Aug 1st '12 by Liz Pelly @ 4:05pm 6 Comments

First Aid Kit -- Fri., noon Last weekend at Rhode Island's Newport Folk Festival, Swedish duo First Aid Kit won over the hearts of thousands, fitting in appropriately beside acts playing traditional American folk and roots tunes. Despite growing up across the Atlantic, Joanna and Klara Söderberg -- two sisters, only 18 and 20 years old -- grew up absorbing US '60s singers like Joan Baez, Buffy Sainte Marie, and Joni Mitchell. Most may remember them for a 2008 video of a Fleet Foxes cover that went viral on YouTube, depicting the girls in a forest, belting out their pristine version of "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." The success of that video was followed up by a bedroom-recorded LP, and more recently, their gorgeous sophomore album, The Lion's Roar, full of finger-picked acoustic ballads, lush harmonies, and dark lyrics inspired by Swedish folklore. It's no wonder Mike Mogis and Jack White have produced them and Conor Oberst is a frequent collaborator.
Yellow Ostrich -- Fri., 1:30 p.m. Since 2009, Alex Schaaf has made lo-fi pop under the moniker Yellow Ostrich -- first with a series of self-releases posted to Bandcamp, later in a studio to create his debut full-length, Strange Land. Released in March via Barsuk, each song plays out like a diary entry: "I don’t know if we’re still friends/I don’t know if you’re happy/but I will love you till the end/'cause I’ll still love  you badly," he sings on "I Want Yr Love." It's subtle, with carefully placed instrumentation by his backing band, layered and looped, introspective and idiosyncratic -- the sort of solo pop that shines through its oddities.Chief Keef -- Sat, 12:15 p.m. Earlier this month, during the final sets of Pitchfork Music Festival, Arabmuzik was impressing with his rapidfire MPC drumming and out-there live beats, when Chief Keef -- a 16-year-old Chicago rapper with a recent major-label deal -- made a surprise appearance on stage for two songs, bringing his massive crew with him: an undeniable highlight of the weekend. Keef is one of the biggest names in Chicago hip-hop at the moment, but has performed few hometown shows, so his Lolla set is definitely one to catch.Fidlar -- Sat, 1:00 p.m. This spring at SXSW, I saw Fidlar tear down the tail-end of WNYU's showcase in a makeshift show space -- the parking lot of Baby Blue Recording Studios in East Austin. Their set was attended by a group of dedicated super-fans who flailed around and screamed along to every word -- a solid indication of the sorts of rowdy shows these teen punks are known to put on. Fidlar hate rules, love parties.JEFF The Brotherhood -- Sat, 1:30pm JEFF the Brotherhood have been touring relentlessly for years, making a reputation for themselves as one of the best rock shows around. The Nashville brothers duo -- who also run their label, Infinity Cat, out of their hometown -- have been playing their garage rock jams since 2001, when they were still in high school. Before landing on mega-fests like Lolla, they spent years playing sweaty makeshift illegal show spots and basement ragers and self-booked tours with DIY purists like Screaming Females. Now on their seventh studio album -- and first for a major label -- they're touring this summer with Hypnotic Nights, produced by the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. It's their poppiest yet, but still full of head-banging garage rock: good-time anthems that are at once heavy and hooky.
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Lollapalooza takes over Chicago’s Grant Park this weekend, with a three-day line-up topped off by headliners like Black Sabbath and Jack White, plus highly anticipated sets by the likes of Frank Ocean and Passion Pit. Those come late each day, but there are plenty of reasons to get to the park as soon as gates open. Here are seven of them. These acts all go on before 2 p.m. So don’t oversleep!

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Comments (6)
  1. Robert Locke  |   Posted on Aug 1st, 2012 0

    Not sure why Tame Impala or thenewno2 arent mentioned…..but Im checking out Jeff The Brotherhood and First Aid Kit.

    Reply
  2. Kevin McCaul  |   Posted on Aug 1st, 2012 +1

    Polica are pretty fucking great. Agreed.

    Reply
  3. jerrybjtown  |   Posted on Aug 2nd, 2012 0

    Can’t wait to see Passion Pit especially after their long layoff. Clearly, Michael has been dealing with some issues (it’s even the focus of the “Constant Conversations” video: http://youtu.be/EBLuWKnKIn0). But, I mean these songs are so personal that I can’t wait to see how he performs them live.

    Reply

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