Sunday 10.04.09: DANTE VS ZOMBIES / GRAND ELEGANCE / GESTAPO KHAZI / DJ BEN WHITE

Dante vs. Zombies

with:
Grand Elegance
Gestapo Khazi
DJ Ben White

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 11.15.09: Hell Ya! Night with FERRABY LIONHEART / PAIGE STARK / CHARLIE WADHAMS / GRAHAM FOREST

Ferraby Lionheart || Listen || Watch || Mp3

Ferraby Lionheart, the singer with the impossibly imaginary name, whose sweet and earnest voice captured music fans and critics alike, with songs about love, life, fairy tales and more, is re-emerging with promises of a new album. Lionheart released the critically acclaimed debut Catch The Brass Ring in September 2007. Eventually after many months touring and time spent scoring a film (starring Susan Sarandon and Anton Yelchin), Ferraby parted ways with Nettwerk Records, and left his home in LA on a journey through Scandinavia in search of inspiration for a new record, ending up in his childhood home of Nashville, TN. Ferraby has returned to the do it yourself methods that gave him his start, building a studio at home and self-engineering whatever sounds may come from the little red-brick house at the end of Sweetbriar Avenue.

with:
Paige Stark
Charlie Wadhams
Graham Forest

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Sunday 12.27.09: NEIL HAMBURGER / DAVID LIEBE HART / 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:
David Liebe Hart
Imagine the Band

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Saturday 12.19.09: SPAIN (7″ single release party) / B.R.A.M / MAD GREGS

Spain || Listen || Watch

The Blue Moods Of Spain demonstrated what happened when the son of a jazzbo set forth to create a downcast, West Coast take on pure atmosphere. The cover art’s Blue Note quotation and Spain bandleader/bassist Josh Haden’s kinship to Ornette Coleman bassist Charlie Haden put the preconception of “jazz” on the tip of many listeners’ tongues. But Blue Moods was less about improvisational flair than it was about evoking a smoky, confessional vibe. Thankfully, all that ambience was backed up by considerable chops and Haden’s bottom-of-the-bottle baritone. Despite its immersion in the hipster Silverlake scene of the early ’90s (which included That Dog, featuring Haden’s sisters, Petra and Rachel), Spain had little patience for indie-rock preciousness.

Catching Up: Spain released two more albums before disbanding in 2001. In addition to various solo projects, Haden has collaborated with the Blue Man Group, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Donovan and others. Guitarist Merlo Podlewski has appeared on albums by Jack Johnson and Handsome Boy Modeling School. Haden has resurrected the Spain moniker and has plans for a new album and tour. – Magnet Magazine

with:
B.R.A.M
Mad Gregs

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

Friday 12.11.09: TRISTEZA / LOWER HEAVEN / DREW ANDREWS (from Album Leaf)

Tristeza || Listen || Watch || MP3

As circles tighten, pop music tends to repeat itself unable to see beyond horizons of more than a decade in time, and this band, Tristeza, and this new album, Fate Unfolds, continues widening their cycles, past but not post, past a simple generational genre, part and parcel with music from around the world, from their homes and homelands in Tijuana, B.C., Oakland, CA or Michigan, from Afro funk and jazz, Spanish flamenco, tropicalia, Indian raga, to krautrock, and psyche to punk. From the records start with its title “Ava”, this is a thoughtful, spiritual flight. The time-space continuum crushed into itself and pulled out from itself, a shed snake skin.

Luis, Christopher, and Jimmy are Tristeza. They’re all fathers now, getting wiser as they get older. “Castellón” reflects this with a graceful, yet shadowy noír tone combined with the band’s classic circular sonic yearning suggesting some mystery at the beginning of a quest. And though separated geographically in their day-to-day, they make sure that when they’re together the music locks in tight as ever, so there’s a driving force here that seems downright celebratory.

with:
Lower Heaven || Listen
Drew Andrews || Listen (from Album Leaf)

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

Friday 11.06.09: KARMA TO BURN / 16 / TOTIMOSHI

Karma To Burn

The threesome blasted through their numbered setlist (all of their “number” songs, that is), concentrating on later, post-Roadrunner/post-vocalist material. These guys definitely still have it, and I assume that if they had some more lead-time and some PR, these boys would have (and should have) been playing a venue twice the size (not that I’m complaining…. just meant a more concentrated dose of stoner-y metal for those of us in attendance). Hopefully they’ll come back again. – Brooklyn Vegan

with:
16
Totimoshi || Listen

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

Thursday 11.12.09:NEW YORK NIGHT TRAIN SOUL CLAP with MR JONATHAN TOUBIN / MR IAN SVENONIUS

New York Night Train Soul Clap

All night dancing to the exquisite soul 45 magic of DJs:
MR. JONATHAN TOUBIN (New York Night Train)
IAN SVENONIUS (Chain and the Gang, Vice TV’s Soft Focus, etc.)

Plus a MIDNIGHT DANCE COMPETITION for a $100 GRAND PRIZE

Featuring MC Ian Svenonius, DJ Jonathan Toubin,
and this interesting cast of judges:
MIKE WATT (Minutemen, Firehose, Stooges, etc)
JENNA THORNHILL (Mika Miko, Silver Daggers, etc)
MICHAEL GERNER (Vietnam)
JESSICA PELETA (ESPs, Weird War, etc)
WENDY YAO (Ooga Booga)

New York Night Train’s most popular party (and contest), the Soul Clap and Dance-Off, appearing everywhere from Mexico to Israel in the last month, returns to LA. The LA Soul Clap will, as always, feature dancing to the exquisitely dynamic 45s of soul proprietor Mr. Jonathan Toubin, plus the Dance-Off will be presided over and guest DJ-ed by handsome distinguished MC Ian Svenonius (of Chain and the Gang, host of Vice TV’s “Soft Focus,” author of “Psychic Soviet,” and leader of Nation of Ulysses, Make-Up, Weird War, etc.), and a distinguished panel of local celebrity judges. Doors and dancing start at 10pm, the Dance-Off for a big cash prize is at midnight, and Ian and Jonathan get you down and party you up all the way ’til 2am. Dance with them!

$100 to winner of dance Competition!

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Thursday 11.05.09: STILL FLYIN’ / YELLOW FEVER / HEARTS OF PALM UK

Still Flyin’ || Listen || Watch

It’s kind of cheating to call yourselves “a party band” when you number a gigantic 15 members. Fifteen!? No-one else could show up to see you, ever, and you’d still have a decent-sized party. To their credit though, San Franciscan ‘supergroup’ Still Flyin’ are a silly, dumb blast of a bash worth attending. There are, as you might expect, a plethora of musical styles – reggae, punk, gospel, shoutalong euphoro-pop – all fighting to be heard, but the likes of ‘Forever Dudes’ and – yeah! – ‘Aerosmith Take Me… To The Other Side’ are as much fun as you might imagine. – NME

with:
Yellow Fever
Hearts of Palm UK

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

Wednesday 11.04.09: Club NME with MILES BENJAMIN ANTHONY ROBINSON / THESE UNITED STATES / JESSE WOODS

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson || Watch || Mp3

Here’s what we already know about Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson: Alright, alright, alright! So he’s got a bunch of names… enough with all the name jokes, already. And yeah, he did some drugs once. Here’s what you need to know about MBAR: First and most importantly, he rocks. Secondly and arguably of equal urgency, he’s playing all over New York before hitting the road with TV on the Radio this summer.

I first saw Miles a few weeks back when he opened for fellow Brooklynites, White Rabbits, at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. As I walked past the merch-table, I caught a glimpse of white cotton tees that read MILES BENJAMIN ANTHONY ROBINSON IS DEAD in black caps. “Oh, so morbid, so cool,” I grimaced. My shoes were giving me blisters, so I decided to jet the few blocks home and back in time to catch WR, clad in different shoes. I was halfway to the doors when an old friend stopped me and told me about “this awesome kid, Miles” who I apparently had to see. So I stayed.

