Review: Appleseed Cast with Dreamend; March 3, 2010; Casbah, San Diego
When you watch Appleseed Cast’s trippy post-rock, time slows down, twists apart, and becomes nonlinear. The long, vocally sparse shoegaze jams force periods of intense introspection and send your brain floating on a sea of disjointed, personal thoughts. They make you forget you’re still around other human beings, that you’re not sitting, stoned, on a beanbag in a blacklit velvet room, wearing thick over-ear headphones. To say that this is not a good first-date show would be a monumental understatement. Continue reading.
The ‘Gong’ Show
Photo credit: Myspace
In the all-too-fleeting world of indie rock acclaim, Quasi are as close to an institution as it gets. The Portland-based trio have been around since 1993, and their music has remained refreshingly wrinkle-free. Led by Sam Coomes on vocals, keys, and guitar, and ex-wife Janet Weiss—of defunct rock goddesses Sleater-Kinney—on backup vocals and drums, Quasi have been quietly releasing loud music for almost two decades. (more…)
Poetic Memory: Judgement Day (List)
Photo credit: Riki Feldman
Everyone worth talking to agrees that Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the best action movies ever made. It can be no coincidence, then, that Oakland cinephile musicians Judgement Day chose the name they did. With rapid-fire drumming and laser battle synths, their music is the perfect soundtrack for your post-apocalyptic uprising against the evil machines.
Judgement Day are no strangers to action films. In fact, the string metal band spent years sifting through everything the genre has to offer, and have kindly compiled a list of the absolute worst for us.
You can check the band out live this Saturday, March 13th, at Soda Bar. They’ll be playing alongside The Burning of Rome, Battlehooch, and Boyscout in a special show curated by San Diego: Dialed In. It’s rare for San Diego: Dialed In to put together a show themselves, but the prospect of assembling such an action-packed lineup proved irresistible.
Now, without further ado, here are Judgement Day’s Top 5 Favorite Bad Action Movies of All Time… (more…)
Interview: Slow Club
If you need a little more U.K. folk-pop in your life, join the club.
Sheffield, England duo Slow Club are currently touring to support the stunning Yeah So, an album that would’ve been a shoo-in for our Best of 2009 list if I hadn’t discovered it too late. Over the course of the record’s twelve tracks, bandmates Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor masterfully walk the line between sincerity and playfulness. As far as adorable rock duos go, they just might be Britain’s answer to the White Stripes. (more…)
Review: Tegan and Sara; March 3, 2010 at Copley Symphony Hall; San Diego
Photo credit: Jeff Gentner
When musicians play San Diego’s distinguished Copley Symphony Hall, they usually don’t get bras thrown at them. It’s hard to imagine, say, Yo-Yo Ma getting pelted with ladies’ foundation garments during a set. But that’s exactly what happened when Canadian super twins Tegan and Sara played Copley on Wednesday night. (more…)
Shame, Shame on Dr. Dog (MP3)
Philly indie rockers Dr. Dog have just completed their new album, entitled Shame, Shame.
It promises to be full of sunny melodies and tight-knit guitars, building on the band’s already impressive body of work. Set to be released on April 6, Shame, Shame ought to be a nice little dose of good vibes just in time for Spring.
To help wet your Dog whistle, the band has made the first single, “Stranger” (MP3) available as a free download.
Dr. Dog will also be touring extensively throughout April and May. A San Diego stop is conspicuously — and, dare we say, shamefully — absent, but we’ll just assume they’ll add that date later. Tour dates are after the jump. (more…)
Interview: The Morning Benders
The Morning Benders are still coming down from the success of Talking Through Tin Cans, their 2008 album that earned them Alternative/Indie Album of the Year on iTunes.
For their sophomore effort, they have teamed up with Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear to create Big Echo. Taylor’s fingerprints are all over the album; instead of three-minute pop songs, the band has opted for more sprawl and experimentation. The result is a more mature album, both in its lyrics and musical composition.
The band is currently trekking across the country on a tour that includes a stop at The Casbah on March 26th. We recently had a chance to catch up with singer/guitarist Chris Chu to discuss what it was like working with Chris Taylor, and what we can expect from the new tunes. (more…)
Blind Boys of Alabama to Play Belly Up Tavern on Sunday
Photo credit: Getty Images
“I can see as well as you,” says Blind Boys of Alabama leader Clarence Fountain. “There’s somebody up there watching over me.”
