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The Hold Steady @ Mezzanine

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Hold Steady are cast from the same mold as Black Lips, Of Montreal, and Wolf Parade; meaning that they are a "must see" live band. The guys bring a loose happy drunk sink-along vibe that is so much smarter than it should be. Maybe it's the slick conversational/confessional narrative of lead vocalist Craig Finn, who has a real zeal for the darker side of life. He sings about downtrodden experiences in a sweet way, like the first time on heroin, and being drunker than safely possible. And maybe it's because Tad Kubler is one of the best guitarists in the game today. Going to a Hold Steady show is a unique experience.

The songs from last year's epic Boys and Girls in America inspired the crowd to belt out "South town girls won't blow you away, but you know that they'll stay" in unison. It was chill inducing. Eddie Murphy makes a joke about white people in Raw. He says "What are you white people dancing to? The lyrics?" And in the case of The Hold Steady it may be true. When Finn sings "she was a real good kisser, but #2#she wasn't all that strict of a Christian. She was a damn good dancer, but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend," the crowd punches out the lyrics with their fists, and classic rock guitar work takes on a punk/strangely hip hop edge that is difficult to describe. "Chips Ahoy!" sounded great as well.

The band released Stay Positive last month, and the crowd hadn't lived with the new album long enough to be as moved by it, besides "Sequestered in Memphis" which maybe has the most straightforward melody that the band has produced. "Constructive Summer" was fun as well. Finn admits "our songs are sing along songs." "Killer Parties" was the closer and wrapped the show up in a less than tidy package "if she said we partied, than I'm pretty sure we partied. I remember we parted from our bodies. We woke up in New York City." Beautiful debauchery.

Wolf Parade @ Fillmore

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Wolf Parade are the kings of soulful rock. Wolf Parade rule. Long live Wolf Parade.

Now that the idol worship is out of the way, it's time for some serious journalism: Wolf Parade was so awesome at their stop at the legendary auditorium in our fog city. Listening Party sounded exceptional opening the show, but the buzz for the headliner was crazy.

The guys came to the stage for a soundcheck and the fans started cheering the tune up, which brought a smile and some embarrassment to guitarist/co-vocalist Dan Boeckner. After a short delay, the band was back and opened the set with "Grounds for Divorce" from 2005's classic Apologies to the Queen Mary. It was a fun start and a surprise. There was talk before the set within the audience that the boys may try to blast through the new record in its entirety, mostly, in part because of the band insisting that there be no singles and that the new record exists as a singular unit.

It's not at all what happened. Instead we were treated to a Nadal/Federer rally between the two frontmen Boeckner and Spencer Krug. Boeckner responded to Krug's "Divorce" with "Soldiers Grin," the first track on At Mount Zoomer. The crowd got wild and jumped along to Boeckner's exceptional guitar work and Arlem Thompson's percussion.

Back and forth, the guys traded their impressive tracks. The songs from the new album popped with energy, while the songs from Apologies to the Queen Mary hit super hard, especially "You are a Runner and I am my Fathers Son" and "I'll Believe in Anything" (both by Krug).

Boeckner is much more of a classic frontman than he used to be, and seems to embrace it. His energy really takes it up a notch during his songs. "Language City" and "Fine Young Cannibals" had the audience captivated, as he spit furiously and literally onto the mic.

The main complaint I have heard about At Mount Zoomer has been the fewer harmonies than Apologies to the Queen Mary, but the guys completely backed each other live vocally, which gave the songs more depth. The only song co-written by Krug and Boeckner on the new album "Kissing the Beehive" ended the first set before the encore and provided a thrilling peek into what Wolf Parade could be if it were more of a collaborative effort. It's a little messy, but organic and more powerful and immediate than the guys do when writing solo. It was goose bump inducing as the nine-minute tracked went through its peeks and valleys with both men sounding their best. Long Live Wolf Parade.

