Radio Free Silver Lake

Favorite Albums of 2010: RFSL Staff Edition

And... scene!

We complete our year-end wrap-up features with a look at the favorite albums of RFSL staff members Brad Roberts, Kathryn Pinto, Octavius, VFSL Jed, Jane McCarthy, Jackie Lam, and Joe Fielder.

(Next week, we'll have several forward-looking articles focusing on what's next for some of LA's best acts and groups you should keep an eye out for in 2011.)

Kathryn Pinto

No Age - Everything in Between

About two minutes into this record I was in love. I came to No Age a little late in the game. They were signed right before I moved to LA so I can’t claim any indie cred, I just like the way every song is a battle of noise vs. pop. I love that pop comes out a little bit ahead on this album.

The National - High Violet

I’m not really a National fan, but “Bloodbuzz Ohio” has got to be one of the best songs of the year if not the evar. I can never listen to this record without thinking about the time I played it at work, all like, “listen guys I’ve got the new National record (even though I’m not really a big National fan, this is just the coolest thing in my ipod).” On “Sorrow” when the line, “I don’t wanna get over you” played, one of my coworkers--who I suspect had spent a few evenings listening to the song in a sad dark corner of his bedroom--said in response “Get over her, go to Vegas, do what you gotta do, take care of your business.” Every time I hear the song I can’t stop laughing at that line. It made me want to go back and listen to the rest of the album, which is excellent.

The Deadly Syndrome - Nolens Volens

Where do I even begin? This album is so good. It’s a grower, you’re rewarded for repeated listenings as the songs bloom and develop as themes are introduced and return. You have to let these songs sink in before you fully appreciate them. There isn’t a big poppy sound to hook you in or an immediate payoff. The beauty is in the instrumentation. A song like “Armrest” begins quietly beautiful then builds, adding more parts, including trumpet, to a full crescendo by the song’s end.

Shadow Shadow Shade - Shadow Shadow Shade

I first heard this album almost completely cold (I’d heard one or two songs on their myspace page) in a dark room in the company of the band and a small group of Silver Lake music people. I didn’t know what to expect and was a little afraid that I wouldn’t like what I was about to hear. From the opening notes of “Is this a Tempest in the shape of a Bell?” my fears were allayed.

Favorite Albums of 2010: LA Band Edition

Yesterday's year-end wrap-up articles focused on best shows of 2010. Today, it's all about the albums.

So, read on as members from the following LA bands sound off on their favorite releases of the year: Walking Sleep, Xu Xu Fang, The Lonely Wild, Smokers in Love, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Hectors, Everest, The Western States Motel, The Deadly Syndrome, The Spires, Marvelous Toy, Signal Hill, The Californian, Shadow Shadow Shade, The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester, Big Whup, and Pizza!.

Geoff Geis - Big Whup & Pizza!

Marina and the Diamonds: The Family Jewels

Marina's first album is immediately attention-grabbing, and the sheer pop bombast of songs like "Oh No!" are enough to attract any listener who values fun and memorability. But the Family Jewels isn't just fireworks: it's full of musical dynamism, lyrical nuance, and candid intelligence. It grows more poignant and essential with every listen.

La Roux: La Roux

La Roux (originally released last year in England, but not available here until this year) gave us the best radio single of the summer, "Bulletproof," and a collection of ten more shimmery electro-pop triumphs. Future Islands: In Evening Air Popular "indie" music has become so staid and predictable. All of the bands draw from the same tired set of influences, and they all get the same results. Future Islands' singer Sam Herring, however, turns to an uncommon source - Meatloaf's emotive yelp - for inspiration. That's refreshing.

The Lonely Wild

Andrew Carroll:

Beach House - Teen Dream

I spent most of this year discovering or rediscovering old music, so I really haven't gravitated toward what new out right now. But one album I did come across that I found my self revisiting throughout the year is Beach House's Teen Dream. It's a truly beautiful, cohesive record from start to finish. I'm not sure how old Victoria Legrand is, but her voice has a very mature, almost world-weary quality to it. She comands the songs in a way that makes you feel you're collecting little gems of wisdom upon each listen. It keeps me coming back for more.

Favorite Shows of 2010: LA Band Edition

You've already seen our article on the RFSL staff's favorite shows of 2010 (if not, scroll down a bit...), now we'll cover concerts that musicians from more than a dozen LA bands liked the most in the last year.

