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Los Angeles, CA, United States
c'est la vie.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

YACHT @ Echoplex (03/26/10)

it was the first album of the new year and the new resolution (to listen to ten new *new to me* albums a week) what a wonderful start of the new year.  it was something new and exciting that i had stumbled upon. upon a music blog/paris fashion week/or an actual stumble on the sidewalk in which their album postcard was dropped after a concert on wilshire. by the way i'm in the market for a pair of shoes sin shoelaces..i just don't  have the time for you to tie...

as for YACHT
the reason why i went to the echoplex probably the only reason why i would go to the echoplex again. i don't need to be reminded i'm NOT in high school again...apparently this is what the kids are listening to..better this than something at the hollywood bowl (no offense.) it was the first time and i didn't think this sort of thing still happened but underage adolescents asked us to buy them something at the bar...props to them except for the fact they wanted something cheap and ended up w/ a can of beer.  kids my advice for future run ins:  "if you're going swim dive in the deep end and go for something top shelf."  as for yacht: they consider themselves experimental. i consider them electronic. they're best described as something in the middle so it's jussssstttttt righhhhhtttttt.  released in july of '09 from the moment i heard they're album in jan of '10 i've wanted to see them live...albeit i wasn't in the middle of the mix of kids i thoroughly enjoyed every mantra moment.  i couldn't tell you the other performers that evening as i'm really not in their target audience bracket maybe but i will pick up their album and see what i really missed because the dogs were barken and it was already my friday night bedtime....

Tracklist:
01 “Ring The Bell”
02 “The Afterlife”
03 “I’m In Love With A Ripper”
04 “It’s Boring / You Can Live Anywhere You Want”
05 “Psychic City (Voodoo City)”
06 “Summer Song”
07 “We Have All We’ve Ever Wanted”
08 “Don’t Fight The Darkness”
09 “I’m In Love With A Ripper (Party Mix)”
10 “Psychic City (Version)”


Their current album:  See Mystery Lights
Must Listen to Song:  Psychic City (if this tune is number forty eight of the 50 Most Downloaded Mp3 of 2009 is any indication...) 

enjoy the music.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Living Sisters, She & Him @ The El Rey Theater (03/25/10)

The El Rey Theater March 25, 2010:

side note to preface:  probably the only other time that i wish i was in the womb of another other than back in my own mother's. surround sound seven point one probably cannot compare to the sound of being inside the womb.  constant lullably echos between sleeping and whatever an unborn baby does inside the womb (ponders on the philosophy of the contradictions of technology in an eastern civilization?). 
The Living Sisters:  Inara George (The Bird and the Bee and the pregnant one), Eleni Mandel and Becky Stark. their songs are sweet and something i will have on "while i sleep and dream about tomorrow" playlist. Their current album:  Love to Live.  Their must listen to: "You Make Me Blue." 
not to be confused w/ The Chapin Sisters who i saw at an Amoeba in-store show about two years ago. american folk pop who actually are sisters i can only remember the "mom jeans" they were sporting for the show.  coincidentally, they had opened for she & him and it looks like again in april at the glass house. Their latest 2008 album:  Lake Bottom LP. Their must listen to:  Don't Love You. take a listen to The Smith's cover, "I Know It's Over." *trivial trivia:  one of the sisters is actually the daughter of Wes Craven (she's a half sister to the Chapin Sisters)...


no matter who you are or even who you think you are you've been heartbroken.  no matter who's at fault or whatever the circumstance the end result is all the same:  "O burning doubt and long regret, O tears with which our eyes are wet, Heart-throbs, heart-aches, the glut of pain, The somber cloud, the bitter rain..." sooner or later though you realize the worth of such pain.  because it's part of living the life. if you're inclined to enjoy the moment as much as i do you take the good as well as the bad you have to.   part of the good that makes the bad seem not as bad after all is the music. when you have the music that gets you through it you do get through it.  that's what She&Him are.  the good to the bad. their lyrics are that of a sad song but when the instruments and the vocals come together...you're almost glad you're going through such emotions.  her cute to his sexy guitar moves it's fun to go to a She&Him concert.  i hadn't planned on going but a ticket emerged out of the debts of destiny and now its probably one of the best concerts in my high school er wait i'm not in high school anymore..kinda felt like i was though..just like in high school i ended up w/ some other kids homework that i had to finish before homeroom the next day....i'm so glad i'm out of the tricky game of high school drama and in the highly professional work environment of animation. errr.

enjoy the music.

