Mark Kozelek – Showbams

Phoebe Bridgers inspires a sold-out crowd in her hometown at LA’s Lodge Room

December 18, 2017 by Rochelle Shipman Leave a Comment

Phoebe Bridgers with Gold Star //
Lodge Room – Los Angeles
December 16th, 2017 //

Phoebe Bridgers’ debut LP came out in September, but her album release show got pushed back two months. But for the eager fans who attended her sold-out concert at Lodge Room, Highland Park’s newest venue, it was well worth the wait.

The praise for Stranger in the Alps has only gotten louder since it dropped, and the LA native’s debut has found its way onto — and at the top of — a handful of year-end lists. Bridgers’ songs revolve around her stark storytelling, in a way that comes off as deeply personal, yet still feels relatable to the listener.

During much of Bridgers’ show last Saturday, the intimacy weaved within her songs spread far throughout the crowd. Little else could be heard as she worked her way through most of the album, pausing every now and then to acknowledge her band or shoot fans a coy smile.

Even if she had been alone onstage the entire time, the audience’s rapt attention still wouldn’t have wavered, but halfway through her set, Bridgers brought out close friend Conor Oberst as the two delivered a transcendent performance of “Would You Rather”. Opening act Gold Star, the solo project of LA-based singer-songwriter Marlon Rabenreither, later joined Bridgers and Oberst onstage for a cover of “Christmas Song” by McCarthy Trenching, a band from Oberst’s native Omaha.

The only thing disappointing about Bridgers’ performance was being close enough to see the setlist. She was supposed to perform her devastating version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, but the guitar gods unfortunately threw a wrench in that. Instead, she ended the night quietly with just keyboardist/Stranger co-producer Ethan Gruska, performing a ringing rendition of “You Missed My Heart” by Mark Kozelek (aka Sun Kil Moon).

From the older couple right next to me to the 18-year-olds standing dead center, the eager eyes in the audience captured it best. Incredibly, Bridgers’ album release show will likely be one of the last times we’ll be able to catch her in such an intimate setting.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Gold Star, Lodge Room, Mark Kozelek, Phoebe Bridgers, Sun Kil Moon

Albums you’ll want to hear in 2016

January 6, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Written by Josh Herwitt //

Now that we’ve said our goodbyes to 2015, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2016 and what lies ahead when it comes to new music. Although it’s still rather early and new albums are sure to be announced after this writing, there’s plenty of ear candy that’s already set to be released in 2016.

Here are 10 upcoming albums (in chronological order by release date) that you’ll want to hear and could very well end up being on some “Best of 2016” lists in another 12 months.

David Bowie – ★ (Blackstar)

Release date: January 8th
Record label: RCA/Columbia

The 20th studio album from Ziggy Stardust will be one of the first to hit stands in 2016, and although the 68-year-old legend has said that his touring days are over, Bowie is still capable of making an intriguing record, much like he did in 2013 with The Next Day. From what we’ve heard on ★, be it the 10-minute title track or in recent weeks “Lazarus” (the song that Bowie is also using in his off-Broadway musical by the same name), we’re eager to hear the rest.

Tortoise – The Catastrophist

Release date: January 22nd
Record label: Thrill Jockey

It’s been more than six years since Tortoise last released an album, but the Chicago post-rock outfit will unveil The Catastrophist, led by first single “Gesceap”, later this month. Featuring vocal contributions from Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley and Todd Rittmann of Chicago bands U.S. Maple and Dead Rider, the new LP was inspired by music closely tied to Chicago’s jazz and improvised music scenes that the city commissioned the band to write back in 2010.

Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger

Release date: January 22nd
Record label: Drag City

Segall announced his eighth studio album by mailing a VHS tape to Pitchfork less than two months ago, and if that wasn’t eccentric enough, the prolific garage rocker followed it up with a dedicated website for the LP, which includes a hotline number to call and two videos — one that shows him and the band wearing baby masks and another that sees him playing a doctor while explaining what “emotional mugging” is. Despite Emotional Mugger not extending quite as long as Segall’s previous solo effort Manipulator did, many of the track names are worth a chuckle, from “Breakfast Eggs” to “Baby Big Man (I Want a Mommy)”.

Bloc Party – Hymns

Release date: January 29th
Record label: BMG

Long known for pioneering a sound that bridged the gap between indie rock and electronic music, Bloc Party return in early 2016 with their fifth studio album and their first with new members Justin Harris (bass, keyboards) and Louise Bartle (drums). Debuting material from Hymns, including newest single “The Good News” at FYF Fest (read our festival review here) in August, the British quartet will also offer a deluxe edition of the LP with four bonus tracks.

St. Lucia – Matter

Release date: January 29th
Record label: Columbia

Jean-Philip Grobler released the debut LP for his Brooklyn-based, synthpop project St. Lucia toward the end of 2013, and late this month, the South African native will unveil his follow-up to When the Night. If you were curious as to how Matter will sound in comparison to his first full length, Grobler has a geographical analogy to describe both: “If the last album sounded like the tropics, this album is the desert.”

Black Moth Super Rainbow

Release date: N/A
Record label: N/A

Thomas Fec has become well-regarded in indie-electronic circles for his work as Tobacco over the last several years, but for more than a decade, he has also served as the frontman of Black Moth Super Rainbow, the Pittsburgh psych-rock group that’s preparing to drop its sixth studio album later this year. As BMSR fans await the LP’s official release, the band surprised many in mid-November by streaming its new mini-album Seefu Lilac, which features “neon flavored outtakes from a 6th album that doesn’t yet exist.”

Animal Collective – Painting With

Release date: February 19th
Record label: Domino

After streaming new material on loop at Baltimore’s BWI Airport the day before Thanksgiving, Animal Collective are now just a few weeks away from the release of their 10th studio album. Taking some much-needed time off after its latest tour so that David Portner and Noah Lennox could focus on their own side projects, the band refined its songwriting approach for Painting With, removing the long, ambient passages that were often synonymous with their previous LPs and also collaborating with Welsh musician John Cale and multireedist Colin Stetson.

