Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Pretty much everybody who saw Zoo Story in the early 2000s thought they were going to be huge. It's a weird thing with Los Angeles. Contemporary or melodic pop/rock for some reason rarely breaks big out of this city and it seems the more hooks you have in a chorus (and perhaps the less British accent you have) the more likely the music is considered over-produced or overbearing and consequently overlooked. And Zoo Story was one of those bands that were severely overlooked.
True, we probably wouldn't have even known about the band either if a copy of their never officially released self-titled album (that later was self-released with the title Come Out and Play in 2002) wasn't given to us. And at the time, we never reviewed mainstream rock records -- it was against our religion. But fate guided our hand to put that album into our player and randomly skip to the track "Piano Song" and we were forever thrust back into the world of melodic rock.
After being signed to 3:33/Universal things were looking up for the band but a major label wasn't exactly a comfortable situation for new developing artists at the time and when 3:33 closed the band soon split up. Lead singer Randy Coleman and guitarist Carlos Rivera have since moved on to work on Coleman's solo project and released a beautiful record in 2005 entitled Last Salutation. In recent years they've opened for The Who at the Hollywood Bowl and went on tour as the opening act for Def Leppard. As a side note, Randy is the brother of our dear friend Quincy Coleman, a rising star in her own right who just released a great record in 2006 entitled Come Closer. And, yes, both Colemans are the children of actor Dabney Coleman and actress Jean Hale -- this is Los Angeles after all.
Fans of Paloalto, Castledoor, and other great falsetto rock bands with big choruses you're going to love this...
Zoo Story - "Midnight Luna" (MP3)
Zoo Story - "Star" (MP3)
Monday, July 30, 2007
So here's that Monday update thing that one of our four readers likes to read...
The Spinto Band have been added to tonight's lineup at the Silverlake Lounge. So with Light FM, Miniature Tigers, and Owl Owl that is going to be tough to beat given the awesomeness of those bands and the fact that it's free. The Spinto Band are in town recording their new album while getting the hang of Los Angeles. Check their blog for daily updates on their unique perspective on our fair city... Tickets are now on sale for the Ferdinand Cudia benefit on 8/4 at the Echoplex with The Locust, The Bronx, Har Mar Superstar, Qui, and others. We all know Cudia is one of the greatest drummers on the planet but he's also one of the most humble and kindest people we've ever met. We should also point out that this year marks ten years of 400 Blows' complete domination of the Los Angeles music scene. And we can safely say that no other band has supported the scene as much as these guys in that time so we should all be out to be apart of this important event... Una celebrates the release of their long-awaited new album One at the Temple Bar tomorrow (7/31)... Tickets for !!!'s 9/26 show at the Avalon are on sale 8/1... Bodies of Water on GTFU tonight... Another Monolators first Friday this week with E>K>U>K, I Make This Sound, and others at Mr. T's Bowl (more info later this week)... Safari Sam Lanni is holding a 'town hall' meeting at the club tomorrow (7/31) at 7pm for people to discuss things about what you'd like to see done at Sam's as well as talking about the the Los Angeles music scene in general. We have never heard of such a thing but we are all for community gatherings such as this since it may be your only opportunity to hear "why can't we all just get along?", "fight the power", and "free bird" in the same room.
Sit boo boo, sit.
The Spinto Band have been added to tonight's lineup at the Silverlake Lounge. So with Light FM, Miniature Tigers, and Owl Owl that is going to be tough to beat given the awesomeness of those bands and the fact that it's free. The Spinto Band are in town recording their new album while getting the hang of Los Angeles. Check their blog for daily updates on their unique perspective on our fair city... Tickets are now on sale for the Ferdinand Cudia benefit on 8/4 at the Echoplex with The Locust, The Bronx, Har Mar Superstar, Qui, and others. We all know Cudia is one of the greatest drummers on the planet but he's also one of the most humble and kindest people we've ever met. We should also point out that this year marks ten years of 400 Blows' complete domination of the Los Angeles music scene. And we can safely say that no other band has supported the scene as much as these guys in that time so we should all be out to be apart of this important event... Una celebrates the release of their long-awaited new album One at the Temple Bar tomorrow (7/31)... Tickets for !!!'s 9/26 show at the Avalon are on sale 8/1... Bodies of Water on GTFU tonight... Another Monolators first Friday this week with E>K>U>K, I Make This Sound, and others at Mr. T's Bowl (more info later this week)... Safari Sam Lanni is holding a 'town hall' meeting at the club tomorrow (7/31) at 7pm for people to discuss things about what you'd like to see done at Sam's as well as talking about the the Los Angeles music scene in general. We have never heard of such a thing but we are all for community gatherings such as this since it may be your only opportunity to hear "why can't we all just get along?", "fight the power", and "free bird" in the same room.
Sit boo boo, sit.
Friday, July 27, 2007
It's so nice to be back with you after our little flirtation with some other city. And to make up for lost time, we're going to approximately 85,132 shows this coming week (we're only half kidding) which may include...
A huge lineup at the Hotel Cafe on Saturday with Sara Lov, Let's Go Sailing, Amnion, The Sweet Hurt, and Princeton. Also on Saturday, Summer Triangle 07 returns big time at KGB featuring art by Justin Davis, Armik, G. Liffick, and performances by 8-bit, Spider Problem, The Afterhours, and the Beautiful and the Damned... The L.A. Record release show on Sunday with Dead Meadow, Darker My Love, Entrance, Moonrats, Health, Die!Die!Die!, Phantom Family Halo, and others... Residency finales with The Rentals/Goldenboy, Eskimohunter, Light FM, 5 O’Clock Somewhere, and The Northern Two... Big touring bands such as Bishop Allen, M.I.A., Marnie Stern, The Swell Season, and Peter Bjorn and John rolling through town.
We'll probably do a Monday update thing but this should get you through your weekend. Um, instead of providing tracks of bands playing this week, how about some stuff we listened to while we were gone? No? Too bad.
Meg Baird - "Waltze of the Tennis Players" (MP3)
from the album Dear Companion available now.
The Brunettes - "Her Hairagami Set" (MP3)
from the album Structure and Cosmetics due 8/7. The Brunettes perform 9/13 at the Troubadour.
Nels Cline Singers - "The Angel of Angels" (MP3)
from the album Draw Breath out now.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Susan James doesn't live in Los Angeles anymore and this makes us sad.
A staple in the L.A. folk scene for years, James left Los Angeles for the UK in the early 2000s to have a family life -- pretty much the only acceptable reason we'll allow good artists to leave us. We followed her around town as she did the coffee house and small venue circuit (which back then seemed to be a lot more in numbers) at a bunch of now-deceased venues like Little Frida's, Highland Grounds (now called The Dive), and Mogul's.
We loved her simply for being way ahead of her time. Her writing frequently went into different directions, often crossing the lines of folk and pushing into the more avant-garde, perhaps something she was able to do effortlessly because of her ethnomusicology background. She was also doing guitar acrobatics long before anyone heard of Kaki King. And so in the mid-90's, labels were after her pretty hard touting her as the next Ani DiFranco (meets Jeff Buckley) but even in the era of Lilith Fair she resisted and put out two daring albums independently on her own label Red Letter, Shocking Pink Banana Seat (1996) and Fantastic Voyage (1998).
Susan personally introduced us to tons of L.A's best musicians including Joseph Hammer, Abby Travis, Rusty Squeezebox, and Morris Tepper and gave us huge support in the early years of la-underground. We hope that her new family is well and that she comes back soon because we miss her too much.
"Falling Waltz" has always been our favorite SJ song. We play it often, but especially if we're driving down PCH around dusk.
Susan James - "Falling Waltz" (MP3)
from the album Fantastic Voyage
Friday, July 20, 2007
We'll be away for a bit this week and no matter how happy that might make you it's nothing compared to the feeling you'll have at these fine shows...
