Monday 06.29.09: Monday Night Residency – CASTLEDOOR

Castledoor || Listen || Watch

From the swinging, rubberband rhythms of “Dumpster Diving”’s melodic surge to the swaying “We Will” to the slow motion, twinkling sweetness of “Nightlight”’s autumnal, leaf-drift grace, Castledoor’s ‘Til We Sink EP is nearly as frustrating as it is gorgeous—so addictive are the record’s three soul-swept and buoyant tracks that, as “Nightlight”’s final vinyl groovespun harmonies fade into the ether, you can’t help but demand an additional seven songs of smoldering rock ‘n blues. Which isn’t bad for marketing—between this and 2006’s Follow the Dove EP, expectations and demand for a full-length probably can’t get any higher. The fact that this EP is a sliver of an LP-length recording session of music yet to be released (the band: “[We] guess the record labels are having a hard time these days, or something…”) mingles a bit of nervousness and disquiet to that sense of excited expectation. Lucky us then, that if only for it’s brief running time, ‘Til We Sink generates such a lovely sense of ease and enjoyment in the listener as to render any reservations muted and the expectations at full-blast. – Web In Front

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.22.09: Monday Night Residency – CASTLEDOOR / LOCAL NATIVES / THE GLASS BEEF / MUSIC FOR ANIMALS

Castledoor || Listen || Watch

From the swinging, rubberband rhythms of “Dumpster Diving”’s melodic surge to the swaying “We Will” to the slow motion, twinkling sweetness of “Nightlight”’s autumnal, leaf-drift grace, Castledoor’s ‘Til We Sink EP is nearly as frustrating as it is gorgeous—so addictive are the record’s three soul-swept and buoyant tracks that, as “Nightlight”’s final vinyl groovespun harmonies fade into the ether, you can’t help but demand an additional seven songs of smoldering rock ‘n blues. Which isn’t bad for marketing—between this and 2006’s Follow the Dove EP, expectations and demand for a full-length probably can’t get any higher. The fact that this EP is a sliver of an LP-length recording session of music yet to be released (the band: “[We] guess the record labels are having a hard time these days, or something…”) mingles a bit of nervousness and disquiet to that sense of excited expectation. Lucky us then, that if only for it’s brief running time, ‘Til We Sink generates such a lovely sense of ease and enjoyment in the listener as to render any reservations muted and the expectations at full-blast. – Web In Front

With:
Local Natives || Listen
The Glass Beef
Music For Animals || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.15.09: Monday Night Residency – CASTLEDOOR / DEEP SEA DIVER / GUMSHOE / AGENT RIBBONS

Castledoor || Listen || Watch

From the swinging, rubberband rhythms of “Dumpster Diving”’s melodic surge to the swaying “We Will” to the slow motion, twinkling sweetness of “Nightlight”’s autumnal, leaf-drift grace, Castledoor’s ‘Til We Sink EP is nearly as frustrating as it is gorgeous—so addictive are the record’s three soul-swept and buoyant tracks that, as “Nightlight”’s final vinyl groovespun harmonies fade into the ether, you can’t help but demand an additional seven songs of smoldering rock ‘n blues. Which isn’t bad for marketing—between this and 2006’s Follow the Dove EP, expectations and demand for a full-length probably can’t get any higher. The fact that this EP is a sliver of an LP-length recording session of music yet to be released (the band: “[We] guess the record labels are having a hard time these days, or something…”) mingles a bit of nervousness and disquiet to that sense of excited expectation. Lucky us then, that if only for it’s brief running time, ‘Til We Sink generates such a lovely sense of ease and enjoyment in the listener as to render any reservations muted and the expectations at full-blast. – Web In Front

With:
Deep Sea Diver
Gumshoe
Agent Ribbons

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.08.09: Monday Night Residency – CASTLEDOOR / HOPEWELL / JOHN WEBSTERS JOHNS / EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

Castledoor || Listen || Watch

From the swinging, rubberband rhythms of “Dumpster Diving”’s melodic surge to the swaying “We Will” to the slow motion, twinkling sweetness of “Nightlight”’s autumnal, leaf-drift grace, Castledoor’s ‘Til We Sink EP is nearly as frustrating as it is gorgeous—so addictive are the record’s three soul-swept and buoyant tracks that, as “Nightlight”’s final vinyl groovespun harmonies fade into the ether, you can’t help but demand an additional seven songs of smoldering rock ‘n blues. Which isn’t bad for marketing—between this and 2006’s Follow the Dove EP, expectations and demand for a full-length probably can’t get any higher. The fact that this EP is a sliver of an LP-length recording session of music yet to be released (the band: “[We] guess the record labels are having a hard time these days, or something…”) mingles a bit of nervousness and disquiet to that sense of excited expectation. Lucky us then, that if only for it’s brief running time, ‘Til We Sink generates such a lovely sense of ease and enjoyment in the listener as to render any reservations muted and the expectations at full-blast. – Web In Front

With:
Hopewell || Listen
John Webster Johns || Listen
Eastern Conference Champions || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 06.01.09: Monday Night Residency – CASTLEDOOR / BUTTERFLY BOUCHER / THE MONOLATORS / CALE PARKS

Castledoor || Listen || Watch

From the swinging, rubberband rhythms of “Dumpster Diving”’s melodic surge to the swaying “We Will” to the slow motion, twinkling sweetness of “Nightlight”’s autumnal, leaf-drift grace, Castledoor’s ‘Til We Sink EP is nearly as frustrating as it is gorgeous—so addictive are the record’s three soul-swept and buoyant tracks that, as “Nightlight”’s final vinyl groovespun harmonies fade into the ether, you can’t help but demand an additional seven songs of smoldering rock ‘n blues. Which isn’t bad for marketing—between this and 2006’s Follow the Dove EP, expectations and demand for a full-length probably can’t get any higher. The fact that this EP is a sliver of an LP-length recording session of music yet to be released (the band: “[We] guess the record labels are having a hard time these days, or something…”) mingles a bit of nervousness and disquiet to that sense of excited expectation. Lucky us then, that if only for it’s brief running time, ‘Til We Sink generates such a lovely sense of ease and enjoyment in the listener as to render any reservations muted and the expectations at full-blast. – Web In Front

With:
Butterfly Boucher || Listen
The Monolators || Listen
Cale Parks

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 07.04.09: Filter & When You Awake present DEER TICK / DAWES / MOONDOGGIES

Deer Tick || Listen || Watch

Like many musical endeavors, Deer Tick’s mussy blend of blues-rock and faux-country started in the bedroom of the Providence, Rhode Island native, John McCauley III. Where a frayed larynx, nylon guitar and trusty four-track recorder once served as a “band,” Deer Tick (or Ixodes scapularis) has since bloated to a quartet that includes: Andy Tobiassen, Dennis Ryan and Chris Ryan. Born On Flag Day is their second LP and follow-up to the 2007 debut War Elephant (reissued in 2008 by Partisan Records with a strange bikini-and-guns cover .) Flag Day ‘s title comes partially from McCauley sharing his birthday with the U.S. holiday, and his love of Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. , and Oliver Stone’s adaptation of Ron Kovic’s novel Born on the Fourth of July . The Tickheads sealed the deal on the title during one late-night drive when they saw a mysterious dark sedan with a “JUNE 14″ vanity plate. Curiously the album’s release date isn’t on the holiday. – Prefix Mag

with:
Dawes
Moondoggies

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

Saturday 05.02.09: PRINCETON / DIVISIBLE / WRITER

Princeton || Listen

They may have an Ivy-bred name, but Eagle Rock, CA’s Princeton are more concerned with chamber-pop than condescension. Comprised of brothers Jesse and Matt Kivel, plus longtime pal Ben Usen, Princeton combine the Glaswegian gloom of Tigermilk-era Belle and Sebastian with sublime orchestration and Vampire Weekend’s bouncy, lilting rhythmic structures to formulate a sound that will send listeners off to a regal pop Valhalla. Check out the fluttering woodwinds and galloping melody of “Ms. Bentwich.” – Spin.com

with:
Divisible
Writer || Listen

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Tuesday 06.09.09: Filter presents THE LEMONHEADS / MODEL/ACTRESS

