In case you haven’t figured out by now, I have a soft spot for Brit rock and have been keeping and eye on this UK duo called Little Fish for quite some time. I like their stripped down, bluesy rock vibe and the raw energy Juju brings to the vocals – like Heartless Bastards on Red Bull. They’re in the states for a limited US tour, supporting Hole for much of it. Lucky for us, they’ll be hitting Cafe du Nord this week for a headline appearance. Get it while it’s hot!
Little Fish US Tour Dates (* w/ HOLE)
April 20, 2010 Cafe du Nord, San Francisco
April 21, 2010 Viper Room, Los Angeles
*April 22, 2010 Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles
*April 23, 2010 Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles
*April 27, 2010 Terminal 5, New York City
*April 28, 2010 Terminal 5, New York City
First Yo Gabba Gabba, now Apples in Stereo. Elijah Wood is making quite a name for himself on the hipster video circuit. He did a whole series of videos with Apples in Stereo. Interesting career move.
For Record Store day this Saturday, April 17, Apples in Stereo will pre-release their covers album “Future Vintage”. For a list of participating retailers, click here.
Track Listing
Side A:
1. “Ruby” by Ted Leo
2. “Benefits of Lying (w/ Your Friend)” by Bad Veins
Artist: Olney Clark Album: Olney Clark Release Date: April 13, 2010 For Fans Of: The Magnetic Fields, Rufus Wainwright, Nick Drake, Sondre Lerche Featured Track: “Tea and Thunderstorms”
The past few months have been so rainy, grey and gloomy here in San Francisco. Much more so than any other year I can remember. So when the good folks at Goldest Egg sent me this lovely debut album by Olney Clark during the peak of it, I wrapped myself in it like a warm blanket. Their soothing, orchestral sounds were the perfect remedy for this weather that ailed me. Upon discovering the band was from Scotland it made perfect sense. After all, they should know what it feels like to be wrapped in a continual grey mist and how best to remedy it – like with “Tea and Thunderstorms”. Good medicine it is, this album.
Artist: Future Islands Album: In Evening Air Release Date: May 4, 2010 File Under: Post Wave Featured Track: “As I Fall”
If you’re in need of a fresh sound, look no further. This Baltimore-based synthpop, new wave revival trio is really just…spectacular. It’s frontman Samuel T. Herring’s vocals that get me. At times growling like Tom Waits, at others crooning like Matt Johnson he forces you to sit up and listen. It takes a few spins to get acclimated to the album, the tempo, the sound, the voice. But once you do, it’s so damn compelling you won’t be able to stop.
Their debut LP “In Evening Air” will be released on Thrill Jockey May 4 and the band will play San Francisco’s El Rio on May 24.
Yeah, I know. This post is like a month overdue. But since Austin I’ve been in work hell, life hell and right-after-I-downloaded-all-my-SXSW-photos-to-my-Mac-the-hard-drive-fried hell. Thank God for Apple Care and Drobo. I’m back on line and slowly getting back on track. So, without further ado, here are my highlights from SXSW. Better late than never, right?
Best Venue: Luster Pearl on Rainey St. hands down. Great vibe, great bands, great people. Kudos Filter Mag!
Best Celebrity Sightings – The Fader Fort VIP area with Adrian Grenier and Billy Idol to name a few.
Biggest Buzz Band:Broken Bells. Though their cool quotient has substantially dropped now that their debut album is being retailed at Starbucks. Ah well, can’t blame them really. Their album was probably one of the biggest leaks on record.
Cutest Couple: Al and Claire, who after The Broken Bells show at Lustre Pearl dropped on bended knee and proposed. (Sniff.) While that album will always be sentimental for that moment, I will personally always think of them when I hear The Temper Trap’s “Love Lost”. We had such a great time at that show and it’s one of the best, sappiest love albums ever. So this one’s for you, you saps. Congrats!
Best Band Working The Street: San Francisco’s very own The Ferocious Few and Phantom Kicks. Both working the street crowd hard and making me proud. The Ferocious Few with their signature street performances and Phantom Kicks pressing demo CDs into any willing hand. Including mine. Good job!
I’m liking this San Francisco venue tour de force The Rumble has going. This month we have Milk Bar in the Haight, which is handy if you want to tie in a little run to Amoeba, then maybe some food and nice brew at The Alembic. Okay, so far so good. Even better is the line up featuring local acts Veil Veil Vanish and Silver Swans and LA-based Pepper Rabbit. From shoegaze to electronica to Bossa Nova pop, it’s quite the eclectic line up…. and yet all so fitting for this crazy little town we call home.
Not necessarily music related but such a fun local tradition I felt compelled to share. This year my neighborhood played host to the 10th Annual Big Wheel Races held every Easter Sunday. Hundreds, thousands of people bust out their vintage Big Wheels, Green Machines, and custom rigs to race down San Francisco’s real crookedest street, Vermont Street in Potrero Hill. In costumes to boot! Good fun.
Last Thursday night The Eagle Tavern played host to a great night of down and dirty garage rock featuring local acts Ty Segall, The Baths, The Splinters and Nashville-based Jeff the Brotherhood. First off, I need to say that The Eagle Tavern is my new favorite bar. As one of San Francisco’s better known gay bear/leather bars, it’s not a destination that was on my radar. But what a great venue, vibe and fun people! They have the best beer garden in town. And I got a kick out of teasing the bartender, who handed me the beer list, by ordering ‘whatever’s most popular with the ladies.’ After a momentary blank stare, I got a Stella Artois.
It was my first time catching up with The Baths and look forward to hearing more from this group. Especially when they put out music on some other format than cassette tape. (I feel a trendspotting series coming on.) Luckily it appears the uber cool label Woodsist will be putting out their debut LP soon…which is a very good sign. I dig their sound and something about them gave me a Girls vibe, but maybe that was just the lead singer’s dress and shawl getup and the fact that Christopher Owens often takes the stage in similar attire. Whatever the case, file them under one to watch.
The band of brothers, JEFF the Brotherhood, took the stage next and delivered a scorching set. If you haven’t checked these guys out, do so. How can you not like a band that tapes Jeffro Tull on their drum kit? Always a crowd pleaser, these guys know how to work the audience with Jake spending more time off the stage than on it. Then there’s Jamin on drums who wails on his set with the kind of bounce and enthusiasm as Animal of The Muppets. Seriously, check it out.
Ty Segall closed out the night with a kumbaya set of old tunes and a handful of new ones. Members of The Baths joined in on the fun. And if Ty wasn’t already adorable enough, the love and sweetness he was throwing down for his girlfriend (the bassist for The Baths) throughout the night was just too cute for words. When he dedicated “Lovely One” to her my heart melted too. So uplifting and inspiring it was that I almost regained my faith in humanity. Almost.
the OCMD 