Heard | Sacramento's Music Scene and Beyond

Disney Crew of Singers CANNOT Hang

noreply@blogger.com (Vanessa Johnson) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:25:00 +0000

I cannot go anywhere without hearing something about the Disney's Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus, and I hate to burst every one's bubbles, but they are seriously the most annoying children to ever grace us with their presence.

First of all, I am pretty sure Miley Cyrus is trying to be this decade's Britney Spears, and in my opinion, she is not doing too well of a job. Brit may not be the best singer, but she can dance circles around Cyrus any day. Every time I see Cyrus she looks like she is dressing to be a new member of the Desperate Housewives crew, and the girl is only 16. I mean, really why on earth do you want to look so old Miley? Please dress your age, cherish your youth.

I don't think that I can honestly tell you how much more annoyed I get when I hear a song from the Jonas Brothers, or even more so, see them getting interviewed by somebody as prominent as Barbara Walters. What is this world coming to when a news journalist has to interview a bunch of prepubescent boys who sound like they are pooping when they sing? Their voices are whinny and sound like nails on a chalk board to me.

In my opinion the Jonas Brothers are a sad downgrade to the 90's band Hanson and can never compare to them. Cyrus needs to stop dressing like she's 30, and realize she will never be as big as Britney was, so just let it go.

TV On The Radio's "Family Tree"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:49:00 +0000

Music is moving. It's emotional. It is partly because of this that people always consider their music the best. It simply must be because everyone's favorite artists are their own cup of tea, the certain strumming gee-tahr or soothing melody that makes them feel alive.

I was raised on good music and I have always told people I can tell within 10 seconds if I love a song or not. TV On The Radio's new album "Dear Science" is good, but one particular song has got IT.

That it? The first time I heard it, I was moved near tears. It chronicles a relationship, two lovers it seems that have found whatever is perfect for them.

Just listen. Take a trip to TV On The Radio's MySpace and invest the 5 minutes and 34 seconds to let the raw emotion envelope you and tell me you didn't feel something. Anything. If not, you are a robot. A heartless robot.

Or maybe it's not your certain something that moves you. For a real look into the song, here is a fan video of "Family Tree" live in Atlanta, GA at the Tabernacle.

Beautiful. Be moved.

Briana Monasky can be reached at bmonasky@statehornet.com.

Lily Allen, balloons, and social change.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:47:00 +0000

Lily Allen is back and I could not be more excited. Periodically, Allen has been posting a track here and there on her MySpace, sweet little surprises for her fans to give a listen before the release date for her much-awaited sophomore album.

On Dec. 4, she went above and beyond, releasing her new music video for "The Fear," which was previously titled "I Don't Know" when she gave her sneak peek on her website.

Here is the video in it's entirety, chock full of balloons and dancing presents.

I've always loved Allen for her ability to produce sugary sweet pop with an underlying message, whether it was the line from "I wanna be able to eat spaghetti bolognese and not feel bad about it for days and days and days," or now with her commentary on the need to be thin, to shamelessly cover herself in blood diamonds, calling herself a "weapon of massive consumption. This song is exactly what it needs to be - catchy, sing-songy pop. Upon closer inspection and bears the same type of messages she needs to address.

Follow-up: Maybe Coldplay copied Satriani, after all

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:47:00 +0000

In our most recent episode of Sac in Stereo, we discussed songs that sound similar to each other (click here to listen). One of the similarities we mentioned was Coldplay's megahit "Viva la Vida" and the two other songs that sound suspiciously like to it - Creaky Boards' "The Songs I Didn't Write" and Joe Satriani's "If I Could Fly."

Maybe Satriani's lawyers were listening. The day after our podcast was posted, Satriani officially sued the British band for copyright infringement.

The guitar icon said hearing Coldplay's song was instantly very painful for him.

"I felt like a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much," Satriani told MusicRadar.com. "The second I heard it, I knew it was (my own) 'If I Could Fly.' "

He said the most painful thing about Coldplay's alleged ripoff was the fact that his song took over 10 years to craft, and was a love song dedicated to his wife, Rubina.

