Behind every budding indie rock band is an equally fresh tagline that gets borrowed and modified by bloggers, album reviewers, and concert promoters. Vampire Weekend’s goes something like this: Ivy-league trio delivers lo-fi pop-rock tunes, tinged with African beats and summertime guitar hooks. However you mold the tagline, Vampire Weekend are pretty accessible to all but the snobbiest of music fans.

Going by the small amount of recorded material that’s available, Vampire Weekend don’t seem to have settled on “a sound”–something that is working in their favor. “Oxford Comma” is a light-hearted, breezy pop song with tasteful guitar playing and smooth vocals. “Walcott” sounds like a raw New England anthem, combined with some New York rockability and classical orchestrating.

Listen to “Oxford Comma” (4.2/5)
Listen to “Walcott” (4/5)

“Oxford Comma” appear on a three-song ep that can be purchased on itunes.

Sandwiched between a burgeoning NYC band, takka takka, and mediocre English rockers, The Cribs, White Rabbits delivered the best block of live music I’ve seen all summer. Polished and percussive, the Rabbits opened with “Kid on my Shoulders” without a hint of timidness. The rest of the set unfolded with the same amount of New York urgency and style. Sounding like The Walkmen on crack, the rhythm section (including special guests) made their presence felt, delivering a clean, powerful calypso rock beat going for the entire set. The band was tight and the vocals were strong all around, as the White Rabbits played several songs off their debut album along with two new songs and a Bob Dylan cover.

When ra ra riot took the stage at Washington D.C.’s Rock ‘N Roll Hotel Tuesday night opening for Tokyo Police Club, they didn’t seem like they should be opening for anybody. While the youthful six-piece outfit includes electric cello and violin they have a powerful, edgy rock sound. On stage they seem like that family taking up the large booth at Ruby Tuesdays that gets along too well. They share (instruments), exchange smiles, and even tussle each other’s hair (no joke). Yes, the stage at the RNR Hotel seemed a bit two small for any energetic 6-piece, but ra ra’s sound seemed just too big for the venue. They out-played the headliners, who seemed tired and lacked variety, delivering an aggressive set with no filler. With just one official release, a six-track ep that will leave you wanting more, ra ra riot are a band you should be keeping tabs on starting now.

“Can you tell” is a bass-driven soliloquy, beautifully meshed with violin and keyboards. “A Manner to Act” showcases the band’s ability to juxtapose heavy rock riffs with dancing string parts. Lead singer Wesley Miles, too, is subtle at times, holding nothing back by the end of the track.

Listen to “Can you tell” (4.9/5)
Listen to “A manner to act” (4.8/5)

Photos taken by Alex

12-12.50

I decided to check out all three of the bands performing during this block. I started at Fountains of Wayne, who were nothing remarkable. Solely radio designed pop songs. While fun, they did nothing to keep me watching.

Shout Out Out Out Out, featured in the Dance Tent, put on a highly energetic concert (especially for so early in the day). The entire tent was full of dance-crazy concertgoers enjoying the electronically enhanced music of the Canadian indie group.

I only caught one song of Fiction Plane, who is currently touring with The Police. Though it was short, it was awfully good – a nice performance of their song “Cold Water Symmetry”.

1.20-2.10

Coming into the weekend, one of the band’s I was most excited about seeing was Scottish natives The Fratellis. Though only having one full-length album and three EPs to work with, the band put on an energetic performance that left the crowd bopping their heads and yearning for more. Among highlights, was their performance of “Flathead” aka “The iPod song”, and a rocking version “Chelsea Dagger” to finish off the set.

2.30-4

Deciding to bypass Amy Winehouse, I stuck around to see another fellow Scottish native, Paolo Nutini. At just 20 years of age, it quickly became obvious that Paolo has a lot of growing to do. Perhaps it was a problem with the vocals, but Nutini’s voice wasn’t all that strong during the performance. His performance of “New Shoes”, however, was quite good.

