Festival review… Lollapalooza Berlin 2015

When in November 2014 we heard the news that Lollapalooza would be heading to Europe for the first time ever a buzz went through It's All Indie HQ. We were extremely excited and pleased to be able to welcome the American spectacle in 2015. 

10 months on, I travelled to Berlin to see if Lollapalooza would live up to our expectations. 

Located at Berlin's now disused Tempelhof airport, the festival sports a vibrant, urban feel with the old terminal and runway giving it a unique vibe. 

As expected of Lollapalooza the line-up was very impressive featuring international bands of the highest quality.

Saturday

My Lollapalooza weekend kicked off with a loud, energetic set by US band Joywave who clearly had a lot of fun interacting with their fans. "We're the biggest band to come out of the USA in the 21st century - don't double check that on Google", they announced before telling the crowd that they hadn't been able to get into Berghain (Berlin's most famous nightclub) the night before. Considering their very unfavourable stage time (13:10) they managed to attract a good crowd thus engendering a great start to the festival. 

Joywave kick off our Lolla experience

I continued with Glass Animals and their groovy unorthodox sound. Performing on the Alternative Stage to a big crowd the band's calm sound made sure everyone survived the scorching lunchtime sun in style.

Newly founded supergroup FFS (Franz Ferdinand & Sparks) attracted a massive crowd which seemed to know the lyrics to every song. The Franz Ferdinand tracks performed definitely provoked the biggest reaction with people everywhere dancing to the sounds of one of the best indie bands ever to grace the stage. FFS song "Collaborations Don't Work" showed everyone watching the band(s) perform that if there is such a thing as a near-perfect match in music, then Sparks and Franz Ferdinand may have found just that.

Collaborations DO work!

I remember reading a magazine on a flight home with Pete Doherty on the cover when, mid flight, the girl sitting next to me asked whether he had died. Amy Winehouse had just passed away and the question seemed chilling, yet justified. It was then that I figured I would probably never get to see the incredible Libertines live. Years later it's happened. After cancelling their London and Manchester shows the days before, it was unclear whether the band would perform in the first place. When they did come on stage, however, it was obvious to the crowd that this was a moment they had to enjoy and cherish - their second chance may not come again too soon. Musically the band weren't at their best. An absolutely drunk Carl Barat slurred into his microphone and the band made various mistakes throughout - much to each other's amusement. Macklemore playing at the same time meant that mostly only "real" Libertines fans had come to see the London band creating a Libertine-esque intimate atmosphere on the old airfield. Each of the band's old songs received loud sing alongs with "Gunga Din" proving to be the highlight of their new album. The band returned to the stage with two encores before drummer Gary Powell used the empty, post-gig stage to stomp around and perform a weird dance to the amused crowd.

Pete Doherty looked shaken but happy when returning to his dressing room located inside the old airport terminal building.

The Libertines actually turned up to their Lolla show

Sunday

My second and last day at Lollapalooza saw Wolf Alice start the action on the Main Stage 1, where they performed their last festival show of their, very busy and spectacular summer. The London band used the opportunity to say thank you to their fans on numerous occasions in between their loud, aggressive songs.

Wolf Alice take to the Main Stage

Up next for me was Spanish band Crystal Fighters, who kicked off nearly an hour late after being stuck in traffic. This didn't stop the crowd from going wild with the band when they did finally start their set. Performing just two days after  the anniversary of the passing away of their former drummer Andrea Marongiu the band showcased a mix of tracks from both their debut "Star Of Love" and follow-up "Cave Rave". Giant (really really really giant) beach balls thrown into their crowd further lifted the mood of their partying fans. Their unique sound perfectly fitted the Berlin afternoon sun and made sure that everyone in attendance enjoyed the, possibly, last days of summer. 

I once wrote the following about MGMT: "Throughout the whole concert I couldn't help thinking that this is a band now actually exploring that long-elusive dark side of the moon."
Since the same goes for Tame Impala and I'd hate to repeat myself unnecessarily so I'm going to leave it at that. The Australian band are a spectacle which has to be seen live. Taking to the stage in what was their last festival appearance of the summer, the band performed a set of the high quality their fans expect. 

Tame Impala are perfect in the Berlin night

After attending festivals in the UK, Central Europe and Japan I can only recommend a visit to Lollapalooza 2016 - in my opinion it may just be the best festival you can attend next summer.

Benjamin Brown

[FESTIVAL REVIEW] Dcode Festival, Madrid, Spain, 12th September 2015

This year was Dcode Festival's fifth anniversary and with a lineup comprising of a variety of well-established British and Spanish artists, this was obviously going to be an incredible day out. The festival took place in the Ciudad Universitaria, located near the Madrid city centre which made it easily accessible for all those attending.  This year, the festival was slightly different with doors opening at the earlier time of 11.30am (instead of the usual 4pm), meaning that there were activities such as football matches and live music at the smaller Tentaciones stage from 12pm.

