Feb 23, 2007

Top five Noise Pop acts not-to-be-missed

MediaNews

Ah, Noise Pop. Each year, the music festival blows into San Francisco like a sonic windstorm, raining down hard-core Americana, indie-pop, punk, non-commercial hip-hop and who knows what else all over the city. In five days starting Feb. 27, 15 venues will host more than 100 bands, no more than a handful of which are known to the average music fan.

And then - poof! It's over, and you're left scratching your head as to whether somewhere in the mix was the act that would be your next BBF (Best Band Forever!) if only you'd heard them.

We know the feeling. And while there's no substitute for the thrill of watching San Francisco light up with five days of cred-worthy pop, rock and hip-hop acts, it's hard to escape the sensory overload. That goes for the bands as well as the fans.

With that in mind, five MediaNews writers each selected one Noise Pop 2007 performer they wish could break out of pack and become the next band or singer-songwriter you'll remember.



TRAINWRECK RIDERS
Show info: 9 p.m. Thursday at Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St., San Francisco, co-headlining with New York's Langhorne Slim; also on the bill are Poor Bailey, the Morning Benders; $12, 415-861-2011, www.rickshawstop.com.

Home turf: San Francisco

Around since: 2004

The sound: The Riders play front-porch music for an urban environment. It's rooted in old-time Americana but delivered with enough energy and electricity to cut through the clatter of a passing BART train.

Why they should make it big: They're not looking to be the next Tim McGraw, but their songs and spirit should win over fans of such acts as Son Volt or the Avett Brothers.

Claim to fame: The Riders got attention last year when a Houston cop stormed the stage while their tour mates Two Gallants played. Four people got Tasered, Riders guitarist Andrew Kerwin spent the night in jail, and hundreds of thousands saw the whole thing go down on YouTube. Who says people don't watch music videos anymore?

What's next: After a South by Southwest gig at Austin's Dirty Dog Bar on March 14, they'll hit the East Coast and the Midwest in true punk-rock fashion, mixing club dates with gigs at house parties and warehouses.
- Shay Quillen



THE COUP
Show info: 7 p.m. March 1 at the Fillmore, 1805 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco; headliner is Lyrics Born, $25, 415-421-8497, www.ticketmaster.com
Home turf: Oakland

Around since: Early '90s.

The sound: Funky, rebellious, militant hip-hop that represents Oakland's soul.

Why they should make it big: While hyphy, with its party-loving flavor, is the dominant style of hip-hop in the Bay lately, the Coup offers party beats with a conscious heart.

Claim to fame: Coup rapper Boots Riley is not scared to say what is on his mind. In 2001, the Coup's album "Party Music" displayed Riley activating a detonator in front of an exploding World Trade Center, months before 9/11. Riley called it an expression of "music attacking the system." And in the latest album, "Pick a Bigger Weapon,'' there is a song called "Head (of State)'' whose lyrics imagine Bush and Hussein in bed. Says Riley, "I dedicate my life to change. You can stand by the wall and be a spectator, but it's not really going to be like you were there for the party.''

What's Next: Riley will be the keynote speaker at UC Berkeley's Black Graduation Ceremony on May 12.
- Marian Liu



HONEYCUT
Show info: 9 p.m. March 3 at Mezzanine, 444 Jessie St., San Francisco; also on the bill are Ghostland Observatory, the Gray Kid and Land Shark, $15, 415-625-8880, www.mezzaninesf.com

Home turf: Berkeley

Around since: 2003

The sound: A timely mix of blue-eyed soul, modern funk and indie-pop, with plenty of catchy loops and cool samples thrown in to help you shake your booty.

Why they should make it big: The group's brand of funky dance-pop is blistering hot in 2007, thanks in large part to the overwhelming success of such like-minded acts as the Gorillaz and Gnarls Barkley. In fact, Honeycut - which consists of vocalist Bart Davenport, keyboardist/sample-wiz RV Salters and beat-master Tony Sevener - has been called the Bay Area's answer to Gnarls. That's not just "Crazy" talk, "The Day I Turned to Glass" - the band's debut release on DJ Shadow's Quannum Projects label - is a solid effort that boasts the killer radio-friendly single "Shadows."

