Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 Preview

But Fun Fun Fun Fest is still an ultra-diverse festival, with four color-coded stages: alternative Orange Stage (the most indie of hues…), electro-beats Blue Stage so you can dance, hardcore Black Stage (could they have picked any other shade?), and the comedy-and-more Yellow Stage:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH

Orange Stage Passion Pit, 8:30 PM Blowing up very fast was Cambridge, Mass’ Passion Pit (QRO photos). Single "Sleepyhead" (QRO video) found its way to MTV nominations, while debut Manners (QRO review) found its way onto the charts (QRO photos at a festival). Catch the big-name indietronica stars (QRO photos outdoors) headlining Fun Fun Fun (QRO photos headlining a festival), ‘cause they’ve moved up to the big-time (QRO photos), and aren’t playing small places – or even medium-sized (QRO photos) anymore…

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, 7:25 PM The ever-inventive Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (QRO live review) are returning in more than one way. They played FFF ’08 (QRO photos at FFF ’08), after rejecting the mainstream not just in sound but also in business with their self-released their sophomore record, Some Loud Thunder (QRO review). But after that critical and commercial acclaim, singer/songwriter Alec Ounsworth (QRO solo photos) went solo with Mo Beauty (QRO review). However, he’s since returned to the CYHSY (QRO photos at a festival) fold with this year’s Hysterical & single "Maniac" (QRO review), and this band is best known for their electric live shows (QRO live review), with their loyal fans bringing the house down every time (QRO photos).

Okkervil River, 6:30 PM Okkervil River (QRO live review) is an indie/folk rock band from right in Austin (and played FFF ’07). 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 (QRO photos at a festival) 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).

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, 5:35 PM On Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is (QRO review) and the more recent Scandalous, Austin’s own Black Joe Lewis (QRO photos at home at a FFF ‘08) pretty much just copied James Brown, but even a copy of the hardest working man in show business brings a party (QRO photos outdoors at home).

The Thermals, 4:45 PM Portland’s The Thermals (QRO photos) have become lo-fi heroes since their debut, More Parts Per Million, delivering catchy pop-punk the kids love. However, even after moving from Seattle’s Sub Pop to their hometown’s Kill Rock Stars with 2009’s Now We Can See (QRO review) and this year’s Personal Life (QRO review), they’ve never become that impressive to a finer-tuned ear. But they’ve got a legion of fans (QRO photos) that turn out in force, especially outdoors (QRO photos outdoors), at a festival (QRO photos at a festival), and especially outdoors at a festival (QRO photos outdoors at a festival).

Heartless Bastards, 3:55 PM Erika Wennerstrom’s (QRO photos) Heartless Bastards (QRO live review) emerged from the same post-industrial Ohio Rust Belt blues-rock revival as The Black Keys (QRO album review), who discovered the group. While still touring behind 2009’s The Mountain (QRO review), expect new material as well in Austin (QRO photos).

Ocote Soul Sounds, 3:05 PM Martín Perna helped start the Afrobeat revival when he founded Antibalas (QRO photos) – now he’s gone to the southwest side of the Atlantic thanks to a fine pieces of ocote wood.

Cloud Nothings, 2:20 PM Young Dylan Baldi (QRO photos) throws back to music older than he as Cloud Nothings, and brings his bringing back of power-pop to Fun Fun Fun Fest (QRO photos at a festival).

Also: Jim Ward, 1:40 PM Canon Blue, 1:05 PM TV Torso, 12:30 PM

Black Stage Danzig Legacy, 8:15 PM The metal-horror-rock of Danzig is legendary, now into its third decade. Emerging out of the horror-punk of The Misfits, Danzig is currently touring as ‘Danzig Legacy’, playing everything from their songbook and all their associated acts, and return to FFF after headlining just two years ago (QRO coverage).

Murder City Devils, 7:20 PM Seattle garage-punks Murder City Devils broke up before garage-rock took off, but have since gotten back together (including playing FFF ’07), and are even working on new material.

Russian Circles, 6:30 PM Chicago’s Russian Circles play a sprawling instrumental metal – kind of post-rock for the metalheads.

Thee Oh Sees, 5:45 PM Hailing from The O.C. (the name was original ‘Orange County Sound’, then ‘OCS’, then – well, you get the idea…), John Dwyer formed Thee Oh Sees (QRO photos at a festival) to put out his experimental, instrumental home recordings, but over seven records has morphed into a full band and a wild live show (QRO photos at a festival).

