Father John Misty

Treasure Island Music Festival releases 2015 daily lineups

September 15, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
October 17th-18th, 2015 //

With the ninth annual Treasure Island Music Festival a little more than a month away, the two-day festival has released the daily lineups for its 2015 edition.

Above are the artists who are set to perform on Saturday and Sunday at this year’s fest.

Single-day GA and VIP passes will go on sale this Thursday, September 17th at 10 a.m. for $95 and $179.50, respectively. You can buy your single-day tickets here.

The perks of a VIP pass include a preferred viewing area next to the main stage, an exclusive tented lounge with a full bar, special restroom facilities as well as food concessions and additional amenities.

Meanwhile, single-day parking passes are now available for $45, and GA weekend passes can still be purchased for $169.50 along with VIP weekend passes for $315. For those driving to the festival, two-day parking passes cost $80.

Featuring an impressive lineup of music and its first-ever comedy tent in partnership with Funny or Die that will include 15 comedians over two days (the comedy lineup has yet to be announced still), Treasure Island Music Festival is sure to deliver once again in 2015. After all, it’s a big reason why TIMF is one of our eight California music festivals you won’t want to miss before the end of 2015.

So, if you’re already bursting at the seams to get back on the island for two days full of fun next month, make sure to relive the best and worst of 2014’s festival here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Azealia Banks, Baio, Bob Moses, Cashmere Cat, Chvrches, Deadmau5, Deerhunter, Drive Like Jehu, El Hex, Father John Misty, FKA twigs, Gorgon City, Hudson Mohawke, Jose Gonzalez, Lower Dens, Mikal Cronin, Ought, Panda Bear, Run The Jewels, Shamir, Skylar Spence, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9), STS9, The National, The War on Drugs, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2015, Viceroy, Viet Cong

Treasure Island Music Festival unveils 2015 lineup featuring headliners The National, Deadmau5

June 9, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
October 17th-18th, 2015 //

After bringing Outkast and Massive Attack to the bay last fall, Treasure Island Music Festival has released the lineup for its 2015 edition — and it’s another doozy.

Taking over the island in mid-October, Brooklyn indie rockers The National and Canadian progressive-house producer Deadmau5 will headline the two-day festival, while Robyn (with La Bagatelle Magique), CHVRCHES, The War on Drugs, Azealia Banks, Father John Misty, STS9, Run the Jewels, Panda Bear, Gorgon City and Jose Gonzalez are just some of the other highlights on this year’s bill.

But don’t sleep on some other artists further down on the poster, including Atlanta five-piece Deerhunter, Norwegian producer/DJ Cashmere Cat, San Diego post-hardcore band Drive Like Jehu, Ty Segall contributor Mikal Cronin and Canadian post-punk outfit Viet Cong, which we had the pleasure of witnessing at Rickshaw Stop back in March.

Tickets go on sale this Thursday, June 11th here starting at 10 a.m. and include two-day GA passes for an early-bird price of $149.50 (before increasing to $169.50) as well as two-day VIP passes for $315.

In the meantime, you can relive the best and worst of 2014’s festival here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Azealia Banks, Baio, Bob Moses, Cashmere Cat, Chvrches, Deadmau5, Deerhunter, Drive Like Jehu, El Hex, Father John Misty, Gorgon City, Hudson Mohawke, Jose Gonzalez, La Bagatelle Magique, Lower Dens, Mikal Cronin, Ought, Panda Bear, Robyn, Run The Jewels, Shamir, Skylar Spence, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9), STS9, The National, The War on Drugs, TIMF, TIMF 2015, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2015, Viceroy, Viet Cong

We can’t stop loving this honeybear who goes by the name of Father John Misty

April 20, 2015 by Pedro Paredes Leave a Comment

By Pedro Paredes //

Father John Misty with King Tuff //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
April 17th, 2015 //

Bay Area music fans had a tough choice to make last Friday. As The Fillmore filled in to see Father John Misty, alt-J and Tycho were playing to a sold-out Greek Theatre across the bay in Berkeley.

At The Fillmore, you could overhear a few people in the audience saying that it was hard to choose which show to attend, while other FJM fans knew where their allegiances lied from the get-go, arriving at the venue early in hopes of standing in the front row.

King Tuff

Opening the night were garage rockers King Tuff, which proved to be an interest pairing with FJM. Though the audience wasn’t all that familiar with them, plenty of people dug their music, following lead singer/guitarist Kyle Thomas’ lead by their bobbing their heads to the beat. The band played a mix of tunes from its 2012 self-titled record and 2014’s Black Moon Spell, but the highlight of its set was “Anthem”, an appropriately-named tune given its sound. You could really tell that the three-piece was putting it all out there and enjoying every moment it was on stage.

The energy inside The Fillmore didn’t let up after King Tuff, as FJM and his bandmates opened with the first song off I Love You, Honeybear (read our community review here), which had the crowd quickly singing along. Between his power poses and stage antics, Joshua Tillman’s showmanship skills, of course, never disappoint — he could probably be a stand-up comedian if he wanted to, given the banter that ensues after each song. That, combined with Tillman’s music, make FJM one of the most entertaining shows you can see live nowadays. Yet, the question still remains: is Tillman simply playing a character?

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Father John Misty, Fauxchella, J. Tillman, Josh Tillman, King Tuff, The Fillmore

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

Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear // Community Review

February 10, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear //

The enigmatic Father John Misty has returned with his second album (well, 12th album technically). Share your own quick review in the comments below to win free tickets to shows in the Bay Area this weekend (leave your email when you comment!).

BAM TEAM RATING:

Father John Misty’s 2015 AOTY contender explores a man who has found true love and a mind mid-metamorphosis, and it succeeds based on J. Tillman’s ability to teeter-totter his known sardonic wit with his emerging, earnest genuineness. Subversive storytelling is the glue in Tillman’s music (‘Save me white Jesus’), but the lyrics bite within a hodgepodge of Americana song structures, from orchestral (“Bored in the USA”) to western saloon (“I Love You, Honeybear”) to digitized R&B (“True Affection”) and scorching rock akin to Arcade Fire (“The Ideal Husband”). Elements of duality are ever present — there’s the traditional singer-songwriter format versus FJM’s lyrical shenanigans, the all important and impossible mix of parody and sincerity, and of course there’s the Josh Tillman versus Father John Misty mythological persona exercise. Not knowing if he’s projecting a complete picture of himself, or if he’s simply reflecting a mirror on contemporary society (while not letting his listeners in on the joke) might be what is most appealing about FJM — that he never fully reveals his true self. The strength of a classic record can be seen in how it closes, and the back third of I Love You, Honeybear is a sublime thing of beauty, with “Holy Shit” resonating strongest — “and no one ever really knows the real you, and life is brief / but what’s that gotta do with this black hole in me.” -Mike Frash
4.5 BAMS // Top Song: “Holy Shit”

In the last three years, Father John Misty has become one of the most intriguing characters amongst indie circles. And that’s what Joshua Tillman continues to play rather convincingly on his second FJM album I Love You, Honeybear. On the folk-driven, 11-track record, Tillman proves to be quite a self-loathing satirist, as evidenced by song titles like “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment” and “Bored in the USA,” not to mention the tongue-in-cheek, yet cynical nature of his lyrics. But if 2012’s Fear Fun was Tillman’s chance to rediscover himself after releasing more than a handful of solo albums to little fanfare prior to conceiving the enigmatic FJM character he assumes these days, then Honeybear sees him sharpening his chops as a folksinger and naturally, a vivid storyteller. This isn’t an album that you can just put on once and call it a day; it’s one that takes time to become acquainted with but only gets better with each and every spin through. -Josh Herwitt
4.5 BAMS // Top Song: “When You’re Smiling and Astride Me”

Welcome to the big time Father John Misty, or should we call you Josh Tillman? Father John Misty’s new record I Love You, Honeybear drips with whit and sarcasm, a kind of self-loathing that could only come from a red wine-soaked narcissist from Los Angeles. As much as you might not like that description, his formula is genius, and it only builds upon what he did with Fear Fun, his previous record and debut of the Father John Misty persona. You’ll laugh and scoff at times, but you’ll be keenly curious and want more, like I did. Don’t miss this one. -Kevin Raos
4.5 BAMS // Top Song: “The Ideal Husband”

Filed Under: Community Review, Featured, New Music Tagged With: Community Review, Father John Misty, I Love You Honeybear

Is Father John Misty playing a character?

January 26, 2015 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Photos by Justin Yee // Written by Mike Frash //

Father John Misty strolled onto stage for his first performance in over a year on January 16th among the redwoods of Felton, Calif., in a venue that looked like a barn mixed with a classy old train depot. As the memorable show progressed, I found myself wondering where the line between Josh Tillman the man and Father John Misty the artist begins and ends.

Father John Misty aka Josh Tillman played every song from I Love You, Honeybear (due out February 10th, just in time for Valentine’s Day) for the first time live, not counting the astounding Letterman performance of “Bored in the USA”.

Launching into the schmaltzy earworm “I Love You, Honeybear”, FJM snatched up a stuffed green teddy bear held high in the air by a young fan near the front and waltzed with it to the romantic refrain, only to punt it back into the audience at the peak of the first dystopian verse. A talented new supporting band has his back, yet FJM still drops to his knees and manhandles the mic stand as he did on prior tours.

Early on he called out the audience as being “up to no good” for singing along to the new songs, referencing the awkward new live music reality when an audience shows they have overplayed a leaked record before it’s even available to purchase.

The house lights briefly came up during “True Affection” and the audience blinked and looked around at each other, giving me the sense that some kind of mockery was being played on us – and we the audience weren’t in on the joke. This is the guy, after all, who performed on the other side of a giant iPhone the last time we saw him. So how much of this is an act?

Is Father John Misty following in Steven Colbert’s footsteps, subjugating authenticity for the sake of satire, essentially holding up a mirror to this self-entitled generation, reflecting a sea of endless selfies? Is Josh Tillman playing a character, or is Father John Misty an evolving artist being true to himself?

Father John Misty has kept much of his second album under wraps, except for this press release via Sub Pop, which of course is hilarious and revealing.

It’s penned by the artist himself, and begins “Father John Misty aka Josh Tillman, says of the album I Love You, Honeybear …” An important distinction between Josh Tillman and Father John Misty is quickly established as he embraces the FJM label and degrades his real name to “also known as” status. So these details are told through the lens of FJM (bold emphasis his):

I Love You, Honeybear is a concept album about a guy named Josh Tillman who spends quite a bit of time banging his head against walls, cultivating weak ties with strangers and generally avoiding intimacy at all costs. This all serves to fuel a version of himself that his self-loathing narcissism can deal with. We see him engaging in all manner of regrettable behavior.

In a parking lot somewhere he meets Emma, who inspires in him a vision of a life wherein being truly seen is not synonymous with shame, but possibly true liberation and sublime, unfettered creativity. These ambitions are initially thwarted as jealousy, self-destruction and other charming human character traits emerge. Josh Tillman confesses as much all throughout.

First of all, taking Father John Misty, his music or this press release too seriously might be my first mistake. But I Love You, Honeybear is Father John Misty telling the tale of his former self, Josh Tillman, and how he transformed into the bewildering, intriguing character he is today.

We learned in Fear Fun that his “reality is realer than yours” and that he “never liked the name Joshua.” The question still remains, is FJM showing his authentic self, or will he end up looking like the next Ima Robot?

[interview starts at 16:14]

Father John Misty’s hour and a half therapy session on WTF with Marc Maron in late 2013 (as he recorded I Love You, Honeybear) is a primary source in looking behind the curtain. Tillman recollects that he wasn’t allowed to listen to “secular music” growing up, something he referred to as “a death sentence.” His first 10 records, all released as under the moniker J. Tillman, played it safe with literal dark and moody lyricism, never gaining him much traction in the Seattle music scene.

He realized during the J. Tillman years that he might be better at between-song joking and commentary than songwriting based on the crowd’s reaction during shows where he opened for other acts. He worked as a dishwasher, at a bakery and most notably as the drummer for Fleet Foxes — but Tillman expresses he’s always been drawn to things with immediate cause and effect, and that his experience with Robin Pecknold’s outfit made him realize he was an “unhappy narcissist.” He actually did drop it all to wander the Western U.S. and write a novel, something Tillman credits for helping to find his narrative voice.

That’s when the breakdown happened. He says it happened over “Josh Tillman the songwriter and failing to recognize how my value or self worth was tethered to success or lack thereof. I was afraid to face what I was.”

Maron brings up the concept of authenticity early in the interview, and Tillman replied, “That’s a sticky one, God knows what that means. Aesthetic authenticity is like hunting for shadows with a flashlight…”

“This conversation of authenticity played a big role in the shift to this writing style, which I arbitrarily deemed Father John Misty.” Tillman had taken a trip to the mountains of Big Sur for some soul searching just down the road from Felton, and he describes a moment of realization he had naked in a tree dosed on psilocybin:

“I spent my whole life developing this vernacular, this sense of humor, this way of speaking, this way of thinking, this worldview, and I had never really implemented it into my music.”

Something clicked that day, and he took this new thought process into the studio for Fear Fun. To recognize this musical right turn, he changed his stage name from J. Tillman to Father John Misty in a random convo with a roommate on a “why not?” whim. “The whole purpose of this name is that it’s just some dumb shit I would call myself, and it looks hilarious on a marquee, it looks like some Christian Science Puppet Show.” His name could just as well be Father John Sassypants.

Father John Misty expressed his interest in Norman Mailer, one of the founders of creative nonfiction, when he appeared on the WTF podcast. He also condemned hippies and Mumford & Sons while giving props to the Grateful Dead. But the nod to new journalism, attributing a fictional literary style & form onto fact-based journalism, helps to explain the question of character versus authenticity.

“With the music, the fact that I’m interested in including all of my humanity, putting everything into the songs, that means I want drugs to be in there, I want whatever sex there is to be in there, I want religion to be in there. I want everything to be in there, but unfortunately drugs take a lot of real estate in people’s minds…I’m just interested in including real details.”

With this knowledge, the fog begins to clear. Father John Misty’s lyricism draws from his experiences and personal reality, his thoughts and memories. He might enhance his narrative prose as any great storyteller does, but most importantly he leaves a sense of mystery in tact.

He may have grown into the head tossing, “horny manchild mad mommas boy” that owns the stage like a boss today. But Father John Misty is clearly the vehicle that Tillman is most creative and comfortable in as an artist, channeling his wondrous, insane inner monologue for us to enjoy. Seems real to me.

FJM’s suspicious thoughts on the search for authenticity make sense after this exploration: “Where people look for authenticity, I think it’s a little misguided. I think authenticity is really intangible. It’s easier to see than describe.” This idea is explored throughout I Love You, Honeybear, particularly in “Holy Shit”, where he says, “That’s now myth, that’s now real” in the same breath. Father John Misty seems to strive for ambiguity, avoiding spoon-fed messaging, which at least partially explains his appeal.

