Tasso – Gower
Los Angeles, CA
Produced by Cat Tasso
Engineered & mixed by Manny Nieto at Manny Nieto Studio
Mastered by Mark Chalecki at Little Red Book Mastering

Tasso’s debut EP, Gower, marks frontwoman Cat Tasso’s departure from her previous band, the May Fire. The Chilean guitarist and vocalist, now based in L.A., presents a polished rock EP with the assistance of studio engineer Manny Nieto, known for his work with the Breeders and Darker My Love. Teamed with drummer Franky Martinez, the duo effectively creates a large atmosphere of sound. The result is a collection of controlled freneticism, a display of raw and emotive rock anthems.

Gower opens with Tasso’s robust single, “Don’t Love Me (I Never Will).” Her conversational lyrics work well with the thrashing instrumentation, indicative of the track’s rebellious tone. The song’s steady, pounding rhythm appropriately mimics a beating heart as Tasso sings about a relationship where love is absent. On “Shine,” Tasso introduces vocal harmonies, adding an additional layer of depth from their previous track. Guitar and drums dance around one another in a form reminiscent of the White Stripes or Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It’s unapologetically rock – rough and ready. The passion and fury from the drums, in both Tasso’s recorded work and live performances, can be easily heard on this track. Martinez offers a hard-hitting quality that reverberates with a tight timbre. “Wish I Could Stay” offers a strikingly gentle transition from Tasso’s previous tracks. As the title suggests, the song fits the tone of a lullaby, a bittersweet and quiet conclusion to an otherwise ruckus night. The EP concludes with “Gloomy Days,” a track that exhibits both the volatility and slow shuffle of a stormy day. Solemn vocals sweep across syncopated beats in the verse, leading to a saturated and very harmonic chorus. It’s a haunting end to a heartfelt audio journey.

As a multi-textural expression of emotion, songs often become simplified and more conciseduring the developmental career of an artist. This is evident on Gower, as Tasso’s long experience rocking from clubs to stereos across multiple Americas has led her to create music as raw and chaotically refined as life itself. (self-released)

- Keane Li (more…)

I recently picked up the special edition release of Goldfrapp’s Seventh Tree. Unlike their other albums, Seventh Tree utilizes more organic, gentle instrumentation, a foray from their previous disco synth-pop endeavors. It’s really the perfect blend of wistfulness and ambience. While several tracks are jovial and bouncy, fans of their previous releases may need some getting used to. It’s more Bowie and Beatles than Madonna or Minogue. Anyway, I love it.

One of my favorite tracks, “Happiness,” comes into my life conveniently as I find myself playing psychologist to a few of my friends. I’m brought back to the days when I was sorting my own mental innards… back when I feel I came upon the secret to true happiness.

A few months ago, a good friend of mine asked me to write an essay on happiness for a book she was publishing. I was in Vancouver at the time and had plenty of time to reflect, so I wrote what I felt to be a good summation of the most important lesson I ever learned. I don’t want to give away the whole essay before it’s published, so here’s a key quotation:

I try my best to discard inaccurate visions of the future and exist in the present. No one knows what will happen, after all. All I can do is stay open for anything. I just have a pretty good feeling about things. That’s what happiness is, I think. It’s high hopes and no expectations…

It’s a blue, bright blue Saturday.

I promised myself I would do whatever it takes this year to achieve all my goals. Most notable is the desire to push Festizio, my band, as far as it can go: more shows, another studio release and networking with as many people as I can. Music was always what I felt most passionately about so I think it’s important to do this while I can. I’m not so naïve as to think we’ll be around forever. People get married, have kids, move away or go to space. It’s expected and should be encouraged for everyone (going into space more so for some people than others). One year… to move as efficiently and expeditiously as I can in the right direction.

I think we’re off to a good start. We already played a big Yelp Elite Event in Oakland at The New Parish, a new venue opened by the owners of The Independent. We also have two radio appearances and two more gigs coming up in the next few months, including a cool performance at the Chabot Space & Science Center (in the Planetarium, no less).

So, I’m more than happy so far. Unemployed but busy as hell. Time waits for no one. Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’. Sweep the leg.

By the way, if you want to help me on this lofty mission, please tell your friends, family and pets about Festizio. And please do follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You don’t have to buy anything or perform any sexual favors (unless you want to), but rather share us with the people in your life… especially if they’re record producers.

