Ok. So maybe I forgot to write this post yesterday because I was playing Risk. Can you really blame me? I didn’t think so.

PICK OF THE WEEK
Alright. This is going to be relatively short. When I heard Voxtrot’s first two EPs, Raised by Wolves and Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives, I was an instant fan. Any band writing solid songs that give off a Smiths vibe is going to impress me. A year or two later, they released their self titled LP, and while it wasn’t up to the caliber of those first two releases, it wasn’t that bad. They definitely had much greater potential, but with the pressure they were faced with from their instant success, they did the best they could. It wasn’t my favorite, but it did get me excited for future albums.

Well Voxtrot is breaking up. I’m not too happy about it, but it’s happening. They did, however, just embark on one last small 8 show tour that’s passing through LA on Thursday the 27th. I think we all owe them a good send off. I know these guys are all great musicians and are capable of great things. While I wish they stuck together and gave it another go, I’ll trust that this is the right decision and will look forward to their various other projects, like an opening band playing for Thursday’s show, The Black.

The bottom line is that we need to show the guys in Voxtrot that Los Angeles enjoyed their music over the last 5+ years. And if you just recently heard of them, now is your only chance, so make it count. Go crazy, have fun, and give them a night to remember.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/25: The Airborne Toxic Event and Amnesty International w/Red Cortez at the echo. 8:30PM. $30. All. (It’s a benefit show for the Neda Project.)
5/26: Nada Surf w/Telekinesis at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $20. All. (I’m a pretty big fan of Telekinesis.)
5/26: Baths w/Poirier at Airliner. 10:00PM. $10. 21+. (Low End Theory.)
5/26: The Horse Thieves w/Jack Ladder//Moris Tepper//Amanda Jo Williams at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (This should be a fun night of music.)
5/26: Dragonette w/Evan Voytas//White Arrows at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (A dancy/chill night at the echo. I saw Evan Voytas a week or two ago and was pretty impressed.)
5/27: Spectrum w/The Meek//Cannoneers at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Kind of experimental. Also has some ex Spacemen 3 members.)
5/28: The Parson Red Heads w/Or The Whale//Olin and the Moon//Whispering Pines at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $7. 21+. (Don’t pass up an opportunity to see The Parson Red Heads.)
5/28: Frog Eyes w/Mount St. Helen’s Vietnam Band at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (Carey Mercer’s band. Good stuff.)
5/28: Plants & Animals at Origami Vinyl. 6:00PM. Free. All. (Watch a live show, buy some records, and hang out.)
5/30: Miike Snow w/Canon Blue at El Rey. 8:00PM. $30. All. (Great live show. I’d be here if I were you.)
5/30: Dead Rock West//Funeral Club//Viki Hill//Tippy Canoe at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)
5/30: DJ Jose Maldonado at Smiths/Morrissey Nite at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Voxtrot Goodbye, Cruel World Tour
WHEN: Thursday, May 27th @ 8:30PM
WHERE: the echoplex
$$$: $15
Ages: 18+

There are way too many shows this week that could be featured. You should probably be out every night soaking in the wonderful musicians that all happen to be here at the same time. Some big names are sold out, but there’s still plenty to do. Most of me wants to write about the Frightened Rabbit show on Sunday, but…

PICK OF THE WEEK
I can’t honestly pick anything else this week other than Future Islands. This trio out of Baltimore has been around for about four or so years now and have just released their second album, In Evening Air, two weeks ago on Thrill Jockey. I heard the album a few months back and had enjoyed it, but now I can’t stop listening to it. I play it at least once a day.

Often associated with Wham City (the Baltimore collective made famous by Dan Deacon), these guys aren’t necessarily something you’d expect to see in a typical band. They don’t have a drummer or guitarist. It’s more or less a synth, keyboard, bass, and vocals. This minimalist approach doesn’t take away from the songs though, as they are all full and vibrant, and incredibly emotional. Singer Sam Herring’s voice is so soulful, he could make anything sound good. Think a poppy Tom Waits singing in kind of an 80s synthpop band. That’s Future Islands.

