The summer festival season rolls on. On Saturday, July 19 Village Voice’s seventh annual
Siren Festival took place in Brooklyn, New York. As with every year this was rumored to be the final stand for the fest at this historic location before it is torn down to make way for condos and other urban developments. Thousands of rock fans converged on Coney Island for a long, hot (it was in the upper 90s!) day of music, margaritas, and all the Nathan’s hot dogs you could eat. Things got even hotter when Ted Leo DJ’d between bands.
Missed the festival? Here are a few of the day’s highlights.
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – The always-entertaining former
Pavement frontman is out promoting a new solo record. A few technical difficulties and a rough mix marred Saturday’s headlining set but in spite of it all the band sounded relatively tight. Unfortunately some of the crowd had thinned out by this point—yeah, I don’t get it either—but for those who stayed it was worth the wait.
Times New Viking – The
Columbus band played two warm-up sets Friday night at Hoboken’s Maxwell’s before taking the stage at Siren Fest. With three LPs and a bunch of singles to their credit already, fans knew what they were getting, though Times New Viking overshot everyone’s expectations as one of the day’s stronger performances.
Free download: Times New Viking’s “(My Head)/R.I.P. Allegory”
Dragons of Zynth –
These guys may have gotten the short straw, having to take the opening 1 p.m. slot and all, but for anyone who caught them their set was not to be missed. The psychedelic band that came from the TV on the Radio extended circle put on a frantic show. Possibly because they were slotted so early their energy was up high—having not been drained by a day outside on the beach. In any case, anyone getting there early enough was fortunate to catch a great set.
Jaguar Love – Relative newcomers Jaguar Love actually feature a few seasoned Seattle vets. Their lineup includes ex-members of Murder City Devils, Blood Brothers, and Pretty Girls Make Graves. With a track record not yet proven, the crowd seemed pensive about their set. It’s jagged art-rock that isn’t necessarily best suited for outdoors on a humid July afternoon. Regardless, with a strong resume to back up and an album in the works for Matador, keep an eye out for these guys in the second half of ’08.
Free download: Jaguar Love’s “Bats Over the Pacific Ocean”