2015 March – Showbams

Shows of the Week // GO4FREE to Widespread Panic THUR, FRI or SAT at Fox Theater Oakland

March 18, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Photo by Sterling Munksgard // Written by Molly Kish //

Widespread Panic //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
March 19th-21st, 2015 //

Blues-rock legends and masters of jazz improvisation, Widespread Panic are bringing their spring 2015 tour to the Fox Theater Oakland for three consecutive nights this Thursday-Saturday. Kicking off the tour this month on the West Coast, the Athens, Ga., band’s current lineup of John Bell, John “JoJo” Hermann, Jimmy Herring, Todd Nance, Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz and Dave Schools has taken the time to explore new territories in both sound and songwriting technique following their 2012 hiatus. Beyond finding a rejuvenated sense of purpose as musicians, the sextet has completely reworked their live show to include innovations in both its recorded audio and live portions. Never knowing what type of show you’re going to get, Panic continues to revel in the element of surprise. Whether it’s their ever-changing setlists, expansive jam sessions or creative outlook, they take you on a musical journey with their artistic spontaneity each time they hit the stage.

Contest ends Thursday at Noon for Thursday 3/19 show, Friday at Noon for Friday 3/20 & Saturday 3/21 shows.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

Andre Nickatina: March 19th (THUR) @ The New Parish
Everyone Is Dirty: March 20th (FRI) @ Leo’s Music Club
Afrolicious: March 20th (FRI) @ Great American Music Hall
Joe Pug: March 20th (FRI) @ The Independent
This Will Destroy You: March 21st (SAT) @ Great American Music Hall
Mod Sun: March 22nd (SUN) @ Slim’s

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Fox Theater Oakland, Widespread Panic

BØRNS charms The Independent after going from opener to last-second headliner

March 17, 2015 by Pedro Paredes 1 Comment

By Pedro Paredes //

BØRNS with Handsome Ghost //
The Independent – San Francisco
March 12th, 2015 //

Sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time. For BØRNS, that was the case on Thursday night when New York City indie-pop act MisterWives was expected to headline The Independent.

But with an illness in the band forcing MisterWives to cancel their set, it was BØRNS who was quickly elevated from opening act to the show’s headliner. The Independent did their best to rectify the situation, making the show free for all guests to attend via RSVP and saying that it will honor any tickets that were bought when MisterWives return to SF for their rescheduled show in June.

Nevertheless, the show went on and still sold out in a blink of an eye. There were many, in fact, who had bought tickets to the original show because they wanted to see BØRNS just as much as they wanted to see MisterWives.

Inside the venue, nobody complained about MisterWives’ late scratch. Instead, they gave their full attention to Handsome Ghost, who got the audience warmed up with an acoustic guitar and a variety of electronic arrangements.

By the time BØRNS, Michigan native and current LA transplant Garrett Borns, arrived onstage with his four other bandmates, the crowd was ready to let loose — and let loose they most certainly did as he opened with his hit single “10,000 Emerald Pools” off his 2014 EP Candy. It’s an infectious song that everyone has come to love over the last several months, and coupled with BØRNS’ charismatic stage presence, the room immediately came to life.

Already signed to Interscope Records and on several “Artists to Watch in 2015” lists, BØRNS has yet to release a full-length album. And for that very reason, his show ended up being relatively short. But as many who were there can attest to, it never lacked excitement.

Setlist:
10,000 Emerald Pools
Seeing Stars
Broke
Past Lives
Benny and the Jets (Elton John cover)
The One
American Money
It’s My Party (cover)
Electric Love

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: BØRNS, Handsome Ghost, MisterWives, The Independent

Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves // Community Review

March 17, 2015 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves //

We loved the batch of singles released in the marketing efforts to promote Modest Mouse’s first album since Bush was Pres. But does the long player hold up to the hype?

BAM TEAM RATING:

Eight years between albums can feel like an eternity for any band, but it’s particularly long when you consider that Modest Mouse haven’t taken more than four years to release any of their previous LPs. Frontman Isaac Brock has been through a lot in that time, from a frightening moment in 2007 that left him bleeding profusely from his face to a number of run-ins with the law over the years. Strangers to Ourselves, the band’s sixth studio LP, reminds us why Modest Mouse remain one of the most essential indie-rock outfits over the last two decades. With a run time of nearly an hour, the substantial 15-track Strangers has all the makings of a classic Modest Mouse record with experimental touches sprinkled throughout and a major guest spot from one of Brocks’ longtime friends, James Mercer, who lends a hand in the singing department. As most Modest Mouse fans should be used to by now, it’s an album that requires patience and a willingness to dig deeper than just its singles (see “Lampshades on Fire”), yet one that also proves to be quite rewarding in doing so. -Josh Herwitt
3.5 BAMS // Top Song: “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box”

Eight long years! Modest Mouse sure took their time with this one. And the marketing campaign has been in full swing for weeks, slowly releasing singles. I’m really enjoying this album and it’s classic Modest Mouse to my ears (that wailing guitar sound — you know the one I’m talking about), but it would have been incredibly hard to live up to the hype that I had built up for it. Although the album drags at times, it’s a joy to hear and there will be many people lining up and salivating at the chance to hear these new tunes live. -Steven Wandrey
4 BAMS // Top Song: “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box”

There are musical and thematic aspects of all of their discography in this one album. You have the fucked up party anthem “Lampshades on Fire.” You have the unfortunate fact of human impact on the planet with “Coyotes.” You have references to the Wild West and misanthrope “God Is an Indian and You’re an Asshole.” In all, this album feels familiar yet fresh, which is good because I tend to wear out my Modest Mouse albums. -Bridget Stagnitto
4 BAMS // Top Song: “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box”

This 15-track return to form has a handful of grand slam singles (“The Best Room,” The Ground Walks, With Time In A Box”) along with just as many stinkers that linger beyond the moment they inhabit (“Be Brave,” “Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996” in particular). The sequencing makes for a jarring first listen that smooths out as more time is given for the work to acclimate. Strangers to Ourselves fits snugly into the Modest Mouse canon, especially with so much time since the last set of new tunes — and even more music is on the way with a second album allegedly coming soon (which might include a Big Boi collab). The biggest accomplishment here is Modest Mouse pushing their aesthetic boundaries (for better and worse), firing up a passion that continues to drive the group forward. -Mike Frash
3 BAMS // Top Song: “The Best Room”

What do you think of Modest Mouse’s Strangers to Ourselves? Keep the conversation going below with your quick review or comment. We’ll hook you up with a free pair of tickets to your choice of show this week in San Francisco if we like your reply.

