>>fanterview

My domain, glisteningpoint.com, is back up, so now Fanterview has moved.

you can visit this music blog at:

http://fan.glisteningpoint.com

because i said so

1. Buried in Teeth- Marie Sioux
2. I Know the Weight of Your Throat- Sunset Rubdown
3. The Morons are Winning- The Awkward Stage
4. I Got a Letter- Half-Handed Cloud
5. Glittering Sky- The Inner Banks
6. Dart for My Sweetheart- Archie Bronson Outfit
7. Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse- Hissing Fauna, You are the Destroyer?
8. I Love You- the Pipettes
9. We are the Teenagers- the Teenagers
10. My Little Banana- My Little Airport

as a bonus, here is a VERY old interview with the Watson Twins (of Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins) that I conducted last February.

Can you give us a brief history of your music?
We've been singing since we were little, started in church choirs and then took some guitar lessons in high school... we had a couple bands in college and then when we moved out to Los Angeles and started a band with some fellow musicians called Slydell. We also sang back-up in that band. The Watson Twins is the first project in many years where we are the main vocalists.

Have you both always loved singing?

Singing is something we have both always enjoyed and it seemed to come naturally for us, don't know if that is because we are sisters or twins... but some people think that siblings generally have an easier time singing together. We've always wanted to pursue music and feel lucky that we've met folks along the way who have helped that happen.

You're from Kentucky. Did you live in a more rural, fields-y area, or a more urban area? Louisville, Kentucky is a beautiful place... very green, rolling hills, the river, etc.
We grew up in a neighborhood much like most kids, but the cities are small... so, although you might live in a neighborhood the rural areas aren't far and we had relatives who lived out in the country so it was part of our experience while we were there.

Are your voices (speaking or singing) identical?  

Our voices are very similar, but we like to think there is a difference.

Were you always close, or more competitive?  

We have always been best friends and feel fortunate to have each other.

Many twins get frustrated because they are seen as one entity instead of two separate people. Since you two work together and your group is known as the Watson Twins, is that difficult for you?  

It's never been an issue with us, we are different as people and our close friends and family recognize that.
 
What music did you listen to growing up? What do you listen to now?
We listen to everything from old country to classic rock, R&B, Soul, jazz etc. a lot of these genres are reflective of what we grew up on.

You're featured with Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley and The Postal Service fame) on her solo debut album, Rabbit Fur Coat. How did you meet up with each other?  

We were introduced through Blake of Rilo. She's a lovely person in general and very easy to work with.

You released your first solo album earlier this year. Why did you decide to name it Southern Manners?
We wanted something that represented where we come from and let's be honest, manners are very important.

Do you both make up the lyrics and music together?
We generally write songs separately and work on harmonies/arranging together.

You're backed up by instrumentalists Jason Soda, Aram Arslanian, and Russ Pollard, who are members of other bands. How did you get connected with them?  

These are fellas that we met here in Los Angeles, just by playing around town... that sort of thing just happens here, because there are lots of people who are interested in playing music.

On one website they called your style "alternative country". What does that mean?

Alt Country has been around for many years and some artists included in that genre are... Neko Case, Wilco, Cat Power and the new Jenny Lewis record... Labeling bands is difficult because we are all are influenced by so many styles it's nearly impossible to stick to one genre.

I love the cover art on Southern Manners and the design on your website—it's very reminiscent of fields and sunny days. How did you decide how you wanted it to look?  

We have a good friend, Natalie Sud, who does collage art... she's from Kentucky and she knows us really well, so we knew we wanted her to make something for the cover and she did and the website is a scan of one of her pieces... we are very happy with both the cover and website... they definitely have the feel we were looking for.

We are not signed as of yet and hope to make a full length album with in the next year.

Are you planning on touring solo anytime soon?

We hope to do a little solo tour when we return from the Jenny Lewis tour.

I know I haven't updated in 140938509384509 billion years, so here is a massive list of stuff you SHOULD be listening to, but aren't.

