Hudson Project 2014 Preview

This weekend, head up the Hudson River to Saugerties for the Hudson Project, three days of genre-spanning music on Winston Farm in the Catskills, Friday-to-Sunday, July 11th to 13th:

FRIDAY, JULY 11th

The Empire Stage The Flaming Lips, 10:45 PM – 12:00 AM There’s a good reason The Flaming Lips (QRO photos at a festival) have been so popular for so long on the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival), as there is no live show out there like a Flaming Lips live show (QRO live review). Confetti cannons, costumes, video screens, balloons from the sky, puppets, singer/guitarist Wayne Coyne (QRO interview) surfing the crowd in a giant plastic bubble – The Lips have it all (QRO photos), and expect them to take it even higher (QRO photos at a festival) as they play their umpteenth festival (QRO photos at a 2014 festival). Oh, and they’ve got some great music, too, from early nineties hit “She Don’t Use Jelly” to seminal The Soft Bulletin (QRO photos from top-to-bottom performance, at a festival), as well as 2006’s Grammy Award-winning At War With the Mystics (even put out a movie, Christmas On Mars – QRO review), and 2009’s Embryonic (QRO review) to 2012’s The Terror (QRO review). Plus they (QRO spotlight on) played The Colbert Report’s ‘Pepsi Presents StePhest ColbChella ‘012 Rocktaugustfest’ (QRO photos)!
Modest Mouse, 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM Washington State’s Modest Mouse (QRO photos) broke through to mainstream success in 2004 with Good News For People Who Like Bad News, and followed that up by adding Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr for 2007’s We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (QRO review) – unfortunately, Marr has since left to join the even younger Cribs (QRO live review) and then solo (QRO live review). But they’re still big enough to even headline (QRO photos headlining a festival), are great outdoors (QRO photos outdoors), and word is they’re finally working on a new album (QRO photos at a more recent festival).
Atmosphere, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM The DJ/producer and rapper duo hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota (QRO photos in Middle America), has already garnered themselves the reputation of one of hip hops most cacophonous and respected acts. Known for his aggressive and energetic performances, Atmosphere’s set is a definite must-see (QRO photos at a festival).
Dr. Dog, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Hudson Project has some of the jam-festival with Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog (QRO photos), who have become a festival regular (QRO photos at a festival) since 2008’s commercial breakthrough Fate (QRO review) launched them into headlining status (QRO photos headlining a festival). Unfortunately, Fate wasn’t anything special (QRO photos), but Dr. Dog make a lot of people happy live (QRO photos outdoors), especially outdoors (QRO live review outdoors at a festival), so expect the “Sweetness”, along with material from 2010’s still-middling Shame, Shame (QRO review) and last year’s also okay Be the Void (QRO review).
YACHT, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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 2011’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 a festival), featuring such items as whole songs done from amongst the crowd, question-and-answer sessions (QRO live review) – and their own signature dance style (QRO photos).
Explorer Stage STS9, 9:15 PM – 10:45 PM The acclaimed instrumental act combines numerous influences, including funk, jazz, psychedelic, and hip-hop. But they’re best known for their live concerts (QRO photos), which stretch to over two hours, and feature improvisational collaborative work not known in the jam-band community. Their festival performances, however, go even bigger (QRO photos at a festival).
The New Deal, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM In 2011 Toronto’s electronic three-piece The New Deal announced that they would be breaking up, and followed through with it – but in 2014, The New Deal is back!
Nightmares On Wax, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM One of the first artists ever released on famed electronic imprint Warp Records, George Evelyn – a.k.a. Nightmares On Wax – has been spinning and producing for far longer than today’s whipper-snappers.
Lettuce, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Get funky with Boston’s many-membered Lettuce!
Majical Cloudz, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Grimes (QRO live review) collaborator Devon Welsh has been making his own name in his Montreal duo with Matthew Otto, Majical Cloudz.
The Circus Tent Flying Lotus, 12:45 AM – 2:00 AM 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) – not to mention his alter ego, Sealab 2021-inspired Captain Murphy.
Excision, 11:15 PM – 12:15 AM Excision, a.k.a. Jeff Abel, is a dubstep producer & DJ from British Columbia (QRO photos).
SAVOY, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM European-style rave act SAVOY brings the house music to Hudson Project.
Also: Bro Safari, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM Kill Paris, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Keys N Krates, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM Robert DeLong, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – QRO photos outdoors at a festival Audrey Napoleon, 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM Lindsay Lowend, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Nostalghia, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Catskill Cave Holy Ghost!, 12:45 AM – 2:00 AM Electro-pop duo Alex Frankel & Nick Millhiser (QRO photos) forms the up-and-coming Holy Ghost! (QRO live review), who have toured with LCD Soundsystem (QRO live review, on tour with Holy Ghost!) and Cut Copy (QRO live review with Holy Ghost!), and put out their self-titled debut (QRO review) in 2011. They come to Hudson Project (QRO photos at a festival) for a live show (QRO live review) off of last fall’s Dynamics.
AraabMUZIK, 11:15 PM – 12:15 AM From Providence, Rhode Island of all places, producer AraabMUZIK (QRO photos) got known for his live beats over MPC drum machines (QRO photos at a festival).
ODESZA, 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM Harrison Mills & Clayton Knight managed to put out their debut as electronic duo ODESZA (QRO photos) while still in their senior year back in ’12, and come to Hudson Project while working on a follow-up.
Also: The Range, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM Nick Catchdubs, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM Small Black, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM – QRO review Marco Benevento, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM – QRO photos Moon Hooch, 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM Tauk, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

