Category Archives: reviews

Live Review and Photos: Man Man and Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers at the Casbah, May 11, 2011

MP3: Man Man – “The Ballad of Butter Beans” (from 2008’s Rabbit Habits)
MP3: Shilpa Ray – “Venus Shaver”
MP3: Shilpa Ray – “Heaven In Stereo”

A couple hundred fans packed San Diego’s Casbah on May 11 to watch freaky Philadelphians Man Man prove once again that they’re not just a band with a “doom-wop” schtick. Continue reading…

Live Review and Photos: TV on the Radio at 4th & B, May 13, 2011

Photos by Chris Maroulakos

Friday’s TV on the Radio show almost didn’t happen. Originally scheduled for May 2, the concert was nearly derailed by the sudden death of bassist Gerard Smith. But anyone expecting the Brooklyn band to hang their heads at the 4th & B show were instead treated to a fast and furious performance that was anything but solemn.

TV on the Radio’s latest, Nine Types of Light, was released in April to critical acclaim. But instead of leaning on that album, the band treated the crowd to a diverse set that touched upon all eras of their discography. Songs like “Satellite” and “Staring at the Sun” (both from the group’s groundbreaking 2003 EP Young Liars), “Dreams” (from their debut full-length Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes) and the crowd-pleasing “Wolf Like Me” (from their mid-career smash Return to Cookie Mountain) were all given their due.

If the five-piece was still dealing with the emotional fallout of Smith’s death, you wouldn’t have known it. The band played with focused energy, rarely letting the final notes of one song fade out before launching into the tremolo strums of the next. The night served as a triumphant statement of purpose from the group — no matter what befalls them, TV on the Radio proved that they can bounce back stronger, and more rocking, than ever. Check out our photos.

Live Review and Photos: Fleet Foxes and Cave Singers at Spreckels Theatre, May 6, 2011

Photos by Natalie Kardos

Last Friday, indie-rock flower children Fleet Foxes treated a sold-out Spreckels Theatre crowd to a set of immaculate compositions.

To say that the band was methodical would be an understatement. Whereas most performers take the stage and immediately launch into their first song, Fleet Foxes singer Robin Pecknold took a couple minutes to get situated before trickling into “The Cascades,” an intricate instrumental from the band’s acclaimed new album, Helplessness Blues. Continue reading…

Live Photos: J Mascis and the Black Heart Procession at the Casbah, May 7, 2011

Photos by Natalie Kardos

Last Saturday night, after an intense (and dimly lit) opening set by The Black Heart Procession, J Mascis took the stage alone. With only an acoustic guitar and a small half-circle of monitors and amps – which seemed paltry compared to his customary wall of Marshall stacks – he performed songs off his new record, Several Shades of Why, as well as a few Dinosaur Jr. tunes. As he effortlessly bent the strings of his acoustic guitar during one solo after another, he also proceeded to show the crowd that he was a better at guitar than any of us could ever hope to be. Continue reading…

Live Photos and Video: The Pipettes at the Casbah, May 5, 2011

Photos by Chris Maroulakos

Nearly four years after the 2007 wildfires forced them to cancel a scheduled gig, The Pipettes finally returned to San Diego on Thursday. Well, at least one Pipette did. Former members RiotBecki and Rosay departed the band in 2008 and, several lineup changes later, the group is now comprised of original member/Hitchcock-blonde Gwenno Saunders and her sister Ani. Continue reading…