Pulp Amaze with Performance for the Ages at Bill Graham

Pulp's first performance in San Francisco in 12 years did not disappoint.

In what could only be charitably deemed as one of the most unredeemable regrets of my life, I missed Pulp performing at the Warfield in 2012. Not only do I consider myself a pretty huge Pulp fan, but I had been absolutely captivated by frontman Jarvis Cocker ever since seeing him perform solo at the Fillmore in 2007.

I cannot process what I was thinking in 2010, but I certainly didn’t believe that Pulp would go on a lengthy hiatus after finishing that tour. 

So, I was forced to wait for them to return to the states. And wait. And wait some more.

Finally—some 12 years after that ill-fated decision, my time in purgatory was over—Pulp came back to San Francisco, performing at the cavernous Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

They did not disappoint.

A surreal experience, the legendary Brit-poppers blasted through their greatest hits on Monday night, delighting fans (most in their 40s, nearly all outfitted in Modish gear) who were clearly just as eager as me to see the Sheffield band back in America.

The whole show seemed aimed at celebrating this unlikely reunion event, with a set of graphics reeling off Pulp concert statistics just prior to the beginning of the performance. The visual display then capped off by the declaration, “THIS IS WHAT WE DO FOR AN ENCORE.” It was a stirring reminder that this beautiful voyage by Pulp isn’t over yet. 

And then the music started. And it was like the last 12 years never happened.

The band went immediately into their hits, starting off with the lurid, campy anthem “I Spy” from their seminal 1995 album, “Different Class.” That opener warmed the audience up nicely, but the crowd truly went into a frenzy for the ensuing number, “Disco 2000,” quite possibly the finest document of the 90s Britpop era (I say possibly, because of another Pulp song, which we will get to later.)

Throughout the night, Cocker was a mesmerizing, inspiring presence. The old cliché about rock-stars being gone is pretty bogus, particularly since most of the tropes that were long praised were actually indicators for predatory, shitty behavior—but damn, with all that said, Cocker is a ROCK STAR. He absolutely owned the crowd, strutting around the stage with his slinky dance moves, while effortlessly belting out his purring vocals.

The setlist included tracks from a host of Pulp albums, but the band leaned hardest into “Different Class,” playing seven tunes from that record. Pulp got huge crowd reactions from “Babies” and “Do You Remember the First Time,” both enduring numbers from their 1994 release, “His n Hers.” “This is Hardcore”—the controversial title track from their 1998 LP—got a similar response.  

But the songs from “Different Class” felt the most anthemic. Whether it was the sleazy drug ode, ‘Sorted for E's & Wizz,” the ballad “Something’s Changed,” or the sultry “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.,” every song performed from “Different Class,” felt as timeless and special now, as they did some 30 years ago. 

And then there’s “Common People.” Cocker’s spot-on take on class warfare and the voyeurs who try to blend in with plain working folk, is one of the best songs ever written (“Disco 2000” isn’t too far away, though.) It was clear that the crowd was anxiously waiting for that number and when Pulp finally played it during their first encore, people started justifiably freaking out. The jittery synth opening, the spiky guitar licks, Cocker’s whispered narrative of a spoiled Greek heiress, the unforgettable chorus—it was all there, just like we remembered. It was glorious, and the 8,000 or so souls gathered at the venue belted out every word to the song.

While “Common People” was the clear highlight of the night, the show didn’t end there. The band returned for a second encore, playing new song “Spike Island,” (does that mean a new Pulp album is coming????) before closing the night with the beloved “Glory Days” from “This is Hardcore.”

The whole show was unforgettable. Maybe Pulp will be back in San Francisco again. But nothing will be able to top the anticipatory experience of finally seeing a band that remained elusive for so long. Pulp is back, which means I finally got to be a part of their world.

Been Stellar Embrace Role as Gritty NYC Ambassadors

Photo Credit: Gabe Long

Been Stellar will play at the Warfield on Tuesday, September 24

We all know “(Theme From) New York, New York.” When we hear Frank Sinatra belt out that tune, America’s most famous city turns into a bountiful land of opportunity—a place where you can forget your small town worries and be embraced by a dazzling, electric new life.

Been Stellar, a great new post-punk band that formed in New York City, has a slightly different take on their adopted hometown.

Cheekily titling their debut new album, “Scream from New York, NY,” in reference to the classic showtune, the city haunts each track on the album, appearing not necessarily as a malicious entity, but one that informs every part of daily life. It’s a ghostly apparition, a looming presence in each tortured lyric, wiry guitar lick and crashing drumbeat. 

You can practically smell the freshly-poured tar, hear the blaring horns of traffic and see the wisps of vapors emanating from belowground when you put on this record. It’s a clangorous, dirty, sweaty New York—not exactly Old Blue Eyes version of the city.

“We wanted this album to be about New York, because we are all outsiders and this is the thing that drew us all together,” said guitarist Skyler Knapp. “It was always going to be our first statement to the world. But even beyond that, I find it incredibly difficult not to talk about New York when you’re living here. It’s a city that reinforces its own identity on you. Every experience is filtered through that lens.”

Knappy and vocalist Sam Slocum grew up together in the suburbs of Detroit before moving to New York to attend NYU in 2017. That’s where they met the other members of the band—guitarist Nando Dale, bassist Nico Brunstein and drummer Laila Wayans. (And yes, the band name is partially inspired by actor Ben Stiller, said Knapp, who added that he conceived of it when he was 14. “All of our songs are so serious. I thought it would be a nice contrast to add a little humor,” said Knapp.”)

