of Montreal + Janelle Monae = Sensory Overload

On Friday night at the Warfield [Oct 29, 2010] not only did I get to see of Montreal for the SIXTH TIME (yep) but I saw Janelle Monae for the first.

Between the fish-headed, gun wielding robots (pictured left) to dancers dressed as nuns, pigs, kids with skulls, a dragon, confetti and feathers, the night was totally sensory overload!

Seeing shows like this in SF however makes me wish that Sacramento could bring this kind of event to one of our venues. of Montreal has performed here once before (at Sac State actually - thanks to the amazing folks at Unique). But, I'd love to see a show like this at Memorial, hell, why not the Convention Center or on a smaller scale, Harlow's?

Don't get me wrong - some GREAT shows have been put on at most of those places. But this - this doesn't happen everyday.

Watch a LESS SFW video of "Sex Karma" + "Girl Named Hello" 

I'm telling you - if you haven't seen Janelle Monae live - do it and do it soon. I had a feeling she was going to put on a great show. I mean, I saw her perform "Tightrope" (LIVE) on Letterman before her album was released and figured - yep, I was going to be blown away.

But by her intro, the Archandroid's warning from the future, I knew this was going to be not just a concert, but a full experience that I would never forget.

She sang many of the hit tracks from her album, and somewhere in the middle of her performance she came out and performed a heartbreakingly beautiful take on Michael Jackson's favorite "Smile." The crazy San Francisco stopped jumping and pushing and screaming, and we all just stood there and took in the quality and caliber of her voice. No words could describe it.

I know of Montreal isn't everyone's cup of tea. I guess it's the spirit of this show that I wish people in Sacramento could experience not just more often but more easily. Not everyone can drive out to SF for every great show - so how about we start petitioning bigger indie bands who are known for their performance art (not just their music) to come and perform in our humble little big city?

Post messages to their Facebook walls, tweet about how great Memorial and Harlow's and the Blue Lamp are, and maybe bands like of Montreal (or do I dare hope for Flaming Lips???), or outstanding singers like Janelle Monae would be more inclined to make a pit stop on their way in or out of the bay.

It couldn't hurt.

For more pictures from this show, check our Facebook Album!

FRESH TRAX [6]

Deer Park Avenue = Sarah and Stephanie Snyder

Deer Park Avenue

Sister duo, DPA, has a diverse musical and cultural background that has influenced their sound. After living all over Europe, and performing in multiple bands, in Sacramento they go by Deer Park Avenue, the name of a street they used to walk down in Long Island.

Their power pop is commercial friendly, yes, but smart. With a sophisticated sound and a knowledge of the business, DPA has not only released an EP City Streets (available on iTunes) but are now back in the studio recording more new material. They are the number one Sacramento band on ReverbNation's charts and I think we can expect a lot more from these two in the near future!

 Over Again by deerparkavenue 

Get More Deer Park Avenue News on: Facebook | MySpace | Twitter | ReverbNation.

FRESH TRAX [5]

ALAK

What can say about this experimental indie pop band from Placerville except - "where have they been all my life?"

Lead by singer/songwriter Jocelyn Noir (her Goth alias), their sound (or perhaps her sound) is haunting, electrifying and extremely entertaining. One minute they sound like a country influenced folk band, and the next like Joy Division's feminine reflection.

Alak's EP I Don't Feel Anything and their full-length Clarinettis Qoonotations are available for "Name Your Price" on Bandcamp!

FRESH TRAX [4]

Taken at DOOMbird's album release show
at Harlow's on August 29th, 2010

DOOMbird

After the free release of their debut self-titled album, indie folk/pop band DOOMbird hasn't been performing as often. 

Luckily, I just found out they are on the bill for the Mister Metaphor Reunion Show coming up Nov. 6th at the Townhouse Lounge. Phew! And they have another show in SF with The Definite Articles on Nov. 19th. Until then, here's my favorite song by DOOMbird:

 02 Naked - DOOMbird by Paduta 


Keep Up with DOOMbird on MySpace | Facebook | DOOMbird Official.

