Tonight: Quarterstick artist Doug Paisley + 2 local folks
September 23, 2009
Tonight at the Rickshaw: Doug Paisley (Quarterstick Records), Goh Nakamura, Lesser Lights (8pm, $10)
28ts61699q.mp3
Doug Paisley – “Broken in Two”
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Goh Nakamura – “Hangman”
TheHarvestHalt2.mp3
Lesser Lights – “The Harvest Halt”
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September 2009: Port O’Brien
September 23, 2009
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to present the fourth installment of New, Improved, LIVE, our ongoing series of live studio sessions with top indie bands, recorded at the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland, California. This month’s session features Port O’Brien delivering exclusive recordings of songs from the band’s upcoming album Threadbare (out October 6th on TBD Records) as well as a terrific Beyonce Knowles cover.
With bandmates Cambria Goodwin and Ryan Stively away when this session was recorded, Van Pierszalowski and new bandmate Gram Lebron (ex-Rogue Wave) gathered some talented Bay Area musicians to deliver loose renditions of new Port O’Brien songs, as well as a spirited take on Beyonce’s “Halo”, which Van described as “one of my favorite songs since it came out” and something he’s always wanted to cover. This collection of tracks by what may have been a one-time-only ensemble have us very excited for Threadbare and help document the band’s continued evolution into one of indie rock’s most potent groups.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Port O’Brien
1. Port O’Brien – “Leap Year” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Leap Year
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. Port O’Brien – “Oslo Campfire” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Oslo Campfire
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. Port O’Brien – “Love Me Through” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Love Me Through
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. Port O’Brien – “Halo” (cover; originally by Beyonce Knowles on 2009′s I Am… Sasha Fierce)
Port O'Brien - Halo
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Videos
Interview with Van Pierszalowski
The Bay Bridged: Thanks for playing a New, Improved, Live session. How did you pick the songs to play during the session?
Van Pierszalowski: They were just songs that I felt we could all play on the fly. The group that played on these recordings is basically just a loose bunch of friends that has never played together, so we picked songs we could pick up fast. Cambria was up in Alaska working, Ryan was back east, and we just had to do something of the moment.
TBB: What do you think Port O’Brien fans will be most surprised about with Threadbare?
VP: I think they will be surprised at how different it sounds in general. The arrangements are much more diverse, Cambria sings a lot more, and there is more cohesion to the album.
TBB: Could you talk a little bit about Port O’Brien’s new touring members? How are they impacting the band’s sound?
VP: Well, we have a new guitarist in Gram Lebron (who is the only other member of Port O’Brien who played on these), who used to be in Rogue Wave. He’s been amazing, really taking care to pick things apart and really hone in on what benefits the song. Its been a joy working with him. He’s our Nels Cline. We also have a new drummer in Tyson Vogel, who also plays drums for Two Gallants. Its been amazing working with him as well. He’s a monster on drums, just eats them up. He has a really unique style that he applies to the songs, and I think both of the new players really changed the direction of the live show.
TBB: All We Could Do Was Sing was the band’s first studio album. Did you learn something in that experience that you wanted to differently or similarly on this go-around?
VP: We wanted to make more of an album this time, something that acts as one piece. It also really helped to have less people in the studio.. just Cambria, Ryan, and I were in the band at that point.
TBB: What inspired you to record with both Jason Quever and Aaron Espinoza? What did each of them bring to the recording process?
VP: I’ve always loved working with Jason. He is a great friend and an amazing producer. Aaron fell into place really easily, and we had a great time working with him as well. Both of them played active roles, more so than we had on the last album.
TBB: Could you talk a little about the cover you performed at the session? Why did you pick this song to play at New, Improved, Live?
VP: “Halo” has been one of my favorite songs since it came out and I’ve always wanted to cover it.