Father John Misty has struck a sweet spot in the collective minds of indieheads by Trojan-horsing the singer-songwriter genre with subversive storytelling, and the strength of his new material ensures his rise in stature.

Now his PR campaign is rightfully taking a parallel tone with his music leading up to the album release, helping us to dive deeper into the rabbit hole of duality, that we love him and hate him at the same time. He’s launched Streamline Audio Protocol (SAP), his new website that allows you to listen the new album stripped down to the most basic stems in karaoke-like, instrumental form. This satirical take on the current stream-a-week-before-album-release model and the ubiquitous nature of start ups is as bitingly effective as the lyrics in his LP2.

Anyone that can pull off the line “kissing my brother in my dreams or finding God knows in my jeans” from the ballad “When You’re Smiling And Astride Me” deserves the world’s attention. Perhaps this is the part where Father John Misty gets all he ever wanted?

Father John Misty at Bret Harte Hall in Felton, CA // Photo by Carrie Frash

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: Father John Misty, J. Tillman, Josh Tillman

The 15 best stage banter spewing musicians in live music today

November 13, 2014 by The Bam Team 10 Comments

Photo by Sam Heller // Written by Mike Frash & Kevin Quandt //

For better or worse, these 15 artists entertain, control and impact the collective mindset of a capacity crowd with between-song bantering as much as their music. Here’s a hint: we like our banter dry.

What did we miss? Drop us a comment to to continue the flow.

15. Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon’s stage banter serves the purpose of helping to curate a mad, collective experience. If you’ve never taken the Dan Deacon plunge, do it. And come with an open heart and mind. -MF

14. Samuel Herring (Future Islands)
Samuel Herring’s motivational banter nicely segues into Future Islands’ songs, combining over-the-top crowd engagement, fully-committed dance moves and passion that boarders on possession. For example, when introducing “Lighthouse” (watch above at 4:24), Herring says “this is a song about those dark moments in our lives, and the friends and the family that bring us back.” Here the introduction makes you ponder about the song’s lyrical meaning, magnifying its importance. -MF

13. Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
Billie Joe Armstrong has already had a long, epic career on stage and has seen it all and has done it all. After one logs as much time as Green Day on stage, some epic moments in banter/antic history are bound to happen. In the early days, they egged on the crowd to pelt them with clumps of mud, while more recently Billie Joe has decided to take his anger out on the teleprompter crew and likely be extension, Clear Channel. -KQ

12. Tom Waits
Tom Waits is no doubt one of a kind, and the man surely isn’t a road warrior these days on the live circuit. But he did perform at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit last year to steal the show with his banter as much as his iconic, raspy voice. -MF

11. Dave Matthews
If the whole music thing doesn’t work out for Dave Matthews, he can likely take up a career in being an aspiring stand-up comedian as he has entertained crowds between songs for decades. The stream-of-conscience delivery that Matthews regularly launches into has become a fond pastime for longtime fans, even going as far to create an endearing term for it known as “davespeak”. -KQ

10. Jack White
White can talk up a storm during his gratifying live performances — no doubt he’s in the running for best live musical act of 2014. The biggest rock star in the world made headlines earlier this year at Fenway Park when he trashed Rolling Stone while also dumping on the Foo Fighters. But White’s banter can also be fun, lighthearted and engaging, something most everyone can appreciate. -MF

9. Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age)
Ya don’t fuck with Josh Homme when he is onstage. Period. However, if this happens, you should be prepared to be entertained, as he will fully launch into a tirade of epic proportions upon his deserved target. I weep for those who have been on the receiving end of these legendary diatribes. -KQ

8. Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams’s passion flows from him like an angst-filled teenager, often spastic and random. But at his headlining show at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass this year, Adams transitioned his banter into an impromptu gem revolving around a someone holding balloons in the back of the park in SF. If you haven’t yet, listen to his new album — it’s wholly deserving of being his self titled record. Also, watch this montage of banter highlights from the aughts. -MF

7. Les Claypool
Les Claypool is weird in all the right ways. And he’s willing to stop mid-show and comment on circumstances that surround him, whether he gets spit on from the pit, gets hit with an empty water bottle by some spunion or if he witnesses two chicks brawling front and center. -MF

6. Jeff Tweedy
Tweedy has interpreted Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” as historical spoken word poetry. There’s the time the Wilco frontman told the story of ending up two doors down from former bandmate Jay Farrar in Mexico. No matter the show, his banter contains the all important element of surprise, even that time he said “I’m trying to balance fun with crushing depression. Always a challenge.” Dry wit and wisdom define the man, yes indeed. -MF

5. Run the Jewels (Killer Mike and El-P)
El-P and Killer Mike are two of the most creative minds in music, plain and simple. You hear it in their rhymes and in El-P’s production, but also in how they grasp control of the crowd between songs. A perfect example: El Producto’s recent story about meeting Mark Kozelek before they took to their competing sets at Fun Fun Fun Fest. El got his crowd to yell “Suck My Dick Sun Kil Moon”, injecting Run the Jewels into Kozelek’s war on The War on Drugs. And the duo’s banter about finding your own 36″ Chain is an empowering lesson of personal pride and swagger over materialism. On top of that, count on Killer Mike and El-P to crush every moment with excitement and ownership. Just never forget, Run the Jewels is not for your children. -MF

4. Mac Demarco
Mac Demarco holds a mellow, irreverent spirit that is contagious. He can also stage dive like a boss, too. Then there was that time he performed naked and semi-attempted to stick the mic up his bum. He’ll never live it down. He often introduces his songs with a healthy dose of charm, and you gotta love his propensity for spontaneity. The key ingredient: Demarco ain’t afraid to engage with his audience and among the band, creating a spoken word moment out of nothing. -MF

3. Kanye West
Stage banter usually means an epic rant or four when it comes to Yeezus live, and some of the soliloquies this year have lasted longer than a Type II Phish jam. At London Wireless Festival, Kanye gave a 20 minute-plus speech, he addressed the “Fuck Kanye” mantra, attacked the media and proclaimed he’s the No. 1 fucking rock star on the planet in his return to Bonnaroo. And at Outside Lands this year, West commanded that we “make some circles … and push whoever is next to you and shit.” In most all cases, Kanye’s stage banter collects both awes and boos, while at the same time, signifying his narcissistic tendencies better than any South Park joke or comedic parody. -MF

2. Father John Misty
I know it’s early, but J. Tillman is on a legendary path. Sure, he’s a captivating storyteller, but he also has the uncanny ability to add improvised, add-on words and phrases at the end of each line at a whim (particularly with his acoustic performances). You get the sense that Tillman looks to keep things interesting for himself above all else, a quality that churns out memorable performances night after night. Most impressively, Father John Misty has created a performance space that consistently questions our collective reality, hoisting his freak flag high and daring you to come along for the adventure. What’s ultimately so captivating is how he doesn’t let you in on the joke, if there even is one to begin with. -MF

1. Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon)
Kozelek has had a career-defining year that has spanned beyond the brilliant Benji. His stage banter included telling one festival audience “all you rednecks, shut the fuck up”, and in the musical feud of the year, Koz fought a one-sided battle against The War on Drugs, going on a relentless campaign against the band when their overlapping festival sets sent the WOD speaker sound across the field to invade Sun Kil Moon’s set.

To commemorate the beef, Kozelek wrote a song, “War on Drugs: Suck My Cock”, which describes how the whole thing began — with stage banter, bringing the whole thing full circle by creating a song that he promised on the stage that day. Talk about manifesting reality. By the way, Mark, I was at The War on Drugs show at The Fillmore that night, and I didn’t take no bridge or tunnel.

It’s improvised stage banter on a genius level while also often abrasive, cruel and surly. But holy shit does it suck you in like a controlling bully on the schoolyard, forcing you to stand still so you aren’t the next target. And if you’re doubting Kozelek’s banter at all, just listen to these wise words. -MF

Filed Under: BAM of the Week, Featured Tagged With: Beck, Dan Deacon, Father John Misty, Haim, Jack White, Jeff Tweedy, Kanye West, Les Claypool (Primus), Mac Demarco, Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon), Phish, Run The Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P), Ryan Adams, Samuel Herring (Future Islands), Tom Waits

Showbams Photography 2013: A year in review

December 27, 2013 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Purity Ring // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.25.13

The power and impact of a great photo is undeniable. Striking photos take you to another place, inserting you into a spectacular moment from the past.

The photographers in the Bam Fam have produced many memorable, inspiring live music photos in 2013. Feast your eyes on 50 of our best shots from the past year.

Click a band or artist name to view the original article.

Fiona Apple & Blake Mills // Sam Heller
Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley //10.8.13

Killer Mike // James Nagel
The Independent // 7.31.13

Crystal Castles // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oakland // 4.27.13

Phantogram // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

Warpaint // Marc Fong
The Independent // 9.17.13

Cut Copy // James Nagel
Fox Theater Oakland // 11.2.13

Geographer // Sterling Munksgard
Bimbo’s 365 Club // 11.23.13

Thee Oh Sees // Pedro Paredes
Great American Music Hall // 12.18.13

Grouplove // James Nagel
The Independent // 9.14.13

James Blake // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.20.13

Matthew Dear // Mike Frash
Mezzanine // 5.22.13

Palma Violets // James Nagel
The Independent // 4.23.13

Polyphonic Spree // Marc Fong
The Chapel // 8.19.13

Zedd // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oakland // 10.9.13

Robert Randolph // Steve Kennedy
Notes For Notes Benefit // 12.6.13

Savages // James Nagel
The Independent // 9.27.13

Steve Aoki // Sterling Munksgard
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium // 11.16.13

The Flaming Lips // James Nagel
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium // 10.31.13

The xx // Marc Fong
The Greek Theatre // 6.1.13

Atoms For Peace // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

Thundercat // James Nagel
The Independent // 11.13.13

Trey Anastasio Band // Sam Heller
Fox Theater Oakland // 4.20.13

Alabama Shakes // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oakland // 3.5.13

AlunaGeorge // Marc Fong
The Independent // 9.11.13

Autre Ne Veut // Mike Frash
The Independent // 3.11.13

!!! // James Nagel
Great American Music Hall // 2.28.13

CSS // James Nagel
The Independent // 6.16.13

Danny Brown // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

Father John Misty // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.24.13

Haim // Marc Fong
Treasure Island Music Festival // 10.19.13

How To Dress Well // Sam Heller
The Independent // 8.26.13

Jagwar Ma // James Nagel
The Independent // 12.11.13

Jamie Lidell // Sam Heller
The Independent // 3.29.13

Primus // Sam Heller
High Sierra Music Festival // 7.5.13

Run The Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike) // James Nagel
The Independent // 7.31.13

Toro Y Moi // James Nagel
Fox Theater Oakland // 11.15.13

Wild Belle // Eldon Christenson
The Independent // 9.26.13

Alt-J // Sam Heller
Fox Theater Oakland // 8.29.13

Andrew Bird // Sam Heller
Congregation Sherith Israel // 12.16.13

Andrew W.K. // Marc Fong
The Independent // 10.12.13

Anna Calvi // Marc Fong
The Independent // 11.17.13

Big Boi // Mike Frash
Mezzanine // 5.17.13

Deerhunter // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.25.13

MS MR // James Nagel
The Independent // 6.16.13

Phoenix // Chaya Frash
The Independent // 4.1.13

Rogue Wave // Marc Fong
The Independent // 7.12.13

Sigur Rós // Marc Fong
Fox Theater Oaklnad // 4.16.13

STS9 // Sam Heller
Fox Theater Oakland // 3.1.13

Washed Out // Marc Fong
First City Festival // 8.25.13

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2013, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: !!!, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, AlunaGeorge, Andrew Bird, Andrew W.K, Anna Calvi, Atoms for Peace, Autre Ne Veut, Big Boi, Charles Bradley, Crystal Castles, CSS, Cut Copy, Danny Brown, Deerhunter, Father John Misty, Fiona Apple & Blake Mills, Geographer, GROUPLOVE, Haim, How to Dress Well, Jagwar Ma, James Blake, Jamie Lidell, Killer Mike, Matthew Dear, MS MR, Palma Violets, Phantogram, Phoenix, Polyphonic Spree, Primus, Purity Ring, Robert Randolph, Rogue Wave, Run The Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike), Savages, Sigur Ros, Steve Aioki, STS9, The Flaming Lips, The xx, Thee Oh Sees, Thundercat, Toro Y Moi, Trey Anastasio Band, Warpaint, Washed Out, Wild Belle, Zedd

Live music artists ignite the dawn of a smartphone backlash

November 25, 2013 by Mike Frash 4 Comments

By Mike Frash //

Mobile technology and social media have advanced exponentially the past five to ten years, connecting scores of individuals that would have never met a decade ago, enabling us to share narcissistic musings and photos at a moment’s notice. (Unsurprisingly, “Selfie” is the “Word of the Year”.) Bottom line — It’s mostly a glorious thing to live in the age of information and rapidly expanding technology.

But holy shit do we misuse it sometimes. Our social behaviors frankly haven’t caught up to our relatively newfangled devices that are always available in our pockets and purses.

The Pope’s inauguration at the Vatican, in 2005 & 2013.

It’s all changed so quickly, hasn’t it? Communication abilities, access to content & opinions, the structure of web-based writing itself and a pervasive social media mentality have all collided and intermingled magnificently since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007. Consequently a massive smartphone market has flourished, and a large majority of us have gotten a bit more ADHD.

Our collective focus and attention span have changed significantly, taking a turn for the horrible. It’s become second nature for many to plug-in to their smartphones while mentally checking out of their immediate surroundings, whether we’re riding the bus, enjoying drinks with friends or experiencing a concert.

Daniel Goleman, author of Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, recently said, “We have a world that’s been engineered to distract us.” This can’t be denied when a Facebook update, tweet or Instagram upload is always only a finger tap or two away.

One of the most contentious issues revolving around smartphones today is crowd-based photography and videography at shows. A continuous lack of technology awareness from just one individual can inhibit the live music experience for those around the bright screen being held just above eye level. Not only is the screen-addicted cinematographer distracted, but so is everyone else, including the artists on stage.

So is this the new normal, or is this a trend that can be addressed and changed? There are a handful of artists that have spoken out this year, igniting what might be the roots of a mainstream “be where you are” backlash in the world of live music.

In the year that Arcade Fire’s Win Butler crooned, “We fell in love when I was nineteen / And I was staring at a screen,” many artists have fought back against concert camera phone use, putting their proverbial foot down explicitly, politely and absurdly.

UK-based Savages fired the loudest, most forceful warning shot of 2013. The all-female foursome released their debut album Silence Yourself to critical acclaim, taking the ethos of the record on the road with them by banning phones based on the idea of immersion. For every show, they put up signs that read:

Our goal is to discover better ways of living and experiencing music. We believe that the use of phones to film and take pictures during a gig prevents all of us from totally immersing ourselves. Let’s make this evening special. Silence your phones.