Like their NYC forebears, Been Stellar are masters at creating atmospheric, lived-in moods— although their references are forgotten museums, vacant parks, grimy train stations and empty streets, as opposed to dank dive bars and seedy clubs. 

Despite those differences, Been Stellar still know how to capture the claustrophobic, loneliness-in-the-masses dissociation of urban life, encapsulated perfectly in “Start Again,” when Slocum drones “they don't complain about the noise from above/The neighbors hear the scream enough.”

Even though the band released its debut album just a few months ago, they have already become an established entity, attracting laudatory press from outlets like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Stereogum while embarking on a series of lengthy tours. On September 24, Been Stellar will open up for Irish punkers Fontaines D.C. at the Warfield.

As a band that proudly declaims their New York bonafides, Been Stellar understand the legacy they’re entering—but they’re okay with the identity they’ve carved out for themselves.

“Being a rock band in New York—or being a creative person of any kind—is obviously very daunting,” said Knapp. “You’re definitely stepping into these very big shoes, and it’s something we think about all the time. But I don’t mind those comparisons or references, because I’m confident in how we sound right now.”

With their origin story and bristly, post-punk sound, the band inevitably carry comparisons to NYC royalty such as Interpol, the Walkmen, and the Strokes, but Slocum’s loquacious, rangy delivery hews more closely to Elias Bender Rønnenfelt of Danish rockers Iceage, and the group’s maximalist approach evokes the great Austin act …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. Been Stellar can also bw surprisingly melodic, particularly on the Britpop adjacent tune “Sweet”—an album standout.

Although they concede that their New York predecessors influenced their sound, the group cited some inspirations outside that familiar oeuvre. In particular, the band sought to emulate drum sounds found on hip-hop records while taking cues from shoegaze outfits that perfected washed-out moods and tones. 

“We are huge fans of [UK shogezae group] Ride and we love how they jam for like three or four minutes and then kind of coast from there,” said Slocum, who coined the punny album title for the group. “Laila, our drummer, really loves Ride. On that song “Sweet” in particular, the idea was to let the drums kind of wash over you, but without losing that frantic kind of nature of the song.”

“Sweet” gets the big ballad treatment on the album, but the songs that find Been Stellar at the height of their powers are the urgent, Street Fighting Man-esque tracks like “Start Again,” “Passing Judgment” and “All in One.” These are all indignant, visceral and direct tunes, where you can practically see the spittle flying from Slocum’s mouth.

“Some of those songs were really inspired by other bands in New York,” said Knapp. “We toured with our friends Catcher, and they just had this level of fury and aggression in their songs that I really envied. Again—that’s a reaction to living in New York City. If you have something that's bothering you, it seems like the city almost puts an amplifier to it and feeds it back to you. I think we tried to convey that same kind of frustration in our songs.”

That sentiment might have a distinctively New York feel, but it can also resonate with anyone familiar with the beautifully chaotic existence of city living. Been Stellar have been prolific purveyors of that message, too—this upcoming visit to San Francisco will be the fourth such time they’ve played in the city—a notable achievement for such a young band.

The group has additional ambitious touring plans in the near future and have already written a host of songs for their next album. 

As a result, they are poised to continue their role as ambassadors of New York City—an inescapable obligation that they are more than capable of handling.

Show Details:
Fontaines D.C. with Been Stellar
When: 8 p.m., Tuesday, September 24
Where: The Warfield
Tickets: $35 + fees, available here.

Iconic Music Venue Announces “Fall At the Fillmore”

The Fillmore, perhaps San Francisco’s most famous music venue, recently announced a campaign to partner with local businesses on a series of events that will help support the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation.

Called “Fall at the Fillmore,” the initiative will include a movie screening, art displays and special venue memorabilia offers.

The artwork for “Fall at the Fillmore” was designed by artist Galine Tumasyan, who is also the lead singer of the great San Francisco shoegaze band, Seablite. Tumaysan partnered with local publicist and Fillmore art director Ashley Graham on the endeavor.

 The full slate of events and offerings is listed below:

• 4 Star Theater – Screening of “The Last Waltz” on 9/22 hosted by BGMF  

•  Andytown – Exclusive “Fall at The Fillmore” custom blend coffee and t-shirts

•  Green Apple Books – Exclusive Fall at The Fillmore tote-bags and slip-mats, and recommended reading lists from acts playing The Fillmore

•  Haight Street Art Center – Live screen-printing at the 4 Star Theater on 9/22, and Galine Tumasyan pop-up exhibition on 9/28 

•  Jane The Bakery – Limited Edition Caramel Apple Kouign-Amann pastry  

•  Smitten Ice Cream – Limited Edition Spiced Apple Caramel ice cream 

•  The Social Study – Art show highlighting the last decade of Fillmore posters, and Fillmore-themed drink specials

• Tunnel Records – Fillmore merchandise pop-up, and exclusive Fall at The Fillmore sweatshirt 

A portion of proceeds from the events will benefit the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, a non-profit created in honor of the legendary concert promoter that provides grants in the areas of music, the arts and education, among other goals.

Occupying a Distinct Spot in SF Scene, Galore to Take Stage at Bottom of Hill Friday

Photo credit: Wunmi Onibudo

Every week, the members of Galore gather for band practice at an isolated warehouse on the edge of the city’s Bayview District. 

Located among a heap of industrial buildings, the site is a go-to spot for local bands looking to rehearse, as the sprawling complex is affordable, functional and convenient (parking is ample.) The warehouse offers a communal gathering spot—a place for bands to exchange gear and pleasantries while situated among salvage yards and empty streets.

