September in SF: Gold Fields & Cody ChestnuTT

September is right around the corner which means Summer is almost over but that doesn't mean the fun has to end. Start your September off with two sweet shows next week SF!

Rave reviews are have been creating a buzz surrounding the release Black Sun, the debut album from Gold Fields.  

 The Australian electro synth-pop quintet are hitting the road on their off their first headlining US tour next week.

 The fourth stop on their tour with Rush Midnight is at The Mezzanine next Thursday!
They're a little bit emo, a little bit pop with an abundant essence of dance.

  

 

Photo by: Marc Fong

Cody ChesnuTT  took his time composing his album Landing On A Hundred following his 2008 debut and now this funky neo-soul artist is ready bring it to fans face to face! The Independent welcomes ChesnuTT back next Saturday night. He'll croon and his romantic soulful stylie tunes, old and new.

Tickets for both shows are only $16!

Royal Canoe Announce Tour Dates With Alt-J & Tricky

Canadian up and coming six-piece ensemble, Royal Canoe bring us a new style of hybrid sounds stretching across genres (Psychedelic, Pop, Indie-Rock, Alternative, Shoe-Gaze)  as heard on their first single, "Bathtubs."

 

 

 

Obsessed with delivering their own musical pastiche Royal Canoe are currently on tour in support of the September 3rd release of their debt LP, Today We're Believers playing shows across the country this fall with musical fusion rocker Tricky, dance-punks !!! (Chk Chk Chk) and experimental indie-art-rockers Alt-J.

 

After playing two shows at The Palladium in LA today and tomorrow Royal Canoe and Alt-J head to The Fox Theater in Oakland! Due to popular demand the bands are treating Bay Area fans to two nights of shows too! So even though Friday night at The Fox sold-out super quick you can still  get tickets for the Thursday night show!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tour Dates

08.27 - Los Angeles, CA - Palladium*
08.28 - Los Angeles, CA - Palladium*
08.29 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater*

08.30 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater*
09.01 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum*
09.05 - Portland, OR - Music fest NW^
09.14 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom*
10.01 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer%
10.02 - New York, NY - Webster Hall%
10.03 - Boston, MA - Royale%
10.05 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall%
10.06 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club%
10.08 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue%
10.09 - Chicago, IL - Metro%
10.10 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom%
10.12 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues%
10.13 - Houston, TX - House of Blues%
10.14 - Austin, TX - Emo's%
10.16 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre%
10.17 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre%
10.22 - Ottawa, ON - National Arts Center
10.30 - 11.03 - Reykjavik - Iceland Airwaves Festival

* with Alt-J
^ with !!!
% with Tricky

Polyphonic Spree @ The Chapel 8/19/2013

The size of the  audience swelled after opening acts, Harper Simon and Seryn Monday night at The Chapel as they eagerly waited to see The Polyphonic Spree in all of it's glory. Even though I had only heard about them being glorious I was rather giddy to be seeing them, all of them live.

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

Are they gypsies?

Are they hippies?

(are gypsies and hippies the same thing?)

 What will they be wearing?!

 

"There are 12 of them,  yeah? " my friend asked, "No". I replied. "I think there's  more."

 

Photo by: Marc Fong

Early on a giddy air filled the night - most notably from the two guys I found myself sandwiched between -  one sported a foot-high mohawk and hugged the stage, guarding a poster tube while the other, a 50 something-year old construction worker lookin’ type firmly stood his ground. This eclecticness of the variety of Polyphonic fans made me more excited to see the band that had brought us together and really exemplified the headlining collective’s wide range of supporters.
 

 

 

Photo by: Marc Fong

Un-intrusively they entered. The band in matching citrus colored paisley choir robes, the 5 piece female back-up singing section in identical white lace dresses and front man, Tim DeLaughter rocked a citrus colored paisley man tunic.
 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

I counted 18, all of them fitting in the frame of The Chapel's the alter-less stage when a warm, fuzzy feeling transcended throughout the picturesque venue.

