Live This Month: February 2012 — an audio guide through SF concerts this month (Podcast #270)
February 1, 2012
Live This Month: February 2012 (Podcast #270)
In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area. The twentieth installment of the Noise Pop Music Festival takes over a wide variety of local venues later this month — and we’ll be covering many of those shows — but there are also plenty of pre-NP events worth checking out. Locally, two bands are seeing the release of records for which it feels like we’ve been waiting forever: the debut LP from ultra-catchy punks Terry Malts, and the latest Rick Rubin-produced effort from Howlin Rain.
Speaking of new albums, Laura Gibson’s bringing her newest folk-rock set to SF for a February show. Meanwhile, Montreal’s Grimes has already sold out her Noise Pop date at the Rickshaw Stop, which will come just one day after the release of her new album, Visions. Enjoy this mix of tunes and then go see some shows!
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About the bands:
New York seven-piece band Ava Luna (“Wrenning Day”) is currently touring with Twin Sister. On February 4th, they’ll both be performing at the Great American Music Hall.
The Situation EP is the first release from local band Future Twin (“Yuka”). The group’s EP release show is an exciting one that also features Twin Steps, Exray’s and Death Cheetah all at the Hemlock Tavern on February 2nd.
Eleanor Friedberger (“My Mistakes”) is one-half of The Fiery Furnaces, but her solo record, Last Summer, is probably her best work yet. Friedberger and band come to The Independent on February 4th. Dominant Legs supports.
Sea Lions (“Grown Up”), from Oxnard, released the delightful jangle-pop collection Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid To Ask last year. The quintet performs at Cafe Du Nord on February 3rd with Jeremy Jay and Tremor Low.
Laura Gibson‘s (“La Grande”) new album, La Grande, was inspired by the Oregon town that shares the record’s name. The folk performer and Breathe Owl Breathe will appear at Bottom of the Hill on February 6th.
Visions is the buzzed-about new album from Montreal’s Claire Boucher, also known as Grimes (“Genesis”). She’s co-headlining a sold-out Noise Pop show at the Rickshaw Stop on February 22nd.
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Mixtape: Twenty Years of Noise Pop (Podcast #269)
January 25, 2012
Mixtape: Twenty Years of Noise Pop (Podcast #269)
In February, the Noise Pop Music Festival turns twenty by gathering over one hundred local and touring bands from across the indie spectrum for a week of exciting concerts all over the City. Two decades of championing independent music is an accomplishment worth celebrating, and this mixtape collects twenty bands that have performed at Noise Pop events in years past.
As you’ll hear, a whole bunch of big names graced Noise Pop bills before achieving fame, as past festivals hosted early performances by bands like Spoon, Death Cab for Cutie and Mates of State. Equally impressive, though, is the annual fest’s important role as a showcase for Bay Area indie bands, and you’ll hear a bunch of now-well-known local artists in this mix too.
We’ll be ramping up our coverage of Noise Pop 20 in the coming weeks. For now, enjoy this look back at Noise Pop’s accomplished history.
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Tracklisting:
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Live This Month: January 2012 — an audio guide through SF concerts this month (Podcast #268)
January 4, 2012
Live This Month: January 2012 (Podcast #268)
In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area.
If the beginning of January feels a little slim on the live music front, things should ramp back up into the usual overwhelming number of interesting shows by the month’s end. Several young local bands recently came onto our radar — including Churches, Poor Sons, and Primitive Hearts — and they’re all partaking in locals-heavy bills in the next few weeks.
On the coming-into-town front, it seems that, by sheer coincidence, a number of the month’s highlights all offer variations on electronic pop. From the most immediate and dance-oriented, like Starfucker and Fujiya and Miyagi, to the more experimental, including High Places and Religious to Damn, synth fans have a lot to get excited about in January. Enjoy this mix of thirteen tunes and then go see some shows!
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About the bands:
Deleted Scenes (“Bedbedbedbedbed”) is touring behind Young People’s Church of the Air, the D.C. band’s latest collection of psych-pop. A Lull and Ravenna Woods also perform at the Rickshaw Stop on January 23rd.
Brainstorm (“Forms Without a Frame”) is a big-sounding experimental pop duo from Portland. The band’s touring comes to Vitus on January 5th and the Hemlock Tavern on the 11th.
After the recent release of the Heatwave EP, Ash Reiter (“Heatwave”) will be performing at Cafe Du Nord on January 11th and the Starry Plough on January 27th.
Churches (“Save Me”) is a new band that includes Caleb Nichols (of Grand Lake) and Pat Spurgeon (of Rogue Wave). You can see them at a free show at The Uptown on January 6th, with Grass Widow, Culture Kids, and Wave Array.
Oakland rock and roll trio Primitive Hearts (“Killin’ Time”) has some great demos you can download on Bandcamp. The band is playing at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records with SorryEverAfter and Dark Beach on January 19th.
