Sunday 02.01.09: PART TIME PUNKS – Cure Tribute Nite @ echo

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 02.02.09: NIGHTMARES ON WAX @ echoplex

Nightmares on Wax || Listen

Nightmares on Wax is the brainchild of British producer George Evelyn, a former DJ and B-boy who made a successful crossover into producing hip-hop and electronic soul records in the early ‘90s and still remains a force six albums later. Evelyn makes unpretentious, happy songs that are always free from R&B and rap clichés, with enough production detail to satisfy those that check the technique. Nightmares on Wax albums have gotten progressively more laid-back and chilled out. With stoner joints like “Still? Yes!” and the almost Caribbean smooth jazz riffs of “Calling,” this one is no exception, though songs like “Da Feelin” and “Hear in Colour” still have a lively enough tempo and bump for dancing. Definitely the loosest album in the artist’s catalog, “thought so…” has elegant little touches that make it feel casual and friendly, like the inclusion of behind-the-scenes conversational snippets during recording sessions that would normally be edited out. – Metromix

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

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Elevation to 467467

8pm / $18 advance, $20 day of show / 18+

Monday 02.02.09: HOLLOYS / BOBB BRUNO / DAVID SCOTT STONE / BUZZARD @ echo

Holloys || Listen

The holloys’ dynamically evolving sound of avant-garde techniques and influences drawn from a diverse range of cultural traditions and musical genres culminates in the release of Art Wars, their new, five-track EP. With its beat-heavy blend of trance, dance, Afropop polyrhythm, neo-prog, electronica and soaring pop melodies, Art Wars finally ushers rock into the 21st century.

Los Angeles-based visual artist and musician Jim Brown has taken the holloys through many incarnations and performance venues. Jim has toured the holloys throughout Mexico and Japan as a solo act, performed in the piss-stained alleys and lofts of LA’s gallery district, and has included an acclaimed solo show at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. At the same time, the holloys sound has evolved from ambient noise through abstract trance jamming to Art Wars’ successful reintegration of song and voice on its five, searing, pop-inflected and exquisitely danceable tracks.

with:
Bobb Bruno
David Scott Stone
Buzzard

8:30 pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 02.03.09: Echo & Aquarium Drunkard present THE FRUIT BATS / SERA CAHOONE / LUKE TOP @ echo

The Fruit Bats || Listen || MP3

Eric Johnson has been making experimental and pop-inflected folk-rock with increasing compositional and thematic complexity since Califone/Perishable Records founders Tim Rutili and Ben Massarella prompted him to explore his craft in the mid-90s. Johnson’s recordings, enriched by contributions from an ever-revolving cast of Chicagoan characters (the current lineup includes I Rowboat’s Dan Strack and percussionist John Byce) used a melancholy hand to touch on love and the human experience on 2001’s Perishable debut, Echolocation, and 2003’s Sub Pop-released Mouthfuls. Around the release of Mouthfuls, Harp magazine described the Fruits Bats as residing somewhere on a continuum between Califone and The Shins, combining, ”…the latter’s widescreen vision with the former’s melodic knack to create something at once familiar and new.” After the years of extensive touring that followed, including stints with Modest Mouse, The Shins and Iron & Wine, as well as a handful of Wilco opening slots, Johnson returned to the drawing board with distinctly darker intent. “I was going to write this dark bummer record with shades of optimism, but my life started getting better,” he explains. The result of much soul-searching, Spelled in Bones is truly Johnson’s enlightened Romantic opus in the 18th century English literary sense of the term. With an emphasis on the “bigger picture” of life as it relates to nature’s organic relationship to man (“Legs of Bees”, “Spelled in Bones”), and irrational, spontaneous moments of beauty and rebirth (“Every Day That We Wake Up It’s A Beautiful Day”), Spelled in Bones proffers warm, thoughtful, bittersweet pop that’s as hopeful as it is curious.

with:
Sera Cahoone
Luke Top

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Mouthful to 467467

8:30pm / $12 advance, $15 day of show / 18+

Wednesday 02.04.09: THE SOFT PACK (Formerly The Muslims) / CROCODILES @ 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:
Crocodiles

7:30pm / $8 / all ages

Wednesday 02.04.09: 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 02.04.09: NO CULTURE w/ TIM SWEENEY (Beats in Space/DFA) @ echo

FMI: No Culture on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Thursday 02.05.09: RESPECT with SKYNET / NOFACE B2B DRONE / KELLY D @ echo

with:
SKYNET (Nvison, Discrete, Skynet Recs. UK)
NOFACE B2B DRONE (Respect)
KELLY D (Rubik, Shift Recs)

