Reviewing Roskilde 2011!

M.I.A.
(c) Paw Ager/Gaffa.

So, another Roskilde Festival's come and gone, and a cerise and lime green wristband is now in my drawer with my four others. Probably the ugliest wristband of them all, and fittingly, to many, Roskilde 2011 won't be historical in its musical prowess. Still, I do think many of the critics have fundamentally misunderstood the dynamics of Roskilde. The field of headliners has been heavily criticized, but the two of the potentially weaker ones - Mastodon and M.I.A. - each delivered massively on Orange Stage, and proved they are indeed some of the major artists of today. Coupled with bunch of artists burning down the smaller stages with highly acclaimed albums in their bags, Lykke Li, James Blake, Janelle Monaé among them, I really don't see the issue.

Anyway, what I really wanted to do was to talk you through what I saw and experienced at Roskilde this year. For all the general discussion on Roskilde - on track or a slippery slope, I'd like to refer to this article, which I largely agree with.

Back to the point: This year I saw 12 full concerts, the lowest since 2008, which probably fits very well with the fact that both were years of a less-than-astonishing line-up (ooooh, here we go again...). I do however think the general level of the shows I saw was very high - especially on Orange Stage, where I had quite a few lackluster experiences last year.

Kirsten & Marie.
(c) Gaffa/Steffen Jørgensen.

THE WARM UP DAYS are tricky to get a hold of, since hanging around with my posse is of a higher priority. This year, I saw two acts on Pavilion Junior: Kirsten & Marie played Monday afternoon, and they were pretty decent. It did however become a bit boring as the show dragged on, and it struck me, that these two girls need to somewhat broaden their musical expression in order to ever escape the "talented" category and being able to undertake the 45 minute plus shows that are required of artists past the hype-stage. Battlekat played Wednesday night, and I must admit I was too much heading towards an epic night of being drunk to really review it properly. It was pretty good, but the The Knife-references were in places much too obvious.

THURSDAY, I started up in the back pit for VETO, after being seriously in doubt on whether or not to skip them for Tame Impala. I think I made a wise choice; as a seriously long-time VETO follower, I nearly shed a tear when they went on stage - oh, what a journey I've been on with that band, and how some of their tunes have soundtracked parts of my youth; I would have hated myself massively for missing this show for Australian psych-kids. Objectively, VETO turned out to be the most well chosen opening band since Volbeat in '07, and their show was fine. However, over the past few years they've moved towards dangerously straddling the mainstream - not that that's a bad thing, but it complicates their show when hits like 'Built To Fail' and 'You Say Yes, I Say Yes' are pretty far in style from a lot of their newer stuff - and older, for that matter. As an old aficionado, I did miss tunes such as 'Can You See Anything?' and 'It's A Test' in a show that sleepwalked a bit through the less well-known material.

Foals.

We made a massive scramble for Foals at Arena, and ended up with good spots in the pit. It turned out Foals had no issue filling the stage, and there was a huge party in the pits. As in Vega in December, I have a bit of an issue with Foals being chill-music for me, and obviously partying music for the majority. I do slightly regret the emphasis on drums and bass, both of which pretty efficiently throttle the tinkly guitars and twinkling synths that I enjoy so much. Set-wise, I would have been delighted had they played one of the more delicate and ethereal tunes from the latter part of Total Life Forever, but other than that, the set was pretty sweet - both the new and old material worked very well, and more than anything, Foals really showcased why they are heralded as one of the most interesting and talented young bands in England - and truly gifted musicians they are!

I finished off Thursday with Chase & Status at Cosmopol. This was one bloody fiery pogoing, fist-pumping rave! But in retrospect, also a bit dumb. The push was pretty heavy, and the concert had to be stopped for around 10 minutes, the band demanding people to step back. But when people are drunk, and with a brought-along bawler consistently shouting "Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!", it doesn't require musical wit to start a party. But a party, nonetheless...

FRIDAY started off with Nicolas Jaar at Cosmopol. I had had my doubts about slotting Jaar in the early afternoon, but it proved to be just the perfect way to start the day! A bit of sound difficulties made the show stagger a bit mid way through, as they rendered Jaar's lazy voice inaudible, and the transitions and bridges throughout the set were sometimes a bit gawky, but all in all a very pleasant set by a talented young DJ.

Portishead.
(c) Kristoffer Amlani Ulbak.

I had a bit of a void Friday, but I do regret not spending some time with Charles Bradley, whose show at Cosmopol has been wildly acclaimed. I did however spend time with Beth Gibbons and Portishead, and what a beautiful show that was! I really didn't know what to expect, but those of us who were able to concentrate on the music, which was a bit low in volume at times, were rewarded with an exquisite performance, masterfully executed.

There have been varying reviews and opinions on M.I.A.'s show at Orange Friday night, but I think it was a fucking blast! First of all, M.I.A. is one of the most unique and groundbreaking musicians of the 21st century, even if her last album was a bit disappointing, and her mezcla of hip-hop, dancehall, electronic pop and indigenous sounds from Africa and the Subcontinent were a perfect fit for Orange Stage, which seemed pretty full. I might be biased, as we had perfect spots just behind the pit, but this show was an explosion of sound and light that I would definitely put "up there" with shows such as Björk in '07 and The Chemical Brothers in '08! After that, we went and caught the last part of WhoMadeWho at Arena. It was a wild party too!

The Tallest Man On
Earth.
(c) Kristoffer Amlani Ulbak.

SATURDAY was my big day this year, with four of my most anticipated acts on the program, kicking off with The Tallest Man On Earth in the afternoon at Odeon. This was exactly as beautiful and heartfelt concert as I had expected - nothing more, nothing less. Kristian Matsson was visibly affected by his fall off a horse the other day, but luckily it didn't bear upon his musical performance, which was just stunning! Half way through, a few buddies on bass and drums joined him, which wasn't necessary. I know how everyone talk about how hard it is to keep the impetus going when playing acoustically for larger crowds, but if anyone could surely pull it off, it would be The Tallest Man On Earth, with his mesmerizing voice, masterful guitar playing and virile compositions!


