Updates on Local Bands

I haven't done one of these in a long time. Here's an update on local bands:

Division Day just announced a slew of new tour dates. Their new album, Visitation, comes out on Dangerbird on 8/18/09. It’s going to catch you off guard (in a very good way). Check out their Myspace page for some streams and tour dates. Buy tickets for their September 2nd show at Spaceland HERE. Go to their label site to download a free remix.

Speaking of Dangerbird, Sea Wolf have completed their sophomore album. White Water, White Bloom is set to be released on September 22nd. Pre-order the record and see a slew of tour dates HERE. Buy tickets for their Sept. 17th show at the Troubadour HERE. Looks like the previously announced Spaceland show has been replaced.

Lou Barlow’s got a new solo record, Goodnight Unknown, coming out on October 6th through Merge Records. In addition to playing with Dinosaur Jr., he’ll be the opener too. Check out the tour dates HERE. Buy tickets for the November 5th show at the House of Blues HERE. Download the first MP3: “Gravitate”

Warpaint recently signed with Manimal Vinyl with Exquisite Corpse set to be released on September 22, 2009. Download two MP3: Billie Holiday (Pitchfork gave the track a 7 out of 10)and MP3: Elephants. Josh Klinghoffer is now an official member of the band. You can catch them at Sunset Junction on August 22nd.

Speaking of Sunset Junction, the performance schedule is HERE. Other local bands on the bill are: Gran Ronde, Miss Derringer, War Tapes, Rumspringa, Nico Vega, The Submarines, Love Grenades, Nico Stai, Local Natives, Fool’s Gold, Night Horse and Mika Miko (or Mica Miko – as the SJ website spells it).

Miss Derringer have a new record, Winter Hill, out on Triple X. Pitchfork recently gave it a solid 7.7 out of 10.

Night Horse have three split 7” singles coming out this summer on Tee Pee Records (the first one is already out and the next one comes out 8/4/09). Download MP3: Choose Your Side

Fool’s Gold recently signed with IAMSOUND. Their debut, self-titled record comes out on September 29th. Download MP3: Surprise Hotel (Pitchfork recently gave it an 8 out of 10).

Luke Top, Fool’s Gold’s frontman, recently released a solo record. Friends came out via Slow Death Records. Download MP3: Friends

Members of Foreign Born are also a part of Fool’s Gold. Foreign Born’s new record, Person to Person, continues to get good reviews. It currently rates a 70 on Metacritic. MP3: Vacationing People and MP3: Early Warnings

Labelmates of Foreign Born (Secretly Canadian’s got a great roster), Music Go Music will release their debut full-length, Expressions, on October 6th. Download MP3: Warm In the Shadows

Bedmates of Foreign Born (at least a bedmate of the lead singer), Glasser also got a track review from Pitchfork. “Glad” received a 7 out of 10.

Princeton’s debut full-length, Cocoon of Love, comes out September 29th on Kanine Records. They’ll be opening a slew of shows for Ra Ra Riot to coincide with the release. Follow this link to Pitchfork to download the first single, “Calypso Gold”

Speaking of Pitchfork (as I have like 10 ten times in this roundup), they recently reviewed the new Fol Chen record. Read that HERE. Spin Magazine recently put together a Prince covers record for its subscribers. Fol Chen and Lavender Diamond were featured. Fol Chen is headed to Europe for a September tour. See the dates HERE.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are also touring Europe in support of their debut album, Up From Below. See the dates on their Myspace page. Download MP3: 40 Day Dream (Pitchfork gave the track a 6 out of 10)

Rainbow Arabia released some new music, Kabukimono, yesterday through Manimal Vinyl. Download MP3: Harlem Sunrise

And last, but not least, Aaron and Nikki from Amnion will be appearing on Penn & Teller: Bullshit! this weekend on Showtime. Those two are so nice and positive, they don’t deserve the mean-spiritedness of the show, but they’ve got a great attitude about it. Watch a clip HERE.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a million bands, sorry everybody……..

Local Updates

Photo of Charlie Wadhams From His Myspace Page

Local Updates:

Charlie Wadhams has a new EP entitled, In a Goldmine. You can download it at iTunes or pick up a vinyl copy at Amoeba.

Obi Best’s new record, Capades, comes out February 24th on Social Science Recordings. They’ll be hitting road for a national tour (including support dates for The Bird and the Bee) starting next week. Spin recently had some nice things to say about them.

A pretty big chunk of the SXSW bands have been announced. Here are the LA-area bands currently listed. Of the 81 bands listed, I’m pretty familiar with 41 of them. I’m thinking that a handful of these bands aren’t really from LA: Airborne Toxic Event, Dave Alvin, Ancestors, Jim Bianco, Black Math Horseman, Blu, The Bronx, Tom Brosseau, Grecco Buratto, Castledoor, Margaret Cho, Classixx, Crash Kings, Crystal Antlers, The Crystal Method, Dawes, Rocco DeLuca, Dommin, Fol Chen, Foreign Born, Robert Francis, Great Northern, Grouch and Eligh, Murry Hammond, The Happy Hollows, Relentless 7, Austin Hartley-Leonard, HEALTH, HoneyHoney, Iglu and Hartley, IO Echo, The Japanese Motors, Jay Nash, J*Davey, Jeremy Jay, Killola, Greg Laswell, Light FM, Lissie, The Little Ones, Los Super Elegantes, The Mae Shi, Magic Lantern, Magic Wands, Angie Mattson, Meliss FX, Mika Miko, Monte Negro, Myka 9, Terra Naomi, Night Horse, Patrick Park, Pedestrian, Mandi Perkins, Pierre de Reeder, Pocahaunted, Pop Levi, Princeton, The Quarter After, Red Cortez, Rediscover, The Rescues, Robedoor, Roll the Tanks, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Samantha Shelton, The Shys, The Soft Pack, Alyssa Suede, Sun Araw, Maria Taylor, That 1 Guy, 2Mex, U-N-I, Very Be Careful, Lucy Walsh, Emily Wells, Tyrone Wells, Western Keys, Year Long Disaster

The Submarines have a national tour all plotted out (as heard in that iPhone commercial). Here are the dates:

Jan 29 2009 - The Loft at UCSD - La Jolla, California
Jan 30 2009 - Detroit Bar - Costa Mesa, California
Feb 1 2009 - Club Congress - Tucson, Arizona
Feb 3 2009 - Stubb’s BBQ - Austin, Texas
Feb 4 2009 - The Pontiac Garage - Dallas, Texas
Feb 7 2009 - Local 506 -Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Feb 8 2009 - Black Cat Backstage D.C., Washington DC
Feb 9 2009 - Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 10 2009 - Mercury Lounge New York, New York
Feb 11 2009 - The Bell House Brooklyn, New York
Feb 13 2009 - Middle East Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 14 2009 - Il Motore Montreal, Quebec
Feb 15 2009 - The Drake Hotel Toronto, Ontario
Feb 17 2009 - Schuba’s Tavern Chicago, Illinois
Feb 18 2009 - Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb 20 2009 - Hi-Dive Denver, Colorado
Feb 21 2009 - Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah
Feb 23 2009 - The Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia
Feb 24 2009 - Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
Feb 25 2009 - Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
Feb 27 2009 - SLIM’S (Noise Pop 2009) / San Francisco, California
Feb 28 2009 - Troubadour Los Angeles, California

Amateurs have a video for their new song, "Omaha Nights." Peep it HERE.

Guitarist Seamus Simpson and Radars to the Sky are parting ways.

Some wise guy re-imagines Aaron Kyle of Le Switch as the Nuge. Ah, Youtube.

