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Episode 68: Magic Bullets

June 12, 2007

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photo by jordan fraker

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This week, we feature Magic Bullets, a San Francisco sextet whose debut album a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love is one of the most exciting releases we’ve encountered this year. One listen to the record indicates why the group is climbing local radio charts–they excel at catchy and dynamic songwriting, as moody and melodic instrumentals intertwine with singer Philip Benson’s unique, emotive vocals.

Although the band’s debut, a CHILD… feels like a band coming into its own. Their sound neatly straddles the line between modern and classic, leaving critics to reference groups like The Walkmen, The Wedding Present and Gang of Four while the band avoids following any one group closely. In short, it’s a great record and an exciting start for this band.

We sat down with guitarists Corey Cunningham and Ryan Lynch to discuss the new record and learned that the band’s tight songwriting has been an evolving process. While Cunningham, Lynch, and singer Benson were formerly in a different band together called The Cosmos, the new line-up and new sound of Magic Bullets presented initial challenges, particularly for chief songwriter Cunningham. As he told us, the band has found its groove and are exicted about what’s to come. Along with the chat, we’ve also included four songs from their excellent debut album.

You can catch the guys at The Independent before they embark on a West Coast tour:

Friday, July 13th
The Independent
8pm, $12 (Purchase advance tickets here!)
w/ Chow Nasty, The Heavenly States, The Loyd Family Players, Beat Red

Head on over to Magic Bullets’s MySpace page to hear more and get all the tour dates, and you can find their web site here. a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love is released on Words on Music, where you can download “Heatstroke” and “Yesterday’s Seen Better Days” and see the band’s video for the latter song. You can purchase the album from Amazon.com or on iTunes.

Thanks for listening!

Comments

15 Responses to “Episode 68: Magic Bullets”

  1. Magic Bullets Update: Live, Live Album, Album at the bay bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on September 26th, 2007 11:08 am

    [...] to listen to our feature episode on Magic [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  2. Weekend Picks: November 9th-11th at The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on November 9th, 2007 11:55 am

    [...] to listen to our feature episode on Magic [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  3. Episode 96: Twelve from 2007 at The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on January 8th, 2008 11:28 am

    [...] Magic Bullets: Podcast episode/MySpace page/web [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  4. Weekend Picks: January 17th-20th at The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on January 17th, 2008 11:18 am

    [...] to listen to our feature episode on Magic [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  5. Noise Pop 2008: Thursday Night Picks at The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on February 27th, 2008 11:39 am

    [...] to listen to our feature episode on Magic [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  6. Noise Pop 2008: Magic Bullets, Human Giant, Voxhaul Broadcast at The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on March 5th, 2008 1:02 pm

    [...] or eighty stuck around for a great-but-short set from San Francisco’s Magic Bullets. As they told us in their interview, the band’s live set was noticeably more amplified than the jangly pop of their debut album. [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  7. Weekend Picks: April 3rd-6th : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on April 3rd, 2008 12:45 pm

    [...] to our feature episode on Magic [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  8. Live This Month: April 2008 : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on April 4th, 2008 9:11 am

    [...] and tourmates The Ruby Suns stop by Bottom of the Hill on Friday, April 4th. Magic Bullets (Feature Podcast) headline the [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  9. Live105’s BFD Hosts Local Stage : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on June 4th, 2008 9:16 am

    [...] All of these bands have made a name for themselves within and outside the local music scene in the past year or so, and The Bay Bridged has been covering many of them. Check out our podcast episode with LoveLikeFire, as well as some photos from a recent show of theirs at The Independent. Seven-member chamber pop group Here Here was recently featured on our podcast, and about a year ago we featured the Magic Bullets. [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  10. Weekend Picks: June 5th-8th : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on June 5th, 2008 8:54 am

    [...] The Phenomenauts, Love Like Fire (Feature Podcast), Here Here (Feature Podcast), Magic Bullets (Feature Podcast), Apside, The Hundred Days, The Federalists, The Action Design and more at Shoreline Amphitheatre. [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  11. Episode 121: Live This Month - July 2008 : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on July 7th, 2008 11:29 pm

    [...] indie pop band The June Brides. He’ll be joined by terrific Bay Area groups Magic Bullets (Feature Podcast) and The Mantles at the Rickshaw Stop on July [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  12. Weekend Picks: October 16th-19th : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on October 16th, 2008 3:27 pm

    [...] Olehole, Magic Bullets (Feature Podcast), Master Volume and Whiting Tennis (Seattle) at The Uptown. 9pm, [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  13. Episode 145: Live this Month - January 2009 : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on January 6th, 2009 7:14 am

    [...] Francisco’s Magic Bullets (”Yesterday’s Seen Better Days [Live]“) (Feature Podcast) have a new 12″ titled Lives for Romance out later this month. You can see them at Bottom of [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  14. Magic Bullets: Lives for Romance, 12″ Release Party : The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on January 7th, 2009 8:01 am

    [...] of a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love rejoice! Magic Bullets (Feature Podcast) are back with a new self-released 12″/digital EP featuring four great songs. With Lives for [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  15. Magic Bullets “Lying Around” on new 7″ : The Bay Bridged – San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music on April 29th, 2010 3:01 pm

    [...] last full-length release from Magic Bullets (feature podcast) may have been in 2007, and it may have featured a long tumultuous name (a CHILD but in life yet a [...]

    Recommend: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

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