Why I Like the Movie Slapshot So Much: Ed Harcourt, Eulogies, and Army Navy @ Spaceland, June 4, 2008

Well, I was able to drag myself out of a dark, dark hole of work to get to a show last week over at Spaceland. If Ed Harcourt can come all the way from England to play here, then I can get myself to the club.

Here's a thought. Does Dewars own some kind of right to be the only alcohol that is offered for free or close to free around LA? It seems that ANY time I am out at a place that is their only drink special. Now, I don't mind the stuff. I have a pretty tolerable palate for most things alcohol- this coming from the person who in high school thought Rumplemintz was the shit. Anyways, I can drink the stuff, albeit mixed with some diet coke, but some of my other friends have such a negative reaction to it, grumbling phrases like "it tastes like socks" or "it tastes like band aids". It tastes like Scotch, not 60 year aged scotch, but scotch nonetheless (please feel free to tell me how little I know about being a scotch connoisseur below, really I'll totally appreciate it).

Right, so there was a show. Army Navy. I'm not sure where they are from, somewhere on this coast line I believe. My initial reaction was that they were non-offensive, happy, sunny indie rock. The lead singer had hints of Robert Schneider in his voice, although my friend who accompanied me this night stated that if he didn't remind her so much of Tobey Maguire she could not listen to him. Now, what I am about to say could, inevitably, stop all 5 of you from reading this blog anymore, HOWEVER, I will say it anyway. I was perfectly happy with the band until they did a cover of Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From"... then I loved them. This, technically, was the last full song listened to in my car before we parked for Spaceland. I make no excuses for loving that song so much, and they did a very nice cover, so I think it's justifiable that I sang along and decided to forget that all of them were wearing skinny jeans. If I hadn't had so much of a buzz on by the end of the night I would have checked to see if they had their EP for sale, cause I refuse to purchase anything off ITunes. I don't own an IPod so I don't see the point.

The second band, Eulogies (although I didn't catch their name once during the set so I had to go back and look it up), was hit or miss with me. Also, they kept alternating between a 3 piece and a 4 piece (one guy kept wandering off and on the stage). It was a lot darker in contrast to the first set. I am looking back at my notes now and noticing I was reference Voxtrot and Varnaline- although the latter I have no idea what I was thinking. I found I enjoyed their more energetic songs more, perhaps because it was provoking some more emotion from the band, myself, and the crowd.

My first thought when Ed Harcourt took the stage was that he reminded me of an old Timey apothecary and Josh Brolin's character in "No Country For Old Men". But then the voice coming out was British. Harcourt's music makes me think that not all piano based British bands have to suck. He is dark, funny, and a good storyteller by way of Waits and the like. Oh yeah, I'm making that comparison. Granted, there were several technical difficulties this night, but he waved them away with some chit chat. There was a 'full' band tonight as well, including a trumpet and violin. The combined effort of the 6 musicians though made it sound even 'fuller' than just 6 people. The songs were coming from his latest (although technically it was released in the UK TWO years ago) album, The Beautiful Lie, as well as other releases- I recognized "Born in the 70's" from 2004's Strangers. It was a good show, even if he didn't cover cheesy 70's songs.

We Got Some Soul in the House: Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves, and Jail Weddings @ the Echo, April 17, 2008

I think I can say, without any doubt, that I have been to one of my favorite shows since last August (that would be for the Old Time Relijun show). HOLY CRAP. To think I was going to miss this for lack of company... Tonight the Echo was transported to some alter reality where a young twenty something white boy from Massachusetts sounded as if he was coming off a Stax 45 from the '60s. Magical folks, truly magical.

I was a late arrival, but did get there in time to catch Jail Weddings. Who, as I've mentioned before, are a group of really talented people, fun to watch, and tonight were a perfect match for the headliners. For more notes on them, check back over here.

Now, there's those bands that you listen to and are like, well, yes, I've heard this before so why should I care. And then there are those bands that fit into a niche and the sound is so genuine you have to stand up and clap. Or maybe wave your hands around and yell. And that's what it was like watching Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves. I think I kept turning to my friends and, with jaw dropped, kept pointing and saying Can you believe how awesome this is? It was just hard to make the connection between what I was hearing, the powerful old school rhythm and blues and soul sounds, and what I was seeing, this exuberant young, white guy who was moving the crowd with the simplest howl from his lips. And although the paring seemed off, it just felt right. I'm actually at a bit of a loss, because everything I want to write about him seems like I'm not giving him enough credit. And i don't want to gush like a school girl. All I can say is that this man can channel Otis Redding, and it gives me chills.

You can check him out again in Los Angeles at Spaceland, May 19th.

Some Club Soda Will Take That Stain Out: Jay Reatard, Mika Miko, and Bad Parents @ All Star Lanes March 31, 2008

There is another show looming in the not very distant future this week, so I thought I'd crack down and talk about one I went to like, 2 weeks ago. Jay Reatard everyone!

Apparently this was a 'secret show', I think done by the Listing Ship guys- I could be off, if I am- sorry bout that. I found out about it because it was listed at upcoming.org. And then because I'm 'friends' with the FYF guys on myspace, I had it confirmed through them. The thing about these types of shows is that you really don't know how crowded/not crowded they will be. I was warned it was going to sell out. Oh,yeah- it was at All Star Lanes in Eagle Rock. A bowling alley. With a stage space in a bowling alley bar, kinda tight. So, we decided to play it safe, get there early and bowl a game, cause I like to bowl with a crazy passion.

Apparently though we got there really early. The show didn't start until past 9. We showed up at 7:30 to bowl. The lineup for the night was Bad Parents, Mika Miko, and Jay Reatard. When Bad Parents starting playing I was so happy that there was something going on that I immediately was just like- YES, this band is the greatest ever!! After the initial shock, though, I thought they were good. I'm quite a fan of anti-surf guitar riffs and their playing was enjoyable. However, I was not in the right mood to listen to screaming. I can take it sometimes, but not this night. I think though that maybe I should give them a second chance some other time.

Second up was Mika Miko, that crazy group of girls. They're always a fun show. I think though that my feelings are still the same as the last time I saw them.

