JEFF the Brotherhood beef up with expanded touring band

April 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment

JEFF-the-Brotherhood_The-Independent_032915_Pedro-Paredes-Haz-7By Pedro Paredes //

JEFF the Brotherhood with Bully, SCRAPER //
The Independent – San Francisco
March 29th, 2015 //

Nashville-based JEFF the Brotherhood are usually a duo, but they beefed up their sound with two additional touring members in support of their new LP Wasted on the Dream. Even though their sonic style reminds you of some rock and metal bands from the 70’s, these guys sound fresh as fuck. While they were playing, I looked around to notice everybody with a big smile on their faces. We all knew we were getting a real rock ‘n’ roll/heavy metal concert experience, and we were all digging it.

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To have this type of experience, not only does the band needs to do their part, but also the audience. And since both of the parties were bringing it, the result was awesome. On the band side, there was a lot of hair, guitar riffs, rock power poses, beer drinking and drum diving — Jake Orrall jumped into the drums helmed by his brother Jamin toward the end. On the audience, I witnessed a lot of “air guitar solos,” crowd surfing and mosh pitting. There was one drunk guy that took the mosh pitting too seriously, which almost started a fight, but since he was being a drunk asshole, the rest of the peeps sided up and got rid of him.

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Even though they are from Nashville, second opener Bully sounded distinctly “Californian.” Polished and melodic, their music reminded me of Best Coast. Frontwoman Alicia Bognanno seemed very shy in the way she interacted with the crowd, but whenever they started playing, it was like she transformed into a rock-star queen.

They had some fans in the crowd that knew all of their songs, and it feels like this Bully are going places, especially when you consider Bognanno was invited on stage with JEFF the Brotherhood for a song.

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The first opener of the night, SCRAPER, was a nice surprise. The three-piece (guitar, bass, drums) punk band from SF are raw, gritty and unpolished, and their stage presence, song lyrics and guitar riffs could not help but remind me of The Ramones. The interaction with the crowd was mostly through the music. Between songs the most the lead singer would say was “Thank you very much!” in a very heavy-metal type of voice, which was kind of funny. The highlight of their set list was a song called “Lick Me”. Yes, that’s right. “Lick me”.

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Death Cab for Cutie are still my guilty pleasure after all these years

April 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Death Cab for CutiePhotos courtesy of Kathryna Hancock & Kevin Winter // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Death Cab for Cutie //
iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles – Burbank, CA
April 2nd, 2015 //

Everyone has a guilty pleasure band. You know, that band you’ve listened to so many times that you’ve memorized most, if not all, of its lyrics, yet would never openly admit such to your friends?

Well, maybe you don’t. But I do — and that band happens to be Death Cab for Cutie.

Believe it or not, Death Cab are only a couple years away from their 20-year anniversary at this point. Much like their other indie-rock contemporaries from the Pacific Northwest (i.e. Built to Spill, Modest Mouse), they strayed far away from the now-famous Seattle grunge movement that was slowly on the decline by the late 90’s.

Death Cab for Cutie

Eighteen years later, and the Bellingham, Wash., group now boasts an impressive catalog that runs eight albums deep after the release of Kintsugi on Tuesday. It’s another full-length effort that most Death Cab fans should come to enjoy, even if the songwriting follows much of the same formula that the band has employed on its previous seven studio albums.

Yet, that doesn’t mean nothing has changed for frontman Ben Gibbard and his bandmates. Founding guitarist and producer Chris Walla has moved on, officially leaving the band last summer, and while he still manages to leave his imprint on Kintsugi, the band’s producing duties have been turned over to an outside force, otherwise known as the highly regarded Rich Costey (Muse, Sigur Rós, Foster the People, Chvrches, Phantogram, Young the Giant).

Gibbard has always been known for making “pretty” music whether it’s with Death Cab or his electronic-leaning side project The Postal Service, and that’s certainly still the case on Kintsugi despite the record receiving some rather ho-hum reviews this week. Because even with Gibbard being divorced from actress-singer Zooey Deschanel for a couple years now, it’s hard to not think of Deschanel when he sings lyrics like “I guess it’s not a failure we could help / And we’ll both go on to get lonely with someone else.”

Death Cab for Cutie

But if creating a mood is what music is supposed to be about, then Gibbard is still doing a fine job in that regard. Sure, it may not be the happiest mood that’s being fashioned — and seemingly it’s always been that way for Death Cab — but it’s still one fans can relate to, as evidenced by the long line that stood outside the iHeartRadio Theater for the band’s special invite-only show last night in LA.