During, the podcast, we played the following mashup track, courtesy of YouTube user Matt Bethel, aka iGotSpaceLikeNasa:

During the podcast, I suggested that maybe all these musicians just happened upon this fairly simple melody in a bit of coincidence. Satriani and Bethel seem to disagree, and more and more people have been hearing their case: Bethel's original video comparing the two songs has been viewed almost 1.5 million times.

Coldplay hasn't officially commented on the lawsuit, although frontman did "promise" in a recent Q&A session (video at the bottom of the page - skip to 3:30) the band didn't borrow the melody from anyone whose name "rhymes with Moe Batriani."

Oh, and Joe, if you'd like to tell us what you think of our comparison, our e-mail address is podcasts@statehornet.com.

[photo courtesy flickr user Giandomenico Ricci]

Jazz singers compete for place on Ben Folds album

noreply@blogger.com (State Hornet Blogs) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:35:00 +0000

A couple weekends ago, I managed to catch Sacramento State's jazz vocal ensembles perform at JB's Lounge at the Red Lion Inn.

It wasn't the first time I saw the program's ensembles and it probably won't be the last. After all, the versatile vocals of the entire CSUS vocal jazz program may very well be coming to a Ben Folds Five album near you soon.

Those familiar with the program know that they prefer a forward-thinking brand of vocal jazz underpinned by an inclusive aesthetic espoused by Kerry Marsh, director the jazz vocal ensemble program.

Marsh seems to encourage his students to embrace pop influences, from Biz Markie to Radiohead. That night a couple weekends ago, C-Sus, the program's flagship ensemble, performed a pretty deft take on "How to Disappear Completely."

So when Ben Folds said he was looking for college a capella groups to contribute to a forthcoming album, it was no surprise then that Marsh and Co. jumped at the opportunity.

The video above was the vocal jazz program's official entry and damn if they don't have a good chance.

The next jazz vocal concert is December 12 at the music recital hall in Capistrano Hall on campus. Tickets are $8 for general admission and $5 for students.

As soon as we learn more about the contest, we'll let you know. And catch them now so you can say you saw them before they were famous.

Tejano Rock Concert: Raul Midon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:07:00 +0000

Raul Midon opened for Los Lonely Boys and played for one of the largest crowds this semester in the Union Ballroom on Thursday. Midon has been playing guitar since he was six years old. Midon created his own style he describes as 'classical Flamenco jazz guitar,' using pop lyrics, and improvisational percussion beats on his guitar as well as making trumpet sounds with his mouth.

Midon is more well known in countries in Europe and Asian. His "not jazz, not rock" genre has made it difficult for him to air on radio stations in the U.S., but Midon says "I am fortunate to be a full time artist and be recognized anywhere for what I do. If your not sure if you want to be and artist, don't do it. It is brutal and unfair, but if it's your calling it is the most rewarding experience."

Midon hopes that the acceptance he has been met world wide will eventually be the same in America. He has three albums out and continues to play small venues where he can in the states.

Photo Credit: Claire Padgett

Britney Spears' new single 'Womanizer' doesn't suck

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:54:00 +0000

I thought I'd never say it. I like a Britney Spears song. It's embarrassing. I claim to know about music and I can't get this song out of my head.

Here is a link to the smokin' (literally) video of Spears in her glorious and freshly fit state:

Now take a minute, and if you haven't watched it, do it now. If you've already seen it, watch it again. See that product placement? Nice phone, huh? Cool calendar it has, yeah? What about that camera on it. It's the Nokia 5800 Music phone, cleverly placed for your consumer salivation. iPhone competition much? Capitalism win. Sneaky!

Besides being marketing saavy, the video is definitely sexy. But didn't Spears do this 'dance' before in a video? Wasn't she a flight attendant or something? That's right. She was. 'Toxic.' Search it on youtube.com and see for yourself.

Seeing the repetition from her music videos got me thinking. How many times is Spears going to have a comeback? How many times is she going to pull one over on us? Or is she not really having a comeback any of these times?

Sometimes it feels like the money hungry record labels force these comebacks on us. It certainly is them signing the checks that get this girl on the airwaves in the first place.

