Tag Archives: david bowie

Poetic Memory: The Yellow Dress (List)

The planet known as twee might be in the Descendant at the moment, but no one told The Yellow Dress that.

The seven-piece San Francisco band wears its heart on its sleeve, fashioning adorable ballads out of acoustic guitar strums, hand claps, whistling, and frontman Dan Weiss’ delirious game-show-host vocals. On their just-released sophomore album, Humblebees, The Yellow Dress leave apathy and pretentiousness to the buzz bands, opting instead for relentlessly cheery, homespun ditties with a heartfelt edge. Continue reading…

Poetic Memory: Luke Rathborne (List)

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MP3: Luke Rathborne – “I Can Be One”
MP3: Luke Rathborne – “You Let Me In”
MP3: Mrs. Magician – “Tabloids”

Like clockwork, the Rumble— the monthly musical roadshow that takes place in nine U.S. cities every month — returns to San Diego’s Bar Pink tomorrow.

This month’s event features San Diego surf popsters Mrs. Magician, sludgy shoegazers Colony, and superb singer/songwriter Luke Rathborne. (DJs Pet Rock and Rob Dylan will spin vinyl between sets.)

We at O&B are especially excited to see Luke Rathborne, whose The Dog Years and I Can Be One EPs show a songwriter with a true artistic vision — one that (unlike many of his peers) is not overly fixated on the meaning of life, but about telling its stories.

In anticipation of the show, we asked Mr. Rathborne to provide us with a list of influences. He kindly obliged, and you may find his “10 favorite records of 1977” below. Continue reading…

Poetic Memory: Rumspringa (List)

MP3: Rumspringa – “Criminal Love”

L.A.’s Rumspringa just released Sway, their debut full-length. Produced by Mannie Nieto (The Breeders, Los Lobos), the album works well to showcase the band’s brand of psychedelic-surf-garage-punk. And though Sway is reminiscent of David Bowie, T-Rex, and the Stones — with a little bit of The White Stripes thrown in for good measure — Rumspringa’s sound is wholly their own. With an abundance of original melodies, great lyrics, and solid musicianship, they are clearly going places.

MTV News has called Rumspringa “One of the best LA bands […] in a really long time,” and RCRD LBL has commended them for “running feverish, fast-paced rock-n-roll trails in our head.” We saw them at The Rumble back in August and had a hell of a good time.

Rumspringa will play the Soda Bar on 11/15, and Bar Pink on 12/4. In anticipation of the shows, lead singer Joey Stevens sent us a list of influences. Check it out below.

Poetic Memory: The LeBarons (List)

If you’re looking for a new band to fall in love with this year, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one than The LeBarons.

The two-piece just released its debut album, Sounds From The Parallel Present, as a name-your-price download on its website. No matter what you choose to pay, the album is a steal. From the evocative opening track, “Black Adam,” onward, Parallel Present draws you into a world of rich melodies and finely-tuned compositions. The songwriting is built upon a foundation of classic rock greats like David Bowie and Led Zeppelin, but the end result feels fresh and timeless.

The Los Angeles duo plans on touring Southern California in the fall. In the meantime, you can read band members Nathan Berqvist and Daniel J Frankeberger’s Poetic Memory below. Continue reading…

Poetic Memory: Dinosaur Feathers (List)

Dinosaur Feathers have made a bit of a name for themselves back East. With a sound often compared to Animal Collective and the Beach Boys, these Brooklynites have received rave reviews from music fans everywhere, including Paste magazine:

When asked what…generated a bit of blog-buzz in recent months, Sullos demures: “The more you play, the more people talk about it.” True, but it likely has a bit more to do with the band’s melange of Latin and African-infused drum machine beats — plus the fact that these guys can really sing. Sullo and his bandmates use their voices like instruments, stacking and weaving them into a textured sonic tapestry that drips with 60s nostalgia.

We’re excited to see them at The Rumble this weekend, and you should be too. For a taste of their sound, check out “Fantasy Memorial” (MP3). Then, read their Poetic Memory (below).