Local Band Updates

I haven’t done a local scene update in quite a while, but here’s an attempt:

Pitchfork recently offered a download of a new song “Perfect Games” (via Pitchfork), from the Broken West. Look for the new album, Now or Heaven, in stores on September 9^th.

The Cold War Kids released a teaser video hyping their new album on Youtube. They’ve got a massive tour lined up, supporting Beck at some shows, and featuring a headlining appearance at Sunset Junction.

Speaking of Sunset Junction, all but one artist is now posted. In addition to all the great local bands, I’m looking forward to the Beachwood Sparks reunion show, Menomena and Broken Social Scene.

Beck’s new Danger Mouse produced record, Modern Guilt, comes out July 8^th. You can stream three of the tracks at Myspace.

Foreign Born have bid Sayonara to Steve Aoki’s label and signed with one of my favorite labels, Secretly Canadian. Look for their SC debut in February of next year. In the meantime, watch some acoustic performances on Live Daily.

Speaking of Secretly Canadian releases, Highland Park’s Bodies of Water will release, A Certain Feeling on July 22^nd. It’s the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut record. Download the first single, “Under the Pines.” The guitar has a little bit of a Dengue Fever vibe to it.

And speaking of Bodies of Water, Secretly Canadian is releasing a series of vinyl only 12” releases from their ABBA-inspired side project, Music Go Music. The first, featuring “Light of Love” is already in stores.

Back to Dengue Fever for a second. They just signed (outside the US) to Peter Gabriel’s label, Real World. They’re still over in Europe playing festivals in the Czech Republic, Glastonbury and Roskilde. They’ll be back in the US in July then back and forth with Europe through the Fall.

Bronson’s got the scoop on the new record from The 88. Look for their new album, Not Only…But Also, on August 26^th.

According to a Myspace blog, The Henry Clay People are becoming label mates with kickball buddies Le Switch. Expect a new record this Fall on Autumn Tone Records (the Aquarium Drunkard’s label).

I might have mentioned it before, but Earlimart’s got a new record, Hymn and Her, coming out July 1st. Download the first track, “Song For.”

Earlimart’s new label mates, Airborne Toxic Event, are releasing a series of acoustic videos to promote their new record. They’re all filmed around different locations in LA. Watch them on Youtube. Look for the record in stores on August 5^th.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot, but that’s it for now…..

Local Update

Local Update
Foreign Born are heading out on the road with St. Vincent. The first stop is at the Echoplex on February 15th. Check out Dim Mak’s tour page for details.

The Broken West are hard at work recording their new album up in Sacramento with Thom Monahan. Monahan produced some of my favorite Pernice Brothers records as well as Devendra Banhart’s latest.

Recently Announced Residencies:
Henry Clay People @ the Echo on Mondays in February
The Pity Party @ Spaceland on Mondays in February
Robert Francis @ the Silverlake Lounge on Mondays in February
Voxhaul Broadcast @ Spaceland on Mondays in March
Jonathan Rice @ Spaceland on Mondays in April

Recently Announced Shows:
Talib Kweli @ House of Blues Sunset on 1/26/08 (on sale now)
A-Trak / Kid Sister @ Museum of Natural History on 2/1/08
Black Mountain @ Troubadour on 2/5/08 (on sale now)
Rhys Darby (Murry from Flight of the Conchords) @ El Rey on 2/12/08 (on sale now)
Andre Williams @ Spaceland on 2/13/08 (on sale now)
Maceo Parker @ the Roxy on 2/17/08 (on sale now)
The Hives @ the Wiltern on 2/19/08 (on sale now)
Built to Spill / Meat Puppets @ the Echoplex on 2/22/08 – 2/23/08 (on sale now)
Taken By Trees @ the Roxy on 2/28/08 (on sale now)
British Sea Power @ Spaceland on 2/28/08 (on sale now)
A Place to Bury Strangers @ Spaceland on 3/1/08 (on sale now)
New York Dolls @ the Fonda on 3/7/08 (on sale now)
Crystal Castles / HEALTH @ the Roxy on 3/9/08 (TBD)
Big Business @ Spaceland on 3/9/08 (TBD)
Atlas Sound @ the Echo on 3/11/08 (on sale now)
Beach House @ the Echo on 3/13/08 (on sale now)
The Boredoms @ the Fonda on 3/16/08 (on sale now)
Explosions in the Sky @ the Wiltern on 3/17/08 (on sale now)
Bon Iver / Phosphorescent @ the Echo on 3/20/08 (on sale now)
The Black Crowes @ Avalon on 3/20/08 (on sale today at Noon)
Vampire Weekend @ El Rey on 3/20/08 (on sale now)
Bob Mould @ El Rey on 3/25/08 (on sale now)
Jose Gonzalez / Mia Doi Todd @ Wiltern on 3/25/08 (on sale now)
The Black Keys / Jay Reatard @ The Wiltern on 4/1/08 (on sale Saturday at Noon)
Autechre @ Echoplex on 4/4/08 (TBD)
X @ the Fonda on 4/10/08
Enon @ Spaceland on 4/11/08 (on sale now)
Chris Rock @ the Gibson 4/23/08 – 4/25/08 (on sale Sunday at 1:00PM)
Caribou @ El Rey on 4/24/08 (on sale now)
Rush @ Nokia Theatre on 5/6/08 (TBD)
Joe Jackson @ Orpheum Theatre on 5/13/08 (TBD)
Clinic @ Troubadour on 5/20/08 (TBD)

For tickets to Spaceland and the Echo check Ticketweb. For all others, check Ticketmaster.

Top 10 Local LA Albums of 2007

As I said yesterday, it was a good year to be an LA music fan. Our labels released a slew of good local bands: Dangerbird (Sea Wolf, One AM Radio, Eulogies), Eenie Meenie (Great Northern, Division Day re-issue), Stones Throw (J Dilla reissue, Chrome Children compilations, Yesterday’s New Quintet, Jaylib, Madlib, Oh No, etc.), Dim Mak (The Deadly Syndrome, Foreign Born, Willowz, The Icarus Line, Sean Na Na). The all ages, DIY, Smell-based scene (No Age, HEALTH, Abe Vigoda, Mika Miko) got national publicity too. While many cities can boast great music scenes (Montreal, New York come to mind), few can compete with the overall breadth and talent in Los Angeles.

Jax and Scott have already laid their local top 10 lists out for you. Now here is mine:

1) The Broken West: I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On (Merge) – I listened to this record as much as anything else this past year. I’m not the only one who loved it, the Aquarium Drunkard has it in his top six and Scott has it at #1 on his list of top 10 local releases. They’ve evolved so much as a band since this came out, I can’t wait to hear what they come up with next. Paste Magazine has it on their list too.

2) The Minor Canon: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished (Tenderness) – The Minor Canon make heartfelt pop music complemented by horns and piano. Paul Larson’s a veteran of the local scene and played guitar on the new Dntel record.

3) The Deadly Syndrome: The Ortolan (Dim Mak) – Quirky indie music with accordions and an obsession with ghosts. Along with the Broken West and Redheads, they were on my short list of bands to watch in 2007. Ian Cohen wrote a solid review on Pitchfork (7.4/10), Jeff Weiss gave them a B+ on Stylus, and the All Music Guide gave them a 4.5/5 but they remain LA’s secret. Hopefully they get out and tour more in 2008 so the rest of the country catches on. Bronson at the LA Times recently picked them as a band to watch in 2008 (along with Airborne Toxic Event and Castledoor).
Download "Eucalyptus"

4) Frankel: Lullaby for the Passerby (Self-Released) – Frankel is Michael Orendy. He makes chamber pop along the lines of Richard Swift or Andrew Bird. Credit goes to the Aquarium Drunkard for turning me onto this one (and it shows up in his top six for year).

