17 year old, musical boy wonder, Matt Jaffe was fatefully discovered by Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison at an open mic, and has been on an ascending musical journey ever since. Jaffe's band, Matt Jaffe and the Distractions is releasing a new single entitled, Backs of Our Eyelids as the first of a series of singles (that are produced by Jerry Harrison himself) that will be released throughout 2013.
You can see Matt Jaffe and the Distrations perform live at their release party on March 30th at Slim's San Francisco. You can also check out the band's first beautifully shot music video here.
It's sometimes quite comical how bands grossly miscategorize themselves when they subscribe to our charts or when they submit a record for review. The most common example is singer-songwriters who want to be perceived as "indie rock," even though they sound nothing like that... without mentioning all the artists who think that they are "experimental" or "avant-garde" - which is why we decided to remove those genres from the list in the first place. If on one hand it's true that we can all be experimental in our little world ("I experimented with a new awesome chord I never tried before, it was an E major!"), on the other hand, it can't be denied that the label requires some serious musical adventurousness.
We found that adventurousness when we stumbled upon Placerville based band Pregnant's new single "Strangers" - streaming below - which sounds like a beautifully organized but still rather sparse form of musical... chaos. A snare drum, a blip, a few random cymbal sounds, and 3 recurring mellowtron notes keep an irregular, fluctuating tempo plodding along, while a captivating chanting melody and a subdued guitar bring the song together.
The musical pipe of once described hillbilly savant (and producer and visual artist) Daniel Trudeau, Pregnant will be releasing new album "Pottery Mill" on April 30. Check out also the video for Crush On here.
Anna Hillburg is a veteran Bay Area based musician and performer. This classically trained garage rock extraordinaire has released her debut solo record, after years of performing in a plethora of bands including holding court as one half of the San Francisco powerpop duo, Dreamdate. She has also collaborated with members of local acts like, The Dodos and The Fresh and Onlys.
Anna's new self titled album is a romantic mix of lounge inspired garage rock and avant folk melodies. Her voice is impressively is smooth, and her songs are well written and composed. Anna's new album also features members of Joanna Newsom and Gris Gris, making her new collection of songs a successful and strong representation of the Bay Area's talented music community.
You can listen to Anna Hillburg's debut self titled album here.
"Hillburg's songs are modern and fresh while also being eerily reminiscent of some of the best singer-songwriters of the classic era. She easily calls to mind the classic pop sensibilities of Harry Nillson, the romantic drama of Fleetwood Mac, the confessional lyricism of Joni Mitchell, and the effortless hooks of Paul McCartney--all without sacrificing her own strong and individual voice.
The 13 song album ranges from bittersweet ballads ("Raise the Saddle", "For Good"), to dance-pop ( "Wine in a Tea Cup"), to caustic folk ("Instead") and beyond. This is a brave and straightforward collection of songs. Warm, rich, and comforting, Anna Hillburg's first solo album is poised for big things. Release Date: March 25, 2013.Pressing Details: 500 pressed; black vinyl."
San Francisco based avant folk band, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down have released the fourth installment of short films that are loose biopics of the making of their current album, We the Common. Lauren Tabak directs this youtube webisode, called "Peddling My Wares", where Thao finds herself reluctantly in charge of her own merch table.
You can watch Thao and The Get Down Stay Down's new installment of their short film series highlighting the behind the scenes life of Thao and her band here. You can order the band's newest album, We the Common at their website: http://www.thaoandthegetdownstaydown.com.
Thao and The Get Down Stay Down US Tour:
March 25 Brooklyn, NY Bell House*
March 27 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace*
March 28 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark*
March 29 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
March 30 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall*
March 31 Madison, WI Majestic Theater*
April 1 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center*
April 2 Iowa City, IA Mission Creek Festival*
April 3 Kansas City, MO Record Bar*
April 5 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad*
April 6 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom*
April 7 San Diego, CA The Casbah*
April 8 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour*
May 25 Denver, CO Magness Arena†
* with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
† with the Head and the Heart and Mayer Hawthorne
Oakland based avant lofi rock bands, Disappearing People and Yogurt Brain will be performing live this weekend at local community radio station, KUSF radio's second benefit show at The Lab in San Francisco on March 29th. Psychedellic rocker, Carlton Meltion and DJs Irwin and The Mixed Bag will round out the bill at this annual event entitled, KUSF-In-Exile's Blown-Out, Blowout Benefit Show II. Help KUSF stay alive so they can continue to play weird psych and experimental stoner rock for the Bay Area!
This show offers an enticing and strong line up, and this is an event that's worth attending. There is a suggested sliding scale donation of $5-10 at the door. For more information on how to save KUSF, click here.
