E-MAIL CONTACT:
Rick@RARWRITER.com       

RAR TUNE OF THE WEEK:

The shot above is of Penelope Cruz in the 2006 Pedro Almodóvar film Volver, nicked from the satirical Spanish literature website trazegnies.arrakis.es. Penelope, in this shot, make's a perfect model for the femme fatale depicted in RAR's satirical sexcapade "Para Conquistarle"; another bit of sound clip silliness courtesy of "Sexy Spanish" and a site I have lost (still looking) where a guy says things like "I like the meat raw," which strikes me as funny in this goofy context. Click on the photo above to hear another RAR original, "Para Conquistarle."

Click on the MySpace Music graphic to go to RAR on MySpace or click the photo below to go to the RARWriter Music Page

ARTIST INDEX:

Click here to go to the Index page to find the artists profiled on the Links at RARWRITER.

FEATUREDARTISTS:

Click here to go to the Featured Artist page: 

DENNIS WANEBO / MARTIAN ACRES

JOHN PIEPLOW    

ANGIE MATTSON    

TAMRA SPIVEY

LIBBY WINTERS

and more!

Photos, streaming MP3s and more!!!

ESSAYS: 

"Has the New York Times Profiled the Devil?" - Something about this guy gives me the creeps

"President of the Subconscious World" - Why stop with the White House?

"John McCain's Wild Ride" - Pilot, Prisoner, Playboy, President?

"Death of Turtle Boy" - What will the Washington press corps do now?

POLITICAL LINKS IN THIS ELECTION SEASON - points of view not necessarily endorsed by RARWRITER.com

DAILY KOS: STATE OF THE NATION

ATLAS SHRUGS

RARADIO: Click here to go to the new RARadio page to hear innovative acts from across the spectrum of musical genres.

ARCHIVES: Features from past editions.

REVIEWS: Books, albums, films and bad baseball trades.

Recently Added:

FEATURED LINKS:

The Gibson guitar folks have a Lifestyle zine section on their website that is well worth checking. Click here.

RARWRITER
CONTRIBUTOR PROSPECTUS

RARWRITER.com is exploding with new readers, new artist profiles, and new business opportunities. Would you like to become involved as an editorial contributor? If you are a great writer or photographer with particular knowledge of your creative community, and you are looking for publishing credits, download the RARWRITER Prospectus to learn what involvement can mean for you.-RAR

Shawn Harris 
of The Matches

Nuts for the Adventure...

Make that Super Adventure Club

Michael Winger, left, identifies himself as "Bass, Keyboard, Vocals, B Movie Actor" (read more about him at www.michaelwinger.com), while Jake Wood, right, identifies himself as "Drums, Keyboard, Vocals, Failed Comedian" (read more at www.jakewood.net). Together they are the Super Adventure Club and, for RAR's money (as if) one of the most entertaining duos anywhere on the planet. If you stop reading now and click here, you will go to the duo's MySpace site where you can listen to some of the silliest stuff you are likely to hear this month. Not sure why I picked "this month," other than that these dudes may top themselves next. I absolutely love what they do, as exemplified by their goofy tribute "Former Ladies of the Cold War" (i.e., "Ukranian girls, Estonian girls, Lithuanian girls, Latvian girls...I like to see them on the Internets...to see which one I maybe gets..."). It is the rare act that makes fun of its audience at all, and even rarer to find one that does it with such respect. They are smart and they assume you are too.

Super Adventure Club is super adventurous this summer. Catch them (before they defect) at all of the following venues:

2 Aug 2008 20:00 Blake’s (All Ages!) W/Two Left Feet & All Heroes Berkeley, California 

25 Aug 2008 20:00 Elbo Room San Francisco, California

DAMON & THE HEATHENS

http://www.myspace.com/damonandtheheathen

Damon & the Heathens are a six-piece punk soul band from Oakland, California. "We combine the sounds of New Orleans Brass Bands with funk, jazz, Detroit garage rock, Motown and the styles of Tom Waits and Morphine to create what we call horn-fueled Oakland grit."

(From their MySpace) - Converting an abandoned meat locker into a rehearsal space, Damon and the Heathens hashed out their gritty sound over many late nights. Drawing from New Orleans Brass Bands and Detroit garage rock, they formed a horn-fueled soul punk sound all their own. They soon began hitting stages and taking names. Known for a raucous live show and a tight sound, the Heathens came into their own. The only thing holding them back is their bar tab. 

Michael S Grant, Silicon Valley Metro, writes - "This six-piece punk-band-with-a-horn section out of Oakland sounds like a modern-day interpretation of Cab Calloway and early Tom Waits, complete with call-and-response bridges and tales of a seedy urban underbelly and the crimes committed, often by the narrator, therein. They're also hip to the funky blues of, say, the Chicago Transit Authority, but much like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones did with Ska, Damon and the Heathens mix it up with thrashes of punk rock." 

Go to Damon & the Heathen's MySpace page to hear tracks.