When the Blind Boys play the Belly Up Tavern this Sunday, March 7, you should be watching too. (more…)
LCD Soundsystem Announce New Album
After a few months holed up in a Los Angeles mansion aptly called “The Manshun”, LCD Soundsytem’s James Murphy has emerged with a 65-minute, as yet untitled new album and a slew of tour dates to support it. The nine-track album is set to be released May 18th on DFA/Virgin. (more…)
Review: Ray Manzarek; February 28, 2010; Anthology, San Diego
Photo credit: Matthew Peyton
It’s been almost forty years since The Doors lit anybody’s fire, but keyboardist Ray Manzarek has devoted most of his time since then to keeping the flames burning.
Following Jim Morrison’s death in 1971, Manzarek and the other surviving members put out two studio albums under the Doors moniker before finally disbanding. Over the years, Manzarek and guitarist Robbie Krieger have reunited under a variety of names, including The Doors of the 21st Century and Riders on the Storm. And, when Manzarek isn’t performing alongside his longtime band mate, he plays gigs with blues guitarist Roy Rogers. (more…)
San Diego Gets Smart
Photo credit: Lambfarm
If you find yourself complaining that they just don’t make music like they used to, you need The Smart Brothers in your life. Oscillating between high-energy roots romps and tender ballads of surprising depth, the San Diego duo create charming, old-timey folk just like grandpa used to make. With their finely crafted compositions and intricate, flawless harmonies, The Smart Brothers make music to fall in love with—and fall in love to. (more…)
Interview: Ray Manzarek
Photo credit: Getty Images
For music fans young and old, Ray Manzarek needs little introduction. In the late 60s, Manzarek co-founded and played keyboards in The Doors, who to this day remain one of rock and roll’s most influential bands. He’s written novels, directed films, and, at the age of 71, he’s still cooler than you are.
Manzarek’s salad days are the subject of the upcoming, award-winning documentary When You’re Strange, and, on February 28th, he’ll be bringing his roadhouse blues to San Diego for a gig at Anthology.
We sat down with Manzarek to discuss everything from fine wine to YouTube, and from Iggy Pop to Weird Al. (more…)
Review: Tortoise; February 17th, 2010; Mr. Smalls Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
Chicago post-rockers Tortoise are just like the animal that their moniker invokes. Well, not exactly like it; I’ve never seen a tortoise perform a killer instrumental post-rock song, though I wouldn’t mind seeing one try. Rather, it is the band’s unbelievable staying power that makes them so much like the long-lived reptile.
I’d be willing to bet that most fans of indie rock today were just discovering the wonders of puberty when Tortoise’s 1994 debut laid the groundwork for a career that would see the band become one of the most important post-rock acts ever.
Fast-forward sixteen years to Mr. Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh, PA. Considering that the show was on a Wednesday night, the turnout was decent. I really can’t think of a better place to see Tortoise, besides maybe the moon or inside a spaceship. Mr. Smalls is an old cathedral church retrofitted into an amazing music venue. The acoustics are amazing—every plucked string, tapped hi-hat, and stroked key fills the space with beauty. (more…)
The Besnard Lakes to ‘Roar’ Through San Diego (MP3)
Photo credit: Chris Gergley
The peasants rejoiced! O&B’s favorite “sonic bludgeoners” The Besnard Lakes are planning to pillage San Diego as part of their tour to support Are the Roaring Night, their new record. (more…)
Poetic Memory: The Clientele (List)
Photo credit: Andy Willsher
London’s The Clientele are coming back to the U.S. and Canada to support their new album, Bonfires on the Heath, and The Casbah is on their itinerary.
Their songs have been described as “dreamlike suburban landscapes” with a “trippy sense of menace,” and the album has been featured on year-end lists at The AV Club, Pitchfork, and elsewhere. It’s good stuff, and we’re pretty excited to see them play.
The Clientele’s Alasdair MacLean recently provided us with a fitting list of “5 Recommended Hallucinatory Children’s Books” — which is, without a doubt, the most creative Poetic Memory we’ve ever received. Full list of tour dates and Mr. MacLean’s Poetic Memory are below.
You can pick up Bonfires at the Merge store; it’s available in CD, LP, and MP3 formats. For samples of their music, check out “Harvest Time” and “I Wonder Who We Are” (MP3s).
