On Friday, March 25th, Day 1 of Sasquatch! Music Festival 2018 was incredibly hot, insanely gorgeous, and infinitely entertaining. Three acts we caught glimpses of were Son Little, Wolf Parade, and Whitney. Check out our highlights below!
Keep up with Son Little here, Wolf Parade here, and Whitney here.
Day 1 at Sasquatch! Music Festival 2018 was jaw-dropping. We started off our day at the Bigfoot stage, enjoying the musical stylings of Washington-based Giants in The Trees. The entire band was entertaining from the very first lines of the first song, to the end of the set. And we’re more than smitten with the way that Krist Novoselic danced while playing the accordion.
Keep up with Giants in The Trees here.
Freedom Fry is set to release their debut album Classic Friday, June 1st. I know Freedom Fry fondly as I recently reviewed their single off of Classic “Cold Blooded Heart.” Freedom Fry is an indie duo, whose voices were meant to be together. The duo consists of Parisian born Marie Seyrat, and Michigan born Bruce Driscoll. “Die Tryin” is the second single release off of Classic. A regretful love song, Freedom Fry sings on what could have been done differently. “I’m the worst, I’m a first class jerk, but I need you tonight,” Bruce humbly sings. “Oh I’m going to get you or I’m gonna die tryin,” belts the chorus. What may seem like a hopeless track at first, turns into a sweet, romantic track and the will to “die tryin” to do right by a lover.
Of course, I love “Cold Blooded Heart,” a not so romantic track cursing a heart breaker with “Cold blooded heart, yeah that’s how I pegged you from the start.” “Awake,” remains a little more upbeat and even “tropical.” “Awake! Here we go,” harmonize the duo. The song remains lifted with sounds of ukulele, bongos, and whistles. Shifting from the somber side of Freedom Fry, “Awake” simply remains a positive feel-good, indie song. One really cool thing about the release of Classic, is the album trailer. The artsy trailer on YouTube feature Emma Kenney (Yes, Debbie from the hit Showtime series, Shameless.) Emma navigates her way around downtown through coffee shops, thrift, and record stores with her walkman cassette player as each song off of Classic is previewed. The trailer is really something, as Freedom Fry allows a sneak preview of their debut album in an aesthetic and cinematic nature.
Classic is out tomorrow. Keep up with Freedom Fry here.
Tancred is excited to release their latest album, Nightstand. The release of Nightstand follows up on the well praised 2016 album Out of the Garden. The album rounds out with eleven tracks, the first fittingly titled “Song One.” It is slow, sweet, and at 1:44 it is all too brief. Jess Abbott (Tancred) shows off her vulnerability on this track. “I will not lie to you, these words will be true,” leads the first line of Nightstand. “Why must she love someone else?” wonders Tancred. “Apple Tree Girl” has a folk indie vibe to it, with some interesting lyrics. “Drink my heart out, drink it up,” and “send me a photo, the two of us in the unknown,” make for interesting and almost emo lyrics.
I really enjoy Tancred’s “Underwear”. The song starts off slow and self-loathing, almost punk. “I don’t want to fight you, I’m already fighting me…and I’m losing,” sings Jess before the guitar comes in. The quirky title comes from the electric song line: “Remember when we were in the halls at 5am in our underwear running from ghosts and in my room I was learning that you were soft.” “Rowing” the last track on Nightstand, equally mirrors “Song One” and again shows the artist’s honesty and vulnerability. “I am crude and sweet in bed, I am gentle in a dress,” sings Tancred. With a taste of rock and tambourine, tinged with Tancred’s simple vocals, “Rowing” is a series of positive, gentle thoughts.
Nightstand, in one word, is diverse. It shows Tancred’s ability to navigate through a series of genres and styles, while remaining true as an artist.
Look for Nightstand which will be out June 1st 2018. Keep up with Tancred here.
Slenderbodies headlined Brooklyn’s Rough Trade on May 7th. The indie/electronic guitar duo, made up of Ben and Max, were met with success quite quickly, scoring opening slots for both Passion Pit and PVRIS. For anyone who’s listened to Slenderbodies, it’s not much of a surprise. Not only is their guitar work deeply intricate, boasting a trademark wispiness that sets them apart from their peers, but they also sing, write, mix, and produce all their tracks. They fully own and control their creativity without anyone else interfering. It’s a rare feat in the music business, one that Slenderbodies deftly navigates with a seeming effortlessness.
Setting the mood prior to their set, two large lava lamps were placed to the right and left of the stage while a scarf swirled around a mic stand. The room was packed, and as Slenderbodies began to play in the near-darkness, the audience swayed and danced as the music gently wafted through the air. The only light came from brightly-colored, psychedelic graphics floating across a projector screen behind the band. The atmosphere was relaxing and peaceful; Slenderbodies delivered their fans a perfect ending to a Monday night.
Slenderbodies has a new LP coming out mid-late summer. Check out their latest single, “Anome,” here and for more Slenderbodies music, including a cover of MGMT’s “Electric Feel,” check out their Soundcloud here.
On May 25th – otherwise known as Day 1 at Sasquatch! Music Festival in Quincy, Washington – The Suffers made a phenomenal performance overlooking a beautiful crowd at The Gorge close to sunset. It was an invigorating set, adequately preparing us all for a long night of wonderful music. We got some photos of the set, as well as a couple of portraits with leader singer Kam Franklin and drummer Nick Zamora.
Keep up with The Suffers here.
