Hostelling International sponsors Bands That Rock on June 9
May 18, 2007
HI-USA Golden Gate Council is proud to sponsor Bands That Rock, a series of shows featuring the Bay Area’s hottest emerging bands.
Hostelling International members get in free!
On June 9, check out Broken Ladder, Deborah Crooks, Drink & Food, French Thinkers, Full On Flyhead, and Hippie Grenade.
About Broken Ladder
The music of San Francisco-based Broken Ladder is an ambitious attempt to create aural “landscapes” whose consuming energy evokes stark images of pain and internal struggle. Yet, within the context of this acoustical lamentation, one cannot help but make out an inkling of delight and suppressed optimism, distinct amidst a collage of resounding, alternately tuned, open strings, agile transitions, and enticingly counterintuitive bridges.
Broken Ladder is a rich dichotomy. Utterly torn between the desire to move on and heal, and the ball-and-chain of relentless dread and past regrets, it presents itself like a battered spouse coming home with a gun in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. The lyrical style is at times enchanting, and at times suffocating. But the goal is clear–to make the listener feel something.
About Deborah Crooks
“Crooks pours stiff shots of brains, soul and guts into her compositions.” –Flavorpill
Singing about faith, love, and loss, Deborah Crooks presents an intimate and edgy performance that touches the heart and the mind. Widely published as an essayist, journalist, and poet, her lyric-writing skills are honed by a lifetime of writing and influenced by such estimable artists as Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, and Emmylou Harris. Roberta Donnay produced her first CD “5 Acres” in 2003. “Dream Me,” written shortly after a pivotal 2001 visit to New York City, was included on the 2004 RockerGirl compilation CDs and received radio airplay on KPFA. 2005 saw new collaborations with B.Z. Lewis, resulting in the track “You Are Home,” which has received national airplay and is featured on the Java with Jahvalin Indie Artist CD 2005 (Los Angeles). Deborah showcased at the 2006 Millenium Music Conference in Pennsylvania, the 2005 RockerGirl Magazine Music Convention in Seattle, and the 2006 and 2007 GoGirls Invasion of SXSW in Austin.
About Full On Flyhead
Culling material from the minds of six uncompromising music lovers influenced by past greats as diverse as Pink Floyd, Danny Elfman, Thin Lizzy, and Tool, the experience that is Full On Flyhead is a force of staggering authority and merciless creation. Defying all physical laws known to man and somewhat on-the-fly, Full on Flyhead spontaneously formed shape in late 2005 from the vestiges of the lost musical civilization of humankind. Since their conception, the band has rapidly gained momentum, leaving no building standing, and no stone unturned in their quest to save Rock and Roll from the malevolent forces of mediocrity. Whether serving up a side of sexy funk, smoky roadhouse reggae, or historic rock of epic proportions, Full on Flyhead keeps music lovers and listeners afloat with cosmic rhythms both familiar and unlike anything you’ve heard before.
About Hippie Grenade
Blending genres of music together into a unique sound that’s as much roots as it is contemporary, as much soul as it is rock, Hippie Grenade has found itself a devoted following, first in the band’s birthplace, Santa Cruz, California, and now around the San Francisco Bay Area. Bhi Bhiman’s soaring, stretching vocals and jamming guitar are perfectly complemented by the combined energy of bassist Theo Winston and drummer Chris Thalmann. Throw in a little funk from keyboardist Steven Reilly and a little soul from gypsy-saxaphonist Mani Vafaei, and the band comes at its audience with a solid, soaring and engaging sound all its own. If comparisons were appropriate for such a unique sound, they would range from Soundgarden to Phish to The Talking Heads to Sam Cooke to Stevie Wonder to Funkadelic; in other words, they aren’t appropriate. Hippie Grenade’s sound reaches its peak in its rollicking live performances, where the band’s energy and ability is on forefront display.
Bands That Rock is presented by Ripstar–uniting artists and audiences thru music. Bands and visual artists send submissions to 806 Moultrie Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.