Category Archives: For the Record

[For the Record] Q&A with Jeff the Brotherhood

Posted on by

Jeff the Brotherhood – “Diamond Way” [audio http://www.infinitycat.com/mp3s/diamondway.mp3]

Tonight Jeff the Brotherhood will open for garage godfathers, The Greenhornes, at the Bottom of the Hill.    Brotherhood brothers Jake and Jamin bring out the raw essence of rock and roll with just one guitar and drums.  Their latest recording “We Are the Champions” is set to release soon and the duo have just inked a deal with Warner Brothers. Luckily we had a chance to sit down (in cyberspace) with guitarist brother Jake and ask a few questions before they head off for the major league.

OCMD:  The Brotherhood seems to have a deep SF connection.  You have done shows with Hunx and his Punx, and Shannon and her Clams.  You released a split 7″ with OCMD fave Ty Segall.  What gives, how did ya’ll hook up?  Any chance you guys are moving out here?
Jake:  We did a tour with Ty and co a while back and became fast friends.  That crew turned us on to a bunch of stuff.  Probably not movin to bay area anytime soon.

OCMD:  We compulsively go to SXSW every year.  You guys seem like regulars.  Do you have a favorite venue or two in Austin?  Any particular snacks you seek out there?
Jake:  We like to get BBQ and Jamin likes the Crawfish Boil. Also into the food trucks.  Don’t have a fav venue.

OCMD:  I try and eat your blog’s “Snack Attack” suggestions whenever possible and really enjoyed the Dickel and Donut combo.  Any other choices not to be missed?
Jake:  Pickled sausage and cheese and crackers. Just alternate bites, total bliss.

OCMD:  We read that you are encouraging your sister to learn bass and join the family band.  I can’t think of any bands of 3 siblings, that could be a serious edge.  Has there been any progress there?  Do you have a favorite sibling-based band?
Jake:  She’s just started learning.  We like the Jackson 5!

OCMD:  What’s up with the Japan tour?  What do you hope to find there?  With all the sitar on the new album, might you consider a tour of India?
Jake:  Japan tour is hopefully soon, not trying to find anything in particular, just good times.  Dunno if we r gonna tour India, is there cool places to play?

OCMD:  Are you sick of people asking you guys about the whole brother thing?
Jake:  Kinda

OCMD:  Why should we love you more than Natural Child?  They have a lot more herb on their blog, not to mention that naked picture of you.
Jake:  If u are super into cheefin out on sum cheeba u should love Natty Child more, I don’t know what naked pic u talkin about!

OCMD:  Ramones or Zeppelin?
Jake:  Ramones

Thanks Jake!  Safe travels, enjoy the tour.  I hope you make it to Japan (and India-I imagine there are some really cool places to stay).

Bands to Watch 2011 :: Rollo & Grady

Posted on by

LA music blogger and tastemaker, Rollo & Grady, is definitely one of the better music discovery sites out there on the Internets. Prolific too as he lives and breathes indie music. When he’s not sharing his music discoveries on his blog, he’s placing it in films and television through his production company as a music supervisor. It’s the real deal. So check out his picks for bands to watch in 2011.

Lord Huron – “The Problem with Your Daughter”

Devin Therriault – “Don’t Think I”

Sun Airway – “Put The Days Away”

Yuck

Tennis – “Marathon”

Hanni El Khatib – “You Rascal You”

Bands to Watch 2011 :: Dodge, My Old Kentucky Blog

Posted on by

If you were a Sirius/XM blog radio show, which would you be? For me, most definitely My Old Kentucky Blog (as well as Aquarium Drunkard). Craig “Dodge” Lile is the founder of MOKB and Roaring Colonel Records, co-owner of Laundromatinee, and – as mentioned – is a DJ at SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. His music sensibilities have always appealed to me and I’m happy to share his picks for the Bands to Watch in 2011.

Andy D – wild, party starter combining rap, rock, electro, and viking lore.  The latest signee to Roaring Colonel Records.

Dreamers Of The Ghetto – they’re recording now, but these guys make some amazing dream-rock and look like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.  I’d love to sign them as well, but I think I have some competition.  Check out their track “Phone Call”:
EMA – Erika Anderson, former one-half of The Gowns, will release her solo project debut through SOUTERRAIN TRANSMISSIONS this year. Another artist I would have loved to sign to Roaring Colonel.  I played her track “Marked” on MOKB SIRIUS XM Blog Radio for much of the year and it always elicited a great response.
Bobby – a new project featuring Molly of the band Mountain Man.  Beautiful, atmospheric tunes.
Julianna Barwick – will release The Magic Place through Asthmatic Kitty Records in 2011. Sure to be a beautiful album if the lead single was any indication.

