SF Popfest Review: All Girl Summer Fun Band, Still Flyin’, and Cars Can Be Blue – Rickshaw Stop 5/29
I've been to the Rickshaw Stop. Love the place. But SF Popfest - with all my time in the Bay, this was still something new to me so I knew not what to expect. I was more than pleasantly surprised. My evening kicked off with Cars Can Be Blue. Advertised as "Athens' own filthy pop duo," they passed with flying colors at living up to their name. They were 100% unadulterated, vulgar adolescence brought to life with a guitar, a simple drum kit, and lyrics imported straight from whore island yet delivered with deadpan sincerity. Initially I wasn't sold on [...]
Tussle, Javelin, Bronze – Rickshaw Stop 5/6
Photos by: Charlie Homo So, I get it - indie rock/electro duos and trios are multiplying like rabbits dosed up on viagra right now. Sleigh Bells, Matt and Kim, The Bird and the Bee, LA Riots . . . the list goes on. With such a densely populated field you run the gamut from 'total shit' to 'holy shit!' Â If you wanted to judge two such groups for yourself, the Rickshaw Stop last Thursday was the place to be. My last visit to Rickshaw was about year ago for the Bay Bridged birthday bash, which was one hell of a [...]
Show Review: The Morning Benders, Miniature Tigers, The Mumlers @ Independent 3/31
It was a show for the ages. The Morning Benders, with their new album, Big Echo, in tow, teamed up with their friends The Mumlers for a sonic feast. Things kicked off early with The Mumlers taking the stage shortly after 8pm. I was upset with myself for missing their set during Noise Pop so I owed it to myself to make sure I was at this show. The Independent is a great venue, a personal favorite of mine, and was the largest one I've seen the guys play to date. Treating us loyal fans well, they played through several [...]
Holly Miranda, Foxtail Somersault, and Tortured Genies @ Cafe Du Nord, 3/9
A friend of mine from SoCal told me to check out Holly Miranda (because she is awesome, I was told) at the Fox. Scheduling conflicts prevented that from happening but, to my luck, Holly was playing Cafe du Nord only a few days later. Better yet, the Du Nord show included some local supporters opening up the bill. I made it in time to catch the last few songs of Tortured Genies. I'm really digging the 60's pop revival that's going on and the Genies bring their own flair to the sound. Floating along like a cool California breeze, the [...]
Noise Pop 2010: Citay, Scout Niblett, Greg Ashley, Tape Deck Mountain @ Cafe du Nord
Photos by: Nicole Browner Tape Deck Mountain - "Scantrons" As I walked up Market Street to Cafe du Nord, I could hear these brooding tunes emanating from underground and couldn't help but think how perfectly the music of Tape Deck Mountain fit with the almost vampiric ambiance of du Nord's crimson-soaked lighting and walls. While it was the brooding tunes I heard on my way in, TDM switched things up a bit in their set, playing a few tracks off their Scantrons 7". Things really got kicked up a notch for these songs and showed the brilliance of [...]
Noise Pop 2010: Rogue Wave, Princeton, Man/Miracle, Two Sheds @ Bottom of the Hill
Photos by: Charlie Homo While it is awesome that overall Noise Pop 2010 is roughly 2/3 Bay Area bands, Wednesday's show at Bottom of the Hill offered an even better 75% local and 100% good ol' California fun. I met another writer riding the 10 over who just moved out from Florida and told him there was not a better way to be introduced to the Bay Area indie rock scene. Kicking things off was Two Sheds, led by a husband (Johnny Gutenberger - bass) and wife (Caitlin Gutenberger - guitar/vox) duo, and bringing in the awesomeness of another lady [...]
Nneka and Bhi Bhiman tonight at Red Devil Lounge
In case you haven't noticed, the Red Devil Lounge is shedding its oft pigeon-holey description of being a cover bands only spot by mixing up their billing with some really great music. Coming up tonight happens to be one of those non-cover band evenings. Kicking off the evening will be a favorite of mine, Bhi Bhiman, bringing his sometimes quirky, sometimes deep, always lyrically and vocally rich, neo-folk that is sure to be one hell of a good time. You can read our previous coverage of him here and here. Bhi Bhiman - Telouise Coming as a very [...]
Tuned In at the SF Conservatory of Music – A Minifest with Mad Skills
With the first steps into their building, I was immediately blown away by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The new campus on Oak Street is gorgeous, and I was lucky enough to attend their first annual Tuned In fundraiser. All groups performing during the evening had to have either a current conservatory student or an alumni in their membership. With those kind of credentials, I knew the caliber of talent was going to be high. Perhaps I'd encounter Yngwie Malmsteen's and Victor Wooten's imaginary love child? Kicking off the evening was the Pacific Guitar Ensemble in a very intimate [...]
7 Orange ABC, Belly of the Whale, Camaron Ochs @ The Starry Plough, 11/5
At times reminding me of another of my local favorites, Geographer, at others reminding me of some earlier Radiohead stuff, 7 Orange ABC showed up last Thursday at the Starry Plough in Berkeley ready to rock, roll, chill, psych out, and get a less-than-packed house (but still a solid showing of people) lost in the soundtrack to our lives for sixty minutes. I caught the last couple songs of Camaron Ochs. She, strapped up with guitar and flanked on either side by two female singers, eased me into the evening. It was a bit of a surprise as I came [...]
Sat: Bhi Bhiman and Stone Foxes Reunite at Hotel Utah
If you're a reader of The Bay Bridged then you're well aware of The Stone Foxes residency at the Hotel Utah for the month of October. For this second of four Saturday night shows (8:30pm, $10), Bhi Bhiman reunites with The Stone Foxes. I saw them split a bill at the Red Devil Lounge last fall and let me tell you, they are sure as shit two peas in a pod. Bhi's stripped down acoustic show accompanied with his witty lyrical lashings provide a perfect counterpoint to the Stone Foxes' balls-to-the-wall rockin'. Bhi Bhiman - Telouise [...]