Within the second song of his set, Miles played so hard he broke every string on his guitar. The damage left his hands bloody, but couldn’t wipe the crazed smile off of his face. “He must be wasted,” I thought. And while that was probably true, it soon became very clear that Miles’ smiles were very, very intentional as he wailed telling tunes of addiction, death and his own funeral. Unmistakably dark humored, earnest, and adored by an audience of friends and admirers who heckled him to play their favorite songs of his, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson live was worth walking home with blistered toes. – CMJ

with:
These United States || Listen
Jesse Woods || Listen

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

Tuesday 10.20.09: THE HAPPY STARS / THE MEADOWS / DOWNTOWN/UNION

The Meadows || Listen

“Los Angeles-based duo The Meadows don’t just have all the right influences (Pete Yorn, Teenage Fanclub Ryan Adams and The Jayhawks) in check on their self-titled debut, they’ve also got a stunning knack for songcraft. Boasting alternating frontmen Todd Herfindal (ex-Blue Sky Roadster and Single) and Kevin Houlihan (formerly of The Fundamentals and Moontower), the pair join forces to assert — through this resourceful and immediately charming 12-song cycle — that they’ve spent enough time in almost-famous bands. From the heaven-sent, swooning of “Been So Long” to the tender, reflective “Younger Yesterday”, The Meadows’ take on guitar pop –bolstered by thumbs-up harmonies and ace arrangements — can be as dazzling (“Turn It Around”) as it is exhilarating (“Dreamer”). – AllMusic

The Happy Stars
Downtown/Union

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Friday 10.16.09: I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME / VALE / AM VS FM

I will Never Be The Same || Listen || Watch

I Will Never Be The Same took the stage and seemed to break into full stride out of the gate with a fresh, yet completely confident professionalism. Bands with this much poise are usually seasoned veterans and while the individual members have some clout in their corner (Francis Ten is a member of West Indian Girl and Josh Atchley has producing, composing and scoring films listed under the work experience column of his resume) the band as a whole has only been together a short time. In fact, their first show was less than 2 months ago.

“Set Your World On Fire” which was played early on in the set prompted my companion, and fellow IWNBTS virgin, to tweet her first impression during the song: Watching @nynex set my world on fire with @angeleenie at viper room. Other fan and tastemaker favorites showing as much promise live as they do on the recording: “I Am Not The One,” “Starfields,” and their cover of The Lost Boys Theme “Cry Little Sister” drove the set around twists and turns keeping my oft easily-shifted attention focused on them. In a mesh of synth, ticking drums, bass and an expertly wielded wah-wah pedal, the night’s supreme highlight for me was “Eyes Turning Black,” which has also sparked the interest of Dave Navarro (we have similar taste it seems) who spun the song on his show Dark Matter recently. Not bad for having only played just under 10 shows; hell, that’s not bad for having played just under 10 months! – The Owl Mag

with:
Vale
AM vs. FM

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

Saturday 10.31.09: THE FUXEDOS / PECULIAR PRETZELMEN / LOST MOON RADIO / JEAN PAUL YAMAMOTO

The Fuxedos || Listen || Watch

THE FUXEDOS are America’s favorite apocalyptic comedy-lounge-punk-jazz-storytelling-cinematic-what-the-hell?-art rock band, complete with costumes, props, and bizarrely humorous theatrics.

Members’ touring credits include such bands and acts as Les Claypool, Stolen Babies, Faun Fables, Coheed & Cambria, Idiot Flesh, and Cirque du Soleil. They’ve also individually recorded or performed with everyone from Erykah Badu to Eric Clapton and from the Silversun Pickups to The Game, and have appeared not only on the “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” game series, but also on Hans Zimmer’s score to “The Dark Knight.”

Tonight’s show also includes the Peculiar Pretzelmen, the live radio theatre of the Lost Moon Radio Show (members’ credits include Seth McFarlane’s “American Dad” and “MADtv”), and Jean Paul Yamamoto (with drummer Alan Myers from Devo).

“The Fuxedos are one of the most amazing, entertaining, enthralling, unique, hilarious and inspirational bands I have ever seen…[vocalist] Danny was a musical maniac onstage, donning masks, using crazy props, dancing up an astounding storm, singing dynamically, stomping, prancing, being riotously funny and crazed and mindblowing.”
– Paul Zollo, Sr. Editor, “American Songwriter” magazine; author, “Conversations with Tom Petty” and “Songwriters on Songwriting”

with:
Peculiar Pretzelmen
Lost Moon Radio
Jean Paul Yamamoto

DISCOUNT WITH COSTUME!

8:30pm / $5 with costume, $8 advance without, $10 day of show without / 21+

Thursday 10.01.09: AMUSEMENT PARKS ON FIRE (video shoot for “Flashlight Planetarium”) / NIGHTMARE AIR

Amusement Parks On Fire || Listen || Watch

video shoot for “Flashlight Planetarium”

Amusement Parks on Fire were holed up in Los Angeles not too long ago working on a new album. While we won’t see that release until early 2010 the band dropped the awesome Young Fight EP on iTunes and Amazon yesterday, and it’s incredible. Crushing guitars, melodic chord progressions and tightly would rhythms to tide you over. If a track like “In Our Eyes” represents what’s to come then we’re all in big trouble. You can also pick up the EP on during their current tour with Happy Mondays and Psychedelic Furs this month. – Surfing On Steam

with:
Nightmare Air

Bring your own flashlight!

8:30pm / 21+

Saturday 10.24.09: UNITED STATES OF ELECTRONICA / RED RADIO / WON FU (from Taiwan) / SCRABBEL

United States of Electronica || Listen || Watch || Mp3

Any indie dude can bawl a sad song, but singing a genuinely uplifting one is tougher. Conjuring the communal spirits of both club music and underground rock, this seven-piece Seattle act pack their emphatically nonautomated Europop with arena-rock guitars, giddy girlie vocals, and vocoders set to stun. Rewriting the rainbow positivity of old Philly soul anthems with an English-as-second-language earnestness that amplifies their band-of-outsiders bliss, these atypical party people ride a love train that doesn’t stop chugging until the final track. They just won’t allow you to mope. – Spin

Plus

Little Red Radio || Listen

Lara, one of the two lead vocalists for the Los Angeles-based Little Red Radio, is an explosive sexpot. Her rubbing of genitalia and gyrating energy unfortunately fell on a much tamer and less boozed up crowd than the music of the following acts. Should Little Red Radio have headlined this show, as they often do in their native Hollywood, it is likely that things would have been very different. Keys, guitar, horns, laptop, boom-chh-ka-chh drumming, barefeet and one very sparkly moomoo conjured up images of the Age of Aquarius, only twisted on MDMA, cocaine and Grey Goose. – Cinebarfly

with:
Won Fu
Scrabbel

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

Saturday 11.28.09: Part Time Punks & KXLU Present DUM DUM GIRLS / THE TARTANS / PEARL HARBOR

Dum Dum Girls || Watch || MP3

Hey kids, there’s even more lo-fi, garage-revivalist, distortion-riffic, cruddy, muddy, poppy rock’n'roll coming your way! This time it’s courtesy of L.A. fuzz-pop act Dum Dum Girls– actually just one girl who calls herself Dee Dee– who just played her first Dum Dum show (backed by members of Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs, and Crocodiles) last weekend and is now signed to prestigious indie label Sub Pop.

According to this YouTube video from the debut performance, Dee Dee is not afraid to wear gothy dresses with long arm-tassels in the middle of the day. We salute her for that.