Lilith Fair Coming to San Diego
Sarah McLachlan’s hugely successful Lilith Fair only ran from 1997 to 1999. This means that the festival has been gone for five times as long as it ever existed. Gone, but certainly not forgotten. (more…)
Review: Langhorne Slim with April Smith and the Great Picture Show; February 8, 2010; Casbah
I’ve never understood the significance of The Casbah’s “Anti-Monday League,” except that the bands are better than average and that it seems to draw the scene. I’ve found that it does not mean drink specials, but scenesters don’t need specials anyway when PBR tall boys are cheaper than water. Looking around, I assumed the bands would be an afterthought for this crowd and that I would be one of the only true Langhorne Slim fans — but then he came on and everyone started shouting the words! I’ve been too judgmental, scene kids. Your taste is exquisite. I’m sorry. Hold me. (more…)
Lanterns Light the Way
San Diego’s Lanterns might have a luminescent name, but they have yet to enjoy the spotlight.
Despite high-profile gigs with bands like Matt and Kim, …And You Will Knows By the Trail of Dead, and These Arms Are Snakes, the four-piece has operated mostly under the local radar. But, thanks to a critically-acclaimed EP and two crucial shows on the horizon, all of that is set to change for the band. (more…)
Langhorne Slim to Play Casbah, M-Theory Instore Tonight (MP3s)
Kemado Records singer/songwriter Langhorne Slim has a bit of talent. (more…)
Alec Ounsworth’s New Vision
When it was announced that indie darlings Clay Your Hands Say Yeah would be going on hiatus, fans clasped their hands and screamed no. Such breaks rarely bode well for a band’s future, and assurances from the group that the split would only be temporary did little to assuage concerns. Though the Brooklyn-based band’s future remains uncertain, fans can at least take comfort in following frontman Alec Ounsworth’s new solo career. (more…)
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down Get Sacked
The first thing Thao with the Get Down Stay Down ever saw in San Diego was a pair of dangling balls.
Last November, the band came to town to play a show and, upon entering the city’s limits, were treated to a memorable sight. The pair in question was hanging off the back of a pickup truck—I’m just going to go ahead and assume it was a Ford F150—and the image of the swinging Bumper Nuts™ quickly burned itself into the unsuspecting band’s retinas. San Diego may be known worldwide for its beaches and burritos, but it is our balls that Thao with the Get Down Stay Down will forever remember us for. (more…)
Polysics Invade San Diego
San Diego is a great place to see live music, but there isn’t always a synth-heavy, eccentric, Japanese spaz-punk band around when you need one. In a gracious effort to fill that void, Tokyo natives Polysics will be playing the Casbah on January 30th.
Citing Devo as a major influence, Polysics are truly a sight to behold. With their orange jumpsuits, science fiction glasses, and synchronized robotic movements, the hyperactive quartet put on one of the most bizarre and exciting shows around. The band’s self-described “technicolor pogo punk” is a thrilling spectacle, made all the more enthralling by front man Hiroyuki Hayashi’s boundless enthusiasm and slippery grasp of the English language. (more…)
Review: The Silent Comedy; January 17, 2010; Bar Pink, San Diego
Few bands in San Diego inspire the kind of rabid devotion that the Silent Comedy enjoy. From their Prohibition-era wardrobes and Old West mustaches to lead singer/bassist J. John’s manic ramblings, the band have struck upon a winning combination of musical chops and good-natured theatricality that has earned them a passionate following. Celebrating their return to San Diego at Bar Pink after a brief but hectic West Coast tour, the Silent Comedy were greeted by a characteristically packed house. And, from the raucous opening song “Poison” onward, the band had the crowd exactly where they wanted them. (more…)
Review: Bear In Heaven; January 16th, 2010; Brillobox, Pittsburgh
The Bear In Heaven show at Brillobox sold out far in advance.
Granted, Brillobox isn’t exactly Madison Square Garden, but selling out the show was an undeniable feat for this Brooklyn band whose fan base has only slowly grown for the past few years.
Earning Pitchfork’s coveted Best New Music tag didn’t hurt, and Bear In Heaven certainly deserve the award. Their newest album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, pulsates from song to song, and when it veers into ambient electronic territory, it can sound quite brooding. Going into the show, I felt a sense of great promise, and their brand of electro-psychedelic kraut rock is music to my ears.
At the Brillobox, I soon discovered the full breadth of their ability: Bear In Heaven—in addition to sounding great on record—can also create a sonic landscape that totally surrounds the show-goer. (more…)