Friday, March 26, 2010

WEEK 12: 2010 Resolution.

Spinnerette - Spinnerette
Bonobo - Black Sands
Patsy Cline - Legendary Country Singers
Plastiscines - About Love
Massive Attack - Protection
Rocket Empire
She & Him - Volume Two
Cults
Esperanza Spalding - Esperanza
Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Warpaint - Warpaint.

enjoy the music.


Monday, March 22, 2010

Freelance Whales, Bear in Heaven, Cymbals Eat Guitars @ The Echo (03/24/10)

there are certain sounds that always bring me back to the happy-go-lucky carefree days of my childhood: my mother's smiling whisper, afternoon school recess, and the indestructible toy glockenspeil. but before i knew it i reached my tween years and without any notice the inevitable young adultchild that i had become the frequent sounds had changed to the parental stare of judgment, that dreaded computer hum and the at most two year shelf-life of the mp3 player (you know which one i'm talking about...genius btw). but let's talk about the glockenspeil.  a percussion instrument that's similar to the xylophone except the glockenspeil has metal bars unlike the wooden bars of the xylophone.  what makes the glockenspeil special is it's pitch. higher than the xylophone it seems more delicate of a sound like that of a bell and you remember what teacher says what happens when a bell rings...in this case a dutchman is getting lit ;) fyi: glockenspeil enthusiasts know that the original glockenspeil had used bells instead of the metal bars. its subtle but it gives you goosebumps when applied correctly which freelance whales does perfectly.

I had bought the tickets in advance after listening to their debut album, "Weathervanes."  apparently i have seen/heard Freelance before: they had opened for Fanfarlo:  one my favorite bands of 2009-present day.  by association i was introduced to Freelance Whales by their album i went to their concert.  and from what i read their favorite venue to play is in the subway stops of Brooklyn which is one reason The Echo is an ideal place..their home away from home? 

Upon further reading, Weathervanes tells the "story of a boy who falls in love with a ghost." which certainly the story for most Angelinos myself included...when i was younger i often looked up to the moon and whispered to myself with hope and optimism, "somwhere [my soulmate is] looking at the same moon"  which has changed slightly to:  as i look over the los angeles basin: through the cluster of skyscrapers, thousands of buildings, through the congested freeways, underneath the smog, and amongst the millions of people, "that mofo is somewhere down there." yet still hopeful.   

Freelance Whales' music is multilayered so much that you feel there's a hellofa lot going on which can be overwhelming but when its arranged so sweetly its as good as Freelance.  every single band member of freelance offers their vocals during many of their songs which in turn gets the crowd getting involved as well. song after song at the sold out freelance concert everyone was singing and moving to the music which you can't help but join in as well.  

as for Bear in Heaven and Cymbals Eat Guitars.  I had gone to the show for Freelance Whales (as many other people in attendance had done as well) the lineup wasn't ideal as Freelance had gone first.  by the time i ordered and drank my first alcoholic stress reliever Freelance was finished with their set :(  on any other evening i would have probably enjoyed the other two bands. but i couldn't get into it.  however, i took a listen to Bear in Heaven's album, "Beast Rest Forth Mouth"  and i enjoyed psychedelic/electronic blend i'll probably save it for the much anticipated roadtrip. as for cymbals eat guitars if you enjoy the guitar solo he's your guy.  i, however, enjoyed the bass and drums...but i think the main attraction to this group is the guitar.  lets not forget about the keyboards (even if i couldn't hear it that much..sorta just waiting for this guy to bring the band bottled water..but he was there playing along). if the gallons of sweat on the stage and on the first row of concert enthusiasts is any indication of how intense this guy plays well then you've got yourself a winner: get him a stuffed animal and some cotton candy and let's go to the carnival!  

