John Vanderslice, Romanian Names. Press materials call
Vanderslice’s latest “the best record he’s made to date.” This is no
minor claim considering his indie-rock credentials. The San Francisco
musician and producer’s canon is one of consistency, not revolution,
and Romanian Names, while very good, draws attention not to
itself but to Vanderslice’s now-legendary name. (Dead Oceans)
At the Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell St., San Francisco) on May 19. 7:30
p.m., $16.
Dubious Ranger, Uneasy Truce at the Watering Hole. It
seems we should be impressed that opening track “Gemini” clocks in at
eleven minutes, the last seven of which are a piano-based prog-rock
instrumental. Well, it is impressive — primarily because
it’s incredibly ballsy. The same can be said for the next two songs
(which careen from silly They Might Be Giants to sexy Duran Duran as if
it were nothing) and likewise all sixty absurd minutes. (The Nothing
Room)
At the Red Devil Lounge (1695 Polk St., San Francisco) on May 15. 8
p.m., $10
Trainwreck Riders, The Perch. Lacking the outright
irresistibility that made this San Francisco act’s rollicking
breakthrough Lonely Road Revival one of the best releases of
2007, The Perch takes a bit longer to sidle up to. Any attempt
to rehash the same hybrid punk/country sound is underpinned by the
band’s desire — or need, perhaps — to ride increasingly
challenging themes into more mature, dynamic territory. (Alive
Records)
Misisipi Rider, Live in the Studio. This San Francisco
quartet plays true folk music — where the music serves the
storytelling, never the other way around, even if it strings together
elements of bluegrass, country, and classic pop in the process. I’m
a man who likes to sing/About just about anything, announces
Misisipi Mike Wolf in “Much About Love,” and that just about sums it
up. (self-released)
At the Starry Plough (3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley) on May 16. 9 p.m.,
$8
