Thursday, October 27, 2005
Bella Lea played at Spaceland last night. Those fortunate to have seen Denali in the day probably saw them on that very stage three years ago. So consider yourself double-y lucky if you were at both because Ms. Davis doesn't come around here too often and when she does it's probably for In-N-Out. Double-doubles aside, even with her quiet demeanor and dewy-eyed gaze, she still possesses one of the most intensely evocative voices in music.
The band is in town for the next week and I do believe they're toting around a different demo EP from the previous outing through here, one that Denali fans might want to horde pretty quickly. In any case, this little trip out West wasn't for shits and giggles. They mean business. They've been recording out here for the past month. And Cinespace -- aka, the moment of truth -- is up next. Be there. Animal style.
Bella Lea - "The Mess" video (Quicktime Movie)
Denali - "Hold Your Breath" (MP3)
Denali - "Hold Your Breath" video (Quicktime Movie)
Denali - "Relief" (MP3)
Denali - "Gunner" (MP3)
Denali - "Relief" video (Quicktime Movie)
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Kids be crazy. Would the young man who repeatedly threw himself into the Avalon walls at the Gang of Four show last week please seek medical attention? Although, I must admit, if you're going to ram yourself into non-moving objects you might as well do so to the King. What a show that was. Speaking of legendary punks, how cool was it to see Mike Watt join Calexico at the Wiltern? About as cool as Victoria Williams sitting in with Iron & Wine... However, the coolest kids of the month have to be the Cold War Kids who continue their march up the 'it factor' ladder. The band, whose often compared to Jonathan Fire*Eater/The Walkmen, has an EP that one must buy numerous quantities of. They open for Dressy Bessy on 11/13 at the Echo. New tracks up on MySpace.. Meanwhile, the kids in blackblack are starting to grow up. New songs sound phenomenal. Just ask the ladies in The Like who 'woo'd' the loudest. By the way, the only band I get more requests to post pictures of more than blackblack is Cold War Kids. So here's a 2-for-1 deal... And finally, as of 11/1 the Hotel Cafe is 21+ unless otherwise noted. Kids never win.
Cold War Kids - "Quite Please" (MP3)
Cold War Kids - "The Soloist In The Living Room" (MP3)
Cold War Kids - "Heavy Boots" (MP3)
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Blogcritics recently reviewed Nic Harcourt's new book Music Lust: Recommended Listening for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason. I haven't read it but I talked with Harcourt on several occasions during my time at KCRW. He's pretty on top of things for the most part, but one should wonder about the relevance of tastemakers like he and Lamacq when more and more listeners are finding music on their own. The station prides itself in the discovery factor yet how much of a factor is it when their current playlist reads like an mp3 blogger's 2004 archive?
The Words kicked off their October weekly and word is these free shows might be the last you'll see of them. Too bad... Over at the Echo, Lavender Diamond jump started their residency with a lovely set in honor of "world peace" (how Stark can be so bizarre yet utterly captivating boggles the mind). Finishing off that night was the glory of the Winter Flowers, the musical embodiment of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men performing enchanting songs recalling medieval troubadours. Anxiously await this album... Australia's The Grates also came to town to debut the release of their stateside EP The Ouch. The Touch. Solid lineup that night with The Ettes and The Sweet Ouch, I mean, The Sweet Hurt opening... Other weeklies this month include more fun with Mike Andrews at Tangier, which this week included guests Biirdie and the lovely Ms. George. And who could resist the stunner lineup at Spaceland with Colored Shadows, Monsters Are Waiting, Malbec, and the latest offering from NYC Harlem Shakes? I have to admit that this band Colored Shadows is growing on me. It's taken awhile to get past the pretentiousness of their name and performance but in the end the music is what matters. Right? Missed MAW but I'll make up for it when they take over Moscow in November. Malbec just released their new self-titled EP. This band should be getting a lot more coverage then they do, especially with so many kids into this melodic modern rock that The WB likes to fade up on everytime Clark saves Lana... Speaking of new records, thanks to M. for the copy of Sierra Swan's new one. This album (produced by Linda Perry and Bill Bottrell) took a few years to get through the red tape (first on Atlantic Records and now on Interscope), but my goodness is it worth it. The best track on the album is "Just Tell Me" and the only way you'll hear it is on KCRW and Indie 103.1FM who have been giving it some love in recent months. Other songs can be previewed via Swan's MySpace. Queen of the Valley is scheduled for a March release.
Malbec - "Solstice" (MP3)
Malbec - "Rectangle" (MP3)
Malbec - "To Be Continued" (MP3)
Saturday, October 01, 2005
If you terrorists think you 0wned September, Mother Nature just kicked your ass. With hurricanes, fires, and the Yankees AND Red Sox making the playoffs, the month was probably one of the worst since... well, last September (when the Yankees and Red Sox made the playoffs). Thank goodness we always have music to save the day... Brian Wilson was at the Bowl singing his perfectly crafted pop tunes earlier in the month. Very heartwarming performance that helped attendees briefly put our minds in a good place -- even though we all giggled liked school kids everytime he faked playing keyboards and read lyrics from a laptop. He can do that. He's Brian Wilson... Also helping to ease our worries were a couple of ladies nights at Tangier. Coincidentally, one lineup included my ex-girlfriends Carla Werner, Amy Cooper, and Petracovich performing. Contrary to rumors, headliner Lisa Papineau and I never dated. But, boy, what a night to celebrate. SF-based Petracovich stopped by L.A. to celebrate the release of her new album, We Are Wyoming. SF-transplant Cooper celebrated the debut of her new band (which includes Joey Galvan from Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash). Lisa celebrated her long overdue return to an L.A. stage after too many years being elsewhere (old fans of Pet and Big Sir rest assured, the lady still rocks harder than most). And, Carla... well, Carla is a celebration unto herself... A week later, more lovely ladies dazzled us with pop hooks and beauty ballads. Sara Radle played her first L.A. show as a local. Very nice of her to move here after my pleading last year. This was a solo show but just wait until she gets a band together. Also making sort of her debut was Lauri Kranz's new outfit Snow & Voices. Very pretty but not totally convincing despite Josh Grange's hypnotic guitar work. The Sweet Hurt's performance would also have been a debut if I hadn't snuck into their practice a few days before. Pray she continues this acoustic duo stuff a little more -- although we musn't forget she also rocks... Meanwhile, after picking up some new treats at Sea Level, walked into the Echo to see The Megahurtz open a Monday night. A little more onstage action is all that's need for this trio and they'll be headlining a night of their own soon. The songs are so there. Toys That Kill was the night's headliner. I've never been too into them but their following seems to be growing so what do I know. The Oohlas who I've always thought should write more synth songs are getting dangerously close to being L.A.'s new indie-pop darlings. Work Sucks played as well. They're a rantcore band from Long Beach that scream and riff about how much they hate their jobs. On paper it sounds interesting. On stage it's a disaster.
The Oohlas - "Gone" (MP3)
The Oohlas - "The Cahuenga Shuffle" (MP3)
The Oohlas - "The Ballerina Blues" (MP3)
The Oohlas - "Rupert Krikor Chang" (MP3)
The Oohlas - "Slow Mo Disco and Refuse" (MP3)
The Oohlas - "The Rapid" (MP3)