After that, I went all in on getting up front for Arctic Monkeys, and got spots in the middle of the first pit. It was a massive party, especially when the band dropped tunes from their first two albums, but I must admit, although I myself like the new stuff as much as the old, it doesn't work as well live - although that might have to do with the audience's general reluctance to accept that Arctic Monkeys have evolved. If you ask me, the band could have easily stuffed another 4-5 songs into the set - being as they only played for around an hour and 20, and their tunes are generally not the longest. We could have used 'Fake Tales of San Francisco', 'Dancing Shoes' or 'From The Ritz To The Rubble' from the debut album, but also newer tunes such as 'Cornerstone', 'Potion Approaching' and 'Love Is A Laserquest' were strangely absent. Couple that with a less-than-inspired performance on stage, and I think - despite the party I had - this could be described as a good, but not perfect, show.

The Strokes.
(c) Paw Ager/Gaffa.

In between Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes we got a fucking torrential downpour, but luckily the rain stopped just in time to jam pack Orange for the NY posse to make their return to Roskilde. And what a comeback! Fronted by a cheerful and Danish-chattering Julian Casablancas, The Strokes played a set perfectly balanced between the genuine new album Angles, legendary debut Is This It, and the albums in between. Mayhem predictably occurred during hits such as 'Reptilia', 'Under Cover Of Darkness' and 'Last Nite', all of which were boldly played in the beginning of the set. But even though they might have fired off some of their most powerful weapons, The Strokes kept the audience firmly in their grasp throughout the concert, before finishing with Is This It-double 'Someday' and 'Take It Or Leave It'. I could have wished more people had bothered to give the new album a spin, as the tunes off it were among the sharpest and best sounding - but the sound was crisp overall, and The Strokes definitely proved to be still highly relevant ten years on!


Saturday closed with Deadmau5 at Orange. I had been very anxious to see, just how the Canadian DJ would pull this massive stage off, having played Cosmopol just two years ago. It went slightly as I had expected - people were unquestionably raving, but the music had its definite shortcomings. Once you got beyond gazing at the massive light show, the music was pretty monotonous, repetitive and predictable. I know that's how techno sounds, but I just can't help thinking that the material didn't have the depth and quality for Orange Stage. Deadmau5 veered only very rarely from the foolproof pattern of four-on-the-floor beats, building climaxes and steady raves, and honestly, you need a few more tricks up your sleeve to really pull off Orange - especially when you decide to play for almost two hours. A bit more musical diversion, and maybe even a few proper hits. I understand how many people were fascinated by the light and the bass and all, but c'mon - is that really all it takes?

The Walkmen.
(c) Kristoffer Amlani Ulbak.

SUNDAY was pretty much of a chill day for me, and I jumped around to see half of a few shows during the afternoon. Started out with The Walkmen at Odeon, which turned out to be very disappointing. A well-playing but utterly uninspiring band fronted by a singer whose voice I don't think I will ever learn to love. Then we went down and saw a bit of Aníbal Velasquez y Los Locos del Swing, on the spur of the moment. We didn't stay for more than 20 minutes, but it was a very gratifying experience, watching this old fellow still thoroughly enjoying being on stage, and people were dancing away in the tent. Then we went to Gold Panda at Gloria, which was very nice, but also unpleasantly hot, and it took us fifteen minutes to get in, because the tent was chock full. I really like the idea of Gloria as an intimate stage, but it so demands that only the smallest of artists are placed there. Gold Panda was too big, and I can only imagine how it was when How To Dress Well played the day before.


This year, Battles had been promoted to Arena, after tearing down Odeon with a massive show in 2008. That proved to be a wrong choice. I haven't seen Arena as empty since Tivoli's Symfoniorkester played there a few years ago, and that was really a shame, because Battles is a truly nonpareil outfit, almost unrivaled in musical wit. For whichever reason, the band chose to fully omit their highly acclaimed debut album Mirrored, playing only material from this year's Gloss Drop. The new stuff, which I had heard only bits of, was far better than expected, but they should really have dropped 'Atlas' or 'Tonto' at the end - that would have sent the minuscule crowd raving. A well played concert, but I can only imagine how intense it would have been at Odeon or Cosmopol...

Kings of Leon.
Håkan Moberg/Gaffa

As everyone else, I finished the year with Kings of Leon at Orange. I am not a big fan, but I had hoped to be won over. I wasn't. I just don't like their overhyped stadium rock with Caleb Followill's nauseating voice atop it. Me and my mate Jacob left early to get a feed and watch the remainder of the show from the area to the left of the stage, and it was admittedly very beautiful to watch 60000+ people screaming along to 'Use Somebody' and 'Sex On Fire' at the end, but my clear impression was, that outside the pit, many were slightly bored... I did however dig that they chose to enter the stage with Austra's 'Beat and The Pulse', and leave with LCD Soundsystem's 'All My Friends'.


All in all, I'd say my top 5 shows were, in order:


The Strokes
M.I.A.
The Tallest Man On Earth
Foals
Arctic Monkeys


And the 5 I'm most bitter I missed:


Chris Cunningham
Charles Bradley
James Blake
Janelle Monáe
Magnetic Man

Roskilde mixtapes galore! Now, let's go!

Oi, sweet as kids! Time's almost up for another year at the Animal Showgrounds! Weather forecasts look decent, my bag-packing is in progress, and my pizza snails will see daylight tomorrow! I've spent the past week laboring on some mixtapes for the four days of music proper, and here's the fruit of it! 


There's clearly an upward progression in the quality, as I'm still only a rookie doing mixtapes, meaning each one gives valuable experience. I think I'm most satisfied with the one for Friday though, which tramps through quite a lot of genres, ending up with, sorry to put it upon a pedestal, quite massive fuse of Nicolas Jaar, Portishead and M.I.A. I tried to expand my genre horizons, and I've included quite a number of artists that I don't expect to see myself, in order to broaden the palette somewhat.


