The Fresh & Onlys w/ Woods and G. Green @ Sol Collective- 7/27/11
Posted: August 2, 2011 Filed under: Mediocre, Shows | Tags: G. Green, Music, Sacramento, Sol Collective, The Fresh & Onlys, Woods Comments OffSecond time I’ve been to the Sol Collective for a show and honestly it wasn’t nearly as fun as last time. I’m going to guess that it’s due to the last time having adventures in the surrounding neighborhood and no arguments about show etiquette (Though that was fun in its own right, just in a different, non-show-enjoyment way.) Oh, well, they can’t all be the absolute best of times. Even the artwork on the walls was of an overall lower quality. It looked like bad album cover art. I’m really starting to hate mixed media photography. Somebody ban the use of Photoshop in the art world.
The Fresh & Onlys are a band I’ve heard a lot about, what with them being bay area darlings and all, however, I haven’t even gotten around to seeing them. Now I can mark off the check box and I’m happy to do so. The band’s tastefully reverbed sixties rock music was catchy enough to grab my attention even for the songs I wasn’t as familiar with. My favorite part of set was their lead guitarist who absolutely tore up and down his axe’s fret board like it was nothing. It sounded amazing.
This Week In Davis – 8/1/11
Posted: August 1, 2011 Filed under: This Week In, Upcoming Shows | Tags: A B & The Sea, Davis, Flowerss, Kusikia, Lindsay Clark, Misner & Smith, Music, Odd Fellows Hall, Sophia's, Sophia's Thai Kitchen, Takhoma, The Fling, The Great Republic of Rough & Ready, Villanova House, Wild Ones Comments Off
Tuesday, August 2nd – 7:00 PM: Takhoma w/ Kusikia @ Villanova House (802 Villanova Dr.) - Post-rock show with one part slow epic build up, Takhoma, and one part semi-quirky loud/soft, Kusikia. Not to mention all soft mallets on the drums all the time!
Thursday, August 4th – 7:30 PM: Misner & Smith @ Odd Fellows Hall – Tender Americana who were last on my radar during Davis Music Fest. I didn’t stop by to see them as a I had full schedule already. Maybe this time since the show is free.
Friday, August 5th – 9:30 PM: A B & The Sea w/ The Fling and Flowerss @ Sophia’s Thai Kitchen - I’ve seen A B & The Sea three times already in Davis and, honestly, the new guard Beach Boys have never failed to charm. Looking forward to it.
Saturday, August 6th – 9:30 PM: Wild Ones w/ The Great Republic of Rough & Ready and Lindsay Clark @ Sophia’s – Okay Wild Ones, I can’t find you on the internet. You are now, officially, the hardest band I’ve had to Google as I couldn’t find you. Since you are playing Dough Fir Lounge in Portland the day before and your picture makes you look fun, I’m going to assume that you are.
Yuck w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ The Independent – 7/26/11
Posted: August 1, 2011 Filed under: Good, Shows | Tags: Music, San Francisco, The Independent, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Yuck Comments Off
It’s been a while since I had the chance to head off to the Bay Area for a show. I think the last time was seeing Gayngs at The Independent. Thankfully, this time around the crowd was a lot more mellow. There were less shutter-bugs and way less coked out hipster girls elbowing their way to the front. There was, however, a significant amount of bro-mancing going on between three cool bros who were just in front of me. Seriously, I’ve seen things that were less gay in the Castro. Accept that you are more than “good buds” bros. All the hugging and kissing was more than a little entertaining though. Bros fo’ life!
Yuck hail from London, England and play some of the best 90′s indie-rock music since, well, the 90′s. I believe I described them to a friend as “It’s like Pavement never broke up and Stephen Mulkmus never went off and started a ‘jam band’”. I’m being hyperbolic of course, but, that said, it’s damn good on the record and live. The band themselves come off as a little cartoonish with the drummer having a giant fro, the singer/guitarist being tall, lanky, and awkward, the bassist with her hair over her eyes the whole time (I only saw them once), and the other guitarist having robotic motion that throws around his floppy comb over. It’s was pretty entertaining.
