Friday 12.04.09: Club Underground and Echo Present- THE SHYS / CASTLEDOOR / BLACK HOLLIES @ echo

The Shys || Listen || Watch

The Shys have taken the crunchy guitars and heavy, fuzz-filled solos, and added more traditionally poppy group choruses and catchy melodies to come out with gritty rock that is immediately accessible. This record thrives on explosive dynamics. “The Hangman” opens with blazing guitars, only to drop them out completely two seconds later. “Savior” is defined by its pounding staccato drums and guitars, all before a rather melodic refrain of “I feel just like I found my savior.” Both tracks offer drastic musical breakdowns at key points, offering a powerful, calm-before-the-storm quality.The sing-along choruses of “She’s Already Gone” and “Mercy” echo Oasis, proving to be highly catchy, radio-ready rock, though the Shys stand as a grittier, gutsier version. – NPR

with:
Castledoor || Listen
The Black Hollies

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 18+

Monday 11.30.09: SEASONS / DOWNTOWN/UNION / JACK WILSON JR. / REGRETS AND BRUNETTES @ echo

Seasons || Watch

Seasons have the dynamics of psychedelic rock without the grimy cloud of sonic smoke that makes all psych rock sound the same. (You don’t hear the psychedelic influence on the recordings as much as you do seeing them live.) The songwriting itself, conversely, can actually be pretty poppy at times. They have the intellectual curiosity, whimsy, and thoughtfulness of aughty indie rock in the vein of The Arcade Fire. The lead singer is animated but serious and emotional, and still intensely mysterious. There’s seven guys in the band, so the soundscape is crowded and you benefit most from their live set by shiting your ear’s perspective to individual members of the band, then back to the whole spectacular soup of sound. The mutual participation and equity between band members on stage is an enormous part of their identity.

I’ve seen them three times and never left feeling anything other than “Jesus. Whoa.” Their song “Empty Spaceships” liberates repressed feeling, and then leaves one with a an oppressive sense of comfort instead. – Classical Geek Theatre

with:
Downtown/Union
Jack Wilson Jr.
Regrets and Brunettes

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Wednesday 11.11.09: Ninja Tune Presents BLOCKHEAD with DJ SIGNIFY / AMPLIVE of ZION / YPPAH / DERU @ echo

Blockhead || Listen || Watch || MP3 (promo code= ninja20)

Blockhead grew up in downtown New York City. The son of an artist, early on he found his passion was for music. A fan of a whole range of sounds, especially hip-hop, Blockhead steadily built a tremendous collection of tapes and later CDs from innumerable artists. After a brief stint as a rapper, he realized his calling was behind the boards and not on the mic, and from there he began to produce beats.

Since making that decision, he’s been kept pretty busy. Blockhead produced 9 tracks on Aesop Rock’s critically acclaimed album Labor Days. Additionally he produced half the tracks on Aesop’s follow up EP, Daylight. Blockhead has also been working with other indie giants such as Slug of Atmosphere, Murs, Mike Ladd and SA Smash. He also found time to complete a break beat album entitled Blockhead’s Broke Beats, with 10 hard hitting instrumental tracks, which was released on Mush Records, the US home of cLOUDDEAD. And just to prove that he ain’t all about art-rap, Blockhead produced 2 tracks on the newly crowned Skribble Jam Battle Champ, MacLethal’s full-length album. Oh, and the guy does comedy, too. He’s a member of the Party Fun Action Committee who’s hip-hop/comedy debut album was recently released on the legendary Def Jux. And what was the other thing? Oh yeah, exquisite, emotional instrumental hip hop on the one and only Ninja Tune…

with:
DJ Signify
Amplive of Zion
Yppah
Deru

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Friday 11.06.09: VTech and Mochilla present HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE / MIGUEL ATWOOD-FERGUSON QUINTET / MADLIB / COLEMAN / B+ @ echoplex

Live Performances by:
HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE || Listen || Watch
MIGUEL ATWOOD-FERGUSON QUINTET

DJ Sets from:
MADLIB || Listen
COLEMAN
B+

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are a family, literally. They are the heirs to the great musical tradition of Chicago. Their father Phil Cohran trained them from age three to play hard, fast and together. They boast a fan base as wide and eclectic as Barack Obama, David Byrne, Q-Tip, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Jools Holland and thousands more. Now with the news that they along with Mos Def and drummer extraordinaire Tony Allen will form the new Gorillaz outfit, you realize that this is no ordinary collective.

By the end of the nineties, with everyone out of school, they concentrated on their music full time. With a mix of their jazz roots and their hip-hop sensibility, they made a living for themselves on the streets of Chicago. While performing on a subway platform, they stumbled upon their name when a man who watched them for hours, missing train after train, proclaimed that he has been “hypnotized” by their music. With their composer skills aiding them to create a sound wholly their own, the group moved to New York City where they played with Mos Def and Erykah Badu.

From a chance encounter in November of 2005, and support from numerous artists, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble has released an album brimming with musical magic. Recorded on the back of the Africa Express trip to Lagos last October, during a three-day stop-over in London, with the drummer’s stool shared by Malcolm Catto from the The Heliocentrics, Sola Akingbola from Jamiroquai, and the one and only Tony Allen, and other musical luminaries Flea and Paul Simenon, this album is all that is cracked up to be and more.

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

9pm / $15 presale, $20 at the door / 21+

Sunday 11.08.09: KIDROCKERS with HENRY CLAY PEOPLE / SILVERSUN PICKUPS @ Echo (Afternoon show)

The Henry Clay People || Listen || Watch

Silversun Pickups || Listen || Watch

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 & Matt Dwyer

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 11.01.09: DIA DE LA CUMBIA – CHICOA / CASA DE CALACAS / CONJUNTO NUEVA OLA @ Echo

with:
Chicoa || Listen
Casa De Calacas || Listen
Conjunto Nueva Ola

Plus DJ
Naco Electrico

4pm / $5 / All Ages

Tuesday 11.10.09: 60 WATT KID / BEST COAST / GOWNS / TEARIST @ echo

60 Watt Kid || Listen || Watch (Record Release Show)

60 Watt Kid started their set beautifully and sweetly, samples of a woman “intrigued by the idea of virtual plastic surgery” lending themselves somehow to the build-up of a wondrous tune. Then they got into a second tune, Dylan Wood looping some “Wipeout” style drums into beautiful, fragile song structures. I realized that I was the only one sitting down. The rousing crescendos that suddenly dissipated into atmospheric delicacy, and the punctuation by guitarist Derek Thomas of what sounded like a child’s xylophone all kept the audience on their toes and quiet as sweaty church mice, even when front-man Kevin Litrow ended a song with “God Bless Patrick Swayze!”

Cutting the set much too short, they wrapped up with their Willy Alexander-esque “American Standard,” an against-type rockabilly tune, wherein Litrow meandered through the audience shouting things at people. They plunked the last few echoey notes, and sadly, the hip-hop CD started its thing once more. As the audience made its way to the lawn, I caught one young man with a Misfits tattoo on his neck tell his girlfriend “These guys were siiiiick!” – LA Record

with:
Best Coast || Listen
Gowns || Listen
Tearist

Entrance Fee gets you into both shows at the Echo/Echoplex!!

8:30pm / $8 / all ages

Monday 12.14.09: Manimal Vinyl Residency – WE ARE THE WORLD / RAINBOW^ARABIA / JESSICA 6 / LOVING THUNDER @ echo

We Are The World
Rainbow^Arabia || Listen
Jessica 6 || Listen
Loving Thunder

plus:
DJ Goddollars & Guests

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 12.07.09: Manimal Vinyl Residency – POLYAMOROUS AFFAIR / ZAZA / TEARIST / LACO$TE @ echo

The Polyamorous Affair || Listen
Zaza || Listen
Tearist
Laco$te || Listen

plus
DJ Manimal and Films All Night!

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Friday 11.13.09: Echo, Club Underground and KCRW present BOMBA ESTEREO / THE WALLBURDS @ echo

Bomba Estereo || Watch

Cumbia sicodélica is hardly a genre that overtly appeals to the mainstream. And yet Bomba Estereo, the Colombian duo that merges its country’s folkloric music with electronica, hip-hop and reggae, is turning plenty of heads with its song “Fuego,” the exhilarating lead single from its debut album, “Blow Up,” released in July. With as much swagger as an eight-member rap crew, petite singer/MC Liliana Saumet announces Bomba Estereo’s mission statement over a throbbing beat produced by her creative partner, Simon Mejia, and playfully refers to both Colombia’s burgeoning dance culture and traditional attire in the same breath. Though it’s likely to stay labeled as alternative-and thus remain off the commercial Latin airwaves-radio would do well to take a chance on this song, especially in the post-reggaetón programming landscape. – Billboard

with:
The Wallburds

8pm / $10 / 18+

Thursday 11.12.09: DEAD MEADOW / IMAAD WASIF / THE GROWLERS / USELESS KEYS @ echoplex

Dead Meadow || Listen || Watch

Stoner-rock avatars Dead Meadow have slimmed down to a power trio, but their fat, rubbery sound hasn’t lost any of its bluesy bombast in the process. They seem oblivious to the passage of time, still riding the heavy train that Iron Butterfly, Cream, Sir Lord Baltimore, and Hawkwind set in motion. That doesn’t mean they’re oblivious for the need for new product, though—their most recent studio album is still last year’s Old Growth, but they’re working on an old-fashioned feature-length concert film called Three Kings. (They’ve moved from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, so maybe they think they have to make a movie now.) There’s a trailer up on their MySpace page, and I’m getting a distinct Song Remains the Same vibe, probably mostly from the footage of the band wandering around in hooded druid robes. Despite all the vintage-­colored self-indulgence and the whiffs of 70s hippie neopagan cheesiness, Dead Meadow’s hazy, smoky, languidly violent music can achieve an eerie beauty that transcends era, and onstage they’re a fiercely disciplined rock machine—in other words, don’t hold your breath for a dwarf trampling a miniature Stonehenge. – Chicago Reader

with:

Imaad Wasif || Listen
The Growlers || Listen
Useless Keys || Listen

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

8pm / $12 / 18+

Sunday 11.08.09: BENEFIT FOR LAURA ANN with THE BACKWARD CLOCK SOCIETY / LIGHT FM / THE PITY PARTY / THE PULSARS / TIM RUTILI / THE HAPPY STARS @ echoplex

5pm The Happy Stars (Brian Young from Fountains of Wayne, Posies and Joe Skyward from the Posies),
6pm Tim Rutili (Red Red Meat, Califone)
7pm The Pulsars
8pm The Pity Party
9pm Light FM
10pm The Backward Clock Society

DJ/ Hostess Rotary Rachel

Smashing Pumpkin Auction items

Fortune Teller Madame Pamita on the patio

All proceeds will go to Laura’s medical costs.

