Wednesday 09.03.08: DUB CLUB @ echoplex

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $5 / 21+

Monday 04.14.08: STARS OF THE LID / CHRISTOPHER WILLITS / NUDGE @ Echoplex

Stars Of The Lid || Listen

Kranky Records has often made subtle reiteration and variation an art form via the careful, restrained, frequently ambient drones of the likes of Keith Fullerton Whitman, Growing, and Tim Hecker, but some of the finest work in their catalogue is arguably that of Stars of the Lid, the long-running project of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie (formerly of Austin, Texas, currently relocated to Los Angeles, California, and Brussels, Belgium). The duo’s earlier work focused on manipulated guitar and field recordings, creating deep, often sparely-inhabited soundscapes, but by 2001’s sprawling two-hour The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid they’d moved on to glacially evolving orchestral arrangements incorporating other musicians and live horns and strings. The shift was accompanied by an increasing focus on melody, albeit on melody as an exercise in restraint, muted and melancholic, for a resulting album drifting out of pure drone and into to a sort of deeply textured classical minimalism. Finally, six years of slow intercontinental collaboration later, continued exploration into the latent melodic potential of their work has yielded McBride and Wiltzie’s masterpiece, And Their Refinement of the Decline. This expansive symphony, refined, decisive, and beautifully-realized, is a unique work, an impressive work, and ultimately, an important work. – Popmatters

with:
Christopher Willits || Listen
Nudge

@ Echoplex
enter at
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $13adv, $15dos / all ages

Saturday 02.09.08: DESCARGA! with EL TAMBOR @ Echoplex

El Tambor

El Tambor is directed musically by an accomplished Artist and Teacher of the sacred batá drum, Ben Elsessor. This high-energy group is one of the longest running folkloric Afro-Cuban ensemble’s in the City of Angels. The group has shared its repertoire of classic rhythms from the island for over eight years and consists of skilled Drummers, Singers and Dancers including: Bobby, Charles, Mark, Jason, Teamir, Felicia Richards, Gaby Hernandez, Erica Krumpl, Viren Moret, Erika Elizondo, Emeka Simmons and Pedro “Muneco” Aguilar.

Plus Resident DJs Sloe Poke, Mando Fever, Bobby Soul, Loslito, Azul & Mexican Dubwiser

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

¡Descarga! is a monthly Afro-Latin music gathering for the people. This event is an alternative to the commercial salsa nights that have dominated the LA scene for years. Resident DJs Sloe Poke, Mando, Bobby Soul, Loslito, Azul and Mexican Dubwiser spin classic salsa and cumbia; plus merengue, punta and reggaeton. With live bands gracing the stage at midnight at nearly every show, it has become the taste-making New York to L.A. soiree, running over 5 years strong.

FMI:
www.descargaclub.com
Descarga on Myspace

9pm / $10 / 21+

Sunday 02.10.08: PART TIME PUNKS w/ KID CONGO POWERS

Kid Congo Powers (Founding Member of The Cramps, The Gun Club & The Bad Seeds)
Howie Pyro
Geneva Jacuzzi
Jonathon Toubin (NY Night Train DJ / Founder)

Part Time Punks is blessed tonite with one of the very
best: KID CONGO POWERS of The Cramps/Gun Club/Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds fame will be performing with multifarious friend, musician (D-Generation, The Blessed, Danzig, Intoxica Radio DJ) Howie Pyro – Both consummate entertainers and legendary musicians who should require no introduction. Stepping away, momentarily, from his usual rock band setup, solo cholo Kid will be man and machines…beats and noise..
stories and static… Okay, and a guitar! Congo Pyro a Go Go!

Plus resident djs Michael Stock and Benny Shambles spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 21+

Saturday 02.16.08: Echo Park Records Anniversary Party with ARABIAN PRINCE @ Echoplex

Arabian Prince

The Arabian Prince has been a producer and DJ since the early ’80s, which undoubtedly helped him sustain his career after leaving N.W.A.. He began in the music business while still in middle school, recording mixtapes during after hours at KACE radio (where his father worked) and DJing school dances as well as the occasional club date. Arabian Prince began recording his own tracks during 1982-1983, and co-produced Bobby Jimmy & the Critters as well as doing live dates with the Egyptian Lover, World Class Wreckin’ Cru, and the L.A. Dream Team. Early singles like “Innovator” and “Situation Hot” got much respect on the Los Angeles club scene, and his consistent studio experimentation led to some work with Dr. Dre and N.W.A. for 1988’s Straight Outta Compton.

with:
Glass Candy
Guns ‘n’ Bombs
Los Super Elegantes
DJ +ravi$
Appaloosa

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

RSVP at RSVP@echoparkrecords.com to get in for $10

8:30pm / $15, $10 if you RSVP / 18+

Thursday 02.14.08: Echo Park Records Anniversary Party w/ VERY BE CAREFUL @ Echoplex

Very Be Careful || Listen

Very Be Careful live vallenato, therefore they are vallenato. They are a group of men who reside in Los Angeles, each breathing and chasing the air of his heritage. They play folk music, but not the sort of blissed-out urbanite folk that reeks of CIA-controlled backwoods parties in upstate New York populated by California-bred social opportunists. No, this folk sounds like the truth, like revolution music reminding us that though many may die for social change, the common goal is a new life worth fighting for, one worth a serious party. And party is what VBC live and breathe. – Mp3.com

with:
Paul Devro (Mad Decent)
Dam Funk (Stones Throw)
Grupo Fantasma

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Sunday 02.17.08: Echo and Dub Lab present BABY DEE

Baby Dee || Listen

With all due respect to Frank Sinatra, if anyone has the right to sing “My Way,” it’s Baby Dee. She’s been a church organist and a go-go dancer, a circus performer and an acclaimed avant-garde harpist—and probably pulled stints as a pauper and poet along the way. The wacky, whip-smart fifty-something singer—who has worked extensively with Current 93 mastermind David Tibet—has released a passel of low-key albums in the past, but stands to reach her widest audience to date with a new Drag City release, the wondrous Safe Inside the Day. – Harp Magazine

