You Can't Escape My...Private Eyes

This past Saturday I caught Erik Hanson (of the Stragglers) at Luna's Cafe. Erik played a couple solo songs and also got some help from his little sis, Jeannie Howell, and former Cassidys bandmate Joe Carlson. Let me just say that when Erik and Jeannie sing together their voices melt like butter - it's smooth and beautiful. The set included a few new, Carl Sagan-inspired songs as well as covers of "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Private Eyes" -- despite the handwritten sign reading "no covers" hanging near the stage.

I wasn't really into the second act (a folk singer from Ithaca, NY)...so I spent most of the remainder of the show chatting it up outside with Erin & Jeannie. I did catch the last song of Ruebi Freyja's set, a wonderful cover of "Shake Sugaree."

Live Acoustic Überbørg Mindmeld and Say-tanic Hippie Cult Initiation

Jackson Griffith invited me to attend "Live Acoustic Überbørg Mindmeld and Say-tanic Hippie Cult Initiation" (his title, not mine) tonight featuring performances by Josh Chesney, Rich Varone and Mr. Griffith himself. I can't make it because I have yoga, but if anyone else is interested here are the details:

Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Time: 8-10pm
Location: Luna's Cafe & Juice Bar
Street: 1414 16th Street

Three local singer-songwriters play original songs in an intimate cafe atmosphere on a Tuesday night. One of them will have accompaniment, including bass clarinet.

Record Club Meeting

It's been a while since we last met, and rather than me picking a date and hoping most people can attend I say we hash it out in the comments section of this post. Who's ready to meet?!! Speak to me, peeps.

It's okay to Fantasize.

Metric will release it's latest album Fantasies in April, but if you're anything like me and crave instant gratification you can pre-order a digital version on 3/31/09. I've only heard a few leaked tracks, including "Help I'm Alive" and a cover of Pink Floyd's "Nobody Home," but if the preview is any indication, the album will up there with previous releases. Of course, I'm a sucker for frontwoman Emily Haines' voice. I'd love to see them live, but the only shows they have currently booked are in Europe! I guess I'll just have to fantasize about it.

It's Halloween!

Remember when Halloween used to be in October? Fuck that! This past weekend, Guphy graciously hosted the annual Halloween show in the attic of her Oak Park home. The show featured covers by Huey Lewis and the News, the Velvet Underground, the Violent Femmes, the Rolling Stones, Billy Idol and more. Members of !!!, Touché, the Bright Ideas, Knock Knock and more dressed up as their favorite musicians (or at least musicians who have released some of the most influential albums) and gave it their all! Allen Maxwell as Billy Idol, and later that evening as Bono, was a crowd favorite.

In the photo (by Rosemary): James Williams (as Steve Stevens) and Allen Maxwell(as Billy Idol).

Soundtrack Playlist :: Feb. 2006

Here's the soundtrack playlist from February 2006. See you all on Monday!

Song / Artist / Movie / RC Member

1. Head Over Heals / Tears for Fears / Donnie Darko / Nick

2. Signed, Sealed, Delivered / Stevie Wonder/ You've Got Mail / Dre

3. One / Aimee Mann / Magnolia / Erin

4. I've Seen It All / Bjork / Dancer in the Dark / Nick

5. The Sound of Silence / Simon & Garfunkel / The Graduate / Rosemary

6. Concrete and Clay / Unit 4 + 2 / Rushmore / Jeff

7. Jackson / Juaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon / Walk the Line / Darcey

8. It Ain't Me, Babe / Juaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon / Walk the Line / Darcey

9. Just Like Heaven; More Than This / The Jesus & Mary Chain & Bill Murray / Lost in Translation / Veronica

10. The Only Living Boy / Simon & Garfunkel / Garden State / Tanya

11. Epitaph for My Heart / The Magnetic Fields / Pieces of April / Rosemary

12. Kissing You / Desiree / Romeo + Juliet / Jeff

13. I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) / Stevie Wonder/ High Fidelity / Veronica

14. Anything / SWL / Above the Rim / Dre

15. Lose Yourself (In the Music) / Eminem / 8 Mile / Erin

Oscar Has a Tin Ear

This month's RC meeting will be at 7pm on Monday, Feb. 23rd (same location). This month's theme? Well, in honor of the Oscars, let's make it music from movies. I know we've had a similar theme in the past, so I will post the previous track list so as to avoid any repeat offenders. Let me know if you can make it.

Celebrity Spotting

RM and I had a blast at the Lykke Li show. That woman is so adorable and such an energetic performer. I think we were both impressed with the show. Anyway, in the audience was a minor celebrity...one Chris Lowell (see photo) from Private Practice. RM doesn't watch the show, so I made her stare at him until she committed his face to her memory. After making Lowell sufficiently uncomfortable, she had burned his image into her mind. That's all I have to say about that.

I like-y Lykke Li!

I've been listening to Lykke Li for most of the morning. I'm starting to get excited about this weekend's show at the Filmore. Looks like RM and I will be staying in Oaktown after the show, which rocks because I hate driving home after a Bay Area concert. Somewhere around Fairfield I always start to imagine things -- like creepy figures in the back of white vans. I'm sure some of you can relate. Anyway, it's just not right.

Take Flight!

