Astra

If there’s one band I have to give credit to for overcoming San Diego’s insatiable desire for musical mediocrity it is Astra. Formed in 2001 under the name Silver Sunshine, it wasn’t until 2006 with the addition of new drummer/multi-instrumentalist David Hurley and guitarist Brian Ellis that Astra forged their new sound and band name. [...]

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Devendra gets superstitious

(Devendra seen wearing bow tie, of which he goes into lengths about his collection in the new issue of Fader)*
Sorry for the lack of updates around Naturalismo this past week, I’ve been extremely busy. Naturalismo has a little over a week to find a place to live in San Francisco and get a job, [...]

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Mountain Home

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Mountain Home (Band Members include Marissa Nadler, Joshua Blatchley, Greg Weeks Kristin Sherer, and Ilya Monosov) started by accident one evening when Ilya Monosov called future band member Joshua Blactchley to sit in for him at a show. At the time Ilya was performing mostly with the burgeoning Monosov/Swirnoff duo, this night [...]

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F*CK YEAH FEST kicks off August 25th & 26th

 

F*ck Yeah Fest IV
August 25th & 26thLA, CA
curated by Keith Morris & Sean Carlson
Saturday, August 25th
The Explosion (very last west coast show)
The Fuse (reunion show and only show!)
Lavender Diamond
Busdriver
Boom Bip
Entrance
American Steel (Oakland)
The Mae Shi
Fleshies (San Francisco) Mr Free and the satellite Freakout
Bobby Birdman
Residual Echoes
Imaad Wasif
Times New Viking (Ohio)
Hit Me Back
Thee More Shallows (San Francisco)
Greg Ashley [...]

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Arthur Magazine goes to press…

Issue 26 of Arthur magazine goes to press this week. Head on over to Arthur’s website to pre-order yours for 6 bucks.

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Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam

I’ve spent a few weeks with Animal Collective’s upcoming album Strawberry Jam and it has taken me some time to even attempt to describe it. At first my opinion of it was mixed, I passively enjoyed it but only certain tracks on it really grabbed me. That is, or was rather, until [...]

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Second track released from Akron/Family’s upcoming Love is Simple

I’ve been struggling lately with the conceit that has arrived with the title of Akron/Family’s upcoming Love is Simple LP. With the month I’ve had it seems laughable that love could ever be referred to as anything but intensely complicated. The more I thought about it though, the more it began to [...]

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First listen: Castanets “In the Vines”

Castanets has released the first single from his forthcoming full length album titled In the Vines. “This Is the Early Game” features Ray Raposas signature creeky vocals which combine with his sleepy slide guitar and Jana Hunter’s vocals to form a song that feels very nostalgic. It’s been a long and hard year [...]

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Devendra Fridays…2 new songs + 2 new videos

Head over to DevendraBanhart.com right now to hear two new streaming songs, “Bad Girl” and “Carmensita.” “Bad Girl” features some of the most passionate singing I think I’ve ever heard from him. “Carmensita” has a great end of summer bossa nova/tropicalia groove feeling to it. Also added to the website today are 2 new [...]

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Upcoming Naturalismo shows of Interest!

As I make the transition and move up to San Francisco in the next few weeks I am going to be up and down California’s coast, so if you find yourself in a similar position or happen to live in San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego I can’t recommend coming out to some of [...]

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Video Naturalismo

Jean-Luc Godard filming.
Rolling Stones writing/recording “Sympathy for the Devil”
Incredible.

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Deerhunter does Naturalismo

Photo by me
Paralleling this folk and psychedliec Naturalismo/New Weird America resurgence has increasingly been a reconnection with that dirty and experimental sound of the progressive bands of the 1960’s such as the Velvet Underground or the Troggs. Deerhunter seems to tap into the more ethereal parts of late 50’s doo wop while burying [...]

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Marissa Nadler’s Songs III: Bird on the Water gets stateside release

 
I didn’t even realize that it hadn’t been released in the U.S. yet, what with all of the increasingly great press and all. Regardless, Marissa Nadler has announced her upcoming tour dates to support yesterdays North American release of her new album Songs III: Bird on the Water. Included on the new release is [...]

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Devendra Banhart releases first single from Smokey Rolls…

Devendra Banhart has wisely chosen the prodigious song ‘Seahorse’ to be the first single from his upcoming album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. Seahorse was first released as a stream last week to coincide with the launch of his website DevendraBanhart.com. Also announced is a deluxe edition of Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, “Devendra created [...]

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Jonathan Wilson records new song with Andy Cabic

Johnathan Wilson just released his debut solo album “Frankie Ray” last month, yet he has already entered the studio again to record with Andy Cabic (Vetiver) and Otto Hauser (Devendra, Vetiver, Espers) to lay down some new tracks for his next album. You can get a first listen of Wilson’s new material today here [...]

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DevendraBanhart.com launch includes 2 new songs, new drawings, and music video

Devendra Banhart has launched his personal website (DevendraBanhart.com) today and with it comes a plethora of new material from him. Two new songs “Seahorse” and “So long old bean” are streaming over there now; both of which have their lyrics handwritten on a separate page. Seahorse seems to bounce around in the beginning between both [...]

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Akron/Family release first single and cover art off upcoming ‘Love is Simple’ LP

Akron/Family have kept quite busy since the release of their last mini-album Meek Warrior last summer. Shortly after Meek’s release they were already tired of its material and laid down a demo of sorts which you can read more about here. Those sessions have evolved into the full release of Love is Simple, the [...]

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NSFW Video Naturalismo

Brightblack Morning Light’s “Everybody Daylight” set to Weg zum Nachburn’s incredible 1968 short film entitled Way to the Neighbor. I couldn’t think of a better visual representation of this song. So enrapturing and sultry. (nsfw)

The full version of the Soft Machine performing We know what you mean on a Dutch television [...]

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New Kevin Ayers (of the Soft Machine) album

It was fifteen years ago that Kevin Ayers, founding member of the incredible band the Soft Machine (and naturalismo motto writer), last released an album. On September 3, The Unfairground will see release after nearly two years in the making. Recorded everywhere from New York to Tucson, the Unfairground has quite the array of guest [...]

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Arthur Magazine Updates

If you’re not reading Arthur magazines blog yet, I highly suggest you get acquainted. Arthur is back in full force and has been updating nearly every day in July. Full-color production of Arthur Magazine starts up again in August, visit the subscription page now (only $30 for the year!). You can head over to Arthur [...]

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