That show at the Independent in San Francisco was special because of Savages’ intense, smart use of contrast and due to the room’s communal, energetic focus. The phone ban helped, keeping most devices out of sight.

Savages haven’t been alone this past year shaming phones at shows. Prince threatened to boot any patrons caught playing director on his west coast club tour, and the Artist excluded all media photographers outright. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s phone ban sign was way more punk than Savages’ nuanced approach, advising that ticket holders “PUT THAT SHIT AWAY.” Neko Case stopped her show in Cincinnati multiple times October 22, threatening to end the show early because of flashing phone photos, finally saying “Just put away the cameras. It isn’t going to kill you, but it might kill me.” David Byrne & St. Vincent, She & Him, The Polyphonic Spree & Bjork all prohibited phone photography or asked for devices to be put away mid-show this year as well.

Ever the groundbreaker, Jack White was the one to get the ball rolling in the summer of 2012. Rumor spread that the young living legend demanded that fans avoid social media and not take photos during his show, and the public backlash was surprising brutal. White’s label Third Man Records later clarified, “the only thing that we’ve ever asked of the audience is to not take pictures or videos while holding up their camera phones, etc that block other peoples view or otherwise hinder other fans concert experiences.” The message continued, “Along with that, the bigger idea is for people to experience the event with their own eyes and not watch an entire show through a tiny screen in their hand.”

Father John Misty performed through a giant iPhone on his recently wrapped solo tour. Perhaps J. Tillman wanted to treat the audience to the same visual that has been thrown in his face the past two years. But Father John Misty gets bonus points for referring to himself as “content.”

Some artists are using mobile technology to enhance their live performance. Dan Deacon told his fans to download his interactive app before his show via a projected message at the venue. Then during one song late in the set, he instructed the audience to pull phones out, launch the app, and dance with it. Deacon controlled the color blasts and strobe effects that emanated from scattered smartphones, using the devices to bring the collective attention of the crowd together. Pretty Lights followed suit this year at Outside Lands with a much bigger audience.

So the possibilities for using our pocket computers to enhance the live music experience are out there and will likely gain steam.

Author Daniel Goleman explains the phenomenon quite effectively:

We all are carrying technological devices, our phones, our iPads, and whatever it may be, and they are diabolically designed to take advantage of the weaknesses of our attention system and nab us, and keep us nabbed. And so we’re constantly fighting distractions. That’s why, I think focus is more important than ever.

Certainly there is a difference between popping out your Android for 10 seconds to snap off a couple shots versus literally shooting an entire concert on your smartphone with it’s shitty sound recording capabilities.

The Festival Lawyer explained this best in his Upgrade article:

Maybe you might want to record the whole show on your iPhone (or now iPads? seriously?) and just stand there and focus on getting the best video and pics. I’m not here to judge or scold you. Although I do feel the need to point out that you will NEVER watch that stupid motherfucking shaky video again and you are watching something through a tiny screen that is actually happening really big and loud RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU LIVE!!! (Umm…actually maybe I am judging you a tiny bit. Sorry.)

Ultimately, it’s about finding balance between capturing the moment and immersing in the moment.

When someone is shooting a song-long video during a show, staring through a screen version of their current reality, and thinking about their friends watching it on YouTube later, that person is simply not in the moment.

The musical moments that give us auditory pleasure and ingrain in our memories are significantly more powerful and important than anything that can be captured on a phone.

Just take a look at the Jimmy Kimmel crowd at their outdoor stage…

This is the new normal — we’re all photographers. (Granted, people that go to a free taping in Los Angeles don’t represent a typical concert crowd.)

We are moving toward a world where we are more connected to our phones than each other. Many of us (yes, including myself) are too damned dependent on digital devices.

It’s a bit scary to contemplate a generation born with Facebook accounts. A generation of kids that are given tablets to stop them from crying at a restaurant. A third generation that is routinely fed amphetamine-based drugs when focus is an issue, even though we don’t teach attention-based skill strategies (yet).

In his book, Goleman wrote, “Today’s children are growing up in a new reality, one where they are attuning more to machines and less to people than has ever been true in human history. That’s troubling for several reasons. For one, the social and emotional circuitry of a child’s brain learns from contact and conversation with everyone it encounters over the course of a day. These interactions mold brain circuitry; the fewer hours spent with people— and the more spent staring at a digitized screen— portends deficits.”

The problem here is way bigger than just experiencing a show through a smartphone.

Phone zombies can SnapChat all day if they want to, but it’s critical that we live in the moment as much as possible and enjoy who we are with. The key is to identify screen addiction, set new habits through cognitive control & repetition, and be where you are to the best of your ability in this distracting age of information.

Like Showbams on Facebook and follow Showbams on twitter to stay in touch more Best (or Worst) of 2013 articles.

Filed Under: Best of 2013, Featured, Show Experience Tagged With: Arcade Fire, Bjork, Dan Deacon, Daniel Goleman, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Father John Misty, Focus, Immersion, iPhone, Jack White, Neko Case, Phones, Pretty Lights, Prince, Savages, She & Him, Smartphones, The Festival Lawyer, The Polyphonic Spree, Yeah Yeah Yeah's

Father John Misty launches solo tour, performs with giant iPhone

October 7, 2013 by Brooks Rocco 5 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Brooks Rocco //

On May 1st 2011, President Barack Obama announced that nearly 10 years after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the United States had killed Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama Bin Laden. But the President did not make this announcement inside of a giant iPhone.

June 12th 1987, on the 750th Anniversary of the founding of Berlin, Germany, US President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “Tear Down This Wall!” But this was not a proclamation made from inside a giant iPhone.

July 4th 0 A.D., Yeshua of Nazareth (later canonized as ‘Jesus’) was allegedly crucified for our sins. But on a crucifix, not an iPhone.

On Thursday, October 4 2013, at Slim’s Music Club & Bar, San Francisco, California (37.771492, -122.4132385N37° 46.2895′, W122° 24.7943’), Joshua Tillman, performing under the moniker ‘Father John Misty’, played the first night of his American solo tour inside of a giant iPhone.

Perhaps as a garish nod to today’s unconscionable habit of spending too much goddamn time photographing experiences rather than actually experiencing them, or perhaps as a sardonic ‘fuck you’ to those content wizards in charge of drawing up lines around artists that turn them into slide-show ponies on the never-ending entertainment loops we despicably adore, the giant iPhone served as an unceasing and brutal reminder of what our egoistic and poisoned humanity hath wrought, which was soon lost on Father John Misty’s nearly sold out crowd when, after a sip of tea and a knowing laugh, he strummed his guitar and began to sing.

Playing a mixture of older tracks from his now gracefully aging Fear Fun (Sub Pop, 2012), alongside a selection of new songs likely to appear on his forthcoming record, Josh Tillman channeled his former alter-ego J, taking us all on a mellow ride down his own personal lazy river. A tender version of “Nancy From Now On”, a lushly arranged “Fun Times in Babylon”, the excruciatingly honest new ballad “Bored In The USA“, and another new one chronicling the formulation of religion, language, black holes (in souls, of course), boredom, drugs, human frailty, distress, and the beautiful futility of love set the crowd quiet, considerate, and attentive.

That said, Slim’s is not an open mic cafe filled with bohemians & bean bag chairs. It is a rock n’ roll club with a full bar, and plenty of people in attendance were undoubtedly wondering when exactly we gon’ get our whiskey shoes on. The air was filled with a simmering anticipation for the savvy and snarky theatric that Father John Misty shows have become known for — which indeed he nailed during his last stint at SF’s Fillmore. This, being the first night of the solo tour, was really just the first test in this solo experiment, and due to FJM being FJM, he’s having fun toying with the ideas and clichés of the “solo show”; of the artist-as-content; as the one-man-act-cum-singer-cum-songwriter; as the “guy you’ve all paid to see”. All in all, he seemed a little nervous, though rightly so. The tour’s only just begun, he’s not the iron-clad and confident Ubermensch that played the 10th Annual Henry Miller Memorial Library Benefit two weeks earlier to a silent, attentive, and mostly stoned crowd, sitting ‘neath the redwood trees. (see video)

I briefly spoke to Josh before that show at Henry Miller, and he mentioned that he was nicknaming this the ‘Father John Misty Disappoints Everyone Tour’, noting that there would be plenty of people unaware that this would be just a dude with a wooden string-box sitting on a stage. Though I never got that vibe from the crowd at Slim’s — I heard no audible “HEY WHAT THE SHIT IS THIS”’s from anyone. There were occasional twinges of discourtesy when it became clear that no one was going to be dancing in this club. As a result, the stunningly graceful new tune “We Met In A Store” was more than just a little marred by talking, iPhoning, heads and minds wandering, etc., which took away from the song’s soaring climax. It’s tough to get people to pay attention when you’re just an app in an iPhone.

That said, other than a few nervous hiccups, the man’s voice absolutely soared in even this early night of the tour, and it’s only bound to get better. Ditching the band in favor of a solo tour, utilizing the name that’s been on that fast ascent to wherever-the-hell-it’s-going is a ballsy move, and the hyper-aware Josh Tillman is gearing up a truly memorable run.

To anyone put off by the lack of a backing band: rest reassured that seeing this artist open up in what is likely the most vulnerable state he’s put himself in to date is well worth the price of admission for anyone who considers themselves a fan. The old songs have matured, the new songs are sickeningly sweet, and hey, he even takes questions from the crowd!

“Why haven’t you done this sooner?” one up-fronter queried.
“Well, the market research didn’t demand it,” Josh Tillman replied, inside of a giant iPhone.

It appears the market is now demanding his iTunes.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Father John Misty, Slims

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass: 10 best ‘Hardly Bluegrass’ shows

September 5, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 7 Comments

The artist lineup for the best free music festival (in the world?), Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, has been released and it’s as strong as ever. The festival began as “Strictly Bluegrass Festival” in 2001 through the hard work of Warren Hellman, the sole benefactor and founder of HSB who passed away in late 2011. Hellman has made sure the festival will continue on long after his death — the investment mogul, banjo performer and all around music fan routinely referred to his festival as a “selfish gift.”

After three years of “Strictly Bluegrass,” Hellman changed the name of the Festival to its current moniker and started inviting acts that strayed from pure bluegrass. In the past few years, San Francisco has witnessed performances from Buckethead, MC Hammer, and Broken Social Scene at Hardly Strictly, so clearly the fest has evolved over 13 years.

And this year there are plenty of acts that are “Hardly Bluegrass” — here are the 10 best looking non-bluegrass shows (and a bonus wildcard) October 4-6, 2013 in Golden Gate Park.

Father John Misty

For a guy that gained traction as ‘the drummer from Fleet Foxes,’ things have certainly changed in the course of 1.5 years for Father John Misty. Now, FJM is more well-known than the group that helped catapult him into contemporary culture. This entire conversation is a moot point as J. Tillman has presented himself as the twenty-first century troubadour, mixing a mentality dripping in Bohemianism with over-the-top stage theatrics. The result is a debaucherous yet beautiful live music performance that should fit nicely into HSB.

And his fall tour promises a new experience — it’s billed as a “Solo Variety Show” featuring comedian Kate Berlant. Doesn’t a Father John Misty show already seem like a solo variety hour? FJM’s San Francisco shows in October will kick off this fall tour, so if you can’t bear the possibility of showing up late to Golden Gate Park and settling on a poor spot, reserve a ticket for his Thursday pre-HSB show at Slim’s. -MIKE FRASH

Sonny and the Sunsets

With such a vast array of acts present on the many stages over the 3 days, it’s a wonder so many local artists are able to be present on the lineup. Well this year, Sonny Smith, and his band the Sunsets, is likely to win over many new fans with his infectious take on folkified psych-pop with a flair for catchy lyrics and a rousing stage presence. The multifaceted front-man connects to his audiences in very intimate ways, so try to catch this rising star before he’s out of reach. -KEVIN QUANDT

First Aid Kit

For a duo whose greatest single (so far) revolves around “Emmylou,” “June,” “Gram” & “Johnny”, it’s really not too surprising to see the sisterly Swedish group First Aid Kit on the Hardly Strictly bill. If the schedule doesn’t preclude them, the ladies from First Aid Kit can catch Emmylou Harris’ set in the flesh at Hellman Hollow (most likely on Sunday).

When thinking about future Hardly Strictly mainstays amongst the new offerings this year, First Aid Kit just seems like the perfect fit going forward. And who would be more perfect than third year “Friday Friends” curator of the Rooster stage Conor Oberst to introduce the group to the festival?

Oberst made a cameo on the final track of First Aid Kit’s excellent 2012 LP The Lion’s Roar, and Klara Söderberg spoke about the experience last year: “People say you should never meet your idols. But for us it’s been the opposite, but that’s because our idols are the coolest, sweetest people.” Klara was referencing Oberst & company, so be sure to get to Golden Gate Park early Friday to secure your spot in Marx Meadow. Expect Oberst to make an appearance with First Aid Kit. -MF

The Evens

Ian MacKaye is not a name most would consider to be present on the bill for Hardly Strictly, but alas Conor Oberst invited the former Minor Threat/Fugazi frontman and his wife Amy Farina to his showcase on Friday. The Evens have a stripped-down punk-folk sound delivered in a guitar and drums format with husband and wife handling vocals equally. McCaye’s most consistent project after Fugazi demonstrates that a mellowed out sound is where his passions are now after years of hardcore and punk. You won’t be the only one calling in sick on Friday, October 4th. -KQ

Gogol Bordello

Gypsy-punk ensemble Gogol Bordello certainly fall into the “Hardly Bluegrass” category of this quintessential SF music fest. Eugene Hütz is the lead force of the bombastic, ecstatic curators of weird and crazy, but as many as five performers step into the spotlight to contribute vocals throughout any given song. A Gogol Bordello performance boarders on surrealism, projecting a humorous party atmosphere that is irresistible to join in on — just ask anyone in their small but loyal (and rabid) fan club near the front. -MF

Allah-Las

Hopefully the throngs of attendees will be rewarded with one of those perfect Indian Summer weekends; sun shining, a few patchy clouds and a steady on-shore breeze from the Pacific. Essentially a perfect storm to enjoy the lo-fi, surfed-out sound of LA band, the Allah-las. These garage rock wunderkids have been blazing a trail across the Western US with their melancholic, yet optimistic, take on traditional rock and roll. Tinges of psychedelia will certainly nod to the origins of loud, outdoor music events in Golden Gate Park. -KQ

The Wood Brothers

The Wood Brothers, Oliver and Chris Wood, procure roots-influenced folk rock that is simple and effective. The focus here is on straightforward lyricism, along with basic acoustic guitar and upright bass with simple rhythm backing. Chris Wood is better known as the bassist from Medeski, Martin & Wood, a jazz-fusion trio that has often included John Scofield in recent years. While you won’t hear a lick of vocals with MMW, The Wood Brothers should get music fans swooning and swaying come October.-MF

Low

These Minnesotan slow rockers have been mystifying their audiences for 20 years with a blend of muted tempos and minimized song stylings. Low are considered ‘slowcore’ mavericks, and have been heralded for dynamic stage shows that reach exploratory levels, especially in reinterpretations of cover songs from Toto to Outkast. An “anything goes” attitude is needed for the large crowds and distances at HSB, so might as well take another chance with indie demigods, Low. -KQ

Calexico

Named after the border town of Calexico California, Calexico aren’t your typical indie group. Aspects of Latin, country, jazz & rock can be gleaned from this band that has been going at it for about 15 years — but the overall product sounds mysterious and rambling. Joey Burns & John Convertino are the two constants in Calexico, who continue to tour on their 2012 LP, Algiers. Calexico will also be performing at Slim’s Friday night. -MF

Betty LaVette

50 years of soul singing makes Betty Lavette one of the vets in the industry, even if she is still a relatively new name to music lovers. A wide range of influences also lends to a truly unique voice and writing style, which is likely to thrill patrons of all ages. Her rise to fame was relatively late in her career, but she has since graced many of the biggest stages and collaborated with a “who’s who” of legends such as Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. A sunday morning slot could be a perfect way to ease into the final day. -KQ

WILDCARD BONUS:

String Cheese Incident

String Cheese Incident and the circus that follows the group on the road will most likely bring their joyful sound to the Satr Stage. Kyle Hollingsworth, keyboardist of SCI, appeared last year alongside Steve Kimock, Keller Williams & Bernie Worrell Sunday evening at the Star Stage — so maybe Hollingsworth (and Keller) convinced the rest of the group that HSB is a worthwhile festival to contribute to, for all the right reasons.