The Dyunes EP is the first release from SF’s Poor Sons (“Scales”). Party Owl and Cool Ghouls perform alongside the band at the Hemlock Tavern on January 14th.
Jeffertitti’s Nile (“Mountain Jam”) is touring the West Coast this month. See the LA psych band at Thee Parkside on January 19th and at The Knockout on January 23rd.
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Mixtape: Twelve Bay Area Highlights from 2011 (Podcast #263)
December 14, 2011
Mixtape: Twelve Bay Area Highlights from 2011 (Podcast #263)
We might be biased, but, from this vantage point, 2011 reconfirmed that the Bay Area continues to have the most vibrant music community nationwide. The SF scene cranked out a ton of amazing albums this year, and our final podcast of 2011 highlights twelve great releases from Bay Area artists over the past twelve months. This isn’t a “Best of” list per se, but these acts did create some of our favorite music in 2011. We’ll be doing more year-in-review coverage over the next few weeks, but, for now, enjoy this collection of great songs from this year.
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Track Listing/Notes:
Lumerians – Atlanta Brook”
Lumerians’ debut album, which was released in March, fulfilled the promise of the band’s impressively heavy live shows. The Oakland/SF psych group is currently working on a new album.
Dominant Legs – “Where We Trip The Light”
We’d been awaiting Dominant Legs’ full length for a while, and Invitation did not disappoint. The SF band created a unique world of buoyant, shimmering pop on the album, with Ryan Lynch and Hannah Hunt’s vocal interplay a particular highlight.
Mikal Cronin – “Get Along”
Before this year, Mikal Cronin had collaborated with Ty Segall on Reverse Shark Attack, and released records with Moonhearts, but his self-titled solo album allowed his unique psych-pop talent to take center-stage.
Exray’s – “Hesitation”
Released in January, Exray’s saw Jon Bernson and Michael Falsetto-Mapp shaping dense pop songs from layers of synths and samples. You might also recognize this song from The Social Network.
Part Time – “I Wanna Take You Out”
As Part Time, David Speck released a collection of synth-pop gems on Mexican Summer in July. He’ll be following up What Would You Say? with a new 7″ soon.
tUnE-yArDs – “Powa”
Does this one even need any observation? tUnE-yArDs’ profile skyrocketed with the release of the universally-acclaimed w h o k i l l, and we couldn’t be happier.
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Live This Month: December 2011 — an audio guide through SF concerts this month (Podcast #262)
December 2, 2011
Live This Month: December 2011 (Podcast #262)
In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area.
For a month when few new records are coming out and music journalists spend a lot of time meticulously crafting numerical lists of their favorite albums of the year, there are still a wealth of great live shows hitting the San Francisco area in December. Bands that had big years in 2011 – including Other Lives, Cass McCombs, and Baths – are making return visits, while locals like The SHE’S, Trails and Ways, and High Castle celebrate recent releases with nearby concerts. Finally, we highly recommend you attend The Bay Brewed, a rock and roll beer festival we’re pleased to be throwing at the Verdi Club on December 3rd.
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About the bands:
Marc Bianchi is currently on his final tour as Her Space Holiday (“Ghost in the Garden”). The band heads to Bottom of the Hill on December 16th. Silver Swans and City Light open the show.
The Baths (“I Just Saw”) song we’ve included in this podcast is a cover of tourmate/labelmate Raleigh Moncrief. Both electronic pop craftsmen perform at Slim’s on December 15th with the equally-skilled Dntel.
Tamer Animals, the second LP from Stillwater, Oklahoma’s Other Lives (“For 12″), is a lush, moody record that’s one of the year’s standout releases. The band headlines Cafe Du Nord on December 6th.
SF dream-pop band Papercuts (“Do What You Will”) top a compelling Rickshaw Stop bill on December 3rd. Dominant Legs and Tim Cohen perform in support.
Local indie-pop band The SHE’S (“Jimmy”) has been winning crowds over at live shows for a while now, but the band’s first LP just arrived in November. The quartet’s record release show is December 3rd at Bottom of the Hill with Tijuana Panthers and Melted Toys.
In support of A Turn in the Dream-Songs, Jeffrey Lewis (“Cult Boyfriend”) and his band are headed on a West Coast tour in December. On the 6th, he’ll play at the Rickshaw Stop with SF’s The Yellow Dress and Tortured Genies.
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Mixtape: Music to Drink Beer to (Podcast #261)
November 21, 2011
Mixtape: Music to Drink Beer to (Podcast #261)
Think of our latest mixtape as something of an hour-long indie music/beer pairing, inspired by our upcoming The Bay Brewed rock and roll beer festival. On Saturday, December 3rd, we’ll be at The Verdi Club, for performances by Weekend, Sleepy Sun, Extra Classic, and Terry Malts, and unlimited local craft beer samplings from 21st Amendment, Anchor Steam, Beach Chalet, Drake’s Brewing, Lagunitas, Magnolia, Marin Brewing Company, Social Kitchen & Brewery, and Speakeasy. In this mixtape, we’ve collected music from 21 local indie rock, garage, lo-fi and psych bands whose rocking tunes serve as great beer-drinking music. Seriously, give this mix a try with a pint and we think you’ll agree.
