Top

music

Stories

 
Text Size: A A A

John Vanderslice

Emerald City (Barsuk)

This latest disc from San Francisco singer, songwriter, and audio auteur John Vanderslice was born from mitigating circumstances, mostly having to do with his French girlfriend being denied a visa by immigration authorities. Apparently the legal limbo had a tumultuous effect on his psyche, because it reverberates in Emerald City's skittish melodies and unmistakable sense of disconnect.

Details

John Vanderslice performs on Saturday, Aug. 11, at 2 p.m. Admission is free; call 831-1200 or visit www.amoeba.com for more info.

Related Content

More About

Given his knack for quirky discourse and obtuse imagery, Vanderslice has never been the most accessible artist, but his lilting tunefulness and self-effacing charm have proved increasingly endearing over the course of half a dozen outings. Emerald City doesn't vary from that earlier template, but its shifting tales told from troubled perspectives — reflections on 9/11, the folly of a foreign war, a kidnapped daughter who turns up dead, and an omnipresent paranoia — create a haunting residue.

Despite the occasional glimpse of optimism, specifically the sense of renewal that accompanies the puckish lure of "The Parade," it's a darker demeanor that prevails. Sometimes the tone is deliberate, as in the edgy, agitated "Numbered Lithograph" ("I've never been lonelier"), but mostly it's more diffused, as evoked in the wistful lope of "The Minaret" ("I can see both sides and it paralyzed me inside").

Ultimately, Vanderslice circles back to confront his calamitous situation head-on, fueling the dogged sway of the final entry, "Central Booking." "The whole mess could sink me again/ Held up at Kennedy/ Sent back to De Gaulle/ Looks like September has won again," he moans, exiting the album as uncertainly as he started.

 
No recent articles found for this author

Write Your Comment

*indicates required fields. Please enable browser cookies before filling out this form. All reader comments are subject to our Terms of Use. By clicking Add Comment, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these Terms.

Comments may take a few minutes to process and appear on the site. Please do not click the "Add Comment" button again while your comment is being added.

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

    (The four characters are not case sensitive):

Music Recommendations

User content provided by LikeMe.net + Village Voice

Absinthe

San Francisco, CA

Pier 23 Cafe

San Francisco, CA

Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant

San Francisco, CA

Tommy's Joynt

San Francisco, CA

Cha Cha Cha

San Francisco, CA

21st Amendment

San Francisco, CA
Give your recommendations on LikeMe.net >>

SF Weekly on Digg