I just found the last copy of an unreleased acoustic demo I recorded in 2007. I made a few copies and shared it with some friends, folks at the local coffeehouse and my mom. It’s all acoustic and includes three tracks. The first song was only performed once. The last song you may recognize if you’ve ever seen us play or own our studio album. The second song I can guarantee you’ve never heard before.

1.) Today
2.) Til Lights Send Me Home
3.) Beautiful

Let me know what you think in the comments.

What I love most about the guitar is its ability to create something big from relatively little. Unlike literature or painted art, audio physically surrounds the listener. It’s enveloping. And unlike other instruments like the piano, the guitar is unique in that the player has direct manipulation over the strings. New notes and sounds can be achieved via harmonics, slides and bends. You are truthfully the master of the universe that you create.

Rather than selling my soul to the Devil like Steve Vai’s character did in the movie Crossroads, I chose to do it the old-fashioned way like Ralph Macchio. (He is, after all, the Karate Kid.) And while running modal scales proved ultimately useless (I’m pretty sure I’ll never use Lydian), I did pick up a few philosophical lessons on playing and performing that I’ve been re-pondering hours before heading out to load for tonight’s gig at The New Parish.

So, here they are. Five life lessons that can be inferred from the guitar:

1.) Be Light As a Feather | Use the minimal amount of finger pressure while fretting to attain faster playing speed. It’s not how hard you press, it’s how efficiently you move.

2.) Find Your Balance | Relax and focus on what you’re doing now. Keep the future in mind but don’t wander too far or you might get lost.

3.) There Is No Wrong Way | Mistakes are only deviations from your desired path. Push through and don’t let these deviations bring you down or you’ll end up straying more. Don’t sweat the small stuff or you’ll end up drenched.

4.) Be Inspired | When it comes down to it, the goal of pursuing any artistic endeavor is to create something meaningful, expressive and aesthetically profound. Try and hold onto whatever it is that inspires you.

5.) Don’t Forget to Have Fun | Life is short, after all…

This week of wet weather has been driving many of us, including myself, indoors. It’s particularly miserable, at first glance, with its bleak gray shadow and chill. But metaphorically, it’s sort of renewing. Rain, after all, is required for growth.

“Trying to find my umbrella, but I don’t know where to begin…”

The first few weeks of 2010, I find myself constantly reevaluating what I want life to mean for me. It’s the reemergence of a feeling I haven’t had since 2007 when I quit my last job and remade my life. It’s exciting, really, but there’s still an element of fear from the unknown. A shadow of a doubt.

“And it’s simply irrational weather, I can’t even hear myself think…”

It’s a shame to be encumbered by falling water. With all our technical prowess, we let a shift in perspective bring us down. And rain can be as much fun as sun, especially in how it seems to bring us closer in more intimate ways. Hot chocolate seems to be more sweet. Body warmth.

“I’m under the weather, just like the world, and I need somebody to hold…”

So I’m hoping I’ll find something more than just sunshine at the end of this shrouded phase. If anything, the storm is just a reminder, that we can walk the world and not find what we’re looking for if we forget to look within.

“I know that I’m not alone…

… it feels like home.”

Are you an Elite member of Yelp? If so, be sure to RSVP for the first East Bay Elite Event of 2010 because we’ll be performing that night! Not only will it be our first performance in Oakland, but it’ll be the first in a series of belated CD release shows. Because, while our album has been out for awhile, we haven’t properly celebrated its launch.

(Get the album here: CD Baby | iTunes | Amazon)

Better late than never…

Jan 21 – Yelp Goes Gaga!

8 – 11pm

The New Parish
Categories: Music Venues
579 18th Street at San Pablo
Oakland, CA 94612
http://www.thenewparish.com

Those hip to the scene have no doubt heard about Uptown Oakland’s newest hotspot, The New Parish. Created by one of the fellas behind The Independent in SF, uniquely designed and rigged up with a killer sound system, hopes are high for this venue. We’ve just heard that they’ll be granted their liquor license mid-month, and you know what that means right? Elite party on January 21st from 8-11pm!

Oh yes, they’re so eager to get yelpers in the house, the ten day countdown is on for a blow out! To ease into the night, guests are invited to enjoy spirit tastings courtesy of Drink Me Mag and Caribbean nibbles from neighboring restaurant, Hibiscus for the first hour. Then the party will really get kicking when Stunna starts flowing, and yelpers Ryan S and Keane L’s band Festizio rock the stage! Combining ambient sounds and driving rhythms in a landscape of intertwined harmonies, this will be an outstanding performance. To keep that groove going, we’ll have a special guest DJ come in with an arsenal of banging beats!

