Friday Night Music Options - 2/2/07

Being a music blogger in LA is so easy. There's always great stuff to write about.

Tonight's Pick:

The Airborne Toxic Event / The Deadly Syndrome / Hello Astronaut, Goodbye Television @ the Echo ($7) – Two of my favorite new local artists with another band I’m hearing good things about. The Airborne Toxic Event is one of those bands that other bands are probably jealous of because they packed the Echo the first time they played. They’re all really good musicians and they’re tight as a band. They’ve got a catchy, British inspired sound. The Deadly Syndrome’s upbeat, indie pop is a lot of fun to see live. They’re a band that you can walk in without knowing anything about them and walk away thinking it’s your new favorite band. For fans of Oh No! Oh My! andTapes ‘n’ Tapes. They just signed to Dim Mak. They do that drum circle thing at the end like the Little Ones. Am I the only one tired of seeing that? It’s a minor complaint. Apparently there's going to be $1 Dewar's specials all night too. Get your drink on.

Other stuff worth checking out:
Tivo Alert: Nas on Jimmy Kimmel
M. Ward @ El Rey (Sold Out) – I don’t sit around and listen to a lot of M. Ward, but the guy’s got skills. I’ve seen him once and he’s a great acoustic guitarist. He’s heading out on the road with Norah Jones after this, so it might be your only chance to see him at a small venue for a while.
Morrissey @ Pasadena Civic Auditorium (Sold Out) – Legend. See him.
The Watson Twins @ the Getty (Free) – Mellow goodness from the local twin sisters. They’re one of the “highlight” bands at this year’s SXSW. The advance reservations are booked up, but get there early and put your name on the waiting list because people will be no shows. I hear the 405 was closed at the 101 this afternoon, so plan accordingly.
Dengue Fever @ Temple Bar ($12) – Psychedelic Cambodian music.
Hello Menno / Polar Goldie Cats / Hopewell @ the Smell ($5)
Tussle / Aloe Blacc @ Natural History Museum ($9) - Gallery tour starts at 5:30pm; Diversity of Life Series Discussion starts at 6:30pm; Show starts at 8pm – Tussle’s a fun dance rock band. But not in an annoying way.

Haven't heard it yet:

The Hidden Hand @ Spaceland – From Dusted Magazine: “…the Hidden Hand’s latest is a nice hybrid of doom, stoner, hard rock and psychedelic, sort of like Cream crossed with Cathedral."

Live Review: Peter Bjorn and John at the Roxy on 2/1/07

Peter Bjorn and John @ the Roxy on 2/1/07
After reading some tepid reviews of their third New York show and seeing the flat performance on Conan, I was very nervous going into this show. I ran into some scenester people who made me even more nervous, “I haven’t heard the album yet, but I hear their awful performers.” It seemed like the backlash had already started. I’ve been listening to their second and third records non-stop for the past eight weeks, and I didn’t want my experience affected by people talking throughout the performance. If you’re going out just to be seen and to get snapped by photographers for your Myspace profile, then go see one of those indie dance DJs, not a mellow Swedish pop group. The club was packed and the temperature was already rising inside.

PB&J came out strong with “Let’s Call It Off,” and thankfully - they sounded great. The haters who are saying things like “they’re a studio band – dreadful performers” must be hanging out places I’ve never been, because these guys are really good. (Just for some background, I’m a guy who has seen at least three bands a week for the past 12 years.) Peter is an engaging performer with loads of charisma and a little bit of a Ben Gibbard vibe. Dancing around, joking with the crowd, directing singalongs - Peter seems to be having a really fucking good time when he performs. He was extremely complimentary to the opener, Cass McCombs (who I really like, but unfortunately missed), implying that they were humbled to have such a great artist open for them.

The crowd erupted when Victoria Bergsman from the Concretes joined them onstage for their big single, “Young Folks.” I already knew they used a backing track with the whistling, so it didn’t bother me, but some people were put off by it. Bergsman doesn’t have much stage presence, but it worked in the context of the song. Peter danced at her and she looked really nervous and coy, and it came off really cute.

The only disappointing part of their set was when Bjorn took over to sing one of the highlights of Writer’s Block, “Amsterdam.” Peter warned the crowd to quiet down or they wouldn’t be able to hear Bjorn’s vocals. Most of the crowd complied, but Bjorn still seemed to get flustered and ended up only half singing the song. Unfortunate, but it didn’t wreck the set. Bjorn’s backing vocals were perfect on all the other songs, but he didn’t seem interested in having the focus on him.

I didn’t write down the setlist (and I drank a little too much so my memory is wrecked), but some of the other highlights were: “Objects of My Affection,” “Paris 2004,” “Far Away, By My Side,” and “Big Black Coffin.” [Editor's note: I just read Buzz Bands, and apparently the drummer tonight wasn't John, but Lars. Apparently John went back to Sweden? Obviously I didn't even notice. All Swedes look alike - or something.] I will very happily see them again the next time they come to town.

Live Review - Brian Wilson at Terrace Theatre 1/27/07

Brian Wilson @ the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach on 1/27/07

I’d never been to the Terrace. It’s kind of a stuffy auditorium that was probably a beautiful place to see a show back in the 1970s. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t let you take food or drinks to your seats. I saw Brian Wilson twice on the Smile tour and both shows were fantastic. Given the fact that Pet Sounds is one of my favorite albums ever, my expectations were high (perhaps too high). As usual the band came out and played a set before launching into the full album. When I saw him at the Disney Hall doing Smile, the opening set was fantastic. He even performed “Forever” and dedicated it to his brother Dennis - very moving and emotional. The opening set at the Hollywood Bowl also had some great moments. The opening set tonight was not quite as interesting as the other two.

