Sade Sundays: Auditory Diaries from Venus – Volume 18
February 21, 2010
What conceited person hasn’t thought of the inherent interest in his or hers personal “audio diary”? I know I have. As I clacked my skee balls together for luck only to roll another 10 at the Buckshot Bar in the Inner Richmond, I felt quite satisfied and enamored with my company from Josh’s giggling confirmation. Audio diary this Bay Bridged!
In my quiet moments before bed I know that these are not truths and that my life is a shallow and narrow existence that holds little interest for friends and almost zero for an at-large listening public. Ah, but as Duncan Cameron (aka Dolphins into the Future aka Lieven Martens of Belgium) teaches us, all you really need is a good title. Martens calls his audio diary A Horseback Ride to the Temple of Montu, which clearly shows that he gets this.
A C20 (a twenty minute cassette for the uninitiated) out on tanzprocesz, A Horseback Ride… is a very literal bird-chirping, hoof clip-clopping listen. Augmented by synthesized glyphs and phantoms, it’s quite effecting for someone who is into books on tape with sound effects. So my search for a good title to impress all with an unimpressive life is at hand.
“True history seeks, it does not answer,” writes Nick Tosches in his enigmatic study of the black-faced minstrel man Emmett Miller, Where Dead Voices Gather. “For the deeper we seek, the deeper we descend from knowledge to mystery, which is the only place where wisdom abides.”
I’m New Here, the first album by Gil Scott-Heron in 16 years, is a combination of pre-hipster spoken word and post-hipster auto tune rap samples. It screams authenticity and has a stench of dubious wisdom through experience similar to Johnny Cash’s American recordings. In all ways, it is a good record, enjoyable, informative and short, but perhaps I’m getting a better sense of American history from Miller and Tosches.
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Gil Scott-Heron – “New York is Killing Me”
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Sade Sundays: Auditory Diaries from Neptune – Volume 53
February 21, 2010
I’ve considered uninstalling our doorbell after Mike exploited it upon his arrival. When the upstairs neighbor was kind enough to let him in (I imagine he rang both apts. A & B simultaneously), he sprinted past her up the stairwell and then past me into my apartment where I followed closely. Straight to the refrigerator for a beer, to the cutting board for a lime. As he tilted the bottle ceilingward, its contents roaring down his parched gullet, I carefully wrapped the knife he used to cut the lime in cardboard; inexplicably, he had somehow managed to break it while carving the soft fruit. After a holiday hiatus, Sade Sundays 2010 was officially underway.
I studied Mike’s movements closely as we listened to Die Antwoord’s debut album $0$. They are, as far as I’m concerned, three aliens gallivanting as a Rap-Rave crew from Cape Town, South Africa. I say aliens because only intergalactic beings are capable of making music like this. While Mike finds creatures from outer space and conspiracy theories intriguing, he usually avoids music faster than 43bpms. Behold! An exception to his Duncan Cameronian leanings. It was the way he pursed his lips and nodded his head to the beat that led me to believe we were experiencing something truly special; like a UFO landing at the foot of your bed. Greetings, Earthling.
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Pete Bernhard (DM3), Jake Mann, Leopold @ Cafe du Nord 2/21
February 19, 2010
Where the Devil Makes Three make hyper-driven, fingerpickin’ country, frontman Pete Bernhard‘s solo music treads a little differently. Lighter orchestral qualities mix with Bernhard’s traditional ragtime style, coming together to create an endearing mix of classic Americana. His second record, Straight Line, is out now via Milan Records.
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Pete Bernhard – “Warning”
Spending most of the past couple of years touring with DM3, Bernhard is set to play Cafe du Nord this Sunday, February 21st (8 pm, $10, 21+). Opening the show will be local favorites Leopold and His Fiction and Jake Mann and the Upper Hand.
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Grass Widow signs to Kill Rock Stars
February 19, 2010
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Grass Widow – “Tattoo”
As it turns out, the Thao with The Get Down Stay Down/Thermals show last month actually featured three Kill Rock Stars-signed bands, not two. In addition to the co-headliners, Grass Widow has been signed to release an album on the Olympia/Portland label, also home to Bay Area greats Deerhoof. The label fondly attributes the newest acquisition to an “early hot tip from [their] then intern Aubrey Hornor.” At this moment, the three ladies are finishing up the album at Mississippi Records in Portland with Alex Yusimov, to be released August 24.
Grass Widow has an exciting itinerary once home from Portland, including a Noise Pop show with P.E.E. and True Widow, and a trip to Austin for several SXSW shows. See the full list on their website.
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Noise Pop 2010 Preview: The Film of Noise Pop
February 18, 2010
Always tagging lightly along with the overwhelming musical side of the festival, the film side of Noise Pop appears modest in comparison. However, the choice and caliber of Noise Pop film is not to be underestimated.