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Tracklisting:
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Live This Month: November 2011 – an audio guide through SF concerts this month (Podcast #260)
November 2, 2011
Live This Month: November 2011 (Podcast #260)
In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area. The November concert schedule offers a chance to check out the artists behind some big recent releases, as bands like M83, Wild Flag, and Real Estate arrive in support of well-received new albums. Locally, a diverse assortment of acts are launching new releases of their own, including the classic-leaning rock and roll of Zodiac Death Valley, The Northern Key’s singer-songwriter pop, and the raucous art-rock of Wet Illustrated.
This podcast episode includes songs from thirteen artists all performing in the Bay Area during November. Take a listen and then go see some shows!
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About the bands:
The excellent SF band Wet Illustrated (“Gypsy Town”) released 1x1x1 last month on True Panther. The band opens what should be a terrific show at Amnesia on November 17th, with Tim Cohen’s Magic Trick and Devon Williams.
Gauntlet Hair‘s (“Keep Time”) self-titled album is the Denver band’s debut LP. The group’s West Coast tour with Unknown Mortal Orchestra finds them at the Rickshaw Stop on November 3rd and The New Parish on November 7th.
Wild Flag (“Romance”) includes members of Sleater-Kinney, Helium, and The Minders, and the band’s self-titled debut lives up to the promise of those previous groups. On November 4th and 5th, Wild Flag and Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives play at the Great American Music Hall.
SF’s Zodiac Death Valley (“La Razon”) and LA’s The Icarus Line are holding two joint record release parties at Cafe Du Nord on November 5th and 6th. Local bands The Tambo Rays and Nectarine Pie open the Saturday and Sunday shows respectively.
Formerly the leader of Dear Nora, Katy Davidson’s new band is called Key Losers (“Bi-Focal”). The band brings California Lite to the Hemlock Tavern on November 20th. Lesbians and Nora Roman and the Border Busters support.
Oakland electronic pop artist Metal Mother (“Shake”) performs live infrequently, but she’ll be at Cafe Du Nord on November 29th. She’ll be joined by The Horns of Happiness, Mortar and Pestle and Birdseye.
Minneapolis band Peter Wolf Crier (“Right Away”) explores complex prog-pop on its new record, Garden of Arms. On November 4th, you can see the group at Cafe Du Nord with Birds & Batteries and The Curious Mystery.
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Live This Month: October 2011 – an audio guide through SF concerts this month (Podcast #258)
October 4, 2011
Live This Month: October 2011 (Podcast #258)
In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area. While the Treasure Island Music Festival is the month’s biggest draw — and we’ll have a separate mixtape soon showcasing TIMF’s many great bands — there are plenty of great shows this month. Girls cap a national tour with two big hometown shows, while The War on Drugs brings an acclaimed new album to SF. Meanwhile, EMA and Hooray for Earth return to the City, while locals The Soft Moon and Garrett Pierce have release shows for new EPs. Those are just a handful of the dozen-plus great bands in this mix.
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About the bands:
Calgary singer-songwriter Chad VanGaalen (“Peace on the Rise”) is touring behind his fourth album, Diaper Island, which is out now. VanGaalen performs with Gary War at Cafe Du Nord on October 11th.
Nobunny (“Blow Dumb”) is teaming with Ty Segall for a Halloween weekend show on October 28th at the Brick and Mortar Music Hall. The fuzz pop talent will also be MCing and performing “Budget Rock Hits of the 90s” at Bottom of the Hill on October 21st.
Melted Toys (“Rose Again”) will be performing at “Buried Treasure,” our free Treasure Island Music Festival Popup Concert and Mixtape Exchange, taking place on October 7th at the San Franpsycho Store (1314 Grant Avenue, San Francisco). ChuCha Santamaria Y Usted also performs, and there will be a DJ set by Elephant and Castle.
Santa Barbara’s Gardens & Villa (“Star Fire Power”) have crafted a sharp indie pop sound blending electronic and acoustic instrumentation. On October 13th, the band headlines Bottom of the Hill, with Young Man and Waterstrider.
Megafaun (“These Words”) is a psych-folk band from Durham, North Carolina, with a new self-titled double LP. See the trio at Cafe Du Nord on October 7th with Jessica Pratt and Doug Paisley.
Garrett Pierce (“Everybody Breaks”) is one of our favorite singer-songwriters, and his new EP, Everybody Breaks, comes out this month. He’s performing at the Hemlock Tavern with Himalayan Bear on October 25th.
The War On Drugs (“Baby Missiles”) is a Philadelphia band led by Adam Granduciel. Slave Ambient is the name of the group’s new LP, available on Secretly Canadian, and they’ll perform with Purling Hiss and Carter Tanton at The Independent on October 23rd.
