Anyone catch The Clientele last weekend? No? Why not? You had something better to do? I doubt it. Well fine. What about Chickens In Love at the echoplex? No again? Oh come on. You people need to start going to these things. Or if you answered yes to those questions and actually go to the shows, why not comment and let us know how they are? Hmmmm? Good!

PICK OF THE WEEK
Ok so I’m pretty sure I made a Big Pink show the pick of the week in the past, so I’m going to take a paragraph or two from that post, but the real band I’m excited about isn’t them. Yes they are headlining, but the show Tuesday night at the El Rey is all about New York’s A Place to Bury Strangers. First things first though.

I love shoegaze. I wish I was around when it was a big deal out of the UK, but I’m happy that it’s starting to creep into new, ‘popular’ music again. The Big Pink are very loosely connected with the genre. I mean they’re signed to 4AD for one thing, which automatically gives you some cred in that style. On occasion they do have that dreamy, kind of wall of sound aspect to their music, but for the most part theyre an electro, noise pop band. Nothing wrong with that, they’re a great band and a worthy headlining act. It’s just that the opener is too exciting.

A Place to Bury Strangers has that shoegaze revival sound and feel to their music. They’re known to blend noise rock, shoegaze, and space rock, all great genres that seemed to have begun to fade out in the early 90s. Fortunately for us we have bands like APTBS (as they’re commonly know, what with such a long full name and all) to start over with a fresh take on older styles. They’ve played with everyone from the legendary Jesus and Mary Chain to NIN to MGMT, so you can kind of get a sense that they appeal to a large, yet specific type of person. They’ll also be playing Coachella this year, so make sure to catch em here in a smaller venue environment before you head off to see em again in Indio. They’re known for being extremely loud live though, so I’d highly suggest taking some ear plugs with you. I know I didn’t bother when I saw a noise rock/shoegaze band last year and I really regretted it…for about four days (and that show was outside.)

As if those two bands weren’t enough, also playing is local act Active Child, an up-and-coming artist who, from what I’ve heard, has an amazing, synthy, kind of dreamy quality to his music. So be sure to go early and check him out.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
3/8: Moonrats w/Aska//Adanowsky//Soko at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (First night of the Moonrats residency. Not sure why they didn’t play last week.)
3/8: The Delta Mirror w/Alexandra Hope//Sister Crayon//Corridor at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Night two of The Delta Mirror residency.)
3/8: Seaspin w/Wild Yaks//Repeater//The Romany Rye at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. Free. 21+. (Seaspin residency. Check em out, they’re pretty cool.)
3/9: Red Tide w/Superhumanoids//Random Patterns//His Orchestra at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. $8. 21+. (Check out our friends bands! They also happen to be pretty good.)
3/9: Laura Veirs w/Old Believers//Cataldo at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Real good folk rock.)
3/10: Abe Vigoda w/Lovvers//The Black Apples at the echo. 8:3oPM. $8. 18+. (Fun lineup.)
3/10: Delta Spirit w/We Barbarians//Johnny Corndawg at bootleg. 8:00PM. $12. 21+. (Delta Spirt is a great band.)
3/10: Little Boots w/Dragonette//Class Actress at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (Dance away to this cute Brit.)
3/11: Slow Club at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Definitely a buzz band. I like what I’ve heard.)
3/11: Dawes w/Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons//Jason Boesel at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $12. All. (Dawes are a great local band with a classic sound.)
3/11: The Cave Singers w/The Dutchess and the Duke//The Moondoggies at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (Should be a relaxing evening.)
3/12: The Happy Hollows w/The Veils//Twilight Sleep at Troubadour. 8:30PM. $15. All. (Some good acts here.)
3/13: The Fresh & Onlys w/Wounded Lion//Surf City//Pivot at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Nice poppy lineup.)
3/13: Choir of Young Believers w/Great Northern at Bootleg. 10:00PM. $8. 21+. (I’ve been a fan of these guys forever. Great stuff and they’re finally starting to get out here.)
3/13: A Sunny Day in Glasgow w/Pollyn at The Mint. 8:00PM. $13. 21+. (Another great shoegazey act this week.)
3/14: Blessure Grave w/Twin Crystals//Random Cuts at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Part Time Punks!)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: The Big Pink w/A Place to Bury Strangers//Active Child
WHEN: Tuesday, March 9th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: The El Rey
$$$: $20 (worth it)
Ages: All

How was last week for everyone? Fun? Dirty Projectors last Sat? Watch the amazing USA/Canada gold medal game yesterday? What a game. Poor USA.. Oh well..on to music.

PICK OF THE WEEK
In all honesty, the pick of the week this week is Magnetic Fields tomorrow, but it’s sold out. Boo. If you have tickets or want to head over to Wilshire Ebell Theatre and risk trying to scalp a ticket, go for it. Highly recommended.

Also, Midlake on Wednesday would be a great choice for the pick this week. They’re a great band and their new album is as solid as anyone could have asked for. But you guys probably know about that already..why should I have to tell you to go to that.

The band you may not (probably do, but go with it) know about that’s playing two shows this week is The Clientele. These guys are wonderful. They come from London, but seem to be gaining more popularity here in the States than over in their homeland. Their album God Save The Clientele seemed to get the attention of fans and critics alike (at least that’s what got to me..) and their wonderful followup, Bonfires on the Heath, which came out last October, shows that it was no fluke. The sound of the band is softer, more melodic pop music. It’s kind of melancholy music, but don’t get the idea that you’re gonna sit in the corner and cry for an hour. Lead singer Alasdair MacLean has a very soothing singing style that, combined with the music and surrealist inspired lyrics brings a relaxing atmosphere to wherever you may be. Their music is commonly described as “Autumnal”, which, as oddly as it sounds, kind of makes sense. The music makes you feel like you’re in nature, or in a park somewhere in the middle of London on a beautiful day. Don’t believe me? Go see them at Spaceland on either Friday or Saturday (or both. Up to you.) and see for yourself.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
3/1: White Arrows w/Superhumanoids//Spirit Animal//The Fling//The Damn Sons at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Not a residency show, but one you should go to. For the Superhumanoids. Wow what a surprise, right?)
3/1: Delta Mirror w/Nalepa//Healamonster & Tarsier//Full Frontal at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (First of the Delta Mirror residency at the echo.)
3/2: Nice Nice w/We Break Cameras//Bullied By Strings at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (A nice alternative to those of us that aren’t going to the Magnetic Fields show.)
3/3: Midlake w/Matthew and the Arrogant Sea at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $16. All. (They’re just a great band. Definitely worth seeing.)
3/3: El Perro Del Mar w/Taken By Trees at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $15. All. (It’s a toss up between this show and Midlake. Go to one though!)
3/3: The Pity Party at Mountain Bar. 10PM. $5(?). 21+. (We like The Pity Party.)
3/4: Phantogram w/Love Grenades at Bordello Bar. 8:00PM. $12. 21+. (Phantogram is definitely on the rise.)
3/4: The Pharmacy w/Pteroacdudes at L’Keg Gallery. 9:00PM. $5. All. (Good band for the first show since the fire there.)
3/5: Deer Tick w/Everest at the Natural History Museum. 5:30PM. $15. All. (First Fridays! Probably won’t be as crazy as last month..)
3/5: The Appleseed Cast w/Dreamend at echoplex. 8:30PM. $15. 18+. (They’re performing all of Low Level Owl 1 & 2.)
3/5: The Bird and the Bee w/Juliette Commagere at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (Great indie rock.)
3/5: Black Apples w/Socorro/S. Pineda at pehrspace. 8:00PM. $5. All. (Black Apples are fun.)
3/5: Shadow Shadow Shade at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Formerly known as Afternoons.)
3/6: The Submarines w/Thao Nguyen//Pity Party//Summer Darling//more TBA at echoplex and the echo. 12 noon, $15. All. (It’s the 826LA/Origami Vinyl Chickens In Love benfit. Lasts all day.)
3/7: Audacity w/Film at Spaceland. 8:3oPM. $5. 21+. (Punk band from Fullerton.)
3/7: Part Time Punks at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (The Cure nite.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: The Clientele
WHEN: Friday, March 5th (with The Wooden Pigeons and Spain) and Saturday, March 6th (with The Wooden Pigeons and Devon Williams) @ 8:30PM
WHERE: Spaceland
$$$: $14
Ages: 21+

I missed last week. I am very sorry. I don’t know why or what I was doing that caused me to miss it. Unfortunately I didn’t see an outpour of emails and comments asking for the soundboard back…darn. Oh well. I’m back now!