Below, you'll find entries from members of the following acts: Xu Xu Fang, The Lonely Wild, Smokers in Love, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Hectors, Everest, The Western States Motel, The Deadly Syndrome, The Spires, Marvelous Toy, Signal Hill, The Californian, Shadow Shadow Shade, The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester, Big Whup, Pizza!, and Walking Sleep.

Matthew Teardrop – Manhattan Murder Mystery

My friend gave me free tickets for some black metal bands at The Whiskey. I think one of the bands was called Goatwhore. I got really drunk and was moshing my ass off. At first, I think people knew I didn't really belong there, but the more whiskey I drank, the more convincing I had become at faking it. By the end of the night, I feel that I had been accepted as a member of the tribe. One of the bands was burning dead flesh on stage. At least it smelled like it. A lot of people were wearing silly face paints. This one guy outside wanted to kick my ass because he heard me say "god bless you." I ended up passing out across the street on the sidewalk.

Jesse Hoy – The Deadly Syndrome

Grinderman - Nick Cave and Co. were phenomenal. And most of the songs were three notes, and it didn't matter because they have lyrics like "...And fucked the girls you're probably married to." They were incredible. Absolutely tight, but not in anyway rigid. Just bulletproof songs and showmanship. It was impressive and inspiring.

Jason Soda – Everest

Neil Young solo at Ryman Auditorium - Might be the most sinister, heavy, and nuanced live set by Neil since Tonight's The Night ... with wild sonics pushing through your ears into your brain and stomach.

My Morning Jacket playing the album "Z" at Terminal 5 NYC - MMJ performed all 5 of their albums over 5 nights (plus all of the covers from each period). A true feat executed by some true gangsters. The Viking Choir on Into The Woods featured some of our voices and smiling faces..

Tame Impala at The Silverlake Lounge - Spot on sound. I'll give it up to the soundman who did a fantastic job in that tiny room. Sometimes bands sound different then the recorded album but these guys were a dead ringer for the record and I can appreciate that.

Favorite Shows of 2010: RFSL Staff Edition

Over the next few days, we'll be posting feature articles covering the favorite shows and albums of both our crackerjack RFSL staff and musicians from more than a dozen local bands.

We thought we'd kick it all off with a look back at some of the best concerts of 2010, as picked by staff members (and frequent show-goers) Brad Roberts, Kathryn Pinto, Octavius, VFSL Jed, and Jackie Lam.

Brad Roberts

As I started going back over the year to identify the best shows, I had to stop at thirty, and that was only through September...so I'm just going to pull some off the top of my head.

I'm sure this will appear an obvious and predictable choice, but show of the year has to go to The Arcade Fire for their two-night stand at The Shrine on October 7 and 8. The band lives up to and surpasses all expectations, and they come with an extremely high "show me" factor. They were orchestral, sweeping, passionate and the stage was alive with movement and excitement. The songs aren't bad either.

The Henry Clay People CD release party on June 8 at Spaceland was one of the funnest evenings of the year it was as much a party with friends as a concert, yet the band still delivered an electrifying and on target show. No matter how out of control things get, their music is so sturdy it always survives. Olin and the Moon and The Hectors were the super supporting acts.

Radio Free Silver Lake's Free Tuesday Residency with The Californian: The Aftermath

by Brad Roberts

I want to start this post by stating outright how much we at Radio Free Silver Lake appreciate the support that was shown to us on Tuesday at the first RFSL Free Tuesday residency of The Californian at LaBrie's. To see so many familiar faces from the "Let's Independent!" days and three bands that played startlingly good sets, made all of us feel that this thing is going to get off the ground and remain in flight for a long time. The bands were all prompt, primed and prepared and, with the help of LaBrie's sound guy, really rocked the place.

The club itelf is done up nicely and has a wonderful neighborhood vibe, there's even great backstage space for the bands and their equipment. Jimmy is bartender and host and his conviviality dictates the comfortable mood of the place. The opening band went on just a few minutes past nine enabling the entire evening to stay on schedule, which is always a relief when you are curating a show.

