I came across il gato while updating Wiretap's show calendar. I liked them so much, I did the whole pop-up player thing on Myspace so I could flip back and continue listening to them while I was researching other bands for the tedious task of creating the calendar for this lovely site.

I decided to contact the band when I realized I was humming their songs days later while making coffee in the morning. They got back to me right away and invited me to shoot a couple of their shows, which was a ton of fun. Below is a clip from the show they played at Cafe Du Nord, it's a medley of two of my favorite songs, "In The Lightning It Is Written" into "The Rollicking Waltz". Il gato are one of those bands that everyone can get into, so check it out!

I came across il gato while updating Wiretap's show calendar. I liked them so much, I did the whole pop-up player thing on Myspace so I could flip back and continue listening to them while I was researching other bands for the tedious task of creating the calendar for this lovely site.

I decided to contact the band when I realized I was humming their songs days later while making coffee in the morning. They got back to me right away and invited me to shoot a couple of their shows, which was a ton of fun. Below is a clip from the show they played at Cafe Du Nord, it's a medley of two of my favorite songs, "In The Lightning It Is Written" into "The Rollicking Waltz". Il gato are one of those bands that everyone can get into, so check it out!

This past Friday, April 23rd was an epic night of music for me, full of truly memorable bands from the two cities I consider home, LA and SF.

First, I had tickets to see Avi Buffalo (Long Beach) at The Independent. They played with Pepper Rabbit (LA) and Japandroids (BC). I missed Japandroids 'cause we left early to go to a house party (this is where the local bands come in), but openers Pepper Rabbit literally knocked my socks off. Their music is mesmerizing, and their frontman, Xander Singh, really impressed me with his pure breadth of talent. Jumping from keys to guitar to clarinet to voice looping, he pedal manipulated everything right at the best moments and in a super tasteful way. Definitely check out this band. ...

This past Friday, April 23rd was an epic night of music for me, full of truly memorable bands from the two cities I consider home, LA and SF.

First, I had tickets to see Avi Buffalo (Long Beach) at The Independent. They played with Pepper Rabbit (LA) and Japandroids (BC). I missed Japandroids 'cause we left early to go to a house party (this is where the local bands come in), but openers Pepper Rabbit literally knocked my socks off. Their music is mesmerizing, and their frontman, Xander Singh, really impressed me with his pure breadth of talent. Jumping from keys to guitar to clarinet to voice looping, he pedal manipulated everything right at the best moments and in a super tasteful way. Definitely check out this band.

Avi Buffalo were good, but I prefer their recordings. (Which, as of this week, you can now own! The band has signed to Sub Pop and its self-titled full-length debut was just released on Tuesday.) Lead man Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg has a really sweet and interesting voice, and there are moments of high energy that are captivating in Avi Buffalo's live show—but I think they haven't quite found their groove yet. They are oh so young! And seeing this you can tell that, in time, this band will go places. I bought the tickets to see Avi Buffalo but left the show in love with Pepper Rabbit.

Then it was off to a house show where microfiche got the party going right, playing their synthy/mathy/dancey instrumental jams and making it impossible not to shake some boootay. They are always a good time and made me super happy.

Next, I had the pleasure of seeing our very own Mike G.'s new band hit the house party floor. They really did impress me—thank GOD!!! How horrible does it feel to lie about liking a friend's music (or at least come up with something positive to say) when it's not really something that moves you?! This was not the case with Color Chasm. They really need to start playing "real" venues with good sound systems that can capture the extent of what they do. Two samplers, a drum machine, live drums, multiple synths, bass, guitar, and stellar vocals—all mastered and navigated seamlessly by only three members! That's always fun to watch. They have just hit the SF music scene so check them out, and if you're a band ask them to play! They are awesome.

Well, the Scatterbrain Jamboree has come and gone for another year. If ya missed it, ya missed it. Sux for you.

But luckily I was there, and I'd be happy to tell you all about it.

Evacuee laid down one of the loudest, noisiest, rockinest sets of the day. I've seen these guys a bunch in the past (and to be totally frank with you here, I've known them for a couple years now). In the time I've known them, Evacuee have gone from four to three and now two members. ...

Well, the Scatterbrain Jamboree has come and gone for another year. If ya missed it, ya missed it. Sux for you.

But luckily I was there, and I'd be happy to tell you all about it.

Evacuee laid down one of the loudest, noisiest, rockinest sets of the day. I've seen these guys a bunch in the past (and to be totally frank with you here, I've known them for a couple years now). In the time I've known them, Evacuee have gone from four to three and now two members.

Saturday was the first time I've witnessed the two-man incarnation. In a way it really worked for them — stripped to just guitar, drums, and vocals, the music became less chaotic for sure, letting it be noisy in the best possible way. Not sure it's even a permanent change, but I dug watching them make it work so well.



The day's biggest surprise was Hans Keller. There's no reason they were a surprise other than the fact that I hadn't ever seen them before. But also, watching them set up I had no idea what kind of music to expect. There's a couple of hippie-ish dudes, a more maybe indie lookin guy, and a dude who coulda been my uncle. I don't mean offense by that, and it's not a judgment. I'm sure lots of people have uncles who can fuckin rock. I'm just sayin that kinda made it all the more mind-blowing when they laid into their deep psychedelic rock.



Wish I'd videotaped some of that, but I didn't. I got some audio though, I'll post that up soon enough.

I'm a little embarrassed that I've never seen Hightower before, and I call myself a fan of both local SF music and metal. Finally saw them on Saturday, and feel even stupider for not having made it to one of their shows before.



Apologies to anyone offended by the bad language in the beginning of that video there. But what can I tell you, metal fans just don't give a fuck any more.

More pics from the night are on our Facebook page and our Twitter.

Scatterbrain Jamboree 2010 is underway, folks! It kicked off last night with the Top Critters as the headliners. These guys played last year, which was my first time seeing them play live, and I really dug it. This year they were just as good. They're a six-piece, and the way they blend all the various elements — including, occasionally and most awesomely, a bowed banjo — into a seamless, all-instrumental whole is impressive. See for yourself: