CD Review: The Bad Hand's This Is No Time for Modesty

By Julia Cooper

San Francisco experimental trio the Bad Hand seems like the kind of group that'll try anything once. On This Is No Time for Modesty, the band's staple rock instrumental base of guitar, Rhodes piano, and drums gets invaded by a gaggle of other genres and sounds, resulting in an ambitious mix of kitchen-sink sonic collages with varying degrees of success. (more >>)

The band certainly offers enough surprises to satisfy anyone bored with the verse-chorus-verse same-old same-old, as the musicians follow a slew of paths within the album and on the songs themselves. Just when you begin to brace yourself for an all-instrumental record, “Hell Bent” drops in soft, girly vocals; or dirgy grunge falls into good ol' Southern blues on “Then He Tried to Kiss Me”; or an interlude of fart-like kazoo sounds (“Short Door”) creeps into the batch.

Some of the tracks that fail to catch on weave together so many melodic and genre-hopping fragments that they leave listeners with little to grasp onto. The occasionally rough mixes, as on the hard-rock mishmash “How to Know When” and on the tail end of the disjointed “South Door,” which awkwardly melds a church organ with Southern blues guitar, can make one wonder: Are these guys all playing the same song?

But the band is legitimately enjoyable when it tones it down a few notches and sticks to one groove, like on “En Attenant De Baiser,” a proggy swirl of fuzzy guitars and shifting time signatures that drifts into funky jazz percussion and discordant piano tinkers; “The Twist,” which melds a paced electro pulsing with rainforest flutes and romantic whispers; and the best track, “Lo Ha,” a somber acoustic tremolo piece blended with funereal violin for a chilled out and downright lovely ambiance.

Perhaps most admirably, This Is No Time for Modesty showcases a band with oodles of energy that, when focused, can traverse a range of music and still pull it off -- most of the time.

CD Review: Stegosaurus Rex's The Dino Soars

By Glenn Jackson

On The Dino Soars, Stegosaurus Rex presents an interesting collection of homemade electronica. Unlike most bedroom computer-made albums, The Dino Soars jumps across styles, touching on hip-hop and house beats, downbeat trip-hop, electro-pop, and even a bit of experimental, droney electronica. (more >>)

Where the album really shines is with the more beat-oriented tracks. Opening song "East Bay Kickback" starts the album off strong with a great sample and a solid drum beat, making it the kind of song you would hear in your head while drinking a beer outside on a warm Oakland evening. Another standout track is "Six Sixteen." A great sample and solid hip-hop beat drive this track as it steadily moves through the opening string loop to a chopped-up vocal chorus and back again to the string loop as it is filtered out.

The album also features some great uptempo tracks. On tracks like "Polar" and "Fleeting Disco Do," Stegosaurus creates great disco-style house. Catchy samples that he cuts and rearranges as the song progresses, solid bass lines, and some good 'ol techno beats make these tracks dancefloor-worthy.

Where this album doesn't work as well is in the less beat-oriented and vocal tracks. These tracks especially lack in production value. The sounds are thin and dull compared to the earlier mentioned songs and have a hard time fitting in with the rest of the album sonically. A little more cohesiveness throughout the album and a step up in production level could put Stegosaurus Rex on the same level as a lot of the stuff on Ninja Tune Records.

CD Review: The Drift’s Memory Drawings

By Julia Cooper

As the summer solstice fast approaches and seasonal wanderlust fuels the itch to hit the highway, so does the need for a chilled-out soundtrack to accompany exploratory road trip wandering. To that end, and apropos of their moniker, San Francisco’s the Drift have crafted the perfect vehicle for both relaxation and rumination while meandering along long and winding roads on their second full-length, Memory Drawings. (more >>)

The four-piece leans toward jazz improvisation with a rock bent, akin to Tortoise, fused with post-rock deconstruction and build -- not unlike Temporary Residence labelmates MONO. Such an amalgamation of free-form music is particularly conducive to travels because of the way instruments can roam as freely as they do on the album’s seven tracks, which come across more like epic movements than offerings subject to a platform as short-sighted as radio.

The musicians fluidly weave through songs that may kick off in one groove, only before descending into cyclical troughs and build back up again to peaks. With no words to muddle up the mix, song titles such as “Lands End” and “Smoke Falls” meld with the music’s meditative ambiance to convey points of their own.

