As part of the ongoing Amoeblog series honoring Women's History Month (Which ends today, March 31st), this blog is the second part of the two celebrating women blues artists. The first, earlier this week, focused on women from the classic blues era (circa 1920s), while this one takes a look/listen at women blues artists spanning the decades since.
Koko Taylor "Blues Never Die" (1975)
Big Mama Thornton "Bumble Bee Blues" (with Muddy Waters Band, 1966)
"When you in trouble blues is a girl's best friend" singsKoko Tayloron her 1975 recording of "Blues Never Die" (audio above). Taylor, like many of the longtime blues women here (including Big Mama Thornton, whose track "Bumble Bee Blues" with Muddy Waters Band is also above) have also been categorized over the years as rhythm and blues, rock & roll, and jazz. The late great Etta James, who we lost just two months ago, is an example of a blues artist who was also classified as jazz, rhythm & blues, rock n roll, and gospel too. A 1992 concert version of her singing "I'd Rather Go Blind" - written by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster but first recorded by Etta James in 1968 - appears above. As we know, the moving song has in the years since become a standard for countless artists to cover.
Is this the real life, is this just fantasy? Seeing asGame of Thrones returns to the small screen this Sunday I'd say that so-called real life is about to be injected with a dose of weapons-grade fantasy so sweet that even the most pragmatic of my must-see TV-viewing colleagues are welcoming the series' second season like a Stark previsions winter. As an avid fan of both the books and the nighttime telly adaptation I've been gagging in anticipation with each trailer, character featurette and behind-the-scenes peeks HBO has released, like so many ravens sent to tease the bannermen. I'm so chuffed to bits about the premier this Sunday I've got to channel my excitement before I lose my head! Read on for a list of people, places and things I'm looking forward to as Game of Thrones once again takes to the sky (now with more dragons)!
Haven't read the books? That's okay (though, as is the case with most adaptations, the books are better) - taken out of context these prospects are unloaded and weightless. That is, expect mild spoilers at best.
Hey you! Tortured much by that little Gillian Hills ditty "Zou Bisou Bisou" sung by Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) in the Mad Men premier last week? Never fear mes amis, exorcise that demon by purchasing the super slick 45 rpm 7" vinyl single of "Zou Bisou Bisou" (sung by Miss Pare herself as heard in the show) with the RJD2 Mad Men theme on the b-side. What really floats my boat is the fact that one may spin this sweet baby at 33 & 1/3 speed to hear the super spooky "alternative" versions of these modern pop sensations. I have a feeling the theme's electro beat will translate oh so deliciously when played at the slower speed. In other words: get your goth night on cats and kittens! See the song and scene below!
Most artists, as their lifelong music careers develop, tend to taper off in terms creating new material. Not longtime Vallejo rapper/Bay legend E-40 whose latest release in another multi-album release - the triple CD set Block Brochure:Welcome to the Soil 1, 2 & 3 that offers a stunning total of 60 new tracks! (You can buy as three individual CDs or as a single packaged 3CD set for $34.98,including free shipping, from Amoeba..com. ) 60 new tracks is a lot of new music from the ever innovative Bay Area legend whose been putting it down for a quarter of a century now and showing no signs of ever slowing down. In that same unique position (especially for rap music in which careers don't traditionally last beyond one decade) is fellow Bay Area rap pioneer Too $hort who is similarly prolific and even longer in the game - clocking three decades into his long successful career. Recently Too $hort released his 19th albumNo Trespassing (Dangerous Music) on which coincidentally E-40 makes a cameo. Another longtime Bay Area hip-hop artist with a new release is the Quannum Projects' Gift of Gab who just relased The Next Logical Progression. Check music sample of this and all the chart entries in the videos below.
YOU ARE INVITED to our April screening series in Hollywood! We're bringing back our Monday Movie series at Space 15Twenty (up the street from Amoeba). Every Monday night in April you can see a different music-related film that we have selected and it's FREE!
Sign up for the Amoeba newsletter at Space15Twenty on Monday Movie Nights and you could win our April Shopping Spree $100 gift certificate!!
What: FREE Weekly Monday night films, curated by Amoeba Music
When: Every Monday at 8pm – from April 2nd through April 30th
Where: In the courtyard of Space15Twenty
1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Why: A neighborhood collaboration and a great way to spend a Monday night in Hollywood… and it's FREE!
The Re:Generation Music Project follows five electronic DJs/producers - DJ Premier, Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Mark Ronson and The Crystal Method - as they remix, recreate and re-imagine five traditional styles of music (Rock, R&B, Country, Jazz, and Classical). These five distinctive DJs collaborate with some incredibly talented (and some unlikely) partners - The Doors, Martha Reeves, Erykah Badu,Trombone Shorty, Mos Def, Zigaboo Modeliste, Nas,Leann Rimes, Dr. Ralph Stanley - to discover how our musical past is influencing the future. The documentary was produced in association with the Grammys and presented by Hyundai Veloster.
On Sunday, April 1, Amoeba will be at one of the Southland's biggest and best record swap meets, the Pasadena City College's Flea Market and Record Swap. With over 500 vendors, the Flea Market features antiques and collectibles, records, tools, clothes, toys and much more, not to mention food and good company. And admission is always free and parking is $2.
The Flea Market and Record Swap is from 7am-3pm. Look for the Amoeba booth located in the Bonnie St. parking structure (Lot 5) on the third Level. We'll have a great selection of vinyl, so come out and enjoy your Sunday with us!
The LA Weekly calls the show “the best source for used records in all of Southern California.”
Growing up, I was never allowed to fiddle with the radio in the car. I listened to whatever my folks were listening to and that was that. I knew kids who would get in the car and change the music, turn it up, and I was a little jealous. In retrospect, I realize that I received a huge musical education in those car trips that I wouldn’t trade for a pile of gold. Seriously!
I believe I first heard of Loretta Lynn when watching Coal Miner’s Daughter, the film based upon her life starring Sissy Spacek. She grew up dirt poor and skyrocketed to fame with an amazing voice and moving storytelling in her songs. She was a strong woman and sang about issues that real, working women dealt and still deal with such as cheating men, being a single mother, birth control, and divorce, among other themes.
Debut release from Move D / Juju & Jordash's new project Magic Mountain High, serious analogue grooves here. Heavy droning, warm sounding, acidic original House EP - TIP!
Another extremely limited, black label 12" from this pair of underground superstar producers, with a lilting, melancholy melody that drifts over a shuffling bassline. Demand always exceeds supply on these BURIAL & FOUR TET releases on TEXT, so do not miss out on this!!
Admission is just$5 and 10% of all proceeds will go to the local non-profit A Place Called Home, a safe haven in South Central Los Angeles where underserved youth are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives through programs in education, arts, and well-being; and are inspired to make a meaningful difference in their community and the world.
This week the wonderful bandDum Dum Girls released the video for their song "Coming Down" off of their latest album, Only in Dreams, which was released on September 27th by Sub Pop. To celebrate release day, they did a livein-store performance at Amoeba Hollywood. The "Coming Down" music video, which is directed by their new bass player Malia James, appears to be paying homage to Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece" (see below).
Dum Dum Girls are currently on tour in Europe with dates in several Italian cities over the week ahead, followed by dates in Spain and the UK through the end of April. Then they'll take the tour back to the States with numerous dates through the end of May including at the Echoplex in LA on May 18th, the Blank Club in San Jose on May 21st, Slim's in San Francisco on May 22nd, and at the Sasquatch! Festival in Gorge, WA on May 26th. In the meantime, buy Only in Dreams from Amoeba.com!
In observance of the ongoing Amoeblog series honoring Women's History Month, this blog salutes women blues singers from the classic blues era. I will also post a second part celebrating women blues artists from later decades. But for now, I am focusing on the classic blues era of a century ago. It was a time when these women artists were pioneers by being both among the very first black singers and blues artists to be recorded.
This first wave of recorded female blues was spearheaded by such American music legends as Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Mamie Smith(no relation to Bessie), and of course Ma Rainey. Born in 1886, Ma Rainey earned the title “Mother of the Blues” for being instrumental in bringing the music to the public first. She is credited with both influencing all other female blues singers that came after her and with being the first to perform the blues on stage as popular entertainment. This she did when, at the turn of the century, she first incorporated blues into her broader vaudeville act that was built around comedy bits and show songs of the time. As legend has it Rainey would close every show with a song about a woman losing her man that she called “The Blues." Rainey, along with her husband Pa Rainey, is credited with discovering Bessie Smith on one of her early tours.
The funny, talented women of Wild Flag sat down with us recently for a What's In My Bag? episode. Wild Flag is the first major musical post-Sleater-Kinney project for Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, and includes Mary Timony (Helium) and Rebecca Cole (The Minders) to boot. The four members of Wild Flag had interconnected musical histories during the last decade, playing in various bands that toured or collaborated with each other, but somehow the formation of the Wild Flag was the first time the four of them ever played together at the same time. Wild Flag released their self-titled debut full-length in November 2011 on Merge Records.
You may also know Carrie (and her humor and wit) from the TV show Portlandiawhich she co-created and stars in with Fred Armisan (SNL).
Unfortunately Janet couldn't make it on the day of the shoot, but Carrie, Mary, and Rebecca shared their picks which included Lionel Richie, Yes, George Jones, Iron Maiden, Destroy All Movies, and more. They also put a call out for a Vinyl Nanny to take with them on tour...
Wild Flag - What's In My Bag?
Watch and comment on YouTube
Madonna's new albumMDNA, which has been available via pre-order from Amoeba for the past five weeks, has finally been released (as of yesterday) by Interscope following a much hyped lead-in over the past couple of months that included her high profile Super Bowl halftime performance with new album collaborators Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., and LMFAO, plus a series of advance tracks & snippets off the new 12 track album (the Deluxe CD version has 16 tracks) being circulated online to both positive and negative reviews by bloggers and journalists - all eager to weigh in on the 53 year old Material Girl's latest album (her twelfth) in a 30 year career that is rarely too far from some degree of controversy.
