Way Down in Soma

the penny dreadfuls, dustonius maximus, the obsessors at Beale Street Bar, Thurs. Sept. 11

Cheap live entertainment in San Francisco is hard to find without either a giant wait or no parking. For its well priced offerings and generous cocktails alone, the Beale Street Bar in SOMA demands attention. But its architecture too draws your eye. Surrounded by shiny, tall, buildings, the squat two-story structure with patios all around reminds me of the SF MOMA. Not one but two staircases, one of them circular, make their way to the rooftop stage.

The show cost $5. It was worth every dreadful penny. The Penny Dreadfuls opened with their mix of rock'n'roll, emo, punk and pirate tunes. They were very energetic. The vocalist Brian, who my girlfriend says is "pretty hot," is a journalism major at the Univ. of Nevada-Reno. The band hails from the "biggest little city in the world." Some say they're too emo, but I think they don't whine too much. They spin pretty catchy, energetic anthems.

Next up was Dustonius Maximus, presumably named for lead songwriter Dustin. The new band plays largely instrumental, jazzy, rockish, ska-ish songs. Kincaid (sp?) fronted with a lyrical trumpet, alternating between bluesy and jazzy and high and low. He actually smiled a lot, too. He and sax player Dan did a nice backing vocals job on one song, a rootsy Jamaican/Chris Murray/Jack Johnson type chill out island riddim, ska/rocksteady thing. The most fun, though, was the closing cover of Tom Waits' "Down in the Hole." Dustin's low voice easily slips into the gravely garble of Waits, and the arrangement was respectfully playful. Dustin actually lives not far from the crooner, in Petaluma, Calif.

The punk Obsessors closed the show. Ducky my pal played drums, cutely per Brittany. The lead singer got in the crowd's face, and the guitar section - one gorgeous white Keytar played by an equally gorgeous woman (think Lisa from weird science, the TV show), and a straight-out-of-the-80s rocker dude with long hair and a white Flying V - backed her up with brass knuckles. The link between new wave and punk never sounded so good.

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV (2008)

The first CD of this 4-disc set is available for free; the whole thing can be downloaded for $5. I went ahead and paid up in the interest of supporting new music distribution models, same as I did with In Rainbows; although Trent Reznor's sour grapes about Radiohead beating him to the punch are offputting at best, I won't count it against him.

The main reason I'm willing to cut him some slack is because I like this material so much...but I must admit to a heavy bias. Ghosts is clearly inspired by, and is a direct descendant of, Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Vol. II, which is ingrained into my subconscious as I use it to put myself to sleep in unfamiliar environments. The resemblance isn't surprising, as Aphex has contributed remixes to past NIN releases. The two also share a maverick sensibility and a fondness for exploiting the dichotomy between reflective melancholy and abrasive industrial timbres.

Ghosts echoes SAWII in every way, from its being a multi-disc release of instrumentals to the conceit of tracks titled only by accompanying pictures. However, while the Aphex Twin album, true to the genre stereotypes implied by its name, remains contemplative--i.e. beatless--as it shifts between moods of discontent, placidity, and dread, Ghosts is more immediate and driving, lurching from song to song with jarring non-transitions.

Accusations by fans of NIN's more accessible material that Ghosts amounts to a series of half-baked ideas for fully fleshed-out (pop) songs are understandable, but irrelevant. While "Closer," the big hit off 1994's The Downward Spiral, remains a case study in how abhorrent lyrical content can be sneaked into the mainstream by combining it with excellently catchy hooks, by and large Reznor's vocals in NIN only serve to bludgeon the listener with his comically nihilistic perspective, instead of leaving the music open to multiple interpretations. Ghosts' strength lies in its avoidance of those staid tropes.

Ra Ra Riot (EP) (2007)

I wouldn't normally find myself listening to an indie "buzz" band, but these kids are friends of Rory's sister so I discovered them organically and thus, authentically (in my head).

They played a show last night at the Double Door and I really appreciated the dynamic they brought to their performance. It genuinely seemed like they enjoyed playing together, and at any given moment the lyric that Wes, the frontman, was singing was also being mouthed by another player, enhancing the feeling of dedication they were giving to the show.

This group coherence sort of comes across on the EP, although overridingly the recording reminds me of a more uplifting Funeral-era Arcade Fire (dance-rock rhythm section plus strings). Wes isn't as SHAKING with emo-tion as Win Butler, which is a plus in my book.

And to Rory: Sting! That's who Wes sounds like. I didn't figure that out myself, some website mentioned it. But it's Police-era good Sting, not "Fields of Gold"/"Desert Rose" bad Sting.

Oxbow - The Narcotic Story (2007)

I just made it through this whole album at this site. As one might expect, a transporting and unhealthily disturbing experience. Oxbow seem to be able to pull off totally creepy without batting an eye, but keeping it compelling and just this side of not-completely-offputting.

If I ever saw them live I would wonder how conciliatory a facial expression I would need to wear to avoid Eugene putting me in a headlock.