The intricately-curated lineup pulls from the most recent and innovative of music-related film projects, representing another angle of creativity in Noise Pop’s efforts to pioneer the underground scene.
This year’s film lineup will be screened at the Roxie, Viz Cinema, Artists’ Television Access and the Mezzanine from February 24th – 28th. Read about the films in full and purchase tickets on the Noise Pop Film site.
Wednesday, February 24th:
“Echotone“, Roxie Theater, 7 pm, $10
“P-Star Rising“, Roxie Theater, 9:15 pm, $10
Thursday, February 25th:
Noise Pop Film Reception, Viz Cinema, 5:30 – 7:15 pm (meet some of the film directors and producers + free drinks)
“Blood Into Wine“, Viz Cinema, 7:30 pm, $10
“The Heart is a Drum Machine“, Viz Cinema, 9:30 pm, $10
Friday, February 26th:
“Blood Into Wine“, ATA, 7:00 pm, $10
“Downtown Calling“, ATA, 9:00 pm, $10
Saturday, February 27th:
“Unusual Heroes: John Darnielle and Lou Barlow”, ATA, 2 pm, $10
“Woodstock: Now & Then“, ATA, 4 pm, $10
Sunday, February 28th:
“The Secret to a Happy Ending”, ATA, 2 pm, $10
“All My Friends Are Funeral Singers“, ATA, 4:15 pm, $10
“SF360 Film + Club: A Sneak Preview of a Film About Stephen Merritt and the Magnetic Fields“, Mezzanine, 8 pm, $15, 21+
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Boy In The Bubble: New Album and Release Show
February 18, 2010
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Boy In the Bubble – “In The Company Town”
Oakland’s Boy In The Bubble celebrate the release of The King this Friday night (9pm, $10, 21+) with a release show at Bottom of the Hill. BITB leader Josh Seidenfeld wrote the album while participating in an artists’ residency program in upstate New York. Composing thirty songs in a one month period, his band’s twelve favorite tracks now constitute The King.
Like on the band’s previous album, Songs from the City on the Sun, the new record explores rock and pop in a myriad of different styles and feels. Befitting that multi-directional approach, Seidenfeld was joined by a dozen musicians in the album’s creation, including members of Oliver Future, Ben Harper’s Relentless 7, and Salt & Samovar.
Birdmonster, Girl Band and Here Come The Saviors round out Friday’s all-local lineup.
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Weekend Mix: 2/18-21
February 18, 2010
Thursday: Rykarda Parasol, Chambers, Summer Blonde @ Hemlock Tavern (9pm, $8)
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Man/Miracle, Jesus And The Rabbits, The David Luning Band, The Riot Professor, Phil Lang @ Zughaus Gallery (1306 3rd Street, Berkeley)
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Man/Miracle – “Hot Sprawl”
Saturday: Nodzzz for EpiscoDisco Party @ Grace Cathedral (1055 Taylor St, 7pm)
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Nodzz – “In the City (Contact High)”
Sunday: Pete Bernhard, Jake Mann & the Upper Hand, Leopold & His Fiction @ Cafe du Nord (8pm, $10)
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Jake Mann & the Upper Hand – “Valdez”
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The Miracle of Noise Pop: 8 days of amazing FREE events (guest post by Broke-Ass Stuart)
February 17, 2010
This is a guest post by Stuart of Broke-Ass Stuart. Follow him on Twitter at @brokeassstuart.
I’ve been really good so far this year. I’ve been going to the gym, eating healthier and drinking less . . . yeah, I’m just as surprised as you are. Sure I went a little crazy on Super Bowl Sunday (I’m still finding rogue tortilla chips and beer bottles in strange parts of my apartment) but for the most part there have been no drug/alcohol/3am El Farolito benders at all in 2010. Unfortunately that’s all gonna change very soon. Noise Pop is right around the corner and it pretty much plans on fucking up my new “lifestyle choices” from February 23rd-March 1st. Fuck you Noise Pop for being so awesome.
I mean, what’s someone like me (weak willed and even weaker walleted) supposed to do? How do I say “no” to eight days of excellent FREE events? That’d be as if the Maccabees had said “no” to the miracle of Hanukkah. Where would we be then? There’d be no dreidels or Festival of Lights (aka eight days of awkward presents like socks). No the world would just be stuck with celebrating Christmas and Kwanzaa in December. And so in the spirit of the Maccabees I’m overthrowing the shackles of my oppressive new health regime and joining in on the what I’m calling the “Miracle of Noise Pop: 8 days of amazing FREE events.” If I were smarter I’d copyright that shit so that Hallmark would have to buy the rights when they decide to make “Miracle of Noise Pop” holiday cards . . . awww shit! I just looked at the calendar and realized there’s more than eight days of FREE events going on. Fuck it, let’s just get on with the list already [after the jump]: [More...]
