Radio Free Silver Lake

The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "Do You Know We Could Go, We Are Free, Any Place You Can Think Of We Could Be, Have You Seen The Stars Tonight, Have You Looked At All The Family Of Stars...")

by Brad Roberts

Paul Kantner and Jefferson Airplane came along at just that moment in my life when I was formulating a life identity (trying to figure out what the hell was going on, while the world was blowing apart), and it was this band that influenced me more than any other. Had I been a few years younger, and a few more years younger than that, the deaths of Glenn Frey and David Bowie during January might have affected me more. But I was 16 when I first heard Jefferson Airplane and they immediately exploded all my preconceptions about my own musical tastes and became my favorite band. Funny how ones placement in the space/time conundrum can so exactly dictate which rock and roll figures, which movies, which books one will identify with the most. With their combination of powerful vocals and heady, psychedelic experimentation plus a collection of musicians who were all expert in their respective fields, I was an instant fan and they opened all sorts of doors in my head.

Surrealistic Pillow was their current album, but I immediately tracked back to pick up their 1966 first album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off to hear their roots, becoming familiar with their first female lead singer Signe Anderson. Hearing her powerful folk voice, it was easy to see why they selected the similarly strong Grace Slick to replace her when she left the band to raise her family. So, to then hear that she had passed away on the same day as Paul, well, it makes one ponder one's own mortality. In the photo above Paul is second from left and Signe is second from right. Though I never saw her in concert, I did see Paul and Jefferson Airplane (above) and Jefferson Starship many times, even attending a show of the current Jefferson Starship in 2014 at Saban Theatre. May they meet "On the deck of a starship with their heads hooked into Andromeda."

I went out to a show the night I heard the news because I needed to see some live music and it was a tonic. We who remain behind must plow forward. There's plenty of good music this week to restore the soul.

Special Event Tonight: "Making Independent Music" at the Armory Center for the Arts

By Kathryn Pinto

In conjunction with the This Ain't a Scene photography show at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, Radio Free Silver Lake is presenting a panel discussion about making independent music (and making a living) at the Armory tonight. Panelists include Raymond Richards of Red Rockets Glare, Josiah Mazzaschi of the Cave Studio, Rob Danson, music supervisor and composer, and Brad Roberts of Radio Free Silver Lake

The Armory  says this of the event." Join us Friday, June, 14 at 8PM for Making Independent Music in Los Angeles - A Radio Free Silver Lake–sponsored panel discussion on the creative process and business of being a musician in LA's current indie music scene. Featured panelists include RFSL senior editors, musicians, and other members of the music community."

Time:
Friday, June 14, 2013
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Location:
Armory Center for the Arts, Community Room
145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103

The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "I Got A Message, I Got A Sign Through The Wires Swinging In Time, It's So Simple; It's Like The Sun...")

by Brad Roberts

Matt Pond is one of the artists I hold responsible for dragging my life back towards music nearly eight years ago. It was the video for the song "Closest" which showed a band in their individual preparations for a session in the studio that piqued my interest in this band. Each going throught the mundane activities we all share like making some coffee or brushing your teeth or walking the dog, before heading out to catch a bus, or drive, or walk to whatever our destination is. The band members all arrive at the same time, go inside, strap on their instruments, which they strum, pluck, bow or strike all in unison, and the video ends. The song's resemblance to Fleetwood Mac was not lost on me.

The revelation was the realization that, in spite of their exhalted status as musicians, we shared the same concerns and hopes and dreams, even across generations, as we meet our basic rituals of survival. This was before I was able to number even one musician among the people I know and I was thunderstruck with the desire to meet these people. That was a life-altering moment and now, over seven years later, I consider most of my best friends to be musicians. "Life is change", and as I began to go out and see the band Matt Pond PA there were constant line up changes in the band over the years.

But now Matt Pond has reinvented himself as a new band (minus the PA) and released a new album, The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand, which may be the best album of his career.  So sure-footed and self-possessed, it sounds like the work of someone who has reached a place of comfort where the music and lyrics are a reflection of a life in balance. The album is comfortingly familiar yet stakes out new ground for this accomplished artist. He appears on a bill with Jukebox the Ghost on Thursday at Echoplex and I'll be there.

Radio Free Silver Lake is proud to present the premiere resident night for Haunted Summer at Casey's on Friday night. This local project of love is likely to attract a crowd of friends and admirers, especially with Avi Zahner Isenberg on the bill. Other bands you can catch this week include Xu Xu Fang, Seasons, Radar Bros., Young Empress, Cardoza and The Mid Cities. Look out below...

Election Day: Rock the Vote!

By Kathryn Pinto

VOTE TODAY! Polls are open in California from 7am-8pm. FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE.

Music matters and voting matters. It’s easy to get cynical or discouraged about the political process, but the small acts: holding a door open, showing up for a live show and even voting are the ways we assert who we are and what kind of a country--and world--we want to live in and build. There are those who want to count us out, those who bank on our cynicism and our indifference. But voting is power, why else would the powerful deny that right again and again: to non-whites, to women, to people without driver’s licenses?

 When you vote today, you not only decide who will be president, but also your United States Senator and Representative, and California Assembly member and more than a dozen state and county ballot measures. So get out there and vote.

If you need help finding a polling place or deciding about the issues, ask a trusted friend, or check out these resources on the web to help.

• In Los Angeles you can go to LA Vote  (https://lavote.net/locator/) to find your polling place or get a digital copy of your sample ballot.
• Outside of LA Vote 411  (http://www.vote411.org/) has polling place information and voter resources.
• Smart Voter (http://www.smartvoter.org/) has candidate and ballot measure information, including analysis of ballot measures with short pro and con arguments, as well as links to the full text of the measures.

