Girls to play a free in-store at Amoeba SF on Sunday

I miss Amoeba.

concert review: Superhumanoids at Rickshaw Stop (27 April 2011)

What's it like having ET as your best friend? Floating along in the clouds without a care in the world, concerned with nothing else but the sweet reverb of dreamy synths and mesmerizing boy/girl harmonies? It's exactly what it sounds like. Superhumanoids. Hailing from LA, this band-on-the-rise hit up Rickshaw Stop last night and gave San Francisco the perfect lightshow and accompanying soundtrack. Cameron Perkin's voice climbed high and hit all the right buttons as it echoed down spines, like Matt Bellamy in reverse.

However, it was Sarah Chernoff who really stole the show, dazzling the crowd with her effortlessly angelic croons. The electronic dubs would fit in perfectly to some cheesy sci-fi flick from the 80s, sentimental as hell and thoroughly enjoyable, although for no discernible reason. At times, the band comes off as pseudo-Français, as their ethereal music is very reminiscent of Air. Other times, good old American indie rock kicks in and the band channels Nada Surf. Regardless of what facade they don, Superhumanoids are super interesting. Catch them when they swing by your town.

Superhumanoids on MYSPACE

4/28 - Sophie's Thai Bar, Davis, CA

4/29 - Echo Bar, Los Angeles, CA

4/30 - Soda Bar, San Diego, CA

5/1 - Rhythm Room, Phoenix, AZ

5/2 - Club Congress, Tuscon, AZ

01 Malta by NYLONmag

Free Energy to (co)headline Slims

it'saboutfreakingtime!

Friday 29 October 2010
tix are $15, buy em HERE

Free Energy - Cmon Let's Dance [mp3]

concert review: Free Energy/Titus Anronicus @ the Independent

San Francisco, CA
08 September 2010

The members of Free Energy, a band borne of another band, are no newcomers to the live music scene. They know where their strengths lie, and if their performance history says anything at all, it’s that they have focused all of their time perfecting the art of dance-infused guitar pop.

Last night, they had no reserve rendering their now canonical post-debut album set, comprised heavily of new songs, whilst their pre-Stuck on Nothing singles (like their self-titled song) shone brightly like a monarch’s crown filled with 70’s gems. The crowd danced alongside headliners Titus Andronicus; the band, having toured extensively with Philadelphia’s finest, have developed a protective older-sibling type relationship with Free Energy, who, ironically, aren’t the ones spewing the angsty punk lyrics.

As hi-fi and carefree as Free Energy were, New Jersey’s Titus Andronicus did not take note one bit; their morose music found its solace in rectified drum beats and celtic string arrangements.

Patrick Stickles is unquestionably one of indie rock’s finest lyricists, but chilling lines like “is there a girl at this college who hasn't been raped?” are hidden beneath the layers of screaming and interlacing guitar solos. Patrick, ever the people’s musician, revealed secrets of the band’s pseudo-cryptic set list composition as well as welcomed an eager fan on stage to provide tambourines for “Titus Andronicus”.

If I didn’t know better, I would assume he was assuaging his impending guilt regarding the horrible ultimatum of indie cred: the more fans and acclaim the band acquires, the less sincere their impassioned delivery seems. But Titus Andronicus are humble as fuck, so I know that isn’t the case. Not to mention that they’re too conscientious to ever flirt with mainstream radio.






Titus Andronicus - A Pot in Which to Piss [mp3]

Band of the Week: Adam Haworth Stephens

In the magical woods of San Francisco, there lived a man named Adam Haworth Stephens who spun tales of fury and redemption, like a provincial Dylan. Purveyor and mastermind of the indie folk-rock duo Two Gallants, he decided to branch out into the icy waters of solo album territory, armed with unmistakable confidence and self assuredness. Consider We Live On Cliffs his very own take on “Veni Vidi Vici”, deliberate and composed yet overflowing with an impulsive spirit that cannot be tamed. Get listening below.

