OUR FAVORITE NEW MUSIC & MOVIES! - Amoeba Music

ecord label discovers this immensely talented
MC and gives him a bigger promotional push,
but until then, this album is well-worth seeking
out and listening to.
Tip:
Peep my blog at www.mybackpackisbiggerthanyours.
blogspot.com
bEAN
Deerhoof – Deerhoof vs. Evil
(pOLYVINYL)
once upon a time, in the bay area, Deerhoof
was king. no band commanded as much respect
as this motley trio. times changed. members
changed. they became a four piece. but ultimately,
they still represented the best the bay
had to offer. with a sound that careened from
anthemic pop to experimental out rock, Deerhoof
was the one band indie rockers, punks, the
avante-garde, pretty much everyone, could agree
on. some people said they didn’t “get” Deerhoof.
those people aren’t worth talking about. anyway,
now this onetime bay area band is spread across
the globe and instead of playing dingy warehouse
art parties, they’re opening for radiohead. nevertheless,
they’re still uncompromising and original.
their music reaches for sounds and textures
others haven’t even thought of yet. Deerhoof vs.
Evil is just one more glorious step in the evolution
of one of the greatest voices of bay area
rock & roll. we should be proud.
Sic Alps – Napa Asylum
(DrAg CITY)
what’s this? a Sic Alps release that isn’t impossible
to find and limited to some ridiculously
small run? i keed, i keed. though a lot of this
band’s releases actually ArE somewhat
difficult to track down and instantly
collectible, the fact that Napa Asylum
isn’t doesn’t make it any less great.
at times quietly unhinged or subtly
heavy, Sic Alps alchemizes a golden
sound full of beauty and terror. vocals
echoing ’60s bubblegum pop collide
with strangely elastic guitars and junk
store psychedelia. it’s a trip, maaaaan. but
it’s happening in now time.
The Gories – Live at the
Independent, 9/9/10
(BUDgET rOCk/kUSF)
Detroit garage rock legends, The gories!, live on
September 9 at the Independent, presented by
kUSF & Budget rock. sadly, kUSF has just been
14 MUSIC WE LIKE H Spring/Summer 2011
sold out from under us by the USF administration
(a whole ’nother story there!). but at least
Budget rock is still around to make the SF Bay
Area a safe haven for independent rock. seriously,
i always figured The Gories were a band
i’d never get to see. a band that only the coolest
of my “slightly older friends” (sorry, Tom Lynch!)
would’ve been able to say: “yeah, kid, you missed
out. they were a force to be reckoned with and
the likes of them will never walk this earth
again.” but lucky for me (and a thousand or so
other people), the folks at Budget rock made
sure that San Francisco was one of the few spots
of the band’s triumphant reunion tour. from the
opening chords, to the occasional missed notes,
to the fading fuzz of “Nitroglycerine,” the whole
show was an absolute blast and dream come
true for fans of inspired underdog rock & roll.
The Night of the Hunter
(1955) – Directed by Charles
Laughton
a Criterion release of one of the creepiest filmsnoirs
ever. perhaps we can credit/fault this film
for the cliched image of “gOOD” & “EVIL” tattooed
across the fingers of the [self] righteous
man. but in this dark tale, robert Mitchum’s subtly
psychopathic preacher wears these tattoos
as no one else ever has. Chasing the children
of a woman he’s murdered across a Depression
era rural landscape, Mitchum’s bible thumping,
scripture quoting madman is a fearsome nightmare
come to life battling over the lives of these
two children against the unlikely foe of a saintly
farm woman played by Lillian gish. Lovingly shot
and beautifully acted, this frightening fairy tale
showcases both a monstrous evil and the enduring
power of love & faith.
Tip:
Don’t feed the rats on Telegraph. Buy comics at Comic
Relief.
gRACE
Mountain Man – Made
the Harbor (pArTISAN rECOrDS)
The music of Mountain Man calls up Appalachian
Folk overtones and indie rock undertones. There
is a power in the harmonies they create, telling
stories about their love of earth and humanity.