Write to ShowbamsSubmit@gmail.com if you’d like to write for Showbams and contribute quick reviews.

Next Co-Review: To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar

Filed Under: Community Review, Featured, New Music Tagged With: Community Review, Modest Mouse, Strangers to Ourselves

Killer Mike’s ‘fuck boy’ chant in response to fuck boy SXSW fan is all time

March 16, 2015 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Photos by Alfonso Solis // Written by Mike Frash //

The music portion of SXSW got underway on Monday in Austin, and Run the Jewels were busy continuing their rise to the throne at the Spotify House. Then some shit went down …

Killer Mike was likely having a good day — Kendrick Lamar gave the substantive spitter a massive shout out in his new track, “Hood Politics,” which unleashed on Sunday. In contrast to Kdot’s “Control” verse that took on the genre at large, the praise for Killer Mike is particularly loud due to the lack of shout outs to others.

So as RTJ was firing up “Banana Clipper,” someone from the audience walked up on stage like he owned the place and looked to be on the hunt for El-P.

https://instagram.com/p/0TiTGRDvSV/

Killer Mike takes the role of bouncer with security seemingly minimal and hunts down the stage crasher with gusto.

The most appropriate part: this is the song where Mike later says, “I sent they mom a little cash and a sympathy letter/ Told her she raised a bunch a fuck boys, next time do better/ Bitch.” Mike reiterates this in his response to the situation:

https://instagram.com/p/0Tp-WSTc3Y/

“Fuck boy” is RTJ’s catch all for weak ass phonies, and the phrase is sprinkled throughout their two LPs. It represents everything El & Mike are against in their populist, antics-driven crusade for real. And Mr. Render’s response to the altercation feeds into RTJ’s growing influence and the moment perfectly.

The best part: Mike has El’s back and vice versa. These guys truly are brothers.

Filed Under: Featured, Music Story Tagged With: Kendrick Lamar, Killer Mike, Run The Jewels

Help protect SF music venues from developers & new noise complaints with one minute of your time

March 14, 2015 by Mike Frash 4 Comments

Photo by James Nagel // Written by Mike Frash //

San Francisco is changing. Rapidly. As technology jobs increase every day in the Bay Area, high-income people from all over the world are moving into San Francisco, which has always been a transitory City.

Case in point, the February median price of a one-bedroom apartment:

Supperclub, I-Beam, Cafe Cocomo, Lucky 13 & The Lexington, have all bit the dust or have a significant threat to their existence. There is development in the works near both The Independent & Slim’s…the threat to the arts in San Francisco is real and it’s happening now.

Supervisor London Breed is introducing legislation that to protect nightlife venues from new developments. The legislation prevents venues from being shut down if they are operating within their permits, requires developers to work with venues before they start construction, and ensures that all potential tenants of a new development know about the local venues before they move in.

SF bar & venue owner Ben Bleiman has organized this petition you need to sign (it will a take a couple minutes), which aims to gather support for Breed’s new legislation.

300 more signatures are needed in the next four days to fulfill this petition (at the time of publishing), which will show a unified voice to SF City Hall. It’s the only way to ensure our world-renowned nightlife will continue to thrive throughout this period of rapid change in SF.

Click here to sign the petition.

Bleiman writes:

As a bar/venue owner in San Francisco, I have seen time and time again how one new neighbor or a group of new neighbors from a recently developed “market rate” property can force beloved nightlife venues to endure lawsuits, harassment and even closure. These venues’ only “infraction” was conducting their businesses legally and as they have for years before the new developments. Supervisor London Breed has bravely and rightly proposed a commonsense solution, and I enthusiastically, wholeheartedly support her legislation!

Protect live music in San Francisco by joining this petition and spreading the word.

Filed Under: Featured, Music Story, News Tagged With: #SaveSFNightLife, Live Music, Nightlive, San Francisco

RUMOR: Why not Phil Lesh or Trey Anastasio for additional Fare Thee Well Bay Area shows?

March 14, 2015 by Steven Wandrey 37 Comments

By Steven Wandrey //

After the most hyped shows of our lifetimes sold out instantaneously, a million people (literally) were crestfallen and left without tickets. Scalpers’ prices currently range from insulting to outrageous for the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago over Fourth of July weekend.

After overseeing a sell out of epic proportions, the Dead 50 camp surely has dollar signs in their eyes. And why shouldn’t they? If they could stand to pocket millions more dollars by playing four to six more shows, they should.

Now that the rumored date additions at Levi’s Stadium and New York City are seemingly close to fruition, the rumored performers for the Santa Clara shows in late June at Levi’s stadium are: Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Jeff Chimenti, Steve Kimock, John Mayer and Mike Gordon.

While John Mayer pulls some mainstream weight, it’s truly a testament to how strong the Chicago demand was that promoters believe this alleged lineup will safely sell out Levi’s for tickets over $100 face value.

Most importantly, why the possible omission of Phil Lesh and Trey Anastasio? It seems like a slam dunk that Lesh would be a part of his homecoming shows, a short drive from his own venue Terrapin Crossroads.

So what changed? The only obvious change is the swapping of Anastasio for Kimock. Does Lesh have a personal problem with Kimock, who has performed with Phil & Friends in the past? Why would Lesh possibly sit this one out? We’ll update as this one continues to develop.

Watch this performance of “Loser” with Bruce Hornsby and band along with Steve Kimock and Phil Lesh from 1998.

Filed Under: Featured, Music Story Tagged With: Fare Thee Well, grateful dead, Grateful Dead 50, Levi's Stadium, Phish, Santa Clara

BROODS dazzle a sold-out Regency Ballroom

March 12, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Scott Martin //

BROODS with Mikky Ekko //
The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
March 7th, 2015 //

Fresh off their performance on “Conan” last week, New Zealand indie-pop/electronica duo BROODS dazzled The Regency Ballroom on Saturday night while in SF for their 2015 North American tour. Made up by lead vocalist Georgia Nott and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Nott, the brother-and-sister combo dropped its first full-length studio record Evergreen last year after working with producer Joel Little (Lorde, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding).

Opening the sold-out show was Louisiana artist/record producer Mikky Ekko (aka John Stephen Sudduth), who is best known for being featured on Rihanna’s 2013 single “Stay” and released his own debut album Time on RCA Records in January.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Broods, Mikky Ekko, The Regency Ballroom

High Sierra Music Fest adds Umphrey’s McGee, The Word, Lake Street Dive, Nicki Bluhm, Lotus & more

March 12, 2015 by Mike Frash 2 Comments

Photo by Justin Halgren // Written by Mike Frash //

High Sierra Music Festival //
Quincy, CA
July 2nd-5th, 2015 //

The 25th addition of High Sierra Music Festival is starting to look like a major celebration of the magical four-day fest’s history.

