San Francisco songwriter Dylan Shearer has been kicking around the Bay Area since 2005, but something in his voice sounds like he just arrived here in a time machine from London in 1965. Like a less-buoyant Ray Davies (or a less-suicidal Nick Drake?) there’s an impressive authentic, cozily British gloom to the California-born singer’s work.
His new LP garragearray, out April 15 through a collaboration between Castle Face and Empty Cellar Records, expands on the immersive, melodic, rainy-day moods of his last couple efforts, 2012’s Porchpuddles and 2009’s critic favorite Planted/Plans.
New for this record are some rather heavy-hitting collaborators: On bass you have Petey Dammit from Thee Oh Sees (who, if you have no Facebook friends freaking out and posting about it every 10 minutes, seem to have officially ended their much-bemoaned hiatus with the announcement of a few shows in London and LA), and Comets on Fire‘s Noel von Harmonson on drums, with production by Eric Bauer (Mikal Cronin, Ty Segall, Sic Alps, a shit ton of others).
Here’s our favorite of the two advance tracks he’s put out — beautiful, sunshiney day outside be damned.
Check with Empty Cellar for show dates around the LP release.
Well that’s…an interesting bunch. Another Planet Entertainment just announced the lineup for Outside Lands, set for Aug. 8 through 10 this year in Golden Gate Park (as per usual). The heavy-hitters include Kanye West, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Killers, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Arctic Monkeys, Death Cab for Cutie, Flaming Lips, Ray Lamontagne, and Atmosphere, with local faves Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, Tumbleweed Wanderers and Trails and Ways as supporting acts. The full lineup’s here — but why just read it when you can have Huey Lewis tell you all about it?
Oh, Merrill Garbus. Remember the days when the endearingly weird, weirdly endearing, predictably unpredictable tUnE-yArDs felt like an open Oakland secret, an East Bay girl (by way of the East Coast) who slowly but surely started to outgrow us?
Well, it’s official, she has — but in a good way. If the first couple singles off Nikki Nack are any indication, the album (out May 6 on 4AD) will be more slick, more produced, and just a little less all-over-the-place than her previous two records, 2009’s lo-fi debut Bird Brains and the album that launched her onto the national stage, 2011’s excellent Whokill.
But that’s not to say the new direction sounds boring — far from it. With dancefloor-ready synths front and center and a Janet Jackson-like callback, “Wait For A Minute,” which 4AD released today, sounds like Garbus has been listening to some ’90s R&B, which is (duh) always a choice we endorse. Give it a listen below .
She also just announced tour dates — catch her at the Fillmore June 6 with the Durham, NC-based Sylvan Esso.
After more than 20 years of playing an important role in the formation and evolution of a variety of bands including the Cadillac Tramps, Youth Brigade, U.S. Bombs and Social Distortion, Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham is finally stepping into the spotlight on his own with his first solo record, the excellent Salvation Town, (Isotone Records/Thirty Tigers) which hit stores earlier this week.
Steeped in a tasty mix of roots rock and Americana, the collection of 10 original songs has been a long time coming, due to a variety of reasons, according to Wickersham, who plays San Francisco tonight and tomorrow [Thu/3 and Fri/4], opening for Chuck Ragan at Slim’s and the Great American Music Hall.
“I worked on it really sporadically over the past couple of years — Social D was very busy after we put out Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, and we were constantly on the road for two and a half years. On breaks in between tour runs I’d go in the studio and work on it a little bit. It’s actually been finished for over a year, aside from the artwork, and this is a pretty good time to put it out because Social D has been on a break for while,” says Wickersham over the phone from his home in Los Angeles.
Although he grew up in the outhern California punk scene, and has played with some of the luminaries of the genre, Wickersham says there has always been a thread of other, older influences running through his music.
“As far as the influences I had growing up over the years, most of it comes from two places, the first being the music I heard growing up at home; my father was a musician, and he basically raised me by playing in bar bands, so the music that I heard spanned rock n’ roll, funk and country.”
“When I got into punk rock, which was around 1980, at the same time I was discovering Stiff Little Fingers, The Clash, and then California bands like Black Flag and The Adolescents, I was discovering The Blasters and X — that part of the L.A. punk scene was sort of rockabilly, and the Americana part of that scene. To me, that was part of punk rock, it wasn’t separate,” says Wickersham.
“I’m not a purist — there are a lot of people who are rockabilly purists or they’re country music purists, I’ve never been a purist about any type of music that I like, I stumble across what I stumble across, and I have sounds I like.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLXahFkB0lY
Much of the record is built around Wickersham’s acoustic guitar, with a wide variety of friends and guests adding their talents to different songs, including Jackson Browne, Pete Thomas (longtime drummer for Elvis Costello), singer Gaby Moreno, and his Social Distortion band mates Brent Harding, Danny McGough and David Hidalgo, Jr.
“I didn’t initially want to go ‘solo,’ and be the ‘solo artist’ guy, coming from my background, for some reason that was so uncomfortable. The intention was to start a band that I can be the songwriter of as a vehicle to do my stuff, the way I want,” says Wickersham.
“There were just so many players that ended being involved, though, so I thought, well this isn’t a band, this really is a solo record, with a bunch of guest artists.”
The extra touches brought by his friends, such as shared vocals, accordion, and guitar solos all add to the great overall sound of the album, but the real strength of the record is the solid foundation of the songs themselves, all written solely by Wickersham with the exception of just a couple.
With catchy hooks and strongly emotive melodies paired with frank lyrics about his hard-lived past such as “I’ve got one foot in the gutter, and one foot kickin’ in the door to heaven,” the collection of songs was written over the course of many years.
Wickersham says getting to this point as a songsmith has taken a lot of hard work — but he’s had a lot of inspiration along the way as well.
“I was just learning how to write songs in the early days of the Cadillac Tramps, and Brian Coakely, who played guitar along with me in that band, is a great songwriter, he’s always been really prolific, and he works really hard at it. He really was the first person that I had ever met in my life that took the craft of songwriting as seriously as he did. When you’re coming up in punk bands—everybody wrote their own songs and stuff—but it wasn’t viewed as ‘I’m a songwriter,’ you know what I mean?” Wickersham laughs.
“Then I played with Youth Brigade, and did a record with them, one that I’m very proud to be part of, but again, Shawn [Stern] wrote the bulk of that stuff, as he should, it’s Youth Brigade—it’s Shawn, Mark and Adam’s band.”
Wickersham also played with Duane Peters and U.S. Bombs for a while before joining Social Distortion in 2000 after the death of his friend Dennis Danell, and has since co-written several songs with front man Mike Ness.
“When I started playing with Social D, and for Mike [Ness] to ask me to be part of the songwriting was just an amazing honor; he hadn’t written with anybody in the band aside from some stuff he did with John Mauer in the early 90s and the very, very early stuff that he and Dennis wrote together,” says Wickersham.
“With each one of those I learned a little bit more about songwriting and what it was I wanted to do as a songwriter. So it’s been a long time coming — I guess I’m just kind of a slow learner!”
Although he took everything that he learned from writing in all the bands he’s played with over the years, Wickersham wanted to make sure that he set himself apart from them at the same time.
“I didn’t want it to sound like any other band I have been in, but with me singing, that was a really intentional thing. One of the things about this record that was kind of freaking me out a little bit while we were making it was that it just didn’t seem natural to make it have a lot of big guitar on it, it just wasn’t working. I kept trying to get that guitar foundation, that bedrock that I’m so used to doing. So most of the songs ended up having an acoustic rhythm, and a different style of electric rhythm.”
Wickersham says that when he was still planning on having the project turn into an actual band, he spent a lot of time trying to come up with a name for the group—a task that he says was much more daunting that he thought it would be.
“Everything cool that I could come up with had been taken. No one will ever get to find a cool band name like The Pretenders or The Jam again, some simple, one-word bitchin’ thing. Now I understand why so many of these young kids are forming bands with names that are like a paragraph long,” Wickersham laughs.
Eventually the name that came to him was Salvation Town, which was the name of a song by his friend’s band Joyride, a title that Wickersham says spoke to him about growing up in Southern California, the punk scene, skateboarding and more.
The “Two Bags” moniker has stuck with him for many years, and Wickersham says there were several reasons that the nickname was given to him back in the old days.
“I was very young when they gave me that nickname, it’s almost like a lifetime ago. It’s kind of a threefold thing; it’s a take on the old Slickers tune ‘Johnny Too Bad,’ and then had to do with drugs, and back then, so many of us kids in that world ended up living out on the street.”
Wickersham has come a long way since his turbulent youth, and Salvation Town appears to be the start of a fruitful path for the 45 year-old guitar slinger, who is most pleased with the results.
