Thursday 01.15.09: RESPECT with DEACON / OSCAR DA GROUCH / CLUTCH + SENSE / MC KEMST @ echo

with:
Deacon
Oscar Da Grouch
Clutch + Sense
MC Kemst

FMI: Respect on Myspace

10pm / $10 / 21+

Friday 01.16.09: Community Media Benefit with OZOMATLI / WAIT.THINK.FAST / THE LITTLE BASTARDS @ echoplex

Ozomatli || Listen

If you’re a giddy optimist like me, you hope to one day hear Ozomatli’s cheerfully rebellious politi-pop wafting from every car radio in New York City. Don’t Mess With the Dragon is a celebration of their native L.A. in all its multicultural vibrancy and socioeconomic volatility. Singing in both English and Spanish, toying with Tower of Power horn fills during “City of Angels,” paying homage to the polymorphous funk of New Orleans during “Magnolia Soul,” and lobbing tight rhymes amid their jam-band virtuosity throughout, Ozo’s 10-man crew salute the aural mosaic of ethnic signifiers that makes our country great.
You could always dance to Ozo’s beats, but this time they supply more hip-churning swing than alt-rock stomp. How many contemporary combos could shift so effortlessly from the laconic “Stoned Soul Picnic” tempo of “After Party” to the mariachi- and cumbia-inflected rhythms of “La Gallina”? C’mon, DJs: Slip a little Ozo in between Fergie, Furtado, and Shakira – Village Voice

with:
Wait.Think.Fast.
The Little Bastards

A benefit for “Jornaleras Presente” a media research project representing women day laborers within the National Day Laborer Organizing Network & “Centro de Comunicación Comunitaria” an independent media center in El Serreno (a project of Producciones Cimarrón).

8pm / $15 or $12 with non-perishable food donation / 18+

Friday 01.16.09: CLUB UNDERGROUND with VICTIM VISION / RED CORTEZ @ echo

Victim Vision

Hard hitting rock and atmospheric reverb provide the foundation for comic tales of psychological terror, heroic morality and cosmic sexual fantasy. Victim Vision live shows feature a special blend of psychadelic lights and plenty of fog.

with:
Red Cortez (formerly The Weather Underground)

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+

Saturday 01.17.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 01.17.09: HANG THE DJS with MIKA MIKO / LITTLE RED RADIO @ echoplex

with:
Mika Miko
Little Red Radio

plus:
June D (NYC)
Dirty Dave (Awesometown)
The Mae Shi (DJ set)
Benny & Michael (Part Time Punks)
Maurice De La Falaise (Transistor / Automatico)

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

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

FMI:
Hang The DJs on Myspace

10pm / $7 / 18+

Sunday 01.18.09: PART TIME PUNKS – Factory Records Tribute Nite @ echo

This Sunday is PART TIME PUNKS first-ever “Factory Records Nite” — our tribute to the greatest of all Post-Punk labels out of Manchester, England. Responsible for the discovery & release of JOY DIVISION, NEW ORDER, A CERTAIN RATIO, ESG, SECTION 25, CRISPY AMBULANCE, CRAWLING CHAOS, THE DURUTTI COLUMN… (and eventually, JAMES, HAPPY MONDAYS, THE WAKE & QUANDO QUANGO). What that means: a four-hour Freaky Dance party of all Factory Records–from the post-punk era to Madchester. (and NO live bands.)

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 01.19.09: Monday Night Residency – ROBERT FRANCIS / AMATEURS / LEX LAND / AVI BUFFALO @ echo

Robert Francis || Watch

It would be an understatement to say that Francis’ musicianship belies his young age, as some of One’s best songs already harbor the rustic, world-weary quality that many artists spend their careers cultivating. Whether or not Francis has actually experienced the pastoral blues that color his lyrics is beyond the point; his dusty baritone and heartland imagery make the potential fib worthwhile. From the right-handed piano twinkles of opener “Mama Don’t Come” to the gorgeously hypnotic, looping closer, there’s an airy sense of space to these ten songs. Even the album’s most ornate material — the seven-minute title track, perhaps, with its climax of co-ed vocals and sweeping violin — is allotted enough room to breathe. When the orchestration becomes lush, Francis usually swoops in with a musical reprieve, be it a momentary break in a riff’s rhythm or a touch of reverb to widen the sound. Even more interesting is his love for subtle, esoteric flourishes: a dog barking in the middle of “The Devil’s Mountains,” right before the bluesy pedal steel gives way to mariachi horns; delayed violin in verse two of “Little Girl”; the church-like harmonies in “Dakota.” It’s impressive proof that Francis’ self-appointment as producer isn’t the result of some youthful ego trip, but rather the most logical choice for a penny-pinched teenager — or, for that matter, anyone whose music mirrors these rustic folk-pop strains. – All Music

with:
Lex Land || Listen
Amateurs || Listen
Avi Buffalo

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 01.20.09: IM Radio presents INAUGURATION PARTY @ echo