Dum Dum Girls isn’t a literal overnight sensation– not quite. There’s already EPs on Captured Tracks and Zoo Music and a 7″ on Hozac. And Pitchfork’s Marc Hogan had some kinds words for the track “Catholicked” back in February. – Pitchfork

with:
The Tartans
Pearl Harbor || Listen

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

Wednesday 10.28.09: CLUB NME with SOULICO / CECI BASTIDA

Soulico || Listen || Watch || Mp3

“Put ‘Em Up” is representative of four-man Tel Aviv DJ crew Soulico’s cross-cultural chops– an exuberant synthesis of traditional Israeli folk melodies and familiar hip-hop sensibilities. They’ve got a new album called Exotic On the Speaker coming October 6 via JDub Records, which includes contributions from an array of guests, including Ghostface, Rye Rye, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, and Balkan Beat Box. – Pitchfork

with:
Ceci Bastida || Listen

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

Sunday 10.25.09: Pabst Blue Ribbon presents the Canned Laughter Tour with NEIL HAMBURGER / MIKE O’CONNELL / RANDY LIEDTKE / NICK FLANAGAN

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:
Mike O’Connell
Randy Liedtke
Nick Flanagan

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Sunday 10.11.09: THE AIRLINES / THE SURRENDER / PARADE OF LIGHTS / ECHO REVOLUTION

The Airlines

with:
The Surrender
Parade of Lights
Echo Revolution || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 10.29.09: LAND OF TALK / EULOGIES / THE MONTHLIES

Land of Talk || Listen || Watch

Let us make no mistake: Some Are Lakes, the first full-length from Land of Talk, is certainly a guitar record, but not some kind of fret-tapping, lightspeed-shredding guitar record. Neither is it some kind of convenient pop contrivance where the inclusion of guitars was just incidental in the album’s production. This is the kind of whiskey-induced guitar rock that you might expect to come from the regular band at your local bar, if the regular band at your local bar was really good.

And the album is propelled just as much by Powell’s vocals. Her lazy, sugary voice wants to bring every lost hope and pang to a boil on the album’s title track. On “Young Bridge,” Powell’s unfortunate caution makes its way into the listener’s skin and lives there. The record’s instrumentation gives its vocals form, but the vocals give the instrumentation a story.

The wonder of Some Are Lakes is the fact that such arguably masculine instrumentation goes such a long way to buoy Powell’s lady vocals. Neither takes a backseat, and the combination feels way natural. Maybe they should play this stuff at Taoist temples or something. – Prefix Mag

with:
Eulogies || Listen
The Monthlies || Listen

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

Monday 10.26.09: Monday Night Residency – KROQ “Locals Only” Presents LIGHT FM / NIGHTMARE AIR / MODERN TIME MACHINES / PARADE OF LIGHTS

Light FM

Born in the clutches of art school angst and bitter Chicago winters, Light FM began as a beacon of hope for song writer Josiah Mazzaschi ­ a poppy bouquet of cheerful songs with meaningful yet dark lyrics heavy on retro synths and grand orchestration. Quickly gaining a name in the Chicago indie music scene as one of Chicago’s most promising new bands and being compared to The Cars, The Cure, Pink Floyd and The Rentals. Light FM’s first release, “This is the Beginning of my Golden Age” was heralded as “the post-punk antidote to radio’s latest disease” (Time Out), a band that “pushes the bounds of sonic experimentation while at the same time making their songs catchy and accessible.” (Daily Herald)

When Light FM moved to LA and released “Black Magic Marker” on Devil in The Woods Records, the band’s accessibility, emotional depth and high production value soon attracted popular Hollywood shows like “Gossip Girl”, “The Hills”, “The Dollhouse”, and “One Tree Hill”. Returning to his indie roots, Mazzaschi is currently self-releasing his third album, aptly titled “Let There be Light FM” ­ with the promotional support of Myspace Records “Friends and Family” program. Full of “sticky melodies, crunchy, fuzzed-out guitars and synths on steroids” (buzzbands.la) Light FM is returning to the stage with a residency at Spaceland in LA in October, also sporting a new lineup. After playing SXSW, the band took a break and regrouped with bassist/singer Nicole Fiorentino (Veruca Salt, Spinerette), drummer Byron Reynolds (Sea Wolf, Everest, Possom Dixon), and keyboardist/singer Sophia Male. “Let There Be Light FM” will be available on iTunes October 13, 2009.

with:
Nightmare Air (Dave Dupuis from Film School)
Modern Time Machines
Parade of Lights

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 10.12.09: Monday Night Residency – KROQ “Locals Only” Presents LIGHT FM / KAV / OBI BEST / WRONG WAY DRIVER

Light FM

Born in the clutches of art school angst and bitter Chicago winters, Light FM began as a beacon of hope for song writer Josiah Mazzaschi ­ a poppy bouquet of cheerful songs with meaningful yet dark lyrics heavy on retro synths and grand orchestration. Quickly gaining a name in the Chicago indie music scene as one of Chicago’s most promising new bands and being compared to The Cars, The Cure, Pink Floyd and The Rentals. Light FM’s first release, “This is the Beginning of my Golden Age” was heralded as “the post-punk antidote to radio’s latest disease” (Time Out), a band that “pushes the bounds of sonic experimentation while at the same time making their songs catchy and accessible.” (Daily Herald)

When Light FM moved to LA and released “Black Magic Marker” on Devil in The Woods Records, the band’s accessibility, emotional depth and high production value soon attracted popular Hollywood shows like “Gossip Girl”, “The Hills”, “The Dollhouse”, and “One Tree Hill”. Returning to his indie roots, Mazzaschi is currently self-releasing his third album, aptly titled “Let There be Light FM” ­ with the promotional support of Myspace Records “Friends and Family” program. Full of “sticky melodies, crunchy, fuzzed-out guitars and synths on steroids” (buzzbands.la) Light FM is returning to the stage with a residency at Spaceland in LA in October, also sporting a new lineup. After playing SXSW, the band took a break and regrouped with bassist/singer Nicole Fiorentino (Veruca Salt, Spinerette), drummer Byron Reynolds (Sea Wolf, Everest, Possom Dixon), and keyboardist/singer Sophia Male. “Let There Be Light FM” will be available on iTunes October 13, 2009.

With:
Kav || Mp3
Obi Best
Wrong Way Driver (Brian Thornell from Earlimart/Pine Martin)

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 10.05.09: Monday Night Residency – KROQ “Locals Only” Presents LIGHT FM / WE BARBARIANS / TIGERS CAN BITE YOU / QUEEN KWONG

Light FM

Born in the clutches of art school angst and bitter Chicago winters, Light FM began as a beacon of hope for song writer Josiah Mazzaschi ­ a poppy bouquet of cheerful songs with meaningful yet dark lyrics heavy on retro synths and grand orchestration. Quickly gaining a name in the Chicago indie music scene as one of Chicago’s most promising new bands and being compared to The Cars, The Cure, Pink Floyd and The Rentals. Light FM’s first release, “This is the Beginning of my Golden Age” was heralded as “the post-punk antidote to radio’s latest disease” (Time Out), a band that “pushes the bounds of sonic experimentation while at the same time making their songs catchy and accessible.” (Daily Herald)

When Light FM moved to LA and released “Black Magic Marker” on Devil in The Woods Records, the band’s accessibility, emotional depth and high production value soon attracted popular Hollywood shows like “Gossip Girl”, “The Hills”, “The Dollhouse”, and “One Tree Hill”. Returning to his indie roots, Mazzaschi is currently self-releasing his third album, aptly titled “Let There be Light FM” ­ with the promotional support of Myspace Records “Friends and Family” program. Full of “sticky melodies, crunchy, fuzzed-out guitars and synths on steroids” (buzzbands.la) Light FM is returning to the stage with a residency at Spaceland in LA in October, also sporting a new lineup. After playing SXSW, the band took a break and regrouped with bassist/singer Nicole Fiorentino (Veruca Salt, Spinerette), drummer Byron Reynolds (Sea Wolf, Everest, Possom Dixon), and keyboardist/singer Sophia Male. “Let There Be Light FM” will be available on iTunes October 13, 2009.

with:
We Barbarians
Tigers Can Bite You
Queen Kwong

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Friday 10.02.09: THE POSTMARKS / BROOKVILLE / ENDLESS HALLWAY

