Last year was a busy for local indie-folk outfit Bonnie and the Bang Bang. Not only were they gigging consistently throughout the Bay Area, but they released their debut EP, Ode to Darkness and even toured the West Coast and the Mid-West. Now, they are hoping to record a full-length called the Dark Dream with the help of their fans.

Rather than go the Kickstarter or Indiegogo route, Bonnie and the Bang Bang are funding their album via Pledge Music, which is similar to other crowd sourcing sites, except it funds musical projects exclusively. The site also offers bands the option to automatically donate a portion of their earnings to a charity. Bonnie and the Bang Bang will be donating 5 percent of all funds they raise to Rebuild Recovery, which will use the money to help people who affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Fans can donate as much or as little as they like, with different prizes available depending on the amount contribution. People can receive such items as exclusive shirts, signed albums, handwritten lyric sheets, a private acoustic house concert and executive producer credit.

More details.

More than half of the 20 Bay Area bands competing for an opening slot at Live 105’s Not So Silent Night, featuring Jack Whit, the Shins, the Killers,  M83, Tegan & Sara, Passion Pit and more on December 7 and December 8 at the Oracle Arena, are from the South Bay.

As of this this posting, Curious Quail and Light the Rocket are the two South Bay bands with the most votes. They are neck and neck for 3rd and 4th place. The first place position belongs to Livermore group Hear The Sirens. To win, some of the bands are finding creative ways to motivate their fans to vote. Dogcatcher, for instance, is offering all their albums for free online until the voting ends. Curious Quail uploaded a video explaining to their fans all the reasons why they should vote for them.

Other South bay bands in the running include Drop Dead Sixty, Fossil Tree, INFM, Pounders, Touch My Rash, The Mess, The Oarsmen and UP&GO.

More than half of the 20 Bay Area bands competing for an opening slot at Live 105’s Not So Silent Night, featuring Jack Whit, the Shins, the Killers,  M83, Tegan & Sara, Passion Pit and more on December 7 and December 8 at the Oracle Arena, are from the South Bay.

Voting is still open, HERE.

From the opening chord of Bonnie and the Bang Bang’s debut album, Ode to Darkness, the listener is transported to a campfire in rural America at the turn of the century, where the ghost stories are that much more chilling—because they just might be real.

The lo-fi, stark recording adds to the rustic quality, but aside from the obvious Americana influence of the music—the banjo and mandolin help in that regard—the music is infused with a gospel edge, at least in terms of the emotional depth.

There is no doubt that Bonnie and the Bang Bang are a part of the indie-folk fusion movement. The bluegrass instrumentation and old timey spiritual sound are tempered with a subtly lush layering. On top of the plucking of each guitar string is the rich tone of the long sustaining keyboard and the eerie, macabre vocal harmonies, creating a dark, gothic-indie folk sound that is like a surreal artifact of a long-forgotten era—something like reading an alternative reality history book.

Bonnie and the Bang Bang play the Blank Club on Wednesday September 26th at 9pm. There is no cover charge. 21 and over.