the complexities and the clarity, the dreams in nights we don't sleep
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"Feist, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell meet Led Zeppelin with minimalist, dreamy arrangements of piano, bass and female vocals."
Carole King, Erykah Badu, Massive Attack & McCoy Tyner mixed on a 4 track.
Paying more attention to the space between the notes than the notes themselves, San Francisco-based trio The Simple Things pursues the art of musical simplicity, eschewing the sticky butterscotch that is bash-you-over-the-head witty pop (not that the band isn't clever, mind you!). The realm of strummy-strum-stum singer songwriters has competition in the form of well thought-out arrangements, minimalist instrumentation, and kite-string melodies. Dreamy and raw, ethereal and intense, The Simple Things’ music represents the meeting place of understated virtuosity, sublime songwriting, and guts. And they can’t wait to share it with you.
Starting as a duo of Kaitlin McGaw (vocals) and Raymond Ruiz (bass), The Simple Things earned the moniker "the punk rock of easy listening" for their musical intensity and short song structure, their DIY approach to everything and their take-no-prisoners ambition. The band skipped the standard bar and club performance scene, opting for dinner parties and art gallery performances to bring their personal, intimate stories to a rapt audience. Staying true to the same ethos, The Simple Things truly came to form when virtuoso pianist Michael Gallant joined the band in 2007 and added a touch of class and sophistication with his jazz and classical roots. In the band's current configuration with Brian Fox on bass, the band brings a hint of bluegrass rhythms behind the texture of the songs.
Songs come from various directions in this band. Imagine McCoy Tyner, Rickie Lee Jones, and James Jamerson coming together for a low-fi, high class performance with all of the rawness of dreams and heartbreaks, and the refined notion that music and its infinite forms will always triumph. A song might take form in late night bass chords and Nyquil inspiration or from Sunday afternoons unwinding the fury of the week into simple, sweet melodies and cascading piano rivulets. Each member of the band claims a musical homeland of varying stylistic soils – and the simplicity of the trio format allows for the interaction of three uniqe musical voices. Together they create music that is unapologetic, sparse, and emotionally vivid. Simple, yet beautiful.
As one sound engineer said, “This kind of music makes me feel like I’m sitting on the porch waiting for my girlfriend…” Or sitting on the curb, drinking a nice Merlot. It’s listening music. Close your eyes, visualize the images, and enjoy.
The Simple Things debut album, a self-titled, ten-track disc, was produced by the band, with vocal production by Raz Kennedy (Metallica, Counting Crows, Los Tigres del Norte), engineering by Scott McDowell (Birds & Batteries), and mastering by Michael Romanowski (The Lovemakers, Jacqui Naylor).
THE SIMPLE THINGS OFFICIAL FAQ
Q: Why don’t you have a drummer?
A: You mean that guy that hangs around the band? [Simple Things duck as drum sticks come flying in their direction. . . ] When it comes down to it, with no drummer, we all listen much more closely to the interior rhythmic nuances of the songs, rather than having all such subtleties dictated to us from the outside. It gives us a new license to listen for inherent ebbs and flows in our arrangements.
Q: Why don’t you have a guitar player?
A: Mike doesn’t like fighting to be heard over someone else’s ego (you can only turn up the acoustic piano so much!). In all seriousness, the absence of guitar parts frees up rhythmic, harmonic, and sonic space, giving bass and piano more territory in which to flit and frolic.
Q: Where did you record the album and what was your approach?
A: We tracked the album in Studio A on the Neve board at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco. Using… um, mics, we tracked Piano, B-3 organ, Wurlitzer, and bass. We then overdubbed vocals using the Telefunken 251 and analog processers in Studio C. This included tracking melodica, and the rockin’ stomps/claps you hear on “What’s Good For Me.” We wanted to keep an intimate listening experience and stay true to the vintage sounds that inspire us (Aretha Franklin, Rickie Lee Jones, Anthony Hamilton, D’Angelo, and Ray Charles, to name a few).
Q: Are you at all related to A Simple Plan?
A: Nope. We have been mis-introduced as “the Simple Minds” before. That was a fun one.
