by Brad RobertsThe earth evolves in sharp and sudden movements both inside and outside. People tend to think of history as a continuing constant forward motion. My own life experience has taught me that actually we jump ahead in fits and starts. Periods of intense change and progress are usually followed by long stretches of lethargy. Shaking earth, underground volcanoes, civil unrest, foreign threats, politics based on prejudice and resentment; we seem to be getting the whole package lately. Although the reluctance of some to acknowledge change and progress (evolution if you will), within such an environment is often found a burgeoning creative movement. It really is like the old Orson Welles line from The Third Man about Switzerland and the cuckoo clock. The amount of good new music I'm hearing around me feels like it's on the increase and it looks like a reaction to explosive current events. Very sixties-like.
I thought things would quiet down a little after the past two weekend festivals...but, NO! This week is packed with treats. I didn't attend the downtown FYFEST, but had my own little festival of one band when I saw the amazing Slint on Friday night at El Rey. A stunning show. Review at Feed Your Head. They also played at FYFEST on the following night (Saturday). The world can go crazy, but Slint can induce a hypnotic dream state that wraps you up and comforts you while the storm rages outside.There's an interesting weekend coming up at Los Globos with what looks like two festivals; one Saturday and another one on Sunday. The Saturday event is presented by local label Sick City Records and is called "The Silverlake Meltdown" which starts at 6 and showcases a wide variety of styles from garage to post-punk, to chamber indie pop represented by bands like local highly intelligent/fall-down-drunk-on-the-floor hellcats (cast and all) Manhattan Murder Mystery, indie death metalists Death Hymn # 9, the atmospheric droning of Sunshine Mind and psychedelic punk from Bonfire Beach. Sunday they offer an even longer event, presented by Burger Records, which starts at 3 and features even more up-and-coming bands like chaotic and electrifying OFF!, hazy lo-fi pop from Cherry Glazerr, indie country band The Abigails, San Diego punksters Adult Books, gliding three-part girl harmonies with Girlpool and The Buttertones, who impressed with their smooth and dense melodic pop at Echo Park Rising, to name a few. Cherry Glazerr, by the way, are appearing on this week's episode of KCET's Studio A, which has been highlighting local music. It airs Tuesdays and Saturdays.
So far the schedule holds two shows with Joel Jerome & Babies On Acid, both at The Echo. On Monday they play for the Tête residency and on Wednesday, they open for Broncho. I've been a fan of Emerson Star for a while now and urge others to pick up on this polished and well rounded vocal band who produce a beautiful indie jangle sound on Friday at El Cid. They're playing with Fellow Bohemian, who have another date at Harvard & Stone on Tuesday for the final Hobart W. Fink residency show.
And for the most unique show of the week, come to Lot 1 on Saturday night to participate in the Teena May Live Album Recording for No Pressure Productions wherein her ten-song set will be recorded. Seablood and Runson Willis will be playing before and after.
Monday, August 25
- The Futures League, Irontom, The Gromble, Party Gardens @ The Satellite
- Smoke Season, Oona, The Black Watch, Banta @ Echoplex
- Tête, Burning Palms, Joel Jerome & Babies On Acid, Death Valley Girls @ The Echo
- Maudlin Strangers, Tapioca and The Flea, Olivver, Beef @ Bootleg HiFi
- Zane Carney, Roméo Testa, Addison Scott, AMJ @ Hotel Cafe
- La Dispute, Balance and Composure, Souvenirs @ El Rey
- Badass Bands Blog presents Will And The Won'ts, The New Electric Sound, The Crazy Brave @ Harvelle's Nightclub, Santa Monica
- Pehrformance #1 w/ Eydie McConnell, Julius Smack, Brittny Moore Hold My Soul and more @ Pehrspace
- End Of Summer, Private Island @ Harvard & Stone
- Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden @ Hollywood Bowl
- "School Night!" w/ Clockwise, July Talk, The Living Statues, Magic Giant @ Bardot
- Nacosta, We Are Kings & Queens, Crown City Crooks, Nicky Davey @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION: Tête (at right) leads the pack of bands wrapping up August Monday residencies with a show that includes Burning Palms and Joel Jerome & Babies On Acid and Death Valley Girls for a smashing finale at The Echo. The Futures League feature Irontom in their final bill at The Satellite.
