www.theuniontrade.com
www.myspace.com/elephone
www.onebecomesonehundred.com
www.performermag.com

The Union Trade / Elephone / One Becomes One Hundred
Bottom of the Hill | San Francisco, CA | August 27, 2008

On an unsuspecting Wednesday night, Bottom of the Hill and Tricycle Records presented an epic show with three amazing San Francisco-based bands: One Becomes One Hundred, Elephone and The Union Trade. It was an especially important night for the former and the latter, as they released new albums to the welcoming public.

One Becomes One Hundred opened the night with their own brand of frenetically driving rock, unleashing tracks from their debut, They do if you know. Lead singer John McCoy sang eyes-closed with an anxious grit and drone in his voice, creating a consistent layer of 16th notes with his SG. Smooth bass slides filled the lower frequencies as steady drums guided them forward. A soaring, reverberated Les Paul saturated their sound and added a grandiose quality to the mix.

The crowd thickened when Elephone, the second band of the night, arrived on the scene. With explosive charisma and casual sex appeal, the five-piece exuded energy with an ease even more established bands would envy. The most notable characteristic of their performance was the impressive vocal interplay between keyboardist Sierra Frost and guitarist Ryan Lambert. Vocal parts jumped between the two, ultimately coming together in pitch-perfect harmony. While Lambert offered a low grit and strength, Frost exhibited lighter characteristics with a hint of punk angst. The chemistry was exceptional as bassist Dan Settle moved about the stage, playing on keys and banging drumsticks on the floor. Their grand finale was filled with controlled chaos, an energetic end to a great set. Said Frost, “If you like it, you should buy the CD. It’s just like that, but better.” It was already pretty damn good.

The night concluded with The Union Trade presenting a headlining set that grew from a four-piece to a six-piece with the inclusion of additional vocals and keyboards. A nice contrast to Elephone’s upbeat rock, The Union Trade successfully recreated the emotive post-rock exhibited on their new Tricycle Records release, Everyday Including. Their heavy-hitting somber sound filled the room as they swayed listlessly in place. A projected light cast colors and images onto the band and its backdrop, giving the performance an ambient glow. Setting scenery exemplified the visuals already established by The Union Trade’s controlled use of feedback, and an E-bow draped a hauntingly sustaining wail over the jagged vocals and pulsating rhythms set by the band’s aggressive drummer and bassist. The conclusion was calmer, featuring a chiming quality illuminated by changing lights lit like fire.

If there’s one thing Tricycle Records is known for, it’s creating a strong show with bands that act less as a convenient collective but more as a family. Each band tonight displayed a genuine graciousness for the venue, the crowd and each other, and the audience reciprocated in kind.

-Review by Keane Li; photo by Anthony Gordon (more…)

www.darkermylovemusic.com
www.myspace.com/darkermylove

Darker My Love – 2
Engineered by Steven Rhodes
Recorded at Sunset Sound, Safe & Sound, The Boat, Sonora and West Beach in Los Angeles
Mixed by Tony Hoffer
Mastered by Alan Yoshida, Produced by Dave Cooley

Darker My Love, Dangerbird Records’ latest shining star, is back on the scene with their aptly titled sophomore album, 2. While the L.A. five-piece’s 2006 self-titled debut featured an uninhibited rawness, 2 offers more clarity in musical thought and a greater variety of sounds. Darker My Love encompasses myriad genres, from psychedelic 1960s rock to early grunge, and excels in using these influences to create a highly accessible and energetically emotive experience.

The album opens with the dark “Northern Soul” exuding elements of a Sub Pop-era Soundgarden with a healthy dose of My Bloody Valentine. Vocals, a key component of the band’s overall sound, are perfectly drenched by saturated instrumentation and smooth harmonies. A steady bass drum drives while vocals slip in on offbeats, creating a nice push and pull between the two. “Two Ways Out” marks the most distinguished departure from this opening impression; vocals are placed at the forefront of a track produced with a greater pop sensibility. “White Composition” effectively utilizes empty space with a feathery-light, Beatles-esque vibe and crisp, jazzy seventh chords. It offers a calm pop, a sort of groove/lounge duality. Near the end of the LP is “All the Hurry & Wait.” The heart of this track showcases a zither-like warbling that’s anxiously free, and psychedelic swirls and crashes culminate into one great masterpiece of a song that builds into a huge orchestral finish with an outro made to fill stadiums. It’s a glorious pinnacle that’s epic and big.

Darker My Love’s 2 points to a number of influences without attaching itself too long to any one of them, each track arriving fresh to the ears and providing its own unique sound. It’s an impressive exhibition of quality songwriting, clever instrumentation and thoughtful production. But most importantly, it just sounds really good. (Dangerbird Records)

www.darkermylovemusic.com

-Keane Li (more…)

Courtesy of Wordle.net. What does this say about me?

www.rockthevote.com

Whether it’s McCain’s annoying attempt at political spin or a genuinely short attention span, his constant need to be reminded of Obama’s policies during the debates is nothing short of elderly.

MCCAIN: Now, Senator Obama, I’d like — still like to know what that fine is going to be, and I don’t think that Joe right now wants to pay a fine when he is seeing such difficult times in America’s economy.

Senator Obama wants to set up health care bureaucracies, take over the health care of America through — as he said, his object is a single payer system.

If you like that, you’ll love Canada and England. So the point is…

SCHIEFFER: So that’s your objective?

OBAMA: It is not and I didn’t describe it…

MCCAIN: No, you stated it.

OBAMA: I just…

MCCAIN: Excuse me.

OBAMA: I just described what my plan is. And I’m happy to talk to you, Joe, too, if you’re out there. Here’s your fine — zero. You won’t pay a fine, because…

MCCAIN: Zero?

OBAMA: Zero, because as I said in our last debate and I’ll repeat, John, I exempt small businesses from the requirement for large businesses that can afford to provide health care to their employees, but are not doing it…

Vote.

www.sfweekly.com
www.performermag.com

When SF Weekly’s Best of 2008 Awards came out a few months ago, I neglected to blog about it. But it’s still 2008, and this definitely deserves a repeat mention!

I’ve been with West Coast Performer for about a year now. I thought I’d recollect some of the finer moments I’ve enjoyed while working here:

* Getting a diaper in the mail.
* Running around the city posting show fliers.
* The Haight Street Post Office.
* Cool Nutz’s “Yo Mouth” – the raunchiest song I’ll ever hear.
* Dirty cat paw prints on my pants.
* And everything else…

Best Free Print Music Magazine
West Coast Performer
http://www.performermag.com

Three words: Good scene reports. If you’re like us, they’re mostly what you look for in a rock music magazine. Although West Coast Performer is only semilocal, and it’s technically a musician’s trade publication, it has good scene reports from Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, and here. Unlike most other (totally heroic in this day and space-age, by the way) print music magazines, Performer is genuinely multigenre; the editors and writers have great taste. It’s distributed free in bars and music stores, it has good photos and a relatable layout, and the general tone is independent music boosterism at its best. Bonuses include smart news updates that shy far away from advertorial, and advice that assumes both do-it-yourself indie spirit as well as a desire to make music seriously — or at least not lose money doing it. Rock on, Performer seems to say to the reader: Here are some tips on how to, here are some other bands who do, and check it out: Our magazine does too. (link…)

Woo! :-D