Plus:
Barr

6pm / $10 / all ages

Wednesday 02.20.08: THE ALBUM LEAF

The Album Leaf || Listen

With the long, hot summer finally gone, we all need something to soothe our racked nerves, and one-man band Jimmy LaValle is doing his best to fill that role. On his fourth album, he gently eases you into his mostly instrumental world, where shimmering keyboards float around sweeping strings and understated beats. LaValle has toured with Sigur Rós, and his music comes off like a less foreboding version of their moody orchestral drift. – Spin

with:
Kill Me Tomorrow || Listen
What Laura Says Thinks and Feels

8:30pm / $12 adv, $14 dos / 18+

Monday 05.05.08: TIM & ERIC AWESOME TOUR @ Echoplex

Tim and Eric || Watch

The main act began with a Tony Clifton-esque Tim Heidecker singing “Here She Comes” over pre-programmed Casio music. The balcony was erupting in so much laughter, I was sure there was an audience plant. So I was completely startled to turn and find myself face to face with a heavily lipsticked and wigged Eric Wareheim, hobbling through the crowd on crutches. The 6 foot 6 man in bad makeup was a hideous and hilarious sight to behold. We were treated to clips from Tim & Eric’s shows and podcasts , as well as an indulgently long behind-the-scenes with a Gary Busci coked up freakout. The best T&E moments come when they play with all the best tools of the 80s: keytars, spandexs, smoke machines, and lots of bad video effects. – Willemette Weekly

@ Echoplex
enter at
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $17 adv, $20 dos / 18+

Thursday 02.07.08: THE LILYS

Lilys

Since their formation in 1989, Kurt Heasley has taken the Lilys for quite a ride. With each album comes a somewhat different but appealing album while the frontman oils what appears to be a continuous revolving door of musicians and supporting cast. Perhaps the best complement the group could be paid is that they, much like the Rolling Stones did in their early days, have basically taken a style of music from across the pond and made it their own. The group’s previous album was the closest thing to Britrock from a Yankee band I heard in a long time, and this new album on reinforces that notion. And while it clocks in at under 40 minutes, the listening party for you will be about 55 to 60 minutes after finally realizing you’ve replayed the opening “Black Carpet Magic”. – Popmatters

with:
Magic Mirror

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Friday 02.01.08: First Fridays w/ A-TRAK & KID SISTER @ The Natural History Museum

First Fridays – Dinner, Discussion, Music & More

with:
A-Trak || Listen
Kid Sister

plus Dub Lab DJs:
Frosty
Take

@ Natural History Museum
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007

FMI: http://www.nhm.org/firstfridays/

5:30pm – Tour
6:30pm – Discussion
8:00pm – Music

5pm / Adult $9, students (w. ID) $6.50, Members FREE / All Ages

Saturday 02.09.08: Echo & IHEARTCOMIX present THE NEW CHECK YO PONYTAIL w/ MIXHELL

with:
Mixhell (live!)
Data
My!Gay!Husband!

Plus DJs:
Franki Chan
Paparazzi

9pm / $12 / 18+

Monday 02.25.08: Monday Night Residency – THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE

The Henry Clay People || Listen

The spasmodic sagacity of the Henry Clay People can be a little like watching somebody karaoke the encyclopedia, and the L.A. quartet’s spate of shows in late 2007 seemed to augur their rise to bigger stages. The prolific foursome is getting ready for a February residency at the Echo (batten down the fixtures) by putting the finishing touches on a new EP. With last year’s album “Blacklist the Kid With the Red Moustache” just making it into many local music collections, TCHP will have the five-song “Working Part Time” EP ready for the residency. The title track ought to be the anthem for every indie rocker who juggles a day job with being in a band. And, front man Joey Siara says, the band is writing and recording more new material. – LA Times Buzz Bands

with:
What Made Milwaukee Famous || Listen
Rademacher || Listen
Army Navy

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 02.18.08: Monday Night Residency – THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE

The Henry Clay People || Listen

The spasmodic sagacity of the Henry Clay People can be a little like watching somebody karaoke the encyclopedia, and the L.A. quartet’s spate of shows in late 2007 seemed to augur their rise to bigger stages. The prolific foursome is getting ready for a February residency at the Echo (batten down the fixtures) by putting the finishing touches on a new EP. With last year’s album “Blacklist the Kid With the Red Moustache” just making it into many local music collections, TCHP will have the five-song “Working Part Time” EP ready for the residency. The title track ought to be the anthem for every indie rocker who juggles a day job with being in a band. And, front man Joey Siara says, the band is writing and recording more new material. – LA Times Buzz Bands

with:
The Happy Hollows || Listen
Kissing Tigers || Listen
Death to Anders || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 02.11.08: Monday Night Residency – THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE

The Henry Clay People || Listen

The spasmodic sagacity of the Henry Clay People can be a little like watching somebody karaoke the encyclopedia, and the L.A. quartet’s spate of shows in late 2007 seemed to augur their rise to bigger stages. The prolific foursome is getting ready for a February residency at the Echo (batten down the fixtures) by putting the finishing touches on a new EP. With last year’s album “Blacklist the Kid With the Red Moustache” just making it into many local music collections, TCHP will have the five-song “Working Part Time” EP ready for the residency. The title track ought to be the anthem for every indie rocker who juggles a day job with being in a band. And, front man Joey Siara says, the band is writing and recording more new material. – LA Times Buzz Bands

with:
Barcelona || Listen
The Monolators || Listen
Service Group || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 02.04.08: Monday Night Residency w/ THE HENRY CLAY PEOPLE

The Henry Clay People || Listen

The spasmodic sagacity of the Henry Clay People can be a little like watching somebody karaoke the encyclopedia, and the L.A. quartet’s spate of shows in late 2007 seemed to augur their rise to bigger stages. The prolific foursome is getting ready for a February residency at the Echo (batten down the fixtures) by putting the finishing touches on a new EP. With last year’s album “Blacklist the Kid With the Red Moustache” just making it into many local music collections, TCHP will have the five-song “Working Part Time” EP ready for the residency. The title track ought to be the anthem for every indie rocker who juggles a day job with being in a band. And, front man Joey Siara says, the band is writing and recording more new material. – LA Times Buzz Bands

with:
Le Switch || Listen
Coco B’s || Listen
The Natural Disasters

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 01.31.08: KROQ Locals Only present – HELL YA NIGHT w/ SHWAYZE

with:
Shwayze
Hazelden
Pittsburgh Slim || Listen
Lisa D’Amato

Plus Hell Ya! DJs spinning all night!

8:30pm / $5 / 18+

Saturday 01.26.08: Offsprung & Echo present – A Saturday Morning Kids Show w/ THE HOLLOW TREES & TRIPLE CHICKEN FOOT @ Echoplex

The Hollow Trees || Listen

Lead Hollow Trees Gregory Hollow Tree (aka McIlvaine) and Laura Hollow Tree (aka Steenberge) are unashamed fans of old-time folk music and play it with gusto and joy. This is no retro affectation here, this is real, vibrant music for families. The album leads off with a tremendous 1-2 punch, the zippy traditional “Ain’t Gonna Rain,” with the band trading the verses in rhyme followed by the shuffling “Hootenanny,” a McIlvaine original that’s an ode to getting together and singing songs — “We’ll sing a slow song that is sweet and sentimental / A boogie-woogie song about a Lincoln Continental / We’re gonna have a hootenanny tonight.” The two songs set the mood for the rest of the 38-minute set so well, casting a good-natured glow on the rest of the songs. From there the album moves into old kids’ music (“Animal Alphabet Song,” written and recorded by Alan Mills for Smithsonian Folkways 35 years ago), silliness (“To Morrow,” taking the “silly song” slot that has been worn out by “I’m My Own Grandpa”), and blues (the snappy “Skoodle Um Skoo”). – Zooglobble

with:
Triple Chicken Foot || Listen

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

11am / $10, $36 for a family of 4 / all ages

Thursday 01.31.08: KCRW presents DENGUE FEVER @ Echoplex

Dengue Fever

Venus on Earth is like being transported through a steamy, humid time warp where Haight-Ashbury was a swinging suburb of Phnom Penh in the ‘60s as oscillating Farsifa and fuzztone guitar languidly drift under and around Nimol’s beautifully hypnotic vocals. When she sings in Khmer (although her sexy-accented English is becoming more common) the emotional phrasing in her voice misleads you into thinking, on songs like the wistfully melancholic “Monsoon of Perfume”, that somehow a Babel fish has slipped into your ear and made Khmer your second language (well, almost). With the opening number “Seeing Hands” and the excellent “Tiger Phone Card”, a romantic long distance duet between Holtzman and Nimol, following closely on from the exuberant psych-surf ‘n’ roll of previous outings (“Sni Bong” taken from Dragon House readily comes to mind), there’s plenty of opportunity to ride the wave of spicy danceability. However, the group are at their best when they spread their improvised wings to morph into lounge lizards. – Popmatters

and:
Fool’s Gold
Holloys

Plus:
DJ Eddie Rusche

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $13 adv, $14 dos / 18+

Thursday 02.28.08: JACKSON BROWNE AND RAUL & ULISES OF OZOMATLI INTRODUCE SON DE LA FRONTERA @ ECHOPLEX

Son De Le Frontera || Listen

Spain’s Son de la Frontera challenges the pre-conceived notions of Flamenco, breaching its formal barriers yet remaining rooted in its traditions. L.A. singer songwriter Jackson Browne says “These guys are the Flamenco equivalent of a rock ‘n’ roll band,” and has chosen to wear his rarely worn impresario’s hat in welcoming Son de la Frontera to Los Angeles.

The group was founded by Raúl Rodríguez, who was deeply inspired by the legacy of Diego Amaya Flores del Gastor (1908-1973.) He began visiting the Maestro’s hometown of Morón de la Frontera in 1995 and soon found himself jamming with two of Diego’s descendants, Paco de Amparo (flamenco guitar) and Pepe Torres (baile & compás/ dance & rhythm) both of whom later joined Son de la Frontera, along with Moi de Morón (cante & compás/vocals & rhythm) and Manuel Flores (compás/rhythm.) Raúl discovered the dulcet tones of the tres Cubana after his mother, the renowned singer Martirio, accepted an invitation to perform in Havana with Buena Vista’s Compay Segundo and brought one home with her. Raúl eventually realized that flamenco falsetas (scales and arpeggios roughly analogous to jazz riffs) could be freely adapted to the instrument’s three sets of double strings. Thus, the final frontier was breached and Son de la Frontera achieved its musical destiny.

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Presented by Rum & Humble with NGLive!

8pm / $25 standing, $35 seated / all ages

Friday 03.07.08: LESLIE & THE LYS / DEVON WILLIAMS / DJ LANCE ROCK @ Echoplex

Leslie & The Lys || Listen

It’s hard to know what to make of Leslie Hall as she gyrates in her trademark skin-tight, gold jumpsuit, sporting a bouffant coiffure and a deadpan expression.

The 26-year-old Iowan has created her own niche online as a ferocious rapper, talented producer and dedicated sweater curator. Her Napoleon Dynamite-esque, rhinestone-bedazzled online empire has attracted a loyal cult following.

Whatever your take on Hall’s signature style, there’s no denying she takes her calling seriously. She’s not grinding away at a meaningless day job. Instead, she devotes all her time to her craft, and traces of that dedication are tangible in her albums and videos, from the painstakingly laid tracks, laden with danceable beats, to her cleverly constructed lyrics and choreographed moves. – Wired

with:
Devon Williams
DJ Lance Rock

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

7pm / $12 adv, $14 dos / All Ages

Wednesday 02.27.08: DUB CLUB with RANKING TREVOR @ Echoplex

plus Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $10 / 21+

Wednesday 02.20.08: DUB CLUB @ Echoplex

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 02.13.08: DUB CLUB @ Echoplex

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 02.06.08: DUB CLUB @ Echoplex

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $5 / 21+

Saturday 02.02.08: BOOTIE LA

BOOTIE LA
LA’s monthly mashup bootleg party is back at The Echo!

with:
Guest DJ set from “Mashup Monsters” Howie Pyro and Jells Mayhem, aka:
The Illuminiods

plus resident mashup DJs:
DJ Paul V. – From Indie 103.1’s “The Smash Mix”
Adrian & the Mysterious D – From San Francisco, Bootie creators

Midnight mashup show with Heather Vescent & Friends

Launched in San Francisco in 2003, Bootie was the first club night in the United States dedicated solely to the burgeoning artform of the bootleg mashup. Mixing and matching every conceivable musical genre, era, and style into one big dance party where everyone feels welcome, Bootie provides the soundtrack for the A.D.D. generation – with free mashup CDs given away like candy!

