Radio Free Silver Lake

The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "Came Sudden Like A Southern Wind, Like The Santa Anas Blowing In...")

by Brad Roberts

What a lot of activity going on next Sunday, September 27. Festivals, Special Programs, a show by New Zealand's The Ruby Suns and even a show in the cemetery at dawn. The Abbot Kinney Music Festival is the most appealing to me, with the chance to hang out in Venice by the ocean, a definite plus. The line up includes Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Dios, The Parson Red Heads and more promised.

Edward Sharpe and The Magntic Zeros (seen in a photo by Julie Ling) appear to be the band of the week with two high profile shows. At El Rey on Tuesday and then on Sunday at the Festival in Venice, both times surrounded by stellar acts.

Bon Iver are the band playing in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery at dawn on Sunday. This completely sold out event got by me because of my own ignorance about this band. Upon listening to some of their work, I realize the mistake I made. The music is haunting and abnormally beautiful, and when it wafts out across the graves in this surrealistic cemetery setting as the sun rises...well...I think you get the picture. A potentially life altering event.

There's a lot of good shows out there this week, and you'll find them all below

Radio Free Silver Lake Presents Fall 2009 Mix

by Joe Fielder

Hungry for good new music? Well, nearly two dozen of our favorite local acts have sent over recent, unreleased, or demo tracks for inclusion in the latest RFSL mix post – and there’s some really amazing, diverse stuff in there.

And not to get too overly “High Fidelity” on you, but we’ve ordered all the songs so you can download them and assemble in order on a CD or itunes listing as your favorite new mix.

Here goes:

1) The Spires – “Lower Case” – Off their new album A Way of Seeing
2) Light FM – “Waiting Room” – Off their upcoming album Let There be Light FM
3) The Californian – “Sea of Love (demo)” – Off their upcoming EP Spin Round
4) The Happy Hollows – “High Wire” – Off their new album Spells
5) The Monolators – “We Fell Dead (The Sweet Hurt remix)” - Off their upcoming remix album
6) Manhattan Murder Mystery – “In the Parking Lot” – Off their recent self-titled EP
7) The Henry Clay People – “Switch Kids” – Off their upcoming release
8) WALK – “New Words” – Off their upcoming release
9) Big Whup – “Cover My Eyes” - Off their upcoming release No Teepee
10) Princeton – “Calypso Gold” – Off their upcoming album Cocoon of Love
11) The Hectors – “Back to Normal” – Groupee Sessions recording
12) Marvelous Toy – “I Have To Write This Over” – Off their upcoming release
13) Andrew Lynch – “My Head Around” – Off his upcoming album Sun Incisions
14) One Trick Pony – “Knives so Sharp (demo)” – Off their upcoming album Try Not to Worry so Much
15) Geoff Geis and Tyler Sabbag (of Pizza!) - "Men" – Off their upcoming release
16) Night of Heroes – “Nothing to Lose” – Off their email-only EP
17) Brian (Afternoons) Canning – "Her Figure" – Off his upcoming release
18) Karma McCartney – “Kaleidoscope” – Off her recent album, Notes From the Sky
19) Captain and Holland – “I Love you so Much I Can’t sit Still” – Off their upcoming release
20) Dirt Bird – “Jabberwocky Alice” – Off their upcoming release
21) Andrew Deadman – “Peckerwood” – Off his upcoming album The Temporary Thing

Please do right by all these guys by visiting their sites, catching their upcoming shows, and buying their musics. (And keep an eye out for more new mixes like this every few months on the site.)

Note: A handful of tracks are Microsoft's M4a files instead of MP3s. If you have any trouble, CNET has a number of free programs that can convert them here.

KXLU's Pledge Drive - Where'd you get that cool sweatshirt?

by Octavius

KXLU broadcasts from the beautiful cliffs above Playa Vista at Loyola Marymount University. When it started in 1957, it was one of only 15 stations in Los Angeles on the FM dial.

The radio station is entirely and completely funded by listeners with a dash of LMU money. It's completely run by students, alumni, and maybe a few dropouts and people that hung out till they got a spot. Most average around 23 years old.  Some DJ's are discovering their own musical tastes, as so many kids do at the age of 19; while others act as guru's of music history, with weekly theme shows covering specialty genres and time periods.

Yes at 5:59PM, you might hear The Jesus Lizard played back to back with a classical song.  and Yes, it is still the same radio station when it become Spanish Language programming every weekend during Alma Del Barrio from morning to sundown. ...and Yes, KXLU has been the location where so many  interviews and live performances have occurred from Nirvana, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, John Vanderslice, Beck, Beachwood Sparks, Deathcab for Cutie, The Faint, The Hi Fives, Kaito, Jurrassic 5, Money Mark, The Boredoms, Rilo Kiley, The Rapture, Sea Wolf, Irving, The Happy Hollows, Silversun Pickups, and probably every single local band you've ever liked (and I'm not exaggerating). This is just a list I compiled by looking at KXLU Live Volumes, most of which are out of print.  So much of the station's history is undocumented; yet it is such an important part of the Los Angeles music scene.

