Radio Free Silver Lake

Bands to Watch Out For in 2011

by Joe Fielder

We asked members of our staff and some of our favorite local acts which bands they thought that people should keep an eye out for in the new year.

Let's start with choices from RFSL's own Kathryn Pinto, Jackie Lam, Octavius, Jed, and Brad Roberts, then cover picks from folks from Seasons, Walking Sleep, Xu Xu Fang, The Lonely Wild, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Hectors, Everest, The Western States Motel, The Deadly Syndrome, The Spires, Marvelous Toy, Signal Hill, The Californian, Shadow Shadow Shade, The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester, Big Whup, and Pizza!.

Kathryn Pinto

I have a confession here, I couldn’t stop at five best shows of the year, so my bands to look out for are the five best shows of the year by young bands in a small room.

The Lonely Wild - The Lonely Wild played at the first night of the Marvelous Toy residency at Labrie’s. They were fantastic, so good I went to see them two days later at the Redwood Bar and they were equally good. The cover of “Personal Jesus” is take no prisoners. You look at these fresh-faced kids and ask yourself, “where does all this country soul come from?”

Judson & Mary - If you’ve been around Echo Park or Silver Lake at all in the last year you’ve probably seen Judson & Mary, either playing a regular gig or busking outside a show. For their energy and ubiquity alone they’re one to watch, but they also have well-crafted songs and sweetness that will keep you rooting for them.

What's Next for 18 LA Bands

by Joe Fielder

Everyone loves The Future. It's where we'll spend the rest of our lives, wear jet packs and drink space wine all the time, drive rocket motorcycles, have sex with sexy hyper-evolved aliens with English accents, and yadda yadda that sort of thing....

But, most importantly? It seems like we'll be listening to a lot of great music.

We asked a bunch of our favorite local musicians what they'll be up to next in 2011 -- specifically Seasons,  Walking Sleep, Xu Xu Fang, The Lonely Wild, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Hectors, Everest, The Western States Motel, The Deadly Syndrome, The Spires, Marvelous Toy, Signal Hill, The Californian, Shadow Shadow Shade, The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester, Big Whup, and Pizza! -- and here's what they had to say.

Aaron Lariviere - Walking Sleep

Writing, writing, writing. Hunter has been demoing some of his best songs yet, and rumors abound that other members might get in on the writing game. If all goes according to plan there should be a release coming in the middle of the year, length and format to be determined. We'll also be touring a lot more in 2011... East Coast, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and everywhere in between, hopefully. As always we'll do our part to keep Los Angeles entertaining, and we'll be playing a lot here too. 2011 might just be our year-- fingers crossed!

Jason Soda – Everest

After spending the better part of the last half of the year on the road, we're enjoying the comforts of our home and company of our friends. Soon we'll be putting together the next batch of songs that will be the next Everest record. The plan is to solidify the new songs by road testing the material in small off beat venues on the west coast before coming home to record. Next year is gonna a busy one and we're ready for it. I don't think you'll even have to keep your eyes pealed for us as we're for sure gonna be coming through your town or city with serious regularity. And when we do, come out and let's hang.

Video Free Silver Lake: Spires, Hippie Cream, Hey Marseilles, Rökkurró

By Jed

Happy New Years, readers. For me, the tricky thing about this time of year between Christmas Eve and New Years Day is that while typically there is much less that one must do, there are fewer "happenings" about town (and on the internet) to enjoy, partially as a result of everyone going out of town.  If you are stuck in L.A., as I am, see below for some videos to enjoy and for to kill some time.