enjoy the music.

on the topic of character attributes:  rudeness.  talking on your cellphone in a movie theater: rude.  when there's traffic on the 101 and an asinine driver cuts in front of you: rude. taking the last bit of cotton candy that doesn't belong to you: rude. not responding to a friend: rude. positive or negative it as i'm told can help quite a bit. getting what you want at the cost of someone else's feelings: not so rude? more times than not i find myself standing directly behind someone who just arrived at any given concert venue. they pushed their way through and found the spot they wanted to stand in which coincidentally is the same spot i've already been standing in. i'm no tall glass of water BUT i do have feelings dude do not stand in front of me: rude.  except he/she sought what they wanted and went for it.  now they have the perfect pole position to enjoy the concert. maybe there's not as much of thin line between rude and that's life.  either way consideration never hurt anybody.  speaking of consideration or lack thereof, dude i don't care if you're the cousin twice removed from the bass player.  stop yelling it to the person you're trying to impress. either take it outside or away from people who are trying to enjoy the music.  whatever you were saying probably could have been written in an email, ichat, facebook message (everyone actually enjoys receiving notifications) or maybe quite possibly wait til after the concert...think about it. i paid with money that i worked for and not with money i really don't care for and would like to burn on loud obnoxious people.  

enjoy the music (except for that guy who insisted on yelling and wasn't part of the musical acts you can enjoy bad karma).


Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Crayon Fields, Washington, The Damn Sons, Seaspin @ Silverlake Lounge (03/15/10)

as of late i haven't been to a concert on the pure chance of whim. the effects of the economic downturn has poked its ugly head in and wants to stay for dessert. despite countless attempts to protect myself from the trials and tribulations of an unmarried layperson of concert-going i've succumbed to the simple laws of supply and demand and i can't get them to go away (if my cooking skills or lack thereof is any indication of how grim the situation is i can't really help you). subsequently, i've become a lot more particular in that i only go to at most two concerts a month which if you had read this before that was a typical week for the LA Dog and Pony Show...but if taken in account the factors involved i'm really not being as frugal as i intend to be. i'll purchase tickets through a vendor that makes a profit on 'convenience.' which at times can cost at most half the face value of the actual ticket. don't get me wrong i understand/agree with capitalism but it doesn't mean i want to be bent over and taken to an unhappy place. there should be a happy medium, right? at least i have a ticket in advance and i don't have any trepidations about going to the box office of a show on the night of the show that could possibly be sold out. recently, fortunately/unfortunately? the shows i want to go to end up being sold out. so i'm left to purchasing in advance. hmph.