The Lemonheads || Listen

Evan Dando’s image as a slacker and a lost romantic soul was built more on his social adventures than his music. The origins of The Lemonheads were in the early hardcore punk of Hate Your Friends back in 1987 before he began the transition to the dippy country pop songs that he perfected on the classic It’s A Shame About Ray. Wandering on stage with a battered acoustic and a grin he paused to honour The Saints ‘Stranded’ that was playing over the PA. From there on in it was a mixture of the pure brilliance and the random kookiness that has come to surround Evan Dando. – Doubtful Sounds

With:
Model/Actress

8:30pm / $15 adv, $18 dos / 21+

Saturday 07.25.09: THE HANDSOME FAMILY / DANIEL KNOX / EVAN WAY

The Handsome Family || Listen || Watch

Brett and Rennie Sparks have been married and making music for more than a decade, and over that time, they’ve settled into a signature sound combining Brett’s deep baritone and penchant for mid-tempo alt-country balladry with Rennie’s surreal, macabre, often whimsical lyrics. For eight albums, the approach has yielded more than its share of solidly crafted gems, though by now surprise is no longer much of a factor. The new Honey Moon colors within the same lines. Recorded to mark their 20th wedding anniversary, the album narrows the lyrical focus to a single topic—love—and downplays the murder ballads and apocalyptic imagery of earlier discs. Still, Rennie’s choice of romantic imagery is as genially warped and haunted as ever. “A Thousand Diamond Rings” returns to a favorite theme of finding moments of strange beauty in the utterly mundane, as an Albuquerque sunset reflects off broken glass next to a pawnshop. She paints an idyllic vision of love in verdant groves in “Junebugs,” but her puckish sense of humor turns that idea on its head elsewhere, exploring the tenderness in the courtship of insects and primitive cave-people: “I perch on branches and bellow, while dreaming only of thee.” – The A.V. Club

With:
Daniel Knox || Listen
Evan Way (of Parson Redheads)

8:30pm / $12 / 21+

Thursday 05.07.09: THE SILENT YEARS / HELLO VEGAS / ROUGHED UP FOLK / THE BELLE BRIGADE

The Silent Years || Listen || Watch

“The rock sextet, The Silent Years take audiences on a magic carpet ride through lush soft-pop atmospherics and glittering rock landscapes on the band’s latest release, The Globe.  Produced by The Silent Years, the music has avant-pop intonations relatable to The Arcade Fire, a chamber-rock bounce liken to The Polyphonic Spree, and folk rock inflections with the sensibilities of Ben’s Brother. The music is designed to be savored as the songs penetrate deeper into the listener’s mind with each take. The band’s emotional esthetics comes through in each track with meaningful chord changes and tempo shifts that go in rhythm with the story being told in each song.” – Absolute Punk

with:
Hello Vegas
Roughed Up Folk
The Belle Brigade

8:30pm / $8 adv, $10 doors / 21+

Thursday 04.30.09: JONNEINE ZAPATA / ONE ESKIMO / CIRCUS MINOR / MORGAN PHALEN

Jonneine Zapata || Listen || Watch

Jonneine Zapata casts herself as something of a mystery woman, and it’s not just the icy, inhabited-by-the-music glare she projects onstage. The L.A.-singer will have you believe that with little more music training than the exposure to Mom’s record collection (heavy on the Motown) and childhood sing-alongs she has arrived where she is today, fronting a quintet and holding listeners rapt with her sultry, dusky stylings.

Her arrival was announced by her debut, “Cast the Demons Out,” one of the most compelling releases to come down L.A.’s musical freeways in recent months. It simmers in places and boils in others, roiling in the same dark undercurrents explored by the likes of Johnette Napolitano and PJ Harvey. The album was quietly made and quietly self-released, and now with a crackerjack band behind her she seems ready for bigger stages. – Buzzbands LA

With:
One Eskimo || Listen
Circus Minor
Morgan Phalen (of Diamond Nights)

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 05.06.09: CLUB NME with DANIELSON / MARVELOUS TOY / SOUL JUNK

Danielson || Listen

Utilizing carpenter metaphors, coordinated costumes, childlike glee, Boy Scout ethics, and the his constant familial unit, Dan Smith tackles sex, potty mouths, television, death, and judgment over the course of Trying Hartz’s two discs. Noted underground engineers Steve Albini and Kramer assist, ensuring the sonics are always as interesting as Smith’s detailed missives. Without the musical ingenuity of the band, it’s doubtful that we’d be discussing much. We’re talking about a band that’s tied together loose strings from all over the weirdo pop world, uniting Anticon dudes, Soul-Junk, Stevens, and Deerhoof, and serving as a centerpiece for the Sounds Familyre label, which releases much of the most far-out and creative Christian music available.

Ships, Danielson’s 2006 album, reconciled all of the previous Danielson projects into one unified whole and stood as an art-prog juggernaut. Trying Hartz proves that, while the preceding years may not have been as coherent, the basis for all of that album’s success have always been present in his work. While “greatest hits” and the like are often useless pieces of memorabilia, Trying Hartz works as either an excellent starting point for Danielson or the perfectly paced next step for someone getting acquainted with the work of Daniel Smith and his musical family. – Tiny Mix Tapes

with:
Marvelous Toy || Listen
Soul Junk || Listen

8:30pm / $10 Advance, $12 Day of show / 21+

Friday 05.01.09: KROQ Locals Only presents USELESS KEYS / WINTER GLOVES / EAGLE WINGED PALACE / HELLO FROM RENO

Useless Keys || Listen || Watch

With a name like Useless Keys, one might be tempted to dismiss them as another one of those bands that isn’t opening any new doors. This is not the case with Useless Keys, the new project of former Front frontman Michael Bauer with Rory Modica, Guylaine Vivarat (ex-Molecules) and Michael Regilio (ex-Green and Yellow TV). Discovering this upstart quartet is like discovering one of those really cool old-timey keys- you know, the really long ones with the two teeth-that you might hold on to because of a weird feeling that maybe it someday might unlock something mysterious. In just three songs, Useless Keys’ self-titled debut EP showcases a short but sweet mish-mosh of sixties melodies and modern rhythms, droney guitars and sweet vocals and delivers a few unexpected surprises. The disc starts strong with a disturbed Ray Davies-style melody on “Down Threw” and “White Noise” manages to resurrect the power of 90′s-style climbing guitar riffs in a way that actually works when mixed up with dark undercurrents that seem to be the band’s signature. And–and this is something I hadn’t thought possible– the Floydian guitar solo in “It’s All Made Up” actually doesn’t sound cheesy. From the looks of things, Useless Keys are worth keeping around. – LA Record

with:
Winter Gloves || Listen
Eagle Winged Palace
Hello From Reno

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Monday 05.25.09: LA Record and KXLU present Monday Night Residency – GANGI / WARPAINT / LOCAL NATIVES / ALEXANDRA HOPE

Gangi

Welcome to Matt Gangi’s extremely stylized yet vaguely recognizable world. Gangi’s debut, A, acquires strength from not only the exemplary songwriting, but the vast array of musical personalities that the band displays. In a span of minutes, they could turn from Neil Young to Jethro Tull. And to that end, Gangi certainly shows signs of musical schizophrenia—juxtaposing various elements that shouldn’t mesh, and yet somehow they do. But, ultimately, what great artist doesn’t suffer from some sort of acute sensitivity to their surroundings?

