Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Dear Los Angeles,
We are writing from Athens, Greece on the footsteps of the Acropolis, minutes away from the Agora, the Tower of Winds, and, of course, a Starbucks with wi-fi connection. We almost wish you could be here with us, but really, we wish we could be there with you. Athens is nice and all but no Los Angeles -- although the gyros are effing good.
So as we sit here drinking our Grandé Caramel Frappuccinos, listening to MSTRKRFT being played way too loud, and making flirtatious glances to the pretty Grecian girl behind the counter, we would like to wish you all a great holiday season. In a few days, we'll be headed farther east where we're sure they'll be another Starbucks to report in.
Until then, το Λος Αντζελες σας αγαπά (Los Angeles Loves You, I think).
Your Fans Always...
P.S. In case we don't have time to post this, our first show back is 1/4 for First Fridays at Mr. T's Bowl with the great, great lineup of The Idaho Falls (first show in like two years?!), Teddy's Cheer Club (first show of the year?!), boxViolet (ditto?!), Masterslashslave (one of our favorites from San Francisco?!), and The Monolators?! That lineup is soooo 2008.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
We'd like to formally apologize to The Henry Clay People.
We first "saw" the People of Henry Clay at The Prospector in Long Beach some time last year -- we're being vague for a reason. Alex, god love him, he's a great door man. One of the best. He guards that door like the gentle grizzly bear that he is. But because he's busy guarding that door he sometimes doesn't know what's going on behind him. So when we asked gentle Alex who was playing right then (as you know you can't see the stage from the entrance, especially with big Alex in front of it), he said flatly that it was The Henry Clay People so we took in a verse-chorus but sadly didn't like what we heard so we went on our way.
Needless to say, that was not The Henry Clay.
Because months later, we were schooled in the art of Henry Clay at a show at Mr. T's Bowl and we were so taken by them that we asked the band to do a mini photo shoot (above) to forever memorialize our stupidity and ignorance.
Known for their live shows, they're sort of the thinking man's party band -- meaning they would probably kill at a frat house party if the frat were made up of kids more likely to have ceiling posters of Vonnegut and David Sedaris than Jenna Jameson and Triple H. And then put aside the fact that the Siara Brothers look like the same fifth grade bullies that once tried to flush your head down the toilet, especially since they're both two of the nicest guys in Los Angeles music scene history. And especially, especially when they lead the other boys (Eric Scott and Noah Green) through such fantastic classic rock anthems as "The Bandage on the Bloodcot", "Fiche Bag", and "Children of Chin". And especially³ when they've played more free shows this past year than what should be permissible by law.
Please forgive us Henry Clay People, but we love you more than you know.
Recent L.A. Record cover boys, The Henry Clay People, perform a free show at Pershing Square on 12/20 and another free show on 1/14 at the Silverlake Lounge. "Blacklist The Kid With The Red Moustache" is available at CD Baby and Insound.
The Henry Clay People on MySpace.
Henry Clay photo album here.
The Henry Clay People - "The Bandage on the Bloodclot" (MP3)
Monday, December 17, 2007
Lots of fun this weekend but, quite frankly, we are warehouse/house party/art opening/holiday get-togethered out. But since this is our last week of shows before we head off to far off destinations on Friday, we think we can tough it out for one more week.
Expect a crowded room for Viper tonight. Also, you might want to check out the last of the Venus Infers/Henry Clay People, David Garza, Binges, Crooked Cowboy, Watkins Family Hour, and Repeater residencies this week. In Waves, Exitmusic, and The Lamps at Bordello... On Tuesday, "Let's Independent" ends the year with a fantastic lineup of Castledoor, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, and Amnion. Marvelous Toy, One Trick Pony, and Alex and Sam serenade at SLL. Io Echo and Mighty Six Ninety head up the Troubadour. And The Monolators and Shiloe hold hands at The Scene.
And, last but not least, Lilys do two nights at Spaceland. Both shows should sell out and we suspect lots of our favorite local bands will be in attendance for this one.
Let's make this one count.
Friday, December 14, 2007
This weekend should pose quite a challenge for all you club hoppers out there. Drink a lot of fluids... ok, maybe not that much.