FMI: Respect on Myspace

10pm / $5 b4 11pm, $10 after / 21+

Friday 02.06.09: First Fridays with BIRD & THE BEE / JUKEBOX THE GHOST @ Natural History Museum

This season’s First Fridays celebrate “Darwin Year” through entertaining and fascinating conversations with six of the world’s foremost authors and experts on the life of Darwin, the science of evolution, and the revolutionary impact of the man and his work. Join us in discovery with an evening of programming: a curator-led tour, a discussion forum with Dr. Donald R. Prothero and Dr. Michael W. Quick, artist performances The Bird and the Bee and Jukebox The Ghost and a DJ lounge with The Phatal DJ + DJ Michael Stock (dublab.com)

with:
The Bird & The Bee
Jukebox The Ghost

plus DJs:
The Phatal DJ
DJ Michael Stock

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

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

5:30pm / All Ages

Friday 02.06.09: F Yeah presents F**KED UP / MIKA MIKO / UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND / TRASH TALK @ echoplex

F*cked Up || Listen || Watch

Quick: Name one hardcore punk album from the past 10 years—hell, make that ever—that opens with a lilting flute solo followed by a chorus of electric guitars so dense, pealing, and overtone-rich, they could make minimalist-rock architect Rhys Chatham’s neck hair stand on end. That’s just the first of many moments on Fucked Up’s second full-length where the Canadian band pushes hardcore beyond traditionally accepted limits of artfulness. The rest of The Chemistry Of Common Life heads even further into left field, often with staggering results: Neu!-esque motorik grooves, philosophically dense lyrics about the birth/death cycle, up to 70 simultaneous guitar tracks, and waves of Eastern percussion and melody, all powering 11 hugely textured songs that still hit as hard as a 90-second Negative Approach jam. While it’s offset on a few songs by “clean” female vocals, Damian Abraham’s glass-gargling roar remains the primary source of Fucked Up’s visceral energy. From this point on, it’ll be more exciting to see how much farther beyond gut-level the band is willing to go. – The Onion AV Club

with:
Mika Miko
Underground Railroad to Candyland
Trash Talk

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

7:30pm / $13 / all ages

Friday 02.06.09: Echo, Club Underground & Hang The DJS present LADY SOVEREIGN @ echo

Lady Sovereign || Listen || MP3

A 5 ft 1 pixie with giant passion, ambition and sheer raw talent, if there is one theme running through the magical existence of Lady Sovereign, then it’s that of being a fiercely independent creative spirit who, one way or another, was born to be different.

Back in the studio and back in control, her forthcoming album Jigsaw is everything we have come to expect from a rapper whose unique flow and gutsy sensibility has already wowed hundreds upon thousands of fans all over the world. Setting the record straight, Jigsaw tells Sov’s rollercoaster story of the last two years with her usual honesty, genre-defying beats and punchy, zest-fresh lyrics.

Back in the pilot’s seat with an awesome new album and her own label, it looks like that indomitable spirit of Sovereign is bang on; everything is good, everything is working out. And the next chapter has only just begun…

Plus:
Club Underground Resident DJs spinning all night

9pm / $10 / 18+

Saturday 02.07.09: BOOTIE LA @ echoplex

BOOTIE LA
LA’s monthly mashup bootleg party

Live at 11 PM, from San Francisco, the world’s only mashup rock band:
SMASH-UP DERBY

Resident Bootie mashup DJs:
ADRIAN & the MYSTERIOUS D
DJ PAUL V.

Special performance from Bootie LA dance troupe:
R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance)

Hoop dancing by:
HOOPATRON

This month, live on stage at 11 PM, Bootie LA is proud to present the return of Smash-Up Derby, the world’s only mashup rock band. Since 2003, Smash-Up Derby has been wowing audiences across the country with their clever musical hybrids, such as “Smell Like Billie Jean” (Michael Jackson vs. Nirvana), “Girls Just Want Bloody Sunday” (Cyndi Lauper vs. U2), and “Tricky Sandman” (Run-DMC vs. Metallica). Fronted by Bootie’s own DJ Adrian, Smash-Up Derby is the house band at the original Bootie in San Francisco, where they custom create a new mashup to play at every party. Tonight, the band will be doing a special LA set of their best-loved mashups — and they’ll be joined on stage by Bootie LA’s dance troupe R.A.I.D., along with hoop dancer Hoopatron.