This was the first time I've seen Alpine Decline, since the demise of Mezzanine Owls, and as a two-piece they play some fairly powerful music with just drums, guitar and distortion. Pretty tunes giving way to massive walls of noise in the middle of songs until the primary tune re-establishes itself, seems to be their compositional style and they use it to maximum effect.

The Californian just blow my mind with their crisp, professional stage demeanor...like they've been a band forever. Playing with a new bass player who fits seamlessly into the mix, they also played sans a female vocalist for the first time and the rich mix of the three remaining singers still were able to recreate the rich vocal mix found on their EP, Sea of Love.

Death To Anders are back and are as tight a band as they have ever been. Rob Danson led a band of four tonight and the songs, both old and new, sounded fresh and strong. His often lurid subject matter and thrashing guitars break away to passages of unnerving beauty occasionally that make the music both anguished and poignant.

Kathryn and I were joined by fellow RFSL writers, Jackie and Jed, and we all felt that this was a very successful debut. The audience was of a decent size, for a new event, and seemed to have a nice time, with everyone saying they will come back. A huge thank you to John Graney (pictured in the above photo of The Californian by Laurie Scavo) who went to such great lengths to insure that this first month is full of such strong bills, and for making this first night so memorable, and thanks to LaBrie's (pictured directly above). Now I can't wait for next week. Come out and see The Californian play with Pacific Hurt and The Breakups, Tuesday, November 9.

The Summer Listening Article

by RFSL Staff

It's summer. Maybe it's the extra free time, maybe it's the nicer weather, but there's something extra special about listening to great new music this time of year. It's like being nostalgic about the present.

We asked our staff what they've most been enjoying lately - specifically, for their top three picks for summer listening, whether they be local, national, or beyond. 

Some writers had a hard time keeping it to just three...

Kathryn Pinto - Managing Editor

Walking Sleep - Measures
These guys grabbed me the first time I saw them live as the The Flying Tourbillion Orchestra. Sarah Radle's vocals are captivating and harmonize well with Hunter Curra's; the musical chemistry between the two of them really works. The music has a narrative, cinematic quality, but also has a lightness that recalls 1960's pop.

Seasons - Winter EP
I cringed at the wolf album art but when I first played the EP, but I found myself walking back to the other room to get a better listen. The songs are good, but more than that there are moments of pure emotional connection with the listener on "Open Your Eyes" and "Always."

Voxhaul Broadcast - EP
Garage rock, big vocals that swing, driving beats, and everything that makes rock 'n roll fun.

Honorable Mention: Big Whup & Pizza!
I don't have any new recorded music from either band, but I've seen them both a ton live in the last few months. These bands share some members and an appealing oddness that is equal part David Byrne and David Lynch. The music is experimental, ambitious and good stuff.

Brad Roberts - Editor & Frequent Show Goer

Wow, only three...huh? Here's three big ones, and they're all local.

Interview: Avi Buffalo

By Kathryn Pinto
Photos by Benjamin Hoste www.benjaminhoste.com

The Long Beach-based Avi Buffalo released their much anticipated debut album on Sub Pop Tuesday. They play an all ages record release show at the Troubadour Saturday May 1st before they leave to tour Europe for the first time. Later they play summer dates with Modest Mouse and Blitzen Trapper. The group has been touring extensively this spring including dates at SXSW, but we were lucky enough to catch up with them between shows on the early leg of their US tour in March. I talked to Avi by phone from New Jersey.

Kathryn Pinto:  Where are you guys now?

Avi Buffalo: Right now I’m in Weehauken, NJ. We are staying at our friend’s house. We’re at his office right now. We just finished eating some lunch and practicing a little bit.

KP: So this is your guys’ first national tour, right?

Avi: Yeah, it is. We went up to the Northwest for the first time last summer. Last month we went to New York for the first time for about a week. On the East Coast we did about four dates. [This is] the first time doing the real deal, like two months, a bunch of shows thing so it’ll be an exciting thing for us.  Just gonna keep our heads on, keep playing every night so should be fun, should get tighter, [we’ll] have a good time.