Performing material from Kintsugi in front of a live audience for just the second time after Wednesday’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Gibbard and company reminded us that they’re not just a bunch of sappy chaps. Instead, they breathed new life into staples like “The New Year” and “Soul Meets Body,” providing a newfound energy that absorbed much of the somberness you get when you listen to these songs on 2003’s Transatlanticism or 2005’s Plans.

Then there was “Black Sun,” the first single off Kintsugi, a slow burn that reached its apex with a gritty guitar solo from touring member Dave Depper. It quickly sent me back in time to 2011 when I watched Death Cab headline Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco and became thoroughly impressed with how lively and almost upbeat their show actually was. Once again, these were sad songs that didn’t feel nearly as melancholy as they had at one time or another.

And even if they did, Death Cab would still be my guilty pleasure band.

Setlist:

The New Year
The Ghosts of Beverly Drive
You Are a Tourist
Black Sun
Soul Meets Body
No Room in Frame
Little Wanderer
Photobooth
Crooked Teeth
Transatlanticism

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of Montreal consume SF fans at Slim’s with Da Vinci angels, boxing stripper dogs & an Abraham Lincoln Spiderman

March 31, 2015 by Leave a Comment

of MontrealPhotos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Nik Crossman //

of Montreal with Yip Deceiver, Springtime Carnivore //
Slim’s – San Francisco
March 24th, 2015 //

For the last 20 years, Kevin Barnes has led of Montreal down the yellow brick road of psychedelic mischief. Their journey transcends the decades and weds the sounds of the 60’s and 70’s with modern music production, presenting a unique, can’t-help-but-move sound.

At Slim’s in SF, of Montreal continued to impress and engage the crowds with their psychedelic mix of pop, funk and electronic glam. Their stage performance matched their instrumental prowess, consuming us with Da Vinci angels, Abraham Lincoln Spiderman and boxing stripper dogs. The two-hour show led us down a journey through time and space, embracing us with loving arms along the way.

of Montreal’s latest album Aureate Gloom dropped in February and contributes to their dynamic discography. This album evolves their sound and presents a more personal side of Barnes, making it more relate-able than most.

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Toro y Moi pivots to psych-disco-funk & a greater sense of band unity

March 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Toro-Y-Moi_postPhoto by Sam Ortega // Written by Mike Frash //

Toro y Moi //
The Independent – San Francisco
March 28th, 2015 //

Much has changed for Chaz Bundick and his project Toro y Moi since playing The Independent two years ago. Keyboardist Anthony Ferraro was added to the touring band, Toro y Moi then graduated to performing at the much larger Fox Theater Oakland, and Bundick once again reset and pivoted toward a new beat for his fourth album under the TYM moniker.

The fourth Toro y Moi album, What For?, is set to release April 7th, and you can listen to it now at NPR Music.

But there’s another new element that emerged from witnessing Toro y Moi premier new tracks over the weekend in SF at The Independent. It’s becoming more and more ambiguous whether Toro y Moi is Chaz Bundick, or is Toro y Moi the five-piece group that impressed in such a spectacular, unhurried way Saturday night with 70’s-influenced psych-disco-funk. Granted they can be both at once, and Bundick is the sole creative song-crafting force, but it must be asked now: Is Toro y Moi a man or a band?

An intense wall of sound began the show with “What You Want,” the first track off the new LP, pushing the soundboard into the red with all instruments swirling on the high side, jarring the shit out of me. Yes, it was the opposite of chill, but it acted as a palate cleanser, bringing an “I am here” mentality to the moment. The band and sound team may have still been acclimating to each other, but it more likely was an intentional sonic slap to the face. And once the second single “Buffalo” took over next, the sound was tight and dialed in for the duration of the 90-minute show.

There is less focus on Bundick as the centerpiece of the outfit compared to before, with more attention being paid to the unit’s loose cohesiveness that ultimately creates a wandering, exploratory sensibility.

Bundick is now positioned all the way to stage left, as opposed to being front and center at the podium, which was the touring setup in support of the electronic-leaning Anything in Return. When Bundick took to the keys during the encore, he crafted an interlacing synchronicity with band key player Anthony Ferraro that had the two locked in sync. A focus on group solidarity appears to be the centerpiece now.

