Like Berkeley bands the Morning Benders and the Splinters, Port O’Brien was a permanent fixture on my iTunes playlist. So when these bands began to dissolve and relocate, I began to lose hope in the longevity of the Bay Area music scene. It’s been several years since the Berkeley alumns first toured the California college circuit and Van Pierszalowski has returned with a solo project chronicling his post-Port O’Brien years in Norway.
I’m blogging on Treehouse Science. Join me as I agonize over the trials and tribulations of research science, nerdgasm over popular science, and try to sound all-smart-‘n-stuff.
Yuck, Unknown Mortal Orchestra Wednesday, July 27th The Independent $15
Yuck.
I use it to describe a lot of stuff - that thin grainy coating of dirt and bird poop on my car, that wimpy, indignant ex-boyfriend who can’t refrain from saying anything mean, those colonies of bacteria sprouting on my agar plates. It’s the oily film that develops on your skin after not showering for 3 days, the mildew festering in the corner of your un-used bathtub…
Alright, alright - I’ll stop.
When I first heard Yuck’s self-titled album I hid my excitement by asking for a record change. My closeted 90s indie rock ways have prevented me from exploring other genres of music and at the time, I was digging on Mrs. Virji’s Bollywood music mix. I didn’t want to get sucked back into the recesses of Yo La Tengo and I feared relapse from Yuck. But damnit, I am a product of 90s indie rock. Ask me to hand you a soundtrack to my life and I’ll hand you a Matador records compilation. Can’t get enough of that shit and certainly, I can’t get enough of Yuck.
Some highlights:
Lead singer Daniel Blumberg was extremely endearing. Of the few words that weren’t sung, he complimented San Francisco, “It’s a truly beautiful city. You all are very lucky to live here.” I was weary of his remarks and he rejected my challenge, earnestly confirming that he “really likes it here.”
Mariko Doi nailed the bass, bobbing her shaggy black hair voraciously to the beat of drummer Jonny Rogoff. Seeing her mane reminded me of the time I grew my hair out. Should I try that style again?
Portlandians Unknown Mortal Orchestra are going to be the next big thing. They’ve already garnered lots of attention from Spin, Stereogum, Pitchfork, and Paste. They played their entire set in dim red lighting; these guys are clearly aware that their music is the shit.
So friends, don’t ever be ashamed of your pop cultural roots. And to my fellow hipsterlings- let us sit with PBRs in hand and argue over the nuances of the original and director’s cut of Bee Thousand. Because really, there’s nothing more satisfying than those insignificant validations.
My favourite Pavement song? “Greenlander”, of course.
I went to Amoeba today and picked up some records. As per usual, the cashier complimented me on my selections. Either I really have good taste or they’ve developed a new marketing tactic…
I’m onto you, Amoeba Records.
Adventurous music seekers looking to explore, this week’s for you. Add to your indie street cred by going to these shows. I’m saving my pennies for the last week of July where I’ll be seeing Fucked Up, Thurston Moore, and Yuck three nights in a row.
Wednesday, July 13th David Bazan and Rocky Votolato at the Independent, $19
The Elected, Whispertown, and Mike Bloom at the Bottom of the Hill ($13 online, $14 at the door)
Thursday, July 14th Sean Hayes at the New Parish, Oakland ($19 online, $20 at the door)
Friday, July 15th
Dear Hunter, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, O’Brother, Naive Thieves ($14 online, $15 at the door)
Saturday, July 16th Phono del Sol Festival at Potrero de Sol Park featuring Aesop Rock, Mirah, Man/Miracle, Magik*Magik Orchestra, Religious Girls, and Appetite (FREE)
San Francisco’s pretty quiet this weekend so in lieu of my usual show-related blog post, I wanted to share another project I’ve been working on for the past few months.
RATIONALE
In April I organized a blind mix CD swap with a group of my closest college friends. Of the 30+ people I invited on Facebook to participate in the music swap, 22 people agreed to exchange mix CDs. I paired them up accordingly and within a span of two months, friends were receiving and sending mix CDs out to their partners.
RESULTS
Brian’s Mix for Sean
When I ran into Brian at a camping trip he confessed that he was not up-to-date with current music and clueless about the kind of music Sean was into. Instead of trying to verse himself in the finest indie rock available, Brian compiled a playlist with throwback hip hop jams and made some awesome cover art shown above. Let’s just say, I was jealous Sean got Brian.
