by Brad Roberts
It just looks foolish to have a music blog about Southern California and not lead off with Coachella this week. So that's what we'll do. This year the festival expands to two weekends. (April 20, 21 and 22 are the second round) The second stringers seem to be of most interest to me, with bands like Beirut, St. Vincent, The Shins, Andrew Bird, Feist and our own Fitz and the Tantrums. It appears there will also be the usual mass exodus of locals heading out Indio for both weekends.
In other news, we're six years old! The sixth Anniversary of Radio Free Silver Lake turned out to be a blast of unprecedented proportions, if I do say so myself. Highlights being Death To Anders' Rob Danson, channeling his inner Teardrop with his interpretation of Manhattan Murder Mystery's "Honda Prius" which was a riveting torrent of brilliant lyrics from one of our most astonishing songwriters. Also the Auditorium song, "Sex Offender" was given a surprising and gorgeous rendition by College Kids while Dawn of Sequins stunned the audience with their intense, virtuoso performance by Eli and Mary Monolator. Mary even got out front and did the sultry, sequins-ed chanteuse thing. One Trick Pony also played a Manhattan Murder Mystery song ...and put a nail in it. A black-bearded John Graney led us through some lesser known songs by up and coming local bands with The Californian rocking the evening to a celebratory close. So nice to have Joe and Ayanna back in town, however brief.
This week in town is not as quiet as one would expect with Coachella coming up and there's plenty to get out to every night. Take a look inside...
Monday, April 9
- Frank Fairfield @ Redwood Bar
- Michael Davis With Lions,CMG and We Are The Night, The Lucky Ones @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Max Lugavere, Madison Violet, Ann Donohue @ Hotel Cafe
- Garbage, Laura Escude @ El Rey
- So Many Wizards, LA Font, Dream Panther, Habits @ The Echo
- Duniven, Liquid Love Letter, Wheelhouse, Basement Tapes @ The Satellite
- John Carpenter, My Friends Are Great @ Los Globos
- The Koreatown Oddity, Jon Barba, Johnnie Jungleguts, Walter Gross @ Pehrspace
- Grace Woodroofe, Jenny O, Louise and the Pins, Tall Tales & The Silver Lining @ Bootleg Bar
- "School Night!" w/ Elle King, more TBA @ Bardot
- Haim, Wildcat! Wildcat!, Ko Ko, Guns in the Sun, Captain Cut + Hit City DJ's @ Echoplex
- Philanthro LA @ The Central
- Tim Minchin @ Largo at the Coronet
DECISION:
Time to catch up with one of this months Monday residencies. So Many Wizards are playing with LA Font on the bill at The Echo, Grace Woodroofe has the wonderful Jenny O (at right) on her show at Bootleg Bar, making this a hot show too. Don't forget, Duniven is at The Satellite and Frank Fairfield appears to be in residence at Redwood Bar.
Tuesday, April 10
- "Buzzbands LA" presents Ethan Gold, The Record Company, Laura Meyer, Boys School @ Lot 1
- The Gypz, Somos Mysteriosos, The Livingstons, Ghost Flame @ Redwood Bar
- Rachel Maddow in conversation with Bill Maher @ Saban Theatre
- John Wayne Bro, The Dead Ships, Cody McAndrew and special guests @ The Central
- Garbage, Laura Escude @ El Rey
- Exploding Flowers, Molino, Spaceships, Franz Nicolay @ Silver Lake Lounge
- An Intimate Night w/ Neon Trees, Nico Vega @ The Troubadour
- Alabama Shakes Premiere Party @ Origami Vinyl
- Adam Cohen, Yellow Red Sparks @ Hotel Cafe
- Tim Minchin @ Amoeba Music
- Dante Vs Zombies, The Hallucinations, New Life, Daybeds @ The Echo
- Lee Ranaldo Band, Lady Noise, Nightmare Air @ The Satellite
- Oh Land, Blood Orange, Trust @ Echoplex
- Wreck of the Zephyr, TS and The Past Haunts, Neon Hymns @ Bootleg Bar
- Alexandra & The Starlight Band, Scott Bernhardt @ Harvard & Stone
- Hall of Fame EP Release Show @ The Piano Bar
DECISION:
Rachel Maddow (at right) is certainly one of the most, if not THE most astute political mind currently working in the news media. Her ability to take on any political figure who deigns to appear on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC and treat them with respect and a zero-tolerance for any untruth, makes her almost unique. I know the rabid right considers her to be some hysterical socialist agitator, but they're just wrong. She also has a quality none on the right possess. The ability to admit when she's wrong. Now she is the author of the number one New York TImes non-fiction bestseller Drift, analyzing the changes in America's Military/Industrial complex over the last 40 years. Tonight, she and Bill Maher (another I consider to be a truth-teller) bring their touring conversation to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. I wish I was going, but it's sold out.