This Week In Davis (and Sac and SF) – 7/25/11
Posted: July 25, 2011 Filed under: This Week In, Upcoming Shows | Tags: Adoption, Blind Willies, Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, Charr'd Doghaus, Crack The Case, DAM Haus, Davis, Dirty Mittens, Dogbreth, Fort King, Fresh & Onlys, G. Green, Hello The Mind Control, Language, Mucky the Ducky, Music, Orphan Fairytale, Pacific City Nightlife Vision Band, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seth Augustus, Small Dinosaurs, Sol Collective, Sophia's, Sophia's Thai Kitchen, The Attendance Office, The Independent, The Robot Rocket Residence, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Unnatural Helpers, Uzi Rash, Woods, Young Mings, Yuck Comments Off
Tuesday, July 26th – 8:00 PM: Yuck w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ The Independent - I’m super excited to see this who as I love Yuck’s self titled album and I haven’t been to San Francisco for a significant time. Plus I’ve been hearing good, buzzy things about Unknown Mortal Orchestra, but we’ll see if they can live up to it.
Wednesday, July 27th – 8:30 PM: Fresh & Onlys w/ Woods and G. Green @ Sol Collective – One of San Francisco’s premium jangle-pop-punk, Woods from NYC brings a sixties pop sounds and ubiquitous locals G. Green bringing the noise. Should be fun.
Thursday, July 28th – 7:00 PM: Dogbreth w/ Hello the Mind Control and Young Mings @ The Attendence Office (1315 L St.) – When I first I searched for Dogbreth, I searched for “Dogbreath” which brought me to the page of a rootsy-rock band from Sweden. I was disappointed when I found out it was “Dogbreth” which is an acoust-o-punk band from AZ. Way to get my hopes up internet.
Thursday, July 28th – 7:30 PM: Pacific City Nightlife Vision Band w/ Orphan Fairytale, Mucky the Ducky, and Crack the Case @ DAM HAUS (503 E St.) - Okay, so the headliner gets described as, and I quote, “essentially a drum-circle of little Casios”. That is either too terrible not to see or too good to pass up. If it ends up mediocre I’m going to be so disappointed. You “boys” better bring it.
Thursday, July 28th – 8:00 PM: Cabinet of Natural Curiosities w/ Fort King and Language Adoption @ The Robot Rocket Residence (633 M St.) - Who planned this? Three Davis house shows on the same night all with KDVS associations? Sounds like a recipe for the under-attendance of all of them. This is the more folky of the bunch with Cabinet bring the soft-spoken and tender lyrics over the ‘lectric piano. You’re call I guess.
Friday, July 29th – 7:00 PM: Unnatural Helpers w/ Uzi Rash @ Charr’d Doghaus (527 G St.) – Okay Unnatural Helpers knows how to write a catchy song. Worth seeing.
Friday, July 29th – 9:00 PM: Small Dinosaurs w/ Dirty Mittens @ Sophia’s Thai Kitchen – Okay, Small Dinosaurs, I went to your Bandcamp page to listen to some stuff and the album you have there’s cover is seriously creepy. I almost closed the browser window before I got a chance to listen. Their sound is a bit a of Pixes but with a lot more laid back acoustic stuff mixed in.
Saturday, July 30th – 9:30 PM: Seth Augustus w/ Blind Willies @ Sophia’s Thai Kitchen - Seth Augustus is some brilliant sounding roots blues-rock music. Hopefully he lives up to the bit of his stuff I listened too, because it sounded awesome.
Superhumanoids w/ Rademacher and Mike Sempert @ Sophia’s – 7/22/11
Posted: July 25, 2011 Filed under: Great, Reviews | Tags: Birds + Batteries, Davis, Mike Sempert, Music, Rademacher, Sophia's, Sophia's Thai Kitchen, Superhumanoids 1 Comment »
First night back for a complete night of music at the Sophia’s porch after a long stint without due to travel, though I do miss Santa Fe’s green and red chilies. I think the crowd was up there with some of the best I’ve been a part of. I was a bit concerned at the start as it started of a little empty, however once things got going, the place was shoulder to shoulder and I would guess that a majority of the people were dancing. Okay, admittedly, it was hard for me to judge because I was cutting a rug myself, but there did seem to be a significant number of people who were “feeling it”. If only every crowd could be this enthusiastic.