In the latest Madonna controversy producer/DJ deadmau5just accused Madonna, via a Twitter attack, of promoting the drug ecstasy by using the term "molly" (slang for E) during concert banter at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami on Saturday. (read full story here) She flatly denies it although she does sing "MDMA" on one of the new album tracks whose title MDNA looks like MDMA (the technical term for the illegal club drug) at first glance. Of course regardless of whatever the case may be all deadmau5 essentially did was feed into the publicity machine and help further promote Madonna's new album and tour with this latest wave of free publicity for an artist whose career thrives off controversy.
The San Francisco International Film Festival returns From April 19th – May 3rd for two weeks of cinematic discovery. The International assembles world-renowned talent—such as awardees Kenneth Branagh, Barbara Kopple, and Pierre Rissient—for Bay Area audiences.
This year's innovative events include Academy Award nominee Sam Green's latest live documentary project The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller with live music by Yo La Tengo (5/1 at SFMoma), Merrill Garbus (tUnE-yArDs) with Buster Keaton shorts (4/23 at Castro Theatre), and so much more!
For a complete guide to films, venues, and tickets, visit festival.sffs.org, but here are a few more that we are excited about!
Bernie(Richard Linklater, USA, 2011)
Explaining the proper methods to superglue eyelids closed and adjust a corpse’s smile, Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) warns, “You cannot have grief tragically becoming comedy.” But can it be funny when someone dies and no one cares? A former evangelist who arrives in Carthage, Texas to take a job as an assistant funeral director, Tiede uses his magnetic personality, seemingly never-ending skill set and Harold Hill–style of confidence to become the most popular man in town. Tiede even manages to charm Marjorie Nugent (a maniacally frenzied Shirley MacLaine), the local rich widow whom everyone else despises and fears. Eventually, though, Nugent’s abuses become too much for someone in Carthage to take. Director Richard Linklater returns to the East Texas of his youth to showcase the strange heart of small town life, where, as one character puts it, “people will always suspect the worst, but they’ll also suspect the best.” Saturday, April 21, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
Amoeba Music and CIIS Public Programs & Performances present The Touré-Raichel Collective featuring Vieux Farka Touré, Idan Raichel, Souleymane Kané, and Amit Carmeli on April 26th at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
8:00PM
Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
$25/$45/$65/$85
Get tickets HERE or call 415.392.4400
Group discounts available for 10 or more!
"...original guitar music of such fluidity, technique, rhythmic invention, and passion, that it is virtually unequaled..."
- AllMusic
Head down to San Francisco's The Cafe this Friday, March 30th at 9pm for a Madonna party to remember! It's the official MDNA release party and Amoeba Music will be there with plenty of copies for sale!
The festivities include:
- Madonna concert ticket giveaways!
- MDNA Photobooths!
- Limited edition mylar posers!
(with purchase of the MDNA CD onsite)
*limited space and quantities available*
Plus, resident DJ MATT will be spinning many unreleased remixes from current and upcoming singles, including remixes from Tracy Young and Offer Nissim!
Hollywood Boulevard in 1927 at the opening of Hells Angels at Grauman's Chinese
Hollywood is famous around the world as the one-time center of the American film industry. Although Hollywood isn't the original home of the west coast film industry (nearby Edendale in Echo Park and Sycamore Grove in Highland Park both have stronger claims to that distinction), Hollywood has for almost a century continued to serve as a metonym for that industry (and inspire portmanteaus like Bollywood, Dollywood, Ghallywood, Kollywood, Mollywood, Nollywood, Tollywood, etc); even though that most of the film industry mostly long ago abandoned the neighborhood, primarily for the San Fernando Valley. Hollywood has done an excellent job of branding though. After all, you don't have other countries referring to their film industries as "Bedendale," "Nycamore Grove", or "the Ghalley."
The Hollywood neighborhood has expertly continued to pimp its association with the American film industry that formerly called it home where the other neighborhoods did not. In Edendale, the oldest studio was torn down and is now a vacant lot where the 2 Freeway meets Glendale. The old Mack Sennet Studio where Charlie Chaplin and Keystone Cops movies were made is now a public storage facility unceremoniously tucked behind a Jack in the Box. Hollywood, on the other hand, continues to bill itself as "The Entertainment Capital of the World" and adds industry-related tourist attractions like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was installed long after the last pieces of tinsel in tinseltown had blown over the hills.
Today there are relatively few vestiges of Hollywood's cinematic past not installed merely to attract tourists -- of the film studios, only Paramount remains. Of the major label music industry, only Capitol Records remains. The aforementioned Walk of Fame -- to me, at least -- serves primarily as a testament to the ephemeral nature of stardom. Not to be hopelessly cynical but the first time I saw the names like Bryan Adams, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Paula Abdul, I felt nothing but disinterest. However, for roughly ten million annual visitors it's presumably something terribly exciting and I honestly don't want to disparage that.
I would be very surprised, however, if much of Hollywood doesn't disappoint the celebrity or glamor-chaser because it really has little of either. Along a particularly acrid stretch Hollywood Boulevard, low-end shops hawk photos of celebrities alongside stripper-wear, I Love Lucy lunch boxes, tacky cell phone cases, novelty license plates, T-shirts and other chintz. People dressed rather unconvincingly as superheroes attempt to bully clueless tourists into tipping them for posing in pictures. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's saddened by the spectacle.
The Switchboard Music Festival is an 8-hour, non-stop music spectacle presenting composers and musicians who push the boundaries of their respective genres—be it rock, jazz, classical, hip-hop, world, or something less defined. It is a showcase for innovative, accessible local music that easily traverses disparate musical worlds, a physical analog for a borderless, digital world. In that regard, Switchboard has joined the likes of New York's famous Bang on a Can Festival, and an international trend toward bridging the gap between art and popular music.
Check out this marathon of talent!
Faun Fables to play at the Switchboard Music Festival.
Best Coast’s new Jon Brion-produced album The Only Place is available now for pre-order at Amoeba.com. Not only that, the California-lovin’ title track and first single is available to download. I heard it this morning on KCRW and am pretty pumped about it — everything sounds shiny and shimmery but still straightforward and not too clean, like finding a beautiful ring in the sand.
The Only Place comes out May 15. Who isn’t excited about this? “Why would you live anywhere else?” After hearing the first track, I can’t wait for summer and I can’t wait for The Only Place.
Best Coast plays The Wiltern in LA on May 18th with Abe Vigoda. Go to it!
Presidential beards were popular in the 19th century and they become popular again sometime in our dystopian
future. On the left is President Coriolanus Snow of Panem and on the right, President Ulysses S. Grant.
When blond-haired, blue-eyed Jennifer Lawrence was cast last year as the dark-haired, olive-skinned and grey-eyed heroine Katniss for the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy the decision was met with outrage from some bloggers. Perhaps they hadn't considered hair dye or contact lenses, but that doesn't diminish the fact that it's much more rare to see Hollywood go darker than lighter when casting films. One exception was Will Smith in I Am Legend, which suggested cross-racial casting is rooted just as much in the stupidity of star power as it is racism. Lawrence had just been nominated for playing a hillbilly in Winter's Bone, so she was as obvious a choice for the role of the Appalachian Katniss as Peter Dinklage is for any character under 5 feet, or Hayden Panettiere a cheerleader. Having just seen the movie, what's baffling to me is why anyone would find it preferable -- as in less offensive -- to have a black or mixed-race girl in the role given the fantasy world that's been (re-)constructed.
I know a lot of folks will be stopping by to pick up Madonna's new record MDNA today (which I recommend doing as it is packed front-to-back with sweaty Ray of Light meets Confessions on a Dancefloor energies), but - sorry Madge - M is for Maiden and that's good enough for me. Iron Maiden that is, and today's double live CD (or double LP) plus DVD concert release En Vivo! showcases a very indefatigable band from a very fan oriented perspective filmed live during the Final Frontier World Tour at Santiago, Chile's Esatdio Nacional. The extras, especially the 88-minute Behind the Beast documentary, are boss and the artwork rules inside and out. Celebrate En Vivo! day with "The Wicker Man" and Behind the Beast trailer below, click here for everything Iron Maiden available via Amoeba.com. Up the irons!!!
If you couldn’t make it to La Santa Cecilia’s record release party at the La Fonda over the weekend (especially those under 21) you have another chance. La Santa Cecilia will be doing an in-store performance at Amoeba Records Hollywood on Monday, March 26th at 7pm in celebration of their latest release, El Valor.
El Valor finds the band interpreting songs by such artists as Caifanes, U2, Lhasa De Sela, and Soft Cell. Each song is given the La Santa Cecilia treatment: part Cumbia, Mariachi, Bolero, Ranchera, and Latin Pop. Much like one of my favorite cover albums, Café Tacuba’s classic Avalancha De Exitos, El Valor is sincere without the trappings of being ironic. Each song is an attempt not only at reinterpretation, but a challenge to top the original.
La Santa Cecilia musicianship is sublime, without a doubt. Still, it would be hard not to single out their lead singer, La Marisol. She is often quoted as being the soul of the group. Her sound is unique in that one can hear generations of influences yet she manages not to sound derivative. When I hear her voice, I feel like a cook trying to guess the ingredients of a great dish only to come to the conclusion that the food is great.
On Tuesday, April 3rd, a new collection of reinvented Selena will be released to commemorate what would have been her 40th birthday. The songs that make the Enamorada De Ti album are some of her biggest hits redone with modern pop artists, including Samo from the group Camila, Don Omar, and Selena Gomez. According to the producer, Selena’s brother and main songwriter A.B. Quintanilla III, it was a way to imagine what Selena would be doing musically if she were alive.
We've had so little rain this year in L.A. that I figure I had better take advantage of today's damp weather to launch this blog. Although, I must admit that I cheated with a few parasols and a dude in rain slicks. Click here to check out the first umbrella gallery, posted back in 2010.