Stuff you're probably intrigued by: The Halen bring the big show to Staples tonight. Stevie Wonder & Friends at Nokia. R. Kelly does the bump n' grind at The Forum. But you could always get those shows on DVD someday so the real shows of the night are The Fold's Christmas Sweater Party at Crash Mansion, Modular's Winter Social at Echoplex, Imperial Teen/Midnight Movies at the Troubadour, The Knitters/Dead Rock West at Safari Sam's, Jessica Fichot/Pink Mochi/Hearts of Palm UK at El Cid, and One Trick Pony/The Sweet Hurt/Jack Wilson, Jr. at pehrspace.
Saturday, Mellowdrone plays a rare eastside show at The Echo, We Barbarians opens for Les Savy Fav at the El Rey, Little Radio Xmas party, Deaf Row kicks out the jams at pehr, and Electrocute/Laco$te do the Cog.
Sunday, L.A. Record X-mas Party at Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, Correatown/Listing Ship at Spaceland, Vaudeville/HoneyHoney/The Monolators/The Sweet Hurt at Terra Bella, and our ex-wife Tori Amos at Nokia.
Also, The Hotel Cafe has their annual Ho-ho-tel shows all weekend with lots of the club's regular all-stars. Proceeds of the shows go to various charities... There's also tons of warehouse/house parties all weekend that give our hands tendinitis just thinking about them.
Imperial Teen - "Shim Sham" (MP3)
Hearts of Palm UK - "Portugal 1" (MP3)
Mellowdrone - "Beautiful Day (Triobelisk Remix)" (MP3)
Listing Ship - "Crooked Teeth" (MP3)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
We couldn't help but squirm in our seats last night watching Björk at the Nokia. Because as much as we love and adore Ms. Guðmundsdóttir we've never been too keen in watching big artists in big fancy theaters. So as soon as she ended the night with her encore "Declare Independence", we quickly wiped away our tears and then sped off to The Airliner for the L.A. "indie club" debut of School of Seven Bells (they opened for Prefuse 73 at the Troubadour last weekend).
Leave it to DJ Nobody to invite one of the few NY bands that have piqued our interest in the last year. Those few bands, incidentally, are primarily made up of former members of one of our favorite NY bands of all time, On!Air!Library!, who disbanded in 2005. SSB also features Benjamin Curtis (formerly of Secret Machines) and James Elliot (Ateleia) who provide all the ambient waves of electronic bliss you could possibly want. And with the ethereal voices of supertwins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, the result is truly a visceral and often surreal experience. And the Low End Theory crowd ate it up with one hooded gentleman letting out a holler "Why you so fly?!" at the end of the show. Or, in other words, Los Angeles loves you, School of Seven Bells.
School of Seven Bells heads back to the undeserving city of NY and has some dates with Blonde Redhead in the northeast. The new EP "Face to Face On High Places" is out now on Table of Elements.
Pictures from last night's show are here.
School of Seven Bells - "Limb By Limb" (MP3) Limited time download
Prefuse 73 - "Class of 73 Bells (feat. School of Seven Bells)" (MP3) Limited time download
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Yeah, just a wittle one.
Last minute show we're helping with for all two of our westside readers. Otik Records is presenting their 5th annual "Toys for Tots" benefit at Terra Bella Cafe in Redondo Beach on 12/16. Vaudeville, HoneyHoney, The Monolators, and The Sweet Hurt are performing and it's all ages and free if you bring a toy in for the benefit. Starts at 7pm sharp. Click here for directions.
The premiere of "Walk Hard" is tonight over at Mann's Chinese Theatre. Get there early to see Ms. Correatown walk the red carpet. Check out the video below to see why she's walking the red carpet. And go check Correatown out on Sunday at Spaceland for their last show of the year.
Ms. Sarah from The Happy Hollows will be on Hershfeld's "Is Good..." tomorrow 12/13.
Irving just released the first volume of their "Seasons" EP series and it's pretty great. It was released Tuesday but just now up on Emusic. Go get it.
Listen to K-Bronze tonight doing his 25 favorite songs of the year from L.A. bands on his show "Buzz Bands" on Little Radio. Our guess for #1? Mezzanine Owls.
Both Jesca and Lissie will have limited edition items at their show tonight at the Troubadour for those who get there early. Our advice is to get there earlier than early.
Pre-sales just went on sale for Explosions in the Sky's 3/17 show at The Wiltern. Go get'em.
Bjork tonight, yes? Yes.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Good times this weekend. Thank you.
Ok, so just because it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas and the forecast for 40° evenings is imminent, this doesn't mean you have to stay home under your warm blanky every night. Seriously, how can you pass up any of the lineups at the El Rey, Viper, Safari Sam's, and pehrspace tonight? You can't. And for you O.C. kids, the Monday residency at Detroit this month is solid. Don't make us come down there again and prove it... Wait Think Fast and Shiloe rock The Scene on Tuesday. Also, The Shys, ECC, Nico Stai, and Emily Wells at the Troubadour... On Wednesday, her royal highness awaits us. Although, the counterbooking is also quite enticing with Jesca Hoop and Lissie at the Troubadour; Mia Doi Todd, Sara Lov, All Smiles, and Anders & Woods at Tangier; David Garza at Largo; and Liz Pappademas at Genghis Cohen (Falling James, you rock, sir)... Thursday, Moving Units and Scissors for Lefty do the polka at Echoplex; Ferraby opens for the one-and-only Richard Hawley at the Troubadour; I Make This Sound and The Breakups help celebrate The Wonderground CD release; West Indian Girl and Sara Melson sashay at The Bordello. And, last but not least, Anchors for Architects have their final show at pehrspace but let's not be sad. There are better things to come for them, we're sure.
In other news: Dewey Cox and the Hard Walkers have their tour finale on Thursday at Guitar Center. If you missed last week's show, we heard it was a hoot. We even heard that Ms. Correatown herself made an appearance for their rendition of the now-classic "Let's Duet". Soundtrack is out now. Movie out 12/21... Phantom Planet's new album comes out in April on Fueled By Ramen. It's produced by The Tony B. who we all know made great records for Aimee Mann, Kate Earl, and most recently Jesca Hoop (and, yes, fathered a one Elizabeth Berg). If it's anything like PP's first album then you have us at hello... Tickets for Foo Fighters show at the Forum on 3/5 go on sale this Saturday... L.A. Muderfest is back 4/19-20 at the Knitting Factory... Read what made Linda Strawberry come out of her shell.
Friday, December 07, 2007
The last few weeks of December are probably the busiest time of the year for everyone. Admittedly, we were a little overwhelmed just this past week and we didn't even really do anything. And then you look at the lineups this weekend and you're like double-you-tee-eff...
We won't (because we can't) list every single great show you should check out this weekend but just know that pretty much every good band in Los Angeles will be on a stage somewhere and if you read enough blogs we're sure you'll be quite happy with wherever you decide to hang your hat. Of course, we'd be honored if your hat was hung at T's tonight, but we understand if you believe Spaceland, Largo, Hotel Cafe, The Smell, pehrspace, and El Cid to be more sombrero-friendly... And, like oh-emm-gee, how good is Spaceland, The Bordello, The Roxy, The Prospector, Echo Curio, and Largo on Saturday?... And, holy tee-eye-enn-ay-gee-ee-eff-tee*, the Troubadour, The Echo, and Spaceland on Sunday are just ridiculoso good.
THX, TTFN, BBL.
* TINAGEFT: There Is No Acronym Good Enough for This
Radars to the Sky - "Victoria" (MP3)
The Chapin Sisters - "Borderline" (Madonna cover) (MP3) from the album Through the Wilderness: A Tribute to Madonna
Prefuse 73 - "Girlfriend Boyfriend" (MP3)
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
This is it. The last First Friday of the year and the last show we're helping with of '07. It's the holiday season and there's nothing like spending some time with friends and listening to great bands at T's. And, as always with T's shows in December, if you see someone running around with a mistletoe on their belt buckle please don't call the cops. We need Arlo to do sound.
December 7, 2007
Los Angeles Loves...
THE MONOLATORS
THE NATURAL DISASTERS
DOWNTOWN/UNION
JOSHUA LANES
NATIONAL TREASURE
Mr. T's Bowl
5621 1/2 Figueroa Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90041 | Map
21+ / FREE / 9:00pm
The Monolators - "Santa Claus Vs. Dave Matthews" (MP3)
The Natural Disasters - "I'm in Love" (MP3)
Downtown/Union - "Do What You Do" (MP3)
Joshua Lanes - "Theft on the Floor" (MP3)
National Treasure - "Beef Revolution" (MP3)
