The Oh Sees Surf Party Tonight

Get to Potrero del Sol Skate Park tonight at sundown for a screening of Dear & Yonder, a surf film all about bad ass girl surfers and the daring tales united by the sea. The Oh Sees, Black Bow and the Bay Area Girls Rock Camp will provide shreddable tunes while some ladies tear up the bowl in the skate park. Bring a blanket, bottle of wine and enjoy this beautiful day with $$$ music and iflm.

Tenacious Fail

Outside Lands just announced that Tenacious D will be replacing the Beastie Boys on the Sunday line up. I don't think they'll be getting my $95.

A far superior alternative lies in sunny San Diego at the 25th Annual Street Scene:

2-day pass is $122. Get tickets here.

Radio and Juliet

This breakthrough ballet offers a new take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set to the music of Radiohead. It is contemporary, compelling and brings out the complexities of Radiohead's sound through movement. Romania's Ballet Mirabor and Edward Clug offer something that appeals to dance and music lovers alike. They recently performed Radio and Juliet at Jacob's Pillow in their only 2009 US appearances. Here's hoping Ballet Mirabor returs in 2010. Until then, I'll be watching this on repeat.

I Don't Think You're Ready for this Jelli

Democratized Radio would emerge from the foggy and fertile creative tech center that is the Bay Area. Jelli is a new online and on-air radio station that is 100% controlled by the listeners. Their aspiration is to "change radio forever," but as long as they keep Chumbawumba off the radio forever, that'll do just fine. They stream on Sundays from 10-Midnight on Live 105 and play online 24 hours a day. When I logged in, Flaming Lips "Fight Test" was playing with Nirvana, Cat Power and the Pixies on deck...not too shabby. And for all you would-be internet celebrities, users get on-air attribution for their selections.

This week’s top 11 most voted-for tracks on Jelli:

11. London Calling - The Clash (coming in only 1 vote ahead of Miike Snow’s Animal!)
10. Suffragette City - David Bowie
9. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot
8. Champagne Supernova - Oasis
7. Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine
6. Waitin’ For A Superman - The Flaming Lips
5. No Feelings - The Sex Pistols
4. Electric Feel (Justice Remix) - MGMT
3. Don’t Believe A Word - Third Eye Blind
2. Brass Monkey - The Beastie Boys
1. Help I’m Alive - Metric

www.jelli.net

Sex With No Hands at the Neverland Ranch

It was only a few days ago, but the apex of Michael Jackson hysteria was in its one-gloved glory when Sex with No Hands played with Neverland in a tribute to the King of Pop. San Francisco’s most avid MJ fans assembled to remember the time. All epochs in Jackson fashion were represented, from red leather bomber jackets to flowing white button-down shirts and black pants. In the front row, a man proudly held aloft a framed Newsweek cover declaring “The tour. The hype. The hysteria.”

In a way, this show was MJ’s own comeback tour of the Bay Area, reenlivened first by Sex with No Hands, a seven member accordion-funk supergroup. Complete with outlandish costumes, laser light shows and keytars, it’s Parliament meets Polka at Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Best known for turning any party into a partay, their sell-out shows are always sweaty slopfests that can only happen in a city like San Francisco, but this particular show could only happen in this fever pitch of Michael Jackson fandom. Two accordions battled over funky bass lines. A keytar was shred centerstage. A dancer deftly moonwalked, spun and gyrated in the center of this ADD Neverland. While their music always conjures a delightful mix of irreverence and enthusiasm, this set in particular left the audience with irrepressible smiles as they danced their faces off. It was a fitting tribute to the power of Michael Jackson’s music and dancing.

No one could be a bigger fan of Michael Jackson than the Bay Area’s own Michael Jackson Tribute Band, Neverland. Their name conjures up fascination with the bizarre, nervousness about sleepovers and intrigue surrounding a place where time seems suspended at age 10. Neverland played through the pain in their second show ever. They were thrust into the spotlight by the sudden death of the King of Pop five days after their first show. Their show was splashed across every weekend preview in town and was probably the first press this rag tag team of MJ-loving musicians had ever received. Somehow they avoided Animal Collective’s fate and did not cross the line of overexposure into blogosphere backlash.

Neverland is far too sincere for that anyways. A true tribute group, they go beyond spectacle to deliver a sophisticated recreation of Michael Jackson’s powerful sound, complete with five lead vocalists, four horns and a six piece rhythm section! As you’d expect from superfans, they are a well-studied super group. While the horns got everyone to blame it on the boogie, the vocalists really shone as they took on Michael Jackson’s gifted singing style. On most songs, they took on MJ’s disarming falsetto and gritty growl. The most affecting was when all five of them came together to sing “I’ll Be There.” If you closed your eyes and really went with it, it was almost like MJ was there. And everyone in the audience really went with it. The energy was earnest, we still hadn’t heard any autopsy reports, we were practically in Michael’s Giving Tree at Neverland as we danced to the full range of the King of Pop’s catalog. With 2 inductions to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 13 Grammys, 13 number on singles and the sale of over 750 million records and the best-selling album of all-time, there was no shortage of classic jams. Per their myspace page, Neverland is available for your next public or private event…Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough Office Christmas Parties!

