SFCritic: Music Blog

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Slim's

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:00:00 PDT

Story and photos by Victoria Smith Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC) have it. The swagger, sex appeal, cool songs--it's all there. Two singers, one Scottish (Robert Turner), one American (Peter Hayes) and a chick on the drums, Leah Shapiro (whom impressively hits the spots with solid feel) make BRMC. All this with the added grooviness of coming from San Francisco. These things are appealing in rock 'n roll. Their 'home' show at Slim's on March 10th was packed with a cool 'in'...

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Geographer - "Can't You Wait" (Official Video)

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:28:00 PST

In the last year and a half I have received countless albums, submissions, pitches, but I have never been blown away by a band completely unbeknownst to me, until now. Geographer, a Bay Area local band (hell yeah! I will be at every one of their shows, obsessing over them like Eve Marcellus does with Lady Gaga --though she'll only admit that half grudgingly) are incredible. Like Grizzly Bear "Cant You Wait" is charged with vocal harmonies. Their music has the infectious bounce that makes me...

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News in Music Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (eve) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:04:00 PST

In an effort to define SFCritic into a streamlined, user-friendly content, we will be running the "News in Music Blogs," a weekly update of interesting blog posts, discussion topics, and event listings in the music blogging community. Think Largehearted Boy with a focus on San Francisco events, and only music topics. The catch, we want your voice. Read a post you want to share, have an event you think is appropriate for SFCritic, interested in continuing a larger online discussion, email...

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SXSW 2010 RSVP

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:23:00 PST

SFCritic will be at South By South West (SXSW), which begins this Friday (music next Wednesday). We thought it fruitful to share with our readers, and for those fellow bloggers, the parties we'll be attending, and suggest you attend. So readers, please follow us at Twitter to receive live updates, and bloggers, attendees of SXSW--holla back! Wednesday March 17th Pure Volume House Haven't gotten enough Taco Bell in your life, well enjoy the Bitch Slap Brunch from 12PM - 3PM, and get your dose....

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Zap Mama Chats with SFCritic

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:12:00 PST

Photo by Victoria Smith Marie Daulne's music reflects the story of her life. Her father, a Belgium colonialist, was killed by child rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shortly after impregnating her mother, Cyrille Daulne. After his death Cyrille emigrated to Belgium, where Marie was schooled and raised. When she was 20, Marie returned to Africa to explore her Pygmy roots. Her exploration continued within her music. Most people know Marie Daulne as the lead singer of Zap Mama. With...

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80s Lavish Rock is Today's Hip Hop?

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:30:00 PST

In a recent interview with Metric frontwoman, Emily Haines, SFCritic asked her about the connotation of today's "rock stars," particularly, whether it had changed in comparison to those iconic stars of Woodstock, or grunge rock, or whomever. Haine's made an interesting point when she compared today's rock generation to the lavish 80s rockers: "I think our generation of musicians feels more accountable, and more engaged in the cultural narrative as a whole, instead of just ideally in your own...

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Foreign Born at Rickshaw: Noise Pop 2010

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:00:00 PST

All Photos by Victoria Smith Foreign Born, the shoegaze, folk-jammy rock that my photographer described sounded "like Tom Petty a little--oh wait, maybe Tom Waits," headlined the Rickshaw for Noise Pop. Playing a lively set that was brightly fun, particularly for the cross-dressing hippies in the front-row, Foreign Born put on my favorite performance of the festival (yes, I did see The Dodos). Whereas I critiqued Man/Miracle for being sonically loose, Foreign Born was quite the opposite. Even...

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Listen: Gorillaz "Plastic Beach" Full Album

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:22:00 PST

The wonderful people at NPR have offered to share a full stream of Gorillaz's new album Plastic Beach. Ah, who am I kidding it's all promotional! Either way, the album should be promising. At its core, Gorillaz is the duo of Blur's, Damon Albarn, and graphic artist, Jaime Hewlett, but has always consisted of a range of collaborators. Plastic Beach is no different. With appearances from Plastic Beach continues this trend, with Albarn bringing in an impressive roster of musical contributors:...

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Man/Miracle at The Bottom of Hill: Noise Pop

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:54:00 PST

All Photos by Victoria Smith Man/Miracle, the three piece band lead by singer Dylan Travis, have enough talent to be a man miracle (in the least biblical sense) but I'm just prophesying. Opening at The Bottom of The Hill for Rogue Wave, the band was true to their debut album, The Shape of Things: great at times, but not throughout. Tracks like "Hot Sprawl," create a hot mess for critics. It's lush. It's new. The guitar riff is folksy with bluesy undertones, but the drum patterns and vocals...

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Har Mar Superstar at Noise Pop 2010

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:01:00 PST

All photos by Victoria Smith Though Har Mar Superstar looks like a combination of John Belushi and Ron Jeremy (in his older years), as an entertainer he's more of a Justin Timberlake. Standing a mere 5'5", Har Mar Superstar has a stage presence of a giant that warrants the attention of all drunken spectators. Whether doing handstands, stripping, necking or singing within the crowd--as one man, he brings more show than a gang of 80s hair band rockers. With Diesel buying out the bar, the...

