Big Boi, De La Soul and Atmosphere are heading the fourth annual Soundset Festival May 29 outside Minneapolis at Canterbury Park. Also performing are Curren$y, Slaughterhouse, Brother Ali, Doomtree, Macklemore, Rubberoom and dozens more.

Spearheaded by Rhymesayers Entertainment, the festival also features b-boy and MC battles, live art, skate demos and a custom car show. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Atmosphere will release their newest full-length The Family Sign April 12. Check out Pitchfork’s recent interview with Slug on the new record, the Minneapolis sound and whiskey poisoning.

Starting this Friday, headlining bands like Pavement, Modest Mouse and LCD Soundsystem will dominate Chicago’s Union Park for the annual Pitchfork Music Festival. The three-day fest also includes Big Boi, Surfer Blood, Panda Bear, Broken Social Scene, Here We Go Magic, El-P, Neon Indian, WHY?, Real Estate and dozens more.

When you need a break, head to the comedy stage for Wet Hot American Summer’s Michael Showalter, “Daily Show” correspondent Wyatt Cenac and “Saturday Night Live” writer and Chicago native Hannibal Buress. There are also plenty of afterparties, so keep an ear out.

Although tickets for Saturday and Sunday are currently sold out, a limited number will be available for purchase at the Union Park box office tomorrow, Thursday, July 15.

Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Yep, they have a lot of members, as Brendan Canning explains, and they also have a lot of guests on the new album, including Feist, Emily Haines, members of Do Make Say Think, The Sea and Cake’s Sam Prekop and Tortoise (John McEntire produced the whole thing). Their first since 2005′s eponymous album, Broken Social Scene release Forgiveness Rock Record on May 4 via Arts & Crafts.
Stream album via NPR Music

LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
It is happening, and lots of it. The new album is out May 17 in the U.K. and stateside May 18 via DFA. Mr. Murphy kicks off a summer tour today, bouncing back between Europe and the U.S. with stops at major festivals like Sonar, Bonnaroo, Pitchfork and Sasquatch.
Stream album via LCD Soundsystem

Hold Steady – Heaven is Whenever
The Hold Steady has a new album, Heaven is Whenever, out May 4 via Vagrant. The Brooklyn-via-Minneapolis band hits the road on a long summer tour, starting in sunny California, weaving through Europe and landing back in the States in July.
Stream album via NPR Music

Leela James – My Soul
Released by the legendary Stax Records on May 25, My Soul could be the soul singer’s biggest move since her 2005 debut A Change is Gonna Come. If you’re missing some sweet in your life, check the first single “Tell Me You Love Me.” Leela hits BET on May 2 as part of the “My Black is Beautiful” series.
Stream songs via Leela James

Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Today only Flying Lotus fans can stream the new album Cosmogramma on Brainfeeder Radio, also home to The Gaslamp Killer, Ras G and more. The album is out May 3 via Warp Records and features guests Ravi Coltrane, Laura Darlington (also on Daedelus’ new joint) and some chap named Thom Yorke.
Stream album via Brainfeeder Radio

The Black Keys – Brothers
The Black Keys will release their sixth full-length, Brothers, out May 18 via Nonesuch. The duo will hit Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, Central Park’s Summerstage, Lollapalooza and, oh yeah, a summer tour too.
Stream songs via The Black Keys

Mr. Murphy recently told Pitchfork the song is “about drunk people and fun things and the fact that all of the boys of the L.A. mansion we recorded at were called ‘the girls’ by our chef. We were the ladies of the mansion.”

LCD Soundsystem is on tour through the summer, hitting major North American and European cities. Along the way there will be gigs at almost all the festivals, including Coachella, Pitchfork, Sasquatch, Bonnaroo and Bestival.

Spread the love.

