We Will Be Lions

We Will Be Lions are a shapeshifting wonder. Listen to "When Your Skirt Hits the Floor," and it sounds like the parallel universe where David Bowie ended up fronting Pulp; play "Burn Me Like a Disco," and they give the Flaming Lips a run for the title of most anthemic psych-rock band this side of Pink Floyd; "Sunflower" effortlessly finds its groove and drives you down a Springsteen-esque highway littered with psychedelic roadside attractions where drums are laser-powered and the desert is too expansive to even begin to contemplate. They trade in stomping and shaking your mind into submission, and it's a thrilling thing to experience. We Will Be Lions are the biggest band not to get big yet, and it would be a huge mistake to miss them taking the stage at the gothic wonderland that is Obsidian. - Northwest Military

Newbie San Francisco psychedelic glam rock band We Will Be Lions are here to add some glitter to your rave. Hitting the dance floor in 2012, the four-piece have created their own brand of seriously disco psych. Pumping out Bowie inspired glam-anthems that spin you around and around, this band is for the lovers of letting loose on the d-floor.

Feel like you’re short on your daily dose of San Francisco Psychedelic Glam Rock? Never fear, those fellows from We Will Be Lions is just what the doctor ordered.

Like any good San Francisco tale should go, band members Marcus Bowers and Josh Martin became friends over their mutual love for existential philosophy, beat poetry and Woodstock-era songwriting. Deciding to try their hand at making the most glam-tastic psych San Fran had ever heard, they found themselves a drummer and bassist and went to work nailing what they coined ‘San Francisco psychedelic glam rock’.

Mixing 70s-inspired pop, hard rock and funk with their city’s hipster heartbeat, they gave us our first taste of this new genre in their debut EP You Will Be Heroes. With glittery tracks compared to the likes of psychedelic big shots The Flaming Lips and MGMT, this newbie band’s glammed up psych proved to be pretty damn epic.

Now, in the lead up to their debut album, they’ve released two singles- Burn Me Like A Disco and When Your Skirt Hits The Floor. Packed with plenty of razzle-dazzle, Bowers and Martin’s Bowie-esk vocals dance with the starry-eyed synths and guitars, sending you twisting and twirling under a disco ball. It’s good old psychedelia, but with added glitter.Rated as one of the top ten live shows in San Fran, We Will Be Lions are definitely ones to watch.

They’re tearing up the dance floor with their disco beats. And, with their debut album out later this year, this is one rave you won’t wanna miss! - Happy

San Francisco based four piece We Will Be Lions aims for an ecstatic time travel with their new song When Your Skirt Hits The Floor. A refreshing ’70s inspired psychedelic R&B that screams to the sun and plants a kick ass soul groove right to the bone, bringing to your way a flourishing old school orchestrated soul pop sparkling little diamond! Can you smell the hit??? - Sound Injections

Well, we said we wanted to do it again, and the day has finally come for Earbuddy to reveal its second compilation, The EAR-P 2. Consisting of artist submissions, Earbuddy hopes to introduce you to your new favorite artist or artists. The EAR-P 2 brings together 10 songs from 10 different artists, featuring a variety of musical influences. There’s really something for everyone. Oh, and the download doesn’t cost you a thing (unless you just want to make a donation). So why wait? Get to downloading HERE and be sure to listen and read further coverage about this release below.

We Will Be Lions

Tell us what your song is about?

The song is about ecstasy. When you take ecstasy, you are like a space capsule that opens up to let in oxygen, at which point all the forces of love are channeling through you and opening you up. We are all like planets floating around in an imaginary solar system. We are self contained but completely sterile. It’s not until we allow others in that things get an opportunity to grow.

What album would you say has influenced you the most as an artist/band?

Tame Impala’s “Lonerism”. Before that album was released, we were a glam rock band mostly influenced by artists such as T. Rex, David Bowie, and Prince. Tame Impala inspired a collective consensus to explore a much more “psychedelic” approach to the music we create. Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” and Foxygen’s “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic” are two other recent albums that have heavily influenced the way we compose music.

How would you say your life has changed since becoming an artist/band?

Being a part of a band means focusing all of your creative energy to contribute towards its growth. It’s like having a child or being in a relationship. The beauty is in the process. You get to watch something grow from inception to fruition, and work towards a common goal together.

What’s your advice for any new band or artist breaking into the industry?

