Pitchfork Music Festival 2007: Battles Unite And Conquer The Connector Stage

Day two brought the heaviness. Could be the warmer temps, or the hangover, but everything we craved on Saturday -- aggression, adrenaline, pulverizing energy -- came tidily wrapped up in Warp groove-mutants Battles and their alien, conceptual mindfuck maelstrom. For those having lived through a Helmet phase (guilty), seeing John Stanier bash his four-foot-high ride is a slice of beat-geek heaven. Blend that with Tyondai's extraterrestrial singalongs ("singing is fun ... oh-way-oh..."?), the quartet's shape-shifting tempo workouts, and their clockwork like plow through the excellent Mirrored and you have yourself a party. The only sad part of a Battles set is that all you want to do is dance ... but you look like a fool trying to move in seven. On the plus side, Battles don't. (Apparently metronomic mastery comes with the ability to make spastic, odd-timed body contortions look enviably cool.) Nerd rock for chops-lovers, with enough "heavy" and "melody" to keep your neophyte friends in the game. The first words of the set came with some Tyondai's apologies for technical difficulties (a theme on the day), but following a potential momentum-killer with one of the fest's truly special moments -- a killer "Atlas" -- was a set-saver. Close out the show with "Leyendecker" and "Race:In" and call it game, set, match -- Battles.

The band's got a free show coming up in NYC at the South Street Seaport Music Festival on 8/31 (with Deerhunter!). Pack your metronome and be there, take the jump for plenty more pics and MP3.

BATTLESWEAT

Battles - "Leyendecker" (MP3)

And watch the ever-awesome "Atlas" vid here.

Posted at 12:49 PM in Concert
Tags: Battles | Pitchfork Music Festival

12 Comments

seeing them at studio b.. hopefully they will bring it on!

Posted by: adrienne at 07/15/07 1:34 PM | Reply
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lame

Posted by: lame at 07/15/07 2:46 PM | Reply
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u going to Øya this year? Battles are playing:)

Posted by: T at 07/15/07 5:29 PM | Reply
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am I the only one that doesn't like battles?

Posted by: memo at 07/15/07 8:17 PM | Reply
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Awesome stuff. Cool grooves and atmospherics.

Posted by: jonsnow at 07/15/07 8:45 PM | Reply
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Meh, the kind of music made listenable only by a bunch of buzz and hype. Not that hearing Fujiya & Miyagi whisper on stage was much better. I think those in charge were a little too worried about sound bleeds at the fest.

Posted by: Tam at 07/15/07 11:15 PM | Reply
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no øya this year, sadly. the lineup is amazing though! we still have more US fests to hit, and besides, my back hurts ;) speaking of ... my camera bag broke yesterday! good thing i had *just* bought a bag at concession. it says "I Have Battles In My Life."

also, whomever's in chicago, let's meet up at the secret deerhunter/dan deacon show -- 217 wolcott (intersection of walnut). starts at midnight. should be scary.

Posted by: amrit at 07/15/07 11:48 PM | Reply
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I really appreciate that they all wear their guitars really high. Who needs carpal tunnel?

Posted by: Porkins at 07/16/07 8:51 AM | Reply
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The higher the strap the more math the rock.

Posted by: dannygutters at 07/16/07 4:17 PM | Reply
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Tam, you do realize this band existed and received quite a bit of praise before Pitchfork hyped them, right? Math Rock ftw.

Posted by: hypelol at 07/16/07 4:32 PM | Reply
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I was under the impression that the lyrics to that song were "cinder and smoke" not "singing is fun". But I don't really know.

Posted by: Thumb at 07/16/07 9:04 PM | Reply
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Real lyrics, straight from the band:

singer is a crook, whoa-ey-oh
singer is a crook, whoa-ey-oh
singer is a crook, whoa-ey-oh

kitchen is for cook, whoa-ey-oh
sissors at the barber, whoa-ey-oh

Posted by: Taylor at 07/17/07 12:02 AM | Reply
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