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.

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« April 2008 | | June 2008 »

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May 30, 2008

Roots rock

Arden Park represent! Here's a band that's so proud of its roots that it's named, well, Arden Park Roots. The group has a strong Sublime sound, with a mix of rock and reggae that's filtered through Sacramento instead of the "LBC" (Long Beach, Calif., that is). So check out the Arden Park Roots song called "The Hard Way" on this edition of "Sunday Single."

ARDEN PARK ROOTS
Song: "The Hard Way"
Style: Rootsy rock and blue-eyed reggae
Influences: Sublime, 311, Slightly Stoopid, Pepper
Members: Tyler Campbell (vocals/guitar), Matt Seidel (lead guitar), Ben Jones (bass), Justin Higdon (drums)
Behind the song: "I had this girlfriend and it was a work relationship, which is always, you know, not a good idea," says Campbell. "All of my friends were saying get rid of her, and she had a lot of negative outlooks on life. People always say everything happens for a reason, and I didn't understand that concept at that time in my life. So learning the hard way is what I was feeling at the time about that girl."
See them: 8 p.m. June 7 at the Underground (2401 Olympus Drive, Roseville)

Here's the player to hear "The Hard Way":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/aproots

Posted by cmacias at 2:44 PM | Comments |

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May 23, 2008

West side!

Throw up the "w" and check out this week's "Sunday Single." It's a track of pure West Coast hip-hop by Sacramento's own C-Dubb. The song's called "Smashin'" and it rolls low and slow with guest vocals from Keak Da Sneak, one of the originators of the "hyphy" hip-hop movement. Yee!

C-DUBB

Song: "Smashin'"
Style: Hip-hop straight outta Sacramento
Influences: "I grew up on Too $hort, E-40, Ice Cube, N.W.A, everything on the West Coast," says C-Dubb. "I know a lot of hip-hop MCs are like you've got to go back to the roots and the East Coast. That's cool and everything but I grew up on West Coast 'mobb music.'"
Behind the song: "It's just about 'let's have some fun,'" says C-Dubb. "It's like let's collaborate with Keak and make a fun song that people can smash to. It's meant to be played loud. I make a point to do some serious from the heart songs, but this one is just about having fun."
See him: May 29 at Yagers Tap House and Grill (727 Trader Lane, Folsom), with Zigg Zagg, First Degree the D.E., Doey Rock and more.

Here's the player to hear "Smashin'"

On the Web: www.myspace.com/eighty8muzik

Posted by cmacias at 2:06 PM | Comments |

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May 16, 2008

Zombie love

Danny Secretion is the drummer and songwriter for local punks the Secretions. But every so often the dude likes to put down those sticks and grab an acoustic guitar. So "Sunday Single" is featuring Secretion on the solo tip with his acoustic version of the Secretions' "Zombie Girl." You can also hear Secretion do his solo act tonight at the "Sunday Single Showcase" at Old Ironsides. Practice your best zombie walk and head on over.

DANNY SECRETION
Song: "Zombie Girl"
Style: A punk tones down
Influences: "My number one influence is Kevin Seconds," says Secretion. "He’s a punk rock icon and I think Sacramento takes that for granted. He's up there with Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and Henry Rollins (Black Flag). But he has no problem grabbing his acoustic guitar and playing for a handful of people, and putting as much passion into it as a sold-out 7 Seconds show."
Behind the song: "It's just a love song," says Secretion. "It's inspired by every single zombie movie ever made, that if a person you fell in love with became a zombie you would either have to blow their head off or join them. It can be a symbolic choice, I guess. It's a love song with a sweet message, but I'm surprised by the number of guys who like that one."
See him: Danny Secretion performs tonight at Old Ironsides (1901 10th St.) for the “Sunday Single Showcase.” Local indie-rockers Bright Light Fever will also be featured. 8 p.m. $5. Information: (916) 443-9751.

Here's the player to hear "Zombie Girl":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/dannysecretionsolo

Posted by cmacias at 12:27 PM | Comments |

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May 15, 2008

Attention!

I have a very important announcement. Please stop what you're doing and listen close ....... cannon ball!! OK, couldn't resist that bit from "Anchorman" but I do have some news to share: BeatNonStop is getting a change of address come Monday.