Seeing Superhuminoids with a much more receptive crowd made all the difference in letting their dance-pop get people moving and make it much more entertaining for me. The band from L.A. had a tough act to follow with Rademarcher getting the place going, but they pulled through and gave the crowd a great show. At the end, the audience was desperate for an encore that wasn’t given, though, Davis sometimes get’s a bit too needy about that kind of thing. The set was good regardless.
Generationals – Actor-Caster
Posted: July 22, 2011 Filed under: Great, Reviews | Tags: Actor-Castor, Generationals, Music Comments Off
I was hoping to have this record thoroughly listened to and reviewed before Generationals came to play the Sophia’s porch, but the best laid plans and all that. Pitchfolk may have given the album a tepid review, but honestly I can’t get enough of the band’s infectiously catchy tracks. And, for the most part, I don’t know if even Pitchfork knows if they are reviewing things ironically anymore. The band from New Orleans really proves they know how to write a good pop song on their second effort Actor Castor. Telekinesis is the only other band this year that I can think of that made such a similarly infectiously catchy record from start to finish.
Every downbeat on the record has a pop to it that is just undeniable, forcing you to lurch forward or bob your head/tap your foot/move your favorite appendage [ED: Sexy!] to the beat. The guitars have a consistent chime to them that is oh so pleasing in either their roles as rhythmic or melodic instruments. The bass is funky and driving without being overpowering and the keys nestle in between it all beautifully adding great flourishes or riffs to the mix. The lyrics have a twinge of talking up the “party” but with the desperation that it will all be over soon. Put it all on top of a drum beat that just keeps pumping and you’ve got a great record. Favorites are “Ten-Twenty-Ten” for the motoring down the highway feel, “You Say It Too” for the pop of the electric guitar as it hits the chords, “Tell Me Now” for the awesome synth line, and “Please Be It” for that the guitar riff and being a great “end of record” song.
Deerhoof – Deerhoof vs Evil
Posted: July 21, 2011 Filed under: Great, Reviews | Tags: Deerfoof, Deerhoof vs Evil, Music Comments Off
I’m at a bit of a loss to properly describe Deerhoof. The band as an entity has been around for just under twenty years, with plenty of line-up changes and albums that almost went unfinished behind them. I think to properly have a go at summing them up I would have to attend one of their much talked about live shows. Until that time comes, which I hope will be soon, I’ll have to make do with talking up the San Francisco band’s latest record, Deerhoof Vs Evil. I may have dismissed an older record, Half Bird, to friends as a bit too quirky and untuneful, but DvF makes a very interesting case and plays like one of the better albums I’ve heard this year.
The quirkiness and untuneful nature of the older record can still be heard on DvF, however, the whole thing is stitched together by a rhythm section that keeps everything listenable and moves the album along. Untuneful is not really the right word to use, a better way to phrase how the album sounds is that each song feels as if it is composed of song fragments that are pulled together into one coherent piece. Put on top of this front woman Satomi Matsuzaki’s playful vocals and lyrics that add a bit of tongue and check fun and you’ve got a very solid record. Favorites are “Super Duper Rescue Heads” for being a really well made pop song amongst the ‘chaos’, “Secret Mobilization” for the guitar riff that plays throughout, and “I Did Crimes For You” for the little island riff and the soft-spoken, violent lyrics.
The Bargain Bin: Armadillo Music – 6/20/11
Posted: July 20, 2011 Filed under: The Bargain Bin | Tags: Armadillo Music, Codie Velvet Club, Del! The Funky Homosapien, Eleventh Hour, Matt Bauer, Music, Outkast, Stankonia, The Fugees, The Score Comments Off
A month late but I figured I would go ahead and post up something anyway considering that local musician Matt Bauer was present and playing an in-store for the good folks while they record shopped. Now, previously, when I saw Mr. Bauer my response was more than a bit luke warm. However, this time around with other musicians in tow and a new record under his belt, I was pleased by what I heard. The dark and dreary nature of his songs shown through even in the middle of the day and the other musicians added to the sound in interesting and subtle ways that made the mostly un-amplified set quite enjoyable. Guess I’ll be picking up his new record soon.
