Chance Encounter Records

The Wait Is Over! Hoodie Allen's "Leap Year" Is Out

2011-07-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

We've been looking forward to the release of Hoodie Allen's new mixtape, "Leap Year," for quite some time. It's now finally out.

Stream it and download it right here (or download the entire mixtape as a zip file here):

Leap Year by Hoodie Allen

And here's the video for the first single, The Chase Is On:

The summer is now complete.

Video Encounter: Hoodie Allen's "Leap Year" Teaser

2011-07-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

CER brought you Hoodie Allen back in March, days before his first ever show in LA at the Key Club, where he left everyone happy and wanting more. Here's a teaser of "more." Hoodie's releasing his next mixtape in two weeks and I can't wait.

You're welcome.

The Way Too Late (and too short) SXSW Wrapup

2011-05-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

First band: Kid Infinity

Last Band: Das Racist

In between: The White and Black Years, Lesands, Fruition & The Bellbays, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Cults, Foster The People, Twin Shadow, Givers, The Naked and Famous, Toro y Moi, Oberhoffer, Jeff & The Brotherhood, Kisses, The Orbans, Hanni El Khatib, Skiggy Rapz, Starfucker, Kyle Andrews, Oh No Oh My, ARMS, Delicate Steve, Family of the Year, Jonquil, Givers, and Cults

Best Sets (in order of appearance): Lesands, Foster The People, Skiggy Rapz, Kyle Andrews, Family of the Year, Jonquil, Givers, Cults

Random Stuff: Helping Odd Future parallel park their car. Their hype died real fast, eh?

Weirdest Thing: Givers’ guitar player looks like a young James Franco, and when he plays his eyes often roll back into his head, so you only see the whites of his eyes. Very freaky, but amusing.

CER's SXSW 2011 Plans

2011-03-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

Always ambitious and always subject to change, but here it goes.

Thursday Night

CER (sure, I can refer to myself in the third person) lands at AUS at 8pm, assuming the flight gets in on time. Head over to where I'm staying, and then hopefully have time to pick up my PureVolume badge at the PureVolume house (504 Trinity St.) before Kid Infinity's 10pm 3D show at at Gypsy Lounge (1504 E. 6^th Street). I'm very excited for this; KI is an LA hip-hop/electroic duo whose 3D live show uses the technology Michael Jackson was going to use for his This Is It Tour. (One member of KI is the office manager at the company that created the technology). This will be the first time they’ve done a 3D show outside of LA, and the third time total. I was at the last one; there’s nothing to compare it to. Here’s a review (that I did not write): http://larecord.com/live-reviews/2011/02/15/kid-infinity-alexandria-hotel

As for the rest of the night, the KI show runs until 1am with Twin Atlantic, Funeral Party, and some DJs. May not be the worst place to spend a couple hours.

(Aside: KI is doing a second 3D show at Cheer Up Charlie's [1104 e. 6th st.] at 1am)

Then onto the PureVolume House (504 Trinity St.). Their lineup starts at midnight with The Limousines, followed by The Dears at 1am, and The Bravery at 2am.

Friday Day

Friday’s all about the Windish Agency’s party at Emo’s (603 Red River Street), mostly because Foster The People are performing , but also because the rest of the lineup is really strong. Emo’s isn’t my ideal SXSW venue (bigger and more crowded than I’d like), but this should be worth it, as long as you get there early. Here's the Emo's lineup:

12:15: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
1:00: Cults
1:15: Chain Gang of 1974
2:00: Foster The People
2:15: Toro y Moi
3:00 Twin Shadow
3:15 Esben and the Witch
4:00 Givers
4:15 Naked and Famous
500 Friendly Fires
515: Braids

All bands worthy of catching, but no one wants to stay in one place too long. The question is when to leave. Here's a couple of options:

Home Slice Pizza (1421 S. Congress Ave. -- Congress & 15th) http://homeslicepizza.wordpress.com/music-by-the-slice-2011/

o 550: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down

o 625: The Rural Alberta Advantage

Fader Fort (1101 E. 5th Street)

o 515: Ellie Goulding

o 600: Smith Westerns

o 645: Odd Future

o 730: Matt & Kim

Lawn Party (802 San Marcos Street)

o 530: Tune-Yards

If I had to choose, I’d probably go with leaving Emo’s before 430 to catch a little of Givers, and then go pick up our Fader Fort bracelets (San Marcos Street between 4^th and 5^th) (about half a mile from Emo’s), get to Fader Fort in time for Ellie Goulding, and stay through Matt & Kim. Ellie Goulding is big in the UK but less known here, so it will be worth it. Smith Westerns are pretty good, if you ignore their annoying long hair and the girls who go crazy for them, Odd Future will be wild, and Matt & Kim is a remnant from my "bands I didn't get to see at SXSW 2009" list. But in exchange I'd miss out on Naked and Famous, Friendly Fires, and Braids at Emo’s. We’d probably survive, although I feel that Naked and Famous would be an enjoyable guilty pleasure.

Friday (Night)

Two good party options:

Killer Tofu/Official Unofficial Showcase Show at Lipstick24: Really great lineup, including Oh Land at 12:30am and Kisses at 1am. The rest of the lineup should also be worth it, there’s free beer until it runs out, and it’s half a mile from Fader Fort.

o The other bands: Brahms, Aislyn, High Highs, Secret Mountains, Delicate Steve, Gobble Gobble, Hooray for Earth, Foxes in Fiction. I don’t know much about them, but here’s some videos of them in mostly-acoustic action: http://www.biguglyyellowcouch.com/post/2011/3/4/i-guess-im-big-ugly-and-going-to-sxsw.html

Redefine party: Starfucker’s closing out this party out on the outdoor stage at 945, preceded by Casiokids. It would be fun. The only problem is that the party is happening about 2 miles outside downtown, up near UT (2610 Rio Grande St.). It’s 2.2 miles from Emo’s, for instance. Probably a dealbreaker.

Then maybe see Chromeo at midnight at La Zona Rosa (612 W4th).

After Chromeo, on to the Pure Volume House again. Baths is on at 12:45 and Jonquil at 1:30. Both are worth seeing; I especially like Jonquil.

Saturday (Day)

Saturday’s looking to be a more hop from show to show day to hit the bands that are worthwhile.

Start the day at Hotel Vegas (1500 East 6^th Street) for The Big One 2011:

- 1200: The Orbans

- 100: Hanni El Khatib

- 200: Skiggy Rapz

I’m excited about Skiggy Rapz; he’s a hip-hop artist from the Netherlands. I think he usually plays with a live band, too. The Orbans and Hanni are also good.

Then walk over to the Terrorbird Licensing SXSW Party at 501 Studios (501 N I-35). If they’re behind schedule we may catch some of Starfucker, but our main purpose is to see Kyle Andrews, who’s scheduled to go on at 3:15.

Hopefully we’re still on time, so we can walk over to The Ghost Room (304 W 4^th Street) to see Oh No Oh My at 4:30, and to cross off another band from my "missed at SXSW 2009" list.

Then we walk a couple hundred feet to Fado’s Irish Pub (214 W 4^th Street) for the remainder of the afternoon. Lineup:

- 450: Adam Arcuragi (will probably miss him)

- 540: ARMS (ex-Harlem Shakes)

- 630: Holiday Shores

- 720: TV Girl

Saturday (Night)

There’s a seriously excellent (and nicely varied) showcase at Emo’s Jr.:

- 800: Delicate Steve

- 900: Family of the Year (a CER Favorite)

- 1000: Jonquil (unlikely that we'll make their PV House Set on Friday night)

- 1100: Givers (great indie pop/rock, lots of instruments; will likely miss their 4pm set at Emo’s on Friday)

- 1200: FM Belfast (electronic from ICELAND)

- 100: Lesands (dancey pop [very 80s] from LA; fast on track to becoming a CER Favorite)

Alternatively, there’s a party at the Austin Museum of Art:

- 8:10 - Neon Windbreaker

- 8:45 – Badknight

- 9:20 - Grass is Green

- 9:55 - Dirty Dishes

- 10:30 - Moving Mountains

Dirty Dishes is pretty cool. The rest of the bands are kind of "eh."

There’s also a night party at Gingerman (301 La Vaca):

- 8:20 Colourslide

- 9:20 David Wax Museum

- 10:20 Girls Guns and Glory

- 11:20 Parallax Project

- 12:20 The Wandas

Again, generally "eh."

Oh, and Kanye's performing. If you want to wait in line for hours and hours on SXSW's last night, he's all yours.

Saturday (Late Night)

The Emo's Jr. showcase goes well past midnight, but Das Racist is performing at the PV House at 2:15 am.

On to Austin!

Family of the Year: SXSW and Video for "Psyche or Like Scope"

2011-03-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Back in January, CER Favorites Family of the Year premiered their video for "Psyche or Like Scope." Being negligent in my duties, I did not post the video. Allow me to correct myself:

But that's not all. After a string of successful, sold-out shows in Europe, the band will be playing two shows at SXSW. Their official showcase on Saturday night, March 19, at Emo's Jr. has a very strong lineup. FOTY is on at 9pm and you should then stick around for the rest of the night to see Jonquil (10pm), Givers (11pm), FM Belfast (midnight), and Lesands (1am). It's an incredible way to close out SXSW, and I hope to be there.

Essential Listening: Hoodie Allen's "Pep Rally"

2011-03-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

Ivy League educated Jewish kid from Long Island sounds like Kanye West and samples Marina & The Diamonds, Cold War Kids, and Death Cab For Cutie, among others. A new obsession.

Catch him at the Key Club Thursday, March 10.

Pep Rally Set by HoodieAllen

Video Encounter: Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks"

2011-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

Foster The People have finally released a video for Pumped Up Kicks, featuring performance, rehearsal, recording, and hanging out footage. Is it summer yet?

Oh Land in LA This Week

2011-01-31T22:10:00.000-08:00

It's rare for CER to post about music created by people living outside of Los Angeles (you may reply that it's rare these days for CER to post about anything, but that wouldn't be nice of you). This is a necessary exception. You have two chances this week to see Oh Land. Both shows are early, meaning that you won't have to wake up bleary-eyed the next morning as a result, and one of the shows is even free.

Oh Land is the stage name of Nanna Øland Fabricius, who is originally from Denmark but now lives in Brooklyn. She plays sometimes dance-y, sometimes dreamy, but always hook-laden electropop. You can call it a guilty pleasure, but the songs are too good to ignore.

Show #1 is at the Troubadour on Tuesday. She's on at 9pm. Show #2 is at the Echo, and is free; she's on at 8pm.

Enough with the words. Here's a live video of her performing "Son of a Gun." If one listen doesn't entice you to check her out this week, you may have no soul. I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more of Son of a Gun, and a lot more of Oh Land, in 2011.

2011: The Year of Foster The People

2011-01-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

It's time to call it, before January is even over: 2011 is the Year of Foster The People. Not only do they have a head start on most other bands, with their "Pumped Up Kicks" EP dropping (edit:) today, January 18th, on Startime International, but they've got the songs (and the team) to back it up. "Pumped Up Kicks" is only the beginning. Listen to their new song "Helena Beat" and you'll want to put on repeat for a couple rounds. Catch-y, dance-y, awesome-y. And "Downtown" puts the dance beats in the back and piano chords up front for a smoother sound.

Catch them for free at the Echo every Wednesday for the rest of this month. You may never get the chance to see them for free ever again, and may never get to see them again at a venue so small.

Stream an MP3 of "Helena Beat" HERE

And stream "Downtown" here

Tomorrow, Friday October 29: Second Annual Rock 'N Roll Circus at the Echoplex

2010-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Last year's Circus was a lot of fun and this year's will be even better with the addition of The Little Ones, who were picture perfect at the Echo in August. Wear a costume, get a CD with one song from each of the bands performing. I may or may not be dressed as a devil.

Complete details from the fine sirs of The Henry Clay People:

We did it last year....and we're doing it again this year....only BIGGER. We're taking over both the ECHO and ECHOPLEX in Los Angeles: 14 bands, comedians, food trucks, face painting, games, raffles, free popcorn and sno-cones, cotton candy, maybe some magic...?

