Thursday 11.01.07: NO-MIND

No-Mind

with:
The Tartans
Black Umbrella
Trophy Wives

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR

Thursday 11.15.07: THE KING KAHN AND BBQ SHOW

The King Kahn and BBQ show || Listen

“Hot dang!!” and other assorted soulful yalps were rising like Thanksgiving burps upon the return last night of that deranged duo of doo-wop, King Kahn & BBQ. These guys release records with the birthing frequency of a particularly randy female rabbit, so to say they were in town to support such and such record is off point, as they’re more than ready to breathlessly tell you about their next slab. Since Kahn lives in Berlin (and is busy with his infinite side projects and his family) and BBQ lives wherever he lays his turbin (while also dishing up side-stuff, like his fine recent In the Red CD under the Mark Sultan moniker), it’s always a treat whenever they can get into town, and this was no different. The band flopped onstage set list-less, and took requests while churning through their sock-hop messaround. – CMJ

with:
Haunted George
Pleaseeasaur || Listen

Wednesday 11.14.07: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME w/ POLYTECHNIC

Polytechnic || Listen

The pop melodies of early Supergrass, the swaggering faux-crap aesthetic of early Pavement, the jangly Manc idiocy of early Primal Scream… none of these tenets are really all that noticeable in the long run. Where Polytechnic’s debut is strongest is in the way they obscure these sounds and make them golden on their own terms… Following suit, there is evidence of indie-pop dot-to-dot in terms of the tricks they use on Down Til Dawn (you can’t swing a cat for handclaps and ‘wooh-wooh’ harmonies), but when they’re combined quite so sweetly with subtle dents in the mould, it feels more like the homecoming of something we know after some time in the wilderness. Indeed, the intrusive bassline during the chorus of ‘Still Spinning’ cleverly takes the focus away from what is actually of rather gorgeous melodic interest. We know what we’re hearing, but we also like that we’re being asked to hear it in an alien way. – Drowned in Sound

with:
Castledoor
Mighty Six Ninety

Dewar’s Drink Specials: $3 before midnight, $1 after midnight

Sunday 11.18.07: RADEMACHER

Rademacher || Listen

Some exciting local talent has sprouted recently, ranging from the madcap home-taped micro-hits of Reid May to the icy boy-girl-boy-girl indie drawl of Rademacher. The latter group has been self-releasing EPs since 2004 and building a following on tour sojourns with the Joggers and Man Man, with whom it shares some melodramatic vocal quirks and occasional shambling moments. Though the licks and cadences from its valley elders are impossible to miss, the band still creates a brutally contemporary sound, and its onstage panache recently led Billboard magazine to recognize its “potential to break into the big time.” – SF Weekly

with:
Earlimart Duo (Aaron Espinoza & Ariana Murray)
Tigers Can Bite You || Listen
The Karabal Nightlife || Listen

FREE SHOW

Tuesday 11.13.07: THE WHIGS

The Whigs || Listen

Although Athens, Georgia club favorites The Whigs have built enough momentum over the last couple years to snag opening slots for trendy, high profile bands like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand, the music of The Whigs actually hearkens back to the glory days of indie rock during the early 1990s, when American indie rock was at is most indomitable and vibrant. They might hail from Athens, the home of R.E.M., Neutral Milk Hotel, and the Drive-By Truckers, but The Whigs’ own version of Southern indie rock, while indebted to early R.E.M., sounds inspired mostly by bands from further north, more specifically, Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s Superchunk and Archers of Loaf, with touches of Dinosaur Jr. and Built to Spill tossed in as well. When performed well, that kind of simple, mega-amplified music can still sound thrilling, and judging by the apparent success of The Whigs’ live shows, and the potency of the live recordings this writer has heard, the robust sounding trio of guitarist/singer Parker Gispert, bassist/guitarist Hank Sullivant, and drummer Julian Dorio are certainly on the right track. – Popmatters

with:
Wild Sweet Orange
Le Switch || Listen
Blair

Monday 11.26.07: Monday Night Residency – SOFTLIGHTES (MOVED TO ECHOPLEX)

