Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Go! Team, Fujiya & Miyagi, and Ladytron

If I told you I saw a Ninja dancing in a cheerleader skirt and had the best time of my life, would you think I was weird? Because I did. Ninja is The Go! Team's lead singer and she jhops across the stage like Yoda in a saber fight while really engages the audience to dance along. They played GAMH early 2006 and I've never seen San Francisco come alive like I did that night. Everyone on the main floor AND on the balcony of the GAMH was hopping and dancing with such vigor that I thought the entire building was going to collapse. It should be an awesome time. Expect a new album to hit September 10 in the UK. You can listen to some new tracks on their myspace page. Catch them on 10/19 @ Mezzanine. Tickets are not yet available.

Another gem coming to the mezzanine is , a trio from London. No, they're not Japanese and Yes, there are 3 of them. They play downtempo electronic dance grooooooves. If you are into Hot Chip and the Brazilian Girls, it might be something you just might be into. Catch them on 10/12 @ Mezzanine. Tickets on sale now.

Of course, you may already know that Ladytron is going to be gracing San Francisco with a live show @ Mezzanine. You can catch that show on 9/29. Tickets are on sale now.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs coming atcha 8/21 at Fillmore

Fillmore 8/21 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Announced Yesterday. has not yet announced an on-sale date for tickets.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

M.I.A. & Gray Kid @ Rickshaw (Hard Rock Chick Recap)

If you missed @ the Rickshaw Stop like I did.. and you have any friends with interests in music, well, you're probably going to be hearing, "I saw M.I.A. when she played at the Rickshaw Stop..." for years and years. According to the , they will probably be saying the same about . Check out her post, which has some fun video clips and a play list.

Thread Productions Showcase

After paying my money to get into the Bottom of the Hill and getting my hand stamped, I felt somewhat uncomfortable. I felt a little out of place.. like that old Sesame Street song, 'One of these things is not like the other'. No, was not judging anyone. It was just that I was the only person in the place without a headband. Did I miss a memo? I didn't know there was a dress code. So, nervously, I approach the bar trying not to make eye contact with with anyone and I ordered a drink. I filter through the crowd and I approach the merch booth to buy the new Sky Pilots CD. Lo and behold! They were giving away headbands to everyone at Bottom of the Hill. Huzzah! Conformity at last! Plus one of the band members gave me a copy of the Thread Productions compilation CD. But the giving didn't stop there. Each and every band that stepped foot on that stage must have summoned the gods of rock-awesomeness before they went on stage, and they gave the audience performance to remember if they ever recover from the head explosions and the face-shreddings. The headbands, by the way, were merely for safety: to prevent chunks of brain from the head explosions from getting everywhere. I won't say any more. Check out the pictures. Listen to a sample of the bands in the playlist below.

Low Red Land. As you can see, they are pretty stiff... almost like they're not really into it.


Sky Pilots: I promised head explosions. They delivered.



Silian Rail: Remember when Neo dodged bullets in the Matrix? Yeah.. He's that fast. Pretty good for a guy with no arms.

Apologies to Tartufi: My battery died in the middle of the Silian Rail set.




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Friday, July 27, 2007

ALL TEETH AND KNUCKLES

Last Night I was out and about in the Mission with a friend and it seemed that we both had made vows to our mutually exclusive friends about 'stopping by' while in the neighborhood. It seems that with each passing day, we hear expressions like 'I'll stop by' or 'I'll definitely try to make it', and know the conversation between the inner and outer voices as if it were the voices of David Addison and Maddie Hayes. Truly, I can't point fingers. I'm often guilty as charged, but I really like to surround myself with people who truly make the effort to keep their word. Only good things can come of it.

So, as we galavant through the city and meeting each others' friends, I am introduced to Ed "UFO" who was about to spin a set at Beauty Bar and is talking to me about his band, All Teeth and Knuckles. He describes it to me with references to Beastie Boys meets CSS, Faint (and others) with heavy drum beats (I may be misquoting but that was the jist; in any case it sounded interesting) so, in my inebriated state, I told him I would listen to it and write about prior to their headline set at Mezzanine on August 2nd (cue Willis and Shephard... I didn't even think I'd remember the name of the band). So, my long-winded point is: I'm keeping the promise... and my reward for doing so is a new favorite dance album.

The core sound of ATAK is electronic, but from there it explores the integration of styles from disparate genres like punk and old school rap while still maintaining originality and consistency from track to track. What it promises is that you WILL shake your ass wherever you are listening to it.

