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)

Follow me on twitter at @dan_siegal.

Classical arrangement.

There’s a painfully brilliant light peeking through my blinds.  I think it’s called “summer” and I think it’s about time to go play in it.

While I bask in my Southern Californian birthright, the deceptively named “Lunar,” will certainly be on repeat.  From the mind of Fingerpaint, one half of electro duo Classixx, comes a woozy, sun-drenched, slow-rolling disco house track that’s sure to inspire a poolside romance or two.  Throw on some shades, don some artificial melanin and go out and enjoy the rays.

Fingerpaint (of Classix)-Lunar

Sunsquatch. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

After 420 minutes spent walking from camp ground to concert, four hours of sleep per night and a grand total of zero showers, our final day in the Gorge was certainly tinged with fatigue. For some it was less Sasqautch! and more Sasquatch, exclamation point optional.

One man knew just how to wash that tiredness right out of his hair. As we entered the festival, he was sitting fully-clothed on a fixture in a nearby pond, attracting a crowd of onlookers and some very disgruntled security personnel. He then stood up, spread his arms triumphantly, and dove backwards into the water. Exultant, he proceeded to do a lap of victory, trailed by a beleaguered doggy-paddling crowd-control employee. With this brave soul’s inspiring performance in mind, we were off toward the first band of the day.

Read our reviews from Monday below…

Mustang Sallie. (Erin Flangan/treeswingers)

Sallie Ford And The Sound Outside started things off with a swingin’ set of retro blues. Ms. Sallie Ford possesses one hell of a voice, best showcased on songs like “Write Me a Letter.” The Portland-based band’s home fans lapped up their tracks, bopping along to the killer upright bass, played by Tyler Tornfelt (what a name). Sallie Ford promised sunny music for good vibes, and she sure didn’t disappoint.

Africa is awesome. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Things got weird with Awesome Tapes from Africa. Brian Shimkovitz, the man behind the blog-turned-record-label, played the Banana Shack a selection of tapes he collected during a stint conducting research in Africa. Although Sasquatch! organizers deserve props for booking such an interesting act, it was an odd choice to place Shimkovitz in the dance tent. Women in full skirts and beanies swayed. Men in wayfarers and straw fedoras shuffled back and forth. One couldn’t help but feel the audience were mimicking moves from Beyoncé’s “Run The World (Girls)”  video in an attempt to recreate any essentialized “African” dance they may have seen. If it were intended as a DJ set, Shimkovitz’s mix could have been better crafted–the beat-matching was poor, and there was no coherent sense of build. Instead of merely showcasing music listeners had never heard, Shimkovitz’s set would have been more effective had he contextualized it for us–mixing the tapes into M.I.A., for example, to show festival-goers where contemporary pop artists have found inspiration.

Felix fist pump. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Felix Cartal restored the Banana Shack to sweaty order, packing in one of the busiest crowds of the weekend. The Vancouver DJ mixed an impressive set of commercial house, and although it may still have been daylight, plenty of Sasquatchers were willing to pretend they were in the back alley behind a club smoking cigarettes at 4 A.M. Among the tunes were Cartal’s “Don’t Turn on the Lights” and “Black to White” from his recent Different Faces album. Cartal runs a tight ship full of massive drops and an expertly-crafted set that had the crowd clapping without encouragement. The audience jumped and shouted as one, audibly exclaiming en masse at least five times during his mix. Felix Cartal, we’ll be seeing you again.

File under: Tommie Smith and John Carlos. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Shabazz Palaces, the experimental hip-hop due of Ishmael Butler and Tendai ‘Baba’ Maraire, played one of the most musically-impressive live sets of the weekend. Unlike other rap acts, there was no DJ — the pair ran their beats off instruments and laptops entirely on their own, often rapping while simultaneously playing the bongos or keyboard. The crowd, seated on the grass and head-nodding by the stage, were taken on musical jams through jazz and funk as the duo rocked out between raps. Shabazz played most of the tracks off their 2009 Of Light EP, as well as 2012′s full-length, Black Up. Their music recalled something raw and tangible often lost from hip-hop today, as they sang “do it for my people so I know y’all can have it” (from the descriptively-titled “Blastit At The Homie Rayzer’s Charm Lake Plateau BBQ July At Outpalace Pk”).

Look! (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Sasquatch! organizers failed to mention that Sampha, the singer on SBTRKT’s 2011 album and regular tourmate, would not be joining the masked producer on stage in the Gorge. Instead, SBTRKT played a diverse DJ set that acted like a how-to guide for electronic music. Without introducing himself, SBTRKT took to the stage playing a UK two-step beat, which mixed into “Hold On,” followed by Boddika’s “Grand Prix.” Soon, the set veered into garage territory and a mix of “Living Like We Do.” SBTRKT then descended into deep house, before dropping the eponymous Drake remix of “Wildfire” and ending with some crowd-pleasing dubstep. SBTRKT obviously had fun with his set, dropping an airhorn sound-effect at regular intervals.

As we drove away from the Gorge with chapped lips and sunburnt faces, we found ourselves debating the verity of sasquatches. Do they exist? And if so, do they eat bananas? We didn’t come to a conclusion, but we know that this Sasquatch, at least, is one we’ll be seeing next year.

-Natalie and Erin

Treeswingers’ Top Three

Felix Cartal- Black To White (feat. Miss Palmer) (download)

Shabazz Palaces- Are you… Can you… Were you? (Felt) (download)

SBTRKT – Ready Set Loop (download)

Follow us on twitter at @Treeswingers.

Exodus. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Day Three of Sasquatch! Music Festival and the sun was out in full force. Flower headbands and bikinis were de rigeur, as were hotpants so short we dubbed them “cheek peekers.” We slathered on our sunscreen and headed into the campground for our busiest day yet.

If festival-goers were tired, they didn’t show it. Wherever we looked, there were groups dancing, caked in three days of dirt and mud mixed with body paint and  glitter. Glow sticks protruded from bags, clothes, dreadlocks and, despite the heat, there were still a fair few full-body animal costumes.

The day’s lineup certainly held plenty to be excited about. Indie-inspired hip-hoppers Chiddy Bang were set to grace the Main Stage, where Beirut would also later be appearing. The crowds were out in droves for Deer Tick and Seattle-based Beat Connection–the latter of which played their feel-good electro to a packed Banana Shack.

Read our reviews from Sunday below…

Friends of friends of friends. (Erin Flangan/treeswingers)

Brooklyn-based indie trio Hospitality started off our afternoon with their cheery indie pop. Kicking off their set with the incredibly catchy “Friends of Friends,” singer Amber Papini’s lilting voice carried the band through the majority of songs off their self-titled debut, as well as new track “Fidelity.” Hospitality make good music to drive to, and their tunes perfectly matched the beach-like atmosphere floating through the Gorge on Sunday afternoon.

A dyme a dozen. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Hometown hip-hop group Dyme Def were the early highlight in the unfamiliar sunshine soaked climes of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle MCs Brainstorm, S.E.V. and Fearce Villan took to the stage with a ferocious energy that soon had the crowd bumping, as they urged those watching to “bring it in Sasquatch.” The group rapped over a selection of beats, including Tyga’s “Rack City,” before asking the audience to make some noise for the Beastie Boys. They then dedicated a re-imagining of “Paul Revere” to MCA. Hip hop with a conscience and a sense of humor, Dyme Def transitioned deftly from their Adam Yauch tribute into a more comical performance. After remixing a ”Pinky And the Brain” theme song, they helped a young audience member ask her crush to high school prom on-stage. The rap threesome consummated the ceremony with a heart-warming rendition of “Let It Be,” which later merged into “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”-sampling “The Game Needs Me.”

Mellow yellow. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

The day took an electronic turn with Tycho’s downtempo beats. Taking to stage with guitar in hand, Tycho was backed up by a bassist and drummer, breaking the trend of laptop musicians in the Banana Shack. Full of swirling melodies and slow builds, Tycho played several tracks off his 2011 release, Dive. The moniker of San Franciscan Scott Hansen, it’s no surprise that Tycho’s set was backed up by dreamy, sun-drenched visuals. From Women walking across dunes to sunspots melting into sound waves, Hansen’s graphics perfectly complemented the hazy afternoon.

