Archive for the 'Random Ramblings' Category
Toad the Wet Sprocket Has Something to Say
Toad the Wet Sprocket
SAN FRANCISCO — Toad The Wet Sprocket played an unforgettable show at The Fillmore. The Santa Barbara band, which formed in 1986 and came to great fame from the release of Fear in 1992, played an amazing set filled with lots of older songs that did not leave fans disappointed.
Glen Phillips, clad in a cowboy hat and bare feet, started the show with the mid-tempo rhythms of "The Moment" off of the album New Constellation which had great jangly guitars from Todd Nichols. Toad then went into the more popular song "Whatever I Fear" off the album Coil from 1997, which is now 20 years old. Phillips' distinct vocals had never sounded better as he sang the lyrics "whatever I fear the most is whatever I see before me." Toad played with a tightness and fearlessness to the band I had not seen before.
The band, who still is playing with their original members, save for Randy Guss who fractured his ribs, sounded as one as they played. The beautiful mixing of the guitars from lead guitarist Nichols and bassist Dean Dinning on "All Things in Time" blended seamlessly. Nichols and Dinning also added gorgeous harmonies to "All I Want" complementing Phillips' vocals.
Glen Phillips who is so natural on stage offered up plenty of banter as well. From complimenting the crowd with how "attractive, intelligent and smart" following it up with the quip "the rent is so expensive, how do you do it?" to then discussing California cities like Jefferson and if we are North or South of it. He added a few more things that were left to blank stares to which he charmingly said about himself "I'm making an ass out of myself."
Toad excitedly admitted that they would now finally have a song, "One Of Those Days" in the animated movie Animal Crackers, which has a catchy keyboard melody from Jonathan Kingham. Toad got the most cheers from their earlier songs. "Good Intentions" which has the memorable guitar riff from Nichols had fans singing along. Plus, Nichols also showed off his own vocal talents on "Crazy Life" with Phillips adding the harmonies. Toad even added a little Pink Floyd into the mix adding "Breathe" to the end of their song "Don't Fade". The psychedelic guitar sounds mixed with Phillips haunting, strong vocals was beautiful.
As the night came to an end, the crowd was treated to songs off of Fear for the album's 25th year anniversary. "Nightingale Song" had Dinning and Phillips join drummer Josh Daubin (of opener Beta Play) as well as their tech Gavin on tambourines in a drum session. Of course, it would not be a Toad set if the band didn't end with the crowd singing along to "Walk on the Ocean", which they most certainly did.
Fellow Santa Barbara band Beta Play opened the set for Toad. The band had opened for them in their previous tour and had become friends. (Beta Play drummer Taubin also is filling in on drums for Toad). The band played pure infectious, dance-pop. Tom Cantillon, lead singer, plugged their new album incessantly between songs suggesting people buy it from "tinder and atari". Songs like "Tug of War" was pure energy with catchy lyrics plus keyboards creating perfect dance tunes and had the crowd dancing along; "Fire to My Feet" had great harmonies between the brothers Tom and Michael Cantillon.
Posted in Live Music, Random Ramblings, San Francisco | Tagged: Beta Play, Glen Phillips, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, The Fillmore, Toad the Wet Sprocket | Leave a Comment »
Sondre Lerche Brings Pleasure to the Independent
Sondre Lerche brought a dance party, as well as his charm, to the Independent on Tuesday. The Norwegian-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter is currently out on tour for Pleasure, a companion piece to 2014's Please. He emphasized the pleasure, ready for a dance party and to let loose.
Lerche entered the stage dancing to an '80s synth intro and kicked right into the dance-heavy
"Soft Feelings," the first song off his new album. He stayed in constant motion from that point on. Pure indie dance pop track "Bad Law" had Lerche dancing up a storm along with the audience. Later on, Lerche performed "I'm Always Watching You" solo, with only his guitar as accompaniment. He didn't even sing into his microphone, creating one of the most intimately touching moments of the show. It was so quiet during the song that every note rang out emphatically. Lerche's soft vocal delivery was beautiful.
