11 posts tagged “clip”

Kevin was a riot! A thank you to Angela for intro'ing us. Original story here.

(And, if you have a moment: what do you think of my photography skillz?)

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A Chat With Division Day

"We met at UCLA. No, in a hot tub. No, UCLA...no, the orgy that took place in a hot tub," said drummer Kevin Lenhart with a giant smile when I ask him how he and his buddies formed Division Day.

We had a chance to chitchat with them back in the mid-fall about the new record as well as catch them at their very last show of 2007 at Popscene in late December. Beartrap Island, which came out on Eenie Meenie Records in October, finds the Los Angeles band with some Bay Area roots paying tribute to indie rock patrons before them while also combining a furious but subtle electro and cadence section.

Division Day played a fall show schedule with friends The New Trust, which found the four piece making the rounds across the country on their first national tour, and also taking the band cross-country in big cities, sometimes double playing shows in the day and night time. When we caught up with Lenhart in October at Bottom of the Hill, he said that the grueling schedule "is what we live for" and that having the traveling bug "is so great to get to have in a band."

It's not bad for the group who used to play in their native Visalia along the ranks of the Cellar Door and Howie's Pizza venues, which would feed the bands that played and had a great vibe, according to Lenhart.

At their Popscene show, which closed out a phenomenal year of music for both the indie club and the band themselves, Division Day climbed on stage to deliver rhythmic anthems like "Tigers," which included harmonies and guitar picks true to the likes of early Spoon and traces of Pinback. The band blended a good combination of pop and dance rock tunes for the sold-out crowd to bob heads and raise beers to.

Lenhart says Division Day will focus effort on new writing while touring for the current one; here is to 2008 being good to the boys as 2007 was.

Photos by Jenz

Division Day
MySpace

By Jenn Hernandez ||||| [Jenz] Jan 04, 2008 in NEWS

My first clip of 2008! Original here.

Also, I know I did that whole teasing thing with my favorite three records of 2007...but I wrote the whole thing at work and I won't be at that job til Saturday. Sorry, lambs!

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Sigur Ros

Heima (XL Recordings)

I saw Sigur Ros about two years ago, and nothing could have prepared me for the sheer heart wrenching turmoil I experienced. I don't know what's in Iceland's waters to make music from there so wonderfully amazing (Bjork, hello - I'm talking to you), but I was sold sitting in the Paramount Theatre with a group of friends who had introduced me to the group.

You know how there are those moments in life where everything unexpected happens, and this sense of your speech is stripped of your throat so much that any noise you try to initiate is muted? That's really how I feel about Sigur Ros, and I don't even consider myself to be a gigantic fan. But this band - they have a hold over me. I am captivated within the first notes. I sit down to listen and immerse myself wholly and fully to every click, every turn, every movement in prose and composition. Bands these days rarely make me stop in on their MySpace pages, let alone move me in such a way. Describe the magnitude of this band? The crazy but endearingly heavy voice, the soft percussion, the weird instruments and atypical brass/distortion, all the layering, the build-ups and the utter shattering of expectations of where the song is going, the wall of sound that brings you in, the woozy but haunting keys and tiny sounds that make everything? Dude, I'm totally getting emotional just thinking about it.

We had a chance to screen the new Sigur Ros documentary and listen to the soundtrack for Heima, a beautiful film shot in 2006. Our emotional state was shot after being audibly assaulted, in the good way.

After the band toured the world in venues we're used to being in, the guys returned to their native Iceland to play free, unannounced shows nearly anywhere that would take them: in front of a dam, a reception hall, a farm with some cows outside.

The film opens with people silk screening T-shirts and is divided into chapters of the places Sigur Ros plays, which is annotated each time someone makes a new T-shirt with the name of the city on the chest. Ideas of giving back and coming home are emphasized by all the members of Sigur Ros throughout the film, who also appear for interviews in between songs. "It just seemed what we had to do," one of them says in his cute Icelandic accent.

Heima is as much of a typical band documenting their tour experiences as the next guys, but underlying themes and wonderfully shot footage set apart the film on its own. Landscape changes and gentrification that's scoped Iceland like wildfire is addressed, and the band teamed up with the Icelandic Historical Society to intersplice early footage with what the modern locations look like. At Karahnjuka, a dam has been installed after much resistance from the community there; it was not the most viable option for the town and could have been worked out otherwise. The band performs acoustically in front of the dam, part free concert motive, and part political stance. The performance is acoustic, as the dam represents electricity unnecessarily required, and the wind stops howling loudly almost as if to give the group permission to perform - it picks up after they finish. It is such an epic showcase for lead singer Jón _ór Birgisson's voice, which has the time to develop these dark, beautiful cadences and grand, sprawling falsettos in his vocal capacity, I'll admit it - I totally cried at the end of the song out of its sheer beauty.