Resident DJs Adrian, the Mysterious D, and Paul V. keep your brain guessing and your feet dancing with creative song combinations, while guest mashup DJs are featured each month, as well as the infamous midnight mashup show. Bootie… because one song at a time just isn’t enough.

FREE Bootie CDs to the first 50 people through the door!

FMI: www.BootieLA.com

9pm / $5 before 10:30pm, $10 after / 21+

Monday 02.25.08: KCRW presents RICKIE LEE JONES @ Echoplex

Rickie Lee Jones || Listen

With Peter Atanasoff slashing guitar behind her like a vintage Lenny Kaye, Jones often sounds as fervid as Patti Smith. When exuding low-key menace, she could be a distaff Jim White. “Nobody Knows My Name” is a wholly improvised rant that, along with “It Hurts”, suggests her faith is often a struggle. With its scratchy guitar coda, “Where I Like It Best” alludes to the Lord’s Prayer, whilst “Elvis Cadillac” imagines Presley coasting the heavens while Janis Joplin works the corner bar. The extra bursts of accompaniment are sharp – heraldic-sounding trumpets, the odd cannon-fire drumshot. But for all its weird dissonance, Sermon…’s musical crudeness gives it a powerful immediacy. Strangely accessible and highly addictive, it’s her best work in three decades. – Uncut

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $25 seated & $20 standing room only, $27 and $22 dos / all ages

Monday 02.18.08: KCRW presents RICKIE LEE JONES @ Echoplex

Rickie Lee Jones || Listen

With Peter Atanasoff slashing guitar behind her like a vintage Lenny Kaye, Jones often sounds as fervid as Patti Smith. When exuding low-key menace, she could be a distaff Jim White. “Nobody Knows My Name” is a wholly improvised rant that, along with “It Hurts”, suggests her faith is often a struggle. With its scratchy guitar coda, “Where I Like It Best” alludes to the Lord’s Prayer, whilst “Elvis Cadillac” imagines Presley coasting the heavens while Janis Joplin works the corner bar. The extra bursts of accompaniment are sharp – heraldic-sounding trumpets, the odd cannon-fire drumshot. But for all its weird dissonance, Sermon…’s musical crudeness gives it a powerful immediacy. Strangely accessible and highly addictive, it’s her best work in three decades. – Uncut

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $25 seated, $20 standing room only / all ages

Monday 02.11.08: KCRW presents RICKIE LEE JONES @ Echoplex

Rickie Lee Jones || Listen

With Peter Atanasoff slashing guitar behind her like a vintage Lenny Kaye, Jones often sounds as fervid as Patti Smith. When exuding low-key menace, she could be a distaff Jim White. “Nobody Knows My Name” is a wholly improvised rant that, along with “It Hurts”, suggests her faith is often a struggle. With its scratchy guitar coda, “Where I Like It Best” alludes to the Lord’s Prayer, whilst “Elvis Cadillac” imagines Presley coasting the heavens while Janis Joplin works the corner bar. The extra bursts of accompaniment are sharp – heraldic-sounding trumpets, the odd cannon-fire drumshot. But for all its weird dissonance, Sermon…’s musical crudeness gives it a powerful immediacy. Strangely accessible and highly addictive, it’s her best work in three decades. – Uncut

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $25 seated, $20 standing room only / all ages

Monday 02.04.08: KCRW presents RICKIE LEE JONES @ Echoplex

Rickie Lee Jones || Listen

With Peter Atanasoff slashing guitar behind her like a vintage Lenny Kaye, Jones often sounds as fervid as Patti Smith. When exuding low-key menace, she could be a distaff Jim White. “Nobody Knows My Name” is a wholly improvised rant that, along with “It Hurts”, suggests her faith is often a struggle. With its scratchy guitar coda, “Where I Like It Best” alludes to the Lord’s Prayer, whilst “Elvis Cadillac” imagines Presley coasting the heavens while Janis Joplin works the corner bar. The extra bursts of accompaniment are sharp – heraldic-sounding trumpets, the odd cannon-fire drumshot. But for all its weird dissonance, Sermon…’s musical crudeness gives it a powerful immediacy. Strangely accessible and highly addictive, it’s her best work in three decades. – Uncut

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $25 seated, $20 standing room only / all ages

Tuesday 02.05.08: DEAD MEADOW CD Release Show @ Echoplex

Dead Meadow || Listen

For their fifth studio album (and third with Matador), Dead Meadow plan to release Old Growth on February 4th. For veteran fans of the trio, the album’s structure should come with little surprise. Like many of their past releases, there seems to be a nearly even mixture of woozily heavy psychedelic-rock and placidly atmospheric acoustical tracks. As they have proven in the past, it works to their advantage in providing an album that rarely becomes dull or tiring. In fact, apart from the exceptional Shivering King and Others, Old Growth has steadily become my favorite release from Dead Meadow. With chugging guitar-oriented tracks like “Between Me and the Ground” and “What Needs Must Be” transitioning impressively with psychedelically acoustical charmers like the exotic “Seven Seers”, it is difficult to resist such compassionate attempts at successful stylistic fusion. – Obscure Sound

with:
Midnight Movies || Listen
The Great Northwest

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $13 adv, $15 dos / 18+

Friday 02.22.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND w/ ROCKET & HER GRACE THE DUTCHESS

with:

Rocket

and:

Her Grace The Dutchess || Listen

Plus resident DJs spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

9pm / $5 if 21+, $7 under 21 / 18+

Friday 02.15.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND w/ GRAND OLE PARTY & LOVE GRENADES

with:

Grand Ole Party
In just two years, Grand Ole Party has already secured a place in history with its punchy guitar swagger and singer/drummer Kristin Gundred’s brazenly soulful pipes and ability to wreck a drum set. It’s earned the band opening slots for the likes of Rilo Kiley, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Vampire Weekend, music awards at home and the attention of notable peers – all before releasing an album. But this month, the San Diego three-piece will officially go on record with the national release of Humanimals, an incredibly confident debut that smacks of accomplishment and lasting appeal. The first release from DH Records, a new Venice Beach-based upstart founded by 3D Management owner Dave Holmes (who manages Coldplay, Interpol and Scissor Sisters), as well as the first production project from Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley lead guitarist and frontman of The Elected), the album sees Grand Ole Party connecting with respected individuals in the industry and making great strides. – Performer Mag

