Pitchfork Festival 2014 Preview

If you’re reading an online indie music mag, than you know of Pitchfork Media, the premiere online indie music mag – and you probably also know they throw a three-day festival in Chicago. Eschewing massive headliners and widest-appeal filler, Pitchfork picks the critic’s choice of acts (i.e., acts Pitchfork likes), for either the most alt- of America’s biggest music festivals, or the biggest of America’s alt-music festivals.

Either way, it’s a hell of a show, and returns to Union Park Friday-to-Sunday, July 18th-to-20th:

FRIDAY, JULY 18th

Green Stage Beck, 8:30 PM Beck (QRO photos at a festival) is back! Your favorite musical non-conformist (QRO photos at a festival) broke through in the mid-nineties thanks to songs like “Loser”, “Where It’s At”, and “Devil’s Haircut” off of early records Mellow Gold and Odelay (QRO deluxe edition review), mixing white boy funk with indie-rock and experimental – as well also delivering a stripped, soulful folk side to boot. After full-lengths 2008’s Modern Guilt (QRO review) and 2006’s The Information (QRO review), he took off time to work as a producer (such as on Thurston Moore’s Demolished Thoughts – QRO review – and Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks’ Mirror Traffic – QRO review), only releasing a few soundtrack tracks (like writing for the fictional band Sex Bob-omb in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – QRO soundtrack review). But he finally delivered a new studio album this year in Morning Phase (QRO review) – and of course it’s great. A perfect headliner for Pitchfork ’14 (QRO headlining a festival).

Sun Kil Moon, 6:25 PM Mark Kozelek has been crafting intricate, exquisite music for years as Sun Kil Moon (QRO album review).

Neneh Cherry with Rocketnumbernine, 4:35 PM Sweden-by-way-of-London (with Sierra Leone heritage), Neneh Cherry (QRO photos at a festival) sang in a slew of punk & post-punk bands in the eighties before breaking through solo with international hit single “Buffalo Stance” (and losing the Grammy for Best New Artist to Milli Vanilli…). In this century/millennium, Cherry’s been doing some interesting collaborations, and comes to Pitchfork with London duo RocketNumberNine behind last year’s team-up Me Without You.

Red Stage Giorgio Moroder, 7:20 PM Back when disco was disco and hadn’t yet needed to be revived, Giorgio Moroder helped invent it, indeed all of electronic dance music. He created & produced a slew of disco hits with Donna Summer and others, not to mention working with the likes of David Bowie, Blondie, and more. Moroder shifted nicely into film work, doing the score for such legendary movies as American Gigolo, Scarface, even The Neverending Story. But last year saw Moroder return to the record thanks his contributions to Daft Punk’s massive hit Random Access Memories (QRO review), which introduced “Giorgio by Moroder” to a whole new generation that will catch him at Pitchfork.

Sharon Van Etten, 5:30 PM While there’s a ton of stripped songstresses out there, one of the nicer ones is Sharon Van Etten (QRO photos at a festival), who evoked the sad strains of Appalachia on her debut, Because I Was In Love (QRO review), while 2011’s Epic (QRO review) made her the Brooklyn ‘it girl’ (QRO photos in New York), and 2012’s Tramp (QRO review) got her get even more acclaim – and attention (QRO photos). She’s even had a star-studded show in NYC (QRO photos), where she had special guests like Thurston Moore (QRO live review) of Sonic Youth (QRO live review) & Aaron Dessner of The National (QRO spotlight on). She comes back to Pitchfork behind her latest, Are We There (QRO review).

Hundred Waters, 3:30 PM New indie-rock outfit Hundred Waters (QRO photos at a festival) come to Austin City Limits after great opening slots (QRO photos opening) on tours last year for alt-J (QRO live review, with Hundred Waters) and The xx (QRO live review).

Blue Stage Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks, 7:15 PM One of the members of acclaimed experimental act Animal Collective (QRO live review), Avey Tare goes even more experimental when outside the Collective. There was his 2007 album with then-wife Kria Brekkan, Pullhair Rubeye (QRO review), which was released with the songs played backward, and now the hippie/rural/cannibal mix, Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks.

SZA, 6:15 PM Solana Rowe, a.k.a. SZA (QRO photos at a festival), has yet to release a full-length, but already has people talking.