Oh yeah...it's Halloween weekend too... Anyone who comes ...dressed in a Halloween costume, or as some type of circus performer, will get a FREE mix cd w/ a song from all (most?) of the bands performing.

Friday, Oct 29 at the ECHO and ECHOPLEX

7pm doors, music at 8pm.

$10 tix in advance/$12 dos

and the lineup:

THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE
THE LITTLE ONES
ANDY CLOCKWISE
WE BARBARIANS
THE MONOLATORS
THE DIG
DOWNTOWN/UNION

PLUS "side show acoustic performances" by:

RED CORTEZ
MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY
OLIN AND THE MOON
THE STEELWELLS
RADEMACHER
MARVELOUS TOY
THE HECTORS

HOSTED BY
MATT DWYER and MATT BRAUNGER

Happy Fitz & The Tantrums Record Release Day! Album Stream, New Video, Free Download!

2010-08-24T09:06:00.001-07:00

CER Favorites Fitz & The Tantrums' meteoric rise hits another milestone today with the release of their new album, Pickin' Up The Pieces, on Dangerbird Records. The band celebrates with an in-store performance at Amoeba at 7pm. Attendance is mandatory. FATT also play in LA on Saturday night at Milk Studios. [For you New Yorkers, FATT hits the Mercury Lounge on September 25]

Stream the new album right here:

And here's FATT's new video for "Moneygrabber:"

Finally, you can download the MP3 of "Moneygrabber" here:

Let the celebration begin!

Casxio's First Full Length Album: Help Fund It!

2010-07-23T11:24:00.001-07:00

CER Favorites Casxio are looking for fans to help fund the printing and marketing of their first album, which will be released in September. Those who donate will be rewarded, handsomely.

From the band:

Hello fans and friends!

The money you donate here will go towards printing the first Casxio album! Those of you who have been following us for a couple years know what a special occasion this is. We've been slaving over this album for quite a while and want nothing more than to share it with you... in fact, that's why we slave in the first place! We are slaves for you! And we love it!
The first $3000 will go towards the printing of the album including album artwork. Any amount after that will be used to promote the album, which is quite important as well. So let your heart be your guide and give whatever you can and reap the benefits. That's right! benefits! We have rewards for donations $10, $20, $30, and $50 and up.

To help out, just click the box below.

Video Encounter: Steel Train on David Letterman!!!

2010-07-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

So so so so proud of these guys. Big congrats to Evan and Dan.

What 2 Go 2: July 12 - 16

2010-07-12T12:25:00.001-07:00

It's all about Spaceland this week. I haven't been there in over 3 months and I'm hoping to make up for that in short order.

Monday: Wait.Think.Fast. and Cue the Moon open for the Summer Darling residency at Spaceland.

Tuesday: Free show at the Viper Room with Las Vegas' Imagine Dragons (who put on probably the most intense show I've seen this year at said Viper Room in April) and Hey Champ (who will likely turn the Viper Room into a dance party). ID is on at 10, Hey Champ at 11. Brandon of SUPERGOODMUSIC DJs downstairs.

Wednesday: The Californian is at Spaceland, where they will debut their new lineup.

Thursday: Dusty Rhodes and the River Band celebrate the release of their new album at Spaceland.

Video Encounter: Abraham Linkin's "I Got It At Ross"

2010-06-25T11:21:00.001-07:00

Hip-hop for our troubled times. So timely and so enjoyable. Thanks to Molly for the tip.

Video Encounter: Local Natives XBOX Commercial

2010-06-17T14:49:00.001-07:00

And that's why some bands sign to Universal Music Publishing.

And that's why some bands don't.

Henry Clay People Record Release Show on Tuesday at Spaceland

2010-06-03T10:38:00.001-07:00

The flyer tells you everything you need to know, except one thing: You should really be there.

Video Encounter: Local Natives' "World News"

2010-05-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

CER All-Time Favorites (it's highly unlikely that this blog would even exist if not for them) Local Natives released their video today for "World News." I'm not sure if the video is supposed to be understood, but if it is I clearly don't get it. Nonetheless, it will surely hold your attention for four and a half minutes.

Friday Night Should Be Spent at Pehrspace

2010-05-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night is the Feed Your Head Second Anniversary Show. Feed Your Head is an LA music blog started by Brad Roberts, who I frequently see at shows but have never introduced myself to (yes, I am increasingly embarrassed about that). Many moons ago, Brad was kind enough to link to CER from his blog. In and of itself that should be sufficient for me to want to attend a show celebrating Feed Your Head's second anniversary of existence, but Brad has assembled a superb lineup that makes for required attendance even if I knew nothing about Feed Your Head:

Seasons (10pm), Radars to the Sky (acoustic at midnight), Downtown/Union (opening up at 9) George Glass (11pm) and a "special solo interlude" from Harley of Red Cortez.

For a brief description of what each band has scheduled for the night, straight from their mouths, head over to Radio Free Silverlake's story on the show.

See you there.

What 2 Go 2: April 26 - May 2

2010-04-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Enormous week coming up, the biggest of 2010 so far.

Monday: Last night of Walking Sleep's residency at the Echo, with three exciting supporting acts: Obi Best, Radar Brothers, and, most importantly, The Elk.

The Elk are an LA band playing a "secret" show. I assume that because I know who The Elk actually are that the secret is out. But here's a big hint: the Elk River flows through Clay County, West Virginia.
As for the other two bands, I've been wanting to see Obi Best for almost a year, and they've got a couple new, interesting demos on their Myspace page. The Radar Brothers are pleasant indie rock on Merge Records.

Tuesday: Two bands worth checking out at two different venues: The Californian is at Spaceland while Chasing Kings are at Silverlake Lounge.

The Californian is a band to keep your eye on. It's unfortunate that their Myspace page only provides one minute thirty second samples of four songs, but it takes less than 6 minutes to know they're more than worthwhile. Also unfortunate is that they're on at midnight.

Friday: Fantastic lineup at Pehrspace, featuring His Orchestra, Cue the Moon, and I Heart Lung.

My interest was first piqued about this show because His Orchestra is playing. I saw His Orchestra at Silverlake Lounge in February and each and every band member is incredibly talented. I was truly impressed, and even though they didn't finish their set until after 1am I never considered leaving early.
But even without His Orchestra, Cue the Moon would be worth the trip. Definitely another band to keep your eye on.
I Heart Lung is a two-piece instrumental band. It's good stuff, but I question how it's going to translate at Pehrspace.

Saturday: Avi Buffalo's record release show at the Troubadour. VoicesVoices and The Wailing Wall (a/k/a Jesse Rifkin, who attended Orthodox Jewish Day School for 11 years) open. Because it's a record release show, because I'm looking forward to seeing how much Avi and his band have grown over the past year, and because I'm very curious about The Wailing Wall, it's the CER Show of the Week.

Avi Buffalo Album Stream -- Listen Right Here

2010-04-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

The album sounds great. I highly recommend you take a listen or two. Stream it right here with this handy player (available through April 27, when the album is released):

Avi Buffalo's record release show is on Saturday, May 1 at the Troubadour. I've been skeptical of the band's live show in the past, but it's been a year since I last saw them, and I'm looking forward to being impressed by what a year of shows can do to a band.

Tickets to the show are still available, but they're likely to sell out in advance. Here's the ticket link.

What 2 Go 2 Special Alert: Local Natives at the Troubadour on Friday, June 4

2010-04-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Coachella exclusivity doesn't last forever. Local Natives' first LA show since December's uncomfortably sold out show at the Echo will be on June 4 at the Troubadour as part of their tour with labelmates Suckers. Local friends The Union Line will start the night's festivities.

Considering that the Echo show sold out, and especially considering everything thereafter (Pitchfork, Coachella, sold out shows across the country, including two at the Bowery Ballroom, etc.) this show is going to sell out fast once word gets out. As this is the last date of the tour, it's possible that a second date will be added, but there's definitely no guarantees. The next time the Troubadour is free is June 8, and LN is at Bonnaroo on June 10, which probably eliminates that possibility. Perhaps LN will pull a Passion Pit and book the Echoplex for a second show.

While I'm happy that this show is not at a larger venue, I am very surprised, since this show could definitely fill the Echoplex or El Rey. There's going to be a lot of unhappy fans getting shut out.

In December I was wrong when I wrote that the Echo show may be LN's last in a small venue in LA, but I don't see how this won't be it.

Best get your tickets now, which you can do at this link.

(Thanks to The Scenestar for the tip)

UPDATE 4/20: Troubadour show is sold out, but they've added a second show at Bootleg (21+). Tickets on sale now here.

UPDATE 4/21: Bootleg is sold out. No word on whether there will be a third show.

What 2 Go 2: April 19 - 25

2010-04-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Monday: Franklin for Short opens (at 9pm) the third night of Walking Sleep's residency at the Echo. Franklin for Short hails from Ventura, and they're gooood. Folky indie rock. They'll be opening a couple dates for Kings of Convenience in June. Parson Red Heads are also on the bill tonight, following FFS at 10. And, of course, there's Walking Sleep at 11. Unquestionably the CER Show of the Week.

Here's some FFS tunes for your enjoyment:

Tuesday: Assuming you're not going to the 75th anniversary screening of Reefer Madness at the Vine Theatre in Hollywood, then Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders play the Troubadour. You never know, but Dave Grohl could make an appearance. Dios opens up.

Wednesday: Signals (ex-Mae Shi) at Echo Curio.

Friday: I'll be getting my pop-rock fix at the Troubadour, where Tyrone Wells headlines.

Sunday: The Monolators and Sean Bones are at the Echo. It's simply unacceptable that I haven't seen The Monolators yet. Sean Bones is on the roster of the can-do-no-wrong Frenchkiss Records.

Video Encounter: Best Coast's "When I'm With You"

2010-04-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Fun. Fantastic. Best Coast. I like to describe them as surf-punk-love-fuzz, regardless of whether that's a completely accurate description.

Video Encounter: Walking Sleep's "As a Volunteer (acoustic)"

2010-04-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Lots of videos this week. Here's one from Walking Sleep, proud owners of the Echo's April residency. This one particular song reminds me a lot of The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love, a band from Ann Arbor who disbanded in 2003 (and who, it turns out, got a 7.3 from Pitchfork for their album H.O.M.E.S. back in 2001). Many of the members of TOBASOL are now in the Great Lakes Myth Society, who rarely tour, but who I was very happy to catch at SXSW last year.

The video was filmed at the Red Lion Tavern in Silverlake on a rainy Sunday morning.

Walking Sleep - "As a Volunteer" from elliot glass on Vimeo.

Walking Sleep's next show is on Monday at the Echo for night two of their residency. As always, admission is free.

Video Encounter: Family of the Year at SXSW 2010

2010-04-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

CER Favorites Family of the Year are back in Los Angeles after their recent tour, which took them all over the country, including to Niagara Falls and SXSW. The band has posted a video documenting their tour, set to the song "Chugjug" off their recently released (and great) EP, which you can stream and purchase here.

FOTY are also offering a free download of their unreleased track "chrissy."

I highly recommend that you catch FOTY live at the Bootleg Theatre this Friday. They take the stage at 10:30pm.

Video Encounter: Letting Up Despite Great Faults' "Our Younger Noise"

2010-04-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

CER Favorites Letting Up Despite Great Faults released their video for "Our Younger Noise" today. It's lovely, and features the first recorded paper airplane fight I've ever seen.

Letting Up Despite Great Faults: "Our Younger Noise" from Christopher j Ewing on Vimeo.

Now if they would just turn up the vocals when they perform, nothing could stop them.

What 2 Go 2: April 5 - 11

2010-04-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Foster the People

Monday: Night 1 of Walking Sleep's Echo residency. The only opening band that interests me is Carsick Cars, a Chinese indie rock band on their first US tour.

Wednesday: Foster the People, one of the bands in the growing SUPERGOODMUSIC family, opens up at Spaceland. CER's Show of the Week.