FRESH TRAX [3]

Storyteller

I met Storyteller back when we were both DJs at KSSU. He played tons of great electronic/techno/house music like Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, you name it - he had it and most likely, on vinyl.

I was excited to see that not only does he remix tracks but that he has some original compositions as well. And, keeping in theme of his name, Storyteller organizes all his music into books and chapters.

Listen to more of his music and download tracks at:

MySpace | SoundCloud

  Chapter 8(London) - Storyteller by Paduta

FRESH TRAX [2]

Dead Scott

I have been meaning to get around to this psychedelic indie band for a while now and after I listened to their self-recorded and released album Psychemancer I knew I had to tell you all about it.

First off, these guys are still in high school. And I know there are lots of young bands out there, especially in Sacramento, but Dead Scott has a serious sophistication of sound. Think Pink Floyd meets Ziggy Stardust in a bar and they head over to T Rex's garage to record some songs...while still in high school.

 09 Moon Beams by Sage Cummins 

I think they have some serious potential so I was bummed when I saw a post on Facebook that said they had given up trying to make money off their music. Dead Scott seems to me like a band a small indie label would love to promote. I hope they keep trying.

You can download the entire album for FREE on SoundCloud!

Like what you hear? Send them a comment on MySpace or Facebook!

FRESH TRAX [DEBUT EDITION]

DJ Mike Colossal

Okay, I've featured Mike Colossal a lot - but I couldn't think of anyone better than him to start off our newest feature. In my opinion, his music is all about that DIY, independent spirit. He mixes, records, and promotes his music on his own.

Here's a track that is not only FREE to download, but also exemplifies his well trained ear for music of many genres and his skills as a master (and Sammie nominated) turntablist.

Find out more about DJ Mike Colossal:

MySpace | Twitter | Bandcamp

Fresh Music Every Day!

I got a message on Facebook from one of our Padutans - she admitted that she hadn't heard of ANY of the bands we've featured thus far before until I posted something about CAKE on Wednesday.

While I was writing my reply, I had a revelation of sorts. 

That's the point of Paduta - to expose folks to new music they've never heard of before, every day!

At the same time I realized that I haven't been doing the best job keeping our word to bring you fresh music on a daily basis. With our site still under construction, the push to post a new daily track to our social networking sites hasn't been on my list of top priorities.

UNTIL NOW!

Starting Monday, I plan to a share a new track EVERY DAY, a feature I plan to call "FRESH TRAX," with you here on the blog, on Facebook, MySpace, and yep, Twitter --- music from independent artists locally and hopefully soon from around the globe. 

How will I do this? 

Check this out!

Starting TODAY I invite any independent artist who reads this to post their tracks to our brand new SoundCloud Drop Box! 

I've already had a few musicians do this and I'm hoping more will be inspired to do so. 

All you have to do is click the "DropBox" tab on our Facebook page . . . 

Then Click "Send your tracks" and you are all set!

[*NOTE* Tracks will NOT be available for the public to download for free unless otherwise specified by the artist.]

Once I get your submissions, I will review and post them to our social networking sites with a blurb about you, your music, and where they can hear and/or buy more!

So it's a win-win all around. Paduta, while under construction, will continue providing a service that exposes you to new music every day and independent musicians will get that little extra support they need to write and record tunes on their own!

If you're an artist and have any questions drop us an email, or send us a message on Facebook!

Unsigned Experience - Life in 24 Frames

First off, I have to apologize to the members of Life in 24 Frames. I asked them MONTHS ago to answer some questions for our blog and failed to post the article until now. I should point out that these guys have been super patient with me and their coolness certainly reflects the cool ambient tone of their music.

These are cool guys. I'm just saying.

And this post couldn't come at a better time. On October 22nd, Life in 24 Frames are throwing a listening party for their newest record at Luigi's Fun Garden at 8:30 PM!

This isn't just any old listening party, either. Life in 24 Frames will be performing their entire record LIVE for an all ages audience will a special performance from Los Angeles based indie outfit Fight From Above.

The untitled new LP from this Sacramento band is being produced and engineered by 

Robert Cheek of By Sunlight and the tentative release is this Fall/Winter. 