They’ll be playing Friday the 21st at Synchronicity and Saturday the 22nd at The Smell. And guess what! The show on Saturday is with our pals Superhumanoids! And Pizza!! I can’t really stress the potential awesomeness of seeing a show featuring Superhumanoids, Pizza! and Future Islands. It could be one of the best things you do all year. So you better do it.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/17: The Like w/Jail Weddings//Gestapo Khazi//Starfucker at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The Like continue their residency.)
5/17: Sweethead w/Earthlings?//Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss//Red Fang at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More of the Sweethead residency.)
5/18: Jonathan Richman featuring Tommy Larkins at the smell. 9:00PM. $15. All. (You can’t really go wrong with Jonathan Richman.)
5/18: Rory Erickson w/Okkervil River at The Music Box. 8:00PM. $30. All. (This should be a good time.)
5/18: 60 Watt Kid w/Voicesvoices//Pizza!//Tan Dollar at the echo. 8:30PM. $5. 18+. (Good group of local acts.)
5/19: Caribou w/Toro y Moi//Dublab DJs at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (The new Caribou album is wonderful.)
5/19: Baths residency at the Airliner. 10:00PM. $10. 18+. (Low End Theory.)
5/20: Massive Attack at the Wiltern. 7:00PM. $50. All. (The first two dates are sold out. There are still some tickets for this one.)
5/20: Shout Out Louds w/Freelance Whales//The Franks//DJ Daisy O’Dell at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (Check out our friends The Franks play on the big stage. Fun!)
5/21: The National at the Wiltern. 8:00PM. $22-$30. All. (A lot of buzz around these guys after their new album.)
5/21: Shadow Shadow Shade at Bootleg. 10:00PM. $10. 21+. (Band formerly known as Afternoons.)
5/21: Shout Out Louds w/Freelance Whales//DJ Daisy O’Dell at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (No Franks this time, but still a good time.)
5/21: The Drowning Men w/The Pity Party//The Franks//The Damn Sons at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Catch The Franks here if you missed em. The Pity Party is always a good act to catch too.)
5/22: Clem Snide w/Heliogoats at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (I’m liking what I’m hearing of their new stuff.)
5/23: Frightened Rabbit at The Music Box. 7:00PM. $15. All. (They’re from Scotland. Anything else? They also make good music.)
5/23: Groovy Rednecks w/The Cheatin’ Kind//Robert Black at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)
5/23: Geneva Jacuzzi w/Soft Metals at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Future Islands
WHEN: Friday, May 21st @ 8:00PM (with Foot Village, Robedoor, and Lower Dens) and Saturday, May 22nd @ 9:00PM (with Pizza!, Superhumanoids, and Lower Dens)
WHERE: Friday is at Synchronicity and Saturday is at the smell
$$$: Friday is either free or $5. Saturday is $5.
Ages: All

Anyone go to First Fridays last week? How bout Mono, or any other concerts? Let us know!

PICK OF THE WEEK
Not many people seem to know of The Besnard Lakes, which is a shame. We can change this, however, when we all see them at the Troubadour this Thursday along with LA indie rockers Happy Hollows.

I was fortunate enough to see The Besnard Lakes at SXSW, and I can attest to their awesomeness. Like a lot of other dream rock/shoegaze bands out there today, they bring more of a wall of sound vibe to their live shows. The melodies and guitar solos and all that are still there, but live, they are louder and generally more noisy. This provides for a great live experience, as you’re getting the best of both worlds. The loudness coupled with their Beach Boysesque vocal harmonizing results in some pretty great music. Another way to describe the band is to tell you they’re from Montreal. While they aren’t as crazy as some of the other bands to come form that scene, it should give you a general idea of the kind of music we’re dealing with.

Opening for The Besnard Lakes are the lovely Happy Hollows, a band you should all show up early for. I’ve seen them a couple times around town and they always give it their all. Singer/guitarist Sarah Negahdari puts an incredible amount of energy into each song, smiling all the way through. They’re kind of a guitar-driven indie rock band that like to have fun at their shows. You couldn’t ask for much more. So check them and The Besnard Lakes out Thursday night. What a fun night out!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/10: The Like w/The New Fidelity//Bloodbath at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The Like begin their residency.)
5/10: Sweethead w/Ashes Divide//Normandie//Dead White Underbelly at Spaceland. 8:30Pm. Free. 21+. (It’s the Sweethead album release party.)
5/11: Fuck Buttons w/Sun Araw//Infinite Body at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $15. All. (I’ve heard Fuck Buttons are great live.)
5/12: Evan Voytas w/Bell Gardens//Superhumaniods at the echo. 8:30PM. $7. 18+. (Superhumanoids! If they have a show, you know it’s gonna be on here.)
5/12-13: Ben Folds w/Kate Miller-Heidke at the Music Box. 8:00PM. $35. All. (It’s Ben Folds. Click here for the 12th and here for the 13th.)
5/13: Ninjasonik w/Weave! at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Interesting punkish hip hop music. Think The Death Set.)
5/13: Jakob Dylan & Three Legs at the Wiltern. 8:00PM. $25-$45. All. (Interesting new band for Dylan, featuring Neko Case.)
5/14: Turin Breaks w/Hard Drugs//Lucy Schwartz at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (It’s an acoustic set.)
5/14: Flying Lotus w/Ras G//Samiyam//Dr. Strangeloop//Kutmah//Jeremiah Jae at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $20. 18+. (Flying Lotus is great live. And his new album is blowing up.)
5/15: Annuals w/The Most Serene Republic//What Laura Says at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (A bunch of great bands.)
5/15: Flying Lotus w/Ravi Coltrane//The Gaslamp Killer//Gonjasufi//Matthewdavid at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $20. 18+. (Pick your day. I feel this will be more crowded thanks to Gaslamp.)
5/16: Sea Wolf at The Autry. 7:30PM. $15. All. (Guess Spaceland Productions is putting on a show at The Autry Museum.)
5/16: Xeno & Oaklander//Epee Du Bois//Frank Alpine at the echo. 10:00PM. $8. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: The Besnard Lakes w/The Happy Hollows
WHEN: Thursday, May 13th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: Troubadour
$$$: $12
Ages: All

Summer is right around the corner. That doesn’t have much to do with concerts, but I thought I’d mention it. When the sun goes down and you’re rested from a long, relaxing day at the beach, why not check out some live music?

PICK OF THE WEEK
Initially, I started this post with a blurb about how the pick should have been tonight’s sold out Broken Social Scene show at The Music Box or First Fridays with The Tallest Man on Earth (which is also kind of sold out). As I wrote about “the alternative”, however, I realized it actually was a better pick than either of those. So here’s your legitimate pick of the week; a show I definitely don’t think you want to miss.

Post rock is an interesting genre helmed by bands like Sigur Ros, the newly reunited Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Mogwai. I am a fan of the music as it relaxes me and is pleasing to the ear, but I’ve never been to a live show. The genre is characterized by noisy and melodic, (mostly)instrumental rock music. Not sure how that translates to the live show, but I promise a good place to find out is Friday night at the El Rey with Japanese post rock band Mono.

They’ve been around since 1999 and have released five studio albums, giving them a pretty large catalogue to check out if you’re curious. Even with all the albums under their belt, they consider themselves more of a live band and attempt to create an “unforgettable” live performance at shows. Their music is influenced by various musical styles, from shoegaze to minimalism to classical. Listening to their 10-15 minute long tracks puts you in a kind of trance, with fast paced, noisy ups and slow, melodic downs. I can’t imagine the emotions brought out by the live versions. That is reason enough to be there Friday. Fortunately, that isn’t all you’re in store for.

Opening for the post rock band are the indie rockers from Glasgow, The Twilight Sad. With Scottish bands like Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks popping up lately, The Twilight Sad have gotten kind of mixed in with the crowd. In my opinion, these guys are the best out of that ’scene’. Lead singer James Graham describes their sound as “folk with layers of noise”. The recordings have a dreamy/indie rock vibe with layer upon layer of sound and a singer with a heavy Scottish accent. Their live shows, however, are supposed to be noisier and create that wall of sound you get with other noise/shoegaze bands. Go early and see these guys play.

