nu record: Lysandre by Christopher Owens

What a difference four years can make. Yes, there are hints of Girls on Lysandre, particulary on "Here We Go Again" and the way the album seems to dip its fingers into as many genres as possible, but overall Lysandre is exactly what I expected from Christopher Owens' first solo album--something he was itching to make, something he could not have made with Girls. Just under 29 minutes long, the album features folky acoustic guitar, flutes on the majority of its tracks, a powerhouse 1980s sax solo, the slightly reggae-ish vibes on "Riviera Rock"(my least favorite track--it doesn't feature Chris on vocals), and of course the familiar narrative songwriting style we can expect from Chris Owens. I love it all.

Mike Madden of Consequence of Sound nailed this album in his review. Check it out! Then go get yourself a copy of Lysandre. If you purchase the album at a local record store, you get a free copy of the Lysandre Theme sheet music. (My copy is making a cameo at the top right of the picture!)

nu record: Give it to Me by Brother Pacific

So I spent the last week and a half listening to Brother Pacific's new EP, Give it to Me, on repeat and I wrote a review for the record over at the eventseekr blog. The San Francisco-based band created something seriously worth sharing, so make your way over to Brother Pacific's bandcamp page, have a listen for yourself and then check out my review HERE to see if our brains work in similar ways.

In other news:

Down and Outlaws is playing a show TONIGHT at El Rio! It'll be the band's last show for a while since the guys are recording their first EP this month.

Also FIDLAR is playing at the Fillmore this Friday. Come play!

nu record: Holograms by Holograms.

Floating somewhere between 1970s punk and new wave of the 1980s, the Swedish rock band Holograms makes some dance-worthy post punk that pairs nicely with the recent heat wave we're having in San Francisco. I seriously dig the band's song "Fever," and if you like straight-forward guitar music and analog synthesizers I think you'll dig it too! The Indian summer is finally here so, even though we're in the middle of the work week, kick back for a moment, press play and let this seditious and energetic quartet fill your mind with visions of your last substance-induced summer.

Holograms just released its eponymous self-titled LP. The limited edition vinyl is CLEAR and soooo rad. Grab a copy here!

By the way...

 

Photographic evidence that it DOES get hotter than 65 in this city. SIDE NOTE :: I hear people complaining about SF's grey weather alllll the time. I do it probably on a daily basis. But anytime it gets above 75, San Franciscans are officially out of their element and don't know what to do with themselves. So instead of complaining about the cold we wine about the heat. But then we get over it, buy a twelve pack and go sit in a park all day. It's a beautiful thing. If you haven't spent a sunny day at Dolores / Duboce / Golden Gate Park (take your pick--we have plenty of little pocket parks), I highly suggest you pack some beer, snacks and cash for the truffle man (if you're going to Dolo) and get yourself to patch of green grass before October is over.

nu record: Come of Age by The Vaccines.

Ever since I first heard the Vaccines' indie rock tune "A Lack of Understanding," I've been captivated by the band's infectious sound and lead vocalist Justin Young's magnetic vocals. The four Londoners who make up The Vaccines captured a post-punk sound packed full of youthful energy on their band's 2011 debut album What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?, and after hearing the record all the way through for the first time, I knew I had found my next group to obsess over. I hadn't been so taken with an album since Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, and several of the album's tracks have secured a spot on my daily playlist that is usually reserves for my all-time, good-no-matter-what-mood-i'm-in list of songs (ie. "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" by Radiohead, Nirvana's Unplugged version of "The Man Who Sold the World,""Engine Driver" by the Decemberists, etc. etc.)

Tomorrow is the American release of the Vaccines' sophomore effort Come of Age, and as I noted in this review of the No Hope EP, the band turned the volume way up this time around. Retreating a bit from post-punk and leaning into the realm of punk rock, the band takes on the attitude of a classic, self-centered misfit youth and injects it with a healthy dose of sarcasm. The Vaccines poke fun at that angsty stage of life but also validates it, asserting that those unsatisfied and bored feelings are not exclusively reserved for lonely high school students. Young's vocal performance is less perfect in Come of Age, but fittingly so for this rawer and more intimate record. Check out the opening track of Come of Age, fittingly titled "No Hope," below!

And for those who haven't heard What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?, here's the track that made me fall in love with the four-piece outfit in the first place.