Your audience is as important to the music as you are. Their response to what you create says a lot about whether you are tapping into the right parts of yourself. People respond to genuine expression. There’s always going to be a line you walk between you and them. It is never one or the other. Also, you should play live constantly. It keeps you honest.

What can listeners expect next from you?

We just finished filming a music video for “When Your Skirt Hits The Floor” which we will be releasing mid December 2014. We are regularly playing shows in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los Angeles, and we are currently planning a 2 month national tour for Spring 2015. We have also been working on several collaborative releases with other artists, including a psychedelic hip hop project, as well as continuing work on an upcoming full-length We Will Be Lions album.

Follow We Will Be Lions: Web / Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud - Earbuddy

Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s an incredible thing to sit back and watch the madness unfold. People fighting for presents at the shops, recipes tested over and over again, and neighbours trying to outdo each other with their Christmas lights. Crazy stuff, the insanity people go through for a day that brings so much love.

It’s just like a relationship. You can love someone more than life itself, but you’ll be damned if sometimes that significant other can drive you up the fucking wall. Which is made abundantly clear on the new We Will Be Lions track Scars of Love, made exclusively for Happy! Talk about a great present!

We have an early Christmas present courtesy of We Will Be Lions! Check out Happy’s exclusive track Scars of Love from the band ft. Brookfield Deuce and Ceeza Luciano!

San Francisco band We Will Be Lions have been doing their thing for the best part of two years now, and while they have gotten comfortable in their skin playing their signature psych/ glam rock, they have continued to push the boundaries of where they can go with their music. So hats off to them for that fact alone. For Scars of Love, the band decided to collaborate with rising hip-hop stars Brookfield Duece and Ceeza Luciano. I’ll be honest, when I was told the band had collaborated with rappers I was not too sure what would result, but rest assured guitarist Marcus Bowers had a vision and with that he steered this ship into some damn smooth, funky waters.

Bowers had met Brookfield Duece through mutual friend Ryan Watts, who started Green Chair Music with Joel Weston. Brookfield Duece also takes a lot of responsibility in helping with the label, and coincidentally has collaborated with Ceeza Luciano multiple times. Considering the circumstances it is no wonder these guys ended up on the same track. Soft, understated synths provide the foundation for the track, the sparse percussion, chilled bass and Bowers’ sultry backing vocals build the song up nicely. Brookfield Duece and Ceeza Luciano are at home on the track, never feeling out of step with the band and delivering their verses with good flow and sincerity.

Love is a battlefield, not just fought against the opposite sex, but sometimes to be fought together for the sake of achieving something great. Sometimes we get scars and sometimes they hurt so much we wish we never loved in the first place. What matters is how we choose to wear those scars. That’s the basic premise of Scars of Love, that two opposing forces can clash violently and harmoniously co-exist.

Big thanks to We Will Be Lions for sharing the track, and be sure to check out their socials for more new music from them and live shows! Enough from me, be sure to visit the Soundcloud link below and check out Scars of Love!

https://soundcloud.com/happy/we-will-be-lions-ft-brookfielfd-and-ceeza-luciano-the-scars-of-love - Happy

From the small punk clubs in Oakland to the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, the Bay Area is a great place to see live music. Every genre of music and type of musician from the established superstars to the newly formed bands in San Francisco are welcome to play their music here and there are plenty of fans to come out and watch.

Here are 10 shows played in the Bay Area in 2013 that will not be forgotten.

1. Black Sabbath (Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View)
2. The Killers (Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco)
3. Heart with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience (America’s Cup Pavilion, San Francisco)
4. Thee Oh Sees (Phono Del Sol festival, San Francisco)
5. Breakdown Valentine (The Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco)
6. Cosmic Suckerpunch (Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco)
7. The Soft White Sixties (Light Rail Studios, San Francisco)
8. Lee Gallagher and The Hallelujah (The Uptown Nightclub, Oakland)
9. We Will Be Lions (Night Light, Oakland)
10. Turn Me On Dead (Milk Bar, San Francisco)

2013 is almost over but there is plenty to look forward to in 2014. Who will be the next great live act and which artist will make it from the club to the theater or from the theater to the arena? We will just have to wait and see. Bring on the live music of 2014! - Bay Area Examiner

SF Weekly

We Will Be Lions... San Francisco-based quartet channeled a hypothetical marriage of David Byrne and Tears for Fears, their glampop polished to a high sheen... Much to my delight, We Will Be Lions still exuded the sinuous energy of David Bowie hosting a bisexual ménage à trois beneath a disco a ball. - SF Weekly