Softlightes || Listen

Softlightes are the type of band that make you wonder, “where the hell did these guys come from?” Perhaps it’s their “outta left field” aura that excites me, or better yet, the great electronic pop rock they’ve mastered. Their electro-pop experimentation is evident on many tracks of their debut Say No To Being Cool Say Yes To Being Happy (Feb. 13), however it’s their all too melodic talents that make the fellas of Softlightes tug on your ear like a small child on your arm sleeve. With a history that is limited to an all but locally released EP, Softlightes are entering the independent music scene with a simple and effective gameplan: show up with no background information and lots of good music. The “California pop sound” may run rampant in their native blood, but it’s their simple arrangement “Heart Made of Sound” that was too enticing to resist. The band’s clever lyrics are emphasized with playful echoes of a shouting/backing chorus, coupled with a melodic guitar strumming that is carefully complimented by an utterly spasmodic piano. – I Guess I’m Floating

with:
El Ten Eleven
Porterville
Asbury

DJs Mellowdrone

@ Echoplex
(Enter from Sunset)
1822 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FREE SHOW

Monday 11.19.07: Monday Night Residency – SOFTLIGHTES

Softlightes || Listen

Softlightes are the type of band that make you wonder, “where the hell did these guys come from?” Perhaps it’s their “outta left field” aura that excites me, or better yet, the great electronic pop rock they’ve mastered. Their electro-pop experimentation is evident on many tracks of their debut Say No To Being Cool Say Yes To Being Happy (Feb. 13), however it’s their all too melodic talents that make the fellas of Softlightes tug on your ear like a small child on your arm sleeve. With a history that is limited to an all but locally released EP, Softlightes are entering the independent music scene with a simple and effective gameplan: show up with no background information and lots of good music. The “California pop sound” may run rampant in their native blood, but it’s their simple arrangement “Heart Made of Sound” that was too enticing to resist. The band’s clever lyrics are emphasized with playful echoes of a shouting/backing chorus, coupled with a melodic guitar strumming that is carefully complimented by an utterly spasmodic piano. – I Guess I’m Floating

with:
Sunday Drivers
Arizona || Listen
Unbusted
Unbusted

FREE SHOW

Monday 11.12.07:: Monday Night Residency – SOFTLIGHTES

Softlightes || Listen

Softlightes are the type of band that make you wonder, “where the hell did these guys come from?” Perhaps it’s their “outta left field” aura that excites me, or better yet, the great electronic pop rock they’ve mastered. Their electro-pop experimentation is evident on many tracks of their debut Say No To Being Cool Say Yes To Being Happy (Feb. 13), however it’s their all too melodic talents that make the fellas of Softlightes tug on your ear like a small child on your arm sleeve. With a history that is limited to an all but locally released EP, Softlightes are entering the independent music scene with a simple and effective gameplan: show up with no background information and lots of good music. The “California pop sound” may run rampant in their native blood, but it’s their simple arrangement “Heart Made of Sound” that was too enticing to resist. The band’s clever lyrics are emphasized with playful echoes of a shouting/backing chorus, coupled with a melodic guitar strumming that is carefully complimented by an utterly spasmodic piano. – I Guess I’m Floating

with:
We Barbarians || Listen
Dead Ponies
Asher

plus DJ Kid Lightning

FREE SHOW

Monday 11.05.07: Monday Night Residency – SOFTLIGHTES

Softlightes || Listen

Softlightes are the type of band that make you wonder, “where the hell did these guys come from?” Perhaps it’s their “outta left field” aura that excites me, or better yet, the great electronic pop rock they’ve mastered. Their electro-pop experimentation is evident on many tracks of their debut Say No To Being Cool Say Yes To Being Happy (Feb. 13), however it’s their all too melodic talents that make the fellas of Softlightes tug on your ear like a small child on your arm sleeve. With a history that is limited to an all but locally released EP, Softlightes are entering the independent music scene with a simple and effective gameplan: show up with no background information and lots of good music. The “California pop sound” may run rampant in their native blood, but it’s their simple arrangement “Heart Made of Sound” that was too enticing to resist. The band’s clever lyrics are emphasized with playful echoes of a shouting/backing chorus, coupled with a melodic guitar strumming that is carefully complimented by an utterly spasmodic piano. – I Guess I’m Floating

