Roskilde Diary: Thursday [Brandon Stosuy]

Jens Lekman photo by Rune Johansen

Welcome to Day 2 of Brandon Stosuy's Roskilde diary. For Day 1 (Wednesday), click here.

To quote 50 Cent, when it rains it pours. When the rain arrives in buckets and you no longer own a dry pair of pants, it's easy to develop a low-level addiction the emergency updates at Roskilde's website, checking to see if it's time to board a ship. It was posted yesterday that "this is the wettest Roskilde Festival ever" and that mud's being "sucked up" by trucks, while hamster-cage woodchips absorb additional moisture. To put the dampness intensity on a more human level: Imagine eating a falafel and realizing your pita's filled-up halfway with rain after four bites.

But I'm not complaining: It's comforting to realize this is historical, that we're not only dodging drunk folks pissing into overloaded puddles, that we're also a part of something huge. Really, it makes everything-- even Willy Wonka-sized lakes of brown-- kind of majestic. Plus the concertgoers are hearty: A middle-aged duo made out-- with vigor, I might add-- during LCD Soundsystem, some guy danced ecstatically in a puddle for Björk, and every now and then groups break out into rousing fight songs.

LCD Soundsystem [Odeon Stage; 7:30 p.m.]

Photo by Terje Sørgjerd

We found a dry spot at the Odeon tent to watch James Murphy. The crowd was excited, folks singing an off-key "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" and bouncing a beach ball 20 minutes before sound check was complete. Murphy and the gang were announced as the "fathers of punk electro disco rock." Or is that "funk electro disco rock?" Hard to tell once the master cowbell banger starts rocking his fleshier, more on-key version of "Daft Punk". As the set started Murphy was a tad listless-- adjusting speakers, moving monitors, tugging at his shirt-- but he quickly locked into a groove. Certain tracks-- "Us v. Them", "Tribulations", and "North American Scum"-- felt especially weighty due to the weather and hearing them so far from New York. Of course, "All My Friends"'s "If you're worried about the weather/ Then you picked the wrong place to stay" felt tailored for our precipitation-obsessed brains.

It's difficult to tell if it's the same person, or if there are a bunch of these floating around, but someone has an inflatable alien fucking an inflatable cow on the end of a large stick, and kept bobbing it back and forth above the crowd during both the LCD Soundsystem and Matmos sets. Rather perfect for LCD's sweaty entropy. Felt more romantic and hazy during Matmos...

Matmos [Astoria Stage; 8 p.m.]

In the Astoria tent, which is part ad hoc nightclub/part circus ring, Matmos were joined by a guitarist wearing a glow-in-the-dark Bill Cosby sweater for an oscillating, pulsing wash of gorgeous space drone: Multi-tasking Pitchfork contributor Drew Daniel manipulated laptop(s), M.C. Schmidt read from a book ("She leads a double life/ She makes two out of one"), and Cosby bent notes. Rather fitting beneath the silver roofing and blue and red lights lining the walls, a pack of rave kids closed their eyes and made like it was Castlemorton, 1992. The set ended as M.C. Schmidt manipulated a metal (lightning?) rod, transmitting waves of sound throughout the appreciative crowd. I'd been curious to see if they could figure out a way to turn the mud into an instrument... no dice.

Mastodon [Arena Stage; 10:30 p.m.]

Photo by Terje Sørgjerd

By the time Mastodon played, the water was knee-deep. Another illustration: In order to buy a much-needed Tuborg I waded across a puddle, hopped on one foot, then jumped across three wooden pallets. The rowdy Mastodon crowd seemed equally willing to run that boozy obstacle course: The highlight of the Atlanta quartet's tight, loud, but oddly distant and same-sounding set was listening to "Wolf Is Loose", "Sleeping Giant", and "Crystal Skull" and trying to avoid a) a wavering, vision-questing bald guy held precariously aloft and photographed in funny poses by his friends, and b) some dude brandishing a flag on the end of an elastic-seeming poll that bent precariously toward the crowd like a wilting razorblade. It felt like a standoff to see who would create their own blood mountain first, but both made it out unscathed and unscathing.

Ironically, as we bundled back up and left the Mastodon tent, it was no longer raining.

