THE RUMBLE: SAN FRANCISCO THIS WEDNESDAY AT HARLOT

It's back, the April version of THE RUMBLE in San Francisco this Wednesday night at Harlot. This month we have a live performance by THE HUNDRED DAYS (FS27) as well as guest DJ action from DJ OMAR of POPSCENE. Throw in FREE vodka and Red Bull from 8-9:30pm, happy hour drink prices, and the man the SF WEEKLY said is internet radio's John Peel, DJ BAGEL TED, and you've got another great party.

Get over to Sonicliving to RSVP if you want to get in for FREE.
http://sonicliving.com/event/772155/The_Owl_Mag_Presents%3A_The_Rumble_-_FREE_

TONIGHT IN LOS ANGELES: LEMON SUN + VOXHAUL BROADCAST

LEMON SUN 10 PM
VOXHAUL BROADCAST 11 PM

TONIGHT IN LA: TANDY @ ROOM 5 LOUNGE

I know it's short notice, but an INCREDIBLE singer/songwriter - TANDY - is in town from New York tonight and playing at 8pm at the Room 5 Lounge in Los Angeles. Pound for pound, Mike and TANDY can go toe to toe with anyone out there. Spend some time with Tandy at http://www.yellowslipper.com/

NEW SOUNDS: THE ETTES

The best part about what I do is that everyday that mailman comes to deliver music, like my own personal music service, and although I do have to suffer through some things that are less than amazing, I do get music that makes it all worth it. This is the case with yesterday's goldmine that is the new THE ETTES record, "Look At Life Again Soon". This CD rips! Top to bottom, look out, this is rock and roll in an old school sense. Based in Los Angeles, this trio is like THE RUNAWAYS meets THE KILLS, and I understand the record was done at London's Toerag Studios with producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes, The Kills). Singles "Crown Of Age" and my other favorite "I Heard Tell" are barnburners that you'll see on the Future Sounds compilation, on the radio show, and on everything we touch. I know what will be on serious rotation all weekend in this house. This one is going to turn some heads.

THE ETTES
MYSPACE
WEB SITE

THE CULT OF TURBO CONTINUES.....

I'm almost overwhelmed by the number of fan photos that have been pouring in....here's my current favorite that was sent of TURBO.....

NUGAZE HEAVEN: FILM SCHOOL TO SUPPORT SWERVEDRIVER ON WEST COAST

Wow! Our FILM SCHOOL friends just landed a nice swing of dates with SWERVEDRIVER in late May, right on the heels of their tour dates with BRITISH SEA POWER. Sounds to me like shoegaze heaven for anyone that's a fan of buzz saws and huge washes of sound.

SWERVEDRIVER/FILM SCHOOL TOUR DATES:
may 26 Seattle - Nuemos
may 27 Portland - Wonder Ballroom
may 30 San Diego - Casbah
may 31 Los Angeles - Henry Fonda Theatre

WHITE DENIM AND THE CULT OF TURBO

The hits just keep coming for our favorite band from Austin - WHITE DENIM. Now the Brits are onto it, even the NME knows what's up sometimes (see press hit above) when they said they were one of the "10 Best Bands at SXSW". I saw writers from every publication possible at their SXSW show at Hot Freaks, and I guarantee they'll keep coming, mostly because they aren't out chasing after it. White Denim are like THE RAMONES of Texas, they are perfection caught in action. They embody everything right about independent music, everything perfect about garage bands that work it out behind the scenes, back in the chicken shack, and then come out to the world and deliver. They reflect Austin, Texas and this time in music much like those beloved Ramones did of their time and place. This isn't some pansy band, looking for a J Linderberg endorsement, this is three dudes that own their sound and represent where they are from with no apologies. I've had a couple nights of getting pretty sauced with the boys, and each time their brazen 'we don't want a US label' approach at first puzzles me, but then my smile creeps in when I realize they're doing just fine as is. Leave a tender moment alone it is said - they have folks in Texas that take care of them, they have a fantastic manager, great booking, and have plenty of folks talking about them without doing anything more than just getting on stage and ripping through their sets with the same reckless abandon each and every time.

