Posts Tagged ‘The Limousines’

Noise Pop Festival 2010 Overview

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Foreign Born

Believe it or not, this was my first Noise Pop Festival. Last year I worked through the whole thing and wasn’t really too happy about that. Weird hours will do that to you. Anyways, I kicked off my experience with the pre-party at the California Academy of Science. Not a huge fan of The Frail but a huge fan of science, so I got to geek out with some friends about both music and the Late Cretaceous period.

Har Mar Superstar

Tuesday, February 23rd: It was really neat meeting some fellow SF music bloggers as well as members of the Noise Pop crew who have been wicked supportive and professional throughout the whole festival. After taking advantage of the free drinks at the bar that night, I enjoyed a bizarre and entertaining set by Har Mar Superstar. All Ron Jeremy comparisons aside, he’s got a good ear for pop music. Really fun stuff. I skipped Yoko Ono because, let’s be honest, Lost was on. Pictures here.

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[mp3] Har Mar Superstar – Tall Boy from Dark Touches (2009)

Foreign Born

Wednesday, February 24th: While it was kind of hard to decide with either Gorilla vs Bear’s Harlem and Best Coast show or Foreign Born, all I had to do is look back at my Best of 09 list and figured Foreign Born was the wisest choice. Opening the night was the East Bay’s The Splinters and they were actually really charming and enjoyable. Good on-stage chemistry. Free Energy are getting a fair share of hype lately but I’d like to think that’s due to their live performances. They played like a low key punk band and seemed pretty happy to be there. The Fresh & Onlys just wasn’t my kind of music. Plain and simple. They have this psych-garage sound that, out of nowhere, switched to goth for one song. Foreign Born on the other hand, was amazing and sounded amazing. Their remarkable African high-life guitars mixed with the singer Matt Popieluch’s carefree vocals got everyone moving. Particularly the bizarrely dressed hippies in the front row. It was a short set, but most of the show consisted of their latest (and best as far as I’m concerned) album, Person To Person. It was a good time and I was convinced I made a wise choice. Pictures here.

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[mp3] Free Energy – Something In Common from Free Energy EP (2009)

Far

Thursday, February 25th: My day! I got the distinct honor to co-present the Far show at the Bottom of the Hill. This was particularly special due to the fact that Far is one of my favorite bands of all time. I wasn’t sure about the turnout due to the Dodos doing a set with the Magik*Magik Orchestra, but I was pleasantly surprised that the show sold out that night. The Trophy Fire kicked it off with their middle-ground rock music. Their style is nothing new or surprising, but a nice addition to the line-up nonetheless. Picture Atlantic really brought their game that night with a buttload of energy. You can tune your ear to the band’s obvious pop but they still keep the music edgy and slightly experimental which keeps the experience lively and unpredictable. Stomacher has been often compared to Muse and even (gulp) Radiohead, but I think the band is less grandeur and more modest than that. Stomacher creates a mesmerizing atmosphere (albeit somewhat dark) that you can ‘immerse’ yourself into from beginning to end. There is much potential in this band and hope to see more from this talented group. Now when it comes to Far shows, particularly these recent reunion shows they’re doing, the audience comprises of mid-late 20 year olds with definite knowledge of Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, and Texas is the Reason. More importantly, they are willing to let loose and just rock the fuck out. For the very beginning of the show, almost everybody (including this guy) was singing along to every word and hyped up on the sheer energy of Jonah’s impressive stage presence. No new material was played, but the show catered to the audience Far knows and loves. I can safely say that we all knew that and appreciated hearing our favorites from Water & Solutions and Tin Cans. After the show I heard so many people saying, “I felt like I was 18, it was like 1998 all over again.” I think that was Far’s intent and they displayed it perfectly. Pictures here.

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[mp3] Stomacher – Wild Horses (Rolling Stones Cover) from Wild Horses (Rolling Stones Cover) Single (2009)

The Limousines

Friday, February 26th: I skipped the happy hour shows because I just gotten back from work and, well, I needed to take a nap. I made it over to Slim’s to catch our friends The Limousines and see Butterfly Bones wrap up their glossy and danceable set. The Limousines, as I’ve said, are maturing and becoming a tighter and more entertaining act. After The Limos, I tried to catch Atlas Sound…but no more room in the venue. Bummer. So then I remembered that Four Tet was at The Independent. I high tailed it over to Divisidaro and just made it for his first song. Review and pictures here.

