Since the school doesn’t seem to be doing much to protect us all from this terrible storm apart from moving us in early, I’ve decided to do my part by compiling some sick tunes to get you prepared for Irene.

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Go Outside — Cults

A bubbly track from Cults debut LP released earlier this Summer. But seriously, stay inside and board up your windows.

Fallout — Neon Indian

From Neon Indian’s forthcoming sophomore album due out Sept. 13.

Til the World Ends (Salem Remix) — Britney Spears

A dark, foreboding remix that puts the song in a whole new light, incorporating some horror-movie esque screams and a mix that sounds as if it’s submerged in water like we will all soon be. Keep on dancing ’till the world ends.

Year of Silence — Crystal Castles

From their second self-titled album, released last year, this track samples Sigur Rós’s “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur” to create a post-apocalyptic soundscape dashed with bits of hope (which is exactly what a post-Irene Long Island will become).

The second day of the festival began with beautiful weather and the group Graffiti 6 putting on a solid set. The Submarines followed and the festival grounds began to fill up. The day was already looking much more packed than Friday and had a more festival-like atmosphere.

Indie darlings Au Revoir Simone had a lovely set, during which I was standing next to the family of one of the band members, including a cute little baby that looked to be loving the set almost as much as I was. Their mix of dreamy alt-folk synths and flowery vocals was the perfect antidote for the hot weather.

I personally was not a huge fan of White Rabbit’s set.  It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

The Psychedelic Furs, a British group, took the stage next with the energy of 20 year olds yet the years, experience and skill of seasoned performers. Their stage presence was amazing, and their better-known hits, such as “Pretty in Pink,” were total crowd pleasers.

The Vaccines, a fellow British group, took the stage next and played a raucous set of fiery rock that harkened back to The Clash — I could nearly hear the Oi Oi Oi’s — and the crowd went wild.

At that point, it really sunk in that a majority of concert-goers seemed to be international, with a large portion seemingly from Great Britain.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Saturday’s headlining band, kept the crowd waiting and continually teased the crowd with what seemed like near starts to a set that got off nearly 40 minutes late — but, oh, was it worth the wait.

The crowd got excited as the band went into hit “40 Day Dream”  that was near jam-band length. Every song was a sing-a-long. Lead singer Alex Ebert came into the crowd and led chants and call-and-responses through the song “Om Nashi Me” — meaning, according to Ebert, “Oh infinite destruction,” a mantra that he made up — and the crowd was pumped.

To give a bit of background on the Magnetic Zeros, Ebert formed the band after beginning to write a book about a messiah figure that was sent down to earth to save the world but kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love. That may shed more late on the looks of the singer and the subject matter of the songs.

The group had singer Jade Castrinos perform a song from her yet-to-be-released solo effort, and then ended the night with what everyone was waiting for: a rambling, seemingly never-ending, performance of their hit love song, “Home,” which had everyone in the crowd singing and dancing, myself included.

It was an unexpected end to a great weekend, as the following day’s activities were cancelled because of electrical and weather issues, which was a total bummer because I really wanted to tell you about how amazing Sunday’s headlining band, Of Montreal, would have been in concert.

Ok, look, I know it’s Friday, but, you know, better late than never, right? I promise to be more on time once the school year actually gets going.

Go Sailor is a twee pop band. What’s twee pop, you ask? Well, you know that ridiculously sweet, saccharine taste of your favorite candy? Extract that, distill it, concentrate it, turn it into music and you’ll have pure, unadulterated twee pop: Cute music with cute vocals, and cute (yet sometimes dark) lyrics.

Go Sailor is another one of my favorite groups, and also one of the shortest-lasting. Founded in Berkeley by members of twee stars Rose Melberg, Paul Curran, and Amy Linton (of Tiger Trap, Crimpshine and Henry’s Dress, respectively) and only recording three 7″ records and one full length, they have a  small catalog, but that catalog is totally kickin’ rad.

Together Forever in Love is a great track that is an epitome of a twee pop song. “I’ll be your reason for starting your day/you’ll be my true love in every way.” — These lyrics just keep it light and sweet.

This is exposing the darker side of a lot of twee songs, cute as hell melody and upbeat tempo yet the lyrics are much, much darker.  “But I won’t wish your plane down/But next time you won’t be so lucky.” I think the contradictions play off each other amazingly.

Walking onto the festival grounds a bit before noon on Friday, I was, to be honest, surprised at how few people were in attendance. After sauntering around the grounds a bit, it was time for the first band, The Static Jacks, to hit the stage.

Having listened to a few of their songs online the day before, I was expecting a decent set of standard rock fare, but the band blew me away with amazing stage presence. If I hadn’t known how small the crowd was, I would have guessed that they were performing for a sold-out arena.

The Postelles and The Ettes followed up with 2 solid sets, and then Lissy Trulie played a great set and engaged the audience phenomenally.

Chairlift played an awesome mix of electronic music that resonated across the festival grounds. I could even hear them from the bathroom trailer (had to mention the bathrooms; AC and hardwood flooring as well as running water, all in a trailer. My god, it was great).

This was my second time seeing Best Coast live, and they put on a great set. I enjoyed the sold-out show at Stony Brook this past fall semester a bit more, as the crowd at the festival on Friday was a bit tame, but Bethany was ready to go. It was easy to tell that she was cutting loose a bit and enjoying the Hamptons and the festival atmosphere as she sipped wine throughout the set.

