Recently Announced Live Shows

El Rey
10/1/09: The Horrors (on sale Friday at 10)

Club Nokia:
10/15/09: The Streets (presale now, password = SKINMIX; on sale Friday at 10)

Music Box at the Fonda
7/23/09: Rhys Darby (presale Friday at 10, password = INVASION; on sale Saturday at 10)
8/31/09: Bat for Lashes (presale Friday at 10, password = DREAM; on sale Saturday at 10)

The Orpheum
9/5/09: The Avett Brothers (presale Friday at 10, password = CONCORD; on sale Saturday at 10)

Fox Theatre in Pomona
9/1/09: Ween (presale Friday at 10, password = CHOCODOG; on sale Saturday at Noon)

Staples Center
9/22/09: Miley Cyrus (presale now for AmEx holders; on sale Saturday at 10)

Greek Theatre
9/3/09: The Pretenders / Cat Power / Juliette Lewis (on sale Saturday; presale now, password = OHIO)
9/24/09: Pet Shop Boys (on sale Saturday at 10AM; presale now, password = SUBURBIA)

Troubadour
8/15/09: Pissed Jeans / Lamps (on sale 6/17)
8/28/09: Gang Gang Dance (on sale now)
8/29/09: The Minus 5 / The Baseball Project (on sale now)
8/31/09: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears (on sale Friday)
9/9/09: HEALTH / Pictureplane (on sale Friday)
10/2/09: Robert Earl Keen (on sale now)
10/19/09: Bob Mould Band (on sale now)
10/20/09: Owl City (on sale Saturday)

Spaceland
8/7/09: The Black Heart Procession (now at Ticketweb)

The Echoplex
8/21/09: The Sonics (now at Ticketweb)
8/28/09: Os Mutantes (now at Ticketweb)

The Wiltern
8/4/09: Lykke Li (on sale Saturday)

Gibson Amphitheatre
8/21/09 – 8/25/09: Steely Dan (on sale Saturday; now for AmEx cardholders)
9/25/09: The Temptations / Four Tops (on sale Sunday at 1; now for Citi Cardholders)

Ticket Giveaway: Neko Case & Jason Lytle

This giveaway's so good, I wish I was eligible. I've got a pair of tickets to give away for the Neko Case show this Friday at the Greek Theatre. Jason Lytle (ex-Grandaddy) opens the show.

To win these tickets, email me [dukeufo at gmail] with the name of your rock star crush. Please put "Neko Contest" in the subject line and include your full name. The contest closes Tuesday at 8:00 PM. 

MP3: People Got a Lot of Nerve

photo credit: Jason Creps

Live Music Options: 6/8/09 - 6/14/09

Jason Lytle Plays the Greek Theatre on Friday

I really enjoyed the Minor Canon record release party last Tuesday. Such a great band.

Monday 6/8/09
[Pick of the Night] Castledoor / Hopewell / John Webster Johns / Eastern Conference Champions @ Spaceland (Free) - Castledoor continues their Monday night residency.
[Recommended] Oliver Future / Other Lives @ The Echo (Free) - Oliver Future's residency should get a boost from Other Lives.
[Recommended] Corridor / Paulo Zappoli / Avi Buffalo / Addiquit / Telepathic Liberation Army @ Echoplex (Free) - Avi Buffalo goes on at midnight.
Metric / Sebastien Grainger @ The Wiltern ($20)
Scott H. Biram / Jake Labotz @ Redwood Bar & Grill
No Horses / Old Toy Trains / Linda Draper / Jubilee Singers @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)
Doug Benson @ Largo ($20)
John Thill / American Gil & the Major Dudes / Stellaluna / Serows / Beckett ‘n Frenz @ The Smell ($5)
Lelia Broussard / Chantal Kreviazuk / Jerry Hannan / Ferras @ Hotel Café
Kinky Katskins / Bamn / Abused Romance / Armada / Beautiful Criminal @ Viper Room

