So, it's been a long time since I posted anything on my Mog, but there's good reason. I've been working a lot on my "career" and artistic development and hopefully am getting closer to my goals now.

But, I am back because I went to an awesome show last night that was put on in four days because Zach of Rogue Wave has some medical problems and was not able to make his show. Minipop stepped in to help out and the SF Independent was kind enough to open their doors for a FREE show that night.

First thing's first. I'm a huge Minipop fan. Discovered them last year as their first full length, "A New Hope" was just coming out. Listening to the album literally threw me back to the early nineties when bands like the Sundays and The Lightning Seeds were breaking my CD walkmans with regular play. The lead singer, Tricia Kanne, who wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on the album, sounds like an angel on record and the band sounds like a comfy blanket wrapping around her voice.

The show was titled, The Recession Proof Party, and included to other bands, The Botticellis, and the Bird and Batteries. There was a DJ spinning in between sets, but, I have to say, as much as I liked the music he played, which was mostly old school funk and recent hiphop and R&B, it really didn't flow with the live music, and, at times, was even a bit jarring. There was live t-shirt screenprinting in the back, and as usual, the bands were selling there merchandise by the stage which gave me a good opportunity to act like a fool in front of some talented folks.

First up, was The Botticellis. I've never heard of them or the second band before, but was pleasantly surprised with their live performance. The sound was very indiepop, and the lead singer's voice reminded me a lot of Badly Drawn Boy. They really landed somewhere between the dreampop of the headliner and early Smashing Pumpkins alt-rock. Their energy onstage was infectious and, after buying and listening to the recorded album, I think a lot of that energy gets lost in the studio. Not that the album is bad. It's just not the live show.

The next band, I'll only mention briefly, was The Bird and Batteries. After listening to their set, being a little distracted by the wealth of instruments and activity on the stage, I thought, "Eh". Their music starts off sounding like David Bowie-Brian Eno spacerock that reminded me of, of all things, 8-bit video games like Castlevania and Super Mario. Near the end they get very dirge-y, slowed down. The insturments emerge from all the spacey sounde effects near the end of the set and my friend mentioned that there was probably a good reason for the sound effects. My opinion lies somewhere in the middle. There's something there. A sound that's a little unruly and chaotic at times, but when they get a chance to reel it in a little bit, some nice melodies come through and some good songs can really shine. I, for one, will keep watching and listening.

Last, but not least, is my favorite band right now, Minipop. What can I say? The set was so, so awesome. I could've died right there and have lived a full life. I worry when I hear bands on record and instantly fall in love (in this case Tricia's easy to fall in love with) with their sound. I worry that once I hear them live, something will get lost. Their voices won't be as crisp, the music won't be as good. But, as soon as the first song hits and Kanne's voice comes through the speakers to my ears, alll doubt melts away. She's just as good, if not better, live and onstage as she is on record. And the band, playing largely under smoke and dim lights, played their hearts out. After coming back to town from a big tour, they seem very energized. Not tired or bored at all. They played a couple of new songs that were not present on A New Hope which I thought were very nice and mostly showcased Kanne's beautiful vocals. The only problem I had with the set was that it was WAY TOO SHORT. It felt like it was over just as soon as it began. I was so very dissapointed by that, but what can a fan do, but wait for the next show.

All in all, this party just cemented my love for Minipop and all that they do. Anyone interested in finding out more or buying an awesome album from an awesome band, just go to these links:

http://www.myspace.com/minipop

http://www.minipopmusic.com

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