Sunbeam Rd.

Sunbeam Rd. are embracing a time when bands take control of their careers via The Mighty Internet and are oftentimes in cahoots with their fans and supporters. These guys are really into things like collaboration and, of course, crowdsourcing. Take their video for the Breathers album opener, “Lucy”, for example — a trippy kaleidoscope of shadow and light, reminiscent of the color screens from the discovery museums of our youths.
Originally meant to be used as the visuals for live shows, it is a collection of crowdsourced submissions run through a digital filter of the band’s mascot — a cat. What started as an experiment to engage friends and fans became a musical narrative by adding the dreamy band shots to the imagery. “In the end, it might be sort of confusing to the viewer but it represents some sort of world in our imaginations that we’d like to visit one day.” Can we tag along? - The Bay Bridged

Damn this is some great looking wax, definitely one of the best I’ve seen all year. On top of that, that cover art is badass as well. Now throw some really nice indie jams on it, sold. This is an awesome little gem, make sure to get one before they are gone. - Sly Vinyl

Bridging old indie-rock like Pavement and new indie-rock like Real Estate, Sunbeam Rd. has the playful apathy of the former and the warm psychedelia of the latter. "Forum" starts with a tight acoustic guitar intro that quickly goes limp and jangly, chasing a drum beat in the distance. "Roman Hats" achieves a similar balance: Vibrant vocals are juxtaposed with clanging percussion and droning guitar. The lo-fi sound never distracts from the strong pop melodies. (self-released) - East Bay Express

San Francisco four-piece Sunbeam Rd. caught our attention with their video for the song “Lucy”. The band carefully crafts sunshine rock with delicate guitar work and catchy vocal melodies. You can hear touches of such comtemporaries as Real Estate or Grizzly Bear in different facets of their sound. After several EPs and singles, they will be releasing their debut full-length Breathers digitally on October 23rd and physically on October 30th. Be sure to check out their Bandcamp for other tracks and album purchase information. - My Old Kentucky Blog

Sunbeam Rd. is the creative brainchild of Trevor Hacker, his brother Clive Hacker, and Harrison Pollock – three friends from the Central Coast who fortuitously formed a band while attending college in the Bay Area. Sunbeam Rd. recorded an album titled Breathersrecorded at New, Improved in Oakland and released with a little help from friends and family via Kickstarter. Sunbeam Rd. take a holistic DIY approach to creation spanning from songwriting all the way to album art design. Clive Hacker designed the brightly colored album art work of dancing cats which also make an appearance in the video for “Lucy,” an incarnation of Clive’s graphic design thesis project. Often described as psych-band, they sound more like a down-tempo DIIV with drowsy surf guitars (“Lucy”) and subdued vocals that lull you into a place of contentment (“Forum”). There”s a noticeable sonic and aesthetic similarity to Real Estate’s Days – a quality of sound that makes you feel at ease and at peace by just simply listening. - The Owl Mag

SF’s Sunbeam Rd. just released this free two-song single of indie rock laced with prog and pop. The band’s pulled away some of the density found on their Turtles, Magnets, Animals EP, granting the melodies more room to (apologies in advance) breathe. Great harmonies on the A-side too.
Sunbeam Rd. is performing at Cafe Du Nord on January 20th (8pm, $10) with Worker Bee, Sleeptalks, and Nick Reinhart (of Tera Melos). - The Bay Bridged

"...?The name Circular Breathing makes us think of all sorts of difficult and impressive things, like playing the didgeridoo, the saxophone, and the trumpet while breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. So its a fitting name for the practiced, precise new single from S.F.'s Sunbeam Rd., which comes out today, and which you can download here for free.

This young band has always had a promising proggy streak, and "Circular Breathing" (both the single and the track), expand on the section-stitching ideas we liked on June's Turtles, Magnets, Animals EP.





There's obvious progress in ideas, structure, and musicianship displayed on these two new songs, especially in the vocal harmonies on "Circular Breathing." But we miss the old EP's chaos. Both "Circular Breathing" and "Memory Loss" escalate with guitar-and-bass interplay and distant vocals, rising slowly, but their shift from quiet, twinkling sections into slow tom-tom pounds seems sure to forebode a climax ..." - SF Weekly

San Francisco post-rock bros SUNBEAM RD. were kind enough to send me a preview of their excellent new single Circular Breathing which will be available for free download on Bandcamp starting January 4.

“Memory Loss” is the second song on the single, although calling it a B-side hardly does it justice. The guitars echo through lyrical themes of city streets and distant dreams even as the vocals are gradually obscured by the increasing intensity of the drums. The effect is strong and lasting, as the song captures a particular emotion that feels like a thoughtful reflection on missed opportunities, growing deeper with each repeated listen. - SAMHAIN SOUNDS

San Francisco’s Sunbeam Rd. will be releasing their latest single Circular Breathing for free through their bandcamp page this Tuesday. After listening, it’s clear these guys have been hard at work since the release of their Turtles, Magnets, Animals EP early this summer.