"School Night!" is presenting the one and only Andy Clockwise, now known only as Clockwise, at the Bardot show and Badass Bands Blog presents Will And The Won'ts, The New Electric Sound and The Crazy Brave at a venue new to these listings, Harvelle's Nightclub in Santa Monica.
Tuesday, August 26
- MNDSGN @ Amoeba Music
- Mean Dream, Prettiest Eyes, Gazoota @ The Satellite
- Castro, Tigercide @ The Echo
- Marshall Crenshaw & the Bottle Rockets @ Bootleg HiFi
- Faulkner, Intergalatix, Badflower @ The Troubadour
- Joymar Spirits, B Sides, The Mad Walls, Kill For Kicks @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Hobart W. Fink, Dutch Party, Fellow Bohemian @ Harvard & Stone
- Panic! At The Disco, Walk The Moon, Youngblood Hawke @ The Greek
- Johanna Samuels Record Release Show, Jenn Grinels, Zarni, Genevieve Bellemare @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Tonight is the final opportunity to see Hobart W. Fink (at right) during their August residency at Harvard & Stone, with Fellow Bohemian among the support. And a big show at The Greek starring Panic! At The Disco along with Walk The Moon and Youngblood Hawke sharing the stage.
Wednesday, August 27
- Wild Party, Taylor Locke Band, Flagship @ The Satellite
- Broncho, Joel Jerome & Babies On Acid, Low Litas, Unkle Funkle @ The Echo
- Lee "Scratch" Perry @ Echoplex - Decorations @ Bootleg HiFi
- Popheart, Mothlight, Florals, Cheryll @ The Lexington
- The Wallburds, REM Sleep, Vaya Futuro, Naive Thieves @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Jack Johnson, Matt Costa @ The Greek
- Rozzi Crane, Muna @ The Troubadour
- Acoustic Storytelling: A Night with Justin Furstenfeld, Shyboy, Brolly @ Hotel Cafe
- The Ukulele Orchestra of the Western Hemisphere @ El Cid
- "Desert Nights" w/ Rachel Dean, Bart Davenport, Lauren Barth @ The Standard
DECISION:
Nice show over at Silver Lake Lounge with The Wallburds and Naive Thieves. Naive Thieves recently played at Harvard & Stone (shown at right and left) and it was the first time I'd seen them play in a while, and it absolutely reestablished them as one of the town's really sterling acts. Meanwhile Broncho affords another chance to see Joel Jerome & Babies On Acid this week as they join them at The Echo.
Thursday, August 28
- Leopold And His Fiction @ The Satellite
- "Twilight Concert Series" w/ Lee "Scratch" Perry, Mexico68 @ Santa Monica Pier
- Ty Segall, Meatbodies, Birth Defects @ The Echo
- Jack Johnson, Bahamas @ The Greek
- Teardrop Orchestra, Voice On Tape, ALONE, Mechanical Beast @ The Smell
- Tomten, Access Royale, Gloom Folks, Tara Honda @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Terry Malts, Girl Tears, Mall Walk, Feels @ Los Globos
- Honky Tonk Hacienda w/ Sutter Zachman, Rich McCulley, Anna Maria Rosales @ El Cid
- Jakubi, Air Life @ Bootleg HiFi
- Matt Ryan King, Mathias Anderle, Arin Ray, DJ Nitrane, Levi Mitchell, Forever In Your Mind @ The Troubadour
- Trance Farmers Record Release Party, Sun Araw, Odd Nosdam @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- My Name Is You Record Release Show, Miakoda, Andy Davis, Kuzin @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Teardrop Orchestra (at right), cast or no cast, the show must go on, are set to perform tonight at The Smell, on a bill including Voice On Tape and Mechanical Beast. The Eagle Rock Center for the Arts is presenting a Record Release Party for Trance Farmers with Sun Araw and Odd Nosdam opening.