Whether it be a consequence of listening to too much Young (pre-Harvest days) or not, Gangi’s high-pitched crooning effectively captures his signature nasal tenor. A’s opening track “Commonplace Feathers” definitively delineates the distinctive inner workings of the aforementioned folk-rock wizard. Even the ragged claw-hammer style of acoustic guitar, which often makes its way to the foreground, is worthy of comparison. – LAist

with:
Warpaint
Local Natives || Listen
Alexandra Hope

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 05.26.09: THE SADIES / OLD CALIFORNIO / THE HORSETHIEVES

The Sadies || Listen || Watch

Since their 1998 Steve Albini-produced debut EP and full-lenth, The Sadies have not only managed to develop a distinct personality; they’ve found endless subtle variations on a formula that could’ve easily grown tiresome by now, seven studio records and a double-live album down the roots-music road. The basic ingredients in this heaping plate of Spaghetti Western have always been moody Morricone themes, desolate Cash-esque vocals and even more desolate red-dust-choked Mars-rock-field soundscapes. All this, alternately seasoned with soul-searching Byrds-circa-Easy Rider psychedelicism, post-apocalyptic folk, Pulp Fiction-soundtrack-ready surf workouts and creek-drunk Appalachian idioms. Slather this mixture in a classic Sun Records slapback echo and serve atop the lonesome, desperate rumble of a distant blue roan’s hoofbeats, and you may just find yourself at a Toronto dinner table with these ably talented musicians.

The Sadies are also one of those notorious live powerhouses—famously backing Neko Case on the tour that spawned The Tigers Have Spoken, and earning a reputation for both their epic performances and A-list guests. But coming off of last year’s energetic double-disc, In Concert Vol. 1, The Sadies’ latest finds the band getting back to doing what—despite expert live chops—it does best: loosely conceptual studio records that maintain strong musical moods throughout. Yes, New Seasons is more of the almost-same—a new season not so much in the sense of a completely fresh beginning, but rather the same old season coming ’round again, bringing familiar feelings, but offering new possibilities. – Paste Magazine

with:
Old Californio
The Horsethieves

8:30pm / $10 adv, $12 dos / 21+

Wednesday 05.20.09: Club NME with USELESS KEYS / BM LINX

Useless Keys || Listen || Watch

With a name like Useless Keys, one might be tempted to dismiss them as another one of those bands that isn’t opening any new doors. This is not the case with Useless Keys, the new project of former Front frontman Michael Bauer with Rory Modica, Guylaine Vivarat (ex-Molecules) and Michael Regilio (ex-Green and Yellow TV). Discovering this upstart quartet is like discovering one of those really cool old-timey keys- you know, the really long ones with the two teeth-that you might hold on to because of a weird feeling that maybe it someday might unlock something mysterious. In just three songs, Useless Keys’ self-titled debut EP showcases a short but sweet mish-mosh of sixties melodies and modern rhythms, droney guitars and sweet vocals and delivers a few unexpected surprises. The disc starts strong with a disturbed Ray Davies-style melody on “Down Threw” and “White Noise” manages to resurrect the power of 90′s-style climbing guitar riffs in a way that actually works when mixed up with dark undercurrents that seem to be the band’s signature. And–and this is something I hadn’t thought possible– the Floydian guitar solo in “It’s All Made Up” actually doesn’t sound cheesy. From the looks of things, Useless Keys are worth keeping around. – LA Record

BM Linx || Listen || Watch

The members of BM LINX clearly do not wish to tie themselves down and label themselves as a genre band. Their classic rock vocals and feel good vibe are proof of this. If I had to describe their sound, I would say it’s kind of like the Rolling Stones catapulted into the electronica age – driving beats and guitar riffs peppered with synthesizers, buzzing basslines, and the occasional programmed drum loop.

Of course everyone needs a name for something once it’s even slightly distinguished itself, and so the band’s style was dubbed electro-rock. But the sound that boosted BM LINX to underground stardom and turned the head of UK super producer Alan Moulder is one that these three New York boys are constantly trying to squirm away from. There are portions of the album that take on a bluesy, down-home type feel, and then there are portions where they delve off into alternative 90s melancholia. The fascinating thing is that it seems like a natural progression – an exploration of influences tied together by electronic undertones. A post-modern stew, Black Entertainment plays like an alternation between head-banging rock and moody electronic meditations. Alan Moulder’s task of mixing such an ambitious project made up of theoretically clashing sounds was a thankless one. He cannot get enough credit for massaging BM LINX’s schizophrenic style into something cohesive and complete. This makes for an enjoyable listen. – URB Magazine

8:30pm / $8 adv, $10 dos / 21+

Friday 05.15.09: AMATEURS / THE WORLD RECORD / NEVER AT NIGHT / DEATH TO ANDERS

Amateurs || Listen || Watch

Speak Easy begins with the twangy “Omaha Nights,” one of the poppier moments on the album. The bass gives off that ’70s vibe, bringing Fleetwood Mac instantly to mind. It is easy to find yourself nodding along to this one, which easily flows into “Atlantis.” The country subtlety gets pushed aside by just a bit of T Rex, especially in the vocals of Waggoner. The music holds back for most of this track, only kicking in with a steady thumping beat towards the end. What keeps it interesting is the soaring strings of Jong, adding just enough color to keep my ears intrigued.

“Cigarettes” is one of the standouts on the album, allowing Jong’s strings to take center stage. The layered violins are surrounded by the steady pulse of sleigh bells and a kick drum, weaving in and out of the plucking of an acoustic guitar. It is a really lush instrumental, making for a nice segue into “Spectacular Fall.” The tempo stays the same going from the cinematic instrumental to this sprawling track, up until the halfway point when the beat kicks in.

