Bio: With Get Wet! (ANT532), the second album from San Francisco quintet Sugar & Gold, the band has turned in a complex and cerebral pop record that represents a huge step forward ... (more)
Bio: With Get Wet! (ANT532), the second album from San Francisco quintet Sugar & Gold, the band has turned in a complex and cerebral pop record that represents a huge step forward from their disco-tinged debut. Get Wet!'s expanded palette includes elements of Electro, 80's R&B, New Wave Psychedelia, and German Minimalism, woven together in a framework of transcendent modern pop. If debut album CrÂme (ANT521, 2007) was the ultimate hookup record, "Get Wet!" represents the work that goes into keeping the relationship fresh and vital. Sometimes things are magical, and sometimes they are hard. And sometimes, shit just falls apart. Make no mistake, Sugar & Gold are still bringing the grooves and party vibe the way no others can, but if you look closely, you might spot a tear or two on the dance floor this time around.
Get Wet! opens with Feels Like Fire, a bass-pumping ode to out-of-control hedonism, quickly followed by Sneek Freq, an R&B throwback about kinks on the down-low. Couvade is a bouncy slice of new wave pop that tackles the unlikely topic of male sympathetic pregnancy: "Whatcha gonna do when every man's a mother too?" Side B opener Stay Soft channels Moroder while struggling to stay cool in the face of mounting infatuation and anticipation, "Stay soft, stay clean, stay free." Bodyaches and It's All Over You both balance catchy hooks with gentle melancholy, while Call Me (Softly) is all doubt and reassurance, wrapped in icy minimalist techno. Finally, long-time live show favorite AYA closes the album with a strong dose of psychedelia; a video release for the track is scheduled this spring.
Following the release of CrÂme in 2007, Sugar & Gold continued their ascendancy in the SF dance underground scene, filling ever larger rooms and garnering "Best Local Dance Band" from SF Mag in 2007 and "Best Party Band" from SF Weekly in 2008. 2009 represented a year of woodshedding and high profile touring for the band. Following a series of SXSW appearances to sold out rooms, the band embarked on a string of dates through the NE and Midwest opening for like-minded compatriots Of Montreal. Re-energized, the band returned to the studio and produced the critically lauded AYA Remix EP for fans who were demanding new material from the band. Featuring a remix of AYA by Justin Van Der Volgen (of Outhud and !!!) and a hugely popular cover of the cult Europop hit Slice Me Nice along with 2 new originals, the EP was released in October of 2009, just in time for a 6 week, full US tour.
With another US tour under their belts, including appearances at the Monolith Festival, CMJ, and Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest, Sugar & Gold returned to SF to put the finishing touches on their upcoming LP. Get Wet! is a transcendent pop album that is as emotionally broad as it is stylistically eclectic, an album that will move every part of your body and spirit. Available April 27th, 2010, on CD, MP3, and High Quality Vinyl LP (with free download and bonus track). (less)
