STS / Ava Mendoza, Episode 4

Guitarist and composer, Ava Mendoza, is an essential member of the SF Bay Area creative music scene. She is part of a breed, comfortable in a wide variety of situations – playing the yearning rock of Carla Bozulich’s Evangelista, note-y guitar sparring with Nels Cline, or performing a live score to a Buster Keaton silent film with Tune-Yards. Her recent focus has been Unnatural Ways, a jazzy rock(or rock-y jazz?) ensemble with Dominique Leone on keys and Nick Tamburro on drums.

The combination of film and live music is an age-old idea in cinema. In 2011, the San Francisco Film Society commissioned her to score a silent film for their Cinema By The Bay series. She chose The Bat (1926), a strange and goofy mystery by Roland West. In this episode she shares here thoughts on why she picked that film and her approach. Her longtime cohort, Nick Tamburro, played drums with her for this project.

Thanks to the SF Film Society. Learn more about them at – SFFS.org

more about Ava:
avamendozamusic.com
weirdforest.com/store/bandPages/mendoza.html#quit

STS / Ava Mendoza, Episode 3

She is also a teacher. In this episode she explains what she gets out of teaching besides a paycheck.

Thanks to San Francisco Rock Project – rockprojectsf.org/

more about Ava:
avamendozamusic.com
weirdforest.com/store/bandPages/mendoza.html#quit

always a lowercase f

The first time I saw fIREHOSE was at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC(back when it was on F Street). I just saw them play a reunion show at Slim’s on 11th street in San Francisco after an 18 year break! They were working out the kinks that night but it just didn’t matter. There was a whole lot of heart in that room. This band has a deep appreciation for the time on stage playing and their audience.

I’m really in love with Mike Watt’s playing. His bass, or his word for it -‘”thudstaff” is noble, joyful, and powerful. In terms of his stature in culture he has this combination of talent and work ethic while being humble. He is up there, concerned less with building of his brand than the quality of his performance and sound making.

I find their music to very American in that it combines various genres in a way that makes it their own. That night we heard elements of punk, garage rock, lounge-y jazz, and even calypso. It was good to be reminded, first hand, how good this music is.

At Slim's, 11th Street in San Francisco

Mike Watt's bass rig

drummer, George Hurley making contact with fans after the show.

You can read Mike Watt’s compelling this tour diary here

Here is Brave Captain from their first record, Ragin’ Full-On.

I Love Loud Music

Carlton Melton, my new favorite band, at The Uptown, December 3, 2011

Hot Lunch bassist, Charlie Karr's bass amp

STS / Enablers – Joe and Kevin, Episode 4

In this series of So To Speak we focus on the guitarists in the band Enablers(there is no “The”). Joe Goldring and Kevin Thomson.

In this episode they talk about their drummer, the mighty Doug Scharin.

Enablers are a spoken word rock band that started in San Francisco in 2002. Known for its distinctive character with prose and poetry written and performed by Pete Simonelli, guitar interplay between Goldring and Thomson, and a heavy yet meticulous backbeat provided by Doug Scharin.

For more info about Enablers, go to enablers.bandcamp.com/

or their Facebook page

STS / Enablers – Joe and Kevin, Episode 3

In this series of So To Speak we focus on the guitarists in the band Enablers (there is no “The”), Joe Goldring and Kevin Thomson. In this episode they talk about what being in a “Spoken Word” rock band means to them.

Watch and hear Pete Simonelli read Patton in the traditional spoken word way here –