The Rumble: A Full Week of Fun on the West Coast

I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day Weekend. I can't really say that I did much that was exciting -- I did some hiking deep in the desert and went to the shore. Sunday night I was dragged out by my fiancee to see The Time Traveler's Wife, which really wasn't all that bad, although I probably would have wanted to see something else.

This week will be my favorite type of week for a number of reasons. For one, it's shorter, and also, there's lots of good music coming through. First off, I should mention that the Rumble, a quickly growing national network of club nights, is back this week. We've been co-sponsoring these for awhile, and we're happy that they continue to get better. Some absolutely amazing music this week, and chances are you have not heard these guys yet, but we've also brought you bands like Chairlift, Apache Beat, Nico Vega, Local Natives, Band of Skulls, the Depreciation Guild, and others before anyone else cared. Come out and say you heard it here first!

Portland, OR - TONIGHT! Sept. 08


San Francisco - Wednesday, Sept. 09


Los Angeles - Thursday, Sept. 10


Listen to some of the bands here (sorry, no mp3s right now):

United States of Electronica
The Library (now know as Prayer)
The Pance Party
Hello Electric

And in further gig news, LoveLikeFire is on the road for just two more US dates before they head off to England for a headlining tour. See them tonight in Portland (Oregon) at the Doug Fir and tomorrow night in Seattle. I highly urge you to check them out -- someone on Twitter put it best today when they said that LLF is what Rilo Kiley SHOULD sound like now. Good times.

Silver Swans

Everyone has a different side, especially musicians, and it's always great to hear that. We all know Ann Yu as the vocalist for LoveLikeFire and are unique ability to create dramatic and memorable songs, but in her side project Silver Swans (with Jon Waters), she shows her keen sense of anchoring dancefloor fillers with beautifully swirling hollow vocals and intricate electro instrumentals that lift you into a dream state...a constant, yet enjoyable struggle between vocals and electronics.

Their debut album Realize the Ghost is out in January on San Francisco-based Tricycle Records.

[mp3]: "Realize the Ghost"

New LoveLikeFire Video: "Boredom"

Bay Area band LoveLikeFire is set to release their third single, "Boredom," on 24 August. The band's debut album Tear Ourselves Away is out 17 September on Heist or Hit Records in the UK.

[mp3]: "Abigail Belle of Kilronan" (Magnetic Fields cover)

Top 10 Songs of 2009...So Far (Dany edition)

So Rusty decided to post up his favorite songs of the year without asking me for input? I am not really angry, but I am determined to get the last word. There's no real order to this, but these are some of the best tracks I've heard so far in '09, and as usual, Rusty and I will not agree on anything.

The Joy Formidable "Whirring"


They ended their set at Oceans Rooms (during the Great Escape in Brighton, UK) with this song. Best musical moment of the year so far.

Bombay Bicycle Club "Dust on the Ground"


I actually like "Always Like This" more, but the pricks at their label won't let me embed that one. The band's debut always is amazing.

LoveLikeFire "Stand in Your Shoes"


A great song off of a stunning album.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart "Young Adult Friction"


Surprisingly, a good album.

Chew Lips "Solo"


I skipped out on these guys at the Great Escape, but after hearing this song, I totally regret it.

Pulled Apart By Horses "Meat Balloon"


From the ashes of Mother Vulpine and It Takes Bridges. One of the most dynamic bands I've seen play this year.

Jamie T "Sticks N Stones"


Yet another brilliant tune from this guy.

The Answering Machine "Cliffer"


A great single off of an album full of singles.

Wintermute "Dead or Not He Was Wearing Sunglasses"


The band that could do for math rock what Bloc Party did for indie dance.

The Maccabees "No Kind Words"


While their sophomore album may be bland, they picked a great tune to lead off with. The guy on the right is Mat Horne from Gavin & Stacey.