Photo by: Marc Fong

Photo by: Marc Fong

Photo by: Marc Fong

 Emitting an exuberant optimism during "Section 12 (Hold Me Now)" from their 2nd album, Together We're Heavy I fell spellbound and transfixed on the 5 piece back-up singers. Tucked behind the wide array of instruments and musicians the ladies angelic voices and happy faces stood out.

 

Photo by: Marc Fong




Photo by: Marc Fong

Teetering on top of a speaker joyously singing the "Younger Yesterday" DeLaughter fleetingly told a show goer to "put that (camera phone) away". He didn't harp on this issue which was wise because when they started "Popular by Design" a midst multi colored swirling disco lights that turned the whole place into one big happy kaleidoscope more camera phones popped up. In a year where artists like Beyonce & Yeah Yeah Yeahs have scorned camera phones in favor of ‘being in the moment’, this artist trend seems to be on the rise.

Photo by: Marc Fong

 

He dominated the stage, his female counter part aggressively dominated the chelo and the Polyphonic production as a whole was an awesome sight to experience! 

 

The choral-symphonic-pop-rock-gospel band played cuts from their entire collection, including their fourth live performance of “Carefully Try”. DeLaughter thanked everyone for making it out the show, expressing his cheerful excitement that this performance at The Chapel was the group’s first sold out show in San Francisco. This announcement was met with an equally enthusiastic reaction. 

 

Photo by: Marc Fong

 

Set List

1: Section 12 (Hold Me Now)

2: Younger Yesterday

3: Popular by Design

4: Light to Follow

5: 2000 Places

6: Carefully Try

7: I'm Calling

8: You Don't Know Me

9: Hold Yourself Up

10: Soldier Girl

11: The Best Part

12: We Sound Amazed

13: Lithium

14: My Umbrella

15: Light and Day

 

 

 

Let Go, Today!

It is time to give "Let Go"  a go! The  new RAC song featuring Kele Okereke (of Bloc Party) and MNDR  has been teased for weeks and was slated to be released tomorrow but they just couldn't wait! They jumped the gun and let "Let Go" loose today!

 

"After Andre (RAC) remixed "Feed Me Diamonds," he reached out and asked if MNDR would work on a song with Kele Okereke... and I was like, "feed YOU diamonds." RAC is the perfect combination of melody, dance, and pure emotion." - MNDR

 

 

 

" Here it is!
A full day early, Let Go (ft. Kele & MNDR). Thanks so much for all your support over these years. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Bloc Party was the first band I ever remixed in 2005, and MNDR is one of my favorite new artists so I'm really proud of this song." - RAC

 

Ready, set, stream "Let Go" https://soundcloud.com/rac/let-go-ft-kele-mndr

Milo Greene @ The Rickshaw Stop 8/9/2013

With reggae-esque melodies and unique vocals reminiscent of the late (great) Amy Winehouse, Wild Belle humbly impressed as they opened the Outside Lands  night show at The Rickshaw Stop Friday night. 

 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

 

At midnight Milo Greene hit the stage ready to get the mellowed out crowd rocking! Though self described as cinematic-pop, Milo Greene has an undeniable indie feel and helped us transition nicely from the Wild Belle set with their soft buildups scattered throughout "Moddison."

 

 

 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 When Robbie Arnett commented on his red eyes I thought he was going to mention the "sticky" greens San Francisco is known for and which seems to get mentioned by artists at shows rather often when they play in this city. I was pleasantly and admittedly a little envious when he went on to say: "I've been at the Festival all day! It feels good to see so many red eyes!" after all we were at an Outside Lands night show and Friday was  Day 1 of the festival!

 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robbie Arnett, Graham Fink, Andrew Heringer and Marlana Sheetz shared lead vocals and backing vocal duties through out the set, often switching instruments on stage and it was all done very seamlessly. They made it look easy and were so care free it made more enjoyable to watch them! 

