To paraphrase Laura Rogers, lead vocalist for The Secret Sisters: “When Nickel Creek come on, you are going to smile, and stay smiling the whole time they are on stage.” It’s been nearly seven years since the great Southern California trio have last toured as a unit. Despite all three members making many trips to the Bay Area throughout the hiatus, it’s remained a very lonesome and sad seven years. During this period, we had to weather a folk revival with a slew of lesser bands become bigger than Nickel Creek ever were. Simply put, the world needs Nickel Creek.
HIPS is a new project from Drew Denny of Big Whup, Natalia Rogovin of Social Studies, and Christina Gaillard of Crown Plaza. A few minutes on HIPS’ Soundcloud page and one can pretty easily discern that this project has very little to do with any of these bands. They advertise themselves as doing “DANCE JAMS // GRINDING // LATE NIGHT DRIVES // MAKING OUT.” I’ve never heard music that immediately conjures up the image of making out on the back of a van late at night while driving through a forest before I heard HIPS, but these ladies have managed to do just that. Continue reading “Show Review: Big Scary, HIPS at Bottom Of The Hill, 5/16/14”
Photo Courtesy of Pam Gentile and the San Francisco Film Society
The San Francisco International Film Festival has some people on staff with some impeccable taste in music. Since 2000, with their first pairing of Television’s Tom Verlaine with a series of short films from the 1920’s, they’ve chosen some pretty amazing pairings of rock musicians and silent films. At tonight’s event, we got to experience local folk rock heroine Thao Nguyen, accompanied by her long time back up band The Get Down Stay Down and a slew of classic and contemporary films for what amounted to a multimedia variety show that was unlike anything else I’ve seen.
There aren’t a whole lot of bands that nearly everyone can agree on as “good.” Queens Of The Stone Age have managed to find that perfect balance where everyone seems to like. They are embraced by indie kids, mainstream rock fans, metal heads, and pretty much all rock fans in between. Never underestimate the power of a solid riff.
When you type Motörhead in on your iPhone, it automatically adds in the umlaut. That’s how important this band is- so important that your phone knows to give them the respect they deserve.
Municipal Waste, Negative Approach, Fucked Up, Impaled, The Shrine, Kicker, Conquest For Death at Oakland Metro Operahouse
For the low price of $26 a piece, we’ve got one of the best heavy music line ups you could ever create. This is an epic show, and you should go. Not going would be a bad move.
It’s been far too long since Merrill Garbus has graced our eardrums with new music. Happily, she’s pulled out two amazing new singles, as well as a show at The Chapel. This is going to be a great homecoming from one of the best ever.
The Men, CCR Headcleaner, Gun Outfit at Rickshaw Stop
Portland psych rock heroes The Dandy Warhols have kept a rather low profile for the last few years… However, they keep stretching out their 13th anniversary of 13 Tales Of Urban Bohemia well into it’s 14th anniversary with the release of a live recording of that record, as well as another leg of a tour spotlighting that classic record.
The Dillinger Escape Plan, Trash Talk, Retox at DNA Lounge
At this time last year, I had no idea who Haim were. They barely a blip on my radar, as they were simply an LA band, and there are dozens of those. It wasn’t until Summer when I finally “Falling,” and was blown away. And, like the rest of the world, when I heard Days Are Gone for the first time, I thought to myself, “Wow. This is amazing!” I never thought a record of soft rock could be so impressive. Of course, they weren’t going to be kept secret. They managed to sell out two nights at The Fillmore in less time than it took me to learn the proper pronunciation of their name. (Rhymes with time)
