big long now

Review: Big Long Now

Posted on Dec 12, 2012 by Sierra Frost in Music Reviews | 0 comments

Band photo of Big Long Now

Sean Asmar of Big Long Now sat down with me the other night at Latin American Club to drink Fernet and wax philosophical about music. “Sometimes before we begin our sets,” Sean said as he took his seat, “I almost wants to warn the audience. To say, hey — we’re something a little different. “

Being that his band is a hyper, mathy, three-piece made up of spazzy northeasterners, Sean is right. Big Long Now has no big, fuzzed out guitars. No songs about fun or girlfriends. None of the lackadaisical feel-good west coast vibe. Just stark, roaring vocal leads and technical, controlled chaos.

In fact, only thing west coastey about Big Long Now is a certain frantic starry-eyed innocence that defines Sean’s presence on stage. It’s a certain young Isaac Brock quality, not unlike a newly hatched baby pterodactyl shrieking up at the world in hope and defiance.

Big Long Now’s music is sort of defiant and hopeful all around. Sean’s subject matter tends to veer away from personal angst in favor of more practical topics. Social tensions, consumerism, economic inequality. Sean spends a lot of time thinking about his mixed feelings toward our generation; his faith in new technologies paired with the spread of humanitarian concern, vs. the notion that we may all be too interested in ourselves to execute serious global change for the better. It sort of comes as no surprise to me when Sean mentions that he lives off of 25th and San Pablo in Oakland, a place where it’s hard to ignore the prevalent socio-economic disfunction.

Sean explained to me that his initial songwriting process revolves largely around the implementation of loops, which I would have never guessed, (though looping is visibly a big part of their live set) since each song on Big Long Now’s impending release, Dirty Heads, has a dynamic life of its own. Time signatures change. Instrumental jams ensue. Sean freaks out and screams his head off. Though Dirty Heads is only a five-song collection, it’s worth mentioning that it is easily a full-length release. The first track alone is over eleven minutes long.

Big Long Now puts on an incredible live show. I saw them in Oakland a few months ago — each lanky player appeared to be in competition with his bandmates to see who could burn the most calories. It looked like a festival of elbows and knees. Dammit, and they were so tight, loops, live drums and all, which can be a tricky thing. I also love how after each of their songs, Sean would apologize, adding that they really messed that last one up. I cracked up each time, wondering if they had rehearsed with the intent of executing a Belle and Sebastian cover set and just botched the whole thing beyond recognition.

BLN is celebrating the release of Dirty Heads on December 12th and Hemlock Tavern with Light Thieves and Ghost Parade before they leave for a stint in the north east.

Wanna learn more about Big Long Now? It’s pretty easy since Sean and his drummer Matty are incredibly easy to find. They run the kitchen at Bender’s. Pretty cool, huh.
- Studio SQ Music Blog

Big Long Now – “NY Has Cancer”
November 16, 2012 by Russell Jelinek · Leave a Comment »
Filed Under Bay Area Bands, Mp3, New Release, News, Show Preview, Video

Do you like your music tight and loud, with a frontman that sounds like he’s spitting and sweating all over the place, just on the edge of crazy? If you do, Oakland’s Big Long Now may be just the band for you.

Formed by three New Hampshire natives, Big Long Now has been playing together as a trio for a little over year, but bassist Jimmy Ryan and drummer Matty O’Reilly were childhood friends that had been in bands with each other for several years prior. “Jimmy and Matty’s long history playing together had rendered a fluid chemistry on bass and drums which opened a world of doors for my guitar [and] vocals to take on a new shape,” says vocalist Sean Asmar. “Most of the songs started out as loops and series of parts I would put together and then as a band we developed them into what they are today.”

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Big Long Now was able to go to SF’s Tiny Telephone to record their debut EP, which you can pick up on vinyl at their release party at the Hemlock on December 12th. Expect plenty of spit, sweat, and crazy at the show.

Listen to Big Long Now’s ode to New York, “NY Has Cancer”, and watch a live studio take of “Fountain” below.

Big Long Now, Ghost Parade, Light Thieves
Hemlock Tavern
December 12, 2012
8:30pm, $6 - http://www.thebaybridged.com/

Big Long Now – “NY Has Cancer”
November 16, 2012 by Russell Jelinek · Leave a Comment »
Filed Under Bay Area Bands, Mp3, New Release, News, Show Preview, Video

Do you like your music tight and loud, with a frontman that sounds like he’s spitting and sweating all over the place, just on the edge of crazy? If you do, Oakland’s Big Long Now may be just the band for you.

Formed by three New Hampshire natives, Big Long Now has been playing together as a trio for a little over year, but bassist Jimmy Ryan and drummer Matty O’Reilly were childhood friends that had been in bands with each other for several years prior. “Jimmy and Matty’s long history playing together had rendered a fluid chemistry on bass and drums which opened a world of doors for my guitar [and] vocals to take on a new shape,” says vocalist Sean Asmar. “Most of the songs started out as loops and series of parts I would put together and then as a band we developed them into what they are today.”

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Big Long Now was able to go to SF’s Tiny Telephone to record their debut EP, which you can pick up on vinyl at their release party at the Hemlock on December 12th. Expect plenty of spit, sweat, and crazy at the show.

Listen to Big Long Now’s ode to New York, “NY Has Cancer”, and watch a live studio take of “Fountain” below.

Big Long Now, Ghost Parade, Light Thieves
Hemlock Tavern
December 12, 2012
8:30pm, $6 - http://www.thebaybridged.com/