Get To Know: Blood & Dust
(source: Facebook) Oakland singer-songwriter Doug Tiemann says that his project Blood & Dust’s songs are "inspired by the hard and beautiful parts of life." It's easy to find this uneasy but poignant juxtaposition on Tiemann's debut full-length under that moniker, entitled The Crooked Road, an album that melds a familiar brand of stripped down folk with blues and Americana influences across eight heart-wrenching but beautiful tracks. Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Robert Raymond at Faultline Studios, The Crooked Road finds Tiemann manning the guitar, harmonica, and piano, as well as vocal duties, along with Brandon Venable on bass and Jason [...]
Listen to French Cassettes and Waterstrider’s contributions to OIM Records’ Vol. 1 compilation
OIM Records, Vol. 1 As we told you a couple weeks ago, Oakland booker and promoter Sarah Sexton, musician Angelica Tavella, and producer Jeff Saltzman recently joined forces to create OIM Records, and the newest independent label in the Bay is dropping its debut compilation on June 23. Now, following on the heals of the comp's first single (Yassout Benedict's "YoungBlood"), two more tracks are now streaming for your listening pleasure. French Cassettes’ "Right Talk", a b-side from their excellent LP Gold Youth, is a pop gem with earnest lyrics that will have you singing along in no time. Waterstrider’s [...]
Tricycle Records throwing benefit show for Sivan Lioncub of Everyone Is Dirty this Sunday at Bottom of the Hill
As we told you back in February, Everyone Is Dirty’s Sivan Lioncub has been suffering from liver failure due to an allergic reaction to Augmentin, an antibiotic she was taking to treat pneumonia. Back then, some of her closest pals banded together to throw a benefit show to help with her mounting medical bills, and now Tricycle Records – the label that released Everyone Is Dirty's debut LP, 2014's Dying Is Fun – is throwing its hat in the ring to help support this unique and vibrant Bay Area musician. This Sunday at Bottom of the Hill, Tricycle Records presents [...]
Swiftumz dropping Everybody Loves Chris later this month on Melters
Bay Area rock outfit Swiftumz will release its new LP Everybody Loves Chris on May 18 via SF label Melters, and if the first two singles are any indication, it's likely to be the band's best work yet. Both "Not Losing Sleep" and "Creepy Eyed Girls" are beautiful stoner pop tunes full of jangly guitars and frontman Chris McVickers' seemingly effortless and damn-near soothing vocals. Below, listen to both tracks and get details on Swiftumz' record release party on May 28 at the Knockout. Swiftumz, Flesh World, Dirty Ghosts, Kiss Cam, DJ Gourmet The Knockout May 28, 2015 9pm, $7 [...]
Review & Photos: WATERS celebrates homecoming at The Warfield supporting Matt and Kim
(photo: Jason Shane) "We're from a town called San Francisco, California," WATERS’ frontman Van Pierszalowski wryly, but proudly, informed the early comers Saturday night at The Warfield after the band had just ripped through set-opener “Over It”. It was clear from the start that Pierszalowski and company were happy to be home, even if it was just one night out of many on their lengthy North American tour in support of the band's sophomore LP What's Real, a tour on which they're opening for indie dance duo Matt and Kim. Riding the wave of What's Real’s positive reception in both [...]
Giveaway: Win a copy of The Native Sound’s reissue of John Vanderslice’s debut LP, Mass Suicide Occult Figurines
New York City label The Native Sound recently announced that they will reissue San Francisco mainstay John Vanderslice’s 2000 debut LP Mass Suicide Occult Figurines on May 19, and guess what? We're giving away a copy of that brank-spankin' new reissue to one lucky reader of The Bay Bridged. The record was remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering, and this reissue is actually the first time Mass Suicide Occult Figurines has ever been pressed on vinyl. Quality Record Pressings, the Kansas record plant to which JV remains loyal was selected to manufacture the reissues, and the 200-gram vinyl will [...]
Exclusive: Watch Matt Adams (The Blank Tapes) perform “Candy” live for a Rhinefarm Session at Huichica
As we told you last week, this year's Huichica lineup features some of the best independent acts from around the Bay Area and beyond, as well as a bunch of delectable food and drink options to keep your belly full and your thirst quenched in the hot Sonoma sun. One of the coolest things the folks behind Huichica do during the festival is recording what they call the “Rhinefarm Sessions,” performances by visiting musicians playing in different unique spots around the ranch. Today, we have an exclusive on one of these special performances on The Bay Bridged. Matt Adams of [...]
Phono del Sol performer VÉRITÉ drops new single “Colors”
(photo: Eric Ryan Anderson) New York-based singer-songwriter VÉRITÉ – who will perform at Phono del Sol on July 11 in San Francisco – specializes in entrancing, sultry indie-pop, and now she's back with yet another gem. "Colors", which she dropped on Tuesday via Soundcloud, was produced by Zach Nicita (MS MR) and features some irresistible synths swirling with her elegant vocals. VÉRITÉ (real name: Kelsey Byrne) premiered the track on Pop Justice, telling the site: "Colors" was written over the course of a few days on my bed. I hadn't yet met Zach ... which is more normal than it [...]
Huichica pairs all-star food selection with stellar musical lineup
(art: Nate Reifke) Huichica is back again for 2015, and the boutique festival in wine country is better than ever. The 2015 version of the festival takes place on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 at Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma, and it features some of the best independent acts from around the Bay Area and beyond, including Allah-Las, Atlas Sound, Amen Dunes, Jessica Pratt, Shannon & The Clams, Gap Dream, The Fresh & Onlys, and more. What's more? Huichica (pronounced “we-cheek-a”) organizers Eric D. Johnson, Jeff Bundschu, and ((((Folkyeah!)))) just added an incredible lineup of food, curated entirely [...]
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Phono del Sol performers Sonny & The Sunsets contribute to Lil Bub’s LGBT rights in Indiana comp
Sonny Smith (photo: Chloe Aftel) Sonny Smith always seems to have his hands in some new project, and this next one is a doozy. His main gig, Phono del Sol performers Sonny & The Sunsets, recently joined 50 other artists contributing to a compilation supporting LGBT rights groups in Indiana following that state's passing (and then modification) of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which allowed businesses to discriminate based on a customer's sexuality. The man (err, pet) behind the comp? None other than celebrity cat, Internet meme, and Indiana resident Lil Bub. 50 Bands & A Cat for Indiana Equality [...]