Music-wise the night offers some delectable choices like a Buzzbands LA show at Lot 1 with Ethan Gold and Laura Meyer. There's also The Dead Ships on the bill at the John Wayne Bro residency at The Central, Yellow Red Sparks at Hotel Cafe, Dante Vs Zombies at The Echo, and a good show at Bootleg too.
Wednesday, April 11
- Chairlift, Nite Jewel @ The Troubadour
- "Desert Nights" w/ Haroula Rose, Count Fleet, Monsters Calling Home @ The Standard
- Adam Cohen, Jim Hanft Record Release Show, Desert Noises @ Hotel Cafe
- Desde Verde, The Last American Buffalo, Tes Elations @ Lot 1
- Mike Doughty, The Book of Drugs: reading, concert, Q & A, Mike Viola @ Bootleg Theatre
- Virginia, Zachary Scot Johnson, Angelo De Augustine, Glen Iris @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Jayk Gallagher, Subtitle, Touché, The Mo Odds, The Vim Dicta @ The Satellite
- Dorian Wood, Tommy Santee Klaws, Scott Matthew, Ghiant @ The Echo
- Verbs, Spliff Hemingway, Henry Canyons, Jess The Facts, Blac Heat @ 3 of Clubs
- The Blackout Trust @ The Other Door
DECISION:
A prime night of music is on tap for this Wednesday night starting with Chairlift, who are back out here with a show at The Troubadour. Supreme musical tinkerers, Tommy Santee Klaws (above) are their own genre and are on the bill for Dorian Wood with Ghiant at The Echo. Touché is part of the Jayk Gallagher show at The Satellite, while Haroula Rose and Count Fleet are playing "Desert Nights" over at The Standard. Lot 1 has The Last American Buffalo playing for the Desde Verde residency going on each Wednesday this month.
Thursday, April 12
- Desert Daze Festival w/ Dengue Fever, The Soft Pack, Old Testament, Juju, Deap Vally, Highlands, Slipping Into Darkness, Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel, Waxy, Corners, Weight, Blackfeet Braves @ Dillon's Roadhouse, Desert Hot Springs
- Marc Robillard, Clarence Bucaro Record Release Show, Curtis Peoples, Ryan Saliman & The Band of Strangers, Cassandra McGrath @ Hotel Cafe
- Republic of Letters, LADYLIKE, Flaamingos, Arthur Yoria, Max and The Moon @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Boats!, Images, L.A. Drugz, The Rough Kids @ Redwood Bar
- James, Elizaveta @ El Rey
- Joseph Arthur @ Largo at the Coronet
- Reese Richardson, Azniv, The Sweet Hurt @ Lot 1
- Youth Lagoon, Porcelain Raft, Jeans Wilder @ The Troubadour
- Ballerina Black, The Wallburds @ The Satellite
- Azalia Snail, Paislienne, Clark Chimp @ Home Room
- J*DaVeY @ The Echo
- Sucre, Whispertown, The Honey Trees @ Bootleg Bar
DECISION:
Would love to take the day off and head out to Desert Hot Springs for the Desert Daze Festival (and I think I know what the 'daze' stands for) to hear some mind-altering bands like Dengue Fever, Deap Vally and The Soft Pack along with art exhibits, food trucks, workshops and the regular festival trimmings. Sounds great!