Starslung. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

British DJ and producer Darren Williams, better known as Star Slinger, crafted hip-hop and electronica into 45 mintues of sheer perfection. His set started with a distinctly 2-step/UK garage feel, before moving into a new song “Ladies in the Back,” which featured a chopped and screwed vocal eschewing the motto: “Slow and sexy wins the race.” Starslinger blew the tent’s proverbial roof off with his refix of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” which quickly segued into reggae jams. Drawing from a wide range of inspirations, he delved deep into RnB by mixing Bone Thugs-n-Harmony “Crossroads” into Usher’s “Climax,” before finishing off with a dessert course: Nicki Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap” crossed into Gucci Mane’s “Party Animal.” The audience left his set dazed, confused and utterly blown away.

Late, but with nature. (Erin Flangan/treeswingers)

The building crowd for a tardy Zola Jesus, stood anxiously for Nika Roza Danilova, ironically clapping to the beat of the sound-checking drumkit. Peroxide-blonde frontwoman Danilova took the stage twenty minutes late  dressed in a white full-length dress, looking every inch the grunge diva aginst her black-clothed band. She wasted no more time, as her throaty wail echoed through “Stridulum” and “Sea Talk” among other songs from Conatus and Stridulus II.  Just as tUnE-yArDs did on Staurday, Zola Jesus instructed us to turn around and look at the sunset. “Look at that,” said Danilova. “That’s nature. We are that.” Soon after, she clambered over the barrier and ran through the crowd, microphone in hand, finding one with the crowd and, uh, nature.

Dance Dragon. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Little Dragon’s performance was a departure from the usual, featuring extended intros and a very electronic setlist geared toward shuffling feet and dust clouds. Including tracks from all three of their albums, they kicked off with an extended jam into “Ritual Union.” The crowd was soon bobbing along to a dramatic vocals in “Little Man,” and a surprisingly down-tempo rendition of “Brush the Heat.” Vocalist Yukimi Nagano charmed the crowd with her adorable stage persona, giggling as the band had to restart their final song. “We play everything live,” Yukimi shrugged. “Shit happens.” And nobody minded one bit.

Un-retired but tired. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Coinciding with Bon Iver, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy  DJ set was one of the biggest trade-offs of the festival. We’d already seen Murphy once, and we hadn’t been impressed. Expectations were high, and Murphy attempted to meet them by playing plenty of disco and rare vinyl cuts. And he did not disappoint, exactly, but the hour-and-a-half mix dragged it’s feet through excruciatingly slow builds that exhausted the already-fatigued festival attendees. On tired ears Murphy’s set sounded–dare we say it–boring. Unmasked from his role in one of the most important indie bands of the decade, Murphy still has a lot to prove as a DJ. Given another chance, perhaps we should have been waving our lighters to Bon Iver instead of lulling away in the Banana Shack.

-Natalie and Erin

Treeswingers’ Top Three

Dyme Def – Let It Be (download)

Rihanna- We Found Love (Star Slinger Refix) (download)

Little Dragon – Brush the Heat (download)

Follow us on twitter at @Treeswingers.

“Hipsterrunoff doesn’t have shit on us.” (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Only at Sasquatch! do festival-goers wake to the sound of mooing.

As the sun rose on Day Two, weary campers emerged from their tents in desperate search of coffee, food and music to drown out the bovines. Over at the Treeswingers camp, it took four Redbulls and the cows’ relentless racket to get us out of bed. Not even halfway through Sasquatch’s four-day marathon, we were already struggling. One glance at the show schedule, though, and we were skipping to catch our first band.

Read our reviews from Saturday below…

Canadian cute. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Said the Whale kicked the day off with their adorable indie pop. Playing at 1 P.M. to an unexpectedly packed side stage, it seemed as though the Vancouver-based band were entertaining a home crowd. The seasoned audience shouted along to “Camilo,” while the group charmed new listeners with “The Light is You.” Even some persistent feedback didn’t put a dampener on their set, as they swung their way through several folk-inspired tracks. After a thoroughly uplifting set, the band left the stage with grins as big as ours.