Why anyone would miss Sonic Youth and Redd Kross tonight at the Greek would be a mystery unless of course The Bird and the Bee at the El Rey, Jonathan Rice/Whispertown2000/Everest at the Echo, or Jon Brion at Largo suit you more, especially since Sonic Youth are performing a free show tomorrow at Urban Outfitters on 3rd St. Promenade with Dntel. The whole thing is getting mixed criticism but, hey, a free show is a free show. On a related note, the Promenade once had a summer concert series years ago and invited Irving to perform (back when Shana was in the band). The show was cancelled because of noise restrictions and they haven't had anything like that since. Well, noise restrictions and Sonic Youth don't exactly go hand in hand so it shall be interesting to see the potential riot that comes out of this marketing stint. And, oh the irony, if that happens while SY blazes through "Teen Age Riot"... Our beloved Amnion perform Sunday 7/22 at Tangier... Eskimohunter's lineup this Monday makes us ill that we won't be in town that night. The Coral Sea, Mezzanine Owls, and Solare are superb bands, each deserving of headlining the night themselves. You'll see... We'll be back just in time for a couple of long-awaited CD release shows on Thursday with Bodies of Water at Pershing Square (pretty much the only space in Los Angeles that can hold such a grand ensemble) and Meiko at the Hotel Cafe (fresh off from her first U.S. tour and being featured on PerezHilton.com, which apparently has become more career-defining than anything else on the planet -- Priscilla Ahn, Lenka, Emma Burgess take note).
We should be refreshed, well-rested, and rid of any infectious diseases by the time we come back so we look forward to our next embrace, Los Angeles. We love you.
Sonic Youth - "Teen Age Riot" (MP3)
Bodies of Water - "These Are the Eyes" (MP3)
Meiko - "Piano Song" (MP3)
Mezzanine Owls - "Moving Ground" (Live Acoustic)
Eskimohunter - "Ice Caps" (Live at Spaceland, 7/2/07)
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Let's just preface this post by saying last night was probably the best show we've seen this year.
We had been anticipating this night for so long that we cut out early to race through West Hollywood, middle fingers shooting out like daggers from BMW and Mercedes Benz windows left and right, only to see no line in front of our dear old friend The Troubadour. No line for three of the best new bands in L.A.? Los Angeles, we love you.
Fucking gorgeous. That was overheard while Warpaint opened with a bold and utterly beautiful set of post-rock ethereality. Physically, yes, but that's too obvious. Musically, however, it's a bit unexpected. While probably well-studied in the art of Blonde Redhead, Jawbox, and Sonic Youth these ladies have a rhythmic feel and style all their own. And although the band may get some heat for the celebrity factor surrounding them (which we'll avoid mentioning), we can safely say they don't sound like a "Hollywood" band at all. Thank goodness.
We are ashamed to say that we have always liked Moonrats but only found true love when they moved to Los Angeles -- we're spiteful like that. Now, this like-to-love progression has transitioned into obsessive lust. This band is perfection but that's what would be expected from former members of PGMG, Your Enemies Friends, and Bella. Every song sounds like the best song you've ever heard with wave after wave of sexy riffing and shimmering choruses.
Recordings of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have made their way around fan chat rooms, bulletin boards, and torrent forums but these recordings gave no indication of what we saw on stage last night. What we saw was a celebration of life. A love explosion. A musical orgy. It was something out of a dream. And as vague and nondescript as that may sound it was just that. All we know is that Alex Ebert pulled out all the stops with this new material inviting a who's who of all-star guest musicians, and of course an occasional duet with the one and only Jade Castrinos.
We loved this show. We loved the crowd (too many famous people to mention). But most of all we love these bands. And so will you, very soon.
Warpaint performs tonight at Spaceland and opens for The Slits at the El Rey on 8/3. Moonrats opens for Girls Against Boys on 7/22 at the El Rey and performs at the L.A. Record release show on 7/29.
Photos from the show posted here.
Warpaint - "Stars" (MP3)
Moonrats - "Goodbye Baby" (MP3)
Check out videos of Alex and the boys on YouTube.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
That title seems strange to read now but loving Leather Hyman was a common feeling ten years ago in Los Angeles. We saw this band for the first time at Al's Bar just because of their name. We thought we were in for a night of diabolic S&M punk but instead were treated to some delightful chamber rock.
