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Music
Released on Arts & Crafts, 7/28/09
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Mellow and skillfully performed, redolent of nostalgia for more than one great musical decade and yet with a timeless Southern vibe, this is the sort of album people of all ages who appreciate great music will love. More
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Music
Island Fever
The Treasure Island Music Festival returns October 17th and 18th, marking the end of the 2009 Bay Area music festival season. In its third year, the formula for the event largely remains the same, with a mix of electronic/dance music (mostly Saturday) and indie rock (mostly Sunday). SF Station caught up with several acts on the bill to find out their most memorable festival moments of 2009 and what they would bring if they were stranded on the island for two days. More
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Music
Being Human
The first thing people notice about Brother Ali is that he’s a white albino rapper. To ask him about this fact completely ignores his life, his struggles, and the experiences he’s witnessed. With his last album The Undisputed Truth, Ali delved into experiences like his failing marriage and being homeless, providing one of the rawest personal narratives in recent hip hop albums. With his new album Us, Ali now looks outside himself, trying to understand American society discussing slavery, rape, and race. His messages are not preachy but insightful, encouraging and entirely what hip hop needs. More
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Music
Released on 4AD, 9/22/09
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The sky opens up through the metallic clouds, raining guitars and looping beats, you shine two lanterns across the vast sea, and that’s when The Big Pink comes into sight. Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell’s debut album A Brief History of Love is a ravishing racket with heartfelt lyrics that shoot like Cupid’s arrow through the vessel of sound. The London duo’s opening track “Crystal Visions” is far out and spellbinding. The guitars crash on the beaches of the mind leaving visions of raining fire. More
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Music
Released on Rough Trade, 9/8/09
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
If you want music to listen to while meditating or during yoga class, Taken by Trees may be just the band for you. If you’re less New Age inclined, you might find yourself a little confused. Taken by Trees are a love-them-or-hate-them kind of band. Gentle, melodic, rather soothing, they seem more suited to a mountain retreat than to your average music venue. More
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Music
Released on True Panther Sounds, 9/22/09
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Girls seem to want to be Elvis Costello when they grow up, which isn’t a bad ambition to have, actually. Witty, clever, ironically tinged guitar pop is on notably thin ground these days. The question is, are Girls any good at it? More
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Music
What's in a Name?
Starfucker, currently hosting a contest to help rename themselves, may be changing their image, but not their uplifting electro-pop sound. Known for their cross dressing antics, and non-stop dance parties, the group just wants to have fun. With big names like Target, the "Weeds" TV series, and IBM using the group’s music, it’s safe to say they’re on the rise. SF Station spoke with keyboardist and producer Josh Hodges before a show of theirs in Brooklyn, about having fun, names, and starfuckers. More
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Music
Something With Horns
Two parts Swede pop and one part New York hip, Miike Snow emerged in the form of a blinged-out jackalope -- a mythical bunny with antlers -- but this band is no joke. The trio has the musical pedigree to match the buzz that has led to sold-out stops on its current U.S. tour. Pontus Winnberg and Christian Karlsson are the Swedish production duo behind Britney Spears’ hit “Toxic", along with tracks from several other top-tier pop artists. Andrew Wyatt has produced and recorded with numerous indie rock bands throughout his career and served as an in-house producer for Downtown Records. Together they mix the best of both worlds... More
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Music
Old Questions, New Answers
Nobody likes going back to work after a vacation, and Victoria Hesketh, better known as UK-electropop sensation Little Boots, is no exception. SF Station caught up with her during a phone interview from a London hotel, where she found herself swamped in promotional duties after a weeklong holiday. She returns San Francisco for a show at The Independent on September 19th. Her debut EP Illuminations was released in June and her first LP Hands (already available in the UK) is set for release in the U.S. later this year. More
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Music
More Than a Handful
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the latest band to rise in short order from obscurity in Brooklyn to darlings of the internet, have the sincere, fuzzy indie-pop thing down. The band returns to San Francisco less than two months after its last gig here for a show September 18th at Great American Music Hall. Kip Berman (vocals/guitar) spoke with SF Station during a phone interview from New York about the band’s quick jump in popularity after the February release of its self-titled LP, his love of Girls (the San Francisco band) and Jay Reatard’s recent Twitter tirade. More
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