Every year San Francisco unleashes a break out band on the indie music scene. Last year it was Girls, the year before that, The Dodos. This year I’m putting my bets on The Morning Benders. The Berkeley-based group are getting ready to release their next album, Big Echo, on March 9th and boy do I like the direction they’ve headed with their sound. The album’s opening track, “Excuses”, has a bit of a throwback sound to 50s du wop. Very symphonic, harmonious and just lovely. Check it out.
Okay, really. I never ceased to be amazed at the sheer brilliance of our city’s very own cadre of bedroom rockers. Just take a listen to this one man act, Doc Matthews, calling himself Numbers Game. A recent transplant from Detroit, he now calls San Francisco home and recorded this track in his bedroom…of course. And if that’s not impressive enough, check out his video for the song “Love Dreams Love.” All DIY by Doc himself. I love his early 80s throwback sound.
Channeling Elliott Smith, San Francisco’s Andrew Galluccio gives his take on indie folk as The Northern Key. His self-titled album is out now on SF’s very own Tricycle Records. Truly a local project, the album was recorded and mixed by The Morning Bender’s Chris Chu at Different Fur Studios. Andrew will be performing at Noise Pop this month, opening for Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros at Bimbos on February 28.
So many bands in San Francisco, it seems impossible to keep track of them all. Here’s a local trio whose warbled lyrics and yummy guitar licks caught my ear. Their debut EP, Gamble, Gamble, Die, is out now. Keep an eye out for them around town.
I’ve been on an electronica kick ever since I got off the beach in Mexico. Something about sand and ambient grooves seems to go really well together. That and I’ve been immersed in my Best Electro Pop 2009 Mixtape (coming soon). Which leads me to a tune I’ve been digging from San Francisco’s very own electronica duo, Silver Swans. Channeling eerie soundscapes reminiscent of The Knife, vocalist Ann Yu and producer and musician, Jon Waters have recently released their dreamy, electro pop single ‘Realize The Ghost’ that will soon flourished into a full length debut on Tricycle Records in January 2010. Pay attention!
Electronic/House music is not my genre. My Twitter handle isn’t indierockgirl for nothing, after all. I’ve gone so far as contemplating a filter in my inbox that would automatically delete anything with the word ‘remix’ in the subject line. But that’s not really fair. Every genre of music has it’s time and place. And the San Francisco underground DJ scene definitely has it’s place, especially on a night like Halloween. Maybe I’m still reverberating from the energy of that evening’s all night dance fest and secret loft parties, but when I got the email about Claude VonStroke’s new record release I couldn’t resist a spin. Particularly when it’s from one of San Fran’s most respected DJs.
Claude VonStroke is better known to locals, as Barclay Crenshaw, the owner of San Francisco’s quirky tech-funk label, dirtybird. The label consists of Crenshaw (VonStroke,) fellow producer Justin Martin, and a diverse assortment of top remixers from around the globe such as John Tejada, Audion, Diplo, 3 Channels, Dj Assault, and Kevin Saunderson. He has many releases under his belt but his latest, called Bird Brain, features a track that even Pitchfork approves. Take a listen and join the fun at his record release party at The Mezzanine on November 13.
Social Studies founding members Natalia Rogovin and Michael Jirkovsky lead a rotating cast of characters with a sound that tempers the Fiery Furnaces with the love of pure pop songwriting. With a new full length slated for release in 2010, “The Hourglass” is a digital single that features the San Francisco band’s first new tracks since 2006. The band is hitting the East Coast in November for a tour. Check out their MySpace page for dates.
Meet LoveLikeFire – a San Francisco indie rock group whose classic Britpop sound could have one easily mistake them as a UK band. In fact, the first time I heard lead singer Ann Yu’s voice I thought I was listening to Delores O’Riordan from The Cranberries. Not a bad thing. So it’s no wonder the group is taking their brand of dream pop across the pond on a full UK tour promoting their latest release, Tear Ourselves Away – releasing September 14 in the UK and expected to hit in the US sometime next year. I unfortunately missed their Pacific coast tour, so I’ll expect a full report from you UK readers!
Mexican Summer, quite possibly the hottest indie label going right now, is getting ready to release the debut 7″ of San Francisco-based garage rock duo, Weekend. Get to know your local garage rock artists. And have a great Labor Day ‘Weekend’!
Nobunny, the Bay Area’s very own punk bunny extraordinaire, is back on US soil and playing tomorrow night, September 2, at Thee Parkside. It’s blogger Mike’s favorite band plus it’s his birthday. Happy Birthday, Mikey! So put on your pink briefs and come on out and celebrate before Nobunny heads out on tour with Jay Reatard.
,
the OCMD 