epicsauce presents… Reporter
with Wampire, Summer Blondes, Party Effects, and Boyz IV Men
Thursday
2 September 2010
8:00pm
Milk Bar
San Francisco, CA RSVP
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On August 23rd 2009, a group of Radiohead fans descended on the Výstaviště Holešovice Exhibition Hall in Prague on a mission to capture the band playing using as many different angles as possible. The end result? A performance film by the fans, for the fans…free of charge.
Upon listening to The Constellations, you may have a hard time finding a band so saturated with influences like LCD Soundsystem and Chemical Brothers, while remaining catchy and original. However, the main influence of the band isn’t necessarily a musical artist, it’s their hometown of Atlanta. The essence of The Constellations is capturing the unpredictability, culture, and energy of Atlanta’s late night. And so their latest album, Southern Gothic was created to represent the town that molded the band’s funky and danceable sound. Once Southern Gothic was released, The Constellations hit the road. So far the band has snagged a tour with Detroit’s Electric Six including spots on this year’s Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and now this Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival.
You can catch The Constellations at Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival this Saturday at the State Farm Stage from 2pm to 3pm.
Check out the tour dates and pick up their new album Southern Gothichere.
So here’s our first Bumbershoot Series Kuestionnaire; kicking off with the talented Jamie Gordon from The Constellations.
1. Could you state your name and what you do in the band?
My name is Jamie Gordon. I play keys and bang on the cowbell.
2. How would you describe your sound?
Southern psychedelic soul hop. It’s definitely different and hard to put in a specific genre.
3. What is your favorite local band?
The Soulphonics with Ruby Velle. She has one of the most beautiful and strong voices I’ve ever heard. They achieve an old soul sound that would make James Brown proud.
4. Any concerts that blew your mind recently?
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at Lollapalooza. The crowd at the stage reached capacity so they had to close the street off to keep people out. Kids were hanging from trees to see the show! That band is so tight live and very interesting to watch.
5. Any non-musical influences you would like to mention?
Our home town, Atlanta. We like to call Atlanta the 9th member of the band.
6. If your music was to be the theme of a film/TV show, what would it be?
In a film, Blow. For a tv show, Eastbound & Down. That is the funniest show I’ve ever seen!
7. What musician/artist would you like to collaborate with for a day?
I’d love to work with Jay-Z. That man is so talented and smart about the music industry. We could do a track and then he could teach me the biz over a bottle of Cristal!
8. What is the album you listen to on a cold rainy day?
The National – Boxer
9. List four songs you would listen to on a roadtrip?
1. The Allman Brothers – Midnight Rider
2. The Black Keys – Everlasting Light
3. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – Home
4. Bob Dylan – Isis
10. Where do you see yourselves in 7 years?
Celebrating the 7 year anniversary of you asking me this question. (bad Mitch Hedberg reference). Hopefully, we will still be making music and touring. If we aren’t, I still plan to be involved in the music business in some capacity.
11. What is the last book you read?
I just re-read Please Kill Me – The Oral History of Punk.
12. Is image a factor in music or is it a waste of time?
It definitely is. Even if your not going over the top like Lady Gaga, you have an image. We like to keep true to ourselves and have a good time. We now have an image of being a party band. Having an image isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t take focus off of the music.
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you would like to share?
Haha almost every night something embarrassing happens. I did rip my pants and underwear jumping from the stage to the crowd in London. Luckily, nobody saw the goods. At least I don’t think they did!
14. Any favorite tour locations?
Milwaukee is always awesome when we play there! The people there really love and support us. Also, Portland is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve seen.
15. Lastly, what is your present state of mind?
Right now a little hazy. We just spent two nights in Las Vegas! I have seen the sun rise the past two mornings! Made $200 and now trying to recover!
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[mp3] The Constellations – Setback from Southern Gothic (2008)
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When it was announced that From Monument to Masses would be playing their last show ever at the Great American Music Hall with fellow Bay Area instrumental acts Silian Rail and Judgement Day, I remember feeling genuinely upset yet content since they had picked the perfect venue and opening acts to close out their 10 year career.
