Sun Kil Moon playing two shows at GAMH
Mark Kozelek may be a grumpy curmudgeon, but he’s our grumpy curmudgeon. The San Francisco-based songwriter, who started his career crafting haunting slowcore ballads as part of Red House Painters, has enjoyed a resurgence of late under his pseudonym, Sun Kil Moon, due to his acclaimed 2014 release, Benji — a hyper-literal and ultra-moving portrait of middle age life. Benji was the pick by many critics for album of the year, and Kozelek — who put out yeoman’s work for years without due recognition — rode out that wave of goodwill for...about a month. Notoriously prickly, he picked a fight [...]
Mixtape: Listening into San Francisco’s Recording Studios
http://media.libsyn.com/media/thebaybridged/SF_Studios_Mix.mp3 Download: Mixtape: Mixtape: Stepping Inside San Francisco's Recording Studios (Podcast #355) San Francisco's legacy of producing great music isn't just a function of supremely talented bands and inviting concert venues. Hidden behind the scenes is the Bay Area's rich array of recording studios, providing opportunities for artists, local and otherwise, to create great albums. An ideal studio isn't just a quiet room stocked with the right mixing board, microphones, and other gear. More than that, it's an environment in which musicians can elevate their songs, permanently capturing them at their best. There's a long history to a number of [...]
Sun Kil Moon releases ‘Benji’ LP
By my count, San Francisco's Mark Kozelek released seven(!) albums in 2013. Granted, four of them were live recordings, but that's still an insanely busy year. I guess it's only fitting that just two months into 2014, he's released a Sun Kil Moon LP, Benji, his first under the Sun Kil Moon moniker since 2012's Among the Leaves. Benji once again showcases Kozelek's ability to take seemingly mundane details about everyday life and create scenes that are vivid, tragic, and heartbreaking. Perhaps the best example of Kozelek's style is "Ben's My Friend", which takes you through Kozelek's weekend in the [...]
Mixtape: Singer-Songwriters of the San Francisco Bay Area (Podcast #293)
Mixtape: Singer-Songwriters of the San Francisco Bay Area (Podcast #293) With its rich history of folk musicians and lyrical rockers, the Bay Area has long been a source of terrific singer-songwriters. Even today, while much of the buzz around local musicians focuses on some of our weirder (or, perhaps, more "now") rock subgenres, there continue to be numerous talented folks crafting lyrically-rich, deeply personal music. For some reason, 2012 seems like an especially strong year for local songwriters, with well-received new albums this year from beloved veterans like Mark Eitzel and Mark Kozelek's Sun Kil Moon, as well as newer [...]
April's Best: Our favorite Bay Area songs from the blog last month
Here's our latest month-in-review mix collecting some our favorite new (or new to us) songs recently posted on the website. So much good stuff came our way in April that we've actually got a two-part mix of blog songs this time. As always, we've included links below to download each of these songs individually. Mixtape: Best of the Blog April 2012 (Part 1) Mixtape: Best of the Blog April 2012 (Part 2) Tracklisting: Mix 1 1. Exray's - "Ancient Thing" 2. PreTeen - "Nueva York Is Too Far (from me)" 3. Swiftumz - "Willy" 4. Big Drag - "Let You [...]
Sun Kil Moon — "UK Blues"
Mark Kozelek's Sun Kil Moon are set to release their newest album, Among the Leaves, on May 29th through Caldo Verde Records. According to the press release, Kozelek recorded most of the album using a nylon-stringed guitar. The effect is clearly evident on "UK Blues," where softly plucked guitar lines amble alongside Kozelek's soothing croon. The lyrics focus on the low points of traveling ("London, London / look left, look right / makes me think of death") as the narrator becomes "homesick as fuck." Sun Kil Moon - "UK Blues" Don't worry though, "UK Blues" becomes the best kind of [...]
March’s Best: Our favorite Bay Area songs from the blog last month
Here's our latest month-in-review mix collecting some our favorite new (or new to us) songs recently posted on the website. So much good stuff came our way in March that we've actually got a two-part mix of blog songs this time. As always, we've included links below to download each of these songs individually. Mixtape: Best of the Blog March 2012 (Part 1) Mixtape: Best of the Blog March 2012 (Part 2) Tracklisting: Mix 1 1. Grass Widow - "Goldilocks Zone" 2. Ty Segall & White Fence - "I Am Not A Game" 3. Twin Steps - "Pinkie Promise" 4. [...]
Sun Kil Moon – “Sunshine In Chicago”
Sun Kil Moon - "Sunshine In Chicago" If you're thinking about a long career as a touring musician, you might want to listen to "Sunshine In Chicago," from Mark Kozelek's Sun Kil Moon, before committing to that path. The sad, beautiful song comes from Among The Leaves, the fifth Sun Kil Moon album, which arrives in May on Caldo Verde Records. You can take a listen to another song from the new album, "Track Number 8," at Paste.