Monday, August 22, 2011
The last time we celebrated the release of a Nocturnes album, it was back in 2008 after listening to their debut A Year of Spring, an album so good we busted out the '61 Chateau Margaux and passed around some Gurkhas to light up ten seconds into track one. But that's nothing compared to what we'll be doing for their newest album Aokigahara.
While it seemed that The Nocturnes had been in, well, nocturnal mode for the last year while singer/guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle was off breaking prog-rocker hearts as the newest member of Red Sparowes, a new album was quietly in the works. Aokigahara is the perfect title for their latest release, which falls even more deeply into the dark, ethereal wilderness of haunting medieval rhythms, chants, and progressive folk. It's a beautiful record that mixes the spacey shimmer of Galaxy 500 with the otherworldly haze of Dead Can Dance that's just the sort of record you don't think a band from Los Angeles would make. That might be why The Nocturnes have built such a cult following, many of whom, hopefully, will be helping us celebrate their new album on Friday at pehrspace. The new album will be available 8/30 on most digital retailers, indie shops, and the band's website.
Joining them will be two of L.A.'s loveliest newish bands in SISU and Little Red Lung. Both have knocked us out with recent performances and any girl-vox-over-ambient-beat aficionado knows we're serious as a heart attack about arriving early to see them. Get SISU records here. Download Little Red Lung's "Strangling Tree" here for free and get merch here.
The show is not only The Nocturnes record release but also their tour kickoff as they head out on a quick west coast jaunt (check their website for the most current dates). So please bring some extra cash to get some records to help them make the trek a little lighter on their wallets. We'll likely have a few posters of the show for donation to the band as well.
August 26, 2011
Los Angeles Loves... Aokigahara
THE NOCTURNES Aokigahara record release and tour kickoff
SISU
LITTLE RED LUNG
pehrspace
325 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
$5/9pm/All Ages
FACEBOOK EVENT
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
It's been a few years since we were asked to do a show at the Bootleg. Those two shows were two of the best shows we've ever been apart of but, admittedly, we're probably a little too low-maintenance for such fancy digs so another show at the club seemed pretty unlikely. That is until Incan Abraham called...
If you felt a rumble coming from the the westerly direction of Santa Monica last June, it wasn't plate tectonics telling you to move inland, it was Incan Abraham leaving the musical equivalent of a bolide metoric impact on the surface of the earth, also known as Chicxulub. Their residency at The Central was about as impressive a 4-night stand as we've seen on the westside or any side for that matter. Each song seemed to build each night to a climax that could only be finalized with their signatune "Sunscreen," a dancefloor frenzy-maker if we ever did see one. They're supposedly working on a new album and you'll likely hear some of it on Thursday so you'd better lace up those dance shoes and try and keep up. Get their two EPs "Sunscreen" and "Adult World" on Bandcamp.
When asked to help with the night's lineup we immediately thought of the band we had just seen make their L.A. debut a few nights prior. Tennis System recently moved to Los Angeles from D.C. after making waves on the east coast's shoegaze scene for the past few years. If their first show on a quiet night at Mr. T's Bowl was any indication of the band's future in this town, we tip our hat to our nation's capital for the early Christmas gift, because that performance was a thing of beauty. Even though the band was debuting their new guitarist and had no bassist, they still managed to sound big and bold and, well, shoegaze-y -- but the good kind where melodies arc into blissful resolve and don't just sound like guitarists having a pissing match on whose pedalboard can make the most people deaf. We're also excited to see the addition of new bassist slash hottie Guylaine Vivarat (formerly of the beloved Useless Keys). Get their latest single "Hey, We Tried" and most recent full-length release The Future of Our History on iTunes.
Tennis System - FS by launderground
Tennis System - Hey, We Tried Music Video from Robert Orlowski on Vimeo.
And, finally, we couldn't be happier to have Flora & Fauna on the show. Their dancy post-punky rock fits somewhere in the species of Meho Plazatus, Halloween Swim Teamitus, and Tot Veneficus. Their demos are all over the interwww so be sure to download them and turntable.fm that shit to impress all those newbs on there that just play Mumford & Sons all day. Fucking posers.
