Monday, December 26, 2016

The Sounds @ The Fillmore 12/18/2016

In 2011 Swedish post-punk revival Indie rockers, The Sounds rocked Popscene hard. Five years later they returned for the 10 year Anniversary Tour of Dying To Say This To You with a show at the iconic Fillmore!

The Sounds at The Fillmore 12/18/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Fronted by former New Yorker, model, musician and fashion muse, Lissy Trullie, Mason James of Cerebral Ballzy and drummer Damar Davis, the synth-bred Zipper Club were the supporting act following openers, My Jerusalem.
Pysch-friendly visuals continuously swirled over the stage and the band in a kaleidoscope style, adding slivers of color to an otherwise dark setting, adding a trippy affect to their synth-bred sound. James and Trullie shared vocals pretty evenly, taking turns on lead, being each other's back-ups and harmonizing over buzzing guitars. Banter by her more seasoned counter part encouraged the pixie-cut Trullie out of her timid shell, leaving her a bit more confident and comfortable as they played on. The LA based threesome lay down a heavy 90's nostalgia with a lo-tempoed delivery of lo-fi rock which  fit right in with the nostalgic night. Their set that night was one of three remaining shows Zipper Club had on the road with The Sounds but with their debut LP due out in January it sure won't be the last time we'll hear from them.

The Sounds at The Fillmore 12/18/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini

2006, in the height of a pop wave that brought us The Pussycat Dolls, Panic! At The Disco and "Gold Digger", this edgy gem from Sweden shook things up with a sassy indie-punk sound and a spunky leading lady with Blondie soul. The Sounds defied the common disappointment that comes with the follow up to successful debuts with their "underground hit" riddled sophomore album, Dying To Say This To You. Coincidentally and somewhat ironically, it turned out to be their most popular record to date. Fans at The Fillmore were probably just as excited to see the album revived and brought (back) to life by wild woman Maja as they would have been at a show on the tour in support of it 10 years ago! Maybe even more so!



The Sounds at The Fillmore 12/18/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini


Aside from her platinum blonde hair, in a formal black, sequenced dress and respectable heels Maja's look was a far cry from the last time I saw her live when she rocked booty shorts, a tank top and a cigarette hanging from her mouth. Her look may have been a bit different but Maja still brought her shameless grittiness and brash charm: flashing her panties with high kicks, speaker stance and squats, she got touchy feely with security and showered us with plenty of f-bombs.






Playing Dying To Say This To You from start to finish as expected, she kept it real, pointing out that they hadn't played some of the songs live in a long time, if ever. Reflecting back on the pressures The Sounds faced to follow up their 1st album with a successful 2nd album, the front woman wasn't afraid to get a little sentimental with her fans before getting back to rockin'.

The Sounds at The Fillmore 12/18/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Sounds at The Fillmore 12/18/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini



Flickering lighter flames and glowing cell phone screens illuminated the room like a night sky full of twinkling stars for an acoustic "Night After Night" which was an unexpected break from the fast-paced indie punk rock yet a welcomed serendipitous experience. It's only natural that The Sounds have matured over the course of a decade.There's still a rawness and fire but they play tighter now, they're more focused; The Sounds honed their sound.
Like a fine wine, they took something classic and delivered something better on the Dying To Say This To You 10 year Anniversary tour!





   

Thursday, December 15, 2016

CLUB NSSN 2016: Sundara Karma, How To Dress Well & Bishop Briggs

CLUB NSSN, the pre-party show on the eve of LIVE105's Annual holiday showcase Not So Silent Night, went down last Thursday night at Mezzanine with Sundara Karma, How To Dress Well and Bishop Briggs!

Sundara Karma
 CLUB NSSN @ Mezzanine 12/8/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini



Backed by a stage full of stacked Orange Amps, the British boys of Sundara Karma got things started  with some arena aspiring, dreamy pop-rock. The opening slot at Mezzanine marked the last show of their debut tour of the States in support of their 1st EP, Loveblood and even though it was their very first time even being in San Francisco, they had a handful of hard-core fans there. In bell-bottoms, velvet pants, flowy blouses and corduroy jackets with long-hair everywhere, their psychedelic swagger was juxtaposed with a poker-faced demeanor.






Sundara Karma
 CLUB NSSN @ Mezzanine 12/8/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini





Immersed in finely tuned, subtlety grandiose rock, cheers from the crowd grew louder with every song Sundara Karma played from their EP.  Intent on delivering their very best, the Berkshire quartet gained momentum with the glittery, Summer Music Fest anthem "Flame" and the catchy, chorus driven "She Said" after a calm "Young Understanding" kick off.Brooding guitar, gritty bass, funky drum-lines lifted up by soaring choruses and sweet Baritone notes from frontman Oscar Lulu characterized their steadfast set which ended in a flurry of applause for title track "Loveblood".






