Road trip recommendation: FYF Fest brings Girls, Guided by Voices, Descendents and more to downtown LA
August 23, 2011
Labor Day weekend is the perfect time for a road trip, and I’m planning to head down to LA for the 2011 FYF Fest, taking place on Saturday, September 3rd. SF’s Girls and Ty Segall are part of a stacked bill that collects a top-notch array of indie rock, punk, and electronic acts. Guided by Voices! Explosions in the Sky! Broken Social Scene! Cass McCombs! Chromatics! Olivia Tremor Control! Twin Sister! Seriously, I could keep going, but the poster above is compelling enough.
Cass McCombs – The Same Thing by DominoRecordCo
Tickets are only $40, which strikes me as definitely a good deal and, by festival standards these days, is a total bargain.
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Girls – “Honey Bunny”
August 23, 2011
From Girls‘ upcoming album, “Honey Bunny” was premiered by NPR this morning. Regarding the song, Christopher Owens told All Songs Considered:
“Honey Bunny” was my 19th song to write. I wrote it on my birthday in 2008. I think the fact that it’s No. 19 gives it a little perspective. My first songs were kind of like, “Ahhhh, Help!” This one has a bit of swagger to it, and some reflection about my mother. It’s a special song to me now, not for the sassy swagger bits as much the parts about Mama.
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Barn Owl – “Turiya”
August 23, 2011
For a band closely identified with drone, there’s something of a post-rock feel to Barn Owl‘s “Turiya,” off the band’s upcoming album, Lost in the Glare, out September 13th on Thrill Jockey. The difference is no doubt in part attributable to Jacob Felix Heule’s presence on drums. Heule is only one of a number of contributors on Lost in the Glare: Michael Elrod (The Alps, Date Palms) plays a Juno 60, manipulated cassette tapes, tanpura and gong on the album, and Steve Dye performs on bass clarinet.
Upcoming East Coast and European tour dates from Barn Owl are below.
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Stream Speculator’s new album ‘Nice’ a week before its release
August 23, 2011
Thanks to Altered Zones, you can now stream Nice, the new album from recent Bay Area transplant Speculator. Nice will be released on August 30th on Underwater Peoples.
Speculator: Nice by alteredzones
As Nick Ray told Altered Zones:
My last release, Lifestyle, was conceived and produced as a cassette LP. I tried to create and include as many analog recording artifacts as possible, in addition to samples of other artists’ work recorded using a variety of methods…Nice was recorded using exactly the same equipment with a much different intent. Only two songs on this record use samples…The record is called “Nice” because I tried to make it a more concise articulation of the kinds of songs that I am interested in writing.
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Devon McClive and Sons to celebrate record release at Hotel Utah, Thursday August 25th
August 22, 2011
Just back from tour, Devon McClive and Sons return home to celebrate the release of their latest recording, Humankind, which is getting some great reviews. Here is a blurb from the UK’s Penny Black Music:
“She sings like the missing link between Regina Spektor and Aimee Mann. With McClive’s vocals holding the songs together, the band shuffles between creaky blues, pre-war jazz, showtunes and folk – even finding room for hints of ska and western soundtracks. (It sounds as if Tom Waits is a big influence, which is of course no bad thing).”
The show takes place at the Hotel Utah (9:00 pm, $7, 21+). Opening acts include Qualia and Matt McLean.
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Blackbird Blackbird – “Lone (With Paloms)”
August 22, 2011
Lone (With Paloms) by BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD
This new track from SF’s Blackbird Blackbird is a slice of warm dream-pop, and it comes from the upcoming Yw EP. You can download it for free above, and, while you’re at it, grab a couple of other recent BB tracks below.
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Photos/Review: Wooden Shjips debut ‘West’ in the right place @ Bottom of the Hill 8/18/11
August 22, 2011
For the past few months, a press copy of West has been the only CD in my car. I’ve probably cycled through it at least fifty times. With its steady rhythm and lack of dull moments, West has proved both a departure from and a revival of Wooden Shjips‘ style as I remembered the band’s pre-hibernation period. Psychedelic music seems to have become more accessible in the local environment as of late, and, with their new record, Wooden Shjips’ popularity has surpassed its former crowd and extended into new audiences. The ratio of bearded, long-haired folk to young, dancing girls never seemed close to equal at past Wooden Shjips shows, but it was nearly 1:1 at Bottom of the Hill last Thursday.
The band kicked off the tour for their first studio record EVER with the kind of feel-good, positive energy any band has when they’re starting a tour on a brand new set of songs. As I’d remembered, every member onstage carried their own unique rhythm through the songs – whether that entailed bouncing right off a drum stool, meditating through guitar parts until a heavy riff returned, or the unforgettable stage presence Wooden Shjips’ bass player gave off. Ripley’s commitment to their set was beyond impressive – when a guitar string snapped during the last song, the band jammed for a whole minute while he replaced it, just to finish out the song (and then a one-song encore).
Sailor Jerry was giving out so much free booze that even the band turned some away, handing it off the stage and into the crowd in between songs. The show was pleasantly full throughout the evening, and Night Beats really kicked things off.
West is out now on Thrill Jockey, and a bonus 7″ (with the non-album track “Phonograph”) is available to purchase with the record online.
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Recommended, 8/22-8/28: Magic Trick/Magic Bullets, R. Stevie Moore/Ariel Pink, Mikal Cronin, The Soft Moon/Craft Spells
August 22, 2011
Every Monday, we’ll be offering you early picks for some of the week’s best concerts. Do you think we omitted something worthwhile? Let us know in the comments! Be sure to visit our Local Concert Calendar for an expanded set of daily listings.
Tim Cohen’s Magic Trick releases album, Magic Bullets play final show
Tim Cohen‘s other band, Magic Trick, releases its new album, The Glad Birth of Love, Tuesday on Empty Cellar Records, and the band celebrates its release on Wednesday night at the Rickshaw Stop (8pm, $8). The show is a packed one, and it also marks the final show ever by SF indie pop heroes Magic Bullets. Also performing are locals PreTeen and The Tambo Rays.
Magic Trick (Tim Cohen) – “Daylight Moon”
Magic Bullets – “Lying Around”
Draggin Our Bones by Brian DaMert
R. Stevie Moore and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti at the Make-Out Room
Cult outsider artist R. Stevie Moore returns to SF for two Make-Out Room shows on Sunday the 28th and Monday the 29th. He’ll be joined by similarly out-there not-so-secret guest Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti for both shows, along with a great local artist each night. Sunday, it’s Carletta Sue Kay, and Monday, it’s Kelley Stoltz.
R. Stevie Moore – “California Rhythm”
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “She Don’t Know What To Do With Herself” (R. Stevie Moore cover)
