Guam PDN - Praise for Mud - The doors are opening for a popular San Francisco band from Guam looking to make a name for themselves and the island they call home.
Mud released its debut album "Yearbook" on Tuesday, fresh from a stint at one of the biggest music and media events in the world. [Read]
Pandora - Pandora Video Coverage of SFxSXSW - Pandora's Great Venues videos roll on! This time, we cover Austin's answer to March Madness... South By Southwest. Here is the first part of our three-episode SxSW series, in which we meet a set of bands on their way to the Lone Star State [Read]
SPIN - Americana enthusiasts Port O'Brien and frenetic folkies the Dodos play SFxSXSW - Oakland's Port O'Brien may have been collectively suffering from sore throats, as Neil Young-sounding frontman (and part-time Alaskan fisherman) Van Pierszalowski revealed, but luckily a little extra scratchiness goes a long way for the Americana quintet, who played the SFxSXSW showcase at Bourbon Rocks on Saturday. [Read]
SF Station - Bay Area vs. SXSW - South By Southwest, the annual Austin-based gathering of film, music, and technology, will -- as always -- have a strong Bay Area presence. From newer independent acts to many of the area's most established labels, artists and publicity houses, the second week of March will be remembered by a massive convergence of west and southwest.
The most conspicuous event will be "SF x SXSW" on March 15th at the venue Bourbon Rocks. The show is hosted by San Francisco label and production company Talking House and will feature many SF sponsors and nearly 20 Bay Area artists.
For SF x SXSW, the bands are divided between an evening "showcase" and a "day party". The showcase will run from 8pm until past 2am and feature The Magic Bullets, Sean Hayes, Audrye Sessions, Elephone, The Matches, Film School, and Minipop. The day party begins at 12:30pm with Bart Davenport and continues with The Heavenly States, Mud, Sugar and Gold, LoveLikeFire, Nyles Lannon, Port O'Brien, The Dodos, Built For The Sea, Loquat, and Chuck Prophet.
[Read]
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Mud's first full length album. Available on iTunes.
Unique interpretations of Holiday classics from 15 top Bay Area bands.
The life, the energy, the passion of the live music scene in San Francisco
today. Unique, rare, live
recordings.
From under the fog-ridden street lights of San Francisco comes BRAY's
enigmatic new
single, DRACULA.
Joan Jeanrenaud Unveils Strange Toys
May 13, 2008
World-renowned cellist and Kronos Quartet pioneer extends contemporary classical sound with unusual instruments, loops and electronic beats
Talking House Records is pleased to announce its second release of 2008: Joan Jeanrenaud’s Strange Toys. Lauded throughout the experimental and avant-garde world for her "incredible cello technique" (Annie Gosfield) and as "the queen of all us cellists" (Wendy Sutter), in her previous solo album Metamorphosis, and as a member of Kronos Quartet for over 20 years, Jeanrenaud staked her claim as a virtuoso cellist and interpreter of other composer's works. Now, with Strange Toys, she is the sole composer of all the music.
Minimalist, polyrhythmic, organic, and electronic all at once, Jeanrenaud's work is accessible to listeners unfamiliar with contemporary classical music, thanks to her bold experimentation with electronic beats, unusual instruments, spoken-word, and other unique elements. Jeanrenaud's extensive use of looping and effects, paired with exquisite solos and perfectly-placed guest musicians, makes for a breathtaking sonic aesthetic comparable to Steve Reich, John Adams, and other contemporary composers who bridge the gap between the ancient and the new. Strange Toys is slated for release June 24 on Talking House Records.
On June 25, Jeanrenaud will appear at the Great American Music Hall for her record release show "Talking House Presents: Joan Jeanrenaud and Friends." The show will be seated, and will feature performers from Strange Toys as well as other musicians who Jeanrenaud has played with over the years.
Loquat Signs with Talking House Records
April 24 2008
Talking House Records is proud to add Loquat to our roster of amazing Bay
Area artists! The members of Loquat came together in 2001 and include Kylee
Swenson (Vocals/Guitar), Earl Otsuka (Guitar), Christopher Lautz (Drums, Backing
Vocals), Ryan Manley (Keyboards), Anthony Gordon (Bass). With two EP's and
a full length under their belt, Loquat has a strong base of loyal fans -- including
everyone here at Talking House!