Wild Nothing – Life of Pause

Release date: February 19th
Record label: Captured Tracks

Jack Tatum remains the brains behind his indie-rock/dream-pop project Wild Nothing, having been its founder and lone songwriter since 2009. Feeding off the success of 2012’s Nocturne, Tatum consciously wanted to reinvent himself as a musician while recording Life of Pause in Los Angeles and Stockholm with producer Thom Monahan, and if his double-sided single “To Know You”/”TV Queen” is any indication, we’re starting to see what he means.

Poliça – United Crushers

Release date: March 4th
Record label: Mom + Pop

Poliça lead vocalist Channy Leaneagh may have been pregnant last year, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way this Minneapolis synthpop group has continued to work in the studio. In following up its successful sophomore effort Shulamith from 2013, the five-piece takes a more political approach on its third full-length album United Crushers, which boasts first single “Lime Habit”.

Charles Bradley – Changes

Release date: April 1st
Record label: Daptone Records

You have to wonder if Charles Bradley was a Black Sabbath fan growing up as a kid, because his new album Changes draws plenty of inspiration from the legendary heavy metal group’s Vol. 4. While his cover of the famous Sabbath hit serves as the LP’s title track, the “Screaming Eagle of Soul” continues to win us over with his rags-to-riches story (Bradley was at one time homeless before becoming a cook and working various odd jobs) and his undying charisma.

The following artists and bands are expected to release new albums in 2016 but have yet to confirm an official release date and/or an album title:

AlunaGeorge
ANTEMASQUE
Band of Horses
Beck
Blink-182
Chairlift – Moth
Chromatics – Dear Tommy
Crystal Castles
Death Grips – Bottomless Pit
Deftones
Diddy – No Way Out 2
DJ Premier – Last Session @ 320
Drake – Views From the 6
Frank Ocean
Gary Numan
Gorillaz
GZA – Dark Matter
Haim
James Blake – Radio Silence
Kanye West – SWISH
Kings of Leon
LCD Soundsystem
Lupe Fiasco – Drogas
M.I.A. – Matahdatah
M83
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Major Lazer – Music Is the Weapon
Mark Kozelek
Metallica
Metronomy
Modest Mouse
My Morning Jacket
No Doubt
Pete Yorn – Arranging Time
Radiohead
Rihanna – Anti
Spiritualized
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Killers
The Strokes
Zeds Dead

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, New Music Tagged With: AlunaGeorge, Animal Collective, Antemasque, Band of Horses, Beck, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Blink-182, Bloc Party, Chairlift, Charles Bradley, Chromatics, Crystal Castles, David Bowie, Deftones, Diddy, DJ Premier, Drake, Frank Ocean, Gary Numan, Gorillaz, GZA, Haim, Kanye West, Kings of Leon, LCD Soundsystem, Lupe Fiasco, M.I.A., M83, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Major Lazer, Mark Kozelek, Metallica, Metronomy, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, New Music, No Doubt, Pete Yorn, Poliça, Radiohead, Rihanna, Spiritualized, St. Lucia, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Killers, The Strokes, Tortoise, Ty Segall, Wild Nothing, Zeds Dead

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

March 6, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Caribou at The Fillmore // Photo by Justin Yee

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

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

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

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

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

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

Most Likely to Have a Hospital Bill: Ben Gibbard

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

Runner-up: PPL MVR

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

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

— Noise Pop (@noisepop) February 25, 2015

Most Likely to Inspire 2015 Festival Fashion: The Black Ryder

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

Runner-up: Bestie

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

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

Most Bar-Raising Performance of the Festival: Kindness

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

Read the full review here.

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

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

Read the full review here.

Runner-up: Holly Herndon

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

Read the full review here.

Most Entertaining Attempt at a Cover Song: Surfer Blood

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

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

Most Likely to Be Headlining Future Festivals: Caribou

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

Runner-up: Flight Facilities

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

Read the full review here.

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

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

Read the full review here.

Runner-up: Geographer

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

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

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2014: Three hot days of treating SF

October 9, 2014 by Mike Frash 4 Comments

Photos by Pedro Paredes, Tom Dellinger & Benjamin Wallen // Written by Mike Frash //

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2014 //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
October 3rd-5th, 2014 //

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is the best free music festival in the world. There are no security checkpoints, yet a quarter million people get along like old friends each day. You get to choose from seven different stages (a new one was added this year). And you can count on the sun to shine brightly come early October just about every year in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. It’s just one of those SF laissez-faire weekends that works.

Warren Hellman’s event and ongoing gift is a real-life Choose Your Own Adventure for music heads while also setting the scene for a weekend-long picnic in the park.

The hottest day of the year in SF was on HSB Friday, so finding shade and a spot in close proximity to a stage was like getting a half-decent apartment rental price in this City — it was basically impossible.

Headliner choices to end the first day were a toss-up, and you really can’t go wrong when choosing between Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst, Yo La Tengo and Lucinda Williams.

Ryan Adams headlining The Banjo Stage on Friday.

The Banjo Stage was packed, yet restrained for Ryan Adams, who impressed with a set full of cuts from his remarkable self-titled album from this year. The over-heated audience finally let loose when the sun went down, and Adams, plus his band, delivered a goofy-fun, impromptu song (watch it here) that was made up on the spot. Hellman Hallow erupted in celebration of three (“No, it’s not three. It’s four fucking balloons.”) in the back of the park.

Conor Oberst once again curated the Rooster Stage for Friday, with Waxahatchee and Jonathan Wilson both showing early on why they keep growing more popular. Wilson offered one of the most eye-opening sets of the weekend — the segmented sections of energy connected like a mystery train heading toward infinity.

If you like music, then you’ll probably like Jonathan Wilson. Marx Meadow perfectly matched the feel of his show.

Sharon Van Etten suffered from some early technical issues, and the sound output was less than half as strong as other shows in Marx Meadow throughout the weekend. But with every slow-building crescendo, the crowd would stop talking and take heed of one of the most powerful performers around.