“I’m super proud, I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBGDkD0uQi8
Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham Opening for Chuck Ragan & The Camaraderie and The White Buffalo
Thursday, April 3 8pm, $21-$23 Slim’s 333 11th St, SF (415) 522-0333
Friday, April 4 8pm, $21-$23 Great American Music Hall 859 O’Farrell, SF (415) 885-0750
I have so much to say about how much influence house originator Frankie Knuckles had on the SF scene (and basically the entirety of my life) — but I’m still so much affected and in shock at his passing, that I think the best way to work it all out is, as usual, hitting the dancefloor. Let’s come together this weekend and celebrate the Godfather’s warm and joyous gift of music.
I’m figuring the spirits will be coming down at every party happening this week, but these are my personal recommendations:
THURSDAY
Tubesteak Connection: Disco purist DJ Bus Station John is expert at revealing house’s underground gay roots at his weekly party in the glorious depths of the Tenderloin.
FRIDAY
Taboo: Frankie’s #1 SF connection is our own incredible David Harness, the one person here who most embodies Frankie’s sound and spirit. He and Frankie played together innumerable times. This Oakland party, which Harness has put on for more than a 15 years now, will be a reunion and a true tribute.
House Dance Conference: Three days of insanely talented house dancers hosting open sessions, lessons, and positive interaction — all culminating in a huge party, of course. Bring your sneakers.
Throwback: This huge and perfect monthly tribute to ’90s house music at Mighty is coming at the right time to indulge in Frankie’s signature sounds. With DJs Galen, Jacob Sperber, Renoir, Jayvi Velasco, and Miguel Solari.
SATURDAY
Blessed 5-Year Anniversary: One of the best soulful house parties on the planet, this incredibly diverse and moving Oakland jam rings in a fiver with David Harness, Discaya, and Rafi Acevedo.
GO BANG!: Our own legendary Steve Fabus was spinning at the Trocadero Transfer as Frankie was coming up in Chicago and New York. This is the monthly, fabulous disco explosion he puts on with DJ Sergio, this time featuring the really, really good Apt One and Emily Coalson.
SUNDAY
Sunset season opener: This enormous old school house family reunion picnic in Stafford Lake Park from the Sunset crew will overflow with hugs, tears, smiles.
If the music industry gave out awards for patience or persistence, Bevan Herbekian would have a healthy handful of trophies to his name. The multi-instrumentalist has lent his songwriting and frontman skills to everything from loose punk bands to a highly orchestrated indie pop quartet over the course of the past decade and a half, in addition to playing bass on other people’s songs — at the moment, he’s part of fellow Berkeleyite M. Lockwood Porter‘s band — so he’s no stranger to the realities of trying to “make it” as a musician. But Teenager, the moniker under which Herbekian has decided to release his first truly solo album, represents something new for the songwriter: A chance to blend every genre he’s ever loved, to talk about his travels to New York and subsequent, requisite disllusionment with it, a musical space where he doesn’t have to bend to anyone else’s desires.
The resulting joy is contagious — The Magic of True Love, which comes out April 29, is full of unabashedly earnest, tightly crafted pop songs with seriously big instrumentation. There are head-bobbers, there’s high-flying falsetto, there are shout-along soul choruses. His voice carries the energy of someone very young, but these aren’t songs written by a newbie. Herbekian decided to realease one new song off the album each week leading up to the release, which means you can listen to quite a bit of it online. To be real, though, you should probably buy it. It’s catchy as shit, and the guy’s been at it long enough.
We caught up with him this week to hear about songwriting influences, going solo, and exactly how much time he spent listening to Nevermind.
San Francisco Bay Guardian Your bio says you’re from a small Northern California town. Where, exactly?
Bevan Herbekian I was born in Bennett Valley and raised there until I was 13. It’s that small stretch of countryside/small town between Petaluma & Santa Rosa proper that hides behind the hills off the 101. When I was in junior high, my family moved to Avila Beach, which is a tiny beach town on the central coast. It’s got two streets and a population of a few hundred. It made Bennett Valley look like a real urban center.
SFBG When and how did you first start playing music? What instrument was the first? How many do you play now?
BH I started playing music when I was about 12. My dad taught me the riff to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” and I urgently learned the rest of the album on an acoustic guitar. It was one of those aha! moments for me. I was totally hooked and immediately wanted to start a punk band, but everyone I knew played guitar, so I hopped over to bass. Since then I’ve taken to the other rock ‘n’ roll instruments — piano, organ/keyboards, simple synth stuff, various percussion — I humor myself on drums and basically anything else I can get my hands on.
SFBGWhat’s the first record you really remember loving?
BH Unquestionably, Nirvana’s Nevermind. Around the same time I picked up the guitar, I borrowed a cassette of Guns & Roses’ Use Your Illusion from a friend’s ‘cool’ older brother — he was in high school so he was automatically cool. My dad caught me walking through the front door with it and said something along the lines of ‘you don’t want to listen to that garbage’ and took the tape, but not in the normal parents-are-a-drag sort of way. An hour later he gave it back to me having recorded Nevermind over it. I remember sitting on the floor of my room hearing those drums kick in and thinking what is this?! It was so loud and aggressive and passionate and vulnerable and somehow just as catchy as the early Beatles stuff that I loved as a little kid. Overnight, I became obsessed. I couldn’t stop listening to it. I literally listened to it every day before school for a year.
SFBG Can you name some of the bands you’ve been in before? The last time the Bay Guardian checked in with you, you were in The 21st Century.
BH Yeah, I’ve spent much of the last 15 years playing in bands. Prior to Teenager I was leading The 21st Century which was this highly orchestrated Indie-Pop/Rock octet with horns and harmonies and big songs in general. Before that I was working on solo stuff similar to what I’m doing now and playing in a fun experimental art-rock(?) band called The Tea Set and of a band/friendship club called World’s Best Dad. Right now, I’m also playing bass in M. Lockwood Porter which is a really sweet Americana/rock ‘n’ roll band led by fellow 21st Centurier Max Porter.
SFBGHow was making an album on your own different from with a group? What made it feel like time to do that? It’s interesting, because so many people, when they decide to “go solo,” put out a really stark and stripped-down album, but this record sounds really BIG on all levels, in the best possible dramatic power-pop sense….got some ’70s arena-rock guitar riffs, soul jams with big backup vocals, some choruses that sound like younger (less cheesy) Billy Joel stuff.
BH Ha, that’s funny and pretty true! Yeah, this album came on the heels of being in a band with a lot of people. As is the case whenever working with a large group, there are many competing ideas and opinions. This can be a tremendous strength, but the songs that became this record were incredibly personal and I just found myself wanting to work on them in a solitary way. I had a strong sense of where I wanted to take them — kind of a ‘more is more’ philosophy — and when you have that sort of clarity, it’s best to do it yourself. It’s true, many of these songs are BIG and that’s been something I’ve been chasing for a few years. These songs grew out of some very big feelings so it seemed like the right way to bring them to life. There’s love and loss and desire and deep disappointment running through them so I wanted them to sound as large as it all felt.
SFBGOn that note — how would you describe your genre on this album? Who would you point to as your biggest influences?
BH I love so much music and I like trying my hand at a lot of different types, so there’s a handful of genres represented here. I see this album almost like a mixtape of my life. There’s nods to many of my musical loves. There’s some rock ‘n’ roll, ’60s soul, indie pop, folk, and ’90s alternative (do people still say that?). In terms of musical influences, I gravitate towards songwriting. I love the melodies and arrangements of Brian Wilson and Motown. The literary and lyrical precision of Leonard Cohen and Belle & Sebastian blow my mind. Bands like The Pixies, Big Star, Harry Nilsson, and Beck — they’re all staples too…and like many of us, I was indoctrinated at an early age into the ultimate Beatles fan club by my dad so that’s a part of my musical DNA too.
SFBG Where does the moniker Teenager come from?
BH With The 21st Century, I was unapologetically ambitious. Even the band name was a kind of over-the-top statement of bravado and staking claim on something bold and large. Coming out of that, I veered the opposite direction. I thought, what’s one of the more misunderstood, under-appreciated, and generally dismissed groups around? And I arrived at Teenager. I think it was also a chance to acknowledge how long I’ve been writing and recording music at home. In a lot of ways, I’ve been doing the same thing for about 16 years so I thought in a way, my time as a musician and songwriter is dead center in those teenager years. Given the pair of meanings, it somehow felt strangely appropriate.
SFBG Plans for the next year?
BH Well, I’ve been putting together a new lineup to play these songs out. I’m quite excited about that. I’m eager to tour come early Fall. Also, because this album was such a labor of love and took such a long time, I’m sitting on a lot of backlogged material. My hope is to get into the studio and cut it all by the end of the year and then whittle it down — maybe to a double album. I’ve never made one and have always been a bit against them in principle — I like editing – -but I think it might be time to give it a try.
SFBGWhere do you live in the Bay Area? How does being from Northern California/living here influence your music?