The cozy-yet-remote confines of the warehouse offer an apt metaphor of sorts for Galore: while they are deeply enmeshed in the local music ecosystem, frequently sharing bills with their contemporaries, the band does not fit snugly within some of San Francisco’s existing niches.

They don’t practice the honed janglepop of their peers on Slumberland Records, nor do they embrace the sonorous, lo-fi musings of acts that gravitate around the Paisley Shirt Records or the fuzzed-out dreampop explorations of bands such as the Reds, Pinks and Purples and Seablite. Their influences are diffuse and disparate—one moment Galore is a manic reincarnation of the post-punk greats Wire, other times they embrace the vast sonic landscapes of shoegaze legends Mazzy Star and still other moments they sound like bands from California’s distant past, with their multi-part harmonies and brimming hooks. 

“I feel like with certain bands, you can point really quickly to their influences, which is great,” said Ainsley Wagoner, guitarist and newest member of the four-piece band. “But that’s not really the case with us.”

Since forming, the band has issued one full-length album, one EP and a demo tape, but they’re currently working on their next release, which they hope to release next spring. On Friday night, at Bottom of the Hill, they’ll be playing a host of those new songs while opening up for post-hardcore/power-pop practitioner Tony Molina and Oakland garage rock outfit Unity.

This latest batch of tunes should be the most assured, focused effort of the band’s career. While the foundation of Galore is based around the twin songwriting efforts of guitarist Griffin Jones and bassist Ava Rosen, the band is an egalitarian endeavor, with drummer Hannah Smith and Wagoner adding their own personal inflections into the mix.

Most significantly, the band is taking an increasingly more engaged role in the producing and recording process of their songs. While they’re working with prolific Bay Area producer Jason Kick on their upcoming album, they’ve been given the bandwidth to fully explore the studio for their latest effort—a freedom that wasn’t available in past sessions, due to scheduling and other constraints.

“Just having this dedicated time on a regular basis in the studio to be able come in with edits and execute on those changes has made this a completely different experience,” said Jones. “We will all listen together to a recording and come up with feedback and ideas, like, ‘oh, what if we tried this here, or add something else here?’ It’s been a great learning experience and got us all really excited to grow our studio skills.”

That creative approach has also engendered a growing familiarity and assurance among the band members, whose interactions in the studio have now become almost preternatural. 

“This has happened a few times now during recording, where I’ll look over at Ava and say like, ‘I want it to be like this’ and she’ll immediately respond, ‘that’s what I was going to say!’” said Jones. “We’ve definitely developed that unspoken thing together.”

Rosen said the band’s familiarity with one another has created a language for their creative impulses. 

“When we say we want to hear the sound of breaking glass, we all know what that means,” said Rosen. “Or if we want the tom to sound ‘boom-y.’ We’re all on the same wavelength, and that’s really because we’re all more confident in what we are doing now.”

The band has been working on their 10 latest songs for about a year now, refining and honing their unique, difficult-to-define style. The band’s earlier efforts embraced more of a punk ethos, with rapid pacing and brash, rollicking guitar work taking the forefront. For their 2022 EP, the band slowed down the tempo and further explored multi-part vocals, offering a more hushed, introspective alternative.

In addition to spending more time perfecting their craft, Galore’s sound is due for another evolution, now that Wagoner has joined the group (she replaces previous guitarist Britta Leijonflycht.) While Wagoner, who also records as a solo artist under the moniker Silverware, has taken more of a supporting role so far in Galore, her experience as a producer and songwriter offers tantalizing new possibilities for the band.

“With Ainsley in the band now, it almost feels like we can create this new version of Galore,” said Rosen. “We don’t have to do things exactly like we did in the past. It just makes me all the more excited to get back to the studio and work out new things with her. Plus, she shreds on guitar.”

While they prep for the release of their upcoming album, the band has plans to maintain their regular live presence in San Francisco. They’re also eager to embark on some mini-tours to promote the new album (they still haven’t performed outside the Bay Area.)

“We definitely want to tour,” said Smith, the drummer. “I think we’re committed to doing that—I mean that’s the dream. We just have to find the right time to do that.”

Until then, the band will continue to occupy their distinct space within the San Francisco scene. Apart, but not separate—here, but not quite there. Galore is a band that defines itself from within, not without.

Show Details:

Tony Molina with Unity and Galore
When: 8:30 p.m., Friday, September 6
Where: Bottom of the Hill
Tickets: $18/$22, available here.

Chime School To Celebrate New Album With Record Release Party Friday at the Make Out Room

Photo by Britta Leijonflycht

Andy Pastalaniec can write a pop song.

All it takes is one cycle through the self-titled debut album of Chime School—Pastalaniec’s creative vehicle—to see that he has an almost preternatural feel for the craft. A joyful tableau of breezy urban life, the album is a janglepop journey through San Francisco—a synthesis of the Kinks’ ability to uplift the minutiae of everyday life with the catchy sensibilities of Sarah Records’ bands.

For his much-anticipated sophomore album, “The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel,” Pastalaniec expands on those effortless pop ditties with a newfound pathos, incorporating emotive, vulnerable elements to his songwriting. It makes for an even more rewarding and enriching listening experience.

“The first record is so inspired by my love of pop music,” said Pastalaniec, who will celebrate the Friday release of the album with a show that night at the Make Out Room. “I was just so ecstatic to be writing those songs. I tried to stuff as many little tricks and fun things as I could to make those feel like pop songs. For this second album, I wasn’t trying to make a sad record or anything, but I just wanted to be more thoughtful.”