PICK OF THE WEEK
I’m not seeing Dirty Projectors on Saturday. I know. I’m just as mad as you are, assuming you’re not going either. Not sure why I didn’t think tickets would sell out so quickly, but alas, no Disney Concert Hall for me. But instead of sitting at home pouting, like I was planning on doing, I have an alternative suggestion that should make all of us happy.

How about we all go see Four Tet at the echoplex?! Who’s Four Tet you ask? Well he’s British born electronic musician Kieran Hebden. His music incorporates many different styles, including hip hop, jazz, folk, and, of course, electronica. Hebden has released seven albums to date, the most recent, There Is Love in You, receiving countless positive reviews. The guy seems to be able to smoothly move from your typical dance track to solemn, calming post-rock, back to a catchy electronic beat. You could (and should) hear his music in the comfort of your own room or car or iPod, but Four Tet deserves a live listen. Somewhere you can go and dance the night away. Somewhere like the echoplex!

Playing with Four Tet are British Nathan Fake and Los Angeles based Active Child, an up-and-coming artist who would alone warrant a reason to go to this show. So take that Dirty Projectors and the LA Philharmonic!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
2/22: Useless Keys w/Free Energy//Repeater//Boxviolet at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Last Useless Keys residency night.)
2/22: Princeton w/Castledoor//LANME at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Last of the Princeton residency. Also the last Castledoor show ever. Boo.)
2/23: Dinosaur Jr. at Troubadour. 8:00PM. Free. All. (IT’S FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. YOU GOTTA RSVP HERE! I think I made that clear enough.)
2/23: Free Energy w/Mystery Lights//The Blank Tapes//Early Dolphin at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $7. 21+. (Some buzz around Free Energy.)
2/23: Glacier Hiking w/Haim//Kitten//Go West Young Man at the echo. 8:30PM. $8 ($5 if you RSVP here). 18+. (Buzzbands.la show. Always fun. Great bands too.)
2/24: Dan Black at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $1.06 (I guess cause KROQ is presenting?). 21+. (Fun British electro pop artist.)
2/25: Visqueen w/Bear Hands//Adam Bones at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Could be a fun time.)
2/26: The Strange Boys w/Chain and the Gang//Neverever at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (The Strange Boys are great.)
2/26: Memory Tapes at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Chill Wave! This guy happens to be pretty good at it.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Four Tet
WHEN: Saturday, February 27th @ 9:00PM
WHERE: Echoplex
$$$: $17
Ages: 18+

Everyone have a fun Super Bowl Sunday yesterday? I know I did, but I can’t say the same about today. Wow..do not drink consistently from 11AM till midnight and expect to feel good the next day.

PICK OF THE WEEK

St. Vincent. Go see her. You will like her. In my opinion, she has the ability to really please anyone. She’s a great musician, writes great songs, is a great singer, and well..looks pretty great (aka shes a babe).

Really though. Annie Clark’s (the woman behind St. Vincent) style of music is about as poppy as it can get without giving up artistic credibility. Her second album, Actor, was released May of last year and if you haven’t already, you should definitely check it out. I haven’t seen her live before, but based on how the album sounds, I can only imagine how good she will be live. She sings happy sounding songs that seem basic and light, but are definitely complex and well-crafted.

I don’t really have a whole lot more to say about her, other than she’s playing tomorrow night at The El Rey and you should strongly consider going.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
2/8: Useless Keys w/Light FM//The Black Apples//L.E.F. at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Useless Keys continue their residency.)
2/8: Princeton w/Casxio//Rafter//The Jubilee Singers at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More Princeton residency.)
2/9: Ferraby Lionheart w/Buddy//Josh Ottum//Evan Voytas at Bootleg Theater. 8:00PM. Free. All. (Ferraby Lionheart continues his residency.)
2/10: Wild Beasts w/Still Life Still//Magic Bullets at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $15. All. (These guys are amazing. I should’ve made this the show of the week.)
2/10: Findlay Brown w//Cobra Lilies//Pizza!//Superhumanoids at the echo. 8:30PM. $5. 18+. (You know the drill. Go see Superhumanoids. And Pizza! for that matter. They’re friends as well and are a fun band to see.)
2/11: The Thermals w/Thao with the Get Down Stay Down//Slang Chickens at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $16. All. (Saw The Thermals not too long ago. They put on a good show.)
2/12: Chicago Underground Duo w/Pit Er Pat//Pity Party at Bootleg Theater. 9:30PM. $12. 21+. (We like Pity Party around here.)
2/12: Shadow Shadow Shade w/Twilight Sleep//Marvelous Toy at Spaceland 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Shadow Shadow Shade used to be called Afternoons. They were good then, I’m sure theyre still good now.)
2/12: Fitz & the Tantrums w/Sweater Girls at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Fitz have a great sound to em.)
2/13: The Album Leaf w/Sea Wolf at El Rey. 8:00PM. $17. All. (Love The Album Leaf.)
2/14: The Meek w/Weekend//Young Prisms at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Part Time Punks My Bloody Valentine Night.)
_____________________________________________________

WHAT: St. Vincent
WHEN: Tuesday, February 9th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: The El Rey
$$$: $18
Ages: All

Got back from Sundance late last night. Let me tell you. Being in a car for 12+ hours takes its toll out on you, as does not sleeping much over a four day period. So this is just a heads up that I’m pretty dead right now.

PICK OF THE WEEK

The show I’m gonna pick this week is technically sold out at the moment, but more tickets will be released the day of.

Yeasayer is a pretty great band. Their debut All Hour Cymbals came out pretty much under the radar (at least to me) and rose the Brooklyn based band to indie stardom, leading up to a great deal of anticipation for their followup, Odd Blood. You should watch them play with local buzz band Warpaint on friday at the Natural History Museum.

The band can really only be described as experimental. The band itself describes their sound as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel”. Take from that what you will.

Odd Blood is set to be released on the 9th of February, but having heard an advance copy of it, I gotta say it’s pretty good. While it may seem disappointing at first, the album definitely grows on you as you listen and it may have one of the strongest first halves of any record I’ve listened to in recent times. With the album coming out next week, seeing them perform many of their new songs live this week will be a pretty nice treat. Go check them out this friday and go pick up a copy and your local record shop (you have one, just look for it) on the 9th.

Like I said, tickets are sold out, but more tickets will be available at the door starting at 12:00PM on Friday. Definitely go get tickets.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
2/1: Useless Keys w/Spirit Vine//The Arms//Special Guest at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Useless Keys begin their residency at the echo. The special guest should be good!)
2/1: Princeton w/60 Watt Kid//Active Child//TS and the Past Haunts at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Princeton begins their residency. They’re pretty great.)
2/2: Tenacious D w/Frank Black//James Mercer//Patton Oswalt//Russell Brand//Bob Odenkirk at The Wiltern. 7:00PM. $40-$75. All. (It’s a Haiti benefit and should be fun.)
2/2: Wale at The Roxy. $20. 18+? (Great rapper.)
2/3:  NOMO w/Orgone at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (NOMO is an interesting band. Check em out.)
2/4: Thelonious Monster w/Dogweed//Horse Thieves//Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Heard good things. They’ve been around for a while.)
2/5: Daedelus w/Nosaj Thing//Jogger//Frosty at echoplex. 8:30PM. $15. 18+. (Good electronic music.)
2/6: Howardamb w/Missincinati//Kandyce and the Killdozer//Bobb Bruno//Sleepwalkers Local at Echo Curio. 9:00PM. $5. All. (Last chance to see Bobb Bruno as a bunny.)
2/7: No Age w/Vivian Girls//Darker My Love//Abe Vigoda//Best Coast//Nodzzz//Cowabunga Babes//Wounded Lion//Graham Forrest//Ale Mania//Animal Style at Undisclosed Location. 12:00PM. $10. All. (Arrive at noon or earlier. Free beer. It’s a benefit for a friend’s mom. RSVP at renee@ihaterocknroll.com for location.)
_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Yeasayer w/Warpaint
WHEN: Friday, February 5th @ 5:00PM
WHERE: Natural History Museum
$$$: $9
Ages: All.

Let me apologize in advance. The pick of the week is definitely going to be a good one, but a lot of the writing will be recycled from when this band came to town last August. My brain is still recovering from the Radiohead show last night.

