Tag: Pitchfork

Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: NE-HI

Chicago’s NE-HI formed to score a friend’s film and ended up becoming indie rock darlings.  I’m guessing they took their name from the mostly forgotten brand of soda, but perhaps I’m wrong.  I do know that their catchy psychedelic rock hooks are good and I’m confident a lot of their hometown fans will be at their Pitchfork Music Festival set on July 16th to cheer them.

Keep your mind open.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Kilo Kish

Singer, songwriter, painter, visual artist, and textile designer Kilo Kish will be playing an early set on July 16 at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival.  Ms. Kish has a neat vision of the world and witty lyrics that cut right to the heart of issues of gender, politics, art, race, and being a Millennial.  She’s intriguing.  That alone makes her set worth a look, as do her slick beats that blend trip hop with R&B.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: A Tribe Called Quest

Hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest are bringing their final tour to Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival on July 15th.  The impact of ATCQ on rap music is probably incalculable, and they were (and still are) a bright contrast to gangsta rap.  Don’t let that sentence confuse you, however.  ATCQ were (and still are) powerful voices for the causes of racial, gender-based, and economic equality, solutions for gang violence, and freedom of speech.

Founding member Phife Dawg died last year, so the band announced that this will be their last tour and the outstanding We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service will be their last album.  It’s sure to be a raucous set full of hip-hop favorites, power anthems, and political commentary.

Keep your mind open.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: P.J. Harvey

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, and sculptor P.J. Harvey will be playing Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival on July 15th.  Ms. Harvey is an alt-rock, feminist giant who has crafted complex songs she insists aren’t about her, but many suspect otherwise.  She is bold and beautiful, serious and sexy, charming and chaotic.  Her set will surely be packed and one of the highlights of the festival.

Keep your mind open.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic

I don’t know what I can write about George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic that hasn’t already been written.  The man is the godfather of funk and pretty much spearheaded a musical revolution in the 1970’s.  His bassist, Bootsy Collins, is one of the greatest of all time.  They’re responsible for more psychotronic freak-outs than you can imagine, not to mention a thousand beats and bass lines you’ve heard in ten thousand hip hop songs.  Their set on July 15th at the Pitchfork Music Festival is a can’t-miss show.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Madlib

DJ, producer, and rapper Madlib will be playing Saturday afternoon, July 15th, at the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival.  Madlib has collaborated with some of the best rappers and musicians in the world, including MF Doom, J Rocc, Talib Kweli, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and Kanye West.

His Madvillain album with MF Doom is a masterwork, and many cite his 2003 album Shades of Blue as another must-have record.  I’m sure his set will be jaw-dropping.

Keep your mind open.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: S U R V I V E

Electronic rock act S U R V I V E (who, for some unknown reason, tend to spell their name with a space between each letter) are best known for having some of the composers of the Stranger Things soundtrack as members.  They create atmospheric and sometimes creepy instrumentals that instantly remind you of John Carpenter movie scores.  I’m interested to see how a live performance sounds from them.  They play Saturday afternoon at the Pitchfork Music Festival.

Keep your mind open.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem shocked the world a bit when they announced they were done creating music a few years ago.  They shocked the world again by announcing not only new shows, but also a new upcoming album this year.  Among the new shows is a Friday night performance at the Pitchfork Music Festival.

I’ve wanted to see LCD Soundsystem for several years now.  Their blend of electro, new wave, straight-up rock grooves, and biting, satirical lyrics are a great combination.  I’ve been told by friends that they put on a great show, and even clips of them performing on late night talk shows are sharp.  It should be a packed house (or rather, park) for them on July 14th.

Keep your mind open.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Danny Brown

Detroit’s Danny Brown is a rapper, storyteller, and outsider artist.  His unique delivery immediately gets your attention.  It’s easy to dismiss him as a guy who mostly raps about drugs and drink, but you’ll find out he’s layered like an onion if you pay attention.  Many of his songs deal with his admitted drug addictions, the agony they put on him and his family, and the trappings of celebrity.  He is brutal in his honesty, which puts him far ahead of the pack.  Clips of his live sets look like crazy shows, and I’m sure his July 14th set at the Pitchfork Music Festival won’t disappoint.  I’d like to meet and thank him for his pure expression.  We don’t get enough of that in music nowadays.

Keep your mind open.

Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Thurston Moore Group

Thurston Moore doesn’t need much introduction.  The former lead singer and guitarist of Sonic Youth has influenced more bands and musicians than we can probably count and is a guitar hero to many (much to his chagrin, I’ve heard).  His new band puts out great “wall of sound” fuzz rock, and I’d hoped to catch them at Levitation Austin in 2016, but that was cancelled due to bad weather.  He’ll be performing at the Pitchfork Music Festival on July 14th, so it will be good to catch up with him.

Keep your mind open.