Grandma's Boyfriend
Their two and a half minute and under songs pay tribute to later power pop and early punk releases that combine strong melodies, nostalgic vocal harmonies, and prominent guitar riffs. After playing a countless amount of house shows, basements, and bars in San Francisco during 2009, Grandma’s Boyfriend, left the states to tour Japan DIY style in 2010. Upon their return Grandma’s Boyfriend collected home recordings which eventually turned into their I Want Pizza cassette.
Moonbell
For those interested in trance-induction via tube amplifier, San Francisco's slow-psych sleepwalkers Moonbell churn out basslines via analog synth, trade off on spaced-out vocal duties, and drench everything in shimmering echo like the eternally damned acolytes of '80s/'90s noise pop they are (think Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To meets Isn't Anything). The trio of guitar/vocalist Garen Ingleby, synthesizer/vocalist Lisa Dawn Colvin and drummer David Paslay got together in 2010. Their first full-length album, Moonbell, courtesy of Loglady Records (Vinyl) and Deep Space Recordings (CD), is a smoldering fever dream of a recording, with deliberate tempos, super duper trippy guitars and a deceptive gentleness; “Figurine,” for one, pile-drives into your brain with a buzzing bass moog counterpointed by ultra fragile vocals. Beloved moves of noisy dream/doom pop meld with Krautrock elements where the repetitiveness is intrinsic. Support from guest vocalist Stacia Benevento on "Still Motion" adds a ghostly beauty to the slow burning sonics. The end result lands the band in welcome company with the finest purveyors of hypnotic heaviness.
"With a sound equally influenced by shoegaze and drugged out rock, Moonbell sound exists in some really awesome place right between Spacemen 3 and early Ride, Swervedriver, and Chapterhouse. Lilting vocals, soaring and dazed guitars all in a smoky vapor of entrancement." --Aquarius Records
"Nothing Less" by moonbell from lisa dawn on Vimeo.
Part Time
While an active participant within Austin's garage rock scene (Dazzling king Solomon Band,Toko ri get high) as well as the Bay Area's Time Flys , David Speck unexpectedly released a handful of 4-track Casio synthpop sketches. These, as one would expect, left him reflecting on his direction and upon a more permanent relocation to San Francisco, Speck became Part Time. From his home in Tenderloin Heights, he now jams out that post-Cure pop, rubbed up flirtatious against West Coast surf and Krautrock grooves. His thick, sun-bleached songs are a murmur of sweet nothings amidst the buzz of city life; hip shaken with friends, longing eyes over crowded rooms, laughter along love emanating from cute voices in your radio… Part Time is, in other words, the sound of a man with his priorities in good order, inviting you to join him for a better time. You totally should.
Permanent Collection
Permanent Collection started as the solo project of Jason Hendardy in 2011. The 12” EP Delirium was released last summer on San Francisco’s LogLady Records. The record is a template of what has become the Permanent Collection sound: pop structures swathed in hazy guitars. In late 2011, Hendardy recruited locals Megan Dabkowski, Brenden Nerfa and Mike Stillman and immediately began collaboration with them to write the first full-band album in their new rough-and-tumble practice space in San Francisco’s notorious Bayview District.
Robert Christgau described Sonic Youth as “not peering into the fissure (but) barreling down the turnpike like the fissure ain’t there.” No other contemporary pop group strives to mine that mentality like San Francisco’s Permanent Collection does. The band’s punk infused, fuzzed out pop will leave your ears ringing and your heart stinging. For the forthcoming LP, Newly Wed Nearly Dead the band turned to cult music icons Monte Vallier (of Swell/Half-Church and owner of Ruminator Audio) and Kramer (producer of groups such as Galaxie 500 and Low) for recording and mastering. Carving out new territory for the band, this album will have your brain crooning and undoubtedly fall into your subconscious.
Terry Malts
Who is/are/was/will be Terry Malts? A yellow-pages private dick has gleaned the following: Corey Cunningham (guitar, backing vox), by way of Dickson, TN-cum-cardboard-box-in-Toronto, was asked to housesit in Fresno, CA. Duties fulfilled, he shot north on a graffiti trip to 924 Gilman St. and immediately bonded with fellow men’s room “artists” Phil Benson (bass guitar, lead vox) and the unfortunately-named Nathan Sweatt (drums, backing vox).
Hands shook, vibes exchanged; the trio felt compelled to distill their energy into a unified voice. Terry’s gospel is succinct, direct, sincere, and timed expertly with next year’s looming apocalypse: life is hopeless, enjoy!
With a live reputation that bleeds funky “Punk” attitude, I’ve been told this urgency has been crammed into the TM studio edition. Recorded by a machine, then expertly mixed by human being Monte Vallier (Weekend, Young Prisms), this music may compel you to type the following buzzwords into your blog (which, I LOVE, by the way!): catchy, husky, hunky, sharp, blue-collar, rocking, hockey-rock, working-class, perfect, near-perfect, not-half-bad, and/or not-bad.