Radio Free Silver Lake

Ticket Giveaway: Passion of the Weiss and Hellfyre Club Presents Show featuring Dam-Funk, The Coathangers, Nocando, and Salva

By Joel Robinson

Hey there Radio Free Silver Lake friends! Ticket giveaway at hand for an interesting show come Thursday of this week. With local friend Jeff Weiss of Passion Of The Weiss bringing this one to our door, (and because I am not [yet] super-familiar with these acts) allow me to steal much of what he supplied us to serve as a bit of background for this one that brings out artists Dam Funk, The CoatHangers, Nocando, and Salva.

Again, the Artists include:

Dam Funk (Stones Throw-signed modern funk messiah who looks like Superfly and plays like Roger Troutman)
http://twitter.com/damfunk
http://www.laweekly.com/2010-01-14/music/keytar-hero/
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dam+funk&aq=f

The CoatHangers (an all-girl punk band from Atlanta who are basically a female analogue to Black Lips)
http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-06-15/music/the-coathangers-have-no-time-for-your-rules/
http://passionweiss.com/2011/05/06/girls-interupted/
http://passionweiss.com/2011/06/03/douglas-martins-dirty-shoes-the-coathangers-larceny-old-lace-and-a-new-direction/

Nocando (one of the best young rappers in LA, resident MC at Low End Theory)
http://passionweiss.com/2011/01/20/time-out-of-mind-el-p-nocando-and-the-cult-of-weird/
http://passionweiss.com/2011/06/07/flash-bang-fire-and-knives-nocando-busdriver-beats-and-bitches/

Salva (internationally acclaimed beat producer who runs the Frite Nite label and is one of the most forward thinking members of the Beat scene centered at the Low End Theory)
http://www.xlr8r.com/podcast/2011/03/salva
http://soundcloud.com/salva

Go ahead and have a look at above links. One summary statement works for the lot, "Damn Fine Stuff!" Definitely makings for a good Thursday evening out. So get in on the mix for a chance at free entry. Drop an e-mail to "RFSLjoel(at)gmail(dot)com” that includes "Passion of the Weiss and friends bring it" in the subject line and your full name (and any other comments you may have) in the e-mail text. Please be certain we have that e-mail by NOON THURSDAY to secure your spot in the mix.

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Passion of the Weiss and Hellfyre Club Presents Show featuring Dam-Funk, The Coathangers, Nocando, and Salva. It's at Freak City in Hollywood (6613 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028) on July 21. Admission is $12 and it's 18 up.

The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "And We Got Kinda Good, And We Got Kinda Big, Playing Midnight Slots In East Side Clubs, On Weekday Nights...")

by Brad Roberts

On Thursday, Devendra Banhart is playing his second small show in as many weeks and what a great chance to catch him in a venue as good as the intimate Bootleg Bar. Seen at right in a photo by Galen Pehrson, this show sold out quickly, but there may be a few random tickets available between now and the show. Having seen him a number of times over the years in the audience at Vetiver and Fruit Bats shows, I can't wait to see this founding member of the freak-folk movement performing live and in-person.

Last week was really great for shows and this week looks no different. Beginning with another set by Jack Gibson of Tenlons Fort on Monday at Stories Books and Cafe (new and by The Echo). The Rademacher record release show at Bootleg last Thursday was a hoot, with Radars To The Sky making their debut at this venue. This week Rademacher play The Central on Tuesday and I'll be reviewing Baby Hawk Part I of III on this site later in the week. (Hint: I like it)

There's also shows with Fitz & the Tantrums hitting The Fonda on Friday, Becky Stark in a band called Bunny Love on Wednesday, a couple of shows with Frank Fairfield and one show that features the extraordinary local acts of One Trick Pony, Seasons, George Glass and Manhattan Murder Mystery all on one bill at Casey's, also on Friday. And there's lots more besides...

Interview: Dirt Bird

by Joe Fielder

Claire McKeown is the queen of making you shut the fuck up... When she starts singing, either with indie pop act Shadow Shadow Shade or her own band Dirt Bird w/ Athena Legrand, the classically-trained vocalist makes you forget about your conversation and/or drink and take notice.

We interviewed Claire about Dirt Bird, their debut album Summer Night Hours, and their album release party (w/ members of Shadow Shadow Shade, Sarah from The Happy Hollows and more) this weekend at HM157.

But first, here's a free download/stream off that album.

Hey, Claire. How the hell have you been?

I have been really well, Joe. Thank you for asking. Super busy but very well. How are you? I hope are not enjoying the east coast too much. Get back to LA already!

We interviewed you about Dirt Bird way back on our old site and when Shadow Shadow Shade was still called Afternoons. What has the band been up to since?

That was my first interview ever! Good times. We have been just chipping away at the album Summer Night Hours. It has been a long process but well worth the time put in. It only took about four years to get this album done. That's how long all album take, right?

Back then you described the band simply as "two girls singing very tight melodies." Do you have anything to add to that?
 
My goodness yes. We are a two piece that writes sacred music for secular people. I'd go ahead and say that we write sacred music for atheists but wouldn't want to exclude anyone.