This lineup is arguably stronger than any in the past five years, rewarding the HSMF faithful for years of loyalty. I gotta say, this is not only a great alternative compared to the final Dead shows in Chicago, but it looks much more fun. Dig into the lineup (so far) below.

Also, discover why we keep going back to High Sierra Music Festival.

Phase Two additions include:
Umphrey’s McGee
The John Butler Trio
The Word (John Medeski, Robert Randolph, Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, Chris Chew)
Lake Street Dive
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers
Lotus
The Jeff Austin Band featuring Danny Barnes, Ross Martin, Eric Thorin
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
BoomBox
The Motet
Papadosio
Fruition
Jennifer Hartswick
The Waifs
Dopapod
The Nth Power
Steve Poltz
Marco Benevento
Nathan Moore
The Main Squeeze
Scott Pemberton
Cabinet
The Black Lillies
Tim Flannery & The Lunatic Fringe
Con Brio
T Sisters
Patchy Sanders
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers
The Nibblers
Michael McNevin
The Sam Chase
Jessica Lurie – Artist-At-Large
Living Folklore

Get your HSMF tickets here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: High Sierra Music Festival

JMSN jumps to headliner status in one quick year

March 11, 2015 by Nikki de Martini Leave a Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Nikki DeMartini //

JMSN with Rochelle Jordan, Devon Baldwin //
The Independent – San Francisco
March 2nd, 2015 //

Last March, Christian Berishaj (better known by his stage name JMSN) opened for Crosses at The Independent. And now a year later, he has headlined there!

Dressed in Bermuda cutoffs, an over-sized, striped T-shirt, slip-on kicks and a simple gold cross on a long gold chain, JMSN looked every bit indie, complete with a well-kept beard as he breezed on to the stage. A diverse crowd leisurely mingled following supporting act Rochelle Jordan — the show was sold out by the time the headliner started.

With an exhilarated pep in his step, the Albanian-American singer/songwriter/producer from Detroit kicked things off with “Addicted” from his 2014 self-titled (The Blue) album. Greeting the crowd with a charismatic “how y’all doing?” JMSN came off very friendly and genuine, quick to interact with and introduce his bandmates and coolly connect with his fans.

His R&B singing style, paired with indie back-up bass and drums, gave the spirited set a subtle folk feel with a good-vibe glow. The talented frontman gracefully bopped around the stage all night, delivering a lively show, which pleasantly offset the somberness of the songs.

Compared to the likes of How to Dress Well and Bon Iver, JMSN has undoubtedly mastered a unique technique of blending the soul, indie and R&B genres. Appealing to a wide-ranging fan base, JMSN continues to garner high praises and a growing popularity with a wholehearted ease.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: JMSN, The Independent

Are Umphrey’s McGee LA’s quintessential jam band?

March 11, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Umphrey’s McGee feat. special guest Joshua Redman //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
March 6th, 2015 //

Los Angeles has never been known as a home for jam bands. For as well-rounded as its music scene stands today, LA hasn’t ever been a prominent city for jam bands quite like Denver, San Francisco and other smaller U.S. markets have.

While psychedelic rock thrived in the City of Angels five decades ago thanks to bands like The Doors and The Byrds, much of the counterculture that was born out of the 60’s and remains connected to today’s jam band scene isn’t one many LA bands strive to recreate, whether it be sonically or culturally.

So, in a city with as much music and creativity as LA, how is that there are no well-known jam bands, past or present, that officially call it home?

Maybe it’s because LA’s penchant for glitz and glamor has always been a major turnoff for most jam bands. Or maybe it’s the city’s high cost of living that is just too demanding for many to survive in nowadays.

But if there’s one jam band that could finally transform that notion here in La-la-land, it might be Umphrey’s McGee.

The six-piece originally hailing from South Bend, Ind., isn’t your typical “jam band” in the traditional sense. Umphrey’s, for one, have always had an affinity for progressive rock and heavy metal, with a long list of influences ranging from King Crimson and Pink Floyd to Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses. For that very reason, their fan base’s demographics remain fairly widespread — much like another well-known jam band by the name of Widespread Panic, coincidentally enough — from young, tie-dye-wearing hippies to 50-year-old dads with long, shaggy hair who just want to rock out.

That said, it isn’t hard to spot the group’s jam band qualities either. Over the course of their 18-year career, Umphrey’s have demonstrated quite a few of those characteristics, whether it’s been the band’s live improvisation, ever-changing setlists or open taping policy.

That’s not all, though.

With their repertoire of covers, nothing appears to be off-limits for Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Joel Cummins (keyboards, vocals), Ryan Stasik (bass), Andy Farag (percussion), Jake Cinninger (guitar, vocals) and Kris Myers (drums, vocals) these days.

Consequently, it’s a recipe that continues to draw more and more fans each time Umphrey’s play LA. After graduating from the House of Blues Sunset Strip to The Wiltern last year, the Chicago-based band returned to the historic, art deco venue on Friday night and had the 1,850-capacity theater packed from the front to the back. If the show wasn’t completely sold out, it felt damn near close. And really, when you think about it, that’s not bad for a band — let alone a “jam band” — that only plays LA once a year. Add in the fact that Cummins and now Myers live in LA, and it makes even more sense that Umphrey’s McGee could be well on their way to becoming LA’s quintessential jam band.

Playing two sets and an encore for a total of almost three hours, Umphrey’s performed a number of cuts from their upcoming ninth studio album The London Session, which was recorded in one day at Abbey Road Studios in London. Unlike the year before where they shocked everyone at The Wiltern with a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” there were no big surprises this time around. Instead, we were treated to classics like “Bridgeless,” “In The Kitchen” and “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” as well as a cover of The Police’s “Driven to Tears” to close out the second set, not to mention Joshua Redman’s jazzy saxophone lines at various points throughout the night.

Yet, what was also interesting to hear was Tool’s Ænima being played over the PA system in between sets. Whether that was Umphrey’s choice or the venue’s remains unknown, but the selection definitely said something about the type of music fans who occupied The Wiltern that night.

Formed in LA during the early 90’s, Tool has been one of the most respected rock bands over the last two decades. With multiple Grammy Awards and countless sold-out tours inked on their résumé, Tool’s prog-rock/alt-metal tendencies have won over fans both far and near, garnering one of the strongest cult followings in rock despite the fact that their last album 10,000 Days came out practically nine years ago.

As cultivators of “improg” (live improvisation + progressive rock) and fans of heavy metal, Umphrey’s McGee in many ways fall under the same musical tree, even with all of their “jam band” attributes. Sure, they likely won’t be selling out two nights at Staples Center — much like Tool did in 2006 — anytime soon, but with the audience they’ve been gradually building in LA, they may finally be on to something.

UPDATE: Umphrey’s McGee have confirmed to us that Tool was the band’s choice to play during intermission at The Wiltern.

@showbams Tool was our choice. 😉 https://t.co/POWlinQiFN

— Umphrey's McGee (@umphreysmcgee) March 11, 2015

Set 1: October Rain, Bridgeless > Gents > Bridgeless, Booth Love > Rocker Part 2, Professor Wormbog*, Made to Measure* > Bad Friday*

Set 2: Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Hajimemashite -> In The Kitchen, Wife Soup*, 1348* > Educated Guess* > 1348*, Driven to Tears

Encore: Plunger

*with Joshua Redman on saxophone

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Joshua Redman, The Wiltern, Tool, Umphrey's McGee

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to James Murphy 3/12 (THUR)

March 11, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish //

James Murphy (DJ set) with Eug (FACE) //
Public Works – San Francisco
March 12th, 2015 //

World-renowned musician, producer, DJ, filmmaker, composer, actor and Blue Bottle Coffee espresso muse James Murphy returns to Public Works this Thursday night for a rare DJ set with Eug (FACE) serving as support. Known as the electro-punk archetype from his seminal career as the frontman for LCD Soundsystem, Murphy has played a key role in the evolution of modern-day dance music over the past two decades.

Forming his own record label (DFA Records) in 2001 with co-founders Jonathan Galkin and Tim Goldsworthy, Murphy provided a home for prolifically like-minded artists as well as a launching pad for some of today’s hottest touring acts: Hot Chip, Holy Ghost!, Factory Floor, Yacht, The Juan Maclean and more. After LCD played their last show ever at Madison Square Garden in 2011, Murphy continued branching out as a hands-on producer, getting involved in both Arcade Fire’s 2014 hit album Reflektor as well as several other creative projects including Despacio, remixing sound samples from the 2014 US Open, directing a short film for Canon’s Project Imagination and collaborating with the co-owner of Blue Bottle Coffee to inspire his own blend of espresso.

Contest ends Thursday, March 12th at 3 p.m.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

Hucci: March 12th (THUR) @ Mezzanine
Howlin Rain: March 13th (FRI) @ Leo’s Music Club
The Sam Chase: March 14th (SAT) @ Slim’s
Electric Six: March 14th (SAT) @ The Independent

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Electric Six, Howlin Rain, Hucci, James Murphy, Leo's Music Club, Mezzanine, Public Works, Public Works SF, Slims, The Independent, The Sam Chase

Outside Lands 2015: Lineup locks, likely acts & long shots

March 11, 2015 by The Bam Team 15 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

UPDATE: The lineup has been announced. View the full lineup here.

Outside Lands 2015 speculation season may now commence.

For the first year, wristbands will be used for all three-day GA and VIP tickets instead of paper tickets or PDF printouts. Could this be a sign that single-day tickets are a thing of the past?

As a comparison, Coachella moved over to wristbands the same year single-day tickets were abolished. If Superfly and Another Planet can sell out the entire weekend with only three-day passes, than why wouldn’t they punt on the one-day option?

We’ve looked at tour dates, researched competing festivals and considered Outside Lands’ curation history. Squamish Valley Music Festival in BC may be the same weekend from August 7th-9th, but those large metal flying birds make it so musicians can easily do both fests.

The same goes for acts booked in Europe the week after Outside Lands — many artists will play Lollapalooza or Osheaga, followed by Outside Lands, then they cross the pond for mid-August festivals abroad.

If you have a lead or opinion, drop us a comment below. We’ll be updating this list as new developments happen. So, allow us to play Nostradamus and offer these predictions.

Lock It In

Kendrick Lamar – Ranger D tweeted he DLed KDot’s new album on March 16th, and he’s also headlining Bonnaroo.
Mumford and Sons – OSL fits their schedule between Squamish and their Washington “stopover.”
Tame Impala – These Aussie psych-rockers and APE loyalists are ready for a prime-time slot.
Deadmau5 – The mouse is atop many major lineups, including Bonnaroo, so his return to OSL seems logical.
St. Vincent – Annie Clark is worthy of headliner status, and she’s confirmed for Osheaga.
Sam Smith – The big question remains: Is he a Land’s End or Twin Peaks headliner?
Bassnectar – This APE regular is long overdue to helm Twin Peaks for a hometown blowout.
Hot Chip – Basically confirmed via Twitter. And they’re in LA on August 11th.
Wilco – The stars are aligning … Tweedy, Cline and company are confirmed for LA on August 5th.
Alabama Shakes – Playing Squamish. Remember how packed their first OSL appearance was?!?!
Run the Jewels – Accidentally confirmed on RTJ’s tour page and would mark OSL’s first B2B booking.
Sylvan Esso – They’ve played The Independent and Fox Theater Oakland in the past year, and they’ll be in the Midwest the week after OSL.
Django Django – Playing in LA on August 6th.
!!! (chk chk chk) – Played OSL four years ago, and they’re touring with Hot Chip in LA on August 11th.
Jeff the Brotherhood – Dates open and booked for Mumford “stopover” up north in Walla Walla.
Laura Marling – Playing LA on August 6th and a perfect selection for a Sutro Stage. (added March 17th)

Seems Likely

Elton John
The Black Keys
The War on Drugs
The Avett Brothers
Brandon Flowers
Death From Above 1979
Toro Y Moi
Of Monsters and Men
Interpol
First Aid Kit
Stromae
ODESZA
ScHoolboy Q
Gorgon City
The Kills
Slow Magic
Slightly Stoopid

Looking Plausible

Drake (Downgraded to “Looking Plausible” 3/16)
Bruce Springsteen
Chance the Rapper
Caribou
Florence + The Machine (upgraded to “Looking Plausible” on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Axwell Λ Ingrosso
alt-J (upgraded on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Belle & Sebastian
The Decemberists (upgraded on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Flying Lotus
Father John Misty (upgraded to “Looking Plausible” on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Future Islands
Mac Demarco
Glass Animals
Hozier
Benjamin Booker
Alvvays
AWOLNATION
Strand of Oaks
Bahamas
Hiss Golden Messenger

Long Shot (but could happen)