Selections from Anything in Return got the biggest reaction out of the SF crowd (most notably “Rose Quartz”, “So Many Details” & “Say That” to end the night”), but each cut transitioned into funk grooves, getting a coat of paint from the mindset of the new album. Les Sins seems to be Bundick’s electronic vehicle now, while Toro y Moi delves into heady instrumentation in the vein of Underneath The Pine.

Now a Bay Area resident out of Berkeley, Bundick morphs and changes in some way with each new output — that much is clear. And Chaz Bundick deserves all credit as the creative force behind Toro y Moi, but with this step toward group unification, perhaps it makes sense to dub Toro y Moi as a band instead of a stage name.

Setlist:
What You Want
Buffalo
New Beat
High Living
Half Dome
Lilly
Rose Quartz
So Many Details
Grown Up Calls
Low Shoulder
Still Sound
The Flight
Ratcliff
Spell It Out
Empty Nesters
Campo
Yeah Right

Encore:
Why feat. Nate Salman (Les Sins cover)
Say That

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Marco Benevento keeps the surprises coming in SF

March 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Marco BeneventoPhotos by Sam Heller // Written by Anthony Presti //

Marco Benevento //
The Independent – San Francisco
March 14th, 2015 //

Marco Benevento took over The Independent and turned it into a dance party on a lively Saturday night. Lying somewhere between jam rock and fusion/experimental jazz, the Marco B band didn’t fail to impress, especially with bassist Dave Dreiwitz (Ween) and drummer Andrew Borger on board. They’ve been Benevento’s touring band for the past three-plus years, and their chemistry hasn’t been better.

Hailing from New York, Benevento has been playing for well over a decade. His sound relies on experimentation with vintage piano instruments like the Hammond organ, Wurlitzer piano and the Optigan (an optical organ from the 1970’s) while mixing in new age samplers and computer effects. What it creates is energetic rhythmic waves of sound that are overlapped by the impressive jazz compositions of Benevento. It’s easy to create a sample and jam to it, but these musicians are well accomplished at their craft, and Benevento creates every sample live instead of just logging them into a sample bank.

Marco Benevento

For those unfamiliar with Benevento’s sound or live shows, he’s not just some pretentious jazz aficionado. His sound is actually pretty modern, with some tunes sharing a familiar structure with bands like Matt and Kim. He writes catchy hooks, sometimes featuring a chorus with singing over single-note melodies. His live shows are always engaging and usually full of surprises. I’ve seen him a couple times, once joined by Killer Mike to play “Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ Ta Fuck Wit” and another time sporting a giant tiger mascot head. This time around, he pulled up a girl from the crowd to play “RISD” with him, battling back and forth on his signature organ.

Benevento played until about 1 a.m. mainly supporting his latest album Swift. Some of the crowd-pleasers were “At the Show” and the melancholy indie tune “Eye to Eye” from his newest record, the infectious dance tune “Limbs of a Pine” and “Fireworks” from 2012’s TigerFace, “RISD” and the jazzy “Wolf Trap” from 2010’s Between the Needles and Nightfall, “Heartbeats” from 2009’s Me Not Me, the dramatic tune “Bus Ride,” “Atari” and “You Must be a Lion” from 2008’s Invisible Baby.

Marco Benevento #3

Marco Benevento

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Tweedy have a full circle moment at The Fillmore

March 19, 2015 by 2 Comments

Tweedy_The Fillmore_031815_Pedro Paredes-Haz-3Photos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Mike Frash //

Tweedy //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
March 17th & 18th, 2015 //

Tweedy, the familial duo of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and his percussive son Spencer, only began touring last year in support of Sukierae, an under-appreciated 20-track LP. The two shows at The Fillmore in SF this week marked a charming, nostalgic occasion for the frontman and living legend.

Jeff Tweedy has long been known for his gifted ability for stage banter, and Tuesday evening was no exception.

He introduced many songs with the band by stating their time measure, perhaps to keep the band focused and on the same page — the patriarch introduced the band with a backhanded but likely truthful comment, saying he brings the handful of young musicians on the road to “keep Spencer company.” To me, the band sounded great most of the night — we can’t all be as good as Nels Cline.

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When beginning to introduce his son Spencer on drums, Jeff brought up the documentary “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart,” a fascinating documentary that chronicles the chaotic process of creating and distributing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco’s seminal album. He recalled his 11-year-old running around The Fillmore in the early aughts as Wilco played some of their best songs before the album had even released. Then, he looked back at his son, now on stage behind the drum kit.

