Pitchfork 2012 Previews – Friday
By: Bari Finkel and Dylan Samson
Previews are organized in descending order of time.
Big K.R.I.T.
Green Stage: 6:25
Big K.R.IT. was featured on and produced Big Boi’s latest single, “Gossip,” he has performed on Conan and Jimmy Fallon, signed with Def Jam, and he is headlining Pitchfork. Did I mention he is only 24 years old and just came out with his first studio album last month? Though this success may seem fast, K.R.I.T. has been in the game most of his life. Hailing from Mississippi, he grew up surrounded by Southern R&B, and started rapping seriously in 2000. Twelve years of intense work and passion has landed Big K.R.I.T. a place in the critics’ and fans’ spotlights alike. He pours himself into his music, writing the lyrics, rapping, sometimes singing, and producing throughout his album, Live From The Underground. His Mississippi upbringing surrounded him in R&B and Blues, influencing his music and molding his idea of bridging the generations through music. His motivation revolves around creating and performing Southern hip hop the way it used to be for today.
Pitchfork Weekly – Big K.R.I.T.
Japandroids
Blue Stage: 6:15
People say that, “Good things come in threes,” however, one Pitchfork lineup band defies this phrase. With two musicians and two albums under their belt, Japandroids is an extraordinary exception to the saying. When listening to Japandroids, you may be surprised to find out that the band only consists of two members. Using one guitar and drum-set, they have an uncanny ability to create music that sounds much louder and more complex than what one may have previously thought a two man band were capable of making. This Vancouver bred band is signed with Polyvinyl, have toured the world, and received an 8.8/10 from Pitchfork on their latest album, Celebration Rocks.
Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built” on Soundcloud
A$AP Rocky
Red Stage: 5:30
Rakim Meyers, known his stage name A$AP Rocky, has had a good year. The unofficial compilation Deep Purple was released by a fan and started a huge amount of buzz all over the internet, and airplay on hip-hop stations across the country. His hip-hop collective, the A$AP Mob, signed a two year contract with Sony. His first official mixtape, LiveLoveA$AP, dropped on Halloween, quickly became one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop records of 2012, and for good reason; its unique blend of New York and southern hip hop stylings pared with his laid back but deliberate flow are a force to be reckoned with, and assure any listeners that his upcoming full length LongLiveA$AP will likely be one of the best of 2012.
The Olivia Tremor Control
Green Stage: 4:35
Before 2010, we hadn’t heard anything new from The Olivia Tremor Control in about 10 years, but that September they dropped the song North Term Reality, announcing their return with 6 minutes of the insane noise-psych that made them such a driving force in the 90’s. Founded in ’92 by Will Cullen Heart, Bill Doss and Jeff Mangum (yes, that Jeff Mangum), The Olivia Tremor Control was one of the founding groups of The Elephant 6 Collective, the collective that would serve as a home to The Apples In Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, of Montreal, and help define the Athens Georgia Neo-Psychedelia movement of the 1990’s.
The Opera House – The Olivia Tremor Control – YouTube
Willis Earl Beal
Blue Stage: 4:15
If nothing else, Willis Earl Beal probably has the most unique story of any new artist in recent memory. After joining the army in his early 20’s, Beal moved around the country, eventually settling in Albuquerque. There he worked several odd jobs, and was intermittently homeless, leaving homemade CD-Rs and flyers with his phone number around town. He released his debut album, Acousmatic Sorcery, a flawed, but honest collection of lo-fi soul-infused-folk songs, on XL subsidiary, Hot Charity Records this past april. He’ll be bringing his unique style to Pitchfork’s blue stage this year, but in the mean time he’ll sing you a song if you call the phone number listed on his website. Check out a live performance of his song Same Old Tears below.
Same Old Tears by Willis Earl Beal – YouTube
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I’ve never hear of any of these bands