jeff

Just got back from checking out 3 solid bands at the Rickshaw Stop in SF tonight - The New Trust, Ambulette, and Push to Talk (http://www.fuzz.com/artist/PushToTalk). I got there a little late to meet up with Arin and Ian, who had already made themselves comfortable sitting in one of the rickshaws at the side of the main floor (wish I brought my camera)... The New Trust was already a few tunes in their set. I really enjoyed their music, but I still can't really put my finger on who they sound like... One thing for sure is that their drummer, Julia Lancer, beats the crap out of her drums, and plays with total confidence. It probably comes as no surprise as they just got finished their tour with Ambulette for the past few months. I think they mentioned it was a forty date tour - man, it must've been hard work. It certainly paid off as the band was completely tight and some pretty complicated groove changes that they seemed to pull off effortlessly.

Ambulette played in the second slot and was absolutely fantastic. Singer Maura Davis, claimed to be getting over a cold tonight, but I couldn't tell. These guys had some fantastic cuts and were mesmerizing. The band reminded me of the Cardigans meets PJ Harvey. Maura's voice has this elegant quality reminiscent of a trained jazz singer (without the cheezy vibrato), but she's not afraid to push her voice and even get gritty... what an amazing range - her pitch got endlessly higher, but never seemed to crack. Their closing tune was one of the best tunes I've heard in a while - I didn't catch the title of the song, but I'm gonna do some research to find it... They had a bit of a false start when Maura announced she was getting over being sick, and claimed that "her voice sounded like shit" but no one in the audience seemed to think so and everyone seemed to cheer her on. The song started with Maura singing solo with her capoed electric (was it a Tele?) and eventually built up into a powerful anthem that totally had the crowd blown away. I had a brief chance to chat with her after the show and we both chuckled over the travails of Capitol.

Finally, Push to Talk, had a great show to close the night out. I'm pretty sure they opened the night with "Talk is Cheap" and played a solid set in front of about 75 loyal followers. It was really great to see these guys "live" as they have a totally different sound from the recordings that I've heard. Front man, James Leste, definitely has the Morissey flavor that all of their press seams to indicate. It's also totally clear that the Police have been a large influence on the band. Their drummer, who formerly played with Bay Area band, KGB (Dreamworks), probably practiced to Stewart Copeland beats in the toolshed. The band seemed to get the crowd really moving when they played "Problems" - definitely reminscent of "Roxanne." They'll be out of town for their next few shows, but I'd definitely like to check them out again. I chatted briefly with James when he was outside for a smoke and he kept talking about Ryan Divine and Johnny Genius of Maldroid - local bands unite!

I'm sure Ian and Arin will have stuff to add, but what a great surprise to see three terrific bands tonight at one venue. There's no doubt that the hardworking bands and their fans are keeping the SF music scene alive and well...