Sean’s reaction
Shortly after receiving this mix Sean put the cover art on Facebook and was dying to figure out who his mystery DJ was. Sean speculated a few of his closer friends to be the culprit because the music selection was on par with what he was listening to. Little did he know, it was a relative stranger who made him that CD. Sean and Brian formally met a week ago at a mutual friend’s wedding and are now Facebook friends.
This is your mix, 2011.
In addition to a mix CD from their respective partner, I promised each participant a CD compiled by me. I was frightened by the challenge of putting together one playlist for 20 different people and asked them to send me bands they’re currently listening to. As expected, the tastes varied from electronica to country so instead of appeasing the masses, I made it a goal to first appease myself. I worked on this 16 song playlist for almost a month which included up-and-coming artists Waters and Nick Waterhouse, artists I’d been loyally following for quite some time (Royal Bangs and Ted Leo), and a few classics (Sharon Jones and the Trends). Jameson and I stayed up all night making envelopes for the CDs (pictured above).
CONCLUSION
Keeping in touch is not an easy task. Though I live in my childhood hometown, it’s rare that I even get to hang out with my high school friends. With college friends dispersed throughout America, a CD swap seemed like the ideal reconnecting vector; few can object to free new music with minimal effort. My friends are proof that mixtapes aren’t simply past relics - they are sixteen to twenty-one personal and thoughtful songs that have the power to bring faraway friends together again. Thanks again to all my friends from Davis for making this possible - you guys are seriously the best.
I’m on my way to LA in a couple of hours but I wanted to point out some amazing under $21 shows that are going on this weekend. Please go for me - I’ll have my hands full fighting over the bride’s bouquet.
Tonight (June 30th, 2011) Japanther, Religious Girls, Field Trips, Buttons, and Hongry at the Old Compound in Oakland, $5
Friday, July 1st Sonny and the Sunsets, Calvin Johnson, Sandwitches, and Wounded Lions at the Great American Music Hall, $13
Group Doueh, Nick Waterhouse and the Tarots, and a DJ set by Mark Gergis at the Rickshaw Stop, $14
Saturday, July 2nd Animals and Men, Grass Widow, and Rank/Xerox at the Bottom of the Hill, $11
Sunday, July 3rd Neko Case and the Dodos at Stern Grove (part of their free summer time concert series) STARTS AT 2 PM
The Bay Bridged is also hosting a 4th of July concert at the El Rio featuring John Vanderslice! I’ll be there with some Country Club and apple pie. ‘Murica.
Times New Viking, King Tuff, Spencey Dudes and the Doodles
June 14th @ Rickshaw Stop
$14
I’m ready for a short hair and sundress summer. The sun’s been coming out after the midday fog burnout and I am absolutely loving it. Happy Summer, San Francisco.
Having arrived early while the sun was still out, I noticed a few things about the Rickshaw Stop neighborhood. The San Francisco Unified School District is across the street from the venue. In the evening this office building seems nearly abandoned- boarded doors and broken windows in all. It’s hard to imagine that an office building would be within the perimeter of a music venue. The Rickshaw is surrounded by quaint apartments that decide the fate of the noisome shows and rowdy crowds. While within walking distance of all the grandiose music conservatories, it’s contained in the outskirts of the yuppie districts. There are no bars, no 24-hour anythings (except the Walgreens on Oak and Grove) in the neighborhood. This venue has hosted plenty of my favorite bands, sold out numerous shows, and managed to do so without any surrounding nightlife. It’s cool to think that music can happen anywhere but sad to realize that it doesn’t get much busier than this.
I arrived early enough to snag a seat on a rickshaw, talk to some 14 year olds who came to see Times New Viking with their parents, and read a paper on the discovery of the fourth domain of life. My nervous habits had me rustling in my bag for lip gloss, checking my phone for missed calls, and tweeting endlessly about the nuances I noticed as a result of being bored and more observant. It wasn’t until an hour later that an audience trickled in and a band began to play. I wasn’t scared to be there by myself - nope, not one bit.
Spencey Dude and the Doodles began the show with bursts of short, surf-inspired pop punk. With no set list in mind, the Doodles played on like it was band practice. No agenda, no frills - just three folks who wanted to jam. Finish a song, take a sip of Hamm’s, and awkwardly agree on what to play next. At the end of their set I walked up to Anna, the drummer, and asked to buy a 7 inch. She didn’t have change for a twenty and gave it to me for some loose change in my wallet. After exchanging a few words about mutual friends and other local bands, I bought her a Bud and thanked her for practically giving me the 7 inch. And Spencer? He was apparently nervous on stage. Certainly had me fooled.