And while we're on this subject, let's discuss what is turning into the CULT OF TURBO.
If you haven't seen White Denim live yet, which is like trying to eat in a wind tunnel, then you have yet to experience one of Earth's greatest accomplishments: TURBO.

This is TURBO

I mean, you can't even manufacture something as perfect as 'Turbo' for a nickname, it's just pure syncopation. Everywhere I turned in Austin, someone was talking about Turbo. "Turbo this" and "Turbo that", I started to realize something much bigger was happening, an underground fanbase was assembling around one musician like I haven't seen in some time. Forget that Fall Out Boy jackass, today's superstar bass player is Turbo. His bass playing is deep, thumpin', TOWER OF POWER kinda bass playing.

I'm calling out to those out there that have subscribed to this cult, SEND ME YOUR BEST TURBO PHOTO so I can post them.

The absolute moment I knew things had changed from fringe fascination to full on idol was when I passed this graffiti just off of Red River during SXSW....

White Denim Tour Dates:

Apr 1 -The Buffalo Bar (Artrocker) - London
Apr 2- Scruffy Bird @ The Pleasure Unit - London
Apr 3 - Dirty Boots @ Bloomsbury Bowling - London
Apr 4 - The Barfly - London
Apr 7 -La Maroquineriem - Paris

With Tapes N Tapes:
4/10 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minnesota
4/11 - Metro - Chicago, Illinois
4/12 - The Magic Stick - Detroit, Michigan
4/14 - The Opera House - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4/15 - Cabaret Music Hall - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
4/16 - Higher Ground Showcase Lounge - So.

Burlington, Vermont
4/17 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, Massachusetts
4/18 - Fillmore New York-Irving Plaza - New York, New York
4/19 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, New York
4/22 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4/23 - Nightclub 9:30 - Washington, D.C.

4/24 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
4/25 - The Earl - Atlanta, Georgia
4/26 - Cafe 11 - St.

Augustine, Florida
4/28 - The Social - Orlando, Florida
4/29 - Common Grounds - Gainesville, Florida
4/30 - Bottletree - Birmingham, Alabama
5/02 - Antone's - Austin, Texas
5/03 - Hailey's - Denton, Texas
5/06 - Club Congress - Tucson, Arizona
5/07 - The Casbah - San Diego, California
5/08 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, California
5/09 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, California
5/10 - Fillmore - San Francisco, California
5/12 - W.O.W.

Hall - Eugene, Oregon
5/13 - Richards on Richards - Vancouver, B.C.

, Canada
5/14 - The Showbox - Seattle, Washington
5/16 - In The Venue - Salt Lake City, Utah
5/17 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, Colorado

TONIGHT & THURSDAY IN LA: ALBERTA CROSS

For the next two evenings in Los Angeles, a band is playing that I've been waiting to see for some time now > ALBERTA CROSS. These Londoners, by-way-of Sweden, absolutely floored me with their EP, "The Thief & The Heartbreaker", truly one of my favorite listens from first song to last in some time. "Old Man Chicago" and "Lucy Rider" are fantastic songs and now my only fear is that my expectations of them live are pretty enormous.

TONIGHT: SPACELAND for Club NME
THURSDAY: THE VIPER ROOM

FUTURE SOUNDS PLAYLIST ON LITTLE RADIO: MARCH 25 – 10AM-NOON

MARCH 25 – 10AM-NOON

Christopher Denny – All Burned Up – Age Old Hunger – 2:59 Records
The Felice Brothers – Frankie’s Gun – The Felice Brothers - Team Love
The Cave Singers – Seeds of Light – Invitation Songs - Matador
Alberta Cross – Old Man Chicago – The Thief & The Heartbreaker
Andrew Bird – Imitosis – Armchair Apocrypha - Fat Possum
Wisely – Through Any Window – Wisely- Oglio Records

