Yet another busy week in the Bay Area. Well, I take that back, usually the week is pretty slow when it comes to shows and the weekend is chock full of awesomeness. However this week is wall to wall greatness all around. Particularly this coming weekend. If you are keeping track of the SF Sketchfest , then you know that Tim Meadows, Andy Richter, Bob Odenkirk, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Paul F. Tompkins, and Zach Galifianakis will be in town. Hopefully I'll see some of you out at the Album Leaf show at the [...]
I do believe that I will make the Fruit Bats album 'Moutfuls' my unofficial soundtrack for the day. It's a cold, gray, somewhat miserable day here and that record always makes me so happy. It's just sounds like one long smile to me. Especially these two songs I am sharing...perfect Friday music. * Fruit Bats - 'Slipping Through The Sensors' MP3 * Fruit Bats - 'When U Love Somebody' MP3
Yay. Jeeeeesus. I've been waiting for this forEver. I was looking on the SubPop Record Label Website for kicks and took a look at one of my all time fav bands - Fruit Bats. Subsequently stumbled upon this new Fruit Bats Blog that Eric Johnson just started. Did you know ...
I have a confession: The Fruit Bats are one of my very favorite bands, and each year they go without releasing a new album, I grow more depressed. We are at three years now, and let's just say that a fourth year would make life unbearable. Eric Johnson, the main fruit bat, became a member of The Shins a few years ago, and I thought they were going to kidnap him for good. Well, it turns out that Johnson longs for The Fruit Bats just as much as me, maybe even more, and has decided [...]
Eric Johnson, AKA the Fruit Bats , has started a new blog and let us know the band will be back in action in 2009 for a west coast tour in late January and Early February and will be joined by Sub Pop compatriot Sera Cahoone. He says: Songs have been written. Recording dates have been written in permanent ink. To prove that I'm serious about this, Fruit Bats will be touring the west coast of the United States of America. How 'bout it? Other parts of the country, as well as other [...]
When Eric Johnson, the maestro behind The Fruit Bats , decided to put his own music on hold and join The Shins there was good reason to worry that fans of The Fruit Bats would never hear from them again. After all, having a day gig as guitarist for the The Shins is pretty hard to compete with. What was disappointing about this is that The Fruit Bats , and Eric Johnson specifically, were growing into something. On each successive album, beginning with the ramshackle country-psychfolk album Echolation (2001), then Mouthfuls (2003) [...]
Hi Everyone, This week there's been a lot of news: the bailout bill was rejected then signed, Sarah Palin sounded dumb during the Katie Couric interviews, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin debated, OJ Simpson was found guilty and most importantly the Redskins beat the Cowboys and then the Eagles making our record 4-1! Rather than reporting to you on these topics (like I have any sort of authority on these subjects) I thought I would share some more of my favorite songs with you because I know that's ultimately what you come here for. I'll try and relate [...]
As some of my friends know, I have a t-shirt that proclaims, "I LISTEN TO BANDS THAT DON'T EVEN EXIST YET." Well, the contrapositive (sort of) to that statement is, I listen to bands that no longer exist. When I was sixteen, my friend Kelly recommended the Fruit Bats to me. They had the typical pedigree of a Pacific Northwest indie pop band - and sure enough, they were on Sub Pop Records. I thought they sounded much like the Shins, with a greater folksy strain - sure enough, Eric Johnson, the lead Fruit Bat, has joined the [...]
We had a little surprise from Mother Nature last night, as she threw a 4.0 magnitude earthquake our way here in San Francisco. Now, I'm not saying I like them, but there's something exhilarating about these smaller ones. MP3s: Fruit Bats - "The Earthquake of 733 Beck - "Terremoto Tempo (Earthquake Weather)" Prince Buster - "Earthquake" King Tubby - "Earthquake Shake" Mama Cass Elliot - "California Earthquake" Jerry Lee Lewis - "Whole [...]
Here's an old mix that I made for a friend. It started out as an introduction to Alt Country, but turned into more of a mood mix than anything. It's still one of my favorite mixes that I've made. It's got some pretty sad bastard material on it, but I don't think of it as depressing [disclaimer: I have a huge appreciation for sad bastard music]. I think of it as a somewhat introspective Sunday afternoon listen. Hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Jay Farrar - "Hanging on [...]
