Do me a quick favor. Imagine Mr. Herbert from Family Guy. You know, the old man with the whistle-tinged lisp who’s always ever-so-uncomfortably pining over Chris Griffin. Next, imagine this same old man fronting a solo indie rock project (stick with me here). Now, imagine he goes so far as to put out an album via this project and, in an odd turn of events, it’s actually good - really good. Soon enough he’s getting praise from critics and fans, touring the country, putting together a follow-up album - all that good stuff. Okay, now continue reading.

It’s hard not to make comparisons nowadays. If something sounds original, we tend to have difficulty relaying exactly what we’re hearing when describing it to others. And, when it comes to comparisons, very rarely are they as ridiculous as the one about to be made (please, stop me if I’m wrong). But Trevor Powers - the main creative force behind Youth Lagoon - really does sound like Mr. Herbert from Family Guy when he sings.

And you wouldn’t think a band with a sound like this could work, but it does. Maybe it’s the stark, minimalistic feel to his songs. Maybe it’s the contagious, childlike rhythms he dreams up. Maybe it’s the fact that you can’t help but think of a certain loveable (well, maybe the word isn’t loveable) cartoon pedophile while you’re listening. Whatever it is, it just works. And honestly, it doesn’t matter what image comes to mind while a Youth Lagoon track plays, as long as you realize you’re listening to great music.

Trevor Powers (better known as Youth Lagoon) hails from the great western state of Idaho - more specifically Boise, Idaho. At the ripe old age of 24 he already has two critically-acclaimed albums under his belt. He makes the type of lazy, bedroom pop you look forward to falling asleep to - or, for that matter, staying awake to. Needless to say, when he finally takes the stage on Friday night in Washington Park, we’re all in for a little bit of a treat. And just to clarify, I don’t mean a “lure you into a van with some candy” type of treat … I’m thinking more along the lines of a “treat for your ears” type of treat. You know, the good kind of treat.

Youth Lagoon
MPMF
Washington Park
7:15p