Jack White
Sleater-Kinney
D’Angelo
Weezer (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Jack Ü
Nas (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
TV on the Radio
Todd Terje
Gary Clark Jr. (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Action Bronson (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Viet Cong (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Marina & the Diamonds
MS MR (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Charli XCX
Jamie xx
Kygo
San Fermin (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Milky Chance

View our predictions from 2014.
View our predictions from 2013.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Action Bronson, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, Alvvays, Awolnation, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Bahamas, Bassnectar, Belle & Sebastian, Ben Harper, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Benjamin Booker, Brandon Flowers, Burce Springsteen, Caribou, Chance The Rapper, Charli XCX, CHK CHK CHK, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, D'Angelo, D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Deadmau5, Death from Above 1979, Django Django, Drake, Elton John, Father John Misty, First Aid Kit, Florence & the Machine, Flying Lotus, Future Islands, Gary Clark Jr, Glass Animals, Golden Gate Park, Gorgon City, Hiss Golden Messenger, Hot Chip, Hozier, Interpol, Jack Ü, Jack White, Jamie xx, JEFF the Brotherhood, Kendrick Lamar, Kygo, Laura Marling, Marina and the Diamonds, Milky Chance, MS MR, Mumford & Sons, Nas, Odesza, Of Monsters and Men, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, Predictions, Rumors, Run The Jewels, Sam Smith, San Fermin, Schoolboy Q, Slightly Stoopid, Slow Magic, St. Vincent, Strand of Oaks, Stromae, Sylvan Esso, Tame Impala, The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, The Decemberists, The Kills, The War on Drugs, Todd Terje, Toro Y Moi, TV on the Radio, Viet Cong, Weezer, Wilco

Will Butler – Policy // Community Review

March 10, 2015 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

Will Butler – Policy //

You may already know him as a founding member of Arcade Fire, the multi-instrumentalist that runs around the stage with the energy and passion of a hype man — oh and he’s Win Butler’s little brother.

Will Butler has now stepped into world of solo artistry with his debut, Policy.

BAM TEAM RATING:

This is not an Arcade Fire album, though we hear Will’s characteristic sound infused throughout. One aspect that sets this album apart from his “bread and butter” act is the overwhelming eclecticism that is pervasive throughout Policy. What’s so refreshing is the deep passion that the younger Butler brother pours into this rock record that is equal parts shiny-pop and equal parts scrappy-indie all in the same breath. Sure, sometimes I feel like there’s a little less focus (see: thematic nature of Arcade Fire) being honed in here, but this allows each track to be its own island. -Kevin Quandt
3.5 BAMS // Top Song: “Take My Side”

There are some bright spots, but this album would’ve gotten far less attention were it not for a certain dose of nepotism. It’s an enjoyable listen, but the album feels light and doesn’t venture far under the surface of what you hear upon its first listen. Butler should stick with his brother where the end product reaches much more deeply into our emotions. -Steven Wandrey
2 BAMS // Top Song: “Anna”

Each track off of Will Butler’s eight-track album carries a different sound all on its own, which is difficult to pull off while still being coherent. From pseudo-punk on “Take My Side” to an 80’s vibe on “Ana” and doo-whoop hooks on “Witness,” Policy flows articulately from beginning to end. The album is laced with witty lyrics, including “Please don’t cry / Your crying it ain’t gonna help” (“Take My Side”), “Hey little Ana you’re the one / Rising before the lazy sun” (“Ana”) and “I will buy you a pony / We can cook it for supper / I know a great recipe for pony macaroni” (“What I Want”). The overall tempo ebbs and flows serenely also, starting off with a upbeat tempos, dipping a little bit into a melancholy state on “Finish What I Started,” as it cruises back up to its upbeat nature before getting lifted up after the super-slow-tempo “Sing to Me” to end with a feel good vibe on “Witness.” -Nikki DeMartini
4 BAMS // Top Song: “What I Want”

If his album Policy is any indication, Will Butler is a tightly-wound guy, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. This tone serves as both a strength and his biggest weakness — there is a clear apathy around creating a through line, which overall gives Policy a disjointed feel. This collection offers a rockabilly, wonky romp that exudes shades of Arcade Fire elements, including Butler’s vocal style and what sounds like Régine Chassagne supporting with her angelic layers of singing. About half the tracks are rather transcendent, including “Anna,” “Son of God” and “Witness,” but much of the brief long player is incohesive and messy, including the aimless “Finish What I Started.” Still, the gems are worth savoring. -Mike Frash
3 BAMS // Top Song: “Anna”

What do you think of Will Butler’s Policy? Keep the conversation going below with your quick review or comment! If we like your reply, we’ll hook you up with a free pair of tickets to your choice of show this week in San Francisco.

Help us decide which album Showbams will community review next week.
Watch videos from our two options this week, then vote.

Write to ShowbamsSubmit@gmail.com if you’d like to write for Showbams and contribute quick reviews.

Tobias Jesso Jr. – “How Could You Babe” from Goon

Modest Mouse – “The Best Room” from Stranger to Ourselves

Houndmouth – “Sedona” from Little Neon Limelight

Filed Under: Community Review, Featured, New Music Tagged With: Community Review, Policy, Will Butler

Controversy aside, Viet Cong are here to stay

March 9, 2015 by Kevin J Quandt 3 Comments

Photos by Diana Cordero // Written by Kevin Quandt //

Viet Cong with Freak Heat Waves //
Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco
March 5th, 2015 //

Viet Cong were in the news for the wrong reason last week, but that didn’t phase one of the most buzzed-about bands of 2015 from delivering one of the most pummeling and enjoyable shows of the New Year.

Joined by fellow Canadians Freak Heat Waves, this arty bill grabbed the attention of locals as this long-sold-out show had folks clamoring to gain entry.

Freak Heat Waves delivered their own unique take on post-new wave that was both entirely detached but thoroughly entertaining as the discordant performance kept you tapping your foot steadily while being engulfed in monotone vocals.

Once the appetizer had been digested, Viet Cong were taking the stage and beginning a theme of quirky banter that eased the crowd into the blistering set as opposed to bombardment. Within the first few chords, it was evident that continued time on the road found the band at the peak of perfection.

A recent self-titled debut on Jagjaguwar has gained the attention of indie hounds looking for the “next big thing” as the sound on this LP can be described as a dysfunctional marriage of Interpol, Foals and Parquet Courts. Early crowd-pleasers “Continental Shelf” and “Silhouettes” kept the capacity crowd’s attention as the art-rock darlings worked their way through an exceptionally well-crafted set.

