If you live in San Francisco, and you like smart, genre-defying music, this gig is just for you.
A brilliant pairing of two of Europe’s most creative, dub-influenced producers, this promises to be one of the best local shows of the year.
For more information and tickets, click here.
Every weekend – or so we intend – Jennifer takes one day for herself. I assist by either working at cafes, seeing friends, or spending the day perusing the aisles of one of my favorite local record stores (or two). In either case, its a good weekend ritual for us. After an exhausting work week, we both need a break from our routines. Having a little personal downtime is always helpful.
Last weekend was no exception. On Sunday, a close friend who moved to Arizona several years ago was in town to see his family, who were out here visiting from New York. We met up for breakfast at the Pork Store Cafe on 16th street, and then made a beeline for Streetlight Records on 24th. Eager to take advantage of a sale, Joe indulged me while I worked the bargain bins.
I walked out with a number of gems: Nina Hagen’s Nunsexmonkrock, the new 2.13.61 CD edition of Negative Trend‘s sole EP, a Homestead-era copy of Nick Cave’s Kicking Against the Pricks, The Need‘s last two records (including the soundtrack for Nomy Lamm‘s rock opera, The Transfused), Le Tigre’s Feminist Sweepstakes, and three other LPs, all for 16.95$
Thinking of myself as the champion discount music shopper, I said goodbye to Joe, and proceeded to walk home feeling absolutely triumphant. Delighted at the prospects of Jennifer’s reaction to the purchases (for several years, she’s expressed interest in owning nearly all of the records I’d bought), nothing prepared me for what I encountered three blocks from our house.
Standing near the corner of San Jose and 30th, a woman in her mid-thirties was hosting her own DIY music sale. In front of her stood two makeshift tables. One held gangsta and crunk CDs and DVDs, while the other sported piles of unsorted grime, electronica and indie rock discs. Tight on cash, I decided I’d still take a look to see if there were any absolute must-haves.
Low and behold, a number of records fit the bill: Lady Sovereign’s Vertically Challenged EP, DJ Clever’s Science Faction: Dubstep comp, Panjabi MC’s Beware LP, and Rammstein’s Reise Reise (featuring the hilarious ‘Amerika’) all caught my fancy. Looking over the 15 discs I ended up holding in my hands, the person selling the records sighed and said, "Take ‘em, they’re free. I’m having a hard enough time moving the hip hop as it is. Nobody likes music anymore."
The last time I devoted a serious amount of mental energy to Adrian Sherwood was a typically cold summer night in San Francisco in 2004. Prior to a gig at the Elbo Room in support of his first solo album, Never Trust a Hippy, together with a couple of close friends, I managed to get myself admitted to the venue’s dressing room. There stood the surprisingly tall, fifty year old producer, sweat pouring down his bald head as he shook hands with his guests, discussing the production work he’d done on the then-forthcoming Asian Dub Foundation record, Tank.
It was one of those moments when I didn’t feel like I had anything to say. Having met dozens of my favorite artists over the years, I’d thought that I’d gotten over feeling star-struck. As it so turned out, this specific evening turned out to be an exception to the rule. Having produced some of the most influential records of the past generation – by Dub Syndicate, Creation Rebel, the New Age Steppers, and countless others – for his own legendary On-U Sound label (whose creative A&R work served as the inspiration for the label I managed, Asphodel) – I felt like I was in the presence of the Creator.
Unfortunately, this experience proved to be all-too brief. Not long afterwards, as I sat behind the stage watching Sherwood mix his set, I started to feel queasy. In fact, nauseous. DJ’ing decidedly psychedelic, fast-paced material (according to my friend Ron, consisting of unreleased African Head Charge material, if I remember correctly), after twenty minutes, I decided that I had to leave. Could it have been what I’d had to drink that night, I wondered as I stumbled down the club’s crowded stairs, hoping to be relieved by the cool night air. What a lightweight. I’d only had three beers.
Thus, I approached listening to Sherwood’s new album, Becoming a Cliche/Dub Cliche, with a little bit of trepidation. So far only released in the UK by Real World, import copies have been slowly trickling into the US since the record’s release last November. Picking up a copy yesterday after having breakfast with the same two friends I’d gone to the Sherwood gig with, I took the disc home, and spent most of yesterday afternoon giving it a good listen.
Though I’m not prepared to do a serious critical take quite yet, I’m not exactly feeling speechless this time out either. Very much in the vein of his last solo record, Becoming a Cliche is a dense, drum and bass and ragga-influenced album every bit as rewarding as Sherwood’s last record. Boasting the vocal talents of longtime collaborators Lee Scratch Perry, Mark Stewart and the late Bim Sherman, it almost sounds like an updated Pay It All Back-era On-U Sound anthology.
In a November review in the Guardian, critic Dave Simpson inconclusively asked whether Sherwood was still creating work as groundbreaking as his past achievements – particularly given how many producers have assimilated his style over the years. I’d say yes. However, I’d qualify that judgement by saying that Sherwood is doing so by refining his work rather than introducing new musical idioms. Artistically, though far less dramatic, that’s of equal significance.
It’s taken nearly four years, but the second Elders of Zion record is officially out. Released by Sounds From the Roof – a terrific new LA label run by Rooftop Promotion‘s Garo Kuyumcovic - this eight track EP compiles a number of songs we wrote for queer festival porno shot Damnaged, our final pieces recorded with Pansy Division/Plus Ones drummer Luis Illades, and a remix of the Tight Bros From Way Back When‘s “Show Me,” which spent a good number of months housed on the front page of the Kill Rock Stars website before disappearing into the hipster ether.
Like the last Elders record, Dawn Refuses to Rise, Twilight War features a few interesting guests in the sample department. Mixing Ho Chi Minh with a group of Russian Jews recorded at a passover service during the 1950s (saying “next year in Jerusalem” in Yiddish) on album opener “Viet Cong Jerusalem,” we have our fair share of fun again employing obscure vocal parts. However, what makes this record distinct from our last is that it is primarily instrumental. The politics, as it were, are carried forth by the tone the songs set rather than by traditional protest music polemics.
Released as an iTunes exclusive, we’ll be following up Twilight with a brand new full-length album on SFTR in the fall. Delightfully enough, it’ll appear on vinyl as well as CD and downloadable formats. I’m quite excited about producing a vinyl version. By no means an analogue loyalist, (I’ve been composing music on computers for eleven years), I still prefer the sound of analogue over digital. The former label manager in me is also tickled by the fact that vinyl LPs and 7″s have been going through a sales resurgence over the last several years.
Despite all of this business nonsense, its just nice to have a new record out again.
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