Yet another indie-pop band hailing from New York, Cults provided a pleasant mid-afternoon surprise, especially as I wasn’t wowed by last year’s self-titled debut. Led by driving forces Brian Oblivion on guitar and Madeline Follin on vocals, the group delivered a solid set of soulful pop resonant of a hundred great, dusty 45s from the early ’60s that you almost can name but can’t quite put your finger on. Much like West Coast kindred spirits Best Coast, that’s because the band brings a fresh exuberance to these familiar sounds, making them their own, and winning your heart with the charming personality, arresting presence and powerful voice of Follin.
“Are you trying to sound like a 12-year-old girl singing into her curling iron?” my Sound Opinions colleague Greg Kot ungraciously Tweeted. Hey, dude, lighten up!
Pitchfork's celebration of on-the-rise rap artists continued with Schoolboy Q on the Blue stage. Q (legally Quincy Matthew Hanley) is a big guy with a gravelly voice and a gregarious personality. His flow seems suited to storytelling, but like his pal A$AP Rocky, Q is mostly just talking about weed. Not anything specific or interesting about weed, just the fact that he has it and likes to smoke it. Take for instance this lyric from early in his set: "Got no money, but I got some weed." That last part is the refrain and it really drove the crowd crazy. It was really boring to me. It got me thinking that maybe marijuana should be legalized just to get talented rappers like Q to tackle more interesting subject matter.
The intricate guitar parts and death march vocals conjured a basement game of Dungeons and Dragons. I'm not sure the band had anything to do with it, but there was even a horrible dank smell coming from beneath the stage. If they are capable of making their music smell, The Atlas Moth could be the best metal band in history.
The band has a knack for creating catnip for music critics with their upside down approach to a wide variety of musical traditions. Some hear hints of doo-wop combined with African guitar. Others pick up on R&B mixed with art rock. But to some listeners it's nothing more than complexity for complexity's sake.