Kiss Me Slowly- Airiel
Scumbody Told Me- Artic Monkeys vs. The Killers mashup
Easy- The Arrogants
Future Classic- The Arrogants
Formed a Band- Art Brut
Walk on the Moon- Asobi Sesku
Tanktop Girl- Bahnhof
In My Head- The Ballet
Palimend- Benoit Pioulard *** (and any of his other songs... gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous)
My Back Pages- Bob Dylan
Dream Scream- Death Cab for Cutie
Red Right Ankle- The Decemberists
6- Demons Are Real
Songs for the Fields- Fields
Divided by the Shore- Figurines
Here Comes a City- The Go-Betweens
Your Worst is the Best- I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
Broken Ship- Immaculate Machine
Upward Over the Mountain- Iron and Wine
99 Luft Problems- Jay-Z vs Nena mashup
Someone Else's Life- Joshua Radin ***
Winter- Joshua Radin
Tara Mascara- Language of Flowers***
Many Thanks for Your Honest Opinion- The Lodger
Asleep and Dreaming- The Magnetic Fields
I Don't Believe You- The Magnetic Fields
Diagonal- The Motifs
Rapture Rapes the Muses- Of Montreal
Minua Ollaan  Vastassa-  Regina
Little People - The Silents {reminds me so much of the Beatles}
Oregon Girl- Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Carousel- Starring Me
No One Appreciates Me- Tales of Jenny
The Start of Something- Voxtrot
Can't Lose- We are Scientists
Trailer Park- Windermere

more later, but here are some bands/artists I am currently in love with/playing on repeat.

Joshua Radin
The Magnetic Fields
The Motifs
Benoit Pioulard
Feist
Amy Millan
Stars
Neko Case
Camera Obscura
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Metric
French Kicks
Jans Lekman
Sondre Lerche
Stars in a Coma
Thee More Shallows
Velocity Girl
 

edit: because i'm so nice, here is a song for you to download... my current song-so-beautiful-you-could-die. Of course, it's by Mates of State. Here is Like You Crazy.

I'm extremely excited about the Around the Coyote festival next weekend! Three days of indie films, art, zines, poetry, and, of course, music (including This is Me Smiling)?? Jamina vote yes.

I've been on a '60s French pop kick. It's just so cheery and mindless.

With that in mind: [[mind you, I'm not going to put in all the accents and cedilles and all that other stuff because I'm just lazy.]]

jamix 03: frolicking in froggy-a-go-go-land!

1. 7 Heures du Matin- Jacqueline Taieb
   

   France Gall
2. Ca S'est Arrange- Jean-Paul Keller
3. Colore- Les Innocents
4. Contact- Brigitte Bardot
5. Jazz-a-Go-Go- France Gall (I LOVE her.)
6. Je N'ai Qui Quinze Ans- Chantal Kelly
7. Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi- Ariane
8. Laisse Tomber Les Filles- France Gall
9. Le Chevalier- Jiji
   
10. Le Coeur Qui Jazz- France Gall
11. Le Temps De La Rentree- France Gall (I told you.)
12. Le Vin de l'Ete- Marie Laforet
13. Le Cheveux Dans le Vent- Brigitte Bardot
14. Les Petits Mots d'Amour- Ariane
15. Long,Long,Long- Les Innocents
16. Ne T'en Fais Pas Pour Cela, Ils Revent- Antoine
17. Pense a Moi- France Gall
18. Tut, Tut, Tut, Tut- Gillian Hills
19. Velomoteurs- Les Calamites
20. Zou Bisou Bisou- Gillian Hills

I have become quite enchanted with The Starlight Mints. Also, Snowden.

Please recommend good indie movies :D I love them and am tired of watching the same ones over and over- also, where could I find them to rent? Blockbuster isn't very indie-friendly except for the bigger ones which kind of defeats the whole indie purpose. Ehh.

Once I figure out how these mp3 hosts work, I'll start posting an mp3 a day for you (all 4 of you who visit this site) but for now you can just listen.

Le temps de la rentree

France Gall

Okay, I realize today is Wednesday. Does that matter? No.

mmmmmm good shoe leather

I eat shoes for breakfast

1 comment

Not only do I eat souls for breakfast (as my Myspace states), I also eat shoes for breakfast. Especially weird new shoes from Torrid.  Luckily, they aren't made from animal by-product. Yum yum yum. Shoes > Frosted Mini-Wheats!

and a new HUGE mix for y'all, since I know you've been lacking. There's a lot of old '80s stuff and a bunch of new indie rock delicacies. Which you might think is a random juxtaposition. However, I disagree, since the 80s are back again... haven't you heard?

