Rhapsody: The Mix: MSN Archives

Ryan Bingham talks The Dude, T Bone Burnett at Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 9, 2011 12:55 PM

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Live from Lollapalooza, here's our interview with singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham in which he discusses hanging with The Dude, T Bone Burnett's imposing stature, and the commonality between rodeos and the music business. Enjoy.

Ryan Bingham
Junky Star
Fresh off of a most impressive Oscar win, Ryan Bingham doesn't use his time in the spotlight to write catchy, upbeat songs to expand his fan base. Instead, he lays out a sepia-toned world of down-and-out characters, desperate souls gone astray by design or circumstance. Producer T-Bone Burnett creates a crisp, uncluttered musical path for Bingham's gritty voice to wander. As Bingham introduces us to his set of characters, he weaves an intoxicating spell of desperation and heartache that sucks you in and changes your mood, making Junky Star an oddly powerful release.

-LINDA RYAN

Titus Andronicus on Round-Robin Solos and Big-Upping the Proletariat (video interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 8, 2011 1:23 PM

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Interview with Titus Andronicus from Lollapalooza in which they discuss the unsung heroes of New Jersey, round-robin solos and quitting or not quitting the band (we're not sure).

Titus Andronicus
The Monitor
Titus Andronicus are what happens when you combine literary nerdiness and history geekdom with punk zeal and an attitude perpetually set at pissed off. In other words, great music to get a little wild with, to blast when CNN is just too much to handle, and to shout along with (particularly with lyrics like "The enemy is everywhere"). The Monitor is the Jersey band's sophomore release and features guests by members of the Hold Steady, Vivian Girls, Ponytail, Wye Oak and more. As far as that history geekdom, the album's central theme is the American Civil War. Finally the 1800s are back in style.

-STEPH BENSON

Lollapalooza, Day Three: Rain, Mud, and Inexplicable Joy

By Rachel Devitt

August 8, 2011 10:20 AM

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Bow down to Deadmau5, oh ye water-logged masses. Pics by Garrett Kamps.

The final day of Lollapalooza's 20th-anniversary fest began so beautifully. The sun shone, the birds chirped (probably -- it was hard to hear them over the ovaries-rattling bass from Perry's Stage, which reverberated through the entire park today), the crowd skipped happily from show to show, and the perpetually friendly Lolla staffers smiled and thanked people as they crossed the gates. Did I mention that early-afternoon shining sun? Focus on it. Bask in it. Because after that? It rained. A lot. And then it rained again. A lot. And then there was mud. So, so much mud. The proceedings ended in drenched streets and unrecognizably filthy festies and shoe-swallowing, phone-destroying craters of mud. And that, too, was beautiful.

Rain at a festival, while not exactly ideal, is the great equalizer. Yes, it was unfortunate that Arctic Monkeys' set (among others) got delayed by the first storm. But the people I was huddled with under the Estancia lounge tent were laughing, bonding, making new friends -- and watching the dripping diehards at Cage the Elephant catch Matt Schultz's increasingly slippery body as he (and his mic) stage-dove again and again. And when the first downpour stopped and all 90,000 of us came together again, those of us who weren't drenched quickly got painted with mud. What beautiful people? Everyone was beautiful, everyone was ugly -- and everyone looked like they were paying homage to the classic images of joyfully muddy hippies at Lolla progenitor Woodstock. And when the second deluge began minutes before the headliner sets, it seemed almost fitting, as if Deadmau5 at one end and Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters at the other had called the rains down for their legions of ravers and rockers to play in. The crowd, many covered in trash bags donated by the ground crew, collectively said "screw it" and bolted for the field, helping each other up when they fell, and using the mud as a dance partner that could spin and slip them around.

Continue reading Lollapalooza, Day Three: Rain, Mud, and Inexplicable Joy.

