Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Plunderbund shoots new video at Slab City and Fiesta Island

“I guess my inspiration kind of got melted from the heat.”

Plunderbund describes their own video as “a towering testament to both world-class, epic procrastination and to negligent self-care.”
Plunderbund describes their own video as “a towering testament to both world-class, epic procrastination and to negligent self-care.”

Based in La Jolla, Plunderbund (defined in the dictionary as “a league of commercial, political, or financial interests that exploits the public”) is a power trio playing alternative and power pop tunes, often with a sarcastic and comedic bent. “We like to present our songs as upbeat, danceable, melodic pop rock,” says singer-guitarist Daniel Westrick. “That way, you’re totally taken by surprise when you realize just how dark some of the lyrics really are. It’s sneaky, you almost don’t notice.”

In addition to performing occasional driveway livestreams, Westrick and Plunderbund drummer-singer Mike Reedy recently guested on a new album by Claire Walding, and he worked on more of their imaginative, shoestring-budget videos, for which they’ve become known.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“New Age Parody” kicks off the hilarity with its opening line “Come out of that basement, ’cause way down there, you’ll lose your hair,” following up with a rising chorus of Beatlesque harmonies that, though somewhat crudely recorded, clearly show a love and command of the sort of pop psychedelia trafficked by likeminded, and far more well-funded, ensembles such as Tears For Fears and XTC.

Their 2019 video for “Matter of Fact,” according to Westrick, “Humorously explores our country’s difficult relationship with reality…. We would have liked to have included a few models in lingerie for that.”

Video:

Plunderbund "Home"

The band just released a new video follow-up to “Matter of Fact” called “Home,” which was started in July 2019 and is described by Westrick as “a towering testament both to world-class, epic procrastination and to negligent self-care.” “Home” is built around a Foghat-style blues riff, with their female bassist-singer Lisa Brackmann confessing how she “overstay[s] my welcome and never make the bed,” building up a nice head of steam until going off the rails with a surprisingly scorching guitar solo.

“The songs are both from our 2019 EP,” says Westrick. “After the ‘Matter of Fact’ video was released, I was all pumped up and wanted to do another one quickly. I planned to shoot scenes in Slab City near the Salton Sea and didn’t want to wait, so we went out in 115 degree heat in July. My wife nearly passed out helping us. So I guess my inspiration kind of got melted from the heat. The footage sat on the shelf until almost exactly a year later, when we shot more scenes at Fiesta Island. Then more procrastination until now. Lisa Brackmann, our bass player and the star of 'Home' is leaving San Diego next month, so I wanted to get this done before then.”

“We shot a lot of it at the East Jesus art colony in Slab City. We compensated them for allowing us to shoot by giving them a bottle of whiskey and a bag of ice. Because it was so hot, only two caretakers were holding down the fort.”

The video is now online and can be played from this webpage, but some of their plans to promote it have been thwarted by automated robotic sentries. “After I posted the video, I tried to place a Facebook ad, but it was rejected because of political content.”

“From what I can tell, Facebook algorithms are reading the slogans on the wall of old TVs at East Jesus and finding them controversial.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Two poems for Christmas by Joseph Brodsky

Star of the Nativity and Nativity Poem
Next Article

Mary Catherine Swanson wants every San Diego student going to college

Where busing from Southeast San Diego to University City has led
Plunderbund describes their own video as “a towering testament to both world-class, epic procrastination and to negligent self-care.”
Plunderbund describes their own video as “a towering testament to both world-class, epic procrastination and to negligent self-care.”

Based in La Jolla, Plunderbund (defined in the dictionary as “a league of commercial, political, or financial interests that exploits the public”) is a power trio playing alternative and power pop tunes, often with a sarcastic and comedic bent. “We like to present our songs as upbeat, danceable, melodic pop rock,” says singer-guitarist Daniel Westrick. “That way, you’re totally taken by surprise when you realize just how dark some of the lyrics really are. It’s sneaky, you almost don’t notice.”

In addition to performing occasional driveway livestreams, Westrick and Plunderbund drummer-singer Mike Reedy recently guested on a new album by Claire Walding, and he worked on more of their imaginative, shoestring-budget videos, for which they’ve become known.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“New Age Parody” kicks off the hilarity with its opening line “Come out of that basement, ’cause way down there, you’ll lose your hair,” following up with a rising chorus of Beatlesque harmonies that, though somewhat crudely recorded, clearly show a love and command of the sort of pop psychedelia trafficked by likeminded, and far more well-funded, ensembles such as Tears For Fears and XTC.

Their 2019 video for “Matter of Fact,” according to Westrick, “Humorously explores our country’s difficult relationship with reality…. We would have liked to have included a few models in lingerie for that.”

Video:

Plunderbund "Home"

The band just released a new video follow-up to “Matter of Fact” called “Home,” which was started in July 2019 and is described by Westrick as “a towering testament both to world-class, epic procrastination and to negligent self-care.” “Home” is built around a Foghat-style blues riff, with their female bassist-singer Lisa Brackmann confessing how she “overstay[s] my welcome and never make the bed,” building up a nice head of steam until going off the rails with a surprisingly scorching guitar solo.

“The songs are both from our 2019 EP,” says Westrick. “After the ‘Matter of Fact’ video was released, I was all pumped up and wanted to do another one quickly. I planned to shoot scenes in Slab City near the Salton Sea and didn’t want to wait, so we went out in 115 degree heat in July. My wife nearly passed out helping us. So I guess my inspiration kind of got melted from the heat. The footage sat on the shelf until almost exactly a year later, when we shot more scenes at Fiesta Island. Then more procrastination until now. Lisa Brackmann, our bass player and the star of 'Home' is leaving San Diego next month, so I wanted to get this done before then.”

“We shot a lot of it at the East Jesus art colony in Slab City. We compensated them for allowing us to shoot by giving them a bottle of whiskey and a bag of ice. Because it was so hot, only two caretakers were holding down the fort.”

The video is now online and can be played from this webpage, but some of their plans to promote it have been thwarted by automated robotic sentries. “After I posted the video, I tried to place a Facebook ad, but it was rejected because of political content.”

“From what I can tell, Facebook algorithms are reading the slogans on the wall of old TVs at East Jesus and finding them controversial.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Memories of bonfires amid the pits off Palm

Before it was Ocean View Hills, it was party central
Next Article

Bringing Order to the Christmas Chaos

There is a sense of grandeur in Messiah that period performance mavens miss.
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader