Eaux Claires Music Festival 2016

The second Eaux Claires festival (Eaux Claires "Deux") really got underway back in February. Fans who preordered tickets to the festival without knowing who would be on the lineup were rewarded with a literal cassette mixtape of songs handpicked by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National. This genius marketing move announced the lineup in a clever way and helped build buzz through word of mouth as the follow-up to last year's inaugural Eaux Claires approached. Patrons who attended last years festival (myself included) looked forward to this iteration with anticipation. And, a few hiccups aside, the second Eaux Claires really exceeded expectations.
Aaron Dessner of The NationalBon Iver
    There were some big name headliners, to be sure, and we'll get to those in a bit. But this festival was really the year of experimentation for many artists. A few members of The National and Beirut teamed up as LNZNDRF, Aaron Dessner performed with Lisa Hannigan (no National this year), and a powerhouse combination of The National, PhosphorescentLNZNDRF, Lisa Hannigan and Richard Parry of Arcade Fire, and more paid tribute to The Grateful Dead.

    No experiment was bigger than Bon Iver's revealing, and subsequent performance of, their new album 22, A Million. A clear departure from their previous efforts, the new album replaces many of the building horns and percussion with synths and saxes, Vernon's vocals less ethereal falsetto than staccato and synthesized. Technical sound problems aside, this was a soaring unveiling. Each song on the new album is brief and succinct, ending almost mid-stride. It will be interesting to hear how this translates to the headphones.
Phosphorescent
    The rain soaked day one of the festival had many highlights before Bon Iver's closing. Phosphorescent Vince Staplespeppering old material with new, as a cover of This Land Is Your Land led seamlessly into the showstopping Song for Zula. Vince Staples mixed tracks from his Summertime '06 and Hell Can Wait projects, successfully igniting the crowd with energy before ending his set with a mashup of Summertime and Blue Suede Park. LNZNDRF took to one of the side stages to introduce many newcomers to songs from their self-titled effort, and James Blake's somber keys served as a perfect soundtrack as the day gave way to night and the rain kept falling.

    While one could argue that day two of the festival was lighter on star power, it'd be tough to convince anyone that it didn't match the highlights of the first day. Case in point: Mavis Staples. Just as Charles Bradley in the first year, Mavis delivered perhaps the most energy of any performer despite being one of the oldest. She had the crowd eating out of her hand, and by the time Lucius joined her on stage, it was game over.
Mavis Staples
    Jenny LewisElsewhere, Jenny Lewis (also joined by Lucius - man they really earned their paycheck at the festival) effortlessly delivered a beautiful set, Lucius continued to show why they are one of the most in demand bands in the world right now by putting on a typically flawless show, and Har Mar Superstar had a crowd of thousands dancing happily to his infectious melodies. (Editor's Note: we were able to sit down with Har Mar at the festival for an interview, which will be forthcoming). Seattle was represented, too, as Shabazz Palaces packed The Dells stage to max capacity, the crowd eating up their bass-heavy, spaced out blend of hip hop.

    Perhaps the biggest letdown of the festival was Erykah Badu's heavily, heavily truncated set. Scheduled to start at 8:45, fans grew restless as 9 approached with no sign of her. Then 9:10. Then 9:20. It wasn't until 9:25 that she finally took the stage, to the clear dismay of many in the audience. Scheduled to end at 10:15, she sort of just…disappeared from the stage right before 10. No doubt about it: when she sings, she's one of the most transcendent voices alive, and an impeccable performer. The roughly 30 minutes she did manage to perform were quite special. But when folks are expecting well over an hour set, performing for less time than practically everyone else at the festival can't help but end up being a colossal disappointment.

    Still, the festival ended on a high note as Chance the Rapper saved the day by making a surprise appearance for Francis and the Lights' festival closing set. (What can't that guy do?) Couple that with the many phenomenal aforementioned performances, copious delicious food vendors, bathrooms and water stations aplenty, and abundance of community, camaraderie, and charm, and Eaux Claires has something special going on. Maybe there's something in the water, but if there is indeed a third Eaux Claires, you and everyone you know would be highly encouraged to return to the river.

