Makeing Tents (and then playing music in them)
January 13, 2010
I hadn’t heard of the genre “electro wilderness” before SF’s Makeing Tents, but I didn’t believe that their live shows would actually be performed inside tents either. The songs on the band’s MySpace page really bring out the electronic elements (warped vocals and synth lines), but there’s a real charm to the acoustic folk in these live clips too. And I say that as someone with a reflexive prejudice against anything that might have a hint of performance art to it.
Makeing Tents – “Rows and Boxes”
The band will be at El Rio tonight, January 13th, at Rooz Cafe in Oakland on January 16th, and at the Hemlock Tavern on January 28th.
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Ticket Giveaway Wednesday: Asobi Seksu & Black Lips
January 13, 2010
Sunday, January 17th – Asobi Seksu (acoustic) and Beatbeat Whisper @ Swedish American Hall
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Beatbeat Whisper – “Up the Long Tracks” (Daytrotter Session)
To enter send an E-mail to contest@thebaybridged.com with your full name and the phrase “I want to see Asobi Seksu!” in the subject line. The FOURTH person to enter will win a pair of tickets to the show.
Doors are at 6:30pm, $15, all ages. Buy advance tickets here.
Thursday, January 21st – Black Lips, Nobunny, Personal & the Pizzas @ Great American Music Hall
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Nobunny – “Boneyard”
To enter send an E-mail to contest@thebaybridged.com with your full name and the phrase “I want to see Black Lips” in the subject line. The EIGHTH person to enter will win a pair of tickets to the show.
Doors are at 8:00pm, $15, all ages (6+). Advance tickets can be purchased here.
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Ty Segall, Ganglians, Thee Oh Sees, Mayyors @ The Eagle Tavern Thursday
January 13, 2010
In what promises to be the loudest thing happening on Thursday night, Ty Segall is playing a show with some of SF and Sacto’s best known punk rockers. His latest album Lemons (Goner records) has been garnering rave reviews, (even an end of year pick by the OCMD, and if you want to catch the madness it’s all going down at the Eagle Tavern. (9pm, $7, 21+)
Supporting will be Thee Oh Sees (who’s frontman John Dwyer produced Segall’s previous self-titled effort on Castle Face Records), The Ganglians and Mayyors (Sacramento).
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Thee Oh Sees – “Ruby Go Home”
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Ganglians-Lost_Words_128
The Bay Bridged’s readers may remember the Ganglians coming through recently with indie “it” band Wavves — you can read our show recap here.
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Tonight: Spencey Dude & the Doodles 7″ release
January 12, 2010
Maybe you haven’t heard of the good-time trio Spencer Dude & The Doodles, but with a name like that, how will you forget it?
Their infrequency of live shows is because the Doodles are just being too busy with other things, like practicing their accents and coming to a consensus on their top “babes.” Spencer claims that “me and Oscar both have softspots for early 90s Lookout Records bands, and me and Anna share a love of Miley Cyrus and Beyonce.” Tuesday at the Hemlock, they’ll unite to celebrate the release of their debut 7″, an 4-song indication of their shared love of pop.
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Spencey Dude & the Doodles – “Flirting”
In the few years under this moniker, Spencer has had a revolving cast of musicians, some shared with Gris Gris, Rock n Roll Adventure Kids, Dreamdate, and at one point of time The Dodos’ Logan Kroeber — hence the invite to open the pre-Outside Lands Rickshaw show last September. This was my first exposure to the three-piece, without any pretense. But one thing was pretty obvious: that a simple delivery of topics like girls, having a good time and life’s pleasurable basics is what the Doodles do best. The Flirting 7″ does just that, say the flattering online reviews so far. It was recorded in Oakland with Greg Ashley and is released by Atlanta/NYC label Rob’s House (Hunx & His Punx, Black Lips, Personal and the Pizzas).
Spencey Dude & The Doodles will be playing a 7″ release show at the Hemlock tomorrow night with Shannon and the Clams, and The Splinters at 9pm for the low price of $6.