Quick refresher: How did the band come together?

Athena was in my choir (Le Choir) that I had started with Eleni Mandell. Brian Canning and the boys at Irving caught wind of this and asked me if I wanted to write parts for a small all girl choir to be part of this side project they were working on with Tom Biller (Afternoons). I agreed and for a brief time we (Athena and I) were in Afternoons together. I had been writing a bunch of two part harmony songs at the time, and asked Athena if she wanted to work on them with me. We got together to sing them and it became apparent that we had something.

Afternoons decided that a nine-member band was just too much so we scaled it down to just 7 and Athena and I continued to work together on our little project.

Video Free Silver Lake: Naked Kids Video Premiere and Interview

By Jed

Having formed just months ago, garage rockers the Naked Kids (who welcome jokes about the dangers of googling their name) are busy getting their sound heard around town.  They just released a debut EP Fresh Meat, and over the next few months will be releasing each of the songs on various Los Angeles based music sites ("Thugz" was premiered a few months ago on Future Shipwreck). They've also been playing shows from everywhere from under the Spring Street bridge, to Take Off in the Valley to the Smell opening for multipercussionists and crazy people Foot Village.

This week, Radio Free Silver Lake is premiering "All", another song off the Fresh Meat EP.  The Naked Kids embrace "garage rock" in the literal sense, rocking out in what looks a lot like a storage unit, filling the space with high energy guitars and the fuzzy vocals as we'd expect from the genre. I'd love to see these guys play at a house party (which from what I hear, happens from time to time). See below the fold for an interview Naked Kids' lead singer and songwriter Nik Johnson.

 

MUSIC WE LIKE: One Trick Pony, Manhattan Murder Mystery, & Okkervil River

Album recommendations by Joe Fielder & Brad Roberts

One Trick Pony - Try Not to Worry so Much (Self-Released)

It's almost a little ridiculous when you find five tracks all competing equally for "favorite song on the album" status -- but One Trick Pony (once self-described as "dynamic mope rock") produces this kind of positive indecision with their latest, Try Not to Worry so Much. Opening tracks "Knives so Sharp" and "Get Over Yourself" hook from the start, while songs "Diagonal Waves" and "Crepe Hangers" break your heart in the most upbeat possible way and "Andrew Jackson" is worth the trip for its chorus alone. With this new album, One Trick Pony have delivered a recorded release as impressive and varied as their fantastic live act.

Manhattan Murder Mystery - Manhattan Murder Mystery (Self-Released)

This album from LA post punk act Manhattan Murder Mystery has been out for a few months but it's so goddamn good, we couldn't help saying something, even if we're stupidly late.

Let's dive right in... It's no wonder "I Always Think About Dyin'" is already getting covered by other bands and lines from "Trailer Trash" and "Ambulance" will get stuck in your head for weeks, but "Smoky Mountain" is probably the album's brightest gem, full of lyrics that are smart, funny, and catchy and equal parts art and completely punk rock at once. (Stream it below.) Even the tracks that are less in your face at first ("Honda Prius" and "Owen Hart") are growers and the new version of the classic MMM song "In The Parking Lot" is pure win.

It's one of the best releases by an LA band out this year and, frankly, we're at a loss for a national post punk act who are even competing in Manhattan Murder Mystery's weight class right now.

Okkervil River - I Am Very Far (Jagjaguwar)

This new album by Okkervil River released May 10, 2011 on Jagjaguwar is easily one of my favorites of the year. Already having played it to death (probably a hundred times), I Am Very Far is maybe the best album title of the year as well. It's both obtuse and specific in a most intriguing way. From the sweeping orchestral flourishes that decorate a song like "The Valley" to the simple exchange between piano, drums and voice in "Lay Of The Last Survivor" which details Will Sheff's penchant for tales of characters coming from trouble and seeking fulfillment and salvation, the recording is rich with string and horn embellishments, which give it a really big sound.

I've seen the band a few times over the years but it was the show at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in December 2008, where Will Sheff gave a small scale acoustic performance that was so magical and awe-inspiring that I've been a die-hard fan ever since. His writing is so evocative and richly detailed (the lyric book is huge) that one can easily get lost in the swirl of stories he tells. And here the songs seem more accessible than ever.

There are at least four great songs, starting with the first song, "The Valley" which, if it doesn't make you rock out then you haven't got a pulse, "Rider", "We Need A Myth" and especially "Show Yourself" with it's eerie and haunting orchestration. When I saw them at The Wiltern on June 23rd, I was sorry they left this song off the playlist, but the wealth of material they did perform from all their best albums more than made up for it. Like other times I've seen them, the show seemed very good at the time, but continues to explode in my imagination to this day as, in retrospect, you realize it was a most special evening. The show caused me to go back and dip into the early catalog and purchase Black Sheep Boy, which is another strong album. But I Am Very Far could catapult Okkervil River to more recognition than they have already received, as the new material seemed like the best of the evening.

http://otpband.bandcamp.com/

Video Free Silver Lake: Happy Hollows, Milo Greene, Parson Red Heads, Jeremy Messersmith, Bangles, Mugison

By Jed

1) In band lineup related news, please "read" the following video announcement by the Happy Hollows regarding the departure of drummer Chris Meanie, and the finding of a replacement for him.