Photos // Words by Alexander Hallett

21 Favorite Albums of 2010: 1-11

1. Frontier Ruckus - Deadmalls and Nightfalls

So this is it, our favorite album of 2010.  Since it's July release I've kept coming back to this beautiful, affecting album by Michigan's Frontier Ruckus time and time again.  On Deadmalls and Nightfalls Matthew Milia's songwriting is at the forefront as he eulogizes forgotten places, people and memories of a suburban wasteland.  There's a certain nostalgia in abandoned stripmalls that I can relate to - maybe it's something about being a product of early-90s suburbia myself. 

Milia masters the Dylanesque feat of cramming a seemingly impossible number of words into each song, while still making each one count.  The words act not only as a vehicle for the stories that form the album's core, but in many cases act as an another instrument altogether, each syllable a note plucked from Matt Milia's quivering vocal chords; dancing with banjo strings, fighting for space alongside acoustic guitars. 

Musically, the album is as rich as anything I've heard this year - a distinctly midwestern blend of folk, bluegrass and southwest horns.  Banjo, trumpets, the occasional singing saw or fiddle, strummed and picked acoustic guitar and various percussion.  You get the feeling that these songs were truly composed, not your average verse-chorus songwriting-by-numbers - tempos change mid-song, instruments make appearances then disappear; truly a complete, fully-realized piece of art.  There were other albums that I loved this year, but none that spoke to me in quite the same way as Deadmalls and Nightfalls.  I came back to it throughout the year in various moods and situations, and each time it gave me exactly what I was looking for, and often revealed something new.

Frontier Ruckus - The Upper Room

2. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

Titus Andronicus' 2009 debut The Airing of Grievances was a ragged album of Jersey bar-band-punk that only hinted at the potential they fully relized on The Monitor.  I remember a fully intoxicated listening party the weekend after the album came out, blasting at full-volume as a small group of revelers sat around exchanging "whatthefuck" looks of amazement.  The album's spot on this list was probably cemented that night, but this album reveals more and more over time.  It is the definition of ambitious - a loose concept album based on the Civil War that quotes both Springsteen and Walt Whitman.  It is epic - a punk album with 8 songs over 5 minutes long.  And it works.  It's a masterpiece of literary punk-rock that's neither pretentious nor naive.

Titus Andronicus - Four Score And Seven

3. The National - High Violet

The National are one of the most consistent bands in indie-rock today.  While their early albums show flashes of brilliance but are somewhat inconsistent, they found their groove with 2006's Alligator and haven't looked back.  2007's Boxer topped many year-end lists, so the expectations were even higher for High Violet.  It doesn't disappoint on any level as the band returns to the well of dark, boozy, often obtuse ruminations on love and relationships.  The trademarks are there, moody ("Lemonworld", "Sorrow") pretty ("Runaway", "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks") and anthemic ("Bloodbuzz Ohio") and even though The National have done it well before, it just doesn't get old.

The National - Afraid Of Everyone

 4. The Walkmen - Lisbon

As I wrote earlier in the year, The Walkmen have taken a strange path to becoming one of my favorite bands.  For years I knew that they should be my favorite band, but for some reason I never really let myself fall in love with them.  This was the year that changed.  Truthfully, You & Me was the album that changed my mind, but Lisbon was the first time I embraced a Walkmen release as an event.  The album does not disappoint.  Where their earlier albums felt to me like New York City on a cold, windy, drunken night - this one feels warmer, sunnier, laid back.  There is a comfort where there was once abrasion.  "Juveniles", "Stranded", and "Lisbon" are among the most beautiful songs the band has recorded - this is the sound of a band that has found their place.

