Category Archives: New Artists

Seekae adds a new dimension in live “Yech” peformance

Seekae, an Australian electronic trio you’ve maybe not heard of yet, have thus far made their name on elegantly crafted, emotionally-affecting electronic songs in the vein of former empire-mates Mt. Kimbie and James Blake. Tracks like “Void”  make heavy use of synth pads, hip-hop descended rhythms and vocal snippets for an effect that’s more summer meadow than sweaty club.

With new cut, “Yech,” the group takes the inevitable next stop for crafting electronic pop and throws some vocals in the mix. Surprisingly enough, one of these dudes, Alex Cameron, can sing. It’s the same sort of sad-soft croon that Blake has used to such great success. Although Cameron’s refrain–“I can feel my heartbeat… my ghost is coming,”--is appropriately haunting, the song itself never stops moving long enough to ascend from this plane. Performing with a full complement of analog and MIDI gear while amber sunshine splashes in from the Sydney bay, the trio builds the skittering, pulsing track up from drum machine to synth pad, giving it real weight. It’s only one song, but let’s hope there’s a whole album of this coming.


Seekae- Void (download)

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2012 Sasquatch! Music Festival Preview

Heaven is a place on Earth (Photo courtesy of Sasquatch! Festival)

First there was Coachella. Then there was Coachella again. This Memorial Day weekend, we grab our Ray-Bans and Redbull and head to the Gorge Ampitheatre in George, Washington (no, that is not a typo), for the 11th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival. Nestled in the hills above the Columbia River, the Gorge is one of the most beautiful settings on the festival circuit. We were there for last year’s 10th anniversary, when acts including Robyn and Bright Eyes drew unparalleled crowds to the extended four-day marathon. Now, we return, all set to brave the sweat, the sleeplessness and–hopefully not–the rain.

With over 120 live bands, this year’s festival boasts more than just a breathtaking view. Sasquatch!’s curators have brought together some of the biggest names in indie and electronic music, including the three B’s of alt–BeckBon Iver and Beirut. Other major crowd draws include tUnE-yArDs and former White Stripes frontman Jack White, who takes to the stage solo on Saturday.

There’s plenty of beat candy for the more electronically inclined, with the bill’s heavy-hitters including Girl Talk and Pretty Lights, Friday’s headliner. Performers range from club DJ types like Felix Cartal and Wolfgang Gartner, to Beardyman, the former beatboxer now making dubstep-inspired tunes.

Without further ado, we bring you the ten must-hear acts at Sasquatch! 2012. If you can’t make it there in person, we’ve compiled a full preview playlist after the jump.

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Baauer’s “Harlem Shake”

Brooklyn-based Baauer is a 22-year-old DJ/producer who makes house music that sounds like hip-hop. All heavy bass and filthy drops, Baauer’s sounds take you to a dingy basement club, which is exactly where I was when Glaswegian beatmeister Rustie dropped Baauer’s Harlem Shake during his May 15 set at Santo’s Party House NYC, rendering a chorus of “Oh, Shit!” from the crowd.

Released yesterday on Mad Decent imprint Jeffrees, Harlem Shake is a bamboozling combination of sonar synths and snares, woven together with a lion’s roar sample and warped vocals urging you to “Do the Harlem Shake.” It’s practically screaming for someone to rap over it–just imagine A$AP Rocky’s sugary flow or Azealia Banks’ gunfire rhymes on top of this one. Accompanying Harlem Shake is the marimba-driven “Yaow!” a beat so tropical it makes sense that Diplo is a fan.

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King Charles’ LoveBlood

Um, there’s something on your forehead.

After a few good listens to King Charles‘s peppy debut album, LoveBlood, one thing becomes clear: Charles Costa, the man behind the King, has a few go-to items.

The 11 tracks weave in and out of each other by relying on the same motifs: major keys, tight 4/4 rhythms, and lyrics that keep mentioning love, lust, blood, and a girl named Isabel, all sung in Costa’s lilting English accent.

But that’s about it. The rest of it is a tribute album. King Charles may be searching for his royal sound in his first album, but he’s only managed to find others’.

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Adopting The Stepkids, Soul and Steely Dan

These men love Steely Dan. (Photo: Matthew Bologna & Jesse Mann)

Another day, another buzz band. Not so with The Stepkids, a Connecticut trio of music industry veterans attempting to stand out from the fray (pun intended) with a retrofunk sound and trippy light show. On stage, Jeff Gitelman (guitar), Dan Edinberg (bass) and Tim Walsh (drums) balance machismo guitar solos with the intuitive baton passing of jazz musicians: no one member hogs the spotlight for too long while performing. This collaborative approach carries over into the band’s songwriting and recording process, where everyone contributes equally. There’s no denying their skills–separately, members have toured with the likes of Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill, as well as indie punk band Zox. Signed to Los Angeles-based Stones Throw, the band’s collage of styles is at home among labelmates J Dilla, Madvillain and Dam-Funk. Following the release of their self-titled debut in 2011, The Stepkids are currently on tour with Mayer Hawthorne. Treeswingers geeked out with these purveyors of psychedelic soul after their show at Paradise Rock Club in Boston to discuss Steely Dan, keytars and the importance of good visuals.

Treeswingers: That was an awesome set, I really enjoyed it. I’ve been following you guys because you’re on Stones Throw, one of my favorite labels. Tell me a little bit about yourselves, and how you got together?

Dan Edinberg: Well, Jeff and I met on a bebop gig in the summer of 1998, when we were teenagers. We played a lot of bebop together that summer.

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