They could have been the ones to blame for her downfall, that embarrassing chain of events that made Spears a laughing stock, and not just because she got drunk and married that guy she went to high school with in Las Vegas.

The one thing to remember when watching these videos or listening to her songs on the radio - even in snippets - is that this still is the troubled girl that 'wigged' out with that infamous VMA performance, ended up in rehab and had her sons taken away - and not necessarily in that order.

It obviously doesn't make her a bad person, but it certainly means that this 3nd supposed comeback should have taken longer than the methadone to wear off.

Places to hear Sac State music this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:59:00 +0000

alt : Concerts

Key:
RED = happening tonight
BLUE = happening Saturday
GREEN = happening Sunday

(note: if you can't see the map, you're probably using Internet Explorer. Click here.)

It's been a busy week for music, what with the Festival of New American Music and all. But sometimes it's hard to sneak away from the weekday grind to catch some live music. Now that the weekend is upon us, we can all bask in the free time and enjoy the music that Sacramento State has to offer. Here is a map of campus-related concerts this weekend; some are related to the festival, some are not.

See something we missed? Send an e-mail to ckitaura [at] statehornet.com.

KSSU to feature extended five-hour R&B show tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:52:00 +0000

Anyone planning a late-night study session or a romantic evening tonight will have an extended soundtrack thanks to KSSU's Mike "The Smooth Operator" Smith. Smith, a senior communication studies major, is the host of the station's weekly R&B show, "The Seductive Slow Jam Session."

Tonight he'll be burning the midnight oil as he extends his show to a five-hour special, set to run from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. He said this week is the perfect time for the special show. (click here to listen live)

"This week there's a lot of big things going on," Smith said. In addition to the presidential election, he wants to build anticipation for the Causeway Classic football game against UC Davis Saturday.

"Let's really stick it to UC Davis to show our R&B radio show can last longer," Smith, who is also KSSU's sports director, said.

He encourages listeners to make requests or shout-outs by calling in (916-278-3666) or e-mailing or commenting on his MySpace page - which he refreshes regularly during the show.

Smith said he's had callers say they appreciate the show as a mellow backdrop to a night of studying, but his aim is "definitely romantic."

Smith said he's "hoping there's people out there (listening to the show) with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Whether they're in the act or not . . . I'm all about the love."

Tonight's show will be a mixture of "mostly '90s and 2000s," Smith said, adding that no artist will be repeated during the five-hour block.

Some of the artists played tonight will include Earth, Wind & Fire, R. Kelly, K-Ci & JoJo. Here are a couple more songs that will be played tonight:

LSG - My Body

Silk - I Can Go Deep

Keith Sweat - Put Your Lovin' Through the Test

KSSU can be heard on AM 1580 or online at KSSU.com (click here to launch streaming broadcast).

Follow-ups: Free Dr Pepper for all, Pandora spiraling downward, full Obama mix released

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 06:06:00 +0000

Somewhere, a marketing exec is losing his job

Last semester on Sac in Stereo, we discussed the long-delayed Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy," and Dr Pepper's promise to give each and every person in the United States a free soda if the album is released before the end of 2008.

Well, apparently Axl Rose (the only remaining founding member of the group) really likes Dr Pepper, because he kicked into high gear and now the album is slated for a Nov. 25 release date. But what about our soda?

This week MTV News finally answered the question everyone has been murmuring, and yes, everyone in the country is indeed getting a free soda. Here's a snippet:

According to a spokesperson for the company, full details of Dr Pepper's rollout plan won't be released until Guns N' Roses go on the record about the release date, despite the fact that Best Buy has already begun taking online preorders for the disc. Best Buy will be the sole retail purveyor of the set, as part of an exclusive deal announced late last month.

. . .

The Dr Pepper spokesperson told MTV News that, while additional details will be forthcoming, the company's plan to distribute free cans of its product will involve some sort of an online coupon system. "People will go on Dr Pepper's Web site and we will send them a coupon for a free one," the spokesperson confirmed. "It's going to be real easy."