Eric Kuhn and Robin Landy, otherwise known as Silian Rail performed an impressive set, showcasing an enormous sound for only two members. They ventured through several songs from their last EP as well as their latest LP, Parhelion. Their dense and atmospherically epic sound melded well with the already ‘instrumental friendly’ crowd, which reached epic heights with the help of various projected visuals. It was nice to see the band play in a venue that complimented their style of music. Something I wouldn’t mind seeing more of.
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[mp3]Silian Rail – Tituba from And I You, To Pieces (2008)
Judgement Day
Judgement Day
Judgement Day
What more can be said about Judgement Day that hasn’t already been said by this website? Basically the band yet again slaughtered an unfamiliar crowd with their blend of ’string metal’, experimentation, and humor. The band also broke out their “bucket drum kit” for two songs. One of which was Barrage; probably one of their more intense songs that was given a stripped down treatment yet remained as brutal as ever. My favorite thing to do now at a Judgement Day show is watch the audience. Most have this look of utter awe and fascination, while some are quite vocal about the performance. Some that I picked up were, “Holy fucking shit is this really happening?” and a girl who kept repeating, “Oh my God” over and over again. The feeling’s mutual.
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Having known From Monument to Masses since their first tour with atmospheric rock band dredg, I have always seem them as a different entity than their other instrumental rock counterparts. Heavy on politics as expressed through the many samples that pepper throughout their songs, FMTM is more of a mesh of genres than a straight-up instrumental rock band. With influences ranging from Fugazi, DJ Shadow, and Mogwai; FMTM was always a unique band to me. This made seeing their final show a bittersweet farewell.
From Monument to Masses
From Monument to Masses
From Monument to Masses
They played all across their catolague with songs from last year’s On Little Known Frequencies, 2005’s Schools of Thought Contend, and their more beloved debut, Impossible Leap in 34 Simple Steps. The band played with magnetic intensity and a passion for the music they have created throughout the years. You could tell that the band wasn’t spliting due to infighting or lack of chemistry, mainly because their stage presence was way too commanding and captivating. The sweetest aspect of the show had to be the sizeable crowd that came out that night to see the band off. They did their fair share of requests; “Play Sharpshooter!…Play Beyond God & Elvis!…Play whatever you want!….SHARPSHOOTER!” Around the end of the show, guitarist Matthew Solberg gave a tearful farewell to their dedicated fans and closed with a song they seldom played live; the epic tribute to 9/11, Sharpshooter.
Overall, it was a nice send-off from this exceptional band. We here at Kata Rokkar wish them the best in their endevors. They will be missed…
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[mp3] From Monument to Masses – Sharpshooter from The Impossible Leap in One Hundred Simple Steps (2003)
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[mp3] From Monument to Masses – A Sixth Trumpet from On Little Known Frequencies (2009)
Tonight mark’s our fifth Snob Theater and I couldn’t be more excited for this line-up. The doors open at 9:30pm and the show starts around 10pm. Tickets are still only $10 to see comedians Sean Sinha, Katie Compa, Chris Garcia, Ray Molina and special guest Kris Tinkle with acoustic sets by Ash Maynor (Ghost and the City) and Jonah Matranga (Far, onelinedrawing). Hope to see you there!
Located at 2263 Mission Street, between 18th and 19th San Francisco, CA 94110 Call 415-401-7987 for info.
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[mp3] Jonah Matranga – Unparalyze (v1.0) from You’re All Those Things and Then You’re None V.1 (2010)
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[mp3] onelinedrawing – Wings from Sense Field & onelinedrawing Split EP (2000)
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There’s something very creepy and sinister about the mysterious slandercat. Have yourself a listen and if you’re digging it, download the Blood of a Broom Tree EP right here for free.
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[mp3] slandercat – Broom Tree from Blood of a Broom Tree EP (2010)
Kata Rokkar is a place where you can download free mp3 from artists and bands that I currently love and listen to. They are only for sampling purposes and to influence you to go out and support these artists by purchasing their records and going to their concerts. If you are a record company or an artist that is displeased with a song being displayed, feel free to contact me and I will remove it ASAP. Thank you and enjoy!