FTP has only played a handful of shows, but have already made it to SXSW and back, and have been drawing comparisons to MGMT and Peter, Bjorn & John. In short, best get on this train before it speeds away from the station. They don't have a Myspace page, but their homepage has a player in the bottom left corner. Stick around after FTP to check out The Fling.

Link to download 2010's Song of the Summer: FTP's "Pumped up Kicks" here

Unofficial video for Pumped Up Kicks:

Thursday: Two good choices:

Night 2 of 3 of We Are the World's Thursday residency at the Echo, celebrating the release of their record, Clay Stones. If you haven't seen We Are the World, you must. Their performances are visually captivating.

The Minor Cannon is at the Silverlake Lounge. Minor Cannon is on my long list of bands that I should have been by now.

Friday: Family of the Year, one of CER's New Favorites, is at the Bootleg Theatre with The Janks. Thankfully FOTY takes the stage before midnight (10:30 pm), unlike the last time I saw them.

Saturday: Wires in the Walls brings their blend of indie rock and Americana to the Bootleg for its EP Release Show. Olin & The Moon opens at 10:30, Wires is on at 11:30.

LA Bands To See @ SXSW

2010-03-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

This is a day late (and the font is a little off), but for those of you lucky enough to be in Austin and looking for the best LA has to offer, here's CER's SXSW recommendations:

Family of the Year

Thursday: 1:30 @ Cafe Mundi
Friday: 5:00 @ Maggie Mae's, 8:00 @ Ale House

His Orchestra

Thursday: 5:00 @ Creekside Lounge

Best Coast

Thursday: 3:00 @ Fader Fort, 4:00 @ Red Fez
Friday: 3:30 @ Emo’s, 6:00 @ Klub Krucial
Saturday: 2:00 @ Maggie Mae’s, 4:00 @ Mexican American Cultural Center, 6:45 @ Max’s Wine Dive, 11:00 @ Barbarella

Letting Up Despite Great Faults

Thursday: 10:30 @ Sneakerfest
Friday: 1:30 @ Clive Bar
Saturday: 1:00 @ Moose Lodge, 2:45PM @ Home Slice Pizza

Happy Hollows

Thursday 12:30 @ Scoot Inn, 3:00 @ Lustre Pearl, 4:30 @ Lambert’s
Friday: 1:30 @ Republic Live, 8:00 @ Guero’s
Saturday: 5:00 @ Home Slice Pizza

Casxio

Thursday: 5:00 @ Blind Pig rooftop, 10:10 @ Malverde
Friday: 5:15 @ Shangri-La
Saturday: 2:40 @ Peckerheads

Henry Clay People

Thursday: 2:00 @ Threadgill’s, 3:45 @ Lambert’s, 8:30 @ Club de Ville
Friday: 3:30 @ Anne’s on 6th, 6:00 @ Pure Volume House
Saturday: 2:30 @ Kung Fu Saloon, 6:00 @ Home Slice Pizza

Nico Stai

Thursday: 8:00 @ Uncorked Bar
Friday: 3:00 @ The Acquarium, 10:30 @ Maggie Mae's
Saturday: 2:00 @ The Shangri-la

Also, Kittens Ablaze’s showcase is at 1am on Friday night at Wave.

I'm jealous of all of you. Have fun.

The Henry Clay People Sign to TBD Records, To Tour With Drive by Truckers

2010-03-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

It's great to see the bands we love get the recognition they deserve. In January The Henry Clay People opened for Olin & The Moon's residency at the Echo and their set consisted of their entire unreleased new album, played front to back. If you've seen HCP play anytime over the past 6 to 8 months, you've already heard a lot of the songs. There's multiple winners on it, including "End of an Empire," and two of the four new songs they wrote for their April Spaceland residency. The album will also include re-recordings of "This Ain't a Scene" and "Working Part Time," which appeared on their previous release, For Cheap or For Free. I do lament, though, the omission of "The Switch Kids" (CER's subtitle is taken from that song).

We now know when we'll see the album, and on what label. And we also know that HCP will be playing 10 sets at SXSW, which should be a record (Local Natives only play a measly nine. Time to step up your game, guys). From the band:

TBD Records!

Hello friends, strangers, loved ones, and whoever else cares to read this-

We are extremely pleased to announce that we will be releasing our new record "Somewhere on the Golden Coast" in early June of 2010 on TBD Records (Radiohead, White Rabbits, Port O'Brien). The record was recorded mostly at The Ship in Eagle Rock, CA by Aaron Espinoza and at Rollercoaster in Burbank, with David Newton. Aaron's new imprint The Ship Records is also helping with the release.

The idea was to track the record as live as possible onto tape, leaving that dirt under the fingernails kinda feel. So yeah, there is a good amount of dirt, but hopefully other stuff too. We threw a couple of tracks on the ole myspace. Check back in case we decide to throw a couple more on.
We're also happy to announce a whole tone of upcoming dates, kicking off with 10 shows at SXSW in Austin, an LA show with Admiral Radley (Grandaddy/Earlimart super band), and some dates with Drive by Truckers (more to come too).
More later!

Love,
The Henry Clay People

upcoming dates;

SXSW Schedule

3/17 Wednesday
12:50 – QuinnStorm & C3 Presents @ Lamberts
2:20 – LittleRadio @ Red Eye Fly
Night – Stubbs inside between outside sets for NPR showcase, two sets

3/18 Thursday
2:00 – Roky Erikson’s Ice-Cream Social @ Threadgill’s
3:45 – Aquarium Drunkard @ Lamberts
8:30 – Billions Showcase @ Club Deville

3/19 Friday
3:30 – Buddyhead @ Annies on 6th
6:00 – Pure Volume @ 504 Trinity St

3/20 Saturday
2:30 – Pianos NYC @ Kung Fu Saloon
5:15 – The Ship & WOXY @ Homeslice
_____________

3/24 - Bootleg Theatre - Los Angeles, CA w/ Admiral Radley
5/5 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ w/ Drive-By Truckers
5/6 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA w/ Drive-By Truckers
5/7 - Avalon - Los Angeles, CA w/ Drive-By Truckers
5/8 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA w/ Drive-By Truckers
5/12 – In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT w/ Drive-By Truckers

For an "inside" perspective, check out Mouse's take over at Classical Geek Theatre.

What 2 Go 2: March 8 - 14

2010-03-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm excited for this week. Every band listed below is be one that I have never seen before (with one exception that I think you'll let slide).

Monday: Seaspin, Repeater and The Romany Rye at the Silverlake Lounge. Night Two of Seaspin's March residency.

Seaspin is a female-fronted band playing dark shoegazy rock. Interestingly, the primary members of Seaspin were formerly of Your Enemies' Friends.
Repeater is a post-punk band from Long Beach.
The Romany Rye is a great folk-rock/alt-country band.

Personally, I'm very interested in seeing The Romany Rye, and since they're on at 9, I'll be happily parking myself at the Silverlake Lounge all night. Repeater's on at 10, and Seaspin is on at 11.

Tuesday: Another night to spend at the Silverlake Lounge, although this time it will cost you $8. Random Patterns (9pm), Superhumanoids (10pm), and his Orchestra (12pm).

Random Patterns is, understandably, sometimes random and hard to classify. But they should be fun, and I heard good things about their set opening for the Happy Hollows residency last year.
Superhumanoids describe themselves as "an electronic experiment to escape the everyday of the everyday," but there's a lot more indie rock in there than the description would lead one to believe. They've got a good sound.
his Orchestra. Piano-powered indie pop with some unusual instruments thrown in for good measure. I've been trying to see this band for over 6 months. They're scheduled to hit the stage at midnight, but I'll stay as late as necessary in order to finally see them. (Bonus: the band is fronted by the oldest son in Big Love.)

Wednesday: If you got tickets to see Delta Spirit at the Bootleg, have fun. It's sold out.

Saturday: Two shows to check out:

First, the one repeat of the week: Best Coast claims to be doing an in-store performance at the Bloomingdale's at the [edit: Beverly Center, not Century City Mall] in the afternoon. I don't know if this is actually going to happen (and my mind is boggling just thinking about it), but if does, I will of course be there to witness it, and I'll bring my camera.

Second, The Franks are at Origami Vinyl at 7pm.

Keeping Up: LA Band Name Changes

2010-03-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

It's noteworthy how many LA bands have changed their names over the last few months. So far we have:

The Afternoons, who are now Shadow Shadow Shade (See them tonight at the Echo at 10pm with The Rhone Occupation)
The Jakes, who are now Young the Giant (Eshon's new project is called Backwards Forwards.)
The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, who are now Walking Sleep (They have the April Echo residency)

And new names coming soon . . .

Aushua, according to Kevin Bronson.
Castledoor's new incarnation

I will refrain from commenting on the quality of these new names -- my blog is named like a record label.

Tonight at the Bootleg Theater: Gold Motel & Family of the Year

2010-03-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

And we're back. CER is returning, hopefully in full force, after ramping down for a few months. SXSW 2010 may not be in the cards, but it's time to jump back into LA music.

So let's start off big tonight at the Bootleg Theater. Unfortunately it's an all ages show, but it promises to be an exciting one. Gold Motel, the new solo project from Greta of The Hush Sound, is scheduled to be on at 10pm, and Family of the Year (not to be confused with Story of the Year, or Father of the Year) wraps things up at 11:30. Michael Runion plays in between.

FOTY is definitely a band to keep your eye on. You can name your price for digital downloads of their LP and EP on their website. Tonight is their last show before they head out on a tour that takes them to SXSW.

Castledoor's Last Show, LANME's First Show: Tomorrow Night at Spaceland

2010-02-21T12:58:00.001-08:00

I was hoping not to have to use the "Band Breakups" label again (and especially on CER's one year anniversary), but Castledoor has just announced that tomorrow night will be their final show. No reasons given yet, but if the past is any indication, having their hopes of breaking out of the local scene dashed repeatedly over the years likely has something to do with it. The breakup is especially jarring as it comes on the heels of their recent completion of recording for a new EP, and indications that things were once again looking up.

Castledoor will be opening for the last night of Princeton's Spaceland residency. They should be on at 10pm, preceded by the debut of LANME (Los Angeles New Music Ensemble), who describe tomorrow's performance as "[t]he first run of a series of ground-breaking compositions that fuse together rock, post-minimalism, hip hop, and electronics."

One band ending, one ensemble beginning. And all for free. Definitely worth attending. Sadly, I will be out of town for work.

Castledoor's final music video (the song begins at around 00:45):

A look back at Castledoor through the eyes of CER:

Castledoor at Echoplex (4/28/2009) and at Temporary Spaces (5/1/2009)

Album Review: Castledoor's Shouting at Mountains

Castledoor, Local Natives @ Spaceland (6/22/2009)

Closing the Loop

2010-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

The pesky Pitchfork review that I mentioned at the end of last year as the only thing standing between Local Natives and 2010 domination? It's now a catapult. 8.4 and Best New Music.

Video Encounter: The Happy Hollows "Death to Vivek Kemp"

2010-01-29T11:37:00.000-08:00

The music video for The Happy Hollows "Death to Vivek Kemp" was released today. It was directed by Ben Hoste, who also directed The Voyeurs' video for "The Night I Died," which is somewhere on this blog if you look for it.

From Ben:

"I was super excited to direct a music video for The Happy Hollows’ song “Death to Vivek Kemp”. It was released today and premiered on The Daily Swarm where they said some nice things about it (which is appreciated), so head over there and check it out. It was a pleasure working with Sarah, Charlie, and Chris, they are some of the friendliest and most talented musicians I know, and at this point I feel as though I know them intimately having spent hundreds of hours drawing each one of them over and over and over and over. Hope you enjoy it and buy their record! It’s fantastic."

Tomorrow: Local Natives, Voxhaul Broadcast, and Chief at the Echo

2009-12-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

Bottom line: Last chance to see Local Natives in the U.S. until at least the middle of March. $5 if you buy from Ticketweb (although that option has just disappeared), $10 at the door, or free when you buy LN's vinyl single at Origami ($4).

