May 17, 2008

Botticellis exhibit rock artistry

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

San Francisco-based rock band the Botticellis were named not after the Renaissance painter, but for a surfing term they coined as kids. Brimming with unexpected fun and sumptuous surf pop, their newly released debut, " Old Home Movies," should soon have them catching a huge wave of popularity.

They polished these sterling songs over the course of four years and entered the studio 18 months ago. They'd been recording, mixing and mastering ever since.

"We're sort of perfectionists," says Alexi Glickman. "We didn't want to call it done until it was exactly the way we wanted it."

From the start, classic-style compositions were the priority. "A lot of other bands are more interested in their sound, so the songs are the last step in the process sometimes," Glickman said. "One of the things I'm proud of with this record - and think is central to it - all the songs are there, so if you play them on an acoustic guitar around the campfire, they would still hold up as good songs."

Using vintage gear helped the Botticellis achieve a warm, involving sound for these carefully crafted tunes. "We didn't go in with the idea of making a retro album. Through all the working and reworking, those were the sounds that fit the songs the best," he said. "A lot of bands choose to record analog. I don't think you really need digital as much if you can play your songs from start to finish in a room. Then you don't need a lot of the editing stuff that the digital studio provides."

For unusual keyboard instruments, they turned to Matt Cunitz of Vintage Keyboard Repair.
"We'd always heard through the grapevine that he had this amazing collection hidden away," Glickman said.

Once they had earned Cunitz's trust, they discovered a wonderland of instruments. "It was like all these amazing sounds that you don't ever hear," Glickman said. "They haven't made digital samples of things like the Orchestron. It was really hard in mixing, to not be able to use all of it. You could make a whole record out of the sounds of just one of those weird keyboards."

During the recording process, the band found inspiration in such works as the Papercuts (fellow San Francisco rockers), Bob Dylan's "Saved" album, the first George Harrison solo record and, especially, "I Am the Cosmos," by Chris Bell (Big Star).

"We were intrigued by the way (Bell) was able to be so emotionally direct, without being sentimental," Clickman said. "We were delving into the mystery of that."

Band member Blythe Foster, who was in grad school in New York during some of the recording span, was able to provide a more objective ear. "I also do theater," she said, "and the director's eye is so important."

Glickman says, "We can get obsessed about the technical part, and you think that some minute detail is incredibly important and let it take up all of your time. You need somebody to say, 'Hey, you guys are obsessing about something that no one's going to be able to hear. Move on.'"

Foster added, "Having some separation, you can also hear something cool and new that's emerging and growing in the sound, that maybe when you're in the room for 20 hours a day, seven days straight, you don't hear."

Glickman and Foster are writing lots of new material. They'll use it not only in the Botticellis, but in their side projects - the folksy Kuma/Koshka and the more psychedelic Cotillion.

"Working on this record has really been a catalyst for all this creativity," Foster said. "I've moved here now, so there's all this collective energy, where we can really collaborate.'"

Glickman began collaborating with drummer Zack Ehrlich when the two were growing up in Southern California. They've been playing in bands since age 8. They headed from Santa Monica to Santa Cruz, and finally San Francisco, appreciating the Bay Area's combination of musical opportunities and excellent waves.

Teaming with Glickman and Ehrlich, in addition to Foster are Burton Li and Ian Nansen. They revel in the local music scene. "There's definitely an interesting mix of influences here," Foster said. "People have a real do-it-yourself attitude, figuring out how to make the sounds they want to make. There's a lot of collaboration.

"Having just come here from New York, I find that the community, in terms of music and other forms of art, is more grass-roots. It's from the ground up here and that creates an environment where people are really helping each other and are supportive and interested in what the others are doing. It's very inspiring in that way."

Also benefiting from the strong support of their label, Oakland's Antenna Farm, the Botticellis will be touring nationally this summer. "Our rocket ship is about to take off," Glickman said, jokingly. But with the exhilarating "Old Home Movies" album, this band does indeed seem to be poised for stardom.

Check them out at www.myspace.com/thebotticellis.