In breaking news, San Francisco’s Eagle Tavern, the venerable biker/leather daddy/rock n’ roll bar (home to Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segal, Fresh & Onlys + 30 years of bands you love) is being shut down by some bridge n’ tunnel suburban encroacher with plans to take the Eagle as we know it now:
And make it into something like this, starting at the end of the month:
The Eagle Tavern is a home to rock n rollers, queers, straights, bears, queens, dudes, misfits, dudettes, leather-men and women alike and the best shows you have ever seen in SF… ever. Save the Eagle, read more here.
So what else did happen this week? We had Vivian Girls enjoy the release of their third record Share The Joy, I think Brazillian metal gods Sepultra put a single out, Soundgarden announced a tour this summer, Santigold collaborates with Karen O, Zoey and M. Ward are recording music for the upcoming Winnie the Pooh film and now I’m nauseous. But enough already, it’s time to break the week down into brass tacks in no particular order.
True Womanhood recently covered Pictureplane's “Dark Rift,” mellowing down the track a notch, punctuating the vocals in a more distinct manner than the original and giving it an analogue makeover while still paying homage to original’s electronic luster. Pictureplane’s Travis Egedy seems utterly flattered by the cover and shared the following blurb of hype on his blog:
“True Womanhood are a Washington DC based band who covered my song “Dark Rift” from my 2009 album of the same name. No one has ever covered my music this well before… they completely turned the track in to their own and it is glorious. Props dudes. <3"
I also heard that True Womanhood have made the move from DC to New York and have big plans for both recordings and shows in the works. We’ll keep you in the loop on their further outings.
While on the topic of Pictureplane, former Bay Area resident and Anticon founder Tim “Sole” Holland has enlisted the likes of Lil B, Pictureplane, Sage Francis, Xiu Xiu for his upcoming release, Hello Cruel World. This has the Anticon Records co-creator stepping out of his label, trying on some new sounds with the help of an impressive list of contemporary luminaries. Hello Cruel World will be available July 19 on Fake Four Inc. Enjoy a peek here with the title track:
Sole and the Skyrider Band “Hello Cruel World” by sole…
TV Ghost released their new album Mass Dream last Tuesday and they are so excited they are sharing lead off track “Wire Trap” with all of us. Inside sources inform me that the album was recorded in 10 days time before the group embarked on a two week tour of the Southwest that was followed up by a two month European tour.
“Wired Trap” by TV Ghost by forcefieldpr
Also you have to check out the video for “Subterfuge.” The static effect of the band’s projected analog image gives them that Haunted Mansion spectral appearance. Living up to their name with the paranormal visuals, they evoke dusty memories of scrambled coaxial connections displaying broadcasts of Solid Gold performances from the '80s.
Here’s TV Ghost’s upcoming road schedule:
May
22 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
26 Milwaukee, WI Cactus Club
27 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
29 Memphis, TN Hi Tone
31 Tulsa, OK The Reverb
June
02 Austin, TX Red 7 (Chaos in Tejas Festival)
03 Houston, TX Rudyards
04 New Orleans, LA Siberia
05 Mobile, AL Alabama Music Box
08 Tallahassee, FL The Engine Room
12 Atlanta, GA The Earl
LA’s Cassettes Won't Listen has a new album on the way June 21 called KEVINSPACEY via Daylight Curfew. Previous marketing director for Definitive Jux Jason Drake has worked some three years in the making of this album and given the electropop atmospheres he builds in “The Echoes,” we already like it more than that AmCo/Cannibal Ox mash up Animal Ox.
Cassettes Wont Listen, “The Echoes”
In the excitement of Unknown Mortal Orchestra signing to Fat Possum for their debut album, we’re still pumped from their recent high energy SXSW performance at Lovejoys.