Bands to Watch 2011 :: Larry Little, Future Sounds

Posted on by
If ever there were an arbiter of indie music, it would be Larry, the co-founder of LA-based Future Sounds. He’s made it his life’s work to help new and unsigned bands get heard and the music world is a much better place because of it. He’s also the creator and curator of The Rumble, a series of free monthly music parties that tours through eight cities – including LA, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Austin, Portland, Vegas and New York – showcasing ‘what’s next’ in music. Suffice it to say that when Larry talks you should probably listen. So listen up. Here are his picks for Bands to Watch in 2011.
THE NAKED & FAMOUS – the 2011 MGMT – from New Zealand
ODD FUTURE – the second coming of the Wu Tang Clan
WYE OAK – Merge about to do it again
LIFE IN FILM – London’s answer to the Kings Of Leon

BRANCHES – Asuza band that runs with the Fleet Foxes, Head & The Heart, Mumford & Sons pack.

Bands to Watch 2011 :: The 405

Posted on by

Photobucket

The 405 is a UK based online Music/Art/Film magazine and one of the many UK-based sites that I frequently troll to satisfy my Brit Rock fetish. Recently they published an album of their picks for Bands to Watch in 2011. To download the album , click here!

1. ‘Colours’ – Grouplove
2. ‘What Became of You and I’ – Treefight For Sunlight
3. ‘Fighting Smiles’ – Jonquil
4. ‘Vocal Chords’ – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
5. ‘Ringerz’ – Islet
6. ‘Young’ – Dog Is Dead
7. ‘Endless Summer’ – Still Corners
8. ‘Coast’ – Dry the River
9. ‘Facelove’ – PS I Love You
10. ‘Microlite (Acoustic)’ – Trophy Wife
11. ‘Christmas Tree’ – Fair Ohs
12. ‘Chiaroscuro’ – Einar Stray
13. ‘Mighty’ – Lord Huron
14. ‘Hung Markets’ – Seams
15. ‘Treetops (Val-d’Isère Remix)’ – Gold Fields
16. ‘Chemistry’ – Tall Ships
17. ‘7th Date’ – Spectrals
18. ‘Oh My God’ – Cults

Videos not on the download record
19. ‘Weathervanes And Chemicals’ – Team Me
20. ‘Limit To Your Love (Video)’ – James Blake

Photobucket

Bands to Watch 2011 :: Jason Jurgens, The Owl Mag

Posted on by

Say hi to the man with the plan – Jason Jurgens, publisher of the San Francisco-based music blog, The Owl Mag. Whether he’s writing, blogging, editing, promoting or filming Jason’s always got his ear to the ground when it comes to music. Check out his band picks for 2011.

The Dodos

“90’s riffs influenced by Billy Corgan and a shit ton of vocal servings from Neko Case. Sounds good to me.


New EP set to drop 1/18 and a tour with Surfer Blood (my fave from 2009). Shoegaze-y lo-fi that will make you see trails.
Excited to hear more from the SoCal band. Gritty and soulful folk with a hint of Ben Folds and The Weepies.
The Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros frontman is dropping a solo debut influenced by mouth sounds and children’s hand capping games. What a hippie.
Touring with Beach house, dropping a full-length. If Quever’s breathy and ambient tone and generally upbeat vibe on “Do What You Will” are any indication of what’s to come, then I’m hooked once again.

Bands to Watch 2011 :: Steve Brodsky, Figurehead Management

Posted on by

Steve is a partner at Figurehead Management, a San Francisco-based artist management company that currently manages bands like The Heavy, Orgone, A B & The Sea and Wallpaper.Here are Steve’s picks for 2011.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr: I’ve been hooked on this group since I heard their song Vocal Chords from their debut EP.  I’ve listened to these songs so much that it’s borderline embarrassing and can’t wait for their full length.  There is something so current and progressive with an underlying pop sensibility about what they’re doing.  I can see them playing with everyone from Local Natives to Vampire Weekend in 2011.  Wonder how long it will be before NASCAR fans join the already growing party?


Odd Future (OFWGKTA) : The subject matter addressed by this grimy West Coast skate rap crew is certainly not for the faint of heart.  They mix raw emotion and reckless abandon that can only come from youth and a level of creativity that the hip hop world hasn’t seen in a ages.  Bands like The XX already have copped to listening to the group and there will be labels lined up for a piece of Odd Future in 2011.

One of the best twitter handles out.  http://twitter.com/fucktyler


Gordon Voidwell: I had the pleasure of meeting and seeing Will Johnson aka Gordon Voidwell perform a few times in 2010 and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. His mix tape has been on repeat in my headphones and I anxiously await his full length in 2011. His style to me combines a little Zapp a little Prince and a little Cameo and even New Edition.  While clearly well versed in his history he manages to create a unique and Original sound at the same time and his live show could make even the biggest wallflower shake their ass. Download “White Friends” on RCRDLBL.


Tennis: I certainly can’t claim to be a fan of all of the “lo-fi” acts that ruled the indie landscape in 2010.  Aside from the fact it left audio engineers in well-fare lines it’s a trend I’ve been happy to see even some of it’s forefathers ditch in favor of glossier production recently.  That said when I first heard this bands song ‘Marathon” I was blown away by it’s beauty and simplicity.  This band will be a break out band in 2011 in a similar way to how 2010 belonged to Best Coast.  Aside from fantastic songs they have a great back-story to build on.  They have me ready to break out my wooden racket and booty shorts .


