Episode 87: Nyles Lannon
October 23, 2007
Stream the episode:
This week’s episode of our podcast features the music of San Francisco’s Nyles Lannon. You may have already come across Mr. Lannon through a number of avenues–his critically lauded 2004 solo release Chemical Friends, his work as a guitarist in the popular band Film School, his more experimental electronic recordings as nLn, or his new album Pressure, which came out last month on Badman Recording Co.
It’s by that last means that we first became aware of Nyles, and it’s quite an introduction to the man’s sound, a lush, beautiful mix of tunes that incorporate elements of dream pop, shoegaze, glam and psych rock, and more traditional singer-songwriter elements filtered through Lannon’s guitar and layers of synths and electronic effects. Despite the many layers in each of Lannon’s songs, they don’t feel cluttered, and there’s plenty of room for his quiet, melodic singing atop the instrumental backdrop.
To emphasize the music’s sophistication, though, should not be to ignore the lyrics. In a conversation we had with Lannon after the interview ended, he discussed the lyrical themes that wind through the album, themes of control, obsession, love and the mistakes that accompany each. Lannon emphasized that, in many ways, it’s a very San Francisco album, informed by specific local events–earthquakes, the assassination of Harvey Milk, and the corruption of 60s idealism. These images give a content and context to his lyrics that elevates them well beyond the realm of standard moody singer-songwriter mope.
In addition to our interview, we’ve included four songs from Pressure in this episode. You can catch Nyles Lannon live in San Francisco in a couple of weeks:
Saturday, November 3rd
Rickshaw Stop
with Minipop and Built for the Sea
8:30pm, $10 (purchase advance tix here)
You can hear more music and purchase Pressure at Badman Recording Co.’s web site and on iTunes. Be sure to visit Nyles Lannon’s web site and MySpace page for all of his latest show dates and other information.
Are you subscribed to the The Bay Bridged weekly podcast? Click here to get each new episode downloaded free to your iTunes the moment it is published. Or, get an e-mail notifying you when new ones are available by subscribing in the Feedburner box to the right.
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John Vanderslice at the Independent – Oct. 20th, 2007
October 22, 2007
We were fortunate enough to catch John Vanderslice this weekend over at The Independent and have some great photos for you to check out below.
This show marked the last stop on his month-long nationwide tour in support of his latest full-length release, Emerald City (which you can purchase here). Before heading off to Europe on tour in November and December, he will be guest DJing over at KUSF this Friday at 3pm.
Photos by: Muhammad Asranur
John Vanderslice
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Two Gallants’ two nights at The Independent
October 22, 2007
Hometown heroes Two Gallants complete their North American tour with two nights headlining at The Independent this Friday and Saturday night. The venue’s quite a long way from their beginnings playing in BART stations, an experience which their friends Trainwreck Riders touched upon in last week’s podcast episode.
Two Gallants’ recent cross-country exploits have been in support of the band’s latest album, a self-titled release which came out late last month on Saddle Creek. The record has been receiving favorable reviews, a sampling of which you can find here and here. There’s no rest for the wicked, though, as beginning on the first of November, the band begins a 45-day European tour. You can find all of the dates and hear somemusic from Two Gallants at their MySpace page and web site.
The Friday and Saturday shows start at 9pm and are $16. Portland’s Blitzen Trapper and Oakland’s Songs for Moms, both of whom joined Two Gallants on the recent tour, open.
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Weekend Picks: October 18th-21st
October 18, 2007
Thursday
- Vibraphone Records‘ launch party at the Rickshaw Stop, with Foxtail Somersault, Astral, Tomihira, Halcyon High and Direction. 8pm, $8.
Click to listen to our feature episode on Halcyon High!
Friday
- The Old-Fashioned Way at the Hemlock Tavern, with The Parson Red Heads and Acute. 9:30pm, $7.
- Peloton at the Rockit Room, with Plasticade, Good People and The Brink. 9pm, $8.
Click to listen to our feature episode on Peloton!
Saturday
- John Vanderslice at The Independent, with Bishop Allen. 9pm, $14.
- The Ian Fays and Love is Chemicals at House of Shields. 10pm, $5.
Click to listen to our feature episode on The Ian Fays!
Click to listen to our feature episode on Love is Chemicals!
- John Lindenbaum (The Lonelyhearts) and Miguel Zelaya (The Harbours, The 383s), at Park Life, with Matt Tritto. 9pm, FREE.
Sunday
- Chuck Prophet‘s CD release party at the Make-Out Room, with DJ Kelley Stoltz, burlesque dancers and Sonny Smith. 7pm, $10.
- Trainwreck Riders at Cafe du Nord, with Grayceon and Ovens. 8pm, FREE.
Click to listen to our feature episode on Trainwreck Riders!