With this new single, Sunbeam Rd. maintain their dreamy psych rock appeal with a deliberately ominous charm. Circular Breathing is packed with melodies that will entice the listener, something they did very well throughout Turtles, Magnets, Animals.

The title track is a complete trance. It’s a matchless composition of sound with killer drumming, and haunting vocals. A superb piece with a peculiar quality that resonates with you for days after listening to it.

The second song on the single, Memory Loss, starts off innocently enough; light and upbeat sound that is quickly submerged in distorted guitars and commanding drums. It’s a tremendous work with wonderfully noisy components that play off rich vocals brilliantly.

Make sure to grab the single from the Sunbeam Rd. bandcamp page this Tuesday (I’ll remind you!) - Heard Instinct

..."This San Francisco based band which came to life after their graduation from art school in 2008, has truly created something unique. Their sort of spaced-out and bliss sound fits every mood; and they have managed to create an atmosphere in their music which I find a little similar to The Morning Benders or even Arcade Fire..." - Technicolor Sleep

Our song "House Boats" from our first EP was selected on part IV of this mix tape.

"...In an effort to serve up an overview of SF rock, folk and electronic pop in 2010, we’ve compiled a four-part mixtape showcasing songs from 58 SF Bay Area bands that released full length albums or EPs (no singles — sorry!) this year. Three and a half hours of local tunes might appear daunting, but that’s part of the point: there are so many talented artists in the Bay that there’s no better way to get a taste of things than to just immerse oneself in the music...." - The Bay Bridged

It was quiet and cool at the Rickshaw when Sunbeam Rd took to the stage. Initially I was a little put off by what seemed to be a mixing error that was quickly fixed, but was soon sold on this band when one of their two lead singers (who switched depending on the song throughout the set) began horribly abusing his guitar, to great effect, as the their first song ended in a great crescendo. A wash of delicious noise, this swirling looped ball of chaos firmly took hold of my attention and set the tone of Sunbeam Rd’s performance. A brooding but high-energy cavernous indie-rock is the best description their sound, something along the lines of an encumbered Jesus and Mary Chain or a more ominous Yo La Tengo. However you may classify their sound, Sunbeam Rd was a delight to see and I hope to catch them again sometime soon. - The Deli Magazine, San Francisco.

We didn't wait long for Sunbeam Rd., and its quirky melodicism drew every one of the 20 patrons to the stage, each folding themselves into a rapt listener's pose -- a deep, emphatic listen that brings all else to a halt. You see rows of people at chamber music concerts wearing similar expressions, but music like this comes with the added challenge of having to make people move -- and this act met it. Rising purveyors of Byrds-y psychedelic pop, Sunbeam Rd. is one of those acts that can hook you just off a MySpace surf, but little there gives any idea how tough songs like "Grue" and "Sleepwalk" sound live. The band gained energy and momentum from late arrivals and left to much applause. - SF Weekly

Photos from Gig - See The Leaves Blog

[Our interview with the band after the break]
::Q&A::

1. How would you describe your sound in a few words?
Space/lounge music for bumping in your electric cave.

2. Name 3 bands without whom you wouldn't exist.
Sonic Youth, CAN, Beach Boys.

3. If you'd have the chance to work with any film director, who would that be?
Harry: Dario Argento.
Clive: Tim & Eric.

4. Tell us a bit about the making of this/these songs.
Trevor: One of us usually brings in a pretty rough idea for a song, so the tracks usually come together by collaboration or trial & error until we're all satisfied with the result.
I'd say we're a very democratic band. When it came time to lay these songs dow to tape (pro tools), we started tracking in our practice studio... It proved quite challenging, actually, with all of the noise from other bands bleeding through the walls! We were pretty unsure of how the EP was gonna sound until we started the mixing process in a much quieter environment.
We mixed/master & recorded the final overdubs in Cody's living room. Each of the forty cassettes we produced were copied individually on home stereo equipment.

5. Do you still buy CDs/vinyl/ tape?
Harry: I still buy vinyl, mostly from thrift stores.
Trevor: Definitely still buy vinyl at swap meets, yard sales, thrift stores, and local record shops. - Ashtapes Blog

What’s the origin of the band name? Have you changed the band’s name before?

Clive: In our hometown there is a street called “Sunbeam Rd.” Many of the street names in the area were based off of galaxies or something astronomical, because the town was supposed to be the next big NASA town. That didn’t end up happening, though.