Amateurs are much more about creating soundscapes than many of their indie-folk peers. They offer a nice balance of accessible ’70s countrified a.m. radio rock with their other more sonically ambitious tracks. With a debut LP this strong, I don’t expect to see them unsigned for much longer. – The Tripwire

with:
The World Record || Listen
Never At Night
Death to Anders

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 04.22.09: Club NME w/ EZRA REICH / JESSE JAMES KINGSTON

Ezra Reich || Listen || Watch

Ezra Reich is a native New Yorker, now based in Los Angeles, whose music has been described as “Beatles meets Prince” (NY Noise) and compared to “Everything from Bryan Ferry to the Cars” (TimeOut London), with songwriting that “reminds you of the value of melody” (Indieville). Most recently LA artist Juli Crockett wrote, “Ezra Reich’s music is (in my opinion) like John Maus arm-wrestling David Lynch in a Technicolor water ballet” .Here are some things that happened: In 2003, “Behind the Scenes”, from Reich’s first album Freeze the Night, was featured on AOL Music’s First break, with the song being downloaded thousands of times. In early 2004, Reich’s music was the theme to a national advertising campaign for Tommy Hilfiger’s “H” Line, featuring David Bowie. Ezra spent the rest of the year co-producing his second record, Milkshake Arcade, with Ron A. Shaffer (Ambulance Ltd., Tricky). In early 2006, Reich debuted new material at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, backed by horn and string accompaniment. This would mark the begining of his use of an all female string quartet as a permanent part of the live show. Ezra has toured the UK, played South by Southwest and performs regularly in both New York City and, now, Los Angeles, where he most recently performed for the David Lynch Foundation benefit.

with:
Jesse James Kingston || Watch

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Friday 05.29.09: RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS / MISS DERRINGER / UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND

Riverboat Gamblers || Listen|| Watch

Armed with an increasingly long list of accolades for their energetic live show, Underneath the Owl is ostensibly an excuse for Denton, Texas, five-piece the Riverboat Gamblers to hit the road with some fresh material, but damned if these guys haven’t started to learn the pleasures of studio rattery. Owl splits the difference neatly, keeping the fanbase happy while still pushing the ball forward. Side A is all the big, obvious, high-sheen rock, meant to be heard blasting out of speakers in a sweaty dive bar, but it’s stuff that tends to mash together in the haze of a few PBRs. Side B, tho, while hardly a sea change, shows a willingness to grow and experiment. “Robots May Break Your Heart” sounds like a rejected Flaming Lips or Grandaddy EP title, but the band’s fearless enough to go ahead with the song anyway, and toss in some xylophone and a robotic guitar riff over lyrics like “flesh is flawed, you know it’s true”. Hey, at least it’s different, as is the steel guitar that anchors the relationship-as-film metaphor “The Tearjerker”. The breakneck “Keep Me From Drinking” boasts a Guitar Hero-worthy solo from lead guitarist Fadi Eli-Assad, and closer “Victory Lap” plays like a post-millennial “Danny Says” and captures the blur of life on tour better than any ode-to-the-road tune these ears have heard lately. Until the Gamblers blow into your town, stick with Side B. – Popmatters

With
Miss Derringer || Listen
Underground Railroad to Candyland

8:30pm / $10 adv, $12 dos / 21+

Saturday 05.23.09: LA Record presents NOMO / THOSE DANCING DAYS / VAUDEVILLE

NOMO || Listen || Watch

With its third album, Ghost Rock, Detroit, Mich. band Nomo sets itself apart from the Afrobeat masses. For much of this decade, dozens of austere instrumental bands have copied scratchy ’70s funk styles, often demonstrating a high degree of respect to their homage but, unfortunately, little real imagination. So it’s nice to hear that after two nominal albums, Detroit, Mich.’s Nomo has separated itself from the revivalist pack with a few remarkable tricks, incorporating flickers of Krautrock (on the Can-influenced “Ghost Rock”) and Chicago post-rock (as on the seemingly Tortoise-inspired “Brainwave”) into its usual Afrobeat mix.

Such eclecticism draws more attention to the moments when Nomo indulges its Fela Kuti jones, as with the rousing saxophone funk of “Last Beat” and “Three Shades,” or the atmospheric horn choruses of “All the Stars.” And even then, Erik Hall’s fine guitar tones and bandleader Elliot Bergman’s mbira plucking give those tracks a distinctively light and eerie tone. (That is, when the latter’s not wailing on saxophone; most of the nine members play more than one instrument.) However, when Bergman engages in an intriguingly ambient exchange with Hall and percussionists Justin Walter, Dan Bennett and Dan Piccolo on “Nova,” the members of Nomo prove that they not only know Afrobeat, but also how to rock. – Paste Magazine

with:
Those Dancing Days || Listen
Vaudeville

8:30pm / $8 adv, $10 dos / 21+

Sunday 05.10.09: EL VEZ / THE HITZ / WE SHOULD BE DEAD

El Vez || Listen || Watch

Because Elvis has become an international institution who can communicate across national and cultural boundaries, it comes as no surprise that El Vez — the self-proclaimed “Mexican Elvis” — has come along. El Vez, aka Robert Lopez, has been kicking around the L.A. underground music scene for nearly 20 years. He first appeared in the early San Diego/L.A. punk band the Zeros and then played in Catholic Discipline (which also spawned lesbian folk singer Phranc).

While his records are excellent documents of the El Vez phenomenon, the only way to get the full El Vez experience is to see his live shows, which feature his band the Spiders from Memphis and the lovely El Vettes, cleverly named Priscilita, Gladysita, Lisa Maria, and Que Linda Thompson. Listening to El Vez is akin to hearing the live-band equivalent of sampling. An audience on any given night can be treated to half a dozen costume changes and might hear bits and pieces of at least 200 songs, not all of them Elvis recordings. -San Diego Reader

with:
The Hitz
We Should Be Dead

8:30pm / $12 advance; $14 day of show / 21+

Thurs 06.04.09: Aquarium Drunkard presents COTTON JONES / THE PARSON REDHEADS / LINDA DRAPER

Cotton Jones || Watch || MP3

For all intents and purposes, Cotton Jones seems like an older and less cheerful Page France. Nau’s nasally bawl has lost some of its childish naïveté, and comes across as a little more mature but sadder for its lost innocence. “Gone the Bells’” melancholy country twang makes it immediately apparent that Nau has “gone through some shit.” The tune feels like it could be the last track played for all those lost souls crying in their beers at bar close. The song’s lyrical refrain of “I was looking for your heart/through the flowers in the park” evokes the kind of images of hopelessness and regret that tend to find their home on the lonely barstool. In “Gotta Cheer Up Now” it sounds like Nau has done just the opposite of cheer up, wailing on the edge of despair over a gloomy keyboard beat. (Incidentally I love sad music so these happen to be two of my favorite tracks.) I honestly hope for the best for Michael Nau’s personal life. Until it gets better though, I hope that he continues to channel it into gorgeously sorrowful music as he has done with Paranoid. Though it may be too early to tell, after a few listens this record has affected me more than any that Page France ever released. – Culture Bully

With:
The Parson Redheads || Listen
Linda Draper || Listen

8:30pm / $8 adv, $10 dos / 21+

Sunday 04.19.09: HellYa! Night w/ THE EPILOGUES / ROB ROY / THE JERXS

The Epilogues || Listen || Watch

The Epilogues felt they had to do something with their new album, The Beautiful, The Terrifying, that was released this past July. They felt that, if they could take the overall success of their live shows, burn it on an album and sell it – hopefully it would translate well enough for the listener. While there is no comparison to their stage potency, the album does a fine job of demonstrating The Epilogues now definitive sound. Tracks “Hurting You,” “Caroline,” and “King Arthur” are wrought with appealingly addictive chorus lines and will no doubt burn their spot on radio set-lists. The Beautiful, The Terrifying: Make it the soundtrack to your sexy dance party this summer. – Colorado Music Buzz

With:
Rob Roy
The Jerxs

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 04.05.09: ALUMINUM BABE

Aluminum Babe || Listen || Watch

“Take the Cardigans, rub off their shiny surface and stick them in a filthy underground club and you may get an approximation of Aluminum Babe. But they elude simple comparison. They yank the bittersweet guitar song violently into funky disco terrain and then gently lick it with a creamy female falsetto – as heard in this selection of spiky and extremely original songs.