Let’s take a look at it:
“Surfer Girl” – Good pick. Very solid early Beach Boys song.
“Hawaii” – From the same album as “Surfer Girl” but not nearly as good
“Add Some Music To Your Day” – Great choice. I love the album Sunflower.
“Please Let Me Wonder” – Ok – While not one of my favorite tracks, it’s represents a nice transition song when the Beach Boys started to get more interesting.
“Drive-In” – Eh – I’d much rather hear “Wendy” or “Little Honda”
“Then I Kissed Her” – Yeah, I know Spector was very influential on Brian, but this isn’t high on my list of favorite Beach Boys songs. It was great to see Al Jardine perform and sing with Brian again. Jardine looked and sounded exactly the same.
“Break Away” – This is decent selection; especially since it was written with his dad.
“Dance, Dance, Dance” – It was a hit for them, but it doesn’t hold up like a lot of their stuff.
“The Little Girl I Once Knew” – This is a good choice, and one that Brian always seems to play.
“Do It Again” – This was one of the Beach Boys comeback tracks after they’d lost a lot of their popularity. It’s decent, but not high on my list of favorites.
“In My Room” – This is a great song. It’s one of Brian’s early explorations of his melancholy side and his feeling that he didn’t quite fit in with the world. I’ll never get sick of it.
“California Saga” – Eh. I guess for Al?
“Do You Wanna Dance?” – Not really.
“When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)” – This is another one of Brian’s more interesting early songs. I’ve always liked it.
“I Get Around” – It was their first number one song, but nothing I really need to hear again. It was a crowd pleaser, so I really shouldn’t complain.
“California Girls” – I guess they kind of have to play it. I don’t really mind.
“Sail On, Sailor” – I’ve always liked this one. Blondie Chaplin sang it on the record, but I’m happy to hear Brian do it.
“Marcella”- Wasn’t this named after one of Brian’s favorite prostitutes? Very odd choice.
“Good Vibrations” – I love it and I can’t imagine any band in the world playing it better than Brian’s backing band. It was a great transition song to get me re-invigorated about seeing them do Pet Sounds.

After a 20 minute intermission the band came out and played Pet Sounds in its entirety. Brian’s band, led by Darian Sahanaja, is amazing. I mean, the fact that Darian got Brian to finally finish/re-do Smile still surprises me. The venue sounded fantastic. The guys who talked to each other during the whole opening set, restrained themselves during the quiet songs. The only problem with the performance was a result of the nature of some of the Pet Sounds songs. The songs (like “You Still Believe in Me”) are so fragile and many of them hinge on Brian’s voice. Unfortunately, Brian’s just not able to pull some of them off. The symphonic nature of Smile was able to mask some of the limitations. That said, there were five songs in a row that were stunning and brought the house to their feet – “Sloop John B,” “God Only Knows,” “I Know There’s an Answer,” “Here Today” and “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times.” That stretch pounded home Brian’s genius as a songwriter. I wasn’t brought to tears (like many of us were during Smile) but it was very powerful and transcendent. And I’ll keep seeing Brian with these guys every chance I get.

The encore was pretty anti-climactic. He played the crowd pleasers for the people who probably go see Mike Love when he’s in town. “Johnny B. Goode,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Barbara Ann,” “Surfin' USA,” and “Fun Fun Fun” Then they came back and did a second encore with “Love and Mercy” – which was a nice touch.

All in all, not as good as the two Smile shows I saw, but still better than 95% of the bands I see. It's easy to be overly critical and pick apart the setlist, but the reality is that Wilson's a living legend and one of the greatest songwriters ever. I'll happily see him again.

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)

Thursday Night Music Options 2/1/07 - PB&J!

Tonight's Pick:
Peter Bjorn & John / Cass McCombs @ the Roxy (Sold Out) – The population of Sweden is about 9.1 million. In recent years rock ‘n’ roll bands like the Hives, The Hellacopters, abd (International) Noise Conspiracy were the biggest import. Now everybody’s talking the pop. Recent bands to emerge out of Sweden include: Love is All, Shout Out Louds, Acid House Kings, El Perro del Mar, the Concretes, Jens Lekman and now PB&J. What will be next? Hopefully not the black metal. That shit’s way too funny to take seriously. I’ve got my fingers crossed for more bands like Dungen. I highly recommend PB&J They’re way too catchy. As somebody posted in the comments, their second album might even be better than this new one. I still haven’t heard their first one, but it got reissued overseas this week, so look for it as an import.

Also worth seeing:

Dosh / Occidental / The One AM Radio @ the Echo ($10) – The Anticon nights are always popular. Dosh is more of a jazzy/indie guy rather than a hip-hop guy. Get there early for my friends in Occidental. The One AM Radio is a new singer-songwriter signed to local label, Dangerbird. He’s another one of those Indians of Indie rock along with Ramesh of Voxtrot and Jerry from the Foxymorons.
Morrissey @ Pasadena Civic Auditorium (Sold Out) – I have a really hard time getting through his recent albums too, but Morrissey’s really good live.
Busdriver @ Amoeba (Free) 7:00PM

Midnight Movies / Sky Parade / Residual Echoes @ Spaceland – Solid local bill.

Or maybe this is your speed:

Helmet @ Troubadour ($18) – Helmet was good live the last time I saw them in 1994. Pennywise / the Circle Jerks @ House of Blues