BREAK

The Mumlers – Shake That Medication – Thickets & Stiches - Galaxia
Society of Rockets – Time - Our Paths Related - Unsigned
Chester French – She Loves Everybody – Demos- Star Trek (Interscope)
The Rosewood Thieves – Silver Gun – New Demos - Unsigned
The Botticellis – The Reviewer – Old Home Movies - Antenna Farm Records

BREAK

Fleet Foxes – Oliver James – Ragged Wood - Sub Pop
Bon Iver – Creature Fear – For Emma, Forever Ago
Port O’Brien – I Woke Up Today – All We Could Do Was Sing - Unsigned
Geronimo – Just Like Water – Demos - Unsigned
Born In The Flood – Low Flying Clouds – Demos - Unsigned

BREAK

Lemon Sun – The Loner – New Album TBD - Unsigned
My Pet Saddle – Ill Fait Beau – EP - Unsigned
The Morning Benders – Dammit Anna - Talking Through A Tin Can - +1 Music
Birds & Batteries – After A Flood – I’ll Never Sleep Again - Unsigned
The Grizzly Owls - What’s A Girl To Do? – By Night On My Bed - Unsigned

BREAK

Pin Me Down – Cryptic – Kitsune Comp - Unsigned
Creature – Bririgitte Bardot – Demos – Unsigned in US
Spiral Beach – Made Of Stone – Ball - Sparks Music in CA – Unsigned in US
Magic Wands – Black Magic – Demos - Unsigned
The May Fire – They Make Me Mad – La Victoria EP - Unsigned

BREAK

The Heavy – That Kind Of Man – Great Vengeance & Furious Five - +1 Music
The Postelles – White Night – The Postelles EP - Retone Records
Paloma Faith – Broken Doll – Demos - Unsigned
Adele – Hometown Glory – Adele – Columbia/XL Recordings
The Blooms – White Walls – Demos - Unsigned

BREAK

White Denim – Mess Your Hair Up – Let’s Talk About It EP - Unsigned
The Dodos – Fools – Visiter - Frenchkiss
Thao Nguyen – Bag Of Hammers – Thao – KillRockStars
Rebekah Higgs – Parables – Rebekah Higgs – Outside Records (CA)
Those Dancing Days – Those Dancing Days – Those Dancing Days EP - V2 Music Scandanavia
Voxhaul Broadcast – The Echo – Rotten Apples – Leftwing Records

END

FUTURE SOUNDS ON LITTLE RADIO

Tune in on Tuesdays from 10AM-Noon (PST) to LITTLE RADIO for my new radio show, FUTURE SOUNDS.

Each week I get to drop all the new music sent my way that can't possibly all fit on one CD into the airwaves for two hours. The format is simple> new and unsigned music, plus some old classics dropped in from time to time to keep things honest. I'm told you can also listen to it via their LR podcasts, but dial it in tomorrow to hear me shake off the rust. Growing up I always thought I'd someday own my own radio station, so being on "Little" Radio feels pretty close to that dream.

GIMMIE 5: MARCH 21ST

GIMMIE 5 - MARCH 21ST

1. CREATURE - Brigitte Bardot

2. SPIRAL BEACH - Made Of Stone

3. MAGIC WANDS - Black Magic

4. ROBOTS IN DISGUISE - We're In The Music Biz

5. THE MAY FIRE - They Make Me Mad

TONIGHT IN LA: THE BOTTICELLIS @ THE ECHOPLEX

They may only be the opening band, but San Francisco's THE BOTTICELLIS are the targeted pick for this evening's lineup at The Echoplex. Their Antenna Farm Records release, "Old Home Movies" is excellent, highly recommended in fact. Get out early and see these guys!

TOUR DATES
21 Mar Echoplex Los Angeles, CA TONIGHT!!
18 Apr Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, CA
16 May Starry Plough Berkeley, CA
17 May Sophia's Thai Kitchen Davis, CA
...stay tuned for US tour dates in June

TONIGHT IN LA: FILM SCHOOL @ SPACELAND

TONIGHT IN LA: BORN RUFFIANS @ THE ECHO

Back to back to back nights at THE ECHO? Last night's FELICE BROTHERS show was no letdown, they were amazing. So tonight is another band I've enjoyed for some time, THE BORN RUFFIANS. Their self-titled debut album was fantastic, as their song "This Sentence Will Ruin/Save Your Life" owned me for months. Now they are rolling out their record, "Red, Yellow and Blue" on Warp and I've only heard "Hummingbird" so far and it's excellent.

