Friday, 11:15-1:15

These United States, The Ettes, Javelin, Foxy Shazam, Wavves, Balkan Beat Box, BBU, and B.o.B. will be performing at Lollapalooza 2010 between the hours of 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. on Friday, August 6.

THESE UNITED STATES
These United States got together in 2006 and have held strong ever since, releasing four solid albums in less than four years. This D.C./Kentucky indie folk/psych rock band is famous for their mix of fast-paced lyrics and catchy beats that make you want to sway and bounce simultaneously. Needless to say, they are a band to be experienced live as well as through headphones. (Friday, 11:15-12, BMI Stage) –text: Mary Scannell–photo: Sarah Law

THE ETTES
Drawing comparisons to Sleater-Kinney and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Ettes have mastered their beat-punk, garage rock sound. The fuzz-pedal power foursome craft Converse-stomping songs for the iPod generation. Vocalist/guitarist Lindsay “Coco” Hames shakes hell with her country-coated vocals and her determination to choke every last noise from her guitar. Drummer Maria “Poni” Silver, bassist Jeremy “Jem” Cohen, and guitarist Johnny “Shoulders” Cauffiel accentuate Hames’ energy by creating a raucous wall of entrancing sound. (Friday, 12:30-1:15, BMI Stage) –text: Jason Pete–photo: Jewely Bennett

JAVELIN
Javelin is an electronic duo from Brooklyn that brings their house party feel with them. They create their own tracks instead of digitizing them with computers like others in the genre. That means you can expect a chill dose of creativity and a fresh take on soulful beats. Their latest creation “No Mas” shows they aren’t in danger of sounding too “clubby” — and you’ll have more fun at their house party than at a club anyways. (Friday, 11:30-12:15, PlayStation Stage) –text: Steven Jaynes–photo: Chrissy Abbott

FOXY SHAZAM
If frontman Eric Nally’s mustache and skin-tight pants don’t immediately grab your attention, Foxy Shazam’s brazen mix of glam-rock and post-hardcore weirdness will. Their 2010 self-titled release sounds like Freddie Mercury, Meat Loaf and The Blood Brothers got into a cagematch and the jury’s still out on who won. Still fighting to score that breakthrough tune that puts them into the mainstream, Foxy’s flamboyant live show is truly a spectacle to be seen. (Friday, 12-12:30, Sony Bloggie Stage) –text: Dan Strobel–photo: myspace.com/tfoiles

WAVVES
Remember when your parents asked you to take out the trash and you were like “fuck you mom and dad!” and then you skateboarded to your friend’s house where you smoked a joint and practiced landing kickflips in the driveway? Well, on his newest release King of the Beach, Wavves frontman Nathan Williams cleans up some of the trash of his signature blown-speaker sound — but leaves a messy masterpiece of California pop-punk in its place. (Friday, 12:15-1, Budweiser Stage) –text: Theodore Appert

BALKAN BEAT BOX
What do you get when you cross klezmer clarinetist/saxophonist Ori Kaplan with ex-Gogol Bordello drummer/producer Tamir Muskat? Throw in MC Tomer Yosef, and Balkan Beat Box is born — an amalgamation of traditional world music layered over a hip-hop and dancehall base in the hopes of uniting the citizens of the world. For their live shows, the Tel Aviv and NYC-based trio is joined by a host of live musicians, including a full-on horn section. (Friday, 12:15-1, Parkways Foundation Stage) –text: Ariel Sundel

BBU
As Chicago hip-hop (and hip-hop in general) continues to redefine itself, local trio BBU (Bin Laden Blowin’ Up) authenticates itself with the notion of a controversy/party. A relatively new outfit, BBU exploded from the underground hip-hop scene last year with their hit “Chi Don’t Dance”. Over the years, it’s become a difficult trick to pull off conscious verses and make people dance at the same time. This group makes it look easy. (Friday, 12:30-1:15, Perry’s) –text: John-Franklin Dandridge–photo: Allison Glenn

B.o.B.
Bobbie Ray Simmons isn’t your average 19-year-old. Already a successful rapper and rising star, he’s fulfilling a dream that he’s had since he was a kid. He used to fill notebooks with lyrics to try to keep up with his genre’s predecessors, and now it’s paid off. His album The Adventures of Bobby Ray is a compilation of fresh beats, powerful lyrics and so many diverse guest artists that you might being to wonder what kind of music he makes. (Friday, 11:30-12:15, Adidas Mega Stage) –text: Mary Scannell

Wavves

I brushed my teeth with piss accidentally in Sacramento last U.S. tour. The story isn’t as interesting as it seems, but the anecdote is at least amusing.

story by Garin Pirnia
photo by Melissa Stetten

Southern California one-man band Wavves is fronted by mercurial early twenty-something Nathan Williams. Since the release of his venerable self-titled lo-fi/garage rock record (comprised of infectious songs like “So Bored” and “No Hope Kids”), he’s experienced quite the roller coaster ride. As quickly as Wavves rose to premium buzz band status earlier this year, the backlash set in. Those who read any sort of music journalism probably already know about his recently misfired Barcelona appearance, resulting in the band canceling their European tour this summer. The bad luck kept coming for Wavves when, right before his Pitchfork Music Festival appearance this July, Williams broke his wrist during a skateboard accident.

Williams previously collaborated with drummer Ryan Ulsh as Wavves, but these days Williams is working with Hella drummer Zach Hill — and two of their new songs have already leaked over the internet. Some critics might dismiss Wavves as just another flash in the pan, but Williams does have the ardor, the spirit, and the talent to keep this whole Wavves thing going for quite some time — as long as he stays out of trouble…

Chicago Innerview: How’s the wrist healing?
Nathan Williams: My wrist is fucked up.