The Walkmen - Stranded

 5. The Love Language - Libraries

I have a soft spot in my music that incorporates equal parts soul, early rock n' roll and garage rock.  That pretty much defines The Love Language, and as you'd expect, they have been one of my favorite bands since their fantastic self-titled debut was released last year.  Truth be told, though, I was a bit nervous about follow-up and Merge debut Libraries before it was released.  Rumors had me worried that the band's sound would be sterilized - afterall, the lo-fi production was one of the previous albums' charms.  No need to worry.  Libraries sees Stuart McLamb and company clean up their sound without losing the ragged edge, and takes their garage-soul blend to epic new levels.  To these ears, this is pretty much perfect music.

The Love Language - Heart To Tell

6. Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away

Josh Ritter has already established himself as one of the most important songwriters making music today.  Five albums in, one could forgive Josh Ritter if he were to play things safe, settle into a groove and coast.  On the contrary, So Runs The World Away is full of risks.  A song about the complicated relationship between a mummy and his archeologist/lover (in waltz time) could be a horrific disaster in lesser hands.  Here it's beautiful and believable.  "Another New World" is an epic tale of adventure and loss.  A stunning piece of prose set to a sweet, soft tune.  There are still the traditional folk moments you'd expect, but the willingness to take chances and the songwriting chops to pull them off put Josh Ritter head and shoulders above most of his contemporaries.

Josh Ritter - Change Of Time

 7. Spoon - Transference

Following an album like Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is no easy task, I would imagine.  Rather than try to one-up the ragged pop and grand statements of their breakthrough, Spoon took a different route with Transference and delivered a more challenging record - one that hides its charms deeper, below the surface.  Gone are the glockenspiels and horns - replaced with disorienting rythms and backwards tape-looped keysboards.  It's like they took pop music and turned it upside down - still recognizable, but not the same.  That isn't to say that there aren't windows-down singalong rock songs - "Trouble Comes Running" is as straightforward of a song as there is, and its a ton of fun.  Overall, Transference is a welcome curveball and a fantastic album.

Spoon - I Saw The Light

8. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

The hype surrounding Local Natives' debut Gorilla Manor preceded it, but the record rose above the buzz and achieved something much, much bigger.  Pounding rhythms + soaring harmonies, often-obtuse subject matter, a Talking Heads cover - the album seemed almost too audacious at times, yet it worked.  The album captured wide-eyed wonder of youth better than any album in recent memory.  The band took the songs to the road for nearly a year of constant touring - winning more converts with each stop.  Seeing the band at a packed Great Scott and then, just a few months later, an overflowing stage at Sasquatch it's impossible to ignore the reach of Gorilla Manor.  An amazing triumph for a young band from L.A. and hands-down best debut of 2010.

Local Natives - Shape Shifter

9. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

The biggest indie band in the world got a lot bigger in 2010 - debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and collecting a Grammy nod for Rock Album Of The Year.  So how did the Arcade Fire maintain their indie cred alongside such monumental mainstream success?  They put out a brilliant record of varied, complex music that references disillusionment while never getting weighed down by it.  They turned a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden into a worldwide event by asking Terry Gilliam to direct a live internet webcast.  Their Spike Jonze-directed video for "The Suburbs" was another art-meets-accessibility success.  As for the music, it's the most fun Arcade Fire album to-date, touching on genres from art-rock to disco and addressing serious themes in an often-playful way.  Brilliant stuff.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

10. The Morning Benders - Big Echo

"Excuses" exploded out of nowhere in early 2010 like a blinding ray of summer sun cutting through the cold winter.  It is without question my song of the year - a huge pop song swathed in reverb, 60s R&B and big, dense Phil Spector-esque production.  Oh, and the rest of Big Echo is damn good too.  Operating somewhere between the layered creations of Grizzly Bear and the laid-back pop of Real Estate, The Morning Benders stepped-out in a huge way this year.  I enjoyed the band's debut Talking Through Tin Cans, but it barely hints at the level of songwriting, arrangement and maturity that Big Echos.  This was my feel good record of the year - it's impossible for me to listen to these 10 songs and not feel warm and fuzzy.