(For ease of use, it starts out with the 80s junk, then shifts to current stuff.)

jamix 02: leggings and big hair

1. Notorious- Duran Duran (Oh, Donnie Darko- the movie that fueled my love for the 1980s.)
2. James- The Bangles
3. Mad World- Gary Jules (In 8th grade, this was my favorite song and also my anthem. This is how I found the movie Donnie Darko)
4. Mad World- Tears for Fears (The original version)
5. Don't Stop Believin'- Journey
6. A View to Kill- Duran Duran
7. What a Thrill- Cyndi Lauper (Oh Cyndi.
8. Disorder- Joy Division
9. Lucky Star- Madonna
10. Flashdance (What a Feeling)- (Not sure who sings this... but theme song from the movie Flashdance)
11. 99 Red Balloons- Goldfinger(English version cover of Nena's 99 Luftballoons... both versions are good. I first heard this song in a Mary-Kate and Ashley video... ewww.)
12. Blister in the Sun- Violent Femmes
13. Love Will Freak Us- Joy Division vs. Missy Elliott (an interesting mashup)
14. Holdin' Out for a Hero- Frou Frou (The original song is from Footloose [and also Shrek 2]...
15. Dancin' in the Dark- Ted Leo (Cover of the Bruce Springsteen song)
16. Helena- Nickel Creek (Bluegrass!)
17. Feels Like Pain- The Grates
18. Twin Cinema- The New Pornographers
19. The Tain (all parts)- The Decemberists
20. I Am a Christian's Son- Of Montreal
21. Smile- Lily Allen
22. Le Vent Nous Portera- Noir Desir & Manu Chao (Okay, this is French. It's still good. And Manu Chao! How I regret not seeing him at Lollapalooza. Sigh. Btw, the title means "We will bring the wind". I think. Let me double check. Okay, the Google translator says it means "The wind will carry us." A little mixup of subjects and objects... I was never good at French.)
23. Yeah Yeah Yeah (Hoe Down and Slow Down)- The Flaming Lips
24. Get Myself Into It- The Rapture (Check them out. Definitely. If you haven't already.)
25. Nothing Sir- the Grates
26. Province- TV on the Radio
27. Brother- Annuals
28. Beach Girls- Tapes N' Tapes (Their album is called The Loon. How awesome is that?)
29. How It Ends- DeVotchKa (This is on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack.)
30. Who Could Win a Rabbit- Animal Collective

As always, if you want any of these songs, I'll be happy to make you a mix, I just expect one in return :D

Lily Allen

I am currently in awe of Lily Allen. For one thing, she is gorgeous, for another, she is an extremely talented singer/songwriter.

Also, she is British.

How much cooler can you get?

Go buy her album now.

Okay, now all of you have to go out and see this movie. It is my new favorite movie (well, except for Garden State. Nothing can top Garden State, I don't think.) It is beautiful and simple and poignant and shows how interconnected we are, and how the mundane little pieces of life can be the most meaningful. Also, the music is lovely.

Me and You and Everyone We Know

Okay, go to Google Trends and type in your name and see which cities you are most popular in (the website basically shows you which cities look up your name [or whatever the word is] the most).

Jami is most popular in Helsinki, Finland. However, Chicago is 6th on the list, and I like to think I have something to do with that.

I start school today - yuck. But I'm excited about starting "college".

A couple of weeks ago I attempted to download every Bright Eyes song in existence off a torrent site. I thought it didn't work, so I deleted the program, but yesterday when I was looking through my files I found all the songs. Now I have Bright Eyes coming out of my ears. Hoorah. My current favorite is "Haligh, Haligh, a Lie, Haligh". Conor Oberst will eat your soul. I used to want to meet him but not anymore because I listened to a few interviews with him and he sounds like an uncomfortable person to talk to. Still. He'll eat your soul.

Fevers and Mirrors

Bright Eyes

The milk man... the paper boy... evening TV?

