Free @ the Uptown Fri: Man/Miracle, Grand Lake + more
December 14, 2009
This Friday at Oakland’s Uptown, a free local showcase will celebrate the theme “A Christmas Miracle,” starring Man/Miracle, Grand Lake, Sparrows Gate (San Luis Obispo) and Pancho San (9pm).
Pancho-san is the freshly spawned collaboration between a variety of Bay Areans including Eli Crews, the head engineer of New Improved Recording in Oakland and the host of our New Improved LIVE sessions. Their first album Oh Mellow Melody enlists the help of members of Beulah, Grand Lake, Port O’Brien, Rogue Wave, and Sonya Cotton.
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Man/Miracle – “Hot Sprawl”
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Video: Or, the Whale – “Rusty Gold”
December 14, 2009
Rusty Gold from michael jeter on Vimeo.
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Or, the Whale – “Rusty Gold”
Here’s a new, NSFW video from Or, the Whale, who will be playing at the Great American Music Hall on Saturday, December 19th.
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Media Monday: Moon Duo, White Cloud, Thee Oh Sees
December 14, 2009
The latest local signing to Woodsist is Moon Duo, composed of Sanae Yamada and Erik Johnson (Wooden Shjips). After releasing a single and EP earlier this year, the band’s set to release Escape on February 16th.
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Moon Duo – “Stumbling 22nd St” (from Escape)
White Cloud recently posted Eternal Pyramid at their Bandcamp page, where you can download it for free.
Finally, Thee Oh Sees did a Daytrotter session recently. Head there to check out an unreleased song titled “Mega Feast” as well as some tracks originally from Help.
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Shredification: Best Metal Albums of 2009
December 13, 2009
Merry Rotting Christmas, ladies and gentleman, and welcome to the year-end installment of this column. Though other, more industrious writers have cast their vision back across the decade to craft comprehensive lists of goodness, spanning all ten years, this morsel of prose will focus solely on the dying year.
Some of 2009′s best offerings have already been profiled in my two previous columns, so spots are reserved in my top ten for Baroness’ Blue Album , Shrinebuilder’s self-titled release, and Gama Bomb’s Tales from the Grave in Space. The seven discs to follow round out a ten-spot of metal mastery.
Mastodon – Crack the Skye (Reprise Records)
These endlessly talented Atlanta-based progonauts show no sign of slowing down, and in 2009 they produced their most inventive and ambitious album yet while cementing their status as the country’s best heavy band. Crack the Skye features seven mind-expanding tracks, weaving together epic leads and inventive drumming with a newly perfected three-vocalist attack.
Ensiferum – From Afar (Spinefarm Records)
Five Finns who straddle the line between thrash, folk, death, and power metal, Ensiferum are the masters of the folk-inflected warrior anthem. Fearless songwriting, careful arrangements, and an arsenal of monster choruses make this the album that is sure to make the band a consistent headliner Stateside.
Saviours – Accelerated Living (Kemado Records)
The Bay Area native sons showed a newfound potency with this release, which features a solid stoner band transformed into a Motorhead-catalyzed NWOBHM monster with enough face-melting, toe-tapping riffs to fry 500 cabs. Winners of the San Francisco Bay Guardian’s yearly arts award (the Goldie – more about Saviours by yours truly here), the quartet will be poised on the brink of widespread acclaim if they keep kicking out such quality jams.
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John Vanderslice reissues four albums on vinyl
December 12, 2009
John Vanderslice – “Exodus Damage”
How have we not mentioned this yet? John Vanderslice has reissued four of his uniformly excellent albums — Pixel Revolt, Cellar Door, Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, and Time Travel Is Lonely — on vinyl, courtesy of Afternoon Records. If you’re a fan of JV’s recent releases, you owe it to yourself to check out these equally crucial albums.
Speaking nostalgically, Fourtracker was my first introduction to Vanderslice’s work, with highlights including “Nikki Oh Nikki,” which features lyrics penned by The Mountain Goats‘ John Darnielle and harmonies by Kori Gardner from Mates of State:
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John Vanderslice – “Nikki Oh Nikki”
Currently you can stream all of the releases over at Spinner. JV’s next SF show is February 26th at the Swedish American Hall as part of Noise Pop 2010.
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TBB Premiere: Sugar & Gold – “Xmas In Yr Neighborhood”
December 11, 2009
Back when I thought I knew everything, I was convinced that nothing was worse than Christmas music. In the years since, I’ve learned that all holiday-themed music isn’t horrible, only most of it, so it was with a little trepidation that I listened to local electro-disco-rock band Sugar & Gold‘s new holiday song “Xmas In Yr Neighborhood”. Thankfully, as I’ve come to expect from the band, the song is funky and fun, and very much the opposite of horrible. Enjoy with spiked cider!
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Sugar & Gold – “Xmas In Yr Neighborhood”
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Noise Pop 2010: Ticket Giveaway – Four Tet, Wallpaper/Limousines
December 11, 2009
As we announced a few days ago, the initial line-up for Noise Pop 2010 has been announced. Although badges went on sale Wednesday, single show tickets don’t go on sale until tomorrow at noon. However, we have a pair of tickets for two shows happening during the festival on Friday, February 26th for some lucky readers.
Four Tet with Nathan Fake @ The Independent
Four Tet - Love Cry
Four Tet – “Love Cry”
The show is at 8pm, $16 adv/$18 door and is 21+.
Wallpaper/The Limousines @ Slim’s
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Wallpaper. – “I Got Soul, I’m So Wasted”
The show is at 8pm, $14, and is all ages.
To enter: answer the question “What is your favorite Noise Pop memory?” and send your response to contest@thebaybridged.com with your full name and the preference of which show you would like to attend. Entries will be collected through Thursday, December 17th and the best responses will be published and the winners notified on Friday, December 18th.
All individual show tickets go on sale Saturday, December 12th at noon; festival badges are currently on sale. Head to the Noise Pop web site for links and information on how to purchase.
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Adam Stephens, Two Sheds, Honey @ The Rickshaw Wed
December 11, 2009
In their first local show since performing at our Regional Bias event, Adam Stephens and his band The Finite Plain take the stage at the Rickshaw Stop next Wednesday. The Two Gallants singer-songwriter headed down to LA in the Fall to begin recording with producer Joe Chiccarelli (My Morning Jacket, The Shins, White Stripes). His debut solo album’s nearly done and should see release in 2010.
Also playing Wednesday are Two Sheds (SF/Sacramento) and local act Honey. (8pm, $10). Tickets are for sale online.
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Two Sheds – “To Be Alive”
This is the first time the name Honey has come across our desk, but the tracks online sound great. They’re coming to the Rickshaw twice in the near future; the second show is January 13 with A Decent Animal and Billy and Dolly.