Finally Jay Reatard played. We got right up to the stage, which only was about a foot- maybe- off the ground. And in his usual fashion, launched straight into his intense stage presence. Off stage, Jay Reatard was completely mellow and just standing around watching the bands play. But onstage, this must be where he lets everything go. And when he started playing- a mosh pit formed. Really, not joking. The last time I can even recall being in the midst of one I can say was probably some 10 odd years ago. After 3 songs, I pushed my way outside of it, cause I couldn't actually concentrate on the show, just avoiding contact with people. However, moving to the outskirts of the pit still did not prevent jackasses from thinking it's funny to pull people who are obviously just trying to stand there and watch the show. So, some guy got my elbow in his face. Sorry dude, but you totally deserved that. Anyways, the show seemed slightly longer than usual. Possibly clocking in at 35 minutes. But I forgot to check my watch for exact times. I did end up with blood on my purse, which is just fucking gross. And sharpie. Dammit. However, seeing Jay Reatard preform is always fun, and even with the escalated males testosterone violence, I still had a sweaty good time. I'd recommend standing at least 50' away from the stage though to avoid spit and punches.

They're Still Head Banging Over Here: 400 Blows, Tweak Bird, Ancestors @ Charlie O's March 21, 2008

One band I rave about but find hard to get people to listen to is 400 Blows. Either the person doesn't know the band, and when I explain what they sound like they do not want to go see them, OR they've heard of them and are scared to go and see them. I think I need to work on my explanation of the band a little more. I guess Loud doesn't cut it. I could throw in they have a good beat? ... You can dance to it? I dunno, anyways, this post, eventually, will be about Ancestors, Tweak Bird, and 400 Blows downtown over at Charlie O's.

LA Record loves to host shows at Charlie O's. The name, for me, is funny because it is the name of this crappy seafood restaurant/bar back in my home state of RI. And then to go to this wonderfully decrepit bar/club here, well, calling it Charlie O's instantly makes me twinge slightly. The memory still persists apparently.

K, so the first band up was Ancestors, a local band, which got an ok review from a friend of mine prior to the show. They play loud, slow, metal, droning rock.. and the singer/guitarist still HEAD BANGS. This amuses me for some reason. They were ok enough to listen to; live maybe better than recorded. I found them a slow choice to play with the other two bands tonight. But, whatever, it had been a LONG while since I've seen a band like this and I didn't' DISlike it, so...

2nd to play was Tweak Bird. Tweak Bird is a fun band that at first reminded me sorta of DFA1979, but somewhat harsher. And then a friend chimed in with "sounds like early era Rush except more metal...". Both, I find, work as descriptions. Their live show is pretty energetic, very sweaty and the losing clothing kind. Getting closer to the stage, one realizes however that the audio set up at the place sounds 'off' the closer to the stage you are. That can be fixed if you move off to the side though, or outside. It sounded pretty clear outside too. The one comment I'd like to reiterate about this band is this: SIGN THEM. Really, they would probably sell a bunch of records. They are good.

3rd and last was 400 Blows. Again, the audio comment. WTF was up with the vocal mix for them? Terrible. Getting someone to go see them for the first time and having to apologize for the way it was coming out into speakers was sad. Their performance was great except for that part, so distracting. Blarg.

Anyways, there's a 'secret' Jay Reatard show tonight. OH, and sorry for no live photos, I even had the camera out a one point but forgot.

Then, What IS Your Name?- The Ting Tings @ the Jensen Rec Center March 11, 2208

This is going to be a short post, for a couple reasons. Firstly, I'm going to a show tonight, therefore I'd like to have all my 'pending' reviews cleared out of the inbox. Second, this was a short show.

So, the Jensen Rec Center looks like a ratty shit hole on the outside, but inside is this uber slick artistic 'space' that they say you can turn into anything you'd like (to pay for). Maybe my superhero costume themed birthday party can take place here... I'll have to inquire about their fees. Anyways, since venues never like to post actual times up for bands, we showed up somewhat early, and in finding that the band was not scheduled to be on for another hour- and having no clue who the other bands were playing with, oh, sorry, tonight we came down to see the Ting Tings- perhaps I should have mentioned that at the start of this post. Although there will be a title when I finish writing this so I guess you would have read it.. there.. ok, moving forward, we ended up taking a detour drink break over at the Little Joy and happened upon a dead pony:

There seemed to be a miscommunication as to whether or not the Rec Center had a bar. Apparently it is event specific. They had one tonight, however, thank GOD I had some cheap PBR over at the LJ, cause drinks at the Rec were pricey. $10 is WAY too much, especially when it is a rec center.

So, tonight's show I guess was hyped up by a local popular radio station and, knowing that, was porportionately crowded. Oh! But they have air conditioning vents blasting up from the floor, which is clever- sorta. So we found one and parked ourselves stage right. We lucked out with some kinda less crowded bubble there unexpectedly. The side stage view was totally fine, she kept turning towards us during the set and the drummer was positioned so that he was pretty much looking to the side of the stage anyways. We were pleased, except for the camera flashes from the front, which made me do what I usually do not do, and that would be to shoot with the flash on.

The whole set I think lasted maybe 30 minutes. This would have been acceptable except for a few reasons. Mainly though that the price that was posted EVERYWHERE before the show turned out to be $2 MORE, even if you were showing up ONLY for that band 5 minutes before they started and had every intention of leaving as soon as they were done. I hate that, very much. Also, their outlandish drink prices. It was just irritating. But I will admit that the music was fun. The sheer hilarity of some of the lyrics shouted out above delayed music loops and possibly laquered chuck taylors was amusing. And it's always fun to bounce around a bit, I will never knock that. The fact though that when some music stations hype stuff ultimately leads to the price of the freaking air going up in price just for the event just seems abusive. However, it is a business and that's the way they choose to do theirs, and many people do not have a problem with it. I guess it's cheaper than the Staples Center. Eeesh.

Dork Out!- Nerf herder, Killola, Echo Hawk @ Safari Sam's March 7, 2008

Catch up time. I have another review sitting from last night, however, since this is steadily growing into a several day old show, by default- Nerf Herder.

Yeah, really, Nerf Herder. Like, from my high school days about a decade ago. That is one thing you can count on in this music blog, variety, and bands you've either never heard of or you thought had broken up years ago.

Right now, when describing a band as pop-punk, I usually get a sour taste in my mouth. It immediately makes me think Blink 182. That is the connection in my head pop-punk=blink 182. However, Nerf Herder comes from a time when pop-punk usually meant 'fun', like the Mr. T Experience or one of those bands. But for the sake of consistency and not seeming like I'm mixing terms, I'll refer to their style by their self described 'nerd rock', which is appropriate if i say their name and suddenly the image of Princess Leia calling Han Solo that jumps into your head- I know you're out there reading this....

