Radio Free Silver Lake

Video Free Silver Lake: Live Picks Playing Soon (Angel Olsen, No Age, Protomartyr, The Blank Tapes, Nada Surf)

By Kathryn Pinto

The other day I was reminded that I interviewed my first band (Avi Buffalo) for Radio Free Silver Lake eight years ago. When I agreed to "rock a phoner," I had absolutely no idea how long it takes to transcribe an interview, or I might not have been so eager. A lot has happened since that first call; I don't have as many free mornings to type out conversations with bands and there aren't as many people blogging about music. Still there are new bands, new venues,  and a scene that has always been vibrant is ever-changing. Already this year has seen some promising activity: a weekend of Girlschool, the women-led music and ideas festival at the Bootleg and Buzzbands stage at the Chinatown New Year Festival are kicking off festival season. This week in Video Free Silver Lake I share some bands and solo artists I'm looking forward to seeing in the coming weeks.

1. No Age
   Thursday March 8 at the Highland Park Ebell Club
   
   The metal and jazz loving Ben Ratliff, former pop critic for the New York Times turned me on to the art punk duo in a Times review before I ever lived in Los Angeles. Per Mr. Ratliff, what at first listen sounds like disorder and punk impulse reveals structure and pattern and a satisfying payoff on attentive listening, but overthinking never gets in the way of the sweaty fun.
   
   
2. Protomartyr
   Saturday March 19 at the Teragram Ballroom
   
   Guys from Detroit who seem too rough around the edges to say something this smart. Protomartyr are fronted by  Joe Casey, a guy who seems to have temporarily put his career as a what--building super? HVAC technician? (actually doorman at the Gem Theater in Detroit) on hold to come out of rock n roll retirement to play with guys ten years younger. They started as a lark, a goof, but it stuck.
   
   
3. The Blank Tapes
   Monday March Residency at the Echo
   
   A garage band trio fronted by Matt Adams, who cross pollinates his songwriting with  just about any style from folk to psych to surf. The Blank Tapes are musician's musicians  who have been generous and active in the Los Angeles music community for long enough that they  draw from a deep pool of talent and bring some excellent bands to play in support on their residency: Joel Jerome, Avid Dancer and Imaad Wasif just to start the list.
   
   
4. Nada Surf 
   Saturday May 12 at the Teragram Ballroom
   
   In the mid 2000's they were the band that had survived being a one-hit wonder of the 1990's alt rock era, and being dropped from their record label and had returned to form flying slightly under the radio as a moderately successful touring band. About this time I fell for this band hard. They were one of the first live shows I saw solo, and it sold me on the particular pleasures of going out without a plus one.
   
   
5. Angel Olsen
   Tuesday April 17 at the El Rey
   
   Angel Olsen has a way of seducing the audience with her voice and with a sidelong glance that seems to be directed at you specifically. She has managed to hold this intensity, this revelatory performance and connection to the audience as the size of the rooms she plays increase.

How We Made Our Record with The Damselles & The TC4

How We Made Our Record is a feature on Radio Free Silver Lake. Each week we interview bands about the different aspects of how an album comes together: generating creative ideas, writing, financing and production (recording, engineering mastering). We talk about the creative side of choosing a studio, a producer,  a sound, and  sounding good with limited resources. Many of our readers--musicians, recording engineers, and music fans--wanted to know the back story of how albums are made. We return this week with The Damselles & The TC4.  Three sassy singers and four guys to back them, The Damselles & The TC4 don’t walk so much as strut onto a stage like a wall of sound, choreographed dance moves and outfits on point. Today vamping more Pam Grier than Ronnie Spector, The Damselles & The TC4 drop their new album, Know How To Party (Otik Records) with all the explosive fission of an atom bomb. -K.P.

By The Damselles & The TC4
Photos by Sterling Andrews

The Creative
What was the creative concept, or a point of departure for the album when you started? Did you have a unifying concept or just start writing songs? When did you write the songs: before you went into the studio, or did the tracks come together as you recorded?

The concept revolved around how many times we can get away with saying "Hey" on the songs. Most of the band had written songs specifically for the group and once we had enough material for a full-length record, we decided to go record. The songs were pretty much 100% done when we went in. It only took us two days to track all the songs. Lickety split. 

(side note - a FREE download to the person that can tell us how many times we say "Hey" on the album. )

The Best of 2013, So Far

By Staff

Once again the Radio Free Silver Lake staff brings you our highly subjective picks for the best of the year so far.