HEATHENS: Damon Gallagher (vocals, piano, pocket trumpet), Chris Larson (baritone sax, cello), Tom Kyrimis ( trombone), Gary Moskowitz (trumpet), Kenny Annis (upright and electric bass), and Andrew Ryan (drums)

FIKIRA

www.fikiramusic.com/

FIKIRA is a seven-piece Afro-jazz band that is the inspiration of Oakland percussionist, composer and singer Fiaindratovo Manavihare (pictured right), known as "Mimy." Mimy is a native of Madagascar who plays music inspired by traditional Atandrov culture from the southern reaches of the island nation. The band specializes in mixing jazz harmonies with improvisation, all within the traditional framework.

Mimy learned his craft playing in traditional bands in his home country, but a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, from which he received a bachelors in performance art in 2003, helped establish him stateside. He was honored with the Roy Haynes Award from Zildiian Company, which honors innovation in jazz. (Haynes, who is 82 years old and still performing, is one of the most recorded drummers in jazz history, having worked with Gary Burton, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Henry Grimes, Christian McBride, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Horace Tapscott and many others).

While bandleader Mimy resides in Oakland, the majority of Fikira's band members are based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Mimy returns to Madagascar to work with other native musicians, including trio work  with Nicolas Vatomanaga (sax) and Ghomi (piano).

Fikira released their debut CD BEKO in 2007. Go to Fikira's MySpace page to hear tracks.

There are several videos available on Mimy's home page and on Fikira's MySpace.

FIKIRA: Manavihare, Fiaindratovo (mimy): leader, voc, perc, arr, comp/ Uziel Colon: Piano, arr, comp/ Joe Albano: Saxo/ Chris Gagne: Trombone/ Matt Owens: trumpet/ Sebastien Jasinski: Bass (on Beko mp3) Daniel Day: Bass (live performances and recording) Freddie Burgos: Drums./ George: the Cute Cat./

THE MATCHES

www.thematches.com/

THE MATCHES, originally known as "The Locals", were formed in 1997 by Justin San Souci, Matt Whalen, Matt Esposito, and Shawn Harris. At the time, all four were in high school at Bishop O'Dowd. Matt Esposito then left the band (sometime between 2000 and 2002) to enroll in the US Naval Academy, and was replaced by Jon Devoto as a guitarist. In those early years, the band played what could be characterized as ska-influenced punk, creating songs like "People on the Block", "Studio 5866", and others. These songs can now be found in The Matches' Song Vault.

Gradually, their style started shifting towards alternative rock. Their influences included fellow East Bay punk/pop-punk bands like Green Day and Rancid, as well as more mainstream bands and musicians like Elvis Costello, David Bowie, The Who and Joe Jackson. The name "The Locals" soon led to copyright infringement complications when Yvonne Doll, the frontwoman for the Chicago indie rock band also called "The Locals", contacted the band and asked that they change their name.

The band gained notoriety for "commo-promo", or commotion promotion, in which they would bring their acoustic guitars and play outside of various Bay Area venues as concerts for larger acts were letting out. In conjunction with Oakland's (now defunct) iMusicast venue, the band started producing their own shows called L3 (Live, Loud & Local), which became a launchpad for many other Bay Area bands, as well as attracting such headlining acts as Link 80, Sugarcult, and Zebrahead.

Eventually, under the new name "The Matches", they self-released their debut album, E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals (this was assumed as an effort to publicly resent Yvonne Doll while avoiding libel). Then soon after landed a record deal on Brett Gurewitz's Epitaph Records, although they had already previously released the album E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals without a recording contract, Epitaph Records re-released it. The version released by Epitaph lacks the song "Superman", but adds the songs "Borderline Creep" and "More Than Local Boys", instead. As well as slight changes to lyrics on "The Jack Slap Cheer", and the last untitled track (often referred to as "Track 11", "Abraham's Song", or "Scratched Out"). "Audio Blood" was featured in the video game Burnout 3: Takedown.

They have shared the stage with likes of Lit, Yellowcard, Matchbook Romance, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Starting Line, MXPX, Motion City Soundtrack, +44 and many others, as well as playing on the Vans Warped Tour. The Matches have quickly made a name for themselves in the pop punk scenes throughout the United States and Europe.The band has also worked with rapper MC Lars on the song "Hot Topic is Not Punk Rock", as well as Zebrahead and the A.K.A's

The Matches' second album, Decomposer, was released on September 12, 2006. The album features work by nine producers, including Tim Armstrong, Nick Hexum, Mark Hoppus, and John Feldmann, among other punk rock mainstays. The albums also marks a change to more experimental alternative rock sound, as opposed to the pop punk sound of their first album. The Matches were on the Vans Warped Tour 2007 supporting the album. The Matches will be playing the entire AP tour 2008.

The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article on March 26 entitled "A Svengali tends the Matches' flame," which detailed the impact that manager Miles Hurwitz (right) has had on the band. The 53-year old Hurwitz, 30 years the senior of the boys in The Matches, is a former Bay Area Music (BAM) Magazine writer and a co-founder of MicroTimes, which has since been sold. Hurwitz directs every aspect of The Match's career, even co-writing all of its songs with Shawn Harris (red socks in the photo above), the group's prime driver.  Of the boys, who Hurwitz was turned onto by his 8-year old son while the band members were still in high school, says of The Match - "I saw a spark - talent, vocal charm, hook-tinged material, musical accomplishment and much potential..." He has now been their manager for eight years.

