Stages
Battlehooch
Battlehooch unabashedly walks the line between pop sensibility and avant garde experimentation, bending the chaotic into the melodic and evoking passionate responses in everyone that hears them. Battlehooch describes their sound as "shape-shifting orchestral rock," characterizing the band's tendency to write stylistically varied songs with unique arrangements, and their ability to adapt to any performance environment.
During the latter half of 2010, Battlehooch expanded their national audience with a 4-month American odyssey, playing in 40 different cities in 38 states. Video footage collected by each band member has been providing raw material for both an episodic tour documentary and the Desolation Video series of live off-the-grid performances in remote, iconic locations. Visit the Battlehooch YouTube channel to see the lads playing in unlikely venues ranging from an abandoned car factory to a southern swamp.
After 15,000 miles of road-testing new material, the band is now back at their headquarters in the foggy outskirts of San Francisco. They are currently engaged in their most ambitious recording project to date.
www.battlehooch.com
Ben Henderson
Benjamin Henderson is a bandit with a heart of gold. He steals strums, styles and stories from the past and sets them free to dance the good dance, night after night, venue after venue. His charm, powerful voice and musical ability will allow him to get away with it for years. No matter the setting or with what ensemble, Henderson always delivers a passionate and palpable energy to the listener. He trades EPs and goose bumps for five dollar bills. With Get Me Wrong, his follow-up to last year's Dirty Birdies, Ben has accumulated a hefty load of kudos and a chain of followers. His fans show up to watch his rock band, The Good Hustle, or his collaborations with other local all-stars, and local press tries hard to put into words something about Ben Henderson's muse, his connection to the cosmos, his believability and the passion behind his words and music.
Ben can do Americana. Ben can do Floyd. He can match soaring melodies with angular waltzes, and open his diary over a simple blues. Ben's solo act fulfills the promise made a generation ago by Cat Stevens, Neil Young and James Taylor. One man can walk onto a silent stage, with an acoustic guitar, and wield all of the emotional and dynamic power available to a master musician and storyteller.Ben in an ensemble is a wonder to watch, as his strength and energy are not contained by any half, third or quarter of a stage. It turns into a near-athletic event. Ben attempts to bury drumsticks into floor toms, rip the strings off of his electric bass, and destroy the poor SM58 in front of him. His bandmates have no choice but to follow the leader, and the air molecules in the room have no choice but to shake as they will rarely shake again.
www.henderson.gs
Black Lotus Fashion Show
Corpus Callosum
Corpus Callosum is an effort to create finely crafted songs using do-it-yourself means. As much performance art as music, a Corpus Callosum concert showcases an array of puppetry, stilt-walking, kinetic sculpture, and other uncanny imagery.
www.Corpus.cc
Glowing Stars
There are many chiptune artists, but not a lot of chiptune bands. The Glowing Stars' guitarist/vocalist Lizzie Cuevas and drummer/Game Boy synth programmer Matt Payne combines the clicky waveforms and perfect arpeggios of 8-bit processors with the fury of live drums and distorted guitars. Influenced as much by Frank Zappa and Freddie Mercury as Mega Man and Metroid, the band's wistfully emotional lyrics are more boy-meets-girl than Game-Boy-meets-end-boss. With customized game hardware sharing the stage with 100-watt half-stacks, The Glowing Stars are half Weezer, half Wario in other words, utterly unique.
www.theglowingstars.com
Goodriddler
Jhameel
Jhameel presents a blend of orchestral instruments, tight percussion, fierce vocal melodies, and rich synthesizers in his new album, The Human Condition. His music is tied together by his distinct pop sensibility, with influences in Jonsi, Phoenix, and MGMT.
www.jhameel.com (free album download)
San Francesca
San Francesca (formerly le Verita) are a duo from the South Bay. With classical, ambient, post-punk and hip-hop influences, San Francesca creates music that is cinematic, dark and infectious. Formed in 2009, they have two releases to date, "Iron Ghosts EP" (2010) and "The Ghost and the Waves" (LP, 2011), and will be releasing an EP titled "SSS11" this summer.
www.myspace.com/sanfrancescamusic
The Emerald Hill
The Emerald Hill combines home-grown technical skill with raw talent. As Rosa uses her voice to spark some energy from the crowd, her band-mates Kyle Drury and Tim Smudski cycle through several different instruments to take it to the next level. Trumpets, Guitars, Banjos, and Keyboards, The Emerald Hill is something special. With all this talent in the foreground, The Emerald Hill is backed with drummer Sean Kavanaugh, a man who rocks the drums without sticks sometimes, Sean keeps the foundation sturdy." Damian Kelly, Outpost SJ
www.myspace.com/theemeraldhill
The Red Paintings
Welcome to the world of The Red Paintings. An Orchestral Art Rock group known for their vibrant stage shows incorporating live art, human canvases, theatrics & more. Compared to acts like Radiohead, Muse, Tool, & The Arcade Fire and being hand picked as touring support around the globe with like minded acts such as The Dresden Dolls, Mindless Self Indulgence, Saul Williams, and Mogwai. The Red Paintings are one of those few acts that will take you on a journey into the future with a lively and visionary performance that is sure to inspire your mind and senses alike!
"Their music is different, but fascinating all the same. Donning heavy make-up, Kimonos, wigs, robot appendages, and blasting out a feast of guitar, violin, cello, bass & drums, The Red Paintings can be hard to take in all at once. They slowly drag you away from the bar, lure you in, and slam the door behind you. Their haunting lyrics and arrangements play games with your head until Stockholm Syndrome finally creeps in. It may take a good listen, but I highly recommend you sit in a dark corner, and let The Red Paintings take control for a while." ~Blunt Magazine
www.myspace.com/theredpaintings
Battlehooch unabashedly walks the line between pop sensibility and avant garde experimentation, bending the chaotic into the melodic and evoking passionate responses in everyone that hears them. Battlehooch describes their sound as "shape-shifting orchestral rock," characterizing the band's tendency to write stylistically varied songs with unique arrangements, and their ability to adapt to any performance environment.