Launched in 2003, Bootie was the first club night in the United States dedicated solely to the burgeoning artform of the bootleg mashup — and is now the biggest mashup event in the world, with monthly parties in six cities on two continents. 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, Mysterious D, and Paul V. keep your brain guessing and body dancing with creative song combinations, celebrating — and satirizing — the many different forms of music. Bootie showcases the best in mashup productions from around the globe and delivers them on the dance floor … because one song at a time just isn’t enough!

FREE Bootie CDs to the first 75 people through the door!

FMI: http://www.BootieLA.com

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

Saturday 02.07.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 02.08.09: TSOL / DI / BLACK PRESIDENT / THE STRANGER @ echoplex

TSOL || Listen

When T.S.O.L. blasted onto the Orange County punk explosion in 1979 with white face paint, 6′ plus frames and blazing punk anthems, they were automatically a force to be reckoned with. Today, 10 years since it’s last “reunion”, the band is back to give us what they gave then. “Superficial Love”, “80 Times”, “Code Blue”, “Wash Away” and the rest of those vintage punk nuggets will be blasted live into our faces again. Those who were not around to witness TSOL in their heyday can finally see for themselves why the band spawned a generation of bands and changed the shape of music today.

with:
D.I.||Listen
Black President
The Stranger

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

7pm / $15 Advance, $17 Day of Show / all ages

Sunday 02.08.09: PART TIME PUNKS with HUNGRY GHOST / SAD HORSE @ echo

with:
Hungry Ghost (Sarah Lund from UNWOUND’s new band)
Sad Horse

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 02.09.09: HOLLOYS / SABERTOOTH TIGER / RED EXILES / CALIFORNIA PARTY GIRLS @ echo

Holloys || Listen

The holloys’ dynamically evolving sound of avant-garde techniques and influences drawn from a diverse range of cultural traditions and musical genres culminates in the release of Art Wars, their new, five-track EP. With its beat-heavy blend of trance, dance, Afropop polyrhythm, neo-prog, electronica and soaring pop melodies, Art Wars finally ushers rock into the 21st century.

Los Angeles-based visual artist and musician Jim Brown has taken the holloys through many incarnations and performance venues. Jim has toured the holloys throughout Mexico and Japan as a solo act, performed in the piss-stained alleys and lofts of LA’s gallery district, and has included an acclaimed solo show at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. At the same time, the holloys sound has evolved from ambient noise through abstract trance jamming to Art Wars’ successful reintegration of song and voice on its five, searing, pop-inflected and exquisitely danceable tracks.

with:
Sabertooth Tiger || Listen
Red Exiles
California Party Girls

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 02.10.08: LIGHT FM / THE PARSON RED HEADS / THE SPIRES / FRENCH SEMESTER @ the echo

Light FM

Parked uncomfortably in a compact space between the luxury vehicles that are Weezer and the Cars, the latest from this L.A. quartet struggles mightily to squeeze out the passenger door. Airtight production, monster hooks and big dollops of fuzz- and candy-coated noise from guitarist Josiah Mazzaschi and keyboardist Kim Haden make this a great freeway album — listen to “The High” with the windows down — but the electro sheen gets awfully thick in places. – Buzz Bands

with:
The Parson Red Heads
The Spires
French Semester

8:30pm / FREE if 21+; $5 under / 18+

Wednesday 02.11.09: DUB CLUB presents THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS @ echoplex

The Mighty Diamonds

The Mighty Diamonds, Donald “Tabby” Shaw, Fitzroy ”Bunny” Simpson and Lloyd “ Judge” Ferguson formed in 1969 in the Trenchtown area of Kingston, Jamaica and for the past 39 years have been entertaining and educating the world with their sweet harmonies and conscious lyrics.

They quickly became known as the young group with the Motown sound with their soulful harmonies and polished performances. They first hit singles “ Country Living” and “ Hey Girl” were recorded on the Channel One label. Their debut album “ Right Time”, released on the Virgin has become a classic. This is an album that belongs in every serious reggae collection. “ Right Time’ is probably their most requested song when they perform.

“ Pass the Kouchie” also became an international hit when first released and then again when it was covered by the “ Musical Youth” and released as “Pass the Dutchie”

Tabby, Bunny and Judge have produced over 45 albums in their long career and it would be hard to select just one album as a favorite but if I were asked to pick the definite Mighty Diamonds album I would have to say “ Deeper Roots”. This album proves that the Mighty Diamonds are truly the best in the business.