Years go by and we hear that Leather Hyman (which is just the clever combination of names between Lyman Chaffee and Heather Lockie), changed their name to Listing Ship which again sparked curiosity but not in the S&M kind of way. Now a seven member ensemble of wondrous strings and vocal harmonies, the group is a favorite in the ever-growing movement of L.A.'s amazing prog folk scene.
So for Leather Hyman or Listing Ship, whichever name, we love them the same.
Leather Hyman - "Steve McQueen" (MP3)
Leather Hyman - "All Tomorrow's Parties" (MP3)
Listing Ship - "Black Eyes Of The Sea" (MP3)
Listing Ship - "Crooked Teeth" (MP3)
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sorry, this is another late Monday update thing that might turn into a regular Monday thing.
First of all, it was just announced that in addition to tonight's show at Little Radio, Spoon is playing at Cinespace tomorrow with The Watson Twins. This causes a bit of havoc for Eastern Conference Champions who were scheduled to have their CD release party there for their new album Ameritown (poor Jax must be frantic). But, alas, the ECC party has been moved to the Silverlake Lounge, which makes a great lineup with The Vampire Weekend, The French Semester, and Faker.
Remember the Lava Lounge? The 13-year old haunt famous for its tiki-tacky decor that was a favorite hangout for burnout actors made semi-famous for its namedrop in "Swingers" and where Cold War Kids once played back when you probably were into John Mayer? Well, it's turned itself into a fancy ski lodge-looking joint called The Woods now and you can't play there anymore -- they don't book bands.
BPM Magazine celebrates 11 years with a show at the Avalon on 7/19 with Moving Units, Girl Talk, and a great lineup of DJs including A-Track, Colette, Marques Wyatt and others. Yeah, what are you reading this blog for when you should be RSVPing?
The El Rey and The Echo both launched new websites. Also, we were recently pointed in the direction of this newish Metromix LA site whose music section is run by Sterling who we think used to write for URB at one point. Anyway, seems like a pretty decent local zine in the vein of the long gone LAInsider.com with a feature today on The Happy Hollows (performing tonight at the Viper Room) and DJ Them Jeans aka Justin Sterling (who kind of made a muck of things with the double-booking tomorrow at Cinespace). There's also the obligatory "Favorite New L.A. Band" poll. It must make Great Northern and The Movies feel like a million bucks to be labeled a new band and make Oh No! Oh My! feel like two million bucks to be labeled an L.A. band.
Space Mtn is still looking for a guitarist and probably to make us jealous Ms. Waxman preferably would like a guy. Guitar Hero geeks need not apply. That rhymed. Too bad she's not looking for a lyricist because we'd be the fiercest. Oh, snap.
Congratulations to Maria L. for winning our little contest thing. She correctly answered the two now-famous bands that opened for Moonpools and Caterpillars' last show at the Whisky on June 6, 1998. She gets a sealed copy of the great album 12 Songs. She also promises never to sell it or we'll love her... to death. The answer was Eve 6 and Phantom Planet. Chopper One also played, which of course was Jason Cropper's (Weezer's original guitarist) band so you can imagine the star power in the room that night. We did short interviews with all the bands except the Eve 6 interview was never finished because Don Was (Tony's Dad) interrupted us. Anyway, Jon of course is now in Monsters Are Waiting and Max is in Sugi Tap and Cropper is doing his own thing. But, my, how good was that lineup (at the Whisky no less)?... Anyway, congrats Maria!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Just wanted to say thank you to all our good friends of Los Angeles. You have no idea how much we love you.
Couple of CD release shows tonight with The Icarus Line at El Cid, Brother Reade over at Jimmy's, and Izzy Cox at Old Towne Pub. Ms. Giant Drag will be joining the I Line for a song or two. Also, next week, the nice boys of Rooney celebrate the release of their new album Calling the World with a CD release show at the Roxy on 7/16. They also do an in-store signing at Active in Westwood on 7/15... Summer Sessions at the Getty starts 7/14 with a performance by Los Amigos Invisibles and Forro in the Dark... Later 7/14, head downtown for Armin van Buuren doing a live performance with vocalists, dancers, and probably a lot of lazers and smoke.... Other events this week include the awesome Felt Club (7/15), Spoon non-secret show at Little Radio (7/16), and Outfest continues through 7/23.