Foster The People: “Pumped Up Kicks” is a flat out HIT record.  It combines a sense of indie cool with a true mainstream sensibility. I see it being one of those songs that hits mainstream radio and breaks format much the way Broken Bells“The High Road” did In 2010.  It’s type of record you hope will come on while you’re in the car and your iPod lost charge and your  subscription to Sirius has expired.  Word has it they’re in the studio with super producer Paul Epworth so I see no stopping this band in 2011.


Bands to Watch 2011 :: Ben Van Houten, The Bay Bridged

Posted on by

Meet Ben, co-founder and programming director of San Francisco’s esteemed The Bay Bridged, a non-profit arts organization and online music publication chartered to educate the world on the awesomeness of the Bay Area’s independent music scene. And we love them for it. They curate some great showcases and festivals around town and make The City a better place musically. Here are Ben’s picks for the (mostly) Bay Area bands to watch in 2011. And for the record, I agree with all of them.

Artist: Young Prisms
Album: Friends For Now
Release Date: 1/18/11
Homeland: San Francisco, CA

I always associate this SF band with Weekend because I saw them both for the first time on a joint bill at the Hemlock beginning of last year. If Weekend was last year’s breakout local shoegazey rock group, Young Prisms deserve to fill that slot in 2011. After an EP on Mexican Summer, the band’s full length Friends for Now is out this month. The record’s a little heavier than I expected, and that’s a good thing. A lot of these reverb-soaked bands are too thin and brittle to make enough of a racket.

Artist: Exray’s
Album: Exray’s
Release Date: 2/1/11
Homeland: San Francisco, CA

Jon Bernson (Ray’s Vast Basement, Window Twins) is one of these can’t-miss artists for me, and Exray’s manages to incorporate his singer-songwriter and electronic pastiche sides into one compelling project. Are they garage pop or abstract beatmakers? Both. You probably heard this duo’s music in the movie The Social Network, or you’ve seen their name around the blogs recently, gaining buzz before the anticipated release of their self-titled full length.

Artist: Bare Wires
Album: Seeking Love
Release Date: Out Now
Homeland: Oakland, CA

I feel like Seeking Love didn’t get the, um, love it deserved last year, although it may have been unreasonable to hope that “I Love You Tonite” would be blasting out of every stereo all summer. Well, there’s still next summer, although Matthew Melton and band apparently have another album coming out soon. I know the Bay Area has a bunch of garage rock bands, but these guys write amazing pop songs about love with hooks aplenty.

Artist: Sea of Bees
Album: Songs for the Ravens
Release Date: Out Now
Homeland: Sacramento, CA

Sea of Bees became one of our favorite new artists last year over at The Bay Bridged, the latest in a long track record of great performers from the Sacramento/Davis area. Jules’ voice is unbelievably emotive, and when she conveys sadness, you feel it in your gut. Late last year, she signed to a UK label, and is doing a ton of European shows in the first quarter of this year. It would not surprise me at all if she’s a deservedly bigger name when she finally returns to California.

Artist: Kurt Vile
Album: Smoke Ring For My Halo
Release Date: 3/8/11
Homeland: Philadelphia, PA

I had to sneak at least one non-local artist in my list. I recognize that there’s a certain obviousness to picking any band with a big upcoming record on Matador as a “band to watch,” but Vile’s definitely become someone I’m expecting to have a big 2011. I’d slept on Childish Prodigy, but between last year’s Square Shells EP (find me a seven-minute song as good as psych-pop gem “Invisibility: Nonexistent”) and the songs that have leaked from the new album, I’m definitely more ready this time around. I suspect Vile will be this year’s Fresh & Onlys, showing that weird pop can be recorded well and still maintain its eccentric charm.

Bands to Watch 2011 :: Mark Schoneveld of Yvynyl

Posted on by

Meet Mark, the man behind Yvynyl, a Philadelphia based indie music blog that takes the term indie to a whole new level. Anytime I’m feeling all hip, smug and on top of my music game, I just head on over to his site for a dose of reality. Because quite often I haven’t even heard of many of the bands he’s recommending. And they’re all good. (GODDAMNIT!) Enjoy his picks for 2011. Most likely they are bands you’ve never heard of.

White Fence

Selebrities

Purling Hiss

Headless Horseman

TV Girl

Bands to Watch 2011 :: Scott McDonald, Surfing On Steam

Posted on by

Scott McDonald runs the LA-based music blog, Surfing On Steam, and is also a contributing writer for the renowned Aquarium Drunkard. Every once in a while I need to balance my garage-psych yang with a little electro-ambient ying and Scott’s site usually has just the anecdote. I turn to it often to troll his recommendations in those categories. Here are Scott’s picks for Bands to Watch in 2011.

Young Montana?

The Vaccines

Twin Sister

Star Slinger


Ringo Deathstarr