Jonas Brothers @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Confessions of a boy band fan girl

There were The Beatles, New Kids on the Block, then the Backstreet Boys. Every generation has them. With a formula mixing good looks, crooning harmonies, and raging teenage hormones, boy bands are guaranteed to be around forever, like the cockroaches of the music industry. The newest kids on the block (and no I'm not referring to the original NKotB) are quickly pounding up the road to success, following the choreographed footsteps of the many successful male groups before them. And in case you don't have a little sister or own a TV for that matter—this generation's chosen boys are the squeaky clean, Disney-designed brethren, the Jonas Brothers.

I was a victim of the boy band resurgence of the late '90s and early '00s. I survived, but not without a soft spot for cheesy pop music and weak knees for melodic boys in groups. So naturally and embarrassingly, I just had to find out what made the Jonas Brothers the new faces of teen magazines, gossip websites, and pillowcases everywhere.

I attended their initial show of three Bay Area stints off the Burning Up tour at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View on Tuesday, July 15. With careful and expert analysis, I bring my findings:

Matching outfits are so 1999
2008 brings a stylishly sleek suited trio of brothers in fitted blazers, muscle tops and the tightest pants imaginable. Though the hair is still carefully designed as ever—each boy topped with a curly or wavy coif that seems to get better looking with every dazzling hair flip.

Choreographed dance moves are bye, bye, bye
And that's because the Jonas' play actual instruments, ranging from mandolin to tambourine. Youngest member, 15-year-old Nick was most impressive, playing guitar, piano, and drums on their songs, even throwing in a drum solo off The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." There are still some pretty fly moves, though—the bros throw in some acrobatics including front flips, somersaults, and splits.

If you're big, you do it up big
When I saw 'N Sync 'n concert during their prime (oh so long ago) there were lasers, confetti, and flying harnesses. The glamor is much the same, JB's included light shows, pyrotechnics, water hoses to blast the audience with, stage drops, and elevated, detachable platforms.

There are still "the ones."
Every boy band member plays a part or character to distinguish one's type. Those types are still intact. I agree with the anointed titles as given to the Jo Bros on their guest appearance on Hannah Montana:

Eldest brother Kevin (age 20) is the "cute, romantic one," always blowing kisses and running off to the sides of the stage to edge as close as he can to the fans.

18-year-old Joe is the "cute, funny one," the natural attention magnet of a front man and one most likely to spew improvised show banter.

And Nick, "the cute, sensitive one," whose bout with diabetes became ample leverage to play a touching video documentary clip on the subject, followed by the overtly dramatic 10-minute monologue and piano ballad "A Little Bit Longer" he wrote about his condition. And apparent by the deafening cries of delight upon a flash of Nick's bare hip across the jumbo screen as he illustrated his daily diabetes treatment, insulin intake is considered sexy.

Now to their credit, the Jonas Brothers break apart from the pack of yesteryear because they actually write all their own songs. Though the songs are just as one would imagine them to be, breezy, breathy, bubbly pop songs to spit out once the flavor runs out. Disney cover hits like "Year 3000" and "Kids of the Future," for example. But they are catchy. Originals like the summer anthem and current single "Burning Up" and the new saccharine-sweet ballad "Love Bug" are sure to induce heart melting. Their music is neither groundbreaking nor timeless but that's not what anyone's looking for in these young, wholesome, and adorable band of brothers. The concert made that clear. It was a miracle the songs were even decipherable under the never-ending and piercing tweenage howls. The highest pitches came not for a specific song, but when Joe took off his jacket. These Jonas Brothers have reached a Midas level of success: they sell themselves.

"Camp Rock," the Disney Channel original movie starring the Jonas' became the second highest watched cable network program in history (second only to "High School Musical 2" duh!) and breaking online streaming records. The new JB song "Pushing Me Away" from their about-to-be released third album A Little Bit Longer debuted exclusively on iTunes the night prior to the concert and became number 1 in less than 24 hours. With a new album, starring in a developing TV series, worldwide tours, filming the Camp Rock sequel, and a 3D movie in the works, these guys are going to burn up and out fast.