City and Colour Talk Playing Oootside At Lollapallooza

By Lauren Tabak

August 8, 2011 7:48 AM

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Interview with Dallas Green of City and Colour from Lollapalooza in which he discusses the Canadian folk festival circuit, winning over audiences and coming out as a musician with a diverse taste in musical genres.

City and Colour
Little Hell
When Dallas Green isn't fronting post-hardcore troublemakers Alexisonfire, he can be found crafting melancholic acoustic balladry with a decidedly Jeff Buckley/Nick Drake vibe. Though Green's City and Colour project has all the feel and maturity of an idea born fully formed, it actually began as a casual affair around 2004. With his limited free time, the Canadian singer and songwriter would record rough demos, eventually filtering them out to fans via the Internet. The response was more than positive. In fact, it wasn't long before he decided to release a full-length, 2005's Sometimes. The album started off as a sleeper hit of sorts but eventually went platinum in his native land. Due to Alexisonfire's hectic touring and recording schedule, Green took nearly three years to release a follow-up. Bring Me Your Love came out in 2008, and unlike the intimate Sometimes, the record is an utterly grand affair, featuring a dizzying number of guest musicians and broad instrumentation. With its mix of tender folk and near-orchestral introspection, it has been compared to the Neil Young classic Harvest. Not bad for what began as a side project.

Cage The Elephant Talk Video Games At Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 8, 2011 6:30 AM

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Interview with Cage The Elephant at Lollapalooza in which they discuss video games and other on-the-road distractions.

Cage The Elephant
Thank You Happy Birthday
On their sophomore album, these Kentucky boys downplay the White Stripes inclinations of their 2008 debut, instead spreading their sound across the alt-rock map: Pixies, Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, jangle-pop, ska, noise, grunge. Opener "Always Something" moves from "Rock the Casbah"-style Middle Eastern reggae to Beck-like rapping; the hipster-chiding "Indy Kidz" mixes dub with surf guitars; "Sell Yourself" is punk-funk about selling out; "Japanese Buffalo" starts out doo-wop, then stage-dives into the moshpit. The punk's more fun than the ballads, but even the latter get plenty of angst on. -CHUCK EDDY

Lollapalooza, Day Two

By Rachel Devitt

August 7, 2011 9:57 AM

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Just sing, man: CeeLo does his Rock God thing. Pics by Garrett Kamps

The ironic charm of music festivals, as everyone knows, is that they're actually a pretty crappy place to hear music. The festgoer paradox at an event as massive as Lollapalooza (which completely sold out beforehand for the first time this year) is this: should you fight your way to the front of the stage and stake out a spot early enough to actually see your favorite band, which means you aren't going anywhere, including to other stages where other bands are playing, until the show's over? Or should you try to "see" as many acts as you can from the back of the lawn, behind a tree, next to a bunch of drunk people who are talking louder than the band is playing? Ultimately, the best decision is to just focus on creating an experience.

So what was the experience of Lolla like on Saturday? Well, day two began with rain: buckets of mud-producing, sludge-inducing rain that quickly coated the extremities of festgoers. The day ended with heat: the sun came out with a vengeance, the temperatures rose, the humidity was oppressive. And somewhere in the middle, everyone got drunk. Really, really drunk. Yesterday's beautiful people? Gone -- or at least so covered in mud that they were unrecognizable as such. The festival grounds, which were expanded to make for a sprawling 115 acres in 2010? Still navigable, thanks to the crisscrossing network of paths and streets that make up Chicago's Grant Park, but it still requires an inner pep talk every time one is faced with the task of navigating through tens of thousands of sweaty bodies. The port-a-potty situation? Grim. What else was a girl and 90,000 or so of her closest friends to do but give in and just enjoy the ride, with all its highs and lows, twists and turns, uppers and downers?

Continue reading Lollapalooza, Day Two.

Ellie Goulding Looks Cool In Hot Pants, Talks Epic Buildings And Looking For New Collaborators (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 7, 2011 9:25 AM

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Ellie Goulding interview from Lollapalooza in which she discusses a writing retreat in Ireland, American architecture and her quest to find suitable collaborators.

