AuthorSinger/Songwriter Kim Capria  Country Risqué is one of those bands that have a familiar sound, but as you keep listening to their latest full length album Doe-Eyed Loverboys & Saints (released in 2024 by Rocks In Your Head Records), you realize there is so much more to their music than just country… They truly are Risqué.
If you haven’t had a chance to catch the Risqué boys playing in your favorite local venue in San Francisco, you may have a chance soon in your town because they’re hitting the road for their first tour this week. I’ve personally had the pleasure of seeing their live performance a few times, and I just love the vibe and music when they hit the stage. Miles Gordon leads the band with a smooth voice and I especially love when he puts the guitar down and really pulls the crowd in, sometimes coming off the stage and singing with you. Watching Daniel Bromfield, their piano player and co-writer, is another joy during their set. Daniel has a ton of energy and takes the lead on a few songs as well. All the members of the band mesh together to create an intriguing and fun live performance that fits all sorts of venues, from a smokey dive bar to the big stage. Their debut album, Doe-Eyed Loverboys & Saints is an ode to one night stands, heart break, true love, and all the highs and lows in between. Reminiscent of bands such as The Birds, Risqué’s debut album is a sweet mix of classic country sounds that will leave you thirsty for a thrill with a lover you just met, knowing that even if it all goes awry, you’ve got some good heart-breakin' country music to fall back on. Opening up the album is the tune, “Drove Me Crazy”, and with its first measure, this song will make you feel like you’re in a smoky bar in Nashville remembering that one night you did something you don’t quite remember and at the same time, won’t ever forget. There’s a timbre to Miles’ (the lead singer's) voice, that makes the story he’s telling come to life. I’m especially partial to the talking piece that opens up the album. It lets you know you’re in for a whole lotta fun! And while these guys take their work seriously, they know how to make you laugh and have a good time. Another favorite of mine on the album is track #3, "On My Mind". The Risqué boys slow it down on this one for a heart string tingler that will make your loneliness feel like it could fill the ocean. That long lost love that lingers in the back of your mind? Here they come as you listen to the sweet sadness in Miles' voice, beautifully accompanied by a slide guitar and just enough drums and bass to keep the beat going, but keep you feelin’ down. A few others I had been looking forward to on this record were two I had heard live a few times, and songs that really make me pay attention to the lyrics. "Depression Drawer" and their single from the album, "Sad Sad People", come at just the right times. Nicely placed between songs of passionate lovers and leavers, these tunes will make anyone feel a little less alone. Country fan or not, there’s something honest and just plain good about Doe-Eyed Lover Boys & Saints. It's easy listening that takes you on a journey through love and life, but unlike that one boy that ghosted you, Country Risqué won’t let you down. 5/5 🏳️🌈 🏳️🌈 🏳️🌈 🏳️🌈 🏳️🌈 Trixie's Note: For more information about the band's upcoming tour through the Pacific Northwest, check out their show schedule here. Get tickets here for their homecoming show in San Francisco on 7/21 at the famous Bottom of the Hill!
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AuthorRyan Bahm of Addalemon  A Bar Manager, Electro-Mechanical Engineer, and Union Electrician walk into a bar. That’s it. There’s no punchline. Together, they comprise Nina Durango, the answer to what the Replacements, Death Cab For Cutie, and Fountains of Wayne would sound like smashed together. The San Francisco power pop trio’s sophomore album Firehouse drops this Friday, June 28th, with a debut at Bottom of the Hill the same night.
