Pitchfork Music Festival is finally here. Featuring the top up-and-coming talents as well as a number of established indie heavyweights, the festival is full of must-sees from opening day to its final hours. If you’re struggling with a little analysis paralysis and think there’s just too many great acts to see them all, then look no further. We’ve laid our top picks; the bands we think should be your top priority come July 14th.
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem is by far the biggest headliner of the weekend, making their rounds again as a touring band. If we’re lucky, they will play some unreleased material for their upcoming album, but even if they don’t at least we can find comfort in hearing old hits from Sound of Silver and This Is Happening. James Murphy’s trademark yelp is just as pronounced live, and they are sure to play the set of the night.
LCD Soundsystem takes on the Green Stage, Friday at 8:10pm local time.
Danny Brown
Detroit’s own eclectic and turmoiled rap star, Danny Brown made a name for himself through an unmistakable squawk and vivid subject matter. His latest album Atrocity Exhibition is a crate-digger’s paradise and every song has infinite replay value and quotability. His show will likely be high energy and rowdy, but don’t let the Bruiser Brigade dissuade you from checking it out!
Danny Brown hits the Green Stage, Friday at 6:00pm.
The Avalanches
The Avalanches evaded the limelight after their masterpiece of an album in 2000, and ever since they’ve become one of the more mysterious and clamored for groups of the 21st century. After they broke the silence with their 2016 release, Wildflower, the group started touring again with their beautiful plunderphonic melodies in tow. We highly recommend you check them out while the band is still touring live. Who knows when this group will run back into the hills and disappear again.
The Avalanches take on the Green Stage, Sunday at 6:15pm.
A Tribe Called Quest
Adding to the list of comeback stories, A Tribe Called Quest is back in action following their 2016 release, We got it from Here…. After Phife Dawg’s death in 2015, the group took action and released a politically charged, sonically fresh album that proved they haven’t lost a step since their earlier days. ATCQ will definitely contend with the two other headliners — LCD Soundsystem and Solange — as best performance of the night. Anyone who hasn’t listen to ATCQ before should check them out, even if only to see Q-tip takes charge with anthems of vital importance in today’s political climate.
For an emotional, hip-hop lover’s dream, hit up the Green Stage, Saturday at 8:30pm.
Cherry Glazerr
Cherry Glazerr, the Los Angeles-based rock band, specializes in fuzzy fusion between youth and unrelenting confidence. Frontwoman Clementine Creevy (“Clem” for short) already has an extensive music career as a teenager, collaborating with Death Grips and Tyler, the Creator. Her adolescent screech is full of life and energy as the synthesized keyboards and elaborate drumming strike a discord of chaotic harmony. If you’re looking for a high-energy group who knows how to have fun on stage, definitely look for this trio through all the noise.
Catch the band on the Blue Stage, Saturday at 2:45pm. You can also get to know the band a little more and watch them show off their funnier sides in our exclusive interview with them.
Madlib
Legendary producer and beatmaker, Madlib, is taking on Pitchfork this year with a live set. After 2014’s distinctive and critically acclaimed collaboration with Freddie Gibbs, Madlib has his work cut out for him on his next release. Madlib has quite the reputation in the hip-hop community, from crate-digger extraordinaire, MF DOOM wrangler, your favorite producer’s favorite producer, the list could go on and on. The crowd is sure to be some of the most knowledgeable in terms of music at the entire festival, so if you want to get your music nerd on, check out Madlib on the Blue Stage, Saturday at 6:30pm.
Solange
Solange has been making music for a while now, but after last year’s breakout album, A Seat at the Table, she took a lot of album of the year lists by storm. Her beautiful voice over airy and cordial production makes her an interesting enigma of an artist. Poignant messages of her racial experience in America are extremely prevalent in her music, and her live set is likely to provide a full experience, sonically as well as politically. Fully able to incorporate choreographed performance in her live set, Solange will keep anybody who wanders to her stage satisfied.
Catch her on the Green Stage, Sunday at 8:30pm.
Pinegrove
Pivegrove, a rocketing young indie/country band from Montclair, New Jersey, takes the essence of homegrown sound to another level with straightforward melodies and a earnest singer with an addictive voice. Their 2016 album, Cardinal, fills a niche that the music world has needed for a while. It scratches an itch for an emo album that replaces misplaced angst with an aged outlook on life’s beauty. This band has an exceptionally bright future ahead of them if they keep their core and continue to pump out great rock music.
See them on the Blue Stage, Sunday at 5:15pm.
Unable to make it to Pitchfork Music Festival this year? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Watch live streams of both the main stage and the blue stage to see all your favorite acts no matter where you are.