Friday, April 13
- Coachella 2012 @ Empire Polo Fields, Indio
- Alexz Johnson, CarterRollins, Team Mate, The Dahls, Eric Lumiere @ Hotel Cafe
- Dante vs Zombies @ Amoeba Music
- that dog. @ Largo at the Coronet
- Downtown/Union, Radars to the Sky, The Lonely Trees @ Casey's
- The Melvins, Unsane @ The Troubadour
- Tom Russell, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Jon Langford, Jimmie Dale Gilmore @ McCabe's
- Acid Mothers Temple, The Phantom Family Halo, Pond, Hepa/Titus @ The Echo
- White Fence, The Sandwitches, Deep Time, Tim Cohen @ The Satellite
- Boom Chick, Wake Up Lucid, Kera and the Lesbians @ Bootleg Bar
- Mutations, Cancer Patient, Wimp And Shrimp, Bodysnatchers @ The Smell
DECISION:
O.K., Coachella starts up today, with the major headliner being The Black Keys surrounded by sets by Explosions In The Sky, Jimmy Cliff and Abe Vigoda and about 50 others. Everyone always comes back spun out and happy, I'm sure this year will be no different.
Here in downtown Los Angeles we have the Casey's residency of Downtown/Union which we at Radio Free Silver Lake are proud to present this week as our good buddies Radars To The Sky are also on the bill. And with The Lonely Trees opening, you want to get there on time. Last week's show was a blast!
Saturday, April 14
- Coachella 2012 @ Empire Polo Fields, Indio
- Pearl, Jesse Thomas, Mike Stocksdale, Valente, Bonnie Bishop, Davis Fetter @ Hotel Cafe
- Modern Time Machines, Strange Parade, Bell Gardens @ Casey's Bar
- The Monolators present "Mechanookie" A Radio Play: Live Performance @ The Hudson Backstage Theatre
- Backseat Bingo, John Carpenter, Bikos, The Sundowners @ Lot 1
- Fartbarf, Sassafras, Mantha Soundcore, Sketch Monster @ Redwood Bar
- Jeffrey Foucault @ McCabe's
- K'noup & Kelly present Benvenue, hello vegas, Vas Defrans, Terminal VI, the PENNANT, The Dark @ The Troubadour
- Nick Offerman's "American Ham" @ Largo at the Coronet
- The Cooling Time, The Hereafter, Daniel Ahearn and the Jones @ The Satellite
- Damien Jurado, Peter Wolf Crier, Churches @ Bootleg Bar
- Moab, Lantvrn, Ides Of Gemini, Axel Estrada @ The Smell
- Pontiak, All Tiny Creatures @ The Echo
DECISION:
The second day of Coachella is the powerhouse day offering Radiohead, The Shins, St. Vincent, Andrew Bird, Feist and Kaiser Chiefs, and a day I wouldn't mind being there. However, here in Hollywood we are host to the premiere of Mechanookie: A Radio Play live and in person performed by The Monolators and company at The Hudson Backstage Theatre. Also Modern Time Machines continue their residency at Casey's.
Sunday, April 15
- Coachella 2012 @ Empire Polo Fields, Indio
- Caravan of Thieves @ McCabe's
- Hand, Brent Racemaker, Amy Blaschke @ Bootleg Bar
- David Mayfield Parade @ Hotel Cafe
- Snow Angel, Kit'N'Tenders, +++ @ Lot 1
- Orphan, and guests @ The Central
- Minimal Wave Nite w/ Geneva Jacuzzi @ The Echo
DECISION:
The first weekend of this year's Coachella Festival closes tonight with Beirut and Fitz and the Tantrums and then we welcome back the first wave of exhausted campers. Press: Repeat, Play for next weekend.
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