For fans of

Deerhunter, Real Estate, Animal Collective

Singles to download

“Lightsworks”, “Mona Lisa”, “The Shakes”

When The Roots were unable to make it to Loufest because of Hurricane Irene, the festival found Deerhunter, an Atlanta-based quartet that claims Atlas Sound (real name Bradford Cox) as a members, for its last minute headliner. The final minutes of their set were so intense. As I watched Cox flail about and screech until his voice gave out, I could only think of one word for it: savage.

I expected Atlas Sound’s live frenzied vigor to carry over to his latest album, but without his Deerhunter bandmates beside him, Cox trades in most of his savagery for an overall chill sound. While Deerhunter has often described itself as “ambient punk,” Cox just removes “punk” from that equation on new album “Parallax.” Rather than suffer, Cox cranks out the swirling synths to create gorgeous, enveloping soundscapes. Looking back at his most recent release, Deerhunter’s “Halcyon Digest,” it’s easy to see flashes of similarity. Though the harder edge of tracks like “Desire Lines” and “Fountain Stairs” are mostly absent on “Parallax,” the combo of depressing lyrics on acoustic guitar and ambient synth on “Halcyon Digest”’s “He Would Have Laughed” almost serves as foreshadowing for many songs on “Parallax:” “Praying Man,” “Te Amo,” “Terra Incognita,” or, heck, more or less all of “Parallax.”

Though the songs on “Parallax” all follow this stylistic similarity for the most part, nothing seems recycled. No track sounds jarringly different from the others, but Cox has enough fresh ideas to play around with to make sure none of these 12 songs gets boring. (Check how “Doldrums” flows without question into “My Angel Is Broken,” but the tracks remain totally different.) In fact, it’s this homogenous aspect of the album that makes it Atlas Sound’s best solo album to date. While his previous solo releases “Let the Blind” and “Logos” had some great tracks (“Walkabout,” “Quick Canal”) to ease the wait between Deerhunter albums, “Parallax” is his first solo album to sound like a unified work. “Parallax” is remarkably consistent, with no definable low point and no total standout (though “Lightworks” holds its own as my favorite track). It absolutely stands with the best Deerhunter has to offer. I don’t really want to give Mr. Sound the top spot for my album of the year twice in a row. After all, the guy is an unsightly, self-absorbed loner who is genuinely terrifying live. However, after “Halcyon Digest” and “Parallax,” Bradford Cox deserves a top spot among indie artists.

The bands are mostly on the small-but-mighty indie side. The aspect of discovery is one of the most fun parts about the festival. Notable performers include mashup kings The Hood Internet, Atlas Sound (a Deerhunter side project), Brothers Lazaroff, Midwest Avengers, recent W.I.L.D. performer Nite Owl, Illphonics, Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship and Ellee Ven.

The shows kick off on Wednesday and continue Thursday through Saturday. All 10 stages are at places on the Loop, including Cicero’s, Blueberry Hill, Vintage Vinyl, Racanelli’s Cucina, Chipotle and the 560 Music Building. Each of the venues hosts several sets each night starting around 7 p.m. Check out the full schedule at http://2009.playstlfest.com/.

In addition to the shows, the festival also features a series of advice panels for making it in the music business. Topics include basic business sense for musicians, how to get exposure, social networking and the questionable necessity of booking agents. Panels start Saturday afternoon at Cicero’s.

Wash. U. students can pick up three-day wristbands for $5 (about 5 cents per performance) at the Edison Box Office. That’s a $10 savings on the normal price of a wristband, plus all the swag that comes with it: Wristband holders get a free Chipotle burrito, a free drink or shirt, and preferred admission to panel discussions.

Head out to the Loop this weekend to find yourself a new favorite indie band!