Will SCI play to the roots of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass by honing in on bluegrass numbers like “Good Times Around the Bend” & “Restless Wind”, or will the group curate a ‘normal’ show by incorporating jamtronica classics like “Rivertrance” or mind-melters like “Miss Brown’s Teahouse” or “Jellyfish”? -MF

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Allah-Las, Betty LaVette, Calexico, Father John Misty, First Aid Kit, Gogol Bordello, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Low, Sonny and the Sunsets, The Evens, The Wood Brothers

FCF finds first-year success for five game-changing reasons

August 28, 2013 by The Bam Team 5 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

The inaugural First City Festival was a big success over the weekend (August 24 & 25) — something most new festivals do not pull off.

There were five particular reasons this first-year fest worked so well — and these five game changers are why FCF will return for year two. Be sure to keep scrolling down to view all the magnificent eye-candy captured by Marc Fong — there are over 150 artist and scene photos to take in.

Modest Mouse

1. The Comprehensively Diverse Music Line Up
Exhibiting a wide spectrum of genre and talent, First City Festival nailed the booking of the festival’s inaugural year. Filling both days with incredible sets performed by bands both at the height of their musical game or on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough, Goldenvoice SF made sure the bill was stacked.

The fairgrounds housed three separate stages within a five-minute walk of each other, sparse conflicts and ample set spacing optimized maximum viewing pleasure. The line-up encouraged audience members to branch out of their comfort zones between sets, encouraging the discovery of new music.

Passion Pit

MGMT

Neko Case

2. Concession Placement and Prices
Given the spare time allotted between sets, sampling a variety of food and beverage choices located throughout the fairgrounds was a breeze. The general food court was set up at the midsection of the festival — food trucks, cocktails and beers could be found everywhere.

Drink prices ranged from $7-12, offering everything from the standard domestic to artisan crafted cocktails (the option to spritz your beverage with absinthe and chartreuse was available). Food prices also followed suit and presented modern spins on the traditional carnival fare.

3. VIP Perks in General Admission Area
Most festivals go out of their way to generally sanction off the VIP ticket holders from the GA masses. Although FCF reserved a special entrance, carnival perks, seating accommodations and swanky lounges for those who sprung for the VIP pass, the festival worked hard to deliver an enjoyable experience for all that attended. Ample indoor bathrooms were available for all, along with large charging stations, hard alcohol options and outdoor shaded chill areas that were well furnished. In its inaugural year, FCF ran crowd cohabitation smoothly and kept everyone in attendance happily content.

4. The Monterey County Carnival
Taking notes from modern day music festivals, FCF jumped on the idea that concert go-er’s enjoy alternative entertainment to suffice their down time between sets. Beyond providing eclectic acts throughout both days on the vaudeville stage, the festival utilized their fairground landscape to its full capacity.

In prep for Monterey’s upcoming county fair, the festival decided to take initiative and set up the rides and games early, allowing FCF crowds to have a complete carnival at their disposal all weekend. Boasting games, mazes and rides ushered in from Neverland Ranch, the concert attendees were able to split their time between a festival of live music and a dub step sound-tracked carnival. A smart move in crowd control, and an ingenious way to boost revenue and all around surreal experience, the carnival uniquely set FCF apart from other festivals.

5. Location, Location, Location
Although the Monterey County Fairgrounds have an impressive calendar of events and a historical legacy within the Bay Area music scene, there hasn’t been much recently to compete with the crowds and caliber of this past weekend.

Nestled in the small suburban coastal community of Monterey, a town that usually catches cover bands, rodeos and craft fairs at the fairgrounds, the promoters couldn’t have picked a better place to kick off what undoubtedly will become a premiere West Coast music festival.

Even elements such as the constant overhead traffic of the adjacent small aircraft port were met with ease. Instead of being considered a distraction to the sets, musicians embraced the magical nature of each plane taking off or landing throughout their performance, usually incorporating banter and impeccable comedic timing

The weather, layout and charm of the surrounding neighborhood played a key part into how successful the FCF weekend played out. From the ample roadside accommodations and street parking within blocks of the fairgrounds, to the killer family owned restaurants and extremely congenial locals, FCF was a hospitable music festival for the books.

Toro Y Moi

Beach House

Washed Out

Devendra Banhart

Deerhunter

Purity Ring

Father John Misty

Okkervil River

The Hold Steady

The Black Angels

Capital Cities

Lucero

The Antlers

Blitzen Trapper

Electric Guest

Civil Twilight

The Dodos

Akron/Family

Guards

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Akron/Family, Beach House, Blitzen Trapper, Capital Cities, Civil Twilight, Deerhunter, Devendra Banhart, Electric Guest, Father John Misty, First City Festival, Guards, Lucero, MGMT, Modest Mouse, Neko Case, Okkervil River, Passion Pit, Purity Ring, The Antlers, The Black Angels, The Dodos, The Hold Steady, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out

Coachella conflicts: 2013 set times announced

April 10, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 1 Comment

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 12th-14th & April 19th-21st, 2013 //

Set times dropped Tuesday evening, and Coachella shared they had been battling agents all day to explain the delay. Sounds like a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary …

Although set times didn’t unleash any surprise acts (what no Lou Reed replacement?), the brand new Yuma Dome is confirmed as the 6th main performance area, not including The Do Lab or Heineken Dome. The Yuma Dome will host Seth Troxler, DJ Harvey, Four Tet, Julio Bashmore, The 2 Bears, Jamie Jones, Jamie xx and so many more. This additional platform on the outskirts of the tents and Do Lab will be the anti-Sahara Tent with a minimalist-dance edge.

Friday features one of the most brutal headline conflicts in years. The Stone Roses are on a mondo reunion tour, while How to Destroy Angels and Earl Sweatshirt are playing their first major shows. Poliça will be performing in the Gobi Tent after The Shouting Matches, Justin Vernon’s (Bon Iver) new project. Vernon collaborated with the members of Poliça in his side project Gaynes. You connect the dots…

Toughest Conflicts:
• The Stone Roses vs. Earl Sweatshirt vs. How to Destroy Angels
• Blur vs. Grinderman
• Modest Mouse vs. Local Natives (SUNSET)
• Japandroids vs. alt-J
• Poliça vs. Jake Bugg
• The Shouting Matches vs. Youth Lagoon vs. Beardyman vs. C2C

Saturday headliners will depend on your energy and vibe, as Phoenix, Sigur Rós, Booka Shade, New Order and Knife Party will create inner-group conflicts. Upon seeing The xx above The Postal Service and Major Lazer at 6 p.m. while Moby sub-headlines the Sahara Tent, the “been fighting with agents all day” reference starts to make sense.

It’s almost as if Goldenvoice is attempting to set a new tone in the Sahara Tent this year after house-pop like David Guetta and Calvin Harris dominated last year. Are they challenging the Sahara stalwarts to go see Franz Ferdinand, Two Door Cinema Club or The xx … or go check out the Yuma during Moby?

Toughest Conflicts:
• Phoenix vs. Sigur Rós vs. Booka Shade vs. New Order vs. Knife Party
• Hot Chip vs. Yeasayer vs. Grizzly Bear (SUNSET)
• Danny Brown vs. Baauer vs. Savages
• Wild Nothing vs. Birdy Nam Nam vs. Action Bronson

Sunday will be a tale of two scenes. Eric Prydz and Disclosure will be packed while Dead Can Dance & Red Hot Chili Peppers should be relatively spacious. Tame impala secured a Sunset-ish slot, but Roodriguez and James Blake will be playing in the tents at the same time. Pretty Lights seems odd at 7:30, but he’s the only EDM artist to get a featured slot on an outdoor stage this year.

Toughest Conflicts:
• Eric Prydz vs. Disclosure
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds vs. OMD vs. The Faint
• Vampire Weekend vs. Pretty Lights vs. Father John Misty vs. La Roux (SUNSET)
• Tame Impala vs. James Blake vs. Rodriguez (SUNSET-ISH)
• Kurt Vile and the Violators vs. Grimes
• Thee Oh Sees vs. Jessie Ware vs. Jamie xx

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Action Bronson, Alt-J, Baauer, Beardyman, Birdy Nam Nam, Blur, Booka Shade, C2C, Coachella, Coachella 2013, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2013, Danny Brown, Disclosure, Earl Sweatshirt, Eric Prydz, Father John Misty, Franz Ferdinand, Grinderman, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, How to Destroy Angels, Jake Bugg, James Blake, Jamie xx, Japandroids, Jessie Ware, Knife Party, Kurt Vile, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Kurt Vile and the Violators, La Roux, Local Natives, Major Lazer, Moby, Modest Mouse, New Order, Nick Cave, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, OMD, Phoenix, Poliça, Pretty Lights, Rodriguez, Savages, Sigur Ros, Tame Impala, The Faint, The Postal Service, The Shouting Matches, The Stone Roses, The xx, Thee Oh Sees, Two Door Cinema Club, Vampire Weekend, Wild Nothing, Yeasayer, Youth Lagoon

Coachella 2013: What you should know before you go

February 1, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 15 Comments

So now that we have had time to let the 2013 Coachella line-up settle in, it’s pretty good, right? People were freakin’ out there for a minute. There has been a universal panning of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers performing as the closing headliner, even though they were a last hour addition. And rightfully so – there have been some popular sets that have shut down Coachella the past few years (Dre/Snoop, Kanye West, Gorillaz).

Goldenvoice clearly lost an expectation game with the reactions to the headliners this year, most notably due to the rumors swirling around Daft Punk and Rolling Stone. That didn’t stop them from selling out both weekends within a day, including weekend one within 15 minutes, so saying Goldenvoice lost anything is pure silliness.

Rock, particularly British Rock, leads the charge this year (Blur, The Stone Roses, the xx, New Order, Hot Chip, Grizzly Bear, James Blake, alt-J, Jessie Ware).

Conversely, Electronic Dance Music bro-house is gone compared to 2012. There is no major DJ act closing out a night on the main stage for the first time in years. There are no EDM acts on the top two lines of any day. It seems like a concerted effort was made by Goldenvoice to enact a change in direction, and it has been welcomed by many Coachella vets.

Subscribe to the Spotify Playlist Coachella 2013.

Friday should be a day to remember, as there are plenty of reunions and first time performances scheduled (see below). Lou Reed fits the “living legend” bill, Nick Cave’s supposedly on-hiatus Grinderman will appear for a one-off, and half of The Smiths songwriting partnership will be present with Johnny Marr performing. Bassnectar or Dog Blood (Skrillex & Boys Noize project) will close the Sahara Tent, and Justin Vernon’s new blues project The Shouting Matches will play one of their first shows. Hopefully Vernon sticks around for the weekends and makes some surprise appearances with the many acts he is associated with.

Friday Reunions

Damon Albarn’s Blur returning to the US for the first time since their reunion is a pretty big deal, though the American masses may not agree. Sure “Song 2” is a bit played out, but there are albums full of some of the best Brit-pop in decades. Songs like “Coffee and TV” and “She’s So High” beckon back to the 90s for many, but not all. Luckily this reunion is including Graham Coxon, a seminal part to the vocal arrangements of Blur.

The co-headliner for Friday is also an English exported reunion, courtesy of the Manchester sound-makers The Stone Roses, fresh off a 15 year hiatus. Sure, New Order captured American fans a little more than the Roses, but they created a serious body of work for well over a decade starting in the mid-80s. John Squire’s guitar-work is something to marvel in as aspects of the Roses’ sound would be borrowed by some serious US acts like the Pixies. Having released an album last year, the Coachella masses should plan to hear these tracks coupled with hits like, “I Wanna Be Adored.”

Jurassic 5 is a name more fans will recognize over the one-two combo of Blur and the Roses. After a 6 year break, the LA hip-hop collective are back on the circuit with a banner set. The question will be if all the original members show up, as many of the artists have branched off to become successful solo artists; mainly Cut Chemist, Chali 2na and Nu-Mark. While the landscape of hip-hop has shifted a bit since their departure, tracks like “Quality Control” and “Concrete Schoolyard” will whip the crowd into a frenzy as equally as Danny Brown.

UPDATE – Jurassic 5 doesn’t know “How far” reunion can go.

Possible Friday Collaborations
Johnny Marr with Modest Mouse
Justin Vernon with Poliça

Friday Firsts (First shows ever/First in the US)

How To Destroy Angels – Trent, Marqueen, and Atticus will debut their newest project on Friday, and boy is it gonna be something. As many miss Nine Inch Nails, this band is pretty damned close in sound and personnel, and their two released EPs show great strength and should be an awesome early evening set in the warm desert winds. Look for their upcoming LP, and likely national tour.

TNGHT – The duo that is Hudson Mohawke and Lunice has almost single handedly birthed the trap music sub-genre that is permeating bass music and hip-hop alike. Their debut EP is so fresh and hot, I needed an oven mitt to flip the vinyl. Having only played a show or two in NYC, this will be the marquee US debut of this Canadian meets Scottish production duo. The kids are gonna be losing their shit for this set, as trap is all the rage on the dance floor. Second in command to this movement is Baauer, who is featured this year as well. Will Kanye make an odd appearance on stage as he did in New York?