Loquat is among SF's most critically lauded local bands, recognized for their singular ability to combine beauty and innovation. "Lots of bands mix electronic and acoustic instruments," says the SF Chronicle, "but few pull it off with the grace—or even the shimmering melodies—exhibited by this San Francisco group fronted by Kylee Swenson." Nylon magazine says, "In a genre marred by overproduction and, sometimes, a lack of imagination, Loquat is not only wonderfully organic but refreshingly inventive."
"We're so happy to join the roster," says Loquat singer/guitarist Kylee Swenson. "With Talking House, we don't feel like some commodity used as a means to sell records. The team at the label/production house actually *gets* us and is as passionate as we are about playing and producing good music. We just hope they don't get sick of us treating the TH facilities like an after-school clubhouse. We can't wait to come over and start recording and BBQing!"
"We're looking forward to working with such a hard working band of incredibly talented musicians," said Talking House president John Paulsen. "The songs from their upcoming record Secrets of the Sea exemplify Loquat's commitment to grow and create novel and enchanting melodies while always staying true to themselves and their art."
Loquat's second full length album, Secrets of the Sea, is slated for release on Talking House Records this Fall.
Pandora Video Coverage of SFxSXSW
March 28, 2008
Pandora came to our SFXSXSW event and filmed performances and interviews with Mud, elephone, LoveLikeFire, and Minipop. If you weren't able to come to Austin this year to attend our event, here's your chance to see what you missed!
From Pandora's Blog:
"Pandora's Great Venues videos roll on! This time, we cover Austin's answer
to March Madness... South By Southwest. Here is the first part of our three-episode
SXSW series, in which we meet a set of bands on their way to the Lone Star
State"
"Yearbook" hits the streets April 15th!
March 24, 2008
Signing with Talking House Records in Fall of 2006, Mud spent most of 2007 developing material and crafting the perfect sound for the first full length album Yearbook, which is scheduled to be released on April 15th. The ability to spend time recording at the Talking House studios has made their upcoming release something to truly look forward to. Fans old and new will be surprised and pleased with Mud's new sound -- they will definitely have something to sing about.
Yearbook is now available in stores, and on iTunes and many other online retailers.
Back home after SFxSXSW!
March 18, 2008
Phew! Everyone at Talking House is back from SXSW and buzzing with excitement here at the compound. We had a blast, and with that SF x SXSW maintaining not only a good size crowd all day, but an amazingly fun crowd and reaching capacity by the evening...
We can come back to our lovely home town and say the SF X SXSW was a huge success! It was great to see all the music fans enjoying the diverse lineup of artists and even more wonderful to see all the bay area artists out to support each other like they always do! We could not have enjoyed this event and shared it with all the music fans without our sponsors and supporters, street team, and MOST of all, the 18 incredibly talented bands involved. We feel so lucky to have had each and every band that played this year and they all made us proud to live in the foggy city.
Look for more pictures soon as well as video footage from the event! And who knows...there may be a Live from SF X SXSW Vol. 2 on the horizon....
If you were there...we would love to hear what YOU thought the highlights were.
Thanks again to everyone who came out and to everyone who made the show possible!
Talking House Producing New Album from Scissors For Lefty
March 4, 2008
Scissors For Lefty has joined up with Talking House to produce the follow-up to their acclaimed album Underhanded Romance -- the band's already started recording a pile of amazing new songs with Talking House producer John Paulsen, and between SXSW and various tours, lots more tracking will continue over the next few months. Talking House is producing an EP and an album that are expected to be released later this year on Eenie Meenie Records.
Scissors For Lefty are San Francisco local heros whose story involves Malaysian pop songs and intense Beatles fixations, influential British indie labels and late night hot tub parties, '80s dance nights and KISS solo records.
We fell in love with Scissors For Lefty working together on big SF events and awesome music compilations! SFL recorded the first song on our album A Foggy Holiday - Carols From The SF Scene, Vol. 1, and they killed at our official San Francisco showcases at SF x SXSW and SF@CMJ last year!