BH I lived in San Francisco for a few years and had a stint in Oakland, and now I’m living in Berkeley. Honestly, I’m not sure how Northern California plays a part in my music. To me, it’s home and sometimes it’s hard to see your home for what it really is. But I love the city and the redwoods and the ocean and the mountains. Being surrounded by all that beauty can really instigate some large dreams and make you feel like the world is an astounding place.
SFBGBay Area meal/restaurant/food item you couldn’t, hypothetically, live without?
BH Without hesitation, La Taqueria followed by banana cream pie and a cup of coffee from Mission Pie. I’ve dubbed it the ‘double threat’ and there are times when I do it twice a week. No joke, I did it today.
Remember when we told you about Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne’s East Coast-only “Record Store tour,” during which he was selling a signed, limited-edition, 12-inch, 20th anniversary reissue of the band’s deliciously scruffy debut EP, packaged with a life-sized, anatomically correct, “hand-crafted, custom-made chocolate skull”? And the skull also contains a special gold coin that gains the bearer entry to any Flaming Lips show in the world? Of course you do.
Well, he was lying — it’s not East Coast-only. He added a few West Coast dates this week, including an appearance tomorrow [Thu/3] at 5pm, at the Mission’s own Aquarius Records. Which is a pretty tiny space for a Flaming Lips(-esque) show. And pretty early in the evening to be taking hallucinogens. Oh, the sacrifices we make for rock ‘n’ roll.
Here’s a good one off that 1984 EP to get you warmed up.
So this is a pretty great way to start a Monday morning. Via Jawbreaker’s Facebook page, run by drummer Adam Pfahler:
Me and my daughter Mimi are driving down Valencia street. At Mission, we notice the car in front of us has a Jawbreaker sticker on the bumper. Mimi gets a kick out of this and says, “Pull up and say hi!” I figure it’s someone from the neighborhood who I know who’s en route to Thrillhouse Records. We pull up but I don’t know the kid. I happen to have some one of a kind glittery Jawbreaker buttons that Busy Beaver sent me, so Mimi rolls down the window and gives him one. He says, “Cool. Thanks.” Then he looks at me and I make a gesture — the international symbol of air drumming. He goes, “What?” I say, “That’s my band. I’m the drummer.” He’s totally shocked. “NO FUCKING WAY!” Then he pulls up his sleeve to reveal a Dear You tattoo on his arm. I give him a round of applause, adding, “Thanks. That made my day.” And it really did.
Relatedly, Pfahler is in a new band called California, which also features Green Day touring guitarist Jason White. They played at Hemlock on Saturday and I didn’t go and I kind of hate myself for it. They don’t have any music online yet and, as others have noted, the band is virtually un-Googlable. Will be tracking Pfahler down to ask him questions about it soon, but in the meantime — were you there? I wanna hear about it, get in touch.
Five years ago, when Dan Rothman and Hannah Reid met online, they could hardly envision the musical acclaim that would come from a Facebook message. The Nottingham University students began acollaboration that turned into a full-fledged band when classmate Dominic “Dot” Major joined the pair a year later. By 2011, London Grammar was born.
On Thursday night, the British trio played at The Independent — their second San Francisco show. The first one, at the Rickshaw Stop last September, sold out just as it did at the Independent. But this time is different.
Outside of the Divisadero venue, at least three people approach me about extra tickets. They’re not scalpers but genuine fans that missed the band’s overnight ascension into fame. I turn them down wistfully because I know that next time, London Grammar will not be playing in an intimate venue but rather an arena. Similar to the rapid-onset fame of English indie band Alt-J, London Grammar sits on the cusp of making it to the big leagues.
The sold-out crowd patiently awaits the beginning of the show as I found myself in the “British corner.” Several expats stand clumped together in one of many pockets of European fans. London Grammar’s debut album If You Wait opened at number two on the UK Albums chart, selling 33,130 copies in its first week. A combination of muted instrumentals, nuanced lyrics and Reid’s exceptional pipes to the likes of Florence Welch and Bat for Lashes resulted in an emotional and soulful electronic record that topped charts all over Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Yet, they’re the best-kept secret in the US. For now.
A guest appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in January marked their debut performance on American television. Jimmy Kimmel Live followed shortly thereafter; the band’s Wednesday night performance cemented their title as the band to watch out for.
The two male band members open the show, laying on soft synths. Rarely have I seen such a polite crowd, quietly waiting the arrival of the vocalist. Reid walks on stage wearing a navy and black graphic sweatshirt, black leggings, and typically Euro-crisp white Chuck Taylors; her bleach-blonde hair pinned up in a half bun. She’s even more stunning looking like she rolled out of bed than when she’s all dolled-up for television. Her physical beauty matches her radiant vocals. The band begins the show with the melodic “Hey Now,” the first track from If You Wait. Reid whispers into the microphone. Her hands clasped tightly together, she reveals her exceptional vocal range, alternating from slow-burning alto hums to powerful soprano chords.
Dot, the keyboardist with a quintessential British haircut, moves to the djembe, making room for Reid on the keyboard for “Darling Are You Gonna Leave Me.” Dot offers harmonizing background vocals and Rothman gently glides his fingers up and down an acoustic guitar during a spurt of drum and bass.
Reid returns to her clasped hands position for “Wasting My Young Years,” like a schoolgirl singing in choir. Though she sounds fantastic, the singer is not completely at ease. She often glances at Rothman and fusses with her earpiece. During a psychedelic rendition of “Flickers,” Reid sneaks offstage to steam her voice while the boys go into an instrumental interlude. Saturated in golden hues, the stage feels empty without Reid but Rothman and Dot carry the song through with restrained drums and muffled guitar chords.
The soft-spoken guitarist speaks for a minute or so until Reid reemerges with a cup of tea. She explains her apparent discomfort: an impacted wisdom tooth she hasn’t been able to fix while on tour. “I’ve just been put on something called Vicodin.” The audience cheers boorishly. The polite British band adds witty banter in between songs, connecting with individual audience members — some of whom the band members recognize from their Rickshaw Stop show.
At times, the vocal similarities between Reid and Florence Welch are uncanny, but Reid’s vocals carry much more subtlety. London Grammar has a darker sound. Layers of deep synths and classic instrumentals paired with Reid’s brooding vocals create an eerie sound, exceptionally seen during the cover of French house artist Kavinsky’s “Nightcall.” London Grammar’s strange and frightening interpretation evokes chills. Reid’s vocals lower to a moan over Dot’s piano chord progression. The stripped-down interpretation builds momentum with Rothman’s guitar riffs. The song reaches deep intensity when Dot drops the beat on the drums and adds deep backup vocals to the chorus.
By now Reid’s voice has become husky, a side effect of pushing her vocals too far. She falters occasionally with certain pitch changes. Despite the croakiness, her voice is transcendent throughout the show. London Grammar closes the show with its hit single “Metal & Dust,” a lyrically driven tune with entrancing beats. The encore was too much for Reid’s voice. She struggles, but manages to expel stunning vocals as the crowd cheers her on.
There is no doubt that London Grammar will soon reach national acclaim. But are they ready for it? The band cancelled tonight’s show in Portland due to Reid’s impacted wisdom tooth. It would be devastating if the band’s rising popularity became too much for Reid’s ethereal voice. The alternation from alto to soprano requires exceptional talent and control that Reid is still cultivating. Though the focal point of the show, Reid’s voice never comes across as showy. She carries Dot and Rothman’s instrumentals into an otherworldly genre. But despite her sublime performance, the polite singer nods and smiles after every song, as if she, herself, can’t believe the power of her voice.
Sometimes we get word of cool things after press time, things you should totally go to. Here are some.
FRIDAY 28
>>JANET MOCK— author, trans activist, and inspiration — will appear tonight at the LGBT Center. She’s kicking off a weekend-long celebration that will culminatein SF’s first Trans Visibility Day on Monday.
>>DJ SHADOW: The legendary SF turntablist has just been added to a killer lineup at 1015 Folsom.
SATURDAY 29
>>!!! DJs — the revered dance-punk band (and all-around cool guys) shows us what it’s got on the tables, late-night at Audio SF.
>>KADET KUHNE— fave local artist, who takes contemporary concepts like virtual reality and 3-D printing and gives them an artistic spin, will give a live sound performance to accompany her current show at Krowswork in Oakland.
>>JOEY NEGRO— Storied disco and house DJ brings 25 years of experience to Mighty, and the party will be amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MLNWhqdNn8
SUNDAY 30
>>“LIKE A PRAYER” — The wonderful San Francisco Album Project concludes its run with this Madonna album, as usual reinterpreted by crazy drag queens into an arty masterpiece. At the Stud.
I woke up this morning wondering if I could pull off an orange jumpsuit. I wasn’t contemplating how I would fare in a state penitentiary, mind you, but rather whether or not I was as cool as Lorde.
It’s Wednesday night at the Fox Theater in Oakland and, clad in an wide-legged orange jumpsuit, Lorde looks like the newest addition to Orange Is the New Black. The oversized one-piece cinches at the waist and is cropped at the elbow and calf. It’s not particularly flattering, but Lorde rocks it. She marches on stage in her signature footwear: clunky black leather platform boots. When the singer turns around the suit reveals a horizontal cutout in the middle of her back — just a hint of sex appeal.
She’s not trying to impress the boys, though. The jumpsuit at times gives the singer a slight camel toe. In stark contrast to her peers, the Disney princesses and even the post-Disney Miley Cyrus, Lorde revels in darkness, growing pains, and awkward dancing.
When she’s performing on stage, it’s easy to forget that Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor is only 17 years old. The New Zealand singer known as Lorde was launched into international fame when her first single, “Royals,” became radio’s most played song last summer. What began as the summer’s catchiest tune quickly turned into an overplayed hit that even Lorde herself tried to ban from the radio.
From the first song of the set, Lorde commands her audience into a deep trance with “Glory and Gore.” She walks to the center of the stage, where she meets the microphone, and dives right in. A single spotlight shining from above shadows the singer’s face as she chants the opening verse. All you have is her voice, the silhouette of her long curly mane and hints of spastic movements. The awkward dancing is utterly relatable, a combination of an epileptic fit and teenage white girl dance that I’ve certainly been a victim of. In the split second that the bass drops, strobe lights shine directly onto Lorde’s face. When the strobes hit, she sings out to the audience, dramatically unveiling her signature pale complexion and dark lipstick.
Lorde. All photos by Charles Russo.
Curly-haired, black lipstick-sporting clones squeal in excitement after her opening song. The curtain rises as Lorde launches into “Biting Down,” the darkest track on the extended issue of her debut album, Pure Heroine. The trance-like song is layered with deep synths and repetitive vocals. “It feels better biting down,” she repeats over psychedelic instrumentals. Her two-person band sports an all-white ensemble. The keyboard player and drummer’s outfits resemble straightjackets, furthering the correctional institution feel. White kaleidoscope lights project out to the audience, onto the ornate walls of the Fox Theatre and onto the ostentatious chandelier balancing above stage. The monochromatic strobe lights and costumes put all eyes on the lady in red. Tonight, we are in the Dark Lorde’s world and she is the ruler.
“It’s so good to see you again,” she croons. Last time she was in San Francisco was for Not So Silent Night; this time, it’s for the last leg of her US tour. “Beautiful city by the way, so green.” A definite reference to the city’s favorite pastime.
With “Buzzcut Season,” three screens display a daze of water reflections. The poetic lyrics written by the singer herself builds imagery of serenity and solace. Lorde hides behind a sea of lights. Her silhouette sways back and forth in a dreamlike state. She brings us away from the dreariness of the world and into the beautifully twisted realm of her dreams. Lorde glides her hands through the air to the rhythm of the music. The deep trance sets in with “Swinging Party,” a track that exposes the natural vibrato of Lorde’s dark voice over soft synths. Mirrored projections of Lorde’s performance hit the screen, creating a kaleidoscope of her face.
The visuals build throughout the show, from all-white lights to rich purple, red, and orange hues that saturate the stage. Smoke machines create a dark playground for the young ruler. Lorde comfortably plays with the shadows, dances in the smoke, and hides from the light. She touches the security blanket that is her hair and whips it back and forth as she bends over in song.
The familiar horn of the opening of “400 Lux” signals my favorite song. The bass drops, and visuals of moving landscapes hit the screen as she belts out exceptional vocals. “We’re never done with killing time / Can I kill it with you?” The poetic lyrics dismiss any feelings of unworthiness — she likes you. The Lorde then covers Son Lux’s “Easy” as she sways in and out of the eerie smoke. Later, the spectacular rendition of “Royals” makes the song bearable, retrieving memories of summer bliss. The slight remix carries entrancing vocals and repetitive verses. Her voice echoes phenomenally through the hollow hall, and giant ornate digital crowns are displayed on the screen during the chorus, cementing Lorde’s title as our ruler.
“Oakland, you’re here,” the Dark Lorde hums affectionately. The crowd wails back in admiration. “You sold out this theater tonight, because you’re 17 or you’re 15 or you’re 22. You’ve gone through it. You understand what it’s like to feel like this. And I’m so lucky that every night I get to play in a different city, a different theater full of people who understand what I’m talking about…who get it. There is nothing more important that that connection.”
After singing “Ribs,” Lorde dives into her finale. She performs her third single, “Team,” which becomes a psychedelic rave. A rain of purple, white, and pink lights shower the stage and the singer sneaks offstage in a mesmerizing 30-second interlude of instrumentals and beautifully entrancing lights.
She reemerges, not in her plebeian jumpsuit but in an ostentatious metallic lamé number. Lorde opens her arms to reveal a gold gown with a long gold cloak attached to her hands. The cape gives her gold wings — only the best for our queen. Like a phoenix, the awkward teenager dies and is reborn into full-fledged royalty. She belts out the chorus to “Team” one final time. Shots of Lorde-stamped confetti jet into the air, floating majestically down to her worshippers.
Lorde closes the show fittingly with the final song from Pure Heroine, “A World Alone.” The stark guitar, dreamy beats, and symbolic lyrics bring the sublime performance to its end. “You’re my best friend and we’re dancing in a world alone,” she tenderly sings to the crowd. The 15-year-olds, 17-year-olds, the 22-year-olds gaze at the teenager onstage, mesmerized by her honesty, poetic genius, and ability to transcend puberty. If only we could all come out of our awkward teenage years in a gold lamé cape.
Hey, did you hear that Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, are splitting up? Of course you did. Did you actually read through an entire news item about it before remembering that Gwyneth Paltrow is the most insufferable actress you can think of, and that’s really saying something because there are a lot of them? Then there’s the fact that Coldplay is, without exaggeration, one of the most boring bands that currently exists in the vast, vast landscape of offensively boring, mall-friendly, easily digested pop-rock music. It’s the musical equivalent of an unsalted rice cake.
The idea that any music fan is spending any amount of time today reading clickbait about this topic hurts us. It hurts our hearts. With that in mind: Here are seven good music-related things to do on the Internet today, none of which are trying desperately to sound like a watered-down version of Radiohead and failing.
1. Read our feature on Sharon Jones kicking cancer’s ass and coming back stronger and sassier than ever before — with a brand-new album and an indignant stance on American healthcare.
4. Read our interview with Stephen Malkmus, in which he discusses the Jicks’ new album, name-checks Ty Segall and tUnE-yArDs, and advises teens to stop sexting and start a band.
6. Check out LA-based funksters Vulfpeck‘s highly creative use of Spotify to simultaneously fund a bunch of free shows and call out Spotify for not supporting musicians more, with a full album of silent songs that clock in at just over 30 seconds each, the length of time after which Spotify pays bands whopping royalties. Just kidding about the whopping part.
7. Pay your respects: Today, March 26, is both Steven Tyler’s and Diana Ross’ birthday. Tyler, 66, is celebrating by advocating for copyright protections in our nation’s capital. Ross, 70, appears to be doing a lot of casino shows throughout the Midwest, and also still looks goddamn fabulous in a sparkly gown. It’s also the 17th anniversary of the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide.
Sorry. Um. Celebrate/mourn that one however you will. We’ll be over here with Alicia Silverstone.
Spring has sprung, kiddos, and you know what that means: Rebirth. Renewal. Easter, or Passover, or your special garden ritual where you fashion yourself a bedsheet-toga and weave plant wreaths to celebrate the Roman goddess of flowers while chanting for rain (keep doing it! It’s working!). Kate Bush is touring for the first time in 35 years, Veruca Salt is getting back together, and the Pixies are putting out their first new full-length since 1991. By happy coincidence, most of the shows our Guardian music writers recommended this week are in the same boisterous, rejuvenating spirit. Get out there and dance until you’ve sweated out the winter’s whiskey consumption, and let the rain wash you clean on your way home.
WED/26
Linda Perhacs In 1970 a dental hygienist living in LA’s Topanga Valley cut a record called Parallelograms. This album, Linda Perhac’s debut, went on virtually unlistened-to for the next 35 years. Dug up by diligent audiophiles, the record was passed around, becoming a cult-classic gem of hippie-era folk. One of these newfound fans was indie musician Devandra Banhart, who coaxed Perhacs into the studio with him in 2003. Seven years later, she would play her first live show…ever. Now Perhacs has been sampled by Daft Punk, covered by Opeth, and adored by many more fans than anyone could have predicted. This year, the 44-years-in-the-making follow-up to Parallelograms has finally been released of Sufjan Stevens’ Asthmatic Kitty label, and Perhacs is hitting the road, finally getting the recognition her deeply resonant and ethereally beautiful songwriting deserves. — Haley Zaremba
[Check out our 2010 feature on Parallelogramshere for more.]
Carcass For nearly 30 years now, British metal titans Carcass have been a pioneer in the grindcore and melodic death metal genres, from their musical style and sound to lyrical content and artwork. After releasing a slew of records now considered classics, including 1993’s landmark Heartwork (Earache) the band eventually called it quits for 10 years before reforming in 2007. With original members Jeff Walker and Bill Steer still bashing out vocals, guitar, and bass, the foursome released Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast) last year, their first new record in a decade and a half. The Black Dahlia Murder, Repulsion, Gorguts and Noisem also appear tonight, as part of the Decibel Magazine Tour. — Sean McCourt 6:30pm, $28.50-$30 Regency Ballroom 1300 Van Ness, SF www.theregencyballroom.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wevkyUlwFFg
THU/27
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Last year, just three months before the Dap-Kings’ fifth studio album was slated for release, frontwoman Sharon Jones was diagnosed with stage two pancreatic cancer. But Jones is a fighter. A former bank security guard, corrections officer, and starving artist, Jones is no delicate flower. Now, after surgery and chemo, Jones and company are back on the road to support the rip-roaring Give the People What They Want, the most unintentionally aptly titled album ever. For those who have never seen Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings in their 12-year career, know this: they are inhuman. Their musicianship is impeccable, their energy unstoppable, their groove makes it impossible to stand still. And then there’s Jones. She didn’t achieve commercial success until middle age, and she dances like she’s been storing up energy and radiance for her entire life. As she’s proven through her career and in her battle with cancer, she is a force of nature — wild, unflappable, and unbeatable. — Haley Zaremba With Valerie June 8pm, $35 Fillmore 1805 Geary, SF (415) 346-3000 www.thefillmore.com
FRI/28
Sheila E. Behind every Prince — not to mention Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie, Stevie Nicks, Beyoncé, J-Lo, and a relatively insane list of other pop and R&B mega-stars — there’s been Sheila E. The Oakland native and indisputable queen of drummers, so well-known for lending her percussion and sass to support some of the great vocalists and guitarists of the past three decades, has put out her first solo album in 12 years, the aptly titled Icon. She’s celebrating with three consecutive nights at Yoshi’s (Oakland, of course); each includes a meet-and-greet portion of the evening in the club, as well. If you can think of anything to say other than “UM HI DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE THE COOLEST LADY EVER” — we can’t — you should probably hit that, too. — Emma Silvers 8pm and 10pm, $33 Yoshi’s Oakland 510 Embarcadero West, Oak. (510) 238-9200 www.yoshis.com
SAT/29
The Apache Relay Since getting their start just a few short years ago, Nashville-based band The Apache Relay have come a long way — they’ve released several well-received albums, and toured with acts such as Mumford and Sons. Mixing Springsteen-esque rock with the sweet country sounds of their adopted hometown, the band’s new, self-titled album, out on So Recordings, was put to tape at Fairfax Recordings — the former location of legendary Sound City Studios. The first single from the record (which hits stores April 22), “Katie Queen of Tennessee,” takes inspiration from another icon of the recording industry, namely Phil Spector and his “Wall of Sound.” — Sean McCourt With The Lonely Wild and The Soil & The Sun 9pm, $12 The Chapel 777 Valencia, SF (415) 551-5157 www.thechapelsf.com
Sometimes we get word of cool things after press time, things you should totally go to. Here are some.
FRIDAY
>>Juan Atkinsis basically the guy who brought techno to the world with his Cybotron and Model 500 projects in the early ’80s. He’s had a storied history as one of Detroit’s most energetic DJs as well. He’s at 1015 Folsom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOBUqCIXXWY
>>Flaming Lotus Girls benefit — Burning Man fundraising season has begun! There will be, like, 100 DJs “getting funky” at this event. Expect wackiness! Artistic wackiness!
SATURDAY
>>The Second Annual Corn Dog Day Celebration at Soma StrEat Food Park, featuring a corn dog eating contest (bottomless drag queen LOL McFiercin will be back to defend her crown), corn dog pizzas, and hopefully some dancing corn dog costumes, hosted by the fabulous Johnny Funcheap.
>>House of More: Spotlight Drag deliciousness with a soulful new performance from Juanita More, Glamamore, and Dulce de Leche — these queens always bring the classic soul revue energy. At Cat Club.
>>Mykki Blanco Insanely canny genderqueer art-rap phenom drops in for a little witchery at the great 120 Minutes party at Elbo Room.
There’s kind of no non-awkward way to say this, but: We like you. A lot.
In honor of this week’s On the Rise issue, which celebrates the diversity and energy and inspirations and favorite sandwiches of some of the Bay Area’s most promising bands, we crafted this mix that’s rife with coded messages about our true feelings for you made up of songs by this year’s OTR artists.
Last night at The Independent, How To Dress Well kicked off a short tour (10 shows in this second half of March) with Forest Swords, playing new songs from a forthcoming album. On the heels of the release of “Words I Don’t Remember,” a new single, HTDW has assembled a more or less “real” band for these dates, with Tom Krell expanding his live act from a duet with Aaron Read (electronics, violin, guitar, bass) to quartet with Destroyer’s Larissa Loyva (keys/synths, backing vocals) and Broken Social Scene’s Justin Peroff (drums, laptop).
Krell’s previous visit was a spot supporting Sky Ferreira at the Rickshaw Stop, but he had no trouble selling out The Independent, its floor clogged with iPhone-ready and booze-addled fans eager to bathe Krell in coos, assuaging his anxieties about playing so many new songs. Throughout the night, Krell would banter about how this was the first time people were hearing these new tunes (eight of the 14 songs), but each was greeted with bumping, grinding adoration.
HTDW has always trafficked in “sad rave” vibes, but Krell made a point to joke that “I only write emo songs now” after introducing a new song called “What You Wanted” as “being really shitty about your desires, and incredibly basic; like being a teenager about your desires and always wanting something more and new.” It’s a fun song, actually, hitting that sweet spot of enough bounce to lift the moping and wailing Krell has become known for. He sings in a high falsetto not unlike everybody in R&B’s idol, Prince, but his music is more indebted to 1990s groups like Dru Hill, and everybody’s fallen star, Aaliyah. Or, that’s the vibe on the pop-ier songs, like the new jam “Very Best Friend.” But there remains a strain of unabashed sadness, too: Krell reminded the crowd that his first visit to San Francisco in 2010 was planned, under “less than ideal circumstances,” in order to record a song called “Suicide Dream 1” that he wrote to mourn a close friend. Nevertheless, he says it’s still his favorite song to sing.
Among the other new songs was one Krell described as “a sort of reggae, emo, early Animal Collective song,” drawing on pop-punk and Rich Homie Quan. Another was inspired by the idea that if you’ll do something once, you’ll probably do it twice (which may not necessarily be a good thing), that Krell hopes becomes a radio single after “Words” has its run. Details on the record are mum, however, as the first thing Krell told the crowd was: “I just got a text message from my manager and he’s like, whatever you do on stage, don’t say the name of your album or the release date of it.” He laughed his way into a terrifically sad opening number, but not before promising to have fun soon.
The night started with the likely final show of locals EN, the duo of multi-instrumentalists James Devane and Maxwell August Croy, who layered koto and other sine waves, all the sounds (pedaled or pure) processed by Devane over syncopated electronics for a beautiful 20-minute welcome, accented by visuals from another local, the visual artist Paul Clipson. I was told Krell has invited similar experimental audio-visual artists to open each show on each stop of this tour, one imagines to lend necessary contrast against the sad pop he sings and the dub-like moods Forest Swords conjur from a similar duet of live bass and an assortment of electronics. Forest Swords’ newest work was released by Tri Angle Records, but their songs have more traditional rhythms than many of that label’s “witch” music. In fact, I joked with my friend that the Forest Swords set sounded like the saddest sex you’ve ever had, while EN and Clipson made me wish I could walk around inside those tones with my own 16mm eyes ready to chop up the light of the world.
On the other hand, even without Krell’s formerly standard encore cover of “I Wish” by R. Kelly, which he says he can’t sing anymore out of political correctness (divorce the song from the man! keep the song the song!), How To Dress Well’s set made me happy he’s at the forefront of this new genre of white guys making R&B music — at least in part because he just seems so jazzed to play his songs, to be present in his life as an artist on a stage.