Ellie Goulding
Lights
If nothing else, Ellie Goulding's debut proves how translatable the concept of an icy blonde singer with a feathery gasp of a voice and a pleasant, polite beat is. Lights takes that core concept and runs it through frosty Euro-dance, otherworldly indie electro, mournful alt-rock (think: Cranberries), slightly creepy alt-rock (think: Kate Bush), even a wee bit of rom-com soundtrack-ready adult alt. A girl could get lost in all those stylistic twists and turns! Goulding, however, is a quietly compelling presence who subtly makes each song, each style bend to her wistful, winsome will.

- RACHEL DEVITT

Slug of Atmosphere Wears Sweatshirt In Very Warm Weather At Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 7, 2011 6:31 AM

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Slug of Atmosphere interview from Lollapalooza in which he discusses the last ten years of Indie hip hop, unwritten rules about wearing shorts and what to do if your boyfriend leaves you.

Atmosphere
The Family Sign
With a sound reminiscent of 1990s slacker rock, the Atmosphere of 2011 has strayed far from Lucy Ford and its "emo-rap" salad days. No longer just Slug and Ant, the group has expanded to a five-piece band, and it makes a racket of loose grooves and echoing guitars on The Family Sign. Slug remains an underrated storyteller, delivering a haunting tale of a camper eaten by wolves on "Became," and cautioning an abused woman on "The Last to Say." Sometimes he undermines himself with corny hooks, though, adding "Bad Bad Daddy" to a decent lyric about an alcoholic father.

- MOSI REEVES

The Pretty Reckless Talk Mood Weather At Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 6, 2011 2:55 PM

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The Pretty Reckless
Light Me Up
Interview with The Pretty Reckless at Lollapalooza during which Taylor Momsen debunks internet rumors and shares the wonders of lights for rock bands.

Mayer Hawthorne Talks Boat Shoes, Running For Office At Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 6, 2011 2:44 PM

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Mayer Hawthorne interviews Rhapsody at Lollapalooza. Discussion topics include fashion (boat shoes), politics (running for office, the debt ceiling) and Peanut Butter Wolf.

Mayer Hawthorne
A Strange Arrangement
The debut from this white, Michigan-bred former hip-hop DJ re-creates the sound of Motown classics and other falsetto-laden AM-radio gems, complete with sparkling, horn-specked production and G-rated come-ons. With his thin but sweet croon, Mayer Hawthorne floats over the ballads, but the two best tunes are uptempo: The killer-chorused "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin' " and "One Track Mind," a Temptations-style plaint about a high-maintenance lady whom you'll swear you've heard on an oldies station — and liked a lot.

- CHRISTIAN HOARD

Lollapalooza, Day One: Angsty British Dudes, Beautiful People and the Ongoing Saga of Pete Wentz

By Rachel Devitt

August 6, 2011 10:15 AM

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Cults indie-rock out for all the beautiful, suspiciously bohemian people. Pic by Garrett Kamps.

Twenty years old. Seems like just yesterday Lollapalooza was traipsing around the country, joyously introducing itself to the world as a music festival unafraid of genre diversity or political activism, one just as likely to showcase a Shaolin monk as a post-punk band. And now our little Lolla is all grown up. So what does America's biggest freak show and its "alternative nation" look like now that it's (almost) legal, and confined to one long weekend in Chicago?

That's the question on my mind as I join the already-sweltering masses who are (mostly) patiently waiting to scan their Sponge Bob-esque orange-and blue-wristbands and rush onto the festival grounds for the first day of Lollapalooza's 20th-anniversary bash. We'll attempt to answer that query for the next three days, at least when I'm not busy chowing down on lobster corn dogs or slipping over to the craft beer tent or dodging drunk kids or, you know, seeing like a gazillion bands. And Lolla, accommodating pal that she is, provides several stellar snapshots of what that answer might be right as I walk in the gates.

Impression One: wow, this place is swarming with kids who look to be about the same age as Lolla, kids who probably have no idea who Perry Farrell is. And not just any kids, but these ethereal, flowing-haired Mischa Barton (is she still a person of interest? OK, then maybe Ashley Greene) lookalikes impeccably clothed in those neo-bohemian fashions the celebrities are all so fond of these days. People in Chicago do not look like this, at least not enough of us to reach these numbers. It's as if these kids went to Coachella, then spent the next couple months living on some kind of post-hippie cloud before descending upon Lollapalooza. And they all seem wasted already. At noon.

Continue reading Lollapalooza, Day One: Angsty British Dudes, Beautiful People and the Ongoing Saga of Pete Wentz.

Tinie Tempah Talks Port-A-Loos, Personal Hygiene, Lykke Li and Skrillex (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 6, 2011 9:16 AM

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Interview with Tinie Tempah from Lollapalooza 2011 in which he talks festival survival tips (baby wipes!), progress on his next album and possible collaborators like Lykke Li and Skrillex.

Tinie Tempah
Disc-Overy
For the U.S. version of his U.K. hit Disc-Overy, London rapper Tinie Tempah fashions himself as a hitmaker like B.o.B and Wiz Khalifa (the latter of whom guests on "Till I'm Gone"). He proves it with electro-tinged rockers like "Illusion" and progressive house anthems like "Miami 2 Ibiza." Save for the autobiographical "Let Go," most of his songs revolve around partying in the club and the hookups that follow. "Tic-toc, check my Rolie wristwatch/ F*ck how much a drink costs we about to kick off," he promises on "Simply Unstoppable." Disc-Overy is lightweight fun.

--Mosi Reeves

Pete Wentz and Bebe Rexha talk Black Cards at Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 6, 2011 8:54 AM

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Black Cards
Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Fame
Watch Bebe Rexha and Pete Wentz from Black Cards talk about their new project at Lollapalooza 2011.

The Naked And Famous Talk Wearing Pants, Soggy Boots at Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 5, 2011 10:24 PM

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Interview with The Naked and Famous from Lollapalooza 2011 in which they discuss pants-wearing in extreme heat, the perils of wearing black boots on stage and the moment the call came telling them to quit their day jobs.

The Naked And Famous
Passive Me, Aggressive You
They have a name that'll turn up some questionable web search results, but that's not what this New Zealand bunch is positioned to capitalize on. It's the fat beats, electro flashes, abrasive guitar static and catchy, shout-along choruses that are as in-your-face as a rave doused in glow-stick goo. The Naked and Famous have the youthful giddiness of Passion Pit and just a bit of MGMT's sarcasm, but they also channel NIN's The Fragile on tracks like "The Source" and "The Sun." And it works, because anything lit with so much neon shines brightest in the dark.

--Steph Benson

Grace Potter Carries C-Note, Channels The Boss, Swears A Lot (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 5, 2011 10:06 PM

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Interview with Grace Potter of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals from Lollapalooza 2011 in which she reveals the contents of her festival satchel, talks Kenny Chesney, and the spirits of Red Rocks.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
In the burlesque-themed video for "Paris (Ooh La La)," Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' breakout single in 2010, the band is framed as sassy rockers. Dancing underneath shimmering chandeliers, Potter and bassist Catherine Popper are wild and scandalous, sporting an enticing miniskirt and sequined hot pants, respectively. Ironically, the group's roots are way earthier than this slice of sexiness implies. Based in Waitsfield, Vt., Potter and the Nocturnals originally made a name for themselves on the jam-band scene. Tallying an average of 200 shows a year in the mid-2000s, the group honed its 1970s-loving fusion of Americana and soul-funk while sporting more, uh, modest apparel. After signing with Hollywood Records, they released 2007's This Is Somewhere. It sold well enough, but it was obvious the label wanted to make the band -- Potter in particular -- into pop stars. For a follow-up, the group decided to overhaul both their image and sound. They also replaced bassist Bryan Dondero with their second bombshell (Popper). Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, released in 2010, found the band taking a stab at Black Keys-inspired rock 'n' roll. It's hip, groovy and decidedly retro.

