"... I was blown away by the music I heard, and wished I had put some more thought into the experience."
At age 15 in I went to my first music festival - First City Festival in Monterey, CA. It took place days before I started my sophomore year of high school, in August of 2013. I was going with my dad and my twin brother as a summer send off. I still think that the lineup is one of the best in the last decade - the only problem being that I wasn't ready for it.
I knew some of the bigger names at the festival - like Modest Mouse, MGMT, and Washed Out - but I didn't really know any of the other names, many of which are some of my favorite artists today. I didn't spend much time looking at the lineup beforehand, and when I got to the festival I was blown away by the music I heard, and wished I had put some more thought into the experience. The lineup, with names like Beach House, Devendra Banhart, Avey Tare, and Father John Misty is a lineup I would kill for now. I spent some time on the FYF 2017 lineup to tell you some bands to look out for, to save you the time.
1. Mitski
New York based singer-songwriter Mitski will be playing Saturday at FYF. Her honest songwriting about love, anxiety, and growing up have grown considerable acclaim for the 26 year old New York native - with her senior album Puberty 2 receiving an 8.5 and the rating of Best New Album by Pitchfork.
2. MGMT
Okay. We know you probably were planning on seeing MGMT - but the band has a very anticipated upcoming album titled Little Dark Age, and it will be their first release since their 2013 self titled album. It's rumored that they will be playing new music, so you're not going to want to miss their set.
3. Temples
This March psych rock band Temples released their sophomore album Volcano, and it's one of my favorite releases of the year. Their sound is a little bit Tame Impala and a little bit and a little bit Passion Pit - and if you're going to FYF you're not going to want to miss them.
4. Whitney
Last year Whitney released their debut album Light Upon the Lake, and it became an instant hit. I was lucky enough to see them at the Troubadour just a few weeks after the album's release, and it was one of the best shows I have seen in awhile. The duo - composed of Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek - are great performers, and I can't wait to see them.
5. Beach Fossils
Brooklyn based rock band Beach Fossils just released their new album Somersault earlier this month, and it feels like the band's best yet. Beach Fossils will be playing on Friday at FYF, and if you live in LA you're not going to want to miss it as their July show at the El Rey is already sold out.
6. Frank Ocean
Okay, we know you know Frank Ocean - he's the Saturday headliner. But Ocean is also notorious for canceling shows, so if he is in fact playing at FYF (a cancellation is very possible in which case keep your eyes peeled for who is replacing him) you're not going to want to miss his set.
7. Arca
Venezuelan electronic producer Alejandro Ghersi - known musically as Arca- released his self titled album this year - it's very weird. The album is very cool and ambient - and would be an awesome show to see live. Arca will be playing Saturday at FYF.