with:
Versa Vice
Kennen
DJ Induce

FREE SHOW

Sunday 11.11.07: CURSIVE

Cursive || Listen

Kasher’s ‘other’ project The Good Life – it can hardly be considered a side-project considering its success – has become the key outlet, now, for the singer’s more emotional histrionics, leaving Cursive to rock once more. While it’s true that Happy Hollow is characterised by intelligent lyrics, occasionally stemming from matters of the heart, its conceptual framework is much grander than anything released by the band’s alleged emo peers. Stories are told and intertwined from song to song, with religion and politics bobbing about in Kasher’s rifle eyes. Each takes a flurry of verbal bullets, yet ambiguity surrounds every tongue lashing. – Drowned in Sound

with:
Eskimohunter || Listen
Minipop || Listen

Limited tickets available at the door the night of the show

Saturday 11.10.07: NEBULA

Nebula || Listen

Consistently fuzzed out psychedelic rock courtesy of Nebula breathes with the ease of a recently corked vintage wine on the group’s seventh full-length, Apollo. Caught somewhere between the straightforwardness of Fu Manchu and a heightened sense of psychedelia, Nebula either poses an intensely troubling conundrum or possesses what so many bands strive to achieve; striking originality. I lean more toward the latter. It is no accident that Nebula plays with the unrelenting and almost thoughtless vigor of Fu Manchu while lacing songs with trippy riffs and cool fills along the way. Every second of the record seems precisely calculated. – Metalreview.com

with:
Bonk (from Norway) || Listen
Zoroaster

Friday 11.09.07: KCRW presents FOG

Fog || Listen

Fog was once a man, but now they’re a band. Like his friend, Jonathan “Why?” Wolf (one of the many collaborators on Ditherer), Fog’s Andrew Broder has expanded the head-count in his act while redefining the sound. The textures and the occasional sample, perhaps a comfort to existing Fog fans, are still there, but now they enhance what is at heart an invigorating experimental rock album. And it’s brilliant: Broder’s twisted tales are better than ever, this time underpinned by urgent guitar riffs, off-beats and perfect pacing. – BBC

with:
Boom Bip (Dj set) || Listen
Salt & Samovar

Thursday 11.08.07: VALIENT THORR

Valient Thorr || Listen

Valient Thorr are back with their sophomore release Legends Of The World, following in the wake of their debut album Total Universe Man – making rock ‘n’ roll in the realm of hardcore/heavy metal with dashes of gospel and soul trajectory catapulting the vocals and forming a synthesis that can be described as metal soul. Their boldness and lunging expressions, done up the way Motorhead, Kix, and Iron Maiden are legendary for doing and present day Hellacopters and Skindred lean towards, build experimental molds of knotted guitar twists and plunging rhythm sections spiked by fulminating vocals amassing an uprising fervor. – Hybrid Magazine

with:
Year Long Disaster || Listen
Supagroup || Listen

Wednesday 11.07.07: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with THE THRILLS, SMALL SINS, ROCK & ROLL (from France)

The Thrills || Listen

Conor’s lovelorn croak is as adorable as ever, Daniel Ryan’s guitars twangle dreamily, Kevin Horan’s keyboards have finally been proved by DNA testing to be descended from the piano that Brian Wilson wrote ‘California Girls’ on, and there’s still a banjo player hunkered around a bonfire in some distant corner of the studio. No alarms, no surprises – the Klaxons remixes are noticeable by their absence and it clearly never crossed anybody’s mind to put a call in to Dizzee Rascal – ‘Teenager’ is simply more wonderful, bittersweet laze-pop of a hue at which The Thrills have become grand masters. ‘The Midnight Choir’ adds backwards guitars and a classical harpsichord tint that’s almost Meat Loafian, the barrelling pop aceness of ‘This Year’ seems to have hijacked Bob Dylan’s touring harmonica truck and ‘I’m So Sorry’ couldn’t be more ‘Born To Run’ if it got itself a motorbike and a job in a New Jersey steelworks. – NME

with:
Small Sins || Listen
Rock and Roll (from France)

