Music Video: The Memorials: "West Coast"

The Memorials are a local trio who stretch writhing neo-soul vocals over drum-driven hard rock. Their drummer, Thomas Pridgen, is reputed by many to be one of the illest stickmen this side of Jupiter. The local boy was previously the drummer for the well-known band The Mars Volta, and has now linked with Nick Brewer and Viveca Hawkins, a Berkeley-bred vocalist who often performs with The Kev Choice Ensemble. Together, they have concocted a brew of rock, blunts, bottles and driving drums to tell their next chapters. Here they pay tribute to the left coast. Enjoi

Review: The Morning Benders: "Big Echo"

The Morning Benders sophomore LP, Big Echo, dropped yesterday and is definitely worth copping. If you haven't heard of them it's probably because, like us, you don't closely follow the Bay Area's rock scene. So allow this to be the start of a more focused effort on our behalf to expand our coverage beyond hip-hop. The Bay Area's rich musical history spans a gang of genres, and so we will try our best to cast a wider net. If you are a hip-hop head, take this as an opportunity to expand your musical tastes as we do.

To those of you well versed in rock or other genres, bare with our dog-shit analysis and potentially shoddy reviews as we get our sea legs. I just ask you to view this as a hip-hop centric site's genuine effort to bridge the Bay's often segregated music scenes.  With all that said, enjoi this little preview of The Morning Benders' Big Echo.

When The Benders' first single, "Promises" dropped, I was on a bit of a Kings of Leon kick and found it the perfect segue from The Kings' "Sex on Fire" to the Dirty Projector's "Ascending Melody." It's a bit morose, but the tinkling keys, layered guitar and Christopher's heartfelt but detached song-writing give it a driving blue-gray allure.

DL: "Promises"- The Morning Benders

But it was "Excuses," their second single, that really peaked my interest. Conjuring up a nostalgic boardwalk feel of decades past, they share a youthful tale of sexual firsts. Their doo-wop, Beach Boy symphony sound is given added depth by the music video, which features a talented collection of Bay Area rock musicians. Keep your eyes peeled for John Vanderslice and members of Girls, The Mumlers, Golden Gram and Dizzy Balloon, among others.

DL: "Excuses"- The Morning Benders

"Pleasure Sighs" is another stand out song. In the beginning it sounds a bit like Neil Young singing a folk lullaby before it slowly crescendos into a fuzzy, layered chorus, and then eases into a sweet melodic ballad. "All Day Day Light" is another song that gradually evolves. It starts off sounding like a Brit-pop Sublime before morphing into a sun-soaked beach anthem perfect for long summer evenings.  These evolving songs show off an attention to detail and nuance that many bands skip over in the interest of jumping right into the meat of their songs. "Sleepin In" and "Annie" buck this trend, as they are pretty consistantly lowkey, but it demonstrates that they can do a little bit of everything.

Big Echo succeeds because it is able to marry catchy modern rock with a wistful soulfulness. The album segues so cleanly, that it can easily play in the background without you noticing the track changes, but once you hone in and identify your favorite tracks, you'll hear a world of difference. Take a leap of faith and cop Big Echo now.

Video: Dizzy Balloon Performs "Raise a Glass"

The pride of Piedmont, Dizzy Balloon, took to the stage for a recent Thanksgiving show at The Rickshaw. And though being an Oakland advocate usually means spurning all that is Piedmont, I think Dizzy Balloon is a promising new East Bay band worthy of a little press. Here they lead in with an intro track entitled, "Raindrop Residence," before launching into their driving celebratory anthem, "Raise a Glass."

Video: Girls: "Lust For Life"

When 38thNotes was interviewing The Cataracs a couple days ago, they put us up on a rock outfit out of San Francisco called Girls. Further inquiry uncovered that the band is not in fact comprised of young women, but instead, is a couple of dudes who play a catchy strain of hippie/hipster folk rock. The retro video for "Lust For Life" fits in with the duo's throwback sound, and introduces a promising new band to 38thNotes and the Bay's burgeoning music scene.