Oct 2, 2009, 2:03pm
MBV
Brilliant Colors - "Absolutely Anything" From the forthcoming Introducing Brilliant Colors , ou 11/3 on Slumblerland .

Photos by: Rachel Keenan My friend calls me up just before noon on Saturday and says there's some show down the street in someone or other's yard in a few hours. Turns out to be a cluster of three kick ass garage pop bands tucked behind a turn of the century house on Folsom in the inner Mission, a swath of Ray Bans overlooking the deck, and a bunch of smiley neighborhood rock kids drinking Red Stripe in cans. Just about saved the day from an earlier excursion to Dolores Park, where a proselytizing God-abiding hippie [...]

If you are an avid trendwatcher, you must have seen the rise of the new lo-fi bedroom/garage punk/synth/psych/noise-pop whatever that's being hard to lump together as the characteristics of it span lots of genres. I've dl'd my fair share of cassettes and CDRs as I sunk into the pit yet apart from some amazing artists/songs, lots of the stuff went straight to the bin. Here are some of the highlights in the key of lo-fi punk from Not Not Fun all star band Vibes, Ganglians , SF's Brilliant Colors and also stoner rock band [...]

Dum Dum Girls The Fresh & Onlys Ganglians Woods Some people spent their Fourth of July watching fireworks. Others barbequed with friends. One guy spent his eating 68 hot dogs in ten minutes . Me? I hang out in an empty lot underneath the JMZ line in Bushwick Brooklyn watching a whole bunch of awesome bands on the [...]

Monday 6/29 * Snailhouse, Sharon Van Etten @ City Winery ( VIDEO: Sharon Van Etten sings in her kitchen for Tripwire ) * Wounded Buffalo Theory, Kabona Zombies, Mike Hunchback and the Weird Fantasy Band, CONDO, In Musth @ The Bell House Tuesday 6/30 * Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, Yellowbirds, Hezekia Jones @ Pianos * Explosions in the Sky, Constantines @ Central Park Summerstage [EF Pick of the Week] [...]

No need to feel like a second class NY-er for not going out of town for Independence Day this year. If you're around, might I suggest the Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival ? Two of the city's best vinyl-centric labels (with help from Todd P) are bringing together some of the best garage/lo-fi/psychedelic bands in the country, playing over the course of two days. A combined two-day ticket is $25, but if you had to choose one day ($15) I think you'd have to go with July 4, what with Ganglians, Woods, Beets, Real Estate, Thee Oh Sees, Dum Dum Girls, [...]
Brilliant Colors - Should I Tell You More proto than punk I would say, this one won me over with it's charming early VU guitar sound and beautifully understated vocals. Check out their myspace for more of these thoughtful sunny tunes. Currently performing with the likes of Abe Vigoda and No Age, these guys are obviously on the right track.
[Locals Only is a weekly feature where the Stranger Dance staff focus on the best and brightest of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Feel free to hit us up with any information on local bands, musicians, shows, and other music-related events and projects.] Highlights this week include two musical crown jewels of the Bay Area ( John Vanderslice and the Morning Benders ) and the SF Popfest . Tuesday, May 19th: [...]
[Locals Only is a weekly feature where the Stranger Dance staff focus on the best and brightest of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Feel free to hit us up with any information on local bands, musicians, shows, and other music-related events and projects.] Highlights this week include two musical crown jewels of the Bay Area ( John Vanderslice and the Morning Benders ) and the SF Popfest . Tuesday, May 19th: [...]
These colors are Brilliant. Big beautiful globs of color floating from the heavens. But they don't sound like rainbows and crystals, oh no, they sound like dirty, nasty rock and roll just like your mother never wanted you to be a part of. Reach up young children. Touch the rainbow! Brilliant Colors - Takes So Little Brilliant Colors [...]
[Locals Only is a weekly feature where the Stranger Dance staff focus on the best and brightest of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Feel free to hit us up with any information on local bands, musicians, shows, and other music-related events and projects.] Locals Only is a new feature here at Stranger Dance. To kick things off, here are some picks from this week's collection of shows featuring noteworthy local bands and musicians. All acts listed are Bay Area-based unless noted otherwise. Tuesday, April [...]

In every town live few riot grrrls, and in Oakland reside The Splinters - peppery and adorable, which has probably been said more than enough. I've had encountered a few of the girls, as friends of a friend at a party, of course - and I can say just after a brief encounter that I'd want to hear/see their band. What's the difference but a change in environment and a couple instruments in their hands? These girls definitely have figured out how to have fun, independent the setting. The Splinters - "Splintered Bridges" [...]

A whole bunch of good things have been streaming out of the Captured Tracks camp lately with 12"s from Blessure Grave, Dum Dum Girls and The Bitters. But the label's been doing just as well in 45 as they have in 33 and these singles certainlly prove it. Woods - Sunlit 7" Strangely enough the most memorable track on this one winds up being the B-side but "Sunlit" doesn't necessarily disappoint. It's a nice bit of fuzzy Woods pop and both [...]
Brilliant Colors - Highly Evolved I'm always a sucker for airy jangles and Captured Tracks have got the goods once again with this 7" from Brilliant Colors. Even if their's actually not an enourmous amount of colour it's cool cos they ditch it for controlled Aislers Set-y pop with those only slightly weak vocals a top the chilled jangles that totez reminds me of living in NZ, sitting on my veranda listening to The Verlaines and shit. The B-side has more chug to it but 'Highly Evolved' is lovely and lackadaiscal. [...]
Hey! My apologies for the lack of action around here lately. Whenever I get busy this blog tends to be the first thing to get knocked to the bottom of my list of priorities. But I wanted to make a quick post to say that I fiiiiiiiinally got my Mayfair Set and Brilliant Colors 7"s in the mail yesterday. The wait, long as it was, was well worth it in my opinion. I've had them both spinning constantly for the past 48 hours and they seem to only be getting better. At the moment I think I'm loving Brilliant Colors [...]

MP3: Brilliant Colors - Should I Tell You MP3: Brilliant Colors - Not This One Here's a quick one: I went to the record store the other day and the owner told me to check this 7 inch out by Brilliant Colors as it was up my alley. Intrigued by what it could sound like, I took the chance and that man was right: this is great. I'd say it reminds me of lo-fi punk pop riot grrrl fun smile garage greatness. Can't wait for more.