John Maus - Cop Killer

Last December, 2018, Facebook started spamming my feed for an upcoming show of John Maus at the Great American Music Hall, which I simply ignored. I mean, come on, I'm not dumb enough click on sponsored posts or even turn them off cause I don't want to give FB any kind of data on what I do and don't like. I try not to even hover over the ads, with the mouse or my eyes. Never heard of John Maus, not interested.

But here's the thing. They don't need any more data on me. They got me figured! For the most part. I still get ads for terrible kickstarters cause I backed one one time (what? who didn't think invisible panties wasn't a good idea? hmm? we all thought it was golden.) and they think cause I watched an episode of American Gods that I must really be into Neil Gaiman and bombard me with ads for some online class/lecture that starts with Neil sitting in a leather chair and trying to look like an elder fictionier... or something (note: I am truly not interested in NG... unless he wants to give me a grant, or a loan, or a blurb, or will just glance at me from the other side of the room, what a dream!). Anyhow, finally came across John Maus and yeah, they got me figured out. Still, not about to click on any ads, though:

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Twin of Myself

There's a new venue in San Francisco, the August Hall over on Mason. It took over the Ruby Skye venue that I worked at for one night only back in like 2001.

What was a dark but very cool place has been lit up and remodeled to bring out some of the old classic luster. The mezzanine looks great, whole place looks great. But I said it was a new place, but truth is, its been around for a minute. Or at least the promotor has: Live Nation. I could go on about this, but these articles cover the corporate encroachment/take over of the bay area music scene in detail. I will say that Live Nation moved the show time up on us without any notice so I missed the opening acts. Methinks this was due to the show not selling out so they wanted to close down as soon as possible. Whatever the case, shady corporate hijinx in SF is nothing new, in fact is downright old. 

At any rate, we did get to see Black Moth Super Rainbow and man did they slay. It was like watching a master class on how to do lo-fi electro-synth-pop. From the lights to the vocoder to the performance, watching these guys live was truly awesome. And inspiring. Inspired me to really dust off the vocoder and go down a rabbit hole of old synths that I'll write a post on later. In the meantime, feast on the magic that is BSMR:

 

Nils Frahm - Says

I was at a friend's wedding and the place we stayed in had one of them creepy Alexa machines. My roommate has one. The kind that's always listening and probably recording me and my tastes to sell to North Korean by way of the Ukraine darkweb hackers... and Google.

Figured I'd try it out so I said, "Play modern, beautiful, experimental classical music." It played this piece second.

One thing I really like about this piece, and you can see him do it live, is that he really gets into what he's playing, I mean, he learns the mechanics. Not only has he dug into both the Roland Juno-60 (the constant arpeggiator in the background) and not only is he very well versed in the piano, he plays the Roland RE-501 like an instrument. He's actively playing/messing with the tape delay, the motors and speed and anything he can futz with. I first saw John Dwyer of the Oh Sees do this at the Chapel a few years back. I know I'm late to the game, people have been playing tape delays as another instrument since they came on the scene (terry riley, etc). But I've never had one. Frahm inspired me to go out and get one. Which I did! Totally stealing this guy's steez.

I can only assume that even though I travelled to Colorado for the wedding and don't own an Alexa, Alexa still recognized my voice and knew exactly who I was. Or, this really is just straight up modern, beautiful, experimental classical music.

Let's believe that.

At least for now.

Sounds: Tu Fawning - Anchor

Sounds: Deafheaven - Baby Blue

Sounds: Jonzun Crew - Ground Control

Time to get back to sharing good musics that I've picked up along the way. This one was a great find. If you know anything about my current band, Face Tat, you'll hear obvious similarities. I certainly did. Caught this track at an underground show in Oakland right after getting off tour and I was pissed. "Who's stealing my sound?" When I asked the DJ she said it was the Jonzun Crew, from 1983. I was blown away. Never heard of them. And when I saw their look, I was blown away:

Fuck yeah!

Apparently they were a Afrofuturistic take on the Parliment Funkadelic. You think? Anyhow, this track just slays. Love the vocoder. Can't believe this is a band that time almost forgot. Except one of the crew went on to help produce the New Kids on the Block. Yeah.