“The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel” features plenty of Pastalaniec’s penchant for buoyant earworm masterpieces, with singles such as “Give Your Heart Away” and “Wandering Song” feeling like lost B-sides to the debut album. There are familiar touchpoints for the record—80s UK rockers East Village and Glaswegian legends Teenage Fanclub, for example—but tracks such as “The End” and, in particular, album closer, “Points of Light,” offer a tantalizing new direction for Chime School, one imbued with melancholy and jagged dissonance.

Pastalaniec, who also drums for San Francisco shoegaze act Seablite and hushed folkers Flowertown, cites the influence of local musicians for his expanding aesthetic.

“I definitely have drawn from the cluster of musicians here,” said Pastalaniec. “I am inspired by artists like Mike Ramos from Tony Jay and Karina Gill of Cindy and Kevin Linn from Paisley Shirt Records. Right around the time the first Chime School album came out, I started playing in the live formulation of Flowertown, which is Mike and Karina’s band. I really respect how they kind of bring a pensive and thoughtful element to all the creative work they do. I think some of that rubbed off on me.”

Unlike most of the Chime School catalog, “Points of Lights” is deliberately paced and features feedback-laden guitar. Pastalaniec’s vocals on the take feel particularly exposed and forlorn. It recalls all the greatest Britpop balladry from the 90s, replete with a searing guitar solo midway through the track.

“I actually wrote the song originally back in 2020 and at first it had this tempo that’s more along the lines of ‘This Charming Man,’” said Pastalaniec. “But that just didn’t feel right for this record. I started listening to a bunch of stuff that was a little slower and had kind of a more baggy beat. I was sort of thinking in terms of the last song of Teenage Fanclub’s ‘Bandwagonesque,’ that track called ‘Is This Music,’ which has this crazy distorted guitar and is the last song on that album. So, I repurposed the original guitar, which was very clean and jangly and just made it as big and distorted as possible. I knew it was going to be the last song after that.”

From the track sequencing to the artwork to the album title, (an ode to Linn’s Paisley Shirt record label and Biff Bang Pow's "The Girl Who Runs the Beat Hotel," among other inspirations), everything about the record feels very deliberate and thoughtful, a reflection of Pastalaniec’s expansive creative vision. 

Although Chime School has now morphed from a one-man creative endeavor into a solid four-piece live band (Phil Lantz on drums, Josh Miller on bass and Garett Goddard on guitar) Pastalaniec still wrote all the songs and played all the instruments for the “Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel.” He also recorded the album from his apartment. 

“That wasn’t the result of me being some kind of control freak,” said Pastalaniec. “I put the band together in 2022 and we were playing a lot of shows and I thought it made more sense for us to really focus on honing that live sound. I thought it would be better to make the record again on my own and kind of just go creatively nuts, and not really worry about wasting other people’s time.”

For the past several months, Pastalaniec has been incorporating songs from the new album into the live Chime School experience, and on Friday night, the new tunes will likely comprise more than half the set. Later this year, Chime School will bring those tunes to an international audience, with the band slated to go on a tour of the UK in October, following an appearance at the Paris Pop Festival on September 27.

In addition to the band’s international tour—something Pastalaniec has made a primary goal of the group—Chime School has plans to embark on West Coast and East Coast jaunts in the future as well. This year will mark the most extensive live schedule yet for the band, which is also receiving a bevy of positive reviews from influential music blogs. In June and July, the band got a series of glowing write-ups in Stereogum, a national outlet with a sterling reputation for championing up-and-coming indie bands.

“The response has been amazing—I’m completely humbled by any attention we get,” said Pastalaniec. “But one of the things I’ve learned from this process is that it’s really important to focus on your priorities. We aren’t the least bit famous by any means, but once you start getting attention, you do get a little distracted and sidetracked. At the end of the day, what matters most is making art and being surrounded by people who are part of a community that you care about.”

Show Details: 

Chime School with Hits and The Telephone Numbers
When: 7 p.m., Friday, August 23 
Where: The Make Out Room 
Tickets: $12, available here.

Alvvays Embrace the Bigger Stage with Sold-Out Show at the Fox Theater

At some point, Canadian pop-power mavens Alvvays graduated from indie rock cult darlings to full-fledged stars. 

It might have been the glowing Pitchfork review for their wonderful 2022 album, “Blue Rev,” or their relentless tour schedule (they’ve played some 170 shows in the past two years), but whatever the juncture, the band has grown out of their one-time niche market into a well-oiled rock ‘n’ roll machine.

That evolution was on full display Friday night at the Fox Theater in Oakland, where a sold-out crowd snaked around the block to enter the venerable 2,800 capacity venue. That scene marked a far cry from the cozy confines of the Independent, San Francisco’s 400-seat venue that hosted Alvvays back in 2015. Nine years is almost a lifetime for a band to get famous, but plenty of indie rock outfits never elevate beyond the (totally admirable) limits of a venue like the Independent. 

Amazingly, Alvvays’ rise (it can’t quite qualify it as meteoric, but it’s definitely been a steep ascent) is almost completely the result of their staggeringly complete song catalog. Molly Rankin, the leader of the Halifax-based band, is almost criminally low-key, offering hilarious self-deprecating takes on a regular basis while avoiding anything that might remotely resemble aggrandizing self-promotion. The band eschews controversy like most people avoid carbs and after more than a decade of existence, the group members seem somehow nicer than ever.

On Friday night at the Fox, Alvvays let their music do the talking. Rankin occasionally added in a few wry comments, but the band mostly deferred to the songs, which numbered 21 in total—an impressive setlist for a band with only three full-length albums. And even though it’s been nearly two years since the release of “Blue Rev,” the band leaned heavily on that album, with 13 of the songs coming from that record.