Tohn Jravolta. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Sasquatch’s Banana Shack, known as the dance party tent, provided much of the day’s stand-out music. The former advertising executive, Com Truise, was an unassuming warm-up to the action. A portly, gruff-looking man with a beard, Com Truise is sci-fi and synth enthusiast Seth Haley’s electronic funk project.  Starting with “Sundriped,” Haley had the crowd moving as one with his down-tempo knob twiddling. Sound problems marred the set, with the chord even falling out the back of his synth at one point causing Haley to exclaim: “You hear that hum? That’s six cycles of fucking annoyingness.” The crowd didn’t seem to mind, and simply cheered Haley along when he sipped–what else–PBR. The set moved into more glitchy territory with “Cathode Girls,” without every fully bursting into out-and-out dance music. Throughout the performance, Haley looked a the crowd a grand total of three times, moving himself to fist pump just twice.

ArmyMuzik. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

If Com Truise lacked stage presence, AraabMuzik oozed it from every inch of his diminutive frame. Decked out in a camouflage flat-brimmed cap and matching shirt, Abraham Orellana swaggered on stage with the bravado of a rapper. Replete with hype-man, his set was electronic styled by hip-hop’s machismo. Indeed, it’s difficult to explain just what AraabMuzik does exactly. The recording’s of the DJ/producer’s 2011 album, “Electronic Dream,” do not do live performance justice. The virtuosity Araabmuzik displays on the MPC drum machine is akin to a concert pianist, while the dexterity and speed with which he pounds the pads of the MPC are truly astonishing. As he played, the live video of his finger action was displayed behind him, furthering the awe-inspiration. The crowd went crazy when he played “Streetz Tonight,” and “Feelin So Hood,” while his mix of Damien Marley “Welcome to Jamrock” provided a singalong that quickly devolved back into dancing. Dead ears and sore feet all around, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Mandatory baby shot. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Purity Ring, the Montreal duo comprised of Megan James and Corin Roddick, took the to the Banana Shack, furthering the day’s Canadian connection. Vocalist Megan James began by taking a Polaroid of the crowd – the first indication that we were in for something a little different. Indeed, Purity Ring proved to be an audio-visual experience, at times veering more towards performance art than music. The heavy effects placed on James’ voice created a dream-like soundscape, furthered by the sight of Roddick hitting drum fixtures that lit up upon contact. In return, James banged a huge bass drum and wailed her heart out during tracks like “Obedear” and “Ungirthed.” The audience lapped up every track from the group’s upcoming album, Shrines, providing an other-wordly precursor to tUnE-yArDs.

sMiLiNg. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

tUnE-yArDs kicked off their magical outdoor set with improvised drumming looped upon itself. Led by Merrill Garbus, the band swifly moved into “Gangsta,” prompting a crowd sing-along of epic proportions. Garbus then pulled out the ukulele for “Powa” before moving onto another set highlight, “Jumping Jack.”  As the sun set across the gorge, Garbus directed the crowd to look behind them and appreciate the landscape, segueing into an extended loop of vocal pyrotechnics that launched a raucous rendition of “Bizness.” The atmosphere was near-religious as tUnE-yArDs’ set came to a close. No one said it better than Garbus herself, who concluded: “You guys are so amazing. I don’t do drugs, but I feel high.”

St. Clark. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

St. Vincent’s festival sets never get old, no matter how many times we catch them. Annie Clark, the name behind the music, took to the stage in a glittering black shirt with her black and red guitar. Tiny on stage and with her band very much in the background, Clark never looks like one to command thousands. But after launching into “Marrow,” all doubt was put to rest. Clark pranced around gesticulating, at some points tiptoeing backwards before rushing forward to sing her way through “Cheerleader” and “Chloe in the Afternoon. As always, her hair shook and her guitar wailed filling the walls of the Gorge–and crowd member’s hearts–with unmatched ferocity. The swooning masses, however, had their crushes countered.  “Dilettante,” said Clark “ is a love song, if you mixed it with hate mail,” as everyone with a St. Vincent-induced infatuation shuddered and put their fantasies on hold–at least for the end of Day Two.