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Tinariwen Live Review at San Francisco Jazz Festival

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:57:00 PST

Like meeting a friend in a foreign country, Tinariwen's performance felt familiar, yet unusual. It was a feeling that stemmed from a juxtaposition of foreign and domestic. The Northern Malian group performed at The Palace of Fine Arts in conjunction with SF Jazz Festival. The sellout crowd shouted and clapped as Tinariwen took the stage. The six band members (the band's lineup changes frequently) were dressed traditionally, wearing sandals, long robes and turbans. In front of a bare back...

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Spoonful of Noise Pop 2010

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:46:00 PST

The Noise Pop Festival begins TONIGHT, and while many will recognize names like Yoko Ono and Magnetic Fields, most of the bands remain relatively unknown. SFCritic decided it would be best to share a little who's who to help our fans prepare for the festival. This is a great opportunity to get out of your house, check-out quality music for bargain prices (most tickets are under $20). Here are a few picks: Nico Vega (The Independent on February 27th) Nico Vega's high energy shows get old and...

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Tegan and Sara Interview: Sainthood

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:25:00 PST

Love, heartache and obsession consume our thoughts on Valentine's Day, but are always a part of Tegan and Sara's music. The Canadian twin sister's new album Sainthood was inspired from Leonard Cohen's lyrics, "I practiced all my sainthood." So after Valentine's Day, before their March 5th performance at the Fox Theater, SFCritic spoke with Tegan about Sainthood, her sister, and growing up. SFCritic (SFC): How was your Valentine's Day? Tegan (T): I found that I got a lot of messages just...

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Kidz In The Hall "Jukebox" (Official Video)

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:04:00 PST

Kidz In The Hall just released this video for "Jukebox." Check it out. SFCritic will be checking them out at SXSW, so look back for an interview soon! Until then, get amp for their sophomore LP Land of Make Believe set to be released soon.

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Friday Free Mp3s: Wu-Tang Clan, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Game, and More

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:41:00 PST

Who doesn't want to hear ODB scream "Fuck you!" With ill production arranged entirely by Mathematics, this joint jumps like kangaroos. Grab this track if only as memorial to the late great ODB, because really, how often do you get to say "I got that new shit from the Ol' Dirty Bastard," and it's not referencing your dad's toiletries. Wu-Tang Clan ft. ODB and Bad Luck: "Early Grace" _RLT.render('e2ff0b204658881b8c8d71b536d03b44'); "Something told me inside that your love was untrue," sings...

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News in Music Blogs [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:35:37 PST

"Giving Up The Gun" Video by Vampire Weekend Ft. RZA, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lil Jon & Joe Jonas

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:53:00 PST

The list of celebrities might confuse you, but this is the official video for Vampire Weekend's "Giving Up The Gun," from their new album, Contra. The album has received high praise across the boards, elevating Vampire Weekend into another indie band, no longer really--indie? At SFCritic we've passed on discussing the album because well, everyone else is talking about it. At Spinner Ezra Koenig explained how all the celebrities became involved: We always thought RZA would be perfect. We'd been...

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A&R: The Music Submissions

noreply@blogger.com (eve) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:02:00 PST

Conil - Strange Part of the Country In the 1990s, there was grunge. Seattle bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden dominated the music (and fashion, but that's for a different blog) of decade. They emerged as soulful, grating, and immediately identifiable "voices of a generation". This year the nostalgia for grunge is rapidly taking over pop culture. After a listen to the debut album from London-based singer/songwriter Conil, one can't help but recall the music styling of twenty...

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Tegan and Sara "Hell" (Official Video)

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:42:00 PST

SFCritic spoke with Tegan, from Tegan and Sara, earlier this morning. Tegan is sweet, and humorous. There was plenty of juicy material from the interview, particularly, talking about "coming out," the worst Valentines Day, and backstage hot tubs. Sound interesting, well it was. Check back next week for the interview. Meanwhile, enjoy "Hell" the first single from their new album Sainthood. Tegan and Sara will be playing at the Fox Theater on March 5th.

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News in Music Blogs

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:07:00 PST

"News in Music Blogs," a weekly update of interesting blog posts, discussion topics, and event listings in the music blogging community. Think Largehearted Boy with a focus on San Francisco events, and only music topics. The catch, we want your voice. Read a post you want to share, have an event you think is appropriate for SFCritic, interested in continuing a larger online discussion, email us links, or comment below! Bay Area Evie Ladin plays old-time banjo. Listen and you can hear the...

Read more at www.SFCritic.com

Sade's "Soldier of Love" Album Review

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:49:00 PST

Label: Epic Release Date: February 8th, 2010 Rating: 4/5 Though it's been ten years since Sade's last release, their new album Soldier of Love preserves the sound that makes them one of the UK's most successful soul and R&B groups ever. Since their 1984 classic Diamond Life, Sade Adu's uniquely impassioned voice, the softly chilling instrumentals, and emotive harmonies separated them from contemporaries with a style known as "Quiet Storm era," named after her ubiquitous hit. Only the...