In many ways, drawing from that album makes perfect sense for a large venue like the Fox. While it contained all the same hooks as its predecessors, “Blue Rev” is much more muscular and assertive, boasting booming, distorted guitars and volume levels reaching up to 11, while drawing favorable comparisons to My Blood Valentine’s seminal album, “Loveless.” 

Songs like “Easy On Your Own,” “Belinda Says,” and “Pharmacist,” with their waves of feedback-laden guitars, pack an extra wallop and they easily filled the rafters of the cavernous Fox. The band also leaned into their dancier, more experimental numbers such as “Velveteen” and “Pomeranian Spinsters,” providing opportunities for indie kids to bust out some awkward moves.

All those tunes resonated deeply with the audience on Friday, but it would be negligent to mention an Alvvays show without discussing “Archie, Marry Me.” Much like the band, that song has become ubiquitous in recent years, rising to the pantheon of modern day live classics like “All My Friends,” “Dancing On My Own,” and “The Rat.” Hearing nearly 3,000 people belt out the lyrics to that classic ode to matrimonial aspirations is an unforgettable experience. 

While the band rarely closes out their sets with “Archie, Marry Me,” (On Friday, they ended with the janglepop gem, “Next of Kin” from their self-titled debut), it has all the elements of a show-stopper. 

It’s a power-pop song for the ages, and one that illustrates better than ever why Alvvays ever-growing renown could not be more well-earned.

Neo-Psychedelic Outfit Woods Returning to The Chapel on August 20

Photo by John Andrews

Though primarily known as a neo-psychedelic or folk outfit, the New York-based band Woods have never been afraid to indulge their pop tendencies over their 20-year career.

While vocalist Jeremy Earl’s wounded, warbly delivery will never be heard on the pop radio stations (if those still exist), Woods has shown a knack for crafting immediate earworms that contain plenty of catchy—if unconventional—hooks and inviting melodies. That talent first came through in the band’s 2009 breakout album, “Songs of Shame,” and it resurfaced again with 2021’s “Strange to Explain.”

The latter album showcased the band’s ever-improving production sound while containing a couple of songs (“Where Do Go You When You Dream” and the title track, in particular) that could have been outtakes from MGMT’s funhouse mirror pop masterpiece “Oracular Spectacular.”

Yet, ever wary of flying too close to the sun, Woods have shifted gears, retreating from their dalliance in accessibility with a follow-up album that is restless, boundless and unconcerned with classic pop norms. Last year’s “Perennial” was the latest example of the band’s tendency to shy away from their previous effort, a tactic that has made Woods an endlessly exciting and unpredictable group.

“We like to make albums that are reactions to what we did before,” said Woods’ multi-instrumentalist, producer and founding member Jarvis Taveniere, whose band will be playing at the Chapel on August 20. “I love “Strange to Explain”—I think it’s a solid record. During those sessions, we had a bunch of songs that were very loose and mostly just instrumentals, those would haven’t made much sense to put on that record. So, when we were done touring behind “Strange to Explain,” we decided to go that jammier route, to just keep things exciting for us.”

“Perennial” is full of loping, bucolic instrumental numbers, with guitars and drums fettered by woodwind instruments. Imagine if your local jazz outfit decided to play their tunes in a bedfull of moss and you get an idea of the atmosphere crafted by Woods. Each song feels deeply organic—instruments fusing and blending together in complementary and seamless manners.

That craftsmanship is the result of two decades of experience, as Earl and Taveniere have been playing together since founding the band in 2004. The two met as students at SUNY-Purchase in central New York, and while they were initially playing in separate bands, they quickly formed a kinship, driven in large part from their experiences traveling together.

“There was a pretty vibrant music scene back then, and it was interesting to go on tour and see people who couldn’t really hang out doing this full time,” said Taveniere. “Jeremy wasn’t like that—you could tell he was cut out for this life. He was somebody who I could not only envision collaborating creatively with, but also someone who I could just hang out with. We both were ready to forego the comforts of a normal life and make things fun.”

While the band is now split up between two coasts—two members, including Taveniere, live in Los Angeles while the other three members reside in the group’s home base of New York—Woods remain ever prolific. “Perennial” is the band’s 12th album, an impressive output for a band celebrating 20 years of existence. Because of that longevity, the creative process has become second nature for the band.

“A lot of these songs just came out of jams or writing on the fly,” said Taveniere. “We will be playing together, and Jeremy will run off to the corner with a pad and pen and just start writing lyrics. It’s pretty exciting when that happens. We tried to set it up where we kind of worked backwards, to turn those jams into proper songs. It can take a long time to really develop a certain type of language with other musicians where you have this unspoken thing. We have that in this band, and I really cherish that.”

Most of the album was recorded at a studio in Stinson Beach, the second straight Woods record to be crafted at the Marin County site, which doubles as an apartment and living space (as he has in past efforts, Taveniere led the production and engineering efforts of the album.) Woods has deep ties to Northern California—the music festival run by the band’s label Woodsist, started at Big Sur, and the group frequently partners with local production outfit, (((folkYEAH!))) and is a recurring guest at the Chapel.

“When we first started, we were really good friends with a bunch of San Francisco bands,” said Taveniere. “People actually thought we were from Northern California. We always felt a deep connection here. Whenever we come to San Francisco, there isn’t any pressure on us—we know we can be ourselves.”

For the Chapel show, Taveniere said the band is devising a setlist that is reflective of its deep catalog—and its penchant for change. 

“I’m already looking forward to our next album,” said Taveniere. “And this time, I want to do the opposite of what we did for “Perennial.” I’m excited about doing something more composed and rehearsed in pre-production.”

It would be the classic Woods maneuver—sticking to the script by ignoring the script completely.

