In a time where the greatest of alt-music festivals have either gone mainstream (Coachella, Lollapalooza) or disappeared (All Tomorrow’s Parties), Barcelona’s Primavera Sound still stands tall. Stretching all the way from Monday, May 26th to Wednesday, June 4th, but focused on the three-day weekend the Parc del Forum, Primavera draws the best from around the world and close to home, mega alt-stars to no-name that will become mega alt-stars, from the up-and-coming youngsters to influential icons, and much more:
(and if you’re Atlantic than Mediterranean, more June than May, more Portuguese than Catalan, most of these acts also play sister festival Optimus Primavera on the other side of Iberia in Oporto, June 5th to 7th – QRO Optimus Primavera 2013 recap]
MONDAY, MAY 26th
Sala Apolo
Darren Hayman & The Trial Separation, 22:00
The Free Fall Band, 21:00
Tigercats, 20:00
TUESDAY, MAY 27th
La [2] de Apolo
Furia, 23:00
Hokei, 22:00
Anthony Chorale, 21:00
Coldair, 20:00 – QRO photos at a festival
Sala Apolo
Antibalas, 22:00
Fusing the afrobeat sounds of percussion, trumpets, and clavinet, Antibalas the Afrobeat Orchestra (QRO photos outdoors) are known for their funkified confections. They have been touring in support of their 2012 self-titled album, Antibalas.
Also:
Chicha Libre, 20:50
Teatre Principal
Digitalism, 03:00
Hamburg electronic duo Digitalism (QRO photos) knows how to spin it (QRO photos doing a DJ set at a festival) – and I Love You Dude (QRO review).
Hot Chip (DJ set), 01:00
Maybe the first band to hit it big in this century/millennium’s electronic indie-dance scene was LCD Soundsystem (QRO live review) – but the second was close friend Hot Chip (QRO photos). The Warning and “Over and Over” lifted the band (QRO photos) to the big time in 2006, and they’ve kept it going (QRO live review) with Made In the Dark (QRO review), One Life Stand (QRO review), and most recently 2012’s In Our Heads. They play a late night DJ set at Primavera Sound, after a live performance at the festival last year.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28th
Apolo
Holy Ghost! DJs, 03:00
Electro-pop duo Alex Frankel & Nick Millhiser (QRO photos) forms the up-and-coming Holy Ghost! (QRO live review), who have toured with LCD Soundsystem (QRO live review, on tour with Holy Ghost!) and Cut Copy (QRO live review with Holy Ghost!), and put out their self-titled debut (QRO review) in 2011. They come to Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival) for a live show (QRO live review) earlier (see below) and a late night DJ set.
Har Mar Superstar, 02:00
Somewhere between solo singer/songwriter, pop-star diva, and Ron Jeremy lies Har Mar Superstar (QRO photos). Sean Tillmann (QRO photos at a festival) adopted the persona to underground acclaim, especially in Great Britain, as well as becoming spokesman for Vladivar Vodka and Lynx Deodorant. He’s also written songs for the likes of Jennifer Lopez & Kelly Osbourne, and Britney Spears’ management’s rejection of “Tall Boys” only brought him to make his own version, for 2009’s Dark Touches.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre, 00:40
One of the best psychedelic bands of the last thirty years, The Brian Jonestown Massacre (QRO photos) emerged out of San Francisco (where else?) have endured a tumultuous history (including rivalry with The Dandy Warhols in celebrated music documentary, Dig!) for a prolific and consistent output.
Also:
Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado, 23:40
ATP Stage
Holy Ghost!, 22:25
Electro-pop duo Alex Frankel & Nick Millhiser (QRO photos) forms the up-and-coming Holy Ghost! (QRO live review), who have toured with LCD Soundsystem (QRO live review, on tour with Holy Ghost!) and Cut Copy (QRO live review with Holy Ghost!), and put out their self-titled debut (QRO review) in 2011. They come to Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival) for a live show (QRO live review) and a late night DJ set (see above).
Sky Ferreira, 21:15
Sky Tonia Ferreira (QRO photos at a festival) grabbed eyes & ears by just uploading videos of her songs onto MySpace, but shifted from her electro-pop into incorporating more experimental sounds on her delayed debut full-length, Night Time, My Time. She comes to Primavera Sound after opening for Miley-twerkin’-Cyrus…
Stromae, 20:10
While not known in America, Brussels’ Stromae has hit number one in numerous European countries with his electro/hip-hop “Alors on danse”.
