By Amma Prempeh
Alternative Media Columnist
Hands up, if you’re familiar with Slim’s, The Catalyst, or Swedish American Music Hall? Nobody? Now hands up if you’ve heard of Alabama Shakes, Panda Bear, or Stromae?
With Coachella tickets pretty firmly out of reach of most Logan students, there is still a chance to catch some of the desert “indie” festival’s indie-est acts. Additional benefits include easy access throughout San Francisco, and more affordable shows. As Spinning Platters’ Gordon Elgart puts it, “A dedicated Fauxchella attendee can easily see 16-18 shows” at less than the price of a Coachella weekend pass. There’s no need to deal with LAX, intense sun, or ignorant folks in Native American headdress and little else. Bay Area music freaks will revel in Fauxchella- approximately April 6 to 23, 2015.
Saturday, April 11
Kiwi songstress Kimbra is fast becoming a Bjork for the Twitter generation- a powerful vocalist who borrows from jazz, dance, and R&B to create tracks that move the soul and the body. You’re probably familiar- she was the female vocals on Gotye’s 2012 “Somebody That I used to Know”. Catch her with Mikky Ekko- the male vocals on Rihanna’s “Stay”.
Sunday, April 12
Belle & Sebastian @ The Greek Theater, Berkeley
If you love (or hate) Mumford & Sons, thank (or, again, hate) Belle & Sebastian for setting the path for other indie-folk, touchy-feely, beloved-by-twee-girls-in-cardigans artists. The Scottish duo are joined by Real Estate and Perfume Genius. The former are Coachella alums, the latter booked for this year.
Sunday, April 12
English indie rockers (you’ll sense a theme here), Glass Animals, have found their niche in dreamy pop, and trip hop with an edge of psychedelica. Songwriter David Bayley has, afterall, studied neuroscience. Start with their single “Gooey” which reached 12th on Australian radio’s Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2014.
Thursday, April 16 & Friday, April 17
Fans of Bad Suns and the Neighbourhood should keep an ear out for this 5-piece. COASTS possess a sound that could have been produced in the sun-drenched studios and SoCal beach nights that bore the former rockers- despite being from less-than-sunny Bristol, England. Their poised to go big- scheduled to perform in the legendary O2 Academy series later this month. See them at this intimate club before hand.
Thursday, April 16 & Friday, April 17
Father John Misty @ The Fillmore
Father John Misty is two things: not a priest, and not given to cliches, even as he puts forth songs rife with love, heartbreak, and gooey, indie-folk goodness. An added bonus to seeing the former Fleet Fox- opening performance by King Tuff, the Oakland-based garage pop king.
This article lists only a fraction of the fantastic shows coming to San Francisco this April.
