What a week it’s been. A new yawn-inducing Strokes single, a giveaway from Urban Outfitters of the new Toro y Moi album Underneath the Pine, yet more from Sleigh Bells, an underwhelming Black Eyed Peas Superbowl Halftime show, I guess the Kills are still making music, and the list goes on. Luckily for us there’s a lot going on this weekend and over the course of the next week. High on Fire at Slim’s Sunday in SF, Smith Westerns playing Bottom of the Hill here in SF Sunday night, Young Prisms at the Independent Monday in SF, a listening party for Panda Bear’s Tomboy in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge Gallery Wednesday the 16 and so much more. As for now, here’s the week in pop in no particular order.
West Oakland expatriate turned LA dweller Colleen Green has a 7-inch coming out on Hardly Art March 1 for her single “Green One”. We have been given the green light to provide you with the b side “Y Do U Call Me?” which fortunately does not allude nor mimic the Moz as I had initially feared. Some proper grungy guitar, hand claps to boot and an earnest charm.
Colleen Green, “Y Do U Call Me?”
Catch Colleen Green live on the following dates and places:
February
18 Los Angeles, CA Lot 1 Cafe with the Monolators
20 San Diego, CA Tower Bar
March
04 Oakland, CA 1234 Go! Records Store with Uzi Rash
05 Reno, NV The H.Q.
07 Portland, OR Mudai Lounge with Nucular Animals, Mean Jeans
08 Seattle, WA Sunset Tavern with The Caligraphers
11 Caldwell, ID House Show
12 Provo, UT The Compound
13 Denver, CO Unit B
15 Amarillo, TX The 806
17-19 Austin, TX SXSW
20 Shreveport, LA Minicine
21 Oxford, MS Cats Purring Dude Ranch
22 Auburn, AL Marion House
23 Gainesville, FL Junkyard
24 Columbia, SC Jessica's House
26 Cincinnati, OH Mayday
28 Detroit, MI PJ's Lager House
31 Philadelphia, PA The Trinity Haus
April
01 Jersey City, NJ House Show
02 Brooklyn, NY Death By Audio with JEFF the Brotherhood, Xray Eyeballs
03 Willimantic, CT The Handsome Woman
04 Cambridge, MA Zuzu
15 Lowell, MA 119 Gallery
While on the topic of Hardly Art Records, Vancouver’s Dizzy Eyes are a band on some kind of hiatus due to a member having his Canadian residency revoked (didn’t even know this kind of thing happened in Canada). Despite all this, the trio, now duo (?) are doing what they can to keep it together in order to make the LP of their dreams (someday soon?). But until then, check out their single “Let’s Break Up the Band”. It displays more solidarity than a band about to say goodbye. The single hits the streets March 1. Check out Dizzy Eyes March 17-20 at SXSW.
Dizzy Eyes, “Let's Break Up the Band”
Check out what the latest vid from Mogwai with “Mexican Grand Prix” off of their latest album, Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will. I swear these lads are going electro soft on us, but at least they give you a kinetic Irvin Welsh montage of Glasgow that we haven’t seen since Trainspotting.
Tim Cohen of The Fresh & Onlys has an EP called Bad Blood due February 22 alongside his latest LP Magic Trick, on Captured Tracks. Being the focal point of various SF side projects, progenitor of other people’s projects, and collaborator numero uno, it’s always a treat to the ears to hear Cohen’s sunshine pop, any ol’ time.
Just received word that Moon Duo has a new release in the works slated for March 29 under the album title Mazes, via Sacred Bones Records. The title track features the Duo feeling their “What Goes On” Velvets side, so expect less of the overstated Spacemen 3 comparisons that permeated the critic circuit’s review of last year’s excellent Escape. Listen loudly and see what I mean.
'Mazes' – Moon Duo by KaikuStudios
Catch Moon Duo on the road:
March
15 Kansas City MO Record Bar
16 Norman OK The Opolis
22 Atlanta GA 529
23 Raleigh NC Kings Barcade
24 Baltimore MD The Golden West Cafe
25 Philadelphia PA King Fu Necktie
26 New York NY Cake Shop
27 Brooklyn NY Knitting Factory
29 Boston MA T.T. The Bear’s Place with Blank Dogs
30 Montreal QC Il Motore with Blank Dogs
31 Toronto ON Sneaky Dee’s with Blank Dogs
April
02 Chicago IL Empty Bottle with Blank Dogs
03 St. Paul MN Turf Club
04 Fargo MD The Aquarium
07 Vancouver BC Media Club
08 Seattle WA The Funhouse
09 Portland OR East End
11 San Francisco CA Bottom of the Hill
12 Los Angeles CA The Echo
13 San Diego CA The Casbah
15 Salt Lake City UT Kilby Court
16 Denver CO Hi-Dive
It recently came to my attention that Luis Vasquez recorded the self-titled Soft Moon album entirely at his Oakland digs. In the meantime the press bounces the perceived influence between Ian Brown and Ian Curtis. Well, to continue the pretentious comparative litany, let me throw my description in the hat: it's reminiscent of the Eno-affected Slowdive via Souvlaki. It also features the super fad (and still enticing) buried-beneath-the-ambient-atmosphere vocal effect.
The soft moon- When it's over by LoisLane
Also dig the video for “Circles”:
Catch Luis and company on the California tour circuit with Autolux, or at this year’s SXSW.
February
06 Los Angeles, CA The Echo / Part-Time Punks with Violet Tremors, Anika DJ Set
10 San Francisco, CA Milk Bar
25 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord (Noise Pop Festival) with Black Ryder, Tamaryn
March
03 Santa Barbara, CA Velvet Jones with Autolux
04 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex with Autolux
05 Costa Mesa, CA Detroit Bar with Autolux
06 San Diego, CA Casbah with Autolux
16 19 Austin, TX SXSW
April
30 Austin, TX The East Side Drive-In (Austin Psych Fest)
The Bay Area’s Bares Wires’ have a 7-inch out entitled “Don’t Ever Change” and you can listen to the single courtesy of Robot Elephant Records.
Bare Wires – Don't Ever Change 7″ Single by Robot Elephant Records
If that’s not enough RAK Records-era Mickie Most glam revival for you, check out the Bare Wires’ own Rock n’ Roll High School video piss take for “Don’t Ever Change.”
Bare Wires – Don't Ever Change from Daniel Hilsinger on Vimeo.
Catch Bares Wires on their North American tour, dates as follows:
February
25 Carbone's Monterey, CA
26 Burger Records Fullerton, CA
28 Soda Bar San Diego, CA
March
01 Que Sera Long Beach, CA
02 Echo Los Angeles, CA
03 Bunkhouse Saloon Las Vegas, NV
05 The Summit Durango, CO
07 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
08 Replay Lounge Lawrence, KS
09 Good Records Dallas, TX
10 Fitzgerald's Houston, TX
11 Korova San Antonio, TX
12 Festival Nrmal Monterey, MX
13 20 SXSW Austin, TX
24 Siberia New Orleans, LA
25 Lowe Mill Arts Huntsville, AL
26 Fareveller Festival @Hi Tone Memphis, TN
29 Caledonia Lounge Athens, GA
30 Earl Atlanta, GA
31 Will's Pub Orlando, FL
April
01 Churchill's Miami, FL
02 The Backyard Gainesville, FL
03 The Engine Room Tallahassee, FL
04 Nightlight Chapel Hill, NC
05 Comet Pizza and Ping Pong Washington, DC
06 Danger Danger Gallery Philadelphia, PA
07 Public Assembly Brooklyn, NY
08 Firehouse 13 Providence, RI
09 WHRB Festival @ Democracy Center Cambridge, MA
10 Cake Shop New York, NY
12 Cafe Nine New Haven, CT
13 La Sala Rossa Montreal, QC
14 Babylon Ottawa, ON
15 Parts and Labour Toronto, ON
16 Lager House Detroit, MI
17 Schubas Tavern Chicago, IL
19 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, IA
20 Cactus Club Milwaukee, WI
21 Turf Club St. Paul, MN
22 The Aquarium Fargo, ND
23 The Railyard Billings, MT
24 BSMT Missoula, MT
27 Funhouse Seattle, WA
28 White House Vancouver, BC
29 Northern Olympia, WA
30 East End Portland, OR
And as if we needed reminders that that summer is still so far away, look no further than the garage romanticism of San Francisco’s the Wrong Words, with their single “Summer’s Gone.” The WWs have a self-titled LP on the way due March 22 on Trouble in Mind Records, and are playing a fun gig with The Fresh & Onlys, Growlers and Pleasure Kills February 27 at Bottom of the Hill. In the meantime, enjoy some SF power pop good time vibes with “Summer’s Gone.”
The Wrong Words, “Summer's Gone”
Also check out the video for the Words’ “What Went Wrong” here:
Wrong Words “What Went Wrong” music video from Chris Anderson on Vimeo.
And while I’m on a video tangent, here’s the video for “Do You Want to Give $$?” from our friends Sic Alps, off of their latest album Napa Asylum. A super 8 look at San Francisco, a tribute to the city’s panhandlers and a rocking ode to the working class wonders:
And now for a Goldmine Sacks exclusive premiere from Monterey Peninsula’s Hot Dogs in the Sun. Reminiscent of the Pet Shop Boys or Bernard Sumner’s New Order side Electronic or perhaps even Italian disco treasure Righeira; their latest offering “IBIY” (I Believe in You) is packed with enough positive energy to wake up the hospice inhabitants of Carmel-by-the-Sea/Pebble Beach. After you enjoy the barrage of electro effects, trippy channel pans, fancy delays and infectious mechanical claps, the lyrics will leave you feeling more posi than all the saccharine in a p.m.a. self-help manual. “All you got to do is set your mind to it, push it to the max, I know you can do it, there’s no limit to what you can achieve, close your eyes, focus and believe.”