Setlist and other notes “The Power” “What You Wanted” — being really shitty about your desires, and incredibly basic, and being a teenager about your desires and always wanting something more and new “Cold Nights” — as a ‘metal’ song, still not very metal “Very Best Friend” — dancey, sisqo-y, love song “No More Death” — ‘not fun, lets make it super dark for this one please’ “Facing Up” — i don’t know what’s best for me “Suicide Dream 1” — first visited SF in 2010, recorded song with orchestra, to commemorate a friend who had just died — his favorite song to sing “Chop and pick’m up” — reggae emo animal collective song “” — Radio single — If you’ll do something once, you’ll probably do it twice “Words I Don’t Remember” “Set It Right”
The most important thing I learned from being at SXSW is that I should not under any circumstances make any decisions to move to Austin based on my experience at SXSW. Yes, the city is amazing, hip, and fun for 10 days out of the year, but what about the other 355? I’m willing to bet at least 60 percent of attendees thought to themselves “You know what, I could totally see myself living here.” For San Franciscans and New Yorkers, that number is probably 80 percent. Not to mention, summertime in Austin is a devil’s combo of Arizona heat and Deep South humidity. In addition there’s only one light rail line in this huge sprawl of a city; Austin’s population is a little larger than San Francisco’s but has more than five times the square mileage. I feel this is necessary to point out because I have a feeling there are a dozen or so people every year who did this and after a couple months of living here they panic and are like “Oh god! Why did I sign that one-year lease!”
On to day three (Friday).
Part of the reason I was so excited to visit Austin was for the barbeque, specifically brisket. My original plan was to visit the famous Franklin’s BBQ, a place that usually has a three-hour wait. But when I saw that people were camping out in line, I said scratch that. The first two days were brisket free for me, therefore my third day had to be brisket day. I went to some place called Noah’s and had a brisket plate and a brisket sandwich to go. The plate was good at first and then became mediocre half-way through. When I had the sandwich later on in the day, it was dried out and there virtually useless, I still ate it anyway. My determination to find a decent a brisket joint was still undeterred. I found a food truck area and convinced myself to order a $10 brisket sandwich. It too was mediocre. My friend had a brisket from another food stand, I had a bite of it and it didn’t do anything to impress. Here’s another lesson for you, food at big events sucks, it’s the more expensive and mass-produced version of itself; Outside Lands is very guilty of this.
Anyway, back to the music.
Migos
Day three was also my sleep-in and rest day. Walking 14 miles a day with sun in your eyes and loud noise in your ears and staying out to 2 or 3am can really wreck you. At around 4pm, I’m fully recharged and I make my way to the Fader Fort for one last hurrah. Unfortunately, this time around even the badge-people are having a hard time getting. I’m stuck in line for 80 minutes, while my friends are enjoying the hedonism of the Fader Fort. I finally get in, I catch the last three songs of Young Thug’s raucous set. I find my friends and we decide to bounce, I bid adieu to the Fader Fort.
For our last night in Austin, my friends and I decide that we’re going to stick to one showcase and spend the entire night. We finally decided on the Fool’s Gold showcase hosted by A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs. On the bill was A-Trak, Migos, Travis Scott, Black Atlas, Treasure Fingers, Berkeley rapper 100s, and about 234 other rappers and DJs. We get in line two hours before doors open at 8 and of course there are already 30 people in front of us. We pass the time by playing games, eating dinner, and making new friends with our line buddies. Then 8pm rolls around, the moment we’ve been waiting for. Nothing happens besides someone telling us to form a strict single-file line. Then at 8:40, we make our way in knowing our patience will be greatly rewarded.
The waiting, however, is not over. The first hour and a half of acts are by and large forgettable. They’re all rappers whose gimmicks, fist-pumping, and attempts to “turn up” were doing little to affect the crowd.
Four hours after we got in line, the real fun kicks in when Treasure Fingers hops on the ones and twos. He spins a bombastic set of fast-paced galloping electro and bass-drenched hip hop, a near perfect threading of the border between hip-hop and electronic music. Fool’s Gold co-head Nick Catchdubs takes over the DJ baton after Treasure Fingers and switches to a more hip-hop centric set that’s just as exciting. Sweet vindication for all that time waiting is settling in, my version of the marshmallow experiment.
100s
However, I was not prepared for the next two and a half hours. I had never experienced such a colossal amount of hip-hop bravado, swagger, and stage presence packed into such a small space (the venue was a car repair garage.) 100s led off this hip-hop marathon with his silky perm and synth-hop beats. When they say SXSW is a platform for artists to take off, they’re talking about artists like 100s.
A-Trak takes the stage after 100s and starts turntabling for a bit and then out of a nowhere Danny Brown pops out as the “surprise” guest of evening. The crowd goes wild even though despite this being one of the least surprising guests SXSW. Danny Brown throws down a rambunctious set mostly because the crowd is so hyped to see him. He yells “Where’s the molly at?!” of course, then does one more song and bows out to Migos.
As soon as they grab the mic, it’s apparent that Migos are natural performers. Not too many acts can have an iron-fisted control over a mob of drunk and high hip-hop fans. During “Versace” and “Hannah Montana,” the energy in the air is so palpable I think the entire place was going to collapse. Then Young Thug bursts out of nowhere, causing an earthquake registering a 7.2 on the richter scale. Tsunami warnings are issued all along the Texas and Gulf coasts.
Young Thug and Migos
It’s one of the most “Can’t stop, won’t stop” moments I’ve ever witnessed in hip-hop. More and more guests like A$AP Ferg, Travis Scott, and YG. Each guest somehow finding a way to turn up the crowd more. Every time I feel like we’ve reach peak turn-up, the next track manages to turn up even more.
At the end of this hip-hop extravaganza, I am left nearly catatonic and speechless. I literally OD on hip-hop, and plan to go cold turkey for the rest of the month. When I regain consciousness, a pain and numbness takes over my legs, leaving me with the daunting task of walking two miles home.
If you’re tired of mainstream Latin hip-hop — which, right now, is disproportionately made up of reggaeton beats, male MCs, and bitter lyrics — then Ana Tijoux is the lady rapper for you.
The French-Chilean artist upends the genre. Instead of bragging about her millions, she advocates for cultural pride. Instead of barking at her enemies, she weaves a soothing spool of words that remixes the Spanish language into silk. She has evolved from using samples to working with a live band in a textured, colorful sound all its own, incorporating brass, jazz inflections, and a smorgasbord of South American instruments such as Andean charangos and pan-flutes.
You might have heard Tijoux’s origin-story track, “1977,” on Breaking Bad, as Jesse and Mike make deliveries through a desolate Southwestern landscape. The song describes the year she was born in France to parents who were exiled during the military dictatorship in Chile. Her alternating flow and staccato make the mind-numbing road trip seem badass. Following that sophomore record, La Bala, Tijoux is releasing a mature album with lush orchestration March 18: Vengo. The following evening, Wed/19, she’ll hit The Independent.
Calling to mind Erykah Badu, Tijoux is a poet with a low, creamy voice and a call for algre rebelde, or joyful rebellion. Her lyrics will make you feel like the top of your head was taken off, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson. “I come as a child who sought entrance to his/ home, the entrance to his origin, the return to/ his crusade, I come seeking silenced history/ the history of a land pillaged/ I come with the world and I come with the birds,” Tijoux raps in the title track of Vengo. In the shadow of Pinochet’s Chile, Tijoux is rebuilding dignity in her heritage with thoughtful, joyous rap.
Ahead of her show Wednesday night, we caught up with her by phone to talk about why it’s better to protest with beauty, how it felt to move from France to Chile as a teenager, and what it was like to dance with a man in an octopus suit in a music video.
San Francisco Bay Guardian How did you start rapping, and what female rappers influenced you?
Ana Tijoux I think I began when I was 20, very naturally, out of necessity because I needed to communicate. The woman who inspired me first was Bahamadia. And then I began to rhyme and write, and then I began to learn about more female MCs: MC Lyte, and when I was younger, Queen Latifah.
SFBGI’ve read that you consider yourself to be shy. How do you find the strength to perform in front of so many audiences?
AT Because I’m an amazing actress. [Laughs] On stage, I’m singing, I’m communicating, so I forget about the audience. It’s energy, and you begin a dialogue with people. That’s one of the moments when I feel free. It doesn’t matter what happens, I just do it.
SFBG Why did you move to Chile in 1993?
AT Because my parents were exiled in France, and I’m from there, and when refugees could come back I came with my parents. It was hard, very hard. I was a teenager and you’re in the construction of a personality. You’re fighting between a child and an adult in one personality, and then to change continents was hard. It was also one of the most amazing moments in my life. And it was a moment of a lot of lessons, but I understood about them more later, not immediately. I understood about friends, and about how the North robs so many things from the South. It was a political education.
SFBG Your 2007 video for “Eres Para Mi” with Julieta Venegas is goofy and delightful. It looks like you had a lot of fun making it. What was it like dancing with a man in an octopus suit and a nun?
AT The most hilarious moment in my life. When she made the video she didn’t tell me an octopus would be there, so it was a surprise. And I’m shy, like I told you, so I tried to act the best that I could. I didn’t know I would have an octopus near to me.
SFBGHow did you write an album with your young children around?
AT It was an amazing moment, but very hard with time. I learned so much, like trying to be a mother with the [artistic] creation and no sleeping. At the same time, it was amazing. I learned time is a precious treasure and so valuable. I can’t lose time anymore in stupidity. The time I have is for creation or friends and family. It was hard to be honest, but really amazing.