7pm / FREE / 18+

Tuesday 01.20.09: Indie 103.1 & Echo present CHECK ONE TWOSDAYS with CASTLEDOOR / EARL GREYHOUND / HE’S MY BROTHER, SHE’S MY SISTER @ echoplex

Castledoor || Listen || Watch

From the swinging, rubberband rhythms of “Dumpster Diving”’s melodic surge to the swaying “We Will” to the slow motion, twinkling sweetness of “Nightlight”’s autumnal, leaf-drift grace, Castledoor’s ‘Til We Sink EP is nearly as frustrating as it is gorgeous—so addictive are the record’s three soul-swept and buoyant tracks that, as “Nightlight”’s final vinyl groovespun harmonies fade into the ether, you can’t help but demand an additional seven songs of smoldering rock ‘n blues. Which isn’t bad for marketing—between this and 2006’s Follow the Dove EP, expectations and demand for a full-length probably can’t get any higher. The fact that this EP is a sliver of an LP-length recording session of music yet to be released (the band: “[We] guess the record labels are having a hard time these days, or something…”) mingles a bit of nervousness and disquiet to that sense of excited expectation. Lucky us then, that if only for it’s brief running time, ‘Til We Sink generates such a lovely sense of ease and enjoyment in the listener as to render any reservations muted and the expectations at full-blast. – Web In Front

with:
Earl Greyhound || Listen
He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister

8:30pm / Free until 10:30pm, $ 5 after / 18+

Wednesday 01.21.09: CURUMIN with Special Guest MONEY MARK @ echo

Curumin

Named after a Brazilian word for “indigenous children,” hailing from Spanish and Japanese ancestry, and rhyming and scheming in Portuguese, Luciano Nakata Albuquerque has dazzled since his 2005 hybrid-funk debut “Achados e Perdidos” dropped with the help of Blackalicious’ Chief Xcel. That DJ evidently liked what he heard, and bankrolled this sophomore effort, which is easily one of hip-hop’s finest releases of 2008. That is, if you consider a mash of samba, funk, soul, rap, jazz and bossa nova to be hip-hop. “Japan Pop Show” displays skill on every level. The dance-floor grind of “Magrela Fever” might be the best club banger of the year. The title track is a psychedelic recombination of David Axelrod and Os Mutantes’ funky genes, and the subtle spacetracking of “Mistério Stereo” is as accessible for indie heads as it is for soul old-schoolers. Curumin’s classical training on percussion and keyboards has paid off heavily, especially on the instrumental groove of “Fu Manchu” and jazz and dub explorations of “Salto No Vácuo Com Joelhada” and “Saída Bangú.” It is, literally, all good. – Metromix LA

With Special Guest:

Money Mark

8pm / $10 / 18+

Wednesday 01.21.09: DUB CLUB with YAMI BOLO @ echoplex

Yami Bolo || Listen

Bolo remains true to the spirit of reggae when, in speaking of his work, he states “the singer is but the instrument. It’s the Almighty at work.” Bolo’s commitment to conscious lyrics is evident throughout his music, he is determined to spread the love and happiness of his spiritual strength through exploring his multiple roles as singer, songwriter and musician.

This is exemplified on Yami Bolo’s over nineteen albums. Yami Bolo recently appeared in the movie “Life and Debt” and his single “Worldwide Corruption” is featured on the soundtrack released by Tuff Gong/Universal.

Yami Bolo’s talent has been long recognized by fellow artists, recent collaborations with Ghetto Youths Damian and Stephen Marley include the No 1 Jamaica-hit single “Still Searchin;” “She Needs My Love;” and “Stand A Chance” for the Motown-released Grammy Award-winning “Halfway Tree” album. Collaborations with Capelton “Put Down the Weapons”; Jack Radics “The Puppet Master”; Josey Wales and Charlie Chaplin “Do Good” exemplify Bolo’s militant commitment to the youths whose “coming of age” under current economic and social conditions require the love of their fellowman and a redefined reverence for the highest moral standards, have lead to popular radio hits in Jamaica. “Freedom” co-written by Yami Bolo and Snow was produced by Dave Kelly for Atlantic Records.