Interview: WALK

By Jackie Lam

Having befriended the four members of WALK a few years back, I can recall the day when Dan Apodaca, the drummer, handed me one of their EPs to listen to. As many of us with many artist friends can relate to, I admit I feigned interest, expecting to give it a brief listen and relegate it to my “reject” box of music. But to my surprise, I found myself listening to them on loop. It was the best thing I had heard in a very long time and I felt kinda privileged to be in on a best-kept secret. Having released a handful of EPs, including the most recent Cave Man Game, they are gearing up to forward their first full-length.
In great anticipation of their Let’s Independent! the Lost Episode show with Big Whup and The Californian  at El Cid  this Sunday, April 18th, I caught up Dan, lead singer Timmy Jordan, and keyboardist Chris Kerrigan to see what they’ve been up to and what’s in store.

Jackie Lam: Hey Dan, it’s been awhile since your last RFSL Interview. What has WALK been up to since then?

Daniel Apodaca: Well, we've been up to the usual ‘band stuff.’  We recorded an EP last year called Cave Man Game and been playing as often as possible around L.A., meeting other bands and discovering new places. We're a little scattered right now, with all that other stuff that pops up in life, but it feels really good when we can get together and play.

Celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday, April 17th!

 
By Jackie Lam

As many of us have amassed our music collections by a simple click of a download button or stealthily ripping them off the Inter-web, the record shop has increasingly become something of a mythical creature, like a unicorn or dragon. It was a place where you could come across your next favorite band by picking up an album based purely on its name or off-beat cover art, and spend hours sampling new music at one of the listening stations. The record store, with its walls plastered with show posters and grisly guys huddled in the front, smoking and shooting the bull about the last best concert they went to, was the music lover’s haven. I can still remember heading over to D.B. Coopers, a small used music store in a strip mall near my high school in Burbank, and feeling a swell of excitement as I carefully flipped through the albums in their shiny, plastic casing.

This Saturday is the fourth annual Record Store Day, and there’s no better way to lend support and pay homage to the few music shops that still remain in town (RIP Aron’s and Rhino Records). With free in-store performances, sales, giveaways, and limited edition RSD releases  on vinyl and LPs from over 100 bands which include Everest, Beach House, Built to Spill, Of Montreal, Male Bonding and the Dum Dum Girls, Pavement, Wilco, Devo, Sea Wolf, and Deerhoof. What each store will carry may vary, so if in doubt, call ahead. Here’s what goodies the record shops in L.A. have lined up this year:

The Best of 2010 So Far...

by Staff

It's a few months into 2010 and, hell, we like music and writing about music... So, we thought we'd cover some of our favorite releases so far this year.

Really, why should December have all the goddamn fun?!

Kathryn Pinto

The Deadly Syndrome - Nolens Volens

This one is a grower. The first listen was good, but by the third or fourth I really fell for it. Some of the instrumental interludes are reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky. "Armrest" is the standout, the trumpet solo gets me every time.

Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo

Avi is an old soul. He tells a story about his last year of high school being tough because he was in math class, but he couldn't concentrate, all preoccupied with thinking about the mixes for his first record. The record musically embodies that cognitive dissonance. Bedroom pop. Melodies and lyrics sometimes catchy, somethimes beautifully sweet and youthful, sometimes approaching--but never quite reaching--whiny. The Nels Cline-influenced guitar is consistently good, the unsung hero of the album.

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

I don't want to throw in my lot with their "punky reggae" OC stoner fanbase, but the songs are quite good, songwriting, harmonies, and two drummers are all working for me.

The French Semester - Forces Afield

Good songwriting, reminds me a bit of Mermaid Avenue-era Wilco with a dash of Mamas & the Papas. Vocal harmonies really sweeten the songs. This band is the Cal Ripken Jr. of Spring '010 on the faux eastside of LA. Not flashy, but they're really good and they play every game.

Of Note:

Blair - Die Young

Need to listen more, it's another grower. Pretty.

Admiral Radley (Jason Lytle, Aaron Espinoza, etc.)

I haven't actually heard the record yet, but the show was great.

Explode Into Colors

Amazing, intense live show, but haven't listened to the record yet.

Brad Roberts

I love questions like this.

1) Field Music - Field Music (Measure)

Amazingly inventive indie pop from two brothers who seem to have limitless talent. I've been listening to it non stop since the day I got it and tonight I get to see them live at Bootleg for the first time and on Tuesday at Amoeba for the second time. Can't wait to see how they do this live.

2) The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night

This maybe the definitive Besnard Lakes album. Gorgeous melancholy sludge with some great singing. I'm seeing them at The Troubadour in May with The Happy Hollows.