Euphonia, The Old Jawbone. This isn’t your hipster
neighbor’s nu-folk. The Old Jawbone presents a rather pure
strain of old-time folk, beginning with a shimmering cover of
“Cotton-Eyed Joe” on mandolin, accordion, guitar, double bass, and knee
slaps. Musicianship is superb throughout, but Sylvia Herold’s bright,
clear voice, seemingly built for storytelling, can’t help but steal the
show. (Tuxedo Records)
At Le Bateau Ivre (2629 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley) on Aug. 19. 7
p.m., free
Moonalice, Moonalice. T-Bone Burnett, who produced
Robert Plant’s Grammy-winning Raising Sand, works modern roots
magic on quintessential San Francisco rock/blues/jam band Moonalice,
whose members have gigged with Phil Lesh, Jefferson Airplane, and Boz
Scaggs, not to mention Bob Dylan. It goes without saying that they can
play; the songs, likewise, are unflinchingly solid. (A Minor Label)
At Union Square Park (333 Post St., San Francisco) on Aug 16. 2
p.m., free
The Long Thaw, Challenges of Leisure. Guns N’ Roses
mined Stone Temple Pilots to form Velvet Revolver, so it’d hardly be
crazy to imagine AC/DC doing the same with, say, Queens of the Stone
Age. This is precisely what Oakland hard rockers the Long Thaw recall,
plus perhaps some Dinosaur Jr. and Soundgarden on the margins. It’s the
sort of rock that begs to be taken at face value, and we’ll oblige.
(self-released)
Robots of Fury, Reverse in Reverse EP. A decade after
its fade from the mainstream, alternative rock persists. The reason is
clear: angst, melody, and distortion are like bacon, lettuce, and
tomato. Oakland’s female-fronted Robots of Fury employs more shoegaze
than grunge, which keeps things fresh and results in some transcendent
passages — or, in the case of “Temporary Fixation,” four whole
minutes. (self-released)
