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John Vanderslice

John Vanderslice had been playing music for several years, first as a member of MK Ultra and then as a solo artist, but his career didn’t really take off until he set up camp in a San Francisco rehearsal space and started talking bands into letting him record them. He called the studio Tiny Telephone, filled it with vintage recording equipment, and before long was making first-class recordings. The studio’s popularity took off quickly, both with arty acts like Deerhoof and major-league indie rock stars like Death Cab for Cutie (who have recorded two albums there). Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla, who doubles as a record producer, has gone so far as to call Tiny Telephone the fifth member of his band. While studios are closing right and left these days, Tiny Telephone recently celebrated its tenth anniversary.

But rather than settle comfortably into his mixing desk chair and give up the stage, Vanderslice continued his solo career and kept getting better. His 2005 album Pixel Revolt proved to be his breakthrough, gaining him international acclaim. In addition to showcasing his recording skills, it displayed his knack for writing lyrics that touched on weighty issues (terrorism, political paranoia) through the personal narratives of fictional characters. “Trance Manual” appears to be the last thoughts of a journalist before he’s killed by a bombing in Iraq.

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Vanderslice’s latest, Romanian Names, continues in a similar vein, but it’s much less heavy-hearted than Pixel Revolt and 2007’s Emerald City. The lyrics, more impressionistic than ever, are filled with imagery from nature: forests, horses, swimming, stars. Even a song titled “Hard Times” conjures pleasant memories of a summer vacation.

JOHN VANDERSLICE: The Casbah, Tuesday, June 30, 8 p.m. 619-232-4355. $12.

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John Vanderslice had been playing music for several years, first as a member of MK Ultra and then as a solo artist, but his career didn’t really take off until he set up camp in a San Francisco rehearsal space and started talking bands into letting him record them. He called the studio Tiny Telephone, filled it with vintage recording equipment, and before long was making first-class recordings. The studio’s popularity took off quickly, both with arty acts like Deerhoof and major-league indie rock stars like Death Cab for Cutie (who have recorded two albums there). Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla, who doubles as a record producer, has gone so far as to call Tiny Telephone the fifth member of his band. While studios are closing right and left these days, Tiny Telephone recently celebrated its tenth anniversary.

But rather than settle comfortably into his mixing desk chair and give up the stage, Vanderslice continued his solo career and kept getting better. His 2005 album Pixel Revolt proved to be his breakthrough, gaining him international acclaim. In addition to showcasing his recording skills, it displayed his knack for writing lyrics that touched on weighty issues (terrorism, political paranoia) through the personal narratives of fictional characters. “Trance Manual” appears to be the last thoughts of a journalist before he’s killed by a bombing in Iraq.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Vanderslice’s latest, Romanian Names, continues in a similar vein, but it’s much less heavy-hearted than Pixel Revolt and 2007’s Emerald City. The lyrics, more impressionistic than ever, are filled with imagery from nature: forests, horses, swimming, stars. Even a song titled “Hard Times” conjures pleasant memories of a summer vacation.

JOHN VANDERSLICE: The Casbah, Tuesday, June 30, 8 p.m. 619-232-4355. $12.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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