1. Ventura, California based  The Spires (whose album notably appeared on RFSL writer Jackie Lam's Best of the Year List) will be playing at Spaceland/the Satellite on Wednesday, January 5.  In anticipation of this great event, here are a few (live in studio?) videos from them, recorded by Elliot Glass in March 2010. From Mr. Glass's description of how the videos came about:

"Driving up the coast on a sunny Saturday afternoon toward Ventura, which isn't actually all that far, it was one of those weekends you could almost feel the prompting of summertime just around the bend. We pulled off the 101 at an inconspicuous exit, pickup trucks and surfers to the west, along what could have been any number of beach-side towns scattered up and down Southern California, and made our way inland a few blocks where we were looking for a plumbing store on the main drag. In the parking lot, we were met by Jason, Colleen, and Catelyn, all generally chatty and in good spirits, and they took us down the back alley to a hidden gem of a practice space in what was some kind of converted commercial space." (see more in the video comments)

"Orange Yellow"

"The Afterlife"

"My Favorite Cigarette"

Album Review: Delta Spirit – History from Below

By Jackie Lam

Some of my favorite albums are the ones that heavy on the storytelling, that weave in and out of fabricated scenarios and imagined people’s lives with thick threads of narrative. And Delta Spirit’s History from Below does just that. With its soulful, acute lyrics, and tales that range from tales of woe to yearning to hope, what really makes the album work and stand out is that its heart is in the lyrics. Tracks like “White Table” and “Scarecrow” are sterling folk songs, just bare-bone melodies that are carried by the poignant lyrics (You know you’re just like your mother/just pack up and go, you hid your heart from everyone).

On their eagerly anticipated sophomore album, the alt country troupe from the LBC does a swift job of injecting a hearty helping of folk and spirituality into traditional rock ‘n’ roll. Whereas on their debut album, Ode to Sunshine, it seemed as if Delta Spirit was working hard to establish their own sound, on History from Below they expanding on that by trying out new styles and creating a vibrant collection of songs. They manage to maintain their signature brand of eclectic instrumentation, such as the sound of a spoon clanking against a wooden surface on “White Table,” adds a touch of whimsy. Lead vocalist Matthew Vasquez really shows off his singing chops and ability to croon in a variety of styles, from growly, brusque voice that’s reminiscent of Tom Waits on “St. Francis,” to the gentle tremolo in “Salt in the  Wound.” My favorite track on the album is “Bushwick Blues,” which caters to my 13-year-old boy sensibilities. It’s raucous, melodic, palatable, and never loses momentum.

Delta Spirit also has a follow-up EP, Live from the Waits Room, which is a handful of beautifully composed tracks recorded in room used by Tom Waits at Prairie Sun Studios in Sonoma County. Released in November, the five-track album has a few of the same songs as on History from Below, and in those songs, along with those on their full-length, you can almost feel them channeling Waits’ ability to leverage gravitas with moments of brightness.

RFSL Free Tuesdays at LaBrie's: MP3 Preview – College Kids, Marvelous Toy, and Manhattan Murder Mystery

Compiled by Jackie Lam

Let’s face it: Most NYE events in LA blow. Oftentimes we end up shelling up way too much money to drive across town to be packed in a room like sardines with a bunch of strangers. Why not celebrate pre-NYE at LaBrie’s in Glendale tonight at our free weekly show?

It’s the last one of the year, and we couldn’t think of a better way to end 2010 than with sets by our amazing residency band Marvelous Toy, College Kids, and the Manhattan Murder Mystery. You don’t have to pay a dime at the door, drinks are bountiful and on the cheap, there's comfy seating, and you get to catch some of the best local acts live. And to further pack on the freebies, here are some Mp3 downloads gratis and a bit of story behind the making of the track from each of the bands. We're just generous like that.

 

Malcolm from College Kids on “The Big Fresno Fair”

"The Big Fresno Fair" was written in my backyard last fall. The night we wrote the song, Kim Haden happened to be visiting and we were drinking and talking; our conversation revolved around the idea of attending Fresno’s Annual County Fair. We were weighing the pros and cons of attending.  On the pro side, the fair is a pretty fun event. I like betting on horses. On the con side was my fear and loathing of an uber-violent police force.

The big news at the time was the number of police-related shootings in my hometown of Fresno. The Fresno Police shoot a lot of people in comparison to other police departments in towns of the same size. That October, they shot a young man named Rod Fiorini at his apartment.  Firorini’s apartment was about a block from the practice space I use with my other band, Rademacher.  I think that is one of the reasons this shooting really shook me up.  The Fresno Police kill people all the time, and I rarely reflect on that fact, but for some reason I found this particular shooting especially foul. According to the Fresno Bee, seven officers and a sergeant fired a total of 63 rounds. To the Fresno Police’s credit, Fiorini was armed, but there was no evidence that Fiorini shot at officers before they opened fire.

