Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: Broken Social Scene, Camera Obscura, Dirty Projectors, Dr. Dog, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Garfunkel and Oates, Girls, Kid Cudi, LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, MGMT, Minus the Bear, music festivals, My Morning Jacket, OK GO, Passion Pit, pavement, Sasquatch!, She & Him, Tegan and Sara, terrifying forest-beast, the mountain goats, The National, The New Pornographers, The Temper Trap, The xx, Vampire Weekend, Why?
- Get ready, get set, Sasquatch!
PREVIEW: VISIT Sasquatch’s Web site
I just realized that the thing I want most in the world (aside from a house with a pool filled with Jell-O [seriously]) is to go to SASQUATCH! (and no, I’m not just terribly excited, the name actually has an exclamation point).
Now, hold on, I know where this is going.
“No Isabel,” you’ll say, rolling your eyes. “Sasquatch is a terrifying forest-beast, not an event you attend.”
To which I say, you’re wrong. Sasquatch! is a music festival in Quincy, WA with tremendously impressive line-up for its three day run. A quick glance at the list of artists attending assured me that this is the festival to go to. To hell with tuition and fiscal responsibility. I want to go to the Memorial Weekend festival that’s hosting not only My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, The National, Broken Social Scene, OK Go, and Minus the Bear, but also, WHY?, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Garfunkel and Oates, Massive Attack, Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, Tegan and Sara, Kid Cudi and Dirty Projectors.
[Pause to catch your breath and wipe the tears of joy from your face].
The xx, Girls, MGMT, She & Him, Passion Pit, The New Pornographers, Camera Obscura, The Temper Trap, Dr. Dog, and The Mountain Goats, among others.
Did I have to make that list so long and dramatic? Yes.
Are you packing the cooler and gassing up the car? You should be.
Check out the full list, to further your freak-out.
– Isabel Alcantara, Photo Editor
Filed under: 20 Watts Radio | Tags: a place to bury strangers, Bearplane, Daft Punk, Devendra Banhart, Dirty Projectors, Discovery, DJ Consequence, El Perro del Mar, Magnet ft Gemma Hayes, Matt and Kim, Neon Indian, Neutral Milk Hotel, Nouvelle Vague, Phoenix, Portugal. The Man, Ra Ra Riot, Radiohead, Rilo Kiley, School of Seven Bells, Starfucker, Stephen Babcock, The Album Leaf, The Flaming Lips, The Magnetic Fields, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Temper Trap, Tiny Vipers, Vampire Weekend, Wilco
20 WATTS RADIO: THURSDAY Feb 18th ON AUDIOCANDY
Listen: Download the full show right here
Preview: Make sure you check out Audiocandyradio.com
It is Thursday night and 20 Watts Radio is on Audiocandy. Make sure you tune in and don’t miss out on our great selection of awesome tunes. We have some cool news happening at 20 Watts you simply cant miss. We are gonna give you a run down on some local shows that will be happening this weekend. Also, today most of the 20 Watts staff is sitting in on a massive production meeting, making our lovely blog impeccably ready for the transition to our forthcoming official web page. So to make their night of hard work a little more fun, we will be playing some of staff favorites on top of the best local music here in Cuse. Not to mention if you wanna request a song, all you need to do it tweet at you host here. So make sure to join 20 Watts on Auodiocandy 10 pm sharp. To tune in Click Here.
Filed under: Emerging Artists, Indie Rock, Interviews, XCLUS!VES | Tags: Interviews, iTunes, MySpace, Passion Pit, Pianos, Terminal 5, The Joy Formidable, The Temper Trap
British indie artist Ritzy (center) and the boys just broke into the U.S.
PREVEW: The Joy Formidable’s MySpace
WATCH: The Joy Formidable perform at Pianos in New York City on 20 Watts Video
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW:
The Joy Formidable are straight out of North Wales and just played their first shows in the U.S. a couple weeks ago at Pianos and Terminal 5 in New York City. On the eve of releasing their debut LP, the British indie trio aren’t signed and fund all of their own operations even though they have the sound of a pop-rock powerhouse. Ritzy, the lead singer and adorable blonde, says its about staying loyal to the fan base. Things might just be only heating up for Ritzy and the boys as they ponder the future.
20W: So where are you now?
Ritzy: We’re in London finishing our debut record.
20W: You’ve got quite a bit of touring ahead too, right?
Ritzy: We do. We’re going to York with The Temper Trap, and we’re got our own U.K. tour in March as well. So, yeah, we’re pumped.
20W: I know you’re from North Wales. What’s it like being an aspiring musician out there?