Kathryn Pinto, Editor in Chief

Albums
Brass Bed - The Secret Will Keep You
Brass Bed has a phenomenal live show, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love their new album. The guitars are angular and dissonant, they feed back and bleed out, but the melodies swing. The lyrics wonder a moody what next? It’s no surprise that these are guys in their late twenties a point where they have begun to set a course, but nothing has yet gelled in its mold. This contrast of confidence with an undercurrent of uncertainty results in a textured, thoughtful collection of tracks that rocks.

The Hectors - Her Dark Majesty
The common thread of this list is smart, moody guitar music with some pretty melodies and a few pop hooks. The title track has a gorgeous melody and resonates a deep sense of longing. There’s a 90’s northwest vibe with shades of K Records that I find very appealing Her Dark Majesty is among other things an album that showcases front woman Corrine Dinner’s voice, which is not often on given its due at live shows.

Best Of 2013 So Far (Part 2)

by Brad Roberts

Being asked to come up with a five best of the half year, is proving to be difficult. Haven't heard a lot of the newest releases by some local bands, and have been impressed with a few records from national acts, but this list may suffer from the sin of omission. However I do feel fairly confidant about my favorite album of the year so far: Trouble Will Find Me by The National. As far as a local act goes, Many Embers (above) is one of the most promising I've seen this year.

I'm the kind of person who believes in the constant evolution of music. I'm not one to dwell on the nostalgic 'trips down memory lane' pining for the 'good old days'. I've generally found it annoying to listened to all the talk about "The greatest rock and roll album ever" for most of my life. And I've always said to myself, "how can they possibly say that, how do they know what's coming next"? It's always easier to take a segment of time, like a year or six months, and select one's favorites based on a calendar.

This year, it seems like the biggest impression has been made on me by individual songs. When I get an album that has at least one song I love, I tend to listen to that song over and over until I can manage to get beyond it and find another, newer song. I often get so enthusiastic about these songs that I will usually refer to them as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Song Ever"...until the next one comes along.

How We Made Our Record with United Ghosts’ Axel Steuerwald

How We Made Our Record is a new feature on Radio Free Silver Lake. Each week we interview bands about the different aspects of how an album comes together: generating creative ideas, writing, financing and production (recording, engineering mastering). We talk about the creative side of choosing a studio, a producer, how to come up with a sound, and how to make it sound good with limited resources. We thought that many of our readers, whether they are musicians, recording engineers, or simply music fans, would be interested in the backstory of how albums are made. Plus it's a fun & genuine way to get people excited about an upcoming album. We kick off the feature this week with United Ghosts. -K.P.

United Ghosts self-titled debut is now available on iTunes, on CD and gorgeous blue vinyl from local record stores and on mail order from Unitedghosts.com. United Ghosts play the Echo this Sunday July 7 for Part Time Punks.

By Axel Steuerwald (of United Ghosts)
Band photo by Aaron Lucy
Additional photos by Arian Soheili and the band

The Creative
What was the creative concept, or a point of departure for the album when you started? Did you have a unifying concept or just start writing songs? When did you write the songs: before you went into the studio, or did the tracks come together as you recorded?

We had a very loose concept, inspired by our surroundings here in our hometown of LA. We often feel [Los Angeles] gets misrepresented as being all lazy-hazy sunshine without much of an edge to it. We wanted to put that right, show a different side. “Echo Lake,” the lead track, and “Holes Into The Night” are definitely themed along those lines. So is “Unhypnotized” with its cultish video by Arian Soheili. Check out the video for “Echo Lake” for some more thoughts by the whole band. Saying that, it’s not trying to be a concept album. It’s about a lot of things.

As far as writing in or out of the studio, it’s both. We have a small recording set-up in a magical little Garage in Silverlake that we use for writing. Most songs start there or in the practice room before we finish them in a real studio.

Show Spotlight: The World Record Double LP Release Show at the Echoplex Tonight (10/4/12)

By Kathryn Pinto

One of the most anticipated records of the year The World Record’s Freeway Special --nearly four years in the making--is out October 9 on Squid vs. Whale. Radio Free Silver Lake and Origami Vinyl are teaming up to present a Double LP Record Release show tonight at the Echoplex with Seasons, Francisco the Man and Adeline & the Philistines, as well as unplugged sets by The Damselles & the TC4, Geronimo Getty, and The Breakups.