Cults Talk Noise Canceling Headphones, Hiding In Closets at Lollapalooza (Video Interview)

By Lauren Tabak

August 5, 2011 9:30 PM

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Interview with Cults from Lollapalooza 2011 in which they discourage anyone from moving to New York, relate the joys of noise canceling headphones and the emphasize importance of scheduling time to do absolutely nothing.

Cults
Cults
Couple/duo Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin started Cults as a way to test out the playful experiments conducted in their NYU digs. Single "Go Outside," a soul-pop confection laced in glockenspiel, brought on blog buzz; roughly a year later came this, their full-length debut. Cults is shamelessly retro, fluttering between the reverb flush of The Raveonettes and the bittersweet effervescence of '60s girl groups. Follin's coos are alternately pining and distant, as the rhythms rock flirtatiously and the guitars jangle in a reverb haze that occasionally dips its toes in the Cali surf.

- Steph Benson

Lollapalooza 2011

By Rhapsody Editorial

July 22, 2011 10:57 AM

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As a heatwave descends upon the country, Team Rhapsody is ironing its Jantzen bathing suit in anticipation of the twentieth installment of Lollapalooza, August 5-7 in Chicago's Grant Park. If you can't make it, fear not: We shall be in attendance, interviewing artists, snapping photos, and reporting on the various shenanigans (looking at you, Ween). To help get everyone jazzed, we've compiled a taste of the 2011 lineup here, including headliners Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Muse, along with acts spinning booty-shaking sets at Perry's, like Girl Talk and Kid Cudi.

Click here to listen to the entire playlist:

Lollapalooza 2011

Coachella: Day Three Photos

By Rhapsody Editorial

April 18, 2011 11:01 AM

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Death From Above 1979

Continue reading Coachella: Day Three Photos.

Coachella Report: Day Three

By Justin Farrar

April 18, 2011 11:00 AM

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When it comes to adventures in music, you can do a lot worse than Coachella - a kaleidoscope of bands and fans spanning all manner of genres and scenes. Rhapsody sent its rock editor, Justin Farrar, out to the desert to get his take on the whole big mess. Dig his wrap-ups in this space from the past three days.

As Stephanie Benson, my intrepid editor here at Rhapsody, pointed out while covering Coachella last year, Sunday is all about haggard faces and genuine exhaustion. Driving in for the fest's final day (and by the way, check out Moritz von Oswald Trio's Horizontal Structures album—it's the perfect desert soundtrack), I pass a Mobile station just as a rainbow-infused chillwaver oh-so-slowly crawls out of her car, grabbing ahold of the gas nozzle and letting out one of the more extreme yawns in the history of human fatigue. It encapsulates the day perfectly.

Important to keep in mind: This exhaustion doesn't require good-times boozing, necessarily—the chief instigator isn't beer and liquor, but that blazing ball of radiation in the sky. Not to riff like your mother, but don't take the sun lightly out here in the desert. It will, without mercy, destroy you. Also, sunscreen: Apply it liberally and with regularity.

Now that I'm on the grounds for the day, I'm busy knocking back not one, but two açaí smoothies. That's because I have some tremendous sounds to take in, from hardcore badasses OFF! to the mighty Lighting Bolt. Then there's a trio of dubstep DJs—Joy Orbison, Kode9 and Ramadanman—over at the Oasis stage, which I haven't been back to since Friday. After all that, it will be time to get suburban and check in with the Strokes, before concluding with who else but the one and only Kanye West.

Time to kick OFF!

Continue reading Coachella Report: Day Three.

Coachella: Day Two Photos

By Rhapsody Editorial

April 17, 2011 11:05 AM

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Bright Eyes

Continue reading Coachella: Day Two Photos.

