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.

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.

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.

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.

Cold Water Music: Old Time Relijun @ the Echo August 30, 2007

I will admit to occasionally listening to some far away, hillbilly Appalachian music. Bluegrass or whatever. But it's weird to consider it joining forces with another form of music so polar opposite from it, like indie rock. Oh, and sounding good. Real good. Or maybe it's just that the front-man of Old Time Relijun, Arrington de Dionyso, looks as if maybe he crawled his way out of some backwater village out in the Ozarks. Regardless, it was another hot night over at the Echo August 30, and also marked the start of a much needed vacation for myself.

Let's just say that in the summertime, smoker or not, taking a break on the smoking patio out back is almost a necessity when you can only allow yourself shallow breaths inside. That said, we showed up as close to the start time of OTR as possible, however we always get bored waiting and end up at the Echo earlier than planned. Also, tonight there was a butt load of bands playing beforehand (Jail Weddings, the Holy Kiss, Woman, and Jeremy Jay).

Deciding to hit the merch table before OTR played, we were able to catch Jail Weddings. First, they're all kinda entertaining to watch, what with the gazillion people on stage (okay, 8 I believe). Their music is a mix between garage, doo-wop and that 60's bad girl music I so adore and have an ever-growing collection of 45's from. They were fun however it got too stuffy so we went outside. IF it had been a bit more accommodating then maybe we would have stuck around for the whole set. (Yes, I know by this point I must seem like some kind of high maintenance type that is easily annoyed by heat... and smells. But I'm not that bad.)

Taking the stage, this four piece seems to have an aura of something slightly odd about them. They seem dressed up in suits or dress shirts, but slightly frayed around the edges, like a worn disguise. And then before you realize it, de Dionyso is down to his undershorts and starts howling, eyes bulging out at you. It's a bit scary if you're not expecting it; but we were and found it delightful. Launching into the set, pounding drums and a haunting sax, lyrics seems to be torn from throats while Aaron Hartman makes frantic love to his stand up bass. It's part spectacle, part tribal dance. Getting lost in the music I forget the set, however they did play a number of tracks off their new, soon-to-be released album "Catharsis in Crisis" on K Records. And they did a crazy fast version of "Cold Water" and yet still made it last for what seemed 10 minutes. That maybe have been the highlight of the show, screaming the refrain back at the band. It was an amazingly good show, one I've enjoyed the most as of late. And yet the place cleared out towards the end. Too bad, ya'll missed a good one.

Fucking in a Ballroom: Fuck Yeah Fest with Great Northern, Jay Reatard, and No Age August 25 & 26 2007

My ears are still ringing from trying to walk through the crowd during Deerhunter's set at the Echoplex last night, the last night of the Fuck Yeah Fest in Echo Park. A year has passed already and I can still smell the beer lingering around from last time. This year though felt a lot less chaotic, more spread out and relaxed. And not a single freakin' beer spilled on me. WOOHOO!

This year I actually ventured out to both nights. However, Saturday we kinda got stuck at Taix. We were smart (albeit not that smart- the food was icky!) to get to the bar for dinner first and then just wait for the comedians to start up. It got so packed in there; thankfully there was air conditioning. I guess Bob Odenkirk was supposed to go on Sunday, but came Saturday, or was doing both nights... or whatever, regardless, a shit load of people showed up for him. I hate to say thankfully he went on second, following a killer set by Kyle Kinane. Because when he was done, a good third of the room left and breathing could commence. The whole night seemed to be, "Let's All Be Dicks to the Comedians". Which is weird, cause last year it was really relaxed. Anywho, some really entertaining sets came out of this audience/comedian "banter" with Matt Dwyer and Jarret Grode. Hil-AR-ious folks, really. And all the guys there were good too. Although I need to NOT shout out punch lines to my favorite jokes and then spend the rest of the night feeling like an ass- yeah, not cool.

Sunday night had a solid line up down at the EchoPlex. Great Northern, Jay Reatard, No Age and Deerhunter. Yeah, insanely good lineup in one block.

Ok. Need to stop here for a second and apologize for one- the lateness of this post and two- the cloudy details that will follow. I'm starting this post up again over a week later due to VACATION. One which was a long time coming and included me stopping all electronic-ness for a week. Ok, back to the post.