5) Earlimart: Mentor Tormentor (Major Domo) – Aaron Espinoza just keeps growing as a songwriter. This is his best stuff yet.
Download "Everybody Knows Everybody" (via Pitchfork)

6) Le Switch: Hello Today (Self-Released) – This EP has grown on me like a sick fungus. I used to describe them saloon rock, but it’s more like a Wings/ solo McCartney/ Early 70s Kinks sound. They’ve been in the studio recording their debut full length for the Aquarium Drunkard’s Autumn Tone label (see Jeff Weiss’ LA Weekly feature that mentions the blogger created labels here).

7) The Henry Clay People: Blacklist the Kid with the Red Moustache (Self-Released) – I’m a recent convert to the Henry Clay People. It’s damn good 1990’s inspired indie guitar rock played with passion.

8) The Moon Upstairs: Guarding the Golden Apple (Gifted Children Records) – I have a feeling that If I smoked weed, this would be even higher on the list. The influences are vast, but if I had to narrow it to one, I’d say solo George Harrison-inspired stuff.

9) The Parson Red Heads: King Giraffe (Yukon Records) – They’re such an incredibly likeable cult (I mean band). With their pre-drug 1960s-inspired sound, they come off like a newer version of the Beachwood Sparks before the Beachwood Sparks decided it was a good idea to sit down while playing. They’ll be doing the Monday night residency at Spaceland in January.

Tie 10) Patrick Park: Everyone’s In Everyone (Curb Appeal) – I used to go see Patrick Park play live a lot. This record’s more consistent than his debut and gone are the bombastic arrangements. The All Music Guide gave it 4.5/5 and compared it to Josh Ritter and Josh Rouse, which is a pretty good descriptor.

And:

Foreign Born: On the Wing Now (Dim Mak) - Foreign Born has the potential to be the biggest of all these bands. Their anthemic, Echo & the Bunnymen-inspired songs have the potential to connect with all kinds of people. Peter from PB&J recently name checked them on NPR, Ed Droste from Grizzly Bear put them at #6 in his top 10 for 2007 and Bronson at the LA Times will probably have them near the top of his list. Pitchfork gave them a solid 7.2/10 too. Look for them on the road with St. Vincent in early 2008.
Download "In the Shape" and "Union Hall"

Honorable Mentions: Tigers Can Bite You, Qui, Busdriver, Eleni Mandell

Three bands to look out for in 2008:

1) Everest - Everest is a band of LA music scene veterans (Russ Pollard, Jason Soda, Rob Douglas, Davey Latter, Joel Graves) who released an excellent three song EP this year. They’ve been recording their full length and it’s one of my most eagerly anticipated releases of 2008. As the kids say, they’re slow burners. I dare you to go over to their Myspace page and tell me that new song isn’t great. They’re coming out of hibernation in January. See them at Spaceland on 1/14/08 and the Echo on 1/28/08. The LAist also picked them as a band to watch in 2008.

2) Le Switch – The EP whet my appetite for more. Aaron Kyle has grown so much as a songwriter and the rest of the band are strong contributors who flesh out the songs. They play the type of music that I love. They’re debut full length is tentatively scheduled for release around April 2008. See them at El Rey on 12/10 or the Scene on 12/12.

3) The Henry Clay People – They’re the cover boys on the new LA Record

Reflections on My Top 10 LA Releases of 2006

2007 was an exciting year for local music fans. I'm not quite ready to post my top 10 local releases of 2007 (I'm still wrestling with a couple of things). In the meantime, here's a reflection on 2006's list.

A year ago I posted my top 10 albums for LA artists for 2006. Looking back at the list is a good starting point for reflecting on the LA music scene in 2007. Two of the artists, Silversun Pickups and Cold War Kids, exceeded all expectations and broke huge on an international scale in 2007 (tons of national TV appearances, sold out shows and love from MTV). Both bands recently played headling, sold out shows at the Wiltern. Silversun’s show sold out so fast they probably could have sold out additional nights. Silversun’s currently making the rounds at the big Alt rock radio station holiday shows. Cold War Kids were handpicked by the White Stripes for a supporting slot, but unfortunately that tour got canceled. To my knowledge, neither band has had time to get into the studio for work on their follow up yet. I’m guessing that both will happen in early 2008.

The artist at the top of my list last year was the Little Ones. The band toured their asses off in 2007, opening shows for Voxtrot, Kaiser Chiefs, the Walkmen, the Magic Numbers, Tilly and the Wall, We Are Scientists and the Boy Least Likely To. They spent a large chunk of the year in the UK, but also found time to record their debut full length with Dave Newton. Look for Morning Tide sometime next April (the exact date hasn’t been set yet). They just posted the first single on their Myspace page. While the single didn’t grab me immediately like the EP, I’m anxious to hear the full length.

Two of the other artists on the list, Division Day and Let’s Go Sailing, had their albums re-issued with national distribution. Both artists did their share of touring in 2007 with Let’s Go Sailing sharing the stage with Elvis Perkins and Division Day currently on tour with Voxtrot.

One of the other artists, Jenny Lewis, spent most of the year with her main band, Rilo Kiley. Rilo Kiley released their major label debut in 2007. She did find time to go see Neil Young at the Nokia (she was sitting a row in front of me). Jenny Lewis’ collaborators, The Watson Twins were also on my list last year. The Watson Twins toured with Magnolia Electric Co. and went into the New Monkey Studio to record their debut full length. Look for that to be released this Spring.

Some of the bands had lineup changes. The Clean Prophets staged their first national tour early in the year, then saw the departure of their bass player and don’t seem to be active anymore. Publicly, The Tyde had a quiet year. They lost a member, added an old friend (Josh Scwhartz) for a few local shows and lately, Darren has been playing some solo shows. Lastly, Languis was on my list too. Shortly after the release of that EP, they lost one of the main members. This year they released some singles this year, but I haven’t heard them.

In my recap last year I also listed three bands to look out for in 2007. I’m happy to say that all three bands (The Broken West, The Parson Red Heads, The Deadly Syndrome) will be in my best of 2007 list tomorrow….

Local Scene Update

The Radar Bros. new album, Auditorium, comes out January 28th on Merge. To celebrate, they’ll be doing the Monday night residency at the Echo in January. I’m looking forward to that.

As previously announced, The Parson Red Heads will be doing the Monday night residency at Spaceland in January. Some of the bands lined up to support them are: Everest, Mezzanine Owls, Golden Boots, Lonely H and Idaho Falls.

Meanwhile, Long Beach lads (and Cold War Kids buddies) We Barbarians will be doing the Silverlake Lounge residency in January.

Also in January, The Airborne Toxic Event will be doing a Thursday night residency at Spaceland. I know they sent me a listing of some of the bands that will be joining them, but I apparently deleted it. It was a very good list….

The Monday night booker at the Viper Room continues to do a great job. This Monday she’s got A Place to Bury Strangers (a NYC, JAMC-inspired band with a lot of buzz), In Waves and Eulogies. On 12/10 she’s got Eskimohunter and Let’s Go Sailing. On 12/17 she’s got Great Northern and Happy Hollows and on 1/7 she’s got the Deadly Syndrome. Make friends with them on Myspace and RSVP to get into any of those shows for free.

The Pity Party will be doing the Monday night Spaceland residency in February.

Rhino Entertainment is opening a store for the month of December at 8032 West Third Street. Expect to find Rhino Handmade stuff, vinyl, DVDs etc. This weekend is the grand opening with the Dublab DJs appearing on Saturday night from 6-10PM.

