Do you know Dave Sardy? I know him as the ex-lead vocalist of heavy metal kings Barkmarket, but you may know him as grand wizard producer who is a winner of 3 Grammy Awards (for OK GO, Wolfmother and Marilyn Manson) and Brit Awards for Oasis, Marilyn Manson and Wolfmother. Also producing amazing records by Far, Autolux, LCD Soundsystem, and most recently Tegan and Sara’s sixth studio album. Well he’s taken the reins on Amazing Baby’sSupreme Being and rerecorded the song to create this colorful piece of psychedelia that far surpasses the original.
Amazing Baby – Supreme Being (Rerecorded Version) from Green Label Sound (Original is on Rewild) (2009)
There’s still time to get your free Amazing Baby tickets for tomorrow night at the Bottom of the Hill! Just enter via emailwith the subject line as “Amazing Baby Tickets Please!” with your full name and tell me why you should win the tickets. One winner will be chosen at random from the rule abiding contestants and notified via email by 10AM on the day of the show. Upon confirmation, the winner will receive two tickets which they will receive at Will Call. The show is all-ages and doors open at 8:30pm. C
Are you doing nothing Saturday night? Well we here at Kata Rokkar are here to solve that. We are giving away two free tickets to the Amazing Baby show with The Entrance Band and Total Hound!
To win a pair of tickets to see Amazing Baby at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill on Saturday, September 19th. Just enter via email with the subject line as “Amazing Baby Tickets Please!” with your full name and tell me why you should win the tickets. One winner will be chosen at random from the rule abiding contestants and notified via email by 10AM on the day of the show. Upon confirmation, the winner will receive two tickets which they will receive at Will Call. The show is all-ages and doors open at 8:30pm.
Also, Amazing Baby will be performing the song Headdress on Last Call with Carson Daly, September 23rd…
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.
Off of their third album ‘Concrete Class’, The Lonely H return with this junior high school play-esqe video for their wicked layed back tunes, ‘The Singer’.
The Lonely H - The Singer
RX Bandits / Dredg Co-Headline Summer 2009 Tour
The tour that fans of RX Bandits and dredg knew should have happened is now making it’s way through the US. Here’s a little preview of what’s to come and here are the dates.
RX Bandits- …And The Battle Begun
The Phenomenal Handclap Band – You’ll Disappear
In addition to this years most charming band and a “phenomenal” debut record, there’s this groovy video. Enjoy!
The Phenomenal Handclap Band- You’ll Disappear
Ice Palace – Thoughts/Facts
Minneapolis-based band Ice Palace have released a video for the track, “Thoughts/Facts,” from their latest record, ‘Wonder Subtly Crushing Us’. I think of them as a folky Cursive…you be the judge.
Ice Palace- Thoughts/Facts
Amazing Baby – Headdress
(NSFW) This video should be titled “Attack of the Naked Hipster Goat People.”
Amazing Baby- Headdress
Good Old War – Weak Man (feat. Anthony Green of Circa Survive & The Sound of Animals Fighting)
They’re being compared to Simon & Garfunkel and Iron & Wine…but that’s not entirely accurate. I little overproduced for this genre of music but it works. The vocal harmonies are nice but the random Anthony Green part kind of ruins the mood. They mean well though.
Good Old War- Looking For Shelter
Wavves – No Hope Kids
Hated and loved for probably for the same reasons above. Also what does it mean when the video is of higher production than the song it’s for?
The Heavy – Sixteen
Voodoo blues garage rock outfit The Heavy follow up the utter madness of ‘Oh No! Not You Again!’ with pure soul and authenticity. That is a fact. Also their new video rocks.
The Heavy - Sixteen
A Brief Smile – Motorcycle
NYC’s A Brief Smile have released a new video for the track “Motorcycle” from their latest EP, Restaurant Airport. This really impressed me. Hopefully it does the same for you.
A Brief Smile- Motorcycle
Helicopters – Headlights
Using clips from old low-cost commercials that should be very familiar to those from the Chicagoland area, Helicopters‘ new video for last year’s ‘Headlights’ is actually pretty entertaining.
Helicopters - Headlights
Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is The Move
Not the best song to debut for the ‘unfamiliars’ but it’s still pretty gorgeous for an equally gorgeous song.
If you haven’t already immersed yourself in their newest album, Veckatimest, you need to do that right now. I’m serious, this is no joke, Veckatimest is one of the better albums released this year. If you’re already on the Grizzly-train and in the Bay area, you probably already have ticket to their Sunday and Monday shows at The Fillmore. It’s going to be a special night. Oh and I’m hearing great things about the opening act, Here We Go Magic. So show up early.
If you’re not attending the GB show tomorrow night, check out post-metal giants Isis and Helms Alee at The Blank Club in San Jose or at The Great American Music Hall on Tuesday. Also going on Monday is an early performance by non-other than Elvis Costello at Amoeba Record in San Francisco. It’s at noon, so those of you who don’t have to work, you’re in luck!
Tuesday brings post-rock spoken word act mewithoutYou with prog-rockers The Dear Hunter (no, not that one) at Slim’s and electro-pop band Starfucker hits up the Bottom of the Hill.
Wednesday has folk artists Papercuts and Port O’Brien at The Independent, Canadian indie rocks Sunset Rubdown at the Rickshaw Stop, and synth-pop act Deastro (Kuestionnaire on Tuesday) and Tempo No Tempo at Bottom of the Hill.
Yanni in Oakland at the Oracle Arena on Thursday!!! I didn’t even know he was still around. You can also check out noise-pop act Sugar and Gold, Castledoor, and Music For Animals at the Rickshaw Stop and The Karriem Riggins Virtuoso Experience Tour with special guest DJ Pete Rock.
I will be in NY for this but …
…if it’s not already sold out (probably is though), The Grand Ballroom At the Regency Center is hosting Phoenix, Boys Noize, DJ Vadim, Diplo, Amazing Baby, and a monsterload of Bay area DJs for this year’s Spectrum Festival on Friday. Meanwhile, David Byrne and DeVotchKa brighten up the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, funk-trnoica act Major Lazer hit up San Francisco’s Amoeba Records at 6pm, and Wilco and Okkervil River will be at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga as well as the Greek Theatre on Saturday.
Saturday also bring one of the most soulsucking tours in recent memory, Vans Warped Tour 2009. What used to be a celebration of individuality for young kids quickly turned into a Monster Energy Drink sponsored shitfest. There are (very) few exceptions though. Prog-metal act Thrice, indie rockers Dear and the Headlights, and brutal hip-hop artist P.O.S. light up the line-up…but only a little.
If I were not in NY on Saturday, I would see Cursive and Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band at the Great American Music Hall or the heavy metal onslaught of YOB and Will Haven at Slim’s. But I won’t…oh well.
See you out there!
Sunset Rubdown – Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!
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!
Modern Love [David Bowie Cover] from Daytrotter Session – 9/22/2009 (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 
I will be in NY for this but …