The Echoplex, just under the Echo, has it's pro's and con's against it's Big Little Sister upstairs. For tonight, the amount of space inside was great. You could drift to the back bar and not get stepped on and take a breath of not-so-stale air, and you can still see whoever is playing on stage up front. For multi-band shows like the Fuck Yeah Fest, with its crowds of people, the venue makes the crowds much more tolerable. However, the smoking patio, where even if you don't smoke and just want a breath of fresher air outside, is two sizes too small. It feels smaller than the Echo's area, which does not make sense because if your crowd is larger, why make the outside area smaller. I just don't get that. And on both fronts, air conditioning. God it got awful hot and smelly during Jay Reatard.

Oh, yeah, so the bands.... We walked in during Great Northern's set. And you know what? They sound exactly the same live as they do on the record. Not much movement, but enjoyable all the same. I hear them whenever I turn on Indie 103.1, which can be both a good and bad thing... Really, every time....

Jay Reatard was up next, and surprisingly, for the Echo, everything was running on time, even early at some sets. It was a bit jarring to go from the last set to this. If you've never heard Jay, read this post. I don't remember four people the last time I saw him, but maybe one was hidden. Either way, it's rare to see a whole band rockin' out at the same time like these guys. The bass player, who sorta resembles Jay himself, bobbed his head, screamed out lyrics and kept thrusting his bass up like the statue of liberty. There are no breaks between songs either. Jay Reatard yells out for the next song, and if his band mates do not start instantly, he growls the name of the song in frustration. Pumping out I don't' even know how many songs in around 40 minutes I did catch: blood visions, nightmares, hammer i miss you, i know a place, all over again... and a bunch more. He's always exciting to watch live.

No Age were up after that. Based in LA, these two kids came out of the Smell scene and now seem to be playing all over the world. Good for them, they're awesome. And so is their latest album. Anyways, the usual more spacey sounding tunes that are interspersed between the loud, pounding garage/punk beats sounded more static-y and harsher tonight. But really, just another facet to this duo that makes them fun to watch and listen to. They twisted through the many songs that make up their EPs and the latest full length, as well as some new tunes.

Oh, and the crowd surfing tonight. I guess this is not an unrelated experience from that last occurance I saw at the Matt and Kim show. Both during the Jay Reatard and No Age set: kids being thrown over heads. Craziness. I guess this is making a come back.

I really wanted to stick around and see Deerhunter. However, I was told they can be iffy live, and I was already counting the hours till my day job. So, I caught a couple minutes of their set at the beginning: loud, screaming loud. I'm sure it wasn't like that the whole set, but I made peace with myself for missing the rest of the it.

So yay! No beer spilled on me this year and a more positive, less crowded feeling showcase. Maybe next year I'll feel more inclined to review more than three bands, maybe.

Just Another Manic Monday: Manic @ the Echo, August 13, 2007

Lazy summer days make me lazy about going to hot, hot concert venues. However, the Monday night residency at the Echo this month is Manic, a band I just reviewed over on Little Radio and who I needed a comparison of their live music to what they sounded like on cd. And it was free, but that's beside the point.

The funny thing about residency nights is that the bands' "style" of music does not necessarily have to match each other. I have no idea how they go about doing this but in my head it involves a bunch of club owners drawing names out of a hat in a dark back room somewhere with one bare light bulb hanging overheard. For example, tonight upon arrival the bouncer was telling us that they had a huge crowd tonight compared to the 50 odd people who showed up last time and I believe they were mostly there to see this all girl Japanese ska band. Oreskaband is made up of what looks like a group of 14 year old girls in school uniforms. The strange thing being is that they were cute in like, a muppet way and actually were entertaining to watch while we fetched drinks from the bar. A LARGE amount of people were packed in front of the stage jumping up and down to the music, which made the Echo incredibly hot and gross so we decided to high-tail-it outside to the back, where it was still kinda too warm out, but it is August so I shouldn't complain.

