Sunday, June 21st, 2009
I’m seeing Grizzly Bear Today!
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!
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – Cheer For Fate
Grizzly Bear – Cheerleader
Dear and the Headlights – Talk About
Major Lazer – Hold The Line (DJ Edit)
Tags: amazing baby, Boys Noize, Castledoor, Cursive, David Byrne, Dear and the Headlights, Deastro, Diplo, DJ Vadim, Elvis Costello, Grizzly Bear, Here We Go Magic, Isis, Major Lazer, mewithoutyou, p.o.s., Phoenix, Starfucker, Sugar and Gold, The Dear Hunter, The Fillmore, The Karriem Riggins Virtuoso Experience Tour, This Week In Bay Area Live Shows, Thrice, wilco
Posted in Concerts, Music, This Week In Bay Area Live Shows | 1 Comment »
Friday, December 26th, 2008
Best EPs of 2008:
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One Day As A Lion - One Day As A Lion: The Rage isn’t back, but the passion of Zach is.
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Cool Kids – The Bake Sale: Hip-hop is not dead, it’s alive and well with The Cool Kids.
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The Decemberists – Always a Bridesmaid: One song bugs me, but the rest is lovely.
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Animal Collective – Water Curses: An exciting view into what’s in store for 2009.
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Air France – No Way Down: I don’t need a new Avalanches record, all I need is this EP…and this lamp.
Best Gadget I Couldn’t Live Without:
Best Music Blogs of 2008 (aside from Gorilla vs. Bear and Brooklyn Vegan):
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Motel De Moka: Stunning artwork mixed with the best minimalistic, experimental, and ambient music I’ve never heard of.
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ipickmynose: His weekly song obsessions quickly become my song obsessions. Plus his view into the Bay Area indie scene helps me understand this strange new land I’ve found myself in.
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Captain Obvious: His library of covers is unrivaled as well as his detailed and spot-on album reviews.
Best Books I Read This Year:
Biggest Musical Disappointments:
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The Ben Folds album…blows
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Kanye West experiements…fails
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No Portishead US tour
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Foo Fighters just can’t rock like they used to
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Scarlett Johansson covers Tom Waits, nuff said
Most Anticipated in 2009:
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Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
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Dan Deacon – Bromst
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Mastodon – Crack The Skye
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dredg – tba
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M. Ward – Hold Time
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Division Day – tba
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Jeremy Enigk – Ok Bear
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Cage – Depart From Me
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Weatherman Album?
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The One AM Radio – tba
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The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
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Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
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Rival Schools – tba
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Kiss Kiss – The Meek Shall Inherit What’s Left
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The Arcade Fire – tba
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Battles – tba
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Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything To Nothing
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mewithoutyou – tba
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Cursive – tba
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Burial – tba
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Wilco – tba
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Menomena – tba
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The Album Leaf – tba
Other Songs That I Loved This Year
Astro Raw – I’m The One With A Smile
Beach House – Gila
Bill O’Reilly – Bill O’Reilly Flips Out (Dance Remix)
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – So Everyone
Chairlift – Evident Utensil
Cloud Cult – Everybody here is a Cloud
The Cool Kids – A Party (For Everyone) (Logarhythmik remix)
The Dear Hunter – Battesimo del Fuoco
Delta Spirit – Trashcan
Department Of Eagles – No One Does It Like You
The Dodos – Fools
Entire Cities – Talkers
Facing New York – Cops On Bikes (WP PM5K RMX)
Frightened Rabbit – Fast Blood
God Is An Astronaut – Remaining Light
Grizzly Bear – While You Wait For The Others
The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
Jolie Holland – Mexico City
The Limousines – Very Busy People
Little Joy – Brand New Start
Lykke Li – I’m Good, I’m Gone
Mason Proper – Friendship
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Jesus Of The Moon
Port O’Brien – Fisherman’s Son
Portugal. The Man – Lay Me Back Down
R.E.M. – Supernatural Superserious
Rye Rye – Tic Toc (ft. M.I.A.)
Sennen – Your Hand In Mine
The Sound Of Animals Fighting – The Ocean And The Sun
Vampire Weekend – Ottoman
White Denim – Sitting
Tags: Astro Raw, beach house, Bill O'Reilly, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, chairlift, Cloud Cult, Delta Spirit, department of eagles, Entire Cities, facing new york, Favorites of 2008, Frightened Rabbit, God Is An Astronaut, Grizzly Bear, Jolie Holland, Little Joy, Lykke Li, Mason Proper, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Port O'Brien, Portugal. The Man, R.E.M., Rye Rye, Sennen, The Cool Kids, The Dear Hunter, The Dodos, The Hold Steady, The Limousines, The Sound of Animals Fighting, Vampire Weekend, White Denim
Posted in Favorites of 2008, Music, News | 9 Comments »