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

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text jahjah to 467467

9pm / $10 advance, $15 day of show / 21+

Wednesday 02.11.09: NO CULTURE @ echo

FMI: No Culture on Myspace

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

Thursday 02.12.09: Heart & LA Record present THE HAPPY HOLLOWS / CROOKED COWBOY AND THE FRESHWATER INDIANS / THE MOVIES / ANNI ROSSI / JILLIAN HANK LEIGH / WHITMAN plus Special guests @ echo

with:
The Happy Hollows || Listen

But is Sarah Negahdari the strangest woman in rock? You decide. We’ll say this: She’s one of the coolest. A killer hybrid of Kim Deal, PJ Harvey and Emily Haines, Negahdari has the guitar chops, explosive energy and winning sense of humor that should make The Happy Hollows one of the more interesting band of our new millennium’s next decade. Keep an eye out for her. – Wired Magazine

with:
Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians
The Movies
Anni Rossi || Listen
Jillian Hank Leigh
Whitman

Plus Special Guests

presented by: Heart and LA Record

7pm / free before 8pm, $5 after / 18+

Thursday 02.12.09: RESPECT – Classic Jungle Session with HERETIC / ESASSIN / CASSIEN / CLUTCH / DYER MC @ echoplex

-Classic Jungle Session-

with:
HERETIC (Rudebwoy Plastic)
ESASSIN (Sound Sphere Recs)
CASSIEN (Legend, NY)
CLUTCH (Respect)
DYER MC

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

FMI: Respect on Myspace

10pm / $5 b4 11pm, $10 after / 21+

Friday 02.13.09: Echo & Club Underground present – THE SOFT PACK (Formerly The Muslims) / TIJUANA PANTHERS @ 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:
Tijuana Panthers

Plus Resident Club Underground DJs Spinning all night!

8:30pm / $8 / 18+

Friday 02.13.09 Stones Throw & Echo present PEANUT BUTTER WOLF / PRINCE PAUL / EGYPTIAN LOVER / DAM-FUNK / MAYER HAWTHORNE @ echoplex

Peanut Butter Wolf || Listen || Watch

PB and a cadre of DJ’s and Stones Throw affiliates crowd the DJ cabinet, and the mob from inside assimilates into the patio’s mob, an army of hip, unhip, dread-locked, fro-hawked, fedora topped anticipation. PB did not disappoint, after some tech stall, up comes the video projection to the immediate left. DJ Rhettmatic (Beat Junkies/ Visionaries) handling hype duties, the music video mixing was a new experience for me. One might assume that the somewhat younger crowd may not appreciate “oldies night”, and I would have to Homie The Clown their asses across their crown, everyone was sold. 50′s to early 70′s, funk to hippie-rock, the mixes of the videos and the music was audio/video ecstasy. I dug, they dug, it was a good time. – Urb

with:
Prince Paul

Prince Paul is already revered as a godfather to the genre, mentioned in the same breath with older hip-hop icons like Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc. He first took to the turntables at 11 years old, and ever since, Paul has remained the hip-hop scene’s most adventurous producer, shaping and reshaping the music according to his gonzo sensibility.

Plus:
Egyptian Lover
Dam-funk || Listen
Mayer Hawthorne || Listen

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text stonesthrow to 467467

9pm / $15 / 18+

Saturday 02.14.09: Beat Junkies Sound Presents NIGHTLIFE – SONGS IN THE KEY OF “D” @ echoplex

with:
THE BEAT JUNKIES
J.ROCC
BABU
RHETTMATIC
MR. CHOC

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

10:30pm / $10 / 18+

Saturday 02.14.09: YO MAJESTY / NATALIE ” THE FLOACIST” STEWART @ echoplex

Yo Majesty || Watch

Starting with “Fucked Up,” a threatening little restraining order of a number, Jwl B. yells “You blame me for fuckin’ up your car, I sliced your tires and I ripped out your seats” over an out of tune, distorted guitar and a syrupy beat. An exhausting rant of a song, fortunately they change gears and tone down the animosity here and there to keep from burning out listeners. “Leather Jacket” shows the girls’ silly side as they diss a fashion flawed hipster, and “Night Riders” strikes a political chord by tackling the issues of racism and drug abuse without ever sounding overly preachy. But no one tunes in to hear Yo Majesty wax on a provocative level, and they’re wise to this. Dancefloor fun is the cornerstone of the record, and the primary lesson to be learned is that there’s nothing wrong with grindin’ and shakin’. Big bottom crunk singles “Club Action,” “Party Hearty,” and “Booty Klap” feature Southern-style tongue twisters spat at a pace that would feel fitting in an 8Ball & MJG, Mystikal, and Twista freestyle session. Apt wordsmiths, they have blistering lyrical chops for women or men, and their beat selections are an energetic combination of hot Miami Bass and chilly 8-bit architecture that sounds both futuristic and derivative of old school. Think Spank Rock vs. J.J. Fad, Peaches tag-teaming with Luke Campbell, or DJ Assault against Salt-N-Pepa in a steel cage match. No, make that a mud-wrestling match. – All Music Guide

