Sunset Rubdown Continue Victory Tour after Unlikely Reunion

Photo Credit: Terry Ondang 
Canadian indie rockers will play at The Independent on October 14

We all know about “the rat.”

No, I’m not talking about the legendary Walkmen track. I mean that feeling of self-loathing, doubt and worthlessness. Some people call it anxiety. Others refer to it as stress. Or maybe we just chalk it up to modern living.

For Spencer Krug, the erudite lead singer and founder of Canadian indie rockers Sunset Rubdown, our sense of existential dread is anthropomorphized into that wily, sly little rodent. 

On “Reappearing Rat,” the band’s lead single off their terrific new album, “Always Happy to Explode,” Krug deftly captures our underlying insecurities, portraying a scene of domestic bliss interrupted by the ominous chorus, “But the rat, the rat, the rat/Has reappeared.” However, instead of taking that mantra as a pessimistic rejoinder, Krug said he actually views the song as a defiant ode to all the band has weathered recently.

“I think, on a not super-conscious level, that song was symbolic of the band overcoming all our doubts and overcoming all these challenges we’ve faced,” said Krug. “There are doubts in the lyrics, but for me, that song is about more than that. Actually, making that song was this amazing experience—it was this realization that this record could be fun, and we could enjoy doing this thing together. It made me love that song so much more.”

Krug—who first came to fame as one of the chief songwriters for the indie rock group Wolf Parade—will showcase the band’s triumph over that recurring rodent when they play at The Independent on October 14. It will be a victory lap of sorts for a band that’s risen like Lazarus on more than one occasion.  

The challenges Krug was referencing in his quote stem from a tumultuous recording process for the album. While all ensconced at Krug’s house on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, drummer Jordan Robson-Cramer tested positive for Covid, and bassist Nicholas Merz abruptly bolted during the sessions, taking an unplanned break to calm his nerves. Michael Doerksen, the band’s original guitarist, never even made it to the studio, so the new album was essentially recorded without any electric guitar.

Still, they persevered, accounting for a minor miracle and continuing the band’s wholly unexpected second act. “Always Happy to Explode” is the first Sunset Rubdown album in 15 years. When the group reformed to tour last year, it came as a shock to many, as Krug had repeatedly shot down any rumors about a potential reunion of the group.

But after being inspired by a dream (true story), Krug managed to corral all the founding members of the group (Doerksen, Robson-Cramer, and Camilla Wynne) for a 2023 tour, and after the success of that jaunt, Sunset Rubdown decided to record their first album since 2009’s “Dragonslayer.”

“I’d been saying for years that we’d never get back together—and that wasn’t a move on my part, I truly believed that,” said Krug. “But after doing this reunion tour, it seemed like both the band and our audiences were pleasantly surprised. There was this built-in gratitude to the whole tour—we were all so grateful we could get together and play these songs again. And our next step was always predicated on the success of the previous step. So, when the tour went well, we all decided it made sense to record a new album.”

Similar to past Sunset Rubdown efforts, the songs on “Always Happy To Explode” are unpredictable, labyrinthine creations, featuring abrupt tempo changes and dramatic sonic interludes. Powered by inventive synth and keyboard sounds, the tracks evoke an alien, unfamiliar and exciting sense of place—a world inhabited by ghouls, moths, snakes and other fantastical creatures that inhabit Krug’s trademark mythical narratives. Additionally, the “little lord”—a figure who pops up periodically in Krug’s songs, makes an appearance on the new album.

“Yeah, that’s the nickname I had when we first started with Wolf Parade,” said Krug. “I was very green to the music industry, and I had these certain lines I would refuse to cross. I wanted things to work in a certain way, and so I got that nickname, ‘little lord.’ It was pretty funny, so I just embraced it.”

Always self-effacing, Krug readily admits to his foibles, singing “And oh/The little lord's bored,” on “Worm,” the epic, penultimate track on the album, which, for the first time, features vocal contributions from all Sunset Rubdown band members (Merz stepped in for Doerksen during recording). Those arrangements add new depth to the band’s sound, with Wynne in particular making her presence felt by infusing stirring harmonies to most of the tunes. 

