THE FRESH & ONLYS - Vanishing Cream

Psychedelic new video from San Francisco band The Fresh & Onlys. New LP on In The Red soon. In the meantime, "Vanishing Cream"...

MICHOACAN - In the Dark of the Night Cleaner

Michoacan is a retro electro disco funk band ala LCD Soundsystem from DFA. They hail from San Francisco, so we're surely behind it. More on these guys soon. Check out the new video for "In the Dark of the Night Cleaner" below. Directed by Alison Childs.

Video Reveals San Francisco, Pre-Earthquake

This video consists of one (semi) continuous shot taken from a trolley moving its way down Market Street toward the Ferry Building in San Francisco, reportedly just days before the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906. The clip is beautifully set to Air's classic 1998 track "La Femme D'Argent". This may get repetitive to some, but anyone who lives in or loves San Francisco should get a kick out of seeing what the city was like way back then. Very cool. Thanks to Renee Zalles for the tip!

THE MORNING BENDERS - Excuses

Yours Truly offers up this absolutely gorgeous live video of The Morning Benders performing "Excuses", the opening track on their new album Big Echo (due March 9th). The clip really showcases what a talent singer Chris Chu is. But the talent doesn't stop there, The band invited fellow San Francisco pals Christopher Owens (Girls) and John Vanderslice to join in. Another cool note: the track was produced by Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear). Get the new track "Promises" for free at themorningbenders.com.


Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

LEMONADE - Lifted

Percussive art-dance trio Lemonade are Brooklyn (by way of San Francisco). Their new Pure Moods ep comes out March 9th on True Panther, which is quickly becoming my favorite label right now. Check out the new video for "Lifted".

New Video - THE DODOS - Longform

San Francisco's The Dodos have unveiled this beautiful and mesmerizing new video for the single "Longform", taken from their third and latest LP Time To Die. The clip features sundrenched images of the California coastline and romantically wistful foliage from the pov of a carefree summer road trip. I want to go to there.

TSR Premiere - YES ALEXANDER - As Is

The wonderful Yes Alexander has just sent us an exclusive, brand spanking new track. "As Is" finds Alexander at her most ethereal - a gorgeously lush, piano driven aural fantasy. If you do one thing today it should be clicking on the link below and downloading this song right now! [EDIT: Link fixed!]

Yes Alexander - As Is [link]

PAPERCUTS - Future Primitive

San Francisco band Papercuts paid a visit to Yours Truly recently and they performed their recent single "Future Primitive". In my opinion, this is one of the very best tracks of the year. Watch the performance and grab the mp3 below.

Papercuts - Future Primitive [mp3]

Papercuts: Future Primitive from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Interview with YES ALEXANDER of BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH

Bay area dj's Blue Sky Black Death recruited The Casual Lust vocalist Yes Alexander to collaborate on Slow Burning Lights. The album was released last November and has received acclaim for its haunting sounds and beautiful vocals. Amos Mac sat down with Alexander in San Francisco around the time of the release. Here's a portion of what transpired.

Interview and photos by Amos Mac, contributor

The Sky Report: Blue Sky Black Death are a hip-hop act and your past work with The Casual Lust has a very intimate, folk sound. How did this unlikely collaboration come about?

Yes Alexander: Blue Sky Black Death knew a girl that went to one of my shows with The Casual Lust while I was recording and living in Portland. [They] needed a [female] vocalist and they kind of wanted to spawn out into the indie world, as in fly away from the underground hip-hop rap circuit that they were more inclined to produce. With that they found me, and I was only supposed to be on a couple of tracks but it went so well I ended up being on every track. So they flew me up to Seattle, with Kingston. Young God was in San Francisco, so the 2nd half of Slow Burning Lights was recorded in SF.

TSR: Can you talk about the recording process of Slow Burning Lights? Did you write the lyrics, or was it more of a collaboration?

Yes: When I went up to Seattle, actually BEFORE I went to Seattle, Kingston sent me a couple tracks - and I had no idea what the fuck to do with [them]. (Laughs) It was so confusing I had no idea how to sing to this type of music. I'm not like a gospel singer singing trip-hop, you know? So I was very nervous. I went to Kingston's home studio. He played one of the tracks he had sent me, and he was like "no, that’s not really what I was looking for..." (he's hard to read.)... So, Kingston played me another track and the same thing happened. My confidence was sliding out the door. Then he played me this completely new track and [we] let it resonate for like 20 minutes, and within that time period I wrote a whole song, right there, and I sang it to him an he was like "THAT'S what I'm looking for." I had to completely mellow out my voice, which was even harder than singing really intensely and really loud. It was hard for me, and EXCITING.

