Peter Black

Twin Shadow—the name that George Lewis Jr. performs under—is a complicated man. Perhaps embodying the archetype for what means to be a “modern man” in today’s society. Lyrically the protagonist in the songs comes across as a man yearning to let his emotions spill but hiding behind a wall of misogyny, not willing to put forth the effort to let someone in.

Toward the end of May I stumbled across an article from NPR stating that their newest album WIXIW was “possibly the best Radiohead album since Kid A.” As playfully prodding as that statement is, after giving the album a couple listens it’s tough to disagree with the sentiment. Although genre-less, I was shocked to see this being written about the Liars.

CHICAGO—As dark storm clouds rolled over the festival grounds on the second day of the Pitchfork Music Festival I made my way over to the Blue Stage to check out Liturgy. Self dubbed as “transcendental black metal,” they were the heaviest band included in this year’s lineup. The band, originally the brainchild of singer-guitarist Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, has spent time as a four-piece, then a three-piece. Walking up to the stage I was disappointed the iteration of Liturgy that I was going to be seeing was just a duo Hendrix: and guitarist Bernard Gann.

CHICAGO—As the cab flipped a u-turn across a busy intersection a seemingly never-ending line of people snaked around the perimeter of Union Park, dark storm clouds rolling through the sky. Eager Pitchfork attendees filed off the El trying to find the end of the line as street entrepreneurs walked up and down the line selling with bottled water for a dollar, airline bottles of rum for two. Unexpected thunderstorms delayed the start of the Pitchfork Music Festival by about 30 minutes, muddying the field but cutting the temperature by about 15 degrees.