Last August I wandered into the echo to watch a little band known as Bowerbirds, with opening act Megafaun. Well unfortunately Megafaun isn’t returning, but Bowerbirds are back on Saturday the 30th. Based on the experience I had at that last show, I can vouch for their live set. It sounds clean, it’s got that relaxing nature that the folky genre brings with a loud, powerful kick that keeps you on your toes.

Now comes a paragraph from the last time I wrote about these guys.

I feel like it mainly consists of acoustically driven sounds, with some soft drums, a couple guitars, violin, maybe an occasional woodwind or two. At least that’s what the band I am here to talk about sounds like. And that band would be Bowerbirds. Consisting of a couple from North Carolina, the band recorded a wonderful debut album in Hymns for a Dark Horse, with upbeat folky/gypsy music sounding songs, all while building a cabin in the woods. They’ve come back with a second album, Upper Air, that is more basic in sound, but a lot more “grown up”, for lack of a better term. Lyrically advanced, with words and phrases you’d expect to hear in between Andrew Bird’s eerie whistles, their sophomore LP is the perfect follow up.

Ok that was it. Not too painful right? Good. This time around, they’ll be playing with Julie Doiron, a Canadian singer-songwriter with a more traditional folky/indie rock sound. She’s great and should not be missed, so make sure to go early enough to catch her.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
1/25: The French Semester w/Team Abraham/Le Switch/Wonderground at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Last night of French Semester residency. Go see Le Switch.)
1/25: Year Long Disaster w/Dirty Sweet/Karma to Burn/Dead Meat at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Last night for the Year Long Disaster residency as well.)
1/26: Jenny Lewis and friends at Largo. 8:00PM. $40. All. (It’s a benefit for Haiti with a lota guests.)
1/26: Olin and the Moon w/The Henry Clay People/Haim at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Check The Henry Clay People out. They’re fun.)
1/26: Summer Darling w/By Sunlight/Vanaprasta/Shiloe at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $7. 21+. (Good old fashioned indie rock.)
1/28: Fruit Bats w/Citay/Extra Classic/DJ Turquoise Wisdom at the echoplex. 8:00PM. $15. All. (Fruit Bats have a nice folky sound. Kinda remind me of The Shins.)
1/29: Slang Chickens w/Superhumanoids/Boomsnake at Echo Curio. 9:00PM. $5. All. (Again. Go see Superhumanoids. And it’s BYOB!)
1/31: Part Time Punks – Depeche Mode Nite at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Go dance to your favorite post punk tunes.)

Not very many shows this week. Oh well.

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Bowerbirds w/Julie Doiron
WHEN: Saturday, January 30th @ 5:00PM
WHERE: the echo
$$$: $12
Ages: All

PICK OF THE WEEK

This week feels more like a low-key, stay-in-doors sorta week due to the monsoon outside. But hopefully we can convince you to get out Wednesday night for a great little show at Hotel Cafe. Hotel Cafe, a singer-songwriter venue, is one of those places that makes everyone happy… well unless you like mosh pits. It’s small, with a just a few tables and chairs spread through out, and two bars inside the main room as well as one in the front lobby with more places to lounge around. But the best part about this place is the music done on a small stage with a simple red curtain that makes each performance feel intimate, classy, and special in it’s own way. Wednesday night, our friend Aijia Lise will be performing a set at 10pm which is sure to put a smile on your face. Especially because she has a song called, “Rainy Day in LA” about jumping in puddles and staying off the freeways. She will be performing alongside Dru DeCaro, Josh Nyback, Roland Garcia, and Will Gramling, all of which are accomplished musicians, some have toured with the likes of Colby Caillat, others performed regularly at the House of Blues (as well as Aijia), and all will entertain you! Aijia’s been involved in several LA bands, that besides the HOB, have held residencies at the Viper Room and Apple. This talented group plays songs that might be described as “soul pop”. Catchy tunes, great vocals by Aijia and backups from the band, and overall a really excellent show that’s the perfect laid-back escape from the rain this week!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
1/18: The French Semester w/Moving Picture Show/Light FM/Downtown Union at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (French Semester residency.)
1/18: Year Long Disaster w/Imaad Wasif/Gasoline Angels/The Kris Special at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More Year Long Disaster residency.)
1/19: Superhumanoids w/Hi Ho Silver Oh/White Arrows/TFFW’s at L’Keg Gallery. 9:00PM. $5. All. (Broken record. Go see Superhumanoids. They’re sounding better than ever.)
1/19: White Demin w/Brazos at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $14. All. (Loud fun band with a lot of buzz. At a great venue too.)
1/19: Olin and the Moon w/Dusty Rhodes and the River Band at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More Olin and the Moon residency.)
1/20: Har Mar Superstar w/Neon Trees/Little Red Radio at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Never seen him live, but I’ve only heard good things. Whoever goes is in for a treat.)
1/21: Music Go Music w/Wounded Lion at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Go see Music Go Music. Really. Do it.)
1/22: Joseph Arthur at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $20. All. (The guy’s a little out there, but is a pretty good musician.)
1/23: Black Lips w/Nobunny/Jemina Pearl/DJ Simon Bennett at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $17. All. (Black Lips and Nobunny are both great live.)
1/23: Joseph Arthur at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $20. All. (If you can’t make Friday..)
1/24: Memory w/Protect Me at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)
_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Aijia Lise
WHEN: Wednesday, January 20th @ 10:00PM
WHERE: Hotel Cafe
$$$: $10
Ages: 21+

Mostly local acts this week. Nothing too big or crazy (besides the already sold out Vampire Weekend show). But it’s the new year, which means we should start to get excited about festival band confirmations. Come onnn Spacemen 3, you know you wanna reunite!

PICK OF THE WEEK
It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned these guys. Yes they’re friends, and yes I’ve mentioned them and their shows numerous times before without (at least from what I gather) any of you actually attending. But the way I look at it, if I keep recommending you see this band, eventually you’ll have to give in and check em out. Then you’ll be hooked. I promise.

The band I’m referring to? Superhumanoids of course! They haven’t played a show in a little while, what with the holidays and all, and they’re ready to get back at it. This Friday, the 15th, they’ll be playing at the Unknown Theater along with Mini Mansions and The Outline. Tickets are $10 and they get you admission + free wine/beer (only for those old enough..the show is still all ages.).
I’ve said enough about Superhumanoids over the various posts. If you want a recap, check this out. They were recently described as having a shoegazey vibe to them, which in my opinion is not only accurate, but a pretty big complement.

Go see them play.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
1/11: The French Semester w/Asbury/The Monolators/Manhattan Murder Mystery at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (French Semester residency. The Monolators and Manhattan Murder Mystery are pretty solid openers.)
1/11: Year Long Disaster w/Hydrovibe/It’s Casual/Fatso Jetson at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More Year Long Disaster residency.)
1/12: Olin and the Moon w/Eleni Mandell at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Olin and the Moon continue their Tuesday residency.)
1/12: The Parson Red Heads w/Seven Saturdays/Go West Young Man at Bootleg. 8:30PM. $8. All. (I’m a fan of The Parson Red Heads.)
1/13: The Phenomenal Handclap Band w/Holloys/Jogger/White Arrows at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Check out why there’s buzz around the Handclap Band.)
1/13: Le Switch w/The World Record at Perhsing Square. 7:00PM. Free. All. (Spaceland on Ice!)
1/13: The Meeting Places w/Wrong Way Driver/The Robotanists/Ovideo at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $7. 21+. (More good local acts.)
1/14: The Builders and the Butchers w/Blue Giant/Mia Riddle at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Nice folky/country vibe.)
1/14: Alberta Cross w/Hacienda/The Jakes at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $12. All. (Saw Alberta Cross at Coachella. Not bad.)
1/14: The Finches w/Red Pony Clock/The Paddle Boat at Synchronicity.
1/15: GZA w/Curtains/DJ Dark Alley at echoplex. 8:30PM. $16. 18+. (Could be interesting.)
1/16: A.A. Bondy w/Nik Frantis/Willy Mason at the echo. 6:00PM. $10. All. (Early show. I’m liking what I’m hearing from A.A. Bondy.)
1/16: Asobi Seksu w/Coby Brown/Yellow Red Sparks at Hotel Café. 7:00PM. $13. 21+. (It’s dream pop! Acoustic set though, so should be interesting.)
1/17: Yummy Fur w/Neverever at the echo. 10:00PM. $10. 18+. (Members of Franz Ferdinand and The 1990s. First and only show in LA!)
1/17: Adam Franklin w/Rabbits/The Arms at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Franklin was the frontman for Swervedriver.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Superhumanoids
WHEN: Friday, January 15th @ 10:00PM
WHERE: Unknown Theater
$$$: $10 (with free beer/wine)
Ages: All. 21+ to drink..obviously.