Coachella Report: Day Two

By Justin Farrar

April 17, 2011 11:00 AM

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When it comes to adventures in music, you can do a lot worse than Coachella - a kaleidoscope of bands and fans spanning all manner of genres and scenes. Rhapsody sent its rock editor, Justin Farrar, out to the desert to get his take on the whole big mess. Dig his wrap-ups in this space over the next three days.

Saturday at Coachella: before digging into the jams, we need to address two of the festival's most potent demons: heat and traffic. The former is worse today, a blistering 98 degrees. Yowsa. The latter is, however, less intense. Yesterday, cars were backed-up to Jefferson Street, which isn't anywhere near the festival grounds, in all honesty. If I were a Coachella veteran, then I'd tell every newbie seeking my highly prized wisdom to utilize one of the many shuttle services. Or even better: rent a bicycle. Then again, there is one upside to driving, and that's getting to park in the outer lots. From there, the path to the grounds leads attendees through the all too colorful car-camping grounds.

For the anthropologist in all of us, these campsites -- the totality of which can rightly be called a modern day Bartertown for 24-hour party people -- contain a motley assortment of sub-cultural tribes that offer quality observation along the way: beefcakes with leathery pecs boozing and whooping at the scantily clad pop tarts passing by, indie kids dressed as neon Native Americans knocking back Jell-O shots, classic Deadheads just chillin', punks standing around looking bored and Burning Man types flying pirate flags while maintaining snazzy encampments laced in all manner of disco lighting. The car-camping grounds are also home to its own bundle of food stands and oddball activities, including a makeshift roller-derby rink, what looks like a space designed for bicycle jousting and a tiny stage for impromptu jam sessions.

Continue reading Coachella Report: Day Two.

Coachella: Day One Photos

By Rhapsody Editorial

April 16, 2011 1:52 PM

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Robyn

Continue reading Coachella: Day One Photos.

Coachella Report: Day One

By Justin Farrar

April 16, 2011 11:00 AM

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When it comes to adventures in music, you can do a lot worse than Coachella - a kaleidoscope of bands and fans spanning all manner of genres and scenes. Rhapsody sent its rock editor, Justin Farrar, out to the desert to get his take on the whole big mess. Dig his wrap-ups in this space over the next three days.

Though I don't step foot on the festival grounds -- an obscenely picturesque nexus of severe desert landscape and artificially verdant oasis -- until early Friday afternoon, my Coachella 2011 experience commences the evening prior, over 2,000 miles due east. To be specific: gate B27, in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

While waiting for a direct flight to Ontario International Airport, the closet hub to the festival, about 5 hours west, I overhear the C-word over a half a dozen times. The plane, as it turns out, is littered with college kids and young folk all gearing up for a killer weekend of music, sun, fun and sundry activities too risqué to itemize here. I end up sitting next to two Coachella kids: Raj, a student at Georgia Tech studying aerospace engineering, and a girl sporting a Jason Mraz straw fedora, whose name now escapes me, sadly. We don’t talk much; everybody rocks little white ear buds for the most part. But near flight's end the ice is broken, and we rap about whom we want to see perform, how many times they’ve gone to Coachella (several) and what's the best approach to lodging, hotel or camping. When asked whom she is excited to catch the young lady replies like a true teenie bopper, “Um, The Strokes and Arcade Fire and… um… I can’t think of anybody else right now.” Raj, who is from The OC (his three-day pass was a birthday gift from mom and dad), answers without hesitation: English indie-folkies Mumford & Sons and German electro-dude Boys Noize, whose 2008 mix Bugged Out! Presents Suck My Deck serves as his soundtrack while studying for a test on Monday (Raj will hop on the red eye back to The ATL Sunday night).

