Friday 01.30.09: INFINITY / LOVELIKEFIRE

Infinity

Journey sing-alongs are normally reserved for moments alone in your car or an a cappella rock block in the shower. But at Spaceland Friday night, we screeched through the Streeet-light, Peep-pu-u-ul! of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” the staccatoed, Ooh, all night. All night. Oh, every night, of “Anyway You Want It,” the banshee cry I really LOVE you gir-rl of “Separate Ways.” Oh boy, did we sing along. Some of us hadn’t perspired this much since high noon at Coachella.

We were a mixed crowd of longhaired Samoans, classic-rock dudes, hair-metal queens, lesbians and a few hoochy mamas among the club’s indie regulars, all out to catch Infinity, the mustachioed, female-fronted Journey cover band. Singer Woody “Steve Perry,” with sideburns and a shag wig this side of “Oh Sherrie,” tore through song after song, while drummer Sherri “Steve Smith” Solinger, with a faux womb broom above her upper lip, hit the skins like she was going into battle. – LA Weekly

with:
LoveLikeFire || Listen

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 Day of Show / 21+

Thursday 02.19.09: KXLU and Manimal Vinyl present BLACK BLACK / ALEXANDRA HOPE / CORRIDOR / VOICESVOICES

BlackBlack || Listen || Watch

With:
Alexandra Hope
Corridor
VoicesVoices

8:30 pm / $8 / 21+

Sunday 02.22.09: NEIL HAMBURGER / KIDNEYS / THE IMAGINARY BEAR AND BARNEY PUPPET SHOW / DAIQUIRI

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:
Kidneys (Brooks Wackerman from Bad Religion)
The Imaginary Bear and Barney Puppet Show
Daiquiri

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Monday 02.23.09: Monday Night Residency – LE SWITCH / RADAR BROS. / ANDY CLOCKWISE / THE FARAWAY PLACES

Le Switch || Listen

Aaron Kyle sings as if he’s never five minutes from his last whiskey, or five minutes from his next, occasionally lurching into a down-deep growl you wouldn’t think could come from an angular white dude in a collared shirt and old browline spectacles.

But it’s that voice, and the woeful tales it conveys, that have endeared L.A. fans to the distinctly vintage soul-pop of Le Switch. “We’re not the fashion police,” Kyle says. “I think if you write a good song, people are going to respond, no matter whether it’s gonna end up in Vice magazine. Besides, I’d trade soul for cool any day.”

Le Switch’s sound, which nods to the likes of Leon Russell, Dr. John and Randy Newman, first began to take shape when Kyle fell in with drummer Joe Napolitano in 2005. Maria DeLuca (trumpet, viola, vocals) joined next, and by the time keyboardist Josh Charney and bassist Christopher Harrison had come on board, Kyle was eager to “make the Leon Russell or Harry Nilsson album we wanted to make,” he says. “Everybody in this band listens to a huge assortment of ’60s and ’70s music — there’s not a lot of new music I can drive with.” – LA Times

With:
Radar Bros. || Listen
Andy Clockwise
The Faraway Places

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 02.24.09: MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS / HE’S MY BROTHER, SHE’S MY SISTER / SQUARE ON SQUARE / THE QUARTER AFTER

Miranda Lee Richards || Listen || Watch

Miranda Lee Richards first came to some attention in 2001 with the release of her debut album, The Herethereafter, which featured a wonderfully sparkling version of the old Rolling Stones tune “Dandelion.” Written just as the Stones were entering their psychedelic period in the mid-’60s, it was a perfect little ephemeral soap bubble of a song, with atypically sunny, hippie-ish lyrics and an airy-fairy musical backing that was countered by Charlie Watts’ thunderous tom-tom fills. Richards’ remake was even more precious, with her sweetly true melodies replacing Mick Jagger’s rough shouting, and it announced the arrival of a unique stylist. Her long-awaited follow-up album, the new Light of X (Nettwerk), produced by Rick Parker, charms with delicate, carefully rendered balladry and gently laid-back pop tunes. There’s a hint of country music and wide-open spaces with Ben Peeler’s pedal-steel adornments on “Savorin’ Your Smile” and “Olive Tree,” and Richards’ radiant voice lights up the dusky guitar riffs of “Early November.” She gives good jangle on the power-pop reverie “Pictures of You,” while Parker frames her solemn piano chords with shimmering guitar plucking on the ballad “Here by the Window,” which builds a haunting momentum with bluesy grandeur. Her lyrics dip a little too often into facile clichés (“biting the hand that feeds us,” “caught in the headlights,” etc.), but Richards’ gorgeous singing usually elevates even the plainest sentiments. – LA Weekly

With:
He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister
Square on Square (former Marjorie Fair)
The Quarter After || Listen

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 21+

Tuesday 02.17.09: MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS / THE CHAPIN SISTERS / THE MOON UPSTAIRS / BIG SEARCH