I've been really intrigued by this piece at The Morning News that argues – maybe somewhat facetiously – that 2:42 is the perfect length for a song ( via ). Clearly, this is an arbitrary matter. However, I've long been a proponent of the 3-minute song. Get me in and get me out. My daily commute is no more than 15 minutes one way; let's maximize that time, shall we? That's not to say I don't appreciate a longer song (check Ear Farm's 8+ feature if you do). But I'm not sure [...]
Ida, my my cosmic autumn rebellion rebellion time time keeps on slipping slipping through the sensors. image via blu
That's right kiddos! And don't think we forgot about you, bitter, cynical, single readers who are Anti-Valentine's, we'll have a mix for all your sulking needs up soon, just in time for Thursday's big love/mope fest. For those of us who have a valentine though, enjoy this mix of happy, love-centric jams for you and your special lady or fellow-friend. [mp3] Broken Social Scene - Love & Mathematics [mp3] M. Ward - Let My Love Open the Door (Towhensed) [mp3] [...]
I was planning on writing another " Show Preview " post for the concert tomorrow night, but Frontrow had other plans. The tunes were playing from the iMac when I was finishing up the dishes and this gem was flowing from the speakers. "The Little Acorn" is one of those tracks that is your absolute favorite song when it's playing, but once it's over you almost forget it. That is, until it comes on again and you just can't believe you've lived your life this long without it. I'm not gonna lie, but I [...]
Last night I watched "Batman Returns" for the first time from start to end on TV. I feel a bit like a superhero now and write my first post in english. Maybe I'll never do that again, but right now I'm in the right mood to embarrass myself. So, well, I guess I am guilty: I kind of like superheroes. As a kid I watche d Superman and thought it would be cool to have all those super powers. Lucky Luke [...]
It's actually a holiday here in Canada (at least for the coasts), so as a result you may have to go another day without quality full reviews from the hill. It's also one of the worst day's in memory here in Vancouver, with pelting rain and windstorms ripping trees out of the ground and blowing residual trash from the garbage strike all over the place. Unlike American Beauty, trash bags flying up to our sixth floor apartment isn't the most beautiful thing in the world. Anyway, we planned to head to the water and take a walk, but [...]
Very late on Saturday night, a group of us descended upon IHOP for french toast and pancakes because we were gripped with an urgent need for them. The place was packed, as usual, with your garden variety twentysomethings with slightly reddened eyes, talking quite a bit too loud. Everything was funny. Front door opens, in walk three guys (no lie) straight from like a Dungeons & Dragons convention -- trench coats, goggles (?!), greasy hair, a condescending look to the mortals around them. And even though it made me feel like I was back in junior high, it [...]
I first heard of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as the unlikely heir to Arrested Development's crown. Not so. No, I'd say it's closer to some really, really messed-up people living out a version of Seinfeld full of transvestites, abortions, molestation and get-rich-quick schemes. There are no redeeming qualities to ...
(stills from the film Rebel , directed by Nicole Brending) I mentioned I was going to post some photos from a film I recently shot stills for. The whole thing was completed in three days, the crew really put in some hours to pull it off. I could tell you what's happening in the photos, but that would spoil the film now wouldn't it? ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ MP3: I just rediscovered this track, it used to be pretty popular on mixes I made back in college. • [...]
All photos by David Greenwald On Thursday, I saw a pretty excellent triple bill at the Malibu Performing Arts Center -- The One AM Radio, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, and the incredible Califone (above). The One AM Radio's quiet atmospherics sounded great in the roomy, sit-down venue. Unfortunately the band went on a little earlier than expected (7:20 might as well be 8 a.m. in Los Angeles) and we missed a bit of the set. [...]
kata rokkar...
The Swill Merchant
Audio Muffin
Indie Muse
Sound On The Sound
The Sly Oyster
All Things Go
Trust Me on This
The Stranger Dance
So Much Silence
Pasta Primavera
It's hard to Find a Friend
ThaBombShelter
Feeling The Moment
Herohill
I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS
You Aint No Picasso
SUCKA PANTS
The Rawking Refuses To Stop!
Check Out: Freddie Gibbs feat. Young Jeezy & T.I. – “Pull Up”
Catcall – ‘The Warmest Place’
This Is Not The End (Gui Boratto 2012 Mix)
Lazy Sundays: Penalune – Not All Clouds Are White