As it approached the time for the headlining act, Patti Smith, to go on, the festival grounds began to fill with middle-aged stoners and Southampton socialites.

When Patti Smith took the stage, the crowd surged to life and sang along, danced and head-bobbed for the remainder of her long set. The band performed a few covers, such as a Neil Young tune and the classic “Gloria,” originally by Van Morrison.

All in all, the first day of the festival was a sign of good things to come and made me optimistic for the following day’s performances.

Check back soon for a review of the music of day two of the festival.

The headlining act for day two is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, an indie folk/pop group based in Los Angeles and fronted by Ima Robot’s Alex Ebert. The Vaccines, of London, will be performing polished garage rock. I’m really excited to see English post-punk group The Psychedelic Furs.  A six-piece Brooklyn-based indie rock band, White Rabbit, is also set to provide a great high energy set.  The Willamsburg-based dream pop quartet Au Revoir Simone will provide some innocent and lovely electronic tracks.  An electronic folk group, The Submarines, will bring a rousing twist to classic folk sensibility. Graffiti6, another London-based act, will be a fantastic mix of pop and psychedelia with a hint of R&B.

Are you as pumped for this festival as I am? If so, you can still pick up tickets at Stony Brook Southampton, and walk-ups after 5 p.m. are only $30. That’s a bit over 6 hours of music and fun for only $30.

*Emboldened band names are linked.

Tomorrow will be the first day of the Escape to New York music festival in Southampton, New York.

Day One is headlined by 70s proto-punk Patti Smith, who is famous for such hits as”Because the Night” and “Gloria.” Best Coast, everyone’s favorite weed and cat infused boy-crazy rocker, will perform hits such as “Boyfriend” and ”Crazy For You.” Chairlift, a Brooklyn-based electronic group that features some lovely female vocals, will be performing as well. Lissy Trullie is a singer-songwriter, who strikes me as eerily reminiscent of The Pretenders. The Ettes are a Nashville-based trio specializing in good old fashioned female fronted Rock ‘n Roll. The Postelles will drop off a bit of nostalgia with some old-fashioned, simple-in-the-good-way, songs. The Static Jacks, based out of New Jersey, will deliver some solid indie rock vibes.

Check back tomorrow for recaps of day 1 of the Escape to New York festival by myself and the Arts & Entertainment section’s Arielle Dollinger.

*Click on the song and/or artist names to be linked to pages where you can hear songs mentioned.

This weekend, The Statesman will be covering Escape to New York, a music and lifestyle festival to be held on the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton, New York. Ticket prices range from $100 (for a one-day pass) to $2250 (for a deluxe ‘glamping’ — glamorous camping — experience). The festival offers three days of music with 7 bands playing each day, including headliners Patti Smith, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Of Montreal, as well as acoustic stages and DJ sets.

Based off of The Secret Garden Party, an independent arts and music festival in the UK, Escape to New York is not just a music festival; it is also a lifestyle festival, with food curated by Silkstone — owners of The Fat Radish on the Lower East Side and Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk. Food curation will feature local ingredients, drinks from Best Beverages and an attempt at earning the world record for largest brunch on Sunday.

The wonderful bourgie atmosphere of the Hamptons shines through in all aspects of this event, from the ‘glamping’ to the world-record brunch.  Make sure to check in throughout the week to read about the artists, and then this weekend to see photos, interviews and more, straight from Southampton.

Chris is a sophomore at Stony Brook
University and is highly qualified to blog about music because he has
a Tumblr, collects records, and spends hours downloading obscure,
early 90s twee pop and 60s French pop. He is generally regarded as a
pretentious, yet lovable, jerk.

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Summer hits, beach ballads, and club anthems are typically the musical selections that spring to mind when you think of the words “summer” and “music.” And what better way to judge the songs of the Summer than to take a look at the American Top 40 charts — it’s the music pulse of the nation. The Top 5 of the Top 40 charts are as follows:

1. Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
2. Give Me Everything by Pitbull
3. Rolling in the Deep by Adele
4. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) by Katy Perry
5. Super Bass by Niki Minaj

But by the end of the Summer, you’ll have heard these songs countless times and they may become, or already be, quite stale. Here are 5 under-the-radar songs to refresh your Summer playlist:

1. East Harlem by Beirut
The first single from Beirut’s upcoming album The Rip Tide (out August 30, 2011). A rousing indie folk song with the Eastern European/Balkan flair that Beirut is known for.

2. Tron Cat by Tyler, the Creator
Off of Tyler’s newest offering Goblin and filled with the swag, misogynistic, and violent musings that the Odd Future member is famous for.

3. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People
LA’s indie-pop sweethearts deliver with an infectious song dripping with that Summer feeling.

4. Money by The Drums
The new single by surf-inspired group The Drums– conjuring thoughts of hot beaches and swell waves. Heavily reminiscent of The Beach Boys, Dick Dale and other classic surf rock groups, but with a bit of Joy Division or The Smiths thrown in for good measure.

5. Saturday Love by Toro y Moi A cover of a classic mid-80s R&B hit by Cherelle and Alexader O’Neal. A perfect mix of nostalgia and some pop-leaning chillwave. The song will be on Toro y Moi’s next EP: Freaking Out.

*song titles that are available for
purchase on itunes have been linked to their locations on the itunes website.