A trailblazer of the chillwave genre, Washed Out will be performing at Forecastle this summer. Washed Out is Georgia native Ernest Greene's stage name. He began creating music in his bedroom studio in 2009, moving up through the ranks of the music world via music blogs and MySpace. From 2009-2010 he released three EPs, the second featuring some of his most popular tunes to this day (Feel it All Around from Life of Leisure). In 2011 he shook the music world with the release of Within and Without, a more polished sounding album, which peaked at 26 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Chillwave has been described by its artists as "funk in slow motion", and Washed Out really encapsulates that idea. Songs have a dreamy, low-fi, synth-ridden feel with rap and R&B influences. Vocals are flooded with reverb, making it nearly impossible to understand. In a sense, the vocals just become another instrument in the music, and for Washed Out, that works very well. If you make it to Forecastle this summer, Washed Out is a must see. If you can't make it to Louisville for Forecastle, check Washed Out's tour page for 2012 dates.
Eyes Be Closed by Washed Out (Within and Without, 2011)
Feel it All Around by Washed Out (Life of Leisure, 2010)
Belong by Washed Out (High Times, 2009)
Forget synthesizers and drum machines. Why not have a grand piano and an organ instead?
That's exactly what Detroit duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. does so well with this live performance in Sólheimar, Iceland. For those who haven't heard the original version of this tune, it is heavy with bass guitar, a drum machine, acoustic guitar, and synthesizers. However, in this seemingly impromptu live version they perform sans mics, using only a grand piano, organ, and the acoustics of a sun-lit wooden-walled church to fill the void of minimal musical accompaniment. Joshua Epstein (organ) and Daniel Zott's (piano) soaring harmonies are spot-on. The result, reminiscent of The Beatles, is a somewhat chilling and stirring version of an otherwise chilled-out synth-ridden song.
Nothing but Our Love - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
