San Francisco

Recap: The SF Deli Presents at the Rickshaw Stop

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Phantom Kicks started the night off right, getting more people to dance before 10pm than I’m used to seeing. The three-piece (two guitars, a drummer, plus laptop) delivered uptempo catchy electro pop with a heavy emphasis on the guitar. In a way they reminded me of watching Minus the Bear, where all the other parts of the songs seem to somehow serve the guitar so you find yourself staring at it most of the time. Their songs acted as an appropriate accompaniment to the almost end of summer night.

San Francisco’s Spiro Agnew took the stage next donning two laptops, guitar, and an extra keyboard for good measure. The electro drums laid down the beat for the three members to perform over, culminating in some noisy cross section between Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and New Order. They were celebrating the release of a new CD, Oh What Model Citizens We Be on Tough Sluts Records.

And with that The Dont’s (the only band to not have a laptop) took to the stage and played some energetic indie rock. Lead by a charismatic, lab coat wearing lead singer the band (also in costume) were straight up good. The Dont’s were maybe the odd band out that night, having little electronic influence to speak of, but they had no problem getting the crowd on their side and tore through a good 40 minutes of music that left those of us in front sweating.

The final band to take the stage was San Francisco’s own My First Earthquake, a four piece band that resides somewhere in the land of more 90s sounding indie rock with a happy take on dance punk. It was clear that this was the band some people had come to see, audience members could be seen/heard singing along to the songs. Frontwoman Rebecca Bortman brought enough energy for the whole band and commanded the audience’s attention save for moments such as the guitarist smacking the strings of his guitar with a drum stick. It only took a song or two, but pretty soon My First Earthquake had the Rickshaw Stop dancing (or at least enthusiastically stomping its feet) to their tales of band breakups, walking around San Francisco, and the likes.

Fun was had by all, the Rickshaw was rocked and rolled and electroed, and another great night of Bay Area music was enjoyed by some of its finest residents.

-Glenn Jackson; photos by Adam Myatt.

Nashville

Next Big Nashville Is Fast Approaching…

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Yes indeedy, the time has come for Next Big Nashville to take over the city again, and the anticipation of all the awesome showcases and panels has built to a fever pitch! We’re looking forward to covering the performances of our favorite artists–since they’re pretty much ALL playing, so you should be sure to check back with us frequently–like, every hour, on the hour–for updates and reviews. For the detailed schedule and lineup, (including showcases and panels at the Leadership Music Conference), you can go to http://www.nbnsummit.com/. Can’t wait can’t wait can’t wait!–Deli Editor

NYC

Deli CD of the month: Translations – live at The Woods on 09.15

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Branded as New Wave in their myspace profile, NYC based Translations is a little more complex than that. The band knows how to use reverb, clanging drum machines and lo-fi tricks in ways more interesting and sophisticated than your average Bushwick bedroom project. Most importantly, they can write good songs, and have found a strong signature sound in Andrew Fox’s dark and thoughtful vocals. In this band’s tracks you’ll find ambient noise, rock’n’roll, great melodies, as well as alcohol-heavy inflections. The self-titled EP opener, "The Wanderer" – an electro-pop and punk mash up filled with lots of range and vocal harmonies – stands out as the album’s best track. The brand new single "Tarantella" (recorded with the help of Jeff Curtin from Small Black, not in the EP), with its evocative vocals, sudden empty breaks and a highly addictive "revolving chorus", takes us back to the summer of 1998, when everybody was in love with The Beta Band (which one year later committed artistic suicide with one of the ugliest albums ever). Check out Translations live at The Woods on September 15 and a week later at Coco66.

New England

MEISA Math Rock Showcase Tonight at U. New Haven

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Looking for something to do with your Thursday night?  Need a math rock fix?  The Music and Entertainment Industry Students Association (University of New Haven chapter) is launching a math rock showcase tonight at the University of New Haven’s German Club.  Even if you don’t necessarily need a math rock fix (or if you don’t really know exactly what math rock is), you should catch this bill.

The lineup is far-reaching and varied, and sees veterans of the game sharing the stage with fresher talent.  Giraffes? Giraffes! is a duo from Northampton, Massachusetts, and their juxtaposition of calculated twitching and expansive nigh post rock movements lifts the genre to rarely mined potential.  Like Nomads (West Warwick, RI) is a five piece that takes the traditional tapped guitar, stumbling rhythms, and stabs of dissonance, and adds warbling synths and lo-fi noodling – it’s a rather psychedelic angle, and it works.  Zona Mexicana (Purchase, NY) is a fast-moving onslaught of frenetic meter and kicks, side by side with layers of in-your-face vocals – something like math punk.  Good Citizens, a duo local to Connecticut, lets the tempo push and pull while keeping an incredibly tight guitar-drum chemistry; Full of Birdy (MA and RI) shares some of the same territory, but the thorny, "mathy" sections are dense and the open parts have an almost Primus-like twang to them.  Shrk Wk might have some of the densest movements to be found on the bill, and is probably the band most likely to cause a head banging-induced concussion.

The showcase is free, by the way.  So get down there at 7:30pm and see where some of the new voices in math rock are pushing the genre.

There are a lot of bands and some are traveling far, so the line-up may change only slightly (from bottom to top):

Giraffes? Giraffes!
Zona Mexicana
Like Nomads
Good Citizens
Shrk Wk
Full of Birdy

– The Deli Staff

NYC

Weekly Feature #218b: The Willowz

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The Willowz sprouted out of Anaheim, California in 2002 and soon after, lost their Orange County leaves and became NYC transplants where they have sowed their punk, soul, and garage rock seeds on their newest album, “Everyone.” Bluesy and psychedelic vibes saturate each track, and overlay Richie James Follin’s searching, howling vocals, William-Lewis Mclaren’s (guitar/vocals) continuously bending and ringing riffs, with relentlessly speedy rhythm section of Jessica Anne Reynoza (bass/vocals) and Loren Shane Humphrey (drums). The band’s signature sound blossoms on slide-guitar guided “I Know” and a vibrant title track “Everyone,” as “Way it Seems” plays with a variety of tempos. Album standout, “Repetition” embodies the best of The Willowz’s gritty roots, and jaunty “Destruction” surges forward with wailing vocals and guitars. The Willowz’s “Everyone” certainly branches out to something for everyone. – Read Meijin Bruttomesso’s interview with the band here.

Philadelphia

Artist(s) Who Deserve Your Friendship: On the Water

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On the Water is the folk side project of Da Comrade!’s guitarist/vocalist Fletcher T. VanVliet. With the help from friends, he creates achy, timeless tales with the heartfelt need to sing and blended rasp of Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. Tracks like “Cat” and “The Mind Killer Litany Against Fear” demand their very own meditative listening moments while “Tumor” evolves into the rowdy punkish spirit of bands like Brooklyn’s O’death and local favorite sons Man Man. Stephen Landis’ violin touches create moody accents lifting the intensity on each track that he appears on. On the Water is a project that may be deserved of being more than just something on the side.

 
Fletcher T. VanVliet and friends will be performing tonight at the Greenline Café.
 
– Q.D. Tran
 
Chicago

Middlewest Fest Preview: Shy Technology

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A band the jumped out at me while scrolling and playing through the Middlewest line-up was Shy Technology. This four piece band has been together for awhile, and released their debut ep The Waltz back 2009. However, it was their debut full-length, We The Instruments that has really solidified this band for me. The bands plays an energetic form of indie rock that is slightly dark at times. On my favorite track from their album, "Just Us" they actually remind of a basement version of Interpol.

Shy Technology is a band to watch, and a band to check out at Middlewest when they play on Friday at Otto’s Nightclub at 8:10pm.

San Francisco

The Deli SF’s Weekend Highlights For 9/10-9/11

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With labor day behind us and fall out on the horizon, the calender seems to be showing a lot of competition for attention in the city’s year end show schedule. Here are a few selections for this weekend.

This Friday the 10th roll out to Bottom of the Hill where Stomacher will be playing with Oh Darling and Gentleman, 10pm.

Also on Friday, Tricycle Records will be presenting a show at Milk with French Miami, Geographer and Miles the DJ, 9pm.

Saturday head over to Mama Buzz in the East Bay where this coffee shop-cum-music venue will play host to electronic musicians James and Evander as well as Ben Thompson and Mike Hale, 7pm.

If the East Bay is not your Saturday evening destination head back over to Bottom of the Hill where the Magic Bullets will be playing with We Barbarians and Superhumanoids, 10pm.

 

–Ada Lann

Philadelphia

Album Review: Everything Under the Sun – Jukebox the Ghost

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The new effort by Philly/NYC via DC trio Jukebox The Ghost puts a glossy sheen on their already sugar sweet pop creations and puts this rising band in the position to expand their fan base beyond indie favorites to mainstream heartthrobs. Their sound is consistent with past releases in its reactive, pogoing compositions that highlight frontman Ben Thornewill’s theatric tenor, but their second release, Everything Under the Sun, manages to musically compliment his voice more effectively than past releases. The ability to fully produce the already large sound of this power trio ratchets the emotion of the new release to more Queen performance art than snarky piano pop. 

 
The album hooks the listener with galloping “Schizophrenia” that bounces through its verse-chorus structure and introduces the bands musical skills along with its tongue in cheek wit. The life within Thornewill’s voice is endearing in its buoyancy, like in the frantic synth of “Half Crazy” with its youthful and catchy feel. The only downside is that sometimes the polished work can blend too well in mainstream radio programming potentially rendering it disposable. However, the guys do show much versatility especially in the beautifully delicate standout “So Let Us Create” where the band seems to rely less on their natural upbeat energy putting all their efforts towards the movement and feeling of the song itself. The multiple glockenspiels and melismatic refrain create one of the largest sounds on the album. There is also not a problem with a band investing itself in brisk piano confections the likes of Ben Folds, who seems to be an obvious but apt comparison, and Jukebox the Ghost does so various times in Everything Under the Sun, but none as effective as closing track “Nobody” that swings and struts to the album’s finish line with added trumpets and surprising reserve.
 
Everything Under the Sun at times seems to question and try and resolve, but at other times seems to simply concern itself with the big pop hooks. While I prefer the former to the latter, it is an album that highlights the band’s talent and shows glimpses of a unit ready to step out on the big mainstream stage. (But I’m always weary of that stage turning bright young talent into disposable pop stars.)
 
– Adam G.