Archive for July, 2009
Friday, July 31st, 2009
Having enjoyed LA-based rock band Division Day for many years and witnessing their rise in popularity and evolution in sound has been pretty exciting. So I was ecstatic (yet unsurprised) to see them scheduled to tour through San Francisco with label-mates Bad Veins. Supporting their upcoming sophomore full-length Visitation which comes out the 18th of August on Dangerbird Records, Division Day will be hitting select cities and have also put out their first single, Chalk Lines, and an amazing remix for Devil Light. Check out their myspace for more songs and do yourself a favor and buy both their first full-length, Beartrap Island and their amazing EP (my favorite) The Mean Way In.
Division Day 2009 Tour Dates:
08/08 – San Diego, CA @ Bar Pink/North Point Music Thing
09/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
09/03 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
09/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Café du Nord
09/05 – San Jose, CA @ Nickel City
09/08 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
09/09 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
09/10 – Missoula, MT @ Palace Billiards
09/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
09/14 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
09/15 – Chicago, IL @ Suberranean
09/16 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner
09/17 – Washington, DC @ DC9
09/18 – Allston, MA @ O’Brien’s Pub
09/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House
09/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar
09/24 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
Division Day– 
Chalklines
Division Day – Devil Light (Lacerae Remix)
Tags: Bad Veins, chalk lines, devil light remix, division day, Visitation
Posted in Concerts, Music | 2 Comments »
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
I wrote a short blurb about this band a few months back seeing potential in a whimsical and well structured act that could easily fill a room as soon as they establish an audience. I bought their album when it was only a buck ($1) and put it off to the side for the time being. Then I got a promo copy in the mail and put the hard copy in my car for those short drives to town.
So after several full listens, the album grew on me and is now more than just a combo of Arcade Fire and Beirut. While it may sound like an entire Swedish gypsy marching band playing modern songs as mournful ballads and upbeat rock, Fanfarlo’s first album, ‘Reservoir’, is largely a cumulative effort of many talented musicians soaking themselves in culture and genuine folkpop and danceable marches. Throughout ‘Reservoir’, the band augments its five-piece lineup with brass and string sections, weaving near-cinematic, folk-influenced chamber pop that slots in somewhere between Andrew Bird delicacy and the robust creative honesty of Neutral Milk Hotel. All of this builds and breaks the melodies under Simon Balthazar’s deep-voiced crooner vocals, swaying to the dreamy beats like a whacked out gypsy space-folk band that has experienced all the heartbreak, love, and death as one would at the end of their life’s journey.
Purchase here.
A-
Fanfarlo – Luna
Tags: Album Review, Fanfarlo, Reservoir
Posted in Album Review, Music | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Here’s my best attempt at explaining what happen this past weekend at the San Diego Comic-Con for us…
- I missed the Avatar screening but from what I’ve heard it was phenomenal. Welcome back, James Cameron.
- Got to see Terry Gilliam and Vern Troyer talk about Heath Ledger’s last film and see some unreleased footage involving Tom Waits as Satan. It looks….okay, the special effects need work and it’s a bit over-the-top. We’ll see what happens with this…
- There’s this movie called Pandorum coming out that looks like garbage.
- There’s this movie called Kick-Ass coming out that looks FUCKING AWESOME! Think if Mystery Men and Superbad combined into a film that was actually funny, Seriously, this looks good.
- After standing on line for hours, we got to sit on the District 9 panel. Which at first seemed like a bad idea to replace the Halo movie. But it isn’t. District 9 looks like the movie of the year. I am not exaggerating. Probably the best Science Fiction film of our generation. Take my word for it, this is going to be huge.
- We got to hear Peter Jackson & James Cameron talk for an hour about film and the importance of characters, story, and a thick plot. Highlight: A fan stands and says in the Q&A, “… Michael Bay…” *(booo hisssss)* “Wait wait, I know where I’m going with this”
- We missed Iron Man 2 but whatever. There’s always this. (saw Favreau though)
- We got badges that said ‘Professional’ (no, it didn’t get us 1st class access or laid)
- 2 New Words Learned: Swag (free shit you’ll never keep) and Cosplay (people dressing up as Superheroes or whatever)
- Watching people dressed up in costume and playing Rock Band can be extremely entertaining.