-Natalie and Erin

Treeswingers’ Top Three

AraabMuzik- Feelin So Hood (download)

tUnE-yArDs- You Yes You (download)

St. Vincent- Chloe In The Afternoon (download)

Follow us on twitter at @Treeswingers.

Bumper to bumper. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Next to a trip to the dentist or paying a phone bill, waiting in line is definitely high up there on the list of most dreaded every day trials. The first day of the 2012 Sasquatch! Music Festival was filled with waiting in lines. We were stuck in traffic on the freeway. Then, we were waved into another line to get into the campsite. And there we waited. And waited. And waited.

The first hour in six miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic was tempered by a sneaky beer–or four. The second hour was marked by festival-goers dashing into the fields around us to relieve PBR-filled bladders. By the third hour, most had resigned themselves that they would be missing Poliça and Santigold, stranded in single-file purgatory.

As it turned out, lines were a recurring theme. Concert attendees stood in queues for ages to pick up their wristband. Rows upon rows of people lined up for the evening’s headliner, Pretty Lights. And come 8 in the morning on Saturday, thousands of weary campers stood in lines that snaked around the porta-potties.

Read our reviews from Friday below…

Little Rainbow Riding Hood. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

STRFCKR  delivered an excellent set of their danceable electro pop. The Portland-based band formerly known as Starfucker took to the stage in mismatching outfits, with one member decked out in a multicoloured hooded shawl, while another appeared in a buttoned up head-to-toe black. Needless to say, the inflatable dolls flying around the crowd were not the only flailing limbs, as the crowd danced and sweated throughout STRFKR’s set. The all-male group rounded up their set with their popular 2009 cover of Cindy Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” The face-painted and glow-sticked crowd joined in to shout out every word, proving that girls aren’t the only ones wanting a good time. Those that missed STRFCKR the first time could also catch them on Saturday as they filled in a last-minute cancellation on the bill.

Boy conversation. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

What is most admirable about Girl Talk, the stage moniker for Gregg Gillis, is that he doesn’t seem to give a shit about musical credibility. Not only does the 30-year-old producer rip his samples from popular music, he also appears completely unconcerned with pushing the envelope of what’s going on in music today. Ten years since the release of his first mashup album, Girl Talk is still making tracks by mixing top 40 songs into a danceable combination of quick-fire hip-hop and pop snippets. As the sun went down yesterday, Girl Talk took to the stage in an all-white ensemble sweatshirt/sweatband ensemble, looking more like an aging Swedish tennis star than a DJ. He dropped “Get Ur Freak On” straight into Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy,” he mixed 50 Cent’s “In The Club” into “A-Punk,” he conquered. Despite the influx of copycats (see: DJ Earworm), Girl Talk’s charm prevails because he manages to tick off every song people want to hear when they’re drunk–and the crowd loves him for it.

The cause of the hold up. (Erin Flanagan/treeswingers)

Explosions in the Sky were, as always, a standout act. When the ambient rock band took to Sasquatch’s Bigfoot stage they didn’t hold back, playing out most of their sixth studio album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. Performing with a Texas flag hanging over an amplifier, the Austin natives were surprisingly animated, moving around and swapping instruments, with guitarist Munaf Rayani substituted his strings for a set of toms at one point. The lack of lyrics did not perturb their hardcore fans, who headbanged along to every dramatic build up and erupting cymbal rolls. Occasionally their set descended into a wall of distortion, and there were moments when drummer Chris Hrasky’s double-pedal got lost in the racket. But despite these setbacks to sound quality, the band brought an energy the crowd lapped up, whether they were upfront dancing or lining the Gorge.

Purple Haze. (Erin Flangan/treeswingers)

Never have we ever seen as many glow sticks as during Pretty Lights’ set. By the time Derek Smith, the lone man behind Pretty Lights, took to the stage, the festival’s revelers were ready. Smith had apparently been having as much fun as the crowd, tweeting earlier in the day “I was just dancing on stage with @Santigold at @Sasquatch!!” (#humblebrag not included). As Pretty Lights’s squelching bass wobbled out across the Gorge, the crowd launched hundreds of glowsticks, lighting up the crisp Washington air like confetti at a wedding rave. If dubstep is over, someone forgot to tell Pretty Lights or his fans, who lapped up every drop of his raucous electronica as though Skrillex never happened.