“I remember saying that I wanted to have a lot of vocals on this record, and not just a bunch of my voice,” said Krug. “I wanted to have lots of Camille singing, you know a lot from Jordan. And Nicholas, the new member, has this amazing voice. He’s that baritone you can hear come in from time to time.”

The cacophony of voices separates this Sunset Rubdown album from previous releases, proving that their extended break has only made the band more vibrant and creative. Equal parts prog and punk, “Always Happy To Explode” define easy categorization—a longtime specialty of the group and one that bodes well for the future.

“As long as Sunset Rubdown continues to be sustainable, I think we’re all on board,” said Krug. “I mean, no one is trying to get rich off this project. But if we people still want to hear us play our songs, we’re happy to perform them. I’m just trying to keep this whole thing alive—of making music. And it feels good to be doing that with this group of people.”

Show Details:
Sunset Rubdown with Sister Ray
Where: The Independent
When: 8 p.m., Monday, October 14
Tickets: $32, available here

Broken Dreams Club Interview: Cindy

No band has done more to draw attention to San Francisco’s nascent “fog pop” scene than Cindy, the brainchild of singer-songwriter Karina Gill. Characterized by hushed vocals, unhurried, ambling tempos and proudly lo-fi recording techniques, Cindy’s songs evoke that vivid, dusky moment when one first wakes up, still half-immersed in a dream. 

After receiving critical acclaim for the band’s previous two full-length albums, Cindy is set to release a new EP, “Swan Lake,” through Tough Love Records on October 4. The band will also embark on a major UK/European tour later this year.

Broken Dreams Club recently caught up with Gill to discuss the upcoming tour, Cindy’s new EP and some endearing moments that helped inspire that record. 

So…it’s been another memorable year for the band. You toured the US with Horsegirl, are putting out this new EP and have another big UK/EU jaunt lined up later this year. What’s been your impression so far of the year? Must be exciting times?

The Horsegirl tour was really fun. I feel really lucky that Ground Control Touring invited us for that. I had never really toured the US, other than some small tours in Southern California. To be able to go to the East Coast and the Midwest and cities like Toronto was not something that I would have ever imagined doing. We were presented with a great opportunity to be brought along on a really nice tour that was already set up. All we had to do was basically show up and play. Horsegirl are such lovely people, and I really loved seeing them play every night. I got a sneak preview of music they're working on, so it was really this great experience. And my current bandmates are just a dream to travel with, so it was great. Other than it being crazy hot. I mean, I'm from the East Coast, so I understand. But, you know, my California bandmates were a little shocked. 

That must have been a pretty fascinating bill with Horsegirl—they’re kind of known for their outsized noise, and well, that’s not exactly Cindy’s forte.

Cindy usually plays with bands that are quite different from us, and I generally prefer that. The shows I've played where there was an effort to book us with somebody who is like us end up feeling confusing to me. But for the Horsegirl shows, the crowds were really receptive. There were some people who were there to see us, which is, you know, wonderful and amazing, and I think Horsegirl fans are known for being open minded. Everyone was extremely receptive and warm and friendly. It was really nice. 

You’ve discussed before how you started this musical endeavor a little later in life, watching closely while others pursued this field. When you decided to go into this thing, did you anticipate you’d be where you are today, as this really admired, respected and established musical act?

Definitely not. A lot of opportunities have sort of come to me, and I feel very lucky for that, honestly. I definitely never had ambitions around music, aside from, maybe the ambition to record a song as well as I can or whatever. I think that's pretty common around here with Bay Area bands. There are some exceptions, definitely, but most of the bands I know are mainly interested in developing aesthetically and creatively within our community. There's less of an outward looking feeling. And I certainly felt right at home with that. As you said, I haven't been playing music all my life—this is a relatively recent thing for me. It wasn't like I was, 14 years old, dreaming of touring. But now that it’s happened, I feel super lucky and grateful that I get to do this.

So, the new album—“Swan Lake”—obviously has a very famous title, but this has nothing to do with Russian Ballet, correct? What’s the significance of this name to you?

The song Swan Lake on the EP is referring to man-made lake in a park in Birmingham, England. Last time Cindy was over there, we all went for this walk, and it was full of conversations, and it was just this kind of magical hour or so. We ended up at this lake, and there were all these swan paddle boats in the lake, and they almost all seemed oversized. It was kind of bizarre looking. So the title refers to that place and that experience. But it is also meant to ring bells of that ballet. Even if you don't know that the title is a ballet,  it conjures something from the past—it sounds familiar. I think in my songs, I do that a lot--add these kinds of ringing bells that maybe are not entirely transparent, but have associations that add dimensions to the things we say, the things we hear. 