I hugged all my friends I went to see the film with afterwards. Heima seriously makes you love humans; you see grandparents bringing their grandchildren to these shows, people touching each other for comfort and love; people bundling up to come together not only to watch a band play but also to be with each other; people eating sandwiches and flying kites and drinking tea. This overwhelming sense of love comes over you and instills faith in a side of humanity we don't celebrate often. The film has a romantic feel to it, with each segment color rich with eye candy. If not for the fact that Sigur Ros is in the film playing music, Heima is also worth watching for great cinematography and imagery. While the editing can be a little shaky at parts to tell the story cohesively, the movie captures the essence of Iceland and will make you 'want to go home' too.

Sigur Ros
MySpace

By Jenn Hernandez ||||| [Jenz] Jan 02, 2008 in REVIEWS, MOVIES

And from one of my top three records of this year...

Original clip here.

For being a morose-tuned band, Interpol sure pulled out the jams at their San Francisco show. Even though Paul Banks sings sometimes about how the soul will fade, he felt so much today, and resting his chemistry, there is still this underlying element (albeit very small) of pop I didn't notice until their show at Bill Graham Civic.

Paul Banks and co. spoke for a total of two minutes throughout their hour and a half set, instead transferring their energy into nailing each of their songs on the 17-count roster. Opening with the haunting "Pioneer to the Falls," guitarist Daniel Kessler plucked his trademark, dark-rhythmic guitar line to pull the audience in for the ride with Banks' voice descending over the crowd, more confident and having more depth than I've seen him do.

Old and new favorites popped up, the band sticking to their three studio albums to compose their set. "Say Hello To The Angels" had Banks spit out the chorus in impressive time, and "Take You On A Cruise" was a great example of the imagery used for the backdrop, a Pollack-esque scramble of paint morphing into a huge eye by the end.

Two big surprises included the use of a ballad, something the New York band seems to be mastering quite well unintentionally. Single "No I In Threesome" started out with its per-usual keys, but developed a slow cadence throughout the song, the line "Sound meets sound, babe" before the chorus being met with a warm light that shined on the band and Banks taking the time to really invest in his singing. It was such a refreshing take on a new song. "Rest My Chemistry" also came up like an 11th-hour contender, the star being drummer Sam Fogarino, absolutely keeping perfect beat and time during the chorus, his sticks hitting the skins in such an sharp way I almost thought the band was using a loop machine.

But what surprised me was the pop element that is usually not associated with Interpol; I don't think they're going to be running to Madonna anytime soon to cut a new record, but there seemed to be this air of both dance ability and ease among the band; I was pleased at how many people danced and seemed genuinely happy to be there, which made me have a huge grin the whole night. Maybe they have finally gotten to the point of perfection, where songs roll off the axe and vocals float effortless across auditoriums. Whatever it is, Interpol has it, and I am so glad I went to bear witness.

Setlist:
"Pioneer to the Falls"
"Obstacle One"
"Cmere"
"Narc"
"Say Hello To The Angels"
"The Scale"
"Mammoth"
"Take You On A Cruise"
"No I In Threesome "
"Slow Hands"
"Rest My Chemistry"
"Heinrich Maneuver"
"Evil"
"Not Even Jail"

Encore:
"Untitled"
"Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down"
"PDA"

Interpol
MySpace

By Jenn Hernandez ||||| [Jenz] Nov 15, 2007 in NEWS

Trying to compile clips and such...life is hard, I know. Original here.

I love historical documents and the GPS system, so I thought the Northampton, UK group called Maps might be up my alley. Known for their exquisite layering and wall of sound building via distortion and dreamy shoegaze, I was curious to see if the tangled noise of songs like "It Will Find You" would resonate through a club.