Released in 2008, the band’s debut full-length, Little Death, garnered praise from the likes of the BBC, Pitchfork and the NME, who said of the band “…They’ll make you realise that, sometimes, all you need is a guitar, a head full of melody and a heart full of romance.” Indeed, the quintet writes poppy rock songs with simple themes and include plenty of handclaps–anyone can relate.

They’re often referred to as indie rock without the snobbery, and such approval could have been the result of combining pure talent and a talented helping hand–producer Gareth Parton (The Killers, The Go! Team, Foals). They earned fan favorites with songs like “Knots” and “Come on Feet,” plus toured alongside Maximo Park and Vampire Weekend.

Pete and the Pirates’ success may also come from good old fashioned elbow grease. There’s something to be said of a band that sets a goal, works on it for 10 years and actually makes it a reality.

Earlier this year the Brooklyn-based band released Hospice via Frenchkiss Records. NPR nominated it as the best album of the year at the time, Pitchfork gave it the thumbs up and a lot of others described it as “shimmering.” You can decide for yourself when you see them live. As for the band? Well, they like to play both sides of the fence.

Things get poppin’ both days this weekend beginning at 1 p.m. with sets from dozens of bands, most of which scored around eight points on the Pitchfork scale (seriously, go check the album reviews!). Musicians such as Beirut, Wavves, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Matt and Kim, The Black Lips and The Nationals take the stage Saturday, while M83, The Mae Shi, The Thermals, Pharoahe Monch, Vivian Girls, Frightened Rabbit and The Flaming Lips close it out on Sunday. That’s just a handful of bands, so make sure to wander around and catch artists at other stages.

And if you need tickets, Friday passes are still available, or you better have really nice friends. Check the schedule before you go and remember the El will be packed!

Summer is here and that means one thing: music festivals! This month we’re celebrating everything that makes catching the best bands outdoors a great experience. From excited fans and performance anxiety to making friends and dream lineups, here are a few of our favorite festival moments.

!!! kicked ass at last year’s Pitchfork festival, but Nic purposely avoided reading their review of his performance for fear they rip him apart. As long as the kids are going nuts in the audience, that’s the only thing that matters.

But there are friends to be made at festivals, too. Au Revoir Simone knows how great it is to wander around checking out other musicians, only to end up getting buddy-buddy with the likes of Wilco, Fiery Furnaces and the intimidating Midlake.

Sometimes it’s the fans that show the most love. And skin. Even if it’s not exactly what you envisioned seeing as a rock star.

Speaking of the body, show a little courtesy to your fellow festival-goers. Make sure to slap on some deodorant before throwing your hands in the air like you just don’t care. Trust us, the guy standing next to you does.

And sometimes fans aren’t getting crazy and sweaty in the mosh (and arm) pits. There are plenty of smaller festivals away from huge outdoor stadium acts. The best ones are usually well-guarded secrets.

Finally, Girl Talk looks to the future. His own music fest would include Nirvana, Wolf Eyes, Bone Thugs N Harmony and Juelz Santana. Heart, of course, would destroy. Hey festival curators–keep it in mind!

Metric saw firsthand what can happen when random muttonheads are given free rein (promises of crowds numbering 15,000 turn up 300; beatings; a bottle of whiskey and four Power Bars). Share their pain:

Before we start panicking, let’s take a deep breath and a closer look at this little dernier cri. Here are our top five picks for festivals that won’t suck, given the brains behind things.

5. David Byrne, Curator, Bonnaroo

The sonic polymath (because founding the Talking Heads, snagging Grammys, Oscars, Golden Globes, writing operas and being a photographer only takes up so much of one’s time) is taking on the legendary festival. He’s approaching it with the same level of stress and OCD-obsession with which a normal person might approach figuring out which bagel shop to hit Sunday morning. “I thought, ‘OK, then, I’m just gonna reel off some names that I like…and we’ll see where it goes,’” Byrne told reporters. Alrighty then! The laid-back attitude seems to have worked; so far, the lineup includes Santigold, the Dirty Projectors, Katzenjammer, Public Enemy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Band of Horses, St. Vincent and of course–David Byrne and Brian Eno. The show goes on June 11.

