The Weekend Digest: March 29th-April 1st
March 29, 2007
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Click above to hear our feature episode on The Music Lovers!
Welcome once again to The Weekend Digest, our weekly look at what’s going on around the Bay over the weekend:
Tonight, we’ll be checking out The Dodos and Black Fiction with Adem at Cafe du Nord. We’ve been singing the praises of The Dodos for a while now, and Black Fiction recently put on a great set at the SF Underground Showcase, so we’re excited to see them again.
Friday night presents three very compelling alternatives fighting for your attendance. On one hand, you have the Mesh Presents show we discussed yesterday, which finds the Rickshaw Stop hosting Hey Willpower, Rubies (who we included in this week’s mix show), and Casy & Brian. These three groups offer different takes on pop music with electronic elements and it promises to be a really fun time.
On the other hand, you could head to Oakland and check out Dreamdate’s CD release show with Harold Ray Live in Concert, Social Studies and The Traditional Fools at the Uptown. We just interviewed Dreamdate for a soon-to-be-released episode of The Bay Bridged and having been loving Come Here Now around the headquarters. It’s catchy as hell and some of the lyrics are just so heartbreaking; it’s a fantastic album and should be a great show too.
And on the other other hand, you could head to the Hemlock Tavern and catch the sophisticated pop of The Music Lovers with support from Michael Zapruder. Since we interviewed them a few months ago, The Music Lovers have been recording a new album, titled Masculin, Feminin, for release later this year. We included the record’s excellent title track in our episode and the band recently shot a music video for the song, directed by Margaret Cho. We were recently excited to hear that Michael Zapruder (found on our mix show here) is working on a new album as well.
On Saturday, last week’s featured band The Lovely Public is playing the closing night party for the Gray Area Gallery’s latest exhibition “Lonesome Lover”. The show also features a performance by The Lovers and is presented by our good friends at Pacific Noise.
Mesh Magazine Presents Hey Willpower, Rubies, et al. @ Rickshaw Stop on Friday
March 28, 2007
The hip intersection of Mesh and the Rickshaw Stop will once again bring the party this weekend with a trio of local electro pop headed by Hey Willpower, with Rubies and Casy and Brian. To top it off, rumor has it Rubies will be joined onstage for two songs by Erlend Øye from Kings of Convenience.
DJs Jenny Fake and Omar of Popscene will keep the dance floor moving all night long in between and after sets.
The show starts at 9pm, is $8 before 11pm ($10 after), 18+.
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From the MESH Press Release:
Hey Willpower returns to the stage having kept a low profile over the past several months, making this a highly, highly anticipated performance. Having toured with the likes of Le Tigre & Scissor Sisters, collaborated with Peaches and Annie and unabashedly declared their love of dance pop music, Hey Willpower knows how to turn the party out. Frontman Will Schwartz (Imperial Teen) is joined by Tomo (Tussle) and two masterful backup dancers who gel together to create an unforgettable show. Sorry JT, but Schwartz has been bringing sexy back for years.
Rubies was started by Simone Rubi of Call & Response, who has since been joined by Terri Loewenthal (also of Call Response) and Amy Cooper, who, as a solo artist has been blowing audiences down south since she moved to LA from San Francisco a couple years back. Together, they create smooth, poppy, danceable songs that soothe in a sweet, not saccharine manner. The band is defined by its beautiful harmonies over organic beats. Rubies is set to release its debut album this fall.
Openers Casy & Brian landed in San Francisco via Seattle where they were turning out house parties and clubs as Catbees with an intense drum and keyboard electro-thrash sound. Imputor Records is set to release the duo’s debut this summer, and they have steadily been gaining much notice in the Bay.
Episode 57: Monthly Local Mix for March 2007
March 27, 2007
Welcome back,
It’s been some time since our last Monthly Mix, our regular series of episodes where instead of featuring just one band, we turn the spotlight on sampling a number of the best bands in the Bay Area. This month, we’ve got songs from nine different bands, all from their upcoming or recently released albums.
Greg Ashley leads off our episode with “Fisher King”, an excellent song from his newest solo album Painted Garden, recently released on Birdman Records. Also known as the lead songwriter in Oakland’s The Gris Gris (who we included in our first mix show), Ashley is currently touring North America in support of the album, his first solo record in four years. You can download “Fisher King” here and swing by Birdman for tour dates and information on purchasing the album.
Rubies is a project from Simone Rubi, one of the founding members of local indie-poppers Call and Response. This project finds Rubi exploring electronic dance elements along with the strong pop melodies that have characterized her other band’s releases. While the full-length Rubies album won’t be released until later this year, you can catch the band at the Rickshaw Stop this Friday as part of the latest show presented by our friends at here for more info. Check out Rubies’ web site and MySpace page as well.
HIJK, formerly known as Hijack the Disco, is currently anticipating the release of their debut full-length, The Pen and the Letter, later this year. The song we’ve included, “Alibi”, comes from both the upcoming album and the promotional EP the band is circulating to whet fans’ appetites. You can hear more at HIJK’s web site and MySpace page, and our listeners in Portland and Spokane can catch them touring with our friends Love is Chemicals in early May.
