Fun Fun Fun Fest is upon us again, overtaking Auditorium Shores this weekend with a multitude of headliners and smaller, lesser-known gems appearing at the Black, Blue, Orange and Yellow stages. Here is The Daily Texan’s list of not-to-be-missed shows this year:    

Black Stage

Who: Iceage
When: Saturday at 4:05 p.m.
Iceage, who were originally one of the most cathartic and noisy post-hardcore bands in recent memory, have changed into something much more dynamic with their newest album, Plowing Into the Field of Love. Infusing stronger Gothic influences while incorporating the likes of horns and violins into their music, Iceage forged ahead with a more mature sound. The band was already a force of nature when it performed previously, so it will be interesting and well-worth it to see how the set changed to fit Iceage’s new style. 

Who: The Bots
When: Sunday at 12:45 p.m.

Brothers Mikaiah and Anaiah Lei make up the Los Angeles grunge rock band The Bots, who released their first full-length album, Pink Palms, just last month. New to the music scene, the two produced their first album when they were still in grade school, and they have since performed alongside renowned bands, such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The album draws on punk, rock and some blues and folk influences to create a modern and energized garage
band sound. 

Blue Stage

Who: Run the Jewels
When: Friday at 4:15 p.m.

Although technically only formed in 2013, Run the Jewels have decades of experience behind them. The duo is the coming together of southern hip-hop extraordinaire Killer Mike and New York City mainstay El-P. Together, they make hip-hop that is even more intense, brutal and unrelenting than they do on their own. Their latest album, Run the Jewels 2, manages to build on everything they accomplished with their self-titled album from last year. It’s a grimier, crueler and bleaker collection of tracks, with the spitfire in each verse more palatable than ever.    

Who: Yelle
When: Friday at 6:15 p.m.

French techno-pop duo Yelle has taken the world by storm since their 2005 MySpace debut single “Je Veux Te Voir” became an Internet hit. They have been producing upbeat electronic pop albums ever since, influenced by an ever-present Euro-pop house music vibe that is universally accessible, Francophile or not. Complètement Fou, their 2014 album release, is perhaps the duo’s most relaxed, defined effort so far.

Orange Stage

Who: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
When: Saturday at 4:40 p.m.

Since 2007, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have been one of the most consistent indie-pop bands in the United States, from their distortion-filled debut to the now jangle and dream-pop influence on this year’s Days of Abandon. No matter which direction band mastermind Kip Berman and his cohorts head in, the result is still just as hook-filled and glorious as it
was before. 

Who: Angel Olsen
When: Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Angel Olsen is a wonderful mixture between old Americana and new indie singer-songwriter, with her trademark crooning vocals and understated acoustic harmonies. Her latest album, Burn Your Fire for No Witness, was released this year and is a far cry from her debut in 2010, which explored much heavier basslines, reminiscent of garage rock. Olsen’s stage presence this year, at shows such as SXSW in the spring, has consistently been described as understated and intimate but
never restrained.

Who: Foxygen
When: Sunday at 3:35 p.m.

Psychedelic rock band Foxygen formed in 2005 when the Los Angeles based duo started releasing home-recorded albums during high school. Foxygen recently released their third album, …And Star Power. Although they call their music experimental, this album is reminiscent of classic rock bands such as the Rolling Stones and The Kinks, both of whom Foxygen has cited as
major influences. 

 Yellow Stage 

Who: Majical Cloudz
When: Friday at 7:20 p.m.

Majical Cloudz is the electronic duo of Matthew Otto and Devon Welsh. It’s a simple setup, with Otto producing the band’s melancholic beats and synths while Welsh emotes his sparse but emotionally filled lyrics. The band manages to turn what would be a terribly boring set into something far from that, conveying every piece of pathos in their songs in a live setting, frequently causing complete silence to fall over the crowd and tears shed.