_____________________________

The Matches will be one of the many bands who will be playing on the Soundwave tour in Australia late February and early march in 2008.-Wikipedia

_____________________________

BELOW: The Matches in production of the "Salty Eyes" music video, which can be seen on YouTube (click here).

THE MATCHES MP3s:

The Matches released Decomposer (left) in 2006, and this March released A Band in Hope. Tracks can be heard at their MySpace site. 

PANDA

www.myspace.com/pandaplaysmusic  

Cute, aren't they? Don't be deceived, PANDA(s) bite just a little. (This self-description from their MySpace page - "Who is Panda? Bla Waka Chubaka Mutha Fucka Rocka music. Is what we play. Yes, Rocka music love ta use it abuse it and con-muthafuckin-fuse it wit' dat Jazz slash Blues shit. Oooo Shit. That's that fuckiin goood shit.") They also play some of the most infectious tunes you will hear coming out of the Bay Area.

Panda is an Oakland band that is advanced way beyond their years. Petros (guitar/vocals), Jonny (guitar/vocals), Joey (piano/organ), Garet (bass) and Louie (drums) are gifted players, their vocals are top-knotch pop, and their songs are endlessly clever.

Speaking as a guy who often decries what sounds to me like a lack of solid musical grounding in young bands, Panda is the solid exception. Their version of "Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland" pays homage to the classic tune, along with The Beatles, any number of punk units, and also the jazz masters who have gone before. Their tune "Chinatown" is one of the finest bits of radio friendly hit-sounding pop rock I've heard in a long while.

Oakland's Panda may need to rethink their cuddly name, if they manage their way on to the international scene, where two other big bands from Australia and Mexico have already laid claim to the name. Something tells me they'll work it out, because these are talented boys. - RAR

THE PANDAS MP3s:

Panda has tracks that can be heard at their MySpace site. 

HONEYCUT

www.myspace.com/honeycutmusic  

Bart Davenport, the vocalist of HONEYCUT, has been prominent on the San Francisco music scene since the 1990s, known for fronting bands "The Loved Ones" and "The Kinetics." He and his present band are all associated with Berkeley's Quannum Project, a web-based recording/production company and label.

Davenport is a Berkeley native, whose performance flair resides somewhere in the sensitive regions between Mick Jagger and Bryan Ferry, and he is a great "face" for the first track ("Shadows") on the KFOG Local Scene 4 CD; in fact, as a representative of the Bay Area. He is an appealing guy. As a vocalist he is a pro along the lines of Train's Pat Monahan, though both are odd register guys.

Whatever, Davenport's range is right for Paris-born composer RV Salters, who before moving to Berkeley did session work for Nigerian beatmaster Femi Kuti and French hip-hop star DJ Mehdi (who has a tremendously entertaining video on Youtube for his tune "I Am Somebody" - click here). Salters moved to Berkeley in 1999 and started working with Quannum, on the LPs of their stable of artists (Blackalicious, Lifesavas, Maroons) and on his own solo project General Elektriks (Cliquety Kliqk), which Quannum released  in 2005. 

In 2003 Salters was brought together with Davenport and Santa Barbara drummer Tony Sevener, a veteran of mid-90s alt-rock group Summercamp. He has become a drum programmer in recent years and gained attention for doing nifty live work in live performances supporting Salters' solo LP. 

The stew of these three musical contributors comes across as a form of modern funk. The KFOG selection "Shadows" is a way-competent, if somewhat pedestrian, confection that vocally sounds like L.A.'s Jane Doe's on stimulants. Davenport seems to share Doe's singer Andy Tubman's penchant for acid drop inflections in his nuances.

ABOVE: Bart Davenport (left) and RV Salters of Honeycut. The band has an ardent group of supporters, some of whom liken their electronica to that of Gnarls Barkley.

HONEYCUT MP3:

Honeycut MP3s can be heard at their MySpace site.

Honeycut's 2006 LP The Day I Turned to Glass is available an Amazon, at The Giant Peach site, and through Quannam, among other outlets.

HONEYCUT VIDEO:

WATCH: "TOUGH KID" teaser video

Directed by Arno Salters.

WATCH: "SHADOWS" performed
live on 'FEARLESS MUSIC TV'

FINDING MERCURY

www.myspace.com/findingmercury  

Finding Mercury is the alternative rock synthesis of four musicians. Their influences range from mainlanders like Switchfoot to Brit-Rock phenoms like Cold Play, Muse, and Delirious. FM's music is highly electric, emotionally profound, and full of hooks. 

Finding Mercury makes a matchless contribution to their genre because of their unique yet complementary backgrounds in rock, pop/punk, fusion, classical and funk. When someone said, "Finding Mercury is a musical band," it was in appreciation of the artists' individual contributions to the group sound. 