Miranda Lee Richards || Listen || Watch

Miranda Lee Richards first came to some attention in 2001 with the release of her debut album, The Herethereafter, which featured a wonderfully sparkling version of the old Rolling Stones tune “Dandelion.” Written just as the Stones were entering their psychedelic period in the mid-’60s, it was a perfect little ephemeral soap bubble of a song, with atypically sunny, hippie-ish lyrics and an airy-fairy musical backing that was countered by Charlie Watts’ thunderous tom-tom fills. Richards’ remake was even more precious, with her sweetly true melodies replacing Mick Jagger’s rough shouting, and it announced the arrival of a unique stylist. Her long-awaited follow-up album, the new Light of X (Nettwerk), produced by Rick Parker, charms with delicate, carefully rendered balladry and gently laid-back pop tunes. There’s a hint of country music and wide-open spaces with Ben Peeler’s pedal-steel adornments on “Savorin’ Your Smile” and “Olive Tree,” and Richards’ radiant voice lights up the dusky guitar riffs of “Early November.” She gives good jangle on the power-pop reverie “Pictures of You,” while Parker frames her solemn piano chords with shimmering guitar plucking on the ballad “Here by the Window,” which builds a haunting momentum with bluesy grandeur. Her lyrics dip a little too often into facile clichés (“biting the hand that feeds us,” “caught in the headlights,” etc.), but Richards’ gorgeous singing usually elevates even the plainest sentiments. – LA Weekly

with:
The Chapin Sisters || Listen
The Moon Upstairs || Listen
Big Search

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 21+

Tuesday 02.10.09: MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS / LOWER HEAVEN / WHISPERING PINES / NICK JAGO

Miranda Lee Richards || Listen || Watch

Miranda Lee Richards first came to some attention in 2001 with the release of her debut album, The Herethereafter, which featured a wonderfully sparkling version of the old Rolling Stones tune “Dandelion.” Written just as the Stones were entering their psychedelic period in the mid-’60s, it was a perfect little ephemeral soap bubble of a song, with atypically sunny, hippie-ish lyrics and an airy-fairy musical backing that was countered by Charlie Watts’ thunderous tom-tom fills. Richards’ remake was even more precious, with her sweetly true melodies replacing Mick Jagger’s rough shouting, and it announced the arrival of a unique stylist. Her long-awaited follow-up album, the new Light of X (Nettwerk), produced by Rick Parker, charms with delicate, carefully rendered balladry and gently laid-back pop tunes. There’s a hint of country music and wide-open spaces with Ben Peeler’s pedal-steel adornments on “Savorin’ Your Smile” and “Olive Tree,” and Richards’ radiant voice lights up the dusky guitar riffs of “Early November.” She gives good jangle on the power-pop reverie “Pictures of You,” while Parker frames her solemn piano chords with shimmering guitar plucking on the ballad “Here by the Window,” which builds a haunting momentum with bluesy grandeur. Her lyrics dip a little too often into facile clichés (“biting the hand that feeds us,” “caught in the headlights,” etc.), but Richards’ gorgeous singing usually elevates even the plainest sentiments. – LA Weekly

with:
Lower Heaven || Watch
Whispering Pines
Nick Jago

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 21+

Tuesday 02.03.09: MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS / THE SHORE / MAGIC MIRROR / EXITMUSIC

Miranda Lee Richards || Listen || Watch

Miranda Lee Richards first came to some attention in 2001 with the release of her debut album, The Herethereafter, which featured a wonderfully sparkling version of the old Rolling Stones tune “Dandelion.” Written just as the Stones were entering their psychedelic period in the mid-’60s, it was a perfect little ephemeral soap bubble of a song, with atypically sunny, hippie-ish lyrics and an airy-fairy musical backing that was countered by Charlie Watts’ thunderous tom-tom fills. Richards’ remake was even more precious, with her sweetly true melodies replacing Mick Jagger’s rough shouting, and it announced the arrival of a unique stylist. Her long-awaited follow-up album, the new Light of X (Nettwerk), produced by Rick Parker, charms with delicate, carefully rendered balladry and gently laid-back pop tunes. There’s a hint of country music and wide-open spaces with Ben Peeler’s pedal-steel adornments on “Savorin’ Your Smile” and “Olive Tree,” and Richards’ radiant voice lights up the dusky guitar riffs of “Early November.” She gives good jangle on the power-pop reverie “Pictures of You,” while Parker frames her solemn piano chords with shimmering guitar plucking on the ballad “Here by the Window,” which builds a haunting momentum with bluesy grandeur. Her lyrics dip a little too often into facile clichés (“biting the hand that feeds us,” “caught in the headlights,” etc.), but Richards’ gorgeous singing usually elevates even the plainest sentiments. – LA Weekly

with:
The Shore
Magic Mirror
Exitmusic

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 21+

Monday 02.09.09: Monday Night Residency – LE SWITCH / VAUDEVILLE / BLANK BLUE / LES BLANKS

Le Switch || Listen

Aaron Kyle sings as if he’s never five minutes from his last whiskey, or five minutes from his next, occasionally lurching into a down-deep growl you wouldn’t think could come from an angular white dude in a collared shirt and old browline spectacles.