Should you need any convincing, listen no further than “How Can U Love Me” which breaks through its own lo-fi recorded constraints with some great falsetto, vague-nostalgic guitar and a forward drum beat and all the tape warps to make it sound super legit.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, “How Can U Luv Me”
Check out UMO’s mad touring schedule too:
April (with Smith Westerns except San Francisco)
15 San Francisco, CA The Independent with Phantogram
25 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brendas
28 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
29 Raleigh, NC Kings Barcade
30 Atlanta, GA Masquerade (Hell Stage)
May (with Portugal. The Man, Telekinesis)
05 Sacramento, CA Harlows
06 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore Auditorium
07 Anaheim, CA House of Blues Anaheim
08 Scottsdale, AZ Martini Ranch
11 Colorado Springs, CO The Black Sheep
12 Fort Collins, CO Aggie Theatre
13 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
14 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
17 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar
19 Little Rock, AR Revolution Music Room w/ Portugal. The Man
20 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
21 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds
25 Columbus, OH Outland Live
26 Cleveland, OH House of Blues Cleveland – Cambridge Room
27 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
28 Syracuse, NY Westcott Theater w/ Portugal. The Man
30 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
April (with Portugal. The Man, Telekinesis)
03 New York, NY Webster Hall
07 Millvale, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre
08 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
09 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
If you were grooving to Little Dragon’s “Nightlight” single last week, check out the trippy business that UMO employs here at the remix helm. There’s a crazy sitar bend that moves the sound around as if it were an epic dance off between the suitor and his betrothed in one of those flashy Bollywood flicks.
Little Dragon – Nightlight (Unknown Mortal Orchestra Remix) by WeGetPress
Sonny and the Sunsets are high on that album stream wagon, so you can be the first on your block to hear it in full. Listen to Hit After Hit here.
And in tour news, Lord Huron is on a US one, and has also joined the Outside Lands line-up roster here in our backyard that is Golden Gate Park. And to get those good August Speedway Meadow feel good vibes flowing, here’s the good Lord with a remix by LA’s White Sea of “When Will I See You Again.” Much jubilation will follow.
Be sure catch Lord Huron the road.
April
19 The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT*
20 Hi Dive – Denver, CO*
21 Slowdown – Omaha, NE*
22 Firebird – St Louis, MO*
23 Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN*
24 Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH*
26 Washington, DC DC9
28 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
30 Philadelphia, PA North Star Bar
(* w/The Rural Alberta Advantage)
May
02 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Lounge
03 Chicago, IL Schubas
04 Rock Island, IL Rock Island Brewing Co
05 Champaign, IL Mike N Mollys
06 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge
07 Norman, OK Opolis
08 Austin, TX Emo's
10 Tucson, AZ Solar Culture
11 San Diego, CA UCSD – The Loft
14 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
August
12 San Francisco, CA Outside Lands
Wild Nothing have a July tour coming up with Twin Sister and wanted to share their buzzy “Take Me In” in order to get you super stoked. Let Jack Tatum seduce you with his beckoning vocalization of index-finger-come-hither advances and glamour chords that will be playing in just about every pretentious chic boutique in Valencia for the next couple months.
Wild Nothing – “Take Me In” by Strange Moss
Catch Wild Nothing on the road.
July
11 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's with Twin Sister
12 Baltimore, MD The Ottobar with Twin Sister
13 Pittsburgh, PA Club AE with Twin Sister
14 Columbus, OH The Basement with Twin Sister
16 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Music Festival
And coming up this month is the Honky Tonk Showdown at Café Du Nord which will have “Misisipi” Mike Wolf playing in his bands, the Bootcuts and the Midnight Gamblers. A fascinating musician of international acclaim, the Chronicle (who generally discovers bands/artists after the SFBG or SFWeekly rave about them first) recently discovered him and attempted to chart all the bands he’s a part of such as the Afternoon Delight Social Band, Bootcuts, Falls City Five, Ween tribute group Golden Eel, Grand Lodge, Graveside Singers, Mission Three, the Midnight Gamblers, the Misisipi Rider and unbeknownst to SFGate, a slew of musicians from the Glasgow/Edinburgh schools of rock respectively. Confidentiality clauses prevent me from discussing any further details.
The Showdown will feature Lady A & The Heel Draggers, Misisipi Mike & The Midnight Gamblers, The Bootcuts, West Nile Ramblers and DJ Blaze Orange. There also promises to be dance contests, best dressed contest and perhaps most exciting over all, a pie eating contest. April 23, Du Nord, 7pm, be there.