Ty Segall, 5:00 PM California’s Ty Segall (QRO photos at a festival) has evolved from his ‘kick in the pants’ early work to a more effortless boot to the fanny these days, most recently with this year’s Goodbye Bread.

Also: D Generation, 4:10 PM * Bane, 3:25 PM From Ashes Rise, 2:45 PM Doomriders, 2:05 PM Mind Spiders, 1:30 PM Total Control, 12:5 PM Defeater, 12:20 PM

Blue Stage Public Enemy, 8:30 PM Before rap was mainstream and became today’s highly successful commercial product, Public Enemy broke the doors open by combining modern civil rights activism with the then-unknown music of streets, hip-hop. Chuck D & Flavor Flav (before he descended into VH1 ‘celebreality’, from which he seems to be clawing his way out of) shocked America with such records as It Takes a Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet (which has since been inducted in the Library of Congress!?!), with seminal tracks like "Don’t Believe the Hype", "911 (Is a Joke)", and "Fight the Power", which had the most charged controversial line since the Vietnam War, "Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me / You see, straight-up racist that sucker was simple and plain / Mother-fuck him and John Wayne!" You know what time it is!

Four Tet, 7:35 PM U.K. post-rock electronic musician Kieran Hebden, also who’s remixed everyone from Andrew Bird (QRO album review) to Radiohead (QRO album review), tours once more as Four Tet (QRO photos outdoors), on the back of There Is Love In You, his latest since 2008’s Ringer (QRO album review).

Spank Rock, 6:45 PM The dirty & notorious Spank Rock (QRO photos at a festival) head down south, as the Brooklyn art-hop collective (QRO photos in Brooklyn) takes their high-energy show outdoors (QRO photos at a festival).

Big Freedia, 6:05 PM Just as the post-Katrina rebuilding of New Orleans has been taking a while, so has the post-Katrina (re)discovery of New Orleans music – but one of the biggest & best to come out of the Big Easy is bounce music, mixing hip-hop with local dance and Mardi Gras call-and-response, and one of the biggest & best in bounce is Big Freedia (QRO photos at a festival), with the big asses (QRO photos).

Franki Chan, 5:30 PM iHEARTCOMiX founder Franki Chan returns to bring the beats at Fun Fun Fun Fest (QRO photos at FFF ’08).

Pictureplane, 5:00 PM Denver’s Travis Egedy plays trance wave as Pictureplane (QRO photos outdoors).

YACHT, 4:15 PM Originally one-half of The Blow, Portland’s Jona Bechtolt has since made even more of a name on his own as YACHT (QRO spotlight on), with 2007’s I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real (QRO review), 2009’s See Mystery Lights (QRO review), and this year’s Shangri-La (QRO review), bringing in partner Claire Evans (QRO interview with both). But it’s their exciting live shows (QRO photos at a festival) that are really breaking them through (QRO live review), whether in the club (QRO photos) or outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at FFF ‘08), featuring such items as whole songs done from amongst the crowd, question-and-answer sessions – and their own signature dance style… (QRO photos)

Also: Omar Souleyman, 3:30 PM Black Milk, 2:45 PM Auto Body, 2:00 PM Car Stereo (Wars), 1:15 PM Fat Tony, 12:40 PM

Yellow Stage Reggie Watts, 7:15 PM Why Shit So Crazy? Comedian Reggie Watts asked that question on last year’s album, and is still looking for the answer. Improvisational to the point of stream-of-conscious, with music mixed in, Watts is riding a high tide of praise (including opening for Conan O’Brien on his ‘Legally Prohibited From Being Funny’ tour last year).

Brett Gelman, 6:55 PM Comedian and actor Brett Gelman has done his time in a variety of projects, but has found his perfect spot as the dumb-as-paste sidekick to Chris Elliott (who ever thought Chris Elliott would have a sidekick?) on latest great live action series on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, Eagleheart.

Also: Matt Bearden, 6:35 PM Upright Citizens Brigade National Touring Company, 5:00 PM Dating Game, 4:10 PM JT Habersaat & The Altercation Punk Comedy Tour, 3:05 PM – QRO photos at FFF ’08 Anarchy Championship Wrestling, 2:20 PM Adira Amram, 1:45 PM Jake Flores, 1:25 PM Best Fwends, 12:50 PM Maggie Maye, 12:30 PM

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH

Orange Stage Spoon, 8:30 PM Local boys make good – very good. Austin’s own Spoon (QRO live review outdoors) has been turning heads in the indie-sphere for a while with their trademark indie-rock, but with 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (QRO review) & last year’s Transference (QRO review), the group (QRO photos at a festival) has launched into the stratosphere, including headlining at New York’s own ultra-upscale Radio City Music Hall (QRO live review). A veteran of local fests (QRO photos at a festival in Austin) and headlining fests (QRO photos headlining a festival), they’ll be doing both at FFF ’11 – as they did at the inaugural FFF in 2006. Three cheers for "The Underdog" (QRO video)!