Temples, 19:00
Despite only starting two years ago, Temples (QRO live review) have received press attention in their native England after being called the best new band in Britain (QRO photos at a U.K. festival) by the likes of Noel Gallagher (QRO live review) and Johnny Marr (QRO live review). They come to Primavera Sound (QRO photos at an Austin festival) hot on the heels of that heat and February’s debut full-length, Sun Structures (QRO review).
Also:
Fira Fem, 17:00
Él Mató A Un Policía Motorizado, 17:55
BARTS
Shellac, 22:50
Famed producer Steve Albini started in eighties punk act Big Black, and keeps him hand in the performing side of the game fronting Shellac – who are coming off five years in a row at Primavera Sound Barcelona (QRO photos at Primavera Barcelona ’11).
The Ex, 21:30
The Dutch punk veterans The Ex started way back when punk started, the late seventies, before some Primavera Sound artists were even born. Like fellow punk originators who are still around, Wire (QRO live review), The Ex have never limited themselves to punk, drawing from a wide range of sounds & influences. They’ve also endured line-up changes, including the departure of charter Ex G.W. Sok in 2009, after three decades in the band.
Also:
Full Blast, 20:25
Paus, 19:15
El Teatro Latino
Uproot Andy, 00:00
Geko Jones, 00:00
Ecos del Gueto, 00:00
La [2] de Apolo
Me and The Bees, 22:30
Beach Beach, 21:30
Aries, 20:30
Teatre Principal
John Talabot, 00:00
Have you ever checked out an artist from the Spanish Electronic genre? No? Then Barcelona’s own John Talabot would be a good place to start. Having released only one album so far (2012’s Fin), he shows much promise in the way of longevity – this will be his third year in a row at Primavera!
Jamie xx & Friends, 00:00
One-third of The xx (QRO live review), Jamie xx has also been making his own (first) name in DJing & production circles, like at Primavera ’12 (QRO photos at Primavera ’12).
Also:
Rodaidh McDonald, 00:00
THURSDAY, MAY 28th
ATP Stage
Moderat, 02:15
Berlin’s Sascha Ring, a.k.a. Apparat (QRO live review), has already had success (including appearing at Primavera Sound last year – QRO photos), but gets even better when teamed up with Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary, a.k.a. Modeselektor, as electronic super-group Moderat (QRO live review). They come to Primavera Sound (QRO live review in Europe) for a second time.
Shellac, 00:00
Famed producer Steve Albini started in eighties punk act Big Black, and keeps him hand in the performing side of the game fronting Shellac – who are coming off five years in a row at Primavera Sound Barcelona (QRO photos at Primavera Barcelona ’11).
Neutral Milk Hotel, 21:40
Jeff Mangum formed Neutral Milk Hotel around him in the late nineties, released In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, and the rest was history. One of the most critically acclaimed records of the past twenty years, NMH still disbanded before the decade/century/millennium was over, thanks to Mangum’s growing disillusionment (and later nervous breakdown).
It all seemed to be the story of a candle that burned too bright for too short a time, but then Mangum began touring a few years ago (QRO live review), including Primavera Sound ’12, and then came a full-fledged reunion (with the line-up that played on Aeroplane) last fall, which comes to Primavera Sound.
[note: put your cell phones and cameras away for this performance, as Magnum notoriously hates photographing at his performances…]
The Ex, 19:30
The Dutch punk veterans The Ex started way back when punk started, the late seventies, before some Primavera Sound artists were even born. Like fellow punk originators who are still around, Wire (QRO live review), The Ex have never limited themselves to punk, drawing from a wide range of sounds & influences. They’ve also endured line-up changes, including the departure of charter Ex G.W. Sok in 2009, after three decades in the band.
Also:
Föllakzoid, 17:45
Auditori Rockdelux
Sun Ra Arkestra, 20:45
Modern music wouldn’t be where it is today without Sun Ra. Born before the start of the Great War, Sun Ra took the jazz of the fifties into the future & farther, including outer space. From paving the interstellar highway for everyone from Spiritualized (QRO photos at Primavera ’12) to Parliament/Funkadelic (QRO live review) to afrofuturism to being one of the first musicians in any genre to use electronic keyboards, there might not be anyone as singular & influential as Sun Ra.
Ra passed away in 1993, but his Arkestra has continued, now under the leadership of the sprightly 90-year-old alto saxophonist Marshall Allen.
Also:
Colin Stetson, 16:00
Julian Cope, 17:30
A Winged Victory For The Sullen, 19:15
Heineken Stage
Disclosure, 02:20
British electronic duo Disclosure (QRO photos at a festival) spin beats at Primavera Sound for a second year in a row.