But this band are not merely austere pop fodder, and there is much more to them than your average Franz Ferdinand name-check. Aluminum Babe not only bop to disco while rocking to guitars, but they wield a sensual, subtle electronic undercurrent that could be found in some of the most obscure avant-dance corners. The moody acoustic pulse of “Dream Dancing” squeezes in among altogether more raucous, driving dance-punk energies, making for a fascinating sonic journey that is highly recommended.”  – Rock Sound

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 04.21.09: HEARTLESS BASTARDS / MAXIM LUDWIG & THE SANTA FE SEVEN

Heartless Bastards || Listen|| Watch || MP3

Last night at the Southgate House in Newport, the “new look” Bastards returned home and the transition was nothing short of seamless. Nothing against Lamping and Vaughn, who are well respected and talented musicians in their own right, but HB has always been about Erika. So after a quick “it feels good to be home” from Wennestrom, the band ripped into their set and as usual, I found myself concentrating on Erika and her signature croon. With a voice that has drawn in fans like Lucinda Williams, it is hard not to. And that was not the only thing about the show that seemed familiar. Southgate House was smoky and full, with plenty of beer cans being quickly disposed of, the band behind Erika, while not quite as tight as the last incarnation just yet, did a more than adequate job and not only has Erika’s voice not skipped a beat, but neither has her lack of stage banter, which is still sorta endearing if you asked me.

We were also treated to several new songs in the set, which are rumored to all be a part of the new Heartless Bastards album, The Mountain, which is due out in January from Fat Possum. At the end of the night as I headed home I could not help but think that in more ways than one, the more things change, the more they stay the same…. – Each Note Secure

With:
Maxim Ludwig & The Santa Fe Seven || Listen

8:30pm / $12 advance, $15 day of show / 21+

Thursday 04.16.09: BORN RUFFIANS / HEAVY YOUNG HEATHENS / LOCAL NATIVES

Born Ruffians || Listen || Watch

Born Ruffians is on the up and up. The young Toronto band has mostly charmed critics with its two EPs to date, but guess what? Get past Luke Lalonde’s reedy voice and the yelping singalong tendencies in backing vocals and it’s clear the group is onto something: their debut album Red, Yellow and Blue is a consistent, and consistently unexpected, pleasure.

If you took Vampire Weekend’s melodic sensibility (the clean, simple melody and bass lines), threw in a serving of Animal Collective’s late-period experimental pop joy, and laid something like Alec Ounsworth’s pointed voice over the top, you might end up approaching something like Born Ruffians’ sound. What’s most apparent on their debut is the middle bit. It’s 40 minutes of joy, with few breaks. When Lalonde sings, on the opening “Red, Yellow and Blue”, that on the flag for his own country he’d include “Blue, because I’d still have sad days”, you never quite believe it. – Popmatters

With:
Heavy Young Heathens || Listen
Local Natives || Listen

8:30pm / $12 / 21+

Friday 04.03.09: FIRST FRIDAYS with BUSDRIVER / TIM FITE / THE PHATAL DJ / T-KAY

Busdriver || Listen
Tim Fite || Listen

plus Dublab DJs:
The Phatal DJ
T-Kay

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

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

5:30pm / $9 / All Ages

Friday 04.03.09: VALIENT THORR / NIGHT HORSE / THE HIGH SAINTS

Valient Thorr || Listen || Watch

Valient Thorr seem to be angling for a position at the head of a marching mob; their combination of punk-rock speed, crushing riffs, screaming solos and anti-The Man lyrical sloganeering is a compelling and forceful one. The MC5 did this pretty well back in 1970, but Valient Thorr do it just as strong. They’re smarter than they pretend to be, synthesizing obvious influences (everyone from Bon Scott-era AC/DC to Turbonegro) into a pummeling roar, over which frontman Valient Himself rants about the cops and the conspiracy that keeps us all slaves. Their MySpace page lists David Icke, Alex Jones, Wilhelm Reich and Nikola Tesla as influences. Google those names while you rock out to this killer slab of plastic. Valient Thorr won’t save the world, but they’ll shake your candyass loose for you. – Alternative Press

with:
Night Horse
The High Saints || Listen

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

Tuesday 04.14.09: ANDY CLOCKWISE / TYLER STEELE / BROKEN METERS / JACK ADAMS

Andy Clockwise || Listen || Watch

Andy Clockwise might not be a household name where you live, but for me, he might as well be Bruce Springsteen. I’ve seen many incarnations of the Andy Band, as we call it, but his newest, tightest and most mature version is the finest. Andy is hard to describe. He’s a singer-songwriter from Australia with the musical ear and skill of Jeff Lynne and the heart and soul of the Boss himself. He’s a soft-spoken intellectual that puts everything he has into his music and his performance. The audience gets it, feels it and always responds.

There is nothing manufactured about Andy. You never ask yourself if you buy it because there’s nothing to buy; he’s not selling. He’s giving himself to the audience and the rest of his band mates. Local “hired-gun” and guitar maven Joshua Norton backs him well on the bass and keys while also serving as the glue that holds the many pieces together. – Lumino Magazine

With:
Tyler Steele || Listen
Broken Meters || Listen
Jack Adams

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 04.08.09: Club NME w/ LIVING THINGS / BLOODCAT LOVE / WHITE ARROWS

Living Things || Listen

Living Things are proud radicals who direct their musical outrage at the direst current events—war, oppression, plunder. Yet stylistically they’re retro, committed to an idealized ’60s garage psychedelia stripped of blooze strutting and doped-out solos. Yoking their opener to an instantly hummable “Take to the streets and run with me,” then qualifying that message by singing about the equally catchy attractions of backyards that rhyme with credit cards, they’re hip enough not to worry about ideological consistency. In a way, in fact, inconsistency is a principle for them. Wordman Lillian Berlin murmurs more than he declaims and prefers to share vocals with members of a shifting communal entity dubbed the “Living Things Choir,” and if that fuzzes up the lyrics, well, like most bands, Living Things are more into emotions than ideas anyway. It’s just that their emotions are about the end of capitalism. – Blender

with:
Bloodcat Love || Listen
White Arrows

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Thursday 04.23.09: CASXIO / OH DARLING / VANAPRASTA / THE NIGHTS

Casxio || Listen || Watch

If after one listen to Casxio’s “Seventeen” you aren’t filled with a false confidence that tells you that your dancing ability is far beyond par, you might be an emotionless android. The LA quartet have rightfully stockpiled props for their frenzied live show. The tunes are a fresh-as-heck and high-pitched nod to classic Prince and Talking Heads. Casxio’s Myspace features a slew of their jams, but of the bunch, URB has selected the sweet nothings from kinky bass powered “Seventeen.” With a local following which is only going to expand and a debut record somewhere in the near future, Casxio is the band to watch. So grab Mr. or Ms. right-now and shake your moneymaker. – URB Magazine

With:
Oh Darling || Listen
Vanaprasta
The Nights

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Wednesday 04.29.09: Club NME with OLIVER FUTURE / FRANZ NICOLAY (of The Hold Steady) / MONEYBROTHER (Sweden)