Video Free Silver Lake: Death to Anders, Kissing Cousins, One Trick Pony, Division Day, Phoenix, Sea Wolf, Jim Carroll, Frightened Rabbit

By Jed

Another busy week is ahead for live music in L.A. but this last week has been possibly busier in terms of new video releases. While I didn't manage to catch the VMA's this year (or the last few years), and am shocked that anyone considers the Kanye/Swift Incident of 2009 a "story" worth mentioning (do we really believe that MTV isn't in some way behind ensuring that some drama ensues, in order to stir up post-show buzz for an otherwise uninspired batch of programming), I was surprised to see online that one of the videos actually featured on this site won an award for "Breakthrough Video."  While I think the video's terrific, is the slow motion video of the band stripping while walking through Times Square really "breakthrough"? Either way, good job, Matt & Kim!

1) While lately it has been more the trend for L.A. culture to explicitly celebrate this city, so looked down upon by much of the country, Death To Anders' newly released video for "Camera Lens" embraces L.A.'s filthiness, albeit with affection.  The catchy single is performed by the band, but for much of the video reimagined as a gang of homeless dudes, playing under a freeway overpass.  Me like. Directed by Simon Cardoza:

Death To Anders- Camera Lens from Simon Cardoza on Vimeo.

Ticket Giveaway(s): Great Shows at the El Rey This Friday & Saturday

By Joel Robinson

Yes, that's correct, a couple quality shows landing at the El Rey later this week. And thanks to some friends, RFSL is able to offer a pair of tix for Friday's show with Meat Puppets joined by Dead Confederate. We're also able to offer a pair of tix to Saturday's show with Mason Jennings joined by local LA trio Crash Kings.

Meat Puppets are touring today in support of their latest album, Sewn Together. This album and its support are done in order for Meat Puppets to reach the stated goal upon their 2007 reformation of "complete resurrection." Indeed, no small order.

The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "It's At The Shows I Feel So Alive And Otherwise There's A Craving So Bright...")

by Brad Roberts

It's a really busy week on the local scene with a host of bands showing off the daunting range of indie rock available out there. This would be a good week to catch the winning cross-breeding of country and indie by Leslie and The Badgers in a strong line up for their residency at The Echo. I haven't caught up with The French Semester in a while,and their jangly, Southern California surf rock with a European accent is always welcome, plus I want to see Rademacher again. This is on Wednesday at the Silver Lake Lounge. The American Legion Post 206 in Highland Park is taken over by Eli and Mary and the friends and extended family of The Monolators next weekend. (Love the photo of them on The Echo patio at right) Friday with the sparkling indie music of Summer from Seasons and the seductive, dreamy, Argentinian-flavored swing of Wait Think Fast. This should be a fabulous night of music, topped off by a, doubtless, energetic, post punk mind bender set by The Monolators. The following night, Mary and Eli don their country hats and play beautiful country-worthy indie with Cobra Lilies for their record release party. Hosted by Elaine Layabout, the amazingly eclectic bill of Tommy Santee Klaws and Amanda Jo Williams will assure a night of extraordinary and unusual range. 

The Troubadour has a particularly strong week with New York Psych-pop band Chairlift who are on a big U.S. and European tour on Wednesday. I'll be there on Thursday and Friday, which feature local bands whose reputations have extended far beyond L.A. over the last couple of years. Sea Wolf have toured extensively on the strength of their CD Leaves In the River, and gathered many fans in the process. Afternoons seem on the verge of a similar success as both bands are the offspring of the highly regarded local outfit Irving, and both deliver super powerful indie pop that has heart and brains. Sara Lov opens the session with her thoughtful poetry wrapped in lilting and haunting melodies.

On the national scene we get Arctic Monkeys on Tuesday at the Hollywood Palladium and Wednesday, The Killers play the Hollywood Bowl. Yeah Yeah Yeahs will tear up The Greek on Thursday. I've seen Mason Jennings (at left) a few times and always been impressed with his major storytelling gifts, and he has a new album out called Blood of Man, which I hear great things about. I would be at El Rey for his show, but for the Cobra Lilies release party the same night. Not sure what to do.

The other highlights are listed below.

Mini-Interview: Everest

by Joe Fielder

If they were seniors in high school, local indie rock supergroup Everest would have "Most Likely To Succeed" written below their collective yearbook photo.

At least their last year -- which saw them release their first album Ghost Notes, tour with Neil Young, Death Cab, and Wilco, and perform on Letterman -- certainly seemed like an auspicious debut...

We checked in with lead Russell Pollard to find out what to expect next.

RFSL: You guys have had a pretty amazing year. What have been some of the highlights, both personally and professionally?

RP: We had a busy year for sure. Touring with Neil Young through Canada was pretty amazing. Growing as a band on a personal level has been really good for us as well. Spending a lot of our time on the road together, playing music in front of nice crowds was really amazing.

And to think, in all that time, we stayed out of jail!

RFSL: What's next for you? What are you working on now?