I, for one, am getting thirsty already.

Internet radio staff manning the lifeboats?

In the most recent episode of Sac in Stereo (listen here!), we discussed the shaky future of Internet radio icon Pandora. Right now, the site is battling to reverse a March 2007 court ruling forcing the site to cough up 70 percent of its revenue to record execs [note: In the podcast, we incorrectly stated that the change in revenue was being delayed - it is, in fact, already in effect. Our bad. -CK].

Pandora top gun Tim Westergren has already said the change could force the site out of business, and Thursday he announced 20 of the site's 140 employees were being shown the door.

He blamed the cuts not so much on the fight over royalty fees, but the slowing economy. Then he went on to say that ad revenues are growing quickly. Huh?

Wired writes:

Indeed, despite the news, all is not gloom and doom for the webcaster. "There are tough times ahead for the economy, but our listenership is growing rapidly, the Internet radio royalty rate resolution seems finally near, and the explosion of mobile devices like the iPhone are opening up a world of opportunity for internet radio to expand off the desktop," added Westergren. "Moreover, our ad sales are growing so well that, not only did we not make any reductions there, we need to continue to hire more. It's just hard to be excited about all that today."

But, of course, all this goes out the window (along with the other 120 employees) if the royalty fees aren't changed soon.

Full political party mix released

Just a couple weeks ago, the Sac in Stereo crew made its picks for a soundtrack for the campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama (Sac in Stereo No. 14, if you're curious). Jake mentioned a sort of stump remix DJ Z-Trip was performing at fundraising jam sessions, with proceeds going to the Obama campaign. The mix takes snippets of Obama speeches and various political statements and, simply put, sets them to a sweet mashup beat.

With the election looming closer and closer, Z-Trip finally released an mp3 of the full duration of his mix. The almost-85-MB and 55-minute-long .zip file is available at his website, along with this message:

I encourage you to download it and pass it along to anyone you think should hear it. Feel free to burn copies, share it with friends, family, co-workers, strangers, and especially anyone you know is on the fence about this election. I'm also putting out a radio friendly version, in case anyone wants to broadcast it.

Please share the message. Educate those who may not know what is really going on. There is still time.

If you, or anyone you know, isn't registered to vote, I encourage you to make it a priority and fix that before it's too late. This election is WAY too important for anyone to not get involved. If you need more information on how and where to register, vote, or participate, please check the links below.

And in the interest of equal coverage for both sides, here's an update on the musical aspirations of the McCain camp: Add the Foo Fighters to the list of musicians angry at the way the GOP candidate is using their songs.

Turns out McCain is blasting "My Hero," an iconic (and awesome) Foo Fighters jam, at rallies. Like some of the examples we discussed in the podcast, the Republicans are in fact paying all the appropriate royalties, but the band never signed off on the use.

Here's what frontman Dave Grohl had to say (via Wired):

"The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential," the politically active rock outfit said in a statement, which at this writing had not yet been posted to its official site. "To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

What do you think? Should campaigns use whatever songs they can afford to pay royalty fees for, or should the original artists be consulted first?

[Dr Pepper photo courtesy Flickr member Darwin Bell]
[DJ Z-Trip photo courtesy Flickr member evoque]

Ray LaMontagne's new album 'Gossip In The Grain'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:37:00 +0000

Sometimes you just need a little soul in your life. Ray LaMontagne's new studio album, "Gossip in the Grain," released Tuesday will give that soul back to you, just in case you lost it.

School stresses me out. Work starts the second I leave class. I need to groove it on down in order to keep my cool.

The album begins with a bang. This is a side of Ray I've never heard before. This is Motown. This is less folk, more funk. And I like it.

Horns dart back and forth in my eardrums and I can't help but make my shoulders sway along with them. And then it happens. The magic comes. LaMontagne's soulful voice serenades me, telling me, "Babayyyyyyyyyyy... it's been a long day, babayyyy.."

Oh, Ray, it has been a long day...

This album, as I move from track to track, feels so different from the two other studio albums that brought me closer to this Maine man.