Please do go check them out, the tracklists are right here below, and if you click on the Soundcloud-links, they're there too.


NOTE: I realized the timing is wrong for Saturday's mixtape, as I had to remove The Tallest Man On Earth from it, due to copyright issues. Hope you'll survive that...

THE IDIOTEQUE'S ROSKILDE '11 MIX, THURSDAY
00.00: Narasirato - 'Mane Paina' (Tangio Tumas, Pan People Publishing, 2011)
01.51: Foals - 'Blue Blood' (Total Life Forever, Transgressive Records, 2010)
06.22: VETO - 'This Is Not' (Everything is Amplified, Sony BMG, 2011)
09.57: Tame Impala - 'Alter Ego' (InnerSpeaker, Modular Records, 2010)
12.08: Oh Land - 'Wolf & I' (Oh Land, Fake Diamond Records, 2011)
15.47: Foals - 'Olympic Airways' (Antidotes, Transgressive Records, 2008)
19.29: VETO - 'Built To Fail' (Crushing Digits, Reset08 Records, 2008)
23.09: Frente Cumbiero - 'Ananas Tornillo' (Honest Jon's Records, 2010)


THE IDIOTEQUE'S ROSKILDE '11 MIX, FRIDAY
00.00: The Raveonettes - 'Beat City' (Pretty In Black, Columbia Records, 2002)
01.13: Dâm-Funk - '(My Funk Goes) On And On' (Toeachizown, Stones Throw Records, 2009)
03.32: Bright Eyes - 'First Day Of My Life' (I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Saddle Creek Records, 2005)
06.15: Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band - 'The World (Is Going Up In Flames)' (Daptone Records, 2007)
07.34: Magnetic Man feat. John Legend - 'Getting Nowhere' (Magnetic Man, Columbia Records, 2010)
08.36: Portishead - 'Glory Box' (Dummy, Go! Discs, 1994)
12.49: How To Dress Well - 'Ready For The World' (Love Remains, Lefse Records, 2010)
13.39: Magnetic Man - 'I Need Air' (Magnetic Man, Columbia Records, 2010)
16.44: Ólöf Arnalds - 'Innundir Skinni' (Innundir Skinni, One Little Indian, 2010)
18.30: Nicolas Jaar - 'Mi Mujer' (Clown and Sunset Records, 2011)
23.09: Portishead - 'We Carry On' (Third, Island Records, 2008)
26.21: M.I.A. - 'Bamboo Banga' (Kala, XL Recordings, 2007)
30.01: M.I.A. - 'Jimmy' (Kala, XL Recordings, 2007)


THE IDIOTEQUE'S ROSKILDE '11 MIX, SATURDAY
02.59: TV on the Radio - 'Lover's Day' (Dear Science, Interscope Records, 2008)
07.20: Arctic Monkeys - 'Don't Sit Down, 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair' (Suck It And See, Domino Records, 2011)
10.04: Tianjama - 'Atero Amy Babana' (Grand Maitre, Mars Records Madagascar, 1991) (by way of Awesome Tapes From Africa)
10.58: Lykke Li - 'Get Some' (Wounded Rhymes, LL Recordings, 2011)
13.24: The Strokes - 'Machu Picchu' (Angles, Rough Trade Records, 2011)
16.41: Professor Jay - 'Bongo Dar es Salaam' (Machozi Jasho Na Damu, 2001) (by way of Awesome Tapes From Africa)
17.34: James Blake - 'The Wilhelm Scream' (James Blake, ATLAS, 2011)
20.10: The Strokes - 'Reptilia' (Room On Fire, RCA Records, 2003)
23.25: Arctic Monkeys - 'Cornerstone' (Humbug, Domino Records, 2008)
26.20: Calle 13 - 'Un Beso de Desayuno' (Residente o Visitante, Sony BMG, 2007)
27.14: Deadmau5 - 'Some Chords' (4x4=12, Virgin Records, 2010)
30.30: Deadmau5 - 'Ghosts 'n' Stuff' (For Lack of a Better Name, Virgin Records, 2009)


THE IDIOTEQUE'S ROSKILDE '11 MIX, SUNDAY
00.00: AfroCubism - 'Djelimady Rumba' (AfroCubism, Playground Music, 2010)
01.27: Big Boi feat. Cutty - 'Shutterbugg' (Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, Def Jam Recordings, 2010)
04.13: L.O.C. feat. Suspekt - 'Gi Den Gas' (Inkarneret, Virgin Music, 2003)
04.19: Gold Panda - 'You' (Lucky Shiner, Ghostly International, 2010)
07.17: L.O.C. - 'Absinthe' (Dominologi, Virgin Music, 2001)
08.58: Chancha Via Circuito - 'Cumbin de las Aves' (Río Arriba, ZZK Records, 2010)
10.20: Prince Fatty feat. Horseman - 'Gin and Juice' (Survival of the Fattest, Mr Bongo Records, 2007)
13.29: Aníbal Velásquez - 'Mambo Loco' (Mambo Loco, Analog Africa Records)
14.26: The Walkmen - 'Blue As Your Blood' (Lisbon, Fat Possum Records, 2010)
18.26: Battles - 'Atlas' (Mirrored, Warp Records, 2007)
24.26: Kings of Leon - 'Use Somebody' (Only by the Night, RCA Records, 2008)

15 songs you have to hear before Roskilde!

Battlekat.

So much is gonna be going on next week in Roskilde, and it can be slightly confusing to get a hold of all the interesting music in this year's line-up. I've tried to collect a handful of tunes from a handful of very different and very interesting artists, that I think will give you a good taste of why exactly these artists could be worth seeing!


'LOVE IS A LASERQUEST' by Arctic Monkeys.
I am ever so slowly getting into the new Arctic Monkeys record, Suck It And See, and I'm realizing that what might eventually elevate this album all the way to being on par with the three others are the astonishing lyrics, even as I haven't really gotten into the nooks and veins of them yet. I felt like highlighting one of the more obscure tunes though, and 'Love Is A Laserquest' is just that, and what beautiful lyrics!
Arctic Monkeys play Orange, Saturday, 19.30.


'BUSINESS', by Battlekat.
Battlekat are still pretty cool, even if all the mystery surrounding the outfit has gone. They're one of the most interesting Pavilion Jr. acts we've seen in a long time, and their dark electronic sounds had even Pitchfork dumbfounded.
Battlekat play Pavilion Junior, Wednesday, 22.00.


'ATLAS', by Battles.
Battles, as I've mentioned before, have quite a task in upping their show from 2008, but if they bring along a fair share of their iconic debut album, Mirrored, they might have a chance. Atlas is one of the tunes that could really lift them.
Battles play Arena, Sunday, 20.30

Bright Eyes.

'FIRST DAY OF MY LIFE', by Bright Eyes.
Conor Oberst is a pretty sensitive feller, it seems, and 'First Day Of My Life' is just a beautiful little ballad, that will definitely be a highlight of Bright Eyes' much anticipated show.
Bright Eyes play Arena, Friday, 14.00.


'HIMLEN', by Fastpoholmen.
I don't know many other tunes by this Swedish outfit, whose music is curiously described as forest-reggae - now, what the fuck is that? Anyway, this tune alone is almost enough to convince me to go and see them on opening Sunday.
Fastpoholmen play Pavilion Junior, Sunday (warm-up), 22.00.


'BLUE BLOOD', by Foals.
This tune includes one of the mightiest bass-lines that will hover over Roskilde this summer. As the opener of masterpiece sophomore album Total Life Forever, it has a special significance for the entire Foals experience, which'll of course be awesome.
Foals play Arena, Thursday, 20.00.


'YOU', by Gold Panda.
Gold Panda is one of the more interesting mid-size electronic names this year, and I really think it's gonna be a sweet chill. 'You' is just an instantly likable tune.
Gold Panda plays Gloria, Sunday, 19.00.


'BAMBOO BANGA', by M.I.A.
So, M.I.A. got her night-time slot at Orange, and how awesome is that? This tune off Kala is gonna be one of the most party-starting this year - it's so raw and vivid.
M.I.A. plays Orange, Friday, 01.00.

Nicolas Jaar.

'MI MUJER', by Nicolas Jaar.
Sure, I am a sucker for Spanish, but most of Nicolas Jaar's lyrics are actually in his adopted language English. Whichever tongue, this Chilean-American electronic shooting star is gonna bring it down massively Friday afternoon!
Nicolas Jaar plays Cosmopol, Friday, 14.30.


'INNUNDIR SKINNI', by Ólöf Arnalds.
Even though I've gotten the album now, and there are a number of sweet tunes on it, I keep coming back to title track 'Innundir Skinni', which was my first impression of this intriguing Icelandic songstress.
Ólöf Arnalds plays Gloria, Friday, 15.00.


'WE CARRY ON', by Portishead.
As much as their ballads are astonishingly beautiful, the late-addition Bristol outfit are gonna need tunes like 'We Carry On' to properly set fire to Orange - which I'm sure they'll do.
Portishead play Orange, Friday, 22.30.


'REPTILIA', by The Strokes.
There are good tunes on the new album Angles, and there are almost nothing but good tunes on legendary debut Is This It, but if you had to pick just one tune from The Strokes, it's pretty hard to ignore the dead catchy riff on 'Reptilia'!
The Strokes play Orange, Saturday, 22.30.


'WHERE DO MY BLUEBIRD FLY?', by The Tallest Man On Earth.
This is just mmmh, nothing more, nothing less. By the way, the title is erred, it's not my fault...
The Tallest Man On Earth plays Odeon, Saturday, 15.00.


'LOVER'S DAY', by TV on the Radio.
OK, so even though I probably wont get to see TV on the Radio this time around, I've still taken a huge liking to this tune, with its tranquil flutes and beautiful lyrics.
TV on the Radio play Arena, Saturday, 18.00.

The Walkmen.

'BLUE AS YOUR BLOOD', by The Walkmen.
I haven't completely warmed to The Walkmen yet, but this tune, off last year's album Lisbon, is nothing short of marvelous with its hushed guitars and haunted mood.
The Walkmen play Odeon, Sunday, 16.30.

Roskilde 2011: Concerning the schedule...

Fastpoholmen.

Finally, the band schedule is here! It's always interesting to see how the puzzle winds up, and impressively, even with much fewer must-see acts than last year, there are actually more clashes. Furthermore, it looks like a lot of my festival will be spent at Orange stage. That's OK, since the big stage will get a chance to take revenge from last year, where most of the concerts there were pretty disappointing. It shapes up pretty well though, with an awesome Arctic Monkeys/The Strokes doubleheader on Saturday, and both M.I.A. and Deadmau5 at 01.00!


Anyway, let me talk you through what I see, and how it could all pan out!


THE WARM-UP DAYS contain more acts I want to see than in many years. Actually, when I think of it, the last time I had that much to see Sunday through Wednesday was in my maiden year 2007. Three of the four days see interesting acts at the late slot (22.00), which by the way has been moved back an hour - can't decide whether that's good or bad. Those acts are Fastpoholmen (Sunday), Little Marbles (Tuesday) and Battlekat (Wednesday). Reptile & Retard (Sunday, 20.30) and Kirsten & Marie (Monday, 14.30) will depend on the mood of the day.

Foals.

THURSDAY is always a bit thin, as it's basically only a half day's worth of music. Furthermore, this year's Thursday headliner being Iron Maiden leaves me with a lot of time on my hand. Anyway, Thursday starts right out with a three-way clash. Depending on the ambition level regarding getting in the pits at Orange, I might swing past to catch a quick glimpse at Narasirato (Pavilion, 17.30) before going to either VETO (Orange, 18.00) or Tame Impala (Odeon, 18.00). I guess it'll be the former. From there, it's a direct scramble to get a good spot for Foals (Arena, 20.00), which'll be the last important show of the day. Depending on the spur of the moment, one could pass by Alcoholic Faith Mission (Pavilion, 21.30) on the way back to camp.