If you would like to donate or read more about Laura’s condition you can read about her at http://www.lauraannsjams.com

@ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

4:30pm / $12 / all ages

Saturday 10.31.09: DIRTY PROJECTORS / LITTLE WINGS @ rec center studio (Early Show)

Dirty Projectors || Watch

Mr. Longstreth, a lanky guy who makes the strangest rooster-like neck movements when he plays, started the show with an odd pronouncement: “Nothing bad can happen because we are in the house of Robert Nesta Marley.” Then the new six-piece lineup of the band — the bassist Nat Baldwin and singer Haley Dekle have been added to the core quartet –launched into music that wasn’t reggae but seemed to envelop everything else imaginable.

The scratchy, African-influenced guitars Dirty Projectors fans are used to were there, but with a new kaleidoscopic complexity, and the addition of Mr. Baldwin on bass gave it all a sense of rhythmic solidity. The band’s three female members — Angel Deradoorian, Amber Coffman and Ms. Dekle — sang in harmonies so odd and precise they seemed to come from outer space; at one point they traded quick staccato notes as if singing Steve Reich on fast-forward. (If my music education is worth anything, I believe that technique is called hocketing. I’ll bet Dave Longstreth, who dropped out of Yale to make music full-time, knows if that’s right.)

Most impressive, though, is that it’s high-concept music that has real visceral power, and the crowd erupted into big belly roars at the end of every song. Like me, I think a lot of fans may have given up halfway through trying to give it all a zinger name and just let themselves be amazed. – New York Times

with:
Little Wings

@ Rec Center Studio
1161 Logan Street
Echo Park, CA 90026

7pm / $20.00 / all ages

Saturday 10.31.09: DEAD MAN’S BONES @ echo

Dead Man’s Bones || Listen || Watch

Some records are an absolute void of interesting review angles, forcing us critics to do, like, actual work. Dead Man’s Bones is not one of those records. Fact: Indie dreamboat and RealDoll lover portrayer Ryan Gosling is one-half of Los Angeles band Dead Man’s Bones. Wow! Fact: Dead Man’s Bones’ self-titled debut is a concept album vaguely about supernatural themes, released less than a month before Halloween! Gee! Fact: The vast majority of Dead Man’s Bones utilizes a real-life, full-on children’s choir, recruited from hipster kid academy the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. TILT TILT TILT! Step aside Girls, we’ve got a new backstory winner for 2009.

It’s a credit to the record then that none of these angles turn out to be easy nooses by which to hang the project. The one triggering most alarm bells, of course, is Gosling’s involvement, since everyone knows that movie-star bands tend to range from amateurishly terrible to inoffensively generic. Well, I’ll dispel that preconception straight away– Dead Man’s Bones is a really, really weird record, a project where the musical reference points at least indicate that Gosling and his co-conspirator Zach Shields have record collections that go deeper than an iPod nano.

The other two angles– spooky themes and a kid’s choir– are both symptoms of the record’s most endearing quality, a surplus of ideas and a willingness to combine them in ways that are vibrant, sloppy, and fun. Though the record begins with a pretentious spoken-word introductory track (kind of a necessary concept-album evil) followed by its worst song (the Ambien-overdosed and over-serious “Dead Hearts”), the remainder of the project is slapdash, giddy, and surprisingly dense. Like an old Elephant 6 record, Dead Man’s Bones has a lo-fi warts-and-all feel that’s less lazy aesthetic than charmingly handmade, even more charismatic for it’s unevenness. – Pitchfork

6pm / $20 / All Ages

Friday 10.30.09: DEAD MANS BONES @ echo

Dead Man’s Bones || Listen || Watch

Some records are an absolute void of interesting review angles, forcing us critics to do, like, actual work. Dead Man’s Bones is not one of those records. Fact: Indie dreamboat and RealDoll lover portrayer Ryan Gosling is one-half of Los Angeles band Dead Man’s Bones. Wow! Fact: Dead Man’s Bones’ self-titled debut is a concept album vaguely about supernatural themes, released less than a month before Halloween! Gee! Fact: The vast majority of Dead Man’s Bones utilizes a real-life, full-on children’s choir, recruited from hipster kid academy the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. TILT TILT TILT! Step aside Girls, we’ve got a new backstory winner for 2009.

It’s a credit to the record then that none of these angles turn out to be easy nooses by which to hang the project. The one triggering most alarm bells, of course, is Gosling’s involvement, since everyone knows that movie-star bands tend to range from amateurishly terrible to inoffensively generic. Well, I’ll dispel that preconception straight away– Dead Man’s Bones is a really, really weird record, a project where the musical reference points at least indicate that Gosling and his co-conspirator Zach Shields have record collections that go deeper than an iPod nano.

The other two angles– spooky themes and a kid’s choir– are both symptoms of the record’s most endearing quality, a surplus of ideas and a willingness to combine them in ways that are vibrant, sloppy, and fun. Though the record begins with a pretentious spoken-word introductory track (kind of a necessary concept-album evil) followed by its worst song (the Ambien-overdosed and over-serious “Dead Hearts”), the remainder of the project is slapdash, giddy, and surprisingly dense. Like an old Elephant 6 record, Dead Man’s Bones has a lo-fi warts-and-all feel that’s less lazy aesthetic than charmingly handmade, even more charismatic for it’s unevenness. – Pitchfork

7pm / $20 / All Ages

Wednesday 11.25.09: 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 11.18.09: 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 11.11.09: DUB CLUB presents ROOTS SHOWCASE with JR TOOTS / RAS BENJI / PRINCESS AKUA / LLOYD HEMMINGS / INCIENT ROOTSMAN / IFA and more @ echoplex

ROOTS SHOWCASE

featuring the top local reggae artists:
Jr Toots
Ras Benji
Princess Akua
Lloyd Hemmings
Incient Rootsman
Ifa

with special guest
Andrew Bees from Black Uhuru

all backed by
Shakaman and the Jubilee Orchestra

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

9pm / $10 / 21+

Wednesday 11.04.09: 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+

Friday 11.20.09: CLUB UNDERGROUND with POLLYN / DIVISIBLE @ echo

With:
Pollyn || Listen
Divisible

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+

Wednesday 11.04.09: LOW VS DIAMOND / MELEE / VOXHAUL BROADCAST @ echo

Low Vs. Diamond || Listen || Watch

The band, made up of five members from five different big American cities, seem to be kind of like these characters, once they’ve sorted out their personality conflicts, bringing to their songs very stable matter and also enabling it to be interpreted in a way that are completely alive and pulsating all over the place. Oddly enough, Field resembles The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, at times in his vocal delivery, and one tries hard to denounce any sort of suppositions or leaps of definition, but the sound of it – on this self-titled debut – could be exactly what the currently wayward Vegas band were intending when they wrote “Sam’s Town.” This is twistedly how they would have liked it to have sounded – with the punch in the gut of blue-collar American life rolling by the eyes of all those hard-working people who’ve never known them in mirrors without the rings under them, people who might not be getting all of the happiness out of their lives that they’d dreamed up so long ago, but the hardship is holding off fairly well and that’s an accomplishment unto itself. It’s a point in a life’s soundtrack when there’s no need for synthetic sounds – just real piano, real fucking guitar and real, chill-inducing words that settle us into a recounting of a life that ticks loudly, with its triumphs, with its failures and grievances, with its unsustainable pace. Field sings, “Time can’t stop the soul/I became the void you couldn’t know,” during the tune “Song We Sang Away” and it’s an idea – the first part about the resiliency of the soul – that is at the heart of everything the band makes and that unknowable void is what makes it all as enthralling as it is. – Daytrotter

with:
Melee || Listen
Voxhaul Broadcast || Listen

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 18+

Monday 11.23.09: FANFARLO / FREE LANCE WHALES @ echo

Fanfarlo || Listen || Watch

Their upbeat attitude totally infused their music, and then the crowd. It came through in trumpet, melodicas, keyboards, drums, melodic bass and passionate dreamy stories sung by Simon Balthazar. Now, more then a year later, comes Reservoir, the first album from Fanfarlo. It was worth the wait. Lyrically, Reservoir reveals itself with each listen. The opening cut, “I Am A Pilot,” I believe is about Howard Hughes and has these lyrics: If I stay in this room / They’ll remember me for my youth If I stay in this room / They’ll remember me for my youth. If I give it all up / But kid I’m a pilot / It’s all I believe in / You can ride on my back. My adoration for this band grows with every repeat. The melodies are full of emotion and the way the songs hang together is delicate and powerful. – NPR

with:
Freelance Whales

8:30pm / $10 advance, $12 day of show / 18+

Sunday 12.06.09: PART TIME PUNKS with COLD CAVE / NITE JEWEL / DJ TIM BURGESS @ echo

with:
Cold Cave
Nite Jewel || Listen

and:
guest DJ Tim Burgess (THE CHARLATANS)

plus resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 18+

Sunday 11.29.09: PART TIME PUNKS – FACTORY RECORDS NITE @ echo

with guest DJ Tristes Tropiques

plus resident dj Michael Stockspinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Sunday 11.22.09: PART TIME PUNKS – BRITPOP NITE @ echo

with guest DJ Larry (from UNDERGROUND)

plus resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Sunday 11.01.09: PART TIME PUNKS with FANCY SPACE PEOPLE / THE BAMBI SLAM / GARBAJ KAETZ @ echo

with:
Fancy Space People
The Bambi Slam
Garbaj Kaetz

resident dj Michael Stock spinning mutant disco * Postpunk * indiepop

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Friday 11.20.09: Tilt and Echo NEON INDIAN / KEENHOUSE / TIGERCITY / LITTLE RED RADIO / SHORT CIRCUIT @ echoplex

Neon Indian

For Alan Palomo, reflecting on the music of the Reagan era has a personal component. The Texas-reared Mexico native’s dad, Jorge, was a bit of a Spanish-language pop star in the late 1970s and early 80s. The analog electronics of that bygone period echo throughout the younger Palomo’s increasingly promising previous recordings, whether with former band Ghosthustler (he wore the Power Glove in the video for their “Parking Lot Nights”) or, more recently, on VEGA’s Well Known Pleasures EP. Finally, working with Brooklyn-based visual collaborator Alicia Scardetta as Neon Indian, Palomo has brought all the best of 2009’s summer sounds– bedroom production, borrowed nostalgia, unresolved sadness, deceptively agile popcraft– together on a single album.

Whatever they owe to the past, the memories on Psychic Chasms are Palomo’s and ours. Soft vocals recalling You Made Me Realise-era Kevin Shields. Italo-disco synth arpeggios. Hall & Oates drum sounds. Divebombing video-game effects. Brittle guitar distortion. Manipulated tapes that bend the notes the way Shields’ “glide guitar” did, the way bluesmen’s fret fingers did. Field recordings of birds. Oohing and ahhing backing vocals. And samples, on at least two songs, of the elder Palomo, whose electro-rock approach was quite similar. All combine on eight or nine unforgettable songs and a few tantalizingly brief interludes, indelibly capturing the glamor and bleary malaise of being young and horny as an empire devours itself.

