The Mantles (Podcast #204)
March 9, 2010
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This week, our podcast features The Mantles, an SF band whose acclaimed first full length album came out last year on Siltbreeze. The Mantles is a wonderfully indefinable record. The album draws from strains of classic psych, pop and proto-punk, blending them into a hazy batch of great songs, including some perfect pop nuggets like “Don’t Lie”. The group’s also released some singles, all long since sold out, and they recently entered the studio to work on a new EP. Beyond the music, The Mantles are a goofy, extremely funny group of longtime friends, making for a really enjoyable interview and a great episode.
We sat down with the band earlier this year, chatting about their origins and their plans for new recordings. In addition to the conversation, we’ve also got four great songs from the band’s catalog in the episode (“Don’t Lie”, “Burden”, “Look Away” and “Bad Design”).
Upcoming Shows:
The Mantles will be playing a bunch of shows during South by Southwest. You can see all of those dates at their MySpace page.
Friday, April 16th
Pissed Off Pete’s
with Spencey Dude & the Doodles and Sleepy Beach
8pm, $tba
Links:
- Visit The Mantles on MySpace and Facebook.
- Purchase The Mantles from Siltbreeze and on iTunes.
Noise Pop 2010 Preview Mix – Part 1 (Podcast #201)
February 16, 2010
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Our latest podcast highlights ten of the great bands performing during the 2010 Noise Pop Music Festival, which kicks off on February 23rd. We’ll be delivering close-to-comprehensive festival coverage over the next few weeks, so get ready for the fest with this mix.
About the bands:
Philadelphia band Free Energy’s (“Hope Child”) full length debut Stuck On Nothing comes out on March 9th on DFA Records. They’ll be at the Rickshaw Stop with Foreign Born, The Fresh & Onlys and The Splinters on Wednesday, February 24th.
After the first pressing sold out, True Panther Sounds is reissuing Hunx and His Punx’s (“Teardrops On My Telephone”) Gay Singles collection of garage pop hits on February 22nd. Hunx will be at the Bay Bridged-presented Noise Pop Happy Hour at Bender’s on Friday, February 26th, with Spencey Dude & The Doodles and Weekend.
Matador Records will release Hippies from Austin’s Harlem (“Friendly Ghost”) on April 6th. Rounding out the excellent bill at Cafe Du Nord on Wednesday, February 24th: Best Coast, The Sandwitches and Young Prisms.
New Jersey’s Memory Tapes (“Bicycle”) is the project of Dayve Hawk, whose 2009 debut Seek Magic garnered strong reviews. Hawk’s headlining at Bottom of the Hill on Saturday, February 27th, with Loquat, Birds & Batteries, and Letting Up Despite Great Faults.
Maus Haus (“Winter”) will be releasing their new “Winter”/”Zig Zag” 7″ at their Noise Pop show at the Mezzanine on Saturday, February 27th. !!! (chk chk chk) headlines the night, with Sugar & Gold and My First Earthquake also supporting.
Podcast #200: A Brief Recap of the Past 199 Shows
February 10, 2010
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Obviously the title’s more than a bit facetious, but we did want to do something a little special to celebrate the 200th episode of our weekly Bay Bridged podcast. For this week’s show, we each picked four artists featured on past podcasts (one for each year of the show) and discussed some memorable behind-the-scenes highlights, including tales of excessive drinking, awkward conversation, and equipment failures.
On a serious note, we’d like to thank all of the listeners who’ve made doing the show so rewarding. Thank you also for indulging us in this silly look back at the last four years. As noted in the episode, we’ll be back to normal next week with a Noise Pop preview mix, and we’ve got a bunch of great interviews ready to air in future shows.
About the bands:
- Moggs – “Interglacial Marriages” (from The White Belt Is Not Enough). Featured on Episode 2 of our podcast. (Be advised that our early podcast episodes are of a disturbingly poor quality.)
- The Herms – “Power Joystick” (from Record Machine). Featured on Episode 24 of our podcast. (Same disclaimer as above.)
- Von Iva – “Lala” (from Our Own Island). Featured on Episode 84 of our podcast.
- 60 Watt Kid – “Every Day” (from 60 Watt Kid). Featured on Episode 94 of our podcast.
- Bart Davenport – “Jon Jon” (from Palaces). Featured on Episode 131 of our podcast.
- The Mommyheads – “Work” (from You’re Not A Dream). Featured on Episode 132 of our podcast.
- Sholi – “Any Other God” (from Sholi). Featured on Episode 152 of our podcast.
- Thee Oh Sees – “I Was Denied” (demo from Warm Slime). Featured on Episode 172 of our podcast.
That Ghost (Podcast #197)
January 19, 2010
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This week, we’re pleased to bring you a podcast featuring That Ghost, the solo project of Sonoma County’s Ryan Schmale. 2008’s Young Fridays introduced many to then-eighteen-year-old Schmale’s lo-fi approach to singer-songwriter pop, but it was actually the fourth That Ghost release after three self-distributed efforts. As you might suspect, Schmale’s a prolific writer and home recorder, which allows him the luxury of continued experimentation with new sounds and songs, including his most recent release, the Get It and Get Out EP. The impression one gets from speaking with Ryan is that his creative process is a relatively isolated experience, but it befits music that’s raw, intimate and highly engaging.
