Mission Mission

Right now I’m trying really hard to think of something better than local songwriter Wolf Larsen’s latest music video, which features a bunch of howling kids from Oakland’s ACORN Woodland Elementary School, but… no dice.

The song is called “Wild Things” and as far as I can tell, it has nothing to do with that lame movie starring Neve Campbell and Denise Richards.

Link for you folks on RSS.

[thanks Megan Keely!]

We’re all bummed that both Joey Ramone and KUSF are gone — but it might still be possible to resuscitate the latter. Start by attending this afternoon’s rally prior to the Board of Supervisors’ meeting.

From the official call to action:

The University of San Francisco acted in bad faith last week in the gross mishandling and sale of its student and community-run radio station of 33 years, KUSF.  Last Tuesday the station was abruptly taken off the air with no forewarning to the community, station volunteers, students, or faculty.

City Hall, 1pm. Be there!

[Photo by Bobby Castro via All Of Them Witches]

Full press release after the jump:

(more…)

If you liked Go Climb a Rock and Hippy Kitchens, you’re going to love Gigs, a never-ending stream of newly discovered vintage photographs of buds rocking out. Be sure to let me know if you see your dad in there anywhere.

These guys are apparently called “The Revengers.” The Revengers!

Last Tuvan throat singing post of the weekend, I promise.

In case you missed last night’s Tuvan throat singing extravaganza at Kaleidoscope, Genghis Blues: the movie which made it all possible, is screening tonight at the Roxie at 7:15pm. Best of all, after the movie Kongar-ol Ondar will be performing!

The Genghis Blues Review last night was totally packed, but it was an awesome time. Kongar-ol Ondar did some traditional songs, but also took us back Tuva future with this folk-rock inspired number:

He also invited local singer and vocal teacher Karina Denike up to, uh, feel his diaphragm.

This is one of those things that I can’t believe is happening right here in our neighborhood.

First of all, have you seen the documentary Genghis Blues? It’s about a blind bluesman from San Francisco named Paul Pena who taught himself how to Tuvan throat sing from scratchy cassettes that he recorded from his radio. His obsession eventually brought him to Tuva where he participated in their annual festival and befriended the best throat singer in the world, Kongar-ol Ondar. It’s really an amazing and moving documentary that you should get on your Netflix queue right away (after checking Lost Weekend first, of course).

Well TONIGHT, Saturday January 22nd, Kaleidoscope will host the Genghis Blues Review featuring Kongar-ol Ondar himself in a rare US appearance. Sadly, Paul Pena is no longer with us, but you might just get the next best thing, our own Mission bluesman Seth Augustus, who took care of Paul and learned the art of throat singing directly from him.

GENGHIS BLUES REVIEW: Rare US appearance by Tuvan throatsinging master, Kongar-ol Ondar, co-star of the Oscar nominated film, Genghis Blues.

Also on hand will be cast members Ralph Leighton, Roko Belic, Lemon DeGeorge & Tony DeCicco as well as musical guest Seth Augustus.

A night of live music, travel stories, and film excerpts with out-takes from Genghis Blues and never-before-screened footage of Kongar-ol Ondar and Paul Pena performing in Japan.

SHOW STARTS AT 9PM — goes until 11pm SATURDAY JANUARY 22nd

$10 all ages

Tickets available online:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/148474

Check out Paul Pena and Kongar-ol Ondar tearing up some Tuvan blues:

Our buddy Joshua remembers it, because up until a couple days ago, he was a DJ on beloved local terrestrial radio station KUSF. Presumably he will someday be a DJ on beloved internet radio station KUSF.org, but c’mon, that’s nowhere near as romantic. Below, Joshua shares his thoughts on this week’s troubling events:

I woke up the day KUSF was pulled off the air to a frantic phone call
from a fellow KUSF DJ named Michelle. First thing I hear her say is
they knocked off Howard (DJ Schmeejay) while he was on the air & then
changed the locks on the doors to the station. I ask Michelle where
she was, to take a breath & go a little slower. She says that
transmitter is gone, sold by the school & none of the DJ’s are being
let back inside the building.

Looking back now it seems like a parody of itself, the last bastion of
rock n roll radio being turned into some nightmare dentist’s wet
dream, the fruition of our labors given way to a classical music
station. The phone call launched me out of bed into a mad rush in
search of answers. My e-mail had overflowed, emotions bursting through
each sentence, letters of anguish, disgust, confusion, condolence.
Sifting through the electronic ashes I discover that the deal had been
made behind closed doors, non-disclosure acts were signed to prevent a
public backlash, yet press releases were sent out ahead of time.
Before anyone I worked with even knew our radio station was being shut
down, the media was finalizing stories about it.

So what then? What could I do, there was still more e-mail to read
through, more calls to make & return. Already two of my fellow DJ’s
were on the case, stampeding through the campus, demanding
explanations and some sort of justification for abandoning the
community. Their questions were rebuffed and I can only speculate as
to what the true cause of any of this is. Money gets talked about a
lot and I don’t know where the truth ends and opinions begin. I do
know that the people who were the heart of the station will remain
active throughout the city’s social scene & that there will always be
room in this town for the dedicated and passionate.

I listened to DJ Schmeejay’s show on the KUSF archives, the last show
to be broadcast on 90.3 FM. A more than fitting though somber way to
put an end to the beast, taken by surprise at its finest hour. The
very moment when the music turns to static resonates oddly in my mind,
I ask myself if I had seen this coming. I don’t mean to say I question
why this happened, this is the story I’ve seen happen so many times
throughout music’s history, be assured those that must will continue
on.

There is one thing that the other DJ’s keep saying to each other that
I’m intrigued by, that we’re all going to have to stick together.
Knowing how much time and effort goes into keeping strong one of the
pillars of the bay area’s music & cultural scene, I don’t know exactly
what the effects of the loss could be. It could be considered a shame
the way they pulled KUSF off the air but I think it could also maybe
get people’s attention about the current state of music in general.
There’s enough people out there that’d like to see something done –
figuring out how to do it in a way that best suits the needs of the
community will be the next step.

My attention’s got. What’s next?

SFist has all the details of the sale of KUSF right here.

Join Save KUSF if you like.

[Photo by Joshua too]

For some reason I had a car for a few weeks like six or seven years ago, and I was driving back to the Mission after some kind of late-night study session at SF State. KUSF was on the radio. I heard this song “I Am Naked” and I loved it. I Googled it when I got home and promptly downloaded it and a bunch more Stereo Total. Thanks, KUSF, for teaching me about Stereo Total.

SFist has all the details of the sale of KUSF right here.

Join Save KUSF if you like.

Remember back when Deerhoof had a pretty weird sound, almost too weird to listen to, but somehow you always got sucked in?

Well they haven’t changed a bit. The Bay Bridged has their new video up right right here, and it’s a good watch.

Last night at Amnesia, Emperor Norton’s Jazz Band introduced this as a 1930′s Louis Armstrong classic, but you probably know it as the 90′s remake “Buddy Holly” by Weezer.

They perform every first Sunday at Amnesia if you want to catch them next time and join the sing-a-long.

The instrument of choice for singers who don’t know what to do with their hands just got fishy.

I’m not sure what’s more amazing: the fact that fish tambourines are a real product, or that they are manufactured by a company called “C.O.D. Novelties”. Also available in dove.

[snapped at 21st and Mission]