In school, they teach you that the easiest way to get from point A to point B is a straight line. But such things rarely exist in life, especially when they pertain to the progression from where you are today to where you’ll be tomorrow. This is something I’ve given a lot of thought to over the past month or so; it’s also something Abbey Simmons touches upon in her recent thought-provoking article in Sound on the Sound. Read More »Legs: Two Colours (Video)
2012 has been a great year for new bands, and in the top three or so is a group I’ve covered a few times already this year: Trails And Ways. They have two descriptions on Facebook. One is Brazilian shoegaze and the other is bossa nova dream pop. Both are fairly accurate. Read More »Trails And Ways: Border Crosser (The Sheshan Remix)
I discovered Oakland band Trails And Ways back at the end of April, when I covered their song “Tereza”. Since then, the band has dominated my playlist, adding a tune a month. The latest to grace our ears is “Mtn Tune”, a track whose video features great retro-ish bicycles, rock climbing, and, as the Ian from the band notes, a concert on top of a 40-foot volcanic rock. Read More »Trails And Ways: Mtn Tune (Video)
A 13-year hiatus after what I’m guessing was a single LP. Seems a bit odd, but The Shrouded Strangers do a good job pulling it off. Their hiatus included the band’s duo forming, recording under, and touring as two other bands. After forming in 1999 and dishing out their debut LP, Yes, We Are the Shrouded Strangers, the dynamic Harrisonburg, Virginia duo of Aaron Carlson and Mike Scutari have returned, now based out of Oakland, with Lost Forever. Read More »The Shrouded Strangers: Lost Forever
Trails And Ways is a dream pop outfit based in Oakland. “Tereza” is a just-released single off their forthcoming debut LP, called Trilingual; there is meaning behind the name, as Trilingual will feature Spanish, English and Portuguese vocals. With “Tereza”, they stick with English. Read More »Trails And Ways: Tereza
Somewhere between the ancient world and the modern, the glory of folk music has never ceased to roar its intangible through several different forms of plucking and praying. Whether it be old country blues, delta blues rediscovered, west coast interpretation, or just the idea that a singer/songwriter is the one true connection to the times of long ago, to the pains we feel today. And somewhere in Oakland, we find the perfect embodiment of all those things that make folk music so truly wonderful within the words and strumming of Nick Haslett. Read More »Nick Haslett (Feature)
On their first studio album in over 10 years, Bobby Joe Ebola and The Children MacNuggits have really grown. Sort of. Yes, they are still singing about zombies, mental illness, pop culture, mental retardation, and killing you. But F brings a (slightly) brighter light to this Oakland-based duo’s dueling personas as underground comedic and folk/punk legacy. It’s been over 15 years since these two eccentric beings released the now cult classic At One With The Dumb, so to put it nicely, the guys are “seasoned veterans.” Or as they might call themselves, “old as fuck.” Read More »Bobby Joe Ebola and The Children MacNuggits: F [Album Review]
Grand Lake is the latest project from Port O’ Brien founding member Caleb Nichols, who joins forces with long-time friend Jameson Swanagon. Together, with drummer John Pomeroy, the San Francisco band is complete. The band is poised to release their debut LP, Blood Sea Dream, August 10 on Hippies Are Dead Records. That is where you can find “Spark”, their first single and the song featured in this somewhat trippy video. Featuring swirling dreamscapes of upbeat, hypnotic pop melodies backed by driving percussion, Grand Lake will creep into your head and take hold of your senses. In “Spark”, Grand Lake demands to be heard, and as the song climaxes attention will become singular – focused solely on the music. Read More »Grand Lake: Spark [Video]
The thing I love about Ba Da Bing is that you never really know what you’re going to get, but you can always trust the fact that it will be 1) almost entirely unique, and 2) extremely good. Enter one of the label’s latest bands, Woom. They fit the facts, producing minimalist experimental folk pop tunes like “Quetzalcoatl’s Ship” on their mini LP, simply titled demo. Read More »Woom: Quetzalcoatl’s Ship [mp3]