Oliver Future || Listen

In Oliver Future’s new configuration, Lit will remain out front, his brother will man a bank of keyboards affectionately called “rig-zilla” and Raver will drum. “Sam just went out and bought a kit and said, ‘I’m going to be your drummer and we’re going to be a three-piece,’” Noah Lit says. “So the story is we just downsized because of the economy.” Lit says the trio “locked ourselves into an antique storage warehouse” and thrashed out new songs. “If you like the more epic and weird stuff on the first record, you’ll like his,” he adds. “There’s no feeling anymore that we have to write a single. But in a weird way, when there’s just three people playing — even though the songs are out there — everything just sounds more simple. “Before we were like an aircraft carrier. But there’s something to be said for being minimalistic.” – Buzz Bands

with:
Franz Nicolay (of The Hold Steady) || Listen
Moneybrother (from Sweden) || Listen

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

Friday 04.17.09: Aquarium Drunkard Presents THE CAVE SINGERS / POCAHAUNTED / THE FINCHES

The Cave Singers || Listen || Watch

It must be the combination of shuffle stomp percussion and picking and strumming that had Matador Records labeling the Cave Singers as a folk band. But this is a misnomer; the zeitgeist that propels roots revival is a far cry from the traditional folk movement typified by Joan Baez and Woody Guthrie. The Cave Singers sing personal tunes, not protest songs on this, their debut record. These are songs that speak to the history of brash American individualism. It’s what I love about this new, dark spin on roots music. While the Cave Singers aren’t quite Gothic-Americana, they’re in the company of other Northwest bands like Hillstomp and Glassell Park 3, forging an entire new genre which mixes indie rock urban sentiments with roots music. – Three Imaginary Girls

with:
Pocahaunted || Listen
The Finches || Listen

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

Wednesday 04.15.09: Club NME with LEMON SUN / TRANSFER / HOLY ROLLING EMPIRE

Lemon Sun || Watch || MP3

“…Packed with hard driving drumbeats and accompanied with Rob’s strong voice… the listener is then rocketed into the abyss of their own imaginations. Not to mention the heavy guitar riffs that seems to resonate and awaken anyone’s soul.” – Deli Magazine

“…Lemon Sun are a versatile local pop outfit with a sound that employs all your fave 60′s-jangle-harmony-beat conventions without the tired retro smarm…charasmatic guitar-pop without pretense. Refreshing.Keep it simple, silly!”
Amoeba Records

“Their deliciously syncopated Hot Rocks’ style compositions are easy to love.While such on stage guitar-mageddon could have been deadly in different hands, each sweet, soul inspired confection was rhythmically unwrapped and devoured with the most perfect grace… Lead singer Rob Kolar rightfully belongs in the brave new generation of blue-eyed soul singers; his frequent comparisons to a young Eric Burdon (or a male Chris Clark) are not without merit.”
- L.A.Record

With:
Transfer || Listen
Holy Rolling Empire || Listen

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

Saturday 04.18.09: ABE VIGODA / THE INTELLIGENCE / THE DRONES

Abe Vigoda || Listen || Watch

“House” is the closest Abe Vigoda gets to replicating the peaky highs of Skeleton, but the sound is darker and denser than before. There’s a real heft to the guitars, and they clutter into wonderful disarray in the song’s final third, forming a perfect segue into “Endless Sleeper.” The combination of that song, and the following “Wild Heart,” displays Vidal’s newfound penchant for quiet introspection, providing a fantastic centerpiece to this EP, which contains more riveting ideas and modes of expression than most full-length albums.

There’s an undercurrent of unease, a feeling that something’s not quite right here, that runs through each song on Reviver. It’s in marked contrast to the band’s jovial presence in interviews and the fizzy juvenilia of Skeleton. But this new maturity suggests that Abe Vigoda is not a band that’s going to be easily pinned down. A few touchstones occasionally emerge; their fondness for beautiful disorientation is reminiscent of the Swell Maps’ A Trip to Marineville, and they share the cut-glass guitar aesthetic of early Wire. In fact, Abe Vigoda seems positively destined to take a similarly perverse career path to the likes of Colin Newman, Bruce Gilbert and Nikki Sudden, and it will be fascinating to see where they head next. – Prefix Mag

with
The Intelligence || Listen
The Drones || Listen

8:30pm / $8 adv, $10 doors / 21+

Sunday 04.12.09: HEADLIGHTS / THE LOVE LANGUAGE / HELLO FROM RENO

Headlights || Listen || Watch

With Some Racing, Some Stopping, the Champaign, Illinois trio Headlights steps away from the indie rock of its previous two efforts and jumps headlong into… indie pop territory. Gone are Tristan Wraight’s crunchy guitar chords and Erin Fein’s art song proclivities. In their place are eleven atmospheric tracks that flirt with classic pop, dream pop, girl group stylings, psychedelia and even bubblegum. Unlike the band’s previous two efforts, the Enemies EP and the 2006 CD Kill Them with Kindness, this disc isn’t something you’ll want to play loud. Instead, you’ll want to play it endlessly because the songs are first-rate, the songs are wonderful and…did we mention how good these new songs are? Even when it gets spacey, the songs on Some Racing, Some Stopping have hooks so catching that if they were a disease, well, I for one would be dying 1,000 deaths. Somewhere along the line composers Wraight and Fein figured out how to craft arrangements that brought out the best in their fragile melodies—and vice versa. From start to finish, there’s hardly a dull spot in the lineup. The biggest problem, in fact, is that there’s only 33 minutes of music, so every time you play the disc you’re left wanting more (hence the above comment about putting the CD on repeat play). – Popmatters

With:
The Love Language || Listen
Hello From Reno || Listen

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

Friday 04.24.09: ROCKET / SCOTT RUSSO AND THE BIG BIG BANG / THE SATIN PEACHES / MACK WINSTON & THE REFLECTIONS

Rocket

The five ladies of Los Angeles’ Rocket mash punk rock’s forward motion, girl-group lyrical delivery, and arena-filling power-pop into a slick package of chunky hooks, sing-alongs, and catch guitar riffs. – Spin

with:
Scott Russo and The Big Big Bang
The Satin Peaches || Listen
Mack Winston & The Reflections || Listen

8:30pm / $8 adv, $10 doors / 21+

Saturday 04.25.09: Rockinsider presents YOU ME & IOWA / WE FLY BY NIGHT / THE HECTORS/ AVI BUFFALO

You Me & Iowa || Listen || Watch

“Despite the band’s Midwestern moniker, You, Me & Iowa hail from Los Angeles and sound just like your typical sunny California pop band—in a good way. This is guitar/keyboard based rock with sweet harmonies, catchy melodies, spirited percussion, and slightly psychedelic leanings. The disc is just a short eight songs long, but each track bristles with sonic freshness and seems complete in itself. It’s not completely clear what the tunes are about (sample lyric: “Mama’s cookin’ in the kitchen and it sure smells great / Daddy’s locked up in the attic so he’s gonna be late”) although each word is carefully articulated, but some sort of suburban surrealism comes through loud and clear. You, Me & Iowa create a positive vibe and never let the energy flag” – Popmatters

With:
We Fly By Night
The Hectors || Listen
Avi Buffalo

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

Wednesday 04.01.09: Club NME with WHITE DENIM / THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART / THE MUSICAL DIFFERENCES