with:
Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart

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

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Booty to 467467

9pm / $12 advance, $14 day of show / 18+

Saturday 02.14.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Sunday 02.15.09: Grand Ole Echo Presents TED RUSSELL KAMP / DEAD ROCK WEST / MIKE STINSON

with:
Ted Russell Kamp || Listen
Mike Stinson || Listen
Dead Rock West || Listen

4pm / FREE / All Ages

Sunday 02.15.09 THE MUSIC TAPES / NANA GRIZOL / BRIAN DEWAN @ echoplex

The Music Tapes || MP3 || Watch

Even within the context of the Elephant 6 Collective, The Music Tapes have always stood out as an especially eccentric band. After contributing to indie milestones like Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control, Music Tapes mastermind Julian Koster decided to resurrect his high school project with the help of Jeremy Barnes (now of A Hawk and a Hacksaw).

Their debut, First 1999′s Imaginary Symphony for Nomad, was a conceptual psych-pop near-masterpiece that featured Koster’s brittle off-key singing, experimental arrangements, and even more experimental production (parts of the record featured an Edison wax cylinder recorder from 1895). The only thing fans of that record have had to keep them going since is an almost impossible to find CDR of the sequel, Second Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking (you can hear portions of it here.)

Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes is the first proper follow-up to the First Imaginary Symphony. It is a concept record as well, although the narrative this time around is less explicit (most of the songs are about clouds or reindeer or both). Koster’s affinity for the singing saw is at the forefront of this album as well, which, paired with his aggressively unique voice, may make for a disarming first listen for the uninitiated. But the singing saws, banjos, and Ping-Pong ball percussion begin to make sense together and create a whimsical world in which the fate of a tornado can have a direct emotional effect on the listener. – Prefix Mag

With:
Nana Grizol
Brian Dewan

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Static to 467467

8 pm / $12 / All Ages

Sunday 02.15.09: PART TIME PUNKS – SMITHS / MORRISSEY NITE @ echo

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 2.16.09: HOLLOYS / RAINBOW ARABIA / PIT ER PAT @ echo

Holloys || Listen

The holloys’ dynamically evolving sound of avant-garde techniques and influences drawn from a diverse range of cultural traditions and musical genres culminates in the release of Art Wars, their new, five-track EP. With its beat-heavy blend of trance, dance, Afropop polyrhythm, neo-prog, electronica and soaring pop melodies, Art Wars finally ushers rock into the 21st century.

Los Angeles-based visual artist and musician Jim Brown has taken the holloys through many incarnations and performance venues. Jim has toured the holloys throughout Mexico and Japan as a solo act, performed in the piss-stained alleys and lofts of LA’s gallery district, and has included an acclaimed solo show at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. At the same time, the holloys sound has evolved from ambient noise through abstract trance jamming to Art Wars’ successful reintegration of song and voice on its five, searing, pop-inflected and exquisitely danceable tracks.

with:
Rainbow Arabia
Pit Er Pat || Listen

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 02.17.09: Lounge Night with NUTTY / DOUBLE NAUGHT SPY CAR @ echo

Tuesday, February 17th, 9pm: The Purple Pit surfaces upstairs at the Echo in Echo Park for a night of swing ‘n’ swank. It’s a lounge hang for the in-crowd! It’s a classic rock/cocktail jazz recipe blended to perfection! It’s a moody journey through a crime novel on a magic guitarpet ride! Join NUTTY and special featured guest DOUBLE NAUGHT SPY CAR for an eclectic night of laughs and some serious music.

with:
NUTTY
DOUBLE NAUGHT SPY CAR

8pm / $8 / 18+

Wednesday 02.18.09: 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 02.18.09: NO CULTURE @ echo

