OUR FAVORITE NEW MUSIC & MOVIES! - Amoeba Music

Paul Collins – King of Power
Pop (ALIVE rECOrDS)
Elvis Costello &
The Attractions – Live At
Hollywood High (HIp-O rECOrDS)
William Duke – Presents…
The Sunrise and The Night
(kOOL kAT MUSIk)
The Plimsouls – Live! Beg,
Borrow & Steal (ALIVE rECOrDS)
The Posies – Blood/Candy
(rYkODISC)
Dwight Twilley – Green Blimp
(BIg OAk rECOrDS)
Tip:
Two great books by Bay Area music geeks:
Music: What Happened by Scott Miller (Game Theory/
Loud Family)
A Wizard A True Star: Todd rundgren in the Studio
by Paul Myers
STEElEE
Everything’s in mint condition.
Only played ’em once. Pretty rare stuff.
Foetus – Hide (ECTOpIC ENTS)
Never write an old kook off. He might surprise
you with a career-defining moment, like this
mishmash of cinematic bombast and seething,
melodic (yup!) tooth-grind.
Pussygutt – Gathering
Strengths (OLDE ENgLISH SpELLINg BEE)
Boise violin/bass/drums duo stays the slow
and low course. probably great for shadowy,
super-involved video game play, and certainly
the only good thing about Idaho. They’ve
40 MUSIC WE LIKE H Spring/Summer 2011
changed their name recently to something
more awkward than pussygutt, if you can
imagine that. I can’t even bring myself to say
the new name, sorry. Look it up on that machine
of yours.
San Francisco Water Cooler –
II (SUN SNEEzE)
Next in the series of uncomfortable (unfortunate?)
band names comes this trio, who hock
up a gauzy, unkempt and thoroughly satisfying
psychedelic pummel. They now live in the town
their name lampoons, so expect some shows
this year.
Sun City Girls – Funeral
Mariachi (ABDUCTION)
If you’d been paying SUpEr-close attention to
these free-pranksters over the decades, you
may have guessed that they could’ve done a
record this straight and flat-out beautiful. There
have been scattered moments and tunes like
this over the years. You’d have never guessed it
would be this amazing, however. Here, you are
allowed to enter into their world unscathed by
the twin hydra of misanthropy and atonality that
turn off so many potential listeners. Here, they
are for everyone.
Tip:
On the reissue tip: Soft Boys, Beasts Of Bourbon, Groundhogs,
and (yes) Sun City Girls. On the RIP tip, our good
Captain Beefheart.
TARIN
My choices for this book were my six
favorite In-Store performances in
2010… and believe it or not, I also
listen to all six of these albums on a
fairly regular basis. Check them out,
you just might be surprised!
Jónsi – Go (xL rECOrDINg)
picture it, record Store Day, April 17, 2010,
Amoeba San Francisco is full of music lovers,
musicians, and of course Jonsi of Sigur rós. Jónsi
agreed to perform as part of our record Store
Day celebrations and not only did he completely
pack Amoeba full of fans but also with peace…
that may sound a little lame but it’s true! This
joyful Icelander filled the store with warmth and
compassion, his sweet voice and powerful melodies
had the whole store smiling. I love listening
to Go when I need a pick me up, and a little
warmth in my own life.
Band of Horses –
Infinite Arms (COLUMBIA)
Band of Horses was one of the largest in-stores
for the San Francisco store in 2010 for very obvious
reasons. On May 29, hundreds of fans lined
up outside of Amoeba San Francisco starting at
7am, and by show time at 12 noon the store
was totally packed! Band of Horses was a group
that I didn’t know very well at all prior to the
in-store performance, but by the last song I had
definitely become a fan. They are also very nice
guys… and that always helps!
The Stone Foxes –
Bears & Bulls (SELF rELEASED)
The Stone Foxes performed at Amoeba
San Francisco on July 7, 2010, and I can honestly
admit that this was the first in-store performance
in two years that I went out in to
the audience to watch and experience from
the front. Most shows I stay to the side of
the stage (for various reasons), but their sound
was really rock’n, and I felt moved to become
an audience member. These local Bay Area guys
not only have great musical chemistry but they
really seem to love what they do. Check out
their newest album titled Bears & Bulls, you
won’t be disappointed!
Beak> – Beak>
(IpECAC rECOrDINgS)
Beak> is a trio of British blokes including portishead’s
producer/instrumentalist geoff Barrow.
The trio’s self-titled album speaks loud to the
psyche and creates acid like dreams… well, that
may be a touch too much, but if I where hafting
the bottle after a hard days work I want to
listen to Beak>. They performed at Amoeba San
Francisco on September 8, 2010, and as I closed
my eyes they took me on quite a trip. If I had
to bake Beak> in a pie I would have to add two
cups pretty rock, one cup slightly psychedelic,
with a tablespoon of electronica… and then you
would have a nice hot Beak> pie. go ahead, take
the trip, and take a bite.
Local Natives –
Gorilla Manner (FrENCH kISS)
Local Natives arrived to do an in-store performance
at Amoeba San Francisco on September
21, 2010 in a big ol’ shinny tour bus, and I was
like… SErIOUSLY, who are these guys? Five
handsome indie kids walked off the tour bus and
ended up playing to a packed house! These guys
with their catchy melodies and perfect harmonies
seriously impressed me, and I’ve become a
big fan.
Die Antwoord – $0$ (CHErrYTrEE/
INTErSCOpE rECOrDS)
The slightly awkward South African YouTube
sensations Die Antwoord graced us with their
presence on October 15, 2010… and all I can
say is that this was one of the most entertaining
shows I’ve ever seen. Their debut full-length
album $0$ is not only clever but hilarious. I
fully recommend it to everyone with a sense of
humor, and who may enjoy South African rap/
hip-hop. I also have a new found appreciation
for Dark Side of the Moon boxer shorts! Thanks
Ninja, wink!
Tip:
The trombone IS a very sexy instrument… so there!
TONy gREEN
Stoneleigh Savignon Blanc 2006 -
the bomb!
Gilmour, Grayson –
No Constellation (FLYINg NUN)
Among all the fine re-releases on the re-activated,
re-tooled, and back in the hands of original
head honcho roger Shepherd, New zealand’s
Flying Nun label has started dipping a toe back
into new artists, and has unearthed a real gem in
grayson gilmour’s “No Constellation.”
Beck, Elliot Smith, John Lennon, and, to some
small extent, the artists from the label’s heyday
in the early to mid-’80s are all present in this
melodic but sonically intriguing release.
A great greater for things yet to come!
MUSIC WE LIKE H Spring/Summer 2011 41