[Festival Review] Outside Lands IX : Revisiting the Most Memorable Acts of the Weekend

OSL7In continuing to build on the foundation laid nine years ago, Another Planet Entertainment has once again outdone themselves; the final product being yet another successfully executed Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival. The 2016 version – keen on replicating the successes of previous iterations – was calculated in its approach, careful not to break the trends and quirks that have made it such a mainstay to the community.

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Instead, APE kept what has worked and improved upon it; meaning deeper lineups, aesthetically more impressive sound and lighting productions, finally allowing payment via RFID-enabled festival wristbands, and a fair amount of side stages to keep all wandering pseudo-bohemians well occupied. Unfortunately, along with the quality improvements also came a pretty substantial price adjustment – putting on a nationally recognized festival is big business, after all.

Those willing to stomach the uptick were treated to an especially diverse lineup ranging from saxophone playing acts like Kamasi Washington and GRiZ, nostalgia-inducing pop rock outfit Third Eye Blind, platinum (and featureless) hip hop artist J.Cole, EDM prodigy Zedd, the Jack-of-all-trades Garratt, and rags to riches rapper Anderson .Paak.

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[Electronic Pop] Years & Years – Memo

Years and Years
Memo

British electronic group Years & Years just released another track off their upcoming album Desire. and this one hits us right in the feels. Describing their own music as soulful electronic pop, Years & Years speaks to their audience through memorable melodies and soothing vocals. Olly Alexander, the lead singer of the group, definitely stole the spotlight by showcasing his pleasant R&B vocals. The synths and the simple piano chords perfectly support the flow of the tune. Everything about this track is done right and leaves you wanting more.

With that said, stay tuned for the group’s much anticipated album releasing on 11/23. We cannot wait to listen to more of their new music!

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[House/Nu-Disco] The Magician – Sunlight feat. Years & Years

The Magician (Official)
The Magician : "Sunlight" feat. Years & Years (Original)

If you find yourself in need of a mood-shifting auditory pick me up today, look no further. Long known for his excellent output of tastemaking mixtapes, the Magic Tape series, and slate of impressive remixes; The Magician dropped this lovely little original tune on us in collaboration with electro-soul-pop trio Years & Years, “Sunlight” to indulge in this this morning and we’ve been all smiles since our first aural consumption. “Sunlight” lumbers out of the gate wielding a four-four muted kick-drum and garage leaning shuffled hi-hats before a deep swell of hazy pad work climbs through the backdoor, becoming a welcome initial focal point. Just as The Magician sculpts the tune’s first groove though, a light and absolutely in-sync vocal from Years & Years blends consummately amongst a sonically textured bass line and precise percussive stabs to take its place as the track’s lead. By the time its second verse is fully in swing, we were already so lost in an abundance of our own gyrating hips and flowey dance moves that we almost forgot we needed to somehow do this one justice in the form of clever adjectives and snarky commentary. If deep-house, nu-disco, pop/club-house, indie-dance or any combination of these dance genres populate your listening history then we think you, lovely reader, should experience this stream of listening consciousness as well. Like, right now.

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[Indie Pop] Years & Years – Real

Years & Years
Real

The UK youth movement is very real. With groups like Disclosure, Bondax and AlunaGeorge garnering widespread acclaim over the last year, the floodgates have opened for similar artists to emerge who meld elements of modern R&B and garage house to produce infectious pop melodies that the rest of us will eat right up. Calling this new single from British trio, Years & Years, infectious isn’t really doing it justice however; it’s downright addicting. Repeat lessons are a necessity once lead singer Olly Alexander‘s comforting vocals grace your eardrums for the first time. Give the gorgeous single a listen above, and keep an eye out for the group’s upcoming Real EP, set to drop on February 17th.

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