Tuesday 6/9/09
[Pick of the Night] Patrick Wolf / Living Things / Jaguar Love / Plasticines @ The Roxy ($15)
[Recommended] The Lemonheads / Model/Actress @ Spaceland ($18) - The Lemonheads have a new album of covers. I quickly listened to the Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons covers, but haven't gotten to the rest of it yet. The two I heard were good.
[Recommended] Camera Obscura / Future Static @ The Glass House ($15)
[Recommended] Sonic Youth Listening Party: Pocahaunted / Shiloe @ Origami Vinyl (Free) - Ignore the Pitchfork review (I always do) and pick this sucker up.... it's good. Some free pizza too.
Sebastien Grainger / Woodhands @ Cinespace ($5 w/RSVP)
Gaslamp Killer / Big Moves / Pollyn @ The Echo ($10)
The Tragically Hip @ Troubadour ($35)
Secret Chiefs 3 / Kayo Dot @ El Rey ($18)
Grizzly Owls / Square on Square / Zenda @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)
Jeff Buckley CD/DVD Release @ Largo ($45)
Michael Schenker @ Key Club ($25) – Founding member of the Scorpions
Raining Jane / Bushwalla / Macek / Price / Lindsey Ray @ Hotel Café
Your Majesty / Lady Sinatra / Who Rides the Tiger / The Bourbon Saints / Veritas @ Viper Room
Mike Stinson @ Redwood Bar & Grill
Jason Simon / Blank Blue / Hopewell @ the Prospector

Wednesday 6/10/09
Pick of the Night] Constantines / Crystal Antlers / I Was a King @ The Echo ($10)
[Recommended] The Hectors / Tandemoro / Untiil June / Glare of Rockets / Soul Puppet @ Viper Room
Club NME: Rainbow Arabia / Spirit Vine / Voices Voices @ Spaceland ($8) - If you're a Pitchfork and Gorilla vs. Bear follower, you've seen a lot written about the new-ish band from the old Wiskey Biscuit keyboard player....
Peter Murphy @ House of Blues Sunset - Bauhaus vocalist.
Butterfly Boucher / Patrick Park / Susie Suh / Kelli Rudick / Yellow Red Sparks @ Hotel Café
HoneyHoney / 2-Headed Dog / Nicole Atkins @ Largo ($20)
Low End Theory Club: Nosaj Thing @ Airliner ($10)
Municipal Waste / Trap Them @ Knitting Factory
Dub Club @ Echoplex
The Tragically Hip @ Troubadour ($35)
VLA / Mr. Gnome / Chasing Kings @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)
Bastidas / Animals on Coke / The Shock Deformity and Amputee @ The Smell ($5)
The Neighborhood Bullys @ Redwood Bar & Grill

Thursday 6/11/09
[Pick of the Night] Camera Obscura / Agent Ribbons @ The Fonda ($20)
[Recommended] Iwaad Wassif & Two Part Beast / Hopewell / Jason Simon (from Dead Meadow) / Jonathan Terrell @ Redwood Bar & Grill
Handsome Furs / The Cinnamon Band / The Monolators ($15) - Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade.
Au Revoir Simone / The Antlers / Princeton / Findlay Brown @ El Rey ($17) - The Antlers have some buzz surrounding them.
The Church / Adam Franklin / Bolts of Melody @ The Roxy ($30)
Children Collide / Bloodcat Love @ Spaceland ($10) - All the Australian bands play Spaceland....
The Tragically Hip @ Troubadour ($35)
She Wants Revenge / Great Northern / Io Echo @ The Glass House ($20)
Testament / Unearth / Lazarus A.D. @ House of Blues Sunset
Random Patterns / Intricate Machines / Ovideo / Star Parts @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)
The Rescues / Arrica Rose / Terra Naomi / Anne Heaton / Billy the Kid @ Hotel Café Picture Atlantic / Giant State / The Frail / Red Letter Agent / Monster Eats the Pilot / Thunder From Heaven @ Viper Room
Balkan Beat Box @ Key Club ($20)
Paper Planes / Mike Stinson @ The Prospector