SFBG Why did you decide to work with a live band instead of using samples?
AT I work with the best musicians I could have imagined. The songs have different vision with drums because it can be longer, or if the bassist has a solo, each instrument sings and gives a different color. It feels so organic and every instrument can give one texture to a song, and different movement and weather in the songs.
SFBGIn “Vengo,” you say “Without fear you and I decolonize/what we were taught.” How have you unlearned what you were taught about Chile’s history?
AT I feel like everything I learned in school was with a colonized vision. You become interested in your roots, you understand that how you learned history is so different than what happened. In Chile, we live in a country with people with brown and black hair, and in publicity they have women with blond hair. All this publicity is about who we should be, and I’m saying we should be proud of who we are as a society and a community.
In America, they say it’s been 500 years since they discovered the continent. They didn’t discover it, people were here before the colonizers arrived. We’re changing the vision and vocabulary.
SFBGI loved Somos Sur, and I think your lyric “alegre rebeldía” captures the spirit of your music. In your calls for social justice, I sense more beauty than anger. What inspires you to call for equality with your gorgeous lyrics instead of just shouting at a protest?
AT Protests in general are protests for life. When you see fights around the world, it’s a fight for life. To have a fair life, it’s about dignity. We’re so used to protests with anger. We want a better future for us our kids and community. So that’s what I’m saying, it’s a fight for happiness.
SFBG How did it feel to hear “1977” on Breaking Bad?
AT Funny. I’m glad. It’s an amazing series, and I’m glad that there is a mainstream series that’s taking a risk. It’s a good series with amazing characters.
SFBG In “1977,” you say “Caminas en crucijadas/ Cada cual es su morada” (“You walk in crossroads/ each one is your home”). Where do you consider your home now?
AT Chile, totally Chile. It’s where my family is, my parents, my kids, my garden, and my refugees.
SFBGWhat advice would you give to young female rappers out there?
AT Do not listen to advice at all. Everybody wants to give advice about how to make stuff. Don’t listen to advice. Try to make music and be free.
I’m pretty sure the Fader Fort is where I want to spend the rest of my youth and possibly my life. This makeshift village is probably as close to cool heaven as it gets. It’s got free music, free drinks, and people-watching galore. Did I mention it’s also got charging stations, free ice cream, and a first aid tent? You really could spend the rest of your youth and/or life here.
The Fader Fort is that illustrious castle on the hill of peak hipness. You can absorb the coolness into your skin via osmosis. For entrance into this Hearst Castle for the Snapchat crowd, you must either know somebody who knows somebody, have a pass (like I do), or get in line at the ungodly hour of no later than 12:30pm. Seriously, if you don’t get in line by at 1pm, you’re doomed to a fate of sunburns and sobriety. So get in line early, your brand depends on it.
As much I want to conduct an anthropological study on the impossibly hip 20-somethings lounging and fluttering all over the Fort, I have to force myself over to music stage.
The first act is British crooner Sam Smith. He’s most known for his feature on Disclosure’s “Latch.” Without the Disclosure brothers at his side, Mr. Smith and his rad pompadour unleash an acoustic rendition of the dance hit, which the crowd and I found equally pleasing. As per SXSW custom, Smith busts out 20 minutes of work, packed up, and bounces to his next gig.
I go re-up on free pineapple juice and rum.
When I get back, Theophilus London is about to come on. I’ve been listening to this guy for a while and I still don’t get his deal. I feel like he’s been stuck on the come up for a while, which contradicts the very idea of being on the come up. He presents his mix of electro funk, pop, and hip-hop, all while wearing torn yellow pants, a yellow tank top, jean jacket, and that Pharrell/Arby’s hat. Towards the end of his set, he brings onstage a woman from the crowd and they do some sort of seductive dance that’s kind of novel and cool, but immediately takes a turn for the worse when London creepily starts grope-dancing with her. He almost sucks all the cool from the air, leaving everyone baffled and awkward. She goes back to the crowd and we all breathe a sigh of relief.
Theophilus London Pineapple juice and rum time.
Collaborators Shlomo and Jeremih are up next. Shlomo warms up the crowd with a DJ set of percolating electro rhythms. I begin to worry Jeremih might not show up, but he does. The two are collaborating for an upcoming album, but their performance makes me think they should establish this as a permanent arrangement. Jeremih’s suave and soothing nu-R’nB vocals hypnotizes the crowd into a state of mindfulness. But Jeremih knows what the crowd wants to hear, they want to hear “Birthday Sex,” and you do not deny what the good people at Fader Fort want. Jeremih plays “Birthday Sex” and the audience reacts in a way that it makes seem it like they enjoy “Birthday Sex” more than actual birthday sex.
Headlining the Fader Fort is electro-funk impresarios Chromeo, aka the self-proclaimed “most successful Jewish-Muslim collaboration ever.” Even though everyone in the concert tent is shoulder to shoulder and butt to butt, we all erupt in cathartic dance when Chromeo belt out “Night by Night.” There aren’t too many acts worthy of being a headliner at the Fader Fort, but Chromeo rises to the challenge and then some. They decimate the audience with 30 straight minutes of the old hits and some new tracks from their upcoming LP, White Women. Then the clock strikes midnight on the Fort and now we all have to face the daunting reality of not being in the Fort. But wait, Chromeo comes back for an encore! Encore finishes. OK, now the Fader Fort is done.
I grab a quick dinner and speed-walk over to Congress Ave, where the entire Heart Break Kids gang are playing, but unfortunately when I get there, there’s a 100-foot line, and from what I can tell, the entire club is packed to brim. Even badge people like myself aren’t being allowed in. I give up on HBK and speed-walk across town again to the Mad Decent Garage shows. Half an hour later I arrive, and there’s a short but extremely slow-moving line. I give up and go meet up with friends at some rave tent with no line.
Turns out, there’s a real good reason there was no line. I’m subjected to blaring and soul-killing dubstep. The filthy and warbled bass jackhammers my very-being. Time to get out of there.
I wander around this part of town looking for my next show, while also being in awe of the massive herd of drunk revelers tripping flyers and empty drink cups.
I then happen upon Cheer Up Charlie’s to catch the end of indie-rockers Merchandise and then indie-poppers Future Islands. I didn’t catch enough of Merchandise to formulate an impression. At this point I’m just happy to be away from the dubstep. Future Islands come on and are the saviors I’ve been waiting for in this post-Fader Fort landscape.
Future Islands
Future Islands’ frontman Samuel T. Herring immediately grabs the crowd with a loud growl, jabbing dance moves, and pointed stares. Every band should have a Samuel T. Herring. His chaotic energy is more infectious than a breakout of pink-eye. He sneers, jumps up and down, and makes disfigured looks on his face for the entire set, and it makes for a surprisingly good complement to Future Islands’ bouncy and sunny pop. I honestly have never seen someone as turned up as this guy. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the day.
After a long day of waiting in line in the sun, catching various 15-minute sets, and just being downright baffled by the enormity and complexity of SXSW (this is my first time), I lumbered my way to Maggie Mae to catch San Francisco’s psych band du jour, Painted Palms, at the Forcefield PR showcase (disclosure: I interned for Forcefield one summer a long time ago). The venue itself looked like Bottom of the Hill’s cousin but without the absurdly short ceilings and claustrophobia.
San Francisco power-punk act Tony Molina fronted by (you guessed it) Tony Molina packed a raucous and chaotic set into 20 minutes, which of course was too short, but then this is SXSW.
Tony Molina
This was Painted Palms’ second show so far at SXSW. They are touring on debut LP Forever, which came out last January on Polyvinyl Records. The band is comprised of two cousins, Chris Prudhomme (vocals, guitar, hails from Bernal Heights), and Reese Donahue (electronics, hails from Western Addition).
Despite some minor technical difficulties, the psych-pop duo jammed out a sunny set full of spirited electronic sounds, a great soundtrack to lounge on for day-long retreat at Alamo Square or Dolores Park. Just minutes after the show, the cousins joined me for a quick Q&A, where we discussed the origin of the name Painted Palms, whether or not they would ever cover The Talking Heads, and everyone’s favorite topic of conversation: the cost of living in San Francisco.
San Francisco Bay Guardian: Why are you called Painted Palms? Prudhomme: I don’t know, people guess, and I think the best guess that someone has had so far is that William Randolph Hearst had a mansion and at the end of his life, he didn’t want to see death on his property. So whenever the palm trees died, he would have people paint the bark of the palms to keep it looking like they were still alive.
SFBG: This is your second show at your first-ever SXSW, how’s it going so far? Prudhomme: We had some technical difficulties, but I think it’s something that with a full band is recoverable. Donahue: I think [the show] was sketchy in the beginning…but it’s fine.