Like a low-rent Daft Punk, Palomo takes what 1990s rock fans probably would’ve considered cheesy– LinnDrum and Oberheim rhythms, Chromeo-plated electro-funk Korg riffs, processed party-vocal samples– and not only makes them part of a distinct artistic vision, but also keeps them fun. Quick opener “(AM)” is rife with detail, as an indecipherable tenor floats over a mock-dramatic drum fill and 8-bit star cruisers do battle against twinkling fairy dust. Another sub-minute interstitial track, “(If I Knew, I’d Tell You)”, keeps its secrets to itself, letting multiple melodic synth lines hint at a gulf-sized pool of melancholy over a tape-altered rhythm track. “Laughing Gas”, at slightly more than a lyric-less minute and a half, is the one that ruins my attempted distinction between songs and interludes, with bongo drums, robot vocal samples, and euphoric giggles straight out of those Air France kids’ dreams. The cumulative result is a meltdown-deadened but deliriously inventive perspective on pop. – Pitchfork

with:
Keenhouse
Tigercity
Little Red Radio
Short Circuit

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

9pm / $12 / 18+

Monday 10.19.09:DYLAPALOOZA with TONIC / MATT COSTA / EMILY WELLS / SONOS / LEAH ANDREONE / THE LONELY FOREST @ echoplex

a fundraiser for the out-of-pocket costs of cancer treatment for Dylan David

DYLAPALOOZA is a very personal benefit concert featuring performances by the unbelievably talented multi-instrumentalist Emily Wells and the inimitable vocal group Sonos . The all-ages show will take place on Monday, October 19 and is sponsored by MySpace Records, Hotel Café, and Pablove.org/Dangerbird Records. Dylapalooza also features the powerful LA singer-songwriter Leah Andreone and Pacific-Northwest up-and-comers The Lonely Forest with possibly a few more guests to be announced this week. The benefit celebrates the courage of a young boy, Dylan David, who has already battled cancer twice in his short life. Proceeds will help his family overcome the tremendous costs of brain surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, other treatments, medications, travel and hospital stays. For more information about Dylan or this show, go to: myspace.com/dylapalooza

Additional info at http://dylan.ericdavid.info/

with:
Tonic
Matt Costa
Emily Wells
Sonos
Leah Andreone
The Lonely Forest

7:00pm / $10 / All Ages

Tuesday 10.13.09: EDDIE IZZARD – A Benefit for 826LA @ echoplex

Eddie Izzard

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

7pm / $25 seated, $20 standing / 18+

Saturday 11.21.09: THE JUAN MACLEAN DJ SET / PARALLELS / ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM / DJ TURBOTITO / DJ BLAKE MILLER (Moving Units) @ echoplex

A Tribute to Jerry Fuchs
(The Juan Maclean / !!! / Holy Ghost! / Maserati / Turing Machine)

The Juan Maclean (DJ SET) || Listen || Watch

Interestingly, The Future Will Come occasionally reminds the listener of that other musical trend, the re-reading of the ’80s. Tracks such as the deceptively simple One Day and A New Bot could easily fit onto Metronomy’s album or La Roux’s forthcoming debut. With sometime LCD Soundsystem cohort Nancy Whang delivering clipped, almost deadpan vocals, some tracks here bring to mind the Human League (particularly The Station), a connection cemented by MacLean claiming to have listened to Dare constantly for inspiration.

Whilst most dance acts begin to test a listener’s patience by the sixth minute, MacLean seems to revel in drawing a song out, building layer upon layer and then stripping all the elements away again. Eight-minute opener The Simple Life is a case in point, a synthetic drum beat and undulating keyboard riff playing out the opening four minutes until Whang finally appears to deliver the phrase “Now You’re Gone” ad infinium. It’s a mesmeric, utterly addictive opener.

Elsewhere, Happy House, originally released last year, closes the album in style with 12 minutes of intricate percussion, organ stabs and a deliciously retro rave keyboard riff that would make even the greyest businessman throw shapes.

The Future Will Come is the kind of album you could listen to loudly in a club, or at home with some headphones and it would suit either. Welcome back intelligent dance music, we’ve missed you. – MusicOMH

with:
Parallels || Listen
Anti-Pop Consortium

Plus DJs:
Turbotito
Blake Miller (Moving Units)

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

8:30pm / $12 / 18+

Saturday 11.07.09: BOOTIE LA @ echoplex

BOOTIE LA
LA’s monthly mashup bootleg party

It’s REQUEST NIGHT!
Request your favorite mashups, songs, or artists and Bootie’s DJs will it play it or mash it up!
You can also Twitter requests to @clubbootie — http://www.twitter.com/clubbootie

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

Bootie LA’s resident dance crew:
R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance)

Free Bootie mashup CDs for the first 75 people!

It’s Request Night! Why yes, we DO take requests! Tonight, Bootie aims to please — request your favorite mashups, songs, or artists, and resident DJs Adrian, Mysterious D, and Paul V. will do their best to play it or mash it up! You can also Twitter requests from the dance floor! Just follow clubbootie on Twitter, and tweet your requests by mentioning @clubbootie. And for the Midnight Mashup Show, resident dance crew R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance) will take the Echoplex stage with another epic, gold-suited, choreographed dance number!

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 nine cities on three 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!

Bootie’s resident DJs 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!

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

FMI: http://www.BootieLA.com

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

Saturday 11.14.09: RUSSIAN CIRCLES / YOUNG WIDOWS / HELMS ALEE @ echoplex

Russian Circles || Listen || Watch || Mp3

It may share its name with another second city, but the third LP from the Russian Circles calls to mind a fairly famous quote from one of their hometown’s favorite sons. “Chicago is an October sort of city even in spring,” Nelson Algren wrote, and Geneva’s an October sort of album no matter when you put it on. Geneva feels very much like the city its members hang their hats: rusty and steely and shifty, overcast and a little cold, and– Algren again– “battle-colored.” It evokes a long early morning’s drive down the length of any one of Chicago’s city-spanning north-south thoroughfares, blowing through both industrial grit and beatific parkways, eyes peeled for crumbling facades and flashes of chrome and the not-so-occasional pothole.

There were signposts to Geneva all over the spiny, immediate Enter and last year’s prettier, driftier Station, but on their third go, the Circles are clearing a path all for themselves. Debts are still due to genre godheads like Mogwai and Slint, for certain, but like the best work of their obvious forebears, on Geneva the Circles have found a way to make three guys in a room sound like a lot more than three guys in a room. Credit where credit’s due: a great deal of Geneva’s success lies in the string work of cellist Allison Chesley and violinist Susan Voelz, who add a resonant depth to many of the record’s best moments, filling in the gaps around these insistent compositions with a kind of sweeping gothic grime. But even without the hired hands, Russian Circles are penning limber, purpose-driven tunes, then playing the hell out of them. And, in their structure and execution both, this is doubtless their finest work yet. – Pitchfork

with:
Young Widows || Listen
Helms Alee

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

8:30pm / $12 advance, $14 day of show / 18+

Friday 10.02.09: Echo presents THOM YORKE @ echoplex

Thom Yorke || Listen

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

Tickets on sale on Friday Oct 2nd at Noon

2 ticket limit. Tickets are non-transferable.

8pm / $20 / 18+

Thursday 10.29.09: ALELA DIANE / MARISSA NADLER @ echo

Alela Diane || Listen || Watch

Diane demonstrated her broad range and flexibility, interpreting songs by artists as disparate as Vashti Bunyan, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Daniel Johnston on 2008’s The Silence of Love, which she recorded with some musician friends as Headless Heroes. To Be Still will never fire up any parties, but its emotional range is as wide as that covers project’s– from “Age Old Blue”, a wistful duet with craggy-voiced troubadour Michael Hurley about Diane’s sharecropping Scottish ancestors, to the flushed-cheek, string-surging “My Brambles”. Lead track “Dry Grass and Shadows” sets a playful tone, the sigh of steel pedal underlining her languid, country-twangy come-on: “I like to look at your teeth lined up in perfect rows… Where the flatlands stretch inside your mouth/ And when you laugh all the star thistles tumble out.” A little hippie-dippy, but also utterly enchanting.

The album’s first single, “White as Diamonds”, best showcases her expanded musical ambitions and the record’s pristine sound (coproduced with her bluegrass musician father in his studio). Two years ago, accompanied by acoustic guitar, Diane previewed the newly hatched song for Daytrotter (second station of the cross for up-and-comers after Blogotheque) and claimed “Diamonds” is about silence and uh, snow. Disingenuous-sounding, for sure, but it’s not like she’s the first artist who’d prefer not to parse lyrics. She’s also absolutely right: Simplicity is key to the song’s stark power, and its uncluttered vocabulary of fiddle, cello, guitar and drawn-out, warbled “wooooahs” are as head-clearing as a cold February morning. Fill its white spaces with what you will. – Pitchfork

with:
Marissa Nadler

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Sunday 10.25.09: PART TIME PUNKS – SMITHS / MORRISSET NITE with Guest DJ JOSE MALDONADO (The Sweet And Tender Hooligans) @ echo

Guest DJ:
Jose Maldonado (from The Sweet And Tender Hooligans)

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Wednesday 10.28.09: LE LOUP / RANDOM PATTERNS @ echo

Le Loup || Listen || Watch || Mp3

Having released the impressive The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly in 2007, Le Loup have thankfully followed it up with both a shorter titled and even more impressive album in Family; a perfect blend of AC’s Sung Tongs and Panda Bear’s Person Pitch. That Le Loup have taken inspiration from Baltimore’s finest is unquestionable, but what they have also done is taken that influence and inspiration and created something that warrant’s its place alongside its stimulus.

If you take the term folk music and the German expression ‘Volk’ (“the people as a whole”) from which it is derived then it is more likely in this day and age that you would be describing the kind of dreadful pop music that pollutes the charts of most nations that record them. However if you use the expression as it is classically applied, then it is still a genre in which Family rather snugly fits. It uses simple ingredients to create something honest and memorable. There is no pretention, no agenda other than to communicate thoughts or feelings through music. From the cheering tones of one of the world’s most underrated instruments, the banjo, to the warming monk choir-like vocals that permeate throughout, Family is the sound of pure contentment and is almost impossible not to fall in love with. – Altsounds

with:
Random Patterns

Nurses Canceled due to Illness

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Friday 10.23.09: TRANNYSHACK @ echoplex

Halloween arrives early in Los Angeles! Trannyshack LA returns, this time at Echoplex, our new home, and our biggest and best venue yet. With a line-up of the most scarily talented trannies on the West Coast, this will be the party not to miss this Halloween season. Featuring performances by Kim Burly, Raya Light, Peggy L’eggs, Lady Bear, Syphilis Diller, Mercy Fuque, Ambrosia Salad, Fade Dra, Tammie Brown, Squeaky Blonde, and more. Hostess-or, Ghostess- Heklina keeps a tight rein on the chills and thrills, and DJ Dave Rape supplies the spine tingling beats before and after the show. Drop dead diva’s Barbie Q and Phyllis Navidad will greet you at the door….