Listen to "You Were Always My Achilles Heel"

 

So to start celebrating the recording and future release of Life in 24 Frames' newest

album, read up on this local band's unsigned experience!

How would you describe your sound?

We are really influenced by early post rock/ indie rock like Sunny Day Real Estate and Built to Spill, but also very ambient breezy stuff like Appleseed Cast and Radiohead. If Radiohead and ...Trail of the Dead had a love child, I'm pretty sure it'd sound a lot like us. [Our] music really relies a lot on slow ethereal builds and [the creation of] soundscapes.  If I had to really pinpoint it I'd say that in the quiet moody parts of the songs it feels like time is standing still around you, and in the large driving parts it feel like the apocalypse is approaching. Haha! All in one song. Hence the long track times.  

Kris A.

How long after the band formed were you able to start booking shows? How did you get booked for shows?

I'd say we gave it a good five months before we played our first show. I had a band in the early 2000s here in Sacramento when the scene was really good, so I had the good fortune of already knowing a lot of the club owners and promoters. I do all the promotions and booking myself.  

Where was your first professional gig?

First professional gig was at the Boardwalk in October of 2008.  

What web tools do you use to promote the band?

As far as promotion goes for booking shows and getting on larger bills, the absolute BEST place is still Myspace. Not too great for your everyday blogger, since Facebook and Twitter have taken that over, but I think MySpace is still the best place for music and networking your band.  

What kind of media do you use to promote the band? Audio, visual, etc.?

The last EP, Blessed are the Forgetful [Nietzsche, anyone?], we released on digital media download cards. It looks just like a business card with a code on the back. In our minds it seems like the cheapest and easiest way to get our music out there and in peoples' hands. We used to flyer a lot until we realized what a colossal waste of paper it was. Other than that, all other show promotion is done on social networking sites: Twitter | Myspace | Facebook | ReverbNation. 

Honestly though, I personally think the best way to do it is to get out there and play for people. The way you're really going to connect with people and possible fans is to play for them live. That's how you're remembered.  

Tony

You are currently unsigned and are self-releasing another album, but are you still actively looking to be signed by a label?

I wouldn't say we are actively looking, because by "actively looking" I think of sending out press kits and what-not, and we are not doing that at the moment. We'd love to have a nice indie label to help distribute and promote us though.

I think right now our main focus is to get a full length LP recorded and have it be everything we would like to see in an album. We have 2 EPs out up to this point, and neither of them really represent us as a live band, mostly dude to lack of time spent in the studio, which is due to cash...so maybe we should be looking for a label.  Haha! We have about 16 songs to choose from right now, and we are planning to hit the studio this September with Robert Cheek from By Sunlight and really make a great record that represents the band and its current level.  I think its much easier to shop around a great product like that, already made and ready to go.  Then its yours, and you own it.


In your own words, describe our local music scene and your involvement in it. Do you support other bands? Where are your favorite places to perform?

The local scene? I don't think it's very strong. I came up with my first band in the late 90s and early 00s when the scene was incredible, with clubs like Bo Jangles and Capital Garage. I think one of the main problems is the lack of a really strong stand out all ages club in downtown/midtown.

Wes

We are trying to do what we can to help out with the local music scene by trying to pull some of the larger indie acts from other parts of the country and get them to come here. Like recently we got Look Mexico to come here on their last tour. But really, on a week night, where is there to play all ages gig that isnt too far from the core of downtown? I think Jerry Perry does an amazing job and has helped us a lot when we want to bring these out of town acts in. He is one guy who truly cares about the local scene and the acts that make it up. Without stuff like Concerts in the Park, Hot Italian's Hot Lunch series, and places like Old Ironsides, we really wouldn't have much.  We owe a lot to him.   


As far as supporting other bands, I don't think there is any one thing about being a unsigned band that is more important then supporting fellow bands.  We have built some great relationships with some really great bands all up and down the West Coast over the last two years. It's disturbing that there seems to have been a trend popping up of "looking at the other band as the enemy," and I'm glad to see that kind of thing start to dissipate. Another trend I'd like to see go the way of the dinosaurs is the "pay-to-play" structure.  Which is nothing much more than the classic pyramid scheme.

