Tag Archives: Les Sins

[Event Review] 5 Faces of Chaz: Examining Toro y Moi’s Evolution at The Independent, SF 3/28

DSC_0344Over the last five years, Chaz Bundick, as both Toro y Moi and Les Sins, has repeatedly redefined his style bringing refreshing facets of his reserved, enigmatic persona to light all the while maturing with each album. A true musical chameleon, Chaz has worn many hats but, regardless of genre, he maintains his aesthetic always remaining true to himself. This realization couldn’t have been more evident as I watched Toro Y Moi perform a hometown show at The Independent in San Francisco last weekend in which he intertwined his various musical identities into a cohesive and career-spanning set.

Backed by several talented musicians, including ninja-favorite Astronauts, etc. on the keys, Toro y Moi’s countless jams, from hazy bedroom productions to groovy indie rock, were presented in the most vibrant way possible. Almost signifying transitions between old and new, Chaz swapped between MIDI keyboard and guitar through out without losing a beat. As an avid fan, and music geek, I found myself not only dancing steadily through out, but also hit with a flurry of thoughts and emotions inspired by the diverse, yet unified, setlist. To best capture those feelings, I decided to recount the performance in the context of a career retrospective. Flip through the pages and explore the five faces of Toro that I witnessed last Saturday with photos and songs from the set to match.

Toro y Moi’s upcoming album, What for?, drops on April 7th but can be streamed via NPR Music now. You can pre-order on iTunes here and find upcoming tour dates here.

All photos by Dom Powell

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7 Acts We Loved At Noise Pop Festival 2015–SF, 2/20-3/1 [Festival Review + Playlist]

Flight Facilities-16Now in its 23rd year, Noise Pop Festival has become an absolute staple of the Bay Area for fans of independent music, film and art. With multiple shows every night at some of the best venues SF and Oakland have to offer, Noise Pop presented the best kind of difficult decisions on a daily basis. The Noise Pop HQ, at the newly renovated Swedish American Hall, was a fantastic destination as well hosting intimate shows, happy hours and even a live podcast recording with Toro y Moi where he premiered “Half Dome,” the eighth track from his upcoming album. Although there were plenty of activities outside of the concerts, being the ninjas we are, we’re going to focus on our favorite performances from the week. Browse through some pictures and songs in our chronologically ordered list below.

1. Flight Facilities, 2.24 @ The Regency Ballroom

Why we loved it: Australian DJ duo Flight Facilities, of the esteemed Future Classic, took stage at The Regency in full aviation gear for an energetic set. What really took their performance to the next level was live vocal assistance from talented Owl Eyes and Surahn Sidhu, member of Empire of the Sun, who covered female and male parts of Flight Facilities’ countless hits. [Photos by: Justin Yee]

’Flight Facilities – Two Bodies feat. Emma Louise (Extended Version)’

Flight Facilities-5Flight Facilities-2 Flight Facilities-10 Flight Facilities-8Flight Facilities-6

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[NEW] Toro y Moi – Empty Nesters

Toro Y Moi
Empty Nesters

Toro y Moi‘s Anything in Return was easily one of our favorite albums of 2013, remaining in heavy rotation well over a year later. After taking a brief hiatus from Toro to focus on Les Sins in 2014, Chaz Bundick recently announced that he will be putting out a new Toro y Moi album later this year. Today, we get the first single from the project, which was first premiered yesterday on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 show. “Empty Nesters” carries the care-free, breezy vibrations we’ve come to expect from Toro y Moi, but relies more heavily on guitar melodies than usual resulting in a winning combination of slacker pop and funk. Bundick has proven himself as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation and “Empty Nesters” seems to be yet another iteration in his artistic evolution. Enjoy this one above–Toro y Moi’s What for?  is due out on April 7th via Carpark Records.

[via Pitchfork]

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[Electonic] Les Sins – Why (Feat. Nate Salman)

Les Sins
Why Ft. Nate Salman

Les Sins, the electronic, house-leaning alter-ego of Toro Y Moi‘s Chaz Bundick, returns tonight with the second release from his forthcoming debut album. While the first glimpse, “Bother,” had a darker, garage feel to it, the latest from Bundick features vocals from Nate Salman leaning a bit more towards the synth-powered funk we are used to from Toro y Moi. The fusing of his two styles makes for an up-tempo, dance-able track that is probably our favorite from the Les Sins project yet. Groove to this tropical, disco tune above. Les Sins’s Michael drops on November 4th and can be pre-ordered via iTunes now.

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