Now were these songs culled from the “Why Not Now” sessions, or were these written with an EP in mind?

They were all written after “Why Not Now.” I started recording them with just the idea of doing a 7”, because I like them—I think they're cool. But, apparently, record labels do not like 7” records. So I was thinking of doing a 7”, or maybe two, but then once the idea of doing a tour started evolving, it made more sense to record more songs that were new, so we could put together something that was a little bit more substantial of an offering. It went from being maybe I'll do a 7”just for fun, to ‘okay, well, I have, you know, like eight songs and I can find six of them are ready to be recorded.’ They all ended up being recorded in different ways. Oli [Lipton], my bandmate, has a great recording setup in his home. So, we did some there. We recorded a little with Robby Joseph, who helped us in the past. So yeah, they were all kind of put together in different manners. The “Swan Lake” song I recorded at home on a four -track, as you can probably hear.

You mentioned how there's not a whole lot of love for 7” records, but EPS are kind of a lost art as well. There is such a great history of bands with amazing EPs, though. What’s your relationship with EPs? And why was it important for you to release these songs in this format?

I don't know that I have a specific relationship with EPs, per se, but I definitely tend toward less is more. I don't need to hear a set that’s an hour and 20 minutes long or anything. And Cindy's MO has always been about what is happening now—about what is available. That’s not because I have any principled stand on this, it’s simply because it's how it works for me. I’ve never put together an album with this agenda in mind that I have to have 10 songs. That’s never been the case. It's always been—I have songs, they work together, here's a record., I think it's kind of just a reflection of what was real for us. I had a pool of songs that I could then bring to my bandmates and at the time. I had made demos of a lot of them, and they were just kind of ready to go somewhere. I tend to record things and release them pretty swiftly. That has its drawbacks and sometimes I wish I weren't like that, but that's how I am. I just want to do what's happening now and then do the next thing. 

Yeah, and you talked about workshopping these demos. I know there is deep love for demo recordings for certain San Francisco bands (Sad Eyed Beatniks and April Magazine, for example.) There is an appreciation for embracing the imperfections of recordings and in many ways, I associate EPs with some of those demo recordings. Do you share that same kind of appreciation for demos?

Well, I think for me, it's just kind of what I do. I suppose I could adopt another way, but it has no appeal for me at all. I wish I were somebody who could make things more perfect. I wish I was somebody who could, you know, work on something until it has a less vulnerable form. But I'm just not that person. I also think people would be surprised by some of the recordings that you think are effortless. Those other Bay Area albums you mentioned that are similar to us—they are certainly not effortless and nor is Cindy. There is a lot of labor that goes into our work. It may be a different kind of labor—one that is not about the polish, but more about the source. And it’s not this decided-upon route. It's just an expression of what works for me, and I think likewise for the other bands you mentioned. There's this desire to keep moving and not kind of be outward facing and product oriented. We want something that is kind of invulnerable. Something that’s so shiny and bright you can't look at it straight. 

You said that six of you took part in the recording sessions. The Cindy band lineup has gone through some evolutions over the years, but you seemed to have settled on a pretty steady core at this moment, right?

Well, the lineup right now is definitely amazing—I feel so lucky. The live lineup is made up of folks who are able to tour. So there Oli Lipton and Will Smith, both from Now and then Staizsh Rodrigues from Children Maybe Later, who is also doing another project now called Peace Frog. So the four of us have become a band in the sense that we tour, and you know, we've made a set that works for us. But the Cindy sound that’s on the recording also has Stanley Martinez, and Mike Ramos. Again, I’m so lucky that I live in this place where they're all these amazing musicians. And even if someone can't be a touring member because they have other obligations or whatever, you know, they are still willing to contribute to a recording. “Why Not Now?” was full of people from the community who contributed. 

Some of these songs on “Swan Lake” have pretty interesting origin stories. The opening track, “All Weekend” for instance, traces back to an inspiring elevator ride, right? What was the exact genesis and inspiration for that song?