You’re in for a pretty fun night at this concert. You’re getting two international bands known for their intense live shows at the same place. Bring some friends, drink some Scotch, and maybe even wear some earplugs.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/03: Sweethead w/The Damn Sons at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The start of the Sweethead residency. Something a little different.)
5/03: War Tapes w/Dimmer//Jack Ladder//Future Ghost at Silverlake Lounge. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (War Tapes begin their residency.)
5/04: Broken Social Scene at Amoeba Hollywood. 6:00PM. Free. All. (If you don’t have tickets to their Monday night show, this could be fun. You have to show up EARLY though.)
5/04: Oh Darling w/Actress//Dirt Bird at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Fun indie rock. And it’s free!)
5/05: Pacha Massive w/Wait. Think. Fast.//Clorofila at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (I’m a fan of Wait. Think. Fast. Party time!)
5/05: Dosh w/White Hinterland//The Baths at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Never seen Dosh solo, but his albums are great and he rocks out supporting Andrew Bird.)
5/05: Eluvium w/Bell Gardens//Benoit Pioulard//Whale Fall at Bootleg. 8:00PM. $10. 21+.
5/06: Flying Lotus at Amoeba Hollywood. 7:00PM. Free. All. (Saw this guy not too long ago and was blown away.)
5/06: Spirit Vine w/Hocus Pocus//My Pet Saddle//Roughed Up Folk at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (Good local lineup.)
5/06: Spindrift w/Nurses//Magic Mirror at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Spindrift have an interesting, western sound.)
5/07: The Janks w/Veil Era//Fim//Woolen at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Come check out some friends play some good music.)
5/07: The Tallest Man on Earth at Natural History Museum. 5:00PM. $15-$40. All. (I think tickets to the show are sold out. You can still get in if you buy an annual pass though.)
5/08: Warpait w/Priestbird at Bootleg. 10:00PM. $10. 21+. (Go see Warpaint.)
5/08: Los Campesinos! w/Signals at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $22. All. (Fun British band. Apparently if you bring your mom you get in free?)
5/09: Les Savy Fav w/We Barbarians//LA Ghost at echoplex. 8:30PM. $18. 18+. (I’ve heard amazing things about the Les Savy Fav live show.)
5/09: Dave Gleason and the Golden Cadillacs w/Mojo Monkeys//The Coals at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Mono w/Twilight Sad
WHEN: Friday, May 7th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: The El Rey
$$$: $20
Ages: All

I missed last weeks write up. Too much Coachella left me with no choice but to take a sick day. I’m back though, and while there aren’t too many shows this week, there are enough to get excited about.

PICK OF THE WEEK

The Antlers/Phantogram show that’s at the Troubadour this Friday was supposed to be the pick of the week, but it sold out. I expected to buy myself a ticket before I started writing, but that didn’t happen either. If you’re going to this show I’m incredibly jealous. If you’re not and want to, try to scalp a ticket. I might try, as Hospice (the latest Antlers album) is one of my favorite albums in forever and Phantogram puts on too good of a live show to miss. That being said, however, Avi Buffalo does have a record release show at the same venue the next night.

Since 2008, I’ve probably seen him/the band (Avi happens to be the singer/songwriter who formed a band with the same name) a minimum of  6 times. I’ve been to residencies at the echo, solo acoustic shows, and even in Austin for SXSW. What I’m trying to say is, this band is good. They haven’t had an official label release, and yet they keep drawing people back over and over. Avi just has a knack for writing really special pop songs, without compromising his desire to rock out from time to time. The band is probably one of the youngest out there (they’re seniors or just graduated high school) but that doesn’t get in the way of their success. After a few years of wowing the Los Angeles area, they signed to Sub Pop and now have their first record ready for release. The show on Saturday at the Troubadour is a celebration of this accomplishment.

