 | SF Station Blows It Up The Standard hale from Portland, Oregon, and with their unique, poetic lyrics and hard driving guitar riffs they will make you think. So walking into Mezzanine for this last minute show put on by the club I had no expectations but got a treat. With their strong stage presence and Tim's hard take-no-prisoners voice these guys control
your mind and body.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up As Barbarasteele took the stage for The California Home Grown Series at Mezzanine I noticed that these guys were a styling bunch and this might
be a very good time. With their stomp-you- feet-and-dance brand of rock these guys definitely impressed me as well as made people dance and sing along. You take one look at Barbarasteele and you can see the influence of bands like Mercury Rev and Sly & The Family Stone. So get your ass off the couch and go check these guys out.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up The legendary Fillmore was host to Fort Minor the new project by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park fame...With a packed house, the band hit the stage performing music from their album [b]The Rising Tide[/b]. You could definitely hear their influences: The Beastie Boys and even some Roots but as always Shinoda put his own simple twist on every beat. As fans sang along with every word you could feel the energy build and you knew that this was no bullshit.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up The Juan Maclean is DFA label's new weapon against boring music. When I walked into the Independent, I was somewhat surprised because it was half empty but as the lights dimmed for Juan's set the place was jumping, the sound system was booming and it was on. With crazy beats that make people want to dance and complex vocals that make people think, this guy is on one. In my eyes he is a mixture of some of my favorite musicians and writers like the Chemical Brothers from the 90s and Brothers Strugatsky (russian sci-fi writers).More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up If you have never heard of Meat Beat Manifesto let me tell you that they are the team behind some of the world's most amazing beats, which are, in turn, used by some of the world's best bands and musicians like Nine Inch Nails and David Byrne. The first show on the Meat Beat Manifesto tour of 2006 was at Mezzanine and if you missed it, man did you miss an amazing gig. There were two huge video screens filling the stage on which Meat Beat mixed live video, vocals, beats and live drums. The music crossed boundaries from
electronica, rock & roll to hardcore.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up Coldplay is one of the worlds biggest bands and once you see a live show you know why. The Brits hit the stage at the Oakland arena with a vengance, performing hits from their new album [b]X&Y[/b]. As always Chris Martin was like a whirlwind playing guitar, piano and singing. A plasma screen running the length of the stage and a light show reflected the energy of the band as well as the fans. There were also some treats with the band performing some covers of Johnny Cash. So if you get a chance to catch these guys on the last leg of their US tour, do it.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up I didn't know Baltimore had any bands so it was a definitely a treat to see these kids hit the stage. The place was full of people singing along and holding on to every word. Woody Ranere does a great job on the vocals while Michael Lowry controls the pace of the band on the drums. You can hear the influence of bands like The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev as you stomp your feet. The only thing that bothered me a little was the smoke machine that James (bass guitar) kept using; it was a lame gag.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up These guys are some of the coolest rock stars I have ever met, not only are they down to earth while being one of the biggest bands in the UK but they are also actually good at this music thing. The show was mega sold out with a line stretching a entire block...... and once they hit the stage you knew why. With screaming guitars and solid bass lines they controlled the crowd. They have been compared to Interpol in the media and I can see the similarity but the differences are also apparent.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up Manchester is a town which to me started the electronic movement and bands like Joy Division and the Stone Roses so going to see a band that hails from there was a definite pleasure. The line ran down the street from 330 Ritch as I walked up, full of all kinds of kids young and old. Once I got in, I could feel the anticipation of the crowd waiting for the band to take the stage. So around 11:30 they got on and it was a marathon from that point on,with a sound heavily influenced not only by Manchester’s own New Order but also by US bands like Sonic Youth.More |
 | SF Station Blows It Up We Are Scientists single has been playing on the radio for the past couple of months, but that's not the best way to judge a band. Once I got to the venue I was told that Chris Cain (bass guitar and backup vocals) was unable to make it due to an incoming baby and that his replacement was Ariel Rechtshaid (of L.A.'s Foreign Born and Dirty Little Secret) who produced the record. Waiting for them to hit the stage you could feel the anticipation in the air and it was well worth it. With driving vocals and amazing guitar and drums they stirred the crowd into a frenzy. So if you get a chMore |