Ritzy: It’s very isolated. It’s very rural. It’s good place to go and write, be creative and lose your self. On the gigging front, it’s a little bit difficult, but it’s getting better.
Filed under: Issue 19, Issue 19 Artists | Tags: Keys N Krates, Royal Bangs, The Temper Trap, The xx, Xylos
The Temper Trap are one of 20 Watts' top five bands to watch this month.
The Temper Trap first received notice on Australian radio late last year with their shimmering first single “Sweet Disposition.” Since then, the song has soundtracked the “500 Days of Summer” trailer — and the band has begun to turn heads overseas.
Their debut album Conditions, produced by Arctic Monkey’s Jim Abiss, boasts clean, arena-ready strumming beneath frontman Dougy Mandagi’s funky high-tenor. Mandagi’s vocals are actually an integral part of The Temper Trap’s charm — one could even say that they have a psychedelic quirkiness reminiscent of MGMT. Unlike their more famous American brethren, however, the Temper Trap balance strains of funk and psychedelia with the familiar comforts of toothless indie rock.
It’s only a matter of time before that combination forces U.S. audiences to fall in love.
– Jen Littman
Filed under: Interviews, Issue 19, Issue 19 Q&A | Tags: Atlas Sound, Bears in America, Caution Children, central new york, Dandy Little Lions, Devon Stewart, Erica Scarano, indie music, ithaca, Jenny Lewis, Keys N Krates, lo-fi, Minus the Bear, Modest Mouse, Mouth's Cradle, Neko Case, Neon Indian, Royal Bangs, Syracuse, Syracuse University, Taylor Swift, Thao Nguyen, The Avett Brothers, The BQE, The Flaming Lips, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Temper Trap, The xx, Tundra Toes, White Picket Fence, Xylos
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: (500) Days of Summer, album reviews, Conditions, Mika, Releases of the Week, sweet disposition, The Temper Trap, U2
The Temper Trap Release Their Debut Album Conditions
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD The Temper Trap’s “Soldier On” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 14/20 Watts
Whether you realize it or not, you have probably heard of The Temper Trap, considering how their hit single “Sweet Disposition” has been clogging up everything from TV jingles to the much-loved (500) Days of Summer soundtrack.
The Aussie quartet made their first appearance in 2006 with a self-tilted EP, only to vanish for the next 3 years. Fortunately this foursome seems to have gotten it together and released a legitimate follow-up, with debut album Conditions.
While it’s nothing revolutionary musically, Conditions is fun and extremely well put together. Though the acoustics sound a few notes too close to U2 and lead singer Dougy Mandagi’s voice is far too reminiscent of “pop sensation“ Mika, the album definitely has its merits. (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: (500) Days of Summer, Black Lips, Doves, Feist, Garden State, Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, Marc Webb, Regina Spektor, She and Him, Simon & Garfunkel, Sundance Film Festival, The Smiths, The Temper Trap
Soundtrack made in Indie Heaven
Once a year, the Sundance Film Festival graces the public with some indie masterpieces that just happen to be set to the perfect mixture of vintage pop classics and up-and-coming underground acts. This year is no different. Following in the footsteps of Garden State, Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, (500) Days of Summer indulges every need of indie music lovers everywhere.
Listening to this album is like reading a well-written story about love, rather than a love story, as the opening track informs listeners. “You should know up front, this is not a love story,” declares a deep voice right before transitioning into the bubbly “Us” by Regina Spektor.
The (500) Days of Summer soundtrack is a perfect balance between the nearly suicide-inducing sounds of The Smiths and the light, summer-loving tunes of Doves, The Temper Trap and Black Lips.
This is definitely an interesting collection worth having as part of your iTunes. It has range and a wide appeal, as confirmed by the special appearance French First Lady Carla Bruni makes in track 9. Her internationally beloved “Quequ’un M’a Dit,” a song about — well, what else but love and heartbreak? — serves as a perfect transition in the overall tone of the album. This track helps smoothly shift into the more melancholy melodies by Feist and Simon & Garfunkel, giving the album all the necessary points for the story-telling structure it so successfully builds.
But what really makes this album is the final track by She & Him, a cover of The Smiths’ “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.” Zooey Deschanel once again reminds us that we not only love her for her doe-eyed expressions, her adorable fashion sense and her 1950s haircut, but for her gorgeous singing voice (along with the melodic accompaniment of M. Ward). The melody is nothing short of classic and it is definitely an appropriate conclusion to the album.
(500) Days of Summer soundtrack is pretty much everything you would expect it to be — it’s simple, classic and memorable. If the soundtrack is any indication of how good the film is, then the director Marc Webb can be sure that his work will not go unnoticed.
– Irina Dvalidze