What a full circle moment.

Take a look at this section of the documentary here. Skip ahead to 1:17:30 to see Spencer on the tour bus playing drums on his lap and quizzing his dad on which Wilco song he was playing while Jeff guesses.

The film then goes into Wilco performing “Heavy Metal Drummer” at The Fillmore before Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released.

The music of Tweedy is essentially Wilco Jr., just as catchy and memorable but simplified. The 30-song setlist was split into two sections, the first half with the full band and the rest solo-acoustic as Jeff played Wilco tunes and covers.

As always, the man has a Mona Lisa stage presence, making it feel like he’s always looking at you. Mr. Tweedy is a man in tune to his surroundings.

He also referenced a handful of children near the front of the stage throughout the night, noting that they only used their earplugs in between songs as a sort of “earmuffs” measure and that their presence made him feel “uncomfortable.”

Perhaps it was the thought of how much time has passed since Spencer was their age that made Mr. Tweedy feel a tad anxious.

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

March 17, 2015 by 1 Comment

BØRNSBy 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.

BØRNS

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

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JMSN jumps to headliner status in one quick year

March 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

JMSN_postPhotos 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.

JMSN 3

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

March 11, 2015 by 1 Comment

Umphrey's McGeeBy 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.

Umphrey's McGee

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.

Umphrey's McGee

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.

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

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Controversy aside, Viet Cong are here to stay

March 9, 2015 by 3 Comments

Viet CongPhotos 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.

Viet Cong

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.

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Seeing Holly Herndon perform is a multisensory labyrinth

March 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Holly HerndonBy 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.

Holly Herndon

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?

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.

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.

Holly Herndon

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.

Holly Herndon

Holly Herndon

Holly Herndon

Holly Herndon

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Kindness makes world restart at Mezzanine

March 5, 2015 by 1 Comment

KindnessBy 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.

Kindness

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.

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Les Sins get The New Parish grindin’

March 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Les SinsPhotos 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.

Les Sins

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.

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Flight Facilities soar above expectations at The Regency Ballroom

March 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Flight FacilitiesPhotos by Justin Yee // Written by Molly Kish //

Flight Facilities with Touch Sensitive, Owl Eyes //
The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
February 24th, 2015 //

Australian electronic production duo Flight Facilities landed at The Regency Ballroom on the only Bay Area stop of their North American “Down to Earth” tour last week for Noise Pop 2015. Transforming the venue into an aeronautic disco, these two flyboys brought the house down with help from tourmate Touch Sensitive and Owl Eyes (aka Brooke Addamo).

Pumping through a showcase of their club-banging singles and a majority of the duo’s 2014 studio album, Flight Facilities kept the audience moving and surprisingly enthusiastic for a packed house on a Tuesday night. Beyond electrifying the dance floor with live remixes of crowd favorites “Crave You” and “Clair De Lune,” highlights of the night included Owl Eyes performing “Heart Attack” amongst several other vocal tracks in person and Touch Sensitive joining the whole crew on stage for a rousing rendition of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You” to close the night.

Flight Facilities

Both Touch Sensitive and Flight Facilities have rocked several of the Bay Area’s venues with DJ sets and live performances over the past year, promoting their debut albums as labelmates on Future Classic Records. Without question, both acts on this bill would have been equally capable of throwing a raging party at any mid-size venue, warehouse or club in SF on a weekend night.

So, for Noisepop 2015 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. Selling out and tossing aside attendee’s inhibitions for the chance to take flight with their fellow weekday warriors, the combo and impressive live collaboration of Touch Sensitive and Flight Facilities with special guest Owl Eyes undoubtedly made for a special night at Noise Pop 2015.

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The New Pornographers don’t miss a beat in Neko Case’s absence at Fox Theater Oakland

March 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The New PornographersPhotos by Nicole Alfaro // Written by Anthony Presti //

The New Pornographers with How to Dress Well, Nick Diamonds of Islands //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
February 28th, 2015 //

On Saturday night, Canadian supergroup The New Pornographers overtook the Fox Theater as part of the annual Noise Pop Festival. Perhaps with the Vancouver band being one of the most acclaimed acts in this year’s lineup, fans of all ages came out to enjoy the show. Kids were spread throughout the crowd as longtime fans relished the nostalgia of a group that formed in 1999.

