Scott McDonald

For daily music news, new MP3s, video and photos, go check out our new indie blog: Pressed for Sound.

New York's Village Voice has announced the initial lineup for its eighth annual Siren Music Festival. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Broken Social Scene and The Helio Sequence will lead a pack of exciting indie acts at Coney Island on July 19. Who else is on the bill?

Of all the big names that played at Coachella a couple of weekends ago – Prince, Portishead, Jack Johnson, you name it – only one band could claim itself to be part techno, part punk, part rave, part hardcore ... and part British. Hertfordshire's Enter Shikari played a headlining set on Saturday, thrilling the masses with their barrage of guitar and synthesized sounds.

The band's Rob Rolfe and Rou Reynolds – two of the humblest musicians you'll ever meet – caught up with Buzznet while resting up for their set. The two lads talked about how they started their band in a supermarket, why it's OK to live in the moment – and you, Buzznet reader!

Buzznet: Who have you guys seen so far?

Rob Rolfe: Aphex Twin was awesome. Wicked.

Buzznet: I'm not sure if you knew this, but your band has a strong following on Buzznet. What is it about your music that translates to our readers?

Rou Reynolds: I guess the energy that young people have. Our music has [a] feeling [that] you can get down to [and] dance. There are all sorts of ways you can get into it. It's also very lighthearted, easy to listen to – you don't really have to concentrate to appreciate it. We're not like Dream Theater, where it gets complicated.

Buzznet: How young were you when you decided you wanted to make music for a living?

Rolfe: I was about 12. I remember, actually: I was with my mom shopping at a supermarket, and I ran into [Reynolds] with his dad. I was like, "Do you want to be a band with me and [fellow bandmember] Chris [Batten]?"

Reynolds: We started playing covers like Oasis, Led Zeppelin, Blur, Stereophonics – lots of stuff from the late-1990s. It wasn't until later on, when [bandmate] Rory [Clewlow] joined the band, that we changed our name to Enter Shikari.


[Click the image above to view a gallery's worth of Shikari pics from Coachella.]

Buzznet: What does that name refer to?

Reynolds: It means "The Hunter" in Indian. The first time I heard about the name was from my uncle. Later, I saw the word in that video game "Shikari Warriors," and it just stuck.

Buzznet: Any particular bands you want to see?

Rolfe: Pendulum was pretty awesome last night, and I'm glad I got to watch Goldfrapp as well. Not too sure about later. Yesterday was the best day – well, apart from us headlining tonight. [He laughs.]



Buzznet: What direction do you see your music heading toward, and where will your songs be in the next five years?

Rolfe: We've never pronounced ourselves in any particular genre, so I just tell people to make their own minds up. I just think music should be positive rather than go in a [specific] direction. It can be bad when people specifically write music to get on charts.

I've got no idea where we'll be in five years, but we are writing our next album, and we'll be doing a lot of touring next year. Other than that, sometimes it's just hard to figure out what we'll be doing next week.

The moment all you shoegazers have been waiting for is here: My Bloody Valentine North American tour dates. Is this for real? Are my contacts scratched? No. Get bloody.

Metric has spent most of the past year recording the follow-up to 2005's Live it Out and recently released the Live at Metropolis EP, but that didn't stop the quartet from making the trek out to Coachella 2008. I caught up with Emily Haines, solo-artist and Broken Social Scene member, Josh, James and Joules before their fierce set of electro-rock on Sunday. We talked about the new record, preparing for the heat and why Neil Young rules.


Buzznet: Have you been here at Coachella the entire weekend? When did you arrive in Los Angeles?

Emily: Since about 3 a.m., we flew in from Guadalajara, Mexico. 

Josh: We were in Mexico City playing a show -- it was incredibly hot and humid.

Buzznet: Did you encounter any of the anti-emo violence? Have you heard about that?

James: No, that wasn't happening. But, the last time we were in Mexico there was some kind of protest going on.





Buzznet: So, what's your new album going to sound like?

Metric: Sounds like Fleetwood Mac playing dance-rock. It's going to be in your CD player, or your eight-track.

Buzznet: At a hot festival like Coachella how do you prepare yourselves for the heat?

Josh: We just came from Mexico City, so that's how we prepare. It's sooo hot there – that's how we prepare.