Time to get back into action. Hope everyone had a fun holiday. I happened to spending my nye at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco counting down with the morning benders. Pretty fun. Anyone go to the Spaceland show with The Henry Clay People and friends?

PICK OF THE WEEK

It’s going to take a post or two to get me rolling again. But there is definitely one (affordable) show you should really consider this week: Atlas Sound and tUnE-yArDs on Friday the 8^th. It’s the first First Fridays of the year!

Bradford Cox has become somewhat of a household name around indie music. Whether it’s Deerhunter or Atlas Sound, Cox is all over the music world. His successful collaboration with Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) on the latest Atlast Sound album, Logos, didn’t hurt either. So what can I say about the band. He has this ambient, almost dream-like sound that can probably be attributed to the fact that a lot of the time he writes his music in a stream-of-consciousness. He writes lyrics as he’s recording, and he adds layers to his songs till he feels they sound right. The music definitely has that experimental pop sound to it that has been gaining so much popularity over the last year or two.

As if Atlas Sound wasn’t enough, the weird and talented tUnE-yArDs will be playing as well. The moniker of Merrill Garbus, tUnE-yArDs has a kind of lo-fi sound unlike anything you’ve really heard. I was fortunate enough to see her open for Micachu and the Shapes and wow. I had no idea what to expect when just one woman walked up to the stage around 3 or 4 instruments. But Garbus was able to craft some unique and awesome tunes with the power of a computer, loop pedal, her voice, and maybe 2 or 3 other instruments. The styles of her songs range from kind of a reggae vibe to melancholy pop ballads, so I guess the only way to describe her music would be..experimental. Whatever the case, her booming voice and ability to make music out of what seems to be almost nothing, is definitely worth seeing in person.

Oh. And the show is at the Natural History Museum. And is $9. Yea I know.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
1/04: The French Semester w/Letting Up Despite Great Faults/The Spires/The Health Club at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The first of The French Semester residency at the echo. Go early to see Letting Up Despite Great Faults.)
1/04: Year Long Disaster w/Open Hand/Totimoshi at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The beginning of the Year Long Disaster residency. Pretty good rock music.)
1/05: Whispering Pines w/Old Toy Trains/Space Waves at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (Pretty good folky/roots music.)
1/05: Olin and the Moon w/Marnie Herald at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Olin and the Moon begin their Tuesday night residency at the echo.)
1/05: Odd Modern w/Funeral Party/Casxio/Hot Streets at The Viper Room. 8:00PM. $10. 21+. (I’m a fan of Funeral Party and Casxio. Should be fun.)
1/06: Wet and Reckless w/Butterfly Child/Tigers Can Bite You/Rhone Occupation at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $7. 21+. (I happened to see one of Wet and Reckless’ first shows. Good stuff.)
1/06: Twilight Sleep w/Kissing Cousins at Pershing Square. 7:00PM. Free. All. (It’s Origami Vinyl night at Spaceland on Ice!)
1/06: Pearl Harbour w/Young Prisms/Woodsman/Allah Las at The Smell. 9:00PM. $5. All. (There’s some buzz around this Pearl Harbour band.)
1/07: The Happy Hollows w/George Glass/One Trick Pony/Dirt Dress at The Mint. 7:30PM. $10. All. (The Happy Hollows put on a wonderful residency at Spaceland in November. See them if you missed it.)
1/07: Rumspringa w/Mississippi Man/Links/The Silent Comedy at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Rumspringa is a great local band.)
1/08: Sweaters w/Hot Sauce Mentor at the echo. 9:00PM. $7 if 21+ and $9 if under 21. 18+. (Go after the Natural History Museum!)
1/08: The Soft Hands w/The Happy Hollows/Gangi/Useless Keys at The Viper Room. 8:00PM. $10. 21+. (A solid lineup.)
1/09: Sonic Youth w/Sic Alps at The Wiltern. 7:00PM. $30. All. (Two solid bands. One of which is Sonic Youth…)
1/09: 60 Watt Kid w/Glasser at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $7. 21+. (The newest 60 Watt Kid Album was pretty good.)
1/10: The Lymbyc System w/Helios/The One AM Radio at Bootleg. 9:00PM. $12. All. (Check out The Lymbic System.)
_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Atlas Sound w/tUnE-yArDs
WHEN: Friday, January 8th @ 5:00PM
WHERE: Natural History Museum
$$$: $9 ($6.50 with student i.d.)
Ages: All

Christmas is coming! Woo! But first..concerts.

PICK OF THE WEEK

This week’s pick isn’t necessarily about a band I’ve seen before or know all too much about. Actually, this week’s pick is about a show featuring four bands I don’t entirely know too much about at all. Why would I do this? Because I have confidence in the people organizing the show and am sure that people who attend will have a good time.

On Wednesday the 16^th, Origami Vinyl is throwing a release party at the echo celebrating their first 7” release, a two track single by San Francisco electro band Lilofee. The show will be headlined by the band, and will also feature performances by Twilight Sleep, Acid Girls, and War Tapes.

While I don’t know much about the bands playing, I can try and give you a little glimpse into the kind of music you’re in store for. War Tapes should deliver traditional indie rock that you’re all used to. Acid Girls are a DJ duo from LA that keep gaining popularity. Get ready to dance when they hit the stage. Twilight Sleep brings             rock with a synthy sound and a female vocalist that can really sing. Lilofee is an electronic band, which means more dancing..this time with a live band and singer. All in all you’re in for a fun (and free if you’re 21 or older!)night of music.  And stop by Origami Vinyl (it’s next door) beforehand between 7-9 for free beer and pizza! Can you beat that? Free food, beer, and music. Wow. Now that’s what I call a party.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
12/14: Mere Mortals w/The Meeting Places/The Black Apples/The Secret 6 at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More mere Mortals residency.)
12/14: We Are the World w/Rainbow Arabia/Jessica 6/Loving Thunder at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Manimal Vinyl continues their residency at the echo. We Are the World put on a weeirrd show.)
12/14: Mew w/The Outline at the Henry Fonda. 8:00PM. $20. All. (Good rock music.)
12/15: Aimee Mann Christmas Show featuring Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel at Largo. 9:00PM. $40. All? (Watch the married couple in action.)
12/15: The Damselles w/The Hi Hos/Evan Way/Sweet Little Things/special guests at the echo. 8:00PM. Free with a packaged toy or $5 without. All. (It’s a holiday tribute to Phil Spector!)
12/16: Correatown w/Obi Best at Pershing Square. 7:00PM. Free. All. (Spaceland on ice!)
12/16: Saint Motel w/Rumspringa/Oliver Future/Early Dolphin at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (Solid lineup.)
12/16: The Good Listeners w/The Sonus Quartet/Hi Ho Silver Oh/Penelope Fortier at Bootleg. 8:00PM. $10. All. (Check out our friends Hi Ho Silver Oh. They’re good.)
12/17: Fool’s Gold w/The Entrance Band/Tearist/DJ Josh Klinghoffer at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Fool’s Gold is blowing up. Go LA music!)
12/17: Mitchell Brown w/Lucky Dragons/Daedelus at Mountain Bar. 8:00PM. $20. 21+. (It’s a holiday fundraiser. Should be fun.)
12/18: Foreign Born w/Best Coast/El Sportivo and the Blues at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Catch Foreign Born at one of their few local shows. And Best Coast!)
12/19: The Soft Pack/Abe Vigoda/Leslie & the Badgers/Daedelus/Daddy Kev/Nobody/Kutmah at Bedrock Rehearsal. 8:00PM. RSVP and Free if you donate a toy. All. (It’s the LA Record Holiday Party.)
12/19: The Deadly Syndrome w/eskimohunter/Castledoor/The Pity Party/Signals/400 Blows at El Rey. 7:00PM. $17. All. (3rd Annual Christmas Sweater Festival.)
12/19: Jail Weddings w/Gestapo Khazi/Dalmacio von Diamond & the Enochian Keys at The Smell. 9:00PM. $5. All. (Jail Weddings are fun.)
12/20: Cobalt Cranes w/60 Watt Kid/Moses Campbell/The Arms at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free with formal wear. 21+. (Hell Ya! Holiday Party. An excuse to dress up!)
_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Lilofee 7″ Release Party with guests
WHEN: 8:30PM
WHERE: the echo
$$$: Free for 21+, $7 for under
Ages: 18+

It’s cold! And cloudy! And raining! !!!!! (About damn time.) Anyways.

PICK OF THE WEEK
There have been a lot of lo-fi, garage, pop, and whatever else type of bands sprouting up over the few years. You hear a new song and you can’t tell if the band is one you know or if it’s a new surf rock act out of San Diego. The pick this week (Agent Ribbons) is not one of those bands. Their music is kind of garagey and definitely poppy, but it’s so much more than droning vocals sung over some distorted instruments.

The all female trio from Sacramento play a baroque style of indie pop that is a light and refreshing take on a music scene that’s muddled with the same old thing. Their music has been classified as being “Victorian punk”, which could mean a lot of things. If you ask me, they sound like a folk rock band from the sixties that you would expect to hear in a cabaret. That sounds like fun doesn’t it? And if their musical styles alone don’t draw you in, I’ve also heard they put on an exciting and energetic live show. Combine the two and you have to be in for a pretty fun night.

Agent Ribbons plays at the Bootleg Theater on Thursday the 10th with The Finches and Evan Way (of the Parson Red Heads). This is a very important show for the band, which most likely means you’ll be in for a treat if you show up. So you should. Not for their sake, but for yours.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
12/07: Polyamorous Affair w/Zaza/Tearist/Laco$te at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (It’s a Manimal Vinyl residency this month.)
12/07: Mere Mortals w/Sky Parade/Threes and Nines/a special guest at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Mere Mortals begin their residency.)
12/08-09: Winston Calling: A Rock and Comedy Benefit at echoplex (the 8th) and the echo (the 9th). 7:00PM. $25 each or $35 for both. All. (Tuesday is more the music night with Black Francis, Weird Al, Tenacious D, etc. Wednesday is more comedy with Tim and Eric, Bob Odenkirk, Brian Posehn, etc.)
12/09: Spaceland on Ice w/Light FM at Pershing Square. 7:00PM. Free. All. (Fun if you can skate..I unfortunately cannot. The music should be fun though.)
12/09: Zaza w/In Waves/Io Echo (dj set) at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (I like what I’m hearing of Zaza.)
12/10: Morrissey at the Gibson Ampitheater. 8:15PM. $35-$100. All. (It’s Morrissey.)
12/11: Son Volt w/Sera Cahoone at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (Alt country.)
12/12: Princeton w/The Parson Red Heads/The Coals at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Princeton should be getting bigger soon.)
12/13: The Slits w/Weave!/Punky Reggae DJs at the echo. 10:00PM. $12. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)
12/13: Letting Up Despite Great Faults w/Death Kit/Spirit Animal/Wet & Reckless at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Buzz Bands LA Holiday party.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Agent Ribbons
WHEN: Thursday, December 10th @ 9:00PM
WHERE: Bootleg Theater
$$$: $8
Ages: All

I missed posting this yesterday. Sorrrryy. You guys missed knowing about the last Happy Hollows residency show. That’s about it. Now onto bigger and better things.

PICK OF THE WEEK

I graduated from USC, so I obviously have some sort of connection to the place. The (good) music community isn’t particularly huge, but it’s growing and getting bigger as the years go by. Pretty great acts come through and play shows affiliated by the campus and go completely unheard (just think back to that Dodos show I always talk about). So when a group of USC students, with the help of the college radio station KSCR, put together a pretty solid show, I’m obviously going to talk about it.

This Friday, KSCR and a group of students calling themselves The Sonic Gun are hosting a show featuring Pocahaunted, Nite Jewel, Slang Chickens, and L’eau Life at Gallery 1018 (10ish minutes away from campus).

The lineup really speaks for itself, but I’ll try to say a few words about some of the bands. Slang Chickens are a pretty good rock/punk band. Being friends of friends, I’ve had the pleasure to have seen them a few times and they put on a pretty fun show. Pocahaunted and Nite Jewel are well known names in the LA music scene. Pocahaunted underwent a slight transformation in their lineup, making them different than some of the recordings you may have heard, so checking them out Friday will be interesting. Nite Jewel keeps getting more and more buzz. She has that lofi dancey, recorded my music with a cassette deck sound which everyone is growing to love. Hell, even one of the most popular music blogs out there, Gorilla vs. Bear, just listed Nite Jewel’s Good Evening as one of their best albums of 2009 (awesome!).

You should go support the students and the artists. It’ll be fun.

Oh. and wembley [at] boredla [dot] com isn’t getting much activity..so uhh..let’s change that.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
12/1: Hi Ho Silver Oh w/Shakey Graves/Superhumanoids at El Cid. 8:00PM. $5. 21+. (Get there at 9 to catch Superhumanoids. You know we love them here.)
12/1: Vic Chesnutt Band w/Warpaint/Liz Durrett at echoplex. 7:30PM. $15. All. (Kind of a supergroup now.)
12/2: Helen Stellar w/Kav/Square on Square/Nightmare Air at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (A good group of local acts.)
12/3: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band w/Dirt Dress/Spirit Vine/Allah Las at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Indie rock.)
12/4: Little Dragon w/Hecuba at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $17. All. (Pretty cool Swedish electro group.)
12/4: Cold Cave w/Abe Vigoda/Former Ghosts at Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. 8:00PM. $8. All. (If you can’t make the Nite Jewel show this is a good one.)
12/5: Stellastarr* w/Transfer at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $15. 21+. (Cool new wave band.)
12/5: I wish the Girls show at Troubadour wasn’t sold out. :(. You should try to go buy scalped tickets!
12/6: Cold Cave w/Nite Jewel at the echo. 10:00PM. $10. 18+. (Part Time Punks. Awesome lineup.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Pocahaunted/Nite Jewel/Slang Chickens/L’eau Life
WHEN: Friday, December 4th @ 9:00PM
WHERE: Gallery 1018
$$$: $8 Presale (click here to buy) or $10 at the door
Ages: 18+

Sorry this is coming late, and that it’s gonna be so short. It’s been somewhat of a busy day and there aren’t that many shows to see this week cause of the holidays. That’s not to say there aren’t a few awesome ones though. Real Estate/Best Coast, Max Tundra/Deastro, Japandroids/Surfer Blood, Dum Dum Girls. Wow. Go see what you can and I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving week/weekend!

PICK OF THE WEEK
Not much to write about this week. Get some quality time in with the family. The show you’d probably want to see though would be the Julian Casablancas residency.

Casablancas is better known as the frontman/singer of The Strokes, who, whether you want to admit it or not, you all love. Well he has a solo album and has had a residency going on at the newly renovated Palace Theater in Downtown. I’ve heard great things about the shows so far. He wanted to make things extravagant and apparently he’s succeeded up till now. If you want to see what all the fuss is about you’ll have to check it out this week, as it happens to be the last Friday in November. Tickets are a little pricey ($35-50), but it’s worth it. It can be a nice post Thanksgiving outing for you and the whole family!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
11/23: The Happy Hollows w/Real Estate/Dios/One Trick Pony at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Go for Real Estate. Stay for The Happy Hollows.)
11/24: Max Tundra w/Deastro/Healamonster and Tarsier at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (Max Tundra is super talented and Deastro is just insane..in a good way.)
11/24: Real Estate w/Best Coast/Pearl Harbor at echo curio. 9:00PM. $5. All. (Best Coast is great and seeing Real Estate at such a small venue is going start becoming a rarity. It’s BYOB too!)
11/27: Rooney at the El Rey. 7:30PM. $18.50. All. (It’s Rooney. Remember them?)
11/27: Japandroids w/Surfer Blood at the echo. 8:00PM. $10. 18+. (I’ve heard the upcoming Surfer Blood debut and trust me. I may have recommended Julian Casablancas for tonight, but you may want to catch these guys first. They will get big.)
11/28: Dum Dum Girls w/The Tartans/Pearl Harbor at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (lofi LA based music. Good stuff.)
See? Short, but super sweet.

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Julian Casablancas
WHEN: 8:00PM
WHERE: Downtown Palace Theater
$$$: $35-50
Ages: All

Music!

PICK OF THE WEEK

I’m not gonna make this post an extremely long one. I know they aren’t usually anyway, but this will probably be shorter. I’m just writing this cause well, I need filler. So deal with it.

This week’s pick is The Big Pink at the El Rey on Wednesday night. I spent a good deal of my time a few months ago obsessing over shoegaze and noise pop from the 80s and early 90s. Blands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Pale Saints were playing nonstop on my computer or ipod or wherever else us hip people play music these days. If it wasn’t the old stuff, it was the new, up-and-coming shoegazers like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Seeing them at the echo a few months ago (wow they’ve been mentioned two weeks in a row now!) really got me excited about the dream pop/noise rock/shoegaze/grunge revival that I think we’re all about to face.