RP: Recording a new record is next. We just got off the road after a quick trip up to Seattle for Bumbershoot. Playing a show at the Troubadour on the 18th. A lot of writing, a lot of ingredients going into the new stew.

RFSL: How has the band changed since the start? And how is the new material different from the first album?

RP: Touring as much as we did since the first record came out has been very significant as far as how we've grown and changed. We've refined our approach, become a little more particular about how we do things. The new material reflects that.

I'd say we sound more like a band now.

Everest play The Troubadour on Friday, September 18th with These United States and The Parson Redheads.

Show Review: The Happy Hollows Record Release PARTY

by Brad Roberts

 

I don't think any of us knew quite what we were getting into on Friday night, September 4, 2009, at the Record Release show for The Happy Hollows (actually Spells doesn't come out till October 6th) but it could have been the party of the year.

 

Certainly one of the most, if not the most, beloved band in the area, the amount of love coming out of this group is returned two-fold by their friends and fans. For a long time now they've been one of the best live acts, and now with a CD that will surely explode their audience, they belong to the ages. The karma The Happy Hollows exudes will be returned.

 

I hadn't been sure I could attend this function, but that afternoon, I was overwhelmed by the feeling that it would be something special, and I wanted to support Sarah, Charlie and Chris, so I committed to the $5. list and dropped everything else. (Thanks to CGT for the photos)

Video Free Silver Lake: R.E.M., (((Eagle Winged Palace))), Vivian Girls, Fever Ray, Health, Cass Mccombs, Xu Xu Fang

By Jed

This last weekend was an amazing weekend for live music in L.A. On Friday Night, The Happy Hollows put on one of the best shows I've seen all year  at the Spaceland record release party for their new album Spells (which is great, catchy, smart, rock-out-in-the-car-able.) The FYF Fest was an organizational disaster, but a ton of fun -- as expected, Lightning Bolt still knows how to make noise and distortion sound like fun, and the appeal of sitting around on a sunny day with friends drinking Colt 45 is undeniable.  I would have said something more about the FYF Fest this Saturday, except this guy did it much better through haikus.  I heard the Little Radio Summer Camp performances were not to be missed.

1) Before Shiny Happy People, the abominable Furry Happy Monsters, the hokey autotuned duet with Jim Carrey on the Man on the Moon soundtrack, Bill Berry's bizarre and tragic brain aneurysm, Peter Buck's embarrassing airplane freakout, 2-3 underwhelming albums even by fan standards (depending on who you ask), Michael Stipe taking on the appearance of an eyelinered skeleton, that confusing rumor involving Natalie Merchant, and the mother of all record label sell outs, R.E.M. was (in my opinion) one of the greatest bands to come out of the 80s, and among people under the age of 33, they are one of the most underappreciated college rock group of that time. Other bands (and their former members) have put out side projects of diminished quality without simultaneously dampening the legend of their hey-day (The Pixies????), but for some reason, I don't sense that other people feel the excitement that 1980s era R.E.M. warrants. Why do I bring this up today?  For my own nostalia, I suppose.  When I was in high school, whenever September 9 rolled around, it was always an occasion to put on "9-9",  off of the classic album Murmur (at least critics seem to like it), and then play it again and again and again.  Although the "lyrics" have nothing to do with the date itself, part of the charm of early R.E.M's indecipherable lyrics was that they allowed the listener to appropriate the "feel" of each song in his or her own way, independent of the band's intentions.   Here's a live performance of 9-9 shot on June 8, 1984.  I was newly 4 years old, and most likely lamenting the breakup of the Police, or maybe something to do with Legos. I still have no idea what the song is about, but love the way Stipe mumbles and then screams the nonsensical words as if they mean everything in the world, Peter Buck's signature jangly guitar, the fact that Mike Mills allowed a generation of nerds to believe they could front a rock band. And yes, Bill Berry's drumming is some of my favorite non-Stewart Copeland drumming from the era -- straightforward but with unexpected POWS to power the songs ahead:

Show Review: Mew at The Troubadour

by Brad Roberts

 On Tuesday, September 1, 2009, the roof of The Troubadour was pried off and the concertgoers were dumped out into outer space for a free fall through some of the most beautiful music the imagination can conjure up. Spacey harmonies blend with hypnotic bass lines and shimmering guitars and keys massaging the senses till there's no use resisting.

I first heard about Mew in 2006 when they were touring extensively to promote And The Glass Handed Kites and managed to swing through Los Angeles four times in eight months. They don't immediately come to mind as the kind of band I would like so much, but it really was all the fault of Broken Social Scene, who played on August 3, 2006 at The Greek, opening for Bloc Party, and Mew were the first band on the bill.

 

At this point I was desperate to see Broken Social Scene, who had won me over with some amazing videos from the You Forgot It In People CD. I wasn't a fan of Bloc Party, but figured, what the hell, I'd go for the one band. I had never heard of Mew before, and not knowing how punctual The Greek was, I got there after Broken Social Scene had begun, completely missing Mew. BSS were great that night and I stayed for a couple of Bloc Party songs, but they didn't alter my opinion, so I left, but Mew  had moved onto my radar.