FMI: No Culture on Myspace

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

Thursday 02.19.09: DUNCAN SHEIK with Lauren Pritchard / HOLLY BROOK @ Echoplex

Duncan Sheik || Listen

In addition to writing the music for the Broadway musical hit Spring Awakening, Grammy nominated singer–songwriter Duncan Sheik is collaborating with Playwright Steven Sater on The Nightingale, a musical based on the Hans Christian Andersen classic which premiered during the 26th annual O’Neill Music Theater Conference. Sheik has composed original music for the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night and for The Golden Rooms of Nero, which opened at the Magic Theater in San Francisco earlier this year. His self-titled debut album on Atlantic Records, was an enormous popular and critical success and spent 30 weeks on the Billboard 200. Other albums include Humming, Daylight, Phantom Moon (Nonesuch Records) with lyrics by Steven Sater and his latest, White Limousine (Rounder Records),Duncan’s songs have appeared in many Film Soundtracks including Great Expectations, The Saint, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Three to Tango, What a Girl Wants, Transamerica and Amazing Grace (a documentary about the late Jeff Buckley).

The performance will feature songs from his forthcoming CD/theatre project, “Whisper House”, as well as “Spring Awakening” and his earlier recorded work. Sitting in on the tour will be Lauren Pritchard who played Ilse in the Broadway production of “Spring Awakening”.

plus:
Holly Brook

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

7pm / $37.50 / all ages

Thursday 02.19.09: ELENI MANDELL / WHISPERTOWN 2000 / USELESS KEYS @ echo

Eleni Mandell || Listen || Watch

The New Yorker once called L.A.’s Eleni Mandell “the best unsigned artist in the business,” and while she’s flirted with small independents since, she has yet to truly reap the national exposure she’s long deserved. The kudos she received from a few significant outlets for 2007′s Miracle of Five was a start, but with any hope, the lights will shine brighter with the release of the upcoming Artificial Light. The LP drops February 17 via Zedtone Records (…yeah, who?) and we’re telling you right now: don’t miss the boat on this one.

Judging by the fantastic mp3 of the title track above — jagged, mysterious and not-so-sublty funky –the album should be full of left turns. Plus, Stark favorite Inara George (of The Bird and The Bee) guests, on a song we can only hypothesize as being the greatest sounding duet ever. (Those two voices together? Send the album our way, please.) – Stark Online

with:
Whispertown 2000 || Listen
Useless Keys || Listen

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text Songbird to 467467

8pm / $10 / 18+

Thursday 02.19.09: RESPECT with AK1200 / SCOOBA BOXMON B2B NOTATION / MC QUESTIONMARK @ echoplex

with:
AK1200 (POTD, Project51,Riddim Recs –Orlando FL)
SCOOBA (Respect)
BOXMON b2b NOTATION
MC QUESTIONMARK

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

FMI: Respect on Myspace

10pm / $5 b4 11pm, $10 after / 21+

Friday 02.20.09: IRREGULAR WINE TASTING – Six Aspects of Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages & Five Wines from Esser Vineyards and a sparkler from Spain @ echoplex

featuring:
Six Aspects of Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

Five Wines from Esser Vineyards and a sparkler from Spain

and much more

Hosted by:
Julian Davies (The Cheese Store)
DJ Cuz’n Roy

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

RSVP at:
irregularwinetasting@yahoo.com
Irregular Wine Tasting on Myspace

8pm / $20 / 21+

Friday 02.20.09: Echo & Club Underground present BROKEN SPINDLES / RAINBOW ARABIA @ echo

Broken Spindles || Listen

The Faint’s bassist is branching back out into his one-man project.

Broken Spindles, the solo project of The Faint’s Joel Peterson, returns Feb. 17 with Kiss/Kick from The Faint’s own label, Blank.wav records. Recorded in studio The Faint opened last year, Enamel, the new album branches out from the laptop-recorded minimalism of the Spindles’ earlier work, to tap live drums and all that other stuff you can do in a studio and not on a notebook computer.