The heat effected Van Etten's sound output and between-song banter, but there were still plenty of affecting moments

The staggering heat may have affected Van Etten’s between-song banter, but she still affected us.

Dawes has become that festival set I usually walk by on the way to another, but I’m completely in favor of making “When My Time Comes” the new National Anthem for the United States.

Mini-Boss Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes carries on the energy of Bruce Springsteen.

The Towers of Gold Stage on Saturday was a classic example of the “Hardly Strictly” side of this bluegrass-based fest. Red Baraat had us dancing, Deltron 3030 with the 3030 Orchestra (and Dan The Automator orchestrating) had us rhyming along, Built to Spill got collective head-bopping going and Social Distortion drew out the punk rock rage in many.

Then, capping the day by seeing Robert Earl Keen hold down Saturday evening duties at the Rooster Stage once again just felt right.

Year after year, the energy at Robert Earl Keen to end Saturday is undeniable.

Year after year, the energy at Robert Earl Keen’s set to end Saturday is undeniable.

SF-based singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek has had quite the year, creating one of the best albums of 2014 while making waves as of late. He bullies his audiences, and he’s directed his ire at The War on Drugs the past few weeks since WOD, one of the best live acts of 2014, overpowered Kozelek’s Sun Kil Moon set during the Ottawa Folk Festival.

There was no sound-bleed during Kozelek’s Sun Kil Moon set on Sunday, and he had a four-piece supporting him to rework some of his recent work. Songs were slowed down and vocals were turned up with extra echo, placing greater significance on words and phrasing. “Michelene” seemed more tragic, and “Gustavo” lingered in the air.

Kozelek seemed gracious and positive throughout, professing his love for San Francisco by saying “I’m gonna live here and die here”, and based on his 2014 record Benji, I believe him.

Chuck Prophet delivered a full sound with a supporting orchestra on Sunday.

Chuck Prophet during his part on Saturday at the “Holler Down the Hollow” set at the Banjo Stage.

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express put on a delightful set with orchestral backing, Tweedy played a handful of Wilco songs solo acoustic (including “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”) and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead finished off the Arrow Stage on Sunday in usual jammy fashion, performing classic Grateful Dead tunes much better than anyone out there today, including Furthur.

What were your favorite sets of the weekend?

Steve Earle, Peter Rowan…

David Rawlings

It was fucking hot (for SF)

John Paul Jones

A park legend

The Lone Bellow

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

Timeless couple

HSB fills in nicely.

The Mastersons

Paul Janeway

Good times.

Beer.

Until next year…

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Built To Spill, Dawes, Deltron 3030 with the 3030 Orchestra, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2014, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, HSBF, HSBF 2014, Mark Kozelek, Red Baraat, Robert Earl Keen, Ryan Adams, Sharon Van Etten, Social Distortion, Sun Kil Moon

Festival Review: Noise Pop 2014

March 6, 2014 by The Bam Team 1 Comment

Noise Pop 2014 has come and gone, and what a jam-packed week of music and merriment it was. This week-long festival event is spread out amongst the 22 finest venues in the Bay Area, making for one of the best extended independent music showcases around.

The Bam Team was on the scene throughout, capturing the many memorable moments — take a look at our show recaps and photos below!

Photo by Kory Thibeault //

Digital Mystikz with DJ Rashad //
1015 Folsom – San Francisco
February 27th, 2014 //

This night of progressive dance and bass music was a long time in the making, and the results were not disappointing as those faithful to underground music were treated to this Teklife/DMZ doubleheader. DJ Rashad brought his own style to the stage, presenting the hyped crowd with his own unique brand of dance music that goes by ‘footwork,’ a variant offshoot of juke and ghetto house. The highly rhythmic tracks were a delight to those wanting to show off their fancy dance moves before the “bass bath” that is Digital Mystikz. Though Rashad was killing it, he seemed reluctant to hand over the decks to the duo of Mala and Coki.

Dubstep and bass music fans in San Francisco finally got to experience the heaviness that is South London’s Digital Mystikz after years of waiting (and canned dates). They were rewarded with a straight vinyl set that had the two switching off dubplates every so often. The speakers flexed and breathed as an array of frequencies poured out, showcasing a slower tempo than Rashad. Mala played heavy on roots tracks while Coki spun his characteristic style of aggressive bass. Coki seems to be taking his musical career more seriously as he debuted a handful of bangers that are sure to make their way onto wax and various mix sets. “Anti-War Dub”, a legendary track, demonstrated their agenda as bass music with a message. “Gangster for Life” was a highlight for the amped crowd as many put their hands in the air and sand along to Movado’s vocal sample before dropping into some seriously filthy rhythms and sub-bass. Mala’s “Miracles” was featured towards the end of the set as the faithful were disappointed to see DMZ’s late start not be rewarded on the back end with an extra 10 minutes. -Kevin Quandt

Photo by Tom Dellinger //

The Soft White Sixties, NO (LA), The SHE’S, Cannons and Clouds //
The Chapel – San Francisco
February 28th, 2014 //

After their set of about an hour and a half, it was confirmed that this was one of those performances that will be well remembered. Surely, The Soft White Sixties are destined to launch onto larger stages and broader success as a band. Ready and poised, all the ingredients are there. —Tom Dellinger

READ FULL REVIEW & VIEW PHOTOS

The Fresh & Onlys with Cool Ghouls, Sandy’s, Luke Sweeney //
Brick & Mortar Music Hall – San Francisco
February 26th, 2014 //

The Fresh & Only’s lead singer, Tim Cohen, who is strangely reminiscent of Danny McBride in his humor, cracked jokes between songs. The locally beloved band declared, “We are San Francisco, or we were San Francisco, or San Francisco was us.” The crowd seemed to eat up the commentary on the general culture shift happening around them in the City. -Katy Meacham

READ FULL REVIEW

Papercuts, Vetiver, The Donkeys, EDJ //
The Chapel – San Francisco
February 26th, 2014 //

