Front Porch Musings

Well, well, well…six months into this blog and the three of us have yet to feature a band from our hometown of Bakersfield. Not that we haven’t tried, I mean, we do try to keep up with local bands from Bakersfield…we just don’t know any. We have mentioned Buck Owens and the “Bakersfield Sound” countless times, but the days of that genre being remotely relevant in town are long gone. Punk now rules the downtown of Bakersfield…and you know, that’s totally alright with us at The Porch. Growing up, we’d frequent spots like Jerry’s Pizza, catching local bands or regional acts shred on a stage that is about as big as a phone booth. These glorified shit-holes really are “punk”, even though Bakersfield has hardly been able to claim any great punk bands as their own. Yet, today, that has all changed. Enter, Black Sails, Western Shores.

This four-piece sites some of our favorites (Nothington, Hot Water Music, Jawbreaker) as their major influences and their sound fits perfectly in line with some of today’s best up and coming groups like Dead to Me, Banner Pilot and Smoke or Fire. The group has only been playing live for about six months but has already gained a large following in the Central Valley which has allowed them to tour the better part of California. This February, the group is releasing their debut full-length record, “Half Way Home”, and if the demos we’ve heard are any indication of the record we are going to hear, we’re about ready to break something. Songs like the anthmatic “Hangover Radio” fit perfectly into a long night of drinking with your buddies, and this song is the best tune Chuck Ragan never wrote.

“The radio is playing my favorite song/ and I spent all night drinking ’til dawn…”

For punk fans in California, the group is going to be playing all over the state in March and you can bet that we’ll be at the San Francisco show. We urge any fan of punk rock to bear witness to the single best unsigned punk band we’ve ever heard. (side note: we’re not just saying that because we’re all from Bakersfield…)

“Hangover Radio”

“Hard Times”

http://www.myspace.com/blacksailswesternshores

Feb 4 2010 8:00P
Sandrini’s w/ The Anchor Bakersfield, California

Feb 19 2010 8:00P
Sandrini’s w/ Worn In Red (Virginia/No Idea Records) Bakersfield, California

Mar 19 2010 8:00P
The Radio Room w/ Breaker Breaker One Niner San Diego, California

Mar 20 2010 8:00P
Friar Tucks w/ Hit The Switch & Eken Is Dead Pamona, California

Mar 21 2010 8:00P
TBA Ventura, California

Mar 22 2010 8:00P
TBA San Luis Obispo, California

Mar 23 2010 8:00P
The Parish Publick House Santa Cruz, California

Mar 24 2010 8:00P
TBA San Francisco, California

Mar 25 2010 8:00P
TBA Sacramento, California

Apr 17 2010 8:00P
Sandrini’s Bakersfield, California

cool live vid for you…