- Codeine Velvet Club – S/T: Indie, boy-girl pop with a big band sound. Lost of horns and bubbly rhythms that almost erase the memory of that annoying Hyundai advertisement that aired continuously last Christmas from your memory. For anyone curious, that ad is what selling out looks like.
- Del ! The Funky Homosapien – Eleventh Hour: East Bay represent! Del really has a matter of fact way about his rhymes and flow that just make for head bobbing perfection. Lots of funk samples all over this record which makes me happy. Screw that over produced crap that comes out these days, this is the real stuff.
- The Fugees – The Score: Ah, The Fugees, back before Lauryn Hill had a nervous breakdown and Wyclef made a joke of himself by running for President of Haiti after the earthquake [ED: Not really the most tactful move]. Definitely fails into the bin of “Good 90′s Hip-hop” even if you have heard their version of “Killing Me Softly” way too much.
- Outkast – Stankonia: Contrast the laid back flow of Del with the fast and furious shit coming out of Outkast. In your face, fun, and seriously good. Plus you’ll have “Ms. Jackson” stuck in your head until the next time you light up[ED: Not endorsing any sort of drug use]. Word.
The Glass Canoe – Chimera
Posted: July 19, 2011 Filed under: Good, Reviews | Tags: Chimera, Music, The Glass Canoe Comments Off
I don’t usually write-up reviews of the things I download for free. It would seem a bit cruel to write about an album I didn’t pay for and don’t have any strong, positive feelings toward. That said, the début record, Chimera, by San Diego band The Glass Canoe had me taking notice and enjoying it from the first song. Their first record is described as being recorded “at home” and for a “bedroom recording” the sound on the record is very lush and well composed. According to the band, they spent a little over two years writing and recording the final product and, from how well the record is composed, their efforts paid off. They decided to give the record away for free over at their bandcamp and, I have to say, I’ve paid more for worse records.
To be obtuse: the record has a very Fleet Foxes meets Menomena feel to it. To be less obtuse: the record mixes both delicate harmonies and vocals with a fine sense of electric/psychedelic pop sounds to form a sound that is at time heady the very listenable. To say the album is well composed may be a bit of an understatement as no part in the songs sound out-of-place and almost every second on the record is filled with something interesting happening no matter how simple the riff/beat/vocal. The album loses a few points for having a “Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast” ending, but I can forgive them for it. Favorites are “Broka” for building from a spacey intro into a head bobbing track, ”I Can’t Sleep” for the lyrics and rhythms, and ”First Ideas” for the awesome synth sounds.
Like this:
This Week In Davis – 7/18/11
Posted: July 18, 2011 Filed under: This Week In, Upcoming Shows Comments Off
[ED: Wooo! 300th post! Where's my cake?]
Thursday, July 22nd – 8:30 PM: Jeremy Messersmith w/ The Lumineers and Ben Lewis @ Sophia’s Thai Kitchen - Can’t really hear the supposed Sufjan Stevens comparison the link above makes but what are ya gonna do? Poppy folk with a bit of a Beach Boys vibe alongside some foot stompin’ Americana from The Lumineers.
Friday, July 23rd – 9:30 PM: Superhumanoids w/ Rademacher @ Sophia’s Thai Kitchen - Yeah, Superhumanoids as the headliner, you know, instead of opening for the ungrateful fans of another act. The band played a great quirky electro-pop set the last time they were on the porch and I expect nothing less this time.
Saturday, July 24th – 10:00 PM: Wooster w/ Tha Dirt Feelin’ @ Sophia’s Thai Kitchen - Hmm… apparently Wooster played Whole Earth Festival a few months back, not sure how I feel about that. I do know how I feel about the track and that is that it is over reverb-ed and a little cheesy. Fans of California beach music or that guy who sings about Banana Pancakes will like these guys.
