Trip on this...

Love this video from Wavves for their song "Post Acid". It goes to show you how inflated video budgets have become and how completely unnecessary it is. Jiffy Pop, a green leotard, a skate ramp, digital camcorder, and a cool concept are all you need. Wavves new release "King of the Beach" is also one of the summer's best....so CHECK IT OUT! And remember, stay away from the brown acid.

The Video Says it All...Which One is Pink?

M.I.A on "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night performing "Born Free". Anyone wondering if Maya be slippin need only watch this performance (teamed with Suicide's Martin Rev on keyboards) to know she still has the "Shock and Awe"! If only Waldo was this HOTT, I'd actually care where he was. Album "Maya" out yesterday, "Born Free" INDEED!

The Xx Kill It Softly at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall

London, England's deserved buzz band The Xx played the second night of their first headline tour at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall with New York's Phantogram last night. Equipped with a stadium worthy light show, the three-piece played their critically acclaimed debut album to a ecstatic sold-out room. Their romo-electro cum indie sound is one of the more unique on today's musical horizon. Singer/guitarist Romy Madley Croft and bassist Oliver Sim, deliver call and response vocals delivered with barely more than hushed voices, while beat generator Jamie Smith made sure hips swayed. The Xx are a sexy band and one could imagine many of the women in the crowd singing their songs into their hairbrushes at home in preparation. The men in attendance allowed themselves the luxury of relishing in their sensitivity, with both genders seemingly performing the songs for the band. The strobe and light heavy package served to further the emotional noir at the heart of their songs.

From the Vault: Live Song of the Day

UFO's "Long Gone" from 1981 concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon. This song features Paul Chapman, Micheal Schenker's replacement, on guitar and is from their LP, "The Wild, the Willing, and The Innocent".

Future Senators and Congressmen of America

Why METAL RULZ!!! In case you forgot what life was like back in 1987, or, wondered what you are trying so hard to re-live. Enjoy the next 17 minutes of FUCK YEA!!!

Black Flag Rides Again! Well, kind of...

Great little article in this week's LA Weekly (linked to title above) discussing new collaboration between former Black Flag frontman Keith Morris, who left to form seminal hardcore band the Circle Jerks, and renown underground artist Raymond Pettibon. Pettibon supplied the visual accompaniment for much of Black Flag's history. Morris' new band Off! includes Red Kross bassist MacDonald and members of other indie notables and will feature a flyer and art installation by Pettibon. The collaboration marks a return to the D.I.Y spirit of the early 80's, with the upcoming event to be held in a downtown LA warehouse. Who says you can never go back?

Check it! You Won't Regret It!

Because you should really see this....Major Lazer's "Keep it Going Louder"

Major Lazer is producer duo Diplo and Switch (men behind M.I.A's "Kala") collaborative project. This song was off last year's "Guns Don't Kill People...Lazer's Do", which was conceived at famed Jamaican recording studio Tuff Gong.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: M.I.A. This Generations John Lennon or Malcolm X with a Beat?

This video of M.I.A's new song "Born Free" from her upcoming album due out soon, has been BANNED from YouTube. The video was directed by Romain-Gavras, who also directed Justice's controversial music film of "Stress" (see below). Apparently the idea of living in a police state hits a little close to home for the information Gestapo, also known as Google. The search giant owns YouTube but not Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam's right to free expression. Enjoy this thought provoking commentary set to electro-punk. Warning: Might want to rethink the phrase, "treated like a red-headed stepchild."

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

People who like that, will also like this!

Jus†ice, Stress from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Coachella 2010 in Pictures

Coachella 2010 kicked off on Friday April 16th with more than 75,000 music fans/drug test tubes roaming the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, CA in search of memories to last a lifetime, or at least until their Smart Phone memory cards filled up. The festival was by most accounts over-sold and ticket-taking snafus and wristband shortages led to many being admitted with fake xeroxed ticket confirmations. Most tents saw fans spilling out from all sides making for a more challenging concert experience than in years past.

An early highlight was Brooklyn "dancepop" duo Sleigh Bells. Led by energetic singer Alexis Krauss, (seen below holding court to a capacity crowd inside the Gobi Tent in the mid-afternoon heat) the album-less neophytes performed a short 35 minute set of material from the upcoming "Treats" slated for release on May 11th. The duo mix big beat sequencers with a super-charged, heavy surf guitar squall. Krauss provides the sass and counterpart, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Derek Miller (not pictured), provides the sauce. Miller is one of many being tapped to produce tracks for M.I.A's upcoming album.