Possible bottom line: Last chance to see Local Natives in a small venue in LA? 1) It looks like this show is on the verge of selling out. 2) Their album will be released in the U.S. in February, before they're back from Europe. A couple favorable reviews and they'll be playing the Echoplex or El Rey instead of the Echo or Spaceland.

Voxhaul Broadcast and Chief open it up. Bring a can of food and you get a free gift from the band.

Editor's Note: "From the CER Vault" Series

2009-12-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

2009 is on its way out, and what better time than the end of the year to finish up a bunch of CER posts that were started during the year but that never got to the point of being ready for release.

So, expect to see a handful of "From the CER Vault" posts over the next couple weeks, mostly consisting of show reviews. The shows may have happened months ago, but I'll make sure the reviews have some redeeming value anyway.

Local Natives Finally Sign a Record Deal in the U.S.

2009-12-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

The circle is now complete: Frenchkiss Records for the U.S. (side note: Frenchkiss also recently signed the excellent Freelance Whales -- LN/FW tour in 2010?), Infectious Records for the rest of the world, and Universal Music Publishing for those lucrative publishing rights. Gorilla Manor, Local Natives' debut album, which was released on November 2 in the U.K. (and I'm sure is all over the internet), will be released on February 16 in the U.S.

My initial thoughts about the three month gap between a U.S. and Worldwide release date for Gorilla Manor was that this was clearly stupid. I have a hard time believing there was a shortage U.S. labels that wanted to sign the band and release their album like they wanted to in the fall.

But when I think about it more, I really like the idea of spacing it out. First, the album was completely self-financed by the band, which means that LN is not thousands of dollars in debt to a label. This definitely takes the pressure off record sales (also helped by not signing to a major label), and I'm sure the band knows that their meal ticket is their phenomenal live shows, not some eternally fixed translation of their songs onto a record. (Taylor is quoted in Pop & Hiss saying “We’re proud of our album, but we’re at our best when we’re live.”)

Second, spacing out the releases allows Local Natives spend months solely focusing on Europe, since it's the only place they have label support and the only place where their album is available. And LN is taking advantage of the opportunity. They've already done two tours in the UK and will be spending two months there early next year. With the band being in Europe, and the album exclusively on Infectious Records, Infectious has a tremendous incentive to support the band.

Then, with momentum coming from the UK, Local Natives can continue making waves in the U.S., where they're almost surely destined for success (and just a pesky Pitchfork review away from 2010 domination). The momentum and potential will encourage Frenchkiss to put their full support behind the band.

Who knows how much of this was planned. Nonetheless, Local Natives and their team have assembled a very smart group of business partners:

Two indie labels on the recording side, which secures indie cred and frees up more money for them (2 is more than 1). Splitting up their label commitments geographically allows each label to focus on the territories they know, and should allow more efficient use of their resources.

Universal Music Publishing Group for that always needed advance money, not to mention the clout of the world's largest music publishing company in the only way bands make money now besides touring: placements in TV and advertising.

So, in all, kudos to the band, its management (Phil Costello of Red Light Management -- Red Light also manages to Dave Matthews, The Jakes, and a ton of others) and most importantly (in my eyes) their attorney, Richard Grabel, who's known to be one of the best indie lawyers around, if not the best.

For CER, LN's signing comes during a time of reflection on the past year and thoughts about what the next year will bring. The first time I ventured to the east side for a show was to see Local Natives for the first time almost one year ago, on December 8 at the Silverlake Lounge. Since then I've had the privilege to see them 9 additional times, and set #11 will be at the Echo on December 22. That's a lot, I know, but every time I'd go to a LN show thinking this would be the last time before taking a break, I came away from their sets always wanting more. Their explosion in 2009 has been deserving and remarkable and I see no limits for them in 2010.

What 2 Go 2 Special Alert: Casxio at Crazy Girls on Wednesday

2009-12-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a joke when I first saw it on Casxio's myspace page last month, but when you think about it, who else but Casxio would or should play at a strip club in Hollywood.

Now it's official. It's real and I'm sure it will be spectacular.

We are playing a show at Crazy Girls in Hollywood Dec 9th. Be sure to bring protection.

Dec 9 - Hollywood
Crazy Girls - Hell Yeah! Party w/ Iglu & Hartly and The Dance Party
1433 N La Brea Ave
Doors @ 8:30 / $5
This show is not yet rated.

Click Here to RSVP on Facebook

By the way, will someone please pair Casxio and Tigercity for a tour? Call it the Falsettos Forever Tour. This needs to happen in 2010.

Video Encounter: Kittens Ablaze "This Machine is Dying"

2009-11-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

Kittens Ablaze's set at SXSW was one of the Top 5 I witnessed. That's saying something, considering I saw bands play for 6-8 hours a day for four straight days. One of the highlights of KA's set: Michelle, the cellist, smashing her instrument at the end of the second to last song. Completely unexpected; I didn't even realize what she was doing for a couple seconds. And then she whipped out another cello for the final tune. Here's video of some of the smashing. Unfortunately it misses the first swing, which hit one of her band mates in the arm.

My immediate thoughts during and after their set was "this is Ra Ra Riot with balls." It's not the most apt description, but it gets the point across.

Anyway, the Brooklyn-based band just released a video for "This Machine is Dying." One thing to note is that their drummer is the lead vocalist. This explains some of the live shots, which feature vocals without anyone appearing to sing them.

Video Encounter: Happy Hollows "We Will Find You" (Acoustic)

2009-11-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Happy Hollows play every Monday night this month for free at Spaceland. Don't miss it. Here's an acoustic performance recorded when they were in New York for CMJ last month.

Watch the full concert at baeblemusic.com

LA Band to Watch: Letting Up Despite Great Faults

2009-10-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

My only problem with Letting Up Despite Great Faults' first album? It's too short. Seven tracks is not enough. That all changes with their second (and self-titled) album, released earlier this month, which grants us access to an additional nine tracks. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to the entire album it since it's not on Rhapsody, but what I've heard does not disappoint.

LUDGF includes Rachel of the recently departed Automatic Drawing. It's shoegazy-indiepop (credit to Pitchfork for that description) with electronic undertones thrown in for good measure. Think The Postal Service, but a bit more subdued.

Take a listen on their myspace page, which includes 5 songs from the new album. Note: if you scroll down to the bottom of their MySpace player you're treated to their remix of Passion Pit's "Little Secrets."

LUDGF's next LA date, and their only LA date currently scheduled, is November 21 at Mr. T's Bowl. Should make a nice pre-Thanksgiving treat.

Update: What I call LUDGF's "first album" is characterized by others as an EP. At 7 songs it seems long for an EP, but nonetheless, their just-released album is, officially, their self-titled debut LP.

Guilty Pleasure: Cash Cash

2009-10-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ah, another edition of CER's Guilty Pleasure, our irregular mention of an electro-pop band that is so infectious, poppy, and directed towards teenagers that I feel guilty listening to it as much as I do. This time it's Cash Cash, which I'd describe as a hybrid of The Cab and Hellogoodbye. Just looking at their hairstyles makes me hate myself. Still, I couldn't stop myself from buying tickets to their December 9 show at the Roxy. Sure, it will be full of 16 year olds, but I can't think it's going to be anything other than one hell of a fun time.

Go ahead, try listening to this song more than once.

Cash Cash - Party In Your Bedroom music video from cash cash on Vimeo.

CER Favorites at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon

2009-10-17T12:25:00.001-07:00

Want to check out three of LA's finest as they descend on New York for this week's CMJ Music Marathon? I've got everything you need to know right here.

This year Casxio, Local Natives, and The Happy Hollows will be playing all over the city. Here's their schedules, listed by date. (There's also a little cheat sheet, listed by band, at the bottom.)

Tuesday October 20

Casxio: Piano's (158 Ludlow St.) for The Music Slut CMJ Party. Casxio is on at 6pm. Great lineup. Other bands you should check out at this party are The Love Language, Fanfarlo, Sean Bones and Calypso.

The Happy Hollows have their CMJ showcase at 11:30pm at the Lit Lounge (93 2nd Ave.)

Wendesday October 21

Casxio is at Southpaw in Brooklyn (125 5th Ave.) for one of their two official showcases. They go on at 9:15pm.

The Happy Hollows are at Coco 66 in Brooklyn (66 Greenpoint Ave.) at around 10pm.

Thursday October 22

Aquarium Drunkard & Intelligent Noise party at Fontana's (105 Eldridge St.). This is the daytime party to attend at CMJ: Happy Hollows (3:30pm), Local Natives (3pm), Roadside Graves, and The Love Language are all performing.

Casxio will be at The Canal Room (285 West Broadway) for the ASCAP showcase. 9:15pm set time once again.

Local Natives: In typical fashion, LN plays a second show on the same day, this time their CMJ showcase at The Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston) at midnight. Hockey plays right before them at 11 and Sean Bones follows them at 1am. Complete details.

Friday October 23

Casxio is at Norwood (241 W. 14th St.) for The:Hours Records Meet & Greet party. Time TBA.

Local Natives once again play two shows in one day:

First they're at Santos Party House (96 Lafayette) at 8pm.

Then they're at BrooklynVegan's party at a Williamsburg loft in a secret location at 11:55pm. To RSVP and get on the list (which does not guarantee admission) you have to email loft.rsvp@gmail.com with your name. Here's more details on that show.

Saturday October 24

Local Natives again play two events in one day.

First, they're at the Brooklyn Vegan party at 2pm at Piano's (158 Ludlow St.) (Note: I'm a bit skeptical about this in light of the BV loft show they're playing the night before)

Then, they're at Delancy (168 Delancy) for the Deli Magazine showcase at 4:15pm.

List by Band

Local Natives

Thursday October 22: 1) Fontana's at 3pm, 2) Mercury Lounge at midnight
Friday October 23: 1) Santos Party House at 8pm, 2) Williamsburg loft at 11:55pm
Saturday October 24: 1) Piano's at 2pm, 2) Delancy at 4pm

Casxio

Tuesday October 20: Piano's at 6pm
Wednesday October 21: Southpaw at 9:15pm
Thursday October 22: Canal Room at 9:15pm
Friday October 23: Norwood. Time TBA.

Happy Hollows

Tuesday October 20: Lit Lounge at 11:30pm
Wednesday October 21: Coco 66 at around 10pm

Wish I could be in New York this week. Have fun!

Video Encounter: Casxio's "Seventeen"

2009-10-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

CER Favorites Casxio have a new video, this time for their fan favorite "Seventeen." Featuring Lucas in drag and lots of neon. Check it out:

And mark your calendars: Casxio's "Seventeen" EP release party is Sunday night at Cinespace. It's their last show before they head over to New York for this year's CMJ Music Marathon.

Nico Stai Video Shoot: Your Plans This Friday

2009-10-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Nico Stai is/are shooting a video for "Dead Pony" on Friday at Ghettogloss Gallery (6109 Melrose). This is unquestionably worth your time (and it's free). Nico Stai is a rarity: a fully formed, mature band with great stage presence and a 110% bonafide rock star as their frontman. They were so good at the Eagle Rock Music Festival. I don't understand how they aren't more popular.

As you can see from the flyer, here are the details:

8:30: Drinks and music begin ($3 drinks and $1 beers)
9:00: Video shoot
10:00: Live set by the full band

CER Out.

Thursday, Far @ Knitting Factory Hollywood (10/10/2009)

2009-10-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

It's almost mind-boggling to think about Thursday as a live act. I've been seeing Thursday at least once a year since 2001, and often two or three times a year. And no matter when or where I've seen them they always leave it all out on the stage, each and every time. Whether it's inside or outside, in New York, New Jersey, or LA, at high noon or late at night, playing in front of 200 or 2,000, or playing a 30 minute Warped Tour set or an almost two hour set at their holiday shows at the Starland Ballroom in Jersey, it doesn't matter: they put all their energy into their show each and every time. I just can't understand how a band can do that day after day for so many years. And the crowds are always excited and love every second of it. I've never been to a Thursday show and walked away disappointed. Never. They are simply the best live act I know. It never gets old and I don't think it ever will.

