Twin Shadow/Niki and the Dove

So I buy tickets to shows in bunches all of the time and sometimes I forget that I actually got a ticket for a certain band or hip hop artist and it ends up being a pleasant surprise for me for that weekend. Or  I forget to buy one for a particular show such as the Frank Ocean performance last night and I end up kicking myself. But never have I bought a ticket to the wrong show because the band name looked or sounded like another. That is until I realized that in August I am going to to see Aesop Rock instead of A$ap Rocky!!! Really??? I already got my white rapper fix for the decade with El-P earlier this month! Stupid hipster rappers. Oh well, because of my $25 mistake I will be seeing Aesop in a few weeks but I refuse to do a preview for it. This is all you get : white underground producer/rapper from San Fran who has been around for a while with average beats, below average rhymes, and sounds like Tim Duncan if he smoked weed. For the most part WEAK but it could be a fun show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEBGCOCxLgA
Moral of the story? I need a secretary.

Well this time I made sure that I bought tickets  to see Twin Shadow and not Shadowboxers, some Fiona Apple tribute band (I really hope that's not a real group btw). I missed Twin 2 years ago at ACL because he was playing the 1 or 2 pm slot that day and honestly, who really shows up in Texas heat that early except for single day pass holders? And they've been pounding tall boys since 10 in the morning while wearing Indian headdresses because it's their only day to rock it! Or you get the group of 12 year olds rolling up blunts the size of your head because well, they're 12 and inexperienced. But to see that is just depressing, plus any normal human is hung over at 2 in a festival weekend so no dice for me.

If you dont know Twin Shadow he is a Dominican who plays synth new wave 80's pop. It's not really dance music but you find yourself dancing to it anyway. Which would explain why white people looked like they didnt have any rhythm in the 80's, the music was just too fresh not to dance to. Or maybe they just didnt have any but at least they have an excuse now. The point is, his music is catchy and weird, and this in essence encapsulates everything great about the 80's. It was cool to look and act weird. And honestly if you looked normal you were considered a square (yes I just used that term) and were secretly made fun of while the cool kids drank their Tang and vodka! The only issue with this retro music is that typically artists of today know how to reminisce for an album but they dont know how to progress their sound after that. That's not the case with Twin as his new album seems louder and poppier. 5 Seconds, his first single off of his new album is actually a dance track and a bit heavier with the use of guitars than some of his past efforts. As a matter of fact, you can dance to the entire album, which is great because you're no longer forcing it and this should help make for a better live show. .A few additional highlights from his new album include Golden Light and his latest single Patient.

Also check out his video for Slow in which he rocks the weird 80's hair and just like most artists from that era you're not sure if he's gay or not from his mannerisms and his reaction to his director. The whole thing feels like a porn audition. "Do you like muscle cars?  I bet you do! "  I rate Twin as FRESH and recommend paying the $15 to see him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyO7P6LE7nA

Opening for him is Niki and the Dove.  I missed her during SXSW but they are straight 80's dance music but not like New Order or Bananorama. She has uncanny ability, just like Twin, to sound like a ton of 80's artists but not one in particular. So she brings her own sound to the game. Check her out but until I see her live I will just rate her as barely FRESH.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHuci2LUHPA&feature=relmfu