I believe in "Miracles", I really do. And I know what fun is, or at least I know what fun is supposed to look like. I mean, still have jingles from Saturday morning commercial bumpers still stuck in my head. Like most modern Americans I've had my brain beaten in by mass-marketed programming since my senses acknowledged personal taste as an option and though media feeding and regurgitation has come a long way I still respond to images of glowing, day-to-night bright colors, the hypnotic blur of carnival rides in motion and slo-mo vignettes of teens splashing around a swimmin' hole in high summer. In short, I never expected a mini documentary about the subculture of Juggalos (hardcore Insane Clown Posse devotees) and their annual summer homie hoedown, The Gathering of the Juggalos, to move me so. Honestly, watching this akin to riding an emotional Scrambler, a real stunner in the way that a beautifully-shot and framed social commentary should be. Nothing quite defines or celebrates the compound word "alternative-lifestyle" like Sean Dunne's American Juggalo.Talk aboutmagic all around you, imagine yourself just a "fuck it! I'm going!" away.
Plus, I can't think of anywhere else one might get the "you should never put spray paint on your face" life lesson. Check it:
Psychopathic Records have announced that the Gathering will be held at the usual Cave-In-Rock location and the family reunion will have a fifth day added to the annual outing: details and more for all those curious can be found here. And be sure to peep the list of ICP titles available via Amoeba.com here and other ICP/Juggalo-related Amoeblog posts here.
In honor of Women's History Month I have gone back and dug up some of my all time favorite female rockers from the seventies via the series of music videos above & below. An obviously subjective list; it is based on both quality of artist and availability of corresponding YouTube video clips on said artist. Including both all female bands and female fronted bands these videos are culled from sometime in the decade of the '70's and range from hard rock to punk rock. Topping this list of artists/videos is the pitch perfect Runawaystimeless hit "Cherry Bomb" from a show during a 1977 tour of Japan.
Others included below are the late great Poly Styrene with X-Ray Spex performing "On Bondage! Up Yours!" (from 1977 Punk In London documentary), Patti Smith and band doing a spine-tingling version of "Gloria" live in Germany in 1979, American born, British rocker Suzi Quatro's 1973 hit "48 Crash," and the early 70's killer American female rock quartet Fanny (who I saw Job O Brother also highlighted in a recent Amoeblog) doing two songs on the UK TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test. The other female rockers spotlighted below are Penelope Houston with the Avengerslive in SF in 1978 care of Target Video,Siouxsie (Sioux) and the Bansheesin 1978 doing "Hong Kong Garden," andThe Slits from their 1979 debut album Cutand their song "Typical Girls" - featuring the late great Ari Up (Ariane Forster) who died of cancer two years ago.
Ever find yourself at a goth club feeling like you had two left buckle boots? Hearing some boss Sisters of Mercy tune and wishing you knew how to cut a rug with the hot goth chicks? Well, search no further as this is THE instructional video you have been looking for...
This video debuted at Hubba Hubba Revue's Goth Show, March 22nd, 2012 at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco and was made by their video masterminds Lara Miranda, Joyce Tang, Jim "Kingfish" Sweeney, and Brett Stillo. Starring Balla Fire, Mynx d'Meanor, DJ Fact50, and Audra.
Thanks to E Lit at the Berkeley Amoeba store for the latest Top Five Chart and for the run down, in video above, of the new & recent arrivals in the hip-hop section of Amoeba. Number one is the brand new release Odd Future Tape Vol. 2 - the second collaborative album to date from the phenomenally popular young LA hip-hop collective Odd Future (aka OFWGKTA as in Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) who five years ago first came into being when 17-year-old Tyler (The Creator) Okonoma assembled his crew of close friends and collaborators (rappers Hodgy Beats & Casey Veggies, and producers Left Brain & Super 3). That was back in 2007 when the collective merged creative forces to create the original The Odd Future Tape. Fast forward half a decade to now, March 2012, and we have the very high profile sequel to that very underground release. In addition to their profile growth, Odd Future's lineup has also grown. Newer members (all of whom contribute to the new release) include MCs Mike G & Domo Genesis, jazz duo The Internet, and singer Frank Ocean. The Odd Future Tape Vol. 2features such standout tracks as "Analog 2," "50," "White," and the lead single (video below) "Rella." You can buy the CD version of this album in each of the three Amoeba stores as well as from theonline Amoeba store. Note that the vinyl/LP version of this album will be available in Amoeba on the upcoming Record Store Day; next month on Saturday April 21st.
San Fran trio Grass Widow have a new album coming out May 22 on HLR called Internal Logic. The first song from it, “Goldilocks Zone,” sports the casual girl cool of The Breeders with a bit more post-punk angularity and noise-rock sound effects. Definitely excited to hear the full-length!
Dante vs Zombies – “Natural Disaster”
L.A.’s Dante vs. Zombies are set to release their first full-length April 10 from Neurotic Yell, called BUH. This is a band I wasn’t sure I’d like from reading about them, seeming kinda kitschy. Listening to “Natural Disaster,” I hear exquisitely polished, noir-ish indie rock with style to spare, reminding me a bit of another L.A. band, Fool’s Gold, and also recent Yeasayer. Plus singer Dante White-Aliano has killer pipes. Love the speed-up at the end. (Download via RCRDLBL.com)
Races – Full Album Stream
Races are a band I’ve written about a couple of times here as their sweeping orchestral pop showed major promise. Now their first full-length, Year of the Witch, is imminent, and they’ve put the whole thing up for streaming via SoundCloud. Sounds awesome!
In honor of March being Women's History Month, I've created the following list of female musicians (with a smattering of bands consisting of, or fronted by, women) who have rocked me, rolled me, and everything in-between. Presented from A to Z, I hope you'll waste your employer's time and/or ignore your children's needs long enough to peruse this list and find some swell new chanteuse to make your knees sway...
Oakland rapper/runner T-K.A.S.H., who will be among those running 26 miles in this Sunday's (March 25th) marathon at the Oakland Running Festival, has decided to utilize the event as a way to help bring awareness of the epidemic of gun violence in Oakland by recording the above song "Run" as heard above. "Oakland had 2000 victims of gun violence in 2011," noted T-K.A.S.H. who recorded the song as way to motivate young people to stay focused and fit, and hence maintain a more positive (IE non violent) outlook on life. The Hip-Hop Chess Federation, which is run by Adisa Banjoko, is among those sponsoring T-K.A.S.H. in the upcoming marathon. You can also sponsor him in the Marathon (as well as find out other info) by visiting the artist/activist's Facebook page. And for general info on the two day (Sat 24th & Sun 25th) Oakland Running Festival with the marathon on day two click here.
Panabrite is the project of Norm Chambers -- not a household name to most people, but for those who have been reveling in his music for the last few years, he is absolutely adored. He is also, we should add, the man responsible for one of the most-loved synth albums of the last few years, although that's a journey he took incognito and we just aren't at liberty to divulge that identity quite yet. Some will be quick to chalk Soft Terminal up as just another Kosmische record, but that's just the surface dressing. There is something deeper happening here: vivid, liquid dreams are sculpted into intricate fantasy landscapes, each layer revealing another aspect of Chambers' production prowess. The thing with Chambers, is that he has an innate ability to write richly-textured, melodic compositions that have as much in common with vintage electronic library music as they do with minimal synth-pop and '70s prog. Soft Terminal opens with "Rainbow Sequence" and "Index Of Gestures." The former remains understated, moving simply and slowly while pulling open the curtain on the rest of the album. With "Index Of Gestures," Chambers opens up the sequencers and lets them fly. Dizzying passages resonate and when the piece finally feels like it will lift off, he tightens the reins and dives straight into an underwater sequence. But that's only a small part of the story. "Janus" opens with finger-picked guitar arrangements augmented with synth chords and rising leads. The guitars return on "Sound Softly" while Chambers' ghostly, robotic vocals float away unscathed. On "Beta Axis Terminal," pointillist tones flutter in and out before sharp, sequenced chord progressions overtake them. As the piece continues to build, vocoder hovers above thickened basslines and you feel lost in a dystopian sci-fi novel. But ultimately, Chambers' pop sensibilities are most evident on the mini-masterpiece, "Camembert Symphony." Pushed along by the constant thrum of a drum machine, multiple melodies are interwoven, wrapping themselves tightly around you. Each soaring synth glues the song deeper into your mind before fading away into the sonic ether. Cut to vinyl at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Limited to 500 copies only.
"The world’s epicenter of technology and innovation for a colossal two-day art and technology festival featuring towering multimedia art installations, live music performances, film screenings, and panel discussions," was how the Bay Area Crew enticingly previewed this past weekend's Creators Project at San Francisco's Fort Mason (The Creators Project Brings Two Days of Art & Technology to SF, 3/17 - 3/18). After reading this, I made a note of the dates on my must-do list to attend this cool sounding music, art, and cutting-edge high-tech event, and one that was free thanks to sponsorship by Intel and Vice. Additionally, the Creators Project had gotten a good response when it traveled to London, Paris, Lyon, New York, Beijing, Sao Paulo, and Seoull on a global tour last year.
Daniel Rossen’s Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP came out today, and true to form for Grizzly Bear’s Rossen, it doesn’t disappoint. Though he’s perhaps the lesser-known entity of Grizzly Bear (the other being gravy-voiced Ed Droste), everything Rossen has released to this point, both within the band (his gorgeous “Deep Blue Sea," for instance”) or without it (as part of Department of Eagles) has born an unmistakable stamp. It’s a tribute to his talent that you can say that without being able to describe just what that stamp is. It’s a certain mysteriousness that is part of what makes Grizzly Bear so alluring, where you’re very much hearing folk-rock with a kind of doo-wop vocal delivery — sounds simple enough — but everything is curiously out of reach. Lyrics are more suggestive than descriptive, intimating nostalgia and loss without really being forthright about it, and arrangements tend to spiral out rather than circle back to where they’ve started. Silent Hour/Golden Mile is actually more direct than some of Rossen’s other work. “Up On High” wouldn’t be out of place on a Grizzly Bear album, while “Silent Song” and “Golden Mile” are relatively straightforward rock songs that still spin off from typical construction, with spindly guitars and high, cooing vocals that remind me a bit of mid-period Radiohead without actually sounding anything like that. Both songs also benefit from hummable moments — not something Rossen is always known for — as well as the kind of high, lap steel guitar lines found famously in Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk” or George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord.” At five songs, Silent Hour/Golden Mile leaves you wanting for much more, which I’m guessing we’ll get in the form of the next Grizzly Bear or Department of Eagles album, but the EP is far from a departure or indulgence. It’s more like a treat, an appetizer for something bigger.
