Grand Lake explore familiar waters on their latest release, Blood Sea Dream. Fuzzy guitars, clean melodies and vocal styling that sway between Win Butler, Thom York and on occasion, Jeff Buckley are featured throughout the debut LP from this Oakland foursome. Recorded and co-produced by Jason Kick (Maus Haus), Blood Sea Dream contains 10 new tracks along with 2 re-recorded tracks from their 2009 EP Nevermint[500 Records].
One of their signature songs, "Concrete Blond On Blond" gets slightly re-vamped recording and a new title that reflects a bit of their East Bay roots: "Concrete Blond On Blond (880 South)." It’s certainly one of their strongest tracks and without question the track that will have your roommate popping his head in your bedroom door to ask "hey dude, is that the new Arcade Fire?"
Highlights form the album include the thundering and emotive first single "Louise (I Live In A Fantasy)" and the bittersweet swaying lullaby, "Our Divorce." The somber subject matter of "Our Divorce" is lightened by the melodic and playful arpeggio exchange between the violin and guitar which feels almost deceptive when paired with lyrics like "may our divorce be trimmed and neat / limbs sawed off of family trees."
Grand Lake will be touring the Bay Area extensively in September starting with a show at Ghost Town Gallery in Oakland this Friday, September 3rd. More tour dates are available on their site. Check out "Oedipus Hex (Hwy. 1 North)" below.
Sure as you can shake a stick you can predicate on any given Thursday Epic Sauce will be putting on a good show, and tonight is no exception. This time around locals Summer Blondes and Party Effects will team up with Portland’s Reporter and Wampire for a Thursday night dance-party extravaganza. At Milk, and but a measly 6 bones, consider this your warm up for this Saturdays Deli Presents shenanigans.
Come this Saturday the Deli SF will be presenting its biggest show to date. At the Rickshaw this time around, this Saturday’s show will feature former Artist of the Month winners My First Earthquake, current Album of the Month awardees The Dont’s, Spiro Agnew who will be celebrating their album release, former Artist of the Month winners Phantom Kicks and a DJ set by H.A. Eugene of Business 80, also a former of Album of the Month award winner. Sure it’s Labor Day weekend, and perhaps you’ve got barbecue plans, but honestly this must trump such activities. With such an epic line-up, what better way could you find to dance away your labor blues? You can pick up advanced tickets here.
Tonight Kata Rokkar will be presenting their fifth, and what is promised to be their most exciting, Snob Theater with yet another host of comedians and musical performances. This evenings Snob Theater will feature acoustic sets by Ash Maynor (Ghost and the City) and Jonah Matranga (Far, onlinedrawing), and comedians Sean Sinha, Katie Compa, Chris Garcia, Ray Molina and special guest Kris Tinkle. Once again at the Dark Room, this looks like a wonderful way to spend your Friday night.
Considering my usual tendencies towards the darker, brooding, far too narcissistic and self-indulgent end of the musical spectrum, The Dont’sThose Delicate Chemicals embraced my ears with a welcome sense of levity. Their third album (and the first one I’ve had the pleasure of delving into), Those Delicate Chemicals really stands out as being able to deliver the practices of a heady and experimental band through the parameters of a delightful pop-like sound. With its layers of charming guitar riffs, delicately placed textural oddities and an overall exuberant atmosphere, Those Delicate Chemicals could very well be the pop anthem for your art school experience… and I mean that in the most sincere way I can muster.
Considering how surprisingly small San Francisco can seem, it comes as no surprise to hear influences from formerly local avant-rock stars 60-Watt Kid throughout this album (no more apparent then in the final two songs “Backtalk” and “The Will of God”). Perhaps they’re friends, perhaps they’ve just seen each others shows on a number of occasions, but the jagged ethereal and heavy tremolo guitar layers that appear throughout the songs of both bands is obviously comparable. Serving as one of the many interesting layers throughout Those Delicate Chemicals, these wonderfully well-placed interruptions serve a vital role to elevate the pop framework to a vast and intricate soundscape.
Opening with their call and response anthem “Which Side You’re On (The Pirate Song)” Those Delicate Chemicals kicks off with a cheeky wink and a smile. You’d love it if its clarion call asking “what side you’re on” was The Dont’s feeling the waters for whose side the listener is on, but lets not mince words; this is a song about pirates, and pirates will “get it done.” Surly as their “piratic oath” would demand, the song leads its crowd in a triumphant bellowing of “ARRRRRRRRR. “ I imagine this is not a moment to miss at their performances.
Leading immediately into one of my favorite songs on the album, “Breakdown,” Those Delicate Chemicals moves on past its initial playfulness to its slightly more serious, but still jubilant, elements. While the songs change somewhat in tonality, listening across Those Delicate Chemicals it’s hard to pigeonhole it with one thematic quality. Not at all to its detriment, Those Delicate Chemicals seems to lack a greater arch to its narrative. There is depth to the individual songs, but short of the fastidiously executed sound, there seems little that ties them together. Favorites certainly pop out (“Regardless, The Goddess,” “Peacetime,” and “Gasoline” come to mind) but there is a certain distance held between the music and any underlying concept for the album.