Do you think unsigned musicians have or can have any influence over the music industry without being signed to a label? Why or why not? And if so, how?

I definitely think that they do. It shows in the numbers. There are a lot of big indie bands out there that can get along just fine without the help of the mainstream music industry. Just look at what Radiohead has done recently.  Granted, they were already up there. The age of the internet is in full swing. So as far as getting your music out there, it's VERY easy.

Be sure to drop by Luigi's Fun Garden on October 22nd to get a LIVE preview of Life in 24 Frames' THIRD self-release!

Lefse Records Launch Way Slow Series

Way Slow Series launches October 12th!

With the popularity of digital music downloads increasing, labels have been inspired to come with up creative new ways to get us to buy actual physical albums from their inventory. 

The CD packaging of Montreal's last album Skeletal Lamping could be reconstructed into a monstrous creature type-thingy. Vinyl purchases almost always come with a mp3 download.

Now local label, Lefse Records, has gone super DIY and launched a new collection called the Way Slow Series. According to their announcement today on both Lefse's homepage and Pitchfork, "each release will be a unique creation from start to finish."  Artists participating [Ganglians, Tape Deck Mountain, Sonny Smith, to name a few] will release music you wouldn't expect to hear from them. Limited edition cassettes, CDs, and vinyl, along with digital downloads will all be available. 

• Listen to "Over There" by Banjo or Freakout from the first Way Slow Series release.

• Out October 12th :: Pre Order Now ::

And here's the real kicker: the "physical products will be hand wrapped/sewn/carved individually for each release and presented as a heartwarming package of beautiful sound."

I'm in!

YLOS: Phono Select Records

You LOVE our scene, and here's why:

Sacramento is getting a new record store!

Phono Select Records [located on 2312 K. Street - near Golden Bear and Sugar Plum Cafe] is opening their doors for the first time this Saturday at 11 AM.

There are a few reasons to be excited about and to support this new music shop: first off, it's only been a few years since Tower Records officially filed for bankruptcy and closed stores world wide. Not to mention, with digital music and a la carte download sale at an all time high,  physical album sales are inevitably down and the question of how do music consumers consume, and how will bands and labels be able to sell remains a constant debate.


Don't even get me started about opening a small business during this recession...

But here we have Phono Select opening a store (a RECORD STORE!!!), in a prime location I might add, despite the odds they have stacked against them.

Secondly, it was a community effort. Friends, and family of the shop owners/keepers volunteered to help unload lots and lots of boxes, price music, and inspect all the vinyl.

PLUS, they have already put together the first installment in the Phono Select Mix Series: Volume Control in where we get to peek into the collection of some of Phono Select's favorite audiophiles!

PHONO SELECT MIX SERIES VOL.1// VOLUME CONTROL by PHONO SELECT

After reading about them more I am super excited to check this place out on Saturday morning. Phono Select is bringing back the neighborhood record shop, with enthusiastic staff members who look forward to letting you know about the records they love.

Be sure to stop by at some point Saturday, and after they close head over to The Townhouse Lounge for the Phono Select Grand Opening Party and get your dance on at a FREE SHOW!

Find out more about Phono Select on Facebook and Twitter!

FYF Fest Recap

I have to admit, I hesitated posting my reactions to FYF Fest for a few days now, trying to find the best way to articulate my analysis of the overall event.

After reading Consequence of Sound's thorough, and I'd say pretty honest (while maintaining a sense of "benefit of the doubt") coverage, I finally felt inclined to give my take.

THE TUNES First off, let's start with the positive: the line up. Could it have been any more amazing, genre-bending, exciting, or fresh? From the opening bands all the way up to the headliners, every hour of my Saturday was filled with music I HAD to hear live. 

Abe Vigoda = Michael Vidal (lead vox, guitar), Juan
Velazquez (keyboard, vox, guitar), David Reichardt
(bass), Dane Chadwick (drums)

I started the day off with Abe Vigoda on the Oak Stage [1 PM].

Nick from Off Air: Smart Rock Radio listened to their newest album Crush (out Sept. 28th on PPM Records) and said it was definitely more melodic and entertaining than some of their first records.