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

9pm / $12 / 21+

Wednesday 01.21.09: NO CULTURE @ echo

resident DJs:
Guns N Bombs
Goddollars

FMI: No Culture on Myspace

10pm / $5 all night / 18+

Thursday 01.22.09: F Yeah Fest & Echo present AMEBIX / BOOK OF BLACK EARTH / DOOMSDAY HOUR / BRUISE VIOLET @ echoplex

Amebix || Listen

Amebix’s music was — and is — the sound of squalor and bleakness. “Crust” is the style they’re crediting with helping pioneer, and as genre names go, they don’t get much more descriptive. Influenced as much by Motorhead as by anarcho-punks Crass, Amebix merged metal influences with a gutter-punk mindset and a sense of apocalyptic doom. The group sidestepped the loud-fast template that was so common among early punk-metal bands, opting for a moderately paced sound built around repetitive bass lines, washed-out guitars, vaguely tribal drumming, and the occasional thin layer of gloomy keyboards. The end result often resembled early Killing Joke with half the chops and a tenth of the recording budget, which may sound like a slight, but it really isn’t. – San Francisco Bay Guardian

with:
Book of Black Earth
Doomsday Hour
Bruise Violet

5:30pm / $15 / all ages

Thursday 01.22.08: FMLY Presents HIGH PLACES / HECUBA / INFINITE BODY @ echo

High Places || Listen

Pearson’s saccharine vocals add an elegant grace to the High Places sound as they drift in and out of the mix, occasionally fading into nothingness. Often her vocals resemble those of Margaret Fielder from Laika, with whom High Places share more than a few joint musical fascinations.

Two of the first three tracks, “The Storm” and “The Tree with the Lights in It,” are the kind of wispy slices of cherubic electronica that have become the band’s trademark. The jittery rhythms encompass sounds that resemble treated steel drums, feet clumping through muddy water, and fizzy bursts of broken-down electronics. Barber’s sparse percussion and Pearson’s treacly vocals are the two constants throughout, occasionally lending a samey feel to the record. But it’s hard to resist their charms when they hit their stride, such as on standout track “Vision’s the First…,” which is the perfect distillation of the High Places sound. – Prefix Mag

with:
Hecuba || Listen
Infinite Body

8pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / All Ages

Thursday 01.22.09: RESPECT @ echoplex

B.TRAITS: Digital Soundboy
w/ MC Julz
SCOOBA
DEVOE
MC XYZ

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

FMI: Respect on Myspace

10:30pm / $5 b4 11pm-$10 After / 21+

Friday 01.23.09: F Yeah and Filter present JAY REATARD / EARTHMEN AND STRANGERS / SLANG CHICKENS @ echoplex

Jay Reatard || Watch

Solo debuts aren’t supposed to be this good. Jay Reatard has been kicking around Memphis since a teen, starting in the 1990s with the dirty-word punk of The Reatards, and lately in the thrashy synth-centered Lost Sounds. The brilliant Blood Visions falls somewhere in between – rambunctious and roaring, jerking nervously all the way. Tons of highlights here – tons of them – hitting on just about every style that’s had the word “punk” thrown at it as an epithet. It adds up sounding closest to the not-quite-new-wave rock that bounced between ambitious indies and majors around 1980; it resembles the twisted naiveté of the era, before bands realized that building a hook around “I will kill you” was going to keep them off the airwaves. – Dusted Magazine

with:
Earthmen and Strangers
Slang Chickens

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

8pm / $12 advance, $14 Day of Show / All ages

Friday 01.23.09: Echo & Club Underground Present – JAPANESE MOTORS / THE GROWLERS @ echo

Japanese Motors || Watch

With a pro surfer as their lead singer and a drummer who used to be a designer for the surf gear brand Hurley, it’s no surprise that Japanese Motors’ music is all about surfing, drinking, parties, and girls (not necessarily in that order). At its best, Japanese Motors embodies that lifestyle so completely that it transports listeners into the band’s laid-back, sun-drenched world. The album kicks off with “Single Fins & Safety Pins,” the perfect distillation of the band’s sound world: over lapping waves and keening seagulls, Alex Knost’s vocals are half Richard Hell’s deadpan cool and half surfer boy drawl, while the rest of the band’s handclaps, hooks, and backing vocals pay homage to the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, and all the other California surf rock bands that came before them. “Single Fins & Safety Pins” is so undeniably charming that the rest of Japanese Motors doesn’t quite live up to that high standard. Japanese Motors are a party band and this is definitely a party album — in fact, it often sounds more like a rowdy live album than something recorded in a studio. This off the cuff, have-another-beer feel helps lanky rockers like the Strokesy “Coors Lite” and “Spendin’ Days,” which features the great line “Too hippie to be a punk/Too punk to be a hippie,” and the drunken lament “Regrets a Paradise” captures the romantic confusion that Japanese Motors’ easygoing lifestyle isn’t immune to. – Allmusic