Led by songwriter Stephan Kaplan, Nina Durango cranks out infectious pop-rock tunes that will have you immediately reaching for the replay button once the average two-and-a-half-minute track duration is up. Despite hailing from a city known for iconic bridges, the band completely ignores including one, but nothing feels missing. Each song whizzes by, and with 12 tracks in under 30 minutes, Firehouse could make even the punks blush. “20 Years” opens the album in Kaplan’s Sausalito apartment, looking north to Mount Tamalpais. The sunny, touristed hamlet just across the Golden Gate from San Francisco is 10 miles and a world away from the Tenderloin, the poverty and addiction-addled neighborhood of right-wingers’ nightmares where the band practices and the “dope boys on the corner lean too far but don’t fall over.” This juxtaposition of light and dark is a primer of what’s to come as Firehouse flows from shimmering chords and sweet melodies to dirgy riffs and seedy characters, covering the gamut of popular 90s alternative rock music. Bassist Matt Hash, the newest addition to the band, makes his presence known on “The Graduating Class of 2005.” Not content with riding the roots, he and drummer Eddie Scarsella drive the song to its culminating outro refrain. Music is at its best when songwriters apply such a degree of hyper-specificity that it becomes possible for listeners to place themselves into the song, putting their own experiences onto the foundation. “When we won 2005,” and who exactly won, we can’t be sure, but Kaplan’s lyrics and approachable voice invite you in and include you in the “we.” “If You See Megan” is as close to a perfect pop song as possible. It’s Nina Durango’s “Hey Jealousy.” It could soundtrack any summer and be a radio rock hit in a fair and just world (or if it were still 1992). The song presents a fleeting “I wonder what happened to that girl I liked in high school” thought, and before you can linger too long in the past, it's over. Kaplan traffics in nostalgia, tiptoeing just up to Menzingerian levels. Lest you think he swapped his specs for rose-colored ones, rest assured that he is not glorifying the good old days—rather illuminating the overlooked moments that turn out to be character-building. When you think Firehouse is all sugary sweets and good times, “Claudia! I Love You” enters with its brooding Cobainesque chorus guitar effect and drum machine. Kaplan tips his hat, namechecking his influences: "I Wanna play guitar for Taylor / Cut lines for Elliott Smith / Cook dope for Lou and Johnny / Knit hats for the drummer of Wine Lips.” “Cannery Row” and “Ahab Never Thinks; He Only Feels” follow the grand tradition of punk poets pulling from literary classics. These tracks are not merely SparkNotes summaries. Kaplan presents these songs not to show how well-read he is but to inhabit and build off the worlds established in the hallowed pages, highlighting their timeless themes of defiance, death, human connection, and the duplicity of life. His words sit overtop grooves as sordid as the living conditions depicted in the respective novels used as source material. Firehouse is a clear level-up from their debut, I Hate Myself and I Want to Dance, regarding production, arrangement, and instrumentation. The band swings for the fences on “St. George,” expanding their palette by including a somber piano piece written and performed by Ken Cook, a jazz musician who regularly performs at the bar Kaplan manages, which explodes into a powerful shouted declaration of “wherever you lay, I will go.” The album’s production shines on “St. Thomas,” with its persistent acoustic track neatly tucked in the mix that lingers into the next song, “Divorce Saga,” with its “Ooh La La” plucked intro. Eschewing any conventional wisdom, something Nina Durango seems to enjoy, the lead single “Eddie’s Hot Tip in Times Square” is buried in the tracklist. With its bombastic “Hot For Teacher” like drum fill intro, it seems obvious why they would name the song after their beloved drummer, Eddie (not Van Halen). The song’s companion music video is a testament to what a band can accomplish with a tiny budget, resourceful friends, and creative fun. The penultimate song, “$3 Unless You’re Crossing the Bridge,” might win out for the prettiest song on the album. Guest musician Yukon Zhou floats in with his trumpet, adding a little sweetener on top without becoming the focal point. For any other band, this would likely close out an album with its heartfelt refrain: 'cause if you ever find a way/To get back to the states/Won't you remember me/'cause I'm not the bravest kind/Chased liquor with the wine/Almost by design.” Defying any listener's desire to have things wrapped up with a nice bow, Nina Durango closed the album with the instrumental, “It Started As the Year Of Water,” a tradition they started on their debut. The sequencing intention is simultaneously frustrating but perfect, like the ending of Twin Peaks or Lost. The band seems to follow the mantra: “Leave ‘em wanting more.” Rather than a triumphant lyric-based track, of which there are many to choose from, to close Firehouse, listeners don’t get a perfect ending. The instrumental doesn’t neatly resolve, ending on a couple of clanking muted guitar hits instead of the root chord. It’s only upon listening to Firehouse on repeat that this choice becomes perfect as it seamlessly transitions back into the opening track. Or, if you are listening on vinyl, racing to the turntable to flip it back over. In a time of guitar-driven power pop resurgence, Nina Durango should be uttered in the same breath as Liquid Mike, Dazy, Taking Meds, and their ilk. The fact that Stephan, Matt, and Eddie are all invested in their primary careers and seemingly unconcerned with the hustle of being in a band in 2024 while managing to write better songs than 99.5% of active artists further adds to their mystique. You might call them