"Trouble," LaMontagne's 2004 debut album featuring the heartbreaking and unforgettable "All the Wild Horses," the song that brings me to tears even if I'm having a good day, feels so foreign when compared to what I heard at my own personal listening party.

"Let It Be Me" feels like home, and feels familiar - except it's different.

"I Still Care For You" begins with this sliding guitar strings similar to the intro to every Mazzy Star track I fell in love with. He matches her flowing soft lyrics and reverb. If I ever fall in love again, it will be to this song.

"Hey Me, Hey Mama" makes me miss the extended family in Missouri. The Banjo, the group of yokels chanting in the background, the roughness of LaMontagne's drawl, it all makes me feel at home.

LaMontagne wraps up his present with the the fleeting seconds of the title track, "Gossip In The Grain," leaving me wondering when I'll hear more...

And then iTunes took it upon itself to start it all over... and the horns dart back and forth in my eardrums.

It's about the jazz, not the clothing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:26:00 +0000

I was stuck. T-shirt or collared shirt? I figured slacks would be too much, so I settled on jeans.

I was on my way to Savanna's Lounge (inside the Red Lion Inn on Arden Way) for its weekly Thursday night jazz concert. It was to be my first trip to a "jazz club." What do people wear to jazz clubs? Visions of smokey rooms filled with sophisticated fans swirled through my head.

I didn't care about being the best-dressed one there - somewhere in the lower 10th percentile is fine with me - I just didn't want to be the worst-dressed one there.

I arrived at school to pick up a friend who would be going with me to see he was wearing the same thing he had been wearing earlier in the day. How anticlimactic.

"This thing is off-campus?" he asked incredulously.

Once we arrived, clothing all but faded from our minds as we took a seat at a tall table glowing with a single candle. The first performer was finishing her set, and the room was all but empty. Maybe it just seemed that way because of the huge open spaces between tables and seats.

The hotel is in the middle of renovations, and a stripe of yellow caution tape hung over a black velvet curtain covering a doorway.

The band was calm and the mood was relaxed, and a couple of visitors wearing blazers nursed sandwiches or drinks. It occurred to me that this would be a good place to bring a date if I wanted to trick her into thinking I had sophisticated, refined tastes.

At 8 p.m., Sacramento State senior Glynis Davies took the stage for a set with the house band. Her voice bounced lightly through her upper and lower registers as she swayed and bounced with the rhythm.

She meekly thanked the crowd between songs as the group of students who had materialized just before her set hung on her every note, heads bobbing subtly.

Her relaxed set lasted about an hour, and included a cameo from fellow jazz studies major Arlyn Anderson on guitar.

Savanna's Lounge will feature Sac State students as guest performers for the next two Thursdays. The relaxed atmosphere would be a good place for a first jazz concert, and seasoned fans will appreciate the skilled performers.

There is no cover charge, and the bar/restaurant is all-ages. Click here for driving directions. For more information, call (916) 922-8041.

Listen to a (low-quality) recording from the concert here:

Throat singers, pop, punk rock and, oh, apparently music sucks

noreply@blogger.com (State Hornet Blogs) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:49:00 +0000

We're nothing here at The State Hornet if not schizophrenic. Depending on our mood, we'll either celebrate music as a life-affirming force or deride it as a barren wasteland of washed-up pop stars. We just like to keep you on your toes.

This week, our ire was fueled by commercial radio and a famous pop star's sibling. Meanwhile, throat singers and punk rockers reminded us why the sounds of the world leave us in constant marvel.

Solange Knowles' latest album "Sol-Angel and the St. Hadley Dreams," though an improvement over her debut, didn't muster enough to win over our reviewer. Beyonce's sister seems doomed to remain known as "Beyonce sister" despite a couple of assists from Pharell and the singing half of Gnarls Barkley, Cee-lo.

In other news, music sucks. Mainstream music, to be exact. Disagree? Get on over to our Opinion section and let 'em know otherwise.

Elsewhere, a couple live music performances knocked our socks off. First, An on-campus performance by Chirgilchin, a world-renowned troupe of Tuvan throat singers, left audience members entranced by their hypnotic sound. And on the same night, Los Angeles punks X stormed through Sacramento and left their gentrifying fanbase in ruins.