Anyways so walking in to Safari Sam's we caught a set by Echo Hawk first. They were sorta a mixup with garage band mentality- and I do mean garage band, as in playing to some friends in a garage the night prior, and sorta drony stoner rock. Although they seemed pretty new to the stage (tuning between songs is ok if you can do it in 2 seconds not if it takes almost a minute), they did have an excellent drummer, a good beat, and catchy songs. So, there, just maybe some more time and they'll be a whole package. I liked them well enough and I stayed for the whole set. Unlike the next band...

Killola. There was some mixup of times for tonight because at 10:30 Nerf Herder was supposed to be playing and then some band comes on with a chick singer and me and my friend turn our heads and question if we are in fact really seeing Nerf Herder tonight or there is some sorta horrible mix up and we're forced to watch this band. Now, keeping this all in mind I was NOT giving this band a chance. At all. Cause I thought maybe enough time had passed that some sort of severe line up change had taken place and I was bound to hear 'Van Halen' played by a screaming woman's voice with bright yellow eyeshadow. But then they said they were thrilled to be playing with the band tonight and suddenly I felt really stupid to think that I could have thought I'd forgotten Nerf Herder so much that I was actually thinking that this was the shell of a band I once enjoyed, a long time ago. So stupid that I felt the need to share this embarrassing story with you all. So once we new we had at least 20 minutes to kill we left and got some air only to be accosted by some drunk dudes who went by names similar to Johnny B and the Lieutenant. Killola had a decent sized following this night, what with scores of kids singing along, but I just wasn't into it.

So if you don't feel like standing amongst a pitiful excuse for a mosh pit, there are some great balcony seats at Safari Sam's. I prefer the ones to the left of the stage... Looking at some notes I took while Nerf Herder played, the first idea I apparently had was that it's funny to see a band where the lead singer can be confused with the guy that changes the toner on your xerox machine at work. But that's the great thing about some of these dudes still playing in the band that you liked 10 years ago, they just seem normal and happy to be playing. That normality they portray in their awkward stage antics, or goofy lyrics is making some kid out there feel a little bit more secure with their current high school social status. Everyone is a nerd in Nerf Herder land, and that's fine. Tonight was great for the variety of people on the floor- fists punching, one finger pointing into space, and even, Primus Jackets. Oh, and the set was fun too. They insisted on their right to play new songs (they do have a new album), but did some old ones too (Diana, You're Gonna Be The One Who's Sorry, Pervert). It made me reminisce a little and made me realize how many other kinds of music I listen to now.

The only incredibly disturbing element to this night was the young girl who kept molesting this old man in front of the stage. To set the scene a little, earlier that night she was grooving by herself, dressed relatively nicely- nothing to indicate that later should would break into some kind of psychotic episode where she has to grind up against, and pull the small, white tufts of hair from a man upwards of 60. She, with her lack of general good taste in public, kept stealing the show. I had to make a mental note to close my gaping jaw at one point. Wow... you gotta love the people watching at these shows sometimes.

Rock with a Twist Show (I don't even have to come up with a clever name) with the Monolators @ the Scene, February 21, 2008

Nothing will bring me out faster to a club than the call of free food. It is a sad but true fact. For example, this show at the Scene. I had kept off the myspace for a couple days and for some reason or another found myself back on there and noticed a bulletin: Pretzel time! Clicking on it I was to find out that

1. the Monolators were playing- who are quickly tying with Bodies of Water for local band I've seen A LOT.
2. Mary from the Monolators was making pretzels, soft pretzels, not the hard crappy kind.
3. FREE SHOW

There was no reason to turn down this show, and also, the other bands in the line up all seemed worth checking out.

Turn out in the beginning was, at best, roomy. How could so many people not want pretzels? Did they honestly think there would be some left after the first hour? Anyways, the first band up was Friends Of Dennis Wilson, from Detroit. The easiest way to describe them would be to call them psych-rock, which they were. But they didn't tip too much towards the hard side of that genre. If you like the Warlocks, or maybe Dead Meadow or Ride, you'd enjoy this band. The amusing part for me was the lead singer's funny little dance he did the whole time on the stage, with his down parka (or at least that's what it looked like). Coming from Detroit, you'd think the weather would be like summer for them out here. Ah well...

Now, I caught the beginning of the next set by Summer Darling, who are just that, darling. However, I got caught up in a lengthy discussion about pretzels and missed out on the rest, and the next set. Oops, sorry guys, I owe you a proper review soon, promise!!

Finishing off the night was a riotous set by the Monolators, who not only kick major rocking ass, but make some mean pretzels too. They even took requests tonight (well, one...)! It was just a three piece lineup this evening with the second guitarist absent. They played some fan favorites, and a few whose names escape me. I don't think I'll ever get tired of Strawberry Roan...

Oh, and apparently this pretzel making show is going to be a bi-monthly event. Holy cow, right?

Austin Fever: YellowFever, Her Girl Friday, Dylan Doren @ the Smell January 25, 2008

I will not lie to you all. I only went over to the Smell because I found out YellowFever was going to be playing. Initially I didn't know who else was playing and really wasn't concerned because I had the yellow fever.... Sorry, that was ridiculous, it's early right now. But getting there at 9:30 and sitting through the first two sets two things became apparent: I can listen to noise rock with ear plugs and actually enjoy it because my ears do not feel like they've been permanently damaged, and the first two bands were un-expectantly fun to listen to.

There's this trend at the Smell to just slide from band to band, and many times band names are not said. Or, a band name is missed because suddenly they are already playing and you're still standing outside the club. So, that's my introductory excuse as to why I'm not 100% on the first two band names (if you know what they were, please feel free to jot down in the comments below). The Smell attracts a LOT of young people/bands who are really into the noise scene. Really into it. Expect one of the bands in a line up there every night to fit this genre. The first person/band up, and don't get mad if I mix the names here, I believe was Dylan Doren. Now, that could be the guy's name, or the band. I say name but what do I know? His set began with about 10-15 minutes of him sitting on the ground with some keyboards, a pedal, and microphones. My first thought brought be back to seeing Mincemeat or Tenspeed at Pehrspace back in December (sorry, no review, but you can listen to the show here!). Now, I enjoy noise, when done well, and when they added some live drumming to the mix, the whole musical experience suddenly made my attention snap right to them. The drum beats were live, but had the quality of feeling like they were sampled. The songs were pecked with these tiny screams that could barely make themselves heard over the instruments, forcing you to pay attention to the two people before you. They really turned it into an unexpected surprise performance.