The World Record is what happens when exquisite song craft collides with powerpop directly descended from Big Star, Nick Lowe and The Cars. Freeway Special began humbly several years ago as Andy Creighton’s (Apex Manor, Papercuts, Foreign Born) solo project, but has since expanded to an 18-song CD (with five bonus tracks on vinyl). These songs are full of hooks and heart and spirit and are so well written that you want to get up and dance and cheer at the sound of the first chords. You can preview the album at bandcamp and pre-order the album (a vinyl double with a gatefold jacket) from Squid vs. Whale or buy it at Origami Vinyl.

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The World Record plays tonight, Thursday October 4 at the Echoplex 1154 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 (enter through the alley on Glendale) along with  Adeline & the Philistines, The Breakups (unplugged), Seasons, The Damselles & the TC4 (unplugged), The World Record,  Geronimo Getty (unplugged) , Francisco the Man , 18 and over, Free to all with Culture Collide wristband, Others free 21+, $7 ages18-21. Doors open at 8:00pm.

New Release: Erica Elektra on 'That's Intense'

From time to time we ask an artist  to join us with a guest column introducing a new release. Today  Erica Elektra (Hearts of Palm UK) weighs in on her favorite tracks from That's Intense, out now on Itunes, and describes how the album got its name.

By Erica Elektra

I sat down with Dan Horne of Lone Palm Studio to begin work on the album, and he asked me to describe the songs and the feeling I was going for. I told him that this was basically a concept album, of being brokenhearted and going through breakup after breakup. I wanted to convey my sadness. He was quiet for a while (as he often is) and then said… "Whoa, that’s intense.”  And he was absolutely right, cuz my album IS intense!

My favorite 5 tracks off the album, in no particular order, they are just what came to me.

1. “Kitten”
This is a song I wrote many, many years ago while I was living in Portugal. When leaving the country, I’d had to find a new home for my cat, and when I took her there (which was located in the Humboldt countryside), she ran away and disappeared. Her bones were found a few months later. This song was an homage to that sweet kitty who was so special to me. I had never recorded the song properly and when working on this album, I thought it would be really nice to revisit it and make it sound beautiful. After all, it fits in with the theme of “That’s Intense”… cuz losing a pet is really intense.

2. “Contract”
I like this song because it’s so simple. There are no real chord changes that distinguish the verses and choruses… in fact there is hardly a chorus at all. This song was an exercise in minimalism and it feels very different from what I usually do. Because of the simplicity, I feel like the heartfelt lyrics are able to penetrate the listener in a more direct way.

3. “Oh No”
I just like how this sounds like something you’d hear on the dance floor in some trashy club in Germany. It’s total Europop. Writing the music and lyrics also came really easy to me. Something about this song was just effortless, and that’s why I like it!

4. “Please Understand”
This was a song I built entirely on the Omnichord, and so the writing process was quite different from what I usually do. I also think it really represents the Erica Elektra sound… it sounds somewhat chipper and happy but when you listen to what I’m actually singing about, it’s quite sad. Someone once described my music as upbeat melancholia, like a rain cloud made out of cotton candy. I feel like this song is a perfect example of that. Plus I can’t help but love the use of dried out coconuts to replicate the sound of horses’ hooves during the choruses…

5. “Heading West”
This was really fun to flesh out in the studio. I love how Dan played the pedal steel and gave it a real country vibe. I also like all the hawk and rattlesnake samples we used. It just ended up sounding totally different from what I usually do. One other thing that made this a different type of song is that I wrote the lyrics with a non-musician friend of mine. I wasn’t feeling super inspired to write about anything, I was sick of sad love songs, and so I asked her to tell me what was on HER mind. She had just done a road trip from Oklahoma to California and had a lot of imagery and philosophy to talk about… so that’s what I wrote about!

 

Show Spotlight: RFSL presents the Jillinda Palmer solo record release show

By Kathryn Pinto

Radio Free Silver Lake is proud to announce the record release show for Jillinda Palmer's debut solo EP Lazy Sun on Wednesday September 5th at the Satellite. Performing in support are Geronimo Getty (Aaron Kyle and members of Le Switch, Division Day), Walter Spencer, & Charlie Limousine.