Queens of the Stone Age, 23:00
After the dissolution of the hard rock Kyuss, singer/guitarist Josh Homme formed what today might be the biggest ‘stoner rock’ band in the world, The Queens of the Stone Age. This is the kind of band that can put Foo Fighters (QRO album review) frontman Dave Grohl back on skins, get contributions from Screaming Trees’ Mark Lanegan (QRO live review) & Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (QRO live review), and more. Maybe no record has matched Songs For the Deaf, but last year’s …Like Clockwork (QRO review) has come the closest.
Warpaint, 20:40
The experimental, even psychedelic rock of the four ladies that make up Warpaint (QRO photos) has taken a while to take hold, but is really starting to by now (QRO photos), and they come back to Primavera Sound (QRO photos) behind this year’s self-titled full-length.
Real Estate, 18:40
Pitchfork has long loved Ridgewood, New Jersey’s Real Estate (QRO live review), including 2012’s sophomore release Days (QRO review) and this year’s relaxed Atlas (QRO review), so see for yourself if they’re right as the band comes to Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival) for a third time.
Pitchfork Stage
Julio Bashmore, 03:00
The Range, 01:50
John Wizards, 00:40
CHVRCHES, 23:15
Scottish electro-pop outfit CHVRCHES (QRO live review) have gotten very big very fast on the back of last year’s debut The Bones of What You Believe (QRO review) – but are fronted by the tiny Lauren Mayberry (QRO photos at a festival).
Future Islands, 22:05
Baltimore’s Future Islands (QRO photos) play a darker form of synth-pop.
Majical Cloudz, 20:55
Grimes (QRO live review) collaborator Devon Welsh has been making his own name in his Montreal duo with Matthew Otto, Majical Cloudz.
Pond, 19:45
The new wave of psychedelic rock comes to Primavera Sound from the other side of the globe in Perth’s Pond (QRO photos at home in Perth).
Glasser, 18:35
Cameron Mesirow’s Glasser (QRO photos outdoors) is the daughter of a member of the Blue Man Group and a member of minor New Wave hit Human Sexual Response, with a musical style somewhere between prog-rock and krautrock (QRO photos at Primavera ’11), if you can picture that (QRO photos at a festival).
Also:
Wind Atlas, 17:30
Ray-Ban Stage
Jamie xx, 04:20
One-third of The xx (QRO live review), Jamie xx has also been making his own (first) name in DJing & production circles, like at Primavera ’12 (QRO photos at Primavera ’12).
Metronomy, 03:15
From an NME Awards Tour (QRO review) to their own big headline dates (QRO live review outdoors), London’s electro-pop Metronomy (QRO photos at a festival) bring it, most recently with March’s Love Letters.
Charles Bradley, 01:10
The ‘Screaming Eagle of Soul’, Charles Bradley is one of the many great soul singers to emerge from Brooklyn’s DapTone Records, which also brought the world Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (QRO album review) and Budos Band (QRO album review), but Bradley more than stands on his own, from festivals (QRO photos at a festival) to topping the bill at the one-and-only Apollo Theater (QRO photos)!
Standstill, 22:50
Barcelona post-hardcore at Standstill play Primavera Sound for a third time.
Antibalas, 20:35
Fusing the afrobeat sounds of percussion, trumpets, and clavinet, Antibalas the Afrobeat Orchestra (QRO photos outdoors) are known for their funkified confections. They have been touring in support of their 2012 self-titled album, Antibalas.
Also:
Rodrigo Amarante, 18:40
El Petit de Cal Eril, 17:00
Sony Stage
Arcade Fire, 00:30
After making the biggest indie-smash since The Strokes (QRO album review) with the already-seminal Funeral back in 2004/2005, and leading the charge of the ‘Canadian Invasion’, Montreal’s own Arcade Fire (QRO live review) followed that up in 2007 with the excellent-even-if-it-couldn’t-be-Funeral Neon Bible (QRO review). But after playing to bigger-and-bigger-and-bigger venues (QRO live review outdoors), the massive ensemble took a much-needed break, yet they returned in 2010 (QRO photos of first U.S. show in three years), and as one of the biggest bands in indie-rock (QRO photos at a festival), with The Suburbs (QRO review), which managed to win the Grammy for Record of the Year.
Of course, that meant hipsters were obligated to hate the band (QRO photos headlining Madison Square Garden), and unfortunately some of that came true last fall with Reflektor (QRO review). A double-album where the band now follows the trend of indie going disco-dance, it divided critics, and coupled with a massive promotional push that included not only the season premiere of Saturday Night Live but a special afterwards (QRO Music On Late Night TV), not to mention Kimmel on top of the Capitol Records building and similarly divisive intimate shows (where they required the crowd to dress up, fooled on where the stage was, and did no encores) grabbing attention during the new music fest CMJ (QRO recap), it all almost seemed designed to jump the shark.
