TurbonegrA - February 05 @ The Uptown

Photo by Hardy Wilson

TurbonegrA @ The Uptown

When:
Friday, February 05, 2010
9:00 PM - 12:00 AM PST

Where:
The Uptown
1928 Telegraph Ave.

Oakland, CA

Hosted by:

TurbonegrA

Disgust of Us - Nov 6 @ SUB-Mission Art Space - ALL AGES RECORD RELEASE PARTY

pj: vox/gtr
cheryl: vox/gtr
sam: drums
laura: bass


Answered by Guitarist/Singer Patrick Thomas of Disgust of Us

LittleBook: Why did you start a band??

Guitarist/Singer Patrick Thomas of Disgust of Us: We started Disgust of Us for a few reasons. Soul-searching therapy, to spend more time with friends and to have a good excuse for bourbon binges. We also wanted to recognize how horrible we are as people, and try to find some sort of peace with it.

LB: How did you find each other??
PT: We found each other on eHarmony.com and things really started to develop from there.

LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??
PT: Playing a show at the Bistro in Hayward to only our moms, when out of nowhere people from Buffalo Bills showed up and cheered us on to the end of the set. There was also this really drunk guy who kept telling us how good we were from across the street. It was the most psycho-killer flattery we have ever received.

LB: Where do you practice? What do you drink at practice? What do you do at practice when you’re not practicing?
PT: We practice at Sound Wave Studios in West Oakland. No, not the one that was bought out by Rehearse America, the other one. It’s on Wood St., right off the Grand Ave exit. Yea, it’s hourly but we rent out a storage unit. No, it’s not too bad setting up each time, I like to take advantage off that and contemplate “life, it’s bigger than you and you are not me, the things I will go through, the distance in your eyes.”

LB: What's the hardest thing about being a band in 2009? What are you looking forward to in 2010?
PT: We have been robbed in 2009. Actually, we were robbed in 2008 as well. I am most looking forward to not being robbed in 2010. Come on Oakland, we can do it.

LB: What's the best / worst thing about being a band in San Francisco??
PT: The best thing is we are not from San Francisco, no offense intended, we love the city. The worst thing is we are a band from Oakland, no offense intended, we love Oakland, we’ve just been robbed a lot.

LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next??
PT: We are releasing a self-titled record, which can be bought online at disgustofus.com, or you can come to our record release party on Nov. 6th at SUB-Mission Art Space at 2183 Mission St. It’s an all ages show and we throwing a big party on our own. Local legends Pidgeon, who haven’t played live in over a year, and the always brilliant Moggs are performing with us. There will also be art pieces from Carlo Ricafort and others on display.

LB: What’s up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??
PT: It was recorded at Air Raid Studios (myspace.com/oaklandhillsmusic), engineered and co-produced by Paul Thomas. It’s 8 songs on our most delicate details in life. It’s for sale on our website, disgustofus.com, and will be for sale at our record release party on Nov. 6 at SUB-Mission Art Space in the Mission District.

LB: Favorite local Band or a memorable show??
PT: We have enjoyed many shows, we have enjoyed many bands, yes many, many bands, local bands. Shoutouts to Pidgeon, Moggs, The Paper Sons, Superfinos VTO, Raised By Robots, Generalissimo, Ghost to Atom, and whatever Alan is doing and also whatever Garo is doing.

LB: Favorite venue to Play??
PT: I don’t think I could pick a favorite place. It’s more about favorite time, and the times are when the crowd can propel us into new connections with our music. You can a great venue but if it’s not a party or a celebration of some sort, you just come out feeling flat. So whatever venue inspires people to have the most fun and let go of the pretensions. I have not discovered which venue consistently provides that.

LB: Have you played the SUB-Mission Gallery before? What do you like about it?
PT: We have, actually, although at the time it was going by a different name, Balazo. Oh, and we just played an acoustic set at SUB-Mission in September for the organization Dialogues Against Militarism. Please, please go check them out at againstmilitarism.org. The people at SUB-Mission are so friendly, and the space is very nice. You can check out reviews on yelp.com to further investigate why SUB-Mission Art Space is R.A.D.

LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a show or at practice??
PT: Yeah, if you like nips we are your band.

LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig??
PT: I am, but not because of sweat mainly due to gas. Wait, did you call me a sweaty pig?