But it’s that voice, and the woeful tales it conveys, that have endeared L.A. fans to the distinctly vintage soul-pop of Le Switch. “We’re not the fashion police,” Kyle says. “I think if you write a good song, people are going to respond, no matter whether it’s gonna end up in Vice magazine. Besides, I’d trade soul for cool any day.”

Le Switch’s sound, which nods to the likes of Leon Russell, Dr. John and Randy Newman, first began to take shape when Kyle fell in with drummer Joe Napolitano in 2005. Maria DeLuca (trumpet, viola, vocals) joined next, and by the time keyboardist Josh Charney and bassist Christopher Harrison had come on board, Kyle was eager to “make the Leon Russell or Harry Nilsson album we wanted to make,” he says. “Everybody in this band listens to a huge assortment of ’60s and ’70s music — there’s not a lot of new music I can drive with.” – LA Times

with:
Vaudeville
Blank Blue
Les Blanks

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 02.16.09: Monday Night Residency – LE SWITCH / THE MINOR CANON / THE BREAKUPS / SWIM PARTY

Le Switch || Listen

Aaron Kyle sings as if he’s never five minutes from his last whiskey, or five minutes from his next, occasionally lurching into a down-deep growl you wouldn’t think could come from an angular white dude in a collared shirt and old browline spectacles.

But it’s that voice, and the woeful tales it conveys, that have endeared L.A. fans to the distinctly vintage soul-pop of Le Switch. “We’re not the fashion police,” Kyle says. “I think if you write a good song, people are going to respond, no matter whether it’s gonna end up in Vice magazine. Besides, I’d trade soul for cool any day.”

Le Switch’s sound, which nods to the likes of Leon Russell, Dr. John and Randy Newman, first began to take shape when Kyle fell in with drummer Joe Napolitano in 2005. Maria DeLuca (trumpet, viola, vocals) joined next, and by the time keyboardist Josh Charney and bassist Christopher Harrison had come on board, Kyle was eager to “make the Leon Russell or Harry Nilsson album we wanted to make,” he says. “Everybody in this band listens to a huge assortment of ’60s and ’70s music — there’s not a lot of new music I can drive with.” – LA Times

with:
The Minor Canon
The Breakups
Swim Party

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

MOnday 02.02.09: Monday Night Residency – LE SWITCH / WHISPERTOWN 2000 / WRONG WAY DRIVER / THE WORLD RECORD

Le Switch || Listen

Aaron Kyle sings as if he’s never five minutes from his last whiskey, or five minutes from his next, occasionally lurching into a down-deep growl you wouldn’t think could come from an angular white dude in a collared shirt and old browline spectacles.

But it’s that voice, and the woeful tales it conveys, that have endeared L.A. fans to the distinctly vintage soul-pop of Le Switch. “We’re not the fashion police,” Kyle says. “I think if you write a good song, people are going to respond, no matter whether it’s gonna end up in Vice magazine. Besides, I’d trade soul for cool any day.”

Le Switch’s sound, which nods to the likes of Leon Russell, Dr. John and Randy Newman, first began to take shape when Kyle fell in with drummer Joe Napolitano in 2005. Maria DeLuca (trumpet, viola, vocals) joined next, and by the time keyboardist Josh Charney and bassist Christopher Harrison had come on board, Kyle was eager to “make the Leon Russell or Harry Nilsson album we wanted to make,” he says. “Everybody in this band listens to a huge assortment of ’60s and ’70s music — there’s not a lot of new music I can drive with.” – LA Times

with:
Whispertown 2000 || Listen
Wrong Way Driver
The World Record

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 02.01.09: Radio Free Silverlake presents ROCK AGAINST HD with FOL CHEN / RADARS TO THE SKY / LIGHT FM

Rock Against HD – A benefit for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America

with:
Fol Chen
Radars to the Sky
The Light FM

8:30pm / $10 / 21+

Saturday 02.07.09: Tompkins Square presents CHARLIE LOUVIN / MIKE STINSON / FRANK FAIRFIELD

Charlie Louvin || Listen

2007 saw Louvin celebrate his 80th birthday amidst a swirl of activity around the release of his first studio album in ten years, Charlie Louvin. Grammy-nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album, the disc features George Jones, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Will Oldham, Elvis Costello and many others. Charlie toured and recorded with Lucinda Williams, made a video for the song “Ira”, released a field recording of one of his many in-store performances, Live at Shake It Records, played over 100 concert dates sharing stages with Ryan Adams and Neko Case, appeared on giant festivals like Bonnaroo and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and placed a medallion around Emmylou Harris’ neck inducting her into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Charlie’s self-titled album earned 4 out of 5 stars in Uncut and Mojo Magazine, and sparked a bevy of great press and renewed interest in his fascinating career.