Addendum
I received a kind letter all the way from Massachusetts regarding my comments yesterday that nobody locks up their bikes in Copenhagen. It turns out there is "a small lock on the inside of the spoke." Thanks for the tip! Wonder if this would fly in New York?

Decemberists Kick Off Orchestral Tour Tomorrow

Photo by Matt Jordan

From the multipart song suites to their fondness for esoteric foreign folktales, Colin Meloy and his Decemberists don't exactly shy away from the grandiose. So it's fitting that tonight, at one of the more splendorous musical locales the world over-- the Hollywood Bowl-- the Decemberists will perform with symphonic accompaniment in the first of a series of orchestral shows. Hey, it worked wonders for Metallica, and that was way more incongruous than this! Bonus for you svelte young Hollywood types: tonight's show comes complete with Band of Horses and orchestra-of-one Andrew Bird.

In other Decemberists news, there's an unreleased Colin Meloy demo you can get for practically nothing on that PDX Pop Now! comp, and Chris Funk's Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble's debut release Plastic Bag in the Tree is out now. There are quite a few regular old Decemberists shows for you starting in September too, as the theatrical troupe heads to Europe for a month or so; all that and more after the jump. And by "more," I mean some lovely little asterisks. [MORE...]

St. Vincent Tours Like St. Christopher Would
St. Christopher being, like, the patron saint of travelers

Sufjan sidelady, Polyphonic Spree-dispenser, and, now, the patron saint of indie shredfests: Annie Clark of St. Vincent wears more hats than Alex Mack, and, coincidentally, we turn into a silvery pool of liquid every time we hear her music. So it's lovely news for us (and you) that Annie keeps on adding to her big ol' tour, which has her sticking pins in a giant map of the U.S. (with the occasional errant Canadian tack).

Clark will cross paths with Death Vessel and Scout Niblett over the course of her travels, which kick off tonight.

As previously reported, St. Vincent's Marry Me hits U.S. shelves Tuesday (July 10) from Beggars, though the UK will just have to wait 'til next month. [MORE...]

Cadence Weapon Attacks the Road Tonight

Cadence Weapon (which, as we are morally obligated to mention, is the pseudonym for ex-Pitchforker Rollie Pemberton) is a rapper of significant talent and wit. And, if our Dave Maher's take on his set at SXSW is at all representative of his current live thing, Pemberton is a "restless and spastic" live performer. You may select your own well-chosen adjectives, loyal reader, should you attend one of Cadence Weapon's many July tour dates, listed as usual behind the jump.

Speaking of well-chosen adjectives, we're sure Rollie's just as excited as we are to welcome him back into Pitchfork's sinister clutches July 15, when he plays our sold-out Music Festival. After the last notes ring out over Chicago's Union Park, we'll all don ceremonial garb, chant "DOWN WITH KEANE," and gorge ourselves on the vital organs of the nonbelievers. Since that is, after all, how we do things. [MORE...]

Simian Mobile Disco Release EP, Tour a Ton

If you've peeked over in Forkcast very recently, you've noticed an MP3 for a Simian Mobile Disco song titled "3 Pin Din". It's one of three previously unreleased tracks on the duo's forthcoming self-titled EP, which was released digitally this week and will appear in stores on July 24 via Interscope.

The EP's other unreleased tracks are "Simple" and "State of Things", and they are joined by Attack Decay Sustain Release track "Tits & Acid". ADSR, as previously reported, makes its way to U.S. shores on September 18.

Jameses Ford and Shaw have months and months of tour dates to accompany these releases. Their next show is in Philadelphia on July 6, and they. just. do. not. stop. until December 8 back in England. For the last leg of their tour in the UK, they will support Klaxons. [MORE...]

Prince Announces First First Avenue Show in 20 Years!

Sorry Live Earth, but Prince can't make it. Instead, this Saturday (07/07/07), he'll play three shows in his hometown of Minneapolis.

Now we already reported the first two shows, taking place at Macy's (you know, they sell perfumes, one of which Prince releases that day) and the Target Center, so what's so special about the third show that it warrants its own story?

It's the venue. According to his website, "The official aftershow 4 Prince's Target Center event this Saturday will take place at First Avenue," the club where Prince's Purple Rain performances were shot. And he hasn't played there since March of 1987. Even if he's so tired from his other two shows that day that he just gets up to recite a little poetry, it's still a big deal. In fact, any Prince poetry reading could be an even bigger deal than a concert (not that we're getting our hopes up).