Studio Session Photos with Port O’Brien
Credits
Audio: Eli Crews, John Finkbeiner
Photos: Nicole Browner
Video: Nathan Fritz, Stephen Boyd, Brent Harnisch
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New, Improved, LIVE: Studio Session with Port O’Brien
September 23, 2009
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to present the fourth installment of New, Improved, LIVE, our ongoing series of live studio sessions with top indie bands, recorded at the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland, California. This month’s session features Port O’Brien delivering exclusive recordings of songs from the band’s upcoming album Threadbare (out October 6th on TBD Records) as well as a terrific Beyonce Knowles cover.
With bandmates Cambria Goodwin and Ryan Stively away when this session was recorded, Van Pierszalowski and new bandmate Gram Lebron (ex-Rogue Wave) gathered some talented Bay Area musicians to deliver loose renditions of new Port O’Brien songs, as well as a spirited take on Beyonce’s “Halo”, which Van described as “one of my favorite songs since it came out” and something he’s always wanted to cover. This collection of tracks by what may have been a one-time-only ensemble have us very excited for Threadbare and help document the band’s continued evolution into one of indie rock’s most potent groups.
For even more, check out videos and photos from the session and an interview with Van Pierszalowski at our New, Improved, LIVE page!
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Port O’Brien
1. Port O’Brien – “Leap Year” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Leap Year
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. Port O’Brien – “Oslo Campfire” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Oslo Campfire
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. Port O’Brien – “Love Me Through” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Love Me Through
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. Port O’Brien – “Halo” (cover; originally by Beyonce Knowles on 2009′s I Am… Sasha Fierce)
Port O'Brien - Halo
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
We’d like to thank Van and the band for the excellent session. Port O’Brien will be performing at Bottom of the Hill on Thursday, November 5th, and at the Brookdale Lodge on Saturday, November 7th.
We’ve got plenty of great performances scheduled to come in future months, and all of our past episodes, featuring Yoni Wolf (of Why?), Citay, and Deerhoof at thebaybridged.com/new-improved-live/. Acclaimed performers and a top notch studio means great free music that redefines the studio experience: New, Improved, LIVE.
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Treasure Island Treasure Hunt: Thursday, October 1st
September 22, 2009
To get into the Treasure Island experience, what could be more fun than a good old-fashioned (very old-fashioned) treasure hunt?
On Thursday, October 1st, The Bay Bridged and the Treasure Island Music Festival will be hosting a hunt through San Francisco’s Mission District for some terrific TIMF-themed prizes, including VIP passes, General Admission passes, gift packs and more for the winners! Twenty-five two-person teams will hunt through the Mission, following a treasure map to complete creative challenges. So find a partner, sign up now, and get ready for the Hunt!
The Details:
- Registered teams will check-in at Hotel Biron from 6pm to 7pm.
- The first clue will be given out at Hotel Biron at 6:30pm, which will send players into the Mission for the hunt.
- The Treasure Hunt will close at 9:30pm with a party at a Mission District bar!
- Be sure to bring a digital camera!
- Each stop will have two challenges that the team will participate in to gain points towards their score. The three teams who earn the highest amount of points will win!
- Dressing up in pirate-themed gear is strongly encouraged and will be judged for points and prizes!
- This isn’t a race for speed. It’s about creativity at the various stops, so don’t worry about being the fastest, just the cleverest.
How to Enter: Applications are NO longer being accepted.
- Send an email to treasure.hunt@thebaybridged.com with your name, your partner’s name, and contact e-mail addresses for both of you. Spaces are very limited, so please enter as soon as possible.
- We’ll send out a confirmation e-mail on Monday, September 28th to confirm that your team will be participating.
- Unfortunately, you must be at least 21 to participate in the Treasure Hunt.
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Wallpaper. (Podcast #182)
September 22, 2009
Stream the episode:
This week, our podcast features Oakland electro-R&B-pop duo Wallpaper., whose debut full length Doodoo Face, comes out today on Eenie Meenie Records. Like perhaps many, we stumbled onto the band via the song and video for “T. Rex”, off the 2008 EP of the same name. That track quickly became a favorite around the studio, as has every Wallpaper. song or remix we’ve heard since then, expertly mixing addictive melodies, layered sounds and rhythms. The music also has real sense of fun that make them expert live showmen, and when we hosted the band at the Bay Area Takeover at SXSW 2009, we were blown away.
