Of all of the late night sets at Sasquatch 2015, none was more subtle than James Blake's. Unlike most of the nighttime sets in the Gorge, Blake's performance revealed itself gradually rather than blasting the audience over the head with lights and sound, and it was all the more effective because of it. Blake's live setup – Blake on keys and vocals, the ultra-precise Ben Assiter on drums and Rob McAndrews on guitar and sampler – has been in place for some time now, so the trio know how to tease out the most hypnotic elements of Blake's compositions, whether that's by looping vocals ("I Never Learnt To Share"), crafting swirling rhythms ("CMYK"), or simply allowing Blake's heralded bass arrangements to do the heavy lifting ("The Wilhelm Scream"). Including a new song in the set (the dance-y, mournful "Radio Silence") was surely a plus for new fans, but for the most part, Blake's set played to his strengths. Of course, when you're one of the predominant electronic musicians of the moment, that's quite a compliment.
Although there was plenty of star power on the final day of Sasquatch, there was a clear standout during the early afternoon on Monday, and it wasn't just because brought a Godzilla figurine onstage with her. When an assured Natalie Prass opened with an electric version of "Bird Of Prey", it was cl…
In the seven years since Michael Angelakos shared the gooey valentine EP that was Chunk of Change, a lot has changed. Three albums later and the cute story backed by intriguing music has turned Passion Pit into the household name. Angelakos went from his bedroom to the frontman of a project that is…
Future Islands has certainly blown up over the last year, as evidenced by the large crowd they drew to their main stage set at Sasquatch. This Baltimore, Maryland band is one of those rare groups whose breakthrough success essentially comes down to one single performance. In their case, it was thei…
