Sunday 08.03.08: Aquarium Drunkard pres: NOMO / EL TEN ELEVEN / JESUS MAKES THE SHOTGUN SOUND

Nomo || Listen

NOMO, the alternative Afrobeat collective from Ann Arbor, Michigan march to their own beat, or more accurately, to the beat of four different percussionists. Led by the lanky, baby-faced founder and composer Elliot Bergman, the nine-piece multi ethnic/gender brigade is a mash up of cultural and musical influences. Defying classification to create a free jazz, funk hybrid (think Remain in Light era Talking Heads with the sensibilities of Fela Kuti) the band has old school jazz purists, hipsters, and indie rockers cocking an ear and taking notice. With choice gigs at Bonnaroo and the 2007 Chicago Pitchfork Festival, along with opening slots for Ozomatli and Earth, Wind, and Fire, the road warriors of NOMO warmly embrace any scene or genre that will have them. In an industry obsessed with genre profiling, the band defies categorization, opting simply to attract the uninitiated with freewheeling live shows and an “all are welcome” credo.
- Alarm Press

with:
El Ten Eleven || Listen
Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound

9 pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 08.06.08: Indie 103.1 pres CLUB NME with FILM SCHOOL / THE PITY PARTY / THE MEETING PLACES

Film School || Listen

Like a brother from another mother, San Francisco-based Greg Bertens’ second release as Film School is just similar enough to last year’s self-titled debut to register as family. Hideout finds his band completely overhauled (after a crippling robbery and “creative differences”) and much improved; this end result doesn’t sound like another predictable addition to your nu-wave library. (But file between Echo and Interpol, if you must.) There’s a shambolic fervor with tambourines, and cyclonic guitars, in places that recall Primal Scream’s psychedelic rock. Other tracks drift into expertly crafted space. Hideout excels as mood music, with at least one stellar single (“Two Kinds”) that creates a new and better one than however you felt before. – XLR8R

with:
The Pity Party
The Meeting Places

plus DJ Dia spinning rock, indie, punk, electro & alternative

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

9 pm / $10 / 21+

Sunday 07.27.08: NEIL HAMBURGER / AMERICAN SHERIFF (feat. J.P. Hasson of Pleaseeasaur) / RON LYNCH / ABE LINCOLN STORY / ART HINTY

Neil Hamburger

If Neil Hamburger wasn’t the Funniest Man in America, why would the record company keep letting him make so many albums? Can’t answer that question, can you? No, it’s beyond dispute, he is the funniest. End of debate. Don’t even mention Jack Kevorkian, Neil is waaaaay, waaaaaaaay more side-splittingly hilarious, and he’s a much bigger bummer. And he’s got a million of ‘em – why, if one of his jokes falls flat or makes you groan or feel like gagging, or say the next 80 or 90 “gags” don’t exactly make you howl with uproarious laughter, just wait, because Neil will pounce with just a killer, killer line that will make you pee in your pants and nudge the guy next to you so he spills his drink (and when he hits you, that’ll be funny too). You’ll be glad you shelled out your money and chose to spend your time, on a Sunday night, no less, with America’s funny man, Neil Hamburger. – LA Weekly

with:
American Sheriff (feat. J.P. Hasson of Pleaseeasaur)
Ron Lynch
Abe Lincoln Story
Art Hinty

9 pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 07.09.08: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with SETTING SUN / QUITZOW / LAYER

Setting Sun || Listen

Setting Sun is a quintet led by frontman and producer Gary Levitt. The band’s third album, Children of the Wild, evokes the laid-back simple life of Levitt’s Upstate New York home. Driven by simple acoustic guitar lines, Erica Quitzow’s graceful string orchestrations, and Levitt’s hushed vocals, Setting Sun’s arrangements are dramatic and poignant.

Levitt’s whispery vocals might remind listeners of a less depressed Elliott Smith. Levitt mixes softly cooed choruses and murmured spoken-word verses on the album’s opening track, “What We Wanted,” giving the sense that he’s playing and singing to himself. This personal, confiding style lends the music its defining intimacy. Levitt the storyteller is immediately alluring, offering an inviting closeness in the whisper and croon of his honest lyrics. – NPR

with:
Quitzow
Layer

plus DJ Dia spinning rock, indie, punk, electro & alternative

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

Tickets Available at the Door

Saturday 07.05.08: THE NEW CENTURIES / MASTER SLASH SLAVE / 11:11

The New Centuries || Listen

Independent since 2005, The New Centuries made a name for themselves with a self-titled release in February of 2007. With songs like “Midnight Shows” and “Sharp Darts” the indie quartet greeted unsuspecting audiences with infectious guitar-synth dance rock (yeah, I made that term up — think Bloc Party). The latest effort from Centuries is no different. Perhaps a little more upbeat, but with no less Curesque crooning from lead singer Ryan Beaujolais, Paradise Massage demonstrates that these guys deserve a second listen. – Stranger Dance

with:
Master Slash Slave || Listen
11:11

Tickets at the door

Saturday 07.26.08: HOWLIN RAIN / CRYSTAL ANTLERS / FRANK FAIRFIELD

Howlin Rain || Listen

The emphasis in Howlin Rain is on the howlin. Lead singer Ethan Miller’s throaty delivery is the star of this show. Miller also croons for Comets on Fire, but in that band his vocals share equal billing with the group’s psychedelic instrumental explorations. Howlin Rain’s approach is much more classically classic rock, complete with shades of soul and gospel. It often seems like the band is on stage at a rural Christian revival meeting, with Miller proselytizing at full volume.