San Francisco’s Papercuts finished the night with a slightly more subdued set, especially when compared to Vetiver and the Donkeys, and the crowd had thinned a bit as the ‘school night curse’ fell over the headliner. -Kevin Quandt

READ FULL REVIEW

Com Truise with Phantoms, Kauf, DJ Dials //
Mezzanine — San Francisco
February 27th, 2014 //

The 80’s haven’t sounded this good since…well, ever. Com Truise intertwines reworked 80’s synth samples with modern sensibilities and the result induces random outbreaks of dancing in crowds. Buoyed by a new lighting rig that dominated the stage, Truise’s downtempo productions come across as more powerful and engaging than the recordings. Though the west coast leg of his tour is finished, having just released the first part of a planned series albums, hopefully he’ll pop back up sooner than later. -Steve Wandrey

El Ten Eleven with Mattson 2, Pale Blue Dot //
The New Parish – Oakland, CA
February 28th, 2014 //

The self-proclaimed “power duo” from Los Angeles created an immense sound with the aid of a looper and heavily modulated effects. Wielding a doubleneck guitar/bass combo, El Ten Eleven’s experimental sound was polished and fresh, never drifting into monotony, which looper pedals can sometimes do. -Kevin Raos

READ FULL REVIEW

Photo by Sterling Munksgard //

Real Estate with The Shilohs & Dream Boys //
The Independent – San Francisco
February 28th, 2014 //

Real Estate played to a solemn, respectfully immersed Independent Friday for their first full show of their North American tour. Sure the indie-rockers played their yet-to-be released record Atlas in its entirety near their home turf in New York Thursday, but they chose Noise Pop Fest to debut their very square stage setup. -Mike Frash

READ FULL REAL ESTATE REVIEW & VIEW PHOTOS

Cold Cave with Painted Palms, Dirty Ghosts and Happy Fangs //
Slim’s – San Francisco
February 28th, 2014 //

An extensive bill of varied rock flavor, Saturday night’s line up at Slim’s had a little bit of something for everyone. Kicking off the evening, local duo Happy Fangs got the crowd amped with their juxtapositional noise-laden synth pop. Rebecca Gone Bad’s vocals penetrated through the brick walls of the venue, audible to the crowd lined up outside amidst the evenings’ partial showers. Next up to the stage, Dirty Ghosts shredded their way through a set of new material and crowd favorites, calling for their guitar levels to be raised so they can properly “rock the fuck out” of the weekend crowd. Painted Palms, brought a different type of temperament to the line-up, focusing their set around the band’s less dance driven tracks, epically stretching out their material into extended jams driven by cousins Reese Donohue and Chris Prudhomme, backed by a full band. Cold Cave closed out the evening with his brooding set of dark-wave synth pop, debuting new material off of his 2014 album Sunflower and utilizing the show as a warm up for his upcoming summer tour with NIN. -Molly Kish

No Age with Cheatahs, GRMLN, Straight Crimes //
Brick & Mortar Music Hall – San Francisco
March 1st, 2014 //

One of the more hyped, international artists on the Noise Pop bill was the rising stars that are Cheatahs. Though the band was marred by poor sound early in the set, they rallied to crush the second half of their set as the crowd began to open up to their sound. Charging out of LA for nearly a decade, No Age two weave the post-punk sentiment of Fugazi with a wall of sound volume that shakes you to your core. The “adult” crowd got a rare treat as No Age generally play all ages shows that quickly turn into frenetic chaos. -Kevin Quandt

READ FULL REVIEW

Dr. Dog with Saint Rich, Moses Sumney //
The Warfield – San Francisco
March 1st, 2014 //

Saturday night was a much anticipated one as the City descended upon the Warfield to get their dose of Dr. Dog. “Live in the Tenderloin” read a sign on stage, a nod to the neighborhood and a proclamation that they knew more about San Francisco than one would expect. And that is certainly how the night felt — Dr. Dog knew its audience and exactly what they wanted to hear. -Kory Thibeault

VIEW DR. DOG PHOTOS

Mark Kozelek (of Sun Kil Moon & Red House Painters) //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
March 1st, 2014 //

“I don’t give a fuck about Noise Pop,” said surly 47-year-old control freak Mark Kozelek at Great American Music Hall Satuday, one of the first piercing, dry stage banter remarks he made. Always honest and amusing in an odd way, much like his music, Kozelek turned between-song breaks into hilarious and awkward moments as a matter of routine. -Mike Frash

READ FULL MARK KOZELEK REVIEW

Photo by Marc Fong //

Rogue Wave with Trails and Ways, Wymond Miles //
The Chapel – San Francisco
March 2nd, 2014 //

A perfect end to an epic festival, Rogue Wave delivered as a closing act, demonstrating excellent showmanship & exciting crowd interaction, fluidly transitioning out of the daytime hours into what the band had promised to deliver from the start — a performance that “felt like a night show” all along. -Molly Kish

READ FULL ROGUE WAVE REVIEW & VIEW PHOTOS

Filed Under: Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Cheatahs, Cold Cave, Com Truise, Digital Mystikz, Dirty Ghosts, DJ Rashad, Dr. Dog, El Ten Eleven, Happy Fangs, Mark Kozelek, No Age, Noise Pop, Noise Pop Festival, Painted Palms, Papercuts, Real Estate, Rogue Wave, Sun Kil Moon, The Donkeys, The Fresh & Onlys, The Soft White Sixties, Vetiver

Mark Kozelek’s surly banter, control obsession effects at GAMH

March 3, 2014 by Mike Frash 3 Comments

By Mike Frash //

NOISE POP 2014 //
Mark Kozelek (of Sun Kil Moon & Red House Painters) //
Great American Music Hall — San Francisco
Saturday March 1st, 2014 //

He was happy to see the audience wasn’t as geriatric as Bob Mould’s Noise Pop show Thusday, which the Sun Kil Moon frontman attended. He noted Mould was in attendance Saturday, along with singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez, which he mentioned twice. He admitted that being able to walk home 10 blocks and pick up a quick ten thousand dollars for this performance was better than going to “fucking China or dreary old England” to perform. Half man, half alley cat, Kozelek spewed venom at a variety of show-goers and subjects, all in a concerted effort to keep control of the room during his touching, sad songs.