slacker rock, but they don’t slack. They opt for quality over quantity, choosing to play less often to larger audiences and focus on creating cohesive collections of songs. Their “f*** the hustle, write good songs, play good shows” mentality should serve as a playbook for sustainable growth as a band when such a notion seems impossible. Firehouse, the album and recorded evidence of this practice exists not as a collection of disparate high-quality tracks but as a well-thought-out, purposefully sequenced work of art from a band who, even if they never enter the limelight (if that even exists) or go viral on social media, will undoubtedly leave a mark on their scene and those fortunate enough to be a part of the ride. Firehouse is available on Friday, June 28th, on all streaming platforms and vinyl. Trixie's Note: Get tickets to the album release show HERE! AuthorTrixie Rasputin  The best way to classify Strange Cities, a 4-piece rock band out of San Francisco, is "post-post punk." Their music is firmly rooted in an era that can only be described as supremely Gen-X. They ditched the overdriven guitars, scrapped the synths, did away with the electronic beats, and even dropped the cheeky, acerbic humor of the 1st wave and new wave bands like Devo and Duran Duran. What they kept is all the world-weary, bleary eyed pain of the early 80's influences like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Cure. 2024's 'Moments Stolen' is an absolute masterpiece of mood that defines the attitude of a band cultivating it's signature sound in a strange and weather-worn city. With 'Moments Stolen' we find ourselves in a headspace where death by a thousand little cuts is not quite a pleasure, but is certainly a preference, and every song rails against the shallow, the fake, and the cheerful. One of my favorites of the album, 'Holoscene', has a snappy bass line and you almost hear someone crack a whip when singer Daniel Nakazo Clark demands "Meet me on the dancefloor/Gonna throw down tonight." Nowhere is safe in the world of Strange Cities.
On the title track singer Daniel Nakazo Clark says "My moment's stolen and I feel it moving backwards/In this crestfallen climate now we resent." The affronted air of this song is thick enough to cut with a knife. However, this band has way of making statements such as these feel like a lifestyle. There is no angst or complaint in the delivery, just more a resigned statement of the facts: I suffer to live, and that's just how it is. Gen X vibes in a nutshell. On the second track 'Dead to Dust' Clark says "I don't want you, I don't need you, I don't care that I'm afraid." This is one of the few tracks where you will hear a piano punching away to the beat, which I think is a particularly useful choice to add some sonic depth near the end of the song. 'Fade Away' is truly a song for city dwellers in a strange city and has one of my favorite lines of the whole album: "You pretend to know my name, then you wave and walk away." Oooo burn. Songwriter Clark knows how to describe these kinds of moments with an accuracy and honesty that make the listener feel like it could easily be their own life he's describing, or worse, their behavior he is calling out. There's a certain tone to this album that feels like a memory purge, yet with zero sense of nostalgia. This past is haunted and in a word, shitty, and our dear storyteller is not about to sugarcoat his rise above the pain. If anything, Clark is relishing in the ache, and his bandmates are behind him the whole time ready to soothe or fight back, usually in that order. On the track 'Not Just Yet' the band plays bright guitars and a pulled back beat to give space for Clark to realize "I'm not in hell just yet..." This is easily the climax of the album when we finally understand that he is anticipating, not dreading, this eventuality. He giddily realizes his time has not come, but he'll be ready to accept his fate when it does. It is the song that ties the whole album together. The final song, 'Savior' is one last go around to make sure the message comes across loud and clear. You're not worthy, and you never were. "I just want to get away from you...." "Moments Stolen" is one of my favorite albums of the year, and will be a treat for anyone who likes elucidative rock music. The production is first rate, with precise attention to detail, powerful vocals, and great stories. It begs to be listened to front to back, time and time again. 5/5 ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 Trixie's Note: Strange Cities is Daniel Nakazo Clark (vocals and guitar), James Levis (guitar), Clayton Vorheis (bass) and Dan Caporale (drums). Their latest album "Moments Stolen" is now streaming on all major platforms and is also available on vinyl. Get your copy this Friday, June 21, at their album release show at Bottom of the Hill, with support from The Hot Takes and Lazer Beam. SHOW INFO. AuthorTrixie Rasputin  There is almost nothing cooler than the guitar solo on "I Hear Her Singing," one of The Helltones' many bangers on their 2023 full length album 'Medusa'. Like the mythological creature this album was named after, The Helltones make beautiful but formidable noise on every track. Blending surf, soul, rock, and a little bit of jazz, this band gives the Bay Area music scene a well deserved boost of musicianship, talent and heart that rivals any of the classic Motown artists. Founded in 2016 by frontman Darwin Siegaldoud and drummer Paul Bowman, the live band features Nathan X Moody on guitar, Shane Lawton on bass, Cairo McCockran on drums, Victoria Sepe on organ, and Kristin McReddie singing backup. Together this group of highly trained (and well practiced) musicians makes music that will transport you to a dreamy yesteryear where broken hearts find solace in the dark corners of the night, and every teardrop is the bitters in a top shelf martini. In other words, this band is classy.