And then The Big Pink’s album A Brief History of Love came out. A post-shoegaze electro band out of London, where the movement started all those years ago. The album is synth heavy and throws in a myriad of ambient sounds throughout, just the way I like it. I don’t really have much more to say about the record itself, but checking these guys out on Wednesday is advisable. Imagine you’re in early 1980s London and you’re experiencing the style of music for the first time. How exciting!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
11/16: The Happy Hollows w/The Drums/Evan Way/Random Patterns. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Happy Hollows residency. This should be a good one. The Drums are awesome and go early to see friends Random Patterns.)
11/17: The King Khan & BBQ Show w/Those Darlings at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $15. All. (King Khan got arrested a couple days ago, but I think this show is still going on?)
11/18: The Hidden Cameras w/Gentleman Reg/Generationals at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Another good Canadian band brought to you by the amazing Arts & Crafts label.)
11/19: The Swell Season at the Wiltern. 7:00PM. $35. All. (Wednesday’s sold out, but you can still go on Thurs!)
11/19: Julian Casablancas at Palace Theater. 8:00PM. $35-50. All. (More of this guy’s residency.)
11/19: Dam-Funk w/Master Blazter/Kyle Hall/Peanut Butter Wolf/Hawthorne Headhunters with Coultrain/Jimi James/Funkmosphere Djs at the echo.. 8:00PM. $10. 18+. (Dam-Funk and PB Wolf stick out.)
11/20: Neon Indian w/Keenhouse/Tigercity/Little Red Radio/Short Circuit at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $12. 18+. (Neon Indian is pretty sweet.)
11/20: A Tribute to Neil Young featuring a ton of bands like Delta Spirit/The Parson Red Heads/Dead Meadow/Restavrant/etc.. at Bootleg Theater. 8:00PM. $10. All. (Sounds like fun.)
11/21: The Juan MacLean w/Parallels at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $17. 18+. (Gonna be a good show.)
11/21: Fiery Furnaces w/Crytacize/Dent May at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $17. All. (Fiery Furnaces are weird..in a good way.)
11/21: Pablove Foundation Benefit show w/Band of Horses/Tom Morello/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club/Shirley Manson/and more at Avalon. 7:30PM. $35-65. All. (Good music for a good cause.)
11/21: Kronos Quartet at the West Coast, Left Coast Festival Opening Night at Walt Disney Concert Hall. 9:30PM. $30-70. All. (Classy night out.)
11/21: Peter, Bjorn & John w/Fool’s Gold/El Perro Del Mar at Club Nokia. 7:30PM. $25. All. (PB&J annnnd Fool’s Gold.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: The Big Pink w/Crystal Anlters and IO Echo
WHEN: Wednesday, November 18th @ 7:00PM
WHERE: The El Rey
$$$: $17
Ages: All

Who saw the season finale of Mad Men last night? Wow. That’s all. Now music.

PICK OF THE WEEK
I’ve gone back and forth on when to arrive at a concert. I’m OCD when it comes to timing, so most of the time I show up early to everything, just to make sure I’m there. With concerts, I’d get there around the time doors open, so I could see all the bands. Lately, however, I’ve been showing up later and later, maybe catching the end of an opening band, right before the headliner.

Showing up late is good cause you cut right to the chase. You cut all the riffraff from the rest of the show and you’re not tired when the headliner goes on. But showing up late can also be bad, as sometimes openings bands are just as good. I remember going to a Pains of Being Pure at Heart show and seeing Girls open for them. That was a treat I would have missed out on had I showed up later.

One can say the same for showing up early (I’ll get to the pick soon, I promise). You’re too early and you get too tired by the time the headliners are on. You’re not too early and you miss out on music.

Ok. What does all this have to do with the pick? The bottom line is that I don’t know when to show up at a concert..unless I’m well aware that all acts involved are amazingly talented. And that’s just what Sunday’s Mountain Goats/Final Fantasy show is.

Final Fantasy is the brainchild of Canadian Owen Pallett, who’s also been on tour with Arcade Fire as a violinist. Pallett’s music is melodic, haunting, and beautiful. I don’t know how he turns a violin into such a central instrument (like Andrew Bird), but he succeeds at it wonderfully. He has a way of making the simplest of songs sound epic..and he named his project after the Final Fantasy video game series, which is pretty cool.

And The Mountain Goats. John Darnielle’s low-fi, folk rock outfit that, after countless singles, eps, cassettes, etc, finally seems to have struck a chord with the mainstream. His raspy, kind of whiney voice and simple guitars go great with his songs that each seem to be representative of individual moments or stories from our lives.

Put these two acts together, and there’s no decision needed. You’re showing up early. You don’t want to miss a minute. So don’t.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
11/09: The Happy Hollows w/The Soft Hands/The Widow Babies/Casxio at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More of The Happy Hollows residency.)
11/09: Band of Horses at Club Nokia. 8:00PM. $26.50. All. (You can’t not like this band.)
11/10: Lisa Hannigan w/Annie Stela at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $20. All. (She has a lovely voice.)
11/10: Bishop Allen w/Throw Me The Statue/Darwin Deez at echoplex. 8:00PM. $8. All. (These guys released an EP a month for a year. Pretty cool.)
11/11: The Dutchess and the Duke w/Greg Ashley/Seven Saturdays at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Great classic rock sounding up-and-coming.)
11/11: HEALTH w/Abe Vigoda/Tearist/Man’s Assassination, Man at the Smell. 8:00PM. $5. All. (Show to help get A/C at the venue. Woo!)
11/12: Dead Meadow w/Imaad Wasif/The Growlers/Useless Keys at echoplex. 8:00PM. $12. 18+. (Pretty solid lineup.)
11/12: F*ck Buttons w/Growing at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Fuck Buttons are great electronic/exmerimental music.)
11/13: Saul Williams and Guests at The Roxy. 8:30PM. $21.50. 18+? (Niggy Tardust. Need I say more?)
11/13: Julian Casablancas at the Palace Theater in Downtown. 8:00PM. $35-$50. All. (The first show of his residency was suppsoed to be impressive.)
11/14: Russian Circles w/Young Widows/Helms Alee at echoplex. 8:30PM. $14. 18+. (Post rock.)
11/14: Pinback at The El Rey. 8:00PM. $18. All. (I’ve seen these guys a few times. You never know what you’re gonna get with em.)
11/15: Mission of Burma w/The Henry Clay People at the echo. 8:00PM. $18. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)

______________________________________________

WHAT: The Mountain Goats w/Final Fantasy
WHEN: Sunday, November 15th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: The Music Box at the Fonda
$$$: $20
Ages: All

Sigh. Halloween is over. Now, as we take our cobwebs down and begin put our pine trees and bright lights up, we might as well take in a few shows too.

PICK OF THE WEEK
What is there to really say about The Pixies? They’re an alt rock band from the late 80s that broke up right before they would have probably reached commercial success and then decided to reform and start making music again. That’s about it.

I mean you can go on and on how their music was probably ahead of it’s time. They were precursors to whole grunge/alt rock movement in the 90s and they influenced a countless number of musicians. It seems like everyone you turn to has been affected by the band, from Kurt Cobain to Thom Yorke. Even older musicians, such as David Bowie and Bob Mould (of Husker Du) have spoken highly of the band.