If three great new bands on one lineup doesn't get you off your keister, nothing will. See you soon.
August 11, 2011
Los Angeles Loves...
INCAN ABRAHAM
TENNIS SYSTEM
FLORA & FAUNA
Bootleg Theater
2220 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90057
$7/21+/8:30pm/
FACEBOOK EVENT
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Here we have the second of the two residencies we're helping with this month and this time it's our old haunting grounds the Alexandria Hotel. It took about three years and a few million dollars of renovations to complete the newly opened hotel bars. Out went Charlie O's and in came The Down & Out and on the second floor, The Mezz (two for the price of one -- we like that). These two bar/clubs are truly a gift for the continuing revival of downtown Los Angeles. As many know, it was only 10 years ago you wouldn't be
And a little nightlife is what brings us to August Wednesdays at The Down & Out. The New Room have kindly asked us to participate in their monthly reign of the club and of course we said yes. The band probably knows L.A.'s club scene better than most, bringing their synthy post-rock attack to local stages since before you discovered Part-Time Punks. While we've always thought the band would have made a killing back in the days of Brooks and Lavitt's amazing nights at the El Rey with Coven 13 and Shout!, they still have managed to find a devoted following of fans that know a thing or two about glitter rock without the glitter. We're very much looking forward to hearing new tracks off a rumored album they've been working on but in the the meantime you can pick up their most recent release Only World We Know here. Also, if this New Roomer is in the audience please us give your hand in marriage.
It's been said that the ghosts of Rudolf Valentino and Mae West haunt the hallways of the Alexandria. If they do, we hope that they stop by The Down & Out and save us a waltz this month. They won't want to miss these shows...
Los Angeles Loves...
August 10, 2011
THE NEW ROOM
FUNERAL CLUB
FRANCO NEAR DEATH
DARK FURS
August 17, 2011
THE NEW ROOM
THE DEAR & DEPARTED
REPEATER
RITUALS
August 24, 2011
THE NEW ROOM
NORTHERN SKY
BRUTUS GETS THE GIRL
SUNKEN SHIPS
August 31, 2011
THE NEW ROOM
THE WALLBURDS
FAR*OUT
LADY KATHERINE
The Down & Out
501 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013 | Map
FREE/21+/9pm
FACEBOOK EVENT
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
We're presenting a lot of good shows this month (two residencies and two record release shows to be exact). Just the idea of seeing 11 shows/45 bands in one month kinda sounds fun. What's even more fun is that we're going to be doing it with a few dozen bands we've never done shows with before beginning with...
Judson McKinney's name might sound familiar to those who followed the husband/wife Carolina folk duo Judson & Mary in the last year and wondered what happened to them in recent months. Well, all we know is that the purdier one of the two (that would be Mary) suddenly moved back east and Judson stayed in Los Angeles and, according to his new Facebook pics, got a haircut. You can fill in the dots all you want, but what's important is that hopefully the two will find each other again soon because they sure made some sweet songs together. In the meantime, Judson has made L.A. his new home quite well, making friends quickly within the scene and inviting many of them for his first residency at The Central this month. His new album Tangled Wire is about as pure 70's folk pop as you're going to get in 2011 with a restrained easy-going resolve to every melody. It's quite good and you should get it asap.
Looking forward to another month at The Central. Just look at those lineups. See you there...
Los Angeles Loves...
August 2, 2011
JUDSON MCKINNEY
MARK DAVID ASHWORTH & MURALISMO
OMAR VELASCO
BLUE GREEN GREY
August 9, 2011
JUDSON MCKINNEY
JOHN CARPENTER
CODY THE BAND
DANIEL AHEARN
August 16, 2011
JUDSON MCKINNEY
THE CALIFORNIAN
DEATH TO ANDERS
LITTLE RED LUNG
August 23, 2011
JUDSON MCKINNEY
THE LONELY WILD
EXCUSES FOR SKIPPING
August 30, 2011
JUDSON MCKINNEY
MATTHEW TEARDROP
PAULIE PESH
THE DRIFTWOOD SINGERS
The Central SAPC
1348 14th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
FREE/8pm/21+
FACEBOOK EVENT
