Flipside Sounds

This morning, right at the stroke of midnight, the Austin City Limits Music Festival released the lineup for this year’s installment of the three day extravaganza. While the list is relatively solid, it featured very few surprises and left this reporter hoping that the selection of after shows will allow the have-nots to enjoy several of the bands in more intimate settings.

As the AV Club Austin pointed out yesterday (full disclosure: I contribute to the site), the June issue of Spin cited three acts, Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, and Arcade Fire, as headlining the fest with no evidence to support their claims. Turns out they didn’t need any prediction forums or announcement scratch-offs to prove they were right. The fact that all three acts appear on the bill first means that either: a) the people at Spin had someone deep undercover inside the C3 offices, or, b) they got really lucky with this one. All speculation aside, the headliners make perfect sense for the festival’s 10th anniversary. The festival organizers continue to turn the clock back even further with Wonder, West just came off of a whirlwind year that deserves a victory lap, and Arcade Fire are pretty much at the apex of their popularity (not to mention the fact that they put on an amazing live show). Each of these sets are bound to be packed, and they represent the most diverse set of headliners the festival has ever seen.

Plenty of other great bands have signed on for the festival, including Fleet Foxes, Cut Copy, TV on the Radio, The Walkmen, Elbow, Wild Beasts, Twin Shadow, The Antlers, Smith Westerns, Broken Social Scene, and Bright Eyes just to name a few. Also, past favorites like My Morning Jacket, Alison Krauss, Iron & Wine and (hey, look!) Coldplay have joined the party. Several other groups and artists are making their ACL debuts, and there is no doubt that James Blake, Cee Lo, Death From Above 1979, Big Boi, and Santigold will be big draws.

However, as I have explained before, festivals like ACL have their drawbacks. In addition to those grievances, three-day passes to this year’s festival sold out before a single band was announced. This leads most music lovers to hold out until the after shows are announced in September. Over the past couple of years, there have been great combinations of bands from the festival playing together at venues that are far more intimate and well suited for them (what I would have given to see Sonic Youth and Warpaint last year). Though tickets to these shows aren’t necessarily cheap, they serve as an opportunity for those not fortunate enough to afford a pass or a single-day ticket to see their favorite groups in their element. Here are a few bills that would make me forget that I (still) don’t have the means to experience the festival at least once:

TV on the Radio with Twin Shadow

The Walkmen with The Antlers

Elbow with Wild Beasts

Broken Social Scene with Death From Above 1979

Twin Shadow with Smith Westerns

A man can always dream… Until then, here’s something everyone can enjoy from one of the most puzzling choices for this year’s lineup:

For those who aren’t lucky enough to have a badge or wristband for SXSW, there are still plenty of opportunities to see great bands throughout the festival. Over the last few years, the embracing of free day shows put on by different organizations and media outlets have become just as big of a story as the evening showcases that only badge holders and wristband wearers can get into. This year, there are several day shows with amazing lineups slated to hit Austin throughout the week. Here are some of the best that have been announced so far:

eMusic Day Party: March 16; The Beauty Bar, 12 p.m.

The indie friendly download store eMusic will highlight their day party with a solid lineup featuring one of the biggest names in the genre over the last couple of years. In anticipation of their new album, Belong, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart will headline the party with their catchy brand of noise infused twee-pop. Joining them will be Obits (comprised of former members of Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, and Edsel), the garage inspire raucous of Ty Segall, and those same sentiments from JEFF The Brotherhood. This day show is shaping up to be one that will give festival goers a loud start to their SXSW experience, so be sure to bring earplugs and an open mind.

Pitchfork #Offline: March 17-18; East Side Drive-In, 12 p.m.

While the ubiquity of their influence is often a point of contention for most, the people at Pitchfork know how to get great bands to play their day parties. While Thursdays lineup includes the fresh faced power-poppers of Chicago’s Smith Westers,  J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr. fame), and the hippie era vibes of San Fransisco’s The Fresh and Onlys, Friday is the day to be at the East Side Drive-In. Headlined by the chillwaver that could, Toro y Moi, the lineup also includes the always astounding Owen Pallett, UK upstarts Yuck, the exuberant beats of Baths, and the pop-genius of Diamond Rings.  Friday’s show will also be webcast live, so those in attendance can have video evidence years later when they say, “I was there!”

The Windish Agency’s 6th Annual Austin Day Party: Emo’s; March 18; 12 p.m.

Competing with Pitchfork will be the ultra impressive lineup that PR firm The Windish Agency has assembled for their day party. In addition to proven successes Toro y Moi and the UK’s Friendly Fires, the lineup features several bands who have already gotten the attention of major labels, including Foster the People (who have already garnered comparisons to MGMT) and recent Columbia Records signees Cults. However, for me, the two biggest reasons to add this party to your list come from Braids and Twin Shadow. The beautiful soundscapes of Braids are exclaimed by heavenly voice of lead singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston, and is one of the main reasons why their debut, Native Speaker, is one of the boldest statements by a new band in 2011. Meanwhile, George Lewis Jr. of Twin Shadow managed to single-handedly improve on the 80′s template with last year’s Forget, and his live set-up with a full band should have no trouble bringing that experience to life. This is a party that is not be missed.

(As stated, this is a very early guide. All acts are subject to change. I will do my best to keep everyone updated as more day shows are announced.)