Incubus generated an energetic crowd, but nothing about their performance was spectacular. It was essentially what you expected to hear – beefed up versions of hits like “Meglomaniac” and “Quicksand”, along with some of the other familiar tunes mixed in.

4-4.50

Peter Bjorn and John gave what I thought was the best performance of the festival. The band was energetic, excited to be there, and in turn, the crowd reacted with unbelievable excitement. Their performances of “Young Folks”, “Amsterdam”, and “Paris 2004″ left the crowd in a PB+J frenzy. An extended rendition of “Up Against the Wall”, with an eloquent guitar solo, generated an even greater response. Though Peter complained about the heat – eventually resulting in him shedding his suit jacket – the band rocked out on “Detects on My Affection” as a finale.

6.15-6.35

Playing nearly half their set on instruments, The Beastie Boys pleased the crowd with the likes of “Sabrosa” and old hardcore punk favorites like “Egg Raid on Mojo”. On the rap front, “Sure Shot”, “Super Disco Breakin’” and “Brass Monkey” were all highlights. The encore showcased the remarkable spinning of Mix Master Mike and an all-instrumental version of “Sabatoge”. The ‘Boys also had the most enthusiastic crowd of the weekend. Bravo!

8-10

I chose to see Modest Mouse over The Police which, unfortunately, was a reminder to bank on experience and sex appeal when making the “who to watch” decision at festivals. Sound problems and a less than energetic Issac Brock left the paltry crowd with a weak performance. Seeing newcomer Johnny Marr was certainly a treat, as were the performances of “Tiny City Made of Ashes” and “Doin’ the Cockroach”. However, the band did come on late, leaving little more than a hour for them to play. It was an okay set but certainly not the best way to end the evening.

Thanks to Alex for the fantastic Virgin Festival recap

The festival at a glance…

This year’s Virgin Festival, presented by Virgin Mobile (just so we’re clear this wasn’t a 50,000+ gathering of virgins…more like 49,000 virgins), has come and gone. Two days filled with hours of music, sweltering hot temperatures, and the stench of human sweat from Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland.

Best Overall Performances

1. Peter Bjorn and John
2. Beastie Boys
3. Interpol
4. LCD Soundsystem
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Velvet Revolver

Most Disappointing Performances

1. Modest Mouse
2. Spoon

Most Energy on Stage

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2. Peter Bjorn and John
3. The Fratellis
4. Beastie Boys
5. Girl Talk

Exceeded Expectations

1. Peter Bjorn and John
2. Velvet Revolver
3. Regina Spektor
4. Shout Out Out Out Out

Best Crowds

1. Interpol
2. Velvet Revolver
3. 311
4. Beastie Boys
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Worst Crowds

1. Paolo Nutini
2. Panic! At the Disco
3. TV on the Radio
4. CSS
5. Peter Bjorn and John

Best Set Lists

1. Peter Bjorn and John
2. Beastie Boys
3. Interpol
4. Spoon
5. 311

Bands I Wish I Would Have Seen More Of

1. CSS
2. Velvet Revolver
3. Explosions in the Sky
4. TV on the Radio
5. Paolo Nutini

What are your lists looking like? Stay tuned for day-by-day photos and recaps.

Virgin Festival coverage by Alex

Fun, simple summer video. I keep thinking of Coldplay’s “Yellow” during the walking on the beach scenes. Head over to the ‘gum to watch it.

Despite the above picture being the best shot I was able to get from the Battles’ set Saturday night in Baltimore, they really were all there and even played a pretty fantastic set.

This year’s Wicker Park Festival isn’t on the same grand scale as Pitchfork or Lollapalooza, but it’s got some really happening bands lined up, including:

Man Man
Maritime
JJ. and MOFRO
The Thermals
NYCO
Something for Rockets

and many more! See the full lineup and schedule here. It’s happening the 28th and 29th of this month…plus, it’s FREE (with a suggested donation of $5)

Chicago band NYCO, led by CSO percussionist turned pop-rock frontman, is playing July 28th at 3 pm. Head over to their website to stream a few songs and see if you want to check them out next weekend.