Sunday, January 25, 2009

I know I discussed changing the slant of this here column on to my thoughts, reflections and general snark regarding the state of the blogosphere and the music we love.  I know, I know, that was where I was headed, and I promise that the current slant of best of lists and forgotten favorite artists will come crashing to a halt and my observations will rush forward again.

That though, will have to wait.

I've been spending a good deal of time in San Francisco, or thinking about San Francisco in the last few months and I've found myself digging deeper and deeper in to the San Francisco music scene (thanks in part to the impressive recommendations from my San Francisco-located lady friend) and, honestly, I just want to share a small helping of the amazing tunes I've been exposed to out in the Bay Area.

Thanks for reading!

Maus Haus - Lark Marvels

Good lord, I cannot get enough of this band.  I've written them up on every website I write for.  I've told anyone with ears and an inability to run away from me to listen to them, to download them, to find them and hug them.  This is messy, multi-layered, electronica seemingly performed by three hundred men and a pile of wire-laden synthesizers.  It's dirty and grimy and full of amazing lyrics and the first thing I want to do each and every morning is play this song and just let it smash away the lingering cobwebs of sleep. 

:Maus Haus - Rigid Breakfast:

Citay - Little Kingdoms

I've never been a huge fan of long albums that feature only a handful of extremely long, extremely epic songs.  I like 'em short and sweet and packed to the brim.  And it's why I'm shocked that I've been enjoying the shit out of this Citay album so much.  It's full of long-winded tracks that sort of exist as clouds of guitar and harmony and not typically structured rock songs.  They ebb and flow, and fill the cracks of silence in your day.  This album has been out for a while now (the band actually recently signed to Secretly Canadian spin-off Dead Oceans) and if you haven't picked it up I implore you, for your own good, to grab a copy.

:Citay - First Fantasy:

Tussle - Cream Cuts

It's strange for me to think that Tussle and Citay are connected by a drummer, as Tussle shows nothing of the time-spanning guitar experimentation of the latter band.  Instead, it seems as if Tussle is attempting to take the concept of electronica and deconstruct it, break the pieces down and rearrange them in to something familiar but wholly original.  Honestly, I'm shocked I enjoy this as it at times gives me painful flashbacks to an e-bomb soaked rave I ended up in Boise, Idaho (and the drunken pass out in a Denny's that followed), but for unexplained reasons, I really do. 

:Tussle - Transparent C:

The Fucking Ocean - Le Main Rouge

It's hard for me to explain The Fucking Ocean. They're one part scuzzy punk rock mixed with a dash of math-rock and even a little bit of Blood Brother's style screamcore.  It's music that makes you want to shake your ass, but pump your fist and tackle strangers at the same time.  If performed with less enthusiasm, The Fucking Ocean might be pigeonholed in to the broad category of angular, indie rock so popular right now, but with their speedy guitar licks and face-smashing bass, it's a damn good time.

:The Fucking Ocean - It's True:

- Noah Sanders -



Unless otherwise expressly stated, all text in this blog and any related pages, including the blog's archives, is licensed by John Laird under a Creative Commons License.