So, I forgot to mention that when I was in Vancouver Island we saw some Celtic brouhaha. It was like these Irish men in kilts who were playing bagpipes or something. Just kidding. It was actually good (ish). That is all the music related nonsense I have to say. Except that there is absolutely no battery left in my iPod and I have no way of charging it, unless by a random off chance, my aunt has a plug-in-the-wall charger. I hope beyond hope. My ears are so naked!

In other news I am delighted to inform you that my unschooling of 2006-2007 is fully underway. I've made my schedule and it looks a bit like this: (the Harper ones are at the community college, the rest I'm taking independent study at home)

Monday & Wednesday:
10:00-11:15am: Introduction to Journalism (Harper)
12:00-1:00pm: AP US History
1:00-2:00pm: AP Biology
2:00-3:00pm: Independent Project (short term)

Tuesday & Thursday:
10:00-11:00am: College Prep (filling out apps, writing essays, finding scholarships, studying for SAT IIs, etc)
11:00am-12:00pm: Independent Project (long term)
1:00-2:00pm: Psychology
6:35-9:15pm: Fiction (Tues) or Writing Poetry (Thurs)

And then Friday is either field trip (i.e. I go out and do something related to whatever I'm studying-- like if I'm studying 17th century art I'll go to the Art Institute, etc) or random catch-up and work on my independent projects.

Ha, I'm such a nerd, getting all excited about school.

We Are Night Sky

I'm in Vancouver Island, Canada right now. It's been pretty relaxed, although I miss my music. My Ipod is slowly dying and I've been trying to only use it a little bit at a time because there's another week before I can recharge it.

But I mostly want to talk about Seattle. I love that city. At first, I thought it was going to be the West Coast equivalent of Niagara Falls: sketchy, run down, past its prime. Luckily, I was wrong. We went to Pike's Market and it was gorgeous. The atmosphere was amazing. It was bright and sunny and everyone was just so calm and mellow. There were accordian players, violin players, 4-piece bands, jugglers, and various other sorts of people playing on the street for a few dollars. Unlike Chicago, these people weren't ostracized or looked down upon, instead they were embraced as part of the culture. They were young and clean and hopeful, not dirty and scruffy and old.

I spent two hours in an alternative bookstore, reading zines. Why don't we have stores like this in Chicago? I found a couple music zines, and they inspired me to start making one for Fanterview. I want to resurrect the site and have a paper zine to go along with it. I also want to actually finish some zines.

Soon I'll be going to San Francisco, where hopefully I can check out some of the music scene and visit strange places and record stores.

For now, I recommend you listen to Nada Surf. I've been listening to them constantly, especially "Your Legs Grow". If you were here... baby we'd increase the dose...

The Weight Is a Gift

I officially declare myself a Lollapaloser. I am completely in love with the festival and all things associated with it. Here will be the longest entry you will ever find on this website (until, perhaps, Lollapalooza 2007).

((Some photos available in my Photos section, others to be uploaded soon))

pre-Lolla: August 3rd
The night before Lollapalooza, I was nervewracked with anxiety and excitement. I wasn't sure about the whole train thing and finding my way, being the sad suburban soul that I am, but I was excited to see so many of the bands I adored. I charged my batteries, charged my phone, downloaded a crapload of music from all the bands I would be seeing, and fell asleep dreamily listening to Death Cab.

Day One: August 4th
At 6am I woke up and got ready, packing (aka squashing beyond belief) a blanket, binoculars (which turned out to be unnecessary), 2 water bottles, my sister's camera, and a notebook into my backpack. My mother drove me to the train station. My train arrived a little after 9am and was horribly full and excruciatingly slow due to "track conditions". I arrived around 10 and walked the four-ish blocks to Grant Park. I got there around 10:30, where there was already a crowd, but not too bad. I was near the front of the line, but people came in hordes and soon there was a throng. I admired some girl's white and pink dreadlocks and went over my schedule for the 83rd time.