However, not only is the music still great, but so is the live show, so catch them at Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival).
St. Vincent, 21:50
After the one-and-only Annie Clark (QRO interview) made 2007 her break-out year, both as part of The Polyphonic Spree on The Fragile Army (QRO review) and with her own debut as St. Vincent (QRO photos), Marry Me (QRO review), she followed that up with even-better years (QRO spotlight on), gracing festivals (QRO photos at a festival), charming and surprising crowds with winning humor live (QRO live review), and bringing a stable of new songs (QRO live review). Those new songs, like “Laughing With a Mouth of Blood” (QRO video) and “Actor Out of Work” (QRO video) formed into 2009’s Actor (QRO review), which vaunted her into the even bigger time (QRO photos at a festival), including playing Lincoln Center (QRO live review) and other storied concert halls (QRO photos at a festival) & venues (QRO photos at Royal Albert Hall).
Admittedly, 2011’s Strange Mercy (QRO review) wasn’t quite as good, but then she teamed up with the one-and-only David Byrne (QRO photos at a festival together) for 2012′s Love This Giant (QRO review), and now the holy St. Vincent (QRO photos) comes back with a vengeance this year on St. Vincent (QRO review), and an absolutely stellar live show (QRO photos in Europe), with her platinum grey hair and mannequin moves shining at festivals (QRO photos at a festival) and in the Old World (QRO photos in Europe). A must-see at Primavera Sound ‘14 (QRO photos at a festival).
Midlake, 19:35
Denton, Texas’ Midlake (QRO photos outdoors) have swerved around a bit in the indie-rock realm, most recently into the sweet-sounding Americana with last year’s Antiphone and 2010’s The Courage of Others (QRO review), but have stayed true to Texas (QRO photos).
Also:
Grupo de Expertos Solynieve, 17:45
VICE Stage
Lasers, 03:00
Touché Amoré, 01:45
Post-hardcore outfit Touché Amoré (QRO photos at a festival) come to Primavera Sound behind last year’s …Is Survived By.
Bo Ningen, 00:20
Catch the Japanese-born (QRO photos at an Asian festival), London-based (QRO photos at a festival) acid-punk of four-piece Bo Ningen.
Chrome, 22:55
Formed all the way back in 1975, San Francisco’s Chrome mix of synthesized noise and rock instrumentation made them the forerunner of industrial music.
SVPER, 21:45
Mix breathy vocals with hyperactive eighties synth-pop and you get Spanish duo SVPER (who are the second all-caps, ‘V’ instead of ‘U’ band at Primavera Sound – see CHVRCHES above).
Caveman, 20:35
Caveman (QRO photos at a festival) emerged out of one-half of the tricky to pigeonhole Subjects (QRO spotlight on) with last year’s similarly tough to categorize CoCo Beware (QRO review), but have settled down into an interesting haunt with last year’s self-titled follow-up (QRO review).
Also:
Girl Band, 19:25
El Último Vecino, 18:25
Gang of Youths, 17:25
FRIDAY, MAY 16th
ATP Stage
SBTRKT, 02:05
London DJ/producer Aaron Jerome, a.k.a. SBTRKT, has been impressing with his post-dubstep work, which he brings back to Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival).
Slint, 23:55
Louisville’s Slint broke up after the second album, Spiderland, way back in 1990, with sporadic reunions before this year’s more substantial one behind the deluxe box set of Spiderland.
Sharon Van Etten, 21:45
While there’s a ton of stripped songstresses out there, one of the nicer ones is Sharon Van Etten (QRO photos at a festival), who evoked the sad strains of Appalachia on her debut, Because I Was In Love (QRO review), while 2011’s Epic (QRO review) made her the Brooklyn ‘it girl’ (QRO photos in New York), and 2012’s Tramp (QRO review) has gotten her get even more acclaim – and attention (QRO photos). She’s even had a star-studded show in NYC (QRO photos), where she had special guests like Thurston Moore (QRO live review) of Sonic Youth (QRO live review) & Aaron Dessner of The National (see below). She comes back to Primavera Sound behind her latest, Are We There.
Loop, 19:40
These days, computers and synthesizers make it easy for anyone to do electronic loops, but back in the long, long ago of the nineteen-eighties, London’s Loop did their loops the old fashioned way. The group broke up in 1991, but saw their legacy and influence only grow bigger as circuits grew smaller, and last year they reunited to co-curate the final holiday camp edition of All Tomorrow’s Parties. Now they hit the festival circuit proper, and are a fitting act for the ATP Stage at Primavera.