And:
Love Grenades

Plus resident DJs spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

9pm / $5 if 21+, $7 under 21 / 18+

Friday 01.08.08: Echo, Shadowscene & +1 present THE KOOKS

The Kooks || Listen

The Kooks arrived fully formed in 2006, for their debut sounds like the work of a band well into its career: the confidence with which the foursome from Brighton play and the abandon with which Luke Pritchard sings; the witty songcraft and deft arrangements; the drama and fervor they unleash from the very first notes and carry through to the end. They display maturity but also play with the fervor of kids and project a wide-eyed charm that is very endearing. On most of Inside In/Inside Out, the band sounds like a more energetic Thrills or a looser Sam Roberts Band, maybe even a less severe Arctic Monkeys at times. – Allmusic

Plus:
the morning benders || Listen

And Guest DJs:
Daisy O
Myles Hendrik

8:30pm / $15 / 18+

Friday 02.01.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND w/ BODIES OF WATER

with:
Bodies of Water || Listen
Castanets

Plus resident DJs spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

9pm / $8 / 18+

Tuesday 01.08.08: CLOSED

Tuesday 01.15.08: SHILOE

Shiloe || Listen

Shiloe started off the evening with a sound heavily influenced by the Pixies mixed with some Sonic Youth. Ken Ramos (Vocals/Guitar) had a vocal delivery that resembled Thurston Moore and was squeezing a sharp fuzz from his Gibson SG. Melissa Pleckham (Bass) had a Rickenbacker bass that was filling the room with low notes. Their latest release is “Please Remove Your Teeth From My Neck” which you can download from itunes. – Little Radio

with:
Nightfur
Repeater
Divisible

8:30pm / Free for 21+, $5 under / 18+

Wednesday 01.30.08: THE SECTION QUARTET

The Section Quartet || Listen

The section quartet consists of two violins, a viola, and a cello, but please don’t call it a string quartet. “We’re a rock band,” insists first violinist, arranger, and founder Eric Gorfain, allowing, however, that “we’re playing classical instruments and we’re classically trained, so we kind of straddle the line.” Cellist Richard Dodd is less willing to compromise. “We play electrified instruments, really hard and loud, like a band,” he says. “I try to play with very little vibrato, and I get a solid bite into the string all the time. It’s a very aggressive style that probably wouldn’t go over too well with many orchestras.” – Strings Magazine

with:
Leviathan Brothers || Listen
The Poor Excuses

8pm / $8 / 18+

Friday 01.25.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND w/ LEMON SUN

with:

Lemon Sun || Listen

And:
Astra Heights || Listen

Plus resident DJs spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

9pm / $5 if 21+, $7 under 21 / 18+

Wednesday 01.23.08: THE MOON UPSTAIRS

The Moon Upstairs || Listen

Los Angeles-based ensemble The Moon Upstairs represent the best that can come of reassembling diverse influences and crafting something new, yet recognizable. Listening to Guarding the Golden Apple can, for trainspotters, be an exercise in comparison, but those who don’t suffer from those impulses will find 10 impeccably-crafted tunes that fall loosely into a classic-pop-rock category, with up-to-date trimmings.

Band founders Sharif Dumani and Aaron Ebensperger apparently spent some time playing with Cody Chesnutt before starting this group, with Dumani as the principal songwriter and all-around multi-instrumentalist. Joined by Josh Mancell on drums and percussion and Mark Sogomian on guitar, the album also features a number of guests and a small string section. The resulting lineup pulls in everything from lap steel and celesta to melodica, bowed bass, vibraphone and harpsichord. – Dusted Magazine

with:
Suki Ewers
Greater California || Listen
Blackbird || Listen

8:30pm / $7 / 18+

Friday 01.18.08: Black Cat Entertainment presents – The King vs. The Killer w/ DEAN Z & LANCE LIPINSKY @ Echoplex

with:
Dean Z (as Elvis)
Lance Lipinsky (as Jerry Lee)

Plus:
Luis & The Wildfires
Chuy & The Bobcats
Capt. Jeffrey & The Chumbuckets

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $17adv, $20 dos / 18+

Saturday 02.23.08: BUILT TO SPILL @ Echoplex

Built To Spill || Listen

It had seemed as if the story of Built to Spill was already more or less written: Indie pop band forgoes simple, summery perfection of early work to craft epic, melodic guitar-rock. From 1996’s Perfect From Now On through 2001’s Ancient Melodies of the Future, Built to Spill records served as a reliable platform for Doug Martsch’s plaintive and layered songwriting, brought to life by a band whose talent and proficiency at times seemed boundless. You in Reverse marks the first steps of an unexpected third chapter in the group’s saga, casting off the usual meticulous guitar overdubs and studio polish in favor of a less refined, more spontaneous approach. – Pitchfork

with:
Meat Puppets || Listen

7pm / $22 adv, 24 dos / all ages

Friday 02.22.08: BUILT TO SPILL @ Echoplex

Built To Spill || Listen

It had seemed as if the story of Built to Spill was already more or less written: Indie pop band forgoes simple, summery perfection of early work to craft epic, melodic guitar-rock. From 1996’s Perfect From Now On through 2001’s Ancient Melodies of the Future, Built to Spill records served as a reliable platform for Doug Martsch’s plaintive and layered songwriting, brought to life by a band whose talent and proficiency at times seemed boundless. You in Reverse marks the first steps of an unexpected third chapter in the group’s saga, casting off the usual meticulous guitar overdubs and studio polish in favor of a less refined, more spontaneous approach. – Pitchfork

with:
Meat Puppets || Listen

7pm / $22 adv, 24 dos / all ages

Sunday 03.02.08: PART TIME PUNKS w/ SPECTRUM

with:
Spectrum || Listen
Midnight Movies || Listen
Grimble Grumble

You should NOT have missed this the last time. But here’s that rare second chance life seldom offers. AND, this time it’s UPSTAIRS in the Echo where the space can drift, bounce and swirl and the walls can drip freely. .

Plus resident djs Michael Stock and Benny Shambles spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

9pm / $12 adv, $14 dos / 18+

Sunday 02.03.08: PART TIME PUNKS w/ NU-TRA

with:
Nu-tra || Listen
And Special Guests

Attention devotees. Pack yr space-junk and join us for a nite of jittery quirk , stop and shock. And tell yer friends: Jocks, homos and mongoloids, all welcome.