The Postmarks || Listen || Watch

the Postmarks, who, rather than dial it down DIY-ward, have ramped it up to the rafters with their second full-length collection of originals, Memoirs at the End of the World. In case the title and cover art didn’t clue you in, this is the Postmarks hopped up on some Mancini/Morricone/John Barry axis of cinephilia (something they touched on on last year’s cover outing By the Numbers) and embracing all the bold horns, cascading strings, and percussive panache that come with it. Lavish and evocative are the keywords here; there’s even a harpsichord effect on “Go Jetsetter”, a jazz trumpet outro on “Theme From ‘Memoirs’”, and some sitar business on the sumptuously arranged “All You Ever Wanted”. Several tracks also showcase a hitherto unheard grit: “Don’t Know Till You Try”, with its electronic chirps and dramatic brass, starts out sounding like a lite version of Broadcast’s “Pendulum”, while “For Better…Or Worse?” has all the tension of a spy thriller chase sequence, complete with a timpani-accented finale. Some more discerning listeners might rightly accuse the band of studio arsenal overkill, but for the most part Memoirs congeals into a thing of pristine orchestrated pop beauty. – Pitchfork

with:

Brookville || Watch

If you know Andy Chase, it’s probably as a producer who’s worked with the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, Fountains of Wayne, Juliana Hatfield, Tahiti 80 and the Trashcan Sinatras, or as a member (with his wife, singer Dominique Durand) of the band Ivy. But Chase also fronts the side project Brookville, a vehicle for his unfailingly melodic guitar pop. Brookville’s third album and best yet, “Broken Lights,” is out next week; it’ll take you to that pop place. - Buzzbands.la

with:
Endless Hallway || Listen

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

Friday 09.18.09: FUNERAL PARTY / LAYTON / SEVEN SATURDAYS

Funeral Party

Never underestimate the inspiration of boredom – LA’s Funeral Party know this more than most. Perched on the outskirts of America’s most glamorous city this – uptown dreariness, white brick mansions and faceless drive-thrus – is the scene of Funeral Party’s inception. But they’re the most exciting band to emerge from LA in aeons. – BBC

with:
Layton
Seven Saturdays

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Saturday 09.12.09: When You Awake Presents A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON

When You Awake presents A Tribute to George Harrison

A Fundraiser in Support of the Harmony Project

with performances by:

Ryan Ross (The Young Veins/Panic At The Disco), Robert Francis, Matt Popieluch (Foreign Born/ Fools Gold), Michael Runion, Amanda Jo Williams, Denver Dalley (Desaparecidos/ Statistics), Leslie Stevens (Leslie and the Badgers), The Whispering Pines, Mississippi Man, El May (Ben Lee/Luna), Andy Creighton (The World Record/Parson Redheads), Brian Whelan (The Broken West), Josh Charney (Le Switch), Eugene Edwards and John Hopkinson

and Crafts with the Coachella Valley Arts Scene

FMI: http://whenyouawake.com/

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

Saturday 11.14.09: GIL MANTERA’S PARTY DREAM / ABE VIGODA / LOVVERS / LE FACE

Gil Mantera’s Party Dream || Listen

The formerly happy hardcore duo has become a synth-rock trio with an expanded and matured sound: Party Dream has dyed their moody, danceable pop ballads in the dark and beautiful power of the electronic art rock of old. The addition of A.E. Paterra to Party Dream was a wise one. Working as both a drummer and producer for Dreamscape, A.E. he has furthered GMPD’s growth and expansion of sound. I caught the band’s most recent tour recently and was floored by how good they’d become. However, their performance still in many ways musically surpasses their studio work. Hearing all three members playing live instruments truly enhances their sound and, as proof of their maturation, the tracks off Bloodsongs that they performed were so much improved that I wish they’d re-record them. Even their ability to cover Stevie Nicks has been upgraded– they unleashed an awesome rendition of “Stand Back” from her 1983 solo album, The Wild Heart. Party Dream’s showmanship has gone off the charts. Mantera lighting his pubes on fire was one of many good-natured, zany antics, but this time the entire band came out in knock-off spandex Spider-Man costumes in all the wrong color combinations. Their clear-bodied guitar-weapons were furiously wielded and Donny’s ramblings were that of a mad man: “Pac-Man Jr. has a history of fucking my old ladies.” With all this newly-added class, Party Dream elevates the awesome energy I remember to the next level, right down to the silk-underwear striptease. – Consequence of Sound

With:
Abe Vigoda || Listen
Lovvers || Listen
Le Face

8:30pm / $12 / 21+

Saturday 09.05.09: Otik Records Presents TANDEMORO / THE VOYEURS / THE BREAK UPS

Tandemoro || Listen || Watch

Tandemoro is an energetic indie-rock band with a strong Motown influence. They are based in Los Angeles. Their live show is a dance party both on stage and in the crowd. Fronting the band is guitarist and singer, Mike Griffin (also from the bands Western States Motel and Alaskan Summer). Tandemoro includes Paul Cartwright on bass, Shannon McKinnon on the drums, and Sean O’Malley and Fanny Penny on background vocals and percussion. The band is currently touring in support of their most recent EP, Mexican Motown, while writing and recording material for their third LP, Zimbabwe Nights.

with:
The Voyeurs
The Breakups

Plus Special Guests

8:30pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 09.16.09: CLUB NME with DIANE BIRCH / GOBLIN CABIN / EVAN WAY

Diane Birch || Listen || Watch (10pm set time)

Diane Birch is a piano-playing preacher’s daughter with a shameless love for Sixties and Seventies soul and singer-songwriter pop. Her welterweight voice is strong and fetching, and with help from Joss Stone’s producers and top-shelf players, she nails some vintage sounds. “Fools” conjures Carole King, “Nothing but a Miracle” echoes Aretha, “Valentino” borrows clicky-clacky grooves from the Dixie Cups’ “Iko Iko.” Birch doesn’t much update her sources: “Ariel” feels like an old Elton John tune even though she’s referencing personal Web pages. But the melodies stick, and girl’s got taste; she’s good company for a flashback. – Rolling Stone

with:
Goblin Cabin
Evan Way (of Parson Red Heads)

8:30pm / $12 / 21+

Wednesday 09.30.09: Club NME with PAPER ROUTE / TOY HORSES

Paper Route || Listen

This Nashville group was one of our “Under the Radar” picks recently, thanks to its dreamy, synth-laden debut EP, “Are We All Forgotten”—since then, the guys have toured with indie buzz bands Young Love and Passion Pit, and landed a major-label deal. Oddly endearing, and yet equally puzzling. Live, the group kicks hard, with a percussive element that veers the band toward an emo-punk sound with a splash of synths. On record, Paper Route are all about the keyboards and mixing soulful vocals with ’80s New Wave—most effectively in “Be Healed.” Meanwhile, the guitars are muted, save for the jangly and distorted bursts on “Wish.” Overall, the album’s slight lack of edits (each song languishes about for maybe a minute too long) and the programmed feel to the tracks prevent it from converting “promising” into “mini-masterpiece.” Fans of the Postal Service, Coldplay and (obscure ’90s alert!) Satchel, however, may be smitten. – Metromix

with:
Toy Horses || Listen

Adam Franklin and Tom Williams are ukulele fuelled melodic indie duo ‘Toy Horses.’ Leaving their hometown of Cardiff for Texas, they’ve already wooed crowds at this year’s SXSW, most notably picking up support from radio KCRW’s Nic Harcourt, arguably America’s most influential DJ, credited for spring boarding the careers of the likes of Coldplay and Dido in the states. They’ve been praised by the BBC’s Tom Robinson and Steve Lamacq and have recently recorded new tracks in Nashville with Ken Coomer (Wilco) and Tim Marks (Taylor Swift), 2009 has been a good year. Their song ‘But What About The Future’ name checks Doctor Who, Stephen Fry, Rugrats, Seagulls and being too drunk to get on a plane. It also won them 2nd place in the Billboard World Song Contest. Just on the right side of quirkiness and pop sensibility, in the tradition of Libertines and Kooks. You wonder how long before Tom’s electric ukulele gets it’s airing on Jools Holland. – Liverpool Echo

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Thursday 09.24.09: ONE ESKIMO / THE IVY WALLS / SQUARE ON SQUARE

One Eskimo || Listen || Watch (10:30pm set time)

Kandi, the second single from Kristian Leontiou’s One eskimO concept is a track with a lot going for it. A melody that flickers rewardingly from mournful to heartening and a silver-slick production provided by Faithless’s Rollo provides a rock solid base. Leontiou, an East Londoner of Cypriot descent adds his delicately sweet soulful vocals to mix and then throws in a guitar lick as toe tappingly consistent as a Lemon Jelly loop.