Also on the bill is CADENCE WEAPON, who I was lucky enough to catch at HOT FREAKS at SXSW, and local act RUMSPRINGA that I've been hearing people talk up.

Tomorrow night is AN AQUARIUM DRUNKARD'S show at The Echo - see below, but how can you miss it? BON IVER & WHITE HINTERLAND - WOW!

THE MORNING BENDERS TO HIT THE ROAD WITH THE KOOKS

A band of the nicest guys out there, THE MORNING BENDERS, are gearing up for their first ever tour of the US, and they get quite an introduction to touring by supporting THE KOOKS. They are set to release their first single, "Waiting For A War" on 7" vinyl and then next on Itunes, as we wait for the full length (which I'm fortunate to have already and it's fantastic!).

US Tour Dates
May 6 5:00P Virgin Megastore SF In-store! FREE! San Francisco, California
May 8 LA CD Release Show @ The Echo Los Angeles, California
May 9 SF CD Release Show @ 330 Ritch San Francisco, California
May 18 House Of Blues San Diego, California
May 19 The Wiltern Los Angeles, California
May 24 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, British Columbia
May 25 Sasquatch Festival Seattle, Washington
May 26 Wonder Ballroom Portland, Oregon
May 28 Avalon Theatre Salt Lake City, Utah
May 29 Ogden Theatre Denver, Colorado
May 31 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, Minnesota
June 1 Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, Wisconsin
June 2 Vic Theatre Chicago, Illinois
June 4 Kool Haus Toronto, Ontario
June 5 The Fillmore @ TLA Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 9 Paradise Rock Club SOLD OUT Boston, Massachusetts
June 10 Terminal 5 New York, New York
June 11 Terminal 5 SOLD OUT New York, New York

TONIGHT IN LA: THE FELICE BROTHERS @ THE ECHO

I thought I was OD'd on bands post-SXSW, but upon seeing the arrival of THE FELICE BROTHERS to The Echo tonight, I'm back in the saddle. I've been blathering on and on about this band to anyone that will listen, and I get my first crack at seeing them live this evening.

SXSW RECAP

Freaks? Nope, HOT FREAKS

I've never had so many tacos in one week in my life as I did last week in Austin at SXSW. Beer, BBQ and tacos. I saw more bands that any year ever and spent a lot of time at HOT FREAKS at the Mohawk, surviving the sun and downing Tochie's Tacos. I'm still recovering from the late flight and all the poison, but here's a brief recap of my trip.....

STANDOUT PERFORMANCE OF SXSW 2008:

CHRISTOPHER DENNY & THE OLD SOLES @ Club Deville

Finally caught CD with his band, The Old Soles, and it was better than imagined. It's refreshing to see actual, undeniable TALENT, that has nothing to do with fashion and hype.

RUNNER UP:

WHITE DENIM @ The Mohawk (Hot Freaks)

Hometown boys were the belle of the ball all week. All I have to say is, "Turbo! Turbo! Turbo!"

MOST INSANE SHOW:

PEELANDER Z @ The Mohawk (Hot Freaks)

If you missed this performance, you'll have to read about it forever. A spectacle in the best sense of the word.

Fantastic to see our dear friends SHOUT OUT LOUDS @ The Parish for the Merge showcase. SOL's and then DESTROYER was a highlight of the week for me.

OTHER STANDOUTS:

GRAVEYARD @ Bourbon Rocks
Sweden's WOLFMOTHER - close your eyes and it's ZEPPELIN - a voice from another time.

CATHY DAVEY @ Soho Lounge (Irish Showcase)
Dublin's superstar in the making. Another huge voice on a beautiful person.

BIRDS & BATTERIES @ The Beauty Bar (Bay Area Takeover)
Barely missed being my runner-up show. Even better live than on the CD I adore.