Lykke Li, 7:25 PM In the wake of Peter Bjorn and John’s (QRO spotlight on) "Young Folks" success, the music industry was on the look out for the next Swedish sensation – this time a comely lass from Scandinavia. And at CMJ ’08 (QRO recap), she was found in Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson, or Lykke Li (QRO photos) and her debut, Wounded Rhymes (QRO review). Since then, she’s gone on to outshine (QRO photos) almost every Swede since ABBA, with follow-up Youth Novels (QRO review) out earlier this year. Lykke Li plays Fun Fun Fun Fest the night after taping an appearance on PBS’ Austin City Limits – QRO photos from taping.

Girls, 6:30 PM The band (QRO photos at a festival) with maybe the least creative titling ever (their debut is ‘Album’ – QRO review – at least there’s no actual females in the band…) got notice largely because singer/frontman Christopher Owens was raised in the actually scarily crazy Children of God cult. But the neo-pop sounds of Girls (QRO photos) have kept on finding fans (QRO live review), with latest Father, Son, Holy Ghost (QRO review).

M83, 5:35 PM How is it that France does such great atmospherics? M83 (QRO live review) actually exceeded countrymen Air (QRO album review) with 2008’s Saturdays = Youth (QRO review), their most accessible electronica album to-date, and come to FFF behind Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (QRO review), out just a few weeks before the festival (QRO photos at a festival).

Ra Ra Riot, 4:45 PM Oh, how they’ve grown! In the less than four years since their self-titled EP (QRO review) and the death of singer/drummer John Pike, this Nor’easter collective (QRO photos) has not only rebounded but exploded (QRO photos at a festival), embracing life even more on 2008’s excellent The Rhumb Line (QRO review) than early single "Dying Is Fine" (QRO video) could have predicted. Ra Ra Riot’s live show (QRO live review) sees everyone but the new drummer running around on stage like kids on candy (especially singer Wesley Miles – QRO interview), but they’re also relative road ‘veterans’, from near-immediately after Pike’s death (QRO live review) to outdoor festivals (QRO photos outdoors at a festival) to in-stores (QRO photos) to industry showcases (QRO photos at an industry showcase) to bigger & bigger rock clubs (QRO photos) to bigger & bigger outdoor venues (QRO live review outdoors) to opera houses (QRO live review) to fashion launch parties (QRO live review) – and even the occasional basement show (QRO photos). They’re also building in songbook, from early numbers like "Can You Tell?" (QRO video) to Rhumb single "Ghost Under Rocks" (QRO video) and the Pike-penned "St. Peter’s Day Festival" (QRO video) to "Too Dramatic", from last year’s follow-up The Orchard (QRO review). Note: do watch out for a tight pack of males (*QRO photos at a festival) in front of everyone’s indie-rock crush, Alexandra Lawn (QRO interview*)…

tUnE-yArDs, 4:00 PM Oakland’s Merrill Garbus (QRO photos) has been getting notice in the likes of Brooklyn (QRO photos) & Britain (QRO live review in London) as tUnE-yArDs (QRO photos outdoors), finding more and more fans behind her debut w h o k i l l (QRO review).

The Joy Formidable, 3:15 PM Welsh powerhouse The Joy Formidable (QRO live review) has already taken Europe, Canada, Australia and even The States by storm with expertly played opening slots alongside Passion Pit (see above), Temper Trap (QRO live review) and Editors (QRO album review). The impressive trio (QRO photos) have a killer live show (QRO live review) to go with this year’s killer The Big Roar (QRO review), so be ready for a jolly good time (QRO photos outdoors at a festival).

Also: Tinariwen, 2:30 PM Joe Lally, 1:55 PM Future Islands, 1:20 PM Keep Shelly In Athens, 12:45 PM Maneja Beto, 12:10 PM

Black Stage The Damned, 8:45 PM Before there was metal, before there was punk, before there was goth, there was The Damned. Starting all the way back in 1976, the English act’s gothic-punk style has birthed more than one genre, but these OGs are still going strong thirty-five years later.