Pure bred rockers may turn their nose up at the cutesy animations and Leontiou’s hauntingly feminine tones. Those with longer attention spans however stand to be rewarded with a friend worth clinging to on a rainy winters night. – Winston’s Zen

with:
The Ivy Walls
Square on Square

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

Wednesday 09.23.09: Club NME with THE LONELY FOREST / SHILOE

The Lonely Forest || Listen || Watch

The Lonely Forest were introduced to the world as John Van Deusen and the Lonely Forest—a piano-heavy pop project from Anacortes that was fronted by an endearingly awkward teenager (Van Deusen) and his swoon-worthy voice. After an impressive EP (and a quick snip on the name), the Lonely Forest released their debut, Nuclear Winter, in 2007. It was a solid effort, sure, but it was still dripping with youthfulness (it was a concept record about witnessing the end of the world… or something). But now the boys are proving they’re all grown up with their newest (and strongest) release yet. On their second full-length, We Sing the Body Electric!, they’ve dropped all the conceptual crap and started to rock—while still showcasing Van Deusen’s fantastic voice, of course. – The Stranger

With:
Shiloe || Listen
Resident DJs Dia & Solid Todd spinning

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Friday 09.11.09: REGGIE WATTS / ANDY KINDLER / RORY SCOVEL / NICK THUNE

Reggie Watts || Listen || Watch

Described as “Reggie Watts: Supercomedian. Faster than a speeding punchline” (Seattle Times), Reggie Watts regularly performs to thrilled crowds throughout the US and Europe. Combining looped vocals created live on stage with his unique brand of improvised comedy, Watts’ is a show definitely not to be missed by comedy or music fans alike.

In his unique sets, Reggie’s subjects range from ancient history, technology, magic, spirit elves, dragons, mythology and theology to pop culture. The music incorporates hip-hop, trip-hop, 80′s pop alternative, nu-metal and classical opera, no two songs are ever the same. Reggie loves to disorientate and confuse people in the most entertaining way. An experience I would highly recommend. Very unique and individual. A very talented man. Extreme, hilarious and very entertaining. – Three Weeks

With:
Andy Kindler
Rory Scovel || Listen
Nick Thune

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

Sunday 09.13.09: ADAM MARSLAND’S CHAOS BAND / THE ANNY CELSI BAND / THE JEFF MERCHANT BAND

Adam Marsland & His Chaos Band || Listen

Recently described in SPIN magazine as “a high-energy cross between Brian Wilson, Paul Stanley, and Elton John,” Adam Marsland’s restless muse has touched on rock, punk, baroque pop, soul and roots through the course of nine albums and 25 tours. When his label collapsed, he went totally underground, touring for 2 1/2 years and selling thousands of albums out of the back of a 1994 Toyota Tercel. Gradually, Marsland’s brutally honest, complex but catchy songs attracted a new audience, culminating when the 2008 compilation DAYLIGHT KISSING NIGHT: ADAM MARSLAND’S GREATEST HITS peaked at No. 17 on amazon’s rock chart.

In 2008 Adam completed his return to full-time music-making with a 20 track album called “Daylight Kissing Night – Adam Marsland’s Greatest Hits,” released on March 18, 2008. The CD immediately sold out across the U.S., followed by a traditional media campaign and a 40-date national tour in the summer. Upon returning home from tour he immediately started intense recording sessions for his first new original album in five years, GO WEST. With two discs and a whopping 23 tracks, GO WEST will be released on August 18, 2009.

With:
The Anny Celsi Band || Listen
The Jeff Merchant Band || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 09.03.09: HE’S MY BROTHER SHE’S MY SISTER / SPIRIT VINE / CROOKED COWBOY & THE FRESHWATER INDIANS / FORT WIFE

He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister || Watch

Your favorite tap dancing, stand up bass thumping, crazy percussion playing, hollow-body guitar strumming, tambourine slapping, sing along family band.
He’s My Brother She’s My Sister infuse humor, old time rock & roll, cowboy country, haunted melodies, and alleyway rhythms into an undeniable sound. Includes members from popular local rock & rollers Lemon Sun and surging avant-garde theater group Post Fact Productions. A unique and inspiring act, not to be missed.

also w/ fabulous psychedelic female fronted rock & roll from Spirit Vine
& the revered experimental cowboy rock expressions of…Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians
and Fort Wife

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Sunday 09.20.09: HellYa! night with BY SUNLIGHT / SHIRLEY ROLLS / LAST AMERICAN BUFFALO / CHRIS GARNEAU

By Sunlight || Listen

By Sunlight play an impressive brand of angular indie-rock. They strive very hard to create intelligent and forward thinking music that doesn’t come off as snobbish. Originally located in Sacramento, CA, they went by the name Bridges for several years and released a stellar debut album, The Underscore. Then in the summer of 2007, the relocated to Seattle, re-tooled the line-up, and in early 2008, changed their moniker to By Sunlight. Now, we also have their wonderful Self-Titled album to appreciate as well.

The album features 6 tracks and weaves on elegantly for 40 minutes. It’s very hard to pinpoint their unique sound. They combine the experimental elements of Codeseven and Death Cab For Cutie (at least Narrow Stairs Death Cab) with the quirky eccentricities of Mellowdrone or Dismemberment Plan. It’s really endearing how they can take their technical prowess and make it accessible and even gorgeously catchy. This is especially evident on “Collapse To Begin.” Sadly for collectors, a hard version of the album has yet to be produced. But, it can be purchased for peanuts from all of the major digital media outlets and their website. It’s worth every penny, and I highly recommend. – Rabbit Hole Music

With:
Shirley Rolls || Listen
Last American Buffalo || Listen
Chris Garneau || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 09.29.09: Filter presents THE 88 / QUAZAR AND THE BAMBOOZLED / PIERRE DE REEDER / OH DARLING

The 88 || Listen || Watch

L.A.-based power-pop three-piece the 88 has had one of those somewhat standard-issue, out-of-the-mainstream careers, compensating for club-sized semi-popularity by lucratively licensing songs to everything from “Gossip Girl” to “How I Met Your Mother,” making them one of the best-liked big-city bands no one has ever heard of. “Not Only…But Also,” is their third full length and first for a major label.

The 88 are best when they’re following the sing-songy formula that’s landed them in many a love-scene montage: “Love You Anytime” powers off on a simple-yet-effective guitar riff and a plaintive, Muse-ish piano melody, while “Waiting for a New Drug” drops a myriad of ‘70s-era “whoa-ohs” in between dynamic drops and four-on-the-floor builds.The album’s highlight, the jaunty “Coming Home,” has already been featured in commercials for both Sears and Target. – Metromix Baltimore

With:
Quazar & The Bamboozled
Pierre De Reeder
Oh Darling || Listen

8:30pm / $10 / 21+

Tuesday 09.22.09: Filter presents THE 88 / EXTRA / ADELINE & THE PHILISTINES / AM

The 88 || Listen || Watch

L.A.-based power-pop three-piece the 88 has had one of those somewhat standard-issue, out-of-the-mainstream careers, compensating for club-sized semi-popularity by lucratively licensing songs to everything from “Gossip Girl” to “How I Met Your Mother,” making them one of the best-liked big-city bands no one has ever heard of. “Not Only…But Also,” is their third full length and first for a major label.

