[Review] Father John Misty - 'I Love You, Honeybear'

Father John Misty is in love, or out of love, or in love with love.  I Love You, Honeybear scrutinizes the roller coaster of an enigma we call love from both an observer’s and a participant’s point of view.

The ethereal Josh Tillman a.k.a. Father John Misty released his second studio album on Tuesday charmingly titled I Love You, Honey Bear. His pragmatic lyrics roll out playfully like a familiar nostalgia of a hippie’s fringe dragging across your goose bumped skin. Each song’s progressive melody takes you on a serendipitous ride. You can’t help but instinctively sway back and forth feeling your knees turn to syrup.

I sat with glorious anticipation as the opening track "I Love You, Honeybear" played. Just as I expected, I could feel the silly, sloppy look on my face better known as “the love grin” taking up residence on my lips.  Let’s just say it’s not difficult to fall in love with Josh. Songs like “When You're Smiling And Astride Me”, and “The Ideal Husband“ are where he honestly expresses the realness of loving someone despite faults, fear, and idiosyncrasies.  The old cliché “The moment you came to, I swore I would change” hits home in "Strange Encounter" with its guitar riffs and percussion making your soul a tad more aware.

A welcomed lyricist for our time, Father John Misty sings without blinders all the while with a candid accuracy. In “Bored in the USA”, Josh mellifluously serenades us (piano in stride) with the words, “Is this the part where I get all I ever wanted…Who said that? Can I get my money back?” A song wrapped in the theme of complacency, and disillusionment comes complete with audience laughter and applause.  The album’s ending track, “I Went to the Store One Day" shuffles in a light of hope for the love naysayers. This song in particular stirred part of me that secretly hides due to relationships lost, disappointments in love, and missed opportunities. Easily relating to the words, “And now in just one year’s time I've become jealous, rail thin and prone to paranoia when I'm stoned-this isn't true love someone ought to put me in a home…. Say do you wanna get married...?" was a gentle reminder of just how tumultuous and delightful love can actually be.  Perhaps I do long for someone who can make me feel the way this album makes me feel.  I Love You, Honeybear is the perfect remedy for all the cynical and disconnected hearts who long for someone to make them believe in these lyrics: “Don’t let me die in a hospital; I’ll save the big one for the last time we make love…all because I went to the store one day…”

Father John Misty is playing at Rough Trade in BK on Feb 12 and The Bowery Ballroom on Feb 14th. 

Have a listen to I Love You, Honeybear below. If you love it as much as we did, make sure to

[Sasquatch! 2013] Recap: Day One

Sasquatch! 2013 came and went this past weekend, four days of incredible music, memorable friendships and drug addled debauchery. There is no better reason to navigate the beauty of eastern Washington state towards the gorgeous sights of The Gorge Amphitheatre. Graced with the winding currents of the Columbia River, the panoramic views are equalled only by the performances taking place there. Day one, Friday the 24th, saw a headlining performance from Seattle hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, representing their home state, as well as fantastic sets from Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Father John Misty, Japandroids and more. Kicking off the festival, there were memorable moments but also disappointing ones. See our recap of the first day below.

Photo by Matthew Lamb.

Day one of the festival was off to a rocky start. After trekking from Vancouver to The Gorge, our group arrived at the festival grounds at 2:30am to the sight of a lengthy lineup. Fast forward to 6am and we finally began setting up our tents, exhausted by the drive and lack of sleep, dizzy from the numerous beers consumed. As the rain began to pour down, we laid back for a much needed sleep. After six hours of rest, I wandered the campground, running into friends and soaking in the festival atmosphere. There was excitement in the air and I couldn't help but feel the same way. Sasquatch! had begun.

After hours of drinking, my girlfriend and I made our way to the festival grounds. Once our media bracelets were secured we headed in, ready to catch ScHoolboy Q & Ab-Soul at the main stage. The crowd was packed in front of the Sasquatch stage, but to our and everyone else's disappointment ScHoolboy and Ab-Soul never showed up. People in the crowd muttered things along the lines of, "Oh, they must have gotten too high," but that's no excuse. Kush coma or not, it was a disheartening start to the festival.