As a songwriter, Lerche has a knack for love as well heartbreak. As he sang "Legends," his heartbreak was palpable: "Please disregard/ My endless hope/ It just paved the way/ For the end of our rope." Without missing a beat, Lerche's band—drummer David Heilman, bassist Jordan Brooks and keyboardist Alan James Markley followed up the lonely number with guitar-driven, crowd-pleaser "Phantom Punch."
"Let's revisit sins from the past," Sondre said, introducing earlier material. He performed "No One's Gonna Come" from his debut, Faces Down. With its jazzy guitars, the song had Lerche crooning like Burt Bacharach. The song continued to build, eventually incorporating a gaggle of thrashing guitars and an emotional punch. Like no other, Lerche segued into a slow jam. Talking about the weather, he threatened to take off his shirt, which had both men and women erupting in joy, (and later followed through). He then bent down and serenaded women at the front of the stage during "Minor Detail." To say that it didn't make my day would have been an understatement. It felt like it was just for me at that moment.
The beautiful soaring harmonies of Markley, Heilman and Lerche on "Two Way Monologue" made it seem like the three had been performing for years. In truth, this tour almost didn't happen after two of his original bandmates were denied entry into the country (thanks Trump, really) and Brooks and Markley were last-minute replacements.
The band concluded the concert with a 15-minute rave/dance party. As the drums kicked in, and a techno beat kicked in, Lerche hopped onto the floor and formed a dance pit with concertgoers. His arms in the air and sweat dripping down, he implored everyone to let loose with reckless abandon.
New York experimental artist Fred Welton Warmsley, performing as Dedekind Cut, opened up the concert and took early arrivers down a rabbit hole into sonic exploration. Without notice, he would shift from thumping bass filled with feedback and reverb to a dark and moody mix. There was no time to acclimate with styles. As soon as it felt like there was a recognizable dance rhythm, it would morph into another genre with overlaid heavy tribal percussion. The way he played with samples and used sound to create unique mixes was amazing.
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings, San Francisco | Tagged: Bergen, Brooklyn, concert, Dedekind Cut, Independent, indie, live, new york, Norway, San Francisco, singer-songwriter, Sondre Lerche | Leave a Comment »
Vagabon Proved She Won't Be A Small Fish For Long At The Rickshaw Stop
Posted by xneverwherex on March 25, 2017
Vagabon
Allison Crutchfield & The Fizz
Joyride!
Coming to SF straight from SXSW with lots of well-deserved hype was Vagabon. Vagabon is producer and musician Lætitia Tamko, born in Cameroon and raised in NYC. In a far too short set, she played nearly all of the songs off her debut album Infinite Worlds. Vagabon, who played a number of songs with just a guitar and synthpads, also brought 2 other women musicians with her for some added bass and drums.
Vagabon's haunting vocals brings an emotional punch to the songs. During "Cold Apartment" you can feel the angst in her voice and it clings to your skin. There is such a rawness and vulnerability and it feels stripped to the bone, yet the moment the drums and bass join in it packs a real punch. "Minneapolis" bursts out with punk aggression and explodes with lots of guitars and bass and has you stomping along in no time.
Lætitia even teased us with her new song as the other musicians left the stage. She literally had just written it and it was still a work in progress. In her new song she has a line about the moon and her lyrics are so picturesque that you can visualize her words. She knows how to bring more than emotion to her songs and uses her words expressively.
She ended the set with single "The Embers". As she sang "I'm just a small fish" repeatedly over punk drums and the crowd sang along, it was clear that she would not be a small fish for long. As she said early on, with a huge smile on her face, "Thank you all for coming. This is fucking crazy."
Philadelphia's Allison Crutchfield & The Fizz had a hard act to follow. She said right away that she didn't want to keep the crowd waiting and came on earlier than expected. She started the set by stating that "I hate men, but I love California" and then went into playing 2 songs about California. Her song "I Don't Ever Wanna Leave California" is a catchy lo-fi bubble-gum pop song.