About the musicians: Kaitlin McGaw (vocals) grew up in Boston and performed regularly before heading to study at Harvard. After graduation, McGaw moved to San Francisco to rebirth and pursue what she had to come to realize was a true love for music and performance. Her music takes flight in The Simple Things. Kaitlin is also the Senior Project Manager for The Recording Academy San Francisco Chapter and fronts the children's hip hop group Alphabet Rockers.
Michael Gallant (piano, organ, wurlitzer, melodica) was classically trained in Maryland and NY before moving to San Francisco. His expression on the keys, whether it be piano, wurlitzer or B3 organ, is intimate and complex, touching on the lyrical stories in the band's songs. Mike is also the Senior Editor for Keyboard Magazine.
Brian Fox (bass) is the newest addition to The Simple Things. Having played in indie rock groups such as Square Tape and bluegrass groups around the Bay Area, he brings a breadth of textures and skills to the band's landscape. Brian is also the Associate Editor for Bass Player Magazine.
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We've got a great show coming up at the Boom Boom room SF this Friday April 10th with Nucleus ,if you like what we do you should come by and check it out .Psych Prog Funk fusion all in one show .Peace .
i love "what's good for me". i wish you'd let me add it my profile.... beautiful!!!!!!! wish i could've made it to the church show. the recording is lovely.
NEO-FOLK SINGER STEVE TAYLOR-RAMÍREZ AT PLOUGH AND THE STARS, SF, JUNE 11
Troubadour Steve Taylor-Ramírez brings his critically acclaimed folk, acoustic soul and Latin tunes back to the Plough and the Stars Pub, 116 Clement Street (at 2nd Avenue), in San Francisco, on Wed., June 11, starting at 9 pm. There's no cover charge, and he'll play two sets. http://www. myspace. com/thestevetaylor
The Plough and the Stars SF was voted “Best Irish Pub” by the SF Weekly and bills itself as “Home of Traditional Irish Music in the Bay Area.” Visit http://www. theploughandstars. com.
It’s a nice place in a lovely part of town, and the Guinness is great. We hope you can make it!
NEO-FOLK SINGER STEVE TAYLOR-RAMÍREZ AT PLOUGH AND THE STARS, SF, MAY 14
Troubadour Steve Taylor-Ramírez brings his critically acclaimed folk, acoustic soul and Latin hillbilly tunes back to the Plough and the Stars Pub, 116 Clement Street (at 2nd Avenue), in San Francisco, on Wed., May 14, starting at 9 pm. There's no cover charge, and he'll play two sets. http://www. myspace. com/thestevetaylor
The Plough and the Stars SF was voted “Best Irish Pub” by the SF Weekly and bills itself as “Home of Traditional Irish Music in the Bay Area.” Visit http://www. theploughandstars. com.
It’s a nice place in a lovely part of town, and the Guinness is great. We hope you can make it!
MAMACOATL, STEVE TAYLOR-RAMÍREZ, ALFREDO GOMEZ (releasing new CD)
Friday, January 18, 8 pm LA PEÑA CULTURAL CENTER 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA www.lapena.org
$10 in advance/$12 at the door ($2 off for students and seniors)
Songs of love and protest, from both sides of the border. Mexico-born MAMACOATL brings her passion for life and justice as she takes us across the line, reducing walls to rubble and creating new paradigms in bolero, blues and funk ranchero. Acclaimed Berkeley songwriter STEVE TAYLOR-RAMÍREZ offers his acoustic soul, neo-folk and Latin roots with songs of love and rebellion. Classically trained Mexican guitarist ALFREDO GOMEZ brings Nueva Trova to life as he sings of love and its absence, sadness and joy … and releases his new CD.
I'm listening now to Gone, Gone. You know, you bring to mind two of my faves at the same time — Carole King and Aretha Franklin!
I'm also envious of your location. My dad lives on Washington Street, and I haven't been to San Francisco since 2004! Long overdue - I was going to move there years ago, but life unfolds the way it wants to despite planning. It's all good though - thanks for introducing me to your music! Let me know if you're touring east any time. I'd love to play in the Bay Area, too. Perhaps we could share some gigs.