In response to the recent shooting death of black Florida teen Trayvon Martin at the hands of a trigger-happy, self-appointed neighborhood watch leader named George Zimmerman who believed Martin looked "suspicious," rapper Jasiri X today released the song and video "Trayvon." The Chicago-born, Pittsburg, PA-based artist/activist recorded the song and its accompanying video in protest of and outrage over the unjust killing combined with the fact that Zimmerman, who did not deny shooting the unarmed youth, was not arrested at the scene nor has he been charged (at the time of this post) since the killing that took place over three weeks ago on February 26th.
In "Trayvon," Jasiri X gives a detailed play by play of the events that went down three weeks ago when the 17-year-old was visiting his father for the weekend in the gated Florida community. He stepped out of his dad's house, taking a break from watching basketball on TV, to walk to the store to buy Skittles and ice tea. An excerpt of some of these lyrics follow below. In the video above you will see how the aritist also weaves in other incidents of young, black males being victimized, including that famous video footage of an unarmed Oscar Grant been shot by BART police on New Year's Day a few years ago. To get a free download of this song click here.
We only have one planet. You can help protect it. Participate in the world’s largest single campaign for the planet: Earth Hour.
It starts by turning off your lights for one hour at 8:30pm on March 31st in a collective display of commitment to a better future for the planet. Think what can be achieved when we all come together for a common cause!
Sign up to participate and turn off all non-essential lights at 8:30pm, your local time.
Find out more: http://www.earthhour.org/
Amoeba Hollywood is breaking out the balloons, the crates, and the deals for a sidewalk sale on Saturday, March 24th from noon-5pm (weather permitting, of course). There will be plenty of bargains on CDs, vinyl, DVDs, box sets, toys, and more!
All sidewalk sales are final. Store credit cannot be used to purchase items from the sidewalk sale.
Amoeba is delighted to sponsor the 10th Anniversary of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles! With 33 features, documentaries, and short films from around the world, 2012 promises to be their biggest year yet!
Pictured: Agent Vinod (2012, directed by Sriram Raghava)
Among the offerings are three world premieres, nine U.S. premieres, and twelve Los Angeles premieres, plus engaging panels, musical performances, special anniversary events and more. The festival runs from April 10th through 15th at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the home of IFFLA since its very first year. Look for the Amoeba booth in the courtyard of ArcLight on Friday 4/13.
All-Access & VIP pass experiences available. For more information and tickets, visit indianfilmfestival.org
Here are a few of the films featured this year:
Decoding Deepak
LOS ANGELES PREMIERE
Director: Gotham Chopra
English
MOCHIPET's LIST OF PRECAUTIONS FOR MUSICIAN'S WITH LAPTOPS:
1) Tracking Software (these track your laptop in case it is stolen)
- Project Prey (free)
- Lojack - Apple iCloud (will track your Mac)
2) Always keep a copy of your Serial Number so you can report to police
3) Always report your stolen laptop to the police department. (if you bought your computer with a credit card come companies will give you money back if it is stolen)
When, a few week ago, San Francisco electronic music artist Mochipet’s laptop was stolen during his ongoing Pet Your Godzilla Tour 2012 while in New Orleans he did two things. First, he warned other artists who use their laptops for their music of what precautions to take in case of a similar theft. This he did by posting online the list that is republished above here. Secondly he set about trying to raise some funds towards purchasing a replacement laptop by going online and seeking donations in exchange for new tracks of his music. The response was even better than anticipated which greatly pleased the artist born David Wang whose laptop is more than simply a device to send emails and update blogs etc. Rather Mochipet's laptop is one of his main musical instruments. It is also his mobile recording studio, and where he stores a lot of his music and music on his label, Daly City Records. Hence it is an integral part of his career and life.
In honor of St Patrick's Day today I have included a little sampling of Irish hip-hop (focusing on rap) care of the above videos that include Wexford's Rob Kelly with the song "Crazy." and the Waterford based hip-hop crew Sons Phonetic from their album Twelve Labours and featuring a cameo from Ireland's greatest emcee in its hip-hop history spanning past few decades - RíRá who in the years since his role in the pioneering Irish hip-hop group Scary Eire has built a strong solo career that includes collaborating with countless up-and-coming Irish hip-hop acts like Sons Phonetic, and the late great Dublin rapper Lunitic from his album Based on a True Story on the song "Celtic Funk." Above is the video for another song off that same Lunitic album. It is for the song "Stacy's Story."Also above is the video from about 3 years ago for "Who Shot Ya" by Dublin super-rap group Class A'z featuring Nucentz, Redzer, Terawrizt, and Rawsoul.
Music is in the air this month as March is the official start of festival season! Austin has South By Southwest, Miami has Ultra and Winter Music Conference, and Los Angeles Electronic Dance Music (EDM) promoter Insomniac brings us it's third installment of Beyond Wonderland to Southern California. Insomniac has made a name for itself throughout the world for curating some of the most successful and sought out festivals by audiences and artists equally, right in our own back yard. This time they get a little help, as three current national/international tours converge on the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino this Saturday, each curating one of the festivals five stages.
Armin Van Buuren's "A State Of Trance 550": Armin Van Buuren; Gareth Emery; Arty, Aly & Fila, etc.
- Celebrating the 550th episode of his A State Of Trance worldwideradio show, Armin curate a stage of Trance music's freshest talent.
"Hospitality Tour":
Netsky, High Contrast, Camo & Krooked - UK Drum & Bass label, Hospital Records, brings its top talent across the pond to take over the festivals Drum & Bass/Dubstep/Bass stage
E LIT'S PICK of the week: Ecid Werewolf Hologram LP
Special thanks to E-Lit at the Berkeley Amoeba store for taking time to give us the new Top Five list and to record the above video at the Telegraph Ave. store with a nice run down of all the new arrivals in Amoeba. E Lit will do reports each week on the latest hip-hop for the next three weeks here on the weekly hip-hop rap up Amoeblog. In the number slot this week is the latest (19th studio album) from Bay Area's godfather of rap Too $hort:No Trespassing on Dangerous Music.which includes such tracks as the lead single "Money On The Floor (feat E40)" (video below) the weed anthem "Cush Cologne" and the cautionary tale on cheating, "I Got Caught" with guest vocals by Bay Area soul singer Martin Luther.
Truth Universal's "Paper Chase" (2012) produced by DJ Def D
And finally I leave you with two brand new videos: one for Truth Universal's "Paper Chase" - video directed by Mark Lester and music produced by DJ Def D. s weekend. Above is the new Mark Lesterdirected video for "Paper Chase" by Truth Universal who is one of the countless hip-hop acts performing this weekend at the ever-expanding South by Southwest music and film festival. (click SXSW. for details on Truth Universal's shows). Better known asSXSW this big annual event is going on this week/weekend down in Austin Texas. And while many complain that the festival, which started out as a grassroots more alternative type affair all about the art, has just gotten too big and too corporate in recent years. Of course this week's story about a phone company exploiting local homeless folks in using them as WiFi hot spots didn't help SxSW's image. But regardless SxSW still manages to attract underground artists (of all genres) in droves to the city of Austin every March.
Some of the (way too many to mention here) hip-hop themed events happening at this weekend's SXSW long list of happenings include tonight Raekwon along with such guests as JD Era, Kofi Black, Young Cliff, Dustin Cavazos, Dre Marley, Grey Matter,JLD 8, and 8Earcub are doing what's been billed as "The SXSW Kickoff Party" at the Prophet Bar - formerly known as the Gypsy Tea Room. Meanwhile fellow Wu Tang warrior GZA will headline tomorrow night (Saturday March 17th) along with an impressive showcase that includes M.O.P., Jet Life, Flatbush Zombies and many more at the Haven night club at 409 Colorado Street. More info here.
On April 10, 2012 at 7:30pm, our friends at The Booksmith will host reissue producer/music scholar Pat Thomas for a signing of his new book LISTEN, WHITEY! Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965 – 1975 and the companion album (out now on Light in the Attic Records), which is being called the definitive Black Power aural document!
Over a five year period, Pat Thomas befriended key leaders of the seminal Black Power Movement, dug through Huey Newton’s archives at Stanford University, spent countless hours and thousands of dollars on eBay, and talked to rank and file Black Panther Party members, uncovering dozens of obscure albums, singles, and stray tapes. Along the way, he began to piece together a time period (1967-1974) when revolutionaries like Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, and Stokely Carmichael were seen as pop culture icons and musicians like Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon were seen as revolutionaries.
LISTEN, WHITEY! chronicles the forgotten history of Motown Records; from 1970 to 1973, Motown’s Black Power subsidiary label, Black Forum, released politically charged albums by Stokely Carmichael, Amiri Baraka, Langston Hughes, Bill Cosby and Ossie Davis, and many others, and explores the musical connections between Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Graham Nash, the Partridge Family (!?!) and the Black Power movement. Obscure recordings produced by SNCC, Ron Karenga’s US, the Tribe and other African-American sociopolitical organizations of the late 1960s and early ’70s are examined along with the Isley Brothers, Nina Simone, Archie Shepp, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Clifford Thornton, Watts Prophets, TheLast Poets, Gene McDaniels, Roland Kirk, Horace Silver, Angela Davis, H. Rap Brown, Stanley Crouch, and others that spoke out against oppression. Thomas further focuses on Black Consciousness poetry (from the likes of Jayne Cortez, wife of Ornette Coleman), inspired religious recordings that infused god and Black Nationalism, and obscure regional and privately pressed Black Power 7-inch soul singles from across America. The text is accompanied by over 200 large sized, full-color reproductions of album covers and 45 rpm singles, most of which readers will have never seen before.