We Will Be Lions are a San Francisco based indie outfit that blends a myriad of sounds together from 60's psychedelia and garden rock, to 70's glam and art rock, to 80's new wave, 90's power pop and beyond to form a lush divergent sound. They just finished recording a new single entitled "Burn Me Like A Disco" which amps up their sound even more. It is a heady mix of crashing synths, bottom heavy deep jungle beats, attacking guitar strains and vox that intersperses falsettos with throaty sultry howls. It is so fucking cool and my mind gravitated to some kind of seedy club world with flashes of Bowie, Bryan Ferry, ABC, T-REX, Lennie Kravitz and Prince providing the soundtrack along with We Will Be Lions (of course).

Regrettably I cannot share the track with you until it's official drop in June but here is a look at the cover art.


Rumor has it that "Burn Me Like A Disco" is a first taste of an upcoming album and what a taste it is. If this track is indicative of the tone and quality of this new project it will be a stellar one indeed.

In the mean time check out the video for Sunflower from their 2013 Debut EP - You Will Be Heroes-
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Robb Donker - American Pancake

Psychedelic glam-rockers We Will Be Lions released their newest single “Burn Me Like A Disco” last month. The track was recorded with Ian Pellicci at Tiny Telephone, and it is the first single off of a new album that the band hopes to release by the end of 2014.

The grandiose track screams ’70s glam, while mixing in elements of prog, funk, blues, and of course, some good ol’ psychedelia. Marcus Bowers’ soaring vocal on the intro and chorus stands in an oddly perfect juxtaposition with his gritty performance in the song’s verses, which is backed by his beautifully sleezy guitar work. The single’s tripped out cover art was done by Juan Beaz, who managed to portray the song’s exotic extravagance.

Listen to “Burn Me Like A Disco” below via Soundcloud. - The Bay Bridged

Is there something better than a big & tasty piece of glam rock for breakfast? I guess there isn’t. That’s why I knew I can’t miss the opportunity to hear and fall in love with We Will Be Lions‘ music. It’s not just glam rock, it is the glam rock at its finest!

They will be releasing the first single off of their forthcoming album June 17th, but even before the official premiere I can assure you that “Burn Me Like a Disco” is definitely worth listening – we’ll do that just in about two weeks on here – and now let’s listen to their lovely 2013 masterpiece, You Will Be Heroes EP.

If you think it’s brilliant (I obviously do) and if you think that there’s no possibility that something could be better than that – you’re gonna have a bad time. “Burn Me Like a Disco” will blow you away just like it did to me. I want their studio album in my hands as soon as possible now! - Queen Beetch

We Will Be Lions
In their early 20s, Josh Martin and Marcus Bowers played as a folk duo. Since then, they have added a rhythm section, and they now perform as We Will Be Lions — a group that, Martin says, is all about being “in their late 20s.” The San Francisco band came together in February 2012. Their sound has a psychedelic indie rock groove, while at its heart are strong vocal harmonies.
Lineup: Marcus Bowers, guitar, vocals; Josh Martin, keyboard, vocals; Hunter Wiley, bass; Sierra Snyder, drums.

Was there a band you heard when you were young that inspired you to become a musician?
MB: I grew up with a single mom, and she traveled often for work when I was a kid. We would listen to her tapes in the car. I grew up on Eric Clapton’s “Unplugged” album, but it was the saxophone solo in Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” that made me want to be a musician.

What’s the most important aspect to putting on a live show?
JM: I think it’s that people are dancing. Music has always been about learning, but there’s something special about considering profound truths while shaking your booty.

Which of your lyrics best defines your band and why?
JM: For me I think it’s “We can build a love fire, burn me like a disco.” In a post-Beatles world, we’re all about love, but this band has always been a little bit about getting burned up by love, getting consumed with it, and eventually eaten alive.

How did you come up with your band name and what does it mean to you?
JM: We Will Be Lions has always been a bit of a prediction of the future. The whole line goes “In the time of trouble we will be lions,” when this band was conceived three years ago I knew it was gonna be tough for us down the road — getting older, the world wants you to take on responsibilities. I wanted us to have a name that was reactive and brave, that reminded us to be tough when it really mattered.