Even in our exceptional local SF scene, Scissors are especially beloved by the media. SPIN Magazine says their "huge hooks and playful pleasures win the day... So cheerily unpretentious, it's almost irresistible." Paste magazine fawns over their "undeniable, butt-shaking riffs... your feet will be shuffling to the irresistable, anthemic guitar hooks." The UK's NME loves their "ambitious, sarcastic sophistopop" and says SFL is "quirky, promising and quite possibly awesome." And our own Live 105 radio's programmer Aaron Axelson called Scissors "one of the most compelling, exciting, and commercially viable bands to emerge out of the rich SF music scene in years!"
If you can't wait for the new music, in the meantime make sure you catch Scissors For Lefty's track "Got Your Moments" in the JJ Abram's movie Cloverfield, and watch for their song "Next to Argyle" on a forthcoming episode of KYLE XY.
The Hives at Talking House
February 25, 2007
On February 20th, Talking House Productions hosted a Live 105 Studio session
in our gallery with The Hives! 20 Live 105 listeners were invited to the
Talking House Studios for an intimate performance with the band. They put
on a stellar show, performing 7 songs, answering questions from their fans,
and hanging out in the Talking House courtyard mingling with fans and Live
105 staff.
It was a very special show and talking House was honored to take part in the event! Check it out here
Elephone Joins Talking House Records
January 31, 2008
Talking House is happy to announce San Francisco's elephone has joined our roster. Founding members Terry Ashkinos and Ryan Lambert have been blazing a trail for bay area artists since they moved to San Francisco in 2003.
Teaming up with Dan Settle on bass and keys, they released The Camera Behind The Camera, Behind The Camera in 2006 which earned the band critical success and praise from the San Francisco music community.
With the addition of Sierra Frost and Lily Faden from the local sensation, Two Seconds, elephone’s new record, scheduled to be released in Summer 2008, will be their most ambitious and relatable record to date. Sierra's edgy vocals and Lily's ferocious drumming amp up the band's musical prowess, and the songwriting is evolving with a pop sensibility that refines the group's sound, for a combination of catchy and quirky that's uniquely elephone. The freedom to create music in the Talking House studio with producer Marc Weibel is helping give the new record an otherworldly quality that promises to bring a new legion of new fans to the band. The west coast may no longer have elephone all to themselves once the new record is out!
SF x SXSW 2008
January 23, 2008
This is the second year Talking House has teamed up with the City of San Francisco to bring the Bay Area's best to Austin.
This year, Talking House and the City of San Francisco host both an official SXSW Day Party with 12 bands (1:00 pm - 7:00 pm), and an official evening SXSW Showcase with 6 bands (8:00 pm).
Scheduled to appear:
Film School,
The Matches,
Chuck Prophet,
Sean Hayes,
elephone , Magic Bullets, Audrye Sessions, The Dodos, Minipop, LoveLikeFire, Loquat, Nyles Lannon,
The Heavenly
States, Mud, Built For The
Sea, Sugar and Gold, Port O'Brien, Bart Davenport
In 2007, Talking House Records released three compilations of local artists, including Live From SF x SXSW 2007.
"SF x SXSW 2008" will be the kick off to an incredible year for Talking House, with over a dozen exciting releases planned!
A Foggy Holiday - Carols From The SF Scene
January 3, 2008
Come a-caroling with the high energy and raw talent of a diverse music scene spawned in the fog. Between two iconic bridges, on steep hills, in warehouses and a couple dozen small clubs, in the capital city of eclectic; San Francisco's favorite bands come together to raise a cup of cheer, and raise funds to help MusiCares bring cheer to musicians in need.
Featuring tracks from: Scissors For Lefty, Cold Hot Crash, elephone, Mud, Push to Talk, Built For The Sea, Kerry Gulbranson, The Trophy Fire, The Hundred Days, Panda, Austin Willacy, Bray, Emperor Norton, Poor Bailey, and Persephone's Bees. These holiday songs, include stunning indie-rock versions of classics like "A Holly Jolly Christmas", "Winter Wonderland", "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear", and "Baby It's Cold Outside", performed by some of San Francisco’s current musical gems and artists on the rise.
10% of the profits from the record will benefit the GRAMMY'S MusiCares program, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music professionals in times of need. MusiCares services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies.