[Outside Lands 2012] Three Mesmerizing Light Shows That We Can't Wait to See

This Friday marks the beginning of this year's Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco, the fifth edition of the cultural highlight. SKOA will be attending the festival this year, and each day leading up to the festival we will be dishing out a feature focused on the bands set to appear at Outside Lands. Today, our spotlight is focused on the top three light shows we can't wait to see during the festival.

Every live performance hinges on the talent of the musicians themselves and their ability to convey their music in a live setting, but that's not the only important aspect; a truly great concert reaches that status through the perfect combination of the music itself in conjunction with an absolutely mesmerizing light show. Nothing compares to being front row at a concert and hearing a beloved song live, only to have every kick of the drum met with entrancing flashes of light, each low moment combined with a dimming atmosphere, and every high met with a grand array of colors and illumination. Most concerts have good light shows, but some seem to stand out above the rest. Take a look at the top three picks for this year's Outside Lands Festival after the jump.

Justice: The French electronic duo has made a name for themselves with their grimy, industrial brand of Paris house, and it translates beautifully to the live setting. Justice clearly put a lot of effort into their light show, with every hard-hitting delivery of the drum kick accompanied by pulsating flashes of light, walls of light drawing the drug-fueled crowds into a trance, and colors so vibrant it's impossible not to look away.

What makes their shows truly unique, though, is their use of the cross imagery. It has appeared on the cover of each of their studio full-lengths (both † and Audio, Video, Disco), and during live performances they prop up a massive, illuminated cross right in the middle of their modular synthesizer prop. It's such iconic imagery, and the duo has very intelligently utilized it. What is there to not get excited about?

Sigur Rós: What is there to say about Sigur Rós gorgeous, unique soundscapes? How could I describe my excitement for seeing them live? The Icelandic quartet has been drowning my eardrums in beautiful, ambient music for nearly a decade, and the odd stylings of their music and their personas is what makes their live performances so unique. Jónsi alone is so strange and out there that the allure is beyond questioning.

The idea of witnessing Sigur Rós' live music backed with a colorful, dream-like light show is the truly alluring aspect, though, and online videos aren't enough to satisfy the desire. What could compare to hearing "Sæglópur" amongst a dazzling display of colors and streams of light? I'll just have to see for myself.

Explosions In The Sky: This Texas post-rock outfit might not be the first band that comes to mind when speaking of mesmerizing light shows, but it's the combination of their music and the live setting that excites me. The band has become known for their sprawling, lengthy musical compositions, with echoing guitar riffs, expansive percussion coming together to form beautifully atmospheric and cohesive songs. It's difficult to form such immersive sounds, but these guys pull it off without a hitch. Place this in a live setting, and something amazing is bound to happen.

Explosive percussion, a distant, distorted guitar juxtaposed by a beautifully rhythmic one, captivating sounds coming from all angles amidst a hypnotizing-yet-subtle shower of lights; slow-rising instrumentation building to an eventual frantic climax met with a well-timed burst of illumination. This is what live performances are all about. This is what I want to see.

[Download] Tribes - "Coming of Age"

Yesterday on Radio One, Huw Stephens who was sitting in for Zane Lowe, debuted a brand new track from Tribes. The band have put it out as a free download over on their Facebook page. Speaking with Huw they said they had no plans to release it but after it got a lot of love live they thought why not? Check it out below. 

The band are currently in LA recording their second album which they hope to put out early next year. They aim to release an album each year for as long as they can like a "70's rock band". We'll see how that goes. I remember Arctic Monkeys managed it for two and then began the longer break between releases and it didn't do them any harm, did it?! Excited for a new Tribes album none the less.

[Watch] The Neighbourhood - "Female Robbery" (Official Video)

California outfit The Neighbourhood have a single EP to their name, but they are one of the most promising discoveries of the year. Now, the Newbury Park, CA quintet are working on their debut full-length, and in the midst of recording they churned out a new version of their song "Female Robbery". The result is a much more gritty song, with distorted vocals and much more prominent percussion coming together with heavy-hitting delivery.

Along with the reworked version of the song, the band has released a new version of the video for "Female Robbery". Much like the song, the video is similar to the original with its use of found footage, but the end result is a grittier, darker tale. Watch it above.

[Watch] Hercules and Love Affair Perform "Blind" with Antony Hegarty for the First Time

Hercules and Love Affair's 2008 eponymous debut album was an absolute gem, one that I still play on a consistent basis. One song stood out above the rest, though, and that was "Blind", the band's collaborative track with Antony Hegarty. The track still stands as the band's best. But, those who have seen Hercules and Love Affair live will know that the two parties have never performed the song together in a live setting, until now. Last night at London's Meltdown Festival, Hercules and Love Affair were joined onstage by Antony, who belted out a fantastic rendition of "Blind" backed by the full band. Check out fan footage of the performance above, along with fan footage of them performing "Raise Me Up" after the jump.

[Listen] Thee Oh Sees - "Flood's New Light"

San Francisco garage rockers Thee Oh Sees are consistently releasing new material, and with an average of one new album per year, what harm could another one have? Their latest LP Putrifiers II is set to release next month, and the band has been kind enough to share another new track from the album. "Flood's New Light" is energetic in every sense of the word, with a quick pace and an overall feel of "fuck yeah" coming from all angles. Stream it below, along with other Putrifiers II cut "Lupine Dominus".

Putrifiers II is out on September 11th via In The Red.

(via Pitchfork).

[Watch] Tom Waits - "Hell Broke Luce" (Official Video)

The music blogosphere was wrapped up in speculation after Tom Waits gave us this image, and now that August 7th has arrived, what could the surprise be? How about a new music video. No, not a new album, or tour dates. No. It's just a new music video for "Hell Broke Luce". At least it's a visually exciting video, with intense, apocalyptic imagery abound, and not to mention shark submarines! Watch the replay above, and below are some choice words from Waits on the music video:

As most of you guessed, it’s a tour…a tour de force!

Matt Mahurin has created an apocalyptic war dream to accompany the song HELL BROKE LUCE. Kathleen [Brennan] and I envisioned it as an enlightened drill sergeant yelling the hard truths of war to a brand new batch of recruits. The video grew from the gnawing image of a soldier pulling his home, through a battlefield, at the end of a rope.

I think you will agree, it’s uplifting and fun."

Uplifting and fun, perfect descriptors.

[Listen] Wild Nothing - "Paradise"

Wild Nothing is set to release his sophomore LP Nocturne in only a matter of weeks, and so far we've only heard the lead single, "Shadow". Now, the bedroom pop artist has let loose another track from the forthcoming effort, a fluid, entrancing cut called "Paradise". Stream and download the chilled-out number below.

Nocturne is out on August 28th via Captured Tracks.

[Watch] Toro Y Moi Debuts New Song "Rose Quartz" at Lollapalooza

Toro Y Moi made good use of his set at Lollapalooza this past weekend, soaking up the sunny weather and premiering a brand new cut titled "Rose Quartz". With echoing piano keys, glitched out vocal samples, and sweeping, summer-tinged synth lines, the song is a fantastic summer jam. Watch the replay above.

During the performance, Toro Y Moi debuted a total of five songs, giving the impression that a new release is definitely in the works.