Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
OMG! This song is so heavy that I need extra creatine to listen to it. Brennan Wedl, a recent addition to the Kill Rock Stars roster, has brought “Kudzu,” named for the invasive vine that destroys native plants. And this song is so blistering, it’s almost dangerous. Lyrically, it’s a reflection on religion and what it’s like to be raised in something you don’t believe in, which is also infinitely relatable.
I can’t wait to hear more from Wedl. This track can be found in all the usual places.
The pandemic has put is knee-deep into MySpace-era nostalgia. Bands like My Chemical Romance, Limp Bizkit, and The Strokes play bigger venues than in their heyday. So, obviously, it’s time for the weirdest of the 00’s to get a chance to return, too! Kill Rock Stars have resurrected 5RC (5 Rue Christine), a home for more experimental works. The video above is their first release of the 2020’s, “Glass from Sand” by MV Carbon + Charlemagne Palestine (Full Length out Nov 4th)/ I spent A LOT of time with 5RC bands in the early ’00s, as I wanted desperately to be welcomed by the noise community.
Continue reading “Picks Six: Six Defining Tracks from 5RC Records”
Every single time I talk to a member of the Habibi camp, I gently remind them that I’m still waiting for their self-titled debut to get re-released on vinyl. And I give them a good amount of space on this site, so those conversations have been pretty frequent. Well, their manager has hinted that this was in the works for the last few years without saying it. So, now that it’s true!!! Even better, it’s been taken off the roster of the now-defunct Burger Records label and picked up by the polar opposite label: KILL ROCK STARS! (My favorite record label.) Continue reading “Vinyl Reissue Spotlight: The Habibi Back Catalog”
Holy psychedelic shit! This monster of a track is a 70’s spy movie blended with the very concept of joy and boiled down to 3:50 of horn and flute-driven rock n roll. I am pretty sure that Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson are battling to see who can write the film version of “Barbara” first. Canada’s TEKE::TEKE blend traditional Japanese instruments with horns, flutes, guitar, bass, and drums and a lovely and imaginative way. This track is AMAZING.
“Barbara” is the lead single off TEKE::TEKE’s debut full-length, Shirushi, out now on Kill Rock Stars. You can purchase or stream this record in all of the usual places!
Oakland’s own The Shutups are bringing us this week’s Single Of The Week. “Can You Dance To A Feeling?” is a power pop burner, great for getting ready to go out. Yes, I know you can’t go out until sometime next year, but it still feels good to listen to the music that helps you feel that way. The music video also takes place largely outside of the Loard’s Ice Cream shop by my gym, which I miss going to, and can’t wait to see that reopen sometime next year.
You know what you don’t have to wait until next year for? The EP that this week’s single comes off of! 5 by The Shutups is out TODAY and since it’s Bandcamp day, you can buy it right now and 100% of the money you drop on it will go straight to the band so they can, um, buy more ice cream? Also, tonight at 8pm, the band is playing (an empty) Ivy Room, with the whole thing getting streamed on Kill Rock Stars YouTube Channel!
MAITA is a band from Portland, Oregon that’s fronted by singer/songwriter Maria Maita-Keppeler. “Someone’s Lost Their Goddam Wallet” is the second single to drop off their debut record, Best Wishes. It’s a fun little number that’s great for dancing around to, but also reminds you that parties and such might not be as fun as you recall. Especially when throwing a party is suddenly the deadliest thing on Earth, next to going to work in an office or choir practice at church. It’s exactly what I needed to help deal with the norms of now.
Best Wishes is out NOW on Kill Rock Stars, and it’s FANTASTIC. You should buy it TODAY on Bandcamp, because not only is Bandcamp not taking a commission on sales today, but Kill Rock Stars is donating 20% of all sales to community bail funds, mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizations through ActBlue. So buy a few records today, actually. Pick up the Elliot Smith, Marnie Stern, Deerhoof, and many other great Kill Rock Stars releases that you should already own but don’t.
Oh, and if you either forget to buy stuff today, or you want to split your purchases, on Juneteenth (June 19th), Bandcamp is donating their proceeds to NAACP Action Fund.
I’ve been following Marnie Stern’s career nearly from the get-go. Her first record, In Advance Of The Broken Arm, is still one of my all time favorite records, and hardly a week goes by without giving it a listen. I enjoyed her second record, This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That, but, as is the case with many sophomore releases, I didn’t become infatuated with it as much as the debut. So, here we have record number three. A record that’s pre-buzz has led me to believe that we have a “serious departure,” and, what may be the one thing that has me approaching with the greatest caution, “ballads.” My biggest fear would be that one of the most aggressive players in rock music today has gone gentle.
Continue reading “Album Review: Marnie Stern — Marnie Stern”