It doesn’t take long on Magnificent Fiend for Miller’s voice, a strained howl that makes Greg Dulli’s singing sound crystalline and refined, to take center stage. The album opens with the short instrumental “Requiem,” that rolls on barreling piano chords and blaring trumpets straight into “Dancers at the End of Time.” A minute and a half into that song, after guitar and organ jamming that sounds like it’s straight from Haight-Ashbury circa 1969, Miller’s voice arrives on the scene, and for the rest of the album it dominates the proceedings. – Prefix Magazine

with:
Crystal Antlers
Frank Fairfield

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Howlin to 467467

Friday 07.25.08: THE REPUBLIC TIGERS / RADARS TO THE SKY / THE FIEROS

The Republic Tigers || Listen

If you somehow haven’t caught on yet, or didn’t read my review of their EP, let me introduce you to The Republic Tigers. For comparison’s sake, their sound is equal parts Love, The Killers, and Modest Mouse with drugged-out, psychedelic melodies mixed in. But these five guys from Kansas City, Missouri are doing more than channeling their favorite artists on their full-length debut, Keep Color. Tracks like the spaced-out and catchy “Buildings & Mountains” and the possible breakthrough single “Fight Song” are chamber pop anthems with balls. The 1960s vocal harmonies embrace you as the huge guitar licks kick you, albeit gently, in the ass. Other songs, such as “Made Concrete” and “Feelin’ the Future”, are Americana dripping with hints of an acid trip. Whether they are lulling you to sleep or inducing a hazy daydream, The Republic Tigers hardly show any weaknesses here. Now it’s time for you to just hear Keep Color for yourself and beat the hoard of indie-kids sure to grab hold of this album and never let go. – Popmatters

with:
Radars To The Sky
The Fieros

Saturday 07.19.08: THE LONG WINTERS / SAY HI / THAILAND

The Long Winters || Listen

The Long Winters will return to the studio this summer to record the band’s fourth full-length album, a current untitled affair, which, in an exclusive phone interview, creative force John Roderick tells SPIN.com will drop in “early 2009.” Hooray!

But, explains Roderick, fans can expect a change of gears, as the Seattle-based songwriter has drifted from his “folk songwriter” methods — as found on 2006′s Putting the Days to Bed — picked up a loop pedal and immersed himself in layering track upon track. “[They have] a much looser feel,” Roderick says of the 120 one-minute loops he’s written in preparation for recording. “[They're] a lot more melodic,” and have “more rhythm and feel.” – Spin

with:
Say Hi || Listen
Thailand

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Pushover to 467467

Thursday 07.17.08: JASON FALKNER / WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE / THE BREAKUPS

Jason Falkner || Listen

The most wonderful aspect of I’m OK…You’re OK, however, is that Falkner brings an intimacy to his songs that we simply don’t hear nowadays. These tracks, put together, are true, real, and beautiful, alternating between moments of pure joy and pure sadness. Like Beck’s Sea Change, on which he played, the emotions of this album are not manufactured to sell records or to impress everyone with his “lo-fi” credentials. (This album was, incidentally, recorded without the aid of a professional studio — not like you could tell, as the instruments are pitch perfect and the lower fidelity adds to the charm and warmth of the songs.) Jason Falkner isn’t trying to prove anything. He is simply trying to share his songs with us. His stunning, complex, rich, and eminently enjoyable songs. – Blogcritics

with:
What Cheer? Brigade || Listen
The Breakups || Listen

Wednesday 07.16.08: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with ARMY NAVY / ALBERTA CROSS / REVISIONISTS

Army Navy

Blending British pop melodicism with the grit of the Pacific Northwest, Army Navy recalls the sound of great acts like The Posies and Teenage Fanclub crossed with emotional touches of the The Smiths. Former Pinwheel co-frontman Justin Kennedy has moved on from sharing vocal duties with Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, Postal Service) to showcase his own pop sensibilities. With its lush harmonies and blankets of guitar fuzz, Army Navy has created something truly unique: a delicate balance between melancholy and joyful resignation. Known for an explosive live show, Army Navy performs regularly with artists as varied as Teenage Fanclub, Wolfmother, Spinto Band, The Like, and Arctic Monkeys. – NME

with:
Alberta Cross
Revisionists

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

Resident DJs Dia and guests spinning. No cover after midnight.

9pm / $5 / 21+

Sunday 07.13.08: TUNNELMENTAL EXPERIMENTAL ASSEMBLY / SECRET SOCIETY OF THE SONIC SIX / APE HAS KILLED APE / THE MAY FIRE

Tunnelmental Experimental Assembly || Listen

with:
Secret Society of the Sonic Six || Listen
Ape Has Killed Ape || Listen
The May Fire || Listen
Reverend Dan from KXLU spinning

FREE SHOW

Friday 07.11.08: Indie 103.1 presents ALBERT HAMMOND JR. / THE PARLOR MOB

Albert Hammond Jr. || Listen

By all published accounts, the Strokes haven’t even begun to work on their fourth album, but devout fans are offered one hell of a conciliation prize: Albert Hammond Jr.’s solo material. And “GfC,” a tune off his forthcoming sophomore set ¿Cómo Te Llama?, out July 8, will certainly ease the potentially long wait.

With unadorned, meat and potatoes instrumentation, “GfC” opens with starry guitar twinkles, which segue into pop-smart slashes and hip-shaking bass, and soon, an all out chorus in which Hammond Jr. stretches his vocals like never before. A sliding mess of Beatles “White Album”-like guitars seal the deal. – Spin

with:
The Parlor Mob

Limited Tickets available at the door

Thursday 07.10.08: PORT O’BRIEN / THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS

Port O’Brien || Listen

Port O’Brien has stirred up quite a lot of press coverage in a few short years, thanks in part to being name-checked by M. Ward as his favorite new band and exposure on tours opening for Bright Eyes, the Cave Singers, and Modest Mouse, among others. The group, based in California when not working in a cannery off the coast of Alaska, also garnered a place on several “Best of 2007” album lists. If you happened to see any of those tours, you know that all the accolades are not empty hipster hype. If you had the misfortune to miss them, a new release offers another chance to get on board.