Show Details:
Woods with Anastasia Coope
When: 8 p.m., Tuesday, August 20
Where: The Chapel
Tickets: $23 - $26, available here.

Japandroids Return for One Final Ride

Photo by Dan Monick

It seems fitting that a band whose entire ethos is about squeezing every little last drop out of life has announced their return, with a caveat that their latest album will also be their final one.

Japandroids, the dude-rock duo out of Vancouver composed of singer/guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse, have never been the most gifted lyricists or technically adroit musicians. But their music has always been deeply resonant and emotive because every song feels like the ultimate do-or-die moment—their entire catalog is made from the same tendons and sinews as “Born to Run” and “Bastards of Young.” 

They sing raucously about hanging with your friends and drinking and falling in love with girls who have wet hair (and they do so without mining tropes of toxic masculinity), but always with that ominous specter of time in the backdrop. 

They know all too well that life is short, and youth is fleeting—an acknowledgement that adds melancholy to their tales while also heightening every emotion imaginable. The Japandroids don’t party like there is no tomorrow—they party knowing full well that tomorrow will come, and you will be old when it does. But you’re young tonight, so don’t hold back. 

All the urgency and precious appreciation will take on a new level now, with last week’s announcement that the band’s fourth studio album, “Fate and Alcohol,” (the most Japandroids-y album title ever) will also be their last. 

That news, which came after some six years of inactivity, was paired with the release of their latest single, "Chicago," a track that could not be a more fitting send-off for the band. A slow-burning masterpiece, the song captures all the Japandroids hallmarks—it’s an ode to drinking too much, staying up too late and acknowledging that this behavior can’t last forever. It’s probably their finest song since “Celebration Rock” came out in 2012.

The band hasn’t released any tour dates yet, but surely that news is coming soon. The Japandroids' experience can’t be fully realized unless it’s in a live setting. Once those farewell shows happen, there will certainly be plenty of tears in beers. But those won’t come in service of sadness—they’ll be in recognition of all that’s happened.

Broken Dreams Club Interview: Google Earth

Photo Credit: Maria Vanderslice

For decades, John Vanderslice was the impish cult hero of the San Francisco music scene. A prolific singer-songwriter, Vanderslice also operated Tiny Telephone Recording, a beloved studio in the Mission District.

Feeling pressure from the increasingly untenable cost-of-living in San Francisco, Vanderslice closed Tiny Telephone in 2020 and decamped to Los Angeles, although the satellite Tiny Telephone studio in Oakland stayed open. Vanderslice will soon be on the move again, as he and his wife Maria are set to relocate to the Netherlands next May. 

Before he leaves, Vanderslice will continue work on his latest project, Google Earth, an electronica-infused outfit he’s formed with longtime collaborator James Riotto (a highly accomplished producer and musician in his own right.) The duo’s debut album, “Street View,” will be coming out on August 9, and on Tuesday, the group released their second single from that record, “JJolts.”

Broken Dreams Club spoke with Vanderslice and Riotto about their longtime partnership, recording “Street View,” MDMA, and the importance of chair placement in studios.

So…take me back to the beginning. You two met in 2009 in San Francisco at Tiny Telephone, right? What was that first meeting like? Kind of instant chemistry?

John Vanderslice (JV): Yeah, it was just instant chemistry. I thought, ‘oh, this guy is such a baller.’ I just knew it. He was kind of intimidating, for some reason. I remember he kind  of spoke to me really self-assured. And he's confident and I'm nervous. And I talk too much. He just seemed really comfortable in his own skin. He did an arrangement of "They Won't Let Me Run" from “Cellar Door,” and it was almost violent and overwhelming. So, we became friends. Then he started working at the studio. He started interning at the studio, or working at the studio and then immediately I was like, ‘let’s go on tour, let's work together.’ And we started making a bunch of records together. Now we just keep collaborating.

James— I think shortly after that initial meeting, John told you that one of your albums was recorded “terribly”—but that actually inspired you to explore production more? Is that true, and how did that kind of brutal honesty encourage you to explore the field more?

James Riotto (JR):I was touring with John in his band, and I was working on this album with my band and I was really excited about it. And I gave it to John, and I said, ‘hey, tell me what you think of this,’ and he was kind of radio silent. And then after a while, I pressed the issue. And he said, ‘I didn't say anything at first because honestly, I think it sounds terrible.’ And it really hurt. You know, when he said it, it was hard. But then I walked away from it, and I was, I know that John really respects me a lot. Because you know, he's hired me to be in his band. I had just arranged some of his music for this orchestra. And I know he's very effusive. I knew John thought a lot about me and thought highly of me. So, then it was the only reason he would have said that, is if it was true. And I kind of know this sounds insane, but at that point, I'd never really thought about music in the way it was recorded. I only really thought about it as, you set up some microphones and you play music. That's a very jazz way of thinking. And I kind of remember putting on one of his records and thinking, it really does sound so much better. I had no idea what he was doing, but it just sounded way better. And I wanted to know how to do that.

You’ve been friends for 15 years now. What prompted this latest collaboration?

JR: Well, we've made, I don't know, three records together before. And that was always John's music, but it was very collaborative. I mean, I think the last couple we sort of just wrote together.

JV: They were very collaborative, equally collaborative.

JR: And I think we were pushing each other into weirder territory with electronic music. And honestly, we were getting into these MDMA hangs, where we would listen to this weird electronic abstract music, and it just sounded so new and exciting to us. We both got into making that sort of experimental music. We just got together to jam and experiment with these particular boxes that we had made by this company Elektron. And I don't think we really were intending on making an album, that just sort of happened really organically out of these hangs, where we would get together and jam and experiment with these very particular idiosyncratic instruments.