The New Pornographers’ seven members took the stage for a cheery and evocative set without one of their key players, Neko Case. They didn’t miss a beat without Case, who has enjoyed success as a solo performer, and have embraced her occasional absences since 2005, bringing in Kathryn Calder to fill the void during live shows. There’s still no denying the star power of Case, who performed with the band at last year’s Treasure Island Music Festival, flashing new tattoos that read “Scorned as Timber” and “Beloved of the Sky” in bold script on each forearm.

But with most supergroups, there’s a challenge of keeping the lineup in tact. Most of these types of groups really only collaborate for an album (Them Crooked Vultures) or have players leave permanently for solo engagements (Broken Social Scene).

The New Pornographers

The core of The New Pornographers, led by main songwriter Carl Newman, was solid and tight. Their sound is unique, mixing elements of 80’s synthpop and 90’s indie-pop rock. It’s almost like if Robin Scherbatsky from the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” became a legitimate pop sensation mentored by Blondie, backed by fellow Canadians Arcade Fire and occasionally joined by a Bob Dylan doppelganger. Their songs are cheery and jubilant, and Newman and Calder sang beautifully succinct harmonies, at times even pulling off four-part harmonies with other members in the band.

The pairing of Calder on keys with multi-instrumentalist Blaine Thurier on synthesizers creates dense layers to their music. Thurier also controlled samples that created subtle, abstract sounds throughout their songs, played the harmonica and even broke out the volatile Melodica, a small handheld keyboard powered by breathing through a connected tube. Dan Bejar, who’s mainly recognized as the frontman for Destroyer, came out for a handful of songs throughout the set.

The New Pornographers

Newman was fairly chatty with the nearly sold-out crowd, at one point mocking Bejar’s slight resemblance to Bob Dylan. “This next song’s called ‘Blowin in the Wind,’” he joked before breaking into “War on the East Coast.” Newman also acknowledged his history with the city, saying “I first came to Oakland in the 90’s, it was a lot different then. I remember thinking, ‘This is the day I’m going to die.’ And then I rose like the Phoenix and started this band.”

And like a testament to his survival, they played a jam-packed set with fan favorites like “Myriad Harbor” and “All the Old Showstoppers” from 2007’s Challengers, “Bill Bruisers” and “Champions of Red Wine” from their latest album Bill Bruisers, “Use It” and the “Bleeding Heart Show” from 2005’s Twin Cinema and even reached all the way back to 2000’s Mass Romantic to play a couple tunes.

The New Pornographers

Setlist:

Brill Bruisers
Myriad Harbor
The Slow Descent into Alcoholism
Moves
War on the East Coast
My Shepard
Use It
Broken Breads
The Laws Have Changed
You Tell Me Where
Testament to Youth in Verse
All the Old Showstoppers
Adventures in Solitude
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Stacked Crooked
Backstairs
Champions of Red Wine
Born With a Sound
Mass Romantic

Encore:

Ballad of a Comeback Kid
Breakin’ the Law
The Bleeding Heart Show

The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers

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Dan Deacon could be the ideal Noise Pop artist

March 1, 2015 by 7 Comments

Dan-Deacon-1_optPhotos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Mike Frash //

Dan Deacon with Running in the Fog, Blackout Make Out, Dutty Wilderness //
The Chapel – San Francisco
February 28th, 2015 //

Dan Deacon might be the ideal Noise Pop artist, both in regard to the Bay Area festival and the subgenre at large. 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.

His “best camp councilor ever” routine and crowd control mindshare through mid-show engagement games didn’t work best in the confined space of this Saturday night Noise Pop show. The “follow the leader dancer games” had Saturday night revelers jumping into the leader circle out of turn, but it didn’t matter much as Deacon sent vibes out in every direction via his finger-maestro “the claw” move.

Dan-Deacon-2_opt

The space restrictions of The Chapel allowed Deacon to focus more on delivering wondrous live versions of songs from his new album Gliss Riffer, which shined brightly throughout the evening. “Feel the Lightning” is a trojan horse synth-pop vehicle that will attract new fans to Deacon in coming months. It worked wonders toward the end of the ecstatic set.

There was some mild crowd surfing in the pit area of the venue, which hints at Deacon’s punk crossover abilities. There was one crowd engagement exercise that really worked though — show goers were invited to dance on the stage, then were instructed to go back into the audience via a methodical, crowd-surfing, rebirthing process. Once that was done, Deacon ironically put a moratorium on crowd surfing “because I don’t like being kicked in the face.”