Yeah, a couple years ago now, I was on an elevator in the Main Branch Public Library here in San Francisco, and there was another person on the elevator. It was just the two of us and they were having some non-consensus reality experience. I found myself kind of enraptured by how totally enraptured they were. They were having some experience that was totally immersive, and I was just there to get a book. There was something about that person, and that experience that stuck with me over years.

Every Cindy album seems to contain a stirring instrumental track and this EP is no different. “The Birds in Birmingham Park” is this gorgeous, ambling stroll of the song. What attracts you to these songs with no words?

Most of my songs are really lyric-driven and part of me wishes that I could get away from that, but it is kind of what I have to offer, largely. But I do love instrumental music. That song is very much a mood. I think all my songs strive to capture something like a mood that has its own sort of logic, its own emotional logic. And that song is also about walking through that park in Birmingham. I mean, it's not about anything specific, but that song kind of comes, in some sense, from that experience. I did actually write lyrics for it originally, but they seemed extraneous, so I shifted away from that, and just had this kind of feeling and progression and structure. And then Oli was able to elaborate it so beautifully on guitar. It just became something where the music was able to communicate the mood far better than the words could. 

The title track is a nice wrinkle for the album, with its spoken word delivery. How did you arrive at that kind of arrangement?

That was a really spontaneous demo. I’ve done similar things. There's a song on “Free Advice” that's basically spoken. It feels kind of funny, I suppose, and makes me slightly squeamish, but sometimes that's just what it is. And for that particular song, I was thinking about different kinds of associative thinking. And it just felt like there was no place for a melody. I just had that structure and tone and I recorded it really fast. Usually, I think through songs a bit more before I record them, but that was just kind of spontaneous. 

You have this really big tour coming up in Europe and the UK coming up. This will be your first trip to Europe, but your second trip to the UK. Are you all pretty excited for that?

The UK tour was a year and a half ago, and that was my first international tour. I feel really privileged to get to go back to the UK, and, you know, and play at venues where they want to have us. We get to return to London and Glasgow and Manchester, so that's cool. And then Europe—I mean, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to places I've never been. I’ve never been to Berlin or Amsterdam or Rotterdam, Geneva, all these places. So, it's exciting. And Ruben [Myles Tyghe], who runs Outsider Artists, just does a great job of making the tour make sense—making it financially viable and practical and doable for a band at our level where we're not obviously playing massive venues. I'm really looking forward to it. I mean, I'm slightly terrified, but that's normal. 

And are there plans for a possible headlining Cindy tour domestically? 

Nothing planned. We get back mid-November, so probably for this year, that's going to be it. But we’ve gotten invited to different parts of the US. And I think once I recover from this upcoming tour, I might have the bandwidth to think about maybe an East Coast tour. We’ve also had some really lovely invitations from the South. I don't know that I could book a tour in the US on my own and keep my sanity, but I could definitely try. 

I know the EP is coming out in a couple of weeks, but do you have plans on writing a full length album as well? 

I mean, these songs keep showing up. And I do like recording, especially when it can be at someone's home or a really comfortable place, like Robby’s studio. So yeah, I would totally embark on another collection if I had the songs that made sense to do that. But no immediate plans at the moment. 

Other updates worth highlighting? Album news, announcements? Anything happening with Flowertown?

Nothing concrete. Mike and I are good friends and Flowertown is always sort of there in the background. He just went to Japan as Tony J and both of us are in Sad-Eyed Beatniks, which has been really fun. I don't know that Flowertown has any concrete plans, but when those songs are being written, they tend to be like a faucet. So, if we start again, we’ll probably get some songs recorded quickly. I’ll keep you posted on that. 

“Swan Lake” is out Friday on Tough Love Records.

Broken Dreams Club Interview: Built to Spill

Photo credit: Alex Hecht

Legendary indie rockers Built to Spill will be playing two shows at the Fillmore on Friday, September 27 and Saturday, 28. To mark the 30th anniversary of their beloved sophomore release, “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love,” the Boise band will play that album in its entirety each night.

Broken Dreams Club caught up with Built to Spill founder and sole permanent member Doug Martsch prior to the band’s shows to talk about his love-hate relationship with “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love,” performing in San Francisco and what’s next for the group:

You’ve been playing these “There’s Nothing Wrong with Love” shows for more than a month now. What’s that been like—have fans been pretty excited to hear this album live in its entirety?