For a few days this week, The Pixies will be bringing their blend of alt/indie/punk music to the Hollywood Palladium. And since this year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of their album Doolittle, they’ll be playing the LP in it’s entirety. The album features some of the band’s most popular songs and was one of the precursors to the band’s eventual breakup. Basically what I’m trying to get at is this is probably something you don’t want to miss..even if you have to shell out close to $60 for a ticket (shitty I know, but it’s worth the sacrifice). Tickets for the 5th of November seem to be sold out, but you can still get tickets for the 4th and the 6th. Go to the show and take in all the music. Who knows..if they inspiried Kurt Cobain to write “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, they might inspire you to write something awesome too.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
11/02: Shonen Knife w/Ty Segall/Mike Watt at the echo. 8:30PM. $15. 18+. (Pretty influential punk band from Japan.)
11/02: Happy Hollows w/Pepper Rabbit/Dirt Dress/and more at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The start of the Happy Hollows residency. These guys are good and sure to attract a crowd.)
11/03: Warpaint w/Seaspin/Corridor at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+ (Warpaint is a good up-and-coming.)
11/03-04: Devo at The Fonda. 8:00PM. $43-$53 (or $103 if you wanna meet the band). All. (They’ll be playing Q. Are We Not Men? A.We Are Devo! on the 3rd and Freedom of Choice on the 4th.)
11/04: Low Vs Diamond w/Melee/Voxhaul Broadcast at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Good indie rock.)
11/04: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson w/These United States/Jesse Woods at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Go early to check out my friend Cameron play with Jesse Woods.)
11/05: Avi Buffalo w/Aaron Embry/Wildbunch at the echo. 8:00PM. $10. All. (You should really check out Avi Buffalo if you haven’t already.)
11/06: Fitz and The Tantrums at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Good mix of soul music and indie rock.)
11/06: Julian Casablancas at Palace Theatre. 8:00PM. $35-$50. All. (The guy from The Strokes begins his residency in LA.)
I can’t think of anything for the weekend except one thing. Lame.
11/08: Kidrockers w/Henry Clay People and Silversun Pickups at the echo. 1:00PM. $12. All. (The catch is you need to be with a kid to get in. So go find a kid?)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: The Pixies Doolittle Tour
WHEN: November 4th, 5th, and 6th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: Hollywood Palladium
$$$: $50-$60
Ages: All

We are officially less than a week away from Halloween! How cool is that?! Now go to some shows to pass the time quickly and the next thing you know it’ll be the 31^st!

PICK OF THE WEEK

And what do you want to do for one of the most wonderful days of the year? I’m sure everyone knows a person or two throwing parties. There are parades all around the city. There’s the craziness that is West Hollywood. But how about a show? Perhaps even a show with a good band? What about the Dirty Projectors?

We all remember the buzz surrounding these guys over much of the summer which culminated in the release of Bitte Orca. The album was praised by music blogs and musicians alike, all with just cause. The band’s music is breathtaking and genre-bending. What kind of music is it? Experimental? Indie? Avant-garde? Who knows. It’s just good. The Dirty Projectors are able to take sounds and styles that you don’t think should sound good and..well make them sound good. Bitte Orca is full of catchy hooks that weren’t written to get stuck in your head but do anyway, and you kind of want them to be.

Now take October 31^st, add those feelings you had/have about the band, throw in some costumes and cool people, shake ‘em all together, and you’ll get the pick of the week, not to mention a good time. And! If you read this far (thanks) and you’re saying to yourself “Hey. It’s Halloween. I want to go out to a party and have some fun. I don’t want to spend my whole night at a concert..”, do not fret! Yes the band is playing a traditional evening show at 9:30PM but they’re also playing an early show at 7:00PM. So you have some great options. You can either get your Halloween night started with a concert and see where that takes you the rest of your night, or you can commit to this being an awesome enough event for your evening and check out the late show. Yes!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
10/26: Correatown w/Joanie Mendenhall at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Correatown residency.)
10/26: Light FM w/Nightmare Air/Modern Time Machines/Parade of Lights at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Light FM residency.)
10/27: Sunset Rubdown w/tune-yards at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $16. All. (I don’t know if he’s more well known now or if Wolf Parade still is.)
10/28: Regina Spektor w/Jupiter One at The Greek Theater. 7:30PM. $35-$45. All. (She’s fun.)
10/28: Le Loup w/Nurses/Random Patterns at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (They sound kinda Animal Collectiveish. That should be enough to get your attention.)
10/29: Built to Spill w/Disco Doom at the echo. 8:00PM. $24. 18+. (It’s Built to Spill.)
10/29: Land of Talk w/Eulogies/The Monthlies at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Their first full length was pretty good.)
10/30: Dead Man’s Bones at the echo. 7:00PM. $20. All. (Sold Out but they may have more tickets at the door. It’s worth checking out as this is RYAN GOSLING’s HALLOWEEN THEMED band. Need I say more?)
10/30: Amy Milan w/Bahamas/Annie Stela at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $15. 21+. (We all like Stars.)
10/31: Dead Man’s Bones at the echo. 6:00PM. $20. All. (Again there might be tickets available at the door the night of.)
11/1: So Many Wizards w/Pizza!/Old Blood/Fort Wife at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Nice people. Good music. Free. Why not?)
11/1: Part Time Punks w/Times New Viking/Sic Alps/Axemen at the echo. 9:00PM. $15. 18+. (Part Time Punks with some good bands.)
7/29: Das-Funk w/Ras G, Incyde! at Airliner. 10:00PM. $10. 18+. (Low End Theory.)
7/29: Crystal Antlers w/Mika Miko, Audacity at Alex’s Bar. 8:00PM. $8. 21+. (Orange County show.)
7/30: Castanets w/Warmer Milks at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Interesting stuff.)
7/30: Barrio Tiger w/Angus Khan, Jessie Deluxe, Thunderdikk at the echo. 8:30PM. $5. 18+. (Rock.)
7/30: Gram Rabbit w/Oliver Future at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $12. All. (Good stuff.)
7/30: Down and Derby Roller Disco at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $10. 21+. (Show off your skate dancing skills.)
7/31: Future of the Left w/Japandroids, Dead Ponies at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Some up and coming acts.)
7/31: Deerhoof w/Busdriver, Avocet at the echoplex. 8:00PM. $12. All. (Nice lineup!)
7/31: Stellastarr* w/Wild Light, Mason Proper at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $20. All. (It’s been a while since I’ve heard from Stellastarr*.)
7/31: Anavan w/Dazzler at the echo. 9:00PM. $8. 18+. (Noise rock.)
8/01: Company of Thieves at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (It’s a slow Saturday. If this show doesn’t interest you, do some other fun thing!)
8/02: Grant Langston w/Lisa & Her Kin, The Chris Miller Band at the echoo. 5:00PM. Free. (Grand Ole Echo. If you’re bored on a Sunday. Again though. Slow weekend for good music.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: The Dirty Projectors
WHEN: Halloween! Saturday, October 31st @ 7:00PM and 9:30PM
WHERE: Rec Center Studio in Echo Park
$$$: $20
Ages: All

Why can’t Los Angeles baseball teams win when they get to division series? Let’s hope they both prove me wrong by the time this is read by the two people that read it. On to music.

PICK OF THE WEEK

I’m gonna make this easy on myself. Go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow.

If you like music, than I’m sure you’ve heard of the band. It seems like they’ve been all over the place lately. They released an extremely popular album earlier this year with Veckatimest, they’ve been touring and playing at festivals nonstop all summer, and they’ve even got a song on the upcoming (and really good) New Moon soundtrack. But don’t let the fact that they seem to be the new kings of indie rock be the only deciding factor. Go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow at the Palladium because they just sound awesome.

I saw them earlier on this year at the Troubadour and I was floored. Their sound is just so melodic and tight. I couldn’t decide if I preferred hearing Dan Rossen or Ed Droste sing cause both sound so good. And the whole band’s ability to harmonize with one another and with the music just cannot be explained in words. Bottom line is you just gotta go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow.

So. I haven’t really said much about the band and I don’t think I have to. Hopefully I said enough with that first sentence (and the subsequent repeating of the statement at the end of every paragraph.). Go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
10/19: Correatown w/Charlie Wadhams/Deerheart/The Hereafter at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More Correatown residency.)
10/19: Light FM w/His Orchestra/The Meeting Places/Lost Lake at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Light FM residency.)
10/20: Noah and the Whale w/Robert Francis at the Roxy. 8:00PM. $17. All. (Noah and the Whale are pretty fun.)
10/20: Why? w/AU/Serengeti & Polyphonic at the echoplex. 8:00PM. $15. All. (Why? are pretty cool.)
10/21: Choir of Young Believers w/Buddy/Make Moon at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (I’d go see these guys if I were you.)
10/22: Thee Oh Sees w/Fresh & Onlys/Dan Melchior at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (I’m a huge fan of Thee Oh Sees. You will be too once you see em.)
10/22: Liam Finn + Eliza Jane w/Jason Lytle/The 88 at the echoplex. 8:30PM. $16. 18+. (A little softer sound than the show going on upstairs at the echo.)
10/23: Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $26. All. (Playing songs from their Kerouac album.)
10/23: Kurt Vile and the Violators w/White Arrows/Under the Asbury at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Kurt Vile is starting to get more attention.)
10/23: Jeremy Jay w/Sea Lions/The Cigarette Bums at the Smell. 8:00PM. $5. All. (Jeremy Jay is weird.)
10/24: Abe Vigoda w/These are Powers/Mi Ami/Moses Campbell at the Smell. 8:00PM. $7. All. (Abe Vigoda at the Smell.)
10/24: Islands w/Toro Y Moi/Jemina Pearl at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $18. All. (This’ll be fun.)
10/24: Daniel Johnston at the Fonda. 8:00PM. $25. All. (The guy is kind of legendary now.)
10/25: Tegan and Sara at Orpheum. 7:00PM. $39. All. (I like what I’ve heard of their new album.)