Hot Snakes, 7:50 PM San Diego’s Hot Snakes mixed DIY and hardcore up until their 2005 break-up, which saw members join/form groups such as The Night Marchers (QRO photos) and Obits (QRO album review), but 2011 has brought a reunion, with one of the first dates being at Fun Fun Fun Fest.

Cave In, 6:55 PM Cave In helped define the ‘metalcore’ sound a decade-plus in the past, but moved more towards alternative rock before their 2006 break-up. However, their recent reunion has seen a return to the earlier, heavier style.

Negative Approach, 6:05 PM Formed thirty years ago in post-manufacturing Detroit, Negative Approach dominated their local punk scene without ever breaking out of it, lasting only until 1983. But in 2006 the group reunited – though did it while keeping out half the original line-up.

Paint It Black, 5:20 PM Philadelphia’s Paint It Black bring another dose of melodic hardcore, which features Dan Yemin of the famed Lifetime.

Also: Youth Brigade, 4:35 PM Dead Horse, 3:50 PM The World Inferno/Friendship Society, 3:05 PM Death Grips, 2:30 PM B-L-A-C-K-I-E, 2:05 PM Touche Amore, 1:30 PM Shapes Have Fangs, 12:55 PM Thieves, 12:25 PM

Blue Stage Major Lazer, 8:45 PM The collaboration between DJ/producers Diplo (see below) and Switch (QRO photos) made a serious breakthrough in 2009 as Major Lazer (QRO photos at a festival), with Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do, and followed it up last year with tour EP Lazers Never Die.

Neon Indian, 7:50 PM Alan Palomo worked solo as VEGA (QRO photos at FFF ‘09) and recruited a live band as Neon Indian (QRO photos at the same FFF), where he’s far stronger (QRO photos with his band), especially outdoors (QRO photos outdoors with band) & at a festival (QRO photos at a festival with band). He comes to Fun Fun Fun Fest (QRO photos) behind his latest, Era Extraña, and after touring colleges (QRO live review).

Childish Gambino, 7:00 PM The world is littered with rappers trying their hand at acting, and actors trying their hand at rapping (to say nothing of sports stars trying both) – with usually poor results. Standing out from that crowd is Childish Gambino (QRO photos), a.k.a. Donald Glover (see below) of NBC’s great Community. Joel McHale ain’t the only one with a second job – but will Danny Pudi (QRO photo) be there?

Kool Keith, 6:10 PM After starting his career as a founding member of the Ultramagnetic MCs, The Bronx’s Kool Keith has rapped under a variety of further pseudonyms, with the best known being Dr. Dooom and Dr. Octagon, with 2008 sequel records Dr. Dooom 2 and (unauthorized) The Return of Dr. Octagon. [note: Rakim – QRO photos at a festival – broke his foot the night before and will not be playing]

Cold Cave, 5:20 PM Philadelphia synth-pop outfit Cold Cave (QRO live review) have the wind at their backs, thanks to last year’s Matador re-release of their debut Love Comes Close and recent addition of former Mika Miko frontwoman Jennifer Clavin.

Dan Deacon, 4:30 PM One of the acts bringing the wild, DIY element to Fun Fun Fun Fest is Dan Deacon (QRO photos). The Baltimore native is a man of many talents, including throwing his own DIY festivals & tours, like 2009’s ‘Round Robin’ tour (QRO live review) with No Age (QRO live review) & Deerhunter (QRO live review). But he’s still best known as an electronic musician, most recently with Bromst (QRO review), which gets wild live, whether with his fifteen-piece backing band (QRO live review) or Deacon standing & playing from in the crowd (QRO photos, outdoors at a FFF ‘08).

Also: Wugazi, 3:45 PM Cecil Otter, 3:20 PM Brandt Brauer Frick, 2:40 PM T Bird & The Breaks, 2:05 PM Purity Ring, 1:30 PM – QRO photos Active Child, 12:55 PM – QRO album review

Yellow Stage

Wham City Comedy Tour, 6:35 PM

Dan Deacon’s (see above) label/venue/festival/collective/more Wham City can even be a comedy tour.

Neal Brennan, 5:45 PM

Comedian & writer Neal Brennan is still best known as being the lesser-known half of a comedy writing duo with Dave Chappelle, including both Half Baked and the acclaimed Chappelle Show – which ended prematurely with Chappelle taking off to Africa to avoid the pressures of the successful show. Their partnership is seemingly at an end after Chappelle accused Brennan of not contacting him while away, not to mention Brennan recently saying that he was more victimized than Chappelle by the way the show ended.