A full media ban was in place — we were warned upon entry that there would be no warning. If phones came out, you would be escorted out of the Great American, no questions asked. It quickly became clear this was Kozelek’s personal wish, even though he didn’t mention the rules of the night. He admitted early that he’s used to “at least one asshole hating and heckling” him, which explains his aggressive nature and the way he makes examples out of those in attendance. He even rewarded someone named Javier with one of everything from the merch table for hushing and stepping in front of two women who had been talking.

Kozelek is so brutally affected by his immediate surroundings. He counted and pointed out 12 men in the front row, harking to the lyrics from “Sunshine in Chicago” (“Now I just sign posters for guys in tennis shoes”). It’s easy to see how he’s constantly inspired to craft songs — based on self-reflective lines from his work and the events of this evening, it’s how he channels his thoughts.

The banter lent a bit of levity against the dead-serious storytelling from his incredible new Sun Kil Moon record Benji, which was almost played in its entirety to start the show (final track “Ben’s My Friend” was the only cut missing). Before launching into “I Watched the Film The Song Remains the Same”, something rather extraordinary happened. He looked at a young male fan in the front and asked why he had headphones on his head. Then Kozelek forcefully stated, “You look like a fucking douchebag”, filling the venue with tension and a bit of laughter. This happened right before playing a track about coming to terms with once bullying a kid on the playground in his youth. In the song he discusses the incident, “though I grinned, deep inside I was hurting.” It appears this whole incident was a creative, effective way to foreshadow and show his contradictory nature, as opposed to him being horribly passive aggressive.

The second half of the show highlighted the rest of Kozelek’s most recent efforts from the past two years. It seems all the selections were related to one of two themes, the Bay Area and death, which was a logical way to continue a show that began with the coping, grimly-themed Benji. Though I’m sure many in attendance would have enjoyed some Red House Painters tunes.

The evening and performance offered a stack of new ammunition for Kozelek to write about after his 10-block walk home. It’s possible the events at Great American might make his next record, as his music is a personal diary inverted, projected to the world, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it come out sometime later this year. As he said before his last song “Among The Leaves” — “Just don’t follow me home.”

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Great American Music Hall, Mark Kozelek, Sun Kil Moon

12 reasons to grab a Noise Pop festival badge

February 14, 2014 by The Bam Team 6 Comments

Written by Mike Frash, Molly Kish, Kevin Quandt & Kevin Raos //

Noise Pop //
Bay Area venues – San Francisco & Oakland
February 25th-March 2nd, 2014 //

This time of year can often be a bit slow for live music, but not during Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco. This week-long event spread out amongst the 22 finest venues in the City by the Bay makes for the best extended independent music showcase on the west coast. Noise Pop Fest shows offer in-depth evenings — the best thing to do is to show up early and catch emerging artists before they graduate to headliner status.

One great way to get the most value out of the week is with by springing for a badge. The purchase of a General or Super Fan badge gets you into all general admission shows, films, happy hours, NPHQ and more, along with a screen-printed festival poster. There’s also a Noise Pop Fest app to help keep you connected.

The lineup is as good as ever this year — our list doesn’t include top-notch artists Com Truise, Rogue Wave, Throwing Muses, Beardyman, Ladytron, No Age, Shabazz Palaces, Mikal Cronin, Bleached, Trails and Ways, The Fresh & Onlys, The Limousines, The Soft White Sixties, amongst others. Presented here are 12 compelling reasons to consider a badge upgrade, in day-to-day order.

Click artist names to buy individual tickets below, or simply buy a General or Super Fan badge.

Noise Pop HeadQuarters (NPHQ @ The NWBLK) //
All week //

New this year in Noise Pop’s 22nd incarnation, Noise Pop Headquarters at The NWBLK is now the centerpiece of Noise Pop Festival. Festivalgoers can swing by the stunning gallery-turned-multimedia-space to grab a drink, watch a film, get some food, do some shopping, and experience a pivotal part of this year’s festival with friends and artists before heading out for the night’s events. Purchase tickets or RSVP to all free shows, which will grant you priority entry once capacity has been reached. Yet another reason to go big with a badge.

Lord Huron, Superhumanoids //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
Tuesday, February 25 //
SOLD OUT // BUY A BADGE

A coupled bill of indie folk, rich with thick vocal harmonies and dense soulful compositions, Lord Huron and Superhumanoids pair perfectly to cover the modern state of rhythm and blues. Americana based, the Lord Huron dabble in psychedelic and experimental pop elements, which also can be heard in their counterparts Superhumanoids. The Los Angeles-based trio features genre bending soundscapes, delivering a groove-driven journey through layers of pop, soul and electronic musical arrangements. Each band, although unique in their melodious executions, cover a vast array of roots-rock influences while updating the archetypal sounds in their own innovative manners. This sold out show highlights a great pair of bands to kick off the festival and is one worth splurging a bit extra on a badge to guarantee entry. -MK

Matthew Dear Presents Audion Live: Subverticul //
The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
Wednesday, February 26th //

The latest project from Ghostly International co-founder and experimental artist Matthew Dear, Audion Live: Subverticul is an all-encompassing multi-media experience. Teaming up with the innovative crew from LA-based design studio Vita Motus, Subverticul features a live set debuting new material from Matthew Dear. Audion Live promises to be a unique show, fashioned to resemble a moving audio visual sculpture. Composed of multi-layered experimental EDM and dazzling abstract art installations, Subverticul is an impressive feat in both live music entertainment and creative enterprises. Making its Bay Area debut in celebration of the Noise Pop 2014 and playing unreleased tracks off of his upcoming album, Matthew Dear’s Audion Live: Subverticul will undoubtedly be a highlight performance of this year’s festival. -MK

