One of Michigan’s hottest bands, Traverse City’s The Accidentals, rolls out the second of three Local Spins playlists aimed at warming fans up for Electric Forest, which kicks off Thursday in Rothbury.
‘Super Fun’ Playlist: The Accidentals, who played Founders Fest last weekend, get ready for Thursday’s Electric Forest set with this Top 10 playlist boasting lots of Michigan acts. (Photo/Anna Sink)
SCROLL DOWN FOR A SPOTIFY VERSION OF THE PLAYLIST
Touring Band: Kate, Jake, Michael and Sav of The Accidentals. (Photo/Anna Sink)
EDITOR’S NOTE: With several Michigan acts performing at Electric Forest in Rothbury this year, Local Spins asked a few to submit playlists of favorite songs for a pre-festival soundtrack for attendees and Forest wannabes. This compelling Top 10 list comes courtesy of Traverse City’s The Accidentals — Sav Buist, Katie Larson, Michael Dause and Jake Allen — who play the Observatory at Electric Forest at 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Local Spins hosts an Electric Forest pre-party with Desmond Jones at SpeakEZ Lounge at 8 p.m. Wednesday. And come back to Local Spins Thursday for Joe Hertler’s playlist and all weekend for Electric Forest coverage.
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THE ACCIDENTALS: ELECTRIC FOREST PLAYLIST
From The Accidentals: There are four of us in this current configuration to promote the upcoming album “Odyssey” (dropping Aug. 18 on Sony Masterworks), so Jake Allen has been opening our shows and supporting us on some of the keys and guitar tracks that we don’t have enough hands for on the album. So, Kate, Sav, Michael and Jake Allen contributed to this playlist. The last two songs are all mutually agreed upon by everyone currently in the van, which includes our manager Amber Buist, as well as our two sound engineers, Evan Klee Peregon and Loreen Bohannon.
1. Sav: “When My Time Comes,” Dawes – We’re opening for Dawes at Three Rivers Festival in Pittsburgh on June 9th, so I’ve been listening to a ton of Dawes recently, and I absolutely love every line in this song, especially the line “You can judge the whole world on the sparkle that you think it lacks; you can stare into the abyss, but it’s staring right back.” Plus, who doesn’t love that feel-good combination of swung beat, three-part harmony, and arpeggiating electric guitars?
WATCH/LISTEN: Dawes
2. Sav: “Tintype Crisis,” Chris Bathgate – If you’re looking for emotionally deep, dynamic, nostalgic music, Chris Bathgate is your man. We once brought his guitar and bag of pedals from Grand Rapids to Kansas City where we were both playing at Folk Alliance International, and watching him perform in a tiny hotel room surrounded by Michigan bands like Appleseed Collective, Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys, and The Crane Wives is one of my favorite memories. He just released an NPR-endorsed new album, and this is my favorite song on it – great for driving down the highway and rocking your head to the breakdown beat and those excellent electric guitar tones.
LISTEN: Chris Bathgate
3. Kate: “Lonely,” Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers – The first time I heard Joe Hertler was while riding on the back of a golf cart into Bliss Fest, and I immediately knew I loved it. These guys know how to get you dancin’.
LISTEN/WATCH: Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers
4. Kate: “Sleeping Giants,” The Crane Wives – The amount of sheer powerhouse vocals, foot stomping, and guitar playing in this song blows my mind. (A live version is also featured on the first “Local Spins Live at River City Studios: The Sessions, Vol. 1.)
LISTEN: The Crane Wives
5. Michael: “Zeek,” Seth Bernard – I’ve been going to Michigan music festivals since I was in high school, and Seth’s music always recalled those nights of listening to bands play under northern Michigan stars. It pulls me back to a place of relaxation and friendship.
LISTEN: Seth Bernard
6. Michael: “Pulaski At Night,” Andrew Bird – One of my favorite car-ride tunes. I have a vivid memory of my friends and I all packed into my car, headed up to a festival, blasting this from the stereo.
LISTEN: Andrew Bird
7. Jake Allen: “Back Pocket,” Vulfpeck – “Back Pocke”t is a baby-skin smooth groove that refreshes any listener like a vanilla ice cream cone on a hot summer day. At their live shows, the band is notorious for employing their audience to sing the sultry harmony parts in the song’s chorus, making Back Pocket a communal staple for any feel good festival.
LISTEN/WATCH: Vulfpeck
8. Jake Allen: “Crush,” Dave Matthews Band – This song encapsulates all of the classiest musical components of a killer jam band. The laid back structure of the song ebbs and flows until it eventually dissolves into a freed up jam session loaded with tasty licks from each player. Crush creates a carefree, inviting atmosphere that any festival-goer would love to give themselves to at a late night set.
LISTEN: Dave Matthews Band
9. Everyone’s Mutual Song: “Cold As It Is,” The Lone Bellow – We met these guys at Rocky Mountain Folks Fest in Lyons, CO, ate lunch with them backstage, and then proceeded to become Sony Masterworks labelmates this year! This song is perfect for the highway drive to any festival.
LISTEN: The Lone Bellow
10. Everyone’s Mutual Song: “Nakamarra (Rox N Stix Desert Mix),” Hiatus Kaiyote – The broken-down, acoustic feel combined with the sounds of nature and insane vocal complexity from our fellow Sony Masterworks label mates, Hiatus Kaiyote, is festival reminiscent.
LISTEN: Hiatus Kaiyote
THE ACCIDENTALS: LOCAL SPINS ELECTRIC FOREST PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
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