“Stuck on a Boat” reflects the other Port O’Brien experience, the one endured through long, lonely days on an endless ocean. In fact, Port O’Brien’s music shares many characteristics with the sea that dominates much of its material. It’s beautiful. It is ever-changing. It can move from a peaceful calm to an impassioned squall in a matter of moments. It’s exciting, enveloping, awe-inspiring, and often overwhelming. – Popmatters

with:
The Builders and the Butchers

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Alaska to 467467

Monday 08.25.08: Monday Night Residency – WARPAINT / ASDSSKA / OF AIRE / RADIUS

Warpaint

Fucking gorgeous. That was overheard while Warpaint opened with a bold and utterly beautiful set of post-rock ethereality. Physically, yes, but that’s too obvious. Musically, however, it’s a bit unexpected. While probably well-studied in the art of Blonde Redhead, Jawbox, and Sonic Youth these ladies have a rhythmic feel and style all their own. And although the band may get some heat for the celebrity factor surrounding them (which we’ll avoid mentioning), we can safely say they don’t sound like a “Hollywood” band at all. Thank goodness. – LA-Underground.net

with:
AsDSSka
Of Aire || Listen
Radius

FREE SHOW

Monday 08.18.08: Monday Night Residency – WARPAINT / THE DRONES / DIE PRINCESS DIE

Warpaint

Fucking gorgeous. That was overheard while Warpaint opened with a bold and utterly beautiful set of post-rock ethereality. Physically, yes, but that’s too obvious. Musically, however, it’s a bit unexpected. While probably well-studied in the art of Blonde Redhead, Jawbox, and Sonic Youth these ladies have a rhythmic feel and style all their own. And although the band may get some heat for the celebrity factor surrounding them (which we’ll avoid mentioning), we can safely say they don’t sound like a “Hollywood” band at all. Thank goodness. – LA-Underground.net

with:
The Drones
Die Princess Die || Listen

FREE SHOW

Monday 08.11.08: Monday Night Residency – WARPAINT / MEGAPUSS / RAINBOW ARABIA / CAPTAIN RAGZ

Warpaint

Fucking gorgeous. That was overheard while Warpaint opened with a bold and utterly beautiful set of post-rock ethereality. Physically, yes, but that’s too obvious. Musically, however, it’s a bit unexpected. While probably well-studied in the art of Blonde Redhead, Jawbox, and Sonic Youth these ladies have a rhythmic feel and style all their own. And although the band may get some heat for the celebrity factor surrounding them (which we’ll avoid mentioning), we can safely say they don’t sound like a “Hollywood” band at all. Thank goodness. – LA-Underground.net

with:
Megapuss
Rainbow Arabia
Captain Ragz

FREE SHOW

Monday 08.04.08: Monday Night Residency – WARPAINT / MIA DOI TODD / MOONRATS / TITUS ANDRONICUS

Warpaint

Fucking gorgeous. That was overheard while Warpaint opened with a bold and utterly beautiful set of post-rock ethereality. Physically, yes, but that’s too obvious. Musically, however, it’s a bit unexpected. While probably well-studied in the art of Blonde Redhead, Jawbox, and Sonic Youth these ladies have a rhythmic feel and style all their own. And although the band may get some heat for the celebrity factor surrounding them (which we’ll avoid mentioning), we can safely say they don’t sound like a “Hollywood” band at all. Thank goodness. – LA-Underground.net

with:
Mia Doi Todd || Listen
Moonrats
Titus Andronicus || Listen

FREE SHOW

Monday 07.28.08: Monday Night Residency – UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GIANTS / SABROSA PURR / BEARDO / AUDRA MAE

Under The Influence Of Giants || Listen

Under the Influence of Giants (frontman/lyricist Aaron Bruno, guitarist Drew Stewart, bassist Dave Amezcua, drummer/keyboardist Jamin Wilcox) is not the norm when it comes to young bands. The L.A. foursome certainly doesn’t shrink from the question of influence; the fact that they are influenced by the likes of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Prince, Talking Heads, Sly and the Family Stone and a host of others across the broad spectrum of musical achievement is right there on the marquee and on the cover of their eponymous debut.

It’s also in the incredibly diverse pop/rock/soul fabric of UTIOG’s songs and in the band’s individual histories and heritages; Bruno and Stewart have been writing together since their teenage years and were, in fact, the creative core of the post punk band Home Town Hero, and Wilcox (the son of famed Utopia/session drummer Willie Wilcox) came to UTIOG from a stint with the similarly structured Audiovent. Together, they make music that transcends their pasts and stands comfortably with the giants they emulate. – Amplifier Magazine

with:
Sabrosa Purr
Beardo
Audra Mae

FREE SHOW / 21+

Monday 07.21.08: Monday Night Residency – UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GIANTS / THE SNOW / BATHROOM MURDERS / HELLO VEGAS

Under The Influence Of Giants || Listen

Under the Influence of Giants (frontman/lyricist Aaron Bruno, guitarist Drew Stewart, bassist Dave Amezcua, drummer/keyboardist Jamin Wilcox) is not the norm when it comes to young bands. The L.A. foursome certainly doesn’t shrink from the question of influence; the fact that they are influenced by the likes of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Prince, Talking Heads, Sly and the Family Stone and a host of others across the broad spectrum of musical achievement is right there on the marquee and on the cover of their eponymous debut.

It’s also in the incredibly diverse pop/rock/soul fabric of UTIOG’s songs and in the band’s individual histories and heritages; Bruno and Stewart have been writing together since their teenage years and were, in fact, the creative core of the post punk band Home Town Hero, and Wilcox (the son of famed Utopia/session drummer Willie Wilcox) came to UTIOG from a stint with the similarly structured Audiovent. Together, they make music that transcends their pasts and stands comfortably with the giants they emulate. – Amplifier Magazine

with:
The Snow
Bathroom Murders
Hello Vegas

FREE SHOW / 21+

Monday 07.14.08: Monday Night Residency – UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GIANTS / LUKAS HAAS / PAUL DILLON (OF MERCURY REV)

Under The Influence Of Giants || Listen

Under the Influence of Giants (frontman/lyricist Aaron Bruno, guitarist Drew Stewart, bassist Dave Amezcua, drummer/keyboardist Jamin Wilcox) is not the norm when it comes to young bands. The L.A. foursome certainly doesn’t shrink from the question of influence; the fact that they are influenced by the likes of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Prince, Talking Heads, Sly and the Family Stone and a host of others across the broad spectrum of musical achievement is right there on the marquee and on the cover of their eponymous debut.