Around 11:15 they let us in. We showed them our 3-day pass tickets and received our blue plastic wristbands. From there I headed over to the BMI stage, where the Bon Mots were just getting started. The crowd was very chill, as it always is for the first set of the day, and everyone was too afraid to get too close to the stage. I liked some of their songs. After about fifteen minutes, I made the long trek over to the adidas-Champs stage to check out deadboy & the Elephantmen, which was one of the best decisions of the day. Before seeing them, I had never heard any of their music, but they were amazing, and I got a good spot (first few rows) too. Dax Riggs and Tessie Brunet reminded me a lot of Jack & Meg of the White Stripes. Tessie has a beautiful voice and amazing drumming skills. Some of my favorites were the songs Misadventures of Dope, and one that started "It never ends..." but since they're pretty unknown right now most of their lyrics aren't available online, keeping me lost and confused. But I'll definitely look into them further.

At 12:30, after deadboy's set ended, I traversed to see Blue October at Bud Light, simply because it was closer than walking all the way across the field to AT&T to see The Subways (who I heard were pretty good.) I had heard negative things about Blue October from many people, but I thought the song Hate Me was catchy, so I wanted to check them out. Bad move on my part. After 30 seconds, I decided that they sucked and made my ears bleed (not in a good way). I only caught a line that went, "My words, they pour like children to the playground"... what?? The band members also OD'd on eyeliner.

So I grabbed some ridiculously overpriced food from the vendor tents ($3 for a bottle of SmartWater? $9 for the infamous Chicken on a Stick?!) and went to the adidas-Champs stage to set up for Aqualung. I could hear Blue October booming from across the field (at 1:22, I finally heard Hate Me, the song that deluded me so completely.)

Aqualung was decent. I was around three rows back and had a good view. However, I found Matt Hales' self-deprecating chatter more entertaining than his singing, which is never good. I like his music,  but it's better listening to it at home in your room than live. So I left halfway through the set, missing Strange and Beautiful and my favorite song, Brighter Than Sunshine.

From there I met up with my friend Nell and we went to Panic! at the Disco, not because I particularly enjoy their music (although I must say that it gets stuck in my head quite often) but because a) my sister is in love with them, and begged me to call her from the show, b) I heard that they were interesting to watch, and c) to laugh in the faces of my P!atD obsessed friends. It was crowded, and we couldn't get a good view of the stage. We stayed through a couple songs, got bored, and around 3pm headed to get a good spot for Editors.

Editors blew me away. I wasn't very familiar with them, but Nell convinced me to see them. We got disconnected as I wrangled my way from the tenth to the third row (one of the advantages of being short). If you've never heard their music, do it. Now. Munich and Lights are especially good songs.  The tall guy next to me and I had our own two-person hardcore dance party. It was the most fun part of the day.

Around 4:45, I went to nab a spot close to Iron & Wine, who were set to play at 5:30, but instead decided to go see Ryan Adams so I could get a good spot for My Morning Jacket and thus Death Cab for Cutie. I lay on my blanket near the back of the crowd and watched him on the stage, but didn't really process any of his music, as I was planning my attack. As soon as Ryan Adams finished, I dashed to the front and incredibly nabbed a front row spot. I met fellow rabid Death Cab fans as we waited an hour for My Morning Jacket to start at 6:30.

My Morning Jacket was incredible, as I knew they would be, but I think I would have enjoyed them more they weren't preceding Death Cab. As it was, I was anticipating Ben Gibbard too much. We had another hour between sets, so the front row people hunkered down and talked shop-- which songs were our favorites, whether Plans was as good as the previous albums or not (definitely not, in my opinion), etc. Around 8:15, an MTV News crew came and interviewed some of us. I can't remember what I said in detail, I just remember mentioning that I didn't have to punch anyone in the face to land my front row spot. Then the guy next to me and I tried bribing the security guard to get a set list for us. (To his credit, he tried.)

A little after 8:30, Ben Gibbard and the rest of Death Cab for Cutie came onstage and I entered a state of euphoria. They began with Marching Bands of Manhattan, which, from what I hear, isn't often played. I almost peed my pants when Title and Registration began, and by The Sound of Settling I was pretty much catatonic, dancing my heart out. (Yes, it is in fact possible to dance to Death Cab, if a bit awkward. They sped up the tempo of most of their songs, which aided things.) They ended around 15 minutes early so after much cheering from the crowd Ben came back onstage and sang one more song (which I can't remember right now) solo, and then another one with the full band.