On this night things were no different, although the Knit was one of the smaller venues Thursday has played recently. The band performed War all the Time front to back, and then came out for a four song encore which included "Autobiography of a Nation" and ended with "Jet Black New Year."

Thank you, Thursday, for making an old guy from Jersey feel like he's 20 and back home again, at least for one night.

My Tentative But Unrealistic Eagle Rock Music Festival Schedule

2009-10-03T12:19:00.001-07:00

First, it's not physically possible to be at all of these sets, and second, nothing's going to run on time. But if I had a teleporter or if the stages are a lot closer than I think they will be, here's my plans for later today:

[Note: This site has myspace links for all the Eagle Rock bands.]

6:00

6:00- 6:35 Leslie and the Badgers (Emerging)
OR
6:00-6:25 Alaskan Summer (American Tire Depo/Kingsize).

I'm heavily leaning towards Alaskan Summer.

6:30

6:30-7:00 Free the Robots (Panang) (unlikely because the Panang stage is too far away)
OR
6:30-6:55 Ovideo (American Tire Depo/Ship Stage) (more likely, but not as good)

7:00

7:00- 7:25 The Pulsars (American Tire Depo/Kingsize)

7:30

7:30-7:55 The French Semester (American Tire Depo/The Ship Stage)

8:00

8:00 -8:35 Free Moral Agents (Emerging)

8:30

8:30-9:00 Monolators Collaboration (Swork)

9:00

9:00-9:40 Jail Weddings (Emerging)
OR
9:00-9:25 Blank Blue (American Tire Depo/Kingsize).
Probably Jail Weddings.

9:30

9:30-10:00 Underground Railroad to Candyland (Bateman)

10:00

10:00-10:25 Dusty Rhodes (American Tire Depo/Kingsize)

10:30

10:35-11:00 Happy Hollows (American Tire Depo/Ship)

Eagle Rock Music Festival Tomorrow

2009-10-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

Here's everything you need to know. First, it's free, and there's free parking at Eagle Rock Plaza (2700 Colorado Blvd). The festival takes place on Colorado Boulevard between Eagle Rock Boulevard and Argus.

Below is a map with the set times. Click on it for the larger version.

List of Myspace links for all the bands.

Main ERMF page.

Complete Lineup with Set Times

(I've bolded the sets I'm most interested in; apologies for the formatting issues)

Emerging Stage
FYF Fest/LA Record
Shearin Ave. and Colorado Blvd.
4:00-5:00pm- Chris and Charlie DJ Set (LA Record)

5:00-5:35pm- Faraway Places

6:00-6:35pm -Leslie and the Badgers

7:00-7:35pm- Fol Chen

8:00-8:35pm- Free Moral Agents

9:00-9:40pm- Jail Weddings

10:15-11:00pm- No Age

Global Stage
Dublab Future Roots Stage
Between Eagle Rock Blvd. and Caspar Ave. on Colorado Blvd.

4:00-4:45pm -Julia Holter
4:45-5:45pm- Nanny Cantaloupe
5:45-6:15pm- Bali and Beyond Gamelan Ensemble
6:15-7:15pm- The Gaslamp Killer
7:15-8:00pm- Michael White Quintet Featuring Vocalist Leisei Chen
8:00-9:00pm- Mas Exitos
9:00-9:45pm- Buyepongo
10:00-11:00pm- Dub Club "Echodelic Sound System” with special guest vocalists

American Legion Hall
2109 Merton Ave.

4:00-4:35pm- Shakey Graves
5:00-5:35pm- Random Patterns
6:00-6:35pm- Bobb Bruno
7:00-7:35pm- Wounded Lion
8:00-8:20pm- Robedoor
8:30-9:00pm- Pocahaunted
9:30-10:00pm- The Street and Babe Shadow
10:30-11:30pm- SASSAS soundShoppe

American Tire Depot
Kingsize Soundlabs Stage / The Ship Stage
1924 Colorado Blvd.

Kingsize Soundlabs Stage
4:00-4:25pm- Linus of Hollywood
5:00- 5:25pm- Andrew Lynch
6:00- 6:25pm- Alaskan Summer
7:00-7:25pm- The Pulsars
8:00-8:25pm- Patrick Park
9:00- 9:25pm- Blank Blue
10:00-10:25pm- Dusty Rhodes and the River Band

The Ship Stage
4:30-4:55pm- Wonderground
5:30- 5:55pm- Amateurs
6:30- 6:55pm- Ovideo
7:30-7:55pm- The French Semester

8:30- 8:55pm- Nico Stai

9:30- 9:55pm- The Pity Party

10:30- 11:00pm- The Happy Hollows

Bateman Water and Heating
Razorcake/Zocaloc Stage
1801 W. Colorado Blvd.

4:00-4:30pm- The Ignorant
4:55-5:25pm- Carnage Asada
5:50-6:20pm- That’s Incredible
6:45- 7:15pm- Apples and Onions
7:40-8:10pm- The Woolly Bandits
8:35-9:05pm- The Curs

9:30-10:00pm- Underground Railroad to Candyland
10:30-11:30pm- The Gears

Camilo’s
2128 Colorado Blvd.

6:30-7:30pm- Juan Vega Trio
8:00-10:00pm- Juan Vega Trio

Eagle Rock City Hall
Kids' Stage
2035 Colorado Blvd.

4:30-5:15pm- Oh So Silly Animal Stories
6:00-6:45pm- Sandra Sandia
7:30- 8:15pm- The Tracs
8:45- 9:30pm- Artichoke
10:00- 11:00pm- March Fourth Marching Band

Colombo's Italian Steakhouse & Jazz Club
1833 Colorado Blvd.

INSIDE
5:30-6:15pm- Tim Yalda and Friends
7:00-7:45pm - Sam Mellon and The Skylarks
8:15-9:00pm - Mumpo
9:30-11:30pm- Stephan Oberhoff Jazz Trio

OUTSIDE
5:30-8:00pm - The Joe Johnston Band
8:30-11:00pm - Morning Glory

Women's 20th Century Club
5105 Hermosa Ave.

5:00 pm -10:00 pm - The AM/FM Band

Welcome Inn
1840 W. Colorado Blvd.

7:00-7:35pm- Bonne Musique Zydeco
8:00-10:00pm- Bonne Musique Zydeco

Rantz Automotive
1914 W. Colorado Blvd.

6:00-6:45pm – Eagle Rock High School Latin Band
7:15-8:00- Trova
8:30-9:15pm- Ollin
9:45-11:00pm- Kotolan

Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Blvd.

5:30-6:30pm- Santa Cecilia Orchestra

Panang
Soul in the Park/ Future Music Stage
1801 W. Colorado Blvd.

4:00-4:30pm- Rani D.
4:30-5:00pm- Grainshifter
5:00-5:30pm- Alter
5:30-6:00pm- Kutmah
6:00-6:30pm- Computer Jay
6:30-7:00pm- Free the Robots
7:00-7:30pm- DJ Nobody
7:30-8:00pm- Sa Ra Creative Partners DJ set
8:00-9:00pm- Coleman and B + Mochilla mix
9:00-9:30pm- Jeremy Sole
9:30-10:00pm- Peanut Butter Wolf

10:00-10:30pm- DJ Suckapunch
10:30-11:00pm- Black Dynamite band

Swork
PEHRSPACE "Pehriscope" COLLABORATIVE
2160 Colorado Blvd.

6:00-6:30pm- Tag Team Hungry Beat DJ Set*
6:30-7:00pm- Collaboration #1 -Matt Eckel (Jack Wilson, Jr) & Meredith Meyer
7:00-7:30pm- Tag Team Hungry Beat DJ Set*
7:30-8:00pm- Collaboration #2 - Christian (The Transmissions) & Champ (Magick Orchids)
8:30p-9:00pm- Collaboration #3 t-The Monolators [Skiffle Disco]
9:00-9:20pm- Tag Team Hungry Beat DJ Set*
9:20-10:00pm- Film by Sublamp with live soundtracking by Timonium & Divisadero

* Hungry Beat DJs
Marion (KCRW), Michael (Part Time Punks), B-Rok (Substance) , Goodwill (Substance), YY (dublab)

Plus:
INI Reggae Sound Truck, Street Performances by Leaps N' Bounds Dance, L.A. Groove Styles , Yard Sale Crew, L@s Cafeter@s.

Video Projections from Chris Peters, Julie Orser, Eric Siu , Nate Garcia, Michiko Yao, Karl Montevirgen, Lakshmi Luthra, Christopher Carlton
with projectors provided by Side Street Projects.

The Harlem Shakes: R.I.P. (2006-2009)

2009-09-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

A very sad goodbye to the Harlem Shakes, one of my favorite non-local bands of 2009. They first came to my attention when I was looking up bands that were playing at SXSW this year. Kevin Bronson's Buzzbands.la party was all local bands with the Harlem Shakes as the one exception. I fired up their myspace page and after hearing less than 30 seconds of "Niagara Falls" I was hooked. "Technicolor Health" is unquestionably one of my favorite albums of the year.

I heard the news Friday night but couldn't find confirmation so I ignored it. But it's true, and very disappointing. I sincerely enjoyed seeing them twice at SXSW and for both of their LA dates opening for Passion Pit. After their Passion Pit tour I kept waiting for an announcement of their next LA date -- I was preemptively excited for them to headline The Echo or Spaceland, but it wasn't meant to be.

For the uninitiated: http://www.myspace.com/harlemshakes

MP3s (from Radio Exile):

Harlem Shakes – “Y Control” (Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cover)

Harlem Shakes – “Niagara Falls”

Harlem Shakes – “Sickos”

Videos I took during their LA dates:

CER Posts re: The Shakes

Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes @ Troubadour (5/28/2009)

Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes @ Echoplex (5/29/2009)

SXSW 2009 Wrapup

I Am T-Pain: Best iPhone App Ever?

2009-09-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Residency Preview: Saint Motel's September Spaceland Residency

2009-09-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

Saint Motel plays for free at Spaceland every Monday in September. I recommend coming out for their first show this coming Monday so you get to see The Jakes (and because Mondays are at a premium this month considering the dueling Leslie & The Badgers residency at the Echo).

Here are two SM videos to whet your appetite:

And a little promo ad they did for the residency:

Tonight (My Birthday!) at Spaceland: Henry Clay People, Local Natives, Fun., Aushua

2009-08-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

True, it's purely a coincidence that my birthday is the same day as this spectacular show, but when you can see both Local Natives and The Henry Clay People at Spaceland on your birthday (and for free) the stars have truly aligned.

And that doesn't even include Fun., which features Nate Ruess of The Format and Jack from Steel Train. They've sold out the Mercury Lounge (NYC) and Schuba's (Chicago) dates on their current tour. And Aushua is supposed to be great also. I am very excited.

Local Natives on at 11, Henry Clay at 10. Fun and Aushua keep the candle burning on both ends (9pm and Midnight, not necessarily respectively). You best get there early.

Sunday at the Silent Movie Theatre: The Bear with LIVE SCORE by No Age

2009-08-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday at the Silent Movie Theatre on Melrose and Fairfax is screening the movie The Bear. No Age will be performing a live, original score over the "near-wordless" movie. It should be quite an experience, and the Theatre knows it has something big on its hands -- there's both an 8pm and 10:30pm screening.

From the Silent Movie Theatre's description:

L.A.-based, world-renowned experimental noise pop duo No Age will appear live at the Cinefamily to perform their brand-new score for Jean-Jacques Annaud's majestic 1988 film The Bear, a near-wordless cinematic expedition deep into the savagery and tenderness of the animal kingdom. Told from the titular species' point of view, The Bear chronicles the journey of an orphan bear cub and a lone adult bear banding together to avoid two human hunters. Along the way, director Annaud has great fun with the storytelling possibilities from a non-human perspective, including dream sequences and an unforgettable psychdelic mushroom bear trip! With nearly no (human) dialogue, the film easily lends itself to live scoring, and No Age drummer Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall have crafted a shimmering 90-minute set of sonic blasts and delicate textures that perfectly complement the peculiar, touching and altogether unique experience that is The Bear.