THE DODOS & BON IVER @ The Mohawk
I put these two together because they were two sets that sored beneath HUGE vocals and emotionally charged lyrics. Breathtaking.

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, FILM SCHOOL and FIGHT LIKE APES were also tremendous. The Skewer Party at Maggie Mae's was also excellent, running up and down the steps to each stage helped work off the brisket and Lone Star.

It was far and away my favorite SXSW, and I did my best to stay away from every over-hyped party full of bands we've all seen a hundred times before and get back to what the festival was set up for initially - to showcase new and rising talent.

Thanks to Ryan Suffern for the photos and to HOT FREAKS for the hospitality.

TANKFARM FUTURE SOUNDS JOINS THE SKEWER PARTY

See you there on Thursday

SXSW 2008 PICKS

Everyone will be chasing the tale of the usual suspects again this year as usual, but if you're interested in checking out some other bands/artists that show tremendous promise, try and add these to your schedule:

THE HEAVY

3.13 8PM Elysium - Counter Records Showcase
3.13 11PM The 301 - Playboy Party
3.14 4:45PM Hank Sinatra's House


CHRISTOPHER DENNY
3.13 6pm - 5775 Airport Blvd (at 290)
3.14 9pm - Pangaea - 409 Colorado St - Billboard Showcase
3.14 10:40pm - 801 Red River St
3.15 12:30pm - Club De Ville - 900 Red River St - Hot Freaks Party

MONTE NEGRO

3.12 9PM Continental Club
3.13 12PM MexicArte Museum
3.14 5PM Habana Calle 7
3.15 5PM Borders Sessions at the MACC

APTEKA

3.13 6PM Agave Bar - 415 E 6th St
3.13 9PM Bikinis Bar & Grill - 6901 North IH-35
3.14 9:30PM Pete's Bar
3.15 3:15PM Pete's Bar

THE MAI SHI
3.12 1:15pm Fader Fort
3.12 3:30pm Emo's - Terrorbird Party
3.12 5:30pm The Parlor
3.12 9pm Solar Stage
3.13 11:30am Emo's Lounge - Brooklyn Vegan Party
3.13 2:15pm Lucky Lounge
3.13 8pm Ms Bea's
3.13 10pm The Whiskey
3.13 11:45PM Children's Museum
3.14 1PM The Opera House - Smell Party
3.14 4:30PM Victory Grill - Vice Party
3.14 7PM Spiderhouse
3.14 11:45PM Flamingo Cantina
3.15 2PM West Wine Art Museum
3.16 8pm Beerland

FIGHT LIKE APES
3.13 4:30PM BD Riely's - MFI Full Irish Breakfast
3.14 12:30pm SOHO Lounge - Music For Ireland
3.15 1am - The Hideout - Canadian Music Week

BIRDS & BATTERIES
3.12 2pm Spider House Cafe
3.13 1:30PM Beauty Bar
3.13 3pm Bay Area Takeover Party

MAKE MODEL

3.13 4pm - Habana Annex - Bebo Party
3.13 10pm - Friends - Clash Magazine
3.14 4:40pm Latitude 30 - Scottish Arts Council
3.14 8pm Wave Rooftop - NME

SPIRAL BEACH
3.14 7pm Chain Dive
3.15 8pm Momo's - NXNE

OTHER BANDS THAT SOUND VERY INTERESTING:

GRAVEYARD
3.12 9PM Bourbon Rocks - Tepee Records
3.13 8PM Tepee - Alarm Party
3.15 8PM Volcom Skate Party

HONEY CLAWS
3.12 11:45PM Club 115 - SXSW Showcase
3.14 8PM Apple Bar

ABIGAIL WARCHILD
3.12 9:15PM Dirty Dog Bar - ASCAP

THE BUZZ:
THESE NEW PURITANS
THE FELICE BROTHERS
DEAD CONFEDERATE
WHITE DENIM
THE DODOS
THE AIRBOURNE TOXIC EVENT
EVANGELICALS

RECOMMENDED:
Film School, Cathy Davey, Ida Maria, The Virgins, MGMT, Shout Out Louds, Constantines, Delta Spirit, The Slits, Brazos, Brooke Waggonner, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Jenn Grant, Magic Bullets, The Wombats, Wisely, Thieves Like Us, Juiceboxxx, Office, The Law, Peter & The Wolf.

