Cold Moon searches for meaning in new video for “Simpleton”
We've all probably felt like the main character in Cold Moon's new video at some point in our lives. Directed and filmed by Timmy Lodhi, "Simpleton" is the first single from the East Bay group's upcoming album What's the Rush and shows a man in the grips of a full-blown identity crisis. Your late 20s/early 30s can be awkward period, one defined by the pains and discomforts of outgrowing one's own identity from the inside out. We all have this unspoiled image of who we want to be, and achieving that identity can be one of the greatest thrills in [...]
Nick Vicario of Public Eye drops solo LP
Man, there's something comforting about self-titled LP from San Francisco punk outfit, Smirk. The solo project of Public Eye guitarist Nick Vicario, which dropped last week via Feel It Records in the US and Drunken Sailor Records in the UK, occupies the warm fuzzy nexus between '70s glam and '80s punk. But even with the analog production pushed to the front, Smirk strikes a particular kind of anachronism that's difficult to pull off. Anyone can throw on some sunglasses and slur words like Iggy Pop, but you got to have those hooks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFp9U32iVT0 Maybe these songs sound like the [...]
Derek’s Best of The Bay: 2020
Photo by Eric Molyneaux With the pandemic putting the kibosh on live music, there's unquestionably been a collective sadness within our hearts. That old world — where one could wander into a venue, order a cheap* beer, and get floored by some upstart opening act — seems like an eternity ago. It's been interesting see to how artists and fans scrambled to find new ways connect and fill the void left by the vacant venues. But amid some questionable livestreams, social media meltdowns, or choosing to ignore it completely , artists did what they do best during times of turmoil [...]
Horders drop first single from debut LP: “Void Transaction”
The Bay Bridged is psyched announce that Horders is dropping their debut LP this month, entitled Eternities. The North Bay instrumental purveyors have spent the last decade carving out a place in the wall of Sonoma County prog rock next to their cohorts the Velvet Teen, Zach Hill, and Toast Machine. And while ten years may seem like a long turnover for a record, keep in mind core members Jaime Wosk, Brian Kincaid and Gabriel Katz have individually played in more than a dozen different groups around the bay area (the incendiary Coma Lilies, among others.) Dropping in its entirety [...]
Video Premiere: Trebuchet dress up for new single “Failing Up”
You might say that 2020 has been a crazy year for Trebuchet. Since the dawn of the new decade, the North Bay indie rockers have welcomed a newborn into the world, endured career-threatening medical issues, witnessed a bold attempt to kill rock music, not to mention survived a worldwide pandemic that has left scorched earth where there once stood a music scene. And despite all of it, the band is dropping a new record this year. Entitled It's Fine, I'm Fine, the band's third LP continues where they left off with 2017's Volte-Face; weaving three-part vocal harmonies, intricate guitar hooks, and [...]
Self Care come back to life with “Just a Ghost”
North Bay indie outfit Self Care has been delving into the more ethereal side of indie rock in the last few years. Their new album Just a Ghost drops today via Earth Libraries records, and like the title suggests, the record is ghosty as hell. The album portrays the birth, life, and death of a romantic relationship from the POV of vocalist and songwriter Ryan Keller. Engineered and mixed by Kyle Lindauer, the new record is full of whatever the music equivalent of lens flare is. The band's affinity for dense and shimmering instrumentation is balanced by some lo-fi production aesthetics, [...]
Stories from Slim’s, Part 2: Stephan Jenkins, Fat Mike and more share memories of Slim’s
Michael Bingham, Spiritual Cramp (photo: Derek Nielsen) "My fondest memory of Slim's had less to do with my experience at the show and more to do with my partner's. In our many years going to shows, she is usually pretty unimpressed (at the hardcore ones I drag her to) with the macho bullshit that a lot of these bands get their rocks off on — understandably so. A lot of the times we were usually going to drink some beers and catch up with friends on tour. This particular time Basement was on tour with Turnstile and we were cruising [...]
Video: Decent Criminal, “Bleached”
Hey, what you doing right now? Yeah that's what I thought. Here, take 4 minutes out of your busy day of Zoom meetings, bread baking, and fluctuating existential dread to watch the new Decent Criminal video. Their new single "Bleached" is a punchy little slice of West Coast punk rock to get your weekend started off right. And the video? You got face masks, zombies, and family drama, so you know I'm into it. Shittttt, can we go to live shows yet? No? Fine, just watch the damn video.
Stories from Slim’s, Part 1: My last show at Slim’s ended in the tow yard
(Source: Slim's Facebook) So yeah, Slim's closed down. In a normal world, that would have been the most bummer thing to have happened last week. I use that term "normal world" loosely because who even remembers what that looks like anymore (Looks into camera, shrugs a la Jim from The Office)? But I think it's important we remember the good times. In times like this, it helps to remember what we're fighting for! And also I got some time to kill while hanging inside. So without further ado, I'll be sharing a few stories from Slim's over the years, along with [...]
Album Premiere: Unconditional Arms, ‘Formation’
Jeff Wright of Unconditional Arms So I think it's safe to say we're all in a transition period, right? Both as individuals and as a society? Yeahhhh. That's why the timing for the release of Formation, the new album from Unconditional Arms, could not be more apropos. The Oakland post-rock group has been in a constant state of transition since its inception ten years ago. And, IMHO, post-rock is the perfect music for self-isolation anyways — it's almost scientifically engineered for deep introspection and emotional catharsis (I don't want to count the times I've driven around in the [...]