Record Release Parties

I'm also contributing to the LAist now. Go check out my first post HERE.

Being the good local citizen that I am, I attended two record release parties this week.

Languis on Sunday 3/26 @ Spaceland
Languis was celebrating the release of their new EP, Other Desert Cities, on Pehr Records. There was a really nice crowd for a Sunday at Spaceland (including lots of local musicians and some of the Plug Research crew). The band covered the backdrop of the stage in white and had some nice lighting effects. It would have been cool if they'd taken it the extra step and planned their wardrobes accordingly. They sounded tight. It's atmospheric music that also works well on the stage. Fans of Spacemen 3, American Analog Set and ambient music should enjoy it.
Download "In the Fields of (Lonely Fences)"

Irving on Wednesday 3/29 @ King King
Another impressive crowd came out to see Irving celebrate the release of their second album, Death in the Garden, Blood On the Flowers (out Tuesday on Eenie Meenie Records). It could have been bad, but the Hollywood crowd was respectful to soft rock opener Lavender Diamond. They're getting national buzz at the moment and play music that wouldn't sound out of place on easy listening 1970's radio. Lead singer Becky Stark is still as kooky as she was the first time I saw her seven years ago. After a set by Great Northern (a band featuring several members of Earlimart), Irving came out and shot some adrenaline into the crowd. Steven Scott handled vocals on the first track, "Situation." He leapt around the stage and shrieked loudly into the mic. Fans of Apples in Stereo should like that track. They followed with a Brian Canning led song, which might have been "Jen, Nothing Matters to Me." Fans of the Killers and other dance rock bands should like that one. For the third or fourth song, local hearthrob Alex Church stepped up to the mic. He taunted the ladies in the crowd with, "I Want To Love You in My Room." There was a collective shriek when he sang, "I want to take off all your clothes." About five songs in they introduced some older songs. The crowd was surprisingly responsive given that most of them were hearing the new songs for the first time.
Download "Situation"