On a more positive note, the absence of ScHoolboy and Ab-Soul did give us the chance to see Japandroids at the Honda Bigfoot stage. Saying "fuck you" to scheduling conflicts, we made our way to an energetic View from the crowd of Japandroids. Photo by Christopher Nelson.crowd cheering for the Vancouver duo. Their performance brought to light one of the biggest issues I had throughout the festival: the sound at the Honda Bigfoot stage (more on this later). Despite this, Japandroids' loud sound overcame these problems and led to a rowdy crowd and a great performance. The crowd-surfing was already in full swing.

Father John Misty followed Japandroids at Honda Bigfoot, bringing his eclectic folk stylings to the The Gorge crowd. He and his band brought a colorful backdrop, complete with an overarching rainbow. J. Tillman and co. tore through their debut album Fear Fun, delivering fantastic performances of "Nancy From Now On" and more. Thankfully, the band's gospel folk sound was not victimized by any sound problems. Rather they gave fans an energetic and memorable set, continuing the tone that Japandroids set before them.

Father John Misty. Photo by Matthew Lamb.Making our way from Honda Bigfoot to the main stage, all I could do was bask in the beauty of the scenery. Sweeping vistas and carving river canyons, it's impossible not to feel lucky being at Sasquatch!.

Approaching the rising hill of the Sasquatch stage, it was clear that UK outfit Arctic Monkeys had amassed an incredibly eager crowd. Sitting comfortably atop the hill with a beer in hand, I watched impressed at every minute of their performance. Dressed in a dapper suit, frontman Alex Turner was in top form, driving forward with boming vocals backed by Jamie Cook on lead guitar, Nick O'Malley on bass and Matt Helders on drums. The Brit rockers have such a polished live sound, and it showed when they broke out renditions of "R U Mine?" and "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor." If the crowd on the hill was excited, then the people in front of the stage were going absolutely insane. Swaths of fans swayed and danced in unison, arms in the air ready to move or clap whenever called upon by Turner.

For a festival experience that started off with some disappointment, the three bands I did see more than made up for it. Japandroids were loud and energetic. Father John Misty was unique and put his all into hyping up festival goers. Arctic Monkeys simply killed it. Unfortunately, the cold weather and some poor clothing choices on my part, day one ended early. I missed Vampire Weekend, but it wasn't the end of the world. I heard Macklemore & Ryan Lewis gave an outstanding performance, appreciative of a headlining spot and such dedicated fans, but I wasn't torn by the thought of skipping it. In the end, turning in early turned into a night of drinking with friends and a delicious meal at our campsite. After all, Sasquatch is more than just a festival, it's camping, getting dirty, drinking, smoking, and generally enjoying the time you spend with those around you. While I didn't see a ton of bands the ones I did see were great, and overall Friday set the perfect tone for the days to come.

Sasquatch at night. Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Day two will be published on Monday, with thoughts on Nick Offerman, Holy Ghost!, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Bloc Party, The xx and more.

By Adrian McCavour

[SKOA Presents] We Found Sasquatch! Mixtape

The drive to Sasquatch! is a lengthy trip for most of the attendees, and what better time to get familiar with the bands you'll be seeing at the festival? That's where we come in. We've plucked 36 artists from the festival lineup and chosen a song by each, resulting in two-and-a-half hours of fantastic music. This is SKOA's essential Sasquatch! mix. This is the We Found Sasquatch! Mixtape.

The mixtape features plenty of amazing talent, including Vampire Weekend, Disclosure, Tame Impala, Alt-J, Surfer Blood, Dirty Projectors, Father John Misty, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Bloc Party, Empire of the Sun, Toro Y Moi, Holy Ghost!, The xx, El-P, P.O.S, CHVRCHES and more. For your convenience, the mixtape is available to stream below via 8tracks, or you can download all 36 songs in one, two, three parts. Check it out and hopfully it makes the journey to Sasquatch! a little bit easier. The full tracklisting is after the jump.