At the time of the shooting, I was riding home from work.  I was only a couple blocks away from the shooting, and heard a loud noise.  A sound that I thought was firecrackers. A lot of firecrackers. Later I discovered that it was the Fresno Police shooting some guy 63 times.  Maybe that’s why it upset me.  Because I heard it happen--and it was loud!

October also happens to be during the time of the fair, which involves a lot of deep-fried foods, crazy rides, horse races and tons of police. After debating it, we agreed that we would attend, but that we would not drive.  That seemed like a fair compromise for some reason.  It is also where Kim and I dug up the line for the chorus of this song: I won’t drive /for fear I may offend / The Fresno Police / Again.

The lines for the verses and other changes in the song came together later that night, while Kim and I polished off a bottle of Wild Turkey.  We decided it should be about a guy who is going to the fair but the guy, our song’s protagonist, is reimagining moments from past fairs – specifically recalling his ex-wife, a Los Lobos concert at the Paul Paul Theater and a disorienting amusement park ride, The Gravitron.

 Free Download: College Kids - “The Big Fresno Fair”

Jordan of Marvelous Toy on “Corners”

This is a new song that we've been trying out at the residency.  We haven't recorded it yet so there's no
Mp3 to post, but I will say that it's in B flat and i want to play it using open chords (in C), so it's been a challenge trying to detune my electric guitar a whole step down while have it stay in tune.  We tried this a few times to no avail, so we cut it from the second night.  But then joey lent me his tele and we restrung it using 12 gauge strings; it's been holding quite nicely so it's back in rotation.  I think Raymond and i both wish we owned that guitar now.  I also think this is the most boring song story i've done yet. Come see us tonight!

 Free Download: Marvelous Toy – “The City is a Washing Machine”

 

Matthew of Manhattan Murder Mystery on “Christmas Day”

Hello. My name is Matthew Teardrop. Here is a song we just recorded two days ago called "Christmas Day." It doesn't really have anything to do with Christmas, but I just kind of decided to throw something in there about Christmas so I could say it was a Christmas song since we recorded it around Christmas, I guess. It's a quick cash-in.

It's actually about one of those nights when you go out and drink a fifth of Canadian Mist whiskey, then end up doing speed with some people you don't really know and also end up doing a bunch of stuff you regret. I write about what I know. See you at the show!

Free download: Manhattan Murder Mystery – “Christmas Day”

 

Related Links:

RFSL Presents Free Tuesdays at LaBrie's w/ The Monolators in January
RFSL Free Tuesdays at LaBrie's: MP3 Preview - Cody the Band, Nightfur, Marvelous Toy, and Seasons
RFSL Free Tuesdays at LaBrie's: MP3 Preview - Mid Cities, The Hectors, Marvelous Toy, and RISERS
RFSL Free Tuesdays at LaBrie's: MP3 Preview - Modern Time Machines, Marvelous Toy, The Lonely Wild

The L.A. Show Low Down ("I Wrote It Down When I Left The House That Night, On New Year's Eve Just Leave On The Lights...Let Yourself Go Back...")

by Brad Roberts

Happy New Year, world! As it turns from 2010 to 2011, I begin to wonder when we will start calling the years twenty-eleven instead of two thousand and eleven. That's going to be damned awkward when you have to say two thousand one hundred and twenty five. Maybe we'll be able to put it off till the twenty-second century. As you can tell, there's not a lot to talk about this week. This is kind of a vacation week for the column.

It's a strikingly odd New Year's Eve, with no Henry Clay People show at Spaceland after two years running, but we shouldn't lean on The Henry Clay People to provide our annual holiday blast every year. (photo from one of these evenings at right by Angela Holtzen) The vacuum they leave could be filed with a show at The Bordello with Very Be Careful or The Warlocks at The Smell or you could take a trip and pay $50. to see The Raveonettes and Autolux at (gulp) The Standard, on the strip... but beware, that's a hot bed for the illiteratus-celebrity hound segment of our fair city. I'm sure it would be a trip and a half.