Harry: The first night we played I had this dream where I was on a neighborhood street. I was walking down the street and I saw an open garage with a band playing inside and Nina Simone was singing for them. I went in and listened while they played. After they finished a song Nina turned to me and said “Do you know why my voice sounds the way it does?” I shook my head and then she took her microphone off the stand and showed it to me. The mic was gold and shiny almost like it had one of those 70's starcross lens filters on it. The brand was called Sunbeam Rd. like the name of a street. Nina then looked me dead in the eyes and said “It’s all about the beats”

I awoke perplexed but I really didn’t think much of it. The next day when we were trying to come up with band names I started looking at maps of the town where Trevor, Clive, and I grew up and I saw a street called Sunbeam Rd. It was kinda spooky, it seemed like some sort of sign and it fit the band well. So we decided to name the band after it.

How long have you been all been playing? Self-taught?

Clive: I have been playing instruments since I was a little kid, but picked up drums in 8th grade and taught myself.

Trevor: I played piano growing up, but started learning electric bass in high school. I learned a lot from observing the way others played music, intently. However, I have always been more interested in the formation of a song within a group rather than an individual’s prowess or chops on their instrument.

Harry: I started out playing piano, but I really wanted to play guitar the whole time because guitars are badass. When I was young I really wanted to learn how to do that finger-tapping solo thing. I thought it sounded awesome. I never really figured it out. It took me a really long time to figure out how to write songs and play my instrument, I didn’t really figure any of that stuff out until I started playing in Open Sonic Youth-esque tunings. I started playing bass much later, I was listening to a lot of New Order and realized just how much you could do with it. Peter Hook is a pretty amazing dude. I start writing most of my songs with bass nowadays.

Who are your major influences? Any major comparisons to certain bands that your music may receive?

Clive: Influences: wu-tang clan, beach boys, thelonious monk, caetano veloso, jim henson

Trevor: l believe I was strongly influenced by the music I would tape record off of the radio when I was a kid.. lots of oldies, and later, the alternative rock that hit the waves in the 90's. The first band I remember getting really into was Blur, by winning their CD off of a Santa Barbara radio station 97.5 KHTY. Is it just me or was everyone from our generation obsessed with the Batman Forever soundtrack? That had a big musical influence on me…

Harry: My influences generally include Sonic Youth, Wire, Giorgio Moroder, Ghostface & Raekwon,Can, New Order and Dario Argento.


How long have you all known each other? How did you meet? When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?

Trevor: Well l’ve know Clive, my brother, for 21 years… haha. and Harrison I met while in my first science class of my high school career. We were randomly assigned as lab partners to draw illustrations of the classroom’s safety equipment. We all met Cody around the same time, as he is the librarian where the rest of us went to college.

What can you tell me about your instruments? What made you choose the instruments you have now?

Clive: When I was in high school I had a drum kit that was originally purchased from Sam’s Club and that just wasn’t working out. So I fundraised enough to buy the drums I currently own. I wanted big and loud drums, and that is what I got.

Trevor: I’ve just made the best out of what I can get my hands on. I like finding unique or generic brand instruments for cheap.. My favorite find has been a 1960's Kay Archtop acoustic at a pawn shop in Salinas. Also, we use a disguised & transformed Squier bass that we picked up at a yard sale on-stage.

Where have you performed? What are your favorite venues in the Bay Area? Anyone I should talk or speak to so that their venue/open mic/project can receive more exposure? Do you have any upcoming shows?

Trevor: One of the places we’ve enjoyed playing is the Li Po Lounge in China town. Its great if you have a bunch of friends and want to get sweaty in a former opium den… The next show is at the Rock Make Festival in the Mission on Sunday Aug. 22nd. 1pm.

What albums are you currently listening to and would like to recommend?

Clive:

Radio Dept. – Clinging to a scheme
- The Bay Area Native

Sunbeam Rd is a new band out of San Francisco that I recently found and was into the two songs they had posted on their myspace page. Little did I know that trying to pick a song to post from their cassette EP would be such a difficult task. The five tracks are all pretty solid with four out of the five breaking the five minute mark. The track "Grue" starts off very feint, slowly picking up volume as well as pace. Drums soon thunder in followed by the baseline and the song takes begins to take shape. The track "Waves" is another highlight from the EP. The band will be playing at the Hemlock Tavern this Tuesday for their record release. The way their songs are structured there is a lot of potential for them to improvise and make the live set shine. - See The Leaves Blog

Since I dont’ have any time right now to post about all these single songs that you know are hitting the internet every second, I’m quite happy that I found yet another wonderful free EP, which is firstly special, secondly cooler than the average song because you won’t find it everywhere else and last but not least Sunbeam Rd. offers you five songs for free which can easily compete with for example the latest Arcade Fire ( listen at Will‘s blog) or whatever Indie band you want to compare them to.


Just yesterday I was thinking about beautiful San Francisco and now Sunbeam Rd. coming from Frisco takes me back there even more. Sometimes loud instruments and cracking voices find themselves in perfect peace with calm harmonies that follow the next minute.