So get out there and vote, take a friend or a bandmate with you. If you want to to celebrate, take a photo with your "I Voted" sticker and tag us on twitter (@kpinto) or instagram (@RFSLpinto). You can also send me a photo, video or story via email at RFSLPinto (at) gmail.com.

 

FYF Fest Announces Set Times

By Kathryn Pinto

The FYF Fest has just announced set times. This information is sure to unleash a fury of phone refreshing, texts, tweets, illegible instagrams and possibly even a few old school scrawled pencil lists on the backs of parking tickets, all in an effort to map out some kind of a game plan for two marathon days of music. Oh hey, you could see The Orwells, The Men, AA Bondy, Fucked Up and be in bed by 10pm. Have at it.

Photo File: A Place to Bury Strangers at the Echoplex 6/7/12

Photos by Luz Gallardo, text by Kathryn Pinto

Last Thursday psychedelic shoegazers  A Place to Bury Strangers played the Echoplex and photographer Luz Gallardo was there to capture the visuals of a band once described by the Washington Post as "the most ear-shatteringly loud garage/shoegaze band you'll ever hear."

We welcome Gallardo to RFSL with her second contribution this week; she also shot the video for Old Toy Trains that debuted on Video Free Silver Lake yesterday. More photos after the break.

Radio Free Silver Lake Will Go Dark on January 18 to Oppose SOPA & PIPA

By Kathryn Pinto
Radio Free Silver Lake is going dark on January 18 to oppose SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act (House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261) and PIPA, PROTECT IP Act of 2011 (Senate Bill 986 or S.968). We oppose these bills because they will infringe on the First Amendment right to free expression and have a chilling effect on the free exchange of information and collaboration on the internet. For these reasons we will post nothing tomorrow. We stand in solidarity with other music sites going dark including: Listen Before You Buy, Beats Per Minute, In Your Speakers, The Owl Mag, GIMME TINNITUS, Tiny Mix Tapes, .

Read more about the pending SOPA/PIPA legislation. The House of Representatives will resume work on SOPA in February.

• Technical Explanation of SOPA and PIPA
• An overview of the SOPA bill
• Full text of the bill, H.R. 3261
• Why SOPA Is Dangerous
• White House opposition to SOPA
• House to take up anti-piracy bill in February

Show UPDATE: Tonight Delicate Steve at Origami Vinyl 8pm, Yellow Ostrich plays with Bikos at Silverlake Lounge

By Kathryn Pinto

Putting the word out about a couple of new last minute shows tonight: Delicate Steve plays a free show at Origami Vinyl at 8pm. Yellow Ostrich plays an early opening set for the Bikos album release show (listed as 8pm) at the Silverlake Lounge. Both bands were on the bill to play with Ra Ra Riot at the El Rey tonight, but the show was cancelled because of Ra Ra Riot singer Wes Miles' voice strain. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope you can make it out to see these shows.

Check videos by the bands.

Delicate Steve - Don't Get Stuck (Proud Elephants) - Live at the Robin's Nest from Mickey Sanchez on Vimeo.

 

 

 

Festival Report: In Lieu of Sunset Junction... (Part I) with John Graney of the Californian

With so many shows and festivals in the past week or so Radio Free Silver Lake has lots of great stories piling up on our newsroom. Before we give you our FYF Fest report, RFSL catches up with our Sunset Junction coverage. Special thanks to John Graney of the Californian who volunteered to report back as a Special Correspondent during this crazy couple of days.

By John Graney

If you read this site you know that Sunset Junction was shut down this year.  Never mind why, but it left a lot of local music makers and shakers without a way to give their audience what they had hoped for.  My band, The Californian, is one of said Music Makers - and like everyone else I spent the last week scrambling and clawing at the ceiling trying to come up with the answer to the question "what the fuck do we do now?"  Well it's now Sunday morning and we are square in the middle of the "what the fuck we do now" festival.  An interesting side point:  I never went to Sunset Junction ever.  I am a third generation Angelino and a professional noise maker and I just never went - so I don't have any of the "boohoo my party was shut down" feelings - nor do I have any of the "I hated that thing anyway thank god it's dead" feelings.   I'm approaching this weekend's ragtag entertainment hodgepodge  with a completely open mind.  And before I get going with my run down of events I'll say this - It's pretty fucking cool.

FYF Fest 2011: It Was Pretty Great, Film at 11

By Kathryn Pinto (text & photos)

Oh Hai. FYF 2011, it was pretty great.
You need to know that. It looks like my own particular vanilla fudge swirl of stubbornness and optimism was rewarded yesterday on the dusty fields of the Los Angeles State Historic Park. The  FYF 2011 organizers took it up a notch, teamed with Goldenvoice and decided that they wanted to keep this festival around. From picking up tickets (Thursday offsite at Stories Books and Cafe in Echo Park, thank you) to the helpful, efficient (if a bit militant, "Please open your bag, Miss") and ubiquitous event staff to the varied and plentiful food trucks, everything went smoothly. Festival go-ers were smiling. I was smiling (don't tell anyone).

We saw so many bands I had to set my beer down: Ty Segall (badass!), Smith Westerns, the Olivia Tremor Control, Cults, No Age (everything I love about rock 'n roll), Broken Social Scene, Guided By Voices, Explosions in the Sky, Death From Above 1979, Dan Deacon (ruled the day). Our complete festival report is coming in the next few days, but until then here are a couple photos (after the jump) from our Radio Free Silver Lake team.