Portishead.

FRIDAY is full of bad clashes. First of all, I'm gonna have to choose between Bright Eyes (Arena, 14.00) and Nicolas Jaar (Cosmopol, 14.30). If I'm able to hype Nicolas Jaar sufficiently to get someone to go along, he's actually my preference right now, but I haven't really got much electronic posse with me, so Bright Eyes might be the social choice. That also will enable me to catch a glimpse of Ólöf Arnalds (Gloria, 15.00) afterwards. Just got her newest album by the way, it's pretty sweet.


After that, there's a good long break fit for fueling up on beer, which'll come in handy for the evenings escapades. It might be worth going up to the festival grounds a bit early to catch How To Dress Well (Gloria, 21.00), who I think is sort of mismatched at such a small stage. But other than that, the night's big double header is Portishead (Orange, 22.30) and M.I.A. (Orange, 01.00), both of which will be awesome shows with very unique artists. Magnetic Man (Arena, 22.00) are playing too, and depending on the level of ambition for a good spot for Portishead, it might be worth checking out just ten-fifteen minutes of it. I won't bet on it though. Finally, if there's juice for it, Dâm-Funk (Pavilion, 02.00) are throwing a late-night party.

The Tallest Man On Earth.

SATURDAY is pure bonkers, with 4 of my top 5 names slotted here. Luckily though, none of them clash! Hymns From Nineveh (Odeon, 13.00) is almost impossibly early, so I'll probably be starting the day with The Tallest Man On Earth (Odeon, 15.00). Thankfully, he's playing Odeon, not Arena, but it'll still be worth it being there in good time, in order to get a bit of front-row intimacy. There's room for a bit of a breather after that, before the big three-in-a-row at Orange, kicking off with the absolutely most important concert, Arctic Monkeys (Orange, 19.30). I'll try desperately to find someone who wants to go in the pits for that, which means I'll be spending time en queue, instead of being at TV on the Radio (Arena, 18.00). See, told ya it wouldn't be this time around, huh? 


James Blake (Cosmopol, 20.00) is clashing with it all, but that's really a no brainer. Too bad, and one of the major names I'll have to miss this year. The rest of the evening is set in stone with The Strokes (Orange, 22.30) and Deadmau5 (Orange, 01.00), where I might want to get into the pits. If there's time and energy for it though, it might be worth it to detour over to Arena to catch a glimpse of Chris Cunningham's (Arena, 23.30) show in between.

Gold Panda.

SUNDAY is a breeze as usual, although my old pop is visiting early in the day, so we'll probably catch some random stuff in the early part of the program. Surfer Blood (Odeon, 14.30) might warrant consideration, but otherwise, it looks like the day is gonna kick off with a major clash between Afrocubism (Arena, 16.00) and The Walkmen (Odeon, 16.30). I really think Afrocubism and Bad Religion could easily have swapped places, putting Afrocubism on Orange at 15.00. I don't think it would have been a mismatch, and it would be somewhat of a crowning achievement for a festival that has done so much for both African and Latin American music. Anyway, I think it'll come down to the very day, whether I'm going with Afrocubism or The Walkmen.


Later on, I'd really like to swing past Gold Panda (Gloria, 19.00), which will somewhat justify missing out on Nicolas Jaar a few days earlier, before ending my festival with Battles (Arena, 20.30). I'll probably end up at Kings of Leon (Orange, 22.00), just for the sake and hate of it.

The BIG Roskilde list, 2011!

So, it's time for this! To be honest, I haven't been quite as excited about the Roskilde line-up this year as I have been in previous years (especially last year, which was fucking amazing), so I'm not really as prepared this time around. Last year, by now I had been moving bands up and down my list for weeks, whereas this year, only last week I realized I might have to get going. For this reason, I'm not really sure of how my priorities break down, and the picture becomes more cloudy by the fact, that whereas last year, there was a large share of acts that I myself had hyped considerably (The Temper Trap, Kings of Convenience, Delphic, LCD Soundsystem and so on), this year, I'm really pretty blank on a lot of the stuff.

The major indie names are mostly absent, and many of the ones that are present, aren't really down my alley (Tame Impala, Surfer Blood, TV On The Radio). This means I'm gonna catch a lot of shows this year with artists whose material I don't really know that thoroughly - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, truth is, I've had some of my best experiences at Roskilde with bands whose back catalogue I didn't really know. But it definitely makes it harder to list my priorities, especially as both the schedule and, as always, the spur of the moment, is gonna impact heavily on what I end up seeing. But here you go:

If there's nothing else to do, I might check out a few of these acts:

DJ/rupture.

40) DJ/RUPTURE (US)
An interesting American DJ with a Pitchfork BNM'ed release from 2008, but another artist that drowns in the electronic plethora.
Likely stage: Pavilion, as part of the The Ex curation.

39) ANNA CALVI (UK)

To be honest, I haven't heard much of her, but I keep on getting recommendations, enough to warrant a slot at the bottom of this list.

Likely stage: Odeon.

38) CONGOTRONICS VS. ROCKERS (INT)

I've often been raving about how the congotronics-moniker is really a misnomer for African music with a bit of guitar added, Fela Kuti style. However, if one had to attend a single congotronics show, this would probably be a wise choice, as it fuses congolese household names Konono N*1 and Kasai Allstars with a few indie friends from Brooklyn and Sweden.

Likely stage: Cosmopol.

37) WHOMADEWHO (DK)

WhoMadeWho have come a long way since I saw them warm up for VETO three years ago, and it would be interesting to see what the fuss is all about.
Likely stage: Pavilion or Odeon.


36) ALCOHOLIC FAITH MISSION (DK)
It sounds like a metal band but it's not. I have had this melancholic indie outfit recommended many times, and it sure sounds quaint.
Likely stage: Pavilion Junior.