Check it out: www.wewillbelions.com

Next gig: 9 p.m. Thursday, March 26. With Spooky Mansion, the Shape. $10-$12. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. (415) 626-4455. www.
bottomofthehill.com

— Tony DuShane, bandwidth@sfchronicle.com - San Francisco Chronicle

The Bay Bridged

San Francisco’s We Will Be Lions released their debut EP You Will Be Heroes earlier this year and as you may subconsciously guess from the album title, these guys are into crafting epic glam-influenced anthems. It’s no easy task, but they do it quite well. Drummer Alex Hersler tells me the track “Sunflower” best exemplifies their efforts, “crafting a sound that is unique to us, while embracing our pop influences” that they hope to build on with their full length debut, expected to be released next year. Listen to “Sunflower” below, and catch them tonight at the Night Light with Steel Cranes and Turtle Rising. - The Bay Bridged

We first told you about San Francisco’s We Will Be Lions last September following the release of their debut EP You Will Be Heroes, which was recorded at Tiny Telephone, and now they’re bringing their talents to Milk Bar next Saturday, May 10. The band’s dramatic and often grandiose take on what they call “psychedelic glam rock” is no doubt driven by their listed influences like David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, and Tame Impala, but it also exudes a specifically ’80s feel, with pop, hard rock, and even funk influences heard throughout that debut record. Former drummer Alex Hersler told us last year that the track “Sunflower” best exemplified the band’s efforts, “crafting a sound that is unique to us, while embracing our pop influences” that they hope to build on with their first full length album, which they expect to release in 2014. Hersler has since left the band to pursue acting and writing in New York, and he was replaced by Sierra Snyder, who will be playing her second show with the band at Milk Bar. Listen to “Sunflower” and get full details on next Saturday’s show, below. - The Bay Bridged

Examiner.com

Rating: Five Stars

Saturday night, August 17, We Will Be Lions are the first of three musical acts to play the indoor stage at El Rio on Mission Street in San Francisco. Since the inception of this alternative indie rock band in San Francisco about 18 months ago, We Will Be Lions have put out a handful of songs as well as their debut EP called “You Will Be Heroes”. We Will Be Lions are Marcus Bowers (guitar/ vocals), Josh Martin (keys/ vocals), Alex Hersler (drums) and Hunter Wiley (bass).

Just after 10:00 p.m., We Will Be Lions approach the little El Rio stage that barely holds the four piece band. Soon they slowly launch into the song “Everything You Know”. Marcus Bowers sings lead on this vocal driven synth pop song that gets the small group of people gathered in front of the stage moving. After “Everything You Know”, they play the midtempo “Release Me”. “Release Me” is a sexy chorus charged tune that has Marcus Bowers singing it to the crowd with intense feeling and emotion. The band mildly builds into the catchy uptempo song “Sunflower”. Sunflower is rhythm packed, making the crowd groove along and has Josh Martin singing lead and Bowers on backing vocals. Nearing the end of the set, they perform the heavily synthesized “In My Dreams”. Martin sings lead vocals as well as plays a little keyboard solo in addition to Bower’s short guitar solo during the half way mark of the song.

Anyone witnessing this live show, can tell that We Will Be Lions have a bright future with plenty of material to come. Josh Martin’s vocals are a mix between David Bowie and Marilyn Manson and complement Marcus Bower’s voice very well. Their music is catchy, unique and in the same vein as David Bowie or The Killers and due to their skillful musicianship they can vary their musical style throughout their songs. You can check out the band’s newest EP “You Will Be Heroes” and any of their upcoming shows at http://wewillbelions.com/. - Examiner.com

We Will Be Lions Drummer Sierra Snyder’s Playlist
Posted June 2nd, 2014 by Tom Tom Web

Awesome Psychedelic Glam Rock Band Featuring Female Drummer
Sierra Snyder of We Will Be Lions

Check out the amazing psychedelic glam band from San Francisco – We Will Be Lions with female drummer Sierra Snyder. This summer, they’ll be releasing their first single, Burn Me Like A Disco, off of an anticipated full length album out later this year. Be sure to also listen to past tracks like Release and Sunflower from their 2013 EP You Will Be Heroes below.

We asked Sierra if she could share what she’s been listening to lately. Here are her top 13 tracks!

