OK, maybe these aren’t the final adds, but this is the last large batch. Keep on the lookout for some additional individual artists in the weeks leading up to the festival, and keep sharp for the schedule as well. Additionally, individual tickets to shows at the Canopy are on sale this Saturday morning, July 10, at 10 a.m., so if you aren’t going for a pass, we’d recommend getting on those at the very least.
That said…*drumroll*
of Montreal – These guys obviously need no introduction. The E6 kingpins have been putting out psych-pop records since way back in 1996, and signed to Polyvinyl in 2004. Their newest, False Priest, was recorded with Jon Brion and is slated for release on September 14th, and the band are promising a pronounced R&B influence. The band are at least as infamous for their completely over the top live shows, which have included mock hangings, Susan Sarandon spanking a pig, and (occasionally) a large white stallion.
Janelle Monae — She’ll be opening of Montreal’s tour, and has been getting more hype than god lately. If you happened to miss her mind-blowing Prince tribute at the BET Awards or near-constant presence on Pitchfork lately, we highly recommend checking out the Tightrope Wondamix for what you’ve been missing. Picking up her debut album The ArchAndroid wouldn’t be a bad idea either — it’s one of the best R&B/funk albums we’ve heard since The Love Below.
Cut Chemist — As a founding member of seminal underground hip-hop group Jurassic 5 and frequent DJ Shadow collaborator, Cut Chemist has enough cred to impress even the most discerning ‘heads. Check out Brainfreeze, his tag-team record with Shadow.
Plastician — In keeping with previous performers such as Skream, a major dubstep DJ with be on the deck this year. The British DJ recently held a residency down on BBC Radio 1 and is largely credited with bridging the gap between UK Grime (an underground hip-hop sub genre) and Dubstep scenes. Additionally, Plastician will only be playing three US dates on his tour, and Pygmalion will be one of them.
Turbo Fruits — Composed of former members of the beloved punk group Be Your Own Pet, Nashville’s Turbo Fruits carry on their progenitors’ brand of math-influenced garage punk. Jonah Stein’s slashing guitar lines and John Eatherly’s frantic drumming more than make up for the absence of BYOP’s frontwoman, Jemina Pearl.
Darren Hanlon — The Australian singer/songwriter has a well-deserved reputation as an engaging live performer, plus he runs his own label (Flippin’ Yeah). In the US, he’s signed to Yep Roc (Robyn Hitchcock, Nick Lowe, Rev. Horton Heat).
Light Pollution — The Chicago-based post rockers have recently signed to Carpark Records, whose roster includes indie-darlings Beach House and floor collapser extraordinaire Dan Deacon. They’ve also gotten features on Stereogum and Pitchfork in the last few months.
Why I Like Robins — The garage rock group calls Lafayette, Indiana its home, which isn’t exactly a city renowned for its music scene. However, their EPK claims that they’re a sort of local best-of, and plus they’re named after a Hum song.
New Ruins — These guys are starting to be able to compete with Tractor Kings and Terminus Victor for the title of longest-running local band. You don’t come into that kind of longevity and continued creative vitality by accident, and New Ruins make the most of their gifts. Look for a new album soonish.
217 Mafia DJs: Mertz, Belly, Positive Vibr8tions — Well, you asked for more electronic dickery, and here it is. The 217 crew will be doing it big as usual this year. They always bring an absurd amount of energy, and if things get as crazy as they did last year, you won’t want to miss this set. Expect them to open for Plastician.
Community College — There’s nothing like some good midwestern emo and Community College take that credo to the max. Sounding equal parts Castevet and Cap’n Jazz, they come off as immediately aggressive and filled with a tension built to explode in a live setting.
Revolt Revolt — Built to Spill’s tour opener also hail from Boise, Idaho. Their sound approximates BtS to an extent, retaining the loose and unhinged sound, but leans towards noisy guitar jams ala Sonic Youth as well.
The Poison Control Center — Another great regional act that you’ll be seeing a good deal of in the months to come. Poison Control Center hail from Ames, Iowa and could roughly be described as power-pop.
DISCOTECH DJs: Famicom, Space Police, White Rabbit — These guys aren’t grouped together because they aren’t important — it’s because they form a sort of cultural ambassadors club for the Champaign-Urbana electronic scene, and splitting them up wouldn’t do the group as a whole any justice. Seeing people from as far as Chicago and Indianapolis dancing at Wednesday’s Physical Challenge afterparty was one of the highlights of my weekend.