NOS Primavera Sound 2015 Preview

In 2012, Barcelona’s famed Primavera Sound Festival expanded to the other side of the Iberian Peninsula to Oporto in Portugal the weekend after, and 2015 will see the fourth...
NOS Primavera Sound 2015 Preview

NOS Primavera Sound 2015 Preview

In 2012, Barcelona’s famed Primavera Sound Festival expanded to the other side of the Iberian Peninsula to Oporto in Portugal the weekend after, and 2015 will see the fourth year of NOS Primavera Sound, with another stellar line-up, Thursday-Saturday, June 4th-6th:

 

THURSDAY, JUNE 4th

Palco Super Bock

The Juan MacLean, 00:00

One of the founding members of LCD Soundsystem (QRO live review), Juan MacLean (QRO interview) comes to NOS Primavera Sound for a live set (QRO photos at a festival).
Juan Maclean
FKA Twigs, 21:10

Tahliah Barnett (QRO photos) has pulled off the rare feat of moving from dancer to musician, as in-demand FKA Twigs (QRO live review).
FKA Twigs
Mikal Cronin, 18:50

Alt-garage utility player Mikal Cronin (QRO photos at a festival) has emerged as a force in his own right (QRO photos at a festival), most recently with last month’s MCIII.



Also:

Bruno Pernadas, 17:00

Mikal Cronin

NOS Stage

Caribou, 01:00

Daniel Victor Snaith (QRO photos) combined electronica and psychedelica expertly with 2007’s Andorra (QRO review) as Caribou (QRO live review). 2010’s Swim (QRO review) looked to nineties electronic beats, not as fine, but still holds up – as does his live show (QRO live review), especially at a festival (QRO photos at a festival). He comes to NOS Primavera Sound (QRO photos at Barcelona Primavera ’11) behind last year’s Our Love.
Caribou
Interpol, 22:20

When the Lower East Side music scene broke out at the beginning of this century/millennium, one of the biggest breakouts was neo-New Wave outfit Interpol (QRO live review) with Turn On the Bright Lights and Antics. Unfortunately, 2007 major label debut Our Love To Admire (QRO review) was a serious disappointment, leading to a hiatus (where singer/guitarist Paul Banks did his own solo thing as Julian Plenti – QRO European tour review). But 2010’s return to Matador Records Interpol (QRO review) was a return to form, and so was their live show (QRO photos), even on the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival). Of course, the following year saw another hiatus (with Paul Banks going solo again, this time under his own name – QRO album review), but the band has returned once more (QRO photos at a festival), with El Pintor (QRO review) out last August (QRO photos at a festival in August) and coming to NOS Primavera Sound (QRO photos at Barcelona Primavera Sound ‘11).
Interpol
Mac DeMarco, 20:00

Some artists toil in obscurity for years, even decades, but Mac DeMarco (QRO photos at a festival) is only just old enough to drink, and already has his debut full-length, Mac DeMarco 2, and reputation for wild live shows (QRO photos at a festival) that brings him to NOS Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival).



Also:

Cinerama, 17:55

Mac DeMarco

Palco Pitchfork

Patti Smith, 20:00

NOS Primavera Sound lined up a true punk icon for their festival – Patti Smith (QRO photos outdoors). The ‘Godmother of Punk’ was one of the first to truly fuse rock and poetry, and served as something of a bridge between the beatniks & hippies of the fifties & sixties and the punks of the seventies and eighties. Her music even gave the name to perhaps New York’s most important venue, Bowery Ballroom (QRO venue review), and she helped open its sister in Brooklyn, Music Hall of Williamsburg (QRO venue review). She may have been made a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, but she hasn’t slowed down (QRO photos), and won’t be any less impressive in Oporto (QRO photos at a festival), as she performs acoustic & spoken.
Patti Smith

 

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 5th

NOS Stage

Antony & The Johnsons, 00:15

Antony Hegarty’s art-chamber experimentalism as Antony & The Johnsons (QRO album review) is a perfect fit for NOS Primavera Sound.
Antony & The Johnsons
The Replacements, 21:20

When the Pixies (QRO live review) reunited at Coachella in 2004, we couldn’t have known how far and how great the trend of alt-rock reunions would become in this century/millennium. There’s been Dinosaur Jr. (QRO live review), Pavement (QRO live review), and now The Replacements! The band basically originated/defined ‘college rock’ in the eighties with classic albums on local indie imprint Twin/Tone (QRO deluxe edition reviews), before graduating to major label status for the second half of their impressive discography (QRO deluxe edition reviews).