Paul Simon – Kodachrome
Blackbear – Blame Them (Feat. James Blake)
Toro Y Moi – Touch
Chairlift – Amanaemonesia
There’s Talk – Lint & Feather
Menomena – Skintercourse
Phaeleh – Afterglow (Feat. Soundmouse)
Active Child – Subtle (Feat. Mikky Echo)
Sleepy Sun – Lord
Future Islands – Give Us The Wind
Pyramids – Frank Ocean
Bosnian Rainbows – Turtle Neck
Banks – Warm Water - Tom Tom Magazine

With live instrumentation and wide range vocals, We Will Be Lions make music for the soul. The creative direction for there latest project “When Your Skirt Hits The Floor” makes more than just heads turn when played at venues. This group makes its use of instruments and vocals to compile a truly great song, also this live band always knows how to rock out a show and interact with the audience for a great live experience.

Escaping the mold of the traditional rock group, We Will Be Lions a collective of creatively driven individuals with a mutual desire to transcend. Marcus Bowers (Guitar, Vocals), Josh Martin (Keys, Vocals), Hunter Wiley (Bass), and Sierra Snyder (Drums) have come together under the banner of a new genre that they have dubbed, “San Francisco Psychedelic Glam Rock.” Their debut EP, You Will Be Heroes, was recorded in March of 2013 at Tiny Telephone Studios and highlights the Bowie influenced “glamthems” they grew up on. It is set to be re-released as a full length LP by Green Chair Music, a local San Francisco Indie label. As the title suggests, the LP explores serious lyric themes, chiefly a call to be heroic and love each other. They debuted a new single in June as part of a moodier Psychedelic R&B infused collection of songs that evoke an underground rave hosted by Haruki Murakami at the end of the world.

We Will Be Lions were rated one of the top ten live shows of 2013 by Examiner.com. The music of We Will Be Lions has been compared to that of The Flaming Lips, Tears For Fears, Tame Impala, and MGMT. They have opened for New Zealand rock stars Six60 at The Hotel Utah and Oklahoma’s Deerpeople at Cafe Du Nord. They have headlined numerous shows at venues like Elbo Room, Milk Bar, and The Nightlight and held a five month residency at The Monarch club. - Spaced Out Magazine

Ivory Harp

The 11th and 12th of January was a good time for music in the Valley with Bay Area based We Will Be Lions coming through and killing it at Taroko in Ashland and Johnny B’s in Medford. I heard about the show through the opening bands (The Delta Halos and Father Doug) and checked out some of their stuff on Facebook before they rolled into town. Their Bowie esque take on synthpop was interesting and definitely different from most of the stuff you find around here, in a valley dominated by Reggie and more standard forms of Rock.

Both shows were more than I expected, Ashland’s Father Doug, who I have seen more than a few times, were on the top of their game and their bluesy, White Stripes inspired rock is sounding tighter and tighter at every show.

Medford’s The Delta Halos (Kyle Cregen), who opened for both shows, is developing brilliantly as a singer/songwriter, a departure from many of the harder projects he has done in the past. The slower start got people in the room and ready for the louder music to follow.

San Francisco’s We Will Be Lions were even better live than what I had seen online. Their harmonies and stage presence bring their music alive. It was refreshing to see a band which could not only put together great music but seemed genuinely happy to be playing. The energy produced on stage couldn’t help but seep into the crowed and get people on their feet.

Long story short, keep an eye out for We Will Be Lions, they have a lot of potential and for them to have already produced such a unique sound before their first tour is a good omen for things to come. - Ivory Harp

Newbie San Francisco psychedelic glam rock band We Will Be Lions are here to add some glitter to your rave. Hitting the dance floor in 2012, the four-piece have created their own brand of seriously disco psych. Pumping out Bowie inspired glam-anthems that spin you around and around, this band is for the lovers of letting loose on the d-floor.

Like any good San Francisco tale should go, band members Marcus Bowers and Josh Martin became friends over their mutual love for existential philosophy, beat poetry and Woodstock-era songwriting. Deciding to try their hand at making the most glam-tastic psych San Fran had ever heard, they found themselves a drummer and bassist and went to work nailing what they coined ‘San Francisco psychedelic glam rock’.

Mixing 70s-inspired pop, hard rock and funk with their city’s hipster heartbeat, they gave us our first taste of this new genre in their debut EP You Will Be Heroes. With glittery tracks compared to the likes of psychedelic big shots The Flaming Lips and MGMT, this newbie band’s glammed up psych proved to be pretty damn epic.