Earl Sweatshirt – Years in the making, and the anticipation is still sky high for Thebe’s live, full set premier. Expect massive crowds for this Odd Future cast-away, as his talent is undeniable, his story unbelievable and his allure is unquenchable. This set has lots of guest potential, as his OFWGKTA crew will likely be in tow for support both morally and lyrically. The Earl mixtape from a few years ago is such an impressive collection of explicit, yet Rhodes smart tunes that many fans are dying to hear them first hand from the man himself. Will Flying Lotus don his Captain Murphy cape and back Earl on the massive track “Between Friends?” Will Syd tha Kid be on the decks and buttons?

Best Friday “Bottom-Liners”

•Purity Ring’s sound is as future-pop as it gets, and the light-show matches the duo’s vibe and timing. Each light change is controlled by percussionist & beat-maker Corin Roddick’s drum strikes. Hopefully they are given a night tent set so they can show what they’ve got.

•Jamie xx (Jamie Smith) is the chief producer, percussionist and DJ for The xx (performing Saturday), and he’s already well known for his progressive sound and excellent remixes.

•The lo-fi dream-pop from Trevor Powers’ Youth Lagoon will be a chill way to get started Friday.

•Beardyman uses live sounds to make instant dance grooves, and it’s impressive how good he is at his niche skill.

•Lord Huron is an indie-folk rock group on the rise. Their 2012 record Lonesome Dreams was highly underrated.

•Palma Violets are a buzzy British psych-rock group that wil likely have a big year. Catch them early when most people haven’t arrived yet.

Saturday is stacked: Phoenix, the xx, The Postal Service, Sigur Rós, New Order, Hot Chip, Grizzly Bear. If you are as excited as we are about the top two lines for Saturday, be ready to make tough decisions. There will be conflict. This doesn’t even include Yeasayer, Franz Ferdinand or Spiritualized into the conflict factor. Saturday is fucking stacked. It appears Knife Party will close the Sahara, and Simian Mobile Disco, Major Lazer & Richie Hawtin should deliver top notch electronic sets. Saturday also features FOALS, Ben Howard, Danny Brown, Janelle Monáe, Wild Nothing, El-P, & Booka Shade.

Saturday Reunions

The banner reunion on Saturday is squarely held by The Postal Service, the exciting collaboration of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello. Their first announced show since 2005 came as a surprise to most music junkies as mumblings of The Smiths, as always, took first prize in the reunion hype category. Their upbeat electro-pop sound is pretty perfect for a sunset Saturday show, maybe warming up the majority to the dance-rock stylings of Phoenix later that night. Will Jenny Lewis make an appearance to sing as she did many times in their touring days a decade ago?

Many readers and attendees may not be familiar with The Make-Up, and that’s cool, but this soul-garage-politico-punk act is a force to see. The organ driven sound is highly infectious, and their live show has been compared to a punk rock gospel. Having only recently regrouped to play ATP, persuaded by Les Savvy Fav, this will be their marquee return, similar to Refused last year. Maybe Dischord co-owner Ian McKaye will accompany his labelmates for a track.

Violent Femmes slowly faded off the radar about 5 years ago as Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie were tangled in royalty lawsuits stemming from the sale of “Blister in the Sun” to Wendy’s. It now appears the hatchet has been buried and they are returning to what they have been at for a couple of decades, making kitschy alternative rock. Their folk-driven sound is unmistakably likable, and devastatingly difficult to not sing along to. “Gone Daddy Gone” and “Add it Up” will be heard throughout the polo fields in the afternoon on Saturday. Will we get some surprise members to their infamous Horns of Dilemma?

Toss The Descendents in the “sort-of reunion” column, but don’t diminish their key addition to the quintessential Southern California festival lineup. Birthed in Manhattan Beach in the late 70s, this seminal punk band that pioneered the skate, even pop-punk sound is still playing shows when singer Milo Aukerman can fit it between his demanding job as a biologist. Surely, the majority of attendees will recognize the Buddy Holly-glasses wearing frontman and his cartoonish caricature. They’ve been back at it a few years now, but mainly at small punk festivals, not the 80,000-size crowd that will be in attendance. Milo Goes to College is a must in your pre-fest rotation.

Possible collaborations:
Danny Brown & El-P
Danny Brown & Purity Ring
Ian McKaye with The Descendents

Saturday “Firsts:” (First shows ever/First in the US)

Savages – London’s all-female post-punk band have been building lots of buzz and lots of comparisons as they bring a fresh act to the music landscape this year. It’s hard to not hear Siouxsie and Banshees and the infectious howl of Karen O at first listen, but there’s a lot more going on here. Coachella will be their first trip across the ‘Pond’ and they will be hitting the road hard before, after and in the middle of the festival.

Best Saturday “Bottom-Liners”

•Birdy Nam Nam is a four man turntabilist crew from France, and their sound champions a mix of jazz, funk & downtempo. Asses will be shaking.

•Action Bronson is fire breathin’ fat fuck who spits mostly about food, and he does it damn well over sick beats. All true.

•Bummed about no Warpaint? Get your girl power on early with Savages (check out the preview above).

•Singer-songwriter Kurt Vile made a delicious record with Smoke Ring For My Halo in 2011, and he’s got a new LP lined up for later this year. Preview his new songs in April.

•If you like Hot Chip, check out The 2 Bears, which is a DJ collaboration between Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and producer Raf Rundell. Think Hot Chip’s tone with more dancing and less instruments.

Sunday has the “dreaded” Red Hot Chili Peppers headlining, but Wu-Tang will get more love. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and RHCP may create the most empty scene on the main stage ever. Cool dads will profit. On the other side of the field Pretty Lights and Eric Prydz will be spilling ragers outside of the Sahara Tent parameter. If there is a god Tame Impala will get a sunset slot. Where will the house crew consisting of Julio Bashmore, Jamie Jones, Loco Dice, Maya Jane Coles, etc. end up? Sunday has a deep undercard with Grimes, the Faint, Father John Misty, Tanlines, Jessie Ware, Disclosure, Cloud Nothings & Thee Oh Sees.

Sunday Reunions

Wu Tang Clan’s inclusion this year isn’t so much a reunion, but a re-introduction. After talk of a new album around 2011 went quiet, fueled by reserved speculation by some members, it appears this new recording will see the light of day this year, and Coachella will likely mark the beginning of a busy year for RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Master Killah.

Possible Collaborations:
Jessie Ware live with Disclosure
Justin Vernon with James Blake

Sunday “Firsts:” (First shows ever/First in the US)

Excision – Many EDM artists are creating bigger, brighter and blinkier stages on the road and festival circuit, and Canadian brostep artist Excision is the next to toss his hat into the ring. Excision presents the Executioner will be making it’s big stage debut at Coachella after a few US dates. It promises to be loud, flashing and full of pre-pubescent kids losing their collective minds.

La Roux – Even though the synth-pop princess and her producer aren’t a new act to the US or even Coachella, their cancellation from last year is being rectified with a slot in 2013. Look for some new material from this act in the upcoming year after a hiccup in the previous.

Best Sunday “Bottom-Liners:”

•Zachary Cole Smith from Beach Fossils started DIIV (originally “Dive” until they were sued) as a solo project, and their dreamy, building indie songs will put a smile on your face.

•Little Green Cars offers five-part harmony anthems in the vein of Local Natives and First Aid Kit.

•The electro-pop group White Arrows put on a great show, and their set can get pleasantly psychedelic and heady at times.

•Wild Belle is a prime candidate to be a 2013 breakout group, and their set at Treasure Island Music Festival went over well last October. Elliot and Natalie Bergman’s debut LP will arrive in March.

Subscribe to the Spotify Playlist Coachella 2013.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Action Bronson, Beardyman, Ben Howard, Birdy Nam Nam, Blur, Booka Shade, Boys Noize, Cloud Nothings, Coachella, Coachella 2013, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2013, Daft Punk, DIIV, Disclosure, Dog Blood, Earl Sweatshirt, Eric Prydz, Excision, Father John Misty, FOALS, Franz Ferdinand, Goldenvoice, Grimes, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, How to Destroy Angels, James Blake, Jamie Jones, Jamie xx, Janelle Monáe, Jessie Ware, Johnny Marr, Julio Bashmore, Jurassic 5, Justin Vernon, Knife Party, Kurt Vile, La Roux, Little Green Cars, Loco Dice, Lord Huron, Lou Reed, Major Lazer, Maya Jane Coles, Modest Mouse, New Order, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Palma Violets, Phoenix, Poliça, Pretty Lights, Purity Ring, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Richie Hawtin, Rolling Stones, Savages, Seth Troxler, Sigur Ros, Simian Mobile Disco, Skrillex, Spiritualized, Tame Impala, Tanlines, The 2 Bears, The Descendents, The Faint, The Make-Up, The Postal Service, The Shouting Matches, The Stone Roses, The xx, Thee Oh Sees, TNGHT, Violent Femmes, White Arrows, Wild Belle, Wild Nothing, Wu Tang Clan, Yeasayer, Youth Lagoon

The Walkmen, Father John Misty team up to rock The Fillmore

January 28, 2013 by Kevin J Quandt 3 Comments

Photos by Sam Heller // Written by Kevin Quandt //

The Walkmen & Father John Misty //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
January 24th, 2013 //

2012 marked successful years for both Father John Misty and The Walkmen, as one sprouted to life and another continued on their steady ascent. However the pairing of these two groups over a few dates came as a bit of a surprise for some West Coast fans. Luckily, you knew you were guaranteed an amazing night of music at The Fillmore with this co-bill.

The growth and popularity of Father John Misty is little surprise to this writer as Fear Fun was easily one of the best albums of the 2012. Naturally, Josh Tillman and band opened with its leading track, “Fun Times in Babylon.” From there they played a bevy of stellar tracks from their banner debut album highlighted by “Nancy From Now On” and “Only Son of a Ladiesman”. Tillman’s demeanor on stage is so casual and effortless; full of banter, dance moves and general merriment. One track that has become a live highlight over the past year is “This is Sally Hatchet”, full of slow build till Tillman and band explode into a frenzied noise before crashing back to Earth.

The element of storytelling these tracks have taken on is part of the wonder that has attracted fans to this band. It’s even more bizarre when you find out Tillman served as the drummer in Fleet Foxes over the past many years. “Everyman Needs a Companion” brought the pace down for a few before capping the set with spotlight track “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”. It’s songs like these that make so many thrilled at what this freshman act are capable of in the future, as Tillman has proven to be an incredibly dynamic songwriter and performer.

The Walkmen took headlining privileges this night, delivering a career-spanning set to the sold-out crowd. “On the Water”, off of You and Me, was the set opener, which is rarely featured in the No. 1 spot. The Walkmen had a busy year with the release of Heaven coupled with relentless touring and festival appearances. Hamilton Leithauser’s style of singing is both impressive and powerful, which lends his voice to be strained on certain nights. But tonight he sounded rested and fresh.

From there the all original 5-piece band launched into some crowd favorites like “The Rat” and “In the New Year,” creating a sing along for the capacity crowd. “Woe is Me” changed the pace and tempo of the show to a more light, calypso-esque tone with this standout track from Lisbon. Songs like this show the true variety of sounds and tempos this band has mastered over their 11 year history. One aspect of The Walkmen that is truly astounding is the maturity they have garnered and displayed through these years, growing from youthful angst to aged wisdom in a genuine manner.

“Line by Line” was once a quiet, yet powerful, show opener, while Hamilton and Paul Maroon’s duo rendition has grown to the full band for this contemplative song. It is still a tender bit to an emotionally charged act. The Walkmen have the reputation of using vintage instruments to compose their unique sound, whether it be stand-up pianos older than the members themselves or well used guitars. “Blue as Your Blood” features the latter instrument, giving the song an almost haunting quality while Hamilton croons, “The sky above is blue as your blood.” The set continued on with more selections from Lisbon.

The raucous bop of “Angela Surf City” led into the introduction of tonight’s horn section, provided by San Francisco’s own Magik*Magik Orchestra. The expanded collective played “Stranded” in beautiful form, beckoning a sound one might hear walking the streets of the Portuguese capital city for which this album is titled. Once this Lisbon suite had been rounded out, the band led into a highlight track from their seminal early album, Bows and Arrows. “138th Street” was a pleasant surprise, keeping things subdued and a bit contemplative while Leithauser eloquently crawled through the angst ridden lyrics, even painting a picture of some desolate Manhattan evening.

The band ended their set with a pair of selections off their latest release. “We Can’t Be Beat” and “Heaven” displayed more of the band’s maturity, both lyrically and musically. The encore brought the return of the horn section for the Sun Studios inspired track “Louisiana,” peaking with a truly revelrous section of horns and stand-up piano flourishes. An old classic would be the last song played on this Thursday night. “We’ve Been Had” is the quintessential early career Walkmen track featuring their own unique jangly instrumentation, capped with the powerful vocals of Hamilton coupled with the every-man life-lesson lyrics.

Pairing an exciting fresh act like Father John Misty with the perpetually consistent warriors like The Walkmen is a brilliant plan, hopefully introducing fans to unknown acts. We can only look forward to the directions both of them take in 2013, likely collecting devotees and winning accolades with songwriting and performing equally.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Father John Misty, The Fillmore, The Walkmen

Coachella 2013: Predictions, wishes & rumors vs. reality

January 14, 2013 by Mike Frash 7 Comments

By Mike Frash //

With a casual tweet, festival season is about to begin. Anticipation over the imminent 2013 Coachella lineup is building, and recent history shows the festival lineup could come this week.

Do you have your accommodations set? Hopefully your ticket is taken care of, because Coachella 2013 could already be close to sold out.

Presale ticketing for this year’s Coachella sold out within hours of going on sale both weekends last May, and it was the first time pre-sale sold out in such a quick fashion. The Coachella 2012 general on-sale sold out within an hour for both weekends a year ago, and if you weren’t ninja-quick at getting into the waiting room, you were shit out of luck. Take all this into account, and there might be a very limited amount of tickets available after the 2013 lineup drops. Is it possible Coachella 2013 is completely sold out from presale ticketing?

Headliners: Reality vs. Rumors
The headliner rumors arrived early this year, with speculation over The Rolling Stones and Daft Punk dominating the conversation. At this point The Rolling Stones seems like the more likely of the two to be headlining, even though they haven’t played a whole lot of festivals since Altamont in 1969. Besides, Coachella rumors about Daft Punk and David Bowie playing Coachella are a yearly running gag at this point — we’ll believe it when we see it. Bowie even has a confirmed album coming out in the spring, but his bandmates are saying Ziggy has ruled out performing live … forever.

Reunions are a big part of Coachella’s top-notch lineups, and last year saw the regrouping of At The Drive-In, Pulp and Refused. This year it looks like The Postal Service and My Bloody Valentine could happen. Blur would also make sense since they reunited at the Olympics last year. Black Sabbath was reportedly on board to headline last year until they had to pull out at the last moment, and they have a new album coming out in June. Outkast would be the perfect hip-hop headliner, but that seems unlikely with Big Boi pushing his new LP. Wu-Tang Clan seems like the most likely rap act to play the main stage, but are they big enough to headline one of the three days each weekend?

