photos, reviews, san diego

Live Review: The Walkmen at the Belly Up Tavern, September 18, 2010

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Photo credit: Doug Sopfe

Back in early 2004, The Walkmen rolled into San Diego, touring off of their breakout album Bows and Arrows. I had yet to hear the album, and the nation was still about six months away from unanimously agreeing that the searing anthem “The Rat” was the best rock single of the year.

So it was just dumb luck when a friend and I — having just moved to the city and wanting to introduce ourselves to the live music scene — basically closed our eyes, pointed to the concert listings, and chose The Walkmen. At the Casbah. It was a hell of an introduction. Front man Hamilton Leithauser was a whirlwind that night, slightly drunk, perching on the monitors and throwing around mic stands, and stalking the stage like he owned the place and everyone in it. We were all instant fans. Continue reading…

o&b, san diego

Fluxx Live’s Award-Winning Lineup

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This month’s Fluxx Live lineup is its best yet. Sure, this is only the fourth outing in the fledgling monthly event’s history, but that doesn’t make the bands any less formidable.

Fresh off their Best New Artist win at this year’s San Diego Music Awards, local duo Little Hurricane will open the show. They haven’t been around long, but their sweaty, ominous brand of blues has already made quite the splash around town, and they’ve got the award to prove it.

Next, Portland’s Jared Mees and The Grown Children will represent the Pacific Northwest with some sunny, acoustic ditties. Since they’re not from here, they obviously weren’t eligible for any San Diego Music Awards, but we’re sure they would have won a couple if they had been.

Then it’s back to the local acts with a set by homegrown heroes The Silent Comedy. The folky five-piece recently won some SDMA gold of their own — their LP, Common Faults, took away Best Pop Album honors. The nomination was a bit unexpected, considering that The Silent Comedy are about as close to being pop as they are to being polka, but that doesn’t make the recognition any less deserved. Continue reading…

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Come on Pilgrim, Go See the Pixies

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Photo credit: Friso Gentsch/dpa/Corbis

Setting down the path of indie rock fandom can be like deciding to learn about wine — every kernel of knowledge you acquire also reveals several things you don’t know, making every step toward enlightenment feel like two steps back. There’s a lot to wrap your ears around, and though the endless back roads and byways make every fan’s experience unique, they can also lead to a fragmented lack of community.

Nevertheless, there are certain bands that indie fans of all stripes will always have in common — ones that transcend the trends and are so undeniably great that just about everybody likes them. For an example of such a band, you need look no further than The Pixies. Continued reading…

interviews, san diego

Poetic Memory: Tu Fawning (List)

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Photo credit: Sara Meadows

Watching opening bands can be a bit of a gamble, but you’ll definitely want to arrive early at the Casbah on Friday, September 17. Before the feisty trio known as Menomena blows the crowd away with its sometimes bloody, always amazing act, Tu Fawning will take the stage, and you won’t want to miss it.

The Portland four-piece employs driving rhythms and delicate cacophony to create evocative, sinister moods that lie somewhere between the realms of Beach House and Portishead. It’s a smokey, intriguing combination of sounds, all tied together by Corrina Repp’s sultry vocals.

Repp was kind enough to share her Poetic Memory with us, a “smattering of records and songs” that form a cross-section of her musical influences. While you’re reading the list, you can download the free single of Tu Fawning’s “The Felt Sense” (MP3), which should whet your appetite for Friday’s show quite nicely. Click here for the Poetic Memory.

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