It’s been really fun. It took a little while to get rolling with it. I don't know if we had as much rehearsal time as I wanted, but it’s starting to feel pretty good after a few weeks. It’s been cool having a cello player out here for this run. 

So, you have a cello player on this tour? What is the tour lineup right now? Is it Melanie [Radford] and Teresa [Esguerra ] and the cello player? 

Yeah, exactly. Mel and T and John McMahon on cello. It’s been awesome.

You’ve been approaching these shows with an interesting setlist—starting with a song not off “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love” before launching into the full album. Any particular reason for that approach?

Yeah—that’s another example of where I wish that we had had a little more rehearsal time to figure out things. We played maybe a couple weeks of shows starting with “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love,” and then decided to mix it up a bit. I really like that it’s a way to warm up the show a little bit, and then you jump into the record. It’s a little more exciting. I wish we had done that from the beginning. 

You’ve been so consistent with touring. I think you've played more than 250 shows over the past two years. How important is it to maintain that steady, live presence? 

I think for me, it's just my job and what I do. That’s how I think of it. There’s something to playing a lot so that you're comfortable and playing at your best. We took eight months off and I feel like it took a little bit for us to get going again. I’m not sure how bands do it that take long hiatuses or just drop out of music, and then come back a few years later. I guess everyone has their own way of performing and their own relationship to live music, but for me, it would be really hard to pick it all up again after not doing it for a long time. I don't know—it just seems the more I play, the more comfortable I am. 

Even after all these years, huh?

For sure, definitely. I'm not a real natural music person. It takes a lot of time for me to get into the zone. 

Ok—let’s talk about “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love.” Last time I interviewed you, you weren’t exactly praiseworthy of this album. Have you softened a bit on it, since you’ve started playing it live in full every night?

I like the songs, for the most part. I just really don't like the recording. The guitars don't sound very good. I didn't play very well back then. I could just only play guitar enough to be serviceable. With my singing, it’s the same thing. There are a lot of things about it that I just feel like they are not very well done. I've improved a lot—at least in my own mind—over the years. But the songs are fun to play now. We do them our own way. The guitar sounds different now, and I sing differently, and I prefer it this way. I understand, too, how it's just a record of that time period. I'm not ashamed of it, but I'm not very psyched about it, either.

What was it like revisiting these songs? Some you’ve been playing live for years, but others you haven’t played much at all.

Well, I guess my thing is that the words and the chords and the melodies are all there, but the way that they're performed is different. I have a different way of singing, a different way of playing guitar, than I did back then. I changed a lot from doing it live over the years as a result of finding my voice and getting more comfortable with the guitar. I try and strip away parts of the songs that I don’t think are essential, but I’m not trying to be extreme like a Bob Dylan thing or something. Sometimes bands make a really cool improvement on their songs and their live shows, and I hope that's what we're doing when we do our old songs. Hopefully we're making them better, and not worse. 

Not only did you record this album 30 years ago, but it certainly feels like the most earnest, almost whimsical Built to Spill album. Was it particularly nostalgic going back to these songs?

Well, there's really not much nostalgia. I don't think about how I felt at the time or what was going on in my brain, really. It’s more about figuring out how I can make it sound good today. And I don't really think about whether or not it transports anyone back. That's not important to me. What matters is making music that sounds good for me right now. 

It also feels like the most autobiographical Built to Spill album. Songs like “Twin Falls,” and “Car” and “Distopian Dream Girl” seem to offer this glimpse into your life that we don’t often get to see. Do you consider this your most personal Built to Spill album?

I mean, it's not too autobiographical. I don't even have a stepfather, that was someone else. “Twin Falls” is not about anyone real, either. So, it’s not necessarily autobiographical, but maybe personal, maybe a little more earnest. I don’t remember the feeling that I had when we made the record too much, but I remember thinking that it was nice to make just a really sweet pop record, with lots of melodies and without any distortion. There's no reverb or anything. It sounds like a home recording at a time when everything was all about grunge and this loud rock stuff. I definitely felt like we were just doing something totally weird. 

So, you didn't really have a stepdad who looked like David Bowie? 

