Weekly Lolla Prep 14
I counted. We’ve got 14 Tuesdays until Lollapalooza. And I’ve got more than 14 bands to listen to beforehand. This is your weekly prep. I’ll try to get a few links out each week. There will be no Jane’s Addiction or RHCP, because we don’t need it. There will be no dance or rap, because we don’t want it. I’m gonna assemble a Lolla 2016 Prep youtube playlist that these will be added to also.
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This week we’ve got links to one Sunday and one Thursday band. We know that Friday and Saturday are stacked, but here are reasons not to short change the other days. Bloc Party is on Sunday. They’re London band that Wikipedia calls “post-punk revival”; whatever that is. They remind me of a more rocking Joy Division or an updated Gang of Four. Wavves plays on Thursday and is from San Diego and called “pop-punk and surf-rock”. I can relate to any song about drinking too much.
Weekly Lolla Prep 13
Ghost (aka GHOST B.C.) is playing on Friday. How do you describe them? First, they’re a Swedish metal band. And they wear costumes and makeup and look like an ancient Benedictine cult. And they are all anonymous. They kinda sound like some 70s arena rock meets an early 80s hairband. Kinda. Kiss meets Asia meets GWAR meets Scorpions meets Ministry?
Haim (pronounce HIME…it’s Jewish) are sisters from LA whose parents were in the music industry. Female singers? Here you go. We saw them in passing at Coachella #1 I think. The oldest, the bass player, has a reputation of making “Bass Face” facial gestures. Would be really good on the Elle King or Zella Day stages, but would probably get swallowed up by a big stage.
Weekly Lolla Prep 12
This week’s prep includes a punk band that could start our Sunday and a soloist from a former Coachella band.
FIDLAR (an acronym for “F#$k It Dog Life’s A Risk) play on Sunday at 2:45. Might be my new favorite punk band. Any video that starts with an homage to Op Ivy is a winner. “Skate Punk” from SoCal with some family roots in the SoCal Hardcore scene (the drummer’s and guitarist’s dad was in TSOL). Their shows famously end with the entire stage filled by the audience. And 40oz on Repeat is one of the best videos I’ve seen in a while…do you recognize the videos they’re copying? Very aftershow worthy, especially if we need a high energy show to keep us going on Saturday night.
Baio is on Saturday also on the Zella Day stage (Pepsi), and early (1:50) and will get bumped from my day (conflicting with Potty Mouth (more on them later)), but since he’s the bassist for Vampire Weekend he’s worthy of inclusion. Might be an interesting aftershow if his setlist includes any VW songs. Maybe not. Kind of a Bryan Ferry or Morrissey type show without the Roxy Music or Smiths catalog.
Lolla Prep 11
11 Weeks to go…
Modern Baseball are on Friday at 145pm immediately before and adjacent to Frank Turner. Might be a great place to start the weekend. They’re a punkish band from Philly. They’re really new so there aren’t many good live videos of them on youtube. But if the videos are close to their live shows, they should be really good.
The Strumbellas are from Toronto so they probably are super nice and say “eh?” a lot. They’re called alternative country. Might be too “Mumford-ish” for me. The song “Spirits” is all over alternative radio right now. They are in the noon slot on Saturday, so likely unmakeable. But may be a good Saturday aftershow.
Weekly Lolla Prep 10
This week is dedicated entirely to Frank Turner. He plays on Friday at 245pm on the main north stage. He was one of the surprises and discoveries from Coachella #2. Currently my favorite live show. Since Coachella I’ve seen him four more times. He’s a former lead singer of London hardcore band Million Dead, he started rocking an acoustic guitar and added a backing band a few years ago. Crazy popular in Europe. Sold out Wembley and played in the opening ceremonies at the London Olympics. Just good rock and roll. Make sure you check out Song for Josh…Kyle and I were at this show and you can hear Kyle squealing in the background. This performance made it on his latest album.
Weekly Lolla Prep 9
This week is all about bands Kyle loves. Wolf Alice and PVRIS.
Wolf Alice is from London. They play on the side “Zella Day Turn On Your Mic” stage on Friday at 630. Reminds me of old Pixies…Like a Breeders meets Belly meets Cocteau Twins. And the singer has an eerie resemblance to a young Belly lead singer Tonya Donnelly (look it up).
PVRIS. Pronounced PARIS. From Massachusetts. They’re on the treed “Elle King” stage on Friday at 430pm opposite Foals. Shaded, near beer. Sounds like a winner. They played on the warped tour. That alone makes me interested.
Weekly Lolla Prep 8
Less than two months fellas….
