The Voice‘s annual indie rock fest gave audiophiles the second good reason to visit Coney Island last week, bringing out everyone from Spank Rock to Future Of The Left to Built To Spill on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We sent Natasha Ryan to eat all the hot dogs and take all the pictures, sadly missing the only NYC appearances from Japandroids and Micachu & The Shapes for at least a few months. Monotonix delivered a typically hairy and photogenic set, and Spank Rock delivered a (these days) typically brief one, reportedly doing like three songs before crashing over the stage barrier and laying still for 20 minutes as Ninjasonik and Amanda Blank picked up the slack. I wasn’t there, but I did start reading tweets about a supposed guerrilla Spank Rock show at 12AM on the Williamsburg Bridge. So I walked there, and sure enough Naeem was hanging from metal rapping into megaphones and boomboxes while about 200 people drank, smoked, and danced in highly illegal fashion. Spank did four songs, I guess equaling his Siren output, before the thing just became a DJ party. No arrests (by the time I left at 1:30AM, at least). Some terribly shady pics of that madness here, here, and here, and some much better photos of the day at Siren in this photo gallery.

We offered muted praise for last year’s initial lineup, but hat tip to the Village Voice for a) bringing back Siren for another installment (weren’t their rumblings that last year was the end?) and b) pulling together a spread much more worthy of a train ride to Coney this year. Here’s the first dispatch:

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Broken Social Scene
The Helio Sequence
Beach House
Times New Viking
Jaguar Love
The Dodos
Annuals
Film School
Parts & Labor
Dragons Of Zynth
These Are Powers

Malkmus, BSS, Times New Viking, Annuals, this will conquer the beach. But Beach House? Really? A summer stage with boomy sound isn’t exactly the best environment for the narcotic Baltimore duo, but hey — it is free, it’s July 19th, and pro tip: you’ll probably wanna remember your earplugs. More info when we get it, or just keep tabs here.

Did you spend Saturday with eyes glued to The Deathly Hallows? Or ears glued to The Black Lips? We did neither, but these folks managed to do both:

(Pic by Paul Antonson.)

Yep, no Siren for Stereogum. Not ’cause the line-up was so much weaker than years past (well, maybe a little); we’ve just had our fill of most of the performers for the year. We know some of you went, though! Fill us in: Did Lavender Diamond’s operatic pop rise above the Cyclone screams? Did Twilight Sad cover Radiohead? Did Voxtrot rail against music bloggers? Does Harry die at the end?

After the jump, some video clips that do little to convince us we missed anything spectacular.

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Coney Island wallows in its state of decay, but once again the Village Voice brings its bass-heavy soundsystem and novice soundmen to the boardwalk for Siren Fest this summer, set for July 21st. The Voice announced this partial lineup earlier today:

NEW YORK DOLLS
WE ARE SCIENTISTS
MATT AND KIM
THE BLACK LIPS
DR. DOG
NOISETTES
LAVENDER DIAMOND
THE DETROIT COBRAS
ELVIS PERKINS
THE TWILIGHT SAD

You guys know how much we love the Twilight Sad, but if you’ve never heard ‘em before, please don’t judge them by their Siren set; that system will make them sound like muddled shit. Somehow, though, like every year, it’ll be one of the summer’s best days. We’ll get ya the full lineup when it’s out. For now, dream of Nathan’s franks.

On Saturday the hipsters made their annual pilgrimage to Coney Island. We know the comments section is gonna turn into a big bitchfest — terrible sound! lame bands! it rained! where was Haunted Pussy?! — so we’ll concentrate on the positive … even though, yes, we left early.

Don’t know Deadboy or Priestess well enough to give you song titles (but who cares, really). We’ve heard Priestess described with reference to Wolfmother (by fans and publicists alike), but that’s just lazy. Both bands are bringing heavy rock to the bloggers, but where Wolfmother is Sabbath and Zep, Priestess is Sabbath and Metallica (except for the masturbatory, stick-to-the-heavens drum solo; Bonhamesque in length and puffery, not in quality!). Their riffing was a pleasant surprise, though we left before the fear of (gasp) repetitiveness set in. Gotta love the Cliff Burton look alike, though.

Faves on the day were Serena-Maneesh and Man Man (of course). Both acts were among the best suited to come across well despite the bad sound, but for different reasons.

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This Saturday is Village Voice‘s annual Siren Festival, where thousands of hipsters descend upon Coney Island for indie rock and Nathan’s. We’re getting psyched, so we’ve asked three Stereogum-approved bands to participate in our stupid new feature, Inside The Rockers Studio. (Anyone wanna make an ITRS logo for us? E-mail me.)

Katrina Ford, Celebration
(Listen at MySpace)
1. What is your favorite word?
FREEDOM

2. What is your least favorite word?
MARGINALIZED

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
DISCOVERING SOMETHING NEW OR SEEING SOMETHING IN A NEW WAY. FINDING THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND BEAUTY IN SOMETHING YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD.