Wallpaper. began as a solo project for Eric Frederic of Facing New York, who initially used it to experiment with electronic sounds. Over time, though, Wallpaper.’s sound has grown more focused and more organic, tapping into Frederic’s unironic love for R&B and giving birth to his alter ego Ricky Reed. Reed is the band’s lead singer, on-stage master of ceremonies, and the central character in many of the group’s songs. He’s also a clever way for Frederic to establish his own identity as the studio whiz. Reed may be the talented vocalist and funmaker, but it’s Eric whose the genius songwriter/producer behind it all.
We sat down with Eric at The Bay Bridged Studio to discuss the new album, working with Ricky Reed and more. We’ve also included four songs from Doodoo Face in the episode.
Upcoming Shows:
[More...]
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Hawnay Troof wants your videos
September 21, 2009
hawnaytroof_andi.mp3
Hawnay Troof – “And I”
Oakland’s Hawnay Troof wants you in his next video. “And I” is a catchy electro jam from the upcoming Daggers At The Moon (out October 22 on Retard Disco). Here’s the pitch:
Here’s the deal: go out and film yourself and your friends partying, breaking shit, going nuts, etc… WHATEVER you feel like doing, all to the song “And I.†Hawnay Troof will select the best footage and cut it to together to create the final montage masterpiece “And I†music video. Everyone whose footage is used will be credited. This first-ever Hawnay Troof fan video concept is keeping in the grand old “Community†tradition that the band has always stood for and continues in the same vein as last year’s “RMX Projections†competition.
Anyone who’s ever attended a Hawnay Troof show (if not, check this out: Flickr) knows what an amazing and communal experience they are. That’s what we want to recreate here!
Videos have to be submitted by October 22nd; details are here and here.
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Celebrate SF Punk in the Main Library
September 21, 2009
The SF Main Library‘s Jewett Gallery has a cool-sounding exhibition going on right now that celebrates the City’s late ’70s punk scene. According to the Library:
Punk Passage: San Francisco First Wave Punk features 45 black and white portraits and live music photographs of original punk innovators by the San Francisco-based photographer Ruby Ray. Working for the seminal punk magazine, Search and Destroy, Ray began chronicling the City’s punk scene in 1977.
Original punk rock ‘zines, flyers and posters from 1977 to 1981, along with additional articles and ephemera from the Library’s Art, Music and Recreation Center Collection and from the Little Magazine Collection, Book Arts & Special Collections, also will be on view, sharing the rich historical roots of punk rock from the center of the San Francisco artistic movement…
An additional display will be on view in the Main Library’s Lower Level Café, entitled Punk Penelope, featuring original artwork, albums and ephemera from the collection of Penelope Houston, singer/songwriter and founder of the punk rock band, The Avengers.
The exhibition continues through December 6th, with a number of upcoming special events:
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Bands for Books: a benefit show for Potrero library
September 21, 2009
It’s a generally accepted principle that band members are cool. And if generally accepted pop-culture principles are to be taken seriously, we must also admit that people in libraries are generally considered uncool.
05-Yuma.mp3
Birdmonster – “Yuma”
This weekend at Bottom of the Hill, the cool and un-cool will join forces to raise cash for the Potrero Hill Public Library which is currently closed for renovations. Cool band members of the mythical beasts of folk rock, Birdmonster and surf pop rocksters, A B and the Sea will be playing an afternoon benefit show on Saturday at 1:30pm.
01-suzie.mp3
AB & the Sea – “Suzie”
The suggested $20 donation will go towards the costs of the renovations. As someone who passes the library site every day on the way to the bus, I can tell you your money is needed.
