Mates Of State comes through town in April with Black Kids providing the opening salvo for the evening. Black Kids' debut didn't quite change the world as many overeager bloggers predicted it would, but the perspective provided in the months since the fervor has dies down shows the debut still stands up as a dandy little slice of disposable hooks adorning a passel of fun little tunes. Their live show has progressed nicely and we thoroughly enjoyed their engaging set last year at Lollapalooza. more ›

Sunday Sweaty Sunday. The weather was somewhere between Friday's scorcher and Saturday's gorgeousness. We had our sunscreen applied, water packed, our beach towels ready, and were prepared for whatever Day 3 had to bring us. Lots of questions floated around the grounds, including the still-rumored Obama appearance. What some folks failed to realize was that said rumor was actually listed in the program making it feel manufactured for dubious promotional purposes more than anything else. With that in mind, we took advantage of a wide-open schedule to catch as many bands as we could amongst the (once again) sell out crowd. more ›

It's easy to get burned out on "blogger buzz" bands. For every Arcade Fire there are dozens of Clap Your Hands Say Blahs / Vampire Weekends. Every once in a while, the buzz factor gets it right though, and it's in this rare intersection of hype and talent that Black Kids is lucky enough to occupy. more ›