You see, a lot of changes are going on here at Scoopy Town, and the Powers That Bee have decided to consolidate some of our blogging efforts. That means I'll be joining my pals and colleagues over at 21Q starting Monday. So along with the latest dish on movies, fashion and local culture, I'll be chiming in with my usual musings on music.

Thanks to everyone who's popped into BeatNonStop since this sucker was launched in March 2005. In that time we've posted live from South By Southwest in Austin, Tx., gone behind the scenes at the Grammys, given some scoops on local concerts and bands, and posted a lot of iPod playlists. Plenty more postings are coming - I'll just be around the corner at 21Q. Peeeace ...

Posted by cmacias at 11:25 AM | Comments |

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May 14, 2008

Cool show alert

Found out about this one earlier today ... there's an acoustic-punk show of sorts going down tonight at the True Love Coffeehouse (2315 K St.). The headliner is Michale Graves, former singer for the Misfits. Alright, so he's not that other former singer of the Misfits (Glenn Danzig), but Graves has some solid punk rock cred nonetheless. And word has it that Graves' solo acoustic stuff is really good.

Opening the show is a solo spot from Danny Secretion from local punkers the Secretions. Hear Danny play some of the band's tunes in a stripped down form - it's bound to be a hoot. BTW, Danny Secretion is also set to play the "Sunday Single Showcase" on Sunday night at Old Ironsides, with Bright Light Fever sharing the bill. That's a lot of Secretion in one week ... yeah, that sounds kind of icky, but it's meant in a good way.

Tonight's show is all-ages and starts at 8 p.m. $10. Get there early kids - the show is bound to reach capacity pretty quick.

Posted by cmacias at 3:53 PM | Comments |

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May 9, 2008

I've got a Fever...

Bright Light Fever's putting the finishing touches on its latest album, but "Sunday Single's" got the goods. "The Locust" is one of the indie-rock band's new tracks, and it's a key part of its upcoming concept album called "Red Hands In Holy Water." It’s the story of a cult leader and his followers, as set to a tense and rockin' soundtrack. You can hear "The Locust" down below, and read more about Bright Light Fever and its new album in Sunday's Ticket+ section.

BRIGHT LIGHT FEVER
Song: "The Locust"
Style:Indie-rock that’s not afraid to tell a story
Members:Matt Ferro (guitar/vocals), Evan Ferro (guitar/vocals), Don Suave (bass), Robert Torres (drums)
Influences:Hot Snakes, the Beatles, Queens of the Stone Age, Tom Waits, Cursive, Roy Orbison
Behind the song:“We’re all interested in alternative topics like conspiracy theories, cryptozoology, and there’s been a lot of talk about cults in the news lately," says Matt Ferro. "I came across this cult when I was searching the Internet, and I'm not sure if it's real but it was intriguing to us. It was a really interesting story. So I decided to write a story about the life of a person that this cult holds as their messiah."
See them:Bright Light Fever performs Friday at Cesar Chavez Plaza
(10th and J streets). The show is free and starts at 5 p.m. The band also will perform next Sunday at Old Ironsides (10th and S streets) at the Sunday Single Showcase, a night of live music in a "storytellers" format. The show starts at 8 p.m. and costs $5.

Here's the player to hear "The Locust":

On the Web:www.myspace.com/brightlightfever

Posted by cmacias at 3:45 PM | Comments |

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Sunday Single Showcase full line-up

Woo ha! The line-up for the next "Sunday Single Showcase" is now complete. So along with the excellent and epic indie-rock of Bright Light Fever, the show will feature a solo set from Danny Secretion. He's usually found with punking around town with his band, the Secretions, but Danny Secretion's also doing the me-and-an-acoustic-guitar thing, so we'll be catching up with him and hearing some of his solo songs. Check www.sacbee.com/sundaysingle to hear one of Danny's songs, and then head to Old Ironsides that night to see him perform. Deal?