Ah and before I forget: For all you Cassette Tape lovers: You can buy the EP as a Cassette! - Day n' Night Blog

Idag släpptes Turtles, Magnets, Animals, nya och första officiella EP:n från psych-rockarna SUNBEAM RD.. Du köper den helst på kassett men man kan också ladda ner den digitala versionen helt gratis, allt görs hur som helst på Bandcamp (dl) - No Modest Bear

For the last few weeks I’ve been finding some small but rad bands through Bandcamp and Sound Cloud so I’m continuing this trend with the San Francisco based band Sunbeam Rd. The band is made up of Trevor Hacker, Harrison Pollock, Cody Hennesy and Clive Hacker who have a great sound. To make a generic statement they’re a rock band, with songs that kinda’ remind me of French Kicks and Modest Mouse, maybe a bit of that laid back California sound that’s blowing up right now.

As usual I’m horrible at describing music, but I know good stuff when I hear it and this a great little EP. Be sure to listen to the first song Waves, I’m sure you’ll get hooked.

Bobby - Kitsune Noir

Sunbeam Rd. is another San Francisco outfit that endorses Northern California's tradition of garage guitar pop with a certain psychedelic feel to it, but unlike their much beloved pals Young Prisms, Weekend or also Sleepy Sun, the four-piece stays on the brighter side, mostly keeping the whole thing a little less weird while putting more emphasis on harmonies in the songs' structure. Waves may serve as an excellent example, a sun-drenched yet at times sneakily twisted pop anthem. The tune is the opener of Sunbeam Rd.'s beautiful debut EP Turtles, Magnets, Animals, available on cassette and free download via their bandcamp page. - No Fear of Pop

San Francisco's Sunbeam Rd are releasing their new EP- Turtles, Magnets, Animals TODAY on their Bandcamp (cassettes seemingly available as well). Here at Tweaking, we love well-done psych rock more than we love houseboats. And we fucking love that shit. So where does this leave us? Thoroughly stoked.

Turtles, Magnets, Animals is a lush, rolling waltz of spaced-out indie jams and memorable hooks. Listening to the EP, I feel like I'm taking a peculiar walk through a damp night, passing through thoughts amidst brilliant reflections of streetlights and the stars overhead. Perhaps still a little blazed. But perhaps not. Perhaps you should just judge for yourself.

I'm definitely keeping an eager eye on Sunbeam Rd. But if I were in California, I'd probably treat my eyes to seeing them live on their upcoming mini-tour.

Check out my favorite tracks off the record below-
- Tweaking Trays

We’re currently in the middle of this great moment of exciting young SF rock bands that draw on post-punk and/or shoegazer influences without attempting to clone Joy Division, Jesus & Mary Chain, or My Bloody Valentine. I’m thinking of local bands like Weekend, The Baths, Skeletal System, and Young Prisms, and now there’s another name to add to that list: Sunbeam Rd.. Fans of brainy/brawny/synthy rock, take note, the SF/Oakland band has released the Turtles, Magnets, Animals EP today for free download from its Bandcamp page and as a limited edition cassette tape. Check it out:

Sunbeam Rd. is playing at the Hemlock Tavern tonight, June 15th (9pm, $6) with Slowness and Foreign Cinema. - The Bay Bridged

Sunbeam Rd. aim to be pretty and warped at the same time. This newish S.F. four-piece's entrancingly spaced-out song structures and whiffs of reverb and fuzz mingle with three-part vocals that at times harmonize with startling talkiness and dissonance. But unlike lots of local psych bands, there's a detectable deliberateness to what goes on here -- the noisy parts feel like they truly belong, the minimalist parts really do haunt, and several songs ramble with a charming, jacked-up pop sensibility. Begin with with the glowing "Waves," below.

Sunbeam Rd.'s debut EP, Turtles, Magnets, Animals, is available today for free download or $4 cassette. (I will resist this opportunity to further discuss how much cassettes suck. The art for this one is pretty cool.) The release party goes down tonight at the Hemlock with Foreign Cinema and Slowness. [h/t See The Leaves] - SF Weekly

Sunbeam Rd. is a San Fran outfit that’ll catch the ear of anyone who prefers their vocals harmonized. There’s a an old-world psychedelic charm to their music, but clear pop sensibilities take precedent over noise and experimentation–most of the time, anyway.
The band’s latest release is Turtles, Magnets, Animals, and it brings five well-developed tracks to the table. The ambition behind these songs far surpasses any limitations set by the somewhat humble recording quality. Some thick guitar distortion makes the track “Burial” enjoyably menacing, and “House Boats” works as a desolate, reverb-drenched piece of blissrock. “Waves”: A personal standout and one of the sweetest songs to creep into my ear all week.
Grab that song below and visit Sunbeam Rd.’s Bandcamp for a digital or cassette copy of this new EP. - The Needle Drop