Casbah Presents: BOY and Jeremy Messersmith at UCSD's Porters Pub tonight!

San Diegans are in for a treat tonight with the buoyant melodies of BOY and the graveyard ballads of Jeremy Messersmith.  BOY, a female pop duo who hail from Switzerland and Germany, has been building a potent American fan-base as their delightful debut album "Mutual Friends" finally was released stateside.  Infectious hooks are bountiful in such songs like "This is the Beginning" and their hit "Little Numbers".  I sadly missed their first show in San Diego at the Loft, but that is a mistake I won't be making twice.  Jeremy Messersmith is an artist that has come to San Diego many times over the years, mostly playing at Lestats.  In fact, I first became acquainted with this website's founder, Rosemary, at his show.  Messersmith's music, despite containing graveyard imagery deeply informed by death, is never staid or boring.  His stage presence is warm and songs move between soulful acoustic guitar like "A Girl, a Boy, A Graveyard" and raucous chamber pop in his new single "Tourniquet".  If you're interested in seeing two groups come and confidently blow a crowd away, don't miss tonights show.  Tickets are on sale here for $15 and doors are at 8p.  Check out BOY's "Little Numbers" and Jeremy Messersmith's "Tatooine" below.

We Are 99%

I've stayed relatively quiet about the Occupy Wall Street movement. While I support the cause and have enjoyed incredible videos and posts (and lost countless hours on Facebook soaking it all in), especially those of Matt Taibbi and some Real Time with Bill Maher clips, there's always the idiot fringe that gets the attention and video coverage and make everyone look like assholes who can't articulate a point. Like the chick who got tear gassed at the Civic Center? Sorry, I watched multiple videos of what happened and I think you're an idiot. But I'm obviously 99%. I appreciate the people fighting the good fight on my behalf and I hope the fight continues and somehow results in real change. Not unlike most people, I'm just trying to get by, day to day, as I type this from the apartment I might lose on the laptop that is my only possession of value with the wifi I am delinquent in paying. This month marked three years from my last "real" job, three years without insurance, three years without a doctor or a dentist, three years without a steady paycheck.

Like all great political movements, Occupy Wall Street is inspiring great art, and today one of my favorite musicians, Jeremy Messersmith, released his own song for the movement.

Blue Sky (Corporations Are People My Friend) by Jeremy Messersmith

Jeremy Messersmith at the Soda Bar, July 18, 2011

(I tried to post this earlier before the KPRI Hornblower Cruise with Portugal.The Man, but my internet failed. Better late than never. Michael McGraw is about 10 minutes away from starting.)

Minnesota-based songwriter Jeremy Messersmith & his band are hitting the Soda Bar tonight and I'm not the only one who thinks it's the place to be tonight. (Citybeat, Sounddiego, The Examiner, The Reader). I've seen Jeremy twice at Lestat's, where he performed solo, but I also got to catch the full band at the beginning of this tour while I was in NYC and they were as amazing as I expected. Don't miss this show tonight. With Paper Bird and Michael McGraw opening, you're certainly in for a solid night of music.

Messersmith's newest album and final installment of a trilogy, The Reluctant Graveyard, was featured as one of NPR's Best Albums of 2010. Known for his innovative approach to art and his cross platform creativity, his papercraft animation Tatooine video (where he sums up the Star Wars Trilogy in two minutes), received outstanding praise and was one of PBS' top picks for "The Music Video Makes a Comeback" feature. Messersmith offers fans the ability to pay what they wish on his Bandcamp site and regularly updates his own website with new content every Wednesday. Stay updated on Messersmith's interesting musings, news, and videos here and be sure to check him out with a full band on the road.

Video: Jeremy Messersmith "A Girl, A Boy, and a Graveyard"

If you happened to tune in to FM 94/9 when I was on the coup d'état a couple weeks ago, you heard me play my own my own attempt at an October theme. Included in that playlist was Jeremy Messersmith's "A Girl, A Boy, and A Graveyard" and they've released a Halloween video to match the song. I had the pleasure of seeing him live twice this year and highly recommend checking out his phenomenal records.

Videos: Jeremy Messersmith at Lestat's

Remember last week when I said I had fallen in love with the music of Jeremy Messersmith? Well, I went to his show at Lestat's on Thursday night and though there was just a sprinkling of people in the audience, it was an incredible performance by a very talented musician. He had some cool looping and vocal effects that made the performance feel rich and full, but he didn't abuse any of the tools to drown out the fact that he is a solid one man performer, either. You can listen to all three of his albums for free, or purchase them with a "pay what you can" deal. Check it out here. Thanks to Elliott for keeping me company at the show, and thanks to Jeremy for saving me a front row seat to shoot the video. My only regret is walking in a few minutes late and not capturing "Novocain" on video. Turns out it's one of my favorites.