Friday night in San Francisco at Annie's Social Club, Bay Area rock'n rollers are treated to a four-tiered slap of goodtimes gone wild with a solid lineup of summertime hitmakers. Locals dudes, The Makes Nice are a sugary and infectious squad of guys who really pour on the sweet sauce and tread the same terrain as fellow Franciscans Thee Makeout Party in more ways than one. Check out their "Candy Wrapper and 12 Other Songs" album out now on Frenetic Records for a taste of what they're dealing in one solid, concentrated dose.
Highschool is yet another new SF band with a pop angle that's putting together some great budget-rock type songs (a la Super Teem Records) that stick in your head quite effectively on first contact. The five piece unit includes Jenny from The Orphans on bass to complete a solid foundation of bubblegum fun for all seasons. Add Highschool to the growing list of Frisco bands to look out for along with the soon to be revered Apache, who are taking rock'n roll back down to it's filthy base in the most glamorous fashion imaginable. These four heretics of handsomeness have a sound much akin to the slathering carelessness of their friends the Time Flys, and are truly debasing everyone within earshot with their slovenly appearance, and caterwauling sounds that evoke the gloriously filthy image that rock music has acquired over the past fifty years that has kept the overly concerned squares on their toes. For a taste of their craft, check out Apache's signature tune, "Lil Nazi Knife" and revel in their unabashed insensitivity cleverly disguised as art! Look for an album out soon, appropriately released on Birdman Records.
Wrapping up the night's hedonistic impulses are Portland's most effective girlfriend-snatchers, The Nice Boys. The name alone makes you feel like you can let your guard down, and the hooks they set are solid and true to their dedication to preserving that magical mid 70s sound so painfully out of reach for most of their peers. Terry Six, previously of the sadly departed Exploding Hearts, leads the band down a more mature path of punk persuasion, but always keeps their pop conscience in check to produce some of this decade's most engaging songwriting, which has to be witnessed at full-energy level live to fully appreciate. They have a brand new single coming out on Dirtnap in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for that, along with another full-length surely to follow soon after. Check out the Nice Boys tonight in Los Angeles as well as they warm up the stage for Australia's most coveted punk pioneers, The Saints. All in all, this friday at Annie's Social Club is a great night of trashy pop in the Bay that anyone within a 20 mile radius needs to see in person, so don't flake out and miss it.
check out a video clip of Apache doing their thing, right here...