See you Sunday at 8. Here's the trailer for "The Bear:"

The Jakes Sign to Roadrunner Records

2009-08-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

A big congratulations (and good luck) to The Jakes, who have signed with Roadrunner Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. The band has long been represented by Serling Rooks & Ferrara, a very experienced music law firm located in Union Square in Manhattan.

Signing with a major is not always the best step a band can take (there's no need to recount the numerous tales of successful indie bands who fall on their faces once they jump to a major, or the tales of those who join a major and are then forgotten) and the move is especially interesting in today's climate, where the importance of record labels is fading fast. Nonetheless, hopefully these words from The Jakes regarding their signing turn out to be accurate:

After six months of deliberation and lawyer babble (respectfully, Reid, Mike and David) we have finally signed a record deal with Roadrunner Records, a branch of the Warner tree. To those of you acquainted with Roadrunner’s illustrious past, our signing might come as a bit of a surprise. After decades of multi-platinum success with Music’s rough heavy metal greats such as Megadeth, Dream Theatre, and most recently, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, and radio titan Nickelback, one may beg the question; why The Jakes? What do we have that likens us to such metal-mongers? The answer is—nothing! A new approach from within Roadrunner A&R department has quelled the steep desire to tread a new musical path in the road of modern “indie” rock, and although such a classification is always ambiguous, it is clear that Roadrunner has no intentions of likening us to their heavy-metal, or contemporary greats. On the contrary, Roadrunner will provide us with a unique blend of artistic license and indie label coziness with Major-label professionalism and distribution, and is unafraid to take the path of innovation. Most importantly, Roadrunner is very passionate about us, and has accepted us into their tight knit family. We are excited to see the products of our pairing, and are looking forward to see our relationship grow.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=4100845&blogId=507415421

The band also announced that keyboardist Ehson Hashemian is no longer with the band. I really enjoyed his live energy.

The Jakes are currently writing their new album. Their next show is at Spaceland on September 7, where they open the first night of Saint Motel's residency. To my knowledge, it's the band's first ever show at Spaceland (and perhaps their first ever in Silverlake/Echo Park). I will undoubtedly be in attendance.

It's Friday the 14th: Rock 'N Roll Circus Tonight!

2009-08-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

I don't think it's possible to be excited enough for tonight's guaranteed blockbuster at the Echoplex. Here's the details with set times:

Main Stage

Henry Clay People (11pm)
Fol Chen (10pm)
Flying Tourbillon Orchestra (9:15 pm)
Marvelous Toy (8:30 pm)

Acoustic Side Stage (in between acts on the main stage, which means non-stop music)

Roadside Graves (between Fol Chen and HCP)
Les Blanks (between FTO and Fol Chen)
Downtown/Union (between Marvelous Toy and FTO)
The Damselles (between Marvelous Toy and FTO)

Icing on the Cake

Skeeball
Balloon Animals
Face Painting
Mimes
Free Cotton Candy
Free Sno-cones
Free mix CD of all the bands if you come wearing a mustache, wear a clown costume or show up in other circus attire (for the first 100 people)
Only $10 to get in

Band to Watch: My First Earthquake

2009-08-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

My First Earthquake hails from San Francisco. They're a female-fronted band that Allmusic.com describes as "bold, synth-riddled indie pop." Think an Americanized version of The Sounds. Or don't think and just listen:

"Cool in the Cool Way"

"Outta the Band"

Fitz & The Tantrums' EP -- Streaming Right Here

2009-08-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

Future Sounds Records released Fitz & The Tantrums' EP, "Songs For a Breakup, Vol. 1" today (although it's been available on Rhapsody for months). As part of the release, FS created an embeddable player that streams the entire five song EP. Here it is:

Fitz's next show is next Wednesday, August 19 at the Troubadour with Kenan Bell, U-N-I, and more. At $5 a ticket there's no reason to miss it. I'm looking forward to finally seeing these guys.

Yours Truly Guest DJ-ing at Ask Noogle

2009-08-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Check it out. 5 music videos hand selected by me. I'd tell you what they are, but then you wouldn't click the link:

http://asknoogle.blogspot.com/2009/08/81009dj-josh-fucking-karp-stepping-in.html

What 2 Go 2: August 10 - 15

2009-08-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

W2G2 is back, at least for this week. If this is not the week I get my going-to-too-many-shows momentum back, then nothing will. There's at least one show worth attending every day.

Monday: Local Natives, Red Cortez, and Rademacher @ Spaceland. Get there early; this one is going to be packed, and waiting on line in front of Spaceland is no fun.

Tuesday: Tic Tic Boom! @ Spaceland. Very promising band.

Reasonable alternative #1: The Voyeurs video release show at the Echo. I've never heard of a video release show, but the trailer for the Voyeurs' video is impressive, and the Voyeurs are great live. Here's the trailer:

Guilty pleasure alternative: Cobra Starship at the Troubadour. Sold out, but if you got tickets you're going to have a lot of fun.

Wednesday: Olin & The Moon at Pershing Square. Free outdoor concert in the middle of downtown.

Thursday: Great Northern, Xu Xu Fang and Obi Best @ The Bootleg Theatre. This is a Pablove benefit show. Ryan from Divison Day is "playing" a "DJ set."

I don't get the "DJ sets" thing. So someone puts a bunch of songs on an iPod, plugs it into the venue's soundsystem, and presses play? Sounds awesome. Is anyone even listening?

Friday: Rock 'N Roll Circus! Finally a Henry Clay People show at a reasonable venue (the Wiltern is not a reasonable venue), and I finally get to see Fol Chen, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra's new lineup, and Downtown/Union. There's going to be Skeeball, Sno-cones and Cotton Candy, too.

Saturday: Tough choice tonight

Option 1: Nico Stai plays with a full band at the opening of the new Ghettogloss Gallery. Full details have not been announced yet.

Option 2: The World Record and Le Switch at Spaceland. Roadside Graves are also playing. They're from Metuchen, New Jersey. Got to love that.

Olin & The Moon Update: Free Downloads, New Video, and Upcoming Show(s)

2009-08-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

So, what's been going on with CER Favorites Olin & The Moon? Glad you asked.

First, the band has a free EP for you to download when you sign up for their mailing list. The track listing:

1. Terrible Town
2. Wagon Wheel
3. Drivin' West
4. Friend of Feeling Good
5. Footsteps (unreleased)

You can sign up for their mailing list and grab the songs right here. I highly recommend you do so.

Also, about a month ago the band released a video for "Terrible Town" which features footage from their West Coast tour with fellow local alt-country band Leslie & The Badgers.

Finally, Olin & The Moon is playing at Pershing Square in downtown LA next Wednesday. It's hard to imagine a more pleasant summer evening.

And while it's not confirmed yet, I'm sure they'll be playing at the Echo one Monday in September in support of Leslie & The Badgers' September residency. That's a one-two punch that should not be missed.

Fanfarlo's First Ever U.S. Tour

2009-08-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Fanfarlo has announced the dates for its first, but very short, U.S. tour in September. Don't miss them. Seriously. If you're in LA or New York you've got two chances each, so there's no excuse.

September 14 - Chop Suey, Seattle

September 15 -- Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA

September 16 -- The Echo, Los Angeles

September 17 -- Popscene, San Francisco

September 20 -- Kungfu Necktie, Philadelphia

September 21 -- Bowery Ballroom, New York

September 22 -- The Bell House, Brooklyn, New York

Here's their video for "Harold T. Wilkins."

Related Posts:

U.K. Artist to Watch: Fanfarlo

August Highlights

2009-08-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

August is going to be a spectacular month. Let me count the ways . . .

#1) Sunset Junction: August 22 and 23. Seeing Arrested Development will be worth the price of admission ($15/day in advance), but then there's also Local Natives, Nico Vega, The Submarines, Conor Oberst, Nico Stai, and Fool's Gold, among others.

#2) Local Natives Residency (especially the August 10 date). It's Local Natives' month; we're just living in it. They've got six LA shows this month: 5 Mondays at Spaceland and the first day of Sunset Junction.

#3) Rock 'N Roll Summer Circus at the Echoplex. This is going to be great. To start, it's Henry Clay's first "small" LA show since their April residency, but there's so much more. From THCP's myspace description:

w/ FOL CHEN, FLYING TOURBILLON ORCHESTRA, MARVELOUS TOY --- "Side Show Acoustic Performers": Damselles/TC4, Balloon Bass, Roadside Graves, Les Blanks, Downtown/Union, Oof Tarted, Banjo-vi, and Eli Monolator. Cotton Candy, Games (Skeeball!), Balloon Animals, Face Painting, Moustaches, Mimes, and MORE

Steel Train, Fun @ Space 15 Twenty (7/12/2009)

2009-07-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Bringing the number of last minute shows I've only learned about via Twitter to two, Steel Train played a set as an acoustic duo (just Jack and Evan) at Space 15 Twenty on a Sunday afternoon. Hot day, but there was plenty of shade. Fun, a side project of Jack's, played after Steel Train, with Evan filling in on bass.

I've been following Steel Train for a while, and it's always great to see them and catch up with Evan, who I went to high school with. Be on the lookout for their new album in the coming months, their first since 2007's Trampoline -- the band just finished mastering it in LA over the past few weeks.

Here's a video of their performance on Conan a little over a year ago:

Video Encounter: Fitz & The Tantrums "Winds of Change"

2009-07-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the new video from Fitz & The Tantrums. The band is about to hit the road for a West Coast tour with Celtic punk band Flogging Molly and ska legends Hepcat. I can't imagine seeing Flogging Molly while sitting at The Greek Theatre (way too tame), but that's their LA date.

I was never a fan of Beavis & Butthead, but I'm reminded of their saying "If I wanted to read, I'd go to school."

Local Natives Spaceland Residency -- The Lineups

2009-07-24T12:22:00.001-07:00

Time to plan ahead. Here's the supporting acts for the Local Natives August residency at Spaceland:

August 3: The Union Line, The Outline, We Barbarians.

August 10: Red Cortez, Rademacher, Swim Party. This is the one not to miss.

August 17: Voxhaul Broadcast, Soko, The Lonely H.

August 24: The Parson Redheads, The Cheat.

August 31: Fun, Aushua.

You get a free download of LN's "Sun Hands" when you sign up for their mailing list. For your convenience, you can sign up right here:

Band to Watch: Hey Champ

2009-07-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

A rare sight: people into the 9pm band at Spaceland.

I walk into Spaceland at 9:30 on Monday night and immediately see people up close to the stage and really into the opening band. Hey Champ. Never heard of them. I get to see the band energetically play their last song and a half and sincerely regretted not getting to Spaceland earlier. If Indie 103 still existed they'd be playing Hey Champ all the time; the band epitomizes the electro-infused rock that the station emphasized during its last few months of existence.

Hey Champ is from Chicago and on Lupe Fiasco's 1st and 15th label.

Here's their video for Cold Dust Girl.

Tonight at The Silent Movie Theatre: Etienne! (featuring Great Northern)

2009-07-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Silent Movie Theatre (Melrose & Fairfax) is screening Etienne! tonight at 8pm. The cast features Great Northern and the soundtrack includes The Happy Hollows and Wallpaper.

From the theatre's website:

Our friends at the CineVegas Film Festival have brought us Etienne!, winner of the festival’s “Filmmaker To Watch” award this year. After Richard’s best and only friend, a dwarf hamster named Etienne, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Richard decides to take the animal on a bicycle road trip up the California coast, to show him the world before he must put him to sleep. Influenced by 70’s films--in a good way--first-time director Jeff Mizushima balances the comedy with the genuine drama between hamster and man. Etienne! also has a terrific soundtrack with songs by Dan Deacon, Great Northern, The Happy Hollows and others.
Preceding the feature is Acting for the Camera by Justin Nowell, a funny and very messed-up 15-minute short that won CineVegas’ Best Short Film Director award.

Trailer:

Official website: http://www.hamstermovie.com/

Thanks to Eenie Meenie Records for the heads up.