Michael Krouse shares his journey to becoming owner/operator of the Madrone Art Bar in SF
This is part three in the ongoing guest Amoeblog series with Dave Paul called How I Got Here that has already featured an interview with Robbie Kowalof SunsetSF promotions company and Dave Paul himself. The series profiles various folks in the entertainment industry from doormen, DJ’s and promoters to venue owners etc. This third interview is with Michael Krouse who runs the Madrone Art Bar on Divisidaro Ave in San Francisco - a place described by the SF Chronicle as looking like "it were interior-decorated by Jeff Koons and Banksy." Paul knows him because he's been throwing his successful dance parties at Madrone for years and hence knew all the right questions to ask his subject. Additionally Krouse, who is a really interesting guy with a great history from growing up in Sin City in the 70's and 80's to becoming an artist to someone who totally emerged himself in SF night culture to get a feel for what makes the city by the Bay so unique, offers up some great insights into his life's journey thus far. A really good read!
Every once in a while an artist seems to come out of nowhere. They of course have not really come out of nowhere. They usually have been working on music for years and probably have an album or two out. There is just so much music out there. It is impossible to listen to it all. It is hard to even have time to listen to the albums that you know you will probably like. Even harder to take the time to find new bands and spend the time necessary to fall in love with a new artist or album. Julia Holter is my new obsession. She has just released her brilliant new album on RVNG International. She released the album Tragedy last year in a sort of limited release. But now she is ready for the world to know who she is. I hope she is ready. Because this album is fantastic. It took my years to finally get into Joanna Newsom. And I am so glad I did. That Joanna Newsom show at the Orpheum is still one of my favorite concerts of all time. This new Julia Holter does remind me a bit of Joanna Newsom. Her new album is called Ekstasis. RVNG Intl. has been around for a while. But they just found a new home with the Secrectly Canadian family. I think this is a perfect place for this new album and for Julia Holter. This new album is a mix of ethereal and folk music. It reminds me at times of Kate Bush, Rasputina, and Joanna Newsom. Imagine all this mixed up with the Blade Runner Soundtrack by Vangelis. Her voice is ridiculous. And beautiful. And just the right amount of weirdness. I really have fallen in love with this album. I have a certain coworker who runs the Handsome Club blog who I often don't agree with about music. We both love good music. Our tastes just often don't intersect. But he actually introduced me to magic of Julia Holter. And we both love this new album. I always know an album is good when we both like it. You should like it too.
Check out "Marienbad" by Julia Holter from the new album Ekstasis...
The B.A.D. Girls return to San Francisco on March 3st at the Fort Mason Center Herbst Pavilion, Pier 2. Longtime B.A.D. Girls fans will remember last season’s nail-biter when the Berkeley Resistance defeated the S.F. ShEvil Dead 182-112.
Will the wily and wicked ShEvil Dead army of zombies defend San Francisco from the Berkeley Resistance hippies? Or will peace and flower power once again stifle the stink of the Dead?
Enjoy the brutality while indulging in tasty local eats and throwing back a cold one.
Checkout the goods and grub in the vendor village featuring Cruz Skate Shop, Leppard Lady Fashions, Dottie Brand Accessories, A Spoonful of Sugar Cakes, Schulzie’s Bread Pudding, Senor Sisig & Donna’s Tamales!
Be sure to enter the raffle for a chance to win an Amoeba swag bag including a $25 Amoeba Music Gift Certificate!
In this fast paced online information age - with its non-stop constant overload of new facts (and fiction) been Tweeted and shared in some digital fashion every single micro-second of the day - it is often hard for individuals to get beyond that condensed 140 characters version of a particular story. But yet, based solely on that short (often editorialized) synopsis of a much longer in-depth story many will embrace that opinion put forth and jump on the bandwagon of popular thought on said topic. A case in point I believe was back in mid - late January when singer Lana Del Rey suddenly trended (around the time of fellow trending items as Rick Santorum and Jeremy Lin) as one of the most talked about individuals of that week or so. The trend was all related to her reportedly bombing on Saturday Night Live during her January live concert performance on SNL.
However her presentation on SNL was is secondary though since most folks who joined in the public mud throwing at this new pop star did so without having seen the actual TV show. Some did (mostly after the fact and in edited form) but a great many of these self-appointed critics who joined in the cacophony of critique (haterism?) hadn't even seen her SN: bit at all. But that didn't stop them from joining in and critiquing the artist for such things as appearing stiff and nervous and just standing still as she sang during her SNL performance. They also echoed the other criticisms leveled against the artist to such as she came from a privileged background, or that she changed her name and her image in her makeover bid of becoming a pop star.
This year's Silver Lake Jubilee in Los Angeles is on Memorial Day weekend May 26 and 27. The two day neighborhood festival may be its biggest yet with more than 35 bands, 40 comedians and performers, food trucks, craft vendors, and beer/wine for the 21-and-overs.
You can purchase two-day passes to the Jubilee at Amoeba Hollywood for $37 (this includes a $2 facility fee).
One of the cool things about the festival, aside from all the great bands, is its focus on environmental sustainability. You are very much encouraged to bring your own container and pour water for FREE from the fountains provided on site (that's a lovely change from other festivals that charge ridiculous amounts of money for very small bottles of water). Vendors use compostable food containers, and recycling and composting happens during the festival. Big no-nos inside the Jubilee include single-use plastic bags, Styrofoam, balloons, or other non-recyclable containers.
When: Memorial Day Weekend, May 26 & 27
12 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 26
12 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 27
Where: Santa Monica Blvd., with entrances from Sunset Blvd. and Commonwealth
Female singers have been popular since ancient times. Earlier this year a tomb was discovered in Egypt housing the earthly remains of Nehmes Bastet, a singer who lived and died some 2,900 years ago -- around the time of Carthage's founding and that the Iron Age was making big waves in Central Europe. To date, she's the only known woman buried in the Valley of Kings who wasn'trelated to the royal families.
Nearly 3,000 years after her death, female singers were still undeniably popular. Although female musicians have long been celebrated in the rest of the world, in the west most were limited to either the piano or harp -- and strictly in a non-professional role -- until the dawn of the 20th Century.
An important development in all-female bands was Lee De Forest's invention of Phonofilms in 1919. Before then, a few early attempts at marrying music to short films were made with Kinetoscopes but were hampered by their short length of 22 seconds. Phonofilms, which were essentially music videos, were longer and often featured female musicians.
Predictably, many of these pioneers were apparently valued more for their looks and/or novelty than their cultural contributions but that, of course, isn't a reflection on their technical or artistic merits. It's just that, as Sherry Tucker's book Swing Shift (one of the few books on the subject) put it, the public "looks first and listens later."
I couldn’t help but think while viewing LACMA’s new exhibit, In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States, How many people spent more time at the paintings made by Frida Kahlo than any of the dozens of excellent surrealist artists featured at the exhibit. Certainly, Frida is the rock star. Her artwork is used in advertisements for the exhibit that are plastered all over Los Angeles. So much so that I heard at least a dozen people refer to the exhibit as “The Frida Kahlo Exhibit” and were disappointed over the fact that there were only seven pieces of her work in the show. Still, it didn’t stop the multitude of women in rebozos wearing ethnic jewelry and posing for pictures in front of Kahlo’s artwork, sharing in Frida’s pain and heartbreak.
I don’t want to sound like a hater, because I do appreciate Kahlo’s artwork and to not acknowledge what she has meant for women artist and the art world in general would be unjust. Not only was she a great artist but also her artwork was superior to many of her male counterparts. Her art forced the inclusion of her and many other great female artists that weren’t given much respect beforehand. But as I continued through the exhibit, marveling over the great surrealist art of Maria Izquierdo, Remedios Varo, Dorothea Tanning, Gertrude Abercrombie and Francesca Woodman, it was evident that people for the most part, were more hung up on Frida’s biography than the art.
This is who we are as a society. We love our icons. We like our revolutionaries handsome and strong and we like our suffering artists to be tragic. You can’t be a multifaceted. You can’t be a tragic icon who met someone nice and settled down. You can’t be a revolutionary that decided, “Eh, I rather get a steady job” We admire them because unlike many of us, they are all or none and they are who they are until their death. Even if it is a perceived notion, we want our icons to make us think they are not like us. Nothing speaks volumes than modern pop music. Was 2Pac really a thug or a very talented rapper/actor who made us believe he was harder than he was?
Above is the recently extremely-extended remixed version of Kate Bush's big 1978 hit "Wuthering Hieghts" (an historic song because in 1978 when it topped the UK charts it was the first time a woman had a UK number one with a self-written song - and Bush was only 19 at the time) which has been stretched out to about nine times its original length - clocking in here at about 36 minutes. This remix method which takes the Chopped & Screwed remix style to a whole other level (that style, associated with the late great Texas DJ Screw, would slow down the BPM of rap songs to about half the original speed & add in various effects) slows down the original by stretching it out to six or eight times the original time. Hence why Kate Bush's song, which originally clocked in at about 4 and a half minutes, is now almost 36 minutes long in the "Ultra Slow" remix.
This stretched-style of remixing, which is pretty easy (and fun) to do, can make for some great remixes - although it is often hit and miss. I have personally done a bunch, using Peak Pro program and extending or stretching out the time to usually 8 times the original length, and come up with some good results. One that worked great for me was Joni Mitchell's "Blue" which, like the Kate Bush remix above, becomes transformed into this other-worldly mood-piece taking two minutes for MItchelll just to sing the opening five words of the song's lyrics - "Blue, songs are like tattoos." For those wishing to hear the original version of "Wuthering Heights" below is a 2011 remastered version of the Kate Bush recording which was number one on the UK charts in 1978. Look for it and Kate Bush's other music at the Amoeba online shop.
Thanks to Michelle at the San Francisco Amoeba Music store for this week's new hip-hop chart which, with the exception of Drake's steadily selling sophomore album Take Care which was released four months ago, is packed with all brand new releases that dropped last week on Feb 28th. These include the number album of the week at the Haight Street store and the number 3 Billboard albums chart across the country this week: the self titled album from WZRDwhich is the highly anticipated and slightly overdue new new rock project from Kid Cudi along with producer Dot da Genius which draws inspiration from Pink Floyd and The Pixies. and featuring songs like "The Upper Room " and "The Dream Time Machine" - both of which are below. Note this is technically not hip-hop music but rather more alternative/prog/rock music made by a rapper. I stress that because there's already been a lot of Cudi fans (ones used to his genre-bending) who are not feeling this album. But even if you are not you are not into the music you gotta give the guy props for always trying new things.
Amoeba Music and CIIS Public Programs & Performances present Soweto Gospel Choir on April 5th at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
8:00PM
Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
$25/$35/$50/$75
Get tickets HERE or call 415.392.4400
Group discounts available for 10 or more!
"(The choir) has a cornucopia of remarkable voices: sharp, sweet, kindly, raspy and incantatory leads above a magnificently velvety blend.....the music was both meticulous and unstoppable.....the songs were both spirited and spectacular" - New York Times
They're back! With their vibrant dance and dynamic vocal harmonies, the Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir is a worldwide phenomenon. The choir was formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African gospel music. The twenty-six-member-strong ensemble draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto, South Africa. The choir has performed to sell-out crowds at major concert halls across the globe, and alongside such superstars as Bono, Queen, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder. The ensemble is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world.
If recently you've either been on BART near in the vicinity of the Fruitvale station or driven along 880 in East Oakland odds are you've already spotted the big wide bright new mural bearing the word "DECOLONIZE" that takes up a wide wall at 12th Street and 16th Ave. The monumental mural is the latest politically charged artwork by the Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP). To catch the eyes of the thousands of daily commuters that pass by the piece is strategically positioned near both the freeway and the BART tracks to get the message of the monumental mural to as many people as possible. “Decolonize is a universal message to all people of the earth to reconnect to their ancestry, the earth, to their traditional medicines and knowledge, and to a global consciousness that we are all related. Everyone on the planet has indigenous roots to somewhere,” said artist Lavie Raven - one of the ten contributors to the large scale mural that is 200 feet wide and 30 feet high and took two and half days of concentrated work to complete. The other artists are CRP regulars Mike 360, Release, Beats 737, Desi, Rate, Abacus, Pancho, Yesenia, and Dora.
Everyday I think about what it would mean to suffer the panic of a disastrous earthquake. Sometimes the thought is latent, residing somewhere in my metal recesses. But at other times, like a few mornings ago when a magnitude 4 earthquake centered a few miles away literally shook me out of bed at 5:33am, it glows at the front and center in my mind like a warning fire. Can anyone ever really be ready for a seismic shift of any size? How does one prepare for the aftermath? Is there a price you wouldn't pay for hindsight?
It has been almost a year since the Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis and during that time there has been a great deal of giving, in terms of fundraising and charity, so that those in Northern Japan affected by the calamity may bolster their hope and know whatever relief may reach them while muster the strength to move forward and rebuild their communities. This Sunday, March 11 marks the one year anniversary of the natural disaster and I urge everyone to seek out and participate in local memorial events that honor those whose lives were claimed while maintaining awareness and providing support for organizations that continue in their effort to provide relief to survivors still striving to carve out an existence in the wake of such a catastrophe. For example, I will be heading to San Francisco's Japan Town for the community remembrance fundraising events featuring live performances and street sale (the Rise Japan booth will have all kinds of artwork on sale, including totes by Kelly Tunstall) then afterwards to Sushi Zone where owner, chef and Amoeba Music regular customer Kimiyaki Aoyama will have the restaurant open from 1-5pm -- mind you, they are never open before 5pm or on Sundays -- selling sake, beer and sushi with all profits to benefit the Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation. However, you can make a contribution and score some new vinyl at the same time.
If for no other reason than to acquire some beautiful music, Kazu Makino of the band Blonde Redhead has recently released a charity compilation on her newly founded Asa Wa Kuru label (meaning "Morning Will Come" in Japanese) with proceeds to benefit the Japan Society Earthquake Relief Fund and Architecture For Humanity (a list of these and other groups, individuals and institutions active in the disaster hit areas in Northern Japan can be found here). The vinyl-only compilation, titled We Are The Works In Progress, features some of the most hauntingly 4AD-esque broken-yet-crystalline pop-synth clarion calls to be heard of all the relief offerings put together by musicians with a mind to support Japan's post-tsunami healing process. The collection, spread over two LPs, features Blonde Redhead of course, plus an impressive array of singular artists like Four Tet, Ryuichi Sakamoto teamed up with David Sylvian, Broadcast, Deerhunter, John Maus, Interpol, Terry Riley, Pantha du Prince and many more - it is available for purchase through Amoeba Music here. Simply put, it is a gorgeous effort created to further a worthy cause - one that shouldn't provoke a pause to contemplate the value of music, but rather the value of hope.
The guitarist and co-founder of They Might Be Giants, John Flansburgh, gave us a really thoughtful, interesting "What's In My Bag?" video. His selections are mostly reissued Jazz, soul, and British Invasion rock LPs. The stories he tells about the artists, how educated he is in their history, and why he chose each record is very compelling. Not to mention he fondly refers to two of his Jazz picks - Anita O'Day and Blossom Dearie - as "nut"s.
On a heartbreaking note, last night on Twitter John mentioned that half of his picks from this Amoeba trip and other records he'd picked up while on tour, were burned in a trailer fire.
For its fourteen year anniversary show tonight at 10:30PM (7:30PM Cali time) on NYU college radio station WNYU (heard in NYC at 89.1FM on the radio dial and all over streaming online at wnyu.org) the much loved & respected New York hip-hop radio institution The Halftime Show will break tradition and not have any live guests come through the studios to freestyle. Why? Because the quality is not that good anymore. So instead it will present previously recorded material from its deep archives of 14 years of weekly shows. 14 Years of Rap is how tonight's special is being billed by the show's main producer DJ Eclipse; but the show will draw mainly from its earliest years - circa the late 90's - a time when hip-hop was in a whole other state of mind & creativity. Artists' live on-air sets to be played back tonight will include Redman, Cage, Hieroglyphics, Method Man, A.G., Dilated Peoples, Talib Kweli, and many many more (see flyer down end for full listing). It should be top notch quality stuff too since the respected radio show, when it began in 1998, essentially carried on the baton - in New York City underground hip-hop radio terms - from Stretch & Bobbito who did their legendary NYC radio show from 1990 to 1998 on uptown Columbia University college station WKCR.
"Usually for the anniversary shows on Halftime Show we have two or three producers come up with beat machines. We have about thirty MCs come through and we have a couple of DJs come through and they all do like live stuff because to me that's when radio's at its best - when you don't know what you are going to get. But this year I decided to reflect on the earlier years of the show and I'm going back to the first two or three years of the show and pulling old freestyles from some of the acts that came through in those first years," DJ Eclipse told me recently when I stopped by his Queens NY record filled home. The veteran hip-hop DJ, who is a member of Non Phixion, and a longtime hip-hop industry insider, who has worked for Fat Beats NYC and before that Wild Pitch Records, has been with the radio show from day one with an evolving crew of fellow radio show producers/DJs including DJ Riz, Lynn Gonzalez, and DJ Skizz to name but a few.
I recently was at Amoeba Hollywood and overheard a customer telling an employee Davy Jones had died. I hadn’t heard the news yet. She brought it up because she was buying Katy Perry records for her daughter. She said her daughter didn’t even have a record player — she just wanted every bit of Katy Perry merchandise she could get her hands on.
The only artist I can ever remember being that obsessive about was The Smashing Pumpkins, but that was in high school. But it got me thinking about those first tapes, records, singles etc. that everyone got as a kid.
For me, the first album I ever bought on my own was Ace of Base’sThe Sign on cassette. I had always liked music, but at 11, I had just started to pay attention to what songs were on the radio. A friend made me a tape from the radio and “The Sign” was on it. I loved it. In the coming weeks and months, albums by Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Stone Temple Pilots, Green Day,and my beloved Pumpkins would follow, but really it all started with Ace of Base for me. Though if I’m being technical, I had a cassette single of Paula Abdul’s “Promise of a New Day” that I listened to constantly when I was like 9, but I didn’t buy that — I won it at a cousin’s music-themed birthday party, at which my dad dressed himself and me as Simon & Garfunkel. I had no idea who they were. I think I was Paul Simon.
While I’m embarrassing myself, I thought I’d extend the question to the other Amoeba bloggers: What was your first album? Not kids’ music, but not just the cool stuff, either — the tapes we once listened to repeatedly and then put away in a drawer somewhere once we realized how lame they were, though I’m still on the hunt for The Sign on vinyl. Here are their answers:
Eric Brightwell My first record was Luciano Pavarotti'sMy Own Story, a compilation of “musical highlights of his spectacular career.” They used to heavily advertise it on TV when I got home from school, and I was hooked. My first cassette was Peter Gabriel's So. I'd liked the singles from it, but when “Big Time” came out, I was obsessed. My first CD was The Cure’sKiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. I was introduced to it by a German exchange student named Ina. Before she left I rode my bike into town to a Wal-Mart to get a blank cassette to dub it. I loved it so much, I thought it warranted being purchased on CD.
What a perfect love connection! The Creators Project comes to San Francisco—the world’s epicenter of technology and innovation— for a colossal two-day art and technology festival featuring towering multimedia art installations, live music performances, film screenings, and panel discussions. They will be kicking off the 2012 event series with a heck of a weekend celebration on Saturday, March 17th and Sunday, March 18th at the historic Fort Mason. And it's FREE with RSVP!!
Now get a load of the line-up for this weekend of fun:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs bring the post-punk rock from beloved creators Nick Zinner and Karen O, fresh off their recent psycho-opera collaboration, Stop the Virgens.
Squarepusher debuts his new live show, marking one of his first US performances in more than seven years.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 10:00pm - 1:30am
Yoshi's San Francisco
1330 Fillmore St.
FREE!
Full Info HERE!
Reply on Facebook HERE!
Yoshi's San Francisco is hosting a multi-media extravaganza of talented Bay Area artists. These cutting-edge artists will have their fresh work on display and some for sale. It is FREE to the public with proper DJs and drink specials to boot.