Where else are you going to get a review of Solange and a video of Tuvan throat singers in the same place?

Only The State Hornet, friend.

Don't call it a comeback!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:56:00 +0000

LISTEN TO MORE ON THESE TOPICS ON THIS WEEK'S SAC IN STEREO PODCAST AT STATEHORNET.COM/PODCASTS

It seems 2008 is the year of the musical comeback for a few well-known artists, as legends Metallica, AC/DC, Journey and LL Cool J are all releasing new albums. But how do they stack up against the originals?

Metallica

then - Master Of Puppets (released 1986; performance from 1989)

now - The Day That Never Comes (2008)

Does it stack up? Well, when you take into account their most recent album, 2003's St. Anger (which was a travesty), there's really nowhere to go but up. Surely the band's newer material must be better than that, right? Right?

Death Magnetic, which was released Tuesday, is a definite throwback to Metallica's older material. It's a step in the right direction, but like so many other artists in this genre, after a few tracks all the chugging guitars start melting together and it all starts to sound the same.

Journey

then - Faithfully (1983, sung by Steve Perry)

now - Faithfully (2008, sung by Arnel Pineda)

As many drunken karaoke participants have probably found out, Journey is not a band most men can sing along to. It takes a special kind of vocal talent to hit the highs that Steve Perry made famous in the formative years of the band. But by some unexpected aligning of the planets, Journey happened upon 41-year-old Arnel Pineda, who was fronting an '80s cover band in the Philippines when he was called up to the big leagues.

Journey's first new album with Pineda, Revelation, was released in June. In case this is the first you've heard of it, there's not much need to worry. The band hasn't had any recent revelations in its songwriting, so the only thing fresh about the two-disc set is the addition of Pineda's strong vocals. Long-time fans should be delighted by the second disc, a live recording of the band doing justice to Journey's classic back catalog. So, let's review. The only good things about this album are a singer who sounds just like the original singer and covers of the band's old songs. Hmm.

AC/DC

then - Back in Black (released 1980; performance from 1981)

now - Rock 'N' Roll Train (2008)

From the first instant someone hears Rock 'N' Roll Train, that person is going to know it's AC/DC. That person will bob his head, nodding along to the familiar, jagged guitar sound. Then he'll be surprised when tries to sing along and realizes it's not a song from 1980. AC/DC has never really been known for its diversity, but that's OK. AC/DC is a one-trick-pony, but it's a hell of a trick. No matter how many times I hear the raunchy guitars and driving drums in the 1980 album Back in Black, I still nod my head and air-drum along. Now the band seems to be on the path to recreating the attitude from that same album - except many years later. Turns out we'll have to wait until Oct. 16 to find out whether the stylistic rehash is worth Angus Young squeezing back into his school uniform.

LL Cool J

then - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

now - Baby ft. The Dream (2008)

Over the years, rap pioneer LL Cool J has produced a steady stream of albums constantly changing and evolving with whatever is popular at the time. His songs almost always seem up-to-the-times and relevant, but they don't stay that way for long. He quickly adapts to the next type of style to dominate the airwaves, all while focusing his lyrics mainly on making women swoon while still maintaining his claim as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). The Greatest What could be debatable, though - LL Cool J has definitely been a force in hip-hop over the years, but at this point in the 40-year-old's career, he may just be the Greatest Chameleon in hip-hop, struggling to blend in with the hottest flavors of the month. The only sticking point is that he earns his title with his 13th studio album, Exit 13 - a radio-friendly, club-ready compilation of songs split between the two major subjects of women and his elder status in the hip-hop community. So while it's true that LL Cool J's "been here for years," Mama told him to knock out any attempts at being profound in his lyrics a long time ago.

LISTEN TO MORE ON THESE TOPICS ON THIS WEEK'S SAC IN STEREO PODCAST AT STATEHORNET.COM/PODCASTS

What do you think? Are these artists washed up or just getting warmed up? Post your thoughts in a comment below or send them to podcasts@statehornet.com!

