TOP PICKS
HIGHLIGHT
Grassroots vibes, jammin’ music, camping and a communal atmosphere.
Every 4th of July weekend, High Sierra Music Festival, an eclectic four-day music gathering, brings its grassroots vibes to the Northern California town of Quincy. While this year’s headliners, Ben Harper, Ryan Bingham, STS9, and Toots and The Maytals drew the largest crowds, HSMF also had plenty on-the -verge bands like Deer Tick, Delta Spirit, The Lumineers, and Built to Spill, who dominated the scene. At HSMF, it wasn’t unusual to witness bands finish a set, join the crowds, and enjoy the music. What sets High Sierra Music Festival apart from the multitudes of summer music festivals, are the deep-rooted traditions its patrons have cultivated over the years. Many of the festival goers are musicians themselves, joining in on an impromptu jam with scheduled bands, or are people returning for a fresh dose of new music. Paul Glowaski and Molly Nakahara of Dinner Bell Farm in Grass Valley, CA, make the annual trip to High Sierra because it’s a way to reconnect with friends, discover music that would be a good fit for their farm concerts, and to continue the “Shizzing” (colloquial slang for getting their
groove on at High Sierra). Indoor play-shops provided intimate settings that sparked creativity and conversation between fans, musicians, and music industry insiders. Singer/songwriter Steve Poltz, co-writer of Jewel’s hit song “You Were Meant For Me”, entertained with personal storytelling and songs about life on the road, while Simon Kurth (Huckle) returned as musical director for Guitarmageddon: Celebrating The Talking Heads, and Steve Adams of ALO orchestrated musicians in The Ramble Gramble: A Tribute To Levon Helm. From The Motet, who covered the Grateful Dead funk-style, to the raw country of Broke Down in Bakersfield (pictured, left), to the musings of singer/songwriter and unofficial “mayor” of HSMF, Nathan Moore, the festival did a nice job of bringing in a variety of sounds. With four revolving stages, camping, and music workshops throughout the day, musicians and music connoisseurs alike had a chance to mingle and partake in quality music and a stress-free community vibe. At High Sierra, it was as much about the atmosphere as the music.
San Francisco, CA
farewells, and an untamed assault of drums and guitar. It’s formulaic, but it’s still full of surprises: two songs in and you find yourself bracing for a blast of thrash that may or not come at the end of every verse. [editor’s note – in simpler terms, this record fucking rules.]
(ATO Records)
Produced by John Congleton
for the genre. Gritty and edgy, but not as treble intensive as a lot of the garage rock bands on the market. Tracks like “Medication” and “Hate Your Teachers” are self-aware enough to hold it down in the Pitchfork scene, but also possess enough ’77-punk pogo to fit in with groups like The Briefs or early-era Pink Spiders (minus shades and skinny ties, of course). Also check out the Sonic Youth chops on “You’re Right” and the Whoesque theatrics on album closer “Julie Jewel.” This record sounds sweaty and out of control. Unnatural Helpers are keeping the flame lit for the bands that navigated Seattle in its immediate post-Nevermind era.
HIGH SIERRA Music Festival
Quincy, CA July 5-8, 2012 article and photo by Tanya Fuller
Two Gallants The Bloom and the Blight
www.twogallants.com
“SF duo creates loud, raucous record to perfectly capture rock and roll” If you’re the kind of person who judges songs within the first five seconds of hearing them, you might be a little disappointed with Two Gallants’ latest work. That’s because, on The Bloom and the Blight, the pair have perfected the art of backing into a song. You have to hang on until at least 15 seconds in for each track to get to where it’s going. It’s usually somewhere very different than where it started, but it’s never somewhere boring. After a crushing hiatus, San Francisco’s distortion kings Two Gallants are back with The Bloom and the Blight, their long-awaited new release. A raucous record that swings wildly between tender truths and bold affirmations, The Bloom and the Blight is a riotous return to form. Expanding on the folk influences that have served them so well in the past, Bloom and Blight ripples with raw conviction. Each song walks a delicate line between two sounds: hushed ballads full of declarations of devotion and bittersweet 38 SEPTEMBER 2012 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
-Jody Amable
Unnatural Helpers Land Grab
www.highsierramusic.com
Recorded and Mixed by Kurt Bloch and Eric Randall
Seattle, WA
www.hardlyart.com/unnaturalhelpers.html
(Hardly Art)
-Ben Nine-K
“Seattle Sub-Punk” Land Grab features intense punk rock that makes a conscious nod to the golden-era Sub Pop sound. Formed around singer/songwriter/drummer (and for those who enjoy trivia, a salesman for Sub Pop), Unnatural Helpers have undergone a variety of line-up changes, but have finally solidified enough to put out a full-length. Sounds swing between a definite punk fury to drawn out grunge-like jam sessions. The recording quality of Land Grab is perfect
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