Whither Jawbreaker? Well, vocalist Blake Schwarzenbach is back, alongside Aaron Cometbus (Cometbus zine, Pinhead Gunpowder) and Daniela Sea (The L Word), with a new band, Thorns of Life. The punk combo performs at a special early show tonight, Jan. 26, with Pins of Light and Songs for Mom. As Hemlock Tavern booker Anthony Bedard says, “a not-to-be-missed chance to see them in something smaller than a sports arena!”
THORNS OF LIFE
With Pins of Light and Songs for Mom
Mon/26, 7 p.m., $6 Hemlock Tavern
1131 Polk, SF
(415) 923-0923
Motor-vated: Kinetic Steamworks at Coachella 2007.
Because once is never enough. More ear-teasers to tantalize…
Edwardian Ball
Break out the corsets and strap yourself in, girls. The ninth annual event – now three days strong – bids you to party like it’s 1899, follow the green fairy, and partake in music, art, burlesque, circus acts, and all things Edwardian and Edward Gorey-esque. (OK, Gorey was born a bit too late, but you get the general drift of the proceedings.) With Rasputina, Abney Park, Kinetic Steamworks, Rosin Coven, Vau de Vire Society, Jill Tracy, Cirque Berzerk, Agent Ribbons, and more. Fri/23-Sun/25, call for times, $25-$35. Regency Center, 1290 Sutter, SF. (415) 435-7527.
Thunderheist
The Toronto electro-funk party-starters gave a lil’ impromptu show in London in December (above). Tonight they do it the legal way, courtesy of Blasthaus. Next up: a new album on Big Dada, coming March 31. Fri/23, 9 p.m., $10. 103 Harriet, SF.
Unagi
The slippery DJ brings the knowledge – “real hip-hop on real records all night long” – to his regular event, 442 Fridays, with DJ Animal. Fri/23, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $5 after 10 p.m. Madrone Lounge, 500 Divisadero, SF. (415) 241-0202.
Are we one on this? The “We Are One” inaugural concert on Sunday, Jan. 18, was high on star power and so-so on smooth execution – a host would have provided the essential lubricant to the peaceful, silky transition between the musical and speechifying powers that be (Samuel L. Jackson or Denzel Washington would have done a fine, dignified job, though the looser, jubilant Jamie Foxx would have meant more laughs). But I bet few remained dry-eyed during Bettye LaVette’s and (!) Jon Bon Jovi’s duet on “A Change Is Gonna Come” and the clip of Marian Anderson singing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after being turned away from Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Leave it to Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder to keep their musical choices appropriate to the moment with “The Rising” and the always-great “Higher Ground.” (The former brought the Obamas to their feet, and the latter got them dancing.) Thankfully Broooce could be counted on not to play “Born in the U.S.A.” – he, at least, remembers what the song is actually about (unlike Reagan’s people who wrongfully appropriated it back in the day). On the other hand choices like John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” and Garth Brook’s cover of “American Pie” came off as somewhat strange. I always read “Pink Houses” as a wryly ironic tune and, in its way, as critical of the so-called American dream as “Born in the U.S.A.” We won’t even go into “American Pie.” Word to the producers and musical directors: every song with the word “America” or “U.S.A.” in its title or chorus isn’t necessarily patriotic or positively inspiring.
Remix: More highlights including Mary J. Blige and John Mellencamp.
Hey, get out! Here are a few more shows that make it worth missing – or recording – the new episodes of Lost and Battlestar Galactica.
Tippy Canoe
Let the uke revolution carry on – thanks to strummer stunners Tippy Canoe of Oakland and Anna Ash of Ann Arbor, Mich. With Antonetteg. Wed/21, 9 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.
Metronomy
Creepy, conceptual electronic pop, anyone? The UK combo brings out the breakbot – just for fun – in honor of Popscene. With the Mae Shi. Thurs/22, 10 p.m., $12. Popscene, 330 Ritch, SF. (415) 902-3125.
At last – an American breakthrough. English soul vocalist Alice Russell has been belting it out for quite some time now: her first solo full-length, after several initial inspired collaborations, was 2004’s Under the Munka Moon (Tru Thoughts) – but somehow, scandalously, she never had an American label. Her trio of releases – the aforementioned Moon, along with 2005’s My Favourite Letters and 2006’s hodgepodge compilation Under the Munka Moon II (also on the British Tru Thoughts label) – weren’t exactly impossible to track down stateside, but they didn’t receive nearly as much attention as they perhaps would have with the support of a company on these shores.