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[mp3] Butterfly Bones – xoxo from Pretty Feelings (2009)

Thao Nguyen / Mirah

Saturday, February 27th: I am a huge Mark Kozelek fan. So imagine my face when I was told I couldn’t enter with my photo pass because Mr. Kozelek doesn’t want photographers at his show. Damn it! I had found an awesome parking spot too! So I shuffled back to the car and tried to decide on either !!! or Mirah. I figured that I had my fair share of dance rock last night, so it’s time to bring at down a notch and see a singer-songwriter. I am so glad I made that choice. Every performer displayed an ethereal and moving performance. Witnessing Mirah and Thao (who remains one of my favorite people to photograph) rock out together was as unique and entertaining as you’d imagine. A very very good night. Review and pictures here.

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[mp3] Thao Nguyen – Tallymarks from Like The Linen (2005)

Note: I skipped Sunday’s and Monday’s festivities due to some work I had to do and physical exhaustion. From what I hear, Edward Sharpe brought it that night. If it was half as good as his Treasure Island performance, I imagine it was another magical experience.

Conclusion: This was a nice training session for this month’s SXSW. I realized that sometimes you can’t make every show you want to and when you make a decision, it’s usually a pretty good one. Noise Pop selects some of the best in the current music scene and whatever you decide on, you’re guaranteed to enjoy yourself. Well done Noise Pop. See you next year.

Tags: Bender's Bar, Butterfly Bones, Carletta Sue Kay, Dave Smallen, Far, Foreign Born, Four Tet, Free Energy, Har Mar Superstar, Horse Feathers, kata rokkar presents, Mirah, noise pop, Noise Pop 2010, Noise Pop Festival, Picture Atlantic, show pictures, Slim's, Stomacher, Swedish American Music Hall, Thao Nguyen, The Fresh & Onlys, The Independent, The Limousines, The Splinters, Trophy Fire
Posted in Concerts, Music | 1 Comment »

show pictures: The Limousines and Butterfly Bones

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

The Limousines

While I was planning on Atlas Sound (which turned into Four Tet instead) that night, I figured I’d pay a visit to Slim’s to catch our friends, The Limousines. The duo was joined by dredg drummer Dino Campanella, which added a nice touch to the already dance worthy, free spirited style of The Limos. It’s become clear the band has developed a unique identity and have matured since my first time seeing them live. The new songs sound thrillingly eclectic, endlessly colourful and never predictable. Good job boys.

For more pictures, click here.

Butterfly Bones

The Limousines

Tags: Butterfly Bones, noise pop, Noise Pop 2010, Slim's, The Limousines
Posted in Art and Photography, Concerts, Music | No Comments »

Kata Rokkar’s Pictures of 2009

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

The Flaming Lips at Treasure Island Music Festival 2009

J. Tillman at Cafe Du Nord

The Raveonettes at Bimbo's 365

The Mae Shi at House of Nostromos

theSTART at The Bottom of the Hill

Triclops! at The Bottom of the Hill

Dan Deacon at The Great American Music Hall

Cymbals Eat Guitars at The Great American Music Hall

Q-Tip at Outside Lands Music Festival 2009

Fanfarlo at Popscene

The Walkmen at Treasure Island Music Festival 2009

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down at Treasure Island Music Festval 2009

Lenka at Outside Lands Music Festival 2009

Passion Pit at Treasure Island Music Festival 2009

Sleepy Sun at The Independent

Tenacious D at Outside Lands Music Festival 2009

The Limousines at Treasure Island Music Festival 2009

Band of Skulls at Bimbo's 365

Tags: Band of Skulls, bimbo's 365, bottom of the hill, Cafe Du Nord, Cymbals Eat Guitars, dan deacon, Fanfarlo, House of Nostromos, J. Tillman, LENKA, Outside Lands Music Festival 2009, Passion Pit, Popscene, Q-Tip, sleepy sun, Tenacious D, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, the Flaming Lips, The Great American Music Hall, The Independent, The Limousines, The Mae Shi, The Raveonettes, The Walkmen, theSTART, Treasure Island Music Festival 2009, Triclops!
Posted in Art and Photography | No Comments »

Noise Pop 2010 Line-Up Announced!