The opening track 'Mike and Laura' kicks off with the wistful plea "let's go back to Copenhagen," followed by a wish list of romantic requests ("won't you be my anesthetic, let me feel no pain, be my candle in the dark, my shelter from the rain..." and on it goes. The longing oohs and aahs in the background set the stage for an album full of highly personal storytelling that end up revealing a great love story. Sometimes it's sultry (I Hear Her Singing), sometimes it's sad (Nothing Compares to You), sometimes it's sassy (Don't Waste My Time) and sometimes it's just plain fun (Blackstar Pirate BBQ, an absolute standout written by drummer McCockran). I especially like the final track of the album, aptly titled 'Jealousy'. Much of the songwriting throughout the album paints the picture of two hopeless romantics stuck in a "break-up to make-up" whirlwind. The effect is a breathless ride on a sea of complicated love. 'Medusa' summons up the old school sounds of the late sixties greats like Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and the Temptations in a purposeful way that pays homage to the canon of great rock n roll music from the Motown producers. Accomplished musician and frontman Siegaldoud knows his craft and understands the lineage that he and his troupe of musicians come from. Not a note is wasted to achieve their signature blend of surf-soul music. And they give it just enough blues and rock 'n' roll to keep almost any type of listener engaged. Not to mention that Siegaldoud has a voice that stands out among the best singers of our scene (and it is rumored he even teaches voice in his spare time!). The backup vocalists (McReddie and Sepe) add a nice helping of sugar to his acerbic delivery in songs like 'Every Time You Pick a Fight' and 'All My Heart'. You won't find a single song on this album that doesn't achieve a perfect sonic balance to match the tempos and tone of the music. And for the aficionados among us, there are oodles of impressive drum, sax and guitar solos that underscore the lyrical content. This album is wonderfully sophisticated and would work in the background of a dinner party as easily as it would at a late night kickback where everyone came to cut a rug. Groovy, sexy, fun and funky, 'Medusa' is one of my favorite albums of the past twelve months! 5/5! 🍸 Trixie's Note: You can see this band playing live at the SF Eagle on 6/13. Bring your dancing shoes! 👠 AuthorDaniel Bromfield of Country Risqué    Mitch Rocket is a familiar figure in the San Francisco music scene thanks to his theatrical performances, mellow style of self-described “yacht grunge,” and championing of the Bay Area music scene through his popular Bay Area Sounds playlist on Spotify (though he strongly prefers listeners check out both his own and his friends’ music through Bandcamp, which actually pays artists). If you’ve spent enough time in SF music venues, you’ve likely seen his distinctive stickers; incredibly, Mitch Rocket is his real name, and he was born and raised in SF. 🤯
Was there a lot of music around you growing up? Totally. It's in the family. My grandma was a piano teacher. My mom played in a garage rock band back in the ‘60s. They covered Ten Years after and Santana and stuff. She played keys and guitar. My dad was a recording engineer. There was a recording studio in my house growing up. His clients would come over and I'd hear trombone or whatever he was working on at the time coming through the door. Did you make anything with that setup? I messed around with MIDI keyboards and GarageBand and stuff, that’s kind of how I learned to record. Some of the tracks on Petting Zoo were actually recorded all track by track in his studio there at home. “Hands Won't Touch” was done like that, and “Fading Away” was done like that, some of the more acoustic stuff on the second half of the album. Why did you decide to split Petting Zoo between electric and acoustic halves? The album was made over a pretty long period of time. Most of the recording on “Hands Won’t Touch” was done in 2017, so it ended up being a few different visions. It’s not really a very cohesive album, I’ll be the first to admit it. It got to a point where I was like, “I need to put this out or I'm not going to put this out.” When I actually released the album, I was on a six-month break between two jobs. It's really hard to record a whole album and also be working 40 hours a week at the same time. That's why I've been less prolific since then, honestly. Stream Petting Zoo You started out studying jazz—did you always write pop and rock songs or did that come later? I didn't really listen to jazz when I was, I was learning like theory of jazz. I was playing jazz in school and in summer camp, but I wasn't a very dedicated jazz listener. The earliest things I recorded, I don't know what to call them. It sounds more like soundtrack music. Some of the stuff on The MIDI Years, a compilation I put out, is some of the earliest stuff that I made in GarageBand. If not jazz, what did you listen to growing up? My dad used to listen to put on a lot of XTC and Toad the Wet Sprocket and the Beatles and ‘60s stuff like the Lovin’ Spoonful, so that's kinda what I was raised on from that side. Mom was more into George Benson and Van Morrison, she also liked Whitesnake and Scorpions, ‘80s hair-metal stuff. Tell me about your live performances, which can be very theatrical. Why did you decide to get silly with it onstage? I'm glad you say theatrical, because sometimes I feel like we're not doing enough on stage. I sometimes feel very confined on stage because my mouth has to be within a certain radius of the mic, and I have to be able to hit the pedals so I can't run around on stage and dive off or do any crazy real theatrics that I would love to do. To me shows are shows, not just concerts, so there's a visual element. There’s even a physical element to it. So I try to do that as much as possible within the constraints I’m given. What's next for Mitch Rocket? Are you planning on recording anything? I know you have a bunch of new songs. There's a ton of new songs and we gotta get something recorded, but we have like one and a half songs recorded. One of them is actually mastered. It’s a live favorite we've done for a long time called “Dirty and Wrong (Fuck You Jeff Bezos).” That one's fully recorded. Unfortunately we can’t play that song at the bandshell gig that we're playing on Saturday. There's a lot of kids around. Have you run into any resistance to that song? Honestly, I mean we're in San Francisco, so it's kinda hard for people to like “Jeff Bezos is great” or “I love Elon Musk.” ---- Trixie's Note: See The Retro-Future Revue live at the GG Park Bandshell in San Francisco this Saturday, 5/25! AuthorMichael Bang of Tell Me Tell Me  Have you ever been to Hooktown USA? It’s not a place it’s a state of mind, or music I guess. It’s where The Hot Takes live. If you’ve ever seen them or listened to them, congratulations you’ve been there!
In other words The Hot Takes slap. Their high energy new wave pop is so infectious there should be a public service announcement. Latest release “The Hot Takes II” is a five song party. You’re welcomed at the door with “Drop Dead on the Dancefloor” and before you can even get a drink they hit you with “Up All Night”. These titles tell you everything you need to know, and they deliver! I feel like I’ve lost pounds of sweat dancing while they’re on stage. On “Barely In Love” aliens land to keep the party going and tell us about how strange we humans are. A short breather on the intro of “Heaven on Radio” lets us vibe and finally get that drink, or so we think until the chorus hits. Desperation peaks through the transcendent vocals, handing out those feels like party drugs. “Cannonball,” another on the money title, reminds us that every good night ends too soon. Loop that playlist, turn the record back over, fill it up again. Even though it’s on another release I have to mention my personal favorite song of theirs. On “Hallelujah Superstar” singer Jared Savas uses a joyous, celebratory groove to exorcise childhood demons, singing “I’ve had enough I’m all done being lonely and I hated growing up, I hated growing up,” all to a hook with a capital H. No one can party on the edge of despair quite like The Hot Takes! They recently took their glamorous neon rock to Elbo Room in Oakland, along with Tell Me Tell Me and Modern Monsters and it was glorious. You have another chance to check them out on 6/21 at one of the hottest venues in the Bay Area, Bottom of the Hill, coming up next Friday! Get tickets for that HERE. (Note: apparently there actually is an unincorporated community in Kentucky called Hooktown! What a world.) 5/5 🥵 ⭐️ 💃 🤩 💖 AuthorTrixie Rasputin  "We don't even know about all of the former fires..."
