See eye to eye with the same face

As expected, Washed Out was excellent at the Riviera Theater last night. Even without a proper sound check, Ernest Greene's ensemble adeptly played a selection of their more upbeat songs, drawn from both of his albums and some unrecorded material, and the dance-ability of their pioneering glo-fi style became even more apparent with a real drum set and guitars.

And naturally, the Aussie dance-rockers Cut Copy brought down the packed house, sounding every bit as catchy and brilliant as we have come to expect. They played an excellent balance of new and old songs, effectively promoting their wonderful summer release but not leaving out anyone's favorites from their previous albums. They will be on the road a while longer, so catch them coming through your town while they are still stateside.

Today's emerging act is another group of young and talented Chicagoans, born and raised. The four-piece YAWN started in high school and has been playing its unique brand of synthrock for the last couple years, first releasing an eponymous EP in July 2010 (which is still available for FREE on their website) in order to get their name out, and building up to the release of their full LP Open Season a couple weeks ago on August 30. At first listen, they could easily be Animal Collective's little brother; but apart from lead singer Adam Gil's synthesized vocals remarkably emulating Avey Tare's, YAWN is entirely their own creation, and the similarities quickly become superficial in light of the varied samples and driving beats that characterize their accessible sound. Psychedelic in the best possible way, the deep layers of each track beckon one to listen more closely every time, and the members combine electronic elements to create a sound much more mature than their years. Pump it:

YAWN - Magician by Sound Thinking

YAWN - Indigo by Sound Thinking

They also happen to be playing here in their hometown on September 30 at Metro, opening for Mates of State along with Suckers. Get your tickets NOW.