Friday 6/12/09
[Pick of the Week] Neko Case / Jason Lytle @ Greek Theatre ($35)
[Recommended] Jay Reatard / Thee Oh Sees / Earthmen & Strangers @ The Echo ($14) [Recommended] Love Is All / Still Flyin’ / Shark Toys @ Echoplex ($16) - Popular Swedes.
Jon Brion @ Largo ($25)
Saturn / So Cow / Shark Toys / Le Face @ L'Keg Gallery - I've heard good things about So Cow...
[Recommended] Kenan Bell / Robert Francis @ Spaceland ($12) - This show's a benefit for Taco Zone - the hipster-favorite taco truck that sits near the Von's parking lot on Alvarado. Last weekend somebody allegedly threw a molotov cocktail on it (while it was open). That place has saved my ass a couple of times...
Del Tha Funky Homosapien @ House of Blues Sunset
Nikka Costa / JD Webb @ Troubadour ($25)
IAMX / Hypernova @ El Rey ($25)
Saint Motel / Links / Fight From Above / Heavy Hands / Last Exit @ Viper Room
Reik / Jesse Y Joy @ Club Nokia ($51 - $81)
Laura Jansen / Come Gather Round Us / Austin Hartley Leonard / The Dylan Trees / Beth Thornley / Joel Stein @ Hotel Café
TPF! / Dozal Brothers / Neon Navajo / Fast Astronauts @ The Smell
Rival Sons / Sangre Sangre / Death on Wheels @ The Roxy ($12)
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds / Quetzal Guerrero & the Warriors / New Rome Quartet @ Redwood Bar & Grill
Tijuana Panthers / dirt dress / Rad Cloud / no paws (no lions) @ Pehrspace

Saturday 6/13/09
[Pick of the Night] The Felice Brothers / Willy Mason @ Troubadour ($18)
Telepathe / Abe Vigoda / Nite Jewel / Blue Jungle @ The Smell ($5)
Clipse / Pac Div / B.O.B. @ Club Nokia ($23)
The Night Marchers / Japanese Motors / Lamps @ Lot 613 [613 Imperial Street] (Free w/ RSVP) - Free tequila and tacos. No Age and Travis Keller will be DJ'ing.
Playboy Jazz Festival: The Neville Brothers / Jimmy Cobb’s Band / Norman Brown’s Summer Storm / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings / New Birth Brass Band @ Hollywood Bowl ($20 - $145) – Tons of other bands starting at 2:30. Bill Cosby is the M.C.
Datarock / Casxio / Wallpaper @ Key Club ($15)
[Recommended] Restavrant / Warpaint / Dogweed / Parker Macy Blues / Stanley Lucas Revolution / Brookline @ Spiral Park in Echo Park (Free) - Fun lineup. 1246 W. Court St.
An Evening with Wendy and Lisa @ Largo ($25)
JD Souther / Jill Sobule @ El Rey ($28)
[Recommended] Bolero / Pink Snowflakes @ The Prospector - Bolero is Josh Schwartz's band.
Halloween Jack / The Sweet Kill @ Spaceland ($12) - Halloween Jack is a glam covers band featuring Gilby Clarke. They're doing a Saturday night residency at Spaceland this month.
Reik @ Fox Theater ($40)
Smog Sessions @ Echoplex ($15) – Dubstep night.
Brandon Rogers / Ashleigh Haney / Melineh Kurdian / David Baron / Sara Haze @ Hotel Café
Green Jelly / 45 Grave / Rosemary’s Billygoat / Frankenstein / Radioactive Chickenheads @ Knitting Factory
Agent Orange / Sex Cobra @ Knitting Factory Front Stage
The Dave & Deke Combo @ Redwood Bar & Grill

