Virgin Festival Preview: Matt and Kim

Daniel’s Take: I saw Matt & Kim in April 2009 in a hallway at Goucher College. Now they’re going to be playing at Merriweather Post Pavilion. It’s going to be a far cry from that show which featured TheDeathSet and cost only $8 via a ticket lottery. Honestly, I just love Matt & Kim. Grand and the self-titled are so much fun to listen to and even more fun live. I’m not the biggest fan of “Cameras” and I feel like the new album (produced by Merriweather Post Pavilion producer Ben Allen) will be a bit of a let down. That being said, the songs will still rock live, even if the audience is full of a bunch of bros that only know “Daylight.” Matt & Kim are fun no matter what, and the duo makes sure the audience has fun.

Kevin’s Take: Never seen em before. Never really have actually listened to ’em either. I mean, I like “Daylight” and their other well known ones, but I’ve never gotten any of their music. I don’t have a reason for my ignorance, but I really just haven’t listened to them, or formed an opinion

Daniel’s Forecast: I want to see Matt & Kim, but if there is a major conflict, I won’t lose too much sleep skipping them because I’ve already seen them once and I’m pretty sure I’m seeing them again in Baltimore in October. But still, it would be so much fun to go see and a good time would be had by all.

Kevin’s Forecast: I have no reason to say no, but no reason to say yes. Like, if no one cool’s playing, then sure, I’ll see ’em

Virgin Festival Preview: Joan Jett

Daniel’s Take: So, uh, Joan Jett? I mean. Nah. Never. Probably not. We’ll hear her from a distance. But that’s all. Just no.

Kevin’s Take: It’s really not going to happen. I don’t have anything else to say.

Daniel’s Forecast: lol.

Kevin’s Forecast: Really, I mean it, not gonna happen.

Weekend Shows, Part Deux

This weekend is looking to shape up to be just as awesome as last weekends, just with less Future Islands and hopefully unchill crowds.

Virgin Festival Preview: M.I.A.

M.I.A.
Daniel’s Take: It really feels like that a lot is made about how M.I.A. conducts business and what she does to draw hype and express her opinions. Basically what it comes down to is that she does whatever she wants, and if you have a problem with it, that’s your problem. Not hers, not the government’s, it’s yours. M.I.A. is going to bring it to you however she feels like it. I’ll admit that I’m of the segment of the population that recognizes “Paper Planes” the most out of all her songs (although “Galang” is a close second). But the newer stuff that I’ve heard off of her album like “xxxo” and “Born Free” (ginger genocide aside) are all really great and fun dance songs.
Kevin’s Take: Now, M.I.A. has been causing all sorts of controversy for some time now, and while its no longer new, I feel like what she does is mostly just a publicity stunt. Not like she cares what I think anyway. But I enjoyed Arular and Kala quite a lot, so my thoughts really didn’t matter because she still put out good music. However, on her last album, she is trying to make too much of a statement. She’s like, trying to tell us the internet is bad with all of the shitty artwork, and the songs are just a jumbled cluster. Except “Born Free.” That might be from the Suicide sample though. Not sure.
Daniel’s Forecast: I’d be willing to say that I’ll be over where M.I.A. is playing for at least a little bit of her set. I feel like she is one of those artists that you need to see at least once just to see what she’s all about. Plus who knows what other crazy stuff she’ll come up with.
Kevin’s Forecast: I’m really indifferent towards seeing her. Its one of those “if she’s playing, I’ll go to see the crazy shit that goes on” sort of thing. Hopefully if I’m lucky, her doppelgangers will be there.

Virgin Festival Preview: Jimmy Eat World

Daniel’s Take: I’m one of those kids that always misses his phases growing up in different types of music. I missed my Arcade Fire stage, I missed my Broken Social Scene phase, and I missed my Sufjan Stevens phase. Jimmy Eat World, while more of a pop punk band than an indie band, is another band whose phase I missed. In middle school when my friends and I were all getting into music, some gravitated towards classic rock while others gravitated towards the pop punk of the day. One of the all time favorite bands for many of my friends at the time was indeed Jimmy Eat World, even though I’d barely done any listening.
I had my first experience with Jimmy Eat World in late 2008 when my friend told me he thought I’d like them and that I should listen to “The Middle.” I’ll admit it was catchy, but it just wasn’t my thing and it still isn’t. Pop punk just ends up sounding all the same to me so I tend to avoid it. It’s rather unfortunate because I’m sure I’ve missed out on some decent stuff, but the majority I’ve heard just isn’t that good. And I tend to lump Jimmy Eat World into that category.

Kevin’s Take: I mean, I guess I sort of enjoyed “The Middle” when it first came out, but I never really viewed Jimmy Eats world as anything special. I was the kid who went through all of those phases. Hell, I still go through phases. But to be honest, pop punk never appealed to me. Their voices seemed whiney. It seemed fake. Everything about it, sort of meh. I didn’t even really know they were a band that people got into, other then my friend having their shirt a long time ago. These are the sort of “wtf” moments about the Virgin Fest Setlist.

Daniel’s Forecast: Jimmy Eat World is another one of those bands that I’d see if there’s nothing else going on. It would be a pretty fun ’90s nostalgia trip, but it’s not something I want to dedicate a significant amount of energy to see. Jimmy Eat World seems like another mainstage act that will play a little later in the day and be a huge draw. But it probably won’t draw Fresh Heirs.

Kevin’s Forecast: What Daniel said essentially. Like, maybe if the Temper Trap are playing at the same time. Or Joan Jett. That’s about really all that could draw me to this.

-Daniel and Kevin

Virgin Festival Preview: The Temper Trap

The Temper Trap

Daniel’s Take: I hate to throw this term around too much, but The Temper Trap appears to be another band intended for the entry levels at FreeFest. I’ve tried and tried and tried and tried to listen to this band, but it never really does anything for me. There’s no identity. Sometimes it sounds like U2, but other times it sounds like Local Natives. The whole ambience behind the music makes every song feel like it’s supposed to be so dramatic which suggests Grizzly Bear. The only problem is that the band doesn’t makes elements coalesce very well at all. There’s just no identity with them.

Another problem I have with the band’s high billing on the lineup is the billing above bands like Pavement and LCD Soundsystem. The Temper Trap played Sasquatch and played at 1:55 in the afternoon on the main stage. Pavement and LCD had 8:30 and 7:00 slots on the main stage, respectively. This just doesn’t seem right to me. Plus, Pavement and LCD Soundsystem are better bands, by a long shot.

If you want to give The Temper Trap a try, check out the “Sweet Disposition” single. It’s supposed to be big in Australia.

Kevin’s Take: Not to beat a dead horse or anything here, But I really have absolutely no idea why they are headlining this festival. I mean, even from like, a fan of all music standpoint, you have Pavement and LCD Soundsystem for the indie kids (me), M.I.A. for the whoever likes M.I.A. fans, Ludacris and T.I. for the rap fans (also me). I really don’t understand this at all.

Daniel’s Forecast: My first reaction would be “LOL,” but I’d feel too unkind. The Temper Trap is one of the bands I want to see the least at Merriweather. If I was a betting man, I’d say that the band will be the last band to play on a secondary stage, based on the billing of the lineup. But if you’re going to be at FreeFest and want to see some Fresh Heirs, it’s not going to be at The Temper Trap.

Kevin’s Forecast: I really don’t like providing no new insight here, but Daniel pretty much has hit the nail on the head. The Temper Trap just aren’t good. There’s no other way to say it. Why am I still writing? I have no idea. Just don’t expect me to be seeing the Temper Trap. At all. Sorry for that.

-Daniel and Kevin

Virgin Festival Preview: Thievery Corporation

Thievery Corporation

Daniel’s Take: The trend with large festivals these days seems to be to put an electro/trance/trip-hop band as a headliner that brings a lot of attention and fanfare. Earlier this year at Sasquatch, Massive Attack filled that void. Thievery Corporation looks to do the same thing with it’s top billing on the Virgin Mobile FreeFest lineup graphics.

This isn’t my favorite type of music, but I don’t have a particular dislike for it either. It can be fun sometimes because it really is different from anything else. It possesses an internal intensity where you just can’t look away from or stop listening to what’s going on. Massive Attack had this covered at Sasquatch with an intense light show and set up. It got a little too political and commented a little too much on the current state of society, but it was fun to watch, despite the fact I was half-asleep and it was 11 o’clock at night.

Kevin’s Take: To be honest, I don’t care for Thievery Corporation at all. Its not that I don’t like the whole “electro/trance/trip-hop” scene, but I’ve always viewed Thievery Corporation as a watered down version of the genre. And really, I sort of like a lot of the scene. I would’ve enjoyed Massive Attack at Sasquatch, but as for Thievery Corporation, I feel like its just the Virgin Mobile Promoters trying to vye for the attention of whatever the “entry level alts” are of the scene.

Daniel’s Forecast: I did see Massive Attack at Sasquatch so I wouldn’t rule out seeing Thievery Corporation at FreeFest. A great amount of the music involves guests, so it will be interesting to see which guests show up and are used, plus the show is a bit of a homecoming for the DC-based duo. Based on the Merriweather set-up, I predict Thievery Corporation to play last on the main stage with a cool vibe to the set. Whether or not I see them remains up in the air. I might be too tired from rocking out to the other rad bands before Thievery Corporation. But if I’m there and the people I’m with are willing, I’ll check out Thievery Corporation.

Kevin’s Forecast: Well Dan, if you’re hanging with me, its not likely we’ll be seeing Thievery Corporation. If there’s no one else playing at the time, or someone whom I equally dislike, there’s quite the chance that I would see this band, just to see if anything exciting happens during it, but overall, not really looking forward to it.

–Daniel & Kevin