The Haxan Cloak, 5:15 PM Bobby Krlic, or The Haxan Cloak, comes to Chicago after a Red Bull Music Academy performance in New York that The Times called, “amorphous, ominous and immersive, a transcendent plunge into darkness and overwhelming pressure.” Sounds like a perfect fit for Pitchfork!

Factory Floor, 4:15 PM The U.K. noise-core outfit Factory Floor (QRO photos at a festival) supposedly rewards on further listens, if you can get that far.

SATURDAY, JULY 19th

Green Stage Neutral Milk Hotel, 8:30 PM Jeff Mangum formed Neutral Milk Hotel around him in the late nineties, released In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, and the rest was history. One of the most critically acclaimed records of the past twenty years, NMH still disbanded before the decade/century/millennium was over, thanks to Mangum’s growing disillusionment (and later nervous breakdown). It all seemed to be the story of a candle that burned too bright for too short a time, but then Mangum began touring a few years ago (QRO live review), and then came a full-fledged reunion (with the line-up that played on Aeroplane) last fall, which comes to headline Pitchfork. [note: put your cell phones and cameras away for this performance, as Magnum notoriously hates photographing at his performances…]

Danny Brown, 6:15 PM Detroit rapper Danny Brown (QRO photos at a festival) earned serious critical acclaim in 2011 with XXX, SPIN’s hip-hop album of the year (*QRO photos at SPIN* party*) – and last year he came out with Old*. He returns to Pitchfork Festival for the second time in three years.

Pusha T, 4:15 PM Pusha T (QRO photos at a festival) began as one-half of Clipse with his brother No Malice, but has since headed out on his own, signing to Kanye’s GOOD Music and releasing his debut My Name Is My Name last fall.

Wild Beasts, 2:30 PM From the Lake District in northern England is the dream-pop Wild Beasts (QRO live review), who are neither wild nor beastly (QRO photos at a festival).

Also: Twin Peaks, 1:00 PM – QRO photos

Blue Stage FKA Twigs, 7:45 PM Tahliah Barnett has pulled off the rare feat of moving from dancer to musician, as FKA Twigs.

The Field, 6:45 PM Sweden’s Axel Wilner expands electronica to the Arctic Circle as The Field, and comes to Pitchfork Festival for his second time in three years, and third time overall.

Kelela, 5:45 PM Kelela’s mixtape last year, Cut 4 Me, has earned praise from Beyoncé to Björk.

Also: The Range, 4:45 PM Mas Ysa, 3:45 PM Empress Of, 2:50 PM Circulatory System, 1:55 PM

Red Stage St. Vincent, 7:25 PM After the one-and-only Annie Clark (QRO interview) made 2007 her break-out year, both as part of The Polyphonic Spree on The Fragile Army (QRO review) and with her own debut as St. Vincent (QRO photos), Marry Me (QRO review), she followed that up with even-better years (QRO spotlight on), gracing festivals (QRO photos at a festival), charming and surprising crowds with winning humor live (QRO live review), and bringing a stable of new songs (QRO live review). Those new songs, like “Laughing With a Mouth of Blood” (QRO video) and “Actor Out of Work” (QRO video) formed into 2009’s Actor (QRO review), which vaunted her into the even bigger time (QRO photos at a festival), including playing Lincoln Center (QRO live review) and other storied concert halls (QRO photos at a festival) & venues (QRO photos at Royal Albert Hall). Admittedly, 2011’s Strange Mercy (QRO review) wasn’t quite as good, but then she teamed up with the one-and-only David Byrne (QRO photos at a festival together) for 2012′s Love This Giant (QRO review), and now the holy St. Vincent (QRO photos) comes back with a vengeance this year on St. Vincent (QRO review), and an absolutely stellar live show (QRO photos in Europe), with her platinum grey hair and mannequin moves shining at festivals (QRO photos at a festival) and in the Old World (QRO photos in Europe). A must-see at Pitchfork ‘14 (QRO photos at a festival), which she plays for a second time (QRO photos at Pitchfork ’10).

tUnE-yArDs, 5:15 PM Oakland’s Merrill Garbus (QRO photos) got notice in the likes of Brooklyn (QRO photos) & Britain (QRO live review in London) as tUnE-yArDs (QRO photos outdoors), and then more and more fans behind her debut w h o k i l l (QRO review). She comes back to Pitchfork after May’s release of follow-up Nikki Nack (QRO review).