And of course, on Tuesday, the Radio Free Silver Lake Free Tuesday at LaBrie's in Glendale will play host to Marvelous Toy, whose terrific set last week capped a show with all great performances from the participating bands. The fact it was so well attended, for a holiday week, and for a very cold rainy night, was particularly gratifying. This week we feature favorites, Manhattan Murder Mystery along with College Kids. The rest of the week is a bit of a dry up with nothing on the weekend. Very odd. 

Favorite Albums of 2010: RFSL Staff Edition

And... scene!

We complete our year-end wrap-up features with a look at the favorite albums of RFSL staff members Brad Roberts, Kathryn Pinto, Octavius, VFSL Jed, Jane McCarthy, Jackie Lam, and Joe Fielder.

(Next week, we'll have several forward-looking articles focusing on what's next for some of LA's best acts and groups you should keep an eye out for in 2011.)

Kathryn Pinto

No Age - Everything in Between

About two minutes into this record I was in love. I came to No Age a little late in the game. They were signed right before I moved to LA so I can’t claim any indie cred, I just like the way every song is a battle of noise vs. pop. I love that pop comes out a little bit ahead on this album.

The National - High Violet

I’m not really a National fan, but “Bloodbuzz Ohio” has got to be one of the best songs of the year if not the evar. I can never listen to this record without thinking about the time I played it at work, all like, “listen guys I’ve got the new National record (even though I’m not really a big National fan, this is just the coolest thing in my ipod).” On “Sorrow” when the line, “I don’t wanna get over you” played, one of my coworkers--who I suspect had spent a few evenings listening to the song in a sad dark corner of his bedroom--said in response “Get over her, go to Vegas, do what you gotta do, take care of your business.” Every time I hear the song I can’t stop laughing at that line. It made me want to go back and listen to the rest of the album, which is excellent.

The Deadly Syndrome - Nolens Volens

Where do I even begin? This album is so good. It’s a grower, you’re rewarded for repeated listenings as the songs bloom and develop as themes are introduced and return. You have to let these songs sink in before you fully appreciate them. There isn’t a big poppy sound to hook you in or an immediate payoff. The beauty is in the instrumentation. A song like “Armrest” begins quietly beautiful then builds, adding more parts, including trumpet, to a full crescendo by the song’s end.

Shadow Shadow Shade - Shadow Shadow Shade

I first heard this album almost completely cold (I’d heard one or two songs on their myspace page) in a dark room in the company of the band and a small group of Silver Lake music people. I didn’t know what to expect and was a little afraid that I wouldn’t like what I was about to hear. From the opening notes of “Is this a Tempest in the shape of a Bell?” my fears were allayed.

Favorite Albums of 2010: LA Band Edition

Yesterday's year-end wrap-up articles focused on best shows of 2010. Today, it's all about the albums.

So, read on as members from the following LA bands sound off on their favorite releases of the year: Walking Sleep, Xu Xu Fang, The Lonely Wild, Smokers in Love, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Hectors, Everest, The Western States Motel, The Deadly Syndrome, The Spires, Marvelous Toy, Signal Hill, The Californian, Shadow Shadow Shade, The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester, Big Whup, and Pizza!.

Geoff Geis - Big Whup & Pizza!

Marina and the Diamonds: The Family Jewels

Marina's first album is immediately attention-grabbing, and the sheer pop bombast of songs like "Oh No!" are enough to attract any listener who values fun and memorability. But the Family Jewels isn't just fireworks: it's full of musical dynamism, lyrical nuance, and candid intelligence. It grows more poignant and essential with every listen.

La Roux: La Roux

La Roux (originally released last year in England, but not available here until this year) gave us the best radio single of the summer, "Bulletproof," and a collection of ten more shimmery electro-pop triumphs. Future Islands: In Evening Air Popular "indie" music has become so staid and predictable. All of the bands draw from the same tired set of influences, and they all get the same results. Future Islands' singer Sam Herring, however, turns to an uncommon source - Meatloaf's emotive yelp - for inspiration. That's refreshing.