Popular Spanish band 'Trajano!' kicked off the festival with a short set that proved popular with numerous 'Madrileños', as they are one of Spain's newer up-and-coming bands. The Tentaciones stage line-up followed with an inevitably strong set from Brit favourites, 'Wolf Alice', who performed a flawless 50-minute long set, shortly later announcing their 2016 EU tour where they would be returning to Madrid in February. Indie Spanish band 'The Parrots', were once again their enthusiastic selves and got the crowd going in the early afternoon. The energy was evident throughout the atmosphere at the Tentaciones stage after their set as everyone left with a smile on their faces. Fresh faced London-based singer-songwriter Flo Morrissey was a crowd favourite at the small stage, performing delicate tunes full of insight and maturity, she captured the attention of every individual in an instant.

As the day progressed, more people gathered at the two main stages (Escenario Dcode and Escenario Heineken) to see the main acts of the day perform from 4pm. The great thing about these two stages is that they are located literally next to each other, so no acts overlap and as soon as one ends you have five minutes to run to the other stage to see the next act start and so forth. Therefore, you never miss any of the music. Spanish indie girl group 'Hinds' announced that they were stranded in Mallorca airport just before their set was due at 5pm, however, this was all quickly resolved and 'Gold Lake' played an intriguing set in their slot. Shortly after this, 'Hinds' appeared on the Dcode stage at a later time of 7.20pm to perform a full show which was a great relief for a lot of the audience attending Dcode as they were undoubtedly one of the most popular and hyped acts of the festival. 'Hinds' are definitely one of those bands that are ones to watch, they had such an energetic and explicitly happy stage presence that it was impossible not to dance along with them to their catchy tracks. They even provoked a short stage invasion which added to the excitement of their slot even more.

Immediately when Hinds ended, the audience all rushed to the Escenario Heineken to catch festival favourites 'The Vaccines,' and boy, what a performance they did. The London band managed to pack in sixteen popular tracks from all three albums in their hour-long set, ranging from new single '20/20' to the slower acoustic 'Melody Calling' and ending on a high with 'Norgaard'. The whole audience sang every lyric back to lead singer Justin Young which proved that 'The Vaccines' are still dominating the modern music industry all over the world and will continue to do so.

Sadly, due to medical reasons, Sam Smith had to pull out of his slot, however, he was rightfully replaced by Mallorcan band 'L.A' who have an American vibe and are extremely popular with the Spanish crowd so there weren't too many unhappy faces around. They filled the festival with an exuberayting atmosphere which could be seen and felt throughout. 

Liverpudlian band 'Circa Waves' headlined the smaller Tentaciones stage with such a happy and energetic set those who had chosen to see them instead of Suede felt like they had most definitely made the right decision. Performing album hits such as 'T Shirt Weather' and 'Fossils', the band did not disappoint and made their mark on Spanish ground.

At the late time of 2.30am, 'Foals', took to the Escenario Dcode with an hour long set which was extremely similar to their Reading set with hits old and new, they got the crowd going. 'My number' proved to be a favourite as did the heavier songs such as 'What Went Down'. Again, Foals proved that they are going to be the festival headliners of the future with a faultless set full of variation and intricacy.

Crystal Fighters successfully closed the Spanish Festival with a vibrant set full of colourful costumes, flags and jungle themed backdrops. Already happy to be back on Spanish turf, the band responded to an eager receptive audience and were enthusiastic as always.

Dcode Festival was most definitely the best way to end a summer full of festivals, with a line-up to die for and weather that will not disappoint, the Spanish festival was a success. The atmosphere was also a main contributing factor to the enthusiasm of the festival itself.

Introducing... The Curious Incident

As a music enthusiast you get those days where you're fed up of repetitive drones of the latest Arctic Monkeys record and snap into a frenzy of surfing the internet for a rare and unknown species.

The mystery and intrigue of these excursions often ends in hitting a dead end of bland bands and tasteless tracks. That's what I found until I came across 'The Curious Incident' a couple of years back. The London band made me realise that with persistence, there's always something 'different' out there and have since encouraged me that they're not the only hidden gems amongst the noise.

Initially, they are exactly as their name labels them; a curious, intriguing concoction, simply put by them as, 'pop/rock with a Caribbean Twist that tastes like Jerk Chicken and Lemonade'. It's hard to disagree; their description of themselves is as outlandish as their appearance, not dissimilar of 90s children's TV stars 'The Wiggles'.

