[Music Ninja Radio] Episode 70: New Year, New Vibes

artworks-000195689243-uj5hic-originalMusic Ninja Radio is a weekly podcast recorded and broadcast live on San Francisco’s BFF.fm  from 4-6PM PST every Friday. 

Music Ninja Radio
Episode 70: New Year, New Vibes

 Soundcloud || Spotify Playlist  || BFF.fm Archive & Tracklist

This week we were ambushed by quality music across genres and, in this episode we share just a few of our favorite discoveries mixed in with some slightly older cuts you may have forgotten about. Oh, and also, brand new music from Jamiroquai! Continue reading

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[Festival Review + Playlist] Photos & Songs from Treasure Island 2014, SF 10/18-19

_MG_1990As regular festival attendees, the Ninja staff has definitely learned to appreciate a well-organized event and last weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival proved once again to be one of the best in the business. With no overlapping sets and plenty of room to dance, TIMF, even in its most well-attended year to date, felt like a paradise for festivalgoers who, with the current popularity of live music, have become accustomed to the more stressful aspects of music festivals. Treasure Island’s 2014 lineup featured masterful curation of diverse genres encouraging attendees to check out acts they might not have otherwise.

Check out a playlist of memorable songs to go along with some amazing photos of MØ, Chet Faker Outkast, Alt-J and more from Treasure Island Music Festival below. If you were in attendance last weekend, we hope this brings you back!

Day 1

Why we loved it: Electro-pop vocalist MØ has been on our radar for quite some time now. As a performer, she has an undeniable energy with a voice that translates incredibly well live. Due to an eye infection, she was rocking an eye patch during her set, which actually ended up making her look even cooler on stage. TIMF2014_4 TIMF2014_5TIMF2014_6

”MØ
Don’t Wanna Dance’
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[TMN Exclusive Interview] A Conversation with Ásgeir at Treasure Island Music Festival

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Ásgeir
Dýrð í dauðaþögn

At this point, it’s far from a secret that Iceland produces some of the most uniquely talented musicians in the world. Acts like Sigur Ros, Bjork and, more recently, Of Monsters and Men have solidified the international awareness of Iceland’s magical music scene. Although each artist brings something vastly different to the table, there does seem to be a sort of ethereal, mythological nature that ties them all together.

In 2012, Icelandic folktronica artist Ásgeir emerged in his home country with his debut album, Dýrð í dauðaþögn, which broke the record for best-selling debut in Iceland surpassing some of his immensely successful predecessors. The ten-track project features Ásgeir’s phenomenal oft-falsetto Icelandic vocals over folky guitar and subtle electronic elements, most notably employed in the bouncy “Leyndarmál” (later adopted in English as “King and Cross”). With his album owned by nearly 1 in 10 people in Iceland, Ásgeir took to spreading his music to a broader audience by releasing a fully English-translated version titled In the Silence earlier this year taking him around the world touring.

We had a chance to catch up with Ásgeir’s after his incredible set at this year’s Treasure Island Festival to discuss his musical background, home country and plans for the future. Give the conversation a read below and make sure to keep Ásgeir on your radar.

TMN: Tell us a bit about your first experiences with music and how you got started.

Ásgeir: I started playing guitar when I was about 6. My first guitar was a classical guitar and my parents are classically educated so I went to school pretty early playing classical guitar. Pretty soon after that, I started having an interest in writing songs. Then, I bought a cheap subwoofer and I started listening to rock and grunge music. I eventually wanted to play electric guitar and started forming different bands. It pretty much started with my family who had a lot to do with encouraging me.

 TMN: What were some of the artists that you were listening to a lot growing up?

Ásgeir: I went through different periods. From 6 to 11, it was all Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Metallica and that kind of stuff. At the same time, I was playing classical guitar and I didn’t really feel connected to the instrument until I grew up more at 13 or 14. At that time, I started listening to more folk artists. I got my first acoustic guitar with steel strings and that’s where I kind of found country music. Johnny Cash was one of my favorites and an Icelandic artist Mugison. Sigur Ros was always one of my favorites as well as Sufjan Stevens and Kelly Joe Phelps.

 TMN: Icelandic artists tend to have a very distinct, unified sound. How has that played into your music and why do you think that is?

Ásgeir: A lot has to do with just the music in Iceland and what we grow up listening to, which inspires us. I grew up in the northwest side of Iceland in a really isolated small town and I was always really close to my environment as well. I can’t really put my finger on what it is that connects us and makes the music how it is. But there’s definitely an Icelandic vibe and sound that comes from our unity. I think its just how small of a nation we are, how few people live there and everything like that.
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60+ Songs to Prepare for Treasure Island Music Festival in SF, 10/18-19 [Event Preview + Playlist]

timf2014-sfweekly-fullpgLineups for major music festivals often boast 100+ artists, which although in theory is a great concept, can end up being overwhelming and frustrating when you realize the impossibility of seeing every act on the bill. San Francisco’s Treasure Island Music Festival, a collaboration between Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment, provides one of the few exceptions to this conundrum electing to go with fewer artists and alternating sets at only two stages. Having attended last year, we found this to be a genius, albeit seemingly obvious, solution making the experience far more relaxed for festival-goers without sacrificing any quality in the music. Aside from the unique arrangement, the backdrop of Treasure Island overlooks both the Bay and Golden Gate bridges and has one of the more stunning sunsets the Bay Area has to offer. For anyone who will be attending this year, we also highly recommend checking out the non-stop Silent Disco stage courtesy Silent Frisco.

To help you all prepare for what should be an amazing weekend of music, we’ve put together a massive playlist including every single artist on the TIMF lineup because, with no overlapping sets, you will actually have the opportunity to see them all. Whether you’ve already got your ticket, are still on the fence or can’t make it this year, we hope this serves as a fun, introduction to a dynamic collection of musicians. One and two-day passes for Treasure Island Music Festival are still available so, if you like what you hear below, grab your tickets HERE.

Day 1: 

Painted PalmsNoon @ Bridge Stage. 

Sounds like: San Francisco-based, psychedelic pop.

’Painted Palms
Anna’
’Painted Palms – Here It Comes’

Tobacco (of Black Moth Super Rainbow), 12:40PM @ Tunnel Stage.

Sounds like: In his own words, “I want to make you feel paranoid in a good way.”

’Tobacco – Self Tanner’
’Black Moth Super Rainbow – Gangs in the Garden’

ratking1

MUST-SEE: Ratking1:10PM @ Bridge. 

Sounds like: Gritty, high energy New York hip-hop.

’Ratking – So It Goes’
’Ratking – Pretty Picture’
’Phantogram – Fall in Love (RATKING Falling Off Remix)’
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