“I knew that finding the balance of opposites was key to making sense of it all, to get the right mix of human and machine, acoustic and electronic, analog and digital, spontaneous and premeditated,” Peterson said in a statement. – Aversion

with:
Rainbow Arabia

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text kisskick to 467467

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Saturday 02.21.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 02.21.09: HANG THE DJS with POP LEVI / GOLDEN YEARS / ACID GIRLS @ echoplex

with:
Pop Levi
Golden Years
Acid Girls

plus DJs:
Dia
Tim Biskup
Diana

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

10pm / $8 / 18+

Sunday 02.22.09: KIDROCKERS presents THE BROKEN WEST / WHISPERTOWN2000 – Hosted by Seth Herzog @ echo

with:
The Broken West || Listen
Whispertown 2000 || Listen

Hosted by:
Seth Herzog

KiDROCKERS is a concert series that began in January 2007. These All Ages shows are designed to bring families together to experience some of the most engaging and vital artists in indie music and comedy. Artists perform original (not specifically made for children) songs in a manner that is both authentic and kid-friendly. Past artists include Tad Kubler (and members of the Hold Steady), Matthew and Ira of Nada Surf, Ra Ra Riot, Langhorne Slim, The Jealous Girlfriends, Harlem Shakes, Rogue Wave, The Subjects, Looker, Bishop Allen, The Spinto Band, Locksley, Phonograph, Palomar, Pela, Los Campesinos!, Chris Baron and LEVY. Hosted by Seth Herzog and Craig Baldo.

Ages 3-13 recommended. Adults must be accompanied by a kid and vice versa.

1pm- 2:30pm / $9 in advance $12 at the door / All Ages

Sunday 02.22.09: PART TIME PUNKS – ARTHUR RUSSELL TRIBUTE NITE w/covers by HECUBA + JULIA HOLTER (AND FRIENDS) @ echo

With:
Hecuba || Listen
Julia Holter

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Monday 02.23.09: 826LA presents TINY VAUDEVILLE @ echoplex

826LA hosts 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:
Host Joel Spence
The Dan Bern Orchestra with Common Rotation
The Musical Stylings of Maria Taylor
Jeremy Konner and his Melodious Cutlery
Laraine Newman
Eddie Pepitone, Bhama Roget, Lauren Rogers
and more!

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

BUY TICKETS

8pm / $12 / 18+

Monday 02.23.09: HOLLOYS / AVI BUFFALO / HIS ORCHESTRA @ ECHO

Holloys || Listen

The holloys’ dynamically evolving sound of avant-garde techniques and influences drawn from a diverse range of cultural traditions and musical genres culminates in the release of Art Wars, their new, five-track EP. With its beat-heavy blend of trance, dance, Afropop polyrhythm, neo-prog, electronica and soaring pop melodies, Art Wars finally ushers rock into the 21st century.

Los Angeles-based visual artist and musician Jim Brown has taken the holloys through many incarnations and performance venues. Jim has toured the holloys throughout Mexico and Japan as a solo act, performed in the piss-stained alleys and lofts of LA’s gallery district, and has included an acclaimed solo show at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. At the same time, the holloys sound has evolved from ambient noise through abstract trance jamming to Art Wars’ successful reintegration of song and voice on its five, searing, pop-inflected and exquisitely danceable tracks.

With:
Avi Buffalo
His Orchestra

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 02.24.09: OLLIN / MENTIRITAS / KILLSONIC @ echo

Ollin || Listen

Originally a raucous chicano act that made its mark by spicing up punky rock ”’n roll with Tex-Mex and Jarocho influences, Ollin (the Aztec word for ””movement”” and ””earthquake””) eventually turned outwards to the rest of the world, incorporating klezmer and African sounds and rhythms into its music. More recently, Ollin opened for famed Irishmen The Pogues in San Francisco, and made such an impression that The Pogues demanded that the band open for them in Los Angeles late last year. The influence goes both ways: Ollin”’s new album San Patricios pays homage to the Irish soldiers in the Mexican-American War of 1847, and shows off a comfortable alignment of Irish fiddle-music and traditional Mexican rhythms. – Prefix Mag

with:
Mentiritas
Killsonic || Listen

8:30pm / $8 / 18+

Wednesday 02.25.09: DUB CLUB with TONY SCREW AKA DOWNBEAT THE RULER @ 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 / $10 / 21+

Wednesday 02.25.09: NO CULTURE @ echo

FMI: No Culture on Myspace

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

Thursday 02.26.09: HEALTH / ABE VIGODA / CAPTAIN AHAB @ echo

Health || Listen || Watch

To paraquote something Henry Rollins once wrote in his classic book, Get in the Van: I once saw Lightning Bolt make people lose their shit, but not like HEALTH. I have no basis of comparison to other HEALTH shows, but this will go down as one of the best live shows I’ve seen in my life, and I’ve seen more than a few. While HEALTH’s records are good, they don’t hold a candle to the live performance. Jerking themselves around like puppets the musicians were electrifying, and that crypto-divine power transferred to the audience, who writhed and jumping about with total abandon. To be honest, the crowd did get a little obnoxious, with more than a few people spilling splashes of drinks on pedal boards — something that made the musician in me cringe.

