New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Candi and the Strangers – Nico Regrets
One off of Candi & the Strangers upcoming Warhol/The Factory-inspired album 10th of Always, which we can expect out 2/8/11…Candi & the Strangers play the Highball on 12/16.
Unfortunately, the crowd was somewhat thin for last Wednesday’s lineup presented by Ears of the Beholder and Kata Rokkar. Wednesday is perhaps a hard thing to ask of a San Francisco audience. Regardless, the evenings well thought out lineup saw three bands deliver fantastic performances.
It was quiet and cool at the Rickshaw when Sunbeam Rd took to the stage. Initially I was a little put off by what seemed to be a mixing error that was quickly fixed, but was soon sold on this band when one of their two lead singers (who switched depending on the song throughout the set) began horribly abusing his guitar, to great effect, as the their first song ended in a great crescendo. A wash of delicious noise, this swirling looped ball of chaos firmly took hold of my attention and set the tone of Sunbeam Rd’s performance. A brooding but high-energy cavernous indie-rock is the best description their sound, something along the lines of an encumbered Jesus and Mary Chain or a more ominous Yo La Tengo. However you may classify their sound, Sunbeam Rd was a delight to see and I hope to catch them again sometime soon.
The Actors followed with a dramatic change in temperament. With a capacious synth-pop sound reminiscent of a fusion between Band of Horses and MGMT, The Actors filled the spaces between people with their reverb-laden songs. Comprised of three exceptionally talented musicians (two of whom continually switch between instruments throughout the set) The Actors steadily built a captivating groove so that by the time they got to the most powerful song of the set, “First Date,” the whole room had broken out in dance.
By the time the Phantom Kicks took to the stage the crowd had finally fleshed out a bit, though to what I would expect for such an interesting line-up. Featuring a brand new member, the Phantom Kicks kept the energy high delivering their loop heavy synth-pop with a new-found depth. The new member on the synth allowed the other two to focus on building the signature guitar lines that define the Phantom Kicks. Received with much enthusiasm by the crowd (to the point where someone took it upon themselves to spin off the edge of the stage), this was by far the best set I’ve seen by the Phantom Kicks.
In spite of the fairly thin crowd, last Wednesday’s Rickshaw show was an incredible success with Sunbeam Rd, The Actors, and the Phantom Kicks each delivering extraordinary performances. Do your best to catch anyone of these fantastic bands the next time they play.
–Words and Photos Ada Lann
Hollus guitarist/songwriter Michael Lux has released a brand new solo EP, free to the public out of the kindness dwelling deep in the bottom of his heart. The EP, titled "Neat Repeater" features 5 garage/surf/punk anthems that suggest a deep seeded love affair between Jam-era Paul Weller, The Replacements, and an "in-the-red" mixing trigger finger. Live Bad Sons shows are expected to come next year. Until then, you can download "Neat Repeater" at thebadsons.com, or catch his band Hollus at Subterranean on December 16th.
Traditional bluegrass with a unique pop twist. Just one of the reasons we are so keen on The Ascetic Junkies. At the core of their raw and mesmerizing sound are the sparkling vocal harmonies of Matt Harmon and Kali Giaritta. These harmonies, layered with whimsical melodies and superb acoustic instrumentation, create a distinctive vibe and energy, unique only to the Junkies themselves. Fresh off their wild and raucous 2008 release, One Shoe Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Portland, Oregon’s The Ascetic Junkies are back with a new LP, This Cage Has No Bottom. What makes the new album so compelling, is the raw feel and obvious growth of songwriting skills, evident by the tracks we’ve provided below. The Ascetic Junkies take you on a wild gypsy ride worthy of anyone brave enough to follow. Come along, you wont regret it. – Veronica Medici from Marmoset Music.
Ugly Orwell and August are the MC/production duo that comprises Bi-Polar Bear. Their combined efforts result in thumping production effervescent with innovative sample usage. Lyrically, they come across both slick and ferocious, usually simultaneously, which is no easy feat. Their multi-syllabic rhyme schemes, steeped in coffee grit and chronic haze, flip and turn throughout their verses. Groups like this are hip hop’s saving grace; they rap not just for rap’s sake, nor to inflate their own egos, but to enrich and evolve the art form. Though they tout a split personality as their namesake-cum-mascot, there is an inherent harmony that rings long after the album ends. Their upcoming project with Blue Sky Black Death will only add more depth and facets to this rapidly evolving personality disorder. – Broke MC
Darling recently released a new video for their track "Broken Wing" which appeared on their latest album Lights That Last Forever.
Photo by JT Sumner
The flood was a death sentence for many Nashville bands in the process of recording, and was almost the case for We Were the States. Two feet of water in Coat of Arms studio wrecked the progress of an album that was two years in the making, but after some quick recording sessions at Club Roar, the band finally released Rasa last month. The 12-track LP is a blatant step up from their first album with more complex arrangements and instrumentation and a sound that has generally matured. In their sophomore album, We Were the States prove themselves as riff enthusiasts and percussion connoisseurs as guitarists Benjamin Moore and J Stoyanov and drummer Tyler Coppage experiment with their instruments.
Intense, percussive pounding counters grandiose melodies driven by riffs that range from gritty and fast to spacey and meandering. The scratchy, persistent melodia of the first single “Gold” is cut with the harsh, acidic vocals of Justin Webb, and the album grows more ambitious as it progresses. Amidst the drill of crunchy guitars, a tambourine timidly jingles over a hollow drum beat in “Daft Since 77.” “I’m Not My 808” is a revving, minute-long blurb followed by angry, abrupt riffs in “Don’t Ask Why.” Things slow down in songs like “Paris Green” and “Hot Waves,” whose full, lulling chords are almost reminiscent of Pinback and Radiohead (Kid A).
It’s fortunate that We Were the States persevered with Rasa as it simultaneously displays the finesse of a maturing band and runs the gamut of influences including traces of punk, ’70s and ’80s rock and ’90s garage while still remaining cohesive. – Jessica Pace
This album was a pretty pleasant surprise. They’re called Francisco the Man, aptly taken from the book, "One Hundred Years of Solitude", and they made mention of being friends with The Fling, and they aren’t shy about being influenced by their sound. The album was mixed and mastered by TW Walsh (ex Pedro the Lion) and is available on vinyl and as a free BandCamp download. The band play that feel-good kind of rock & roll — the surfer aesthetic paired with sixties AM makes it something of a perfect jam for back porch bbqs with the hint of Tom Petty and Neil Young. The track ‘Television Father’ is a standout, full of swaying rhythm and lo fi vocals.
-From The Open Blog