Last year saw The Black Keys headline Friday along with Swedish House Mafia, and most people thought The Black Keys weren’t worthy of headliner status. But Coachella is good at king-making groups and artists, elevating them to the top level simply by making them headliners. Goldenvoice could repeat last year’s Friday concept by crowning Phoenix, The xx or Mumford and Sons headliners while putting deadmau5 on the top line to satiate the EDM masses.

Reality (likely headliners):
The Rolling Stones, The Postal Service, deadmau5, My Bloody Valentine, Black Sabbath, Pearl Jam, Phoenix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wu Tang Clan, No Doubt, Mumford & Sons, The xx

Rumors (probable wishlist-fiction):
Daft Punk, Outkast, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails (How to Destroy Angels is likely)

Artists to see before they get big:
Last year, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Death Grips, Azealia Banks, First Aid Kit, and lots of other artists performed at Coachella before getting exponentially bigger by the end of 2012. Possible contenders for 2013 include Angel Haze, AlunaGeorge, FIDLAR, Foxygen, Wilde Belle, & Earl Sweatshirt, although the hype for Earl is already tremendously loud.

Best EDM acts most likely to not perform in the Sahara Tent:
• deadmau5
• Bassnectar
• Tiesto
• Simian Mobile Disco
• Andy Stott
• Nicolas Jaar
• Dan Deacon
• John Talabot
• Disclosure
• Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Artists most likely to return for second consecutive year:
Kendrick Lamar and Dawes, because Dawes somehow plays every festival.

Headlines we’d like to see:
“Frank Ocean, Tyler The Creator join Earl Sweatshirt’s first solo set”
“Progressive-house trend baffles Sahara tent candy-kids”
“Thom Yorke, Bradford Cox & Trent Rezner play a combined 9 sets each weekend”
“Katie Perry attends Coachella again, never considered for performing duties.”

Plausible Acts We’d Like to See:
Alabama Shakes
alt-J
AlunaGeorge
Andy Stott
Angel Haze
Animal Collective
Atlas Sound
Atoms for Peace
Bassnectar
Bat for Lashes
Beach House
Ben Howard
Big Boi
Bjork
Black Sabbath
Blur
Cloud Nothings
Chromatics
Crystal Castles
CHVRCHES
Dan Deacon
Divine Fits
Disclosure
Die Antwoord
Django Django
Ducktails
Earl Sweatshirt
Father John Misty
Fiona Apple
Frightened Rabbit
Grimes
Grizzly Bear (Added 1.17.13)
Haim
Hot Chip
How to Dress Well
James Blake
Jamie Lidell
Japandroids
Jessie Ware
John Talabot
Jim James
Kendrick Lamar
Kishi Bashi
Killer Mike
Local Natives
New Order
Nicolas Jaar
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Major Lazer
Matthew Dear
Mumford & Sons
Passion Pit
Penguin Prison
Phoenix
Pretty Lights
Sigur Ros
Skrillex
Spiritualized
Stars
STRFCKR
Tame Impala
The Faint
The Joy Formidable
The Knife
The Postal Service
The Rolling Stones
The Walkmen
The xx
Toro Y Moi
TNGHT
Ty Segall
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Vampire Weekend
Warpaint
Wavves
Wild Belle
Wild Nothing
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeasayer
Yo la Tengo
!!!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: !!!, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, AlunaGeorge, Andy Stott, Angel Haze, Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Atoms for Peace, Bat for Lashes, Beach House, Ben Howard, Big Boi, Bjork, Black Sabbath, Blur, Chromatics, Cloud Nothings, Coachella, Coachella 2013, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2013, Crystal Castles, Dan Deacon, Die Antwoord, Disclosure, Divine Fits, Django Django, Ducktails, Earl Sweatshirt, Father John Misty, Fiona Apple, Frightened Rabbit, Grimes, Haim, Hot Chip, James Blake, Jamie Lidell, Japandroids, Jessie Ware, Jim James, John Talabot, Kishi Bashi, Local Natives, Major Lazer, Matthew Dear, Mumford & Sons, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Nicolas Jaar, Passion Pit, Penguin Prison, Phoenix, Sigur Ros, Spiritualized, Stars, STRFCKR, Tame Impala, The Faint, The Joy Formidable, The Postal Service, The Rolling Stones, The Walkmen, The xx, Toro Y Moi, Ty Segall, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Vampire Weekend, Warpaint, Wavves, Wild Belle, Wild Nothing, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Yeasayer, Yo la Tengo

Showbams’ best live music photography of 2012

December 27, 2012 by The Bam Team 6 Comments

Ultraísta at The Independent – By Michael Frash

Click a photo to view full size.
Click the band and venue link to view the photo’s full article.
Click the photographer name to view more photos.

M83 at Treasure Island Music Festival – By Marc Fong

Future Islands at The Independent – By Maggie Corwin

Die Antwoord at The Fox Theater – By Marc Fong

Charles Bradley at Royce Hall – By Pete Mauch

Santigold at The Fox Theater – By Michael Frash

The Lumineers at The Chapel – By Marc Fong

Best Coast at Treasure Island Music Festival – By Marc Fong

The Faint at Regency Ballroom – By Michael Frash

Yeasayer at The Fox Theater – By Marc Fong

Japandroids at The Fillmore – By Michael Frash

How To Dress Well at Rickshaw Stop – By Michael Frash

Blondfire at Rickshaw Stop – By Maggie Corwin

The xx at Treasure Island Music Festival – By Marc Fong

Geographer at Bonfire Sessions – By Michael Frash

Gossip at Treasure Island Music Festival – By Marc Fong

Simian Mobile Disco at Mezzanine – By Michael Frash

Devine Fits at Treasure Island Music Festival – By Marc Fong

Knife Party at The Fox Theater – By Marc Fong

Red Baraat at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – By Michael Frash

Of Monsters and Men at Not So Silent Night – By Michael Frash

Electric Guest at The Independent – By Michael Frash

Bloc Party at The Fox Theater – By Michael Frash

Bombay Bicycle Club at The Fillmore – By Chaya Kranz

Tame Impala at The Fillmore – By Michael Frash

Matthew Dear at Treasure Island Music Festival – By Michael Frash

Father John Misty at Bonfire Sessions – By Michael Frash

Rufus & Martha Wainwright at The Fox Theater – By Marc Fong

Bassnectar at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – By Marc Fong

Jack White at Not So Silent Night – By Michael Frash

Sea Wolf at The Independent – By Marc Fong

The Shins at Not So Silent Night – By Michael Frash

Wilco at The Greek Theater – By Michael Frash

White Fence at Bonfire Sessions – By Michael Frash

Django Django at The Independent – By Michael Frash

Justice at The Warfield – By Michael Frash

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead at The Independent – By Marc Fong

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2012, Featured Tagged With: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Bassnectar, Best Coast, Bloc Party, Blondfire, Bombay Bicycle Club, Charles Bradley, Devine Fits, Die Antwoord, Django Django, Electric Guest, Father John Misty, Future Islands, Geographer, Gossip, How to Dress Well, Jack White, Japandroids, Justice, Knife Party, M83, Matthew Dear, Of Monsters & Men, Red Baraat, Rufus & Martha Wainwright, Santigold, Sea Wolf, Simian Mobile Disco, Tame Impala, The Faint, The Lumineers, The Shins, The xx, Ultraísta, White Fence, Wilco, Yeasayer

Showbams’ best shows of 2012

December 23, 2012 by The Bam Team 2 Comments

It has been a top-notch year for live music, and we witnessed some great acts that have come through California over the past 12 months. Check out our favorite shows from 2012.

What was your favorite concert in 2012? Let us know in the comments below.

The xx at Treasure Island Music Festival

Mike Frash – San Francisco

1. Sigur Rós at Outside Lands Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 11th
Leaving Metallica for Sigur Rós to end the second day at Outside Lands was a torturous decision. Metallica was a warzone spectacle, but i stuck to my guns and headed to the Twin Peaks stage. I’m glad I did. Jonsi now conducts a mini orchestra, and the eerie SF fog lowered on command to the slow builds & crescendos. It was a spiritual show that effected me more than any other concert in 2012.

2. Japandroids at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – June 14th
Brian King and David Prowse brought ecstatic energy to the sold out Independent in June the week after Celebration Rock was released. Brian King understands how to control the pace of his set, offering fun pre-song statements that prepare you for what’s next. Their songs are vibrant live – it doesn’t sound like only two people are playing instruments. They truly seem to live the life they glorify on their 2012 album – still drinking, still smokin, and full of hyperactive desperation.

3. Phish (Night #3) at Bill Grahm Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – August 19th
The highly anticipated phish three-show SF run in August started off a bit slowly. Saturday’s show left me a little bummed about Phish due to some sloppy play (“Split open and melt”) and what felt like a lack of enthusiasm. I was questioning why I still see Phish live heading into the last show of the weekend. My lowered expectations combined with a killer show quashed those thoughts. “Crosseyed and Painless” > “Light” > “Sneakin’ Sally” > “Crosseyed” was some of the best Phish I’ve ever heard, “Boogie on” redeemed Stevie Wonder’s omission of the song at Outside Lands the week before, “Meatstick” made me really happy, and the San Francisco-mentioning “Ride Captain Ride” made a surprise encore appearance. The show was pure bliss.

4. The Rapture at Coachella – Indio, CA – April 13th
5. The xx at Treasure Island Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – October 14th
6. The Presets at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – October 12th
7. STS9 at High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA – July 5th-6th
8. Head and the Heart at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – San Francisco, CA – October 6th
9. Tame Impala at The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – November 15th
10. My Morning Jacket at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – September 15th

Honorable Mentions:
Father John Misty at Jansport Bonfire – San Francisco, CA – September 30th
Of Monsters and Men at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – March 22nd

My Morning Jacket at The Wiltern

Pete Mauch – Los Angeles

1. My Morning Jacket at The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA – September 13th
MMJ capped off the best three-night run I saw this year with this stellar closing show complete with a horns section. This is a big statement for a band I knew I loved but wasn’t fully convinced about until this night. Highlights: “All Night Long” and “Movin On Up” with horns.

2. Phish at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – August 19th
Phish played a terrific 3-night run, and topped off by an amazing Sunday night show that proves that Phish is still top of the Jam Scene. Highlight: Light > Sneakin Sally Through the Alley

3. Ryan Adams at Walt Disney Concert Hall – Los Angeles, CA – February 17th
Ryan Adams, an acoustic Guitar, and a Piano is all this show contained, and it was truly special. Adams’ classic songs stripped down with his raspy croons is all I needed to make this a top show of the year. Highlight: “Rescue Blues” on Piano “Holy Diver” on Guitar

4. Trey Anastasio and LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall – Los Angeles, CA – March 10th
5. Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA – October 17th
6. Charles Bradley with Menahan Street Band at Royce Hall – Los Angeles, CA – November 29th
7. Radiohead at Coachella Music Festival – Indio, CA – April 21st
8. Trombone Shorty at Key Club – West Hollywood, CA – February 11th
9. Wilco at Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA – January 24th
10. New Multitudes (tribute to Woody Guthrie) at Mayan Theater – Los Angeles, CA – March 7th

Honorable Mentions:
Phish at Long Beach Arena – Long Beach, CA – August 15th
String Cheese Incident at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – July 14th
Roger Waters presents “The Wall” at LA Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, CA – May 21st
Umphrey’s Mcgee (True Hollywood Stories acoustic show) at House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA – March 16th

The Faint at The Regency Ballroom

Molly Kish – San Francisco

1. Radiohead at HP Pavilion – San Jose, CA – April 12th
After merely catching glimpses of them while shoved against thousands of festivalgoers at Outside Lands 2008, I was determined to catch Radiohead the next time they came through the Bay Area. The sound, visuals, performance and energy of the evening were electrifying. Although I was extremely lucky to have been viewing the concert from the sixth row, the entire crowd looked as though they were just as lost in the moment as I was. The band’s enigmatic stage presence, fully developed set composition and career-spanning choice of material made for one of the most collectively impressive concert experiences that I have ever witnessed.

2. Of Montreal with Deerhoof, Kishi Bashi at Slim’s – San Francisco, CA – March 22nd
As a long time Of Montreal fan, I was ecstatic to get the opportunity to interview their opening act and latest addition to the lineup (Kishi Bashi) the night of their Slim’s performance. It wasn’t only for the sake of getting a personal perspective on the band, but also due to the fact that this would actually be my first time catching them performing live. The entire show and evening that followed was everything I could’ve wanted for my first experience seeing Of Montreal. Accompanied by three screens of psychedelic visuals, various costumed extras, balloon drops, props and whole score of vaudevillian rivalry, the band took the crowd and venue by storm. During the encore to top it off, I was able to reconnect with Kishi Bashi and ended up initiating an after-party with the entire band, crew and record label affiliates at an industrial themed “dark carnival,” taking place across the street at local dive bar Butter. Several jello shots, deep-fried twinkies and contortionist carnie-prompted dance battles later, I looked around and felt assured that I had enough material to develop my own personal “Of Montreal” concert story contender.

3. The Presets at Treasure Island Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – October 13th
Completely blown away by their performance the night before, I was overwhelmed with excitement and intrigue to see how the Presets could accomplish translating such energy to a festival setting. Anyone who had caught their Treasure Island Music Festival opener at the Independent instantly was taken over by sensory recall as they broke into song almost right where they left us hanging less than 24 hours earlier. Almost in homage to those who witnessed them destroy their previous set, they picked the dance party up right where they left off, only this time kicking it up about ten notches with the accompanied stage show, visual intensity and professional grade sound of seasoned professionals. Completely upstaging their more commercially recognized headliner and showing the younger generation how it should be done, they stole the show and were easily the stand out act of the 2012 TIMF. To this day I still find myself saying that I wish I could continually be going to a Presets show, based off of the concert experience I had at these two performances.

4. Dan Deacon at Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA – October 23rd
5. Against Me! at The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA – September 10th
6. The Faint at The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA – November 18th
7. Justice at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – November 4th
8. Metallica at Outside Lands Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 10th
9. Animal Collective at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – September 21st
10. The Shins at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium – Santa Cruz, CA – April 22nd

Honorable Mentions:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Creators Project – San Francisco, CA – March 17th
Cold War Kids at Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA – March 5th
Dr. John at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – August 17th
Girl Talk at Sasquatch! Music Festival – George, WA – May 25th

David Byrnes & St. Vincent

Kevin Raos – San Francisco

1. David Byrne & St. Vincent at Orpheum Theater – San Francisco, CA – October 15th
This is my number one show of 2012 for a couple of reasons. First off, Love this Giant, the recently released collaborative album between Byrne and St. Vincent, was a major disappointment. One of my most anticipated albums of the year ended up being one of the most disappointing. All was redeemed, however, when I saw these songs performed live. The accompanying brass band and the chemistry on stage breathed new life into was I felt was a stale album. Playfully executed and precisely choreographed, these songs shined live.