Mistaken for Strangers (Film) //
Roxie Theater – San Francisco
Wednesday, February 26th //

Let’s not forget that live concerts aren’t the only offering from the citywide Noise Pop Festival as the film series has some gems being screened, including Mistaken for Strangers. This documentary follows budding horror filmmaker, Tom Berninger, embarking on a massive national tour with his brother’s little band that some may know as the National. The ensuing months shows the younger Berninger brother tossed into the indie touring machine as a functioning crew member while keeping focus on his ambitions as a creator himself. -KQ

Papercuts, Vetiver, The Donkeys, EDJ, Vinyl DJ Selections by Britt Govea //
The Chapel – San Francisco
Wednesday, February 26th //

Artists under brand new label Easy Sound Recording Co. plan on presenting the future of folk at The Chapel during Noise Pop week. Jason Quever’s SF-based Papercuts have a new album Life Among the Savages in the works. The group’s sixth LP is set to release in May, so plan on seeing the group preview new tracks from their forthcoming album. They just released the albums’s lead single “Still Knocking at the Door”, and it’s promising. Vetiver is on the roster, another local group led by Andy Cabic. Their 2011 record The Errant Charm is oh so mellow and excellent, and we expect good things coming soon. The Donkeys are an emerging psyche-garage rock formation from San Diego, blending surf rock and jam sentiments into a bouncy, enjoyable time. -MF

“Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton” Film Screening and Live Show //
The NWBLK (NPHQ) – San Francisco
Wednesday, February 26th (6:30 pm) //

Gain access to rare concert footage, backstage documentation, home videos and intimate portrayals of some of the most influential hip hop artists of our time in this cutting edge documentary brought to you by the iconic Stone Throw Records posse. Featuring appearances by Snoop Dogg, Mike D, Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Tyler the Creator and more, this feature length delves into the inner circle of the groundbreaking label to bring you a fresh perspective on the evolution and current state of modern day hip hop. Followed by a Q&A with director Jeff Broadway and Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf, tickets are still available with an additional option to upgrade to a “Film and Live Show Ticket”, granting access to a live performance after party with Peanut Butter Wolf, J Rocc, JonWayne and Knxledge. Happening at the Noise Pop 2014 headquarters NWBLK, this event is a great way to get into celebratory spirit and check out the brand new festival facility. — MK

Bob Mould: 25 Years of Workbook, Zach Rogue, Jon Ginoli //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
Thursday, February 27th //
SOLD OUT // BUY A BADGE

Celebrating the groundbreaking icon’s diversion from his scene-defining hardcore act Husker Du, Bob Mould revisits his first album as a solo artist, Workbook, with help from fellow artists and friends. Mould pushed the boundaries of the independent rock scene with this record whilst mapping out an era of alternative music that influenced generations of artists for years to come. Mould will be joined on stage by longtime bassist Jason Narducy, along with Rogue Wave’s Zach Rogue and Jon Gignoli of San Francisco’s own Pansy Division. Gearing up for the deluxe double-album edition of this seminal record to be released February 25, this show will be the first live revisiting of the material in full since its 1989 debut. One of the first shows of the festival to have sold out, a badge is necessary for entry and in this case is well worth the cost of this once in a lifetime experience. — MK

Digital Mystikz, DJ Rashad //
1015 Folsom – San Francisco
Thursday, February 27th //

Sure, Digital Mystikz may be one of the higher listed names you have never heard of, but producers, Mala and Coki, nearly single-handedly built the UK bass-culture scene which eventually was termed, dubstep. This South London duo has been working together since teenagers, while also maintaining solo careers, eventually starting the progressive label, and club night, that goes by DMZ. After a few failed attempts to perform on the West Coast as a duo, it appears the day is almost here for Digital Mystizk to make their big San Francisco debut at 1015 Folsom with DJ Rashad and a slew of local warriors to back ‘em all up. —KQ

Cold Cave, Painted Palms, Dirty Ghosts, Happy Fangs //
Slim’s – San Francisco
Friday, February 28th //

Truly one of the more stacked bills this year will feature LA darkwave mastermind Wesley Eisold, popularly known as Cold Cave. With a release slated for 2014, expect new material that Eisold describes as a “mix between some of the bigger sounds on Cherish and more minimal stuff I’m interested in now.” Local psych-pop duo, Painted Palms are also featured on this bill after the release of a recent album on Polyvinyl. Expect a breezier affair before the headliner with these San Francisco rising stars. Local trio Dirty Ghosts will also be on hand to lend support via their female-fronted take on psych-pop with a tinge of world influence. —KQ

Real Estate, The Shilohs, Dream Boys, Dominant Legs //
The Independent – San Francisco
Friday & Saturday, February 28th & 29th //
SOLD OUT // BUY A BADGE

It wasn’t too long ago that fans of breezy surf-rock were enjoying Real Estate at Treasure Island, but this time we get a pair of more intimate shows over the busy Noise Pop weekend. The recently expanded 5-piece band is prepping their third studio album set for release the first week of March and will go by the title, Atlas. Expect new songs peppered with old favorites for these sold out shows, which will be supported by Vancouver songsters The Shilohs, along with Dominant Legs on Friday and Dream Boys on Saturday. —KQ

An Evening with Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon) //
Great American Music Hall – San Francisco
Saturday, March 1st //

While Mark Kozelek’s music comes in the form of many groups and collaborations, his new record Benji with Sun Kil Moon will likely solidify this group as his legacy. The lyrics are heartbreaking, the control of his cadence immaculate, and the words often relate to Bay Area locales, a place he calls home — there’s the Night Stalkers’ final victim who lived in San Mateo, barbecues in San Rafael, his Tenderloin summer (when he likely made the album), and going seeing the Postal Service perform at the Greek Theater only to rush to a hot tub-refuge in Tahoe. Billed as an evening with Mark Kozelek, an incredible live artist with throngs of records under his belt with Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon and by his lonesome, expect a varied setlist with a heavy doses of cuts from Benji stealing the show. — MF

