Headliners Matt & Kim
Ah, Floralia. That solo cup sea of debauchery, henna tattoos and mosh pits. For many Conn students, this end-of-the-year event is something to anticipate, especially when it comes to which big band is scheduled to perform. This year, the anticipation started as far back as autumn, when a Facebook page created by Matt & Kim revealed they would be coming to Conn. The page quickly disappeared and the official news has only just been announced.
Here, we in arts and entertainment bring you the details on who the bands are, and why you should get pumped. To get you ready for this exciting cornucopia of Pitchfork-approved hipster rockers, here’s the low-down on all of them.
MATT & KIM: The headliner. The big one. The band probably guaranteed to have the biggest current fanbase pre-May. Although it’s been general knowledge around campus that Matt & Kim were going to show up, it’s still nice to see it confirmed by a wordsearch on the back of the Daily ConnTact. Matt & Kim’s jangly, keyboard-driven power-pop songs have been everywhere, including Entourage, Skins, the promotional material and pilot for Community and a Bacardi commercial.
Their first single, “Yea Yeah”, consists of a chorus that is meant to be yelled by as many people as possible for as long as possible. Their songs, including “Daylight,” “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare” and “Cameras,” are brief, energetic and addicting. Matt and/or Kim are known to frequently crowd surf and get their audiences as amped up as possible. This attitude is conducive towards the type of songs the group performs.
HOODIE ALLEN: There was once a time when the term “white rapper” was negative. Maybe that’s still true. Regardless, New York’s Hoodie Allen (a play on Woody Allen and real name Steven Markowitz) looks like the charming, young Jewish man your grandmother would adore, if only he’d hide that rebellious leather jacket. In an interview recorded by the Indiana paper The Republic, Allen stated that he’s “a pretty positive person, and I want to keep good times in the music.” He accomplishes this in his mix-tape filled with pop culture references and fun anecdotes.
His beats are catchy and his samples are well-picked. He doesn’t have much to play – only one EP and three mixtapes – but who knows? Maybe he’ll be Conn’s next B.O.B. “You Are Not A Robot” is a great choice for those wanting to introduce themselves to Hoodie Allen’s music. You can check out and download one of his mixtapes, Pep Rally, at http://www.timeforthepeprally.com/.
DOM: This band is a little hard to figure out. I’ve yet to find a Wikipedia page for the Worcester-based group and their MySpace page is a little vague (perhaps that’s on purpose – the lead singer, Dom, has a last name but he’s not sharing). However, they list their type of music as garage and glam, which, as far as we’re concerned, is a winning combination. Hailed as a band on the rise by the mighty Pitchfork roughly one year ago, Dom has certainly fulfilled that by playing at venues like Coney Island for the Siren Music Festival and touring with popular indie acts like Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and the Flaming Lips.
One of their songs, “Beth,” is reminiscent of the Ponys, while the song “Living in America” has a completely different sound; by using a synth as the main instrument, Dom is able to do their best attempt at New Order while still adhering to their tried and true formula (as a side note, you may recognize “Living in America” as one of the mash-ups used by the Hood Internet, performing this coming Friday for the 4/22 FNL). They sound interesting to say the least, and will certainly diversify the music scene.
WICKED PEACH: If there was any outcry not related to who the hell some of these bands were, it was that 80s-cover band Orange Crush, a Floralia staple, was not included. However, Wicked Peach, another cover band, has been here before and is just as loved. The choice of covers is not so limited, as the list of songs on their website ranges anywhere from Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” to Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name.” Think of it as live karaoke. You never know, they might take requests.
SHAKE THE BARON: We recently covered this Conn band in the Voice when they played for the Founder’s Day celebration. Comprised of Matt Addison ’10, Andrew Oedel ’10, Max Currier ’10 and Jon Markson ’12, the band has been making waves outside of the MOBROC scene. It will be cool to see these guys continue to grow to new heights and fame.
Besides these five, MOBROC bands are scheduled to play, although that mini-list hasn’t been announced yet. The Best Band on Campus event, set to be held April 28, will determine one of the competing acts – Fleur de Lise, Williams Street Mix, Spiced Curry and Three-Play – a thirty minute set. If you want to be a part of picking one of the performing bands, check this event out and vote.
Until then, use this article as a helpful guide to who you’ll be seeing come May 7. Get psyched. •