Instead of hanging back at age 81, Charlie has instead chosen to challenge himself. Steps to Heaven was recorded live with a gospel choir comprised of three sisters, journeyman gospel pianist Derrick Lee, and Chris Scruggs adding doghouse bass and electric guitar. Louvin had never recorded with black gospel musicians before, and in doing so discovered a new musical path. “I did things on the gospel record I had no idea I could do. I’d be thinking along the way, ‘How can I do things I’ve never done before?’ And I did it.”

with:
Mike Stinson || Listen
Frank Fairfield

8:30pm / $15 advance, $17 day of show / 21+

Saturday 01.31.09: THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION / THE MUMLERS / WARPAINT

The Black Heart Procession || Listen

San Diego’s Black Heart Procession traffics in spectral, timeless music; it could be the audio backdrop for Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the score to a Fritz Lang silent film, or the soundtrack to some post-apocalyptic landscape. Since their debut, 1, in 1998, Black Heart has been steadily filling out their sound, which seemed initially constructed of nothing more than ghostly synth washes, reductive basslines, saw moans, keyboards, and singer Pall A. Jenkins’ yearning vocals (their second record, 1999′s 2, was almost percussion free). By 2002′s murder mystery narrative, Amore del Tropico, Black Heart had added a Latin twist and varied the funereal pace of their earlier records by emphasizing the guitars and punching up some songs until they practically rocked. Amore’s greatest conceit was sustaining Black Heart’s essence while adding layers of additional sonic textures from a host of contributing musicians. But Amore proved difficult to replicate live, so Black Heart’s co-founders and main songwriters — Jenkins and multi-instrumentalist Tobias Nathaniel — trimmed the contributing roster for the next record, leaving only themselves, drummer Joe Plummer (Magic Magicians, Modest Mouse) and Album Leaf members Jimmy LaValle (bass) and Matt Resovich (violin) to concoct The Spell together as a band. While such a shift could have signaled a return to pre-Amore minimalist sonics, The Spell is instead a pitch-perfect blend of Black Heart past and present, and a recording as accomplished as any that navigates similarly dark seas. – All Music Guide

with:
The Mumlers || Listen
Warpaint

8:30pm / $15 / 21+

Sunday 01.18.09: Blue Diamond Benefit with HELLO DRAGON / THE HECTORS / THE BREAK UPS / SPIDER PROBLEM

Hello Dragon

A power-popped fission of spacey rock and melodic indie pop laced with boy/girl harmonies, Hello Dragon’s Quantum Explorers is a shiny and sun-glinted collection of oddball gems—under the acoustic/electric guitar interplay, reaching vocals and propellant rhythms are a cycle of lyrics circling subjects as disparate as Los Angeles, cryptozoology, and quantum physics. Despite the sideways angles of the off-kilter subject matter, the music is breezy, top-down road music, most especially the one-two punch of “Birds of Prey” and “Rats of L.A.” The former is a looping, pulsing drive of stuttered guitars and arcing vocal harmonies; the latter is such a lovely and concise distillation of epic, swinging pop choruses that it generates a near marionette-like headbobbing amidst the irresistible and ever-present “ahhhh woooo ohhhh”s so as to sound like the song Rivers Cuomo gave up trying to write and perfect twelve years ago. – Web In Front

with:
The Hectors || Listen
The Breakups
Spider Problem

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 01.14.09: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with JER’XS / SEAN BROWN / PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS / HELL YA! DJS

JER’XS || Watch

with:
Sean Brown
Hell ya! Deejays: Hellya Heather, J-Star and Encore, plus Soild Todd spinning.
No cover after midnight.

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Thursday 01.08.09: KXLU and LA Record present GANGI / BLANK BLUE / DAEDELUS / GASLAMP KILLER

Gangi

When onetime folky Matt Gangi hit Manimal Vinyl’s showcase at the Cake Shop Tuesday with his band, aptly called Gangi, the fluttery shirts, shoestring headband, and acoustic strums I expected were nowhere to be found. Framed by shimmery curtains and Christmas lights, Matt and his mallet-wielding drummer Lyle Nesse occupied the stage with self-assurance and opened each song with a sound sample that segued into pre-recorded dance floor beats, synth, and rhythm guitar to form a backdrop for Gangi’s reedy vocals. At times the band’s sound recalled the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s psych-pop, and at others — particularly during “Animals” — Massachusetts duo the Books. But when Gangi ventured into the crowd, hand raised fervently above his head, comparisons seemed petty next to the charming enthusiasm of a musician putting aside freak folk archetypes and finding his own voice. – Spin.com

with:
Blank Blue || Listen
Daedelus || Listen
The Gaslamp Killer || Listen

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 01.07.09: Indie 103.1 Presents CLUB NME with IKOMA / THEM TERRIBLES / CARLOTTA

Ikoma || Watch

Brighton based band IKOMA seem to think it’s time to put the rock back into the roll and they may have a point. IKOMA seem to have a sound that whilst drawing on the fine traditions of American rock also has a melodic Indie snarl. Searing guitar riffs underpin vocals packed with attitude which are far more palatable than the old school “constipated shriek” of yore. They have taken the rock template, updated it and ensured it doesn’t sound hackneyed or clichéd, whilst the band’s image mixes the classic “rawk” look with what appears to be the results of the New York Dolls and Guns and Roses having some sort of logistical mix-up involving stage apparel. IKOMA are fast establishing a reputation for being hugely entertaining in a live setting and their debut single “Last Chance Honey” is set for release in the very near future. It’s got attitude, melody and a good old fashioned big bollocked Rock chorus- it recalls elements of Crazyhead’s excellent cover of the Sonics “Have Love Will Travel” which is a can only be a good thing. – The VPME

with:
Them Terribles
Carlotta

Resident DJs Dia and Solid Todd spinning. No cover after midnight.

