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The Walkmen and Pixies at the same time? We tell you who to catch.

Monday Jul 11, 2005.     By Richard Sharp

Music Feed

Sixty bands. Five stages. A sick amount of high-quality indie rock, jam bands and electronica crammed into one park for one weekend. You're spying that schedule grid and want to see as much as you can, but eventually, you have to admit, you're gonna have to make a decision. Here's a quick look at some of Lollapalooza's most frustrating simultaneous shows, with our picks for the winners. Watch out kids, it's a rock 'n' roll war!

Saturday; 12:30-1:30 p.m.
The Warlocks and M83
Advantage: M83

An appropriately named opener for a discussion on battling bands, the Warlocks bring a loud, swirling Spiritualized-style wall of sound, what the liner notes to their forthcoming album Surgery call "sonic space-age doo-wop." When they've got all their guns blazing ala Sonic Youth, there's a LOT of sound coming from the Warlocks, some of it beautiful, some of it just plain ol' loud, but always interesting.

Then there's M83, an equally spacey outfit that adheres closer to the Moon Safari school of gravity transcendence. With Before the Dawn Heals Us and its predecessor, Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, front man Anthony Gonzalez lays down a densely layered, heavily synthesized driftnet, pulling in ambient drones and tones, but never being afraid to allow for a mighty buildup. Our lineup's going to be pretty light on electronica otherwise, so we're gonna have to go with M83 on this one.

Saturday; 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Liz Phair and Kaiser Chiefs
Advantage: Liz Phair

Liz Phair was at one time quite possibly the hottest woman on the planet. The way she looked, her music, the things she said, it was enough to make a Midwestern college boy tingly in all the right places. Phair hasn't exactly kept up the pace of Exile in Guyville over the years, and she's slid a little too far into Lavigne territory with her latest self-titled outing, but she's just about as lyrically adept and every bit as sexy and spirited as she used to be. Perhaps most importantly, this will be an acoustic performance, a rare, welcome return to the type of raw, emotionally searing music that made her so groundbreaking in the first place.

With the Kaiser Chiefs, you're getting a dapper bunch of mod-influenced rockers at the forefront on the British pop explosion, having toured with Bloc Party and Futureheads. The group also recently garnered a hit single "Every Day I Love You Less and Less," from new album Employment, and have reportedly drawn praise from the likes of Roger Daltrey and Paul McCartney. All of which is fine and jim dandy, but we're stickin' with our homegirl, for sure.

Saturday; 7:30-8:30/45 p.m.
The Walkmen and the Pixies
Advantage: Gulp…The Walkmen

Where's the battle here, you say? The Pixies! The Pixies! Now just hold on to your shorts, sport. This is a tougher call than it seems. DC-based The Walkmen are easily one of the most exciting acts on the indie rock landscape today. Marrying powerful licks from vintage guitars with piano, and occasionally bizarre experimental instrumentation with antiquated recording techniques, they produce a big, bold, unusual sound that deserves to be experienced first hand. On their second album, the magnificent "Bows and Arrows," you get the sense that all these guys need is a large enough audience to really pop: 'Palooza could be their moment to shine.

Of course you don't have to sell anyone on the Pixies. Having come up with wrecking ball tunes like "Wave of Mutilation," "Debaser," and "Here Comes Your Man," they're basically above reproach, and the only sticking point may be that they spent a long time apart, so their performance might not precisely pack the walloping punch it used to. I'm gonna have to go with the Walkmen, but ideally, if you have the cash, watch the Pixies at the fest, then scoot on over to Schuba's at the end of the night for the after-party featuring the Walkmen. How's that for thinkin'?

Sunday; 12:30-1:30 p.m.
The Ponys
Advantage: No contest

Luckily on Sunday, just when you're nursing a big beefy hangover from oodles of after-parties, you have a brief respite from decision-making. The Ponys play at 12:30 and you will go to the Ponys show. End of story. They're local, they're wonderful. They'll make you want to buy all their albums and go run around pounding your fists on things. Trust me on this one.

Sunday; 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Louis XIV and Dinosaur Jr.
Advantage: Dinosaur Jr.

Another band of the moment versus perennial favorite question. It's a mad stroke of genius luck that the original lineup of J Mascis, Murph and Sebadoh frontman Lou Barlow were able to get along, let alone get together and perform after 15 years of achieving considerable success as soloists. Bringing Dinosaur Jr. into the mix almost feels like Perry Farrell's way of getting all historical on our asses, and being an old school 'Palooza fan, I dig me some of that.

Named after a decadent, womanizing French king, Louis XIV struts around stage singin' 'bout getting in girls' pants with a lustful snear and a stupid swagger that reminds me a little of an '80s cock-rock act. It's all a gag, but it's apparently good enough to inspire female fans to throw their undergarments on stage. Could be a fun one to catch live, but we'll have to save it for a rainy day in favor of a classic.

Sunday; 5:30-6:30 p.m.
G Love or Arcade Fire
Advantage: Arcade Fire

There's not much of a question here, but it still kind of pisses me off. Arcade Fire has clearly hit its stride as America's most exciting and innovative multi-instrumental rock act, and its Lollapalooza performance is far and away the most eagerly anticipated show for 90 percent of ticket holders I've spoken with. Missing the show would be an act of sheer, unadulterated stupidity.

On the other hand, G Love is an incredibly underrated hip-hop/blues showman that seems ready-made for a nice summer day in a Chicago park. "Baby Got Sauce?" "Cold Beverage?" The man's not a rocket scientist or anything, but he and his Special Sauce have been producing an infectious brand of silly funk-fun for over a decade, and it's gonna be a shame to miss it.

Sunday; 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Dandy Warhols, the Killers, Derrick Carter
Advantage: Dandy Warhols

The Dandy Warhols were their prettier, more successful arch rivals to a junked-out Anton Newcombe and his Brian Jonestown Massacre featured in the rockumentary Dig!, scoring a commercial hit with "Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" in the late '90s and touring with the likes of David Bowie. They've got plenty of neo-psychedelic swagger, and a sense of flourish that few acts can match.

The Killers might be known just as much for its eyeliner as its music, but there's no denying the strength of Hot Fuss, an album that launched the Vegas-based band and frontman Brandon Flowers into the national spotlight with catchy pop tracks like "Somebody Told Me" and "Mr. Brightside."

Then there's Derrick Carter. If you're not from Chicago and you've never caught the city's premier House DJ live, this is your hands-down winner. Carter can pack a house and make it sweat like nobody else. On the other hand, if you're from the Windy City, hit Carter out at Zentra some other night and catch The Dandy Warhols while you can: They're infinitely more interesting than the Killers and easily as pretty.

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For Additional Info and Insider Tips: Check out the Unofficial Lollapalooza Guide on ChicagoFests.com.