Show Reviews: Noise Pop (An Obstructed View Of Ra Ra Riot, Rademacher, more)

MP3 - "Dying is Fine" - Ra Ra Riot

That is NOT what my view of Ra Ra Riot looked like last Friday, but more on that in a second. [Photo cred: cameronparkins]. After a slow Noise Pop week (the only thing I did was a happy hour on Thursday), I was determined to hit three events on Friday evening.

My first stop was the happy hour at Benders which was being presented by my friends over at The Bay Bridged. I got there early, which was a good thing because that place just more full as the late afternoon turned into early evening. This was really a lot of fun - I saw so many great people that I knew, met some new folks, had some great conversations. I caught Tempo No Tempo's complete set, which made me happy to see someone still carrying the Q and Not U torch. I saw a couple of songs from Sugar and Gold and, while I would have liked to have heard more of their tongue-in-cheek indie disco funk, I had another event to get to.

The plan had been to hit up Ra Ra Riot's free acoustic set at the Diesel Store before making my way to Slim's. Unfortunately, one needed to have RSVP'd for this event, and even a long line of those who'd RSVP'd looked like they were not getting in any time soon. So, I just walked around the line and stationed myself by the balcony looking down at where the band was playing. The staircase was in my line of sight however I was able to see the legs of the singer and the cellist. The above photo captures it nicely - I suck at concert photos. If I got down real low with my head practically on the floor, I could actually see the singer. I couldn't hear all that clearly, but I could at least make out what song they were playing, even if I could not appreciate it completely. I thought to myself, "I bet Aquarium Drunkard doesn't have to go through this." After a half hour of crouching, it was time to head to Slim's.

I rode a lot of public transportation on Friday, but that is besides the point. I made it to Slim's just in time to catch Rademacher, who were opening a very stellar bill. And, let me take this moment to apologize to the members of Rademacher who are a great band and are not getting reviewed here until the fourth paragraph! Sorry, you deserve better. Anyhow, my favorite band from Fresno has been busy as of late playing high profile shows and this show was no different. I can now say I've seen Rademacher at small art galleries, Mission bars, and a large mainstream venue. It doesn't matter the setting - Rademacher play to their audience well. I kept thinking to myself - "they play like they want it." As a fan, this set was awesome - I had yet to see the band in its trio formation and practically all of the songs were new to me. Maybe it is the fact that two of the bands I am working with are trios, but I have really been enjoying smaller lineups as of late, which really spotlight the quality of the individual musicianship.

Up next were The Mumlers. The Mumlers initially made me think of Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - with a lush and large band (including a horn section) backing an acoustic guitar slinging singer. Once the vocals kicked in, I was reminded more of My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes. The keyboardist really stole the show, with an array of improvised dance moves. These guys are from San Jose, so I really need to check them out again.

I only caught a couple of songs from The Submarines, and missed out on the Morning Benders, because I was getting pretty tired. I caught up with Greer and Malcolm from Rademacher for a little bit - the cool thing about Rademacher is they always have something interesting going on. Then I had a little bit of an adventure getting home, but that has nothing to do with music and so I will end this review right here.

Bonus Tracks:
ZIP - The Submarines/Morning Benders Tour Single
MP3 - "Red River Hustle" - The Mumlers

Free Emusic Comp w/ Rademacher, Man/Miracle

Emusic is offering a new free compilation entitled Selected + Collected: An eMusic Selects Compilation that features Rademacher, Man/Miracle, Girls, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and more.

Two Interviews with Rademacher

You can read a pair of great interviews with Rademacher at Web In Front and Classical Geek Theatre. The band discusses recent lineup changes, their new compilation album, and their tour with the Airborne Toxic Event and the Henry Clay People which starts tomorrow in San Diego.

Malcolm: Honestly, I am pretty sure that we were not the first choice for opener on this tour. I also think that Anna from Airborne wanted to have some non-male tourmates. I mean, can you imagine being the only woman on tour with twenty smelly dudes? Talk about a nightmare.

MP3 - "What Yr Used To Back At Home" (live) - Rademacher

You can purchase Rademacher's new R.I.P. Gardenside here.
Era and Live at the Echo are available at .

Rademacher Release RIP Gardenside

Rademacher - the trio whom Fresno, San Francisco and LA all claim as locals - have done us all a favor by collecting their four EPs onto one CD, RIP Gardenside. Named after the Fresno studio where the songs were recorded, the CD collects 18 songs from Rademacher (2004), Ice Age (2005), Heart Machine (2006) and Era (2008).

Over the course of these 18 songs, one can hear the progression of the band, both in terms of musicianship and songwriting. A personal favorite of mine is "What the Neighbors Don't Know" from 2004's self-titled EP. There's a raw energy to the track, and exciting to listen to now as you hear the musicians still figuring out how to be a great rock band. Four years and countless shows later, they sound like pros on Era's, "If You Know," a Dylanesque folk number that shows frontman Malcolm Sosa genuinely coming into his own as a songwriter.