Robert B. Sherman December 19, 1925 – March 5, 2012
Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman and Walt Disney
Robert Sherman, half of the sibling songwriting team known as The Sherman Brothers, passed away in his London, England home, yesterday, at age 86.
His credits read like a beautiful memory encompassing an entire childhood. In addition to his film work, he and his brother wrote many of the famous songs played at Disneyland, including the (some say) most-played song of all time, "It's a Small World".
It's entirely appropriate to feel bummed out about this.
For many artists it is often their first album or their second album that puts them on the map and becomes their career's finest work. But for longtime Philly crew The Roots their breakthrough album came a dozen years after they had first formed (and gone through some personnel changes in the interim) in the form of their fourth album, Things Fall Apart. The album, which was released in 1999 by MCA, was as much of a critical as a commercial success for the group. Additionally its recording overlapped with several others by members of the extended Soulquarians collective that included Erykah Badu and Common - both of whom made memorable contributions to Things, as did others such as Mos Def, Ursula Rucker, and J-Dilla (a.k.a. Jay Dee). See the music video for the Erykah Badu featured album track "You Got Me" below.
While Things Fall Apart was unmistakably The Roots' breakthrough album, it is just one of many must-have releases by the ever-prolific group whose many late night TV viewers have come to know as the Jimmy Fallon house band. Others include The Roots Come Alive and all the ones released just over the past couple of years by the group. These include 2010's How I Got Over (Island/Def Jam) and the excellent concept album released late in 2011, Undun. The Roots also collaborated with both John Legend on Wake Up and with Betty Wright for Betty Wright and the Roots: The Movie. Additionally, there is great compilation of the Roots' tracks that dropped four months ago -- the J. Period & Black Thought presented Best Of The Roots.
Ralph McQuarrie, the designer of Darth Vader, the light saber, and many other Star Wars entities, has
died. Here is a bunch of good resolution reproductions of his art for the original trilogy.
Yesterday Stones Throw Records unveiled the brand new Aloe Blacc video, "You Make Me Smile" - the latest music video from the SoCal neo-soul artist's ever-popular album Good Things. Although the album was originally released back in the Fall of 2010, when the Orange County native celebrated its release with a record release party/in-store performance at Amoeba Hollywood, it continues to sell well due to the popularity of such tracks as "Green Lights," "Hey Brother," "Loving You Is Killing Me," his version of the Velvet Underground & Nico's "Femme Fatale," and of course the album's standout soul-stirring track "I Need A Dollar," which many people discovered as the theme music for the HBO television series How To Make It In America. That song, which immediately confirms why Aloe Blacc has been heralded as a modern day Marvin Gaye, sounds like classic '60's/'70's soul but simultaneously acts as the perfect soundtrack to these economically challenging times for many in America.
Any film can be a DVD but it has come to be accepted as common knowledge that a Criterion Collection DVD is important. And don't we all know by now that the discerning film aficionados manning the helm of the goodship Criterion don't scrimp when it comes to a figuring "wow factors" into their packaged feature presentations - that's why one expects only the best in classic and contemporary cinema when glimpsing said particular 'C' word, right? WRONG! Welcome to the new world of Criterion Collection realness, created for the people by the people, shining like a grand DIY roadside attraction just off the information superhighway: the Fake Criterions tumblog! Okay, so maybe I'm just getting on board with this trend, which would be still considered fairly new by all accounts if the year were 2002, but seeing as it's 2012 and this blog has only been around for a year and a half and has already amassed extensive content of admin and fan-made Criterion Collection DVD artwork (often highlighting Criterion's sophisticated approach to graphic design by treating lowbrow, low-budget films in a like manner) it seems to me that film geeks are taking the argument for the appreciation of tangible media into their own hands. I mean, what movie enthusiast wouldn't be romanced into acquiring something as ridiculously awesome as this:
Here's to Andrew Ihla who designed this nugget of Criterion Collection fool's gold! All I can say further is that scrolling through the entries can be painful at times for there is so much goodness in the Fake Criterions stacks that I believe truly should exist. Really, it hurts my feelings to see these things and know that I cannot possibly enjoy the full cinematic experience house within faux Criterion offerings like these:
To check out extensive LP label and price guides, head to the Vinyl Beat website!
One reaction to the digitization of our world has been the resurgence of vinyl and record collecting. People say it’s because a record feels real and sounds better than its CD or MP3 counterpart. Also dropping a needle on a turntable feels like a throwback to simpler times. Some people are taking it even further.
Some collectors are going to the roots and discovering 78s. BTW, these aren’t vinyls; they’re actually made out of a shellac mixture and are pretty fragile compared to vinyl. 78s have a broader tonal spectrum of 400hz to 10,000hz and they sound noticeably better than a 45, LP, CD, or MP3. There’s more music in their grooves!
However, there are some prerequisites for collecting 78s. First you need a turntable that can play them. A good portable ‘50s electric tube record player that can be bought at a garage sale for $50 - $100 will suffice. Purists will get an old wind up Victrola from the ‘20s or ‘30s that’s a real piece of furniture. Some prefer the cheap new designer players. They’ll work, but only until you get something better. The next step is to get a 78 needle if needed and to get your player in working order. Finally, you need to appreciate some of the music from before 1956, because there ain’t no Madonna 78s.
Once a month, Los Angeles's Natural History Museum stays open late and features live music, exciting scientific discussion, and behind-the-scenes curatorial tours as part of the First Fridaysprogram. Amoeba is excited to sponsor this fabulous series of live music, discussion, concessions, tours, DJs, and more.
Join us on March 30th from 5-10pm (even though it's the LAST Friday of the month!)for live performances from Matthew Dear and Songodsuns, KCRW DJs Anthony Valadez and Eric J. Lawrence, “The Dinosaur Hall: the language of exhibit design” tours with Dan Keeffe (Manager, Informal Learning), and a guest lecture from Dr. Jared Diamond (“Is it Good or Bad that the World has so Many Languages”).
On Saturday, March 3rd we held our monthly charity auction, which was hosted by funnyman Doug Benson! His droll and dry wit propelled us to raise almost $1,500 for the LA Regional Food Bank! The auction was also part of our week-long food drive to benefit the LA Food Bank.
Highlights from the auction:
Trader Joe's gift card and Family Guy lunchbox - $55
Guns N' Roses tickets which spurred a FURIOUS bidding war (thank you Goldenvoice!) - $120.00
Stevie Nicks clock signed by the Queen herself - $45
I’m a fan of the group, Bomba Estereo. Recently, I have become even more of a fan for how they represent their home country of Colombia through their art. Their Electro-Dub influences mesh well their Cumbia, Champeta and Colombia Salsa references. Along with such artists as Frente Cumbiero, also from Colombia, Bomba Estereo brings a fresh take on Colombian music to the rest of the world.
I was happy to read about a project that a couple of members of Bomba Estero, Santiago Posada and Simon Mejía, were a part of. Jende Ri Palenge is the result their three month stay in San Basilio De Palenque. Not only is San Basilio De Palenque the birthplace of Afro-Colombian music but also it’s a town famous as being the first free slave community in Colombia. During their stay, Santiago and Simon built a studio in the town of San Basilio De Palenque and recorded the various artists that live and work there. At the end of their stay, Santiago and Mejia left the studio for the people so that they can continue to record themselves.
The culmination of their stay is a 3 disc/5LP + DVD box set, released by Soul Jazz Records. Jende Ri Palenge features the music recorded with the Palenque community, as well as remixes of their original compositions by some of South America’s best remixers. Each version includes a documentary film of the recording process, also made by Mejia and Posada
According to the Soul Jazz website, Posada and Mejía chose to focus on three artists: Panamá, León, and Sikito, who put together various line-ups to play music typical of the region. The Afro-Colombian sound that the musicians of Palenque recorded for Jende Ri Palenge is the origins of Colombian music and quite frankly, of many Latin America musical styles today.
ECM Records has always been one of my favorite labels, peerlessly rich in variety and deeply honest with it's mission and intent of quality. I remember my first ECM LP was an unplayed white-label promo copy of Terje Rypdal's What Comes After, which really set me up to fall in love and get on board with the vision of Manfred Eicher, the label's owner and director. The sound on that record, with it's reverberant, creamy echo and crystal clear, dissonant music and the impression it made on me shall never be forgotten (and I can revisit it at will). Was this Jazz music? Rock? Classical? I didn't care at all to label it, only to consume as much as possible of this new sound, and start down the path to discovery of each title I could find in my town and towns around Los Angeles.
Of course, I didn't love everything that the label released, but I always listened with very open ears. Just the cover art direction alone still fascinates me and is the subject of multiple design books. Manfred has also become the preeminant Classical music producer since I've been a listener, not an easy coup, resulting in a perfect fit with his sound and the composer's vision. It still applies that ECM is a creative energy second to none with no cliches, no boundries, and no borders as to what can be done within it's domain, Year after year, which totals over 40 now, the ECM label has been there for me, re-igniting my passion for music, and with a quality like no other.
Here, fellow travellers, are some of my favorties of this moment's newest CD releases form this wonderful treasure. Click on the titles to see if they are available for purchase at Amoeba.com.
This week's hip-hop chart from the Hollywood Amoeba store reflects the state of the current hip-hop market - one in which many titles have a long shelf life including the most recent releases from both Drake (Take Care on Cash Money/Universal) and Kanye West & Jay Z(Watch The Throne on Def Jam) - two major label releases that were originally released in early November and August respectively but have been steadily selling/charting ever since. Meantime another steady seller is Blu & Exile's Below The Heavens on Fat Beats which is technically a five year old album but, due to public demand, was reissued recently. The other two album entrants on the new hip-hop chart are the 2012 releases from both LA alt hip-hop talent Busdriver(Beaus $ Eros on Fake Four Inc. featuring the Loden produced track below "Kiss Me Back To Life") and Gangrene's Vodka & Ayahuasca on Decon. Featuring Oh No and Alchemist Gangrene are pretty darn good and this is one recommended album; one of those records that you hear something new in every time you play it.