But who came up with, "I’m Rick James, bitch!"?

Brett Gelman

Also:

Johnny Pemberton, 5:20 PM

Turquoise Jeep, 4:45 PM

Donald Glover, 4:10 PM

Air Sex Competition, 3:30 PM

Anarchy Championship Wrestling, 3:40 PM

Captured By Robots, 1:50 PM

Louis Katz, 1:25 PM

Ali Wong, 1:05 PM

Cameron Buchholtz, 12:45 PM

Michael Priest, 12:30 PM

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH

Orange Stage Slayer, 8:15 PM Fun Fun Fun Fest takes its metal to the next level with the iconic Slayer. Just starting their fourth decade, Slayer has been the definition of thrash since the concept began, from brutal axe work to brutal cover art – and are coming off of pounding the walls of Yankee Stadium as one of the ‘The Big Four’ (QRO review) of metal, with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.

Brian Posehn, 7:40 PM Your favorite ‘Comedian of Comedy’ and ‘gaybor’ on The Sarah Silverman Program (he was also on Just Shoot Me, but let’s put that aside…), the gargantuan Brian Posehn is one of the most reliable stand-up comics out there today, and returns to Fun Fun Fun for a second year. The metal-lover is also a great lead-in for Slayer (see above).

Hum, 6:45 PM Champaign, Illinois post-hardcore act Hum had an MTV buzz-bin hit with "Stars" in 1995, but haven’t been active in this century/millennium – until now.

Architecture in Helsinki, 5:50 PM From Australia, not Finland, Architecture in Helsinki (QRO photos) channel the strange energy of such eighties Anglos as Men At Work and The English Beat. And even if their latest, Moment Bends (QRO review), doesn’t match 2007’s Places Like This (QRO review), the collective still has an electric live show (QRO live review).

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, 5:00 PM Slowly but surely, Theodore Francis Leo (QRO photos outdoors) is getting the respect he is due (QRO photos). A force in the indie-punk scene for twenty years now, he’s never quite gotten the attention to match his influence, which is huge (QRO photos at a festival). But Ted Leo & The Pharmacists (QRO photos outdoors) – which also includes James Canty of the iconic Nation of Ulysses & follow-up The Make-Up – has been finding a whole new generation of fans these last few years (QRO photos outdoors). Of course, Ted Leo (QRO photos at a festival, opening for a band who’d once opened for him) still isn’t slotted as high on the line-up as he deserves to be… (QRO photos at a festival in Austin)

The Budos Band, 4:10 PM Staten Island’s afro-soul instrumental ensemble bring their own spin on sweet sixties R&B to Philadelphia. With anywhere between eleven to thirteen members, expect the stage to be packed when Budos Band (QRO album review) steps into the sun (QRO photos outdoors).

Mates of State, 3:20 PM Lawrence, Kansas’ husband-and-wife indie-rock duo (QRO photos) of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel make up Mates of State (QRO photos), who are coming off of 2008’s Re-Arrange Us (QRO review) and last year’s cover album, Crushes (The Mixtapes). Their new Mountaintops came out last month, so expect old, new, and covers as they return to Fun Fun Fun Fest.

We Were Promised Jetpacks, 2:30 PM Scotland’s Fat Cat Records has already given us Frightened Rabbit (QRO live review) and The Twilight Sad (QRO live review), and now come We Were Promised Jetpacks (QRO photos at a festival) to bring the Highlands’ intimate yet expansive sound, as seen on debut These Four Walls (QRO review) and this year’s In the Pit of the Stomach.

Asobi Seksu, 1:55 PM Remember shoegaze? There was a short time in the nineties when it was all the rage – then it was gone. Well, bringing it back is New York’s Asobi Seksu (QRO live review), on the backs of records like Fluorescence (QRO review), acoustic Rewolf (QRO review), Hush (QRO review), and more.

Also: Le Butcherettes, 1:20 PM Lemuria, 12:45 PM Crooks, 12:15 PM

Black Stage

Blonde Redhead, 8:45 PM

New York’s no wave scene brought together Japan’s Kazu Makino with Milan/Montreal twins Amedeo & Simone Pace as Blonde Redhead (QRO live review in London). While the trio (QRO live review) began in distortion, they have evolved to beauty with 2007’s 23 (QRO review) & last year’s Penny Sparkle (QRO review). While they wilt sometimes under the hot sun (QRO photos outdoors during the day), outside in the evening is their magic hour (QRO live review outdoors at night).

Ra Ra Riot

Black Lips, 7:50 PM

A band better known for their live show than their records, that’s not just because of the relatively unimpressive recorded material like last year’s 200 Million Thousand (QRO review) or this year’s Arabia Mountain (QRO review), but also due to their crazy mishmash of genres and styles on stage (QRO live review). Atlanta’s The Black Lips’ wild live show includes everything from nudity to fireworks – and live animals (QRO photos at a festival). Texas should hopefully let the boys let ‘er rip (QRO photos outdoors), but be rest assured their rabidly loyal fan base will still be crying out for more (QRO photos outdoors at a festival).

Boris, 7:00 PM

Japan has adopted and remade everything from car manufacturing to the club sandwich, and metal’s no different – thanks to Boris (QRO photos, outdoors at a festival). Along with ‘bor’ bros Boredoms (QRO photos at a festival), Boris has taken metal into whole new arenas, both geographically and musically.

Ra Ra Riot

Cannibal Corpse, 6:10 PM

Death metal doesn’t get much death-ier than Cannibal Corpse, who have a cult-like following despite being banned in many countries.

Kid Dynamite, 5:20 PM

A hardcore act reuniting at Fun Fun Fun is Philly’s Kid Dynamite, members of whom went on to work in acts like Lifetime, None More Black, Paint It Black, and more, but are back to the Kid after breaking up a decade ago.

tUnE-yArDs

Also:

Eyehategod, 4:30 PM

Zero Boys, 3:40 PM

NoBunny, 2:55 PM – QRO live review

Ceremony, 2:30 PM

Davila 666, 1:40 PM – QRO photos outdoors at a festival

OBN III’s, 1:05 PM

Schmillion, 12:30 PM

Blue Stage Odd Future, 8:45 PM There is not a more talked-about name right now than Odd Future (QRO photos at a festival). Also known as Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All or OFQGKTA, the alternative hip-hop outfit has been getting everyone’s attention with uncompromising, in-your-face lyrics and raucous live show that’s closer to a riot. And main man Tyler, the Creator just put out the record that everyone’s talking about, Goblin (QRO review) Odd Future are also notorious, for their sexually charged lyrics that have brought about accusations of homophobia and misogyny. And their live shows have featured everything from a member stage-diving into a photographer (breaking his lens) to bitching about the sound system and walking off stage – and that was just two nights at Austin’s own South-by-Southwest (QRO recap)! So judge for yourself at FFF – but also watch out… Oh, and fuck Steve Harvey & free Earl!

Diplo, 7:50 PM Born in Mississippi of all places, Thomas Wesley Pentz – Diplo (QRO photos) – has become a true ‘citizen of the world’, discovering & spreading everyone from Americans Amanda Blank (QRO photos) and Santigold (QRO photos) to Sri Lanka’s M.I.A. (QRO photos) and Brazil’s ‘baile funk’. He’s also hitting up FFF as one-half of Major Lazer (see above), but he’s on his own on Sunday, his second time at FFF.

Flying Lotus, 6:55 PM While Flying Lotus (QRO photos outdoors) might be best known for making the music in Adult Swim’s bumpers (that text right before a show on the cable channel), he’s also an accomplished producer, as well as making & playing music in his own right (QRO live review).

Del the Funky Homosapien, 6:00 PM A human of many hats, the alternative hip-hop artist Del the Funky Homosapien (QRO photos at a festival) has found success on his own (QRO photos outdoors), and has worked with everyone from Ice Cube (his cousin) to Blur’s Damon Albarn in Gorillaz (QRO album review).

Baths, 5:10 PM Young Will Wiesenfeld (QRO photos at a festival) was able to record & release debut Cerulean in only two months, after adopting the moniker of Baths (QRO photos) – and came back this year for extra Pop Music/False B-sides.

Austra, 4:20 PM 2011 has been a breakout year for Katie Stelmanis (QRO photos at a festival), the force behind Austra (QRO live review). The Canadian act put out debut Feel It Break (QRO review), which was short-listed for the prestigious Polaris music prize, and their airier electronica (QRO photos outdoors) has won fans with songs like "The Villain" (QRO video), "Beat and the Pulse" (QRO video), and "The Choke" (QRO video).

Also: MNDR, 3:35 PM – QRO photos at a festival Grimes, 3:00 PM – QRO photos at a festival G Side, 2:25 PM Bird Peterson, 1:40 PM SPEAK, 1:05 PM Soul Khan, 12:30 PM