The sense of pilgrimage I feel during the flight carries over to the drive into the California desert. Already, Interstate 10 is packed with cars rocketing toward the festival, making their way past giant wind turbines and an absurd number of identical Stevie Nicks billboards promoting her upcoming appearance at the nearby Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio. Some of these cars contain four, even five, bobbing heads; others are tattooed in raw neon graffiti: "The Strokes Rock," "Carpoolchella" and my personal favorite, "Indie Rock Rocks!"

On to the festival, boys and girls…

Continue reading Coachella Report: Day One.

Coachella Playlist

By Rhapsody Editorial

April 13, 2011 9:50 AM

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Coachella 2011 sold out in record time. If you weren't quick enough (or rich enough) to snatch tickets, here's your next best thing -- a playlist featuring nearly every act (that would be over 160 of 'em), including headliners Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Kanye West and The Strokes. Dig in further and you'll get a lot of great electronic artists, up-and-coming indie rockers, and even reunited bands like Death From Above 1979, The London Suede and Big Audio Dynamite. So, kick back, press Play and enjoy your own little Coachella.

My Coachella 2011 Prep List

By Justin Farrar

April 12, 2011 10:53 AM

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For the uninitiated, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a sprawling, three-day musical festival held in California's Inland Empire, not far from the mythical Palm Springs. It's a uniquely Californian event: a blend of hip modern music, green culture and, as scholar Erik Davis would put it, "creative hedonism" — all-night party camping, neon hula hoops, sweaty drum circles, freaky light installations, dreadlocks, etc.

Imagine a massive soirée merging the original Lollapalooza (say 1991 to '94), Burning Man and a "Jerry Brown for Governor" rally circa 1973, and you're not far off.

The thing about Coachella is that you have to prepare for both the jams and the weather. Remember, this is a desert we're talking about. Shifts in temperature are extreme, as is that flaming ball of radiation in the sky. Because of these intense peculiarities, the average Coachella prep list is one schizophrenic creature, a mess of bullet points covering everything from sunblock and nutritional reminders to wardrobe necessities to must-see bands and on-the-fence alternates.

To get an idea of what I'm yapping about, here is mine, along with some helpful notes.

Continue reading My Coachella 2011 Prep List.

Austin 2011 Interview: Black Lips

By Lauren Tabak

March 22, 2011 3:56 PM

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Jared Swilley and Joe Bradley of Black Lips came by the Rhapsody lounge to chat with us about disappearing exclamation marks, their love of the Braves and their forthcoming album Arabia Mountain.

Austin 2011 Interview: Fitz and the Tantrums

By Lauren Tabak

March 22, 2011 3:41 PM

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Fitz and Noelle of Fitz and the Tantrums came by the Rhapsody lounge to chat with us about the joys of SXSW, home cooked meals, serendipitous tattoo sessions and what it's like to hang out with Daryl Hall.

Austin 2011 Interview: The Airborne Toxic Event

By Lauren Tabak

March 22, 2011 3:31 PM

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The Airborne Toxic Event came by the Rhapsody lounge down in Austin to chat about the new album All At Once, channeling the "Prince vibe" and winning SXSW algebra equations.

Austin 2011 Interview: Gayngs

By Lauren Tabak

March 21, 2011 2:12 PM

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Gayngs founder Ryan Olson came by the interview lounge (after what appeared to be a very long night) to chat with us about his group of 23 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, P.O.S. and Michael Lewis of Andrew Bird.

Austin 2011 Interview: Ximena Sariñana

By Lauren Tabak

March 21, 2011 2:01 PM

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Grammy nominated musician and actor Ximena Sariñana came by the interview lounge to chat with us about her experience at SXSW, growing up in the industry and some interesting collaborations.

Austin 2011 Interview: OFF!

By Lauren Tabak

March 21, 2011 1:48 PM

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Steven McDonald (Redd Kross) came by the interview lounge to chat about his new project OFF! with Keith Morris (Black Flag and Circle Jerks).