But for now, the Jonas Brothers are living their dreams, and with modesty and appreciation too. The concert was an eye-catching package, full of cute and innocent fun. The 13-year-old girl version of me would be satisfied. And strangely enough, the 21-year-old me is too.

Carolina Liar, Phantom Planet and OneRepublic @ Fillmore

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

To make a soundtrack worthy playlist that includes the latest rock-pop greats, the Fillmore show on July 13th would fill it well with appropriate tracks. Most of the show's acts have found fame when their singles echoed on the background of some films and television's most popular shows.

First up, was Carolina Liar—the band you know that you didn't know you did.

It's easy to find singer Chad Wolf as a visual contradiction to the band's melodious music. His long unkempt blonde flat locks and facial hair cry out something much rougher and louder than what he sounds like. I'm half-expecting Wolf to growl or spit at the audience. But what pours out of the singer are nostalgic numbers, stirring pop-rock melodies and a soft harmonious voice.

The six-piece, made up mostly of Swedish musicians, were a tight package. A few songs in and the crowd warmed, especially at the recognizable tunes "I'm Not Over" and "Show Me What I'm Looking For"—thanks in large part to being played on epic shows The Hills and Gossip Girl. Carolina Liar sealed their set with a dedication to one night stands for song "Last Night" off their debut album Coming to Terms.

Phantom Planet was an entertaining crew, albeit mildly demanding. They must've asked the audience to shout out the name of their band and if they were enjoying themselves five times too many. The playful outfit successfully revved concertgoers to the night's climax with the epic "California" which everyone knows as the theme of The O.C.

OneRepublic rounded out the evening, and I was surprised by the array of youngins seated in front of me—none old enough to have touched the '90s, trying hard to keep their heavy lids from slipping into sleep enough to catch the set. But the task was admittedly hard to do myself, especially with singer Ryan Tedder's soothing tones softening the room into a comfortable trance.

Tedder's tender vocals, complemented by grand piano, carried the whole performance and were just as piercing and melodically mesmerizing as on the tracks. Tedder and the gang were sparse with between-song anecdotes and simply let the music do the talking.

Standouts include "Stop and Stare," "Say (All I Need)" and the soulful ballad "Come Home."

OneRepublic culminated their set with the smash-hit everyone came to hear: "Apologize" (sans-Timbaland remix) before returning for two encores, completing all 12 tracks off their album Dreaming Out Loud.

Billy Idol @ Fillmore

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Billy Idol? He's still around? It was mostly the response I received when I told my friends that I was checking out the first of his two nights at the Fillmore in late June.
Yes, Billy Idol is still here. And he's still hot, regardless of his age.

Performing his greatest hits from his 35-year career over an hour and a half, Idol crashed onto the stage with "Cradle of Love" and didn't stop until his fans were screaming the lyrics of his encore performance "Mony Mony" back at him. Idol returned to San Francisco for the first time since 1978—a two-day stint he admitted that he spent on methadrone—and Idol of 2008 is more drawn out and deliberate, a little less blond and even more grizzled than the snarling Billy that lived hard and fast and remains an '80s icon. The classic snarl has transitioned from pretty punk to a bit more of a caricature.

He followed "Cradle of Love' with a less than exuberant rendition of "Dancing With Myself," blitzing the audience with a wave of nostalgia. Though it took Idol a few songs, by the time Idol performed "White Wedding," one of his most anticipated tunes, both he and the crowd were warmed up and willing.

A packed house of 40-something professionals and 20-something '80s throwbacks pumped their fists in unison and raged to a honeyed version of "Flesh For Fantasy." Idol claimed that it was his first time at The Fillmore that he could remember.

The obvious enjoyment that Idol exhibited performing resonated with the crowd; Idol was able to laugh at himself and his antics, like when he chalked his hands at the end of the evening, before a stagehand placed his guitar across his chest.

At one point one of his female fans tossed a pair of panties at Idol, which without skipping a beat or note, Idol thoroughly rubbed the scrap of cotton over his crotch and ass. His microphone tossing from hand to hand wasn't as fast as it used to be, but for whatever energy Idol lacked on stage (which wasn't much), his band readily picked up the slack. All night guitar legend Steve Stevens ripped his guitar, pulling all the stops as he performed a nearly transcendent seven-minute guitar solo at the 10PM mark.

