Tag: Music

Former Sacramento band !!! released a video for “Californiyeah,” a tune (with a local angle!) from their recent album “THR!!!ER.” Rolling Stone says:

Filmed on the streets of Japan, in a hotel elevator and onstage, the video for !!!’s “Californiyeah” is as exuberant as the song itself is contagious. Extracted from the dance-punk outfit’s fifth and latest album, THR!!!ER, one can’t help but sympathize as frontman Nic Offer pledges love for his home state (California, naturally) and shares his frustration with the idea that its bars close at 2 a.m.

Make sure to watch it through to the end for a fun moment.

http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=M2IxMTZiNDExZmU1MDIyOTc2NzA0NmVi&ec=Nydm94ZDohamfV7WmptqE-5nQ6oFZ85L

Local experimental hip hop group Death Grips caused some kind of stir by failing to appear at their scheduled gig at a Chicago club a part of Lollapalooza.

The fans reportedly responded by trashing the band’s equipment that had been set up onstage, including a drum kit.

The drum kit would be owned by acclaimed experimental percussionist Zach Hill.

Oakland based Wallpaper’s new album “Ricky Reed is Real” dropped yesterday (on frontman Ricky Reed’s birthday) and if this isn’t the album that makes this genre-defying act a household name, then I just don’t know what. (Well, houses that like super fun chopped and screwed party pop music, at least.)

Wallpaper, which also features “The Public Access Show” star Arjun Singh, are out rocking America on the Van’s Warped Tour. The album is available on iTunes and Amazon.
Continue reading “Wallpaper. has the summer hit of the year with “RRiR””

Sacramento expatriates !!!’s new creatively-titled full length “THR!!!ER” is out today, and reviews are coming in from all the usual places.

AVClub gives the album a “B” and praises the album’s pacing and efficiency.

Pitchfork’s 6/10 is not a good score (and should be taken with a grain of salt) but the reviewer highlights the bands reliability.

Stereogum.com lacks a full review but seemed to dig its “deep hooks” and “thick textures.”

Zachary Houle at PopMatters raves about the album and gives it 8/10.

In other news, the band’s Spring/early Summer tour is skipping over Sacramento… but that’s only because the band is headlining a free Concert in the Park on May 31st at Cesar Chavez.

P.S. !!! needs to get famous enough for a biopic before Jesse Eisenberg is too old to play Nic Offer.

The venerable Built to Spill are on tour, and making a stop in Sacramento. The band, whose current lineup features front man Doug Martsch and guitarists Brett Netson and Jim Roth from the original ’90s lineup alongside new band members Steve Gere (drums) and Jason Albertini (bass) will be at Harlow’s next Friday.

Built to Spill released its most recent album There Is No Enemy in October 2009. It was the band’s first album since 2006’s You In Reverse. Previous studio albums include 2001’s Ancient Melodies of the Future, 1999’s Keep It Like A Secret, and their major-label debut, 1997’s Perfect From Now On. In 2012 Built to Spill remain an influential force in compositionally intelligent, lyrically thoughtful, melodic, guitar-centric rock music.

Holy crap, looks like Yo La Tengo and Man Or Astroman? are playing back to back nights at Harlow’s in May. Everything’s coming up late ’90s college radio today! Was anyone else at the “Clone Project Alpha” show at Old Ironsides back in the day?

Great electro pop show Friday night at Bows & Arrows, with Electro Group, hearts+horses, and Arts & Leisure for only $5! The Bows blog has a great writeup on all the bands.

This lineup really tugs at my heartstrings. In the late ’90s Electro Group and Park Avenue were two of my favorite local bands; saw them dozens of times in places like Capitol Garage and another venue–cannot recall the name, help me out, 90s kids!–that was in the spot currently occupied by Bows & Arrows, behind Profound Sound at the time. For a time my sonic world was permeated by Electro Group’s heavy fuzz and “Lifter/Green Machine” was on heavy rotation.

Continue reading “Electro Group, hearts+horses @ Bows & Arrows, 3/8”