jennifer clavin – Spinning Platters

How Did Jennifer Clavin (Dear Francis) Get Here?

Jennifer Clavin has been near the top of my interview bucket list since the inception of this site a whopping 15 years ago. (!) I’ve followed her career through Mika Miko to Bleached, watching her mature as a songwriter while I’ve matured along with her, with her music helping me navigate my life. She’s recently stepped out from behind the comfort of a band and has released three singles as a solo act under the alias Dear Francis. We discussed her career and craft and even hit on the joy of rescuing animals.

She’s been posting links to her new music here as it’s ready to share. She’s playing Heavy Manners Library in LA on Sunday, October 27th. This is her first solo show EVER, and I’m sad I can’t come down for it. But you should if you are in Southern California. Tickets here!

Single of the Week: “godheads” by dear francis

dear francis is the nom de plume of Jennifer Clavin, my personal favorite songwriter, possibly ever? She spent her teens and 20s co-fronting the legendary Mika Miko, then she broke off and put together the power-pop tinged Bleached, and now she’s gifted us with the third release as a solo artist, and it’s bloody intense. Produced by No Age’s Randy Randall, this song is about losing a dear friend to addiction and the complexities of the emotions involved. If you’ve been through this, the song will feel like a warm hug. If you haven’t, this track will get you a little closer to understanding someone who has.

There’s exciting stuff on the horizon with dear francis. New tracks can be found here as they arrive, and for those in LA, she’s debuting this project live ON MY BIRTHDAY (10/27) and Heavy Manners Library! (I’m on the Bay Area and can’t make it, but you should!)

Show Review: Bleached with Thank You Come Again and DJ Omar at The Chapel, 11/15/22

I love seeing a band “off cycle” or when they don’t have anything specific to promote. They are loose. They don’t have to focus on promoting anything. It’s when a band gets to simply be themselves on stage. I’ve probably seen Bleached more than almost any other band at this point (not to dismiss their recent Single Of The Week, of course), but this may be the first time I’ve seen them like this. Continue reading “Show Review: Bleached with Thank You Come Again and DJ Omar at The Chapel, 11/15/22”

Show Review: Phono del Sol, 7/13/13

Phono del Sol is quickly becoming a festival to be reckoned with. In it’s third year, attendance seems to have more then tripled their attendance from the year prior, and I think, these year, have finally solidified itself as the tastemaking music festival of the Summer. It’s the perfect situation: a sunny day in one of San Francisco’s most underappreciated spaces: Potrero del Sol Park. It has a stage pre built directly in front of a skate park, making for a stage experience unlike any other show. This year they added an additional stage, doubling the amount of music. And, much like Treasure Island, the two stages were set up so there was no overlap, and, in fact, we got to enjoy 6 1/2 hours of continuous music.

Continue reading “Show Review: Phono del Sol, 7/13/13”

Show Review: Japandroids with Bleached at The Filmore, 11/12/12

I first stumbled across Japandroids while waiting to see No Age at SXSW in 2010. These were a bunch of noisey rock duos playing a venue that was normally set aside for DJ dancing. The sound guy had no idea as to how to deal with a band. As Japandroids were doing their line check, the sound guy yelled into the PA, seemingly frustrated to no end:

“That’s Loud As Shit!”

The singer / guitarist responded, even more upset, “IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE LOUD AS SHIT!!!”

That’s when I knew that this band was going to be great. And they killed it. And, finally, three years later, they are playing the legendary Fillmore Auditorium. Few bands deserve this honor as much as these guys do.

Continue reading “Show Review: Japandroids with Bleached at The Filmore, 11/12/12”