The 88 are best when they’re following the sing-songy formula that’s landed them in many a love-scene montage: “Love You Anytime” powers off on a simple-yet-effective guitar riff and a plaintive, Muse-ish piano melody, while “Waiting for a New Drug” drops a myriad of ‘70s-era “whoa-ohs” in between dynamic drops and four-on-the-floor builds.The album’s highlight, the jaunty “Coming Home,” has already been featured in commercials for both Sears and Target. – Metromix Baltimore

With:
Extra || Listen
Adeline & The Philistines
AM

8:30pm / $10 / 21+

Tuesday 09.15.09: Filter presents THE 88 / HANNE HUKKELBERG / JEREMIAH STREETER / SIMON LYNGE

The 88 || Listen || Watch

L.A.-based power-pop three-piece the 88 has had one of those somewhat standard-issue, out-of-the-mainstream careers, compensating for club-sized semi-popularity by lucratively licensing songs to everything from “Gossip Girl” to “How I Met Your Mother,” making them one of the best-liked big-city bands no one has ever heard of. “Not Only…But Also,” is their third full length and first for a major label.

The 88 are best when they’re following the sing-songy formula that’s landed them in many a love-scene montage: “Love You Anytime” powers off on a simple-yet-effective guitar riff and a plaintive, Muse-ish piano melody, while “Waiting for a New Drug” drops a myriad of ‘70s-era “whoa-ohs” in between dynamic drops and four-on-the-floor builds.The album’s highlight, the jaunty “Coming Home,” has already been featured in commercials for both Sears and Target. – Metromix Baltimore

With:
Hanne Hukkelberg || Listen
Jeremiah Streeter
Simon Lynge || Listen

8:30pm / $10 / 21+

Tuesday 09.08.09: Filter presents THE 88 / THE SECRET 6 / THE DOUGLAS LEE / DOGWEED

The 88 || Listen || Watch

L.A.-based power-pop three-piece the 88 has had one of those somewhat standard-issue, out-of-the-mainstream careers, compensating for club-sized semi-popularity by lucratively licensing songs to everything from “Gossip Girl” to “How I Met Your Mother,” making them one of the best-liked big-city bands no one has ever heard of. “Not Only…But Also,” is their third full length and first for a major label.

The 88 are best when they’re following the sing-songy formula that’s landed them in many a love-scene montage: “Love You Anytime” powers off on a simple-yet-effective guitar riff and a plaintive, Muse-ish piano melody, while “Waiting for a New Drug” drops a myriad of ‘70s-era “whoa-ohs” in between dynamic drops and four-on-the-floor builds.The album’s highlight, the jaunty “Coming Home,” has already been featured in commercials for both Sears and Target. – Metromix Baltimore

with:
The Secret 6
The Douglas Lee
Dogweed

8:30pm / $10 / 21+

Tuesday 09.01.09: Filter presents THE 88 / DANIEL BRUMMEL / THE FRENCH SEMESTER / EUGENE AND THE 1914

The 88 || Listen || Watch

L.A.-based power-pop three-piece the 88 has had one of those somewhat standard-issue, out-of-the-mainstream careers, compensating for club-sized semi-popularity by lucratively licensing songs to everything from “Gossip Girl” to “How I Met Your Mother,” making them one of the best-liked big-city bands no one has ever heard of. “Not Only…But Also,” is their third full length and first for a major label.

The 88 are best when they’re following the sing-songy formula that’s landed them in many a love-scene montage: “Love You Anytime” powers off on a simple-yet-effective guitar riff and a plaintive, Muse-ish piano melody, while “Waiting for a New Drug” drops a myriad of ‘70s-era “whoa-ohs” in between dynamic drops and four-on-the-floor builds.The album’s highlight, the jaunty “Coming Home,” has already been featured in commercials for both Sears and Target. – Metromix Baltimore

With:
The French Semester || Listen
Eugene & The 1914
Daniel Brummel

8:30pm / $10 / 21+

Sunday 09.27.09: Comedy Night with DRAGON BOY SUEDE / THE TULSA SKULL SWINGERS

Dragon Boy Suede || Watch

They say the average man thinks about sex once every six seconds…these rhymes will hold them over for the other five. Dragon Boy Suede got his start by recording songs on the home computer in his kitchen. He burned some discs for friends. Heads nodded and laughter erupted. His friends played the discs for other people. The other people were like “Who the fuck is this?” His friends were like “Dragon Boy Suede”. The other people were like “Burn me a copy. NOW”. The virus continued to spread. Welcome to the world of Dragon Boy Suede – hilarious rap music, jokes and whatever the hell else he happens to throw in there. The main thing people say about it is that it puts them in a good mood.

with:
The Tulsa Skull Swingers

8:30pm / 21+

Thursday 09.10.09: OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY / THE TYDE / ASTEROID #4 / DEVON WILLIAMS

Outrageous Cherry || Listen || Watch

It’s been a good run in recent years for Outrageous Cherry. Aside from having a hits compilation curated by Little Steven Van Zandt and their spacey version of Junior Kimbrough’s “Lord, Have Mercy On Me” being picked for the excellent Black Snake Moan soundtrack from a couple years ago, the band has also released a solid ninth album, Universal Malcontents. Ever the American music revivalists, the new record doesn’t break much new sonic territory for O.C. (or rock n’ roll in general), but that’s the point– its self-conscious vintage flavor will make fans of their stripped down psych pop feel right at home in a dreamy version of the Seventies.

There’s plenty of reasons to believe O.C. are fully conscious and unapologetic of their decidedly old-school references. Clap-along “It’s Not Rock N’ Roll (And I Don’t Like It)” explores the inreasingly Internet-based soundscape of pop culture (”computers only made you smile/ program you with so much style”) and “The Song Belongs To Everyone” nods at the changing music industry (”the song belongs to anyone/it swept through fibers and wires to meet your desires”). Futuristic references, like the rocketship synth touches on “What Have You Invented Today?” and lyrics that mention new dances point further to an overall feeling of clash between an increasingly old-fashioned artform and wherever it is American popular music is heading. There are some tracks, like the slow, stripped down “Horizon”, that lack O.C.’s fortes of psychedelia or wit. But even if O.C. isn’t your bag, Universal Malcontents might find a nice niche as a groovy addition to a summer soundtrack. – The Detroit Dish

With:
The Tyde
Asteroid #4 || Listen
Devon Williams

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Thursday 09.17.09: Clean Air Clear Stars Pre-Party with MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS / THE SHINE BROTHERS / HIGHWAY / GO FEVER

Miranda Lee Richards || Listen || Watch

The difference between regular ol’ country music and the California variety is the difference between life as it is and what it could be. The Nashville industrial complex makes a fetish out of shoehorning everyday images into grand song structures. L.A.’s ladies of the canyons, such as Joni Mitchell and Miranda Lee Richards, see it differently. They’ve long traded some of the pop immediacy on the back end for a woozy, magic-hour daze that in the right hands can be just as vital.

