Dive into a Bay Area take on the Canterbury sound with the debut from Magic Fig
On "Butterflies," SF producer Mcstravick teams up with SF hip hop mainstay Equipto as well as younger MCs Professa Gabel, MC Pauze, Jada Imani, and more
What?
White Crate newsletter on a Thursday?
Oh, I know you’re not really worried about the switch.
Thank you once again for following us and supporting Bay Area music <3
— White Crate
AVANT-GARDE, JAZZY PSYCH
“We want the music to convey a feeling of both childlike wonder and of death, myth and the unknown.” — Muzzy Moskowitz
Some people enjoy red wine, but there’s a special class of people who go further, naming the exact grapes and valleys they want poured into their glass. So too, there are music fans, artists, and bands who can say with precision that they’re especially adherents of the “Canterbury sound,” a style of avant-garde, jazzy psych rock developed in Canterbury, England in the late 60s, early 70s.
Magic Fig is one of those bands. A new group comprised of folks who have already contributed much to the current Bay Area indie rock renaissance—through Almond Joy, Healing Potpourri, The Umbrellas, and Whitney’s Playland—Magic Fig will debut next week with their six-track self-titled album Magic Fig. From steady rising rock rhythms and double laser electric solos (“Obliteration”) to whimsical guitar licks and lullaby-like vocal lines (“Departure”), the album plays with weird prog rock flair while maintaining the easygoing reverie of an ancient child’s fable.
The band members all live in San Francisco but it’s equally an Oakland record since it was recorded at Santo Recording, released by Silver Current Records, and produced by psych rock whiz Joel Robinow (Howlin’ Rain, Once & Future Band). Maybe one day it will be referenced in the Wikipedia article for “Bay Area sound.”
The full album comes out next Friday, May 17 (pre-orders here). Watch videos for the two first singles “Goodbye Suzy” and “PS1” below:
— Ronny Kerr
EUPHORIC BARS & BEATS
Euphoric as springtime, Butterflies is a new seven-track album produced, arranged, and recorded by Mcstravick with the help of a few fellow hip hop and soul jazz cats. Featuring a dozen rappers and singers from the Bay, including several contributors to the last Family Not a Group album Rent Check, the release packs a ton of bars, beats, and tremendous talent into a small space. Equipto, a mainstay of SF hip hop since the 90s, flows fluidly and comfortably alongside younger MCs like Professa Gabel, MC Pauze, and Jada Imani. From the tasteful turntablism to the samples, snares, and kicks, it’s all deeply calm and colorful, elevated with Wonka-like wonder.
Featured vocalists:
Equipto
Byron Mayhew
Cartel 360
Professa Gabel
Monk HTS
Jamie Zee
Cyph4
Chris Kang
Mike Evans Jr.
Jada Imani
MC Pauze
— Ronny Kerr
SHOW RECS
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[experimental] Hauras, silo homes — May 9 at Green Apple Books on the Park
[folk] Kelly McFarling, Joe Kaplow, Mickey Newball — May 9 at the 4 Star Theater
[experimental] Claire Rousay, Maria BC — May 9 at the Lab
[rock] 100% Cherub ft. Figure Eight, Cheree, Tricky FM, Buddy Junior, Welcome Strawberry, Sucker, Parallel, Mox, What's Important — May 10 at The Warehouse
[rock] Magic Fig (record release), Joel Robinow, Now — May 10 at the 4 Star Theater
[hip hop] Digital Martyrs, HMZA., Edgewize, Safahri — May 10 at the Golden Bull
[techno] NO BIAS ft. Adam Kraft b2b Discnogirl, Clearcast, DE ALMA, Tom Marsi — May 10 at Underground SF
[techno] Momentum ft. Dr. Gabba, Techgrl, LUCA LUSH, DRAKK, sfcowboy, Del, 40split, SNAQ, DMN TWNK — May 10 at Club Six
[rock] Fantastic Negrito & Friends, Mani Draper (DJ) — May 10 at the Oakland Museum of California
[hip hop] Sutro ft. Afterthought, DJSAY, Professa Gabel, Mike Marshall, Grand-O, A.M.K., and more — May 11 at 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco
[ambient] Daniel Lanois, Signal Quest — May 11 at Grace Cathedral
[rock] Yea-Ming and the Rumours (record release), Smile Too Much, Ryann Gonsalves — May 11 at Little Hill Lounge