80/35 2011 Festival Preview

Greg Gillis (Girl Talk – QRO photos at a festival) moved from biomedical tissue engineering to DJ mash-up engineering, taking samples from across the spectrum and making something very new (QRO photos at a festival).  While he started out playing clubs, he’s graduated to ballroom & even the great outdoors (QRO photos outdoors) – but that just means he’s got bigger stages to fill with dancing concertgoers… (QRO photos at a festival)

Hailing from New Orleans Galactic is a five-man funk band.  They combine traditional jazz with brass-heavy funk that’s much like the city’s signature sound. Thrown into the mix are their cutting edge, ‘new school’ horns and the regional hip-hop known as New Orleans Bounce.  Galactic succeeds in producing a sound that’s entirely new while still paying homage to the style that made the Big Easy famous.  Since their latest album YA-KA-MAY was released last year, the band’s been touring across the country.

This summer the Galactic set will feature Corey Glover (of Living Colour), and Corey Henry (Rebirth Brass Band).

Alex Ebert, former singer of Ima Robot (QRO interview), got a ton of buzz right after forming Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (QRO live review) – is it justified, or just PR hype (QRO spotlight on)?  Judge for yourself (QRO photos) – but watch out for him jumping into the crowd (QRO photos at a festival)!

Straight outta Jersey comes Garden State pridesters Titus Andronicus (QRO photos at a festival), who have been hitting all fifty hard (QRO photos out-of-state) even before (QRO photos at a festival) the release of their Civil War-inspired The Monitor (QRO review), and now bring it outdoors (QRO photos outdoors).

The Reverend Peyton and his Big Damn Band (QRO photos) channel pre-WWII country-blues, and have played everything from blues festivals to Vans Warped Tour (QRO 2009 Highlights) to a gig as the house band on a Jerry Springer Pay-Per-View special.

Five guys from right in Des Moines make up the rock ‘n’ roll band The Chatty Cathys.  The guys tracked and released a single with Logan Christian at Midday Studios last spring.  They are about to begin working on live demos with Logan Christian at the Mews for their debut full-length entitled Cradle Rock, to be released on Our Lady of Guadalupe Records.  The plan is to collaborate with a couple of producers to complete this project: Phil Young and Bryce Eckley in Ames, Iowa.

Blackalicious is an American hip-hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab (born Tim Parker) and DJ/producer Chief Xcel (born Xavier Mosley).  They are most well known for Gift of Gab’s complex rhymes and Chief Xcel’s classic beats.  Blackalicious has released three full-length albums, 1999 brought their debut Nia, which was followed by a major label contract with MCA Records and the release of the album Blazing Arrow in 2002.  In 2004 Gift of Gab released his first solo album, 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up, but he assured fans that Blackalicious would stay together.  Gift of Gab announced at a 2010 solo show that he and Chief Xcel were seven songs into their new album and hoping for an early 2011 release.

Jessica Lea Mayfield (QRO photos at a festival) grew up performing in her family’s bluegrass band in Ohio.  Today her style holds onto some of that twang while adding rock ‘n’ roll sound and catchy lyrics. She has been produced by and played with The Black Key’s (QRO album review) Dan Auerbach (QRO solo album review).  SPIN named Mayfield one of their “Next Big Things” of 2011.

Bitch is a classically trained violinist originally from Detroit and now calls New York home.  Her music is described as a ‘theatrical punk sound’.  She brings powerful vocals and assorted instruments like the ukulele and electric violin.  Bitch’s left-of-center and controversial brand of performance is full of catchy melodies and honest lyrics.

BBU, otherwise known a Bin Laden Blowing Up or Brown, Black, and Ugly, formed on the subways of Chicago.  BBU has music full of raw energy and a quality of originality and skill that hasn’t often been seen in past Chicago acts.  The hip-hop group is made up of Illekt, Epic and Jason Perez.  Their music seeks liberation from the oppression of poverty and unemployment as well as the dysfunctional conditions across the United States.  BBU is all about keeping it real.

The Junkyard Orchestra from Minneapolis brings a blend of high energy bluegrass, gypsy, Irish, folk and Americana.  The band consists of an upright bass, fiddle, acoustic guitar, banjo, four part harmonies, and accordion.  The Junkyard Orchestra also has the skill of turning trash into instruments.

Based in Wisconsin, Chisel brings a blend of 60’s soul, New Orleans, and rock ‘n’ roll.  He started out singing in church where his father was minister and mother played piano.  Chisel’s upcoming six-song EP, Cabin Ghosts, reflects the inspiration of his upbringing with Americana sound and folk country blues.