Now, in the lead up to their debut album, they’ve released two singles- Burn Me Like A Disco and When Your Skirt Hits The Floor. Packed with plenty of razzle-dazzle, Bowers and Martin’s Bowie-esk vocals dance with the starry-eyed synths and guitars, sending you twisting and twirling under a disco ball. It’s good old psychedelia, but with added glitter.Rated as one of the top ten live shows in San Fran, We Will Be Lions are definitely onesto watch.

Opening for New Zealand rockers Six60 and Oklahoma’s Deerpeople, as well as headlining lots of shows at popular venues, they’re tearing up the dance floor with their disco beats. And, with their debut album out later this year, this is one rave you won’t wanna miss!

For more, visit wewillbelions.com - Music News Nashville

Here’s some fun summer musical fare for you. We Will Be Lions are not exactly entirely new, as they had two previous EPs out in 2012 (We Will Be Lions) and 2013 (You Will Be Heroes). However, their new single, “Burn Me Like A Disco” and upcoming album are being billed as a transition from their prior “celebratory rock” to something with a more psychedelic, R&B feel. They’ve been dancing slinkily around early Bowie-esque glam and the delicious weirdness of The Flaming Lips since their beginnings. Hence their own tagline, “San Francisco Psychedelic Glam Rock.” It’s a great seductive sound befitting their Northern Cali home. In fact, the single was recorded in SF’s Mission District at Tiny Telephone Studios, an analog recording studio owned by John Vanderslice that has hosted Death Cab for Cutie, Deerhoof and Mike Watt. - Musings from Boston

Today, I'm fired up to introduce you to Josh Martin, singer and keyboardist in the up and coming band, We Will Be Lions. Josh recently reached out for a couple reasons. First, he wanted to give me a heads up about the band itself and then more specifically, he asked if I'd like to hear their new single, "Burn Me Like A Disco", which is set to be released on June 17th of this year. We Will Be Lions is a San Francisco based band and have described themselves as a "psychedelic glam-rock band inspired by the likes of David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, and Tame Impala." As a music fan, I too, am inspired by the likes of those three musicians so, naturally, I was intrigued. I took some time to listen to their debut EP, You Will Be Heroes, which was released back in March, and I totally dug it. So, I wrote him back and let him know that I would, indeed, love to hear the 'Disco' single and that I'd be in touch closer to June to do a piece on the band and the song. Then, on a whim, I asked if anyone in the band happened to be a runner. His response..."Funny you should ask, I'm a fairly obsessive runner, just did my first marathon a few months ago at Quarry Lakes!" Well, I'll be darned, I thought. A rocker and a marathoner. What are the chances? That changed everything. I have been itching to do a RWR piece on a musician who is inspired by both running and music and I had hit the nail on the head with Josh. I sent him another note and asked him if I could profile him for this series and he jumped right on board. So, without further ado, meet Josh....a rocker who runs.

GLAM ON: WE WILL BE LIONS


Name: Joshua James Martin
Where you're from: Occidental, California
Where you reside now: San Francisco
Age: 27
Job: Server at Cafe De La Presse and a musician
Web site: www.wewillbelions.com

RUNNING & MUSIC
What do you love most about running?
Running is synonymous with thinking in that its linear, individual, and creative. It's a structured activity but it can take you anywhere, just like music.

What do you love most about music?
I love performing something that I created. There's something extremely liberating about baring your soul to complete strangers.


Rocking out at Cafe du Nord

JOSH'S FAVORITES:
Band (current): The Flaming Lips
Band (all time): Neil Young
Album: Neil Young, 'After The Gold Rush'
Race Venue: I've only run one official race at Quarry Lakes in Concord, I liked the course
Music Venue: The Fillmore in SF
Race distance: Marathon, of course
Live show: The best show I've seen is the Flaming Lips and Tame Impala on Halloween at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, that was the night they became my favorite band.
Ice cream flavor: I would have to say Mint Chip



THIS OR THAT:
Salty or sweet: sweet and salty together
Live or recorded: definitely live
Coffee or tea: coffee
Summer or winter: summer





MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could?
The Books
Which band or artist (no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight? The Beatles
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? Neil Young
Which band would you like to have playing alongside you during your next marathon? Fleetwood Mac

Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both?
Electric Feel - MGMT
Apocalypse Dreams - Tame Impala
Destroyer - The Music Lovers
DLZ - TV On the Radio
Uncertainty - Jaguar Ma

Last 5 Songs you listened to today?
Smells Like Content - The Books
Repeat Pleasure - How to Dress Well
The High Road - Broken Bells
Cocoa Hooves - Glass Animals
Venice - The Books - Running With Music