Luckily for all concerned, this is about to change: San Francisco tastemakers Six Degrees Records recently unleashed Russell’s latest, the aptly monikered Pot of Gold. And yep, all of you groove pirates, there are riches aplenty here.
Let it reign: Bettye LaVette on the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me.”
This in from Bettye LaVette’s people:
“Bettye LaVette is starting off 2009 with a bang by performing Sam Cooke’s revered anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come” at Barack Obama’s Inaugural Celebration kicking off at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, Jan. 18. A partial list of additional musical performers includes, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Usher Raymond IV, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, U2 and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jack Black, Steve Carrell, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, Laura Linney and Denzel Washington.
“At the moment, ‘Bettye is speechless.’
“HBO will televise the event on an open channel (Sunday, Jan. 18 live at 2:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. PT and later from 7-9 p.m. ET/PT), working with all of its distributors to allow Americans across the country with access to cable, telcos or satellite television to join in the Opening Celebration for free. It will also be streamed live on www.hbo.com. Since the actual event is free and open to the public, more than 800,000 are expected in the audience.
Bay Area comedian W. Kamau Bell is spreading the word that – he made history: as the first stand-up comedian on Comedy Central to make a joke about Barack Obama. Here’s what he says:
“Right as the year was ending I received a phone call from Comedy Central telling me that they discovered that I was the FIRST STAND-UP COMIC EVER do a Barack Obama joke on their network… WAAAAAAAAAAAAY back in 2005. Here’s the link to the actual clip AND an interview that they did with me. Check it out and leave some comments on the site if you’re feeling frisky.”
Feeling even friskier? Swing by Bell’s show at SF Playhouse – here’s the review by Guardian critic Robert Avila:
Lots of news on Wavves front; for the Guardian review of Wavves, go here. This in from the Wavves publicity people:
“To avoid any potential confusion (and there is a lot of potential for confusion here) we’ll break this down for you nice and slow:
“* WAVVES has a self-titled debut album out now on the Woodsist label
“* WAVVES’ second album is called WAVVVES (notice the extra “V”)
“* Both albums have very, very similar covers
“* WAVVVES by WAVVES is being released on Fat Possum (not De Stijl, as we originally announced) on March 17, 2009
Get out, SF – get out… and check out the music pouring the streets of Grog City.
Slough Feg and Hatchet
His majesty meets the teen metallists, thanks to Lucifer’s Hammer. With Passive Aggressive. Wed/14, 9 p.m., $7. Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, SF. (415) 552-7788.
Devil Makes Three
Devil lovers gathered round for the band’s set at Treasure Island music fest. Thurs/15, 6 p.m., free. Amoeba Music, 2455 Telegraph, Berk. (510) 549-1125.
Benefit time – with hip-hop lyricists and a dab of R&B. This in:
“Musiq 4 Hunger and Element Lounge in association with Hard in the Paint Ent., ViXXeN EnT., and LK Management presents: “The Resolution 2009.”
“Performances by: Beeda Weeda, Don P., Diamond, Moss Da Boss, Bay Area Bad Girlz, Da Trendsettaz
“Featuring live music from Maya Kronberg (keys), Scott Thompson (bass), Chris Hansen (drums), Brandon McKee (sax), Bill Smolik (trumpet).
“Open mic sign-ups start at 9:30 p.m. Live band jam from 9:30-11 p.m. Special perfomances start at 11 p.m. ending at 12:45 a.m.
“DJ Smocha spinnin from 12:45 a.m.-2 a.m. with an open mic. $7 at the door or $5 with a canned food item. For more information please contact: Li-Mari, vixxenmusiq@gmail.com, (510) 672-8868.”
Oh, 2008 – you’ve been too kind! Well, musically speaking, anyhow – the year left a bit to be desired in some other regards, I suppose, but it certainly did its best to compensate by unleashing a wild torrent of CD releases ready to scratch away at all of our musical itches.