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 01.21.09: Indie 103.1 presents CLUB NME with THE ETTES / USELESS KEYS / TULSA SKULL SWINGERS

The Ettes || Listen || Watch || MP3

Incorporating the big-beat stomp minimalism of the White Stripes and Ramones, the country-fried attitude of Wanda Jackson, and the raw, sexy power of the Cramps, The Ettes are able to take a blues punk genre becoming staler by the minute and reinvent it in their own image. What really sets this effort apart is not the ever-present thump of drummer Maria “Poni” Silver, or the dark, garage-inspired bass lines by Jeremy “Jem” Cohen. It isn’t even the fuzzy, bluesy guitar work of guitarist/singer Lindsay “Coco” Hames. What makes Look at Life Again Soon really hum is Hames’ brilliant vocal work. For this reviewer, it was love at first listen. Her catty, defiant snarl is just enough to put Hames in the ‘punk rock vocalist’ category, but the undeniable twang in her delivery will make any listener fall head over heels. With irresistibly flirtatious lines like ‘You got your big ideas/They ain’t as big as mine’, how can you not? Add these ingredients to tight, power-packed songwriting, and a hit is born. – Amplifier Magazine

with:
Useless Keys || Listen
Tulsa Skull Swingers

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Sunday 01.11.09: MAD PLANET / SUMKID AND THE MILKY WAY / THE POPULAR FANS

Mad Planet

with:
Sumkid and The Milky Way
The Popular Fans

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 01.15.09: TRIBE AFTER TRIBE / THE THRIFTSTORE ALLSTARS / PAUL NEWSOME

Tribe After Tribe || Watch

It seems that more and more metal bands are turning their heads to global problems. And while bands like Gojira and Tyr are trying to get our attention to environmental problems, Tribe After Tribe is the one holding a pacifist sign. And the word ‘pacifist’ seems a little primitive when we are talking about their work, especially the latest release “M.O.A.B.”.

The South African musician, mystic and thinker Robbi Robb takes you on an eye-opening journey to the world you live in, yet might not be aware of. The problems Robbi is pointing us at are as complex as their musical representation. It’s downright difficult to label this album with any particular style. 13 band members in total deliver diverse atmospheres, from tribal rock and Pink Floyd level psychedelia to ambient and “mystic Sufi chants”. Get it all on the “Truth and Reconciliation” and “Holy City Warrior”. The effects and samples are impressive and play a crucial role in the story being told. And though the narrative and the story itself is partially based on religious sources, the point is too important to appreciate prejudice on this.

It is and at the same time neither religious nor political. More of a deeper insight on what’s in the human heart. So what exactly is “M.O.A.B.”? Robbi can answer that: “Put down the guns, put down the books, put away the pointing fingers of blame .. come away from the temples and into the fields, and there let us work together to eradicate disease and poverty from the face of the Earth. This is the ‘Mother Of All Battles’. – Abort Magazine

with:
The Thriftstore Allstars
Paul Newsome

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 Day of Show / 21+

Saturday 01.17.09: PARAMOUNT STYLES (Scott McCloud from Girls Against Boys) / RADEMACHER / MODEL/ACTRESS

Paramount Styles (Scott McCloud from Girls Against Boys) || Watch

Girls Against Boys are more on hold than broken up, so among other things, lead growler/master of “fuck you” sass Scott McCloud has decided to take a calmer approach on his debut under the Paramount Styles name. The song titles retain certain distinguishing characteristics such as “AllEyesAreOnYouNowMyPet” and “Drunx, Whores & MZK People,” but hearing acoustic guitars, plenty of piano and easygoing riffs, and a gentler air of contemplative observations (especially on the latter song) are definitely new. Thankfully (one hopes), humanity has reached a state at which going that route isn’t seen as selling out or going soft, and if people do try that approach with you about this album, laugh at them loudly before hacking into their bank account (if you’re into that).