TSR: Are there any plans for a tour?

Yes: Well no dates figured out, but this is the first time Blue Sky Black Death have had a desire to tour and I think its going to be fantastic. Touring is my favorite thing to do in the whole world and I'm really excited to do it with a new band, with new energy.

TSR: Do you plan on working with The Casual Lust again?

Yes: Yes, we recorded at Different Fur studios in San Francisco in early summer 2008, and we're just waiting for the mix to get mastered and shop the album around. Both of my band mates are in other cities - Seattle and Olympia - so its difficult. With that project, it’s a huge endeavor to get together.

TSR: What are you working on right now?

Yes: With Blue Sky Black Death we already have a few songs for the next album that we're pushing out. We wanna have it done in the next few months. The next album is gonna [have] more energy, it's gonna jump out more. I'm not saying it's not as dark as Slow Burning Lights in some areas, but its kind of mind blowing and I'm really proud of it.

TSR: Will the next album be the same style as this one? What elements might go in different directions?

Yes: I think we've gotten more comfortable about working with each other in the creative process, like I understand where they are coming from more. With that I think we're gaining strength and we're able to push the bar in terms of going to places that might be scarier, which is a really great place to be.

TSR: Is it hard to pinpoint what genre Slow Burning Lights falls into? How would you describe it?

Yes: It’s like we have this background of trip-hop, dirty beats mixed in with these strange samples. You can categorize different parts of our music, but to categorize it as a whole is kind of impossible at this point. Some say indie-pop, some say trip-hop, but it’s not really. I guess if you blend in everything together...

TSR: Your voice is absolutely gorgeous. What female vocalists have inspired your work?

Yes: From Nina Simone to Janis Joplin to Siouxsie. Even when I was younger, Tori Amos, Neko Case, Joan Jett, going back into the 80s rock and roll movements, definitely all the 80s pop, then like Madonna, performance-wise, even how they can make an impact with quote unquote "selling out" makes a difference.

TSR: What is your favorite track on the album?

Yes: It’s hard because I feel like we have a separation between the more dramatic ethereal tracks to the more poppy feel good music almost, but I think overall the most solid track is "Secrets." I think it’s the best track because it just evokes a certain emotion that makes you makes you not want to stop listening. I think people will really like it.

TSR: So you wrote all the songs on this album, what kind of things inspire you when you are writing lyrics?

Yes: Death, Sex and Heart. I think everything kind of evolves around that.


Slow Burning Lights

WAVVES - "So Bored (live at Different Fur, SF)

This Wavves video is awesome. It starts with a very casual interview, then launches into a live rendition of "So Bored", a standout on the forthcoming sophomore LP.


Wavves Part 1 by Yours Truly from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

TELEPATHE - "Devil's Trident (Mi Ami remix)"

Brooklyn's Telepathe have been given the remix treatment quite a lot lately, but this new Mi Ami remix of "Devil's Trident" takes their sound in a whole new direction. Stripping away all of the vocals, San Francisco's Mi Ami turn the track into a throbbing chill out jam reminiscent of something The Orb would have done in the mid 90's.

Filmmaker Dan Nixon (Glass Candy/Chromatics) has directed a gorgeous video for the remix, set in the woods of East Sussex. I love how the light pulsates to the beat of the track.

BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH - Slow Burning Lights

San Francisco's Blue Sky Black Death have established an ever-growing underground following with their cutting edge hip-hop production skills and a series of recent albums and collaborations with Jean Grae, Holocaust, and Hieroglyphics to name just a few. Now, the duo of Kingston and Young God have made the bold move of recording a lo-fi, modern day trip-hop album with stunning new female vocalist Yes Alexander of The Casual Lust. Alexander's haunting vocals mesh brilliantly with BSBD's production, resulting in an unexpectedly refreshing album that I will definitely have on heavy rotation for some time.

Slow Burning Lights was released this week on Babygrande Records. You can buy it here.

Check out the tracks "Secrets" and "The Darkest Time"...

FLEET FOXES Do Take Away Show

La Blogotheque captures the raw beauty of Seattle's Fleet Foxes in a brand new Take Away Show, shot in an abandoned gym in San Francisco last winter. The video finds the guys harmonizing gorgeously on the tracks "Sun Giant" and "White Winter Hymnal". Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut album was released on Sub Pop back in June and is destined to crop up on many year-end lists in the next few weeks.

