Sweet Sound Bites: November 2017

Monday, November 27, 2017

Bay Ledges @ The Independent 11/18/2017

Last month L.A based Bay Ledges played at Rickshaw Stop and three week later they were back in SF!

Bay Ledges @ The Independent 11/18/2017
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Saturday before Thanksgiving things were already starting to slow down in the city: the streets seemed quieter, downtown's hustle bustle somewhat lulled and people heading to the The Independent that night sure did take their time. Show openers, Bay Ledges, went on a little over half an hour past their scheduled 9:00 set time to allow show-goers to get there in time.

Fronting the four piece band, Brother and sister, Zach and Georgia Hurd looked ready for a beach holiday in a Hawaiian inspired shirt and a romper doused in palms, they causally brought their summer time vibes from their two EPs to the stage. The set started with Zach on acoustic guitar, gently harmonizing with his sister on "In Your Head".

Impressed with the provided Kombucha in their dressing room which he said made The Independent the "coolest venue", Zach naturally took over bonding with the crowd with his friendly banter. Georgia stayed modestly quiet for the most part while the other two band mates stayed in the shadows. Shimmery synth melodies give them the indie foundation on which their sound is built on, while their warm blending of background percussion and guitar give them a folky feel with pop accents.

Bay Ledges @ The Independent 11/18/2017
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Bay Ledges are the latest band bending the genre of indie music into something that's their own. As a whole, they really warmed up within the eight songs of their set. Looking, playing and sounding the most comfortable during their last song of the night.

Bay Ledges @ The Independent 11/18/2017
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Currently they don't have any tour dates lined up but I won't be surprised to see Bay Ledges pop-up on the 2018 Summer Music Festival circuit. They'd be a great set to catch outside on a sunny day.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Everyday is Christmas the Day after Thanksgiving

Today is the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday but it's also the day it is socially acceptable to play Christmas music. With that said, traditional Christmas songs and carols can be hard to stomach from now until Christmas Day.

Everyday is Christmas cover art

Last month Australian pop-songtress SIA released her first Christmas album, Everyday is Christmas. It is very much a pop album but it's not regurgitations of "ghosts" from Christmas past. All 10 songs are original Christmas songs! The youthful cover art is one the best parts of the album. She switched up her trademark Cruella Deville hair-do for red and green curls for a very fun and festive look. SIA's vocals are the best gift of all though; it rings soulful without being lost in all the pop fluff.

The album starts out cheerful with "Santa's Coming For Us" fit for dancing around the Christmas tree but hear me out all you bah humbuggers...the cheeriness dims the further into the album you go. Case in point, the last song "Underneath The Christmas Lights": it's slow tempo, cumbersome piano and SIA's gospel like vocals make for a blue love song with a Christmas time theme.
This time of year isn't merry and bright for everyone and this Christmas album is a nice reminder of that without being a grinch about it. Cheers to SIA for gifting us with a good Christmas music alternative.