MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA: Named after the English city of Manchester even though they hail from Atlanta, Manchester Orchestra manages to affect all of your senses at once. Vocalist Andy Hull along with lead guitarist Robert McDowell, keyboardist Chris Freeman, bassist Jonathan Corley and drummer Jeremiah Edmond released their first EP in 2004. After 2005’s EP, the band changed their musical direction. Their new sound was featured on their first studio album, released in 2006.
The success of the LP led to their signing with record label Canvasback. Since then, they have gone on to release three more full-length albums. Over the course of 10 years, some members have come and gone – with Edmond leaving in 2010 and Corley departing just last year – yet the band remains diligent. They recruited Tim Very and Andy Price to fill the empty slots and continued marching forward.
Their new album is a further development of their well-crafted sound. Tracks like “Top Notch” and “Choose You” feature mind blowing heavy guitars with Hull’s vocals tweaked and stretched to the point of breaking. Some of the folk elements are toned down and replaced with a more hard rock sound like the one found on “Girl Harbor.”
But tracks like “Indentions” show that they haven’t forgotten their roots. With their upcoming Chicago show already sold out, the band is gearing up to hit the Lollapalooza stage once again this summer. They made their first Lolla debut back in 2009. Though all eyes will be on the big name headliners, Manchester Orchestra is sure to be one of the best and most underrated acts at this year’s festival.
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PARQUET COURTS: Since its birth in the late ’70s, punk rock has gone through several iterations straying away from the hard, fast, incoherent style that first made it popular. Parquet Courts is here to bring back the roots of punk and remind people why it shook up the world. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the band consists of vocalist Andrew Savage, guitarist Austin Brown, bassist Sean Yeaton and drummer Max Savage, who connected through their love of punk rock and formed in late 2010. With their quick wit lyrics, unintelligible vocals, brash guitar riffs and fast tempo, Parquet Courts soon attracted the attention of the media, including Rolling Stone, who named them a band to watch in 2011. They kept up the old school vibe by releasing their debut album “American Specialties” on a limited cassette. They released a full-length album “Light Up Gold” the following year via What’s Your Rapture? records.
This release was met with critical acclaim both by the underground scene and the mainstream press, scoring an 84/100 on Metacritic. They kept things moving in 2013 with the release of the EP Tally All the Things That You Broke, and will release their third studio album Sunbathing Animal this summer. Their albums may sound great, but their live shows are even better. Full of energy, charisma, electric playing and a drive that gets the audience pumped up, their live set is nothing but a good time.
While fans eagerly wait for their next album to drop this summer, they can catch the band on the road. Though they’ve been creating a buzz since their first release, this will be an especially exciting for the band as they make their Lollapalooza debut.
Punk rock fans will have at least one reason to be excited for the upcoming festival. With so many can’t-miss bands on the roster this year, Parquet Courts is one that you have to make sure you catch before they explode on the mainstream.
WARPAINT: With a name that makes you think of violence and chaos, these ladies are the complete opposite – presenting slow, beautiful, melodic tunes. Sounding like something out of a trippy dream, Warpaint formed in 2004 and features vocalist Emily Kokal, guitarist Theresa Wayman, bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg and drummer Stella Mozgawa. Before the release of their successful 2010 debut , they released several EPs, including the acclaimed “Exquisite Corpse,” which was mixed and mastered by Red Hot Chili Peppers alum John Frusciante.
To further establish their connection with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Josh Klinghoffer, the RHCP’s current guitarist, originally played with Warpaint. One of the songs from the EP, “Elephants,” became a smash hit and got them media attention. This helped them get signed to Rough Trade Records in 2009. The music Warpaint makes sounds like it was made for the 60s generation.
Psychedelic vibes, progressive rock influences and post-punk tendencies make up their engaging sound. Songs like the aforementioned “Elephants” and “Shadows” are made for those who want to spin and dance in the rain during the Coachella festival. The vast, dream-like worlds they create with tracks like “Stars” are easy to get lost in as if they were made for daydreaming.
These ladies create sounds like they’re casting you under their spell with hypnotic vocals and mellow guitar riffs, similar to the ones found on their relaxing single “Undertow.” Kokal’s crooning at the beginning of “Love is to Die” is sure to put you in a trance, while the steady drumming and the intricate guitars will take you to another dimension.
After a few listens, you convince yourself Warpaint is a group of sirens – their music is alluring, dreamy and leaves you in a drunken state. Sometimes their music is complex and intricate, while other times it seems simple and beautiful, but that’s part of what makes these ladies stand out from the crowd.