This indie duo made up of Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer (QRO photos at a festival) comes to us from New Orleans.  These multi-instrumentalist duos songwriting combines the vibe of classic pop with a contemporary twist.  The Generationals (QRO photos) use analog equipment and tape machines to record their albums to keep that ‘60s sound.  At the same time the duo uses everything from synth lines and spare handclaps and drum loops on certain songs to keep it modern.

NewVillager is composed of multi-media artists from San Francisco and New York.  The two founding members, Ben Bromley and Ross Simonini make new pop music as a means of presenting the NewVillager mythology, a system of thinking, which is partially found and partially created by the group and their collaborators.  They represent their mythology through drawing, film, symbols, photographs and instillations.

Jacob Tyler Wolfgang is a husband, father, songwriter and frontman of Wolfgang.  This rock band from Des Moines, Iowa have a newly coined genre.  Jacob dubs his genre rollercoaster “Midwest Rock”.  Negotiating from up-tempo alt rock numbers to steadier acoustic folk pacing.  Wolfgang says that they are bringing honest-to-goodness, straightforward songwriting from the heart and guts of America.

There are few acts that do a live show like of Montreal (QRO live review).  Kevin Barnes’ epic orchestra (QRO photos at a festival) literally fills the stage (QRO photos at a festival) with a performance more akin to (the actually French Canadian) Cirque du Soleil than indie-rock (QRO live review).  The band emerged out of the Elephant Six Collective to reach serious heights, most recently with last year’s False Priest (QRO review), but they have to be seen live (QRO photos) to be truly believed.

While many jam bands on the festival circuit seem to have been playing forever, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals (QRO photos outdoors) only recently formed & broke out, thanks to 2007’s This Is Somewhere, and opening for the likes of Gov’t Mule & Black Crowes (QRO photos).  The funky blues-soul act (QRO photos at a festival) earned major praise for last year’s self-titled release (QRO review), and have been getting bigger & bigger (QRO photos at a festival).

Okkervil River (QRO live review) is an indie/folk rock band from Austin, Texas.  The band, fronted by singer/songwriter Will Sheff (QRO photos at a festival) formed in 1998 and took its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya.  Okkervil River (QRO photos at a festival) is noted for its song’s lyrics, multifaceted instrumentation, and thematic albums, including the one-two punch of The Stand-Ins (QRO review) and The Stage Names (QRO review), and songs like “Or Life Is Not a Movie Or Maybe” (QRO video) and “Unless It Kicks” (QRO video).  After recording their first album in a garage, they signed with Jagjaguwar.  Okkervil River released five more albums, including the concept album Black Sheep Boy in 2005, and earlier this year released their sixth LP, I Am Very Far (QRO review).

Karl Denson first came to prominence as a member of Lenny Kravitz’s band.  While he gained a following overseas, he joined Fred Wesley’s band touring and recording on multiple releases.  Next came five jazz albums by Denson on Minor Music.  Tiny Universe creates a dynamic sound of funk, R&B and hip hop elements. The band members include Denson on vocals, tenor and alto sax and flute, guitarist Brian Jordan, bassist Chris Stillwell, keyboard player David Veith, trumpet player Chris Littlefield and drummer John Staten.

Yelawolf was trying to stay afloat in a turbulent home life in Tennessee when he discovered rap music and it soon became his fascination, along with the classic rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers) that he was raised on.  His music is new soul mixed with traditional Southern.  This mix is infused with Yela’s unique experiences as a cross-country vagabond with no place to call home.  “Trunk Muzik” dropped on January 1st, 2010, and within a matter of weeks, he was the talk of many blogs.  The New York Times raved about a live performance, describing him as “fully ascendant” and “striking and assured.”  The LA Times declared he was, “As safe a bet for stardom as anyone out right now.”

Coming out of Des Moines, Rebel Creek is a blues and psychedelic infused rock band.  They have been playing together for three years and plan to continue their music career next year as they attend Iowa State University.  Rebel Creek won a spot in 80/35, beating out sixty other bands and winning a play in to get to the stage.  They’re known for intricate jams, catchy lyrics, and a sound reminiscent of sixties rock.