Nope. And “Car” is just a bunch of random words. Not much of it is really about me or anyone. I think there's a few songs that are about my wife Karena. “Reasons” is this pretty love song about her, and “Cleo” is about our kid being in the womb. “Israel’s Song” is a song that Karena wrote all the lyrics to, and it's about a kid with autism that she worked with a little bit. So it's kind of all over the place. “Stab” is not really about anything. I think it's just kind of nonsense words that sound serious.

And so, you mentioned, “Stab,” which is one of the jammier songs on the album, but  “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love” is generally known as the Built to Spill “pop” album. After writing this album, did you feel kind of freed up to explore the more vast, exploratory song structures you specialize in with “Perfect From Now On?”

Yeah, I don't know if it was that specifically. I feel like each record is a little bit of a reaction to what was before. There seems to be a little bit of that pattern. The first record, “Ultimate Alternative Wavers”, was more kind of jammed out, with a lot of improvising and experimental music and song structures. And so, “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love” was really concise. And then “Perfect From Now On” is more of a reaction to that conciseness. “Perfect From Now On” was also about a bit of a fear of a record label trying to do something commercial with us, trying to sort of throw a monkey wrench into the things a little bit. My fear was being over-promoted. I mean, now I wish, I wish we'd done it, but I just did not want that at the time. The whole radio version of music didn't ever make much sense to me. The stuff that got played on the radio, it didn't really sound good to me. 

I love “Hidden Track ” from “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love.” I’m sad I never got to the hear the full version of that song that starts “a man needs loving…” Where did that idea come from, to do that, like, fake preview of the next album?

I don't even remember. It was just this silly idea, and we were able to spend enough time to pull it off all right. Maybe I'll have AI do a full album from that one track. 

“There’s Nothing Wrong With Love” obviously resonates with so many people. There are a ton of Built to Spill fans who consider this their favorite album. Why do you think it’s still special to so many people after all these years?

I have no idea. I remember when we made it, I was really proud of it and really happy with it. It was the first time that I'd spent that much time in the studio—that I finished a record and didn’t really feel like I had to go back and work on it some more. I felt so satisfied with the whole process and working with Phil [Ek] and the band and the collection of songs and the way it all fit together—it just felt like a big accomplishment, But listening back to it now, I wish I still felt that way. I really can't stress enough how disappointed I was to go back and listen to it over and over to prepare for this tour. I just, I don't really like it very much. “Perfect From Now On” or “Keep It Like A Secret”— those records have some similar things that I don’t like, but they’ve grown on me a little bit more. “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love,” for some reason—I just don’t connect. I know I’m not promoting this very much! I mean, I do remember when the record came out and people in Boise were hearing about it and stuff. It was kind of the first record that I made that had any kind of audience beyond my friends and family. Not many people listened to that first Built to Spill record—maybe a handful of people knew about it. So, all of a sudden, this one came out, and we were on the cover of The Rocket, which was really big in the Northwest, so that was super exciting. There was this one guy who worked at The Record Exchange—this older guy who was really cool—and I remember he didn't like the album. I couldn’t understand why at the time. But I definitely can see now how someone could be annoyed by the album.

You’re playing two shows at the Fillmore. Over the years, you’ve played in plenty of San Francisco venues. Where does the Fillmore rank among those sites? It’s a pretty special place.

Yeah, it might be my favorite place, anywhere. I love it so much. I loved playing at Slim’s, but no Fillmore is the best.

And you’ve never gone too long without visiting San Francisco. Do you feel like you always get a nice reaction when you come here?

For sure. It’s one of a handful of most important places to us. 

You released “When the Wind Forgets Your Name” in 2022 on Sub Pop, which is just the perfect label for Built to Spill. Are you all working on material for a new album? Any updates on when we could expect that release?

No, nothing at all. I haven't really written a song in a long time, and even with “When The Wind Forgets Your Name”—a lot of that stuff was mostly pretty old. I don't know. I haven't been pushing myself or anything. I assume I'll write some more songs one day, but maybe that phase is over for me. But getting back to AI actually, I just downloaded an AI app and made a birthday song for my brother, and it was so incredible and weird. So, maybe it’s over for me. 

Final question: what’s your favorite song from “There’s Nothing Wrong with Love?”

