The smell emanating from the back of the van, the bitching and moaning about how your stash of expired Slim Jims has mysteriously disappeared, playing the license-plate game for the nth fucking time, passing the last rest stop for 150 miles just before that last beer hits your bladder… It’s like Vacation all over again. The real question on our minds here at Backseat Beat headquarters is not which member of Social Studies would play Clark Griswold, but rather, what the hell did happen to that stack of nudie books this high?

In this week’s installment of Backseat Beat, our favorite juvenile delinquents practice their back seat singalong technique in preparation for hitting the road for SXSW. Not content to feel up every state in the union, Social Studies skipped town and parked it in Texas recently to enlighten the visiting hordes (and the few Austin natives that actually remain in Austin during SXSW) with their moody, mathy brand of indie pop. We’re hoping they kept their pants on this time around but we aren’t holding our breath.

So enjoy the episode (if you missed part 1, you can watch it here), and be sure to check out the full video for Social Studies’ unreleased new song, You Still Laughing. Oh — and don’t forget to pick out something nice for the band from their Canadian wedding registry. What does America’s first four-way-married rock band really need, anyway? They have each other and the B-52s, and that should be enough for any family.

Social Studies
http://www.socialstudiesband.com

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Backseat Beat
Created by Brad Robertson
Produced by Dana Goldberg & Brad Robertson
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier
http://zillafilms.com

Everyone knows that senior prom is basically a bunch of horny build up followed by dashed hopes, drunken disappointment and, if you’re one of the lucky ones, bad sex and a not-too-exorbitant dry cleaning bill. We’d been trying to get Social Studies to the prom — um, into the back seat — for months. It turned out to be nearly as tough as convincing your date to wriggle out of that Jessica McClintock taffeta nightmare, but far, far more satisfying.

Then again, the good ones never come easy. You want an example? Social Studies obliged us with a testy Casio that got all shy right before the cameras started rolling. Luckily for the band, nearly a decade before donning an electric blue cummerbund in the hopes of getting laid, we convinced our mom that if she didn’t buy us that Casio keyboard* from the Sharper Image, we’d just die. As we discovered on our shoot, that Casio sounds as good today as it did when we were pounding out hits from our Asia songbook in 1983. But it sounds even better layered into Social Studies’ dark, sexy, cerebral indie rock, perched high above the Cow Palace in a sun-soaked location worthy of the Von Trapp family. (Be sure to check out the full music video for “Delicate Hands” to get the full Kodachrome effect.)

Yep, panties, Peaches, and existentially bereft sorority girls—sounds just like high school, right? No? Oh. I guess not everyone can go to a French high school. Anyway, the band couldn’t have been nicer or funnier (or raunchier). And to think, we used to sleep through social studies in high school. You should be so lucky.

* You know, the one with the cool analog filter? And the patented Casio BRC breath control that you can’t even find on eBay anymore? Yeah, that one.

Social Studies
http://socialstudiesband.com/

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Backseat Beat
Produced by Brad Robertson & Dana Goldberg
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier

http://zillafilms.com

Everyone knows what happens at the end of Revenge of the Nerds. The Tri-Lambs mop the floor with the Alpha Betas during the Greek Games, using their big brains and a Vader mask to demolish the meatheads in competition and score with the hot Pi Delts. The lesson of the movie is plain — the geek shall inherit the Earth.

In part 2 of episode 8, the Definite Articles don’t have revenge on their minds. They also don’t have nautical fire cannons, vegan donuts, brand-name vibrators, or apocalyptic weather on the brain, either. What they do have, however, are Wrath of Khan, phones that do tricks, and a human digeridoo (digeri-don’t?). Thanks to their ingenuity and intellect, we’ve been pondering the Big Questions. Like what kinds of flavored vodka would be more disgustingly awesome: Twizzlers or (ew) organic fruit?

Really, you can’t ask for more from a seven piece orchestral pop band. Enjoy part 2 of episode 8, and if you missed part 1 of the Definite Articles, you can check it out here. Be sure also to check out the full video for Gestalt — Shawn sets his cello aside for a Telecaster to fine effect.