35) CODY (DK)

Another Danish band I have had recommended quite a few times, they're riding the folk-wave that blazes through the music world these years.

Likely stage: Pavilion.

Reptile and Retard.

34) REPTILE & RETARD (DK)

Another case of wanting to see what the fuck the fuss is all about, Reptile & Retard have been pretty hyped the past year, and are apparently popular in China (which isn't by any means an accolade!)

Likely stage: Pavilion Junior.

33) DÂM-FUNK (US)

Stones Throw artist Dâm-Funk brings the funk to Roskilde. Sounds interesting, but I'm not so sure I'm gonna make it.

Likely stage: Cosmopol, Odeon, Pavilion, you name it...

32) SURFER BLOOD (US)
So, one of the few true indie outfits in this year's lineup, and they're 32nd? Well, the stuff I've heard really hasn't caught me.
Likely stage: Odeon or Pavilion.

31) LITTLE DRAGON (S)
Another band that is recommended to me now and then, and what's not to like about Yukimi Nagano's vocals? It'll be pretty tough to squeeze them in.
Likely stage: Odeon.

30) FASTPOHOLMEN (S)

I am a sucker for Swedish, and this is just the right band to set the mood for a sunny afternoon with their low-key reggae-inspired folk.

Likely stage: Pavilion Junior.

29) HYMNS FROM NINEVEH (DK)
I don't like all the "I'm so Christian"-business, but the tunes are pretty sweet...
Likely stage: Pavilion.

28) KIRSTEN & MARIE (DK)

Another name from a pretty interesting Pavilion Junior line-up this year, it's been more than a year now since twins Kirsten & Marie showed up with their soothing, two-part vocals in the catchy 'My Dear'. Is there more to them, though?

Likely stage: Pavilion Junior.

Narasirato.

27) NARASIRATO (SOL)

This pan-piper collective from the Solomon Islands were originally in the line-up last year, but had to pull out. This time around, they're the only addition on this list from the motley crew of world music artists such as Wang Li (CHN) and Jagwa Music (TAN).

Likely stage: Cosmopol.

26) TV ON THE RADIO (US)
I'm tempted to repeat the statement I made at #32. I don't think it'll be this time around for me and TV On The Radio, a band that has long flown under my radar. Had they been announced in March, I might have jumped head first into it, but now it's gonna take a void for me to see them, I think, although signature album Dear Science does contain a few wonderful tunes.
Likely stage: Arena.

I won't be heartbroken if I miss out on these acts, but I'd really like to make room for a few of them:
25) HOW TO DRESS WELL (US)
Alright, we're getting down to the nitty gritty now, and How To Dress Well sure was hard to miss on end-of-year lists in 2010. I'm not particularly won over by these minimal, alternative R'n'B-tunes, but there must be something to the hype.
Likely stage: A toss-up between Odeon and Cosmopol.

Little Marbles.

24) LITTLE MARBLES (S)
Swedish girls <3.
Swedish girls singing in Swedish <3.
Swedish girls making cutesy pop, singing in Swedish <3.
Likely stage: Pavilion Junior.

23) CHRIS CUNNINGHAM (UK)
I don't really know what to make of this booking, which isn't really a musician as much as it is a video artist. It intrigues me however, and is bound to be either a flop or a massive spectacle.
Likely stage: Big enough for Arena? Otherwise Cosmopol.

22) OH LAND (DK)
So, what if you don't really dig her artsy pop music? Well, as with many other artists this year, I'll be there to see what the fuss is all about with Oh Land (and if all else fails, she's still hot).
Likely stage: Difficult to guess, probably Odeon.

21) KINGS OF LEON (US)

Well, if I have nothing else to do, I'll probably find myself wailing along to 'Use Somebody' along with everyone else, but having Kings of Leon this high is really a tribute to the weakness of this year's line-up. I have always resented the band, and I think it's a major failure of Roskilde to book them after only three years of absence, and with a supposedly very mediocre new album. This is one of the bands that really should consider calling it quits before they become a joke.

Likely stage: Orange.

Lykke Li.

20) LYKKE LI (S)
Same alley as Oh Land, but a darker, dirtier cousin. Not as pretty and conventional, Lykke Li has edged out her own territory in the crossroads of indie, folk, pop and electronica.
Likely stage: Odeon or even Arena.

19) GOLD PANDA (UK)
Acclaimed-remixer-gone-recording-artist Gold Panda flies somewhat under the radar in a program heavily loaded with electronic artists, but he might actually be the most likable of the bunch - a calming, ethnically experimenting cousin to the brashness of house and techno.
Likely stage: Cosmopol.

18) NICOLAS JAAR (US)
Chilean-American minimalist Nicolas Jaar is one of the strongest bookings this year. He's been one of the most hyped artists in the blogosphere the last six months with his new-world take on an old-world genre, and got and 8.4 review on Pitchfork for his debut album, Space Is Only Noise.
Likely stage: Cosmopol.

17) TAME IMPALA (AUS)
These guys just keep popping up, even though I heard their 2010 debut album InnerSpeaker a few times, and found it not particularly interesting. Loads of others did, and it was a regular on best-of-year lists. I might have to check them out, regardless of my strained relationship with psychedelic, either (hopefully) to be won over, or to have a legit reason to bash.
Likely stage: Arena would be a stretch - probably Odeon.

16) BRIGHT EYES (US)
I'm slowly realizing that Bright Eyes is actually a major band, and even though I don't have time to get through Conor Oberst & co.'s entire back catalogue, I started today with the appealing ruby over diamonds, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. There's a good chance I'll end up being dragged to this show anyway, so I may as well get a handle of it.
Likely stage: Arena.

I'd be really sorry to miss one of these acts:

Ólöf Arnalds.

15) ÓLÖF ARNALDS (ISL)
This is one of my big chances to say "I told you so!" this year, if I actually manage to drag anyone with me to this show. I'm convinced it's gonna be quite beautiful, but it's a bit of a bummer that I haven't gotten around to buying the album yet.
Likely stage: Pavilion.

