{"id":8849,"date":"2013-09-14T21:32:34","date_gmt":"2013-09-14T21:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/offmetro.com\/sf\/?p=8849"},"modified":"2013-09-19T04:17:00","modified_gmt":"2013-09-19T04:17:00","slug":"clintongore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ca\/8849\/clintongore\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Neighbors: Clintongore"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was growing up, my dad condemned pop music. Naturally, I was always desperate for a listen. When he\u2019d leave the house to walk the dog or go to the store, I\u2019d relish those minutes when I could blast Cindy Lauper, Destiny\u2019s Child, The Cardigans… Strutting in front of my bedroom mirror to pop music\u2019s punchy, feminine voices, I felt totally free from my confining Catholic upbringing.<\/p>\n

Sierra Frost<\/strong> knows what it\u2019s like to be a kid infatuated with pop music. \u201cWhen I was younger, I was so in love with the Spice Girls, I thought I was going to die,\u201d she tells me with a laugh. The 23-year-old grew up in the Bay Area ,where she writes about music and manages San Francisco\u2019s Studio SQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Frost also has a kickin’ voice and is the singer in Clintongore<\/a><\/strong>, the electronic pop duo based in San Francisco and Brooklyn. She brings the breathy, all-attitude vocals and Chris Crawford<\/strong>, formerly of the band French Miami<\/a>, plays drums and does the recording and mixing.<\/p>\n

Pulsing with color and rich lyrics, Clintongore\u2019s songs make you feel like you\u2019re watching some epic eclipse or looking through a really intricate kaleidoscope. The song \u201cI Need a Star<\/a>,\u201d for example, has top-of-your-lungs, gutsy lyrics with hissing cymbals and bouncing, neon-bright notes. \u201cThe Long Snowfall<\/a>\u201d takes a slower turn, layering gentle vocals over a dense electronic beat. And my personal favorite, \u201cWatch Out<\/a>,\u201d has the right balance of smart lyrics and dance-pop energy to get your head both nodding and thinking.<\/p>\n

I took a break from listening to talk with Clintongore about their name, being a bicoastal band, and where they like to get out of town. I\u2019ll come clean and say this was a bit of a disjointed interview\u2014I talked with Sierra on the phone and met up with Chris at Common Grounds<\/a> in Brooklyn. But, I like to think the interview brings them together.<\/p>\n

Clintongore has another album in the works. Get more info on the upcoming shows<\/a>, and check out their bandcamp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

offMetro: So, what\u2019s up with the name Clintongore? Or is it, Clin-tah-nah-go-ray?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sierra Frost: <\/strong>(Groan\u2026<\/em>) It\u2019s just Clintongore. We just say it\u2019s clin-tah-nah-go-rey as a joke. You know, the way people talk about bands like Bon Iver and they\u2019re are all like, \u201cIt\u2019s bo-nee- VAIR.\u201d<\/p>\n

I had this Clinton Gore \u201992 bumper stucker on my \u201897 car. I got the car during the 2011 election and thought it would make a funny band name. I think Chris really hated it.<\/p>\n

Chris Crawford: <\/strong>I didn\u2019t mind it. Sierra came up with it. I liked it.<\/p>\n

How did you meet and start playing together? <\/strong><\/p>\n

SF:<\/strong> We met in 2009. I was playing in a band called The Downer Party, and the drummer was being a dick. We drove down to L.A. to play a show, and Chris was playing in a really awesome band called French Miami<\/a>\u00a0(you should definitely check them out). After we saw them play, it was meat and potatoes. The bassist and I thought, “we gotta snag this guy<\/em>.” So we dragged Chris into the back of venue and basically cornered him and asked him to be in our band.<\/p>\n

CC:<\/strong> I remember they put this business card on my cymbal case that said, \u201cWe have to talk, let\u2019s meet in the back\u2026\u201d It was like getting a note in high school.<\/p>\n

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