Boy in the Bubble is the project of Oakland-based singer and songwriter Josh Seidenfeld. On his debut CD Songs from the City on the Sun, Seidenfeld, backed by Los Angeles’ Oliver Future, delivers some very fun and infectious rock music with strong glam elements. Check out the Boy in the Bubble web site and MySpace page here. You can pick up a copy of the album at CDBaby or on iTunes.
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Foxtail Somersault just released their new EP Fathom, the first track of which we’ve included in the episode. To hear more from the EP, head on over to Foxtail Somersault’s web site, where you can stream the entire album and purchase it as well. You can also hear more at their MySpace page. The band’s next show is this Thursday the 29th at the Oakland Metro, with fellow locals Minipop, Built for the Sea, and Excuses for Skipping.
We included Form and Fate on a past mix, and wanted to showcase the band’s intense instrumental rock again as the quintet awaits the release of their debut CD The Form and Fate of Lakes, which hits stores on April 10th and is already available on iTunes. For more information, head to the band’s web site and MySpace page. The band will be celebrating the release of their new CD on Wednesday, April 11th at Bottom of the Hill with fellow locals Zero Mass, We Be The Echo, and Aim Low Kid.
The Passionistas’s former drummer apparently described them as “lo-fi punkadelic”, and that’s probably just as good or better than any multi-hyphenated concoction we were going to invent to describe their distinct take on rock and roll. Their debut album, titled God’s Boat was produced by Kelley Stoltz and will be out in June on the New and Used Records record label run by Bay Bridged contributor Will Benham. The band will be playing next with Love is Chemicals and Spark and Decay at the Hemlock Tavern on April 11th and you can hear more at their MySpace page.
On their new CD The Way We Bend Oakland’s The Parish blend indie and country rock sounds to create a unique mixture that feels contemporary while referencing the best of classic rock music. You can pick up The Way We Bend on iTunes here. Find The Parish online at their web site and MySpace page. Their next live show is Friday, April 13th at the House of Shields with The Val Papadins, who we included in our last monthly mix.
The Union Trade recently released their debut EP Now the Swell on Tricycle Records. As you can hear in the song we’ve included, the band blends elements of shoegaze and post-rock into dense, melodic anthems. You can hear more from the band at their web site and MySpace page, and you can pick up Now the Swell at iTunes and Amazon. The Union Trade will be playing with The Dont’s on Wednesday night, in a show we previewed yesterday.
The Dont’s on Wednesday
March 26, 2007
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Click above to hear our feature episode on The Dont’s!
This Wednesday night, Bay Bridged alumni and dear friends The Dont’s bring their party-starting art-rock to the Elbo Room, with support from fellow locals If Nobody Knew and The Union Trade. Since being on our show in December, the band has received significant acclaim for their CD Inner El Camino, which is now available on iTunes as well as at local record stores and via the band’s web site.
The show starts at 9pm, is $6 and 21+.
The Weekend Digest: March 22nd-25th
March 22, 2007
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Click above to hear our Feature Show on Tartufi!
As another weekend approaches, there’s no shortage of great stuff going on around the Bay:
On Friday night, this week’s featured band The Lovely Public perform at the Edinburgh Castle with fellow locals Modular Set and Meho Plaza from Los Angeles. As they told us during the interview, the band is working on a bunch of new songs, and they’ve promised to play three or four new ones at Friday’s show. Plus, you can treat yourself to some quality fish and chips and a couple of pints at one of our favorite city bars. Find out all about the show in our profile of the band.
Tonight, our dear friends Social Studies (featured here) are performing at the Eagle Tavern, supporting Oakland’s Death of a Party and Black Ice. Headliners Black Ice, which features members of the defunct The Phantom Limbs, are celebrating the release of their new CD Myopia and after this show will embark on a European tour.
Saturday night presents two excellent shows to tempt you. At the El Rio, former The Bay Bridged Presents headliners and one of our favorite bands Tartufi celebrate the kickoff of their national tour which will see them playing shows all over the country in the next few months. Silian Rail and Swan Island (from Portland) open, the show starts at 9pm and is $7. If you haven’t already, you should listen to our chat with Tartufi here.
At the aforementioned Edinburgh Castle on Saturday night, Kitchen Sink Magazine presents Bittersweet 16, a party celebrating the publication of the final volume of the magazine and raising money to print an expanded last issue. It’s a great bill including former Bay Bridged featured band Pillows, and Mix Show veterans Michael Zapruder and Uni and her Ukelele, as well as Conspiracy of Beards and The Loyd Family Players. The event starts at 7pm with music starting at 9pm. It costs a $5 donation to Kitchen Sink, but a donation of $10 or more gets you a back issue of this fine publication.
Tonight: Scrabbel and Dreamdate at the Rickshaw Stop
March 21, 2007
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Click above to hear our feature episode on Scrabbel!
Tonight, the Rickshaw Stop hosts Directions in Sound: Notes from the Asian American Underground, a night of live music presented as part of the 25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, which started last week and runs in Bay Area theaters until March 25th. Tonight’s show features performances by two of our local favorites, Dreamdate and Scrabbel.
Oakland’s Dreamdate recently finished their debut full-length Come Over Now, out now on Chocolate Covered Records. Based on their The One I Need b/w D.A.N.C.E. Party 7″, the A-side of which we included on our November Monthly Mix, we’re super excited to hear the new album.
Additionally, we can’t say enough about good things about Scrabbel. Dan Lee was kind enough to invite us into his home during our infancy and 1909 remains one of our favorite albums around the HQ. You can hear that episode of The Bay Bridged above. According to the Scrabbel MySpace blog, Dan has been working on new songs in anticipation of a follow-up album. Whether there will be new songs tonight or not, the band always puts on a great live performance so you should definitely check them out.
Headlining the show is KIIIIIII from Tokyo, described as “Like the Olsen Twins, but Japanese on acid!”, which sounds pretty awesome and a little scary.
Doors are at 8pm and the show starts at 9. $10, 21+
Episode 56: The Lovely Public
March 20, 2007
After we interview a band, we like to ask them to recommend other Bay Area groups that we should check out. It’s safe to say that one of the groups mentioned most often by their peers is San Francisco’s The Lovely Public. In fact, they’ve been suggested to us twice since we interviewed them a couple weeks ago.
It’s immediately apparent why so many different bands are fans after hearing Burning Tape at the Mystery Dinner, the band’s debut full-length album, released last year. During our interview, the band members facetiously blamed their genre-defying sound on their short attention spans, but it’s clear that their mix of indie rock, punk, and experimental pop elements, among others, stems more from talent than boredom. Alternately hummable and rocking, challenging and catchy, this is an excellent album.
We sat down with Jason, Joe, Nacera and Chris at The Bay Bridged Headquarters a few weeks ago to talk about the album and to find out how the band is continuing to evolve. In this episode, you’ll hear three selections from Burning Tape at the Mystery Dinner as well an exclusive track titled “Urban Peasants.”
You can next catch them performing live this Friday:
Friday, March 23rd
Edinburgh Castle
w/ Modular Set and Meho Plaza
9:30pm, $5
Hear more music from The Lovely Public at their MySpace page and visit their web site here. You can purchase Burning Tape at the Mystery Dinner online at both Aquarius Records and CDBaby.
Thanks for listening! We’ll be back with another new podcast episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, we’ll continue bringing you daily local music news updates every Monday through Thursday.
The Bay Bridged @ SXSW!
March 19, 2007
As you know, for the last week The Bay Bridged has been out in Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Music Festival. This year we were able to catch over 40 bands, comedians, and performers over this four day event. We were also very fortunate to check out a few of the events with good friends and local SF musicians Sholi, Finest Dearest, and Nick from Love is Chemicals.
Early on in the festival we caught The Dodos at the Peacock Lounge for an early afternoon day show performance. Meric and Logan brought along some friends to sing some songs and definitely took the crowd with their guitar picking and intense drum sounds.
One of the events we were most looking forward to was the SF Underground Showacasethat we posted about last week. Complete with gift bags from Good Vibrations and copies of the SF Weekly, it was in many ways as if we hadn’t left the city. We arrived just as Thee More Shallows started their set that included a couple of great-sounding new songs off of their upcoming album that will be released by Anticon Records in the coming months.
San Francisco based Sugar and Gold played a fun set of disco-pop which was all the more appreciated when we were told that they had left San Francisco in their van right after their March 13th show to make it to Austin for this party. Black Fiction took the stage shortly afterwards and got our feet moving to their psych-pop mix of steady beats and falsetto vocals.
Capping the event was Bart Davenport performing solo on his acoustic guitar. As always, Davenport swooned the crowd with his great pop melodies and exuberant stage presence. This performance came only hours after he performed with Honeycut earlier that day (an apparent first) which was quite impressive.
Later in the festival we headed on over to the NY2LON party over at Habana Calle 6 to check out San Francisco’s Trainwreck Riders. Their intricate songwriting and country-rock-with-hints-of-punk sound got people dancing, which is a feat in and of itself at SXSW.
Even though we strictly focus on the Bay Area music scene here on the site, South by Southwest afforded us the opportunity to check out some of what’s going on in the rest of the indie music scene, both present and past. Now reunited, The Smoking Popes played Metro’s 25th Anniversary party over at Emo’s Main Stage, offering up a bunch of their punk-pop classics as well as a few new songs off their next album to be released later this year.
Austin’s own Ghostland Observatory blew the crowd away at the Playboy Rock the Rabbit SXSW Afterparty. This invite-only event also featured performances by Monsters are Waiting… and Illinois, and DJs Omar (Popscene SF) and Kele Okereke (Bloc Party) spinning in between sets. With wandering Playboy Bunnies, elaborate decorations, and free top-shelf booze and Stubb’s Bar-B-Que, this was one of the more surreal events we’ve ever had the pleasure of attending.
Well, we’re now back in the city, a little hung over and a little sore, but newly energized and excited about some new projects we’ll be unveiling in the coming months!
