Ears Wide Open: Francisco the Man, His Orchestra
Kevin Bronson on
4
[Music from two up-and-comers who are playing residencies this month:]
Not even two years old, SoCal collective Francisco the Man has set out for the general sonic space occupied by fellow Orange Countians Limbeck. Singer-guitarist Scotty Cantino’s orchestrated, twang’d-up take on surfside pop hits me somewhere between Wilco and the Pernice Brothers, maybe in a Band of Horses register and probably more youthfully optimistic. Harmonies and keys from bandmate Joel Bond make listening to Francisco the Man wrestling with its burdens very unburdening indeed.
||| Download: “In So Many Words”
||| Live: FTM plays tonight and Nov. 24 at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.
His Orchestra sounds like the chamber group you’d take to the arcade. Growing out of the coffeehouse duo of Douglas Smith and Raviv Ullman two years ago, the bands ranks have swelled by four — plenty of hands to toss the kitchen sink of instrumentation at the orchestra’s (somehow) restrained arrangements. It’s synth-pop on an organic diet: Glockenspiel, cello, accordion, mandolin and violin are all served, but in proper portions. The band has finished an album with producer Dave Trumfio that is due for release in early ’09.
||| Download: “Black Coffin.”
||| Live: His Orchestra performs tonight at Nov. 24 at the Silverlake Lounge.
Photo: His Orchestra by Gregory Smith
Francisco the Man are one of my favorite local bands. Extremely talented young guys whose song “Lord Knows I’m Weak” might end up making it into my ALL TIME favorite songs list. It’s that good. Thanks for showing them some love Kevin.
I just fell in love a little.
The Man is the man! I love their take on the alt-country-whateveritistheydo. Looking forward to new music.
I saw His Orchestra at the Silverlake Lounge and they put on a really cool show. The stage was covered in an assortment of Christmas lights. This was the second time I’ve seen them at the Silverlake Lounge though it wasn’t as good as the last show I saw. They had some strange girl playing cello this time around who was doing this odd chicken dance with a crazy grin on her face the whole time. My friends and I couldn’t stop laughing at this girl. She didn’t seem to fit with the band.