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Vibraphone Records’ Launch Party
October 17, 2007
Since the beginnings of The Bay Bridged, we’ve been impressed with the wealth of bands creating original, forward-thinking music in the shoegaze and dream-pop genres. Launched earlier this year, Vibraphone Records is a San Francisco label committed to spotlighting some of the best bands in those spheres, releasing Foxtail Somersault‘s Fathom EP earlier this year. Thursday night at the Rickshaw Stop, the label celebrates its official launch with a night of music doubling as a release party for new CDs from label artists Astral and Halcyon High.
For Astral, it’s the band’s second full length CD titled Sleepwalker. For Halcyon High, it’s the project’s first official CD, To Be Infinite. You can head over to the HH web site to see videos for all of the CD’s songs. The show is also the last local HH performance for a while, as sole band member Roger Anderson is soon moving to Portland.
Roger’s move also means that he’s giving up Cool Waves, a web site that has served as an excellent resource spotlightling local indie rock, shoegaze, and post-rock groups. If anyone’s interested in taking that site over, head over there and let Roger know.
Thursday night’s show features performances by the three above-mentioned bands, labelmate Tomihira and Direction. The show starts at 8pm and is $8.
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Reminder: SF Weekly Music Awards this Thursday (and the show’s free!)
October 17, 2007
As a reminder, the SF Weekly Music Awards are this Thursday at Ruby Skye. The show starts at 7pm and it’s free before 9pm if you RSVP at Going.com. We’re also pleased to announce that The Bay Bridged will be presenting the award for the Bay Area’s best artist in the Alt-Country/Folk/ Singer-Songwriter category at the show! So come join us for a night celebrating the best in Bay Area music as voted by the fans!
Before the show, check out the full list of nominees. Thursday’s show also features performances by Kelley Stoltz and Honeycut among other local groups, so RSVP today!
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Episode 86: Trainwreck Riders
October 16, 2007
Stream the episode:
This week we bring you the music of Trainwreck Riders, a San Francisco band blending elements of country, rock and punk into a tight melodic rock and roll sound. The three primary Riders, brothers Andrew and Steve Kerwin and Pete Frauenfelder, met in high school, bonding over a shared love of the Meat Puppets and country and classic rock. Over the past eight years, they’ve grown from playing house parties and basement shows to touring nationally with friends Two Gallants and appearing at the Treasure Island Music Festival.
When you see them live, as we first did several months ago, you’ll understand why this band is receiving well-deserved attention. Without taking anything away from their recorded output, Trainwreck Riders’ songs thrive when you see the band up close, as Andrew’s finger picking and Steve’s drumming can reach a frenetic pace during some of the band’s rocking uptempo numbers, while Pete sings stories with an engaging melodic lyricism. While a drunk driver derailed the band’s last tour, they’re currently working on a new album and have plans to tour extensively behind it.
We sat down with Pete and Steve last week, discussing the band’s origins and musical influences as well as their touring experiences and thoughts about San Francisco as city natives. We’ve also included four songs from the band’s two albums–last year’s Lonely Road Revival and 2005′s Where The Neon Turns To Wood.
The Riders have two upcoming shows, including a free one this weekend!
Sunday, October 21st
Cafe du Nord
with Grayceon and Ovens
8pm, FREE, 21+
Friday, November 9th
Rickshaw Stop
with American Music Club and Sonny Smith
8:30pm, $10 (advance tix here)
For more information about Trainwreck Riders and to hear more music, visit the band’s web site and MySpace page. You can purchase Lonely Road Revival from Alive Records. The band also did a Daytrotter session earlier this year that’s well worth checking out.
Are you subscribed to the The Bay Bridged weekly podcast? Click here to get each new episode downloaded free to your iTunes the moment it is published. Or, get an e-mail notifying you when new ones are available by subscribing in the Feedburner box to the right.
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John Vanderslice Returns Home & Ticket Giveaway!
October 15, 2007
Saturday night marks the return of local music icon, John Vanderslice, back home after a month-long tour around the country supporting his sixth full length album, Emerald City, which was released this summer on Barsuk Records. This latest release was mostly written while Vanderslice was dealing with legal issues surrounding his girlfriend’s visa application and its eventual rejection by US Immigration. It showcases his unique storytelling and lyrical skills as well as his complex blending of guitars, synths, and drums to create an album wrought with the complexities of love and frustration over a system where opposition can be dangerous.
Interestingly, before his national tour, Vanderslice toured the Internet, stopping at nine of the best music blogs around the country. Coined the Emerald City Live at Tiny Telephone Blog Tour, each stop showcased a live video performance of each of the songs off of Emerald City. You can find links to each of the stops on JV’s website as well as a link to stream the entire album on your computer.
Although we were not an official stop on his online tour, The Bay Bridged can help you check out John Vanderslice and Bishop Allen live at The Independent this Saturday! We are thrilled to announce that JV has given us TWO pairs of tickets to giveaway for our readers!
All you need to do is shoot an E-mail to contest[at]thebaybridged.com by Thursday (10/18) at noon. We will pick two entries randomly and announce the winner on Friday.
Saturday’s show is at 9pm, is $14 and is 21+. In case you’re not feeling lucky or want to buy tickets for a friend, they can be purchased online ahead of time.