Trannyshack, San Francisco’s infamous drag performance night club, shocked and delighted packed audiences every Tuesday night at midnight for over twelve years. Defying all expectations, Trannyshack incorporated everything from low brow trash to high brow performance art, and became famous (or, infamous) worldwide as the quintessential San Francisco experience. No visit to the City was complete without a stop at Trannyshack. The club has been featured in Out (which named it one of the top 10 reasons to move to San Francisco), Genre, Instinct, and Paper magazines and won numerous Best of the Bay awards, and was filmed for an independent feature length documentary , titled “Filthy Gorgeous: The Trannyshack Story” . Trannyshack is now branching out it’s empire, with shows in LA, London, Waikiki, Seattle, Portland, New Orleans, and Reno enjoying great success.

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

9pm / $8 before 10pm, $12 after / 21+

Saturday 10.31.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 10.24.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 10.17.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 10.10.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 10.31.09: DOWN AND DERBY HALLOWEEN ROLLER DISCO with PINK DOLLAZ @ echoplex

Down and Derby, the premier roller skating organization that has quickly garnered a loyal following in cities such as Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Pomona and New York City, will host a special Halloween event at The Echoplex on Saturday, October 31. Dublab DJs Greenleaf, SFV Acid and Suzanne Kraft will control the roller disco rink’s turntables, broadcasting amplified sounds for the eight-wheeled revelers.

Down and Derby is a retro-inspired roller-skating party created and designed to give attendees a unique nightlife experience. The interactive throwback events combine décor reminiscent of a 70s roller disco with attendees wearing fashion attire evocative of the era. DJs known for pushing the limits of mixing and music production are procured, adding vibrant energy to the event with both underground and popular mixes.

The entry fee is $5 with RSVP, $10 at the door and quad skates of every size will be available to rent for another $5. Guests are welcome to bring their own roller skates to the event.

with:
Pink Dollaz

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

RSVP at www.downandderby.org

9pm / $5 with RSVP, $10 at the door / 18+

Saturday 10.31.09: DIRTY PROJECTORS / LITTLE WINGS @ rec center studio

Dirty Projectors || Watch

Mr. Longstreth, a lanky guy who makes the strangest rooster-like neck movements when he plays, started the show with an odd pronouncement: “Nothing bad can happen because we are in the house of Robert Nesta Marley.” Then the new six-piece lineup of the band — the bassist Nat Baldwin and singer Haley Dekle have been added to the core quartet –launched into music that wasn’t reggae but seemed to envelop everything else imaginable.

The scratchy, African-influenced guitars Dirty Projectors fans are used to were there, but with a new kaleidoscopic complexity, and the addition of Mr. Baldwin on bass gave it all a sense of rhythmic solidity. The band’s three female members — Angel Deradoorian, Amber Coffman and Ms. Dekle — sang in harmonies so odd and precise they seemed to come from outer space; at one point they traded quick staccato notes as if singing Steve Reich on fast-forward. (If my music education is worth anything, I believe that technique is called hocketing. I’ll bet Dave Longstreth, who dropped out of Yale to make music full-time, knows if that’s right.)

Most impressive, though, is that it’s high-concept music that has real visceral power, and the crowd erupted into big belly roars at the end of every song. Like me, I think a lot of fans may have given up halfway through trying to give it all a zinger name and just let themselves be amazed. – New York Times

with:
Little Wings

@ Rec Center Studio
1161 Logan Street
Echo Park, CA 90026

9:30pm / $20.00 / all ages

Saturday 10.03.09: FUNKY SOLE @ echo

with DJs:
Music Man Miles
Clifton AKA Soft Touch

FMI: Funky Sole on Myspace

10pm / FREE / 21+

Tuesday 10.20.09: THE SUBJECTS / BAD VEINS / COBRA LILIES @ echo

The Subjects || Listen || Watch

The origins of The Subjects goes like this: Guitarist Joe Smith and singer/bassist Dave Sheinkopf were teachers at a Manhattan school with clichéd rock star dreams. Enter their students, drummer Matt Iwanusa and guitarist Jimmy Carbonetti. Take a few rehearsals and you have a rising band with a poppy, minimalist sound. Makes you wish you paid attention in school, doesn’t it?

The band first hit the scene with 2007’s With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings. Now they’re back with the a new EP entitled New Soft Shoe that reflects the growth spurt of a band who has seen some things. Whether it’s touring with White Rabbits and Tapes n’ Tapes or jamming through SXSW, the band’s sound has morphed into a four headed beast who pulls from a collective pool of interests and works to create a sound that emphasizes four unique yet wholly similar voices.

While the new EP has songs that stylistically draw from a group like Animal Collective, the band worked to make a more varied sound. Whether it’s the goliath of old church organs, the rhythm of honky-tonk strings and piano or even Iwanusa’s mom on the sax, the album brings together the structuring of some classical work (Sheinkopf was classically trained in harmony) with eccentric pop work that is light and fresh with just enough thud and kick to it. – Consequence of Sound

with:

Bad Veins || Listen || Watch || Mp3

Bad Veins live show is a very interesting thing. The two person band from Cincinnati, Ohio manage to recreate the lush, orchestrated sound from their album on stage. Captivating and energetic, it’s hard to know who to look at as an audience member of a Bad Veins show as both drummer Sebastien Schultz and singer/guitarist Benjamin Davis demand your attention, albeit in very different ways. Schultz drums with the energy of at least three enthused punk drummers while Davis’s mannerisms imply that he truly does believe the words he’s singing as his guitar cuts and his voice remains lackadaisically seductive, no matter the amount of energy he seems to be expelling on stage. The fact that Bad Veins brand of sexy, hip indie pop is easy to digest and very appealing makes not only their just-released self titled debut a must to pick up but it also makes the Bad Veins fellows (and their reel to reel, lovingly named Irene, which produces all the wonderful sounds you hear that aren’t made by Benjamin and Sebastien) a worthwhile show to check out. – Radio Free Chicago

plus:
Cobra Lilies || Listen

8:30pm / $8 / 18+

Wednesday 10.14.09: HARPER SIMON / PETRA HADEN AND JIM BIANCO / INARA GEORGE AND ELENI MANDELL @ echo

Harper Simon || Listen || Watch

At 36, Paul Simon’s son (from his first marriage) is finally ready for his solo debut after years as a singer or guitarist in indie bands (Menlo Park and, with Simon’s current wife Edie Brickell, the Heavy Circles). “It took me a while to find my voice and be in a place in my life where I was ready to take that on,” says Simon, whose dulcet voice and pensive, thoughtful songs (“Wishes and Stars,” “All to God”) recall his father’s work. To help flesh what the calls “a homage to the LPs of the ’60s (“I’m not interested in making 10 separate songs sold on iTunes for 99 cents — I’m interested in the album”), Simon turned to a wide array of musical peers and friends, from veteran producer Bob Johnson (Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel) and Attractions pianist Steve Nieve to peers like Sean Lennon and Joan Wasser. His father even pitched in, writing the lyrics to what his son calls the “mock-autobiographical” country tune “Tennessee.” “He enjoyed the challenge of taking on a very traditional country structure,” says Simon. “He’d never done that before.” – Rolling Stone

with:
Petra Haden & Jim Bianco
The Living Sisters Lite (Inara George & Eleni Mandell)

8pm / $10 / 18+

Wednesday 10.07.09: TOTIMOSHI / SUBARACHNOID SPACE / OVO / PETER KOLOVOS @ echo

Totimoshi || Listen || Watch || Mp3

I’ve been a fan of Bay-area trio Totimoshi for awhile now, and the group has always struck me as incredibly underrated. If you do a little reading about the band you’ll find every similarity possible to any of their metal, hard rock, or stoner rock peers out on the road today. But the trio’s Latin heritage, Tony Aguilar’s unique voice, and their all-around desert-scorching sound add dimensions to Totimoshi’s essence that are so very lacking elsewhere. The trio has been referred to as a stoner rock or jam band way too many times to count. I’m not sure either label actually applies. Tuned-down and sludgy? Yes, but there is so much more going on here on Milagrosa. Totimoshi isn’t a party band, but they will shake your soul. – Adequacy

with:
SubArachnoid Space
OvO
Peter Kolovos

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 18+

Sunday 10.04.09: KIDROCKERS presents THE DAMSELLES / QUAZAR AND THE BAMBOOZLED @ echo (day show)

The Damselles || Watch
Quazar & The Bamboozled

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 & Matt Dwyer

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

Tuesday 10.27.09: Otik Records Presents THE VOYEURS / THE FLYING TOURBILLON ORCHESTRA / THE MONOLATORS / @ echo

The Voyeurs || Listen || Watch
(As Creedence Clearwater Revival)

The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra || Listen
(As Fleetwood Mac)

The Monolators || Listen
(as ABBA)

The Karabal Nightlife || Listen
(As T-Rex)

8:30pm / FREE with Costume, $5 without / 18+

Friday 10.30.09: 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+

Friday 10.09.09: CLUB UNDERGROUND with NORTHERN SKY / CANNONEERS OF THE NEW COMMAND @ echo

Northern Sky
Cannoneers of the New Command

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+

Friday 10.02.09: 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+

Monday 10.26.09: OLIN AND THE MOON / MICHAEL RUNION @ echoplex

Olin & The Moon || Watch

Three Idaho boys bring their rural charm to the Los Angeles scene with a little help from a pretty face along the way. Olin and the Moon’s self-titled album is a promising start for these old friends as they attempt to stand out from the crowd they’ve chosen to surround themselves with.

Drummer Marshall Vore allows the band to reside confidently in between the overtly fast and the unconsciously mellow, while singer David LaBrel shines with storytelling skills that stand up to the likes of Bright Eye’s Conor Oberst. Invoking images of a rock star retiring to the moon, “Moon Man” is like a monotone ballad version of “Ziggy Stardust.” In “Home,” the band conjures up fond memories of simple farm life protecting innocent love: “I wanna take you to the trees / Where the forest and the farm lands meet … Where you can lay out on the grass all day / Where it is safe.” Songs like these benefit from acoustic guitar strums, heavenly bells and sweet piano undertones.

Tracks like “Oh Bells” and “Song of the Summer” are focused more around the band’s own experiences on the road as musicians, referencing sound guys and getting drunk while singing. Olin and the Moon’s adolescent drive comes via David LaBrel’s brother Travis and his powerful lead guitar. His chord formations draw in ears to his trickling melodies — most notably on “Changin’“ and “Take It To Hell” — but they often overtake the songs, drowning out Erica Wheeler’s bass and David LaBrel’s vocals.

Olin and the Moon desperately strive to engage listeners in music that expresses their love for the art form; with an album like this, they just might succeed. – Performer Mag

with:
Michael Runion

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

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Saturday 10.24.09: KID SISTER / FLOSSTRADAMUS / TOTALLY MICHAEL @echoplex

Kid Sister || Watch

The head of Kid Sister’s long-awaited album is finally reaching the end of the birth canal: It’s a girl, her name is Ultraviolet and she’s finally coming out October 6 on Downtown Records.
Months of rapid anticipation, encouraged by Kid Sis’s adorable Twitter-ing (“Ew my nails look crazy. I look like I raze barns for a living…”) and ridiculous live performances, have crested to make this one of the year’s most exciting album drops. The buzz from her 2007 single, “Pro Nails,” feat. Kanye West has only grown as Kid Sister keeps on her performing grind and stays real with her fans, delaying her own album release just to get every detail perfect. I smell a classic in the oven.

In addition to Kid Sister’s already infectious flow, I personally can’t wait to check out the production on the album, coming from hard-hitters like Rusko, XXXChange, Herve, and DJ Gant-Man. Don’t sleep on Chicago’s most fully-fitted female rapper this fall! – The Tripwire

with:
Flosstradamus
Totally Michael

The Very Best Had to Cancel Due to Passport Problems

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

8:30pm / $16 adv; $18 dos / 18+

Thursday 10.15.09: DAN DEACON / NUCLEAR POWER PANTS @ echo

Dan Deacon || Listen

With Bromst, Deacon not only shucks the “wacky” thing, he replaces it (and those gadgets) with virtuosity of composition and an array of instruments. This album represents his transformation from Baltimore club freak to overstimulated kin of Brian Eno and Cornelius. These are thick songs built around left-field ideas, positively fat with melodic content—physically shake the record, and sheets of notes would probably spray out like a colorful rain of tonal Skittles. Much of this is due to the use of a digitally rigged player piano capable of generating acoustic notes faster than any pair of human hands, but Deacon doesn’t lean on this. Rather, he writes extra-dense for the odd instrument, then spends as much (or more) effort shaping the atmosphere it inhabits. With most songs breaking six minutes, it’s challenging to digest individual pieces—“Red F” has those skittering percussive rolls, “Snookered” recalls Eno’s Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy, “Surprise Stefani” feels like Steve Reich—but it’s surprisingly easy to “get” Bromst as an album. Deacon has always said that he writes within his physical means (then: homemade equipment, sweltering clubs; now: actual studios, actual venues). A word of advice for anyone who crosses Dan’s path: Give this man anything he asks for. – The Onion (A.V. Club)

with:
Nuclear Power Pants

8pm / $10 / all ages

Wednesday 10.21.09: THE HEAVY / SWEATERS / SHIRLEY ROLLS @ echo

The Heavy || Watch

If anyone is curious as to where Howlin’ Wolf, James Brown or even Elvis Presley resurrected and blessed their talents to then you should look no further then to the indie rock band The Heavy. The English indie rock band is taking music to new heights with their sound that consists of heavy hip hop soul funk.

When listening to their album “The House That Dirt Built” be prepared to take a few trips back in time to the 1940s and the 1950s. Not to sound extreme but it is almost like this band was reincarnated from another lifetime and brought into our generation to keep soul funk alive. When listening to “Sixteen” lead vocalist Kelvin Swaby tells a story of a girl who seemingly dances with the devil. Now she looked just like heaven but her mind reeked of hell now I know I shouldn’t be telling but I guess if you know her well she’s the kind of girl she cant hold on she’s already there, sixteen. “Oh No! Not You Again!” and “What You Want Me To Do” has a more upbeat tempo and gives us the reminder that this rock band has the ability to make you move. “Love Like That” has a funky melody while “Stuck” is more of a mellow groove.

The Heavy does not disappoint when it comes to their delivery and style as a band, they are definitely unique and refreshing to ones ears and gives their listeners the ability to discover what an indie soul rock band can really do. – URB

with:
Sweaters
Shirley Rolls || Listen

8:30pm / $10 / 18+

Thursday 10.22.09: LIAM FINN + ELIZA JANE / JASON LYTLE / THE 88 @ echoplex

Liam Finn + Eliza Jane || Listen

Liam Finn calls his beard “well-traveled” for a good reason. Over the past year alone, the troubadour performed over 180 times at venues far from his New Zealand abode, opening for The Black Keys, Pearl Jam and Wilco. Yet Finn’s most impressive venture to date has not been to any geographical location, but past the barriers of a comfort zone. Although he considered his former Betchadupa bandmates his closest friends, Finn kept to himself the songs he had written of heartbreak and evictions, ultimately the reason why 2008’s I’ll Be Lightning became a solo record. But Finn has since opened up to a born-again collaborator, with his involvement in father Neil’s 7 Worlds Collide project and an EP he created with fellow folk vocalist Eliza-Jane Barnes. What they created, recently released on Sept. 1, was Champagne in Seashells. Fresh from working on 7 Worlds Collide in April, Finn called forth new anxieties that coalesce in the EP’s first track, “Plane Crash.” A self-created nightmare in slow motion, the song spends more than half of its time building up tension through a rumble of broken chords, before exploding into a storm cloud of guitar noise. – Paste Magazine

with:

Jason Lytle || Listen

“Hold my hand while everything blows away, and we will run to a brand new sun,” Jason Lytle sings in his high, scratchy voice. That sense of willed optimism rising out of catastrophe could be about the end of a band, a romance, a friendship, an economic boom or all of them at once, and it runs through the songs on “Yours Truly, the Commuter” (Anti-), Mr. Lytle’s first solo album after 15 years of leading Grandaddy. Mr. Lytle moved to Bozeman, Mont., and recorded the album by himself, playing all the instruments. It’s a fragile recollection of California rock from more auspicious times, with stately melodies and vocal chorales over jerry-built foundations: elegies for vanished certainties. – NY Times

plus:
The 88 || Listen || Watch

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

8:30pm / $14 advance, $16 day of show / 18+

Tuesday 10.13.09: Binary Presents LA LIGHTS – RECORD RELEASE PARTY with KEENHOUSE / LEXICONDON / SHORT CIRCUIT / ALFA / THE KIDS ARE RADIOACTIVE @ echoplex

To celebrate the release of our debut record, Binary Presents: LA Lights…….. we’re having a party!

We’re taking over The Echoplex on Tuesday, October 13th (which is also the day the record will come out digitally!) for a night of fun, music, and celebration!

First off, its FREEEEEEE (you just need to RSVP to rsvp@binaryentertainmentgroup.com), so come out and have a great time, and please come support! This record is really the fruition of a couple years of work for Binary, and the songs are the heart and soul of our 7 artists. Come celebrate with us and come for some amazing performances!

Live performances by:
Keenhouse
LexiconDon
Short Circuit

DJ sets by:
Alfa
The Kids Are Radioactive

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

RSVP to rsvp@binaryentertainmentgroup.com

9pm / FREE with RSVP / 18+

Monday 10.12.09: FISHTANK ENSEMBLE / BRASS MENAZERI / THE SHPIL @ echoplex

Balkan Brass, Gypsy Gaga, Klezmatic Kaos, Eastern European Ecstacy!!

Fishtank Ensemble || Listen

The LA Weekly calls them “cross pollinated gypsy music….one of the most thrilling young acts on the planet.” Formed in 2005 and playing everywhere from the hippest LA clubs to festivals, cultural centers, museums, parades, and even on the street, the band includes two explosive violins, the world’s best slap bass player, musical saw, flamenco and gypsy jazz guitar, trombone, opera, jazz and gypsy vocals, accordion and one little banjolele. Tackling everything from French hot jazz to wild Serbian and Transylvanian gypsy anthems, Flamenco, and oddball originals, the band is a not to be missed event for world music lovers…and everyone will love this intoxicating mix of music!

with:
Brass Menazeri || Listen
The Shpil || Listen

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

8:30pm / $13 advance, $15 day of show / 18+

Saturday 10.10.09: DRAGSTRIP 66 @ echoplex

Dragstrip 66 (now quarterly at The Echoplex) returns to officially kick off the Halloween season, with a decadent theme celebrating all fallen idols – dead, alive, famous, infamous – or in between. They’re not all evil, but this party will be wicked!

DJ PAUL V. (from Bootie LA & ex-Indie 103.1FM) spins hot electro, indie rock, mashups & synthpop to keep the ghouls dancing, and GINA LOTRIMAN hosts our fabulous stage show!

* Special Midnight Performances By *
GINA LOTRIMAN (Dragstrip 66 hostess & co-creator)
JER BER JONES (Teen goth supermodel star of ‘Telekinesis’)
JOHN “CONNIE” CANTWELL (of The Nellie Olesons)

+ SPECIAL SURPRISE GUESTS +

* Special CD Giveaways *

Patrons who walk onstage during our Promenade will WIN:
LA ROUX - self-titled debut CD + “Bulletproof” remix singles
NOISETTES - “Wild Young Hearts” CD

AND DON’T FORGET:
Cover is always only $5 if you arrive in full drag or cross-dress!

More info:
http://www.Dragstrip66.com
Dragstrip 66 on Facebook

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

9pm / $15 / 21+

Tuesday 10.06.09: THE MOTH GRANDSLAM @ echoplex

10 stories, 3 teams of judges, 1 winner

Ten champion Moth StorySLAM storytellers will tell five-minute true tales on the theme “Transformation”. A forensic psychologist, a voice over artist, a mom who makes a mean chicken spaghetti sauce, a former UN tour guide, the reigning three time champion and five others will battle it out – with only words as weapons – for the “LA GrandSLAM Champion” title. No notes, no scripts – just pure, old-fashioned, unadulterated storytelling. Fun, fast, furious.

The Moth is dedicated to finding intriguing people to tell inspired stories. At The Moth StorySLAM, those people find us. On this night, using words as swords, they battle it out to determine The Moth’s GrandSLAM Story Champion.

Stories told by: Peter Basch, Christine Blackburn, Josh Cereghino, Sabrina Cognata, Megan Grano, Vikki Kelleher, Lisa McKay, Katie Nahnsen, Bill Ratner, Meg Swertlow

Hosted by: Brain Finkelstein

Musician: Alexander Burke (Vibraphone)

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

FMI: www.themoth.org

7pm / $15 / 18+

Wednesday 10.28.09: DUB CLUB with ASHER SELECTOR / DUBITERIAN @ echoplex

Special guests from europe in town this week: from switzerland guest DJ Asher Selector and from Germany a live dub performance from Dubiterian. Both of these artists play big festivals all over the world and this should be a heavy night of riddim , roots , and culture.

check out Dubiterian
check out Asher Selector

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 / free before 10pm and $5 after 10pm / 21+

Wednesday 10.21.09: DUB CLUB presents MICHIGAN AND SMILEY @ echoplex

MICHIGAN AND SMILEY
backed by the Kingston 13 band

Papa Michigan (born Anthony Fairclough) and General Smiley (born Erroll Bennett) were among the first dual-toasters on the Jamaican scene. Beginning in the late ’70s while still in school, the humorous duo (Smiley got his name because he never smiles) scored immediately with “Rub a Dub Style” and “Nice up the Dance,” two ubiquitous songs on the dancehall circuit. “One Love Jam Down” became a popular anthem, and 1982’s “Diseases” established them as major stars, especially at the annual Sunsplash festivals.

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

9pm / $10 / 21+

Wednesday 10.14.09: DUB CLUB @ echoplex

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

9pm / $5 / 21+

Wednesday 10.07.09: 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+

Thursday 10.01.09: Comedy Is The New Black presents STARS AND STRIPES OF COMEDY 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO @ echoplex

Comedy is the New Black presents:

Stars and Stripes of Comedy 2: Electric Boogaloo

with:
SHANG from COMEDY CENTRAL, BET’s DEF COMEDY JAM and COMIC VIEW,as well as guest starring on televisions hits HEROES,and CSI.