Adam Haworth Stephens - The Cities That You've Burned [mp3]

Adam will headline a CD release show in SF before embarking on tour with the Felice Brothers. We Live On Cliffs will be released on 28th September and it is absolutely mesmerizing.

visit him on MYSPACE

TOUR

October 2 The Independent San Francisco, CA

w/ The Felice Brothers
October 5 Doug Fir Portland, OR
October 6 Tractor Seattle, WA
October 7 Media Club Vancouver, BC
October 9 State Room Salt Lake City, UT
October 10 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
October 12 Waiting Room Omaha, NE
October 13 Triple Rock Minneapolis, MN
October 14 Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI
October 15 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL
October 16 Magic Stick Detroit, MI
October 18 Mr. Smalls Pittsburgh, PA
October 19 123 Pleasant Street Morgantown, WV
October 21 Capitol Theatre York, PA
October 22 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington, DC
October 23 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
October 28 Harper's Ferry Boston, MA
October 29 Met Café Providence, RI
October 30 The Chance Poughkeepsie, NY
October 31 MHOW Brooklyn, NY
November 1 Daniel Street Milford, CT
November 3 Jefferson Theatre Charlottesville, VA
November 4 King's Barcade Raleigh, NC
November 5 The Handlebar Greenville, SC
November 6 The Earl Atlanta, GA
November 8 The Social Orlando, FL
November 9 Club Downunder Tallahassee, FL
November 10 One Eyed Jack's New Orleans, LA
November 12 Emo's Austin, TX
November 13 The Loft Dallas, TX
November 14 Sticky Fingerz Little Rock, AR
November 15 Proud Larry's Oxford, MS
November 17 Headliners Louisville, KY
November 18 Southgate House Newport, KY
November 19 The Rumba Café Columbus, OH

film review: Mogwai - Burning (+ screening dates!)

It takes a special brand of musician to release a live album. Mogwai not only meet all of the standards necessary, but pour forth their guitar heavy brand of post rock from the very beginning of the film. No introduction, no credits; they let the music speak for itself.

And it does.

With levels of blissful distortion unparalleled this side of White Light, White Heat, the viewer gets their first “break” from the music 16 minutes into Burning. Aptly titled, the film and accompanying live album, Special Moves, document the band’s stirring 2009 live performance in Brooklyn. The live film is the band’s first and was directed by Vincent Moon and Nathanael Le Scouarnac, the same brilliant minds behind La Blogotheque’s Take Away Shows. It’s a haunting spectacle—not solely because of the ethereal yet turbulent music which refuses to be contained by the venue itself—or the ominous black and white aesthetic, but also because of the delicate interplay of the Scottish band’s traverse in the hardy city, followed by their explosive feeds into the amps on stage. The camera’s constant fluctuation between the streets of Williamsburg and the concert stage results in a dazzling accentuation of everything, from the graffiti to the blinding lights on stage. It’s comforting to be reminded that even though bands like Mogwai often go without widespread fame or fortune, their fellow artistic innovators can be counted on to hold a candle recognizing their achievements.

Burning drops on 24 August, buy it HERE

Mogwai - New Paths to Helicon Pt. 1 [mp3]

The film will be screening at San Francisco’s Roxie Theatre on Saturday 4 September at 11PM. tickets are $10 and can be purchased HERE.

not in SF? here's a complete list of cities screening the film

08/21 ORLANDO, FL Park Ave CDs

08/23 SEATTLE, WA Northwest Film Forum

08/23 DALLAS, TX Good Records

08/24 BROOKLYN, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg

08/24 VANCOUVER, BC Pacific Cinematheque

08/26 CAMBRIDGE, MA Brattle Theater

08/28 LONG BEACH, CA Art Theater of Long Beach

08/29 CHICAGO, IL Smart Bar

09/02 PONTIAC, MI The Crofoot

09/04 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Roxie Theater

09/10 PORTLAND, OR Bagdad Theater

09/10 NEW YORK, NY Metropolitan Museum of Art

09/12 LOS ANGELES, CA Echoplex

09/14 TORONTO, ON The Underground - The Drake Hotel (10:30pm)