Earlier this week, the folks at Free Press Houston announced the lineup for the third installment of their Free Press Summer Fest. With some great headliners slated to take the stage at Eleanor Tinsley Park June 4-5, it may be the best excuse to go outside and endure the Houston heat since the invention of swimming pools. With two day passes starting at only $30, it is a cheap way to enjoy some great bands and forget the fact that you’re stuck in Houston for the summer if you’re forced to go back home.

Perhaps the biggest name on the billing this year is Weezer. Despite their major missteps over the last few years, though they slightly redeemed themselves with last year’s Hurley, the opportunity to see the band that brought you albums like The Blue Album and Pinkerton in a festival setting is worth the admission price alone. Hopefully, there will be plenty of sing alongs from those two albums on display.

In addition to Weezer, all around weirdos Ween, The Black Angles, Yeasayer, Lower Dens, and the always entertaining hardcore group Fucked Up will bring the rock to Eleanor Tinsley Park. Rap has a decent representation too, with MF Doom, Z-Ro, and Houston’s own Bun-B scheduled to play the fest. However, one of the most exciting announcements came in the form of Australian electro-pop group Cut Copy. Their 2008 album, In Ghost Colours, was filled to the brim with memorable tracks, and the same can be said for this year’s Zonoscope. They put on a great show, and will no doubt get the hordes of sweaty festival goers dancing as though they were in an air conditioned nightclub.

In addition to the headliners, Summerfest is also host to smaller bands, many from the Houston area or Texas. This year will see St. Edwards University alumnus’s The Eastern Sea join Houston favorites Wild Moccasins and Black Congress, as well as some oddly named groups like Pasadena Napalm Division, Delicious Milk, and the Annoysters.

With over 30,000 people in attendance last year, an increasing reputation, and the opportunity to discover new music amidst some great bands, you could do a lot worse than spend a summer weekend at Free Press Summer Fest. As long you bring plenty of sunscreen, stay hydrated, and remember to bathe at the end of each day, your festival experience should be one to make you forget the sweltering Houston heat.

Those hoping to find tickets for LCD Soundsystem’s final show at Madison Square Garden on April 2 found themselves in the middle of a scalping frenzy that has sent band leader James Murphy into a Twitter feed frenzy over the last couple days.

After a pre-sale that saw tickets immediately snatched up, presumably by scalpers, tickets were scheduled to go on sale today at 11 am EST. However, those too were gone in a matter of minutes.

The ticket-selling website StubHub, which allows people to resale tickets to hot events, has several dozen listings for tickets to the show, ranging in price from $180-$1500. Tickets to the show were listed on Ticketmaster for $35.00 and $49.50, meaning that prices have been inflated to as much as 40 times their original price.

“eat shit @StubHub part of being a marketplace that connects buyers and sellers is giving fans the freedom to price tickets however they want,” one of Murphy’s posts read.

Murphy immediately took another jab at the company, which insists that their operation is based on fans selling tickets to other fans, saying “hey @StubHub … i pretty much guarantee “fans” aren’t pricing these tickets. you’re barely legal and you know it.”

According to a Yahoo Music article, only American Express gold card holders were able to penetrate TicketMaster’s website, as they have special privileges with their card status. Many of the band’s fans, however, were left out in the cold to wonder whether they would have to give up several months of rent in order to catch the band one last time.

Murphy urged fans not to give in to the scalpers demands, tweeting “NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, IT IS NOT WORTH THAT KIND OF MONEY TO SEE US!”

While scalping tickets is nothing new, the debacle over LCD Soundsystem is one of the most bizarre cases I’ve ever seen. One would expect this kind of thing for a Lady Gaga or Kings of Leon show, but the fact that this happened to a well respected indie group baffles me. Let’s just hope Murphy’s advice to fans will have some impact on the scalpers.

“1 thought: if everyone breathes a sec, maybe it’ll calm down, and shitbags will lower the $ on stubhub etc. i think hype is making it worse.”

(Update:) In a post on the band’s website late Friday afternoon, Murphy announced LCD Soundsystem will play four shows at NYC venue Terminal 5 leading up to the Madison Square Garden gig. The dates are March 28-31. You can read the release, as well as a long letter from Murphy addressing the entire situation, here.

(Image Credit: Matt Biddulph, via Wikimedia Commons)

According to a Pitchfork article posted earlier today, New York indie kings TV On The Radio are returning after a nearly year and a half long hiatus to release their new album, Nine Types of Light, sometime this spring. While very few details were given about the album itself, the announcement marked an end of a long period of silence from the band.

Back in September 2009, after more than a year straight of touring behind their excellent third album Dear Science, the group decided to take some time off to focus on other projects and spend more time at home with their families. It’s safe to say that while the band didn’t tour or record during that time, several of the group’s members kept very busy. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe contributed  his voice to the Massive Attack song “Pray For Rain.” Meanwhile, multi-instrumentalist David Sitek recorded his first solo album under the name Maximum Balloon and is slated to play bass on the next Jane’s Addition album.

TV On The Radio have been the recipients of near universal acclaim since their Young Liars EP was released in 2003, and the news of their return makes me excited. I’ve been following them since Young Liars, and I am hoping the band will stop by Austin so that I can finally fulfill my dream of experiencing them live.

First Death From Above 1979 get back together, and now TV On The Radio have come out of hiding. If early 2011 is providing us the chance to celebrate great bands reuniting and plenty of new music, there’s hope this year for that Avalanches album after all!