Coconut

San Francisco has a poor, boring music scene. After being exposed to LA's strong art and DIY independent music community, I have to say that ours pales in comparison. It is embarrassing enough that fashion design in San Francisco is barely recognized and seems to be approached as a sort of cute, arts-and-crafts-amateur-hobby that is only a past time instead of someone's life's work.

Surprisingly, San Francisco, of all the liberal, left-wing dominant cities, doesn't seem to have a music community that is united in a sort of socialist togetherness like the kind I've experienced in Echo Park. People in New York, LA or Portland should be able to say, "yeah we've got really good bands/shows here, but have you been to San Francisco?" We just don't get that, at all.

There is a theory that good bands always break up in San Francisco too which seems to loom over us in this foggy city (My Bloody Valentine, Throbbing Gristle, the Sex Pistols and the Beatles all broke up here). Little sprinkles of amazing talents thriving though (Mi Ami, Tussle, Jonas Reinhardt, Brilliant Colors). But, it always frightens me into thinking that this curse, this dooming grey cloud would blight any beautiful music into oblivion or force such talented men and women to flee to the east or down south. We would be left with nothing but the hundreds of Bay Area djs who play records, drawing upon the nostalgia and memories of what once made this town a great place for music.

Trying to save us is visual artist Colter Jacobsen and Tussle/Hey Willpower member Tomo Yasuda. As Coconut, They write sparkling indie pop songs that shine new light on our grey skies and bored ears. Hopefully, new music collaborations means a new beginning for this city by the bay.

I think Colter sounds a lot like Arthur Russell and that makes me smile a lot.

image is an old, burned keyboard at Lee Scratch Perry's home