James: Our recommendation is to go spend four days in Mexico, then come out here and you'll feel fine. This place feels like a water park right now.

Buzznet: So, did you approach your upcoming album differently with any specific ideas in mind?

Emily: Well, we're always changing. This record is going to integrate all those aspects of what we've become, which is why we've been taking our time. We wanted to use this upcoming record to grow as musicians instead of capturing where we're actually at right now. It's more expansive, uplifting and positive.

Buzznet: Do you have anything special lined up for fans today?

Emily: Rocking their faces off -- we actually can't tell you.





Buzznet: What other bands are looking forward to seeing today?

Emily: We saw that Black Mountain and Autolux are playing. Both of those bands are in our pre-set CD. Holy F--- are awesome too.
 
Josh: I'd go see Does it Offend You, Yeah? That is, if their set wasn't a minute before we played.

Buzznet: How has the restructuring of major labels affected how you're going to market your new album?

Josh: Well, we've been doing our own thing from the beginning anyway. No one wanted us then, or now, but we're here. You just have to pay attention to what you're doing.

Buzznet: If you had three CDs to live with for the rest of your life which ones would they be?

Josh: We'll let Joules handle this one, he speaks for all of us.

Joules: I'd blindly reach into anything Neil Young has ever done and pick three.

Start your morning right with a cup of indie-infused, fair-trade coffee. Midlake's guitarist is expanding his palette with a completely new genre. Find out more ...

Midlake guitarist Eric Pulido is usually busy crafting Fleetwood Mac-inspired indie-rock, but now he's got other plans. Pulido recently launched the Cappulido Coffee Company, a brand that offers six blends of caffeinated bliss and, according to the company's Web site, is a fairly traded bean. Indulge in flavors like Sumatra, Eastern African and good old House Blend, or subscribe to the coffee and have it delivered to your home every month.

No news yet on the follow-up to 2006's The Trials of Van Occupanther, but here's the video for "Young Bride" to tide you over

Aussies Midnight Juggernauts were relatively unheard of when they toured North America with Justice last fall, but you wouldn't have guessed it on Friday. Their Coachella set fused indie-rock bombast with pulsating dance rhythms and synthesizers. The crowd looked overjoyed, sweaty and would have stayed for another hour given the chance. Midnight Juggernauts came across like a twenty-first century version of Xanadu, minus the roller skates of course.

I caught up with drummer Daniel Stricker for a quick interview:


Buzznet: That was an amazing set, where did all those people come from? What do you think it is about your music that people are connecting with?

Midnight Juggernauts: Well … it's the first U.S. festival we've ever played. When we finished our first run of the U.S. with Justice last year we had gotten great responses as the tour went forward, so most of these kids must have actually heard of us.

Buzznet: So how does the band prepare for a festival like Coachella?

Midnight Juggernauts: Well, we started off sort of mellow and just built it up throughout the set, so it's climactic. Normally, in a theater, we play more atmospheric songs. At a festival, the crowd wants to dance, so it's hot no matter what we do.





Buzznet: Do you feel like your music is more tied-in with the younger dance-rock crowd, than say a band like The Breeders?

Midnight Juggernauts: I think in some ways, definitely yes — we want people to have fun. I think it's important as a musician to make music for you, but at the same time we have such a broad range of influences. That's just one aspect.
 
Buzznet: You're album, Dystopia, has been out since the fall of last year, but won't be released until next month in North America. How does that factor into the equation?

Midnight Juggernauts: That's why it's crazy. I couldn't believe how many people were there because we don't have a physical release out yet in the U.S. I mean, you can get it online — or for free — but we didn't expect the tent to be filled like that.





Buzznet: You guys are done for the weekend. Are there any other bands you're looking forward to seeing?

Midnight Juggernauts: Yeah, we have some friends' bands playing: Cut Copy, Architecture in Helsinki and Justice. I REALLY want to see Portishead. Have you heard the record yet? It's so good. And obviously, I'd love to catch Prince.

Buzznet: If you had to pick three albums to live with for the rest of your life which would they be?

Midnight Juggernauts: The Pixies' Surfer Rosa, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and … either a My Bloody Valentine record or Nirvana's Nevermind.

 
-Scott McDonald