The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "Any Words You Sing To Me, They Hit Home Like The Ocean...")

by Brad Roberts

This month offers a good opportunity to catch up with some favorite bands who haven't been performing much recently. Gliss (at right) have been receiving rave reviews and a lot of hot buzz for their latest album, Langsom Dans, and they're using a February Monday residency at Los Globos to celebrate its release. The fact that they claim both Silver Lake and Europe as their residencies is more than just a fact of geography, but is central to the appeal of their music as they combine the best of Silver Lake indie rock with the best of European techno glam rock. All presented by three talented, attractive, instrument-swapping musicians. This opportunity to see them repeatedly, locally should not be missed. Also re-emerging with a bunch of shows are Radio Free Silver Lake friends, Xu Xu Fang, who played a show last week and have two this week after more than a year out of sight. They join Gliss at Los Globos on Monday and Friday night they're at 3 of Clubs.

The Little Ones are another band I used to see all the time and I have missed them and their super-tight indie pop. Well they're back as well and playing a show at The Echo with another power-house band, The Lonely Wild for another of the week's highlights.

And speaking of new albums, the latest release by EELS, Wonderful, Glorious, continues to reveal Mark Everett's evolution into an optimistic soul. He'll be in town at The Fonda to showcase this new music next week. More on that in the next Low Down.

Monday, February 4

- Gliss record release, Pyyramids, Xu Xu Fang, Lonely Trees @ Los Globos

- "School Night!" w/ Matt Costa, Lewis Watson, Hot As Sun, Thrillionaire @ Bardot

- SuperSoul Monday w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectacular w/ special guests, Desert Noises, The Soul of John Black, Owen Campbell @ Hotel Cafe

- American Death Truck, Vandelay Industries, Nightmail, The First Victim, The Battle Royale, Band of Enablers, Alison May @ Skinny's Lounge

- Feeding People Premiere Party @ Origami Vinyl

- The Moonbeams record release, Deadly Birds, Birds of a Black Feather @ The Viper Room

- The Young Romans, Go Tell the Eskimo @ The Central

- Mystery Skulls, Matthewdavid, Tapioca and The Flea, Sesasons @ Bootleg Bar

- Wires in the Walls, Future Dancing, Burning Jet Black, Young Creatures @ Silver Lake Lounge

- A House For Lions, Olin and the Moon, The Steelwells, Cassorla @ Echoplex

- Blackwater Jukebox, The Lexingtons, Cities @ Redwood Bar

- Kan Wakan, The Donnies The Amys, Omar Velasco @ The Echo

- The Mowgli's, The Ross Sea Party, Of Verona, In The Valley Below @ The Satellite

DECISION:

Tonight's the night that Gliss begins a month's residency at Los Globos with a Record Release Show featuring another favorite, Xu Xu Fang. And that's just one of the night's good shows with some very strong competition from other residencies.

The Mowgli's begin their February run at The Satellite with a heavy-hitting line up of The Ross Sea Party, Of Verona and the ever-pleasing vocals of In The Valley Below, 90's funk gets a contemporary shake-down from Mystery Skulls who inhabit the Bootleg Bar for the month and tonight appear with the multi-talented Matthewdavid and our popular favorites Seasons, who are weathering line up changes and have recently come back from recording a new album.

A new band called Kan Wakan mixes chamber music with indie pop and comes up with a sweeping cinematic sound that you can dance to and they are beginning a residency at The Echo tonight. Joining them is Omar Velasco (above), a singer/songwriter who matches his impressive compositional variety with thoughtful, personal lyrics. I first saw him perform solo a year ago and signed him for one of my first Feed Your Head nights at Lot 1. Recently he's been performing as a band with a musician on upright bass and a drummer adding extra layers of beauty to his already beautiful music.

It seems like the Monday residency thing has take off from when there were three each week to almost every club offering their own editions of this new, unique Los Angeles tradition. This week also offers A House For Lions residency with Olin and the Moon at Echoplex and Wires in the Walls at Silver Lake Lounge with Future Dancing.