Honestly, I hadn't heard anything by this young band of Los Angeles misfits until they stepped onto the stage and said "Hi. We're Abe Vigoda, and we're from ... here."

Michael Vidal

Abe Vigoda ended up being my cup of tea.

From Vidal's Robert Smithian vocals, to the energy of their tunes, I became a fan standing in that crowd.

It was new wave and post punk: super fun. It makes sense that they share a label with some of my other favorites like Mika Miko, No Age, and Wavves.

And it was at this performance that I witnessed the first mosh pit of the day - a random explosion of tween hipsters bursting out of nowhere during a particularly mellow A.V. track that kicked up a lot of dirt, and raised a whole bunch of unnecessary ruckus.

You could say I'm anti-mosh pit, or that I'm getting older. Both statements are true.

Perhaps I'm not completely anti-mosh, but I certainly think that there are appropriate times to jump around and push complete strangers into the dirt: 1.) ska shows in the mid 1990s; 2.) your first Blink 182 concert; 3.) weddings.

Strangely enough the one band's performance that I figured would garner the most mosh-pittery in fact had the nicest, calmest crowd: Screaming Females.

Screaming Females = Marissa Paternoster (lead vocals, guitar),Jarrett Dougherty (drums), and King Mike (bass)

This three piece punk band all the way from New Jersey seriously knocked my socks off. In fact, the only way I can figure that no one started to mosh at this show is that the crowd was too blown away. No one could move. 

Sure, I had listened to their third album Power Move during my volunteer days at Off Air (and loved it), BUT I had never seen them live, AND I had no idea what to expect out of lead singer (and one killer guitar player) Marissa Paternoster. 

Screaming Females in only five years have released four albums (their latest Castle Talk out Sept. 14th on Don Giovanni Records), toured nationally with major acts like the Throwing Muses and as far as I'm concerned stole the entire FYF Fest for me. I would have rather paid $25 to watch them all day long. Actually I would have paid more.

COMEDY AND THE CAVEAT The other part of FYF Fest I was super excited about was their comedy tent. In the style of many major festivals these days, not only is there music but a line up of alt comics that resemble if not embody the spirit of the event. However, as much as I was looking forward to catching some shade and having a few laughs, this is regrettably the point when my patience disintegrated and where many of my issues with this festival reared their ugly heads.

Photo by Nick Brunner

Janeane Garofalo, Matt Besser, David Koechner (right), Jen Kirkman - the list of comics was solid. But, the placement of their performance tent was ridiculous if not completely insulting.

Positioned between two VERY loud stages, on top of a piece of dirt and rock covered patch, the comics could barely be heard and my hope for a nice sit was crushed. Not to mention that none of the comics seemed to want to be there. One of the earlier stand-ups, revealed that comics didn't even get artist passes to the event - just all access passes.

Everyone, including the comics were hot and uncomfortable. And frankly it affected their performances. Koechner, known for his roles on Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy and the Office brought a bag full of schtick - a costume belonging to one of his characters: a 300 lb gay man who is "just the worst" and I happen to agree.

Photo by Nick Brunner

But there were of course some nice moments. I thought Brent Weinbach did a great job. He went up there did his thing, didn't complain and made a lot of us laugh.

And then there was Jen Kirkman [known for lending her voice to the popular Adult Swim cartoon  Home Movies, and recently her involvement with "Drunk History"] - a breath of fresh air to me. She was completely honest about her struggle to arrive at the festival, the rudeness she received from the FYF staff just trying to get onto the grounds to perform. "I don't want to be funny," Kirkman exclaimed toward the beginning of her act. "I'm sorry, but I don't."

Kirkman's honesty about not wanting to be funny actually made her funnier. She was real and fallible and it made me appreciate her as a stand up even more. I'd see her again for sure, but someplace air conditioned and easier to get to off the freeway.

After Kirkman and Koechner I was over it - not just the comedy tent but the entire festival. I was so dirty and tired and frustrated that I had no desire to stick around for the comedians and musical performances I had been looking forward to for weeks. 

Last picture taken before getting the heck
outta there = Titus Andronicus

Many noteworthy blogs, like Consequence of Sound, have already discussed and noted the obvious issues with this year's FYF Fest.