Richards often errs on the side of wispy and ephemeral on her new album, “Light of X,” but albums can do worse things than wash over you like a hillside sunset. “Early November” and “Mirror at the End” add some creepy, minor-key minimalism to the atmosphere, while “Lifeboat” is so intimately recorded you can hear individual brush hairs scraping the snare drum. Richards’ workably lilting alto would do well to be challenged by some more ambitious or revealing material in the future. But as Nashville reminds us, real life has enough strain. These days, taking it easy is a worthy fantasy in itself. – LA Times

With:
The Shine Brothers (Featuring Nate Ryan of The Black Angels)
Highway (Featuring Peter Holmstrom of The Dandy Warhols)
Go Fever

8:30pm / $8 / 21+

Sunday 09.06.09: NEBULA / CROOKED COWBOY / THE MEEK

Nebula || Listen || MP3

Just like you can point to Nirvana’s Bleach and say “THAT was what Sub Pop sounded like,” someday I’ll point to Nebula’s Heavy Psych and tell an inquisitive great-niece that “THIS was Tee Pee Records!” Songs such as “Dream Submarine” shoot for the star-struck wizardry of Hawkwind and Amon Duul II, yet deceptively Satanic sounding songs like “Crown of Thorns” emulate the bombastic bluesy-ness of early Foghat and ZZ Top. And then Nebula pauses ever so slowly over some low power chords a la Sabbath and Pentagram before ripping into some blistering stoner-rock Deep Purple guitar licks. It’s not pure metal because there is that heavy wah-wah usage and Subway Sect’s bubbling synth sound. But it’s not merely the Dazed and Confused soundtrack either—there’s some “No More Tears”-era Ozzy on the vocals, and even a little bit of Jackyl, yet also some Mark Arm Mudhoney aggression in the delivery of lyrics like “I was swimmin’….. on the other side of my mind!” Like all post-Mojo meta-metal, there’s a bit of an ironic wink over the whole thing, something like the Stone Roses’ approach to raw rock a la “Love Spreads.” But you have to love a band that can play together for twelve years and still come out with an album that takes music from before you were born and makes it into something fresh. – LA Record

with:
Crooked Cowboy
The Meek

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

Saturday 09.19.09: THE MOST SERENE REPUBLIC / THE GRATES

The Most Serene Republic || Listen || Watch

The Most Serene Republic’s third release for the Arts & Crafts label (founded, famously, by fellow Canadians Broken Social Scene) sees the Ontario collective return with a more mature sound. Often that hints at a reduction in quality, or a manifesto to be less ambitious, but that’s not the case here.

Simply put: though the blueprint remain the same – that is to say, artful but accessible, cluttered yet cohesive – you can hear immediately that the seven-piece have refined their songwriting and arranging in the months since 2007′s Population.

Adrian Jewett and Emma Ditchburn’s evocative harmonies are a focal point throughout, particularly on the record’s poppiest cuts Heavens to Purgatory and Don’t Hold Back, Feel a Little Longer – the latter of which channels the spirit of fellow North American innovators of Montreal. Their voices complement each other so perfectly that hearing either in isolation afterwards isn’t quite as satisfying.

The most grandiose statement they make here, though, comes courtesy of sublime quasi-classical instrumental workout Patternicity. Clocking in at nearly six minutes, it’s the album’s longest track – the group deal in brevity, for the most part – but it could easily be double that and still hold this writer’s interest. Like …And the Ever Expanding Universe, it’s a compelling listen from a band growing in confidence and ability with each new release. – BBC

With:
The Grates || Listen

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

Friday 09.25.09: TELEFON TEL AVIV / THE RACE / SEASPIN

Telefon Tel Aviv || Listen || Watch

At the time of writing this review, the Telefon Tel Aviv website simply consists of one page that reads “Charles Wesley Cooper III, April 12, 1977-January 22, 2009.” Cooper formed Telefon Tel Aviv with high school friend Joshua Eustis at the tail end of the 20th century, and their musical collaboration came to an unceremonious end just as this third full-length album was nearing release. There’s a sadness deeply embedded in most of the music Cooper and Eustis made together, but the emotional ante is considerably raised on realizing this is the final outing for this particular incarnation of the band.

Opening song “The Birds” is among the best tracks the Chicago-based duo recorded during its brief history together, and if there’s one song that forms a suitable musical epithet for Cooper, it’s this one. Comparisons have often been drawn between the band and M83, the Knife and Hot Chip, but Telefon Tel Aviv skirt closer to the emotional core of acts like John Maus, the coda of Animal Collective’s “Chores” and Japan’s “Ghosts.” Like many of their best songs, “The Birds” is built from a simple jittery riff, with Cooper and Eustis fading subtle electronic tones and textures in and out of the mix as the track progresses.

Depeche Mode is regularly mentioned in relation to the band, but they’re closer in feel to Vince Clarke’s post-Mode experimentation with Yazoo (or Yaz, as they were called on this side of the Atlantic) and the Assembly. “The Birds” and its follow-on track, “Your Mouth,” both contain the same feeling of wanton yearning, of displaced happiness, that are deeply rooted in Clarke’s “Only You” or “Never Never.” The coiling repetition of krautrock bands such as Cluster and Harmonia also exert a sizable influence, with the looped outro of “M” desperately requiring some kind of CD/MP3 equivalent of the lock-groove to aid its circuitous journey into infinity.

There are two shades to Telefon Tel Aviv, but they rarely venture into outright pop here, and it’s the album’s one major foible. Immolate Yourself needs a few more tracks like “Helen of Troy,” which is built from similar stock to A-ha’s “Take on Me” and proves that Cooper and Eustis had a real knack for song structure as well as the kind of trance-y electropop grooves they could bend into such beautiful shape. The second half of the record is the direct inverse of the first, with forgettable antsy techno such as “Stay Away From Being Maybe” and the rattling drum patterns of “Your Every Idol” lacking the concise cohesion that pulses through the best Telefon Tel Aviv tracks. – Prefix Magazine

With:
The Race || Listen
Seaspin

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

Saturday 09.26.09: COTTON JONES / OLIVER FUTURE / SENECA HAWK

Cotton Jones || Watch || MP3

Cotton Jones is the new-ish project of Michael Nau, who spun out several twee-pop statements as the brains behind Page France until the group called it quits last year. The Cumberland, Md. bandleader had quietly released a trio of EPs and 2008′s full-length, The River Strumming, under his new moniker (which was itself shortened from the Cotton Jones Basket Ride). However, Paranoid Cocoon is the strongest indication yet that Nau is ready to forge ahead with a unified new approach replete with more vintage instruments and fewer overt religious references in the lyrics. Most of all, Nau’s most noticeable adjustment is his voice, which scraps the previously favored fragility of his upper register in favor of a deeper, raspier timbre.

PF alum Whitney McGraw softens his newfound roughness with call-and-response moments and soaring harmonies on the lounge-ready “Up A Tree (Went This Heart I Have).” Together, Nau and McGraw revive the cowboy psychedelia originally captured in songs like “Some Velvet Morning” by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra (and, more recently, She & Him). Recurrent use of the words “velvet” and “morning” in songs doesn’t hurt either.

A moment that pushes the collection up from good toward great is the whistled refrain of “By Morning Light,” which proves to be as memorable as any of Andrew Bird’s, if slightly less virtuosic. Only the instrumental “Photo Summerlove” takes the record’s lounge stylings too close to snoozefest territory. Overall, Paranoid Cocoon’s bedroom chamber pop spins with variety and subtle dissonances aplenty. “I Am The Changer,” replete with hypnotic organ and guitar patterns, closes out the album. The song’s engaging simplicity resembles And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out-era Yo La Tengo, perhaps the last band this adept at trying on different musical styles and making them fit. – Paste Magazine

With:
Oliver Future
Seneca Hawk

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

Monday 09.28.09: KROQ Locals Only presents MONDAY NIGHT RESIDENCY with SAINT MOTEL / GANGI / MISSISSIPPI MAN / LINKS

Saint Motel || Listen || Watch

It is not often you see a gaming trophy being hoisted onto the stage of the Viper Room. Staring deep into the eyes of a dead deer, I asked the young man standing in front of me again, “You said you shot this yourself?” Lead singer A/J Jackson just smiled at me and joined his band mates, lugging some small trees on stage. With the addition of smoke and soft lighting, Saint Motel had turned the Viper Room into a forest glen at twilight. As they emerged from the mists, the band members dressed the part of young princes in matching white button-down shirts and jeans. I almost expected a white steed to show up half-way through the show. As soon as the music started, though, it was clear: handsome faces and whimsical trappings aside—these boys could rock.