When we happened to look at out watches again it was almost 11 and Manic had just started to play. Which is odd for the Echo... going on time. I believe we walked in on the start of "Carolina Ghost", a haunting, pulsing rock song that I think might be my favorite off the new EP. One thing that struck me about seeing Manic live is that much more emotion seems to be thrown into the songs than on the record. Maybe it's the sweating and dancing and screaming into the mic. Or the girls yelling "sexy" as they play. Or the fog machine that we thought had killed the drummer... maybe not that. But anyways, they played songs off the new EP and I'm guessing their last one as well- I'm not completely sure. It as kinda a short set, but they only have 2 EPs out so I guess that makes sense. In a press release on them it said that the only things in life they want to be doing aOne ridiculous event of the night was while I was taking photos an older woman turned to me and asked if I was Paul's (the singer) mom. Seeing as how I might actually be younger than Paul, I don't think this is biologically possible. It made me hate my new haircut for a second if it makes people think I'm possibly 30 years older than I actually am. Oh, and what was up with the craft fair outside in the back? I think that's a first as well.

Nothing But Happy Folks: Bishop Allen and Castledoor @ the Echo, July 31, 2007

Bishop Allen put out an album last week that included mostly reworkings of songs from the TWELVE EPs they put out last year. It's a really good album. It turns out they're also really great live too.

Last night Bishop Allen played to an almost packed Echo, thankfully no one ever stands to the right of the stage so it's usually about 30º cooler there (that's a tip for you readers, all three of you). Page Francis was supposed to play, but did not for reasons I never learned, which bumped Castledoor up to the number two position instead of first- good, considering I didn't want to show up too early so I still got to see them play. Yay.

Castledoor have been getting a lot of hype so I was keen to check them out. They run the vein of the poppy folk indie rock crowd (yes, it's a bit of an amalgam, but whatever) and they get you to want to dance and clap along with them. The lead singer, Nate Cole, seemed genuinely pleased to be performing and was all grins and shout outs to people he worked with that came to see his band play. They also get kudos for have a keyboard AND a xylophone. I know that they played "Magnetic Forces" cause they shouted out that that was what they were playing next. I think that they were a perfect band to open for Bishop Allen, that happy streak ran through both bands. So, yeah, all the hype is true, go check these local kids out.

Taking the stage, Bishop Allen look like a bunch of kids coming out of Harvard or something. Maybe it's to due with their traveling from the east coast, or not, I'm just guessing. The same happiness evidently present prior to their set was still there, beaming in the smiles of frontmen Justin Rice and Christian Rudder. Tonight they also had a fifth member in the band, but I do not know where he hails from (forgot the digital camera last night and took "real" photos instead. Once they're developed and scanned look for them here [approximately 6 to 8 weeks] so until then enjoy the generic photo).

People were attempting to dance in the smooshed crowd that gave off waves of heat you could see through the smoky stage lights. Songs were played off The Broken String, which actually are mostly songs off the 12 Eps from 2006, including Click, Click, Click, Click , The Chinatown Bus (which is an actual bus that runs from the Chinatown in NY to the one in Boston and is wicked cheap), Middle Management, and Like Castanets (a favorite of mine). There were also some songs I didn't quite recognize, but you know, that happens.

So yeah, pretty satisfying night of music. Even if the Echoplex had MIA downstairs and whenever the music came to a quite spot upstairs all you could hear was THUMPATHUMPATHUMPA, and it felt like an earthquake.

Staring at My Shoes: Adam Franklin @ the Echo July 17, 2007

I admit that once Swervedriver was no more, I never got into Adam Franklin's other projects. However, a couple weeks back I found out he was putting out a solo record in his name and that it was sorta a throw back to the older stuff but really just plain amazingly good. Turned out it was (you can read my review on Little Radio if you'd feel so inclined). So I looked to see if he was touring here to support it, and by chance he was. Cheers all around.

I didn't recognize the other bands on the bill. Although I found out at the last moment that the Black Lips were playing a midnight show. But, I'd seen them before and had to get up early the next morning for work, so... Trying to show up later, we still got there just as the first band (Benni Hemm Hemm I believe) was finishing. It was kinda neat to enter the Echo to a blaring horn section. After hearing them close I wished I'd made the effort to show up a bit earlier, but oh well.

The second band, The Black Watch (almost positive I'm not mixing these two up), made me think to myself, "this is all such a very British night". They just reminded me of a band coming out of the mid-90's Brit Pop scene, but with a more brooding looking. It sounded decent enough but we opted to sit this one outside.

When Adam Franklin hit the stage I was suddenly drawn back into a time warp, and it felt so good. Either it was the whiskey I'd been drinking, or it was the fact that it's been so long since I've been to a show of this type, I dunno, but I was just all warm and happy hearing the music. Franklin creates these wonderful swirling melodies that layer up real nice and make you feel like you're swimming in the music. He played tracks (I believe all of them) from his newest release Bolts of Memory, which I would suggest picking up. Another thought I had while listening is if people still look for make-out music, because this would probably fit pretty well into that category. However, I can't actually remember going out of my way to do that since high school...

Oh, and sorry for the grainy film still photos here. Camera is on the fritz, could not possibly be the photographer. If you want some color shots of Adam, click on over here.

One Plus One: A Night of (ALMOST) All Duos with Matt and Kim, Japanther, Mika Miko, and No Age Friday June 1, 2007 @ the Echo

Blarg. This should have been a week long concert going extravaganza, however Matt & Kim seemed to be the only stand out show worth making the effort for. The fact that I was witness to crowd surfing for the first time in forever was just one of the highlights Friday night over at the Echo.

There was a chance this show was going to (or had already) sold out so in an act of desperation we showed up at the Echo before the doors had even opened to try and get in. Waiting paid off, but getting there that early meant we would have to stay there for the next three or so hours. Usually this is horribly painful but tonight was an incredibly solid line up of bands that made sticking it out worth while.

What a night for duos. First up to play were Los Angeles guys NO AGE. They prove my point that two people can make a lot of melodic noise. Pounding the crap out of their instruments they still work through some interesting beats and harmonies. The great thing is that there is little difference between them live and their recorded stuff, it translates well, which sometimes can be a difficult task even for bands with years under their belts. I highly recommend going to see them, and you can if you're in the area on June 10 at the Smell, also playing with this band:

Mika Miko. They sound like a combination of late 70's NY new wave/punk and mid 90's lesbian hard core, except they look like they're 9th graders. This bizarre picture forming in your head right now actually produces some fun partying music. Scurrying around the stage, bent over instruments and telephone microphones, this group of girls pump out an obscene amount of energy that really got the crowd jumping around. And the crowds really do love them. They play constantly and chances are wherever you see a group of concert posters somewhere, their name will be on it.

Third up was Brooklyn based Japanther, the second duo for the night. Two guys with a bass and a drum kit and I'm pretty sure some sampling thrown in. They play hardcore anthem music that will make your ears bleed but you want to stay around and sing along. Lightning Bolt came to mind while watching them. Oh, and they had a telephone microphone too.

Headlining tonight was Matt and Kim, the third duo and second Brooklyn based band. These two kids are probably the happiest people on earth. I've heard this about them, but seeing them live, with Kim's giant grin plastered on her face the WHOLE time they played was kinda nuts. Their music is happy poppy indie stuff, sorta like Mates of State in reverse, except grittier, much grittier. The album hasn't seen much of the light of day but you couldn't tell with the crowd at the Echo, it was SO packed there with just wall to wall people. And it was wall to wall people pumping their arms in the air and singing along to the music. One thing about the songs they play is that they are catchy, but also seem meaningful somehow, like you can't help singing your heart out along to the words. And live, when you watch Matt belting out the lyrics it all seems connected. Anyways, tonight they played tracks off their EP and the full length including No More Long Years, Yea Yeah, Silver Tiles, and It's a Fact. And the whole time people crowd surfed. I'm not kidding, really, lots of people. The whole night was just waves of energy that culminated with probably the question, "How else can we show we're excited?" to which was answered, "We can dive off the stage."

The only downside of the night was the giant glass of beer that got accidentally poured down the front of me. GodDAMN there were a lot of people there.

Random Acts: Hearts of Palm U.K. @ Hang the DJs/ the Echo and Priestbird @ the Smell May 19, 2007

So my original plans for the evening kinda got botched a bit due to poor planning and general laziness. However, the Echo was having this event:

Which seemed like fun. I like free stuff. Also, I heard (from here) that this band Pit Er Pat, who are produced by the Sea and Cake's John McEntire, were playing at the Smell. The end result being to make the best of it with my gal pals.

Ok, I can now give an honest review of Hearts of Palm U.K. Seeing as they were the first band to play the Echo party. They did have to compete with a movie that the club was projecting over them. I have no clue what it was, just that it had subtitles and I clearly remember reading: "You can't take away my chastity in a cesspool like this". Regardless, they were actually really good this time around. I still agree with my first impression of being poppy, electronic girl folk music. Maybe not the best description but that seems to fit right with me. It was the two girls up until the end of the set and then for the last 3 songs they had a cellist accompany them. They did two covers tonight, Faith by George Michael, really- it was funny cause the 3 of us were singing along to it. I think I liked that song when I was 6 or 7. And then they did the Bryan Ferry song again. The songs seem cute by them, and when they play, it reminds me of being in high school and watching your friends get up and play in front of everyone on talent day or something. They just seem slightly uncomfortable when they are playing. One did play a triangle though, that really brought me back to high school.

Hearts of Palm UK were the only band we stayed for although the DJ sets (both inside and out in the back) were pretty fun. They did play two Ladytron songs almost in a row though, and at that point we saw fit to get a move on over to the Smell.

The trip to the Smell seemed to follow along the same lines of this being a crazy mixed up day. I don't go to the club very often (see here) but even so, the schedule seemed to run on time to a point. Tonight however they were either running really really late, or the line up I read was wrong. We got there during the middle of a one woman set. Although she was much up for audience participation. Unfortunately, she picked the one guy who couldn't shake the shakey musical instrument in time. Ah well. It was pleasant enough but we wandered back into the front of the place to sit. I figured since it was going on quarter to 12, the next band up had to be Pit Er Pat. Uh, no, not actually. The next band, Priestbird, had a small audience pooled around the stage who, after the first blaring notes, were quite ready to rock. It was such an odd set up, the singer had a double neck guitar (guitar and bass I believe), there was a cellist (what's up with that tonight) who also played keys, and a drummer who had a gong. No really, a gong. I think the last time I was anywhere where there was a gong, it was at the Hollywood Bowl, and they were playing classical music. My first thought immediately was to write them off as noise. However, as they progressed through their set, there was a definite melody present that wasn't as offensive as I first thought. Eventually I decided that there was some structure to what they were doing and in the end realized it wasn't that bad.

Tiredness struck though, and since I was the driver I decided that tonight was not the night I would be seeing Pit Er Pat. I guess all things Sea and Cake were just not meant to be tonight.

Get Your Happy On: Kind Hearts and Coronets and Bodies of Water @ the Echo May 14, 2007

Check list for a ludicrously happy show:

• Your headlining bands need at least 8 people. Check.
• Lots of keyboards, everywhere. Check.
• You find yourself clapping along to the songs. Check.
• Funny instruments. Does a kazoo count? Yes. Ok then, check.

And so it was, the second residency night for Bodies of Water over at the Echo. I headed over tonight because there was lots of good hype about this band Kind Hearts and Coronets. I had listened to some of their music and was quite pleased so once again I begged for a designated driver and off we went.

We walked into the pit of the happiest sounding music I think I've ever heard. And then... the band pulled out a kazoo. My head was on the verge of splitting in two from the retarded grin on my face. Unfortunately it was their last song. So, I cannot say really anything about the rest of their music. Nor can I say which band this was, because the 3 guys on stage (oh! and I forgot to mention that the drummer looked even happier than ME. Which was shocking, but whatever.) do not fit the description of either Frankel or Listing Ship. So....

Kind Hearts and Coronets was just as super happy fun as I was told they were going to be. Like, giddy fun. And CHRIST there was a lot of them. Eight in total I believe. There was the requisite keyboards and a horn and guitars and people singing.. and.. and.. Anyways, they had this 'big' sound that reminded me very much of layered 60's psychedelic pop music, but with some folk thrown in. They're a bit more wild live than their recorded songs. However, both live and recorded you can't help but hum along. And grin, don't forget the grinning part.

Ok. What else can I say about Bodies of Water? Well, tonight was the most people on stage I've seen before. NINE. They had an additional guitarist, which would make: 2 guitars, a keyboard, two trombones, a bass, a viola, and 2 percussionists. And they sounded as great as ever. I don't believe they played anything new, at least for me. The usual though: Doves, Eyes, Friends, Co-existors, Hey Joe... and more I'm forgetting. Next time I'll just ask for the set list... it was right in front of me. They have two more Monday Residencies at the Echo. Next week should be good too, The Parson Red Heads are playing with them. If you haven't seen BoW play yet, regardless of all the gushing praise I give them, I'd suggest one of these nights. And it's free, although it's on a Monday night. Buck it up!