Some of the songs were more catchy than others and it seemed to lull in the middle before picking up again with new song "Charlie" off her debut album Tourist in This Town. Her songs tended to work better when she harmonized with her guitar player as it gave her songs a more interesting fuller sound. The band ended their set pretty early on saying there was just one more song. It seemed that the energy was just waning but it worked out as all the bands played the same amount of time. She ended the set with their very catchy song, "Dean's Room". It was one of their more dancey songs, which the crowd loved, and sounds like it came courtesy of New Order with their recognizable keyboards/percussive hooks.
Locals Joyride! opened up the set. The very loud trio, fronted by Jenna Marx, is bringing the '90s pop punk sound back. During "Don't forget the first one", as the drums and guitars quiet, Jenna's sugary pop sweet vocals burst through the song. It made the song feel alive and brought freshness to set it apart from their other songs. Their 20 minute set, which felt far too short, consisted of tight pop punk songs that came alive with their explosive energy and loud guitars. It was a great way to start the set and get the crowd ready for an incredible evening of music.
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings, San Francisco | Tagged: 90s, Allison Crutchfield & The Fizz, Cameroon, concert, indie, Joyride!, Laetitia Tamko, live, music, NYC, pop-punk, punk, Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, SF, Vagabon | Leave a Comment »
And There Were 14 … Moving Panoramas
Moving Panoramas
Rabbit Quinn
Upstairs at DNA Lounge
You know that moment, that you walk upstairs into a club, and you barely hear a sound… and you walk through the door and realize you are one of the only people there… now, imagine that you are the band.
Austin trio, Moving Panoramas, could tell you all about that kind of night.
The one question I repeatedly get asked (and wonder why people feel inclined to ask) is "did the band play" and "did they play like there was a full crowd". First off, if a band has people at a show – I have never seen a band just walk off because there weren't enough people at the show and secondly, I have been the only person at a show (which was awkward) and the band still played like they would play for a full house. Naturally, it means I also make even more noise than usual. So yes, they a) played and b) it was seriously kick-ass.
The trio of women were remarkably cool and funny about the show. The band addressed it early on and the crowd for the most part kind of sucked. The band said hello – and no one said a thing – I said 'hi' back and they joked that 'well at least one person is here to see us'. But pretty much they just played all their songs and were so into it that they barely said much to us. Sure there were jokes about how we should all get to know each other as well as at the next show it would be so packed we'd have to push our way to the front but could totally say 'i was there when …'. So yeah – the band was pretty f'ing awesome!
Singer/guitarist Leslie Sisson has this really beautiful dreamy voice that blends so well into their shoegaze-dreampop sound. And they have one of the most fitting names for a band. Their music has this feel of beautiful, moving landscapes that you can just lose yourself to. The guitar and bass just meld into one full sound. Add the harmonies from drummer, Karen Skloss and it just completes the band's sound. And while the club was empty, their music filled that emptiness. It filled all the voids with its simplisticness.
Their album, One, is just a perfect blend of indie-guitar-dreampop/rock. With just enough guitars, bassist Rozie Castoe, adds a bit of the fuzziness of the shoegaze sound but still manage to keep it more on the dreamy side of things. Songs like "Magic" and "Tonight" get you lost in their sound. It's the perfect music to just close your eyes to – hop in your car – and drive for awhile and get lost in this perfect ambient sound. I feel like the best part of their songs is the emptiness within. They were really smart with their songs in that not every moment has to be filled with vocals and it leaves a lot for the listener to fill in.
It was pretty amusing in that when Leslie wanted to dedicate a song to the newly married couple, that she noted that all their songs were way too dark. I think in the end, they chose "One" and said to kind of change the lyrics around or think of it in a different way. Sure their songs are dark and sad, but if you read Leslie's stories between kidnappings and friends killed, etc. in some ways it makes perfect sense. Regardless, their band is one not to miss – even if you find yourself in a club with just 13 others.
Sometimes it's about those awkwardly intimate performances where you both know that it's just you and them. But if you're lucky enough, the band will put on such a show, you will forget that it was just the 14 of you. Plus, by the end, you will all become friends and even get to talk to the band.