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Sonny and the Sunsets (Podcast #196)
January 12, 2010
Stream the episode:
Our first band-profiling podcast of 2010 features San Francisco’s Sonny and the Sunsets, led by longtime local musician Sonny Smith. The band’s first full length, Tomorrow is Alright, came out last year on LP on Soft Abuse/Secret Seven Records; in February, Soft Abuse will release it on CD as well. Inspired as much by early rock and roll as by anything that’s been released since, Tomorrow is Alright‘s lean, catchy songs provide plenty of space for Sonny’s clever lyrics and goofy wit. Smith’s long been championed by some of the Bay Area’s best musicians; one hopes that the Sunsets will bring him additional well-deserved recognition.
We sat down with Sonny and the band in December, discussing the origins of the first album, Sonny’s relationship with his bandmates, and some ambitious new projects. We’ve also included four great songs from Tomorrow is Alright in the episode (“Too Young to Burn”, “Death Cream”, “Stranded” and “Love Among Social Animals”).
Upcoming Shows:
After the January show, Sonny and the Sunsets have a few Pacific Northwest dates. Head to their MySpace page for all of their upcoming shows.
Monday, January 18th
Cafe Du Nord
with The Yummy Fur and The Mantles
9pm, $10, 21+
Friday, February 26th
Cafe Du Nord (Noise Pop 2010)
with The Mumlers, The Growlers and The Ferocious Few
8pm, $12/14, 21+
Links:
- Visit the band on MySpace and on Sonny’s web site.
- Purchase Tomorrow is Alright from Soft Abuse and on iTunes. The Broom and Dustpan 7″ is available from HomeSkillet Records.
- Check out a video for “Strange Love” on YouTube.
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A Decent Animal, Honey @ The Rickshaw Wednesday
January 12, 2010
The name Honey is buzzing like its namesake’s creator in these parts — in December, they took the Rickshaw by surprise opening for Adam Stephens, and a month later they’re invited back again to open for A Decent Animal and Billy & Dolly (8pm, $10).
But who exactly is this band? Young, with barely 10 shows under their belt and merely computer demos, the 7 ladies and men handle charismatic psych-pop numbers with collective effort. From their point of view, Honey’s Moses Montalvo claims the songs are “pop rock’n'roll walls of sound…with emphasis on the rock’n'roll.”
We look forward to hearing more recordings — all that’s been promised so far are two songs in a studio later this month that Honey intends on shopping around for a 7″ release.
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Honey – “Tree’s Sun”
Wednesday’s headliners A Decent Animal are relatively new to the neighborhood (moving out from Charlestown, NC a year ago). They’ve settled in to the area quite well, first opening for Band of Horses at the Fox last fall, and now by completing an album in Tiny Telephone Studios with Jay Pellicci to be out this spring.
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A Decent Animal – “Western World”
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The Morning Benders offer “Promises”
January 11, 2010
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The Morning Benders – “Promises”
Head over to TheMorningBenders.com this morning where, for the price of an e-mail, you can download “Promises”, the first new song from the band’s forthcoming Rough Trade album Big Echo (out March 9th). If this one’s any indication, this album will be a monster, maintaining the band’s pop gifts while charting new, ambitious sonic depths. “Promises” will also be on a limited Rough Trade/True Panther Sounds 7″ out on February 23rd.
The Benders will be at The Independent on March 30th as part of their upcoming nationwide tour.
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The Ferocious Few, MonBon, Can’t Find a Villain @ Elbo Room, 1/6
January 11, 2010
Humpday came and went, but the Elbo Room was full of great music Wednesday as people enjoyed a mild winter night in the Mission District with The Ferocious Few, MonBon, and Can’t Find a Villain. The Ferocious Few played an early set, demonstrating in the process why these guys are consistently one of the most impressive bands on the local circuit. They seem to be moving in a more bluesy direction as of late, letting Francisco’s vocal talents and Daniel’s amazing drum skills take a more prominent role. With stage presence and songwriting firing on all cylinders, I expect that they’ll make an impact at South by Southwest in March.
The Ferocious Few – New Song (Live at the Elbo Room, 1/6)
Fans of Cat Power would do well to take heed of young songstress MonBon. This girl is a diamond in the rough, whose stripped down delivery lets it all hang out. While she is still a very new talent (she doesn’t even have a MySpace page), her set of covers and originals showcased a unique sense of style and delivery. MonBon’s powerful voice and guitar work only lapsed briefly as she played a few songs that seemed new to her. On the set’s standout, a cover of “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra, none of that seemed to matter, as she held the audience at a standstill with her stellar reinterpretation of the classic song.