To get a glimpse into what Avi brings to the table, he learned to play guitar with the help of various classic blues guitarists in Long Beach and WIlco’s Nels Cline (lead guitarist) is one of his major inspirations. Watching him shred away at a guitar physically bigger than him is something everyone needs to see at least once. He channels some other force, causing him to twitch and shake while his fingers manage to create unbelievable sounds. Avi isn’t the only good part of the band though, as he has surrounded himself with friends who happen to be great musicians in their own right. The album comes out tomorrow the 27th, so go out and get your copy, give it a few listens, then watch it all unfold live on Saturday.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
4/26: Waking Sleep w/Radar Bros//Obi Best//The Henry Clay People at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The last night of Waking Sleep’s residency. They’re going out with a bang with some big names. It’ll be tough getting in, but it’ll be well worth it.)
4/26: Helen Stellar w/Repeater//Robotanists//Fictionist at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Last of Helen Stellar’s residency.)
4/26: So Many Wizards w/Tomorrow Tulips//The Fling//Hotel St. George at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. Free. 21+. (Another residency coming to an end.)
4/27: Dr. Dog w/Deer Tick//Pepi Ginsberg at The Music Box. 8:00PM. $20. All. (You can’t really go wrong with Dr. Dog.)
4/27: Juliette Lewis w/Tahiti Boy and Palmtree Family//22-20s at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (This could be interesting..)
4/27: Whispertown w/Chasing Kings//All Wrong and the Plans Change//Tod Wisenbaker at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. $8. 21+. (Been a fan of Whispertown since I saw em play with The Elected a while back.)
4/28: Aquaserge w/Sister Crayon//Corridor//Casper and the Cookies at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Aquaserge features members of Stereolab and Acid Mothers Temple.)
4/29: Lemon Sun w/Leopold and his Fiction//Red Arrow Messenger at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Solid indie rock.)
4/29: Dante Vs. Zombies w/Woah Hunx//Apes of Wrath at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (They dress up, put on a fun show, and make good garagy/catchy music. Good enough for me.)
4/29: Rouge Wave w/Man/Miracle//JBM at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $18.50. All. (Rouge Wave is a nice, mellow band.)
4/30: Nite Jewel w/Sugar & Gold//Luxxury at the echo. 8:00PM. $10. 18+. (Nite Jewel is great.)
4/30: Growing w/Eric Copeland//Bipolar Bear//Cyber Grind at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Noise rock!)
5/1: Nico Stai w/Shadow Shadow Shade//The Black Apples at Bootleg. 9:00PM. $10. 21+. (All great bands. Nico Stai was real fun when I saw em in Austin.)
5/1: No Age w/Growing//Eric Copeland//White Shit at Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. 8:00PM. $10. All. (It’s essentially Friday’s show with..No Age. Nice.)
5/1: The Ponys w/Disappears//Christmas Island at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Pretty good punk music.)
5/1: Big Whup w/Pizza!//60-Watt Kid//So Many Wizards at the smell. 9:00PM. $5. All. (Solid lineup of local bands, with some real nice people mixed in.)
5/2: Solid Gold w/Marvelous Toy//22-20s//Jacques Baraban at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Solid Gold is a mellow, electro/indie band. You would like em.)
5/2: Title Tracks w/Voxhaul Broadcast//Catwalk at the echo. 10:00PM. $8. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)
5/2: Old Californio w/Pauls Chesne Band//The Believers at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Avi Buffalo Record Release Show
WHEN: Saturday, May 1st @ 8:00PM
WHERE: Troubadour
$$$: $12
Ages: All

I know Coachella should be the pick of the week. I’m going, and hopefully you are too. But if you are going, you probably already know why. If you’re not, well what the hell should you be doing this weekend? There’s plenty going on all week, including the weekend, and this is a blog about LA, so why not something local as the pick of the week?

PICK OF THE WEEK
Saturday, April 17th is Record Store Day. It’s an event started a few years ago to celebrate independent record stores around the world. Stores all over are going to have live music and events lined up for the celebration, along with many limited vinyl releases made exclusively for the day. There are a few different records stores in the city, but head over to Origami Vinyl in Echo Park to see some bands, buy some music, and have an all around good time.

The store opens at 10:00AM for those of you looking for that rare release. Check their blog the day before for the list of records they’re getting and show up early to shop. Things are very limited, especially since it’s a small store, so you don’t want to miss out on that 69 Love Songs box set or limited edition Blur single (I don’t even know if they’ll have those. They’re just two of the many things I want.).

At 2:00PM, after you’ve emptied your wallet and then some on cool reissues and limited singles, the music kicks off. The bands set to play are: Dum Dum Girls, Male Bonding, One AM Radio, Adam Harding, and Lou Barlow + The Missing Men. Lou Barlow will definitely be headlining (I mean..Dinosaur Jr.), but I’m not sure of the official order or times. You’ll be there early enough to figure things out though. Neil and Sean are friendly guys so don’t feel shy to get there and chat it up until the music begins. You’ll even get some free beer out of the deal (if you’re 21 or older, of course).