Show Spotlight: Rademacher at the Bootleg Theater Thursday July 14

By Kathryn Pinto
(photo by Dani Mac)

Rademacher releases Babyhawk (Part I of III) today. On Thursday the Man from Fresno & Co. play a record release show with the excellent Radars To The Sky, Auditorium and Hosannas at the Bootleg Theater. The new EP is a pretty terrific half dozen songs about an apocryphal Echo Park indie band (Babyhawk) that almost made it. You can delve deeper into the legend of Babyhawk trilogy in Joe Fielder’s recent interview with Malcolm Sosa of Rademacher on Radio Free Silver Lake.

Rademacher has been around for a while in various incarnations. The current lineup—Malcolm Sosa, Eli Reyes on drums, Jonathan Hadden on guitar, RC Essig on bass and Kim Haden on keys—has been touring a circuit of the San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area and the LA area regularly over the last six months. Touring has honed their live performance and cultivated the band’s chemistry, a cocktail of warmth, wry humor and charisma topped off with a dash of bitters. At a recent show Rademacher played a tight, focused set, the best I’ve seen them live. Thursday night at the Bootleg should be a great show.

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Rademacher plays Thursday July 14 at the Bootleg Theater, 21+, $10, doors at 8:30pm.

The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "I Got Nothing On My Mind But Being Free, Now I'm Giving Up On This Revelry...")

by Brad Roberts

This is a week where no one show dominates any single night. There's so much to choose from locally that it makes the absence of big national shows a blessing. Jack Gibson (at right) is back in town and that means a bunch of Tenlons Fort shows. Though centered in Austin Texas, he spends so much time here he will always be an honorary citizen of our fair city, especially with a band made up of local heroes. First up is a show for Buzzbands on Tuesday at Lot 1 Cafe. He'll be debuting new material, which is a most exciting prospect as his music is always brainy, deeply felt and revelatory, not to mention tuneful.

Claire Mckeown, of Shadow Dhadow Shade, is debuting an album, Summer Night Hours, by her other band, Dirt Bird, on Saturday at the Church of Fashion (HM 157) in a night of magical vaudeville featuring the likes of Sarah Negahdari. And on Thursday, Rademacher is having a CD release party for the highly anticipated Baby Hawk at Bootleg Bar with another great local act, Radars To The Sky supporting.  

More great concerts were added to the Summer/Fall schedule last week with Beirut, promoting their amazing new album, The Rip Tide, playing in October at The Greek and a couple of, suddenly announced, intimate shows with Devendra Banhart at 55 Degree Wine on Friday and at The Bootleg on the 21st.

Interview: One Trick Pony

by Joe Fielder

One Trick Pony are well-known around LA for transfixing crowds with their live sets -- a whispery, original sound made by Randolph Williams on vocals and guitar, Charlene Huang on violin, and Jenny Teixeira on drums.

In the past, the group's recorded music hadn't always quite captured the magic of their performances, but that's set to change with Try Not To Worry So Much, their new album out later this month.

You can read our review next week, but suffice to say it's pretty positive... There are a few streaming tracks below so you can hear for yourself.

We recently spoke with Williams about the upcoming release, the band's early days, and what's next for them.

Hey, Randy. How the hell have you been?

Hey, Joe! I've been well. Feeling pretty good. Thanks.

You guys have got your new album Try Not To Worry So Much coming out soon. When's the release date?

It's available on iTunes July 19th, and our release show is July 22.

How long have these songs been in the works? Who did you record with?

Some of the songs, like "Diagonal Waves" and "Grave Mice" have been around for more than four years. "Crepe Hangers" is probably the most recent. We started recording most of the drums and guitars with Jacob Summers, most vocals with Melody Murray at Soapbox Films, and a lot of over-dubs  at Josh's (bass) and Todd's (banjo, mando) houses.

What's your personal favorite track on the album?

I think my favorite might be "Knives So Sharp." It's the most creepily lustful one. Creep/lust.

I think it's one of those albums where my favorite song changes over time. The first three tracks have been neck-in-neck for me this last week.

Thank you! I find it difficult to listen to myself so if I can at all, I know it's a good song. My highest self praise is "tolerable."

Video Free Silver Lake: Fort King, Hearts of Palm U.K., Alright Alright, EAR PWR, Summer Darling, FM Belfast

By Jed

1) Fort King has covered Eagle and Talon's "I Want Eve", with lo-tech video to accompany. Features Erica Elektra, formerly of Hearts of Palm U.K.  Fort King is playing a LOT in the next month: July 10 at the Standard (all Dwight Yoakam set), July 13 at Stories Books n Cafe w/ Emily Lacy, Christina Antipa & Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, and July 14 at the Hyperion Tavern (all acoustic Thursday w/ Gavin Thomas Toler & Cabinet of Natural Curiosities).