If I had to choose, I mean, my favorite one to play, at least, is probably “Some.” Just to noodle around with that chord progression that I think is so pretty. It’s kind of become my favorite one on this tour to play. It's a little too low to sing, but over the course of these few weeks, I feel like I have I settled into where I'm supposed to sing it where my voice feels right. “Big Dipper” is also a nice one. “Reasons” is one of my favorites. “Car,” is an interesting song, but I also kind of hate it.

Show Details:
Built to Spill with Quasi
When: 8 p.m., Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28
Where: The Fillmore
Tickets: $53, available here.

Future Islands’ Fox Theater Show Proves They’re Dynamic As Ever

Nearly two decades into their career, the Baltimore art-pop act Future Islands are probably not surprising anyone at this point. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you’re extremely familiar with their legendary, star-turning performance on “Late Show with David Letterman.” The band hasn’t really tinkered with their sound all that much, preferring to stay in their bass-and-synth lane. And Samuel Herring—their growling, gesticulating, wonderfully expressive singer—has remained his endearingly intense self.

That doesn’t mean, however, that Future Islands shows aren’t still thrilling, outrageously fun affairs. On Tuesday night at the Fox Theater, the band proved once again that the Future Islands live experience is a singular event.

Of course, so much of that is attributed to Herring’s wonderfully manic energy. Despite conceding that this voice was feeling a little “husky” (a term he mentioned was also used to describe his wardrobe as a kid), Herring strutted through all his greatest onstage hits, dancing, swaying, fist-pumping, exhorting and generally acting like this performance could very well be his last.

The band is touring behind their fantastic seventh album, “People Who Aren’t There Anymore,” another collection of offbeat, strangely catchy synth pop tunes. The setlist leaned heavily on those numbers, with seven songs coming from the new release. The band also dug deep from their beloved 2010 album, “In Evening Air,” performing five renditions from that record, with each of those tunes sounding as vibrant and moving as they did upon their release 14 years ago.

While the band feels reassuringly comfortable by their connection to one late-night show performance, the notoriety of that event does make every Future Islands show somewhat of a waiting game for “Seasons (Waiting on You).” That’s kind of a bummer, since their entire catalog is so strong (no skips!), but it also makes hearing that song live in concert an utterly thrilling, cathartic experience. 

Because it’s so closely linked to Herring’s performance on Letterman, it can be easy to forget how amazing and transfixing the song is on its own merits. When the band performed “Seasons” deep into their setlist on Tuesday, the crowd exploded in reaction, some clearly responding to seeing Herring at the height of his powers, but others just awed by the soaring nature of the tune. 

Almost as a reminder that the band existed prior to that song, Future Islands returned for an encore that featured “The Tin Man,” a song perhaps equally beloved by the group’s fanbase (I’ve been to more than one Future Islands show with audience members dressed in metallic outfits.)

That song, which set the early standard for the band’s driving, urgent electronica, was a stellar reminder their formula has always been top-notch.

No need to change things now.

As Silverware, Ainsley Wagoner Captures the Profundity of Music

Photo Credit: Marisa Bazan

SF artist will celebrate release of latest album, “One True Light,” with Sept. 24 show at Tiny Telephone studio in Oakland.

The story of Ainsley Wagoner’s life is also inevitably a story about music. 

The Kentucky native grew up playing piano and singing in her church, taking cues from her parents, who were the organist and choir director, respectively. From there, she attended the University of Kentucky, quickly ingratiating herself in the local arts scene while working for the school’s radio station and majoring in music.

It wasn’t until she moved to San Francisco in 2014 that she began to contemplate an existence without her longtime companion. Although it had been a part of her life since birth, music always felt like an organic presence—a calming backdrop that was effortless and natural. 

Upon moving to a new city thousands of miles from her home, Wagoner wondered if she would be able to find that same sense of community that accompanied her earliest memories. For once, she would have to search out this scene, instead of letting it come to her—a prospect that felt daunting.

“When I moved out here, I started to wonder if I only enjoyed music because I was always around it,” said Wagoner. “I wasn’t sure who I’d be once I stepped away from my hometown. But after maybe two years of not doing it, I couldn’t even enjoy listening to music. At shows I was so deeply envious of the people performing. I knew that I had to figure out how to keep making music and find people to do it with here.”