After exiting my state of bliss, I met up with my friends and made the long walk back to the Metra station, where we missed our train. Eh. Small potatoes compared with the glory of the day. I got home around 12:30 and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Day Two: August 5th
I got up around 8 and packed my things, including two granola bars, Wheat Thins, and some lollipops hidden in my blanket. (I didn't need to bother because they barely check, but better safe than sorry.) After spending $5 on a barbeque chicken sandwich the day before, I refused to spend my precious CD-and-shirt money on things so trivial as food.

I got to my train station around 9:20. I looked around for fellow Lollapalosers (it was much easier to identify them this time, because of the wristband. The day before, I had to rely on the indie stereotype to profile.) After another agonizing train ride spent sitting on the floor recalculating my schedule, I arrived at Grant Park around 11:30. I began by catching one song of Musical Outfits, who I was less than impressed with. Then I caught up with people and chilled on a blanket while watching Matt Costa sing. Things were very chill as there wasn't any band I really wanted to see until later. Around halfway through Matt Costa's set, I left to score a good spot for Nada Surf. I got there around 12:15 and managed to get into the 4th row. I was a bit disappointed, they played mostly new stuff from The Weight is a Gift-- which is understandable because it's more suited to a live concert, but as I didn't know it/like it as well, I left around 1pm to go buy my Dresden Dolls shirt.

From there I wandered around, catching bits of this and that. I saw 20 minutes of Cold War Kids before heading to The Go! Team (on the advice of my younger sister), where there was already a massive amount of people. I sat through half of one song and decided to never trust my sister's music taste again, although I should have known this already, what with her devotion to Panic! at the Disco and all. I went back to Cold War Kids until they finished up, but wasn't really paying close attention.

Then I headed to AMD stage to get front row for Oh No! Oh My! which wasn't really necessary since there wasn't anyone there yet, as the band is pretty much unknown. But it was worth it- they did not disappoint. The music is head-boppy and danceable, and I got quite into it, although not as much as during Editors. They finished with Walk in the Park, which made me one very happy girl. Then I got Greg Barkley's guitar pick, which made me an even happier girl. Unfortunately, they ended 15 minutes early, so from 2:45-3:15 I wandered aimlessly. I caught snatches of Coheed and Cambria (just to say that I saw them, but ultimately I fled the crowd full of sketchballs and scene kids), plopped in front of Wolfmother and attempted to make a plan. Two minutes into their set I realized that they were as awful as everyone had said. So I walked around a little more and heard a tad of Lyrics Born, who I kind of liked actually, in spite of my adversion to rap and hip-hop.

At 3:45 I ended up at Calexico who I was very impressed with. I wasn't planning on seeing them and I only did because they were before the Dresden Dolls. It wasn't as country-twangy as I thought they would be. They were an interesting blend of mariachi-ness and... other things that I can't define. Using my sneaky skills once again, I got up to the 5th row. It's funny that I managed to see Calexico and not Iron & Wine, even though I adore Iron & Wine and had never heard anything of Calexico previously (except, of course, for their combined stuff with Iron & Wine.) After they finished, I tried to dash to the first row, but only got second.

From 4:30-5:30 I feebly listened to Sonic Youth from across the field and waited impatiently. The crowd annoyed me, largely made up of teenage girls with purple lipstick and army boots. I realize I am a teenage girl. But all those other people still annoyed me, with their handmade "I LOVE DRESDEN" signs. It was worth it, though. Amanda and Brian put on an amazing performance. There was also that little waldrobe malfunction when Amanda inadvertently flashed the audience. I know most "musical elitists" knock Dresden, but I can't rid my love for them. They have so much energy and passion-- Brian is the most fervent drummer I've ever seen. The crowd went nuts when she sang Coin-Operated Boy. Amanda and the blonde girl's duet during Delilah was gorgeous.