One last item that I've been dying to mention. I think one of the greatest song titles of all time is a track from one of my new favorite bands, CSS and the track title, "Let's Make Love And Listen to Death From Above". Brilliant, right? Well one of 10 tracks that will be on the ATAK upcoming release, "Club Hits to Hit the Clubs With" has an homage to the emerging Brazilian band with a track titled, "Let's Undress and Listen to CSS". That's just aces, ain't it?

Don't miss this show on August 2nd at Mezzanine. $8 at the door. First 100 guests get a free copy of the new album, "Club Hits to Hit the Club With"




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Thursday, July 26, 2007

VEGOOSE LINEUP ANNOUNCED!



Tickets go on Sale July 28th @ 10:00am


Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Just Announced: Tiger Army @ Fillmore on Nov 4.

Psychobilly rockers, Tiger Army, return to the bay area this fall, playing at the Fillmore this time. Tickets go on sale Sunday, Nov 29 @ 10am. Listen Here:

Gogol Bordello @ Fillmore (Aug 29)

If the Gogol Bordello show at the Fillmore on Aug 29 is not yet sold out, it soon will be. They recently played at Irving Plaza in NY. Check out the Brooklyn Vegan's review of the Gogol Bordello show at the famed NY venue.



I might have to bring a change of clothes, as it looks like it is going to be quite a work-out.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Thread Productions Showcase @ Bottom of the Hill - JULY 27th

Attention Rockers: Clear your calendars and make sure you are at the Bottom of the Hill on July 27th for the Thread Productions Showcase. The four bands performing in the showcase are Tartufi, Silian Rail, Low Red Land and Sky Pilots who are all part of the San Francisco music collective, Thread Productions. I have seen the Sky Pilots play Hotel Utah and The Knockout, and I would definitely get to Bottom of the Hill early enough to catch their entire set. The Sky Pilots manage to skilfully weave dischord and complicated rhythms into heavy hitting math rock that, performed by lesser musicians, would sound like a nonsensical cacophony. If you own more than two Fugazi albums, and love Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, and hate kittens, you will love the Sky Pilots.

Rock Out to the Blackout with Portugal. The Man

From SFgate.com: At least 20,000 without power in downtown S.F.

Sorry everyone... I think I had too many windows open while downloading Zoolander off iTunes, cooking a lasagna, making microwave popcorn and listening to Portugal The Man. My bad.

BTW, new Portugal The Man album comes out today... AND they will be playing Bottom of the Hill tonight. In the dark. (see how it all ties together?)

M.I.A. FREE SHOW

For all those who moved too slowly to get tickets for the M.I.A. show at the Rickshaw Stop, she will be performing at Amoeba in Berkeley @ 2pm on Saturday, July 28. (2455 Telegraph, Berkeley). Get there early, because I'm sure it is going to get crowded quickly. She'll be selling a single from her upcoming release, "Kala" which will be hitting stores on August 21. As an added bonus, if you buy the single after the free performance, they'll be giving away a limited quantity of bandanas designed by M.I.A.!


Tokyo Police Club @ the Independent

They rocked my face off indeed. In fact, you could have gone to the Independent tonight without ever hearing a note of Tokyo Police Club, and come out a new fan. These guys put out an energy that I've rarely seen on stage. Graham Wright (keyboards) plays the keys like he's a drummer at heart. I mean, a keyboardist... making the crowd nuts? That doesn't happen. Well it did.. Along with each and every member who played each and every song like it was their first performance. Another highlight was the tambourine-toss across the stage (mid-song). Josh Hooks (guitar) and Graham Wright (keys) tossing two tambourines towards each other. The crowd went nuts when they pulled it off.

As for the openers, well, I unfortunately got to the Independent just as Minipop was finishing up their last song, and had to suffer through Dappled Cities' seemingly endless songs, pedal effect craziness and falsetto overkill. They gave it their all, but as hard as they tried, they just couldn't inspire the sell-out crowd at the Independent.


Monday, July 23, 2007

Tokyo Police Club

I have not been so excited about seeing a band for the first time after only hearing their studio recordings since hearing Blonde Redhead. I came late to the Cold War Kids show at the Great American Music Hall in February, so I never got to see them live. Now, There are many opinions out there regarding the Tokyo Police Club and their first EP. When you listen to 'A Lesson in Crime' you will inevitably WANT to compare them to something you may have heard before, but as you listen on... the list of band influences grows. The question that I hear more than anything else is, "Who do they sound like?"... and l love to default to the answer that Tokyo Police Club keyboardist, Graham Wright, gives to the ONION AV Club. To summarize, If you have to compare them to 6 or 7 different bands, then what's the point? NME says, "Those who write off Tokyo Police Club as "watered-down Strokes" are probably the same people who say that Oasis were "just ripping off The Beatles"."
But the description I love most comes from EYE Weekly, a Toronto based alt-weekly, who says: "A Lesson in Crime's seven joyful, unpolished tracks are undeniably catchy and raw, marrying danceable hooks with talk of robot masters and global emergencies, providing an upbeat soundtrack to our troubled times."

As for me, I get a different feeling every time I listen to 'A Lesson in Crime' and that is a great sign of good songwriting and musicianship. I am really expecting TPC to rock my face off tonight. If not for anything else, their excitement level must be at an all-time high, since the just signed a deal with Saddle Creek Records joining bands like Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, and Two Gallants. Let's hope they can share that excitement with all of us at the Independent tonight in San Francisco. Opening: Minipop and Dappled Cities. Listen to the new single, "Your English is Good":



Sunday, July 22, 2007

New Shows Announced.. and Treasure Island Music Festival Playlists..

8/20 - MC Lars @ Cafe du Nord... buy tickets now.
8/24 - Oh No! Oh My! (Bottom of the Hill)...
9/12 - Lily Allen @ Warfield
9/17 - The New Pornographers @ Warfield
9/30 - They Might Be Giants @ Fillmore
10/02 - The Noisettes (Bottom of the Hill)
10/26 - Ted Leo & the Pharmacists (Great American)
11/12, 13, 14 - Of Montreal - 3 NIGHTS @ GAMH!
11/13 & 14 - Stars - 2 NIGHTS @ Bimbo's
11/29 - Ghostland Observatory (Mezzanine)..

Also, if you don't have tickets to the following shows, you should hurry before they sell out:
8/29 - Gogol Bordello.. This Gypsy Punk rocker will deliver an unforgettable show... guaranteed. LISTEN HERE.



9/15 - 9/16 Treasure Island Music Festival...
Saturday Sept. 15 will feature Thievery Corporation, Gotan Project, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, M.I.A., Ghostland Observatory, Zion I, and more. LISTEN HERE!


Sunday September 16 will feature Modest Mouse, Spoon, Built to Spill, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, M. Ward, Earlimart, Au Revoire Simone, and more. LISTEN HERE!


Saturday, July 21, 2007

RATATAT Rocks Flavorpill 5-Year Anniversary Party

San Francisco started the weekend a little early with a performance by at Mighty. The New York duo rocked Mighty for the 5-year anniversary party and a benefit for (an organization that builds clean water-wells in Africa). A donation of $20 got you a subscription to GOOD Magazine. Recipients of the Flavorpill SF Newsletter got notice of the band playing on their weekly newsletter announcement. Sure enough, that link got passed around San Francisco faster than the flu in January. Many people who RSVP'd were told a few days later, 'sorry, i know we told you that you could come, but you can't.' Spank Rock DJs and DJ Swazey got the crowd revved up for Ratatat who went on at around 11ish. They jammed up on the tiny little stage and they rocked their little rifftronica hearts out as the crowd danced and sang, "Weee woo weee wooo waaaa.. Dooo dee dee dee dooo"

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Lily Allen to play Warfield on Sept 12

Lily Allen added some shows to her US tour. She will be playing the Warfield on 9/12 but no word yet on when tickets go on sale.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Shout Out Louds @ Popscene (Rickshaw Stop)

OK, moving on to some new music. There is so much happening tonight in live music in San Francisco as I discussed in my post from a few days ago. is playing at the Independent, and Mondo Generator (featuring Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age) is playing at Cafe du Nord, but the decision was made to go to to see the . While I'm most excited to hear some of their tracks off 'Howl Howl Gaff Gaff', I'm curious about their new upcoming album with the featuring the track 'Tonight I Have To Leave It' was recently released on an EP. Listen below. Stay tuned. An up and coming band from NY: Vampire Weekend will open:




Just got back from the show... Shout Out Louds were great... but Vampire Weekend took the cake. Look out for the guys in the top right (Vampire Weekend) in the very near future. Now I gotta get some rest so I can be ready for RATATAT tomorrow...