Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Ok so, many of L.A.'s best should already be settled in their Austin digs for the next few days. We wish them luck. However, we do have a saying about SXSW (which we secretly divulged to one of our three readers that asked us if we going to this year's festival): We don't need to go to Austin. Every band we love is here. And that's honestly the truth -- well, except Bjork, but we're working on that. We also have other thoughts about South-By (based on our experience attending in the late 90's) that we'll keep to ourselves as to not destroy the hopes and dreams of thousands of indie bands. But our hope, of course, is to see lots of local unsigned bands succeed. So fingers crossed.
As for those feeling left out of the Texas sun, we've got our own festivities to tend to. Like last Monday at the Silverlake Lounge. Raise your hand if you think Great Northern's new songs are probably the best of their career? Seems they've ditched lo-fi dirge for shoegazer splurge as everything you have ever known about the great Great Northern has just been intensified three hundred degrees Fahrenheit. They sounded huge, even more massive than the gorgeous production on their new album Remind Me Where The Light Is (due 4/28) and most certainly too mammoth a sound for the 150 capacity Silverlake Lounge... And, as for the L.A. debut of O+S (which features new Angeleno Orenda Fink and ex-Angeleno Cedric LeMoyne), you might want to think about picking up their new self-titled album (out 3/24) quickly and see them soon, especially if this recent wave of great ethereal psych-rock bands has got a grip on your cerebral cortex like it does with us -- we're talking about you fans of School of Seven Bells, Warpaint, and Blank Blue. And if a big concert promoter were to put all four of those bands on a bill (with Bjork) for a one-off living room show at our house that would be very kind of you. Thanks in advance. Download tracks from the new O+S album here. And, by the way, our dear friend Laura Burhenn, who for the last few years had been jet setting in the band Georgie James is now touring with O+S as keyboardist/backup vocalist. Look for her to get back to her solo roots in the near future. Fingers crossed.
Nightfur celebrates the release of their new record Illusions at the Silverlake Lounge tonight with The Breakups and Old Toy Trains. We'll be stopping by to pick up the record and hi-five Radio Free Silver Lake's Joe Fielder who will be DJing. The night is also being co-presented by ...Is Good. That makes two of L.A.'s biggest blog/zines in one room. Talk about a babe magnet lineup. Fingers crossed.