Plus resident djs Michael Stock and Benny Shambles spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 21+

Saturday 01.19.08: HANG THE DJS

with:
Totally Radd! || Listen
Pink Enemy || Listen

plus DJs:
Comrade Stefan!
Michael Stock (Part Time Punks / Punky Reggae)
Keith Wilson (Le Disko, Club Moscow)
Cory (Pink Enemy)

spinning the best in: indie, international pop, britpop, electro, disco, post-punk, new wave, no wave, hiphop and more..

FMI:
Hang The DJs on Myspace

10pm / $7 / 18+

Friday 01.18.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND w/ WAR TAPES

with:
War Tapes

Plus resident & guest DJs spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

9pm / $5 if 21+, $7 under 21 / 18+

Thursday 01.17.08: YOUNG HEART ATTACK

Young Heart Attack || Listen

Young Heart Attack is hard at work on their 2nd full-length Rock And Awe (due in March) and is bound for the U.K. following the release. The band knows only one way to rock — full throttle. Chris Hodge sings and screams like a man possessed, combining astutely with Frenchie’s electric six-string wizardry and the lovely Jennifer Stephens’ vocal prowess to generate one fist-pumping anthem after another. – Austinist

with:
Thee Gentleman Callers
Ride On Rides

8:30pm / $5 / 9pm

Wednesday 01.16.08: DUSTY RHODES & THE RIVER BAND

Dusty Rhodes & The River Band || Listen

Like Christopher Columbus, Rhodes (the nom du rock of frontman/keyboardist/accordionist Dustin Apodaca) and his SoCal outfit aren’t merely all over the map, they’re exploring the edges of the known musical world. Utilizing a swaggering campfire sing-along ethic, they channel the indie folk spirit of Camper Van Beethoven, the boozy Celtic swing of the Pogues, the proggy pop bombast of Procol Harum and the punkish abandon of the Replacements, all while choreographing ’60s AM pop and inking in flannel sleeve tattoos of traditional country, British folk and bluegrass. Dusty Rhodes and the River Band thrum with schizophrenic charm, and First You Live is their wildly threaded and viscerally satisfying mix tape. – Harp Magazine

with:
Restaurant
The Valley Arena || Listen

8:30pm / $8 / 18+

Saturday 01.19.08: Check Yo’ Ponytail w/ THE COOL KIDS @ Echoplex

with:
The Cool Kids
Hollywood Holt || Listen
Mic Terror
87 Stick Up Kids
Million Dollar Mano

Plus resident DJs:
Franki Chan
Paparazzi

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

9pm / $15adv / 18+

Saturday 01.12.08: DESCARGA 5th Anniversary Party w/ B SIDE PLAYERS @ Echoplex

B-Side Players || Listen
The B-Side Players make music without borders or boundaries. The band most recently released their seventh album, Fire In The Youth, (their first major record deal on Concord Records’ legendary imprint “Concord Picante”), incorporating the sounds of Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico and Brazil with a seamless blend of funk, rock, jazz and hip-hop rhythms. The band has been laying down their own inimitable global funk since they came together in 1994 and their albums have showcased a band with a restless musical intelligence, effortlessly blending genres to fashion their own forward-thinking, Latin flavored, future-funk. Fire In The Youth was produced by the band, with Musical Direction from Quetzal Flores, Bandleader of the Los Angeles roots-rock group, Quetzal.

Mentiritas
Mentiritas is a funky, Latin infused project that features members of Ozomatli, Beastie Boys, CAVA and Yeska. We’re taking you back with this one ya’ll…get ready!

Plus Resident DJs

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

¡Descarga! is a monthly Afro-Latin music gathering for the people. This event is an alternative to the commercial salsa nights that have dominated the LA scene for years. Resident DJs Sloe Poke, Mando, Bobby Soul, Loslito, Azul and Mexican Dubwiser spin classic salsa and cumbia; plus merengue, punta and reggaeton. With live bands gracing the stage at midnight at nearly every show, it has become the taste-making New York to L.A. soiree, running over 5 years strong.

FMI:
www.descargaclub.com
Descarga on Myspace

9pm / $10 / 21+

Saturday 01.12.08: CHECK YO PONYTAIL w/ MEN

with:
Men (JD & Johanna of Le Tigre)
Anamanaguchi
Moonrats
Abe Vigoda

plus DJs:
Franki Chan
Paparazzi

9pm / $10 / 18+

Friday 01.11.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND

with:
The Gray Kid (with full band) || Listen
Happy Hollows || Listen

Plus resident DJs

Spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

8:30pm / $8 til 11:30pm, $5 if 21+, $7 under 21 after / 18+

Sunday 01.20.08: PART TIME PUNKS w/ JAIL WEDDINGS

with:
Jail Weddings
Man/Mission

Shoplifters and voidoids, tune in and turn on.
For fans of Richard Hell, Radio Birdman, The Saints and The Ponys.
For fans of The Walkmen, we say: fuck off.

Plus resident djs Michael Stock and Benny Shambles spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 21+

Sunday 01.13.08: PART TIME PUNKS w/ SPINDRIFT

with:
Spindrift || Listen
LSD & The Search for God
The Vandelles

Drop acid much? The rumour mill grists and grinds out facts daily like acid’s on the upswing, enjoying a rebirth, ripping the pants off repression and all that.
Well, even if you trainspotters just fancy a spot of shoegazing or rural psychedelia, we say: come out come out wherever you are!!!!
In short, soundtracks for monster movies and mushroom heads.

Plus resident djs Michael Stock and Benny Shambles spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 21+

Sunday 01.06.08: PART TIME PUNKS w/ TEMPORARY WAR & PEACE

with:
Temporary War & Peace – ex-SHARP EASE & LONGSTOCKING & FUCKIN’ A
Underground Railroad to Candyland – members of FYP+DIOS MALOS

Paloma and co. from The Sharp Ease brings her jittery agitpop and appropriately teenage riot back to Part Time Punks, with her new band. The racket starts here. PLUS riot grrls from FYP + Dios Malos unite to subvert and distort, churn and whirl.