LB: Favorite pre / post show; food, indulgence or ritual??
PT: NO SEX BEFORE A SHOW, SERIOUSLY STOP FUCKING AROUND. You will lose your chi.

LB: Where do you think live music is heading??
PT: Live music will probably be the main source of income for bands, where as dead music will be the main source of anal leakage for bands.

LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free, do you offer free downloads??
PT: Still trying to rob us, huh? Please don’t rob us, we carry knives. Seriously don’t rob us!

Actionslacks - Nov 18 @ Bottom of the Hill w/Love Is Chemicals and Ex-Boyfriends

tenured: T. Scanlin, M. Kelly, R. Murray, C. Lindo
emeritus: M. Wijsen, A. Rubin, D. Modie, D. Bailey
adjunct: P. Main, J. Robbins, J. Palmer, A.F. Levy, A. Welch, C. Clune, B. Kaphan, A. Prellwitz



LittleBook: How did you find each other??

(Marty:) My roommate Oden came home with Pillbox, Tim's first band's 7". Compared to a lot of the East Bay bands of the time, I was really impressed with the lyrics, melodies, and guitars. Not long after, I saw his ad for a drummer either at Amoeba in Berkeley or the East Bay Express. He cited bands like Wire, Gang of Four, and Minutemen, so I figured we'd be pretty compatible. Ross and Chuck came around a few years later after we had parted ways with our original bass player (Mark Wijsen) and were also looking for second guitar and vocals. Chuck, who we knew from his band The American Professionals, actually auditioned on bass first, and played a number of shows on bass. Aaron Rubin (Mr. T Experience, Samiam) played bass for a while, then left - like Mark - for career and family reasons. We knew Ross from Amateur Night, his band with Greg Heller. The first time he came down to our practice pad he had all of our songs down pat. We've kept this lineup for the last seven years.


LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??

(Marty:) Recording with J. Robbins.

LB: Where do you practice? What do you drink at practice? What do you do at practice when you're practicing?

(Marty:) We used to practice in Emeryville, drink beer and eat challah that Mark would get from his job as a baker at Semifreddis. When we weren't practicing we would generally bullshit about the Bay Area music scene. Nowadays we practice in our separate corners of America and occasionally meet up in SF. I've switched over to seltzer.

LB: What's does being in a band mean in 2009?

(Marty:) I can't answer that in the general sense, but for me vis-a-vis Actionslacks the meaning has changed quite a bit in 15 years. Early on it connoted certain aspirations to quasi-fame or just trying to find a way to make a living as an artist. Now we've given up grabbing for the "Nirvana brass ring" (as Fluf coined it) and I for one have been having more fun than ever.

LB: What's the best / worst thing about being a band in San Francisco??

(Marty:) Best: SF is, to quote the mid-90s KRON tagline, The Best Place on Earth. Worst: We are too rarely these days "a band in San Francisco."

LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next??

(Marty:) We've committed to making and releasing a new batch of songs on an annual basis. This year we released Kids With Guitars and are set to record the follow-up at Tiny Telephone in mid-November. We're playing the Bottom of the Hill on November 18 with Love is Chemicals and Ex-Boyfriends.

LB: What's up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??

(Marty:) Kids With Guitars has seven songs and was released digital-only this year. It is available via iTunes, etc. Recorded May 2008 at Tiny Telephone, SF with Aaron Prellwitz. We may bundle Kw/G with this year's EP as a CD release next year. We're also planning a rarities CD to commemorate our 15th anniversary.

LB: Was there a local show you remember that inspired you to start a band??

(Marty:) Early on, I was inspired by Archers of Loaf at the Bottom of the Hill and Jawbox and fIREHOSE separately at Slim's (all circa '93-'94).

LB: Favorite venue to Play??

(Marty:) The Bottom.

LB: Have you played the Bottom of the Hill before? What do you like about it?

(Marty:) The sound, the space, the staff, the food, the beer, the crowd.

LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a show or at practice??

(Marty:) Never, even under the hottest conditions. I have a picture of Chuck taking off his shirt at a photo shoot once, while he was changing out on an Oakland sidewalk. It kind of looks like a Smith's album cover.

LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig??

(Marty:) Used to be Tim's feet, but he's gotten that under control.


LB: Where do you think live music is heading??

(Marty:) There could be a renaissance, as artists rely on touring to make money. Also as listeners tire of their computer speakers/earbuds and hanker for real experience. Pure conjecture, I don't really know. But I've always thought that good live music beats the best recorded music. You just can't replicate the energy, the sound, the power of the moment.


LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free, do you offer free downloads??

(Marty:) We're OK with it and have offered free downloads. Music wants to be free. But we appreciate it when people who heard of us after freeloading buy stuff later or donate towards our recording costs. Since we don't tour these days we don't have many opportunities to make $ through live shows and merch.

Death Valley High - October 8th @ Cafe Du Nord

04.15.09 - Voodoo Lounge - SJ

reyka osburn (vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming)
adam bannister (drums, programming)
chris sanders (guitar, vocals)
huffy hafera (bass, vocals)

LittleBook:Why did you start a band??

Death Valley High: For the love of music, the addiction of performing and the need to let off steam. When you're that enthused, it's natural to want to make music and show it off at any possible opportunity.

LB: How did you find each other??

DVH: Reyka had finished the first record "The Similarities of the Loveless and the Undead" and wanted to start playing it out. We were all friends and had shared stages in various different bands. Some of us had even played together in different projects so... we really came together by "Natural Selection"!

LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??

DVH: The Disney-rated answer? Turning non-believers into believers. Wouldn't Walt be proud? The NC17 answer will have to wait be exposed on NC17 DVD - if THAT ever happens!

LB: Where do you practice? What do you drink at practice? What do you do at practice when you’re not practicing?

DVH: We practice at Secret. We drink non-alcoholic AND alcoholic beverages. Sometimes ridiculously cheap BOOZE. Depends on how PRODUCTIVE we want to be. When we're not practicing we're either tellin jokes, talkin HELLS of shit or PLOTTIN, while Huffy plays his iPod.

LB: What's the hardest thing about being a band in 2009?

DVH: Keeping track of a GAZILLION websites we're using...

LB: What's the best / worst thing about being a band in San Francisco??

DVH: Best thing: LIVING in San Francisco. Worst thing: ABC trying to take all of our VENUES away!

LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next??

DVH: We're releasing a new record, "Doom, In Full Bloom". We're incredibly excited about it. We plan to follow up with a tour and an EP almost immediately.

LB: What’s up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??

DVH: You can find the first cd at cdbaby.com or at our shows. Or, you can download it from iTunes... We recorded the drums at the Hangar in Sacramento. The rest was recorded in a house converted studio in LA.

LB: Favorite local Band or a memorable show??

DVH: Fave local band may be The Dwarves. Them or Neurosis. Though, we're currently loving on Name... and our record release stagemates King Loses Crown & Thrill of it All.

LB: Favorite venue to Play??

DVH: We might have to say House of Blues cuz you get treated SO WELL... but that's not SF. We'd probably say Bimbo's if we'd ever played there! Bottom of the Hill has great monitors as does Elbo Room.

LB: Have you played The Cafe Du Nord before? What do you like about it?

DVH: We've never played Du Nord before. The interior of that place is SO INVITING. It's a classy bar that supports deviant bohemianism! What's not to like?

LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a show or at practice??

DVH: Never onstage! Only to change OUT of a sweaty shirt for a dry shirt!

LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig??

DVH: Reyka RARELY washes his clothes for fear of abnormal discoloring. He's a safe bet.

LB: Favorite pre / post show; food, indulgence or ritual??

DVH: Orange Sauce at La Vic's in San Jose. BUT, chanting "THE POWER OF SATAN" normally breaks the stiffness if the alcohol isn't already pouring.

LB: Where do you think live music is heading??

DVH: It's the future of music. There is SO much music now and everyone can record great little songs with a click of a mouse. The real challenge is to entertain people live and DIRECT. Musicians stand to find a bigger audience if the songs they've recorded can be interpreted live and grasp people. DJ producers fit into that category as well.

LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free, do you offer free downloads??

DVH: We've offered free downloads before. Giving downloads for free is cool if there's an end-user who is interested in MORE from the band and who will ACTIVELY participate. It sure doesn't hurt. Especially, if your music is like CRACK!

Death Valley High (Album Release Show)
The Thrill of it All
King Loses Crown
djs Omar (Popscene/Sixxteen) and Ben Abstrakt (RadBoyz)
also burlesque by HoneyImaHome

October 8th, 2009
Cafe Du Nord - 2174 Market St. San Francisco
21 and Over
$10
9pm
First 25 through the door get a free copy of the new album

Juanita and the Rabbit - aug. 8th at thee parkside.

Brett - Fender Mark VI bass, vox & Elizabeth - Drums, vox

LittleBook: Why did you start a band??
B: Never really had a choice.. just had to be done!! started my first band when I was 10, which was vocals and snare drum... been through about 20 bands since then; and this has been the first one that's been able to tour!!
E: I was interested in trying something new..I had been working as a clothing designer for years and was sick of it...
being in a band with my already best friend husband is the best work I have ever been a part of.

LB: How did you find each other??
B: We met at burning man in 1999, eloped 53 days later. don't judge...
E: Also I might mention, at a fire pit (of course) sharing a Hornitos Tequilla bottle as the sun rose.

LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??
B: Driving over the bay bridge for our first national tour...
E: Viewing a spotlight video of us, that ran on a Seattle Music podcast/blog ..we were on a crappy hotel wifi connection and had to wait while it kept rendering..but it was our first unsolicited pr..and it was super exciting.

LB: Where do you practice? What do you drink at practice? What do you do at practice when you’re not practicing?
B: We practice in our home.. aka mini-crib 12' x 20': half band-room, half dorm-room. the band room is pretty damn small. so when we're in there...we practice and sweat! then we get the hell out.
Juanita and the Rabbit: Sometimes beers, but we often practice earlier like 11AM... so coffee/tea and weed might be involved.
E: I was hot on margaritas for awhile

LB: What's the hardest thing about being a band in 2009?
B: Well, it was gas prices; but they've come down from the $5 a gallon we payed last summer!! but really, just paying bills in general.
E: All of our hardwork will be lost when the world ends in 2012..never know!

LB: What's the best thing about being a band in San Francisco??
JTR: The weather. kidding, but seriously you leave s.f. in summer and it gets seriously hot around most of the u.s.!!! We thought about retreating to the trees somewhere, but we'd miss our huge community we're a part of. There are tons of great venues to play, and awesome bands to play with!! plus our friends rule.

LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next??
JTR: Well, we're getting ready to head out in Aug. for another national tour to promote our most recent cd release...also, we're going to start work on a new video with our good friend and director lily amirpour in los angeles.

LB: What’s up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??
JTR: We just released our 2nd recording "out of the grave:alive in the fire"; recorded by tim green at louder studios. It's available ITUNES, amazon, cdbaby and occassional free song downloads.

LB: Favorite local Band or a memorable show??
JTR: So many great local bands. but for sure bigbluewhale, and disastroid are some of our favorite people!!
E: Memorable show: last year at the parkside after brett had worked a random 14 hour day then played a gig, we went on last and to say the least, we were hammered. Brett's shirt came off and it all got crazy!

LB: Favorite venue to Play??
JTR: In S.F.- the Elbo room. but, Alex's bar in Long Beach, the Ruby Room in San Diego, and Check Point Charlie's in New Orleans are all pretty tops!!

LB: Have you played the El Rio before? What do you like it?
JTR: Never played the el rio. but love the back patio.

LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a show or at practice??
JTR: As mentioned before..at thee parkside, my shirt was removed...
E: We've been know to do a little scantily clad practice here and there. its hot in there!!

LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig??
B: me..(brett)

LB: Favorite pre / post show; food, indulgence or ritual??
JTR: Pre- beer, and a jack and coke.
Post- a kiss
Post Post late night drunk- string cheese and chips

LB: Where do you think live music is heading??
B: Hopefully, smaller, more intimate venues!!
E: I'm thinking private house parties and clubs inside airports.

LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free , do you offer free downloads??
JTR: Well, I'm always conscious that when something is given for free, people don't value it as much as when they buy it.. but yes, we'll give away a free download on bascene.com and ocassionaly on our myspace and other music blog sites.

The Scrawnies Jun 27 @ the Knockout

Summer: Guitar/vox - Darren: Drums - Dante: Bass/vox

LittleBook: Why did you start a band??
The Scrawnies: (Summer) I started writing lyrics at 16..had a lot of rage that i had to get out...starting a band just came natural, to fill the void i guess! i already played guitar and sang so i just needed the backup really.