Sex with No Hands is not a one-night stand kind of band. Catch them July 25 at Summer Meltdown at Café du Nord with Super Adventure Club & Griddle. They’ll finally get to play their accordion version of “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” that they’ve been dreaming of.

Sex With No Hands Upcoming Shows:
July 25: Summer Meltdown at Café Du Nord with Super Adventure Club & Griddle
August 18: Elbo Room with Antioquia

--Jenna Glass
July 8, 2009

Christmas in July: Treasure Island Line Up Announced

Treasure Island has got Outside Lands beat. The line up was announced today on the Treasure Island Music Festival website and it's glorious.

Saturday, October 17th, 2009
MGMT
MSTRKRFT
Girl Talk
Brazilian Girls
The Streets
Passion Pit
LTJ Bukem feat. MC Conrad
DJ Krush
Federico Aubele
Dan Deacon
Murs
Crown City Rockers
The Limousines*

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
The Flaming Lips
The Decemberists
Beirut
Grizzly Bear
Yo La Tengo
The Walkmen
Bob Mould
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down*
Vetiver*
Spiral Stairs
Sleepy Sun*
Tommy Guerrero*
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Single Day Tickets are $65.
2-Day Passes are $99 for the early birds, then go up to $115.
Get tickets here.

*Bay Area artists

Blitzen Trapper Look As Good As They Sound

New Video from Portland's very own Blitzen Trapper! "Black River Killer"
It's like Requieum for a Dream meets No Country for Old Men and I love it. The flickery quality, dripping sepia tones and circling camera work all delight. Now for the real question, where can I get one of those masks?

The Sub Pop standouts' Behind-the-Scenes bonus is equally beautiful. "We all, whether knowingly or unknowingly, speak the language of film."

Rumor Mill: Treasure Island to Feature Flaming Lips, Girl Talk, Beirut, MGMT and more!

SF Weekly's All Shook Down blog reports that they've heard from someone, who heard from somebody else, that they read on this top secret blog that this year's Treasure Island Festival will be sick.

In keeping with the dance Saturday and rock Sunday format, the Oct. 17 headliners are said to include Girl Talk, MGMT, MSTRKRFT, other acronym-based bands (ABBA?!) and Oct. 18 will feature the Flaming Lips, Beirut and the Decemberists. I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed that the Flaming Lips will be there to perform work from their upcoming release, Embryonic.

Full line-up to be announced on July 13.

If you didn't make it to last year's Treasure Island Music Festival, read my review of Justice, the Raconteurs, CSS, Fleet Foxes and more on Amplifier Magazinehere. It is a far better experience than Outside Lands: no overlapping sets, easy trek between stages, stunning views of SF proper and a Ferris wheel!

And Vibraphone Makes 3

Pitchfork reports today that the Dodos are coming out with a new album, Time to Die being released Sept. 15 on French Kiss.

Meric Long says:

We have a whole new element in all the new songs right now-- an electric vibraphone. That's what's really standing out. It was something I wanted to incorporate a while ago when I heard about this company that made pick ups for vibraphones so you can actually plug it in and really fuck up the sound while retaining that organic element.

Will their new sound once again kill with Miller Chill?.

See them live at Outside Lands this August, playing alongside your favorite bands from the 90s.

TV on the Radio Gets Glitch Mobbed

Glitch Mob tried their hand at TV on the Radio's "Red Dress." I'm not sure it lives up to their motto "We Slay Crowds" like their live shows do. While it turns up the bass line, the cut up, synthy, downtempo remix loses the track's original funkiness. Treated as its own entity, it surely delivers Glitch Mob's signature genre-bending, thumping blip hop beats.

Download/Stream TVOTR "Red Dress" (Glitch Mob Remix) here.

See Glitch Mob's Boreta offer up a "sonic bikini wax" with Bassnectar this Friday at 103 Harriet. Click here for details.

A Dan Deacon Dedication to Dolores Days

There's something about the new Dan Deacon album that sounds a lot like Dolores Days...it's a little slower, more comfortable than the acclaimed Spiderman of the Rings. Recorded in Montana near Glacier National Park, Bromst delivers a dense exploration of human-mechanic music making. It packs in multiple tracks, even of the same instrument, at a relentless pace that reaches into 1/32 notes. They used a handmade metal sheet to harness every bit of reverb. The creativity, willingness to explore the far reaches of electronic and acoustic sound and the relentless positivity and perpetuation of change make this a great album for sitting in the park, eating a truffle and working on your sunburn. Known for circus-like shows, he's not afraid to venture into the spiritual and reminds you that he's the ringleader of this sonic rabbit hole. Check out the dance battles from his show at the Great American Music Hall last month [skip ahead to 3:30 in]:

Dan Deacon Dance-Off from kata rokkar on Vimeo.

Hear Bromst on Dan Deacon's MySpace.

Who doesn't love sheet dancers?