His entire set-list was spotless and smart, moving easily from sultry to upbeat, like when he decided to get "rockabilly," emphasis on Billy, with "To Be A Lover," and bassist Stephen McGrath, the huge, brawny, Harley Davidson shirt-wearing sort, surprised all with the notes he reached during the chorus.

The only new material Idol performed was the rather lackluster "John Wayne," one of two exclusive tracks on his latest release The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself, which dropped June 24. Lucky for everyone involved Idol seems more than happy to be the Billy Idol we're all used to: the icon doesn't disappoint.

2008 US Air Guitar San Francisco Regional Championships @ Independent

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Thanks to the madmen behind US Air Guitar, a show consisting entirely of performers playing invisible guitars can sell out the Independent. For those unfamiliar with the magic and mystery of air guitar, it is an annual collection of freaks, wannabes, amateur comedians, and rock lovers who literally "play" air guitar on stage. Sometimes a contestant seems to be completely disconnected from both his body and the music. Other times, a contestant is so good that it's as if a guitar will materialize in his hands any second.

The spectacle's inventors have designed a rubric for measuring this skill, employing three judges—think The Muppet Show's Statler and Waldorf with unlimited drinks and a third, equally critical sidekick—to drink heavily and rate the contestants on technical merit, stage presence, and airness. Airness is that certain je ne sais quois that launches an air guitarist from novice to virtuoso. Although no scientific studies have been done on the subject, it's likely that alcohol plays a role in one's airness (or lack thereof). Alcohol also enhances one's ability to be a fair and critical judge. Like the last two years, judges Marc Hawthorne (Onion AV Club), Jennifer Maerz (SF Weekly), and John Trippe (FecalFace.com) were completely hammered by the end of the night.

The event is decided in two rounds. In Round 1, each contestant performs to 60 seconds of the song (or medley) of his or her choosing. Round 2 brings the highest scorers from Round 1 back on stage for the compulsory round, where each contestant has to perform to the same clip of the same song. The audience has the honor, or horror, of hearing that song (in this case "I'll Stick Around" by the Foo Fighters) ad nauseum. Judges' scores range from 4.0 to 6.0, a system inspired by Olympic Figure Skating. The highest-scoring contestant from Round 1 has a significant advantage going into Round 2. The contestant with the highest combined Round 1 and Round 2 score wins the Regional Championship and moves on to compete in the US Finals, which will be held at the Grand Ballroom in San Francisco this year. Asked in the pre-show press conference why San Francisco was chosen to host the finals, Another Planet Entertainment's Bryan Duquette responded, "People in San Francisco like to dress up in costume."

Yes, it is as ridiculous as it sounds. Reflecting on his victory at the press conference, the 2006 San Francisco Regional champ Hot Lixx Hulahan remembered asking himself, "Do I tell people I won air guitar?" But with sponsors like Cuervo Black (who failed to sponsor any kind tequila special at the bar), a documentary called "Air Guitar Nation," and a pre-show press conference, it's sometimes hard to tell if this is all in the name of irony or if the organizers and contestants actually take the whole thing at least a little seriously. Regardless, this year's San Francisco Regional Championship attracted a perverse and often baffling selection of the Bay Area's, um, talent making for another fun night.

The evening began with the ceremonial air-ing of "War Pigs," where master-of-air-emonies and retired contestant Bjorn Turoque invited audience members to join him on stage and play air bass and air drums as he sang (really sang, not air sang) and aired lead guitar. Turoque's career includes five second-place finishes, with the exception of a win at the New York Regional in 2005. Despite never having won the national title, Turoque has become the face and voice of US Air Guitar. Turoque's bandmates were both women, and the drummer out-shined the bassist, who probably thinks Black Sabbath is a holiday for Satanists.