Tuesday 11.06.07: PARTS & LABOR

Parts & Labor || Listen

Brooklyn’s Parts and Labor make rock music, but in an unconventional way. They rely on wickedly fast and tight drums, laser-taggish drones, violent feedback, and some pretty sick guitar riffs—they’re geeks on speed, in other words. Last year’s Stay Afraid was weird and abrasive and loud, but Mapmaker, though clearly related, seems a bit more accessible, and in an era where “art-rock” is getting much more attention, this isn’t a bad thing at all. While the trio’s latest never feels like a conscious bite at anything commercial, there’s an undeniable get-in-your-head aggression to “Vision of Repair,” while the noodly guitars on “New Crimes” should rock the face off anyone with a pulse. – The Village Voice

with:
Bipolar Bear
Abe Vigoda

Sunday 11.04.07: RADEMACHER

Rademacher || Listen

Some exciting local talent has sprouted recently, ranging from the madcap home-taped micro-hits of Reid May to the icy boy-girl-boy-girl indie drawl of Rademacher. The latter group has been self-releasing EPs since 2004 and building a following on tour sojourns with the Joggers and Man Man, with whom it shares some melodramatic vocal quirks and occasional shambling moments. Though the licks and cadences from its valley elders are impossible to miss, the band still creates a brutally contemporary sound, and its onstage panache recently led Billboard magazine to recognize its “potential to break into the big time.” – SF Weekly

with:
Nyles Lannon || Listen
Light FM || Listen

FREE SHOW

Saturday 11.03.07: XU XU FANG

Xu Xu Fang || Listen

After years of preparation and band-crafting, Bobby Tamkin unveils the first Xu Xu Fang release in several years with this new 12″ single. “These Days” has been a myspace gem for what seems like ages, garnering consistent praise and anxious commentors patiently awaiting the band’s every move. Tamkin, the band’s mastermind, has spent time as a drummer in the Warlocks and a newer incarnation of Medicine. But his greatest strength comes in the form of master songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and a obvious knack for arrangement. “These Days” slowly builds with layered guitars, a slow-motion rhythm and pristine slide guitar, all guided by a soothing voice that comes off like a passionate lullabye. As the song reveals itself the hooks appear vocally while guitar riffs wrap the song into tighter form. More and more changes reveal themselves as the song picks up into a heavier state of rock but never forces itself on you. The obvious feeling you’re left with is that there’s a lot of care and thought put into this band’s songs and every instrument has a purpose. – Little Radio

with:
Lion Fever
Them Hills
Magic Mirror

$8 at The Door

Friday 11.02.07: DAX RIGGS (of Deadboy and The Elephantmen)

Dax Riggs

Guitars both fuzzed-out and whining and the fast pace march of the rhythm section provided the backdrop for Riggs to fill every space in the song with plenty of hungry yeah’s and quivering vocal pitches as they poured numerous songs off their debut, We Sing of Only Blood or Love. The songs featured plenty of the darker themes — demons, death, graveyards — but very little love was audible, but it was done in an a very high-spirited, rock’n'roll kind of way. And, what rock show would be complete without some expression of political unrest. Riggs began “Radiation Blues” by saying, “This is for the war criminals that, you know, are still in power,” and then letting into the brashest of rock. A barrage of powerchords and intense drumming ringing in everyone’s ears was just what it took to get heads bobbing and joints bouncing. In one of the only encores of the festival thus far, Riggs and band offered a bit of Townes Van Zandt for the sun-soaked crowd. – Spin.com

with:
Beaten Awake
The Front

Wednesday 10.31.07: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with THE DEADLY SYNDROME

The Deadly Syndrome || Listen

The Deadly Syndrome presents with convulsive rhythm, feral drum bashing, modest guitar hooks and folky piano stitched between frank verse. The track “I Hope I Become a Ghost” is carried by a simple but ridiculously catchy piano line written by drummer Hoy, who hops up and switches instruments with keyboardist Hughes during the live rendition. Richard’s strained falsetto brings to mind the glory of Sting in his pre-tantra days, as he delivers with just enough wry sincerity the lyric “I hope I become a ghost/And watch all my grandkids growing old . . .” The output is a hybrid of pop and folk likened to Wolf Parade and Built to Spill, and landed them a deal with L.A.-based Dim Mak records. – LA Weekly

with:
The Movies
In Waves

Dewar’s Drink Specials: $3 before midnight, $1 after midnight

Friday 10.26.07: BABYLAND

Babyland || Listen

The latest CD from punk electronica duo Babyland brings punk rock attitude to electronica, and takes no prisoners. The Finger, Babyland’s fifth album, is a great collection of “electronic junk punk” music that features punk rock vocals over electro-pop beats. The twelve tracks vear towards industrial synth-pop, electro and retronica. The strained, sprechstimme vocals about life, love, loss, paranoia and angst contrast with percolating dance synth backgrounds. Imagine Vince Clark of Depeche Mode/Yaz/Erasure getting together with Joe Strummer of the Clash. Like the Clash or Erasure, Babyland builds their tracks on pure pop songs, but makes them unique with its unique approach. – Synthopia

with:
System Syn || Listen
Not The Government || Listen

Tuesday 10.30.07: GIRTH

Girth

GIRTH is an 8-piece band that will tantalize and tease. With the soul and sex of the jazz era and the emphatic pulse of a Hip-Hop foundation, GIRTH moves the dance floor and excites fans with its completely new sound. GIRTH boasts an expansive, pre-existing fan base “web” woven by the worlds of four musical entities that have joined to create GIRTH. They are: DENA DEADLY, DA RIFFS, SOMETHING FOR ROCKETS, & JARED DOUGLAS

with:
Das Vibenbass || Listen
Not in the House

Monday 10.28.07: KCRW & Performer Magazine present OLIVER FUTURE

Oliver Future || Listen

Nothing sums up the essence of Oliver Future, and perhaps their mixed feelings about L.A., than the back to back dazzlers that close this suite. “Drowning Parade” is a soulful ballad that could be an Antony and the Johnsons outtake, with its smoky-lounge vocals, alto and tenor saxophones, and Wurlitzer piano. The gentle tune gives way to “The Slow Fast,” filled with scraping guitar riffs, techno beats, and punk rock screams “It’s a-a-a-l-l… o-o-o-n-n.” This record is on alright: on point, and on its way to being one the better surprise releases of the year. To hear for yourself, simply do what I did and put Pax Futura on the stereo. – Lost At Sea

with:
Saint Motel || Listen
Steve Barton & The Oblivion Click

FREE SHOW

Sunday 10.28.07: RENO IN LA with NEIL HAMBURGER

RENO IN LA – a monthly night of variety and comedy

hosted by:
Neil Hamburger

With special guests:
Harvey Sid Fisher || Listen
Andy Kindler

The best of Reno-quality entertainers, right here in Los Angeles!

All the glamour, celebrity, and excitement of a Reno casino showroom – for the first time ever in our little town!

Saturday 10.27.07: RICHARD BUCKNER

Richard Buckner || Listen

Buckner’s sense of rock & roll is infused with images from country, folk, the desert, the blues, early American popular music; virtually everywhere he’s been. In some ways one can say that these ten songs are his own companion to his recording of some of the Spoon River Anthology on Hill. Each track here has a one word title except for the final one, “The Tether and the Tie.” But Buckner’s revisiting the cautious grief and optimism on Bloomed, too. Everything here is written in a state of absence, of the previous, the past, and how it can be reconciled. The gorgeous shimmering piano, drums and guitars intro on “Lucky” ease into the startling words: “Forgetting where the roads align, bowing out and back again/Something made it over/A chance to cross the shards you see….” These lyrics are held together by bridges and refrains that further underscore their poetry. Its strength is in the missing middle, the hole in the middle, the thing that needs to be revisited but can’t quite be because it’s already gone and only gray shadows remain. – All Music Guide