It’s safe to say that we will be hearing much more from this quartet for the duration of the year, even if they are known by a different name by the end of that time.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Freak Heat Waves, Rickshaw Stop, Viet Cong

Noise Pop 2015: Who made the ‘most’ of SF’s 12-day indie fest?

March 6, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Caribou at The Fillmore // Photo by Justin Yee

Photos by Justin Yee, Pedro Paredes, Mike Rosati, Alfonso Solis & Nicole Alfaro // Written by Molly Kish //

Noise Pop //
Bay Area venues – San Francisco & Oakland
February 20th-March 1st, 2015 //

2015 marked the Bay Area’s 23rd annual celebration of independent music, art, film and more, affectionately known as Noise Pop. Running 12 full days and taking place at more than 20 different venues throughout SF and the East Bay, this marathon party is best described as the West Coast version of South by Southwest.

Each year, Noise Pop highlights both the biggest stars within the independent music and art industries as well as emerging artists performing at the peak of their games and has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to booking their acts — and this year was no exception. Curating a demographic of music fans with limitless knowledge, expectations and preferential ranges, this festival never fails to create some of the most memorable experiences in live entertainment throughout the Bay Area.

Noise Pop remains one of our favorite times of the year, not only for its amazing lineups and exceptional performances, but also for its genuine ability to bring music and lifestyle connoisseurs from across the globe to extrapolate, communicate and participate in the independent culture of the Bay Area.

Here are some of our favorite moments from Noise Pop 2015.

Most Likely to Have a Hospital Bill: Ben Gibbard

Gibbard enlisted Sun Kill Moon’s Mark Kozelek to play guitar for him after breaking his wrist before his big opening night performance at the Swedish American Music Hall. We’re still surprised the notorious shit talker (Kozelek) didn’t give Gibbard a harder time about it, considering the last song off Kozelek’s Benji is titled “Ben’s My Friend” and is about how Kozelek went to the Greek Theatre in Berkeley to watch Gibbard play with The Postal Service before proceeding to have a mental breakdown.

Runner-up: PPL MVR

This second-place honor goes to SNWBLL after the band had to cancel its performance at Bottom of the Hill due to some unfortunate bladder issues.

Tonights PPL MVR show has been cancelled. SNWBLL of @pplmvr is ill passing a giant kidney stone and cannot perform. Get well SNWBLL!

— Noise Pop (@noisepop) February 25, 2015

Most Likely to Inspire 2015 Festival Fashion: The Black Ryder

Dark, brooding and beautifully tragic. Beyond the torrid love affair story and musical diatribe to accompany the duo of Aimee Nash and Scott Van Ryper, the band embodies its self-proclaimed “Rhinestone Drone” sound into a wicked wardrobe, guaranteed to materialize on the proverbial polo fields across the nation this summer.

Runner-up: Bestie

The Vancouver outfit brought some creativity to the merch table with fun and functional band gear, such as koozies and friendship bracelets, as you can see here via Instagram.

https://instagram.com/p/zjwd2OJ5-G/

Most Bar-Raising Performance of the Festival: Kindness

“(Adam) Bainbridge grabbed one audience member’s cell phone out of its hands and filmed himself as well as the crowd with it at one point, elevating the crowd-interaction a notch. He sang from on top of the bar at stage left, walked into the crowd with his mic and made a huge lap while singing to individuals in the audience to end the night.”

Read the full review here.

Act Most Likely to Prompt a Mind-Altering Freak Out: Dan Deacon

“Layer upon insane layer of sound interprets into harmonious infectiousness, a feat that hints at an intersection of mathematical and creative genius. The guy takes all sorts of frequencies and cross sections of genre elements and composes it all together into a crescendo of weird, atypical pop. And by weird, I mean the very good kind of weird.”

Read the full review here.

Runner-up: Holly Herndon

“People laughed nervously as a slow burn of glitch sounds began to emerge, and before you knew it, her browsing gave way to an interactive, virtual world featuring two-dimensional cutouts of people floating about while strategically-placed cameras around the room recorded and projected images of the crowd, usually catching them unexpectedly on their phones, on two adjacent screens.”

Read the full review here.

Most Entertaining Attempt at a Cover Song: Surfer Blood

These guys covered “Hey Sandy” by Polaris, aka the theme song for “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.”

Runner-up: Girrafage‘s rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA”

Most Likely to Be Headlining Future Festivals: Caribou

Absolutely destroying two back-to-back, sold-out nights at The Fillmore, Caribou’s live show is currently on a world tour, hitting all of the largest festival stages in its wake. We unanimously believe that this act will be one of the biggest of 2015 and are keeping our fingers crossed that they will be filling the empty spot in their August tour schedule with a stop at this year’s Outside Lands Music Festival.

Runner-up: Flight Facilities

“… to consider booking this lineup on a ‘school night’ at a venue with a max capacity of 1,424 people was a pretty bold call. Subsequently though, it was also one that paid off in easily the largest dance party of the festival.”

Read the full review here.

Most Likely to Break the “Local Music” Barrier: Les Sins

“Intermingling his own material with disco classics, 90’s pop jams and dirty trap beats, Bundick had the crowd on fire and easily could have prolonged the party well into the after hours had there been the option to do so.”

Read the full review here.

Runner-up: Geographer

With a doctored lineup and powerful new songwriting approach, Mike Deni has taken full reign of the band’s beloved history of material and is moving forward into bold, uncharted territory — a leap of faith that just might cover the extra ground needed to penetrate a mainstream audience.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Ben Gibbard, Bestie, Blackout Make Out, Caribou, Cathedrals, Dan Deacon, Flight Facilities, Geographer, Girrafage, Holly Herndon, Jessica Pratt, Kevin Morby, Kindness, Les Sins, Mark Kozelek, Mezzanine, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Pell, Peoplemover, Rickshaw Stop, Running in the Fog, Sun Kill Moon, Surfer Blood, Swedish American Hall, The Black Ryder, The Chapel, The Church, The Fillmore, The LAB, The New Parish, The New Pornographers

Seeing Holly Herndon perform is a multisensory labyrinth

March 5, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Alfonso Solis //

Holly Herndon //
The LAB – San Francisco
March 1st, 2015 //

It seems only fitting that Holly Herndon would bring her computerized abstraction of sounds to The LAB in SF, a space where she could freely experiment with her distorted, disembodied voice against a minced background of chaotic percussion and garbled samples without the necessary expectation of moving the crowd in the conventional sense.