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

It seems like a pretty sweet line-up, in fact, it’s near perfect. I’m having a pretty hard time trying to figure out who I should see (wait until SXSW…ugh!). I’m happy to see our friends The Limousines on there, John Vanderslice, Mark Kozelek, and Atlas Sound have me pretty much sold right now. Plus double Magnetic Fields shows. One at Oakland’s Fox Theater and another at the Herbst Theater. Here’s the full list of performers;

Magnetic Fields
Rogue Wave
Harlem
Japanese Motors
Foreign Born
Free Energy
Scout Niblett
Zee Avi
Wallpaper
The Limousines
Four Tet
Nathan Fake
Atlas Sound
John Vanderslice
We Were Promised Jet Packs
The Lonely Forest
Bear Hands
Mark Kozelek “A Solo Acoustic Performance, from the Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon”
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Nico Vega

There’s supposed to be a few more announced so stay tuned for that. Click here for the full schedule including badge tickets, venues, Happy Hour at Benders, and eventually the film schedule.

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Foreign Born – Early Warnings from Person to Person (2009)

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Bear Hands – Long Lean Queen from Bear Hands EP (2007)

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Rogue Wave – California from Descended Like Vultures (2005)

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Sun Kil Moon – Carry Me Ohio from Ghosts Of The Great Highway (2003)

Tags: Atlas Sound, Bear Hands, Foreign Born, Four Tet, Free Energy, from the Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon", Harlem, Japanese Motors, john vanderslice, Magnetic Fields, Mark Kozelek "A Solo Acoustic Performance, Nathan Fake, Nico Vega, Noise Pop 2010, Scout Niblett, The Limousines, The Lonely Forest, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, wallpaper., We Were Promised Jet Packs, ZEE AVI
Posted in Concerts, Music | 1 Comment »

new music: The Limousines, Eluvium, Jónsi

Monday, December 7th, 2009

During a talk with Limousine lead vocalist Eric Victorino at Treasure Island Music Festival this October, I was told that next year would not only feature a tour but also finally a full length album. The best news I attained was the fact that The Limousines are finally releasing their first physical release this year. So here it is; the Scrapbook EP 7″. These songs are filled with the same personal and bright pop sensibility that The Limos are famous for. If you order now, the duo will autograph this very limited pressing which also comes with a link to download the songs onto your computer.

Purchase here!

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The Limousines - Scrapbook 1998 from Scrapbook Ep 7″ (2009)

Like a beautiful and rare animal finally emerging from it’s cave after years of hibernation, Eluvium’s new album will for the first time feature both percussion and vocals. This further expands the very talent that is Eluvium. You would think that I would be afraid of change or any kind of stray from the usual ambient, droning, and emotional feel of traditional Eluvium, but I trusted him…and was rewarded with The Motion Makes Me Last from his upcoming album (February 23rd) Similes.

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Eluvium - The Motion Makes Me Last from Similes (2010)

So with Riceboy Sleeps being a subtle introduction to what Sigur Ros lead vocalist, Jonsi is capable of, he goes off and releases a solo album entitled Go. The tracklisting (not in order) is as follows;

Go Do
Animal Arithmetic
Tornado
Boy Lilikoi
Sinking Friendships
Kolnidur
Grow Till Tall
Around Us
Hengilas

From the sound of Boy Lilikoi, it seems like he may have liked the way the first half of Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust sounded and has taken it to a poppier and more upbeat direction. It’s different from what you’d think and it’s in English. So yeah, it’s pretty awesome. March 22, 2010, mark your calendars.

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Jónsi – Boy Lilikoi from Go (2010)

Tags: Eluvium, Go, Jónsi, Scrapbook EP, The Limousines, The Motion Makes Me Last
Posted in Music | 3 Comments »

show review: Treasure Island Music Festival Day One

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

In my honest opinion, Treasure Island Music Festival is the best music festival I have ever attended. The line-up this year was filled with the best of who’s-who in the indie music world without it compromising reputation by booking a radio-friendly act in order to boost ticket sales. Besides, both dates were sold out and for good reason.