The release of Lazy Sun marks the debut as frontwoman and songwriter for Palmer, a piano, organ and keyboard player and veteran of countless eastside bands, including the Damselles & The TC4 and Tenlons Fort. This stunning EP reflects the jazz, country, blues and folk influences Palmer has infused into her style from the many artists she has played with. "New London Set Me Free" (featuring Tommy Santee Klaws) is a heart-stealing song-story in the folk ballad tradition about a school explosion in Texas in the 1930's. "Black El Camino," a languid  country-tinged track leads with Palmer's dreamy vocals.

The record was recorded and mixed by Joe Napolitano (Saint Motel, Hi Ho Silver Oh, & Le Switch) and mastered by Kevin Bartley at Capitol Studios. Lazy Sun is available now for pre-order on bandcamp, the EP will be officially released on August 20. A limited number free CDs will be available to ticket holders at the record release party on September 5 at the Satellite only while supplies last.

 

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Jillinda Palmer plays Wednesday September 5 at the Satellite 1717 Silver Lake Blvd, 90026 with Geronimo Getty, Walter Spencer, Charlie Limousine and DJ Sir Pall McCartney play in support. Doors open at 8:30pm, $8, 21+.

Best of 2012 So Far: Part II (Lazy summer edition)

By Kathryn Pinto

Early in July Brad Roberts gave you his picks for the best music of the first half of 2012 and we promised you a Part II. Summer is lazy; there are lots of shows to see. After a little vacation, here are my album picks for January to June of this year. This is not a comprehensive list--there are far too many albums released for one person to absorb everything--but it's an opportunity to point out some of the best music we’ve heard this year with a focus on emerging acts and live music.

Rademacher - Baby Hawk (Part III of III) (Self released, 2012)
Baby Hawk III is simply the record I’ve wanted to listen to more than any other this year. Malcolm Sosa’s songwriting is unparalleled, but it is his chemistry with his band (particularly Kim Haden) and effervescent production from Josiah Mazzaschi at the Cave Studio that lifts the Baby Hawk trilogy above all earlier Rademacher records. Impressively, Sosa's lyrics create expansive visual imagery with very few words. “We were all drunk and dreaming/popcorn on the ceiling” from “Who Knew Love” might be one of the most evocative turns of phrase I’ve heard this year. The instrumentation and production on Baby Hawk III percolate up through the songwriting, setting loose the tracks to be something that compels you to roll down your car window and sing out to the summer sky.

Auditorium - Nights Worth Living (EP) (Self released, 2012)
There are so many good things going on here. Spencer Berger as a one-man show is an enormously talented songwriter and vocalist, but he’s also not afraid to be uncool, or more precisely, to be unhip. Free to geek out in both writing and arrangements, Berger fills these songs with tremendous heart and humor. “The Sex Offenders” could be the most wrong thing written in a song except that it rings true and very funny. “There's a bunch of sex offenders living down the street from me/
But I guess if they've found forgiveness in the law/
Then there's probably some hope for me.”

Japandroids  - Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl, 2012)
Sometimes music at its most essential is a physical thing. It’s the way guitar strings and vocal chords vibrate, sound waves push through the air. It’s the heavy weight of damp sweat in the air, bodies so close together at a show that someone else’s saturated t-shirt slides against your skin. It’s about raw release. Music like this doesn’t care about beautiful construction--just holding itself together enough to shout along, raise a first, and push toward the front of the stage. Go for broke sound, all guitars and exhilaration. Japandroids call it Celebration Rock.

Hear the new Henry Clay People: Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives

By Kathryn Pinto

The new Henry Clay People album Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives is out today. We'll have more from the Clays later this week, but today we wanted to point you to a full album stream of the new record.These twelve tracks are the result of a labor of "we no longer give a fuck." Front man Joey Siara once described the Henry Clay People to me as something better to do on  a Tuesday night than sitting on a couch in Glendale watching Survivor.

 "[The new album]... comes from being a little bit burnt on playing music. ...and asking why go out and make anything that doesn't say anything. On the last record the songs I really liked were the ones that had a clear, pointed angry voice. On this record Andy [Siara] and I made almost a pact: We make an honest record about who we are and the things that go on in our brain.  If this is the last record that we ever make, then make it something that we can stand by and be proud of. That was the creative backbone of the record. Don't stop, don't settle for anything. ...There's a youthful optimism in playing rock 'n roll music--at first and then it's put against the challenges of getting older, what you sacrifice in order to follow your delusional dreams. It's an honest record about at what point is that sacrificing worth it. "