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.
Via Audio – “Babies”
The Black Knights – “Roots”
I just love how my penchant for Brit rock has made it across the pond and into my inbox. This unsigned UK duo’s brand of shameless, trashy garage rock is right up my alley. The comparisons to The White Stripes will be obvious but a full spin of their EP, Parade of Piranhas, also evokes influences like Queen of the Stone Age and Jon Spencer. Rock on.
Massive Attack: New Album & “Paradise Circus” Video [Caution: NSFW]
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Artist: Massive Attack
Album: Heligoland
Release Date: February 9, 2010
The new year is just underway and the countdown has already begun- to NoisePop, SXSW and a bevy of highly anticipated albums, like Massive Attack’s 5th studio album, Heligoland, due out February 9. The album will feature guest vocals from the likes of Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) to Martina Topley-Bird and Elbow’s Guy Garvey. The prelude to Heligoland, the Splitting the Atom EP, is available now.
The group recently released their new video for “Paradise Circus” (ft. Hope Sandoval) off Heligoland. In what runs more like a documentary than a music video, the Toby Dye directed piece features former porn star, Georgina Spelvin, and her candid look on filming the infamous adult film, The Devil in Miss Jones. Original shots of the ’73 hit are interlaced with Spelvin’s honest take on her physical and emotional state during the production of the film nearly forty years ago. An interesting and entertaining concept, but definitely NSFW.
The OCMD: Best Albums of 2009
Alberta Cross – Broken Side of Time
“Rise from the Shadows”
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
“Ready Able”
Tape Deck Mountain – Ghost
“Scantron”
Atlas Sound – Logos
“Quick Canal”
Flaming Lips – Embryonic
“The Ego’s Last Stand”
Woods – Songs of Shame
“Rain On”
Bear In Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
“You Do You “
Amazing Baby – Rewild
“The Narwhal”
Band of Skulls – Baby Darlin Doll Face Honey
“Death by Diamonds and Pearls”
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
“And The Hazy Sea”
The XX – The XX
“Crystalised”
She Keeps Bees – Nests
“Gimme”
Girls – Album
“Lust for Life”
Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
“The Prowl”
Fever Ray – Fever Ray
“If I Had A Heart”
Foreign Born – Person to Person
“Vacationing People”
J. Tillman – Vacilando Territory Blues
“First Born”
Leopold and His Fiction – Ain’t No Surprise
“Broke”
Papercuts – You Can Have What You Want
“Future Primitive”
Speck Mountain – Some Sweet Relief
“I Feel Eternal”
Shadows on a River – Shadows on a River
“In Business”
The Veils – Sun Gangs
“The Letter”
The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love
“Velvet”
Jeff the Brotherhood – Heavy Days
“U Got The Look”
Electric Tickle Machine – Blew It Again
“Blew It Again”
Best of 2009 by Shawn of Kata Rokkar
Who: Shawn, Editor in Chief, Photographer
Blog: Kata Rokkar
Location: San Rafael, CA
Twitter: @katarokkar
The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire
- Best Album: Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest – I was stubborn about the Grizzly-craze at first. But when I finally sat down with this record, I realized how special this record is.
- Most Overlooked Album: Division Day – Visitation – It’s such a dark and colorful record. Why anyone missed this is beyond me.
- Best Song: I probably listened to Phoenix’s “Fences” a lot because it wakes me up when I go to work. Clues “Remember Severed Head”, Mos Def “Auditorium, Mos Def”, and Jeremy Enigk’s “April Storm” got major replays over the year.
- Best Live Show: It’s a tie between The Mars Volta’s epic performance at Outside Lands Festival and Fanfarlo’s show at Popscene. While Fanfarlo showed they are one of the most charismatic bands of the year, Mars Volta went absolutely ballistic on stage at Outside Lands….hmmm, tough one.
- Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Sleep Whale and Fanfarlo
- Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: Bon Iver, both shows. I couldn’t make it and it still kills me to this day.
- Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
- Favorite SF Band: Too many, but it’s a tie between Judgement Day and Sean Hayes.
- One to Watch in 2010: The Limousines
Mike’s Picks: Best Albums of 2009
Blogger Mike’s Best of 2009 with suggested holiday pairings. Enjoy!
Artist: Vivian Girls
Album: Everything Goes Wrong
Featured Track: “When I’m Gone”
It is not just lust. It is not just the awesome reverb. It is the fresh yet familiar punk rock that continues where the first record left off. It is the relentless touring schedule that allowed us to easily catch them 6 times this year (including a house show in an Oakland back yard!). And yeah it is the milkshake tattoo. I am still in love. You can be too. Vivian Girls return to SF February 9th at the Bottom of the Hill. Enjoy with birthday cake and Jim Beam.
What’s going on in Alabama? First there were the Dexateens and now Thomas Function. Spazzy vocals and clever lyrics that urge you to sing along. Sugary pop progressions with yummy keyboard topping. If you were a fan of the feelies you need to check ’em out. If not, check out the feelies too! Enjoy with Red Bull and coffee…and coffee cake.