It was clear that the crowd showed up for King Tuff (of Burger Records fame). Within seconds of ripping on the guitar, fans were dancing rock and roll. I fed off the energy of this rambunctious crowd and so began the single girl shakedown.
The single girl shakedown is pretty self explanatory but there are a few things to consider when you’re in this state (yes, a state). First, you just don’t give a damn. You notice the lonesome, single, and cute boys all around you, listlessly glancing at you. Don’t be upset by the fact that he hasn’t approached you yet. As a matter of fact, forget that guy - he’s a fucking wuss. Also, there is no particular dance step to this shakedown. It’s more about a release of energy, a celebration of being happy and free all by your self. Lastly, one finishes the shakedown feeling good. Think less self righteous and cool, more satiated and satisfied. The single girl shakedown kicks out the doldrums of life and incites the energetic beast from within.
By the time Times New Viking came on I was in a music comatose. Beads of sweat dribbled down my neck and my canvas Amoeba records bag jangled with records and cassette tapes. Yes, cassette tapes. I suppose the search for my Walkman will be a story for another day.
Matt Bauer, Two Sheds, Tabernacle June 18th $5-$7 donation at the Ghosthouse (base of Potrero Hill, Utah between 24th and 25th)
Having spent my collegiate years in the wee town of Davis, CA, house shows built a strong foundation for my music education. The best shows I recall are those in friend’s houses and basements of abandoned buildings. In large cities like San Francico, intimate settings are few and far in between. Naturally, when my dearest Mike Leahy told me of a house show in the Mission, I had to attend.
Upon entering this ghastly crypt I was chased by a toddler with her blankie, ambushed by a delicate baby sucking away on a binky. I received warm greetings from familiar faces and greeted a hungry group feasting on plates of slow cooked beans and rice. Chef du jour provided meals for all while keeping a watchful eye at the A’s vs. Giants score - A’s were up 2 (and wearing yellow throwback jerseys). I plopped next to Elisa and Mike, pulled out the Old Foghorn and whiskey spirits, and began chatting. Lagunitas in the fridge, bearded friends in flannel - this is no ghosthouse, this is home.
The house show began with story time around the guitar. Both Tabernacle and Two Sheds paid tribute to bands they once loved - My Morning Jacket and Guided by Voices, respectively. A verbal account can’t do this show justice; here is some footage of their performances for your aural pleasure.
Shortly after Two Sheds and Tabernacle Matt Bauer came on with his full band. I had the privilege of speaking to Bauer before the show, asking him a few questions about his recent move over to the Big Apple. It perplexed me why Matt Bauer left the comforts of California for bustling New York City and his reasons were legitimate - for his long time girlfriend and his music career. While San Francisco has a rich and cultured music scene, NYC has far more venues and places to play than San Francisco. Bauer hopes to one day return to the loving embrace of the Bay Area. For this neck of the tour, he’s made it a point to spend much of his time in California visiting old friends and playing familiar venues. It appears that for Matt Bauer, his world remains small for those he keeps close to his heart and there’s no journey great enough to keep him from coming home. Good luck in Brooklyn, Matt - we’ll be here waiting.
Matt Bauer’s new record, The Jessamine County Book of the Living, is in stores now. Here is some footage from his performance (man, does this guy have a voice):
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr, EMA, and Burnt Ones Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St. San Francisco $12
You make solitary plans. You then call up a few friends who are on their way to a metal show. You ditch your lonesome plans, and somehow find yourself sandwiched between two dive bars, singing “New York, New York” with a rag-tag group of lesbian hipsters. That metal show? It got canceled.
I made tentative plans to see Stornoway and Sea of Bees at the Independent but I’ve heard a lot of buzz about these Dale Earnhardt folk from credible sources such as KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic and Daytrotter. I’m going to go out on a limb and go to this show instead - I love the band name, I dig the sound, and I have a thing for men in NASCAR uniforms. Sadly, I’ll have to wait for Julie Ann Baenziger (Sea of Bees) another day. Come join us tonight at the Rickshaw Stop or head over to the Independent to catch Stornoway and Sea of Bees!