14) THE WALKMEN (US)
I'm ever so slowly learning to love The Walkmen, whose latest, critically acclaimed album Lisbon I bought a few months ago. I still have it tough with Hamilton Leithauser's voice at times, but this is a band that could really win me over live.
Likely stage: Odeon or Arena.

13) BATTLEKAT (DK)
So, the mysterious outfit Just A Number 05272011 that had Pitchfork and the blogosphere guessing wildly about its identity, even with wild hopes that it might be the return of Karin Dreijer, turned out to be Danish electronic outfit Battlekat. Pretty interesting, and I'm looking forward to seeing whether or not they can keep up the high standards from the tracks they've been leaking the past few months.
Likely stage: Pavilion Junior.

12) VETO (DK)
VETO opening Orange? Well, to be perfectly honest, I have mixed feelings. As a faithful VETO-follower for more than six years, I am obviously proud that the band we used to scout out on Mymusic has made it this far. On the other hand, I know just how big a drop-off there is between VETO's club shows and their outdoor dittos. But I guess I'll be there wavin' the flag.
Likely stage: Orange.

Afrocubism.

11) AFROCUBISM (INT)
This is simply too much of spectacle to miss, with legendary musicians of the third world Eliades Ochoa, Toumani Diabaté and Bassekou Kouyate teaming up. A true proof that music really does reach far beyond borders and oceans.
Likely stage: Orange or Arena.

10) JAMES BLAKE (UK)
In a year like this, James Blake sits at #10. I'm not particularly fond of his debut album, but I'll have to see how perhaps the most hyped artists of 2011 will pull off his curious minimalist post-dubstep live.
Likely stage: Could be either Cosmopol, Odeon or even Arena.

9) PORTISHEAD (UK)
That's why I fucking love Roskilde. We thought we were all out and done with the headliners, and now, with less then a few weeks ago, they drop fucking Portishead on us - probably one of the most requested artists since they came back with their masterpiece album Third in 2008, and one of the very few totally unique acts in the modern music world. I have to say I have limited knowledge of their music, but I'll be there to be blown away!
Likely stage: Orange.

Absolutely, positively, must-see acts!

8) BATTLES (US)
Battles drag a heavy load back to Roskilde, having to top the show they did in 2008, where they set Odeon ablaze. Sadly, the new album Gloss Drop hasn't garnered as good reviews as Mirrored did, but it will still be spectacular, Tyondai Braxton or not.
Likely stage: Odeon or Arena.

7) MAGNETIC MAN (UK)
Magnetic Man are supposedly bringing their A-game to Roskilde, backed by Katy B and SBTRKT, and I could hope they are awarded a slot at Arena for that. Skream, Benga and Artwork are right up there with Burial as dubstep's perpetrators, and have brought the bass-heavy sound to a larger audience - a move, which might have killed the genre as an underground phenom, but turned mainstream or not, Magnetic Man is bound to be a massive party.
Likely stage: Arena or Cosmopol.

6) M.I.A. (UK)
M.I.A. is finally here, ready to let her pan-everything pop/electro/grime/dub/whatever pulsate from, hopefully, Orange stage. Last time around she cancelled, but she should be more than ready to take revenge. She is admittedly a small headliner, but the instantaneousness of her music enables her to throw a massive party, and I hope she does!
Likely stage: Orange.

5) DEADMAU5 (CAN)
The mau5 is back, and after burning down Cosmopol two years ago, it's only fitting if he would be upped to either Arena or perhaps even Orange - given that we haven't had a proper electronic party at the biggest stage since Trentemøller in 2009 (and no, I can't make myself count in The Prodigy...). I ended up missing out on Deadmau5 in 2009, but (thanks to a weak program) I'll be sure to be there this time around, as Roskilde prepares for another round of unique and embracingly warm techno.
Likely stage: Arena or Orange?

4) FOALS (UK)
I know I've taken a stab at the lack of strength of this years program more than once in this list, but I'll do so once again; having a band at #4 that I saw in Copenhagen only a half a year ago isn't ideal, even if it is one of my biggest hype bands. I've been consistently raving about Foals since their debut Antidotes a few years ago, and when they considerably upped their ante with brilliant sophomore Total Life Forever, it seems they've finally become a legit UK indie benchmark band. I honestly wasn't impressed when I saw them at Vega, but the sound was pretty shit, and this band has got too many tunes I like for me to even consider passing on them.
Likely stage: Arena or Odeon.

3) THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH (S)
The only reason Kristian Matsson aka. The Tallest Man On Earth isn't at #2, is because he's from Sweden and will probably show up in Denmark again. Nevertheless, he has been one of my biggest musical discoveries this year with is haunting, expressive voice and phenomenal songwriting prowess. I can't decide whether Shallow Grave or The Wild Hunt is my favorite album, but I'm sure we're gonna get the lion's share of both from this wonderful singer.
Likely stage: Odeon or Arena.

2) THE STROKES (US)
In my book, The Strokes, alongside Iron Maiden, are the biggest acts of this year's festival. I know Pitchfork don't like it, but plenty agree that Casablancas and his posse have made quite an acceptable comeback with this year's release, Angles. Add bona fide hits like 'Reptilia' off Room On Fire and 'Last Nite' and 'Someday' from the iconic and groundbreaking debut Is This It, all of which everyone have danced to a thousand times, and you're gonna have a surefire winner of a concert!
Likely stage: Orange.

1) ARCTIC MONKEYS (UK)
Arctic Monkeys is one of my absolute favorite bands, and, provided that Suck It And See doesn't fail after a handful of listens, they're gonna have a full four albums of impressive strength to play from. From the dusty depths and vintage feel of Humbug, through the epic pathos and sudden swankiness of Favourite Worst Nightmare right down to modern evergreens such as 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' and 'When The Sun Goes Down' from debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, this is is gonna be just fucking rad!
Likely stage: Orange.

