Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Hey Champ, Hockey, Manchester Orchestra, Other Lives, The Henry Clay People, The Knux, Zap Mama

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS
True bluesmen all have nicknames. When selecting his, Black Joe Lewis went for something simple to help characterize the simple chord architecture and message of the blues genre. Yet beneath the simple name lies a complex meathook sound that digs into your guts and demands attention. These Texas blueshounds will kick you in the balls, smash bottles over your head and keep you stomping and crying throughout their set. (Friday, 1-2, Vitaminwater Stage) –text: Benjamin Smithson

HEY CHAMP
Claiming to be the “third-best thing” ever to come out of Rockford, Ill., Hey Champ sells itself short. The trio creates savvy electro/indie music that caused established artists like Lupe Fiasco to take note. After hearing their song “Cold Dust Girl,” he called them up asking them to become his opening act — and this month Fiasco’s 1st & 15th label releases their debut album. Hey Champ’s contagious beats will turn Grant Park into a daytime dance party. (Friday, 12:15-1, Chicago 2016 Stage) –text: Jen Fischer

HOCKEY
If you catch only one new band at this year’s Lolla, make it Hockey. Their high-energy kaleidoscopic sound is reason enough to bee-line to Grant Park and start the party early. Fun and infectious, you can count on Hockey for a killer Friday afternoon festival kickoff. Combining upbeat punk, synth-pop and new wave elements with smatterings of funky soul, they unleash a robust sound that should release endorphins stronger than any Canadian ice sport. (Friday, 11:30-12:15, PlayStation Stage) –text: Jen Fischer–photo: Pete Murray

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
Andy Hull’s small-town upbringing in Georgia’s Bible belt suited him so poorly that the Atlanta suburbanite ended up naming his band after a city 4,000 miles away — releasing five EPs and three LPs in the span of five years. By the time this year’s Mean Everything to Nothing was released, the young indie songwriter had grown from a post-high school malcontent to a grizzled frontman with the lyrical chops to match his band’s psychedelic, folksy spirit. (Friday, 12:15-1, Budweiser Stage) –text: Derek Wright

OTHER LIVES
The music of indie folk band Other Lives is like the soundtrack to an emotional movie whose foundation is built on beautiful melodies and strong lead vocals. It would seem to make sense then that the lead single from their 2009 self-titled debut was featured on a recent episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Crossing the edges of two diametrically opposed spectrums, lead singer Jesse Tabish sounds like Thom Yorke but looks like the lead singer from The Spin Doctors. (Friday, 12-12:30, Citi Stage) –text: Elizabeth Aguirre

THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE
You would think The Henry Clay People were a joke if they didn’t sound so damn good. The band claims influences such as The Who and T.-Rex and, as a result, California’s The Henry Clay People exhibit a deliberate anti-sophistication. The crunch of power chords, the simple thrashed rhythms, the soccer-hooligan chorus anthems and the sheer loudness of it all…this is rock and roll down to its grit. (Friday, 11:30-12:15, Vitaminwater Stage) –text: Caroline Evans

THE KNUX
Composed of real-life brothers Alvin and Kentrell “Krispy Kream” Lindsey, The Knux are an alternative hip-hop duo who endured baptism by fire due to Hurricane Katrina. As Krispy describes it, his family “lost everything, our whole apartment building burned to the ground.” Out of the ashes came the songs from their debut, Remind Me In 3 Days. Known for live instrumentation and DJ beats, The Knux should take Lollapalooza by storm. (Friday, 1-1:45, Citi Stage) –text: Tim Slowikowski

ZAP MAMA
Belgium’s Zap Mama play a heady mix of R&B, hip-hop and world music with deep African roots. Born to an African mother and French-speaking white father, lead singer Marie Daulne has made bridging the gap between European and African cultures her life’s mission since the band’s first release in 1991. In May of this year, Zap Mama released their eighth studio album entitled ReCreation. They might just be the best band to come out of Belgium since…well…ever. (Friday, 1-2, PlayStation Stage) –text: Mike Scales

Duffy, Electric Touch, The Kills, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Louis XIV

DUFFY
For those who’ve been alienated by Amy Winehouse’s recent direction into crack hobodom, the more wholesome likes of Welsh singer/songwriter Duffy may help soothe any symptoms of neo-soul withdrawal. While some have accused Duffy — a 24-year-old who got her start singing in the jazz clubs near the University of Chester in England — of sounding like Winehouse as part of a business plan, others have praised her sophisticated blend of country and soul (though Dusty Springfield, who Duffy vaguely resembles, unquestionably got there first). In listening to songs from her debut, Rockferry, one can’t help but think that there’s a little from column A and a little from column B. The supposed next Bond songstress certainly can sing — songs like “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue” confirm that. But there’s also a strong sense of deja vu here. Either way, if Duffy has the same performing chops as Wino, expect lots of joyous dancing in Grant Park. (Friday, 3:15-4:15, PlayStation Stage) –text: Jon Graef–photo: Max Dodson

ELECTRIC TOUCH
Combine English pop with Texas indie and you’re left with something close to Electric Touch. The hook-heavy, guitar-driven and dance-friendly music from members of the former English band IV Thieves and Houston-based Bojones should at least pair better than a T-bone steak and English breakfast tea. Yes, the Brits and Texans are finally making beautiful music together…as long as the topic of “football” doesn’t come up. (Friday, 2:45-3:30, BMI Stage) –text: Billy Kenefick–photo: Bryan Davis

THE KILLS
It’s no easy task lumping a band like The Kills in with standard garage rock, male/female duos, or any short-cut description. Whereas comparable bands cause a brief, angst-fueled spectacle, Kills albums pump like a slow-rolling train. The music is catchy without really trying to be, poking deeper into your consciousness than standard pop or blues-rock songs. Rather than a fancy guitar lick or wrought melody, their songs rely heavily on a gut feeling that can’t necessarily be pinned down. VV (born Alison Mosshart in the U.S.) usually takes on vocals with a sassy swagger while Hotel (born Jamie Hince in the U.K.) humbly provides a near-spoken backline. This is the stuff that breeds a die-hard, brass-knuckled fan base — a rare thing in a decade of fleeting hype and unfulfilled promises. For The Kills, it seems that music is life: a life of irreverence, art and brash cool. (Friday, 3:15-4:15, MySpace Stage) –text: Nick Meador

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS
In Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears’ song, “Bitch, I Love You”, Joe (sounding much older than his 26 years) shouts and curses about loving a woman, not knowing why, and wanting to kill her. If that ain’t blues, then blues don’t exist. This onetime oyster-shucker from Austin, sick of “eating shit every night”, threw a blues band together — a volatile blend of the old and new. (Friday, 4:00-4:45, BMI Stage) –text: Benjamin Smithson

LOUIS XIV
Parents, don’t let your baby girls grow up to be Louis XIV fans. Actually, by the time they mature into adult womenhood, the glam-rock California foursome probably won’t be interested anymore. Nope, these guys like easy women, partying, and partying with easy women. In case it’s still not clear: Louis XIV likes to fuck. A lot. So much so that they have filled a couple albums with such lyrical gems as: “Wind you up and make you crawl to me / Tie you up and make me call to me” or “Ah bang a gong or get it on / We don’t need to take off our clothes to get it on / Pull your skirt up a little bit / Pull down your top and show me a little tit.” Classy stuff. Since Lollapalooza is a festival with as many auxiliary tents as bands, perhaps one is giving away free herpes shots after their set. (Friday, 3:15-4:00, Citi Stage) –text: Derek Wright