So bust out your hottest Lady Gaga-esque outfit and stunna shades, the first East Bay bash of 2010 is going to be blinding!

Here are a few heartwarming ads I found particularly effective. I love a quality promo even if it has little to do with the actual product. It’s interesting how so many goods are now defined by a lifestyle, and how proper marketing can completely turn a company around (see: Jack in the Box, 1995). A good commercial is a good commercial, even if it’s from a dinosaur relic like JCPenney.

By the way, did you know Arizona Jeans are way affordable?

Saw this ad before Avatar and it damn near choked me up. Song: “Follow the Arrow” by Rosi Golan.

Who doesn’t want Jim Lehrer to tuck them in at night?

Another great one from JCPenney that premiered in theaters a few years ago.

Wait for the eyebrow raise.

I finally watched Wong Kar-Wai’s “In the Mood for Love.” While I’m not usually a fan of melodramatic HK cinema, this film was so beautifully executed and performed (by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, two of the most stunning actors) that it’s set apart from the rest. The artfully shot drama follows the relationship between a man and a woman who realize their spouses are unfaithful. While they grow close, they vow never to be as adulterine as their other halves. It’s a film that examines what love can mean, whether you get it or not. Whether it’s happy or not.

Some movies you wish you couldn’t relate to. Even if they’re great, you’d rather they not touch a nerve or spark some flame inside. Better you’d smiled at the credits, clapped if you really loved it… turned off the TV and went to bed.

And that would be the end of it.

I’ve been asking people how they felt about 2009. Almost all of the responses expressed sentiment ranging from apathy to discontent. Personally, I’ve never wanted a year to end more. While I wouldn’t say it was particularly bad, it was definitely overwhelming in terms of emotional and career changes.

I used to wonder why people placed such an emphasis on a changing calendar year. It’s the end of a pretty big decade, when I think about it. College. Working professionally. Finding a new city as a home.

But does life really change more from December 31 to January 1 than with the transition between any other two days in a year? Yes, it does. If you want it to. Just as a graduation ceremony signifies a transition or the Eucharist cracker brings a Catholic ritualistically closer to God, the changing calendar digits offer us a symbolic chance for change. It’s a spiritual renewal… I mean, if you want it to be.

My Key Moments of 2009

12.18.09: Visiting home for Christmas.

12.16.09: Watching a noisy action movie while wrapping Christmas gifts with friends. A really nice send-off before leaving San Francisco for the holidays.

11.26.09: Spending Thanksgiving with a friend’s family.

10.31.09: An exceptionally adventurous Halloween. Lots of house parties across multiple nights. I was an “80s action hero.”

10.02.09: Got laid off. What a downer. Luckily there’s a Yelp Elite Event the same night. It’s a nice escape to be on a boat with an open bar amongst the stars and city lights. And I’m not sure how it happened but I’m apparently nominated as prom king (the event has a prom theme).

09.18.09: Going to Vancouver for the first time with my family for my cousin’s wedding. It was our first family reunion in over a decade.

08.26.09: Riding the duck boats and pretending to be tourists.

05.30.09: Performing at Slim’s with Festizio. One of the first shows I had ever seen in the city was at Slim’s, so performing here was particularly meaningful.

05.23.09: Memorial Day weekend trip to Fort Bragg and Fort Ross with Tinna. We both needed an adventure and found it in the most unlikely of places.

04.20.09: Our studio album is finally released. We celebrate at Hemlock Tavern, our favorite local bar.

02.14.09: Valentine’s Day Pillow Fight, but none of us actually jump into the fray. Went to a bar instead.

01.23.09: Starting the year with heartbreak, the kind that feels like it’ll consume you forever. It was honestly the worst I’ve ever felt. I used to wonder if I could ever feel like I would want to marry someone, truly. Now I know.

12.31.08: New Year’s Eve 2008, my first time ringing in the New Year in the city. We spend the night at a friend’s place, counting down to 2009 in the middle of the street. Now, I can’t recall how I felt about the coming year…

But I have a good feeling about 2010. For me, it’s about utilizing the change and troubles from 2009 and working on moving forward. The sense of security I had last year has gone and I’m pretty much unsure how things will play out this time around…

Honestly, I prefer it that way.