with:
David Dondero
War Children

Thursday 10.25.07: TWO TON BOA

Two Ton Boa || Listen

It was almost seven years between the first Two Ton Boa record, a five-song self-titled EP of brooding indie rock, and their full-length debut, and it seems that singer/songwriter and bassist Sherry Fraser has had a lot to think about in the time that’s passed. The result, Parasiticide, is a visceral, aggressive, volatile album about sex, gender roles, deceit, hypocrisy, and anger, hard-hitting and almost raw. The music is driving and sometimes spastic, but still very melodic and clean, Fraser’s voice even sweet at times, everything together like a kind of extra-intense Dresden Dolls, dramatics and cabaret included. Gone are the slower, softer songs of the EP, and arrived are the pounding, acerbic basslines, the sneering vocals, the feeling as if everything is on the brink of self-destruction… – All Music Guide

with:
The Swords of Fatima
Horse Thieves

Wednesday 10.24.07: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with AIR TRAFFIC

Air Traffic (from the UK) || Listen

From the initial listen, frontman Chris Wall appears to be the driving force behind the band’s excitably stimulating sound. Apart from his imperative piano work and guitar contributions, Wall possesses some of the most powerfully diversifying vocals I have heard all year. Suitable for both invigorating arena rock and sweeping emotional ballads, the vocals transition themselves amicably between each track. Though the comparisons to Coldplay’s Chris Martin on piano-oriented tracks like “No More Running Away” or the exceptional single, “Shooting Star”, will likely be the most illustrated among critics, likenesses to Sigur Rós’ Jónsi Birgisson or Muse’s Matthew Bellamy remain more subtly effective in nature. “Empty Space”, one of the most touching tracks on the album, is accompanied solely by Wall’s vocals and his distinctive piano-laden melody. Though the track is minimal in production and instrumentation, the sheer power of the melody and lyrical delivery provides for more than enough satisfaction. Wall’s falsetto demonstrated in the hearty chorus reaches a pitch that only falls short to the likes of Birgisson or Bellamy, aided even more dramatically by Wall’s compelling piano usage. – Popmatters

with:
Liam Finn || Listen

Dewar’s Drink Specials: $3 before midnight, $1 after midnight

$8 at the door

Tuesday 10.23.07: Ranch Party with MERLE JAGGER

with:
Merle Jagger || Listen
Honky Tonk Train (CD Release Party with Mitch Marine)
Well Diggers Banquet

Plus:
DJ Cowboy Nick and Barn Yard Pals

$8 at the door

Sunday 10.21.07: PIERCED ARROWS

Pierced Arrows (with Fred & Toody of Dead Moon)

During the explosive first few songs of the set, Haliburton’s sticks lingered on the toms, giving his simple beat an unforgiving strength. Then Fred blew a harmonica and Toody went into a bass-line that could have been slowed down and put on a Miles Davis record. A few songs later, Toody sang a softer number over a marching beat. These experiments complemented the more straight-forward songs and they also made it clear—for anyone who doubted—that Pierced Arrows is not Dead Moon. They did play one Dead Moon song though—“Over the Edge,” a particularly rhythmically dynamic song that had largely been retired since its release in 1991. About six songs in, the audience took the opportunity to take a deep breath, decompress, and rock the fuck out. And surely, there was cause to rejoice: Haliburton, the new songs, everything, everything was great. – Harp Magazine

with:
Jail Weddings
Devon Williams

Saturday 10.20.07: WEST INDIAN GIRL

West Indian Girl || Listen

After expanding its head count, L.A.’s hippified West Indian Girl cooked up loose, electronically augmented rock for 4th & Wall, its sophomore album, following a departure from Astralwerks Records. Founders Robert James and Francis Ten fleshed out the group with more keyboards and vocals; huge crescendos on tracks like “Indian Ocean” and “Sofia” owe to said adjustments. With the extra members in tow, the record’s breezy ditties turn bright and ornamental. “Back to You” looks home to Buffalo Springfield, with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pedal-steel flourishes amid acoustic-driven instrumental breaks. James’s vocals trail off frequently before he finishes many syllables, but with lyrics about “running back” to a lover, it’s an apt touch. Also adding to the record’s steady, summery aesthetic is its multitude of guitar tracks. – Miami New Times