- The new Green Hornet car looks really cool
- There’s this Cube car that’s the very definition of ‘Fugly‘
- Saw Jennifer Carpenter, Megan Fox, Jimmy Fallon, Adam West, Brent Spiner and Leonard Nimoy
- I thought this was really cool
- Twilight is gay.
- Scott (cribble) screened his film “She Farted and Created the World” to a 1/4 filled convention room but ended up getting a rave response with a few questions on the film and the story behind it. It went over well. So well that people were hounding him for free buttons and stickers. Well done!
- STAR WARS! How cares right? Well apparently people still do and we weren’t one of them. But the crowd in Hall H went apeshit over the Star Wars Concert coming soon thanks to hype-master, voice of C-3PO and utter pretencious boob Anthony Daniels. Luckily Attack of the Show hosts Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn made light of the hype by subtley poking fun at the cast of The Clone Wars and Mr. “Human Cyborg Relations” Daniels.
- Tori Amos is an indie music icon. Who knew?
- I don’t know what this is…
- I got attacked by this monster beetle who wanted to eat my bag for some reason (better my bag than my face)
- L. Ron Hubbard has comic books! This was a conversation I had with the lady at the desk, Lady at Desk: “Are you a fan of his work?’ Me: “Oh absolutely! I have them all.” Lady at Desk: “really?!?!” Me: “Oh yeah!” Lady at Desk: “Do you want a poster?” Me: “No”
- Saw a MF Doom mask and was about to buy it before I realized how bizarre it would look in my carry-on bag.
Son of Robot – She Farted And Did Not Make It On The Soundtrack
Tags: comic, comic-con, comiccon, cribble, kata rokkar, Son of Robot
Posted in Art and Photography, Film, TV and Video's, News, Web Site | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
In case you haven’t already been notified by the billions of blog write ups, interviews, and magazine articles…there’s this band called Amazing Baby and they’re a lot of fun to listen to. It’s fair to be skeptical at first due to their friends (MGMT) and their home-base (Brooklyn) but Amazing Baby easily proves themselves as more than just a hipster’s weekly obsession. Having released their ‘Fucking Cross EP’ last year to a rave response, this year set up the perfect time to spike their sparkly spaced out rock debut record ‘Rewild’ to the masses (Out Now). Unlike their tour buddies in MGMT, there is more consistency in this album. A sense of freewill to progress in not only in the sound of psychedelic pop but in their songwriting. While it may be easy to pick out their 60’s hayday rock influences, Amazing Baby sounds comfortable and confident with their well established style and sound.
Amazing Baby will be in San Francisco with Total Hound at the Bottom of the Hill on September 19th. Get tickets here
Lucky for us, lead vocalist Will Roan dropped by the Kata Rokkar and answered this week’s Kuestionnaire.
1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
My slowly growing Vinyl collection of John Cale records. Still gets me excited to dive into the used bins.
2. What have you been listening to lately?
Mixes I make. Love Dwight Twilley, the Kinks, Ian Mcdonald. A couple Divine Comedy songs, Bill Fay.
3. What’s your favorite local band?
Suckers, Acrylics. Holy Ghost, Au Revoir Simone.
4. What was the last show you attended?
Aphex Twin in Belgium. Saw it from the stage, very awesome experience.
5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
1998 – Radiohead/Spiritualized my dad brought me. I was in 8th grade.
6. What show are you looking forward to?
I guess Fuji Rock in Japan. It should be pretty breathtaking.
7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
Graham Coxon from Blur. He has been an inspiring force in my life. Though I think he is sober, so it may be difficult, I prefer pubs.
8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
Low – David Bowie
Paris 1919 – John Cale
Inspiration Information – Shuggie Otis
Remain in Light – Talking Heads
and one last…
Rock Bottom – Robert Wyatt
9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
duh.
10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
Wire has put out some good ones, so has Pink Floyd!
11. What’s the last book you read?
Low Life by Luc Sante
12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
Recording, but I think I have more “fun” playing live.
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you’d like to share?
I once gave myself a black-eye by head-banging into our bass player Don.
14. Any favorite tour locations?
Glasgow, Gent, and Brooklyn
15. Lastly, what have you done today?
Grown a little older, and gotten a little drunk.
