Washed Out @ The Mohawk (10/17/2011)

Washed Out is the stage name of Ernest Greene, a 28 year old musician from Georgia. He gained recent fame from internet blogs when he started to put up music he made from his parents' bedroom from a rural Georgia town. Since the start of Washed Out, Greene has released High Times (2008), Life of Leisure (2009), and most recently Within and Without (2011)

I had the pleasure of going to see Washed Out with four of my friends at The Mohawk in Austin this past Monday and I must say the show did not disappoint. Even though the studio version and live version of his music differ, they still sound great either way. The best parts of the concert would have to be standing in the front row and hearing an unreleased song from them as well as a Chris Isaak cover of “Wicked Games”, but the only problem is the set list was too short, with him only playing an hour and ten minutes. Here is the closing song from their concert:




Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed (Live @ Mohawk 10/17/2011) by andyparanoia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.youtube.com.

The next time I will be heading up to Austin will be on November 9th to catch a PHANTOGRAM concert at the same venue. PHANTOGRAM is a New York based trip-hop duo composed of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter.

Listen to M83's New Album

M83 are an electronic/ dream pop group founded in 2001 by musician Anthony Gonzalez. To date, they have released six albums, their most recent one being Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. It can only be best described as a shoe gaze, 1980's reminiscent, electronic joy. When asked about the direction of the album, Gonzalez said "It's a double album. It's mainly about dreams, how every one is different, how you dream differently when you're a kid, a teenager, or an adult. I'm really proud of it. If you're doing a very long album, all the songs need to be different and I think I've done that with this one." Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming includes collaborations with Justin Meldal-Johnsen (tour bassist of Nine Inch Nails and bassist for Beck, and produced the albu,), Zola Jesus, members of Medicine, etc. The album drops officially on October 18th through Mute Records.



Gonzalez teasing the new album.

Echoes... by Anthony Gonzalez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

M83 will be touring North America starting October 15th, starting in Mexico City and will be in Austin on November 5th for Fun Fun Fun Fest. You can stream the new album on Urban Outfitters Music site here. The album is a good listen and it's also available for free download!

Junior Boys - Playtime

Junior Boys are a Canadian electronic group formed in 1999 by Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark. After many failed attempts, the two were left with making music in their bedrooms. These attempts led to Dark leavingthe band to pursue other musical interests just as KIN records heard their first demo and asked them to make more music. In response, Greenspan recruited Matt Didemus to help produce more. Since KIN records heard their demo, Junior Boys have released 4 albums: Last Exit (2004), So This is Goodbye (2006), Begone Dull Care (2009), and It’s All True.





Junior Boys Aloft- Play Time by Pitchfork is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
“Playtime” is a song off their 2011 album It’s All True (2011). The song’s underlying drumbeat is prevalent throughout the song as well as the piano melodies, guitar strums and Greenspan’s soft vocals. Combined, they make this song very calm and an easy listen. There is not much room for bass in this song, not because it would overload the song, but because it does not seem necessary. This song is a gateway to the rest of their due to the resemblance of the musical structure of this song. This song, as well as their album, has received generally accepting reviews and is worth the listen.

Little Dragon - Nightlight

Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic group and have received attention due to past collaborations with David Sitek (If You Return on Maximum Balloon), SBTRKT (Wildfire on SBTRKT), Gorillaz (Empire Ants on Plastic Beach), Jose Gonzalez (In Our Nature on In Our Nature), and other artists. The name “Little Dragon” comes from a nickname front woman Yukimi Nagano was called after she would throw tantrums in the recording studio. They have been named as an “emerging artist” from Beyond Race Magazine. On their third album, “Ritual Union,” one particular song caught my attention.

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Yukimi & José, mid-song by Guy Ha is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

The two most noticeable features of the song “Nightlight” would have to be the catchy dance beat, and the vocals of Nagano, which makes this track enjoyable from start to finish. The odd, yet groovy electronic synth beats layered under Nagano’s vocals makes her sound smooth, sweet, and sultry. Although the album has some dark times and the lyrics are not deeply written, this does not mean the song has lost its integrity. The album is a good listen and the beats are great. The only problem with songs like these is once I feel involved and immersed with them, they stop and a new one starts.

Take a listen!

Little Dragon - Nightlight