It’s also in the incredibly diverse pop/rock/soul fabric of UTIOG’s songs and in the band’s individual histories and heritages; Bruno and Stewart have been writing together since their teenage years and were, in fact, the creative core of the post punk band Home Town Hero, and Wilcox (the son of famed Utopia/session drummer Willie Wilcox) came to UTIOG from a stint with the similarly structured Audiovent. Together, they make music that transcends their pasts and stands comfortably with the giants they emulate. – Amplifier Magazine

with:
Lukas Haas
Paul Dillon of (Mercury Rev)

FREE SHOW

Monday 07.07.08: Monday Night Residency – UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GIANTS / BRIDGES / NICO STAI

Under The Influence Of Giants || Listen

Under the Influence of Giants (frontman/lyricist Aaron Bruno, guitarist Drew Stewart, bassist Dave Amezcua, drummer/keyboardist Jamin Wilcox) is not the norm when it comes to young bands. The L.A. foursome certainly doesn’t shrink from the question of influence; the fact that they are influenced by the likes of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Prince, Talking Heads, Sly and the Family Stone and a host of others across the broad spectrum of musical achievement is right there on the marquee and on the cover of their eponymous debut.

It’s also in the incredibly diverse pop/rock/soul fabric of UTIOG’s songs and in the band’s individual histories and heritages; Bruno and Stewart have been writing together since their teenage years and were, in fact, the creative core of the post punk band Home Town Hero, and Wilcox (the son of famed Utopia/session drummer Willie Wilcox) came to UTIOG from a stint with the similarly structured Audiovent. Together, they make music that transcends their pasts and stands comfortably with the giants they emulate. – Amplifier Magazine

with:
Nico Stai
Bridges || Listen

FREE SHOW

Friday 06.27.08: THE AUTUMNS / RUN THROUGH THE DESERT

The Autumns || Listen

The Autumns are the only band around that can emerge from textured, sometimes chaotic arrangements with such gorgeous melodic results. The Los Angeles outfit’s new album Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys is both a stunning tourbillion of sonic beauty and a virtual clinic of harmonic genius. “The Midnight Knock” sounds like Brian Wilson fronting Sonic Youth; “Boys” asserts that Frankie Koroshec’s idiosyncratic guitars lines will surely propel him to indie rock god status and “Killer In Drag” is a whirlpool of heaving syncopation and vocal invention. Elsewhere, “Only Young” radiates with pop immediacy; “Glass Jaw” is a shimmering stutter-step of a number and “Uncle Slim” starts low-key and somehow transforms into something cataclysmic and lovely. But it’s “The Beautiful Boot” that seals the deal here—replete with swooning female background singers, brushing percussion and stirring vocals from frontman Matthew Kelly, it’s awash in mystery, majesty and mayhem. And like everything this band seems to do, it’s pure magic. – Amplifier Magazine

with:
Run Through The Desert || Listen

Wednesday 07.23.08: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with LUCERO / JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD / GLOSSARY

Lucero || Listen

If the Pogues embody the Jameson-addled anthems of Ireland, Lucero turns the whiskey into bourbon aged in Tennessee oak and chased by a Bud. Their sound is a roll-up-the-sleeves-and-take-a-deep-sniff kind of pure angst. It’s like rain on the windshield as you drive through a cold November morning after a particularly regrettable evening. Raspy-voiced lead man Ben Nichols sings about themes associated with good loving and good drinking—thieves, love, getting drunk, and losing control—in a world where getting into trouble with a lady makes things turn thirsty fast. – Popmatters

with:
Jessica Lea Mayfield || Listen
Glossary || Listen

plus DJ Dia spinning rock, indie, punk, electro & alternative

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

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Rock2live to 467467

Friday 07.18.08: Filter presents EARLIMART / HOCUS POCUS / THE MOVIES

Earlimart || Listen

In the mesmerizing, disturbing dream that is Mentor Tormentor, Espinoza and Murray wrap their sweetly uneasy voices around misty melodies, while the deceptively sophisticated production reinforces the sense of uncertainty. Pretty guitars, pianos and strings come and go, creating a layered wall of sound effects, but it’s hardly a seamless construction. Oddly compelling electronic squiggles and blips are embedded in virtually every track, implying that whatever takes place in the foreground, there’s a contrary undercurrent bubbling underneath. – Paste Magazine

with:
Hocus Pocus (Members of Dios)
The Movies

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Jukebox to 467467

Friday 06.13.08: ANDY CLOCKWISE & FRIENDS, BLANKET

Andy Clockwise || Listen
“The concept: Prince meets the Pixies meets Bjork meets Sly and the Family Stone meets Beck meets the Ramones meets the Velvet Underground.”
- Australian Music Online

with:
Blanket

Tuesday 07.22.08: A Benefit for The Prids: BABYLAND / SHILOE / SLEEPMASK

Babyland || Listen

This Southern-California duo is one of the most interesting projects in the scene. Existing for more than 15 years and still producing interesting, unique records does mean something. Could their music be labeled as simple? Maybe only when referred to number of instruments used (don’t forget sticks and barrels!), but lyrics, rhythms and beats are far from rudimentary. It only takes couple of listens and you get the bigger picture. – Electromedia

with:
Shiloe || Shiloe
Sleepmask || Listen

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Junkpunk to 467467

Sunday 07.20.08: PIERCED ARROWS (members of DEAD MOON) / ANGUS KHAN / WOOLLY BANDITS

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:
Angus Khan
Woolly Bandits

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Arrow to 467467

Tuesday 07.08.08: SURPRISE ME MR. DAVIS (FEAT. MEMBERS OF THE SLIP) / BIG LIGHT

Surprise Me Mr. Davis

Back from a brief hiatus, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, comprised of prolific songwriter Nathan Moore and the members of The Slip, made a triumphant return to Higher Ground. The band, fresh off a ten day marathon reinvention/rebirth stint in Montreal, proved their worth performing a set heavy with brand new gems topped off with some Davis classics and a trademark magic trick from Moore.

