You Set the Scene: Death

Shitload of great shows this week, dig in to some...

Monday 2/21/11

[Pick of the Night] Slang Chickens / Everest / Papa / Young Hunting @ The Echo (Free) – Another chance to see Everest for free.

[Recommended] Red Cortez / Eastern Conference Champions / Allah Las / Mid Cities @ The Satellite (Free) – Get there at 9 for Mid Cities - a new band with Jonathan Price from Henry Clay People.

[Recommended] Robotanists / Hands / Light FM / The Secret Language @ Silverlake Lounge (Free) – Good lineup for free.

[Recommended] Gang of Four / Hollerado @ The Music Box ($33) – Entertainment! Is a classic.

[Recommended] West Memphis Three Benefit: Patton Oswalt / Sarah Silverman / Paul F. Tompkins / Aimee Mann / Michael Penn @ Largo (Sold Out) – I recently watched After Innocence – the justice system can still be pretty upsetting.

Choir of Young Believers / Princeton @ Bardot (Free w/ RSVP)

Jenny O / Harper Simon / Gregory and the Hawk @ Bootleg (Free)

Cake @ Troubadour (Sold Out)

Bob Schneider / Joe Firstman / Marianne Keith @ Hotel Café ($20)

311 @ Grove of Anaheim

Dirtbike Puppet Theatre / Meagan Boyd’s Puppet Funeral / Cobra Lillies @ Pehrspace ($5)

Phil Alvin @ Redwood

Less Than Jake @ House of Blues Anaheim ($25)

Tuesday 2/22/11

[Pick of the Night] Versus / Polls @ The Echo ($10) – I enjoyed seeing these guys back in the late 1990s.

[Recommended] Army Navy / A House For Lions / Sing the Body Electric / Soft Swells @ The Satellite ($8) – Buzz Bands curated night.

[Recommended] The Western States Motel / Andrew Lynch / The World Record @ LaBrie’s (Free) – Always nice to see The World Record.

Vivian Girls / Catwalk / Cold Showers @ The Smell ($8)

Joseph Arthur / Craig Wedren @ Bootleg ($12)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor / OM @ Fox Theater Pomona (Sold Out)

Wayne White: You’re Supposed to Act All Impressed @ Largo ($20) – One of the original designers and puppeteers on Pee Wee’s Playhouse

Andy Grammer / Sara Lindsay @ Troubadour ($15)

The Muddy Reds / Jason Diaz / The Lyon Crowns @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)

Sarah Lee Guthrie / Johnny Irion / Selena Garcia / The Young Romans @ Hotel Café

Tribute to Teena Marie @ Grammy Museum ($20) – Lalah Hathaway and Shanice Wilson will perform and they and others will discuss

Wednesday 2/23/11

[Pick of the Night] Freddie Gibbs with The Park [live band] / Free the Robots / DaVinci / 87 Stick Up Kids

@ Troubadour ($12) – Freddie Gibbs is the real deal as far as rappers go. I was very impressed when I saw him at Spaceland.

[Recommended] Yo La Tengo / The Urinals @ El Rey ($25 / buy tix at Origami to avoid fees) – They’re starting out their set with a spin the wheel game which could entail any number of weird sets of songs.

Low End Theory: Dustmite (aka DNTEL) / Take / Teebs @ Airliner ($10)

Global Green Pre-Oscar Party: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club / Portugal. The Man / Best Coast @ Avalon ($55 - $1,000)

Last American Buffalo / Blue Blood @ The Satellite (Free)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor / Evangelista @ The Music Box (Sold Out)

Gram Rabbit / Quazar and the Bamboozled / Gwendolyn @ Bordello ($10)

The Hood Internet / Kid Static @ The Echo ($12) – Mash-up DJs.

Linkin Park / The Prodigy @ Staples Center (Sold Out)

The Watkins Family Hour @ Largo ($25)

The Meditations / Arise Roots @ Echoplex ($15) – The Meditations will be honoring Bob Marley on this tour.

Sonos @ Bootleg ($12)

Audrey Ryan / Square on Square / Alice Austin / Telegram @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)

Chocolate Genius @ Bootleg ($15)

Anna Nalick / Angel Taylor @ The Hotel Café

John Waters – The Filthy World Goes Hollywood @ Royce Hall ($28 - $48) – Special guests Elvis Perkins and Matthew Gray Gubler

Thursday 2/24/11

[Pick of the Night] Telekinesis / Love Language / One Trick Pony @ The Echo ($10) – I’m really into that new Telekinesis record right now.