The Macpodz (QRO photos at a festival) are an original blend of world grooves and American tradition.  Their sound called “Disco Bebop,” was made up in early 2006 when the rhythm section applied a four-on-the-floor roller rink beat to a Charlie Parker standard.  The poet and social activist John Sinclair was integral to the formation of the Macpodz, as Jesse Clayton (keys), Brennan Andes (bass) and Nick Ayers (percussion) accompanied his spoken word performances in Ann Arbor, MI.  The addition of Ross Huff (trumpet) and Griffin Bastian (drums) established the quintet.  The band plans to release new recordings in 2011.

Handsome Furs (QRO photos) an electronic pop two-piece Canadian band out of Montreal.  Husband and wife Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry use keyboards, drum machines, and mixing guitar to create anthems full of power.  Perry and Boeckner, also of Wolf Parade (QRO live review), find inspiration in Eastern Europe club culture and industrial sides during their travels, and even starred in CNN.com’s web series, ‘Indie Asia: On Tour with Handsome Furs’.  The Handsome Furs (QRO photos) released their third album, Sound Kapital, on right before 80/35.

The Colorado quintet has been together for 7+ years and played 700+ live shows.  WhiteWater Ramble is self-described as “High-Octane Rocky Mountain DanceGrass”, with sounds of bluegrass instrumentation, and drums.  They combine the elements of mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass, drums and vocals to experience multiple genres to make their own mixture of original music and inventive cover song interpretations.

Civil Twilight is a trio originally all the way from Cape Town, South Africa.  The three lifelong friends, brothers Steven and Andrew McKellar and Richard Wouters, have been playing music together since they were teenagers, emulating the rock music they heard coming out of Europe and America.  Currently based in Nashville, Twilight’s music is composed of emotional vocals and stirring alt-rock song craft.  While much of their inspiration comes from American and British artists you can still hear a bit of Africa in Steve McKellar’s lyrics.  The band’s name comes from that in between time, not quite daylight, not quite darkness, but rather a shifting shade of gray.

This Chicago-based quintet originated in Los Angeles in the summer of 2009 under the leadership of singer Greta Morgan.  Gold Motel followed Morgan to her hometown and began recording sunny pop songs with sharp hooks giving it all a West Coast feel.  Gold Motel’s debut album, Summer House, was released in 2010 with ten tracks offering a glimpse of youth in continuous motion.  From driving down highways to wandering the city while also searching for the security of home. Gold Motel’s songs are infused with excitement as well as sweet melancholy melodies.

Christy Hunt of Minneapolis was thinking of calling off her music career when Arzu Gokcen stepped in and just ten short months ago Pink Mink was formed.  By May, the pair had completed their band with Hunt’s husband and Ouija Radio bandmate Charles Gehr on drums and renowned recording engineer Jacques Wait on bass guitar.  With almost no time between conceptualization and execution, Pink Mink started performing with their howling guitar solos, and clipped, poppy songwriting.  Though their guitar playing bring you back to riot girl bands like Babes in Toyland, the melodies are joyous and the lyrics reflective, paying homage to the Twin Cities.

The Giving Tree Band is an eight-man indie folk rock act out of Chicago.  They make ‘old-timey’ sound modern, with timeless, toe-tapping music that has survived through changing times.  The Giving Tree Band spent most of 2010 in support of their latest album, named by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of the “Top 10 Acoustic Albums of 2010.”  The band has also been recognized internationally for their environmental efforts being named “the greenest band in the land” by Mother Nature News.

No indie music festival is complete without an up-and-coming Brooklyn band, and at 80/35 it’s friend-of-the-Q Bear Hands (QRO spotlight on).  Their alt-punk is more skilled than most in the genre (or the borough), as seen in last year’s great full-length debut, Burning Bush Supper Club (QRO review).  Fronted by the engaging Val Lopez & Dylan Rau (QRO interview with both), they play well at festivals (QRO photos at a festival), including U.K.’s Leeds (QRO live review). Look for the great newer material from the band (QRO photos) – even improvised songs (QRO video) – as well as old like “Sickly Brunette” (QRO video) and “Long Lean Queen” (QRO video).

Infantree is a symbol for growth.  Whether it is intellectual, spiritual, physical, or emotional; growth is growth.  If left unchecked, exponential growth could devour prosperity as we know it.  Only when it’s applied within a means does growth reach it’s true potential of ceaseless sustainability.  Infantree applies this method by way of harmony, like-mindedness, and an articulation of each individual’s role/capacity as a musician/human-being.  At the same time the use of childlike reckless abandon seems key to wading through the water-mark left by the mainstream mindset.  This dynamic has helped the members of Infantree to spread their roots as friends while simultaneously growing as a band.