The Definite Articles
http://www.thedefinitearticles.com

Do we need to remind you to like us on Facebook? Or follow us on Twitter? Alrighty then.

Backseat Beat
Created by Brad Robertson
Produced by Dana Goldberg & Brad Robertson
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier
http://zillafilms.com

It’s a damn shame my public high school didn’t have an orchestra. No orchestra means those kids contentedly playing D&D in a corner while everyone else was busy pretending to get laid before their 17th birthday were denied achieving their full nerd potential. In addition to reaching Level 10 wizarding status, they could have been honing their skills on classical instruments that would someday result in them rocking the panties off a crowd of adoring indie pop fans. I have seen this alternative reality, and it looks a hell of a lot like The Definite Articles. They collectively prove that you can love Star Trek, attend ComicCon, and be effing hilarious to hang out with while completely shredding the bow of your instrument.

Geekdom has its privileges. Not only do you end up inventing things like candy corn infused vodka (hello!), but you also figure out how to seamlessly incorporate an entire string section into your indie pop band. What’s even more impressive is when the music is so good it makes a bunch of middle schoolers hop on their bikes and zip down from the projects to headbang along with your drummer’s crazy math rock signatures.

The music speaks for itself; we promise it will make your jaded little jaw drop. But it’s the taxonomy of wide-ranging backseat nerd-dom that made this episode as hot as an nebula imploding next to your basestar in the Alpha Six quadrant. (FYI, that’s pretty hot.) Incidentally, the original Justice League included seven DC superheros—Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter (yeah, we’d never heard of him either), and Wonder Woman. The Definite Articles have seven core members. Coincidence? Yeah, right. Just ask the Green Lantern how long he’s been playing violin.

The Definite Articles
http://www.thedefinitearticles.com

Do we need to remind you to like us on Facebook? Or follow us on Twitter? Alrighty then.

Backseat Beat
Created by Brad Robertson
Produced by Dana Goldberg & Brad Robertson
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier
http://zillafilms.com

Maybe you happened to catch Magic Bullets on our last episode of Backseat Beat, in which these charming men chatted us up about vibrators, Spam burritos (not a euphemism) and cock with wine (we’ll let you decide if that’s a euphemism). Their interview left us with some steamy windows and way more naughty bits than we could fit into one episode, as you can see in the reel of choice outtakes above.

Then again, maybe you missed the episode because your stupid family forgot your 16th birthday because your older sister was getting married on the same day and you were too mopey to spend any time on the interwebs. Well, lucky for you, you can still watch it here:

Backseat Beat Episode 7: Magic Bullets

And since it’s a given that the world would be a much better place if we could all teleport back to the heyday of sparkling 80s guitar pop, here’s the complete video of Magic Bullets’ seriously infectious song “A Day Not So Far Off.” Enjoy.

Magic Bullets
myspace.com/magicbullets
mbullets.blogspot.com

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Backseat Beat
Created by Brad Robertson
Produced by Dana Goldberg & Brad Robertson
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier

Backseat Beat Episode 7: Magic Bullets from Brad Robertson on Vimeo.

When it sometimes feels like every other band in our fair foggy town is doing their best to mine obscure 60s garage nuggets in a bald attempt to please the PBR-toting scenester crowds, it’s more than a little refreshing to find a band that draws its influences from an entirely different era. And if that band rocks the dirty, striped athletic socks off the same crowds with, of all things, witty and infectiously danceable, new-wave influenced pop music, well then, it’s even more impressive.

The MTV golden age may have missed its chance to include Magic Bullets as part of the first wave of eyelined, mousse-headed pop stars, but the band is using their significant chops to make the kids sweat out a few pounds on the dance floor with songs that are somehow 80s-Manchester-moody and insanely sunny at the same time. They play the kind of music that makes you want to put down your Tecate, pick up a Bartles & Jaymes, and crash Jake Ryan’s birthday party. (Ok. So the 80s had some great music, great parties, and a booming economy. But what better way to begin the systematic dismantling of the New Deal than to tell teenagers that the answer to their problems lies in choosing the hot jock with a Porsche? Actually, music aside, the 80s are probably why we’re so fucked right now.)

But we digress. Magic Bullets isn’t about to start any bar fights, but they might have turned you into a giggly mess if you bumped into any of them at a record shop back in high school. They’re also the happiest band of back seat bullshitters you’ll ever meet. When we get a band in the back seat, we like a little sweet to go along with the salty talk. And with Magic Bullets we got a whole lot of both. Kind of like your garden variety Mountain Dew marinated Spam burrito… WTF, you say? Watch, and all will be revealed.

Magic Bullets
http://myspace.com/magicbullets
http://mbullets.blogspot.com

Do we need to remind you to like us on Facebook? Or follow us on Twitter? Alrighty then.

Backseat Beat
Created by Brad Robertson
Produced by Dana Goldberg & Brad Robertson
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier

Backseat Beat Episode 6: Ash Reiter from Brad Robertson on Vimeo.

At this point, we pretty much assume that a given Backseat Beat shoot is going to involve some kind of risk to person or property. Since our shoot with indie pop outfit Ash Reiter dawned sunny and clear as a bell, we settled on a picturesque kind of danger — the risk of bodies and equipment tumbling from atop a bunch of craggy boulders down to the floor of a canyon tucked into a fold of the urban landscape. Sweet!

After carefully cramming four people, a drum kit, amps, and mike stands onto a rock perched above a craggy slope, we deduced that Ash Reiter is a) not afraid of heights, b) unfazed by massive amounts of poison oak, and c) has a good enough sense of balance that she can rock out without losing her footing. Apparently, the potential negative consequences of playing live over the edge of a canyon doesn’t ruffle a band that has spent hairy nights in their van, bathing in scummy ponds, subsisting on cream dogs and 12-egg omelets while on the road. Ash Reiter is kind of hardcore, in their own gentle way.

Backseat Beat Exclusive: Ash Reiter performs Ishi from Brad Robertson on Vimeo.

Backseat Beat Exclusive: Ash Reiter performs Français from Brad Robertson on Vimeo.

The weather was insanely beautiful for November, no one fell off the cliff, no one (except for Jaime) got poison oak, and the band played their songs perfectly without attracting the attention of the police. We weren’t disappointed that everything went off without a hitch — but things went so smoothly it almost didn’t seem like a Backseat Beat shoot. Much to our surprise, while loading out the gear, we discovered that Scott, the bassist, wasn’t actually in the band, and had only been enlisted the day before to fill in for Mike, who couldn’t make it. Major kudos to Ash, Will, Drew, and Scott for pulling off that little last minute switcheroo. We couldn’t tell they hadn’t been playing together for years. Take a look and see for yourself.

—Dana Goldberg

Ash Reiter
http://myspace.com/drunkenboat

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Backseat Beat
Created by Brad Robertson
Produced by Dana Goldberg & Brad Robertson
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier

Backseat Beat Episode 5 – Still Flyin’ from Brad Robertson on Vimeo.

It was supposed to be a joke—a fake reggae band backed by a stage full of nonmusicians drinking beer on couches. But somehow, along the way, the joke band became a living breathing organism, which itself became an unholy cross between a party band supergroup and an international exchange program.

Still Flyin may be the only band in the world for which a) you’ll never see the same line up twice, and b) it doesn’t matter because regardless of how many people are playing which instruments, you’ll be dancing your butt off. In most bands, if someone splits, it’s a crisis. But when your band resembles a Cecil B. DeMille epic, with a cast of thousands and a core lineup that overlaps with more stellar bands than we have space to name check here, you’re guaranteed to bust a block every time.