That revelation impelled Wagoner to continue exploring music under her creative moniker, Silverware. On August 30, she released the second full-length Silverware album, “One True Light,” and on September 24, she’ll play tracks from that record at the Tiny Telephone recording studio in Oakland. 

“One True Light” is humble, yet ethereal—grounded in a DIY ethos but also uplifted by Wagoner’s boundless talent and technical expertise. It is secular spiritual creation, an ambitious concept album of sorts that combines Wagoner’s varied influences—everything from the experimental noise bands she played in college to her formative years spent in the church. Flitting between art-rock, synth pop and indie-folk, the album recalls acts such as Indigo de Souza, Bat for Lashes and Chairlift (Caroline Polachek’s pre-breakthrough outfit.) It’s a powerful statement from a musician who draws just as comfortably from Sonic Youth as she does from hymns.

Although she’s now firmly ensconced in the local music scene (in addition to her solo work, Wagoner plays in the awesome indie rock band, Galore), that integration took some time. Wagoner moved from a tight-knit artistic community in Lexington to a city where she knew literally no one. Slowly, she found a group of like-minded artists, mostly from playing at the Mission haunt The Rite Spot Café, making connections with DJs at the indie radio station BFF.fm, while meeting a crew of musicians and engineers working at Tiny Telephone.

Among that Tiny Telephone crew, she connected with Omar Akrouche, who records as Worthitpurchase. The two collaborated on the 2021 debut Silverware album, “No Plans,” and worked together once again on “One True Light.” Nearly immediately after the first album was released in 2021, they began work on the follow-up.

Unlike for the debut album, however, when both lived in the Bay area, the recording for “One True Light,” took more time, due to Akrouche moving to Los Angeles. In addition to the logistical challenges, Wagoner said she had difficulty letting go of the final product.

“I’m not sure how Omar remembers this, but I feel like there was a 3 – 6 month period toward the end where I couldn’t listen to the mixes, because I wasn’t ready to say they were done,” said Wagoner.  “I love “No Plans,” and I’m really proud of that record, but I would listen back and hear things that I wish I had done differently. For this album, over the 2.5 years we were recording, I redid the vocals a lot, because I was getting better at delivering them, and I was playing the songs with my band which helped me refine arrangements. After “No Plans”, I understood better the permanence of recording, so if there was anything I could do to improve the songs, I was going to do that.”

That attention to detail is illustrated gorgeously in “One True Light.” Despite recording in numerous different locales, the album feels crisp, coherent and fully-formed. There are moments of quiet devastation and jarring dissonant interjections, but it’s all a natural ebb and flow that naturally mirrors life’s ups and downs.

The title track kicks off the album in magnetic fashion, shifting quickly from a solemn, hushed number into an urgent, bracing piece capped off with a gritty guitar solo. “No Expectations” follows, an upbeat, thumping piano ballad that’s punctuated by shouted gang vocals of the chorus. “Search,” is a drone-y, atmospheric synth opus and “Longer” is an austere chamber lullaby, featuring a memorable appearance from a forlorn clarinet. “Goodbye,” a stark, dreamlike reverie, appropriately closes out the album. 

And whatever the tempo, tone or genre, every song on “One True Light” is anchored by Wagoner’s classically-trained voice—a silvery, ringing instrument that adds unique depth and pathos to the Silverware catalog.

Wagoner’s powerful delivery charges “Gloria,” the centerpiece of the record. Part dustbowl revival, part canticle, part wistful guitar ballad, the song tackles Wagoner’s evolving relationship with the church and her search for a spiritual guiding light that provides life’s meaning. 

“A lot of this album is wrestling with the dissonance of longing for security inside of a life built around making art,” said Wagoner. “It’s about this effort to stay close with this divine creative force, because I feel the best when I’m writing a song. That’s what makes life worth living—making music. I know there are no guarantees. I know that it might not be going anywhere, but I'm going to do it anyway.”

It's an apt takeaway from an album that exalts and showcases creativity’s profound powers. Wagoner’s musical journey will continue. 

Show Details:
Silverware with Affectionately
When: 7 p.m., Tuesday, September 24
Where: Tiny Telephone Oakland
Tickets: $17, available here.

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.