Finding Mercury is currently packing its schedule with promotional events to get their music out to the people. For starters, Finding Mercury is aggressively touring Northern California where they have been building a local fan base from Santa Rosa to San Francisco to Sacramento and Reno. One can find this tight-knit band playing with internationally acclaimed groups such as Lava/Atlantic Records artist Skillet, Word Records artist Building 429 and with local rising stars - An Opiate for Angels. Additionally, FM's promotional work includes the release of first, a self titled EP in May of '05 with L.A. producers--Chris Julian (Billy Idol, Queen Latifah) and Robert Vaughn (Mint and Sister Gypsy) and then, the release of their Debut Album titled Vehicle with Transitmusic's Ken Abellon; this new album is an inspiring example for listeners of their prolific sound. 

Finding Mercury vowed to let nothing divert energy from their driving passion to create live music that blows unsullied creativity back into the mind of each listener. Jesse Garcia of Building 429 says, "After sharing the stage with these guys, I was blown away by the many colorings in the music and it translates amazingly well on their new album Vehicle." 

Finding Mercury is a must see live performance. Their music exudes vulnerability while being an emotional and electric experience for all!

COUP

www.okayplayer.com/thecoup

COUP has been around since the 1990s and it is not going away - at least not for voters in The Bay Area Guardian's "Best of The Bay 2006 Readers Poll," who voted the band their favorite hip-hop act.

Coup, which is a radically anti-capitalism/pro-communism rap duo from Oakland, gained notoriety in 2001 when a CD cover they prepared for their Party Music release just prior to the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center seemed to presage the actual event. The cover was quickly replaced with something less incendiary, and much to the surprise of many Coup was not cast into commercial purgatory, but rather was recognized for their talents. Tracks such as "5 Million Ways to Kill A C.E.O." stood in stark temperamental contrast to almost everything else marketed during America's period of post 9-11 trauma. The Coup remained righteous and adamant; things aren't right in the U.S., some people are getting tougher breaks than others, and others are profiting way too much.

Party Music was, in itself, a coup. It's list of awards is extraordinary:

"Best Hip Hop Artist" - Rolling Stone

"Top 40 Albums of The Year" - Rolling Stone

"#14 Album of the Year" - Spin

"#1 Album of the Year" - Washington Post

"Top Albums of the Year"- Los Angeles Times

"#1 Album of the Year" - Time Out New York

"#1 Album of the Year" - San Francisco Chronicle

"The Year In Pop, 3 out of 4 Critics Choices" - Village Voice

"Best Albums" - Denver Post

"#2 Album of the Year" - Philadelphia Inquirer

"#25 Greatest Album of 2001" -- Blender

The album was re-released by Epitaph Records in 2004.

Producer Boots Riley, from East Oakland's "Funktown" neighborhood, put together Coup and was later joined by Pam the Funkstress, who was the rare female star among the competitive Bay Area turntable scene. Coup's brand of rap/funk has been compared to "dirty mind" era Prince.

As radical as they may be politically, Boots Riley has been feted by some of the most noteworthy civil rights and union groups in the country, and there is a long list of press releases on the Coup's site telling of honors such as the AFL-CIO's Arts and Activism Award. Boots is active on the lecture circuit, speaking out constantly for universal health care, minimum wage reform, and proper police practices.

Pam the Funkstress is one of the great deejay stories in the Bay Area. She was featured in a recent San Francisco Chronicle story on her surviving and dominating in the competitive Bay Area turntable culture. You can check out some of her stuff at her MySpace site at www.myspace.com/pamthefunkstress. There is more information on her at www.true-skool.org/artists.php?contid=00091 and an article about her at the Shout Magazine site at shoutmagazine.blogspot.com/2004/10/pam-funkstress.html.

COUP MP3s:

Coup MP3s can be heard from their myspace site at www.myspace.com/thecoupmusic.

The Coup released Pick A Bigger Weapon in 2006, and then toured in support of the album. The album featured  a stellar band of Audioslave's Tom Morello, Dwayne Wiggins, and veterans of Parliament-Funkadelic, the Gap Band, Toni! Tony! Toné!, Jesse Johnson, and Frankie Beverly and Maze.

THE LOVEMAKERS

www.thelovemakers.com

The Lovemakers scored "Best Indie Band" in the Bay Area Guardian's "Best of The Bay 2006 Readers Poll." The electronica duo are Scott Blonde and Lisa Light, whose story is that they were kicked out of a rock band for making out during practice." So, "the Lovemakers" was conceived.

The Lovemakers first appearances were on the underground Oakland warehouse music scene. (The San Francisco Links this edition seem all about alternative music venues. See the Drew Pearson "House Concerts" feature below.- RAR). They mix the violin, bass and vocal talents of the Stanford-educated Ms. Light (Marine Biology). Her resume includes time spent as a "circus violinist," which sounds dangerous. I suppose after that, playing Oakland warehouses must've seemed nothing. She and singer-guitarist Scott, described on their site as a "Vermont-raised pop prodigy," found something really powerful. It wasn't their mutual attraction, which was short-lived, but instead was their musical connection. One is really tempted to say The Lovemakers make great fucking music! But that's not the RARWRITER way.