Second up was Her Girl Friday, a 3 piece all girl band that included their own bubble blowing robotic looking chick standing in front dressed like she belonged at an anime convention. I'm not sure what 'look' they wanted to achieve by having this; 'cute' I guess comes to mind. The three blended guitars, keys and drums into a dark, droning pop sound. At times they reminded me a bit of Electrelane and other songs were a bit tipping towards bands like the Warlocks. Heavy, melodic, occasionally screaming tunes. They were also surprisingly enjoyable.

And then right into YellowFever. I can't remember which blog I first heard about this Austin band from. I want to say Gorrila vs. Bear, because any good music coming out of that part of Texas I will hear about through their site. In the usual Smell style, there were some technical hiccups. One I swear was as close to the 'brown noise' as you can get. I felt really bad, cause later the drummer was saying how it fucked up his ears bad. I think the problem was that the vocals were too low and the bass too high, and the attempt to fix it by the guy who runs(?) the Smell, made it the opposite of fixed. It terminated "Cats and Rats" a bit short, which was too bad, cause it's a cute song. Anyways, stuff started to go better from there, launching into (in no particular order except for what I can remember) Metarie, Hellfire, Joe Brown, and Culver City. I'm missing some, but I forget which. It would have been even more awesome had they played Alice, but I'm not complaining, they came to L.A. and I will be perfectly satisfied with just that much. Their music crosses between bands like Stereolab, Tuscadero, Heavenly, and in some ways reminds me of earlier music from the Breeders. But there also feels like there is this darker streak just under the surface of their music. The quite, sometimes somber tone to the lyrics, backed by the more poppy bass and guitar notes makes for some more bittersweet concoctions. At least I get that in there sometimes...

Right, ok, this post is starting to get a bit long. I just wanted to direct your attention to Austin, TX for a moment. Austin seems like this magical far away land filled to overflowing with great bands and constant flow of incredible albums. The city makes me jealous with its green-ness awareness and cool shows and really nice people, compared to living here in L.A. But then I remember a friend telling me it 90+º for most of the year. And then L.A. seems ok, and Austin will just have to be that awesome city I visit.

Coming soon: Dare I step into the Smell for a second night in a row?!?!?!?

Waiting for the Stage to Break: Jail Weddings and Man/Miracle @ the Echo January 20th, 2008

Going to a 'Part Time Punks' show at the Echo makes me feel old, and I'm not really old. Maybe it's the drug induced pogo-ing or the Charlie Brownesque stand-in-one-place dancing going on around me as kids talk about how awesome it is to dance to Iggy Pop. What? Really? Anyways, sometimes you have to brave the queerness of young adulthood to go see a decent band. Jail Weddings earned such an honor this night.

I already had two naps by 10pm tonight, so I was lively enough and willing to catch the first band: Man/Miracle. I couldn't find any additional info on this band (edit: see below), however I believe that they said they hailed from Santa Cruz, or someplace with a similar name. Anyways, these boys were quite the energetic bunch- screaming and pounding away on their instruments, we reached the conclusion that they were a cross between the band James and the Strokes, if both combined to make a band you'd want to listen to. And we did! If you read this blog with any regularity, it's pretty obvious that I will walk away from your set if I find my time could be spent better elsewhere. However, I spent most of the set bouncing along and open jaw gaping at the amount of drum solos there were. Maybe, actually, that's why I like them so much... the drums. That's how they would end (at least it seemed that way); every song felt like they were trying to invoke the spirit of John Bonham, maybe a giant gong would have helped. Only two things slightly dampened this performance: one audience member apparently was shitting himself due to the aroma coming off his person, and moving to the complete opposite side of the room only helped slightly. And two, the last song Man/Mission played kept reminding me of a Bon Jovi ballad, except that unexpectedly it would pick up and get loud and pretty rocking. I had mixed feelings about that one.

After that set there was the discovery of a man selling a couple cases of records stuck in the back corner. I probably would have lingered longer had he been outside, however, he did have a copy of Los Yetis- therefor he is awesome and I hope he is selling again soon.

I had to break away from the records once Jail Weddings came on. How can you not be distracted by the completely FULL stage of people with glittery costumes and screaming main singer? I know I was. I witnessed this band last year and was completely taken by surprise. They describe themselves as "an updated take on the darker side of the '60s girl group blueprint with swamp-pop leanings, all combined with mean-streak mutant torch song drama." but with a mainly male lead vocal. Watching the stage puts me into a weird trance-like state. Perhaps it's the OOhing and Aahing that is so reminiscent of the bad 60's girl rockers (Oh Shangri-Las, how I love you so), or the maybe the bands ability to stick a violin in the mix and still make it sound 'hard'. One aspect I like about Jail Weddings is their ability to play off the idea of wanting to sound like this genre, embracing it but then tweaking it enough to sound new, and honestly, not like many other bands out there. So kudos to you guys putting on another memorable show. And sorry that my photos were kinda crap.

Coming soon: YellowFever and why Austin would be the best city ever if only the temperature wasn't so damn hot all the time.
EDIT: Ok, so the Echo had the band name spelled wrong for the opening act. It was Man/Miracle NOT Man/Mission. OOps. Anyway, for more info, please click here.

Back in Black (Boots): Everest and the Mezzanine Owls @ Spaceland January 14, 2008

Does anyone ever get concerned about the lack of air at Spaceland? Whenever I go, the next morning my eyes look like I spent the night before throwing sand into them and then sewing them shut. However, I tend to forget all that once I re-realize that the PBR on tap is $2.50 a glass. Tonight was kinda a stumbling in on a show. I wasn't expecting to go, but there I was, and thankfully I caught two bands that everyone has been buzzing about like crazy little bees.

First up was Everest, who for the most part have 'supergroup' attached to their name when being spoken about in conversation, albeit music reviewer know-it-all talk, but conversation nonetheless. Comprised of members of alaska!, Earlimart, Slydell, Folk Implosion and Great Northern, they all could have tricked me as a backing band for James Taylor. Kidding, it's the shaggy hair/ beard thing, it makes me think of folk bands from the early 70's. Anyways, they did have that quiet sensibility to some of the songs, although their faster tunes quite rocked everyone's butts there. All the praise getting thrown at them is worth it, unless they start asking for bowls of only red m&ms. Their first full length is out in April, which seems like an awfully long time from now.

