Above is a live studio recording of the great track "Save My City" from San Francisco's Symbols Of The West - a group I predict we'll be hearing a lot more of in 2013. The above version, recorded about a year ago, is slightly different from the new version of the song - the lead single off the duo's debut album A Thousand Lights,” that will be released by Rock Shock It! Records next Tuesday, Feb 26th. The indie electro pair, comprised of members Lauren Stark and Nat Kendall, are actually from Montana but based in San Francisco. The new ten song album, which was recorded at Hyde Street Studios and Magnolia Records with producer Chris Wonzer with later mastering by by TJ Lipple, who had mastered the MGMT Time To Pretend EP and also had recorded Nat’s first release back in 1998. captures their refreshingly unique sound that's built on layered guitars and synthesizers with dreamy hypnotic vocals, and has drawn favorable comparisons to such other outfits as Of Monsters and Men and Beach House. A few nights ago they played theNight Light in Oakland (the club/bar that incidentally will be showcased here on the Ameoblog in the coming week). To find out about upcoming shows for the band visit Symbols Of The West's website.

Last year when news surfaced that Paul Canales, formerly chef at Oliveto, along with Rocco Somazzi would be opening their new Uptown district  (468 19th St.) eatery DUENDE anticipation has been high for this latest addition to the ever evolving hot Oakland nightlife area in the vicinity of the Fox Theater And justifiably so for DUENDE, which opened last month, is more than simply an enticing new East Bay dining destination; it is a many faceted, ambitious new nightlife addition that is also a music venue, art gallery, and wine store.

And as for the food - its primary draw - DUENDE offers a refreshing original cuisine by the renowned East Bay chef whose Basque heritage plays a subtle yet distinct influence in his approach to cooking.  Described as "Spanish based" but with a broad blend of flavors (drawing from African, French, & Italian) Canales told the San Francisco Chronicle that for DUENDE, "I really wanted a flexible food concept. I didn't want to be stuck in a style of food." promising that he will never settle for traditional Spanish fare (or "Spanish museum food" as he dismisses it).

Originally expected to open last summer DUENDE, following many months of hard work   and adhering to building codes and various city codes, finally officially opened in January. Its location is at 468 19th Street in historic Floral Depot building in the short block between Broadway and Telegraph Aves. a stones throw from the Fox Theater and round the corner from The Uptown nightclub and the various other clubs, restaurants, and art spaces that have filled this revitalized, vibrant, once dormant part of Oakland over the past several years. Inside the high-ceilinged, exposed brick and beam, large but cozy space - the work of Arcsine Architecture - seats up to 84 diners, while a wide iron stairway leads upstairs to the live music area where a black and gold emblazoned grand piano (pictured below) is the centerpiece.  Recently I caught up with Rocco Somazzi who handles the music end of things at DUENDE to ask him about the new space and his own rich history which anyone from Los Angeles already likely knows about (LA Magazine once wrote of Rocco that, "The best jazz club in L.A. is wherever Rocco Somazzi handles the booking on a given night...He is the rare local booker who keeps jazz fans wondering what he’s going to do next.")

As reported by the online version of The Source magazine Bronx, New York rapper Tim Dog died yesterday at age 46 following a battle with diabetes. The rapper born Timothy Blair was known originally as a member of Ultramagnetic MCs (along with Kool Keith and company) and later as a solo artist when he recorded such songs as the early nineties anti-West Coast single "Fuck Compton" (video above) as a resentment rap against the West Coast gaining popularity over the once dominant NYC hip-hop - and oft cited as the beginning of the 90's East vs West Coast rap feud. In more recent times he garnered notoriety for a non music news grabbing story that surfaced last year via Dateline NBC when it was revealed that he swindling single women out of large amounts of money on an online dating scam including one unfortunate trusting woman he took for $32,000 back in 2007. Some online posts since the announcement of his death yesterday have referenced this nasty slice of the artist's recent personal history suggesting that karma had caught up with Tim Dog. 

Yesterday, February 14th, Odd Future's Tyler, The Creator announced via skydiving video that he would be dropping a new album, entitled Wolf, on April 2nd and last night, via oddfuture.com, premiered the video (followed shortly afterwards by an upload to YouTube - above) for the track "Domo 23" from that forthcoming follow-up to the critically-acclaimed May 2011 release Goblin. As well as the new album there will be an accompanying upcoming tour, the artist's new clothing line called Golf Wang, plus the second season of Loiter Squad. When the new album arrives in Amoeba in early April it will do so three separate album covers, including a deluxe version featuring art by Los Angeles-based pop surrealist Mark Ryden.

When you think about it nearly every pop song is about love in some form or another. Most songs on the topic are either about celebrating being in love or alternately mourning falling out of love and wanting to get back there. Of the literally millions of songs on love I think John Lennon wrote and recorded some of the most touching and poignant ones - two of which I have included here on this Valentine's Day. Above is "Oh My Love" with Lennon on piano and George Harrison joining him on guitar. The song was written by John Lennon with Yoko Ono and first appeared in 1971 on Lennon's album Imagine on which George Harrison contributed to several songs in addition to this one. "Oh My Love" can also be found on Wonsaponatime: Selections from Lennon Anthology 

Then below is the simple but powerful Lennon song "Love" (with lyrics in the video) that was first released on the 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. As anyone who has that album knows the piano part at the beginning (and end) is really quiet but builds in volume. So you will notice that the version below is the later remix of the song with the sound levels more equalized on these two parts. The posthumous version of "Love" below appeared a dozen years after the initial release on the 1982 compilation The John Lennon Collection, and later appeared on such other collections as the John Lennon Anthology box set.