Claim to fame: Music scribes dig this band. Honeycut's "The Day I Turned to Glass" is getting rave reviews. Most notably, the group got a shout out from Entertainment Weekly, which recently selected "Shadows" as one of its top five picks of the week. Honeycut was also chosen as "artist of the day" on Spin's Web site.

What's next: After Noise Pop, the trio looks to make some noise down at the season's other big music festival, South By Southwest. For those heading to Austin, Texas, Honeycut performs at Spiro's on March 16.
- Jim Harrington



POOR BAILEY
Show info: 9 p.m. March 1 at Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell Street, San Francisco; also on the bill are the Morning Benders, and co-headliners Langhorne Slim and Trainwreck Riders; $12, 415-863-1087, www.rickshawstop.com.

Home turf: Antioch.

Around since: 2003

The sound: Pick a sound, any sound. Poor Bailey can swirl up multi-instrument sonic landscapes like an Americanized Muse, or go to straight guitar pop-rock without any discernible shift in effort. More than likely they stay in-between (but let's not say late era-Beatles, as we don't want to put that expectation on anyone). The lyrics are smart and powerful, if not a bit out there. You never feel insulted.

Why they should make it big: The best reason any band should make it big - because they're really good. Like that's ever had anything to do with it, though. But with the world of indie rock shifting, and listeners getting used to bands who can pump some versatility and smarts into their sound, Poor Bailey is a good candidate to take off. They're not about to give up either, which may be the biggest reason any band finally breaks big.

Claim to fame: After releasing its first record "Two Points Off the Weather Bow," Poor Bailey was voted "Best Emerging Artist" at the California Music Awards, formerly known as the Bammies. They've since earned regular airplay on local radio. Live 105 gave Poor Bailey the opening slot on its annual, big deal Not So Silent Night holiday show in 2004 at the Bill Graham Civic, where they shared the bill with the Killers, Modest Mouse, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, Muse and Taking Back Sunday. They've also become semi-regulars on Live 105's weekly show "Soundcheck," with DJ and music director Aaron Axelson.

What's next: The band continues to promote its excellent new double CD "Pyrite & Gold," with a smattering of local shows, before heading out on the road this spring. They'll perform next month in Austin at South By Southwest, the music industry's biggest festival.
- Tony Hicks



JOHN VANDERSLICE
Show info: 8 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Independent, 628 Divisadero St., San Francisco; also on bill are Damien Jurado, the Submarines and Black Fiction; $12 advance/$14 day of show, 866-468-3399, www.theindependentsf.com.

Home turf: San Francisco

Around since: First solo album was in 2000

The sound: Determinedly low-fi indie-pop, ranging from soft, brittle ballads to swirling, orchestral adventures. What sets Vanderslice apart are his meticulous arrangements crammed with - get this - real instruments, and a knack for weaving his shifting soundscapes around tortured stories about war, 9/11 and his own life to achieve maximum emotional whallop. Like a modern-day Woyzech, Vanderslice looks at the state of the world and takes it painfully to heart.

Why he should make it big: Actually, he shouldn't. Music this ornate and vulnerable was not made for the cover of Rolling Stone. But it would be beautiful if Vanderslice and the Bay Area's impressive niche of smart, risk-taking singer-songwriters (see Noah Georgeson, Joanna Newsom, among others) got more national recognition.

Claim to fame (so far): Vanderslice splices together his complex recordings at his Tiny Telephone studio in the Mission District, a facility created to preserve analogue recording techniques and, according to its Web site, "to provide affordable hi-fi recording to San Francisco's independent music community." The place attracts musicians from all over, and its collection of state-of-the-art, as well as antique recording equipment and instruments, is a testament to Vanderslice's "go wherever your heart takes you" approach to music.

What's next: If you haven't guessed by now, Vanderslice spends a lot of time in the recording studio. After spending a lot of 2006 on the road, he's back at Tiny Telephone at work on a follow-up to 2005's acclaimed album "Pixel Revolution." Expect some Bay Area concerts to be scheduled in the fall.
- Randy McMullen