ILIZA SHLESINGER :The WINNER of the last season of NBC’s LAST COMIC STANDING.

CHRISTINA PAZSITSKY from COMEDY CENTRAL, THE LATE LATE SHOW and MTV

IAN EDWARDS from COMEDY CENTRAL, and P.DIDDYS BAD BOYS of COMEDY on HBO

PLUS a SURPRISE SPECIAL GUEST,
as well as 4 more of the funniest up and coming comics in L.A.!

10 GREAT COMEDIANS FOR 10 DOLLARS

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

7:30pm / $10 / All Ages

Saturday 10.03.09: BOOTIE LA with THE ILLUMINOIDS @ echoplex

BOOTIE LA
LA’s monthly mashup bootleg party

LA’s very own electro-punk mashup DJs HOWIE PYRO and JELLS MAYHEM, a.k.a.:
THE ILLUMINOIDS

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

Bootie LA’s resident dance crew:
R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance)

Free Bootie mashup CDs for the first 75 people!

This month, Bootie LA is proud to present punk legends Howie Pyro and Jells Mayhem, a.k.a. The Illuminoids. This LA-based mashup production duo specializes in taking punk, electro, and indie songs and putting them in a sonic blender, producing tracks that veer sharply away from the typical pop and rap mashups of other DJs.

Also, back from Burning Man, it’s the return of San Francisco-based resident DJs Adrian & the Mysterious D, who will be joining DJ Paul V. on the decks. And for the Midnight Mashup Show, after taking a month off, resident dance crew R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance) is back with another gold-suited, choreographed, show-stopping performance!

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 eight cities on three 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!

Bootie’s resident DJs 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!

FMI: http://www.BootieLA.com

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

Friday 10.30.09: BUILT TO SPILL / DISCO DOOM @ echoplex

Built To Spill || Listen || Watch

When Built To Spill wanted to find out what their music sounded like they locked themselves in Doug Martsch’s garage. Without a tentative conclusion or even a hypothesis the four members began to experiment. Their collaborative efforts lasted seasons and yielded dozens of hours of ADAT tape. The album You In Reverse documents the newest branch of Built To Spill’s chaotic, yet elegant evolution. Rather than Doug’s former reliance on extensive overdubs, the group tried to capture loose and live moments, letting each individual musician’s talents be more accurately represented. Instead of a broad, atmospheric sweep, this record sounds natural. It resonates with relationships, the way the band as a whole responds to music and to each other.

with:
Disco Doom || Listen

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

8pm / $22 advance, $24 day of show / 18+

Thursday 10.29.09: BUILT TO SPILL / DISCO DOOM @ echoplex

Built To Spill || Listen || Watch

When Built To Spill wanted to find out what their music sounded like they locked themselves in Doug Martsch’s garage. Without a tentative conclusion or even a hypothesis the four members began to experiment. Their collaborative efforts lasted seasons and yielded dozens of hours of ADAT tape. The album You In Reverse documents the newest branch of Built To Spill’s chaotic, yet elegant evolution. Rather than Doug’s former reliance on extensive overdubs, the group tried to capture loose and live moments, letting each individual musician’s talents be more accurately represented. Instead of a broad, atmospheric sweep, this record sounds natural. It resonates with relationships, the way the band as a whole responds to music and to each other.

with:
Disco Doom || Listen

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

8pm / $22 advance, $24 day of show / 18+

Thursday 10.08.09: MR. GREEN ALL STARS with HR (Bad Brains), ROCKY GEORGE (Suicidal Tendencies), NORWOOD FISHER (Fishbone) / THE SCIENTIST / OPUS DAI / CAGE 9 / AMBROSE / PAIN / LICENSE TO KILL / THE OTHER SIDE OF MORNING / THE FABULOUS MISS WENDY @ echoplex

Mr. Green All Stars || Watch

with
Hawaiian Lyon
Rocky George (Suicidal Tendencies)
Norwood Fisher (Fishbone)
DH Peligro (Dead Kennedys)

Mr. Green All-Stars Spread Their Brand of Anarchy and Stellar Musicianship Across the Globe Hardcore/Punk Rock/Reggae super group launches world tour this fall in California Los Angeles, CA, October 2009—Are you ready for the ferocious punk/ metal lines of bass guitarist Norwood Fisher of Fishbone? For the snarling blasts of thrash metal and virtuoso guitar leads provided by Rocky George of Suicidal Tendencies? Pounding tribal drum/ metal rhythms from D.H. Peligro of the Dead Kennedy’s? Last but certainly not least, the jaw-dropping stage performance and vocal range of Lyon Rowland of Hawaiian Lyon Human Rights? These talented musicians come together to form the super group Mr. Green All-Stars, who are launching their world tour across seven continents this October, beginning in their home state of California. Mr. Green All-Stars describes themselves as “misfits of the world who believe in freedom of expression—no matter what the cost.” The super group is known for their unique, energetic hybrid of punk rock and reggae, with lyrics that address political and human rights issues, as well as their incredibly skilled musicianship. Their powerful, high-speed music evokes the world of action sports, as well as a sense of anarchy and freedom, and their blend of shout-along melodies and driving hooks forces the crowd to join in on the performance.

Plus special guests
H.R. (Bad Brains)
The Scientist

plus
Opus Dai
Cage 9
Ambrose
Pain
License to Kill
The Other Side Of Morning
The Fabulous Miss Wendy
Bad Vic

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

6:30pm / $15 / 21+

Sunday 10.18.09: BLACK HEART PROCESSION / THE MUMLERS / VOICES VOICES @ echoplex

The Black Heart Procession || Listen

More than just a return to numerical album titles, Six is The Black Heart Procession’s first album to be written and recorded simultaneously with a new Three Mile Pilot album. As both bands now coexist for the first time ever, coconspirators Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel have steered The Black Heart Procession into a darker, more adventurous direction. Produced and recorded by the band over the past couple years, Six is without a doubt the group’s most emotionally resonant album since Three. Brimming with pitch-black ballads of discarded loves and forgotten souls, the album paints a bleak yet strangely comforting portrait of heartbreak, self-destruction and religious allegory over some of their most inspired songs to date, drawing a clear line from here to soulstirring visionaries such as Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits.

with:
The Mumlers || Listen
Voices Voices

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

8pm / $14 Advance, $16 Day of show / 18+

Friday 10.23.09: Echo & Club Underground present DRAGONETTE / DAISY O’DELL @ echo

Dragonette || Listen || Watch

The musical fruit of this encounter between Dan Kurtz and Martina Sorbara was Dragonette, a band (we must at this point mention drummer Joel Stouffer and guitarist Will Stapleton) who make sharp, sardonically witty electronic pop music. From the very start, the concept was, in stark contrast to the rest of the Canadian scene during that ‘Nickelback moment‘, unashamedly and unapologetically POP. Dan explains, “I’d like to write songs that at least I can remember. And I’m very bad at remembering melodies and the lyrics, so it needs to be memorable!” The results are a dirty, hook-heavy, electropop album called Galore with monsters like “I Get Around” and “Competition”, depicting a world of guilt-free pleasure mixed with an 80s party prowess. Martina isn’t interested in writing, she says, “songs to get depressed to.” As Dan puts it, “It’s hard enough working on songs that are *fun*. I can’t even imagine what it‘s like working on miserable material…” The record has received praise from such diverse sources as the NME. UK dailies the Observer, Times and Guardian, online pop bible popjustice, and has garnered multiple mentions from Perez Hilton (whose showcase the band performed at during last year’s SXSW).

with:
Daisy O’Dell

8:30pm / $8 advance, $10 day of show / 18+

Sunday 10.11.09: PART TIME PUNKS 2ND ANNUAL FESTIVAL @ echoplex & echo

with:
THE RAINCOATS
Formed in 1977, The Raincoats were the world’s second all-girl punk band. Only, by the time Rough Trade released their debut album in 1979, they weren’t making punk music any more, but post-punk, and more akin to The Velvet Underground’s first LP or the records it shared the racks with: The Slits’ “Cut,” Young Marble Giants “Colossal Youth” and The Cure’s first LP. The only reason the band remains lesser known is that their three albums remained out of print for more than a decade before Kurt Cobain tracked them down during a pilgrimage to London in the early 90s. Cobain was also responsible for “convincing” his label, Geffen, to reissue The Raincoats three albums in 1993 (co-writing the liner notes with Kim Gordon), which paved the way for the Riot Grrrl movement.

+ guest DJs +
GANG OF FOUR members Hugo Burnham & Dave Allen
DAN SELZER (Acute Records)
Don Bolles (The Germs)
Brendan Mullen (The Masque)
James Nice (LTM/Crepuscule),
Rick Taylor (We Fought The Big One)

enter @ Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

3pm / first 100 tickets at $20, second 100 tickets at $22, $25 after the first 200 sell / 18+

Tuesday 10.13.09: Distressed Gentlefolk night with PAT FISH (acoustic) / MAX EIDER (acoustic) / DOWNY MILDEW / CLAY IDOLS / BLACK WATCH @ echo

Pat Fish (acoustic) || Listen || Watch

Pat Fish used to be The Jazz Butcher, and made about a million albums years ago, most notably for Alan McGee’s Creation Records. He’s still going strong, knocking up backing tracks in his house & performing songs for us on his guitar (In fact, he only dredges up one Jazz Butcher tune, the others are all new). The rhythms are hardly the height of technology, in fact, it sounds like he made them on an Amiga. But, the simplicity and homeliness adds to the effect. A few tracks veer close to sounding like muzak versions of New Order, but in general the communicative effect of these well-written songs trumps the paucity of the sonic palette. A warm welcome back. – Oxford Bands

With:
Max Eider (acoustic) || Listen
Downy Mildew
Clay Idols
The Black Watch

8pm / $10 / all ages

Monday 10.26.09: LA Underground presents Monday Night Residency with CORREATOWN / JOANIE MENDENHALL @ echo

Correatown || Listen || Watch

So open and unflinching that listening to it feels akin to eavesdropping, Angela Correa’s Spark.Burn.Fade. accomplishes the first two verbs in its title while never coming close to the last–this is a record that haunts, seduces and laments, sometimes all at once, threatening to crack your heart but never fade away. – Web In Front

There’s an inescapably seductive quality to Angela Correa’s songs; despite the fact that every song she writes is downtempo and melancholy, she has produced forty-five minutes of mellowness rather than full sedation. Correatown is ten beautiful, earthy tunes, stripped bare musically and emotionally, that trudge along at the pace of a wounded deer. Only Correa’s endlessly soothing voice and the strength of her bittersweet songs allows her to avoid the pitfalls of a “downer” album. – Splendid Magazine

with:
Joanie Mendenhall

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 10.19.09: Classical Geek Theater presents Monday Night Residency with CORREATOWN / CHARLIE WADHAMS / DEERHEART / THE HEREAFTER @ echo