Fans were anxious to keep the party going with How To Dress Well who went on about half an hour after all the Orange Amps were cleared away.  Mr. How To Dress Well, Tom Krell, hit the hazy stage with a drummer, synth player and keyboardist as plumes of smoke blasted from the smoke machine. With a pep in his step and a charming wittiness, the singer/songwriter was quick to engage with fans, lightening up the mood in the room.


How To Dress Well
CLUB NSSN @ Mezzanine 12/8/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Emotionally charged songs were softened by sparkling electronic and acoustic melodies. Bandmates kept mentioning bad feed back but their experimental indie-electro sounded good from where I stood. Carrying every song with an un-sung power, Krell's  angelic falsetto was cooly enthralling from the sexy, "Can't You Tell " to the extended dance version of  "And It Was You" to the alt-pop, islandy track off the new album Care. They even treated SF to a low-key cover of  Ariana Grande's "One Time" and invited fans to sing along.


How To Dress Well
CLUB NSSN @ Mezzanine 12/8/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini




With lots of laughs on stage between songs, they're a very likable, down to earth band with a fun upbeat vibe and danceable tunes to get lost in. It was fun to see How To Dress Well having fun while getting us geared up for Bishop Briggs.













Bishop Briggs
CLUB NSSN @ Mezzanine 12/8/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini
The headliner stayed behind the scenes until the stage was ready and set for her. With her band tucked in the corners,  giving her ample space on the stage, the illusive Bishop Briggs coyly hit the stage at 11:30.  In a cute skirt, halter top, festive rhinestone covered bomber number and Nike's,  the London born starlet literally bounced around the stage. Leering out over the mic, she looked intimidating as she sang but between songs she was sweet and friendly: thanking her loyal fans, LIVE105 and DJ Aaron Axelsen for supporting her since the beginning. With such a big hit single and soaring popularity, it's kind of hard to believe that she only has one, (very) recently released EP so of course the set consisted of songs from it. Her velvety vocals delivered "How I Do", "Wild Horses" and almost everything else in between, saving her huge hit, "River" until the end!


Bishop Briggs
CLUB NSSN @ Mezzanine 12/8/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini







LIVE105's CLUB NSSN has been giving San Francisco show-goers and new music enthusiasts alike the great gift "little" shows  the night before Not So Silent Night for 10 years! Cheers to another 10 years of intimate shows with line-ups of breaking bands! 

Thursday, December 8, 2016

The Lumineers @ Great American Music Hall 12/6/2016

The Bay Area's one & only alternative rock radio station, LIVE105 KITS 105.3 FM, celebrated 30 years of being on the airwaves by inviting listeners to a special show with The Lumineers at Great American Music Hall! How cool is that?! In true rock fashion, LIVE105 didn't sell tickets to the show, you had to listen to win if you wanted in. 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

 Considering everyone who was there had tickets at will-call, the line moved quickly once doors opened at 7:30. Gingerly mingling, listeners filled Great American Music Hall with cheerful feels and no time seemed to pass before the music started an hour and a half after doors opened.
After a little wave and quick hello, fresh faced and smiley Wesley Schultz efficiently started the show with the sweet, soulful lullaby  "Sleep On The Floor". Their sophomore album, Cleopatra followed a more melancholy route than their 2012 debut, so it was refreshing to see that the whole band was all smiles with an amicable showmanship to boot.




Happy to chat between songs,  the frontman built a friendly connection with fans carrying on about The Lumineers' early days when they played at the quaint Amnesia bar in the Mission District.
He shared that he had a new found love for San Francisco since his brother moved here and that The Lumineers had opened for a band at the same venue years ago but Tuesday night's show was the first time they headlined at Great American Music Hall. It was really cool to hear all those little known facts about one of folk-rock's most popular acts.

It was also cool that they played their most well known songs at the top of the set: "Sleep On The Floor", "Ophelia", "Cleopatra" and the beloved, break through hit "Ho Hey". Smartphones and Androids were held high to capture Kodak moments and video snippets of the intimate show but before playing "Ho Hey" Schultz politely requested that after the song, all phones be put away so we would all be there, enjoying the moment together. Fans happily obliged.

The Lumineers @ Great American Music Hall 12/6/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini

At times all five members were on stage, other times only two or three were on stage with practically un-noticible transitions. The band's beauty, Neyla, switched  between violin and cello through out the show and charming harmonization came from all of the band members at one point. There was no crazy lighting, just some simple whites and soft pinks accentuated their humble music, making the lighthearted show that much more luminous.



The Lumineers @ Great American Music Hall 12/6/2016
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The frontman was exceptionally engaging and personable, giving fans sweet insights about the song "Dead Sea" being an homage to his now wife and his crazy life on the road. He even performed a song from the middle of the crowd which he did at shows on their World Tour, like their two shows at The Greek Theater in Berkeley October 6th and 7th. Those shows were at bigger venues though, so it was really special he ventured into the crowd at such a small(er) venue.