Failure American Style is more of a stylistic patchwork than simply Girls Against Boys go unplugged, in any event—and sometimes to surprising effect. “Hollywood Tales 2″ is a ghostly kind of Sonic Youth tribute, “Total Trash” crossed with “Rain on Tin” and classic rock, an approach revisited later with “These Starry Nights.” McCloud sometimes aims for the perfectly understandable, and at others for the kind of murky threat with which he made his name, but the generally brisk, sometimes skeletal arrangements take precedence throughout. There’s even a mournful instrumental that should soundtrack whatever midlife-crisis movie will be made for the generation of (former) alternakids, wherever they are. – OC Weekly

with:
Rademacher
Model/Actress

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 21+

Friday 01.16.09: THE MUFFS / THE DOLLYROTS / CALAMITY MAGNET

The Muffs || Listen || Watch

Kim Shattuck formed the Muffs with bassist Ronnie Barnett, drummer Criss Crass and Melanie Vammen in 1991. After two singles for indie labels Sub Pop and Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1991/92, which generated a large underground buzz, the Muffs were picked up by Warner Bros and subsequently released their powerful eponymous debut album in 1993. Shortly after, Crass left the group and was replaced temporarily by drummer Jim Laspesa for the tour.

After switching to Reprise Records in 1994 and after a year of touring in venues throughout the world, the Muffs headed back into the studio to record the follow-up, Blonder and Blonder released in 1995; now a three-piece due to Vammen’s departure.

Right before recording Blonder and Blonder, ex- Redd Kross drummer and longtime Muffs friend Roy McDonald joined the group. Happy Birthday to Me followed in 1997 and two years later in 1999 Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow was released by Fat Wreckords; a rarities collection, Hamburger, appeared in early 2000 on Sympathy for the Record Industry… The Muffs released their new CD Really Really Happy on Five Foot Two Records during the Summer 2004 and toured the US and Japan later that year.

with:
The Dollyrots || Listen
Calamity Magnet || Listen

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 Day of Show / 21+

Sunday 01.25.09: NEIL HAMBURGER / RON LYNCH / BRENT WEINBACH / BRYSON LANG / IMAGINE “THE” BAND

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:
Ron Lynch
Brent Weinbach || Watch
Imagine “The” Band || Listen
Bryson Lang

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Saturday 01.03.09: BABYLAND / BIG BOY / THE KRIS SPECIAL / WALK

Babyland || Listen || Watch

Babyland’s 2004 album, The Finger signified a shift in direction for the legendary electronic junk punk duo. Though the aggression was still present, it was no longer the dominant element. Lead vocalist Dan Gatto’s hoarse-voiced exultations were less often aggressive screams than expressions of melancholy or even hope, and the electronics were less raw, bordering on emotive synthpop. While some of the band’s old school fans decried what they saw as a softening of Babyland’s sound, most were able to appreciate The Finger for what it was: an expression of growing musical maturity. Not Modern, a four-song preview of Babyland’s forthcoming fifth album, presages a further expansion of that maturity. Title track “Not Modern” itself, which will only be released on this EP, is still possessed of a punk energy, thanks mostly to percussionist Smith’s work on his homemade drum kit, an Einstürzende Neubauten-inspired arrangement of recycled oil drums and scrap metal. Still, it’s as melodic as it is aggressive; though Gatto’s vocals are at their most breathless and intense, the rapid-fire layers of tinny analog sequences are layered into an unexpectedly pretty harmony set off by wistful piano phrases. – Regen Magazine

with:
Big Boy
The Kris Special || Listen
Walk

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Saturday 01.10.09: Indie 103.1 presents AFTERNOONS / THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / LEMON SUN / THE FLYING TOURBILLON ORCHESTRA

Afternoons || Watch || MP3

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 Henry Clay People || Listen
Lemon Sun || Listen
The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 21+

Friday 01.09.09: Indie 103.1 presents AFTERNOONS / XU XU FANG / EAGLE AND TALON

Afternoons || Watch || MP3

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:
Xu Xu Fang || Listen
Eagle & Talon || Listen

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 21+

Thursday 01.08.09: SPACELAND ON ICE with WAIT.THINK.FAST @ Pershing Square

Spaceland Productions Presents:

Wait.Think.Fast.

@ Pershing Square
532 South Olive St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

FMI: Downtown On Ice

7pm / FREE / all ages

Tuesday 01.27.09: Tuesday Night Residency – SARA LOV (from Devics) / HANDS / BRAM / YEARBOOK PICTURES

Sara Lov || Listen || MP3

The Los Angeles-based dream-pop band Devics has enchanted fans for years with its beautifully dark and moody music, but there’s hardly been a peep from the band since its 2007 album, Push the Heart. Thankfully, both singer Sara Lov and pianist Dustin O’Halloran have kept busy during Devics’ hiatus. Each is working on solo material, the latest of which is Lov’s The Young Eyes EP. Though it isn’t set for a physical release until January, the EP can currently be purchased as a digital download. It’s a glimpse into what will be Lov’s solo debut, Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming, due out in 2009.

