I should have written this entry years ago. I’ve had a bad habit of secretly loving BMSR for long periods of time and not really telling anyone about it, preferring instead to turn them up really loud on my iPod when the songs came on at random. They are the rare band that you find while reviewing records for an online publication that you actually really enjoy. I received their record Start A People shortly after it was released in 2004 but didn’t get around reviewing it until October 2005 because I had been enjoying it for so long. I even commented on my own review as an apology for taking my sweet time writing about it. I loved the analog sound, and the head bouncing rhythm and how I could tell these songs were painstakingly assembled rather than programmed into a computer.

I Am The Alphabet:

Trees & Colors & Wizards:

I had not quite forgotten about the band, but last year an ex-coworker gave me Dandelion Gum after he had seen the band BLOW MINDS at SXSW and my love was reborn. BMSR have a completely unique sound and image, something that is hard to come by in an overcrowded music scene. Their use of non-computerized analog sounds, live drums and bass (at least during their performances), and super cool vocodored vocals make their songs unique and irresistible. I loved Dandelion Gum but I never even though the band would play live.

Sun Lips:

Drippy Eye:

To my surprise I found out they would be playing a show at The Bottom Of The Hill, one of my long time favorite venues in San Francisco. It’s a good sounding, cozy spot with cheap PBR and a great soundsystem. I loved hearing the songs loud and raw and with live drums and liked the silly visuals they had going on behind them (this is a good thing, as 2 of the 5 members spend the entire time on the floor playing keyboards and singing away from the audience’s view). For the first time in a long while making the trek across the bridge and staying out late on a school night felt enjoyable and worth being sleepy at work the next day. I was still excited about the show, so I checked out some videos:

Dig.