with:
The Growlers

Followed by UNDERGROUND DJs spinning the best in Brit / Indie / Soul / Twee / Madchester / Punk / Glam

8:30pm / $8 til 10:30pm, $5 after / 18+

Saturday 01.24.09: Echo & TILT present FUTURECOP / THUNDERHEIST / FRANKI CHAN / WE ARE THE WORLD @ echoplex

Futurecop

This may be the catchiest, most enjoyable collection of music that’s ever appeared here on Video Pop. That’s saying a lot.

Manzur and Peter (aka Futurecop!) sent me another fantastic mixtape, and this one is absolutely jam-packed with moments of pop bliss!

They’ve incorporated some of the highest quality baltimore club and nu-disco/electro pop in this one, as well as some Futurecop! originals (“Eyes Like the Ocean” and “Space Thieves.”) All around solid stuff.

At only 26 minutes, Euromixtape October 2008 is also very concise. I really like mixes that are under half an hour because the DJ is forced to make good decisions, get rid of any filler, and make something special happen from the start. If that was the goal with this mix, they definitely succeeded. – Video Pop

with:
Franki Chan
Thunderheist || Listen
We Are The World

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

9pm / $12 / 18+

Saturday 01.24.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 01.25.09: PART TIME PUNKS with ANAVAN @ echo

with:
Anavan || Listen

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 01.26.09: 826LA & echo present TINY VAUDEVILLE with POP LEVI @ echoplex

826LA hosts the first of the monthly series, 826LA’s Tiny Vaudeville, an extravaganza of talent at The Echoplex in Echo Park. Created and curated by the folks of 826LA, Tiny Vaudeville is the smallest vaudeville show in Los Angeles! Each show will run approximately ninety minutes and features acts from ranging from live music, short films, stand-up and sketch comedy, novelty acts, lectures, slide shows, and more. Between acts, a name actor will read original writing by students of 826LA. Tiny Vaudeville’s combinations are endless, and so are the possibilities! Each show is a unique theater experience.

with:
Dave (Gruber) Allen
The Dan Bern Orchestra
Dave Foley
Garfunkel & Oates
James Adomian
Derek Hughes
Marc Horowitz’s live 24/7 talkshow
Jeremy Konner
Al Madrigal
and more!

Plus musical guest
Pop Levi

BUY TICKETS

8pm / $10 / 18+

Monday 01.26.09: Monday Night Residency – ROBERT FRANCIS / MAGIC BULLETS / PETER & THE WOLF / ANNI ROSSI @ echo

Robert Francis || Watch

It would be an understatement to say that Francis’ musicianship belies his young age, as some of One’s best songs already harbor the rustic, world-weary quality that many artists spend their careers cultivating. Whether or not Francis has actually experienced the pastoral blues that color his lyrics is beyond the point; his dusty baritone and heartland imagery make the potential fib worthwhile. From the right-handed piano twinkles of opener “Mama Don’t Come” to the gorgeously hypnotic, looping closer, there’s an airy sense of space to these ten songs. Even the album’s most ornate material — the seven-minute title track, perhaps, with its climax of co-ed vocals and sweeping violin — is allotted enough room to breathe. When the orchestration becomes lush, Francis usually swoops in with a musical reprieve, be it a momentary break in a riff’s rhythm or a touch of reverb to widen the sound. Even more interesting is his love for subtle, esoteric flourishes: a dog barking in the middle of “The Devil’s Mountains,” right before the bluesy pedal steel gives way to mariachi horns; delayed violin in verse two of “Little Girl”; the church-like harmonies in “Dakota.” It’s impressive proof that Francis’ self-appointment as producer isn’t the result of some youthful ego trip, but rather the most logical choice for a penny-pinched teenager — or, for that matter, anyone whose music mirrors these rustic folk-pop strains. – All Music

with:
Magic Bullets || Listen
Peter & The Wolf
Anni Rossi

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 01.27.09: Indie 103.1 & Echo present CHECK ONE TWOSDAY with IO ECHO / ZAZA / JJAMZ @ echoplex