Beginning with “New York,” The Young Eyes could at first be easily mistaken for a Devics record. O’Halloran not only helped co-write the song, but his piano playing gently backs Lov’s flawless, heartfelt vocals… Lov’s take on the Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage” is absolute perfection. Her voice is irresistibly seductive on this song, and hopefully the upcoming full-length Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming will follow in a similar, melancholic path. – NPR

with:
Hands
BRAM
Yearbook Pictures

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 day of show / 21+

Tuesday 01.20.09: Tuesday Night Residency – SARA LOV (from Devics) / WILLOUGHBY / THE ONE AM RADIO / EVAN WAY (from the Parson Red Heads)

Sara Lov || Listen || MP3

The Los Angeles-based dream-pop band Devics has enchanted fans for years with its beautifully dark and moody music, but there’s hardly been a peep from the band since its 2007 album, Push the Heart. Thankfully, both singer Sara Lov and pianist Dustin O’Halloran have kept busy during Devics’ hiatus. Each is working on solo material, the latest of which is Lov’s The Young Eyes EP. Though it isn’t set for a physical release until January, the EP can currently be purchased as a digital download. It’s a glimpse into what will be Lov’s solo debut, Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming, due out in 2009.

Beginning with “New York,” The Young Eyes could at first be easily mistaken for a Devics record. O’Halloran not only helped co-write the song, but his piano playing gently backs Lov’s flawless, heartfelt vocals… Lov’s take on the Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage” is absolute perfection. Her voice is irresistibly seductive on this song, and hopefully the upcoming full-length Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming will follow in a similar, melancholic path. – NPR

with:
Willoughby || Listen
The One AM Radio || Listen
Evan Way (of the Parson Red Heads)

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 day of show / 21+

Tuesday 01.13.09: Tuesday Night Residency – SARA LOV (from Devics) / LEARNING MUSIC / MODWHEELMOOD / PINK MOCHI

Sara Lov || Listen || MP3

The Los Angeles-based dream-pop band Devics has enchanted fans for years with its beautifully dark and moody music, but there’s hardly been a peep from the band since its 2007 album, Push the Heart. Thankfully, both singer Sara Lov and pianist Dustin O’Halloran have kept busy during Devics’ hiatus. Each is working on solo material, the latest of which is Lov’s The Young Eyes EP. Though it isn’t set for a physical release until January, the EP can currently be purchased as a digital download. It’s a glimpse into what will be Lov’s solo debut, Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming, due out in 2009.

Beginning with “New York,” The Young Eyes could at first be easily mistaken for a Devics record. O’Halloran not only helped co-write the song, but his piano playing gently backs Lov’s flawless, heartfelt vocals… Lov’s take on the Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage” is absolute perfection. Her voice is irresistibly seductive on this song, and hopefully the upcoming full-length Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming will follow in a similar, melancholic path. – NPR

with:
Learning Music
Modwheelmood || Listen
Pink Mochi

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 day of show / 21+

Tuesday 01.06.08: Tuesday Night Residency – SARA LOV (from Devics) / PATRICK PARK / HANK

Sara Lov || Listen || MP3

The Los Angeles-based dream-pop band Devics has enchanted fans for years with its beautifully dark and moody music, but there’s hardly been a peep from the band since its 2007 album, Push the Heart. Thankfully, both singer Sara Lov and pianist Dustin O’Halloran have kept busy during Devics’ hiatus. Each is working on solo material, the latest of which is Lov’s The Young Eyes EP. Though it isn’t set for a physical release until January, the EP can currently be purchased as a digital download. It’s a glimpse into what will be Lov’s solo debut, Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming, due out in 2009.

Beginning with “New York,” The Young Eyes could at first be easily mistaken for a Devics record. O’Halloran not only helped co-write the song, but his piano playing gently backs Lov’s flawless, heartfelt vocals… Lov’s take on the Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage” is absolute perfection. Her voice is irresistibly seductive on this song, and hopefully the upcoming full-length Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming will follow in a similar, melancholic path. – NPR

with:
Patrick Park || Listen
Hank

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 day of show / 21+

Monday 01.26.09: Monday Night Residency – ROCCO DELUCA / MARVELOUS TOY / THE PETROJVIC BLASTING CO. / PAWNSHOP KINGS

Rocco DeLuca || Listen || Watch

L.A. based acclaimed performer and songwriter Rocco DeLuca has completed work on his latest recording ‘Mercy,’ produced by Daniel Lanois and slated for release March 10, 2009 on Ironworks Music. Already noted for his highly praised debut — “this man is a star” raved Billboard — on the new album
Rocco delivers eleven emotionally charged, soulful songs built upon the foundation of his utterly inventive dobro playing and visceral, emotional songwriting.

Highlights on ‘Mercy’ include the title track – a slow burning ballad that highlights Deluca’s delicate and flawless falsetto and is backed by UK based band Keane, “I Trust You To Kill Me” — a driving dobro and piano centered plea and the hard rocking “Save Yourself,” latter recently added to VH1 and Fuse slated to be featured on the DVD for Fox’s feature length ‘24 – Redemption’ on November 25th. The album is centered on Deluca’s innovative playing of the resonator guitar and his multi-octave vocals — moving seamlessly from dark and haunted to light and crystalline.

with:
Marvelous Toy || Listen
The Petrojvic Blasting Co. || Listen
Pawnshop Kings

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.19.08: Monday Night Residency – ROCCO DELUCA / MUSEE MECANIQUE / CORREATOWN

Rocco DeLuca || Listen || Watch

L.A. based acclaimed performer and songwriter Rocco DeLuca has completed work on his latest recording ‘Mercy,’ produced by Daniel Lanois and slated for release March 10, 2009 on Ironworks Music. Already noted for his highly praised debut — “this man is a star” raved Billboard — on the new album
Rocco delivers eleven emotionally charged, soulful songs built upon the foundation of his utterly inventive dobro playing and visceral, emotional songwriting.

