by Brad Roberts
Local bands hog the spotlight this week in a trend that has sustained itself ever since the first of the year. There are also a couple of shows by Unknown Mortal Orchestra on the weekend, at Echoplex and The Central. Monday (President's Day) residencies are especially good again. The Judson McKinney one is in stiff competition with the Buzzbands one at The Satellite with Milo Greene, and that's just two of them. There's a couple of chances to catch one of my favorite new bands, Naive Thieves, as they help with two new record releases. One of them just happens to be a Radio Free Silver Lake show for Radars To The Sky EP release party at The Satellite on Thursday. The added attraction of Manhattan Murder Mystery and Francisco The Man should be enough to entice you to this one.
On Friday night, Naive Thieves help WALK with their CD release party downtown at The Mezz Bar and this unique, shape-shifting music deserves your attention. In the midst of a world tour, Sinead O'Connor comes through town for two shows at El Rey on Monday and Tuesday. And Sunday is Oscar day.
Monday, February 20
- Sunset Sessions w/ Bushwalla, James Morris, Rebecca Pigeon, Rose Cousins, Shawn Pereira & more @ Hotel Cafe
- Craig Finn, Mount Moriah @ The Troubadour
- Judson McKinney, The Happy Casualties, Wires In The Walls, Torches @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Milo Greene, Hands, Lesands, Haim @ The Satellite
- Sinead O'Connor, ESP @ El Rey
- Incan Abraham, The Union Line, Jeffertitti's Nile, Monsters Calling Home @ Bootleg Bar
- "School Night!" w/ Reggie Watts, Hey Rosetta!, Cuckoo Chaos, Baby Alpaca @ Bardot
- Electric Guest, Touché, Cosmic Suckerpunch @ The Echo
- John Krausbauer, Ezra Buchla & Emily Lacy, Rale, Babes, Diesel Dudes @ Pehrspace
- Big Sir, Gregory Rogove, Eureka the Butcher & Sadah Luna, w/ Devendra Banhart DJ'ing @ Harvard & Stone
DECISION:
Monday again hands us some of the toughest choices of the week. Or you may be able to bounce from club to club and catch portions of each program. Touché is on the Electric Guest bill at The Echo, Buzzbands is hosting a super line up at The Satellite for the Milo Greene residency with Haim, Hands and Lesands. Wow. Then there's The Union Line and Jeffertitti's Nile playing with Incan Abraham for their residency at Bootleg Bar.
For a while now I've been a big fan of Torches (back when they were "In Trees") and they have been working so hard in the studio on recordings that their live shows lately are consistent crowd-pleasers. (That's them above) They play the Judson McKinney residency at Silver Lake Lounge tonight and you can help them finish up their recording here. They will show you how worthy an investment that is as they share the bill with The Happy Casualties and Wires In The Walls making this one irresistible show. Judson McKinney has been putting on such strong events this month it's been hard to get to anything else on Mondays. On top of all this, Devendra Banhart will be DJing over at Harvard & Stone.
Tuesday, February 21
- Polica, The One AM Radio, Pollyn @ Bootleg Bar
- Coco Morier, The Donnies The Amys, Pony Boy, Night Rainbow @ The Satellite
- Heroes and Heroines, Dona Nicha, The Ugly Sweaters, Wild Pack of Canaries @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Sinead O'Connor, Rocco DeLuca @ El Rey
- Nick Kroll & Friends @ Largo at the Coronet
- Mind The Gap, The Peach Kings, Last American Buffalo, The Roads (Andy Siara and Claire Mckeown), LA Font (DJ Set) @ The Central
- Killer Mike, Busdriver, Nocando, Open Mike Eagle @ The Echo
- Anya Marina, Ben Sollee, Paul McDonald, Jasmine Ash @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Good show at The Central in Santa Monica with Mind The Gap presenting a line up that includes The Last American Buffalo and the Andy Siara/Claire Mckeown collaboration, now known as The Roads. And Pollyn open for Polica at Bootleg Bar.
Wednesday, February 22
- Milow, Will Dailey, Mariah McManus, Infantree, Ben Arthur @ Hotel Cafe
- "Desert Nights" w/ Rachel Goodrich, Sotto, Billy McIntyre @ The Standard
- Brass Tax!, Wild Pack of Canaries, Peg Leg Love, Jane Carrey Band, Acoustic set by Hello Echo @ The Central
- Chiddy Bang @ The Troubadour
- Matthew Dear, Mini Mansions @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- Pickwick, The Damselles & The TC4 @ The Echo
- Ra Ra Riot, The Submarines, Papa, Darren Revell @ El Rey
- The Watkins Family Hour @ Largo at the Coronet
- Last in Class, Painting Soldiers, Lady Day, Persephone's Bees @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Big Black Delta, Sonoio, United Ghosts @ Bootleg Bar
- Buck 65, Kristoff Krane, Marnie Herald @ The Satellite
- Imagine Dragons, Queen Caveat, Terraplane Sun @ The Viper Room
- W.H.I.T.E., Pangea, Feeding People, Chad & The Meatbodies @ The Smell
- Yellow Alex, Annie Automatic, That Noise, Tennis System @ Boardner's
DECISION:
Lots of good bands are playing all over town tonight from Infantree at Hotel Cafe to The Damselles & The TC2 at The Echo to Mini Mansions over in Eagle Rock at The Center for the Arts. The Submarines (at right) are back at El Rey, opening for Ra Ra Riot this time and the show is a sell out!. Terraplane Sun are over in West Hollywood at The Viper Room.