Two Door Cinema Club is on for Saturday at 645pm. From somewhere in the British Isles. Named because someone misunderstood their pronunciation of the “Tudor” Cinema. One of my big surprises from Coachella #1 with a great evening show on the Outdoor Stage. Unfortunately they conflict with Jane’s this year. Probably my biggest conflict of the weekend. But now that we’re seeing the Jane’s aftershow, maybe they’re in play again. Maybe. Jane’s at Lolla, even a second time in three days might be a difficult skip.
Potty Mouth are an all girl punkish band from Massachusetts. Think Breaders, L7, Veruca Salt. Or HAIM if the Haim sisters grew up on the streets of Brooklyn instead of suburban Orange County. Potty Mouth are on the treed “Elle King” stage at 210pm on Saturday. A great venue, a questionably early time slot. They also open for Wolf Alice at our Friday aftershow (if we can get there by 11pm).
Question of the day…
Has anyone listened to the new Radiohead and said “man that will be great live”? Or even “man that would be okay live”? I know a gazillion Brits can’t be wrong (except for dental hygiene and the American Revolution), but I don’t understand what all the fuss is about with Radiohead. I feel I’m supposed to like them and probably should catch them to check off some “bucketlist”. Insert joke about if I can’t make it through an entire Friday night set of Grinderman, The Cult, or Paul McCartney, what do I care about making through a Radiohead set on a Friday.
Check out some footage from one of their recent shows. I’d be happy to be wrong. Tell me I am:
Weekly Lolla Prep 7
The Joy Formidable are on Saturday at 245pm on the northernmost stage. They’re a Welsh trio with a female lead singer named “Ritzy” and a bass player named “Rhydian”. Kyle loooooooves them or at least Ritzy. Since Kyle has put them in the spotlight, I really like them also.
Nothing. Nada. Never heard of them before and wasn’t paying attention until they showed up as the opening act for the Jane’s aftershow. Pretty good punkish from Philly. 430pm Saturday on the shaded “Elle King” stage. I like that. Close to beer. Shade.
Day Wave. From Calif I believe. Don’t know much about them. But they have a cool sound…remember Ocean Blue in the early nineties? But better. Probably won’t make them as they’re on the big stage first on Friday at 1245pm. But a thought.
Weekly Lolla Prep 6
I know you’ve been wondering why this week has been delayed. Apologies. This week’s prep is coming from beautiful San Diego as we’ve retreated here for a week to escape the 120 degree temperatures.
Silversun Pickups are on Sunday at 530pm on the TV on the Radio Stage (across from the Main Stage). Followed by Bloc Party. I used to think they were a Smashing Pumpkins rip-off. But the more I’ve listened to them I’ve really grown to like them. Now I wish Smashing Pumpkins would get back to be more of a Silvesun Pickups rip off.
Frightened Rabbit play Friday at 5pm on the TV on the Radio stage. Mixed in to an epic run of Foals, PVRIS, Wolf Alice on Friday afternoon. They’re Scottish and have been around a long time. They will grow on you.
Nothing But Thieves play in that “Wombats” slot of Saturday at 1245pm on the main stage. Pretty sure we won’t make them as Saturday evening is line up as epic with Jane’s and RHCP followed by Block Party at House of Blues. Nothing But Thieves are English lads. I like, but would probably rather sleep in on Saturday.
Weekly Lolla Prep 5
We’re getting pretty close fellas! This week includes a couple of videos from Natethaniel Rateliff that I shared when the lineup was released. But he is probably worthy of revisiting.
Foals are on Friday at 4pm on the main stage. They’re from Oxford. Pretty popular on the festival circuit. The band was formed from the leftovers from a “cult math rock” band, whatever that is.
Nate Rateliff and the Night Sweats are from Denver. And might be what the Barking Sharks could’ve been if Stauffer was their lead singer. They’re on Saturday at 345pm on the War On Drugs/Bandshell stage, right after Joy Formidable.
Weekly Lolla Prep 3
Okay. We’ve only got a few weeks left. And I’m going to try to fit in a bunch.
Saint Motel is Friday at 130pm. They’re opposite Modern Baseball on the far side of the park so likely out for me. But they’re interesting in a Django Django kinda way.
Grimes is Saturday at 730pm. She’s between Jane’s and RHCP in the TV on the Radio stage. I’m probably going to be camping out, hoping to find someone to buy beers, trying to get a good spot for RHCP, but you never know.
Local Natives is Sunday at 445pm. They’re after FIDLAR on the North End but overlap a little with Silversun on the south end. May catch the start? Who know what we “may” be doing by then?
Houndmouth is Saturday at 630pm. No way I’m catching them as they opposite Jane’s and Two Door. They’re gonna have a very lonely crowd. But this is a catchy song about Arizona.
Front Bottoms is Saturday at 315pm. Probably will miss them, as they’re opposite Joy Formidable and Nate Rateliff on the opposite side. But we will at least know what we’re missing.
Banners is Sunday a 1pm. If we can get motivated to have our Sunday start early, here’s the reason.