Secondly, I am a huge David Byrne fan and was able to check a big one off my bucket list of musical artists. Byrne’s career needs no introduction, and this evening we were treated to a few Talking Heads classics such as “Burning Down the House”, “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” and “Like Humans Do”.

This show was simply a once in a lifetime experience.

2. Phish at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – August 19th
A three night run at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium was capped off with a masterful performance by jamband kings, Phish. The final night of the run was easily the best night as the band flexed their improvisational muscles in a blistering two-set performance, highlighted by covers of the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” and Robert Palmer’s “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley.”

3. Sigur Rós at Outside Lands Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 11th
Sigur Rós on my birthday to cap off an unbelievable festival day? How could it possibly get any better? It can’t really.

4. Duo de Twang at Terrapin Crossroads – San Rafael, CA – October 4th
5. Keller Williams, Steve Kimock & Kyle Hollingsworth feat. Bernie Worrell, Wally Ingram & Andy Hess at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – October 7th
6. Miike Snow with Penguin Prison at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – April 12th
7. Washed Out at Mezzanine – San Francisco, CA – May 4th
8. Electric Guest at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – November 2nd
9. The Album Leaf with Blackbird Blackbird at Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA – September 30th
10. CITIZENS! with Tomorrow’s World, Lescop and Housse de Racket at Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA – October 12th

Honorable Mentions:
Zee Avi at The New Parish – Oakland, CA – September 28th
M83 at The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – April 22nd

Japandroids

Eric Shaden – San Francisco

1. D’Angelo at House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA – July 4th

2. Passion Pit at Rock en Seine – Paris, France – August 26th

3. STRFKR at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – January 7th

4. Stevie Wonder at Outside Lands Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 12th
5. Miike Snow with Penguin Prison at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – April 12th
6. A.Skillz + Krafty Kuts Presents Tricka Technology at MIGHTY – San Francisco, CA – June 1st
7. Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween) at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – October 19th
8. Japandroids at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – June 14th
9. Guns N’ Roses (Bridge School Benefit) at Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA – October 21st
10. Kid Koala (Vinyl Vaudeville Tour) at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – November 4th

The Lumineers at The Chapel

Marc Fong – San Francisco

1. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at Slim’s – San Francisco, CA – March 25th
It’s not often I gush like a school girl (only about once or twice a week), but seeing ESatMZ at Slim’s was panty dropping. Can I say that? Well, I just did. It was a secret/private show so Slim’s was overcrowded. I stood center stage close enough to see the dirt on Alex Ebert’s suit. The sound was great, and the band always puts on a damn fine show.

2. The Lumineers at The Chapel – San Francisco, CA – October 11th
LIVE 105 brought the Lumineers to newly opened Chapel in SF and the band didn’t disappoint. The venue was the perfect size for the band and like most of the other bands on this list, the Lumineers had fun playing and it made for a great show.

3. Kronos Quartet at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – October 5th
OK, this was really Amon Tobin’s show, but Kronos opened and performed beautifully. Being a longtime fan, it’s not a surprise these openers made my list. Great music from great performers. And the Greek Theatre in Berkeley was the best venue to see them at … and most other concerts.

4. Willie Nelson and Family at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – March 15th
5. Of Monsters and Men at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – May 22nd
6. Fun. at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – May 28th
7. Sage Francis at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – March 17th
8. Steve Aoki at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – January 21st
9. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland, CA – May 12th
10. Avicii at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – June 28th

Tame Impala at The Fillmore

Kevin Quandt – San Francisco

1. The Walkmen at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – January 20th-21st
These 10th anniversary shows were a Walkmen fan’s wet dream as they played their first album in full among multiple sets and configurations including a horn section. Over 30 songs of Hamilton Leithauser and company churning out their own brand of rock and roll to devote fans from across the States.

2. Refused with The Hives, The Bronx at The Warfield – San Francisco, CA – April 18th
Having seen their Coachella show a week prior, the anticipation was less palpable, yet the reigning post-punk champs delighted a more rowdy and dedicated crowd with a spirited set for the masses who patiently waited a decade to witness.

3. Trey Anastasio with Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall – Los Angeles, CA – March 10th
Dressing up for a show is fun, especially when Trey is at the helm of philharmonic symphony in one of the best rooms to hear, and see, music in. From the playful rendition of “Guyute” to the half hour “Time Turns Elasctic,” this night had the packed concert hall re-charmed by Ernest and his recharged song book.

4. Tame Impala at The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – November 15th
5. Phish at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA – August 19th
6. Woods & White Fence at The Chapel (Preservation Hall West) – San Francisco, CA – October 17th
7. Howlin Rain at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – February 18th
8. Radiohead at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – April 12th
9. Father John Misty with Har Mar Superstar at Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA – May 5th
10. Mala at Yoshi’s – Oakland, CA – June 23rd

Festival sets:
Sigur Rós at Outside Lands Music Festival – San Francisco, CA – August 11th
Future Islands at FYF Fest – Los Angeles, CA – September 1st
Flying Lotus at Coachella – Indio, CA – April 14th

Justice at The Warfield

Sean Little – San Francisco

1. Justice at The Warfield – San Francisco, CA – November 4th
What else is there to say about Justice that hasn’t already been said. They came, they saw, and they melted faces with an amazing set the blew fans away and converted first timers alike. At least half my friends decided to go last minute (tickets were still available because it was a Sunday) and all of them became huge fans. Some of these friends are not into electronic music of any kind either, so that really says something. It was one of those rare shows where you leave euphoric and can’t stop saying “wow” to the people you went with.

2. Florence & the Machine at Coachella – Indio, CA – April 15th
The only other performer I’ve ever seen that commanded an audience like Florence did was Snoop Dogg back in 02 at the Smoke Out (stop-you’re not better than me so put that eyebrow back down). It was one of the rare festival sets where everyone felt really in tune with the performer and each other, singing along and knowing when to interact with each other and the songs. She was absolutely amazing, and the set was a dark horse highlight to my festival as I didn’t expect her to command the audience like she did. She’s truly a presence.

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2012, Featured Tagged With: A.Skillz, Aaron Freeman, Against Me!, Animal Collective, AVICII, Best Concerts of 2012, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Bottom of the Hill, Bridge School Benefit, Charles Bradley, Citizens! Lescop, Coachella, Coachella 2012, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2012, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2012, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2012, Cold War Kids, Creators Project, D'Angelo, Dan Deacon, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Deerhoof, Dr. John, Duo de Twang, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Electric Guest, Father John Misty, Flying Lotus, Fox Theater Oakland, Fun., Future Islands, FYF Fest, FYF Fest 2012, Gene Ween, Girl Talk, Great American Music Hall, Greek Theatre Berkeley, Guns N' Roses, Head and the Heart, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Palladium, House of Blues, Howlin Rain, HP Pavilion, Japandroids, Keller Williams, Key Club, Kid Koala, Kishi Bashi, Kronos Quartet, LA Memorial Coliseum, LA Phil, LA Philharmonic, Les Claypool, Long Beach Arena, Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, M83, Mala, Mayan Theater, Menahan Street Band, Metallica, Mezzanine, MIGHTY, Miike Snow, Music Festival Outside Lands Music Festival, Music Festival Outside Lands Music Festival 2012, My Morning Jacket, Neil Young, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, New Multitudes, Of Monsters and Men, Of Montreal, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2012, Passion Pit, Penguin Prison, Phish, Radiohead, Refused, Rickshaw Stop, Royce Hall, Ryan Adams, Sage Francisc, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, SAP Center, Sasquatch!, Sasquatch! 2012, Sasquatch! Music Festival, Sasquatch! Music Festival 2012, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Sigur Ros, Slims, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9), Starfucker, Steve Aoki, Steve Kimock, Stevie Wonder, STS9, Tame Impala, Terrapin Crossroads, The, The Album Leaf, The Catalyst, The Chapel, The Faint, The Fillmore, The Hives, The Lumineers, The Mayan, The New Parish, The Presets, The Rapture, The Shins, The Walkmen, The Warfield, The Wiltern, The Wiltern Theatre, The xx, TIMF, TIMF 2012, Top Shows of 2012, Treasure Island, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2012, Trey Anastasio, Trombone Shorty, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Washed Out, Ween, White Fence, Wilco, Willie Nelson, Willie Nelson and Family, Woods, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Yoshi's, Zee Avi

Best albums of 2012

December 21, 2012 by Mike Frash 12 Comments

Subscribe to our Spotify Playlist “Best Albums of 2012.”

2012 has been a rich year for music, and our consensus top 10 albums show diverse musical selections. Each Showbams contributor selected their top 10 albums from 2012, and we averaged them together to create Showbams’ Best Albums of 2012:

1. Tame Impala – Lonerism
2. Passion Pit – Gossamer
3. Kendrick Lamar – Good kid, m.A.A.d city
4. Jack White – BlunderBuss
5. The xx – Coexist
6. Father John Misty – Fear Fun
7. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE
8. The Presets – Pacifica
9. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
10.Tanlines – Mixed Emotions

Honorable Mention:
Dr. John – Locked Down
Hot Chip – In Our Heads
Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill

Take a look at our contributor’s favorite albums of 2012 below:

Mike Frash – San Francisco
1. Tame Impala – Lonerism
It’s rare to find an album that grabs you from the very beginning and compels you to listen beginning to end, the first time you spin it. Lonerism is timeless; you could convince someone that it’s from the late 1960s if they didn’t know better. “Apocalypse Dream” sets a masterful psychedelic-sad tone, “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” is the type of song people dreamed Oasis would create 10 years ago, and “Elephant” just flat out rocks.

2. The xx – Coexist
Coexist grew on me more than any album in recent memory. It’s about love, regret, angst, pain, and forgiveness. “Angels” begins the album with one of the best love songs ever (no hyperbole), and after 30 minutes of intense back and forth emotion, “Our Song” brings our two characters back together. Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim are the two main characters in the this story, and they play off each other even better than their first record. Jamie xx brings it all together with his subtle beats and sounds. This album is a love story for the ages.

3. Sun Kil Moon – Among The Leaves
Mark Kozelek’s fifth studio album under the name Sun Kil Moon combines masterful lyricism and captivating cadence to the point where it becomes addictive. The songwriting is creative and pretty out there at times, and is mostly self-reflexive and literal. The instruments are kept to a minimum – most of the album is Kozelek singing over acoustic guitar, but this minimalist approach just works for me.

4. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE
5. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
6. Passion Pit – Gossamer
7. John Talabot – Fin
8. Chromatics – Kill For Love
9. Wild Nothing – Nocturne
10. Delicate Steve – Positive Force

Honorable Mention:
The Presets – Pacifica
Purity Ring – Shrines
Father John Misty – Fear Fun

Pete Mauch – Los Angeles
1. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill
When someone as legendary as Neil Young puts out an album with timeless songs like “Ramada Inn,” “Walk Like A Giant,” and “Twisted Road” there is absolutely no other album I can put in front of this list. Psychedelic Pill may be Neil Young’s best effort since the 70’s.”

2.Tame Impala – Lonerism
This sophomore album oozes with psychedelic-laced pop tunes that are very reminiciant of The Beatles, especially after they experimented with mind altering drugs. From the opening track of “Gotta Be Above It,” you know you’re in for quite the mystical journey.

3.Father John Misty – Fear Fun This Fleet Foxes outcast may have one-upped his former band with this debut album. “Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings” is quite possibly my favorite song of the year as well.

4. Kendrick Lamar – Good kid, m.A.A.d city
5. Dr. John – Locked Down
6. Jack White – BlunderBuss
7. Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu
8. Alabama Shakes – Boys and Girls
9. Grizzly Bear – Shields
10. Lumineers – Lumineers

Honorable Mention:
Animal Collective – Centipede Hz
Django Django – Django Django

Molly Kish – San Francisco
1. The xx – Coexist
Coexist was an extremely strong and highly anticipated sophomore effort. I was so excited
about this that I listened to it immediately when it became available. Coexist continues the journey
initially set out on the band’s debut album and brings the music to an even more provocative
soundscape, highlighting Jamie xx’s production skill and minimalistic dance beats.

2. Stars – The North
“The North” is Stars’ 7th studio album and it delivers an infectious and comprehensive survey of
the band’s 12 year discography. The lyrical collaboration of Torquil and Seligman remains
at the forefront of the songs and it exhibits a maturity in both range and content. Stars have set the indie rock standard on everything from synth heavy pop songs to piano rock ballads, and they continue to lead and influence.

3. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
Fiona Apple’s “The Idler Wheel…” was an album I have wanted to hear since 1999”s
“When the pawn.” Along with exhibiting her talents as a pianist and blues rock vocal ingénue,
Apple’s inclusion of samples and entrancing drum beats brings her work to a whole new level.
The album is one you could play on repeat for days without realizing it, and you might continue
playing it anyways.

4. Yeasayer – Fragrant World
5. Dr. John – Locked Down
6. Passion Pit – Gossamer
7. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
8. Tanlines – Mixed Emotions
9. The Presets – Pacifica
10. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Here

Honorable Mentions
Animal Collective, Centipede Hz
Hot Chip, In Our Heads
Bloc Party, Four

Kevin Raos – San Francisco
1. Tame Impala – Lonerism
Tame Impala has created the definitive psychedelic rock album of 2012. Taking what they did with their debut album, Innerspeaker, and infusing it with more fuzzy guitar and Beatles-esque vocal style, Lonerism takes the listener on a mind-altering, hallucinatory, psychotropic exploration that is unlike anything in 2012. Flashbacks to this album will be frequent and intense.

2. Passion Pit – Gossamer
Another sophomore success, Passion Pit’s Gossamer is an electro-pop marvel. I think this album will remain one of the more memorable albums beyond 2012 for its pure pop and danceability. Catchy hooks and upbeat melodies make this one of the best indie pop albums of the year.

3. Jack White – Blunderbuss
Everything Jack White touches turns to gold, and this time is no different. It’s hard to think that with as much as we’ve heard from Jack White, that this is his solo album debut. I have the feeling that Jack White is going to be around for a long time, and this is only the beginning of a successful solo career.

4. Grimes – Visions
5. Sigur Ros – Valtari
6. John Talabot – Fin
7. Step Dad – Wildlife Pop
8. Electric Guest – Mondo
9. The Big Pink – Future This
10. Kishi Bashi – 151a

Honorable Mention:
Memory Tapes – Grace/Confusion

Eric Shaden – San Francisco
1. Passion Pit – Gossamer
For me, a great followup to Manners. This avoids the sophomore slump with a good mix of tracks. My favorite of the year.

2. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
With so many hip hop albums released annually it takes something special to rise above the fray. Kendrick Lamar does this on good kid, m.A.A.d city. My best hip hop album by far.