Thursday, February 23
- Radio Free Silver Lake presents Radars To The Sky, Francisco The Man, Naive Thieves, Manhattan Murder Mystery @ The Satellite
- Cursive @ Amoeba Music
- Harper Blynn, Kyler England, Ari Hest, Martin Luther @ Hotel Cafe
- Jozef Van Wissem, Spain, N O W @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- Nosaj Thing @ Skybar at Mondrian
- Wires In The Walls, Telstar, Little Red Lung @ The Mint
- Wye Oak, The Californian, Line & Circle @ The Troubadour
- Ferraby Lionheart, Brian Lopez, Tall Tales & The Silver Lining, Family Album, Delta Rae @ Bootleg Bar
- The Cooling Time, Soft Pipes, Thread, Maere @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Disappears, The Fresh & Onlys, Wounded Lion @ The Echo
- Ruptures, Prison Library, Shivering Window, Melting Wreck @ The Smell
DECISION:
Radio Free Silver Lake proudly presents Radars To The Sky in a particularly fine show to celebrate the release of their latest EP at The Satellite tonight with Francisco The Man, Naive Thieves and Manhattan Murder Mystery. This bill is top-heavy with extreme talent.
Other attractions include The Californian and Line & Circle opening for Wye Oak is a stellar show at The Troubadour. Wires In The Walls and Little Red Lung are at The Mint. The Bootleg also has a great show with Ferraby Lionheart and Tall Tales & The Silver Lining and Cursive play a free In-Store at Amoeba.
Friday, February 24
- WALK CD Release Party, Saint Sea Hat, Naive Thieves @ The Mezz Bar
- The 704 presents Le Cos, Penny Dreadful, Bright Beast @ Pehrspace
- Atlas Sound, Frankie Broyles, Carnivores @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- John Leighton Beezer & The Klau @ Origami Vinyl
- Rob Giles & All New People record release, Andy Clockwise, Javier Dunn, Michelle Featherstone @ Hotel Cafe
- Cursive, Ume, VIRGIN ISLANDS @ The Troubadour
- I See Hawks in L.A. record release @ McCabe's
- Jon Brion @ Largo at the Coronet
- Megadeth, Motorhead, Volbeat, Lacuna Coil @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Dirty Ghosts, Bare Wires, The Howls @ Bootleg Bar
- Oceanside Sound System, Emily Gold, Green War, Maxi Wild @ The Roxy - On The Rox
- Grimes, Born Gold, Lady Tragik @ The Echo
- The Big Sleep, Tennis System, Blonde Summer @ The Satellite
- The Budos Band @ Echoplex
DECISION:
As I said before, as a big fan of Naive Thieves I may just take in this second show of theirs this week, when they open for the CD release party for WALK at The Mezz Bar downtown. With Saint Sea Hat also on the bill, I can't resist this one. But then there's The 704 show at Pehrspace with Penny Dreadful and a couple of other bands I should find out about.
Though it may strike some as odd, I have seen Italian Metal Rock band Lacuna Coil a couple of times and they are pretty amazing. I don't know whether they are serious or parody, but either way their songs are catchy and memorable and wonderfully sung. If what they're doing is exaggeration, I don't care, I love it. They're part of a show at Gibson Amphitheatre with bands like Megadeath and Motorhead.There'll be lots and lots of hair on stage.
Saturday, February 25
- Nabhia, Nina Storey, Rachel McGoye, Andy Mennen @ Hotel Cafe
- Garland Jeffreys @ McCabe's (8 PM & 10 PM)
- Death To Anders, Fonda, Remake / Remodel @ Casey's Bar
- Lila Downs @ The Wiltern
- Reckless Kelly, Roses Pawn Shop @ The Troubadour
- Amanda Jo Williams, The Country @ Pappy and Harriets
- David Shane Smith, Weatherbox, more TBA @ The Smell
- Famous, T.I.U., The Knits, Slant and Icebreaker @ The Viper Room
- Tomorrows Tulips, Pageants, NOW @ Pehrspace
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra, White Arrows @ Echoplex
- Veronica Falls, Bleached, Neverever @ Bootleg Bar
- War Widow, Battle Tapes, FEASTofFETUS, Echoes De Luxe @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Another installment of the Death To Anders residency at Casey's Bar with Fonda. Death To Anders are covering The Pixie's first full-length album, The inspirational 1988 release, Surfer Rosa from start to finish. This could be amazing. Wonderful Long Beach band, Pageants (above) are playing Pehrspace. Unknown Mortal Orchestra have the first of a couple of shows, at the Echoplex tonight and The Central tomorrow.
Sunday, February 26
- Veronica Falls @ Amoeba Music
- Cate Le Bon, The Blank Tapes, White Fence @ McCabe's
- Archers of Loaf, Hospitality @ The Troubadour
- Chromatics record release, Abe Vigoda, David Scott Stone (DJ set)@ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Janelle Monae @ Staples Center
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra, White Arrows, Jenny O @ The Central
- Black Magic Driver, The Blackout Trust, Ghost Town @ The Down and Out Bar
- Psychic TV, Bestial Mouths, Dangerous Boys Club @ Echoplex
- Terry Malts, Dead Angle, Permanent Collection @ The Echo
DECISION:
I saw Archers of Loaf last time they were at The Troubadour and it was a great show, and now they're back at the same place tonight. Jenny O (photo at right) has a date, opening for Unknown Mortal Orchestra, out at The Central. Pretty busy Sunday night out there.
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