Jackson, who resembles a young Alex Kapranos, wooed the crowd with a warm and comforting voice, projecting an earnestness to melt any cynic’s heart. Jackson was backed up by his wild-man guitarist, A. Sharp, who howled mercilessly on his guitar while shamelessly flirting with the crowd; and, giving balance to the universe, bassist Dak, who masterfully provided a backbone to the music as he shuffled from right to left like a leaf caught in the pull of a breeze. Drummer Greg Erwin whipped himself into a frenzy, beating his drums with the ferocity of a man with his hands on fire; his playing gave life blood to the bouncy garage rock that radiated from the stage. – LAist

with:
Gangi
Mississippi Man
Links || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 09.21.09: KROQ Locals Only presents MONDAY NIGHT RESIDENCY with SAINT MOTEL / LEMON SUN / ARMY NAVY / RED WIRE BLACK WIRE

Saint Motel || Listen || Watch

It is not often you see a gaming trophy being hoisted onto the stage of the Viper Room. Staring deep into the eyes of a dead deer, I asked the young man standing in front of me again, “You said you shot this yourself?” Lead singer A/J Jackson just smiled at me and joined his band mates, lugging some small trees on stage. With the addition of smoke and soft lighting, Saint Motel had turned the Viper Room into a forest glen at twilight. As they emerged from the mists, the band members dressed the part of young princes in matching white button-down shirts and jeans. I almost expected a white steed to show up half-way through the show. As soon as the music started, though, it was clear: handsome faces and whimsical trappings aside—these boys could rock.

Jackson, who resembles a young Alex Kapranos, wooed the crowd with a warm and comforting voice, projecting an earnestness to melt any cynic’s heart. Jackson was backed up by his wild-man guitarist, A. Sharp, who howled mercilessly on his guitar while shamelessly flirting with the crowd; and, giving balance to the universe, bassist Dak, who masterfully provided a backbone to the music as he shuffled from right to left like a leaf caught in the pull of a breeze. Drummer Greg Erwin whipped himself into a frenzy, beating his drums with the ferocity of a man with his hands on fire; his playing gave life blood to the bouncy garage rock that radiated from the stage. – LAist

With:
Lemon Sun || MP3
Army Navy
Red Wire Black Wire || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 09.14.09: KROQ Locals Only presents MONDAY NIGHT RESIDENCY with SAINT MOTEL / ASTRA HEIGHTS / THE BLACK AND WHITE YEARS / DIVISIBLE

Saint Motel || Listen || Watch

It is not often you see a gaming trophy being hoisted onto the stage of the Viper Room. Staring deep into the eyes of a dead deer, I asked the young man standing in front of me again, “You said you shot this yourself?” Lead singer A/J Jackson just smiled at me and joined his band mates, lugging some small trees on stage. With the addition of smoke and soft lighting, Saint Motel had turned the Viper Room into a forest glen at twilight. As they emerged from the mists, the band members dressed the part of young princes in matching white button-down shirts and jeans. I almost expected a white steed to show up half-way through the show. As soon as the music started, though, it was clear: handsome faces and whimsical trappings aside—these boys could rock.

Jackson, who resembles a young Alex Kapranos, wooed the crowd with a warm and comforting voice, projecting an earnestness to melt any cynic’s heart. Jackson was backed up by his wild-man guitarist, A. Sharp, who howled mercilessly on his guitar while shamelessly flirting with the crowd; and, giving balance to the universe, bassist Dak, who masterfully provided a backbone to the music as he shuffled from right to left like a leaf caught in the pull of a breeze. Drummer Greg Erwin whipped himself into a frenzy, beating his drums with the ferocity of a man with his hands on fire; his playing gave life blood to the bouncy garage rock that radiated from the stage. – LAist

With:
Astra Heights
The Black & White Years || Listen
Divisible || Listen (Record Release Party)

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 09.07.09: KROQ Locals Only presents MONDAY NIGHT RESIDENCY with SAINT MOTEL / THE JAKES / FIGHT FROM ABOVE / GIANT STATE

Saint Motel || Listen || Watch

It is not often you see a gaming trophy being hoisted onto the stage of the Viper Room. Staring deep into the eyes of a dead deer, I asked the young man standing in front of me again, “You said you shot this yourself?” Lead singer A/J Jackson just smiled at me and joined his band mates, lugging some small trees on stage. With the addition of smoke and soft lighting, Saint Motel had turned the Viper Room into a forest glen at twilight. As they emerged from the mists, the band members dressed the part of young princes in matching white button-down shirts and jeans. I almost expected a white steed to show up half-way through the show. As soon as the music started, though, it was clear: handsome faces and whimsical trappings aside—these boys could rock.

Jackson, who resembles a young Alex Kapranos, wooed the crowd with a warm and comforting voice, projecting an earnestness to melt any cynic’s heart. Jackson was backed up by his wild-man guitarist, A. Sharp, who howled mercilessly on his guitar while shamelessly flirting with the crowd; and, giving balance to the universe, bassist Dak, who masterfully provided a backbone to the music as he shuffled from right to left like a leaf caught in the pull of a breeze. Drummer Greg Erwin whipped himself into a frenzy, beating his drums with the ferocity of a man with his hands on fire; his playing gave life blood to the bouncy garage rock that radiated from the stage. – LAist

With:
The Jakes
Fight From Above || Listen
Giant State

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Wednesday 09.02.09: Club NME with DIVISION DAY / BAD VEINS / LOVELIKEFIRE

Division Day || Listen || Watch

The Los Angeles quartet Division Day are releasing their sophomore full-length Visitation the middle of next month. The 11-song collection was produced by NIN/Beck bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who gave the group a denser, thicker sound. Compositionally, the guys have reinvented themselves as a more maturely dark and focused band than you heard on Beartrap Island. They’re calling the shift “post-industrial blackened romantigaze,” though even with some face paint on the album art, they’re still nowhere close to being mistaken for fellow Californians Xasthur or Leviathan. (Instead, there’s something vaguely MBV about one of the backdrop guitar squeals.) Listen to the newborn Division Day via the album’s lead track “Chalk Lines.” – Stereogum

With:
Bad Veins || Listen
Lovelikefire || Listen

8:30pm / $10 / 21+

Wednesday 09.09.09: Club NME with THE ANSWER / SEA OF AIR / IT’S CASUAL

The Answer || Listen || Watch

The Answer are new rock and old rock at the same time. Their performance oozes the spirit of the 70s. Neeson takes to the stage with a real swagger. He’s enthralling to watch; all leg-stomping and body-shaking, his long hair flailing like a cross between Robert Plant and Joe Cocker.

As they open with ‘Never Too Late’, the new single, guitarist Phil Mahon is all action, barely pausing for breath as he swivels his guitar like a machine-gun spraying out killer notes. On the second song, ‘Only the Strong Survive’, Neeson sings: ‘I can talk coz I got the blues, It ain’t strange, it ain’t news’. This sums up the Answer who sound like a cross between Led Zep and the Black Crowes, with a hint of Bad Company and Free. – Classic Rock

With:
Sea of Air || Listen
It’s Casual || Listen
Resident DJs Dia and Solid Todd spinning

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

Friday 09.04.09: THE HAPPY HOLLOWS (Record Release Party) / THE PITY PARTY / THE BOXING LESSON / THE HEALTH CLUB

The Happy Hollows || Listen || Watch

The Los Angeles noise-pop trio is fronted by wild woman Sarah Negahdari, who Wired Magazine called a “killer hybrid of Kim Deal, PJ Harvey and Emily Haines”. Titled Spells, this full-length effort comes fresh off the heels of 2008’s Imaginary EP and both were produced by David Newton, formerly of the Mighty Lemon Drops.

And while other female-led groups may have steered away from the noise-pop ferocity, Negahdari and company are going full force with an album chock full of effects, distortion and feedback, all built from the shredtastic and primal shows that the band, and especially Negahdari, put on. Despite their force, however, The Happy Hollows knows how to bring the love and show off some smiles with a side of snark and effervescent vocal work. – Consequence of Sound

With:
The Pity Party || Listen
The Boxing Lesson
The Health Club || Listen

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