Correatown || Listen || Watch

So open and unflinching that listening to it feels akin to eavesdropping, Angela Correa’s Spark.Burn.Fade. accomplishes the first two verbs in its title while never coming close to the last–this is a record that haunts, seduces and laments, sometimes all at once, threatening to crack your heart but never fade away. – Web In Front

There’s an inescapably seductive quality to Angela Correa’s songs; despite the fact that every song she writes is downtempo and melancholy, she has produced forty-five minutes of mellowness rather than full sedation. Correatown is ten beautiful, earthy tunes, stripped bare musically and emotionally, that trudge along at the pace of a wounded deer. Only Correa’s endlessly soothing voice and the strength of her bittersweet songs allows her to avoid the pitfalls of a “downer” album. – Splendid Magazine

with:
Charlie Wadhams
Deerheart
The Hereafter

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 10.12.09: Monday Night Residency with CORREATOWN / SQUARE ON SQUARE / SUMMER DARLING / THE RHONE OCCUPATION @ echo

Correatown || Listen || Watch

So open and unflinching that listening to it feels akin to eavesdropping, Angela Correa’s Spark.Burn.Fade. accomplishes the first two verbs in its title while never coming close to the last–this is a record that haunts, seduces and laments, sometimes all at once, threatening to crack your heart but never fade away. – Web In Front

There’s an inescapably seductive quality to Angela Correa’s songs; despite the fact that every song she writes is downtempo and melancholy, she has produced forty-five minutes of mellowness rather than full sedation. Correatown is ten beautiful, earthy tunes, stripped bare musically and emotionally, that trudge along at the pace of a wounded deer. Only Correa’s endlessly soothing voice and the strength of her bittersweet songs allows her to avoid the pitfalls of a “downer” album. – Splendid Magazine

with:
Square on Square
Summer Darling
The Rhone Occupation

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Monday 10.05.09: Web In Front presents Monday Night Residency with CORREATOWN / EAGLE & TALON / THE VOYEURS / BANDITO ROYALE @ echo

Correatown || Listen || Watch

So open and unflinching that listening to it feels akin to eavesdropping, Angela Correa’s Spark.Burn.Fade. accomplishes the first two verbs in its title while never coming close to the last–this is a record that haunts, seduces and laments, sometimes all at once, threatening to crack your heart but never fade away. – Web In Front

There’s an inescapably seductive quality to Angela Correa’s songs; despite the fact that every song she writes is downtempo and melancholy, she has produced forty-five minutes of mellowness rather than full sedation. Correatown is ten beautiful, earthy tunes, stripped bare musically and emotionally, that trudge along at the pace of a wounded deer. Only Correa’s endlessly soothing voice and the strength of her bittersweet songs allows her to avoid the pitfalls of a “downer” album. – Splendid Magazine

with:
The Voyeurs
Eagle & Talon
Bandito Royale

8:30pm / FREE / 21+

Thursday 10.08.09: HAR MAR SUPERSTAR / BROTHER READE / KESHA @ echo

Har Mar Superstar || Listen || Watch

Sean Tillman keeps one foot in punk rock via Sean Na Na (which released Family Trees Or: Cope We Must in 2007), but the Minnesota-born singer has carved out an unlikely-seeming niche in the world of pop R&B as Har Mar Superstar. The shtick—pudgy dude strips to his underwear to perform slinky, sexy Prince-esque tunes—is so blatant it seems like it’d become tiresome quickly, but Har Mar pushes past novelty shock value with outrageous exuberance, tongue-in-cheek humor, and—his real secret weapon—genuine songwriting chops. The new Dark Touches, due in October, features guestwork from P.O.S., Neon Neon’s Boom Bip, and The Bird and The Bee’s Inara George. It also includes a couple tunes Tillman originally wrote for Britney Spears and The Cheetah Girls—redone here, straight-faced, with double-entendre lyrics like “I need a tall boy” unchanged. – Decider

With:
Brother Reade || Listen
Kesha

8:30pm / $10 adv; $12 doors / 18+

Sunday 10.18.09: Part Time Punks with WEAVE! / PIZZA! / guest DJ BOSS HARMONY @ echo

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

With:
Weave!
Pizza!
+ GUEST DJ BOSS HARMONY (aka David Orlando) from PUNKY REGGAE PARTY/DUB CLUB

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Sunday 10.04.09: Part Time Punks – DUBLAB 10TH ANNIVERSARY / ALL-POST-PUNK DANCE PARTY with MARIA CATWALK @ Echo

with:
Maria Catwalk

plus dublab DJs:
Ale
Hoseh
Kutmah
Marion

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

FMI:
Part Time Punks on Myspace

10pm / $5 / 18+

Friday 10.09.09: A Special Acoustic Performance from JOHN DOE AND EXENE / KID CONGO POWERS @ echoplex

John Doe & Exene

John and Exene, who took the stage in simple, black-and-white outfits, looked a little bit like the Appalachian folkies who inspire their music. Although their romance ended nearly 25 years ago, the pair retains a certain chemistry and tenderness that comes through in their patient, funny onstage banter. And, before we get into the music, there’s something else you should know about John and Exene: Their fans — from 20-somethings to 50-year-old punks — adore them. Not a moment of silence could pass without someone yelling, “We love you, Exene!” or good-naturedly joking with John.

As someone who’s devoted a lot of time to thinking about X — I just submitted a 33 1/3 proposal on Los Angeles — the performance was a chance to reflect on the way their music has evolved over the years. Although the road from punk to Americana seems long, the movements are tied together by the raucousness of rockabilly. And the space between the sex, drugs, and death that fueled LA punk and the sex-booze-death triumvirate that has driven American roots music for a century has never been that great. As it turns out, the California noir and Southern gothic aesthetics may just be kissin’ cousins.

For much of the set, John’s acoustic guitar was the only instrument accompanying their voices, as they paged through a selection of each musician’s own compositions, a handful of covers, and a sprinkling of X classics. Throughout, John and Exene kept the audience engaged. John joked about his excitement to contribute a track (“The Losing Kind”) to a Samuel L. Jackson movie and the disappointment of discovering just how bad Black Snake Moan turned out to be. As Doe put it, “Even Christina Ricci running around in her underpants couldn’t save it.” And before performing the Carter Family standard “Poor Old Heartsick Me,” they told the story of their chance meeting with June Carter, who apparently told them, “If I never sing that song again, it’ll be too soon.”

Of course, for an old X fan, the highlight of the evening was hearing two of my favorite old-school tunes, “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” and “In This House That I Call Home.” During the second encore (that’s right, kids — both about to turn 53 and still gracing audiences with multiple encores), a few people shouted out, “Los Angeles!”

“On an acoustic guitar? Really?” John shot back, without missing a beat. I knew he was right, but I couldn’t fault them for the request. Even on an acoustic guitar, I would’ve liked to hear it, too. – Tiny Mix Tapes

with:
Kid Congo Powers (acoustic/spoken word)

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

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

8pm / advance seated: $25.00; advance standing $20; day of show seated $27.00, Day of show standing $23/ 18+

Tuesday 10.20.09: WHY? / AU / SERENGETI & POLYPHONIC @ echoplex

Why? || Listen || Watch || Mp3

“This record is really the least hip-hop out of anything I’ve ever been involved with.” That quote from Yoni Wolf about the follow-up to Why?’s Alopecia gave some fans of the art-rap act reason to pause. Such uneasiness is unwarranted though. Alopecia was also more rock-oriented and was the Anticon. crew’s best. During the Alopecia sessions, Wolf and Co. recorded more songs, ten of which compromise Eskimo Snow. Though both albums were recorded during the February 2007 Minneapolis sessions, the Eskimo tracks avoid the segmented recording of Alopecia, for a more “resigned” and “open” sound. Wolf also noted that Eskimo Snow is a “bit more wild, and the drums have more room mics.” – Prefix Magazine

with:
AU
Serengeti & Polyphonic

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

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

8pm / $15 / All Ages

Friday 10.16.09: THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN / PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT / DAVID SCHULTZ @ echo

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down || Listen || Watch || Mp3

Until Hollywood gives us a good portrayal of the adolescent-leaning female, we have Portland-based Thao Nguyen and her backing band the Get Down Stay Down, who specialize in galloping indie pop with sugar-coated hooks, a frosting of horns, and a considerable dark streak. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter, whose expressive voice suggests an earthbound Beth Orton, sings about such youthful concerns as ice cream cones and cannonballs off diving boards, but with unexpected maturity, dignity, and charm. These qualities make her second full-length, We Brave Bee Stings and All, sound so immediately distinguished and spirited. Even that title makes a child’s fear sound as epic as 300.

“Feet Asleep”, which appeared on last year’s Kill Rock Stars comp The Sound the Hare Heard, begins unassumingly, with Nguyen singing against a folksy acoustic guitar theme, then the band launches into a brassy Dixieland-style chorus– one of the album’s fullest and most joyful moments– as Nguyen turns bad circulation into a metaphor for romantic complacency. Those horns pop up again more quietly on “Violet”, drawing frowns across the song as she bids farewell to a friend. Throughout Bee Stings, the Get Down Stay Down keep the music light and fast-paced, revealing a broad range of styles but never boasting about it, and Tucker Martine’s suitably slack production emphasizes the sharpness of her voice and the playfulness of her melodies. On “Fear and Convenience”, she asks, “Did he hurt you in a new way?” Nguyen sounds generally curious, even as the darker implications of her question loom over the song. Bee Stings is, in a sense, a coming-of-age album, as serious themes underscore her jaunty melodies and adult concerns encroach on her summery youthfulness. Nguyen strikes a fine balance between the two, but here’s hoping she doesn’t grow up too much. – Pitchfork

with:
Portland Cello Project || Listen
David Schultz

MOVED TO ECHO
Enter at 1822 West Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

8pm / $12 advance, $14 day of show / 18+

Saturday 10.17.09: WAVVES / THE SOFT PACK / GANGLIANS @ echoplex

Wavves || Listen || Watch

Wavves, né Nathan Williams of San Diego, is primed for this environment. He’s young, only 22. His musicianship isn’t stellar (probably due to his age), but it’s crafty. This self-titled debut for Woodsist is littered with addictive riffs, and each soaked in enough distortion and amplifier crust to mask any technical deficiencies. Each backbeat is propulsive, a keen lock onto garage’s incessant energy but with enough of a post-punk edge to keep the turned-up cuffs away. And most important to the kids today, Williams knows how to harmonize, and he is a whiz with the multi-track. With such enhanced vocal melodies and a balls-out style of playing, Wavves is most like a rudimentary West Coast version of Blank Dogs. Or perhaps a Times New Viking with a better post-production mix. Williams may be entering a crowded stable with this musical approach, but the sunnier Southern California temperament of his sound (however distorted) adds a surprisingly welcomed twist to the niche.