What 2 Go 2: July 13 to 19

2009-07-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

Great week last week, even though I skipped Army Navy at Spaceland and the plethora of shows on Thursday. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis were excellent on Tuesday following a strong performance by Le Switch, and yesterday I was treated to acoustic sets by Steel Train and Fun at Space 15 Twenty.

Onto the matter at hand . . .

Monday: Natalie Portman's Shaved Head opens the Andy Clockwise residency at Spaceland. Sure, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head is disposable, but it's fun, and plenty of reason to check out Andy Clockwise, who I'm not very familiar with.

Wednesday: Fol Chen at Pershing Square. I probably won't even try to get downtown during rush hour, but maybe.

Thursday: LA (heart) SF show featuring The Monolators and Flying Tourbillon Orchestra at the Echo. This promises to be a great show. I've never seen The Monolators and I'm curious about FTO's relatively new lineup. The Damselles will also be making an appearance, likely backing up FTO.

Friday: If I didn't already have plans I'd be at the Echo for a second consecutive night to see Happy Hollows and The Valley Arena.

Saturday: So Many Dynamos at Spaceland. For fans of The Dismemberment Plan, assuming their second album sounds anything like their first.

Sunday: Good of a time as any to check out The Jakes' residency at Cinespace.

Tonight - Tyrone Wells at the Troubadour

2009-07-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the Troubadour tonight to hear some great pop/rock. Tyrone Wells goes on at 10:15.

The Jakes' Sunday July Residency

2009-07-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday this month The Jakes play Cinespace in Hollywood. Free entry and free vodka between 9:30 and 10:30, and $5 admission after that. Last Sunday The Jakes went on at midnight. I've been a fan of The Jakes since I saw them in April '08 at a KROQ Locals Only show at The Roxy, and Cinespace is a nice change of pace from Silverlake/Echo Park. Catch them at least once this month; it's definitely worth your time.

Here's a couple of videos from their performance at Cinespace in November. I was there, but these aren't my videos.

Castledoor, Local Natives @ Spaceland (6/22/2009)

2009-07-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Two of CER's absolute favorites, playing back to back at Spaceland for free on a Monday night. This is why I love LA.

Local Natives were on first, and I don't think I've heard them sound better. They held back a little on the vocals, pursuing harmony over an unneeded vocal assault. And they even sounded great without their violinist. Each of the six previous times I've seen LN their violinist, who the band refers to as "Amanda Violin," played with them. When I noticed she was not with the band this time, I thought I was in for a poorer set, like when Princeton plays without their string section. But surprisingly I didn't miss her presence.

The band played their typical, albeit great, set list. If I had any criticism, it's that they need to add some new songs to their live show, although I doubt many people have seen them enough to consider this critique. I'm sure they'll add something to the mix for their August Spaceland residency. In all, if LN were the only band playing that night I would have left happy.

Here's a video of them playing "Cards & Quarters," which is the b-side to their soon-to-be-released single for "Sun Hands." Notice Kelcey playing the keyboard with his right hand and the drum his left at the same time; I don't know how he does that.

Then up comes Castledoor. They played well and it was a fun set, but it didn't match the experience I had seeing them at tiny Temporary Spaces back in May: Spaceland was too packed and too warm to repeat that.

Here's a clip of their cover of "It Ain't Me," which they burned onto 100 CDs and handed out for free.

Pictures (EDIT: deleted because, as an anonymous commenter noted, they came out very poorly)

What 2 Go 2: July 6 to 12

2009-07-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

This is quite a week. I haven't seen a day as packed as this coming Thursday.

Tuesday: Le Switch debuts new material at the Echo, where they open for Kitty, Daisy and Lewis.

Wednesday: Army Navy are at Spaceland, with Thee Mighty Angels opening. Thee Mighty Angels are a relatively new band featuring David Newton of The Mighty Lemon Drops and Brian Reyes of The Little Ones.

Thursday: Oh Boy. I don't know how to deal with this one. No matter where you go, you're going to miss something great.

The popular pick: Everest and Red Cortez at the Hammer Museum. Free!
The underdog pick: his Orchestra and The Minor Cannon at Silverlake Lounge.
The very strong alt-country pick: Dusty Rhodes and the River Band with Olin & The Moon at the Echoplex. Do yourself a favor and check out the tracks on Dusty Rhodes' myspace page. They are excellent.
The non-local pick: Mighty Mighty Bosstones play at the House of Blues in Anaheim, their only SoCal date.

Friday: Andrew Bird and Ra Ra Riot at The Greek Theatre.

July in Advance

2009-06-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

What you should know in advance about July:

Residencies

Andy Clockwise at Spaceland
No other residencies, apparently. Sad.

Other Shows

Fol Chen plays at Pershing Square on July 15. It's going to be annoying to travel downtown on a Wednesday evening, but I don't know if I can keep missing Fol Chen shows.
So Many Dynamos are at Spaceland on July 18
Cut Chemist and We Are the World (who need to be seen to be believed) play at the Getty's Saturdays Off the 405 on July 25
Future of the Left, who impressed me at SXSW, are at Spaceland on July 31.

(Oh, and Local Natives have the August Spaceland residency)

What 2 Go 2: June 29 - July 5

2009-06-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

This week starts off with three highly recommended shows and then seems to completely fizzle out.

Monday: The opener for the Oliver Future residency at the Echo is . . . Casxio. Make sure you're there by 10, and stay for Oliver. Wish I hadn't missed Oliver Future this month.

Tuesday: Leslie & The Badgers CD Release Show at Spaceland. Olin & The Moon opens.

Wednesday: Fitz & The Tantrums bring their old school soul to Spaceland. Here's a sample:

Fitz & The Tantrums Performing LIVE! that's right LIVE!!! "Breakin' the Chains of Love" from Fitz&theTantrums on Vimeo.

Datarock, Casxio, Wallpaper @ Key Club (6/13/2009)

2009-06-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

I walked in during the second half of Wallpaper's set, as they were covering Bel Biv DeVoe's (That Girl is) Poison. It seemed fun, and they had autotune going. Wallpaper's gotten a bunch of hype from their remix of "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,"(download) and, more recently, for their response to Jay-Z's new single "Death of Autotune," which features the line "I've got 99 problems but my pitch ain't one." After Poison, though, I wasn't particularly impressed with their set. They've got a great sense of humor but there's nothing particularly noteworthy about them live.

Casxio was up next. A couple minutes before Casxio started I made my way towards the front of the Key Club, and then right as they took the stage a tall guy with a girl walk stand right in front of me. Usually that would not be ok, but this tall guy was Joshua Jackson, so I let it slide. (But I did take a picture of the top of his head with Casxio, included below.)

As you'd expect, I thoroughly enjoyed Casxio's set, although I not as much as their Spaceland show. This was mostly due to the layout of the Key Club, which puts the stage pretty high above the floor, so there's simply more distance between the band and the crowd.

Datarock headlined. I was relatively excited to see them, but I couldn't make it through their set. It felt very oppressive: the music was very loud, there was almost too much energy, and I don't know who thought flashing bright white lights at the crowd was a good idea, but there were bright white lights consistently flashing the crowd. It was unpleasant, but plenty of people seemed very pleased. I left about 20 minutes in.

Nyle on MTV!

2009-06-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Back on May 4th I posted Nyle Emerson's video for "Let The Beat Build," which was just starting to catch fire. Brief summary: the audio was recorded live along with the video, which was filmed in just one take. All done for $2,000. Here's the video:

Since then Nyle's continued to gain attention, and he was on MTV's "It's On with Alexa Chung" on Monday. Here's a link to the the full 5 minute segment. It begins with a short interview and then Nyle performs at around 3:00. His new song references Saved By the Bell, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Boy Meets World, all in less than a minute. And then he freestyles about the host at the end. Great stuff.

Here's just the performance (since you can't embed Facebook video):

Nyle - It's On with Alexa Chung - MTV Shows

What 2 Go 2: June 23 - 28

2009-06-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm out of town again beginning on Thursday, but I'll be scheduling posts to go up while I'm out. This looks like a high quality week.

Tuesday: Cryptacize at Echo Curio.

Alternative: Local Natives and Sean Bones are playing a free show at Space 15 Twenty.

Wednesday: The Watson Twins at Largo.

Thursday: Amanda Palmer at the Troubadour. She's mesmerizing.

Friday: Fol Chen at the PDG Warehouse downtown. Supposedly a Lakers celebration. I'm going to miss Fol Chen again. Arrgs.

Alternate: Telekinesis at Echoplex
Alternate 2: Line and Circle (who sound great on their Myspace) at Spaceland. They're not headlining, and I'm not familiar with the other bands playing, so might not be worth it.

Saturday: Probably can't go wrong with Halloween Jack at Spaceland. I never made it to any of their shows.

Guilty Pleasure: Cobra Starship's New Single "Good Girls Go Bad"

2009-06-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Cobra Starship has been a guilty pleasure of mine for a while. Being from the great state of New Jersey (and going to the same high school as frontman Gabe Saporta), I had been a Midtown fan (Gabe's previous band) since early 2000 when I first heard their debut album, "Save the World, Lose the Girl." And while it was sad to see them effectively disband back in 2005, it was plain to see that Midtown wasn't going to break out like it seemed they would in 2001.

Cobra Starship, on the other hand, is finally making Gabe the star he always wanted to be. The single just hit #40 on the Top 40 radio chart, and their Myspace page has over 15 million hits.

Their new single ("Good Girls Go Bad") features Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl. I've never watched Gossip Girl and I didn't know who Meester was before hearing that she'd be recording a track with CS. She sings a verse and her voice fits in perfectly with the tone and topic of the song.

Stream it here and feel guilty with me.

Castledoor AND Local Natives at Spaceland TONIGHT

2009-06-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Two CER favorites on the bill tonight at Spaceland for the perfect price of FREE. A CER dream show? Signs point to yes.

Local Natives open up for Castledoor's fourth residency show tonight. Local Natives should be on at 10 with Castledoor at 11. Don't miss it.

More info if you need it.

Weekend Update: 6/19

2009-06-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Some additional shows to help you have a great weekend:

Saturday: Chairlift (you know their song Bruises from an iPod commercial) is playing at the Getty Museum on Saturday evening. It's the first edition of the Getty's Saturdays Off the 405. The show is from 6pm - 9, so they'll be playing somewhere in between.

Sunday: Starfucker is playing at The Smell.

U.K. Artist to Watch: Fanfarlo

2009-06-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

Fanfarlo: excellent chamber indie pop from the U.K. You can definitely hear some Princeton in their music, along with Arcade Fire and Beirut. I challenge you to not like them.

Even more noteworthy is that you can download their debut LP "Reservoir" (plus four bonus tracks) from their website for just $1 through July 4. Yes, one dollar. Don't miss out.

Here's a video of the band playing "Harold T. Wilkins" in a shed:

And here's an embedded player with some more songs and videos:

No US dates on the horizon yet.

Reminder: download the album. You have until July 4.

(Thanks to Zach and Craig for the heads up on Fanfarlo.)

Video Encounter: Castledoor's cover of "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"

2009-06-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to finally make it to their residency next week.

What 2 Go 2: June 16 to 21

2009-06-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Quickly, since I need to get back to work and it's not a huge week for shows.

Tuesday - Thursday: Art Brut at Spaceland. Nico Stai opens on Wednesday and Rumspringa (sorry, got them confused with Vanaprasta) opens on Thursday. I'll be in attendance on Thursday.

Friday: Art Brut at the Echo.

Saturday: Seasons and I Make This Sound at Mr. T's Bowl. I Make This Sound features the rhythm section of The Henry Clay People. Speaking of The Henry Clay People, they really need to play an LA show soon.

Halloween Jack also plays Spaceland, if travelling out to Highland Park isn't in the cards.

Red Cortez, Robert Francis, Kenan Bell @ Spaceland (6/12/2009)

2009-06-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

This was my first LA show in two weeks and my first time at Spaceland in almost a month. And I thought I was getting tired of Spaceland. It was great to be back, and the night seriously calmed the "maybe I should move back to New York" thoughts that began after my East Coast trip earlier this month.