That's how "Former Fires," the 2023 single from Bay Area powerhouse rock duo Tell Me Tell Me begins, with lyrics that burst through the music like juicy gossip about someone you thought you knew better than that. The way this line is delivered makes you wonder why you weren't already questioning these former fires, and why there were so many. The light tapping of a high hat and a simple repeating riff lead the listener further into the story, "...simmering below the coal that only needed just a little air.." GASP. WHAT? The former fires are still lit? Hands fly up to cover mouths gone agape at hearing of this unfinished business. The verse continues on this riff with more lyrics to explain: "Haven’t even felt that the hunger has gone missing/The appetite to fill the hole oh where oh where did it go." The shock! The awe! The sting of a limb waking up! You think this sad story of a life half lived ends here?? Think again! Now we get swept into a crescendo of bold chords, more electrified and powerful than before, as the anger of realization starts bubbling up. Maybe it was under the surface, but now all the past hurts have come back loud, angry, and refusing to be ignored. This chorus section of the song has my favorite line of all, "The yearning/the aching/the pure intensity/requires delay." Days, months, years later, and all the feels are suddenly fighting it out for their free rent. I love you/I hate you are locked in a standoff. I really appreciate the vivid fire imagery in this song ("breathe fire, breathe in"), conveying the idea that big emotions can smolder beneath a veil of apathy. It only takes but a breath of air to set the whole thing ablaze. Later in the song, more lyrics drive home the point of it all: "Shock into the mind to come to terms with a liar." Aha! So, somebody was certainly up to no good, and just look at the mess they made. Tsk tsk. But the final line of the song is everything... I won't say it for fear of a spoiler, but in the end you're left wondering, who was actually the one to blame for these former fires? The music that accompanies this tale of belated woe is the signature sound of Michael Bang, a music school educated songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who understands the power of a well timed burst of electricity. He is known for playing an acoustic guitar in a way that sometimes turns it into an electric guitar, and sometimes you might believe it's a keyboard. Drummer Dan Coxon keeps a mean beat that gives Michael lots of freedom to wile out. Tell Me Tell Me makes the most of this unique and interesting perspective on what they call "dance-grunge", and I recommend you treat yourself to a live show as soon as you get the chance. Perhaps 5/18 in Oakland? The whole Tell Me Tell Me catalog is an awesome listen that will remind you of bands like LCD Soundsystem, Frightened Rabbit, Arcade Fire, and The Fiery Furnaces. It's a 5/5 for me! 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 AuthorMichael Bang of Tell Me Tell Me  An EP called “Malice,” cover art of a purple pig with dollar signs for eyes and a police baton, an artist photo of five chefs covered in blood? This band knows how to set expectations. Welcome to Modern Monsters! They play heavy rock halfway between Warped Tour and Lollapalooza.
The first sound you hear is the ripping bass that opens “March 3rd, ’91.” Taking on an enraging subject, it’s no surprise to hear rage in the vocals of Josh Weaver. The rocking yet funky rhythm section carves out different spaces for Josh’s voice to shine. He speak-sings crowd inspiring incantations, he screams his anger to the sky, and he wails out sing-along choruses. “Prism” rocks its way through desperation: “treading water ’til you drown can’t you find a way/treading water ’til you drown don’t let it slip away.” Thunderous anthem “Road to Nowhere” chronicles the misadventures of a narrator caught up with a femme fatale: “without warning she grabbed my gun/she’s the girl with the world in her hair/woke one morning and I was on the run/driving for miles on a road to nowhere.” The next track opens with the noises of demon summoning and radio tuning before the marching drum announces the cover you didn’t see coming if you weren’t reading the song titles: “White Rabbit.” The filter of their sound yields a strong yet lithe take on the classic, still acid fried but staged in a futuristic dystopia rather than a wonderland. The final track is a staple of their live show called “Greed Machine.” This metal grunge riff factory takes on avarice with rage and rawk, a fitting end to their slinky, heavy but flexible EP. 5/5 👊👊👊👊👊 See them live! Trixie Rasputin Presents Modern Monsters at Elbo Room in Oakland on May 18th with The Hot Takes and Tell Me Tell Me (which, full disclosure, is MY band!) TICKETS AuthorPranay Pareek @pranaypareek  Over the span of a decade, I moved away from home, across four different cities, on two sides of the planet. Each era with its own aspirations, tests, and friends. School friends, college friends, work friends. Good ones, best ones. Sometimes they left, other times I did.
