Erik's comment correcting me about the Finches show venue has prompted me to post about upcoming shows and events, because there are a lot, and I want to try to keep them straight. Here goes:
This friday Roots of Orchis (Aaron from the Finches) band is playing at fools
This saturday is Liv's art opening at Fool's Foundation
This sunday (the 8th) is the ye olde antique faire under the freewaye
Friday, April 13th is some kind of crazy solo show that I don't understand, but I know Danny Offer and Brew are involved, maybe someone can explain it to me.
April 14th is the Peep Off
April 21st is a Bananas show at DOV, with Hank IV
I guess it's a little early to get to May events, but both the Finches and Tyvek will be playing shows.
michael hurley is playing dov on the 22nd, too. that's a booking coup.
ReplyDeleteagent ribbons is playing dov on the 17th, but i would rather just see them in sac, personally.
Pitchfork review of the Finches.
ReplyDeleteantiques on Easter?
ReplyDeleteHow posh.
-Natalie
fuck that review. fuck that review. fuck that review. fuck that review. and fuck pitchfork.
ReplyDeleteFriday the 13th is Rock the Light, San Kazakgascar, and Danny Offer Sensitive Solo Project at FoxnGoose. SK is my new band. We've only played about 5 shows.
ReplyDeleteNow by saying that "Brew is involved" do you mean he/she is singing with Danny? Or do you mean as in me (Jed). I've been wondering who Brew is, since occasionally I'm called that too. At first I thought it was Smiller since he likes brew (the beverage, not me), but he posts about a thousand times a day as Miller(a brand of brew).
Brewcurious,
Jed
I guess you'll just have to walk around the show yelling "brew, brew". Hint: brew might not be a man! Boing.
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ReplyDeleteI know electronica might not be everyone's bag, but Dapayk from Berlin--Sunday night at the Press--will be a treat.
ReplyDeletefuck that review. fuck that review. fuck that review. fuck that review. and fuck pitchfork.
ReplyDelete* * * * *
Actually, I kinda agreed with some of the specific observations from that reviewer, but I added the results differently. To me, the simplicity and flatness and lack of irony is why I like the Finches' music; it's like a dive into my second-grade milk carton while riding one of my sainted mum's chocolate chip cookies. Some people are too busy stuffing their extra-coconut-lubricated and deliberately anti-styled hair under their trucker caps to see clearly through their Mr. Science-issue hornrimmed glasses and appreciate the elegant beauty and sense of childlike wonder that emanates from the Finches' songs.
Pity them, eh?
--jbg
I don't really mean fuck pitchfork for real. I like pitchfork. Hipstery or not (whatever that could possibly mean now) it is run by people who love music, and the writing is good and they are a force to be reckoned with, a force mostly for good, I think. I do hate that review but I guess I expected yet dreaded something like that. There isn't any angle to take on the Finches besides just the songs really and this reviewer was looking for an angle because the songs didn't grab him. In this oversaturated musical world that the internet has created I'm the same way. Usually things have to shout to get my attention. Luckily smiller just pays attention without being shouted at, so he always points out the best stuff for me, and I can be lazy about it. If the Finches stick with it and play live they'll be ok. They grab you live and then you can appreciate the subtleties of the record. I really hate writing about music because I'm not a serious fan (see-even that sounds bad), so I'll just get back to talking about food soon.
ReplyDeletei'm actually impressed that pitchfork posted a review that wasn't between 7.1-7.5 for a change, almost EVERYTHING lands in there regardless of what the writer says about the record (a total copout so they don't upset advertisers). what the reviewer basically bases his review on is "this isn't going to fly with the currently trendy freakfolk crowd". so basically it doesn't fall in line with this year's version of third-wave ska. not that i care much, i just think this writer just didn't get it. probably would have accused punk of being rudimentary, sloppy and unprofessional if he was writing in the 70's.
ReplyDeletepersonally, i think magnet & pitchfork are two of the biggest "indie" bullshitters there are, i've read both for a long time and think both outlets exist for the sake of raking in ad-dollars. lots of the so-called "contributing staff" know less about music than the people that write in comments to Heckasac, which is why people love & cherish the handful of people who actually listen critically and back their reviews with a breadth of knowledge to justify their opinion (it is just an opinion afterall) - like the Byron Coley's and locally, JG here. lots of the contributing writers for magnet, pitchfork and all the other mid-sized indie-whatever mags are just twenty-somethings in college writing for social status & free promos (which is silly in this day of SendSpace, bit-torrents, Limewire, etc.), maybe hoping they'll get a paid writing job after building up their portfolio a bit (i know a lot of people who have done this). the guy who wrote this review actually has been popped a few times for not fact-checking, illegally downloading & reviewing unfinished versions of records, and just being a dick in general.
once again, its not like i really care that much about reviews and don't get bummed about stuff i like getting a good burn, i'm all for constructive criticizm and people being entitled to their own opinions. Pitchfork (and Magnet) have always been this sort of sore spot with me, even from their early days they've represented a lot of the things that bummed me out underground d.i.y. culture getting big and being co-opted as the new grunge, the new alternative, the new third-wave-whatever so a handful of people can try and make money off of little indie bands and the social scene they've created. everything lame about major-label music, just with different hair.
Wow, if you're not Animal Collective or Joanna Newsom level creative then you're screwed?
ReplyDeleteAlso, Joanna Newsom is a stretch enough, but Animal Collective are not fucking folk music. Freaky or otherwise.
-miller
"..as mechanical and souless as a computer simulation."
ReplyDeleteLove it or leave it, I can't see how anyone would come away from that album with the word "computer" on the brain.
Look Miller acoustic guitar=folk. It's just that simple.
ReplyDelete