Though a solid and promising outing, Wavves isn’t a revelatory record. It fits nicely into the “scene,” however vague that semblance is these days. In a musical community where the one-man frantic punk show of Jay Reatard garnishes high critical praise and manic collector urgency whenever another 7″ drops, Williams is bound to shine. And his somewhat wholesome personality (in comparison, at least) paired with a keener pop sensibility will only further his attraction; think an aesthetic not terribly far from early Beck experiments minus the obsession with rap beats (see “Loser Year”, “Here’s to the Sun”). The world is currently too depressing to just sit back and reflect, we would much rather bang our heads and blindly sing along gleefully. Wavves makes for a perfect outlet. – Dusted Magazine

With:
The Soft Pack
Ganglians

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

8:30pm / 18+

Thursday 10.15.09: When You Awake presents THE DEVIL MAKES THREE / OLD MAN MARKLEY / HE’S MY BROTHER, SHE’S MY SISTER @ echoplex

The Devil Makes Three || Listen || Watch

The Devil Makes Three has just released the latest chapter of their gypsy-punk-hillbilly-bluegrass-blues gospel in an album called Do Wrong Right. That description is a mouthful, but DM3 is far from ordinary. The drummer-less trio consists of guitarist/frontman Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist Cooper McBean. Their sound is driven by rhythm and three-part harmonies that beg you to boogie down, even if you aren’t the boogie down type.

Do Wrong Right might change your opinion about what can be done with an acoustic album. Traditional country songs like “Car Wreck” are offset by up-tempo banjo propelled songs like the album’s title track and then followed by brutally honest blues numbers like “Working Man’s Blues.” I haven’t had a chance to see a live show, but the word-of-mouth about their performances is the stuff of legends. From what I hear, hippies, young kids, college students, yuppies and people of all races and religions are dancing and singing along in blissful coexistence. They are on a monstrous cross-country tour this summer, so we’ll all have a chance to find out for ourselves.

While this ragtag band might be a bit loose and rough around the edges, those same qualities are what bring character to their music. The Devil Makes Three have a lively spirit and are bound to win over audiences all over the country, one drinking hole at a time. – HearYa

with:
Old Man Markley
He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister

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

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8pm / $13.00 advance; $15.00 day of show / 18+

Thursday 10.22.09: THE OH SEES / FRESH & ONLYS / DAN MELCHIOR @ echo

The Oh Sees || Watch

When bands progress at a dizzying rate, there’s no assurance their loyalists will stick with them. Sudden shifts in dynamic can be frustrating if they don’t feel organic, as can follow-ups that have little to do with what preceded them.

John Dwyer, nee the man behind Coachwhips, Pink & Brown, and close to a dozen other lesser known entities, is one of those artists who makes drastic changes from album-to-album and somehow keeps the returns high, if not higher, with each subsequent release. Thee Oh Sees alone have already cycled through a few monikers — including OCS — and seven, count ’em, seven records since 2004 (including an m-f’n double-album and a 6-inch lathe-cut run of exactly 51 copies).

The quality control has remained high; while I fell in love with the echo-folk of 2 and 3 & 4, Dwyer has held my attention as his Oh Sees slowly wade into rock ‘n’ roll waters, beginning with slight traces on Cool Death of Island Raiders, bluesy belting on Thee Oh Sees Sucks Blood, and, now, all-out 1950s greaser rock with The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending the Night In, a superior specimen to Sucks Blood and another reason to join Dwyer’s cult.

Sung almost entirely duet-style — Brigid Dawson being the second layer — The Master’s Bedroom corrals 14 versions of the same song. Luckily it’s a fucking sweet song, well worth revisiting over and over for nuance. A noise flutter here, an ascension there, a clickity-clack of some sort to break up the monotony; we’re talking about an A-and-B conversation between musician and listener — any distractions can oh-C their way out of it. – Tiny Mix Tapes

With:
The Fresh & Onlys || Listen
Dan Melchior || Listen

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8:30pm / $12 / 18+

Thursday 10.01.09: THE CAVE SINGERS / LIGHTNING DUST / BIG SEARCH @ echo

The Cave Singers || Listen || Watch

Two years pass, and we find The Cave Singers to be much more comfortable in the studio. The group’s newly-perfected acoustic sound is warm and inviting, and you can just tell from the sound of it that these guys always play sitting down. They are always careful and deliberate. Whatever rushed, hurried, methods they might have previously used on earlier recordings is now gone. True to their acoustic mantra, they maintain an earthy, naturistic, rootsy feel. Not as in a “twangy country,” but as in, “if Fleet Foxes had more facial hair then they might sound like this.” They even throw in washboards and harmonicas and give a nod to the oft-neglected blues music of the Mississippi River Delta. From even the first listen, it is evident that The Cave Singers has perfected the ghostly, resonating qualities of minimalism that separate it from a hoard of meditative, chai-sipping imitators.

Welcome Joy is somber and sweet enough to be enjoyed on calm evenings, but yet packs enough punch that you won’t be embarrassed if you leave it in your car when you pick up your best buds from lacrosse practice. It is a treasure trove anthology of styles, all led by the powerful, wailing voice of Pete Quirk. His unique vocal blend is perfectly complimented by gentle, throbbing drum pulses and Derek Fudesco’s masterfully rationed guitar work. Each pluck is gentle and deliberate. There are no wasted notes and none of that awful, mindless strumming that saturates contemporary indie music. Each hit of the string is left to resonate, creating a gentle, almost haunting atmosphere.

And the thing is, that The Cave Singers seem to have risen to these levels of greatness overnight. How did they get this good? Washes of warm pigments and wistful, breezy sounds abound. Impressionistic lyrics and smooth guitar interplay float by. This is the perfect album for shooting the breeze or enjoying the outdoors. Songs are warm and inviting, and they maintain that sort of “Sticky Sweet Honey Goodness” that scientists have recently found to be the primary ingredient in the soundtrack to your best summer memories. Welcome Joy is the perfect, earthy balance of the grittiest and the sweetest splendors that the Pacific has to offer. I feel like I would enjoy this record even better if I were a more frequent participator in No Shave November. But regardless, it’s still damn good. – Adequacy

With:
Lightning Dust || Listen || MP3
Amber Webber’s broken-warbled vibrato is thick and sour-sweet like buttermilk, wobbly as a warped record, bumpy as the soft-hard ridges of a curved spine. The Vancouver singer/multi-instrumentalist who sidelines as Lightning Dust with fellow Black Mountaineer Joshua Wells, lends single-slug words “hand” and “sea” a dozen extra syllables and a line like “this city is in a panic” a waving-or-drowning inscrutability. Throughout Lightning Dust’s second LP, Infinite Light, Webber’s on the verge of tears– or laughter, depending on how her voice finds you– and her raw emotion makes for one of the fiercest, most stirring vocal performances of any release this year. – Pitchfork

Big Search

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8:30pm / $10 advance; $12 day of show / 18+

Tuesday 10.06.09: STARFUCKER / DEELAY CEELAY / STRENGTH @ echo

Starfucker || Watch

Coming less than a year after the quartet’s self-titled debut (and on a label usually more closely associated with poet-songwriters and gentle folk songs), Jupiter is 26 minutes of thoroughly road-tested, crowd-approved, indie-electro gems by folks who know how to do it right.

The record starts off with the one-two punch of “Medicine” and “Boy Toy,” two warm, super hook-filled numbers — the latter of which repeats “in my lungs” over and over again as (according to main man Josh Hodges) a “metaphor for the lung cancer that is romance.” Starfucker’s sound immediately strikes the ears as a far less icy Ladytron mixed with The Teenagers — both the French electro-outfit and, as evidenced by Mr. Hodges hyperbolic, yet sweetly morbid love metaphor, people of that age group. The band’s treatment of ’80s classic “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” has all the elements that made Fun Boy Three’s 1983 version of “Our Lips Are Sealed” a pop gem. It’s true to the original, but the male vocals add a ramped up, irresistibly campy quality.

Each track on Jupiter would fit well on a mix tape alongside electro-classics like Air’s “Sexy Boy.” Considering how quickly the computer has become the common man’s instrument of choice, Starfucker prove that, in the right hands, it can still be irresistible. – Tiny Mix Tapes

With:
Deelay Ceelay || Listen
Strength || Listen

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8pm / $10 / All Ages

Friday 10.16.09: Echo & Club Underground present A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS / DARKER MY LOVE / ALL THE SAINTS @ echoplex

A Place To Bury Strangers || Listen || Watch

Never underestimate the power of the perfect guitar effects unit. The Jesus and Mary Chain’s landmark Psychocandy would have sounded vastly less godlike without its use of a discontinued (and allegedly broken) Japanese fuzz pedal. Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis dredged his mythic decibel levels from road-worn Marshall amps, but his stoner racket wouldn’t have been the same if he hadn’t funneled it through the grinding fury of a Big Muff. In the right hands, one little black box can mean the difference between pummeling and decimating.

Few people understand this better than Oliver Ackermann, frontman for thunderous Brooklyn three-piece A Place to Bury Strangers: Under his catch-all company name Death by Audio (it’s also a music venue, recording studio, and collective), he custom-builds and designs his own hand-wired pedals, which are used by everyone from Lightning Bolt and Serena Maneesh to Wilco, Spoon, and TV on the Radio. Not coincidentally, anyone looking for a quick description of his own band can look to the names he gives these things: Interstellar Overdriver, Supersonic Fuzz Gun, Total Sonic Annihilation. – Pitchfork

With:
Darker My Love || Listen
All The Saints

MOVED TO ECHOPLEX
enter at 1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

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8:30pm / $12 / 18+

Sunday 10.04.09: JACK PENATE / MIIKE SNOW @ echoplex

Jack Penate || Listen || Watch

Jack Penate has responded by junking his previous incarnation, finding a sympathetic producer in Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Maxïmo Park) and re-emerging with an album of good-natured, more-ish dance-pop, its multi-layered sound so unexpected that Matinee now seems like the work of someone else entirely. Once noted for his strange knock-kneed dance moves, Peñate has suddenly found a sense of rhythm; recent single Today’s Tonight merges Afrobeat and house music, while Give Yourself Away piles on the samba drums and squalling guitars, suggesting recent discovery of the Santana back catalogue.

There are trumpets, strings, a barrage of percussion and all manner of instrumental flourishes that might have left Peñate, in his eagerness to reinvent himself, mired in self-indulgence. Despite the broader palette, there’s no sign of bloating and the album comes in at just nine tracks, all of them punchy, and in their lyrical and sonic optimism, defiantly pop. The title track is both hymn to the joy of seeing the world through less jaundiced eyes and faintly autobiographical, given its chorus of “everything is new now/dance away defeat”, and the overarching mood is of facing down your fears. That includes the biggest one of all, as Let’s All Die celebrates the arrival of the grim reaper by breaking out the party hats, its mariachi brass and rattling drums equal parts Mexican Day of the Dead and New Orleans funeral march.

After a few listens to Everything is New, it’s clear the title is no plea to be forgiven for past sins. Skins have been shed, batteries recharged and the traditionally difficult second album dashed out with apparent ease. Of all the young artists that might have managed that feat, who’d have thought it would be this one? – The Guardian UK

With:
Miike Snow

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8:30pm / $12 / 18+