Those familiar with Herndon’s work will know her music is more academic than pop, full of theory rather than infectious with melody, which isn’t to say it isn’t enjoyable, but its appreciation comes from a different angle than say Caribou, who played his lush, dreamy dance-pop also on Sunday to round out Noise Pop 2015. Perhaps this was intentional on behalf of the organizers, to highlight the noise and pop spectrum of their festival at its most extreme. Caribou’s two-night sold out show can attest to the power of pop, but the small, intimate crowd willing to submit to Herndon’s dense, often difficult noise was taken on a strange and dark journey.

What is most striking initially about Herndon’s show was how well her audio experiments translated into a visual experience. With a projector behind her connected to a laptop, Herndon introduced herself by writing down some text on her computer. Right when it seemed that she was about to close the laptop and begin playing, she did what all of us do, logging on to Facebook and ingesting the endless amount of personal information that comes with it. She explored her news feed, humorously joining the show’s Facebook event page and then browsing endlessly through friends’ pages and photos.

Long after the joke was over though, Herndon continued further, navigating an endless labyrinth of profiles, uncomfortably looking at the information of friends of friends and trying to request their friendship. Where was she going? Who were these people? Should she be stalking and adding them?

People laughed nervously as a slow burn of glitch sounds began to emerge, and before you knew it, her browsing gave way to an interactive, virtual world featuring two-dimensional cutouts of people floating about while strategically-placed cameras around the room recorded and projected images of the crowd, usually catching them unexpectedly on their phones, on two adjacent screens.

Electronic artists have always explored humanity’s uncomfortable relationship with technology, but Herndon’s meta-commentary updated the formula to focus on our socially-networked existence and our vulnerability to web-based privacy violations. It’s a multimedia presentation that worked brilliantly in tandem with her music, which in and of itself has the ADHD feeling of browsing the Internet. Never content in one place, Herndon seamlessly shapes her music from glitch techno to bass-heavy ambiance to abstract delights — sounds supposedly culled from her daily web-browsing experience. Her samples are distorted to an extreme degree, almost to the point of agitation, but it’s fascinating to see how she scrambles the audio. The information is still there but beyond recognition.

Electronic music can often come across as disengaging, with the perception being that the music is planned out in ones and zeroes, but Herndon injects a level of chance and spontaneity into her performance that few other electronic artists accomplish. Singing into her microphone, her voice is immediately processed, chopped and distorted. Spontaneous moments like drinking water or laughter from her and the audience became instantly a part of her repertoire of sounds as they were manipulated into the rhythms of her music.

Herndon’s show can come across as more conceptual than actually enjoyable, her music’s database of discombobulated sounds of the Internet and her voice seeming to be a commentary on our social dependence of technology and the alienation that follows. Indeed, the show’s one-hour length left more to be desired, but Herndon finds a nice balance between electronic experimentation and accessibility. Just as the cacophonous combination of agitated percussion, glitch samples and voice manipulation would seem overwhelming, her music would give way to more recognizable, danceable songs such as “Chorus” or “Movement.” Such are Herndon’s shows, challenging and demanding but filled with gorgeous checkpoints to gather oneself and simply move to the music.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Caribou, Holly Herndon, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2015, The LAB

Kindness makes world restart at Mezzanine

March 5, 2015 by Justin Yee 1 Comment

By Justin Yee //

Kindness with Pell //
Mezzanine – San Francisco
February 28th, 2015 //

Kindness, a one-man, indie disco-funk-R&B band led by Adam Bainbridge, graced the Mezzanine stage this past Saturday as part of Noise Pop 2015. His sound at times features upbeat funk riffs or mellow, soulful vocal drones, even sometimes meshing the two to create a more addictive pop sound that is deep with emotion.

The British singer/producer is currently at the start of his world tour in support of his sophomore studio album Otherness, which was released in October via Female Energy/Mom+Pop Records.

Bainbridge grabbed one audience member’s cell phone out of its hands and filmed himself as well as the crowd with it at one point, elevating the crowd-interaction a notch. He sang from on top of the bar at stage left, walked into the crowd with his mic and made a huge lap while singing to individuals in the audience to end the night.

Unsurprisingly, Kindness covered their friends and collaborators Blood Orange and Solange with “Champagne Coast” and “Some Things Never Seem To Fucking Work.”

It may not have been a sold-out show, but Bainbridge mentioned that this was the ideal crowd the band was hoping for the first time it played the Bay Area, exceeding its expectations.

Pell, a New Orleans-based hip-hop artist who released his newest album Floating While Dreaming in May via PellYeah, was the opening act on this night.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Kindness, Mezzanine, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2015, Pell

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to ‘United States of Bass’ featuring Big Freedia 3/6 (FRI)

March 5, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish //

Red Bull Music Academy Radio Pop Up presents “United States of Bass” featuring Big Freedia (Live), Arabian Prince, DJ Sliink, DJ Assault, DJ’s Spinn & Taso, DJ Deeon, Scottie B and special guests Kingdom & L-Vis 1990
1015 Folsom – San Francisco
March 6th, 2015 //

Celebrating its 10-year broadcasting anniversary, Red Bull Music Academy Radio has announced the re-launch of rbmaradio.com with a two-week, live residency at a pop-up studio in the heart of the Mission District. Running from February 25th-March 11th, the program includes various interviews, discussions, live sets and shows from both inside the actual broadcast location at Dijital Fix on Valencia St. as well as various city-wide venues over the two-week course.

This Friday, 1015 Folsom is proud to host the “United States of Bass” featuring a live, headlining set from New Orleans bounce queen diva Big Freedia, hip-hop Legend Arabian Prince, DJ Assault, Chi-town footwork pioneers Spinn and Taso, DJ Deeon, Scottie B. and special guests Kingdom & L-Vis. Highlighting sets from the pioneers of this nation’s most influential regional styles of bass music, this night is equal parts a history lesson and a house party that’s guaranteed to get that booty bouncing and your feet on the floor.

Contest ends Friday, March 6th at 3 p.m.

Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

The Districts: March 6th (FRI) @ The Independent
Marco Benevento: March 7th (SAT) @ The Independent
The Stone Foxes: March 7th (SAT) @ Leo’s Music Club
Hey Rosetta!: March 8th @ (SUN) Slim’s

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: 1015 Folsom, Arabian Prince, Big Freedia, DJ Assault, DJ Deeon, DJ Sliink, DJ's Spinn & Taso, Hey Rosetta!, Kingdom & L-Vis 1990, Leo's Music Club, Marco Benevento, Red Bull Music Academy, Scottie B, Show of the Week, Slims, The Districts, The Independent, The Stone Foxes

What do Modest Mouse’s 5 new songs say about the upcoming album?

March 4, 2015 by Mike Frash 4 Comments

By Mike Frash //

The Pacific Northwest’s premier indie act hasn’t put out a new material for eight years, but Modest Mouse is set for a thundering return on March 17th with their sixth studio album, Stranger to Ourselves.

The marketing campaign behind the new material has been substantial, which isn’t too surprising when you look at their discography. The first five full length albums from the group averaged 15 songs each — and wouldn’t you know the new long player has 15 tracks.

And in the lead up to the album launch, we’ve already been treated with five new songs. They’re all solidly in the range from good to amazing. Modest Mouse has shared a variety of different sounding tracks — all within the group’s established wheelhouse — hinting at a depth of musical exploration that we expect from Isaac Brock and company. The lyrics seem to coalesce about doomsday prophesies that focus on our own undoing (read: climate change) over zombies or aliens.

Based on these singles, Stranger to Ourselves could be a top-shelf album in 2015 — but that might all change once the full album is released. Let’s break down the first third of the new Modest Mouse album in the order new tracks have debuted.

1. “Lampshades n Fire”

Released: December 15th, 2014
First Reaction: It’s as anthemic as Modest Mouse gets, Brock’s voice sounds the same as before and it looks like they’re brining the rage. The song contains that out-of-the-side-of-your-mouth spiteful, punk edge yet is packaged nicely for the masses.
Most Memorable Lyrics: Spend some time to float in outer space / Find another planet, make the same mistakes/ Our mind’s all shattered when we climb aboard / Hopin’ for the scientists to find another door
Rank: 4/5 BAMS
Takeaway: If you haven’t heard this song on your local alt-rock station or channel yet, just wait.

2. “Coyotes”

Released: January 19th, 2015
First Reaction: It’s a ballad, and it contrasts “Lampshades On Fire.” Sounds like a bit of a filler song.
Most Memorable Lyrics: And we say: “We’re in love, with everything.” / And we lie, we love to lie.
Rank: 3/5 BAMS
Takeaway: It’s a long-form fib, getting at the underbelly of some collective facade of happiness.

3. “The Best Room”

Released: February 2nd, 2015
First Reaction: Modest Mouse is back!!! The song structure is sophisticated, but it’s easy to relate to and it has a healthy dose of crazy.
Most Memorable Lyrics: These Western concerns are all I ever really learned to be concerned with / But don’t you, don’t you know it’s hard / Feeling tired every time that you try?
Rank: 5/5 BAMS
Takeaway: The album’s penultimate song is about Isaac Brock’s UFO encounter, it took 20 years to make, and it might be one of the best songs of the year by anyone. It gets better each time I listen.

4. “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box”

Released: February 16th, 2015
First Reaction: This is my new jam and should be the second radio single for the album.
Most Memorable Lyrics: Our predecessor left this box / And somethings clawing around / I think it really wants out
Rank: 4.5/5 BAMS
Takeaway: The convergence of driving instrumentals (including that super catchy guitar lick) and the grim lyrical outlook of everything going in the wrong direction juxtapose each other, yet hint at some kind of cause and effect.

5. “Of Course We Know”

Released: March 3rd, 2015
First Reaction: The way this lyrically-indecisive cut seamlessly progresses into a floaty, pleasurable wall of sound makes it masterful stuff.
Most Memorable Lyrics: The streets are just blankets and we sleep on their silky corpse / Covered up by them, why would we ever want to wake up?
Rank: 4/5 BAMS
Takeaway: Giving some epic, post-rock bliss to end the album is a solid way to to wrap up what might end up being an epic collection of songs.

Modest Mouse’s Stranger to Ourselves will be out March 17th via Epic.

01. Strangers to Ourselves
02. Lampshades on Fire
03. Shit in Your Cut
04. Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996)
05. Ansel
06. The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box
07. Coyotes
08. Pups to Dust
09. Sugar Boats
10. Wicked Campaign
11. Be Brave
12. God Is an Indian and You’re an Asshole
13. The Tortoise and the Tourist
14. The Best Room
15. Of Course We Know

Filed Under: Album Preview, Featured, New Music Tagged With: Album Preview, Modest Mouse, Stranger to Ourselves

Les Sins get The New Parish grindin’

March 4, 2015 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Photos by Justin Yee // Written by Molly Kish //

Les Sins with DJ Cali, DJ Dials //
The New Parish – Oakland
February 26th, 2015 //

Chaz Bundick is a man of many monikers. Known best as the “chillwave” movement ambassador and talent behind Toro y Moi, he also has ventured out into the world of experimental electronic music as both Sides of Chaz and Les Sins. Last week as part of the Noise Pop 2015 roster, the Bay Area was treated to a rare, live Les Sins set at one of Oakland’s most intimate venues, The New Parish.

Supported by opening acts DJ Cali and DJ Dials, Bundick delivered a late-night performance on the venue’s main stage for a sold-out, Thursday night crowd. While it was kind of a mixed bag as far as the attendance went, the audience took a minute to warm up to what most definitely wasn’t a simple Toro y Moi DJ set. Something Bundick had alluded to in the Noise Pop “Song Exploder” podcast earlier that day, Les Sins have always meant to be a completely separate project in which Bundick can explore obscure electronic soundscapes without alienating his Toro y Moi fan base.

Delving into funky, house-driven tracks off his 2014 release Michael, Bundick had the audience either feeling compelled to nervously check their watches and reconsider their weeknight curfew or giving into Les Sins’ infectious grooves. Many of those in attendance couldn’t help but indulge in Bundick’s quirky, trip-hop samples, soulful piano riffs and R&B synth hooks, filling out the dance floor while some crowd members even found their way onstage.

Not even taking the stage until about 11:30 p.m., the show was intentionally scheduled for the late-night music fan. Once those who were committed settled into their dance space, the venue exploded into a funky house party that extended into the early a.m. hours. Intermingling his own material with disco classics, 90’s pop jams and dirty trap beats, Bundick had the crowd on fire and easily could have prolonged the party well into the after hours had there been the option to do so. And by ending the evening with “Working,” the lead single off of Les Sins’ 2014 full length, he really had the venue raring for more by the end of his set.

Although Les Sins haven’t alluded to any new material coming out this year, fans of Bundick will be able to catch him on tour as Toro y Moi starting at the end of this month with a new album dropping on April 7th. But knowing this man’s proclivity to keeping himself creatively occupied, something tells me it won’t be too long before he gives us another taste of his electronic expansion.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Chaz Bundick, Dj Cali, DJ Dials, Les Sins, Noise Pop, Noise Pop 2015, Toro Y Moi

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