White Denim || Listen

With their EPs, Austin’s White Denim have built buzz as the next heroes of fuzzed-out psychedelic power blues in the style of the White Stripes and the Black Keys. But while “All You Really Have to Do” and “Shake Shake Shake” support that rep, their debut full-length shows a more versatile outfit. “Don’t Look That Way at It” mixes looped guitar swarms, wordless chants and off-kilter grooves. “Wda” is a gear-shifting jam that echoes golden-era Pavement. And “All Truckers Roll” is a woozy road anthem with banjo, raga-rock drones and time-signature kookiness that points to drummer Josh Block’s jazz roots. Where they go from here is anyone’s guess. – Rolling Stone

with:
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart || Listen
The Musical Differences || Listen

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

Sunday 04.26.09: NEIL HAMBURGER / ANDY KINDLER / SCOTT AUKERMAN & BJ PORTER / LAUNDRY BASKET AND SPIEGELMAN / AMERICAN SHERIFF

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:
Andy Kindler
Scott Aukerman & BJ Porter (from “Mr. Show”)
Laundry Basket & Spiegelman
American Sheriff

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Monday 04.20.09: THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / THE WHIP / ADELINE AND THE PHILISTINES / MARVELOUS TOY

The Henry Clay People || Listen || Watch

With it’s footstomping gee-tar anthems and wistful golden streaks of pedal steel throughout, the Henry Clay People’s second LP, For Cheap or for Free, is an alternately witty and ferocious, touching and rebellious record, a song-cycle of twenty-something ennui set to crackling and electric music just as likely to encourage surging blood-alcohol limits as the lyrics do a smirking introspection that never takes itself too seriously.

Unlike their solidly catchy and thoroughly indie’s debut, Blacklist the Kid with the Red Moustache, the People’s new record jumbles, blurs and builds upon its influences—a vivid cross-section that acknowledges a mindset where Tonight’s the Night, The River, GP and Grievous Angel, Tim, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, or any record produced by Glynn or Andy Johns all share shelf space—so much so that while the styles may sound/feel familiar, the results they produce add up to one of 2008’s most enjoyable (and simply fun) late night rock ‘n roll records. You might be able to hear where the Henry Clay People are coming from, but the viscerally freewheeling music forces you to be more compelled by where they’re going—they haven’t reinvented the wheel, they’ve just started rolling it in a new and exciting direction. – Web In Front

The Whip
Adeline & The Philistines
Marvelous Toy || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 04.27.09: THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / YOUNG LOVE / FLYING TOURBILLON ORCHESTRA / SWIM PARTY / DJ MARK SOVEL

The Henry Clay People || Listen

This LA band’s 2nd album is a remarkable set of classic-sounding indie-rock with clear echoes of Pavement, the Hold Steady, the Replacements and early Built to Spill, but they find their own voice with detailed songs that split the difference between sardonic and heartfelt when describing the music scene, living in debt and working part-time, transforming everyday subject matter into raging, celebratory anthems for slacker rock ‘n’ rollers and other folks just trying to make ends meet. – KEXP

with:
Young Love
Flying Tourbillon Orchestra || Listen
Swim Party || Listen
DJ Mark Sovel

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 04.13.09: THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / THE BROKEN WEST / THE WORLD RECORD / WRITER

The Henry Clay People || Listen || Watch

With it’s footstomping gee-tar anthems and wistful golden streaks of pedal steel throughout, the Henry Clay People’s second LP, For Cheap or for Free, is an alternately witty and ferocious, touching and rebellious record, a song-cycle of twenty-something ennui set to crackling and electric music just as likely to encourage surging blood-alcohol limits as the lyrics do a smirking introspection that never takes itself too seriously.

Unlike their solidly catchy and thoroughly indie’s debut, Blacklist the Kid with the Red Moustache, the People’s new record jumbles, blurs and builds upon its influences—a vivid cross-section that acknowledges a mindset where Tonight’s the Night, The River, GP and Grievous Angel, Tim, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, or any record produced by Glynn or Andy Johns all share shelf space—so much so that while the styles may sound/feel familiar, the results they produce add up to one of 2008’s most enjoyable (and simply fun) late night rock ‘n roll records. You might be able to hear where the Henry Clay People are coming from, but the viscerally freewheeling music forces you to be more compelled by where they’re going—they haven’t reinvented the wheel, they’ve just started rolling it in a new and exciting direction. – Web In Front

with:
The Broken West || Listen
The World Record || Listen
Writer || Listen
8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 04.06.09: THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / MIKE WATT & THE MISSINGMEN / READY THE JET / THEE MIGHTY ANGELS

The Henry Clay People || Listen || Watch

With it’s footstomping gee-tar anthems and wistful golden streaks of pedal steel throughout, the Henry Clay People’s second LP, For Cheap or for Free, is an alternately witty and ferocious, touching and rebellious record, a song-cycle of twenty-something ennui set to crackling and electric music just as likely to encourage surging blood-alcohol limits as the lyrics do a smirking introspection that never takes itself too seriously.

Unlike their solidly catchy and thoroughly indie’s debut, Blacklist the Kid with the Red Moustache, the People’s new record jumbles, blurs and builds upon its influences—a vivid cross-section that acknowledges a mindset where Tonight’s the Night, The River, GP and Grievous Angel, Tim, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, or any record produced by Glynn or Andy Johns all share shelf space—so much so that while the styles may sound/feel familiar, the results they produce add up to one of 2008’s most enjoyable (and simply fun) late night rock ‘n roll records. You might be able to hear where the Henry Clay People are coming from, but the viscerally freewheeling music forces you to be more compelled by where they’re going—they haven’t reinvented the wheel, they’ve just started rolling it in a new and exciting direction. – Web In Front

with:
Mike Watt & The Missingmen || Listen
Ready the Jet
Thee Mighty Angels

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 04.11.09: BLIND PILOT / LOCH LOMOND / THE F SCOTT BAND

Blind Pilot || Listen

Blind Pilot is the musical project of Portland, Ore. natives Ryan Dobrowski and Israel Nebeker. The two recorded their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, after completing a tour that took them from Vancouver all the way to San Francisco — by bike. Nebeker says the group now plays as a nine-piece collective, but you would never know it from listening to 3 Rounds. The group offers a minimalist folk sound built on Nebeker’s simple acoustic guitar and Dobrowski’s sparse drumming. It’s perhaps an appropriate soundtrack to the duo’s environmentally conscious touring style.

