01.03.07 :: Slowly but surely we're cranking out the next Golden Birds joint. One new track - Spelled Out - will be featured on a compilation put out by the French magazine Abus Dangereux in commemoration of its (the magazine's) 20th birthday. We'll pass on ordering information when we know it.

Meanwhile, the last Golden Birds joint - Carrier - has at long last been restocked at cdbaby (where a kind listener has given us the dubious distinction of "Best Band Languishing In Complete Obscurity Ever"). Thanks Nico.

We'll be returning to our roots in March, playing at Oregon Street with good friends The One AM Radio ...With more springtime shows expected once we wrap up recording.

07.26.06 :: The wheel in the sky keeps on turning. Tupper has a new job and a new hometown. Webster has a new grad school. Leyna has a new album. Will has a new lady. Matt has a new project. On the collective agenda: a new EP. Hrishi arrives Friday sporting his Producer hat. Then let the wild rumpus start.

04.09.06 :: News, news, news. Transamerica was nominated for two Oscars - what an honor. We played The Fat Cat the night before Sir Mix-a-Lot, and Rasputin Berkeley in between Dilated Peoples and Public Enemy. Took a long weekend in the valley, enjoying delicious waffles in Modesto – thank you Greg and Julie – epic sets from Rademacher and Meridaron (sp?!) in Fresno, and America at its purest at a UCSC student party.

Last week we decided we were rock stars and flew to Chicago, then Greyhounded and Alamoed our way to Iowa City for the first Mission Creek Music Festival Midwest. Strong work, Dre and Tanner. Played to a packed house with Tapes n’ Tapes Friday night, hung out with fellow Bay Area expats The Harbours, Radius, and Mandrake, got some relief from crappy San Francisco pizza. Almost earned our airfare back! Almost.

Leyna Noel and Will Holtz have thickened & sweetened the Golden Birds sound. Matt Brown has moved in and is going out of his mind on the drums. We’ve been working out some new songs, planning to record a bunch starting in July.

We have sold out of our Carrier CDs – but they are now available from CD Baby, and are still carried by Amoeba, Aquarius, Mod Lang, Rasputin, and Rock Paper Scissors, and virtually by Level-Plane and Paranoid. Transamerica has been restocked at CD Baby, and is available from Rasputin, RPS, and Aquarius.

Hey, if anyone has digital images of us, would you send them our way?

01.04.06 :: Last month Golden Birds was the subject of feature articles in the Guardian and the East Bay Express. Also in December, Transamerica was selected by Rasputins as one of their "top ten Indie holiday picks". The website development team sincerely apologizes to the marketing department for failing to report so until January.

On the horizon: maiden shows at Hemlock Tavern and in Modesto, California. Hopefully to feature new songs and an ensemble-cast-lineup (a la the last half of December's Hotel Utah set). In the meantime, the skins are in the playoffs and the rain has stopped. This year is shaping up to be real awesome.

11.29.05 :: Whoo-ee it's been a long time. Been settling back in, gainfully employing. Getting excited about a Tell-All Records showcase of sorts at the Fort this Thursday with The Kalikak Family, Liam Carey. Nate Ashley, The Gift Machine. If you live in France, you can find an interview with us in Rock Sound magazine (if you speak French, let us know what was said). If you live on the Iberian penninsula, check out Amanda Woodward before it's too late. If you know a good drummer who lives in the Bay Area, do tell. Cue Spinal Tap joke. Pete is moving to Boston. True love. We've joined the evil empire. Improved 'Abouts' welcome.

09.08.05 :: Fifty is complete! And a success: We ran a little late for a handful of shows, but we eventually made it to a new capitol each night - despite failed brakes, blown tires, laptop thieves, and 8 hour drives in 100 degree temperatures with no A/C. All in all the van logged just over 20,000 miles, and did so just in the nick of gas-prices- not-yet-preposterous time. Once again a tremendous thank you to everyone who put us up, as well as everyone who took a chance on attending an unorthodox show.

The NPR show "Weekend America" did a piece on the tour - you can find links to it about halfway down the page here. A podcaster from Honolulu put an interview online here (a little more than halfway through the podcast). We have leftover shirts and posters, and plenty of Transamerica CDs - get in touch if you'd like any of the above. You can also order Transamerica online from CD Baby.

