This year’s Lollapalooza will take place August 7-9 in Grant Park, Chicago. The full line-up of over 100 bands includes some of the biggest and best names on the modern rock scene - Depeche Mode, The Killers, Jane's Addiction, Kings of Leon, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists...and an exhausting selection of younger bands, some of whom may well be on their way to greatness. Since 1991, when Perry Farrell started Lollapalooza as part of a tour for his own band, Jane’s Addiction, the rich selection of other alternative bands, plus dancers and DJs, comedians and carnival acts has made the festival one of America's favorite summer events.
You know the headliners, but there's a quick and easy musical primer available free of charge from Lollapalooza and iTunes that allows you to sample 15 lesser-known artists from this year’s lineup.
Among the sampler hightlights are "Bang" from Rye Rey with special guest M.I.A., Peter Bjorn and John’s “It Don’t Move Me” (not listed on the title page, but it downloads as one of the 15 tracks), Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” (a personal favorite from last year’s great “For Emma, Forever Ago” album) and Alberta Cross presenting a sharp take on classic Neil Young-style guitar rock with "The Thief & The Heartbreaker." There are also tracks from the Constantines, Deerhunter, The Raveonettes, Langhorne Slim and White Lies among the 15.
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15 of these acts are offered in a free music sampler.
To get your free album-length sampler, visit this page at the Lollapalooze site, get your free download code and take it to the iTunes site (you'll need to establish an account if you don't already have one, but that's free, too). Once you're at iTunes, click "Redeem" in the Quick Links section and enter the code in the space provided. The 15 tracks will download immediately and, as a nice little bonus, the songs go into your playlist with full graphics from the artists’ own albums (or, in the case of Fleet Foxes’ “Mykonos,” the single cover art) and not a generic sampler cover.
The code expires on August 30 and is redeemable only at the U.S. iTunes Store. (Sorry to those who may be reading overseas.)
While you're at the site, check out the free “Lollapalooza App” for iPhone and iPod touch that helps those attending the show (or pretending to be there) to create a schedule (with searchable/sortable band info), read/listen/watch media about the groups, and navigate around Grant Park. You'll also get the "Lolla Ball" - which causes your phone to flash and change colors when you shake it. (The old school among you may prefer one of the virtual lighter apps available at the App Store that let your device simulate a lighter with flickering flame.)
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