Friday, August 29
- The Rosebuds, El May, Folk Riot @ The Satellite
- Ty Segall, Wand, Endless Bummer @ The Echo
- Work Drugs, Swim Team, The Black & The White @ Bootleg HiFi
- Retro Futura Tour w/ Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey, Howard Jones, Ultravox's Midge Ure, China Crisis, Katrina @ The Greek
- Bobby T & The Slacker, Franky Flowers, Teeks, Floral Prints @ The Smell
- Slay the Poenix, Cellars @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Quetzal @ Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park
- Galvanized Souls, Gravity Hill, False Puppet, March 4th Music, The Unknown, The Paralyzers @ The Troubadour
- Beautiful Small Machines Record Release Show, George Stanford, Liz Wood, Walker Lukens & The Sidearms, Illumination Road, Found In The Flood @ Hotel Cafe
- TÜLIPS, Bür Gür, Roses, HABITS @ Pehrspace
- Milk 'N' Cookies, The Young, Lamps, Hammered Satin, Gun Outfit @ Los Globos
- Jag Sun, Fellow Bohemian, Emerson Star, Rainman @ El Cid
DECISION:
Lots of good shows out there but I'll put my money on Jag Sun, Fellow Bohemian, Emerson Star (above) and Rainman at El Cid. This is a very good bill. Emerson Star has recently released their first album, Let It Burn, first released online in July.
Saturday, August 30
- KAV - Man With No Shadow - Album Release Party @ The Satellite
- Ty Segall, Zig Zags, Vial, Shark Toys @ The Echo
- "The Silverlake Meltdown" w/ Manhattan Murder Mystery, Warm Soda, Death Hymn # 9, The Pocket Rockets, Kim & The Created, Electric Children, Sunshine Mind, The Ugly Kids, Mechachief, The Wolf, Bonfire Beach, Black Lotus @ Los Globos (6 PM)
- Yeghikian, Chameleon Conductor, Clepto, Green Kard, Spread The Virus @ The Troubadour
- Moi, Hex Horizontal, DEaf, SoundFauna @ The Smell
- Teena May Live Album Recording, Seablood, Runson Willis @ Lot 1
- La Santa Cecilia @ Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park
- Massenger, Dead Panzies minor me @ Pehrspace
- The Mormons 16th Birthday Party, BadTown Boys, The Black Widows, Bloody Brains @ Cafe Nela
- Gipsy Kings w/ Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo, Ole' Noys @ The Greek
- Matthew Mayfield, Tyler Lyle, Lizzie Weber, Simone White, Armand Margjeka @ Hotel Cafe
- Lael Neale, Sophia Knapp, Alana Amram & The Rough Gems @ El Cid
DECISION:
A really fantastic opportunity to catch the recording of a live album right before your very eyes. Teena May is doing a Live Album Recording at Lot 1 tonight. Come and be a part of the creative process of this highly talented artist, and to contribute to funding for this project go here. Seablood and Runson Willis will be performing as well. I haven't seen Teena May, who resides in New York, since she dazzled the audience at one of my Feed Your Head shows last year and I can't wait to hear her new work.
"The Silverlake Meltdown" at Los Globos sounds like a crazy and amazing event, starting at 6 PM and featuring such local all stars as Manhattan Murder Mystery, Death Hymn # 9, Sunshine Mind, Bonfire Beach and Santoros, among many others. At Cafe Nela, The Mormons celebrate their 16th Birthday Party, with The Black Widows and BadTown Boys.
La Santa Cecilia will turn Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park into a festive carnival with their intoxicating mix of salsa and rock.
Sunday, August 31
- "OFF!" w/ The GArden, Jacuzzi Boys, Cherry Glazerr, r stevie moore, Gary Wilson, The Abigails, White Fang, Lovely Bad Things, The Blank Tapes, Colleen Green, Adult Books, Beach Party, Girlpool, Wax Children, The Buttertones, French Vanilla, Palm Reader, Sultan Bathery, Los Craters, NO-FI @ Los Globos (3 PM)
- The Crazy Brave, Alex and The Constellation, Wild Awake, Jimmy Podrasky @ The Satellite
- Ty Segall, Jack Name, Prittiest Eyes @ The Echo
- Alpha MC & Pigeon John Album Release, The Zoo Foundation, Linafornia, Joy Postell @ The Smell
- Sleep, Last Days of Ancient Sunlight @ The Troubadour
- Linus Young, James Alan, Wistappear @ Bootleg HiFi
- Alicia Witt, Dannielle DeAndrea, Laura Evans @ Hotel Cafe
- De La Tierra @ The Fonda Theatre
DECISION:
What's up over at Los Globos with another festival taking place today starting at 3 PM. OFF! is headlining and various genres are represented by bands like The Garden, Jacuzzi Boys, Cherry Glazerr, The Abigails, Lovely Bad Things, The Blank Tapes, Colleen Green, Adult Books, Beach Party, Girlpool, Wax Children, The Buttertones and tons more. Sounds like a great time.