with:
The Nightbirds

Friday 10.19.07: IDYLLISTS

Idyllists || Listen

You ever have one of those “Gotta dance, Mike, gotta dance” moments? Tune into The Idyllists. Their catchy mod-squad dance pop proves that the handsome American quartet (and dashing British singer) have done their music history homework, and most of their album sounds as if they were Smiths cuts that got lost in time. Add in a little Prozac to the melancholy heritage, and The Idyllists will have even the most morose of hipsters grooving in no time. They never try too hard, and songs like “Touch and Go” prove that the New Romantics never really died – they were just reborn. – Hybrid Magazine

with:
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Seasons

$8 at The Door

Sunday 10.14.07: MAGIK MARKERS

Magik Markers

Magik Markers can bring the noise. They can rock an extended jam that veers outside of structure or melody. They are good at these things, but truthfully, who isn’t? There is a very thin line between tomfoolery and talent in the noise scene — any group of chumps with a table of pedals can be the next Wolf Eyes. But though the Magik Markers attract a noisenik following, they are a pop band at heart, and a very catchy one at that. – Paste Magazine

with:
Cryptacize

Saturday 10.13.07: GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS

Great Lake Swimmers || Listen

Named for the boat that carried them across Toronto Harbour to their studio, the Great Lake Swimmers’ third—and best—album, Ongiara, is anchored musically and lyrically to the land around the band’s hometown. Tony Dekker, Erik Arnesen and Colin Huebert create folksy compositions that will likely prompt the label “Americana,” but it seems more accurate to call this starkly evocative and melodically melancholic album “Canadiana.” “Your Rocky Spine” describes the northern reaches as an eroticized landscape, while “Changing Colours” connects singer and wilderness spiritually: “When you change colours, I change mine, too,” Dekker sings, his empathy spiked with desperation. – Paste Magazine

with:
Arthur & Yu

Monday 10.22.07: Monday Night Residency – KCRW and Performer Magazine present OLIVER FUTURE

Oliver Future || Listen

Nothing sums up the essence of Oliver Future, and perhaps their mixed feelings about L.A., than the back to back dazzlers that close this suite. “Drowning Parade” is a soulful ballad that could be an Antony and the Johnsons outtake, with its smoky-lounge vocals, alto and tenor saxophones, and Wurlitzer piano. The gentle tune gives way to “The Slow Fast,” filled with scraping guitar riffs, techno beats, and punk rock screams “It’s a-a-a-l-l… o-o-o-n-n.” This record is on alright: on point, and on its way to being one the better surprise releases of the year. To hear for yourself, simply do what I did and put Pax Futura on the stereo. – Lost At Sea

with:

Something For Rockets || Listen
Burning Brides || Listen

FREE SHOW

Monday 10.15.07: Monday Night Residency – KCRW and Performer Magazine present OLIVER FUTURE

Oliver Future || Listen

Nothing sums up the essence of Oliver Future, and perhaps their mixed feelings about L.A., than the back to back dazzlers that close this suite. “Drowning Parade” is a soulful ballad that could be an Antony and the Johnsons outtake, with its smoky-lounge vocals, alto and tenor saxophones, and Wurlitzer piano. The gentle tune gives way to “The Slow Fast,” filled with scraping guitar riffs, techno beats, and punk rock screams “It’s a-a-a-l-l… o-o-o-n-n.” This record is on alright: on point, and on its way to being one the better surprise releases of the year. To hear for yourself, simply do what I did and put Pax Futura on the stereo. – Lost At Sea

with:

5 O’Clock Somewhere

FREE SHOW

Thursday 10.18.07: THE PARSON RED HEADS

The Parson Red Heads || Listen

Indeed, the Parson’s debut has the feel of a bright blue summer day melting into a cotton-candy pink twilight—11 songs and 45 minutes of Byrdsian jangle, super ball bouncy bass lines, stone-washed four-piece harmonies, and the occasional drowsy slide guitar lick. It’s the ideal soundtrack to a lazy afternoon cookout, with filets and BBQ-sauce smothered chicken breasts on the grill, a Corona with lime tucked into your palm. Parson’s make no secret about trying to build upon the city’s laid-back legacy, relentlessly channeling the spirit of the Byrds, CSNY, and Gram Parsons. Indeed the album chugs along so velvet-soft and painless that its show-stopper, “Full Moon,” (a centerpiece of the band’s dynamic live show) creeps up on you with its graveyard lyrics, serpentine Zombies keyboards, and twisting miasma of psychedelic guitars. – Stylus Magazine

with:
Le Switch || Listen
Acute || Listen
The Weather Underground

Ticket Available at the Door

Wednesday 10.17.07: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with THE SUBWAYS