One of the toughest things to do in the world of electronic music is to sound organic, to imbue a sense of heart into the digitized nature of ones and zeroes. The Baltimore native accomplishes this through his hilarious and improvisational free-form, stand-up comedy, which thrives on wandering non sequiturs. And he mirrors this by adapting his insane-train of sound to meet and exceed the energy in the room. The “America” suite finished off the show with an extended doom metal quality that gave a sense that no aesthetic boundaries can contain Deacon’s sense of musical exploration.

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St. Paul and The Broken Bones energize The Fillmore for V-Day

February 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment

St. Paul & the Broken BonesBy Justin Yee //

St. Paul and The Broken Bones with Sean Rowe //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
February 14th, 2015 //

Amid St. Paul and The Broken Bones’ first of back-to-back shows at The Fillmore, lead singer Paul Janeway climbed atop of the stacked floor speakers, causing the crowd to hold their collective breath that he wouldn’t topple over. Drenched in sweat, Janeway’s stage presence and charisma shined as he gave it everything he had throughout the night. Shimmying around and dropping to his knees, he backs up his amazing voice with showmanship that you wouldn’t think looks the part. Perhaps that’s a big part of the group’s ascending success.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, SF was treated to an extended set that lasted almost two hours. When this was announced early on, the crowd approved with a roaring round of applause and utterances of excitement as the band transitioned into “Simple Song,” which starts off slow and explodes with Janeway’s preacher-like vocals.

Covering David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” exemplified that SP&TBB can take on an unlikely piece of material and re-work it to something all their own. Along with Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness,” it’s clear that the group have a deep knowledge and respect for the artists that influenced them and can honor their classics with distinction.

Folks arrived early to catch Sean Rowe, who impressed with the full sound he was able to produce using just his guitar and voice as he tackled his songs solo acoustic.

Setlist:
Chicken Pox/Simple Song
Don’t Mean a Thing
Sugar Dyed
Dixie Rothko
I’m Torn Up
Shake (Sam Cooke cover)
Half the City
BB&PC
99 1/2
Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead cover)
Let It Be So
Down in the Valley
It’s Midnight
I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
Mighty River
Grass Is Greener
Make It Rain

Encore:
That Glow
Moonage Daydream (David Bowie cover)
Call Me
Try a Little Tenderness (Otis Redding Cover)

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Lotus light up Sunset Strip in return to LA

February 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment

LotusBy Josh Herwitt //

Lotus with Pan Astral //
House of Blues Sunset Strip – West Hollywood, CA
February 19th, 2015 //

Even since their early beginnings at Goshen College in northern Indiana, Lotus have always been considered an East Coast band. With strong ties to Philadelphia, where the group moved to after college and most of it still resides, the quintet has garnered its biggest following in the Northeast, where plenty of other jam bands have and continue to thrive.

But Lotus have always been good about keeping in touch with their fan base on the other side of the country, and it seems that just about every other year, they’re back in California touring in support of a new album.

Lotus

After trips to Los Angeles in 2011 and 2013 to debut songs from Lotus and Build — both times at the El Rey Theatre — Lotus returned to LA on Thursday with more new material to share with their West Coast family after releasing Gilded Age last July.

At the soon-to-be-defunct House of Blues Sunset Strip (the music venue, after more than 20 years in operation, will reportedly be demolished toward the end of 2015 and replaced with a brand-new hotel complex), bassist Jesse Miller, guitarist/keyboardist Luke Miller (Jesse’s twin brother), lead guitarist Mike Rempel, drummer Mike Greenfield and percussionist Chuck Morris strung together a 16-song performance that spanned a good portion of the five-piece’s impressive catalog over two sets and an encore. They even got some help from the night’s opening act, as Pan Astral lead singer Gabriel Otto joined the band for a cover of Talking Heads’ “I Zimbra,” offering his best David Byrne impersonation by stumbling around the stage in between verses and guitar riffs.

Pan Astral's Gabriel Otto


Pan Astral’s Gabriel Otto

Of course, it’s no secret that Lotus have an affinity for Talking Heads. The “jamtronica” outfit, which also cites old-school electronic artists like The Orb, Aphex Twin and Kraftwerk as important influences, performed a “Talking Heads Deconstructed” set on a couple of occasions last year — including one in September at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Otto once again handling the vocals — and it’s clear that Lotus have made a point of reigniting that flame over the course of their current 32-date, nationwide tour, which has seen them cover everything from “Crosseyed and Painless” to “Once in a Lifetime” and more.