Artist: The Strange Boys
Album: The Strange Boys will now forever be known as the Martin Luther Kings
Feature Track: “Nothing”
This was a 10 song self-released collection that eventually spawned a 4 song ep called “Nothing” and an lp entitled “The Strange Boys and Girls Club”. We prefer the self release title, but this is all besides the point. The Strange Boys rule. They come from Austin, TX and really quench the thirst for fans of early Stones. The few folks that caught them at Oakland’s Ghost Town Gallery last month were treated to a raw stew of oldies, newbies and some great covers (Van’s “Gloria” and Ramones’ “California Sun”). The band had some new members including a young lady on sax! A very nice touch. Maybe this strikes a new direction? Enjoy with Thera-flu and rum candy.
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Bollywood Steel Guitar
Featured Track: “Aao Twist Karen”
This is not actually a 2009 release, but I sure enjoyed it this year. I must also salute the amazing Sublime Frequencies record label out of Seattle. They continue to sift the globe for amazing musical treasures. This collection features 21 swinging tracks from 1962-86. Enjoy with goat curry (Berkeley’s Kabana does it right), onion naan and a cold Taj Mahal.
Artist: Love
Album: Love Lost
Featured Track: “Love Jumped Through My Window”
2009 marks a historic year for fans of the genius 60’s band Love. For the first time ever, the lost recordings from 1971 are available on one cohesive collection from Sundazed Music. Although we know the credit is really due to the good people at Delmore Recordings (my bro!). The title was originally rumored to be “Dear You”, and in a way this recording feels like a personal handwritten letter from Arthur Lee to me (and You). We can spend all day arguing that Love’s 3rd record, Forever Changes, is the greatest album of all time, but let’s not argue. It is the greatest record of all time. This recording would have been their 7th album and has little to do with Forever Changes. Arthur had long since parted ways with the original band. No more horns or violins. He was rocking harder, partying harder and quite loose. Like records 4 through 6 (Four Sail, Out Here, False Start), Love Lost sounds more like a Jimi Hendrix record, and this is really no surprise. Arthur and Jimi worked together and influenced each other. As it states so eloquently in the liner notes “Arthur and Jimi were the two psychedelic black guys around period”. Given the recent resurgence of garage rock, and psychedelia it seems prudent at this time to spread the gospel that is Love. If you haven’t yet, check out the first 3 Love records (Love, da Capo, and Forever Changes), I am pretty sure that you will crave more, and now there is yet one more Love record to savor! Enjoy with Night Train and nutmeggy cakes.
Adam’s Picks: Best of 2009
The OCMD’s guest blogger Adam’s Best Albums for 2009.
- Jason Lytle “Yours Truly, The Commuter”
- Sonic Youth “The Eternal”
- Papercuts “You Can Have What You Want”
- Jeff The Brotherhood “Heavy Days”
- Animal Collective “Fall Be Kind” (EP)
- Built To Spill “There Is No Enemy”
- Mew “No More Stories…”
- Systems Officer “Underslept”
- Flaming Lips “Embryonic”
- Cass McCombs “Catacombs”
- Atlas Sound “Logos”
- Polvo “In Prism”
- Girls “Album”
- Grizzly Bear “Veckatimest”
- Circulatory System “Signal Morning “
- Mission Of Burma “The Sound The Speed The Light”
- The Clientele “Bonfires on the Heath”
- Them Crooked Vultures “Them Crooked Vultures”
- Woods “Songs Of Shame”
- Yo La Tengo “Popular Songs”
Things That I Would Like To See Disappear Forever in 2010: Any band listing Animal Collective as an influence.
Genre With The Least Staying Power: Chillwave, Glo-fi, et al.
What I Have High Hopes For in 2010: 1) Bands who remember that the guitar is indeed an instrument. 2) LIARS LIARS LIARS!!!
Best of 2009 by Jay of Stranger Dance
Who: Jay, Editor in Chief
Blog: Stranger Dance
Location: San Francisco
Twitter: @strangerdance
The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire
- Best Album: Dark was the Night compilation – tough to beat out this much fire power
- Most Overlooked Album: Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms – I just can’t stop listening to this album.
- Best Song: Yikes. This one’s to close to call. Last.fm tells me I’ve listened to “So Far Around the Bend” by The National the most this year, so I guess that’s as good an indicator as any. Elvis Perkins’ “Shampoo”, Phoenix’s “1901” and “What I Mean To You” by Justin Townes Earle are all right up there.
- Best Live Show: Josh Ritter’s NoisePop gig at Great American Music Hall last February just edged out J. Tillman’s surprisingly epic show at Cafe du Nord. Both shows outmatched a lot of the bigger ticket shows I caught this year.
- Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Patrick Watson
- Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: St. Vincent
- Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: Animal Collective
- Favorite SF Band: Maus Haus. You’d probably get a different answer tomorrow, but that’s my pick today.
- One to Watch in 2010: Girls / Maus Haus
Best of 2009: Larry, FutureSounds
Who: Larry
Blog: FutureSounds
Location: LA
Twitter: @futuresounds
The OCMD Best of 2009 Questionnaire
- Best Album: Band Of Skulls – Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
- Most Overlooked Album: Portugal. The Man – The Satanic Satanists
- Best Song: “Lock & Key” Lilofee
- Best Live Show: The Rumble: Los Angeles in March – Fitz & The Tantrums, Avi Buffalo & Here Here
- Band/Artist I am most happy to have discovered: Apes of Wrath
- Band/Artist I kick myself for missing: Van Morrison doing Astral Weeks at the Hollywood Bowl
- Band/Artist everyone seems to love but I just can’t get behind: The Vivian Girls
- Favorite SF Band:Lilofee
- One to Watch in 2010: Man/Miracle
the OCMD 