Austin 2011 Interview: Low

By Lauren Tabak

March 20, 2011 11:52 PM

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Alan Sparhawk of Low came by the interview lounge for a talk with Rhapsody. Hear what he has to say about the festival, making it in the music industry and the vision behind Low.

Austin 2011 Interview: Deep Dark Robot

By Lauren Tabak

March 20, 2011 10:40 PM

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Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes) and Tony Tornay of Deep Dark Robot came by to chat with Rhapsody about playing SXSW and their new record 8 Songs About A Girl.

Austin 2011 Interview: Duran Duran

By Lauren Tabak

March 20, 2011 10:34 AM

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Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor of Duran Duran came by to chat with Rhapsody about their new record All You Need Is Now, past records and their recent win during Fashion Week in Milan.

Austin 2011 Interview: Noah and the Whale

By Lauren Tabak

March 19, 2011 10:31 AM

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Charlie Fink and Tom Hobden of Noah and the Whale came by the interview lounge to talk about their new record Last Night on Earth, to share bands they discovered at SXSW and to speculate on the new British Invasion.

Austin 2011 Interview: J Mascis

By Lauren Tabak

March 18, 2011 8:15 AM

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J Mascis of J Mascis and the Fog, Dinosaur Jr., Sweet Apple and Witch came by the interview lounge to talk about his new album, career landmarks and an abundance of side projects.

Austin 2011 Interview: A Place To Bury Strangers

By Lauren Tabak

March 17, 2011 3:18 PM

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A Place to Bury Strangers stopped by our interview lounge to talk about their experiences in Austin, new music and what they were listening to back in high school.

Austin 2011 Interview: Ellie Goulding

By Lauren Tabak

March 17, 2011 2:38 PM

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Ellie Goulding stopped by to talk about her new album Lights , the difference between US and UK press and something called "hitting the wall".

Austin 2011 Interview: James Blake

By Lauren Tabak

March 17, 2011 7:24 AM

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James Blake dropped by our interview lounge on the way to his first SXSW show to chat about American geography, whatever it is that dubstep is, and Hollywood sound effects.

Austin 2011 Interview: Moby

By Lauren Tabak

March 16, 2011 2:44 PM

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Moby joined us in the artist lounge to talk about his upcoming album Destroyed, his love of photography and that there's more to a vegan BBQ than just tofu.

Austin 2011 Interview: Revolver

By Lauren Tabak

March 16, 2011 1:20 PM

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French trio Revolver dropped by our interview lounge down in Austin. See what they have to say about making music and their first time at SXSW.

Austin in March: 11 to See in '11

By Rhapsody Editorial

March 9, 2011 1:25 PM

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Austin turns into a live music behemoth (more so than it already is) every March with the advent of SXSW, which starts at the end of this week. We've sifted through a seemingly endless list of performers who are set to hit the Live Music Capital of the World to present you with 11 we're most excited about.

Oh Land
Oh Land
This darling Dane will be releasing her self-titled debut while in Austin, on March 15. Nanna Oland Fabricius (see, it's just easier to call her by her middle name) is quite the multitalent, writing, singing and playing nearly every instrument on her electro-pop debut. She was signed at SXSW in 2009 and has recently been getting much buzz with single "Sun of a Gun." Expect a lot of sass and a lot of fun from this exciting newcomer. Recommended for fans of Goldfrapp, Florence & the Machine, Sia and Lykke Li. — Stephanie Benson

Continue reading Austin in March: 11 to See in '11.

Hot Acts Hittin' Austin, March 2011

By Stephanie Benson

February 28, 2011 10:07 PM

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A large contingent of the music industry lands in Austin, Tex., every March. Hundreds upon hundreds of hopeful artists stand side-by-side with some of the biggest buzz bands and headliners in indie, rock, hip-hop and electronic. We spotlight just a few of the performers set to hit the “Live Music Capital of the World” in 2011 with the playlist below. Hear newcomers like Cults and Yuck alongside vets like Bright Eyes and Queens of the Stone Age.

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