With that out of way, the competition was underway. The Independent's own Ricky Stinkfingers, last year's Regional Champion, was up first. Clad in pink lyrca, Stinkfingers sported a much larger bulge in his pants than last year, either an indication that he's been taking performance-enhancing substances or that he brought his pet armadillo to the contest. His spirited performance fell short for the sober judges, who are unfortunately always hardest on the first performers of the night. Fortunately, Stinkfingers already secured a spot in the national finals with a first-place finish in the Portland regional.

#2#A chain of mediocrity followed Stinkfingers. Plaid-pants-wearing Stoney Iommi may have been the Black Sabbath guitarist's namesake, but this Iommi's "Iron Man" was tedious, albeit accurate. Lieutenant Castille's followed with an inspired but horrific version of the theme from Miami Vice. Aside from the white Members Only jacket, the only thing remotely Don Johnson about it was the cheese factor. Dan the Man's rendition was more Bill Nye the Science Guy than Freddie Mercury, and a hirsute Bad Ass Blondini, sporting a black vest with no shirt, tight black and white pants, and the world's worst mullet wig, just didn't have what it takes to impress the judges, who were starting to get tipsy.

Mediocre turned to abysmal with David "Air Guitar" Freeberg, nearly booed off the stage when his performance of "Bad to the Bone" proved to be just bad. Another crowd disappointment, Tiger Claw, failed to come close to the greatness of his appearance last year but still had some of the best technical skills of anyone that night. Taxi-Driver-t-shirt wearing Gobo didn't so much air guitar as half-breakdance to Dead Kennedys with a stiff arm. Torque called the performance a "psychotic punk rock ballet." It could only get better, right?

Wrong. Daddy's Little Smashing Pumpkin came out next in a pink lace baby dress, blond Annie wig with a pink bow, and an overloaded diaper, performed miserably to some kind of death metal song, and responded to the judges' low scores by pulling cooked spaghetti out of his diaper and throwing it at the audience. Another repeat contestant, Downright Dirty Diamond, basically did air guitar warmups, earning himself the most disappointing score of the round, 4.8. Then came the first female contestant, Gloria Stun 'Em, whose rendition of a bizarre metal version of "Kung Fu Fighting" resulted in the best judge comment of the night, from Marc Hawthorne: "It reminded me of the third hand job I ever got in junior high."

A disheartened crowd finally started to get their money's worth with Jammin' J-Bone. Yet another repeat contestant, J-Bone punctuated his performance of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" with a well-executed—perhaps even graceful—stage dive. Shred Nugent, also a returning contestant and last year's San Jose champion, strapped on another contestant's discarded black bra and aired it out, earning the second highest score of the night. The good streak continued with Eleven, whose Doobie Brothers-esque appearance concealed an awesome air guitar hero within.

Things slowed down again with Captain Nowhere, who, in unmistakable hipster attire, went the medley route and earned mixed reactions from the crowd. Then came Madame Deathface, the night's second female contestant, whose blasting vornado and funereal shtick wasn't enough to make up for her awful spastic style.

The lull came to an aburpt end with Shred Begley Junior. Donning black-rimmed plastic glasses with flip-up kanye-style plastic shades, an afro, and a shirt bearing the word "AWESOME," Shred Begley Jr. did just that: shred. Well, shred air. He earned the highest score of the night and inspired the crowd to chant "Awe-some! Awe-some!" as he left the stage. Stringbean made a spirited effort to follow a tough act, choosing a song I think was Avenged Sevenfold. The final two acts in round 1, Dr. Wankenstein (I-Roq Z from 2007) and Sister Lixx simply could not compete.

During the break, while judges tallied up their beverages and the top five were corralled backstage, hometown hero Hotlixx Hulahan performed to an odd medley but showed his chops to the audience's adoration. With that interlude over, it was time for the compulsory round. In 2006 and 2007, the organizers made great picks for the compulsory round: "California Uber Alles" (Dead Kennedys) and "Youth Gone Wild" (Skid Row), respectively. This year, however, I have to question their pick. "I'll Stick Around" (Foo Fighters) may be catchy as hell, but it's hardly a guitar anthem. If we're going to choose the best of the best at this made-up talent show, at least pick something with a little grit. As judge Marc Hawthorne demonstrated for those that could see him in the balcony, "I'll Stick Around" makes a great air drumming song but not so much a good air guitar track. The contests seemed to have an easier time with this song than previous ones, however, probably because this one was more familiar. (Apparently there are still a few people in California who have never heard "California Uber Alles.")