Up and coming San Francisco band, Kiwi Time and acclaimed guitar instrumentalist Gretchen Menn (who will be accompanied by The Wellspring) will headline the new local concert series, Ladies Rise Up and Rock. AEG Live and Best Beverage Catering are sponsoring this empowering series that will launch tomorrow, March 23rd at the Regency Lodge in San Francisco. Comedian, Samantha Hale will host the event, and some of the proceeds will go to the GRAMMY in the Schools organization.
Make sure you check out this event, and support a great cause. Ladies Rise Up and Rock promotes, supports, highlights and benefits talented female musicians, and contributes to the advancement of music education for kids!
Off kilter Oakland based indie pop ensemble, Legs has released a new single and music video called Two Colours. Two Colours is a mellow and jangly, Velvet Underground-esque sadcore track that is making way for the release of the band's upcoming debut full length album, Pass The Ringo. We encourage you to follow this up and coming band as they play shows throughout the West Coast this Spring. Pass the Ringo is set for release on April 23rd on Loglady Records.
3/24 San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout
4/26 Monterey, CA @ TBA
4/27 San Diego, CA @ Tin-Can Ale House
4/28 Los Angeles, CA @ Ham & Eggs
4/29 Merced, CA @ The Space
5/1 Olympia, WA @ Le Voyeur
5/2 Portland, OR @ TBA
5/3 Sacramento, CA @ TBA
5/4 Oakland, CA @ The Night Light
5/30 San Francisco, CA @ Knockout
San Francisco based alternative jazz band, Tin Cup Serenade is set to release their sophomore LP entitled, Tragic Songs of Hope (Tin Cup Productions) on April 23rd. This incredibly unique genre bending jazz band is said to have incorporated a melting pot of obscure American and Latin music genres like New Orleans Jazz, Calypso, Swing, Mariachi, ragtime, early Country, and traditional Cuban Music, which creates a very ecclectic and surprisingly Universal sound. You can catch Tin Cup Serenade playing live all throughout the Bay area.
Local Live Shows:
March 21st - The Rite Spot - San Francisco, CA
March 22nd - The Revolution Cafe - San Francisco, CA EVERY FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAY
ERA art bar and lounge, Oakland, CA
Happy hour! 5:30-8:30
Oakland's Warm Soda flaunts a gift for punchy power pop hooks reminiscent of classic punk bands like The Buzzocks and The Soft Boys. Their first full-length album, Someone For You, drops next week on Castle Face Records (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall). The album was recorded at the band's own studio, Fuzz City Studio, and offers twelve raucous tracks that are bursting with retro gusto. Singer Matthew Melton's vocals maintain a peculiar and attractive delicacy against the backdrop of vintage rock 'n' roll overdrive. Warm Soda is currently busy touring the U.S., and will return to the Bay Area in late April. Stream Someone For You in its entirety here. -Andy Lambert
3/18 - NEW ORLEANS, LA - SATURN BAR w/ PEACH KELLI POP
3/19 – JACKSON, MS - MORNINGBELL RECORDS
3/20 – TUSCALOOSA, AL - EGANS
3/21 – OXFORD, MS - LAMAR LOUNGE
3/23 – NASHVILLE, TN - THE STONE FOX w/ DIRTY DREAMS
3/24 – KNOXVILLE, TN - GROUNDSWELL w/ BURNING ITCH
3/25 – RICHMOND, VA - STRANGE MATTER w/ PEACH KELLI POP
3/26 – WASHINGTON, DC - THE PINCH
3/27 – BALTIMORE, MD - OTTOBAR
3/28 -- NEW YORK, NY- CAKE SHOP w/ WHITE MYSTERY, HECTORS
3/29 – PROVIDENCE, RI - FIREHOUSE 13 w/ WHITE MYSTERY
3/30 – ALBANY, NY - VALENTINES
3/31 -- ROCHESTER, NY - THE BUG JAR w/ WHITE MYSTERY
4/1 – COLUMBUS, OH - CARABAR
4/2 – INDIANAPOLIS, IN - WHITE RABBIT w/ DAY CREEPER
4/3 – CINCINATI, OH - THE COMET w/ TWEENS
4/4 – BLOOMINGTON, IN - THE BISHOP
4/5 – KALAMAZOO, MI - 411 CLUB
4/6 – CHICAGO, IL - SPACE CLUB
4/7 – MILWAUKEE, WI- LOOKOUT FEST
4/8 – MADISON, WI - GOOD STYLE SHOP
4/9 – FARGO, ND - THE AQUARIUM
4/12 – SEATTLE, WA - THE COMET
4/13 – PORTLAND, OR - BENDER FEST
4/14 – ARCATA, CA - THE FACEMENT
4/20 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA - BRICK & MORTAR
4/26 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – BOTTOM OF THE HILL
