ODESZA

One Liner: Chillwave electronic tunes.
Wikipedia Genre: Indietronica,  electropop, chillwave,  future bass (God, I forgot how much I love reading these music genres listed on Wikipedia). 
Home: Seattle

Poster Position: 1
Day: Friday at 7:45
Both Weekends.

Thoughts:  Huh, from Seattle?  I thought for sure these guys were from the oil fields of Odessa.  Wikipedia says that the group is made up of two dudes, "Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, known individually as Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches."  WTF, man.  Their real names are already money Batman character names, but what the hell is up with going by "BeachesBeaches"?  The story behind their names: 

• Odessa was the name of a ship that one guy's uncle sailed on until it was sunk, and because that name was already in use by another band, they went with the odd spelling.
• Catacombkid is an homage to an Aesop Rock song called "Catacomb Kids."
• The last one though... "the story behind Knight's nickname, he says, "Honestly I was high in my bedroom making music one day…""  THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE NAME, MAN.

This is chill - the kind of electronic music that I (music knower who knows zero about electronic music) feel like has gained steam after the bro-forward aggressive electro of guys like Skrillex.  Its not quite so beachy as that Zedd guy who was at ACL last year, but it has kind of a beachy/fun/light feel in a lot of the songs.  Sometimes reminds me of old Moby songs.  One song is significantly more popular than most of the others - "Sun Models (feat. Madelyn Grant)."  105 million streams.

I find it entertaining that this song features someone, when the featured feature singing is a loopy, tuned-up, sampled version of singing, not someone actually singing a song over the beat.  Sounds like the kind of song you hear when trying not to die of cologne overload in an Abercrombie store.  Does A&F even exist anymore?  (apparently so, but you couldn't pay me to go to one).

That tune is off of 2014's In Return.  The band also has a 2012 album (Summer's Gone) and a recent 2017 album (A Moment Apart).  If I'm being honest (and I try) I can't tell any difference between the three albums.  Maybe a true chillwave-head would know all about how their sound has morphed over time through the maturation and evolution as beatmaker guys, but each one sounds like the same chilled out electronic to me (almost always with a lady singer).  Here is the top track from that 2012 album, "How Did I Get Here," with 36 million streams.

You know, not bad.  I feel like this is the wrong word, but it feels kind of sleepy.  Like, when I'm thinking about an electro band for ACL, I'm thinking of Chainsmokers or Griz or Bassnectar or one of those super hyped up party bands.  This one feels like it will be a good groove, but less of a jam.

This interview with them is pretty interesting, just going through how they work to make their live show a bigger production and more than just knob twisting and button pushing.  Actually makes me want to go see the show - I want to see a big ass drumline pounding on a row of drums!  Here is the top track from their new album, "Line of Sight," which has 32.7 million streams.

Aw man, poor kid just wants to hang out with Chappie and pour water from a can onto his hands.  Why does the Harvester Terminator have to show up and ruin their good time?  

You know, these tracks are fine - this music is enjoyable to bump along to.  I think I prefer the more upbeat ones (like "Late Night," with some Cure-esque tones, from this newer album) to the more chill tunes.  They also have Leon Bridges on a tune on the new album, which is dope.  I think it is the strings effects that make me think of old Moby tunes - its like the Beach soundtrack up in here.  I won't keep listening to it once I'm done here, but its pretty good as far as electronic tunes go.

I sincerely doubt I'll go to this show, just because I'll almost certainly be at the other end of the park to see one of the other headliners, but if it was this vs. Travis Scott, I might go watch this instead.

EDIT:
Just because I ran down this odd rabbithole today on YouTube of more Odesza videos, I thought I'd show you this one, titled "ODESZA with the greatest opening to a concert, ever."  I think that is a little bold - I mean, has this guy seen the Black Crowes doing "No Speak No Slave" to open a show at the Austin Coliseum?  Or Metallica opening with Ennio Morricone?  Exactly.  You don't know.  But I will say that the drummers on stage with them is a pretty sweet touch.

I think the intro could have been shortened by some of the space crap, but still pretty cool.