They called it quits in 1991, well after members like guitarist Bob Stinson and drummer Chris Mars had left, with only singer/guitarist Paul Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson remaining from the original line-up. Westerberg went on to a successful solo career, while Tommy Stinson (QRO solo photos) has managed to be the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll utility player, working in such outfits as Soul Asylum (QRO spotlight on) and even Guns n’ Roses (QRO photos at a festival), plus doing his own solo material (QRO solo album review). Bob Stinson unfortunately passed away in 1995, and more recently his ‘replacement’ Slim Dunlap was hospitalized from a severe stroke – which led to tons of musicians who were influenced by The Replacements to do a series of special, limited edition seven-inches in Dunlap’s benefit.

And most recently, Tommy teamed up with Westerberg and Mars for the Songs For Slim EP (QRO review) – and now a full-fledged reunion (QRO photos of first reunion appearance – though Mars seems to prefer the life off the road – or just still can’t work with Westerberg…)! It was over twenty years ago that The Replacements were one-by-one replaced by their roadies at the band’s final concert in Chicago’s Grant Park (famed as the ‘It’s Not Over ‘Til the Last Roadie Plays’ concert), and in 2013 they returned to that stage (QRO photos at a Chicago festival) – plus, guest-spotting on rhythm guitar has been Billy Joe Armstrong (QRO photos of them with Armstrong at a festival)! Even if you’re too young to have caught ‘The Mats’ in their heyday, catch ‘em now, ‘cause you don’t want to be like Art Brut (QRO interview), “How have I only just discovered The Replacements (QRO photos)?!?”

(now if we can only get a reunion from ‘other’ great band from Minneapolis, Hüsker Dü – QRO spotlight on…)
The Replacements
Patti Smith & Band, 19:00

NOS Primavera Sound lined up a true punk icon for their festival – Patti Smith (QRO photos outdoors). The ‘Godmother of Punk’ was one of the first to truly fuse rock and poetry, and served as something of a bridge between the beatniks & hippies of the fifties & sixties and the punks of the seventies and eighties. Her music even gave the name to perhaps New York’s most important venue, Bowery Ballroom (QRO venue review), and she helped open its sister in Brooklyn, Music Hall of Williamsburg (QRO venue review). She may have been made a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, but she hasn’t slowed down (QRO photos), and won’t be any less impressive in Oporto (QRO photos at a festival), as she & her band perform her classic Horses.



Also:

Banda Do Mar, 17:00

Patti Smith

ATP Stage

Run the Jewels, 01:40

El-P blew up the Brooklyn rap scene with 2013’s Cancer 4 Cure (QRO review of release party), and brought about his team-up with Killer Mike (QRO photos at a festival) for 2012’s ‘Into the Wild’ tour. Mike & P have deepened that connection, working together as Run the Jewels (QRO photos at a festival) for two critically acclaimed records, most recently last year’s Run the Jewels 2, with word of 3 already in the works.
Run the Jewels
Spiritualized, 22:45

After the demise of the space-rock Spaceman 3, Jason Pierce stayed in the stratosphere (thanks to an inanimate carbon rod) as Spiritualized (QRO live review). He had been performing 1997’s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (NME’s Album of the Year) in full, but Spiritualized (QRO photos) comes to NOS Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2012’s Sweet Heart Sweet Light.
Spiritualized
Electric Wizard, 21:15

Dorset doom metal outfit Electric Wizard brings their Lovecraftian sound to NOS Primavera Sound.
Electric Wizard
Also:

Younghusband, 20:00

Viet Cong, 18:45QRO photos at a festival

Yasmine Hamdan, 17:35

Viet Cong

Palco Super Bock

JUNGLE, 01:40

Catch the modern-soul London music collective JUNGLE.
JUNGLE
Belle & Sebastian, 23:00