During the latter half of 2010, Battlehooch expanded their national audience with a 4-month American odyssey, playing in 40 different cities in 38 states. Video footage collected by each band member has been providing raw material for both an episodic tour documentary and the Desolation Video series of live off-the-grid performances in remote, iconic locations. Visit the Battlehooch YouTube channel to see the lads playing in unlikely venues ranging from an abandoned car factory to a southern swamp.
After 15,000 miles of road-testing new material, the band is now back at their headquarters in the foggy outskirts of San Francisco. They are currently engaged in their most ambitious recording project to date.
www.battlehooch.com
Ben Henderson
Benjamin Henderson is a bandit with a heart of gold. He steals strums, styles and stories from the past and sets them free to dance the good dance, night after night, venue after venue. His charm, powerful voice and musical ability will allow him to get away with it for years. No matter the setting or with what ensemble, Henderson always delivers a passionate and palpable energy to the listener. He trades EPs and goose bumps for five dollar bills. With Get Me Wrong, his follow-up to last year's Dirty Birdies, Ben has accumulated a hefty load of kudos and a chain of followers. His fans show up to watch his rock band, The Good Hustle, or his collaborations with other local all-stars, and local press tries hard to put into words something about Ben Henderson's muse, his connection to the cosmos, his believability and the passion behind his words and music.
Ben can do Americana. Ben can do Floyd. He can match soaring melodies with angular waltzes, and open his diary over a simple blues. Ben's solo act fulfills the promise made a generation ago by Cat Stevens, Neil Young and James Taylor. One man can walk onto a silent stage, with an acoustic guitar, and wield all of the emotional and dynamic power available to a master musician and storyteller.Ben in an ensemble is a wonder to watch, as his strength and energy are not contained by any half, third or quarter of a stage. It turns into a near-athletic event. Ben attempts to bury drumsticks into floor toms, rip the strings off of his electric bass, and destroy the poor SM58 in front of him. His bandmates have no choice but to follow the leader, and the air molecules in the room have no choice but to shake as they will rarely shake again.
www.henderson.gs
Black Lotus Fashion Show
Corpus Callosum
Corpus Callosum is an effort to create finely crafted songs using do-it-yourself means. As much performance art as music, a Corpus Callosum concert showcases an array of puppetry, stilt-walking, kinetic sculpture, and other uncanny imagery.
www.Corpus.cc
Glowing Stars
There are many chiptune artists, but not a lot of chiptune bands. The Glowing Stars' guitarist/vocalist Lizzie Cuevas and drummer/Game Boy synth programmer Matt Payne combines the clicky waveforms and perfect arpeggios of 8-bit processors with the fury of live drums and distorted guitars. Influenced as much by Frank Zappa and Freddie Mercury as Mega Man and Metroid, the band's wistfully emotional lyrics are more boy-meets-girl than Game-Boy-meets-end-boss. With customized game hardware sharing the stage with 100-watt half-stacks, The Glowing Stars are half Weezer, half Wario in other words, utterly unique.
www.theglowingstars.com
Goodriddler
Jhameel
Jhameel presents a blend of orchestral instruments, tight percussion, fierce vocal melodies, and rich synthesizers in his new album, The Human Condition. His music is tied together by his distinct pop sensibility, with influences in Jonsi, Phoenix, and MGMT.
www.jhameel.com (free album download)
San Francesca
San Francesca (formerly le Verita) are a duo from the South Bay. With classical, ambient, post-punk and hip-hop influences, San Francesca creates music that is cinematic, dark and infectious. Formed in 2009, they have two releases to date, "Iron Ghosts EP" (2010) and "The Ghost and the Waves" (LP, 2011), and will be releasing an EP titled "SSS11" this summer.
www.myspace.com/sanfrancescamusic
The Emerald Hill
The Emerald Hill combines home-grown technical skill with raw talent. As Rosa uses her voice to spark some energy from the crowd, her band-mates Kyle Drury and Tim Smudski cycle through several different instruments to take it to the next level. Trumpets, Guitars, Banjos, and Keyboards, The Emerald Hill is something special. With all this talent in the foreground, The Emerald Hill is backed with drummer Sean Kavanaugh, a man who rocks the drums without sticks sometimes, Sean keeps the foundation sturdy." Damian Kelly, Outpost SJ
www.myspace.com/theemeraldhill
The Red Paintings
Welcome to the world of The Red Paintings. An Orchestral Art Rock group known for their vibrant stage shows incorporating live art, human canvases, theatrics & more. Compared to acts like Radiohead, Muse, Tool, & The Arcade Fire and being hand picked as touring support around the globe with like minded acts such as The Dresden Dolls, Mindless Self Indulgence, Saul Williams, and Mogwai. The Red Paintings are one of those few acts that will take you on a journey into the future with a lively and visionary performance that is sure to inspire your mind and senses alike!
"Their music is different, but fascinating all the same. Donning heavy make-up, Kimonos, wigs, robot appendages, and blasting out a feast of guitar, violin, cello, bass & drums, The Red Paintings can be hard to take in all at once. They slowly drag you away from the bar, lure you in, and slam the door behind you. Their haunting lyrics and arrangements play games with your head until Stockholm Syndrome finally creeps in. It may take a good listen, but I highly recommend you sit in a dark corner, and let The Red Paintings take control for a while." ~Blunt Magazine
www.myspace.com/theredpaintings
