LIVE REVIEW: Giant Skyflower Band, Hemlock Tavern, 9/20/07

Today we depart from Teutonic masters of techno and return to our other darlings here at Hey! Student -- California hippies! No, I kid actually, these guys aren't hippies, although you might think otherwise given that the band in question is called Giant Skyflower Band, and the title of one of the tracks I'm posting is "Rainbows and Dreams (With Worms Singing)." Even though for the most part I have nothing against real hippies, I'm happy to report that Giant Skyflower Band are beer-swilling folk just like you and I. ("But Dan, couldn't hippies drink beer too?" Quiet, you!)

Giant Skyflower Band are led by Skygreen Leopards impresario Glenn Donaldson, who plays guitar and sings. One other guitarist, a bassist and a drum machine fill out the lineup. This live setup was really effective, and I'll explain why. Like almost all new rock music that I enjoy, they drench their songs in waves of distortion. Playing along to a drum machine was a good choice, because it allowed enough space for the guitars and bass to play off of each other. The drum machine was never that prominent, so I'm glad they didn't have to coerce some dude into playing the drums with a sad face.

The tracks that I've posted from their album are quiet, but in concert the two guitars easily filled the room. GSB (as I shall call them) draw on the same sound that inspires the Black Lips and Sic Alps, slowed down to a pace that provokes head-nodding rather than pogoing. Here's an excellent video of the band that was shot at Hemlock Tavern a couple of months ago.

Giant Skyflower Band - Rainbows and Dreams (With Worms Singing) [Blood of the Sunworm LP, 2007]


Giant Skyflower Band - The Archangel (Hurray for the Beast) [Blood of the Sunworm LP, 2007]

Before there was Gun Club, there was Gun Club (Gun Club, duh)

Gun Club is the name of San Francisco's best club night, objectively speaking. But it's also the name of a great band from L.A. led by the late Jeffrey Lee Pierce. The tracks I'm sharing here are from a 1987 album, and for me the sound gets everything right about the 80's: focus on the singer, reverb all over the place, crazy guitar solos. I guess this is kind of like Echo and the Bunnymen if they played at a more frenetic pace. This is Gun Club's third album, so they'd mellowed out a bit from their earlier recordings. (Fire of Love, their first album, is worth checking out.)

The Gun Club - Bill Bailey [Mother Juno LP, 1987]

The Gun Club - Lupita Screams [Mother Juno LP, 1987]

Why the Tussle show wasn't a waste (T.I.T.S.)

T.I.T.S. are a band from San Francisco that's never going to get played on the radio. I guess that's more rock for the rest of us, because they played one of the most epic sets I've seen in a long time, one of those shows where as soon as the band starts playing the sound just hits you. Elbo Room sounded great that night, until that clown from Tussle started mucking about I guess. T.I.T.S. take the best elements of the two "post-" movements (that would be "-rock" and "-punk"), keeping the one stylistic choice that unifies the two--PLAYING SUPER LOUD. Mogwai and Ikara Colt are two quick reference points, but at times it sounded like they'd picked up where Liars left off with They Were Wrong So We Drowned. I've only seen Liars in concert once, and it was on that tour. I was literally scared at that show, and T.I.T.S. have that same kind of wild energy going for them. (Unlike Liars, though, every member of the band is technically proficient at their instrument, especially the drummer.) Anyway their recorded stuff doesn't capture the sound of their live show, so check them out if you get a chance!

T.I.T.S. - Mystery

LIVE REVIEW: Tussle, Elbo Room, 8/25/07

Tussle should put on an overpowering live show: a two-drum attack has always been he backbone of the group. Almost inconceivably, then, this San Francisco group put on an ineffectual concert at Elbo Room--that's home turf! Let's take a step back and go over why Tussle, on record at least, have been one of the most exciting bands of the 2000s.

Tussle's sound begins with drum and bass; a full three quarters of this band's humanpower is spent laying down steady grooves that can just as easily claim dub as disco for an influence. Spaced-out keyboard flourishes usually complement this sound, but sometimes spur it on. On the band's most recent release, Telescope Mind, there was a clear dialog between these "halves" of the band. This was true of the album as a whole: the keyboardist/effects guy was given room to experiment on a number of short interludes, which effectively balanced out the most percussive sound the band had produced yet.

This character was allowed to dominate Tussle's show--much to its detriment. He wore a morose look as he futzed around with an entire card table's worth of equipment splayed out before him. Among other assorted gizmos was a Korg KP2 Kaoss Pad and a Monome sequencer. Those are two very serious pieces of equipment, yet for someone with so much he managed to produce so little. Rare was the welcome musical contribution from this man, but his amp was usually turned up so loud that the drummers could barely be heard, even when they were wailing away at their kits! The band hardly played a recognizable song, as each one quickly devolved into keyboard wankery. Much in contrast to their recorded efforts, the two parts of the band seemed to be on very different wavelengths.

When I saw Tussle about a year and a half ago, the same thing happened, i.e. somber keyboard player turned up too loud. That time, the smirking bassist motioned for the sound man turn the dude down. (This request was granted.) Anyway, Tussle's got a new bass player now. Mope on, guys.

Tussle - Don't Stop [Don't Stop EP]

Tussle - Warning [Telescope Mind]

From Jerusalem to the missions of San Luis Obispo

It's very easy to get lost in the world that The Skygreen Leopards create. This might be true of all psychedelic music, but here it's all about the songs of Glenn Donaldson. There's a strange brand of mysticism running through The Skygreen Leopards' catalog, which is probably best summed up by song title "Jesus Was Californian." You might end up in a cul-de-sac if you listen to the words too literally, but there's no need to exert yourself in this way; Donaldson is a very talented singer. He delivers the songs earnestly, like he's straining to direct these daydreamy songs towards reality.

The Skygreen Leopards - Belle of the Woodsman's Autumn Ball

Sic Alps to wake you up

Hey it's Tuesday, are you slumped in front of your computer? Unless you power yourself by coffee (in which case I consider you a cheater at the game of life) you might want to listen to something like Sic Alps, a local band if you call SF home. Put headphones on, listen to this track just upwards of 200 times and it'll be Wednesday before you know it.

Sic Alps - Semi-Streets [via raven sings the blues]

This is kind of like The Black Lips if they were more into shoegaze and maybe didn't drink as much. Or to be more reductive, they're like the Black Lips of the West Coast. Can I googlemark that?

I found out Sic Alps through raven sings the blues, a blog that you should add to your feed reader of choice if you want to know what's what in the world of ex-centric (shoutout to JP) rock music.