There's a big bill over at Skinny's Lounge called Dream Pop Monday which features seven bands, including American Death Truck and Nightmail, and all for just $5.

Tuesday, February 5

- Hot Water Music, La Dispute, The Menzingers @ Echoplex

- Kris Allen & Jillette Johnson, Jake Newton, Emmett Skyy @ Hotel Cafe

- We Break Cameras @ Origami Vinyl (7 PM)

- Dirty Projectors, Nick Kroll @ The Troubadour

- Hot 8 Brass Band, Oliwa and the Pleasure Circus, Reigning Monarchs @ Bootleg Bar

- KingQueen, Solwave, Strange Markings, Too Bad @ Silver Lake Lounge

- Plague Vendor, Vision, French Cunt, Levitation Room @ The Central

- Unknown Mortal Orchestra listening party @ Origami Vinyl (8 PM)

- David Scott Stone, Dolphins 'N Shit, Hex Horizontal, Catherter @ The Smell

- The Lovely Bad Things, Wires on Fire, Cosmonauts, Chad & The Meatbodies @ The Echo

DECISION:

After the glut of shows last night, Tuesday quiets down a little with the best offerings being The Lovely Bad Things with Cosmonauts at The Echo and Dirty Projectors at The Troubadour.

Wednesday, February 6

- Kris Allen & Jillette Johnson, Lucy Michelle, Holly Williams @ Hotel Cafe

- "Desert Nights" w/ Kristin Diable, The Heavy Guilt, The Midnight Pine @ The Standard

- Stephen Brower & the Silent Majority, Trevor Menear @ The Central

- The Burning of Rome, Sleep Lady, No Small Children, Mars and The Massacre @ Silver Lake Lounge

- ZZ Ward, Delta Rae, Martin Harley @ The Troubadour

- Sir Sly, Kitten, Onuinu @ The Echo

- The Fur Traders, Black Apples, Oh Darling @ The Satellite

- Wardell, Busy Living, Big Harp @ Bootleg Bar

DECISION:

The Burning of Rome (at right) are preparing to go to Austin for SXSW in March, but you can catch them in town tonight at Silver Lake Lounge. Their infectious blend of dance punk and new-age sounds is quite irresistible. There's also The Fur Traders with the haunting lead vocals of Michelle Vidal fronting the band's spooky epics and the psychedelic thrash-rock of The Black Apples at The Satellite.

Thursday, February 7

- Alan Doyle, Kail Baxley, Heaps N Heaps, Candy River House @ Hotel Cafe

- Delta Rae, ZZ Ward, Martin Harley @ The Troubadour

- M. Ward, Karen Elson, Soul-Junk @ The Orpheum

- Martin Starr w/ Common Rotation, Daniel Hart, The Girls w/ special guests Ludwig Goransson,
Charlyne Yi and special guests @ The Central

- Big Search 7" release, Wild Cub, Bart Davenport @ The Satellite

- Hey Ocean!, Holly Conlan, Carla Bean @ Bootleg Bar

- The Jealous Sound, Daylight @ The Echo

- Touché, Thrillionaire @ The Spare Room

- Wild Pack of Canaries, Free Moral Agents, Rubedo, Special Guests @ Silver Lake Lounge

DECISION:

Big shows sell out, like Delta Rae and ZZ Ward (at right) last night and tonight at The Troubadour or M Ward at The Orpheum. But there is a show at a venue called The Spare Room with Touché and Thrillionaire that sounds like a grand show, and Wild Pack of Canaries are at Silver Lake Lounge.

