by Brad Roberts
Congratulations to Arcade Fire! Album of the year for The Suburbs is quite a feat...but frankly, I've always held the Grammys, as a tool of the corporations, in fairly contemptuous regard...so I don't know how much of an honor it really is, but apparently it caught them off guard. And, c'est la vie, congratulations anyway.
I just love music in L.A. Every week offers such a smorgasbord of good bands, new bands, bands just starting out, bands still vital after ten years. There are great shows everywhere, and all week. Many great residenices, so many I couldn't even get to them all yet...and they end next week as well, so only one more chance.
I'm looking forward to the orchestral maneuvers of Denmark's Choir of Young Believers, back in the states after I first saw them 11 months ago. Their 2009 album, This Is For The White In Your Eyes, is a stunner. I see them at the expense of a lot of great Monday shows and I have to venture over to the Bardotto see them, so maneuvering around paparazzi-rich territory will make for an interesting adventure.
The Western States Motel finish their residency for RFSL on Tuesday at LaBrie's with The World Record and Andrew Lynch in support. We at Radio Free Silver Lake are also proud to present the record release show for The Lonely Wild (seen at right) on Thursday at the Bootleg Theatre. It's also a record release celebration for Sons of August with Halsted offering support. Pepper Rabbit have a show I've been looking forward to for a while on Friday night at the Bootleg with Hands, who I also hear great things about.
This is only the tip of the iceberg...
Monday, February 21
- Red Cortez, Eastern Conference Champions, Allah Las, Mid Cities @ The Satellite
- Jenny O., Harper Simon, Gregory and the Hawk @ Bootleg Theatre
- Robotanists, Hands, Light FM, The Secret Language @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Slang Chickens, Everest, Papa, Young Hunting @ The Echo
- Choir of Young Believers, Princeton @ Bardot
- DirtBike Puppet Theatre, Meagan Boyd’s Puppet Funeral, Cobra Lilies, Heroes of Popular Wars, Corndawg @ Pehrspace
- Share an evening with Cake @ The Troubadour
- Gang of Four, Hollerado @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theare
- Bob Schneider, Joe Firstman & Marianne Keith @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Amazing night of music tonight with the week getting off to a roaring start. The Satellite residency band, Red Cortez playing with the electrifying, Eastern Conference Champions (almost) finish off this Buzzbands/KROQ Locals Only engagement. (Mark points out I forgot February 28, so there's one more week for these Monday residencies) Robotanists residency at Silver Lake Lounge hits a high with Light FM and Hands. Before they head off to SXSW in March, Slang Chickens residency at The Echo features an appearance by the busiest band of the month, Everest, along with one of the buzz-iest bands at the moment, Young Hunting. I'll be sorry to miss all these programs, but Choir of Young Believers (above) are in from Denmark for the first time since they blew me away at a March, 2010 show. Sorry other bands, but I am helpless to resist this very classically oriented indie rock chamber outfit. Princeton are on the bill also and they wander into the mystical land of Hollywood clubdom to the Bardot to perform. We'll see if I'm cool enough to be let in.
Tuesday, Februay 22
- The Western States Motel, Andrew Lynch, The World Record @ LaBrie's
- Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Selena Garcia, The Young Romans @ Hotel Cafe
- Andy Grammer, Sara Lindsay, Aijia Lise @ The Troubadour
- Versus, Polls @ The Echo
- Army Navy, A House of Lions, Sing the Body Electric, Hot as Sun @ The Satellite
- Joseph Arthur, Craig Wedren @ Bootleg Theatre
- The Muddy Reds, Jason Diaz, The Lyon Crowns @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Vivian Girls, Catwalk, Cold Showers @ The Smell
DECISION:
Of course, our show at LaBries's is the place to be with a newly rejuvenated, The World Record (you need to see this) and old RFSL friend, Andrew Lynch with his latest project, supporting the final residency night of The Western States Motel (at right) for free. Last week's show presented some truly tasty music by our Western States headliners, Judsonand his temporary line up...gorgeous, and Jack Gibson's Disaster Speaks band, who tore through an energetic set. There are also good events with Vivian Girls at The Smell and Buzzbands is back for another night at The Satellite presenting Army/Navy.
Wednesday, February 23
- Rufus Wainwright, Anna Nalick, Angel Taylor, Wes Swing @ Hotel Cafe
- Balkan Beat Box, Soulico, Ceci Bastida # The Conga Room
- Freddie Gibbs w/ The Park, Free the Robots, DaVinci, 87 Stick Up Kids @ The Troubadour
- John Waters, Elvis Perkins, Matthew Gray Gubler @ Royce Hall
- Yo La Tengo, The Urinals @ El Rey
- Audrey Ryan, Square on Square, Alice Austin, Telegram @ Silver Lake Lounge
- The Hood Internet, Kid Static @ The Echo
- The Meditations, Arise Roots @ Echoplex
- Last American Buffalo, Blue Blood @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Rufus Wainwright is having a special show at Hotel Cafe tonight. Good luck with that! There's also Elvis Perkins playing a set for the stand-up/stage routine of filmmaker, John Waters at Royce Hall. I've seen him a few times and
Elvis Perkins possesses the same intensity as a musician that his father applied to the art of acting. Plus Yo La Tengo at El Rey and the Balkan Beat Box at The Conga Room add up to too much to choose from.