09/14 TORONTO, ON The Underground - The Drake Hotel (11:55pm)

09/23 DENVER, CO Bluebird Theater

10/03 MONTREAL, QC Ukranian Federation

Rock Make Festival this Sunday

a bunch of local artists, including: Tartufi, AB & the Sea, Still Flyin, Leopold and his Fiction, Social Studies, Butterfly Bones, The California Honeydrops, Sunbeam Rd, Sea of Beas, Jhameel, Billy & Dolly, The SHE's, The Thrashers, The Psychotherapists, Wizard Lizard, The Romane Event

review & photos: Outside Lands: Day 1

14 August 2010 (Saturday)
San Francisco, CA
(day 2 reviewed HERE)


The Whigs
The Athens threesome kicked the festival to a start with their relentless drive and unparalleled Southern fire. During the periods of vocal free instrumentation, the band conjured up King Crimson like layering and hi-fi distortion that made people forget that this was, chronologically speaking, the least important band of the weekend.





Dawes
The LA band’s set on Saturday was a monumental improvement from when they opened for Delta Spirit, and that show was actually really solid. The band was louder, more confident, and feeding off the good vibes from the crowd, who, to lead singer Taylor Goldsmith’s apparent surprise, were singing along to most of the songs.




Langhorne Slim
It’s amazing that the Pennsylvania native even has functioning vocal chords with all of the screaming that he did. The juxtaposition of his soft strumming and booming vocals created a spectacular effect. Slim asked the crowd to sing along a few times, but his eagerness for their participation waned once they failed to deliver to his standards, as he feigned a yawn of boredom. He sat down oh so un-dejectedly when he broke a string (inevitable, with the ferocity of his playing), determined to keep the energy high. Indeed, his whole set was riddled with his gawky dancing and plain as day need for attention. Slim didn’t sing “Say Yes” or “Diamonds and Gold” but dug deeper into his older catalogue instead (although he broke this pattern when he debuted a new song). The combination of banjos and enthusiastically slapped keys really heightened the barnyard wedding effect, and I mean that in the most endearing sense. “This is the first time we’ve been cold at a music festival,” Slim observed. “But better to be a bit chilly than to fry your nuts off. That’s what my mom always used to say, anyway.”








The Levon Helm Band
Levon really blew me away. Although I frequently listen to The Band, I had never heard his collaborations with daughter Amy and co. But Levon was a spectacle to behold, pounding away at his drums, contributing lead vocals to some songs and doing it with a grin that would give the AARP a run for their money. Retire? Hell no. Let’s go play us some music fests instead. This is the stuff that legends are made of. As for the band itself, it delivered admirably with alternating singers, a marching horn section and familial bonds that looked past blood relations.












Tokyo Police Club
The Canadian band is really finding their ground musically, coming off an excellent sophomore effort, Champ. Their songwriting keeps exploring new territory, as displayed in their new, synth driven shoe-gaze-on-speed number, “Top 5”. They used the crowd extensively for accompanying hand claps and their youthful enthusiasm really transcribed well to a live setting (as opposed, to, say, The Soft Pack, whose very allure comes from their jadedness).










Cat Power
The poor thing knew that most of the crowd wanted her gone, and her melancholy crooning didn’t help one bit. Neither did her attempt to get closer to the audience by hesitantly getting off the high stage—double taking about six times and finally getting a security guard to help her down. I mean, COME ON, if you’re gonna do it, you might as well jump. As she headed off the stage, she whispered “sorry guys” repeatedly. It’s ok, Cat, The Strokes redeem all sinners.



THE STROKES










catch day two tomorrow!