BeatNonStop A Weblog by Chris Macias Bee pop music critic Music geek (n. myü-zik 'gEk) 1: A person who proudly wore KISS commemorative pajamas in third grade. 2: A person who owns multiple copies of the same album, still buys vinyl and has a room dedicated to 2,000 or so CDs and records. 3. A person who wrote a five-part series about traveling with a local band in their stinky van - and loved every minute of it. 4: Chris Macias, the Bee's pop music critic, serving Sacramento's music scene since 1999.

---

June 27, 2008

Been a son

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream with this week's "Sunday Single." We're featuring a psychedelic and intriguingly melodic track called "This Thing Called Life" from the Ancient Sons. This band is a local supergroup of sorts, featuring members of such favorite indie bands as Th' Losin' Streaks, Army of Trees and Rock the Light. And fans of the Brian Jonestown Massacre should definitely peep this track. It's a synthesis of sorts between 1960s psychedelia and the spacier side of modern alternative-rock. Far out!

THE ANCIENT SONS
Song: "This Thing Called Life"
Style: Indie-rock with a harmonious, psychedelic streak
Members: Chris Teichman (guitar/vocals), Brad Teichman (bass/drums), David Aslanian (guitar), Matt K. Shrugg (drums), Matt Maxwell (guitar), Justin Pine (tambourine, percussion)
Influences: Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spiritualized, Galaxie 500, Spacemen 3
Behind the song: "I got really sick as a kid," says Chris Teichman. "I had cancer and had to have a kidney removed when I was about one-and-a-half, but I got a new lease on life. This song is kind of centered around a boy's view of looking for hope and trying to grow. It's about hope and redemption."
See them: The Ancient Sons will perform an acoustic set at 5 p.m. Wednesday on LiveWire (Access Sacramento, Channel 17 for Comcast and SureWest cable subscribers).

Here's the player to hear "This Thing Called Life":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/theancientsons

Posted by cmacias at 10:32 AM | Comments |

---

June 20, 2008

Strings and things

"Sunday Single" is big on bands that truly do something different, so we're happy to say that the Definite Articles have one of the most unique sounds around town. The members of Definite Articles are classical musicians by background, but bring their string instruments into an intriguing indie-pop setting. Check out the all of the cool melodies, plucking and bowing on "Elixirs," which you can hear down below.

THE DEFINITE ARTICLES
Song: "Elixirs"
Style: Indie-pop meets chamber music
Members: Shawn Alpay (vocals/cello), Jon Sung (violin), Arjun Singh (drums), Melody Mundy (viola)
Influences: Electric Light Orchestra, Sufjan Stevens, the Arcade Fire, Matt Pond PA.
Behind the song: "'Elixirs' was written about a girl who I could never quite admit that I had feelings for," says Alpay. "I wrote this song as a means of processing through that, where you're balancing between two different emotions, and you can't quite figure it out which way the seesaw will go. So I left the perspective of the lyrics vague. Are the words coming from me, or the girl? I suppose I still haven't figured it out, even now."
See them: July 12 at the Blue Lamp (1400 Alhambra Blvd.), with An Angle, Bridges and Bright Light Fever.

Here's the player to hear "Elixirs":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/thedefinitearticles

Posted by cmacias at 6:11 PM | Comments |