Matt CrawfordSF Station Writer |
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 | Just a Little Patience After several years of backing up many of the artists on the roster of Bay Area record label Quannum Projects, Joyo Velarde can finally take the spotlight. The Filipina songstress, who lives in the East Bay when she is not touring and performing with her husband Lyrics Born, released her debut self-titled EP May 26th and her first LP is scheduled for November. She discussed the EP and her experience growing up in the Bay Area during a phone interview. More » |  |  | Her Heart is in San Francisco Scotland’s Camera Obscura return to the United States this month following the April release of [b]My Maudlin Career[/b], an album full of heartbreak and disappointment, despite a few seemingly upbeat songs. The band stops at the Fillmore on June 8th. Tracyanne Campbell (vocals/guitar) spoke with SF Station during a phone interview from Scotland before her tour. More » | |  | Music is in their DNA After a quiet start in 2009, Portland-based duo The Helio Sequence are back on tour supporting Keane and trying to survive on the road amid rumors of a swine flu pandemic. The band stops at Oakland’s Fox Theater on May 8th. Brandon Summers (guitar/vocals) spoke with SF Station during a phone interview from Portland. More » | |  | A Super-Secret Sensation The Vivian Girls have been winning over hearts and minds with a punk-rock aesthetic, girl-group harmonies and a healthy dose of reverb and distortion since their 2008 DIY self-titled debut was re-released by In the Red records after the initial 500 released by the band quickly sold out. The band's second album is set for release in September. The Brooklyn-based trio performs at The Independent April 24th following their gig at Coachella. Kickball Katy (bass/vocals) spoke with SF Station during a phone interview from Tucson. More » | |  | UK Duo Gets it Started The Ting Tings 2008 trojan-horse debut [b]We Started Nothing[/b], has undeniably started something. The UK duo earned Apple’s approval with a coveted feature spot on a recent iPod commercial, and the band now finds itself looking to upgrade to larger-capacity venues as many of its shows worldwide sell out in advance. The Ting Tings perform at The Fillmore on April 15th before heading south for Coachella. Katie White (vocals/guitar) spoke with SF Station during a phone interview from the road. More » | |  | A Walk in the Park San Francisco’s folk-rock outfit Vetiver, led by Andy Cabic, returns to SF April 7th to celebrate the release of [b]Tight Knit[/b], the band’s fourth LP and debut on Sub Pop. Cabic emerged with the band in 2004, a few years after moving to San Francisco from North Carolina. He spoke with SF Station during a phone interview. More » | |  | At Home at SXSW With Austin’s South by Southwest music conference in full swing, we checked in with James Petralli singer/guitarist for White Denim, the hometown buzz band in the city that is ground zero for the music industry this week. White Denim returns to San Francisco for a gig at Bottom of the Hill on April 2nd. Petralli talked about the music conference, the band’s new record and his family’s history with baseball during a phone interview. More » | |  | Kisses and All-Nighters Even after a long day of interviews, housecleaning and preparing for a cross-country tour that ends at Bottom of the Hill on March 27th, Marnie Stern sounds as energetic and driven as her latest LP, [b]This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That[/b]. The New York-based musician, who has earned accolades for her finger-tapping technique from guitar aficionados worldwide, spoke with SF Station during a phone interview from her home. More » | |  | Rose City to Fog City Portland’s husband-and-wife duo Viva Voce are back on the road for the first time in more than a year for a quick loop around the west that will culminate with a handful of gigs at Austin’s South by Southwest music conference. The band, with two additional members in tow, starts the tour March 12th at the Rickshaw Stop. Its fourth LP [b]Rose City[/b] (likely one of the best of ’09) is due out May 26th. Anita Robinson (guitar/vocals) spoke during a phone interview about the new record, Portland’s magnetic pull for great bands, and Blue Giant, a country-influenced band she also shares with her husband Kevin. More » | |  | Hip Hop’s Digital Messiah? Mickey Factz has reached a simmering buzz with a continuous stream of free music online that showcases his lyrical versatility and hints of Kanye’s braggadocio, Jay Z’s swag and Pharrell’s couture. It’s a good look that some say fits perfectly with "hipster rap", the latest label du jour tossed about freely among the new era of wild-style hip hop acts. The New York rapper, who sounds equally comfortable on a Lykke Li remix or a 9th Wonder beat, spoke with SF Station over the phone during a break from working on his debut LP [b]The Achievement[/b]. He makes his San Francisco debut at the Rickshaw Stop on March 6th. More » | |
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