So let’s go over Day One first; first off, not the best day. Not a bad day by any means though. Bay Area’s own The Limousines kicked off the festival at a perfectly upbeat and energetic tone. Playing their now iTunes hit Very Busy People, I saw a band that I have been watching for years now become a tight electro-dance duo that will be emerging as one of the more prominent bands in 2010.

I stayed for about 3 songs for Crown City Rockers, who sounded like a next generation Roots with a mix a Franti optimism, which was kind of a turn off. Murs tore it up with his brand of storytelling hip hop. The guy works the crowd like a pro and I was quite impressed with his set. I only caught a song of Federico Aubele, I have no valid opinion of him just yet. Around this time I went to take pictures of the carnies at the backend of the festival grounds, which involved a guy laying on a bed of nails while his female assistant chopped apples and carrots on his chest. The food was okay, obviously at festival prices but the portions were perfect. One of the bands I was looking forward to was Passion Pit, who did a decent job at translating their unique dance-pop sound live. While the songs seemed to be missing a few of the layers that are featured on their latest record, Passion Pit certainly earned their time at Treasure Island.

Next I met up with lead vocalist of The Limousines, Eric Victorino to talk about the new record and other stuff, which I will post here in a few days time. We headed over to see Dan Deacon do this thing. I had already seen Dan at the Great American Music Hall this year and his performance here wasn’t any different. The only difference was the crowd, I’m not sure everyone knew what they were getting into. Dan Deacon is very demanding of his audience, he will tell you to do a dance competition, run around in circles, stretch in bizarre poses, and probably make you do things you wouldn’t expect at a rock concert. But that’s the fun of Dan Deacon show. He did pretty well despite getting frustrated a few times at certain audience members, “HEY! You with the fucking hat! Take two steps back!”

Next up was my first time seeing The Streets. Michael Skinner is much uglier up close…that I can assure you. I never fully understood the appeal of The Streets, his live show didn’t convince me, but I admit I was enjoying myself. After that was the legendary DJ Krush as he destroyed the crowd with his samurai-like DJ skills. He displayed a sense of extreme concentration that was admired by anyone willing to witness it. After Krush, I headed over to Brazilian Girls. Don’t let the name fool you, no Brazilians in this outfit, and only one girl, Sabina Sciubba. She cam out in a lingerie-like outfit with a giant heart on her torso. I was a little bored despite the obvious eye-candy of her costume. After about 3 songs I looked to see how the ferris-wheel line was…really long, so I declined in order to catch LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad. I should have caught the ferris wheel instead. Another performance that bored me to tears. I recognize they’re talented, but it’s just not my scene. I decided to stay for two songs and go find a good spot in the photo pit for MSTRKRFT.

For anyone that was a fan of MSTRKRFT that night, the duo did not disappoint. But while fans of pulse pounding electro beats were rocking out, everyone else was trying to find a good spot for Girl Talk. Greg Gillis came out with a mic and started to hype up the crowd, who was already amped up to party their asses off. This is around the time my camera’s battery ran out [note: bring extra batteries]. While mixing current radio hits with songs from last year’s Feed the Animals, Girl Talk did what he usually does, jams on his laptop while everything around him explodes, literally. There were giant tubes with balls in them, a girl with a leaf blower and a toilet-paper dispenser in the end shoot TP at the crowd, hipster dancers on stage, and at the end, a firework spectacle that pretty much said to MGMT, “Well, beat that fuckers!”

Unfortunately, MGMT couldn’t match the energy and wackiness of Girl Talk’s set. Even announcing that this was their last time playing for a long time and playing the whole record in full from start to finish didn’t hype up the crowd enough. Playing the whole record in track order didn’t help much either, after they played Kids, about half the crowd dispersed and headed for the buses back to San Francisco. I was one of them. Being that I was damn near passing out from exhaustion I had to call it a night early. Plus, my thoughts on MGMT didn’t change from watching them perform five songs into their set. They have 5 or so solid pop tunes and after that it gets kind of dull.

Let’s be clear, I had a blast, especially during Girl Talk, Passion Pit, The Limousines, and Dan Deacon. I was already impressed and was more than ready for what Day Two had in store.

Passion Pit – I’ve Got Your Number from Chunk of Change (2008)