While everyone raves about all the nineties acts reuniting, such as Superchunk (QRO live review) & Teenage Fanclub (QRO live review), pause for a moment to praise great bands from the last century/millennium who didn’t break up, such as Belle & Sebastian (QRO photos outdoors). The Glaswegian outfit’s ‘wistful pop’ has captured hearts for years & years now, with their latest, this year’s Girls In Peacetime Wanna Dance (QRO review), pretty much saying it all.
Belle & Sebastian
José González, 20:10

The Argentine-Swedish José González crafts exquisite, intimate material, both solo like with this year’s Vestiges and Claws (QRO review) and in his group Junip (QRO album review).
José González
Giant Sand

Howard Gelb’s Giant Sand have had a revolving door of artists in their near three decades – most recently with Danes backing him up.

Giant Sand

Palco Pitchfork

Marc Piñol, 04:00



Movement, 03:00
Marc Piñol
Ariel Pink, 01:40

Even a few years out from its origins, the chillwave scene is so new that even its founders are young. The just-past-thirty Ariel Marcus Rosenberg, or ‘Ariel Pink’ (QRO live review), helped start whatever you call the sound, just recording in his bedroom, but has since recruited a band (QRO live review) and ventured out & onto the stage, with 2010’s Before Today (QRO review), 2012’s Mature Themes (QRO review), and last year’s pom pom (QRO review), and has kept it up live (QRO live review).
Ariel Pink
Pallbearer, 23:10

From Arkansas comes the epic doom metal of Pallbearer (QRO photos at a festival).
Pallbearer
Sun Kil Moon, 21:45

Mark Kozelek (QRO photos at a festival) has been crafting intricate, exquisite music for years as Sun Kil Moon (QRO album review).



Also:

Twerps, 20:30
Sun Kil Moon

 

 

SATURDAY, JUNE 6th

ATP Stage

Ought, 02:00



The New Pornographers, 00:35

The middle of the last decade saw the rise of Canadian near-supergroup collectives, such as Broken Social Scene (QRO spotlight on) and The New Pornographers (QRO live review), fronted by Carl Newman (QRO solo album review), but also including singer Neko Case (QRO solo live review), singer/guitarist Dan Bejar (a.k.a. Destroyer – QRO album review) and singer/keyboardist Kathryn Calder (QRO solo album review). Unlike their eastern Canadian brethren, The New Pornographers (QRO live review) eschew the fuzzy atmospherics for power-pop (QRO live review) on 2007’s Challengers (QRO review), 2010’s Together (QRO review), and last year’s Brill Bruisers (QRO review).
The New Pornographers
The KVB, 23:10 – QRO photos



Einstürzende Neubauten, 21:40

Now in their fourth decade, the (West) Berlin-born Einstürzende Neubauten (QRO photos at a festival) helped forge both the industrial and post-industrial sound, like the Ruhr moving from coal to high-tech. They were using custom-built instruments (made from scrap metal and the like) alongside ‘traditional’ ones (not to mention having their own trademark logo long before Prince was ‘The Artist Formerly Known As Prince’).
The KVB
Einstürzende Neubauten
Babes In Toyland, 20:15

Babes In Toyland helped define the Riot Grrrl sound of the nineties (even if they never associated with that movement). They broke up just after the nineties ended, but 2015 has seen a nascent reunion, with NOS Primavera Sound getting some of the first shows.
Babes In Toyland
The Thurston Moore Band, 18:45

The center around which the iconic Sonic Youth (QRO live review) largely revolved, Thurston Moore (QRO solo live review) has fashioned a musical legacy like few others, remaining relevant for going on forty years now in punk rock, alt-rock, noise-rock (a style Moore basically helped invent & popularize), and more. While the dissolution of his marriage to bandmate Kim Gordon seems to have spelled the end of Sonic Youth, Moore has kept on going, first in his post-Youth outfit Chelsea Light Moving (QRO photos at a festival) and now in The Thurston Moore Band.