Afterwards, I attempted to meet up with Nell at the Flaming Lips. Bad idea as the crowd was massive. Since I could barely even see the screen, and since I know nothing about the Flaming Lips (other than the fact that there was a guy in a bubble and dancing Santas onstage) I went to grab a place at the New Pornographers, which was coming up next at Q101. I mildly regret not staying at the Flaming Lips, as I hear the show was spectacular. But only mildly. By 6:45 I had squeezed my way to the 4th row and watched Common on screen as I waited.

From 7:30-8:30 I was enthralled by the New Pornographers. I, like everyone else there, was disappointed by Neko Case's absence, but Kathryn Calder (who strangely is A.C. Newman's niece) performed gorgeously. I don't have any of their albums, so now I have to go out and buy all of them. Except for the fact that I swore not to spend money for a month after the excess that was Lollapalooza. Mlehhhh...

I drifted around during Kanye. I amused myself by watching all the drunk people dance and the 70 year old couples attempt to booty-dance (hindered only slightly by their walkers.) I regret not going to Manu Chao as I don't even like Kanye. I left around 9:15 to catch the earlier train.

In all, Day 2 didn't quite live up to Day 1, as I knew it wouldn't, because of who was playing. However, Oh No! Oh My!, the Dresden Dolls, and the New Pornographers killed and made everything peachy.

Day Three: August 6th

Again, I woke up, packed, went to the train, and made a few friends at the station. I asked some girls about the Frames vs. the Hold Steady. One of them said she had heard the Hold Steady was good. Another told me about these huge beefcake guys who were knocking over everything in their paths at Manu Chao. We debated the possibility of rain. I was hoping it would downpour all day, causing the weaker-willed individuals to leave.

After the treacherous 40 minute walk (wearing flip flops three days in a row is brutal on your feet) I got there around 11:15 and went to see Katie Todd Band. I had just read a little piece on them in the Lollapalooza program and it sounded interesting so I decided to check it out. That band was definitely my best discovery. I like their sound a lot, and Katie Todd herself is enchanting. I spent the first ten minutes sitting and enjoying the music with the 100-ish other people who were there, then I couldn't help myself and started dancing like a loon. People gave me sketchy looks, but to each their own. About 2/3rds way through the set, some guy started dancing in the front, starting an impromptu dancefest/"mosh pit". It was hilarious and the best part of the day.

Because for some reason Boy Kill Boy bowed out of Lolla at the last minute, I went to see Mucca Pazza next. They are a highly entertaining ragtag band of ex-marching band nerds and spastic cheerleaders who march around the stage very theatrically and fall down dead at random points. It started drizzling around noon, and people were generously handing out garbage bags.

Around 12:20 I went to the Redwalls and edged to the fourth row. I didn't know much about them, but I'd liked what I'd heard, plus one of my friend's older sister went to school with them. I took a bunch of pictures then left after a while, because all their songs sound the same in my opinoin. I caught chunks of Manishevitz then camped out on my blanket at the Hold Steady and rested for a while, enjoying their music, but again, not really paying attention.

Shortly before the Hold Steady ended, I made the long journey to Nickel Creek to ensure a prime spot for the Shins. I didn't think I would enjoy them, as they were toted as bluegrass, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. They covered Radiohead and... Britney Spears. Yes, they had their very own fiddle version of Toxic, which works a lot better than you would think. Sara Watkins, the violinist, is adorable.

Right after Nickel Creek ended, my friend Nell somehow managed to find me in the second row and I pulled her to the front. Because she's shorter than five feet, the people in front of her didn't mind. We sat on the ground and listened to music on our iPods, interrupting eachother occasionally with spasms of "OHMYSTARS... IT'S ALMOST HERE!!!" like the fangirls we are at heart. At one point, the guy next to us screamed, "Can the Garden State crowd please leave?!" as half the people, it seemed, only knew New Slang and Caring is Creepy.

Finally, after what seemed like much too long a wait, the Shins came onstage, decked out in army green button down shirts. As for their set, I don't even know what to say, other than it was beyond my wildest expectations. There are a lot of complaints about the sound, but as we were second row, it wasn't a problem. They played a few new songs from their album coming out in January, Circus Walk, Australia, and Phantom Limb. Their sound has evolved a little- it's not as mellow, more pop-ish, but still gorgeous.