The Lonely Wild

Andrew Carroll:

Beach House - Teen Dream

I spent most of this year discovering or rediscovering old music, so I really haven't gravitated toward what new out right now. But one album I did come across that I found my self revisiting throughout the year is Beach House's Teen Dream. It's a truly beautiful, cohesive record from start to finish. I'm not sure how old Victoria Legrand is, but her voice has a very mature, almost world-weary quality to it. She comands the songs in a way that makes you feel you're collecting little gems of wisdom upon each listen. It keeps me coming back for more.

Favorite Shows of 2010: LA Band Edition

You've already seen our article on the RFSL staff's favorite shows of 2010 (if not, scroll down a bit...), now we'll cover concerts that musicians from more than a dozen LA bands liked the most in the last year.

Below, you'll find entries from members of the following acts: Xu Xu Fang, The Lonely Wild, Smokers in Love, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Hectors, Everest, The Western States Motel, The Deadly Syndrome, The Spires, Marvelous Toy, Signal Hill, The Californian, Shadow Shadow Shade, The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester, Big Whup, Pizza!, and Walking Sleep.

Matthew Teardrop – Manhattan Murder Mystery

My friend gave me free tickets for some black metal bands at The Whiskey. I think one of the bands was called Goatwhore. I got really drunk and was moshing my ass off. At first, I think people knew I didn't really belong there, but the more whiskey I drank, the more convincing I had become at faking it. By the end of the night, I feel that I had been accepted as a member of the tribe. One of the bands was burning dead flesh on stage. At least it smelled like it. A lot of people were wearing silly face paints. This one guy outside wanted to kick my ass because he heard me say "god bless you." I ended up passing out across the street on the sidewalk.

Jesse Hoy – The Deadly Syndrome

Grinderman - Nick Cave and Co. were phenomenal. And most of the songs were three notes, and it didn't matter because they have lyrics like "...And fucked the girls you're probably married to." They were incredible. Absolutely tight, but not in anyway rigid. Just bulletproof songs and showmanship. It was impressive and inspiring.

Jason Soda – Everest

Neil Young solo at Ryman Auditorium - Might be the most sinister, heavy, and nuanced live set by Neil since Tonight's The Night ... with wild sonics pushing through your ears into your brain and stomach.

My Morning Jacket playing the album "Z" at Terminal 5 NYC - MMJ performed all 5 of their albums over 5 nights (plus all of the covers from each period). A true feat executed by some true gangsters. The Viking Choir on Into The Woods featured some of our voices and smiling faces..

Tame Impala at The Silverlake Lounge - Spot on sound. I'll give it up to the soundman who did a fantastic job in that tiny room. Sometimes bands sound different then the recorded album but these guys were a dead ringer for the record and I can appreciate that.

Favorite Shows of 2010: RFSL Staff Edition

Over the next few days, we'll be posting feature articles covering the favorite shows and albums of both our crackerjack RFSL staff and musicians from more than a dozen local bands.

We thought we'd kick it all off with a look back at some of the best concerts of 2010, as picked by staff members (and frequent show-goers) Brad Roberts, Kathryn Pinto, Octavius, VFSL Jed, and Jackie Lam.

Brad Roberts

As I started going back over the year to identify the best shows, I had to stop at thirty, and that was only through September...so I'm just going to pull some off the top of my head.

I'm sure this will appear an obvious and predictable choice, but show of the year has to go to The Arcade Fire for their two-night stand at The Shrine on October 7 and 8. The band lives up to and surpasses all expectations, and they come with an extremely high "show me" factor. They were orchestral, sweeping, passionate and the stage was alive with movement and excitement. The songs aren't bad either.

The Henry Clay People CD release party on June 8 at Spaceland was one of the funnest evenings of the year it was as much a party with friends as a concert, yet the band still delivered an electrifying and on target show. No matter how out of control things get, their music is so sturdy it always survives. Olin and the Moon and The Hectors were the super supporting acts.