Guitarist/keyboardist Danny Grody, who’s also in Tarantel, provides striking ambient soundscapes, whether he’s calling up a thick layer of feedback as he does on “Uncanny Valley” -- which could be the theme for a James Bond film turned horror flick -- or a sea of underwater tremolo as on the spare “Golden Sands.” Drummer Rich Douthit works both delicate jazz splashes of cymbals and driving hip-hop style beats to keep the album and the listener rolling.

But what really shines is bass and brass. Trumpeter Jeff Jacobs demonstrates both regality and a carefree spirit with his ear-catching touches of horn, while Safa Shokrai’s chocolate jazz thumps and upright bass grooves hearken back to classic dub tracks that round out the sound with some down-to-earth soul.

More than anything, the tight musicianship and instrumental nuance ruling this intricate work spotlight new musical pathways to discover upon each listen, which makes Memory Drawings a worthy investment for fans who like to explore complex art as much as they do foreign lands.

CD Review: Mochipet's Microphonepet

By Camden Andrews

Mochipet: Local favorite electro/glitch artist? Break-tastic beat master? Hip-hop producer? Some geek behind a laptop? Big purple dinosaur? This time he's a general, leading an army of vocalists including Dubphonics, Jahcoozi, Hustle Heads, and members of the Hieroglyphics and Living Legends crews on a victorious, genre-defying march in his new album Microphonepet. If you're familiar with the San Francisco club/party scene, you've probably already heard all about this album and the buzz surrounding it. If not, I would recommend getting your hands on it immediately. (more >>)

It's always been difficult to pigeonhole Mochipet (David Wang) into one particular style or genre, but he really covered all his bases on this one. Songs range from supersonic glitchy whirlwinds, groovy house tracks, funky hip-hop numbers, fat bass-heavy club beats, seductive duets, and even lyric-centered raps about life on the streets, each heavily influenced by the guest MCs. What's most surprising about the versatility of this album is that none of Wang's explorations are artificial or emulative. While each track is certainly unique, his remarkable creativity and refusal to adhere to any sort of conventional rhythm scream out a sound that is undeniably his own.

Wang also maintains a much stronger sense of cohesion in each of the songs on Microphonepet than some of his other more intense mashup and breakcore material. There's still all sorts of twists and turns throughout the beats, but the solid sound structures make the music much more listenable.

There's an energy to this album that makes it immediately infectious. This energy combined with Wang's creativity make it a perfect party mix for diverse tastes, but also throws plenty of surprises to make it interesting if you're just listening by yourself. Keep this in your CD player and see how long it takes you to get sick of this album, I dare you.

CD Review: Jonathan Meek & the Mutes' Irony & Pity

By Phil Lehman

Liking this album came out of nowhere for me. The first minute of the EP’s opening track, “The City I Love,” is fine -- but nothing to take note of: grungy and guitar-driven with some extremely fuzzed-out leads. Then the chorus kicks in and the song transforms with rich harmonies and a clear organ backdrop. Guitar and drums take a backseat. The change was entirely unexpected and I actually had to backtrack to make sure I heard it right. The second track, “Spark,” starts similarly; again, it’s not until the minute mark that a chorus in harmony seems to lift the song out of a dark, introspective lilt. (more >>)

Meek’s voice is not necessarily one that would aspire to fantastical vocal heights. However, the Livermore resident seems to be the rare case of a lead singer far more comfortable singing in harmony with other voices than solo. And he uses this to his advantage in each song. While the album was very much a DIY project and the fuzzboxes belie the music's rock roots, the harmonies create lush textures across grunge landscapes that give the songs a transcendent quality. Given the album was recorded in the church where Jonathan’s father preaches, this should come as no surprise.

Quite simply, I haven’t heard harmonies layered with guitar work this effectively in a long while. “From the West” embodies this perfectly. Again, super-saturated guitar leads (think Brian Eno) intertwine with simple melodies over acoustic guitar. And amidst it all, Meek croons, “I’m an island.” The effect gives the listener a sense of the ebbs and flows, and ultimately, the violent crash of the tides against a lone soul.

Or something like that.