so i looked over my concert calendar and for the eleventh week of twenty ten i didn't have a concert to attend to. i was poised for a week of rest and relaxation in the comforts of my own home and the company of Migo and Jasper (a fish and an uke). but i'm sorta young and a lot restless so i checked my local concert listings to find out who was playing and more importantly where. some say (and when i say "some" i mean a fortune cookies), "it's not the destination its the journey," or "it's not how long you wait but who you're waiting for" or "its not how many years you live but how you live those years" in Los Angeles you have take into account the prior fortunes for a seemingly adequate adventure. but you also have to strategize just enough so that the evening is nothing less than epic. and when i'm mean epic you better bring your passport and a clean pair of undergarments because you'll never know where you'll end up or what you have to barter. albeit careful of being anywhere less than a dark alleyway behind a seedy donkey show venue. however, most planning is already determined by the laws of physics, for example, weather conditions, time constraints, and cactus taco shop on vine (carne asada tacos before any show is a must for any night of music, sweat, and joy). other factors include but are not limited to who's going, who's driving, what's the parking situation like, where's the closest atm, what's the venue like, how much is a jack and ginger, etc. so much to say there's a lot to consider when going out for a concert. so much that sometimes if you're really not in the mood for it can limit you to the comforts of your laziness. and you miss the opportunity to listen/see great new music. monday nights are trickier. most of the venues have resident bands playing free shows to extend their reach to a selected group of stereotypically group of kids identified as hipster (who are actually are there for music except collective wisdom poses them in a negative light) and an even smaller group of good ol' rock n' rollers who've seen more than they actually admit but are willing to share (my favorite kind). its tricky because on a typical monday night you're still recovering from the weekend and you've anticipated a monday night at home but are torn because there's a free show at your local dive. flip a coin and leave it to destiny was the way of the old world before the shock and awe of '03 (when your nickel and dime actually meant something good and not so much a way of keeping the distressed blue collar down). but consideration for all things bright and beautiful in this world takes a lot more effort and self-evalution.

so on the eve of the evening on monday i was determined to go the Silverlake Lounge. a couple of invites later and i was scheduled to meet some friends in time to see the second band begin. except again. sorta young and really restless i ended up getting there just right before the first band began playing. i arrived in an ideal moment because any sooner or any later i wouldn't have experience those rare moments in life that enforce your belief that people are good and not out there to take you limb for limb and sell you to the highest bidder. cut to: sharing a joke or two with some of the members of the bands and learning from an almost inebriated gentleman that "no matter how much it costs if your friends are happy it's worth it." priceless. as the evening continues and while the music is playing its hard not to get distracted (at least for the adhd in me) by the surroundings which can only be described as an odd mix of nonchalant traveling angelinos that have been disenfranchised by the nature of the beast.

The Crayon Fields




all in all highly recommended bands. i left the venue crossing the street when a driver of a car yelled out to me, "great job!" i don't know if he was referring to me crossing the street when there was red hand or if he thought i was part of the band..i'd like to think the latter but i don't think so cause i don't look like any of the females in the aforementioned bands..either way i left feeling just right about the evening.

enjoy the music.

WEEK 11: 2010 Resolution.

Seaspin - Reverse
Crayon Fields - All the Pleasures of the World
Paper Route - Absence
Efterlang - Tripper
Knee High
Massive Attack - Blue Lines
Annie - Don't Stop
Annie - Anniemal
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much
The Ettes - Do You Want Power.

enjoy the music.

Monday, March 15, 2010

WEEK 10: 2010 Resolution.

Animal Hospital - Animal Hospital
The Felice Brothers - Mix Tape
Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
Shanti - This Moment
Stereolab - Margeine Eclipse
Fenech-Soler - The Cult of Romance
Here We Go Magic - Here We Go Magic
Paolo Conte - The Best of Paolo Conte
Kate Bush - The Sensual World
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Class Actress, Dragonette, Little Boots @ The El Rey Theater (03/10/10)