4. The Flaming Lips, Curators, All Tomorrow’s Parties

The Oklahoma all-stars are playing the show too! Woot! It’s tough to predict what a band that produces gems like “Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus with Needles” and shows that feature puppets, confetti and big, scary hands will come up with, but that’s part of the fun. Set in Monticello, NY, just as summer winds down, this promises to be one final outdoors Bacchanalia anyone can get behind. And with bands as disparate as The Jesus Lizard, Suicide, Black Dice, the Feelies and the Melvins playing, maybe this is a show all of your friends will actually enjoy (for once). The show goes on Sept. 11.

3. Fans, Curators (Kind of), Pitchfork:

This is one of the most insane notions in the annals of musical festivaldom–ergo, BRILLIANT. Pitchfork actually decided that the unwashed masses (that’s us!) will be able to formally request songs in the hilariously titled “Write the Night.” That’s instead of our usual wild shrieking, flashing various body parts and holding up misspelled signs. Unsurprisingly, the Flaming Lips are the guinea pigs. The DL: all ticket buyers will be sent an email so they can vote which songs they want bands to perform. Yo La Tengo, Beirut, Matt and Kim and Vivian Girls are also playing (among dozens of others). The show goes on July 17.

2. Brian Eno, Curator, Luminous:

Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno–music theorist, producer, singer, grand poobah of ambient music–is taking on Sydney’s Luminous Festival. Naturally (Eno being involved n’ all), this is no mere slapdash musical get-together. It’s going to include 30 acts, performances, various light and sound installations and relatively formal intellectual chats. Some artists set to perform are Battles, Ladytron and Lee “Scratch” Perry. The festival starts today and will continue until June 14.

1. Uncensored Interview, Showcase Curator, Northside Festival:

Clearly, our showcase in this festival will be the most seamlessly coordinated and brilliantly executed in the bunch. But seriously, The Speakeasy: A Showcase of Transatlantic Alt-Folk, featuring Ólöf Arnalds with François Virot, Lisa Li-Lund, Sharon Van Etten and Ivana XL will provide a veritable cornucopia of troubadourian fun sprinkled with Hank Williams fairy dust and general offbeat tweeness. The show goes down at Union Pool on June 11. The Northside Festival itself, featuring Screaming Females, the Hold Steady, Brightblack Morning Light and many many more, promises to be a good time.

Boys, for once, being wrong feels GOOD, unlike that plum-tomato eating contest I mistakenly held at the studio yesterday (who knew The Bark had that much loose feces in him?). Pitchfork fucking LOVED the album and gave it an 8, which I’m assuming is out of 10, or else maybe you were right. Knowing how discerning and sometimes utterly pretentious Pitchfork can be, it must feel amazing to have garnered such a glowing review. It’s like a fat chick has been lifted off your chest. What she was doing there in the first place is another matter altogether. I’m exaggerating here, of course. I don’t think Shy Child are really into obese suffocation fetishes, they’re actually pretty clean cut guys, maybe a little TOO clean cut:

One final thought before I go – coffee fucking rules. I don’t care what people say about large quantities of it being bad for you – it’s 2nd only to cocaine in terms of helping you stay energized through a long day. And it’s cheaper, and much more legal. Now I’ve noticed that a lot of people like to smoke cigarettes when they’re imbibing their piping hot cup o’ joe, which made me wonder – why haven’t we developed a form of coffee that you could smoke? It seems easy enough – just take some coffee grinds, mash them together with some tobacco (or marijuana, if that’s your type of thing), roll it up, and voila, you now have one free hand at your disposal to do vital things in the morning like wash your face, rummage for your Metrocard, or slap your children when they’re insolent. It’s the ultimate in multi-tasking for the 21st century. Marlboro, if you’re reading this, call me.