Author Archives: the OCMD

The Kills – Tape Song

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Ironic that this new video from The Kills should come across my desk today.  I almost chose their latest album, Midnight Boom, as my Album of the Week.  I love it.  Maybe next week, unless something else catches my fancy before then.  

I saw them perform live recently at the Treasure Island Music Festival this September and was hooked.  I’m not quite sure how the duo defines their relationship, but based upon the sexual energy they put out on stage it’s clear they are much more than friends.  As my friend standing next to me said so astutely, “If that was my woman, I would fuck her so hard.”

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The Sea and Cake – Car Alarm

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Artist: The Sea and Cake
Album: Car Alarm
File Under: Indie Rock
Recommended if You Like: Stereolab, American Analog Set, Japancakes, Sparklehorse
Featured Track: Aerial, On A Letter

Aerial:

On A Letter:

This Chicago quartet has been around for quite a while and there’s a comfort in the familiarity and consistency of their music.  Their latest release, Car Alarm, is no exception.  And from the buzz out there in the blogosphere, this is their best album in over a decade.  I’ve been listening to their electronic grooves a lot this week. Mellow yet powerful at the same time, they are firmly rooted in Indie rock with a splash of that electronica sound I like so much.  It’s smooth, well balanced, easy on the ears and layered with just enough complexity to keep it interesting listen after listen.  Like a fine wine.

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Crystal Stilts @ Bottom of the Hill

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stilts

My first reaction to seeing Brooklyn-based Crystal Stilts take the stage at Bottom of the Hill last night was, ‘Yeah, girl drummer!’. The next was Napoleon Dynamite meets Meg White.  That was the visual anyway.  Lead singer, Brad Hargett, does evoke a Napoleon Dynamite vibe not only in appearance but also in his emotionless, monotone delivery of each song.  It was hard not to compare drummer Frankie Rose to Meg White with her long raven hair, pale skin and stripped down, minimalist drumming style.

The overall effect?  Eh.  I loved their EP and am really enjoying their new album Alight of Night, but as live performers they leave a bit to be desired.  Maybe it was an off night but they seemed out of synch – starting and stopping songs a few too many times.  At one point during show the keyboard fell off its stand, causing some commotion and a bit of levity.  But overall the spellbinding show I had heard so much about wasn’t there for me.

That’s the way it works sometimes though.  I would much rather see Dr. Dog live than listen to their albums. And Crystal Stilts are definitely worthy of a listen.  I like it very much.  I would just rather listen to their album than see them live.   

Check out ‘The Dazzled’

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Rock the Vote

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I knew our household had been over saturated with political propaganda when our three year old started to refer to his willie as his ‘John McCain’.  No kidding.  When asked what he was doing with his hands down his pants recently he replied matter-of-factly, ‘I’m playing guitar with my John McCain.’  

Yeah that’s right.  My kid plays air guitar with his penis.  But lest you think my child is a complete Neanderthal, he also said after seeing Obama on the news, ‘That’s Barack Obama.  He’s my president.’

So please, don’t let my kid down. Get out there today and vote for Obama. Otherwise I’m going to have to explain to my kid that John McCain is his president, not a dick. And I’d really rather not have that conversation.  Besides, how can you resist a kid that rocks out to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in footie PJs?

 

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San Francisco Bands You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of – Part 5

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Leopold and His Fiction

Do you like bluesy, southern fried garage rock in the style of The Black Keys, White Stripes and Kings of Leon? Then I think you’ll like this San Francisco trio called Leopold and His Fiction. I sure do.  Their self-titled debut is out now and are expected to release a new album early 2009.

Listen to ‘Come Back (Now That I’m Here)’:

 

 

Okay

I was taken the first time I heard Fremont-based band, Okay.  Mostly by Marty Anderson’s voice, which is strange, compelling and beautiful all at the same time.  His sound may not resonate with everyone but I find his songs with simple lyrics and sparse instrumentation achieve something bigger.

Listen to ‘My‘:

 

 

Port O’Brien

Oakland-based Port O’Brien has received critical acclaim for their autobiographical second album, All We Could Do Was Sing. Their ragtag indie folk/rock sound evokes the sounds of Neil Young and Bon Iver at times and back porch, drunken singalong sessions at others.   

Listen to ‘Pigeonhold’:

 

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Win Free Tickets to Brett Dennen @ The Indy

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Brett Dennen’s show at The Independent in San Francisco has long since sold out.  However, you can enter to win 2 spots on his guest list for any of his upcoming shows on his tour if you sign up for his email newsletter here.

Sign Up Now.

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San Francisco Bands You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of – Part 4

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Kid Mud

San Francisco’s Sean Duncan, aka Kid Mud, just released his first EP ‘Birds Will Move In’.  I really like this album.  It has a mellow Sparklehorse feel.  He records much of his work in his home studio and plays each instruments himself.  Very cool.

Listen to ‘Press it Out’

 

Lady Genuis

Lady Genius’ short, layered pop songs feature shimmering keyboards and echoing guitars coupled with crisp drums and boy/girl harmonies.  A SF Weekly article recently put it, “the result is like the Magnetic Fields crash-landing a flying saucer in New Pornoghraphers-land.” 

Listen to ‘New York Through York’

 

Lemonade

This San Francisco-based trio has already built a following around town with their energetic live performances of avant-electronic music that fuses psych heavy synths and spacey delays.  They’ve toured and opened for the likes of Black Moth Super Rainbow, Modeselektor and Crystal Castles.  Their self-titled debut is out now.  Drink it up. 

Listen to ‘Sunchips‘

 

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Sonos Unveils Free Controller App for iPhone

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I just downloaded the free iPhone App for the Sonos Digital Music Management system today.  I didn’t think Sonos could get any better, but it just did.  

For those of you who don’t know already, Sonos is my favorite digital music management system, hands down.   It allows you to play any music you want in any room of your house from the palm of your hand.  You can play your own music library, Internet Radio, Pandora, Last.fm, Sirius Satellite Radio, access millions of songs through Rhapsody, and more.  And now with the Sonos for iPhone application, you can control it all with your iPhone.  It’s even more fun and functional to use than the out of the box controller.  Beautiful.

Check out this demo to see for yourself. 

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$20 Changed My Life

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I have arrived at the pearly gates of San Francisco street parking heav-an! (I sounded like Oprah in my head when I said that.)  Meter maids be damned!  My days of metered parking roulette are officially over. Last week I was bestowed a precious gift in the form of a San Francisco Parking Meter Debit Card, available in $20 and $50 increments, and I can honestly say it’s changed my life.  No longer am I burdened with the stress of finding change to feed the meter in this town (25 cents gets you about 5 minutes here).  Now all I have to do is swipe and go.  Swipe and go.  It makes me so happy that each time I do it I want to pump my fist in the air and go – “War, war, war.”

MIA, 20 Dollar

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