The Morning Benders - Excuses

11. Blake Mills - Break Mirrors

I'll be honest - I hadn't heard of Blake Mills until earlier this year when a friend tipped me off to his music shortly before the release of Break Mirrors.  I soon found that he had contributed to some of my favorite albums of the past few years, toured with Band Of Horses, Jenny Lewis and many more - oh, and he's only 23.  You could see the fantastic Break Mirrors as a man stepping into the spotlight.  Many sidemen and session musicians are relegated to the shadows for a reason - not so with Blake Mills.  He demonstrates songwriting, musicianship and confidence far beyond his years.  From catchy pop to understated folk, Break Mirrors is a varied, complex and just plain phenomenal album that hints at an exciting future for Blake Mills.

Blake Mills - Wintersong



First half recap: my favorite albums of 2010, so far

It's already June, and that means it's time to take step back and take stock of the new music that has come out so far this year.  Force ranking art is completely arbitrary - records impact me differently each time I listen to them, so how can I fairly rank one against another?  Therefore, I've decided not to do that.  Instead, consider this a list of records that are well worth checking out, in no particular order.

Wooden Dinosaur - Nearly Lost Stars

Nearly Lost Stars from Vermont's Wooden Dinosaur is hands down my favorite discovery of 2010 (so far).  These are rustic, plain-spoken and often heartbreaking songs of love and loss.  Roberts' fingerpicked acoustic guitar and weathered vocals are the constants, but shuffling percussion, banjo, fiddle, lap steel, horns and the occasional electric guitar add layers of sound.  The result is an absolutely beautiful record that deserves to be heard by the masses.  Buy it here, and tell your friends.

Wooden Dinosaur - Can't Be Me

Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame

Dr. Dog continue to put out consistently great records, and Shame, Shame is no exception.  Like Fate before it, Shame, Shame shows the polish of a maturing band, and features a steady dose of bouncy folk-pop grooves.  Shadow People, Jackie Wants A Black Eye, Mirror Mirror and Stranger are standouts, but the entire record is fantastic - this has rarely left my car CD player since I got it.  Get it here.

Dr. Dog - Shadow People

Full soundboard recording of Dr. Dog's recent show at the Paradise in Boston available for stream/download here (newly remastered).

 Spoon - Transference

I love it when a band follows up a commercially successful record with a bit of a curveball - a challenge to the new fans.  Don't get me wrong, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a fantastic record from start to finish - but Transference trades in the sugar-sweet Stax hooks and Spector-ish production for decidedly less-accessible influences; twisted rythms and wiry Tom Verlaine-esque guitar leads.  Still, it's unmistakably a Spoon record - driving percussion, gritty guitars and devestating grooves.  Get it here.

Spoon - I Saw The Light

Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away

I consider Josh Ritter one of the most important songwriters of our generation - one of few worthy of carrying on the tradition of Dylan, Springsteen, et al.  2007's The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, probably the most "fun" and upbeat record in the Ritter catalogue, seemed a bit like a bit of a breather after the epic Animal Years.  So Runs The World Away is a return to the cinematic storytelling and intricate compositions that made the Animal Years an incredible and moving record.  Buy it here.

Josh Ritter - Southern Pacifica

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

The Monitor has been positioned as a loose concept album based around the Civil War, complete with marching drums and readings of period-era speeches.  However, the Civil War pretense seems to only shift focus from the real story - this is a deeply personal account of a defeated man returning to the home he once wanted to escape.  Less than a minute in Patrick Stickles sets the tone for the record, subverting the Springsteen anthem of optimism and escape, screaming "baby we were born to die!".  The result though, through fist-pumping choruses and cathartic singalongs, is rewarding and satisfying.  Get it here.

Titus Andronicus - Theme From "Cheers"

Not to be forgotten:

The National - High Violet
Kingsley Flood - Dust Windows
Joe Pug - Messenger
Crusaders of Love - Never Grow Up
The Morning Benders - Big Echo