Plus resident djs Michael Stock and Benny Shambles spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 21+

Friday 01.04.08: First Fridays w/ SEA WOLF @ Natural History Museum

First Fridays – Dinner, Discussion, Music & More

with:
Sea Wolf || Listen
Afternoons

@ Natural History Museum
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007

FMI: http://www.nhm.org/firstfridays/

5:30pm – Tour
6:30pm – Discussion
8:00pm – Music

5pm / Adult $9, students (w. ID) $6.50, Members FREE / All Ages

Tuesday 01.01.08: CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY

Wednesday 01.30.08: DUB CLUB @ Echoplex

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 01.23.08: DUB CLUB w/ Original Rockers CHINNA SMITH & KIDDUS I@ Echoplex

with:
Chinna Smith
Kiddus I

Plus Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $15 / 21+

Wednesday 01.16.08: DUB CLUB @ Echoplex

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 01.09.08: DUB CLUB @ Echoplex

with:
David Hillyard
Jah Faith

Plus Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / $10 / 21+

Wednesday 01.02.08: DUB CLUB w/ Ranking Joe @ Echoplex

with:

Ranking Joe
Joseph Jackson in Kingston on 1st June 1959, Joe got his start on record with the founding father of Jamaican music, producer Coxsone Dodd (Studio 1), cutting “Gun Court” in 1975 as Little Joe. He then recorded for a variety of producers including Bunny Lee, Watty Burnett and former African Brother Derrick Howard. By 1976 he was deejaying on the legendary sound system of Daddy U-Roy, Stur-Gav Hi-Fi, and recording for producer Prince Tony Robinson. His first album for that producer was released in 1977 and included hits like “John Saw Them Coming” and “Queen Majesty Chapter 3″. He continued to deejay with U-Roy’s set, building up a formidable reputation as a live deejay. He began recording hits for Sonia Pottinger (“Shine Eye Gal” 1978) and was the first deejay to record for Sly & Robbie’s Taxi label when he versioned Gregory Isaacs’ hit “Soon Forward” (“Stop Your Coming & Come” in 1978).

He recorded for Joe Gibbs (“Leave Fi Mi Girl Arleen”), and Dennis Brown (the excellent “Around The World” album) and moved to another sound system, the newly-reconstructed Ray Symbolic Hi-Fi with Jah Screw as selector. The combination proved unbeatable in the dance and the sound was Champion of 1980. The same year the set became the first to tour outside Jamaica, completing a sell-out tour of the UK.

Joe became one of the most influential pupils of the great U-Roy, introducing the so-called ‘fast style’ to rapturous dancehall audiences.

Come check out a master on the microphone!

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

Spinning the best in classic reggae, dub and dancehall

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
(Main Entrance is through Alley)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI:
Dub Club on MySpace

9pm / free before 10, $5 after / 21+

Friday 01.04.08: CLUB UNDERGROUND w/ SKY PARADE

with:
Sky Parade || Listen

plus Underground DJs

Spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

9pm / $5 if 21+, $7 under 21 / 18+

Monday 01.28.08: Monday Night Residency – RADAR BROS.

Radar Bros. || Listen

The DJ correctly calls the Radar Bros.’ style a throwback to early 1970s Pink Floyd – a “dreamy, folk sound.” Lake Life (not Pomona as NPR labeled the track) doesn’t stray far from that brand. Like most everything the Radar Bros. have done, Lake Life coasts gently on a hypnotizing guitar line and a swing-like slow-motion drum rhythm, following my belief that the best way to describe the band’s deliberate pacing is to imagine the tempo running underwater. – So Much Silence

with:
Brian Aubert
Everest || Listen
Adeline

8:30pm / FREE for 21+, $5 for under 21 / 18+

Monday 01.21.08: Monday Night Residency – RADAR BROS.

Radar Bros. || Listen

The DJ correctly calls the Radar Bros.’ style a throwback to early 1970s Pink Floyd – a “dreamy, folk sound.” Lake Life (not Pomona as NPR labeled the track) doesn’t stray far from that brand. Like most everything the Radar Bros. have done, Lake Life coasts gently on a hypnotizing guitar line and a swing-like slow-motion drum rhythm, following my belief that the best way to describe the band’s deliberate pacing is to imagine the tempo running underwater. – So Much Silence

with:
Holloys
Karin Tatoyan || Listen
Tigers Can Bite You || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.14.08: Monday Night Residency – RADAR BROS.

Radar Bros. || Listen

The DJ correctly calls the Radar Bros.’ style a throwback to early 1970s Pink Floyd – a “dreamy, folk sound.” Lake Life (not Pomona as NPR labeled the track) doesn’t stray far from that brand. Like most everything the Radar Bros. have done, Lake Life coasts gently on a hypnotizing guitar line and a swing-like slow-motion drum rhythm, following my belief that the best way to describe the band’s deliberate pacing is to imagine the tempo running underwater. – So Much Silence

with:
Tables & Chairs
Correatown || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 01.07.08: Monday Night Residency – RADAR BROS.

Radar Bros. || Listen

The DJ correctly calls the Radar Bros.’ style a throwback to early 1970s Pink Floyd – a “dreamy, folk sound.” Lake Life (not Pomona as NPR labeled the track) doesn’t stray far from that brand. Like most everything the Radar Bros. have done, Lake Life coasts gently on a hypnotizing guitar line and a swing-like slow-motion drum rhythm, following my belief that the best way to describe the band’s deliberate pacing is to imagine the tempo running underwater. – So Much Silence

with:
Le Switch || Listen
Twilight Sleep || Listen
Wrong Way Driver

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 01.26.08: MGMT with YEASAYER @ Echoplex

MGMT || Watch

MGMT – commonly known as the Management — is Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, two self-described art provocateurs who met as undergraduates at Wesleyan University in 2002. … With enough groove to please the play-something-we-can-dance-to crowd and enough sardonic wit to satisfy even the hippest hipsters, MGMT immediately gained a hardcore cult following after the release of Time to Pretend. “Let’s make some music / Makes some money / Find some models for wives,” they sing on the EP’s title track, a dark take on the rock’n'roll fantasy life of excess and disillusionment. The infectious “Kids,” consisting purely of synth and drum machine, just might be destined to become one of the most ironic party anthems ever, sporting a chorus of “Control yourself” that begs to be sung along to with total reckless abandon. On their forthcoming debut LP, Oracular Spectacular, MGMT take things in a more psychedelic-pop, guitar-driven direction. The result? An even better cut of “Time to Pretend,” plus great new tracks like “Weekend Wars.” — Spin.com