Their music is just as scatty, danceable and every bit as enjoyable as they make it out to be too. Amongst the craze there are influences of Led Zeppelin and The Black Keys and when they opt for a more bluesy sound in, 'Might As Well Swim', it verges on early Red Hot Chili Peppers woozy vibes. Elsewhere though, 'Money', could gain the band a serious fortune if it hits a big festival stage with its infectious Crystal Fighters type rhythms and upbeat Latin-American jingles.

You can listen to 'Money' below and if you're curious, you can find it as the lead track on their upcoming EP 'Penny Lonesome' which will be out in January.



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By Josh Shreeve

Crystal Fighter's post update on drummer's death

On September 11th Crystal Fighter's drummer Andrea Marongiu tragically passed away. The band today posted an update concerning his cause of death on their Facebook page:

"Thank you all so much for your messages of condolence, sadness and shock over the passing of Andrea. We don’t wish to go into too much detail at this time, but we must let you all know that he was taken from us due to an underlying heart condition that we didn’t know existed. Andrea was a keen water polo player and complained of some heart pains after training, so sought professional advice the following day and seemed to be recovering well at home, but was taken from us by the same affliction on the evening of Thursday 11th September. His wife and family wanted all Crystal Fighters fans to know that he absolutely loved playing for you all, and I want to thank you all for loving him back for it. Peace to you all at this difficult time."

The band have already confirmed that they will continue making music as they want to continue "to unite people through positive music and love".

Crystal Fighters' drummer passes away

Crystal Fighters' drummer - Andrea Marongiu - has sadly passed away, the news broke late last night, 24 hours before the drummer posted his last tweet saying that he was recovering well.

Born and raised in Sardinia, Marongiu taught himself drums at the age of 11 as part of a school game with a friend, and continued to progress through watching videos.

In 2010, after moving to England "with very little English", Marongiu was telephoned by the Crystal Fighters, who had seen his videos, and asked to come for an audition. After sailing through the audition, he was asked to join the band at Bestival, and from then on continued as a permanent member.

Post by Crystal Fighters.

Crystal Fighters cover Tears For Fears' "Change"

The London based band have covered Tears For Fears' "Change". The track, taken from their 1993 album "The Hurting", has been turned into an electronic anthem with Crystal Fighters putting their own Basque flavoured sound on top to create something new!

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Stream / Crystal Fighters - Cave Rave

8 Of The Best Tracks We Heard This Week (w/e 22nd June)

Here we are, ready with the BEST tracks we've had the pleasure of listening to from the past seven days, this one's a real mixture, enjoy!

Palms Vincent

Palms Vincent - Get Together 

This is Palm Vincent's first track to be uploaded, and hence his début release. The debut track is a demo of his song "Get Togehter",  it's got hints of surf music, Primal Scream and psychedelic jams. Not a bad release to launch his new project off!




Broods - Mother & Father

The New Zealand duo have revealed a stunning new song that's being released today - yes a Thursday! The song has been loved by Zane Lowe, blogs and Hypem too. Scroll on down to find out why Broods are one of the hottest new electronic acts.




Interpol - Anywhere

The video of Interpol's new song "Anyway" was recorded live at their headline show at Brixton's 02 Academy earlier on in the year. After spending hours flicking through live videos it's nice to hear what their new LP might sound like.




Alt-J - Hunger of the Pine

Alt-J announced their come-back track, oddly enough it features a Miley Cyrus sample throughout the track. But as the band have made their name on being very different to the rest this track is certainly off the beaten-track, but is still worth a listen! I can't wait to hear more.




Crystal Fighters - Love Alight

Crystal Fighters have revealed a very dancey anthem ready for the Summertime with "Love Alight", it's more electronic than their usual sound but you can still hear the band's core there, the duel vocals, Spanish instrumentation and acoustic guitars.



This song was suppose to be on their last album "Cave Rave", but only now it's seen the light of day. Certainly in time too, we're loving this!


Warpaint - The Chauffeur 

Warpaint have covered Duran Duran's "The Chauffeur"which is taken from the upcoming LP "Making Patterns Rhyme: a tribute to Duran Duran", (curated by MANIMAL) for the benefit of Amnesty International. "Making Patterns Rhyme: A Tribute to Duran Duran" also features Moby, Austra and Little Dragon across its 19 tracks.

4


Fou De Toi - Island

Fou De Toi are a new band from Stockholm and Göteborg in Sweden, their new song "Island" is a fresh and bright track ready for summer! It's got some really light melodies, lovely guitar tones and a bouncy beat. It reminds me of Theme Park and Wild Cub rolled into one.




