Pre-festival activities begin today. At 3 p.m., Pitchfork Music Festival hosts a discussion with Public Enemy about the making of their groundbreaking album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back at Chicago’s Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theatre. Admission is is free with a mandatory RSVP at rsvp@pitchforkmusicfestival.com. At 6pm, festival performers Fleet Foxes, Extra Golden, Hawk and a Hacksaw, and Boban Markovicat will provide free outdoor performances at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavillion.
ALARM Staff Picks For Pitchfork Music Festival 2008:
Mission of Burma (6:00, Friday) As part of Pitchfork Music Festival and All Tomorrow’s Parties “Don’t Look Back” series, Mission of Burma will play their first studio full-length album, Vs (Ace of Hearts, 1982) in its entirety. Although the Boston based post-punk quartet broke up only one year after releasing the album (due to singer Roger Miller’s chronic tinnitus), their music has inspired countless musicians ever since. Reuniting in 2005, the group has continued their own legacy with the release of The Obliterati (Matador, 2006) and live performances resulting in both fan and critical acclaim.
Icy Demons: (2:20, Saturday) A musical collaboration from Need New Body’s Griffin Rodriguez (credited as Blue Hawaii) and Man Man’s Christopher Powell (credited as Pow Pow), Icy Demons recently released their third full-length album entitled Miami Ice (Obey Your Brain, 2008). Incorporating such genres as Krautrock and the Canterbury Scene, Miami Ice is the latest work of experimental and genre-bending work by this Chicago and Philadelphia-based group. The album does not disappoint with its variety of instruments and eclectic lyrics incorporated into every song.
Fuck Buttons: (3:15, Saturday) First formed during early 2004, Bristol-based experimental duo Fuck Buttons rotate between prog rock, noise, and drone on their records. The group’s debut album, Street Horrrsing (ATP Recordings, 2008), was released earlier this year to critical acclaim, especially from Pitchfork Media, which awarded the album an 8.6 out of 10. Since their formation, the group has amassed a dedicated cult following for their live shows, which in the past year included gigs with Caribou throughout North America and the ATP vs. Pitchfork Festival in May of 2008.
No Age: (8:25, Saturday) Mainstays of L.A.’s The Smell (other notable groups include HEALTH, Lavender Diamond, and Mika Miko), noise rock duo No Age released their debut full-length LP Nouns (Sub Pop, 2008) in May following the preceding release of the group’s five EPs re-packaged as Weirdo Rippers (FatCat, 2007). The album, a fusion of experimental rock, punk, and noise pop, garnered critical acclaim (including Pitchfork’s own highest-reviewed release of 2008) and a larger following after its release.
Boris: (2:00, Sunday) Throughout their expansive career, Tokyo’s Boris rejected the pigeon-holed classification of the band’s sound. Moving from hardcore punk to drone metal to hard rock, the group continues to buck popular opinion by experimenting on albums. The band saw a dramatic increase in popularity with a series of reissues of their work on U.S.-based Southern Lord Records. Smile (Diwphalanx, 2008), the group’s 14th full-length record, was released in 2008 first in Japan, and subsequently on Southern Lord, with a different track listing and sound, proving experimentation is still a part of the group’s disposition.
King Khan & The Shrines: (3:15, Sunday) The group’s latest, The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines (Vice, 2007) combines selected tracks from their third full-length release What Is?!, along with some of their earlier cuts. Combining everything from the funk of George Clinton’s Parliament and Funkadelic to the jazz compositions of Sun Ra, King Khan, along with his backing band the Shrines, are a retro-tinged cluster of ‘70s soul.
Dinosaur Jr.: (8:00, Sunday) Originally formed in 1984 in Amherst, Massachussetts, Dinosaur Jr. disbanded after 13 years together in 1997, but subsequently regrouped with guitarist J Mascis in 2005. The band, influenced by classic rock and known for their heavy use of distortion and feedback, influenced such notable acts as the Pixies and Nirvana throughout the ‘90s for their distinct blend of punk, noise rock, alternative, and classic rock. The band’s latest, Beyond (Fat Possum Records, 2007), was the first since 1988’s Bug to include the original lineup. It was received well by critics and was indicative of the group’s characteristically aural attack.
Pitchfork Music Festival Weekend Schedule:
Friday, July 18 (in conjunction with All Tomorrow’s Parties/Don’t Look Back):
6:00 p.m. Mission of Burma performing Vs.
7:15 p.m. Sebadoh performing Bubble and Scrape
8:30 p.m. Public Enemy performing It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Saturday, July 19:
12:30 p.m. Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar
1:00 p.m. Titus Andronicus
1:25 p.m. A Hawk and a Hacksaw
1:30 p.m. Jay Reatard
2:00 p.m. Caribou
2:20 p.m. Icy Demons
3:00 p.m. Fleet Foxes
3:15 p.m. Fuck Buttons
4:00 p.m. Dizzee Rascal
4:15 p.m. The Ruby Suns
5:00 p.m. Vampire Weekend
5:20 p.m. Elf Power
6:00 p.m. !!!
6:25 p.m. Extra Golden
7:00 p.m. The Hold Steady
7:30 p.m. Atlas Sound
8:00 p.m. Jarvis Cocker
8:25 p.m. No Age
9:00 p.m. Animal Collective
Sunday, July 20:
12:30 p.m. Mahjongg
1:00 p.m. Times New Viking
1:25 p.m. High Places
1:30 p.m. Dirty Projectors
2:00 p.m. Boris
2:20 p.m. HEALTH
3:00 p.m. The Apples in Stereo
3:15 p.m. King Khan & the Shrines
4:00 p.m. Les Savy Fav
5:00 p.m. The Dodos
5:20 p.m. Occidental Brothers Dance Band International
6:00 p.m. M. Ward
6:25 p.m. Ghostface Killah & Raekwon
7:00 p.m. Spiritualized
7:30 p.m. Bon Iver
8:00 p.m. Dinosaur Jr.
8:25 p.m. Cut Copy
9:00 p.m. Spoon
Pitchfork Music Festival: www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com/index.php
Live Broadcast Link: pitchforkmusicfestival.com/player.php