Introducing…We Will Be Lions
We Will Be Lions formed in the fall of 2012 and set out to create what The Bay Bridged termed a “dramatic and often grandiose take on what they call psychedelic glam rock.” Their debut EP You Will Be Heroes illustrates that effort with distinct traces of David Bowie, Prince and MGMT throughout. The band has matured since then. The new single Burn Me Like a Disco set for release on June 17 invokes a much more plaintive, though no less grandiose, take on psychedelic R&B. With lyrics inspired by Haruki Murakami’s Dance Dance Dance and a primal rythmic back bone, this song could be described as an existential call to arms. the band hopes to use the momentum from this single to launch a full length album project set for release by the end of 2014.

We Will Be Lions
We Will Be Lions
Escaping the mold of the traditional rock group, We Will Be Lions is rather a collective of creatively driven individuals with a mutual desire to transcend. Marcus Bowers (guitar, vocals), Josh Martin (keys, vocals), Hunter Wiley (bass) and Sierra Snyder (drums) have come together under the banner of a new genre that they have dubbed “San Francisco Psychedelic Glam Rock.” Their debut EP, You Will Be Heroes was recorded in March of 2013 at Tiny Telephone Studios and highlights the Bowie influenced “glamthems” they grew up listening to. As the title suggests the EP explores serious lyric themes, chiefly a call to be heroic and love each other.

We Will Be Lions were rated one of the top ten live shows of 2013 by Examiner.com. The music of We Will Be Lions has been compared to that of The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala and MGMT. They have opened for New Zealand rock stars Six60 at The Hotel Utah and Oklahoma’s Deerpeople at Cafe Du Nord. They have headlined numerous shows at venues like Elbo Room, El Rio and The Nightlight and held a five month residency at The Monarch club.

You can listen to their previous releases here: Sunflower and Release Me. - Rocking Republic

It was only last week that we introduced you to psychedelic glam rockers We Will Be Lions, and now the San Francisco natives have unleashed a remix of their single When Your Skirt Hits The Floor.

First we brought you San Francisco psychedelic glam rock. Now we give you the remixed treatment courtesy of up and comers Freeway Needles.

Suffice to say, this isn’t We Will Be Lions remixing their own single and releasing it. That would be strange. No, this remix comes courtesy fellow San Franciscans Freeway Needles, and it’s a good’n! The original song had already boasted plenty of dance floor potential, but this remix is brimming with disco stylings. What was once a down tempo, baby-making soundtrack has been morphed into a muscular and funky dance track. And yes, you can add it to your baby-making soundtrack, if you have one that is.

So how did this immaculate collaboration come about you ask? As it so happens both parties met through the small record label Green Chair Music based in San Francisco, which has a heavy focus on experimental music.It’s nice when friends help each other out, isn’t it?

The remix works in that it manages to keep the spirit of the original intact whilst adding and warping elements to truly make the track shine. The distorted guitar track carries a lot edge to it and carries the weight of the remix. The eclectic mix of percussion really adds a sense of fun and spontaneity to the proceedings, Freeway Needles switching between the standard drum machine to drum sounds with an inspired Caribbean influence. The When Your Skirt Hits The Floor remix finally closes out with a prolonged fade out – which quite frankly is underutilized in most music. The measured fade out nicely mirrors the the disjointed and chaotic opening, creating an engaging sense of evolution within the song.

Whereas the original was a smooth, sultry, laid back song to be enjoyed by the pool, Freeway Needles’ reworking is definitely more suited to a Friday night dance off. If you’re like me and have no plans for the weekend, then know that at least you’ll be dancing.

We Will Be Lions are currently in the studio making musical magic, so keep an eye on this space for their upcoming new material. - Happy

Friday: Hometown heroes We Will Be Lions are the NorCal answer to Semi Precious Weapons set to the eccentricities of Tally Hall. They’re far more than their saccharine sound of choice. As glam rockers, they’re loud and proud about the genre’s theatrics and will be celebrating what inspires them this Friday at the Rickshaw Stop. Expect a bit more disco on this gig and get on your dancin’ shoes.

What: We Will Be Lions plays the Rickshaw Stop
When: Friday, January 9th; doors: 8pm, show: 9pm
Where: Rickshaw Stop: 155 Fell St
Cost: $ 15-20; purchase tickets here - SF Appeal