Working with drummer Ken Hard - is that real? - and keyboard/guitarist Brandon Arnovick (Lovage, Head Automatica), Blonde-Light are making an appealing confection of "jangle technotica" that amply demonstrates the strength of the two lead voices. This stuff is fresh and getting noticed. Their tune "Prepare For the Fight," which you can hear on their MySpace site, was endorsed by Blender Magazine as a top download. Their 2005 album Times of Romance made SF progressive rock station Live 105's list of favorite records.

The Lovemakers have a sound, Lisa Light's stuff mostly, that brings to mind the Swedish rock acts that have swept onto the east coast, particularly in recent years. (There will be a feature on this in an upcoming edition of the Links on RARWRITER.) ABBA even comes to mind, but this is often more Cardigans-like. Scott Blonde's stuff sounds a bit to me like Thompson Twins. It is all dance pop, sometimes funky ("Shake That Ass"), and often sexy; maybe a little juvenile.

ABOVE: Scott Blonde and Lisa Light performing

Scott Blonde is an amazing singer, particularly adept at falsetto, and Lisa fairly oozes.

LOVEMAKERS MP3s:

The Lovemakers MP3s can be heard at their myspace site at http://www.myspace.com/thelovemakers  .

MALDROID

www.maldroid.com

Kudos to MALDROID, the Oakland-based band (which Aaron Axelson, music director of San Francisco radio station Live 105, calls "New Wave") that has played only one gig but used YouTube to create industry buzz.

Art school dropout Ryan Divine (pictured left) hand drew panels for a music video some have likened to the '80s band a-ha's breakthrough MTV video for their tune "Take On Me." Before he even completed the arduous process, which he had spent months developing, Divine noticed a competition on YouTube for independent band videos and submitted his unfinished work. He won! And within a short time the winning entry had racked up over one-half million views, prompting an invitation to appear on "Good Morning America," not to perform but to talk about their use of the popular video hosting service to launch a music career. That, to date, is Maldroid's story, summed up in the Chronicle headline "Oakland Band Shows How To Make It In YouTube Age." The band has followed up their competition winner with two more low budget videos.

The band's song "He Said, She Said," the subject of their first video, has made a few appearances on the Live 105 playlist and MD Axelson reports that the station has fielded calls from "labels" who are interested in Divine and company.

ABOVE: From the Maldoid website, the band's debut performance, in December 2006 at Blake's in Berkeley. Is it just me or do the ties and sportcoats (untucked shirts and grubby facial growth aside) make them look a little like a modern church band? They retooled their look for a subsequent post-Mac World show in San Francisco at the Rickshaw Stop. Are they a YouTube fluke or an actually talented band? Time will tell, and to date time has moved rather briskly for these guys.

MALDROID MP3s:

Maldroid MP3s can be heard from their myspace site at www.myspace.com/maldroid.

MALDROID IS...Ryan Divine - Vocals, Johnny Genius - Guitar, Mike O'Million - Drums, Todd Brown - Guitar, Sean "The Talented Mr." Shippley - Bass, Prince J - Keys and Sample, and AJ Riot - Keytar and Synths.

RAR NOTE: Maldroid the Internet phenomenon is truly special, but is Maldroid the band any good? Ryan Divine's vocals put me to mind of those of the Fairbrass brothers (Right Said Fred), which are kitschy, funny, partially annoying. Divine and Genius are quoted as saying "He Said, She Said" is their one "great" song, but that strikes me as gross hyperbole and not especially promising. Still, talent in the general sense has put this band on the map quickly and momentum does tend to procreate. Whatever, hats off to some creative guys.

You can go to www.youtube.com/maldroidtv to view the video that, to this point, is Maldroid's career.

SUBIMAGE

www.subimage.net

SUBIMAGE, consisting primarily of Chris Campbell - or Chris C as he is known these days - has been around the San Francisco club music scene for several years. He showed up first in 2003, with the release of party music CD etoc. It featured a techno-beat sound that put some to mind of Erasure, or even Depoche Mode. In 2004, Chris issued a second CD, Fuitpacifist, which musically continued in the vein of his freshman release, and Subimage - the term may refer to options available in a multi-resolution image, or in radio waves - developed a small core following of techno enthusiasts.

Subimage played locally and toured a bit nationally, but the band was way behind a wave that crested years earlier, and Chris C's band eventually ran out of steam and lost some players. 

Last year the band was reformed with the addition of bassist Greg M, drummer Joe M (no relation), and the irrepressible Ruba F. Tuesday, previously guitarist for the The Zodiac Killers, Dead Vanity and Barbee Killed Kenn. Ruba's addition to the band seemed to herald a new democracy in the unit's creative direction that has clearly changed the sound of the band. (Click here to read Ruba's own description of her rock band experience to date, including the work with Subimage.) The new Subimage has become more of a geek-rock band with a sound and approach falling somewhere between that of They Might Be Giants and the Violent Femmes. There is a little Talking Heads in there, too, but Chris Campbell's synth sounds don't take this in the direction of funk so much as experimental garage rock dominated by the sound of Ruba's guitars. 