The guys have obviously put a great lineup together for the festivities. Dum Dum Girls are a buzz band with a poppy, melodic yet garagy sound. The One AM Radio is kind of a straightforward electro influenced indie pop band out of Los Feliz and Adam Harding is a director/sound guy who will be playing his first show in ten years. Male Bonding come from London with a kind of DIY/lo-fi approach to music. They’re definitely the louder, more aggressive band playing. And any talk of lo-fi has to  include Lou Barlow, one of the genre’s pioneers. He’ll be playing his newer stuff with the help of Mike Watt’s band, The Missingmen. That sounds like a pretty fun time to me.

I’ve been to a few events at Origami in the past, including their one year birthday a few weeks ago and they really know how to party. I’d be there all day if it didn’t coincide with Coachella. So if you’re in the city, go for me and tell me how great it was!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
4/12: Hellen Stellar w/The Postelles//The Constellations//Healamonster & Tarsier at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Second night of the Hellen Stellar residency. Heard good things about last week.)
4/12: Walking Sleep w/Union Line//Goldenboy//Big Whup at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Second night for the Walking Sleep residency. I saw these guys last week and they’re pretty fun.)
4/12: Crystal Castles w/Health//DJ Paul V at echoplex. 9:00PM. $23. 18+. (Some people hate this band and a lot of others love em. I’m a fan and wish I was going.)
4/12: So Many Wizards w/Halloween Swim Team//Corridor//Lobstin at Silverlake Lounge. 8:00PM. Free. 21+. (Second night for So Many Wizards residency. Good lineup of local acts.)
4/12: Seaspin w/Dios//Damn Sons//The Franks at Hotel Cafe. 9:00PM. $7. 21+. (Go early for The Franks and stay late for Seaspin.)
4/13: Public Image Ltd. at Club Nokia. 7:30PM. $42. All. (It’s not cheap, but it’s PiL.)
4/13: Retribution Gospel Choir w/Funeral Club//Stevenson Ranch Davidians at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Side project from members of Low. It’s more upbeat. And I caught a little of Stevenson last week and was into it.)
4/14: The Ruby Sons w/Toro y Moi//Pepper Rabbit at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Some buzz bands here. I’m interested to see what The Ruby Sons have to offer. Toro y Moi was unimpressive at SXSW, for me at least.)
4/14: Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs w/The Hi-Hos//Shirley Rolls at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $14. 21+. (Good bluesy folk music.)
4/14: Deerhunter w/Special guests at The Glass House. 8:00PM. $12. All. (I don’t usually recommend shows in Pomona, but it’s Deerhunter. And with Coachella right around the corner, who knows who the special guests could be.)
4/15: Pavement w/The Middle East at The Fox Theater Pomona. 8:00PM. $39. All. (Another Pomona show, but it’s Pavement! And The Middle East are a great band too.)
4/15: Willowz w/Mini Mansions//Lionize//Phathoms at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (I’ve been wanting to check out Mini Mansions.)
4/15: We Are The World w/Sir Heffington’s Fingered at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Seriously. If you haven’t seen this. Do it. It’s the last one.)
4/16-18: Coachella at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. All day Fri-Sun. (You know..)
4/16: Autolux w/Franz Nicolay at Bootleg Theater. 10:00PM. $12. All. (It’s Autolux!)
4/16: Micachu DJ set at the echo. 9:00PM. $10. 18+. (I’ll bet she can DJ just as well as she can make music.)
4/16: Mark Sultan w/The Black Apples//Dirt Dress//Wounded Lion at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Sultan is kind of a legend in garage rock. The other bands are pretty good too.)
4/17: JJ w/Deloreon//Bachelorette at echoplex. 8:30PM. $14. 18+. (More buzz bands. A few friends saw JJ at SXSW and were disappointed.)
4/17: Radar Brothers w/Timonium//Nopal//Young Hunting at echo curio. 9:00PM. $5. All. (It would be cool to see Radar Brothers at echo curio. Packed, but cool.)
4/18: Love is All w/Weave!//Love Grenades at the echo. 10:00PM. $10. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)
4/18: Dum Dum Girls w/Ramona from Nite Jewel//Tan Dollar at echo curio. 8:00PM. $5. All. (In case you missed em on Saturday, which you shouldn’t.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Record Store Day at Origami Vinyl
WHEN: Saturday, April 17th @ 10:00AM till close
WHERE: Origami Vinyl
$$$: Free! (And free beer to those 21+)
Ages: All.