SKOA presents We Found Sasquatch! Mixtape from skoablog on 8tracks Radio.

We Found Sasquatch! Mixtape Tracklist:

1. CHVRCHES – “Recover”
2. Odesza – “How Did I Get Here”
3. Baths – “Aminals”
4. DIIV – “Past Lives”
5. Surfer Blood – “Take It Easy”
6. John Talabot – “When The Past Was Present”
7. Toro Y Moi – “Rose Quartz”
8. Holy Ghost! – “Dumb Disco Ideas"
9. Youth Lagoon – “Dropla”
10. Azari & III – “Into The Night”
11. Kid Cudi – “Pursuit of Happiness” (Steve Aoki Remix)
12. The Postal Service – “Clark Gable”
13. Vampire Weekend – “Hannah Hunt”
14. Sigur Rós – “Varúð”
15. The xx – “Swept Away”
16. Arctic Monkeys – “R U Mine?”
17. Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – “Man On Fire”
18. Empire of the Sun – “Alive”
19. Bloc Party – “Octopus”
20. Andrew Bird – “Eyeoneye”
21. Grimes – “Oblivion”
22. Alt-J – “Matilda”
23. Disclosure – “You & Me” feat. Eliza Doolittle
24. Tame Impala – “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"
25. Father John Misty – “Nancy From Now On”
26. Danny Brown – “Grown Up”
27. Earl Sweatshirt – “Chum”
28. P.O.S – “Wanted/Wasted” feat. Astronautalis
29. Death Grips – “I’ve Seen Footage”
30. El-P – “The Full Retard”
31. Twin Shadow – “Five Seconds”
32. Dirty Projectors – “Dance For You”
33. Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built"
34. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – “Garden”
35. The Presets – “Fall”
36. Porcelain Raft – “Unless You Speak From Your Heart”

[Sasquatch! 2013] Our Most Anticipated Artists of the Festival (Day One and Two)

Only two days left until Sasquatch! begins. Tomorrow and the next day will see thousands of avid music fans journeying to The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, prepping their campsites, stocking up on alcohol and drugs in anticipation of dozens of amazing performances. This year's lineup boasts some fantastic talent, such as The xx, Vampire Weekend, Sigur Rós, The Postal Service, Disclosure, Arctic Monkeys, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and many, many more. It's a lineup worth salivating over.

As the festival quickly approaches, I've put together a list of some of the best acts playing each of the four nights. Each band comes with some recommended listening, because there is no better way to prepare for a festival than sampling what each band has to offer, whether you know them or not. Check out our most anticipated artists for days one and two below, with days three and four to follow tomorrow.

Day One (Friday):

Japandroids - 6:05-7:05pm @Honda Bigfoot

This Vancouver duo knows how to get a crowd moving. With their raucous, anthemic sound, Japandroids are sure to get the party started right.

Recommended Listening:

Father John Misty - 7:30-8:30pm @Honda Bigfoot

Former member of Fleet Foxes and Saxon Shore, J. Tillman now performs under the moniker Father John Misty. His soulful folk ballads would be perfectly paired with a beer in one hand and a joint in the other. Don't forget your lighter for this one.

Recommended Listening:

Arctic Monkeys - 8:30-9:45pm @Sasquatch

The Sheffield four-piece are no strangers to the big stage. They'll be rockin' it out on the main stage for an hour and fifteen minutes, plenty of time for you to get fucked up amidst a rowdy crowd. There's no doubt a mosh pit will start during their set.

Recommended Listening:

Youth Lagoon - 8:30-9:45pm @Yeti

Trevor Powers will bring his dreamy, weird soundscapes to the Sasquatch! crowd on Friday night. If you're not in the mood for Arctic Monkeys, this one will surely attract a more experimental crowd. Don't freak out if you come across a few people on mushrooms.

