For fans of Nico, New Order, and Essential Logic: New interview and playlist curated by Hannah Lew of Cold Beat ahead of Grace Cathedral show
Plus a few end-of-the-year releases from 22nd Jim, Galore, French Cassettes, BADVRIL, Almost Barely, Bastiengoat, and New Prosthetics
You may have heard: Next month we’re proudly presenting synth pop band Cold Beat at the iconic Grace Cathedral in downtown San Francisco. The four-piece will be joined by the War Garden Choir—especially assembled for this event—as well as Christopher Keady (Interim Director of Music at Grace Cathedral), who will be playing the cathedral’s 7,466-pipe Charles B. Alexander Memorial Organ, one of the first American classic style organs and among the largest church organs in the West.
It’s going to be epic, so we thought it would be worthwhile to sit down with the bandleader Hannah Lew for a brief interview to hear her thoughts on the performance and music she’s been listening to.
Check out the interview here and then listen to the playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.
Peace,
ronny
OPEN HEART MACHINERY
Not feeling completely human. Suffering through the disease of love. Struggling with an addiction to overstimulating noise and light. Just another day on planet Earth.
Any artist from any genre could make an album about the complex, often contradictory conveniences and dystopian facets of modern life—and they do—but somehow it seems most fitting when it sounds like this. Released by FREAKS, the self-titled album by New Prosthetics sounds like what could be Kraftwerk’s alternate soundtrack to THX-1138, if the band were fronted by a soprano opera singer. It’s an industrial experiment, a vicious razor-edged machine driven by a woman with a voice as ancient as the woods and illuminating as lightning. In case it isn’t obvious, this is not background music. Listen with feeling.
MORE SELECTIONS
SIDESHOW by bastiengoat
beats, electronic, jersey club, Oakland
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Rare Fantasia Vol. 1 by Almost Barely
alternative, indie, pop, San Francisco
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“Econoline” by BADVRIL
acoustic, alternative, dream pop, San Francisco
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“Be Bright (A Christmas Song)” by French Cassettes
indie, pop, rock, San Francisco
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Blush by Galore on Paisley Shirt Records
alternative, jangle, pop, San Francisco
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“Scarface” by 22nd Jim
hip hop, rap, Oakland
LIVE
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[experimental] Irreversible Entanglements, 700 Bliss, Moor Mother — Dec 16-17 at the Lab
[classical] Winter’s Gifts: Peace ft. the San Jose Chamber Orchestra and the Choral Project — Dec 16 at Santa Clara University and Dec 17 at First United Methodist Church Palo Alto
[rock] OFF!, Zulu — Dec 16 at the Independent
[rock] The Breathing Room, Cardboard People, Uncle Chris — Dec 16 at Art House Gallery
[rock] Nothing Natural, THE ACHARIS, KIM, DJ TV Dad — Dec 16 at Thee Stork Club
[rock] The Birth Defects, Thunder Boys, Terry Gross — Dec 17 at Thee Stork Club
[rock] Luke Sweeney, D.A. Stern, Magic Carpet Ryders, the 1981 — Dec 17 at the Golden Bull
[club] Naughty or Nice ft. Jpeg.Love, Introspekt, RITCHRD, Discnogirl, Lonald j. bandz b2b Infinite Jess — Dec 17 at Mothership
[club] Error 808 ft. DJ Swisha, DJ Noir b2b Jae Drago (JBW), Bastiengoat, Yungeradrian — Dec 18 at Crybaby
[latin] Kumbia Dark — Dec 21 at the Riptide