Animal Collective helped Letterman reach the 18-24 demo when they played "Summertime Clothes" on his show Thurday 5/7. Dave seemed kind of confused by the whole thing and offered candy to the "trick or treaters." Should be interesting to see how the dance troupe's material progresses when I see them at Sasquatch.

The French Kicks' Abandon, while coming out a year ago, gets play on my ipod daily. It's finally gotten the video treatment. Perfect for this rainy SF Saturday.

French Kicks "Abandon" from THE FEAR on Vimeo.

TFGIF

Weekend Music Agenda

Friday:
Thee Oh Sees at Tart: A Party for Andy at the DeYoung (local wishy washy name spellers)
Matthew Dear at Mighty (amphibious electro pop)

Saturday:
Soul Night at the Elbo Room (swanky, silly dancing in semi-formal wear)
Biz Markie at the Rock-It Room (large dude, largely washed up)

Sunday:
Van Morrison plays Astral Weeks at the Greek Theater (mmm nostalgia)

"Get Some Stank on your Seersuckers"

Ra Ra R&B? Listen to believe. Vampire Weekend Keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij (I had to quadruple check that one) and Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles team up as Discovery. They've discovered a way to fuse the irrefutable appeal of RRR and VW's indie pop sound with some sexy synth, all the while toeing the line between TRL and All Tomorrow's Parties. Maybe it's the recent SF heatwave, but I just can't wait to pump all these summer jams.

Download/Stream "Orange Shirt" here.

They've declared it themselves: This is next level shit.

Me, I gotta crush.

Two Weeks of Hip Hop

@edwarddroste has been begging and pleading Snoop Dogg to join the ranks of CSS, Born Ruffians and Beirut in covering Grizzly Bear. The Hood Internet heard his call to action and injected Dead Prez's hip hop flavor into "Two Weeks of Hip Hop."

Sometimes the Hood Internet pulls it off, sometimes they don't. But this one definitely works. Ed Droste's voice urges DP to take their time as they get crunk up and it results in the listener feeling zen and gangsta all at the same time. Downward Snoop Dogg anyone?

Download/Stream "Two Weeks of Hip Hop" [The Hood Internet]

90 degree collabo

Blast this on your boom box, roof top, hill top, drop top, wherever.
MP3/Stream Clipse ft. Kanye- Kinda Like a Big Deal

Celebrate Record Store Day this Saturday!

Support local, indie record stores on April 18 as part of a worldwide celebration of the little guy. Get more information on international events at www.recordstoreday.com. Especially when we look back on recent self-congratulating over keeping chains out of the Mission, it's important to back up those words with action and $$$. So get out there, get digging and enjoy free in-store sets!

Amoeba Records on Haight has a pretty epic line-up of DJs for the afternoon, so get over there, get digging through records and support local business.

From amoebarecords.com:
Amoeba will join in the international festivities of the 2nd annual Record Store Day! Join us for the following special DJ sets:

* The Whooligan (Sole Vibe / Rightlane) 1-2pm
* Kylee of Loquat (Talking House): 2-3pm
* Kelley Stoltz (Sub Pop) 3-4pm
* John Vanderslice (Dead Oceans) 4-5pm
* Aesop Rock (Definitive Jux) 5-6pm

PLUS: Giveaways every hour from 12pm - 5pm!!
Stay tuned to amoeba.com for updates on guest DJ’s, exclusive Record Store Day releases, music giveaways, contests, and more! Save the date and join us for the party!

Also, The Silversun Pickups with be at Rasputin Music in Berkeley at 4pm.

Weekend Music Agenda

For those of you not at Coachella this weekend...

Friday:
Band of Horses at Fox Theater (Sold Out) 8pm
Mos Def Late Show at Yoshi's 11pm
Sebastian Tellier (French Perv Music) w/ Chairlift (Annoying Ipod Commercial Music) 8pm

Saturday:
Black Keys w/ Thee Make Out Party at Fox Theater (Sold Out) 8pm
Saturday Night Soul Party (Swanky DJs) at Elbo Room
Sex with No Hands (Accordion Rock) at Peacock Gold Lounge 8 pm

Sunday:
Djangofest Mill Valley (As amazing as it sounds)
Kimya Dawson (That Juno girl) at the Rickshaw Stop 7pm

Pictured: Sebastian Tellier & skull of former lover

april jams

April 13

Wavves Free Show at Aquarius Records | April 13

I caught Wavves' free show at Aquarius Records today on my way home from work, squeezing between racks of records and stood shoulder to shoulder with my neighbors to catch a glimpse of Wavves and his gnarly, assymetrical bangs. His myspace says he sounds like Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, but I think he sounds more like my teen years in FL, sunburnt and so bored. They opened the set with To the Dregs, a stand out on the Wavves EP, and closed with California Goth. While this San Diego bro may be too stoned to come up with song titles that don't include the words weed, beach, demon, goth, he was just stoned enough to create noisy, no-fi rock music that perfectly toes the line of pop and weirdness and brought me back to tortured beach teen demon days. West coast friends, he continues his tour down the coast this week.

Listen to the weed beach demon here: http://www.myspace.com/wavves