Sunday 6/14/09
Grand Ole Echo: Mike Stinson / Dogweed / Elliott Randall @ The Echo (Free)
Brunch Americana: The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash / David Serby / Brennen Leigh @ Redwood Bar & Grill
Useless Keys / Venus Infers / One High Five / Something To Burn / The New Up @ Viper Room
Bat for Lashes @ Lucky Store on 3rd St. Promenade 3:00 - 5:00 PM (Free w/ RSVP) - First come, first served - RSVP required for the performance. Jimmy Tamborello and Jason Bentley will also be DJ'ing.
Kissing Cousins / Restavrant @ Silver Factory Studios - CD release show for Kissing Cousins.
Billy Ray Cyrus @ House of Blues Sunset
Anavan / Daniel Francis Doyle / Math the Band / That Ghost @ The Smell ($5)
The Present / Queens / Julia Holter @ Spaceland ($8)
Naked Hearts / Pwrfl Power / Cap Lori / Alex and Sam @ Hotel Cafe
Part Time Punks @ The Echo (Free)

Sinking Radio: Sonic Youth's "Thunderclap (for Bobby Pyn)"

Here's my weekly reminder to tune in to Sinking Radio on Little Radio Fridays from Noon to 2:00 PM PST. Each week, the show features an You Set the Scene pick of the week. My pick for this week's show is Sonic Youth's "Thunderclap (for Bobby Pyn)."

For the most part, I'm a "middle period" Sonic Youth fan. I love the Sister, Daydream Nation, Goo, Dirty period. For the next several records (read: ten years), I could honestly take or leave them. There are (almost) always great songs on each record, just not a cohesive album.

So now it's 2009 and the band's rapidly approaching its 30th anniversary. They parted ways with their longtime label and signed off with Matador, NYC's biggest indie - and? They've put out another great album. Pretty fantastic that they're having a late in their career resurgence (I quite liked Rather Ripped too).

The new record's got everything fans of the "middle period" love about Sonic Youth: songs displaying Kim Gordon's cool, Kim and Thurston call and response songs, Lee Ranaldo fronted tunes with Thurston Moore guitar freakouts. The song I selected is a tribute to Bobby Pyn a.k.a. Jan Paul Beahm a.k.a Darby Crash.

The Eternal comes out next Tuesday. I recommend you pick it up...

Recently Announced Live Shows

Troubadour
7/16/09: The Zeros / The Muffs (now)
7/18/09: Brand New (on sale 6/11/09 at 1:00 PM)

The Echo
7/21/09: Micachu & the Shapes (now at Ticketweb)
7/28/09: Magnolia Electric Co. / The Donkeys (now at Ticketweb)
8/28/09 Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (now at Ticketweb)

Spaceland
7/17/09: The Builders and the Butchers / Illinois (now at Ticketweb)
7/29/09: Themselves (now at Ticketweb)
7/30/09: Castanets / Warmer Milks (now at Ticketweb)
7/31/09: Future of the Left / Japandroids (now at Ticketweb)
9/5/09: Sea Wolf / Sara Love (now at Ticketweb)

The Echoplex
8/27/09: Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band (Saturday at 10:00 AM at Ticketweb)

Greek Theatre
8/9/09: Rodney Atkins / Jack Ingram / Eli Young Band (on sale Saturday; presale now, password = GREEK)
8/18/09: Elvis Costello / Lucinda Williams (on sale Saturday at 10AM; presale now, password = SPECTACLE)
10/2/09: Loggins & Messina / Gabe Dixon Band (on sale Saturday; presale now, password = FRIENDS)

Music Box at the Fonda
7/28/09 – 7/29/09: Glasvegas / Ida Maria (on sale Saturday)
9/17/09: The Gaslight Anthem / Murder By Death / Frank Turner (on sale Saturday)
10/14/09: Passion Pit (on sale now)

El Rey
8/19/09: Emiliana Torrini (on sale Saturday)
8/21/09: Los Campesinos! / Girls (on sale Saturday)

The Forum
8/25/09: Green Day / Franz Ferdinand (on sale Saturday)

The Wiltern
8/5/09: Blue October / Switchfoot / Longwave (on sale Friday)
9/25/09: Bon Iver (on sale Friday)
10/23/09: Tiger Army (on sale Friday)

Ford Amphitheatre
6/20/09: Dean & Britta provide musical accompaniment to Warhol’s 16mm films of Nico, Lou Reed, etc..

Nokia Theatre LA Live

9/2/09: Daryl Hall and John Oates (presale now, password = NOKIATHEATRE; regular on sale Monday at 10 AM)