SUNDAY SINGLE SHOWCASE
A night of live music in a talk-show format, hosted by a dork named Chris Macias
WITH: Bright Light Fever, Danny Secretion
WHEN: 8 p.m. May 18
WHERE: Old Ironsides, 10th and S streets
HOW MUCH: $5
INFORMATION: (916) 443-9751

Posted by cmacias at 9:28 AM | Comments |

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May 8, 2008

Tina Turner coming to town

She's got legs, she knows how to use them. And then Tina Turner's going to strut all over the stage when she comes to Arco Arena on Oct. 22. The 68-year-old singer is touring for the first time in nearly eight years. Wait, wasn't that tour trumpeted as being her last? Well, you know those fickle pop stars. Anyway, her latest show is said to include the many hits from throughout her career. Here's what Tina's saying about the tour:

"After performing with Beyonce at the Grammy Awards, the response was overwhelming," she says in a statement. "Everywhere I went people were asking me when I was going back on tour. So after a lot of thought and planning, I can answer the only way I know how. See you in Kansas City where we'll kick the tour off!"

Tickets for Tina Turner's show go on sale May 19 at 10 a.m. through TicketMaster. Tickets cost $57.75 for the nosebleed seats, to $150 for the best view of Tina's gams.

Posted by cmacias at 12:34 PM | Comments |

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May 7, 2008

Tesla tour

Speaking of popular Sacramento bands in the 1980s, Tesla recently announced a world tour. No dates so far for its hometown, but if you happen to be in Bilbao, Spain on June 21, you can catch the most successful band to spring from the 916 at the Kobeta Sonik Festival. Tesla will be back stateside starting in mid-July and more shows are expected to be announced soon.

But of you can't wait for that Tesla rock action, look for the band's new DVD on June 24. "Comin' Atcha Live! 2008" is a concert vid that was shoot earlier this year in Minnesota. Hold up your lighter in the privacy of your own home, and get down to such Tesla tunes as "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Love Song." \m/

Posted by cmacias at 3:49 PM | Comments |

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May 6, 2008

Tagg, you're it

Wow, didn't realize that the buzz was so big on the Bourgeois Tagg reunion concert coming to the Crest Theatre on June 3. Quick recap: the pop rocking Bourgeois Tagg was one of Sacramento's breakout bands in the 1980s and released a couple of albums on Island records. Now this was a big deal back in the day (i.e. before Tesla, Deftones, Cake, etc. repped SacTown on the national stage). Apart from Steel Breeze's "You Don't Want Me Anymore," Sacramento was pretty much M.I.A. from the record charts. Bourgeois Tagg scored a Top 40 hit with "I Don't Mind at All," but never became more than cult favorites before the band went its separate ways.

Anyway, I'm checking Idolator.com (one of my fave music blogs) today and whoa look at this. It's a post on the Bourgeois Tagg reunion show with YouTube videos and all. I'm cooking up my own story on this concert, but check out this post and video in the meantime.

Posted by cmacias at 1:33 PM | Comments |

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May 2, 2008

Can you feel the love?

Kepi is the former frontman for the Groovie Ghoulies, Sacramento's premier pop-punk exports. Alas, those Ghoulies broke up about a year ago. But Kepi is plugging right along and has two albums coming out Tuesday. One is "American Gothic" from his acoustic project called Kepi and Friends. That other album, "Hanging Out," is back to pop-punk grind with an all-star local band of sorts. Kepi: The Band features members of the Helper Monkeys, the Secretions and Little Medusas, and "Sunday Single" has one of its upcoming tracks. Check out "Love on Demand" - it's a sugar rush of a song.

KEPI: THE BAND
Song: "Love on Demand"
Style: Pop-punk that's pure fun
Influences: Ramones, Iggy Pop, the Cramps, Bouncing Souls
Behind the song: "I think I just had the chorus stuck in my head," says Kepi. "Whenever I'm writing songs and a piece gets stuck in my head for two or three days, I know that's a keeper ... We did this record down in L.A. in December. It's funny because it’s like a little supergroup. We've got a Little Medusa, a Secretion, a Helper Monkey. My philosophy's always been this: I make a record that I want to hear, and if everyone else likes it too, then I win."
See him: Kepi performs both as a solo artist and with Kepi: The Band on Friday at Cesar Chavez Plaza (10th and J streets, Sacramento).

Here's the player to hear "Love on Demand":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/kepighoulie

Posted by cmacias at 2:21 PM | Comments |

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