FYF Fest 2013 Live Show Review: Washed Out, Toro Y Moi, Charles Bradley, Classixx

Roky Erickson

Nosaj Thing

Deerhunter

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Fear of Men

Fear of Men is a four-piece band from Brighton, England, which occupied one of the first slots on Sunday. The band was a pleasant and memorable surprise, easily swooning those who were smart enough to show up early. Golden female vocals is what stood out at first, but it did not take long to appreciate the interesting layers in the music. The songs carried a sense of classiness without being pretentious, making them easy to sway and hum to. While the band released a collection of eight tracks earlier this year on Kanine Records, their sound is something that could fit perfectly alongside bigger indie artists on Merge or Matador Records.

Antwon

Hailing from San Jose, California, Antwon sees no limits to inspiration; he told REDEFINE that during his childhood, he often found himself attending punk shows and has carried over that influence into his hip-hop material and live show. Performing with a DJ and three other MCs, Antwon provided a captivating set at FYF Fest. His rapping showed no restraint and seamlessly moved from verse to verse. Having recently recorded with Lars Stalfors — who is known for producing the Mars Volta — Antwon has complex patterns in his samples and lyrics, while retaining a strong West coast hip-hop influence.

MGMT

The Melvins

Washed Out

By the time Washed Out hit the stage, the sun had already gone down, but if it weren’t for the rules of nature, Washed Out’s set could have easily brought the sun back up. Playing songs off the recently released Paracosm, their set was magical and breath-taking. The stage looked like it was full of mini-constellations as yellow lights twinkled all over the band’s instruments. The songs transported soothing but uplifting energies into the audience as mastermind Ernest Greene interacted with the crowd as if he was just hanging out with his best friends. He encouraged everyone to sing along as he gleefully sang and danced on stage. Songs like “All I Know” and “Get Up” shimmered in the night sky with bright guitar melodies and lush electro loops.