Electropop: whether it is recognized or assumed this will make you get up and enjoy the moment. catchy hooks and dance beats is as good as carne asada and fries, bert and ernie, baskin and robbins, cut and paste, ike and tina...well, not so much ike but you get the point...i'm a product of the 80s (specifically, '81) electropop flourished late 70s early 80s it was instilled in my brain along with the fondness of mcnuggets and odd understanding of the implications of the fall of the berlin wall in western china. in any event, electropop will forever be in my heart. w/ acts like ladytron, yelle, lady gaga, la roux, dragonette, little boots, ladyhawke, and peaches its sorta everywhere without being in your face. even your favorite american pop-con is getting in the electropop mix..its called the ra-ra-remix. synthesized to your hearts. now on with the show:
Class Actress - i just made it to hear the last beat of the last song from Class Actress. bummer. that just proves getting a quick bite to eat in Los Angeles is not is quick as you expect it to be. even if you're literally across the street from the concert venue don't bet being on time unless you don't enjoy the food, service is less than expected, and/or dinner guest(s) has nothing more to add to the conversation than how the bread rolls are less than ideal. fortunately, for me, i've never had a quick bite. from what i hear Class Actress' studio album is up my alley. you're brought back to the sounds of the classic new wave w/ expressive vocals, however, according to the girl in the line for the restroom the live show lacked the performance. in any event i enjoy their music.
Dragonette - the reason for the season. i had high expectations for this group. if you have the chance there are more than a few youtube videos of their live performances/music videos that suggest awesomeness. i, myself, prefer their second studio album rather than their first but i'm more progressive than others. don't get me wrong i do like to know where the ashes a band comes from but it's not necessary. i prefer a more mature defined sound of a sophomore album. granted some have strayed from their original intentions by their sophomore album but some have developed what they were meant to be: their existence in this universe. for me it took Dragonette's Fixin to Thrill that is Dragonette. Galore/Fixin to Thrill are not as day and night but there is an emotional difference. maybe not so much in sound but in the dialogue between artist and audience member.. as for their live performance at the el rey on the tenth of march twenty ten it was less than expected. don't get me wrong it was more than i can imagine yet it was missing something that i can't really express. probably because it was that amazing. can an studio album be considered a success if it involves three hit singles?. i believe in the power of three but not in pictures. this was a good album. its becoming a recent trend as of late that the band i went to see is the opening band of the night. unfortunately, i don't get all of the band i wanted to see if there is still a headliner. though, however, consider yourself lucky if you find yourself w/ an ideal lineup (just as it was at the el rey on march tenth twenty ten). you can't even expect a better line up at music festival than that of dragonette and little boots.


Little Boots - only until after i bought my tickets to see dragonette open for little boots did i even start to listen to little boots. i don't usually find bands by association (bands that sound similar to each other) but through but not limited to the music blogs, word on the street, catwalk soundtracks of paris fashion week. so on the fifth week of this year i got Hands HER DEBUT ALBUM!! debut album w/ an EP, Illuminations. i'll be honest i wasn't initially hooked, lined, and sinked to the album mostly because i already had my dragonette to keep me satisfied. BUT, Little Boots has done it. not the impossible but the Reason for live performance concerts (which some musicians somehow forget): she deflowered this Little Boots-naiveté and turned this relatively naive concert enthusiast into a fan.

Imagine the el rey: small enough to be just right. the bar is in the back behind the sound booth. you enter and you're looking right at the stage. you enter another world that you forget about the outside reality (unless, however, the allure of the danger dogs says hello). i've been there more than enough times to consider the el rey theater my favorite concert venue in los angeles. but i haven't been to a concert like that of Little Boots. another concert reviewer did not like the show. that person does not understand. i suppose if you're paid to have an opinion you'll give it. whether this or that person agrees. granted i wasn't up near the stage but far from the stage in the back of the dance floor. key words: dance floor. i didn't see Little Boots. I FELT Little Boots. i listened to the music and was meant to do what i was meant to do: dance. i've probably listened to the album only a good three or four times before the show BUT I felt the music so much that i was able to dance my heart out.
"No more poison
Killing my emotion
I will not be frozen
Dancing is my remedy remedy Ohhh
Stop stop praying cos I'm not not playing
I'm not frozen Dancing is my remedy remedy Ohh

Move, why you watching me
Dance with the enemy
I've got a remedy Ohh o ohh o o
Move, why you watching me
Dance with the enemy
Here is my remedy Ohh o ohh o o..."


enjoy the music.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Week 9: 2010 Resolution.

Discovery - LP
Caro Emerald - Deleted Scenes From the Cutting Room Floor
J*Davey - Boudoir Synema: The Great Mistapes
Apsci - Best Crisis Ever
Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
We Have Band - You Came Out
Class Actress - Journal of Ardency
Noisettes - What's The Time Mr Wolf?
Pacifika - Asuncion