Have a good week...
The Icarus Line - "Black Presents" (MP3) Limited time download
Izzy Cox - "Man of the Cloth" (MP3)
Rooney - "Calling The World" (MP3) Limited time download
Armin van Burren - "Miserere" (MP3) Limited time download
Brother Reade - "Invasion On Eight Legs"
Thursday, July 12, 2007
When we think of all the bands we sorely miss from ten years ago, Moonpools & Caterpillars are very much at the top.
The Glendale-born group released three fantastic albums, only one of which (their 1995 debut Lucky Dumpling) had any type of success due to its breakout hit "Hear". The other two, The Pink Album (1995) and 12 Songs (1998), were barely heard outside of their core Southern California fans because of their limited release. 12 Songs itself was only obtained from fans at their last few shows and is now an eBay watchlist favorite. How unfortunate, since we can safely say that the album is one of the best local releases of all time.
So what made the band so great? Well, for starters, Kimi was a huge presence on stage. Some say she should have been a big star if it were not for a one Gwen Stefani who unknowingly made sales of any other energetic female-led rock band plummet at the time. The band was also a huge influence in the Asian/Pacific Islander indie rock scene along with bands like Julie Plug and Ozma. But more than that, the band just wrote perfect pop songs that kids today would probably call twee, indie pop, or in other words Rilo Kiley-esque. In fact, we always found it a bit of a coincidence that Moonpools ended in 1998 just as Rilo first began. And if you listen to 12 Songs and Rilo Kiley back to back you'll find even more things to smile at.
We have no idea what any of the members are doing now. Tim (bassist) joined a few other bands like The MiGS in the late 90s. But that's all we know. A reunion of any kind would be monumental.
First person to tell us what two now-famous local bands opened at M&C's finale, we'll give you a sealed copy of 12 Songs (an unsealed one once Ebay'd for over $300).
Moonpools & Caterpillars - "Hear" (MP3)
Moonpools & Caterpillars - "Hear"
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Ok, this is sad.
We cannot for the life us remember where we saw this band or why we saw this band but for some reason we have a bunch of copies of their EP Sorry Dudes, which usually means we liked them enough to invest in them that heavily.
What we do know about them is that they were from the Inland Empire (because we were invited to a show out there) and we got this record pre-2002 (because the EP has their MP3.com url on it, which we all know pretty much died in 2002.) In any case, they were an experimental noisepop duo or trio or quartet (don't remember) that sounded good enough at some show we saw for us to buy a shitload of their records but perhaps not good enough for us to remember anything about them.
We are lame.
Still, we re-listened to the record and it isn't half bad. Very demo-y. Very experimental. And very unsignable. Basically, the type of music that la-underground was built on. Love it.
Night For Us - "Owl Country" (MP3)
Night For Us - "Lily of the Valley" (MP3)
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
We can't believe we've never written up anything on Meho Plaza. We also can't believe we hadn't seen them since a showcase at the Lava Lounge in 2004 but we finally payed our dues with a recent show at Spaceland opening for Gliss, a performance so good we were forced to break out our old fishnet tank top and day-glo bandana to see them at the dreaded Roxy. Yes, these are the sacrifices one must make to see a band that has been sadly overlooked since they started in 2003 (especially by us) with a new album set to be released on Better Looking Records (distributors of Electric Soft Parade and The Album Leaf). But the timing couldn't be better for us to get back on board since the new songs are magnificent. "Let's Play Police" and "I Sold My Organs" will have you reliving your days of Daydream Nation with all their angular psyche-pop bliss. And "Your Future Looks Bright" and "The Beach" are just too disco-sexy for words.
Meho Plaza performs at the Silverlake Lounge on 7/18. New album out on Better Looking Records in early 2008. Samplers available at shows.
Meho Plaza on MySpace.
Photos from the Roxy show are up on our Flickr.
Meho Plaza - "Let's Play Police" (MP3)
Meho Plaza - "I Sold My Organs" (MP3)
Monday, July 09, 2007
Sorry, this news came late Friday...
A few ex-girlfriends are headed for the big time. Sara Bareilles performs 7/11 on "The Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson" and A Fine Frenzy aka Alison Sudol performs 7/13 on Leno. These girls have been Hotel Cafe regulars for awhile so it's nice to see them jump from audiences of a hundred to millions. Bareilles is currently on tour with Rocco Deluca and Sudol begins her tour with Rufus Wainwright on 7/29...
Space Mtn is looking for a guitarist. If you are awesome like Ms. Waxman, message them on their MySpace.
Speaking of MySpace, our boys Upground are featured in the music section this week. When we told you they were the second coming of Ozomatli we were not lying. And here's another tip: they're currently recording with Wil-Dog. Shh. Upground heads over to NY this week for LAMC 2007 (the SXSW of Latin indie music) with the ever-buzzing Ceci Bastida who will be appearing on "Morning Becomes Eclectic", broadcasting live from the conference.
Trying to cater toward the one demographic that Apple hasn't taken over, Zune launches their "Live at the BBQ" free music series in Los Angeles on 7/12 featuring performances by Common, Mos Def, David Banner, E-40, Bilal, Clipse, and others TBA.
It's also Stephen Hauptfuhr birthday on Wednesday. Happy Birthday to the originator of the weekly hip parties... You should be RSVPing to get into his party at Sahara right about now.
Finally, everyone go to Rock Insider's "Indie Schmindie" night at The Scene on Thursday.
A few ex-girlfriends are headed for the big time. Sara Bareilles performs 7/11 on "The Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson" and A Fine Frenzy aka Alison Sudol performs 7/13 on Leno. These girls have been Hotel Cafe regulars for awhile so it's nice to see them jump from audiences of a hundred to millions. Bareilles is currently on tour with Rocco Deluca and Sudol begins her tour with Rufus Wainwright on 7/29...
Space Mtn is looking for a guitarist. If you are awesome like Ms. Waxman, message them on their MySpace.
Speaking of MySpace, our boys Upground are featured in the music section this week. When we told you they were the second coming of Ozomatli we were not lying. And here's another tip: they're currently recording with Wil-Dog. Shh. Upground heads over to NY this week for LAMC 2007 (the SXSW of Latin indie music) with the ever-buzzing Ceci Bastida who will be appearing on "Morning Becomes Eclectic", broadcasting live from the conference.
Trying to cater toward the one demographic that Apple hasn't taken over, Zune launches their "Live at the BBQ" free music series in Los Angeles on 7/12 featuring performances by Common, Mos Def, David Banner, E-40, Bilal, Clipse, and others TBA.
It's also Stephen Hauptfuhr birthday on Wednesday. Happy Birthday to the originator of the weekly hip parties... You should be RSVPing to get into his party at Sahara right about now.
Finally, everyone go to Rock Insider's "Indie Schmindie" night at The Scene on Thursday.
Friday, July 06, 2007
If you're on the outskirts of L.A. this weekend be sure to visit the 1st Annual Global Cooling Music Festival at Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown or Hootenanny 2007. Fun in the sun. And talk about fun in the sun, this week's Summer Camp at Little Radio features Great Northern, Coco B's, and The Upsidedown. We checked out The Upsidedown last night in Long Beach. We were totally in the mood for stoner rock last night and they did well in getting us spaced out, especially with their new songs and colorful molecule projections... Our old pal Sara Bareilles finally released her new album this past week and parties it up on 7/7 at the Hotel Cafe. Also, our dear friends Pastilla celebrate the release of their new album on 7/7 at the Knitting Factory (you'll be able to download "A Marte" free on iTunes Latino 7/17)... Summer Darling and Kissing Cousins together at Tangier on Sunday 7/8... In Waves headlines Viper's Check 123 on Monday 7/9... The Teeth open for Dr. Dog at the Echo on 7/12... And Lion of Panjshir return from their trip abroad to begin their residency at the Bordello on 7/12.
The Upsidedown - "Wake Up Drive Thru" (MP3)
Sara Bareilles - "Love Song" (edit) (MP3)
The Teeth - "Yellow" (MP3)
Summer Darling - "One Drop in the Water"
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
If you haven't been to first Fridays at Mr. T's we think the time has come. Since taking over the night from the almighty 8-bit a year ago, The Monolators have put together some rather fantastic lineups each month and this week is no exception. Amateurs, Cat Hair Ensemble, The Sweet Hurt, and Tenlons Fort join them for a wonderfully eclectic night of rock, hot jazz, indie pop, and sad folk. And even though the show is free, compensation of some sort should be given to the bands in the form of merch orders, line dancing, and/or full-body massages.
July 6, 2007
AMATEURS
CAT HAIR ENSEMBLE
THE SWEET HURT
TENLONS FORT
THE MONOLATORS
Mr. T's Bowl
5621 1/2 Figueroa Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90041 | Map
21+ / FREE / 9:30pm
Cat Hair Ensemble - "Formal Friday" (MP3)
The Sweet Hurt - "M. Misery" (MP3)
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Here we go down memory lane...
Before Elizabeth McGrath became the lavishly attired, somber-voiced front woman of the goth country rockers Miss Derringer, Los Angeles first fell for her while she headed one of the best hardcore punk bands of the 90s and one of our favorite bands of all time, Tongue.
We first saw them at the Sunset Room after being lured by one of Ms. McGrath's now-famous flyers, which probably now would sell for top dollar on eBay. They were quintessential L.A. punk of the times -- a mix of thrash, proto and experimental with a lead singer that spit words as hard as the boys, but always ended each song with a kind of vulnerable and charming expression that showed her softer side (something she still does with Miss Derringer). Not to be too soft, she also ended each song with a swig of Colt 45. Shows with D.R.I., The Dickies, Raw Power, and At the Drive-In got them on the radar and soon some labels took notice but they stayed indie and released two great records Faulty Parts (1998) and Sweet Meat (2000). The band quietly called it quits shortly after the release of Sweet Meat with a show at Al's Bar.
Today, McGrath is one of the top mix media artists in the country and heads Miss Derringer with husband/guitarist Morgan Slade. If anyone knows what Ivan X, Rik, and Kevin are up to please let us know.
While looking for traces of Tongue on the Internet, we found that the old Tongue site is still up and running (their site meter reads 463 since 1998!) and there's a tribute page on MySpace. We also found our stash of Tongue records and goodness gracious "New School, Old School, Fuck School" is still a great song.
Tongue - "New School, Old School, Fuck School" (MP3)
Tongue - Live in Austin
Miss Derringer - "Better Run Away From Me"
Monday, July 02, 2007
Jack Gibson is too humble a man to hear such a statement, but his alter ego Tenlons Fort creates some of the most beautiful songs we have ever heard. Perhaps his humility is part of the reason why we hadn't heard anything about him until 2006's brilliant The Golden Handshake landed on our desk. The same kind of humility that has once again quietly released one of the best albums of the year in Followed By Bad Luck. Two great albums in two years is a rarity and so are the chances of finding an artist like Humble Jack. We'll refrain from calling out loose comparisons but chances are if you have shed tears listening to Elliott Smith, Neil Young (circa Silver & Gold), or David Pajo then we suggest not sampling this record at one of the listening stations at Amoeba since apparently there's no crying at kiosks. We didn't get the memo.
Tenlons Fort opens for Talkdemonic on 7/3 at Spaceland and also plays the Silverlake Lounge on 7/10.
Photos from the Tenlons Fort 7/1 show posted here.
Tenlons Fort - "Followed By Bad Luck" (MP3) Limited time download
- from the new album Followed By Bad Luck available on his MySpace and shows.
Tenlons Fort - "Golden Handshake" (MP3) Limited time download
- from the album The Golden Handshake available on CD Baby and iTunes.