The second, and last band I caught, was the Mezzanine Owls, who myself and my friend kept stumping ourselves trying to figure out who the lead singer reminded us of. I kept saying to myself, that british guy, he sounds like that one british guy. But I never really came to any conclusion, except that I really, really enjoyed their set. There was a lot of that staticy noise that gets attached to shoe gazer bands, and that highly, emotionally charged voice that rings out over the crowd. Oh, and some of that geeked out rock solo stuff snuck in too. I feel like I need to catch some more of their shows, at which point they will have become a staple of this current LA music scene.

I would have had some photos for here, but due to the inability to lift my arms over my head due to the crowd of people with large shoulder padded jackets (is this really back?), I will have to instead rely on some stock photos. Sorry.

Smells Like... damp hair: A Look Back at Some Shows of 2007

Part of the point of this blog was to keep me actively trying to get my butt to go to shows. For the most part of 2007 it worked. I was pretty into it and believe it or not, there were even shows that I went to that I didn't have time to write a review for, *gasp*. Except for the end of this year. That, embarrassingly, came to almost a grinding halt due to too many hats, exhaustion, and burning out among other things. I'm starting to pick the pace back up, and by that I mean I've been to one show this month- and it being now the half way point of the month.

But that's enough moaning for now. You've landed here to have me shove my opinion of the top live shows that I've seen in 2007. God, what an egomaniac I must be...

Frog Eyes @ Spaceland- There should have been a bigger crowd for these guys.
Andre Williams @ Safari Sam's- This performance proved that a man even closer to death than Hugh Hefner can still woo the ladies with sexy talk.
The Ettes @ Spaceland & the Scene- What a show those 3 put on. Single handedly restored my faith in the Garage scene in LA.
Anavan @ the Scene- Clothes came off and there was a dragon... seriously, how can you top that?
Matt and Kim @ the Echo- Everyone playing that night was excellent. Even though it felt like a sauna in there you couldn't help but dance and sing along to that charismatic duo.
Oh No! Oh My! @ the Echo- So many keyboards.
Bodies of Water- To list all the venues that I've seen these kids at would just take up too much space. They are hands down, one of my favorite acts to catch here in LA and if you haven't seen them yet I should smeck you. *smecksmecksmeck*
The Monolators @ the Scene and Pehrspace- The Pehrspace show is one of the "unlisted" shows from this past December. I DJ-d that night for No-Fi "Magazine" so I thought maybe some kind of conflict of interests should keep me from writing about it...who am I kidding, I got lazy and forgot to write. Regardless, the Monolators are another local fav of mine. Their energy is crazy and it's always tempting to sing along with them.
Jay Reatard @ the Scene and the Echoplex- Chaotic. That's all I can think to sum up his shows. Maybe also 'spit'.
Old Time Relijun@ the Echo- This tops my favorite shows of all shows for 2007. Screaming along to 'Cold Water' while only about 25 people showing up to see this band. And for the handful of us there, they put on a spectacular show.

K, I promise you all another review soon for Everest. No really, soon.

Henry Clay People and The Rosewood Thieves @ Little Radio December 15, 2007

I seem to be cursed when it comes to seeing shows at Little Radio. Or rather, when I want to see a show there, something happens to prevent me from doing so. It almost did this night, but in the end, I ended up just being to tired to finish the night past one and stay to see Dead Meadow.

The funny thing about the LR space is that it's not quite a venue yet. So, things like time do not matter, which is nice cause you can be lazy and take a nap after dinner, and even though start time says 9:30 on your invite, chances are nothing will begin till almost 11. Such was the case tonight, although I can't quite recall what the actual start time was, but I do know it was not 9:30.

The first band up was The Rosewood Thieves from New York. When they started playing they were not in my line of sight, so I thought a DJ was playing the Stones, a song I had not heard before, but the Stones nonetheless. However, when I turned the corner I was surprised to see a live band playing. They fluctuated between that folksy rock and some freak-folk styling that I still don't know what my opinion is of it. It turns out they're more well known than I thought, accumulating much in the way of good press. Their playing was on point the whole time they were up on the giant snowflake covered stage, making me feel that there kudos were very much earned.

Second up, and the last band I caught tonight, was the Henry Clay People, dressed as the Santa Claus People (or just the Santa people, I forget now...). I've praised this band before, however tonight they're playing was completely different. Maybe it was the Holiday season, maybe it was the Santa Claus costumes, maybe it was too much Dewars, but lead singer Joey Siara kept scaring me as he swayed and leapt all over the stage. In fact, Christopher felt the need to stay close to the stage in case he fell off. (For some photographic examples, click here for a slideshow at LA Weekly) However, the playing and sound were great. They played a bunch off their album, and some other stuff I didn't recognize- like usual.

Anyways, if you get the opportunity to go to a show at Little Radio, you should. They like to decorate, and know how to throw a party.

Coming soon: my review of live shows in 2007, cause I like lists.

A Little More Cheeky, A Little Less Wreckless: Wrecless Eric and Amy Rigby, the Adored @ Safari Sam's December 6th 2007

The last couple of times I've been to Safari Sam's it always seems to be raining... this should also tell you the frequency in which I attend concerts here. But it's a nice enough club... it kinda makes me think of what you would get if you turned an Old Spaghetti Factory into a club. Anyways, I get the emails from Safari Sam's and they were highlighting Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, although I didn't put it together that they were playing both at the same time till I got there (they're dating???), so I thought that was a good enough reason to go to Hollywood.

We caught one of the opening bands (although Christopher bought a cd from one of the earlier guys who we didn't see because the guy told him it was good- and I promise, yes, I will listen to it soon- I just keep forgetting it at the house). When we walked in, The Adored had just started to play and we immediately turned our attention to them; they were fun. Their live sound is much more intense than their recorded stuff. That comes off as a bit over produced and sounds like too many other bands. But live they pulled off a great set. They sound like they belong in the British post punk set, but they're from Los Angeles.

Up next, and last, was Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby. It was just the two of them with guitars and occasionally Amy on keyboard with Eric on guitar. Both played songs from their own collections and played really well off each other. There were a few technical glitches (the keys could not be heard at all on the first song that was played with them) but everything smoothed out by the end. Memorable songs for the night included Amy's "Are We Ever Going to Have Sex Again?" and Wreckless Eric's "Reconnez Cherie". Between songs was Eric's British banter about toilets and things that sound funny when spoken with a British accent. It was a good mixed crowd and not too crowded. There was even some chairs to sit in! For me it was great to be back at a show after a hiatus.

Stay tuned for the Santa People at Little Radio show review!

I'm Awake Now: The King Khan and BBQ Show, Haunted George, and Pleaseeasaur @ Spaceland November 15, 2007

Firstly, hello. And yes, I realize the huge gap there has been in posts. However, due to the juggernaut that invaded my life not so long ago, my mind has been elsewhere picking up the mess. I did though get to go to ONE show this month (god, how depressing...). I got an email that the King Khan and BBQ Show would be playing at Spaceland this month and it had been awhile since I'd been to a good ol' garage show.

In the usual way it happens, we thought we were getting there somewhat late, but when we showed up, the first band was still playing. Well, I guess band may not be appropriate here. Perhaps, two man musical slide show, with costumes!, would be better. Pleaseeasaur is sorta hard to explain... One guy stands out behind two slide projection screens, singing and wearing costumes, all with a very late 80's influence. And then behind the screens, another guy frantically changes slides and does the music. It was hypnotic in a bizarre way. (look at the picture I posted as an example) The crowd seemed to be enjoying it, but one could not telling if they were laughing with him, or at him.

Next up was just a straight-up garage outfit, Haunted George. Actually, I think it's usually just him but tonight there was some other people up on stage helping him out, including one of the guys from the Lamps. Haunted George is all about western culture, with a lot of trailer trash thrown in, and supposedly some macabre but I don't remember listening to any. The music was enjoyable if you like that stripped down, twangy type of garage. The lyrics were a bit surface at times, but sometimes with this kind of music I don't want to think so hard and deep about what they're singing to me, just make me move a bit on my feet and I'm happy. We ducked out towards the end of the set, mainly cause at this point I needed a sit down from too many whiskey drinks, oops.

Last up was the King Khan and BBQ Show. It's funny, but the garage scene around Los Angeles is so unfortunately small that whenever there's a show like this I'm bound to run into several people that I know either personally, or just from the scene. And this show brought out some faces I haven't seen in forever which was cool. Also surprising was the amount of people who showed up. I know that KKBBQ are on a well known label (In the Red), but damn, I was not expecting a crowd like this. Anyways, these two guys put on a pretty fun show, if you like guys in drag and turbans. The music is pretty standard garage with bizarre lyrics. Combine these elements and it's just a good, head bopping music.

Again, sorry. December I will try to get out more. Expect some upcoming reviews of Wreckless Eric, the Monolators, and some other bands. Woop!

Chicken Bone Drummin': Holly Golightly @ the Echo October 8, 2007

What a bizarre time setup the Echo had this night. When I looked at the scheduled line up there was a posting that it was free after 10:30pm. Wait, what? I just spent a crap load of money on ticket fees to make sure all my friends would have their tickets prior to arrival- not something I usual do, however I couldn't gage how packed it was going to be for Holly Golightly. Turns out that they pushed her forwards because Castledoor had a free residency this month. So, after her set you could get in for free. Which I guess makes more sense than having Castledoor go on and then make everyone stand outside or something to check tickets.

We showed up just as Holly started her first song. Which was around 9ish- thankfully we got a text that she was going on early or we probably would have missed half the set. After the first two songs she stated the audience needed to drink more cause it was starting to make her feel like she was in Utah. Saying this she downed some alcohol. I love the Brits.

It was just a duo tonight in support of her new album "You Can't Buy a Gun When You're Crying" which is her and Lawyer Dave as "Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs". They played several tracks off this new record including the title track, "Jesus Don't Love Me" and either "Devil Do" or "Devil Don't", I forget. I also forgot the other songs cause I was busy fighting with the people in front of me to see the stage. Anyways, she has a funny way of talking with the audience that makes her seem so... well, I could picture her in 1800's England getting into a pub fight and cutting someone's nose off. The other neat thing was the percussion set up for Lawyer Dave- could NOT figure out how he was hitting everything while playing the guitar. I thought there was a metronome type thing but my friend thinks it may have been a chicken bone hitting a snare, which actually seems like a far better match for this pair. This also proves that you can get a lot of sound from just your feet and some drums (ahem... Mr. Bob...).

The show was not as packed as I might have thought. But then again, Holly has been with me for years since I first heard her with Billy Childish so I always assume more people know her and would go to see her (and it having nothing to do with her being on that White Stripes album). Somehow we drank a bit more than planned and ended up at Taco King or Burrito King or whatever is down the street and missed Castledoor (I'm still confused how the back of the Echo morphed into a taco stand). But I feel ok about it cause I've seen them before and can catch them again at the Echo this month. Which you all should do anyway.

Watch Where You Step: the Eagle Rock Music Festival, October 6, 2007

I don't think I'd ever seen so many kids with skateboards in one confined area in all my life as I did Saturday night at the Eagle Rock Music Festival. And I used to hang out in skateparks. A rather large chunk of Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock was closed off as bands took to playing on stages, in parking lots, and in several cases, behind chain-link fences up and down the street while teenagers and dogs scattered about your ankles. I got to see bits and pieces of bands as I tried to get a look at everything. However, I was a bit pissy cause they changed the times of some bands. Which meant I missed the Monolators set, which sucked, cause I've had their "You Look Good On the Train" song stuck on repeat in my head and I would have liked to have seen them again. Ah well.



So, let's talk about the mess that was parking and people who are inconsiderate and don't like to let you parallel park without trying to drive up into your trunk. Ugh. Had we just driven up all the way to Eagle Rock and Colorado, we probably would have seen the giant sign for the shuttle, but we didn't and ended up driving around for what seemed like at least 25 minutes until we found a spot far, far away. Walking down Colorado we could hear Bodies of Water starting their set and we began to sing along to I believe "These Are the Eyes", but I can't quite remember if that was it now or not. Not very long after we watched a couple bands we ended up at the Chalet for a couple drinks, so, you know- cloudy memory. Anyhoo, outdoor shows tend to have crappy sounding equipment, and such was the case tonight. Bodies of Water sounded, and looked, great, but the speakers were kinda crackly. In the background there was also playing the film "Westworld", although I'm not so cool to have figured this out for myself but had to be told what it was. Somehow the two meshed perfectly together. Anyone who reads this thing knows how much I like this band, however tonight we had to step away to catch up down the street with the Mormons.

So, I've been trying to catch a Mormons show for awhile now and I almost forgot they were playing tonight but remembered just in the nick of time. I've heard that this band puts on a show and is really fun to watch, and THEY WEAR HELMETS and have a whole uniform thing going on. And it so happened that every nice thing people have said about them is true. They play music that sits somewhere between Devo and Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies (who are a punk amalgam of a bunch of well known punk bands- oh and I guess minus the show tunes too), somewhere in that vein of punk music. There is a great stage presence to them, even if that stage is a parking lot outside a place called Panang. The lead singer jerks around the stage like a kid on too many pop rocks while the rest of the band looks they're at their happiest behind their respective instruments. Although, the one guy standing there with his arms crossed in the background-who was obviously one of the band due to the same stage uniform-was kinda intimidating looking, like he's the bully of the group. Although I think he pulled a t-shirt out of his backpack (yes, they wear backpacks too) so maybe he's just the mobile merch man, which would be kinda cool anyways.

It's funny though to take a band like this out of a club element and plop them down into a music festival like this where in front of me a five year old girl with a glow stick headband proceeded to dance harder and longer than any of the teenager punks. But I guess that could be said about many of the bands tonight. Music festival events always seem strange to me, and I think I'm glad they are pretty much all done for the season. I am very happy to be getting back into a club tonight, even if that increases the chances of beer getting spilled on me by about 1,000.

Little Felt Wonders: The Happy Hollows and the Movies @ the Echo September 24, 2007

At some point over the last, oh- I dunno, 9 months or so, the Happy Hollows seemed to burst into popularity around here and pretty much all the L.A. bloggers could not stop talking about them. Suffice to say I was curious. However, I kept missing their shows. This past September they had a residency at the Echo and seeing as how they had a steady date set, and time, it made it somewhat easier to get there. And in my true fashion I kept forgetting until this past Monday, finally. And dammit am I kicking myself now.

There was a strong support line up tonight and I had also been trying to get around to catching Death to Anders. However, the Echo likes to do this thing where they list the bands that are playing, and when you show up, they've thrown the names into a hat and picked at random who would go on first. So, I missed Death to Anders by, maybe 15 minutes. Argh. If you want to read a nice review of their album though, you should click here.

So, the Movies were who started playing once we got there. For whatever reason I had mixed them with another band, possibly Midnight Movies, cause when they took the stage I got a confused look on my face cause they were not who I thought I was going to see. Regardless, the people there LOVED them, and they were entertaining to watch. The lead singer has this deep voice that he uses to shout, and he was dark shades on the whole time he jumps about the stage. The music felt like dark British music, or maybe I just could be safe and lump it with post punk,or not, that might be rude. I dunno. In the end we ended up heading outside due to the crushing crowd in there so we missed the end of the set.

Right before the Happy Hollows came on I figured that while I was here and that it happened to be the rare occasion I was carrying more than 2 dollars on me, I went and looked at the Merch table. And there was a whole treasure trove of felt goodness. They could have been ipod cozies, but since I refuse to buy an mp3 player for the simple reason that I don't need one, I use the cozy now to keep my phone safe from the endless dropping and abuse it goes through on a daily basis. All the little felt things were different colors with different colored owls on the front. I got a very "Fall" one which was brown with an orange owl on it. I *heart* crafts so much. Oh, and I also picked up a cd, in case you're wondering.

So, my best way of describing the Happy Hollows is sweet indie pop with frenetic dancing and noise thrown in for good measure. Sarah Negahdari is a little firecracker who coos songs and then switches rapidly screeching out sounding like Kathleen Hannah's younger sister. She and bass player Charlie Mahoney bop around the stage and look very pleased to be up there, all grins. I feel like whenever I start describing the people in bands I need to go through the roster, so, Chris Meanie plays some mean drums, and I should know, I drum too. Now, since I am relatively new to the songs, I know that they did play "Colors" (which is stuck in my head, even at times when it shouldn't be), and I think the Canal Song and the Monster Song among a bunch of others. I really need to start asking for set lists. Anyway, tonight's show proved that all the hype was much, much deserved. I need to see them again, and also because a friend of mine wants an owl cozy too.

My one only peeve for the night was all the freakin' flash bulbs going off in my eyes. Tonight there seemed to be an obscene amount of people with cameras. I know that when I have my camera on me I like to snap some photos, but these people (not all of the people with cameras I should say, but definitely a bunch) get up in front of you and just bully you out of the way. What the hell guys- and I do mean guys, not a single female doing this tonight- there are some of us trying to watch the show too. Argh, anyway, other than that, rad. Totally rad show.

And the Storm Held Off: Air, Sondre Lerche, and Sea Wolf @ the Greek Theater September 21, 2007

This night already had two strikes against it. For one, a horrible thunder and lightning/ flash flood inducing storm was on its way to Los Angeles County. The other was that I found out my friend payed way too much for her tickets to see Air at the Greek Theater- like highway robbery too much. So the night had the symbolic black cloud over it as well as the giant ones hanging in the sky. Or so I thought.

For whatever reason the 'storm' held itself at bay for most of the night. There was a bit of spitting that our garbage bag coats kept us from (we came prepared). And it was pretty light and then just stopped altogether for the majority of Air's set. It stayed that way until we reached our cars. Due to the insane amount of cash my friend felt it necessary to fork over, it did ensure that we were close to the stage and that exiting the Greek would be relatively painless. So once it was over we were able to jet out to the car, and then sit and wait for 15 minutes till we could leave the stacked parking. The timing was just too perfect- as soon as we got inside the car the drops began to fall and then it just started to pour. Awesome.

Right, so yeah, there were 3 acts Friday night (I just needed to get the lucky weather related story out of the way). First up was the local band Sea Wolf- who are all over Indie radio right now and rightfully should be. Their new album is super and live they are also, well, super. They played some tracks off the new album and received a positive response from the sparse crowd. Most of the movement came from Alex Church (also was in Irving) who ferociously strummed his guitar, while the other bandmates grooved along in the back. The only crap part was that the set was so short, less than 30 minutes I believed. But I guess I should be used to big places like the Greek skimping on time for the opening acts.

Second up was Sondre Lerche- who I learned two things about tonight. 1. He is Norwegian (which had I ever bothered to look up any info on him I could have found out myself) 2. How to pronounce his last name correctly. He's a sprightly little fellow. Bopping around stage, just himself and his two guitars, he awkwardly told stories and thanked the crowd for pretty much not walking out when he took the stage. His set was also pretty short, stopping around the 30 minute mark. He played some songs off his newest release Phantom Punch including "Say It All", "She's Fantastic", and "Phantom Punch" as well as some older ones-"Modern Nature", and a couple tracks from a movie that he is writing the soundtrack to (Dan in Real Life). One of the things that strikes me about him is how much of a crooner he sounds like. I guess I never really payed attention to it before, but was very apparent sounding when it was just him tonight. And, he pulls it off.

At some point the Greek got pretty packed. They make a big deal about having the trees lit up with different lights, so it actually looked real pretty once I craned my neck to look around. Air took to the stage and I felt like I was back in 1995. Cause they were still wearing the same clothes and singing the same songs. Seriously, if you want a general idea of what a Frenchman looks like, here: tight white pants, white wind breaker with the collar turned up and the sleeves pushed to about a 3/4 length, and a baby blue polo shirt underneath. There; French.

But anyways, the crowd was a mix between indie kids and club kids and just plain drunk obnoxious people who won't tell you to your face that you're blocking their view, but will just yell to no one in particular about it. You know who you are, jerk. Um. So, Air started off with a live band and about a million electronic things all over the stage with lots of smoke pouring out and pretty dancing lights going off in several directions. They had some new songs I didn't recognize, and they played a slew off their earlier releases. This was also the first show in awhile I've been to that had a real encore. Thankfully it was only 3 songs long and did not go on for another hour. I was a bit on the tired side this night, which may have contributed to the half-amused approach I took to the whole show. Also the rain. Ugh.

At some point I want to go back to this venue when it is not raining and maybe some kind of Orchestra is playing instead- there is a slight chance there will be less drunk people screaming how they can't see the French Horn player.

Some People Only Go for the Fireworks: Pink Martini @ the Hollywood Bowl September 16, 2007

I've slowly started to make the Hollywood Bowl my yearly summer treat- I've only been out here FIVE years now, I should be enjoying it. Anyways, one of the fun parts to going is that you can still see fireworks in September here; they make the summer (along with the 85+º temps) seem to last just a little bit longer. However, who you'll see is kinda hit or miss. I caught the Tchaikovsky Spectacular last year, which I enjoyed, cause I enjoy the composer. This year we caught Pink Martini, and found out Carol Channing is still alive.

I have nothing against Lounge-y type music. It can be fun; I own a couple of the Ultra Lounge cds (mainly cause some are fuzzy or include games on the front, but whatever, I listen to them). So I was sorta prepared for the songs of Pink Martini from the Cocoanut Grove. It was kitschy and fun. Although, I liked when the girl sang in another language as opposed to English- cause then the words sound ridiculous and you feel you should be playing the slots somewhere while old ladies in tassels hand you watered down margaritas. However, if you were there solely for the firework show then it may have been a bit of a groan.

What surprised me were the fans of Pink Martini there. I've heard their name tossed around plenty of times but I never bothered to listen to them. Honestly, at some point I thought they might have been a chamber group or something along those lines. Anywho, there was a group of kids (UCLA kids) in front of us who were actually singing along to the lyrics. And not just the Pink Martini version of "Que Sera Sera" (the 'dark' version...), but also to those songs that were penned by Pink Martini themselves. Yah- that means that they own and have listened to their old and current cds. For whatever reason children several years younger than me doing this makes me think that they were all musical theater majors, HAVE to be. A lot of older people were singing along to, but these kids were at most 18.

So, I guess I have to back up a minute. The night actually started out with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra doing a few instrumental songs- which were treats from the time of Carmen Miranda and the like. And the conductor, Thomas Wilkins, was a really great storyteller besides being the man waving the stick. It was remarked upon how he kept up his enthusiasm and felt fresh, even though this was the third night of doing the show.

Oh, and backing up even before that (sorry, my mind is at a snail's death crawl right now) outside at the bottom of the Bowl when we showed up was this bizarre marching band from Portland, OR (where P.M. is also from) dressed up like they belonged in a Rockabilly Burlesque show. Later on in the night they appeared on stage for a song or two and then just as quickly were gone. That was the odd thing about the 'guest' performers... they all had very brief spots. Also, they were very old. The two singers coming on with P.M. were Henri Salvador, who is 90 and French, and Carol Channing, who is 117 and can still dance. Carol was incredibly entertaining and really did dance- not a freaking ballet or anything, but she did shimmy. It's insane though that her smile seems so wide that so swear, if she wanted to, she could unhinge her jaw and swallow a piano whole. The Henri guy I guess is really popular in France and was once a suave guy, however during "There's No Business Like Show Business" I felt a little bad as he mumbled the words and hid behind a piece of paper- I wonder what he was like the other two nights?

The fireworks at the end were awesome, even if they can't do a HUGE show due to the possibility of setting people on fire in the crowd. They started off kinda pitiful, what with the two tiny streamers that reminded me of Sparklers but then got out the big ones and had bursts of fire and all that as I sat agape with childlike awe. I love fireworks in part for their ability to still put a little wonder back into my jaded, cynical life.

I don't know if tonight turned me into a Pink Martini fan, but it did give me another reason to love going to the Bowl. That and the their shuttle system is friggin' superb.

One Man and a Bunch of Guitars: Anders Parker @ the Hotel Cafe September 14, 2007

Were you at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood last night? Chances are you were not, which is too bad. I hate going into Hollywood on a Friday night as much as any westsider, but Anders Parker was playing a show so I had to brave the bad traffic, outrageous parking fees, and Mötley Crüe wannabes to get over there.

I know Anders Parker through Varanline, who haven't been around for awhile, so honestly I wasn't so aware of all his newer work, but I was happy to find out he still sounds as wonderful as ever. He played a solo set, and an early set too. 7pm. Rush hour was still happening on our way over there, so we ended up getting there about 10 minutes late. I'd never been to the Hotel Cafe before. You have to go down an alley, and then around the back of a building to get in, however the inside is pretty comfortable, with little tables and a tiny, tiny stage- perfect for one person and their many guitars. I couldn't tell if the people sitting in watching were there for him, or just stumbled in- one guy had a tourist guide at his table. Regardless, everyone (about 20 of us) was enjoying themselves and the sound was pretty spot on.

Anders Parker reminds me of what's his face from Neutral Milk Hotel. It's that drawn out, acoustic guitar work that is full of emotion with tinges of electric guitar thrown in for good measure. There's just something very satisfying in the combination of his voice and the guitar, even more so as a solo act here this night. I recognized some songs off the last album- or at least I think I did, man I'm crap at guessing these things.

Listening to him tonight made me think of how many really good singer-songwriter people are out there who just do not get enough recognition. Yes, Tweedy and Meloy are good, and that's why they do well. Let them have their Volkswagen commercials and make some room for some people who deserve a little more outward push.