It's easy to call this show one of the more unusual ones I've attended. First, it was a benefit show for Taco Zone, a taco truck that parks outside of the Vons on Alvarado and Montana, and a taco truck that I had not yet patronized (although I did go after the show). Second, the bands didn't start playing until 10:30; instead, there were DJ sets beginning at 9. Finally, I had never seen any local hip hop in Silverlake/Echo Park, and Kenan Bell filled that role, playing to an unusual Spaceland crowd.

I got to Spaceland at 10. Small turnout. Noticing that the back room was almost empty, I thought it would be a good opportunity to spend some time there before all the smokers invaded.

Red Cortez started the live music portion of the evening at 10:30 with their rootsy post-punk. I don't know what this band did since the last time I saw them, but wow; they were significantly better than their January show at the Echo, when I left disappointed. Excellent and energetic set from this very promising (and now CER Endorsed) band.

Robert Francis was up next. I was expecting a solo singer-songwriter performance. Instead, I was greeted with a three-piece band. The first song wasn't particularly noteworthy, and I mostly tuned out the remainder of their set. The last two songs sounded pretty good, though.

After Robert Francis there must have been almost 100% crowd turnover, because when Kenan Bell took the stage I didn't recognize anyone at Spaceland. Give me hip hop with a live band any day. And Kenan Bell delivered: electric guitar and bass, acoustic guitar, drums, keyboards, and Mr. Bell on the mic. A great set that brought a party atmosphere to Spaceland. I know little about Kenan Bell, and I don't know where or how often they typically play or how they've assembled a fanbase, but the crowd was loving it. You can add me to that fanbase. CER Endorsed as well.

Red Cortez:
Kenan Bell:

Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes @ Echoplex (5/29/2009)

2009-06-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

For my more detailed review of this tour at the Troubaour, go here.

Another excellent night.

Harlem Shakes: Loved their set again, and the sound was better this time -- Lexy's vocals were finally loud enough. They started off quiet as usual but the sound guy turned them up about a minute into their second song. There were more people who seemed interested in The Shakes than at the Troubadour, but that could simply be because the Echoplex is triple the size. And again, another loud round of applause as they finished their set.

Passion Pit: Another great set with a fun crowd. I had some issues with the couple who barreled in front of me after the first song (the main issue being their odor), but once I moved over it dissipated. The encounter threw me off a bit, and I got slightly bored/tired halfway through their set, so I moved over to the left some more and started dancing, jumping, etc. along with everyone to my left and had a great time.

Which show was better? I'd say it's a tossup, and I keep going back and forth. The Troubadour was smaller and came first, and I think Passion Pit played better, but the sound for The Shakes was superior at the Echoplex and the venue was a lot darker than the Troubadour, which made Passion Pit's set feel like more of a party (looking back The Troubadour was quite bright). Either way, both shows are at the top of my list for the best of 2009. It was a privilege to be able to see this tour twice.

Here's a video of The Shakes finishing up Radio Orlando (my video of this song from the Troubadour show stopped before the end).

And pictures:

Related Posts:
Review of Passion Pit and Harlem Shakes @ The Troubadour

The Thermals @ The Troubadour (5/27/2009)

2009-06-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

My first of two consecutive nights at the Troubadour. I got to The Troubadour at 9:55, thinking I would see the end of Shaky Hands' set. When I got there no one was playing; rather, a band was setting up. Since Shaky Hands were supposed to be on at 9:30, I guessed that the show was late. But then saw the kick drum, which had a picture of The Thermals new album. So they're early?

Kind of. The set up and sound check were complete by 10:15, and the lights went down. I was sitting in the balcony and walked downstairs when the room darkened. But The Thermals waited to go on until 1030. It was hot, I was tired, and I thought about leaving. That would have been a mistake.

The Thermals put on a great show. They're a big ball of energy and fun. The bass player was consistently bouncing, the drummer would stand up at the beginning of songs and rile up the crowd, etc. I was particularly pleased to see a three piece band; they're just aren't enough of them out there. The band played for an hour with a one song encore. After the show the bass player and drummer went out to the edge of the stage for high fives. They played like they loved it, and they finished by showing their fans their appreciation. Got to love that.

This is the "punk-rock" the kids should be listening to. Anyone who's ever considered going to the Warped Tour should be listening to this band. I highly recommend their new album.

News & Notes: Band Signings Edition

2009-06-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Princeton signed to Kanine Records, [edit: former] home of Grizzly Bear.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes signed to Chrysalis (a music publishing company, not a record label).

Division Day (who have some good new songs up on their myspace) signed to Dangerbird Records, home of the Silversun Pickups.

What 2 Go 2: June 9 - 14

2009-06-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Over a week since my last post and over a week since my last LA show. Strange. This week makes up for it with two stellar, absolutely must-see shows at the end of the week.

[UPDATE: The Mae Shi dropped off the Taco Zone benefit. New lineup has Red Cortez instead]

Tuesday: The Lemonheads at Spaceland. These guys were a bit before my time, but it should be interesting to see them.

Thursday: Handsome Furs play the Echoplex. The Monolators open at 8:30pm. I'm not too impressed with the Furs, but I keep on missing The Monolators, and that needs to stop.

There's a discount list for this show (either $7 or $8). Email mail@themonolators.com by Thursday at Noon with your name.

Friday: Red Cortez, Kenan Bell, Robert Fr ancis, and Special Guests at Spaceland. This is a special benefit show for Taco Zone, the Echo Park taco truck that was set on fire on Friday. This show has something for everyone.

Saturday: D atarock, Casxio, and Wallp aper at The Key Club. CER Show of the Week.

Casxio are CER favorites. My review of their Spaceland show.

One listen to Wallpaper's "Combination Pizza Hut Taco Bell" lets you know that you should be at The Roxy when this show starts. Pitchfork review (with track) here.

And Datarock is Datarock. They released their new album today, and it sounds good on Myspace (a lot better than their previous album, which seemed hit or miss).

Sunday: If I have any energy left, I'll be expending it seeing Anavan at The Smell. Math The Band (best band name ever?) open with their hyperactive and ridiculously fun moog-rock.

What 2 Go 2 (W2G2): June 1 - June 7

2009-06-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

It would be hard to beat last week, so I'm skipping town. That reasoning isn't accurate, but I won't be in LA from Tuesday to Sunday, and my flight tomorrow is too early for me to reasonably attend the Castledoor residency show at Spaceland. So no LA shows for me this week, and the blog will be a little slow as well.

But if I were in LA it would be a good week, and a week where I could see a bunch of local bands I have not yet seen.

Monday: Castledoor residency at Spaceland. The Monolators, who I have not seen but very much want to, open. Oh well #1.

Tuesday: Tough call.

Olin & The Moon's record release show at the Echo. Soon-to-be-tourmates Leslie & The Badgers join in, along with Eagle and Talon and Deep Sea Diver.

But if I were in town, I'd probably be at The Bordello seeing The Movies play their first show in many moons. Seasons opens. Haven't seen Seasons yet, and have only seen The Movies once. Oh well #2.

Thursday: Fol Chen at the Echo. Haven't seen them yet either, and it's their last show before they go to London. Double oh well.

Friday: I'll be in New York, and hopefully seeing Kittens Ablaze as the sun sets at Hillstock's Rooftop Kickoff Party in Brooklyn. I'm very much looking forward to this.

That's all I got. Enjoy the week.

June in Advance

2009-05-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

What you need to know about in advance this month:

Datarock is at the Key Club on Saturday, June 13. And who might be opening? None other than Casxio.

Art Brut plays four shows in LA the third week of June. June 16-18 at Spaceland and June 19 at the Echoplex. "I know I shouldn't, is it so wrong, to break from your kiss, to turn up a pop song?"

Residencies: Castledoor has the Monday residency at Spaceland, while over at the Echo Oliver Future has their Monday residency. Both are worth checking out.

This isn't a residency per se, and it's not free, but Halloween Jack, a glam rock group comprised of Gilby Clarke (former member of Guns 'n Roses), Muck (Buckcherry), Eric Dover (Slash's Snakepit, Jellyfish), and Daniel Shulman (Garbage) play at Spaceland every Saturday night in June. If anything, it should be entertaining. I plan to be at their June 20th show.

Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes @ Troubadour (5/28/2009)

2009-05-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Passion Pit

Expectations exceeded.

I've always been ambivalent about the Troubadour. Wherever I've lived in LA has been within walking distance, so I've never had to drive there, and that's a nice perk. And the venue is set up wide, instead of long, so you can get close. But I think the stage is too low or something to that effect, because it seems like at the Troubadour, more than any other venue I can think of, it's really easy for someone to get in your line of sight, even for someone like me who's over 6 feet tall.

But after this show I'm ready to say that I really like the Troubadour, but probably more for the quality of bands they book to play their small venue more than anything else. Seeing Passion Pit and the Harlem Shakes at the Troubadour was a great experience; definitely one of the best shows I've seen all year. And seeing these bands in such a small venue would never happen in New York, where The Shakes are locals and Passion Pit is just up north, so score one for LA.

The Shakes were scheduled to go on at 9:15, so, thinking that the place would soon be packed and wanting to reserve a good spot for the rest of the night, I showed up at 9. The place was practically empty, which surprised me. It might have also surprised the band as well, because they didn't go on until 9:30, when the place was leaning towards half full.

I've loved The Shakes since I heard the first 30 seconds of "Niagara Falls" on their Myspace page in March; they can't do wrong in my eyes. They're even better live than recorded, and they did not disappoint this night. I thought their set was great, even if the sound was a bit off (there was an echo-y quality to it) and the vocals were a little low, so I took out my earplugs. The first time I saw them at SXSW the vocals were so low that I don't think anyone could hear them; it wasn't nearly as bad this time but I was concerned for a minute or two. I definitely appreciated that they played a track or two off their EP. They covered all the hits, with the exception of "Niagara Falls" and "Sicko." Judging from the applause at the end of their set they earned many new fans.

The Shakes' set would have been enough to make it a great show. But no. Less than half an hour later out come Passion Pit. I wasn't into it for the first minute or two, but once I adjusted I was blown away. So much fun, so much energy, and the crowd was loving it. They almost turned the Troubadour into a dance floor, albeit a dance floor where everyone is facing forward and trying not to get in each others' way. I had thought some of the tracks on Manners, their new album, were a little on the slower and on the more boring side, but live they pulsed with restraint, and made for excellent foils to the more blatantly dance-y songs. And they even made the songs sound as much as they could like they do on the album. When they played "Little Secret," for example, they played the shouting sample from the album, instead of the bandmembers just doing the shouts themselves.

If I had one criticism I'd say they played one song too many; after the first song of the encore my ears began to hurt (partially my fault because I didn't use my earplugs) and my feet started to hurt as well. I can't think of anything else. The band played like they loved it, and despite the small size of the Troubadour they acted as though they were genuinely grateful for us even being there. But after a performance like that, it was us who were grateful to them.

I can't wait to see this tour again tonight at the Echoplex. It will be different, but I know it's still going to be amazing.

Videos and Pictures:

News & Notes: May 28 (Local Natives, Divisadero, Discovery, and more)

2009-05-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Local Natives first ever release: UK Label Chess Club Records is releasing Local Natives' "Sun Hands" on June 7. It's a vinyl release and limited to 500 copies. Cards & Quarters is the B Side. You can pre-order your copy here. The release coincides with Local Natives' first ever trip to the UK.

On Tuesday JAXART Records released Divisadero's album "Lefty" in electronic format. So now you can buy it on iTunes, eMusic, or Amazon, and stream it from Rhapsody. A free MP3 from the album can be downloaded here.

Pitchfork interview with Discovery. Most disappointing part: "I don't think we're ever going to play any Discovery shows, so there's only so far it can go, really."

For you New Yorkers, Kittens Ablaze will be opening for Natalie Portman's Shaved Head on June 20th at Santos.

Go West Young Man dropped out of Sunday's show at Dakota Lounge. I'm probably dropping out too.

This has already made the rounds, but http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix is really fun. It's a tone matrix where you can make your own beats.