Io Echo || Listen || Watch

“IO IS A TRUE ROCKSTAR WHO IN TIME COULD TAKE HER PLACE NEXT TO SIOUXIE, JOEY RAMONE AND PATTY SMITH” -103.1 press release, Mr. Shovel

“IO ECHO SURE CAN PUT ON A HELL OF A PERFORMANCE”- Filter Magazine

“HAILED AS SOME OF THE BEST STUFF OF THE YEAR IN ROCK…YOU WILL FIND THE VOCALISTS’ PERFORMANCES SLIGHTLY CREEPY YET SATISFYING” – Deli Magazine

“EXPLOSIVE IN THE MOST ADDICTIVE WAY POSSIBLE” – LA City Zine

“IO ECHO IS BECOMING A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH” – Amateur Chemist

with:
Zaza || Listen
Jjamz

8:30pm / Free until 10:30pm, $ 5 after / 18+

Tuesday 01.27.09: THE VOYEURS / THE MONOLATORS / LES BLANKS @ echo

The Voyeurs || Watch

Most of you probably recognize them as former members of E>K>U>K and current side project Vaudeville. Its members are also the brains behind the burgeoning South Bay label Otik Records. Voyeurs drummer Sean Johnson and has also been spotted playing with the likes of Shirley Rolls and The Sweet Hurt and some of you may know them as the kickball champions with keen fashion sense. These guys are ubiquitous around town and are always down to help out a friend. I’m actually shocked that I haven’t written about them before!

The Voyeurs rose from the ashes of the now defunct pulse-pounding rock act E>K>U>K. Their music still displays the raw energy and catchy tunes that became an E>K>U>K trademark but takes the sound one step further with a FANTASTIC mix of 60s pop and down n’ dirty classic rock. It’s tunes like these that gets me excited about music again. Their songs are totally solid and show a great deal of promise. – Rock Insider

with:
The Monolators || Listen
Les Blanks || Listen

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

Wednesday 01.28.09: Aquarium Drunkard presents THE SOFT PACK (formerly The Muslims) / THE A.M. @ echo

The Soft Pack || Watch

Not too long ago we told you the Muslims changed their name to the Soft Pack. That’s true enough and was likely a good move because now folks can actually concentrate on the music, but it doesn’t change the San Diego quartet’s BTW status. In fact, proving themselves quite literally a Band To Watch, the guys stopped by the Decomposed studios to offer a stripped-down take on their spare and somehow cuddly Strokes-y, Heartbreakers/Voidoids-inspired garage punk. It’s interesting hearing vocalist Matt Lamkin deliver those laid-back, playfully nihilistic lines (“I’ve got news for you / Yes, I’ve got news for you / I don’t owe anything to you”) over acoustic guitars and upright bass. He’s even more liike a preppy Iggy Pop than usual. When we initially wrote about the Soft Pack, we mentioned their Velvet Underground-style detachment: At Decomposed, they add VU-style standup drums to that insularity. We’d also brought up the Replacements. You get less of that here sonically, but it’s hard to deny the early Westerberg/T. Stinson bedhead. The band is always spare, but these takes on “Call It A Day” and “Extinction” along with a cover of Tijuana Panthers’ “Redheaded Girl” add an especial concision. – Stereogum

with:
The A.M.

7:30pm / $8 / all ages

Wednesday 01.28.09: 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

9pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 01.28.09: NO CULTURE @ echo

resident DJs:
Guns N Bombs
Goddollars

FMI: No Culture on Myspace

10pm / FREE for 21+ before 11pm & $5 after, $5 for under 21 / 18+

Thursday 01.29.08: BINARY presents VALERIE DJ COLLECTIVE (FR) with ANORAAK / COLLEGE / KEEN HOUSE / LEXICONDON @ echoplex

Valerie || Listen

Valerie is not only a blog, but a collective composed of music artists in the west of France.

with:
Anoraak
College
Keen House
Lexicondon

9 pm / $10 / 18+

Thursday 01.29.09: RESPECT with KLUTE / JO-S / DRONE / MC XYZ @ echo

with:
Klute
JO-S
Drone
MC XYZ

FMI: Respect on Myspace

10pm / $5 before 11pm – $10 After / 21+

Friday 01.30.09: CLUB UNDERGROUND @ echo

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

FMI: ClubUnderground.net

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

Saturday 01.31.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+