Now that we’re pinning up the new calendar and reflecting on the past year, I thought this might be the perfect moment to throw some superlatives behind one 2008 release in particular, which, sadly, remained largely off the collective radar of the American listening public: July Skies’ sumptuously iridescent ambient-pop stunner The Weather Clock.
Released this past summer in Britain, the disc never received a thorough distribution stateside. It might require a little work to track this one down, but such efforts will be greatly rewarded. Wistfully melancholic and dreamy, it’s tailor-made for a cup of tea, a ruminating mood, and your best pair of headphones.
Mind that One Track Mind: Egyptian Lover’s “Freak-A-Holic.”
San Francisco stirs itself, shakes its shaggy head, and leaves home. Here are a few more reasons.
Leopold and His Fiction
The many moods of the SF indie-folk-rock combo turn toward…celebration with the unveiling of their new full-length Ain’t No Surprise. Electric! With the Healing Curse and Candy Apple. Fri/9, 9:30 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.
LoCura
Living la vida LoCura? That means an eye-opening blend of flamenco, rumba, reggae, and hip-hop complete with bellydane and plenty of Animas. Fri/9, 9 p.m., $15. Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell, SF. (415) 885-0750.
Under pressure: Vice Cooler in repose. Photo by Manjari Doxey.
We saved the worst for last. Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers. Here’s the rest of Hawnay Troof/Vice Cooler’s best (or worst) of 2008; for more, go here. HAWNAY TROOF/VICE COOLER’S TOP 10 SHITTIEST TOUR HAPPENINGS IN 2008
1. The police stole my rental car.
On the third to last day of my first US leg we were cruising through eastern Arizona when a policeman pulled us over. He thought we had drugs and illegally searched the car. After not finding anything he was bummed. My friend Rory Rabut was driving, and when the officer looked up his license he found out that Rabut had a small parking ticket that hadn’t been paid yet. He used this as a basis for seizing our vehicle.
Take me down to the paradise kitty: gotta love that theremin cat.
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers. Here’s more of Hawnay Troof/Vice Cooler’s best of 2008; for the first part of his best-of list, go here.
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers. Here’s the rest of Mi Ami‘s best of 2008; for more of their selections, go here.
MORE 2008 PICKS FROM MI AMI’S DANIEL MARTIN-MCCORMICK AND DAMON PALERMO
– Omar-S, “Psychotic Photosynthesis” (both the original and beatless versions) (FXHE)
– Rhythm Based Lovers, “Boogie Vision”/”Snow Drift” 7-inch (Future Times)
– Group Inerane, Guitars from Agadez (Sublime Frequencies)
– Zomes, Zomes (Holy Mountain)
– Kyle Hall, Worx of Art EP 1 (Wild Oats)
– Liquid Liquid, Liquid Liquid (Grand Royal)
– Theo Parrish, Sound Sculptures Volume 1 (Sound Signature)
– Silver Apples, Selections from the Early Sessions (ChickenCoop Recordings)
– Droids, Star Peace (Barclay)
– La Düsseldorf, Viva (Water)
– Methusalem, Journey into the Unknown (Ariola)
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers.
SMILE’S NEIL MARTINSON’S TOP 10
– Citadelle at the Knockout, Aug. 4
– Robert Forster at Great American Music Hall, Sept. 10
– Peter Hammill at Great American Music Hall, Sept. 30
– Kelley Stoltz, Circular Sounds (Sub Pop)
– The Moon Upstairs, Guarding the Golden Apple (Gifted Children)
– Various artists, Daisies soundtrack (Finders Keepers)
– Bart Davenport, Palaces (Antenna Farm)
– Lavender Diamond, www.myspace.com/lavenderdiamond
– Agent Ribbons, www.myspace.com/agentribbons
– Willow Willow, www.myspace.com/willowwillow
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers. SONNY SMITH‘S “FINE AND GOOD” LIST
– The Dry Spells
– The Fresh and Onlys
– Nodzzz
– Brilliant Colors
– Thee Oh Sees
– Sic Alps
– The Sandwitches
– Jeffrey Lewis
– Dragging an Ox Through Water
Caffeine-d: Sonic Youth’s Hits Are for Squares (Starbucks Entertainment)
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers.
YELLOW SWANS‘ GABRIEL MINDEL’S TOP TEN KILL-YR-IDOLS MOMENTS OF 2008
1. Sonic Youth’s “Hits Are for Starbucks”
Crap, you guys — really?