Thursday, February 24
- The Sweet Hurt, Willoughby, Dave Smallen, Brother Bear Jones @ Lot 1 Cafe
- The Lonely Wild record release, Sons of August record release, Halsted @ Bootleg Theatre
- Shadow Shadow Shade, Silver Lake Chorus, Twilight Sleep, The Black @ The Satellite
- Oak Street Blues, Leah Lynne and the Cutters, Devon Rowland and the Crazy Hearts, A Cool Ninety, Plus 1 Band @ Mr. T's Bowl
- Lelia Broussard, The Canyons, Shawn Amos record release, Jill Hennessy, Shamina record release @ Hotel Cafe
- Slow Skate @ Origami Vinyl
- Fierce Bad Rabbit, Space Waves @ Redwood Bar
- Sebadoh, Quasi @ The Troubadour
- Telekinesis, Love Language, One Trick Pony @ The Echo
- Arrica Rose & ---'s, Spain, Brett Shady @ Silver Lake Lounge
- DubBUMBA, Gibbons and The Sluts, Ema and the Ghosts, pek pek @ The Smell
DECISION:
Radio Free Silver Lake is presenting the record release show for The Lonely Wild at Bootleg Theatre, which is also a record release party for Sons of August, with Halsted on the bill as well. Shadow Shadow Shade have the wonderful Twilight Sleep and Silver Lake Chorus, who exemplify the heightened awareness of the power of choral singing that has swept the indie rock scene of late, on the final bill of their great residency at The Satellite. The Sweet Hurt and Willoughby are doing The Hotel, as I'm told the kids call it. Space Waves at Redwood Bar, One Trick Pony at The Echo, and Ema and the Ghosts at The Smell make the choices near-impossible.
Friday, February 25
- Dirty Smiles, Wake Up Lucid @ Origami Vinyl
- The Coronas, The 88, Keaton Simons, Goldenboy record release, Threes and Nines @ Hotel Cafe
- Justin Townes Earle, Dawn Landes @ The Autry
- Har Mar Superstar, Samantha Ronson, Marijuana Deathsquads, Slapping @ The Satellite
- Pepper Rabbit, Chain Gang of 1974, Hands @ Bootleg Theatre
- Country Joe McDonald's Tribute to Woody Guthrie @ McCabe's
- Max Bemis, Joel Jerome @ The Troubadour
- Pendulum, Innerpartsystem @ The Wiltern
- How To Dress Well, Shlohmo, Death Kit @ The Echo
- C-Horse, Fauna Valetta @ Casey's Bar
- Dirt Dress, Traps, Ps, Siblings, Cosmonauts @ Pehrspace
- Murderland, The Ex-Gentlemen, Stuck Dickens, Benzene, Bradley Riot & The Blackhands @ Mr. T's Bowl
- Sebadoh, Quasi @ Echoplex
- Sic Alps, Literature, White Fencs, Whitman @ The Smell
DECISION:
Pepper Rabbit, who thrill me as the practitioners of that sad and haunting music with the carefully orchestrated density, appear with Chain Gang of 1974 and Hands at Bootleg Theatre. It's a show I've been looking forward to but the competition became more formidable day by day until we ended up with this amazingly full and varied night of music. There's Justin Townes Earle at The Autry. C-Horse at Casey's Bar and Dirt Dress at Pehrspace, even a Woody Guthrie tribute by Country Joe McDonald at McCabe's.
Saturday, February 26
- The Hectors/Seasons split 7" release @ Origami Vinyl
- David & Devine EP release, Jon Lindsay, Wild Feathers, Marina V @ Hotel Cafe
- Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, Scott Hutchison @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Local Natives @ Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Rocky Votolato, Matt Pond @ The Troubadour
- Young the Giant, We Barbarians, Kitten @ The Roxy
- Zola Jesus @ Skybar
- Alexi Murdoch @ Bootleg Theatre
- Azalia Snail record release, Kevin Litrow, Puppies & Kittens @ HM157
- boxViolet, Odd Modern, Count Fleet EP release, Zaptra, Twin Falcons @ Pehrspace
- Death, RTX, Sic Alps @ Echoplex
- Mut!ny, Majorelle, The Perverts, Lysol Gang, Turnstile rebellion @ Mr. T's Bowl
DECISION:
A highly anticipated new The Hectors/Seasons split 7" release show at Origami Vinyl sounds like a great place to begin the evening, then it's a choice of Local Natives at Walt Disney Concert Hall or Matt Pond at The Troubadour. Young the Giant at The Roxy and boxViolet at Pehrspace is another tough choice. Alexi Murdoch has a sold out show for a lucky few in the relatively intimate confines of the Bootleg Theatre.
Sunday, February 27
- Leftover Crack, Retox, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Graf Orlock @ Echoplex (5PM)
- Bestial Mouths @ Origami Vinyl
- Silje Nes, Stone Darling, Steffaloo, Barrie Rose @ Lot 1 Cafe
- Songwriters Sunday w/ Michael Bernier, Smiles, Caroline Askar, Jack Littman, Andrea Hamilton, Check in the Dark, Caitlin Linney / Ari Herstand, Tongue & Groove @ Hotel Cafe
- The Frustrators, The Phenomenauts, The Billy Bones, The Bombpops, MC's Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits @ The Troubadour
- Love Grenades, The Holloys @ The Echo
DECISION:
How about Manhattan Murder Mystery (above) on a Sunday night, blazing away away on the stage of the Echoplex.
Let me know what else is up at: RFSLshowlistings@gmail.com
you are short changing the Red Cortez residency, they have one more monday after tonight at the satellite
Posted by: mark | February 21, 2011 at 07:49 AM