The songs themselves are deeply introspective, and the different voices found in each song –- whether they be instrumental or human -– express the myriad points of view at battle within us all: at times discordant, at times in unison.

The last track, “Take a Look,” may be my favorite -– weaving in and out of a dreamy verse in which at one point Meek asks, “Where did my love go?” and transitions into a peppy, upbeat chorus where he answers himself: “Now that I’m older, I can see things as they are.”

Overall, the EP is more ambitious than the band’s name or the album title, Irony and Pity, give it credit for. Meek cuts to the quick of things we have all grappled with at one time or another without being pretentious, patronizing, or obvious. His debut is, most importantly, a genuine reflection of the songwriter.

Calling Unsigned Bands

UC Berkeley has launched a Live Album Contest in conjunction with its upcoming Caltopia festival. It's actually a pretty sweet deal. Yours truly is one of the judges, but that doesn't mean I can't help put the word out too. Instead of paraphrasing the press release, I'll serve it straight up:

UC Berkeley’s Caltopia Live Album Contest

We’re creating a compilation album of the best unsigned Bay Area musicians for UC Berkeley’s Caltopia VI, recognized as the largest experiential College Lifestyle Festival in the nation for 18-24 year olds and the two greatest days on Planet Earth!

Unsigned Bay Area artists from all genres of music are encouraged to enter and submit an original composition online to win a place on the album and chance to play live at the event. Music must be appropriate for all ages. Submission deadline is June 30!

A panel of independent judges will select 20 artists to be a part of the Caltopia Live Album experience. Winning artists will be contacted by July 15, 2008. (more >>)

WINNERS RECEIVE…

* The Caltopia Live Album will be promoted to domestic and international audiences via print, online and in person to over 36,000 attendees at the event

* All winning artists will be featured on Kadoink.com, the hippest mobile social music network and on Caltopialive.com

* The Kadoink online widget will enable Cal supporters and music lovers to share individual tracks with the rest of the world through their mobile phone at no cost

* All original music tracks from the album will be available to download for FREE via the UC Berkeley iTunes site, Caltopia Live Album MySpace page, and Caltopialive.com and East Bay Express websites

* All winning artists will be featured on the Caltopia Live and East Bay Express websites and the fall edition of the East Bay Express Insiders Guide

* All winning artists will have the opportunity to post their music video on the Caltopia Live Album YouTube channel

* Four artists will be selected to perform live at Caltopia VI on August 24th

* Selected artists will be invited to perform live at Bay Area venues in the fall

* Selected artists will be featured via the Cal Rec Sports and East Bay Express YouTube channels and podcasts

* Featured artists on the album are encouraged to attend the event and distribute promotional materials to over 36,000 attendees

Contact Information:
Recsportsmarketing@berkeley.edu | 510-643-8036

Montage

MySpace (listen to "Daydream," "Get at Me")
Official site
Hometown: San Jose
Next local show: None planned
Recent release: The M Album, 2008

By Stamati Horiates

Born and raised in the South Bay, Montage is a rising young artist you’d better get to know soon. Currently in the midst of recording his second album, The O Album, Montage has performed in clubs throughout the Bay Area as well as at the ESPN Summer X-Games, and has made an appearance on The World Famous Wake up Show with Sway and Tech. He’s also in the process of shooting a music video for the song "Get at Me." There’s no question this rapper’s journey has taken flight. But how has he come this far? If you ask him, he will tell you straight up: “Persistence.” (more >>)

Montage, aka Phil Corbin, first developed as an artist by drawing and painting. The walls of his house are decorated with intricate portraits of revolutionary hip-hop stars like Biggie Smalls and Tupac. Although he has enjoyed producing visual art, Corbin soon turned his interests towards other avenues of expression.

Enrolling in a graphic arts college and spending many late nights spinning as a DJ was just the beginning. Before long, Montage found himself flying back and forth to LA at the drop of a hat, recording in studios and working with top professionals in the business. In one year’s time, Montage went from relative obscurity to dropping his first CD, The M Album. “We recorded something like 50 or 60 songs and narrowed it down to just ten,” said Montage. The album was released in January and has since been gaining momentum in the industry.

“It takes me outta the underground and puts me in the forefront. I have a lot of respect for underground hip-hop ‘cause that’s where we all have to start, but I wanna take this to the next level. I wanna win them [Cali Heights Records] an award,” Montage says.