Tickets will go on sale Saturday for the semi-predictable and totally reasonable sum of $31.21 each, and the doors to the club will open immediately following the Target Center show. Flight tickets to Minneapolis can be sent to us at the Pitchfork address listed on the contact page.

As previously reported, Prince will appease the rest of planet Earth with Planet Earth on July 24. He has a show in East Hampton, New York on July 14 and a London residency starting August 1. [MORE...]

Bill Callahan Tours North America, UK, Ireland

Bill Callahan will take to the road with his given name and his new album in tow this summer and fall, as he preaches the gospel of Woke on a Whaleheart to audiences from the UK to Ireland to North America over the course of two months.

The Drag City songwriter begins his trek August 10 in Dublin and ends it October 10 in Seattle. Ex-Sun City Girl Sir Richard Bishop joins the artist formerly known as Smog for most North American dates. [MORE...]

Phosphorescent Signs to Dead Oceans Label, Tours

Though he's still yet to deliver the finished product of his third LP to their lovin' arms, Phosphorescent's one of the first to plunge into the Dead Oceans label fold.

The label company he'll be keeping-- Dirty Projectors, Evangelicals, Bishop Allen, the Explorers Club-- is reason enough for you to give a gander to Matthew Houck and his Phosphorescent on a handful of live dates throughout July. According to his MySpace, Houck is also playing a house show July 25 on the Florida panhandle, but, as my mother always told me, it'd probably help to know a guy before you go knocking on doors. [MORE...]

NYC Spiegeltent Gets Lady Sov, Jose Gonzalez, Johnston
Plus Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, Shout Out Louds, DeVotchKa, O’Death, An Albatross

Lower Manhattan's Spiegeltent-- located at the lovely-I'm-sure Fulton Fish Markets on the East River's Pier 17-- is a beer garden, an art deco dreamworld, and quite the summertime spot for live performances of all stripes. This summer's Spiegeltent schedule has firmed up quite a bit of late, with big-top showcases planned from Lady Sovereign, Daniel Johnston, José González, Mobb Deep's Prodigy, Shout Out Louds, DeVotchKa, O'Death, An Albatross, and Badly Drawn Boy.

The Spiegeltent schedule-- the whole darn thing, as it stands right now-- is available after the jump. [MORE...]

Ladybug Transistor Tour With Starlight Mints, Papercuts

Despite suffering the loss of their beloved drummer San Fadyl earlier this year, the Ladybug Transistor aren't going out like TLC in '02; instead, they're keeping on like TLC in '07, with a full-fledged summer tour in support of their recently-issued Merge album Can't Wait Another Day.

Currently going down in eastern Europe, the tour won't get back to the States before the Transistor get a crack at playing a pair of Russian shows this weekend. They'll also rock that self-congratulatory Team Clermont thing July 25 in Athens, GA along with Starlight Mints, with whom they're sharing a whole bunch of dates. The Mints have a few Ladybug-free gigs coming up as well. [MORE...]

New Pornographers, Roots, Dears Play Rogers Picnic
Also: Bad Brains, Tegan and Sara, Apostle of Hustle

On July 29, the city of Toronto will host the Rogers Picnic festival at Historic Fort York, once the site of a War of 1812 battle.

This marks the first year Rogers Picnic takes place. To kick things off in appropriately rousing fashion, festival organizers have rounded up the New Pornographers, the Roots, Bad Brains, the Dears, Tegan and Sara, Little Brother, Apostle of Hustle, Bedouin Soundclash, and Team Canada DJs. Go Canada!

Calexico Kick Off European Jaunt, Ready Tour-Only CD

Like a dollop of "Southwestern sauce" on the proverbial chalupa of indie rock, Calexico are always giving you a little more than you expect. The atmospheric Arizonian horn-blowers will match their European tour that kicks off tonight with a brand new CD, available only at shows and through the band's website.

Tool Box, the CD in question, features 14 instrumentals and this really cool cover figure wearing what appears to be a welding mask and some manner of aluminum foil suit. The artwork, typically stencil-y, may well be worth the price of admission alone; and, hey, you might also get to see a really cool show out of the whole affair. Sound good? Good. [MORE...]

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)