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Lollapalooza Fri May 10 2013
Lollapalooza Early Planning: Guards
Lo-fi indie pop band Guards originally came across my radar once I discovered the man behind Guards, Richie Follin, is the brother of Cults singer Madeline Follin (Richie himself was once Cults member as well). Cults' self-titled album is one of my favorite releases of 2011, so I immediately sought out Guards' album to check out what Madeline's brother had been up to. Turns out the siblings aren't the only musicians in the family, either - their step-dad Paul Kostabi was a founding member of White Zombie, as well as punk band Youth Gone Mad with which Madeline herself was briefly involved, along with Dee Dee and Joey Ramone. Pretty impressive background.
In February, Guards released their debut LP In Guards We Trust. While the album shares the same lo-fi aesthetic found in Cults' self-titled debut, In Guards We Trust focuses less on vocals and more on fuzzy guitars and eager hooks. The album is sprightly and optimistic, with choruses like "We're up and ready to go!" on the commercial-ready "Ready To Go" that seem almost crafted to sell coffee or insurance or something. Commercial or not, the band is downright fun, and perfectly suited for the Lollapalooza heat.
While we're all still in the early planning stages of who to see at Lollapalooza, over the next few days we'll be highlighting a handful of bands on the Lolla roster to keep in mind. Lollapalooza is happening August 2nd - 4th in Grant Park, however all tickets besides Platinum passes are currently sold out.