With seemingly everyone swarming to the Outdoor Stage to see Boston Mass's Passion Pit, Memphis based Lucero played a rousing set of impassioned country-tinged guitar stomp to a half-full Mojave Tent. The band was unfettered by the size of the crowd delivering song after song of gritty and earnest road-weary fables (that probably aren't fables). Frontman Ben Nichols possesses the type of voice that can only be achieved by chewing on cigarettes and gargling whiskey. They slayed those that were lucky enough to escape the sea of hipsters ebbing from the Outdoor Stage.



Another stand out performance was Beach House's eagerly anticipated Coachella debut. The dreampop trio showcased their trancey lullabies to another beyond capacity Mojave crowd. Riding on their music blog endorsed "it thing" status and with the phenomenal "Teen Dream" album to support, Beach House mesmerized an audience that included Friday headliner Jay Z and wife Beyonce.

Another "Imagined Video" by Robert Louis Celli Jr of Atlas Sound's "Recent Bedroom"

Another work of digital genius or a hackneyed art film, either way enjoy! This time I was inspired by the circular groove of Atlas Sound's "Recent Bedroom" off their eponymous album Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel. All footage was taken with a crappy digital camera with no permissions asked for or granted. Video taken in San Francisco's North Beach, New York City during the St. Patrick's day parade and when you were not looking.

Jim Jarmusch, Bradford Cox, and No Age's Randy Randall covering Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer"

Came across this video courtesy of Pitchfork and wasn't expecting such an ethereal and sublime rendering of the Neil Young classic. Who knew film director Jim Jarmusch could sing? He looks like the ultimate indie parent crashing his son's bedroom jam session.

Girls "Lust For Life", Some Holiday Cheer and Then Some...

This is a FABULOUS band from San Francisco who are both naughty and nice. Enjoy the yule tide cheer and give their debut "Album" a listen. See how much FUN everybody seems to be having and try and spot the special "Christmas tree" scene in the video.

Alicia Witt at Room 5

When Alicia Witt sings, the heavens themselves stop and listen. On a cold evening in Los Angeles Saturday night, December 12, a rare downpour that washed the city all day took a break from raining as Witt performed her tight 45 minute set at Room 5 on La Brea. A well known movie and TV actress, Witt performs as part of a trio, seated stage right at a piano while accompanied by Alisha Bauer on cello and Kaumyar Delkash on drums. Aside from one shout out to members of the crowd who are also working on her current film, there is no pretense or showiness coming from Witt. Using concise, informative patter between songs and flashing a genuine, radiant smile, Alicia lets her music do the talking instead of her celebrity. And what a voice. It comes from tender, intimate appeals, soaring to roof raising heights, as she all the while works the piano with an ease and command that, in her own words, is like her "weekly cardio workout." She promised to let the audience rock before our holiday parties, and in some tunes, the band takes off and she really lets her inner Pat Benatar out, especially in her self-described "female power song" and her "creepy cover song." But where Witt really excels is in her ballads, personal and universal poems of love, longing, and everyday girl issues. Her lyrics flow with a poetic polish, and her piano playing rivals that of rockers Billy Joel or Elton John. Do yourself the favor and catch her next time she is in LA or in her love/hate town of New York. You can download Alicia Witt's eponymous EP of songs from iTunes.

Sonic Youth's Tunic (Song for Karen) Imagined by Robert Celli Jr

Dan Deacon in pictures and video...

Dan Deacon and his ensemble travelled in this converted school bus which ran on recycled vegetable fuel. The musician was sporting a sling for his show at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, after slipping while refueling the behemoth pictured above. The show went on with the aid of painkillers and unflinching show business moxie!

This neon tangle of cords and gizmos served as mission control for Deacon as he led his 8-piece ensemble through tracks off his latest album "Bromst".

Deacon's set was a magical display of performer and audience interaction, culminating in euphoric releases of electronic inspired catharsis. The enraptured throng seemed to ripple and percolate in time with the rich, layered soundscapes. Often at 130bpms.

A picture says a 1000 words.

Guitars Are More Than That On "White Night, White Night"

I just received a record (big, black, shiny, made of wax) in the mail today from a band called Guitars from Houston, Texas. Being a vinyl fanatic I was already a sympathetic ear but I was more than surprised by the music emanating from the grooves.

Guitars "White Night, White Night" reminded me of the type of recordings I devoured on Homestead and SST in the late 80's and early 90's. When every band had a unique point of view and an eclectic sense of self. Guitars definitely seem cast out of this era of truly independent music.

At its heart, Guitars is laconic, inventive, and textured. The musical and vocal melodies are deceptively simple and boast a regional flavor. I was reminded of early Sonic Youth filtered through a Texas back porch screen door. Other influences include Tom Verlaine, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Rolling Stones "Exile on Main Street" period.

I Can't Wait leads off the record sounding like the aural equivalent of highway driving with all the windows down in midday heat. The scenery rushing by and dissolving into the rear view mirror.

The Black Mass could be held in a Velvet Underground church with the male/female choir delivering the songs sermon.

Waiting For A Good Time features a catchy and slightly out of tune main riff and Kim Gordon-esque vocals. This song really captures Guitars playful and unmistakable Texas sheen. It manages to sound like a house party set to music.

Stupid Light is almost country in its approach. This pill infused mid-tempo track reminded me of the Drive-By Truckers on Vicodin. Even amidst the loose vibe, the arrangement is deceptively tight and focused.

It's Probably Inevitable is a sweet, Velvet Underground reminiscent lullaby. The vocals on this song hint at more advanced songwriting in future releases. There are nice blues inspired leads, delivered over some pretty arpeggios on the guitar. The organ fills out the soundscape culminating in a fiery climax.

The Number is 60's Psych-Rock, drug-soaked bash and pop, steeped in the tradition of fellow Texans the 13th Floor Elevators.

State Line has the country feel of Stupid Light with a nice jam closing out the song.

I'd Never Lie is a straight ahead rocker with a hooky chorus. Shades of reverb laced guitars emerge out of the din.

Blood Muff is also in the psychedelic vein, with effect laden guitars and shimmery walls of sound. There are some nice male/female harmonies sprinkled throughout. I would love to see this pushed further in subsequent offerings, as the two voices meld well together.

Not This Time is another tune that leans toward country. Here the flat vocal delivery is perfectly suited to the spacey instrumental backing.

I look forward to seeing the band play live to get the complete picture but this recording bodes well and should garner college radio play.

Thee Oh Sees: A Killers Seranade

Some bands hit you over the head like a sledgehammer, while others, gently stroke you with a velvet glove.  Thee Oh Sees hit you over the head with a sledgehammer while wearing a velvet glove.  I recently saw San Francisco's Thee Oh Sees perform as part of Noise Pop-the annual indie music festival, now in its 17 year-and still can't remove the smile the band carved into my face.

Thee Oh Sees are led by John Dwyer (the Coachwips, Pink and Brown, the Hospitals) and have a sound soaked in reverb, revved up like a muscle car on a death ride.  They somehow manage to conjure Halloween at the end of February and could re-animate a zombie crowd into shimmying teenagers.  Guitarist Dwyer and singer Brigid Dawson alternate between call and response and dual harmony, reminiscent of the Cramps and the B52s.  This is garage psycho-billy done with vim and vigor.  The songs can be a bit one-dimensional but it's a great dimension to inhabit.  The rhythm section, comprised of Mike Shoun on drums and Petey Dammit also playing guitar, complete Thee Oh Sees nightmare vision.

Last year's The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In is a delight and the perfect accompaniment for a midnight drive down a dark, deserted road.  It might even turn even a casual listener into a drifting killer.  I can't get set and album opener, "Block of Ice", out of my mind and "Adult Acid" has the swagger of Johnny Cash on LSD.  This is a band to watch out for when the come to your town.  Their live show is mischievous and playful, with the genteel and amiable Dawson serving as the perfect foil for the demented Dwyer.

Thee Oh Sees will be off to South by Southwest and have new record entitled Help in limited-edition vinyl only out now, with a full release soon.    

Fame by Casey Peterson

It’s the perfect time to be working on my script. It’s what I should be doing. It’s late-ish, the family’s asleep. I’m not exhausted from a weekend of building legos and run-down from discussions with my 5 year-old about whether the Lakers could beat the USC Trojans in ping pong. It’s the perfect time to be sculpting scenes and devising plot points. The only problem is, I’m sick of it. I’m sick of writing movies. It’s all I do. And it’s not like I wish we were just making the movies I wrote. I’m sick of that too. All I want to do now is accept awards. I want to talk to E! about the joy of just being nominated, I want to look sweet in my Tux, I want my wife to make the whole night about her and how she looks in her dress.

Cover stories would be nice too. Some Vanity Fair writer could meet me at “… his favorite little coffee shop on the corner of Entrada and PCH. He wore loose fitting jeans, Converse and a James Pearse t-shirt, rumpled just so. He spoke at length about his family and his dreams of someday owning a pig farm. When I asked him if he’s where he thought he would be when he started out, he took a long pause, the setting sun casting shadows on his furrowed brow and he reached for another Camel…”

I walked out of Nobu in Malibu the other night. And as we hit the parking lot, two paparazzi reached for their cameras. For a brief second, too brief, really, I had what I wanted. Fame. Then the second passed, they realized I was a big ole nobody and so here we go.

Best get back to writing.

Tall Black Girls: They're Not Really But Who Cares...

A recent trip to New York City's Lower East Side revealed a band that has the neighborhood buzzing.  I couldn't help but notice buildings tagged with the words "Tall Black Girls" in spray painted scrawl.  I asked a friend who lives down there what it was all about, he said, "Oh, they ROCK!"  I went and checked out their MySpace page and they do in fact, "ROCK!"

The all female punk band from the L.E.S. formed in 2007.  They have been barnstorming the city playing clubs all over their neighborhood, as well as some national and international gigs. Intuition tells me they won't be a secret for much longer.  The women in the band are easy on the eyes, full of swagger, and write well-crafted 2-3 minute punk rock songs.  They all go by the last name Black and are indeed quite tall.  They toured last year with the Misfits, Fear, and Dwarves.  Their sound harkens back to to 80's punk rock .  I found very little press on them, so get in on the ground floor.  Should be worth watching in the coming year.

Noise Pop Turns 17: Still Independent and Still Essential

Noise Pop 17 takes over San Francisco, beginning Tuesday, February 24th and running through Sunday, March 1st. The annual independent music festival, which began in 1993 as a single night showcase of local bands curated by founder Kevin Arnold, has expanded over the years to include art, film, and panel discussions. Many of San Francisco’s top music venues will be participating and the festival promises to carry on the tradition Arnold and co-founder Jordon Kurland have sustained for the past seventeen years.

This year’s performers decidedly favor the “pop” and less the “noise” referenced in the festival’s moniker. The festival has always brought an eclectic approach to booking and has served as a blueprint for other similar music festivals across the country. Highlights include: current Pitchfork Media buzz band Anthony and the Johnsons at Nob Hill’s Masonic Temple, indie demigod, Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, solo at the Great American Music Hall, and opening the festival with a free performance, no wave torchbearers Deerhunter at Mezzanine.

Past festivals have introduced some of alternative music’s biggest names to Bay Area fans, like the White Stripes, Modest Mouse, Cat Power, and Death Cab For Cutie, to name a few. This year’s keynote will be delivered by Dinosaur Jr/Folk Implosion/Sebadoh alum Lou Barlow along with Bob Mould of Husker Du/Sugar. There will be several panel discussions peppered throughout the week touching on a variety of music industry topics. Wilco’s concert film, “Ashes of American Flags”, directed by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, will screen as part of Noise Pop’s film program on Wednesday night at the Roxie Theatre.

While the talent remains of the highest quality I would have liked to see more Bay Area performers take on headlining roles. The absence of Bimbo’s 365 Club and the Hemlock Tavern as venues surprised me as well. There seems to have been a shift in recent years away from emphasizing the local talent that served as the genesis for the festival in its inception. As mentioned earlier, there is a slant toward singer/songwriters and orchestral pop acts on the bills. It would be nice to see some harder edged representation on this year’s roster.

Still, Noise Pop remains an unrivaled gem for music fans in the Bay Area and continues to entertain, inform, and stimulate the senses. At a time when music festivals seem ubiquitous, Noise Pop still serves as a bellwether for relevance and buzz in independent music. My picks for the shows that are not to be missed are below. Tickets can be purchased for individual shows or you can buy a festival badge for entry to all performances.

Deerhunter at Mezzanine 444 Jessie Street @ Mint on Tuesday the 24th. This is a free show with RSVP on the clubs website. Know in advance that you will not get in unless you are prepared to arrive obnoxiously early and wait in line. I have been burned before by Mezzanine’s “free” events before. They over sell the venue and basically everyone is on “the list”. But worth the wait if you have nothing better to do with your Tuesday afternoon.

Thee Oh Sees with TYVEK, Unnatural Helpers, and The Fresh and Onlys at Café Du Nord 2170 Market Street on Thursday the 26th. One of the few San Francisco bands headlining a show at this year’s festival, they are a handful live and should have sweat dripping off the ceiling.

Dear and the Headlights with Kinch, Big Light, and A B and the Sea at Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th Street (17th @ Missouri). This Phoenix band mixes lyric driven vocal harmonies with swelling arrangements. The rest of the bill is strong as well, should be a wonderful night of music.

No Age with White Circle Crime Club, Infinite Body, and Veil Veil Vanish at Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th Street (17th @ Missouri). This Los Angeles duo is on the rise and produces a mega-ton of energy on stage. They won’t be playing clubs of this size for much longer, so see them now.

See schedule for Noise Pop '09'