Annie Eve - Basement

New act Annie Eve has just unveiled her brand new video for the stunning song "Basement". The track is filled with swooning and harmonic backing vocals, stunning guitar tones and a lick of folk for good measure. Her vocals just dominate the track, she really does remind us of the perfect blend of Lucy Rose and Daughter. Scroll on down and lose yourself in this beautiful number from the London artist!

Crystal Fighters unveil new song "Love Alight"

Crystal Fighters have revealed a very dancey anthem ready for the Summertime with "Love Alight", it's more electronic than their usual sound but you can still hear the band's core there, the duel vocals, Spanish instrumentation and acoustic guitars.

This song was suppose to be on their last album "Cave Rave", but only now it's seen the light of day. Certainly in time too, we're loving this!

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Stream / Crystal Fighters - Cave Rave

Daily Download... Crystal Fighters - Wave (Ron Flieger Remix)

One of our favourite remixers is the one and only Ron Flieger, and he's done a new remix, this time it's Crystal Fighters' "Wave". He's taken it from a Radio friendly synth-pop tune to a dance-floor synth classic!

Crystal Fighters unveil full details of their Zugarramurdi Cave Rave

Crystal Fighters have unveiled full details of their forthcoming Cave Rave event. Set to take place on Thursday 29th August at Zugarramurdi cave outside San Sebastian, deep within the band's spiritual home of the Basque countryside, the special one-off event is being held in celebration of Crystal Fighters' second album 'Cave Rave'.

Check out the poster for more details!

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Crystal Fighters cover Rudimental's "Waiting All Night"

The London via Basque Country band have covered Rudimental's chart topping single "Waiting All Night" for the BBC's Live Lounge.

You can check it out below!

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Crystal Fighters stream new album "Cave Rave" in full

The highly anticipated second album from Crystal Fighters is now premiering in full via Hype Machine. "Cave Rave" is due for release on Zirkulo/PIAS/Atlantic on 27th May 2013 and can be streamed in full by clicking [HERE]

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Stream / Crystal Fighters - Cave Rave

Daily Download... Crystal Fighters - You & I (Gigamesh remix)

With Crystal Fighters new album coming out very soon you can now download a free remixed version of lead single "You & I".

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Crystal Fighters unveil video for brand new track "You & I"

Crystal Fighters have unveiled another brand new track from their forthcoming second album "Cave Rave". Entitled "You & I" the song had its world première on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show last night.

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Crystal Fighters unveil tracklisting for "Cave Rave"

Crystal Fighters have unveiled the track-listing for their forthcoming album Cave Rave, which is released on May 27th via Zirkulo.

Not only that, but you can also listen to one of the tracks off the album "Wave" just by scrolling down!

Cave Rave track-listing:
1. Wave
2. LA Calling
3. You & I
4. Separator
5. No Man
6. Bridge Of Bones
7. Love Natural
8. Are We One
9. These Nights
10. Everywhere

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Listen to new a Crystal Fighters song - "Separator"

The very qwerky band from East London (via Spain) have released their newest track, which is coming off their forthcoming album "Cave Rave".

You can check out "Separator" below

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Daily Download... Crystal Fighters - Champion Sound (STEEP Remix)

Today we've got a dark(ish) remix of 'Champion Sound' by Crystal Fighters, it's remixed by STEEP, so you know it's going to be good!

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Daily Download... Crystal Fighters - Plage (Live at Abbey Road Studios)

This is an Acoustic track made even better with the addition of funky drumming, the wooden bricks, and tingling tropical guitar tones. This is easily the best version of the song that they've recorded. I just hope they continue with the stunning songs into album 2.





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New Crystal Fighters track 'Earth Island'

Crystal Fighters have uploaded a new track especially for the USA version of the album 'Star Of Love'. The album has been out in the UK and in Europe for nearly a year now and it's still un-clear if this is a new recording or an old song they just popped onto the end of the album. But one thing is for sure, their new album may not sound like their old stuff as they're now experimenting with dub-step style bass. Shame. You can listen to the track below!





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Hidden Gems... Crystal Fighters - Fiesta

This is a rare B-Side that featured on the 'Plage' 7" single that was released at the start of the European summer, just in time for the European festival season. An online version of the song only surfaced towards the end of the summer, so that's the reason why it's so late up.!



This is a cover and partial translated version of 'Golpes Bajos' 1984 hit 'Fiesta De Los Maniquies'. They have certainly done the original justice with a re-vamp of the song, translated it for the English speaking market. They even play this song live, which is a nice treat to hear them actually sing in Spanish, rather than pretending to be Spanish - with tom-foolery such as their accents, they are from Hackey for crying out loud! - but other than that, it's a nice diversion away from their own material, may the Spanish lyrics continue!

Crystal Fighters - Fiesta by It's All Indie (Fred)

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