Chris and Ruba's soundscapes often shadow one another as musical counter-programming, Ruba leaning into the bottom end power chords, as seems her natural inclination, and showing surprising facility with pop-funk textures, which she adds with vigor. Chris works over the top of this sound chassis with clever little musical statements that sometimes bring to mind the canoodling of Radiohead. 

Ruba F. takes an upfront role on the band's tune "Maple Lane," available for listening from the Subimage MySpace site. That song represents quite a  

Subimage playing San Francisco's Red Devil Lounge in December 2006.

departure from the Chris C tracks. Under Ruba's firm control, the new Subimage seems to become remarkably more polished. Ruba is not a power singer by any stretch, but she's smooth and pleasing to the ear; certainly a far cry from Chris C's antic intonating. 

Chris and Ruba are making some interesting sounds, each bringing strengths to the collaboration. When you hear a song that takes a tack different from the band's previous inclinations, you wonder if its a bridge to a new sound, or a Dead End. It will be interesting to see if this clash of music philosophies has legs.

Subimage released etoc (above) in 2003 and Fruitpacifist (right) in 2004. In 2006 they released Bernal Hill (below).

Subimage MP3s can be heard at www.myspace.com/subimage9 

LEFT: Ruba F. ABOVE: Bernal Hill CD cover. RIGHT: Chris Campbell.

THE DAVE RUDE BAND

www.myspace.com/daverudeband

From Dave's myspace site - "I sing and play guitar. I've got my own band. We play rock'n'roll music. We like melody. We like cool lyrics. We like chord progressions that make a chill run up your spine. We like riffs. We like solos. We like you, so check out our songs. Also, I'm lucky enough to play guitar in one of my favorite bands, TESLA."

Wow. I think that's some cool writing, which I'm sure Dave did himself. I love the short form humility leading to the big-name kicker. TESLA, if you haven't heard, is a metal oriented blues-rock band that originated in Sacramento in mid-'80s and had a string of hits ("Signs" (1990) is the best-known of Tesla's hits, which also includes "Gettin' Better", "Modern Day Cowboy", the Ph.D. cover "Little Suzi", "Edison's Medicine" and "Love Song"..."Love Song" still receives much airplay on rock stations..."-Wikipedia.) Dave replaced the band's original guitarist Tommy Skeoch. How that happened is a myspace story; see the sidebar "Living The Dream..." (right), and the quote below.

Dave in his own words (from email) - "Before I started my own band and singing lead, I played guitar in The Servants.  We played classic style hard rock originals around the Bay Area.  Put out two self-released CDs that did pretty well.  After I left that band, I decided to start my own thing, which I’ve been doing since.  We’ve done lots of local shows as well as doing an East Coast tour.  Right now we’re working on songs for a new CD to be released in the new year.  

"The SF Bay Area doesn’t have the best live music scene, so you’ve really gotta have a great recording that people can hear first to get ‘em to the shows.  Very few people go out to shows unless they know the band or already like them.  From what I’ve heard, it was quite the opposite in the eighties, when many clubs had a built-in audience every weekend.  Live music in general is much more popular in other areas I’ve played in, like Seattle, NYC, and Austin.  But the Bay Area does have a large community of talented musicians, so go figure.

"I’m also lucky enough to play guitar in the classic rock band, Tesla.  They found me on my band’s myspace profile in the spring of ’06.  I did their US summer tour, and I’m currently recording a new album of classic cover tunes with the guys.  It’s been a great experience to be involved with such a great band and crew.  And it’s  opened up my music to a lot of new people throughout the world.  Goes to show that good things happen when you stick to your guns and play what you love, regardless of trends."  

DAVE RUDE of  The Dave Rude Band and TESLA. Dave's got the hair, the looks, the licks.

Check out the Dave Rude band MP3s below, which have old school groove to them.

DAVE RUDE BAND MP3s:

C'mon C'mon

Devil's Embrace

Come With Me

Termite Mansion 

Copyright © 2006-2007 Dave Rude Band, all rights reserved 

Dave was rocking right along with The Servants, and then doing his own thing, and then suddenly got a contact from one of his favorite bands, Tesla. They got to know Dave through his myspace site, needed a guitar player, and Dave was ready to roll. "Crazy, huh?" he says. "Lots of people have said it's like the Mark Wahlberg movie, Rockstar.  It's a trip, and I'm lovin' it."

There is an interview with Dave available on line. Click on
"Interview on www.rockinmetalrevival.com Mon,Dec4"

www.myspace.com/unprofessionals

Previous space on the Links has been devoted to the talents of songwriters Miss Dian and Athena. They surfaced in the Bay Area a music generation back as the driving force behind BARBEE KILLED KENN (click the link to read an archived piece on BKK). Now they are back with a new unit, THE UNPROFESSIONALS.