Dr. Dog, Saint Rich, Moses Sumney //
The Warfield – San Francisco
Saturday, March 1 //

Dr. Dog make their Noise Pop debut as headliners atop a talented lineup of performers. Road warriors and prolific song writers, these indie rockers from Pennsylvania make the west coast swing in support of their latest album, 2013’s B-Room. Dr. Dog has been making a name for themselves for 15 years, building a loyal fan base and graduating to larger venues along the way. Supported by Saint Rich and Moses Sumney, Saturday March 1st at the Warfield will showcase some of the finest indie rock around. Floor seats may be sold out, but you can still make your way to the dance floor with a Noise Pop badge. Don’t sleep on this show. -KR

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 1015 Folsom, Beardyman, Bleached, Bob Mould, Cold Cave, Com Truise, Digital Mystizk, Dirty Ghosts, DJ Rashad, Dominant Legs, Dr. Dog, Dream Boys, EDJ, Great American Music Hall, Happy Fangs, Ladytron, Lord Huron, Mark Kozelek, Matthew Dear Presents Audion Live: Subverticul, Mikal Cronin, Mistaken for Strangers, Moses Sumney, No Age, Noise Pop, Noise Pop Festival, NPHQ, Painted Palms, Papercuts, Real Estate, Regency Ballroom, Rogue Wave, Roxie Theater, Saint Rich, Shabazz Palaces, Slims, Sun Kil Moon, Superhumanoids, The Chapel, The Donkeys, The Fillmore, The Fresh & Onlys, The Independent, The Limousines, The NWBLK, The Shilohs, The Soft White Sixties, The Warfield, Throwing Muses, Trails and Ways, Vetiver

New Music Tuesday: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds • Atlas Genius • STRFKR • Beach Fossils • Jamie Lidell • Iceage • Mark Kozelek • Matmos

February 19, 2013 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Every Tuesday, we focus on new music releases by naming our top tracks, album highlights, lowlights and important takeaways for select albums.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away

Top Tracks:
“Higgs Boson Blues”
“We No Who U R”
“Waters Edge”

Album Highlights: Nick Cave sets his dark tone right away with the haunting opener “We No Who U R.” The song, and really the whole album has very little guitar work, but instead focuses on percussion, violin, and Caves’ uncanny lyrics. In “Higgs Boson Blues,” Cave sings about how “Miley Cyrus floats in a swimming pool in Toluca Lake”, and there are plenty of gems like that throughout the album.

Album Lowlight: Nick Cave was definitely not making a rock ‘n’ roll album this time around, and that’s fine, but it barely changes tempo and didn’t captivate me until the second to last song “Higgs Boson Blues.”

Takeaway: One of Caves’ main themes is water, and the song “Mermaids” gives a sense of the whole album in one track. It references many different types of water and captures the overall feel of love and despair between a man and this mermaid. This is a borderline concept album that is very dark and lyric-heavy. This record would play nicely with headphones on in a dark room, but I wouldn’t play this on a sunny Saturday.

~Pete Mauch

Atlas Genius – When It Was Now

Top Tracks:
“Back Seat”
“Trojans”
“Symptoms”

Album Highlights: It is no surprise that “Trojans” would be the lead single of the album, as Atlas Genius has impeccably crafted a pop gem. A subtly sexy radio friendly hit, the song is infectious and will have you singing and clapping along from first listen. As a bona fide plan B, the track is strong enough to keep Atlas Genius relevant on the one-hit wonder circuit at least for years to come. Although, “Back Seat” will most likely prevent Atlas Genius from the one and done career.

Album Lowlight: An awkward departure from the New Wave sound of the rest of the album, the acoustic guitar-driven track “Through the Glass” gets muffled amongst the excess production as the band tries to blend the song’s elements into cohesion. The lyrical structure is off beat, trying to figure out its place within the composition’s confusion, and the meaning is lost amongst the noise.

Takeaway: “When It Was Now” is most exemplary of what Atlas Genius is capable of creating. The album definitely came off as a debut, full of potential stabs at mainstream airplay. The talent is there, and “When It Was Now” best dictates their strongest songwriting technique, and the direction their sophomore effort will most likely head toward.

~Molly Kish

STRFKR – Miracle Mile

Top Tracks:
“While I’m Alive”
“I Don’t Want to See”
”Leave It All Behind”

Album Highlights: STRFKR gets funky on its opening track “While I’m Alive”. Still tying in their signature Casio dance beats, they throw it back a couple generations with thumping bass lines, harmonizing falsettos and disco laden guitar riffs. Branching out from their standard indie rock formula, the boys embrace several different approaches to create a successful pop album. “While I’m Alive” opens their most ambitious effort to date with a pulsating hit ready for any dance floor.

Album Lowlight: Except for the lyrical mention of the album’s title, “Fortune’s Fool” serves little to no significance on the album. The track isn’t cohesive with the album’s composition or STRFKR’s overall sound. Furthermore, it is an awkward track that causes a division between the album’s experimental first half and more pop-centric second act.

Takeaway: Effortlessly segueing out of “Golden Light”, “Nite Rite” keeps you lingering for an entertaining seven-minute journey to the close out the album. More of prolonged jam than the typical STRFKR crafted track, the band plays with a mélange of audio effects accompanying a steady bass line, drum beat and tension building breaks. The effect is a wall of sound destined to stun in the capacity of a live show.

~Molly Kish

Beach Fossils – Clash the Truth

Top Tracks:
“Careless”
“Shallow”
“Crashed Out”

Album Highlights: It’s another decent slice of shoegazing pop from Dustin Payseur and company, perfect for a rainy day inside or a sunny drive down the coast. Personnel changes marred the band in the past year, so the fact that Payseur soldiered on shows great dedication to this act, even while it splintered. Songs like “Burn You Down” demonstrate their knack for a precious sound that one can easily get lost in.