[Recommended] Sebadoh [Bakesale/Harmacy remembering time tour] / Quasi @ Troubadour ($18) – Bakesale’s one of my all time favorite records. I’ll be checking it out at the Echoplex on Friday. Quasi’s great too.

[Recommended] Shadow Shadow Shade / The Black / Silver Lake Chorus / Twilight Sleep @ The Satellite ($10) – A really solid night of music. The Silver Lake Chorus could probably sell out The Satellite by themselves at this point. The Black features members of Voxtrot. Brian Aubert from Silversun Pickups will also be DJ’ing.

[Recommended] Yo La Tengo / The Urinals @ Detroit Bar ($25)

[Recommended] The Sweet Hurt / Willoughby / Dave Smallen / Brother Bear John @ Lot 1 ($5) – Good night to see some quality local bands.

Best Coast / Wavves / Hunx & His Punx @ Music Box (Sold Out) – Big homecoming show for Best Coast.

The Shape Shifters / Freestyle Fellowship / Sole and the Skyriders / Blue Sky Black Death / Astronautilus / Dark Time Sunshine / Cheschi & Anonymous Inc / Cars & Trains @ Echoplex ($20) – Early start at 6:00 PM

Sarah Silverman @ Largo ($25)

Arrica Rose & …’s / Spain / Brett Shady @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)

The Lonely Wild / Sons of August / Halsted @ Bootleg ($10)

Holly Conlan / Shawn Amos @ Hotel Café

Erykah Badu’s Birthday Party & Jam Session @ House of Blues Sunset (Sold Out)

dubBumba / Gibbons and the Sluts / Emma and the Ghosts / pek pek @ The Smell ($5)

Fireball Ministry / Night Horse / The Fucking Wrath @ Viper Room ($15)

Slow Skate @ Origami Vinyl (Free) – 7:00 PM

Miranda Cosgrove @ House of Blues Anaheim ($39)

Friday 2/25/11

[Pick of the Week] Sebadoh [Bakesale/Harmacy remembering time tour] / Quasi @ Echoplex ($15) – Can’t wait to see Lou and Jason (and Bob D’Amico) perform highlights from my two favorite Sebadoh records. Quasi’s great too.

[Recommended] Har Mar Superstar / Samantha Ronson / Marijuana Deathsquads / Slapping Purses @ The Satellite [f/ka/ Spaceland] ($8) – Har Mar brings the party vibe.

[Recommended] Jon Brion @ Largo ($25)

Sic Alps / Whitman / White Fence / Literature @ The Smell ($5)

Max Bernis / Joel Jerome of Dios @ Troubadour (Sold Out)

Glassjaw / Tidal Arms / These People / Cerebral Ballzy @ El Rey (Sold Out)

Justin Townes Earle / Dawn Landes @ Autry Museum ($15)

How To Dress Well / Shlohmo @ The Echo ($12)

Lucero (the Latin one, not the indie one) @ Nokia Theatre ($40 - $128)

Miranda Cosgrove @ Club Nokia ($20 - $100)

Pendulum @ The Wiltern ($35-$41)

Pepper Rabbit / Chain Gang of 1974 / Hands @ Bootleg ($10)

The Coronas / The 88 / Keaton Simons / Goldenboy @ Hotel Café

Infected Mushroom @ Grove of Anaheim

Country Joe McDonald’s Tribute to Woodie Guthrie @ McCabe’s (Sold Out)

Texas Terri Bomb / The Neurotics / A Pretty Mess / Million Kids @ Redwood

Russell Simmons @ Grammy Museum ($35)

The English Beat @ Key Club ($25 - $75)

Dirty Smiles (f.k.a. Cab20) / Wake Up Lucid @ Origami (Free) – 7:00 PM

Saturday 2/26/11

[Pick of the Night] Local Natives @ Walt Disney Concert Hall (Sold Out) – I wish they’d do more than one indie rock show a year. They seem to be very successful. The Local Natives’ record really grew on me last year.

[Recommended] Death / RTX / Sic Alps @ Echoplex ($14) – Death is a proto-punk band from Detroit. Seek out the Drag City reissue, For the Whole World to See – really cool record.

[Recommended] Les Blanks / Dirt Dress / Black Elephant @ dA Center For the Arts in Pomona ($5) – Good show if you’re out in Pomona.