The vibrations emitted from the heavy bass and sharp keys sliced through my skirt for the entirety of the show. I would gauge how hard the band was playing by how much my skirt bounced against my knees - one-two-three-four in a two-second interval, twenty in a minute loop. Songs like "You Don't Know Her Name" combined remnants of the second Britpop wave movement like Boards of Canada and Slowdive with an electronica approach to dance pop music a la DJ Shadow, woozy backdrop muddles coupled with lead singer James' soft but steady vocals. Just as I was starting to enjoy this style, "It Will Find You" came to grab me for a go on the dance floor, industrial blips, sounding like they came from a power plant or warehouse facility or other actual industrial site, laid on top of the twiddles and tweaks of keys. Build-up from start to finish took the whole whole crowd on a magic carpet ride.

Heading out of Bottom Of The Hill, I couldn't help but feel more people should have been in attendance at this show. I have a feeling the next time Maps plays, people will be watching with a more intent eye while those in attendance at Bottom's gig would bask in the discovery of something spectacular early on.

Maps
MySpace

By Jenn Hernandez ||||| [Jenz] Sep 28, 2007 in NEWS

Tripwire clip fun time! Original here.

Poignant albums serve as markers in life, a Post-It note if you will about what events, people, and experiences were like at certain stages. If you think about it, life is long; so much can happen in between the time you are a kid up until your golden days in retirement.

For me, my freshman year in college in 2002 marked a birth, a new start in my academic and personal life. I'd moved away from home to my current one of San Francisco, and music undoubtedly had an influence on that as well as provided the soundtrack. Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights and Placebo's Sleeping With Ghosts were some of the albums that came out that year, and I have such fond memories of cranking those albums up in my dorm room on campus, violating quiet hours.

Kenna's New Sacred Cow was also one of those albums I associate with that year of growth. It was one of my first exposures to electronic-based music, and I remember dancing to "Freetime" at one of my first off-campus parties, the bass-like synth emanating throughout these oak hardwood floors while I clutched a beer in my underage fingers.

But for whatever reason, I never got a chance to see Kenna perform until last night, five whole years later. Touring was never in my area, or I simply missed him; but last night's Fillmore show fulfilled my half-decade quest to see the East Coast native.

Initially, though, I was worried about it - I heard new material off Make Sure They See My Face was more rock-oriented, not the club-like jams and dance anthems I was familiar with. Needless to say, all what I heard off MSTSMF was even better than I expected, especially live, which is a critical way for artists to tell their stories. Backed by a live band, Kenna bounced around on stage, songs like "Say Goodbye To Love" bordering on an R&B kick but still employing that infectious hook and drumbeat. "Face The Gun" honored the electronic component I was so desperate to hang on to, the subtle synth keys serving as a great compliment to the guitars. There is a great sense of growth Kenna has taken in the gap where I obsessed to this night at the Fillmore, finally seeing him - a full band has granted him the permission to not only branch out but also experiment with beats. To my disappointment, no songs off New Sacred Cow were performed, but I was okay with that - maybe it was good such an important album to me to be is left alone, to be revered on its own accord.

While headlining band She Wants Revenge took stage, a friend and I stood in line in the lobby to get our stuff signed by the man I'd waited to see for so long. When we finally reached the table, I couldn't help but blurt out everything I just wrote above; the wait, the despair I experienced as an 18 year-old discovering music for the first time. Kenna laughed after he introduced himself, obviously not expecting my word vomit, but saying that the process to be standing in front of us was a long one. "I'm going to tour next year, headling even!" he said as he inked a copy of New Sacred Cow for me. He said there were even plans for a new album in the fall of next year, having written much of the material already. After chatting for a few more minutes, we settled in to watch She Wants Revenge try to be original and ate apples.

My first copy of New Sacred Cow is a burned version someone down my college dorm hall gave to my roommate freshman year. It came full circle to have the rightful copy now in my collection last night. And signed to boot.

Kenna
MySpace

By Jenn Hernandez ||||| [Jenz] Nov 16, 2007 in NEWS

I have only been able to catch my breath as of recently...being on the school newspaper is kind of kicking my ass, as well as picking up more responsibilities at the Tripwire as well as being PR manager and outreach coordinator at my internship. I usually don't delve into my personal life but if you look at it, I've been doing a SHITLOAD of writing. Can you get Swedish massages for your fingers?

A quick recap before I dive into today's music fun time:

• Part two of my Treasure Island Music Festival review went live; I also shot the slideshow accompanying the piece at the bottom. Yay for photo passes! All in all I had such a positive experience at the festival, I hope Noise Pop and Another Planet continue it...which reminds me, I also got listed on the "press" section for the festival via MySpace. You know you're legit when it's on the 'Space.
• The new Two Gallants and Matt Pond PA that came out last week and this week respectively are definitely worth checking out; both are swinging into town next month as well. My reviews are entertaining to read (I love being able to cuss).
  