If you’re into indie rock and ice skating, Spaceland is hosting Spaceland on Ice on Thursdays at Pershing Square. 12/6 – Castledoor, 12/13 – the Movies, 12/20 – Henry Clay People, 1/3 – Mezzanine Owls, 1/10 – Chapin Sisters

Goldenvoice is starting to announce a bunch of shows next year. They’ve got shows with: The Circle Jerks, Dan Deacon, Chromeo, Mirah/The Blow, Ryan Adams, Autolux, Willie Nelson, Black Lips, Siouxsie (of the Banshees), Keren Ann, Magnetic Fields and the Cribs on the calendar.

Radio Free Silver Lake helped curate the Rock Against HD Event at Safari Sam's on Monday December 10th. A fine roster of local bands who promise to play new music. Catch: The Movies, Sarah Negahdari (Happy Hollows), The Spires, Western States Motel and Thailand.

Gimme Shelter is a benefit for the Spectrum Program (autistic children) at the New Roads School in Santa Monica. The show will take place at the Roxy on December 12th with Mandy Moore, Pete Yorn, Matthew Sweet, Susanna Hoffs and Phantom Planet. Tickets are $20 in advance.

According to Pitchfork, Lavender Diamond’s on the road with John Waters. Makes sense to me.

Henry Clay People are doing a Monday night residency at the Detroit Bar in December.

Lots of options on New Years Eve this year. There are a couple of big downtown festivals. Giant Maximus has DJ Z-Trip, LA Riots, MSTRKRFT, Lazaro Casanova, Tiesto and others. While Hard has Justice (DJ set), Peaches, 2 Live Crew, Steve Aoki, Busy P, DJ A-Trak, Softlightes and others. The Sweet & Tender Hooligans (Smiths tribute band) will be at Spaceland. Agent Orange will be at the Airliner. Cheap Trick plays the Canyon Club. Dengue Fever appears at the Temple Bar. Gram Rabbit plays the Echo. Salt-N-Pepa are at the House of Blues. Eagles of Death Metal are at the Roxy. Supersuckers play the Viper Room. Belinda Carlisle and Rufus Wainwright are at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Other recently announced 2008 shows:
Black Mountain @ Troubadour on 2/5
White Williams @ the Echo on 1/27
Danava / Acid Mother’s Temple @ the Echo on 3/13
Om @ the Echoplex on 1/20

Local Scene Update

Associated Press has a story about kooky Becky Stark and Lavender Diamond. Their debut full length comes out May 8th on Matador. Spinner’s hosting Lavender Diamond’s new video for “Open Your Heart” That looks more like Angelino Heights than suburban LA, but it’s a pretty good video.

Mitchell Frank of Spaceland Productions was named a tastemaker to watch by LA Times West. The LA Times reports “And Seven Grand, Cedd Moses' new downtown bar, has hired Spaceland's Mitchell Frank to do its live music bookings. Guests at its private May 10 opening party will be able to sample from the bar's 125 varieties of whiskey” And here’s a lengthy piece on Steve Aoki where his old partner, Franki Chan (Check Yo Ponytail) calls him a sellout.

Silversun Pickups are playing the KROQ Weenie Roast on May 19th at the Verizon Amphitheatre. Other acts on the bill are: Linkin Park, Social Distortion, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Bravery, Peter Bjorn and John, The Killers, Interpol, Bad Religion, Tiger Army, Korn, Queens of the Stone Age, Rise Against, Tim Armstrong and Plain White T’s. Tickets go on sale on Saturday.
Cold War Kids are opening for Muse at Madison Square Garden, right after playing Lollapalooza. Silversun Pickups, Elvis Perkins and Dios and Mickey Avalon are also on that Lollapalooza lineup. Lollapalooza is August 3-5 in Chicago.

Cold War Kids, The Little Ones and Elvis Perkins will be playing the Bonnaroo Festival from June 14-17 in Manchester, Tennessee.

Silversun Pickups and Cold War Kids will be playing the Live 105 show on June 9th up in the Bay Area.

Silversun Pickups and Cold War Kids will be playing the KJEE Seaside Beach show on June 8th up in Ventura.

The Broken West is heading out on the road from late May to late June for shows with the Comas, Fountains of Wayne, The Stills and the National.

Recent Show Announcements:
The Fonda: Kaiser Chiefs / Airborne Toxic Event on 6/7; CSS / Bonde do Role on 6/10; Hot Chip on 6/13

El Rey: LCD Soundsystem on 6/10 and 6/11; The National / The Broken West on 6/26

Troubadour: Let’s Go Sailing on 6/7; The Airborne Toxic Event on 6/9; Lavender Diamond on 6/16; Subtle on 8/4; Low (rescheduled) 9/28 & 9/29

Natural History Museum: Deerhoof / Autolux on 6/1

The Echo: Shearwater on 6/19; Marnie Stern on 8/2

Spaceland: Division Day on 5/24; Unsane on 6/7; The Rosebuds on 6/16; The New Year on 6/20; The Rentals will be playing every Saturday in July; Eskimohunter will be doing the Monday night residency in July

The Roxy: Mstrkrft on 5/16; Louis XIV on 6/2; Si Se on 8/4

The Wiltern: Feist / Grizzly Bear on 6/29

Walt Disney Concert Hall: Neko Case on 11/16; Gal Costa on 11/17

Recently Announced Shows

Recently Announced Shows:

The Fonda: Mew on 4/7

Troubadour: Sloan on 5/1

Spaceland: Richard Swift / David Vandervelde on 4/6

The Orpheum: The Mars Volta on 4/3 (tickets on sale Saturday at 10:00AM)

The Wiltern: Iggy & the Stooges on 4/23 (tickets on sale Saturday at 10:00AM)

Silent Movie Theatre: Dean and Britta on 4/7

The Getty: Dean and Britta on 4/6

Dodger Stadium: The Police / Foo Fighters on 6/23 (tickets on sale to public on Monday at 10:00AM)

Hollywood Bowl: The Decemberists / Band of Horses on 7/7 (presale tickets on 3/3)

Largo: John Vanderslice on 5/10

Royce Hall: Ben Gibbard Acoustic 5/17

Los Angeles Scene Update 2/15/07

Manimal Vinyl will be releasing a Madonna Tribute album with a bunch of LA bands including: Devendra Banhart, Giant Drag, Winter Flowers, The Chapin Sisters, Lavender Diamond, Jonathan Wilson and the Tyde. Read about it on SPIN.

Berko’s doing the Monday night residency at Spaceland in March.

Airborne Toxic Event’s doing the Monday night residency at the Echo in March.

Buffalo Roam and Castledoor are both doing the residency at the Silverlake Lounge in March.

Other recent show announcements:
Troubadour: Kenny “Motherfucking Footloose” Loggins on 3/8; Earl Greyhound on 3/31; Art Brut 4/21

McCabe’s: Brightblack Morning Light on March 4th.

The Echo: The Horrors on 3/19

The Avalon: Paolo Nutini on 3/23

The Roxy: Sean Lennon on 4/24

House of Blues: Elvis Costello on 5/2

Hollywood Bowl: Roger Waters on 6/13

Cerritos Center: Emmylou Harris on 10/10

Look for show announcements soon from John Vanderslice and the Decemberists. Hopefully now that Coachella’s sold out we can get some local shows from a lot of the bands on the bill.

Pitchfork “announced” that David Yow has officially joined local abrasive rockers, Qui. You might remember that I announced that back on January 5th. They also announced that GSL would be putting out the new Qui album. That’s not true; Qui are still free agents.

Ferraby Lionheart signed to Nettwerk. They’ll be digitally reissuing his EP on 2/27 and expect a full length record this summer. Here are his upcoming tour dates.