From drawing to graphic arts to spinning to rapping, it appears that the sky is the limit for Montage. The O Album is set to drop in November of 2008 and promises appearances from some familiar voices including those of Linkin Park and D-12.

When asked for the most important piece of advice he can give to others pursuing their dreams, Montage answered, “Make friends and take every opportunity. I don’t care if you’re sick or tired or you have to drive six hours to record in a studio. The first time someone offers to help you and you say no, that door could be closed forever.”

GET AT IT:
-The M Album is available in record stores, on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, MySpace, and at MontageWorld.com.
-Montage formed his own independent label, Cali Heights Records, also featuring artists Punky and Alterego.
-Montage is hosting a remix competition for his upcoming record. More information is available here.

Live Review: Subtle @ the Great American Music Hall

By Tyler Corelitz

I reached the Great American Music Hall after riding my bike from the Marina, and was pleased that I did not get lost, as has been habit since moving to the city a month ago. I had not been planning on going to the show that night, but was excited, as the last time I was in the venue was to see Black Lips play a sold-out concert. Suffice it to say I wanted to re-live some of that night's majesty. (more >>)

It cost me five hard-earned dollars to check my bag, but I was glad I did, because all the seats were taken and I had to stand. My friend and I watched opener Facing New York from the balcony. They were very relaxed, almost to a fault, but they played well and others in the audience seemed to be liking it so I assume it just wasn't my thing. As their set carried on we moved from the balcony to the floor. The best thing about the Great American is that the sound is fantastic regardless of where you are standing. While the floor was more crowded I missed getting to watch the drummer play some interesting and funky polyrhythms and was soon waiting for the set to end so that Oakland-based headliner Subtle could play. Facing New York are not bad; they just sound a little too LA studio, despite many of their lyrics being rooted in East Bay noir. For the last couple of songs a sax joined the trio on stage and the earlier compositions suddenly made a little more sense, making me think that a permanent expansion to a quartet may be a good thing. I would see them again if the price was right, as they seem to be still exploring the depths of their music.

When Subtle took the stage around 11 or so, the crowd had swelled some, but was nowhere near capacity. My beer finished, I moved closer to the stage, trying to make out some of the props the band had brought with them. At first I was thrown off by Subtle's sound, which for the first two songs lacked a solid back beat. This combined with the half-rapped, half-sung vocal approach was hard to swallow, even though I had listened to some of the band's earlier work. This might have been due to the fact that all the vocals and instrumentation were cut with effects to the point that it was hard to hear some of the harmonies and melodies that come across so well on the recordings. The other thing that was at first unsettling is that Subtle plays rap-rock, just without all the bullshit the early mainstream pioneers (Limp Bizkit?!) of this "genre" brought to the table. There is of course the electric cello, and the truly talented frontman/lyricist Doseone, whose Blackalicious leanings are welcome and fit well with the bouncy electric drums. Maybe it was those drums, or just my post-work delirium, but for some strange reason I kept imagining a brawl between Subtle and Hot Chip.

From where I was standing there was only one acoustic instrument visible on stage and it was the drum kit. All other sounds were produced electronically, but with such grace and skill that they retained all the warmth of the room (once the levels were right). Subtle is so impressive to watch because sound is coming at you whose source it is often hard to determine, and it fits together so well that one is at a loss for ways to change it -- as if the parts were created specifically to work with each other and could not exist otherwise. It is an aggressive sound, with many dark lyrical undercurrents, but also a sound that draws one in, creating attraction to the power of the performers and the strength of their conviction. Subtle ended with an encore: two songs that I knew and were easier to remember because the hooks are less hidden. The crowd seemed satisfied for a Wednesday and turned to take their leave and buy merchandise, although the new CD, ExitingARM, was not available.

I left on my bike hoping my earlier navigational luck would persist, and spent the whole ride going over new musical ideas. Subtle throws so much at its audiences, visually and sonically, and all of it is so honest and personal. It is hard to watch them without getting some sort of inspiration. More skilled and more intelligent than their mainstream counterparts, and featuring one truly interesting and talented MC -- whose stage presence is topped by few -- Subtle is currently touring the Pacific Northwest behind its third full-length album, which saw release this week.