Did anyone see We Are The World last week? I did. And wow. It was incredible. I wish I could just copy and paste the pick from last week and tell you to go again. Hell..I’m considering it. Do it!

PICK OF THE WEEK

This post will be kinda short, as I don’t know a whole lot about the band I’m recommending. This Saturday, head over to the El Rey and check out Liars. Why? Cause everyone seems to like these guys. I’m going to be honest. I saw them open for Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back and I was pretty disappointed. I am, however, willing to attribute that disappointment to a few different facts. First of all, I was there for Radiohead. Come on. I probably would have hated anyone that was opening. You just can’t compete with a band like Radiohead. Also, it was at the Hollywood Bowl and I was sitting pretty high up. From the Liars recordings I’ve heard, along with what other people have told me, they just don’t translate very well to such a big open venue. Which is why I think they’ll sound a lot better at the El Rey. The bottom line though, is that Thom Yorke asked them to join the tour, so there has to be something there.

The band’s latest album, Sisterworld, was written and recorded in LA, inspired by the band’s experiences here. Everything from the overly positive outlook this city has to a shooting that took place right outside the band’s apartment. Since this tour is in support of the new album, I’m expecting them to play a majority of songs from it, and that would be kind of cool to experience in the city that inspired them. I’m listening to it right now and I gotta admit I’m a fan.

That’s really all I have for you, other than a guarantee that the show will be entertaining. These guys are “art-rock” and are constantly evolving and changing their sound. That sets up for an interesting live show, as I’m sure you’ll get a few songs from all over the spectrum. I’m getting excited myself just writing this. So maybe I’ll see you there?

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
4/05: Helen Stellar w/Mere Mortals//Luna Vista//Hexham Heads at Spacelad. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The first of the Helen Stellar residency.)
4/05: Walking Sleep w/Stevenson Ranch Davidians//Sons of August//Carsick Cars at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Walking Sleep starts their residency. Go for Carsick Cars. They’re from China!)
4/05: So Many Wizards w/Big Whup//Voices on Tape//The Fall Trees at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. Free. 21+. (So Many Wizards residency.)
4/06: RJD2 w/Busdriver//Happy Chichester//Jeremy Sole at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $22. All. (I’ve always been an RJD2 fan. Great DJ.)
4/07: Deep Sea Diver w/The Fling//Foster the People at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (Indie pop music I can get behind.)
4/07: Miles Kurosky w/Pancho-San//Sexy Jail at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (If you liked Beulah..go.)
4/08: We Are The World vs We Are the Wolves w/Sir Heffington’s Fingered at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Not sure if they’ll do anything different this time with We Are Wolves on board, but I wouldn’t be surprised.)
4/08: Revenge of the Soup with Mustard Seed//John Isaac Watters//Downtown Train//Red Tide//Pizza!//Voice on Tape at Downtown Independent. 8:00PM. Free. 21+. (Cool event around the Art Walk with some cool bands.)
4/08: Veil Veil Vanish w/Seaspin//Repeater//In Waves at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (I saw Seaspin a few weeks ago and they were great.)
4/08: The Minor Canon w/Terraplane Sun//Lincoln Bedroom at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. $8. 21+. (Solid local band.)
4/09: Spirit Animal w/Gray Kid at the echo. 9:00PM. $8. 18+. (I think I saw Spirit Animal once and I think I liked em.)
4/09: The Knux w/Nocando//5 O’Clock Shadowboxers//Holloys at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (The Knux is a fun band to see live.)
4/09: Old Lumps w/Hi Ho Silver Oh at UCB. 8:00PM. $8. All. (It’s the Charlyne Yi Show and she’s in the headliner. Hi Ho are some pretty cool dudes.)
4/10: Adam Green w/The Dead Trees at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $20. All. (Adam Green was great at SXSW.)
4/10: 60 Watt Kid w/Dirt Dress//Speculator//Tan Dollar at Synchronicity. 8:00PM. $5. All. (A group of buzz bands in a small art gallery.)
4/11: I See Hawks in LA w/Wheelhouse//Mars Arizona at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Liars
WHEN: Saturday, April 10th @ 8:00PM
$$$: $17
Ages: All

After a two week hiatus thanks to SXSW, I’m back! And I know you’re all really excited to find out about the latest concerts I want you to go to. What did you do without me the last few weeks? I’m sorry.