 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visibly having fun as they ricocheted off of each other around the small stage, Milo Greene played score-worthy track after score-worthy track from their self-titled debut LP. Generating cheers from fans when asked who was at Outside Lands that day and  even making a handful of female fans shriek when they acknowledged their San Mateo roots Milo Greene's energy as a whole is pleasantly non-pompous.

 

 

 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

 

 

Kudos to the band for delivering a solid performance at the Outside Lands night show before performing at the Festival! I can only imagine how Milo Greene must have warmed things up during their set yesterday on the Sutro Stage at Outside Lands! 

 

 

Once this run is done Milo Greene says they are taking a break from touring to work on  their next album and when that's done they'll hit the road yet again!

 

 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

SET LIST 8/9/2013

1: Moddison
2: Wooden Antlers
3: Don't You Give Up on Me
4: Cutty Love
5:Take A Step
6: Polaroid
7: Perfectly Aligned
8: Autumn Tree
9: Chicago (cover)
10: Staging Point
11: Silent Way

En Core:
1: What's the Matter
2: 1957

Smallpools @ Popscene 8/8/2013

SF music fans were in for a treat at the Smallpools Popscene show August 8, as the Jersey foursome made their debut California performance. That could explain why Smallpools’ singer, Sean Scanlan, seemed a little nervous at the start of the show — and maybe it was the fact that the show was sold out and the group just started touring in July.







Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

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Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

After a short-lived technical hiccup as they situated on stage in front of an eager, young and (always) trendy packed house at Rickshaw Stop, the band dove right into the set with “Mason Jar”, the second track off of their self titled EP.  Any nerves Smallpools may have had went away as the band’s laid-back coolness took over. The buoyant audience was already in the groove, swaying and having fun as Sean, Mike (guitar) and Joe (bass) continually connecting with SF fans.

 

 

Laughing about being stuck in Costa Rica when they created the “islandy” track “Over & Over”, the guys have a way of making you feel like you’ve been friends since way back when. Their bountiful, insightful banter about needing to get to work on their much needed (not to mention highly anticipated) LP resonated well with the excited crowd.

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini



Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

Since the four tracks off their debut EP are their only released material, it made sense for Smallpools to cover a song or two to beef up their set list. The cheerful riff to the New Radicals’ hit “Get What You Give” was a great fit for the LA 4-piece indie-band’s mellow vibes. The song also served as the best build up for the song everyone was waiting to see live — this summer’s anthem, “Dreaming”.

 

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

Popscene burst with enthusiastic applause, breaking out into a full fledge dance party as Smallpools played their smash hit single — they definitely ended the night on a high note!



Photo by: Nikki DeMartini



Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

Before wrapping up their tour in LA on Tuesday (and hitting the studio as they mentioned) Smallpools is playing  at Slim's this Monday night. Think this means that maybe the guys will be checking out  SF's coveted  Outside Lands Festival this weekend amongst us common folk?
 Well, they'd be "common" with Artist All Access passes, but still!
Keep an eye out and cut em' some slack if they say San Fran, they're still learning and they'll surely be back!

Photo by: Nikki DeMartini

 

 

 

 

 

Smallpools at Popscene!

 Smallpools loves to dream, we love listening to their single  "Dreaming" and now it's time to see them live! The Los Angeles 4-piece started their first ever tour earlier this summer  and  fans in San Francisco have two chances to catch this highly anticipated act!

Smallpools is not only playing this Thursday night at Popscene they'll make waves headlining the show! Openers Savoir Adore, Cloud Control and SF's own DJ Aaron Axelsen round out this top notch bill at SF's Premier Indie Night Club so get ready to get wet, with sweat! Get your hands on the $14.00 tickets to get into "The Scene."

Before wrapping things up with a hometown show in LA on August 13th Smallpools is playing  with  San Cisco at  Slim's (in SF) on August 12th!

The coolest Smallpools shows this summer will without a doubt be the two they play in San Francisco!