roothub

RootHub is the kind of musician that you wish you could just keep in your back pocket in case your life ever gets too crazy. You know those days where the paperwork is a mile high and the phone keeps ringing and your boss is grouchy and you can't find your other shoe and and and... aaaahhhhh!!! Then you pull RootHub outta your pocket and he starts to play... things start to get better already. Now you're on a beach somewhere.. maybe even in a hammock, swinging in the cool island breeze.. feeling the sun smiling down on you. Life is good again.

RootHub is that guy jamming with his buddies in the garage down the street from you. He's the one singing while he skates past you on the street. He's sitting on an island somewhere. He's on the subway train in the city. He is everywhere.. because he is music straight from the heart and soul. Listen to his sounds by going here. If you are in Los Angeles... go to the show on March 3rd at Hotel Cafe. RootHub will be playing there along with his good buddy Corn Mo. Don't miss out.

okay

San Francisco band Okay is one of the most fun bands I have ever encountered. Not only is their music laced with fun, but you can tell that the band members are having a good time. Fronted by Marty Anderson, this band is a collection of finely tuned musicians from bands such as Dilute and Howard Hello, and they come equipped with kazoos, bells, and toy cap guns. The band describes their sound as "Star Trek II - the Wrath of Khan when the Enterprise is circling the planet in an attempt to outrun Khan. Also, Marty's voice has been said to sound like Grover from Sesame Street. So I guess a blend of both of those -- Khan and Grover." I'd say that's pretty accurate. You can listen to some of their tracks by going here. Their albums are available to purchase via Absolutely Kosher Records. Okay only plays shows in San Francisco, so if you get a chance to go see them... do it! I guarantee they will bring an instant smile to your face and a happy song to your heart.

West Side Weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend? Well, here's the scoop on some good shows happening here on the west coast...

San Francisco / Bay Area : Friday Night : The Castrati plays with guests Mister Loveless, Set Off, Finding Mercury, and The Northstar Session @ Blakes on Telegraph (Berkeley). Show starts at 9pm and is 10$ at the door.

Los Angeles : Saturday and Sunday : Arthurball is going on! So many great bands it'll make your head spin. Here's just a couple to name... Joanna Newsom, Brightblack Morning Light, Colleen, Society of Rockets, Born Heller, Tarantula A.D....... go to http://www.arthurmag.com/news/ for more info.

San Diego : Saturday : Loud + Clear Records 4 Year Anniversary Party! The lineup includes Goodbye Blue Monday, Via Satellite, Manuok, Adam Gnade, and Neonthief. This is going down @ the Casbah and costs 10$ at the door.

Saturday : Sleeping People is playing a benefit show for the pirate radio station 96.9 @ the Che Cafe (UCSD campus). They ask for a 5$ donation.

Weeee!!!

regina spektor

Look... yesterday was a horrible day. I'm not even going to delve into that though. The only reason I even bother to bring it up is to illustrate a point : Music is healing. It is a confidant. It is my worst enemy and my best lover. And the music of this lady, Regina Spektor, was the only thing that brought a lightness to my otherwise dark day. (Well, that and Andrew's rendition of "1979", but I digress.) My friend told me that he imagined Regina as that totally spunky off-the-wall girl who always played at open mic nights at coffeehouses. I have no idea how close that is, but there is definitely a spunk about her. Her lyrics are clever and colorful... with dashes of humor thrown in here and there. She has a powerful voice that soars over her piano. A visit to her website is recommended. There's even a version of tetris for you to play called "spektris". You can also visit her here to listen to tracks from her album Soviet Kitsch. It's a great album and often inspires sing-alongs. (Just ask anyone who has had the unfortunate timing of being in the car with me while it plays.) Go now and have better days.

the books

The Books are Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto.. a couple of guys who met as neighbors while living in Inwood, NY. They started off making music together in 2000 and have since released 3 kick-ass albums : Lost and Safe, The Lemon of Pink, and Thought for Food. They are one of those hard-working bands that devote their lives to their music... recording everything in their studio and doing it all on their own. No outside producers, engineers, tweekers.. It is exactly what they want. And the result is an amazing collection of samples, electronics, and musical imagery. Visiting their website is a true treasure hunt. You can listen to practically every song they've ever made there! They are truly talented and only ask for one thing in return : please don't steal their music! Like all independent bands know, dedicating your life to your music can be an expensive habit. And it sucks when there are people out there who aren't supporting you. Anyway, give them a listen! Buy their albums! Show love to all those that you support. It means so much to them. You can listen to The Books on their website or also by going here. They are touring Europe currently but will be returning to the states on March 1st for many many shows throughout the US.... so go check them out!