• Speaking of the Trip, I am so overtaking it right now: today's home page has my PB&J show review, that Matt Pond PA CD review, and a interview I did with the wonderful Jamie T...sweeping the nation!
• Also: 34 days til MADNESS I tell you! Madness!

In what the fuck news today: we all know about the VMA disaster, the death threat on K-Fed, the babies' safety, the rehab, the erratic behavior, the lesbian rumors, the drug abuse allegations. But the weirdest thing Britney Spears has done so far in my opinion is ask for a tampon from a paparazzi at a Quizno's.

What?!

Oh, sweet Jesus...So I'm like two weeks late in posting this clip, but hey. At least I posted it.

Unnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnh.

(I would like to note that they are now upping me in NEWS now and not just CORRESPONDENT FROM SF WHO LIKES TO GET DRUNK AT SHOWS AND WRITE ABOUT THEM. I am moving up in the world.)

Linky-loo: here.

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Live - Bloc Party @ Concourse Design Center | SF

One of my worries for the past three months hasn't been the war in Iraq, or my apartment always being in discord, or the fact I totally am working 40 hours a week on top of taking 18 units at school and going to shows. No. I have been concerned whether or not Bloc Party was going to duplicate "The Prayer" live.

I thought it kind of funny I was spending St. Patrick's Day with a British band, but made no qualms as my good friends Kristin and Kim accompanied me inside the Concourse Design Center on Saturday. This venue is typically used as a conference center and reminds me of a carpeted cafeteria, so after we checked out the merch booth and I scored a sweet Bloc tote, we made our way towards the floor. The Concourse isn't exactly known for its sound, and thus you need to be in the first half of the venue for the sound to be good.

We ended up on the stage left side of the railing after realizing we couldn't see anything on the floor. Lead singer Kele Okereke was softly singing the lines to opening track "Song For Clay (Disappear Here)" off Weekend In The City, a moody and postpunk-influenced song that grabbed most of the sold-out crowd's attention that they were on stage.

And then Bloc Party brought the party.

Bobbing my head during "Positive Tension" and screaming "So fucking useless!" at the top of my lungs. Going batshit insane during "Hunting For Witches" with that crazy weird pitter-patter of blips and down-spiraling computer intro. Swooning over shredder Russell Lissack during "Like Eating Glass" with all of the layered and woozy guitar. Singing through "I Still Remember" and literally pointing out "my left behind" during "Banquet" with the girls, I could have left the show fully satisfied until I heard the first looming, ominous claps and Kele's low voice for "The Prayer." Not only is this my favorite song off Weekend, I think it's pretty much the sex and have seriously been anxious to see if it would sound as good live. Not only was it delicious and creepy, I also am a sucker for songs you can clap to. Only me.

After a few wipes to my forehead to bat away the sweat, and collecting Kristin after she snuck backstage with essentially the greatest of ease, we blasted "The Prayer" on Kim's car with the sun roof and windows open and singing at the top of our lungs. I saw Bloc Party at the Greek in August of last year, and something seemed a bit off; their meshing with each other wasn't as smooth as I remembered. Between then and now, though, they have managed to knit themselves back together and are ready to rule the world. Bring it.

Bloc Party
MySpace

By Jenn Hernandez Mar 21, 2007 in NEWS

Why Safari hates me, I am unsure...until I can hop on a computer that has Firefox and add the link properly, here's my review in the flesh below as it appears on the Trip site today. These dudes are teh rulezor.

Kurt Loder apparently fired from MTV, and Thom Yorke's called "ugly."

NOT COOL, people.

Also, my Stellastarr* Bottom of the Hill review was posted yesterday. Go strobes.

One of my ex-boyfriends emailed me today to wish me a happy Valentine's Day. It pretty much melted my heart. He is such a good person and affirmed my trust and respect in him. I fucking love him to death and miss him and his sister and brother and parents and parents' fish and chips shop in the UK tremendously (the latter the most - kidding). He gave me a little spark of happiness today and has made me smile for the last few hours.

