Sasquatch Preview: Episode 1 - Passion Pit

Sasquatch Preview: Episode 1 - Passion Pit

Sasquatch! Preview: Episode 1 - Passion Pit

Because I can not wait to go to Sasquatch this year and I don't think you can either, I will be posting a couple times a week about the bands comprising the lineup.

Start with the history. For Valentine's day last year, frontman Michael Angelakos recorded for his girlfriend a few lap top ditties and called them Chunk of Change. Everyone who heard it loved it, including record labels, they got a spot at Bumbershoot '08 released a slightly expanded EP and here we are.

Named one of the BBC's favorite up-and-comers of '09, Passion Pit, now grown into a five-piece, use simple electronic flourishes and synth lines to craft soft and catchy melodies that explode into energetic and euphoric choruses. They have gotten a lot of comparisons to MGMT as far their momentum and "who cares, lets dance" sound. However Chunk of Change is often much more intimate than MGMT with ties closer to Postal Service's brand of electronic minimalism. The Ep's standout track "Sleepyhead" was not originally on the v-day offering which means that it is quite potentially a sign of things to come and a reason to see this band.

Having just rocked SXSW and released a trippy vid for "Sleepyhead" (see below), Passion Pit are gearing up to release their debut full length called Manners. Columbia will release it in the UK on May 18, and Frenchkiss will drop it in North America eight days later on May 26 (the day after Squatch ends).

Listen to Passion Pit.

Buy Chunk of Change

Download "Sleepyhead" - Chunk of Change EP [Frenchkiss; 2008]

Download "The Reeling" - Manners [Frenchkiss; 2009]

I am Excited for Sasquatch

I am Excited for Sasquatch

Sasquatch! '09

With all the buzz about the Coachella, Bonnaroo, and SXSW, I recently carried out my yearly lament about not living in any of these places. And seeing as how I don't live in Cali, TN, or TX I thought I would see what I could dig up about Washington's own big festival:Sasquatch!

As of yesterday's announcement, the dates of the festival are Saturday May 23 through Monday May 25. As usual, this is memorial day weekend. Though the lineup won't be released for some time now, there are a few strong rumors via the unofficial Sasquatch! blog. The two I am most excited for include the good time grammy winner Kings of Leon, and the unworried Peter Bjorn and John. I caught part of a Kings of Leon set at Bumbershoot a couple years ago and it was great fun.

Moving toward the weaker-but-oh-my-gawd-I-hope-they-are-true level rumors, Passion Pit, Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective are all purported to be taking time out of their schedules to grace the Gorge with their glory. I just recently snagged the Chunk of Change Ep from Passion Pit and I am not sure there is anything I would rather do than dance to it with thousands of other people. Grizzly Bear's forthcoming album is do to drop in May and given its supposedly sunny afternoon vibe, I can't think of a better way to celebrate than to play outside in a gorgeous sunny Washington scenescape. Animal Collective seem to like playing festivals and I couldn't help but notice that they have four days off in between Minneapolis and Vancouver, BC. Is it a coincidence that the last of these days off is also the first day of Sasquatch? I hope soo hard that it is not.

In other news the festival will pull a Bumbershoot and include a comedy tent. Except, this one is better because it will also be a dance tent. Yes!