SFBG: So music journalists like myself often describe bands in a wrong manner. Tell me how do you describe yourselves? Prudhomme: It’s psychedelic pop music. Donahue: I think it focuses on pop structure, the structure of ’60s pop music. We have a fascination with ’90s electronic psychedelic stuff.
Painted Palms
SFBG:Your influences? Donahue: I’d say The Zombies, they’re just the coolest motherfuckers. Prudhomme: Some of our influences also don’t have anything to do with the way our music sounds, a lot of it is just music personalities. I really like David Bowie a lot, but I don’t think our music sounds anything like David Bowie.
Donahue: My favorite band of all time is The Talking Heads, and I think the drummer was at our showcase earlier.
SFBG: The city is extremely expensive right now, which is especially tough on creative types such as musicians like yourselves. Has this impacted you? Is this a big worry for you? Prudhomme: It hasn’t really impacted us that much because we’ve been doing the same kind of recording process for a really long time. We have a really cheap, raggeddy practice space in the Tenderloin. Donahue: But we have to share it with five other bands to make the rent. I tried to move out and get my own place at one point but it didn’t work out. If I ever decide to leave San Francisco and live somewhere else, I don’t think I could come back. I do have rent control so it’s not something I’m worried about. Prudhomme: I worry about it. I live in a big house with lots of tenants, which is the only way I can afford to live in SF. So whenever I have master tenants who are about to move out, I worry about my rent being jacked up.
SFBG:Is the East Bay an option? Donahue: Oakland is fucking awesome…but I don’t know.
SFBG: Ever thought about covering a Talking Heads song? Donahue: No, we’d never do that. I don’t think we could make those songs better.
[Ed note: George was going to write a recap of the first day’s shows and general SXSW revelry, but with news of last night’s horrendous accident making the rounds, that felt a little inappropriate. Stay tuned for more festival coverage.]
Last night tragedy struck SXSW when a drunk driver rammed into a crowd of people. Two people are confirmed dead, one man from The Netherlands and one local woman. In total, 23 people have been reported injured; eight remain in the hospital. The suspect has been charged and is currently in custody, and his or her identity will be made public later today.
SXSW’s official statement on the matter:
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the tragic accident that took place last night here in Austin. We appreciate and commend the first responders, as well as the city agencies who so quickly sprung into action. We will be making schedule and venue changes for programming in the surrounding area of last night’s events. All other programming will continue as previously scheduled.”
I was fortunate enough to have already been at my friend’s house and asleep when the tragic incident occurred. In fact, I didn’t even find out about it until I woke up this morning to a total of nine emails, texts, and missed calls from my parents. When I reading about the coverage of the incident, one tweet in particular stood out for me: “A horrible wake up call for a rapidly growing city with an economy based on alcohol and terrible public transportation, this is awful” — a stark reminder that sometimes horrible things occur not only because of reckless individuals but as a result of our environment.
In that vein, some attendees I talked to expressed how unsurprised they were that this happened, given the continent-sized amount of alcohol drunk by thousands of people here, all stumbling around within a few square miles. From what I’ve seen, the city of Austin, the SXSW organizers, and participating venues have all gone to great lengths to ensure people’s safety. Unfortunately, there are some things you just can’t prepare for.
When I was 13, I was a late-blooming tomboy, watching, confused, as everyone around me grew up and started acting different.
In school, we were writing “conflict stories.” Mine was about losing all my friends to puberty (theirs, not mine). My teacher sat me down on a particularly rough day and said, “Here. This is for you. Don’t tell your parents.” She handed me a copy of Ani Difranco’s Dilate, complete with the parental advisory label shining through the jewel case.
In hindsight, this may have been one of the more amazing gifts I’ve ever received, if not for its origin (what teacher does that?), then for the seismic brain/heart shattering that can only happen to a 13-year-old girl listening to Ani Difranco for the first time. I was floored. My emotions were obviously in desperate need of translation, and DiFranco’s poetry and emotional delivery was something I had never experienced. It’s alright, everything is uncomfortable, everything is changing. It’s cool, this woman is talking about things, and she’s angry and she’s sad, and she’s happy, and she has dreadlocks and boots and says “Fuck you.” Maybe you can be whatever you want/are?! I was a fan from that moment on, and although a lot has changed since then, the feeling that happens when I see her play her songs live is pretty similar to that first listen back in 1996.
Although thus far I’ve discovered that writing a review of an Ani DiFranco show is apparently like writing in your diary, I will attempt to review the things that actually happened on Friday [3/7] at the Fillmore.
Opening the show was Jenny Scheinman, an artist on DiFranco’s own Righteous Babe label. Scheinman, a prolific artist, composer and arranger in her own right, started the night off with a haunting fiddle tune that resulted in a well-deserved hush from the crowd. Plucking her fiddle, she sang a set of lyrically lovely Appalachian-style songs based on reflections of her Northern California hailing grounds. The Fillmore was full and quiet, with only the occasional anxious shoves from folks trying to claim precious real estate.
Jenny Scheinman
When DiFranco walked out there was wave of both excitement and relief. The power, charisma, and authenticity DiFranco delivers at her live shows has earned her incredibly loyal fans who line up, city after city, to be shaken back into something, or shaken out of something else. They show up to be moved, and Friday night, they sensed that motion was about to occur. Necks craned, squeals of excitement were released, and the beam of light that radiates from DiFranco’s wide grin took the stage. DiFranco was accompanied by Todd Sickafoose, her longtime upright bass player, and New Orleans’s Terence Higgens on drums, who, turns out, can also rip surprise kazoo solos. These two provide a pocket deep enough for DiFranco to roam through each sonic peak and valley. The trio is a well-oiled machine, and Sickafooose and Higgens add a lot to these songs, a testament to their sensitivity and chops. They support and compliment DiFranco’s distinctive guitar playing — which is is wild and lucid, both careful and careening. She rips, righteously, and they are right there with her.
Now, I know that DiFranco probably cannot actually see into my soul and choose her setlist according to what’s happening in my life, but I can’t be completely sure. She pulled from many different parts of her rich catalog, including five new songs that hit me in all the places that needed hitting. (How does she know? Why so magic?) I know I’m not alone in this, but her confessional lyrics and clever poetry are so personal, it’s difficult not to feel a sense of ownership over these songs, to remember who you were when you first heard them. Somehow her relevance feels both intimate and universal.
Todd Sickafoos, DiFranco, Terence Higgens
She played some newer ecological crisis songs (“Some call it conservation, some call it common sense”), touching on environmental awareness and self-awareness (shouldn’t these be connected?) and the dangerous complacency we have lulled ourselves into. Revelations continued throughout the night as she delved into older songs dealing with love, the problem of monogamy, the trauma of history, the irreversible damage that words can do, and even perspectives from a Caribbean church. Somehow, all things felt covered. Lines stood out that needed to stand out. DiFranco delivered a beautifully open window into a human being who is steadfastly paying attention to the world, her place in it, and calling them both out. It’s good to know that DiFranco is still fighting the good fight, and reminding us to do the same.
I have heard it said that the reason DiFranco is so powerful is because she doesn’t give a fuck. But on Friday night, it occurred to me that it’s not that she doesn’t give a fuck, but that the rest of us sometimes lose touch with all the fucks that we should be giving. For me, DiFranco is a refreshing and necessary voice of realness. Honesty without agenda, from so many different angles. So there you have it. I go forth into the world shaken, stirred, and reminded.
Set List
“Dilate” – Dilate (1996) “Splinter” – Which Side are You On? (2012) “Not a Pretty Girl” – Not a Pretty Girl (1995) “J” – Which Side are you On? (2012) “Happy All the Time” (New) “Napoleon” – Dilate (1996) “School Night” – Educated Guess (2004) “Welcome To” – Evolve (2003) “Allergic” (New) “Careless Words” (New) “Harder Than It Needs to Be” (New) “Genie” (New) “The Whole Night” – Not So Soft (1991) “Everest “- Up Up Up Up Up Up Up (1999) “Fuel” – Little Plastic Castle – (1998) “Joyful Girl” – Dilate (1996) “Shameless” – Dilate (1996) (Encore) “Both Hands” – Ani DiFranco (1990) “Overlap” – Out of Range (1994)
Oakland’s Warm Soda, aka one of our 2013 bands on the rise, is almost too easy to love: That lo-fi fuzz, those jangly, sugar-sweet hooks, that sudden urge to be lightly buzzed at someone’s backyard barbecue the summer before you left for college. The band’s sophomore full-length, Young Reckless Hearts, out March 11 on Castle Face, has a more of a studio sheen and a bit more guitar-based showmanship — British invasion influences, perhaps? — than its debut, but these songs retain the groundedness and no-frills power pop that we’ve come to hold so dear.
They’re on the road to SXSW at the moment, and won’t play at home again until a March 27 show at the Nightlight, but they just decided to stream the whole darn thing the week before the album drops. Here ya go:
