Sis Premieres Video for “Moon at the Peak,” Plays Hotel Utah August 14th
For folks who might enjoy sexy, futuristic, relaxing jams that move through the orbits of time and space, might we suggest the band called Sis. Their forthcoming album, Gas Station Roses (out September, on Native Cat Recordings) is a synth-bottomed, guitar infused journey where each song is delightfully different from the rest but flow together with mesmerizing cohesion.
For example, the band just premiered their second single “Night From Scratch” on Stereogum and it’s a tune for fans of eighties space synth, young Peter Gabriel, and pan flute. Correct. Then again, there’s track “Nightie,” which evokes images of movement and nature, connectivity. Strings. Harmonious space ships. For those who might want a less spacey introduction to the band, check out the sexy baseline on “Bitter Cherry.”
The richness underlying the song brings emotional and musical depth and is a now-start-that-song-over type of jam. But again, tracks are all over the place, in tone—from grungy moments to Japanese pop to Afropop—and in message. Many songs allude to the exhaustion of misogyny. Going into the studio during these politically distressing times gave songwriter Jenny Giellespie Mason space for expression and coping. She says that as a whole, Gas Station Roses is about “…desiring life so badly still as a grown-up, getting the joy and beauty in big gulps, but also recognizing its limitations, corruptions, and sadness, more than I ever would as a child. And in the face of that, choosing to smile and stay awake to the beauty around us.”
The band just released a new lyrical video for their song “Moon at the Peak,” which is a front runner for most touching song on the album. The song is lovely and calming and now accompanied by this video, directed by animator and computer tinkering pro weirdo, Yeshe Parks.
Speaking of weirdos and pros, Sis is a cast of musical ballers, including Carly Bond (Meerna), on guitar and piano, Rob Shelton (Meerna and others) on the clavinet and keys, drummer Otto Hauser (who has played with so many biggies it’s hard to list), Doug Stuart (Bells Atlas, Meerna, Brijean) on bass, Andrew Maguire (Meerna, others) on percussion and glockenspiel and last but not ever least, Mark Clifford on that vibraphone.
Anyone interested in a galactically good time should head over to Hotel Utah on the 14th of August to catch the Berkeley-based trio, Sis. Accompanying the group will be the mystical stylings of Lady Lazarus and the lovely folk dreaminess of Suzanne Vallie. It may be a disturbing time in politics but at least it’s an encouraging time for music.
Sis
with Lady Lazarus (closing set), Suzanne Vallie
Wednesday, August 14th, 8pm
at Hotel Utah Saloon, 500 4th Street in San Francisco
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Photo Credit: Andrew Paynter
