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He was pissed (at George Bush, at Universal Records, at divisions between the races). He was pumped (that Fader put him on the cover “when my record was selling the least”; at white people who “don’t just stand there); he was aggro (about everything). Hands down the highest energy, most intense, in your face shit I’ve seen all weekend. But he also had a sense of humor – right before he closed out the set, his DJ rocked a bit of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as he and his crew chanted “White People….Rock.” The acts that followed didn’t have a chance (especially Telepathy, a limp, quiet female electro trio that barely got people to pay attention to the stage). Although BLK JKS from South Africa also kinda killed it—for all the talk of indie bands going Afro pop, here was an actual African act playing energizing Afro pop mixed with good old fashioned hard rock. And Santogold was dressed like M.I.A. but sounded like Ronnie Spector, singing over dub and '80s electro pop while Diplo DJed and her two unsmiling ladies danced in grey uniforms beside her.

Earlier in the day, I also hit Digitalism, the electronic duo I dig that's living in Justice’s shadow but who still got the crowd moving at the Vice day party, and the buzzed about The Place to Bury Strangers, a New York act that just kinda sounded same old heavy shoegazer stuff. – Jennifer Maerz