Recommended Listening:

Vampire Weekend - 9:45-11:15pm @Honda Bigfoot

With Modern Vampires of the City now out, Vampire Weekend will have three albums worth of material to unleash on festival goers. Expect more than just ivy league ballads, as the New York outfit have expanded their sound in a fantastic way.

Recommended Listening:

Day Two (Saturday):

Andrew Bird - 5:55-6:55pm @Sasquatch

While his last album Hands of Glory wasn't his best, we can expect he'll dish out tracks from throughout his career, including last year's amazing Break It Yourself. Relax on the hill, drink and smoke merrily, and let Andrew Bird usher in a beautiful sunset at The Gorge.

Recommended Listening:

Holy Ghost! - 6:50-7:50pm @Honda Bigfoot

Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel proudly carry the DFA torch, bringing the classic nu-disco style defined by LCD Soundsystem to the west coast. I've seen these guys before, and they know how to get a crowd dancing. They're also releasing a new album later this year, so expect them to perform new material.

Recommended Listening:

Bloc Party - 7:25-8-25pm @Sasquatch

Bloc Party is one of those bands that lives on through a certain nostalgia. Every fan has that one album that they clung to during the angsty teenage years, or that first time you saw Kele Okereke and co. live and couldn't hold back your excitement. They strive off it, but it doesn't hold them back. Their latest album Four was aggressive, loud and overall really fucking good. If you haven't seen these guys perform before, you're in for a treat.

Recommended Listening:

Porcelain Raft - 7:40-8:40pm @Yeti

Mauro Remiddi's debut album Strange Weekend is a highlight amongst the often tiresome dreampop genre, an LP that is so mesmerizing that it refuses to become stale. It's so catchy and unique, and hopefully that translates to a great live show.

Recommended Listening:

Divine Fits - 8:15-9:15pm @Honda Bigfoot

How can you go wrong when you bring together talent from Spoon, Wolfmother and Handsome Furs? Divine Fits pulls the best aspects of those bands, yet brings something more. It's raw and experimental, combining rock 'n' roll and synthesized elements that never overpower one another. Every instrument and sound complements each other perfectly, something that will surely shine during their live performance.

Recommended Listening:

The xx - 9:00-10:15pm @Sasquatch

Atmosphere is all you need to know about The xx. Their moody, minimalist approach is enough to turn the rowdiest of crowds into a mass of hypnotized converts. Don't miss this performance. 

Recommended Listening:

Sigur Rós - 11:00-12:30am @Sasquatch

Much like The xx, Sigur Rós strives on the atmosphere they create. Their ethereal sound is simply beautiful, something you can so easily become lost in. The band is also releasing a new album next month, so make sure to pay attention for new material.

Recommended Listening:

Tame Impala - 10:00-11:00pm @Honda Bigfoot

This Australian outfit is damn good live. Like, damn good. Their brand of psychedelic rock is fantastic no matter the setting, and a warm summer night at The Gorge sounds like the perfect place. Unfortunately, the band's bassist Nick Allbrook said farewell earlier this week, being replaced by Pond member Cam Avery. Don't expect Tame Impala to sound any less amazing, though.

Recommended Listening:

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - 10:30-11:30pm @El Chupacabra

Despite his name coming across as that of a stately professor, Orlando Higginbottom owns the dancefloor with his bass-heavy beats. He is a highlight in this year's crop of electronic artists, bringing a unique brand of synthesized flavor to the El Chupacabra dance tent. If you're in the mood for dancing, this is the right artist for you.

Recommended Listening:

Empire of the Sun - 12:30-1:30am @Honda Bigfoot

Capping off Saturday night is the flashy and theatrical Empire of the Sun. Slipping into the early hours of the morning, this show will no doubt keep you awake and ready to party. If their recent performance of "Alive" is any indiciation, this show will be weird, bright and extremely awesome.

Recommended Listening: