Thao Nguyen is a hometown hero. She’s continuously pushing the boundaries of folk music, and making the acoustic guitar an instrument you can dance to. Her 2013 record We The Common is a beautiful and thought provoking piece of work. She’s headlining the 20th St Block Party this weekend alongside Nick Waterhouse, Dominant Legs and many more. This is a totally free event, so there is no excuse not to come.
Moses Sumney was a sentimental surprise as he kicked off the evening. His emotional acoustic and soulful balladry lifted everyone to the smiling, smooth side of R&B. His performance gave an opening emotional dynamic to the show by allowing a vulnerable, emotional connection to what was yet to come.
Just prior to Dr. Dog was Saint Rich. Saint Rich, a New Jersey skateboarding enthusiast, had an eccentric life stage performance. Complimented with the musical harmony but not to duplicate Dr.Dog.
Closing the exciting Noise Pop Festival was – Dr. Dog. When their fans packed the Warfield, Dr. Dog knew exactly how to respond with current favorites “The Truth” and “Lonesome” while blending in a favorites from the past such as “These Days” and “Oh No”.
Dr. Dog certainly has a loyal fan club in the Bay Area. The simple reason is, each of their albums sequentially build on the one before while remaining true to the original unique sound. Each performance enhances an appreciation of their vintage harmonizing sound. Still true to the east coast vibe; yet, unique enough to remain unclassified from the common pop and indie trend. Just one of many reasons Dr. Dog will remain a Bay Area favorite.
I have no idea how to describe what just happened. This entire show felt like a crazy collision of surf, classic, psychedelic, and punk rock all interlocking and interweaving together to make Bleached, a veritable Voltron of music. Looked at individually, each of these groups are amazing reminders of angsty, dreamy, teenage Southern California rock days gone by. But their presence on stage here at Noise Pop unequivocally proves that this sound is timeless, and so, too, are the people who listen to it.
Spinning Platters is helping you decide which noisey pop you will be enjoying during Noise Pop!
Noise Pop can be intimidating. It’s the best week of live music programming in the Bay Area, and sometimes it’s hard to decide what to go to, because you can’t always be in two places at once. (However, I will be going to two shows on Friday night. I’m a bit insane.) So, if I were deciding what shows you were going to, this is what this shows would be. Disagree? Well, you can decide for yourself by checking the schedule out here. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Tells You What Noise Pop 2014 Shows To Go To”
Normally, four band shows are too much to bear. However, the good folks ay Noise Pop managed to piece together a complete package that more than impressed. We got to enjoy for distinct musical projects that both complimented each other, and still remained entirely unique. We ended up enjoying 4 straight hours of great music.
Noise Pop Happy Hours are once of the better kept secrets of the festival. They all happen at Bender’s Bar & Grill in the Mission- a great spot that serves some of the cheapest drinks of any music venue in town. They also serve tater tots. And who doesn’t like tater tots? It also gets you some really intimate performances for free, and set times that are early enough for the fans to get with day jobs to get to bed at a reasonable hour, or the hardcores can tackle two shows in one night! On this Thursday evening, I managed to battle rush hour traffic in order to head out to see a couple of bands over a delicious grilled macaroni & cheese.
When Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore split up last year, my heart broke. I always felt that they were the perfect rock couple- Moore was the pop yin to Gordon’s experimental yang. And, as expected, Moore’s post Sonic Youth output has largely been filled with guitar pop. And Gordon has been largely quiet. So, when Noise Pop announced that they were featuring her new project, Body/Head, on their opening night of Noise Pop, I was thrilled. When I learned that it was a “noise” project with east coast avant gardist Bill Nace, I had very high hopes for this performance. My favorite Sonic Youth moments have always been when Gordon vocalizes over thunderous guitar shredding. To have a band that strips them down to the just this part was practically a dream show. So, yes, I needed to be there.
Kitten at Bottom Of The Hill last June. Photo by Marie Carney
Kitten are a beast of a band. They play a furious blend of punk and new wave, while their lead singer, Chloe Chaidez, is at the tender age of 17, one of the most dynamic and aggressive front people in rock. We recently took the time out to speak Chaidez about their recently released EP, Cut It Out, the evolution of their sound and the logistics behind being in a teenage rock band. Kitten will be playing a Noise Pop Happy Hour show on Thursday, February 28th at Bender’s Bar & Grill as well as opening for Paramore at The Warfield on May 4th, and their debut full length is due to drop later this year. You’d be foolish to miss their live show.
Every year, for one week, the good people of Noise Pop with their epically refined tastes put together the best week of live music program of the year. And, of course, it could be highly intimidating as well. So, here is a well thought out guide to Noise Pop 2013.
