The San Francisco Bay Area festival season is gearing up! Treasure Island Festival (my personal favorite) announced dates for their annual hootenanny, which will be October 17 & 18, 2009. Almost a month later than previous years. And Outside Lands, scheduled for August 28-30, 2009, will be announcing their line up on Monday, April 13! More to come!
Fun for the both the aging hipster and hipster-in-training alike, the star studded line up of the hit pre-school TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba, never ceases to amuse me. Last week Jack Black made an appearance and got his dancey-dance on with the disco roll. His freestyle moves were ‘legendary’ as expected but I still think Elijah Woods might have him beat.
white lies
1). n : an unimportant lie (especially one told to be tactful or polite)
2). proper noun. London-based buzz band whose early 80s inspired rock has drawn comparisons to Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, Editors and Interpol
White Lies. I tell them everyday. It’s a necessity when you’re a parent. I used to feel guilty about it but then I read a book recently called “Outwitting Toddlers“ that cited ‘white lies’ as a bona fide parenting tactic and have been absolved from all feelings of guilt and remorse ever since. Case in point, my little man resisted brushing his teeth relentlessly until I told him they would turn green and fall out like a pirate if he didn’t. Now I don’t even have to remind him to brush anymore.
While I’m not sure if the name for this London-based buzz band was born out of such literal inspiration, it all seems so fittingly British and…well-mannered. All stereotypes aside, these guys are making some noise with their early 80s-inspired moody debut, To Lose My Life. They are the first British band to chart a number one album in the U.K. in 2009 and have now diligently set their sites on America. The band hit the ground running at SXSW, playing to packed crowds at every turn and delivering live performances that had tongues wagging – ‘big time’.
See for yourself what all the fuss is about April 11 at Slims in San Francisco.
Listen to “Death“:
“Harmless Lovers Discourse” by local group Odawas from their Jagjaguwar release The Blue Depths. They’re playing Amoeba and Great American Music Hall in a couple weeks!
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amoeba san francisco in store @ 6 pm | san francisco, california | ||
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great american music hall w/autolux | san francisco, california |
I had the pleasure to see one of my favorite bands, White Denim, at Bottom of the Hill last week. And as usual, they did not disappoint. They are a great live band and rocked the entire show relentlessly. Throughout the performance my friends kept yelling anecdotes in my ear like “Led Zepplin 1971!” or “baby Led Zepplin!”. Yes, it’s true! When they launched into a rendition of “All You Really Have to Do/Mess Up Your Hair/Shake Shake Shake”, I thought my head was going to explode. While I can’t recreate that masterpiece for your here, you can get a taste of it from this smoking set recorded on From the Basement in the UK. Check it out.
Listen to “Zombie City Shakes“:
Hmmm, check out this tasty nugget that arrived in my inbox from Canadian indie rockers, Black Hat Brigade. Do I hear a little bit of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs in there? The band is independently releasing their second EP, Fathers, on May 28 and have launched a fan-based donation project to help bring the album to life. A+ for ingenuity! To donate visit the Black Hat Brigade MySpace page.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
The new video for “Panic Switch” from Silversun Pickups upcoming album, Swoon, out 4/14 on Dangerbird Records. The album will be streaming in full all week until release date on THE LEAK starting tomorrow (4/7).
Artist: Iran
Album: Dissolver
File Under: Lo-Fi Indie Rock
Recommended if You Like: Pavement, Elliott Smith, Brian Wilson, Sebadoh, TVOTR
Featured Tracks: “I Can See the Future”, “Buddy“
“I Can See The Future”:
“Buddy“:
“Somehow they all got it wrong/ and they all seem to like it that way/ I let it go on too long/ and I forgot what I really meant to say/ and it feels like I’m lying/ and I don’t even know the truth….”
No doubt about it, the Buddy EP hooked me on Iran. The combination of Kyp Malone’s (of TV on the Radio) masterful guitar work and the pathos laden lyrics of frontman Aaron Aites works for me – utterly and completely. I wouldn’t call Iran a side project however, this band is actually a pre-cursor to TVOTR. Dissolver is their third release and is fairly classic in it’s construction – catchy, melodramatic pop-tinged lyrics dragged through lots of rock swagger. Very reminiscent of Pavement, which is perhaps why I like it so much. They’re not breaking any barriers with their sound here, but the familiarity feels really, really good.
“Buddy” is certainly a stand out track for me. To say I’m obsessed with it is an understatement. “Airport ’79”, (reportedly an epilogue of sorts to John Lennon’s “Airport ’77”) is another excellent song that’s been stuck in my head all week with it’s distorted, fuzzy guitar and catchy refrain ‘you won’t know who I am/ ’cause you don’t know who I am’. Much of the album has that ballad-like quality which showcases Aaron Aites true lyrical talent. It’s lovely.
Black Joe Lewis is one of those booty shaking bands you just have to see live. He’s Austin’s answer to James Brown and after seeing them at SXSW, I can confidently say these guys know how to get down and have a funky good time. So don’t judge them too much by this video. They look way too composed here. The band is touring in support of his new album, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is, and will be at Slims in San Francisco on May 16. Check Black Joe’s MySpace page for full tour details. The first leg they will be supporting Gomez. A good bill!
Vodpod videos no longer available.
I’ve gone stark raving mad for Starfucker. I saw them again this weekend at The Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, to an overly packed crowd I might add. They are so much fun live. And the lead singer Ryan has some hot dance moves that can rival Beck. They’re on tour right now promoting their forthcoming album, Jupiter, due out May 5. Catch them at a venue near you.
Here’s a the new video for “German Love” and a new track from their upcoming album that premiered on MOKB, “Medicine“:
the OCMD 