4. What turns you off?
WAR

5. What is your favorite curse word?
FUCK FACE

6. What sound or noise do you love?
TRAINS AND ESPECIALLY ELECTRIC BOX FANS

7. What sound or noise do you hate?
BABIES CRYING OR SCREAMING

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
REIKI THERAPIST

9. What profession would you not like to do?
ANYTHING BEHIND A DESK

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“I’M NOT THE ASSHOLE ‘THEY’ MAKE ME OUT TO BE. COME ON IN!”

Jennifer Rogers, The Rogers Sisters
(Listen at MySpace)
1. What is your favorite word?
RESPLENDENT

2. What is your least favorite word?
SYNERGY

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
CREATIVELY: LISTENING TO RECORDS + RIDING SUBWAYS; SPIRITUALLY: THANDISWA LIVE; EMOTIONALLY: PUPPIES

4. What turns you off?
MOTHERFUCKING HATERS

5. What is your favorite curse word?
DOUCHEBAG

6. What sound or noise do you love?
ASHA BHOSLE’S VOICE

7. What sound or noise do you hate?
HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
IRON CHEF

9. What profession would you not like to do?
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY

10 If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“ETERNAL LIFE IS THE INTERSECTION OF THE LINE OF TIME AND THE PLANE OF NOW. WE LIVE FOREVER.”

Josh Grier, Tapes ‘n Tapes
(Listen at MySpace)
1. What is your favorite word?
FOOTBALL

2. What is your least favorite word?
MUZAK

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
LISTENING TO GREAT RECORDS

4. What turns you off?
MUUMUU’S

5. What is your favorite curse word?
MOTHERFUCKER (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH MUTHAFUCKA)

6. What sound or noise do you love?
THE SOUND OF A GOOD, HIGH QUALITY FAN

7. What sound or noise do you hate?
THE SOUND OF A SHITTY, BROKEN FAN

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
ASTRONAUT

9. What profession would you not like to do?
INFORMERICAL CO-HOST

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“OF COURSE YOU CAN BE QUARTERBACK OF THE HEAVEN ALL-STAR FOOTBALL TEAM. YOU ALWAYS WERE A SUPERB ATHLETIC TALENT.”

Here’s Saturday’s schedule:

Be a good, high-quality fan and tell us who not to miss!

PREVIOUSLY: Siren Festival 2005 Photos

The annual and free Siren Festival takes over Coney on 7/15. Brooklyn Vegan has been doing his homework and believes this to be the line-up:

Scissor Sisters
Stars
Tapes ‘n Tapes [bloggers like them!]
Art Brut
Dirty on Purpose
The Stills
Deadboy & The Elephantmen
The Rogers Sisters
The Cribs
Celebration
She Wants Revenge
Priestess
Man Man

Rumored 14th act is Serena Maneesh. Or Haunted Pussy. This year I’m gonna kick Jess Gawker’s ass in Dance Dance Revolution. Been studying my Bees and everything.

In an effort to stay close to free beer and Port-A-Potties, Stereogum didn’t catch any of Siren‘s Stillwell Stage (tell me what I missed in the comments). It was an awesome Saturday nonetheless, and I do have some rock ‘n’ roll to report. Hit Brooklyn Vegan too for Coney Island fun.

HAUNTED PUSSY greeted us on the boardwalk while we made our way to the main stage.

So freaky they deserve a link: read the band’s macabre tale here.

HA HA … typo! All the bloggers rushed to take a photo.

Stereogum enjoyed Q AND NOT U. The Dischord trio was poppier than expected.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Q And Not U – “Wonderful People” (MP3)

Post-show I learned they’re on a farewell tour. [Frowny emoticon.] Catch ‘em while you can.

DUNGEN‘s Ta De Lugnt finally gets a domestic release (2CD on Kemado) in a few weeks. Check out Gustav Ejstes’ groovy flute from Vastergotland.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Dungen – “Panda” (MP3)

These Swedes’ psychfolk is even more impressive once you realize the band is 70% hair.

Gawker and Low Culture were equally terrible at Dance Dance Revolution. They haven’t studied the new Bees video.

BRENDAN BENSON teaches us his patented Alternative To Love.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Brendan Benson – “Alternative To Love” (MP3)

Detroit singer/songwriter is so hott right now.

SPOON played all the fan faves. “Everythings Hits At Once,” “That’s The Way We Get By.” I turned my camera on (Sorry. -Ed.) to document Britt’s smile.

ROB and MISS MODERNAGE had never seen Spoon before.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Spoon – “I Turn My Camera On” (MP3)

Every Siren act is contractually obligated to mention the Cyclone. This was the best I could do getting Spoon and the famed wooden rollercoaster in the same shot.

Special thanks to everyone at The Voice, Nathan Handwerker, and the Warriors.

If anyone went to Intonation let’s hear about it…

So who’s hitting Coney Island on Saturday? I’m pretty psyched about this line-up.

It’ll be hard to get motivated to show up early if there are thunderstorms, as tempting as soggy funnel cake may be. Which of the afternoon acts are not to be missed?

5th Annual Village Voice SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Coney Island 7/16 12pm – 9pm