NEW FEATURE: GIMMIE 5

Friday's GIMMIE 5 - Five jams for your enjoyment

1. THE MUMLERS - Shake That Medication

2. SOCIETY OF ROCKETS - Time

3. CHESTER FRENCH - She Loves Everybody

4. THE ROSEWOOD THIEVES - Silver Gun

5. THE BOTTICELLIS - The Reviewer

TONIGHT IN LOS ANGELES: MY BEST FIEND @ THE VIPER ROOM

So I'm really excited that a band I've really been obsessed with is finally on the West coast and will be playing two LA shows - tonight and tomorrow night. The band you heard on Future Sounds 31, Brooklyn's MY BEST FIEND. Their EP has been one of my favorite new pieces of music to come my way in some time so I'm eager/nervous to see it live, as my expectations are pretty high. They just finished San Diego and Vegas and close up this short WC tour tonight at THE VIPER ROOM and then again on Friday at THE ECHO. You must see this band while they are in town.

TONIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO: THE RUMBLE - AMPLIVE & LOVELIKEFIRE

Bay area friends, get out to the party tonight and catch a live performance by LOVELIKEFIRE and DJ sets by AMPLIVE and Bagel Ted. Free TankFarm gear and free lemon drops!

BIRDS & BATTERIES KICK OFF SXSW TOUR TONIGHT

I've fallen for the San Francisco act, BIRDS & BATTERIES, and tonight they begin their SXSW Tour with plenty of opportunities to see them out West and in the Southwest. Their release, "I'll Never Sleep Again" is truly one of the highlights for me early on in 2008.

NEW SOUNDS: THE MUMLERS

While up in San Francisco this past weekend for NOISE POP, MR ROBOTO tipped me off to a band out of San Jose that have me all excited. The band is a seven-piece called THE MUMLERS, and they just dropped their debut record on February 12th on Galaxia Records called "Thickets & Stitches".

I've seen where they've been compared to people like YO LA TENGO, CALEXICO and LAMBCHOP, which all knock on the door to a sound, but to me they move it back to DR JOHN, MUNGO JERRY, BOOKER T & THE MG'S, and even 'Family Affair' SLY & THE FAMILY STONE. I hear a bit of THE BAND ("Across The Great Divide"), LEON REDBONE, ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS, and even JOHN CLEARY, because it feels part New Orleans and part Stax. A little ways back I fell for the band, LITTLE BARRIE, for preciously this same sort of sound that hits the mark so dead on, and have been waiting for someone else to pop up and claim it. Of course it will always come from a place such as San Jose, or Tulse, or someplace like that where the hipster crowd has aped themselves so many times they don't know whether or not they are trying to be the "new" Arcade Fire this week, Beirut, or Vampire Weekend (all great bands btw). Their track, "Shake The Medication" is simply outstanding and you should head over to their Myspace page and listen immediately.

Spin, Filter, Rolling Stone and NPR have caught wind of this act, and thankfully I finally have caught up as well. You'll hear me yap about these guys plenty going forward, watch out.

Download “Red River Hustle” HERE (mp3)

The band is built around Will Sprott and he kindly gave me some time and answered my questions. Here goes...

Q: The Mumlers are a seven-piece unit, and I’ve read of the wild instrumentation within the band, can you provide a rundown of all the players and their respective instruments?

