San Francisco Voice

Europa is a band that I would have loved in high school. Now hold on, I’m not dissing the band at all (eek, dissing, I think I just went back to high school!) It’s just that, although I listen to a whole range of different music, my personal preferences have begun to lean towards softer, more lyrical songs in the last few years (I know, I know, I’m getting old). And Europa is anything but soft. They play an aggressive form of alternative rock music that never ever takes a breath. And they play it well.
The 6 tracks on their …read more

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When I was about eighteen, I quit my job on a whim and spent a couple of months unemployed and “studying life”. That time was both awful and wonderful; I was broke, I was confused about life and I still had a tendency towards teenage drama but I was spending my time in cafes, reading books, writing bad poetry and really developing who I thought that I wanted to be. What I remember about that time is that life was kind of a hodge podge of this good and bad, a hodge podge of a lot of things really.
I covered …read more

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I actually became familiar with Miggs when I was asked to review the band’s sophomore CD for Sure Shot Magazine. After hearing the CD, I became interested in learning more about the band. And I got to do so through this San Fran Voice interview with Don Miggs in which we learn the history of the band, their favorite SF venues and a few of their secrets.
Q: What’s the story on how the band formed?
A: Miggs has had a few incarnations, for sure. We’ve been calling it a “collective” at this point!!! The latest lineup, the one I truly …read more

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Different. That’s the word I’m thinking of as I listen to The Down Lowe’s 2006 CD Listen Up. It’s different from anything else I’ve heard lately, especially anything coming out of the Bay Area. And since San Francisco is all about appreciating those who are different, I’d say that’s a good thing. But let me clarify to say that by “different”, I don’t mean “weird. I just mean different.
Much of the difference comes from the fact that The Down Lowe combines the vocals of a solo singer with the full support of a band and the skills of a DJ. …read more

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As you may remember from our interview with them, The Brothers Lekas are an acoustic folk rock duo that is also part of a jam band called In Rare Form. In our interview, we tried to get at the heart of what makes the duo different from the band. We got a little bit of insight – the acoustic work is more planned, the writing styles are different, and the band is more expansive in its genre-reaching. But the only way to really understand the difference is to see both bands play. And you can do that tomorrow night, since …read more

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*This image is a painting titled “Gallery Reception Night”. It was done by Sandra Lo and is on the inside cover of the Aoede CD.
Last month, San Fran Voice was lucky enough to get an interview with Lisa Sniderman, the voice of Aoede. In that interview, Lisa told us that Aoede is a folk-laced pop-rock duo which takes its name from the muse of song in Greek mythology. After listening to the four tracks on their EP, Ear Candy, I have to say that the name is fitting. The music conjures up all of the fantasy and inspiration of a …read more

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Earthy. That’s the word that keeps coming to mind as I explore the music made by Micah Anderson. It has the rich texture of fertile soil. It has roots that stretch deep into the ground of musical influence. And it has the bright vividness of colors and smells and sensations that can only be found in nature. It is down-to-earth; earthy.
Micah Anderson is a San Jose musician who plays a version of acoustic rock that’s spiced up with a hint of blues, a dash of country and maybe even a little tiny pinch of gospel. His voice is deep and …read more

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I love the CD that I got from Drew Thomas. I know, that’s not a very good description for a music review. But that’s the thing about love – words can’t ever do it justice. You can’t describe the way that a person gets inside of you and presses your heart with their own pulse so that yours beats faster than it ever has before. You can’t describe the way that the right person – or the right lyrics – can know you better than you know yourself. Because it doesn’t matter what metaphors you come up with or what …read more

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There’s a quote that I love which goes something like: Every day, I become an intenser devotee to common sense. (I forget who said it, although I remember that it comes from a book that’s got a selection of diary entries from female writers.) I may not recall the author, but the message stuck with me throughout the years. I’m a big fan of common sense, especially when it seems to be lacking in situations around me. And I thought of this line when I first put on Fix the Roof, the CD by San Francisco band Hippie Grenade.
That’s because …read more

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Imagine that it is the end of winter in a place that has four typical seasons. You are in your apartment, wearing fuzzy pajamas and a warm robe. Outside of your window, the wind stirs up the chill but the true harshness of winter has already subsided. You have just gotten over your winter cold, and you feel happy just to feel well. You are curled up on your favorite chair, your hands wrapped around a mug of hot tea. It’s dark tea, with a rich smoky flavor and you’ve accented it with a spill of cream and a dash …read more

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