SATURDAY, JULY 12th

The Empire Stage Kendrick Lamar, 10:35 PM – 12:00 AM Hudson Project welcomes a newer hip-hop hit, Kendrick Lamar (QRO photos at a festival), who got notice with his 2010 mixtape, Overly Dedicated, and lived up to the hype (QRO photos at a festival) in 2012 with debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city – he’s got no “Fuckin’ Problems” (QRO video).
Big Gigantic, 8:15 PM – 9:30 PM Boulder’s Big Gigantic (QRO photos at a festival) mix (big) electronic beats with live drums and even live saxo-mo-phone. Known to set crowds in a writhing heap of body parts (QRO photos at a festival), Big Gigantic (QRO photos at a festival) has been showcasing their electronic fervor all across the globe (QRO photos at a festival), including the last ever New Year’s Eve at New York City’s recently-closed landmark venue Roseland Ballroom (QRO live review).
Rebelution, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM Bringing some reggae to Hudson Project is Santa Barbara’s Rebelution (QRO photos in Santa Barbara), who’ve been all over the festival circuit – and recently had an over-packed Big Apple show shut down by the FDNY!
Flatbush Zombies, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Putting an extra exclamation point in “Brooklyn!!!” is the borough’s own Flatbush Zombies (QRO photos at a festival), who are part of this decade’s East Coast hip-hop ‘Beast Coast’ movement.
Also: ZZ Ward, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM – QRO photos
Explorer Stage Matt & Kim, 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM Serious, long-time ‘Friends of the Q’ (QRO spotlight on), it’s been great watching Matt & Kim (QRO photos at a festival) blow up so seriously – without losing their infectious cheer (QRO live review). Singer/keyboardist Matt Johnson (QRO interview) and drummer Kim Schifino (QRO interview) bring a self-described ‘onstage pizza party’ with their sugar-filled hyper-pop/rock on stage (QRO live review). Known for spreading their giant, ever-present grins (QRO photos) to every crowd they play for (QRO live review), large, outdoor stages (QRO live review outdoors) don’t faze them, and neither do massive festivals (QRO photos at a festival), nor even foreign crowds (QRO live review overseas) or playing on holidays like New Year’s Eve (QRO live review on New Year’s Eve) or Halloween (QRO live review on Halloween). They also stepped up their musical game on 2009’s Grand (QRO review), with Sidewalks (QRO review) the following year, and most recently with 2012’s Lightning (QRO review). So expect them to rock the crowd (QRO photos), from old tracks like “Silver Tiles” (QRO video) and “Yea Yeah” (QRO video) to Grand ones like “Good Old-Fashioned Nightmare” (QRO video) and “Daylight” (QRO video) to Sidewalks’ “Good For Great” (QRO video), Lightning‘s “Let’s Go” (QRO video) and even a cover of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” (QRO video) – as the kids go nuts (QRO photos at a festival), and so do Matt & Kim (QRO live review). And those up front better be ready for when Matt (QRO interview) sends Kim out to do her ‘booty shakin’ crowd surf’ (QRO photos at a festival)…
Bonobo, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM While most DJs-as-artists are pretty new in the indiesphere, Simon Green (QRO photos at a festival) has been spinning for over a decade as Bonobo (QRO live review).
Twin Shadow, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM With one of the best debut album of 2010, Forget, produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear (QRO live review), George Lewis Jr. (a.k.a. Twin Shadow – QRO photos) shot up on the hype meter. Turns out, the ‘80s new wave-influenced pop of the Dominican Republic born musician (QRO photos at a festival) actually lived up to its reputation. Sophisticated melodies and catchy hooks abound, the tracks of Forget easily transitioned from haunting poetics to infectious dance numbers (QRO photos at a festival), and he’s lived up to that level with 2012’a follow-up, Confess, which he tours (QRO live review).