We sat down with Ryan in December, discussing his early experiments in recording and where he hopes to take his music in the future. We’ve also included four great songs from his discography in the episode (“Never Have Fun”, “Going Out When It’s Warm At Night”, “The Red Bow” and “Your Backs”).
Upcoming Shows:
That Ghost doesn’t have any upcoming dates listed, but we’ll keep you posted. You can always check That Ghost’s MySpace page for any upcoming shows.
Links:
- Visit That Ghost on MySpace and Facebook.
- Purchase Young Fridays and Get It and Get Out EP from iTunes. Young Fridays and the I Crossed Out the Options 7″ are available from twosyllable records, while the Never Have Fun 7″ is out on Transparent Records.
- Check out videos for “The Red Bow” and “Open Windows” on YouTube.
Sonny and the Sunsets (Podcast #196)
January 12, 2010
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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.
Ten from 2009 (Podcast #194)
December 16, 2009
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In preparing some end-of-the-year features that will run over the next week, we were once again struck by how many Bay Area bands made a significant impact on indie music this year. We were pleased to sit down with some of the Bay Area’s best this year for interviews on our podcast, and have collected music from 10 of our favorite interviewed bands for this recap episode. If you like what you hear, check out our podcast episodes spotlighting each of these bands.
This will be our last podcast of the year, but we’ll be continuing regular blogging right into 2010.
Are you subscribed to the The Bay Bridged weekly podcast? Click here to get each new episode downloaded free to your iTunes the moment it is published!
About the bands:
- Thao with The Get Down Stay Down: “Cool Yourself” [from Know Better Learn Faster]. Profiled on Episode 190 of our podcast.
What we said:
[T]he new album seizes upon the trio’s live energy as they explore a number of musical styles. Like before, Nguyen’s vocal and lyrical charisma are a dominant force throughout, as Thao explores the end of a relationship with wit and thoughtfulness.
- Leopold and his Fiction: “Ain’t No Surprise” [from Ain't No Surprise]. Profiled on Episode 150 of our podcast.
What we said:
It’s no easy feat that the group has accomplished, turning its melting pot of influences into songs that, for all the talk of “vintage”, feel both innovative and exciting.
- Thee Oh Sees: “Meat Step Lightly” [from Help]. Profiled on Episode 172 of our podcast.
What we said:
[S]eriously, do we need to introduce this band to you? Through a relentless performance schedule and some excellent recordings, it’s tough not to consider Thee Oh Sees one of the top rock bands in the Bay Area.
- Sleepy Sun: “Lord” [from Embrace]. Profiled on Episode 193 of our podcast.
What we said:
Embrace has both an immediate and a lasting appeal. Whether you’re drawn first to the charismatic vocal hooks or potent electric guitars, the album strikes, to our ears, a great balance between melodic rock and psych experimentation.
Sleepy Sun (Podcast #193)
December 8, 2009
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Appropriately enough, our last band-profiling podcast of 2009 features Sleepy Sun, an SF psych-rock band who made a big impact this year with the release of their debut album Embrace. Sleepy Sun formed in Santa Cruz, a community with a strong pedigree for contemporary psych (e.g., Comets on Fire, Mammatus), before relocating to SF and attracting the attention of the All Tomorrows’ Parties-affiliated label ATP Recordings. The band supported Embrace with touring across the US and Europe, finding time somewhere to work on new recordings as well.
Embrace has both an immediate and a lasting appeal. Whether you’re drawn first to the charismatic vocal hooks or potent electric guitars, the album strikes, to our ears, a great balance between melodic rock and psych experimentation. Perhaps surprisingly, the balance appears to gave emerged less from any preconceived plan than from the intuition of a group of talented performers whose musicianship is evident in their fiery live shows. Where their intuition takes Sleepy Sun’s new recordings is something we can’t wait to find out.
We sat down with Bret and Evan a little while back to discuss the band’s more recent recordings, their extensive touring, and starting out in Santa Cruz. We’ve also included three great songs from Embrace in the episode.
Upcoming Shows:
Sleepy Sun are currently touring Europe. Head to their MySpace page for all of their upcoming dates.
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down (Podcast #190)
November 17, 2009
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This week, our podcast features Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, a trio led by San Francisco singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen. Nguyen and her band (comprised of Adam Thompson on bass, keys and guitar, and Willis Thompson on drums and percussion) first attracted widespread attention with last year’s We Brave Bee Stings and All on Kill Rock Stars. The album introduced Nguyen as a commanding songwriter, skillfully crafting melodic folk-rock with clever, intimate lyrics. The group supported the record with relentless touring, which gathered them many new fans and heightened their chemistry as a performing unit.
In October, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down released Know Better Learn Faster, which has rightly earned the band another round of praise. Working again with producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Mudhoney), the new album seizes upon the trio’s live energy as they explore a number of musical styles. Like before, Nguyen’s vocal and lyrical charisma are a dominant force throughout, as Thao explores the end of a relationship with wit and thoughtfulness. It’s a very strong album that’s among the year’s best.
We sat down with Thao in our studio prior to her recent touring, to discuss her latest release, her band’s live chemistry, and the challenges of personal songwriting. We’ve also included four songs from Know Better Learn Faster in the episode.
Upcoming Shows:
Saturday, November 21st
The Independent
with The Portland Cello Project and David Schultz
9pm, $17, 21+