The first top-five contestant was Captain Nowhere, whose enthusiastic windmills and good technique weren't enough to overcome his on-stage stiffness. Stringbean gave a mediocre and fidgety performance, and couldn't convince the judges that he would be able to win the national championship. Eleven seemed oddly natural with good rhythm, but showed his age with some crazy dance best suited for Golden Gate Park. Unfortunately, all but one judge, Mr. Hawthorne, gave Eleven a score lower than 5. Shred Nugent was great, channeling Dave Grohl to display his unrivaled technical skills.

But the man to beat this night was Shred Begley Jr. Punctuating his awesome performance with a stage dive, Begley received a 10 from John Trippe, another round of "Awesome!" chanting, and was crowned San Francisco US Air Guitar Regional Champion. An elated Begley picked up Bjorn Toroque as the crowd prepared for the free on-stage jam to "Freebird." After a few attempts to lift Begley, the contestants and audience members gathered on stage for air guitar jam managed to get him up off the ground.

Shred Begley, Jr. will now move on to the 2008 Cuervo Black US Air Guitar National Finals, Presented By TouchTunes on August 8 at San Francisco's Grand Ballroom.

More photos by J Koshi here

Frightened Rabbit @ Independent

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Scott Hutchison lead singer of Frightened Rabbit. "Were they giving away free tickets on the street or something?" The audience laughed, but Hutchison was partially serious, and gratitude for the crowd seemed sincere. Frightened Rabbit started as a two-man band, the Hutchison brothers making CDs in their bedrooms.

Midnight Organ Fight should be a hit among Bay Area natives with challenging, thoughtful lyrics, good melodies and heartfelt acoustic banging. Frightened Rabbit is the second solid Scottish import of the last two years. Last year, another Glasgow band, the Twilight Sad represented Scotland well.

These guys will definitely get bigger and their live show was further proof that they are a band on the rise. Now a four-piece, the band opened with the sequence off Midnight Organ Fight, starting with the rousing "The Modern Leper" which paints a tale of a rough romance. Hutchison sings "Is that you, in front of me? Coming back for even more...you must be a masochist. Loving a modern leper on his last leg...I've crippled your heart a hundred times, and I can't figure out why. You see I got this disease I can't shake and I'm just rallying through life."

"Good Arms vs Bad Arms" soon followed with its sing along melody. The lyrics also take on love coming from a darker place, and "Fast Blood" which are paired together on the album made for some fist pumping to the ceiling. It was a great set, and the guys were highly appreciative. "This is the most people we've ever played for. I feel for the first time like I'm in a proper band." Proper is an understatement. These guys are verging on great.

RZA @ 1015 Folsom

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

OK, so RZA as Bobby Digital oversold the new album Digi Snacks on Saturday night. It was pretty much a forgone conclusion that most of the crowd was copping the record. If you are a Wu-Tang fan, you know that besides Ghostface, RZA has been the best and most consistent of the Clan.

Looking a little tired after playing in L.A. the night before (my friend went to that show and said the crowd was weak, and RZA hardly played any old stuff) RZA and his crew took the stage and played nine straight tracks from Digi Snacks. The new stuff sounded great, especially "Digi Snacks" and "Booby Trap," which asks "Would you like a digi or a Scooby snack?" "You Can't Stop Me Now" closed the set, and had the whole place singing along, arms in the air.

RZA loved the adoration he was getting from the crowd, and felt strangely competitive with it. "You guys think you have energy? (the crowd responded with a collective roar) I have energy!," he said and screamed into the microphone. It was funny, as were the continual references to Belvedere Vodka who sponsored the tour. "Belvedere has given us a lot of good times!"

