30. April 2014
San Francisco, Don’t Stop Believin…
By Walter Price
It’s easy to point out all the legendary and varied music artists from San Francisco and the surrounding areas. Grateful Dead, Moby Grape, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, Dead Kennedys, Sly & The Family Stone (I Know Sylvester Stewart is from Texas). You get the idea. More recently some of my newer faves The Blank Tapes, Warm Soda and Annie Girl & The Flight have called, at some point, San Fran their stomping grounds.
It was the latter, Annie Girl, who had mentioned some acts she’s into or influenced by in the Bay Area that got me to listening and thinking about how the San Francisco music scene may currently be underrated and due for another national/international spotlight. The indie pop/rock that is coming from the area is pretty damn cool and makes, or should make, one wonder why folks are wasting money on boardroom created, decided on and/or formulated poptart trash that ‘big radio’ radio has forced on us since the early 80’s.
I thought it a good idea to further share the sounds that got me to thinking about all this and that and you can decide if San Francisco is the new familiar spot for cultivating right-on sounds.
And one more thing, Journey was a great band when they started out in The City by The Bay. Neal Schon is spinning in his grave at what the band has become. Wait, what…
Warm Soda
I know, the band is reforming in Austin but hey I’ll say it again, their power-pop-rock gems will make your hips swivel and sway and your body want to jerk and groove uncontrollably in exuberant movements. Movements your grandfolks would consider vulgar!
Annie Girl & The Flight
Could be the most infectious and stunning indie-pop of 2014, so far...
“In a vocal style reminiscent of Hope Sandoval mix in faint echoes of Margo Timmins and lyrical openness of Clara Luzia and a good blend of awe and tactile ‘plot lines’ there is no doubt this is an artist who’s coming EP Pilot Electric (Out May 2nd) should and will have your attention.” – Me, I said this…
Everyone Is Dirty
Seriously, bombastic chunky rock sounds dripping with eager and almost sarcastically sweet vocal tones? Yeah, indeed. Sure, the band wears many influences for the world to hear, who cares… Oh and out of this world violin manipulations that you may or may not have laid ears on since Jean-Luc Ponty’s days with Zappy & Elton, only heavier. And it is true, everyone is dirty…
Links: Facebook. / Website. / SoundCloud.
Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah
Singer-songwriter Lee Gallagher could be accused of being the by-product of an allnite drinking binge between Scott McKenzie and The Black Crowes. But those charges could be based on circumstantial evidence, although it does hold some weight. Gallagher is producing solid, gritty in story and bluesy soul exploring rock n’ roll. Can I get an Amen! Brilliant.
The Blank Tapes
“Hi, we’re The Blank Tapes from Southern California. It’s a positive message, you know, trying to bring people up. Sometimes a dance party, you know, depending on how open the people are feeling. Its wild…” – Matt Adams
Links: Facebook. / Website. / SoundCloud.
Ash Reiter
Ash Reiter and Matt Adams may be cut from the same fabric of often breezy and good-vibed pop with a flare of non-suspicious throw-back(sometimes folky) AM rock sounds. Sure, it’s hard to get a grasp on the entire goings on with this artist but I love a little mystery here and there…
Links: Website. / SoundCloud. / YouTube.
Join me as I’m also digging into Li Xi, Geographer, Michael Musika & The Soft White Sixties.