The Subways

‘Young For Eternity’ is an intoxicating brew of short, sweet garage rock bangers that sound like dusted-off Detroit numbers from 2002, wedged between songs that have a distinctly young British rock edge. ‘Oh Yeah’ and ‘At 1am’ are prime examples of the former; stripped-down but souped-up good-time garage rockers that make you want to play air guitar around your front room. As direct as a knee to the nuts (though not as painful), these two buzzing blitzkrieg bops are more bouncy than a weekend with Beyoncé. – NME

with:
Mobius Band || Listen
Blackmarket

Friday 10.12.07: THE GUILTY HEARTS

The Guilty Hearts || Listen

The one part Gories, two parts Gun Club hybrid of the Guilty Hearts live show is replicated with Johnnie Walker Black potency on this debut. But then again, what did I expect from a band containing Hermann Senac, original member of Blood on the Saddle, on drums? On second guitar, the Guilty Hearts have the fucking Charles Bukowski of the L.A. punk scene, Edgar Rodriguez. When not falling down or asking for shots of whiskey, Edgar keeps the beat going like only a reformed bassist could. That leaves Leon Pescado (a.k.a. El Niño, a.k.a. El Pescado de Gato) on vocals and slide guitar. Leon’s a shit-hot guitar player; coming up with effortless chord progressions is as easy as a twelve-year-old buying booze in Germany for Pescado. – Razorcake

Thursday 10.11.07: THE AVENGERS

The Avengers || Listen

“It’s the American in me that makes me say it’s an honor to die / In a war that’s just a politician’s lie”, rants Penelope Houston of San Francisco punk band the Avengers, in their song “The American in Me”, included on this new selection by the same name. The song is a declaration of culture war against American authority and the status quo that resonates today as loudly as it did in the band’s brief career. The brevity of their time as a band feels now, over 25 years later, like a blistering short set by a band at the peak of the powers; over too fast, succinctly leaving listeners wanting more. – Popmatters

with:
Pansy Division || Listen
The Red Hearts

Wednesday 10.10.07: Indie 103.1 Presents Club NME with TEAM FACELIFT

Team Facelift || Listen

“The guys from Team Facelift are living the high life. New York’s “sauciest” dance/rap trio combines swanky melodies with stories about “extreme hedonism, including sex, drugs, all-you-can-eat buffets and seaweed facials,” as they like to describe it.” – Arjanwrites.com

Dewar’s drink specials: $3 before midnight, $1 after midnight

Monday 10.08.07: Monday Night Residency – KCRW and Performer Magazine present OLIVER FUTURE

Oliver Future || Listen

Nothing sums up the essence of Oliver Future, and perhaps their mixed feelings about L.A., than the back to back dazzlers that close this suite. “Drowning Parade” is a soulful ballad that could be an Antony and the Johnsons outtake, with its smoky-lounge vocals, alto and tenor saxophones, and Wurlitzer piano. The gentle tune gives way to “The Slow Fast,” filled with scraping guitar riffs, techno beats, and punk rock screams “It’s a-a-a-l-l… o-o-o-n-n.” This record is on alright: on point, and on its way to being one the better surprise releases of the year. To hear for yourself, simply do what I did and put Pax Futura on the stereo. – Lost At Sea

with:

Twilight Sleep || Listen
BigBang (from Norway) || Listen
Hearts of Palm UK

FREE SHOW

Tuesday 10.16.07: FIGURINES

Figurines || Listen

Those wishing to hold onto these warm weeks before the autumn sets in would do well to curl up in a hammock with Figurines. With influences ranging from Donovan to Modest Mouse, the Danish quartet channels carefree vibes with effervescent guitar riffs and golden-toned, rolling harmonies — their lumberjack-like muttonchops and mod haircuts aren’t bad either. – Spin.com

with:
Dappled Cities || Listen