Cloud Nothings, 3:20 PM Young Dylan Baldi (QRO photos) throws back to music older than he as Cloud Nothings (QRO live review) with 2012’s Attack On Memory (QRO review) and this year’s Here and Nowhere Else (QRO review), and brings his power-pop back to Pitchfork (QRO photos at a festival) for the second time in three years. Also: KA, 1:45 PM

SUNDAY, JULY 20th

Green Stage Kendrick Lamar, 8:30 PM Pitchfork Festival 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). He comes back to Pitchfork for his second time in three years.

Slowdive, 6:15 PM Shoegaze was always at its biggest in Britain in acts like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive (QRO photos at a festival), whose members spun off into various other projects in the nineties (including Mojave 3 – QRO photos), but this year announced a reunion.

ScHoolboy Q, 4:15 PM Hip-hop artist Quincy Matthew Hanley – a.k.a. ScHoolboy Q (QRO photos at a festival) – followed up 2011’s acclaimed Setbacks with 2012’s Habits & Contradictions and February’s Oxymoron. He comes back to Pitchfork for his second time in three years.

Deafheaven, 2:30 PM Deafheaven (QRO photos at a festival) expand on the black metal sound with elements of post-metal and even shoegaze.

Mutual Benefit, 1:00 PM Jordan Lee has collected quite the alt-folk collective around him as Mutual Benefit (*QRO photos at Pitchfork Review* launch**).

Blue Stage Hudson Mohawke, 7:45 PM Glasgow’s turntablist Ross Birchard, a.k.a. Hudson Mohawke, managed to get signed to acclaimed U.K. electronic imprint Warp despite few actual releases, but delivered in 2009’s Butler and a few EPs – here’s hoping for new material at Pitchfork.

DJ Spinn, 6:45 PM Chicagoland’s own spinner DJ Spinn comes to Pitchfork Festival.

Majical Cloudz, 5:15 PM Grimes (see below) collaborator Devon Welsh has been making his own name in his Montreal duo with Matthew Otto, Majical Cloudz.

Jon Hopkins, 4:45 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.

Dum Dum Girls, 3:45 PM The Dum Dum Girls (QRO photos at a festival) combine garage, girl-group, and New Wave for a sound (QRO photos) that does stand out from the pack (QRO photos) – especially live (QRO live review) & in costume (QRO photos at a festival), or on this year’s Too True (QRO review).

Isaiah Rashad, 2:50 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.

Perfect Pussy, 1:55 PM Catch the frenetic noise-punk of Perfect Pussy (QRO photos) – if you dare!

Speedy Ortiz, 1:00 PM There’s tons of buzz around Brooklyn’s new Speedy Ortiz (QRO photos at a festival) – so of course they’re playing Pitchfork.

Red Stage Grimes, 7:25 PM Scandinavian singer/songstresses have gotten very hot, from Lykke Li (QRO album review) openers of hers like Oh Land (QRO album review) and now Grimes (QRO photos opening for Lykke Li) – though Grimes, a.k.a. Claire Boucher (QRO photos at a festival), is actually from Canada. Still, her ethereal indie-pop on 2012’s Visions (QRO review) certainly hews to the Scando-sound (QRO live review), and she’s just as pretty and charming as any Nordic (QRO photos at a festival). Plus her profile was serious raised when she signed to Jay-Z’s new management company, Roc Nation.

Real Estate, 5:15 PM Pitchfork has long loved Ridgewood, New Jersey’s Real Estate (QRO live review), including 2012’s sophomore release Days (QRO review) and this year’s relaxed Atlas (QRO review), so see for yourself if they’re right as the band comes back to Pitchfork Festival (QRO photos at a festival), having played in 2012 and 2010.

Earl Sweatshirt, 3:20 PM The massive hip-hop collective Odd Future (QRO live review) keeps giving – there’s frontman Tyler, the Creator (QRO album review), R&B star Frank Ocean, and now Earl Sweatshirt (QRO photos at a festival), who’s also worked with the likes of Flying Lotus (QRO live review), in Lotus’ Sealab 2021-inspired alter-ego, Captain Murphy.

DIIV, 1:45 PM Brooklyn shoegaze outfit DIIV (QRO live review) – previously known as Dive (QRO photos) – come to Pitchfork, after releasing debut Oshin (QRO review) in 2012.