Being that it was a radio station gig, the fact that they didn't phone it in and played a full, 17 song, set was awesome! The Lumineers went above and beyond for LIVE105 and their listeners.

They looked great, they sounded great, they were great!
A private show with The Lumineers was a great way to celebrate 30 years of LIVE105!

set-list 12/6/2016 

 1. Sleep On The Ground 
2. Ophelia
3. Flowers In Your Hair 
4. Ho Hey 
5. Cleopatra
6. Classy Girls 
7. Dead Sea 
8. Charlie Boy 
9. Darlene 
10. Boots of Spanish Leather (Bob Dylan)
11.  Slow It Down
12. Submarines
13. Gun Song 
14. Angela 
15. Big Parade 
16. My Eyes 
17. Stubborn Love











Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Dragonette @ The Independent 11/29/2016


Dragonette @ The Independent 11/29/2016
photo by Marc Fong 



To celebrate the release of Royal Blues, their 4th studio album, Dragonette embarked on a 23-date North American tour! Kicking things off the day the album dropped on November 11th in Montreal, the tour is running through December 11th in Boston, including a stop in SF along the way!  






Dragonette @ The Independent 11/29/2016
photo by Marc Fong 


Last November the threesome sizzled at their headlining show at SF's premiere Indie nightclub, Popscene and exactly one year and nine days later, the Canadian synth-pop band headlined at The Independent on November 29th!








The Tuesday night show was off to a slow start and even though it wasn't sold-out, the floor was full when Dragonette started close to 10:30. In a mirror mosaic jacket, white jeans and backed by a wall of pixelated lights, Martina Sorbara looked like a quintessential, indie-synth-pop disco queen.  

Dragonette @ The Independent 11/29/2016
photo by Marc Fong 

Teetering on the edge of the stage in front of bassist Dan Krutz and drummer Joel Stouffer, she
dominated the stage belting out the bright, upbeat title track of the brand new album. Equally as joyful as the band's joyous energy, fans seamlessly chimed in on the chorus of the first hit of the set, "Let The Night Fall." After that, the night was their's.

Dragonette @ The Independent 11/29/2016
photo by Marc Fong 



Dragonette @ The Independent 11/29/2016
photo by Marc Fong 



Fans were locked in and they were ready to do what they had gone there to do, dance, and Dragonette was more than ready to deliver a dance party.

Her  stature is small but Martina's powerful vocals and unwavering stage presence make her larger than life. Seeing her sing is mesmerizing.



Dragonette @ The Independent 11/29/2016
photo by Marc Fong 



They fired off highly danceable song after song with fiery determination. From the youthfully cinematic "High Five" to the bubbly "Hello" and the weird intensity of "Future Ghost" Dragonette  are adept at crafting catchy, hook laden songs covering all the pop bases.









Their dance party ends this week but not before Dragonette play shows in Chicago, Ohio and New York!


set-list 11/29/2016 
1. Royal Blues
2. Let The Night Fall
3. Out Lines
4. Body To Body
5. Fire In Your Shoes
6. I Get Around
7. Firebird
8. Future Ghost
9. Run Run Run
10. Sweet Poison
11. Pick Up The Phone
12. Right Woman
13. Hello
14. High Five 
15. Darth Vader 
16. Let Go 
17. Fixin' To Thrill 

en core 
1. Stupid Grin 
2. Live In This City 








Thursday, December 1, 2016

Club NSSN 2016! December 8th @ Mezzanine!

T'is the night before Not So Silent Night and all through out the city everybody will be stirring to get out of the house and go to a show! LIVE105 has stuffed our stockings with a pre-party show to warm us up for nights one and two of Not So Silent Night with CLUB NSSN at Mezzanine on December 8th! 






The four piece, arena ambitious "indie-Springsteens" from the UK, Sundara Karma will be the first of three bands that night following DJ Aaron Axelsen. Touring in support of their brand new EP Loveblood, Sundara Karma will get us into the spirit with anthemic guitar music, soaring choruses and brooding romanticism tied up with an uplifting euphoria!






Next on the nice list is Tom Krell delivering groove-alicious How To Dress Well jams. The latest How To Dress Well LP, Care is a collective evolution of the singer-songwriter's sound from hazy bedroom R&B to full fledged alt-pop with more depth and clarity than we've heard from him before. He'll be spreading Holiday cheer for all to hear until it's time to get our jingle on with Bishop Briggs. 





Up until Black Friday last week, this year's biggest starlet in the music scene was un-signed and album-less but Briggs managed to make a name for herself in a BIG way. The fashionable "River" singer has finally given us the gift of a self-titled EP via Island Records! Prepare to be merry and bright because one week from tonight is her first headlining gig in the Bay Area! 





After this line-up we'll be ready to rock around the Oracle Arena at Not So Silent Night! 
Live music after all, is the best present you can get!