Happy Passover, Easter, and March Madness dear readers!
For the local music nerds out there Spring brings a special gift of musical delight…This local holiday is Fauxchella.
Fauxchella is a time of year when the Bay Area music scene gets a bountiful boost of high quality shows from bands who are traveling up I-5 from Coachella Music Festival. So for those of us aching for an early taste of the 2015 festival scene – without risk of heat stroke or offensive SoCal fashion trends – Fauxchella is like Christmas (in April). The line-up this year is quite impressive. (photo credit: SFStation.com)
While many shows are already sold out, last minute tix always pop-up on craigslist or stubhub, so keep your eye out! I have 3 shows in my queue, see full details from my February post:
April 7th: The Preatures @ The Indie
April 16th: Alt-J & Jungle @ The Greek
April 21st: Slyvan Esso @ The Fillmore
In other news…Concert Recaps plus New & Noteworthy songs
Quick Concert Recap:
Ibeyi @ The Independent
How do I describe the magical journey that this concert beheld? Words won’t do it justice. These French twin sisters, Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, knocked it out of the park! Best show of 2015 so far. Hands down. Their Afro-cuban beats had the brightly colored and ornate audience swinging their hips to dance tracks like Ghost and mindful acapella tunes like Oya. Captivated by the beauty of these young musicians we were all love drunk in their presence. Their unique sound is spreading across the country, as showcased by a recent NPR feature on World Cafe. (photo credit: thewildmag.com)
Jessica Lea Mayfield & Seth Avett @ Palace of Fine Arts
Recently Jessica Lea Mayfiled and Seth Avett (Avett Brothers), came together to record a tribute album to the late, great Elliot Smith. Sing Elliot Smith honors the seminal work of this influential singer-songwriter in a beautiful reflection by these two notable rock musicians. As avid lovers of Smith’s discography, Mayfield and Avett approached the collaboration with three years of work, infusing 12 of Smith’s melancholic tunes with a fresh flavor that reflects their personal genres – sparse and poignant alt rock vocals for Mayfield and southern upbeat twang for Avett. During the show the artists intermixed their Smith covers with some of his major influences – covering artists ranging from The Beatles to Bob Dylan. A few Mayfield originals were also played, including my favorite of the set – “Our Hearts are Wrong” a wise worded folk ballad with sweet and raw vocals that harken to a smoother Courtney Barnett-esque sound. Overall it was a beautiful show celebrating the life work of Elliot Smith and the artists he has inspired. (photo credit: juno.co.uk)
New & Noteworthy
Leon Bridges – “Coming Home”
Hot off an impressive set of shows at South By Southwest (even award winning), Leon Bridges is dazzling audiences with silky smooth vocals and an amazingly fresh Southern roots sound that is infused with a soulful spice that beguiles his youth. Just when you think a genre has reached it’s capacity you get hear an artist like Leon who makes you see the sunshine with a whole new vigor.
Griz – “Stop Trippin (iDA Hawk)”
With a soulful interlude into electronica this tune has got me flippin’ my hair all day everday. This song highlights a common theme amongst the remix genre of late, integrating funk and soul riffs into drum machine beats to create an intoxicating sound that keeps us listening on repeat.
2 Heads – “Coleman Hell”
Looking for a bit more bluegrass in your dancehall beat? Done. This Toronto-based produced seamlessly interlaces banjo in this catchy tune. His music is self described as “Electronic Folk”…think Blue Ridge Mountains meets Brooklyn. (And proceed to have your mind blown…)
Lady Lamb – “Billion Eyes”
In 2015 the resurgence of “lady rock” or female-fronted punk and rock bands is all the rage. As a music-loving feminist I’m extremely excited about this music trend… Get those kick ass women up on stage! Lady Lamb, or Aly Spaltro, is an up and coming singer songwriter who rocks this genre. This Mainer is coming to SF at the end of the month, so look forward to more details soon!
Broken Back – “Halcyon Birds”
Sometimes you just need a new tune to blast in the car when you’re driving with the windows down through beautiful wine country or along coastal highways. Will you feel like you’ve been ironically cast in a Levi’s commercial? Perhaps. But sometimes the sunshine feels a bit warmer with the right soundtrack…
Music On My Mind 