The band hit the stage looking exceptionally sharp in their thrift suits. There was a magic in the air as the set started and by the second song, the Davis standard “I Want To Get To Heaven Before I Die,” the band had the crowd held tightly. What followed was a set of mostly brand new compositions. The highlight was a melancholy ballad called “Joelle,” the kind of song that just woefully tears into your heart and makes you appreciate love, the good times and bad. That spirit flowed through the other new tunes as Moore’s lyrics, filled with confusion, heartache, hope and appreciation of life’s small and precious details, blend especially well with Brad Barr’s driving compositions. – Glide Magazine

with:
Big Light || Listen

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text MrDavis to 467467

Sunday 07.06.08: LEGENDARY SHACK SHACKERS / MERLE JAGGER / SARAH GAYLE

Legendary Shack Shackers || Listen

Jello Biafra has called Legendary Shack Shakers vocalist J.D. Wilkes “the last great rock and roll front man.” I don’t know about the “last” part, but I agree that there are not many singers left who can compare with Wilkes when it comes to capturing an audience’s attention.

I first saw the Shack Shakers about ten years ago when they were more or less a rockabilly band and Wilkes was a skinny guy in vintage shirt and horn-rim glasses who did hilarious pantomime-like routines while singing. Since then they’ve retooled and regrouped several times and have grown into something else: a weird mixture of swamp blues, bluegrass, Cajun music, polka, and punk rock, all steeped in a Southern Gothic aesthetic that Tennessee Williams would have envied. Wilkes now earns comparisons to Iggy Pop and Tom Waits. But even back when I first saw them, it was clear that the Shack Shakers had the potential to live up to the “legendary” in their name.- San Diego Reader

with:
Merle Jagger
Sarah Gayle

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Swampblood to 467467

9 pm / $10 / 21+

Tuesday 07.01.08: 88.9 KXLU & Filter present THE MAE SHI / DEATH TO ANDERS / DIE ROCKERS DIE / THE LIGHT FM

The Mae Shi || Listen

[Re-]familiarize yourself with the Mae Shi, because they aren’t quite the same 5RC-spastic outfit they were a couple years ago. With the willingness to make your cousin’s bat mitzvah come alive if you asked ’em, the guys’ earlier brand of post-punk thrash was cinched together with slightly busted electronics and a barrage of jagged guitar attacks. Erase the screechiest parts from the Blood Brothers, beef up the art-prog and voila! The same potent combo is on the table a lot these days, but with more attention to crafting pop hooks along the way (see: Les Savy Fav, Dan Deacon). HLLLYH can’t possibly be louder than its predecessors, but it’s smarter. Who knew the Mae Shi would suddenly be pillaging pop glee as successfully as the New Pornographers? – Paper Thin Walls

with:
Death To Anders || Listen
Die Rockers Die || Listen
The Light FM

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Boogie to 467467

9 pm / $8 / 21+

Thursday 06.26.08: OLIVER FUTURE / THE GRAY KID / SARAH GAYLE MEECH

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:
The Gray Kid || Listen
Sarah Gayle Meech || Listen

Sunday 06.22.08: Benefit for Ecclesia Kenya Outreach w/ FICTION FAMILY (John Forman of Switchfoot & Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek) / NICK THUNE / JASON DIAZ / SEAN AND SARA WATKINS (of Nickel Creek) / ROGER MOON

Fiction Family (Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek)

with:
Jason Diaz || Listen
Nick Thune || Listen
Roger Moon
Sean & Sara Watkins

7:30pm / $12 advance – $15 door / 21+

Sunday 06.09.08: HIS ORCHESTRA / FREEKS / ABBOT KINNEY

Thursday 06.19.08: YES ME TO DEATH / USELESS KEYS / THE BLIND SHAKE / KISSING COUSINS

Yes Me To Death || Listen

with:
Useless Keys || Listen
The Blind Shake || Listen
Kissing Cousins || Listen

Tickets at The Door

Tuesday 06.17.08: Indie 103.1 presents – THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT / THE DEADLY SYNDROME / THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE

The Airborne Toxic Event || Listen

“Poetry you can dance to…nothing short of amazing.” LA TIMES

“Absurdly rich with talent…Jollett’s baritone could compete with some of the best in Britpop. Live, the group delivers total cohesion and unflappable energy.” LA WEEKLY

“These California art-rockers have written the best arty-stomp since ‘Take Me Out.’” THE FLY (UK)

“In a just and fair world, The Airborne Toxic Event would be indie rock favorites of critics and fans the world over. Maybe, just for a moment, the world will get it right for a change.” POPMATTERS

“Catchy as hell rock that is as smart as its literary allusions.” URB

with:

The Deadly Syndrome || Listen
The Henry Clay People || Listen

Saturday 06.14.08: DIRTY SWEET / THE BINGES / DESERT DIAMONDS

Dirty Sweet || Listen

They are, in the very purest form of the words, an “arena rock band,” one that is not soiled by the excess and attitude of the genre. Nope, the Dirty Sweet, much like their name implies, are a gritty rock band, one that solos, stomps, and hollers with the best of them. Granted, they look like they stumbled out of a time machine that was set to “Woodstock, 1969,” but their blistering guitar chops and howling vocals never come across as revisionist. The selling point might be how they can rock the bushy-mustache look without a shred of irony, in addition to getting away with wearing a leather vest (frills or no frills, it matters not) without a shirt underneath. Jealous? Yeah, me too. – Portland Mercury

with:
The Binges || Listen
Desert Diamonds

Tickets at The Door

Friday 06.06.08: JAMES (FROM THE UK, SEMI-ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE) WITH SPECIAL GUESTS SKY PARADE, EVAN SLAMKA (FROM MARJORIE FAIR)

JAMES || Listen
Tunes slowly build to a shuffling beat before the soaring melodies irresistibly take flight, propelled by trademark jangling guitar, brass flourishes and Booth’s soaring, passionate vocals. The ebullient front man has also retained his gift for erudite if occasionally silly lyrics, with White Boy’s ”my mum says I look like Yul Brynner, too old for Hamlet, too young for Lear” the most memorable example.

Other stand out moments include the strident title track, which blends a typically effervescent hook with some uncompromising anti-war imagery, and Waterfall, curiously akin to Blonde On Blonde-period Dylan with a sugar rush. Boom Boom’s atmospheric guitars bring to mind fellow Mancunians Doves, although a self-indulgent Adagio For Strings-apeing interlude is one of the few bum notes to be found on Hey Ma. Overall, this is an impressive return to form from a group who continue to craft their own distinctive brand of understated, uplifting rock while those Sit Down sixth-formers contemplate thirty something paunches, mortgages and antenatal classes.
- BBC

with:
Sky Parade
Evan Slamka (from Marjorie Fair)

Tuesday 06.24.08: 88.9 KXLU welcomes SUNNY DAY SETS FIRE / IN WAVES / LINE AND CIRCLE / THE MONOLATORS

Sunny Day Sets Fire || Listen

Don’t let this multinational concern’s name throw you; they may have smashed Seattle emo forebearers Sunny Day Real Estate and Delaware hardcore kids Boy Sets Fire together in name, but Sunny Day Sets Fire have squat in common with either of those Alternative Press-darling corpses. Their provenance is retro-twee pop, and “Stranger” feels so sugary sweet it almost makes your teeth ache: Mauro Remiddi sorting through feelings about loneliness in vaguely accented English, drums thumping dutifully on the verses and haphazardly spattering the headphone field when chorus time rolls around, Kool-Aid guitars splashing about merrily, organs whirring almost unnoticed in the back of the mix. The moods are in seeming conflict: Elephant 6 rainbow smiley-face gloop versus downer sentiments like “I decide to take a walk, just to see how it feels to be alone.” But remember that it’s best to walk off a harsh argument if you can: mild cardiovascular activity burns off frustration and clears one’s mind. Screaming it out’s more likely to lead to splitsville—or worse, litigation. – Paper Thin Walls

with:
In Waves || Listen
Line And Circle
The Monolators || Listen

9pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 06.18.08: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with MIDNIGHT MOVIES / MONO IN VCF / I LOVE MATH

Midnight Movies || Listen

L.A. dream-pop quartet Midnight Movies formed in 2002 via the rock-honored tradition of the alt-weekly want ads and were quickly embraced by a local scene that apparently can’t get enough woozy female-fronted rock acts (Giant Drag, the Like, Rilo Kiley). Vocalist/organist Gena Olivier, guitarist Larry Schemel, and keyboardist/bassist Ryan Wood supply the swoons while drummer Sandra Vu keeps the beat.

Midnight Movies validate their nom de guerre by trafficking in a strain of the same type of late night eeriness that underlines classics like Eraserhead and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Their sophomore album, Lion the Girl, is an alternately floating and driving affair. Schemel and Wood manufacture My Bloody Valentine-lite soundscapes that range from ominous and fractured to lazy and lilting. Olivier’s ghostly vocals always suggest an altered consciousness; it’s just not clear if she’s having a good dream or a bad one. “You saved me from the bats in the chimneys / I guess I should thank you again for that,” Olivier sings on the album’s closer, “Two Years.” – Spin

with:
Mono In VCF || Listen
I Love Math

plus DJ Dia spinning rock, indie, punk, electro & alternative

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

Friday 06.06.08: FIRST FRIDAYS with THE MOUNTAIN GOATS / THE ANNUALS @ Museum of Natural History

First Fridays – Dinner, Discussion, Music & More

with:
The Mountain Goats || Listen
The Annuals || Listen

@ Natural History Museum
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007

FMI: http://www.nhm.org/firstfridays/

5:30pm – Tour
6:30pm – Discussion
8:00pm – Music

5pm / Adult $9, students (w. ID) $6.50, Members FREE / All Ages

Sunday 06.29.08: FLEET FOXES / THE DUTCHESS AND THE DUKE / EVAN WAY

Fleet Foxes

The opening track on Fleet Foxes’ debut EP is the perfect introduction to this Seattle band, whose carefully fashioned songs reward more active listening than your typical indie-roots outfit. “Sun Giant” begins with their soft harmonies reverberating in what sounds like a cathedral space. With no accompaniment, their sustained a cappella notes fade slowly, adding gravity to this hymn of contentment: “What a life I lead in the summer/ What a life I lead in the spring.” The only other instrument is Skyler Skjelset’s mandolin, which enters late in the song playing a delicate theme as singer Robin Pecknold hums quietly.

The Sun Giant EP– sold on tour and digitally through Sub Pop, with a proper release forthcoming– contains familiar sounds, but Fleet Foxes make something new and special with them, following their own musical whims as closely as they follow tradition. (Maybe more closely.) These five songs– modest but never spare, atmospheric but never as an end in itself– change shape constantly, taking in elements of classic rock, church music, old-timey folk, and soundtrack flourishes. Already mistaken for Southern rock (there’s not enough boogie in Nicholas Peterson’s drums for that), Fleet Foxes will bear repeated comparisons, both praising and disparaging, to groups like My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, but those connections are based on superficial similarities like geography or the heavy use of reverb. In fact, Fleet Foxes’ touchstones are much more diverse than that– and not necessarily so contemporary. – Pitchfork

with:
The Dutchess & The Duke
Evan Way (of the Parson Red Heads)

Limited number of tickets available at the door the night of the show

Saturday 06.28.08: 88.9 KXLU welcomes PANTHER / PLANTS AND ANIMALS plus Special Guests

Panther || Listen

A lot has changed for Portland’s Panther since the sassy, spastic electro-funk of last year’s Secret Lawns. For one thing, the band has expanded from the alter-ego of performance artist Charlie Salas-Humara to a duo with the addition of drummer Joe Kelly (formerly of 31 Knots). Similarly, Humara has ditched the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and heavy synthesizers of Secret Lawns for a more traditional approach to songwriting. Built on cello compositions and guitars, 14kt God is a surprising departure from the Panther of 2007. – XLR8R

with:
Plants and Animals || Listen

Plus Special Guests

Saturday 06.21.08: THE BLAKES / THE BROKEN WEST / DEAD CONFEDERATE

The Blakes || Listen

Soak the Kinks in cheap booze, reignite the Stooges’ strut and add some modern Strokes of ambition, and you have the Blakes. The jagged and glassy-eyed “Two Times” (written in seven minutes) peaks with an enraptured chant of “Shake shake shake,” while the polished “Don’t Bother Me” elevates on a fluid glide aboard an invisible jet. The Blakes play gritty-yet-hazy rock music, a throwback to a more vagabond era. – Spin.com

with:
The Broken West || Listen
Dead Confederate || Listen

Friday 06.20.08: WOLF EYES / JOHN WIESE / DAMION ROMERO

Wolf Eyes || Listen

Detroit’s Wolf Eyes generate their incomprehensibly brutal industrial noise from guitars, tapes, electronics, programming, horns and mouth. This is music that is meant to hurt as the song titles “Stabbed in the Face,” “Black Vomit,” and “Urine Burn” subtly suggest. Hardcore kids are relegated to whining wimps when these guys play at full volume. It’s brutal, it’s scathing, and it almost makes you pissed off that you’re listening to it.

Some have called Wolf Eyes the “heaviest punk band ever” and that’s probably without exaggeration. They pierce your ears better than Claire’s Boutique ever could. If you’re the type that thinks we live in an ugly, decaying world where everything is pretty much fucked, listen to Wolf Eyes. They’ll validate your feelings. – Oh My Rockness

with:
John Wiese
Damion Romero

Tuesday 06.03.08: THE METAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY (a Heavy Metal Tribute to Shakespeare) / PLEASURE / WINNERS / THE FUNDERSTORM

The Metal Shakespeare Company

Many a long-haired college student has studied Shakespeare while listening to Iron Maiden, but THE METAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY is the first band to forge the greatest texts of all time with the most epic style of music known to man. This Portland four-piece dresses like a formal Shakespeare company, but brings guitar harmonies, high-range vocals, and minute-long keyboard solos to such famous speeches as “Saint Crispian’s Day” from Henry V, and the scene of the drunken porter from Macbeth. Since their inception in January 2006, the Metal Shakespeare Company has performed with such greats as Doro, Zolar X, Thor, Dead Moon, the Hunches, the Epoxies, the Clorox Girls, and more

with:
Pleasure
Winners
The Funderstorm

Visit Midnightridazz.com for info on a group Bike Ride to the show

Wednesday 06.25.08: Indie 103.1 Presents CLUB NME with OSLO / THE HUNDRED DAYS / EJECT

Oslo || Listen

California band Oslo comprised of Mattia Borrani (lead vocals, guitars), Kerry Wayne James (bass), Gabrial McNair (guitars, backing vocals), Damon Ramirez (keyboard) and Charlie Walker (drums) has enjoyed much success independent of any label support. Their emotive and engaging live shows and self-titled, self-produced debut release (2005) garnered significant buzz and coverage from RollingStone, Billboard, Music Edge, LA Weekly and the Los Angeles Times, which named Oslo one of the top 10 bands to download in the Fall of 2006.

Oslo recently wrapped recording of their forthcoming sophomore release The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate, which they co-produced with Grammy Nominated engineer/mixer Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Mickey P (Beck, Peaches, The Eels) and Sam Fogarino (Drummer, Interpol). The critical acclaim of both their live shows and their debut release underscores not only the band’s onstage showmanship but the complexity and depth with which they compose music. Rich in texture, melody and fervor the Oslo sound conveys a layered listening experience that is as intricate as it is intelligent and evocative.

with:
The Hundred Days
Eject

plus DJ Dia spinning rock, indie, punk, electro & alternative

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

Wednesday 06.04.08: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with ED HARCOURT

Ed Harcourt || Listen

Ed Harcourt is a bit raffish and gloriously hungover, but also the best company you could imagine over a fried breakfast in Soho on a warm Saturday morning. He’s also hard-working, creative and sickeningly prolific. *The Beautiful Lie*, his fifth album in six years, in between outside projects with bands like Wild Boar and the Dead Thank Yous, is the latest in his line of inventive, adventurous records. And it’s the best thing he’s ever done. His new album is confident, expressive and moving, wide-eyed, big-hearted and hot-blooded, with a musical ambition that dazzles you. It’s an album he’s grown up with, and an album that wants you to grow with it.

with:
Army Navy
Eulogies || Listen

plus DJ Dia spinning rock, indie, punk, electro & alternative

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

Monday 06.30.08: Monday Night Residency – AFTERNOONS / THE HAPPY HOLLOWS / THE MOVIES / THE BOXING LESSON

Afternoons

The Afternoons delivered a sparkling set that strayed only slightly from the musical styles of Irving. A propulsive bass riff kicked off “Graffiti Artist” as the jangling guitars glided into place. My ears were already perked when a trumpet sounded to fill out their sound. Brian Canning and Steven Scott handled the guitars and vocals with Claire Mckeown adding another layer of opera like vocals. The Afternoons only have four songs on their Myspace page but I assume they will have some more material in time for their Spaceland residency in June. It won’t take long for the Afternoons to reconstitute the buzz they had with Irving and propel them to greater heights. – Amateur Chemist

with:
The Happy Hollows || Listen
The Movies
The Boxing Lesson

FREE SHOW

Monday 06.23.08: Monday Night Residency – AFTERNOONS / THE PARSON RED HEADS / VALENTINO / HT HEARTACHE

Afternoons

The Afternoons delivered a sparkling set that strayed only slightly from the musical styles of Irving. A propulsive bass riff kicked off “Graffiti Artist” as the jangling guitars glided into place. My ears were already perked when a trumpet sounded to fill out their sound. Brian Canning and Steven Scott handled the guitars and vocals with Claire Mckeown adding another layer of opera like vocals. The Afternoons only have four songs on their Myspace page but I assume they will have some more material in time for their Spaceland residency in June. It won’t take long for the Afternoons to reconstitute the buzz they had with Irving and propel them to greater heights. – Amateur Chemist

with:
The Parson Red Heads || Listen
HT Heartache || Listen
Valentino || Listen

FREE SHOW

Monday 06.16.08: Monday Night Residency – AFTERNOONS / EVEREST / RAVENS AND CHIMES / OH DARLING

Afternoons

The Afternoons delivered a sparkling set that strayed only slightly from the musical styles of Irving. A propulsive bass riff kicked off “Graffiti Artist” as the jangling guitars glided into place. My ears were already perked when a trumpet sounded to fill out their sound. Brian Canning and Steven Scott handled the guitars and vocals with Claire Mckeown adding another layer of opera like vocals. The Afternoons only have four songs on their Myspace page but I assume they will have some more material in time for their Spaceland residency in June. It won’t take long for the Afternoons to reconstitute the buzz they had with Irving and propel them to greater heights. – Amateur Chemist

with:
Everest || Listen
Ravens and Chimes || Listen
Oh Darling || Listen

FREE SHOW

Monday 06.09.08: Monday Night Residency – AFTERNOONS / WESTERN STATES MOTEL / WILLOUGHBY / WHITE HINTERLAND