Unfortunately, he also was a huge Britney Spears fan so every time I think of him I hear "I'm A Slave 4 U" in my head. I'll forgive him though. He's introduced me to Basement Jaxx, Gnarles Barkley, Orson, and a shitload of other bands in our history and takes me record shopping whenever I'm on his side of the pond in Manchester, so I can't be too mad. He even comes with me when I go clothes shopping and HOLDS MY PURSE. Like, we enter the store and he takes my bag or whatever I have and plops himself down on a bench and says "Go have fun. I'll watch your stuff."

Floored? Yeah, me too. Ladies, Martin Chan lives in Manchester, UK and is up for grabs.

I'm going to listen to a lot of _______ when I get home.

Keyboarder speaks out on new haircuts, Justin Timberlake, and matching asterisk tattooes. Mandy Tannen, officially new favorite person.

Clippy clip is here! Read below if you'd like.

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Interview - Stellastarr*

Mandy Tannen is cruising down Sunset Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles when I call her, which I would expect from the keyboardist of dance pop darlings Stellastarr*. It's only fitting as her band is currently on tour for a new record to drop sometime this year. When I hear Tannen tell her manager she's popping into Walgreen's to grab some hair product, though, I can't help but giggle.

"I just got a new haircut!" she says as we chat about the new record, Justin Timberlake, and her background as a graphic designer. Even rock stars go to Walgreen's too.

Tannen and co. are bouncing around the state of California playing new material, a jaunt that only takes them to seven cities on opposite coasts and that lasts two weeks this month. After 2005's Harmonies For The Haunted, the band took time off to focus on making a new record, something that is still in the works now.

"We are definitely taking our time with this record, but I think it will be for the best," said Tannen. "We want something that really defines us."

Having gained a steady fan base playing free shows in their early days, Stellastarr's dance-infused indie pop appealed to both the hipsters and radio program directors. Tannen insists the new material, that will encompass about a third of their live show, will also display a more mature and evolved band. Below, she answers some of the burning questions I had for her.

Q: What are you listening to when you make the record? Do you all listen together?

A: Oh, no, we don't listen to records together (laughs).

Q: Why? Does someone like rap and someone else country and then you brawl?

A: No, we just have different tastes in music. I'm listening to a lot of Death Cab For Cutie right now.

Q: If you had to make a mix CD for a beloved, what would you put on it?

A: Hmm, that's a really good question and something that I'm actually supposed to do...I've been promising him a mix of Bob Dylan, he made me a Low mix because I was interested in listening to more of them, kind of a "if you make me this, I'll make you that" deal. I'm not so sure if he likes Bob Dylan though so I'm like "you HAVE to like Bob Dylan!"

Q: Is it grounds for a breakup if he doesn't?

A: No. I hope not.

Q: Speaking of which, have you heard the new Justin Timberlake record?

A: (laughing) No, not all of it, but the two singles I have heard are awesome. A good pop song is a good pop song.

Q: Sorry, I have to ask because I super love that record. I'm not going to ask about the whole star thing at the end of your band name, but how many questions do you get about it?

A: Maybe every other interview? And it's funny to see how people interpret our name in print and put it, or not put it. Me and Arthur (Kremer, band mate) are graphic designers and it's really for marketing and design - our name is one word, it's an extra "R," the asterisk can equal a brand. Plus, we didn't want people to think there was a girl singer or bullshit anything either. Sometimes we ourselves don't use it, or use it.

Q: Do you guys have matching asterisk tattooes?

A: (laughing) Oh my god, that is a huge no-no in bands. It's a curse!

Q: Are you okay with Stellastarr* being associated with porn for the Playboy's Rock the Rabbit campaign?

A: Well, I personally designed one of the T-shirts for the thing, so I'm okay with it. To be honest, I used to get Playboys to draw the women in them because I couldn't get into any drawing classes. The human figure is amazing, especially women's.

Q: Do you think you'll open up a "Stellastarr*" gallery anytime soon?

A: Oh man..that's a lot of time to get a gallery show though.

Q: You guys have been away for a long time. What can we expect to see now?

A: We're halfway writing this record...hoping that it will be released sometime this year, but nothing is for certain. The whole reason we wanted to go on tour was to test out the material in front of an audience to gain that feedback. Besides...we also missed it.

Stellastarr* takes friends Monsters are Waiting along for the ride. They play tonight, Feb. 8 at popscene and Saturday, Feb. 10 at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. Friday, Feb. 9 Monsters Are Waiting play Rickshaw Stop with Stellastarr* stopping by for a DJ set.

Stellastarr*
MySpace

By Jenn Hernandez

By Tripwire Feb 08, 2007 in NEWS