Friday, February 8

-  Emily King Live L.A. Showcase w/ Emily Elbert, Jesse Thomas, Moxi Record Release Show, Hotel Cinema @ Hotel Cafe

- Pageants @ Origami Vinyl

- Church Sessions w/ Chelsea Wolfe, Deradoorian, Sarah Jaffe @ First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles

- Enslaved, Pallbearer, Royal Thunder, Ancient VVisdom @ The Troubadour

- Spider John Koerner, Christine Collister @ McCabe's

- Daniel Hart, Tall Tales and the Silver Linings, Malcolm Sosa @ Pehrspace

- Field Trips, Hermit Convention, She Wolf @ The Smell

- OFF!, Negavive Approach, Big Business, Bad Antics @ The Fonda Theatre

- The Little Ones, The Lonely Wild @ The Echo

- Toy Selectah, Nadastrom @ Bootleg Bar

- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Stone Foxes @ El Rey

- Xu Xu Fang, The Trial, Brandon and Rachel @ 3 of Clubs

DECISION:

I like the sound of the show out at Pehrspace with Malcolm Sosa, Tall Tales and the Silver Linings and headliner Daniel Hart (at right). Another chance to catch Xu Xu Fang this week with this show at 3 of Clubs, and The Little Ones are back again to play at The Echo with our good buddies, The Lonely Wild.

Saturday, February 9

- Sweetwater & The Satisfaction, Doran Danoff, Dawn McCoy, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Alana Clark @ Hotel Cafe

- The Withers, TÜLIPS, LA Font, Spaceships, Ladyheat, Luna is Honey@ Echo Country Outpost

- Church Sessions w/ Petra Haden Choir, Portland Cello Project, Alialujah Choir @ First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles

- Ellie Goulding, St. Lucia @ The Wiltern

- Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell w/ Friends @ The Troubadour

- Seapony, Rose Melberg @ Los Globos

- Eve Brandstein's Poetry In Motion: "Funny Valentine" @ Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center

- Spencer Livingston, Phoebe Bridgers, Janelle and Jules, Tyler Rogers @ Lot 1

- Zak Waters, Ghost Beach, Benedek @ The Central

- Big Freediia, Juiceboxx @ Echoplex

- Dr. John @ The Fonda Theatre

- Feather Wolf, TraPsPs, Moi @ The Smell

- Incan Abraham, Cuckoo Chaos, Mahgeetah @ The Satellite

- Plus record release show, The Janks, hUH @ Bootleg Bar

- Seapony, Sanglorians, Rose Melberg @ Los Globos

- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ El Rey

DECISION:

Tough choices tonight between Incan Abraham (at right) at The Satellite or Sanglorians at Los Globos, 0r The Janks at Bootleg Bar. Then there's the vaguely ecclesiastical sounding bill of Petra Haden Choir, Portland Cello Project and Alialujah Choir at The First Unitarian Churh of Los Angeles. Big names, Emmylou Harris at The Troubadour and Dr. John At The Fonda.

Sunday, February 10

- Los Feliz Quartet @ the Central

- Daniel Zaitchik, Fay Wolf, John Gallagher, Jr., Rachael Cantu @ Bootleg Theatre

- Bitch & Our Lady J, Star Anna @# Hotel Cafe

- The Reflections, SNEAKPEEK @ The Satellite

- Cosmonauts, Tennis System, Moonbeams, Slowness @ The Echo

DECISION:

Let's go to The Echo for Cosmonauts and Tennis System. Gotta get ready for next week!

Comments

[Kenneth Scalir]

I heard the LA Fort was shut down due to "permitting issues", have you heard if and when that venue will reopen in the near future?

[Kathryn]

I'm looking into it--I'll post back here with the answer.

[Kathryn]

This is what L.A. Fort posted on their facebook page February 4. Thanks to Greg (@gkla) from LA Font for the info:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-LA-Fort/127867737363277

"We are sorry to say that last night LAPD vice department came to The Fort and shut us down for a lack of proper permitting. We are starting the process of becoming a legal space but with the longevity of this social experiment in mind, we will be canceling all foreseeable future events. During this trying time, we are calling on our community now more than ever. This is the real test of the DIT (do it together) movement. Over the past 4 months we have all been witness to the power of this movement. Moving forward, The Fort will need all of us together to help fundraising, building, planning, and getting up to code. We hope you will be joining us on this process in the coming months as we take this journey together.

This is not the end but the very beginning~ If you are interested in being a part of this transition (even if you don't know how) please be in touch.

Thank you all!"