And you chose the moniker Google Earth for the band name. That might be the least searchable name possible. Was that part of the appeal? Kind of a commentary on the digital nomadic life we all live now? The idea that if something can’t be Googled, it might as well not exist?

JV: I think that we basically just boofed coming up with a bad name, especially me and then my poor wife had given us a list of like, 100 names, and she's still irritated that we picked Google Earth. And Jamie and I were kind of poring over these names and it's so hard to come up with a name. As an adult man, I can't believe I've been doing this for like 20 years, and I still can’t come up with a stupid band name.

JR: I remember that I was working with this band at my studio, and I had this list that Maria [John's wife] had made, and we were having lunch. And I started talking about how it's hard to come up with a band name and they were just said, ‘okay, let's do this. You say a band name. And on the count of three, we all just rate it from one to 10.’ And I would say a band name and just everyone would give it a one. So, then we started talking about how you have to have a weird misspelling to make it searchable. Then we talked about how there's this counter movement to basically make it impossible to search, so I said Google Earth, and I told John about this discussion, and he was like, ‘that’s actually good,’ and it took me to this place, where I really liked it too. It’s an anti-band name.

Again, Street View as the album title is much in that same vein. Are you almost like fucking with people at this point?

JV: Well, that was my wife, Maria. She is always kind of filling in the gaps with Jamie and me. She was just, you know, the ‘record really should be called the “Street View”’. We were both kind of like, ‘god damn, she’s right.’

JR: We also had this photo from when we were at the studio, mixing it in Oakland. Our friend Danielle took this photo of us that was outside the studio, and so it felt like “Street View” really worked with us. 

John—you’ve been steering into this electronica musical direction for years now. We’ve talked in the past how you could never picture yourself returning to that singer-songwriter milieu you once inhabited. It just feels so stale. Do you ever see yourself growing tired in that same way of this digital world?

Well, it's a good question. You know, it's funny making two records right now. Jamie and I are making another Google Earth record right now. And then I've been trying for the past year and a half to finish this new solo record and, you know, I have to finish it because we're packing up all of the music gear for honestly, about nine months. Once the container gets here, everything's packed up and it's gone, and the container takes six months to get to the Netherlands. So, I can't imagine not finishing this record, but I’m really struggling to make a solo record that’s a blended version of normal songs and electronic stuff and it's really not very good. Honestly, it's not very good. I'm not being funny. I'm not being coy—I listened to it this morning. I felt I was making some headway. And I listened to every song I have in this folder and it’s really not believable music except for two songs I think are really cool. And so now I'm in this weird panic mode of like, "I’ve got to figure out how to do this. I do think it is a little bit hard for me to go back to writing songs on acoustic guitar. I think it's hard just simply because it's really tough. I don't think that's in invalid. I mean, I was listening to the Flying Burrito Brothers yesterday and T. Rex. I like those songs. I think that I’m just burned out personally and I become very impatient writing lyrics and that's just 100 percent laziness. I just think that electronic music is this endless kind of maze that you can go into. And Jamie and I talk about this all the time. Because it can be endless, it’s a lot of fun to find the reason why you're doing it—and that's often the hardest part. That's why Jamie and me collaborating was so easy because we could find that path forward together. If you're alone, you're simply like, ‘why in the fuck am I making these bleeps and bloops, you know?’

Jamie—you come from a jazz background. You talked about it a little bit in the beginning, but how did you kind of start to embrace these more electronica sounds? 

JV: Drugs!

JR: I mean, honestly, that was a big part of it, but also, some of my favorite music that I started with, they're entry points into it. It's funny, when you get into jazz, there is sort of a trajectory. You're not all of a sudden listening to the Art Ensemble of Chicago. It would sound cacophonous and fucking nuts. So, you start with, Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson and then Sonny Rollins and it sounds cool and then you listen to Miles Davis and, you know, there's a progression that gets you into the more abstract stuff. And I think the same sort of thing happens with electronic music where you listen to Radiohead, and then you realize that Thom Yorke is always listening to Overmono and you know, Squarepusher and stuff like that. And then you listen to that, and you realize that those guys are into Autechre. And suddenly, you are listening to music that would have been unimaginable to you a couple of years ago. And I guess another thing is that working in a recording studio. Now, the actual sonics of something are really important to me and electronic music pushes that in a way that very few things do. It’s also kind of—I know this sounds silly—but I've thought about a porn star and what kind of sex they'd be into. They can't just have vanilla sex. You know? And I just listen to music all the time, so at a certain point, the things that get me really excited are kind of a little weirder than they are with most people. Electronic music felt like it tapped into that, you know, weird thing.

Let’s talk about this new album. You’re both accomplished producers and mixers and engineers. What was it like working together as a duo on an album? How did you kind of split up those managerial duties for Street View?

JR: Well, I think we’ve worked on about 50 records together. I worked at John’s studio for about 12 years and basically learned everything I know from working at Tiny Telephone. So, it felt pretty normal.

JV: There’s one funny thing—Jamie is a much better engineer than I am, and he's a much better producer than I am. But because of the studio setup, where I’m basically blocking his access, I ended up engineering. It’s literally because my chair faces all the equipment. And it definitely doesn't sound as good as it would if Jamie were sitting in the chair. It's just that it’s my studio.

JR: Yeah—it’s set up for John for the way he works and he's the only one that needs it. So, I sit in the chair, and I'm like, ‘where the hell is everything’. So, it’s just easier for him to do it.