Afternoons

The Afternoons delivered a sparkling set that strayed only slightly from the musical styles of Irving. A propulsive bass riff kicked off “Graffiti Artist” as the jangling guitars glided into place. My ears were already perked when a trumpet sounded to fill out their sound. Brian Canning and Steven Scott handled the guitars and vocals with Claire Mckeown adding another layer of opera like vocals. The Afternoons only have four songs on their Myspace page but I assume they will have some more material in time for their Spaceland residency in June. It won’t take long for the Afternoons to reconstitute the buzz they had with Irving and propel them to greater heights. – Amateur Chemist

with:
Willoughby
The Western States Motel || Listen
Winter Hinterland || Listen

FREE SHOW

Thursday 06.05.08: Manimal Vinyl presents RAINBOW ARABIA / GENEVA JACUZZI / SIDDHARTHA / CORRIDOR

Rainbow Arabia (ex-Future Pigeon)

with:
Geneva Jacuzzi
Siddhartha
Corridor

Tickets available at the door

Sunday 06.15.08: DOSH / ANATHALLO / KARIN TATOYAN

Dosh || Listen

Even in this age, songwriters relying too heavily on samplers and electronic effects run the risk of creating cold, soulless, boring music that lacks a human touch. That emphatically isn’t a problem for Minneapolis musician Martin Dosh, whose deft touch at manipulating sound seems to grow more organic and appealing with each record, including his fourth solo disc, Wolves And Wishes. Dosh is probably known best as a collaborator of Andrew Bird, whose similar approach to loop-based music led to Dosh joining Bird’s live show and co-writing the 2007 disc Armchair Apocrypha. On Wolves, Dosh gathers a crowd of accomplished improvisers, including Bird, Bonnie “Prince” Billy (who adds an appropriately haunting wail to “Bury The Ghost”), and a bevy of Twin Cities musicians, including Bad Plus drummer David King, guitarist Jeremy Ylvisaker, and Happy Apple saxophonist Mike Lewis, who also accompanies Dosh on tour. Dosh breaks up and recombines their contributions to create new, flowing currents of polyrhythmic melody. Largely instrumental, his songs are freed from the shackles of verse-chorus-verse structure, and seem instead to evolve like dreams, always in motion and revealing new surprises at each turn. – The Onion AV Club

with:
Anathallo || Listen
Karin Tatoyan || Listen

Wednesday 06.11.08: Indie 103.1 Presents CLUB NME with OSLO

Oslo || Listen

California band Oslo comprised of Mattia Borrani (lead vocals, guitars), Kerry Wayne James (bass), Gabrial McNair (guitars, backing vocals), Damon Ramirez (keyboard) and Charlie Walker (drums) has enjoyed much success independent of any label support. Their emotive and engaging live shows and self-titled, self-produced debut release (2005) garnered significant buzz and coverage from RollingStone, Billboard, Music Edge, LA Weekly and the Los Angeles Times, which named Oslo one of the top 10 bands to download in the Fall of 2006.

Oslo recently wrapped recording of their forthcoming sophomore release The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate, which they co-produced with Grammy Nominated engineer/mixer Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Mickey P (Beck, Peaches, The Eels) and Sam Fogarino (Drummer, Interpol). The critical acclaim of both their live shows and their debut release underscores not only the band’s onstage showmanship but the complexity and depth with which they compose music. Rich in texture, melody and fervor the Oslo sound conveys a layered listening experience that is as intricate as it is intelligent and evocative.

plus DJ Dia spinning rock, indie, punk, electro & alternative

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

Thursday 06.12.08: DAX RIGGS / THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS / JOHN BARRETT’S BASS DRUM OF DEATH

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:
The Builders and The Butchers
John Barrett’s Bass Drum of Death

Tuesday 06.10.08: JEREMY ENIGK / DAMIEN JURADO / HAPPY STARS

Jeremy Enigk

Enigk’s biggest claim to fame is his involvement with Sunny Day Real Estate, who released five albums from 1993 to 2000, in which he served as lead singer, co-songwriter and guitarist. Although he is often cited as a progenitor of emo music, he has sought to distance himself from those types of bands. Enigk returns with the quick follow-up to last year’s highly acclaimed World Waits with The Missing Link, which features brand new material along with acoustic versions from World Waits. – Insound

with:
Damien Jurado
Happy Stars

Monday 06.02.08: Monday Night Residency – AFTERNOONS / WARPAINT / KENAN BELL / GUS BLACK

Afternoons

The Afternoons delivered a sparkling set that strayed only slightly from the musical styles of Irving. A propulsive bass riff kicked off “Graffiti Artist” as the jangling guitars glided into place. My ears were already perked when a trumpet sounded to fill out their sound. Brian Canning and Steven Scott handled the guitars and vocals with Claire Mckeown adding another layer of opera like vocals. The Afternoons only have four songs on their Myspace page but I assume they will have some more material in time for their Spaceland residency in June. It won’t take long for the Afternoons to reconstitute the buzz they had with Irving and propel them to greater heights. – Amateur Chemist

with:
Warpaint
Kenan Bell
Gus Black

FREE SHOW

Sunday 06.01.08: The Neil Hamburger Country Winners Revue with NEIL HAMBURGER

Neil Hamburger with the Too-Good-For-Neil-Hamburger Band

With the Drag City release of his Sings Country Winners album on April 22, Neil Hamburger will make the transition from sadistically awkward stand-up comic to full-blown (albeit humorous) country western crooner. True to its title, the record consists of honest-to-goodness honky tonkin’ music.

To complete the metamorphosis, Hamburger will play a series of West Coast shows in May and June where he’ll be joined by the band that plays on the record. Those players include Rachel Haden, Prairie Prince, Dave Gleason, Atom Ellis, and Joe Goldmark, and between them, they’ve worked with the likes of George Harrison, John Fogerty, Weezer, Link Wray, and…the New Cars. Well, you win some, you lose some. – Pitchfork