For the past few days you’ve been seen the advertisements across campus and heard the chatter of your friends: Girl Talk and The Walkmen are performing at this year’s A&O Ball, set for April 15 at the Riviera Theater in Chicago. However, A&O’s announcement hasn’t been met with unanimous approval. Northwestern indie rockers are upset by the inclusion of mashup mastermind Girl Talk, while some casual concert goers are asking, “Who the hell are The Walkmen, anyway?”
Before you and your friends decide to spend The Walkmen’s set pregaming in Evanston or hop on the El before Girl Talk’s set starts, you should take a closer look at the acts A&O has chosen. Diverse? Dear god, yes. Incompatible? Definitely not.
Musical Styles:
The Walkmen’s sound epitomizes the indie genre. The band’s shimmering guitars recall the Cold War Kids and vocalist Hamilton Leithauser sounds like the cleaned-up brother of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes vocalist Alex Ebert. Despite being meticulously constructed the band’s arrangements are transparent and every instrument is easily discernible.
Girl Talk’s music is about as dense as music gets—his best and most recent album, 2010’s All Dayuses 373 different samples—but instead of pursuing clarity the mashup artist creates well-organized chaos. By triggering multiple samples simultaneously Girl Talk constantly has listeners on their toes and asking questions like, “Did he really just layer Ludacris over Phoenix?”
Love ‘Em Live:
Both The Walkmen and Girl Talk have excellent live reputations, but for different reasons. According to one British critic, in concert The Walkmen “were business-like and with limited interaction with the audience, and instead preferred to let their fine craft and musicianship take over, spellbinding the audience.” Meanwhile, Girl Talk demolishes the barrier between audience and performer, creating what many critics describe as the best party you will ever attend. Known for jettisoning toilet paper into the crowd and inviting audience members on stage, Girl Talk’s live act is notoriously wild (and enjoyable).
Hipster Cred:
Based upon the judgment of the hipster sages at Pitchfork Media, The Walkmen are clearly superior to Girl Talk. Three of the band’s studio albums (2004’s Bows and Arrows, 2008’s You & Me, and 2010’s Lisbon) have earned the publication’s Best New Music distinction, typically bestowed upon records receiving ratings of 8.0 or higher and the crown jewel for bands attempting to solidify their hipster appeal. Tellingly, both All Day and its predecessor, Feed the Animals (2008) met the usual ratings criteria but failed to achieve Best New Music status. Critics from many publications have been reluctant to complete accept Girl Talk, often implicitly citing the obvious: The DJ’s music simply isn’t his own, thus barring him from true musical greatness. Many indie rockers bristle at mentions of Girl Talk, dismissing him as nothing more than a man with a computer, pandering to drunk and rabid fans looking to get their dance on.
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This year’s A&O’s Ball isn’t too different from its 2010 edition, where critically acclaimed hip-hop artist Talib Kweli opened for Passion Pit, electronic newcomers who could easily engage a room of college students. Once again A&O has chosen two diverse acts, one eminent among music buffs and the other excellent at controlling a room and creating an excellent atmosphere. Some Northwesterners might complain that The Walkmen are too well-established to open for Girl Talk, but ultimately the A&O Ball isn’t designed in the image of the Pitchfork Music Festival—its goal is to be a fun evening for a couple thousand college kids. The acts A&O have recruited should enable that.