LB: How did you find each other??
TS: This band? just stole them from Overdrive AD, haha! no that happened over time, but basically...

LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??
TS: Hanging out at Rocker Studios on 3rd street in San Francisco. we used to party!

LB: Where do you practice? What do you drink at practice? What do you do at practice when you’re not practicing?
TS: Now we practice in Oakland..drink cheap beer pbr, tecate...when we're not practicing we're talking shit, mostly about each other! Good times.

LB: What's the hardest thing about being a band in 2009?
TS: That i hate mainstream music/fashion and it's everywhere. Some people just don't get that that's not all there is.

LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next??
TS: How about starting another band! we're happy to have this reunion, but as for new material, the Scrawnies are done. we just play for fun for awhile!

LB: What's up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??
TS: Our cd/demo has songs recorded from awesome studio recordings, awesome home recordings, and just as good home recordings. You can get them at our shows, but we have also mailed some out!

LB: Favorite San Francisco Band or a memorable show??
TS: East Bay Rats fight night shows, definitely.

LB: Favorite venue to Play??
TS: Thee Parkside used to be my second home, but we also love doing shows for the East Bay Rats!

LB: Have you played the Knockout before? What do you like it?
TS: We played the Knockout once, it was awesome. Not to be an ass, but that is one show I can say we really owned the night!

LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a show or at practice??
TS: Uh, no but i've been asked to!

LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig??
TS: Come find out!

LB: Favorite pre / post show; food, indulgence or ritual??
TS: We try to have a nice band pre show dinner, but we're just not that organized.

LB: Where do you think live music is heading??
TS: Jeez, that depends...I think live music will always be radd, but this scene at times could use a stir!

LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free , do you offer free downloads??
TS: Yes, take it! its not about the money. at this point I'd love for people to like the songs enough to take them. People can support us at the shows or buy a tshirt instead! Oh yeah, we're not making any more tshirts. come to our shows!!!

Hooray for Everything - May 14 @ The Stud

Faith- Guitar + Vocals

Oscar- Bass

Jamie- Drums

LittleBook: Why did you start a band??
Hooray for Everything: To play music!

LB: How did you find each other??
HFE: We all grew up in Goleta (Santa Barbara) and knew eachother throughout the years from playing in different bands and such.

LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??
HFE: We were recording our new album in west Oakland and there was multiple drive-by shootings directly outside. Oscar hit the deck.

LB: Where do you practice? What do you drink at practice? What do you do at practice when you’re not practicing?
HFE: We practice in north Oakland. We drink it all, we don’t discriminate. Calisthenics and sharing feelings.

LB: What's the hardest thing about being a Band in the Bay Area??
HFE: The Bay Area is awesome! Jamie thinks there are too many hipsters.

LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next?? HFE: We exist. We have an album coming out very shortly and are planning to go on tour late this summer.

LB: What's up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??
HFE: It’s coming out real soon. You can get it off of us on MySpace or at shows and at Rasputins. Hopefully we can sneak into some other places too. We put it out ourselves and recorded it with Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer studios in Oakland. Highly recommended!

LB: Favorite San Francisco Band or a memorable show??
Jamie-Blue Cheer
Faith-Jawbreaker
Oscar-Third Eye Blind
There are so many good bands from here. Seeing Flipper and the Avengers was pretty cool. Then again, so was Testament or the Melvins… Cattle Decapitation… Etta James…

LB: Favorite venue to Play??
HFE: The Living Room in Goleta RIP

LB: Have you played a show @ the Stud Before? What do you like about it?
HFE: Nope. But there are two in the band

LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a show or at practice?? HFE: Uhh, Jamie likes to get down sometimes.

LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig??
HFE: Jamie again.

LB: Favorite pre / post show; food, indulgence or ritual??
HFE: Weed and whiskey. We usually have a drunken jaunt to Jack in the Box at 2 am or so. We do not endorse Jack in the Box. It’s the only thing that’s open and when you’re drunk it sounds so good.

LB: Where do you think live music is heading??
HFE: It’s heading to the STUD on May 14th.

LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free , do you offer free downloads??
HFE: We think downloading free music is a controversial subject.