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"I Don't Care About You" by Get Busy Committee

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:02:00 PST

"Happy Valentines Day you psycho-$%#%%." If that's how Valentines was for you, or you got drunk waiting for the day to pass, or maybe you just want to shake your rump--well, then Get Busy Committee has an anthem for you. The LA based hip hop crew, are bubbling with potential and tracks like "I Don't Care About You" is evidence. The crew is humorous (check out the Raiders joke in the video), poppy (love anthem from former coke rappers?), and catchy ("Razorblades" listen here).Check, check it,...

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Fanfarlo Interview with Simon Balthazar

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:24:00 PST

A stamp of approval from David Bowie is great publicity for UK’s premiering band Fanfarlo It’s also a redundant interview topic and an easy hook for journalists. The DIY indie-folk band’s debut LP, Reservoir, has garnered them comparisons to Arcade Fire and Talking Heads. Not bad company, but there is still a long road ahead as the group’s buzz spreads through the US. Before their performance at The Great American Music Hall on February 22nd, while on tour in Europe, SF Station email...

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"Bear" by The Antlers [Official Video]

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:32:00 PST

The Antlers released their video for "Bear" this week. The Antlers have been a focus for SFCritic in recent weeks, check out an interview here and show review here. Forgive the video's load time, just click and come back. Many bloggers have described the video as "how to save a woman," now isn't that just a little hetero-normative. Deep, profound, and "beautiful" videos such as this make me think that this indie-folk movement is a combo of the grunge and emo music phase of long ago. Thanks to...

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A&R: The Music Submissions

noreply@blogger.com (eve) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:56:00 PST

Here at SFCritic we have been unusually fortunate to receive some truly excellent music submissions. For most people it is not everyday that your inbox fills up with not one, but dozens of moving/fun/jaw-dropping/truly confusing albums, singles, and videos, but for us it is. And it's awesome. We know that for any musician it is both necessary and difficult to put yourself out there, to be critiqued, and it is not a job we take lightly. We would like to give as many artists the opportunity to...

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News in Music Blogs

djohnsonigra@gmail.com (David Johnson-Igra) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:32:00 PST

In and Out of Control: An Interview with The Raveonettes [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:43:35 PST

SFCritic interviews The Raveonettes about their new album, In and Out of Control.

Souls of Mischief Interview: Montezuma's Revenge [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:42:23 PST

SFCritic interviews Souls of Mischief. The group are also members of the legendary crew, Heiroglyphics.

Interview with The Antlers: Peter Silberman [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:41:01 PST

The SFCritic interviews Peter Silberman of The Antlers about Hospice and life.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2010 [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:38:29 PST

Pitchfork Music Festival tickets go on sale today. The festival will feature Pavement, Raekwon, St. Vincent, and more...

A&R: The Music Submissions [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:25:11 PST

Featured Artist: La Roux [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:35:11 PDT

Lists: Top 5 Car Commercial's Songs [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:05:16 PDT

A top 5 list of the best songs from car commercials

Listen to What You're Missin': Nujabes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 88-Keys, and Fever Ray [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:35:13 PDT

Listen to What You're Missin' is a blog post at SFCritic which features new MP3s and enables listeners to hear and learn about music that isn't being played on the radio.

Listen to What You're Missin': Michna, Charles Tree, Greg Laswell, and Telepath [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:50:08 PDT

"Listen to What You're Missin'" takes you through four tracks of the week, giving you an updated look at what's good, so check it--Charles Trees, Greg Laswell, Michna and Telepathe.

Starfucker Fucking Rocks the Bottom of the Hill [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:46:52 PDT

For a group whose name mocks the very fan base they’re creating, Starfucker knows how to engage a crowd. Playing last Tuesday at the Bottom of the Hill, the Oregon based band brought energy, humor and talent. When this combination transfers to their record, they’ll have an army of starfuckers ready and waiting.

Discovery-New LP: Album Review [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:41:49 PDT

The overuse of auto-tune in popular music has led rap’s mogul Jay-Z to say “Enough”—but these Brooklyn hipsters don’t care. Discovery, the new indie pop duo comprised of Rostam Batmanglij (producer Vampire Weekend) and Wes Miles (vocalist of Ra Ra Riot) have created an album so overdone in auto-tune that Kanye West will probably ask for credit.

SFCritic: Music Blog: Listen to What You're Missin: Terry Urban's Southerngold [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:32:35 PDT

Have you heard of the Grey Album? Well then you should probably know Southerngold. The predecessor waiting to be discovered.

The Death of Michael Jackson, His Legacy, and Struggles [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:25:11 PDT

While many remember Michael for his success, his legacy will always be tainted by his struggles with tabloids and gossip. This article is about Michael's life, how Britney Spear's is also a victim of public identity issues, and how we can hopefully learn from the his tragedy.

SFCritic: Music Blog [del.icio.us]

SFCritic — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:05:12 PDT

This is a great music blog for updated news on indie rock, hip hop, and electro. Find new bands, listen to MP3s, watch music videos and find out what new music isn't playing on the radio.