The first single is ‘something complicated.’ I know there isn’t an elaborate product roll out for this album, but was there a particular reason you all chose to release that song first? John—your voice sounds gorgeous and haunting, and the sonic textures are so rich and strange. Did it just feel like the right song to lead with?

JV: Well, Jamie did all the song structures and he also played everything, so he played the acoustic guitar and all the real stuff. I think that we just felt that that song had this very unusual unfolding structure that just keeps developing. I love how unbelievably long it is and the vocals are just one thing repeating with effects. You know, I think I only did whatever one line and then just affected it through, you know, plugins and other junk.

John—we’ve talked about this topic for some of your most recent work and James, as a jazz musician, I’m sure you’re familiar with this concept, but for music that feels formless and boundless like the tunes on “Street View”, how do you determine when one song ends and the other begins?

JR: As I said—and I truly know this sounds like a trope—but we were not trying to make a record at all. And the way that this happened feels kind of like magic. ‘something complicated’ as an example—we made that when we were hanging out, we made it in one day in about two hours. The basic part of that song was made because we had this idea to try a vocoder. We had never really worked with a vocoder and we're like, let's download this vocoder and see if it's cool. So, we made that song. And I'm not exaggerating that I never listened to it. We never talked about it again for maybe six or seven months. Yeah, it was just in a Google Drive folder. And, then it was only when I basically went on a hike and I got stoned and I downloaded some of the stuff in the Google Drive folder and I listened and I remember calling John and said ‘dude, there's actually really good stuff in here.’ And then we started working on stuff. And at that point, John took ‘something complicated’ and did all the vocal stuff and kind of did an arrangement of it because at the time it felt like almost an etude—just a means to practice. And then he did that and sent it to me and I was thinking, ‘holy shit, this is awesome, you know?’ And so, the whole process of finding songs and knowing where they started and ended just felt incredibly organic. I think that's very unique. 

For a lot of songs, you can see how your loves of jazz and electronica intersect. “JJolts”, for instance, has these huge blaring noises that sound like alien brass instruments. Was that the idea? To create digital sounds that recall analog instruments?

JR: I think that song was those nine Elektron boxes, and John and I both had a mono machine and a machine drum. And that was actually one of the last songs that we made for this record. It came together in about an hour. And John did this really interesting thing. The mono machine is split into six instruments within itself. And he externally played all of the instruments together with another keyboard which, I just didn't even know was possible. And so that weird melody thing in the middle was just John, playing the whole mono machine and it turned into this sort of quasi instrument that you've never heard before. 

But there are some real horns on the album, right? “Deep Sea Leaks”, for instance? 

JR: Yeah—our friend Nicole McCabe played some sax, alto sax and flute on a couple songs. 

JV: It's really amazing when a real instrument pops in, because this is a very claustrophobic, highly, digital landscape that has its own pleasures. But sometimes it's amazing just to get a little bit of air in there.

“Afterlife” really feels like such an appropriate coda for the album. It’s a departure from most of the album and feels like the most traditional “pop song,” although most don’t start with “I cut my wrists.” Was it important to end on that note? Did you always feel like that was the album closer?

JV: It felt like a good, sad funny closer. Those lyrics, which Maria wrote, I think are hilarious. I mean, they're so fun and weird.

The album comes out August 9. Any plans to tour? John you’ve really embraced—I guess unconventional touring approaches—living room shows, venues that aren’t traditional clubs—could that be something that works for Google Earth?

JV: I'm also cutting out the ticket buyers because no one is buying tickets. No, I mean, I don’t think the house shows could work. I think that probably every artist now out there, feels that everything has just shrunk down. It’s just not feasible for me to leave LA County. Jamie and I have been playing shows in LA and it's a total blast. We’re going to play at the end of the month, but other than that, we don’t have a ton of plans.

So that show at the end of the month—will that be a Google Earth show?

JV: Yeah—it’s at a really cool place called Healing Forces in Pasadena.

And will that be the first “Google Earth” show?

JR: We had one a few weeks ago at Permanent Records in LA. You know, what's interesting is that we set these rehearsals and we thought, ‘yeah, let's play music off this record.’ And then we got to John's house to rehearse and both of us agreed that there's no fucking way we're playing these songs.

Yeah—I was going to ask. How would a live show translate? There are so many moving parts on these songs—how would you approach recreating that sound in a live setting?

JV: We couldn’t play one song live.

JR: I mean, it would take us two months, working every day to figure out how to play these songs. And that’s sort of a goal. I think it would be amazing, and really impressive. But we just made a set of electronic music to improvise. And I think we're going to do a similar thing in a couple of weeks.

John—how are things at Tiny Telephone in Oakland? Are you still making frequent visits?

JV: I think that all that stuff is okay, but I think I'm definitely worried. We’re only half booked for August, and I just don't have the financial wiggle room for this. I just got super depressed this morning thinking about it. I've already removed myself from the studio and I don't live in the Bay Area. So, I'm definitely worried that it stays busy. And I'm not doing myself favors by leaving the country.

Yeah, I mean, does it survive the move to the Netherlands? 

JV: I hope so. I’m pretty far removed now. No one really knows that I even live in LA. But I think that in time, the position of the studio has just weakened. The Bay Area has weakened art-wise, and it hasn't had that replenishment yet, you know? I mean, I'm nervous, you know, but we'll see what happens. But Jamie's studio is very, very successful. 

Jamie—what projects are you working on at your studio?

JR: Well, in the last year I've worked with Jamie XX. Dave from Dirty Projectors was in here and we are starting a record on Monday with Local Natives. It’s fun, but I love the stuff I do with John. I’m excited about this project.

“Street View” comes out on August 9.