PICK OF THE WEEK
I guess technically Paul McCartney should be the pick of the week. I mean he’s Paul McCartney..the Beatle. Clearly everyone should go see him. But at this point, anyone that wanted to see him already has tickets or thought about getting tickets until they realized how expensive they were. So let’s go somewhere else with this pick. Let’s go to a smaller, lesser known band that’ll be playing a show at the echo on Thursday night.

Being from Los Angeles, and having spent most of my time in the Echo Park, Silver Lake area, I hear about local buzz bands and whatnot. Bands that may not have gained Pitchfork popularity, but those that have generated interest amongst the people that live in this city. We Are The World was one of those bands. Coming from the Manimal Vinyl record label, you automatically know you’re going to get something unique and different. What I didn’t expect was the full on theatrical show I was in store for when I saw them play at the IAMSOUND party at SXSW.

This band isn’t just good musically. I mean they are. They’re very dancy, with catchy hooks and great beats. But the x-factor or whatever you want to call it for this band is the visuals they bring to the table. I’m all about a band creating a different live experience to draw their fans into their shows, but with We Are The World, I honestly can’t tell whether the music or the visuals during their live shows is the primary attraction. You really have to see these guys in action. They have crazy dance numbers, weird costumes, and kind of eerie masks. All in all they are the total package. You listen to the music, really enjoy it, go to the show, and get absolutely blown away by what you see. So, if you want to be blown away, you should go to their record release party on Thursday (and the following two Thursdays as well).

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
3/29: Moonrats w/Warpaint at Spaceland.  8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Last Moonrats residency. Warpaint is great.)
3/29: Seaspin w/Square on Square//Model Actress//Cue the Moon at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. Free. 21+. (Last Seaspin residency. Go see em!)
3/29: The Delta Mirror w/Pity Party//Spirit Vine//Borneo at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Go for The Delta Mirror’s last night, but really go for Pity Party!)
3/30: Hugh Cornwell w/KristeenYoung at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $14. 21+. (He’s a member of The Stranglers and you love The Stranglers.)
3/30: Hi Ho Silver Oh w/Woolen//One Silver Astronaut at Silverlake Lounge. 9:00PM. $8. 21+. (Real cool dudes playing real good music. What else do you need?)
3/31: Mini Mansions w/Links//The Silent Comedy//Doll and the Kicks at Bootleg. 8:30PM. $10. All. (Superhumanoids would not stop raving about Mini Mansions when I was with em in Austin. I guess that must mean they’re pretty good.)
4/01: Astronautalis w/Octavius at Bootleg. 8:00PM. $10. All. (He walks that fine line between indieish music and rap. It’s something you should check out.)
4/02: Torches in Trees w/Sweater Girls//Tremellow//Club Underground DJs at the echo. 9:00PM. $8. 18+. (Good collection of buzz bands.)
4/03: Kenan Bell w/Dot Hacker//The Family Album//White Arrows at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Dot Hacker puts on a pretty solid show. It’s also the Kenan Bell album release show.)
4/04: An evening with Nellie McKay at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $26. All. (She’s a lovely singer/songwriter. A great way to spend your Sunday night.)
4/04: Part Time Punks w/NON(Boyd Rice)//Cult of Youth at the echo. 10:00PM. $10. 18+. (It’s Part Time Punks.)

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: We Are The World
WHEN: Thursday, April 1st @ 8:30PM
WHERE: the echo
$$$: $8
Ages: 18+

Yea yea. Sorry. I’m going to Austin tomorrow for sxsw (south by southwest) so I took a me day to get ready. Thus, no Soundboard today. Whoops. Go see High Places at the echo this Friday. Trust me. It’ll be great. Here’s the link.

You should also follow my (potential) adventures in Austin on a different blog. Penguins And Peanutbutter. I promise I’ll try to write about the experience in it. No guarantees though.

Is anyone else going? Tell us about it in the comments! Or better yet. Seeing any cool shows in LA this week? Tell us about those! Come on people. Interactive!

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