For a group that has made its name in the jam band scene through relentless touring and continues to methodologically put together tight, concise studio albums at an unbelievably fast pace (Gilded Age was released just more than 10 months after the band dropped 2013’s Monks), watching Lotus cover one of rock’s most influential bands without ever hitting a snag remains a testament to their versatility and talent as some of the hardest-working musicians in the business today.

Somewhere, Byrne has to be grinning wide.

Set 1:
Grayrigg, The Oaks, Scrapple, Suitcases, Turquoise, I Zimbra (Talking Heads cover with Pan Astral’s Gabe Otto on vocals and guitar) > Spiritualize

Set 2:
Neon Tubes > Around the World > Neon Tubes, Tarot, Plant Your Root > Greet the Mind, Marisol, 128

Encore:
Behind Midwest Storefronts, What Did I Do Wrong?

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Does this (Dr.) dog need some new tricks?

February 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Dr. DogPhotos by Scott Martin // Written by Steven Wandrey //

Dr. Dog //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
February 12th, 2015 //

Coming off their new live album Live at Flamingo Hotel that was released last month, Dr. Dog has an affinity for flamingos apparently. Either way, Thursday night’s show at the Fox Theater Oakland was very strongly akin to the album in both the band’s playing and its setlist. The band is as tight as ever, spitting its psych-folk pop with vigor.

Dr. Dog has come up the hard way by building a solid fan base on relentless touring. It’s plain to see that a large majority of the crowd are major fans, respectfully mouthing the words and not screaming them.

Dr. Dog

For better or worse, not much has changed for Dr. Dog over the last few years. The setlists have remained pretty stagnant, and while it’s nice to hear all your old favorites, some variety would be appreciated from a band whose catalog runs deep.

As far as stylistic development, the songs sound more concise and pointed compared to recent years. It feels like the band is accomplishing exactly the mark it’s going for sonically, and it doesn’t seem like it will be going anywhere anytime soon.

But should they be aiming for more? And how many more times do people want to see a dog do the same old trick?

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Cambodian psych rockers Dengue Fever continue to expand Western reach at sold-out Indy

February 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Dengue Fever


Dengue Fever

By Tom Dellinger //

Dengue Fever with Solwave //
The Independent – San Francisco
February 13th, 2015 //

Occupying a unique niche in contemporary music, Los Angeles sextet Dengue Fever delivered another one of their nuanced performances to a sold-out house at The Independent on Friday night.

It’s interesting to note that despite the fact that the majority of their catalog is sung in Cambodia’s Khmer language, they enjoy a following that goes well beyond their Cambodian and Southeast Asian fan bases.

Dengue Fever


Dengue Fever lead vocalist Chhom Nimol

Comprised of brothers Ethan (keyboards) and Zac Holtzman (guitar, vocals), Senon Williams (bass), Paul Smith (drums), David Ralicke (saxophone) and Chhom Nimol (vocals), this band has found unlikely success as Western artists who have drawn their inspiration and developed their style based upon Cambodian rock musicians of the 60’s and early 70’s. As unusual as that sounds, it becomes less so upon either listening to or seeing them live.

Currently on tour in support of their latest album The Deepest Lake, the band had the room cruising along with every note as they cycled through their extensive catalog comprised of both originals and covers of Cambodian artists. Consequently, their songs feel both familiar and foreign at the same time. The psychedelic feel, as well as the presence of surf guitar, is often unmistakable and are juxtaposed with the very foreign style and sound of Nimol, whose exceptional range takes the listener on a smooth ride up and down, back and through the compositions. It is a remarkably good fit, and the fans were expressing their love throughout the night.

Solwave


Solwave

Friday night’s opener was SF rock outfit Solwave, which provided an energetic counterpoint to the bill. Much of the sold-out crowd was already in attendance as they began their set with a vocal fan base adding to the fun. Their set was full-on, high-energy rock ‘n’ roll, and they clearly were having a good time as they also shared that this was their sixth time playing The Indy. That’s not too surprising after catching their set. The band was tight and put it all out on the edge, like their lives depended on it. By the time it was over, we were screaming for more.

Dengue Fever lead vocalist
Dengue Fever
Solwave
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