I was waiting and waiting for New Slang, and when they played it, near the end of the set, I was nearly as delirious as I was during Death Cab. In between songs they spoke a lot about the "youth of tomorrow" and our responsibilities to change the world, but most of the people in the crowd wanted more singing, less talk.

After that set ended, I sadly walked away and watched Of Montreal while waiting for the line for the port-o-potties to fade. (Those got repulsive by 2pm each day. Also, the water in those portable sinks ran out so fast, so everyone was running around with unwashed hands... yummmm.) Around 5:45 I watched She Wants Revenge on the screen from my comfortable spot on my blanket. I jumped up and danced for I Don't Want to Tell You, the only song I was familiar with, and then went back to attempting to sleep. Afterwards, I once again dashed to the front for a prime spot for Broken Social Scene. I ended up about twelve rows back, but due to the ridiculous geniality of the tall people in front of me, who all offered to let me go in front of them, I ended up around the sixth row.

Words cannot express what happened at Broken Social Scene. They are going on an "indefinite hiatus", which contributed to the mass hysteria/love that went down in that crowd. Amazing. They had all the members of the ensemble there, along with some women from Stars, Metric, and Leslie Feist. The set was so short, because they had to end at 8:15 before the Red Hot Chili Peppers began. The audience, however, stayed for a good 30 minutes chanting "One more song!" "Let them play!" and other more obscene and angry comments directed at the RHCP. You could tell how much BSS wanted to play, and how much the crowd wanted them to, but they couldn't, and it was heartbreaking. Broken Social Scene, without a doubt, had the best atmosphere/crowd of the whole time. I only hope I'm lucky enough to see them again sometime.

After Broken Social Scene, when everyone realized that an encore wasn't going to happen, we all drifted listlessly to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And they were good, I'm sure, but I didn't know many of their songs at all, so I just danced and frolicked around and left around 9:30, tired, overwhelmed, sad, but euphoric about my weekend.

In conclusion...

Lollapalooza was the best weekend of my short life so far. I'm counting down the days till Lollapalooza 2007. And now the statistics:

Best set, biased: Death Cab for Cutie
Best set, unbiased: Broken Social Scene
Most entertaining: the Dresden Dolls
Best new find: Katie Todd Band
Best hdp ("hardcore" dance party): Editors
Best crowd: Broken Social Scene
Biggest surprise: Calexico/Nickel Creek
Best new songs: the Shins
Biggest disappointment: Aqualung/Nada Surf
Biggest regret: Missing the Raconteurs, Iron & Wine, and Sleater-Kinney because I was saving my first-row spot for Death Cab, and seeing Kanye West instead of Manu Chao.
Sketchiest soul: The guy at Broken Social Scene who spilled cigarette ashes all over me and then asked me for a pipe
Worst/most annoying crowd: Coheed and Cambria/the Dresden Dolls
Best outfit (not a corporate/commercial one): the guy in the camo kilt
Favorite non-music related moment: Being interviewed by MTV news
Favorite songs played: New Slang/Sound of Settling/Delilah
Worst part: Walking 40 minutes from the Metra to Grant Park twice every day

I'm leaving for it in approximately 12 hours.

Here is my tentative schedule.

Friday:
11:15 The Bon Mots, 12:30 Blue October, 1:30 Aqualung, 2:30 Panic! at the Disco, 3:30 Editors, 4:30 Umphree's McGee, 5:30 Iron & Wine, 6:30 My Morning Jacket, 7:30 Sleater-Kinney, 8:30 Death Cab for Cutie

Saturday
11:45 Matt Costa, 12:30 Nada Surf, 2:30 Coheed and Cambria, 3:30 Wolfmother, 4:30 Gnarls Barkley (and trying to catch snippets of Sonic Youth), 5:30 Dresden Dolls, 6:30 The Flaming Lips, 7:30 Thievery Corporation, 8:30 Kanye West

Sunday
12:30 The Redwalls, 1:30 The Hold Steady, 2:30 Ben Kweller, 3:30 Thirty Seconds to Mars, 4:30 The Shins, 5:30 She Wants Revenge, 6:30 Queens of the Stone Age, 7:30 Broken Social Scene, 8:15 Red Hot Chili Peppers