Yeasayer || Listen

Naysayers accuse indie rock of being cautious and precious, but something remarkably contrary yet idiomatic still emerges now and then. Such as Yeasayer, whose peculiar, positivity-powered debut creates order from a mess of chants, tambourines, freak folk, and spacey atmospherics. One minute it’s a worry-free TV on the Radio (“2080″); the next, a Crazy Horse guitar roar; and later, a touching campfire chorus praying, “In my short life, I have met so many people I deeply care for.” Near nonsense rarely feels this rich and unambiguous. – spin.com

plus:

Port O’Brien || Listen

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blavd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

7:30pm / $8 adv, $10 dos / all ages

Thursday 01.24.08: HEY WILLPOWER (CANCELLED)

Hey Willpower || Listen

Justin Timberlake may have initially brought sexy back, but then he had to go and get all preoccupied with his so-called “love.” Luckily, Hey Willpower — the electronic dirty duo featuring Will Schwartz of Imperial Teen and Tomo Yasuda of Tussle — pick up the sleazy slack. Here on “Uh-Uh-Uh,” the beat rolls over a simple snare count and innocent-enough synthesized chimes, but at the first entrance of Schwartz’s evocative voice the song’s G-rating goes out the window. Chock full of double entendres and crass come-ons, all executed over a dance track in a J.T.-esque sex voice, “Uh-Uh-Uh” leaves little to the imagination, exuding confidence in its sexual sound effects. – Spin.com

with:
Rafter Roberts || Listen

CANCELLED

Thursday 01.10.07: SPACELAND ON ICE w/ THE CHAPIN SISTERS @ Pershing Square

Spaceland Productions Presents:

The Chapin Sisters || Listen

@ Pershing Square
532 South Olive St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

FMI: Downtown On Ice

8pm / FREE / all ages

Thursday 01.03.08: SPACELAND ON ICE – cancelled due to rain

CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN

Thursday 01.03.08: Real Rocknroll Productions presents – VERSA VICE

with:
Versa Vice
Light FM
On the Surface
Lightnin’ Woodcock Trio
The Sea of Cortez || Listen
Ashley Winters
Jeffery Davies

9pm / FREE for 21+, $5 for 18+ / 18+

Sunday 01.27.08: Echo & Part Time Punks present – WHITE WILLIAMS / MAGIC BULLETS

White Williams

Mostly, though, Williams is a groove-obssesser working through his influences, and doing it with enough restraint and creativity to work them into his songs, leaving the showiness to his cover models. Smoke’s signposts form a coherent musical worldview: “In the Club” is T. Rex’s “The Motivator” at 16 rpm, “Going Down” and “Route to Palm” work in the 1970s West African guitar colorations that Dirty Projectors, Vampire Weekend, and Islands have been exploring lately, “New Violence” hurtles forward with a motorik bassline, and opener “Headlines” plays like a bubblegum version of Brian Eno’s “Baby’s on Fire”. – Pitchfork

with:
Magic Bullets || Listen
The Blakes

Plus resident djs Michael Stock and Benny Shambles spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Tuesday 01.22.07: THE TEENAGERS

The Teenagers || Listen

Seeing the world through teen-tinted glasses The Teenagers (lead singer Quentin Delafon, guitarist / synth man Dorian Dumont and bassist Michael Szpiner) remind us what it’s like to be young. The lyrically ingenious Quentin interweaves snapshots of Johansson’s films as well as teen magazine style “factoids” over beautifully crunchy guitar and soaring synths. This track is like reading the secret teenage diary of ELO with Kim Wilde for company. – Insound

with:
Funeral Party
Mezzanine Owls || Listen
DJ Paul V.

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Sunday 01.20.07: KXLU presents OM @ Echoplex

OM || Listen

While rhythm sections tend to play as if periods were the only punctuation mark, Om break space with commas, semicolons, and side clauses– their storytelling prowess and dramatic timing rival a glacier’s or a narcoleptic’s. But again, that’s not the point. Om is a pointless band, and that’s high praise. If Pilgrimage holds a discernable achievement, it’s that it forges a sense of intricacy– and a balance between the crushing and the meditative– that Om struggled with on Variations on a Theme and 2006’s Conference of the Birds. Most of “Bhima’s Theme” is bread and butter for head-nodders, but “Pilgrimage” (which opens and closes the record), is shiftier and less stable, accentuated by a bassline that seems to tack extra bars to a phrase if it feels good, not for the sake of metrics. It’s not metal and it’s not even drone; it’s like a heavy folk dance. – Pitchfork

with:
Lichens

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Tickets also available at Finger Prints Records in Long Beach

7pm / $12 adv, $14 dos / all ages

Thursday 01.10.07: SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE

Six Organs of Admittance

Watching Six Organs play live over the summer, it felt like one was intruding on a private musical conversation between Ben Chasny and his touring partner, Magik Markers mainstay Elisa Ambrogio. A tango-like dance was being played out on the stage with Chasny taking the role of a guitar-strumming matador whilst Ambrogio attacked her guitar in a bull in a china shop fashion. It was fun to watch in a perverse way. However, from this musical relationship Chasny has forged perhaps his most accessible and straight ahead track, ‘Strangled Road’, a duet with Ambrogio. A beautifully dark song, it evokes long lazy days in dusty Andalucian bars and is book-ended with a soaring J Mascis-like solo. Psychedelic Spaghetti Western folk, anyone? But yet again Shelter From the Ash pushes all the right buttons and is every bit the righteous successor to Chasny’s previous long-player and its precursor School Of The Flower; it moves from full-on and wigged-out psych overloads to mellow folk pickings in the blink of an eye. – Drowned in Sound

with:
Horsetheives
Harrasor

8:30pm / $10 / all ages

Saturday 01.05.08: The Return of BOOTIE LA

BOOTIE LA
LA’s monthly mashup party returns to The Echo!

with:
DJ Paul V. – From Indie 103.1’s “The Smash Mix”
Adrian & the Mysterious D – From San Francisco, Bootie creators

Midnight mashup show with Foxy Cotton

FREE giveaways of the annual year-end ‘Best of Bootie 2007′ mix CD, featuring 20 of the best mashups from the past year!

FREE Bootie CDs to the first 50 people through the door!

FMI: www.BootieLA.com

9pm / $5 before 10:30pm, $10 after / 21+