3. Jack White – Blunderbuss
Great to hear such a solid rock album, especially in 2012. This reminds me of the White Stripes while still sounding fresh and new. I knew after one listen that this would be one of the top albums of the year.

4. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
5. Miike Snow – Happy to You
6. Hot Chip – In Our Heads
7. Santigold – Master of My Make Believe
8. Frank Ocean – Channel ORANGE
9. Chairlift – Something
10. Purity Ring – Shrines

Kevin Quandt – San Francisco
1. Father John Misty – Fear Fun
Josh Tillman left his post as drummer for Fleet Foxes only to create his best solo material to date under the moniker, Father John Misty. This rousing tale of drinking, womanizing and tripping his way down the West Coast is full of catchy hooks and twisted lyrics that are perfect for an easy escape from the norm. Don’t sleep on seeing Tillman and his merry pranksters live as he commands a stage with the best of them.

2. Tame Impala – Lonerism
This sophomore effort from the lads down under takes their already stellar formula, utilized on InnerSpeaker, and polishes it even further. A wider breadth of sound is the result on Lonerism, as Kevin Parker gains more confidence as witnessed in more robust melodies brought up in the mix, larger crescendos and bolder subject matter in his lyrics. A deeper range of sound has also come through as these guys continue to only get better with age.

3. DIIV – Oshin
Beach Fossil’s Zachary Cole Smith released a whopper of a solo effort this year under the aquatic-name, Diiv(Dive). Heavy on the reverb and not lacking any quality of pop shoe-gaze mentality, this album has a way of grabbing you and holding on for a few months as the infectious guitar hooks play over and over in your skull. Though they may not break the mold for a certain brand of Brooklyn meets hip ocean beachside sound, they certainly put out one of the better records in that style.

4. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
5. The Walkmen – Heaven
6. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, m.A.A.d City
7. Pond – Beard, Wives, Denim
8. Jack White – Blunderbuss
9. White Fence – Family Perfume Vol. 1
10. Dr. John – Locked Down

EPS
How to Destroy Angels – An Omen
TNGHT – TNGHT
Captain Murphy – Duality

Sean Little – San Francisco
1. The Presets – Pacifica
I have to admit the first time I heard it I was a bit let down. I was expecting something more akin to Apocalypso and wasn’t sure if I was into the fact it wasn’t a very indie dance forward album. The more I listened though the more it grew on me, and the more I started to appreciate the way they took chances and pushed boundaries. Songs like Ghosts and A.O. are a far departure from their last album, but still have an infectious quality to them that is at home in headphones or on a dance floor. The more I hear this the more I like it making it my number `1 album.

2. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
An all-around amazing album. Most rap now is so over produced and homogenized it’s great to see someone make an album that reminds you of the old days, where beats were thoughtful and albums had an overall story arc, not just one single after another. Kendrick is going to be doing big things and holds the torch as the only real west coast rapper pumping out thoughtful tracks that make you pay attention to the lyrics as much as move. Probably the only rap album I listen to regularly these days.

3. Godspeed You! Black Emperer – Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!:
Trippy, heady stoner metal that you can listen to pretty much anywhere and vibe to. It isn’t for everyone, but the way the craft songs that stretch and grow creating a real atmosphere is unique and not seen as often in a world where few have the attention span for a 25 minute song. Few others know how to build on just one note and continue to grow a vibe until it crashes like a wave, taking the listener with it. A great album to listen to no matter what your mood, just hit play and let it take you wherever you want it to.

4. Tanlines – Mixed Emotions
5. Lindstrom – Small Hans
6. Cat Power – Sun
7. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
8. Hot Chip – In Our Heads
9. Scuba – Personality
10. Scissor Sisters – Magic Hour

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2012, Featured Tagged With: Dr. John, Father John Misty, Frank Ocean, Hot Chip, Jack White, Japandroids, Kendrick Lamar, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Passion Pit, Tame Impala, Tanlines, The Presets, The xx

Best tracks of 2012

December 18, 2012 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Some of our favorite tracks in 2012 are from The Lumineers, Tame Impala, Japandroids, Father John Misty, & Electric Guest.

The Lumineers, Tame Impala, Japandroids, Father John Misty, & Electric Guest created classic songs in 2012.

Showbams contributors have listed their favorite tracks of the year.
What were your favorite songs in 2012? Leave a comment below.

View our Best Shows of 2012
View our Best Albums of 2012

Mike Frash – San Francisco @MikeFrash
Subscribe to Mike’s “Best Tracks of 2012” Playlist on Spotify.

1. Sun Kil Moon – “Among the Leaves”

When a song get’s it’s 50th play and just gets better, you know you’ve found something special. This song showcases Mark Kozelek’s voice and songwriting perfectly, and is so good he named the album after it. With every spin the descriptive lyrics evolve in the mind of listener. Kozelek tells the tale of a girl he sees around town and wants to help. And when the wind instruments kick in, the song takes off and flies.

2. Tame Impala – “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”

This track might me the most simple song from Lonerism, but it is also the most memorable. It’s plenty trippy like the rest of the album, and it’s also the most catchy song – the one that’s still bouncing around your head a day later. “It feels like we only go backwards, but every part of me says go ahead.” This refrain so basic yet effective, and Kevin Parker’s familiar vocals blend seamlessly into Tame Impala’s psychedelic fuzz rock.

3. Passion Pit– “It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy”

Once Michael Angelakos’s bi-polar disorder disorder and attempted suicides were made public, this album and track worked on a higher level. It may be the most biographical song on Gossamer (that says a lot), and the penultimate track steps into anthem territory with confessional optimism. It’s like Michael is telling himself, repeating over and over, that he’s going to make it. Knowing the context of the song makes it more effective, but the biographical background is not needed to know this song is great.

4. Japandroids – “Fire’s Highway”
5. Frank Ocean – “Pyramids”
6. The xx – “Angels”
7. John Talabot – “Destiny” feat. Pional
8. Fiona Apple – “Every Single Night”
9. Tanlines – “Brothers”
10.House – “Kindness”

Honorable Mention:
Killer Mike – “Reagan”
The Presets – “Fall”
Wild Nothing – “Paradise”

Pete Mauch – Los Angeles @PeteMauch

1. Father John Misty – “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”

2. Neil Young – “Walk Like a Giant”

3. Trey Anastasio – “Scabbard”

4. Tame Impala – “Apocalypse Dreams”
5. Neil Young – “Ramada Inn”
6. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools”
7. Alabama Shakes – “Hold on”
8. Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
9. Gary Clark Jr. – “Numb”
10.Jack White – “Freedom at 21”

Molly Kish – San Francisco @MollyKish

1. Lumineers – “Ho Hey”

Due to the incredible commercial success of the Lumineers self-titled debut, you couldn’t escape this song in 2012. Infectiously simple both in lyrics and structure, this song’s basic pop composition grabs it’s audience’s attention immediately and has you singing along from the first listen. An instant crowd pleaser and multi-format radio hit, I still have yet to change the dial.

2. Azealia Banks – “212”

A Hard hitting hip hop club hit, this song’s dirty beat and even filthier flow is an immediate dance party call to arms. Bursting onto the scene with this track produced by Lazy J, Azaelia Banks jumped into the female rap game spitting fire. Incorporating the repetitive use of the word cunt into a chorus and making it contagiously catchy and not crude: genius.

3. The Presets – “Youth in Trouble”

The Presets came back to the EDM scene after a four year hiatus and did so with authority. Starting off one of this year’s best dance albums, this standout track is a club banger. With its extreme builds, relentless bass line and scream along party lyrics, the Presets win my “drop of the year” award in this bar setting track.

4. Electric Guest – “This Head I Hold”
5. Fiona Apple – “Hot Knife”
6. The xx – “Reunion”
7. Kishi Bashi – “Bright Whites”
8. Dr. John – “Locked Down”
9. Yeasayer – “Reagan’s Skeleton”
10.Bloc Party – “Octopus”

Honorable Mentions
Passion Pit – “I’ll be Alright”

Kevin Raos – San Francisco @kevinraos

1. Tame Impala – “Apocalypse Dreams”

Best track on the best album of the year. The more I listen to this album the more my opinion of it morphs and shifts. That’s one of the best things about an album like this – you hear something new every time you listen.

2. Electric Guest – “This Head I Hold”

This song sounds like it could have been written 50 years ago. Classic sound, classic song. One of my favorites of the year.

3. Lana Del Rey – “Born to Die”

I put this in my top 3 simply because I want to comment about my love/hate fascination with Lana Del Rey. Lana Del Rey’s fragile demeanor and futile resistance towards fame make her one of the most interesting artist of 2012. I’m not a giant fan of her music as a whole, but I LOVE this song.

4. alt-J – “Fitzpleasure”
5. Stepdad – “My Leather, My Fur, My Nails”
6. Django Django – “Default”
7. Passion Pit – “Carried Away”
8. Memory Tapes – “Thru the Field”
9. Trey Anastasio – “Scabbard”
10.Matthew Dear – “Her Fantasy”

Eric Shaden – San Francisco @3ricShaden

1. Major Lazer feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors – “Get Free”

2. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”

3. Passion Pit – “Constant Conversations”

4. MIA – “Bad Girls”
5. Santigold – “Disparate Youth”
6. Hot Chip – “Motion Sickness”
7. Purity Ring – “Lofticries”
8. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”
9. Chairlift – “Sidewalk Safari”
10.RAC feat. Penguin Prison – “Hollywood”

Kevin Quandt – San Francisco @KJQuandt

1. TNGHT – “Higher Ground”

The duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice brought their unique brands of production into one insanely big release this year. This highlight track, among others, features chopped vocals, a plethora of hand-clapping and a massive bass tuba beat that has been destroying dance floors the better part of 2012. Higher Ground begs to be properly rhymed over, but in the meantime the production is the shining light of the year.

2. Pond – “Eye Pattern Blindness”

What an epic rock track these Aussies churned out this year. Taking notes from Floyd and Zeppelin equally have helped these lads write and perform a rock masterpiece full of twist and turns, not to mention it clocks in at a rare 6 minutes. Syd Barrett is smiling down from above.

3. Japandroids – “House That Heaven Built”

From the distorted wall of guitar to the infectious chorus, epitomizing the sound of Brian King and David Prowse, this track has angst and energy slathered all over it. These guys don’t write typical rock and roll songs, and it is refreshing to see their hard work paying off in dividends. A true rock gem for the ages.

4. Father John Misty – “Hollywood Cemetery Forever Sings”
5. The Allah-Las – “Tell Me What’s on Your Mind”
6. How to Destroy Angels – “Keep it Together”
7. Cloud Nothings – “Wasted Days”
8. Jack White – “Love Interruption”
9. Clark – “Secret”
10.Woods – “Size Meets Sound”

Honorable Mentions:
Liars – “No. 1 Against the Rush”
Thee Oh Sees – “Lupine Dominus”
Chromatics – “Kill For Love”

Sean Little – San Francisco @splittle

1. Nikki & The Dove – “Mother Protect” (Goldroom Remix)

Nikki & The Dove are great as is, but what Goldroom does with this track is reinvent it in a way that’s thoughtful and massive all at once. It’s one of those rare remixes that you hear after the original, and never listen to the original again. It’s that good. Goldroom has really blown up over the last year, touring the globe and this is the track that arguably started it all as it was supported by Aeroplane and The Magician among others giving it, and him, serious credibility. Keep him on your radar and expect more of this for a long time to come.

2. Bicep – “Vision of Love”

This is stripped down, essential house. This track could be thrown into any 90’s house set and not skip a beat, which is a testament to Bicep and how they hone their craft. Two dudes from Ireland that just seem to constantly pump out hits and push the party and boundaries. This is the song that shows less can be more, and stripped down production can have a big impact especially when compared with many of today’s overproduced tracks. When the pianos come back in at 3:39 it’s all over.

3. Moonlight Matters – “Come For Me” (Might Mouse Remix)

This is huge. It’s just euphoria in a song. I’ve ended more than a few sets with this and hands are in the air, drinks are being tossed around and people are just losing their shit. Don’t sleep on this stellar remix as many people have and it’s a shame. Words don’t do it just so just listen and wait for it to kick in.

4. Waze & Odyssey – “Love that (Burns Hot Enough)”
5. ColeCo – “Rickey Smiley”
6. Moon Boots – “Off My Mind”
7. Presets – “Ghosts”
8. Van She – “Jamaica”
9. Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers” (The Magician Remix)
10.Chris Malinchak – “The Fourth”

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2012, Featured Tagged With: Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, Azealia Banks, Bicep, Bloc Party, Chairlift, Chris Malinchak, Clark, Cloud Nothings, ColeCo, Django Django, Dr. John, Electric Guest, Father John Misty, Fiona Aplle, Frank Ocean, Gary Clark Jr, Hot Chip, House, How to Destroy Angels, Jack White, Japandroids, John Talabot, Kendrick Lamar, Killer Mike, Kishi Bashi, Lana Del Rey, Lumineers, Lykke LI, Major Lazer, Matthew Dear, Memory Tapes, MIA, Moon Boots, Moonlight Matters, Neil Young, Nikki & the Dove, Passion Pit, Pond, Purity Ring, RAC, Santigold, Stepdad, Sun Kil Moon, Tame Impala, Tanlines, The Allah-Las, The Presets, The xx, TNGHT, Trey Anastasio, Van She, Waze & Odyssey, Wild Nothing, Woods, Yeasayer

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SHOW REVIEWS

Silversun Pickups come out swinging with power & precision to kick off their ‘Tenterhooks Tour’ for a sold-out crowd at The Observatory

On their first major headlining tour, Say She She make no secret at The Belasco why the ‘discodelic soul’ group’s music is for everyone

The Mars Volta reaffirm at Pasadena Civic Auditorium that they aren’t resting on their laurels these days & we love them just as much for it

Lord Huron make their hometown fans at Kia Forum see how they’ve gone from burgeoning indie-rock band to newly minted arena act

The Flaming Lips & Modest Mouse team up for one of the summer’s best co-headline tours as we witnessed at the Santa Barbara Bowl

PHOTOS

Tyler Ramsey & Carl Broemel showcase their beautiful collaboration ‘Celestun’ at Lodge Room just a few weeks after the album’s release

STS9 take over The Bellwether in LA for two nights to celebrate 20 years of ‘Artifact’ & the release of their new album ‘Human Dream’

Grammy winners Portugal. The Man deliver their love letter to Alaska at The Wiltern with Electric Guest, Hanni El Khatib as special guests

FESTIVALS

Just Like Heaven slides back to summer for sixth year as The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, TV Girl & Chromeo carry festival’s 2026 lineup

Outside Lands follows the trend, unloads 2026 lineup earlier than ever with Charli xcx, RÜFÜS DU SOL, The Strokes, The xx & more

Goldenvoice cooks up another batch of Coachella sideshows in 2026

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