Ferraby on Tour:
w/ The Autumn Defense
2/23: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake
2/24: Soiled Dove, Denver
2/26: Record Bar, Kansas City
2/27: Canopy Club, Champaign
2/28: Pabst Theater, Milwaukee
3/01: Cafe Montmarte, Madison
3/03: Park West, Chicago
w/ The Walkmen & The Broken West
3/08: Bowery Ballroom, New York
3/09: Ottobar, Baltimore
3/10: Little Brothers, Columbus
3/11: Schubas, Chicago
3/12: Southgate House, Newport, KY
3/13: Headliners, Louisville
3/18: The Parish @ HOB, New Orleans
3/19: Beta Bar, Tallahassee
3/20: 40 Watt, Athens
3/21: Grey Eagle, Asheville
3/22: Local 506, Chapel Hill
3/23: Rock N Roll Hotel, DC

Bronson at Buzz Bands reports that Patrick Park has just signed to Curb Appeal records. Bronson also reports that Park will have a song in the series finale of the O.C. on 2/22/07.

Silversun Pickups are on the Tonight Show on Monday 2/19. Silversun Pickups will also be performing on LAST CALL with CARSON DALY on Tuesday Feb 20th. The shows will air FEB 27th, 28th, MAR 1st and 2nd. Get tickets through:
-If you tune into KROQ (106.7 LA) this Friday morning, Carson will call into the Kevin and Bean Show to give away tickets. If you win your way in on KROQ: they will choose 10 grand prize winners who will attend sound check, meet the band and receive front row tickets to the taping

OR

If you are interested in seeing SILVERSUN PICKUPS in person and being a part of the Last Call with Carson Daly audience, please visit www.1iota.com and follow these simple steps:· Click the 1iota TV Shows button · Click the Last Call with Carson Daly logo · Choose the SILVERSUN PICKUPS event link to request ticketsATTENDANCE TO THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY!!! Remember, BE QUICK, because space is EXTREMELY LIMITED!!MUSTS:· YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 16 YEARS OLD· YOU MUST BE AVAILABLE ON Tuesday, February 20th. FROM 5:30PM - 7:30PM· YOU MUST HAVE A VALID PHOTO ID· PLEASE DO NOT WEAR WHITE, LIGHT BLUE, BEIGE OR LOGOS, AS THEY DON’T COME ACROSS WELL ON CAMERA· PLEASE DO NOT BRING LARGE HANDBAGS OR KNAPSACKS· NO CAMERAS OR RECORDING DEVICES"

Local Update 2/8/07

SXSW has finally released its first official round of performers. Local artists that list Los Angeles as their hometown include: A Cursive Memory, A Fine Frenzy, Anavan, Ceci Bastida, Bedroom Walls, Big Business, The Bird and the Bee, The Blood Arm, Boom Bip, The Broken West, Tom Brosseau, Bubonic Plague, Busdriver, Reeve Carney & the Revolving Band, Peter Case, CB Brand, The Chairs of Perception, Cold War Kids, Daedelus, The Dagons, Dengue Fever, Die Hunns, The Diffs, Dirty Harry, DJ Franki Chan, DJ Paparazzi, The Dowry, Earlimart, The Ettes, Eugene, Evidence, Faculty, Ferraby Lionheart, 400 Blows, Goldenboy, The Gray Kid, Great Northern, Health, Hello Stranger, The Human Abstract, Human Giant, The Icararus Line, Jack’s Mannequin, Kathleen Grace Band, Kissing Tigers, Kneebody, Let’s Go Sailing, The Little Ones, Los Abandoned, Manic, Marjorie Faire, Mezklah, Michelle Shocked, Midnight Movies, Mika Miko, Money Mark, Monsters are Waiting, Shannon Moore, Johnette Napolitano, No Age, The Oohlas, Ozomatli, Pamela Des Barres, Grant Lee Phillips, Pigeon John, Ariel Pink, Pop Levi, Joe Purdy, Quetzal, Qui with David Yow, Satellite Party, Silver Daggers, Simon Dawes, Smut Peddlers, the soul of john black, Spigga, The Spores, The Stolen Babies, Super Creep, Under the Influence of Giants, Upground, The Watson Twins, Peter Walker, West Indian Girl, Willowz and Jonathan Wilson. That’s a lot of my favorites and a surprising number of bands that are new to me.

The Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop issue where they compile critics best of lists is finally out. Bob Dylan’s Modern Times took the top prize. It was great to see Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins’ debut record, Rabbit Fur Coat, come in very high at #15. Impressive. The late J. Dilla’s Donuts came in at #30 and Beck’s The Information came in at #33. You know I still haven’t heard Beck’s record. A few of the records on my top 10 came in pretty high: The Decemberists at #13, Belle & Sebastian at #14 and Band of Horses at #23. A few of my top 10 records that didn’t move me came in even higher: Joanna Newsom at #9, Knife at #16, Lily Allen at #37 and The Hold Steady at #4.

The Little Ones were recently remixed by Stereolab. Very cool. Catch up with the Little Ones on their blog.

Recent Show announcements:
Earlimart March 9th @ The Getty-Los Angeles, CA.Tickets are FREE with RSVPthese tix will be released Feb. 22nd at this # 310.440.7300
Spaceland: Youth Group 3/13; Amy Winehouse 3/20; Apples in Stereo 3/22; Calla 3/27; Kelley Stoltz 4/13
El Rey: Voxtrot 5/29; Sondre Lerche 3/21
The Roxy: Amy Winehouse 3/19
Troubadour: Snow Patrol Acoustic 3/3 @ Noon (tickets on sale today at 1:00PM)
The Echo: Macromantics on 3/1;
Viper Room: The Pipettes/Happy Hollows/The Movies/Tigers Can Bite You on 2/26
Natural History Museum: Ghostland Observatory/Matmos 3/2
Hotel Café: El Perro del Mar on 3/14;
Glass House: Blonde Redhead 4/25
Amoeba: Norah Jones on 2/9
Malibu Performing Arts Center: Califone 5/3
John Anson Ford: Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen 7/7

Local Scene Update 2/1/07

Dim Mak announced that they signed The Deadly Syndrome and Moving Units.

Paul Oakenfold is appearing at the Knitting Factory on 2/6/07. Tickets are on sale now.

Buzz Bands announced that the Minor Canon will be doing Spaceland’s Monday night residency in April. They have a new album coming out on February 20th.

Tickets for the Killers at the Forum on 4/9 go on sale tomorrow (Goldenvoice pre-sale). I think you might have already missed KROQ's pre-sale.

Recently announced shows:
The Echo: 00100 on 3/27; Richard Buckner on 4/4; The Thermals on 4/6; Hella on 4/13; The Ponys and Deerhunter on 4/14
Spaceland: Robyn Hitchcock on 4/12
Troubadour: The View on 3/13; Pretty Girls Make Graves on 6/3
Safari Sam's: Oh No! Oh My! on 2/27
El Rey: Albert Hammond Jr. on 3/6; Clipse on 3/16 (tickets on sale tomorrow at 10AM); Son Volt on 4/3 (tickets on sale tomorrow at 10AM); Ted Leo on 4/12 and 4/13; RJD2 on 5/14.