Amazing Baby – Smoke Bros
Sucker – It Get Your Body Movin’
Tags: amazing baby, kuestionnaire, rewild, sucker
Posted in Kuestionnaires, Music | No Comments »
Monday, July 27th, 2009
photo by Daniella Duque
Bosques de mi Mente – El amanecer reflejado en tus ojos, Parte 2
photo by Jeff Delong (Brunswick, Canada)
Sleepmakeswaves – Exits to Nowhere
photo by POTT SCARSON
Blueneck – UB1
photo by Jesse Pollock
Ben Woods – A List of Things I Said I Would Do
photo by Paul Paper
Destroyalldreamers – Zeta Reticuli Express
photo by Sandy Carson
Heroin and Your Veins – Intoxication
Tags: Ben Woods, Blueneck, Bosques de mi Mente, Destroyalldreamers, Heroin and Your Veins, If You Could See This Song, Sleepmakeswaves
Posted in Art and Photography, If You Could See This Song, Music | 2 Comments »
Sunday, July 26th, 2009
We’re back from Comic-Con 2009! And holy shit what a journey of epic proportions. I’ll be posting pictures and a day to day “what happened” in the near future (probably tomorrow). But for now lets go over the last week of July and what is the August concert season.
Tonight, Band Of Skulls conquer Café du Nord. I’d love to go to this but I’m suffering from a slight cold. BUT these guys fucking rock. Check’em out.
Monday is Spinnerette (ex-Distillers) at the Great American Music Hall, Glasvegas rocks out at The Regency Ballroom, Mika Miko, Judgement Day and Audacity play the Nickel City Arcade in San Jose, and the New York Night Train’s SAN FRANCISCO SOUL CLAP and Dance Off which is a underground retro dance-off featuring Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys, Alternative Tentacles), Cinnamon (Lusty Lady), Kimberly Chun (SF Bay Guardian ), Dave Katznelson (Birdman Records), Jay Howell (Mtn St Mtn), Primo (Oldies Night), Prince$$ Pandora (Lusty Lady), Paul Costuros (Death Sentence Panda, Saturday Soul Party), Jennifer Maerz ( SF Weekly ) and DJ MR. JONATHAN TOUBIN at the Elbo Room at 9pm.
Tuesday has Jarvis Cocker keeping it real at the Fillmore and the Noisettes tearing it up at the Rickshaw Stop.
Wednesday only has Magnolia Electric Co. and The Donkeys at the Bottom of the Hill (which I highly recommend).
Thursday is psychedelic rock act The Warlocks, The Morning After Girls and Gliss at the Bottom of the Hill, Gomez at the Fillmore, and Or, The Whale, El Olio Wolof, Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco at Starry Plough in Oakland.
Friday hosts Portland spazz rock band The Hospitals and the ganglians at Amnesia…and that’s it for Friday….hrm.
However, Saturday has Themselves at the Bottom of the Hill, Stellastarr and Mason Proper at Slim’s, and The Deli Magazine’s DORKFEST 09 hosts the best in Bay Area bands featuring The Heavenly States, 60 watt kid, French Miami, railcars, Anderson Congress and Vitiligo at Café du Nord.
I’ll try to make the Themselves show and the Magnolia Electric Co. show, but it’s a pretty empty week overall. See you out there!
Mason Proper – Lock & Key
French Miami – The God Damn Best (edit: this song is amazing)
Magnolia Electric Co. – Little Sad Eyes
The Warlocks – So Paranoid
Tags: 60 watt kid, Alternative Tentacles), Anderson Congress and Vitiligo, Audacity, Band of Skulls, Cinnamon (Lusty Lady), Dave Katznelson (Birdman Records), El Olio Wolof, French Miami, Glasvegas, Gliss, Gomez, Jarvis Cocker, Jay Howell (Mtn St Mtn), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys, Jennifer Maerz ( SF Weekly ) and DJ MR. JONATHAN TOUBIN, Judgement Day, Kimberly Chun (SF Bay Guardian ), Magnolia Electric Co., Mason Proper, Mika Miko, Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco, New York Night Train's SAN FRANCISCO SOUL CLAP and Dance Off, Noisettes, Or, Paul Costuros (Death Sentence Panda, Primo (Oldies Night), Prince$$ Pandora (Lusty Lady), railcars, Saturday Soul Party), Spinnerette, Stellastarr, The Deli Magazine's DORKFEST 09, The Donkeys, The Heavenly States, The Hospitals, The Morning After Girls, The Warlocks, the Whale, Themselves
Posted in Concerts, Music, This Week In Bay Area Live Shows | No Comments »