Give an ear: 

For Your Friday: Allie - Mimi King

This:

Sounds: Eff Yeah! Tears For Fears covers Animal Collective - My Girls

Today just got gooder:

Sounds: Capricorn One - Scare Tactics. Simplicity Through Fear

Simplicity Through Fear. That's how the writer/musician/soundsist behind Capricorn One, Chrs Ovr, described this piece. Totally awesome. Get your scares on:

Sounds: V/VM - Lady in Red (Chris De Burgh)

Sounds: Broken Social Scene - Sweetest Kill

This song sounds good.



End of line.

Sounds: Modern Skirts - Under Bridges and Overpasses

I like this song. Modern Skirts:

Sounds: Goat - Goatman

This was too easy, cause this song is just too good:

Sounds: Lower Dens - Nova Anthem

This is a good song:

Sounds: Film School - He's a Deep, Deep Lake

First time I saw Film School was when they opened for Cat Power at Bimbo's for Noise Pop. I want to say that was in 2003, and if it was, then I've been listening to these dudes for ten years. Jesus. Makes me feel old. Well, actually, the graying hair is wakes me feel old. And all these kids on my lawn. 

Still, Film School rocks it:

Sounds: Beach House - Troublemaker

This is a sad Beach House song. (Shocking.)

High on Fire w/ Goatwhore @ Slim's

Went for another round of metal with my main damie Mike G! This time we went down to Slim's to see High on Fire. And who opened? Goatwhore. GOAT. WHORE. I really just wish I could have been there when they had the band name discussion:

Dude who made up Goatwhore: Yo, dudes. Thanks for all coming down--

Other Bandmember: Dude, you called a band meeting, course we came down.

Dude who made up Goatwhore: Yeah, well, thanks. I just want to go ahead and thank you all again. I know how difficult it can be to juggle jobs, life, kids, and still be totally committed to this righteous project that we have embarked upon, but have yet to name. 

[Nods and affirmations around the room]

Dude who made up Goatwhore: Which brings me to the next point of order. Now, before you all respond, I just want you to take a minute and let this name work its way through your mind. Let it trickle down. Just think about it, is all I'm saying. Goat... whore. Goatwhore. One word.

[Chins are rubbed. Long hair is flicked back over shoulders. Ponderous looks and a few 'hmms' bounce around the room.]

Some other guy (probably the bassist): Well, like, I don't dislike the name or nothing, but I mean, we're probably going to have to drop most of the free jazz improvisational shit we were doing.

Some other, other guy: Yeah, and all that adult contemporary stuff we were working on, that's just out the window.

Dude who made up Goatwhore: Listen, guys, this is an opportunity for us to focus and hone our sound. I mean: Goatwhore. The name says it all. Who seconds the motion?

And well you can see where it went from there, cause right after that meeting the lead singer went out and bought these bad-ass bracers:

Goatwhore: Bracers, bro!

Also, I love how their Wikipedia entry describes them as a "blackened" death-metal band. Like they was just left in the pan longer than normal metal, what with some black-pepper and spices. Which is apt, cause these dudes are spicy!

Dark Goatwhore

They also had an amp that said "God Has Twelve Dicks", which I didn't know was common knowledge until that show:

You heard it right, God has twelve dicks.

After that, High on Fire graced the stage. They rocked, of course, but the greatest lesson I took away from the High on Fire show was that that this guy showed me that no one should ever feel shy about going around shirtless:

Embarrassment is for mortals. I earned this physique! 

High on Fire @ Slim's

High on Fire: Wailin'!

High on Fire bassplayer is PISSED!

...and evil.

And finally, guitarist Matt Pike showed his Shoggoth nature while executing an epic solo:

A Shoggoth, mid-solo.

Sounds: Liars - The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack

Last song/video I post for 2012. And it's a goodie. A slow builder, for sure, but well worth it. Check out Liars' The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack:

Sounds: Twin Shadow - Castles In The Snow

I like this song.


Artist: Twin Shadow.

Sounds: The Horrors - Sea Within a Sea

I like this song. Especially when the synth comes in. Dude's accent sounds local band fake.