Flight of the Conchords, "New Zealand's fourth most popular digi-folk paradists," will play the Berkeley Community Theatre on May 25th. Tickets went on sale today. I've never seen their show, but I know the kids go crazy for them!

It's Not Me, It's You

On Saturday, April 4th Lily Allen crosses the pond to play a show in SF at The Warfield. Allen is touring in support of her latest album; It's Not Me, It's You. Several of us saw Allen when she played at the Crest a couple of years ago and she was amazing. I'd like to see her again, but I'm already planning an April trip to the East Bay to see Band of Horses. That said, if someone were to twist my arm I would go. Anyone care to twist?

Tickets go on sale this Saturday -- no idea how much they cost.

January '09 RC

Thanks to everyone who made it last night. It's hard to believe that we've been doing this for four years! I will try and get the latest disc out soon. In the mean time, I suggest you check out these bands:

Angus and Julia Stone (pictured)
Au Revoir Simone
Empire of the Sun

Upcoming Shows of Note

Here are some upcoming shows of note. Hope to see some of you at them!

Sun, Feb 01
Matt & Kim
Luigi's Fun Garden

Sun, Feb 15
Lykke Li
with Wildbirds & Peacedrums
The Fillmore

Tue, Feb 24
A.C. Newman (of the New Pornographers)
Harlow's Night Club

Wed, Apr 15
The Ting Tings
The Fillmore

Fri, Apr 17
Band of Horses
Fox Theater (Oakland)

Mon, April 27
Death Cab For Cutie / Cold War Kids / Ra Ra Riot
Memorial Auditorium

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

Album download here.

If ya need something new and different.

The Zutons, are a Liverpool band, nothing special. Critics can't seem to agree on whether the band is just hooks and beats or crap. Regardless, they can agree that they can't stop listening to them.

Give it shot. I hear its good to drive to on a Saturday night...

A Little Joy in these hard times.

Little Joy, is a band with Fabrizio Moretti of the Strokes, Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos, and Binki Shapiro. Some say it sounds like Vampire Weekend, I don't think so.

A small blurb from the Obscuresound.com review:

I suppose that when describing the sound of Little Joy it would be appropriate to compare it to the styles of The Strokes and Los Hermanos, two of the groups that the members of Little Joy derive from. It would be linear to call Little Joy a fusion of both groups, as Little Joy’s style is considerably more laid-back than either, but it is certainly not startling that both Moretti and Amarante have chosen to take this direction. Both The Strokes and Los Hermanos have attempted upbeat pop charmers with a lo-fi edge in the past, but never quite as consistently or successfully as Little Joy. Their self-titled debut album is full of the hooks one should come to expect from masterful songwriters in the vein of Moretti and Amarante, two artists who have certainly been around enough versions of success to distinguish what will fare well in the contemporary music scene.

Either way, get it here.

Deer and the Headlights

Natives of Phoenix, Arizona, Deer and the Headlights have been compared to the Bright Eyes. Give a listen to the new album and judge for yourself.

P.S. I like track 2: Bad News :)

Feist -- The First Album circa 1999

I was surprised when I came across this little gem. I though that I had all of her albums. Boy was I wrong!

Click here for your fix.

Beck -- MODERN GUILT

I heard that this album is pretty darn good.

Have a listen and let me know.

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head

For those of you that went the see The Faint, but were more impressed by their opening act. Get the full album here.

Ra Ra Riot For You!

Download album here.

The Faint at CSUS

Is anyone really planning to go this show? Rosemary and I saw the Faint in SF a couple years ago (with TV on the Radio) and they put on a decent show. They played a cover of "Psycho Killer" that I really enjoyed. This time they're playing with some band called Natalie Portman's Shaved Head (shoot me now). Anyway, tickets are $20 and the show starts at 7:30pm. The price is a little steep for me, but if peeps are going I might be persuaded.

Prior to becoming our president elect, Barack Obama was polled by Blender magazine for his top 10 songs (they also polled McCain, but who cares?). Here's what our new president listens to:

1. "Ready or Not" by Fugees
2. "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
3. "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
4. "Gimme Shelter" by Rolling Stones
5. "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone
6. "Touch the Sky" by Kanye West
7. "You'd Be So Easy to Love" by Frank Sinatra
8. "Think" by Aretha Franklin
9. "City of Blinding Lights" by U2
10. "Yes We Can" by will.i.am

2 Cool 4 School

NME announced this year's "NME Cool List," a list of the coolest people of 2008. The British music publication is asking voters to rate those peeps who made it on the list, effectively shortening the list to the top 10 readers' favs. According to NME, "[the list is] also an attempt to take the pulse of Britain in 2008." Here's just a few who made it onto the list:

Karen O., Little Boots, Rivers Cuomo (of Weezer), Scarlett Johansson, Andrew VanWyngarden (of MGMT), Florence Welch, Santogold, Jay-Z, Alice Glass (of Crystal Castles) & Ladyhawke.

Rubies

The California-based duo, Rubies, have recently peaked my interest. Signed by Hybris, the same label that is home to El Perro Del Mar, the Rubies released Explode from the Center earlier this year. They have mellow songs like "The Truth and the Lies" and tracks that have already been remixed into dance-inducing tunes like "Stand in Line." One thing is for sure, Simone Rubi (lead vocals, keyboards) and Terri Loewenthal (bass) make the sweet pop music that makes my world tick!