News in Music Blogs

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 us links, or comment below!

Bay Area

SFCritic recently caught up Sila and The Afrofunk Experience, who recently were awarded best "World Music" by the NAACP. Check back for the interview!

Epicsauce.com, one of our favorite Bay Area show lists, is debuting a hot new event series at Milk (1840 Haight St - across from Amoeba Records). The kick-off is Thursday, March 11th and will feature local bands French Miami, White Cloud and Silian Rail. The show is free, and there will be awesome drink specials ($1 PRBs and select $3 pints). More information and an official RSVP can be found at: http://bit.ly/ccrEW7 and http://epicsauce.com/party

Radiohead's Thom Yorke's much-anticipated solo project Atoms for Peace has announced a handful of dates with Flying Lotus. The tour is visiting Oakland's Fox Theater April 15, among a handful of others.

General

Hole, lead by the much maligned Courtney Love is planning their first big come-back show at SXSW this year. SFCritic will be there to cover it!


Broken Bells (consisting of Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins) a new SFCritic favorite, brought their first single/video "The High Road" to Letterman.

MGMT announces secret events around the country, which apparently should be entitled, "big fail."

Yeasayer's video for the stand-out song on their album Odd Blood is out. Popjustice got the exclusive yesterday.

SXSW 2010 RSVP

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. Located at 504 Trinity St., make sure to get a glimpse of Choir of Young Believers. Other groups of interest: 3PM Warpaint, 4PM Miniature Tigers, 5PM Choir Of Young Believers, 6PM Meiko,7PM Drink Up Buttercup.

Thursday March 18th
British Music Embassy
Music From Wales: Latitude 30, 512 San Jacinto(3pm - 6pm) Lineup: Polly Mackey & The Pleasure Principle, Cate Le Bon, Straight Lines, Sweet Baboo

Norway by Filter Magazine and Powered By Nature
Located at the Cedar Street Courtyard, the fun starts at 11AM, and it doesn't stop 'till 5PM. Get there early, get some BBQ for FREE. The main attractions other than the BBQ, Fool's Gold at 1:50, Minus the Bear at 3:30, and *drum roll please* Miike Snow at 5:15. Don't forget about Friday and Saturday either, which features Nneka (Thursday), Local Natives (Thursday) and Frightened Rabbits (Friday).

Friday March 19th
Village Voice
So it is with some pride and anticipation that we announce the Village Voice's 2010 SXSW party, featuring Superchunk, the xx, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and our old sparring partners, Surfer Blood. Friday, March 19, La Zona Rosa, 12pm - 5pm. Free, first come first serve, open to the general public. These bands are alternately old friends and young heroes to us, so it just didn't seem worth keeping it secret any longer.

Filter Magazine and Dickies
With probably one of my favorite lineups, this might be less chaotic than the Village Voice party, but includes notables: Greg Laswell (3PM), Rogue Wave (6PM), Here We Go Magic (9PM), She & Him (10PM), Broken Bells (11:15 PM), Surfer Blood (12: 15Am).

Saturday March 20th
Rhapsody Party
In addition to all the incredible acts performing there will be free tacos and free tea while supplies last. Make sure to wash it all down with some SoCo while listening to the sounds. Doors open at noon, show 1 – 8 pm.

Lineup (Set Time): Cool Kids (7:00 pm) / Rye Rye (6:00 pm) / Solid Gold (5:15 pm) / Sleepy Sun (4:35 pm) / Woodhands (3:55 pm) / Howlies (3:15 pm) / Casxio (2:40 pm) / LIONS (2:00 pm) / Samuel (1:30 pm) / Dam-Funk (1:00 pm)

Misc. But Amazing
Taking place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Mexican Cultural Center (600 River Street) is Carniville! Seriously, carnival and music, with notables like: The Walkmen, Major Lazer, Diplo, The Very Best, GZA, Ninjasonik, Dam Funk, Rye Rye, Japanther, and more..well, I haven't even mentioned the free booze and fun booths. Oh and for all you sweatshop loving, pervs--the American Apparel "Flea Market" will be there too.

Zap Mama Chats with SFCritic

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 her music she connects her dual cultural past, hoping to create a universal, positive music to connect people. Her second album, Adventures in Afropea 1, was the best selling world music album in 1993, making her a leader in the genre of world music.

