New Site, New Artist
March 31, 2008
In classic Bay Bridged fashion, we are humorlessly forgoing any sort of April Fools’ Day prank to instead unveil our newly redesigned site, which we hope helps you navigate the variety of content we’ve got here. We’ve got fingers crossed that you won’t find any bugs, but if you do, please let us know. The new site is just one of a number of exciting developments we’ll be rolling out over the coming months, so stay tuned.
Another exciting change today is the rotation in of a banner from our new featured artist Juan Ruiz-Velasco Peral. As he states on his web site, Peral’s art draws from his dual passions for painting and architecture, resulting in:
Human faces in organic strokes mixed with architectural abstractions. The main theme in my paintings is the perception of the city, the sexuality and the introspection of the human being: The body and the soul and its relationship with the exterior.
We thank Juan for his terrific contribution and you can see more of his work here. You can check out all of our past featured artists here.
Jens Lekman and si, claro at Bottom of the Hill
March 31, 2008
An all ages crowd filled Bottom of the Hill Sunday night (3/23/2008) for a solo performance by Swedish sensation Jens Lekman. An informal poll taken by the opener indicated that a majority of attendees had, like myself, not been at Lekman’s performance the previous night at Bimbo’s. In any event, we were all in for a treat, as Jens sated the many faithful in attendance with a pitch-perfect set of songs mostly drawn from the excellent Night Falls Over Kortedala.
Accompanied only by his guitar, a bongo player and the occasional audio sample, the performance allowed the Swede’s crooning voice and wry lyrics to overwhelm the spotlight. It’s a voice so sweet that you wouldn’t exactly expect it from a man who might favorably be described as unassuming, and in a full band setting as well as on record, it’s easy simply to soak up the melody and lose the lyrics. One could almost feel the “ah-has!” as lyrical meanings–awkward situations, poignant moments–became clear in the stripped-down setting.
Beatbeat Whisper Siblings go Solo
March 31, 2008
Just as Beatbeat Whisper is gearing up for a CD release in mid-April, each of its members is also performing and recording on his or her own, while proving to all the rest of us that we’re extremely lazy.
This week, we get the treat of two shows packed with local talent, each featuring one of the brother-sister team - Ayla or Davyd Nereo. Their solo projects have evident differences and yet if you combined the two chemically, you would very easily concoct the sound they create together as Beatbeat Whisper.
On Tuesday Ayla sets the stage at El Rio for a great night of free music with Bird By Snow, Mountainhood and Wymond and His Spirit Children. Ayla’s music is along the same vein of Beatbeat Whisper, but with a lovely lilt that brings that feminine sensibility just slightly more to the forefront. With the pared down sound, her voice blossoms.
Thursday brings us Davyd’s project, That Blasted Hound, performing with Greg Ashley, Alas, alak, Alaska! and Toromiro at Amnesia for $7. This is his first show alone in quite a while, and he will be releasing his new project Tingling Arms and the Scars in the Fog. This show is also the CD release for Toromiro. That Blasted Hound has a more experimental sound, with the occasional drum beat and raw vocals that push the sound away from soothing folk and give it an almost grungy feel. It’s both familiar and new.
Catch the siblings solo this week, and then watch out for Beatbeat Whisper’s return as a duo on April 11 at Ghost Town Gallery with Or, The Whale and Mountain Bride.
The Bay Area Takeover Photos
March 30, 2008
We finally assembled all of our photos from The Bay Area Takeover at SxSW 2008 which The Bay Bridged co-presented with Tricycle Records and Three Ring Records. If photos aren’t enough for you, the outside stage was live webcast by Justin.tv - click here to watch the show!
We would like to thank everyone who made this party a huge success, especially the 15 bands, our local sponsors, and our amazing venue, The Beauty Bar. This was definitely the largest thing Ben and I have ever worked on (and did so with some amazing people), and we can’t wait until next year!
Weekend Picks: March 27th-30th
March 27, 2008
Thursday:
- Jim White (GA) and Greg Ashley (of The Gris Gris) at Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $20.
Click to Listen to our feature episode on Greg Ashley!
- Here Here, Musee Mechanique (Portland) and Winterbirds (w/ Lia Rose of Built for the Sea) at Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $8.
Click to listen to our feature episode on Here Here!
- Andy Tisdall, Squeeky Rice and Daddy Crimbo at Edinburgh Castle. 9:30pm, $5.
Friday:
- Boy in the Bubble and Oliver Future (LA) at Make-Out Room. 7:30-9:30pm, $7.
- Empty Rooms, Shiloe (LA) and The Otherside at Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $6.
Review: We Be the Echo @ BotH
March 26, 2008
Opening acts Planets and Headshear both enjoyed a decent turnout for a Wednesday night (3/12/08), but the crowd at the Bottom of the Hill thinned considerably as bedtime approached, leaving three-man headliner We Be The Echo to play in front of about 40 people.
[I used to have this Darth Vader piggybank, which was mostly worthless as a collector's item, a knock-off, but a lot fun nonetheless. Upon the introduction of coinage, Vader would raise up his lightsaber in robotic, if Pavlovian obedience to Great Commerce, turning exactly 45 degrees and clicking into place to declare: "Impressive. Most impressive. But you're not a Jedi yet!". . . .]
To their credit, We Be The Echo was not put off by the audience’s sleepy exodus. Their stuff is so tightly conceived that even when they’re not cooking up the numbers for a packed room, they still make their impression felt. Their chops-laden, all-instrumental songs–I liked “Debacle” and “Cosmic Cosby Penguin Dance”– forced intergalactic time-signature mayhem on the 40 of us who stuck around.
El Olio Wolof CD Release Friday at BOTH
March 26, 2008
Us Bay Area folk like to make fun of places like Bakersfield and Fresno - what we consider sweltering hot hell. That is, until a great band comes out of the depths. And with that somewhat unflattering but well-intentioned intro, we have Merced’s El Olio Wolof.
Search for El Olio Wolof on Google and you’ll come up with all kinds of raving reviews from local Fresno and Modesto papers who think they’re the bees knees. And not without substance - the band has a ‘relaxed and groovy’ sound, using some accordion, woodwinds and organ to spice up the already soothing starter.
Their myspace page says it well, actually: “…invoking majestic kingdoms where Shel Silverstein’s brand of playful poetics meets the ebb and flow of dusky indie rock.” Fronted by the somehow befittingly-named Radioactive Cauliflower (I really hope his real name is Bob), the band will be touring California in promotion of the new album until late April.
Their new album is entitled A Tedious Task, ironic when thought of in context to the act of listening to their music, which feels anything but tedious. It feels quite like the perfect use of time. Their songs weave stories as complex as fairy tale spells and as simple as apple trees growing from seed.
El Olio Wolof will play their CD Release show this Friday at Bottom of the Hill with Death Sentence: Panda!, Mute Socialite and Carla Bozulich’s Evangelista (LA). The show is at 9pm and will cost you $10.
Episode 107: March 2008
March 25, 2008
This week, we’re bringing you our latest monthly mix, featuring some great submissions we’ve received along with some new tracks from some old favorites:
Tommy Guerrero brings us a track from his eighth album Return of the Bastard, out now on Galaxia Records. Guerrero is celebrating ten years of releasing records with his latest work of instrumental rock, hip-hop and funk.
Longtime friends of The Bay Bridged, Finest Dearest (TBB Feature) are releasing their first full length album, a self-titled work, this month on Bloodtown Records. They’ll be celebrating the record’s release at the Bike Kitchen on April 5th.