Highlights on ‘Mercy’ include the title track – a slow burning ballad that highlights Deluca’s delicate and flawless falsetto and is backed by UK based band Keane, “I Trust You To Kill Me” — a driving dobro and piano centered plea and the hard rocking “Save Yourself,” latter recently added to VH1 and Fuse slated to be featured on the DVD for Fox’s feature length ‘24 – Redemption’ on November 25th. The album is centered on Deluca’s innovative playing of the resonator guitar and his multi-octave vocals — moving seamlessly from dark and haunted to light and crystalline.

with:
Musee Mecanique
Correatown || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.12.09: Monday Night Residency – ROCCO DELUCA / IDA MARIA / HONEYHONEY / JILLIAN HANK LEIGH

Rocco DeLuca || Listen || Watch

L.A. based acclaimed performer and songwriter Rocco DeLuca has completed work on his latest recording ‘Mercy,’ produced by Daniel Lanois and slated for release March 10, 2009 on Ironworks Music. Already noted for his highly praised debut — “this man is a star” raved Billboard — on the new album
Rocco delivers eleven emotionally charged, soulful songs built upon the foundation of his utterly inventive dobro playing and visceral, emotional songwriting.

Highlights on ‘Mercy’ include the title track – a slow burning ballad that highlights Deluca’s delicate and flawless falsetto and is backed by UK based band Keane, “I Trust You To Kill Me” — a driving dobro and piano centered plea and the hard rocking “Save Yourself,” latter recently added to VH1 and Fuse slated to be featured on the DVD for Fox’s feature length ‘24 – Redemption’ on November 25th. The album is centered on Deluca’s innovative playing of the resonator guitar and his multi-octave vocals — moving seamlessly from dark and haunted to light and crystalline.

with:
Ida Maria (from Norway) || Listen
HoneyHoney || Listen
Jillian Hank Leigh

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.05.08: Monday Night Residency – ROCCO DELUCA / CRASH KINGS / JASON DIAZ

Rocco DeLuca || Listen || Watch

L.A. based acclaimed performer and songwriter Rocco DeLuca has completed work on his latest recording ‘Mercy,’ produced by Daniel Lanois and slated for release March 10, 2009 on Ironworks Music. Already noted for his highly praised debut — “this man is a star” raved Billboard — on the new album
Rocco delivers eleven emotionally charged, soulful songs built upon the foundation of his utterly inventive dobro playing and visceral, emotional songwriting.

Highlights on ‘Mercy’ include the title track – a slow burning ballad that highlights Deluca’s delicate and flawless falsetto and is backed by UK based band Keane, “I Trust You To Kill Me” — a driving dobro and piano centered plea and the hard rocking “Save Yourself,” latter recently added to VH1 and Fuse slated to be featured on the DVD for Fox’s feature length ‘24 – Redemption’ on November 25th. The album is centered on Deluca’s innovative playing of the resonator guitar and his multi-octave vocals — moving seamlessly from dark and haunted to light and crystalline.

with:
Crash Kings
Jason Diaz || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 01.22.09: WOVENHAND / SILVER SUMMIT / BLUE GIANT

Wovenhand || Watch

Don’t come to David Eugene Edwards looking for a catchy melody to whistle. If there’s something getting stuck in your head while listening to his austere, harrowing Americana, it’s the cutting edge of a heavenly archangel’s flaming sword. Ten Stones finds the songwriter adhering to the stylistic template he’s been refining since his days fronting 16 Horsepower. Edwards unleashes his chilling signature holler, foregoing traditional melodies in favor of a near-chanted rock liturgy about Old Testament judgment (“Not one stone / Atop another will stand… / This weary melody ends / The host of heaven descends”) and humanity’s moral decrepitude. If this new record departs stylistically from his massive catalog in any way, it’s the infusion of crunching, distorted guitar. His previous solo records under the Wovenhand moniker felt more foreboding than explosive, the gathering of black clouds threatening but never quite lashing the parched earth below. Searing guitar riffage on Ten Stones’ opening track “The Beautiful Axe” offers a sonic facsimile to the fire that cascaded down from heaven, singing the hair off Elijah’s arms and consuming both altar and sacrifice when he confronted the prophets of Baal. Edwards is similarly unafraid of using pyrotechnics to testify on behalf of his one true God. – Paste Magazine

with:
Silver Summit || Listen
Blue Giant || Listen

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 Day Of Show / 21+

Thursday 01.01.09: CLOSED