Also:
Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, 17:50 – QRO photos
Auditori Rockdelux
Body/Head, 20:45
Body/Head is Kim Gordon’s post-Sonic Youth (QRO live review), post-Thurston team-up with Bill Nice.
Mick Harvey, 19:15
While long-term Bad Seed/Nick Cave collaborator Mick Harvey ended that thirty-six year-long collaboration before Push the Sky Away (QRO review), he’s worked with many, many others (including PJ Harvey – no relation) on a wide variety of projects, most recently last year’s solo Four (Acts of Love). He comes to Primavera Sound performing the music of France’s famed Serge Gainsbourg, who music he translated into English on two solo CDs – but who knows what language he’ll be in at Barcelona (Catalan? Provencal?…).
Also:
Linda Perhacs, 17:30
Julia Holter, 16:00 – QRO photos
Heineken Stage
!!!, 02:00
Sacramento dance-punk act !!! (QRO photos) – pronounced “chk chk chk” – were seriously blowing people away a few years ago (QRO live review) with Myth Takes (QRO review), then seemingly disappeared, only to come back (QRO live review) in 2010 with the somewhat derivative Strange Weather, Isn’t It (QRO review). But the now-New York outfit (QRO live review in New York) came back in force with last year’s great TH!!!ER (QRO review), and the band still knows how to liven it up live & outdoors (QRO live review outdoors), even at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Pixies, 22:50
Riot Fest 2013 has many reunions of eighties and nineties greats, but the band that set the alt-reunion standard was the Pixies (QRO live review). The group had some of the strongest records of those two decades, like 1989’s Doolittle (QRO twentieth anniversary live review) and songs such as “Gouge Away” (QRO video) & “Nimrod’s Son” (QRO video), but broke up just before alternative music got successful. The members went on to various other projects, most notably singer/guitarist Black Francis reversing & Anglicizing his name into ‘Frank Black’ (real name: Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV) for his solo career, and singer/bassist Kim Deal teaming up with her sister as The Breeders for the very successful Last Splash (QRO twentieth anniversary live review). But the hatchet between those two was buried in 2004, when Frank/Francis, Deal, guitarist Joey Santiago, and drummer David Lovering reunited at Coachella – and began this century/millennium’s alt-reunion tradition.
Admittedly, the reunion was strictly a nostalgia one (QRO live review), as the Pixies didn’t make new music, just toured the old (QRO live review), while Frank continued to put out solo work (albeit back under his Francis name – QRO live review) and Deal reunited with her sister for the unimpressive Mountain Battles (QRO review). But eventually both dams burst: out came the new song “Bagboy”, and out went Deal (again), to spend full-time in Breeders (including Primavera last year – QRO photos). The Pixies recruited first Kim Shattuck to pick up the bass & female vocals for tour (QRO live review), then Paz Lenchantin, and come back to Primavera Sound (QRO photos at a festival) behind their first new album in over twenty years, Indie Cindy.
HAIM, 20:30
Sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim, along with drummer Dash Hutton (QRO photos at a festival), only started putting out music last year, but have already been turning heads (QRO photos), thanks to great single “Don’t Save Me” – and come to Primavera after last year’s debut full-length, Days Are Gone (QRO review).
Also:
John Grant, 18:30
Pitchfork Stage
Pional, 04:00
Madrid producer/remixer Miguel Barros, a.k.a. Pional, comes to Primavera Sound for the second time in three years.
Factory Floor, 03:00
The U.K. noise-core outfit Factory Floor (QRO photos at a festival) supposedly rewards on further listens, if you can get that far.
Oso Leone, 01:40
From just off the shore in the Mediterranean island of Mallorca comes Oso Leone.
Deafheaven, 00:10
Deafheaven expand on the black metal sound with elements of post-metal and even shoegaze.
The War On Drugs, 22:40
Claimed to be “Best New Music” by Pitchfork for their 2011 album, Slave Ambient, The War On Drugs are often known for the jauntily confections of atmospheric guitars and rolling drums (QRO live review). The Philly outfit (QRO photos) later saw member Kurt Vile spin-off for his own successful career (QRO live review), and just followed up Slave with March’s Lost In the Dream (QRO mp3 review). They come back to Primavera Sound for a second time.
Also:
FKA Twigs, 21:30
Speedy Ortiz, 20:15
Joana Serrat, 19:00
Mas Ysa, 17:45
Ray-Ban Stage
Laurent Garnier, 04:00
Jagwar Ma, 03:05
At the wee hours of the morning is the perfect time for the psych-dance of Jagwar Ma (QRO live review).
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-54898 size-full" title="Jagwar Ma" src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/primaverapreview14jagwarma.jpg" alt="J