The other huge bonus to the show was the opener, Rabbit Quinn. A local woman who joked about wearing fairy wings and sneaking into the DNA when she was younger. From the moment she stepped behind the piano, and started her first song, I knew it would be good. She was the reincarnation? of Tori Amos. She was sorta like a cornflake girl, with great stories that were hauntingly beautiful.
Her vocals just filled the room and managed to hush the room with the few people who were talking. She commands attention with both her piano playing as well as her vocals. Her debut album, Lost Children, is dark and eerie and seems to be a story of fables. While it could be mistaken for a long, lost Tori album – she definitely is putting her own spin on it. She has some quite catchy songs that have you singing along. And it's always great when a singer asks what you want to hear and then plays a song showing that she's fully in control of the music and the set. She knew how to play to the audience as small as it was and knew how to have fun. One hell of a talented woman. Oddly enough, you can also see Rabbit, performing the national anthem at the A's games these days. She's really one to check out if you notice her name at any of the local venues.
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings, San Francisco | Tagged: 5/18/2016, Austin, concerts, cornflake girl, DNA Lounge, dreamgaze, dreampop, live, Moving Panoramas, music, Rabbit Quinn, San Francisco, shoegaze, SOMA, Texas, Tori Amos, trio, Upstairs at DNA Lounge | Leave a Comment »
Moving, Just Keep Moving w/ Gaz Coombes
Piney Gir
One of my favorite bands was finally in town again. Well, it wasn't exactly the same as Supergrass is no more, but Gaz Coombes is going strong as a solo artist. He was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize (sadly, did not win it) for his album Matador. He was back in SF after at least 5 years, if not longer. And it was great to have him back.
Sure, he looked a bit older, but he still had the same muttonchops and looked quite the same. His voice sounded as strong as it ever had. Plus, he had his signature row of guitars all lined up across the stage. And they were as beautiful as ever and looked to have seen (played) a show or 2 – like the most loved guitars ever.
Gaz opened the set with "Oscillate", psychedelic trippiness and the perfect opener off the album Matador. That led into "Buffalo" – which sounds like a forgotten Supergrass track – a lot of angst and emotion as the song progresses. "One of These Days" is a beautiful track which takes him away from the guitars and is just him and a keyboard. It's dreamy and airy and with the lyrics of countryside and graveyard, it evokes the feelings of being there. The album doesn't seem to stay in any one direction but is a bit all over the place. But, it works.
It seemed like everyone was just waiting/hoping to hear some Supergrass songs and Gaz did not disappoint. While a lot of people were yelling out for certain songs, Gaz mentioned he had certain songs that he would be playing and this wasn't request hour. He then went into one of the most gorgeous covers of "Moving" which had never sounded better. The crowd sang along happily and Gaz seemed to be overjoyed.
He was able to reminisce about spending some of his formative years in the Bay Area (Palo Alto – he mentions) stating it's not quite San Francisco. An interview had just been published about him growing up here and his father working in the Valley as a tester of sorts. He seemed to have fond memories of living here – especially weather – even though it had been so long ago, but always loved coming back to San Francisco. A feeling of a second home.
Gaz played some songs off his first solo-album, Here Come the Bombs, and the songs had never sounded better. "White Noise" just pulls you in with lyrics that just evoke emotion. You could feel them come through as he sang his heart out. The set, which felt all too short, ended on the biggest high note. Gaz told a story of being 15 and getting "caught by the fuzz" for possession of marijuana which of course meant the debut single of Supergrass "Caught by the Fuzz". The crowd yelled out the lyrics with Gaz as he strummed along at a quick pace singing along with us. If he wasn't sure about a Supergrass reunion, hopefully seeing everyone so happy singing along should have been an indication.
Piney Gir, a Kansas musician – but based out of London, opened the set. She was quirky and fun. Plus, she had stories for all of her songs. They were catchy and fun and songs like "Gold Rules" had me tapping along and bobbing my head. She had a great voice and had names for all of her instruments. If anything, she made herself memorable not from her music exactly, but from the quirky things she did. I guess these days, however people remember you, it doesnt really matter. She is definitely someone I would see again and is worth catching. Strangely enough, the two acts together worked out really great.