Sure. Our main rhythm man is Andy Paul. He mainly bangs on drums but has also been known to bang on a marimba now and then. I mention him first because he's always hiding behind his drums and nobody sees him. For some reason whenever he's photographed he gets red eyes & looks like a cyborg. Paolo Gomez is our master of lower frequencies. He usually sticks to his upright bass. He's a deep reservoir of talent. He also plays guitar and saxophone like a dream but we have not yet called him to duty in those departments. Mercedes El Vencere handles the tambourine, shaker and harmonica playing. She keeps us all laughing by constantly laughing (at us). She also makes jewelry. James Fenwicke plays French horn, trumpet, keyboards, guitars and can whistle better than the devil. He's prone to enigmatic declarations. Müller plays guitar, pedal steel and other slide-type instruments and clarinet. He's our technical wizard. He's like that guy James Bond goes to see for new devices in the spy trade, except with music. I'm Will Sprott. I mostly play guitar and piano and sing the songs. Everybody else sings harmonies and stuff too. Then there's Felix Archuleta...

Q: Tell me about Felix Archuleta?

Felix is a crazy genius if I've ever met one. He's one of of those guys that can play anything he touches. For The Mumlers he mostly plays baritone horn, trumpet, various keyboards, and guitars. He is also a tornado on the dance floor.

Q: I’m going to hit you with the very familiar “what are your influences” question, mostly because your band doesn’t seem to be playing from the same deck of cards as most. After hearing the tracks on “Thickets & Stitches”, I need to know what old albums are in your collection that are worn out.

I can't speak for the whole band because there are so many of us. Our listening really goes far and wide. Every time I'm in Felix's car, for instance, he's listening to either the classical station or the Mexican station. Paolo knows a lot about Jazz. Personally, I like a lot of old soul music and a lot of old folk music. If I was stuck on a desert island I'd probably take Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music and the Stax/ Volt Singles collection 1968-71.

Q: I need to see you live, what are your touring plans for this album? Do you need a bus like the Partridge Family to fit all of you for road shows?

Well, right now we're trying to get it together with a booking agent. If that happens we'll be getting on the road as soon as possible. I would love to play all over. For now we've got a bunch of Northern California shows booked. Our record just came out a couple weeks ago so we've been playing as much as possible just to spread the word around. We've done a few shows in far flung places in the past and it is pretty funny to see us all crammed into a van with all our stuff. Stand-up basses take up a lot of room. Usually somebody has to sit on the floor.

Q: Where was the record recorded and with whom?

The bulk of the record was recorded at Snowghost Music in Whitefish, Montana with Brett Allen in November of 2006. Brett was nice enough to let us stay at his his studio so we braved the snowstorms and the icy interstates and recorded it out there, which was great. It was really good to be so far from the distractions of home and just do nothing but work on music. Over the next few months after that we did some other recording back in San Jose. Muller is a recording engineer as well so we did it at his house which he calls the Felony College of the Streets. We added a few more touches with John Baccigaluppi at his studio, the Hangar, in Sacramento. Then we mixed it at the Hangar with Thom Monahan.

Q: “Red River Hustle” is such a cool track, and I understand there’s a story behind it – can you share?

I hate to break things down to much but basically I was moved to write it by all the shady things that we're happening outside my window. I was living in a corner apartment on the second floor of this beautiful old Victorian house that had been converted into dirty little apartments. The windows looked out over this intersection and there was always something going on so I used to just sit there and watch the world go by. On one corner there was a house full of transvestite prostitutes who used to stand on the corner and wave down tricks. On another corner there was a crack house which one night erupted in a giant street-brawl and a police raid. There was a guy who used to push shopping carts down the street full of stuff at four in the morning. I'd hear the clatter of the cart and look out and see him with a television and a lamp hanging out of his shopping cart and I'd wonder what he was up to. So basically that song is a little glimpse of that world.

Q: Your home base is San Jose, CA, which I remember as being a very pop-punk & emo kind of town, with a fair amount of jock-rock thrown in. How does the home crowd react to this blues-infused funk?

People in San Jose have been nothing but supportive. I honestly didn't think anyone would care about us here either but I guess maybe people are excited for something different. Through making music here I feel like we've unearthed a whole secret city within the city. A city this big has a lot woodwork for people to hide in.

Q: Are there other bands on the SJ scene that we should all be aware of? What’s the best venue?

