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Event
100 Flowers, Traps ps, Marbled Eye
100 Flowers (previously known as The Urinals) were a power trio whose sole 1983 album is an enduring document of the Southern California underground. Based in crime-ridden 80s Los Angeles against the backdrop of juvenile hardcore and vapid hard rock, 100 Flowers crafted a sound that rests between the inspired bursts of The Minutemen and the pastoral jangle of The Dream Syndicate with similarities to the equally oblique Monitor and The Gun Club (who even included a Urinals cover in their set). The trio wielded a gripping visual aesthetic and hyper-literate lyrical content that reflected their art-school backgrounds, while a ferocity and frustration borne out of their bleak urban environment permeates their songs. Strains of UK post-punk can be heard on All Sexed Up and skittish tension on Presence of Mind. A far cry from the beach punk and surf rock of their contemporaries, album closer Californias Falling into the Ocean contains all of their signature qualities: off-kilter delivery, subversive sentiments, and an irrefutable pop sensibility that reflects their immersion in LAs burgeoning Paisley Underground scene. Superior Viaduct
TRAPS PS
For years, Traps PS has been one of the most exciting members of the Smell/Pehrspace cohort. Many current bands look to 70s-era no wave and post-punk for influence, but Traps PS does so with a unique and hectic energy that sets them apart from their peers and that makes them seem like an update, rather than a retread. Theyre masters of the manic explosion, and their live set is so assaultive and ruthlessly frenetic that it would come across as spastic if the trio of Andrew Jeffords, Miles Wintner and Daniel Miller werent such proficient players. Their brilliance comes, in part, from seeming like theyre always about to trip over themselvesbut they never do. This kind of lightning is hard to bottle, but Traps PS pulls it off on the 14 funk-infected blasts performed with mind-numbing dexterity on Real Corner Shock. At first listen it comes across as a cacophony, but repeated spins reveal layers of twisted hooks on tracks like Quiet Now and Icon Accent. Traps PS is abrasive, but they occasionally veer towards catchiness on songs like the surprisingly anthemic EQ and the singalong breakdown of New City. But nothing on this record lasts very long, and the band seems to delight in creating brief transcendent moments and then taking them away. Thus, while Real Corner Shock clocks in at around 20 minutes, it still feels like a journey. The album is highly recommended for anyone who wants to rage. LA Record
MARBLED EYE
Although initially conceived by Chris Natividad and Michael Lucero, Marbled Eyes members also perform with Meat Market, Unity, Useless Eaters, Golden Drugs, and Creepers. The instrumentation simultaneously invokes the post-punk stylings of both the Pacific Northwest and the Austin, Texas scene spidery guitar leads over driving rhythms paired with deadpan vocals. Although many of the lyrical themes seem tied to the genre, the casual delivery gives the often tense tracks a playfulness that serves the songs, and doesnt detract. The Bay Bridged
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LocationHemlock Tavern (View)
1131 Polk St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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