Last night, CBS affiliate and Bay Area alternative radio staple, Live 105, announced the billing for their South Bay music festival, BFD. And while the Mountain View Amphitheatre festival has a history of bringing important national acts to the South Bay for the party, it has also served as a jumping-off point for South Bay local acts seeking exposure on a grander scale.
The Soundcheck Local Band Stage is that exposeur, and with a trio of the stage’s rock acts calling San Jose home, a bit of celebration is in order. Here are our San Jose headliners:
Few bands have done more to expose the San Jose rock scene than Picture Atlantic. From their veteran musical perspective to their involvement with area venues (e.g. SLG Art Boutiki), this band screams independent rock. Their 2012 effort, Digital Tension, served as a manifesto against an increasingly sedentary music industry, while pushing the act to a new level musically and philosophically. Listen to Digital Tension HERE.
The Trims
The Trims are increasingly becoming a veteran musical presence in the South Bay, much in the ways of Picture Atlantic. The foursome specializes in the darker side of pop-rock; harkening the goth-pop/aggressive-disco attributes of legendary Eighties bands like Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen, while modernizing their sound along the lines of acts like Interpol and Franz Ferdinand. Currently, the band is in studio, armed with a producer, working on their next release. A leaked track off the release can be found via soundcloud.
Anya and the Get Down
Swiching up vibes, the lovely Anya Kvitka entices soulful lyricism with her soft-edged vocals and R & B licks. The Russian-born Anya and her backing band, The Get Down, are constantly flirting with fame, gaining media attention and racking up a plethora of accolades like: Best Breakout Music Act of 2012 by CBS News, Best Band of Silicon Valley Sound eXperience 2012 and Best Singer, Songwriter 2012 by Metro Silicon Valley. The sounds are lush, crystalline and gorgeous. A bit of Aretha (Franklin), a bit of Amy Winehouse, AGD joins acts like Seattle’s TheeSatisfaction in creating an entirely new sort of groove.
Also notable, Oakland-based, Bonnie and the Bang Bang - who have lent their presence as regulars in the South Bay scene - also have been billed on the local stage. It’s doubly celebratory for BBB as they just reached their pledge goal with pledgemusic.com towards the release of their debut album, The Dark Dream. 5% of the record sales will go to disaster relief efforts provided by the New Jersey-based, non-profit, Rebuild Recover. Click HERE for more on the project.
BFD is slated for May, 19th at 11 a.m. Ticketing information can be found at livenation.com or via Live105.
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