The Fold has a new blog. CHECK IT

Let’s Go Sailing’s self-released album will get national distribution through Fontana on 3/27. Rolling Stone online recently named their song “Icicles” best new song for a rainy day. They’re also hitting the road with Elvis Perkins in March:
03/14-18 SXSW venue and date TBA
03/19: Santa Fe, New Mexico @ O'Shaughnessy with Elvis Perkins
03/20: Tucson, Arizona @ Solar Culture with Elvis Perkins0
3/21: San Diego, California @ The Casbah with Elvis Perkins
03/24: Los Angeles, California @ Largo with Elvis Perkins
03/25: San Francisco, California @ Cafe Du Nord with Elvis Perkins
03/26: Santa Cruz, California @ The Attic with Elvis Perkins
03/29: Portland, Oregon @ Doug Fir Lounge with Elvis Perkins
03/30: Seattle, Washington @ The Tractor Tavern with Elvis Perkins
04/03: Denver, Colorado @ Soiled Dove with Elvis Perkins
04/04: Omaha, Nebraska @ Sokol Underground with Elvis Perkins
04/05: Minneapolis, Minnesota @ 400 Bar with Elvis Perkins
04/06: Chicago, Illinois @ Schuba's with Elvis Perkins

Silversun Pickups have entered the Billboard charts at #171. They’ll also be appearing on the Tonight Show on 2/19.

Indie tastemaker Pitchfork reviewed the Broken West’s record giving it a 6.7/10. They seemed to really like it, but docked it for being power pop. What’s wrong with power pop?

Dios (malos) is going on tour with The Spinto Band and the Changes. Here are the dates:
Feb 21 The Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO (no Spinto Band or Changes)
Feb 23 The Annex - Madison, WI
Feb 24 Metro - Chicago, IL
Feb 25 The Picador - Iowa City, IA
Feb 26 Mojo's - Columbia, MO
Feb 28 Hi Dive - Denver, CO
Mar 1 Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
Mar 3 NOISEPOP/Rickshaw shop - San Francisco, CA
Mar 4 The Troubadour - LA, CA
Mar 5 The Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ
Mar 7 Emo's - Austin, TX
Mar 8 Opolis - Norman, OK (no Spinto Band or Changes)
Mar 9 Randy Bacon Studio & Gallery - Springfield, MO
Mar 10 Jackpot Music Hall - Lawrence, KS (with Calla, not Spinto/Changes)
Mar 13 Walter's - Houston, TX (no Spinto or Changes)
Mar 16 SXSW SHOWCASE (TBA) - Austin, TX (no Spinto or Changes)

Local Scene Update / Miscellaneous

Jason Flom is in and Andy Slater is out, as EMI merges Capitol and Virgin under one label group. The “restructuring program will result in additional workforce reductions throughout our U.S. operations.” Ouch. Good luck to everybody involved.

You can download a bootleg of the Arcade Fire’s recent show at St. Michel Church in Montreal HERE. Download at your own risk as bootlegs never really do them justice. That warbly voice has a lot more charm when you’re actually there.

Silversun Pickups sign with Q Prime Management. Now they share a management company with Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shania Twain, Muse, Fountains of Wayne, Gillian Welch and Nickel Creek.

The Shins, Lily Allen, Cold War Kids and Rodrigo y Gabriel are playing KCRW’s “A Sounds Eclectic Evening 6” at Gibson Amphitheatre on April 14th. Tickets go on sale to the general public on February 27th.

Speaking of the Cold War Kids, they recently announced a show at El Rey on 2/21. Tickets are already on sale for that one.

Bright Eyes recently announced two shows at El Rey on 3/7 and 3/8. Tickets are currently on sale for those over at Ticketmaster unless it already sold out (sorry if it did).

Elvis Perkins has a show booked at Largo on 3/24. You better call and get those dinner reservations now. Largo’s a great spot to see somebody like Perkins. He’ll also be at the Jensen Rec Center the night before.

Simon Dawes will be doing the free Monday night residency at the Echo in February.

Sparta just announced a show at the Echo on 2/17; Oh No! Oh My! will be there on 2/24 along with some of my local faves, the Deadly Syndrome and Let’s Go Sailing. The Helio Sequence and Dirty on Purpose will be there on 3/20.

The Spinto Band, Dios (malos) and the Changes will be at the Troubadour on 3/4/07. The Sword will be there on 3/12.

Peter Bjorn & John will be doing an in-store at Fingerprints in Long Beach on 2/2/07.

Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker will be at Safari Sam’s on 2/15. Nudist Priest (Judas Priest cover band that performs in the nude) will be there on 2/24.

Yes Me To Death will be doing a free Sunday afternoon residency at the Scene in February. I think I’m supposed to DJ the last one.

Eastern Conference Champions are doing the free Monday night residency at the Silverlake Lounge in February.

As I previously announced local good guys, Division Day are doing the free Monday night residency at Spaceland in February.

Local Scene Update 01/18/07

Sebadoh bootlegs: HERE – Playing Spaceland on 3/9 and Troubadour on 3/10

Recent Signings:
Great Northern signed to Eenie Meenie
Sea Wolf signed to Dangerbird (which apparently means that Alex Church is no longer in Irving)

The Bird & the Bee on the Tonight Show 1/25/07

The Shins have announced that they’ll be doing an in-store at Amoeba on January 26th at 6:00PM. Better lineup about now.

Coachella Rumors? Kevin Bronson has some over at Buzz Bands

Recent concert announcements:
Spaceland: The Solutionists (google “the solutionists” and this new supergroup comes up) on 1/24/07; Sebadoh on 3/10/07; Annuals on 3/3/07; Autumn Defense on 2/16/07; Fujiya and Miyagi on 3/14/07
Spaceland Productions at Jensen Rec Center: El Perro del Mar on 3/13/07
Echo: 00100 on 3/27/07; Airborne Toxic Event/The Deadly Syndrome on 2/2/07; Arthur Lee tribute on 2/6/07

Goldenvoice: Sparklehorse on 2/9 at the Fonda; the Zombies on 3/16 at the Fonda; Bloc Party on 3/19 & 3/20 at the Wiltern; Badly Drawn Boy / Adem @ the El Rey on 3/22; TV on the Radio on 3/30 and 3/31 @ the Fonda;

Troubadour: Sebadoh on 3/10; Melt Banana on 5/18

The Fold: Earl Greyhound on 1/30 @ El Cid and 1/31 @ the Silverlake Lounge

Safari Sam's: Lavender Diamond on 1/25; Lou Barlow 1/29; Cracker / Camper Van Beethoven on 2/15; Diplo on 3/13

Call (310)440-7300 to reserve your free tickets for the Watson Twins at the Getty on 2/2

Muse just announced a show at the Forum on 4/10/07. Presale tickets from KROQ go on sale tomorrow at 10:00AM. Get your password by joining the street team.

Peter Bjorn & John announced a show at the Roxy on 2/1/07; I’ll be doing a ticket giveaway very soon.

The Silversun Pickups' new video was just added to the MTV and MTV2 rotation. Watch some Spin party footage of them HERE.

You can pre-order the new Parson Red Heads' album, King Giraffe HERE

The Broken West (Spin.com's band of the day yesterday) has a new high profile booking agency (who also represents The Decemberists, Sebadoh, The Tyde, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Ian Brown, etc.) and it seems to be going well. Check out these dates:
01-22 Silver Lake, CA - Spaceland
01-23 Silver Lake, CA - Sea Level Records
01-29 Silver Lake, CA - Spaceland
02-05 San Francisco, CA – Café du Nord
02-07 Eugene, OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
02-08 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
02-09 Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
02-10 Mt. Hood – The Ratskeller
02-13 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
02-15 Phoenix, AZ – Modified Arts
02-24 Tucson, AZ – Plush
02-27 Austin, TX – Emo’s
02-28 Dallas, TX – Cavern
03-02 Columbia, MO – Mojo’s
03-03 Iowa City, IA – The Picador
03-05 Cleveland, OH – The Grog Shop
03-07 Cambridge, MA – T.T. The Bear’s

Then they’ll meet up with the Walkmen and Ferraby Lionheart:
03-08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-09 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
03-10 Columbus, OH - Little Brother's
03-11 Chicago, IL - Schubas
03-12 Newport, KY - South Gate House
03-13 Louisville, KY - Headliners
03-18 New Orleans, LA - Parish
03-19 Tallahassee, FL - Beta Bar
03-20 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
03-21 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
03-22 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
03-23 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel

Local Scene Update

Reminder: The Cold War Kids will be on Letterman Thursday 12/21/06

Recently Announced Shows:
Brian Wilson with Al Jardine @ Long Beach Theatre on 1/27/07 ($38-$67)
Jackson Browne / Willie Nelson @ Gibson on 2/22/07 ($64)
TV on the Radio @ the Henry Fonda on 3/30/07 & 3/31/07 ($18)
Sebadoh @ Troubadour on 3/9/07 ($15) – tickets on sale 1/2/07
El-P @ Troubadour on 3/26/07($15) – tickets on sale 12/22/06
Snow Patrol / Silversun Pickups / OK Go @ Gibson on 3/2/07
Earlimart @ the Getty on 3/9/07


Get your tickets for these high demand shows:
Stephen Malkmus @ El Rey on 1/6/07 ($19)
My Morning Jacket @ Wiltern on 1/6/07 ($27)
Subtle @ Troubadour on 1/19/07 ($15)
Deerhoof / Hella @ El Rey on 1/24/07 ($14)
M. Ward @ El Rey on 2/2/07 ($19)
ZZ Top @ House of Blues on 2/11/07 ($100)
Albert Hammond Jr. @ Troubadour on 2/14/07 ($15)
Rob Crow of Pinback @ Troubadour on 2/15/07 ($12)
Camera Obscura / Portatastic @ El Rey on 2/17/07 ($17)
Grizzly Bear @ Troubadour on 2/21/07 ($12)
Styx @ House of Blues on 2/23/07 ($60)
Josh Ritter / Will Sheff of Okkervil River @ El Rey on 3/1/07 ($20)
The Mountain Goats @ El Rey on 3/11/07 ($16)
Badly Drawn Boy @ El Rey on 3/22/07 ($24)
Sunset Rubdown / Xiu Xiu @ Troubadour on 4/24/07 ($12)

Local bands going on tour:
Division Day & Great Northern are going on a mini West Coast (Long Beach, San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Visalia) tour during the last week of January.

The Clean Prophets are doing a nationwide tour in February (Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Boise, Provo, Denver, Minneapolis, New York City, Atlanta)

Silversun Pickups are doing a massive tour with Snow Patrol from the end of February to the beginning of April

Local bands in the studio:
Dios (Malos) is currently in the studio recording their third album. Go to Myspace to check out some demos of the new songs.

Top 10 List of Records from LA Bands in 2006

Feel free to chime in if you feel like I overlooked something. I’m sure I did. For one thing, I totally overlooked hip-hop and punk rock. Believe it or not, there are tons of releases I still haven't heard (Mika Miko, Year Future, J Dilla, Ferraby Lionheart, etc.)

1) The Little Ones: Sing Song EP (self-released; later reissued on Astralwerks) – One of my concert highlights of the year was the first time I saw these guys. I’m not one of the most hyperbolic bloggers around, but I was immediately smitten. I’ve been hyping these guys ever since. How about this for a year…. they recorded an incredibly fun EP in the studio with David Newton of the Mighty Lemon Drops; they played a few shows that were widely praised; they self released their EP; the played Sunset Junction; they did a Spaceland residency; they got signed to Astralwerks in the US and Heavenly in the UK; they did their first big US tour with Small Sins. What’s in store for 2007? A UK tour in support of Boy Least Likely To, followed by a headlining UK tour with Tilly & the Wall. You can catch them on Saturday night at the Echo. Fans of indie pop and new indie bands like the Fruit Bats and Spinto Band should dig it.
Download “Lovers Who Uncover” and “Cha Cha Cha” and “High On a Hill”
2) Silversun Pickups: Carnavas (Dangerbird) – It was also a huge year for the Silversun Pickups. They released their debut LP on Dangerbird records. They performed on Letterman. They Impressed audiences at CMJ and SXSW. They toured with Wolfmother. They appeared as guests on MTV2’s Subterranean. What’s in store for 2007? They’re going out on a massive tour (29 dates) with Snow Patrol. The tour includes a stop at the Gibson Amphitheatre and New York dates at the theatre at Madison Square Garden. Tonight they’re doing the Live 105 radio show in San Francisco with the Shins, Raconteurs, Modest Mouse and the Killers. Then on Saturday they’re in San Diego for the FM 94/9 show with Modest Mouse and the Shins. Local folks can also catch them next Saturday (sold out) and Sunday at the Troubadour. What’s the music sound like? They’ve got fuzzy guitars, loud/quiet dynamics, big hooks, emotional choruses and are influenced by some of the best popular alternative bands of the nineties. Sure they’ve got their haters (most popular bands do), but they’re a genuine band, playing the kind of music they love and they’re playing it to an international audience. There just aren’t a lot of bands writing these kinds of anthems today as well as they do.
Download “Well Thought Out Twinkles”
3) The Clean Prophets: Praise is Poison (self-released) – You probably haven’t seen these guys yet or heard much about them if you don’t live on the west coast, but I keep returning to their debut album. Several of these songs get under your skin. They’ve drawn praise from the LA Times and Amoeba Music (who featured them as one of their homegrown picks). The trio’s influences are wide, but I usually compare them to 1980’s British guitar bands like Echo & the Bunnymen and the Chameleons. The lead singer has a distinctive, evocative voice that conveys emotion well.
Download “Praise is Poison” and “Tambourine Crown” and “Crime”
4) Languis: Other Desert Cities EP (Pehr) – I kept hearing great things about Languis, so I borrowed their album, The Four Walls, and listened to it. It left me a bit cold. Then I saw them live. They had great stage setup and the kinds of songs that make you want to put on headphones, close your eyes and space out for a while. I was happy when they released this EP, because it finally captured their impressive live sound. They toured a bit and scheduled an Echo residency. Right before that first show one of the founding members left. I haven’t seen them since then, so I’m not sure how it affected them.
Download “In the Fields of (Lonely Fences)”
5) Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love) – I never considered myself a Rilo Kiley fan, but I’ve quickly become a big fan of her solo career. When I heard this record I listened to it once and threw it on the bottom of the pile. Then I saw her live and everything changed. She’s so charming and professional and so darned cute. She’s got a great band and their performance is like a throwback to the heyday of the Grand Old Opry. They look so comfortable together and it feels like a family. The family vibe makes sense – the band consists of a set of twins, two couples and Farmer Dave (who gets along with almost everybody). It put a huge smile on my face when I saw them. Their recent performance on Jimmy Kimmel further solidified my geeky fandom.
6) Let’s Go Sailing: The Chaos In Order (self-released) – Shana Levy won over a ton of new fans at her recent Spaceland residency. If you like piano-driven music from female vocalists, you’re going to love this. But even if you don’t normally like “chick music” I urge you to give this one a listen. Standout tracks are “All I Want from You Is Love” and “Icicles.” In 2007 I predict she’ll have national distribution and probably as many TV/film licenses as she cares to accept.
7) The Tyde: Three’s Co. (Rough Trade) – These seasoned veterans of the Echo Park scene released their third album this year. It’s unfortunate that the British press shows them a lot more love than the American press. I’ve heard local musicians joke that when you arrive in LA, Darren Rademaker is the guy that meets you at the bus station. To me, that’s a testament of his support of the local scene. The music’s the easy, breezy soundtrack to your beer drinking, joint smoking day at the beach.
8) Division Day: Beartrap Island (self-released) – Super nice guys and maybe the youngest band on this list? They’re passionate and work their asses off on the road which makes them exactly the kind of band that labels should be dying to work with. They’ve drawn heaps of praise from the blog world and have also been singled out by the LA Times and Amoeba as a local band worthy of your attention. The vocals make me think of Old 97’s era Rhett Miller, but I might be the only person in the world who thinks that. They’re already slotted to do the Monday night residency at Spaceland in February.
Download “Tigers” and “Tap-Tap, Click-Click” and “Colorguard” and “Hurricane”
9) Cold War Kids: Robbers and Cowards (Downtown) – The Cold War Kids are another band that had a huge breakout year. Their self-released EPs and energetic stage show impressed audiences across the country. They toured extensively and impressed audiences at SXSW and CMJ which lead to a major label deal and a growing fanbase. What’s in store for 2007? A European tour with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Elvis Perkins. They’ve gotten their share of hate, but I tend to root for bands that have a great connection with their audience. I honestly haven’t spent a lot of time with this record, but it’s one of those things that grows on me the more I hear it.
10) Watson Twins: Southern Manners (self-released) – What’s not to like? Their voices are so pretty and they sing such nice harmonies. It’s a great mellow soundtrack for your drive through Topanga Canyon. It’s great how supportive Jenny Lewis has been.

Three bands not listed above to keep your eye on in 2007:
1) The Parson Red Heads – Currently tearing it up at the Echo on Mondays in December. Their EPs don’t yet capture their live energy.
2) The Broken West – An album on Merge and a Spacleand residency
3) The Deadly Syndrome – Another band with demos that don’t capture their live energy.

Local Scene Update

Apparently Micah Calabrese left Giant Drag. That leaves just Annie in the band.

Cold War Kids are crisscrossing the country by themselves and then touring Europe with Elvis Perkins and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

12-10 Seattle, WA – Neumo’s KEXP Benefit (w/ Ted Leo and Junior Boys)
12-16 Costa Mesa, CA – The Detroit Bar
01-10 New York, NY – Piano’s
01-12 Silver Lake, CA – Silverlake Lounge
01-17 New York, NY – Union Hall
01-19 Silver Lake, CA – Silverlake Lounge
01-24 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
01-26 Silver Lake, CA - Spaceland
02-02 Manchester, England - Academy 02-03 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands 02-04 Birmingham, England - Academy 02-06 Cologne, Germany - Gebaeude 9 02-07 Brussels, Belgium - AB Club 02-08 Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Paradiso 02-09 Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof 02-11 Hamburg, Germany - Knust 02-12 Paris, France - La Cigalle 02-13 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire

The Little Ones have a blog (HERE). They’re going on tour in Europe too.

12-07 San Diego, CA - House of Blues (w/ Small Sins) 12-09 Los Angeles, CA - Echo (w/ Small Sins) 12-21 Newport Beach, CA - Orange Country Museum of Art 01-15 Norwich, England - Arts Centre (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-16 Brighton, England - Komedia (w/ Boy Least Likely To)01-17 Bristol, England - Academy 2 (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-18 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-19 Glasgow, Scotland - Oran Mor (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-20 Aberdeen, Scotland - Moshulu (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-21 Newcastle, England - Academy 2 (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-22 Manchester, England - Academy 3 (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-23 Birmingham, England - Barfly (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-24 Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms (w/ Boy Least Likely To) 01-25 London, England - Scala (w/ Boy Least Likely To)

And there are a bunch of headlining tour dates in the UK HERE.

Earlimart started a blog. Check it out HERE.

Merge Records has a blog. They've got a picture of Senon's new baby (Radar Bros., Dengue Fever).

Sunset Rubdown and Xiu Xiu announced a show at the Troubadour (4/24). Low announced two shows at the Troubadour (6/22 & 6/23).

The Submarines are doing the Monday night residency at the Echo in January. Pity Party are doing the Monday night residency at the Silverlake Lounge in January. As I previously announced, The Broken West are doing the Monday night residency at Spaceland in January.

Local Scene Update

TIVO alert: Silversun Pickups will be on David Letterman this Friday night. They also just announced a second show at the Troubadour on 12/17 with Irving and Tigers Can Bite You. The show on 12/16 with Midnight Movies and Twilight Sleep is sold out. Drummer Christopher Guanlao's love of Star Wars is profiled on starwars.com.

You can download some Jon Brion bootlegs over at Fairfax Avenue. These are entire shows, so they're definitely worth checking out if you've never seen him live.

Cold War Kids will also be on David Letterman. Set your TIVO for December 21st. Advance tickets are available for three small shows in January. January 12th and 19th at the Silverlake Lounge and January 26th at Spaceland. Those shows will all sell out, so get tickets if you're interested.

Recent Merge signees, The Broken West have announced that they're doing the Monday night residency at Spaceland in January.

Local favorites, Division Day have announced that they're doing the free Monday night residency at Spaceland in February.

Tickets still remain for the Little Ones at the Echo on 12/9. Buy HERE.

Midlake, Clinic, Rob Crow, Rhett Miller, Of Montreal and Subtle recently announced shows at the Troubadour.

Stephen Malkmus (same night as My Morning Jacket at the Wiltern), Deerhoof, Of Montreal recently announced shows at El Rey Theatre.

Pitchfork favorites, Jet just announced a show at Spaceland on December 10th. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10AM on Ticketweb.

Plug Awards - Vote Now

If you're an indie music lover, make sure to go vote for the Plug Awards. The nominees are picked by a bunch of bloggers (Rockinsider, GvsB, Myoldkyhome, Pitchfork, YANP, BrooklynVegan, etc.), publicists, label folks, celebs, etc. LA is well represented on the list - it's great to be a music fan in Los Angeles. Congratulations to all the nominees (I apologize if I missed anybody):

Silversun Pickups leads the way with seven nominations including: Album of the Year, New Artist of the Year (are they a new artist?), Indie Rock Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Live Act of the Year, Song of the Year ("Lazy Eye"), Album Art/Packaging of the Year
Cold War Kids is up for New Artist of the Year
Jenny Lewis is up for Female Artist of the Year, Americana Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year ("Rise Up With Fists")
Mika Miko is up for Punk Album of the Year
Year Future is up for Punk Album of the Year
Dave Cooley is up for Producer of the Year (he produced the SSPU record)
Tony Hoffer is up for Producer of the Year (Belle & Sebastian producer, mixed SSPU)
Stones Throw is up for Label of the Year
Anti- is up for Label of the Year
The Echo is up for Live Music Venue of the Year
The Troubadour is up for Live Music Venue of the Year
Coachella is up for Music Festival of the Year
Filter Magazine is up for Magazine of the Year
Under the Radar is up for Magazine of the Year
KXLU is up for college/non-comm radio station of the year
KCRW is up for college/non-comm radio station of the year
Amoeba is up for record store of the year
KROQ - After Hours w/ Jason Bentley (Los Angeles, CA) - Specialty radio show of the year
KDLD - Jonesy's Jukebox w/ Steve Jones (Los Angeles, CA) - Specialty radio show of the year
KDLD - Dead Air w/ Chuck P (Los Angeles, CA) - Specialty radio show of the year
Dublab.com is up for internet radio station of the year
Littleradio.com is up for internet radio station of the year
KXLU, Indie 103 and KCRW are up for Online Radio station of the year (with terrestrial counterpart)

Once again I would like to extend a giant middle finger to Amy Phillips and the entire virtual staff of the Pitchfork blog. Here's what they had to say, "But please for the love of god, stay away from Silversun Pickups." Hey f--- you Amy Phillips and Pitchfork. Let's recap: they gave SSPU a 5.0, Cold War Kids a 5.0, Jenny Lewis a 6.1 and didn't bother to review the Mika Miko or Year Future records. I have a lot of respect for all five of those bands. They've all got different fanbases but great relationships with their audience.