Kimberly Chun

Not minor: Man/Miracle

04.05.10 - 2:18 pm | Kimberly Chun |

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One of the nicer surprises this year has to be The Shape of Things (Third Culture), the debut recording by busy Oakland-by-way-of-Santa Cruz foursome Man/Miracle. No, you don’t get Cruz-ish untrammeled psychedelia of Sleepy Sun nor the noise blues of Comets on Fire nor the spooked folk of Emily Jane White here. Read more »

Toothsome pie worthy of its cult following: Emilia’s Pizzeria

04.03.10 - 12:40 pm | Kimberly Chun |

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I think I embarrassed Emilia’s Pizzeria owner and chef Keith Freilich when I called him out as prominently featured in Sunset magazine’s recent Bay Area pizza roundup (one question on that, regarding the bit about Flour and Water being located on an abandoned, seedy stretch of the Mission -- did the writer ever notice the relatively new yup-scale lofts blossoming all around that block?). Hey, it’s worth noting since Emilia’s is likely the least showy pizzeria of the entire lot. Read more »

Getting into the Afro-psych groove: Witch

04.03.10 - 11:42 am | Kimberly Chun |

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The juicy goodness of excellent psych is worth revisiting no matter how far back it was released -- hence this darting glance at Witch, the Zambian ‘70s rock fivesome, and its 1975 full-length, Lazy Bones!!, released a few months back by QDK Media. Licensed from vocalist Emanyeo Jagari Chanda (the last surviving member of the group is now a foreman at a uranium mining operation in a remote Zambian village) , this gem from the so-called Zam Rock scene rumbles as fiercely as any combo off an early Nuggets comps (see badass rump-shaker “Off Ma Boots”). Read more »

Stupid fantastic

James Williamson's trek from Stooge to tech to Stooge again

03.30.10 - 3:58 pm | Kimberly Chun |

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arts@sfbg.comRead more »

Oh "Mother," where art thou?

03.17.10 - 9:13 am | Kimberly Chun |

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You can guarantee that a movie titled Mother is not gonna be a love fest, ever. And through the lens of The Host (2006) director-writer Bong Joon-ho, motherly love becomes downright monstrous -- though altogether human.

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Peace-out

After seven rockin' years, Sonic Reducer bids adieu with a look back at some choice musical moments

03.16.10 - 7:14 pm | Kimberly Chun |

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kimberly@sfbg.com

SONIC REDUCER Who would have thunk that Sonic Reducer would rattle on for so long — unreduced, unredacted, Sonic even while covering Mr. Winkle or Mundane Journeys. It's been more than seven years since Cheetah Chrome gave me the casual A-OK to borrow the name of his song, and now the end is nigh: this is the final SR in the Guardian, but what a deliciously lengthy, rich, overwhelming run it has had.Read more »

Snap Sounds: Rollercoaster Project

03.12.10 - 10:33 am | Kimberly Chun |

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ROLLERCOASTER PROJECT
Revenge
(Absolutely Kosher)

A Dickens quote culled from A Child’s History of England and the note, “All songs made with careful horror and loving attention” accompany the second album, Revenge, by The Rollercoaster Project (ne Johnny White). Spectral, spooked, and downright epic in its use of tweaked audio, cassette tapes, samples, synthesizers, and piano, it gently tags the film score work by Popul Vuh, sending a listener off on mind travel, far from petty retribution.

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Snap Sounds

Claire, clearly

So much still to be found on Lost

03.09.10 - 9:15 pm | Kimberly Chun |

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TV EYED Still stuck on Lost? Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are counting on it, and it's about half-past the time to finally wrap it up, because the time-travel device and the many dead people who flitted around the island were starting to make it seem like very little was at stake. Read more »

Feel the 'Love

Rosily buzzing U.K. outfit the Big Pink gets it, Carly Simon and all

03.09.10 - 9:12 pm | Kimberly Chun |

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kimberly@sfbg.com

SONIC REDUCER How to reconcile an ultra-catchy, hooligan-cozy chorus like "These girls fall like dominos!" with the unpretentious, Dennis Cooper-idolizing music lover who dreamed it up — namely Milo Cordell of the rosily buzzing U.K. outfit the Big Pink?Read more »

Sonic Reducer Overage: Holly Miranda, Quasi, SambaDa, and more

03.08.10 - 10:16 am | Kimberly Chun |

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Rain, rain go away -- and gird your damp loins for more music than we could fit into print.

Holly Miranda
The Detroit-bred singer-songwriter sleeps on fire, walks on water, judging from the angelic Magician’s Private Library (XL), produced by her pal Dave Sitek. With Foxtail Somersault and Tortured Genies. Tues/9, 9:30 p.m., $10. Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, SF. (415) 861-5016.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Bay Area-born band hones a rawer, more rustic sound with a new drummer, Leah Shapiro, and new long-player, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo (Abstract Dragon/Vagrant). With the Whigs (and Cellar Doors Wed/10). Tues/9, 8 p.m., Wed/10, 7:30 p.m., $30. Slim’s, 333 11th St., SF. (415) 522-0333. Wed/10, 6 p.m., free. Amoeba Music, 1855 Haight, SF. (415) 831-1200.

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