Friday at the Fungarden

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:46:00 +0000

I don’t get out to shows as much as I used to. Maybe I’m just getting old, but sometimes it can seem like a challenge to get excited about the prospect. I find myself asking myself, do I really want to slum through a collection of amateurish bands just to hear to some artist I somewhat like?

Honestly, the answer is usually yes. I don’t mind that at all. The real problem is finding a place that will host a steady stream of bands I can get behind.

Enter: Luigi’s Fungarden.

After the unceremonious departure of Fool’s Foundation, Sacramento seemed a little less exciting for me personally. The area lost a great venue for unheard music. Outside of the random house/basement show or a sojourn to the Bay Area, gone was that consistent fix for the immaculate amateurs, the wobble-voiced folk singers, the dirty garage punks, noise provocateurs and other assorted loonies.

So when the Fungarden sprouted up back in late July-August, I was instantly intrigued. The lineup of shows was diverse and tapped oddball locals as well as smaller touring independent artists without the draw to get booked at some of the larger venues in town. Throw in the fact that the Fungarden is tied to Luigi’s Slice, a fine proprietor of pizza pies and beer, and the place seemed too good to be true.

It took a couple false starts, but I made a visit in early August to see Oakland no-goodniks Nobunny and was thoroughly impressed. Not only was this place bringing intriguing artists to town (at a reasonable 5$ a show), but it was also a highly organized operation headed up by KDVS stalwart DJ Rick. There was a sound guy, lighting and even someone taking money at the door. While those things might sound like par for the course for a music venue, these are things one does not take for granted at the typical underground show.

As an added bonus, the venue welcomes that oft-ignored segment of the music loving audience, the underage crowd. The choice puts Fungarden in stark relief to most music joints, given Sacramento’s dearth of all-ages venues. A few pepper the suburbs, but most in the city proper disappear far too quick.

So on Friday, a couple children ran around between sets by locals San Kazakgascar and Portland-based Eternal Tapestry (pictured). Both bands dabbled in mutated forms of the stoned, psychedelic rock formula, doling out guitar harangues and heaviness without blinking an eye. Probably too loud of the little ones, but perfect for most of the audience, who bobbed in approval of both bands. Eternal Tapestry was especially impressive, ending their show with a full on freak-out, tossing implements off stage and breaking guitar strings left and right.

U.S. Girls, the evening’s headliner, was somewhat anti-climatic in comparison, or at least a 180 from the sweaty, masculine charge of her openers.

Though pluralized, U.S. Girls is just one gal, Meghan Remy. Remy's work takes off on a tangent from her work as drummer for defunct noise mavericks Hustler White. As a solo entity, she plumbs the vast gorge between the dreamy ambiance of Arthur Russell and the abrasive performance art of Diamanda Galas.

"Experimental" is the cliched tag bandied here, so, uh, naturally, she covers Kinks and Bruce Springsteen tunes. Indeed, it was her version of Springsteen’s “Prove It All Night” which first caught my ear and dragged it away, kicking and screaming.

In spite of her narcotic delivery, Remy was as loud as either of the bands that proceeded her. Yet the tunes lulled as much as they did irreparable damage to the hearing. She requested complete darkness on the stage, so by the light of a LED keychain, she turned out a seamless string of songs to a crowd of entranced and (a few) perplexed listeners. Yelps, found sounds and a steady wave of distortion.

Since it’s in the heart of midtown, Fungarden will hopefully avoid some of the issues that plagued similar venues. Zoning laws, fire code violations and noise complaints shouldn’t be an issue since the place is wedged between a couple of clubs and is housed by a reputable business.

And interest seems respectable: on Friday, the narrow room boasted at least a good 30 to 40 people at peak wandering in and out. That might not seem like much on a Friday night, take in consideration the brand of entertainment.

While I'd love to see this place packed, right now, the intimacy works fine for me. I'm not a fan of the big crowds. But then again, I'm getting old.

Luigi's Slice and Fungarden is located at 1050 20th Street, just off of J Street in the MARRS building.

U.S. Girls' Introducing on Siltbreeze records.