the voice of your darkest dream. The first word that comes to mind whenever I listen to her music is "release". Therapeutic or cathartic also appear. In my opinion I wasn't much of a fan at first for her 2nd EP Stridulum, which is the 6th release from Zola. Conatus on the other hand, was an immediate attraction for me. What I found is that the music on both Stridulum and Conatus reflect identically upon their album covers. While Stridulum captures Zola completely drenched in a dark liquid, Conatus displays Zola wrapped in a white sheet as well as wearing white clothes. This isn't to say that the music on Conatus is super airy and lacking the operatic darkness, because it is still there in full force. Also, Zola Jesus is featured on the first track "Intro" of the latest M83 album Hurry Up We're Dreaming & collaborated with Orbital on "New France". Those are two tracks that are definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. Below is my favorite Zola Jesus track which is found on Conatus titled "Seekir". Enjoy!