_________________________

WHAT: Grizzly Bear
WHEN: Tuesday, October 20th @7:00PM
WHERE: The Hollywood Palladium
$$$: $26.50
Ages: All

RAINNNN….is almost here. Maybe even by the time I finish writing this post. Who knows. But it’s cold and cloudy. And that makes me happy. You know what goes great with this weather? Music.

PICK OF THE WEEK
Yup cold, cloudy weather and music..not much could be better. In fact, I think a recent tweet by the artist whose show is the pick this week says it best. “cloudy days work better for music” -@nosajthing.

I’m not the biggest expert when it comes to electronic music. I know it sounds good and that I like it, but when I see a guy take a few instruments, samples, and some synthesizers, jumble them all up together on a laptop and make music that actually makes sense to your ears in an odd way, I’m just confused. That’s pretty much what LA’s Nosaj Thing (Jason Chung) does.

With genres ranging from pop to electronic to hip hop to experimental, this guy’s music is all over the place. His music is haunting, glitchy yet catchy, poppy, and overall just very well produced. Being somewhat of a new face in the game (he’s been around for a while, but his debut album Drift, was just released in June), Chung is quickly rising to the top of the LA electro scene that includes other big names like Flying Lotus and Daedelus. You can catch him playing at Low End Theory every once in a while and most recently opening for the like of Fever Ray, but on Saturday you can catch him, for free, at the Ground Zero Coffee House at USC.

I guess I’m a bit biased cause I went to the school, but Ground Zero is a pretty cool place to catch up-and-coming acts. For starters, it’s a small place, making shows really intimate. Like I said in a previous post, seeing the Dodos there in front of no more than 30 people was unbelievable. The venue definitely has that college vibe to it, and while a lot of you may not yet be in college or already have graduated, you know you’re either really excited about the idea or really miss it (respectively). And bottom line, the show is free. You’d be seeing a really great producer/dj for free in a small venue. Neat.

Also playing will be the local act Rainbow Arabia, an electro duo that blend a lot of Middle Eastern and African sounds into their music, which will surely get people dancing.

Hopefully I’ll be seeing you there. Find out more information here at the event’s facebook page.

And rememberrrrrr wembley [at] boredla [dot] com!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
10/12: Correatown w/Square on Square/Summer Darling/The Rhone Occupation at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More Correatown residency.)
10/12:  Light FM w/Kav/Obi Best/Wrong Way Driver at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (And some more Light FM residency.)
10/12: Great Lake Swimmers w/The Wooden Bird/Laura Gibson at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $17. All. (A great band to see on an overcast day.)
10/13-15: Bob Dylan and his band at the Hollywood Palladium. 7:30PM. like $70 after convenience crap. All. (It’s expensive..but it’s also Bob Dylan.)
10/14: Junior Boys w/Circlesquare at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $18. All. (It’s a Halloween Fall tour!)
10/14: Random Patterns w/Dearling Psysique/Ian Cooke/Superhumanoids at Bootleg Theater. 9:00PM. $8. All. (Two friends of the site and great musicians. Stay for Superhumanoids!)
10/15: Dan Deacon w/Nuclear Power Pants at the echo. 8:00PM. $10. All. (Go!)
10/15: BLK JKS w/The Growlers/Mack Winston and the Reflections at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Should be interesting.)
10/16: Thao with the Get Down Stay Down w/Portland Cello Project/David Schultz at echoplex. 8:00PM. $14. 18+. (I’ve heard good things about her.)
10/16: Dan Deacon w/Nuclear Power Pants/Special Guests at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. 8:00PM. $10. All. (Go! Again.)
10/17: Wavves w/The Soft Pack/Ganglias at the echo. 8:30PM. $not sure. 18+. (Wavves and The Soft Pack. Not bad.)
10/18: Part Time Punks w/Bare Wires at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (First Part Time Punks after the fest.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Nosaj Thing
WHEN: Saturday, October 17th @ 8:00PM
Where: Ground Zero Coffee House @ USC
$$$: Free!
Ages: All

Eagle Rock Music Fest go ok on Sat? I went for a little, but it was mostly just to browse and wander. I didn’t actually get to see any of the bands perform. How was No Age? The Happy Hollows? Any other band? Moving on, we have yet another festival to look forward to this weekend.

PICK OF THE WEEK
The festival taking place this weekend (Sunday to be specific) is a little different than the ones we’ve been attending lately. Sunset Junction and Eagle Rock took place along a whole strip of a street. There were booths and festival food and bars open and all the fun things you’re used to seeing at “festivals”. The F Yeah Fest took place in a big open park, yet another common take on what a festival is known to look like.


On Sunday, however, the festival will take on a bit of a different feel (think last years F Yeah). The 2nd Annual Part Time Punks Festival will be held inside both the echo and the Echoplex. I have no idea why I built up the location of the event for so long (probably just to fill space on this post) but let’s get down to business. Why should you go.


You should go to see The Raincoats. Forming in the late 70s, they were the second ever all girls punk band, and were loved by Kurt Cobain. Their sound is more post-punky, which is kind of more experimental punk (think punk with synths and a pop twist). The PTP Fest marks their first ever appearance in Los Angeles, something you don’t really want to miss.


You should also go to see Section 25. Another post-punk band from the late 70s, Section 25 are playing the city of Angels for the first time as well. They are truly innovators of the post-punk genre, even if they were originally typecast as a Joy Division clone. They blend a kind of techo sound into their music, heavily influenced by the German Krautrock movement.


Stepping into the modern, more recent side of things, you’ll also be hearing from a lot of up-and-coming bands in the punk, indie, electronic spectrum. One’s that I’m personally excited about are Abe Vigoda (formerly representin the Inland Empire!), Rainbow Arabia, and Crystal Stilts. You get a kind of noise punk vibe from Abe Vigoda, a kind of worldly electronic sound from Rainbow Arabia, and a low-fi garage rock feel from Crystal Stilts. A nice eclectic mix to get you excited. While not familiar with some of the other bands playing the festival, I’m sure more are acts to get excited about.


If all that music isn’t enough for you, you’ll also be getting DJ sets by the likes of Gang of Four (yet another post-punk band) members Hugo Burnham & Dave Allen, so things can’t get much better. All in all, things are set for a great Sunday afternoon and night. I bet you can’t wait.


Don’t forget! wembley [at] boredla [dot] com

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
10/05: School of Seven Bells w/Warpaint/Phantogram at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $15. All. (Great couple of bands.)
10/05: Light FM w/We Barbarians/Tigers Can Bite You/Queen Kwong Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Light FM residency.)
10/05: Correatown w/The Voyeurs/Eagle & Talon/Bandito Royale at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+ (Correatown residency.)
10/06: Dr. Dog w/Jeffrey Lewis/Everest at The Fonda. 8:00PM. $18. All. (Dr. Dog and Everest. Awesome.)
10/06: Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 w/The Parson Red Heads at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $20. 21+. (Robyn Hitchcock has kind of an unground following. I’m a fan.)
10/07: Jack Penate w/Miike Snow at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Should be a nice, mellow show.)
10/08: A Hawk and A Hacksaw w/Damon & Naomi/The Grizzly Owls at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (A Hawk and A Hacksaw are wonderful.)
10/08: Har Mar Superstar w/Brother Reade/Kesha at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (This should be a fun show.)
10/09: Metronomy w/Destructo/Fool’s Gold at The Roxy. 9:00PM. $13.50. All. (Fun.)
10/10: Polvo w/The Moon Upstairs/Modern Memory at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $15. 21+. (Math rock.)
10/11: Sunny Day Real Estate w/The Jealous Sound/Dead Country at The Fonda. 8:00PM. $23. 18+. (I’m gonna be so angry at myself later for not seeing these guys. It’s sold out btw.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Part Time Punks Festival
WHEN: Sunday, October 11th @ 2:00PM till 2:00AM
WHERE: the echo & Echoplex (enter at Echoplex)
$$$: $25
Ages: 18+