Northside review.

(c) Toke Hage, tokehage.dk

So, Northside came and went, and a pretty successful arrangement it was. Other than the horrendous queues at the food stalls on Saturday, there wasn't really anything to put a finger on. Having to cope with an extraordinary amount of interesting artists within a short timeframe and a rather small area, the festival opted for the back-and-forth approach, having bands playing alternately at stages at each end of the site. Good thing was you didn't really miss anything, bad thing was of course the short sets of approximately an hour. There was no other way of making things fit together, but it is a shame to book artists with such impressive back catalogues and limiting them to an hours playing time. Really reminded me how I love Roskilde for being one of the few major festivals to let the bigger artists play something reminiscent of a regular set.


Anyway, I'm gonna break down for you what I saw, and what I thought of it.

Crystal Castles.
(c) Steffen Jørgensen, photo.jint.dk

SATURDAY's big highlight turned out to be Crystal Castles by a pretty large margin. I had feared that the crowd wouldn't really dig it, but judging from where I was standing - right in the middle of the party - it seemed that anyhow a die-hard core were pretty ecstatic. The sound was muddy, but that didn't really matter. Alice Glass is one hell of a performer, and it was truly one big, bad, wild, unintelligent mosh party!


The Streets however turned out to be a bummer. Again, the sound was pretty bad, as the synth samples on standout tunes such as 'Blinded By The Lights', 'Dry Your Eyes' and 'Turn The Page' drowned completely. But he played them anyhow, which was good, as the tracks from the two earliest albums were the only ones to really keep the show afloat. I am not as big a hater of latest effort Computers & Blues as many others are, but the tunes off it work horribly live. One could have wished for a longer set to incorporate a bit more of the earlier stuff, and even a tune like 'Everything is Borrowed'.

Strange things are happening these days. For example, White Lies have become a legit stadium-size band, the way the British press has hyped them to be since they burst onto the scene a few years ago. Now, it will be an eternal mystery to me why people actually dig the sorry music. Harry McVeigh's voice is still terribly clumsy and completely devoid of evocation, and the synthesizer guy still utilizes "Strings 2" on his Yamaha keyboard the same way the rest of us used to wrap it our Avril Lavigne cover-versions as 6th graders, but for what its worth, they don't fall slap bang on the ground as they have done the other times I've seen them. Part of the reason might be the long needed addition of a fifth member to inject some muscle into the band's grandiose arrangements, but having a crowd that actually knows and (for God knows what reason) loves the music helps too.


A band that suffered particularly from the short sets was VETO. Now, I still love them, but of the ten VETO concerts I've been to, this was hands down the worst. Not only does the band really fit poorly outside, they also suffer from not being able to walkabout further in their back catalogue when limited to an hour's playing time. I mean, I'm really trying not to hate too much on Everything is Amplified, but except from singles 'This Is Not' and 'Spun', did anyone else notice how indifferent people were when VETO decided to burden us with material from their new one? It does seem as though the band acknowledges the fact that they've made a bad album, as there was a total of just 5 tunes from it on the setlist. Compare that with 7 from Crushing Digits and just one ('You're A Knife', needless to say) from There's A Beat In All Machines. Sadly another day on the job from a band most definitely not in their element.


I regretfully missed Editors (I was waiting in line for food), a lamentable decision especially because they played some of my favorite tunes off The Back Room, 'Camera' for example. And that was Saturday, basically.

Elbow.
(c) Toke Hage, tokehage.dk

SUNDAY's big surprise turned out to be Elbow. I hadn't really expected that many to be down with it, but I was blown away, both by the crowd and by the band. Guy Garvey is like a chubby, ginger Matt Berninger, and his dignified presence and blue-collar gratefulness made this one of the most amiable shows I've been to in a long time! It doesn't hurt that the band's music is utterly beautiful and well suited for the big stage. I sure did miss 'Jesus Is a Rochdale Girl', but other than that, the set was spotless, and both the old and new tunes worked superbly, leaving an enthusiastic crowd chanting endlessly for more - very impressive indeed.


Another front man who was highly ignited was Silas Bjerregaard of Turboweekend. A lot of water has run under the bridge since I first saw this band in matching striped uniforms at Pavilion Junior in 2007, and they have truly become a household name and everyman's delight - which isn't a shame when they reign supremely as one of the indisputably best live acts in the country, successfully maintaining their creative cred while still throwing a party for Mr. Jack & Jones.


And no, I didn't forget Interpol. I'm really grateful I got to see this band while they still have some sort of raison d'être. The choice of songs was heavily favored toward the band's earlier records, with the lion's share being from 2004 masterpiece Antics. I wish they could have played on and on, and could have included a few of their beautiful ballads such as 'Rest My Chemistry' or 'Pioneer To The Falls', but what we got was just lovely!

The Naked and Famous.
(c) Toke Hage, tokehage.dk

Surprisingly, Sunday actually turned out to be the stronger of the two days, with very impressive shows from both Jamie Woon, who was a welcome late afternoon chill pill, and especially from young Kiwi outfit The Naked and Famous. A stereotypical NME hype, Pitchfork hate band, the band's music mightn't be as catchy on record, but it sure worked well live. Nice to see something fresh faced, and a young outfit from an indie also-ran country such as New Zealand giving a fuck about chillwave and indie-folk and playing electronic rock like the rest of us did in the mid 00's!


Finally, let me just take advantage of a chance to bash Band of Horses. Last time I had an incentive to get into their music was when they played at Roskilde in 2008. I tried and wasn't impressed, and I've become a Band of Horses-hater of sorts since then. I was however ready to give them a second chance this time around, considering my own stance on folk has shifted noticeably during the past few years. I realized quickly however, that describing Band of Horses as folk is really a misnomer. They're is just a bunch of pathetic wanks, using their Seattle beard-and-chore shirt cred to obtain the popular "folk"-moniker, when in reality, their music is just pathetic and middle-of-the-road forgettable stadium rock crap!