PREVIEW: Capitol Hill Block Party Must-See Acts

Written by on July 15, 2015

Hello, KPSU Blog-readers. Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence. You are dearly loved.

The bad news is, Treefort Music Festival is over and Lanny and I (Mo) cry and miss it every day. The good new is, Lanny and Momo are takin’ Capitol Hill Block Party. That’s right folks, That One Asian Girl and That Other Black Girl are headin’ up into the great state of WASHINGTON to watch some PEOPLE sing SONGS in front of OTHER PEOPLE but let’s be real – the only reason Lanny and I are actually going is so we can truly find The Best Sandwich in America. Lanny and I actually have really clashing music tastes so good thing we agree on food. Without further ado, here’s a rundown of each of our must-see lists.

Mo’s Must-See Acts:

1. Toro y Moi

I’m gonna be honest with you people, I only heard about this nice afro-dude in 2013. My 55 year old aunt told me about him. Do not ask me what took me so long (it was probably a high school career of listening to Jason Mraz and Mumford & Sons, actually). And I did not listen to any of his music until his latest release. But I like it! It reminds me of a five year old boy being forced to grow up and have a musical career, in the best way possible. Toro is tight, yo. His music is groovy and if you are a fan of all things groovy (The Brady Bunch, disco balls, white bellbottomed pants) then you will most likely like his music as well. Your mom might, too.
2. Father John Misty

I know this is a given, but I will still put it on my list. Honestly, I feel like if I didn’t plan on seeing Father John Misty then Josh Tillman would hunt me down himself and end me, probably. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform at the Bing Lounge (or Skype Studio, for you millennials) earlier this year and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. He is a very tall and very blunt man. Here is a photo of us after he declined to doing Ezra Koenig’s signature pose with me:

 

The frustration in my eyes is only expected. Right? Anyway, I’m looking forward to see him do a “real” performance as the session at which I saw him was only acoustic. I’ve heard he goes crazy, which I’m obviously into.
3. Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Have you ever heard Lanny talk about Alex G? No? What about me? Ever heard me talk about Beat Connection? I want you to channel all of that and then recognize that THIS IS HOW EXCITED I AM TO SEE UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA PERFORM. If you haven’t heard Multi-Love, their latest release, yet…I need you to turn that baby on right NOW and revel in its beauty. So good! There’s a great Pitchfork article about the lead singer, Ruben Nielson, and his inspiration behind the album. It’s very intriguing but also a little much and I did feel as though I needed to purge my eyes and brain after reading it but regardless you should still read it and also regardless the album is still SO GOOD. Ruben’s vocals are unlike anyone else’s and the album has such a laid-back, “Honestly, I didn’t put that much effort into this” vibe that really just somehow puts it over the top. I’ve heard he’s better live too, which is either 100% true or 100% untrue but I guess there’s only one way for me to find out.
4. Broods

I like Broods. Really, I do. I also think some of their music can get annoying at times but that’s because a lot of people I’m around play it a lot and it can get to be a little much. But, when it comes down to it, their album has great production (Joel Little – our Lorde and savior’s producer too!) and is one of the better offspring of indie pop. Georgia, the sister Brood, is only 20 years old, so if you haven’t already felt bad about yourself today, you’re welcome for meeting that quota! I saw them open for Sam Smith last year and they honestly do put on a really good show. Somethin’ bout those brother-sister vibes. They’ll be gracing the Main Stage at CHBP, which is well-deserved in my opinion. I feel like they’ve been treated as a smaller act in festivals past, so I’m happy for them to be able to show their stuff in the limelight, where they belong. KIWI PRIDE AMIRITE
5. CUFF LYNX

To put it simply, CUFF LYNX is bae. Lanny and I had the pleasure of interviewing these fine lads at Treefort Fest, where they played a rave-y sweaty perfecty show that started somewhere around 11 o’clock at night. They hail from Seattle (hometown fest!!!) and are very humble and down-to-earth dudes. I would suggest you check out their set if you are a fan of Jamie xx, ODESZA, or even SBTRKT. Basically, if the artist’s name is in all caps, there’s a 66.6% chance it sounds like CUFF LYNX.
Well, my time is up! Thanks for reading this. I will see you after Capitol Hill Block Party, where I will have maybe found The Best Sandwich in America and hopefully run into Josh Tillman drunk on the street. That or Nirvana.
-Mo
*****

What’s up, fam? Ya gurl, Lanny Lieu here and I second everything Mo has already said. Yes, we love sandwiches and music festivals and we both have quite different music tastes so I guess this preview will sort of be the best of both worlds for everyone, right? One thing Mo did not mention that I am just going to bring up right now is, I really hope I run into Macklemore so I can congratulate him on legalizing same-sex marriage… we ran into Youth Lagoon in Boise so why not Macklemore in Seattle?

Lanny’s Must-See Acts:

1. Girlpool

What is cooler than two 18-year-old girls killin’ it in the lo-fi punk rock scene? Pretty much nothing!!! Girlpool is a rather new duo based out of L.A., consisting of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad and us Capitol Hill Block Party attendees will have the opportunity to be graced by their lovely tunes. I first heard of Girlpool when their EP was sent to my music office last year. Since then, they’ve released their full-length debut album, Before The World Was Big (Witchita), one of my favorite albums of the year so far. It’s also one of the most sincere albums I’ve heard in a while. It’s amazing how much raw emotion these ladies can convey through just their guitar, bass, and vocal harmonies. If you want to cry your heart out and watch an incredibly young, talented, and fresh act, I highly recommend seeing Girlpool. P.S. they’ll be touring with Alex G, Joyce Manor, and Frankie Cosmos very soon!!

2. Giraffage

Charlie Yin, who might be better known as Giraffage, might be one of the best producers in the game right now. Everything he touches is gold. From his original work to remixes (just check out his R. Kelly remix), Yin never disappoints. In addition to his two full-length LPs, he just dropped a cut earlier this week called “Impression of You” with Viceroy, featuring Patrick Baker and it’s perhaps one of the sickest tracks of the summer. It honestly would not surprise me if this kid ends up collaborating with some big name artists in the near future. I’m 110% sure if you don’t go to this set, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!!

 3. BADBADNOTGOOD

Ooh if anything, these boys are GOOD-GOOD-NOT-BAD. BADBADNOTGOOD is an instrumental trio who play hip-hop inspired jazz with a modern twist to things. I highly suggest you listen to their collaborative record with Ghostface Killah, if you haven’t already. I’ve missed these guys twice this year due to a set cancellation at Treefort and an age restriction in Portland so I am super pumped to see these guys in a few weeks, if things go accordingly.

4. Crater

Crater is a trip-hop duo out of Seattle, Washington. Huffington Post recently praised as a band that needs to be known and I could not agree more! I’m so ready to see these ladies transcend beyond genres and transform their choreographed dances into a live performance and you should be too!!!

5. Wet

I first discovered this trio a while back while I was looking for tunes to get me hyped for a radio show. If I had to describe Wet to someone, I’d say Wet is like the love child of Los Angeles’ Banks and the New Zealand electronic duo, Klo. If you’re into electronic pop, chances are, Wet will be everything you’re looking for. Be sure to catch them on Sunday afternoon at Capitol Hill Block Party!

-Lanny

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