www.greatnorthernmusic.com
www.myspace.com/greatnorthern

Great Northern – Sleepy Eepee
Recorded and engineered by Great Northern and Mathias Schneeberger at The Ship
Mixed by Great Northern and Mathias Schneeberger at Little D&B, except “Radio” which was mixed by Great Northern and Dave Trumfio
Mastered by Mark Chalecki at Capitol Mastering
Produced by Great Northern and Mathias Schneeberger

L.A.’s Great Northern follows its debut full-length Trading Twilight for Daylight with Sleepy Eepee, an EP featuring five tracks originally recorded prior to the band’s first release. Known for combining melodious songwriting with electronic noises in a wholly organic way, the sound of this aptly-named outfit embodies the cold and vast landscapes up north; the music is haunting and at times emotionally unbearable — sort of like that movie Fargo (wood chipper and all). Sleepy Eepee acts as an excellent sampler of Great Northern’s quieter side. It’s all killer and no filler, but only in the colloquial sense, as wistful noises drench and effectively illustrate the band’s lush, textured dreamscapes.

Sleepy Eepee opens with its most lighthearted number “Loose Ends,” a gentle psychedelic song filled with warbling synth and delicate instrumentation. On “Radio,” Rachel Stolte’s vocals come off sounding like a subconscious voice rationalizing for a troubled mind: “He’s not the only one I’ve ever seen / Could be the only one I’ll ever need.” The most notable track of all, “Summertime” contrasts a mournful melody with surprisingly hopeful lyrics. Its instrumentation is heart-wrenching, worthy of scoring the most poignant of films, and the song notably succeeds at (p)recreating the dark depths of the amazing “Low Is A Height” from Twilight.

Unlike most EPs, the tracks on Sleepy Eepee carry enough strength for repeated listens; they have the ability to take on new forms and meanings with each listen, never growing old or stale. Additionally, they exhibit the finer aspects of bittersweet, only sounding sad until one digs and discovers the hidden warmth within. And once there, the EP doesn’t feel so melancholy after all, but rather just a bit sleepy. (Eenie Meenie Records)

www.greatnorthernmusic.com

- Keane Li (more…)

www.noisepop.com
www.myspace.com/noisepopsf

The current issue of West Coast Performer includes a fantastic live show review for this year’s Noise Pop festival. (Of course, I say it’s wonderful because I wrote some of it…) Noise Pop, held in San Francisco, brings together fantastic musicians, artists and filmmakers for a week-long celebration of creativity. 2008 marks the festival’s 16th anniversary…

Minipop / West Indian Girl / Two Sheds / the Trophy Fire @ Bottom of the Hill (02.27.08)

“West Indian Girl played to a packed audience at Bottom of the Hill. The band’s vocal harmonies shot out from every direction, filling the venue with epic audio splendor. Minipop appeared next, playing an ambient set ushered by smoke and beams of light. Tricia Kanne’s soothingly soft vocals carried surprisingly well over the rest of the band’s flash flood of sound.”

Unpublished: The show opened with The Trophy Fire and Two Sheds. Vastly contrasting, The Trophy Fire brought rollick and fun, while Two Sheds provided a more subdued, sultry performance despite the lead singer’s professed affliction with the flu.

Port O’ Brien / Delta Spirit / What Made Milwaukee Famous / The May Fire @ Cafe du Nord (03.01.08)

“Co-headlining Café du Nord with Port O’Brien for the first show of their joint U.S. tour, Delta Spirit appeared to a full house of fans with a growling performance drenched in classic, soulful, folk-rock charisma. Light sparkles of piano illuminated their harmonic vocals and rolling rhythms in a set that spanned the breadth of the genre. Finally, Port O’Brien closed with a lineup that periodically grew in size, at one point including M. Ward on guitar. The band offered the biggest finale of the night with “I Woke Up Today,” providing pots and pans to an enthusiastic audience that rhythmically pounded on them long after the set was over.”

Unpublished: The May Fire opened the night with a flurry of brutal drum beats and supersonic guitars as lead singer, Catty Tasso hopped about stage, one shoulder exposed in true rock fashion. The set included current numbers and a look to new songs on their upcoming EP. And Catty’s response when I asked for a quote? “We’re rock whores.”

(more…)

Noise Pop 2008 Expo Education Session @ 12 Galaxies (03.01.08)

Day 1 of the Noise Pop Expo consisted of an afternoon of panels featuring industry luminaries and established musicians discussing the indie music scene. I attended a few of the panels with our lovely WCP Editor, Katherine, and Festizio’s drummer, Nick. Before we left, I found the fortune of meeting with Jennifer Maerz, SF Weekly’s Music Editor, and she was quite friendly as well.

Here are some lovely quotes from the Education Session…

“Being humble and working hard are two important things… Nobody owes you anything. The harder you work, the luckier you get. You just have to be nice to people. But definitely expect to work hard. The image of the rock star getting stoned… I’m sorry, but that’s not a good career model.”
-Cory Brown (Founder, Absolutely Kosher & Misra Records)

“You have plenty of time. Don’t rush. It takes a long time to make your music awesome. It should take a long time. The best thing an artist can do is be awesome.”
-Michael Zapruder (Artist & Music Curator, Pandora.com)

“Really, it’s about being as connected as you can with your audience without seeming corporate. I mean, I don’t make this stuff – the band does… Every band should have a blog. Every band member should have a blog… Tell us your favorite video game…”
-Angela Poe (Marketing & New Media, Eenie Meenie Records)

“Success to me means doing exactly what you want to be doing everyday – making the music you like to be making, working with the people you like to be with… When I see a band I like on a weird commercial, I say, ‘good for them.’ Take whatever you can just to make money. It’s kind of sad, but it’s true.”
-Lisa Light (Vocalist & Bassist, The Lovemakers)

“Make sure to keep your rent low. Wear protection. Kids are expensive.”
-Bryan Garza (Vocalist & Guitarist, Scissors for Lefty)

www.muse.mu
www.myspace.com/muse

A year ago, I started this blog with the expressed intent of gaining some industry street cred (I wasn’t writing for Performer yet). My very first post was for my favorite concert of all: Muse @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. I mentioned the killer performance, something about cake, and concluded with how much beer I drank that night…

Now, one year later, I’m blessed with another fine Muse performance, though in a slightly different venue via a significantly different medium. Clay Theatre, along with other theaters across the nation, presented an exclusive screening of HAARP, the new live Muse CD/DVD collection recorded at Wembley Stadium in London (June 16-17, 2007).

HAARP includes a selection of Muse favorites (yes, even “Feel Good,” because everyone LOVES that one), performed with an on-stage brutal tenacity that quickly dispelled any reservations that a “theatre” screening might prove disenchanting. In fact, there’s a crazy part of me that finds tonight’s HAARP screening preferential to my previous Muse experience. The video’s visual production explodes with vibrant color, and the sweeping effects from the superb camera work expertly enhanced the energy of a live Muse show.

“The best live band in the world,” some people say. While this is a matter of musical and experiential preferences, even naysayers can’t help but admit Muse is pretty damn good. Lights blared, pyrotechnics flared, and strange tight-wearing balloonfolk dropped confetti on a massive collective of (probably suffocating) fans… and that brought me to my final realization for the night, one to which I arrived unknowingly amidst the audio embrace, as the camera swung rapidly through the crowd:

British kids sure are pale.

One of my all-time favorite songs…