I think that the organizer's real fatal flaw here was that everything was too big for the space. There were too many people and not enough food vendors, security officers, volunteers directing people etc. They had three music stages (with lots of great acts performing on them) but not enough space in that "park" to give them enough room to play loud without sound bleeding over to other areas.

It seems that in the future, either FYF Fest needs to be scaled down a touch, or they need to find a bigger space to hold the event. For $25, it was a great deal and I'm completely impressed by the work these guys and gals put into this year's festival to make it even better.

Unfortunately, once I had my ticket's worth of entertainment, I had to leave.

Next year I will be more prepared.

Check out more photos from FYF Fest 2010 at Paduta's Facebook.

Spreading the 'Video Love' | Terroreyes.tv

"Terroreyes is an experimental video platform for documenting things that we like - getting in the faces of people that we like, having our microphones blown out by people that we like, hearing stories from people that we like, etc. All we want to do is show you things you may never otherwise see UP CLOSE. Inspire you in whatever way possible to do something - anything, whatever it is you love."


Zach Hill "on blast" 2 from TERROREYES.TV on Vimeo.

Terroreyes.Tv was launched a little while ago and already they have collected an amazing bunch of videos. Take this filming of Zach Hill (whose new album Face Tat comes out Oct. 19th on Sargent House): twelve solid minutes of Hill going to town (awesome town) on those drums! Not to mention they have video performances of local bands Sea of Bees, Pregnant, and Ellie Fortune and far out folks like Deerhoof, Dirty Projectors, and Wavves.

From what I've been able to watch thus far (and trust me, I've only made a dent in their catalogue), Terroreyes is living up to their mission. I've been introduced to music and bands I've never heard of before, and watched extremely special videos of acts I already know and love.

Think La Blogotheque but in English, and in Sacramento.


WAVVES Live @Sol Collective 8.30.10 from TERROREYES.TV on Vimeo.

Recently, Terroreyes has branched out of the internet world and started to put on shows. Monday, for example, they co-presented Wavves, Ganglians, G. Green and Produce Produce with free form community radio station KDVS at the Sol Collective arts center. Judging by the footage above, the show was packed with excited fans.

Not only that, but T.E. is releasing their first 7'': Tera Melos' "Frozen Zoo" remixes from their full length album Patagonian Rats (Sargent House).

Only 500 pressings available and for only $7.50 it comes with a digital download code, and, according to T.E., a smile.

>> BUY NOW <<

Go take a little time and check out this website/label?/collector of video rarities out. Chances are you'll be introduced to something new and different that hopefully inspires you to do and see the things you love.

I'll be sure to keep you all apprised of future Terroreyes events!

Buboniks Self Release "Sick" Debut

The Buboniks are Mikey Bubonik (guitar, vocals),
Brian Bubonik (upright bass) and Andy
Bubonik on drums.

The Buboniks put the "psycho" in psychobilly!

Their debut album, a self release called Rock Like a Murderer, is filled with tons of raw energy and excitement. Imagine Adam Ant, the Stray Cats, and your favorite horror flick wrapped up in one band and you'd have The Buboniks.

Once again, a Sacramento band has proven that with enough drive and passion, musicians can produce and release solid records without signing to a label first.

>>Buy Rock Like a Murderer<<





  Rock Like A Murderer by Paduta 


See what I mean - so much energy and loud awesomeness coming from these three guys (did you see one of them plays the upright bass? Upright!). The Buboniks' debut is not only part of a distinct a genre but it celebrates it as well. Mikey, Brian, and Andy take psychobilly to the next level - they have managed to make Rock Like a Murderer more accessible through catchy song writing and still gritty and, yes, a little terrifying.

This Saturday, August 28th, Mikey Bubonik is doing a solo performance at The Plea for Peace Center in Stockton with Imperial Can, Brian Hanover, Danny Secretion (of THE Secretions) and Johnny Young. It starts at 8pm and is only FIVE BUCKS! If you live in Sacramento, this show is worth the short drive! And, if you're in Stockton - no excuses! Be there for this show!

Follow The Buboniks on:
Facebook

MySpace

and Buy their Album on:
iTunes