Hot Fruit
Needle's Eye
Moving (Supergrass)
Seven Walls
Caught by the Fuzz (Supergrass)
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings, San Francisco | Tagged: 4/1/16, britpop, britrock, concert, Gaz Coombes, live, music, Oxford, San Francisco, Slims, Supergrass, UK | Leave a Comment »
Noirwave Comes to the Rickshaw
Petite Noir
The Seshen
Yannick Ilunga, the singer/songwriter/producer out of Cape Town, South Africa, was here in town with his band for his first show. He plays under the name of Petite Noir and is someone not to be missed. I wasn't familiar with his music, but it was clear the crowd knew some of his songs. His first EP, released in 2015 'King of Anxiety', was all the buzz at SXSW that year.
And now he's back again, with the album La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful. It's clear that he has influences from all genres and blends it all together making his own sound. Upon the band's entrance to "Intro Noirwave", I was reminded me of the genius of Battles (pre-Yannick's appearance). If you stripped out vocals and just had instrumentation – you might have a band that sounds all too similar to Battles (which is not a bad thing in any way), but the minute that Yannick joins with his bandmates – and the dynamic changes.
Yannick has a stage presence that is all to awesome to see. He owns the stage and is a charismatic frontman. He works the stage engaging the audience. His vocals reminds me of a cross between Twin Shadows and Kele of Bloc Party. The band has a similar sound to Bloc Party with the indie/post-punk sound. Songs like "Seventeen (Stay)" could be a new Bloc Party track. I'm a fan of the music when he starts to blend African beats into the music. It then differentiates him from the Bloc Party(s) and bands who are already doing that music.
After listening to his work online, it's totally clear that this is a band that needs to be seen live. "La Vie Est Belle" is just beautiful when it's performed. The images that are shown on the backdrop of him falling just add to the sound. Add the African beats to the R&B influences and you get an amazing song that incorporates it all. In songs like these, you can hear all the music that he listened to – from Kanye to Mos Def to Prince – its a beautiful blend. "Just Breathe" shows off the 80's influences and had the crowd dancing. Add some positive lyrics with "be the change you want to see" over synth-pop beats – it makes for a good dance party – and then to dive right into "Freedom". You can feel his emotion in all the songs, from discontentment to frustration to exhilaration.
As he neared the ending of the set, there was a crowd sing-along with "Down" which went on and on and made sure to include all of the audience at some point. Yannick seemed like he was having a great time and said over and over how SF was such an awesome crowd and so loud. The crowd danced along and sang along and clearly showed him and the band a really great time. Can't wait to see what happens when he comes back to play a bigger venue.
What made this show even more awesome were the openers from the other side of the bay – The Seshen. Two bands that were paired perfectly and both had amazing shows. The Seshen clearly had a big following and many people were out just to see them. The two lead singers, Lalin St. Juste and Akasha Orr, both had amazing/strong vocals – and both were awesome dancers. They just take you away with their lush voices.
Plus – The Seshen has one hell of a percussion section. A set of congas and bongos along with a whole drum set, and a drummer with a contagious smile, and it elevated the music. The afro-caribbean beats mixed in with a fusion of R&B/hip-hop/electronic music and indie and it made for some awesome songs.
The band had the crowd dancing in no time. It's so easy to get swept up into their music. "The Fall" is just infectious and its swirling melody reminds me of Beach House. It just transports you and you get lost in the music as you dance and move along to it. "Unravel" is pure catchiness over the electronic dance beats that will keep you moving. Their set is just brilliant and the only bad thing is that it felt like it was over before it even began. Between the catchy/dance-y music and the amazing singers and their dancing – the set just felt like it was way too short. We definitely need to be seeing more of the Seshen in the Bay Area sometime soon!