chris garneau

Chris Garneau:

This kid is nuts. Like out of his mind crazy nuts awesome. Also Duncan Sheik records him. How weird is that? not very.

the robot ate me

Hello. It's Saturday morning and grey and I feel like watching cartoons. I can't though, because there is no TV for watching cartoons in my home. So instead, I listen to The Robot Ate Me since listening to some of the songs reminds me somehow of cartoons. Yeah... I don't know what I mean by that either.

The Robot Ate Me falls under the category of "one man band", following in the footsteps of other greats like Cat Power and Smog. The man in this case is Ryland and he delivers quirky lyrics and tender melodies that have a vulnerable quality to them. I would like to be able to pick a favorite album by him but really I think you should just listen to them all. I am dead serious. Don't make me pick one. If you really need to read a million words about how great all his albums are, then you can go here. Don't be a silly monkey though. Music is for listening to...not reading about! Go out and buy an album. You can listen to mp3s by going to his website here or you can also click here for more. And maybe if you are feeling good, you could make yourself a nice cup of hot cocoa and watch one or both of the music videos. There is the haunting one here. And the silly one is here. A new album is expected to be out in June with a tour to follow.

sleeping people

Ladies and gents... before I dive into the world of sleeping people, let me just say a couple things right quick. First of all, it took me a gazillion hours to log into this today and I almost gave up. And chances are that I will write this really witty inner monologue out for you all to read and it won't post. So,we'll all have to prepare ourselves for the worst, I suppose. Also, I think that I had something else to say but I don't remember now. Eep. Oh well.

Sleeping People....



Ok. Here's the deal. You have to go to a sleeping people show in order to really get the most bang for the buck sorta deal. I have been to a few and I have never been disappointed. In fact, I often stand there, staring in absolute amazement. Their timing is whacky. I mean, really, go and try to figure it out. And they are just tight. I mean like leather pants on a hot day kinda tight. Or maybe just super talented and good together kinda tight. Whichever makes you feel less creeped out. So watch the video above if you wanna. Also, go to their website by clicking here. They've got mp3s and all kinds of good stuff there. Peep their upcoming shows. Go to one. Thank me later. (Don't forget to tell Amber that I said Hello!)

sharing is caring

I've gotten a couple more writers onboard so that we get some variety up in here. Wee!

con amore

just in time for valentine's day...


This 5-woman rock band from NY will make you feel better than any box of chocolates will. There are a couple of mp3s available to listen to here. A 5-song EP is available to purchase on their Myspace page. Shows are happening around NY... so go check them out!

the castrati

I love this bay area band, The Castrati. Check out their tunes here. "Hot as coals" is an instant favorite. I'm going to the February 24th show at Blakes on Telegraph in Berkeley and I suggest that you all be there. Really... don't be stupid. Werd.

Welcome!

This is it. You are here. I am so happy to see you! So look, this is where I tell you what the deal is with all of this. I'm going to post something...the context of which will be about a band. There will be pictures, and mp3s and such. It'll be kind of a big deal. You can then choose to leave a comment, a review, a poem...whatever tickles you. Or not. You may want to take some time and get some tea first. Or just dive right in. It's up to you... either way is fine by me. The goal is to shine some light on some amazing talent. The thing is that I come across soooo many bands on an everyday basis. It makes me dizzy at times. But it's part of my job and so I deal with it. It is my belief though that we should all support the music community. It's just a nice thing to do. Anyway, I think this could be fun. Plus people are always asking me for new music... so really, I'm just making my life and yours easier. How do I pick the bands that go here? Well, maybe they're friends of mine... or I saw them at a show last night... or perhaps you told me about them. I'll try to be as thorough as possible and include things like upcoming shows, band websites, etc. Also, feedback is good. If I can do something to make this even more fun for you... well, then you had better tell me! Okay, enough jibber jabber....