“When I wrote most of 3 Rounds and a Sound, I was listening to a whole lot of Neutral Milk Hotel and Joanna Newsom,” Nebeker says. The influence is clear. While Blind Pilot might not be lo-fi enough to be considered acid-folk, sonically you can’t help but notice nods to Jeff Mangum and company. The record’s opening track, “Oviedo,” features an accordion drone accompanying Nebeker’s doubled vocals, but with orchestration that never takes away from the group’s simple, singer-songwriter folk sound. – NPR Music

With:
Loch Lomond || Listen
The F Scott Band || Listen

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

Thursday 04.09.09: SPINDRIFT / RESTAURANT / WHISPERING PINES / NEW YORK RIFLES

Spindrift || Listen

Truly out-of-sight, the seven-piece band celebrates the outlaw spirit with spooky, tripped-out variations on Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti Western tradition. Live, they swirl and tremble like a lucid dream, banging a gong and shaking their tambourines for rattlesnake effect, jamming until the audience feels engulfed by a sandstorm (of course, it helps if it’s an outdoor concert and the wind is already fierce). Spindrift founder Kirpatrick Thomas (who holds together portions of the band’s East and West Coast factions) recently recorded a soundtrack to Mike Bruce’s bizarre concept film Legend of God’s Gun, which is like the original Ocean’s 11 with psychedelic rockers replacing tony rat packers. Visually schizophrenic, Gun follows a preacher turned gunslinger who travels to Playa Diablo to avenge his true love’s death. Trippy shoot-’em-ups ensue. Go west! – Salt Lake City Weekly

with:
Restaurant || Listen
Whispering Pines
New York Rifles || Listen

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Tuesday 04.28.09: BOB LOG III / WILLEM MAKER / STEPHEN BROWER & THE SILENT MAJORITY

Bob Log III

“When I turned 11 I got my first AC/DC record and that’s when I stopped putting the guitar down, let’s put it that way. I’m 33 now, my guitar playing’s 22. That means last year it became old enough to drink in America,” laughs the patently indescribable one-man-band Bob Log III. The Tucson-based Log has just lobbed Log Bomb, his latest bundle of bluesy, boozey and breast-obsessed mayhem, into an unsuspecting world. His is a baffling but playful mix of talent and novelty, truth and fiction. Accompanied only by his guitar (played with one human hand and one fabled “monkey paw,” allegedly transplanted onto his arm after a boating accident), he offers an almost ridiculous but somehow compelling musical ride, fuelled as much by his love of the guitar as his “appreciation” of the fairer sex. To truly understand the phenomenon that is Log, one must attend one of his live shows, slightly surreal, must be seen-to-be-believed experiences where Log plays the guitar like the salvation of his soul depends on it, his face hidden under a requisite helmet. Log claims the helmet serves the dual purposes of housing a mic for his vocals (“If I fall over I can still play guitar and sing,” he explains) and obscuring his face form the girl he’s hiding from (It’s like a security barricade”). – Uptown

With:
Willem Maker || Listen
Stephen Brower & the Silent Majority || Watch

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

Friday 04.10.09: MONOTONIX / THE MAE SHI / ANAVAN

Monotonix || Listen || Watch

While you can get the gist of their concert experience from breathless online reports and YouTube clips, suffice to say, if you don’t want to be covered in more than a few bodily fluids, lift musicians and their equipment in the air with your hands as they play, see flames leap from cymbals (an old trick that’s still pretty dangerous), and stare into the hoary pockmarked face of rock’n'roll itself, then whatever you do, don’t go see Monotonix live. So when it comes to their records, short of the CD spitting on you the moment you crack open the case, it’s gonna fall short.

That said, the band’s debut EP is an inspired slab of no-frills, no-nonsense guitar rock that stands in the shadow of vintage metal while stretching out for a few genuine surprises. For a band that names one of its songs “No Metal”, Body Language sure has its share of palm-muted and bottom-heavy riffs, charmingly over-the-top vocals, and even ominous, maniacal laughter on “Deadly Weapon”. Metal is definitely part of the record’s appeal– most especially for those singeing opening notes of “Summers and Autumns”– but that’s not where it ends. Monotonix certainly nods to a few hip hard-rock influences, from Sabbath to ZZ Top to maybe even a little early Iron Maiden, but there’s more to it than that. They’re far more fluid than most two-man guitar/drums lineups, as guitarist Yonatan Gat slides in and out of solos without ever throwing the rhythm off the rails. There’s serious synergy between him and drummer Ran Shimoni as the latter underlines every whim of the guitar on “Summers and Autumns” while and anchoring every stop-on-dime turn, and maintains this grasp from the sleek and relatively straightforward riffery of “Deadly Weapon” to the go-nuttery guitar of “No Metal”. – Pitchfork

With:
The Mae Shi || Listen
Anavan || Listen

8:30pm / $12 advance, $14 day of show / 21+

Tuesday 04.07.09: CLEM SNIDE / LE SWITCH / THE HELIGOATS

Clem Snide || Listen

Clem Snide began in Boston in the early 1990s. It was there Eef Barzelay and good friends Eric Paul and Jason Glasser first performed under that moniker. The band dissolved when Eef Barzelay moved to New York where he briefly dabbled in the Sidewalk café anti-folk scene before reconnecting with Glasser to reform the band and begin work on their first record “You Were A Diamond”.
On their fourth album, “Hungry Bird,” it ambitiously swings between illusory folk, dark apocalyptic dirge, and a rare spoken word performance from Pulitzer Prize winning poet Franz Wright. Lyrically Barzelay continues his quest to unearth the contradictions inherent in faith, love, and the future. Although, it is the record that almost killed Clem Snide it is also the record that convinced Barzelay that the band must go on.

With:
Le Switch || Listen
The Heligoats

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

Saturday 04.04.09: Aquarium Drunkard presents GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS / KATE MAKI / TRAVEL BY SEA

Great Lake Swimmers || Listen || Watch

For the better part of three albums, Great Lake Swimmers frontman Tony Dekkar has build a musical world of ghostly isolation. Hell, he recorded the band’s debut record in an old silo. His voice is airy and quivering on its own, but Dekkar still soaks it in reverb whenever he can. And though his folk songs tend to trudge along, slow and threadbare, he never loses the listener. There is always the slightest flourish, or a subtle lift in his voice that carries us through these bittersweet dirges.

But Dekkar apparently knows he can’t live off quiet balladry forever. Ongiara , the band’s previous effort, was hushed but far more fleshed out than their previous efforts. It let us know that Great Lake Swimmers were, in fact, a band and not just Dekkar’s work alone. And now, on Lost Channels, Great Lake Swimmers the band have arrived with a newfound vitality, a full-blooded surging sound, and songs sharp with hooks and sweet with immediate melodies. – Prefix Mag

With:
Kate Maki || Listen
Travel by Sea || Listen

8:30 pm / $12 advance, $14 day of show / 21+

Thursday 04.02.09: Aquarium Drunkard presents JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT / JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE / FRANK FAIRFIELD

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit || Listen

The 400 Unit sounds a lot more cohesive; even more so it sounds relaxed. Isbell co-produced the record with Centro-matic’s Matt Pence in between road dates. In listening to the eleven tracks, there is no question that this is a Muscle Shoals record. While the debut may have been tainted by the dark days of the A Blessing And A Curse-era DBT, The 400 Unit finds Isbell rejuvenated and eager to move on. A number of the songs seem to address his personal and professional splits with his old band, whether it be the wistful “Cigarettes and Wine” or the more acidic “Sunstroke”. Both moods are handled with a practiced ease. As happens in the Muscle Shoals tradition, The 400 Unit features keys, in this case in the form of Derry deBorga (ex-Son Volt), and that steamy Southern vibe really makes The 400 Unit shine. The sultry organ and soulful vocals set Isbell and band apart from the current gang of reverb-obsessed Americana folkers. Isbell and company have released one hell of a record. If there is any justice in this world, 2009 should see The 400 Unit making waves on the level of tour titans DBT and Lucero. – Tripwire

with:
Justin Townes Earle
Frank Fairfield

8:30pm / $15 / 21+