Set List Petite Noir:
Intro Noirwave
Seventeen (Stay)
Just Breathe
Till We Ghosts
Set List The Seshen:
Distant Heart
2000 Seasons
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings, San Francisco | Tagged: 3/23/16, African, afro-caribbean, Bay Area, Capetown, electronic, hip-hop, indie, live, music, noirwave, Petite Noir, post-punk, R&B, Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, South Africa, The Seshen, world music, Yannick Ilunga | Leave a Comment »
The Man Dont Give a F**k – Super Furry Animals
Heron Oblivion
Wales Super Furry Animals (SFA) always puts on a great show and this night was no exception. The whole night was nothing short of awesome. As I had a rental car, I wanted to be sure I parked in a safe spot vs some of the alleyways Im prone to park in with my own car. It was only fitting that as I pulled up a woman was getting out of her car at the same time and turns to me to ask if I was going to the SFA show. Seems we're off to a great start. To make it all the more interesting, turns out she lives a block from my grandmother. Who said the world really wasnt that small.
SFA – gruff
Then I really wanted to buy a shirt. And Guto, bassist (whom I didn't even recognize, but guessed he was in the band due to the Welsh accent), had to deal with my lack of cash and actually felt bad that he was taking all of my cash. He was quite concerned; meanwhile I still did not have enough cash for the shirt. He was willing to work with me and gave me the shirt for even less. Man, that totally made my night. And hell, the bands hadn't even played yet.
Long story short… I really love this band. SFA OK!
The band came out with lead singer Gruff Rhys in his spaceman costume and all the guys in white lab coats with the oh so spacey psychedelic sounds of 'Slow Life' from 2003's Phantom Power. The song is one of those slow burns as it delves into other styles from the 90s Manchester baggy-dancey rave sounds before it feels like we're back to the 60's psychedelia. It's the perfect song to get the crowd worked up as it just builds with energy.
As if the show couldn't get any better, they immediately delved into the even more space-y jam '(Drawing) Rings Around The World'. The crowd was really into it with everyone singing along and dancing — and yes, there was a lot of dancing people which is always an awesome thing to see. Plus, most the people around were really cool and actually looked out to make sure they totally weren't blocking the view.
The set was a good mix of deeper cuts and more popular tracks. Gruff has never sounded better and it was nice to hear him perform with SFA again. It had been far too long (6 years too long!). It's hard not to re-fall in love with the romantic love songs like "Hello Sunshine" and lyrics as great as "I'm a minger and you're a minger too, so come on minger, I want to ming with you." The space-y experimental Pink Floyd-esque Welsh song "Pan Ddaw'r Wawr" always sounds amazing. It's so hard to not fall in love with the band; their music is all over the place crossing into so many different genres including country-fused ballads like "Run! Christian, Run!"
Their music is always a bit trippy with costume changes seeming to come from space, white coveralls and of course YETIS!! Like seriously, how can any band go wrong when they walk around holding signs saying "applause", "more applause", "thank you" and the ever cheeky "resist phony encores". So naturally, they ended the set in coveralls playing "The Man Don't Give a Fuck". It was wild and awesome and so had everyone worked up, fists in the air. And of course they walked off the stage as the song nears the end leaving us just the pulsating sounds of the reverb before the band comes out dressed as Yetis! and kicks it into high gear and finishes off the song with a bang.
And this truly explains why encores are so never needed. If you can finish off a set like this, there is truly no reason.
Opening the set was San Francisco's own, Heron Oblivion. The band was just recently signed to SubPop Records. The band was tight and this experimental psychedelic band is one to watch. Lead singer/drummer Meg Baird comes from Espers while the other band members came from a variety of other bands including Comets on Fire.
Put them all together and the band is the perfect opening for SFA. Vocals come in here and there but its really all about the 3 guitarists behind her and this blissful psychedelic music they make. Meg's vocals are haunting as they come through over all the noise. They are definitely a band to catch and I have a feeling they will be opening up for some amazing bands in the near future (or at least one can hope).
Short Clip from "The Man Don't Give a Fuck About Anybody Else"
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings, San Francisco | Tagged: Cardiff, concert, experimental, Great American Music Hall, Gruff Rhys, Heron Oblivion, indie, live, neo-psychedelic, psychedelic, rave, San Francisco, space rock, Super Furry Animals, Wales, Welsh | Leave a Comment »