2. Obama’s cabinet
Ah, hope and change, I hardly knew you …
3. Guns N’ Roses, Chinese Democracy (Interscope)
What about this isn’t beating a dead horse?
4. Scarlett Johansson, Anywhere I Lay My Head (Atco)
I think my crush has worn off.
5. Ian Curtis’ gravestone gets stolen
6. The “free market”
Too late, capitalism.
7. Heath Ledger.
8. MIA “retires”
I hope she’s better at this than Jay-Z.
9. Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg, US)
10. The USAISAMONSTER announce their breakup
This is probably only a big deal to about 50 people, but it really does bum me out.
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers.
MICHAEL HARKIN’S TOP 10
– Nobunny, “I Am a Girlfriend”
If the original Ramones replaced Tommy with a drum machine, it might’ve sounded as amazing as this track from Love Visions (1-2-3-4 Go!).
– Danzig at the Warfield
“Mother”… kicking a pizza box out of a roadie’s grasp … Glenn still rules.
– Nodzzz, Nodzzz mini-LP (What’s Your Rupture?)
Fantastic, distortion-free guitar pop.
– Special Disco Version at Mighty
God bless James Murphy and Pat Mahoney for their brilliant edits and many mirrorballs.
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers.
HANK IV’S TOP 10 OF 2008
-Los Llamarada at Cake Shop, November
-Newbridge Mayor-Elect Philly Boy Roy appointing Hammerhead as P.I.G. (Pit Inspector General) on the Best Show on WFMU
-Bassist Chris P. getting propositioned/accosted by a persistent lady superfan in the middle of playing a song at Budget Rock VII
-Los Llamarada ordering Pat’s cheesesteaks in Philly slang
-Mission of Burma’s road manager (and Clint’s brother) Jimmy Conley’s story about, as a teenager, being dressed up like a girl by Clint and taken to a mid-1970s New York Dolls show in NYC
–The Shield‘s final season
-Mayyors live
–In Bruges screening at the Shill Building
-Outdoor day party show at SXSW with Ross Johnson
-Buttholes Urfers live on the seventh floor of a Financial District office building at 4 a.m. for Donny Wyatt’s birthday
HANK IV
With Wooden Shjips and E-Zee Tiger
Jan. 22, 9 p.m., call for price Eagle
398 12th St., SF
(415) 626-0880
Ladies do the same: Charles Hamilton’s “Brooklyn Girls.”
Another in a series of year-end picks from Bay Area musicians, writers, scene-makers, and music lovers.
DANIEL N. ALVAREZ’S TOP 10
10) Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal)
If for no other reason, Tha Carter III belongs on this list, because it proves that in the age of illegal downloading, hip-hop can still commercially thrive. While the record is uneven, its widespread success was achieved by Wayne’s hard work and prolific output. Most of his mixtapes, especially the ones in the “Da Drought” series, are stronger than this record, yet this album does have some dizzying high points. His expansive collaboration with the elder with Jay-Z, “Mr. Carter,” brilliantly builds to an explosive crescendo, where Wayne lets his hair down and destroys Infamous’ soulful beat.
“Next time you mention ‘Pac, Biggie, or Jay-Z, don’t forget Weezy, baby!” – Mr. Carter
9) Kidz in the Hall, The In Crowd (Duck Down)
Bursting out of hip-hop hotbed, the University of Pennsylvania, the duo’s breakthrough effort is one of the slickest of the year. Riding old-school soul beats, provided by Michael Aguilar (a.k.a., Double-O), the group’s MC Jabari Evans (Naledge) effortlessly cruises through downtown Chicago, putting a premium on storytelling. Often unfairly lumped in with the “hipster-hop” crowd, Kidz in the Hall’s sound actually aligns more with the Chicago scene, drawing striking parallels to Common and pre-robot Kanye West.
“And I’m looking blessed, like I said achoo.” – “Drivin’ Down The Block (Low End Theory)”
1. Department of Eagles, In Ear Park (4AD)
(and the rest in no particular order)
– Beach House, Devotion (Carpark)
– Deerhunter, Microcastle (Kranky)
– Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, US)
– Coldplay, Viva la Vida (Capitol)