#2#RZA was joined on stage by competent rappers, and as another good sign that the crowd was hyped, they continued to make looks at each other like: "they love us!" After a bunch of new material RZA broke out "Fast Cars" from 2003's underrated classic The Birth of a Prince. The crowd went crazy. Inspired by this, RZA launched into a bunch of tracks from both his solo career and the Wu-Tang Clan, including "Clan in da Front" and his inspired verse on "Ain't Nothin' Ta Fuck Wit," as well as "Reunited" from the double disc Forever. His crew didn't leave the stage until 1:30 giving the crowd exactly what they wanted, and maybe more than RZA wanted to give "Man, we gave you guys the stadium set! It was supposed to be mostly songs on the new album, but damn!"

The Dodos @ Independent

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Quite a homecoming, indeed. Local boys The Dodos were welcomed with open arms for one of their first Bay Area shows since all of the media attention of the last few months for their second LP Visiter. Meric Long and Logan Kroeber lit up the Indpendent with their soulful psyche pop.

The sold out crowd was buzzing for the headliner and the guys played a loose set from their new album as well as some older tracks. The Dodos are a kin to a more accessible Animal Collective with vocal loops and dubs. Long is at his best when he's harmonizing with himself through a loop, and ferociously pounding on his guitar. Kroeber is every bit his equal on the drums, together it feels like tribal country music. It's too precise to be a "jam," and the audacity of the pauses and space creates a lot of tension in the music which translated well live. It feels like you're about to drop off a cliff when they stop, pulling you back just in time before the decent into oblivion as on "Joe's Waltz."

#2#Long has tons of tricks. He uses different mics for vocal effects, and it's easy to see how he started as a one man band. The bass in his voice reverberated nicely with the Independent's wood ceiling.

The standouts were "Ashley," which is bar none one of the best songs of the year, and is as close to perfect as possible. It sounded even more intimate live. "Red and Purple" created a nervous but fun twitch in the crowd, as did "Fools." "Walking" showcased the band's patience and Long's songwriting.

Judging by fan reaction and how many people were out front looking for tickets, The Dodos could have played to a packed house at the Independent for a week straight. Come home more often, guys.

Islands @ Bimbo's 365 Club

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Are Islands a cool bizzaro Dave Matthews Band? Take the music or Nick Diamonds fascination with death out of the picture, and the parallels are definitely there. They both have a lot of band members, they both feature artists that have a classical playing background, they both look like a United Colors of Benetton ad, and they both have fans that LOVE them.

The crowd at Bimbo's was verging on fanatical. I've never seen anything like it. Like a crowd Mohawk, the center of the audience had their arms raised to the ceiling for the majority of the show, and sang—loudly—with passionate expressions back to their idol. The recent release of Arm's Way has already been committed to memory for a lot of the audience, and it made the show that much more fun as a sing along.

Diamonds played up to the adoration and crowd surfed while he sang, and continually laid into the front of the crowd. I noted in my review of Arm's Way that Diamonds could rule the world if he painted by numbers with his knack for melody, deft songwriting, and a unique vulnerability, but that seems boring to him. As evidence, the show started with "Vertigo," the closer off Arms's Way. It's a spiraling 11.5 minute track with stings, multiple guitar solos, and at least four tempo changes. The audience ate it up. Yes, it's self indulgent, but these guys have artistic integrity to spare, fuck ruling the world if you can't do it on your own terms.

Opening act Despot was very good. He made a fan out of me with his gritty rhymes, and solid flow. I was in the bar area of Bimbo's on my phone when I heard him rapping in the other room. I told the person on the phone, "Someone is really rapping in there, I have to check it out!" Diamonds has experimented with a brand of hip hop with both the Unicorn's and Islands, but this was the real deal. It was all the more fun because the dude is a 5'6" white hipster with a bit of a comb over, but he can SPIT! He joined Islands on stage for "Tsuxiit."

