Posts Tagged ‘guitarist’
Crime in Choir
January 25th, 2007 | 
Author: Official site
MySpace (listen to “Hot Slant,” “In Search of Plunder” [both from 2004's The Hoop]. Also, download “The Hollow Crown,” from the new record.)
Hometown: San Francisco
Next local show: 10/19, 12 Galaxies
Upcoming release: Trumpery Metier, 2006
[This post originally published 8/22/06.]
Ahhh…beautiful. Instrumental prog-rock. Crime in Choir play it as well as anyone you’re likely to hear — anywhere. NASCENT got its hands on the band’s upcoming 10/31 release, and it’s a doozy: a cinematic, technical, aggressive, utterly imaginative and flawlessly performed doozy. Trumpery Metier is the band’s third full-length in six years and first with Gold Standard Laboratories.
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Sleepyboy Moe
MySpace (listen to “Lucky Son,” “Dreamy Windows”
Official site
Hometown: Oakland
Next local show: 11/28, The Stork Club
Recent release: The Sleepyboy Moe Tapes, 2006
When it comes to homegrown East Bay music, Sleepyboy Moe is the real deal. Shaun Wargowsky, the man behind the name, moved to Oakland in 2005 and immediately became active in the local scene. The singer/bassist/guitarist began performing solo and with drummer Lindsay Cooper (of nicely named Oakland band Espionage a Trios) at small venues including Epic Arts in Berkeley. He recorded his debut CD, The Sleepyboy Moe Tapes, entirely in analog in Oakland and Berkeley. And his CD release party will take place Tuesday at The Stork Club in Oakland.
Totimoshi
MySpace (listen to “Viva Zapata,” “In Virgo”)
Official site
Hometown: Alameda
Next local show: None planned
Recent release: Ladrรณn, 2006
Ready for the heavy shit? Totimoshi can bear all manner of sludgy, stoney weight upon you. This despite having only three members and not being the slightest bit Japanese. Maybe the title of the new record (“thief” in Spanish) is a better indicator. Japanese, Latino, or Martian; Totimoshi is for real. The band’s been hand-picked to open for the Melvins and Helmet, godfathers of modern heavy. With nine years and four albums to its name, it’s poised to — any day now — become the next buzz band in the new hipster/indie metal scene led by groups like Mastodon, the Sword, and Isis. To be fair, Totimoshi are much closer stylistically to those indefatigable Melvins, who copped Black Sabbath’s slow chug 20 years ago and never looked back. If there’s any young band ready to introduce that sound to new ears, it’s this one.
The May Fire
MySpace (listen to “Red Eye,” “Right and Wrong”)
Official site
Hometown: San Francisco
Next local show: None planned
Recent release: Right and Wrong, 2006
Is that a cowbell we hear? The leadoff track on the May Fire’s debut disc is loaded with it — bangin’ out the quarter notes a la “Don’t Fear the Reaper” through every verse. Many purport to love the cowbell, but few have the guts to feature it in their official “Hello” to the world.
Fans of Elastica may appreciate the verse bassline and rhythm in the next track, “Nothing Today.” The song wraps up with a guitar solo that screams White Stripes. This is good, mind you — as they say, sometimes innovation is overrated. And if you’re looking for something unique, try their backstory. Singer/guitarist Catty Tasso hails from Chile, while drummer El Pipe is from Colombia. The two met in Los Angeles in 2004, then moved to San Francisco. Needless to say, they have a strong Latino following.