RIP Gardenside is available at the band's website and also at their shows, which include...

02/06 Hemlock Tavern - San Francisco
02/27 Slim's (Noise Pop w/ the Submarines) - San Francisco
03/15 Space 15 Twenty - Hollywood

MP3 - "What Happened To Yr Friends" - Rademacher

Learning From Rademacher

Whenever I seek guidance from anyone on how to bring the Passionistas to a wider audience, there is pretty much one thing they all tell me - "They gotta get on the road." I wish it were all so simple as packing the gear into a van and having a successful trip - but touring and touring intelligently are two different things. I've never planned a tour or gone on one, so I am by no means an expert, but it strikes me as though it can be a disheartening experience. I question whether trying to hit up half the country in a two week period is still the model - especially if most of those shows are to empty rooms. And so, I'm really intrigued by what Rademacher has done over the past couple of months. In fact, I hope to see the Passionistas apply their model.

Aaron and I went to see Rademacher at Rickshaw Stop last Friday for their "San Francisco CD Release." I first encountered the group when they played the Record Club in Sacremento with the Passionistas back in June. The two also shared a stage in San Jose in October. Last month, Aaron and I caught one of their residency shows at the Knockout. Though the band is from Fresno, they've been successful at integrating themselves into the San Francisco scene. Judging from their past and future shows, it looks as though they've also fit in pretty well in LA. In November, with the release of the band's first full length, they played weekly in San Francisco, Fresno and LA. With that exhausting trek over with, the band certainly hasn't stopped hitting up most of California's hot spots. This has lead to some pretty good coverage in Bay Area weeklies, as well as a nice writeup in Spin.

Here's what intrigues me about their approach: seeing as how a cross-country tour seems like a rather daunting task, a more localized strategy accomplishes many of the same goals with less financial risk. It allows you to return to the same places with some frequency, hopefully easing your way into their local scene. Furthermore, because LA's music scene is under such a national spotlight, getting noticed in LA can mean getting noticed everywhere. I've noticed a number of LA indie bands who seem to be generating a good deal of buzz, even without the aid of Pitchfork. It seems everyone there is looking at the Silversun Pickups as a model. Later this month, the Passionistas will venture over to LA for what looks to be the first of many visits.

But I don't just enjoy going to see Rademacher because of what they teach me about the business. In fact, it's quite a social affair. I'm not sure if Malcolm - the frontman - knows my name, but he does recognize me and calls me, "New and Used Records," so that is just as good. Plus, they have a lot of interesting friends, so I get to chat with them and have exciting conversations. For instance, at the Knockout, we got to meet Bonfire Madigan, who'd made some killer rice krispy treats with peanut butter. This time around, I got to chat about booking with their pal Tiffany.

I also got to catch up with my friend Joe from The Dont's at both shows. Joe and the Dont's are another one of those artists whom I look to as a sort of guide for the next logical step. I get the sense that he is really on top of his shit. Plus, he's just an all-around good guy.

As for the music, I've seen Rademacher live now four times, and I really think their live show is where it's at. I did pick up a copy of Stunts, which I am rather excited to listen to. Now realizing what I've missed from the past year, the stack of music to listen to has grown increasingly high. (You can see some video I shot at the show over at the Bay Bridged).

Resolutions for the Passionistas and N&UR in early 2008: continue building on local buzz/success, have band play LA frequently with label (me) targeting weeklies, bloggers and radio; gaining a following all-around Northern California. As for making these goals happen, I think the example set by Rademacher over the past couple months is a good one to follow.

Label Update

Last Monday, the Passionistas headlined a free "Locals Only Night" at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco. I hopped between camera duties by the sound guy and the merch table. A number of friends were there, as well as some "industry" acquaintances, so it was fun to talk business for much of the evening. It would appear the band has settled into a comfortable and upbeat setlist, though there is a song or two I might like to see return. Still somewhat new drummer Tina Liao seems to be fitting in perfectly and her presence tends to be one of the first things audience members note when I ask them their thoughts of the show.

The Passionistas have also been getting outside of San Francisco recently, playing a house party in San Jose, and a dance club night in Sacramento.

Last Wednesday (on Thanksgiving eve), Aaron and I ventured over to the Knockout for one of Rademacher's residency shows. It was a late evening, but we got to meet some new people and chat it up with friends, so it was a pretty productive night as far as I'm concerned. Undoubtedly, my advice to any aspiring record company president is to get out and network as much as possible. Soon, it will simply spiral - you bump into people you know who introduce you to more people, and that, frankly, is how a lot of deals get done. I should mention that Rademacher sounded great - the best of the three times I've seen them thus far.

As for the holiday weekend - when I wasn't spending time with family, I was trying to take care of the little things. I sent out some emails to bloggers, organized my office, and continued building on to the 2008 marketing strategy. I've been thinking about 2008 quite a bit, and my plan is to go in as focused and prepared as possible. I've set some very specific goals, and have a plan evolving to make them happen.