Some bands I like a lot are the Stars Misplaced, Doctor Nurse, Beachkrieg, Thee Mansion, Eiafuawn, Worker Bee & Settler. There's really a lot of good music here but it's pretty insular. There's a lot of people who have no commercial ambitions making music for themselves. If they have ambition they usually leave. I could rattle off a list of people you wouldn't know are from San Jose but that's their business. I heard COOLIO is from here. That's just a teaser.

Q: What’s the best thing about San Jose?

Lots and lots of Mexican food.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions Will, and I’m hoping to see you many times in the upcoming years and wish you success with this release.

“Thickets & Stitches” was released on February 12th on Galaxia Records and is also available on Itunes.

THE MUMLERS
MYSPACE
WEB SITE

LA RECORD REVIEW OF SATURDAY'S LEMON SUN SHOW

On the front page of the LA RECORD at the moment is a nice review of this weekend's LEMON SUN show at the Unknown Theatre. The band will also be playing tonight at 11pm, going on right before METAL SKOOL at the Key Club.

POLICE STATE IN SF? MAYOR NEWSOM TO BUST PARTIERS

Was just tipped off to some legislation going down in San Francisco that could really affect club nights and be the tip of the iceberg of something that could hurt promoters and club owners around the city. Here's where it all starts if you aren't careful, and before long you'll become Phoenix or what they've done to New Orleans with this kind of madness. The San Francisco Bay Guardian ran this story > http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2008/02/newsom_to_clubs_curb_it.html

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM PROPOSES NIGHTCLUB REFORM LEGISLATION
Four ordinances will address the recent spate of violence outside nightclubs

San Francisco, CA – Today, Mayor Gavin Newsom was joined by Police Chief
Heather Fong, members of the Entertainment Commission and local nightclub
owners and promoters to announce new legislation aimed at reforming the
nightclub industry. Four pieces of legislation will be forwarded to the
Board of Supervisors at the next full Board meeting and are co-sponsored by
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell.

“People are going to these nightclubs, carrying guns, and committing
violent crimes,” said Mayor Newsom. “This violence will not be allowed to
continue, and we are telling nightclub industry officials that we are here
to help you, but we are going to make some changes.”

Three of the proposed ordinances focus on reforming permitting protocol for
promoters and nightclubs, and a final ordinance will prohibit loitering
around nightclubs during the late evening and early morning hours.
- The first ordinance would require promoters to obtain a permit before
holding two or more events per calendar year, thus enabling the
Police Department and other regulator agencies to know who is
directly responsible for an event and hold them accountable for a
security plan and any violations of health or safety rules.
- The second ordinance amends existing law to tighten the permitting
process, and grants emergency powers to the Director of Entertainment
Commission to suspend permits for a variety of safety and noise
violations.
- The third ordinance clarifies the application requirements for
Extended-Hours Premises Permits (premises which are open between
2-6a.m.), requiring these premises to create security plans, which
the Executive Director of the Commission must approve.
- The final ordinance makes it illegal to loiter within 10 feet of a
club for more than 3 minutes. It only applies between 9p.m. and 3a.m.
and does not apply to people waiting for a bus or other activity. A
person must be warned before they can be cited.

“The areas directly outside nightclubs have become locations for assaults
and shootings, and nightclub goers have become fearful for their safety,”
said Chief Fong. “This proposed anti-loitering legislation is another
crime-fighting tool for our officers, and our hope is to reduce the
incidence of violent crimes around these entertainment venues.”

The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) held the first Nightlife
Safety Summit in January, convening owners of nightclubs, event promoters,
and other members of the nightlife community to discuss violence occurring
outside of late night entertainment venues. Participants were asked to act
as partners in public safety activities to reduce violent crime and accept
accountability reforms in light of recent incidents involving nightclub
patrons.

“The entertainment community is proud to be a partner in the development of
this legislation, as our venues benefit most when our customers feel safe.”
said Entertainment Commission President Audrey Josephs. “This legislation
gives greater authority to the Entertainment Commission to act quickly and
effectively when violations do occur.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications,
415-554-6131

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Also on the bill - DAWES, THE CHEAT and ARMY NAVY !