What’s their secret? We don’t know, but being possibly the most flexible, laid-back bunch of people ever can’t hurt. Today’s episode was a potential disaster — gusting winds and rain, an inch of muddy water pooling on and below the drum kit, amps and power strips wrapped in soaking wet towels — but watching the band, you would never know that they were risking life and limb. They never complained once, and they nailed their songs each time through perfectly. Their only regret, apparently, was showing up with only 6 of their roughly 40 members. Sean, Zach, Bren, Maria, Marky, and Yoshi, you guys are truly fucking champs.

Backseat Beat Exclusive: Still Flyin’ perform All Lips Touch from Brad Robertson on Vimeo.

Backseat Beat Exclusive: Still Flyin’ perform Strength from Brad Robertson on Vimeo.

The inclement weather brought Oakland’s power grid to its knees and resulted in their show being cancelled at the last minute, but the Volvo soldiered on like a champ, undeterred by the specter of causing all of our deaths by electrocution. There must have been something in those vegan chocolates, because fueled by little more than them, organic goldfish crackers, and walnuts, the band had us dancing like soggy fools behind the cameras. Shooting in the rain? Sucks. But shooting Still Flyin in the rain? Loved every minute of it.

Still Flyin’s new album, with the working title Business is Casual, will be released in spring of 2011.  A compilation with remixes will be released in December or January.

Still Flyin’

www.myspace.com/stillflyin

www.takeyourshoesoffyoudontneedtheminthesky.com

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Backseat Beat

Created by Brad Robertson

Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier

Produced by Dana Goldberg and Brad Robertson

Yep, all four episodes will screen as part of the GEARS festival at Zeitgeist Bar in San Francisco on Monday, October 25. We’ll be hanging out on the lovely outdoor patio, eating brats and drinking beer, watching Backseat Beat and other excellent shorts. It’s free! Well, the brat and beer aren’t, but the films are.

Come relive the magic — see Moomaw and That Blasted Hound, Camp Out, My First Earthquake, and the Downer Party get down and dirty with us in the back seat this Monday at the Zeitgeist. Backseat Beat screens at 7:30 SHARP!

Backseat Beat at the GEARS festival
Zeitgeist Bar (199 Valencia St)
Monday, October 25
7pm
FREE

If it’s Friday night and you’re facing a quiet evening at home, perhaps playing Farmville while finishing off the cold second half of the burrito you bought for lunch, then the Downer Party would be the perfect soundtrack. The perfect soundtrack, that is, to burn your ears off with hook-laden tales of whiskey-soaked debauchery, and to propel you off your fucking couch and into that loud dive bar you’ve been meaning to go to but haven’t yet because it’s on top of a hill and you only have that stupid fixie.

In addition to having the best band name ever in the history of rock, the Downer Party have been busy recording, playing “an extended tour… of the Bay Area” (including in swank venues like the Academy of Sciences), and plotting to break laws in several other urban areas next year. Elementary school music teacher, singer, and resident hellcat Sierra Frost writes the songs, and has done a bang up job surrounding herself with some legitimate rockers (i.e. more than just tattoos and cigarettes – although there are plenty of those to go around). The band may look like a walking hangover, but August Churchill plays guitar while working more pedals than you have fingers on one hand, Josh Merry holds down the bass while harmonizing with August and Sierra, and Christopher Crawford is not only the band’s lone ginger, nonsmoker, and vegetarian, but he also works up a lather behind his drum kit. The band steamed up the back seat as we drove them to an abandoned Greyhound bus yard, where they played a few tunes off their yet-to-be-released EP, Cities.

As an extra-special bonus, we’re including not one but two Backseat Beat exclusives along with episode 4. Take a peek at the full videos of both songs performed by the Downer Party in this week’s episode.

Not to damage their reputation, but the Downer Party couldn’t have been sweeter or more polite during our shoot. The songs in episode 4 will be lodged in your head for days (see above). Enjoy — and while you’re at it, take a moment to like us on Facebook, and while you’re there, leave a few kind words for the latest addition to Backseat Beat, Jaime Lee Currier.

— Dana Goldberg

The Downer Party

http://myspace.com/downerpartytime

Backseat Beat
Created by Brad Robertson
Hosted by Jaime Lee Currier
Produced by Dana Goldberg and Brad Robertson