-courtesy of Current TV.

LOVELIKEFIRE, DJINN TOYS Wow Piano's

-LoveLikeFire

It came as a total surprise to me that LoveLikeFire are a really great band, both live and on their recent ep An Ocean in the Air. A noise pop band from my hometown of San Francisco, Love Like Fire features the amazing presence of multi-instrumentalist/lead singer Ann Yu. How did I never know about these guys when I actually lived in SF?

LoveLikeFire will return to NYC with a CMJ date on Friday, October 24th at Ace of Clubs.

You can get the highly recommended album here.

-Djinn Toys

The real reason I discovered Love Like Fire is because the new Bushwick band Djinn Toys were opening. Somber, but melodic, Djinn Toys performed a collection of fleshed-out and well-focused tracks, even though they have only been a band for a couple of months. Djinn Toys attempt to tread waters last paved by the Kurt Cobain era of minimalist, straight up rock tracks (no synths here!), yet make the genre seem fresh and cohesive with the times.

Djinn Toys have a few Brooklyn dates in the coming weeks:

Oct. 13 - Trash Bar, Brooklyn
Oct. 16 - Vanishing Point, Brooklyn
Oct. 29 - Glasslands, Brooklyn

-photos by Scot Bowman

Outside Lands Fest Kicks Off in San Francisco

The inaugural Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival gets underway Friday, boasting a very herb-friendly lineup and seemingly tailor-made for its location at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Radiohead and Beck headline the first night, which also includes The Black Keys, Cold War Kids, and Black Mountain. Then things get really "herbal" over the next couple of days. I mean, Tom Petty, Jack Johnson, and Ben Harper? Expect a lot of mandles, drum circles, and cannabis clouds. But some highlights are indeed tucked in between the tye-died lines. Liars will bring their apocalyptic madness on Saturday, while Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings will blow minds with their stunning soul revue on Sunday. But in the end, the weekend belongs to Radiohead.

More info at sfoutsidelands.com.

The Sky Report in San Francisco!

I'll be in San Francisco for the next two weeks, so posts may slow to a crawl for a bit. I'm just going to miss the Outside Lands Festival (bummer!), so if anyone knows of anything exciting going on in the Bay Area before then, please hit me up!

Hope everyone is having a great summer. Be back soon!

LYKKE LI & EL PERRO DEL MAR La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows

While on a tour stop in San Francisco, fellow Swedes Lykke Li and El Perro del Mar teamed up with La Blogotheque for a series of "Take Away Shows". Here we have Lykke Li doing "Dance Dance Dance" and El Perro del Mar doing "Somebody's Baby". These videos make me homesick for San Francisco, as they were literally shot right around the corner from my old apartment.

I love La Blogotheque's cinéma vérité shooting style, which allows you to see the artists in a realistic way, performing acoustic or accapella versions of their songs.

SPLIT SERIES LYKKE LI & EL PERRO DEL MAR- DANCE DANCE DANCE
by lablogotheque

SPLIT SERIES LYKKE LI & EL PERRO DEL MAR - SOMEBODY'S BABY
by lablogotheque

Check out more videos at La Blogotheque.

San Francisco!!

Tickets go on sale Friday, May 30th. More info at treasureislandmusicfestival.com

WINDSURF

Windsurf have been rocking my boat these past few weeks. The San Francisco duo with an affection for board shorts and beards. Without a doubt, Windsurf's Cali-lazy lifestyle inspires their work, a sound that has been described as a sort of fusion of krautrock and Fleetwood Mac. You can purchase the digital version of the Windsurf EP at Kompakt Records. Stream a handful of tracks here.

THE DODOS - Visiter

Following a mountain of critical hype and an appearance at SXSW last week, San Francisco duo The Dodos jave just released their third album Visiters on Frenchkiss Records. These guys make psychedelic folk music that is simply best described as good music. Download the excellent "Fools", as well as the new single "Jodi" below.

The Dodos are currently on a mammoth tour of the US. They will also be joining Les Savy Fav and The Big Sleep on very select dates before joining Akron/Family for a performance at Coachella next month. Full tour itinerary and more info about The Dodos here.

The Dodos - Fools (mp3)
The Dodos - Jodi (mp3)

fools - dir. by Matt Amato