!!!, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Sacramento dance-punk act !!! (QRO photos) – pronounced “chk chk chk” – were seriously blowing people away a handful of years ago (QRO live review) with Myth Takes (QRO review), then seemingly disappeared, only to come back (QRO live review) in 2010 with the somewhat derivative Strange Weather, Isn’t It (QRO review). But the now-New York outfit (QRO live review in New York) came back in force with last year’s great TH!!!ER (QRO review), and the band still knows how to liven it up live & outdoors (QRO live review outdoors), even at festivals (QRO photos at a festival), or even overseas (QRO photos at an overseas festival). Also: Three, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
The Circus Tent Moby, 12:45 AM – 2:00 AM Few artists know more about music & where it’s going than Moby (QRO live review). The iconic musician helped bring electronic music to the masses (QRO photos in Europe), both in his recorded material like 2011’s Destroyed (QRO album review) and last year’s Innocents, and in a plenary of licensing deals. He’s also one of the few artists you’d actually watch DJ (QRO photos DJing at a festival), thanks to his incredible music knowledge (including predicting the rise of something like iTunes in an Economist article years before Apple put out the iPod), but comes to Hudson Project with full ensemble in tow (QRO live review with band).
GRiZ, 11:30 PM – 12:30 AM Spinning beats and more at Hudson Project will be GRiZ (QRO photos at a festival).
Conspirator, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM Started by The Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein in 2004, Conspirator (QRO photos at a festival) has since grown into a full band, with members from such other Buku acts as Lotus and The New Deal (see above).
Also: Felix Cartal, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM Kap Slap, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Luminox, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM Kastle, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Exmag, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Twiddle, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Tumbleweed Wanderers, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM – QRO photos at a festival
Catskill Cave Four Tet, 12:30 AM – 2:00 AM U.K. post-rock electronic musician Kieran Hebden, also who’s remixed everyone from Andrew Bird (QRO live review) to Radiohead (QRO live review), tours once more as Four Tet (QRO photos outdoors), on the back of last year’s Beautiful Rewind.
Gold Panda, 11:00 PM – 12:15 AM England’s Gold Panda (real name: Derwin Panda) (QRO live review) is one of the many DJ/producers (QRO album review) who also try out performing live, and while that lowers the bar severely, Gold Panda (QRO photos at a festival) is one of the best of that bunch.
Jon Hopkins, 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM Jon Hopkins began his musical career playing keyboards for Imogen Heap (QRO live review), went on to produce records for the big-name likes of Brian Eno & Coldplay, and has now made his own name in electronic music with Mercury Prize-nominated records Diamond Mine and last year’s Immunity.
SZA, 8:30 PM – 9:15 PM Solana Rowe, a.k.a. SZA (QRO photos at a festival), has yet to release a full-length, but already has people talking.
Also: Tokimonsta, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Jacques Greene, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM Bit Funk, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Woodysproduce, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Rask, 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