Perhaps that’s just the point. The Dont’s keep the audience at a distance with their Ramones style surname uniformity, and maybe by withholding just enough the mask serves to direct the listeners attention to the complexities of the sound as opposed to the distraction of a message. The mask is their tool of misdirection.
The Dont’s Those Delicate Chemicals is definitely an album to seek out. Elaborate and boisterous, Those Delicate Chemicals is the type of intelligent and experimental pop sound that is very hard to come by. It carries with it a depth that rivals its avant counterparts, but is delivered with the accessibility many similar sounding artists lack. I encourage you to add it to your collection if for no other reason than to scream “ARRRRR” every time that pirate captain demands.
As San Francisco’s true summer begins, and the heat descends, hopefully you’ll be making time between your enjoyment of our long overdue nice weather to see some live music.
Friday head out to the East Bay where Burbank International will be playing their first show in far too long. At Mama Buzz, along side Nick Sinetos, this is a show you should definitely check lest it be another year before you can see them again, 8pm.
Lastly, on Saturday head over to the Great American Music Hall for a juggernaut of an instrumental band line-up with From Monument to Masses, Silian Rail and Judgement Day. This will be From Monument to Masses’ final show so see that this event makes itself onto your Saturday night to-do list.
Folk-pop, down-tempo philosophical musing, romantic longing and infectious harmonies all find their place on A Cure for Sleep, by San Francisco musician Jascha Vs. Jascha. Lead singer-songwriter Jascha Hoffman has a sweet voice that he uses to pronounce each syllable with great accuracy, and this debut album will satisfy listeners with its impressive variety of styles. His music brings to mind that of little-known Saddle Creek Records band Son, Ambulance His tender voice and story-telling sensibility, with its sad slant but still driving music, is similar to that of the Nebraska band.
With topics like the greed of God in “Some Hungry Guy”, one’s shifting idea of family as one grows up in “Too Young”, and the attachment one keeps to past lovers on “Phonograph” and “Curse”, Hoffman certainly has a lot on his wakeful mind. Hoffman’s focus on vocals puts an interesting twist on Delta blues legend Robert Johnson’s originally guitar-heavy song "Phonograph"–the slower pace and subdued music allows one to better appreciate the lyrics. The song features a fascinating operatic interlude, an experimental moment which highlights Hoffman’s laudable ability to merge genres. “Mirror” features a catchy chorus that is easy to sing along with, and a sweeping orchestral bridge.
The standout track is “Corydon”, for the song’s emotional poignancy. On it, Hoffman sings “Oh you who are young, consider the snow drifts. White as God’s own ribs”. Although this imparting of wisdom is a somewhat unexpected metaphor, Hoffman always makes his strange statements completely believable, if still dreamlike. The song is based on a poem by D.A. Powell, about the homosexual shepherd Corydon made famous by Virgil. Although this source of inspiration may seem obscure, it makes more sense considering that Hoffman is a Harvard grad and literature enthusiast. The album is enhanced by beautiful string arrangements, and backing vocals, drums, bass, guitars and percussion by Bay Area artist Jesse Olsen. He is another young artist to watch out for musically, as he founded Deconstruct My House, an organization that showcases "experimental, politically engaged music-centered creative work".
A Cure for Sleep came about as a result of Hoffman blogging about his nightmare—already Hoffman is taking an experimental approach to his next effort. He is encouraging feedback of early versions of his songs on his website and Facebook, so that his songs are partially formed by music listeners themselves.
On Saturday at the Rickshaw, for what looks to be an amazing show, Social Studies will be celebrating their album release party with Maus Haus, 60-Watt Kid and Montra, 8pm.
The last time we posted about The Limousines they were playing last years Treasure Island Music Fest. This week they’ve dropped us a line via our Open Blog to warn us that Rock n’ Roll zombies are in the imminent future [see below]. Their debut album Get Sharp released last week.
You can also spare us from catastrophe and organ eating entities by posting about your band in our open blog HERE.
-Nicole Leigh
If you like MGMT you will love this group! The Limousines was born when Eric Victorino of Strata and Giovanni Giusti AKA Nozebleed made sweet love in the SF Bay Area underground. Catchy lyrics, dance worthy beats, electro-pop at its finest. They just released there first full length album, Get Sharp which you can download on itunes and pick up in local Bay Area music Stores. Topping charts on XM radio, local radio, and itunes. Their album is already gaining popularity in international markets and has a tight hold on the Bay Area’s hipster scene.Mark my words, The Limo’s won’t be hitting the breaks anytime soon.
