Email Author Garrett Kamps

2003 Stories by Garrett Kamps

• Holiday Jeer

  published December 24, 2003

  One of the hardest things about this job is saying "No thanks" to a band that really wants to be mentioned in the paper. This goes double for... More >>

• 2003: Year of the Wonka Record

  published December 17, 2003

  Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, Tim Allen and Billy Bob Thornton dressed up like Santa Claus -- that's right... More >>

• Remember the Utah

  published December 10, 2003

  "You here for the wake?" says the doorman for the Hotel Utah Saloon. "Oh, no, I was, uh ...," says a confused man who was just, uh, leaving.... More >>

• The Musical is Political

  published December 3, 2003

  The other day I was talking to a writer friend of mine about the fact that Matt Gonzalez has rallied what seems to be every last member of S.F.'s... More >>

• Dawning Anew

  published November 26, 2003

  In New York City there's a record store called Other Music, which, based on its eclectic, at times devilishly rare inventory, is among the best... More >>

• Decisions, Decisions

  published November 19, 2003

  At first I was like, "Dude, Rachel's is coming to town. And the band's got this awesome new record, Systems/Layers, which is, like, moody... More >>

• Matmos for Dummies

  published November 12, 2003

  If ever you decide to take up composing electronic music, all I can say is: Good luck. Unlike, say, a guitar or piano, the tools for composing... More >>

• Sappy Joes

  published November 5, 2003

  The musicians in Rogue Wave look like Muppets. Guitarist/vocalist Zach Rogue (né Schwartz), his soft features framed by golden, surfer-boy... More >>

• Giving a Folk

  published November 5, 2003

  Here in the world of music criticism, we altweekly writers have a reputation for being snide, snarky, and dismissive. Pick up the Chronicle... More >>

• Elliott Smith R.I.P.

  published October 29, 2003

  One of the stranger moments in Oscar history -- especially for indie rockers who might have caught the telecast back in 1998 -- was seeing the... More >>

• Pitch Perfect

  published October 22, 2003

  Stop me if you've heard this one. You and your friends are sitting around the television watching Blind Date or Paradise Hotel or... More >>

• "Crappy Records"

  published October 22, 2003

  We've all encountered the trusty Zagat guide review by now, right? Comprised of clipped quotes from consumer surveys (a "noisy joint" packed with... More >>

• A Fan's Notes

  published October 15, 2003

  Jonathan Lethem spots me in the lobby and walks right up to me. I don't know how he knows who I am. When I ask him, he tells me that he figured... More >>

• Sonic Dissidents

  published October 8, 2003

  I'll be the first to admit it: I was once the target audience for MTV's "Rock the Vote" campaign. Not too long ago, apathetic and disenfranchised,... More >>

• Behind the Music Videos

  published October 1, 2003

  Remember the scandal surrounding nasty lyrics and the 2 Live Crew album cover and Tipper Gore's crusade against obscenities in music? Didn't those... More >>

• Northern California Dreamer

  published September 24, 2003

  "I'm a musician trapped in a writer's body, or a writer trapped in a musician's body," says Jon Bernson, the guy responsible for Ray's Vast... More >>

• An Affair to Remember

  published September 17, 2003

  It is dusk in the Mission District, another of these long summer days is coming to a close. The core members of the Caseworker, Conor Jonathan and... More >>

• Raw Sue-age

  published September 17, 2003

  Last Monday, Sept. 8, the Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group that represents the Big 5 major labels -- BMG, EMI-Capitol,... More >>

• Comfortably Numb

  published September 10, 2003

  It was freshman year of high school that I became a creep. There were these study guides we had to do for biology, unforgivably tedious and... More >>

• OK Then

  published September 3, 2003

  Imagine this: It's 1992 and Bill Clinton is squaring off against George H.W. Bush for the chance to eat lunch in the White House for the next four... More >>

• To the Lighthouse

  published August 27, 2003

  So far, no one seems to be able to come up with a name for it -- and that's probably a good thing. For the time being, some of us just call it... More >>

• OK Then

  published August 27, 2003

  Last week some of you may have noticed fliers circulating around town announcing the reopening this Thursday of the one-and-only Mabuhay Gardens,... More >>

• Bonobo

  published August 20, 2003

  A little over a decade ago, downtempo producers needed an expert's knowledge of all recorded music from the previous 20 years to sniff out their... More >>

• The Hunt Is On

  published August 20, 2003

  Stuart Murdoch, frontman for Belle & Sebastian, likes games. The problem is that ever since he's become Mr. Belle & Sebastian, it's been harder... More >>

• Title Any Day Now

  published August 13, 2003

  Heklina, a drag queen standing about 6 feet tall and weighing roughly 180 pounds, is dressed like Björk. Well, not Björk per se, but the... More >>