This trio of sisters spins out serious pop (not pop-inflected goth or whatever) with the kind of easy, a capella style harmonies that come easy to siblings. I like to picture Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim, all in their early 20s, singing along to Hanson in their parents’ car together as kids. Then, like, they grew up and moved to L.A. and started making music that references ’80s pop curios like Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks. I don’t actually know their real story — I’ll have to investigate this further. For now, I can’t stop listening to their three-song EP, particularly the dancey “Forever.” Get it free here.
White Arrows – “Fireworks of the Sea”
White Arrows have been making it happen for a while now with superb live shows and a handful of released recordings hinting at the cool things they’d be doing down the line — I once called them “Paul Simon in space,” and I can’t really think of anything better than that at the moment to describe their sound, so we’ll just go with that. Their new song, “Fireworks of the Sea,” certainly fits that mold, with swirling synths intimating some digital acid trip over Mickey Schiff’s snaking vocal. Their debut EP hits April 3 from Votiv Music. They’ll be at the Roxy March 27. Listen over at Spin.
Among the "good" of this year's Black History Month was Robert Glasper's excellent Black Radio album on Blue Note released Feb 28th, 2012
Maybe it's because this is a leap year that Black History Month 2012, which ended two days ago, seemed a little out of whack. Or maybe it was because it was a Black History Month that started on a really bad note when, on the morning of Feb 1st, the tragic news that Don Cornelius of Soul Train fame had taken his own life was the first thing we were to read about. That was bad enough but this tragic news came hot on the heels of the world losing a string of other black music/cultural icons, including in just the preceding two weeks both Etta James and JImmy Castor. And then, of course, ten days later, on the eve of the Grammys, the whole world was taken aback with the shocking news that Whitney Houston had died at age 48. Not exactly a great time to joyously celebrate black history!
In a short amount of time, Ty Segall has provided us with so much musical goodness in the recorded form that it’s hard to believe he’ll be releasing two (well, two-and-a-half-ish) albums this year. He’ll release a mini album on In the Red in June under Ty Segall Band, recorded with his touring band, which includes Charlie Moothart guitar (“He’s a complete shredder and dominator, he taught me everything I know about playing guitar,” Segall says), Mikal Cronin on bass and Emily Epstein on drums. The record will be mixed in Berkeley’s Fantasy Studios — where Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded, Segall points out — and recorded with Eric Bauer, who has recorded with Segall several times, including his most recent studio album, 2011’s Goodbye Bread.
A regular full-length also is due on Drag City under his own name in the fall. On top of all that, he’s releasing a collaboration LP with White Fence on Drag City in April, which he’s currently touring behind. Ty Segall and White Fence appear together March 3 at the Troubador.
I took some time to speak to Ty, who’s S.F.-based but was born in Laguna Beach, about his upcoming tours, release schedule, and how many songs he’s recorded.
PST: Last year, around the time Goodbye Bread was released, you said you wanted the next album to sound like Satan in Space, Hawkwind meets Sabbath and that sorta thing. Is that the direction the new material has ended up taking?
cameo. Another longtime Bay Area hip-hop artist with a new release is the Quannum Projects' Gift of Gab who just relased 
best record swap meets, the 
Sunday with us!
This week the wonderful band 
In observance of the ongoing Amoeblog series honoring 
The funny, talented women of Wild Flag sat down with us recently for a 
Madonna's new album 
Branagh, Barbara Kopple, and Pierre Rissient—for Bay Area audiences.
(Jack Black) warns, “You cannot have grief tragically becoming comedy.” But can it be funny when someone dies and no one cares? A former evangelist who arrives in Carthage, Texas to take a job as an assistant funeral director, Tiede uses his magnetic personality, seemingly never-ending skill set and Harold Hill–style of confidence to become the most popular man in town. Tiede even manages to charm Marjorie Nugent (a maniacally frenzied Shirley MacLaine), the local rich widow whom everyone else despises and fears. Eventually, though, Nugent’s abuses become too much for someone in Carthage to take. Director Richard Linklater returns to the East Texas of his youth to showcase the strange heart of small town life, where, as one character puts it, “people will always suspect the worst, but they’ll also suspect the best.” Saturday, April 21, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
26th at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.
sale!
If you couldn’t make it to La Santa Cecilia’s record release party at the La Fonda over the weekend (especially those under 21) you have another chance. La Santa Cecilia will be doing an in-store performance at Amoeba Records Hollywood on Monday, March 26th at 7pm in celebration of their latest release, El Valor.
On Tuesday, April 3rd, a new collection of reinvented 
'70's and range from hard rock to punk rock. Topping this list of artists/videos is the pitch perfect 
1) Odd Future
L.A.’s Dante vs. Zombies are set to release their first full-length April 10 from Neurotic Yell, called BUH. This is a band I wasn’t sure I’d like from reading about them, seeming kinda kitschy. Listening to “Natural Disaster,” I hear exquisitely polished, noir-ish indie rock with style to spare, reminding me a bit of another L.A. band, Fool’s Gold, and also recent Yeasayer. Plus singer Dante White-Aliano has killer pipes. Love the speed-up at the end. (Download via 
Panabrite
music, art, and cutting-edge high-tech event, and one that was free thanks to sponsorship by Intel and Vice. Additionally, the Creators Project had gotten a good response when it traveled to London, Paris, Lyon, New York, Beijing, Sao Paulo, and Seoull on a global tour last year. 
The Chicago-born, Pittsburg, PA-based artist/activist recorded the song and its accompanying video in protest of and outrage over the unjust killing combined with the fact that Zimmerman, who did not deny shooting the unarmed youth, was not arrested at the scene nor has he been charged (at the time of this post) since the killing that took place over three weeks ago on February 26th.
1) Tracking Software (these track your laptop in case it is stolen)
case of a similar theft. This he did by posting online the list that is republished above here. Secondly he set about trying to raise some funds towards purchasing a replacement laptop by going online and seeking donations in exchange for new tracks of his music. The response was even better than anticipated which greatly pleased the artist born David Wang whose laptop is more than simply a device to send emails and update blogs etc. Rather Mochipet's laptop is one of his main musical instruments. It is also his mobile recording studio, and where he stores a lot of his music and music on his label,
hip-hop crew Sons Phonetic from their album Twelve Labours and featuring a cameo from Ireland's greatest emcee in its hip-hop history spanning past few decades - RíRá who in the years since his role in the pioneering Irish hip-hop group Scary Eire has built a strong solo career that includes collaborating with countless up-and-coming Irish hip-hop acts like Sons Phonetic, and the late great Dublin rapper Lunitic from his album Based on a True Story on the song 
anthem "Cush Cologne" and the cautionary tale on cheating, "I Got Caught" with guest vocals by Bay Area soul singer Martin Luther. 
directed video for "Paper Chase" by Truth Universal who is one of the countless hip-hop acts performing this weekend at the ever-expanding 
dug through Huey Newton’s archives at Stanford University, spent countless hours and thousands of dollars on eBay, and talked to rank and file Black Panther Party members, uncovering dozens of obscure albums, singles, and stray tapes. Along the way, he began to piece together a time period (1967-1974) when revolutionaries like Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, and Stokely Carmichael were seen as pop culture icons and musicians like 
Black Power subsidiary label, Black Forum, released politically charged albums by Stokely Carmichael, Amiri Baraka, 
Kirk, 
defeated the S.F. ShEvil Dead 182-112.
on that short (often editorialized) synopsis of a much longer in-depth story many will embrace that opinion put forth and jump on the bandwagon of popular thought on said topic. A case in point I believe was back in mid - late January when singer Lana Del Rey suddenly trended (around the time of fellow trending items as Rick Santorum and Jeremy Lin) as one of the most talked about individuals of that week or so. The trend was all related to her reportedly bombing on Saturday Night Live during her January live concert performance on SNL.
This year's 
I couldn’t help but think while viewing LACMA’s new exhibit,
the Chopped & Screwed remix style to a whole other level (that style, associated with the late great Texas DJ Screw, would slow down the BPM of rap songs to about half the original speed & add in various effects) slows down the original by stretching it out to six or eight times the original time. Hence why Kate Bush's song, which originally clocked in at about 4 and a half minutes, is now almost 36 minutes long in the "Ultra Slow" remix. 
1) WZRD 
5th at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.
the BART tracks to get the message of the monumental mural to as many people as possible. “Decolonize is a universal message to all people of the earth to reconnect to their ancestry, the earth, to their traditional medicines and knowledge, and to a global consciousness that we are all related. Everyone on the planet has indigenous roots to somewhere,” said artist Lavie Raven - one of the ten contributors to the large scale mural that is 200 feet wide and 30 feet high and took two and half days of concentrated work to complete. The other artists are CRP regulars Mike 360, Release, Beats 737, Desi, Rate, Abacus, Pancho, Yesenia, and Dora.
The guitarist and co-founder of 
For its fourteen year anniversary show tonight at 10:30PM (7:30PM Cali time) on NYU college radio station WNYU (heard in NYC at 89.1FM on the radio dial and all over streaming online at 
all do like live stuff because to me that's when radio's at its best - when you don't know what you are going to get. But this year I decided to reflect on the earlier years of the show and I'm going back to the first two or three years of the show and pulling old freestyles from some of the acts that came through in those first years," DJ Eclipse told me recently when I stopped by his Queens NY record filled home. The veteran hip-hop DJ, who is a member of Non Phixion, and a longtime hip-hop industry insider, who has worked for Fat Beats NYC and before that Wild Pitch Records, has been with the radio show from day one with an evolving crew of fellow radio show producers/DJs including DJ Riz, Lynn Gonzalez, and DJ Skizz to name but a few.
For me, the first album I ever bought on my own was Ace of Base’s 
My first record was 
release with a record release party/in-store performance at 
People say it’s because a record feels real and sounds better than its CD or MP3 counterpart. Also dropping a needle on a turntable feels like a throwback to simpler times. Some people are taking it even further.
scientific discussion, and behind-the-scenes curatorial tours as part of the 
On Saturday, March 3rd we held our monthly 
I’m a fan of the group, 
Maybe it's because this is a leap year that 
In a short amount of time, 
