If you believe the hype (and the blogs), California’s Best Coast have made a life-changing, must-own debut record in Crazy For You. I’m not as convinced. Sure, frontwoman Bethany Cosentino and partner Bobb Bruno have crafted a warm, hazey, washed-out record with reverb-soaked vocals and some pretty killer melodies, but that can describe most noisy, pop-punk garage bands operating today. Frankly, I just don’t see what makes it all that special. And so it goes with hype, imposing insurmountable expectations on albums that might be otherwise decent. But to dismiss Crazy For You as overhyped hipster trash would mean missing out on what’s actually a pretty good record.

If one thing is apparent on a first listen, it’s that Cosentino can sing. Her delivery is clear, clean and powerful. The lyrics are more polarizing – such simple proclamations of longing, heartbreak and eventual satisfaction are as easy to write off as shallow as they are to admire for their sincerity. Deciding which school of thought you fall into is the biggest hurdle to clear in order to fully enjoy the album, but her vocal ability is enough to appreciate on its own merits, regardless of lyrical content.

Musically, the album gets a lot of mileage out of the key of G and songs follow a standard pop form. However, there are enough hooks and sing-a-long moments to distract from the fact that a lot of the album feels somewhat similar.

An album that requires some serious thought to appreciate this is not, and there are no musical nuances to discover on repeat listens. Rather, Best Coast is a “what-you-hear-is-what-you-get” kind of band, straight-forward and without pretence in every respect. If you strip away all of the hype, you get a good (not great) album which makes for easy and enjoyable summer listening.

On Sunday night SSMU froshies were treated to one final night of entertainment, a concert starring Torontonians k-os and Keys N Krates.

Keys N Krates featured a drummer, keyboardist, and DJ with a laptop and turntables. The band describes their work as “hands-on remixing,” a style that transforms recognizable riffs and melodies into rave-style mixes. The band’s greatest strength was their manipulation of tempo, and in turn, the audience. The trio used Hitchcockian suspense to create explosive and dance-worthy moments.

k-os introduced himself as a “sonic scientist,” and “rap n’ roller,” and he lived up to the title. His music defies any kind of categorization, blending pop, hip-hop, rock, rap, and reggae. His lyrics are saturated with literary references and social commentary, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. I still haven’t figured out if the lines “Everyday is Saturday night / But I can’t wait for Sunday morning” are about partying or the apocalypse.

Both groups had good things going for them, but in the end, the performances were a little too “frosh.” Just like newly emancipated teenagers, the bands felt it necessary to set aside normal behaviour and go a little wild.

Keys N Krates frequently played an annoying pitch that sounded like a fire alarm and k-os’ performance lacked his regular polished sound. Unpleasant guitar solos, dissonant noises, and bizarre sampling were abrasive, not edgy.

But the audience was happy Sunday night, the concert was free, and the music was invigorating. But I think we could have done with a little less chaos.

Since becoming permanently stationed in Chicago’s Grant Park in 2005, Lollapalooza has consistently delivered two things: impressive lineups and droves of people looking to see said lineups. This year featured hugely popular artists such as Green Day, Lady Gaga, and Arcade Fire alongside only slightly lesser-known but no less awesome acts, including Mumford & Sons, Chromeo and Wolfmother. Dozens of other bands and a host of DJ acts also took to the park’s eight stages.

Most sets can seem upsettingly short for diehard fans, but to those with a more casual musical interest, they are fast paced and exciting. X Japan­-a riveting Japanese metal band-delivered a particularly excellent show, rocking out in full heavy metal regalia, using huge pyrotechnics, and braving the 35 degree heat in black leather and chains.

People who are claustrophobic, heat-sensitive or picky about acoustics should probably skip Lollapalooza, because it’s about the experience. Yes, the crowds are vast, the acoustics are bad and holy God, it gets hot. But even if you are one of the finicky ones, it would be remiss of you to skip over Lollapalooza next summer. Grab a five-dollar beer and get ready to spend three days packed like sardines with a cheerful and drunk crowd witnessing some outstanding performancesSince becoming permanently stationed in Chicago’s Grant Park in 2005, Lollapalooza has consistently delivered two things: impressive lineups and droves of people looking to see said lineups. This year featured hugely popular artists such as Green Day, Lady Gaga, and Arcade Fire alongside only slightly lesser-known but no less awesome acts, including Mumford & Sons, Chromeo and Wolfmother. Dozens of other bands and a host of DJ acts also took to the park’s eight stages.

Most sets can seem upsettingly short for diehard fans, but to those with a more casual musical interest, they are fast paced and exciting. X Japan­-a riveting Japanese metal band-delivered a particularly excellent show, rocking out in full heavy metal regalia, using huge pyrotechnics, and braving the 35 degree heat in black leather and chains.

People who are claustrophobic, heat-sensitive or picky about acoustics should probably skip Lollapalooza, because it’s about the experience. Yes, the crowds are vast, the acoustics are bad and holy God, it gets hot. But even if you are one of the finicky ones, it would be remiss of you to skip over Lollapalooza next summer. Grab a five-dollar beer and get ready to spend three days packed like sardines with a cheerful and drunk crowd witnessing some outstanding performances.

This year’s North by Northeast music festival featured close to 650 bands on over 40 stages throughout Toronto. Often playing second fiddle to the similarly named, but unrelated, South by Southwest festival, 2010 seemed to be NXNE’s coming-of-age. From scoring big-name headliners like Iggy and The Stooges and De La Soul, as well as a good number of up-and-coming buzz bands like Surfer Blood and Avi Buffalo, this year’s line-up demanded attention. The festival might not have “taken over” the city, but it was pretty hard to ignore.

Starting off a packed Thursday night, Montreal’s Young Galaxy and The Besnard Lakes brought their atmospheric guitar rock to the Mod Club. The former charmed with a mid-set shower of bubbles from the ceiling and the latter hit it out of the park, playing a tight set enhanced by the impeccable lighting system. Later at the Dakota Tavern, Alberta’s Ghostkeeper gave the audience a taste of their raw country-blues while Japandroids drained the crowd’s remaining energy with their 2 a.m. “surprise special guest” slot.

Friday night saw garage-rock take over the sweltering Garrison, with California’s Best Coast and The Soft Pack hitting the right blend of noise and pop to dance the night away.

Not to be outdone by club shows, the Hollerado Nacho House (nachos and beer in a house that isn’t yours) was a festival highlight. Taking place on a warm and sunny Thursday afternoon, close to 200 people crowded onto the apartment rooftop of Audioblood Media, a Toronto press and management team, to watch a slew of young and promising GTA bands. By the time Hollerado took the stage, the crowd was as enthusiastic as they were inebriated ($3 beers, anyone?), but they pulled out all of the stops anyway, including confetti cannons, spray-paint, and a hefty dose of performer-crowd interaction.

If there’s one gripe about NXNE it’s that, unless you find yourself at Dundas and Ossington, it’s nearly impossible to venue-hop without breaking the bank on cab fare. Your best bet is to pick a venue for the night and stick to it.