Also:

Xylouris White, 17:30

Thurston Moore

Palco Super Bock

Dan Deacon, 00:40

One of the acts bringing the wild, DIY element to NOS Primavera Sound is Dan Deacon (QRO photos). The Baltimore native (QRO photos outdoors) 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 this year’s Gliss Riffer, 2012’s America (QRO review), and 2009’s Bromst (QRO review), which get wild live (QRO live review), whether with his fifteen-piece backing band (QRO live review) or Deacon standing & playing from in the crowd (QRO photos, outdoors at a festival), like at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Dan Deacon
Death Cab For Cutie, 22:10

When Pacific Northwest alternative favorite Death Cab for Cutie (QRO photos at a festival) left long-time indie imprint Barsuk for major Label Atlantic in 2005 with Plans, fans thought the sky might be falling. But instead, Death Cab (QRO photos) has released not one, but two of their best records to-date, following up Plans in 2010 with the excellent Narrow Stairs (QRO review), 2011’s Codes and Keys (QRO review), and now Kintsugi (QRO review).

Singer/guitarist Ben Gibbard may have gone from dork to looking like a Cascadian beefcake (QRO photos at a festival) – he was married to Zooey Deschanel of She & Him (QRO live review)/The New Girl (meanwhile, his side project, The Postal Service, went on a reunion tour recently – QRO photos – behind the tenth anniversary deluxe edition of the one-and-only album, Give UpQRO deluxe edition review), and guitarist Chris Walla may have left for solo projects (QRO solo album review), with over a decade’s worth of strong material (QRO photos), their well is deep for a wide performance (QRO photos at a festival).
Death Cab for Cutie
Foxygen, 19:50

While they formed back in 2005, Westlake Village duo Foxygen (QRO photos at a festival) only put out their first full-length in 2012, Take the Kids Off Broadway – but had their second, We Are the Twenty-First Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, last year. However, they are best known for the wild, unhinged live shows, with lead singer Sam France climbing stage equipment and more (QRO photos outdoors).



Also:

Manel Cruz, 17:30

Foxygen

NOS Stage

Underworld, 01:35

Before today’s embrace of electronic music, there was a major wave in the nineties, and leading that wave was Underworld (QRO photos). They practically defined the British rave movement while not being defined by it, and their beats have kept on going, with latest Barking (QRO review) out in 2010.
Underworld
Ride, 23:20

When Liam Gallagher’s post-Oasis Beady Eye (QRO photos) broke up last year, people weren’t wondering if he’d get back together with brother Noel (who’s having his own successful solo career, and is playing Shaky Knees – see above), but instead if guitarist Andy Bell would reunite with his first band, Ride. Their early nineties output was as essential to shoegaze as anything My Bloody Valentine did, and MBV reunited…

And so has Ride (QRO photos at a festival), for a stellar reunion tour this summer, including NOS Primavera Sound!
Ride
Damien Rice, 21:00

The multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Irishman Damien Rice (QRO photos) emerged from fronting Juniper to a successful solo career, including becoming a soundtrack favorite. Last year he released his third solo record, My Favourite Faded Fantasy.



Also:

Baxter Dury, 18:40

Damien Rice
Baxter Dury

Palco Pitchfork

Roman Flügel, 03:50



HEALTH, 02:45

Los Angeles’ own HEALTH (QRO photos) not only bring the noise-rock to NOS Primavera Sound, but are also known for their mash-ups, most notably with electronic dance duo Crystal Castles (QRO live review), though outdoors (QRO photos outdoors), they’re more ‘noise’ than ‘rock’.
Roman Flügel
HEALTH
Pharmakon, 01:45

Check out the solo industrial noise project of Margaret Chardiet, a.k.a. Pharmakon.
Pharmakon
Shellac, 00:00

Famed producer Steve Albini started in eighties punk act Big Black, and keeps him hand in the performing side of the game fronting Shellac – who will be coming off playing their seventh year in a row at the Barcelona edition of Primavera Sound (QRO photos at Barcelona Primavera ’11).
Shellac
Also:

Ex Hex, 22:30

Kevin Morby, 21:00
Ex Hex

 

 

For festival website, go here: www.nosprimaverasound.com/index?%2Findex=&lang=en

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