Some other memorable moments were "Life in Jail" which has a fun jam in the middle of it, "Don't Call me Whitney, Bobby" (loudest sing along of the night), and the THIRD encore and closer "Swans (Life After Death)." The guitar solo near the end was a show stopper, and the audience cheered as Diamonds left the stage blowing a heartfelt kiss to the crowd.

Little Teeth and Chubby Behemoth @ 21 Grand

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

The tin can that is basically Oakland's 21 Grand might have been the ideal venue for Wednesday night's bands Little Teeth and Chubby Behemoth. Its garage layout with folding-chair seating created more of a band practice feel than an actual gig. However, with the opening of Little Teeth, you couldn't help but be violently reminded that you were watching a finished product and nothing in between.

Vocalist Dannie Marrie, with her lop-sided blond shag and tambourine bells affixed to her holey slacks, led this San Francisco band who, in their new-grunge fury, took me directly back to when we were all toddlers, playing our drum solos on mom's old pots on the kitchen floor in an attempt to channel the spirit of Animal the Muppet. It was that refreshing, cathartic and plain fucking fun. Little Teeth's three members included drummer Ammo Eisu and backing vocalist Andy Tisdall. The latter unexpectedly, and I'm sure unintentionally, sounded just like Mick Jagger at his peak. You could have said main vocalist Marrie had a Joplin thing going on, which would have rounded out a classic feel. But make no mistake, the sum of all parts equaled something much darker than any sixties association, so don't make it. This unbridled banshee sang until horse and opened her mouth wide enough to swallow a human baby while doing so, all the while making me miss Nirvana but grateful they left space in rock history for the next evolution. Little Teeth is one band filling and furthering that space.

#2#Indubitably riled after this, any crowd would have been sufficiently prepared for the following band, Chubby Behemoth, a five-piece noise monster consisting of sax, electric violin, and thank God, a souped-up keyboard loaded to the brim with sweet effects. I say thank God because bands like these who dance on the side of the spectrum where punk, or whatever, becomes noise, need depth...like crack. And did it pay off for this chaos machine. Chubby Behemoth's sound is physically impossible to respond to as it is not a force to be reckoned with, but a force to which you can only surrender. In other words, not only must these guys love Mr. Bungle with a passion, they seemingly pick their least digestible album to emulate. I picture this band at the breakfast table every morning, washing down mouthfuls of Disco Volante with a tall glass of O.J. Mmm mmm.

The Warlocks and The Black Angels @ Independent

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

#1#The Warlocks and The Black Angels tour kicked off in San Francisco at the Independent as the aroma of smoke and psychedelic music filled the air.

The Warlocks, considered to be the modern-day version of Spacemen 3, somehow found themselves as the openers of the show although the band has been around longer than The Black Angels and have more releases to date. The band recently slimmed its lineup down and lost a couple of members, including one of their two drummers, however, the lineup changes did not affect their performance. Frontman Bobby Hecksher, sounded phenomenal as usual as he stalked the microphone with his vocals while the rest of the band played tightly behind him. The set-list started with newer tunes and the last half showcased a lot of the band's older druggie songs such as "Shake the Dope Out," "The Dope Feels Good" and "Cocaine Blues." Fortunately, those with an addictive personality in the audience could get away with their cigarette cravings.

#2#The Black Angels, from Austin, TX, lead the way for the rest of the show and were in no way as tight as The Warlocks. They did play a variety of strange instruments, which was cool. Frontman Alex Maas resembled a grizzly bear with his thick, itchy looking beard, at times shaking a maraca. They played a lot of tracks off their first album Passover (2006) including "Black Grease" and "Manipulation." Unfortunately, drummer Stephanie Bailey (Nico anyone?) seemed to get lost in the percussion. Apparently the rest of the band discovered this, as a couple of the fellows replaced her during different songs (why didn't they stay?) while she pretended to play the bass. The band also played a lot of material from their current album, Directions to See a Ghost, which doesn't compare to the melodic Passover.

The strobe light reached a particular high point at the end of the show, giving the drunks a good case of the dizzies and just in time to wake up the indie kids who were nodding their heads and looking down with particular excitement. It was truly a shoegazing-ly good time.