Zola Jesus @ Skybar at the Mondrian (Free w/ RSVP) – If you can’t bear the scene at the Mondrian on a weekend night, Zola Jesus will be at the Satellite in early May.

Alexis Murdoch @ Bootleg ($25)

Hollerado / Ume @ The Satellite ($8) – I’ve heard Hollerado’s a fun live band.

Rocco DeLuca @ R Bar

Rocky Votolato / Matt Pond @ Troubadour ($15)

Stone Temple Pilots / Jetstream @ Fox Theater Pomona (Sold Out)

Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band / Scott Hutchison @ The Music Box ($25)

Paul F. Tompkins @ Largo ($25)

Glassjaw / Tidal Arms / These People @ The Glass House (Sold Out)

Some Days / Gestapo Khazi / My Pet Saddle / The Diet Thrills Foreman @ Mime School ($5)

Young the Giant / We Barbarians / Kitten @ The Roxy ($12)

Dasgubell / Laco$te / Raised By Television @ Silver Factory Studios ($8)

Lords of Altamont / Death Hymn #9 / Action 45 @ Redwood

The Hectors / Seasons @ Origami (Free) – 7:00 PM

Fireball Ministry / Night Horse @ Alex’s Bar ($10)

Sunday 2/27/11

The Frustrators / The Phenomenauts / The Billy Bones / The Bombpops @ Troubadour ($12)

Neil Hamburger / Found Footage Festival / Chris Thayer @ The Satellite ($8)

Leftover Crack / Retox / Manhattan Murder Mystery @ Echoplex ($14) – Early show at 5:00 PM

Love Grenades / The Holloys @ The Echo ($5)

Streelight Manifesto / Terrible Things / A Loss For Words / Larry and His Flask / Lionize @ The Glass House ($15)

Silje Nes / Steffaloo @ Lot 1 ($5)

Bestial Mouths @ Origami (Free) – 7:00 PM

Last year I pretty much ignored covering new music releases (which made it really difficult when it came time to compose my best of list). So this year, I’m going to try to return to doing a weekly post about new music.

Pick of the week:

Apex Manor: Year of Magical Drinking (Merge) – I was pretty shocked when the Broken West broke up, but happy to find out that lead singer Ross Flournoy was recording a new album. Apex Manor is the result of those sessions. There are elements of power pop, 70’s AM radio and probably some of the dirtiest lyrics to ever come out on a Merge release. Live at the Satellite on February 12th. [TIX]

MP3: Under the Gun

Other recommended releases:

Iron & Wine: Kiss Each Other Clean (Warner Bros.) – They made a leap to a major for some reason (hopefully a big advance?) and the sound got bigger. Sam Beam’s songwriting is still at the heart of it all and that’s enough for me.

Other Releases That Caught My Eye (but I haven’t listened to yet):

[Local] Cold War Kids: Mine Is Yours (Downtown) – The Long Beach band goes bigger on their new release. Reviews have been mixed. Live at Coachella on April 15^th.

Death: Spiritual Mental Physical (Drag City) – Death is a proto-punk band from mid-1970’s Detroit. This is a collection of demos from 1974-1976. It’s getting mixed reviews, but if you still haven’t heard their record, For the Whole World To See, I strongly recommend it. Live at the Echoplex on February 26^th.

Deerhoof: Deerhoof Vs. Evil (Polyvinyl) – Experimental. Live at the Echoplex on January 29^th.

Destroyer: Kaputt (Merge) – He’s such a unique lyricist. Not for everybody, but the critics love it. At the Troubadour on March 22^nd.

Fujiya & Miyagi: Ventriloquizzing (Yep Roc) –Pitchfork summarizes them thusly, “Krautrock-inflected dance pop.” At the Echo on March 20^th.

Gang of Four: Content (Yep Roc) – Legends. At the Music Box on February 21^st.

The Get Up Kids: There Are Rules (Quality Hill) – I can appreciate some nice Midwestern guys.

[Local] Grouplove: Grouplove (Atlantic) – Local kids. Caught them a few months back at the Bootleg.

Wanda Jackson: The Party Ain’t Over (Nonesuch) – Jack White produced the rockabilly legends new record.

Monotonix: Not Yet (Drag City) – Israeli garage rockers.

John Vanderslice: White Wilderness (Dead Oceans) – Considered one of the nicest guys in indie rock.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Live Music Options: 2/21/11 - 2/27/11

Friday, January 28, 2011

New Music Releases: January 25th, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Recent Concert Announcements