Straight to Video
Rock Art Rock
See more in the Rock Art Rock gallery.
polls
Loading ...Concert Finder
Primus at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 1030 15th Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA on Sep 14
Menomena at Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Avenue, Seattle, WA on Sep 10
Ratatat at Riviera Night Club, 4746 North Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL on Sep 10
The Black Keys at Verizon Wireless Music Center, 12880 East 146th Street, Noblesville, IN on Sep 03
Search results for: "bottom of the hill"
Live Show Review: Grass Widow, Sonny & the Sunsets at Bottom of the Hill, SF
Grass Widow and Sonny & the Sunsets
June 27th at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
Rarely is a bill so stacked with scorching up-and-comers. Sonny & the Sunsets are the slackadaisical beach-Velvet toast of San Fran, and with good reason. Their set was a non-stop head-nodder; a hip-swingin’ smörgåsbord of easygoing riffs and hooks. Sonny’s well-scuffed tobacco-burst hollow-body resounded comfortably at the fore while the Sunsets backed him ably up with vocals, tambourine, bass and drums (although no piano, and so “Death Cream” was a little sparse.) There was a tiny bit of mic trouble, and duct tape did make an appearance around the jack on Sonny’s guitar, and yet the set was the straight-up funnest I’ve experienced in a very long time. No need for earplugs, not even much need for familiarity with the material (though there was plenty of Tomorrow is Alright to get behind), just good, clean, classic-style twang pop.
The forthright and innovative all-fem trio Grass Widow came next, for whom the kids crammed in a bit more fervently. They played a good amount of stuff from the forthcoming Past Time LP, due out on Kill Rock Stars in late August, and some earlier stuff as well. Highlight of the night: Some douche-nozzle yells out “You’re so sexy!”, to which the women share collective “what a jerk” glances onstage, and guitarist Raven, disdainful but in good humor, responds, “Not the point. Not the point at all.” Note to jerks: Don’t fuck with the Widow. This ain’t no pageant, just some sweet creative rock, a-ight? While not as happy-go-lucky as the Sunsets, GW nonetheless killed. Three-part Stereolab-ish harmonies a-blazin’ (a singing drummer is always impressive), positive, fun and complex post-punk/beach-invasion melodies down pat, bass/guitar interplay every bit as deft as on record; they nailed it, 100%, and took no guff in the process. read more
Finally! New Record for No Age
Sub Pop announced this morning that No Age is set to release a new record come September 28th, their first full-length since 2008’s widely acclaimed Nouns. The lo-fi noise duo recorded the new album, Everything in Between, in their hometown of Los Angeles. And based on Sub Pop’s press release, great things could be in store:
Everything in Between is a bold step in their creative evolution. It documents their lives and their artistic progression more prominently welded into a permanent union. It is a culmination of reflecting upon life’s ruptures and triumphs; the process of moving through these moments banged and bruised, yet better off for the wear and tear. They’ve pushed themselves in challenging and different directions, deconstructing their weird-out pop songs while still maintaining their original aesthetic and intent. Melody is formed from noise and samples; disorienting rhythms, howling tones, fuzzed-out scuffs, cuts and grazes, and heart-wrenching skree are all vital to embellishing the raw sentiment of the album.
Wow. If that description doesn’t interest you, then, well, drink some more coffee. Check out a track list, tour dates, AND a very special Crawdaddy! exclusive video (where the duo was joined by Bob Mould at the intimate and awesome Bottom of the Hill) after the jump.
Video: British Sea Power, “Waving Flags”
performed March 1, 2008 at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
Video: Veil Veil Vanish, “Secondhand Daylight”
performed March 1, 2009 at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
Video: Built for the Sea, “Awake”
performed February 26, 2009 at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
Video: Big Light, “Sleepy Wheels”
performed February 27, 2009 at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
Video: Blitzen Trapper, “Futures & Folly”
performed February 28, 2008 at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
Video: Everest, “Rebel In the Roses”
performed February 28, 2009 at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
Live Show Review: Gil Mantera’s Party Dream at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
Gil Mantera’s Party Dream / Triple Cobra / The Go-Going-Gone Girls
May 15th at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
People go to concerts for different reasons: Some go to appreciate the quality of sound. Some go to simply see their favorite band that can do no wrong regardless of the kind of performance they put on. And some go to be caught up in the contagious energy live music can produce, the kind of energy that, only a couple drinks in, has you dancing your ass off and jumping around like a joyful idiot. It’s the kind of shows of this last variety that are the most fun for me to attend personally and immediately have me imploring friends with, “You HAVE to see these guys live… best time ever!” Gil Mantera’s Party Dream know how earn this kind of recommendation and have been putting on killer shows for over a decade now.
But before we get to the Dream, it’s worth giving some love to the two openers who rocked the venue in their own right. While all three bands on the bill share few similarities musically, each totally commits to a sound and a concept that are infectious in the live format. The Go-Going-Gone Girls opened the night channeling ‘50s era rock and style, complete with matching go-go outfits, Bumpit hair-dos, and choreographed, retro dance moves. The three frontwomen (we were told a fourth was out sick) rotated on lead vocals throughout the set, and while all their voices contribute to an overall cohesive sound, each had her own vocal style, from the belt it out rock ‘n’ roll sound, to the sultry soul singer, to the Phil Spector girl-group inspired vocals. It all worked. Now, while someone more jaded could write this off as simply “derivative,” I tend to find that unfair and lazy. The Girls and their backing band were so committed to their sound, their style, and to having a good time that it was impossible not to get caught up in the fun and transporting nature of their performance. If an opening band leaves you wanting an encore, they’ve done something right. read more
Live Show Review: Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
by: Darrick Thomas
Dum Dum Girls and Crocodiles
June 30th at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
The Dum Dum Girls are cooler than all of us, and they know it (or at the very least, I know it). Last night, it was the Girls’ world, and I just felt lucky enough to share some space in it. The LA female four-piece exude a confidence and energy that seem effortless and command the room, perfect for the sold-out show at the low-lit, bluesy Bottom of the Hill, where the less than stellar acoustics create a weighty wall of sound fitting for both Dum Dum Girls and the co-headlining Crocodiles, who deserve their own accolades as well.
While familiar with Crocodiles’ aggressive and enjoyable ’09 debut Summer of Hate, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in the way of a live show from such a young band that seems to be changing up their sound a bit based on the first single of their upcoming follow-up. Suffice it to say, the loud, reverb-heavy rock translates just fine onstage. Crocodiles’ sound is, for lack of a more refined phrase, shoegaze with balls, a combination of atmospheric sonic swirls, echoey vocals, and blasting garage-rock guitars. read more
by: Darrick Thomas
published: July 1, 2010
in column: It Shows, Reviews, What Goes On
no comments yet
Tags: