People. It's summer. Put on your freshest pair of jorts and get thyself to the nearest dance hall. Here's what we'd recommend:
Bring your notepad for Destroyer, aka Storytelling Time with Dan Bejar. His work is less songcraft and more rich narratives set to eclectic musical accompaniment, and there’s always something profound to be considered. His robust vocabulary and whimsical way around a story makes him an easy target of affection for critics, but at their root, his tales are universally appealing.
Teen Daze, Rickshaw Stop, Wednesday
Just close your eyes and let Teen Daze’s psychy chillwave wash over you, and I’ll see you at Rickshaw on Wednesday: trust. Need further proof Teen Daze is worth the price of admission? Check out the A.V. Club Toronto’s interview with the 26-year-old mood manipulator for a better idea of how he processes sound with such granduer.
I have no idea why these guys are popular, but they are. And somehow, in the span of a year or so, they’ve managed to go from Ke$ha’s opening act to Oracle Arena headliner. Such is the power of absurd hair, blinding man-yoga pants and embarrassingly catchy dance pop songs. The trick to understanding this phenomenon? Don't think about it. Ever.
Maps & Atlases, Bottom of the Hill, Saturday
Shades of TV on the Radio color Maps & Atlas’ pop rock — probably due to some indecipherable sniff of soulful vocals (most apparent here:
Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa et al, Oracle, Sunday
When MTV says you’re the hottest rapper in the game, bigger than names like Drake, Kanye and Jay-Z, you better be prepared to rhyme your rhymes in the arenas of North America. That’s just what Ross is doing this summer as he makes a push to become the household name we didn’t know we needed. One question worth pondering: how much of his success he owes to his publicity-friendly feud with 50 cent a few years back. Remember that? That was weird.