Let the Darkness Seep In: The Black Pine @ the Echo Monday April 16, 2007

Tonight bordered on becoming the night I tried to cram too many things into an evening and almost missed a show. Luckily the timing gods were on my side because as soon as we stepped through the doors of the echo, well, the second set of doors, The Black Pine started to play. Whew!

Tonight was their third Monday residence over at the Echo and because we were cutting it close, missed the opening bands, including the Moon Upstairs. I love residencies for a couple of reasons. First, there is usually a new lineup with the band every week. Secondly, sometimes the residencies are free, like this one, although I'd probably pay but whatever, free is good. And lastly, sometimes you have an awesome band and are lucky enough that there are FIVE Mondays in a month to catch them on.

I believe the set was around 45 minutes or so. I was familiar with most of the songs from their album (released last year)- it's been a good two months since I last listened to them. Although a four piece, they did bring on another female singer and a violinist. Unfortunately the vocals on the girl were too low and left my ears straining. I can't recall if they usually light candles in front on the stage or not, but regardless, they almost seemed a necessary element for this particular show, and the electric candelabra didn't hurt either. Why? Because The Black Pine produce this dark, moody music that amazingly doesn't ever reach the point of becoming 'goth' and just pour out emotion in both lyrics and in vocals that gives you a slight chill.

The only problem I had with the show was that lead singer Mitch Cichocki is so emotionless when he sings (I had to keep looking away cause I found it so distracting). His face barely moved until, between songs, someone shouted out something at him that made him smile and then his whole face became animated... If that could translate into the performance somehow then it would have been perfect. Ah well.

You Can Never Have Enough Keyboards- Oh No! Oh My! @ the Echo Saturday February 24, 2007

Austin just keeps bringing the good music lately. If it wasn’t for Texas’ crazy “shoot trespassers at will” laws and no basement in the Alamo, I’d highly consider that a place to move to. Oh No! Oh My! are yet another band that confirms my jealousy of this town.

I’m only going to review ONOM due to the amount of time I let lapse between seeing the show and me forgetting all the other bands that played with them. (I seem to be confusing a Bodies of Water show’s opening acts with who actually appeared this night. But I’ve been super busy, so let’s just let this slip this one time.)

First, Oh No! Oh My! packed the stage with enough people and equipment that one got the feeling of the stage collapsing in on itself every time someone jumped up and down, which was a lot. From what I’ve gathered, there are only 3 people actually in the band, and when they tour they ask friends/musicians to come along and play with them. Just to give you a glimpse as to crazy amount of instruments on stage, here is a sampling: guitars, drums, banjos, accordions, tambourines, bells, stomping feet, and keyboards, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD so many keyboards. Myself and a fellow keyboard enthusiast (read: nerds) where almost drooling all of ourselves at the Farfisa.

Instantly when they started playing everyone began to bop along to the music. A few of their songs are pretty popular on the indie circuit (“Walk in the Park”, “I Have No Sister”), but even I’m not sure where I actually heard of them first. Anyways, these guys are so full of energy and are fun to watch perform. It seems like the crowd feeds off them and they feed off the crowd and it becomes one big feeding frenzy of energy and catchy melodies that make you want to throw your hands up and dance silly, which they also do on stage.

I couldn’t help beaming; my face was on the verge of splitting in two right where the TMJ in my jawbones resides. ONOM’s music is happy without being sugary, electronic without wanting you to kick the kid with the glow sticks, and hip enough to pack the Echo to capacity. Oh, but there is that slight discrepancy between their live and their recorded music. The album’s liner notes say that it was made in their bedroom, so I guess trying to fit all that equipment into someone’s boudoir is a feat best left up to a magician of some sorts. The album comes off sounding a bit quieter and more stripped down. But I’m not reviewing the album, I’m reviewing the concert. And the concert was good.

Wind and Chains: Peter and the Wolf @ The Echo, December 14, 2007

Hunched over amongst the sparse crowd stands a man. Average size, common brown thread jacket. He could be any Silverlake/ Echo Park hipster out on a Thursday evening. His relaxed air talking in the crowd shows no signs of pre-stage jitters, or a need to chain smoke or throw back shots. His name is Red, and he is “Peter and the Wolf”.

Tonight the Echo was dead. You could hold your arms out as far as they could go on either side and spin in circles without fear of hitting anyone. I love it like this.

Sharing the stage with Red tonight Thursday December 14, 2006, was The New Motherfuckers and The Lottery. The New Motherfuckers were pretty interesting but we opted to stand out back through their set. Coming back in for The Lottery was a nice surprise. My friend referred to them as “a garage band that doesn’t know they’re a garage band”, which I can agree with until I hear the recorded songs (hmmm, *shrugs*). However, the dual female/male lead vocals and crunchy loud sounds were enough to keep our interest while playing live.

I hate to say that the Peter and the Wolf set up was amateurish, perhaps a better term would be stripped down. It’s just him with a guitar and bass drum, while two members from the Lottery accompany him on drums and, this is perfect, a standup wash bin bass. It’s the kind of stripped down arrangement one might find out on a back porch deep in the Ozarks. While he is traveling Red keeps it simple. He told me that in every town he plays he just asks friends who are in bands to play backup. Which would make for interesting live shows when your backing band is practically making up noise on the spot. Tonight though, the music was knocked down into a deeper, slower pace as he opened with Strange Machines and went into tracks found on his release Experiments in Junk.

Peter and the Wolf prove that even from the simplest of births, music can take on far more complex structures. In his case, all you need is a voice, a stamping foot and a rubber band, and there you have a show.

All The Hipsters Yell FUCK YEAH! Darker My Love, The Thermals, and Giant Drag at Day 2 of the Fuck Yeah Fest, Saturday August 19, 2006

For twenty bucks you sure get a day full of entertainment. The 3rd annual Fuck Yeah Fest, located in lovely Echo Park, packs enough music, comedy, art and booze to make your head pop. They've expanded the fest into three days this year, but seeing as I only had enough money for one day, I chose day two (although bummed to have missed out on the Circle Jerks Friday night).

Due to some poor planning on my part I only was able to catch three of the bands performing at the Echo, and the comedy show down and around the corner at the Down Beat Cafe. Thankfully all were worth it.

Since this page is only about live music, I'll just say that the comedy show made me laugh so hard I was in fear of my face paralyzing. Seriously funny guys. They're all part of the "alternative" comedy scene. Which means they'll actually tell some decent jokes, or sing. Damn you singing boys, damn you. If you're at all interested, they, like everyone else in the world nowadays, have myspace pages. Check them out: Anthony, Matt, Jarrett, Jonah Ray, other Matt and some other guys who I've forgotten (not that they weren't funny, I'm just crap with names).

The first band I caught was Darker My Love, who at first glance made me question the music I had previously heard from them- I mean, really! a Giant COWBOY hat??? But my anxieties were all but forgotten after a few seconds of listening to their sounds. Echoing voices, droning guitars layered over pounding drums: a shoegazer dream. I could even go so far as to say I could pick up hints of Spaceman 3 in there. Too bad the crowd was so lackluster about the performance, but then again, it was still early evening at this point.

Next band I caught, albeit hours later, was The Thermals. This band was super-duper hyped by a friend of mine. "Holy Fuck!! You HAVE to see them!!" she proclaimed. Okay. Gave their music a listen on myspace, not bad. But to see them live was so, so much more worth it. To see a band really love to perform, to just go ape shit while they're playing cause you know they're enjoying playing it as much as you're enjoying listening to it, that just makes me appreciate them all the more. Lead singer Hutch Harris, who bears a slight resemblance to Stephen Malkmus, has this nasally screeching quality to his voice that fits in perfectly with the wild, post punk beats they throw out at you. The excitement shared between Harris and bassist Kathy Foster was in turn shared with the crowd as everyone started to jump and head bob with the music. They'll be back later this year, I'd definitely recommend that they be seen live.

Closing day 2 of the Fuck Yeah Fest was Giant Drag, a favorite on the local radio station Indie 103.1. I'll admit that I'd only heard that one song, This Isn't It, but I liked it enough to venture back into the club to watch them close the show. It's surprising how such a tremendous sound can be made with a minimal arrangement. And coming out from there is this childlike yet devilish voice. The double vision of the lead singer projected in swirling colors behind the singer was a bit much after a day of beers, but it did fit well with the crashing melodies. Oh, and they did play This Isn't It.

As a side note, the funniest moment of the night was right after Last Call was announced and I tried to make my way to the exit through the crowd of kids "dancing". The scene reminded me this show on Tribal Dance I watched on the Discovery Channel. The kids were all just flopping, but flopping to New Order.