The inclusion of singer Kazu Makino on the song “Vertigo” is a pleasant surprise, as the absence of Zachary Cole Smith displays the lack of melody that was a key part of this group in previous years.

Album Lowlight: Honestly, for the amount of time taken since the release of their heralded self-titled release some three years ago, this album falls a little flat. Maybe it was that many other similar bands like Wild Nothing and Real Estate released solid sophomore efforts well before Beach Fossils did. Maybe the departure of Zachary Cole Smith to form DIIV put a crutch in the writing and recording process of Beach Fossils.

Takeaway:Fans of this band will enjoy this listen, but likely still go to previous releases more often than this effort. Sometimes great stretches of time between recording can muddle the writing process, and this may be the case for Clash the Truth.

~Kevin Quandt

Iceage – You’re Nothing

Top Tracks:
“Ecstacy”
“Morals”
“Wounded Hearts”

Album Highlights: The follow-up to 2011’s New Brigade does not disappoint, full of blistering angst-ridden Danish post-punk in all it’s youthful glory. Songs like “Everything Drifts” showcase a more musical focus with clearer sounding vocals by Elias Rønnenfelt and more in depth guitar chords. The blistering thrash of their debut has made way for a fuller, dare I say more mature sound overall. There is also a sonic richness which is more prevalent on their Matador label debut.

Lyrics have not deviated much from the societal gloom these young-ins have demonstrated on “Ecstasy”: “But bliss is momentary anyhow / Yet worth living for — take me now”.

Album Lowlights: Fans who prefer the more thrashed-out side of this band may grumble at it taking a more commercial, emotive direction, comparatively. Yes, this album comes across as less detached than the previous, but it’s with this growth that the excitement is bred. You’re Nothing is still a rough-edged album, but this new depth will please many as they make their way to comparisons of Black Flag and Fugazi.

Takeaway: How awesome is it that a bunch of Danish teenagers are the face and sound of some of the more progressive punk and hardcore in the past few years? And with their first release on Matador, they’re showing that with a few extra resources, they can bring their game to the next level while not compromising their integrity.

~Kevin Quandt

Jamie Lidell – Jamie Lidell

Top Tracks:
“Do Yourself a Faver”
“Blaming Something”
“So Cold”

Album Highlights: Jamie Lidell’s self-titled release is funky and soulful, yet takes a couple listens to grow on you. His first album since 2010, Lidell’s 2013 offering has an interesting flair. Most of this record sounds like a 21st century funk-infused disco that Prince commissioned to write for the Ghostbusters III soundtrack. It combines elements of 80’s R&B funk with contemporary elements of dubstep without getting too “wobbly.”

Fans of Lidell might be displeased with this departure, as electronic pop dominates over his signature soulful sound.

Album Lowlight: Jamie Lidell is at his best when he is channeling his inner Prince. (Aren’t we all?) Unfortunately, that channel breaks signal several times throughout the album, slowing down the upbeat pace of most of the songs. It’s a shame that the first single from the record is “What A Shame,” one of the weakest tracks on the record, in my opinion.

Takeaway: This album definitely has it’s moments, and for the most part, it is a very soulful funktronica album. The highlights outweigh the lowlights, which are sprinkled in just enough to cause this album to fall short of greatness.

~Kevin Raos

Mark Kozelek – Like Rats

Top Tracks:
“Free for All” by Ted Nugent
“Silly Girl” by Descendents
“Carpet Crawlers” by Genesis

Album Highlights: Mark Kozelek continues with the tone that made his 2012 record as Sun Kil Moon Among the Leaves such a success. Kozelek’s hypnotic acoustic guitar repetitions and soft baritone voice combine to strike emotional depth unmatched by most contemporary artists. And with Like Rats, Kozelek takes a diverse collection of tracks from other artists to create a record that completely transforms the songs into Kozelek’s wheelhouse — moaning sentiments of self-reflection and loathing “what could have been” feelings.

Album Lowlight: My personal lowlight is just realizing I missed Kozelek on Sunday evening at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco by one day, but seriously, this guy can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. His songs grow on you easily if you let them, and even the dark cover of “I Killed Mommy” by Dayglo Abortions works well enough, assuming you like tales of killing your family members.

Takeaway: Mark Kozelek, the prodigious singer songwriter also known as Sun Kil Moon, has embarked on a record featuring covers from other artists. The attempts at covers are wide-ranging and mostly successful; how many singer-songwriters could nail covers by Ted Nugent, Descendents and Genesis in one album? It’s worth a listen or two, but it’s hard to give Kozelek full credit since he is such an accomplished songwriter.

~Mike Frash

Matmos – The Marriage of True Mind

Top Tracks:
“Tunnel”
“Mental Radio”
“Teen Paranormal Romance”

Album Highlights: Electronic duo Matmos run the gamut of music genres with The Marriage of True Mind, and it somehow does it successfully without any obvious unified theme, other than vocalizing its love of “Triangles.” This record has influences in deep house music, jazz, blues, space glitch and everything in between. “Tunnel” builds tension with a growing chorus of bees and alarm sounds — and it starts as a jungle-influenced world music track but progresses to spoken word over didgeridoo that builds to a cacophony of sound, ultimately breaking to an outro release that finishes with a hacking-bong rip cough. It’s a busy track and record, but triumphs like “Tunnel” make this LP addictive.

Album Lowlight: Attempts at Amon Tobin-like ambient space jams in “Ross Transcript” put forth a good effort but work better as a transition as opposed to a listenable song.

Takeaway: The Marriage of True Mind is a crazy blast of noise mixtures. It is experimental in nature and not beholden to any one sound aesthetic. It feels like one long jam, as if the idea of making individual songs didn’t cross the creator’s minds. It works as a cinematic soundtrack, and it is fun to see Matmos toy with genre-mixing. This LP’s obsession with the triangle, combined with alt-J’s geometric dogmatic worship of the shape, shows that triangles are so hot right now.

Matmos is not afraid to fuck with any sound, and the record contrasts light and dark tones, as well as mellow beats and intense builds.

~Mike Frash