SUNDAY, JULY 13th

The Empire Stage Bassnectar, 9:15 PM – 10:45 PM A festival mainstay (QRO photos), Lorin Ashton (a.k.a. Bassnectar – QRO photos) brings the lights live (QRO photos at a festival) – as well as the hair… (QRO photos at a festival)
Capital Cities, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Enjoy the exciting and excitable electro-pop of Capital Cities (QRO photos at a festival), who are coming off playing at the mouth of the Hudson at the Statue of Liberty (QRO live review)!
Action Bronson, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM From down-river in Flushing, Action Bronson moved from gourmet chef to rapper with panache, and comes to Hudson Project hot on the heels of his major label debut, Mr. Wonderful.
The Soul Rebels, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Inspired by the ubiquitous likes of James Brown and Frank Zappa, The Soul Rebels are a four-piece band that reminiscence on the soul, funk, and blues era that defined music history.
Widowspeak, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM Brooklyn’s dream-pop Widowspeak (QRO photos at a festival) come to Hudson Project behind 2012’s sophomore release, Almanac (QRO review).
Explorer Stage STRFKR, 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM Once and sometimes still known as ‘Starfucker’ (QRO photos) – and also as PYRAMID – having ‘fuck’ in your name isn’t the career handicap it used to be, as the Portland-based electronic band STRFKR (QRO photos) have been making dance music that’s also great to listen to (QRO photos at a festival).
Cults, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM When Cults (QRO photos) broke out in 2010 with infectious single “We Go Outside”, they’d achieved the near impossible: being famous without anyone knowing anything about them (QRO photos outdoors). Since then, the wall of silence has broken down (QRO photos), with the catchy sixties male/female duo recruiting a band (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), playing South-by-Southwest (QRO photos), and signing to major label Sony for 2011’s Cults (QRO review). But even if you’ve got a face (QRO photos) to put to the un-Google-able name (QRO photos at a festival), they’re still a hook-laden band (QRO photos at a festival), who come to Hudson Project behind last year’s follow-up, Static (QRO review).
Isaiah Rashad, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Outta Chattanooga, Tennessee, Isaiah Rashad began rapping in tenth grade, got spots opening for the likes of Juicy J and Smoke DZA, and wowed critics with his debut EP earlier this year, Clivia Demo.
Kelela, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Kelela’s mixtape last year, Cut 4 Me, has earned praise from Beyoncé to Björk.
Also: Bad Rabbits, 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM – QRO photos at a festival
The Circus Tent Paper Diamond, 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM Colorado-based producer Alex B has begun exploring his creating & performing side as Paper Diamond.
Infected Mushroom, 10:45 PM – 11:45 PM One of the best-selling groups in Israeli music history, Infected Mushroom draw from acoustic guitar to synthesized bass to everything in between.
Tipper, 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM David Tipper is a producer & DJ who’s particularly well known for his live vinyl scratching skills.
12th Planet, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM John Dadzie is a Los Angeles dubstep producer and DJ who is better known as 12th Planet.
Emancipator, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Portland trip-hop producer Doug Appling comes to Hudson Project under his nom-de-guerre, Emancipator (QRO photos at a festival).
Also: Lunice, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Project 46, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM The Floozies, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Catskill Cave Oliver, 11:55 PM – 1:00 AM Kygo, 10:50 PM – 11:55 PM Henry Krinkle, 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM Moon Boots, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Jonas Rathsman, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM Perseus, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Isaac Tichauer, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Chrome Sparks, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – QRO photos Funktapuss, 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

For festival website, go here: http://hudsonmusicproject.com/