#1. Kasabian
From: Leicester, England
Kasabian takes their name from Manson Family member Linda Kasabian, who was Charles Manson's getaway driver, and also the prime witness against him at his trial.
Allmusic calls Kasabian Britpop/Indie Rock, citing band influences like Primal Scream, The Stone Roses, DJ Shadow, and Happy Mondays. ACL describes their sound as hard-hitting, electro-rock laced with politically charged lyrics. Take the political part with a grain of salt though, in the number of interviews I've read they play that up or down depending on context. The band is touring with Oasis and Jet this September, which is how all three landed at ACLFest.
Kasabian's self-titled debut album (already double platinum in England) was released in the U.S. in March. Personally, I couldn't wait, so I ordered an import copy right after Christmas. Silly me, I decided to listen to the CD in bed, with headphones, right before going to sleep the night I got it. Within 60 seconds my heart was beating in time with "Club Foot" and I knew there was no way I'd be sleeping any time soon.
This is one of the bands that I'm most excited about seeing... especially since I hear their live show is phenomenal (something I'd actually worry about after hearing their album). The album is also in my top 5 of 2005 so far... it's the first thing that I play when I need to get pumped for something. Or when I'm working out. Or when I want to just dance around the room and punch the air. Um... yeah.
A bunch of mp3s have popped up on blogs, but I'm hesitant to link to anything that might not be up for four months. Instead, I'll link to the entire album, which you can listen to on Kasabian's website.
Kasabian will play the AMD stage on Friday from 1:30-2:30.