That name is disingenuous to say the least, because Dian and Athena are not amateurs by any stretch. They are experienced performers and accomplished songwriters who have found a vehicle in Dian's uber-appealing voice, and the territory they stake out with this new band is not terribly different from what they owned with BKK. The edge is a little softer, because gone is guitarist Ruba F. Tuesday (now with Subimage, profiled above) who added dirt to the band's sound. Mr. Larry, the guitarist they work with now, is a more than competent replacement, but the songs have mellowed just a little. The Unprofessionals seem rangier than did BKK, more mature while employing the same tricks. Mr. Steve joins The Unprofessionals on drums, and like Mr. Larry he is solid in the pop rock pocket, probably moreso than previous bangers.

While checking out The Unprofessionals, you might also check out bassist Athena's MySpace music site at http://www.myspace.com/athenabass. If you are anything like me, you will be struck by how different she sounds from her work with bosom buddy Dian. She does a much more deep groove blues-rock than the effervescent pop they do as a duo, and she sings that style convincingly.

The Unprofessionals have MP3s on their MySpace site.

www.deborahcrooks.com

DEBORAH CROOKS is an intriguing singer/songwriter who surfaced in the San Francisco area in 2003 when Roberta Donnay produced Deborah's first album, 5 Acres. An edgy folk-rocker who counts Lucinda Williams among her influences, Deborah is an accomplished songwriter; in fact, an accomplished all around writer, "widely published as an essayist,  journalist and poet..." as her MySpace profile states.

In 2005, Deborah's track "You Are Home," a collaboration with B.Z. Lewis, profiled below, was featured on the compilation CD Java with Javalyn. Javelyn, featured on the L.A. Links,  is a Los Angeles-based indie artist and actress who is a den mother to the folk-rock scene there, hosting a weekly showcase in Santa Monica and issuing her compilation CDs.

Deborah has some organizational interests in common with Javelyn. She is a San Francisco area coordinator of SongsAlive!, a national membership organization that helps songwriter/performers arrange performance opportunities at venues across the country. (She created a link with another Links participant recently when she graciously reached out to Elke Robitaille, who was exploring Bay Area venues.)

Deborah Crook MP3s can be heard at her MySpace site at www.myspace.com/deborahcrooks .

http://studio132.com

B.Z. Lewis, referenced above in the Deborah Crooks profile, has become one of San Francisco's more potent musical forces. As the proprieter of Studio 132, a downtown San Francisco recording and production facility designed "from the ground up with the help of Chips Davis, who is famous for designing Lucasfilm's Skywalker Ranch" (from the studio's website), B.Z. has developed a gestation chamber for an astonishing array of musical types. Studio 132, fueled by B.Z.'s songwriting abilities, has churned out songs for television series, national commercials, indie films, video games, and a significant number of talented artists. The Studio 132 site has a multitude of MP3s available for download that demonstrate B.Z.'s talents as a writer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording engineer.

B.Z. was literally born to the recording studio, having been exposed to the small studio his father kept in the family's west Texas home. As a child he assisted his father with the chores required for the production of his daily radio show "The Sound of Texas."  B.Z. picked up piano and guitar, then (from the website) "...attended an audio engineering school in Texas, then received his B.A. in music with an emphasis on classical guitar from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was honored as one of the best guitarists in the state of Texas by Texas Beat Magazine." He got an opportunity to work on a film, so in 1993 moved to California, where his career has grown steadily.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the B.Z. Lewis story is his association with TAXI, the paid-membership independent A&R group that solicits songs for specific projects or artists, provides reviews of submittals, and occasionally hooks a songwriter up with a sale. B.Z. has been the poster boy for TAXI songwriting success, placing numerous songs through the agency. His success as a commercial songwriter allowed him to make his living in the music business and build Studio 132 from a home-based concern to a facility nestled among San Francisco's pricey office and entertainment complexes. B.Z. also serves as a spokesperson for TAXI, authoring articles and speaking at conferences on the ins and outs of using the A&R service.

Currently B.Z. is an ASCAP member writer and publisher, a voting member of the Grammys, and a guy enjoying an artist's publishing deal with Media Creature Music in L.A.

www.tommycastro.com

It seems like every music community has its perennial - the band that stays around forever, remains popular and becomes iconic on the local scene. In San Francisco, it is the Tommy Castro Band. Not that Tommy's range doesn't extend far beyond the Bay, it's just that the Bay Area is his home turf and he is bedrock in this music community. His career has built slowly but steadily from bar cover band to big local venue band to major festivals and national tours with B.B. King. Tommy has been putting out LPs since 1993 and he shows up on the radio more and more of late, particularly on San Francisco's venerable KFOG, which prides itself on supporting top players from the local community while playing tunes from '60s classic rock to present album-oriented adult alternative.

Tommy Castro Band MP3s:

Right As Rain

Let's Give Love A Try

How Long Must I Cry

Soul Shaker

Copyright © Tommy Castro, all rights reserved

You know, I love this guy. He is not at all precious about sharing his tunes. He has a great selection of live recordings that can be downloaded for free at http://www.tommycastro.com/mp3s.htm . 

http://drewpearce.com/

Recently, the Links at RARWRITER solicited suggestions on the staging of songwriter showcases, and among the people to answer the call was Drew Pearce. Drew has a had a lot of experience in this area. He is host to one of the Bay Area's more endearing traditions, the house concert. Drew regularly stages in-home performances featuring artists from around the world playing for small, intimate groups of music lovers, numbering in the dozens. (See the profiles of Kyler England, Nate Cooper and Jana Losey, examples of the artists Drew presents.)