We're working now at booking some local shows for the fall - keep an eye on that right-hand column. In the meantime, check out a hot mention of our track Thermometer in a Pop Matters review. See you soon.

07.10.05 :: OK, so no we have not been sick for the last two months (see last news item). But we have been crazily busy. Did a short but sweet but oh-so-sweaty southwestern tour with John Guilt in mid-May, then returned to the Bay, locked ourselves in Will Holtz's new apartment, and hammered out a new EP, Transamerica. The hope was to have this in hand when we began the Fifty tour July 4th; instead, we had it in Quebec, where it still is, being reproduced, soon to intercept us on the road (Portland Oregon FedEx depot?). Looking forward to finally slipping the last piece of this puzzle into its packaging. Also looking forward to a less breakneck process next time around.

Transamerica is a kinder, gentler Golden Birds. No drums, no electricity, lots of voice. Dulcet tones from Leyna Noel's vocal cords and Eli Horowitz's glockenspiel. Innocent songs for cynical times. We hope you like. We'll have them at shows starting around July 15th, and available for online ordering at some point (hopefully) not long thereafter.

The road has treated us well thus far. Six down, forty-four to go. Thanks to the former strangers who've made it worth the gas money - Jim, Danny, Esther, Ryan, Ephram - and to everyone who's graciously put us up for the night. And to whoever's responsible for Cheyenne being situated less than two hours from Denver.

05.09.05 :: Thank you Google language tools. Thank you.

Operating a such gold digger, with the mounting of a pretty nugget, I have very recently the happy one surprised to note that in my sieve three beautiful birds had remained wedged, the Birds Goldens delicious. With "Carrier", this trio originating in California indeed comes to lay a little marvel of Post-Rock'n'roll. "Post" because raising at the same time of Punk for the spirit and Folk for the intimacy of the light melodies and minimalists, with a rhythmic approach borrowed from the magnet and the hip-hop indie. Thus using of samples and beats enivrants raised by low whirling ("Andre The Giant And Cool "Disco music" Man"), been useful by the graying voice of Webster McBride, the Birds Goldens delicious prove to be as disconcerting as any soft drug. And when the beater Hrishikesk Hirway starts to accompany by its soft voice the hypnotic song by the guitarist, the extase is not far: "Sugarbear" and its harmonic rise where the two votes come to intermingle (from 2:25) will make you almost assemble the tears to the eyes (and I do not exaggerate!) One thinks much of the stable Saddle Creek with the listening of this first album, in Cursive for the harmonic dissonances with which the trio has fun, in the "DIGITAL Ash In A DIGITAL Urn" of Bright Eyes for association Electro/Folk. The level is very recorded and one could not thus too advise you quickly to get this gold nugget to you.

We're back. Still sick. More commentary when healthy...

03.26.05 ::
JOHN TOMMAS
SELLS DOPE
TO PEOPLE
BART SYSTEM IS DONE

03.20.05 :: New mp3 up - Europe just around the corner - May tour with John Guilt falling into place - last chance for a slow dance with Andrew Mackie on the Yellow Line tomorrow - Fifty website partially operational...

Great show at the Fort the other night. Pete Gleason tore up the drums then teased us with his breakdancing acumen. If you see him around, please introduce yourself and tell him to stick it out in the bay area for another year. Grad school is for the weak.

Thank you Chow Nasty for bringing the one AM insanity. Sorry we couldn't get you onstage earlier.

02.15.05 :: Carrier is now available for pre-order from Paranoid Records - thank you Gerome and Shaun for the clutch design help. Also shipped out the door are our tracks for a tour split with A Day in Black and White and the upcoming Level-Plane 80 Records and We're not Broke Yet compilation.

Not much else to report right now. Maybe some house shows in March? We'll keep you posted...

{view past news}

 
July 5 Berkeley, CA
Fort Oregon - 1911 Oregon Street
w/ The Sub-Cons, Jason Morphew & the Penthouse Letterz, and John Lindenbaum
8pm, $5, A/A
July 30  Oakland, CA
Mama Buzz - 2318 Telegraph Avenue
w/ the Lonelyhearts
8pm, A/A

{view past shows}