-Natalie and Erin

Treeswingers’ Top Three

Pretty Lights – I Know The Truth (download)

Explosions in the Sky – Trembling Hands (download)

STRFCKR – Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper cover) (download)

Follow us on twitter at @Treeswingers.

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 10^th 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–Beck, Bon 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.

Poliça- Lay Your Cards Out (download)

Poliça are the newest darlings of arthouse R&B. The swooning autotuned vocals of frontwoman Channy Leaneagh remind us of Sweish sweethearts jj, while the heavy synths (coordinated by former Gayngs member Ryan Olson) vibe the XX. Full of dramatic drum rolls, their percussive sound comes courtesy of two drummers. They’ve already got several famous fans–Prince turned up to one of their shows, Jay-Z blogged their video “Lay Your Cards Out” and Justin Vernon called them “the best band I’ve ever heard.” We’ll see if they live up to the hype when they perform on Friday.

Santigold- Disparate Youth (download)

Four years and one name change since the release of her critically-acclaimed debut, Santigold returns in 2012 with her sophomore effort, Master of My Make Believe. Full of Santigold’s unique brand of genre-bending pop, we can’t wait to hear this album in full when she takes to the stage on Friday in her trademark multicolored jumpsuits. Santi regularly invites crowd members on stage to join her fierce SG1 dancers–keep your eyes peeled for yours truly.

Kurt Vile and the Violators- Baby’s Arms (download)

Kurt Vile and the Violators does long-haired angst like no other. All aching mumbles and volatile guitar strumming, Kurt Vile’s wistful songwriting makes him a modern day Elliott Smith. See him on Saturday and he’ll worm his way into your heart.

AraabMuzik- Streetz Tonight (download)

Abraham Orellana, better known as AraabMuzik, has been producing tracks for the likes of Cam’ron since 2009. The self-proclaimed “MVP of the MPC” makes beats using an MPC drum machine, hitting the pads with ferocious rapidity. Expect a high energy set full of epic drops when he performs on Saturday.

Purity Ring- Obedear (download)

We’ve long been fans of Purity Ring. The breathy vocals of lead singer Megan James are filtered over offbeat synth jabs and shuffling hi-hats to make beautiful, ghostly, electro-pop. In the lead-up to the July release of their debut album, Shrines, Purity Ring  take to the stage on Saturday.

Hospitality- Friends of Friends (download)

Since the release of their first album in January this year, Brooklyn-based trio Hospitality has built up a following with their charming indie pop. In these guitar and synth driven songs, lead singer Amber Papini documents what we think life as a twenty-something in Williamsburg must be like, and boy, the dream has never sounded so sweet. Catch them on Sunday.

Little Dragon- Little Man (download)

We’re unsure whether anyone ever quite catches the indecipherable lyrics crooned by Yukimi Nagano, lead singer of Little Dragon, but it does not seem to matter. The Swedish quartet’s live set oscillates between uptempo hits like “Shuffle a Dream” and slow-burner “Twice,”–in the setting of the Gorge, their Sunday show promises to be one of the most beautiful performances of the weekend.

SBTRKT- Pharoahs (download)

SBTRKT, pronounced “subtract,” is the masked DJ/producer from London who, in conjunction with angel-voiced singer Sampha, put out one of the breakthrough electronic albums of 2011. Molding British two-step and R&B into a ‘postdubstep’ production, SBTRKT’s self-entitled debut included “Wildfire,” a single featuring Little Dragon that grew so popular even Drake remixed it. As a bedroom producer who cut his chops with garage-inspired cuts like 2009’s Soundboy Shift EP, expect SBTRKT to perform a club-ready mix guaranteed to get the crowd moving on Monday.