Although to some, HEALTH’s music might have sounded like utter chaos with occasional moments of sublime musical beauty, to me it was like they had taken the essence of no wave, post-punk, harsh noise and electronic pop and created an alchemical blend of all of it that was unbelievably intense and visceral. – Westword

with:
Abe Vigoda || Listen
Captain Ahab || Listen

8pm / $12 / all ages

Friday 02.27.09: Echo & Club Underground present – EVEREST / THE PARSON RED HEADS / TWO SHEDS @ echo

Everest || Listen || Watch

Ghost Notes is the perfect moniker for this album, Everest’s first. The group may be new, but the members have been kicking around the L.A. indie scene forever, finally coming together in this amalgamation to resurrect the sounds of the past. Recorded mostly live in the studio entirely on analog tape, the entire set has an early-’70s feel, as well as a glow to the sound that reflects Mike Terry’s expert engineering and production. The album divides rather nicely into two halves, just like a vinyl set, with the first half a bit brighter with pop undertones, the second more shadowed and pushing into jam and prog rock territory. “Trees” is buffeted by a breeze blowing out of the South, “Into Your Soft Heart” is tinged with British Invasion R&B and a whip of Who-esque power chords, a styling taken to its logical upbeat conclusion on the wildly infectious “Reloader.” In contrast are downtempo numbers like “Rebels in the Roses” and “Black Covers,” the former folk-tinged, the latter lusher in sound. Each one has its own many distinctive charms, but it’s the gorgeous, introspective “Only in Your Mind” that is the centerpiece of this half of the set. If you distilled Dark Side of the Moon, Pet Sounds, and Revolver into a glass and poured it over the California surf, it would probably sound like this. The glories of “Mind” are equalled by the exquisite aural tapestry of “I See It in Your Eyes,” a head-nodder of a number whose rich acoustic guitar is underlit by the tidal waves of organ, while the electric guitar eventually wades right into the surf. However, its jammy feel and proggy aura are counter-pointed by passages clearly inspired by Neil Young. Meanwhile, “Standing By” begins like an acoustic ballad but builds into an amazing spacy extravaganza. “Angry Storm” is gently rocked with yearning, and the coursing “Stumble Waltz” never puts a foot or note wrong, with the album closing with the powerful acoustic ballad “Taking on the Future.” The music throughout is sublime, the sound extraordinary, the arrangements inspired, and Russell Pollard’s lyrics capture the style of the past while feeling as fresh as today. Classic sounds make for a classic album, which is precisely what Ghost Notes is. – Billboard

with:
The Parson Red Heads || Listen
Two Sheds || Listen

Plus Club Underground Resident DJs spinning all night!

Save Money when you order tickets by mobile phone
text ghostnotes to 467467

8pm / $10 / 18+

Friday 02.27.09: the boulet brothers present MISS KITTYS PARLOUR SEVEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY BALL @ echoplex

come celebrate 7 years of electronic sin and fun at our new ballroom on the eastside!!

with live stage shows, burlesque, gogo boys and girls, and performances featuring a crew of the most infamous djs, dancers, performance artists, freaks and burlesque divas in town

7 DEADLY SINS electro burlesque floor show
featuring a seven year culmination of L.A. sin, oddities and fierce

7 DEADLY SINS Photo Exhibit from DAN SANTONI & APPOLLO STAR!
Official Release Party with swag & stars from VIVID ALT!
GIFT BAGS full of naughty fun from the Pleasure Chest!

Nu-Electro, Nu-Disco, Nu-Wave , Nu-Rave, indie dance with DJ BARBEAU and guests!

YOUR THEME IS FILTHY RICH!
all things retro, glamorous + naughty are encouraged; gutter glamour, pin up beauties, dandies, trust fund sluts, burlesque divas, steampunk studs, dirty mobsters, furs, & naughty retro fashions.

theme not required all are welcome.

With:
Your Hostess The Lady MISS KITTY
the boulet brothers
music by BARBEAU &Guests
Calpernia Addams
Johnny 2.0
Ernie Omega
Rhonda Le Fee
Kiwi THUNDER
Miss Kitty’s Filthy Family
Chrome Girl
Angelista Le Fuque
Melodie Gore
Katie Kane & More!

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Enter Through the Alley!

Coat Check & Valet Available, Cheap Drinks before 10:30pm!

10pm / FREE Before 10:30PM, $10 After / 21+

Saturday 02.28.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+