"We have to remind people, and remember that we are all from earth and that's it a village," says Marie Daulne. In a conversation with SFCritic, Marie shared many words of wisdom. Her beauty hides her years of experience. In an effort to discover this world music, Daulne has traveled the world. In her travels she discovered the universal connector:

I completely believed that I was going to go to the Olympic Games. I wanted to attend a higher level, but I broke my knees and that brought me down on earth. Sitting on my knees, I started reading, reading, reading. Then I discovered through writers the history of the world of the human being. This is when I started changing. Why am I running?

I started running all over the world discovering different societies, and then I thought I had to learn from different societies the essence of enjoyment. I tried to catch what was the common funny things. I could go to the Pygmies living in the forest. What will be something fun that would make them laugh? Being in New York, San Francisco, what were the simple things that could make everyone laugh?

I realized that it was falling. Falling in the floor. I remember walking with the Pygmies in the forest. When you’re in the forest the oxygen is so high that you’re high. I was completely high, like having two whiskeys. Suddenly there was a big branch and I fell and all the Pygmies laughing at me, this big tall lady. When I spend time with the Tuareg in the desert, I tried it again. I fell, and they started laughing.

"Falling" for laugh sounds like the antics of Jackass, basic slapstick humor, but looking deeper into Dualne's words, it's much more. Following up her response, SFCritic asked her why she doesn't try falling on stage? She responded:

(Laughs) I have done it sometimes, but not on purpose. What happened that I’m making fun of myself? No.

That’s (what she's describing prior) stage diving. That’s what Erykah Badu told me to do. 'Come on Mary jump! Fall in their arms. They’re going to fall in love.' I did it. It was beautiful.

Fall into their arms. Fall in love. Fall for peace. Fall for your beliefs. Just fall for us. These are a few wise words from Zap mama. Thanks for reading.

-SFCritic

80s Lavish Rock is Today's Hip Hop?

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 little world where you're the star of your show."

This is a jump, but I'm interested in your opinion--my question for you: Is today's popular hip hop artists, yesterday's 80s lavish rock stars?

Consider these points:

1. Rock 'n roll (arguably) began in the 60s, and twenty years later has the 80s lavish "meltdown" (or whatever you might call it)
2. Hip hop began in the 80s, and twenty years later (now) might have a similar "meltdown"
3. A hip hop "meltdown" does not mean just chains, cars, girls, whatever...it's the dilution of content for mainstream content and overwhelming "me first" attitude (aka. Kanye West's), and lack of artistic creativity

What do you think?

Foreign Born at Rickshaw: Noise Pop 2010

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 singer Matt Popieluch's feet tapping, as he scampered back and forth like an Irish jig dancer, was in rhythm with the music. If you ever get the chance to see them play, as SFCritic we'd suggest it! Enjoy these photos from Victoria Smith.

Listen: Gorillaz "Plastic Beach" Full Album

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: Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys, Little Dragon, The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music, and many more.

Listen here.

Man/Miracle at The Bottom of Hill: Noise Pop

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 make for a rock rager that make you just wanna get up and say "Hell yeah!" Then there are songs like "You've Got A Hold On Me," which are fine but lack those "it's." It's just good. Like their album, there were moments during their live where you don't even realize you're magically dancing, and then lows where you wonder, "Is this a different band?"


Man/Miracle's shoegaze, and lo-fi sound erratically breaks at times into a wall of sound. Meaning, harmonies shift from melodious, to crackling, then sometimes build into intense, thick noise. This aptly describes the band's performance as a collective. Dylan Travis is killer. As he rips beautifully at his guitar with a wide-eye blank stare (almost crazy looking), he belts indiscernible lyrics that don't need to be discerned because it's his voice that matters. It's strong. It's got range. It's unique. It's penetratingly loud, but enjoyably fun. Again, there are many "it's."Not to be overlooked, the drumming is tight, and the backing guitarist goes from sedentary strumming to wile-'n-out head bobbing. I hate to hate, but the bassist just felt like the weak link. He wasn't bad, but his stage presence was almost awkwardly removed. He was just good.The lack of uniformity is actually the biggest problem with Man/Miracle. They're not sonically tight enough. A chord is a second off, a bass note is drowned, or a bit of the verse lost in the cluttered noise. These moments hinder the otherwise applauded performance. In time the kinks will be worked out.


Towards the end of their set, Dylan Travis invited his wife (I assumed from his ring finger) Rachel Williams to the stage to sing along. He says he's "in the zone," and asks if she feels the same. It's an awkward moment because she's not. A moment, which passes quickly as he says, "Let's get in the zone. I love you," before they rock out together, staring at each other the entire time as they play. There are always bumps, but when Man/Miracle seamlessly maintains the many "it's,"--there will only be one "it's" needed to describe them: It's great.