Awesome Tapes From Africa- Syli National (download)

One of the more unusual acts on the bill is Awesome Tapes from Africa, brainchild of Brooklyn’s Brian Shimkovitz. While in Ghana researching hip-hop, Shimkovitz built a library of rare African music, sharing them through the Awesome Tapes from Africa blog. We’re looking forward to a musical trip through the continent during his DJ set on Monday.

Shabbazz Palaces- Free, Press and Curl (download)

One of the most exciting acts we’ve heard this year are Shabbazz Palaces, a forward-thinking hip-hop collective whose beats change so drastically per track it feels as though they have squashed three songs into one. The jazzy instrumentals and dark flow of enigmatic lead rapper Ishmael Butler warrants comparisons to MF Doom.

You can also listened to a Treeswingers-curated playlist on Spotify with the above artists and some of our other favorite artists below.

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.

Baauer has been dabbling in electronic music for the past few years as Cap’nHarry, and started making hip-hop influenced bass music under his current moniker around 8 months ago. Part of the Trouble and Bass party collective, Baauer’s internet bio describes him as “hip-hop born from the internet.” This seems to fit – if Glasgow and Atlanta made a musical lovechild, it’d be Baauer. Accordingly, Baauer cites the raw energy of southern hip-hop as inspiration, which realizes itself in his trap-heavy beats.

The gods of electronic music love him – Hudson Mohawke and Lunice (TNGHT) dropped DumDum during their SXSW set, while Diplo and Flosstradamus have been giving his tracks some play. Rustie even featured Baauer on his BBC Essential Mix.

So get familiar – this summer, Baauer’s beats are going to be shaking up sweaty dance floors everywhere.

Baauer – Harlem Shake (download)

No longer in his blue period. (Brian Valdizno/treeswingers)

The last time we saw Kristian Matsson, the mind behind The Tallest Man On Earth was strumming somberly, filling the creaking frame of the Fillmore with downbeat tunes from then-recent EP, Sometimes The Blues Is A Passing Bird.

Two years removed from then, the blues in Matsson’s life seemed to have flown away. If new song “1904″ is any indication, the Swedish Bob Dylan throwback has taken a turn for warmer climes and happier times. The first track taste from up-coming June release, There’s No Leaving Now, despite being about death, is much fuller and up-beat than past releases, without sacrificing the acoustic qualities of traditional TMOE. It’s not exactly Phoenix’s calling-card hit aged three years, but it certainly is a joy–an open-armed return for one talented songwriter.

There’s No Leaving Now is out on Dead Oceans Records on June 12.

The Tallest Man On Earth- 1904 (download)

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’.

“LoveBlood,” the album opener, evokes Vampire Weekend with island-jam guitar riffs and a Koenig-like yelpy voice. And “Mississippi Isabel” is every happy song you’ve ever heard that uses hand claps — that is, terribly light and fluffy and you don’t mind.

“Bam Bam” is a eerily similar re-imagining of Cake’s song “Carbon Monoxide,” which I rocked out to an embarrassing amount in early high school. The resemblance is uncanny — at least to anyone who spent lots of time listening to Cake, which only a few people might readily admit to. “Love Lust,” albeit a damn catchy track, rolls through its repetitive chorus and builds it into something larger by the end–i.e., it’s King Charles’s stab at Fleet Foxes.

“Beating Hearts” sounds like a slightly less heartfelt Mumford and Sons, and “Coco Chitty” is a strange (and probably unintentional) tribute to Dave Matthews Band. The frenetic background lick on “Wilde Love” could have been plucked from Foster the People’s “I Would Do Anything For You.”

Costa hits a few targets on the head: “The Brightest Lights” exchanges his usual metronomic rhythm for a more country soul feel and injects a little feeling into an otherwise sterilized album. And for all the silliness of songs like “Lady Percy,” they’ll worm their way into your ear with impressive strength.

It could be that LoveBlood is really more of a blank canvas or a collection of songs that listeners use to revisit the other artists lying in their brains. LoveBlood was a pleasant listen but kept reminding me of things outside of it instead of surprising me with what was inside. But not everyone hears a chord and thinks of Cake. Try it for yourself.

King Charles- LoveBlood (download)

King Charles- The Brightest Lights (download)