And each time we promised that— we were just a text away, that we would speak on the phone more often, and we'd see each other again soon. Time slipped by. My life changed, their's didn't. Their lives changed, mine didn't. Distance didn't help, time zones didn't help. This song comes so close to describing so much of what I've felt this past decade: No matter how many times you leave, it never gets easy. A sinking feeling in your stomach the day before, but you have to pack your bags. Check in, carry on. You want to make it to the airport in time, yet you don't want to get there soon. One more selfie, one more hug, the last one before you head for security. Check in, carry on. By now, you probably have a few guesses on what the song is about. Good chance I've heard them play this song at their shows, but it never registered the way it did until I finally sat down with my headphones. First listen: "This is unlike any of their other songs" I love it. Second listen: "Hmm this is taking me to the same place Pinback's Seville or Oceansize's Meredith did" Uhh, I didn't expect it, but I guess I'm all locked in now. Third listen: "I need to read the lyrics" Wow, why do they speak to me so much? Fourth listen: "I hope their Bandcamp has a note about the song" "A song about all those friends we've made but left behind or outgrown. The ones that made huge impacts on our lives, and that we think of from time to time, yet haven't spoken to in years." (https://orbit17.bandcamp.com/track/helium-2) And it all made sense. What do I think about the song? Helium got me writing again. It made me think about what I want my voice to be. It's known that people often break down and cry when they view Mark Rothko's paintings. He once said, "I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions——tragedy, ecstasy, doom..." If a piece of art, when distilled to its essence, still carries a sense of emotion. If a piece of art moves me, haunts me, comforts me with the fact that I'm not alone in my experience, that is good art. Like this song. AuthorMichael Bang of Tell Me Tell Me  I think Matt Perri caught a case of catchiness. The guitarist, singer, and songwriter of Periscope writes riffs and licks that entice and entrance, but still make room for you to drop in. The guitar, keys, bass and drums weave in and out with unassuming intricacy, recognizing that above all we’ve got to leave space for Matt Perri’s sturdy vocal cords. Their EP “Memories” showcases all of this in an economical four tracks that both rock and indeed roll.
First song “Any Other Way” is a kaleidoscopic drone flight, an establishing shot setting up the sky level view we get to witness. It’s got a Strokes meets Rooney feel with a loftier air: “stopping at the vista point looking at the road that brought me where I stand/I’ve learned so much about the journey.” The guitars chime and then get chunky, as we go from gliding to nose dive on our flight simulator. “Your Piece” gets some Incubus in there, letting us surf on their groove for about 40 seconds before throwing their first curveball at us. The chorus slows down and deepens, pushing us beneath the waves to marvel at the universe we drift over. The payoff is near the end, when Matt finally gives a full throated yell. I didn’t see it coming, it’s awesome. I don’t know what he’s singing there, it sounds sort of like “our bulldog takes it away!” which I’m totally on board for. “Confession” is the full on rocker of the bunch. The riffs are heavier and the drums keep you moving while Matt’s voice gives his all. It’s music to get you to the top of that climb, for which we are rewarded with some huge yowls across the mountaintops. They end with the titular “Memories,” and the memories I had during this were 2000s emo breakdowns and classic rock guitar solos. And I’m a sucker for a left in hot mic cheer at the end. Periscope are a good time, and these songs come alive at shows. I’ve been lucky enough to play with them not twice but thrice (oh wait I think it’s 4 times? Matt?) and they always slay. Go see them! 5/5 🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️ |
Trixie Rasputin PresentsA glimpse inside of the rock and roll machine! Archives
July 2024
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