"I think I went to my first house concert back in 1995 at Tom Meshishnek's series called "Mo's Melody Mansion" in San Francisco," Drew wrote recently. "I've heard that the concept of the house concert goes way, way back to parlor music in...Victorian times? Something like that.

"Anyway, I decided to start hosting my own series after having a few informal musical parties at my cottage in Sonoma in 2001. Then I wrote an article called "How to host a house concert" for Acoustic Guitar magazine, where I'm a contributing writer. That inspired me to try to host something more formal with featured performances as well as an open mic. Right from the start, there was so much appreciation and encouragement from the audience and the musicians that I decided to do it on a regular basis. So I designed a web site to promote the shows, and just kept expanding our circle of friends who come to the parties.
I meet new people at every show and get introduced to a lot of new music this way. So that's how I've stay energized for it, I suppose.

"It's all very low tech. There are no microphones or PAs or amps. Part of the appeal, I think, is hearing the music acoustically."

Drew's motivations are similar to those that fuel this site. "As a contributing writer for Acoustic Guitar magazine, I get to hear a lot of new music that I might otherwise overlook. In the past few years, the CDs I've received from the magazine have introduced me to a lot of inspired work that somehow stays below the radar. So my goal is to change the radar and tune into new music that gets missed by commercial radio" (from his website). And he further invites artists to take part in his program - "So if you've got something I should hear, send a link and I'll try to spread the word here and at the house concerts."

DREW'S HOSTING ADVICE

RAR - In response to my inquiries into hosting "jam" sessions, Drew provided the following - "All I can say is not to wait for the ideal format or location. Just get started. You're organizing something more band-oriented, yes? Maybe you could all meet at rehearsal studio like Lennon Studios or Hyde Street Studios, and have
all the participants split the rental fee, bring their own instruments, food, etc. I think you're wise to have everyone agree on a set list first. Maybe you could split the jams into smaller groups of 5-7 based on who likes to play what."

He conferred with a suggestion from Sean Lightholder, another Bay Area open mic expert, regarding an East Bay spot that is already the scene of an ongoing jam. I second that emotion about Red House in Walnut Creek. It seems like a great location for a jam. I've only seen the site so far, but this Friday, I'm going to check out the songwriter's cafe that's sort of a round robin run by Bill Spooner of The Tubes."

www.myspace.com/kylerengland

Drew hosted L.A. singer/songwriter KYLER ENGLAND recently, and here is what he wrote promoting her appearance - "I heard Paul Schreiber raving about: Kyler England. Paul's hype was justified. Kyler writes impeccable pop songs, sings them with soul, and makes it look easy. If you're a fan of Patty Griffin, Sheryl Crow and Jonatha Brooke, I'm sure you will dig what Kyler does. With Los Angeles as a home base, she's touring extensively across the country, and has shared the stage with Sting, Melissa Etheridge, Gavin DeGraw and Annie Lennox among many others."

http://natecoopermusic.com/

Nate Cooper worked for 11 months, 15 days and 8 hours as a corporate attorney, carrying his guitar to work each day, practicing at any opportunity, and was one of few attorneys who was planning his exit from law before he ever started working as a lawyer (from his website).

Nate is a fingerstyle player who has studied with Bay Area specialists  Peppino D'Agostino ("Venus over Venice" CD) and Duck Baker, as well as San Francisco jazz player Jeff Massanari and young classical guitarist/composer phenom Gyan Riley. While these 4 guitarist inspired and helped Nate learn to play and compose music, artists such as Nick Drake and Greg Brown inspired Nate to write songs. His debut CD is Stories Between the Strings. 

www.janalosey.com

From her website - "After a much needed hiatus, she's back! Departing from the avante garde stylings of her theatrical past, Jana's debut album Bittersweet is full of bursting with guitar-based, soulful pop songs. Possessing both a clean purity and the fullness and attitude that is Rock and Roll, her voice has been described as 'soul-wrenching' and her performance as 'multi-layered and charismatic.' With her new CD and growing radio airplay across the Northeast, this small town Pennsylvania farm girl and former Broadway starlet is currently moving audiences everywhere with a full repertoire of original songs.

"As a self proclaimed, 'recovering music school dropout', Jana has spent the last two years working on Bittersweet. With friend Dave Uosikinnen (The Hooters, Cyndi Lauper, Patty Smyth, Taj Mahal, Alice Cooper) on drums, Charlie Shew (Samite of Uganda) on percussion, and collaborator Melanie Peters on guitar, she is proud to be back in her hometown of Lawrenceville, PA after years of city life.

"A soft-spoken vigilante, and a soulful communicator, Jana is a fan of everything natural. She is currently working on a way to tour without the use of fossil fuels, supports a non-violent lifestyle, and plans to one day establish her own Permac