Chicago Innerview: Do you prefer to play festivals or smaller clubs?
Nathan Williams: Smaller venues. The only reason bands play festivals is for money — and anyone who tells you different is a liar.

CI: Lo-fi music is really hot right now with Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs and No Age. Are you friends with all of these guys? And is there a competitive nature amongst the bands?
NW: No, I’m friends with all of the aforementioned people/groups. There is a rivalry or a competitive nature with some people, but I just try and ignore it and do my thing. I’m not running a race here. I’m just trying to have fun and record good records.

CI: What are your audiences like? Has anyone done anything or gone completely crazy?
NW: I got heckled by some 35 year-old gremlin who looked like he just huffed a bunch of paint at a show I played in Portland. It was pretty grim. He was talking about how I signed a deal with Pepsi or something. Yeah right pal, I wish.

CI: How influential is living in San Diego on your music?
NW: It all coincides with the songs, as they are all about personally growing up or whatever…Southern California, especially, has vibes on most of my material.

CI: Do you feel a lot of pressure to live up to all the hype surrounding the band?
NW: Yeah, sometimes. Other times I just say ‘fuck it’, but I can’t pretend I don’t know what’s going on around me.

CI: How are you dealing with this newfound fame?
NW: I wouldn’t say ‘newfound fame’…I’m still just some dude.

CI: Any funny anecdotes that you’d like to share?
NW: I brushed my teeth with piss accidentally in Sacramento last U.S. tour. The story isn’t as interesting as it seems, but the anecdote is at least amusing.

Wavves :: at The Chopin Theater for the early show and at The Empty Bottle for the late show :: September 20.

Doom, Lindstrøm, Wavves, Yeasayer

DOOM
Daniel Dumile (a.k.a. DOOM) might be underground hip-hop’s most recognizable, as well as reclusive, figure. The artist formerly known as MF Doom ended his 3-year hiatus from public life with the release of 2009’s Born Like This, a record warmly greeted by anxious fans and critics alike. Since 2003 DOOM has amassed a widespread cult fanbase keen on his meditated cadence, clever wordplay, and comic book-inspired characters (the inspiration for Dumile’s stage name being Dr. Doom). Though DOOM produced and MC’d two excellent albums under the aliases Viktor Vaughn and King Geedorah, his best work was yet to come. 2004’s Madvillainy, a collaboration with production virtuoso Madlib, is widely considered a modern classic. His work with Danger Mouse drew similar responses, cementing DOOM’s status as a pioneer of 21st century hip-hop. While you may never see his face unobstructed by the ubiquitous mask he wears during concerts, Dumile stands tall as indie hip-hop’s illest villain of them all. (Saturday, 6:15-7:25, Aluminum Stage) –text: Matthew Partington

LINDSTRØM
If you like your electronic music spacey and groovy, look no further than Norwegian dance-master Hans-Peter Lindstrøm. Best known for his collaboration with fellow Norwegian DJ Prins Thomas, Lindstrøm keeps his grooves funky and his beats compelling. Lindstrøm has a passion for intelligent and interesting dance music, so prepare for your mind as well as your feet to be challenged. His minimal sound makes his music equally listenable at home or in a club (or at a festival, in this case). His second studio album Where You Go I Go To was released in 2008 to critical acclaim, mixing dizzying synth with sharp guitar breaks. Don’t trust critical acclaim? Trust the Spellemannprisen, an award for Norwegian artists that Lindstrøm has earned for two consecutive years in 2007 and 2008. (Saturday, 6:30-7:30, Balance Stage) –text: Justine Reisinger

WAVVES
According to Wavves lead singer Nathan Williams, “Mixing Ecstasy, Valium and Xanax before having to play in front of thousands of people was one of the more poor decisions I’ve made.” This is the way things have been going as of late for San Diego lo-fi act Wavves, who recently had to cancel their European tour after a disastrous on-stage meltdown in Spain. As a result, their date with Pitchfork has been injected with a heavy dose of suspense — not that they need it. Wavves had already been making quite enough noise on their own with their raw brand of two-man rock, relentless touring schedule, and two album releases within one year. A break was clearly needed. Is this a classic rock and roll burnout or just a speed bump on the way to better things? As usual, the trick is in the rebound. Or, as Williams concludes, “You live and you learn.” (Saturday, 5:30-6:30, Balance Stage) –text: Tim Slowikowski

YEASAYER
Two years since the release of All Hour Cymbals, the psychedelic global-leaning soundscapes that populate Yeasayer’s debut LP remain as expansive as they were upon first listen. The 11 songs play out like spacey treks through fantasy regions of the globe where Middle Eastern beats fuse seamlessly with Westernized pop, Latin rhythms align sonically with wall-of-sound production and 47 minutes of self-styled experimentation serve as the soundtrack to the world’s bazaar. (Or bizarre, for that matter.) Yet the breakthrough tunes from the Brooklyn quartet are not just a global buffet, they’re a representation of Yeasayer’s America. Genuinely New York — from the hurried tempos to the haphazard-yet-calculated structures to the melting pot eclecticism — the band’s first release wears its influences on its (album) sleeve. Having been immersed in recording their follow-up, vocalists Chris Keating, Anand Wilder and Co. are taking a break in order to embark upon a globetrotting tour before returning to the studio to finalize the sounds of their world in 2009. (Saturday, 5:15-6:15, Connector Stage) –text: Derek Wright–photo: Jason Frank Rothenberg