I find the obvious connection to Appalachian
women folk singers a strong and empowering
voice for all women. It’s like when I was a baker
and I would get up at the crack of dawn to bake
the daily bread. I feel that same connection to
womanhood that I did baking when I’m listening
to Mountain Man. There is a sort of hippy dippy
“love the earth” quality to it that is so sincere
and heartfelt that I can’t deny the power of it. It
moves me and I am called to it — my heart wells
up when I listen.
CocoRosie – Grey Oceans
(SUB pOp)
Here’s another album full of Appalachian
Folk harmonies. This Cocorosie album
builds on the last albums full of freaky
vocals. There is something so strange
about Cocorosie — all I know is that
the strange vocals that are present
on all of their albums are beautiful
to me and keep me coming back for
more.
The National – High Violet (4AD)
One of my favorite songs of the year is by The
National — “Bloodbuzz Ohio.” I avoided this
band for some time and I’m seriously upset that
I did. I tend to avoid or ignore bands that I see
getting “too much” hype — I did it with Fleet
Foxes and they are amazing! “Bloodbuzz Ohio”,
and the entire High Violet album, is amazing! The
vocalist seems to be channeling Nick Cave at
times — which I love! Then, of course, he’s singing
about Ohio (sort of) and that itself sucks me
in. I’m pretty sure I’ve interpreted the lyrics for
this song to mean what I want them to mean,
when I listen I get really nostalgic and emotional
regarding Ohio and how I personally feel about
the place. It feels like he’s telling my story.
Belle & Sebastian – Write
About Love (MATADOr)
Aside from the weird Norah Jones track on the
album I love it! That NJ song still hasn’t grown
on me. Meh. “I’m Not Living In The real World”
seems to have gone back to the vintage sounds
that I love about Belle & Sebastian. There is
something almost ’60s Beatlesesque or British
Invasion about it. Though seeing as I really hate
making comparisons like that it’s almost inevitable.
I’m not the best at seeing the roots of inspiration
in music — even though I try. What
originally attracted me to B&S was their simple
’60s inspired pop songs, and even though I feel
like they have grown and changed, as any good
musician should, they have stayed true to their
aesthetic… and that makes me so, so happy.
Sade – Soldier of Love (EpIC)
Sade just kills me. I’ve been anticipating a new
album from her for YEArS and was delighted to
finally get my hands on this one! Soldier of Love is
“typical” Sade… however, typical for her equals
something completely wonderful! There are a
few little rock parts that were interesting and
very “un-typical” and I really dug that change of
pace from her norm. Her sweet soulful vocals
are right there with her intense and beautiful
lyrics. She seems like such a loving person and
that’s the vibe I want to feel when I listen.
Die Antwoord – $0$ (CHErrYTrEE)
gAH! I really didn’t WANT to love
Die Antwoord but I simply can’t help
myself! It’s so ridiculous and insane
and I just got sucked in. The spectacle
of it was too much for me — I
caved.
Ottawa – Re-Issue 12”
(rESIDUE rECOrDS)
This Ottawa Lp is one of my all-time favorite
records (previously released as a split-Lp with
Jihad) and I wouldn’t normally put a re-issue on
this list but I can’t help it. This album was/is very
important to me — it really helped shape who I
have become and the types of music that I love. I
know there isn’t much metal or punk on this list
but those genres are actually the most important
to who I am. Maybe I shouldn’t be basing my
identity on musical genres but it’s really more
about the community I found at the time this
record originally came out and all the amazing
bands I was able to see and all the amazing people
I met at the time. There are very good memories
attached to this album for me. So if you
like heavy politically charged punk/metal then I
suggest checking out this Ottawa re-issue!
Beach House – Teen Dream
(SUB pOp)
Moody, dark, deep and sweet. All the things I
love about music are including in this album!
I really have fallen head over heels for it — if I
had to pick my favorite album of the year, this
would be it!
Oh No Ono – Eggs (FrIENDLY FIrE)
I haven’t heard much about Oh No Ono but
once I was exposed to their video for the song
“Swim” I was hooked! The album is weird and
beautiful and dark like only the Dutch can do.
The Bastard Noise – A Culture
of Monsters (DEEp SIx rECOrDS)
Oh Bastard Noise how I love thee. Once again,
here is a dark and moving album for you. Though
MUSIC WE LIKE H Spring/Summer 2011 15